The Murder Capital played a free acoustic gig in Cologne last night, May 11, after their scheduled gig at the city's Gebäude 9 venue was cancelled due to the club refusing to let the Dublin band perform with a Palestinian flag onstage.
The Irish band also had their gig at Berlin's Club Gretchen cancelled on Saturday, May 11, for the same reason.
The Murder Capital's frontman James McGovern explained the situation to fans in Cologne yesterday afternoon.
"We arrived into Cologne this morning hoping that what happened in Berlin yesterday would be an isolated incident," he posted on X. "But tonight’s venue, Gebäude 9, has also told us that we cannot have the Palestinian flag on our stage.
"We’ve tried everything we can to find another venue for tonight’s show, but it’s been impossible. So we’ll be putting on an acoustic show outdoors in a park somewhere this evening.”
“Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement, it is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation.”
Last year, the band donated all profits from their vinyl single Love Of Country to Medical Aid for Palestine.
In a statement at the time, McGovern said: "We are releasing a 7” record of Love Of Country, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to Medical Aid for Palestine. In the face of, and beyond such clear acts of evil, it is more vital than ever to cherish the richness of our diverse communities and the power of human connection. We must stand firm against the rise of nationalist ideologies and speak up for those whose worlds are being torn apart by hatred and violence.”
Watch the band play Love of Country and Swallow in Cologne below:
Irish artists have been among the most vocal in regards to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Fontaines DC, Kneecap, Lankum, CMAT and others have regularly expressed their support for the Palestinian people, and raised funds for Medical Aid for Palestine via gigs and merchandise sales, while all 12 Irish artists invited to play official showcases at the SXSW music festival in Texas last year - including Sprints, NewDad and Gurriers, cancelled their gigs, after it was revealed that the US army and defence contractors which supply weapons to Israel are among its sponsors.
In the wake of the protest, SXSW announced that it was dropping the US Army and weapons manufacturers as sponsors for 2025.
