In recent months, art-rock legend Brian Eno has been increasingly vocal about Israel's ongoing campaign of genocide and starvation in Palestine. Eno called on Microsoft to end its partnership with the IDF and pledged to donate his fee for composing the Windows '95 start-up chime to the embattled people of Gaza. He joined Massive Attack's alliance of artists speaking up for Palestine. Last week, Eno announced plans for Together For Palestine, a benefit concert going down at London's OVO Wembley Arena next month. Today, Eno unveiled that concert's lineup.
The Together For Palestine concert goes down 9/17 at OVO Wembley Arena, and perhaps the most notable name on that lineup is Damon Albarn. In an interview last month, Albarn criticized the UK punk-rap duo for leading a "death to the IDF" chant at Glastonbury, calling it "one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life" and claiming that he'd be happy to take his Africa Express group into Israel or Palestine. It's good to see Albarn presumably taking in actual stand on what's happening. In a statement to The Guardian, Albarn says, "Pacifism is an action. Peace is an action. To live peacefully requires vision and commitment … I am grateful for this opportunity to act in solidarity with the Palestinian people."
Along with Albarn, the Together For Palestine lineup includes James Blake, Jamie xx, Sampha, King Krule, Hot Chip, Obongjayar, Paloma Faith, Mabel, Rachel Chinouriri, Cat Burns, Greentea Peng, Bastille, and the Palestinian artists Adnan Joubran, Faraj Suleiman, and Nai Barghouti. PinkPantheress, Rina Sawayama, and Riz Ahmed are slated to make appearances, though maybe not to perform, and the poster also promises "more TBA." The concert is raising funds for Choose Love, a British organization that's working with 23 partner groups in Gaza to get food, medical supplies, and supplies into the blockaded area.
Brian Eno isn't currently slated to perform at Together For Palestine, but he's listed as an executive producer, alongside actor and activist Khalid Abdalla, London Palestine film festival founder Khaled Ziada, and Tracey Seaward, producer of the London Olympics opening ceremony in 2012.
