Radiohead fans attacked
in record store
during album launch
The launch of a new Radiohead album is usually a big event, but fans dontg normally get attacked while attending it. It happened yesterday in Istanbul, a city trying hard to be a part of the west. Indeed, the 'west' currently pays them around 3 BILLIONS to help them become more westernised.
The attack took place late on Friday evening in the VELVET INDIEGROUND record store in the Beyoghlu district of Turkey's largest city. About 20 suspected Islamists arrived brandishing knives, bottles and sticks and beat up the customers in the shop, who were there to be the first to hear the new RADIOHEAD album, A Moon Shaped Pool.
Radiohead's PR spokesman said: "Our hearts go out to those attacked at Velvet IndieGround in Istanbul. We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support."
The protestors returned on the Saturday but were beaten back by riot police. They held a mass pray-in at Taksim Square. They were protesting that music should not be played during their holy month of Ramadan.
In the UK we have music pretty much on tap 24 hours a day, on radio, TV and through our own record libraries. We can also go and buy recordings in most towns and cities, although there are far fewer outlets for records than there once used to be!). We can even go and here live music most evenings. A little cafe bar, called SOLOS is less than a mile from my home have live music most days, and we ventured there last night for a quick bite, a few glasses (there were a few friends birthdays to celebrate!) and we heard a couple of blues artistes giving credible renditions, or acoustic versions of some blues numbers. On trips to Istanbul we have noticed how devoid of music this city is - little wonder if the fundamentalists do their best to suppress it?
How strange that a bunch of people who claim to be peaceful and religious, can attack people with weapons, simply for the 'sin' listening to music.
You can download some or all the tracks from the new RADIOHEAD album Moon Shaped pool HERE from iTunes. (Guaranteed that you will NOT be attacked by any religious fanatics!)
