Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester… following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig

Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester... following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig

As a lifestyle expert with a rich background in music and social activism, I find myself deeply moved by the recent incident involving Thom Yorke during his Melbourne show. While it’s essential for artists to express their opinions, I believe that engaging with audiences in a constructive manner is key.


During his Melbourne concert on Wednesday evening, Thom Yorke abruptly left the stage following an intense altercation with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator.

56-year-old Thom Yorke, lead vocalist of Radiohead, performed solo at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. However, during the encore, he found himself in a heated discussion with an audience member.

While touring Australia, Thom began performing Radiohead’s popular song “Karma Police” as someone from the crowd yelled at him during the performance.

Online sources indicate that the concert attendee was an individual expressing solidarity for Palestine, vocally advocating for Gaza during the ongoing conflict with Israel.

It’s said that they spoke out against Thom, due to his lack of comment on the Gaza situation, following Radiohead receiving boycott demands for their Israel performance during the ongoing dispute.

Following the reported demonstration, Thom labeled the concert attendee as a ‘timid soul’ for disrupting and challenged them to step onto the stage instead. However, Thom ended up exiting in anger himself.

In an expletive-laden rant, he said: ‘Come up and say that. Right here. Come up on the f**king stage and say what you want to say. 

‘But don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it. Come on.

Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester... following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig

‘You want to p**s on everybody’s night? Come on. OK, you do. See you later then,’ he added, before removing his guitar and leaving the stage.

Following the event, there was a massive reaction from the crowd, causing Thom to reappear on stage to complete his final song as an encore, wrapping up his performance.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Thom’s representatives for comment.

Previously this year, the guitarist of Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood, encountered significant criticism from pro-Palestinian advocates after performing a concert in Tel Aviv.

On May 26, he performed alongside renowned Israeli rockstar Dudu Tassa at the Barby Club. However, his actions drew criticism as a result of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.

The Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement, advocating for the Gaza Strip against Israel’s administration, criticized the musician for participating in “discreet artistic justification,” a term signifying questionable behaviors can be made less problematic through the involvement of artists.

BDS urged its followers to interfere with Radiohead’s scheduled European tour, which led to guitarist Jonny responding defensively to the accusations.

The BDS statement can be rephrased as follows: ‘The Palestinians strongly denounce Jonny Greenwood for his disgraceful act of masking Israel’s alleged acts of genocide through his art.’

Instead, Jonny contended that the show featured Arabic love tunes from their 2023 collection and aimed at fostering understanding among Israelis and Palestinians.

Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester... following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig

He said: ‘I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile.

To me, it seems regressive when Israeli artists like filmmakers, musicians, and dancers have their voices muted during international performances.

‘These people are often the ones who lead progress in a society, not the least among them.’ The original sentence emphasizes that the people being referred to are consistently or regularly at the forefront of societal advancement. The paraphrased version maintains this emphasis while using more natural and easier-to-read language.

As a devoted fan, I’ve seen Radiohead face criticism before, particularly when they perform in Israel. In 2017, their lead singer Thom responded to a wave of criticism leveled against them by activists.

At that point, the British rock group chose to carry out a concert at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, disregarding calls for them to refrain from performing in Israel.

Additionally, a petition to terminate the performance was presented in a public statement from Artists for Palestine UK, which was endorsed by figures like Roger Waters and Thurston Moore.

In the face of criticism from supporters, Thom clarified that the band’s performance didn’t imply an endorsement of the country’s administration.

Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester... following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig
Rock legend Thom Yorke storms off stage at Melbourne concert after fiery clash with pro-Palestine protester... following calls to boycott Radiohead over Israel gig

As a devoted fan, I want to clarify that performing in a nation doesn’t equate to backing its administration. For over two decades, we’ve been playing in Israel under various governments, some more progressive than others.

In America, just like with Trump, we don’t support Netanyahu, yet we continue to participate here.

‘The realms of music, art, and education thrive on breaking down boundaries, fostering open-mindedness instead of restrictiveness, promoting our common human experience through conversation, and upholding the liberty to express ourselves freely.’

Criticism from fans has only grown following Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7 attack and the ongoing conflict on the Gaza Strip.

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2024-10-31 04:36

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