Roger Waters’ Manchester gig should be banned, says MP

26 May, 2023

Roger Waters and Bury South constituency MP Christian Wakeford. Credit: Sergione Infuso and Christopher Furlong / GETTY

An MP has shared that Roger Waters‘ should not perform in Manchester due to fears that his “divisive actions” could fuel anti-Jewish hatred.

The former Pink Floyd member has been provoking controversy with his live shows – the most recent taking place in Berlin on May 17 in which he wore an outfit that some deemed as having connotations to the Second World War, mentioned Anne Frank and pretended to fire a rifle.

According to BBC News, the Bury South Labour MP Christian Wakeford told other MPs his concern about Waters playing at the AO Arena on June 10, explaining that “The city of Manchester has a rich and vibrant history in which those of different faiths and backgrounds have lived together as well as stood together through difficult times and times of division.”

He added: “Will the Leader of the House agree with me that concerts like this have no place in our society and shouldn’t go ahead?”

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt replied: “I shall make certain that the Home Office has heard [Mr Wakeford’s] concerns today and I think that this House has made great efforts, particularly in recent years, to ensure that the scourge of antisemitism is addressed and stamped out from our country.”

Accusations about the alleged anti-semitic views of Waters  made headlines earlier this year, when former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour and his wife Polly Samson took to Twitter to label the musician as “antisemitic to [his] rotten core”.

Following the comments, Waters then issued a statement, called the accusation “incendiary and wildly inaccurate” and confirmed that he “refutes [them] entirely”.

Waters has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-semitism and explained that his disdain is towards Israel, not Judaism. He also accused Israel of “abusing the term anti-semitism to intimidate people like me into silence”.

Upon the future of his scheduled dates in Germany being thrown into question this year, two petitions were launched. The first one called for the government to reverse the decision and have the concert go ahead as planned — it was signed by the likes of Eric Clapton, Rage Against The Machine‘s Tom Morello and Pink Floyd’s own Nick Mason.

The second counteracted this, labelling the musician as an “anti-semite” and urging those in control of the decision to prevent the show from going ahead.

The UK leg of his ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour will arrive in the UK from May 31 and will make stops in Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Manchester.

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