Georgian band Loudspeakers pulls out from festival over its ban on protest messages
The Georgian rock band Loudspeakers have canceled their participation in a music festival planned in Kutaisi after organisers refused to allow any protest messages to be voiced from the stage. In response, the managers of the festival said they did not wish to politicise the event.
According to the band, the West Fest Kutaisi’s position was that any kind of protest statement would pose a threat to the festival.
‘If there’s no room to show solidarity with the regime’s prisoners, then there’s no room for us either’, the band said in its Facebook post published on Monday.
Loudspeakers added that they have withdrawn from several other concerts for similar reasons.
‘We remain fully committed to protest and refuse to accept the current reality!’ the post read.
Loudspeakers have repeatedly spoken out against the policies of the current government and have called for the release of those detained during ongoing protests.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the festival organisers responded by saying that ‘given the current tensions in the country’, they did not want the event to ‘take on a political tone’.
‘As such, based on personal requests, we reached an agreement with all participating bands — including Loudspeakers — a month ago, that the festival would not get political and offer the city a chance to unwind and enjoy quality music’, the statement read.
According to the organisers, ‘West Fest Kutaisi is a privately organised, commercially driven event’ that ‘is non-political and does not support any political party’.
‘We respect every individual opinion’, the management added, commenting on the withdrawal of Loudspeakers.
West Fest Kutaisi is scheduled to take place in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi on 6-7 September.
Lily Samarine
