Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds on why he doesn't regret playing in Azerbaijan

[Teletubby 165,556]

You took some heat for playing Israel and Azerbaijan. Any regrets over doing those shows?
No. I don’t believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments. I think that’s a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, there’s corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?

[JiII 52]

"Come on, come on", added frontman Reynolds. "We can't let a genocide stop the party!"

[Lextyr97 20,862]

Can he play in my Az[erbaijan] next

[Didymus 34,380]

The drawing of the line is a legitimate question, often ignored. Though, tbh, I'd kinda live for it if artists and bands started refusing to play in the US for example. Like it or not, that **** does generate public scrutiny, awareness and political activism.

[Bronco 29,936]

I agree with not punishing people for the actions of their governments. 
But there's also no way you can guarantee that everyone in that crowd opposes the actions of their government either.

[Plastic Flower 5,594]

I agree. 

[JiII 52]

25 minutes ago, Bronco said:

I agree with not punishing people for the actions of their governments. 

This is also what the US government always says, but then they slap numerous sanctions against third world countries that dare to question US hegemony. And sanctions overwhelmingly impact common people, and poor people, the most.

The fact that Imagine Dragons won't even think or consider "performing" in Gaza should tell you all you need to know. Not only is Gaza too destroyed for that, revealing the unequal nature of the war, but it's also obvious that Imagine Dragon's ideology, like many others, is selectively moral.

I can't imagine them being this nice to countries impacted by the consequences of US and European hegemony the world over. They're only this selective and "nuanced" when it comes to a virtual US puppet state like Israel.

[River 130,218]

Most of the artists who boycotted Israel, had no problem playing in Russia up to war with Ukraine, the same Russia that did anti-LGBTQ+ laws, arrested LGBTQ+ and used Chechnya to massacre LGBTQ+ in camps (a fact that somehow has been forgotten by the LGBTQ+ community itself) and it was always the same excuse "the people".

And now these same artists don't have a problem to perform or shoot videos in country likes Hungary and Poland (Hi Dua, you can't scream Free Palestine and then perform and shoot  a video in Hungary, a homophobic country).

So what I'm saying is, many artist, especially those who claims to be ally to LGBTQ+ has no problem to do a concert in homophobic countries.

 

But in the other hand, we may think that boycotting a country may push the people to go against their government, but the results are actually says differently, they actually brings more support to their leaders and more justification to the actions of their leaders. "they hate us so we're doing the right thing" mentality.

[ObezyankaNol 3,090]

yikes...

[TimotheeChalamet 7,210]

17 minutes ago, River said:

(Hi Dua, you can't scream Free Palestine and then perform and shoot  a video in Hungary, a homophobic country).

I agree but most of American artists and productions shoot movies/visuals in eastern Europe mainly because it's less expensive, they would have to break several business agreements to stop doing so. That may be the cause. 

[River 130,218]

10 minutes ago, TimotheeChalamet said:

I agree but most of American artists and productions shoot movies/visuals in eastern Europe mainly because it's less expensive, they would have to break several business agreements to stop doing so. That may be the cause. 

Yeah it's all about money at the end, sometimes I wonder if we actually need to boycott these artists instead and show them that their choices are wrong.

[hpmcmill 2,022]

Agreed!

[hpmcmill 2,022]

1 hour ago, Bronco said:

I agree with not punishing people for the actions of their governments. 
But there's also no way you can guarantee that everyone in that crowd opposes the actions of their government either.

Same goes for anywhere though with governments that take actions we don’t agree with. 

[Zaskar 4,029]

The US did more war crimes and bombed more places than any other country in the world……. Imagine if artist stopped playing there lol

 

Dan is right.

[Bronco 29,936]

5 hours ago, hpmcmill said:

Same goes for anywhere though with governments that take actions we don’t agree with. 

I mean there's a difference between taking actions we disagree with & committing war crimes.