Earth Cancels Italy Show Over Palestinian Flag - The Drone Metal band refused to play in a scheduled concert in Bologna

Link: https://www.israellycool.com/2026/01/30/earth-cancels-italy-show-over-palestinian-flag
Credit: David Lange
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/2pUlO



Instagram.com/zang_tumb_tuumb

We have unfortunately become acclimatized to evil, ignorant, or virtue-signaling musicians displaying “Palestinian” flags at concerts. But this might just be a first: a musician refusing to play because of the presence of a “Palestinian” flag.

Right now, drone-metal pioneers Earth are touring Europe. On Tuesday night (Jan. 27), Earth were slated to play at the Bologna, Italy venue TPO, which hosts cultural events as well as underground bands. According to various reports from the show, Earth did not perform because Dylan Carlson, the band’s frontman and sole permanent member, objected to the Palestinian flag hanging in the venue.

According to attendee the New Noise, Carlson refused to play unless TPO removed the Palestinian flag that was hanging next to the stage, but the venue refused to remove the flag. A translated account from the Italian site IndieForBunnies reads: “The historic post-rock band of Washington state led by Dylan Carlson asked to remove a Palestinian flag present in the venue, but the TPO refused, so Earth decided to cancel the live (organized by Hardstaff Booking and the Freakout Club).”

Carlson’s and Earth’s Instagrams shared a statement that TPO “put politics above music and have cancelled the show tonight” and that “it has nothing to do with” the band or presenter Freakout Club.

I’ll be honest with you. I had never heard of a band called Earth without the Wind & Fire before this report. And I might be late to the drone-metal party, but I’m an instant fan of any artist who refuses to be a prop for a political agenda.

Dylan Carlson may lead a band called Earth, but in the current climate of the music world, he’s proved he’s in a world of his own.

Cheers to Earth for staying grounded.

 

[William Murderface]

Dylan Carlson was peripherally part of that Grunge scene from Seattle back in the early 90s. His big claim to fame was buying Cobain the shotgun that happily ended Nirvana but sadly gave us the Foo Fighters.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Extremely Jewish content, but great headline.

 

[lichen]

Dylan's the only original member but I'm pretty sure Adrienne is a permanent member at this point. Earth had two pretty solid albums around 2010 but I haven't really paid attention to them since. Carlson seems like he leads an interesting life, though.

The article offers conflicting accounts about who cancelled the show so I'm not 100% clear on who actually said "ok, fuck off, then." You shouldn't expect to perform next to any country's flag aside from the country you're currently in.

 

[REGENDarySumanai]

Supporting Palestine is like supporting a rabid animal biting your family.

 

[Rootless Cosmopolitan]

Maybe they’re sick of people trying to drag them into political bullshit.

I’d do the same. Palestinian flag, Israeli flag, British flag. Just say “no” unless it’s actually the flag of your country.

And especially no to a Troon flag lmao

EDIT and I suppose sure maybe if it’s the flag of the country you’re currently performing in, that’s okay too. But a totally random flag? Fuck off.

 

[No-Eyed Square Guy]

I had never heard of a band called Earth without the Wind & Fire before this report.

Fucking Kurt Cobain was in it.

 

[HarblMcDavid]

>israellycool.com
show yourself out

It does seem like this might be a case of a venue trying to create a political stunt out of every show and to be frank, it's canny: if the gig refuses to play unless the flag is taken down, it creates a stink that only reflects on the venue poorly for people that will never go to a place called "the freakout club", if they don't care and just play the gig next to the flag it creates yet another photo-op for the Hamas propaganda machine, there's really no losing.

 

[Megaton Punch]

Earth Cancels Italy

Fucking finally, I've been saying for years that those goddamn dagos were-

Show

Oh.

 

[The greater a'tuin]

Do you remember?
The seventh day of October?

 

[deleuzeon]

Good. The leftoid demand that artists all bow to their political whims is totalitarian and disgusting. This guy goes in the real artist column alongside Nick Cave

 

[Seventh Star]

Only Earth I know is the 1960s pre-Black Sabbath band. Who are these niggers?

 

[Blewberry Nausea]

I only know of Iced Earth, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Eartha Kitt.

 

[Lone MacReady II]

May the Based flag of Sardinia fly over all Italia one day soon.

 

[Flaming Carrot]

Only Earth I know is the 1960s pre-Black Sabbath band. Who are these niggers?

Are you familiar with the bands like Sunn o))) or Boris. It's like doom metal but much slower. Earth later did acoustic albums and as far as I know they're still doing that but they're best known for drone.

 

[Wigger Rights Advocate]

If I were a celebrity I also wouldn't want to associate myself with a flag that represents people that hate women and Christians and fuck donkeys and cousins.

 

[Poonocchio]

Common sense. Just play the songs, musician.
Went to a Napalm Death gig and for some unknown reason Barney started talking about tranny rights.

 

[FieldPiece]

Based Earth, first they found out how to sell a recording of refrigerator noises to dumbass hipsters and now they're pissing off palestiniggers.

 

[FieldPiece]

Dylan Carlson was peripherally part of that Grunge scene from Seattle back in the early 90s. His big claim to fame was buying Cobain the shotgun that happily ended Nirvana but sadly gave us the Foo Fighters.

I thought that was King Buzzo that bought him the shotgun? It still makes me smile that the Melvins album title "Prick" was chosen explicitly to describe Cobain and how much of a faggot he was.

 

[Crex Crex]

Nuke Bologna. The Portland of Italy, full of retarded communists, retarded niggers and retarded communist niggers.