JAKARTA - The Strokes closed their performance at the second weekend of Coachella with a provocative and bold political statement.
Julian Casablancas et al. ended their stage performance with a montage of videos that denounced the United States' involvement in various regime overthrows, as well as footage of Israeli bombings in Gaza and US airstrikes in Iran.
The surprise came when The Strokes performed "Oblivius", which had not been played live since 2016.
On a stage with a backdrop of a lit mosque, a giant LED screen behind them played footage of the dark history of global intervention.
Casablancas repeatedly sang the lyrics, "What side you standing on?", as if putting moral pressure on the thousands of spectators who attended the desert in Indio, California, and those who watched through the streaming service.
The visuals are very explicit and sharp. One clip shows a building being destroyed with a text caption saying, "More than 30 universities were destroyed in Iran", which was then followed by footage of a building in Gaza being blown up.
This action is a continuation of the trend of pro-Palestinian protests on the global music stage, following a similar controversy from the group Kneecap the previous year who also condemned the Israeli military's actions.
Not only focusing on the Middle East conflict, the video montage also challenges the domestic and international history of the United States.
The Strokes included claims of CIA involvement in the assassination of civil rights figure Martin Luther King Jr., as well as US involvement in the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953, Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973, to a plane crash that killed Panamanian President Omar Torrijos in 1981.
Even though the content of the video displayed is very sensitive, the festival organizers seem to give space for this political expression. This can be seen from the remote shooting of the live broadcast on the YouTube channel which still shows the band's visual message in full.
Fans' reactions on social media were varied, but were dominated by support for The Strokes' bravery.
Julian Casablancas himself is known to be vocal on humanitarian issues. He previously signed an open letter "Musicians for Palestine" in 2021 as a form of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
With the end of this set, The Strokes are preparing to embark on their world tour in June, including a headline appearance at the Just Like Heaven festival in Pasadena in August.
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