Ever since the bombings in Gaza started on October 7, 2023, the people there have not had any rest.
Too many lives have been taken, and there are no safe spaces anymore with all of the hospitals destroyed. With almost all of the schools damaged too, the future looks bleak for the people living in the warzone. And that’s exactly the reason why Manchester For Palestine is coming together on April 12 in Manchester. The main act of the night, barbarism., invites Snouting, Fire Blanket, Lucidik, FOULMOUTH, and Petra Bomb for a night of raving with a cause.
This genocide has been going on for too long. So long that this is already the third charity event barbarism. is throwing. Previous editions were ‘Rock For Gaza’ and ‘Punk For Gaza’. “These genres just really fit with the message we want to bring. They all have this angry sound to it, and if you’re going to be angry at something, you might as well be angry at something real, like bombing children,” Luke from barbarism. says. “It’s something that I care about very deeply.”
For this edition, they are putting electronic music on the line-up for the first time, to spread their message even wider. With Lucidik, and FOULMOUTH and Petra Bomb from Rat Race, they’ve chosen some very involved locals with as much passion for the project as them. “We wanted to reach as many people as possible whilst also having some consistency in the music,” Luke explains. “The kind of music you can thrash around to. That links in with drum & bass, jungle, and hardcore. These faster genres are more intense. We want it to be high energy, to really get this strong feeling. We want people to come together, and it’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to feel strongly about a cause. Music is cathartic, you release some of this energy through the music and that’s the thing that links it all together.”
A place you can be angry at, a place to support a cause, all while you’re having a good night out, that’s the main goal of Manchester For Palestine. Place to be for this edition is The Peer Hat. “It’s a place for the underground by the underground,” Luke says. “You can’t find a more fitting location than this. Last time they didn’t even want us to pay the location fee, which is amazing from them. We’ve managed to make around £1,500 so far, and we’re aiming for £3,000 after this edition.”
Here’s what the other artists on the line-up have to say about it, and why you should definitely support Palestine too:
FIRE BLANKET: “We’re proud to play this fundraiser for the vital and lifesaving work of Medical Aid for Palestinians. Israel’s war in Gaza is a genocide. The last year has seen a systematic attack on a civilian population and the vital infrastructure that makes life possible. Healthcare, schooling, and food production can never be seen as ‘legitimate’ targets in a military campaign.
The levelling of Gaza is a consequence of Israel’s relentless ambition to colonise Palestinian land and ethnically cleanse the population. This is a game plan we have already seen played out again and again. Those who bear the greatest cost in the atrocities committed over the last year are the ordinary families and their children who MAP serve.
In the fast paced media world we live in, it’s easy to forget this kind of crisis. It’s important we have events like these to reiterate the message that this isn’t going away. Whilst these atrocities take place, people will make sure the message is heard.
We stand by the people of Gaza and the West Bank in their fight against Zionist terrorism and imperialism.”
Snouting: “In the face of the recently renewed violence and suffering it’s hard to know what to do to help. If we can raise some money for organisations that can help to alleviate the Palestinian people’s pain in any way then it will be worthwhile. We’re proud to join this line up and play alongside like minded people calling for an end to this genocidal war.”
Lucidik: “War is never the answer, no one deserves to live in such brutal conditions, without hope and the basic necessities to survive. We are privileged to be able to support such a dIstressing cause in a way that encourages love and community, two things this world needs more of. Everyone should support it because we are all human, we all feel pain, and we are all one. Help us raise money for those who really need it the most.”
Petra Bomb: “Resisting apartheid, genocide and occupation concerns us all, regardless of where we live in the world. Every little thing we can do to support the palestinian people fighting for their livelihood and their lives is important. Whether that’s boycotting, marching, fundraising, or anything else – it all adds up in a meaningful way.”
FOULMOUTH: “In the imperial core, it has never been more important for us to take action and rise against the brutal zionist occupation, and all forms of oppression. Spaces like these which allow us to fundraise and raise awareness about the genocide in Palestine are unbelievably important. We must continue to use our privilege, as artists in the West, to speak up. Dance music and the DIY scene is inherently rooted in resistance. We must remember where we come from, and the long lineage of people that came before us. We must fight to continue this tradition and do everything we can to fight all systems of oppression. There is no freedom without a free Palestine.”
Standard tickets and solidarity tickets are for sale on Skiddle, with everyone welcome on April 12 at The Peer Hat in Manchester. All proceeds go to the MAP relief fund, providing medical care on the ground in Gaza.
SUPPORT BARBARISM. | SUPPORT LUCIDIK | SUPPORT SNOUTING | SUPPORT RATRACE | SUPPORT FIRE BLANKET
