The Strokes reminded us that art is political when closing their set at weekend two of Coachella, with a video montage condemning US foreign intervention and recent bombings in Gaza and Iran.
The band projected a sequence of images and wartime footage across the main stage’s giant screens, during a performance of “Oblivius” – a song they have not played live in a decade. Frontman Julian Casablancas repeated the chorus’ famous line – “What side you standing on” – over and over while the screens lit up behind him.
Per Variety, the bulk of the video montage alleged that the CIA has been responsible for overthrowing governments in South America and assassinating leaders.
Among the other accusations of secret US intervention over the years, it suggested that the CIA was suspected of involvement in the 1981 plane crashes that killed Panamanian president Omar Torrijos and the president of Ecuador (spelled “Equador” on screen), Jaime Rondos, as well as involved in the overthrow of figures from Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 to Chilean president Salvador Alende in 1973 and Bolivian president Juan Torres in 1976.
@asthtc.com The Strokes perform “Oblivius” from their second EP, Future Present Past, at Coachella Weekend 2 with a poignant backdrop highlighting assassinations and coups, Gaza’s last standing university reduced to rubble, and the racism and violence stitched into history. #thestrokes #coachella #fyp
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It also gave voice to the conspiracy theory that the US was involved domestically in the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. After showing an image of King, a caption read: “US govt found guilty of his murder in civil trial.” The trial referenced took place in 1999, and was followed by the Justice Department declaring in 2000 that there was no evidence to lend validity to the jury’s verdict.
Following the climactic portrayal of bombings in Iran and Gaza, the Strokes’ video montage ended with a shot of a bomber plane in the air, as the song abruptly ended.
As Variety pointed out, bringing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict into their set was notable, given how the biggest controversy at last year’s Coachella came when Kneecap used their set to condemn Israel for its military actions in the Middle East.
Unlike the Kneecap video – which took Coachella organisers aback – the festival appeared to be ready for and accepting of presenting the Strokes’ political statement, with long shots in the livestream on YouTube making all of the group’s footage clearly visible.
