The band criticized US interventions and the war in Gaza. What Julian Casablancas said.
Was this the last Coachella for The Strokes? The band used their second weekend slot to send a political message to their fans.
For their last song, “Oblivion,” they recorded a slide show in which they questioned the US’s foreign political interventions in the last century. The band particularly criticized the war in Palestine and Iran.
An image montage as a political statement
The Strokes featured, among others, the Prime Minister of the Congo Patrice Lumumba, who, according to speculation, was killed by an act of the American CIA. Also Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz, who was overthrown by the CIA in 1954, and Bolivian political leader Juan José Torres, who was also overthrown and killed by American forces. Personalities such as Martin Luther King Jr., who was murdered after years of surveillance by the FBI and CIA, as well as other military officers from South American countries who are said to have been killed due to US influence, were also featured in the montage.
Towards the end of the video show, the band highlighted more than 30 universities in Iran that were bombed by US-Israeli air forces. In addition, the university in Gaza, which was destroyed by Israeli forces in 2024. In doing so, the band is making a political statement against the current government of the USA and Israel and is positioning itself on the Palestinian side.
Casablancas with a clear attitude
Lead singer Julian Casablancas had already signed the open letter “Musicians for Palestine” in 2021. He also made allusions to his attitude during the festival weekend. During his live appearance, he actively pointed out that pro-Iranian groups were posting videos about the Donald Trump administration that ridiculed it. However, the videos were blocked in the USA. “More facts than in your local news. But they were deleted,” Casablancas said, blaming “fucking YouTube or the government or whoever” before adding: “Land of the free, right?”
Only on the second weekend
However, the band only dared to convey the political message on the second weekend. Possibly out of fear of being banned on the first weekend. Fans wrote on
However, they are not blacklisted from the festival: the entire performance, including the video montage, was broadcast one-to-one in the live stream.
Not an isolated incident at the festival
The band is also not the first to make a political statement at the festival. Singer Gigi Perez had previously positioned herself with the words “Free Palestine”. Irish hip-hop crew Kneecap even shouted during their performance: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” and “This is made possible by the US government arming and funding Israel despite its war crimes.”
Despite the organizers being considered Trump supporters, the festival was a place where artists could express themselves politically.
