Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have cancelled their scheduled concerts in Russia and Ukraine “in light of current events”.
READ MORE: Ukrainian artists on the Russian crisis: “Now is the time to push for change”
The group were set to perform at Bol Festival in Moscow, Russia on June 18 before visiting the Palace Of Sports complex in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 19 as part of a wider run of dates for 2022.
Sharing a statement on social media, Cave and co. said they had “no choice but to cancel” the shows following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week. The band join the likes of Iggy Pop, Yungblud, Green Day and Franz Ferdinand in scrapping dates due to the ongoing crisis.
“Our thoughts and love go out to the brave people of Ukraine, their heroic leader, and all those suffering from this senseless war,” the Bad Seeds’ message continued.
“Ukraine, we stand with you, and with all those in Russia who oppose this brutal act, and we pray that this madness is brought to a close soon. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.” You can see the post below.
— Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (@nickcave) March 1, 2022
Ukraine, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union. As the BBC reports, Russia has long resisted Ukraine’s move towards embracing European institutions like NATO and the EU.
Many figures from the music world have condemned Russia and shared messages of solidarity with the people of Ukraine over the past week.
Elton John said he was “heartbroken” over the “nightmare” that civilians are facing, while Miley Cyrus called for “an immediate end to this violence”. Other acts to have spoken out include Yungblud, Foals and Young Thug.
Speaking to NME last week from London, Ukrainian electro-pop duo Bloom Twins described the ongoing situation in their home country as “terrifying”.
A general view of a near-empty Independence Square on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Overnight, Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with explosions reported in multiple cities and far outside the restive eastern regions held by Russian-backed rebels. (Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
“It has really affected us,” singer Anna Kuprienko said. “We were only there two months ago. We were hopeful that this situation with Russia wouldn’t go where it has and that it would resolve.
“I literally spoke to my dad and our manager like six hours before everything happened. I called them and no one believed this would happen, then we all woke up to this crazy news. Then everyone was in a state of shock and panic and it became impossible to leave.”
Sonia Kuprienko added that touring in Russia “doesn’t sound like a good idea” under the current circumstances. “Ukrainians should be hiding while Russians are waiting for us to entertain them? I don’t think that’s logical,” she explained.
In other news, Factory Records co-founder Alan Erasmus is set to travel to Ukraine to work with humanitarian organisations in the country.
You can donate here to the Red Cross to help those affected by the conflict, or via a number of other ways through Choose Love.
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