Primal Scream respond after band reported to police for showing ‘antisemitic’ imagery during gig

The band is in hot water

The Glaswegian band were reported to the Metropolitan Police following a show on Monday at the Roundhouse in Camden, London.

Whilst the band were playing their 1999 song 'Swastika Eyes' from their 2000 album XTRMNTR, a video was played on the display behind the band.

This video appeared to show what looked like the Star of David entwined with a swastika.

This symbol was then overlayed on the eyes of prominent political figures, including Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and EU leader Ursula von der Leyen.

Many videos of the imagery were shared to social media in the aftermath.

The incident has led to the music venue apologising to fans saying they "deeply regret" the "highly offensive" graphics that were displayed and that they "condemn antisemitism in ever form".

The full statement from Roundhouse read: "We are appalled that antisemitic imagery was displayed during a Primal Scream gig on Monday 8th December at the Roundhouse.

"We deeply regret that these highly offensive images were presented on our stage and unequivocally apologise to anyone who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community.

"The content, which was used entirely without our knowledge, stands against all of our values."

The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said it had reported the group to police and called on the venue to carry out an "urgent investigation".

In a statement, a CST spokesperson said: "Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews.

"There needs to be an urgent investigation by the venue and the promoter about how this happened, and we have reported this to the police."

The band, led by Bobby Gillespie, has since responded to the accusations of antisemitism, saying the imagery was meant to "provoke debate not hate".

In a post to Instagram, the band wrote: "The film is a piece of art.

"It clearly draws from history to question where the actions of current world governments sit in that context.

"It is meant to provoke debate, not hate.

"In a free, pluralistic and liberal society freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise."

Meanwhile, in a post to X, the band responded to the criticism, citing a blog post by journalist Jonathan Cook, criticising a Guardian article about the situation.

The band's X account posted this link with the words: "In a free, pluralistic and liberal society freedom of expression is a right which we choose to exercise."

Primal Scream was founded in 1982 by frontman Bobby Gillespie and are best known for their Screamadelica and Vanishing Point albums.

Gillespie has been a vocal critic of the Israeli government and ongoing war in Gaza, which a United Nations commission of inquiry labelled a 'genocide' back in September.

The song Swastika Eyes was written as a criticism of "imperialist and capitalist policies of both the governments and multi-national corporations operating in the U.S. and the U.K."