Two New Zealand artists have cancelled their appearances at a major US music festival in protest at the event’s defence industry sponsors.
Wellington-based singer-songwriter Vera Ellen and Georgia Gets By (Georgia Nott) are the latest to join a slew of internationalperformers boycotting the prestigious South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival taking place in Austin, Texas, this week.
The festival has partnerships with tech companies RTX (formerly Raytheon), Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems, which have been linked to manufacturing and supplying weapons to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). The US Army is also one of six “super sponsors” of the event.
In a statement to RNZ, Vera Ellen said she wasn’t aware of the event’s sponsors until the early hours of Saturday morning, when news of bands pulling out of the festival came to her attention online.
“I think we pretty much got no sleep that night, just educating ourselves and reaching out to different people and trying to make sense of what was going on.
“I can’t say I was intensely following who [SXSW]’s sponsors were before this came to light, but I certainly didn’t see anything alarming during registration and comms between us. We have learnt the importance of doing research before signing up for something.”
Ellen and Nott are among a group of seven Kiwi artists supported by the New Zealand Music Commission to perform at the festival, which draws more than 300,000 visitors from around the world for a nine-day showcase of panels, film screenings, musical performances, and exhibitions.
Ellen says the band’s decision to step away from the festival came from “hours of intense conversations” over the course of the weekend.
“Our considerations ranged from what forms of protest would be most effective and authentic to us, to the amount of money and energy spent getting us to Austin, our core values and principles as a band. At the crux of it, every conclusion that wasn’t pulling out left us feeling sick.”
The night before the band was due to head to Austin, Ellen recalls packing at a friend’s apartment in New York and feeling “complete dread”.
“In the end, we went with our gut. And once that call was made, we could actually sleep.”
Band member Bella Guarrera says it was a “hard call” to make - but staying true to her values was something she would ultimately carry for longer than the thrill of an international show.
“It’s more or less approaching how this would’ve made us feel once the dust had settled and were back to our normal, everyday routines in New Zealand, versus staying true to everything we’ve been outspoken about in the past and the principles we all feel deeply connected to in that very moment of action.
“At the end of the day, this is just one shitty showcase - principles are forever.”
In an Instagram statement on Wednesday, Nott said she was “pained” to have only just learned about the festival sponsorship.
“I woke up this morning thinking I was going to get on a plane to Austin. I’ve been in a tour bubble just trying to put one foot in front of the other and it pains me to only just learn about what’s happening on the ground in Austin with the unethical sponsorship of SXSW.
“I condemn the genocide of Palestinian people and therefore cannot in my right mind or heart go through with these shows knowing that the festival is sponsored by producers of weapons that are killing innocent people.
“I love music, but I love people more and my heart is with those who are suffering in the Middle East right now. Free Palestine.”
RNZ understands the seven other New Zealand artists on the bill - ASHY, CHAII, Earth Tongue, Swallow the Rat and SWIDT - will continue to perform at the festival.
Earth Tongue directly addressed the festival online.
“We just want to say F*CK YOU SXSW for profiting off genocide by taking money from Raytheon, Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems. Already having spent thousands and coming all the way from New Zealand, we’re not in a position to pull out of shows, but we stand by everyone who has. We’re disgusted at SXSW for putting us and all the other artists in this compromised position.”
Swallow the Rat released a statement saying they “stand with the people of Gaza” and are “against the genocidal war machine that SXSW have decided to align themselves with, and profit from.”
All the New Zealand artists’ showcases were organised and paid for by the New Zealand Music Commission.
When asked about Vera Ellen and Georgia Gets By pulling out of performing, chief executive Cath Anderson said, “We totally respect their decision and it’s not going to impact our future funding decisions”.
At this stage, at least 80 international acts and speakers have dropped out of SXSW as part of the boycott.
The festival has defended artists who have chosen not to participate this year, and attempted to justify the event’s ties to the defence industry, in a series of posts on X.
The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.
