Latest news with #DavidDraiman
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The anti-Semitism row tearing heavy metal apart
For all its thrashing guitars and screamed lyrics, the world of heavy metal is actually relatively peaceable. Unlike other parts of the music industry, it wears its politics lightly, with fans much more interested in headbanging to their favourite songs than anything else. While this year's Glastonbury crowds were a sea of Palestine flags, hard rock fans tend not to bother with such overt virtue-signalling. So it came as a surprise that, amid the joyous scenes at Ozzy Osbourne's final gig at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5, a performer was apparently booed for being supportive of Israel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BUDDYHEAD ☭ Travis Keller (@buddyhead_) As David Draiman, the Jewish frontman of Chicago rockers Disturbed, took to the stage, he was met with a chorus of disapproval, likely prompted by his outspoken defence of Israel. In 2024 he shared pictures of himself signing artillery shells that the Israel Defence Forces were planning to use during the Gaza campaign, with the inscription 'F--k Hamas'. He has also publicly criticised fellow rockers Green Day for changing the lyrics to some of their live songs to be supportive of the Palestinian cause, and recently publicly condemned the controversial Glastonbury set by English punk duo Bob Vylan, who led death chants to the IDF and are now under criminal investigation. Draiman, who was part of an all-star ensemble set to cover Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf, responded by simply asking the audience: 'We gonna start this?' It was only the day after the performance that the 52-year-old Draiman let his frustration at how he was treated be known. 'Yes, there were a few boos when I walked out, but I came to pay homage to my teachers, my idols, the mighty Black Sabbath, and I wasn't about to let a few Jew-hating morons deter that. It's all about feeding their narrative, generating clickbait, and inciting hatred of Jews,' he wrote on social media. 'Still coming back to the UK in the fall to what's shaping up to be a VERY successful run, if ticket sales are any indication. And I am STILL, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, A FIERCELY PRO-ISRAEL JEW,' he added in his post on X. 'I will ALWAYS stand up for my people, and I won't be deterred, intimidated, or shamed out of rocking the asses of the masses. Put that in your pipes and smoke it.' That could have been that, pipes smoked, but it was instead an early shot in an ugly row about Israel and Palestine that threatens to tear heavy metal apart. On July 11, comments made by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello – the organiser of the Black Sabbath gig that raised more than £140 million for charity – 10 days previously surfaced on a music podcast, on which he discussed contemporary artists who hold a similarly anti-establishment attitude. Morello, 61, said that Kneecap were 'clearly the Rage Against The Machine of now' and praised the Irish punk rappers for championing the Palestinian cause. The Belfast trio have found themselves at the centre of controversy this year for their pronouncements about the Israel-Hamas war and have regularly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. One of their number, Mo Chara (aka Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh), has been charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying the flag of the Hezbollah terrorist group at a London gig last November; Ó Hannaidh denies the charges, has been granted unconditional bail and is set to appear in court again on August 20. 'What they're doing in their art is what people could probably stand to do more in their lives: to really speak truth to power. And, you know, Kneecap are not terrorists,' Morello said on The Strombo Show. 'What is terroristic is, you know, 20,000 dead Palestinian children. That's the story. Not some Irish rappers who don't like that that's happening. [That] should not be the story.' (Ironically, Osbourne's wife, Sharon, has previously called for Kneecap's American visas to be revoked for saying 'F--- Israel / Free Palestine' at California's Coachella festival in May.) For Draiman, Morello's public lauding of Kneecap was like a red rag to a bull. Draiman wrote online that Morello's comments were 'shameful' and that he wished he 'could say [he] was shocked'. He added, again on X, last Saturday: 'Guess my family doesn't count, when it comes to my 'friend's' virtue signaling for those who support terror, and incite Jew hatred.' Morello has not publicly responded to Draiman. All of this could be seen as an unwelcome distraction for Draiman, as Disturbed are one of the most successful heavy metal bands of this century. Their debut album, 2000's The Sickness, was a commercial hit powered by singles Down With the Sickness and Stupify, and their subsequent five records all hit number-one in the American charts; they have also had three top 10 albums in the UK. The success of Disturbed is often put down to their ability to combine the sounds of crowd-friendly nu-metal and lusty heavy metal, much of which is a result of Draiman's atypical baritone voice (the band regularly plays Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence, for instance). Ian Christe, author of Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, says that Draiman is 'certainly an outlier in having a specific advocacy for one cause' but that the genre's stars, from Osbourne onwards, have always been willing to make points about society through their music. 'Compared with hard rock bands of the day, like Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith or Deep Purple, who were singing about girls and cars, Black Sabbath were singing about war pigs and the machinations of politicians sending young people, who are basically their audience, off to fight in these wars,' he says. 'So much of what happens in heavy metal happens in this bubble. When, all of a sudden, there's a sound within this bubble it could seem like the entire heavy metal world is full of this Zionist, pro-Netanyahu warmongering, which is definitely not true. What I think it is is a cauldron of extremely passionate people,' Christe adds. 'Heavy metal crosses class lines, it crosses racial lines and ethnic lines — but it amplifies things. So the heavy metal factor is like a tripling of whatever existed: that goes with the fashion, that goes with the relationships, it goes with the music but it also goes with the politics.' Draiman is unusual in the music industry for his outspoken support of Israel before and during the current war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023. He was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Chicago as a child. Growing up, he sang traditional Jewish songs during religious festivals, which 'led to choir and cantorial training', and when he was in his early teens, Draiman was leading the singing at services as well as discovering his love of rock through the likes of the Sex Pistols and The Cure. So devoted was Draiman to his faith that he has said that he was 'about two years away from being ordained as a rabbi' before suffering a 'crisis of conscience'. Instead, after graduating from university he started work as a healthcare administrator, but gave up his six-figure salary to try and make it as a full-time rock star. It was a gamble that his parents thought 'was nuts', but paid off handsomely. To all of you who are surprised by my #Zionism, and continued defense of #Israel and and the Jewish people, allow me to clarify a few things; 1. I'm a Jew. 2. My entire family lives in Israel, and I have had family living there for over a century. #AmYisraelChai — David Draiman 🟦🎗️🇺🇸🇮🇱✡️☮️ (@davidmdraiman) October 22, 2023 Draiman has repeatedly publicly sparred with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, who criticised Disturbed for playing a gig in Tel Aviv (at which they played the Israeli national anthem) six years ago. Waters, who caused controversy himself in 2023 when he appeared in Berlin wearing what many said looked like a Nazi-style uniform (though he argued that depicting an 'unhinged fascist demagogue' has always been a key feature of Pink Floyd shows as a challenge to authoritarianism), is a long-time supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which lobbies for the cutting of ties with Israel. 'Regardless of whether it's Israel or anywhere else, boycotting an entire society and an entire people based on the actions of its government is absolutely ridiculous. And it doesn't accomplish anything,' Draiman said of Waters's criticism of his band in 2019. 'The very notion that Waters and the rest of his comrades decide that this is the way to go ahead and foster change is absolute lunacy and idiocy – absolute. It makes no sense whatsoever. It's only based on hatred of a culture and of a people and of a society that have been demonised unjustifiably since the beginning of time. You wanna be able to bring people together? You wanna effect social change on a real level? Bring them together for a concert.' For all the talk about bringing people together, Draiman appeared to have the self-awareness to know that not everybody liked what he was saying; Disturbed's 2022 album was called Divisive. It only reached 13th and 17th in the American and British album charts, respectively. 'I think that we're the kind of band that people either really, really love or really, really hate. There's not a whole lot of in-between, right,' he told Revolver magazine that year. 'I think that anything that's worth feeling passionate about brings extremes of polarity to it. The art that should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed, right? I've definitely figured out how to come to peace with it. I like the fact that people are passionate one way or the other about what we do.' While Morello has not responded to Draiman's recent criticism of him, the members of Kneecap have supported their new champion. 'We don't care what religion anyone is…or if they've one at all. We love all sound c--ts,' they wrote on X on Sunday. 'Smiling and signing bombs to murder kids and other people's families just makes you a straight up c--t. Simple as. Free Palestine.' Inevitably, as has been the case throughout this conflict, Draiman replied in kind later that day. 'That shell was meant for Hamas. You know, the organization who has sworn to murder all Jews, not just Israelis, time and time again, including my family. You shoot at Jews? Expect Jews to shoot back,' he wrote to Kneecap. 'All innocent lives lost in this conflict are due to Hamas using their own people as cannon fodder so that they can gain the sympathy of those who are only too eager to jump on the Jew hating train. If the hostages were released and Hamas surrendered, the bloodshed would end. But neither you, nor Hamas really want that. Because without dead martyred Palestinians to fuel your zeitgeist, both you and them lose power,' Draiman added. 'Enjoy your five minutes gentlemen. It could have been done with your art, but instead you chose to do it with hatred. Bye now.' Draiman may have said goodbye, but that is unlikely to be the last word in this increasingly fraught heavy metal conflict.
Malay Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Kneecap defends Tom Morello from Draiman's attack, slams Disturbed frontman for endorsing Israel dropping bombs on Gaza
LONDON, July 14 — Irish hip‑hop trio Kneecap have defended rap-rock legend Tom Morello, after the latter was attacked by pro-Israel David Draiman of Disturbed. The rappers also slammed Draiman for endorsing the Israel Defence Force dropping bombs on Palestinians, by signing his name onto the missiles. 'We don't care what religion anyone if they've one at all. We love all sound c*nts,' the group wrote on X. 'Smiling and signing bombs dropped to murder kids and other people's families just makes you a straight up c*nt. Simple as. Free Palestine.' Kneecap's remark came after Draiman had criticised Morello — guitarist of the seminal Rage Against the Machine (RATM) — for his support for the band and its activism. RATM is itself known for its vocal activism and fiery lyrics against fascism and authoritarianism. Draiman had accused Morello of 'virtue signalling' and endorsing alleged supporters of terrorism and those who 'incite Jew hatred'. Morello had previously hailed Kneecap as 'the Rage Against The Machine of now' for speaking truth to power with their art. 'Kneecap are not terrorists. What is terroristic is, you know, 20,000 dead Palestinian children. That's the story. Not, I mean, some Irish rappers who don't like that that's happening,' Morello had said. Formed in 2017, Kneecap is no stranger to controversy. To their fans they are daring provocateurs who stand up to the establishment; to their detractors they are dangerous extremists. Their Irish and English lyrics are filled with references to drugs, they repeatedly clashed with the UK's previous Conservative government and have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland. The trio came into fame after it projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: 'F*** Israel. Free Palestine.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Famous rock singer responds after booed at historic farewell concert
David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed, has spoken out after he was booed at a historic farewell concert over the weekend. Draiman was booed as he appeared at 'Back to the Beginning' in Birmingham, England on Saturday, July 5, according to a TikTok that has gotten more than 880,000 views since it was posted the same day as the show. The concert was meant to honor Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, who gave their final performances. Draiman, who shared part of the livestream from 'Back to the Beginning' on X, wanted to prove that he 'wasn't 'booed off stage' as so many people in the press and CERTAINLY #FreePalestine crowd, would have you believe." 'Yes, there were a few boos when I walked out, but I came to pay homage to my teachers, my idols, the mighty Black Sabbath, and I wasn't about to let a few Jew hating morons deter that,' Draiman wrote on X. 'It's all about feeding their narrative, generating clickbait, and inciting hatred of Jews.' The singer added that another version of the video has been circulating online 'that added enhanced booing to the performance just to add fuel to the fire. Pathetic.' Draiman, therefore, directed folks to the livestream, which he said 'shows the truth.' 'Both songs went over great,' the frontman wrote. 'You wouldn't know that from some of the media however, who are only too eager to roast marshmallows next to this dumpster fire of a (expletive) story. Oh well Still here.' Draiman, who is Jewish, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel. He has repeatedly denounced the Hamas attacks on Israel as acts of terrorism and said in 2022 he didn't care if he alienated people with his pro-Israel stance. Last year, he called former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters and other activists seeking to boycott Israel for suspected human rights abuses 'Nazi comrades,' Jewish Journal reported. Draiman added that he and Disturbed will return to the U.K. in the fall 'to what's shaping up to be a VERY successful run,' hinting at the band's high amount of ticket sales. 'I am STILLUNAPOLOGETICALLY A FIERCELY PRO ISRAEL JEW,' he concluded. 'I will ALWAYS stand up for my people, and I won't be deterred, intimidated, or shamed out of rocking the asses of the masses. Put that in your pipes and smoke it.' Draiman has been the lead singer of Disturbed since 1996. He has written some of the band's most successful songs, including "Stupify," 'Down with the Sickness,' 'Indestructible," and 'Inside the Fire.' Hit Parader listed Draiman 42nd on its 2006 list of the 'Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time." The singer has earned and three Grammy Award nominations for being part of Disturbed. Iconic '80s band makes surprise appearance at pop star's UK show Rock band reinvites Trump voters to shows after getting death threats Groundbreaking punk band plays final live show in Amsterdam Influential '90s rock band loses member after 27 years: 'We wish him well' '60s pop icon 'feeling much better' after hospitalized with 'extreme pain' Read the original article on MassLive.
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Disturbed's frontman David Draiman is BOOED as he plays support slot at Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning finale - amid rock singer's ongoing support for Israel in war on Hamas
Disturbed frontman David Draiman was booed while he played a support slot at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's last live show. A video shared on TikTok shows a crowd jeering at Draiman as he sings in a star-studded supergroup at the Back to The Beginning farewell concert on Saturday night. The event, hosted by Jason Momoa at Villa Park in Birmingham, saw over a dozen bands play at least one Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osbourne cover. Draiman responded to the crowd's boos by defiantly asking them: 'We gonna start this?' Variety reported. It is believed that the booing had to do with the singer's vocal support for Israel in the war on Hamas, according to the magazine. He recently congratulated Sharon Osbourne after she called for Kneecap's visas to be revoked following their Coachella performance, where they expressed support for Palestine. Draiman has also shared a photo of himself signing artillery shells used by the IDF in its assault on Gaza, including the inscription 'F*** Hamas.' The 52-year-old had a Jewish upbringing and spent part of his childhood and teen years in Israel. He is usually the vocalist for Chicago heavy metal band Disturbed but, in Saturday's concert, he was part of a supergroup performing Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf. The rocker previously said he was unsure whether he was going to stand or sit down to perform due to his spinal operations, and he made an epic arrival on stage in a black throne Draiman was joined on stage by Osbourne's guitarists, Jake and Adam Wakeman, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin, ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. Although Draiman received a frosty reception from the crowd, Osbourne sent fans brought the house down and sent fans into a frenzy with his performance. The rocker, 76, reunited with all his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time since 2005 to bid an emotional farewell to his decades of performing live on stage. Taking to the stage, Ozzy appeared overwhelmed by the support from the cheering crowds as he thanked them in a touching message and poignantly admitted: 'You have no idea how I feel.' Their final showdown comes amid concerns for Ozzy's health after he has undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal operation in 2023. Ozzy, who has also been battling Parkinson's disease since 2003, plans to keep recording music but is saying farewell to live music in what is sure to be an tearful night. After selling out in minutes, over 42,000 fans packed into Villa Park for the aptly-titled Back to the Beginning show, which saw Ozzy and Black Sabbath return to their hometown - 56 years after they formed there. And it was quite the moment as Ozzy - who is married to Sharon Osbourne - walked out on stage for his solo set as deafening cheers could be heard all around the jam-packed stadium. The rocker previously said he was unsure whether he was going to stand or sit down to perform due to his spinal operations, and he made an epic arrival on stage in a black quilted throne with a huge bat on top. With his band putting on a rocking performance around him, Ozzy proved his vocals are as strong as ever as he belted out some of their best-known heavy metal hits. Rocking his signature eyeliner and black nails, the 'Prince of Darkness' wore a leather ensemble and amped the crowds up as he put his hand to his ear while listening to them scream. 'It's so good to be on this f***ing stage,' Ozzy admitted, before adding: 'Let the madness begin!' He appeared overwhelmed with emotional at one point as he thanked the crowd for their steadfast support during his five decades in music. 'You've got no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,' he gushed after finishing Suicide Solution. Ozzy kicked off his solo set with hits including I Don't Know, and Blizzard of Ozz as he got the crowds dancing and cheering from the start. He appeared to be having the time of his life on stage as he soaked up every moment of his final show, egging fans on and wildly waving his arms in the air. He looked completely overwhelmed with the crowd as he finished his short-and-sweet solo set with Crazy Train, with confetti blasting into the air as the music stopped. The audience chanted 'Ozzy, Ozzy' as he left the stage before a touching tribute to Diogo Jota flashed up on screen as a picture of the Liverpool footballer giving a heart sign with his back turned was shown. Jota, 28, and his brother Andre, 26 - also a footballer, who played for Portuguese second division side Penafiel - both died on Thursday following a tragic car crash in Spain. His Lamborghini Huracan had a tyre blow out while he attempted to overtake another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora - just ten miles over the border from Portugal. After Ozzy finished up his solo set, he returned with his band Black Sabbath in their first full reunion since 2005, bringing the epic 10-hour long concert to a rocking finish. Before they began, a video of the band played where they reflected on the miracle of their own survival given their crazed lifestyles particularly in their 70s and 80s heyday. The band kicked off their 25-minute set with War Pigs before launching into N.I.B and Iron Man, with the crowds shouting, before they closed the milestone occasion with Paranoid. Guitarist Geezer produced an Aston Villa bass guitar for the final two tracks, while drummer Bill Ward went shirtless at the back of the stage. Closing their last ever gig together, Ozzy said: 'It's the last song ever. Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' A message on screen then read: 'Thank you for everything, you guys are f***ing amazing. Birmingham Forever,' before the sky lit up with fireworks.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Crowds boo as 'controversial' first supergroup takes to stage at Black Sabbath gig
The first supergroup has performed at the Black Sabbath gig today - but their arrival got a mixed reaction, with many fans booing. Our reporter Kirsty Bosley is in the Back to the Beginning crowd today and explained what she saw on stage. She said: "We got our first supergroup of the day. Lzzy Hale is fronting it, one of the only - if not the only - woman on today's bill. Read more: Black Sabbath live updates as thousands descend on Villa Park today for Back to the Beginning gig Read more: Black Sabbath at Villa Park - line-up, times, set list, tickets and how to get there "Members of Faith No More (Mike Bordin), Megadeth (David Ellefson) Ozzy Osbourne's legendary guitarist Jake E Lee. "They're playing The Ultimate Sin by Ozzy." However, she said the arrival of one artist drew some boos from the audience. She added: "David Draiman from Disturbed is now joining them to huge boos from the crowd. He's caused controversy with his political opinions online and the crowd are not welcoming. "Despite boos, hands are still up in the air to clap along to the Draiman-fronted rendition of 1986 Ozzy track Shot In The Dark." Disturbed may be best known for their brooding version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic The Sound of Silence, but singer David Draiman caused controversy following Glastonbury earlier this week. The singer responded to some politically charged statements made at the festival, but received a mixed reaction from fans. Don't miss our glossy Black Sabbath - End of an Era magazine celebrating their final show! Read more here. Join our Black Sabbath WhatsApp group for the latest updates so you don't miss a single thing this weekend. If you're going to the Black Sabbath gig, we hope you have an amazing time! Please share your photos and comments with us by emailing - we'd love to share them.
