Moment Radiohead singer Thom Yorke walks off mid-performance after challenging pro-Palestine heckler to ‘get on the damn stage and say that’
Radiohead singer Thom Yorke challenged a heckler who disrupted his show to protest the war in Gaza to “get on stage and say that” before storming off with dramatic video shows.
The 56-year-old rock star took the stage in Melbourne on Wednesday night for a solo performance, but got into a tense conversation with a concertgoer during the encore.
Thom, who is currently touring Australia, started playing Radiohead’s hit Karma Police when an audience member on stage started shouting at him, while disgruntled audience members heard booing.
The protester was heard shouting in support of Gaza during the war with Israel, and reportedly criticized Thom for his silence on the issue.
Thom responded by accusing him of being a “coward” for interfering and urged him to get on stage before walking off himself.
In an expletive-laden tirade, he said: “Come out and say that. Here. Get on the damn stage and say what you want to say. But don’t just stand there like a coward, come here and say it. Come on.
The 56-year-old rock star took the stage in Melbourne on Wednesday night for a solo performance, but got into a tense conversation with a concertgoer during the encore.
A crowd member is seen shouting at fellow concertgoers during what appears to be a protest against the war in Gaza
Audience members filmed the protester shouting during the encore of the Radiohead star’s show
Thom Yorke is seen taking off his guitar and walking offstage mid-performance as the man continues to shout
The Radiohead singer confronted the protester, challenging him to get on stage and labeling him a ‘coward’
Thom Yorke stormed off stage during his show in Melbourne on Wednesday evening (photo on stage) after a fiery confrontation with a pro-Palestinian protester
‘Do you want to take the piss on everyone’s evening? Come on. Okay, you do. See you then,” he added, before taking off his guitar and leaving the stage.
The incident caused a huge outcry in the audience and Thom eventually returned to the stage to continue playing his encore song to close his show.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Thom’s representatives for comment.
Earlier this year, Radiohead faced a huge backlash from Palestinian activists when guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed in Tel Aviv.
He shared a stage with Israeli rock star Dudu Tassa at the Barby Club on May 26, but was criticized due to the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.
Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) – which backs Gaza against the Israeli government – said the musician engaged in “shameful artwashing”, a term used to suggest that controversial actions can be trivialized through the use of performers.
BDS called on its supporters to disrupt Radiohead’s planned tour in Europe, prompting guitarist Jonny to hit back at the accusations.
The BDS statement read: “Palestinians unequivocally condemn Jonny Greenwood’s shameful whitewash of Israel’s genocide.”
However, Jonny argued that the performance featured Arabic love songs from their 2023 album and was intended to promote harmony between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Radiohead singer, 56, took to the stage at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a solo performance (pictured) but got into a tense conversation with a concertgoer during the encore.
He said: ‘I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worthwhile.
‘Silencing Israeli filmmakers, musicians and dancers when their work tours abroad… feels unprogressive to me.
‘Not least because it is these people who are invariably the most progressive members of any society.’
It’s not the first time Radiohead have come under fire from activists for performances in Israel, with frontman Thom hitting back in 2017 amid a barrage of criticism.
At the time, the English rock band went ahead with a performance in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park despite demands that they boycott Israel.
There were also calls for the gig to be canceled in an open letter from Artists For Palestine UK, which was signed by Roger Waters and Thurston Moore, among others.
Amid the backlash from fans, Thom defended the band’s position and emphasized that playing in the country did not mean they supported the government.
According to online reports, the concertgoer was a pro-Palestinian protester who had shouted statements in support of Gaza amid the ongoing war with Israel.
Radiohead have previously come under fire from activists for performances in Israel, with guitarist Jonny Greenwood (right, with Thom) hitting back at the backlash in May this year
He said on Twitter: ‘Playing in a country is not the same as supporting its government. We have been playing in Israel for over twenty years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others.
‘Like we did in America. We don’t support Netanyahu more than Trump, but we are still playing in America.
‘Music, art and academia are about crossing boundaries and not building them, about an open mind and not a closed mind, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression.’
Criticism from fans has only increased following Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attack and the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.