Editing out the Pixies

Editors band says it doesn't believe "playing a show in a country is an endorsement of its government."

By DAVID BRINN
British rock band the Editors, who were scheduled to perform with the Pixies at the Picnic Festival in Tel Aviv, arrived in Israel despite the show’s cancellation, and played before 1,000 fans Wednesday night at the Barbie Club.
On the band’s Web site Thursday, front man Tom Smith, who shouted out “F*** the Pixies” during the concert, called the performance “one of the most memorable shows of our career” and explained why the band didn’t go along with the Pixies and cancel their visit here.
“When the Pixies cancelled their headlining performance, we talked longand hard about if it was the ‘right thing’ for us to still go or not,as we did when we initially got the offer for the show all those monthsago. But the simple fact is we do not believe that playing a show in acountry is an endorsement of its government. For example, our shows inNorthern America during the Bush administration did not mean we werecomfortable with the invasion of Iraq,” he wrote.
“Sure, given the recent events and the way Israel and the whole of theMiddle East are discussed and viewed through the Western media, itwould have been the easier thing to do for us to cancel, to forgetabout it and wait until Israel is out of the news again,” he wrote.
“Tonight we played one of the most memorable shows of our career, 1,004people singing their hearts out, 1,004 people who hope for peace andresolve wherever the troubles may be, be it on the door step or theother side of the world.