“Radiohead’s Thom Yorke walks off stage after protester heckles him: ‘You want to piss on everybody’s night?’

“Radiohead’s Thom Yorke walks off stage after protester heckles him: ‘You want to piss on everybody’s night?’

During a recent solo concert, Radiohead’s lead singer, Thom Yorke, reacted strongly when an audience member disrupted the performance with a political protest. The show, held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia, on October 30, was interrupted when a protester loudly condemned what they described as “the Israeli genocide in Gaza.”

Yorke, visibly frustrated, challenged the heckler from the stage. “Come up here and say that. Right here, come on,” he responded, urging the protester to “hop up on the f—ing stage and say what you wanna say.” He continued, “Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it. You want to piss on everybody’s night?”

The protester replied by asking, “How many dead children will it take for you to condemn the genocide in Gaza?” Following this exchange, Yorke briefly walked off stage, leaving the audience waiting. However, he returned shortly after to conclude the night with a solo rendition of Radiohead’s classic, “Karma Police.” This Melbourne show is part of his “Everything” tour, where Yorke performs music from his extensive career, including songs from Radiohead, his solo work, and pieces from his recent project, The Smile.

Yorke’s stance on political controversies has led to similar interactions in the past. In 2017, Radiohead faced backlash from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for performing in Israel. British filmmaker Ken Loach criticized the band, stating Radiohead had to “decide if they stand with the oppressed or the oppressor.” Yorke addressed these criticisms on Twitter, clarifying his view: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government,” adding that Radiohead has consistently played in Israel, as it has in the U.S., without endorsing any particular administration. “Music, art, and academia is about crossing borders, not building them… about shared humanity, dialogue, and freedom of expression.”

“Radiohead’s Thom Yorke walks off stage after protester heckles him: ‘You want to piss on everybody’s night?’

Neither Yorke nor his representatives have issued additional comments following this week’s incident.

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