Nick Cave has canceled his planned summer tour dates in Russia and Ukraine, sharing words of support for the invaded nation.
“Our thoughts and love go to the brave people of Ukraine, their heroic leader, and all those suffering from this senseless war,” reads a statement from the artist and his backing group, the Bad Seeds. “Ukraine, we stand with you, and with all those in Russia who oppose this brutal act. And we pray that this madness is brought to a close soon.”
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds previously announced a June date in Moscow and one in Ukraine in August. As of right now, the band’s planned concerts in countries that border western Ukraine, such as Slovakia and Poland, are still on.
In recent days, Green Day and Louis Tomlinson have canceled gigs in Russia and Ukraine. “The safety of my fans is my priority and my thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and all those suffering from this needless war,” Tomlinson wrote in a tweet.
Several other artists have also spoken out against the war. Former Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour pleaded with Russian soldiers to “stop killing your brothers,” adding that “Putin must go.” Stevie Nicks likened the Russian president to Hitler. Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider backed Ukrainians using “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” And Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova called Putin a “dangerous dictator who must be stopped.” The former also launched a crypto fundraiser that collected nearly $3 million in less than 24 hours for Ukrainians.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
