The best satire is the one that you only recognize at second glance. It becomes foolish when it doesn’t click even after multiple looks. Just like with the responsible parties at AZ Mülheim, who have now disinvited Nordwand. While the band is indeed known as an antifascist satire group, the operators in Mülheim seem to have their doubts about that. Therefore, Nordwand has been disinvited from the Untergang Festival on December 21 and 22. Below is the complete statement from the band:
Dear fans and friends, Untergang! Festival at AZ Mülheim without Nordwand
Unfortunately, we have to inform you that the Untergang Festival at AZ Mülheim will likely take place without us – unless we manage, with your support, to convince AZ Mülheim to revise its decision.
The collective at AZ Mülheim has simply removed us from the program – without consulting us. A statement from AZ Mülheim regarding this was supposed to come last Wednesday, but we are still waiting in vain for it. Our inquiries via email also went unanswered.
What we have received from the organizer is that the collective initially wanted to accuse us of homophobia and “sexualized violence” in our lyrics. We were able to quickly dispel these accusations, as they lacked any basis. Nevertheless, it was decided in the plenary that our performance made the responsible parties feel “uncomfortable.”
For us, the behavior of AZ Mülheim is absolutely unprofessional and cowardly, as no contact was sought with us. It is, of course, easier to condemn someone without their involvement than to respond to counterarguments. We thought this issue was long settled, as we have proven numerous times that we are an antifascist satire punk band.
With the decision to “disinvite” us, AZ Mülheim has not only hit us but also the organizer and all the people from NRW who wanted to see us. However, we hope that the collective will come to its senses and reconsider this decision. We need your support for that. Share your opinion with AZ Mülheim via email at info@az-muelheim.de and kritik@az-muelheim.de. The cultural group meets every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the AZ office. Call them at (0208 – 4445633) and make it clear what you think! According to the organizer, the responsible group can be reached by phone on Mondays from 2 PM and Wednesdays between 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM! Share this news on social networks! Thank you!
