Imagine Dragons defends concerts amid global backlash
The internet has erupted again due to a controversial decision by Imagine Dragons. Last year, the band performed concerts in Israel and Azerbaijan. Despite pleas from industry insiders, they decided to proceed with the performances. The issue has resurfaced on major news websites because of Dan Reynolds's discussion of it.
8 July 2024 15:04
Imagine Dragons is an American pop band founded in 2008 in Las Vegas. The group includes vocalist and leader Dan Reynolds, bassist Ben McKee, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and drummer Daniel Platzman. They are known for songs like "Thunder", "Whatever It Takes" and "Radioactive".
The band has gained international fame thanks to their music, with messages wrapped in catchy melodies. Imagine Dragons have performed in Poland multiple times. Last year, they could be admired at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Imagine dragons world tour
Last year, Imagine Dragons embarked on an international Mercury World Tour. They visited countries like Denmark, Italy, France, Greece, Lithuania, and Croatia as part of the tour. On August 14, they performed in Poland. The band sold out all tickets for the event. However, the most controversy arose around their concerts in Israel and Azerbaijan. Dan Reynolds has once again spoken out on the matter.
Dan Reynolds explains the controversial decision
When it came to light that Imagine Dragons would perform in Israel and Azerbaijan, the band faced a wave of hate. Even the leader of System of a Down - Serj Tankian - joined the discussion. He wrote on Facebook:
"I address you today to urge you to reconsider and hopefully cancel your upcoming performance in Baku, Azerbaijan, on September 2 this year. This is due to horrendous human rights abuses committed by the corrupt petro-oligarchic dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev not only against his people but also thousands of Armenians (my people)."
Both the concerts in Israel and Azerbaijan took place. During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Dan spoke again about the past events: "I don't believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments, I think that's a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, there's corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?."
