In the face of having their Brussels show cancelled earlier this week, after the mayor cited security concerns given David Draiman's support of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), it could follow that some reflection and contemplation is in order.
Key word: could. Cuz given what Draiman had to say at the next show in Amsterdam, it wouldn't seem like there's been much in the way of inward thinking.
Before launching into their song "The Light," Draiman proselytized (transcription by theprp.com):
“Look at these beautiful people. I brought my brothers up here with me because collectively, we’d like to try and say something to not just you, but to the whole world. There have been certain people out there that have been trying to put words in our mouths, trying to make you think that they know what we think about things that are going on in this world.
So instead of listening to the people who can’t stop talking about everything that they’re so angry about all of the goddamn time, we’re going to tell you from our own mouths how we feel, okay? We in Disturbed are all about unity, Okay? We’re all about no matter who you are, no matter what walk of life you walk, no matter where you come from, no matter how much money is in your pocket, you are welcome at these shows. you understand that?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a believer, or a non-believer. It doesn’t matter how you identify it. None of those things matter, okay? And all of the noise of this world, all the anger that so many people try and instill in us. All the people in this world who benefit so much from pitting us against each other, we refuse to be defined by those people. The noise of the world doesn’t define us. The conflicts that are going on in this world don’t define us, because in this building, there is no fucking conflict.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re Chinese or Taiwanese. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Indian or Pakistani, it doesn’t matter whether you are Israeli or Palestinian. Everyone is welcome in our house every fucking time we take the stage. Now there is no one, no one, in the world, okay? That is celebrating this long-awaited moment and chance at real peace that we have [more than me.]
And to show the world that all the noise doesn’t matter, that all the people that try to pit us against each other don’t matter. I want you to do something for me. I want you to go ahead and take the hand of the person that’s standing next to you — every single fucking person in this arena — and I want you to raise those hands in the air, each one of you, grab the hand of the person standing next to you. Raise those hands to the sky. There is no one that gets to define us, except us, my brothers and sisters, my blood. Look around. You see my friends? Sometimes darkness can show you the light.”
Truthfully, it's getting exhausting reporting on this matter, but given how absolutely tone-deaf Draiman has been, we at The Nu Metal Agenda have turned dunking on David into a pastime. Bear in mind that this has very little to do with the man's purported politics, but rather the fact that he openly signed missiles that were directly used in conflict.
Let that sink in a bit. A man who has penned lyrics about ecological conservation ("Another Way To Die"), religious coexistence ("Prayer"), and even the slaughter of innocents due to outright hate ("Never Again") co-signed the use of actual weapons of war used in an actual invasion. These calls for unity are hollow, Mr. Draiman, and people remember these things. You were booed at Back to the Beginning, your show was cancelled due to genuine concern of protests, and now you want to call for people to come together?
Perhaps it is you who should liberate your mind. Should music be a unifying force that brings all together? Absolutely. But your actions are not matching your words, and it appears as though those actions are catching up to you. And as someone who's been a longtime fan of Disturbed, as someone whose first metal album that she bought with her own money was Ten Thousand Fists because she heard "Stricken" on Guitar Hero III, this whole affair is disappointing.
