Earth: the Milan concert went ahead as scheduled, no flag on stage. The Magnolia's statement on Palestine

The Earth concert at Circolo Magnolia in Segrate (Milan) went ahead as planned, with no symbolic displays on stage but an explicit political statement from the venue. Following the incident that erupted in Bologna, the Arci association that runs Magnolia publicly reaffirmed its support for Palestine.

The affair began just days earlier at TPO in Bologna, where the Earth concert was cancelled just minutes before it was due to start, with the venue already full. Dylan Carlson made the removal of the Palestinian flag displayed at the side of the stage a condition for playing, leaving it up to the venue to decide whether to go ahead with or cancel the show. TPO chose to cancel, accompanying the decision with a reaffirmation of its political commitment to Palestine. In the hours that followed, Carlson posted a message on Instagram, accusing the venue of "putting politics before music" and clarifying that neither the band nor Freakout, the promoter of the date, had taken part in the final decision.

The following evening, at Magnolia, the second Italian leg of the tour went ahead without incident. Arci nonetheless wanted to reiterate its position: "Magnolia stands with a free Palestine, and there can be no ambiguity for the artists we host." According to the association, the band had been informed of the venue's political stance and had raised no objections.

Meanwhile, in Bologna, TPO launched a fundraiser to cover the costs of the cancelled concert, estimated at around 5,000 euros, in order to safeguard the space's operating capacity and independence. "Walking into TPO is always a political act," reads a post published on Instagram.

The European tour, titled "Europe 2026", follows the recent shows celebrating the twentieth anniversary of "Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method", and sees Carlson joined by Adrienne Davies. The setlist draws mainly on material from "The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull" and from "Hex" itself, alongside a handful of tracks from "Primitive And Deadly", including "California And Other Impossible Dreams", "Miami Morning Coming Down" and "Scalphunter's Blues".

This is not an isolated case: in 2023 Marky Ramone also refused to take the stage during an Italian date of the Marky Ramone's Holiday Blitzkrieg project at CSA Baraonda in Segrate, again over the presence of a Palestinian flag, with the show cancelled at the very last moment. A precedent that brings back into focus the often fraught relationship between self-managed venues, political symbols and touring artists.

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