Radiohead singer Thom Yorke challenged a troublemaker who interrupted his show to protest the war in Gaza to “go on stage and say so” before storming off with dramatic video shows.
The 56-year-old rock star took to the stage in Melbourne on Wednesday night for a solo performance but got into a tense exchange with a concertgoer during the encore.
Thom, who is currently touring Australia, started playing Radiohead’s hit Karma Police when a crowd member started shouting at him on stage, amid booing from disgruntled audience members.
The protester was heard shouting in support of Gaza during the war with Israel and is said to have criticised Thom for his silence on the issue.
Thom responded by accusing him of being a “coward” for interfering and urged him to get on stage before walking off himself.
In a tirade of abuse, he said, “Come out and say it. Here. Get on the fucking stage and say what you want to say. But don’t stand there like a coward, come out here and say it. Come on.
The 56-year-old rock star took to the stage in Melbourne on Wednesday night for a solo performance, but got into a tense exchange with a concertgoer during the encore.
A spectator shouts at other concertgoers during what appears to be a protest against the war in Gaza
Audience members filmed the protester screaming during the encore of the Radiohead star’s show
Thom Yorke is seen taking off his guitar and walking off stage mid-performance as the man continues to scream
The Radiohead singer confronted the protester, challenging him to come on stage and calling him a “coward”
Thom Yorke stormed off stage during his show in Melbourne on Wednesday night (pictured on stage) after a violent confrontation with a pro-Palestinian protester
“You want to make fun of everyone’s night? Come on. OK, you do. See you then,” he added, before taking off his guitar and leaving the stage.
The incident sparked a huge outcry from the crowd, and Thom eventually returned to the stage to play his encore to close his show.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Thom’s representatives for comment.
Earlier this year, Radiohead faced a huge backlash from Palestinian activists when guitarist Jonny Greenwood performed in Tel Aviv.
He shared a stage with Israeli rock star Dudu Tassa at the Barby Club on May 26, but was criticized for the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.
Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) – which supports Gaza against the Israeli government – said the musician was engaging in “shameful artwashing”, a term used to suggest that controversial actions can be trivialized by using artists.
BDS called on its supporters to disrupt Radiohead’s planned tour of Europe, prompting guitarist Jonny to hit back at the accusations.
The BDS statement read: “Palestinians unequivocally condemn Jonny Greenwood’s shameful cover-up of the Israeli genocide.”
However, Jonny argued that the performance featured Arabic love songs from their 2023 album and was intended to promote harmony between Israelis and Palestinians.
The 56-year-old lead singer of Radiohead took to the stage at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a solo performance (pictured), but got into a tense exchange with a concertgoer during the encore.
He said: ‘I think an artistic project that combines Arab and Jewish musicians is worth doing.
‘Silence of Israeli filmmakers, musicians and dancers when their work tours abroad… doesn’t feel progressive to me.
‘Not least because these are the people who are invariably the most progressive members of any society.’
It’s not the first time Radiohead have come under fire from activists over performances in Israel, with frontman Thom hitting back in 2017 amid a barrage of criticism.
At the time, the English rock band went ahead with a performance at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park despite demands to boycott Israel.
There were also calls for the show to be cancelled in an open letter from Artists For Palestine UK, signed by Roger Waters and Thurston Moore, among others.
Amid the backlash from fans, Thom defended the band’s position, stressing that performing in the country did not mean they were supporting the government.
According to online reports, the concertgoer was a pro-Palestinian protester who shouted messages of support for Gaza as a war with Israel raged.
Radiohead have previously come under fire from activists over performances in Israel, with guitarist Jonny Greenwood (right, with Thom) hitting back at the backlash in May this year
He said on Twitter: ‘Playing in a country is not the same as supporting its government. We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years, through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others.
‘As we did in America. We don’t support Netanyahu any more than we support Trump, but we still play in America.
‘Music, art and academia are about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closed minds, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression.’
Fan criticism has only intensified following Israel’s response to the Hamas attack on 7 October and the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.