A new documentary, produced by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, highlights allegations of anti-Semitic behaviour by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters.
A new documentary has unearthed allegations of anti-Semitic behaviour against Roger Waters, co-founder of iconic British rock band Pink Floyd.
Bob Ezrin, the producer of Pink Floyd’s seminal album The Wall, has claimed that Waters once referred to the band’s agent, Bryan Morrison, as a “fucking Jew” during a musical ditty.
Ezrin stated: “It was my first inclination that there may be some anti-Semitism under the surface. Now Roger knew that I’m Jewish so I didn’t know whether this was another one of those sort of button-poking things that he was doing just to see if I would react or whether he just did not even get how offensive that might be to a Jewish person.”
The documentary The Dark Side of Roger Waters, created by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism (CAA), also includes allegations from Norbert Stachel, a saxophonist who played for Waters. Stachel recalled an incident where Waters rejected food at a restaurant, labelling it as “Jew food.” Stachel added that Waters mimicked his family, some of whom perished in the Holocaust.
Gideon Falter, the CEO of CAA, noted: “Roger Waters is literally a rock star. He’s got this platform which allows him to influence tens of thousands of people at his concerts, millions of people via social media, and yet he keeps using it for this — to push the buttons of Jews, to bait Jews, to keep on coming back to Jews. What kind of a person does that with that kind of a voice?”
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The documentary claims Waters proposed using anti-Semitic language in a stage prop, which he allegedly removed after a Jewish lighting director protested.
Waters, who has faced significant backlash following a controversial show in Berlin, has repeatedly denied all accusations of anti-Semitism. Representatives for Waters have yet to comment on the allegations.
Waters’s new album will be available on 6 October via SGB Music. He plans to perform songs from the new album at special live concerts at the London Palladium on 8 and 9 October. His former Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason has praised the upcoming album as “absolutely brilliant.” See if you can grab some remaining tickets here.
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