Bands are canceling gigs in Israel following last week’s raid on a group of aid ships heading to Gaza. Elvis Costello posted a carefully-worded letter on his website outlining his reasons for canceling his concerts in Israel, acknowledging that he needed to “sift through [his] own conflicted thoughts” on Israel before playing there. According to the AP, Pixies also canceled what would have been their first ever concert in Israel (though they haven’t given a specific reason), and Gorillaz — along with Klaxons — pulled out of a Tel Aviv music festival (Placebo are still playing). For now, Costello’s wife Diana Krall is still moving forward with plans to play Israel this summer.
