Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that it will neither send an act nor air the show, arguing that taking part would be incompatible with its responsibilities as a public service broadcaster during an ongoing conflict in which civilians are suffering heavily. They released a statement saying that their participation “remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza”. Spain’s RTVE, traditionally one of the key funding pillars of Eurovision, has echoed those concerns, stating that it cannot justify participation. At the same time, Israel is allowed to compete under the current circumstances. Dutch broadcaster Avrotros and RTV Slovenia have issued similar statements, formally aligning themselves with the boycott and stressing that their decisions are directed at states and institutions rather than individual performers.

Broadcasters behind the boycott point primarily to the war in Gaza, highlighting high civilian casualties, the humanitarian crisis and repeated calls from rights groups for stronger international pressure on Israel. They argue that sharing a stage with Israel in what is framed as a celebratory entertainment event risks normalising the conflict and undermining their own stance on human rights and international law. Some executives and commentators have also referred to earlier allegations about irregularities or possible unfair influence in Eurovision voting, saying these disputes have made it harder to claim that the contest is fully detached from political agendas.

The boycotts are not a first for the competition. In 1969, the UK, Spain, France and the Netherlands were declared joint winners after all securing 18 points. In response, Finland, Portugal, Norway and Sweden boycotted the contest the following year. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, introduced a tiebreak rule a year later. Another more politically motivated boycott was in 1975 and 1976, when Greece and Turkey boycotted the event after Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974.

The EBU has defended the decision to allow Israel to participate, describing the contest as a competition between independent broadcasters rather than between governments. The EBU points to planned voting reforms, including a stronger role for professional juries and stricter general oversight, as evidence that it is addressing concerns about fairness while keeping the event open to all eligible members. Major broadcasters such as the BBC and Austria’s ORF have publicly supported Israel’s continued participation, warning that exclusions based on foreign policy would politicise the event even further and could trigger boycotts in the opposite direction, deepening divisions in the Eurovision community.

Featured image credits: MrSilesian

Bring Me The Mountain marks a slight departure from Uma’s previous work. Her debut EP Bel.li, which came out earlier this year, fit more in the indie folk cannon. Filled with ‘intimate lyricism and intricate arrangements’, the album harkened back to the sounds of artists such as Sibylle Baier and Linda Perhacs. Her recent collaborations with Lucy Lu, including a cover of Little Dragon’s Twice, have had a more intense and distinctly modern feel. Perhaps this shift in tone is a reflection of the world in which her more recent music was created.

Uma wrote Bring Me The Mountain with Lucy Lu, whose real name is Luke Bower, during the Covid-19 lockdown, at her house in Spain. The track has a mounting sense of urgency, enhanced by the presence of a pulsating beat and a creeping bass-line which feels like its getting closer and closer. The lyrics, too, have a prophetic feel to them. Uma’s haunting voice sings: ‘Bring me the mountain before the end of the world// Bring me the myrrh and the incense…’

At its heart, the song explores human connection. In Uma’s words, it is ‘about being seen when you are in pain and vulnerable… about the people who help you out of that and the people who stand by and watch.’ When Uma sings ‘Tell me a story… give me a hand’, it sounds like an appeal for comfort and warmth at a time of difficulty. In this way, the track is a beautifully honest homage to being vulnerable.

A mixture of vulnerability and determination has always flowed through Uma’s music, and this song is no different. ‘Life’s too short to run away…’, she repeats twice in the final section, her voice clear and powerful.

The unique sound effects and instrumentation exhibit Luke Bower’s usual playful feel, drawing influences from a multitude of genres such as dance music and jazz. In the words of Uma, ‘there’s definitely an exploration of acoustic and electronic sounds… I think that is a result of the balance of Luke’s style and my own’.

The collaboration between them began at the start of lockdown and gave the pair the ‘time and space to write together’ for the first time. This experience was described by Uma as a ‘real lesson in loving someone, being honest and having a sense of humour’. Bower concurred that ‘Working together, the music develops in a natural yet unpredictable way’.  The joy of collaboration can truly be felt in the song. Uma and Bower’s separate verses are given the space to stand alone and breath, but you also get a strong sense of dialogue between them. Their vocals bounce off one another to create a sonic world entirely their own.

Mad Cool Festival is a huge Pop, Rock and Alternative music festival happening from the 11-13 July 2019, in Madrid, Spain. Despite only being founded in 2016, it is already one of Europe’s hottest, most eagerly anticipated events. The festival has already brought bona-fide rock megastars to the centre of Europe over the course of only 2 years. Next years event looks set to be even hotter, with the exciting announcement of two exciting bands.

The 1975 who are set to play, will release their hotly anticipated third album ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ this month, before their follow-up ‘Notes On A Conditional Form’ will be released next year, as part of their ‘Music For Cars’ era. The band who originate from Manchester, topped the UK Album Chart with their self entitled album The 1975 in 2013. In 2017 they won the highly acclaimed Brit Award for Best British Group.

They will be joined by The National, an American Rock Band heralding from Cincinnati, Ohio. Formed in 1999, The National achieved worldwide acclaim with their 2005 album entitled ‘Alligator’. In more recent years they have had hits with the album ‘Sleep Well’, which won the Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017.

The National revealed they were ‘beyond the halfway point’ with progress on their next album, driven by a certain “looseness” and “an energy that’s evaded us in the past” said guitarist Bryce Dessner.

Next years Spanish Mad Cool Festival is expected to be even bigger than previous years, attracting over 80,000 fans per day, with greater investment in sound equipment and quality, and almost guaranteed sunshine. Next years event with such a mega-star line-up is not to be missed.

Other acts to be announced were British 1970s rock legends The Cure, with legendary tracks such as Friday Im in Love, and Just Like Heaven. Also confirmed were the 1990s post rock Scottish based band Mogwai. Formed in 1995 Mogwai had success both in the UK and USA, reaching no.23 in the UK Albums Chart with their album Rock Action in 2001, as well as reaching No.13 on the Billboard Independent Album Chart, with Happy Songs for Happy people in 2003.
Tickets are available for the event online at Mad Cool Festival 2019 11-13th July Espacio Mad Cool, Valdebebas-Ifema, Madrid, Spain

Other acts confirmed include; The Cure, Vampire Weekend, Mogwai, Bon Iver, Milk Teeth, Tash Sultana, The Snuts, Vetusta Morla, La Dispute, Alma, Rews, Carpenter Brut and many more to be confirmed.