Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, discussed politics during an appearance on the most recent episode of the System Update podcast. The rock star revealed if he feels bad about making such divisive remarks.
The host questioned him about if he had ever considered that engaging in contentious and political debates with others may jeopardize his employment during the political discussion. The rock star stated, referencing some remarks he had received during one of his contentious performances,
“They almost got to me recently this year when I was 79 years old thinking about ‘Oh my God, can I wear the leather coat or not? Will they cut my balls off and feed them to the wolves?’ And I’ll be a homeless old man shivering in a f*cking blanket by the road. They’re scary, because they’re so vicious. And they will stop absolutely nothing.”
In response to the question of whether he regretted saying anything controversial in the past, he expressed his choice in these words:
“No. No, because I actually said this to the people this morning in the meeting, I don’t know if they got it or not. Every year, I make the same year’s resolution I have done for maybe ten years or so. Because I finally figured out what it is, and it is this: I resolve for the forthcoming year, I’m going to carry on doing the best I can. […] [People say,] ‘You have to do your best!’ No, you don’t. You have to do the best you can.”
Waters’ ‘Nazi-Style’ Costume Caused Investigations
The rock musician has been doing solo shows for a long time; at one of those shows, he nearly got fired. The rock star donned a leather jacket for his May concert in Berlin, which many referred to as a “Nazi-style costume.” A swastika-like symbol consisting of two crossed hammers was part of the ensemble; this symbology was also used on clothes for a movie that was based on Pink Floyd’s popular 1979 album “The Wall.”
After Waters appeared in the outfit, Berlin police opened an inquiry, despite the support of his fans and followers on social media. After the inquiry, Waters released the following statement:
“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles.”
Accusations of Antisemitism
The rock star has a lengthy history of controversy; antisemitism is one of the more recent ones. The documentary “The Dark Side of Roger Waters,” which was just published, provided evidence for the charges. He called his agent a “f*cking Jew” while making up a song. Furthermore, according to saxophonist Norbert Stachel, Waters once violently tossed back a meal that was brought to him at a Lebanese restaurant.
Following the allegations, he was prohibited from participating in a panel discussion that he was scheduled to address at the Palestine Writes Literature Festival.
Therefore, it doesn’t appear like Waters will keep quiet and will continue to express his genuine ideas, even if he is suffering penalties for his actions and opinions.
The interview is available to watch here.