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Portishead have shared a special reunion performance of their 1994 song “Roads.” The band pre-recorded the track to air during Brian Eno’s star-studded “Together for Palestine” benefit concert, held on Wednesday, September 17th. Watch it below.
Recorded in advance because the group was unable to attend the event in person, the rare, one-off performance featured original members Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley, and Geoff Barrow playing the haunting track from their debut album, Dummy, with a string quartet. It was filmed in black-and-white at Bristol’s Cube Microplex venue.
Though the lyrics of “Roads” were likely written about loneliness, they could just as easily apply to the ongoing war in Gaza: “Can’t anybody see/ We’ve got a war to fight/ Never find our way/ Regardless of what they say.”
“We can’t be there in the day but we desperately wanted to be involved to put our voice to help end the Ongoing Genocide that is taking place right now,” Barrow wrote in an Instagram post earlier this month. The band also shared a statement, writing, “We are incredibly honoured to stand in solidarity with Palestine and be part of this crucial event. The genocide must stop.”
Portishead last played together live in 2022 for another UK charity show, “Help! A War Child Benefit Concert,” which raised money for the crisis in Ukraine. That performance, which marked their first in seven years, featured a 30-minute set with songs from Dummy and their 2008 comeback album, Third.
All ticket proceeds from “Together for Palestine” went to Choose Love, a British charity partnered with Palestinian-led organizations in Gaza to provide humanitarian relief. At 10:00 p.m. local time, actress and activist Jameela Jamil announced the show had raised £1.5 million ($2 million).
You can still contribute directly to the cause by donating here or purchasing official merch.
English (US) · 