- Music
- 25 Nov 15
Yorke did not feel it was appropriate to snap a photo with Blair considering the country's stance with the war in Iraq
The English musician and frontman of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, accussed the advisors of Tony Blair into trying to blackmail him into meeting with the former British prime minister.
The incidient took place when Yorke was involved in an environemental organization called Friends of the Earth. Yorke was a spokesperson for the climate change campaign called The Big Ask in 2003 and worked to lobby various politicians in support of climate issues and sustainability initiatives.
"It got into this big fight," Yorke explained. "[Blair's advisors said,] 'If you don't agree to meet the Prime Minister, Friends of the Earth will be denied all access to him". According to Yorke, the musician did not feel as although it was morally right considering Britain's role in the Iraq War at the time.
Later in the interview with Yorke and Télérama, Yorke explains how he became a staunch advocate of climate change back in the late 90's, and since then has worked with Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and art.350.org. He has also become a vegetarian and has initiated a carbon neutral touring endeavour while he travels around the globe performing with the rest of Radiohead.
When asked if he would write a song protesting climate change, Yorke answered, "If I was going to write a protest song about climate change in 2015, it would be shit. It’s not like one song or one piece of art or one book is going to change someone’s mind. However, things happen gradually and accusatively and that is when it snowballs."