Organ Joke replaces Goldband as a headliner on Zwarte Cross

Organ Joke replaces Goldband as a headliner on Zwarte Cross

Orgel Joke is the new headliner of the Zwarte Cross festival in Lichtenvoorde. She replaces Goldband on July 19. That band withdrew last month because of KKR, the controversial new American owner of the parent company of the Zwarte Cross.

With Orgel Joke, the Zwarte Cross has found a “worthy replacement,” said festival organizer Johan Kampman on Wednesday in the afternoon show Wout & Frank on Radio Veronica.

The 76-year-old Joke Meijer, as Orgel Joke is really called, became an internet hit during the corona crisis by playing covers on her keyboard. She has since performed at various major events. She previously appeared at the Zwarte Cross. “She played songs by Normaal on the theater meadow, among other things, and then it exploded,” said Kampman.

Several artists have canceled their performances at the Zwarte Cross in recent weeks. Goldband was one of the major crowd-pullers, but decided “after careful consideration” not to come.

“Given the ownership structure with KKR and its investments, this does not feel good for us,” the Hague band wrote on Instagram. “Anyone who knows us a little or has ever seen a performance knows that we often speak out about injustice and specifically about the Palestinian cause and the genocide that is taking place there.”

Artists concerned about KKR’s investments

KKR acquired the British company Superstruct Entertainment last year. That is the parent company of various large festivals such as Milkshake, Zwarte Cross, Mysteryland and Awakenings.

Many artists have been publicly concerned about KKR in recent months. The company is said to invest in weapons, fossil projects and Israeli companies operating in the occupied West Bank.

Mental Theo, Bökkers, Jeffrey Parmentier, Sven Versteeg and Frans Bauer will perform on the main stage of the Zwarte Cross.

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