Mannequin Pussy defend their decision to play Coachella in new statement

Last week, the 2020 Coachella lineup was revealed, featuring headliners Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, and Rage Against the Machine.

Mannequin Pussy are also on the 2020 lineup, and have received backlash for deciding to play the festival after AEG owner Philip Anschutz was revealed to have previously donated to anti-LGBTQ organisations last year.

The band uploaded a statement on Saturday (4 January) defending their decision to play the festival. They made it clear they're aware of Anschutz's donations, but also highlighted the difficulty of avoiding venues/events tied to his company while being in the music industry. They wrote, "What I do know is that the network of what AEG owns makes it close to impossible to do a mass boycott of all venues/festivals which are tied to him. It seems like almost half the venues in the US are owned by either AEG or Live Nation - two major corporations that more or less run the music industry."

Later in the statement, the band added, "I don't wish to wave the flag of "there is no ethical consumption under capitalism" but it is extremely difficult for bands to be sustainable or successful without being tied to these major corporations."

Reflecting on their decision to play the festival, the band added, "As a band who wants to share our music with the widest audience possible and as a band with women, POC and queer members we wanted to be represented and seen at a music festival of this level. We completely understand that some people will not agree with us but it is something we are aware of and discussed prior."

why we’re playing coachella pic.twitter.com/Bkyh39HYx1

— MANNEQUIN PUSSSY (@mannequinpussy) January 4, 2020