The long and the short of it is that Pete Doherty shocked a German crowd this weekend when he sang a Nazi anthem. I was going to write it all up but I’m not sure I’m going to be able to say it better than the Daily Swarm did, so have a look at what they posted on the matter below.
Wikipedia:
Peter Doherty was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, the son of Jacqueline (Michels), who was of paternal Jewish descent, and Peter John Doherty, who was of Irish descent.
AFP:
Rocker Pete Doherty was hauled off stage at a weekend music festival in Germany after he began signing Nazi anthem “Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles” during his set, reports said on Monday. Revellers at the on3 festival in Munich booed and shouted at Doherty, but he carried on singing until organisers removed him from the stage, Bavaria’s TZ newspaper reported. Doherty’s tirade was broadcast live on Bavarian public radio, the festival’s organisers. “We decided to stop Peter Doherty’s appearance on stage as quickly as possible,” organisers Bayerischer Rundfunk said in a statement. While the verse is not banned in Germany, it has not been sung since World War II because of its close links with Adolf Hitler.
And the subsequent and quasi-inevitable apology, from NME:
“[He] wanted to celebrate his appearance in Munich by assimilating and integrating with the crowd, something he tries do wherever he goes,” she explained. “He was unaware of the controversy surrounding the German national anthem and he deeply apologises if he has caused any offense,” the singer’s spokesperson continued.” Peter himself is from Jewish descent and has fought against racism and fascism with numerous organisations including Love Music Hate Racism,” she added. “This is a subject he feels very strongly about.”
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
Ok...little hard to believe he was dumb enough to do this and not know what he was saying...if he was, he needs his ass kicked...if he did it on purpose...he needs his ass kicked…
This is unbelievable. What an idiot!
definite recipient of the jackass award
uh, did YOU know the history of the german national anthem?
nothing in the lyrics points to nazism..the song was the german national anthem and part of the song still is. what the germans got upset about is that the part pete sang is identified w/ nazi germany because it was the part used as the anthem during their reign. obviously pete didn’t know this. look up the translation to the lyrics. nothing evil in it, just a bit nationalist, as a national anthem should be.
I did not know part of the German national anthem had particular Nazi meaning, not until I read this article.
Why should we expect Doherty to know?
Ya.....
he’s taking it back from the nazis.