{"id":387243,"date":"2026-04-19T12:47:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T12:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/387243\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T12:47:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T12:47:07","slug":"the-strokes-close-coachella-set-with-politically-charged-montage-calling-out-cia-and-us-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/387243\/","title":{"rendered":"The Strokes close Coachella set with politically charged montage calling out CIA and US government"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Strokes<\/a> closed out their Coachella<\/a> weekend two set with a politically charged montage calling out the CIA and the United States government. Watch below.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0The Strokes \u2013 \u2018The New Abnormal\u2019 review: proof that they\u2019re still the best riff-makers around<\/a><\/p>\n

Performing on the mainstage last night (April 18) ahead of Justin Bieber<\/a>\u2018s headline slot, the band took the moment to make a statement about the conflicts unfolding across the world.<\/p>\n

While ending their set with their 2016 track \u2018Oblivius\u2019, a visual display played on the screen behind them, incorporating imagery of global leaders with text explaining various historical events.<\/p>\n

The slideshow included images of Omar Torrijos, Jacobo \u00c1rbenz and Jaime Rold\u00f3s Aguilera, all described by the band as leaders allegedly overthrown by the CIA.<\/p>\n

An image of Martin Luther King Jr. also appeared, alongside the on-screen statement \u201cUS Govt found guilty of his murder in civil trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

They also showed footage of rubble in Iran, alongside the text \u201cover 30 universities destroyed in Iran,\u201d and a clip of the \u201clast university in Gaza\u201d being blown up by an air missile.<\/p>\n

The screen then faded to black, and the band walked off stage. You can watch the full montage below.<\/p>\n

For those who missed it: this was the moment The Strokes ensured they\u2019ll never set foot in Coachella again! I’m so proud of them #Strokeschella<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ue1UIikixU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Zaf (@Buenozaf) April 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

the strokes encore for coachella 2026 weekend 2 pic.twitter.com\/xfCD8fwH5d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u064b\u064b (@MASOCHlSTlC) April 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

It followed last week\u2019s performance, which also included some political commentary<\/a>, with frontman Julian Casablancas<\/a> making a wry dig at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos by sporting a t-shirt on stage that mimicked the Amazon logo, but with the word \u201ccrime\u201d pasted in place of the company\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

He also made reference to the news that the US government plans to automatically register men aged 18-25 as eligible for a military draft, as opposed to the current model of self-registration.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys excited about the draft?\u201d he said. \u201cOh wait no, not the NFL draft, I\u2019m talking about in six months, I think everyone\u2019s going to have to register who\u2019s eligible for the military. You guys excited?!\u201d<\/p>\n

The New York indie rock legends are soon to release their new album \u2018Reality Awaits<\/a>\u2018, their first album in six years. The record \u2013\u00a0recorded in Costa Rica with producer Rick Rubin<\/a>\u00a0and finished in a number of global locations \u2013 will arrive June 26 via Cult Records\/RCA Records, and is available to pre-order\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To mark the occasion, The Strokes announced a\u00a0whopping world tour visiting the UK, North America, Europe and Japan.<\/a>\u00a0It will be their first full tour in the UK and Ireland in over 20 years, and will see them stop by London\u2019s O2, Newcastle\u2019s Utilita Arena, Manchester\u2019s Co-op Live and Dublin\u2019s 3Arena in October.<\/p>\n

Thundercat<\/a>,\u00a0Cage the Elephant<\/a>,\u00a0Hamilton Leithauser<\/a>,\u00a0Fat White Family<\/a>, Alex Cameron and \u00d6L\u00dcM will support select dates across the world tour.<\/p>\n

So far, The Strokes have released their first single from \u2018Reality Awaits\u2019, \u2018Going Shopping<\/a>\u2018. The song was\u00a0posted to fans\u00a0<\/a>on cassette first, leading fans to share bootlegs online before the band\u00a0debuted the song live in San Francisco<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In our three-star review of the track<\/a>,\u00a0NME\u00a0wrote: \u201cAlthough \u2018Going Shopping\u2019 doesn\u2019t feel bold, it does avoid playing anything safe. You couldn\u2019t definitively place its sound on any of The Strokes\u2019 previous six albums, but the lack of spirit and tenacity \u2013 save for a guitar solo at the end \u2013 is noticeable.\u00a0\u201cIf you\u2019re better than me you don\u2019t have to judge me,\u201d\u00a0signs off Casablancas, with an imaginary raised eyebrow. But perhaps even he would admit that The Strokes are better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Previously,\u00a0Albert Hammond Jr<\/a>\u00a0has\u00a0stated that the album would have a \u201clooser\u201d feel<\/a>, given their recording location in Costa Rica. \u201cI think the environment can affect you, sure; sometimes it might come out in a song or a part,\u201d he told\u00a0The Shaky Experience<\/a>\u00a0podcast in 2023. \u201cAnd because you know that, you\u2019ll be like, \u2018Oh, it feels like this\u2019. Maybe it adds to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think if there\u2019s any vibe that comes from an environment like that, it\u2019s that the songs might be a little looser in a sense of our style.\u201d<\/p>\n