"No gigs on a dead planet": Sound Strike is encouraging artists to protest climate inaction

12 July 2019 | 2:07 pm | Caitlin Medcalf

Sound Strike launches today, an industry movement encouraging artists to protest climate change by not gigging on Friday, September 20.

Everyday, the music industry across the globe have been increasingly strategising ways we as an industry can change our habits or put our skills to use to fight climate change and protest inaction.

Resident Advisor have launched a series dedicated to electronic music and the climate crisis, kicking off with a piece spotlighting how festivals are working to respond to the climate crisis. Music journalist and Red Bull Radio host Chal Ravens wrote an op-ed for the publication, asking "what can we do? As a global network of people with a shared interest... Do we have a collective role to play in the effort to prevent the unthinkable?"

Mixmag have strategised ways that electronic music's global community can limit its impact.

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Crack Magazine talked about "greener rooms" and musicians' responsibilities as touring artists towards reducing their footprint where possible.

It goes on.

On a local level, a movement today has been launched within the music industry called Sound Strike. It's coinciding with the Global Climate Strike, which will be taking place on Friday, 20 September. Sound Strike are calling for artists to participate by not playing shows on that day.

Although it was only announced last night, the movement already has artists on board like NinajirachiPoolroom.Good PashHedy Lamarr and more.

Speaking with Happy MagSound Strike's Jasper McCahon-Boersma said “I would personally love to see the school strike turn into a general workers strike. To see so many students miss school and risk punishment to fight for what they believe in has been so heartening and inspiring for so many people, and I hope it spurs people to take action in their workplaces.”

There are three demands of the strike, those being a) 100% publicly owned renewable energy by 2030, b) a just transition to climate jobs and c) no new sources of fossil fuels.

You can read the full chat with Jasper and FBi Radio's Abby Butler here.