Quebec music festival cancelled after band makes censorship accusation
MONTREAL — A music festival in northwestern Quebec has been cancelled after a local band accused organizers of rescinding an invitation to perform because of its criticism of an arsenic-emitting copper smelter in the region.
The 2023 album for metal band Guhn Twei is called “Glencorruption” and is replete with lyrics that denounce the Horne Smelter and its owner, Switzerland-based Glencore. Lyrics to the title track refer to the company as “thieves in ties,” “capitalist parasites” and “rapists of the planet.”
Lead singer Simon Turcotte said the band was set to appear at the third edition of Alienfest in La Sarre, Que., later this spring. But last week he received a message from an organizer saying the band would not feature in the 2024 festival lineup, he said.
The organizer, an employee of festival sponsor and La Sarre-based steel equipment producer Métal Marquis, cited a “conflict of interest,” according to screenshots of the message shared with The Canadian Press.