Roger Waters has complained that his critics are attempting to cancel him “like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn” as he launched the UK leg of his tour.
Appearing on stage in Birmingham, the Pink Floyd singer told a 15,000 strong crowd he was “pissed off” at “the antisemitism bullsh*t” that has dogged him over the last month.
“They’re trying to cancel me like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange,” he said, declaring: “I will not be cancelled.”
The veteran musician is under investigation in Germany for wearing an SS-style uniform on stage in Berlin, where displaying Nazi symbols is illegal.
He has previously sparked outrage by comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, attacking the “Jewish lobby” and flying a pig-shaped balloon emblazoned with a Star of David at a 2013 concert.
In Frankfurt, protestors picketed his show brandishing Israeli and Ukrainian flags.
Elio Adler, the leader of Jewish group WerteInitiative, said: “His words and imagery spread Jew-hatred and are part of a trend: to normalise Israel-hatred under the protection of freedom of speech or art.”
Kicking off a string of UK appearances on what he is billing as his “first farewell tour”, Waters told his fans: "If you’re one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, then you might do well to f**k off to the bar.”
He went on to describe Bury South MP Christian Wakeford, who has called for venues to block Waters from performing, as a “w**ker”.
Of the opposition to his pro-Palestinian stance, he insisted, “it all comes from Tel Aviv.”
Amid renditions of classic numbers from iconic Pink Floyd albums, Waters projected images of bombed out buildings, American presidents labelled “war criminals,” and Anne Frank.
Attacking British outlets including The Times and The Daily Mail, he declared: “I will not be cancelled! Especially when it's all lies. I’m fighting back, Mr Telegraph!”
The 79-year-old star did not, however, wear his Nazi-inspired outfit that sparked outrage in Germany.
The costume - typically worn as Waters performs songs from 1979 rock opera The Wall - is inspired by Pink, a character who descends into madness and imagines that he is a dictator.
Launching into a discussion of geopolitics, he said: “We’re closer to a nuclear confrontation than ever before.”
References to Vladamir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were “conspicuously absent,” however, the Guardian noted.
Reviews for the Birmingham performance were overwhelmingly positive, with Waters receiving five out of five stars from The Times and The Telegraph despite his claim the publications were looking to “rip my balls off”.