Music Industry News & Gossip
By Stuart Coupe
Most people will be aware of the situation involving silverchair's song
Israel's Son and a current American murder trial. For those that don't, in the States defence lawyers in the murder pre-trial hearing at Montesano have blamed
the song for the actions of two teenagers charged with the aggravated
first-degree murder of the parents and younger brother of one of the pair. The
lawyers say Nicholaus McDonald, 18, and Brian Bassett, 16, had been listening
to the song before Bassett's parents and five-year-old brother were murdered.
At press time Judge Mark McCauley had ruled that the song cannot be included in
the opening statements at the trial. He said he will decide later whether to
allow Israel's Son to be played during the trial. Lawyer Tom Copeland had
stated in court that the song was "almost a script" for the murders that
occurred on August 11 last year.
On Friday, a release was issued by Murmur
Music. It states: Australian alternative rock band silverchair has responded to
allegations by an American lawyer which attempt to link one of the group's
songs to a multiple murder in the USA. The band's manager, John Watson, made
the following statement on behalf of silverchair:
"silverchair do not, have
not, and never would condone violence of any sort. The band is appalled by this
horrific crime and they hope that justice will prevail in prosecuting whoever
is responsible for it. The band extends its sincere sympathies to the families
and friends of the victims in this case. silverchair absolutely rejects any
allegation that their song is in any way responsible for the actions of the
alleged murders. It is a matter of public record that the song in question,
Israel's Son, was inspired by a television documentary about wartime
atrocities. Israel's Son was never intended to provoke violence and cannot be
interpreted by an reasonable person as doing so. In fact, the song seeks to
criticise violence and war by portraying them in all their horror."
Murmur Music, a division of Sony Music Entertainment (Australia) Limited, fully
endorses silverchair's statement. To assign another purpose to Israel's Son is
to abuse its meaning and the intent of its author.
