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Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie has called Madonna a "total prostitute" for agreeing to perform at this year's Eurovision , which takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Israel won the honour of hosting Eurovision after its contestant Netta won last year’s contest. Multiple artists, including Roger Waters and Peter Gabriel, have signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the event, and for the BBC to cancel its coverage of the competition.
Speaking to Newsnight,, Gillespie said that the state sits on "stolen land" and claimed Madonna is performing because she is desperate for money and publicity. The frontman added that he is not anti-Semitic and that all of his heroes are Jewish.
Gillespie said: "Madonna would do anything for money, you know, she's a total prostitute. And I've got nothing against prostitutes. The whole thing is set up to normalise the state of Israel, and its disgraceful treatment of the Palestinian people.
Show all 10 1 /10Top 10 UK Eurovision entries Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 10. Better the Devil You Know - Sonia (Runner-up in Millstreet, 1993) 352.9pts Sonia’s Eurovision journey took her to Millstreet, Ireland - and with its population of just 1,500, it holds the record for being the smallest host “city”. The town’s equestrian arena was transformed into a TV studio for the contest, meaning that many of the video postcards between performances have a very horsey vibe. Ms Evans chit-chats to a couple of foals in hers. This year the UK won 3 points from Bosnia and Herzegovina. When that particular Balkan jury managed to phone through on a connection that sounded so fragile and fragmented, they received the biggest applause of the night, having delivered their votes in the midst of the Bosnian War. Eurovision at its most important.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 9. Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz (Winner in Dublin, 1981) 355.4pts This tune is so synonymous with British Eurovision glory, what could possibly explain it ranking no higher than 9th? Bucks Fizz are ingrained into the national psyche by the yearly repetition of that one skirt-whipping clip. But we’d imagine that Cheryl, Jay, Mike and Bobby would be the first to say their vocals weren’t quite as polished as we’ve come to expect from the legendary band. However, that takes absolutely nothing away from this absolute classic. And if our rundown is inspiring you to do a bit of a Eurovision deep dive, then check out the poptastic “Christmas With The Fizz” (who cares that it’s May?) and Jay Aston’s “True Love” on Spotify.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 8. Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit - Gina G (8th in Oslo, 1996) 360.1pts Cher has an enjoyable habit of covering Eurovision artists: ABBA (she released an entire album last year), Bucks Fizz (“Heart of Stone”), Johnny Logan (One by One), and Gina G, literally, with a rejected, spangly dress. That iconic outfit Gina wore in Oslo was actually custom made by Paco Rabanne for Cher, who was living in Wapping at the time. For whatever reason, the “Believe” hitmaker cast aside the glittering garment one afternoon at the Warner Bros offices, where Ms G later stumbled across it hanging up just days before the contest. She stuffed it into her handbag and the rest is history.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 7. Puppet on a String - Sandie Shaw (Winner in Vienna, 1967) 366.5pts Our first Eurovision victory. Sandie notoriously hated this song “from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum… I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune” she recalls in her autobiography. As part of a promo drive to reinvigorate Sandie’s public profile, “Puppet On A String” was written for the contest and not for its performer – thankfully, because the British public still loves it over half a century later, and it might not have ever existed.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 6. Where Are You? - Imaani (Runner-up in Birmingham, 1998) 366.7pts If there’s one UK entry that deserves more recognition than it gets, it’s this. Imaani was the UK’s fifteenth and most recent runner-up. She narrowly missed out on a hometurf victory as “Where Are You?” failed to win any points when the final jury dished out their scores. It’s both frustrating and joyful that a recurring feature of Eurovision is that sometimes an incredible performance alone is not enough to win. 1998 was an important year for trans visibility across Europe, as Israeli superstar Dana International won the competition by a margin of 6 points with her track “Diva”. She’ll be performing at the finals this week, alongside Madonna – both dressed by Jean Paul Gaultier, who created Dana’s iconic feathery Birmingham victory outfit..
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 5. Boom Bang-a-Bang - Lulu (Winner in Madrid, 1969) 367.4pts Lulu won the 14th contest in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands – a situation which prompted Finland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden to withdraw from the following year’s contest out of protest. Such drama! Salvador Dalí designed the promotional materials for the contest as well as the stage, which explains the slightly weird metal sculpture that Lulu performed in front of.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 4. Love Shine a Light - Katrina and the Waves (Winner in Dublin, 1997) 381.1pts It’s been 22 long years since Katrina Leskanich brought home our last Eurovision victory, and we suspect it’ll be at least 23 years until the next. “Love Shine A Light” was originally written as a track for the Samaritans organisation, but several friends and colleagues convinced Leskanich to enter it into that years’ Song For Europe where it romped to victory, 11,138 votes ahead of our other potential entry: “Yodel In The Canyon of Love” by Do-Re Me feat Kerri.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 3. Storm - SuRie (24th in Lisbon, 2018) 381.4pts Eurovision performances can stand out for all sorts of reasons. SuRie’s time on stage is memorable not because her microphone was snatched by a stage invader, but by the way she reacted to the situation. Few other artists on this list would have handled it so deftly. As she picks the mic from off the floor, she kicks back into the bridge with the lyrics: “Hold your head up, don't give up, no no” - at which point you can see her adrenaline weaponising those words to deliver a defiant, triumphant and unforgettable end to the song. In 60+ years of Eurovision participation SuRie’s performance is unique in that it unquestionably transcends the song. An absolute ambassador for Britain’s participation in Eurovision, her next single “Only You and I” is out on 17 May.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 2. Save Your Kisses for Me - Brotherhood of Man (Winner in The Hague, 1976) 381.9pts With a last-second plot twist to rival those in Game of Thrones, “Save Your Kisses For Me” is the highest ranking winner on our chart. 1976 was the first time since the Sixties that our national final was open to multiple artists, rather than one act selected by the BBC presenting a number of tracks. The Brotherhood fought off stiff competition from Co-Co and Sweet Dreams (who would both go on to represent in ‘78 and ‘83 respectively), as well as turns from Hazel Dean and Tony Christie. Check out Kenickie’s version, commissioned in the late Nineties by Channel 4 for a special Eurotrash does Eurovision compilation.
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Top 10 UK Eurovision entries 1. Never Give Up on You - Lucie Jones (15th in Kiev, 2017) 398.4pts Uh oh. We fully realise that some fans will race to the bottom of this list, see “Lucie Jones” at number one, slam their Union Jack mug down, open a new tab and furiously tap out a tweet about the ludicrousness of it all. In another poll, in another format, another song might come top – but judging across composition, lyrics, vocals, presentation and charisma, Lucie’s performance ranked highly in all 5 categories with all 20 jury members. A strong song, expertly delivered and beautifully staged. “Never Give Up On You” serves as a reminder that when we try, we’re not a lost cause at Eurovision. One day in the not too distant future, a British artist will come along with a self-penned track, a story to tell, a vision of how to present it, and a personality that’ll shine through on Europe’s biggest stage. If they match Lucie’s technical ability, that’s when we’ll win Eurovision again.
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"By going to perform in Israel what you do is you normalise that. Primal Scream would never perform in Israel. I think Madonna is just desperate for publicity, desperate for the money. They pay very, very well."
Asked whether he understood his comments being seen as anti-Semitic, Gillespie said: "I'm not anti-Semitic at all. All my heroes are Jews. Karl Marx, Bob Dylan, The Marx Brothers."
The Eurovision final takes place tonight (18 May). Follow along with all The Independent 's coverage here.
Representatives of Madonna have been contacted for comment.
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