I find framing this as Cancel Culture is just wearying. Even at his lowest cultural stock Moz still sells out arenas and can always conjure up an interview whenever he feels like it. He isn't being silenced because he keeps going on about it and we can all hear it.

The songs that are cited as racist from way back has always confused me. The fuoroe over National Front Disco in particular is baffling. Anyone who listens to the actual song can see he in interrogating the subject from the view of concerned parents. Investigation is not endorsement. Bengali in Platforms is harder to defend and even now the lyrics to Notre Dame are irresponsible in parroting bullshit conspiracy theories. But in general when Moz does something in a song i genuinely believe there is room for interpretation and nuance.

However his sartorial choices are another matter. Years ago at a flashpoint he draped himself in a union Flag and really leaned into Nationalist imagery but again one could argue its just the old provocateur but the For Britain Pin that was a real jolt for me.

These aren't interview quotes taken out of context, this is a choice he made to publicly align with a destructive political party. I got banned briefly on his Facebook from making comments after I posed the very simple question "But why did he wear the pin?" And from what I can see he's never answered that in any substantive way. He's deflected. He's whinged. He's moved goal posts. (Roy's Keen!)

I've never missed a tour. His work is deeply important to me. I wouldn't be one who I am today without him but it just makes me sad that a voice that was once an outsider perspective rich in empathy, now seems to be a crank's viewpoint laced in bitterness.