Long Knife will not be playing K-Town Hardcore Fest 2025
First, we would like to acknowledge the silence on our part … The past few weeks have been tough. The silence wasn’t an attempt to avoid accountability — we’ve been listening, researching and discussing. We needed time to fully understand the situation and decide what to do while staying true to our values.
K-Town is a flat-structured group of volunteers, not a PR machine. We work on consensus, reflection, and shared responsibility. That means solving issues takes time. We know some expected a quicker response, but we prioritize thoroughness and care over haste.
Recently, concerns were raised about our booking of Long Knife, as one member also plays in Hellshock, who performed at Hafenklang in Germany in October 2024 — a venue widely criticized for its ties to anti-deutsch ideology and zionist sympathies.
We believe playing at Hafenklang was a serious mistake. The statement that followed from Hellshock was not clear enough, and the connection to that venue raised real concerns — especially in the context of the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It’s understandable why people were upset by this and raised their voices.
Our position is clear: K-Town does not wish to platform bands who support zionism or remain neutral on genocide.
We engaged in conversation with both the member of Hellshock and all of Long Knife. And through thorough conversations, no stone was left unturned, and both band and individuals were confronted with hard questions.
They were asked to reflect and respond to, among other questions:
- Why Hellshock played Hafenklang
- Their position on zionism and the apartheid state of Israel
- Their understanding of the gravity of the current genocide in Palestine
We believe Hellshock have taken steps to reflect, engage, and distance themselves from the values represented by Hafenklang and the anti-deutsch scene.
K-Town is more than a punk and hardcore festival; we are part of an activist community and a movement for social change, centered around Ungdomshuset.
K-Town is — and always will be — a political festival. We are anti-fascist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and pro-Palestine. If a band doesn’t support these values, they don’t play here. It’s that simple.
We believe in building a scene that makes space for dialogue, growth, and learning — but only on shared values. That means confronting harm, and doing the work to repair trust when possible.
We do not condone fence-walking attitudes, anti-deutsch venues, or apologists for zionism. We appreciate the efforts of those working to expose these harmful spaces — and we encourage everyone to continue doing that work.
We know emotions are high because people care deeply, and rightfully so. But we also know that change doesn’t happen through endless comment threads or online pile-ons. It’s clear to us that there are many interpersonal grievances being aired online, and it’s been difficult to navigate.
K-Town is about action, not just discourse. We support Palestine and always will — financially and otherwise — and we will continue to do so. Our focus is, and will always be, on real action, not digital optics.
The community we are part of, have not traditionally focused on permanently excluding or cancelling individuals, but rather on initiating paths towards accountability, harm reduction and repair.
Through this process we are also dealing with our own accountability and the influence and position we have as a festival. This is something we are always working on. We appreciate the feedback and the information that has been shared with us.
We understand that in an international punk scene, the question of who gets to lead an accountability process is complex. We don’t assume to speak for everyone, everywhere.
We would like to stress that an accountability process needs to leave room for reflection and growth, and the reestablishment of trust, not just punishment. We have worked on establishing that trust within our group.
We, as a festival, do not believe the members of Long Knife are zionists or racists. But we do believe that the criticism raised around the booking is valid – due to their shared member with Hellshock. We also believe in accountability, reflection, and the possibility of change. We believe that Hellshock are sincerely sorry that they played Hafenklang and that Long Knife would never play there again. We believe that they are aligned with the politics of the festival. But we have also come to realize that this situation is not something we are equipped to take on as a festival. Feelings are still too hurt, and the healing is not finished. That process needs to take place around the band with the people around them.
So, after long and difficult discussions within our collective, it’s with heavy hearts that a mutual understanding between the festival collective and Long Knife, that they will no longer be playing the festival.
We encourage people to engage in a transformative and positive process of reconciliation, so we don’t push away the people who want to be our allies. Talk to each other out there. Remember that there are actual people at the receiving end of every comment posted and that we are all just human beings who found our way here, seeking an alternative to the shitshow around us.
If you’re unsure about a venue or label, there are great resources like @network_of_friends and @flora_fuer_alle to help you make informed decisions.
And remember: this is a DIY festival. There’s no profit being made here. Everyone involved is here because they care, because they believe in what we’re doing, and because they want to create something that matters.
Thanks to everyone who keeps the scene alive and political.
See you in the pit.
/ The K-Town Crew