Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2012
Japanese music and arts luminaries gather in support of convicted Russian punk band Pussy Riot. As most of the world knows, three members of the group were arrested for performing a “punk prayer” in a Moscow cathedral in February. After five months in detention with no legal charge, they were finally given two years in prison on the charge of “hooliganism.” The case has become a human-rights cause celebre, with support from the likes of Madonna and Yoko Ono. Now Japanese musicians including experimental two-girl unit Group A and nine-member powerhouse Annarhythm, as well as edgy art collective Chim↑Pom and a number of guest speakers, will participate in a benefit to support their legal defense. The event is presented by online arts zine Shatter Japan, which hosted a Pussy Riot fundraiser in September in London.
