The Used’s Jepha Shows Support For Palestine At Melbourne Gig

The Used haven’t shied away from showing support for a free Palestine – and at their last Melbourne show on their current Aussie tour run, bassist Jepha donned what appears to be a keffiyeh while on stage.

If there’s anything this year in particular has shown us, it’s that musicians are increasingly becoming more vocal in their support for political and human rights causes they believe in. The Used are no different – in June, the emo icons waved a ‘Free Palestine’ flag onstage during their Slam Dunk Italy set.

Now, The Used have used their platform to (subtly) speak out in less far-flung locations than Italy. During Monday’s Melbourne gig as part of the band’s 25th anniversary run of Australia, they’ve once again thrown their support behind Palestine.

Bassist Jepha came on stage as the band prepared to play Lies for the Liars in full to a packed crowd, with what appears to be a Palestinian keffiyeh wrapped around his waist.

The keffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress, and while it comes in many different colours, the black and white one seen in the photo of Jepha below has become distinctly associated with Palestinians. It’s particularly associated with resistance against Israeli occupation and, when worn by non-Palestinians, a show of solidarity. The distinct black and white pattern is seen across the world at protests, and now, on Northcote Theatre’s stage in Melbourne on Monday.

The Used haven’t just been using the stage to speak out (or recently started to), though. In April 2024, the band dropped a ‘Free Palestine’ shirt on their merch store, will all proceeds from purchases of the tee donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). They asked fans to “join us in supporting a cause close to our hearts” at the time.

Across the pond (well, over the other side of the world) in the UK, many musicians also took a stand during Reading Festival over the weekend, from Bring Me The Horizon to Amyl and the Sniffers. Enter Shikari also spoke out on the conflict during their set, with frontman Rou Reynolds saying, “Doctors killed, maimed, detained. Children shot in the head by snipers. It has to be repeated again and again that this is not a tragedy…This is not a tragedy, it is a war crime.”