Entertainment

Pussy Riot gals stun Brooklyn crowd with powerful speech

It’s rare that Madonna allows herself to be upstaged but last night at Barclays Arena, she willingly passed the limelight to Masha Alekhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova of punk group Pussy Riot.

After serving almost two years in prison for protesting links between the Russian Orthodox Church and the oppressive regime of Vladimir Putin by playing inside a Moscow Cathedral, the duo have continued the fight and were the star attraction at Amnesty International’s “Bringing Human Rights Home” concert.

Introducing Alekhina and Tolokonnikova, Madonna recalled her own experiences in Russia in 2012 when her tour attracted death threats for allegedly promoting homosexuality. “That’s something I’ve been known to do,” she quipped from the stage.

Once the members of Pussy Riot joined her, they delivered an impassioned ten minute speech through an interpreter about their experiences and quoted the statements of other Russians facing prison terms for similar protests.

“We have to remember that freedom is not a given,” Tolokonnikorva said. “It’s something we have to fight for and stand for everyday. It is our duty to speak for those who are still behind bars.”

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It was a powerful moment, reducing the crowd to near silence as Alekhina and Tolokonnikova spoke with an obvious rage, not so much at their own treatment, but at the injustices happening in their country. “We demand a Russia without Putin,” screamed Tolokonnikova. The anger in her voice was enough to convince most inside the Barclays Center that freedom of speech is only recognized in Russia if you say the right things.

Amnesty’s attempts to raise awareness was the main point of the evening. But in between the often harrowing tales of human rights abuses, there was plenty of music to soften the impact- or not in the case of Yoko Ono and the Flaming Lips who collaborated on a wild noise jam late on.

The psychedelic Oklahomans also played some less dissonant material as part of their headline act, covering The Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and closing with Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” along with members of Amnesty International’s staff shortly before 1am.

Tegan and Sara were quick and to the point with their appearance while Las Vegas rockers Imagine Dragons impressed with the kind of high energy performance that saw them play a starring role at the Grammys last month. Lauryn Hill on the other hand started well with a version of the Fugees hit “Ready Or Not” but soon derailed due to sound problems that left the singer visibly frustrated.

Live Aid co-organizer Bob Geldof also added his input by addressing the dwindling crowd with his trademark grumpiness. “This is supposed to a concert to ensnare the youth of America but I don’t see anyone under the age of 60,” he complained, before dedicating his short set to the memory of Pete Seeger.

Early acts included Cold War Kids, the Fray, and Cake but they were all taught a lesson in entertainment by the still impressive Blondie.

Just the sight of Debbie Harry sauntering on to stage (looking impossibly fabulous at the age of 68) was enough to bring the crowd to their feet- and it was there that they stayed for the group’s three songs. The classics “One Way Or Another” and “Call Me” sandwiched a new electro-tinged called “A Rose By Any Other Name” which was good enough to show that the New Yorkers aren’t quite ready for the nostalgia pile just yet.