During their recent performance at Reading Festival, the Irish rap group Kneecap made a brave political statement, criticising the UK government for its role in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The trio, consisting of Mo Chara, Móglai Bap, and DJ Próvaí, took to the main stage on Friday, August 23rd, and didn’t shy away from using their platform to address global issues, prominently featuring a “Free Palestine” message.
The message was not just verbal; it was also visually displayed on the large screens behind them during their set, stating, “The British Government is enabling a genocide in Gaza.” The statement came as part of their performance, which drew a large crowd in the afternoon. The band’s message of political awareness and solidarity with Palestine was echoed by the crowd’s enthusiastic response, both on and off stage.
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Kneecap’s Reading Festival appearance comes ahead of their debut Australian tour, which will take them to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Fremantle in March of next year.
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The trio can’t wait to perform in Australia.
“Well, here we come all the way to Australia – f*ck me, we’ll be tunnelling for weeks,” the group shared. “Following in the footsteps of the Fenians sent here by the Brits. This will be the furthest we’ve ever bee from Belfast so we’re buzzing for it to bring the Kneecap energy to the bottom of the world!”
One of the most exciting groups to come out of Ireland in many years, the trio have become renowned globally for their socially conscious and satirical lyrics.
“Their riotous music is uniting young people in Northern Ireland and reviving the Irish language,” hailed The Guardian.
“Their balance between anti-establishment lyrics, explosive delivery, graphic humour, and unrelenting charm is reminiscent of early Eminem,” wrote the LA Times.
Away from music, a biopic about the group, also called Kneecap, recently dominated the awards on home soil at the 36th edition of the Galway Film Fleadh.
The film, which caused a stir in Sundance earlier this year where it was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, won three out of a possible three awards it qualified for in Galway, where it had its Irish premiere as the festival opener. It won best Irish film, best Irish language feature film and the audience award, a feat never before achieved in the Fleadh’s 36-year history.
