Kneecap's manager says rap trio ‘happy to meet' and apologise to family of murdered MP
Kneecap
's manager has said the rap trio are 'happy to meet' the daughter of murdered MP David Amess.
The rap group apologised to the families of Mr Amess and Labour MP Jo Cox in April after footage emerged from a gig allegedly showing one member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.'
Katie Amess said she was 'absolutely heartbroken' after seeing the clip, from a performance in November 2023, because it 'brought back so much pain and upset', and called for the group to 'take full accountability' before being allowed to perform on stage.
She said she would be willing to meet the group and tell them how her life has been 'obliterated' by her father's death.
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The group's manager, Daniel Lambert, told The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk: 'The lads are happy to talk to that lady.
'The lads are happy to meet with that lady. The lads are happy to apologise to that lady.'
Ms Amess has urged a 'thorough investigation to determine the full extent of any criminal activity' and said it 'is imperative that individuals and groups are held accountable for their words and actions that incite violence and hatred'.
Lambert suggested that the footage emerged because the group criticised
Israel
over the
conflict in Gaza
during their performances at Coachella in the US.
He told the radio show: 'You've got to focus on this. Why has this emerged? And I've said this on several radio shows already. Kneecap went to Coachella and Kneecap said at Coachella, facts. Facts about what happened (in Gaza).'
He added: 'And you know what happened as a response? All of this.'
Earlier this week, Brendan Cox, whose wife Ms Cox was murdered in 2016, called Kneecap's statement 'only half an apology'.
Counter-terrorism officers are investigating the footage from November 2023 as well as another piece of footage from November 2024 that appears to show one of them shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah'.
The band posted a statement online saying they have 'never supported' Hamas or Hezbollah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
Jewish groups and MPs, as well as former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, have
called for them to be dropped
from the Glastonbury line-up, while Kneecap have claimed footage of the incident has been 'exploited and weaponised'.
On Friday, Kneecap teased new music and posted an image on X and Instagram of one of them wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh patterned scarf, saying: 'New track coming soon….stay tuned…lock down your aerial.'
On Thursday, the Met Police said they were made 'aware' in April of two lots of footage from November 2023 and 2024, and the force's
Counter Terrorism Command would be investigating
.
A statement said: 'Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos.'
Artists including CMAT, Massive Attack, The Pogues, Brian Eno, Pulp, Paul Weller, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac and Primal Scream have defended the band.
They signed a statement saying there is a 'clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform' Kneecap, while claiming that politicians are 'strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band' while ignoring a 'genocide' in Gaza.
After the footage emerged, members of Kneecap, who go by the names Moglai Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Provai, saw their performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall axed, while ticket websites for three gigs in Germany said the shows in the country had been cancelled.
The Eden Project performance was moved to Plymouth Pavilions, but that concert was also scrapped.
Hours later, music venue The Depo, also based in Plymouth, announced it would be holding three Kneecap gigs at the beginning of July.
Festivals in the Netherlands, Paradiso Festival in Amsterdam, and Czech Republic's Rock for People have said they are assessing the situation.
Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, formed in 2017 and are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language. - PA
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