Kneecap's London gig to go ahead after cancellations
Irish rap trio Kneecap's headline set at London's Wide Awake festival is to go ahead as planned after organisers cancelled a number of the band's concerts.
The group has seen gigs including a performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall in the UK on 4 July cancelled after historic concert footage appeared to show a member of the group shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah", and another video allegedly showing one calling for Conservative MPs to be killed.
In a statement, confirming their performance in Brixton's Brockwell Park would go ahead as planned, Wide Awake said: "After positive discussions with key stakeholders, Wide Awake festival can confirm that, as planned, Kneecap will be performing at this year's festival on Friday, May 23 at Brockwell Park.
"Wide Awake Festival has a proud history of supporting the alternative music scene and we look forward to staging another unforgettable event showcasing the very best emerging and established talent."
Made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, the stage names of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and J. J. Ó Dochartaigh, respectively, the group has faced an investigation by counter-terrorism police after the videos, filmed in 2023 and 2024, became public.
The Wide Awake performance will be the band's first UK gig since the investigation was launched.
Kneecap shows at Plymouth Pavilions and a number of German events, including Hurricane and Southside festivals, have also been cancelled.
In a post on X following the announcement, the group said: "Well well London, we'll be seeing you for a headline show in Brockwell Park next Friday.
"Some tickets remain – this one is going to be very special."
Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs, but claimed footage of the incident had been "exploited and weaponised", while they also said they have "never supported" Hamas or Hezbollah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for Kneecap to be banned, while other politicians have pushed for the group to be dropped from the Glastonbury Festival line-up.
Last week, Self Esteem, real name Rebecca Lucy Taylor, told Times Radio she would be "comfortable" sharing a stage with the trio at Glastonbury and added she felt it would be "a problem (for) culture, art, freedom of speech" if they did not perform.
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 following the furore.
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.
Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language; their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live and 3Cag.
Alongside Kneecap, the Wide Awake one-day festival will also see performances from the likes of CMAT, English Teacher and Peaches.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Horror moment thugs open fire as gangland drive-by shooting caught on camera in Irish city on edge amid ‘revenge' fears
A PRIEST has warned a feud will lead to 'loss of life' as masked gangsters filmed a drive-by shooting that has left a city on edge. The brazen thugs recently recorded themselves as they blasted a gun from a speeding car's window in 6 The terrifying video shows a gloved thug reach for the weapon while driving 6 The gunman aims the gun out the window of a speeding car in the recording 6 A series of shots are fired from the car window And as the attacks escalate, it has left locals fearing it's just a matter of time before someone is killed. Local priest Fr Richard Keane has now committed to holding an open-air mass in the city, where he will call for an end to the The gunmen were recorded firing nine shots from a vehicle, aimed at houses in the Hyde Road area of Limerick city. It comes as a feud in the area has spiked in recent months, with petrol bomb attacks and drive-by shootings — similar to a dispute that killed 20 people in the late Nineties and early 2000s, involving the Keane-Collopys, the Ryans and the McCarthy-Dundon gang. READ MORE IN NEWS Fr Keane, a Janesboro native, said: 'I want to pray for peace and for people to respect their neighbours. 'I just want people to appreciate their neighbours and put an end to any actions or anti-social behaviour that is putting our community in a bad light or having people in fear.' He continued: 'Ultimately, if it continues going the way it is going it will end up with loss of life. 'So anytime someone's life is in danger, no matter who they are, you'd have to be concerned — especially for young people. Most read in Irish News 'It turns into a spiral of violence — there is revenge and retribution, and you have a cycle of violence. 'You hope that will be avoided and that this will stop before someone loses their life.' Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads Fr Keane said that his door is always open to anyone with concerns. He added: 'I'm always here to listen and to pray for people and to support them in any way I can. 'I just want every single person in the community to feel safe and sound, and protected, and happy to be living there.' 6 Fr Richard Keane is set to hold an open-air mass calling for an end to the violence 6 The priest has told of the distress caused to locals Holding out hope for a positive change ahead of the open-air mass, Fr Keane also praised leaders at the local community centre, local He said: 'The vast majority of the people living in the parish are good, decent people and they just want to live in peace. 'VERY UPSETTING' 'At next Wednesday's mass near the statue of Our Lady, at the back of the church, we are going to remember anyone who has died locally down through the years for various reasons. 'A lot of young people have died from drug overdoses, so we are going to remember those people. "We are going to pray for a good community, for peace and a good sense of togetherness and neighbourhood — to bring people together.' 'I just want people to appreciate their neighbours and put an end to any actions or anti-social behaviour that is putting our community in a bad light or having people in fear.' Fr Richard Keane Fr Keane added: 'There is a great community centre here with great community initiatives and the school has a brilliant principal and staff who work so hard for the area too. 'They all have their hearts in the right place, they are committed in trying to give the kids in the area the best education and opportunities, and to allow them to discover their gifts and talents and to try and be positive in their lives — and that needs to be acknowledged too. 'IT'S CYCLICAL' 'Obviously, places have anti-social problems, and a situation like this is very upsetting. 'We know how it finishes up, its cyclical — you can have an end to a feud and things are quiet for ten years, then things kick off again.' Fr Keane said he was 'very much one hundred per cent' proud to be a Limerick native, adding: 'I just want to see the best for the city.' He also called on authorities to continue to provide resources for young people to attack 'boredom' in their lives. Fr Keane said: 'If people are idle and have nothing to do, they can find themselves going down the wrong road. 'But if people have something to do or have something to engage in, then there is less chance of them going down the wrong path.' 6 The passenger in the car during the shooting kept their face hidden under a balaclava
Irish Independent
25 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Roscommon man Robert Pether detained in Iraq for four years released
The Australian citizen was detained in April 2021 and was found guilty of deception in a 'kangaroo court', according to his wife, Desree. Mr Pether has now been released from prison and is on bail and remains in Iraq, but Tánaiste Simon Harris said this is the 'first step' in coming back to Ireland. 'This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern,' he said. 'This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends.' The Irish-based engineer was taking part in helping to design the central bank in Baghdad and was set to work on three other hospitals. However, there was a contract dispute between his employer and the Central Bank of Iraq, which saw Mr Pether and his Egyptian colleague end up in prison. Mr Pether has been in an Iraqi jail since, with his family fearing for his health. They have been lobbying the Government for help since Mr Pether's arrest in 2021. 'Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert's release, called me this evening with the news. I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon,' said the Tánaiste. Mrs Pether told the Irish Independent in 2022 how the only communication she had with her husband if he is able to ring her through the prison twice a week, ranging from three to 15 minutes in length. 'Robert is in such a different situation being in prison, we don't have contact with him and I've only seen one photo of him,' she said at the time. 'He's aged so much, he's completely white and he's not well.' Minister Harris also spoke to Mrs Pether tonight and said he is 'concerned' about Mr Pether's health and remaining charges. 'I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development,' he said. 'I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case. 'We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case.'
The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
David Coote produced an admirable act of humility as picture of shamed ref working as Evri delivery driver went viral
BIZARRELY, David Coote's former career as a Premier League referee will stand him in good stead as a delivery driver. He'll be dealing with two yellows every working day, just as before. 2 Former Premier League referee David Coote has taken on a new career as an Evri delivery driver 2 Coote fell from grace after a video leaked showing him ranting against Jurgen Klopp Credit: PA Only instead of cards, it's those two thick, emulsioned lines by the roadside where he What a come-down for the man who took charge of a Wembley final involving Equally, what an admirable act of humility and courage by someone who brought shame upon himself and his profession but, as he says so himself, 'is trying to move forwards and regain a sense of purpose and responsibility'. When one of football's most promising officials was captured on video, slurring his way through a Read More on Football But as this fascinating story unfolds, By labelling Klopp a German c*** and But maybe he did so as a release from the relentless pressure heaped upon him as a referee at the top level of our national game. At first Coote appears as a p****d-up prima donna, showing off in what he believed was the assured privacy of intimate surroundings with friends, having a pop at Liverpool's manager because he could. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS It's some fall from officiating the 2023 Carabao Cup final to haring around his home county of Nottinghamshire dropping off parcels part-time for minimum or living wage. But having been sacked by his paymasters at the PGMOL, the fact he is not too proud to take any job to get back on his feet suggests a person ready to pay their penance. Shamed Ref David Coote EXCLUSIVE on death threats, coke battle & coming out | The Sun It's not just the animated reaction of Klopp that is to blame. There are 20 unexploded bombs like him managing in the Premier League because they are under enormous pressure, too. Klopp's heated exchange at Coote after Liverpool did not get a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Burnley is just one example of the dozens that litter every season. Every decision referees make is under more scrutiny than ever before. Whether that's the fault of TV's ever intrusive coverage or that there is silly money involved in men's football today is irrelevant. It's how life is. I imagine Thomas Bramall, the latest referee to be walking around with a target on his back for blowing his whistle too quickly in Aston Villa's final-day defeat at Man Utd is starting to understand the reality of life as a top-class ref. Reality of life as a top-class ref The intricacies of his mistake are too complicated to explain in one column but it's fair to say he cocked up. In their defence, Villa were largely restrained in their vocal reaction despite lodging a formal complaint, as is their right. The wider criticism has been astonishing and whether justified or not, young referee Bramall is being painted a pretty grim picture of what's in store if he stays in his job. It's patently obvious by what's happened to Coote that it's an alarmingly quick process to plummet from the heights of running a showpiece final in front of 90,000 fans to becoming a delivery boy. But while it's tempting to feel sorry for him, we should not. We should instead give credit to a bloke who made a mistake and is now trying to put it behind him without crying out for pity. And perhaps reflect on the foundations of fury that can make referees crumble so spectacularly as he did. Besides, dealing with frothing managers day in, day out who feel totally wronged by even the slightest thing that goes against them is actually the perfect training for becoming a white van man. Try pulling out on him at a T-junction. ************ MILLIE BRIGHT'S shock withdrawal from the Euro 2025 squad reminds of one thing. Women look after themselves better than men, physically and mentally. They tend to be braver than men too when it comes to knowing their limits. It takes courage to pull out of an international tournament — especially when England are defending their European crown. The 31-year-old Chelsea defender admits she had to fight off her ego to make the call. That is something men rarely do enough of, overcome primeval urges and make a decision in favour of their own well-being at the top level of sport. Too many would lose that battle with their own psyche. Pull out and you are still considered a loser among the boys. Bright is a winner for thinking of things more important than football. **************** INGESTING biometric tablets to record things like stress levels from the inside is both fascinating and horrifying. England's players have been doing this under boss Thomas Tuchel's instruction as they prepare for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra. Now, I have no idea if these tablets are single-use, and I don't really want to ask anyone at the Football Association for the details either. But if not, just picture the scene 24 hours after swallowing — when what goes in must come out. Lots of Premier League stars peering down between hairy legs on the loo. And who on earth has the job of washing them? Or maybe each player has his own, complete with initials — like 'HK' for Harry Kane — to avoid unpleasant mix-ups. Yuk. ******** IN the final scene of The Empire Strikes Back, the rebel fleet disperses as Luke Skywalker and pals head for different galaxies at the speed of light. The break-up of Bournemouth's over-achieving squad this summer has a similar ring to it. First Dean Huijsen heads to Real Madrid, now Milos Kerkez looks bound for Liverpool. Newcastle are eyeing Dango Ouattara. Pretty soon the gallant band of brothers — which beat Arsenal (twice) and Nottingham Forest, also coming close to European qualification — will be splintered across the football cosmos, leaving Cherries manager Andoni Iraola standing alone like Obi-Wan Kenobi.
