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Sir Rod Stewart considered cancelling Glastonbury performance

Sir Rod Stewart considered cancelling Glastonbury performance

Perth Nowa day ago

Sir Rod Stewart came close to cancelling his Glastonbury performance.
The 80-year-old star is set to play the Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, but Rod admits that he came perilously close to cancelling his performance after being struck down with illness.
The Maggie May hitmaker - who is married to model Penny Lancaster - told The Sun newspaper: "I've had to cancel five shows because of this b****** flu.
"This time last week I was thinking of cancelling. It was a close shave. I have had Influenza A. It's been so terrible.
"But my dear wife Penny and some good medical people got me through it. There was a lot of technical massaging from some very good people I know, which sounds filthy doesn't it? You've got no idea.
"But my dear wife, she said to me 'You are going to do this. It's mind over matter.' She nursed me back to health. She really is a great girl."
Rod is now looking forward to his Glastonbury performance after overcoming his illness.
He said: "I am really looking forward to it now. I feel honoured and privileged, considering four days ago I wasn't going to make it."
Rod has teased details of his performance, including his musical guests.
The singer - who is one of the best-selling artists of all time - quipped: "Mick Hucknall and I are going to come up and sing She Was Only A Pilot's Daughter But She Kept Her Cockpit Clean.
"Only joking. We are going to sing If You Don't Know Me By Now. And then Lulu is coming on.
"She is going to sing Hot Legs and then Ronnie Wood is coming on with me and Lulu to do Stay With Me."
Rod also revealed that their rehearsals have been going really well.
The chart-topping star - who was knighted for services to music and charity back in 2016 - shared: "All three of my guests are in excellent form and are playing well. We had the best rehearsal yesterday."

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Police probe UK bands for ‘hate speech' during Glastonbury set
Police probe UK bands for ‘hate speech' during Glastonbury set

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  • News.com.au

Police probe UK bands for ‘hate speech' during Glastonbury set

Police have put UK bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap on notice following their controversial performances at the Glastonbury festival on Saturday. Avon and Somerset Police are examining video footage from the famed music festival to determine if criminal offences were committed when bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap took to the stage. The investigation was sparked after British punk duo Bob Vylan led festival-goers in chanting 'free, free Palestine' and 'death, death to the IDF' – referencing the Israel Defense Forces – to the packed-out crowd, many of whom were waving Palestinian flags. Irish rap trio Kneecap took to the West Holts Stage after Bob Vylan and followed suit, encouraging concertgoers to chant 'free Palestine' during their set. While onstage, band member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs as Moglai Bap, also slammed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as their fans waved banners and wore face paint to support the band. 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f**k Keir Starmer,' he told the crowd. The performance came just one after before JJ O Dochartaigh, aka DJ Próvaí, was seen wearing an anti-Israel campaign group 'Palestine Action' T-shirt in a social media post. The stage incidents have since prompted police to review video evidence from both performances to assess whether to proceed with criminal investigations. 'We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon,' Avon and Somerset Police tweeted on X. 'Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.' The performances have also drawn criticism from the UK government, with a spokesperson saying in a statement, 'We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.' Social media has also exploded with outrage over the bands' controversial appearances, with US rapper Azealia Banks among the voices condemning the performances. 'That is actually crazy. To allow an artist to incite a mob and shout death upon anyone at a major music festival is CRAZZZZYYYY,' she tweeted on X. 'And like how does he think that's going to accomplish anything? Wooooow the UK is losing its mind.' 'There's nothing worse than artists who lose their sense of subjectivity. The art of 'doing everything to express what I feel' should be a matter for therapy, not for performance,' another echoed. 'Way to turn a music festival into hate festival. So sad and crazy,' another commented. While some X users argued that the bands were simply exercising their 'freedom of speech', their comments were mostly drowned out. 'This is NOT free speech. This IS HATE SPEECH! Absolutely disgusting that this allowed,' one tweeted, with another noting, 'I remember when music festivals were about coming together around music and unity with fellow humans. I guess this one is a Nazi death rally … glad I'm too old for this.'

Kneecap Glastonbury 2025: Irish rap band calls out Starmer on stage, amid ban calls over ‘death to IDF' chant
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Kneecap Glastonbury 2025: Irish rap band calls out Starmer on stage, amid ban calls over ‘death to IDF' chant

Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap took to the Glastonbury stage on Saturday, delivering a fiery set that drew both cheers and controversy. The group, known for its outspoken politics, led thousands of fans in chants supporting Palestine and criticising the Israeli Defence Forces, while also taking aim at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer—who had previously called for Kneecap to be banned from the festival. 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man,' Mo Chara said after appearing on stage. 'The prime minister of your country - not mine - said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer,' Mo Chara told the crowd, wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with Palestinians. At least 30,000 people, hundreds of them with Palestinian flags, crammed into the West Holts stage in blazing sunshine to watch the trio, causing organisers to close the area. After opening their set with Better Way to Live, which mixes English and Irish, another of the group's members - M?gla? Bap, otherwise known as Naoise ? Caireall?in - said Mo Chara would be back in court for a 'trumped up terrorism charge'. Mo Chara told the crowd the situation over the lawsuit was stressful but it was minimal compared to what the Palestinians were going through every day. Later in the set, Mo Chara accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying, 'There's no hiding it.' Irwin Kelly, 40, said the trio got the crowd really involved in the set. 'Obviously it had a bit of controversy surrounding it,' he said. 'But it's art, it's performance.' The Israeli embassy in the United Kingdom earlier said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kneecap's statements. Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed about 45 minutes before Kneecap's performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. Rap punk duo Bob Vylan performed on the stage before Kneecap and led the crowd in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF'. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was 'not appropriate' for Kneecap to appear at the famed music festival in the southwest of England. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the public broadcaster BBC, which livestreams the festival, should not show Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. The BBC said on Saturday Kneecap's set would not be live-streamed but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. Kneecap manager Dan Lambert told Reuters the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. During the hour-long set, Kneecap thanked organisers Michael and Emily Eavis for not bowing to the pressure. Kneecap, whose third member has the stage name DJ Pr?va?, has said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. Mo Chara said on Friday the group were 'playing characters' on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. The performance followed months of debate over the band's inclusion, after frontman Liam O'Hanna (stage name Mo Chara) was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag and making supportive remarks about Hamas and Hezbollah at a London concert last year. Both groups are banned in the UK, and expressing support for them is an offence. O'Hanna, who appeared in court earlier this month, has denied the charge and described his legal troubles as minimal compared to the suffering of Palestinians. On stage, O'Hanna wore his trademark keffiyeh and gave a 'shout out' to the Palestine Action Group, which has also recently been banned under anti-terror laws. Fellow band member DJ Provai wore a t-shirt dedicated to the campaign group. Before Kneecap's set, rap punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chants of 'Death to the IDF,' further stoking the festival's charged atmosphere. Local police confirmed they were reviewing videos of comments made by both groups to determine if any offences had been committed. Festivalgoers waved Palestinian flags and wore 'Wanted Kneecap' t-shirts, showing strong support for the band's defiant stance. Glastonbury organisers stood by their decision to host Kneecap, with co-founder Michael Eavis stating, 'People that don't like the politics of the event can go somewhere else.' The BBC, under pressure not to air the performance, confirmed it would not be shown live but would likely be available on-demand. Kneecap's set was just one highlight of a festival that also saw surprise performances from Britpop legends Pulp and Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, as well as headline acts including Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. - with Reuters and PA

Belfast trio Kneecap play Glastonbury despite criticism
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The Advertiser

time9 hours ago

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Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man," O hAnnaidh, wearing a keffiyeh, told the crowd. 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Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC public broadcaster, which is showing the festival, should not feature Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager Dan Lambert said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The BBC said on Saturday it would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F*** Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, which also includes DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O hAnnaidh said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. with PA Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man," O hAnnaidh, wearing a keffiyeh, told the crowd. Member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Móglaí Bap, said: "The prime minister of your country - not mine - said he didn't want us to play so f*** Keir Starmer." Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed about 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. Rap punk duo Bob Vylan performed on the stage before Kneecap and led the crowd in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF". Speaking before the performance, festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future." Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for. "I'm intrigued by them," she said. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC public broadcaster, which is showing the festival, should not feature Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager Dan Lambert said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The BBC said on Saturday it would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F*** Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, which also includes DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O hAnnaidh said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. with PA Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man," O hAnnaidh, wearing a keffiyeh, told the crowd. Member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Móglaí Bap, said: "The prime minister of your country - not mine - said he didn't want us to play so f*** Keir Starmer." Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed about 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. Rap punk duo Bob Vylan performed on the stage before Kneecap and led the crowd in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF". Speaking before the performance, festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future." Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for. "I'm intrigued by them," she said. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC public broadcaster, which is showing the festival, should not feature Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager Dan Lambert said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The BBC said on Saturday it would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F*** Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, which also includes DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O hAnnaidh said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. with PA Irish hip-hop group Kneecap has played to a huge crowd at Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and pressure from some in the music industry to pull the gig. Frontman Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". He denied the charge. Starmer told the Sun newspaper this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English, to appear at Glastonbury. With the outdoor arena at full capacity and scores of Palestinian flags waving in the blazing sun, the Northern Irish trio took to the West Holts stage at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. "Glastonbury, I'm a free man," O hAnnaidh, wearing a keffiyeh, told the crowd. Member Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Móglaí Bap, said: "The prime minister of your country - not mine - said he didn't want us to play so f*** Keir Starmer." Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed about 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. Rap punk duo Bob Vylan performed on the stage before Kneecap and led the crowd in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF". Speaking before the performance, festival-goer Greg Robertson, 30, said: "I don't think politicians should really have too much of an impact on a weekend where everyone's trying to have fun and trying to maybe create a more optimistic future." Sara Majid, 29, said she liked what Kneecap stood for. "I'm intrigued by them," she said. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch had said the BBC public broadcaster, which is showing the festival, should not feature Kneecap, and 30 music industry bosses asked organisers to pull the band from the line-up, according to a letter leaked by DJ Toddla T, cited by the Guardian newspaper. In response, more than 100 musicians have signed a public letter in support of the group. Kneecap's manager Dan Lambert said the group had expected calls for the performance to be cancelled. "We knew that the biggest pressure would come on Glastonbury because Glastonbury's an institution," he told Reuters, adding that it had not been an issue for organisers. "We didn't bring it up and they didn't bring it up," he said. "They treated us professionally." Organiser Emily Eavis said on Wednesday the festival was a platform for artists from all over the world, adding that "everyone is welcome here". The BBC said on Saturday it would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. The footage of O'Hanna displaying the flag came to light after the trio projected pro-Palestinian messages on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, ending with: "F*** Israel. Free Palestine." Kneecap, which also includes DJ Próvaí, have said they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. O hAnnaidh said on Friday the group were "playing characters" on stage, and it was up to the audience to interpret their messages. Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. with PA

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