Kneecap join Electric Picnic line-up

RTÉ News​

14 hours ago

Kneecap have joined the bill for this year's Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally, Co Laois, organisers have announced.
"This is going to be a special one," said the festival in a post on social media announcing that Kneecap had become part of the 29-31 August line-up.
On Saturday, Kneecap led Glastonbury crowds in chants of "f*** Keir Starmer" during their set at the festival.
The group - Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh - who hail from Belfast and Derry, have been in the headlines after member Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence in the UK.
Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a London gig in November last year.
He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on 20 August.
In the run-up to the Glastonbury festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several British politicians called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their performance would not be "appropriate".
Kneecap's Ó Cairealláin, who performs under the name Móglaí Bap, told the Glastonbury crowd from the West Holts Stage on Saturday: "The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer."
He also said a "big thank you to the Eavis family" who run the festival, saying "they stood strong" amid calls for the organisers to drop Kneecap from the line-up.
The trio led crowds in chants of "Free Palestine", with Mo Chara commenting on the sheer number of flags at the festival.
In reference to his bandmate's forthcoming court date, Ó Cairealláin said they would "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine."
Also on Saturday, Bob Vylan rapper Bobby Vylan led crowds at the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of: "Free, free Palestine" and: "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)".
The BBC said it "should have pulled" the live stream of the punk rap duo's performance during Glastonbury, as Bob Vylan's set contained "utterly unacceptable" and "anti-Semitic sentiments".
Earlier, the BBC had confirmed it would not be live-streaming Kneecap's set. The performance was subsequently made available in edited form.
Both Kneecap and Bob Vylan's controversial sets at the festival are being assessed by Avon and Somerset Police to decide whether any offences were committed.