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Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The rise and fall of Kneecap, the pop provocateurs who went too far
The darlings of February's Bafta Film Awards, the biggest night in the British cinema calendar, were a trio of Irish republican rappers who glory in Ulster sectarianism. Kneecap is a Gaelic-language group made up of the artists known as Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí – the latter of whom always sports a tricolour balaclava and must be the first guest in Bafta history to wear one to the star-studded ceremony. A film loosely based on their lives, also called Kneecap, had earned five nominations (including, ironically, for Best British Film) as the UK's film establishment embraced the band. 'Kneecap is more than a film, it's a movement and it's about how everyone should have their language respected, they should have their culture respected and they should have their homeland respected,' Rich Peppiatt, the tabloid hack-turned-film director, said on stage as he picked up the Best Debut gong. 'And so this award is dedicated to everyone out there who's fighting that fight.' It is a little more than two months later and Kneecap are instead fighting to save their career from a series of damaging scandals. All, it ought to be pointed out, are of their own making. First, at this month's Coachella festival in California, they caused controversy by accusing Israel of 'committing genocide against the Palestinian people', claiming that this was 'being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes' and putting the words 'F— Israel. Free Palestine' on the screen behind them. Amid the furore, in which there were widespread calls for their American visas to be revoked, footage from previous gigs emerged in which band members appear to shout on stage 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' and 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP'. The Metropolitan Police says the former clip, in which one of the band members is said to be wearing a Hezbollah flag, has been referred to one of its counter-terrorism units 'for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required'. The families of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess – MPs who were assassinated in 2016 and 2021, respectively – criticised the latter video. Kneecap have always been edgy, with the band's name a knowing reference to the punishment meted out by IRA paramilitaries to those who betrayed or failed the cause. Their music pokes fun at the sectarian divides that linger in Northern Ireland: one typical lyric is 'Guess who's back on the news / It's your favourite republican hoods'. The band emerged from an Irish-speaking squat in Catholic west Belfast, when all-night raves featured a mixture of hip-hop music, techno beats and traditional Irish tunes. One night in 2017, Móglaí Bap (aka Naoise Ó Cairealláin) was out with a friend and spray-painted 'cearta', the Gaelic word for 'rights' on a bus stop. Móglaí Bap managed to evade the police, but his friend was arrested and spent a night in custody while he waited for a translator as he refused to speak English. The episode inspired their debut single, C.E.A.R.T.A., which was released later that year. Mo Chara (aka Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) later told The Irish Times that they did it 'just for the craic. No plans for after'. To their surprise, it proved a hit. DJ Próvaí (aka JJ Ó Dochartaigh) initially took to wearing a balaclava to disguise his identity, as he worked as a teacher at the time. He quit his job in 2020, devoting himself to music full-time, after his school objected to a video from a gig in which he had the words 'Brits out' written on his bare bottom. The band's output has always been deliberately provocative. One song, Get Your Brits Out, imagines a night out with former Democratic Unionist Party leaders Arlene Foster and Jeffrey Donaldson; another is about Mo Chara having sex with a loyalist and includes the memorable line 'you can call me King Billy if you want'. The song is called Fenian C-----. Surprisingly, the band has become popular among young unionists in Northern Ireland, the vast majority of whom will not understand what the lyrics mean. Most fans of the band are, perhaps predictably, on the other side of the sectarian divide. The band members say that their lyrics are often satirical, a legacy of growing up after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the end of The Troubles. 'Republicanism is so vast, and on a spectrum,' Móglaí Bap told The New York Times in 2022. 'We like to toy with it. We like to take the irony on, and also not be dictated about what kind of republicanism we're going to believe in.' They have also commissioned two murals in west Belfast attacking the police and the British, while many of their songs have been banned by RTÉ, the Irish state broadcaster, for their frequent use of swear words and almost constant celebratory drug references. Ironically, the lyrics about drinking and taking drugs have left Kneecap at odds with some republican dissidents, many of whom promote a straight-edge lifestyle. 'We're screaming about the 'Ra,' Móglaí Bap said, using a familiar name for the Irish Republican Army, 'even though the 'Ra would probably shoot us for doing all of these sort of things.' Kemi Badenoch is also not a fan. When she was business secretary, she blocked Kneecap being awarded a public grant of £14,250 because she did not want to award taxpayers' cash to 'people that oppose the United Kingdom itself'. That decision was ruled unlawful last November, something the Labour Government did not challenge, and the band pledged to donate the money to youth groups on both sides of the ethno-religious divide. Despite most of Kneecap's output being in the Irish language, they appeared to cross into the mainstream last year with a set at Glastonbury and the release of Peppiatt's film, which featured Hollywood star Michael Fassbender. Crowds at Kneecap gigs are often seen wearing DJ Próvaí's tricolour balaclava (which the band sells for £27) or scarves depicting petrol bombs (£22). The biopic opens with a scene from the christening of Móglaí Bap, which was mistaken for an outdoor IRA meeting that had a British Army helicopter hovering overhead. Ó Caireallain insists that it actually happened. Later, Ó Hannaidh and his Protestant unionist girlfriend get increasingly aroused by hurling sectarian insults at one another. One of the most surreal scenes in the film is the appearance of former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams while the band members are high on ketamine. It is not an obvious leap from this to wading into the geopolitics of the Middle East, but the band members appear to feel a sincere affinity with the Palestinians and have raised the conflict frequently since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Israeli incursion into Gaza. During their Coachella performance, Mo Chara said: 'The Irish not so long ago were persecuted at the hands of the Brits, but we were never bombed from the... skies with nowhere to go. The Palestinians have nowhere to go.' Afterwards, the trio were photographed with Lebanese-American former porn star Mia Khalifa, to whom they gave a jersey of Bohemian FC, a Dublin football club renowned for its pro-Palestinian activism. Amid the turmoil of the past few weeks, Kneecap gigs are being cancelled in Britain and Europe – including at Cornwall's Eden Project as well as Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne – with parliamentarians urging the organisers of Glastonbury to revoke their invitation to play at the festival in June. Dan Jarvis, the Home Office minister, told the House of Commons on Tuesday that, in light of the police investigation, he would urge 'the organisers at the Glastonbury Festival to think very carefully about who is invited to perform there later this year'. Glastonbury's organisers have not responded to The Telegraph's enquiries about whether Kneecap will perform at Worthy Farm as billed. Glastonbury aside, Kneecap are slated to play at summer festivals ranging from Denmark and Spain to Poland and the Netherlands, plus a month-long tour of America in October. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KNEECAP (@kneecap32) Perhaps in an attempt to keep the show on the road, this week Kneecap apologised for the first time. In a statement, the band offered 'heartfelt apologies' to the families of Cox and Amess, writing online that 'we never intended to cause you hurt'. However, rather than leave it at that, the band members lashed out at its critics. 'Establishment figures, desperate to silence us, have combed through hundreds of hours of footage and interviews, extracting a handful of words from months or years ago to manufacture moral hysteria,' read the post on Kneecap's X profile. Kneecap added that they 'do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah' and 'we also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action. This distortion is not only absurd – it is a transparent effort to derail the real conversation [about Gaza].' That expression of regret has been criticised by Brendan Cox, Jo's widower, for being only 'half an apology' because they suggested that there is a 'conspiracy, that they have been targeted unfairly, and for me, that then doesn't come across as unfortunately particularly genuine'. Daniel Lambert, the band's manager who is also chief operating officer of Bohemian FC, has since poured further fuel on the fire. Lambert claimed in an interview with RTÉ that the band were the victims of 'moral hysteria' and a 'concerted campaign', the goal of which is 'solely about de-platforming artists'. Lambert added: 'If somebody's hurt by the truth, that's something for them to be hurt by. But it's really important to speak truth and, thankfully, the lads are not afraid to do that. 'They have the bravery and the conviction, given where they've come from in a post-conflict society, to stand up for what's right, and are willing to do that despite the fact that it may harm their career.' That will be sorely tested as the fallout of these controversies continues. Kneecap, explained – in three key songs What does the trio's music tell us about their world-view? By Ed Power 1. C.E.A.R.T.A The trio's 2017 debut single is named after the Irish word for 'Rights'. Its use of profanity over school hip hop beats – fans of gangsta rappers such as NWA will recognise the song's lineage – is striking and earned an immediate ban from Irish radio station Raidió na Gaeltachta for 'drug references and cursing'. Kneecap responded with a petition that received 700 signatures, saying the tune was 'a caricature of life in west Belfast' and 'a satirical take on life for young people, particularly in west Belfast'. As Raidió na Gaeltachta was quick to spot, 'C.E.A.R.T.A' is indeed loaded with wordplay about cocaine, speed and marijuana – as well as sexual references: you don't have to be a fluent Irish speaker to work out the meaning of 'wankáil'. Still, there is no denying its energy – or the skill with which they depict a typical weekend in the life of working-class young people in Belfast. 2. Get Your Brits Out Kneecap are regarded as a rap act, but this staple of their sets is a techno banger that, with its big lurching grooves, feels like a cousin once removed from classic Prodigy. The lyrics certainly have a fire-starting quality, imagining, as they do, a surreal night out with the hardline DUP party members in a Belfast nightclub. The DUP was founded by the late Ian Paisley and are steeped in the Calvinist values of his Free Presbyterian Church. In other words, members are not known for their 24-hour party people lifestyle. That, however, is the fantasy scenario Kneecap present over pummelling dance beats. There are cameos by former party leader Arlene Foster, whom Kneecap imagine being on an ecstasy binge. 'Arlene's throwing shapes, half a yoke [i.e. an ecstasy tablet] nearly killed her'. They also name-check prominent DUP figure Jeffrey Donaldson, who is due to stand trial for 18 offences, including one count of rape and others of indecent assault ('He got me in a headlock and gave me a kiss'). Donaldson has denied these accusations. But it isn't the politics that hit home so much as the celebration of drug-fuelled excess: 'these E's are sweet, they're sweet E's… I'm eating 'em like sweeties.' 3. Better Way To Live An indication of Kneecap's growing popularity was this 2023 collaboration with Grian Chatten of Mercury-nominated Fontaines DC – who performed it with the group at last year's Glastonbury festival. The following summer, their debut album, Fine Art, would breach the UK top 50 and make reach number two in Ireland, where it was kept off number one by Taylor Swift ('F--- Taylor Swift.. she's probably loyalist,' they remarked in Dublin last year). Better Way To Live is one of their most mainstream songs – a mash-up of indie rock and hip-hop, with lyrics about finding joy in the grind of everyday life. As they said at the time: 'In between the moments of that repetitive lift of the pint, or spark of a cigarette, there is an opportunity for bliss. underneath that constant noise, there is a silence that can breathe new life and inspiration breaking through the mundane.' It is one of Kneecap's least political releases, showcasing a talent for chronicling the struggles and joys of everyday life and an indication of their potential mainstream appeal – a trajectory that may well have come to a crashing halt given recent events.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bafta backstage: eight highlights from the British film awards
With two major musicals in the awards race this year, it was only right that host David Tennant opened the Bafta Film Awards with a tune of his own. The Scottish star kicked off proceedings with a storming rendition of The Proclaimers' 500 Miles, featuring contributions from Selena Gomez, Colman Domingo, Anna Kendrick, Hugh Grant and Camila energy remained high throughout the ceremony, which saw Conclave and The Brutalist take the most prizes with four each. The winners list in fullConclave and The Brutalist win big at the BaftasBackstage, the stars were in equally good spirits, even if a few of them were jet-lagged, hungry, and remarking on how heavy the Bafta trophy is to carry are eight highlights from the winners' room: 1. Mikey Madison took Robert De Niro's advice too seriously When Anora star Mikey Madison collected the best actress award, she started by admitting to the audience that she hadn't prepared a she jokingly blamed this on Robert De Niro, whom she recently appeared with on The Graham Norton Show. "I just wish that I'd had a better speech," she said."I was on a talk show and Robert De Niro told me not to write a speech and I thought, I should probably listen to him. And I forgot to thank so many important people." Madison was overwhelmed but overjoyed with the recognition from Bafta."I think I'm a little disassociated right now," she says, "I love making movies, and being an actress is my dream, and for my film to be recognised like this is incredibly special."I don't know if I'll ever fully grasp the magnitude of being in a room like that, full of my idols, incredible creatives who I admire so much." 2. Wallace and Gromit directors proud of 'Anton Deck' Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl won two prizes for its producer Richard Beek and directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. The trio brought their famous characters along with them to the ceremonyCrossingham reflected on the fact that stories about a cheese enthusiast and his loyal but long-suffering dog always seem to go down so well in the US, despite the films firmly rooted in UK culture."It is remarkable that our very Britishness is embraced in America," he told highlighted one particular reference in Vengeance Most Fowl: the TV presenter in the film is called Anton Deck, a reference to Geordie duo Ant & Dec."There are some jokes, like Anton Deck, which are very British. In the American screenings, there was complete silence apart from one Brit guffawing in the corner."But we're very proud of that, we stick to our guns. Apart from one or two very specific gags like that, it seems to be embraced."And even if they're laughing at us, not with us, if they're laughing, we're still happy about that." 3. Jesse Eisenberg is embracing the UK Jesse Eisenberg, who won best original screenplay for A Real Pain, walked into the winners' room carrying his Bafta and asking journalists: "Am I expected to hold this heavy thing the whole time?"After being reassured he was allowed to put it down as he answered questions, he reflected on the fact that the screenwriting prizes he's won for A Real Pain have both been in the UK."The other award I won for this was the London Film Critics prize, so I must be living the wrong country," he joked."My background is playwright, and when one of my plays transferred to the West End it was far more popular. I don't know what it is, maybe I'm a novelty here and in America I'm boring."Eisenberg was also asked about his relationship with co-star Kieran Culkin, who won best supporting actor. But, he said, it's not as close as people might imagine."In terms of our dynamic, I'll text him today and say, 'hey you won the Bafta, I'm so proud of you'. And then three weeks later my phone will buzz and it'll be [Culkin saying]: 'Hey, I just got this, thanks'.""That's the closeness with which you imagine we live." 4. Zoe Saldaña enjoyed 'jumping into the unknown' Zoe Saldaña continued her awards season sweep of the best supporting actress category with another win at Bafta, despite the recent controversies faced by her film Emilia Pé she reflected on her biggest number in the Spanish-language musical, El Mal, which is also up for best original song at the Oscars. "Not getting in my own way was the challenge," she said of shooting it. "Sometimes you can become very heady about something and you overthink it."What you have to do is trust the process... Rehearsing the dance was about reconnecting with a part of me I had missed so much but I had since let go of for more than 20 years."Reconnecting with that, dusting off all those cobwebs and jumping into the unknown was what needed to happen."Asked about the importance of performing the musical in Spanish, she replies: "It's my first language, I was spoken to first, sung to first, in Spanish."We love we live, we fight, we work, in Spanish. And my art has [previously] only lived in a very English way. So that yearning to connect my culture with my art was meaningful to me." 5. Warwick Davis thought he was being scammed Warwick Davis was the recipient of this year's Bafta Fellowship, the British Academy's highest honour."It's very overwhelming, this whole thing," he said. "You win the award and then you have to talk to loads of people, feeling very shiny." (Everyone was feeling sweaty backstage by this point.)Asked about the moment he heard he was this year's winner, Davis said: "I was on the toilet when I found out!"[Bafta] notified me by email, and I do most of my administration work on the toilet. I might call it paperwork but then you'd get the wrong idea," he jokes."Then I got an email from Bafta saying I'd won the fellowship, and I got all excited, and then it suddenly dawned on me, is this a fake email? Some sort of scam?"So I clicked on the email address, and it really was Bafta. Then I finished up at the loo, you probably didn't need that detail, and then went and celebrated with the kids." 6. Adrien Brody reflects on career surge Adrien Brody's reaction to winning best actor might have been slightly hampered by how hungry he is. "I haven't eaten anything yet, so I'm not sure how I'm feeling, but I'm so happy to be here," he says is asked about the surge his career has enjoyed in recent months thanks to The Brutalist, more than two decades after his last awards run for The Pianist."The beauty of being an actor is that any life experience, and there have been many since [The Pianist], anything you've experienced is so valuable in shaping a sense of understanding," he reflects."So the moments of triumph, loss, complexity along your path, they give you an ability to represent those more truthfully and authentically in your work."I'm just so grateful to have had this meaningful opportunity come my way, I've been yearning for this for a long time."I've been working very hard. It's not for a lack of hard work, but there are so many magical things that have to happen for a film to achieve greatness and I'm so happy that all of those things conspired on The Brutalist."And with that, he's off to have some supper. 7. Edward Berger likens Conclave cast to an orchestra Conclave won best film and best British film, becoming the first movie to take the top two prizes since 1917 (the film, not the year)."I am so humbled and so grateful to be welcomed here so openly with such warmth and open arms," its German director Edward Berger says of the UK. "Basically, I just want to live here, I'm never going to leave."He likens the cast of Pope drama Conclave, which includes Stanley Tucci, Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossallini, to an orchestra."No-one really knows [why a cast works so well], but you have a hunch, so there's a lot of discussion - we put pictures up on the wall and it just felt like a good combination," he explained."They were all believable cardinals, all different nationalities and accents, it just felt they were all different instruments in a big musical piece." 8. Brady Corby is optimisitic for the film industry The Brutalist's Brady Corbet might have won best director, but he said he was slightly too "jet-lagged and exhausted" to fully process it. As much as he's enjoying awards season, he notes: "It'll be amazing when it's done, I'm looking forward to getting back to work."Corbet is not shy of hard work - making the Brutalist was famously a labour of love which took several years. "We basically just didn't sleep," he says. "I haven't had a day off in years."Now that awards campaigning is in its final phase however, with voting for the Oscars closing on Monday, he should finally get some down time. "The week leading up to the Oscars is actually pretty quiet, I'm looking forward to it."The Brutalist, a 3.5-hour film with an intermission, has been a relative box office success despite its intimidating duration."I'm not trying to teach anyone a lesson or anything," he says, "but I do think it's good for the ecosystem that a film like this which is completely uncompromised - I don't like too many cooks in my kitchen - for that to have made $30m globally so far, that's exciting."All the things you're told not to do, when those films are proven to be commercially viable, and people want original, daring movies, it makes me feel more optimistic than usual.'"
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Baftas 2025: The winners list in full
The winners at the Bafta Film Awards, celebrating the best in big screen action over the past 12 months, have been revealed. Best film Winner: ConclaveAnoraThe BrutalistA Complete UnknownEmilia Pérez Outstanding British film Winner: ConclaveBirdBlitzGladiator IIHard TruthsKneecapLeeLove Lies BleedingThe OutrunWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Leading actress Winner: Mikey Madison - AnoraCynthia Erivo - WickedKarla Sofía Gascón - Emilia PérezMarianne Jean-Baptiste - Hard TruthsDemi Moore - The SubstanceSaoirse Ronan - The Outrun Leading actor Winner: Adrien Brody - The BrutalistTimothée Chalamet - A Complete UnknownColman Domingo - Sing SingRalph Fiennes - ConclaveHugh Grant - HereticSebastian Stan - The Apprentice Supporting actress Winner: Zoe Saldaña - Emilia PérezSelena Gomez - Emilia PérezAriana Grande - WickedFelicity Jones - The BrutalistJamie Lee Curtis - The Last ShowgirlIsabella Rossellini - Conclave Supporting actor Winner: Kieran Culkin - A Real PainYura Borisov - AnoraClarence Maclin - Sing SingEdward Norton - A Complete UnknownGuy Pearce - The BrutalistJeremy Strong - The Apprentice Director Winner: The Brutalist - Brady CorbetAnora - Sean BakerConclave - Edward BergerDune: Part Two - Denis VilleneuveEmilia Pérez - Jacques AudiardThe Substance - Coralie Fargeat Bafta Fellowship Warwick Davis Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer Winner: KneecapHoardMonkey ManSantoshSister Midnight Film not in the English language Winner: Emilia PérezAll We Imagine As LightI'm Still HereKneecapThe Seed of the Sacred Fig Outstanding British contribution to cinema MediCinema, the British charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of patients in NHS hospitals Documentary Winner: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryBlack Box DiariesDaughtersNo Other LandWill & Harper Animated film Winner: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most FowlFlowInside Out 2The Wild Robot Children's and family film Winner: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most FowlFlowKensuke's KingdomThe Wild Robot Original screenplay Winner: A Real PainAnoraThe BrutalistKneecapThe Substance Adapted screenplay Winner: ConclaveA Complete UnknownEmilia PérezNickel BoysSing Sing EE Bafta rising star award (voted for by the public) Winner: David JonssonMarisa AbelaJharrel JeromeMikey MadisonNabhaan Rizwan Original score Winner: The Brutalist - Daniel BlumbergConclave - Volker BertelmannEmilia Pérez - Camille, Clément DucolNosferatu - Robin CarolanThe Wild Robot - Kris Bowers Casting Winner: AnoraThe ApprenticeA Complete UnknownConclaveKneecap Cinematography Winner: The BrutalistConclaveDune: Part TwoEmilia PérezNosferatu Costume design Winner: WickedBlitzA Complete UnknownConclaveNosferatu Editing Winner: ConclaveAnoraDune: Part TwoEmilia PérezKneecap Production design Winner: WickedThe BrutalistConclaveDune: Part TwoNosferatu Make-up and hair Winner: The SubstanceDune: Part TwoEmilia PérezNosferatuWicked Sound Winner: Dune: Part TwoBlitzGladiator IIThe SubstanceWicked Special visual effects Winner: Dune: Part TwoBetter ManGladiator IIKingdom of the Planet of the ApesWicked British short film Winner: Rock, Paper, ScissorsThe Flowers Stand Silently, WitnessingMarionMilkStomach Bug British short animation Winner: Wander to WonderAdiósMog's Christmas
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Baftas red carpet in pictures: Stars turn on style at British film awards
Stars were all smiles despite the chilly weather as they walked the red carpet at London's Royal Festival Hall, for this year's Bafta Film Awards. Nominees and guests posed for photos as they gathered for the UK film calendar's biggest night.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bafta Film Awards ceremony under way after stars take to red carpet
Spoiler alert - the winners will be broadcast in real-time from 17:00 GMT on this page. So don't scroll if you don't want to know the winners before the BBC One broadcast later from 19:00 The stars of the big screen are descending on London's Royal Festival Hall for the annual Bafta Film Awards Leading this year's nominations is religious drama Conclave, followed by Emilia Pérez and The Brutalist The biggest night in British cinema will see nominees from Wicked to A Complete Unknown, and performances from Take That and Jeff Goldblum Bafta Film Awards ceremony under way after stars take to red carpet
