Kneecap

[ironmike8]

I'd be very surprised and quite sad if they were pulled from the Glasto lineup. The festival is independent enough still to do what it wants without kowtowing to silly comments from people with nothing to do with it.

[hjwright]

34 minutes ago, Olshansky said:

plenty of other bands have been on the same side of kneecap politically, and they are vocal about it.  Their sets were not cancelled.  Idles. Fontaines. Bob Vylan, to name but a few.

People aren’t calling for kneecap to be cancelled because they’re pro Palestine, they are calling for them to be cancelled because they’re pro Hamas and called for people to kill Tory MPs. 
 

Saying they are on the same side as IDLES is ridiculous. 

[Colorblindjames]

9 minutes ago, Looother said:

 

It's an easy answer, but I don't think so. Jewish attendees shouldn't have to worry about bands on major stages chanting for legally proscribed, massively repressive terrorist groups that call for their murder. That's obvious, surely?

 

It might be mainly posturing but leading chants for Hamas/Hezbollah, waving their flags and supporting them on social media is weird and ugly, and I've been bemused and concerned that Kneecap have continued to be embraced by so many apparently liberal individuals and institutions despite it. The festival should have seen this coming, and either on principle or just to avoid precisely this situation given them a swerve. From here the best case scenario is that the band accept that some of their positions have been unacceptable and row back slightly (the kind of stuff they put on the screen at Coachella, while not very thoughtful/useful/impressive, should still be fine). If they can't do that, they deserve to be dropped.

Nothing offensive was put on screen at Coachella. Why do people make this stuff up? 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Would be interested in viewing the Hamas / Hezbollah footage if anyone has a link.  Its unwise in the context of what is and isnt legal in the UK (and in Ireland too tbf, although I had to google it), but based on what I've read I'm not so certain its different from their frequent shouts of Up The Ra.

 

Anyway, I give this thread about another half an hour.

[Skip997]

12 minutes ago, Looother said:

 

It's an easy answer, but I don't think so. Jewish attendees shouldn't have to worry about bands on major stages chanting for legally proscribed, massively repressive terrorist groups that call for their murder. That's obvious, surely?

 

It might be mainly posturing but leading chants for Hamas/Hezbollah, waving their flags and supporting them on social media is weird and ugly, and I've been bemused and concerned that Kneecap have continued to be embraced by so many apparently liberal individuals and institutions despite it. The festival should have seen this coming, and either on principle or just to avoid precisely this situation given them a swerve. From here the best case scenario is that the band accept that some of their positions have been unacceptable and row back slightly (the kind of stuff they put on the screen at Coachella, while not very thoughtful/useful/impressive, should still be fine). If they can't do that, they deserve to be dropped.

Out of reactions and anyway we no longer have a downvote option. So have a laugh instead 😂

[Skip997]

13 minutes ago, ironmike8 said:

I'd be very surprised and quite sad if they were pulled from the Glasto lineup. The festival is independent enough still to do what it wants without kowtowing to silly comments from people with nothing to do with it.

I’ll be absolutely disgusted if GFL pulls Kneecap. Would be a nail in the coffin 

[TheDayman]

While I don’t agree with what Kneecap have done (Hamas/Hezbollah/MPs) it’s quite clear this has become a coordinated campaign since the “F**k Israel” at Coachella.
 

So while I’m disappointed with the band, it’s more concerning that state sponsored lobby groups can hold such far reaching power.

 

Yes, the lads shouldn’t have said what they said but in my opinion, the Israeli government is acting far worse than a terrorist organisation but apparently it’s okay to show support for them.

Edited April 28, 2025 by TheDayman

[kaosmark2]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Anyway, I give this thread about another half an hour.

We're really hoping that it doesn't come to that. Speculation about whether an artist might be pulled and the reasons why are something that should be able to be discussed here.

[ironmike8]

3 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Would be interested in viewing the Hamas / Hezbollah footage if anyone has a link.  Its unwise in the context of what is and isnt legal in the UK (and in Ireland too tbf, although I had to google it), but based on what I've read I'm not so certain its different from their frequent shouts of Up The Ra.

 

Anyway, I give this thread about another half an hour.

I went looking for it myself, as it seemed a bit out of kilter with what they normally say in interviews. I actually think they seem quite bright, and it's hard to tell how much the 'street urchin' vibe is just an act.

 

https://x.com/frozenwarning/status/1915832859027509549?t=hQxpryLD91LdaKkNkjmvPQ&s=08

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, TheDayman said:

So while I’m disappointed with the band, it’s more concerning that state sponsored lobby groups can hold such far reaching power.

 

Yes, the lads shouldn’t have said what they said but in my opinion, the Israeli government is acting like far worse than a terrorist organisation but apparently it’s okay to show support for them.

Absolutely spot on post. 
 

👍

[hjwright]

2 minutes ago, TheDayman said:

While I don’t agree with Kneecap have done (Hamas/Hezbola/MPs) it’s quite clear this has become a coordinated campaign since the “F**k Israel” at Coachella.
 

So while I’m disappointed with the band, it’s more concerning that state sponsored lobby groups can hold such far reaching power.

 

Yes, the lads shouldn’t have said what they said but in my opinion, the Israeli government is acting like far worse than a terrorist organisation but apparently it’s okay to show support for them.

That’s right, it’s those pesky Jews up to it again!

[ironmike8]

1 minute ago, hjwright said:

That’s right, it’s those pesky Jews up to it again!

That's a pretty unfair retort imo, and suggests you don't have anything more grown up to add.

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, hjwright said:

That’s right, it’s those pesky Jews up to it again!

Let’s get it right. It’s those pesky

Israelis up to it again 

[Ayrshire Chris]

25 minutes ago, Looother said:

 

It's an easy answer, but I don't think so. Jewish attendees shouldn't have to worry about bands on major stages chanting for legally proscribed, massively repressive terrorist groups that call for their murder. That's obvious, surely?

 

It might be mainly posturing but leading chants for Hamas/Hezbollah, waving their flags and supporting them on social media is weird and ugly, and I've been bemused and concerned that Kneecap have continued to be embraced by so many apparently liberal individuals and institutions despite it. The festival should have seen this coming, and either on principle or just to avoid precisely this situation given them a swerve. From here the best case scenario is that the band accept that some of their positions have been unacceptable and row back slightly (the kind of stuff they put on the screen at Coachella, while not very thoughtful/useful/impressive, should still be fine). If they can't do that, they deserve to be dropped.

Yes, I can see your point. Up in Scotland it’s also seen as a religious sectarian issue related to the problems in Ulster and could cause bother at Transmt. I see the Scottish first minister has asked for them to be removed from the bill. There  does, as you say,  need to be  a bit of compromise. 

Edited April 28, 2025 by Ayrshire Chris

[TheDayman]

12 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Would be interested in viewing the Hamas / Hezbollah footage if anyone has a link.  Its unwise in the context of what is and isnt legal in the UK (and in Ireland too tbf, although I had to google it), but based on what I've read I'm not so certain its different from their frequent shouts of Up The Ra.

 

Anyway, I give this thread about another half an hour.

The more problematic issue (and not something to be defended in my opinion) is a video from a 2023 gig that has surfaced where a member is heard saying “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” 
 

Edited April 28, 2025 by TheDayman

[WforWill]

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taoiseach-urges-kneecap-to-clarify-views-on-hamas-and-violence-as-british-mp-calls-for-glastonbury-to-drop-belfast-rappers/a1704856750.html

[CaledonianGonzo]

3 minutes ago, ironmike8 said:

I went looking for it myself, as it seemed a bit out of kilter with what they normally say in interviews. I actually think they seem quite bright, and it's hard to tell how much the 'street urchin' vibe is just an act.

 

https://x.com/frozenwarning/status/1915832859027509549?t=hQxpryLD91LdaKkNkjmvPQ&s=08

 

Ta.  Yup - that's daft, although I see its already being misrepresented as waving Hezbollah flags and leading the crowd in chants.

5 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

We're really hoping that it doesn't come to that. Speculation about whether an artist might be pulled and the reasons why are something that should be able to be discussed here.

 

Fair.

[THEWILDBOYS]

2 minutes ago, hjwright said:

That’s right, it’s those pesky Jews up to it again!

Israel and Jews are not interchangeable terms, and in fact it’s quite antisemitic to suggest they are. 

[WforWill]

Let's try and keep this PG. I personally think they will get quietly removed, nothing to do with my views. However I am normally wrong! Raises the question, who has been pulled from Glastonbury? 

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, THEWILDBOYS said:

Israel and Jews are not interchangeable terms, and in fact it’s quite antisemitic to suggest they are. 

Spot on. This trend is a huge part of the problem. Not all Jews are Israeli and not all Israelis are Jews. 
 

People would do well to remember this 

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 minute ago, TheDayman said:

The more problematic issue (and not something to be defended in my opinion) is a video from a 2023 gig has surfaced where a member is heard say “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” 
 

 

See previous post re. Elvis Costello.  I'm sure there are other examples of fairly bracing rhetoric against the right at the festival over the years, not least Kneecap themselves playing 6 months after saying it.

 

[TheDayman]

5 minutes ago, hjwright said:

That’s right, it’s those pesky Jews up to it again!

I’m not going to waste time getting into a tit-for-tat on this (I also don’t want to risk this escalating to the point we risk having this thread shut down) but to be absolutely clear - any grievance is not with the Jewish people or Israel.
 

The issue is with the Israeli government and those who seem happy to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that are happening in Gaza and the West Bank. 

 

[ironmike8]

3 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Spot on. This trend is a huge part of the problem. Not all Jews are Israeli and not all Israelis are Jews. 
 

People would do well to remember this 

A lot of people still conflate Palestine and Hamas as well, and it makes the discourse even worse. That's also why I'm disappointed in the video above, the lads normally know and do better

[smogo]

Let's say that Emily Davis/GFL don't give into the pressure to remove Kneecap from the festival...

 

Could there feasibly be a situation where Shangri-La drop them from their lineup, but West Holts keep them on theirs (or vice versa)?

Edited April 28, 2025 by smogo

[dotdash79]

Wasn’t there another act in 2022 that had to cancel their slot due to comments about Tory MPs?