Kneecap hit out at John Swinney during Glasgow gig

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Irish rap trio Kneecap have hit out at First Minister John Swinney during a performance in Glasgow, following months of controversy over their public statements and police safety fears.

The group were due to headline the King Tut's stage on Friday at TRNSMT but were dropped from the bill after a public outcry over footage showing band member Mo Chara holding a Hezbollah flag.

They were then booked to headline the city's O2 Academy instead - a show that sold out in 80 seconds.

Swinney was among those who said Kneecap should not be allowed to perform at the festival - which the trio appeared to address 10 minutes into their set.

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Liam Ó hAnnaidh asked the crowd "What's your first minister's name?" before directing an expletive at Swinney and adding: "They stopped us playing TRNSMT but they can't stop us playing Glasgow."

The band - consisting of Ó hAnnaidh, DJ Provai, and Moglai Bap - said they did not believe the TRNSMT cancellation was the festival's fault.

The group later said the festival row had suggested their gigs were "hate-fests" but that they were about inclusion and tolerance.

However their anger towards the political class showed as they led a chant against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, echoing the highly-charged moments seen at the group's Glastonbury set.

Starmer had previously called for the band to be dropped from the Worthy Farm bill.

The chants were reprised again just prior to the end of the band's set, which concluded with The Recap, about their victorious court battle with the UK government over a funding grant.

Similar chants occurred again at the weekend when the trio supported rock band Fontaines D.C. at London's Finsbury Park.

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Ahead of the Glasgow performance, a small group of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered near the O2 Academy, welcoming the band when they arrived at about 17:00.

Kneecap posted a "hats off" to the activists on X, saying they were "buzzing to play one of our favourite cities".

The activists remained outside as fans queued to get in, frequently chanting "from the river to the sea", referring to the land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean.

Critics of the chant say it is antisemitic and implicitly calls for the destruction of Israel.

Later in their Academy set, the band turned their attention to Rangers football club - firstly making a derogatory joke about supporters of the Ibrox club.

However, they later said they had "more in common with a poor Rangers fan than a rich Celtic fan", as part of a speech about working class unity.

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Many fans came to the gig wearing Celtic tops and waving the Irish Tricolour, while Bap wore a Celtic shirt throughout the gig.

The group made frequent references to the Parkhead side during the 75 minute set, which were greeted with roars of approval and chanting from fans.

Ó hAnnaidh also issued an expletive-laden critique of Israel, though added he meant "the government, not the people".

And the biggest reaction all night arguably came when Ó hAnnaidh said the British government had "done nothing for Ireland and nothing for Glasgow".

Kneecap are no strangers to political statements or clashes with governments.

The band's name is a reference to kneecapping, a punishment deployed by paramilitaries during the Troubles in Ireland when they would shoot people in the knees.

However, recent months have seen the group's notoriety dramatically increase.

Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence over the display of a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig in November last year.

He was released on unconditional bail after appearing in a London court on 18 June.

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The band also faced criticism after footage emerged from a 2023 gig appearing to show one member saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

Those comments were condemned by Katie Amess, whose father - Conservative MP Sir David Amess - was murdered in 2021 while holding a constituency surgery.

The group apologised to the families of Sir David and Jo Cox, the Labour MP murdered in 2016.

Although the Metropolitan Police initially investigated the video, the force declined to take further action due to the offences being beyond the statutory time limit for prosecution.

Kneecap said footage of their comments and of them holding the Hezbollah flag had been taken out of context.

The group claim the controversy is part of a smear campaign against them, due to their support for Palestine and criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, which they describe as genocide.

The band said they received death threats and were dropped by their booking agent after displaying messages about Gaza during a set at US music festival Coachella in April.

The row over Kneecap's MP comments saw Swinney intervene to say the group had "crossed a line" and should not play TRNSMT, which takes place on Glasgow Green every July.

He said: "It would be unacceptable to perform on such a stage given the fact their comments are so beyond the pale."

Organisers DF Concerts did not comment at the time but Police Scotland became involved on 22 May.

The force said a "significant policing operation" would be required if the trio were allowed to play at the festival.

It also insisted any decision on who performs at TRNSMT was for organisers to make.

Six days later, Kneecap posted on social media: "Due to concerns expressed by the police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT.

"To the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry... it is out of our hands.

"Glasgow has always been a huge city for us. We've played there many many times, with no issues - ever. Make of that what you will."

DF Concerts said it had made the decision due to the concerns raised by police.

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The group and their furious electro-rap have attracted praise and criticism in equal measure since they emerged on the music scene.

They became involved in legal action against the UK government after the then Conservative administration blocked them from receiving a £15,000 funding award.

They had successfully applied for a grant to support UK-registered artists in global markets in December 2023.

Ministers intervened to stop this, saying the group behind songs such as Get Your Brits Out should not benefit from British taxpayers.

However, a court hearing sided with the group and awarded them the original amount of £14,250.

As well as music, the band also released an acclaimed film last year, which was nominated for six Baftas.