Belfast rappers Kneecap have responded to criticism from Scotland’s first minister on Tuesday night as the Irish rap trio performed a gig in Glasgow.
The group had been set to play the TRNSMT festival in the city this weekend, but their spot was cut following concerns raised by police.
John Swinney had called for the festival to not allow the group to play, describing their planned appearance as “unacceptable” given comments that he said were “beyond the pale”.
According to BBC Scotland, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, addressed the comments 10 minutes into the gig at Glasgow’s O2 Academy.
He asked the crowd: “What’s your first minister’s name?” before swearing and adding: “They stopped us playing TRNSMT, but they can’t stop us playing Glasgow.”
The band said the row around their cancellation from TRNSMT had suggested their shows were “hate-fests”, but they said they were in fact about inclusion and love.
The band had sparked controversy after footage emerged that appeared to show Ó hAnnaidh allegedly holding a Hizbullah flag.
Ó hAnnaidh was subsequently charged with a terrorist offence but has been released under unconditional bail.
Ahead of TRNSMT, Police Scotland had warned their appearance could require a large police presence.
The group, which also includes JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who performs under the name DJ Próvaí, and Naoise Ó Cairealláin, who performs as Móglaí Bap, said they did not believe their cancellation from TRSNMT was the festival’s fault.
During their Glasgow show, they also led chants against Britain’s prime minister Keir Starmer, who had called for the group to be cut from festival line-ups in England.
Tuesday’s show at the O2 in Glasgow had sold out in 80 seconds and saw a number of people, including Ó Cairealláin, wear Celtic shirts, while many others donned the Irish tricolour.
Pro-Palestine protesters also gathered outside the show and spoke in support of Kneecap. The band welcomed the activists, writing on social media: “Some scenes outside the venue for tonight’s gig in Glasgow.
“Hats off to the dozens of Palestine activists who’ve been here all day. Buzzing to play one of our favourite cities for a show that sold out in seconds.”
During the O2 show, the band had made a number of jokes about Rangers FC, but told the audience they had “more in common with a poor Rangers fan than a rich Celtic fan” as they called for working-class unity.
Ó hAnnaidh led critiques against Israel, but said these were aimed at “the government, not the people”, the BBC said.
The broadcaster reported the biggest reaction of the night came after Ó hAnnaidh said the UK government had “done nothing for Ireland and nothing for Glasgow”.
Police say a woman was arrested for failing to leave a licensed premises and a man and woman were arrested for breach of the peace.
The band had previously attracted controversy after a clip that emerged from a gig in 2023 appeared to show a member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
The Metropolitan Police decided last month not to prosecute any of the members of Kneecap over the alleged comments.
Kneecap apologised to Katie Amess, the daughter of Tory MP David Amess who was murdered in 2021, as well as the family of Jo Cox, the Labour MP who was murdered in 2016. The group said their actions, including allegedly holding the Hizbullah flag, had been taken out of context.
They claim the controversies are part of a smear campaign against them because of their vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which they say is genocide. − PA
