100+ acts sign open letter in support of Kneecap

More than 100 artists have signed a joint statement in support of Kneecap after it was confirmed concert footage of the Belfast rap trio was being assessed by counter-terror police.

A number of festival slots and concerts by the band have been cancelled amid the emergence of two videos – one from a November 2023 show where one member allegedly said: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

Another video from a 2024 gig in London appeared to show a band member shout, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – organisations banned as terrorist groups in the UK.

“Both videos were referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offences linked to both videos,” said a Metropolitan Police statement. “The investigation is now being carried out by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and inquiries remain ongoing at this time.”

Kneecap have said the first clip had been “deliberately taken out of all context” and rejected “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual”, and denied ever supporting Hamas or Hezbollah.

The trio’s recent gig at Coachella was also subject to fierce criticism after they shared a “fuck Israel, free Palestine” message on stage. Music manager and TV personality Sharon Osbourne claimed the performance featured “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” and called for the group’s US work visas to be revoked.

British MPs have also called for the band’s slots at Glastonbury and TRNSMT to be cancelled.

“This past week has seen a clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform the band Kneecap”

Subsequently, an open letter posted on Instagram in response to the furore by the trio’s label Heavenly Recordings – supporting the right of artistic freedom of expression – has been backed by scores of acts including Massive Attack, Pulp, Primal Scream, Idles, Paul Weller, Yard Act, Annie Mac, Fontaines D.C., Dexys, Thurston Moore, Enter Shikari, Bicep and Brian Eno.

“This past week has seen a clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform the band Kneecap,” it reads. “In Westminster and the British media, senior political figures have been openly engaged in a campaign to remove Kneecap from the public eye, with veiled threats being made over their scheduled performances at gigs, outdoor events and music festivals, including Glastonbury.”

It continues: “As artists, we feel the need to register our opposition to any political repression of artistic freedom. In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.

“The question of agreeing with Kneecap’s political views is irrelevant: it is in the key interests of every artist that all creative expression be protected in a society that values culture, and that this interference campaign is condemned and ridiculed.

“Furthermore, it is also the duty of key leadership figures in the music industry to actively defend artistic freedom of expression – rather than seek to silence views which oppose their own.”

The group, who are booked internationally by Primary Talent, parted company with their North American representatives International Artist Group (IAG) in between the two Coachella weekends.

The band will no longer perform at Germany’s Hurricane & Southside, while dates in Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg have also been pulled

In the wake of the controversies, the band will no longer perform at twin German festivals Hurricane and Southside this summer, while scheduled September dates at Cologne’s Live Music Hall, Huxleys Neue Welt in Berlin and Grosse Freheit 36 in Hamburg have also been pulled.

In addition, their 4 July performance at Eden Summer Sessions has been nixed and a planned replacement show at Plymouth Pavilions was swiftly called off following “advice from relevant authorities and agencies”. “The safety of our valued visitors is always our primary concerns and as such we feel confident in the decision,” says a statement by the venue.

Kneecap have since announced three nights at the 750-cap The Depo in Plymouth for 2-4 July. They are also still listed for multiple festivals and headline dates across Europe this summer.

Speaking on Irish broadcaster RTÉ’s Prime Time this week, the group’s manager Dan Lambert claimed “moral hysteria” had taken hold and alleged the “concerted campaign” against the band was “solely about de-platforming artists”.

“It’s about telling the next young band, both through the music industry and through the political class, that you cannot speak about Palestine,” he said.

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