Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh from Irish band Kneecap has been charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig.

The rapper, who performs under the name Mo Chara, has been charged after an incident in November 2024 at the O2 Forum came to light online last month. Police also said they were investigating online videos which allegedly showed the group calling for the death of British MPs and shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is against the law to publicly express support for the groups.

Ó hAnnaidh is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Wednesday 18 June, which is just one week before the band’s planned performance at Glastonbury.

It has also emerged that the band has threatened to sue senior live music industry figures who have made representations to a number of festivals in recent weeks, including Glastonbury, in attempt to have the band removed from the lineup.

“This is a carnival of distraction”

In a statement posted on social media following the charge, Kneecap said: “We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.”

“This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.

“14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.”

A legal letter, according to the Daily Mail, accused those in the live industry behind the complaint of making “untrue and defamatory” claims.

“Your correspondence seeks to monopolise your status within the industry to impose direct and concerted pressure on Glastonbury, to restrict freedom of expression,” it said.

“Such a direct and coordinated approach seeks to create a chilling effect upon the wider music industry whereby those who hold opposing views, will seek to impose their own view on the wider industry.”

The letter went on to threaten further court action “for the damage you have inflicted on our client’s reputation”.

“However, before our clients formally seek to issue pre action correspondence, we write to offer you the opportunity to resolve these matters by way of an immediate and unequivocal apology,” it continued.

This afternoon (22 May) the band announced a last minute special show at London’s 100 Club, taking place tonight, ahead of their headline slot at 25,000 capacity Wide Awake festival tomorrow.

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 after the shared a “fuck Israel, free Palestine” message onstage.

Following the Coachella controversy, the band were dropped from a slew of festivals in Germany and the UK. A number of headline shows were also cancelled by venues on ‘safety grounds’. The cancellations led to more than 100 artists, including Massive Attack, Paul Weller and Idles, signing a statement in support of the band.

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Concert footage of controversial hip-hop trio Kneecap is being investigated by British counter-terror police following claims it involves the group calling for the deaths of Conservative MPs.

A video has emerged from a November 2023 show by the bilingual West Belfast trio, where one band member allegedly says: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”.

Another video from a 2024 gig in London, which appears to show a member of the band shout, “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – organisations banned as terrorist groups in the UK – is also being assessed by the Metropolitan Police.

“We were made aware of a video on 22 April, believed to be from an event in November 2024, and it has been referred to the counter-terrorism internet referral unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required,” says a Met Police spokesperson. “We have also been made aware of another video believed to be from an event in November 2023.”

Downing Street has described the group’s alleged comments as “completely unacceptable”, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the group to be prosecuted over the alleged videos, referencing the 2021 murder of Conservative MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death at a constituency surgery.

“Kneecap’s glorification of terrorism and anti-British hatred has no place in our society,” she said in a post on X. “After the murder of Sir David Amess, this demands prosecution.”

Kneecap have claimed they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign”

Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, meanwhile, has called on the trio to “urgently clarify” their views on Hamas and Hezbollah.

Kneecap – Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh – have claimed they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.

Earlier this month, meanwhile, the group parted company with their North American agency International Artist Group (IAG), which will no longer serve as a sponsor for the band’s US work visas. IAG has confirmed the split, which reportedly took place in between their two performances at Coachella, without giving further details.

After claiming their pro-Palestinian messaging had been censored during their Coachella weekend one livestream, Kneecap shared a “fuck Israel, free Palestine” message on stage for their second weekend show, which was not livestreamed.

The move prompted fierce criticism – notably from Sharon Osbourne, who said they “took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements” and called for the group’s US work visas to be revoked. Writing on social media, she alleged their set featured “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” and claimed the band “openly support terrorist organizations”.

“The band Kneecap will not be performing at Hurricane and Southside Festivals this year”

The trio addressed the backlash on Instagram, saying: “Since our statements at Coachella – exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people – we have faced a coordinated smear campaign. For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.

“The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.”

Kneecap are due to return to the US for a run of sold out shows this autumn at venues such as The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York, Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, Kentucky, Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, and The Filmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but will need to apply for a new permit under a new sponsor.

Elsewhere, promoter FKP Scorpio has cancelled the band’s scheduled performances at its twin German festivals Hurricane and Southside this summer.

“The band Kneecap will not be performing at Hurricane and Southside Festivals this year,” an FKP spokesperson tells Welt.

The trio are still listed for multiple festivals and headline dates across Europe this summer. IQ has approached FKP, the band’s management and Primary Talent – Kneecap’s booking agency outside of North America – for comment.

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Independent Artist Group (IAG) EVP, head of global music, Jarred Arfa has opened up on the company’s ambitions to establish itself as “the premier alternative agency option worldwide”.

IAG was launched earlier this year following the merger of US-based talent agencies Artist Group International (AGI) and Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), in a move that further intensified competition in the international live music agency landscape, which had been largely consolidated by just four companies – CAA, Wasserman, UTA and WME.

The deal brought AGI’s roster, which included the likes of Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Smashing Pumpkins, Linkin Park, Metallica, Noel Gallagher, Motley Crue, The Strokes and Iggy Pop, and APA clients such as 50 Cent, 2 Chainz, Fetty Wap, Deep Purple, Mary J Blige and Lauryn Hill, under one roof.

US-based Arfa, who was previously COO of New York’s AGI, tells IQ the union was a natural fit.

“We were very impressed with the work that [APA executives] Jim Osborne and Kyle Loftus had done with the film/TV careers of music clients – particularly 50 Cent and Mary J Blige – and how their success in those areas helped elevate their touring careers,” he says. “We wanted to be able to offer our artists a full suite of services beyond our touring expertise in TV, film, lit and branding in order to help facilitate their interests in other artistic outlets and further enhance the value of their brands and intellectual property.

“Our goal isn’t to become the biggest agency, but really more of a selective all-star team”

“We were coming off the best year in our company’s history at AGI so it wasn’t something that was necessary but it was certainly something that we saw as additive and complementary to our core business.”

Founded in 1986 by Jarred’s father, Dennis Arfa, AGI was owned by the Yucaipa Companies, the private-equity group controlled by billionaire investor Ron Burkle, which also made a strategic investment in LA-headquartered APA in 2021. The merger saw Dennis Arfa appointed chair of IAG’s music division, with AGI president Marsha Vlasic named vice-chair and APA president Osborne becoming CEO.

“It couldn’t have been a smoother transition as we were already working with the APA content team on a number of projects for our music clients prior to the merger and had a great deal of success with those projects,” says Jarred. “We both share a client-first ethos that I think has been lost as many of our competitors have focused on becoming multimedia companies. I believe there is still a real need for an agency that’s primary goal is to create and enhance value for its clients.

“We believe in a quality before quantity mantra and that is how we will continue to build our business. We want to continue to work with artists we truly feel can have long careers and that we can envision becoming headliners. Our goal isn’t to become the biggest agency, but really more of a selective all-star team. We will be very strategic and thoughtful in how we expand our business to align with the above mentioned philosophies.”

Although the TV and film sectors were hampered in 2023 by the Hollywood strikes, Arfa points out that the concert touring business has “never been hotter”. Singling out shows by clients Ne-Yo, Robert Glasper and the Smashing Pumpkins as “extremely inspiring”, he also cites Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency and stadium run with Stevie Nicks, alongside successful tours by 50 Cent, Metallica, Def Leppard & Motley Crue, Ms Lauryn Hill & Fugees, Pantera, Rod Stewart and Neil Young.

“I expect touring to continue to thrive in the experience economy and with so many different genres of music continuing to grow”

“IAG touring had an incredible year with a number of artists headlining arena and stadium tours worldwide,” he says. “We are also very proud of Ghost becoming a bonafide arena headliner in the States and the continued growth of other great rock bands like Sleep Token and Falling in Reverse.

“In 2024, I am excited about the development of some other newer artists like Key Glock, Matt Malteese, Eem Triplin, Bigxtheplug, Téo and Freddie Dredd, amongst many others. I believe IAG will continue to establish itself as the premier alternative agency option worldwide and will attract many great clients who are looking for a more hands-on and team-oriented type of representation but still has all the services that a larger agency can provide. I expect touring to continue to thrive in the experience economy and with so many different genres of music continuing to grow.”

In closing, Arfa urges the rest of the world to adopt the tools that have been utilised to help raise artist grosses in the US, such as platinum ticketing and dynamic pricing.

“Although slowly being adopted in Europe, I believe it is very important to be embraced across the industry worldwide to help offset the rising costs of touring,” he says.

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