“Youngsters are ravenous to demise, and we’re spending six or seven days speaking about Kneecap,” says supervisor

After the band have come underneath intense scrutiny in current days, Kneecap‘s supervisor has come out of their defence, saying they “stand on the proper aspect of historical past” with their pro-Palestine messaging.

• Learn Extra: Kneecap on the duvet – giving peace, protest and partying an opportunity

Following the Belfast rap trio’s appearances at Coachella earlier this month, they reportedly left organisers “blindsided” as a result of overtly political nature of their stay units.

The primary weekend, the stay stream of their set was reduce after they voiced their assist for a free Palestine, and likewise led the group in a provocative anti-Margaret Thatcher chant. “Not solely was that reduce,” they later stated, referring to the Thatcher chorus, “our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza by some means by no means appeared on screens both.”

On the second weekend, the band offered their very own livestream, with political commentator Hasan Piker broadcasting their set stay on Twitch. Slogans together with “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine”, “Israel is committing genocide in opposition to the Palestinian folks” and “It's being enabled by the US authorities who arm and fund Israel regardless of their conflict crimes” had been projected on the display screen behind them as they performed.

These California gigs led to calls from Sharon Osbourne to revoke their working visas. They later responded to Osbourne, and known as the controversy “a coordinated smear marketing campaign” in opposition to their efforts to “expose the continuing genocide in opposition to the Palestinian folks”.

The weeks since have seen the ‘H.O.O.D’ artists going through quite a few calls from politicians to take away them from a number of upcoming pageant dates – together with Glastonbury and TRNSMT – after it was revealed earlier this week that counter-terror police are assessing footage from the band’s London present final November.

Footage from that present seems to depict a member of Kneecap yelling out “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, whereas displaying a Hezbollah flag. Each Hamas and Hezbollah are proscribed terror organisations, as listed by the UK government, and it is usually an offence underneath the Terrorism Act 2000 to “invite assist for a proscribed organisation”.

On Monday (April 28), Kneecap took to X/Twitter to share an announcement denying their alleged assist of Hamas, Hezbollah and selling violence in opposition to MPs, saying: “Allow us to be unequivocal: we don't, and have by no means, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all assaults on civilians, at all times. It's by no means okay. We all know this greater than anybody, given our nation’s historical past.

“We additionally reject any suggestion that we might search to incite violence in opposition to any MP or particular person. Ever,” they continued. “An extract of footage, intentionally taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it had been a name to motion.”

It adopted experiences that police have since begun assessing a second video from one in every of their gigs, which purportedly reveals the group calling for the demise of Conservative MPs. In response, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead David Taylor and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney have made public requires the removing of Kneecap from a number of summer time pageant performances.

The Jo Cox basis, launched in recognition of the Labour MP Jo Cox who was murdered in 2016, additionally shared a statement on X/Twitter condemning the band, writing that that they had “clearly” crossed a line “from political expression to inciting violence”.

Equally, the daughter of late Conservative MP David Amess, who was murdered in 2021, informed the BBC she was “gobsmacked on the stupidity of any person or a bunch of individuals being within the public eye and saying such harmful, violent rhetoric”, including that the band ought to make apologies to her “and each different individual that has been offended by this”.

10 Downing Road have since responded to Kneecap’s assertion, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman calling it “half-hearted” and saying: “they need to apologise.”

They go on to say: “We utterly reject within the strongest doable phrases the feedback that they’ve made, notably in relation to MPs and intimidation in addition to clearly the state of affairs within the Center East,” including: “It’s proper that the police are wanting into these movies.”

Their deliberate Eden Classes gig on July 4 – in addition to at German festivals Hurricane and Southside – have now been cancelled, with the band responding by rapidly asserting a substitute gig, additionally on July 4, at Plymouth Pavillion, in addition to three headline shows in Germany.

After the sustained backlash, their supervisor Daniel Lambert defended the band throughout an look on RTÉ’s Prime Time on Tuesday night time (April 29), saying “youngsters are ravenous to demise, and we’re spending six or seven days speaking about Kneecap,” including: “We spent lower than a day speaking about fifteen executed medics.”

The band had referenced the homicide of the medics on X/Twitter again in March, writing: “This weekend Israel executed 15 medics – they buried them in a mass grave after which buried their ambulances with bulldozers,” happening to name Israel “deeply evil”.

This weekend Israel executed 15 medics – they buried them in a mass grave after which buried their ambulances with bulldozers.

Probably the most deranged and harmful nation on earth.

ISRAEL IS DEEPLY EVIL pic.twitter.com/yDxp3NV3rY

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) March 31, 2025

14 emergency employees and one UN employee had been killed on March 23 after a convoy got here underneath hearth by the Israeli army. Per BBC News, the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) stated its troops opened hearth believing they had been going through a menace from enemy forces, with an inquiry discovering a collection of failings, together with an “operational misunderstanding” and a “breach of orders”.

Talking to Miriam O’Callaghan, Lambert stated that “at each level, [the band] have absolutely the conviction that they're doing the proper factor and so they stand on the proper aspect of historical past.”

“A video didn’t emerge,” he continued. “There was a concerted marketing campaign emanating from the US to analyse each single factor that Kneecap have ever stated.

“Why this occurred was due to what they stated at Coachella, and what they stated at Coachella was the proper factor to say. It’s a message geared toward governments who're enabling a genocide in Gaza.

“What actually scared the state of Israel, and what result in this marketing campaign, is the response of younger folks in America,” added Lambert. “Younger individuals who aren’t prepared to assist a genocide, younger individuals who have empathy and sympathy in direction of the Palestinian folks.”

When requested by by O’Callaghan if saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah” was ever proper, Lambert stated pointed to “ethical hysteria and ethical outrage”, saying: “You’ve a band being held to greater ethical account than politicians who're ignoring worldwide legislation.

“Why are the Palestinians the place they're as we speak? They’re the place they're as a result of there’s been a wholesale denial of their rights as human beings,” he went on.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C17Ucti-3Y[/embed]

O’Callaghan raised that the band’s reputation meant that they had a “larger duty” not use irresponsible language in allegedly calling for violence in direction of MPs.

“The concept that was incitement of violence in opposition to an MP is ludicrous,” stated Lambert. “It was taken fully out of context. They're performers, it was a part of a efficiency. If you happen to had been to take a look at dozens of comedians globally […] and take six phrases out of a comedy act after which lay it out, you can try this to dozens of individuals.”

Lambert additionally stated the band weren't nervous concerning the destiny of their upcoming efficiency at Glastonbury Competition, saying: “It’s not for us to fret. It’s for us to have the energy and conviction that we did the proper factor.”