Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have had a number of A number of upcoming concert events in Germany canceled after the band’s controversial “fuck Israel” message displayed on the display throughout their Coachella set, together with resurfaced movies from a Kneecap live performance the place the band referred to as to kill members of parliament.
Final week, the German music festivals Hurricane and Southside, organized by FKP Scorpio, appeared to take away Kneecap from the pageant lineups with out rationalization. The band confirmed in a put up on X, previously Twitter, that the group “won’t be acting at Hurricane or Southside Competition this yr,” as a substitute pointing followers to 3 headline concert events in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg slated for early September. However as of Wednesday, the ticket pages for the concert events state these exhibits have been nixed as effectively.
A few of Kneecap’s Israel-Palestine statements may very well be thought of hate speech underneath some interpretations of German legislation. For instance, in some German states together with Berlin, the expression “From the River to the Sea” is taken into account prosecutable hate speech.
The German present cancellations are simply the newest fallout for Kneecap after they made headlines for pro-Palestine, anti-Israel pronouncements through the second weekend of Coachella this month. Jewish teams within the music business such because the Artistic Neighborhood for Peace, and people like Sharon Osbourne, had referred to as for the band’s visas to be revoked. Between Coachella’s weekends one and two, the group parted methods with their reserving company IAG although the reason for the break up is unclear. The separation with the company may put the group’s visas into query as IAG was the band’s visa sponsor.
Since then, UK counter-terrorism authorities started investigating historic Kneecap live performance footage the place the band appeared to supply phrases of assist to Hamas and Hezbollah — each of which the U.Okay. lists as terrorist organizations — in addition to different movies the place the band requires the loss of life of Conservative MPs in Britain.
Kneecap had been fashioned in Belfast, Northern Eire in 2017, and have lengthy been a controversial and vocally political group. The group consists of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and the DJ Próvaí. They’re strongly related to Irish Republicanism, the motion calling for the reunification of Eire away from British rule. Kneecap broke via in 2018 with their debut single “C.E.A.R.T.A.,” which is Irish for “rights.” They launched their debut studio album 3CAG that yr, and their second album Nice Artwork via Heavenly Recordings in 2024.
Kneecap has repeatedly rebuked allegations of antisemitism because the newest controversy, saying that their statements are aimed on the Israeli authorities and stating the backlash they’ve confronted is a part of a smear marketing campaign. The band took to Instagram on Tuesday and stated that they “don’t, and have by no means, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.”
“We additionally reject any suggestion that we’d search to incite violence in opposition to any MP or particular person. Ever,” the band stated. The Kneecap band stated previous live performance footage had been “taken out of all context” and is now being “weaponized.”
“All of the sudden, days after calling out the U.S. administration at Coachella to applause and solidarity, there’s an avalanche of concern and condemnation by the political courses of Britain,” Kneecap wrote. “The true crimes aren’t in our performances; the actual crimes are the silence and complicity of these in energy.
