Billy Bragg says open letter from music stars defending Kneecap “lacks nuance”
Musician Billy Bragg has hit out at the open letter many notable musicians have signed to support Irish trio Kneecap amid a police probe into the group. He says the letter “lacks any sense of nuance”.
On April 30th, prominent members of the musical community rallied around Kneecap by signing an open letter in support of the Belfast trio. Notable initial signees include Paul Weller, Pulp, Massive Attack, Fontaines DC, Idles, Annie Mac, Tom Morello, Brian Eno and English Teacher.
The police probe comes following the emergence of two videos, one from a November 2023 concert that allegedly shows a member of the group saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Billy Bragg took to Instagram to explain his reaction to the letter, which he didn’t sign, though he “wasn’t asked.” He began with the clarification of his full support for Kneecap. He noted that, as they’ve apologised for the hurt they’ve caused, they “deserve to be reinstated on those bills that have removed them, and also confirmed as playing at those festivals where they are already scheduled to perform.”
Nonetheless, Bragg has an issue with the letter’s ethos of accountability. He said, “My problem is that the wording lacks any sense of nuance or understanding of why this whole furore kicked off.”
He continued: “And in trying to avoid the complexities of this issue by claiming that the politics of an artist’s views are irrelevant, the signatories are arguing that the only principle at stake here is free speech. I disagree.”
Bragg then warned that we must “accept that words have consequences,” which in practice means “we must be careful not to allow the considered and cogent arguments we seek to make – Free Palestine, end the genocide – undermined by flippant statements that we later have to apologise for.”
This is largely the same stance Kneecap took when responding to widespread criticism. As their manager commented on an Irish radio show: “Why should we care about what Sharon Osbourne thinks? I certainly don’t. Our concern is for the well-being of Palestinian kids.” He appeared adamant not to slide into a discussion about the politics of the gossip itself, but rather a tangible conversation about the very real conflicts on the ground.
Bragg continued the post to make the comparison that “the people calling for Kneecap to be banned are the same people who decry cancel culture whenever anyone of their political persuasion is called to account”. He mentioned Sharon Osbourne by name, conflating her with “punishment” they are receiving since their controversial Coachella projections.
Bragg finished the lengthy statement with a nod towards Trumpism, commenting that, “as our American cousins are discovering to their cost, liberty without accountability is tantamount to tyranny.”
Bragg’s comments add to the ongoing Kneecap saga. Their US visa representatives reportedly dropped them after Sharon Osbourne called for their visas to be revoked. A string of show cancellations has followed, though Kneecap are staying active and hopeful in the face of criticism.
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