Kneecap announce last-minute London show amid police charge
Kneecap have announced details of a last-minute show on May 22nd at the 100 Club in London.
The concert will mark the band’s first performance since they garnered controversy at Coachella last month, which sparked an investigation from the Metropolitan Police after footage emerged on social media from historic Kneecap shows in the English capital.
Following the investigation, on May 21st, the band’s Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London concert at the O2 Kentish Town Forum last November. Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist organisation by the UK authorities.
Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is now set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18th.
In a statement, Kneecap said they “deny this offence”, described the charge as “political policing” and labelled the situation “a carnival of distraction”.
The Irish trio continued: “What’s the objective? To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification.”
Kneecap concluded: “We stand proudly with the people. You stand complicit with the war criminals. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in your court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
Despite the charge, Kneecap are not staying silent and will headline Wide Awake at Brockwell Park on May 23rd. As a warm-up, they will also play the intimate 100 Club on May 22nd, with tickets going on sale at 4:00pm and the band anticipating “they’ll be gone in minutes”.
Comically, the poster also boasts a quote from John Lydon, who said, “They need a bloody good kneecapping,” while recently appearing on Good Morning Britain.
In addition to making their live comeback tonight, new music is set to be on the way from the West Belfast group set to release the single ‘The Recap’ in the next few days.
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