Kneecap took a swipe at Rod Stewart
Kneecap targeted Rod Stewart with a swipe during their controversial set at Glastonbury. The Belfast-based group has been making headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence and started the set shouting: “I’m a free man.”
After starting the performance, the 27-year-old rapper aimed a sharp jab at the 80-year-old rock singer. He told the crowd: “Is anyone going to see Rod Stewart tomorrow night?”
In response, the question was met with boos by the festival goers, many of whom were in tri-colour balaclavas and “Free Mo Chara” t-shirts. Feigning surprise, O’Hanna asked: “Wait, did I miss something?” He further jibed: “He’s older than Israel.”
It comes as the group sparked controversy at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, leading the crowd in chants of “f*** Keir Starmer” during their set.
In the lead-up to the festival, several politicians called for Kneecap to be dropped from the line-up, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating their performance would be “inappropriate”.
However, member Naoise O Caireallain, aka Moglai Bap, defied critics, saying: “The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn’t want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.” He also expressed gratitude to the Eavis family, saying “they stood strong” amidst calls for the organisers to remove them from the line-up.
The band also led the crowd in chants of “Free Palestine”, with Mo Chara commenting on the abundance of flags at the festival. O hAnnaidh, 27, donned a keffiyeh during the set, while member JJ O Dochartaigh, aka DJ Provai, wore his signature tri-coloured balaclava and a T-shirt reading: “We are all Palestine Action” in reference to the soon-to-be banned campaign group.
As the hip-hop trio took the stage, news broadcasts criticising them played from the sound system, prompting boos from the Glastonbury Festival audience. The trio kicked off their set with the song Better Way To Live from their 2024 album Fine Art, and also performed tracks such as Get Your Brits Out and Hood.
Around 45 minutes prior to their performance, access to the area surrounding the West Holts Stage was closed due to a large gathering of fans waving a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags.
Earlier, rap punk duo Bob Vylan took to the stage, leading the crowd in chants of “Free, free Palestine” and “Death, death to the IDF” before Kneecap’s set.
In an update, commenting on the chants about the IDF, a BBC spokesperson says: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
