Irish rappers Kneecap have been sensationally dropped from a top music festival following a rising backlash to their onstage controversial feedback.
Eden Sessions, a collection of live shows held on the Eden Project, Cornwall this summer time, have cancelled the hello-hop trio’s upcoming July 4th look on the festival, following onstage feedback the place they told the group to ‘kill your local MP’.
But now the Cornwall-based music festival, which may even host Gary Barlow, The Script and Madness, has pulled the scheduled look.
The live performance organisers wrote on X: ‘Eden Sessions Limited introduced at this time that the Kneecap present scheduled for 4 July 2025 is cancelled.
‘Ticket purchasers can be contacted straight and refunded. Refunds will start from Weds 30 April 2025 in opposition to the unique cost playing cards used. Please permit six working days.’
Earlier this month, video footage emerged of the rap group telling a jeering viewers ‘the one good Tory is a useless Tory’ whereas acting at a gig in Electric Ballroom in London in November 2023.
The Belfast trio are going through mounting criticism over a regarding efficiency through which certainly one of them stated ‘the one good Tory is a useless Tory’
Eden Sessions, a collection of live shows held on the Eden Project, Cornwall this summer time, have cancelled the hello-hop trio’s upcoming July 4th look
The Cornwall-based music festival, which may even host Gary Barlow , The Script and Madness, has pulled the scheduled look
In the video a member of the Northern Irish band – which is about to play at Glastonbury later this 12 months – stated: ‘We’re nonetheless underneath British occupation in Ireland.
‘We nonetheless have outdated males in London making selections that have an effect on my life in Ireland.
‘And even worse, they’re f***ing Tories.
‘The solely good Tory is a useless Tory.
‘Kill your local MP.’
It comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused the band of creating a ‘half-hearted’ apology for calling on followers to kill their local MP.
The Belfast trio final night time supplied ‘heartfelt apologies’ to the households of two murdered politicians, Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, as anger over jibes aired at certainly one of their live shows grew.
But the group stated they they have been victims of a ‘smear marketing campaign’ and the video had been ‘intentionally taken out of all context’.
They claimed ‘institution figures, determined to silence us, have combed via a whole bunch of hours of footage and interviews’.
Festivals together with Glastonbury which have booked the republican-aligned hip-hop group for performances this summer time are being urged to drop them from their line-ups.
Home Office minister Dan Jarvis told MPs at this time that Glastonbury organisers ought to ‘assume very fastidiously’ about who’s performing.
And Labour MP David Taylor prompt streaming websites together with Spotify ought to pull their again catalogues.
Kneecap led an anti-Margaret Thatcher chant throughout their slot final weekend
In 2021 Conservative MP for Southend West Sir David Amess was stabbed to dying whereas attending his constituency surgical procedure.
Labour MP David Taylor wrote to Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis, urging him to take the rappers off the invoice for the festival in June
In the video a member of Kneecap- which is about to play at Glastonbury later this 12 months – stated: ‘We’re nonetheless underneath British occupation in Ireland. We nonetheless have outdated males in London making selections that have an effect on my life in Ireland. And even worse, they’re f***ing Tories’
It got here simply two years after the homicide of Conservative MP Sir David in his Essex constituency and certainly one of his shut associates told the Commons at this time that the band was responsible of ‘incitement to homicide’.
Asked in regards to the apology from the Irish rap trio, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman stated: ‘I feel you may have seen what they have stated, I feel it’s half-hearted.
‘We utterly reject within the strongest potential phrases the feedback that they’ve made, significantly in relation to MPs and intimidation as properly as clearly the scenario within the Middle East.’
Kneecap are due to carry out at Glastonbury on the Saturday alongside acts together with Charli XCX, Neil Young and Raye, and likewise did a set final 12 months.
While Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch has referred to as for Kneecap to be banned after one of many rap group’s members appeared to name for Tory MPs to be killed.
Badenoch stated: ‘I feel they’re apologising as a result of they realise that folks don’t just like the sort of issues that they’ve been saying.
‘They’re apologising as a result of they’re fearful they’re going to lose their slot at Glastonbury.
‘No-one who promotes the killing of politicians ought to have a primary place in Glastonbury.”
Asked whether or not the group needs to be banned from BBC playlists, Badenoch told the PA information company: ‘I simply assume they needs to be banned full cease.
‘It glorifies terrorism, it has referred to as for MPs, politicians, to be killed.’
Mrs Badenoch blocked a £14,250 funding award for the group whereas she was enterprise secretary, solely for the cash to be handed over in November final 12 months after the brand new UK Government conceded withholding the cash had been illegal.
The Tory chief stated: ‘I feel that was extraordinary, and I feel Labour are trying very silly proper now.’
