Kneecap have crossed a line – but what about the establishment?
The Observer
|May 04, 2025
Northern Irish rap group Kneecap exist to shock. They take their name from a brutal vigilante punishment associated with Republican para-militaries, in which the "offender" is shot through the knee.
Band member DJ Próvaí (pronounced "provo") wears a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag. Their lyrics celebrate hard drugs and overthrowing the British state. If outrage generated is their metric of success, this has been a spectacular week for Kneecap.
A 2023 concert video surfaced that appeared to show the band saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” That is now being assessed by counter-terrorism police, along with a second clip from last year in which a member appears to say: “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” This followed the band's appearance at Coachella festival in California on 18 April, when Kneecap projected pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans, and led the crowd in abusive chants.
This story is from the May 04, 2025 edition of The Observer.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Observer
The Observer
Marty Supreme effect looks set to bounce table tennis into fashion
Players and fans hope the hit film, and the arrival of the world championships in London, will take the sport to another level
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Royal Mail’s efforts to repackage its logistics problem have arrived too late Martha Gill
Universal mail once connected the country ata flat, affordable price now, as letters fade and parcels boom, rivals take the profits
4 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Dear Keir*
Hullo Britain, and Happy New Keir!
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Wanted: more guns for Ukraine, better sanctions against Putin
The only route to peace is to raise the cost of war for Russia. If the US cannot do it, then it’s time for plan B: Europe has to step up
4 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
What has happened is what most of us here want
The whole world was sleeping when the explosions began.
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Hercules beetle
I was beginning to think I was past it, but the rains over the Amazon have made me young again, at least for a while.
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Weight loss drugs create lakes of waste so toxic it could be banned
Weight-loss drugs have transformed healthcare, and the recent approval of the first pill version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy drug marks the start of a new era in obesity treatment.
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
New £635m pool to help female-led firms overcome barriers to capital
Despite offering higher returns on investment, women entrepreneurs struggle to find backing. A new fund aims to fix that, writes Marine Saint
2 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
Migrants enrich our culture from the football pitch to the concert hall
The Observer's Christmas appeal is raising money for Counterpoints Arts.
3 mins
January 04, 2026
The Observer
FTSE 100's new record 'sign of things to come'
The UK's flagship share index celebrated the start of the new year by nudging above 10,000 points for the first time last week, sealing a yearlong rally which saw it rise more than 20% in 2025.
1 mins
January 04, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size