advertisement
Music News

Kneecap Claim Their Pro-Palestine Message Was Cut From Coachella Livestream

"Back next Friday Coachella and it'll be sorted," the Irish hip-hop trio noted.

Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap of Kneecap performs at Tramshed on October 01, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales.

Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap of Kneecap performs at Tramshed on October 01, 2024 in Cardiff, Wales.

Mike Lewis Photography/Redferns

Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have claimed they had their pro-Palestinian messaging cut from the recent livestream of this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The trio – who have become known for their outspoken political views on and off the stage – made their debut appearance at Coachella on Friday (April 11), with their performance gaining a small amount of notoriety thanks to an onstage chant celebrating the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.


Thatcher, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 87, has been a noted target of Kneecap, largely due to her outspoken conservative policies and her involvement in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which aimed to put an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

advertisement

During the trio’s Coachella set, the band could be heard calling out to fans, “If anybody was wondering, Margaret Thatcher’s still dead.” This was then followed by a singalong of “Maggie’s in a box” to the tune of “Give It Up” by KC and The Sunshine Band. However, after this portion’s absence from the livestream was noted by NME, the group noted that this instance wasn’t the only part of their set that was removed from the broadcast.

“Not the only thing that was cut – our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either,” Kneecap wrote on socials. “Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted.”

The following day (April 12), Californian pop-punk veterans Green Day performed a headline set at the festival, with their appearance being noted for frontman Billie Joe Armstrong once again altering lyrics in response to ongoing political issues. While Armstrong changed the “American Idiot” line “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda,” their track “Jesus of Suburbia” also received a similar revision during their late-night slot.

advertisement

In that instance, Armstrong changed the line “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimized” to “Runnin’ away from pain, like the kids from Palestine,” though by all reports this lyrical alteration was not removed from the stream.

Kneecap will return for the second weekend of Coachella in a matter of days, and will perform another run of North American dates in October.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.

advertisement
Blue Rodeo at The Kee To Bala.
Courtesy Photo

Blue Rodeo at The Kee To Bala.

Concerts

Nelly, Cypress Hill, Billy Talent, The Beaches Highlight Muskoka Venue The KEE To Bala's  2025 Lineup

A musically diverse group of major international and Canadian stars will take to the historic stage in Ontario cottage country this summer, including Billy Corgan, Shaggy, The Reklaws, Down With Webster and more.

A historic and popular music venue in the Muskoka cottage country region of Ontario for the past eight decades, The KEE To Bala was taken over by Live Nation in 2023, and the clout of the international concert behemoth has upped the ante.

That's evident in the bookings. Today (May 5), this season's lineup was announced, and it again features major international and Canadian artists as headliners. Heading the international names are R&B superstar Nelly, fast-rising young American country star Dylan Gossett, alt-rockers Billy Corgan and The Machines of God with Collective Soul, reggae hitmaker Shaggy, rock veterans The Wallflowers and hip-hop stars Cypress Hill & Ja Rule.

keep readingShow less
advertisement