{"id":140481,"date":"2025-05-29T04:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T04:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/140481\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T04:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T04:25:10","slug":"kneecap-pulled-from-trnsmt-over-safety-concerns-announce-glasgow-replacement-gig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/140481\/","title":{"rendered":"Kneecap pulled from TRNSMT over &#8220;safety concerns&#8221;, announce Glasgow replacement gig"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/kneecap\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kneecap<\/a>\u2018s appearance at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/festivals\/trnsmt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRNSMT<\/a> has been axed over \u201csafety concerns\u201d, leading the band to announce a replacement gig in Glasgow.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"post-content-read-more\">\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1148\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/the-cover\/kneecap-03-06-2024-3761722\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Kneecap on the cover \u2013 giving peace, protest and partying a chance<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To make up for the cancellation, the rap trio will perform at Glasgow\u2019s O2 Academy on July 8.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDue to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap can no longer perform at TRNSMT\u201d \ud83d\ude94,\u201d the band said in a statement shared to their social media accounts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo the thousands of people who bought tickets, flights and hotels to see us play, we are sorry\u2026it is out of our hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGlasgow has always been a huge city for us. We\u2019ve played there many many times, with no issues \u2013 ever. Make of that what you will.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo try to make up for it, we will be at your O2 Academy on Tuesday July 8th.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DKNHFsHMjCa\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Asked for a response, a festival spokesperson told NME: \u201cDue to concerns expressed by the Police about safety at the event, Kneecap will no longer perform at TRNSMT on Friday July 11.\u00a0We thank fans for their understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NME has contacted Police Scotland for a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Kneecap headlined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/festivals\/wide-awake-festival\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wide Awake Festival<\/a> in London last week, shortly after a warm up show at the 100 Club in the same city, without any safety issues.<\/p>\n<p>During the gig, the band <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-speak-out-on-terror-arrest-attempt-to-shut-the-band-down-ahead-of-glastonbury-and-fight-for-gaza-at-wide-awake-headline-set-3864676\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spoke about the controversy<\/a> following their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-respond-to-claims-their-coachella-stream-was-cut-over-anti-thatcher-chant-3854362\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statements in support of Palestine<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/festivals\/coachella\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coachella 2025.<\/a> Following that,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-respond-to-concert-footage-being-assessed-by-counter-terror-police-3858031\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">counter-terror police began to assess footage from a London performance last November<\/a>, which led to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecaps-mo-chara-charged-with-terror-offence-3864097\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mo Chara being <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecaps-mo-chara-charged-with-terror-offence-3864097\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">charged by the Metropolitan Police with a terror offence.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The charge relates to the musician allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig last year. The band have\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-speak-out-on-hamas-hezbollah-violence-against-mps-after-distortion-and-avalanche-of-outrage-and-condemnation-3859084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah<\/a>, and stated that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals. They have also argued that the footage of the moment had been taken out of context.<\/p>\n<p>Kneecap also described the situation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-respond-to-terror-offence-charge-this-is-a-carnival-of-distraction-3864131\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a \u201ccarnival of distraction\u201d<\/a>, and have maintained it was \u201cpolitical policing\u201d and that they were not the story, rather, \u201cGenocide is\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>At Wide Awake, Chara took to the stage alongside M\u00f3gla\u00ed Bap and DJ Pr\u00f3va\u00ed to say the charge was designed to \u201csilence\u201d them ahead of their performance at Glastonbury this summer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went for an interview with the counter-terror police and within days they came to a verdict that they were going to charge me,\u201d he said at the south London event. \u201cNever has it been that quick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the reason it was that quick was because Glastonbury is just around the corner. They\u2019re trying to silence us from speaking onstage at Glastonbury the way we did at Coachella. Fuck them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The musician \u2013 real name Liam \u00d3g \u00d3 hAnnaidh \u2013 is due to appear at Westminster Crown Court on June 18. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-urge-fans-to-gather-at-westminster-with-a-big-bag-of-ket-for-terror-charge-hearing-3865168\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">encouraged fans to gather at Westminster<\/a> with \u201ca big bag of ket\u201d for the hearing.<\/p>\n<p>Kneecap\u2019s appearance at TRNSMT is not the only gig they have had cancelled recently, which they acknowledged onstage at Wide Awake. These include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hurricanefestival\/posts\/1203998514719236\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Germany\u2019s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festivals<\/a>, Cornwall\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/kneecap-respond-to-cancelled-eden-project-gig-by-announcing-replacement-plymouth-show-on-same-date-3859359\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0Eden Project<\/a>, and a replacement show in Plymouth.<\/p>\n<p>They also referenced how MPs have called to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/politicians-call-for-kneecap-to-be-removed-from-glastonbury-and-trnsmt-line-ups-following-counter-terrorism-investigation-3858944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> have them removed from the line-ups of other festivals, including TRNSMT, Glastonbury and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey tried to stop this gig,\u201d Kneecap told fans at Wide Awake. \u201cHonestly, lads, you have no idea how close we were to being pulled off this gig.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the DUP also encouraged the cancellation of Kneecap\u2019s forthcoming gig with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/fontaines-d-c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fontaines D.C.<\/a> in Belfast, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/fontaines-dc-and-kneecaps-huge-belfast-gig-sells-out-in-35-minutes-as-the-dup-call-for-it-to-be-banned-3858947\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">which sold out in 35 minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3861366\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/NMEAR_NME-GLASTO-2024-KNEECAP-LIVE-23-CREDIT-ANDY-FORD@2000x1270.jpg\" alt=\"Kneecap live at Glastonbury 2024, photo by Andy Ford\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"  \/>Kneecap live at Glastonbury 2024. Credit: Andy Ford for NME<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/billy-bragg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Billy Bragg<\/a> has explained why he supports Kneecap, saying that the legal action against them reflects a \u201cdisturbing and broader trend\u201d that looks to restrict artists in rap.<\/p>\n<p>At first, Bragg <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/billy-bragg-shares-support-for-kneecap-but-says-artist-open-letter-lacks-any-sense-of-nuance-or-understanding-of-why-this-whole-furore-kicked-off-3860143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">divided opinions by sharing his thoughts on Kneecap earlier this year<\/a> by not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/billy-bragg-shares-support-for-kneecap-but-says-artist-open-letter-lacks-any-sense-of-nuance-or-understanding-of-why-this-whole-furore-kicked-off-3860143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signing an open letter<\/a> in support of them as the \u201cwording lack[ed] any sense of nuance or understanding of why this whole furore kicked off\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI caught some flak on here a week or two ago after explaining why I didn\u2019t feel able to sign the artist\u2019s letter defending Kneecap\u2019s freedom of expression,\u201d he began. \u201cSome took it to mean that I didn\u2019t support the band\u2019s call for an end to the genocide in Gaza. That\u2019s not the case \u2013 my problem was with the wording of the letter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand that it may have appeared to some that I was arguing semantics while atrocities were being committed, but my genuine concern is that the artists were taking a position that could undermine future efforts to hold the Israeli government to account, which is surely not their intent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Highlighting how he finds the \u201cdemand for free speech absolutism to be counter-productive\u201d, he also noted how shows by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/nick-cave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nick Cave<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/jonny-greenwood-posts-lengthy-statement-about-recently-cancelled-shows-with-israeli-musician-dudu-tassa-3860540\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Radiohead\u2019s Jonny Greenwood<\/a>\u00a0have previously been scrapped due to public pressure, and that the wording of the letter could be seen as contradictory.<\/p>\n<p>Adding why he backs Kneecap amid the arrest, Bragg said: \u201cWhile I believe that being an artist doesn\u2019t absolve you from taking responsibility for your actions, I do not believe that creative expression should be subject to criminal charges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued: \u201cThe charging of Kneecap\u2019s Liam \u00d3g \u00d3 hAnnaidh with a terrorism offence by the Metropolitan Police is the latest development of a disturbing and broader trend over the past few years during which the state has sought to criminalise creative expression.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince 2005, there have been over 100 cases in which prosecutors have put lyrics, music videos and audio recordings in front of juries to help secure criminal convictions\u2026 Specifically, police and prosecutors have used the act of writing, performing, or even engaging with rap music to suggest motive, intention, or propensity for criminal behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He went on to share how there are vague, \u201csweeping definitions of \u2018gang\u2019 activity\u201d that get thrown around when it comes to rap music, and that \u201cmusic, lyrics, and videos are used to drag multiple people into criminal charges\u201d. This, he added, \u201cdisproportionately affects young Black men and boys from under-resourced, marginalised communities\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kneecap\u2018s appearance at TRNSMT has been axed over \u201csafety concerns\u201d, leading the band to announce a replacement gig&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79702,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7826],"tags":[748,918,4884,3982,16902,712,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-140481","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-glasgow","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-glasgow","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-live-music-news","12":"tag-rap","13":"tag-scotland","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}