A Labour MP has called for Kneecap to be removed from an upcoming Fontaines D.C. show in Manchester, describing their place on the line-up as “completely inappropriate”.
The Bury South member of parliament, Christian Wakeford, got in touch with the leader of Manchester City Council, and voiced his opinion that the Irish hip-hop trio should be pulled from the line-up for Fontaines D.C.’s huge show at Wythenshawe Park.
The gig is scheduled for August 15, and will also see performances from English Teacher and The Murder Capital. The following night will see a headline set from Sam Fender.
Over the weekend, reports emerged that talks were in progress between Manchester City Council and the concert’s promoter about whether the band should be pulled from the line-up, apparently over “safety concerns”.
The “concerns” relate to the band’s vocal support for Palestine, and member Mo Chara being arrested on a terror charge. The charge stemmed from incidents where the band allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag at a show last November and made controversial comments about members of parliament while on stage.
The members have recurrently denied accusations of them supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and added that they would not incite or condone violence against any individuals. The Metropolitan Police confirmed recently that no action will be taken regarding footage of Chara saying “kill your local MP” at a past gig.
Now, Wakeford – who was formerly a member of the Conservative Party before switching to Labour – has put pressure on the Manchester council and organisers of the Wythenshawe Park show. He claims that “the message Kneecap seeks to spread is in direct conflict with those shared values” that the city holds.
“I am writing to ask that Kneecap is dropped from the upcoming concerts at Wythenshawe Park, which is owned by Manchester City Council, next month,” his letter read, via Far Out. As well as outlining the legal issues surrounding the group, Wakeford added that there is “open evidence of the group calling for the murder of MPs, a view completely incompatible with our core British values of democracy, tolerance and respect.”
After highlighting calls from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to have the band removed from the Glastonbury line-up (which failed to persuade festival organisers), Wakeford added: “It is therefore completely inappropriate that Kneecap is allowed a platform in Wythenshawe to amplify such views any further, especially in a region with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country.
“These concerts will lead to incitement of violence and anti-Semitic hatred”, he added.
It is not yet clear whether or not the Irish band will be removed from the event.
While calls from the PM failed to convince Emily Eavis to drop Kneecap from the Glastonbury line-up, pressure from politicians did lead to the band being removed from bills for TRNSMT, Germany’s Hurricane Festival and Southside Festivals, and Cornwall’s Eden Project. The band announced a replacement show in Plymouth for the latter, but this was cancelled too.
The trio did, however, play a huge slot at Finsbury Park opening for Fontaines D.C. this month, and also shared the boisterous video for ‘The Recap’ – their new song which criticises Kemi Badenoch – the current leader of the Conservative Party. The live show in London went down without any issues.
As for Mo Chara’s charges, the rapper appeared in court just days before Glasto, and was given unconditional bail. The band also defended their “satirical” past concerts, arguing that it is not their job to “tell people what’s a joke and what’s not”.
