Kneecap (band)

The group began when Móglaí Bap was out spray-painting with a friend the day before the Irish Language Act march in Belfast. He had written "Cearta" on a bus stop when the police arrived and arrested his friend while Móglaí escaped. The friend refused to speak English, and ended up spending a night in the cells awaiting a translator. This was the inspiration for their song "C.E.A.R.T.A.", which they intended to release "just for the craic. No plans for after," Mo Chara said they wanted to "stick the feelers out and see how it would go down. Luckily people enjoyed it, so we're still at it."[3]

Móglaí Bap has cited his biggest influences as rebel songs due to their satire and humour "that idea of turning something dark into something funny". Mo Chara has described his musical influences as being listening to old school hip hop, particularly N.W.A., with his uncle, and as he grew up his favourite band were the Stone Roses.[4]

On December 3rd 2020 they released their single MAM with DYRT, saying they wanted to write their song about something real, their mothers. Móglaí Bap announced on the trio's Instagram that he'd really been looking forward to his mother hear the song once it was done but unfortunately she had recently committed suicide and that all profits from the single would go towards the Samaritans.[5]

Kneecap have openly voiced support for a United Ireland, believing that it is inevitable and that Ireland is "closer to it than they have been in a long time".

They have also gone viral when Mo Chara said in an interview that the reason English people know so little about Ireland is that when they began colonising countries they "refused to learn their culture and refused to learn their history" he then drew comparisons between England and Germany by saying "After the World War they (Germany) learnt about the fucking World War and they've come to terms with the fact that alright the Nazis were a thing and the best thing we can do is acknowledge it and get over it whereas the Brits just want to forget their past because they feel too guilty."[6]

In late 2017[7] their song "C.E.A.R.T.A." was banned from the Irish language radio RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (RnaG) for "drug references and cursing". Fans started a petition which garnered 700 signatures to put the song back on air. Kneecap defended the song as "a caricature of life in west Belfast" and "a satirical take on life for young people, particularly in west Belfast".[8]

In February of 2019 they received condemnation from the DUP politician and south Belfast MLA Christopher Stalford, for their chants of 'Brits out' at Belfast's Empire music hall a day after Prince William and Kate Middleton spoke there.[7] They claimed that it was about Brexit.[9] and released an official statement to his comments with a slow motion video of Mo Chara raising his middle finger to a remix of Come Out Ye Black and Tans.[10]