A slow afternoon in the warm wooden enclave that is Madden’s Bar, Belfast. A handful of middle-aged Guinness drinkers chat quietly, nestled like comfy dogs in the corner. The lights are low. The music is comforting.
Suddenly, the door swings open and three young men enter, well-known to the bartender, regulars at the bar, and those interested in rap or who follow joe.co.uk or Vice videos. It’s Kneecap, the Irish band making waves in Belfast and beyond. Among them are Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 26), looking polished and handsome in a blue sweater and coat; Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin, 30), sporting a toothy grin and a stylish Lacoste tracksuit; and DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh, 34), known for his signature Irish flag balaclava but today dressed casually in all black with no face covering. They quickly make their way to the bar, ordering a Guinness for Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, and a blackcurrant and soda for Próvaí.
Madden’s regulars are familiar with them already. Mo Chara, in particular, has a carefree and charismatic charm that translates both in person and as a performer. Despite rapping in Irish and coming from republican Catholic backgrounds (Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap from West Belfast, Próvaí from Derry), Kneecap’s audience is diverse, ranging from Toddla T – who produced their upcoming album, Fine Art, set for release in June – to seemingly everyone in this pub. Notably, their fans also include young individuals from the unionist community who have been enthusiastically singing along to Kneecap’s tracks, starting with their debut single in 2017, C.E.A.R.T.A. (which means “rights” in Irish).
According to Móglaí Bap, the Irish language is inclusive and meant for everyone. They discuss the perspectives of all members of the community, regardless of social class, and recognize that they share similar backgrounds and desires.
Kneecap has been steadily gaining attention, but this year they are really taking off. Their name is a nod to paramilitary punishment. They have a new album coming out, a tour in the US and Canada, and a main-stage performance at the Reading and Leeds festivals. However, it is their semi-autobiographical film, also titled Kneecap, that is expected to bring them widespread recognition. The film portrays the band in exaggerated, cartoon form, telling a similarly exaggerated version of their story with influences from films like Trainspotting and 8 Mile. It received the audience award at Sundance this year.
The group arrived back at their home before the announcement of the award at Sundance, but they had already left a strong impression. Not only with their film, which the festival described as “a wild and psychedelic journey, accompanied by songs, animation, and narration by Óg Ó hAnnaidh,” but also with their daring stunts. They brought a Northern Ireland police Land Rover with them and took a photo with it in a place called Provo. According to Mo Chara, this led to their photo being featured on the covers of multiple magazines.
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The irony of an Irish-language band driving around in a PSNI car and the use of the term “Provo” (which is both a genuine city in Utah and Irish slang for a member of the Provisional IRA) may not have been fully understood by hipster Americans, but they still found it humorous. Similar to Eminem, Kneecap’s success can be attributed to their clever wit and eloquence in everything they do. In a joe.co.uk interview, they discuss “stupid questions you shouldn’t ask Irish people”. Mo Chara makes a compelling argument about how the British must confront their colonial history openly, much like how the Germans did after World War II. However, he also points out that the British tend to want to hide their past out of guilt, mimicking a crying baby by covering his fists with his eyes.
Kneecap’s mere existence is often viewed as political, not just by unionists in Ireland’s North, but also by the UK government. Most recently, Kemi Badenoch’s Department for Business and Trade intervened to prevent them from receiving an arts grant, which will be discussed further later. Their songs have even been banned by RTE due to their frequent references to drugs and their description of the PSNI as the RUC (the former police force before the peace agreement). They have been removed from their own concert by security for chanting revolutionary slogans, and have a song titled “Get Your Brits Out” about a (hypothetical) wild night out with DUP members Arlene Foster, Jeffrey Donaldson, and Christy Stalford. Another controversial song is “Fenian Cunts” which depicts a scene of Mo Chara having sexual relations with a Protestant and jokingly referring to himself as “King Billy.” They also have a skit about the IRA cracking down on drug users. These post-Good Friday Agreement rebels challenge figures of authority without hesitation, proclaiming, “We don’t discriminate against who we offend.”
In 2019, they promoted their Farewell to the Union tour in England and Scotland by using a cartoon featuring Arlene Foster and Boris Johnson on a rocket above a bonfire. Then, in 2022, before performing at the Féile An Phobail arts festival in West Belfast, they revealed a wall mural portraying a PSNI jeep on fire. Mo Chara comments, “They seem more bothered by a mural of a burning jeep than an actual jeep on fire.” Móglaí Bap adds, “I remember the last time I saw a real jeep on fire was in the Shankill, which is the truth.”
While their controversial statements often make headlines, what truly defines the essence and purpose of the band is their shared proficiency in the Irish language, which is the first language of Móglaí Bap. This may not seem significant to those outside of Belfast, but the official recognition of Irish was a major factor in the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022. The DUP opposed the Identity and Language Act, which aimed to give Irish the same legal status as English. The act was eventually passed in late 2022 and is depicted in the film as part of Kneecap’s journey. The decision to rap in Irish was a deliberate way for Kneecap to showcase that this language is still alive and relevant, able to describe not only traditional aspects such as the smell of turf burning, but also modern-day topics like sex, drugs, and humorous anecdotes about drinking Buckfast.
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In addition to all of this, Kneecap is highly regarded by many of their young fans as a fantastic band: entertaining, energetic, and an excellent live performance. As one person commented on YouTube: “I may not understand their lyrics, but I know that this song is amazing.” Kneecap’s rap music stems from the vibrant culture of working-class Belfast. They proudly refer to themselves as “low-class troublemakers”.
We ascend to another charming room lined with wood to converse, starting with discussing their movie. The band collaborated with director Rich Peppiatt, who persistently reached out to them for half a year before they finally agreed to meet him. (“We receive a lot of strange emails from people in their grandmother’s basement,” says Móglaí Bap. “We thought he was one of them.”) The goal was always to portray real life in the film, and some aspects were inspired by true events. For instance, there is a scene where Mo Chara is interviewed by the police and only responds in Irish, requiring a translator. This did occur, but to a friend. Other parts are completely accurate. As depicted in the film, Móglaí Bap was baptized at a sacred Catholic rock called Colin Glen Mass Rock, located in a forest south of Belfast. It was the first baptism held there in 200 years, and British army helicopters did indeed fly over the ceremony. Additionally, DJ Próvaí was fired from his job as a high school teacher for being part of the group, specifically for showing his buttocks on stage, which were adorned with the phrase “BRITS OUT.” “There were more nuns at the actual school, though,” he adds.
Each of the three actors who play Kneecap in the film deliver excellent performances. In fact, I was surprised to learn that Próvaí was not portrayed by a professional actor. The trio underwent six weeks of drama lessons, including exercises where they would stare into each other’s eyes. Despite finding it strange at first, they ended up enjoying it. On the first day of filming, which included a scene of Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap digging a hole in Próvaí’s backyard, the set was bustling with people. It later became clear that everyone was anxious about their acting abilities.
However, they are capable of standing out among talented actors like Simone Kirby and Michael Fassbender. Fassbender portrays the character of Arló, Móglaí Bap’s father who is a member of the IRA. He is believed to have been killed by the police but is actually in hiding. Fassbender’s fans may notice some references to his role in Steve McQueen’s powerful film “Hunger”, where he played Bobby Sands, a republican hunger striker. Móglaí Bap shares that Fassbender enjoyed playing Arló because it was similar to imagining Bobby Sands’ life if he had survived.
Former leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, makes an appearance in a scene where the band is experiencing a hallucination fueled by ketamine. I had initially believed that Adams’s presence was created through CGI or animation, as both are used in the film, but it turns out he was actually there. The band had asked him to participate, expecting him to decline, but he agreed, although he did ask for the line “fucking” to be changed to “flipping,” according to Mo Chara. They had anticipated him having an issue with the drug use, but it was his use of profanity that was the concern.
The movie is scheduled for release this summer. Before that, Fine Art will be unveiled. Produced by Toddla T, and created in a frenzy over three weeks during the summer of 2023 (despite having several songs ready beforehand, they ultimately scrapped them and wrote new ones on the spot), Fine Art revolves around the concept of a night at a pub like this one. Interspersed between songs are spoken parts where we hear people stepping out for a smoke or to use the restroom, or indulging in a line of cocaine. The music is incredibly diverse, ranging from a beautiful opening track featuring Radie Peat from Lankum and based on a 1960s jazz sample; to the bass-driven groove of “Better Way to Live,” the single featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC on the chorus; to a sample from 808 State’s classic “Cübik” on “Ibh Fiacha Linne.” The final track, “Way Too Much,” is a euphoric piano house song that you’d want to hear after a night of adventure, while watching the sunrise. “Ibh Fiacha Linne” (loosely translated as “In Debt To Us”) made me burst out laughing. The concept is about gangsters demanding money, which is accurate, but apparently it’s also about the band getting ripped off by promoters and jokingly threatening to visit their mothers for payment of a measly ten pounds.
The band had two main goals. First, they aimed to demonstrate that Irish music could be incorporated into various genres. Additionally, they were influenced by the 1990s film “Dancing on Narrow Ground,” which depicted the rave culture in Belfast and highlighted the struggles of young people from different political backgrounds who gathered to dance in a field but were unable to socialize afterwards due to a lack of neutral space.
Mo Chara describes the documentary as a popular cult classic, reflecting the shift in attitudes among young people in the 1990s from the rave and ecstasy culture. They quote a line from the documentary’s narration, stating that raves had the power to bring together individuals from both the Protestant and Catholic communities.
The BBC radio host Stephen Nolan, who is well known in Ireland’s North, was interviewed and shared his negative opinions of the band Kneecap. Interestingly, while the interview was taking place, Nolan’s team reached out to Kneecap’s manager to invite them onto his show. However, the invitation was declined as the band’s manager stated they do not communicate with the Nolan show. This is due to the fact that Kneecap recently had a grant revoked by the UK government. The band had been awarded £30,000 from the Music Export Growth Scheme (Megs), which supports British music exports abroad. The decision to revoke the grant was made privately by the UK government, despite it being approved by an independent selection board. When questioned about the reason for revoking the grant, a spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch stated that while they support freedom of speech, they do not want to allocate UK taxpayers’ money to those who are against the United Kingdom itself. This raises concerns about Kemi’s definition of culture for the country. (Since the interview, Kneecap has taken legal action against the government for going against the Windsor framework.)
According to Próvaí, in a diverse society, it is acceptable to not support all funded aspects and it is also acceptable to not be offended by them.
According to Móglaí Bap, those who are outraged intentionally refuse to understand our true beliefs. Although they have the ability to do so, they would rather be outraged. There is a segment of society that supports the [unionist] 12th July bonfires, which are funded by the council, and that is completely acceptable. I am envious and would love to have a similar street celebration like theirs, comparable to our St. Patrick’s Day festivities. However, their celebration spans two days and I wish I could attend, indulge in lots of cocaine, and play a large drum. They have access to the finest cocaine in Belfast!
Drugs play a significant role in Kneecap’s world, as evidenced by their use of Irish words for them. These words, such as “snaois” for cocaine and “capaillín” for ketamine, were created because the Irish language did not have existing terms. The title of their 2018 album, 3CAG, is tattooed on Móglaí Bap’s chest and stands for “3 consonants and a vowel”, which is the Irish phrase for MDMA. Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap began using this language while hanging out during their teenage years. They also shared a squat for a period of time and organized events together. These events often involved going out until 2am and then returning to the squat to play Irish music and dance until 6am, fueled by a combination of MDMA and Guinness. Rave culture, rebel songs, and traditional Irish music are all integral parts of Kneecap’s identity.
Móglaí Bap explains that the creation of Kneecap stemmed from the desire to express their identity. They were among the initial group of young individuals in Belfast who bonded over speaking Irish, engaging in youth culture, and using recreational drugs. All of these elements combined to form the foundation of Kneecap.
They utilized their own language to communicate their desires. Móglaí Bap organized an Irish cultural festival where he first encountered Mo Chara and Próvaí, who was invited to speak. Móglaí Bap also wrote a play in Irish about a man struggling with a gambling addiction, which he himself experienced in the past. According to Móglaí Bap, the play is centered around language and culture rather than just economic concerns, and highlights the importance of a united Ireland for these aspects.
According to Mo Chara, Irish is not exclusively a language of Catholics or republicans. They believe that Protestants and unionists should also have the chance to learn it.
Currently, we are located downstairs at the pub and it is becoming crowded for the evening session. A few acquaintances of the band have arrived, including Sinead who is dating Mo Chara. She is also the organizer of Irish classes at the festival organized by Móglaí Bap. A man with a surfer appearance enters and engages in conversation in Irish before leaving again. The band shares with me about their experiences with Irish-language schools, which were prohibited until the 1990s. They explain how parents had to fund the teachers by going door-to-door and that many of DJ Próvaí’s former students are now Irish teachers. As time passes, we have lively discussions over Guinness, playful teasing, and some yelling, until I have to depart.
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Fine Art is out 14 June on Heavenly Recordings. The band play Reading/Leeds festival in August and the UK leg of their 2024 tour is 15–21 November. The film Kneecap will be released this summer
Source: theguardian.com
