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Review: KNEECAP, SWX – ‘Explosive energy’
Descending upon SWX at around 8pm, the sweet melody of the different Irish accents and green, orange and white apparel confirmed we were indeed at a KNEECAP show.
The Irish hip hop trio KNEECAP from West Belfast, Northern Ireland, go by the names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.
Rapping in a mixture of English and Irish (Gaeilge), often about Irish republican themes, their upbringing and more often than not they wax lyrically about taking drugs.
is needed now More than ever
The group who have been riding the wave of their smash-hit indie film of the same name, has bagged more than a dozen film nominations including 14 at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), already scooping a win at the 2024 Galway Film Fleadh for the Audience Award and the Irish Language Feature Film Award.
Dublin artist Gemma Dunleavy opened for the trio – photo: Hannah Massoudi
Singer Gemma Dubleavy who is a celebrated Irish artist in her own right, and whose music is also heavily laced with reference to the Troubles and conflict with the Garda (the Irish police) opened for the trio.
Brought up and currently based in Sheriff Street, the area of Dublin’s North Inner City that was subject to negative media stories focused on its crime rate and heroin epidemic in the 1980s and 90s, and which is facing gentrification today.
Her 2021 debut solo EP Up De Flats was a celebration of the Sheriff Street community’s resilience and solidarity in the face of neglect from the local council and hostility from outsiders.
Flitting through a selection of up-beat UK garage, R&B, and pop numbers, occasionally tempered by the traditional instrumentation of singular harpist on the stage.
In moments of reflection during Stop the Lights, she called for justice for the death of Dublin city’s north inner district resident Terence Wheelock who died on 16th September 2005 while in custody of the Store Street Garda Station.
Many questions and concerns were raised following the death of the 20-year-old, for who Gemma said the family had “still not received justice,” believing his death to be the result of “police brutality.”
She recited key numbers relating to his wrongful arrest and unexplained death that left a searingly clear impression of the unjustness in the minds of everyone listening and looking up at the photo of Terence behind her.
Terence Wheelock should have been 38 today but he remains forever 20 at the hands of Store Street Garda station
honour him on his bday by sharing his story. I have faith that 1 day it will get in2 the right hands and get his loving family the justice they deserve.
Story below https://t.co/fzAquEK7yE pic.twitter.com/Dx7sOEkE9N
— gemma dunleavy (@gemmadunleavy1) March 23, 2023
Leaving very few dry eyes in the venue, it was a very real reminder of the innocent lives lost and the families still reeling from their deaths.
It was hard to imagine that the energy and the joy could be found again following the solemn and heavy moment, but Gemma’s masterful control of the audience had them warmed up for the trio with a number of heavy bass bangers and a rogue cover of DJ Sammy’s Heaven which had the seated cellist bopping along.
Before her departure she cheekily announced “this tour has been amazing. I don’t want to go home, and that says a lot as an Irish person in England.”
…. – photo: Hannah Massoudi
3CAG begun, ushering the crowd into an excited hush in anticipation for the start of the KNEECAP experience as smoke swirled around the venue. Shooting up from beneath the stage and behind the decks DJ Próvaí arrived first, before Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara ran on from the wings.
Launching into Better Way To Live the stage was lit with an ominous rouge, while the screen featured clips of fellow Irishman Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C singing the chorus.
Throughout the show, their penultimate in the tour, they coaxed the crowd into getting into the tour’s top three most energetic crowds and they weren’t disappointed.
The energy was explosive, wherever you were stood within the 1,2000 capacity each person felt like a little electron building up charge, pulsing from the front to the back, bouncing off the walls and back into the crowd.
As they spat dow the mic the track Sick in the Head the crowd dispersed forming a pit half the size of the venue. While we began at the front right, we were soon transported across the room and to the back.
But the mosh pit wasn’t forced and aggressive as they sometimes can be, but rather you felt like you were being jostled from side to side, but the soaring temperatures left the crowd breathless regardless.
Pausing to gather their breath and chat with the crowd, they said how they had reached number 2 in the Irish music charts, which the crowd cheered for before Mo Chara told them not to cheer “Its not that impressive, everyone gets a number one except for us. We got beat by Taylor Swift,” the crowd booed.
“Does she not have enough private jets” Móglaí Bap snarkily added, “she can have the rest of the world, let us have Ireland”.
“Swim through the crowd” Mo Chara told Olympic swimmer Daniel Wiffen – photo: Hannah Massoudi
If there wasn’t enough Irish talent in the building, Olympic gold medalist and swimmer Daniel Wiffen also happened to be in the crowd, swinging his medal around like a glittering lasso catching the eyes of KNEECAP boys from on stage who couldn’t believe he had dared bring his medal out to a gig, never mind one as intense theirs.
Donning the groups balaclava merch, the swimmer who won gold in the men’s 800 metre freestyle and bronze in the men’s 1500 metre freestyle was hoisted onto the stage to meet the mutually stunned rappers who heartily embraced him.
Móglaí Bap could be seen having a one to one with the swimmer whilst the rest of the group hyped him up and the crowd chanted his name.
When given the mic, Daniel screamed “Tiocfaidh ár lá” which translates to “Our day will come,” a sentiment that is echoed in H.O.O.D.
The crowd wooped in response.
A selection of cheeky and satirical graphics accompanied many of the tracks – photo: Hannah Massoudi
The last time the group were in Bristol, they played in the far smaller venue, the Exchange on their ‘What’s The Story Moaning Tory’ 2021 Tour. When asked who in the crowd saw that show, a huge majority roared back in confirmation.
Raising awareness of the conflict in Gaza has been continued goal for the the trio – photo: Hannah Massoudi
Emblazoned across the screen was the message ‘Free Palestine,’ a conflict that they have not only been openly and loudly outspoken against but have actively raised funds for those caught up in it.
Móglaí Bap has been running 10k a day for the past 2 weeks of their English and Scottish tour, raising currently over £36,000 for food parcels for families in Gaza. A run he has been calling for fans and supporters to join him on.
Despite the arduous challenge his performances were no less enthralling and as he said during the show the task doesn’t compare to the “suffering in Gaza.”
DJ Próvaí attempted to crowd surf several times before being dropped – photo: Hannah Massoudi
As the show drew to a close, fan favourites sung back every word of the Get our Brits Out song, which strangely resembles the BBC News theme tune. By this point Móglaí Bap had ripped his top off, dripping with sweat and rightfully so the venue is blazingly hot and with the winter chill in the air, it left me clinging to the various layers I had draped on myself in attempt to not lose them.
In contrast Mo Chara had his anorak zipped to the top, while DJ Próvaí had his distinctive balaclava on, unbuttoning his top only tease the audience.
The group closed to H.O.O.D, lifting people’s spirits well and truly out of their bodies by this point and ensuring every drop of energy and fun had been extracted from us, truly a group that gives as much as they get.
The audience was encouraged to get on people’s shoulders during C.E.A.R.T.A – photo: Hannah Massoudi
A common string runs through both Gemma Dunleavy and KNEECAP’s art and that is they will not be quiet on controversial or taboo subjects.
The trio are often tarred with the brush that they are “Anti-Brit”, but their sell-out tours, the diversity of ages, nationality and ethnicity of those attending tell a different story.
The band later announced that night that they would be performing at the world famous Coachella festival.
Main photo: Hannah Massoudi
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