Festival organisers who cancelled Bob Vylan wanted to book Kneecap instead
The British punk rap duo who caused controversy at Glastonbury after chanting 'death to the IDF', referring to the Israel Defence Forces, were set to headline Radar Festival at Manchester's Victoria Warehouse on Saturday (July 5). However, earlier this week, the festival organisers announced on social media that the band would no longer be appearing at the three-day festival near Old Trafford.
It comes amid anger over the BBC's decision to allow a livestream of Bob Vylan's set to continue. The band have also had their visas revoked for scheduled performances in the United States while police are investigating whether any crime was committed on stage.
READ MORE: 'We should've stayed in Cheshire - putting us into Greater Manchester was the biggest mistake ever'
READ MORE: One of two boys found dead on railway tracks named
Speaking on a podcast recorded just hours after the announcement, one of the organisers of Radar Festival said that the decision to cancel the headliner was taken out of their hands and that, at one point, they considered booking Belfast band Kneecap instead.
Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here
The Irish-language rap trio have also caused controversy in recent months with one their members, Liam Ó hAnnaidh who performs under the name Mo Chara, having been charged with a terror offence after allegedly displaying the flag of proscribed group Hezbollah.
Appearing on an episode 2 Promoters, 1 Pod, Radar Festival co-founder Catherine Jackson-Smith revealed how the week unfolded.
She told the podcast that she 'locked down' all social media last weekend following Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury festival.
However, her team still got abuse over email, as well as a threatening phone call she personally received from an unknown number.
The festival organiser said that she did not want to pull the headliner, but by the start of the week, it became clear she had no choice.
She said: "We spoke to Bob Vylan themselves and their team left at that point and went through everything and that was categorically one of the most horrendous professional conversations that I've ever had."
Ms Jackson-Smith added that, despite the venue being 'supportive' to the independent festival, she claims it was 'put very blunty' to her team that if Bob Vylan's performance went ahead as scheduled, the venue would not be allowed to open its doors on the Saturday (July 5). She said she genuinely didn't know 'who above' made the decision.
She said: "What would you do? We've got 41 other bands that are travelling here. They've all paid for flights and Underoath are travelling from America for this gig. I didn't want to phone up Underoath and say, 'hey guys, never mind.'
"Financially, that puts us in an incredibly precarious situation because, as I stress, because it's [fellow co-founder] Joe [James] and myself. That's a lot of liability at our feet. People have travelled thousands of miles. How can we turn around and say, 'right, well…'?"
On Friday (July 4), it was revealed that Irish metal band The Scratch had pulled out of the festival 'in solidarity' with Bob Vylan.
They were not the only band to pull out of the three-day event, but the progressive rock and metal festival still went ahead.
Ms Jackson-Smith said that that the team had already started drawing up a list of alternative headliners they would try to book.
As part of this process, they consulted a list of bands that openly came out against what was described as 'censorship' of Kneecap.
However, she revealed that Mr James, who she founded the festival with, wanted to book Kneecap as the headliner instead.
She said: "Joe's first response was, 'what if we did Kneecap as a secret set?' It makes a statement without having to make a statement and that is what we wanted to do."
On Tuesday (July 2) a Trafford council spokesperson said: 'Over the last few days, Council officers have been involved in extensive discussions behind the scenes with police and the venue about concerns surrounding the forthcoming performance of Bob Vylan at Victoria Warehouse. We have now been advised that the promoter has cancelled the act and we believe this is the right decision.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Public inquiry begins into ‘horrific' Southport murders
The public inquiry into the murders of three young girls in Southport last summer will begin later on Tuesday. Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford, a former vice-president of the Court of Appeal, will begin proceedings with an opening statement at Liverpool Town Hall. And on Wednesday, the inquiry will hear evidence from four families whose children were injured in the attack. A key question for the inquiry is whether the attack could or should have been prevented, given what was known about the killer. Axel Rudakubana was given a life sentence in January, with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest minimum terms on record – for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year. The 18-year-old also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. Sir Adrian said: 'Today, just less than a year since one of the most horrific crimes in our country's history took place in Southport, we open the independent inquiry into the events surrounding the attack and events leading up to it. 'Tomorrow I will then begin to hear from some of the families whose children were injured on that terrible day. 'We will hold two days of hearings this week and then resume hearings on September 8 at Liverpool Town Hall when I will hear from more of the victims, survivors and their families. 'My focus throughout this inquiry will be a thorough and forensic investigation of all the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it. 'This will include the perpetrator's history and interactions with all the relevant agencies, how they shared information and responded to the risks that he posed. I will then move into a second phase next year where I will consider the wider issues of children and young people being drawn into extreme violence. 'As chair of this inquiry, I am committed to proceeding at pace and with rigour whilst balancing the needs of those who live with the continued trauma of what happened in Southport in July 2024.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the public inquiry in January to help understand what went wrong and prevent any repetition of similar incidents. Three separate referrals were made to the Government's counter-terror programme Prevent about Rudakubana's behaviour in the years before the attack, as well as six separate calls to police. A review into the Prevent referrals published in February found there was sufficient risk posed by Rudakubana to keep his cases within Prevent active but that these were closed prematurely while too much focus was placed on a lack of distinct ideology. The inquiry will draw on evidence from interviews with witnesses and disclosure from 15 organisations, including MI5, Counter-Terrorism Policing, NHS England and Merseyside Police. The widespread rioting and civil unrest following the murders is not being examined by the inquiry. Rachael Wong, director at law firm Bond Turner, representing the three bereaved families, said: 'We know that nothing the inquiry reveals or subsequently recommends will change the unimaginable loss felt by the families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe, but we all now have a responsibility to ensure that something like this never happens again. 'We will be doing all we can to assist the chair through the inquiry and uncover the truth. 'It is only through intense public scrutiny that real change can be effected.' The inquiry begins at 2pm.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Heavy Duty: Royal Mint Unveils Coin Celebrating Iron Maiden's 50th Anniversary
CARDIFF, Wales, July 7, 2025 /CNW/ -- The Royal Mint has today unveiled an eye-catching commemorative coin celebrating 50 years of Iron Maiden. The East London icons are joining the ranks of musical royalty in The Royal Mint's Music Legends series, which has previously celebrated the likes of Queen, Elton John, and David Bowie. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail by contemporary Iron Maiden artist Albert 'Akirant' Quirantes, the design features the band's infamous mascot Eddie in a dynamic pose that will strike a chord with fans worldwide. The design features numerous hidden 'Easter eggs' referencing the band's illustrious career, albums and world tours - giving collectors plenty to hunt for. Iron Maiden, who formed in 1975, worked closely with The Royal Mint throughout the design process, ensuring the coin captures the essence of a band whose influence has spanned five decades and counting. With a global footprint that spans the planet, Iron Maiden are one of the biggest success stories in British music, and with the international nature of coin-collecting this new commemorative piece - the first official collectable product to bear the 50th Anniversary logo is sure to delight and excite collectors and fans alike. Rod Smallwood, Maiden's Manager; "Having Eddie on an official UK coin is a continuation of his incredible odyssey since we unearthed him back in 1980. We've been on stamps, beer bottles, plane tails and now legal tender! The detail Akirant has managed to pack into the design is superb - there are little nods to virtually every chapter of our journey as a band. We're truly honoured that The Royal Mint has chosen to commemorate 50 years of Iron Maiden in such a unique way." Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, commented: "Iron Maiden have been fearless pioneers in music, flying the flag for Britain around the globe for half a century. Their creative vision, powerful performances and dedicated following have earned them a place as one of Britain's most influential bands. This coin is the perfect fusion of metal on metal and we expect it will prove to be a collector's piece that's highly sought after by both numismatists and passionate rock fans alike." Albert 'Akirant' Quirantes, designer of the Iron Maiden coin said, "Designing the Iron Maiden coin has been one of the most thrilling projects of my career. As a lifelong fan of the band, and Derek Riggs' original creations in the '80s, I wanted to capture not just their iconic imagery, but also the rebellious spirit that has defined their music for decades. I've hidden several references within the design that true fans will enjoy discovering, including subtle nods to classic album artwork and their most beloved songs. It's my tribute to a band that has influenced generations of music lovers all over the world, and I hope fans will spend time exploring every detail just as passionately as they've analysed the band's lyrics over the years." Available in several editions, from standard brilliant uncirculated to limited edition precious metal proof versions, prices for the Iron Maiden coin start from £18.50. For more information about the Iron Maiden commemorative coin and to view the full range, visit Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Royal Mint View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lewis Capaldi: Therapy has been key to my musical comeback
Lewis Capaldi believes therapy has played a "massive part" in his musical comeback. The 28-year-old singer recently performed on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, two years after he was forced to end his set early amid his struggles with Tourette syndrome, and Lewis now admits that therapy has transformed his life. In a video chat with BetterHelp, the Someone You Loved hitmaker explained: "Therapy is the reason why I am able to be a musician again. I don't think I'll ever stop going to therapy after the impact it's had on my life over the past two years." Lewis has joined forces with BetterHelp, the online therapy platform, to provide 734,000 hours of free therapy to his fans. Sara Brooks, the chief growth officer of BetterHelp, said: "To have someone as globally recognised as Lewis Capaldi share so authentically how getting help through online therapy has transformed his life is incredibly powerful. We're grateful to have Lewis speak up and use his platform to help break down the stigma of therapy." In 2023, Lewis struggled through his performance at Glastonbury, as he dealt with the symptoms of Tourette syndrome. The award-winning star told the crowd at the time: "I recently took three weeks off just because I've been non-stop the past year and I wanted to take a wee break from my head for my mental health. "I wanted to come back and do Glastonbury because it's obviously so incredible so I just want to thank you all for coming out. I was scared but you've really made me feel at ease so thank you very much for that." Lewis subsequently announced that he planned to take a break from performing live. He explained: "I feel like I'll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks so you probably won't see much of me for the rest of the year maybe even. But when I do come back, when I do see you, I hope you're all still up for watching."