Latest news with #Coachella
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Kneecap slams they have 'enough s***' to worry about amid flag fallout
Kneecap have opened up on their thoughts about their controversial actions ahead of their upcoming Glastonbury set this weekend Irish rap trio Kneecap have hit out at the reaction to bandmember Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig last year. The musician appeared in court earlier this month, after being charged, with the band's scheduled appearance at Glastonbury put in doubt at the time. There were even calls from the Prime Minister for them to be booted off. However, with the set ready to still go ahead, the band have furiously hit out at the reaction to their actions. Kneecap, which is also made up of Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, will still perform on the West Holts Stage on Saturday, and said they have "enough s*** to worry about" when it comes to the fallout from their actions. In a chat with the Guardian, Ó hAnnaidh was asked if he regretted the moment. However, he insisted it was a joke and he portrays a character. "S*** is thrown on stage all the time," he said. "If I'm supposed to know every f***ing thing that's thrown on stage [including the Hezbollah flag] I'd be in Mensa, Jesus Christ." He went on: "I don't know every proscribed organisation – I've got enough s*** to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat." And he also asked why he should regret his "dead Tory" comments. "It was a joke," he defiantly said. "we're playing characters, it's satirical, it's a f***ing joke." He went on to say the video "wasn't an issue" until the band's "Free Palestine" comment at Coachella. "The point is, and the context is, it all [resurfaced] because of Coachella. That's what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things," he said. In May, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who uses the stage name Mo Chara, was charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London last November. The band have strongly denied the charges brought against the star and released a statement to insist they will "vehemently defend" themselves against what they claimed was "political policing". The court heard the 27-year-old is "well within his rights" to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident is a "wholly different thing". At the hearing, Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said: "Of course, support for the one is not the same as support for the other. "So the issue in this case, and the reason it has come to court, it centres on the apparent support by Mr Óg Ó hAnnaidh of a proscribed terrorist organisation." Óg Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. His release has allowed the band to play their controversial Glastonbury set. However, it's not thought that the set will be broadcast live on the BBC.
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Denise Welch shows glam Glasto accommodation ahead of son Tom's headline show
Loose Women presenter Denise Welch is looking forward to watching her son Matty Healy headline at Glastonbury and gave a sneak peek at her luxury accommodation Denise Welch is every bit the proud mother as she awaits son Matty Healy's Glastonbury headline. Matty and The 1975 are set to headline the Pyramid Stage from 10.15pm tonight and have 'pulled out all the stops' to ensure it is one to remember. And now his Loose Women presenter mum Denise has revealed her accommodation in the build-up to the honour. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Friday, she admitted she "can't quite believe it" as she shared a clip of Matty performing. Alongside a number of party emojis, she labelled the day: "Glastonbury Day." Denise, who shares Matty with ex-husband Tim Healy, then joked Matty's stepdad - Denise's current partner Lincoln Townley - was "preparing". She had earlier admitted she's not a fan of festivals - and had ruled out camping. She instead opted for a more comfortable nights rest off site. As she showed off their secluded setting in the fields, filled with sunshine and shrubbery, Denise then panned onto her man in a hot tub. Lincoln was then seen donning a wicker cowboy hat as he hanged his feet over the sides of the jacuzzi, which was bubbling away. He told her he was "loving Glastonbury" as he relaxed before she showed herself smiling as she waited her son's big night. Following their preparation, Denise then headed to the festival and loved showing off the flags in her honour. While some simply shared her name, others had a huge image of her face as they were waved up high. And she shared a sweet snap of "Glasto chicks" as she re-shared Zoe Ball's upload. The radio host admitted she had been sobbing while watching Lewis Capaldi's surprise set before bumping into Denise. Denise previously admitted she was "stressing out" ahead of her son's appearance. "I've not really been a festival bunny - I don't really do festivals,' confessed Denise, 67, in a chat with The Mirror. "The only one I've been to is Coachella. It was all VIP and very lovely. Hot, sunny and gorgeous and I thought 'Oh, this is okay'. And no one stays there, everyone goes home at the end of the night. I am stressed about Glastonbury.' And she admitted she won't be seeing out the full weekend's entertainment. 'I am not going to stay for the whole three days,' she added. 'I would rather be able to dip in and out. I might dip back in for the Sunday night to see Rod.' Her Friday night fun comes as BRIT award-winning The 1975 - made up of Matty, Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald, and George Daniel - step out onto the iconic Pyramid Stage. Denise admitted Matty, 36, gets his musical talent from dad Tim, 73, who appeared in ITV 's Benidorm.
Rhyl Journal
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Kneecap performances ‘satirical', says rapper ahead of Glastonbury show
The rap trio are due to take to the West Holts stage at 4pm on Saturday, just over a week after one of their members appeared in court and as senior Westminster politicians criticised their participation in the popular music festival. Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court last week after being charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. The band were also criticised following footage of a November 2023 gig allegedly showing a member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think it is 'appropriate' for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, said the videos only resurfaced after Kneecap performed at Coachella in April, where they said 'F*** Israel. Free Palestine'. Mo Chara, along with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap), and JJ O Dochartaigh (DJ Provai), said the ensuing controversies are a distraction from what is happening to Palestinians. They said they are happy to lose income and clout in order to be 'on the right side of history', and said they hoped that 'being vocal and being unafraid' would encourage other bands to speak up on Palestine. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper ahead of Glastonbury, O hAnnaidh defended their performances as 'satirical'. 'It's a joke. I'm a character. Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I'm supposed to know every f****** thing that's thrown on stage I'd be in Mensa,' he said. 'I don't know every proscribed organisation – I've got enough shit to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.' Asked about the 'dead Tory' comments, he said it was 'a joke' and 'we're playing characters'. 'It's satirical, it's a f****** joke. And that's not the point,' he said. 'The point is, that (video) wasn't an issue until we said 'Free Palestine' at Coachella. That stuff happened 18 months ago, and nobody batted an eyelid. 'Everybody agreed it was a f****** joke, even people that may have been in the room that didn't agree – it's a laugh, we're all having a bit of craic. 'The point is, and the context is, it all (resurfaced) because of Coachella. That's what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things.' O hAnnaidh added: 'If you believe that what a satirical band who play characters on stage do is more outrageous than the murdering of innocent Palestinians, then you need to give your head a f****** wobble.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Justin Bieber's Inner Circle is ‘Deeply Concerned About His Behavior,' Says Source
It was supposed to be a happy occasion filled with gifts, homemade cards and a nice meal. Instead, Justin Bieber spent much of his first Father's Day as a dad flooding his Instagram with cryptic rants on his personal account. His initial post featured a close-up selfie with a middle finger graphic and a caption reading, 'I'm a dad that's not to be f**ked with.' He went on to share images of his wife, Hailey, holding their 10-month-old son, Jack, at a piano, then posted a heated text exchange between him and a former friend in which he cut the pal off, writing, 'this friendship is officially over. I will never accept a man calling my anger lashing out.' In between posts featuring a bong and what appeared to be a marijuana joint, he shared an emotional note that read: 'People keep telling me to heal. Don't you think if I could have fixed myself I would have already? I know I'm broken.' As the rants went on and on, fans continued to express concern in the comments section. But no one is more worried about the 31-year-old 'Peaches' singer than those closest to him, including his wife of nearly seven years. 'Everyone in Justin's world is deeply concerned about his behavior,' a source tells Star. 'It's as unpredictable and worrisome as it's ever been.' Indeed, Justin's flurry of unhinged Instagram messages comes on the heels of his June 12 altercation with paparazzi. In footage obtained by Page Six, the former child star engaged in a yelling match with photographers outside of Malibu hotspot Soho House. As Star previously reported, Hailey, 28 — whose recent $1 billion sale of her beauty brand Rhode has been overshadowed by Justin's behavior — wants him to get professional help, stat. 'It seems inevitable he'll need to seek help and do so fast,' says the source. 'The path he's currently on is toxic and totally untenable.' The Canadian singer began spiraling earlier this year. There was speculation he was on drugs following his February appearance at a Rhode event with Hailey, where he was seen swaying and smiling strangely. (His rep denied the reports to TMZ.) In a March Instagram post, he mused about his 'anger issues' and said, 'I hate myself sometimes when I feel myself start to become inauthentic.' The following month, Page Six reported on a video circulating on social media that showed him looking dazed and smoking what appeared to be marijuana while attending the Coachella music festival in Indio, Calif. Also in April, The Hollywood Reporter published a story about his involvement with the non-denominational Christian community Churchome, and TMZ reported his former best friend Ryan Good believes the star is in a cult. (In a since-deleted post shared on Instagram in April via People, Justin announced that he was no longer affiliated with his clothing brand Drew House, which he cofounded with Ryan.) The source says the pressure and isolation that come with fame have worn Justin down. 'He's been performing since he was a kid and used as a vehicle to make money for people in the industry, which has taken a mounting toll on him for years now,' says the source. Justin previously vented about his struggles in a 2019 Instagram post, revealing he suffered from severe depression and that he'd started doing 'pretty heavy drugs' at age 19, writing, 'I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become.' Hailey is overwhelmed. 'She's in the middle of this huge business deal and trying to take care of baby Jack,' says the source. 'All she wants right now is a calm and peaceful life.' It's been anything but since they tied the knot. In 2022, she even told Harper's Bazaar their marriage 'does take a lot of work.' Says the source: 'Hailey's strong, but she's finding it hard to keep making excuses for Justin.' It doesn't help that he's shutting everyone out. As Hailey encourages him to get help, she doesn't want to push him too far. 'The way he's turning on people who stand up to him has Hailey worried he'll do the same to her and walk away from their marriage,' says the source, noting that while Justin has checked in with his pastor and spiritual advisor Judah Smith, any words of wisdom are falling on deaf ears. 'Some of Justin's lifestyle choices — like smoking copious amounts of weed — are making it impossible for him to process advice clearly.' They're not giving up on him yet. 'It's a painful time, but Justin has a lot of people in his world who care about him deeply,' says the source, 'and they will be there no matter what.'
Sunday World
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Kneecap rapper hits back at criticism ahead of Glastonbury gig
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the west Belfast trio's appearance at festival would not be 'appropriate' Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, through a crowd of supporters after he appeared charged with a terrorism offence (Jordan Pettitt/PA) A Kneecap star has hit back at criticism over comments about Palestine – and insisted much of the band's controversial behaviour is often a joke. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused critics of 'scraping the bottom of the barrel' in their opposition to the west Belfast hip-hop trio. He was speaking in an interview with The Guardian ahead of their Glastonbury appearance this weekend. Mr Ó hAnnaidh (27), who appeared in court last week charged with a terrorism offence over displaying a flag, responded when asked if the band regretted controversial comments previously made on stage. The group faced criticism following their appearance at American music festival Coachella where they displayed anti-Israel and pro-Palestine messages. Footage then resurfaced of gigs from November 2024 and November 2023 respectively, which allegedly showed rapper Mo Chara saying 'Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah' with an alleged Hezbollah flag, and a band member allegedly saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory, kill your local MP.' Referring to his alleged appearance on stage with a Hezbollah flag, over which the rapper is facing terrorism charges, Mr Ó hAnnaidh said: 'It's a joke. I'm a character. S*** is thrown on stage all the time. If I'm supposed to know every f***ing thing that's thrown on stage. 'I don't know every proscribed organisation – I've got enough s*** to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.' Ó hAnnaidh then went on to defend his controversial 'dead Tory' comments, for which Kneecap apologised, saying: 'Why should I regret it? It was a joke'. Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, through a crowd of supporters after he appeared charged with a terrorism offence (Jordan Pettitt/PA) 'Kneecap is not the story. Genocide in Gaza is' – Belfast rappers release new video demanding action against Israel He added that Kneecap's opponents 'went and combed through eight years of a career… they're really scraping the bottom of the barrel', saying that they 'took those videos out of context'. The group have claimed that their pro-Palestine stance has made them the victim of widespread scrutiny, with the rapper adding: 'The point is, that video wasn't an issue until we said 'Free Palestine' at Coachella'. At Mr Ó hAnnaidh's appearance in Westminster Magistrates Court last week, thousands of fans joined in chants of 'Free, Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara' as he arrived wearing a traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh around his neck. Mr Ó hAnnaidh said he believes the rap group's pro-Palestine stance is drawing crowds to their music. 'The genocide in Palestine is a big reason we're getting such big crowds at our gigs, because we are willing to put that message out there," he added. He claims that mainstream media has tried to 'suppress that idea about the struggle in Palestine'. He added: 'We knew exactly that this (criticism) was going to happen, maybe not to the extreme [level] that it has, but we knew that the Israeli lobbyists and the American government weren't going to stand by idly while we spoke to thousands of young Americans who agree with us. 'They don't want us coming to the American festivals, because they don't want videos of young Americans chanting 'free Palestine' [even though] that is the actual belief in America. They just want to suppress it.' Kneecap are due to play Glastonbury's West Holts stage at 4pm on Saturday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week that their performance would not be 'appropriate'. But Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis said that 'everyone is welcome' at the festival: 'There have been a lot of really heated topics this year, but we remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here.'
