Latest news with #LiamOgO hAnnaidh
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Kneecap chants ‘f*** Keir Starmer' in another foul rant just days after sparking police probe at Glastonbury
RAPPERS Kneecap called out Keir Starmer for saying the group should be banned from Glastonbury Festival. The hip-hop group, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, spoke at London's Finsbury Park today - a week after performing at Glastonbury Festival. 6 6 6 6 It came after the PM told The Sun on Sunday last month that the Irish trio should be banned from the music festival after a band member was charged with a terror offence. Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh told the crowd yesterday: 'Keir Starmer gave an interview with The Sun saying we shouldn't be playing Glastonbury - so f**k Keir Starmer.' 'F**k Keir Starmer - you're just a s**t Jeremy Corbyn.' Bandmate Naoise O Caireallain added: 'We appreciate all of this f*****g mad energy that we are getting in Finsbury Park. 'Look, they tried to stop us playing Glastonbury, and they f*****g couldn't. 'They tried to stop us playing in Cornwall, and they f*****g couldn't stop that either." Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun last month that it was 'not appropriate' for the Irish group to cash in at the festival. Og O hAnnaidh, 27, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, appeared in court last month, accused of displaying a flag in support of banned terror group Hezbollah at a gig. He was bailed until later in the summer — leaving him free to play at Glastonbury. Asked by The Sun on Sunday if he thought Kneecap should play at Glastonbury, the PM said: 'No I don't. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls for Glastonbury to axe Kneecap from the line-up 'I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won't say too much, because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' During Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury, the group took to the stage and led a "free Palestine" chant before leading five chants against the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Bobby Vylan - frontman of English punk-rap duo Bob Vylan - chanted "death, death to the IDF" and other alleged anti-Semitic slurs on the West Holts stage last Saturday. The BBC were slammed for broadcasting performance on live TV, including by PM Keir Starmer himself. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed on Monday that cops are investigating Kneecap and Bob Vylan after video and audio footage was examined. Posting on X, the force said: "Video footage and audio from Bob Vylan and Kneecap's performances at Glastonbury Festival has been reviewed. "Following the completion of that assessment process we have decided further enquiries are required and a criminal investigation is now being undertaken. "A senior detective has been appointed to lead this investigation. "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage." The force confirmed that it had received a "large amount" of contact from across the world about the controversial performances. The Sun has contacted Avon and Somerset Police. 6 6
Sky News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Kneecap rapper Mo Chara says he's a 'free man' as band draw huge Glastonbury crowd
Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh told Glastonbury he is a "free man" as the Irish rap band played to a huge crowd - the biggest of their career, they said. The trio were defiant on stage after calls from some politicians for them to be cut from the line-up. They were greeted by cheers of support, and dozens of Palestinian flags waving in the crowd, as well as Irish flags and a few "Free Mo Chara" T-shirts. On stage, the band told fans their legal case had been stressful, but emphasised it was nothing compared with what Palestinians are going through. Kneecap played the West Holts stage, which has a capacity of about 30,000, and the area was closed by security about 45 minutes before their set. They started with a montage of news readers covering O hAnnaidh's charge. "Has anybody been watching the news?" bandmate Naoise O Caireallain joked. They also thanked Glastonbury organisers Michael Eavis and daughter Emily for not bowing to pressure to remove them from the bill. Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. It is understood the performance will need to be reviewed beforehand. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, also known as Liam O'Hanna - or by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence in May and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this month. Outside the court, he and bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh were cheered by hundreds of supporters. O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed group Hezbollah at a gig in London last November, after video footage circulated online. He was released on bail ahead of a second court appearance in August. One of the band's lawyers said they would always "defend not only their rights, but the rights of artists and people all around the world". On social media, O hAnnaidh and the band denied support for Hezbollah after the charge was announced, but the trio are unwavering in their support for Palestinians and speaking out against the war in Gaza. But as the band were removed from other festivals, there were calls from some for them to be taken off the bill at Glastonbury, too - with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer saying he thought they should be axed. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also said the BBC "should not be showing" the trio's set in a post on social media last week. Kneecap have the support of dozens of musicians including Massive Attack, Pulp, Primal Scream and Paul Weller, who signed an open letter in May saying there had been a "concerted attempt to censor and ultimately de-platform" the group. Kneecap released their first single in 2017 and built a loyal fanbase in the following years. They rose to wider prominence in 2024 following the release of their debut album and award-winning eponymous film - a fictionalised retelling of how the band came together and their fight to save the Irish language.
BreakingNews.ie
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Mo Chara says ‘I'm a free man' as Kneecap take to Glastonbury stage
Kneecap member Mo Chara said 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as the Irish rap trio took to the West Holts Stage at the festival on Saturday. The group, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. Advertisement News broadcasts criticising the hip hop trio played from the sound system before they walked onto the stage were booed by the Glastonbury Festival audience. Kneecap member DJ Provai signals to the crowd on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Access to the area around the West Holts Stage was closed around 45 minutes before their performance after groups of fans arrived to form a sea of Irish and Palestinian flags. In the run up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several British politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. Earlier on Saturday, the BBC confirmed they would not be live-streaming the set but said the performance is likely to be made available on-demand later. Advertisement No access to West Holts Please head to another area of the site - thank you — Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 28, 2025 A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' The crowd ahead of Kneecap performing on the West Holts Stage (Yui Mok/PA) It is understood the BBC needs to "consider the performance" before making a final decision. Advertisement The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18th, the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. Advertisement He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20th. Ahead of the group's performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for… This is where they should be.' Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Also playing on Saturday afternoon were Leeds rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. Advertisement Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage on Saturday. Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The BBC will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. A festivalgoer fans themself in the heat, near the West Holts stage (Yui Mok/PA) Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC: Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be live streamed but could go on-demand
Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival will not be live-streamed but is likely to be made available on-demand, the BBC has said. A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate' after one of the members was charged with a terror offence. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18 the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thinks the BBC 'should not be showing' the group's set. In an X post from last Saturday, she said: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' Ahead of the performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for … This is where they should be.' An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told PA: 'Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby.' Saturday has seen performances from the likes of rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. Elsewhere, Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage. Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The corporation will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. On Saturday a BBC spokesperson said: 'We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.' The set will be shown on the BBC iPlayer Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2. Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's 'best songwriter'. Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds 'I'm back baby' as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Saturday could see highs of 26C, 'with high levels of humidity', according to the Met Office. Spokesman Grahame Madge said: 'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.' Avon and Somerset Police have said there have been 75 reports of crimes at the festival with 20 arrests made. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
BreakingNews.ie
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
BBC: Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be live streamed but could go on-demand
Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival will not be live-streamed but is likely to be made available on-demand, the BBC has said. A number of British politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate' after one of the members was charged with a terror offence. Advertisement A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. Advertisement The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18th, the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. Advertisement The 1975 headlined on Friday at Glastonbury Festival (Yui Mok/PA) He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20th. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thinks the BBC 'should not be showing' the group's set. In an X post from last Saturday, she said: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. Advertisement 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' The Arcadia Dragonfly takes flight to mark the launch of Build The Peace, a new initiative transforming military machines into unifying art across post-conflict zones, during the Glastonbury Festival (Ben Birchall/PA) Ahead of the group's set, an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told the PA news agency: 'Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby.' Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The corporation will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. Advertisement Neil Young's set will be televised on the BBC (Isabel Infantes/PA) On Saturday a BBC spokesperson said: 'We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.' The set will be shown on the BBC iPlayer Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2. Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. A person in the crowd waves a sign as the Kaiser Chiefs perform on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA) The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's 'best songwriter'. Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds 'I'm back baby' as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. Harry Styles was among the stars attending the festival (PA) Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Friday saw hot dry weather which hardened the Worthy Farm surface after rain in the early hours of the morning, with festival goers expected to see temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday. The Met Office's Grahame Madge said: 'We anticipate highs of 26C on Saturday, with high levels of humidity. By Monday temperatures can be anticipated to be over 30C. 'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.' A woman in the crowd with an ice cream watching Burning Spear perform on the Pyramid Stage (Yui Mok/PA) Quiz Quiz: How much do you know about the Irish acts at... Read More Avon and Somerset Police have said there have been 75 reports of crimes at the festival with 20 arrests made. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
