Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have split with their booking agent IAG (Independent Artist Group) following the controversy caused by their recent Coachella performances.
The news was confirmed by an IAG representative to The Hollywood Reporter. The report states that the Belfast group and IAG, which includes Metallica, Billy Joel and 50 Cent on its roster, split between Coachella’s first and second weekends. A spokesperson for Kneecap told Billboard U.K. that they would not be commenting on the split.
During the first weekend, the group claimed that the YouTube stream of their live performance had been cut following anti-Margaret Thatcher and pro-Palestine chants by the group and crowd. Thatcher was the U.K. prime minister between 1979 and 1990, and played a pivotal role during the violent Troubles in Northern Ireland during that span; she died in 2013, aged 87. The group have long expressed support for a united Ireland, and frequently spoken out on the war on Gaza at their shows and in interviews.
During the band’s second set at Coachella, a projected message stated: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.” The set was not livestreamed on YouTube, but images from the onstage projections were widely shared on social media.
Since the band’s set, they have faced a wave of criticism from industry figures. Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of husband Ozzy, called for their U.S. work visas to be revoked, saying that “At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.” She also criticised Goldenvoice, Coachella’s organiser alongside AEG, for allowing the band to be booked. A previous report in The Hollywood Reporter said that Goldenvoice was “blindsided” by the messaging.
On Wednesday, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed they were assessing a video taken of a band member appearing to say “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a headline performance in the capital in November. The two militant groups have been ascribed “terrorist group” status by the U.K. Government and expressing support for either is forbidden under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Following the fallout, the group have shared a number of messages on social media from Palestinians thanking them for speaking out. Kneecap member Mo Chara responded to the criticism on Wednesday, telling Rolling Stone that their message is “about [the Israeli government’s] government’s sickening actions, not ordinary people.”
Kneecap released their second studio album Fine Art in June 2024 on Heavenly Recordings. Their 2024 music biopic Kneecap, starring Michael Fassbender, was nominated for two Academy Awards, and in February director Rich Peppiat won a prize for his work on the film at the BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards). The group will play a number of shows in Europe this summer including at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain and Glastonbury Festival in England. They will return to North American for a headline tour in October.
