First Minister 'welcomes' Kneecap show after band asks 'what's his name?'

The First Minister of Scotland has responded to Irish rap trio Kneecap after they hit out at him during a gig in Glasgow after being cut from TRNSMT’s line-up.

The group were axed from the music festival amid an investigation by counter-terror police into rapper Mo Chara.

He is accused of terrorism offences related to a Hezbollah flag he allegedly held up on stage.

The group were then booked for a gig at Glasgow’s O2 Academy on Tuesday night, which sold out in just over a minute.

First Minister John Swinney Scottish Government

At the show Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam O hAnnaidh, asked the crowd: “What’s your first minister’s name?”

He then added: “They stopped us playing TRNSMT but they can’t stop us playing Glasgow.”

First Minister John Swinney previously said the band’s comments were “unacceptable” after a video at a 2023 gig appeared to show one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

He called for them to be axed from TRNSMT in May, and their cancellation came after safety concerns were raised by Police Scotland.

On Wednesday, Swinney said: “The last thing I want to be doing is commenting about music choices and the activities of music bands.

“When comments get made that are beyond the pale, then it shouldn’t be a surprise to people that I get asked about them.

“Of course the comments that were made by Kneecap which I responded to, they apologised for.

“I welcome the fact that the band are performing, they’ve got to make their contribution to the music scene.

“I think the most important issue is the controversy has been around the crisis in the Middle East, the suffering of the people in Gaza.

“I want to make sure there’s a ceasefire in Gaza, there’s humanitarian assistance, and that we have are no way distracted from the humanitarian catastrophe that is going on in Gaza at this moment.”

He added: “My position on the Middle East has been crystal clear for a long time. The suffering of the people in Gaza is unconscionable and the cease fire has got to be put into effect and it must hold.

“Humanitarian assistance that is sitting on the borders of Gaza at this moment needs to be allowed in by the Israeli authorities.

“I had a meeting yesterday with UNICEF, they told me of the unbearable suffering of children in Gaza, and they need the aid that is literally sitting on the borders of Gaza.

“So the biggest issue for us today is not the comments of musicians, the biggest issue is getting aid to the people of Gaza and ending the fighting.”

Police Scotland confirmed three arrests were made at Kneecap’s gig in Glasgow on Tuesday.

One woman was arrested in connection with failing to leave a licensed premises, and a man and a woman were arrested in connection with a breach of the peace.

The Belfast group, who perform in Irish, have been an outspoken critic of the war in Gaza and said the prosecution, following an investigation by the Met Police, is linked to their views on Palestine.

Kneecap are still due to perform scheduled shows at 2000 Trees rock festival on July 10, Wythenshawe Park in Manchester on August 15 and Belfast Vital on August 29 – nine days after O hAnnaidh’s next court appearance.