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'Shutting Kneecap down is an overreaction'

Rebekah Wilson
BBC News NI
Getty Images Three young men are standing close to each other posing for a photo. They are standing in front of a pink backdrop. One is crouched down and smiling. The man in the middle is wearing a Irish tricolour balaclava.Getty Images

The frontman of Dexys Midnight Runners has said people trying to "shut down" Kneecap is an "overreaction".

Kevin Rowland, whose band's hits included the 1982 number one hit Come On Eileen, said the controversy over the last week shows that freedom of expression is "under threat".

Footage of a member of the rap trio Kneecap calling for MPs to be killed is being assessed by counter-terrorism police, and they have faced a slew of concert cancellations, with growing calls for Glastonbury to cancel their appearance there next month.

Rowland is one of the 40 artists that signed an open letter supporting Kneecap and freedom of expression through both bands' label Heavenly Recordings.

Kevin Rowland has a black goatee and short dark hair, he is wearing a black beret hat. He is also wearing a black and white striped and blue denim jacket with a burgundy scarf with white dots.
Kevin Rowland said freedom of expression is 'under threat'

He said: "This is about freedom of speech and artists' freedom of expression."

The independent record label said in the caption: "These artists support the right to freedom of expression. This is an ever-expanding list. If you are an artist who wishes to be added please DM us."

Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, Rowland said he is not a "representative of Kneecap" and is not defending what they have said but added: "If you only allow free speech for people to say what you want, it's not free speech, is it?"

A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap band to be uninvited from some UK gigs.

On Thursday a Cabinet minister said the rap group should not be allowed to perform at Glastonbury festival, where they are listed for the Saturday.

Commons Leader Lucy Powell said that although the final decision would be for the festival organisers, she believed "no-one in this House" would want to see the group at Glastonbury, adding: "We'll all continue to say so loud and clear."

Asked about whether Glastonbury should uninvite Kneecap over the band's statements, Rowland said; "I hope they don't take them off, I think it would look pretty poor if they did.

"We've had rappers playing at Glastonbury saying all kinds of things. Loads of rap music talks about killing, why aren't they banned?"

Artists show support

Other artists who have signed the joint statement on Instagram in support of Kneecap include Fontaines DC, Annie Mac, Bicep, Massive Attack, Pulp, Paul Weller and Christy Moore.

The independent record label said in the caption: "These artists support the right to freedom of expression. This is an everexpanding list. If you are an artist who wishes to be added please DM us."

Artists that have signed the label's statement have also posted their own statements for the west Belfast trio.

Massive Attack, posted on Instagram that "Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story".

In a post on Instagram, Irish singer and songwriter Damien Dempsey described the band as "three young peaceful warrior poets".

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona also showed support for Kneecap as he re-posted the message of support from the band's label on his Instagram story on Thursday.

Kneecap shared a screenshot of Cantona's re-post on X .

Reuters Colum Eastwood has short dark hair with white sides, and a dark beard with two white patches at the front. He is wearing a grey suit jacket, a white shirt and a dark blue with white polka dots tie. Reuters

MP Colum Eastwood, whose constituency covers the area Kneecap member DJ Provaí is from, said artists "should be entitled to express their opinion" and there was a "mass hysteria from some elements of politics and the media around this".

"It just seems to me that when that opinion is opposing what is happening in Gaza the response is much more vigorous," he said.

To pull the rap trio from the Glastonbury line-up, the Foyle MP said, would "be a very strange thing to do".

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme Eastwood added that Kneecap's comments had been "deeply stupid and wrong".

Eastwood said: "You can't say MPs should be killed and people shouldn't be expressing support for Hezbollah and Hamas, that is absolutely clear.

"It is totally abhorrent and totally wrong."

"The idea that this is the major issue unfolding in the world really is quite difficult for people to see when children are being bombed in their houses and their schools and in their hospitals in Gaza. That, I think infuriates people."

Who are Kneecap?

Reuters Three men are standing smiling for a photo. Left, is wearing a black coat and holding a glass. He is smiling at the camera and has short brown hair. The one in the middle is wearing a grey tartan suit and a red tie. He is also wearing a balaclava which is green white and orange striped. On the right, a man has his arms around the one in the middle. He is wearing a dark coloured jacket and has short black hair. Reuters
The group go by the stage names of Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí and Móglaí Bap

Kneecap are an Irish-speaking rap trio who have courted controversy with their provocative lyrics and merchandise.

The group was formed in 2017 by three friends who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender.

The film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February 2025.