Hip-hop group Kneecap have been granted permission to challenge the UK government’s block of their £15,000 funding.
The Belfast trio originally accused the government of the last-minute block in February, who apparently overruled an independent selection board to prevent the already-approved funding. They continued to allege the government had stopped the funding from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) due to their provocative 2019 tour poster, which they claimed “pissed off the Tories”.
Now, Kneecap have announced that they have been granted permission to challenge the block, stating they are due to appear in court on November 14. The band will challenge the government’s decision upon the grounds that denying the grant unlawfully discriminates against them based on their nationality and political opinion.
Taking to X/Twitter, the group wrote: “We’ve been granted permission to challenge the Secretary of States decision. That means we have cleared the first legal hurdle and the Judge has ruled that the case is arguable with a reasonable prospect of success. The Secretary of State must now file evidence justifying their position.”
They added: “The Brits are looking worried…..and they’re going to worry more!!!”
Member DJ Próvaí also reportedly told journalists outside the court (via Belfast Telegraph): “Fifteen grand wouldn’t pay for the bar tab in America. This is an attack on artistic culture, an attack on the Good Friday Agreement and an attack on us and our way of expressing ourselves.”
We’ve been granted permission to challenge the Secretary of States decision.
That means we have cleared the first legal hurdle and the Judge has ruled that the case is arguable with a reasonable prospect of success.
The Secretary of State must now file evidence justifying… pic.twitter.com/G4FhJzzgUz
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) June 20, 2024
NME spoke to Kneecap about the funding block earlier this year, where they shared their initial reaction upon hearing about the news.
“I think we actually ended up getting some money out of Culture Ireland for flights,” said Mo Chara. “We’re lucky because we’re touring band playing spaces where we could make a few bob, but the other Irish bands were in more of an up and coming position. It was a lot harder on them because they had to sacrifice a lot more.”
We also chatted to the band for our Cover in June, where they spoke about their decision not to boycott The Great Escape Festival having previously abandoned plans to play SXSW upon the news of their US military funding.
Speaking to NME, Móglaí Bap said: “If your income depends on this life and you’re a touring band, then everything’s connected to one of these companies in some way. Ideally, if we had the money, we’d just boycott everything and sit in the house and tweet all day.”
Chara added that “SXSW was obviously a completely different thing”: “That was the army sponsoring it, do you know what I mean? We’ve met Palestinians as well who have said that they don’t think it’s fair that the burden is on the artist either. They completely agree: you go, you make your money, you say what you can. Would you rather be a martyr with no cause? No one’s gonna give a fuck if you pull out of this festival, lose money and de-platform yourself.”
Kneecap’s album ‘Fine Art’ just dropped last week, with NME hailing it worthy of five stars: “An ode to the abandon and unity that come from chain-smoking with your mates and getting lost in the rave, ‘Parful’ perhaps best captures ‘Fine Art’ and the spirit of Kneecap.
“In the dark of the night out, the moment is all that matters and the rave will set you free. To shout that in a ‘dying’ language on a record that couldn’t sound any more alive? That’s power – and Kneecap have it.”
Their self-titled fictionalised biopic will also drop soon, with the trailer having been shared earlier this month.
Written and directed by Rich Peppiatt and starring Michael Fassbender, the feature-length comedy-drama won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It is due to arrive in Irish cinemas on August 8, before hitting the big screen in the UK on August 28.
Kneecap are also due to embark on a UK and US headline tour, along with several festival appearances such as Glastonbury – check out a full list of dates below and buy US tickets here.
Kneecap’s 2024 UK/US tour is:
JUNE
15 – Bergenfest – NORWAY
29 – Glastonbury Festival (Woodsies / Pilton Palais / Shangri-La) – U.K.
JULY
5 – Rock Werchter – BELGIUM
6 – Down The Rabbit Hole – HOLLAND
9 – Galway Film Fleadh – GALWAY (film screening)
11 – Mad Cool Festival – SPAIN
13 – Bitterzoet – AMSTERDAM
14 – Valkhof Festival – NETHERLANDS
18 – Heineken Big Top – GALWAY
20 – Super Bock Festival – PORTUGAL
AUGUST
15 – Summer Sessions – IRELAND
16 – Electric Picnic – IRELAND
23 – Reading Festival – U.K.
24 – Leeds Festival – U.K.
SEPTEMBER
18 – Brooklyn Bowl – PHILADELPHIA
19 – Knockdown Center – BROOKLYN
21 – Paradise Rock Club – BOSTON
23 – Union Stage – WASHINGTON
25 – A&R Music Bar – COLUMBUS
26 – Louder Than Life Festival – LOUISVILLE
27 – Concord Music Hall – CHICAGO
OCTOBER
29 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN
30 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN
31 – Vicar Street – DUBLIN
NOVEMBER
14 – Foundry – SHEFFIELD
15 – New Century Hall – MANCHESTER
16 – Barrowlands – GLASGOW – SOLD OUT
17 – Barrowlands – GLASGOW
19 – Rock City – NOTTINGHAM
20 – SXW – BRISTOL
21 – The O2 Forum – LONDON
DECEMBER
19 – City Hall – CORK
20 – City Hall – CORK
21 – SSE Arena – BELFAST
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