Narc. Magazine Online
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Michael O’Neill discovers why Kneecap are in no mood to slow down after their recent rise to infamy
Image by Michael O’Neill
It feels deeply predictable to kick off a review of a Kneecap gig with an introduction that tries to breezily surmise the whirlwind year the phenomenal Belfast hip-hop outfit have had. As much as I pride myself on avoiding the boring tropes of muso scribe, it’s nigh on impossible, even in the context of a gig write-up, to avoid addressing the very unique circumstances that the trio (consisting of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí) have faced, almost in tandem with their long-overdue rise to infamy.
After entering into a new realm of critical respect and commercial success following the whirlwind acclaim of their marvellously singular, eponymous 2024 film and their second LP Fine Art, the trio have remained firmly in the public eye, albeit in a context that has constantly served to overshadow the brilliance of their work and their mastery of the craft. This wave of notoriety has, in turn, led a lot of people to have strong (often negative) opinions on the trio despite having never really engaged with their art, which remains a tremendous shame to me, as they have rightfully earned their reputation as one of the most exciting and refreshing acts of the 2020s on the strength of their incredible songs and their unapologetically outspoken presence. The trio balance brutal wit and intelligent, nuanced discussion in a manner that thoroughly transcends the rabble-rousing, shit-stirring personae that they’re lumbered with by the desperately critical tabloid press.
On a more positive side, it seems that the press frenzy has done little to undermine their steady ascent to modern rap infamy; their previous Newcastle show (note: not even 12 months ago) was held in a club venue which eventually sold out, whereas this tour of larger venues was announced in the summer and seemed to fully sell out in minutes. Forgive another cliché: the harder they try to push Kneecap down, the stronger they seem to bounce back.
With this rapid ascent in mind, you could forgive Kneecap’s live show for making a slightly rusty transition to much larger venues, but as they launched into the thundering ITS BEEN AGES it became abundantly clear that the trio were simply born to grace, embrace and reach larger audiences.
With a brilliantly chaotic and dynamic array of virtual pyrotechnics and pulverising waves of bass, the Kneecap live experience is a phenomenal testament to their command of the craft; their music brilliantly synthesises elements of grime, trap, house and garage into a wonderfully singular sound that marvellously serves their refreshingly brutal and broad lyricism. Their songs humorously and unflinchingly hold up a mirror to the experiences and politics of modern Belfast, and are breathtakingly unapologetic and uncompromising whilst remaining engaging, enthralling and entertaining.
Just like on record, it makes for a marvellously brutal and cathartic experience, with a setlist that perfectly balanced the essentials from LPs 3Cag and Fine Art alongside a marvellous overview of their astonishing singles. The Kneecap songbook is already fit to burst with bangers galore, and the amount of hooks crammed into 90 minutes was frankly absurd, and a testament to why they’ve had such a rapid ascent.
You can argue all you want that their controversy and shit-talking has been instrumental in Kneecap’s success, but the unarguable fact is that they are masters of the craft who know how to cook up an incredible hook and to fuse singular elements of rap music to serve a clear and refreshing artistic vision, married and this show served as a glorious testament to this.
