Kneecap End Their UK Tour with a Bang in Glasgow

By Emma Crossan

Kneecap ended their European and UK tour on Sunday with a sold-out show in Glasgow at the Hydro. The band are known for their unapologetic support for Palestine and a United Ireland. The use of Irish Gaelig in their music has inspired many young people to learn their own native language, helping people to understand the importance of protecting native languages. Therefore, it seems fitting that the night they performed in Glasgow happened to be the same day that Gaelic and Scots were recognised as an official language.  

The show kicked off with Miss Kaninna as the support act. Miss Kaninna is an Aboriginal rapper, who makes music about indigenous rights and police brutality. She was the perfect opener for Kneecap, as her energy helped to hype up the crowd. She also gave an emotional and thought-provoking speech, sharing some upsetting facts about the discrimination Aboriginal people are facing at the hands of the British colonialisation of Australia. This included thousands of people being arrested for their skin colour and the segregation of Aboriginal people.  

I would rate Miss Kaninna a 10/10.  

Then it was time for the main event. Kneecap opened the show with “3CAG”, before going into “Anocht Anocht”, which was an instant crowd pleaser. The energy they brought to the crowd was constant throughout the whole show, with hits such as “Get Your Brits Out” and “Guilty Conscience” bringing an electric energy to the crowd.  

As always, they took a segment out of their show to say a few words about the genocide in Palestine, which quickly led to chants of “Free Palestine” erupting throughout the arena, giving a feeling that this was more than just a rave – it was thousands of people coming together in solidarity with the Palestinians.  

The political theme continued throughout the night, with Kneecap encouraging the crowd to join in chants brutally criticizing the likes of Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family. This also led to an eruption of Celtic songs and chants such as “Glasgow’s green and white.” 

The show ended with Kneecap’s hit song “H.O.O.D” and an encore of “The Recap”, which ended the show in a high energy, rave-like frenzy. This was the perfect end to the show which felt like a night of unity and solidarity rather than just another gig.  

I would rate Kneecap a 10/10.