KNEECAP LIVE: Prospect building 18th November 2025.
Bristol, the city of protest and rebellion, marched their way through industrial estates, across rivers in their masses, excitement and a deep sense of togetherness buzzing in the air. Kneecap, the name across all of our headlines in recent months, after subjection to abuse from parliament and the world were back, and bigger than ever to perform to a sold out crowd of 3,000. This was a gig I knew I couldn’t miss, the three piece celebrating the dismissal of Liam ÓG o hAnnaidh’s long drawn out court case - I knew that the energy would be electric, the people of Bristol welcoming the Irish group with open arms.
The venue was filled with balaclavas, Irish flags, and Celtic football jerseys. It was packed from the get go - I struggled to walk through to the pit even forty five minutes before the group even came on. With a flash of red light and intense strobe, Kneecap belted out “3CAG", “ITS BEEN AGES”, “Amach Anocht”, and fan favourite “Fenian C**ts”, fluent Irish ringing out around the English city, the boys’ desire for the Irish language to be more broadly spoken was certainly proven, with fans of all ages spitting bar for bar as the trio sauntered around the stage.
Mosh pits were formed from the get go, with the trio ensuring that the fans enjoyment and safety was maintained throughout the whole show, with warnings that being too rough and putting people at risk would get the perpetrators thrown out. Despite the initial warning, the two frontmen also egged on the crowd during standout track “Better way to live” with a wizard of Oz-esque head of Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten singing back at the moshing crowd. The visuals throughout the entire gig were incredible, the group walked the line between self deprecative humour, and an innate desire to spread messages of humanity and peace.
After having listened to their tracks via streaming platforms, nothing prepared me for the perfection which was “Your sniffer dogs are sh*t” and chart topper “H.O.O.D” live, myself and the thousands of others screaming along to the lyrics like our lives depended on it.
I am incredibly happy that a group like this has come along, the last few years of global genocide has well and truly censored the arts, yet these 30-something musicians have made it their calling to spread the word of the atrocities still going on as I write this. Around halfway through, Móglaí Bap came out with a “free the Filton 24 t-shirt” the shirt dedicated to the fundraisers happening around Bristol to save the group of protesters who took direct action in disabling arms weapons used to commit the atrocious genocide in Palestine. A music group who supports and uplifts the heinous activity committed by the Israeli and English government are certainly a group who the entire world should support, when others are too scared or too censored to do anything.
Much to my amusement, very close to the end of the night, Dj Provai did his iconic launch into the crowd, moshing with the punters whilst the other two members of the group laughed at his antics from the stage. Never before have I seen such a wild yet completely safe mosh with a member of a music group, the fans incredibly respectful as one of their newest icons of the scene danced and pushed along with the rest of the crowd.
This was a gig for the ages, one that the city of Bristol will be talking about from years to come, the trio’s extended discography full of influences of hiphop, breakbeat, EDM, Drum and Bass and hard house creating an atmosphere like no other, generations of fans smiling and dancing along to a group that I have no doubt will not stop packing the punches, and will continue to fight for what is right, whilst releasing chart toppers for years to come. There’s no telling what these lads will do next for the music scene, and the world around them..
