Irish rap trio Kneecap have released a new song ahead of their headline performance at London's Wide Awake festival, just two days after one of their members was charged with a terror offence in the UK.
The group, made up of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, thanked the "25,000 legends" who will be attending Friday night's performance in a post on Instagram, while revealing the new song, The Recap, would be released at 1pm on Friday.
Kneecap's post read: "Well well London heads. Some day coming up.
"We've a brand new track landing in our WhatsApp channel at 1pm.
"Kemi Badenoch (Conservative Party leader) you might wanna sit down for this one, if you've any seats left.
"Then we're at Wide Awake in Brockwell Park London for a headline show to 25,000 legends tonight."
The Recap opens with a sample of a news report about the British counter-terrorism police investigation into the group and mocks Kemi Badenoch's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss. The song also features DJ Mozey.
Kneecap's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year, the Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
The new track comes after the west Belfast trio held a surprise gig at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street on Thursday, where Ó hAnnaidh could be seen in videos on social media arriving on stage with tape covering his mouth.
He then joked about being careful about what he said before saying he wanted to thank his legal representative.
He said: "I need to thank my lawyer, he's here tonight as well."
British police said they were at the central London venue on Thursday evening to manage visitors to the sold-out event.
The band said on X that the event sold out in 90 seconds, with 2,000 people on the waiting list.
Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged earlier this week by postal requisition and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 18 June, the Metropolitan Police said.
Kneecap said the charge amounted to "political policing" and a "carnival of distraction" from the situation in Gaza.
The group said an "anti-terror law" is being used against them for "displaying a flag thrown on stage".
"To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out.
"Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries," they said in a statement.
The group said they would fight the charge in court.
Source: Press Association
