The last time Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap played in Nottingham, it was to “about 30 people” at The Bodega a couple of years back. Since then, word has got out about the Irish-language rappers, with a successful debut album and a highly acclaimed music biopic making them one of the most talked about breakthrough acts of 2024. Now catapulted to festival headliner status (2000 Trees in 2025), a stop at Rock City on their current UK tour was a show that simply could not be missed…
We tactically get in not long after doors open tonight, securing a prime spot on the balcony to watch all the expected chaos below. Coming onstage shortly after to warm the crowd up is Dublin-based songwriter and producer Gemma Dunleavy, who arrives sporting some vibrant multi-coloured hair and is backed up by a harpist.
“Thanks for welcoming us into your city” says the singer, as she jumps straight into a 00s R&B-inspired track that showcases her strong vocals.
A song called Stop The Lights is next, which is dedicated to Terence Wheelock – a 20-year-old Dublin native who tragically died in September 2005 while in police custody. As details about the case and pictures of Terence are shown on the screens, Dunleavy takes a moment at the end of the song to highlight the injustice of the case, using spoken word poetry to share some damning statistics with the audience. It stuns the crowd into a shocked, reflective silence, with Dunleavy sharing that Terence’s family are still sadly searching for answers 19 years later. As powerful a moment as I can remember experiencing in Rock City all year.
“Are you ready to take the energy up?!” asks Dunleavy shortly after, as she then gets the crowd throwing their hands in the air over some rumbling drum & bass beats. She also pulls out a cover of DJ Sammy’s dance classic Heaven, which brings about the first big singalong of the evening. “Nottingham thank you for having us – thanks to Kneecap too!” she exclaims, before closing her memorable opening set in style on the super catchy, Up De Flats.
The interval brings about a sense of palpable anticipation, almost as if the crowd already knows they are about to witness one of the performances of the year. Starburster by Fontaines D.C. is unduly cut off as the lights suddenly go black, before the familiar sounds of 3CAG start to ring out around the main hall. As the audience screams and cheers, our vantage point means we spot a crawling DJ Próvaí make his way behind the DJ decks carrying the Kneecap logo that is placed at the centre of the stage, ruining the surprise somewhat when he eventually stands up and reveals himself. He is of course sporting his iconic Irish flag balaclava, something that has already been a hot seller at the merch table based on the amount of replicas in the crowd tonight.
“Are you ready for a mad one Nott’am?! It looks cosy in there!” cries Mo Chara in his thick Belfast accent as he and fellow rapper Móglaí Bap rush to join Próvaí on stage. It’s then straight into ITS BEEN AGES and Amach Anocht, the crowd immediately transforming into a tsunami of energy in front of the stage.
We then get one of the more unique singalongs we’ve experienced at Rock City, as the crowd joins in on Fenian C***s. There’s also great use of the screens in Rock City tonight, with fun/provocative animated videos accompanying each song to help aid the translation.
“Will you give us a wee hand Nott'am?” then asks Mo Chara, requesting the audience lend their voices once again for the next song. It is the crowd-pleasing Better Way To Live, which sees Fontaines frontman Grian Chatten digitally beamed into the Rock City hall via a karaoke screen that appears on the monitors flanking the stage.
“We’ve had a few mad gigs these last few weeks, but you’re on your way to the Top 3,” says Chara at the song’s conclusion, clearly impressed with the crowd’s intensity so far. “We’ve not had any balcony mosh pits yet though!” he jokes, with LeftLion choosing not to start any on this occasion!
Next up is Sick In The Head, which the trio reveal made history by being the first Irish-language song to be performed on Tonight With Jimmy Fallon. As the band then rattle through Your Sniffer Dogs Are S***e and Guilty Conscience, the wild scenes continue, with the mosh pits having now expanded to pretty much the entire floor space.
“I don’t know who’s in charge but they’re doing a good f***ing job so far!” says Mo Chara, commending the pit organisers. DJ Próvaí, who has intermittently been escaping from behind the decks all set, then comes to the front of the stage to flash his nipples at the audience, as Chara and Bap joke about his 10p OnlyFans subscription.
It's then into the big debut album portion of the set with rampant performances of the 808 State sampling I bhFiacha Linne and ferocious I’m Flush seeing the first crowd surfers of the night – it’s almost surprising it’s taken this long. Móglaí Bap then comments on his own heavy perspiration, which is now noticeable from most of the bodies in the crowd too.
“Most people don’t speak this language where we’re from,” says Mo Chara, dropping his stage persona momentarily for a genuine moment with the crowd. “So the fact we can come over to Nott’am and play to this many people is nuts”. The sincerity doesn’t last long though, as he then quickly introduces their performance of Rhino Ket, joking that it's his “Grandma’s favourite tune from the album.”
After blistering performances of that song and album title track Fine Art, the crowd still going full throttle in the pit, the trio then ask everyone to get on each other’s shoulders for C.E.A.R.T.A. That alone creates an amazing visual in the audience, which is then only made better as green, white and orange confetti starts to fall from the ceiling. As it covers the crowd in a rainfall of paper, the Kneecap trio stand arm in arm on stage, taking in the moment.
The two rappers then leave DJ Próvaí alone on stage, who has his solo moment with the crowd during an electric rendition of Parful. It includes a funny failed crowd surf attempt by Próvaí, which sees him barely reach the third person from the barrier, before conceding and pointing to be transported back to the stage. Chara and Bap then return for a seismic and typically confrontational performance of Get Your Brits Out.
As they lead chants of “Free, Free Palestine!”, Móglaí Bap shares that he is running 10km every day on tour, to raise money for food parcels that will then be sent into Gaza to help those in need. It rightfully gets a huge round of applause, with a now shirtless Bap then jumping into the crowd and entering the eye of the storm ahead of their final song. He immediately gets swallowed up as H.O.O.D begins with a false start, but after stopping the song and correcting the crowd on when exactly to pounce on the beat drop, they get it right second time around. It’s utter carnage, with Bap crowd surfing back to the stage as the trio close out their set to a huge ovation.
As Ace of Spades by Motorhead rings out around the main hall, I think everyone in the room – particularly those on the ground, dripping from head to toe in sweat – knows they just witnessed one of the best shows of the year. Expectations going in were high, but Kneecap exceeded all of them to show exactly why there is such a buzz around them right now. Everything that makes them such a fascinating act was on full display tonight: it was controversial, it was honest, it was hilarious, and it was heartfelt. Ultimately, it was all just a lot of fun to witness.
Kneecap performed at Rock City on 19th November 2024.
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