Kneecap's Mo Chara performs with tape across mouth after terror offence charge
Kneecap hosted an intimate warm-up gig ahead of their Wide Awake 2025 gig - and following Mo Chara's terror offence charge.
Kneecap's Mo Chara slapped his mouth with tape at the band's last-minute 100 Club concert, following his terror offence charge.
The Irish hip-hop trio vowed this week to "fight" back after Mo Chara was charged with a terror offence for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at their 2024 concert in London.
The 27-year-old Irish rapper - whose real name is Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh - has been accused by London's Metropolitan police of "displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah" at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in November.
Ó Hannaidh - who has been charged under the name Liam O'Hanna - is set to appear in court on June 18.
In a statement on Instagram, Kneecap wrote: "We deny this ‘offense’ and will vehemently defend ourselves.
“This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.
"14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us.
“We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win.”
On Thursday night (22.05.25), the band announced a surprise gig at the intimate 350-people capacity venue in West London.
The show acted as a warm-up to their headline set at Wide Awake 2025 at Brockwell Park on Friday (23.05.25).
Mo Chara is reported to have been met with cheers from fans as he arrived at the venue.
After poking fun at the tape on his mouth, he quipped at one point: “I need to thank my lawyer.
“He’s here tonight as well.”
Police were onsite just in case there was any unrest, but there is nothing to report.
Addressing the terror charge onstage, Mo Chara said: “We’re not the f****** story, they’re using us as a scapegoat not to talk about the real fucking issue.”
The crowd also chanted "Free Palestine” at one point.
The Metropolitan Police recently revealed they were assessing footage from the November 2024 gig, when the band allegedly said, "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah."
Following the investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charge, with both Hamas and Hezbollah banned in the UK, while it is a crime to express support for either of them.
The group insist they have never supported either organisation.
They also claimed another resurfaced video, in which they said, "Kill your local MP", was taken "out of context".
They said in a previous statement: "Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.
"We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.
“We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever.
"An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action."
The backlash has seen Kneecap dropped from concerts. However, several huge names have supported the trio, including IDLES, Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Enter Shikari, English Teacher, The Pogues, Lankum, Toddla T, Sleaford Mods, and Fontaines D.C..
