Live Report: Kneecap celebrate Gaeilge at the Galway Arts Festival

As bottles of beer and tins of stout are strategically placed around the stage in Galway’s Big Top, a cheer rises from the crowd- they take it as an indication they won’t be waiting much longer, and they’re right.

Seconds later, Kneecap bound on stage, bottles of Buckfast in hand. Their opening statement of “Alright Gaillimh?” sets the theme for the night- Gaeilge is alive and kicking here, and it’s going to be heard.

Kneecap at The Big Top, Galway. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Since they exploded onto the scene with C.E.A.R.T.A in 2017, Kneecap’s popularity has seen seemingly endless growth. Comprised of MCs Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, supported by the tricolour balaclava toting DJ Provaí, the Belfast based Hip Hop trio have gained notoriety for their combination of politically charged but jubilant lyricism, and inflammatory advertising practice.

More than anything else however, Kneecap’s reputation for electric live performances is what precedes them, something they demonstrated last night at The Galway Arts festival. In between tunes, their antics onstage include throwing tins of Beamish to lucky fans, Provaí massaging his nipples, and sending digs at the older fans stood at the back, who Mo Chara refers to as “The kneecap replacement clinic”.

Kneecap at The Big Top, Galway. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Though it sounds like chaos, the group have a control over the eager crowd that can’t be understated, one which they wield responsibly. Where Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap point, a mosh pit opens, but with strict instructions from the duo to keep an eye out for anyone who has fallen. After, they throw bottles of water into the crowd with instructions to keep hydrated.

A lot of their music has a rave-esque sound to it, but as this performance showed, theres great range in Kneecap’s catalogue. The slower tempo of ‘Better Way To Live’ is a step away from the group’s usual sound, featuring vocals from Grian Chatten and drums by Tom Coll of Fontaines D.C.

'Better Way To Live' was the first single released off the band's debut album, Fine Art, which was released in June. Attracting widespread critical acclaim, it was HotPress' album of the month. Although the album alone would have marked a good year for the group, they also have an upcoming film release. Starring Michael Fassbender, their biopic Kneecap won the audience award at the Sundance film festival, set to be released on August 23.

Kicked out of their own gig in UCD, Kneecap are no strangers to disagreements with event organisers. When one fan is told by security to get off his friend’s shoulders, Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap immediately start to encourage the entire audience to clamber onto each other’s shoulders in solidarity.

Kneecap at The Big Top, Galway. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

While you would feel some sympathy for the stewards, the trio’s charisma makes it easy not to dwell on it. Everything they say and do earns a cheer from the crowd, whether it’s a dig at Taylor Swift, the Donegal football team, or a speech about Palestine, the energy pulled from the crowd is incredible.

While every song performed had the crowd’s involvement, ‘C.E.A.R.T.A’ takes it to new levels. At the end of the song, the music stops, and the trio let the audience deliver a deafening rendition of the song’s As Gaeilge chorus that could have been heard the far side of Galway.

Kneecap leave Gaillimh having proven once again that the Irish language very much belongs in the 21st century.

Kneecap at The Big Top, Galway. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.