Gig review: Kneecap at Leeds Irish Centre - 'Could you get a better venue for a Kneecap gig?'

Further diversifying their furiously sharp-tongued prose into further soundscapes with aplomb, the West Belfast trio deliver the goods on a two-night stand.

“I see you’re feeling rowdy enough tonight, Leeds,” Kneecap vocalist Mo Chara cries out. “But you’re going to have to be if you want to beat last night!”

Bellows threaten to concuss the crowd members nearest to the sound booth barrier - a wave of noise hued green, white and orange that feels like it might take the roof off at any moment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is the second sold-out night on the bounce for the West Belfast trio at this 800-capacity social venue, consisting of Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

It is the latest step for them on what still feels like a rapidly snowballed rise to the summit of the hip-hop tree across the sea here; for the audience lucky enough to be in attendance, this could feel comparatively intimate by next year, when their schedule sees them step out for festival headline dates and major support shows with Fontaines D.C. among others.

Here behind sophomore record Fine Art, and further diversifying their furiously sharp-tongued prose into further soundscapes, they rattle through a dozen-and-a-half songs or so with the kind of relentless energy that has helped build their name.

Kneecap at Leeds Irish CentreKneecap at Leeds Irish Centre
Kneecap at Leeds Irish Centre | Freelance

Early cut It’s Been Ages, with terrific flow and rapid harmonic bursts into dub-heavy whoops, effectively sets the tone from the out; flags not just in their native tricolour, but in support of Palestine too, are flown proudly throughout to frequent salutes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The trio are idiosyncratic faces on the cusp of a full commercial crossover, aided by a self-titled film that fictionalised their rise through the local scene back home and beyond.

But beneath the rat-a-tat delivery and fiery burst, their incisive wit and sonic intelligence is what truly helps them stand out; the insistent throb of Your Sniffer Dogs Are Shite lays a platform for the superb Guilty Conscience, while an impromptu snippet of the Tom Jones revival classic Sex Bomb conjures laughs throughout.

“Could you get a better venue for a Kneecap gig?” Chara asks as the fan favouriteGet Your Brits Outswings practically from the rafters.

Certainly, there won’t be many better shows that grace its doors this year too.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice