British musician Self Esteem has said she is comfortable being on the Glastonbury line-up with the band Kneecap following an investigation by counter-terrorism officers over a “kill your MP” video.
Several gigs were cancelled after footage from November 2023 resurfaced, allegedly showing one member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
Footage from November 2024 is also being investigated which appears to show one member of the Belfast rap trio saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.
The group apologised to the families of murdered MPs but claimed footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”, while they also said they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah, which are both banned organisations in the UK.
There have since been calls from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to ban the group while other MPs, Jewish groups, as well as former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, have said they should be dropped from the Glastonbury line-up.
Self Esteem, also known as Rebecca Lucy Taylor, is due to perform at the music festival.
She told Rosie Wright on Times Radio that she thinks it is “important” the Irish band do not get censored.
She said: “I feel very comfortable sharing a line-up with them.
“I think it’s important that they don’t get censored, personally…I think it would be a problem (for) culture, art, freedom of speech.”
Formed in 2017, Kneecap is made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, and is known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise as well as their championing of the Irish language.
Artists including CMAT, Massive Attack, The Pogues, Brian Eno, Pulp, Paul Weller, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac and Primal Scream have defended the band.
They signed a statement saying there is a “clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform” Kneecap, while claiming that politicians are “strategically concocting moral outrage over the stage utterings of a young punk band” while ignoring a “genocide” in Gaza.
