TRNSMT main stage act calls out politicians' attempts to cancel Kneecap

A MAIN stage act at TRNSMT has called out politicians’ attempts to cancel Kneecap from festival line-ups.

Scottish rock band Twin Atlantic condemned politicians’ interventions as a “dangerous slippery slope” after their performance at Glasgow Green on Friday.

Irish rap group Kneecap were axed from TRNSMT amid a row over an investigation by counter-terror police into member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara.

(Image: Archive) He was charged with a terror offence over the display of a flag in support of the proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig in November last year, and was released on unconditional bail last month.

First Minister John Swinney said in April that it would be "unacceptable" for the band to perform at the festival, after comments apparently calling for the death of MPs, prompting an investigation by the Metropolitan Police which has since been dropped.

Kneecap were removed from the line-up at the end of May, with festival organisers citing "police concerns", leading the band to announce another gig in Glasgow.

The rap trio took to the Glasgow O2 Academy stage for a sold-out show on Tuesday, where they slated the First Minister.

During Twin Atlantic's TRNSMT performance on Friday, bass guitarist Ross McNae (below, left) wore a Palestine FC football shirt, which he said was a gesture of “solidarity”.

(Image: PA) He said: “It’s not necessarily solidarity with Kneecap but what’s happening in Palestine is unimaginable horror so there’s an element of solidarity, but the main solidarity is with the people of Palestine.

“It is a dangerous slippery slope, you take away people’s right to speak up, and becomes a very dark place for society.

“The last couple of months has been quite a shock.”

The band also condemned Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s calls to axe Kneecap from the Glastonbury festival, which took place at the end of last month.

Glastonbury organisers ignored the Prime Minister’s comments that the performance would not be “appropriate”, and the group performed as scheduled.

Twin Atlantic hit out at the Prime Minister’s intervention, as McNae said that “Keir Starmer wading in is just ridiculous”.

Meanwhile, guitarist Sam McTrusty said that while the band tried to confine politics to their daily lives, the Prime Minister’s intervention was “embarrassing”.

TRNSMT is taking place in Glasgow from Friday until Sunday.