Kneecap rappers on their unlikely big-screen stardom: ‘If we get an Oscar, we’ll go to Cash My Gold’
“I feel sorry for all these people who’ve spent thousands of pounds going to drama school,” muses Kneecap’s DJ Provai. His bandmate Mo Chara finishes his sentence. “They must be raging after getting all their daddy’s money – thirty grand for their diplomas, and we just mosey on in and maybe get nominated for an Oscar.”
DJ Provai and Mo Chara are two thirds of the republican Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, the unlikely followers of musical greats such as Freddie Mercury, Sir Elton John and Whitney Houston as the focus of a big-screen music biopic.
What’s rare about this one is they play themselves, despite having no previous acting experience – and are seeing their story brought to cinemas as relative newcomers, rather than after decades of mainstream success. “We know we’re very lucky because mostly [musicians] are dead whenever they get films made about them,” says Chara.
The bandmates play themselves in the film, also called Kneecap. Pic: Curzon Film
The band have smashed out of west Belfast and into headlines around the world – although not all positive. They were banned from Irish public service broadcaster RTE for their references to drug-taking, and criticised by some unionists and former British Tory government members for songs such as Brits Out (which they say is a tongue-in-cheek poke at government rule, not all British people – “it only meant British soldiers and the British state out of Ireland, to leave Ireland be in charge of its own affairs”, says Chara).
Likened to Trainspotting, 8 Mile and 24 Hour Party People by critics, the film also stars Irish-German actor and Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender. It started really as a bit of fun the band hoped would be enjoyed by their ever-growing music fanbase.
Expectations have been surpassed. In January, Kneecap won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival, an internationally recognised showcase for independent cinema; earlier this month, the film was named as Ireland’s official submission for the best international feature film shortlist at the 2025 Oscars.
Kneecap goes to Hollywood?
Michael Fassbender stars as Moglai Bap’s father in the film. Pic: Curzon Film
“It gives the film real legitimacy, I think, for an international audience,” says Chara. “We’re obviously over the moon. I can’t wait to go and see all the pissed-up celebrities, hopefully, if we get to the Oscars.”
“Get the nice goody bag with the Rolex in it,” jokes Provai. “And if we get the Oscar, take it back to Cash My Gold, get it melted down, make some Claddagh rings for our fans.”
On screen, on stage, and in interview, Kneecap play for laughs. But theirs is a serious story, one that encompasses the impact of the Troubles on the generation of “ceasefire babies”, their desire for a united Ireland, a lack of opportunities for working-class people – or “low-life scum”, as they are called in the film – as well as the campaign to have the Irish language recognised in Northern Ireland.
Kneecap drew huge crowds to two sets at Glastonbury earlier this year. Pic: Sky News
Fewer than 6,000 people in the country speak Irish as their first language, according to the 2021 census. But numbers are rising, especially among younger people – and Kneecap and other artists and films that have brought the language to the fore in recent years have played no small part in this.
“We get loads of messages about it,” says Chara, who is speaking to Sky News on Zoom from just outside Belfast, alongside Provai. The third member of their trio, Moglai Bap, could not make the call. But in fact, Chara says, Bap received a message about this very subject that morning, from an old friend now having a baby. After watching the film, the decision has been made to send the child to an Irish-speaking school.
The film’s director Rich Peppiatt started taking classes himself after meeting the band. Earlier this month, Irish singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey said they had inspired him, too.
‘People think it’s a gimmick – it’s not’
Kneecap’s fanbase has been growing over the last few years. Pic: PA – Electric Picnic 2022
Chara says he feels happy to be having “any kind of effect” on future generations.
“I feel like it’s a duty we all kind of have now to keep the language alive, considering the families in the west of Ireland never started speaking English, they continued to speak Irish against all odds.”
“People think it’s some kind of gimmick,” adds Provai. “It’s not, this is the daily language we use, it’s how we communicate with each other.” When they first decided to make music – “a good way to get free tickets to Glastonbury and Electric Picnic and [other festivals]” – not rapping in Irish was never a consideration, “because that’s the way we live our lives”.
‘You don’t have to understand everything – just the vibe’
The Kneecap bandmates knew from the start it was “not a good business model, doing music in a language that nobody really speaks”, as Chara puts it. “You’re kind of shooting yourself in the foot there.” But business was never the point. “We just did it for us and for the craic at the start, and then there was a demand for it.”
They are signed to the independent Heavenly Recordings, “a proper label”, he says. You might imagine some industry bosses would have had thoughts on the mass appeal of their language choice. Heavenly never interfered. “We didn’t need to have the conversation… I’m sure major labels would have us doing songs in English, if they could.”
Plus, he adds, having two dictionaries to choose from when it comes to writing lyrics can make songwriting easier. “If we run out of words to rhyme it kind of opens up this whole other pathway, basically, in the brain. Also, you think differently. If you’re speaking in Irish, you’re in a different mindset than when you’re speaking English, in my opinion.”
Director Rich Peppiatt, actor Michael Fassbender and the Kneecap bandmates pictured at the UK premiere, opening the Sundance London Film Festival. Pic: PA
Chara cites K-pop stars BTS as perhaps the biggest example of how music has smashed through language barriers in recent years. “You don’t have to understand everything, you just understand the vibe of it… a lot of people understand our feel, the energy, at our gigs, rather than understanding the lyrics, and that’s perfectly fine with me.”
Now, he says, rapping in the Irish language has opened more doors than it’s closed. “It’s niche and I think people are into niche things now. I listen to Arabic hip-hop and don’t understand a word of it. It just sounds good.”
Kneecap, the film, is out now. Next stop, more touring – and then, potentially, the Oscars.
US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has had his programme pulled over “offensive and insensitive” comments about Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel used his show on Monday night to accuse Donald Trump and his allies of “doing their best to fan the flames” following the conservative influencer’s assassination last week.
Disney-owned ABC said it would be taken off-air indefinitely – and with immediate effect – after network operator Nexstar said it would stop broadcasting the programme.
Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said it “strongly objects” to Kimmel’s comments.
“Mr Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” he said, with the show to go off-air to “let cooler heads prevail”.
What happened?
Kimmel called out what he believes is hypocrisy in how Republicans have responded to Mr Kirk’s death.
Mr Trump and Vice President JD Vance are among those to cite “left-wing extremism” as a factor in the killing.
Suspected gunman Tyler Robinson appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday night. Prosecutors said he had shared negative views about Kirk, an influential media figure in the MAGA movement.
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The killing of Charlie Kirk
On the Monday edition of his show, Kimmel drew attention to Capitol rioters who “wanted to hang” Mr Trump’s first term vice president, Mike Pence, for certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
“Was that the liberal left? Or the toothless army who stormed the Capitol on January 6,” said Kimmel.
His remarks saw the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Trump backer Brendan Carr, threaten to “take action” against Disney and ABC.
Mr Trump himself had previously welcomed the prospect of Kimmel’s show being cancelled, describing him on his Truth Social platform as someone with “absolutely NO TALENT”.
A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kimmel follows in Colbert’s footsteps
The abrupt removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live comes after fellow late night host Stephen Colbert saw his programme cancelled, which fans claimed was a result of his criticism of Mr Trump.
Mr Trump presents himself as a staunch advocate of free speech, but regularly rails against media organisations which criticise him. This week he launched a lawsuit against The New York Times.
CBS announced in July it would end The Late Show when its current series ends next May.
In a statement, the network said the move was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Mr Trump praised the move, saying “his talent was even worse than his ratings”.
Colbert’s Late Show won an Emmy for outstanding talk series for the first time at the weekend.
Entertainment
Robert Redford’s grandchildren pay tribute to Hollywood icon as they share family photos
Robert Redford’s grandchildren have paid tribute to the Hollywood icon with a series of never-before-seen family photos.
Redford died on Tuesday at the age of 89 in the mountains of Utah “surrounded by those he loved”, according to his representative Cindi Berger.
Now Conor Schlosser, the 33-year-old son of Redford’s eldest daughter Shauna Redford, 64, has posted five photos on Instagram with the movie star, including three throwback pictures from his childhood of the pair together.
In them, they are riding a horse, opening a present and playing golf.
Pic: conorschlosser/Instagram
Pic: conorschlosser/Instagram
Pic: conorschlosser/Instagram
Mr Schlosser, 33, also shared two more recent pictures with Redford, including one of them enjoying a meal and the other of him with his arm around his grandfather.
In a caption that accompanied the social media post, he wrote: “He was larger than life to the world, but to his family, he was simply that … family. “Rest in peace, Grandpa.🐎”.”
He added: “If anyone has a favorite story of him you’d like to share, please send it to me in a private message – I’d love to collect them.”
Pic: conorschlosser/Instagram
Pic: conorschlosser/Instagram
Read more:
Redford’s career in pictures
His cousin, Lena Hart Redford, the 29-year-old daughter of Redford’s late son, James Redford, also posted a number of pictures with the Hollywood star on Instagram.
Pic: lilredford/Instagram
Pic: lilredford/Instagram
There were photos of her on a horse with her grandfather and also with him on a film set. She also included a photo of her late father with Redford in the post, which she captioned with a red heart emoji.
Pic: lilredford/Instagram
Pic: lilredford/Instagram
Pic: lilredford/Instagram
And in a tribute on Instagram Stories, she shared a throwback image of her and Redford wearing Kangol-brand beanies. “Taught me so much. … Had us all in Kangol,” she wrote.
She also posted a picture of Redford and her father horseback riding. “Dad & grandpa, I feel like they are riding awesome horses in heaven,” she wrote.
Lena Redford’s brother, Dylan Redford, shared a picture with his grandfather on his Instagram Stories.
He wrote: “He was best grampa a grandson could ask for. He also made amazing things, helped others make amazing things, and tried to make the world a better place.”
Pic: dredford_/Instagram/AP
Redford fathered four children with his first wife Lola Van Wagenen – sons Scott and James and daughters Shauna and Amy.
Scott died in 1959 from sudden infant death syndrome aged only two months, while his younger son James died aged 58 of cancer in 2020.
Redford is survived by his wife Sibylle Szaggars Redford, daughters Shauna and Amy and seven grandchildren.
Bob Geldof has confirmed he will not be running for the Irish presidency – and says it’s partly because he’d “miss London”.
Speaking to Sky News at the Sky Arts Awards on Tuesday night, the 73-year-old musician and aid campaigner said: “My kids are here, my missus is here, my homes are here.
“I’d miss London. The band is here, I wouldn’t be able to play.”
In Ireland, any Irish citizen over 35 can run for president – but to get on the ballot, a candidate must be nominated by 20 members of parliament or four local authorities.
Geldof said: “I simply wouldn’t have had time.”
He said he had considered it, thinking it could be something “new, interesting and useful”, 50 years after finding fame in The Boomtown Rats, and 40 years after launching Band Aid.
Geldof said he’d briefly spoken to Prime Minister Micheal Martin, asking him: “‘What would you think about Bob Geldof being the candidate for the Fianna Fail Party?’ He said, ‘I think it’d be great, but I’ve already chosen someone’.
“I said, ‘That’s the end of the conversation Taoiseach, thanks very much,’ and that was it.”
Former football manager Jim Gavin was later announced as Fianna Fail’s official candidate.
Geldof performs during Live Aid at Wembley in July 1985. Pic: AP
Conor McGregor pulls out
Geldof admitted he was relieved former mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor was no longer in the running.
McGregor, who had promised to curb immigration in order to protect “Irish culture” and to give power “back to the people,” announced he was withdrawing from the race earlier this week.
Ex-Riverdance performer Michael Flatley, 67, has also expressed an interest in running for office.
This year’s ballot deadline is midday on 24 September, a month ahead of the election on 24 October. A largely ceremonial role, representing Ireland at home and abroad, it runs for a seven-year term.
Conor McGregor met Donald Trump at the White House on St Patrick’s Day. Pic: X/@WhiteHouse
‘Please stop,’ Geldof tells Israel
Geldof, who has Jewish heritage and is the Founding Patron of the British Holocaust Museums Aegis Trust for Genocide Studies, also spoke passionately about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Following a UN Commission report which found Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, Geldof said: “When you purposefully starve children as an instrument of war then you are a war criminal.”
He went on: “People simply don’t have the bandwidth to deal with the cost of living, the flag waving, the horror of Ukraine, the horrors of Gaza. They’re just tired, and they just want Israel to please stop it. And the UN has just confirmed that. Stop.”
The accusation of genocide has been made by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report” and called for the commission to be abolished.
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Is Israel committing genocide?
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Hollywood legend Robert Redford dies
Spain votes to boycott Eurovision if Israel competes
Geldof was speaking at the prestigious Sky Arts event, where he was recognised for his influence as a musician and cultural figure over the last five decades with a lifetime achievement award.
Never afraid to be outspoken, he was one of the defining voices of the 1970s punk era before going on to co-create Band Aid and the historic Live Aid concerts, reshaping the relationship between music and global activism.
Geldof performed with his band, The Boomtown Rats, during the ceremony which took place at London’s Roundhouse, hosted by comedian Bill Bailey.
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