Coachella may be ‘notorious,’ but Kneecap just needs ’12 Irish’ to get the crowd going

At exactly noon in Bali, two-thirds of Kneecap find themselves comfortably seated on a couch, participating in a Zoom meeting. Meanwhile, DJ Próvai is enjoying his time in Derry, Northern Ireland. In contrast, Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara are basking under the Indonesian sun, eagerly anticipating their rendezvous with a fabulous swimming pool.

“How many people go to Coachella?” Chara asks.

Bap throws out a number — “150,000.”

“It’d be less than that… 100,000,” Chara chimes back.

If you’re considering a one-day visit, they are quite close; the “self-dubbed sunscreen group” will be gracing the hallowed stages of music in Indio this coming Friday at 6:10 pm.

The festival serves as a triumphant finale for the band following an extraordinary year marked by a highly-praised album, a BAFTA-winning near biography, and concerts spanning various continents. Despite being somewhat uncomfortable under the scorching desert heat (Ireland experiences rain 150 to 225 days annually, depending on location), they enthusiastically welcome the event.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but feel awestruck when I say it’s simply legendary, despite its global fame for being exceptional, if I may add with a chuckle. Frankly, it leaves us all spellbound just to be part of the discussion.

To put it simply, they are part of an exciting lineup of recent Irish performers who have performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Before them, artists like Dermot Kennedy, Annie Mac, and Hozier had already taken the stage.

Jokingly, Bap points out that Los Angeles crowds aren’t known for being overly active. However, he adds with a smile, the Irish are famously versatile – we can be found just about anywhere.

Chara requests a group of 1,000 Americans,” she says. “If there are around 12 Irish people among them, we should be able to ignite the enthusiasm of the rest.

The team, renowned for their rejuvenation and employment of Irish, are confident that the audience won’t face issues with the language divide, either. As Bap puts it, “we simply radiate a lot of positive, enjoyable vibes” and “keep the crowd involved.

For these individuals, Irish isn’t just a tongue, but rather a representation of republican ideals. This association is deeply rooted in the language’s past, characterized by periods of near-extinction and revival.

The decrease in its use can be linked to several significant incidents, such as being excluded from Irish educational institutions between 1831 and 1878, and the Great Famine of 1845 that devastated impoverished rural regions where the language was prevalent, leading to a sharp decline in native speakers.

In his words, ‘The kneecap symbolizes an urban essence that was never inherent to the Irish language,’ says Bap,” he continues, “Traditionally, the Irish language has thrived in rural regions of Ireland, such as Galway, but it’s rarely spoken in urban areas.

In the wake of 1916’s Easter Rising, when Irish nationalists rose against British rule, attempts to rejuvenate Ireland seemed to fall flat. Fast forward to the mid-20th century, and as Fintan O’Toole, a renowned Irish journalist and author, humorously pointed out, many Irish people were essentially bilingual illiterates.

As someone who grew up learning Irish, I find that the government aims to preserve our language, but in their own vision of it. They desire it to remain untainted and pure, making it more palatable for wider consumption. However, I believe Irish has always been a language deeply rooted among the people, with its own unique flavor and complexities – not something pristine or innocent.

As a cinephile, I’d say, “I believe there are around twenty different terms for female genitalia in our language, such a thing came to be due to the fact that people, in their quest for entertainment, would engage in endless discussions and intimacy.

2003 saw a significant advancement for the language as the Official Languages Act mandated multiple institutions to offer their services in Irish. It wasn’t until 2022 that Northern Ireland passed comparable legislation.

Even so, “they don’t use it in Belfast,” Chara notes.

Bap states, “I feel they haven’t truly put forth a sincere effort to rejuvenate the language. I suspect that on some level, they don’t consider it valuable to them.” He further notes, “In the southern educational system, students study Irish for 14 years, but once they graduate, they find they can’t actually speak it fluently.

The data backs this up: As reported by The Irish Times, a recent census indicated that out of 1.9 million people who could speak the language, just 71,000 utilized it daily. This highlights the urgency for a contemporary effort in reviving the Irish language, and Kneecap’s commitment to preventing it from fading into oblivion.

Bap suggests that for language to thrive, it needs to be integrated into our daily routines,” he explains. “Nowadays, our daily lives encompass TikTok videos, reading materials, and Instagram posts.

As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but appreciate the genuine way this group handles the language. Although others have attempted Irish music before them, the fact that they seamlessly weave it into their daily lives gives an effortless, authentic feel to their songs.

In 2023, I submitted an application for a grant, but it became a public legal battle instead when the Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, halted the distribution of funds due to claims of anti-British sentiments.

“Well, they were right about that,” Chara jests.

In December 2024, the Belfast team successfully argued their case and received a settlement of $18,268 due to an “illegal and biased” expulsion. Subsequently, they generously contributed this amount to two local Belfast charities: Glór na Móna and R-City Belfast.

Chara expresses her viewpoint that the statement made was quite significant, particularly since politicians in the northern regions often depict Protestants and Catholics as inherently incompatible. She implies that this mindset persists.

He remembered encountering a youthful Protestant hip-hop artist known as Young Spencer, who hailed from the working-class district of Shankill, home to R-City. Later, he shared the stage with Kneecap, and there were no issues between them.

Chara mentions that despite our differing preferences – her preference for a united Ireland and his for living in the United Kingdom – we manage to coexist quite harmoniously.

He goes on to say, “Only in Ireland do these matters appear as the most significant problems imaginable.” He acknowledges that politics can be highly contentious, but stresses that this should not prevent us from finding common ground temporarily.

2025-04-11 20:31

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Coachella may be ‘notorious,’ but Kneecap just needs ’12 Irish’ to get the crowd going

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