Photos by James Gough & Review by Niamh Gough
Kneecap gigs aren’t just an hour long set of songs: they're community gatherings, protests, and parties all in one.
Walking into The Roundhouse felt like stepping into a world where shared struggles and the power of music merged seamlessly. A sea of GAA jerseys, Palestinian Keffiyehs, Aboriginal flags, and tricolour balaclavas set the scene. This was more than just a show - it was a gathering of feral festival folk and elder millennials bonding over Irish ancestry and a collective disdain for colonisation. The air even had that just-through-customs smell, as if half the audience had raced from the airport to make doors in time.
Miss Kaninna commanded the stage first and immediately locked in the crowd’s attention with 'Friends', followed by 'Kush'. Originally from Tasmania, Miss Kaninna has carved out a space in hip-hop while working in radio, by championing women and non-binary artists. That commitment, however, came at a cost as she faced online abuse and media smear campaigns, especially after playing pro-Palestinian music on air. But there was no fear or hesitation in her presence tonight.
She honoured her heritage with a song taught by her grandmother from the Yorta Yorta people and then performed 'Australia Has a Problem', an unreleased track that left her visibly moved as she thanked the crowd for truly understanding. When she launched into 'Blak Britney', the track that earned her an ARIA nomination (making her the first Indigenous nominee in her category), the energy in the room boomed. She closed with 'Pinnacle Bitch', leaving the audience electrified and ready to kick on.
The anticipation in the packed room was palpable as DJ Próvaí stepped onto a pitch-black stage. And in what must have been a surprise to many, the lights never really came on. But it’s Kneecap - and they confessed to being atrociously hungover, so who really needed lights anyway. As soon as Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap appeared onstage, flags unfurled from the balcony—Irish, Palestinian, Aboriginal - draped across shoulders, held high like banners of resistance. This was expected. This was embraced. Opening with 'ITS BEEN AGES', the night kicked into full gear, and from that moment on, it was a riot. Each song that followed felt like an escalation to the absolute party that we knew it would be.
It can't go unmentioned that their 2024 cinematic debut 'Kneecap' has played a large part in their popularity outside of the assumed fanbase, with the movie gaining countless award nominations, and winning seven British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
As they joked that the next song was their Grannies favourite, 'Fine Art' began. There was a shift in the room and it felt like we'd officially transitioned to party mode as 'Guilty Conscience' played next. I'm suddenly surrounded by a landscape of women sitting on their peers shoulders screaming along to the all Gaelic lyrics of 'C.E.A.R.T.A' - this was not on my bingo card for 2025, but boy did it bring me joy.
A short DJ intermission was followed by fan favourite encore songs - 'Get Your Brits Out' and 'H.O.O.D'. Kneecap gigs aren’t just an hour long set of songs: they're community gatherings, protests, and parties all in one. And at The Roundhouse with this wildly diverse crowd, that feeling was more tangible than ever.
