Belfast rap trio Kneecap have been branded "horrific" and "ignorant" after appearing to call for fans to "kill their local MP" in resurfaced concert footage.
Footage from a November 2023 gig has sparked widespread condemnation and an investigation by counter-terrorism police, as one member of the band appears to say: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."
Following a string of alleged controversial remarks made by the band in both past and recent gigs, the group have had their upcoming Eden Project show cancelled.
Calls have also been made for the band's upcoming sets at Glasgow's TRNSMT music festival and Glastonbury festival to be scrapped.
Jonathan Shalit criticised the 'horrific' and 'ignorant' comments allegedly made by rap trio Kneecap
PA / GB News
Speaking to GB News, Talent Manager Jonathan Shalit claimed the alleged remarks made by the band will have a "frightening" influence on younger generations of fans.
Shalit explained: "The comments are clearly horrific, clearly ignorant, clearly ill informed and I suspect from their point of view fairly self-serving.
"If you look at their website, they say 'we are an anti-establishment, explosive delivery artist', and they want to do 'anti-establishment lyrics'. So they naively and ignorantly think that anti-establishment is supporting the murder of terrorist organisations and murdering democratically elected MPs."
Acknowledging that the band has apologised to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, Shalit warned that the band's influence on younger fans is "frightening", and they will believe that "this kind of behaviour is acceptable".
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Kneecap allegedly told concert-goers to 'kill your local MP' during their set
PAShalit told GB News: "Yes, they've apologised to the families of the two MPs who were murdered, but they seem to be encouraging people to behave in that way.
"And the frightening thing about these sort of comments from young music acts is they influence teenagers. So teenagers in school who like this group may think this kind of behaviour is acceptable, and that's what's really scary about it."
He stressed: "People like you and me will be offended and upset, but we're not going to go out and act on it.
"But if you're a 16-year-old at school who's angry and a pop group you idolise say you can kill people as a way forward, that then has repercussions."
Shalit told GB News that the band's statement is 'written by PR professionals', not the trio
GB News
In a statement, Kneecap claimed: "Let's be unequivocal, we do not and never have supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never OK. We know this more than anyone, given our nation's history.
"We also reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual ever. An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised as if it were a call to action. To the Amess and to the Cox families, we send you our heartfelt apologies. We never intended to cause you any hurt."
Criticising the statement, Shalit stated that it appears to contradict the message of the band, and suggested it was written by a "PR professional".
He concluded: "If you look at their websites and their language, and not that I listen to the lyrics, but I have seen the headlines of what they said themselves, what they set themselves and the way they speak is vastly different to that press statement.
"That press statement is written by a clever PR professional or their record label, to try and protect the value of the asset of the group. That is not a statement from three young men in the band really caring, that's a statement by clever PR professionals."
