Kneecap

Last weekend Crystal Palace Park played host to a celebration of Irish music. The lineup, fronted by Gaeilge rap group Kneecap, featured a strong set of bands — almost all hailing from Ireland. In a day filled with music and politics, a sense of togetherness prevailed as thousands celebrated their identity and showed solidarity with oppressed peoples.

Haunting alternative folk group Madra Salach opened proceedings with a crossover of traditional and modern instrumentation. Singer Paul Banks led the way, his vocals carrying a dark, gloomy performance and his energy defying the sweltering summer heat. Long atmospheric outros to tracks like ‘I Was Just a Boy’ handed the spotlight to the rest of the band, giving them room to shine away from Banks’ vocal delivery.

Indie rockers Gurriers opened their set with the title track of upcoming album Nobody’s Coming to Save You. Playing plenty of new, unreleased material interspersed with their hits, they incited the first mosh pit of the festival during ‘Des Goblin’. This band brought the noise, the chaos and the passion. Banks returned to the stage one final time to perform ‘Approachable’ alongside frontman Dan Hoff — a suitably rowdy end to their set.

The antithesis of this followed in the form of Biig Piig. Singing in both English and Spanish, she brought a completely different vibe to the rest of the bands with her cheerful, laid-back pop. It was a welcome moment for the crowd to relax and mellow, a sea of infectious, feel-good dancing below the stage.

The only non-Irish band on the bill, London’s Fat Dog had the crowd barking mad from the very start, their repetitive but never boring music featuring simple choruses you couldn’t help but sing along to. Frontman Joe Love was everywhere, performing from the stage, barrier, crowd and even the camera rigging. With constant moshing and dancing in the audience, Fat Dog’s bouncy, energetic music meant non-stop hectic fun.

Next up were The Mary Wallopers, performing traditional Irish folk with modern political themes. Their upbeat tunes featured banjo, flute and accordion, and encouraged plenty of jigging and even some unexpected mosh pits. The band rotated throughout their set, some songs featuring just one member and others the full group.

Headliners Kneecap took to the stage for their biggest headline show ever, banners advocating Irish unity and freedom for Palestine hanging behind them. Flags were draped from scaffolding as the rappers walked on to ‘Smugglers and Scholars’, from new album Fenian, as images of injustice were broadcast onto the screen alongside their imposing logo — stylised after DJ Próvaí’s Irish-flag balaclava. The crowd was filled with these balaclavas as fans donned the headwear to show their support. They switched between Irish and English as they performed, bringing the crowd to stunned moments of silence, raucous moments of frantic movement, and moments of solidarity as they spoke about their fight against the British government and courts. Collaborator Kae Tempest came to the stage to perform ‘Irish Goodbye’, in the middle of a set that featured as many political messages as it did incredible instrumentals and smooth flows.

Kneecap’s performance — and, in fact, every performance across the day — demonstrated the strength and pride of the Irish community in the UK. Through music, thousands united behind bands that encapsulated their identities, and while the sets themselves delivered, it was the sense of connection among the audience that really made the day special.