Just days out from their highly politicised Glastonbury set, Belfast’s most wanted trio Kneecap have officially dropped ‘The Recap’.
It’s a boiling, bass-heavy banger aimed squarely at the Tory machine that’s tried to shut them down for months.
Until now, the track’s only been doing the rounds as a grainy bootleg on SoundCloud and at live shows — debuting during their rowdy 100 Club pop-up in May, where Mo Chara performed with tape across his mouth, a blunt nod to the UK government’s attempts to silence him via terrorism charges.
The track, featuring bassline don Mozey, is as pointed as it is pissed off. “Grab a handful and we’ll stroll to the bank / Get me Kemi’s money and give her my thanks,” they spit, referencing the time Culture Secretary Kemi Badenoch tried to block them from receiving arts funding — only to be overruled for acting unlawfully.
Elsewhere, they’re even less subtle: “Just like the Iron Lady / Your career is gonna rot / You’re just shit / Not in control.” Direct hits, no metaphor required.
Kneecap’s latest release lands days after Mo Chara appeared in court over an alleged incident involving a Hezbollah flag last year. The group continues to deny all charges, insisting the footage was ripped out of context and that the real story is, and always has been, Gaza. Outside court last week, protestors held “Free Mo Chara” signs while Paul Weller quietly stood among the crowd in solidarity.
That message echoes through ‘The Recap’ — not just defiance, but a full-throated refusal to let politicians dictate what art is allowed to say. With their West Holts set at Glastonbury now locked in (Saturday, 4PM), and even the BBC reluctantly covering it under “broadcasting standards,” Kneecap are more untouchable than ever — no matter how loudly Keir Starmer huffs that their inclusion is “not appropriate.”
Too late, Keir. The recap is here, the show is happening, and Kneecap are just getting started.
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