Nothing spices up a Kneecap gig quite like an unexpected royal appearance. Especially when it’s just the head.
Kneecap’s Melbourne show took a weird turn when a punter rocked up with a massive, decapitated King George V head, allegedly sliced off a statue last year. Rather than question the ethics of lugging a severed monarch into a venue, the Irish rap trio did the only logical thing: put him on stage for a few tunes.
“Some madman dropped by with a huge King George’s head so he could hear a few tunes for our last Melbourne show!” Kneecap wrote on social media. “Allegedly his head was cut off last year in the city… anyways he was put on stage for a few tunes and then whisked away… remember every colony can fall.”
The original statue was beheaded and splashed with red paint in June 2024 on King Charles’ birthday, part of a string of attacks on colonial monuments in Victoria. No one’s owned up to it, but whoever did the job clearly wanted to make sure George didn’t miss the gig.
Kneecap have never been ones to tiptoe around their politics. Last year, they led a “Brits out” chant at a Belfast show, later explaining it wasn’t about individuals but a wider statement on British rule in Ireland. That energy fed into their track ‘Get Your Brits Out’, which suggested handing out ecstasy to help monarchists relax.
While in Melbourne, the group also played a free show at Federation Square after their ticketed gig sold out. Around 10,000 people showed up, proving that demand for Kneecap is huge. Perhaps even bigger than the decapitated head they shared the stage with.
As for George, his whereabouts are currently unknown. If he turns up at the next gig, someone might have to start checking IDs at the door.
RELATED
