Kneecap’s Electric Picnic performance will not be censored, says festival boss

The Belfast band are set to perform on the main stage at 3.30pm on Saturday

Electric Picnic boss Melvin Benn has vowed he will not censor Kneecap’s performance at the music festival this weekend.

Kneecap are set to perform on the main stage at 3.30pm on Saturday and Melvin said it was a “real statement” to have them play at Stradbally, Co Laois.

As many as 80,000 fans are set to descend on Laois from Friday until Sunday; with acts such as Hozier, Kings of Leon, Chappell Roan and Fatboy Slim among the line-up., according to the Irish Mirror.

READ MORE: TG4 explains why Irish language station won’t be airing Kneecap’s Electric Picnic performanceREAD MORE: Kneecap announces release date for latest song

The Festival Republic chief said: “I think it is going to be really, really special. I think adding Kneecap was really important for us. It was a really important statement. And, you know, musically, you know, fantastic, but in terms of what’s going on in the world, it’s really important that they are here, adding their voice.

“And I will hasten to remind people that they headlined the Hazelwood stage in 2018 so we’ve had a long history with Kneecap and I’m glad that they’re back. We have lots of amazing homegrown stuff, really, you know, obviously Sam Fender, there’s Kings of Leon, Fatboy Slim.

“But then also just little things like adding the piano keys is, there’s gonna be an awful lot of punters making their Electric Picnic debut this weekend and I’m sure they’ll get all their friends to watch them and I think we’ll get some really special moments out of that as well.”

Speaking on Tuesday, Melvin said Kneecap will not be censored at Electric Picnic: “No, there’s none at all (festival policy on their performance). Mics won’t be switched off.

“I mean, you know, they’re great kids. They’re great lads. They’ve got really important songs. They’re brilliant live, but they’ve also got really important messages and, you know, they didn’t do anything wrong at Glastonbury.

“It’s yet to be proven whether they’ve done anything wrong anywhere else in it, anywhere in the world.

“So, you know, they’re on home territory here, and I think they’ll be really relaxed and the crowd will be really appreciative of them.”

Melvin admitted he thought it was “absolutely shocking” that The Mary Wallopers recently claimed that their mics were “cut off” at the Victorious music festival for displaying a Palestinian flag.

He said: “I mean, it was shocking. What happened to The Mary Wallopers. Absolutely shocking. And, you know, I’m glad a number of artists then ended up withdrawing as a result of it.

“It definitely won’t be my policy,” he said.

And Melvin said he isn’t worried about protestors at Electric Picnic but there will be security on site to handle anything that might happen.

“We have protocols in place to handle all sorts of things, but I don’t anticipate people protesting about Kneecap.”

On Friday night, the crowds are set to be wowed by performances from Hozier and Chappell Roan, with Melvin describing it as “beyond special” for fans to see the artists perform live.

“It is an amazing amount of tickets for a country as small as Ireland. It’s impressive. We’re not making it any bigger next year. People will be unhappy about that, I suspect,” he said laughing.

Melvin said Stradbally feels like it will be the “centre of the world” this weekend.

“I mean, it’s interesting. Just it’s sort of, you know, listening to the radio this morning and people just talk about Stradbally as though it’s the centre of the world this weekend, and it’s right that they do, because Stradbally is the centre of the world this weekend,” he added.

On Tuesday, media were treated to a sneak peek of what is expected at this weekend’s three day festival, including a piano performance by top pianist Niall Kinsella, who performed hits including Hozier’s rendition of Take Me To Church – a taster of what can be expected near the Croí stage.

The Cranberries star Noel Hogan also joined Niall on stage to perform hit single, Zombie.

Speaking afterwards, Noel revealed it will be the first time he will reunite on stage since 2018 with the band since Dolores O’Riordan’s tragic death.

Noel and Mike Hogan of The Cranberries are scheduled to play with the RTÉ Orchestra at Electric Picnic on Sunday at 3.30pm on the main stage.

He said: “I’m slightly nervous. It’s been a while, really. The last time Mike and I played together was 2018 so it’s a long time. Well, we see each other every week, my brother, but, I mean actually on stage.

“With the orchestra, it’s nice to have that, you know, that’s something we never actually got to do as a band. So it’ll be amazing for us to hear these songs played live again after all this time.

“We have rehearsals this week now so I’m really excited about it, but it’s slightly dreading it in some ways, especially some of the older, older songs.

“I think that the band is still as popular as they are, it’s kind of when we were asked to do it, you know, like, no, no, we won’t. But then the more people we spoke to were like, ‘Well, why not?’ Like, people want to hear the songs.

“So that’s why we decided we would do it. And I mean, it’s probably the best legacy we can have, is that the songs have lived on far longer than the band did.”

Noel said a surprise special guest will also sing with them: “There’s not really any replacing and this is a one-off that we will be doing. It will be interesting. We are looking forward to it.”

Asked if they would consider going back on the road after they see how popular they will be at Electric Picnic, Noel said: “I don’t know. We are a lot older than we used to be. But never say never but that isn’t the plan.”

Noel admitted he is always so “surprised” by the band being hugely popular.

“Yeah, it’s been such a surprise, because you think you know we were together 30 years and like Linger and Zombie, and those are the bones of 30 years old. And you never think, when you write those in your bedroom, that all these years later, they’re as popular as the songs we grew up listening to.

“It’s amazing. I mean, none of us are complaining about that. It’s an amazing thing. And I guess I noticed it with my own kids, when their friends were coming in and they were like, ‘Oh, we loved that song.’

“So, I mean, we must have done something, right? Is what you start thinking to yourself.

“I guess the last few years, like, I think Zombie hit a billion there a few years ago, and like, we are genuinely the most surprised people of anyone that this is as popular as it ever has been.”

Noel said he was so surprised by the rugby and hurling team taking on their songs: “Yeah, because we’re the least sporty people that has ever been,” he said laughing.

“It’s funny, because people ask you what your thoughts are on hurling and rugby and I have no idea. I couldn’t name you one person that plays for them, but it’s great, like it is amazing.

“And Derry Girls was like an ad for The Cranberries. In many ways, it’s funny, because you get asked, ‘Is it okay for these songs to be used on whatever movie or TV?’ and you say ‘yes’, and then a year goes by, you kind of forget about it and then these shows come out, and you hear Dreams or something, and you’ve forgotten that you gave the okay so long ago.

“And then when the show is as popular as that, I mean, it’s brilliant, because suddenly you hear the songs on the radio, and it kind of spikes a bit again so it is great,” he added.

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