Controversial Irish hip-hop group Kneecap parted ways with their booking agency Independent Artist Group, sources confirm to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s unclear what led to the band’s split from the agency, which took place between the first and second weekends of the Coachella music festival. Kneecap had faced significant backlash from Jewish music executives and groups after sharing a “fuck Israel, free Palestine” message during their Coachella set last weekend. After their weekend one set, the band claimed Coachella had censored their pro-Palestine messages from the festival’s official livestream. (Weekend two’s Kneecap performance was not live-streamed, but images of the onstage projections circulated widely on social media.)
A representative for IAG (which counts Billy Joel, Metallica and Mary J. Blige on its artist roster) confirmed the agency no longer represents Kneecap but didn’t provide any further details. IAG was formed in 2023 with the merger of mid-sized agencies APA and AGI. Kneecap’s management didn’t immediately reply to request for comment. The group has a busy touring schedule in the months ahead, playing major festivals including Primavera Sound in Spain and Glastonbury in England in June.
With the band now having an opening for their booking agency, the question now becomes who will represent them, or if they’ll face any struggles finding a new agency as groups like the Creative Community for Peace called it “outrageous” for Coachella’s organizers AEG and Goldenvoice to have platformed them “at a time of record levels of antisemitism.” The band’s critics have pointed toward statements Kneecap have made at concerts in support of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which the U.S. labels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Kneecap’s Mo Chara responded to the criticism to Rolling Stone on Wednesday, claiming that their message is “about [the Israeli government’s] government’s sickening actions, not ordinary people.”
“We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza,” Chara said.
