The Pop Corporation

You’ve probably seen that Kneecap have found themselves on the wrong end of a tongue lashing from Sharon Osborne, what with their opposition to what’s happening currently with the people of Palestine.

If we’re all meant to be free speech absolutists in 2025, then if someone screening ‘FREE PALESTINE’ on a big screen hurts your soul, you have to suck it up, and potentially set up a big screen of your own saying something to the contrary, if you’ve got the bottle that is.

However, we’re going to go through Sharon’s statement that she released, and we’re inviting you to follow us as we pick it apart. Feel tense about it?

Grow up.

“Coachella 2025 will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity.”

For starters, get to fuck. There’s very little ‘spiritual integrity’ for a field full of people that are littered with far too many celebrities and influencers, and a number of them on drugs which were at some point, involved in some seriously dodgy behaviour.

Anyway…

“Goldenvoice, the festival organiser, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression. At a time when the world is experiencing significant unrest, music should serve as an escape, not a stage for political discourse.”

Okay. Before we get going, we’d like to first share the lyrics of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’. You’ll know already that Sharon is married to Ozzy Osborne, and he’s a member of Black Sabbath.

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death’s construction

In the fields, the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh, Lord, yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait ’til their judgement day comes, yeah

Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where their bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour

Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing, spreads his wings

We’re going to assume that, had Sabbath headlined, there’d be none of this bullshit. Or, are anti-war sentiments only okay when they’re vaguely against all war?

“While festivals like Coachella showcase remarkable talent from around the globe, music’s primary purpose is to unite people.”

Music’s primary purpose is not to unite people; that’s a crock of nonsense. You might argue that music’s primary focus is to speak it’s own truth, whatever that is, but we’re not even sure of that. Mostly, music is about shagging, or a lack of shagging, most likely.

“It should not be a venue for promoting terrorist organisations or spreading hate. Green Day, a band I personally admire, chose to share their views on the Middle East during their Coachella performance.”

Says who? There’s been plenty of political statements and protest messages at music festivals over the years. Hendrix’s ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock has been cited as one of the most iconic live performances of all time. Should he have nixed it, in case some American general got their knickers in a twist over the looming threat of Communism and the Vietnam war?

Behave.

“While I respect their right to express their opinions such discussions would have been more appropriate at their own concert, not at a festival.”

It doesn’t sound an awful lot like you’re respecting someone’s right to express their opinions, by telling them where it is polite to say the things that are on their mind. If this is rock ‘n’ roll, then fuck polite society, right?

“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements.”

It’s hard to sympathise with this. ‘Aggressive political statements’ are just that. They’re not even close to actual aggressive political actions. Words on a screen versus people getting blown to bits, and you felt compelled to write about that?

“Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organisations.”

This whole thing about any opposition to a nation’s armed forces being a tacit approval of terrorism has been debunked numerous times, and is frankly, showcasing either a lazy attitude to something that you’d prefer nuance and specific venues – but it’s from a woman who once said of Tony Blair: “the grinning twat – he needs to be tarred and feathered that motherfucker… there are no consequences for fuckers like them… they wouldn’t be so quick to make decisions if they had to live with the consequences. If they had no arms or legs.”

Whether she’s got a point or not, she shouldn’t really be saying that in an interview with the Guardian – very much a festival audience – she should have saved that for her own blog.

Either way, this is still the tussle between two freedoms of speech right?

“This behaviour raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA. Reports indicate that Goldenvoice was unaware of Kneecap’s political intentions when they were booked. However, after witnessing their performance during the first weekend, allowing them to perform again the following weekend suggests support of their rhetoric and a lack of due diligence. Scooter Braun, who has been involved in organizing the Nova Music Festival exhibit—a tribute to the victims of the October 7th attacks in Israel—has defended Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett as he attended the Nova Exhibit. If Tollett visited the Nova exhibit, he would have seen the portraits of every person that was killed that day and heard some of their voices on cell phone recordings, sent home to their loved ones. It is difficult to comprehend how if somebody saw this exhibit firsthand that they could book a band on their festival that is in support of what was done that day and supports the group responsible for this mass murder. “

Scooter Braun, eh? There’s a rare instance of someone talking about him positively, what with the volley of accusations from Taylor Swift over the years. Either way, that’s small fry compared to the larger geopolitical picture.

“Not one IDF solider was killed that day, just 1400 innocent civilians. Furthermore, the Independent Artists Group, which represents Kneecap, includes individuals of Jewish heritage. It is disheartening that they have not used their positions to prevent the promotion of such controversial messages. Shame on them.”

Wasn’t it just shy of 400 people killed? Still, 400 too many, but inflating a figure to attack a group. And given that the Israeli government themselves admitted culpability in some of the deaths is still worth noting. As ugly and horrific as these deaths are, it’s irresponsible to make light of them because a band went on stage and basically said some stuff.

“As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved. Goldenvoice’s claim of being “blindsided” by Kneecap’s performance seems implausible given the circumstances. I know for a fact that certain people in the industry had written to Goldenvoice, airing their concerns around the booking of Kneecap.”

Maybe so.

“I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”

You fear that the message has already been heard, and Kneecap are not reliant on a US work visa to do their thing. You feel that the response from the audience was clear enough, and in fact, one of the problems the US may see in the coming weeks is that, Kneecap or not, there’s a huge section of the youth who already agree with the sentiment and in fact, are tired of polite discourse and prefer ‘aggressive political statements’, rather than endless kowtowing and dinner party chatter.

What do Kneecap say in response?

“Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign. For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes.

The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.

Let us be absolutely clear.

The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing. Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponise false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.

We do not give a fuck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent.

No media spin will change this.

Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting.

The young people at our gigs see through the lies.

They stand on the side of humanity and justice.

And that gives us great hope.”