Kneecap, the Belfast-based hip-hop trio known for being super political, made their Coachella debut on Friday (April 11), and they definitely didn’t hold back. During their set, they threw in a not-so-subtle jab at former British PM Margaret Thatcher, shouting, “If anybody was wondering, Margaret Thatcher’s still dead,” followed by a crowd chant of “Maggie’s in a box” to the tune of “Give It Up” by KC and The Sunshine Band.
Classic Kneecap move—but fans noticed that part of the performance was totally missing from the official Coachella livestream.
Then things got even spicier. The group posted on social media that their comments on the war in Gaza were also removed from the broadcast. “Not the only thing that was cut – our messaging on the US-backed genocide in Gaza somehow never appeared on screens either,” they wrote. “Back next Friday Coachella and it’ll be sorted.”
So yeah, they’re playing Weekend 2, and it sounds like they’re planning to double down.
Meanwhile, Green Day headlined the next night (April 12), and frontman Billie Joe Armstrong made some political tweaks to their lyrics too. During “American Idiot,” he switched the line “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda.” Later, during “Jesus of Suburbia,” he changed “Runnin’ away from pain when you’ve been victimized” to “Runnin’ away from pain, like the kids from Palestine.”
Unlike Kneecap’s set, Armstrong’s lyrical changes actually made it into the livestream.
Kneecap’s coming back for more at Coachella next weekend, and they’re also hitting North America again in October.