The Murder Capital have given a passionate speech outside a Berlin venue after their gig was pulled due to the band’s use of a Palestinian flag.
The Irish group were due to play at Club Gretchen in the German capital on Saturday night (May 10) as part of a world tour supporting their third album ‘Blindness’, which was released in February.
The show was cancelled by local authorities, however, when they learned of the band’s intentions to display a Palestinian flag on the stage during their performance, something which they have done at all of their recent shows.
Reacting to the news, the band gave a speech outside the venue to many of their fans, which they have posted on Instagram. They also went on to play an acoustic show in the open air for those in attendance.
Holding a Palestinian flag aloft, frontman James McGovern explained the band’s stance on the issue. “We pulled into Berlin this morning, we had no idea that we weren’t allowed to fly this flag here today,” he said. “We found out early this afternoon. This is from the band’s point of view.”
“We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do, we came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes – what if they decide to cancel the show? We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that. And our decision was that we’re gonna put the flag on stage.”
He continued that they considered replacing the flag with a banner reading “Free Palestine”, but he said the authorities would not allow this either. “So it’s not just about national flags, it’s about political statements,” he said.
“To us, this isn’t just a political statement, it’s a humanitarian statement. We’ve been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we’ve been speaking about it as people. It’s not all about politics, it’s about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that’s happening right now.”
“So, for us as a band who has had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it would be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage just so that the venue is kept happy. We don’t agree with that.
“We wish live music and art and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately it just cannot be. That’s the way it is so we’ll be back to you as soon as we can and we appreciate all your support deeply, but most importantly, free Palestine.”
Watch a clip of the band’s subsequent acoustic performance outside the venue above, as captured by a fan in attendance.
Germany has strict laws against hate speech and antisemitism and Kneecap’s scheduled shows in the country were recently cancelled in the light of their outspoken comments at Coachella and elsewhere about the Israeli government’s ongoing operations in Gaza.
The backlash against Kneecap caused countless major artists to sign a letter written by their label Heavenly that stood up for artists’ “freedom of expression”. The letter read: “In a democracy, no political figures or political parties should have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals or gigs that will be enjoyed by thousands of people.”
The Murder Capital, too, have been consistent in their support of Gaza and the Palestinian people, donating profits from their single ‘Love Of Country’ towards aid in Palestine. McGovern said the song is about “the dark side of patriotism and nationalism, and what they become when they are warped and weaponised.”
In a press release, he added: “Across the world, we are seeing hatred of “other” spreading like a disease. No claiming of land today is more barbaric than the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.”
“We are releasing a 7” record of ‘Love Of Country’, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to Medical Aid for Palestine. In the face of, and beyond such clear acts of evil, it is more vital than ever to cherish the richness of our diverse communities and the power of human connection. We must stand firm against the rise of nationalist ideologies and speak up for those whose worlds are being torn apart by hatred and violence.”
The band also discussed the issue with NME last year: “Nationalism, patriotism, all of these topics are hot on the tongue of everybody, for so many different reasons: the genocide going on in Palestine, Trump being re-elected. Irishness comes up all the time for us – more often than not, because we’re feeling pride for our country – [but also] dismay at the way things are being handled by our government, the way people are being let down and pushed into corners. There’s a lot of that in the world. Not just the people who are committing atrocities, but people who are filled with this hatred of ‘other’.”
NME awarded ‘Blindness’ three stars, noting: “‘Love Of Country’, recorded in a single live take, is a sprawling meditation on the push and pull between patriotism, nationalism and xenophobia, and shows McGovern’s songwriting at its most incisive. If The Murder Capital’s aim was to purge themselves of inertia, then ‘Blindness’ can only be judged as a success.”
The band are set to play their biggest headline show to date at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on July 19, with guests Soft Play and Mary In The Junkyard. Find any remaining tickets here.
Other major shows in the pipeline include supporting The Maccabees at All Points East 2025 in London on August 24 (tickets here) and opening for Queens Of The Stone Age at Sheffield’s Rock N Roll Circus on August 27 and 28 (tickets here).
