AN utter triumph – it's the only way to describe Kneecap's gig at the SSE Arena on Saturday night.

Once upon a time being a 'Fenian C**t' close to Belfast's shipyards came with a health warning, but on Saturday this particular tongue-firmly-in-cheek track was roared with gusto as part of a setlist that left the sold-out crowd purring.

Comprising of Westies Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara, alongside Derry's DJ Próvaí, this concert came against the backdrop of the passing of Irish language champion Gearóid Ó Cairealláin – father of Móglaí (Naoise). There was a sense that the 9,200 who flocked to the venue were headed to the biggest Irish wake of all time and so it proved as the native tongue took over on an 'I was there' night.

Just how Móglaí Bap and his bandmates not only held it together but produced what they did is a mystery, yet a testament to their resolve. The heat rose throughout the set, opening with the first track from their critically acclaimed 'Fine Art' album '3CAG' before 'It's Been Ages' signalled the end of the beginning, culminating in a crescendo of mosh-pit madness led by the Derry wan who crowd-surfed through a joyous throng. 

The cameos throughout the night weren't totally unexpected but nonetheless perfect, with Grian Chatten from Dublin's Fontaines D.C. emerging to perform his chorus from 'Better Way To Live', a nod to the brotherhood both groups have forged and will continue into 2025 as Kneecap are set to support the indie behemoth during huge summer shows with Irish bands now very much in vogue. 

The notion of Irish language hip-hop was little more than a hallucination a decade ago, but the "sniffer dogs were indeed, shite". It could never work, but from an underground movement of dedicated fans to begin, Kneecap is now an act that can't be ignored. And they have done it with two fingers up to the system, shunned by the local "great wee tune" radio stations and only found on the air by those who genuinely have a grá for music with BBC 6 Music placing them in their 'Artists of the Year' list, whilst the Sunday Times 'Album of the Year' list saw them take fifth place.

That could only have been possible by producing the tracks and that is something Kneecap do not lack. They have played the system like a fiddle for a long time, building their profile in an age when emerging acts have never had it so tough as music streaming results in little to no income from record sales. So, how has this been possible? Nights like Saturday are why.  

The energy, the beats, the tightness of the trio and their steadfast dedication to a gig being delivered by an on-the-edge chaos. You know what to expect, but then you don't. 
Yeah, Kneecap isn't everyone's swig of Buckfast, but neither is the genre. Abrasive lyrics and going after topics many would rather believe aren't there leave some clutching at pearls, but then, welcome to rap music. For every 'Guilty Conscience', there's a 'F**k Tha Police'. It's a form of music born of protest, and there it will remain. Summer Holiday this is not. 

At the weekend, they stepped on a stage that some of music's biggest superstars have prowled and they made it their own, finishing with 'H.O.O.D' after an elongated chorus of 'C.E.A R.T.A' – the initial track written for a bit of craic before a night like Saturday could even be envisaged.

The backdrop at the end beamed an image of the late Gearóid Ó Cairealláin – a man to whom the night was dedicated and would have smiled down upon the confetti-draped arena as thousands chanted as Gaeilge. His son, bandmates, guests and more took a bow as 'Fairytale of New York' was sung in unison and then, upon exit, a wee bit of Elvis (an idol of Gearóid) got an airing.

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"We got love by our neighbours". Yes, Kneecap, you absolutely did. And that love affair looks set to continue for quite some time.