Tom Morello, Brian Eno, CMAT, and 100 Other Artists Sign Letter Supporting Freedom of Expression Rights

Support for Musicians’ Freedom of Expression

Tom Morello, Brian Eno, and CMAT are among over 100 artists who recently pledged their support for musicians’ right to freedom of expression.

Response to Ongoing Controversies

The letter comes as a direct response to the ongoing controversy surrounding the group Kneecap, which has been signed by figures in the industry. Politicians are attempting to exclude them from festival lineups this summer, including events like Glastonbury and Trnsmt.

Initially presented earlier this week, the letter saw notable artists such as PULP, IDles, Fontaines DC, BICEP, Enter Shikari, English Teachers, and The Pogues, among others, signing it. Daniel Lambert, manager for Heavenly and Noteecap, has since released an updated list featuring over 100 new signatures.

Lambert shared an updated list on X, stating: “More and more every hour are standing behind Kneecap.” In addition to Morello, Eno, and CMAT, the new signatories also include Acts like Mogwai, Pigeons, Nadine Shah, Shame, and more. Check the current list below, with new signatories highlighted in red.

More and more every hour stand behind Kneecap 💚🤍🧡❤ pic.twitter.com/armfycfpl

– Daniel Lambert (@dllambo) May 1, 2025

Support for Tom Morello’s stance on Kneecap is notable, as he is set to serve as musical director for Black Sabbath’s final concert in July. This concert, overseen by Sharon Osbourne, has faced calls for the cancellation of NoteCap’s work visa following the band’s endorsement of free Palestine at Coachella, where they also led the crowd in an anti-Margaret Thatcher chant.

The Kneecap responded to Osbourne’s visa withdrawal suggestion, stating, “There are so many holes in her pompous speech that it hardly needs a response, but she should listen to the ‘military pigs’ on Black Saturday.”

Daniel Lambert, who signed the initial letter, also shared a new statement on social media in defense of Kneecap: “While world leaders turn a blind eye to the genocide of the most oppressed people on Earth, we cannot remain silent. Ireland is putting everything on the line to call out war criminals Netanyahu, Trump, and Biden.”

Read Dampsi’s full statement below.

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The post divided by Damien Dampsi (@damiendampseymusic)

Meanwhile, Kneecap’s manager Daniel Lambert defended the trio against the negative reaction to their appearance on RTé Prime Time on Tuesday evening (April 29), stating: “Children are starving, yet we spend six or seven days talking about Kneecap,” adding, “We spent less than a day discussing the fifteen executed doctors.”

During an interview with Miriam O’Challagan, Lambert insisted that “in every moment, the group has an absolute conviction that they are acting correctly and are on the right side of history.”

These remarks came after Kneecap drew attention from counter-terrorism police in the UK, who stated they were reviewing two videos from the group’s concerts. In one clip, members appear to incite a crowd chanting “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah,” while another allegedly features calls for violence against conservative deputies.

Since then, the band has denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah and clarified they do not endorse violence against deputies: “Let’s be clear: we do not support Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. This is never acceptable, especially given our country’s history.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzlsid29ba8

Earlier this week, Massive Attack, who have long advocated for Palestine and have boycotted performances in Israel since 1999, issued a statement supporting Kneecap and calling for an end to what they describe as the “genocide” against the Palestinian people.

In a statement entitled “Kneecap is Not a Story,” Massive Attack wrote: “If senior politicians cannot find the words to condemn the murder of fifteen humanitarian workers in Gaza, or the illegal starvation of the civilian population as a method of military strategy, then what moral authority do they have in booking acts for a music festival?”

Kneecap faced several concert cancellations in light of the criticism, including an upcoming performance at the Eden Project in Cornwall. In response, they quickly announced a replacement show on July 4 at the Plymouth Pavilion.

This followed a similar series of events where the group was dropped by German festivals Hurricane and Southside yet managed to secure three new bookings in the same time frame.