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Kneecap say TfL blocked original ‘Fenian’ posters, prompting censorship
Kneecap's manager says Transport for London rejected the group's original posters for Fenian, forcing a redacted campaign after the booking company was told the word "FENIAN" could not be displayed. TfL says it only received the censored artwork.
Kneecap’s manager says Transport for London refused to accept the trio’s original posters for their new album Fenian, forcing a censored version into the campaign. The album was released on May 1. It is the group’s second record, following 2024’s Fine Art.
The album features collaborations with Kae Tempest, Radie Peat and Fawzi. Singles include “Irish Goodbye”, the title track, “Smugglers & Scholars” and “Liars Tale”, which targets Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The original poster used the album artwork, the title in a bold red font and several four- and five-star review blurbs. It also included a line attributed to the prime minister calling the group “completely intolerable”, the band’s manager Daniel Lambert said on X (formerly Twitter).
Lambert said the original artwork was rejected and that the campaign proceeded only after the word “FENIAN” and the PM’s name were blanked out. He posted two images: a photo of a redacted poster in situ and a screenshot of an email flagged “KNEECAP Tube Ads” that said the word could not be displayed.
“I can confirm TFL will not allow the word FENIAN to be displayed unfortunately. All ads have to be completely impartial and non-political of any movement.”
TfL told the Belfast Telegraph that they had only received the redacted version and did not request any changes before the campaign started. A spokesperson said the redacted poster reflected the submission and that any copy is assessed case-by-case with reference to the Committee of Advertising Practice.
“The redacted style of the poster reflects the version that was submitted to us for approval. We did not request any changes to the artwork before the current advertising campaign commenced.”
Lambert disputed that account and wrote on X that the booking company had confirmed the original artwork was not accepted by TfL and that approval for the redacted version took a week, causing missed deadlines.
The word fenian refers historically to 19th-century Irish revolutionaries. It has also been used as a slur. Members of Kneecap told NME they intend to reclaim the term as a reference to the warrior and to the communal identity behind the word. Móglaí Bap said the term was repurposed as a derogatory slur and that the band want to change that usage.
NME gave Fenian four-and-a-half stars, writing that the record is “a solid, progressive and fearless album”. The trio are also listed among contenders for the UK Album Chart this week, alongside releases from Melanie C and Michael Jackson.
