Irish rap group Kneecap performs with missing ‘severed head of King George’ statue as streak of anti-colonial vandalism sparks police probe
The severed bronze head of King George V has made a dramatic appearance at a concert by Irish Republican band Kneecap in Melbourne, Australia.
The head, which was sawn off a statue in Kings Domain last June, was displayed on stage during the Belfast band’s performance last Friday.
Video footage shows the large bronze head of the monarch, who reigned from 1910 to 1936, prominently featured during the show.
The controversial display marks the latest chapter in the saga of the decapitated royal statue.
The band addressed the incident on Instagram after the concert, writing: “Some madman dropped by with a huge King George’s head so he could hear a few tunes for our last Melbourne show.”
“Allegedly his head was cut off last year in the city. Anyways, he was put on stage for a few tunes and then whisked away. Remember, every colony can fall,” they added.
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The final comment appears to reference the slogan “the colony will fall” that is frequently sprayed onto vandalised colonial statues in Australia during Aboriginal land rights protests.
The statue’s decapitation last June was dedicated to King Charles by the perpetrators.
A 50-second video of the attack, set to the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” was posted online with the message: “Happy Birthday Motherf****r.”
The footage appeared on social media platform X, shared by a group calling itself WACA – the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance.
No arrests have been made in connection with the original vandalism of the monument, which has become a symbol in ongoing protests against colonial monuments.
Since the head was removed from the statue in Melbourne, it has made several appearances on social media.
On Australia Day in January this year, the bronze head was burned on a barbecue, with it also being photographed dumped in a lavatory, and in another instance, the royal head was decorated with a feather boa.
These provocative displays have continued the controversy surrounding the monument, with the head periodically resurfacing in different settings before its latest appearance at the Kneecap concert.
Police are investigating both the original vandalism and the recent concert appearance of the severed head.
“Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives continue to investigate damage to a statue in Kings Domain last year,” a spokesman for police in the state of Victoria said.
The spokesman added: “Investigators are also aware that the head from what appears to be a statue appeared at a concert in Melbourne on March 14.”
Authorities have yet to make any arrests in connection with the statue’s desecration, despite the head’s multiple public appearances since it was removed.
The investigation remains ongoing as police attempt to track the head’s whereabouts.