🔗 Share this article

Punk duo frontman Bobby Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" performance at Glastonbury and asserted he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Exclamation and Political Responses

This outspoken music duo ignited widespread controversy when they initiated audience calls of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the IDF, during their summer set. The slogan was censured by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

After the event, Bob Vylan was released by its representation UTA, and the US state department cancelled the artists' travel documents, compelling them to cancel a planned North American tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

During his first interview after the festival show, the musician, whose real name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Oh yeah. For instance suppose I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist noted that the backlash the band encountered was "minimal compared to what people in Gaza are going through."

Regarding the Chant's Importance

"I aim not to overstate the significance of the slogan," he continued. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the people that I'm advocating for, they're the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've upset some rightwing politician or some rightwing news outlet?"

Unexpected Reaction and BBC Feedback

The artist said he was taken aback by the outcry triggered by the chant, and asserted that staff of BBC employees at the event told him on the same day that the set was "fantastic."

Yet, the corporation's ECU later determined that the network's airing of the performance breached content standards in relation to harm and hurt.

Vylan told the host there was no sign of a controversy in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one suspected anything. Not a soul. Including crew at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

The musician also responded at the Blur singer, who labeled the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and characterized Vylan as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

His comment was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan said.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that in some way the views of the band or our stance on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he stated.

"I take great issue with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his answer was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

When asked what he intended by the chant "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the slogan itself was "unimportant."

"The key issue is the situation that exist to allow that chant to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in the region. Where the Palestinian people are being killed at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he stated.

"The phrase rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a lyricist. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Rejection of Antisemitism Allegations

The musician also denied claims from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their performance led to a spike in anti-Jewish events recorded two days.

"I believe I have caused an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. Suppose there were many individuals of people going out and going like 'We made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a negative effect here," he said.

Comparison with Other Bands

As he said he felt the band had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have likewise encountered backlash for their approach to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's an interesting one," he responded, "because as with everything ethnicity comes to play a part in that we are an more convenient villain, no pun intended, than others are because we are inherently the opponent."