🔗 Share this article

Punk duo lead singer Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" performance at the festival and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Reactions

This vocal punk pair ignited widespread controversy when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June set. The chant was condemned by Glastonbury and Britain's leader Keir Starmer, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the incident, the band was released by its agency UTA, and the US state department revoked the artists' visas, compelling the duo to call off a planned North American concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

In his initial interview after the festival performance, Vylan, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When asked if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Oh yeah. Like what if I was to perform at the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would do it again. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the criticism the band faced was "small compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Chant's Importance

"I don't want to overstate the significance of the slogan," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but if I have their support, they're the individuals that I'm doing it for, they're the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've upset some conservative official or some conservative media?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Comments

The musician said he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the exclamation, and stated that staff of BBC staff at the event told him on the day that the performance was "fantastic."

Yet, the corporation's ECU subsequently found that the network's broadcast of the performance violated editorial standards in regard to harm and hurt.

He informed the host there was no indication of a controversy in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we came off stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Including staff at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

Vylan also responded at the Blur singer, who labeled the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described Vylan as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

Albarn's reaction was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," he remarked.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that somehow the politics of the band or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he explained.

"I strongly object with the term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's typically associated around the Nazis," he continued. "Precisely. And for him to use that language, I think is offensive. I think his response was disgusting."

Meaning Behind the Chant

When questioned what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the conditions that exist to permit that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in the region. In which the local population are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the chant?" he stated.

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

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also rejected assertions from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish safety organisation, that their set led to a rise in anti-Jewish events reported later.

"I believe I have created an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were large numbers of individuals acting and going like 'We made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad impact here," he commented.

Comparison with Other Bands

When he mentioned he felt the band had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the situation, Theroux brought up the Irish group Kneecap, who have also faced backlash for their method to pro-Palestine messaging.

"That's an interesting one," he responded, "since as with everything race comes to play a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than they are because we are already the opponent."