Punk duo lead singer Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at the festival and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
Disputed Chant and Political Reactions
This vocal punk duo ignited significant controversy when they initiated crowd calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their June set. This slogan was censured by festival organizers and Britain's leader Keir Starmer, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."
Following the event, the band was released by its representation UTA, and the US state department revoked the artists' visas, forcing the duo to cancel a planned US and Canada tour.
Interview with Louis Theroux
During his first interview after the festival show, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:
"Oh yeah. Like suppose I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, definitely I would do it again. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
The artist added that the backlash the duo faced was "small compared to what people in Gaza are experiencing."
Regarding the Protest's Importance
"I aim not to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's support, they're the people that I'm advocating for, they're the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've upset some conservative politician or some rightwing news outlet?"
Surprising Reaction and Broadcaster Feedback
The musician said he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the chant, and asserted that members of BBC employees at the event told him on the same day that the set was "excellent."
However, the broadcaster's ECU later determined that the BBC's broadcast of the show breached editorial guidelines in relation to offense and hurt.
He informed the host there was no indication of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we came off stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Not a soul. Including crew at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"
Reply to Damon Albarn
Vylan also hit back at the Blur singer, who labeled the protest "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and described Vylan as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."
His reaction was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.
"I need to say that labeling it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that somehow the politics of the band or our stance on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he stated.
"I strongly object with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around the Nazis," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was appalling."
Meaning Behind the Slogan
When asked what he intended by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."
"The key issue is the situation that exist to permit that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in Palestine. Where the local people are being slain at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the chant?" he said.
"The phrase rhymes," he added: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, right? … We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect chant."
Rejection of Antisemitism Claims
The musician also denied claims from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish safety group, that their set contributed to a spike in antisemitic events reported two days.
"I believe I have caused an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish people. If there were large numbers of individuals going out and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he commented.
Comparison with Different Bands
As he said he felt the band had been criticised more heavily than others for speaking about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have also encountered backlash for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.
"That's an interesting one," he responded, "since as with all things race becomes a factor in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the opponent."
