Bobby Vylan Position on Glastonbury Israel Defense Forces Chant: "Zero Regrets"
Punk duo lead singer of Bob Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at the festival and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
Controversial Exclamation and Political Reactions
This vocal punk duo sparked significant controversy when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their June performance. This chant was condemned by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "appalling hate speech."
After the event, Bob Vylan was released by its agency UTA, and the US state department cancelled the artists' travel documents, forcing the duo to call off a planned US and Canada tour.
Conversation with the Podcaster
During his initial interview since the Glastonbury show, the musician, using his real name is Pascal Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he replied:
"Oh yeah. Like what if I was to perform at the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
He added that the criticism the band encountered was "minimal compared to what individuals in Gaza are experiencing."
Regarding the Chant's Importance
"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the chant," he continued. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but since I have their support, these are the individuals that I'm doing it for, these are the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've angered some rightwing politician or some conservative news outlet?"
Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Feedback
The artist claimed he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the exclamation, and stated that staff of BBC staff at Glastonbury told him on the day that the set was "excellent."
However, the corporation's executive complaints unit later determined that the network's broadcast of the show breached content guidelines in relation to offense and hurt.
Vylan informed Theroux there was no indication of a controversy in the moment: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It was normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Including staff at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We loved that!'"
Response to Blur Frontman
Vylan also responded at the Blur singer, who called the protest "a major misstep I've witnessed in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in sport gear."
Albarn's comment was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.
"I just want to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the views of the band or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he stated.
"I take great issue with the term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's typically associated around Nazi Germany," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."
Intent Behind the Slogan
When asked what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan said the slogan itself was "insignificant."
"What is important is the situation that persist to permit that chant to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. Where the local people are being killed at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the chant?" he said.
"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, right? … We are there to perform. We are there to play music. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Ideal chant."
Denial of Hate Speech Allegations
The musician also denied claims from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish community safety group, that their set contributed to a rise in antisemitic events recorded later.
"I believe I have caused an hostile environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were many individuals of people acting and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad impact here," he said.
Contrast with Other Artists
As Vylan said he felt the duo had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the situation, the host brought up the Irish band Kneecap, who have likewise faced backlash for their approach to pro-Palestine messaging.
"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "since as with everything race comes to play a factor in that we are an more convenient target, seriously, than others are because we are already the enemy."