Bobby Vylan Position on Glastonbury IDF Protest: "Zero Remorse"

The lead singer of Bob Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at Glastonbury and declared he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Official Responses

The outspoken punk duo ignited widespread debate when they led crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June set. This chant was condemned by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the incident, Bob Vylan was released by its representation UTA, and the American state department cancelled the artists' travel documents, compelling them to call off a planned North American tour.

Interview with the Podcaster

In his initial interview after the festival performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he replied:

"Oh yeah. For instance what if I was to perform at the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would do it again. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the criticism the duo faced was "minimal compared to what people in Gaza are experiencing."

On the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he continued. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but since I have their backing, they're the individuals that I'm doing it 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 official or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Response and BBC Feedback

This musician claimed he was surprised by the uproar sparked by the exclamation, and asserted that members of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."

Yet, the corporation's executive complaints unit later determined that the network's airing of the performance violated content standards in relation to offense and hurt.

He informed the host there was no indication of a controversy in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It's normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Even crew at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

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

His comment was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' implies that somehow the views of the duo or our position on Palestine's freedom is unplanned," he explained.

"I take great issue with the phrase 'marching' 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 answer was disgusting."

Meaning Behind the Chant

When asked what he intended by the chant "Death to the IDF," the artist said the slogan itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the situation that exist to permit that protest to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in Palestine. Where the local population are being killed at an disturbing rate. What matters about the chant?" he stated.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, would it? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Rejection of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also denied assertions from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish safety organisation, that their set contributed to a rise in antisemitic incidents recorded later.

"I don't think I have caused an unsafe environment for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of people acting and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he said.

Contrast with Different Bands

As Vylan said he thought the duo had been criticised more severely than others for speaking about the situation, Theroux referenced the Irish group another band, who have likewise faced criticism for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan responded, "because as with all things ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an easier target, no pun intended, than others are because we are already the opponent."