Bobby Vylan Position on Festival IDF Chant: "No Remorse"

Punk duo frontman Bobby Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at the festival and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Exclamation and Political Responses

This vocal music pair ignited significant controversy when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their summer performance. This chant was condemned by Glastonbury and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the incident, the band was released by its representation UTA, and the US government revoked the artists' visas, compelling the duo to call off a planned US and Canada concert series.

Interview with the Podcaster

During his initial interview since the festival show, Vylan, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. After questioned if he would repeat his actions, he responded:

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

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

On the Chant's Significance

"I don't want to overstate the significance of the chant," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's support, they're the people that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've upset some conservative official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Comments

The musician claimed he was surprised by the uproar sparked by the chant, and asserted that members of the broadcaster employees at the event told him on the same day that the performance was "excellent."

However, the corporation's executive complaints unit subsequently found that the BBC's broadcast of the show violated content guidelines in regard to harm and hurt.

Vylan told the host there was no sign of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even crew at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

The musician also responded at the Blur singer, who called the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

Albarn's comment was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," he said.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the views of the band or our position on Palestine's freedom is unplanned," he stated.

"I strongly object with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he added. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his answer was disgusting."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

When questioned what he meant by the chant "Death to the IDF," the artist said the slogan itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that protest to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. In which the Palestinian population are being slain at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he stated.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, right? … We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Rejection of Hate Speech Claims

The musician also rejected claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their set contributed to a rise in antisemitic incidents reported two days.

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

Contrast with Other Bands

As he mentioned he thought the band had been targeted more severely than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have likewise faced backlash for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "because as with all things race becomes a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, no pun intended, than others are because we are already the opponent."

Christine Miller
Christine Miller

Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for demystifying complex innovations and sharing practical advice for everyday tech users.