🔗 Share this article

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

Disputed Chant and Official Reactions

The vocal punk duo ignited widespread controversy when they initiated audience chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their summer performance. This chant was condemned by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the incident, the band was released by its agency United Talent Agency, and the US state department cancelled the artists' visas, compelling them to call off a scheduled North American concert series.

Interview with the Podcaster

During his first public discussion after the festival performance, the musician, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Oh yeah. Like suppose I was to go on the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist noted that the criticism the duo encountered was "small compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing."

Regarding the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the significance of the chant," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the people that I'm doing it for, these are the people that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've upset some conservative official or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Feedback

This musician claimed he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the exclamation, and asserted that staff of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the same day that the performance was "excellent."

However, the broadcaster's ECU subsequently determined that the BBC's airing of the performance violated editorial guidelines in regard to harm and hurt.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no sign of a controversy in the moment: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It's normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Including staff at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described Vylan as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."

His comment was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," he said.

"I just want to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests that somehow the politics of the duo or our stance on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he stated.

"I strongly object with the term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he added. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Chant

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

"The key issue is the conditions that persist to permit that protest to even take place on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that exist in Palestine. In which the local population are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters 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 entertain. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect slogan."

Rejection of Hate Speech Allegations

The musician also rejected assertions from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish safety group, that their set led to a spike in antisemitic incidents reported two days.

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

Comparison with Other Artists

When he mentioned he felt the band had been criticised more severely than others for speaking about the situation, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have also faced backlash for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan responded, "because as with all things race becomes a part in that we are an more convenient target, seriously, than others are because we are inherently the enemy."