Bob Vylan Stance on Glastonbury Israel Defense Forces Chant: "No Regrets"

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

Disputed Chant and Political Reactions

The outspoken music pair sparked significant controversy when they initiated crowd calls of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the IDF, during their summer performance. The chant was censured by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

After the event, the band was dropped by its agency UTA, and the American government cancelled the members' travel documents, forcing them to cancel a scheduled North American tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

During his first public discussion since the Glastonbury performance, the musician, using his birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would repeat his actions, he responded:

"Absolutely. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful 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 going through."

Regarding the Protest's Significance

"I aim not to overstate the significance of the slogan," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the individuals that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've upset some conservative politician or some conservative news outlet?"

Surprising Response and BBC Feedback

This artist said he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the chant, and stated that members of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the same day that the set was "excellent."

Yet, the corporation's ECU later found that the BBC's airing of the performance violated editorial guidelines in relation to offense and hurt.

He told Theroux there was no indication of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everybody was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Not a soul. Including staff at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

Vylan also responded at Damon Albarn, who called the protest "a major misstep I've witnessed in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

His comment was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," he said.

"I need to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the politics of the duo 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. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his answer was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

After questioned what he intended by the chant "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the slogan itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the situation that persist to permit that protest to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in Palestine. Where the Palestinian population are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a lyricist. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal chant."

Rejection of Hate Speech Allegations

Vylan also rejected assertions from the Community Security Trust, a monitoring and Jewish safety organisation, that their performance led to a rise in antisemitic incidents recorded two days.

"I don't think I have caused an hostile environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were many individuals of people acting and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a bad impact here," he commented.

Contrast with Other Artists

As Vylan said he thought the band had been criticised more heavily than different artists for speaking about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Irish band Kneecap, who have also encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestinian advocacy.

"That's a notable point," he responded, "because as with all things ethnicity comes to play a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than others are because we are inherently the enemy."

Melissa Lewis
Melissa Lewis

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the UK casino industry, specializing in slot machine reviews and player strategies.