Bobby Vylan Position on Glastonbury IDF Chant: "Zero Regrets"

Punk duo lead singer Bobby Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at the festival and declared he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Political Reactions

This vocal music pair ignited significant controversy when they initiated crowd calls of "down with the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. This slogan was censured by Glastonbury and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the incident, the band was released by its representation UTA, and the American government revoked the members' travel documents, compelling them to cancel a planned North American tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

During his first interview since the festival performance, the musician, using his real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Oh yeah. Like suppose I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again. I'm without regret 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 going through."

Regarding the Chant's Significance

"I aim not to overstate the importance of the chant," he continued. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have their support, these are 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 angered some rightwing politician or some rightwing media?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Feedback

The musician claimed he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the chant, and asserted that staff of BBC staff at the event told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."

However, the broadcaster's ECU later found that the network's airing of the show violated content standards in relation to offense and hurt.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Nobody. Including crew at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

Vylan also hit back at the Blur singer, who called the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and characterized him as "marching in sport gear."

Albarn's comment was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," he remarked.

"I just want 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 stated.

"I take great issue with the term 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around the Nazis," he continued. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his answer was appalling."

Intent Behind the Slogan

After asked what he intended by the phrase "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that protest to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in the region. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he said.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he noted: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, right? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Denial of Antisemitism Claims

The musician also denied assertions from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish safety group, that their set contributed to a rise in anti-Jewish incidents recorded later.

"I believe I have caused an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were large numbers of individuals acting and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a negative effect here," he said.

Contrast with Different Bands

When he mentioned he thought the duo had been criticised more heavily than different artists for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based band another band, who have likewise encountered backlash for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan responded, "since as with all things ethnicity comes to play a factor in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the enemy."