Bobby Vylan's Stance on Festival IDF Chant: "No Remorse"

The lead singer Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "without regret" about his "anti-IDF chant" performance at the festival and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

The outspoken punk pair sparked significant debate when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the IDF, during their June performance. The slogan was censured by Glastonbury and Britain's leader the prime minister, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

After the incident, the band was released by its agency UTA, and the American state department cancelled the members' travel documents, forcing the duo to call off a planned US and Canada tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

During his initial public discussion after the Glastonbury performance, the musician, using his real name is Pascal Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. When asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Absolutely. Like suppose I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He noted that the backlash the band faced was "small compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing."

Regarding the Protest's Significance

"I aim not to overstate the significance of the chant," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have their support, these are the people that I'm advocating for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've upset some rightwing official or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Comments

The musician said he was surprised by the outcry sparked by the chant, and stated that members of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the set was "excellent."

Yet, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit subsequently found that the network's broadcast of the performance breached editorial standards in regard to offense and offence.

He informed Theroux there was no indication of a dispute in the moment: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It was normal. Nobody suspected anything. Nobody. Including crew at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

The musician also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and described Vylan as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."

Albarn's reaction was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan said.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests that somehow the politics 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 only used around the Nazis," he continued. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his response was disgusting."

Intent Behind the Slogan

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

"What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that chant to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that are present in the region. Where the Palestinian population are being slain at an alarming rate. Who cares about the chant?" he stated.

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

Rejection of Hate Speech Claims

Vylan also denied claims from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish safety organisation, that their set contributed to a rise in anti-Jewish incidents recorded two days.

"I don't think I have created an hostile atmosphere for the Jewish community. Suppose there were many individuals of people going out and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oh, I've had a negative impact here," he said.

Comparison with Different Artists

When he mentioned he thought the duo had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based band Kneecap, who have likewise faced criticism for their approach to pro-Palestinian advocacy.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan said, "since as with all things ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than they are because we are inherently the enemy."