Bobby Vylan's Position on Festival Israel Defense Forces Protest: "Zero Remorse"
The frontman Bobby Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at the festival and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
Controversial Exclamation and Political Reactions
This outspoken punk pair ignited widespread debate when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their summer set. This chant was censured by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as "shocking hate speech."
Following the incident, the band was dropped by its agency UTA, and the US government cancelled the artists' travel documents, compelling the duo to call off a planned North American tour.
Conversation with the Podcaster
During his first interview after the Glastonbury show, Vylan, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. After asked if he would repeat his actions, he responded:
"Oh yeah. For instance suppose I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."
He added that the criticism the band encountered was "minimal compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing."
On the Protest's Importance
"I don't want to overstate the significance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have their backing, 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 politician or some conservative news outlet?"
Surprising Reaction and Broadcaster Feedback
The artist said he was surprised by the outcry triggered by the chant, and stated that staff of BBC employees at the event told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."
However, the corporation's executive complaints unit later determined that the BBC's airing of the show violated content standards in regard to offense and offence.
He informed Theroux there was no indication of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It was normal. Nobody thought anything. Not a soul. Even staff at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"
Response to Blur Frontman
Vylan also hit back at the Blur singer, who labeled the chant "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and described him as "marching in tennis gear."
His reaction was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan said.
"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that somehow the politics of the duo or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he explained.
"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 language, I think is offensive. I think his answer was appalling."
Meaning Behind the Chant
When questioned what he meant by the chant "Death to the IDF," Vylan said the slogan itself was "unimportant."
"The key issue is the conditions that exist to permit that protest to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that exist in Palestine. In which the Palestinian population are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.
"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, right? … We are there to entertain. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect slogan."
Denial of Hate Speech Allegations
The musician also denied claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety organisation, that their performance contributed to a spike in anti-Jewish incidents reported two days.
"I don't think I have created an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. If there were large numbers of people going out and saying 'We made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad impact here," he said.
Contrast with Other Artists
As he mentioned he felt the band had been criticised more severely than others for speaking about the situation, the host referenced the Ireland-based band Kneecap, who have likewise faced backlash for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.
"That's an interesting one," he responded, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an more convenient target, seriously, than others are because we are inherently the opponent."