Bobby Vylan's Position on Festival Israel Defense Forces Protest: "Zero Regrets"

The frontman 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 Chant and Official Responses

The outspoken punk pair ignited widespread debate when they led crowd calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their summer set. The slogan was condemned by festival organizers and Britain's leader the prime minister, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

After the incident, Bob Vylan was dropped by its agency United Talent Agency, and the American government cancelled the members' travel documents, compelling the duo to call off a scheduled North American tour.

Interview with Louis Theroux

In his initial interview after the Glastonbury show, Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Absolutely. For instance what if I was to go on the festival 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 criticism the band encountered was "small compared to what people in Gaza are going through."

On the Protest's Importance

"I aim not to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he continued. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but if I have their backing, they're the people that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've upset some conservative official or some conservative news outlet?"

Surprising Reaction and Broadcaster Comments

This musician claimed he was surprised by the uproar triggered by the exclamation, and asserted that members of the broadcaster staff at the event told him on the day that the performance was "fantastic."

Yet, the broadcaster's ECU subsequently determined that the network's airing of the performance breached content guidelines in relation to harm and offence.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one thought anything. Not a soul. Including staff at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

The musician also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described Vylan as "marching in tennis gear."

His reaction was "disappointing" and "lacked 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 stance on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he stated.

"I strongly object with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's only used around Nazi Germany," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

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

"The key issue is the situation that exist to allow that chant to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. Where the local population are being killed at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the chant?" he stated.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he noted: "'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. 'The chant' rhymes. Perfect chant."

Rejection of Antisemitism Allegations

The musician also denied claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish safety organisation, that their set led to a spike in anti-Jewish incidents recorded two days.

"I believe I have caused an hostile environment for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of individuals acting and saying 'We made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he commented.

Contrast with Different Artists

When Vylan mentioned he thought the band had been criticised more severely than different artists for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based group another band, who have also faced backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's an interesting one," he said, "because as with all things ethnicity comes to play a part in that we are an easier villain, seriously, than they are because we are inherently the opponent."