Bob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan has said he is “not regretful” of leading a “death, death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury and would “do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays”. In his first interview since the festival, Vylan told Louis Theroux the backlash was “minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through”.
The chant, directed at the Israel Defense Forces, sparked condemnation from Glastonbury and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it “appalling hate speech”. The band was dropped by its agency UTA and had US visas revoked, forcing cancellation of a North American tour. The BBC’s executive complaints unit later found the broadcast breached editorial standards on harm and offence.
Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, said he was taken aback by the uproar, claiming BBC staff at Glastonbury told him the set was “fantastic” on the day. He also criticised Damon Albarn of Blur, who called the chant a “spectacular misfire” and described Vylan as “goose-stepping in tennis gear”. Vylan called Albarn’s response “disgusting” and “lacking self-awareness”.
Asked about the chant’s meaning, Vylan said it was “unimportant” compared to the conditions in Palestine. He noted that “Death to the IDF” rhymed, whereas “End, End the IDF” would not have caught on. He rejected claims from the Community Security Trust that the chant contributed to a spike in antisemitic incidents, saying he did not believe he had created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community.
