Bob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan has said he is “not regretful” of his “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 The Louis Theroux Podcast that the backlash was “minimal” compared to the plight of Palestinians.
The punk duo sparked controversy in June when they led chants referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The chant was condemned by Glastonbury and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it “appalling hate speech”. Bob Vylan was subsequently dropped by its agency UTA, and the US state department revoked the members’ visas, forcing them to cancel a North American tour.
Speaking on the podcast, recorded on 1 October before the Manchester synagogue attacks and the Gaza ceasefire, Vylan said he was taken aback by the uproar. He claimed BBC staff at Glastonbury told him the set was “fantastic”, though the BBC’s executive complaints unit later found the broadcast breached editorial standards on harm and offence.
Vylan also criticised Blur’s Damon Albarn, who called the chant “one of the most spectacular misfires” and described Vylan as “goose-stepping in tennis gear”. Vylan called the response “disgusting” and “lacking self-awareness”, adding that the phrase “goose-stepping” was only used around Nazi Germany. He defended the chant as a rhyming tool, saying “Death to the IDF” worked better than “End the IDF”.
Rejecting claims from the Community Security Trust that the set contributed to a spike in antisemitic incidents, Vylan said he did not believe he had created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. He also noted that race played a part in the criticism, comparing the band’s treatment to that of Irish group Kneecap.
