Earlier this year, Bob Vylan sparked a controversy when they got a Glastonbury audience to chant “Death to the IDF” with them, and they are “not regretful” for it.
Bobby Vylan, the British hip-hop/punk duo’s frontman, was recently a guest on The Louis Theroux Podcast, and he spoke about their very public stance against the Israeli Defense Forces, which was subsequently investigated by Avon and Somerset authorities.
When asked if, having lived through the fallout from that performance, he would still do it again if given the chance to do so, Bobby — whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster — replied, “Like what if I was to go to Glastonbury again tomorrow? Yes, I would do it again. I’m not regretful of it.”
“I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays,” he then quipped. “I’m not regretful of it at all, like the subsequent backlash that I’ve faced. It’s minimal. It’s minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through.”
Among the voices chiding Bob Vylan for their musical protest was Blur frontman Damon Albarn, who called the performance “disappointing” and criticized it for lacking “self-awareness.” He added that he found the “Death to the IDF” chant to be “one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life, especially when he started goose-stepping in tennis gear.”
Finally responding, Bobby said, “I take great issue with the phrase ‘goose-stepping’ being used because it’s only used around Nazi Germany. That’s it.”
He then offered, “And for him to use that language, I think, is disgusting. I think his response was disgusting, especially when you look at it in comparison to Chuck D’s response, who is as equally seasoned in this music industry.”
Bob Vyan is heading out on tour next month
In November, Bob Vylan will hit the road for their We Won’t Go Quietly tour, writing in an announcement post: “After all the attempts to silence us, we’re about to be louder than ever. We won’t go quietly!”
The shows will kick off at the O2 Academy in Leeds on November 4, with stops in Manchester, Glasgow, London, and Bristol, before concluding in Birmingham on Dec. 4. Tickets go on general sale at 10 am BST this Friday (Sept. 12), with an O2 Priority pre-sale beginning at the same time on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
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