Bobby Vylan sits down on the Louis Theroux podcast to talk about his controversial Glastonbury IDF chant: ”I’d do it again tomorrow”
lead singer for Bob Vylan, Bobby Vylan became the centre of a media onslaught after his performance at Glastonbury Festival saw him lead the crowd in a chant of “Death to the IDF”.
He sticks by what he said and states that he won’t be apologising for his “perfect chant”, he told the Louis Theroux Podcast.
The frontman for the band said:
“If I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again,” said Vylan. “I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.”
Bob Vylan, the punk rap duo is comprised of Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan.
This summer they caused international outrage and condemnation for their anti-Israel chant that went “free, free Palestine” and “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]”.
Israel’s UK embassy called it “inflammatory and hateful rhetoric” and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer labelled it as “appalling hate speech”.
In the podcast Bobby Vylan said:
“I didn’t see what they were counting as antisemitic incidents when I read it,” said Vylan.
“I don’t think I have created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of people going out and going like ‘Bob Vylan made me do this’ I might go, ‘Oof, I’ve had a negative impact here. In that report, what definition are they going by? We don’t know that, so it’s kind of hard to add anything to that.”
The rapper then went onto assure that his chant wasn’t targeted at Jewish people but targeted at the oppressive regime that subjugates Palestinians on their own land.
“End, End the IDF”’ doesn’t rhyme he said and that by saying ”death” his lyrics would be more catchy.
Bobby Vylan continued “I am a lyricist. ‘Death, Death to IDF’ rhymes. Perfect chant.”.
Vylan suggested that the heavy-handed criticism his band faced was because the duo are black. “We’ve been attacked to a degree that I haven’t really seen anybody else attacked for speaking up about this issue,”
Go and take in the video below for more:
