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The lead singer Bobby Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at Glastonbury and asserted he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Political Responses

The outspoken music pair ignited significant debate when they led audience calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their June performance. The slogan was condemned by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who labeled it as "shocking hate speech."

After the event, Bob Vylan was released by its agency UTA, and the US state department revoked the members' visas, compelling them to call off a scheduled North American tour.

Interview with Louis Theroux

During his initial interview since the Glastonbury performance, the musician, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. After asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Oh yeah. For instance what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the band encountered was "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

Regarding the Protest's Importance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the chant," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's support, they're the individuals that I'm advocating for, they're the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've angered some conservative official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Comments

The musician said he was taken aback by the outcry triggered by the exclamation, and asserted that staff of the broadcaster employees at the event told him on the same day that the set was "fantastic."

Yet, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit subsequently determined that the network's airing of the performance breached editorial standards in regard to offense and hurt.

Vylan informed the host there was no indication of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Not a soul. Including crew at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

The musician also hit back at Damon Albarn, who called the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and characterized Vylan as "marching in tennis gear."

Albarn's comment was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the politics of the duo or our position on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he stated.

"I strongly object with the term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his answer was disgusting."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

When questioned what he meant by the phrase "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the conditions that exist to permit that protest to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in Palestine. In which the Palestinian population are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, would it? … We are there to perform. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Denial of Hate Speech Claims

Vylan also rejected claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their performance led to a spike in antisemitic incidents reported two days.

"I believe I have caused an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were many individuals of people going out and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a negative impact here," he commented.

Contrast with Other Artists

When he said he thought the band had been targeted more severely than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Irish band another band, who have also encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's a notable point," Vylan said, "since as with all things ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than others are because we are already the enemy."