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Punk duo lead singer of Bob Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at the festival and declared he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Official Responses

The vocal music pair ignited widespread debate when they initiated audience chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the IDF, during their summer performance. The chant was condemned by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

After the incident, Bob Vylan was dropped by its agency UTA, and the American government cancelled the artists' visas, compelling the duo to cancel a planned US and Canada concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

In his initial public discussion since the Glastonbury performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he replied:

"Absolutely. For instance suppose I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist added that the backlash the duo encountered was "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Protest's Importance

"I aim not to overstate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but if I have their backing, these are the people that I'm doing it for, they're the people that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've angered some conservative official or some conservative media?"

Unexpected Response and BBC Feedback

This musician said he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the exclamation, and stated that staff of BBC staff at Glastonbury told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."

However, the broadcaster's ECU later found that the BBC's broadcast of the show breached editorial standards in relation to offense and hurt.

Vylan told Theroux there was no sign of a controversy in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even staff at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Reply to Blur Frontman

Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and characterized Vylan as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

Albarn's comment was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan said.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests that in some way the politics of the duo or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he explained.

"I take great issue with the phrase 'goose-stepping' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he added. "Precisely. And for him to use that language, I think is offensive. I think his answer was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Chant

After asked what he intended by the phrase "Down with the IDF," the artist said the chant itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the situation that exist to allow that protest to even take place on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in the region. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he stated.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal chant."

Rejection of Antisemitism Claims

Vylan also denied assertions from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish safety organisation, that their performance contributed to a spike in antisemitic incidents recorded later.

"I believe I have created an hostile environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were large numbers of people going out and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oh, I've had a negative effect here," he said.

Contrast with Different Artists

As Vylan said he felt the band had been targeted more heavily than others for speaking about the conflict, the host brought up the Irish band another band, who have likewise encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan said, "since as with everything ethnicity comes to play a part in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than others are because we are inherently the opponent."