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Punk duo frontman Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at Glastonbury and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Chant and Official Reactions

The vocal music duo sparked widespread controversy when they led crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their June performance. The chant was censured by festival organizers and Britain's leader Keir Starmer, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

After the event, the band was dropped by its agency United Talent Agency, and the US government revoked the artists' travel documents, compelling them to cancel a planned US and Canada concert series.

Interview with the Podcaster

In his initial interview since the festival performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Oh yeah. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again. 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 people in Gaza are experiencing."

On the Chant's Significance

"I aim not to exaggerate the importance of the chant," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's support, they're the people that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've angered some conservative official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Feedback

The musician said he was surprised by the outcry triggered by the chant, and asserted that members of the broadcaster employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."

However, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit later determined that the network's airing of the performance breached editorial guidelines in regard to harm and hurt.

He informed Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the moment: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It's normal. No one thought anything. Nobody. Even crew at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

The musician also responded at Damon Albarn, who called the chant "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and characterized him as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

His comment was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," he said.

"I just want to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests that in some way the politics of the band or our position on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he stated.

"I take great issue with the phrase 'goose-stepping' being used because it's typically associated around Nazi Germany," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his response was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

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

"What is important is the situation that persist to allow that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. In which the local people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he stated.

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

Denial of Antisemitism Claims

Vylan also denied assertions from the Community Security Trust, a monitoring and Jewish safety group, that their performance led to a spike in antisemitic events recorded later.

"I believe I have created an hostile atmosphere for the Jewish people. Suppose there were many individuals of people acting and going like 'We made me do this'. I could go, oof, I've had a bad impact here," he said.

Comparison with Other Artists

When Vylan mentioned he thought the duo had been criticised more heavily than different artists for speaking about the conflict, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based band another band, who have likewise encountered criticism for their approach to pro-Palestine messaging.

"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "because as with all things ethnicity comes to play a factor in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the enemy."