Punk rap duo Bob Vylan’s frontman, Bobby Vylan, remains unapologetic about the controversial chant he led during their set at Glastonbury Festival. During the performance, 34-year-old singer and guitarist Bobby—real name Pascal Robinson-Foster—urged the crowd with the chant “death, death to the IDF,” sparking backlash.
When asked on The Louis Theroux Podcast whether he would repeat the chant, Bobby made it clear: “Oh yeah. If I were to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, I’d do it again. No regret at all. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.”
Bobby emphasized that the criticism they received was minor compared to the suffering of the Palestinian people. Speaking before the Gaza ceasefire on October 10th, he said, “I’m not trying to overstate the chant’s importance, but if I have the support of those I’m speaking for, then why regret it? Some right-wing politician or media getting upset doesn’t change that.”
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He also highlighted the surprisingly positive reaction immediately after the performance. “We came off stage, and it was just normal. No one blinked. Even BBC staff told us, ‘That was fantastic! We loved it!’”
For Bobby, the chant itself is less significant than the broader issues it highlights. “What matters are the conditions that allow such a chant to take place—the ongoing violence in Palestine, where people are being killed at an alarming rate. The chant is small in comparison to that reality.”
Following this controversy, Bob Vylan faced professional consequences: they were dropped by their agency, UTA, and their US visas were revoked, leading to the cancellation of their North American tour. The duo comprises Bobby Vylan on vocals and guitar and Bobbie Vylan (Wade Laurence George) on drums.