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The frontman Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at Glastonbury and declared he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Official Responses

The vocal punk pair ignited widespread debate when they initiated audience chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their summer performance. This chant was censured by festival organizers and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

After the event, Bob Vylan was released by its agency UTA, and the American government cancelled the artists' travel documents, compelling the duo to call off a planned US and Canada tour.

Conversation with the Podcaster

In his first interview after the festival performance, the musician, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. After asked if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Absolutely. For instance suppose I was to perform at the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would do it again. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

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

On the Protest's Importance

"I aim not to overstate the significance of the chant," he continued. "It isn't what I'm attempting to do, but if I have their support, they're the people that I'm advocating for, these are the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've angered some rightwing official or some rightwing media?"

Unexpected Response and BBC Comments

This musician claimed he was surprised by the outcry sparked by the exclamation, and stated that members of BBC employees at the event told him on the day that the set was "fantastic."

However, the corporation's executive complaints unit subsequently determined that the BBC's airing of the show violated editorial standards in relation to harm and hurt.

Vylan told Theroux there was no indication of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It's normal. Nobody thought anything. Not a soul. Even crew at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

Vylan also responded at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described him as "marching in sport gear."

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

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' implies that somehow the views of the duo or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he stated.

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

Intent Behind the Chant

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

"The key issue is the situation that exist to allow that protest to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in the region. In which the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he said.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to entertain. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Denial of Hate Speech Claims

The musician also rejected assertions from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish community safety group, that their performance led to a spike in antisemitic incidents recorded later.

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

Contrast with Other Bands

When he mentioned he felt the band had been criticised more heavily than different artists for speaking about the situation, Theroux referenced the Irish group another band, who have also encountered criticism for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan responded, "since as with all things ethnicity comes to play a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than others are because we are already the enemy."