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

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

The outspoken punk pair sparked widespread debate when they led crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. This chant was censured by Glastonbury and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the event, Bob Vylan was released by its representation United Talent Agency, and the American government cancelled the artists' visas, compelling the duo to cancel a planned North American concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

During his first interview after the festival show, Vylan, using his birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Absolutely. Like what if I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, definitely I would do it again. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the duo encountered was "minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through."

On the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he continued. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but since I have their backing, they're the individuals that I'm doing it 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 rightwing media?"

Surprising Response and Broadcaster Comments

The musician claimed he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the exclamation, and stated that staff of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the performance was "excellent."

However, the corporation's ECU subsequently found that the BBC's airing of the performance breached editorial standards in regard to offense and hurt.

He informed Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It was normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Including staff at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Blur Frontman

The musician also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and characterized Vylan as "marching in sport gear."

Albarn's comment was "letdown" and "showed no self-awareness," he remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests that somehow the views of the band or our stance on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he stated.

"I strongly object with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's only used around the Nazis," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was appalling."

Intent Behind the Slogan

After questioned what he meant by the chant "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the conditions that persist to allow that protest to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in the region. Where the local population are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he said.

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

Rejection of Antisemitism Claims

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

"I don't think I have caused an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were many individuals of individuals acting and going like 'We made me do this'. I could go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he said.

Comparison with Different Bands

When Vylan mentioned he thought the band had been criticised more heavily than others for voicing views about the situation, Theroux referenced the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have also faced criticism for their approach to pro-Palestine messaging.

"That's a notable point," Vylan said, "because as with all things race becomes a part in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than others are because we are already the opponent."