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The frontman Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "without regret" about his "anti-IDF chant" performance at the festival and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

The outspoken music pair sparked widespread controversy when they led audience calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the IDF, during their June set. The chant was condemned by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who labeled it as "shocking hate speech."

After the event, the band was released by its agency UTA, and the US government cancelled the members' visas, forcing the duo to cancel a planned US and Canada tour.

Conversation with the Podcaster

In his initial interview since the festival show, the musician, using his real name is Pascal Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After asked if he would repeat his actions, he replied:

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

He added that the criticism the duo encountered was "small compared to what individuals in Palestine are going through."

On the Chant's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the individuals that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've angered some conservative politician or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Response and BBC Comments

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

However, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit subsequently found that the network's broadcast of the performance breached editorial guidelines in regard to harm and offence.

Vylan told Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one thought anything. Nobody. Including staff at the broadcaster were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

The musician also responded at Damon Albarn, who labeled the chant "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and characterized him as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."

Albarn's reaction was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," Vylan remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that in some way the politics of the duo or our stance on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he explained.

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

Intent Behind the Chant

After asked what he meant by the chant "Down with the IDF," Vylan said the chant itself was "unimportant."

"The key issue is the conditions that exist to allow that protest to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. In which the Palestinian population are being slain at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the chant?" he said.

"The phrase rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect chant."

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also denied assertions from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety organisation, that their set contributed to a spike in antisemitic events recorded two days.

"I believe I have caused an hostile environment for the Jewish people. If there were many individuals of people going out and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he said.

Contrast with Different Artists

As Vylan mentioned he thought the band had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based band Kneecap, who have likewise faced backlash for their approach to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," he responded, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an easier villain, seriously, than others are because we are inherently the opponent."