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Punk duo frontman of Bob Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" performance at the festival and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Chant and Official Responses

This outspoken punk duo sparked significant debate when they initiated crowd chants of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. The slogan was censured by festival organizers and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

After the incident, Bob Vylan was dropped by its representation United Talent Agency, and the American government revoked the members' travel documents, compelling them to call off a planned North American tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

In his first interview after the festival performance, the musician, whose real name is Pascal Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. When asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Absolutely. Like suppose I was to go on the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the duo faced was "minimal compared to what individuals in Gaza are going through."

Regarding the Chant's Significance

"I aim not to overstate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's backing, they're the individuals that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've angered some rightwing politician or some rightwing media?"

Surprising Response and Broadcaster Feedback

The musician said he was surprised by the uproar sparked by the exclamation, and asserted that staff of the broadcaster employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the performance was "fantastic."

However, the corporation's ECU subsequently determined that the network's airing of the show violated content guidelines in relation to harm and hurt.

Vylan informed the host there was no indication of a dispute in the moment: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Not a soul. Even crew at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Blur Frontman

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

Albarn's reaction was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," he said.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that in some way the views of the band or our position on Palestine's freedom is unplanned," he stated.

"I strongly object with the phrase 'goose-stepping' being used because it's typically associated around the Nazis," he continued. "Precisely. And for him to use that language, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."

Intent Behind the Slogan

After questioned what he meant by the chant "Down with the IDF," the artist said the slogan itself was "unimportant."

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

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, right? … We are there to perform. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Rejection of Hate Speech Claims

Vylan also rejected claims from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish community safety organisation, that their set contributed to a rise in antisemitic incidents recorded two days.

"I don't think I have created an hostile atmosphere for the Jewish community. Suppose there were large numbers of people going out and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a negative impact here," he commented.

Comparison with Other Bands

When Vylan said he thought the duo had been targeted more severely than different artists for speaking about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Irish group another band, who have likewise faced criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's a notable point," he responded, "because as with everything race comes to play a part in that we are an easier target, seriously, than they are because we are inherently the enemy."