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The frontman Bobby Vylan has expressed 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 Reactions

This vocal punk duo ignited significant debate when they initiated crowd calls of "down with the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June set. The chant was condemned by festival organizers and Britain's leader the prime minister, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

After the incident, the band was dropped by its agency United Talent Agency, and the American state department revoked the members' visas, compelling them to cancel a scheduled US and Canada tour.

Interview with Louis Theroux

During his first public discussion since the Glastonbury show, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When questioned if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Oh yeah. For instance suppose I was to go on the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm without regret of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist noted that the criticism the duo encountered was "minimal compared to what people in Gaza are going through."

On the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm attempting to do, but if I have their support, they're the people that I'm doing it for, these are the people that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've upset some rightwing official or some conservative media?"

Surprising Response and BBC Comments

This musician said he was taken aback by the outcry triggered by the exclamation, and stated that members of BBC employees at Glastonbury told him on the day that the performance was "fantastic."

However, the broadcaster's ECU later determined that the BBC's broadcast of the performance breached content standards in relation to harm and offence.

He 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 [shocked]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even staff at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Reply to Blur Frontman

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

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

"I need to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the views of the band or our position on Palestine's freedom is not thought out," he explained.

"I take great issue with the phrase 'marching' being used because it's only used around Nazi Germany," he added. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his answer was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

After questioned what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the situation that persist to allow that protest to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in the region. Where the Palestinian people are being killed at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he stated.

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

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also denied claims from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish community safety organisation, that their performance led to a rise in antisemitic incidents reported later.

"I believe I have caused an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were many individuals of people going out and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a bad impact here," he said.

Contrast with Other Artists

When Vylan mentioned he felt the band had been criticised more heavily than different artists for voicing views about the situation, Theroux referenced the Irish group Kneecap, who have likewise encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "since as with all things ethnicity comes to play a factor in that we are an more convenient target, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the opponent."