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

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

This vocal music pair sparked widespread debate when they led crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. This chant was condemned by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the event, the band was released by its representation UTA, and the American government revoked the members' travel documents, forcing the duo to cancel a planned US and Canada concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

In his initial public discussion since the Glastonbury performance, the musician, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he replied:

"Absolutely. For instance what if I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm without regret of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist noted that the criticism the band encountered was "small compared to what individuals in Gaza are experiencing."

On the Chant's Significance

"I don't want 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 support, these are the people that I'm advocating for, they're the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Well, because I've upset some conservative politician or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and BBC Comments

The artist said he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the exclamation, and stated that members of BBC employees at the event told him on the day that the performance was "fantastic."

Yet, the corporation's executive complaints unit subsequently determined that the network's airing of the show violated editorial guidelines in regard to offense and offence.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no indication of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even staff at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Blur Frontman

Vylan also hit back at the Blur singer, who labeled the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and characterized him as "marching in sport 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 somehow the politics of the duo or our stance on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he explained.

"I strongly object with the term 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around Nazi Germany," he continued. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Slogan

When questioned what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," the artist said the chant itself was "insignificant."

"What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in Palestine. Where the local people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he stated.

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

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

The musician also rejected claims from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their set contributed to a spike in antisemitic events reported later.

"I don't think I have created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of people going out and saying 'We made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a bad impact here," he said.

Contrast with Different Artists

When he said he felt the band had been targeted more heavily than different artists for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based band another band, who have also encountered criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian advocacy.

"That's a notable point," Vylan said, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than they are because we are already the opponent."