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Punk duo frontman of Bob Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" performance at Glastonbury and asserted he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

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

After the event, the band was released by its agency UTA, and the American state department cancelled the artists' travel documents, forcing the duo to cancel a planned US and Canada tour.

Interview with the Podcaster

During his first public discussion since the Glastonbury performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. After asked if he would repeat his actions, he responded:

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

He noted that the criticism the duo faced was "small compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Protest'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 support, they're the people that I'm advocating for, they're the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've angered some rightwing official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Reaction and Broadcaster Comments

The musician said he was surprised by the outcry sparked by the chant, and stated that staff of the broadcaster employees at the event told him on the day that the performance was "excellent."

Yet, the broadcaster's ECU later determined that the network's broadcast of the show violated editorial standards in regard to offense and offence.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no sign of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everyone was like [shocked]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It was normal. No one suspected anything. Not a soul. Even crew at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

The musician also responded at the Blur singer, who labeled the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in sport gear."

His reaction was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," he remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that somehow the politics of the duo or our position on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he explained.

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

Meaning Behind the Chant

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

"What is important is the conditions that persist to permit that protest to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in Palestine. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the slogan?" he stated.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have caught on, would it? … We are there to perform. We are there to play music. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal slogan."

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also denied claims from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their set led to a rise in antisemitic events reported later.

"I believe I have created an hostile atmosphere for the Jewish community. Suppose there were many individuals of individuals going out and saying 'We made me do this'. I could go, oof, I've had a bad effect here," he said.

Comparison with Different Artists

As Vylan mentioned he felt the duo had been targeted more heavily than different artists for speaking about the situation, the host brought up the Ireland-based band Kneecap, who have likewise encountered criticism for their approach to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's a notable point," he responded, "because as with everything race comes to play a part in that we are an easier villain, seriously, than others are because we are already the opponent."