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

Disputed Chant and Political Responses

The outspoken music pair sparked significant controversy when they led crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. The chant was censured by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

After the event, Bob Vylan was released by its agency United Talent Agency, and the US government cancelled the members' visas, compelling them to call off a scheduled North American tour.

Interview with the Podcaster

During his first public discussion since the Glastonbury performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Oh yeah. Like suppose I was to perform at Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the band encountered was "minimal compared to what people in Gaza are going through."

On the Chant's Significance

"I aim not to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but if I have their backing, they're the individuals that I'm advocating for, they're the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've angered some rightwing official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Feedback

The artist claimed he was surprised by the outcry triggered by the exclamation, and stated that members of BBC employees at the event told him on the same day that the performance was "excellent."

Yet, the corporation's ECU subsequently found that the BBC's broadcast of the show breached editorial standards in regard to offense and hurt.

Vylan told Theroux there was no sign of a controversy in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even crew at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn, who called the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and described him as "marching in sport gear."

His reaction was "letdown" and "lacked self-awareness," Vylan said.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' suggests 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 term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's only used around Nazi Germany," he added. "Precisely. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his answer was disgusting."

Meaning Behind the Chant

After questioned what he meant by the phrase "Death to the IDF," the artist clarified the chant itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the situation that exist to permit that protest to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in the region. Where the local people are being killed at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.

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

Denial of Antisemitism Claims

The musician also rejected claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their performance contributed to a spike in anti-Jewish events reported two days.

"I believe I have caused an hostile environment for the Jewish community. Suppose there were many individuals of individuals going out and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oh, I've had a bad impact here," he said.

Comparison with Other Artists

As Vylan said he felt the duo had been targeted more severely than others for voicing views about the situation, the host brought up the Ireland-based band Kneecap, who have likewise encountered criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's a notable point," he responded, "since as with everything ethnicity comes to play a part in that we are an more convenient villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the opponent."