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The lead singer Bobby Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at the festival and declared he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Official Reactions

The vocal punk pair sparked significant controversy when they initiated audience calls of "death, death to the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their summer performance. The slogan was censured by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the event, Bob Vylan was dropped by its representation United Talent Agency, and the US government revoked the artists' visas, compelling the duo to call off a scheduled US and Canada tour.

Conversation with Louis Theroux

In his initial interview after the Glastonbury show, the musician, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, conversed on a popular podcast. When questioned if he would repeat his actions, he responded:

"Oh yeah. For instance what if I was to perform at the festival 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 "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the significance of the slogan," he elaborated. "That's not what I'm attempting to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's support, these are the individuals that I'm advocating for, they're the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've upset some conservative official or some conservative media?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Comments

The artist claimed he was surprised by the outcry triggered by the chant, and asserted that staff of the broadcaster employees at Glastonbury told him on the same day that the performance was "fantastic."

Yet, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit subsequently determined that the BBC's broadcast of the show violated content guidelines in regard to offense and hurt.

Vylan told Theroux there was no sign of a controversy in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It's just 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 loved that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

The musician also hit back at the Blur singer, who labeled the protest "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and characterized Vylan as "marching in tennis gear."

His 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 position on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he explained.

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

Meaning Behind the Slogan

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

"The key issue is the situation that persist to permit that protest to even take place on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that exist in the region. In which the Palestinian people are being killed at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he said.

"The phrase rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Ideal chant."

Rejection of Hate Speech Allegations

The musician also rejected claims from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety organisation, that their set led to a spike in antisemitic events reported two days.

"I believe I have caused an unsafe environment for the Jewish people. Suppose there were large numbers of people going out and going like 'We made me do this'. I might go, oof, I've had a bad impact here," he said.

Comparison with Different Artists

As Vylan said he thought the duo had been criticised more heavily than others for speaking about the situation, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based group another band, who have also faced criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan responded, "since as with all things race comes to play a part in that we are an more convenient villain, seriously, than others are because we are already the opponent."