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The lead singer Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at the festival and asserted he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

This outspoken music pair ignited significant controversy when they led audience chants of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their summer performance. The chant was censured by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the incident, the band was dropped by its representation United Talent Agency, and the US government revoked the artists' visas, forcing them to call off a planned North American concert series.

Interview with the Podcaster

In his initial interview after the festival performance, Vylan, using his birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Absolutely. For instance what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the band encountered was "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Protest's Importance

"I aim not to overstate the importance of the slogan," he continued. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the individuals that I'm doing it for, these are the individuals that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've upset some rightwing official or some conservative news outlet?"

Unexpected Response and Broadcaster Comments

The musician claimed he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the chant, and asserted that staff of BBC employees at the event told him on the day that the performance was "excellent."

Yet, the broadcaster's ECU subsequently found that the BBC's airing of the performance breached editorial guidelines in regard to harm and offence.

He informed the host there was no indication of a controversy in the moment: "It wasn't like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We leave stage. It was normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Even crew at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Damon Albarn

Vylan also responded at Damon Albarn, who called the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've witnessed in my life" and characterized Vylan as "marching in sport gear."

Albarn's comment was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," he remarked.

"I need to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that somehow the politics of the band or our stance on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he explained.

"I strongly object with the term 'goose-stepping' being used because it's only used around Nazi Germany," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is disgusting. I think his response was disgusting."

Intent Behind the Chant

When questioned what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan said the slogan itself was "unimportant."

"The key issue is the conditions that exist to allow that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that are present in Palestine. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he stated.

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

Denial of Hate Speech Claims

Vylan also denied claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety organisation, that their set contributed to a spike in antisemitic events recorded two days.

"I don't think I have created an hostile environment for the Jewish community. If there were many individuals of individuals going out and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I could go, oof, I've had a negative effect here," he commented.

Contrast with Other Artists

As Vylan said he felt the band 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 faced backlash for their approach to pro-Palestine messaging.

"That's a notable point," he said, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an more convenient target, no pun intended, than others are because we are inherently the enemy."