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Punk duo frontman Bobby Vylan has expressed he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" performance at Glastonbury and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Official Responses

The outspoken music pair sparked widespread debate when they initiated audience chants of "down with the IDF," pointing to the IDF, during their summer performance. This chant was censured by Glastonbury and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "appalling hate speech."

After the incident, the band was released by its agency UTA, and the American government revoked the artists' travel documents, forcing them to call off a planned North American concert series.

Conversation with the Podcaster

In his first public discussion after the Glastonbury performance, the musician, whose real name is Pascal Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After asked if he would do it all again, he replied:

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

He added that the backlash the band faced was "small compared to what people in Palestine are going through."

On the Chant's Significance

"I don't want to exaggerate the importance of the chant," he continued. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's support, these are the people that I'm advocating for, these are the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Well, because I've upset some conservative official or some conservative media?"

Unexpected Response and BBC Comments

This musician claimed he was surprised by the outcry triggered by the chant, and stated that members of the broadcaster employees at the event told him on the same day that the performance was "excellent."

Yet, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit later found that the BBC's airing of the performance breached content standards in regard to offense and hurt.

He told the host there was no indication of a dispute in the immediate aftermath: "It didn't feel like we came off stage, and everybody was like [shocked]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It was normal. Nobody suspected anything. Not a soul. Even staff at the BBC were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Reply to Blur Frontman

Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn, who labeled the protest "one of the most spectacular misfires I've seen in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."

His reaction was "disappointing" and "showed no self-awareness," Vylan remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that in some way the politics of the duo or our position on Palestinian liberation is unplanned," he explained.

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

Meaning Behind the Slogan

After asked what he meant by the chant "Death to the IDF," Vylan clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."

"The key issue is the situation that exist to allow that protest to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that exist in Palestine. In which the Palestinian people are being slain at an disturbing rate. What matters about the chant?" he stated.

"Death to the IDF rhymes," he added: "'End, End the IDF does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, right? … We are there to perform. We are there to sing songs. I am a songwriter. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect slogan."

Denial of Antisemitism Claims

The musician also denied assertions from the Community Security Trust, a watchdog and Jewish community safety organisation, that their set led to a spike in antisemitic incidents reported later.

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

Contrast with Different Bands

As Vylan said he thought the band had been targeted more heavily than others for voicing views about the conflict, Theroux brought up the Irish group another band, who have likewise encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's a notable point," Vylan responded, "since as with all things ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an more convenient villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are already the enemy."