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The frontman of Bob Vylan has expressed he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at the festival and asserted he would "repeat it tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Exclamation and Official Responses

This vocal music pair ignited significant controversy when they led crowd calls of "death, death to the IDF," pointing to the Israel Defense Forces, during their summer set. The chant was condemned by Glastonbury and Britain's leader the prime minister, who labeled it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the incident, Bob Vylan was dropped by its representation UTA, and the American government cancelled the members' visas, compelling the duo to cancel a scheduled US and Canada concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

During his first public discussion after the festival show, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. When asked if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Absolutely. Like suppose I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again. I'm without regret of it. I'd do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He added that the backlash the duo faced was "minimal compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Chant's Significance

"I aim not to exaggerate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm trying to do, but since I have their support, they're the people that I'm doing it for, they're the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've angered some rightwing politician or some rightwing media?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Feedback

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

However, the corporation's ECU subsequently found that the BBC's broadcast of the show violated editorial standards in relation to harm and offence.

Vylan informed Theroux there was no indication of a controversy in the moment: "It didn't feel like we left stage, and everyone was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We leave stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Not a soul. Even staff at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

Vylan also responded at Damon Albarn, who called the chant "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and described Vylan as "marching in sport gear."

Albarn's reaction was "letdown" and "lacked self-awareness," he remarked.

"I just want to say that labeling it as a 'spectacular misfire' implies that somehow the views of the duo or our stance on Palestine's freedom 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 added. "Precisely. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was appalling."

Intent Behind the Slogan

When asked what he meant by the phrase "Down with the IDF," Vylan clarified the slogan itself was "insignificant."

"The key issue is the conditions that persist to permit that chant to even take place on that platform. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in the region. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an alarming rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "Stop 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 lyricist. 'Death, Death to IDF' rhymes. Perfect slogan."

Denial of Antisemitism Allegations

Vylan also rejected claims from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their set contributed to a rise in anti-Jewish events recorded two days.

"I don't think I have created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of individuals acting and saying 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I could go, oh, I've had a bad impact here," he commented.

Comparison with Other Artists

As he mentioned he thought the band had been criticised more heavily than others for speaking about the situation, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based band another band, who have likewise encountered backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's a notable point," Vylan said, "since as with all things ethnicity becomes a part in that we are an easier villain, seriously, than others are because we are inherently the enemy."