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The frontman of Bob Vylan has stated he is "without regret" about his "death, death to the IDF" performance at Glastonbury and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Controversial Chant and Official Reactions

This outspoken music duo sparked widespread debate when they initiated crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June set. The slogan was condemned by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who labeled it as "appalling hate speech."

Following the event, Bob Vylan was dropped by its agency UTA, and the American state department revoked the artists' travel documents, forcing the duo to call off a planned US and Canada tour.

Conversation with the Podcaster

During his initial interview since the festival performance, Vylan, whose birth name is Pascal Foster, spoke on a popular podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he replied:

"Absolutely. For instance suppose I was to perform at the festival again tomorrow, definitely I would repeat it. I'm not regretful of it. I'd say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

The artist noted that the backlash the duo faced was "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

On the Chant's Significance

"I don't want to overstate the importance of the slogan," he elaborated. "It isn't what I'm attempting to do, but since I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the people that I'm doing it for, they're the individuals that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've upset some conservative politician or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Response and BBC Comments

This artist said he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the chant, and asserted that members of the broadcaster employees at Glastonbury told him on the same day that the performance was "fantastic."

However, the broadcaster's ECU later determined that the BBC's airing of the show violated content standards in regard to offense and hurt.

He told the host there was no indication of a controversy in the immediate aftermath: "It wasn't like we left stage, and everybody was like [shocked]. It felt normal. We leave 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

Vylan also responded at Damon Albarn, who labeled 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 "letdown" and "lacked self-awareness," he remarked.

"I just want to say that categorising it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that in some way the politics of the band or our stance on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he explained.

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

Meaning Behind the Chant

When asked what he meant by the phrase "Death to the IDF," the artist clarified the slogan 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 conditions that are present in the region. Where the local people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he said.

"The phrase 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 lyricist. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal chant."

Denial of Hate Speech Allegations

Vylan also denied assertions from the Community Security Trust, a monitoring and Jewish community safety group, that their performance contributed to a rise in anti-Jewish incidents recorded later.

"I don't think I have created an hostile atmosphere for the Jewish people. If there were large numbers of individuals acting and going like 'Bob Vylan made me do this'. I might go, oh, I've had a negative effect here," he commented.

Comparison with Different Bands

As he said he felt the band had been targeted more severely than others for speaking about the situation, Theroux referenced the Irish group another band, who have likewise faced criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's an interesting one," Vylan said, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are inherently the opponent."