Bobby Vylan, who is one half of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, has shared a lengthy statement after Glastonbury bosses called his onstage comments at the festival “appalling”.
The pair’s performance at the festival on Saturday (28 June) led to a police assessment and condemnation from festival organisers and the BBC, after member Bobby led crowds at the West Holts Stage in a chant of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]”.
Bob Vylan were formed in Ipswich in 2017. Both members keep their real names secret to maintain their privacy, and go only by the monikers Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan.
Posting on Instagram on Sunday evening (29 June), the bandmember who goes by Bobby told his fans that he had been “inundated” with a mixture of “support and hatred”, but that he stood by what he said and is calling for “a change in foreign policy”.
In a lengthy statement captioned “I said what I said”, he wrote: “As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, l listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners.
“She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world.
“Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all.”
Bobby continued: “Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.
“Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.”
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He concluded his statement: “Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.”
After the performance, which the BBC streamed live but has not put on iPlayer, Glastonbury organisers said: “Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.”
Shortly after Bob Vylan’s set, Belfast band Kneecap took to the stage with a similarly politically charged set, in which they led the crowds in chants of “Free Palestine” and “F*** Keir Starmer”.
Police are currently assessing the footage of comments made by both Kneecap and Bob Vylan at Glastonbury to decide whether any offences may have been committed.
Starmer has also condemned the performances by both bands and demanded that the BBC explain how the “appalling” chants by Bob Vylan were broadcast live.
Follow along with Glastonbury updates on The Independent’s live blog here.
