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The lead singer of Bob Vylan has stated he is "not regretful" about his "death, death to the IDF" act at Glastonbury and asserted he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Political Responses

The vocal music duo ignited significant debate when they led crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June set. This slogan was censured by festival organizers and UK Prime Minister the prime minister, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the event, Bob Vylan was released by its agency UTA, and the US government cancelled the artists' travel documents, compelling them to call off a scheduled North American concert series.

Interview with Louis Theroux

In his initial interview after the festival performance, the musician, whose birth name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, spoke on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After asked if he would do it all again, he responded:

"Oh yeah. For instance what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes 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 band encountered was "minimal compared to what individuals in Palestine are experiencing."

Regarding the Chant's Importance

"I don't want to overstate the significance of the chant," he continued. "It isn't what I'm attempting to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's support, they're the people that I'm advocating for, these are the people that I'm being vocal for, then what is there to feel sorry about? Oh, because I've angered some rightwing official or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Reaction and BBC Comments

This artist said he was taken aback by the outcry sparked by the chant, and asserted that staff of the broadcaster staff at Glastonbury told him on the day that the performance was "excellent."

However, the broadcaster's executive complaints unit later determined that the BBC's broadcast 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 left stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It's just normal. We come off stage. It's normal. No one suspected anything. Nobody. Even staff at the BBC were like 'It was fantastic! We enjoyed that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

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

Albarn's reaction was "disappointing" and "lacked self-awareness," Vylan said.

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

"I strongly object with the term 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around the Nazis," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that wording, I think is offensive. I think his response was appalling."

Intent Behind the Chant

After questioned what he meant by the chant "Down with the IDF," Vylan clarified the slogan itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the conditions that exist to permit that chant to even occur on that platform. And I mean, the conditions that are present in Palestine. Where the Palestinian people are being slain at an disturbing rate. Who cares about the slogan?" he said.

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

Rejection of Hate Speech Claims

Vylan also rejected assertions from the CST, a watchdog and Jewish community safety group, that their set led to a rise in anti-Jewish events recorded later.

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

Comparison with Other Bands

As Vylan mentioned he thought the band had been criticised more severely than different artists for voicing views about the situation, Theroux brought up the Ireland-based group Kneecap, who have also faced backlash for their method to pro-Palestine advocacy.

"That's a notable point," he responded, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an more convenient villain, no pun intended, than others are because we are already the opponent."