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The frontman of Bob Vylan has expressed he is "not regretful" about his "anti-IDF chant" act at Glastonbury and declared he would "do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

Disputed Exclamation and Political Reactions

This outspoken punk duo ignited significant debate when they led crowd chants of "down with the IDF," referring to the Israel Defense Forces, during their June performance. The chant was censured by festival organizers and Britain's leader the prime minister, who described it as "shocking hate speech."

Following the event, the band was released by its agency United Talent Agency, and the American government revoked the members' visas, compelling them to call off a planned North American tour.

Interview with the Podcaster

In his initial public discussion after the Glastonbury show, the musician, whose real name is Pascal Foster, conversed on The Louis Theroux Podcast. After questioned if he would do it all again, he replied:

"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 say it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays."

He noted that the backlash the band faced was "minimal compared to what people in Gaza are experiencing."

On the Protest's Significance

"I don't want to overstate the significance of the chant," he continued. "That's not what I'm trying to do, but if I have the Palestinian people's backing, these are the individuals that I'm advocating for, these are the people that I'm speaking up for, then what is there to regret? Oh, because I've upset some rightwing politician or some rightwing news outlet?"

Surprising Reaction and Broadcaster Feedback

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

However, the broadcaster's ECU subsequently determined that the network's airing of the show breached editorial guidelines in relation to offense and hurt.

Vylan informed the host there was no sign of a controversy in the moment: "It didn't feel like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It felt normal. We come off stage. It's normal. Nobody suspected anything. Nobody. Including crew at the broadcaster were like 'That was fantastic! We loved that!'"

Response to Damon Albarn

The musician also responded at Damon Albarn, who called the protest "a major misstep I've seen in my life" and described him as "goose-stepping in tennis gear."

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

"I need to say that labeling it as a 'huge mistake' suggests that in some way the politics of the duo or our position on Palestinian liberation is not thought out," he stated.

"I take great issue with the term 'marching' being used because it's typically associated around Nazi Germany," he added. "That's it. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was appalling."

Meaning Behind the Chant

When asked what he intended by the phrase "Death to the IDF," the artist clarified the chant itself was "unimportant."

"What is important is the conditions that persist to allow that protest to even occur on that stage. And I mean, the circumstances that are present in Palestine. In which the local people are being slain at an alarming rate. What matters about the chant?" he stated.

"The phrase rhymes," he noted: "Stop the IDF' does not rhyme, wouldn't have spread, would it? … We are there to entertain. We are there to sing songs. I am a songwriter. 'The chant' rhymes. Ideal chant."

Rejection of Hate Speech Claims

The musician also denied assertions from the CST, a monitoring and Jewish community safety group, that their set led to a spike in anti-Jewish incidents recorded later.

"I don't think I have caused an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish people. If there were many individuals of people going out and saying 'We made me do this'. I could go, oof, I've had a negative impact here," he commented.

Comparison with Different Bands

When he mentioned he thought the duo had been criticised more severely than others for speaking about the conflict, the host referenced the Irish band Kneecap, who have likewise faced criticism for their method to pro-Palestinian messaging.

"That's a notable point," he said, "because as with everything ethnicity becomes a factor in that we are an easier target, seriously, than others are because we are already the enemy."