Bob Vylan Frontman Urges Fans to Halt Controversial Chants During Packed London Return
Punk duo Bob Vylan took to the stage for their first UK gig since their controversial Glastonbury performance, but the spotlight wasn’t just on their music. The band’s frontman, Bobby Vylan, called on fans to refrain from repeating anti-IDF chants that previously landed them in hot water.
Performing at a sold-out show at London’s iconic 100 Club on Wednesday, Bobby addressed the crowd just moments after familiar chants of “death, death to the IDF” erupted from the audience — a repeat of their headline-making Glastonbury set just days earlier.
“You are going to get me in trouble, apparently every other chant is fine but yous will get me in trouble,” he told fans, before redirecting the energy toward cries of “Free, free Palestine.”
The remarks came amid a police investigation into the band’s on-stage political statements, following footage from their June 28 Glastonbury set, where Bobby led thousands in chants against the Israeli military.
At the London gig, Bobby, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, addressed the week’s unfolding drama head-on.
“I am pretty tired. It’s been a busy week, been a busy couple of days do you know what I mean? Just putting out fires you know?
We never ever could have imagined that we would create a conversation that needed to be created and needed to be had.
It kind of feels like we have completed punk rock just a little bit. We set the game on the hardest level and just went f****** let’s just go all in, shall we?”
The mood was a mix of solidarity and defiance. The venue was packed with fans donning keffiyehs, Palestinian flags and pins, echoing chants of “Free, free Palestine” as the band pushed forward through their set.
“What is happening over there is an absolute mess, it is f****** criminal what is happening to these people, they are now being concentrated into camps,” Vylan said on stage.
“They have been trying to silence us, they thought that this would shut us up, but the album is back in the charts.”
Indeed, despite the backlash, Bob Vylan’s latest release Humble As The Sun has surged back up to claim the top spot on the UK Hip Hop and R&B album charts — a strong signal of fan support.
But the consequences of their words have been real. The band were reportedly dropped by their agency, United Talent Agency (UTA), and pulled from multiple gigs — including their US tour, after their visas were revoked.
The Met Police investigation now includes not just Glastonbury but also an earlier May performance in London, where a video surfaced allegedly showing Bobby saying: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.”
Still, Bobby showed no signs of backing down.
“We just want to see the liberation of the Palestinian people. That’s it. I don’t think it’s too crazy a thing to ask. I don’t think it’s a violent thing to ask, right? The liberation of the Palestinian people from a tyrannical f****** oppressor. That’s all we want.
But until then – free, free Palestine.
Each and every single time, they will not f****** silence us.”
The gig closed with the duo holding up a Palestinian flag, as Bobby paid tribute to both their fans and the people of Palestine.
“We are a loving band, we love you lot for being here with us. We love the Palestinian people.
Their strength, their resilience, their ability to keep on going in the face of it all is a beautiful and inspiring thing. So as hard as this week may have been for us, it has been nothing in comparison to what the Palestinian people are going through right now.
That is where the attention should be. That is where the focus should be. That is where these politicians and media outlets should be focusing their attention right now, not on the words or the actions of a f****** punk band.”
Their set followed a recent performance in Athens, Greece, where Bobby again doubled down.
“We are not generally hateful people, but we do hate war, and we do hate injustice, and I think a lot of people out there hate it too.
We will continue to fly that beautiful Palestinian flag, and nobody anywhere in the world will tell us that we are not allowed to.”
Meanwhile, Bob Vylan isn’t the only Glastonbury act under scrutiny. Irish rap trio Kneecap are also facing police investigation after their own politically charged set, which included chants of “F** Keir Starmer.”* One of its members is currently facing a terror-related charge.
Formed in 2017, Bob Vylan are no strangers to tackling political issues, often centring their music around themes of race, class, and power. With controversy swirling but their voice undimmed, the band are still set to appear at Boardmasters Festival in Newquay this August.
Love them or loathe them — the message from Bob Vylan is clear: they won’t be silenced.
