
Rap duo Bob Vylan banned from US ahead of planned autumn shows
The BBC has since expressed its regret at not pulling the live stream of the act's performance during Glastonbury on Saturday, saying the 'antisemitic sentiments' expressed by the group were 'utterly unacceptable'.
Bob Vylan played at Coachella in Calfornia earlier this year but will be unable to return to the US when they were set to perform in Chicago, Brooklyn and Philadelphia in the autumn.
Birds pick through a field covered in litter at the end of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset (Ben Birchall/PA)
The duo, formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class.
Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports.
In a statement posted to Instagram after the Glastonbury set, Vylan said: '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 starts to possibly 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.'
They are due to perform at Radar Festival in Manchester on Saturday and Boardmasters, a surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August.
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"It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it. "Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society." Irish rap trio Kneecap, including member Liam Og O hAnnaidh who appeared in court earlier this month charged with a terror offence, took to the stage directly after Bob Vylan and led chants of "Free Palestine". On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into both performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation. A police spokesman said: "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. "The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes." In a statement on Monday, the BBC said: "Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC's output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive. "The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. "The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. "We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance. "The performance was part of a livestream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer. "The judgment on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines. "In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand. "The team were dealing with a live situation, but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen." 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an hour ago
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