Who Is Bob Vylan? Music duo under fire after Glastonbury 2025 performance sparks outrage
Formed in Ipswich in 2017, now based in London. Their music is a mix of punk, rap, and hard rock. They've released 3 albums, We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (2022), and Humble As The Sun (2023). They've won awards like Best Alternative Act at the MOBOs and Best Album at the Kerrang Awards both in the year 20222.
Their songs talk about racism, homophobia, toxic masculinity, and far-right politics. Bobby often says 'violence is the only language that some people understand' before performing one of their songs, as stated in the report by BBC.
They're known for crowd-surfing, wild shows, and collabs with artists like Amy Taylor, Laurie Vincent, and Kid Kapichi. Bobby said he went to his first pro-Palestine protest at age 15 with a friend's mom, as per The Guardian report.
What happened at Glastonbury 2025?
Bob Vylan performed live on stage at
Glastonbury Festival
2025. Before the show, they posted: 'Turns out the BBC trusts us on live TV!' During the show, they performed in front of a screen that said Israel's actions in Gaza are genocide. Bobby led chants of 'Death, death to the Israel Defense Forces'.
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He also said 'Free, free Palestine' and used the phrase 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'. Critics say that chant is a call to destroy Israel, but pro-Palestinians say it's just about ending the occupation, as mentioned in the report by BBC.
After the show, Bobby posted on Instagram saying, kids need to speak up for change. Adults lose fire, so we must pass the torch to the next generation. His caption said, "I said what I said." Their set came right before another controversial band, Kneecap, performed. One member of Kneecap is facing a terror charge, as stated in the report by BBC.
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Fallout & Backlash
Emily Eavis, Glastonbury's organiser, and the festival itself said the chants 'crossed a line'. They added there is 'no place for antisemitism, hate speech or inciting violence' at Glastonbury. Michael Eavis, the founder of the festival, had earlier said if people don't like political acts, they should just 'go somewhere else'.
The BBC removed the performance video and said, 'We support free speech, but we don't support violence or hate speech.' They said the antisemitic content was 'utterly unacceptable'. They admitted they should've stopped the live stream but didn't act fast enough. Office of Communications, the UK's media watchdog, is investigating the BBC for broadcasting the chants live.
They said the BBC 'clearly has questions to answer.' Police are now investigating the performance for any crimes under Public Order laws. The US government has revoked Bob Vylan's visas. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted, 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome in the US.'
United Talent Agency dropped Bob Vylan from their roster in the US. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has asked the BBC chief for answers. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said both the BBC and Bob Vylan should be investigated and possibly prosecuted, as stated by BBC.
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Q1. Why is Bob Vylan trending?
They made controversial comments at Glastonbury 2025.
Q2. What did Bob Vylan say on stage?
They led chants like 'Death to the IDF' and supported Palestine.
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The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan says it's being targeted for speaking up about Gaza at Glastonbury
Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan on Tuesday (July 1, 2025) rejected claims of anti-semitism over onstage comments at the Glastonbury Festival that triggered a police investigation and sparked criticism from politicians, the BBC and festival organisers. The band said in a statement that it was being 'targeted for speaking up' about the war in Gaza. Police are investigating whether a crime was committed when frontman Bob Vylan led the audience in chants of 'Death to the IDF' — the Israel Defense Forces — during the band's set at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. The British government called the chants 'appalling hate speech' and the BBC said it regretted livestreaming the 'antisemitic sentiments.' U.S. authorities revoked the musicians' visas. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests in many capitals and on college campuses. Israel and some supporters have described the protests as antisemitic, while critics say Israel uses such descriptions to silence opponents. In a statement on Instagram, Bob Vylan said: 'We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. … A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.' Alleging that 'we are a distraction from the story,' the duo added: 'We are being targeted for speaking up.' The BBC is under pressure to explain why it did not cut the feed of the performance after the anti-IDF chants. Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said 'the airing of vile Jew-hatred' by the BBC was a moment of 'national shame.' '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,' he wrote on X. Avon and Somerset Police said it is investigating Bob Vylan's performance, along with that by Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose pro-Palestinian stance has also attracted controversy. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under Britain's Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year. Since the war began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, Israel has killed more than 56,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why music duo Bob Vylan's pro-Palestine chants at UK festival prompted US visa ban
Picture this: you're ankle-deep in Glastonbury's infamous mud, surrounded by thousands of strangers, the air buzzing with the thrill of live music. Olivia Rodrigo's belting out heartbreak anthems, Neil Young's strumming his way through decades of grit, and Charli XCX is driving the crowd wild. But then, on the West Holts Stage, a lesser-known duo called Bob Vylan grabs the mic and shifts the vibe. 'Free, free Palestine!' Bob Vylan shouts, his voice raw with conviction. The crowd joins in, chanting 'Death to the IDF' as a screen behind him flashes, 'The UN calls it genocide. The BBC calls it a 'conflict.'' It's a gut-punch moment, broadcast live by the BBC until they pull the plug. Social media explodes—some cheer, others rage. The next day, Bob's on Instagram with a defiant 'I said what I said,' admitting he's getting love and hate in equal measure. British police start sniffing around, and the US announces that the bands visas will be revoked. In justification Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X, 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.' Suddenly, Glastonbury 2025 isn't just about music—it's a battleground. This wasn't Glastonbury's first political rodeo. Even before the festival kicked off, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was grumbling about Kneecap, an Irish rap crew whose member Mo Chara got slapped with a terrorism charge for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a 2024 gig in London. Starmer didn't think they belonged at Worthy Farm. Kneecap didn't care—they'd already stirred things up at Coachella earlier in 2025, chanting 'Free Palestine' and flashing anti-Israel messages, only to lose their US visa sponsor. Festivals like these aren't just parties; they're places where people – artists and fans alike – wear their hearts and their politics on their sleeves. Nothing amplifies this sentiment more than Woodstock. In 1969, over 400,000 people crammed onto a New York farm while the Vietnam War and racial violence tore America apart. Jimi Hendrix didn't just play 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' he turned it into a howl of protest, his guitar screaming like bombs and sirens. Country Joe's 'Fixin'-to-Die' had the crowd singing along, half-laughing, half-furious at the war machine. Bruce Springsteen explained it years later saying, 'artists sing and think to throw in our two cents, right in front of everyone. Maybe people don't come to concerts for politics, but we can get them thinking about the big stuff together.' Then there's the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. George Harrison saw a war-torn crisis with refugees, famine, horror, and decided to do something. He got Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and others to play, raising millions for UNICEF. But it wasn't all feel-good. Pakistan's government, cozy with US President Richard Nixon, was livid that Harrison shone a spotlight on the conflict. Nevertheless, it showed how music can be a megaphone for the voiceless, even if it ruffles powerful feathers. Live Aid in 1985 was another game-changer. Irish singer Bob Geldof, fed up with the Ethiopian famine, rounded up everyone from Queen to U2 for a global concert that pulled in over $125 million. Asked why he did it, he said he'd being trying to raise awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Africa for months. I was 'dialling 999 for six months, but the ambulance never came.,' he said. Live Aid was proof that musicians could outdo politicians in rallying people. But it wasn't perfect—years later, whispers surfaced that some money got tangled up with armed groups, and Geldof found Ethiopia still struggling when he visited. It was a painful reminder that good intentions don't always mean clean results. To those familiar with Glastonbury, politics isn't new. Glastonbury's always had that rebel spirit. It started in 1970 as a scrappy £1 hippie fest, dreamed up by Michael Eavis. Now it's a £400-ticket giant, with corporate sponsors and beefy security. Some old-timers grumble it's lost its edge, especially after 1990, when clashes with New Age travellers forced it to tighten up. But the politics never left. In 2016, Brexit cast a shadow, and Adele told the crowd to 'look after each other.' In 2019, Stormzy got everyone yelling 'F— Boris' about the then-Prime Minister. This year, Kneecap aimed the same at Starmer. It's like Glastonbury's a place where the world's frustrations get a mic. It's not just Glastonbury, though. In 1985, Brazil's Rock in Rio was a victory lap after a brutal dictatorship fell. Serbia's EXIT Festival was born in 2000 from kids fighting to oust Milošević, turning music into resistance. And in 2025, Georgia's Tbilisi Open Air became a full-on protest, with bands like LoudSpeakers slamming the pro-Russian government and calling for freedom. Festivals are where music and heart collide with the world's chaos. When Bob Vylan or Kneecap take a stand, they're following a path carved by Hendrix, Harrison, and countless others. Sure, it can backfire—visa bans, police probes, or fans turning away. But standing in that crowd, chanting, feeling the pulse of thousands who agree, it's electric. It's a reminder that music doesn't just entertain, it can shake things up, make you think, and maybe, just maybe, change the world a little.
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Bob Vylan rejects criticism and says it's being targeted for speaking up about Gaza at Glastonbury
LONDON: Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan on Tuesday rejected claims of antisemitism over onstage comments at the Glastonbury Festival that triggered a police investigation and sparked criticism from politicians, the BBC and festival organizers. The band said in a statement that it was being 'targeted for speaking up' about the war in Gaza. Police are investigating whether a crime was committed when frontman Bob Vylan led the audience in chants of 'Death to the IDF' — the Israel Defense Forces — during the band's set at the festival in southwest England on Saturday. The British government called the chants 'appalling hate speech' and the BBC said it regretted livestreaming the 'antisemitic sentiments.' U.S. authorities revoked the musicians' visas. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests in many capitals and on college campuses. Israel and some supporters have described the protests as antisemitic, while critics say Israel uses such descriptions to silence opponents. In a statement on Instagram, Bob Vylan said: 'We are not for the death of jews, arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. … A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.' Alleging that 'we are a distraction from the story,' the duo added: 'We are being targeted for speaking up.' The BBC is under pressure to explain why it did not cut the feed of the performance after the anti-IDF chants. Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said 'the airing of vile Jew-hatred' by the BBC was a moment of 'national shame.' '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,' he wrote on X. Avon and Somerset Police said it is investigating Bob Vylan's performance, along with that by Irish-language hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose pro-Palestinian stance has also attracted controversy. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under Britain's Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London last year. Since the war began in October 2023 with a Hamas attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people, Israel has killed more than 56,000 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
