Latest news with #BobbyVylan
The Independent
14 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bob Vylan share statement after Glastonbury boss calls onstage remarks ‘appalling'
Bobby Vylan, who is one half of punk rap duo Bob Vylan, has shared a lengthy statement after Glastonbury bosses called his onstage comments at the festival 'appalling'. The pair's performance at the festival on Saturday (28 June) led to a police assessment and condemnation from festival organisers and the BBC, after member Bobby led crowds at the West Holts Stage in a chant of 'death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]'. Bob Vylan were formed in Ipswich in 2017. Both members keep their real names secret to maintain their privacy, and go only by the monikers Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan. Posting on Instagram on Sunday evening (29 June), the bandmember who goes by Bobby told his fans that he had been 'inundated' with a mixture of 'support and hatred', but that he stood by what he said and is calling for 'a change in foreign policy'. In a lengthy statement captioned 'I said what I said', he wrote: 'As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, l listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of her school dinners. 'She expressed that she would like healthier meals, more options and dishes inspired by other parts of the world. 'Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all.' Bob Vylan performing at Glastonbury (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire) Bobby continued: '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 possibly starts to 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. 'Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to do when we want and need change. Let them see us marching in the streets, campaigning on ground level, organising online and shouting about it on any and every stage that we are offered.' Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. He concluded his statement: 'Today it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy.' Bobby's lengthy statement (Bobby Vylan Instagram) After the performance, which the BBC streamed live but has not put on iPlayer, Glastonbury organisers said: 'Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Shortly after Bob Vylan's set, Belfast band Kneecap took to the stage with a similarly politically charged set, in which they led the crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'F*** Keir Starmer'. Police are currently assessing the footage of comments made by both Kneecap and Bob Vylan at Glastonbury to decide whether any offences may have been committed. Starmer has also condemned the performances by both bands and demanded that the BBC explain how the 'appalling' chants by Bob Vylan were broadcast live. Follow along with Glastonbury updates on The Independent 's live blog here.
ITV News
20 minutes ago
- Politics
- ITV News
The prime minister says he's "appalled" by Bob Vylan's chants as police assess footage
Glastonbury Festival and the prime minister have said they are "appalled" by comments made by Bobby Vylan, who led chants of "death, death to the IDF'.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bob Vylan star breaks silence after controversial Glasto set with strong plea
Bobby Vylan took to social media to post a defiant response following his controversial Glastonbury set on Saturday. Bob Vylan's performance prior to Kneecap's set has been removed from BBC's iPlayer. And now Bobby took to Instagram to defiantly say: "I said what I said." And he shared a lengthy statement to follow up. He wrote: "As I lay in bed this morning, my phone buzzing non stop, inundated with messages of both support and hatred, I listen to my daughter typing out loud as she fills out a school survey asking for her feedback on the current state of school dinners.
National Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- National Post
U.K. rapper Bobby Vylan leads Glastonbury festival crowd in 'Death to the IDF' chant
The U.K. government said on Sunday that the BBC had questions to answer over criticism of Israel by musicians at Glastonbury festival that police are probing. Article content U.K. officers are studying videos of rapper Bobby Vylan leading crowds in chants of 'Death, death to the IDF', a reference to the acronym for the Israeli army, during his set on Saturday. Article content Article content They are also examining comments by outspoken Irish rap trio Kneecap, one of whose members wore a T-shirt dedicated to Palestine Action Group, which is about to be banned under U.K. terror laws. Article content Article content The IDF chants, condemned by the Israeli embassy in London, were broadcast on the BBC, which airs coverage of Britain's most popular music festival. Article content Article content 'I thought it's appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens,' U.K. minister Wes Streeting told Sky News. Article content The Israel embassy said in a statement late Saturday it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival.' Article content But Streeting, Labour's health secretary, also took aim at the embassy, telling it to 'get your own house in order.' Article content 'I think there's a serious point there by the Israeli embassy. I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously,' he said, citing settler violence in the West Bank. Article content A spokesperson for the BBC said some of the comments by Vylan, part of British duo Bob Vylan, were 'deeply offensive' and the broadcaster had 'no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Article content Article content Avon and Somerset police said Saturday that video evidence would be assessed by officers 'to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation'. Article content Kneecap, who have made headlines in recent months with their pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stance, led crowds in a chant against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Article content Article content Starmer had said the band should not perform after its member Liam O'Hanna, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. Article content He appeared in court earlier this month accused of having displayed a Hezbollah flag while saying 'Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah' after a video resurfaced of a London concert last year. Article content The Iran-backed Lebanese force Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are banned in the U.K., and it is an offence to express support for them. Article content O'Hanna has denied the charge and told the Guardian in an interview published Friday that 'it was a joke — we're playing characters'. Article content Kneecap regularly lead crowds in chants of 'Free Palestine' during their concerts. Their fans revere them for their anti-establishment stance and criticism of British imperialism but critics call them extremists. Article content
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Glastonbury organisers appalled at 'death to IDF' chant
Glastonbury organisers say they are appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, saying the music festival is no place for anti-Semitism or incitement to violence. During their show on Saturday, the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defence Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military. United Kingdom police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after artists at Glastonbury made anti-Israel comments on stage, without naming Bob Vylan. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday. Glastonbury Festival criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for anti-Semitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday. The Israeli Embassy in the UK condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage at the festival. Bob Vylan's band members did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Their show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and also taking aim at Israel. During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it." Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge. Senior members of Starmer's government also criticised the chants by Bob Vylan. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it was appalling that the comments had been made on stage, adding that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "I'd also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News. "I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously." Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy. "Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a progressive media organisation.
