Latest news with #MOBOs
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who Is Bob Vylan? Music duo under fire after Glastonbury 2025 performance sparks outrage
Bob Vylan is a UK music duo made of two members: Bobby Vylan who is a singer/frontman and Bobbie Vylan who is a drummer. They've never revealed their real names to keep their privacy, as per The Guardian report. 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'. Live Events 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. ALSO READ: Sydney Sweeney was the star of Bezos wedding — dancing with Tom Brady till 2AM 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. FAQs 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.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are Bob Vylan - the duo who 'very much crossed the line' at Glastonbury with anti-IDF chant?
Musicians, especially punk acts, making headlines for their politics is nothing new. The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Rage Against The Machine - in 2025, it's Kneecap and now Bob Vylan riling politicians. But in the case of chants made by Bob Vylan on stage at Glastonbury, it is not just MPs. Festival organiser Emily Eavis has also condemned the comments despite the festival's advocacy for free speech, saying they "very much crossed a line". Police are investigating footage of the performance, which has since been removed by the BBC, to see if any offences were committed. So who are Bob Vylan? The duo are Bobby Vylan, the frontman, and drummer Bobbie Vylan. They have not revealed their real names to protect their privacy. They formed in Ipswich in 2017 and their musical style is a mix of punk, rap, and hard rock. They have released three albums - We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (2022), and last year's Humble As The Sun - and their music has won them awards including best alternative act at the MOBOs in 2022, and best album at the Kerrang Awards in the same year. Their songs confront issues including racism, homophobia, toxic masculinity, and far-right politics, and the track Pretty Songs is often introduced by Bobby saying that "violence is the only language that some people understand". Gigs often include some crowd-surfing from the frontman, and they have collaborated with artists including Amyl And The Sniffers singer Amy Taylor, Soft Play guitarist Laurie Vincent, and rock band Kid Kapichi. In an interview with The Guardian last year, Bobby Vylan told how he attended his first pro-Palestine protest at the age of 15, escorted by a friend's mother. The duo have been outspoken on the war in Gaza and called out other acts seen as left-wing who haven't been showing the same amount of public solidarity. The Glastonbury set Before their appearance at the festival, the duo highlighted it to fans watching at home, posting on Facebook: "Turns out we're finally at a point where the BBC trust us on live tv! Watch us live either in the field or in the comfort of your own home!" On stage, they performed in front of a screen bearing several statements, including one which claimed Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". Afterwards, as controversy over the set grew, they appeared to double down with statements shared on social media. Their comments have drawn criticism from the Israeli embassy and MPs - and now Glastonbury and Emily Eavis, too. Read more Bob Vylan performed on stage ahead of Kneecap, kept on the bill despite calls for them to be axed. Michael Eavis, the festival's founder, said before the event that people who did not like the politics could "go somewhere else". However, Bob Vylan's comments pushed things too far, a statement posted by the festival and Emily Eavis said on Sunday morning. "As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism," the statement said. "We will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love." With almost 4,000 performances over the weekend, there will be artists and speakers appearing "whose views we do not share", they continued, "and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs". But they described the statements by Bob Vylan as "appalling". "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."
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Glastonbury star cancels all gigs for rest of 2025 after mental health battle
British rapper, Bru-C, real name Josh Bruce, will not be performing again this year after telling fans he needed to prioritise his mental health in an admission, which he said was 'difficult to make' A MOBO Award winner has pulled out of performing at Glastonbury after cancelling all his gigs for the rest of the year. Rapper, Bru-C, real name Josh Bruce, who was due to perform at Worthy Farm this summer, said he needs to focus on his mental health, admitting he had been 'trying his best to bury things'. The hip hop star from Derbyshire, 33, said he was "really hoping" that he wouldn't have to cancel all his commitments, including Glastonbury, for the rest of year, but admitted he needs to "take a step back". Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "I'm really sorry to announce I'm going to have to cancel all my upcoming show commitments for 2025/the foreseeable future. Many of you know I've been struggling with mental health issues for some time now and I've tried my best to bury things and keep my life and career moving forward." Bru-C, who won the Best Newcomer award at the MOBOs in 2022, explained that he'd "got gradually worse over the last few years" and needed to "take another step back to try and get back to kind of stable place in my life". He insisted it was the "last thing" he wanted to do to let down fans, but needed some time out to take get his life "back on track". The rapper continued: "I know a lot of people will have spent hard earned money to come out to the shows I'm booked at, and I really am sorry for the impact of this decision will have on you all. "I hope you understand I have to prioritise my own mental and physical health." Admitting he didn't know when he'd be back on stage again, Bru-C concluded: "I want you to know I'm seeking the right help and support, and I take none of this for granted. I just want to be better, when that will be I don't know." Responding to his post, Bru-C's pals from the music industry sent him their support. Rapper Gardna wrote in the comments section: "Brother the tunes you have are timeless. "The main stage will always be ready for you! Go well king!" DJ and musician, Example added: "Take your time man. Focus on yourself. Mad respect for this post. Hopefully it helps others. Love ya x" Meanwhile, Toddla T, a producer commented: "we love you bro. a show is a show. they aint going anywhere .. you can enter the stage again in the future if u choose.. heal up and come back match fit just like when a baller mash up his ankle… take as long as you need." Now based in Nottingham, Bru-C's album Original Sounds was released in November 2019 with CruCast, which was his record label at the time. His second album Smile was released in December 2020. In December 2021, Bru-C signed a contract to join the major record label, Def Jam Recordings.
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
MOBO award winners including Central Cee, Bashy and Darkoo revealed at ceremony in Newcastle
Central Cee, Darkoo and Bashy are among the big winners at this year's MOBO Awards. The ceremony took place in Newcastle this evening, with Krept & Konan, Bashy, Spice, and Nova Twins among the performers. Central Cee was named best male act, while Darkoo was named best female and picked up the MOBOs ' song of the year award for Favourite Girl, featuring Dess Dior. Bashy's Being Poor Is Expensive was crowned the best album winner, and the actor and rapper was also named best hip-hop act. A special gong was handed out to athlete Denise Lewis, who took home the "paving the way" prize, recognising trailblazers across different industries including sports, media and entertainment, as well as music. She follows previous winners such as Idris Elba, Sir Lenny Henry, Nicola Adams, and the late Jamal Edwards. "King of dancehall" Vybz Kartel was also honoured with the MOBOs impact award. "The MOBO Awards have always been about recognising and celebrating cultural pioneers who have reshaped the landscape of music and beyond," said MOBOs founder Kanya King ahead of the ceremony. "Denise Lewis is a true inspiration and it's an absolute pleasure to honour such a legendary figure. Few people have contributed more to their field in this country." She went on to say that Vybz Kartel's impact on music was "immeasurable", with an influence extending "beyond the world of dancehall, in which he is a musical giant". Odeal was named best newcomer and also took the best R&B/soul act prize, while Ayra Starr also picked up two - best African music act and best international act. Other genre category awards included best jazz act for 2023 Mercury Prize winners Ezra Collective, best grime act for Scorcher, best drill act for Pozer, best electronic/dance act for TSHA, best gospel for Annatoria, best Caribbean music act for Shenseea, and best alternative music act for ALT BLK ERA. Elsewhere, Juls was named best producer, 90s Baby Show won the media personality prize, video of the year went to Mnelia's My Man, and actor and musician Jacob Anderson was recognised in the best TV/film performance category, for his role in the series Interview With The Vampire. Central Cee, Raye, and Dave were among the big winners last year, with Soul II Soul, Sugababes and Ghetts receiving special achievement prizes. The MOBOs celebrate black music in the UK and internationally and will mark their 30th anniversary in 2026. In December, King revealed she had been but said she would continue to lead the organisation.
