Why is everyone talking about Bob Vylan? Glastonbury festival's biggest controversy explained

Bob Vylan are under investigation by Avon and Somerset Police following their performance at Glastonbury festival on Saturday, June 28.

A senior detective is analysing footage of the London punk-grime duo's performance on the site's West Holts stage to assess whether comments made onstage by frontman Bobby Vylan constitute a criminal offence. The band's set has been recorded as a a "public order incident" according to a police statement.

Who are Bob Vylan?

Formed in Ipswich in 2017, the band Bob Vylan consists of frontman Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan. Taking their name in reference to legendary counter-cultural icon Bob Dylan, the band draw influence from punk, grime, hip-hop, alt.rock, reggae, and cite Crass, Public Enemy, Nas, Stormzy and Skepta as inspirational figures in their development.

The duo have released four albums, Dread (2019), We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life (2022) and Humble As The Sun (2024), addressing racism, inequality, intolerance, the class system, sexism, capitalism, and the need for societal change.

In November 2022, they became the first artists to win the inaugural Best Alternative Music Act category at Britain's MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) awards.

Politics have been a central facet of Bob Vylan's music and worldview from the start: “You could argue that my existence within this country as a Black man is politicised from the offset,” Bobby Vylan told Metal Hammer last year.

What did Bob Vylan say at Glastonbury?

The band performed on the West Holts stage at 2:30pm on Saturday, June 28, with a Palestinian flag as a backdrop. They also had political slogans projected on to a screen behind them, one of which stated, "Free Palestine – United Nations have called it a genocide – The BBC calls it a 'conflict'."

During the set, Bobby Vylan referred to "fucked up things happening in the world", adding "We're seeing the UK and the US be complicit in war crimes and genocide happening over there to the Palestinian people."

Aware that his band's set was being streamed like on the BBC's iPlayer service, the vocalist stated, "I know we're on the BBC, we're not going to say anything crazy", then said, "But unfortunately we have seen a strange reaction to people that come out and voice support for Palestine, even though anybody with any kind of moral compass can surely tell that what is happening over there in Gaza is a tragedy."

"We're not pacifist punks here over at Bob Vylan enterprises," he continued. "We are the violent punks. Because sometimes you gotta get your message across with violence, because that is the only language that some people speak, unfortunately. This next song we wanna dedicate it to every single band that is using their platform to speak up for the Palestinian people, and speak against the crimes that Israel, the UK, and the US, and much of the western world are complicit in", namechecking The Murder Capital, Kneecap, and Amyl and The Sniffers.

"We must pray, hope and wish," he continued, "to see a day when the Palestinian people are liberated and free from the tyranny of the Israeli government."

The singer then led the crowd in a chant of "Free, free Palestine" ahead of performing Pretty Songs.

When the audience later continued this chant, Bobby Vylan said, "Alright, but have you heard this one, though?” and initiated a chant of "Death, death to the IDF," in reference to the Israeli Defense Forces: the country's army, navy, and air force.

Afterwards, the singer added, "Hell yeah. From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, Inshallah, it will be free."

At another point in the set, Bobby Vylan spoke of previously working alongside a "fucking Zionist" at a record label, adding that the man was one of the music industry figures who co-signed a letter to Glastonbury asking for Kneecap to be removed from the bill.

Why are people angry about it?

Bobby Vylan's "Death, death to the IDF" chant has been described as hate speech, and an incitement to violence, by many commentators, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said that there was "no excuse" for what was said.

As military service is compulsory for all Israeli citizens, some people have interpreted this as a blanket anti-semitic statement. Others have just condemned it for inflaming an already volatile situation..

Government minister Wes Streeting commented: “All life is sacred. And I find it pretty revolting we’ve got to a state in this conflict where you’re supposed to sort of cheer on one side or the other like it’s a football team.

"If I take the equivalent of the war in Ukraine, I’m unequivocal about which side of that war I’m on. I want Ukraine to win. Would I be celebrating or chanting for the death of Russian soldiers? No, I want to see an end to the war, and I want to see an end to the conflict."

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said it was "clear" the rapper was "inciting violence and hatred" and should be prosecuted, while the UK's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, described Vylan's words as "vile Jew-hatred".

Numerous commentators have also questioned why the BBC did not pull the live stream.

Additionally, many observers are upset over Bobby Vylan's use of the phrase "from the river to the sea."

The phrase, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' is a reference to the land between the Jordan River, which borders eastern Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea, to the west.

Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, who killed around 1,200 people and took more than 250 people hostage in a terrorist attack on Israeli soil, triggering the present conflict in Gaza, used the phrase in its 2017 constitution, stating, "Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea."

How have Glastonbury and the BBC reacted?

A social media post from Glastonbury Festival and booker Emily Eavis on Sunday, June 29, stated that the festival stood "against all forms of war and terrorism", but pointed out that with almost 4,000 performances across the site "there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share".

"We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday," the post stated. "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."

The BBC issued a statement on Monday, June 30, saying, "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."

How have Bob Vylan responded?

In an initial statement, Bobby Vylan's reaction to the outrage directed at his comments was "I said what I said", adding that he had been inundated "with messages of both support and hatred."

Yesterday, July 1, the band issued a more comprehensive response on social media.

The statement in full reads:

"Not the first. Not the last. Today, a good many people would have you believe a punk band is the number one threat to world peace. Last week it was a Palestine pressure group, the week before that it was another band. [a reference to Kneecap].

“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 whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza,” it added. “We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.

“The government doesn’t want us to ask why they remain silent in the face of this atrocity? To ask why they aren’t doing more to stop the killing? To feed the starving? The more time they talk about Bob Vylan, the less time they spend answering for their criminal inaction.

“We are being targeted for speaking up. We are not the first. We will not be the last. And if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up, too. Free Palestine."

What have other artists said?

Disturbed frontman David Draiman, who has himself faced criticism after posting photographs last summer showing him signing bombs during a visit with the IDF in Israel, has accused Bob Vylan of inciting hatred and violence, and said the comments made onstage were "disgusting" and "irresponsible".

"Every citizen of the state of Israel has to serve [in the IDF] so you're saying that the majority of world Jews should die, should be killed," he said in an Instagram post. "Good luck with that. Iran saw how easy that wasn't."

Kobi Farhi, from Israeli metal band Orphaned Land, issued a statement of his own, writing, "Musicians are my peers, people with big hearts and good intentions. But sometimes, good intentions go wrong."

He continued, "Provocation gets you clicks, headlines, streams. But those performances don’t end suffering. They deepen it. They weaken the voices of the moderates, the bridge-builders, the pragmatists who might one day lead us out of this darkness.

"Your actions will do nothing other than foster eternal hate. There are millions of Israelis and Palestinians living on these lands, and the only way to work this out would be to learn, to overcome, to understand that we have the ability to grow and live together."

Massive Attack, who have faced criticism themselves for their pro-Palestinian beliefs, issued a statement yesterday.

They wrote, “For 636 days now, unprecedented & insufferable horror has been recorded by the brutalised communities of Gaza and shown to us on our phone and television screens. It will not stop. No one, it seems, will stop it... As we aLL watch on aghast, every single daY, shouting or typing into an echo chamber of complicity, the media and political classes focus again on... artists.

"Given the total ban by Israel on international journalists reporting from Gaza, & the simultaneous murder of hundreds of journalists in Gaza by Israeli forces, Massive Attack would urge the BBC & other media outlets to direct their considerable news resource to reporting the truth of what is happening, daily, to the people of Gaza, and critically, to explaining the corresponding inaction of western governments (such as the UK) to their viewers."

Amyl & The Sniffers, who also expressed pro-Palestine sentiments during their Glastonbury performance, posted: "The British media in a frenzy about Bob Vylan and Kneecap but artists all weekend at Glastonbury from pop to rock to rap to punk to DJs spoke up onstage and there were tons of flags on every streamed set.

"Trying to make it look like just a couple of isolated incidents and a couple of ‘bad bands’ so it appears the public isn’t as anti-genocide as it is, and trying to make it look like Bob and Kneecap are one-offs, instead of that the status quo has shifted majorly and that people are concerned and desperate for our governments to listen.

"And if you don’t want politics in music don’t blame the musicians blame the politicians and journalists, and the political landscape in general, for not doing their job, and there’ll be more and more of to until it stops."

American/Canadian singer/rapper Grandson, who was due to play US dates with Bob Vylan later this year, also commented on the controversy, writing: "As a Jewish artist I am deeply offended by the conflation of criticism against a military force known for their indiscriminate violence with anti-semitism. The Israeli government has done more to exacerbate anti-semitism this past 2 years than any statements by artists advocating for Palestinian freedom and solidarity."

What happens next?

Bob Vylan will be seeking a new live booking agent, following reports that the band have been dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA), in the wake of the controversy. They have also had numerous upcoming live appearances cancelled, including Radar Festival in Manchester and French festival Kave Fest.

On Monday, June 30, the US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted that the State Department "has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants." He added on X, "foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country."

The band were set to headline Radar festival in Manchester on July 5 but festival organisers confirmed on July 2 they would no longer be performing. An appearance at Kave Fest on July 6 has also been cancelled.

The investigation by Avon and Somerset Police is ongoing.