EXCLUSIVE British pop duo blasts Bob Vylan for 'hijacking' Glastonbury with anti-Israel chants as they wade into BBC drama

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Bob Vylan has been accused of 'lacking in intelligence' by singers Fred and Richard Fairbrass who slammed the controversial duo for plunging Glastonbury Festival into a 'dark place'.
The brothers, better known as Right Said Fred, waded into the ongoing row over the punk rap duo's controversial set which saw them encouraging chants of 'Death to the IDF' and 'Free Palestine '.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the Fairbrass siblings accused Bob Vylan of 'hijacking' the beloved music event last weekend before praising Sir Rod Stewart for returning it to a 'happy place' with his Legends slot.
'We got this Bob Vylan, whatever his name is, he played and took the whole thing to a very dark place,' Richard, 71, said. 'And then you've got Rod Stewart who took it to a very happy place…
'I think my thing with that was that you can say what you like. You can believe what you like and say what you like, but when it's a music festival, do it with music and like Country Joe and the Fish back in the day, do it with a bit of wit and intelligence. That's all I'm saying.'
He continued: 'So I didn't have a problem with him saying what he said. I just have a problem with the fact that it wasn't in music and it was lacking in intelligence. That's all.'
The brothers, better known as Right Said Fred, waded into the ongoing row over the punk duo's controversial set which saw them encouraging chants of 'Death to the IDF'
Bob Vylan's performance at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed by the BBC but the organisation later expressed regret for not stopping its broadcast of the set.
Frontman Bobby Vylan, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, launched into a tirade against 'Zionist' music industry executives, who he accused of trying to have Irish hip hop trio Kneecap banned.
'Free, free Palestine,' he chanted to a sea of Palestinian flags, with the crowd joining in as he shouted: 'Death, death to the IDF.'
'I think it's become a trend,' Fred, 61, told the Daily Mail. 'People hijacking music events to talk, to bore people with their own personal beliefs. And it's great. We all have personal beliefs, but if I go to a gig, I want you to play your songs and go away.'
Avon and Somerset Police said on Monday it had launched a probe into the performance after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with the appearance 'recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage'.
It has since emerged that the group were already under investigation by police for comments made at a concert one month before Glastonbury.
Video footage appears to show Bobby, 34, at Alexandra Palace in north London telling crowds: 'Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.'
The rap group, who had their US visas revoked, issued a statement on Tuesday claiming they were being 'targeted for speaking up'.
On Thursday the BBC released a statement, revealing the duo was 'deemed high risk following a risk assessment process applied to all acts appearing at Glastonbury'.
The BBC said that from now on music performances deemed high risk would not be broadcast live or streamed live.
'We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community,' the statement read.
'We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC.
'It is clear that errors were made both in the lead-up to and during Bob Vylan's appearance.'
Right Said Fred, who recently released their new single Wunderbar, are no strangers to controversy themselves. Richard attended anti-lockdown protests in London and refused to get the Covid vaccine despite being hospitalised with the virus back in 2021.
He said his opinions have cost the duo work, but he refuses to not 'say what you believe'.
'We were working with a couple of guys in L.A. some time ago, and when they found out our political position on COVID and the whole thing, they cut it all off,' he said. 'They cancelled. Yeah cancelled everything... Life is so short. You've got to say what you think. Get on with it. Get on with it. Say what you believe.
'Music is meant to be a unifying force. The problem with some festivals as we saw at Glastonbury, it's actually a divisive force that mustn't happen. It should no longer be that.'
He continued: 'Disagreeing with people is what we used to do, but recently in the last 10, 15 years, disagreements with people is what we are no longer allowed to do. You disagree? You are cast into the outer darkness. I remember when people would have conversation, we need that again.'
Formed in 1989, Right Said Fred are famed for their catchy 1991 hit song I'm Too Sexy which topped the charts in the US and reached number 2 in the UK.
The song's chorus was used by Taylor Swift on her single Look What You Made Me Do, earning the Fairbrass' a writing credit alongside Jack Antonoff.