Rod Stewart's huge Glastonbury performance mocked during band's controversial set
Kneecap took a swipe at Sir Rod Stewart during their buzz-worthy set at Glastonbury, with the Belfast-based trio grabbing headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, announced: "I'm a free man."
The 27 year old MC targeted the 80 year old music icon early in the performance, asking the crowd: "Is anyone going to see Rod Stewart tomorrow night?".
Met with loud boos from an audience clad in tri-colour balaclavas and "Free Mo Chara" t-shirts, O'Hanna feigned surprise and asked, "Wait, did I miss something?" before jibing: "He's older than Israel."
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Their Saturday show was mired in controversy with anti-Keir Starmer chants echoing through their performance. Prior to the festival, political figures had lobbied for Kneecap's removal from the lineup, with Sir Keir Starmer labelling their act "inappropriate".
Nevertheless, Naoise O Caireallain, also known as Moglai Bap, dismissed these critics by asserting: "The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.", reports the Express.
Moglai Bap expressed his gratitude towards the Eavis family who remained steadfast in their support against the backdrop of calls to cancel the group's performance.
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(Image: Getty)
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The band ignited the crowd at the festival, leading passionate "Free Palestine" chants, as Mo Chara took note of the sea of flags at the event. 27 year old O hAnnaidh made a statement wearing a keffiyeh, while JJ O Dochartaigh, also known as DJ Provai, stood out in his tri-colour balaclava and T-shirt that read: "We are all Palestine Action", showing support for the group under threat of being banned.
The hip-hop act burst onto the stage with audio clips of dismissive media coverage playing in the background, prompting jeers from the Glastonbury audience. They kicked off with 'Better Way To Live' from their upcoming 2024 album Fine Art and continued with hits such as 'Get Your Brits Out' and 'Hood'.
Anticipation built substantially around West Holts Stage, with crowds gathering around 45 minutes ahead of their performance, necessitating crowd control measures due to the fervent turnout, many showcasing Irish and Palestinian banners.
Before this act, rap punk outfit Bob Vylan stirred up the attendees with shouts of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF", setting a politically charged atmosphere in advance of Kneecap's set.
Following the dynamic responses to the chants regarding the IDF, a BBC spokesperson stated: "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive."
They added: "The live stream on iPlayer presented the events as they occurred with a warning about the extreme and discriminatory language used. The corporation has decided not to host the performance for replay."
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The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury results in U.S. visas revoked
The BBC issued a warning on screen for strong language while the set was being streamed online, but it acknowledged that it should have gone further. During Bob Vylan's set, he led the audience in chants including "death, death to the IDF, "referring to the Israel Defense Forces fighting a war in Gaza. Law enforcement is investigating "comments made on stage" for possible public order offenses, including hate crimes, after reviewing video footage and audio from their performances, the Avon and Somerset regional police force told Reuters. More: U.K. Culture Sec. condemns Bob Vylan Glastonbury performance, demands answers from BBC Bob Vylan, known for mixing grime and punk rock, tackles a range of issues including racism, homophobia, and the class divide in their songs and have previously voiced support for Palestinians. Their lead vocalist, who goes by the stage name Bobby Vylan, appeared to refer to the weekend performance in a post on Instagram, writing: "I said what I said." "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," he added. Bob Vylan was scheduled to kick off a U.S. tour on Oct. 24 in Spokane, Washington, with gigs in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, San Diego, San Antonio and Los Angeles, as first reported by NBC News. Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.
NBC News
4 hours ago
- NBC News
Rap-punk duo Bob Vylan 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.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
BBC chief faces questions over failure to pull live stream of Bob Vylan IDF chant
The BBC's director general is facing questions over why he did not pull the live-stream footage of Bob Vylan after being informed during a visit to Glastonbury of the chants calling for the death of Israeli soldiers. Tim Davie, who has led the BBC for nearly five years, was told of the chanting of 'death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]' by Bob Vylan's vocalist after it had been broadcast live on the BBC on Saturday afternoon. He was at the festival in Somerset on a visit to meet presenters and production staff when he was told that the chanting had been aired. 'At that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage,' a BBC spokesperson said. The decision was taken that the footage of Bob Vylan would not be made available on the broadcaster's on-demand service. But the live stream of the West Holts stage where Bob Vylan performed continued to be aired for a number of hours after the incident, allowing anyone watching the broadcast live to rewind it. The band put out a statement on Tuesday saying they were 'not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group'. In an Instagram post they said: '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. '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. '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 Irish rap trio Kneecap, including the member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who appeared in court earlier this month charged with a terror offence, took to the stage directly after Bob Vylan and led chants of 'Free Palestine'. Their performance was not livestreamed. The BBC did not offer any explanation for the decision made after consultation with Davie. The broadcaster has already issued an apology on behalf of its staff running the live operations for failing to pull away from the performance of Bob Vylan during the chanting, describing the scenes as 'utterly unacceptable'. A BBC spokesperson said: 'The director general was informed of the incident after the performance and at that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage.' Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi, said the incident was a 'national shame'. He wrote on X: 'The airing of vile Jew-hatred at Glastonbury and the BBC's belated and mishandled response, brings confidence in our national broadcaster's ability to treat antisemitism seriously to a new low. '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. Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society.' Avon and Somerset police said on Monday they had launched an investigation into both performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings. A senior detective has been appointed to lead the investigation. A police spokesperson said: 'This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. 'The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.' Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said he had been shocked by the behaviour of some at the festival. He told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'There are some lessons, I think, for broadcasters from this, but let's also not shy away from the issue, which is people in a crowd glorifying violence. 'I don't think it's something we'd associate with any music festival, but it's a wider societal problem. 'It's possible, I think, to be completely concerned by the scenes in Gaza and not stray into the kind of behaviour and endorsement that we saw with that performance. 'And I'm deeply shocked to be honest, that people would even not realise what I think they're participating in when they do that.' Writing on Instagram, Pascal Robinson-Foster, who performs under the name Bob Vylan, wrote: '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 … 'Let us display to them loudly and visibly the right thing to 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.' The band is due to perform on 5 and 6 July at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester. The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region has urged the venue to call off the show. A Greater Manchester police spokesperson said: 'We are aware that Bob Vylan will be performing in Manchester at the weekend. 'Greater Manchester is famous for promoting music of all genres and we welcome all artists to our region. However, we will act immediately on any reports of commentary or actions that could be breaking the law.'
