Latest news with #BobbieVylan
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bob Vylan announce last-minute London gig amid Glastonbury police investigations
Bob Vylan have announced a last-minute gig in London on Wednesday night amid police investigations into their set at Glastonbury. The punk duo, who are being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police over their Glastonbury performance, will perform at London's 100 Club. The new show at a venue in Oxford Street was announced in a short Instagram post, which saw them tell followers: 'We play 100 Club tonight. On sale now.' The investigation into the pair comes after frontman Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, led crowds in chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their livestreamed performance. The Ipswich-formed duo, who are completed by drummer Bobbie Vylan, are also being investigated by the Met Police for alleged comments in a video of their performance supporting Iggy Pop at Alexandra Palace in May. In the video, Vylan appears to say: 'Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF.' Following their Glastonbury performance, the band have had their US visas revoked ahead of their US tour later this year. They were also pulled from their Saturday headline slot at Radar festival in Manchester, and from an upcoming performance at a German music venue. Their agency United Talent Agency (UTA) has also reportedly dropped them following the comments, and appears to have removed the act from their official website. The group issued a statement last week claiming they were being 'targeted for speaking up'. Bob Vylan are still expected to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August. According to reports in The Times, the BBC's director of music Lorna Clarke was among a group of senior staff who have stepped back from their day-to-day roles after controversy over the broadcaster's decision to show Bob Vylan's set live. Their Glastonbury Festival set came directly before Irish rap trio Kneecap performed on the West Holts Stage. Formed in 2017, Bob Vylan are known for addressing political issues in their albums including racism, masculinity and class.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump admin revokes visas for punk duo that chanted 'death to IDF' at Glastonbury Festival
English rap-punk duo Bob Vylan's U.S. tour appears to be over before it even started. On Monday, the Trump administration announced it had revoked visas for the group's members, following a controversial performance at the Glastonbury Festival in England over the weekend. In a statement posted to X, State Department Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau said lead singer Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, both of whom perform under pseudonyms, had been banned from entering the U.S. due to 'their hateful tirade at Glastonbury.' 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' Landau added. The State Department's decision came after the group's appearance at the popular music festival on Saturday sparked intense backlash. During their performance, which was livestreamed on the BBC, Bobby Vylan led the crowds in chants of 'free, free Palestine' and 'death, death to the IDF,' referring to the Israel Defense Forces. Behind the duo, a screen displayed the messages 'Free Palestine" and 'United Nations have called it a genocide. The BBC calls it a 'conflict,'' referring to Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. The BBC has since said it should have cut away from the broadcast, writing in a statement issued on Monday: 'The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.' In statement on Instagram, organizers of Glastonbury — England's largest festival — said they were 'appalled' by the duo's performance: '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.' According to the group's website, Bob Vylan was scheduled to kick off the 'grandson North America Tour' in October, with almost 20 shows already planned in cities across the U.S. But without visas, that tour will likely be canceled. On Sunday, Bobby Vylan addressed the controversy in a lengthy post on Instagram saying, 'I said what I said.' The artist wrote that he had been 'inundated with messages of both support and hatred.' '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 wrote. '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 inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.' This article was originally published on
Evening Standard
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Comment: Emily Eavis was wrong to bow to pressure over Bob Vylan chants
After leading chants of Free Palestine (which have been standard at sets across Glastonbury weekend) singer Bobbie Vylan asked the crowd: 'But have you heard this one?' before shouting 'Death to the IDF' and encouraging fans to respond. Some did, some didn't. People were conflicted. But that didn't matter. The clip went viral immediately, with a handful of utter mentalists online comparing it to the Nuremberg rallies, where Nazis would spread their ideology and military propaganda. Once again, ironic, considering who are the ones accused of committing genocide at the moment. But, logic aside, the response was enough to get Emily Eavis involved, who issued a statement saying that the chants 'crossed a line'. 'There is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,' she said.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who are Glastonbury punk duo Bob Vylan who sparked mass anger and controversy
Footage of punk duo Bob Vylan's Glastonbury Festival performance is being assessed by Avon and Somerset Police to see whether any offences may have been committed. The duo, made up of Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, led crowds at the West Holts Stage in a chant of "death, death to the IDF" as they performed before Irish rap trio Kneecap. Formed in Ipswich in 2017, both members of Bob Vylan keep their real names secret to maintain their privacy. READ MORE: 'Shabby' Welsh seaside town is named UK's second worst, and people are angry READ MORE: Police investigation launched after boy, 12, dies at home The band's musical style is an innovative mix of grime, punk and hard rock, and they have released four albums, Dread (2019), We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (2022), and Humble as the Sun (2024). They won best alternative music act at the Mobo Awards in 2022, and best album at the Kerrang awards in 2022 for Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life. They have collaborated with Amyl And The Sniffers singer Amy Taylor, Soft Play guitarist Laurie Vincent and rock band Kid Kapichi. Bob Vylan perform a high energy set of sampled guitar tracks mixed with live drumming from Bobbie, and the band often see their audiences pogoing and moshing, but they make an effort to ensure the crowd acts safely. The band's songs often speak out against 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". In their early days Bobby would sometimes wield a baseball bat, thrashing it in the direction of the crowd, and carry out other provocative actions such as wearing the football shirt of the rivals of the town or city in which they were playing. Recently the band has become less confrontational, and Bobbie regularly performs a drum solo to the late Roy Ayers' chilled out Everybody Loves The Sunshine. During their Glastonbury set, Bobby brought out his daughter to sing with him on Dream Bigger. In 2021, the Norwich Evening News reported that one fan was on the end of a tirade from Bobby, after he was hit by an ice cube while performing in an Ipswich Town shirt, and the gig was said to have been halted while the singer ranted. Bobby is also said to have wielded a baseball bat at the gig, and the news article was headlined "the frost and the fury". Sarah Corbett, from Norwich, who was on the receiving end of the alleged tirade, told the newspaper: "We were all having fun on the dance floor. I'd put an ice cube down my friend's top for a laugh. "Another girl then threw it at her friend, but it missed and landed at his feet. "At that point he stopped the gig and demanded to know who had thrown it. "Seeing the girl's face drop, I decided to take the flak and announced it was me. He started abusing me through the microphone. "As I tried to leave, one of his fans tried to grab me by the throat." A band spokesman told the paper after the incident that they "completely refute any wrongdoing" and that Bobby "did not want to engage".
The Irish Sun
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Fury as Glastonbury crowd chants ‘death to the IDF' during Bob Vylan set aired live on BBC
GLASTONBURY crowds chanted "Death to the IDF" and "Free Palestine" led by a punk duo at the festival. English group Bob Vylan, based in London, were streamed live by the BBC and performed directly before controversial group Kneecap. Advertisement 2 Bob Vylan performing on the West Holts stage during the Glastonbury Festival Credit: PA 2 Bob Vylan on the barrier Glastonbury Festival Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Video posted on X heard the crowds chant along with Bobby Vylan, the singer and guitarist, and Bobbie Vylan, the drummer. The pair use stage names to maintain their privacy. The footage first hears the band members and crowds chant "Free free" before Bobby says: "Have you heard this one though? "Death, death, to the IDF." Advertisement The crowds then parrot the chant back at him. It comes after the Irish language rap trio Kneecap had a string of recent incidents including one of its members being charged with a terror offence. Kneecap also shared an image of a "terror group" T-shirt before leading a Glastonbury crowd in another "free Palestine" chant. Balaclava-clad rapper JJ O Dochartaigh was seen in an X post wearing the top, which refers to the anti-Israel campaign group Palestine Action, amid British government plans to make it illegal to join the organisation. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has the power to proscribe any such group under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is "concerned in terrorism". Festival organisers announced just prior to the band's set at 4pm there was "no access" to West Holts - the stage where Kneecap performed - It comes after the BBC confirmed it would not be broadcasting the Irish trio's performance live following Sir Keir Starmer saying they should be banned from appearing altogether. However, the set was streamed elsewhere on social media. Advertisement
