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Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British pop duo blasts Bob Vylan for 'hijacking' Glastonbury with anti-Israel chants as they wade into BBC drama
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.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bob Vylan claim they are being ‘targeted' for speaking up about Palestine
Punk rap duo Bob Vylan have said they are being 'targeted for speaking up' after police began an investigation into comments made during their set at the Glastonbury Festival. They were criticised after leading chants of 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during a livestreamed performance at the Somerset music festival on Saturday afternoon. The BBC apologised after the set at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed, saying on Monday describing the chants were 'antisemitic sentiments' that were 'unacceptable'. Bobby Vylan, one half of the British duo, also led his audience in chants that included 'Free, free Palestine'. Posting a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, captioned 'Silence is not an option', the group 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.' The statement 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.' Bobby Vylan is the stage name of Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports, while his bandmate drummer uses the alias Bobbie Vylan. The group was formed in Ipswich in 2017, and are known for addressing political issues in their albums including racism, masculinity and class. On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into the performance after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation.
Al Arabiya
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
US to revoke visas for Bob Vylan band over anti-Israel chant
The United States said Monday it was revoking visas for the British punk-rap group Bob Vylan which led a chant at the Glastonbury festival calling for death to the Israeli military. The @StateDept 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. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. — Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) June 30, 2025 'Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,' Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted on X. The BBC has come under fire for allowing the performance during the Glastonbury Festival to be shown live on Saturday as a Bob Vylan member led the crowd in chanting 'death, death to the IDF,' a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, following chants of 'free, free Palestine.' The BBC, which broadcasts the festival in southwest England, issued a warning on screen while the set was being streamed online, but said on Monday it should have gone further. With agencies
Fox News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
UK punk-rap duo sparks outrage with anti-Israel chants at major music festival
A punk-rap duo out of the United Kingdom that shouted, "Death to the IDF," and "Free Palestine" during their set at the Glastonbury Festival, is now being condemned by political and festival officials for their actions. London-based Bob Vylan describes itself on X as the "prettiest punk/rap/alt thing you'll ever meet." With songs like "We Live Here," "Dream Bigger," "Makes Me Violent," and "Terms & Conditions," the duo mixes elements of rap and punk. The duo performed a high-energy set at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, whic ultimately turned into a political podium for the group's singer to shout out anti-Israel rhetoric. While holding the microphone, singer Bobby Vylan shouted, "Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]," several times before turning the microphone toward the crowd to get attendees to repeat the chant. The IDF is the national military of Israel. Videos from the crowd's view showed several Palestinian flags waving as the performer and attendees shouted back and forth. At one point, Vylan shouted "Free, Free, Free Palestine," and again, had some in the crowd repeat what he said. Before returning to his set, though, Vylan ended the chant and said, "Hell yeah, from the river to the sea. Palestine must be, will be inshallah, it will be free." Videos of the chants spread across the internet like crazy, and now British police in Somerset and Avon are reviewing the videos to "determine whether any offenses may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation." The BBC reported that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Bob Vylan for calling on the death of Israeli troops with the use of "appalling hate speech." The BBC, which broadcast the festival live, has reportedly chosen to remove the duo's set from its iPlayer. The BBC said it issued a warning on screen about "very strong and discriminatory language" during the live stream, The Associated Press reported. Festival organizers did not take the comments lightly and have since released a statement on Instagram saying, "Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour." "As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love," the statement read. "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share, and a performer's presence here should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs. "However, we are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday," the statement continued. "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." Another group, Kneecap, also performed on Saturday despite a terror charge for one of its members over allegedly supporting Hezbollah. During the performance, Kneecap led a huge crowd in chants of "Free Palestine." Famously known as Britain's biggest summer music festival, Glastonbury draws a crowd of nearly 200,000 music fans every year to Worthy Farm in southwest England. About 4,000 acts perform during the festival on 120 stages.
