Bob Vylan attempted to tone down the temperature rising around the group at their first show since their controversial Glastonbury gig in June.
The British duo were dropped from European festivals and had their U.S. visas revoked following their Glastonbury performance, where they led the crowd in a chant of “Death, death to the IDF,” the Israeli Defense Force.
In the aftermath of those canceled shows, Bob Vylan returned to the stage Wednesday at London’s 100 Club, where the crowd started its own “Death to the IDF” chant. Frontman Bobby Vylan warned the crowd (via NME), “No no no no no, you’re gonna get me in trouble. Apparently, every other chant is fine, but you lot will get me in trouble,” and instead started a “Free, free Palestine” chant.
“I’m gonna try and keep my talking to a minimum today, because that’s what got us in trouble in the first place,” Bobby Vylan added. “I am pretty tired. It’s been a busy week, been a busy couple of days. Just putting out fires, you know? We never ever could have imagined that we would create a conversation that needed to be created and needed to be had.”
The BBC, which livestreamed Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance, later issued an apology and announced it would no longer broadcast “high risk” acts from the British festival following the controversy. “We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologize to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community,” the broadcaster said in a statement. “We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC.”
Glastonbury itself issued a formal statement following the performance, with festival head Emily Eavis stating that the organizers were “appalled” by the comments. The U.S. State Department revoked the duo’s U.S. visas ahead of their fall tour, while they were removed from upcoming European festivals (England’s Radar Festival and France’s Kave Fest). British police have also launched an investigation into their performance.
Amid the controversy, Bob Vylan’s latest album Humble as the Sun re-entered the British charts, a fact that Bobby Vylan acknowledged at the 100 Club show.
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“What is happening over there is an absolute mess, it is fucking criminal what is happening to these people, they are now being concentrated into camps. They have been trying to silence us, they thought that this would shut us up, but the album is back in the charts,” Bobby Vylan said.
“We just want to see the liberation of the Palestinian people. That’s it. I don’t think it’s too crazy a thing to ask. I don’t think it’s a violent thing to ask, right? The liberation of the Palestinian people from a tyrannical fucking oppressor. That’s all we want. Each and every single time, they will not fucking silence us.”
