Bob Vylan Chants

[Spindles]

30 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Is this something that Vylan always do at their gigs?  

They are outspoken both onstage and in their lyrics, which have included "Kill the queen" and bleeped lyrics (which Bob did not censor on Saturday) which allude to murdering politicians and police.  I'm frankly amazed that the detractors who discovered their existence on the weekend haven't been peppering the media with stories about the content of the lyrics.

 

Their central message is that they are not pacifist punks, violence is an answer and they aren't going to modify or censor what they're saying.  There are plenty of songs where they are saying things much more controversial than Kneecap ever have, which was why it was so funny seeing Bob up there talking about having to be good boys for the BBC and not being outspoken.  Anyone who knows the band knows what they're about.

 

[sjseabass]

20 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Is this something that Vylan always do at their gigs?  

Not exactly this, but I think it’s fair to say they’ve always been pretty uncompromising and that this isn’t really out of the blue. After all they performed Pretty Songs, about not being pacifist punks, immediately before the chant.

 

Does seem like the Beeb thought pulling Kneecap was job done and it didn’t occur to them to look too hard at the act on before them. I note the rags have started quoting some of their lyrics unfavourably - they didn’t even do the ones about killing the Queen (released while she was alive) on Saturday either. 

[xxialac]

4 minutes ago, Nicklord said:

Great. So it should be easy for them to stop using slogans that refer to removing any Jewish people from the area

You mean ‘from the river to the sea’. A slogan which (checks notes) Netanyahu has used and the Israeli Ambassador to the UK uses.

 

Hmm.

[The Nal]

11 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Wonder how the reporter found them to interview them.  

 

Did she go around asking people if they were Jewish until someone said yes - which in itself would be odd and threatening behaviour.

 

But then why did the two folk centring themselves as victims answer that they were when they were suppposedly in hiding for their own safety.

 

Something doesn't add up!

 

They even put pictures of themselves up on the BBC website so they could be identified and killed by Bob Vylan fans. 

[lazyred]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

This couple, if they wanted to speak up, could have gone with something balanced and compassionate that speaks to both the awfulness of the atrocities in Gaza and in Israel but their primary concern was a self-absorbed one about an imaginary prejudice with no basis in evidence.

And Bob Vylan could have shown sympathy for the Nova victims and sppken up for a peaceful settlement but he didn't. He promoted violence and chanted  Death to the IDF and River to the Sea. 

[xxialac]

5 minutes ago, lazyred said:

And Bob Vylan could have shown sympathy for the Nova victims and sppken up for a peaceful settlement but he didn't. He promoted violence and chanted  Death to the IDF and River to the Sea. 

I worry if you can’t tell the difference between a massacre from the past and massacres that are ongoing *right now*.

 

And you are being disingenuous as it IS possible with enough political pressure to impose sanctions on Israel, stop arming them, arrest Netanyahu etc and force them to stop. 
 

Not easy but possible.

 

Whereas no amount of political pressure can stop any future terrorist attack by Hamas.

Edited June 30, 2025 by xxialac

[Nicklord]

8 minutes ago, xxialac said:

You mean ‘from the river to the sea’. A slogan which (checks notes) Netanyahu has used and the Israeli Ambassador to the UK uses.

 

Hmm.

He's also a war criminal who should rot in jail. As I said, it's easy not to use slogans that imply genocide. It's easy not to be antisemitic when you talk about Israel and the ongoing genocide.

[lazyred]

3 minutes ago, xxialac said:

I worry if you can’t tell the difference between a massacre from the past and massacres that are ongoing *right now*.

 

And you are being disingenuous as it IS possible with enough political pressure to impose sanctions on Israel, stop arming them, arrest Netanyahu etc and force them to stop. 
 

Not easy but possible.

 

Whereas no amount of political pressure can stop any future terrorist attack by Hamas.

So your solution is to disarm Isreal and let Hamas do what they want. 

[The Nal]

1 minute ago, Nicklord said:

He's also a war criminal who should rot in jail. 

 

So is Tony Blair.

[narwhal]

1 minute ago, Nicklord said:

He's also a war criminal who should rot in jail. As I said, it's easy not to use slogans that imply genocide. It's easy not to be antisemitic when you talk about Israel and the ongoing genocide.

"From the River (where settlers are burning their houses and killing them) to the Sea (where they are being bombed and driven off their land)/Palestine will be free" is a call for an end to violence. If the freedom of one people depends on the subjugation of another then the former isn't really freedom. 

[xxialac]

6 minutes ago, lazyred said:

So your solution is to disarm Isreal and let Hamas do what they want. 

And the Strawman Prize for 2025 goes to…

 

I just want Israel to stop forcing ordinary people from Gaza from where they live by continually firing missiles on them and reducing their homes to rubble. And to stop killing innocent civilians including children day in day out and in vast numbers.

 

Any chance chaps you could stop with the genocide. Too much to ask?

[siblin]

1 hour ago, Joey Peeps said:

There was an Israeli flag flown in the Pyramid field for much of the 2024 festival. As far as I'm aware said flag bearer wasn't torn to pieces and survived just fine. 

Interestingly not there this year though.  Can’t say it’s a safe space for anyone who wants to openly voice the opinion that in spite of sh*tty things the Israeli government are doing the state of Israel has a right to exist 

[Spindles]

2 minutes ago, lazyred said:

So your solution is to disarm Isreal and let Hamas do what they want. 

I never understand why people think that arguing in this way is worthwhile, just ignore anything that is said and then make statements that don't represent anything anyone has or would say to portray opponents as extremists and conflate views that they do not hold.

[CaledonianGonzo]

5 minutes ago, siblin said:

Interestingly not there this year though.  Can’t say it’s a safe space for anyone who wants to openly voice the opinion that in spite of sh*tty things the Israeli government are doing the state of Israel has a right to exist 

 

I saw a couple - one with a yellow ribbon and one saying Remember Nova (or something like that.

 

But that said I don't think the festival is or should be a safe space for every single flavour of opinion.  Some opinions should be challenged e.g. I dunno if anyone had words with the terf flag waver, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone did.

[Nicklord]

1 minute ago, narwhal said:

"From the River (where settlers are burning their houses and killing them) to the Sea (where they are being bombed and driven off their land)/Palestine will be free" is a call for an end to violence. If the freedom of one people depends on the subjugation of another then the former isn't really freedom. 

In theory, there's nothing wrong with that slogan. In practice, especially in the last several years, it's used mainly by Hamas to describe a country without Jewish people and by Israel's government to describe the opposite. I fail to see how using that slogan isn't antisemitic when used like Bob Vylan did, especially combined with the other chants and things said on the stage.

 

Glastonbury called them out specifically for being antisemitic. They didn't say anything about so many others who commented on the genocide this weekend. I think it's a straightforward situation. 

[xxialac]

1 minute ago, siblin said:

Interestingly not there this year though.  Can’t say it’s a safe space for anyone who wants to openly voice the opinion that in spite of sh*tty things the Israeli government are doing the state of Israel has a right to exist 

Given there is a genocide being committed by the Israeli government and is widely seen as a symbol of that, I think there are very few places in the world where waving around an Israeli flag would be 'safe' right now. 

 

At least Glastonbury you wouldn't be physically attacked unlike in other places. And if you made it clear you didn't support the government's genocidal actions in Gaza, I'm sure people would leave you alone to your protest.

 

 

 

 

[xxialac]

1 minute ago, Nicklord said:

In theory, there's nothing wrong with that slogan. In practice, especially in the last several years, it's used mainly by Hamas to describe a country without Jewish people and by Israel's government to describe the opposite. I fail to see how using that slogan isn't antisemitic when used like Bob Vylan did, especially combined with the other chants and things said on the stage.

 

Glastonbury called them out specifically for being antisemitic. They didn't say anything about so many others who commented on the genocide this weekend. I think it's a straightforward situation. 

Do you honestly, honestly think Bob Vylan holds racist views against all Jewish people?

I know the answer to that one...

[Mainland source]

A worthwhile watch to explain why what happened was probably not the best way to approach things

 

 

[xxialac]

The other thing not being cited on here is that society makes special allowance in society for certain musicians (punk, as here, rap etc) as well as comedians to break taboos and say highly provocative things.

 

We simply don't hold them to the same standard as if the same words are used outside of performative art. This is universally understood.

 

And if we don't feel comfortable with such extreme forms of art, we don't attend.

[Mr.Tease]

Same politicians who are ‘appalled’ at the chants are also not appalled to be suppling the parts that help massacre kids:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/30/uk-sale-f-35-fighter-jet-parts-israel-lawful-high-court

[Spindles]

Appreciate the James O'Brien clip.  Core message is the same as Kneecap have stated, why are we talking about faux-outrage over celebrities than the ongoing atrocities?

 

Kids are dying, people are being displaced, starved, murdered for fun.  At some point soon the 'civilised world' needs to step in and put a stop to this, it cannot go on.

[Mand3]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Wonder how the reporter found them to interview them.  

 

Did she go around asking people if they were Jewish until someone said yes - which in itself would be odd and threatening behaviour.

 

But then why did the two folk centring themselves as victims answer that they were when they were suppposedly in hiding for their own safety.

 

Something doesn't add up!

They look terrified! 😅

 

Being offended is not the same as being scared for your safety. 

[Threestripes]

1 hour ago, Mand3 said:

Yeah watching it live most acts mentioned Palestine this year! 

 

Trying to silence the growing concern of the genocide is shameful and that was Bob Vylans point. 

Did  any of the attention seeking virtue signallers mention releasing the hostages??

 

 

 

[Nicklord]

35 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Do you honestly, honestly think Bob Vylan holds racist views against all Jewish people?

I know the answer to that one...

I don't think they're racist. I think they used antisemitic language. I think that should be criticized (and that's it, no need to involve the police or whatever the right-wing press is writing) - there's nothing wrong with what Glastonbury wrote about them.

Edited June 30, 2025 by Nicklord

[Mand3]

5 minutes ago, Threestripes said:

Did  any of the attention seeking virtue signallers mention releasing the hostages??

 

 

 

It's obvious people want the hostages released and the war to stop.