S6 EP3: Bob Vylan on his controversial Glastonbury performance

The Louis Theroux Podcast

Spotify Studios

Society & Culture, Comedy, Arts

4.1 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Louis is joined by Bobby Vylan, one half of the controversial punk-rap band Bob Vylan. In his first public interview since his contentious performance at Glastonbury - where he led a chant of ‘death to the IDF’ - Bobby discusses why he did it, the subsequent backlash and whether he still stands by the chant. Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. If you’ve been affected by the topics discussed in this episode, Spotify have a website for information and resources. Visit spotify.com/resources X Post: Visa Revoke by Deputy Secretary of State ⁠https://x.com/DeputySecState/status/1939697586920997374?lang=en⁠ Article: Chuck D defending Bob Vylan ⁠https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/chuck-d-bob-vylan-public-enemy-b2782798.html⁠ Article: Damon Albarn comment ⁠https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/damon-albarn-interview-africa-express-8rsndnd85⁠ Article: IDF soldiers shooting unarmed Gazans ⁠https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-27/ty-article-magazine/.premium/idf-soldiers-ordered-to-shoot-deliberately-at-unarmed-gazans-waiting-for-humanitarian-aid/00000197-ad8e-de01-a39f-ffbe33780000⁠ X Post: Ted Cruz thoughts on the chant ⁠https://x.com/tedcruz/status/1939080845702083062⁠ Song: ‘Pretty Songs’, Bob Vylan (2022) ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/4Xjs3lwUmT32IuYi9KoGRw⁠ Song: ‘England’s Ending’, Bob Vylan (2020) ⁠https://open.spotify.com/album/1kGFhr8FoPJ9jqV8AT0RDA⁠ Article: ‘The Zionist Fallacy of Jewish Supremacy’ ⁠https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/1/9/the-zionist-fallacy-of-jewish-supremacy⁠ Article: GILEE Program sending officers to Israel ⁠https://gilee.gsu.edu/files/2023/09/McDuffie-Progress-Gale-2023.pdf⁠ Song: ‘Drug War’, Bob Vylan (2022) ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/2kKzKi8dT2NmjVQogIfSwK⁠ Facebook Post: UKIP’s AI image of Bobby ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheUKIndependenceParty/posts/bob-vylan-is-going-home/1288462819315084/⁠ Song: ‘Cop Killer’, Body Count (1992) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XihXOw634o⁠ Song: ‘Fuck Tha Police’, N.W.A (1988) ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/5n8Aro6j1bEGIy7Tpo7FV7?si=e30bfbfb94694acb⁠ IHRA Antisemitism definition: ⁠https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism⁠ Article: Antisemitism definition controversy ⁠https://www.newyorker.com/news/persons-of-interest/the-problem-with-defining-antisemitism⁠ CST Antisemitic report 2025: ⁠https://cst.org.uk/news/blog/2025/08/06/antisemitic-incidents-report-january-june-2025⁠ Credits: Producer: Millie Chu  Assistant Producer: Maan Al-Yasiri Production Manager: Francesca Bassett  Music: Miguel D’Oliveira  Audio Mixer: Tom Guest Video Mixer: Scott Edwards Shownotes compiled by Elly Young Executive Producer: Arron Fellows     A Mindhouse Production for Spotify  ⁠www.mindhouse.co.uk⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello there, welcome to another episode of The Lowy Theroo Podcast.
0:10.0	For this episode, I sat down with Bobby Villain, not his real name, but we'll come to that.
0:25.0	He's one half of English punk rap duo Bob Villain.
0:28.9	The other half is also called Bobby Villain.
0:31.7	Yes, it's confusing.
0:33.4	The other Bobby is spelled with an I-E.
0:35.8	Anyway, it's not his name either.
0:37.8	And neither of them are related to Bob Dylan.
0:40.5	Why would they be?
0:41.3	It's a different word.
0:42.8	Bob Villain are a London-based punk rap duo.
0:45.6	They use a mixture of punk, hip-hop, grime and hardcore.
0:49.1	I would say especially punk.
0:51.2	And to the Bob Villain point, I think it's not coincidental. It's sort of referencing
0:56.2	Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten. It's a punk. What's the word? Nom de Gere? Stage name. The music
1:06.1	centers around social and political issues criticizing inequality, racism, sexism and homophobia.
1:13.0	Many of you will be familiar with the band though because of their controversial set at this
1:16.5	year's Glastonbury Festival where Bobby led the crowd in a chant, decrying, denouncing,
1:22.8	deploring, calling for an end to, all of this is relevant to the chat, to the IDF, the Israeli Defence Force.
1:31.8	Some deemed it to be anti-Semitic, either way it prompted a media storm, and we go into this in some detail.
1:37.9	In the wake of all this, the band have been subject to a criminal investigation.
1:41.6	They've had gigs cancelled, visas revoked and been the subject
	...

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