British Punk Rock & Grime Duo Bob Vylan, Explained

Bob Vylan, an English punk rock and grime duo, is under investigation by British authorities after the pair rocked a politically-charged set at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival. Bob Vylan's lead singer led the crowd in a pro-Palestine chant and calling for the death of the Israeli Defense Force.




Bob Vylan is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan. The duo explained in past interviews that they used the stage names due to their political leanings and to avoid being surveilled by police and similar entities. However, Bobby Vylan's given name, Pascal Robinson-Foster, is known to the public. Robinson-Foster, who is in his mid-30s, is of Jamaican descent.




As seen in The Standard, the pair formed in 2017, which also saw the release of their debut album, Vylan. The themes of Bob Vylan's music include calling out racism in Britain and beyond, police violence, and addressing the struggles of the mental health of Black residents of England. One of the band's biggest songs, "We Live Here," addresses the use of the n-word slur towards one of its members.




Bobby Vylan cites Whitney Houston as an influence, according to a 2024 interview with DIY. In that same chat, the award-winning duo explained what their chief musical aims were, fusing the aforementioned themes with messages of hope and upliftment.




"Things are hard here, but there's way more to our existence than the bricks and mortar that we surround ourselves in," Bobby Vylan told DIY.




In 2022, the group won the MOBO Awards recognition for Best Alternative Music Act, the first to do so, and also won the Best Album award for Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life. The duo's last album, Humble As The Sun, was also widely praised after its release.




This past Saturday (June 28), Bob Vylan hit the stage with Bobby Vylan leading a chant of "Free Palestine" and "Death to the IDF," both of which alarmed British and Israeli officials, who both have condemned the band's actions over the weekend. The BBC aired the festival on its network channels, sparking outrage from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and prompting the Israeli Embassy in London to issue a statment calling the performance hate speech and inciting violence against the IDF.




Glastonbury Festival organizers issued a statement decrying the actions of the band during their performance.




"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. 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," the organizers said.




Sticking to their ideals, Bob Vylan's Bobby Vylan issued a statement on his Instagram page largely centered on his daughter filling out a school survey and wanting healthy meals, and flipping it to address the Glastonbury Festival.




Listening to her voice her opinions on a matter that she cares about and affects her daily, reminds me that we may not be doomed after all. 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," read part of the statement.




Bobby Vylan remained defiant in his statment, concluding it with, "Today, it is a change in school dinners, tomorrow it is a change in foreign policy."




View the statement in full below.

-




Photo:



via: https://hiphopwired.com/2757829/british-punk-rock-grime-duo-bob-vylan-explained/