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- Author, Paul Glynn
- Author's title, Culture Journalist in BBC News
The English Punk-Rap Bob Vylan duo monopolized the attention of the media for their participation this weekend at the Glastonbury Festival, but the name of this band for many can be novel.
“Horrified,” said the event organizers being after the group leader, Bobby Vylan, headed chants of “Death, death to Israel's defense forces!”
British prime minister Keir Starmer condemned the band for resorting to what he described as “an atrocious hate speech.”
The BBC said Monday that before the performance of Bob Vylan the live broadcast of the concert should have interrupted.
“We are very concerned about the live broadcast of this presentation and the BBC clearly has questions to answer,” said a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission (OFCOM).
On Sunday night, Bobby, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, seemed to reaffirm his comments on stage with the following text: “I said what I said.”
Bob told his fans that he had been “flooded” with messages of “support and hate”, and also requested a “change in foreign policy.”
For this reason, the Police reported on Monday that it has initiated a criminal investigation to determine whether the comments made by the band involve a criminal offense.
“At the moment, this has been registered as a public order incident, while our investigations are in an initial stage,” police members said.
Image source, Getty Images
This provocative band was formed in Suffolk, in eastern England, in 2017 by singer, guitarist and poet Robinson-Foster with drummer Bobbie Vylan.
Together together as the “bobs”, they act under their artistic names.
The couple combines elements of punk rock, grime and British hip-hop, with influences from artists such as the Sex Pistols, Dizzee Rascal and Stormzy, as well as reggae dancehall, reflecting the Jamaican heritage of Robinson-Foster.
His lyrics deal with issues such as racism, police violence, capitalism and fatherhood, as well as the evils of homophobia and toxic masculinity. After a series of initial singles, they released their debut album, We Live Herein 2020.
Then, they toured with artists such as Offspring, Hives and Biffy Clyro, and acted at the Reading and Leed Festivals in 2021.
The second of his five studio albums, Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Lifeentered the United Kingdom album list in 18th place, winning the magazine's prize Once !g! to the best album in 2022.
That same year, they reached the best alternative music band at the Mobo Awards.
Bob Vylan leader
Image source, AP
Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, who acts under the name of Bobby Vylan, began in 2004 to write verses during his adolescence.
In this way, he became a poet under the name of Nee Hi, in addition to being part of a group of Grime – a musical genre that emerged in the early 2000s in eastern London – called Ear 2 da street.
He was invited to participate in the conference of the Association of Black and Asian Police in Manchester in 2005 and was a mentor for young people in his hometown, Ipswich, in England.
In an interview with the magazine Tribune He said he founded the Bob Vylan band with the intention of “provoking people”, adding some victories and relieving boredom.
In statements to the program Newsbeat of the BBC at the Download Festival of 2023, the provocative singer who launches from the stage to the public explained the reason for his energy and highly politicized approach in his music.
“I would say that it is a life of experiences under certain power structures that have kept us in a certain place within the hierarchy of this country,” he explained.
“When I repeat those lyrics, it can be quite cathartic to play those songs in front of a crowd and tell them my experience,” he added.
“One is vulnerable … we expose ourselves and talk about our life and the life of those who live in our communities. People are free to enjoy it, but they are also free to disagree and boo us, to throw something or whatever or whatever.”
“So, we are in a fairly vulnerable position. But you simply have to trust,” said Bobby Vylan two years ago.
In the past, he seemed verbally against part of the public, and has also shaken a baseball bat on stage; In addition to wearing rival town or city teams where they were playing.
Image source, Reuters
The band had acted for the BBC previously in Glastonbury, in 2022, playing a version of their song Wicked and Badwhich denigrates Margaret Thatcher, the former Minister of the United Kingdom, and includes the phrase “Eat the Rich” (what does it mean to the rich).
This year in his participation in Glastonbury, the rapper – whose band also played in Coachella and collaborated with Amyl and the sniffers singer, Amy Taylor, Soft Play Play Laurie Vincent guitarist and the rock band Kid Kapichi – took her daughter to sing with him in the song Dream Bigger.
The presentation took place on the stage of West Holts On Saturday afternoon, just before Kneecap, a rap group originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, which is also being investigated by the police.
The Belfast band recently lost its sponsor for the American visa. Bob Vylan plans to tour the United States at the end of this year and is yet to be seen if they will review their input visas.
Whatever happens, as with Kneecap, now there are no doubt that more people know their names.
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