Their name is a nod to a Nobel Prize-winning rock legend acclaimed for his anti-war lyrics – yet the Glastonbury act now facing a police probe have embraced stirring controversies of their own.
The duo Bob Vylan are being investigated after calls of ‘Death to the IDF’ during their performance at Glastonbury shown live on the BBC on Saturday.
The two musicians who preciously guard their true identities insist they be referred to as Bobby Vylan, the rapper and singer, and Bobbie Vylan as the drummer – with their names a play on US singer-songwriter and Nobel literature laureate Bob Dylan.
The Ipswich-raised grime-punk pair were previously rejected by record labels as ‘too extreme’ to sign – and have previously been filmed threatening their own fans.
Yet they enjoyed a primetime spot not only on Glastonbury’s West Holts Stage but also on the BBC on Saturday – prompting furious protests over their anti-Israel calls.
The group formed in their hometown of Ipswich in 2017 and have since gone on to release five albums including 2020 debut We Live Here.
The frontman has previously spoken of their struggles to get that first album cleared, describing it as being too ‘extreme’ for some in the music industry.
He previously told the website Louder: ‘It was hard to get it released the conventional way – but it was in our power to release it.’
The album was distributed in record shops as well as on websites such as Bandcamp and other outlets in which fans are encouraged to pay fair prices bypassing corporate agencies in between.
Bobby said around the time of its release: ‘These are the stories of my life, whether it’s present or once upon a time or other people’s lives that I grew up with or see.
‘It’s feelings I have and the people around me have. The people that picked up on it, they didn’t just pick up on it, they ran with it.
‘They shared and they blasted it. The organic reach of it has, and continues to, blow my mind.’
Yet the confrontational nature of their approach has also appeared to bring them up against some of their own fans.
Footage has been shared online of the frontman telling a heckling audience member at a gig in Manchester: ‘I tell you what – buy a ticket to the show at the Ritz, I’ll f***ing meet you outside and punch you there, you d***head.’
Lyrics on their tracks include saying on Britain Makes Me Violent how there is ‘nothing great’ about Great Britain, while on Reign the frontman declares: ‘Got a message for the thieves in the palace, we want the jewels back.’
Touching on the subject of housing in London, their song GYAG states: ‘Landlord just raised your rent – mate, get yourself a gun.’
Their 2022 release named Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Love scooped that year’s Kerrang! magazine award for best album.
The same year, they were acclaimed as the inaugural Best Alternative Music Act at the MOBO Awards.
The duo have supported US punk band The Offspring and British group Biffy Clyro on tours and Bob Vylan also peformed at the Reading and Leeds music festivals in summer 2021.
The duo have hailed as influences ex-Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten – also known as John Lydon – as well as rappers Akala, Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and Stormzy.
Perhaps a more unlikely inspiration was the late US popstar Whitney Houston, whose hits include I Want To Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You.
Drummer Bobbie Vylan told DIY magazine: ‘Whitney was everything to me when I was a kid.’
As well as tackling subjects such as racism, homophobia, capitalism and toxic masculinity, the duo have also made a big deal about the importance of fatherhood.
The singer known as Bobby Vylan has said his daughter gave their debut album We Live Here its name and she also featured on the cover of their single Dream Big.
Their new notoriety comes this weekend as Israel condemned the BBC and Glastonbury for their Saturday afternoon performance in which there were dalls for the death of Israeli soldiers during a live broadcast from the festival.
Police have launched a probe into the comments made by Bob Vylan, who led chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Death to the IDF’, on Saturday afternoon.
The singer from the band, who keeps his identity secret, also declared ‘from the river to the sea Palestine will be free’ – regarded by many in the Jewish community as a call for Israel’s elimination.
However, the singer and guitarist Bobby Vylan seemed to revel in the fury caused by his comments on Saturday evening.
Sharing a photo of himself eating an ice cream, he wrote on his Instagram story: ‘While Zionists are crying on socials, I’ve just had a late night (vegan) ice cream.
Bob Vylan’s entire performance was live-streamed on the BBC iPlayer but it has since been taken down.
Nevertheless, the corporation was lambasted for failing to cut the broadcast immediately after the ‘anti-Israel’ chanting.
Shockingly, its live stream continued for another 40 minutes until the end of Bob Vylan’s performance.
The incident prompted calls for the band members to be arrested over claims they had incited violence. Avon and Somerset Police last night said they were examining video evidence and investigating if any offence had been committed.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanded ‘an urgent explanation’ from BBC director-general Tim Davie into ‘what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance’.
A government spokesman said: ‘We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.’
Lord Ian Austin – the Government’s trade envoy to Israel – said: ‘The police should investigate as a matter of urgency and, if necessary, arrest the band members.’
Tory MP Greg Stafford said: ‘If someone can be jailed for inciting racial hatred on social media, then surely this band should be investigated for inciting violence at the very least. Somerset Police should arrest them and carry out an investigation immediately.’
Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, also slammed the performance.
She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I condemn the BBC for continuing to live-stream anti-Israel hate speech from Glastonbury.
‘What do you think the BBC would have done had a performer been shouting anti-Muslim or far-Right hate speech? They would have pulled the feed.
‘But because the target is Israel – let’s be honest, because it’s Jews – it’s tolerated, even broadcast. This is clearly incitement.’
The BBC later pulled the offending incident from its footage on iPlayer.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded the comments ‘grotesque’, adding: ‘Glorifying violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The cultural establishment needs to wake up to the fact this isn’t protest, it’s incitement.’
Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television, said: ‘That something like this might happen could easily have been foreseen by the BBC and measures could have been taken to prevent its broadcast.
‘This is a very serious failure, and further evidence that BBC management are blind to their responsibility to Britain’s Jewish community.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
‘During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language.
‘We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.’