LONDON: British punk duo Bob Vylan are taking legal action against the BBC in the wake of controversy surrounding their Glastonbury performance last year.
When the band — comprised of drummer Wade Laurence George and Pascal Robinson-Foster — performed on the West Holts Stage in June last year, they led crowds in chants of “death, death to the IDF.”
Jewish groups criticized the BBC for livestreaming the performance, and the public broadcaster soon after issued a statement.
It said that though the Ipswich act had been judged suitable for livestreaming, this was “clearly not the case.”
The BBC also apologized for the duo’s “offensive and deplorable behaviour.”
On their official Instagram page on Friday, the band said they were launching legal action against the public broadcaster for “placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit.”
Their post said: “We have decided to take legal action against the BBC. In the immediate aftermath of our performance at Glastonbury 2025, the BBC wasted no time in placing labels upon us that did not, do not and never will fit.
“As a corporation that receives the majority of its funding from the public, it has disappointingly continued to prove how little it represents the interests of the people and our access to unbiased news and information.”
The two-man group said they had “no choice but to take on this fight.”
They finished the post by saying “free Palestine and justice for the Filton 25,” in a reference to pro-Palestinian activists who were imprisoned following a demonstration at an Israeli weapons factory near Bristol.
The BBC declined to comment on the Bob Vylan post.
At Glastonbury, the duo performed ahead of Kneecap, the Belfast hip-hop trio, whose members were also investigated by police for comments they made on stage.
Frontman Robinson-Foster told the “Louis Theroux Podcast” later last year that he was “not regretful” of the chant and would “do it again tomorrow.”
Though Avon and Somerset Police opened a criminal investigation into the chanting, no further action was taken.
In the wake of the Glastonbury controversy, the band was dropped from a number of events, including Radar festival, a show in Germany and a tour of the US.
