Bob Vylan removed from European tour amid Glastonbury backlash
Bob Vylan have confirmed they will no longer be touring Europe with Gogol Bordello later this year.
Following their set at Glastonbury Festival last month, Bob Vylan have become at the centre of an ongoing police investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. During their performance on the West Holts Stage, lead singer Bobby Vylan (real name Pascal Robinson-Foster) led the crowd through a chant of “Death to the IDF,” referring to the Israeli Defence Force.
At a recent, last-minute, intimate show at London’s 100 Club, Robinson-Foster told those in attendance to stop when a handful of crowd members began to sing the chant, informing the audience, “You are going to get me in trouble.”
As a result of Bob Vylan’s comments at Glastonbury, their visas were revoked in the United States and their management company, UTA, dropped them.
Now, both Gogol Bordello and Bob Vylan have confirmed that the latter will no longer be participating in their planned European tour. Vylan said, “Due to logistical complications, we have decided not to join our friends Gogol Bordello on their upcoming European tour.”
Nevertheless, they still plan on heading to the continent, adding, “However, we will be heading to Europe in the coming months for both festivals and headline shows.”
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The announcement comes after a venue in Cologne, which they were due to visit, banned Bob Vylan from performing at the show.
Gogol Bordello have said the Cologne situation “was not our decision and beyond our control”, but conceded, “In the aftermath, we needed to evaluate the situation, and we decided to remove BV from the tour until we could fully comprehend the situation.”
Following Bob Vylan’s explanation of the comments, Gogol Bordello discussed the possibility of allowing the duo to support them at other dates before concluding that it was “logistically impossible … given the circumstances”.
Gogol Bordello concluded: “We worked diligently with our friends Bob Vylan to find a solution but in the end it didn’t work out. Gogol Bordello is comprised of members from various nationalities and celebrates international understanding consequentially, we value freedom of speech from all perspectives.”
As it stands, Bob Vylan are still scheduled to play All Together Now in Ireland and Boardmasters in Cornwall next month, ahead of select European dates. Their website also still lists a North American tour with Grandson later this year.
The police investigation into Bob Vylan remains ongoing.
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