Talent agency UTA drop Bob Vylan following Glastonbury chant controversy
The punk band Bob Vylan has now officially been dropped by the talent agency UTA following the comments being made during their Glastonbury set.
During the performance, the band led a pro-Palestine chant with their crowd, proclaiming “death to the IDF”. Following comments from the festival staff as well as various politicians, UTA has announced their decision to part ways with the group.
Insiders have said that UTA senior executives agreed with the festival, saying that the band had taken their political beliefs too far when making their comments. Despite not coming out with any official statement, all images and information relating to the musical duo have been wiped from the company’s website.
While Glastonbury organiser Emily Eaves said that there were bound to be differing opinions among the performers, she said that Vylan’s actions “crossed a line”. Eavis said, “We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. 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.”
Aside from the festival organisers, the band has also come under fire from various politicians and the broadcasting networks covering the event. Keir Starmer condemned the band for engaging in “hate speech” during their performance, and the BBC has since issued a statement expressing its disapproval of the performance, saying that it regrets not pulling it from the live stream while it had the chance.
The BBC continued in a statement, “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.”
However, Bobby Vylan has chosen to stand by his words and actions, leaving an explanation for his actions on Instagram captioned “I said what I said.” Despite the harsh words, Vylan said that he hoped that his actions would help set an example for the next generation by teaching them to let their voices be heard.
Further on the statement, he said, “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. As we grow older and our fire possibly starts to dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.”
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