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Punk act Bob Vylan to play last-minute gig amid police investigations

Bob Vylan
Bob Vylan

Punk duo Bob Vylan have announced a last-minute gig at London's 100 Club on Wednesday night amid two police investigations into the band.

The pair are being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police in the UK over their Glastonbury Festival set, which saw frontman Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, lead crowds in chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during their livestreamed performance.

The Ipswich-formed duo, who also include drummer Bobbie Vylan, are also being investigated by London’s Met Police for alleged comments in a video of their performance supporting Iggy Pop at Alexandra Palace in May.

In the video, Vylan appears to say: "Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel. Death to the IDF."

The new show at the venue in London’s Oxford Street was announced in a short Instagram post, which saw them tell followers: "We play 100 Club tonight. On sale now."

Over the years, the 350-capacity 100 Club has hosted gigs by The Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Clash, Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Stranglers and The Damned.

Following their Glastonbury performance, the band have had their US visas revoked, ahead of their US tour later this year, were pulled from their Saturday headline slot at Radar festival in Manchester, and from an upcoming performance at a German music venue.

Their agency United Talent Agency (UTA) has also reportedly dropped them following the comments and appears to have removed the act from their official website.

The group issued a statement last week claiming they were being "targeted for speaking up."

Footage from a performance in Athens, Greece, last week saw Vylan tell the audience: "We are not generally hateful people, but we do hate war, and we do hate injustice, and I think a lot of people out there hate it too."

He added: "We will continue to fly that beautiful Palestinian flag, and nobody anywhere in the world will tell us that we are not allowed to.

"And we will not allow anybody to tell us that we're hateful people for flying that flag."

Bob Vylan are still expected to perform at the Boardmasters surfing and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, in August.

According to reports in The Times, the BBC’s director of music Lorna Clarke was among a group of senior staff who have stepped back from their day-to-day roles after controversy over the broadcaster’s decision to show Bob Vylan’s set live.

Their Glastonbury Festival set came directly before Irish rap trio Kneecap performed on the West Holts Stage.

a group of men on a stage
Kneecap on stage in Glasgow on Tuesday night

The group, made up of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin, are also seeing their Glastonbury set investigated by police.

Their performance saw one of the band's members joke that fans should "start a riot" outside his bandmate’s upcoming court appearance, and led crowds in chants of "F*** Keir Starmer", after the British Prime Minister claimed their appearance at the festival was "not appropriate".

O hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June charged with a terror offence and will return next month.

Formed in 2017, Bob Vylan are known for addressing political issues in their albums including racism, masculinity and class.

Source: Press Association

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