Who are Bob Vylan? The duo being investigated by police for controversial anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury

The duo, made up of Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, led crowds at the West Holts Stage in a chant of "death, death to the IDF" as they performed before Irish rap trio Kneecap.

Footage of their set is now being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police to see whether any offences may have been committed.

But who are Bob Vylan?

Who are they?

Formed in Ipswich in 2017, both members of Bob Vylan keep their real names secret to maintain their privacy.

The band's musical style is an innovative mix of grime, punk and hard rock, and they have released four albums, Dread (2019), We Live Here (2020), Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (2022), and Humble as the Sun (2024).

They won best alternative music act at the Mobo Awards in 2022, and best album at the Kerrang awards in 2022 for Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life.

They have collaborated with Amyl And The Sniffers singer Amy Taylor, Soft Play guitarist Laurie Vincent and rock band Kid Kapichi.

Why are they being investigated?

The group chanted “death to the IDF” during their set at Glastonbury Festival yesterday as they condemned Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

The IDF, or Israel Defence Force, is Israel’s army, which has faced widespread criticism for decades for its unlawful conduct, and more recently has been accused of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza.

Crowds joined in on the chant, as well as calls to “free, free Palestine," as dozens of Palestinian flags were being waved.

Avon and Somerset police confirmed they are investigating footage from the festival, to find out whether they committed an offence.

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis has said chants "crossed the line."

"Their chants very much crossed a line and 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," she wrote.

What are their performances like?

Bob Vylan perform a high energy set of sampled guitar tracks mixed with live drumming from Bobbie, and the band often see their audiences pogoing and moshing, but they make an effort to ensure the crowd acts safely.

The band's songs often speak out against racism, homophobia, toxic masculinity and far right politics, and the track Pretty Songs is often introduced by Bobby saying that "violence is the only language that some people understand".

In their early days Bobby would sometimes wield a baseball bat, thrashing it in the direction of the crowd, and carry out other provocative actions such as wearing the football shirt of the rivals of the town or city in which they were playing.

Recently the band has become less confrontational, and Bobbie regularly performs a drum solo to the late Roy Ayers' chilled out Everybody Loves The Sunshine.

During their Glastonbury set, Bobby brought out his daughter to sing with him on Dream Bigger.

Have they been in the news before?

In 2021, the Norwich Evening News reported that one fan was on the end of a tirade from Bobby, after he was hit by an ice cube while performing in an Ipswich Town shirt, and the gig was said to have been halted while the singer ranted.

Bobby is also said to have wielded a baseball bat at the gig, and the news article was headlined "the frost and the fury".

Sarah Corbett, from Norwich, who was on the receiving end of the alleged tirade, told the newspaper: "We were all having fun on the dance floor. I'd put an ice cube down my friend's top for a laugh.

"Another girl then threw it at her friend, but it missed and landed at his feet.

"At that point he stopped the gig and demanded to know who had thrown it.

"Seeing the girl's face drop, I decided to take the flak and announced it was me. He started abusing me through the microphone.

"As I tried to leave, one of his fans tried to grab me by the throat."

A band spokesman told the paper after the incident that they "completely refute any wrongdoing" and that Bobby "did not want to engage".