UNLOCKINGSITE

Rap duo Bob Vylan has spoken out online after their Netherlands concert was cancelled after they made comments on stage about the assasination of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk.

On Wednesday, the public speaker was shot and killed in what authorities have declared a political assassination. The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder was hosting a Q&A at Utah Valley University at the time.

Kirk’s death has sparked fierce debate online due to the divisive nature of his beliefs, as he frequently expressed conservative views on topics such as abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, and immigration.

As such, while performing at a gig in the Netherlands this weekend, Bob Vylan, which comprises Bobby and Bobbie Vylan, took the chance to call him a ‘piece of s***.’

Now, after critics slammed the musicians, who gained national attention at Glastonbury with ‘death to the IDF’ chants, for celebrating Kirk’s demise, Bobby Vylan took to social media to clarify their intentions.

He said: ‘Yo real quick at no point during yesterday’s show was Charlie Kirk’s death celebrated. At no point, whatsoever, did we celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death. I did call him a piece of shit that much is true, but at no point was his death celebrated.’

He continued: ‘If it was, go find me a quote go find me something that proves we were celebrating his death. You’re not going to find it because it didn’t happen.

‘What did happen is one reporter that bought their ticket online came with the sole purpose of finding something to report and after I called him a piece of shit and we played a song they have written that up as a celebration. Not a celebration, isn’t a celebration, wasn’t a celebration. Calm down.’

Bobby – real name Pascal Robinson-Foster – told the crowd at Amsterdam’s Paradiso before a song: ‘I want to dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of s**t of a human being.’

‘The pronouns was/were. Because if you talk s**t, you will get banged,’ he declared.

‘Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk, you piece of s**t.’

A smiling Bobby proceeded to jump up and down as the next tune began, the audience going wild with cheers.

Now their planned performance on Tuesday September 16 at the 013 in Tilburg has been cancelled, with the venue saying the statements made by the performer ‘go too far’.

A translated statement on the 013 website on Sunday said: ‘The planned performance by British rap-punk group Bob Vylan on Tuesday, September 16th, at Poppodium 013 in Tilburg has been cancelled.

‘The reason for the cancellation is the controversial statements the artist made last night during a show at Paradiso in Amsterdam.

‘Despite the controversy that arose after their Glastonbury performance, 013 decided to let Bob Vylan perform in Tilburg.’

The venue said it had an ‘understanding for the artist’s anger’ regarding the violence in Israel and said the duo clarified in a statement that the ‘death to the IDF’ chant was ‘not an antisemitic slogan, but rather criticism of the Israeli army’.

The statement added: ‘While we understand that these statements were made in the context of punk and activism, and that the reporting on them is sometimes less nuanced than what actually happened, we still believe these new statements go too far. They no longer fall within the scope of what we can offer a platform.’

In a statement on its website, Club Paradiso said: ‘On Saturday September 13, during his performance at Paradiso, artist Bob Vylan made statements that many experienced as harsh and offensive.

‘Paradiso believes in the power of artistic freedom. Music, and punk in particular, has traditionally been a form of art that amplifies anger, discontent, and injustice without filter.

‘In a world on fire, artists sometimes choose language that sounds confrontational or violent. That is part of artistic expression, but not automatically language that we as a venue endorse.

‘Paradiso shares the outrage and concern regarding the genocidal violence taking place in Gaza.

‘That Bob Vylan raises his voice against it is legitimate and necessary. Should the Openbaar Ministerie (public prosecution service) wish to investigate whether any criminal offences have been committed, Paradiso will cooperate.’

After reports that his comments ‘celebrated’ Kirk’s death, Bobby Vylan said in an Instagram video: ‘At no point during yesterday’s show was Charlie Kirk’s death celebrated. At no point whatsoever did we celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death.’

Footage of the moment quickly began circulating online, garnering over 1.5million views on X alone. In the replies, some users tagged the Metropolitan Police, accusing Bobby of ‘inciting violence’.

Among critics was Piers Morgan, who wrote: ‘This is so disgusting, from Vylan and the crowd. Imagine so gleefully cheering the assassination of a man just for having opinions you don’t like?’

@Lord_Dylly added: ‘And even more sickening is the crowd reaction. Why is the world like this?’

@Melb0urne__82 replied with an image with the words: ‘If you’re celebrating someone getting shot because they said words you don’t like, you’re the problem.’

@RichWr4u also deemed the remarks ‘unacceptable’, while others stated Bob Vylan are ‘not welcome’ in America. Earlier this year, the State Department banned the pair from performing in the US.

Bob Vylan took to Instagram after the show with a video of a pro-Palestine outside the venue.

The duo typically performs with Palestinian flags on stage with them, having been vocal since the war began and aptly naming their tour the Won’t Go Quietly Tour.

Meanwhile, Kirk, who was an ally of President Donald Trump, has been mourned in vigils around the world by hundreds of his supporters.

A vigil was held in central London on Saturday, with speakers hailing him as a ‘Christian martyr’ and calling for people to wage a ‘war on evil’.

The duo, comprised of frontman Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, have another gig in the Netherlands at Doornroosje which is billed for Monday.

A statement on the 013 website previously said of their decision to host the duo: ‘We do not accept that an act like Bob Vylan, an outspoken punk-rap duo with a long history of political activism, is threatened with cancellation because of words born of outrage over a humanitarian disaster.’

It added: ‘We’re not alone in this: Paradiso and Doornroosje have also confirmed their decision to programme Bob Vylan. The threats made against Paradiso demonstrate how vulnerable the space for artistic expression can be. Intimidation should never determine who gets to perform on stage.’

Following Bob Vylan’s comments about the IDF at Worthy Farm in June, Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation.

Earlier in the month, BBC director general Tim Davie said the corporation’s decision to broadcast Bob Vylan’s set live was ‘a very significant mistake’.

While facing questions from MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Davie said the punk duo’s set was ‘antisemitic’ and ‘deeply disturbing’.

The corporation issued an apology after the Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury, saying: ‘We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community.’

Robinson-Foster said in a social media post that ‘there was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury’.

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