Bob Vylan appear to mock killing of Charlie Kirk
By Hannah Roberts, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Punk performers Bob Vylan appear to have mocked the killing of Charlie Kirk in a performance in Amsterdam.
A member of the outspoken duo, who caused controversy when they chanted for the “death” of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury Festival, told the audience “if you chat shit you will get banged” in videos widely shared on social media.
During their performance at the Netherland’s Club Paradiso, frontman Bobby Vylan, whose real name is reportedly Pascal Robinson-Foster, told fans: “I want to dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of shit of a human being.
“The pronouns was/were. Cause if you chat shit you will get banged. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit.”
Kirk, who was a prominent political commentator in the US and ally of president Donald Trump, was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, in what authorities called a political assassination.
Hundreds of people attended a vigil for Mr Kirk in central London on Saturday with speakers hailing him as a “Christian martyr” and calling for people to wage a “war on evil”.
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.”
The duo, who blend elements of punk with rap, hip-hop and grime, have upcoming gigs in the Netherlands at Doornroosje, on September 15th, and 013, on September 16th.
A translated statement on the 013 website said: “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.”
A translated statement on the Doornroosje website added: “Bob Vylan plays at Doornroosje because he’s an act that fits within our programming. The band has previously been booked for Doornroosje and played at the Valkhof Festival.”
Following Bobby Vylan’s comments about the IDF at Glastonbury 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 UK 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.”
Bobby Vylan said in a social media post that “there was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury.”
