British punk duo Bob Vylan are facing renewed controversy after frontman Bobby Vylan branded slain US commentator Charlie Kirk “an absolute piece of shit of a human being” during a performance in Amsterdam last week. The remarks, which surfaced in viral clips online, sparked outrage among right-wing groups and prompted the cancellation of a planned concert in the Dutch city of Tilburg.
During the Paradiso show, Bobby told the crowd: “The pronouns was/were. Cause if you chat shit you will get banged. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit.” The UK branch of Turning Point, founded by Kirk, accused him of mocking and glorifying the murder.
Responding to the backlash, Bobby denied celebrating Kirk’s death: “At no point during yesterday’s show was Charlie Kirk’s death celebrated … I did call him a piece of shit. That much is true. But at no point was his death celebrated.” He claimed one reporter had distorted his comments, adding: “Calm down.”
The Tilburg venue 013 defended its cancellation, saying that while punk activism often pushed boundaries, “these new statements go too far.”
The duo had already courted controversy earlier in June at Glastonbury, where Bobby led chants of “death to the IDF”, triggering a criminal investigation by Avon and Somerset police.
What happened in June
In the immediate aftermath of the Glastonbury performance, the US State Department revoked the band’s visas, forcing the cancellation of a 19-date American tour. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted that foreigners who “glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the chants “appalling hate speech”, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said the group had “very much crossed a line”.
Despite clarifying that the chant was directed at the Israeli military and “not antisemitic”, the fallout continued. Boardmasters festival in Cornwall later faced a licensing challenge for allowing Bob Vylan to perform, though no incidents were reported.
During the Paradiso show, Bobby told the crowd: “The pronouns was/were. Cause if you chat shit you will get banged. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit.” The UK branch of Turning Point, founded by Kirk, accused him of mocking and glorifying the murder.
Responding to the backlash, Bobby denied celebrating Kirk’s death: “At no point during yesterday’s show was Charlie Kirk’s death celebrated … I did call him a piece of shit. That much is true. But at no point was his death celebrated.” He claimed one reporter had distorted his comments, adding: “Calm down.”
The Tilburg venue 013 defended its cancellation, saying that while punk activism often pushed boundaries, “these new statements go too far.”
The duo had already courted controversy earlier in June at Glastonbury, where Bobby led chants of “death to the IDF”, triggering a criminal investigation by Avon and Somerset police.
What happened in June
In the immediate aftermath of the Glastonbury performance, the US State Department revoked the band’s visas, forcing the cancellation of a 19-date American tour. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted that foreigners who “glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the chants “appalling hate speech”, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said the group had “very much crossed a line”.
Despite clarifying that the chant was directed at the Israeli military and “not antisemitic”, the fallout continued. Boardmasters festival in Cornwall later faced a licensing challenge for allowing Bob Vylan to perform, though no incidents were reported.
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