Bob Vylan‘s 2024 album Humble as the Sun popped back on to the U.K. charts last week following the band’s controversial set at Glastonbury. Frontman Bobby Vylan celebrated the news on X over the weekend, noting that the music industry needs “artists that speak up.”
“Ban Bob Vylan?” he wrote. “The people said ‘Nah.’ We need artists that speak up. Our album ‘Humble As The Sun’ is back in the charts and, as an independent band releasing music on our own label, it shows the power of the people. You can’t get dropped if you own the label. Thank you all!”
In an accompanying image, Vylan shared that Humble as the Sun is currently at the top of the U.K. hip-hop and R&B albums chart. It also reached No. 7 on the album downloads chart and No. 8 on the independent albums chart.
Bob Vylan has been in the spotlight since their performance at Glastonbury, where the group led the crowd in chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” as well as “Death, death to the IDF,” during their set. The duo, who played ahead of Kneecap on the West Holts stage, was quickly denounced on social media by festival boss Emily Eavis, with organizers saying they were “appalled” by the comments.
“Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 as a place for people to come together and rejoice in music, the arts and the best of human endeavour,” the festival said in a statement. “As a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism. We will always believe in – and actively campaign for – hope, unity, peace and love.”
Since Glastonbury Bob Vylan have been removed from the lineup at England’s Radar Festival and France’s Kave Fest. The duo’s U.S. visas were revoked ahead of their North America tour, and they were also dropped by the United Talent Agency. Kave Fest in particular pointed to the agency split as the reasoning behind Bob Vylan being removed from the lineup. In addition, Bob Vylan have been blocked from opening for the U.S.-based band Gogol Bordello in Germany later this year by the Live Music Hall venue.
Bob Vylan responded to the uproar by saying the controversy around the band is “distraction from the real story.” “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine,” the duo said on Instagram. “A machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal force’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza. We, like those in the spotlight before us, are not the story. We are a distraction from the story. And whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.”
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