Damon Albarn Slams Bob Vylan Glasto Chant as a “Spectacular Misfire”

Damon Albarn’s got a plan. Well, I mean, sort of.

In a new interview with The Times, the Blur frontman and musical wanderer-in-chief said he’d “like to work with musicians in Palestine and Israel” through his Africa Express project — not to make a political statement, but to use music as a bridge. He calls it “not about politics, it’s about culture,” which sounds idealistic until you remember this is literally about a genocide.

Still, Albarn isn’t coming at it totally naïve. “Part of the huge issue of Palestine is the way that their identity is being eroded so brutally,” he says. Which, yeah — you can’t tour culture out of a war zone, but at least he’s not pretending the problem doesn’t exist.

Then comes the curveball: Albarn weighed in on Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury set — specifically, the chant that called for “death to the IDF” — and described it as “one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life.” He added: “You get carried away. The old testosterone gets you going.” Which is the most Damon Albarn way of saying “that was a bit much.”

To be fair, it was a lot. The fallout’s been nuclear: Bob Vylan are under investigation, dropped from festivals, losing gigs, and have had their US visas yanked. Even Bobby Vylan himself told fans at The 100 Club last week to knock off the chant, saying, “You’re gonna get me in trouble.” He then pivoted the crowd to “Free, free Palestine,” which still hits, but without the incitement charge.

Meanwhile, Albarn’s trying to hold space for art, idealism, and very British understatement. “People get angry, say stupid things because they’re not communicating properly,” he says. Maybe. Or maybe they’re just raging in a world that’s punishing them for caring too loudly.

Music doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And sometimes, neither do chants. But if you’re looking for nuance, contradiction, and raw emotion well, this is 2025 after all. We’re swimming in it.