The phrase ‘no such thing as bad publicity’ springs to mind, here. Bob Vylan – the punk band that made international headlines after chanting ‘death, death to the IDF’ at Glastonbury last weekend – have seen their album sales soar in past few days.
ALSO READ: BBC to stop showing ‘high risk’ performances after Bob Vylan Glastonbury controversy
Who are Bob Vylan?
The group, originally hailing from Ipswich, were dropped from several festivals and denounced by politicians across the board after expressing their disdain for the Israeli military. They also had their visas for the US revoked within 24 hours of the performance, ahead a of a scheduled tour.
Both members of the band operate under the eponymous pseudonyms of ‘Bobby Vylan’ and ‘Bobbi Vylan’. After becoming a global talking point, the pair have stuck to their guns, and have refused to retract their highly charged statements in the face of mounting public pressure.
Bob Vylan score huge chart success after Glastonbury row
One rather left-field source of support came from the President of Columbia, who invited ‘The Bobs’ to perform in his country. Although they have yet to take-up the offer, the band appears to have gained a mass of new followers as a result of their recent exposure.
Their latest album, ‘Humble As The Sun’, has re-entered the UK Hip-Hop and R&B charts in position one, three months after it was initially released. It’s also back in the top 10 for two other domestic categories, reaching position seven in the Independent Album Chart, and position eight in the Official Album Downloads Chart.
‘It shows the power of the people’
Taking to social media, Bob Vylan lauded their commercial performance, boasting that they cannot be dropped as ‘they own their own label’. The rockers thanked their supporters and fellow artists who showed solidarity, branding it as a victory ‘for the people’.
“Ban Bob Vylan? 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!” | Bob Vylan