Australian band backs UK band, artist over pro-Palestine stance
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Amyl and the Sniffers have backed UK acts Bob Vylan and Kneecap over their pro-Palestine statements at Glastonbury.
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Liam Og, left, and Naoise O Caireallain of the hip hop trio Kneecap perform during the Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset, England, on June 28, 2025 (AP)
Australian pub rock band Amyl and the Sniffers have voiced support for UK acts that made pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli military statements during their sets at the Glastonbury music festival, according to local media reports on Monday.
The band’s lead singer, Amy Taylor, criticized the British media’s “frenzied” response to performances by Irish rap group Kneecap and punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, suggesting on social media that a disconnect exists between public sentiment, the media, and government positions on the issue, as reported by SBS News.
In April, the Kneecap parted ways with its US booking agency, Independent Artist Group, over their Coachella performance.
Taylor’s comments followed earlier criticisms she made of both the British and Australian governments for what she described as inaction on the situation in Palestine.
At Glastonbury, Bob Vylan chanted “Death, death to the IDF,” referring to the Israeli occupation forces.
Rapper #BobVylan chanted in support of the Palestinian cause during his set at #Glastonbury Festival in the #UnitedKingdom.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 29, 2025
The BBC, a broadcaster of the festival, made sure not to screen #Kneecap's set but was surprised by several artists making statements in support of… pic.twitter.com/Ozij1TUFq5
The chants drew strong condemnation from the Israeli embassy in the UK, which called the remarks “inflammatory and hateful,” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described them as “appalling hate speech.”
UK police consider launching probe
Without naming Bob Vylan or Kneecap, UK police said they are considering whether to launch an investigation.
Taylor criticized the British media for singling out Bob Vylan and Kneecap’s pro-Palestine messages at Glastonbury, arguing that many artists across genres expressed similar views and that public sentiment is increasingly critical of government inaction on Gaza.
She linked the Palestinian struggle to Indigenous issues in Australia, while other artists, including Inhaler’s Elijah Hewson and singer CMAT, also used their performances to speak out in support of Palestinians.
Elijah Hewson, the lead singer of Dublin band Inhaler and the son of U2 frontman Bono, and Irish singer Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, known professionally as CMAT, were among the artists who spoke out on the issue at the festival.
