Bob Vylan top UK Hip Hop and R&B album chart one week after Glastonbury
- Text by Molly Baker
- Photography by Neil Melville-Kenney
The people said ‘Nah’ — Despite heavy criticism from politicians and media for leading chants of “death to the IDF”, as well as being dropped by their agent, the punk duo’s 2024 LP 'Humble As The Sun' has seen its purchases and streams spike.
Bob Vylan’s 2024 album Humble As The Sun has reached number one on the UK’s Official Hip Hop and R&B albums chart.
It follows backlash and criticism of the punk duo over the past week, following their Glastonbury performance, where frontman Bobby Vylan led the West Holts stage with chants of “free, free Palestine” and “death to the IDF”.
In a post on X, Bob Vylan wrote: “Ban Bob Vylan? The people said ‘Nah’.
“We need artists that speak up,” they continued. “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.”
The set was broadcast live by the BBC, with a warning message displayed on screen to viewers, though it has not been uploaded to BBC iPlayer. Since then, the BBC has said that it will no longer broadcast sets deemed “high risk”.
In a joint Instagram post following the set from Glastonbury and the festival’s organiser Emily Eavis, they said that they were “appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan”.
“Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,” it continued.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also responded to the comments made by the duo during their set, labelling them “appalling hate speech”.
In a separate post on July 1, following the festival’s conclusion, the band made a statement on social media, declaring “silence is not an option”.
“We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs, or any other race or group of people,” they wrote. “We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine. A machine whose 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,” they continued. “We are a distraction from the story, and whatever sanctions we receive will be a distraction.”
Following their performance, Bob Vylan were cut from Manchester’s Radar Festival’s lineup, which they were meant to headline. The festival, which took place from 4 to 6 July, failed to find a headliner to replace them, with multiple artists withdrawing from the line-up in solidarity with the duo. The band were also dropped by their agent in the days after Glastonbury.
Humble As The Sun, Bob Vylan’s third album released in April 2024, has also reached the seventh spot on the Official Album Downloads Chart, and eighth on the Official Independent Albums Chart.
Molly Baker is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.
Buy your copy of Huck 81 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
“Humanity’s big threat is our disconnect from nature”: Craig Richards and Chris Levine in conversation
Lighting up — With Houghton Festival collaborating with artist Chris Levine in its most recent edition, we sat down with the light artist and the festival’s creative director Craig Richards to chat about their new installations, and the role of art and music in tumultuous times.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In London, rollerskating’s revival rumbles with the city’s soundsystem culture
Rink magic — New quad skate events around the capital are being soundtracked by a cocktail of jungle, dancehall, amapiano, UK rap and more, in a uniquely London fusion. Ian McQuaid reports on the hybrid skate-dances, and the growing pains that the scene has faced.
Written by: Ian McQuaid
Throwback portraits of the UK’s first punks
Punks 1978-1980 — While working as a photographer in the army, Wayne “Spike” Large would moonlight as a punk on the weekends. His new photobook revisits the characters that he captured from the genre’s heyday.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Analogue Appreciation: For Those I Love
Carving The Stone — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s post-club producer-songwriter For Those I Love.
Written by: David Balfe aka For Those I Love
New documentary revisits NYC’s ’90s skateboarding golden age via the lens of Supreme
Empire Skate — The 30 for 30 documentary premiered in June, exploring how the brand evolved from a Lafayette skate shop into a global streetwear giant.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Jack Johnson
Letting It All Out — Jack Johnson’s latest record, Sleep Through The Static, is more powerful and thought provoking than his entire back catalogue put together. At its core, two themes stand out: war and the environment. HUCK pays a visit to Jack’s solar-powered Casa Verde, in Los Angeles, to speak about his new album, climate change, politics, family and the beauty of doing things your own way.
Written by: Tim Donnelly
