Manchester gig by punk rap duo Bob Vylan postponed to next year

A Manchester concert by controversial punk rap duo Bob Vylan has been postponed, following calls by Jewish leaders and MPs for it to be cancelled. 

The band, which led a crowd in chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces) during an appearance at Glastonbury music festival this summer, had been due to play at the Manchester Academy early next month.

But, according to correspondence, seen by Sky News, the venue has rescheduled the gig for next year.

It comes after the Jewish Representative Council (JRC) of Greater Manchester – backed by 10 MPs – wrote to the Manchester Academy asking them to cancel the duo’s performance.

The call came in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack by 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie, in which two people were killed and three others were injured.

Calling for the band’s performance to be cancelled, Marc Levy, JRC Chief Executive, speaking to Sky News, claimed the band had “openly engaged in egregious anti-semitism.”

“How can any responsible venue even consider hosting such an act?” Mr Levy said, “especially after what happened in Manchester so recently?”

The Manchester Academy and Bob Vylan have been contacted for comment.

It comes after Bob Vylan’s frontman, who goes by the pseudonym Bobby Vylan, earlier this week said he did not regret chanting “death, death to the IDF” at Glastonbury – and would do it again.

Speaking on The Louis Theroux podcast, he also went on to reject claims that their set had contributed to a spike in antisemitic incidents that were reported a couple of days later.

“I don’t think I have created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of people going out and going like ‘Bob Vylan made me do this’. I might go, ‘oof, I’ve had a negative impact here’.”

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