Punk grime duo Bob Vylan appeared to celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk at their latest gig, once again embroiling themselves in controversy.
The outspoken musicians were dropped from festival line-ups after chanting "Death to the IDF" during their Glastonbury performance in June.
The fallout led to the cancellation of the group's US tour after the US Department of State cancelled their visas, while appearances, including at Manchester's Radar Festival, were also cancelled.
At a gig in the Netherlands, frontman Bobby Vylan - real name Pascal Robinson-Foster - used derogatory language to refer to the murder of US right-wing political pundit Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, who was a prominent political commentator in the US and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, in what authorities called a political assassination.
Bobby, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, told revellers: "I want to dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of s*** of a human being.
"The pronouns was/were. Because if you talk s***, you will get Banged. Rest in peace Charlie Kirk you piece of s***."
The remarks were made at a sold-out show in Amsterdam’s Paradiso club, with a Palestinian flag hanging on the stage.
Paradiso has a main hall capacity of 1,500 and had earlier hinted at the band's reputation, writing that "activism is inseparably linked to Bob Vylan" in the band's listing.
The show had heavy security measures, with police patrols nearby, as well as metal barriers and thorough bag checks at the entrance, pro-Israel website Jfeed reports.
Bobby Vylan himself appeared relaxed after making his remarks and had also joked with gig goers about whether there were any snipers in the room.
In a statement on its website, Club Paradiso said: “On Saturday September 13, during his performance at Paradiso, artist Bob Vylan made statements that many experienced as harsh and offensive.
“Paradiso believes in the power of artistic freedom. Music, and punk in particular, has traditionally been a form of art that amplifies anger, discontent, and injustice without filter.
“In a world on fire, artists sometimes choose language that sounds confrontational or violent. That is part of artistic expression, but not automatically language that we as a venue endorse.
“Paradiso shares the outrage and concern regarding the genocidal violence taking place in Gaza.
“That Bob Vylan raises his voice against it is legitimate and necessary. Should the Openbaar Ministerie (public prosecution service) wish to investigate whether any criminal offences have been committed, Paradiso will cooperate.”
The duo, who blend elements of punk with rap, hip-hop and grime, have upcoming gigs in the Netherlands at Doornroosje, on September 15, and 013, on September 16.
A statement on the 013 website said: “We do not accept that an act like Bob Vylan, an outspoken punk-rap duo with a long history of political activism, is threatened with cancellation because of words born of outrage over a humanitarian disaster.”
It added: “We’re not alone in this: Paradiso and Doornroosje have also confirmed their decision to programme Bob Vylan. The threats made against Paradiso demonstrate how vulnerable the space for artistic expression can be. Intimidation should never determine who gets to perform on stage.”
Following Bob Vylan’s comments about the IDF at Glastonbury in June, Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation.
Meanwhile, BBC director general Tim Davie has said the corporation’s decision to broadcast Bob Vylan’s set live was “a very significant mistake”.
While facing questions from MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Davie said the punk duo’s set was “antisemitic” and “deeply disturbing”.
The corporation issued an apology after the Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury, saying: “We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community.”
Robinson-Foster said in a social media post that “there was nothing antisemitic or criminal about anything I said at Glastonbury.”
