Boardmasters review will hear of Bob Vylan concern

A WELL-PUBLICISED review into Boardmasters’ licence following the appearance of controversial rap-punk duo Bob Vylan at last month's festival will be heard at Cornwall Council later today.

- by LEE TREWHELA Local Democracy Reporter leetrewhela@reachplecom @LeeTrewhela

WELL-PUBLICISED review into Boardmasters’ licence following the appearance of controversial rap-punk duo Bob Vylan at last month's festival will be heard at Cornwall Council later today.

The risk of crowd disorder, unrest and violence as a result of their performance is cited by complainants - none of which actually happened when the band played.

Hundreds of people wrote to Cornwall councillors demanding that the authority intervene to ban Bob Vylan from appearing at the Watergate Bay festival in August - something it wasn’t in local politicians’ power to do.

The punk band were hit by a backlash after chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” during a BBC televised appearance at the Glastonbury festival in June.

It led to the cancellation of other festival appearances in this country and having their US visas revoked, scuppering an American tour. They have also been pulled as the support act on a European tour after a promoter and venues refused to work with them.