Christopher BarrettOrganisers of the 10,000-capacity Shindig Festival have been given the green light to stage the event, with councillors having chosen not to revoke its licence over the inclusion of Bob Vylan as a headliner.
Wiltshire councillors met just three days before the event was due to commence to discuss whether to amend or revoke its license. The meeting was organised in response to a complaint made by the South Cotswold Conservative Association after learning Bob Vylan was on the bill. It claimed the act’s inclusion presented a risk the “event may provide a platform for content that could contribute to hostility, disorder, or community tension”.
According to the Wiltshire Times, the council’s northern area licensing sub-committee chose not to revoke Shindig’s licence or amend it in any way despite councillors airing concerns.
Councillor Elizabeth Threlfall said she was not against freedom of speech, and was in favour of Shindig, but inclusion of Bob Vylan on the bill was a mistake: “Bob Vylan are an offensive act. Violent views are part of their USP.”
Emphasising committee members’ statutory responsibilities under the licensing act, Shindig’s lawyer Matthew Phipps said contractual measures had been included to make sure Bob Vylan did not breach the event’s licensing conditions.
He said, “Having a provocative and antagonistic performer is not illegal. If that were the test, then no licensed premises would be granted permissions.”
Run by Shindig Productions, with a management team including founding director Simon Clarke, Shindig will take place at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury, on 21-24 May.
Since the BBC live broadcast Bob Vylan’s performance on Glastonbury Festival’s West Holts Stage last summer, which saw frontman Bobby Vylan chant “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]”, Bob Vylan has been the subject of an ongoing backlash. The band were swiftly dropped from festivals, their agents UTA turned their back on them, and a US tour was cancelled after their visas were revoked.
Since then, the band has continued to play festivals including Shambala and Boardmasters.