The question of whether rock is dead is a question on many old rockers’ lips. Primal Scream frontman Bobbie Gillespie seems to be on the side that it truly is over and has confessed that he considers rock to be a “dying language.”
When you catch footage of early Led Zeppelin shows and The Who smashing up their guitars, it’s not hard to feel like rock ‘n’ roll has become tamer over the years. Still, the 90s bought us sensational bands like Primal Scream and Pixies, who proved that rock was not dead, but had changed its face.
Now though, Gillespie reckons that rock truly is dying out for good. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he shared his feeling that rap is the new language.
“Rock is like Latin, it’s a dying language, it’s old, it’s finished, and it really has nothing more to say,” Gillespie said. “Guys in rock bands dress like they’ve come to fix your electrics.”
For the Primal Scream frontman, the art of rock ‘n’ roll has been replaced with rap, which he sees a powerful art form.
He explained: “It’s like they’re talking an occult language, and that’s how it should be. It’s got irony, intelligence, inventiveness, sex, and danger.”
He added: “It’s very solipsistic, so inward-looking, it’s all me, me, me. Rock is dead.”
Of course, this does not mean that Gillespie has given up on rock. It’s a part of who he is and a new generation of fans have fallen in love with Primal Scream.
“It’s a paradox, I know, he says. “I love rock ‘n’ roll, it’s a great democratic art form, and I’m glad there are still kids playing it. I’m a rocker ’til I die.”
