Monday 12 September 2011

Flying the flag for hypocrisy


I couldn’t help but notice that Kerrang! are running an issue at the moment hailing the rebirth of British rock, supposedly led by Rise to Remain (led in turn by Bruce Dickinson’s son. Hmmm…) While there’s no doubt there’s a few British bands doing well for themselves right now, I’d say there’s considerably more in the underground who wouldn’t mind getting a bit more of a push, instead of being overlooked for numerous years.

With that in mind, Kerrang!, get off your high horse. British rock never died. It never went away. It just got shoved into a corner, swept under a carpet and locked in a shed like an unloved pet, by a magazine that left behind its glory days, shed its notion for diversity and instead began chasing anything with a foppish haircut and a penchant for mediocrity. Partly thanks to magazines like yourself, obsessed with image and the American dollar. With mags like you around, would Motorhead have succeeded if they had just come about?

The sooner we see proper rock and roll upcomers like Black Spiders, Hawk Eyes (to name but two) getting proper coverage, and more proper bands getting a push instead of yet more style above substance, I’ll actually believe you.

You’re late to the party. British rock did fine without you, and is doing just fine without you now.

Peter Clegg

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