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Interview
by Josef Kowalski
15-11-2003
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| Bobby Primal verifies advance CD |
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Prime cuts
Dirty hits, pure milestones
Primal Scream – the last rebels; Bobby Gillespie – the last rock radical; Primal Scream – the world’s druggiest band; Gillespie – the pro-socialist. Primal Scream – the original winners of Mercury Music Prize for ‘Screamadelica’ (in 1992)… Now, ‘Dirty Hits’? ‘Greatest Bits’? It is rather surprising that this band, considered to be the last bastion of anti-bourgeois values, has decided to adopt such a capitalist enterprise? In particular that their singer/leader is a Glasgow boy raised on socialist principles by his Trade Unionist father?
“It is our idea; we always wanted to do it,” Gillespie states proudly. “But we reckon that in the last 13 years, since 1991 and until last year… Well, from ‘Screamadelica’ to ‘Evil Heat’, we’ve made enough good music that we can do a great compilation album. Now, we’ve got 18 killers tracks…”
What were you reminded of during compiling this set? Were you able to recall all the events, places, people and sentiments due to your well-documented past of substances’ abuse?
“Well…” long pause ensues as he looks at the cover, “No, no, no… I can remember actually making all of these records and I have pretty good memory. I can happily say that every songs here brings back great memories… It surprised me because whenever I make a record I never listen to them again… I wrote down 24 titles for this album and then the rest of the band suggested I take some out and replace them with different songs and it made sense. This album is chronological because it presents a story, it tells the history of the band.”
Mellow rebellion
Gillespie has changed and has become calmer, first due to becoming a father last year but, most importantly, realising that music, however potent, can hardly change anything and ever. Whatever brand, whatever you sing about and practice, it is only entertainment; he may not be less idealistic but he’s getting more realistic.
Few of Bobby Gillespie’s thoughts: “Car crashes, near fatal stabbings, death threats, bar room brawls with broken bottles in Texas, jamming with George Clinton maggot overlord, commander in chief of the Parliament/Funkadelic mothership, duetting with Kate Moss on... ‘Some Velvet Morning’... The Scream keep rockin’.”
He then adds on the band’s official website: “Citizens of Memphis, Tennessee (we got the certificates to prove it)... The message ends with “Till victory” which points to fighting spirit and optimism?
“Yeah… You always have to believe you can win the fight,” Gillespie states without much spirit, “that’s what I think, whether it is in Rock’n’Roll or privately, whatever you battle is. You always have to fight and you can’t just give it up and let it kill you. I believe what I believe, and the rest of my band does, but I think it is sometime better to channel it into songwriting. Until few years ago I used to say some amazing things but has it changed anything? I think it is sometime nice to be invisible and not a target for everyone… I don’t want to talk politics anymore, we are here for Rock’n’Roll.”
“We don’t want to pretend like taking the American government on, like… say, Radiohead and I do not wish to criticise them. When they released their ‘Hail The Thief’ album, the media were saying that it was something special, something brave… I hate to pretend I’m anything I’m not, I’m Rock’n’Roll and that’s plenty enough for me. I don’t want to be famous, I’d rather be infamous. Well, I think I’m and that s just fine by me.”
Dark hue
You speak with disappointment in your voice; do you observe that youth resistance is futile?
“No, I think I’ve become more realistic,” Bobby shuffles in his chair. “If you wanna protest than you have to do it the John Lennon way, go in there, live there and rattle their cage. But, I’m well aware that no Rock’n’Roll album will bring down any government. I feel that when you make a political album these days, it is just a gimmick to sell more records. You’re part of the music industry, the entertainment, part of the spectacle, you dazzle people and they simply watch and do not listen to messages.”
“People are spectators, that’s why I called them ‘Slaves’ at the Reading Festival (last August). So, no, I haven’t changed but I don’t want to preach anymore. In the end, as long as you go back home and listen to great records by The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, The Stooges, The Sex Pistols, it doesn’t really matter. I still have the same beliefs, but I am aware that shouting changes very little.”
“What I’ve done in the past I can’t take back,” Bobby says matter-of-factly, “but if you place music in front of everything, you are doing your thing. I still feel like fighting for my beliefs but people don’t appear to be interested and that’s what drives me crazy, that people are indifferent. We are Rock’n’Roll, we’ve got the power, we have that power live… With a twist and a bit of psychedelia. Rock’n’Roll is our religion... Rock’n’Roll is our dream weapon.”
“We used to be known as a ‘drug-band’, then a ‘political-band’ and then we became a…” [the thought peters out uncompleted].
What are the Primals at the ‘Age of celebrity’?
“Is that where we are at?” He almost smiles for the first time, before continuing, “I don’t know… But, it is all obscene; I don’t think we ever fitted into anything and it appears to continue. It doesn’t bother me, for sure… We’ll just be honest and be who we are.”
The hair remains the same, as well as attitudes although controlled…
Josef Kowalski
15-11-2003
Primal Scream’s compilation ‘Dirty Hits’ is released 03 November 2003 on Columbia
Primal Scream’s single ‘Some Velvet Morning’, featuring the divine Kate Moss, is released 17 November.
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