Sløtface have grown tired of ageing musicians claiming that rock is dead when it comes to the next generation of musos, speaking out against these critics in a new interview.
While countless musicians and music fans have claimed that rock music ‘just isn’t what it used to be’, many musicians in recent times have claimed that rock music isn’t necessarily dead, but that it just needs to be revived.
Back in February, Jack White claimed that rock music “needs an injection of some new blood” in order to become the vital genre that it used to be. “Since rock & roll’s inception, every 10 or 12 years there’s a breath of fresh air and a new injection of some sort of what you could I guess call punk attitude or something like that. A wildness,” he explained.
“Things get crazy and then they get crazy for a couple years, then they kind of get subtle, and then you gotta wait for the next wave to come through and get people really excited and screaming about it again.”
Likewise, Ghost frontman Tobias Forge recently echoed these statements, claiming that “rock music needs to step up” in order to ensure that music fans have a healthy number of musical idols within reach.
“We need to have new, bigger bands. Bands need to step up and try to fill these spots,” he explained. “I definitely don’t think that rock is dead in any way. But I think that there has been a lack of new talent or new ambition. It’s hard to really put my finger on what has happened.”
However, in a new interview with NME, Norwegian punk rockers Sløtface have hit out at the artists who claim that rock music is no longer as exciting as it used be, and claim that it’s now a dead scene.
“I just want to say a huge ‘fuck you’ to all the rock musicians aged 50+ who say ‘young rock is dead’,” explained guitarist Tor-Arne Vikinstad.
“Oh my God, I’m so tired of it. Them saying that there’s are no cool new bands. Fuck you. Sometimes you don’t have the same emotional connection to new music when you hit a certain age.”
“I really envy hip-hop and rap communities,” Vikinstad continued “I see big names push young, unestablished artists, making music together and doing tours together. You don’t see that as often in rock music.”
“I facepalm every time I see big 90’s and 00’s rock-acts saying ‘rock isn’t was it used to be’, ‘there’s no big new bands nowadays’. It’s not the ‘90s any more. It’s just people shitting on the younger generation. They have a lot of space in the media to say how things used to be better in the ‘90s. They weren’t.”
While some of the more bitter music fans in our ranks might claim that rock music is nowhere near what it used to be, we reckon it all depends on the bands you’re listening to.
While Sløtface have proven themselves to be one of the most vital young punk groups out there, we can only hope that their success inspires other young musicians to pick up a guitar, and not be afraid to make some noise.
Check out Sløtface’s ‘Magazine’:
