Slash Blasts Rock Scene: 'There's Nothing Positive'

[FunkyMonkey]

Slash blasts rock scene

May 23, 2010

Slash thinks there is "nothing positive" about the current rock scene.

The legendary guitarist admits he is unhappy about the lack of "spirit" in the current guitar-based music scene and doesn't know where the next big thing will come from.

He said: "I usually hate talking about the state of rock music, because there's nothing positive to say about it. The whole vibe of new, exciting hard rock bands seems non-existent right now.

"I always say that the heavy metal spirit is alive and well and holding its own, but the broader rock 'n' roll thing of bands like AC/DC or Guns N' Roses seems pretty slim. The rock 'n' roll spirit is extremely diminished.

"There's no shortage of bands out there trying to make it, but they're hard pressed to get a foot in the door. There's no movement on the streets."

Slash admits he can understand why pop artists now outsell rock musicians and insists he appreciates the "truly gifted", regardless of the genre they perform.

He added: "As a musician who has played with a lot of pop artists over the years, I can appreciate anyone who is truly gifted in one genre. Like in any genre, there's a couple of people in the pop world that are brilliant and then there's a lot of fluff and c**p. You can't hold it against pop music for being popular."

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1557806.php/Slash-blasts-rock-scene

[Trist805]

I agree. Rock music is dead right now.   Metal bands, and even pop artists seem to have a lot more dedication and talent, whereas lots of rock bands come off as lazy, and uninspired these days.   The only rock bands I still go see are the verteran ones that have already established themselves. 

[Eazy E]

Music is almost dead period.  There's nowhere new and exciting to go... Everything is starting to sound the same.  Punk, New Wave, Grunge, even Hip Hop.. all have reached their peak.  There are no more genres or sub-genres to be created.   Glossy pop music will always be around because people will find it "catchy" in the moment... I'm anticipating the next 50 years will consist of me digging through old albums looking for great songs from the past.

[gcluskey]

Bring back guitar solos!!! Lots of great rock bands about but no great guitar solos with the exception of the few veterans. Where's the new Slash or Brian May to raise the bar in rock music? I'm not just talking about musical ability, I'm thinking creativity, style...the stuff that made us look at guys and say...that's fucking cool, I wanna do that!!

[Halo69]

honestly i think its been dead since Nirvana. I firmly believe Nirvana and Kurt Cobain screwd everything. Sure they were somewhat talented, im still trying to understand why they made such a huge impact,cause even though they had a little talent in them, they're music is repetitive, sounds the same, honestly the only way ill listen to those songs is live. but that grunge scene that started with Nirtvana brought a whole scene of "temporary inspired" bands and at the same time, the great bands were breaking up or falling into pieces.. ex:Guns N Roses, Skid Row, Metallica.. etc...
lets just say that any albums of these 3 huge bands at that time, didnt impress one bit.... spaghetti incident, subhuman race, and i think it was load or reload... the worst albums ever in any of this bands.

Then all of a sudden.. the marilyn manson movement started to be felt, and to me thats when it all ended. Crappy rock music that people seem to enjoy for awhile (me included).

Obviously Marilyn Manson, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana, NIN, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rammstein, nickelback, incubus,slipknot...etc etc etc Failed to carry the torch of rock n roll. They made rock n roll look like a joke, and with great bands absence, the spirit eventually died.

[FunkyMonkey]

Here's a little more from the interview:

Rock Is Dead - Long Live Pop

Posted on 05/27/10

Slash discusses the state of rock, and why he teamed up with Fergie on his new album

I hate talking about the state of rock music, because there?s nothing positive to say about it. The whole vibe of new, exciting hard rock bands seems non-existent right now. I always say that the heavy metal spirit is alive and well and holding its own, but that broader rock?n?roll thing of bands like AC/DC or Guns N?Roses seems pretty slim. The rock?n?roll spirit is extremely diminished.

There?s no shortage of bands out there trying to make it, but they?re hard pressed to get a foot in the door. There?s an audience for it, but the industry is so clean cut and people are so apprehensive about taking any kind of risk. There are no A&R people on the street looking for bands. There?s no rock?n?roll movement on the street.

continued...

Meanwhile, pop music is bigger than it?s ever been. A lot of people in my fanbase and my contemporaries like to look at pop music as the enemy. I used to mock it back in the ?80s. But as a musician who?s played with a lot of pop artists over the years I can appreciate anyone who?s truly gifted in one genre.

People may have been surprised when I worked with Fergie on my new record. I first heard her three years ago at a fundraiser in LA, where I was one of many guests with the Black Eyed Peas. I was going to play during a rock medley, and in walks this little blonde girl from Orange County, and she sang ?Black Dog? better than any guy I?d ever heard.

I befriended her and discovered she?d gone through some of the same trials as me, of drugs and sex and jail. I realised, ?This chick?s hardcore?. It turns out she originally was a rock singer and always wanted to be, but because of the way the industry is she couldn?t make it as a rock singer.

I enjoy infusing rock?n?roll into stuff that wouldn?t normally have it. That said, I don?t think there?s room for me with Lady Gaga. There?s nothing I could do on guitar that could change the trajectory of Lady Gaga.

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=146&title=rock_is_dead_and_pop_has_taken_its_place&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[gnrjanus]

Rock/metal/pop is dead and that's only because people want's to make money.

managers/labels hires a band now a days just by walking down the streets and find your ordinary guitar player/band playing in a bar and Bam give hem a contract.. it's all money and about the popularity they can get with teenage girls or boys.

it's not about the music anymore and it hasn't been since idd Nirvana/pearl jam.  after that (the 1995-2002) years have been awefull, there have been a few bands but the whole picture is just depressing..