While talking about the success of Velvet Revolver, an interview with Billboard Radio China reveals Slash’s take on the present state of rock n’ roll. The guitarist essentially said that the genre was being overtaken by rap and R&B because it is slowly declining into a boring puddle of despair.
“More than anything, the commercial approach to rock and roll that the industry forces on bands, or forces people to think that this is how they have to go about it to succeed, and it just turns into this generic mishmosh that manages to get on the radio but doesn’t really turn anybody on, and it’s just dull and boring and people start looking elsewhere.”
Despite his original thought processes, Slash believes the genre is turning over a new leaf. Slash cites “young and hungry” rock bands that are taking aim at the genre in new, interesting ways.
“And, obviously, Greta Van Fleet have done amazingly well and made everybody perk up and go, ‘Oh, wow!’ Now there’s people out there looking for young, teenage rock and roll bands to sign,” Slash says. “So it’s interesting. If you watch everything as it develops in real time, it’s really, really boring and shit takes what seems like forever. But if you’re not paying attention, all of sudden, you’ll turn around and go, ‘Oh my God! Something just changed.’ And it’s just a constant state of ebbs and flows of rock and roll in this business.”
What do you think of Slash’s comments about rock music?
