Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield has echoed the views of bandmate Nicky Wire by bemoaning the current mindset of new bands.
Bradfield told the Daily Record newspaper of his frustration with a perceived lack of progression from today’s music scene, saying he believes they are too quick to move on to new pastures and should allow their groups longer to grow.
“Look at the first Clash album through to ‘Sandinista‘,” he said. “It is a great line that band walked and you knew they were great enough to screw up and get there in the end. If a band has success now, straight away they form a side project or give their songs away to a superbrand. It doesn’t feel like being in a band is a badge of honour.”
Bradfield also attacked the state of the UK’s music charts, which guitar bands are struggling to make an impact on, partly due to the decline of physical single sales which were a bedrock of chart success for groups in the past.
“I was looking at the Top 40 and it’s like the indie wars never happened,” he remarked. “It’s as if Manchester, Seattle and Britpop never existed. Britpop meant guitar bands were in the top five every week. For a guitar band to be in the Top 40 now is a rare thing. It’s all pop music. It is really depressing.”
Manic Street Preachers did enjoy chart success themselves last year with the release of tenth studio album ‘Postcards From a Young Man‘, which reached no.3 in the UK upon its release last September.