S Poddar
Primal Scream have released their new album, Come Ahead, today (November 8), and the band’s frontman Bobby Gillespie has begun talking to people about what he really thinks of it. Long known for saying something that was bound to outrage someone, Gillespie recently aired his views on social class and where he sits in the grand scheme of things, perhaps landing a blow at Blur’s Alex James.
In an essay to accompany Come Ahead, Gillespie speaks candidly about his complicated relationship with social class. He describes his experience as being “both inside and outside of [class]” and hints that it’s something he wrestles with personally. Gillespie, who grew up in a working-class environment, has maintained a certain awareness of his roots even as he rose to fame.
Speaking to The i, he elaborates on this further, “Wrestles’ might be overstating the case, but if you’re in a successful band, you get invited to things, meet people from various backgrounds, and experience different aspects of life. It’s not like you’re trying to be like that guy from Blur [Alex James] who’s socializing with people like David Cameron and, what’s his name, the guy who does the driving? [Jeremy Clarkson].
As he told Life and Style, “I get that. That’s obvious social climbing going on there, right? I don’t mean it like that. It’s just being aware,” he adds. Then there are people such as James, who was rubbing shoulders with the biggest people in the world as Gillespie was growing up on his farm. His background influences his approach.
Asked if he ever feels any guilt about his working-class roots in the context of his success, Gillespie’s answer is refreshingly straightforward. “No, not really. We wanted to be rock’n’roll stars so that we wouldn’t have to work in a factory or be told what to do,” he explains. This, for him, meant that it was not a fight for privileged status or distance from one’s background; rather it was a way of avoiding the life of limited choices. But, his father’s words also go into his thought process: “My dad always said to me, ‘While the money’s there, you’ve got to take it, because you’re not promised tomorrow.'” In a way, he understands that he is proceeding with his father’s words; he views an opportunity as something positive rather than realizing the conflict present in a situation.
Already receiving rave reviews, including an NME four-star rating-“funk meets punk with grenades in the trunk,” Come Ahead has promised to combine the personal and political: Gillespie’s sharp, observant words with the crafted sound to inspire action. Made with the help of David Holmes, Come Ahead is the first album from Primal Scream for eight years and it’s more a clarion call than a dancing invitation. NME quoted, “Personal and political, Bobby Gillespie and co’s David Holmes-assisted first album in eight years wants us to dance our way to justice.”.
The band also announced a UK and Ireland tour to start in the early part of next year, coinciding with the release of the album. This tour will stage 14 performances across both countries, starting off with an opening gig at the Beacon venue in Bristol on March 31, 2025. Fans will get a good run of live dates throughout April.
As Come Ahead comes down to earth and Primal Scream gets ready for the tour, the words of Gillespie ring out not just as a critique of celebrity culture but as a reminder to keep feet on the ground, even when it gets that far with fame. His musings on social class and authenticity add a unique perspective to an industry where, it seems, “social climbing” is at times the game. With his new album and ensuing live shows, Gillespie reveals that Primal Scream’s sound and message grow with time, forcing listeners to think and feel their way toward something a little more meaningful.
