Author: Michael Pementel
In a recent interview with NME, Bring Me The Horizon singer Oli Sykes spoke to the early days of the band, his concerns back in the day about the scene, and how the rock genre was “never meant to be mainstream.”
A portion of the interview featuring Oli Sykes spends time going over the band’s recent music festival (where at one point, fans made a circle pit within a swimming pool).
At one point during the interview though, Sykes reflects on and speaks to past concerns he had regarding the rock and emo communities; he says, “[…] you could walk into a shop like Hot Topic and buy into the fashion. When that starts dying off, people go elsewhere.”
Per the interview with Sykes:
“Music is a way of life. When rock and emo were at the forefront, there was so much of it about, and you could walk into a shop like Hot Topic and buy into the fashion. When that starts dying off, people go elsewhere. It doesn’t matter if there’s one really good band still doing it because it doesn’t make you feel part of anything bigger. I was worried.”
Sykes then goes on to express why he believes that the rock genre is in a good place today, understanding that rock was “never meant to be mainstream.”
“I know it feels like we’ve been saying rock’s coming back for ages now, but I really do think things are better than they’ve ever been. Not only has it made a comeback, but it’s far less gentrified than the early ’00s scene and there are exciting bands doing their own thing that feel like the future – bands like Nova Twins, Spiritbox and Static Dress.
“You want to open the gates for people and invite them into becoming a rocker, but you almost have to show them all these reasons why. It can’t just be us. It’s so much better when there’s a whole circus of music, fashion, and art. Things are way better when you’re not the only one.”
What do you think of what the Bring Me the Horizon singer had to say?
Bring Me The Horizon Singer Oli Sykes Says Musicians Today Also Have To Be ‘Actors’
Watch: Fans At A Bring Me The Horizon Festival Started A Circle Pit In A Swimming Pool