Primal Scream

Primal Scream began in Glasgow in 1982, initially as a jangly indie band in the C86 mould. Bobby Gillespie had been the drummer in The Jesus and Mary Chain before forming his own group, and that connection to the darker end of indie would prove formative.

Everything changed with 'Screamadelica' (1991). Working with producer Andrew Weatherall, Primal Scream dissolved the boundary between rock and dance music so completely that it's hard to remember there ever was one. 'Loaded', 'Come Together', 'Higher Than the Sun' — these tracks didn't just cross genres, they made the concept of genre feel irrelevant. The album won the inaugural Mercury Prize in 1992.

Primal Scream have continued to record and perform, releasing 'More Light' (2013), 'Chaosmosis' (2016) and 'Come Ahead' (2024). They remain one of the most restlessly creative acts in British rock — a band whose willingness to reinvent themselves has produced music of genuine importance across four decades, and whose influence on subsequent generations of British artists is immeasurable.

'XTRMNTR' (2000) was their angriest record — a brutal noise-rock and electronic assault that felt like a direct response to the Blair years. It remains one of the most underrated British albums of its era.

They have continued to record and tour with undiminished commitment. 'More Light' (2013) was a late-career triumph — sprawling, psychedelic, and full of the kind of musical ambition that most bands abandon by their third album. Gillespie remains one of rock's great frontmen.