Don't call The Cult classic rock

The Cult's Ian Astbury has hit out at the term 'classic rock' and says it has marginalised certain bands.

The outspoken frontman, who’s preparing for a North American tour, tells the Vancouver Sun: “I despise the term ‘classic rock.’ Whoever came up with that should be publicly shamed.

“It may be convenient for VH1 or certain publications, but this particular period of rock music has become nothing more than a scrap yard for ironic T-shirts. It’s been marginalised and pushed into a certain space, and that’s unfortunate. There’s so many artists still making vital music.”

The band are working on their 10th album, and first since 2012’s Choice Of Weapon. But Astbury is thankful of a break from the studio to hit the road.

He adds: “The Cult started as a live band. The idea of making records was a fantasy – that was something someone else did. We had done hundreds of shows before we even had the chance to make a record, so a chemistry evolves. We’ve got to play. It’s our lifeblood.”

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.