If there is an unspoken rule in rock music, it is that controversy and self-promotion go hand in hand. Take Britain-based foursome Razorlight, for instance. Recently, frontman Johnny Borrell made headlines thanks to his supreme self-confidence bordering on arrogance, not to mention a penchant for ripping into his contemporaries.
Borrell is no stranger to controversy, having drawn fire two years ago for comparing himself to a music legend when he said: "If (Bob) Dylan's making the chips then I'm drinking the champagne."
Now, Borrell's in the spotlight again — this time for laying into two of England's bright young rock 'n' roll hopes: The Kooks and The Arctic Monkeys. Speaking as his group was putting the finishing touches on their new record, the follow-up to 2004's breakthrough album Up All Night, Borrell told Untied Kingdom music magazine NME that the Arctic Monkeys were inferior not only to his band but to countless current others as well.
"I wouldn't say they're better than the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, either," said Borrell confidently. "Or The Strokes, or even The Libertines during those five minutes when they were brilliant."
The Arctic Monkeys caused a sensation earlier this year when they shot to the top of the charts on the back of a rabid following cultivated via the Internet.
In January, their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history when it sold 360,000 copies in its first week of release.
Borrell also apparently has no love for UK rockers The Kooks, whom he described as "horrible".
"For a start, (Kooks singer) Luke Pritchard models himself after me," said Borrell in a recent UK radio interview.
"I heard their single the other day and it sounds like Avril Lavigne," he added, referring to the punk-pop lightweight behind Sk8er Boi and a handful of hits.
"Their album Inside In / Inside Out is the most horrible thing I've ever heard. It sounds like the band are literally rolling over, sticking their arse in the air and begging radio to f**k them."
The Arctic Monkeys have yet to respond to Borrell's attack but The Kooks' singer Pritchard wasn't shy about returning the favour.
Last week, he dedicated the band's latest single to Borrell during a gig at the London Astoria. "This one's for Johnny Borrell," he reportedly sneered.
The song, appropriately enough, was called Naïve.
These sorts of name-calling contests make for decent drama and, of course, it's no secret that controversy sells records.
While not as volatile as the clashes within hip-hop circles (where some rappers have no qualms about using guns to settle their musical differences), a handful of rock rivalries could put many of the sporting world's feuds to shame.
Some — the Beatles versus the Rolling Stones, for instance — have even become the stuff of legend.
Now legendary, the two bands came out of England at about the same time in the early '60s and led the so-called British rock 'n' roll invasion of America.
Formed by childhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1960, the Stones soon made it clear they were everything the Beatles weren't: The darker and more boldly sexual side of rock 'n' roll as opposed to the poppy and parent-friendly Fab Four.
The rivalry between the two bands culminated with the release of the Stones' 1967 folly Their Satanic Majesties Request, a pretentious attempt at outdoing The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Band Club, which came out the same year.
While Satanic Majesties sold well initially, its commercial performance fell off quickly. Eventually, Jagger and Richards wisely ditched their hippie pursuits and, by the following year, had returned to the hard-driving blues that had made their name.
While battles for chart dominance are the most common reason for rivalries, feuds are also the result of bruised egos.
Dave Mustaine began his musical career as the guitarist for Los Angeles heavy metal outfit Metallica in 1982.
After playing on Metallica's 1983 debut Kill 'Em All, however, he was promptly fired following a spell of alcohol and drug abuse, and replaced by Kirk Hammett the next year.
Mustaine later found fame with his own band, Megadeth, but — still bitter over the sacking — he continued to thrash Metallica in interviews and claimed credit for riffs that appeared on Metallica's 1986 classic Master of Puppets.
It's debatable whether jealousy was at the root of Mustaine's long-time grudge with his former bandmates. The issue was more clear-cut when it came to another high-profile rock rivalry.
Nirvana's Kurt Cobain may lay claim to being the greatest songwriter of Generation X but even he wasn't immune to ripping into bands like fellow grunge rockers Pearl Jam.
Although it could be argued that Pearl Jam laid the groundwork for Nirvana's success — after all, Pearl Jam members Jeff Amend and Stone Gossard helped originate the so-called "Seattle sound", the forerunner to grunge, as members of Green River — that didn't stop Cobain from labelling them "commercial sell-outs."
Some have theorised that Cobain was just jealous because Pearl Jam's debut album Ten outsold Nirvana's sophomore breakthrough Nevermind at the time of the latter's release.
In the end, Cobain apparently saw the error of his ways, mending ties with Pearl Jam, retracting his jibes and even reportedly becoming friends with Vedder.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, some rock star rivalries do little more than invite laughter: The case of Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, for instance.
After years of languishing on the sidelines, the British quartet made a triumphant return to the rock premiere leagues last year on the strength of their latest release, Don't Believe The Truth.
However, a full-blown Oasis revival also meant more of Gallagher, the infamous rock 'n' roll rebel known as much for his erratic behaviour and abrasive attitude as for his distinctive singing style.
Gallagher, who has a long-running love-hate relationship with his brother, guitarist Noel, was at the forefront of a 1995 feud with rivals Blur — a war of words that practically defined Britpop's contrasting sensibilities.
On one side was Blur, pegged as a band for middle-class art students. On the other were working-class heroes Oasis.
While Blur eventually won the battle when their single Country House peaked at No 1, Oasis clearly won the war — their 1995 album (What's The Story) Morning Glory became the year's top-selling album.
Even a decade later, Gallagher had apparently lost none of his edge, challenging Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to a fistfight at last year's Q Awards in London after Martin had attempted to put an end to a long-running war of words.
"Liam is charming," the Coldplay singer said at the time. "He said some rude things, but you know, we don't have an argument with anyone. We'd like to show our undying love and respect for Oasis."
Gallagher's response was typical: "Knobhead! Come on, have a pop. You're a plant pot."
Although Gallagher slammed his own band earlier this month, admitting their diminished status and conceding that Coldplay among other groups such as U2 and the Rolling Stones are "bigger", it remains to be seen whether this is just the calm before the next Liam storm.
Having reportedly failed to keep up with the members of the Arctic Monkeys during a post-show drinking session last week — media reports suggested Gallagher had to be carried home — it wouldn't be too surprising if he and Razorlight are soon firing at the same target.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
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