Primal Scream are an experimental rock group from Scotland formed in 1982, headed by former The Jesus and Mary Chain drummer (and bassist for The Wake before that) Bobby Gillespie. Other members include guitarists Andrew Innes and Robert ‘Throb’ Young, former Felt keyboardist Martin Duffy, former The Stone Roses bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, and touring guitarist and producer Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. Like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream were originally signed to Alan McGee’s Creation label, releasing two singles before being signed up by WEA imprint Elevation to release their first album Sonic Flower Groove in 1987. However, they returned to Creation for the release their second self-titled album in 1989, the track I’m losing more than I ever had being released in a version radically remixed by Andy Weatherall as Loaded in 1990; one of the seminal moments in the indie/dance crossover. They then released Screamadelica and remained with Creation until its closure in 2000; they are now signed to Sony/Columbia. Over the years they have shifted from jangly C86 indie pop to retro tinged hard rock to being dance/rock crossover pioneers.

In June 2005, Primal Scream played a controversial set at the Glastonbury Festival, throughout which Gillespie was playfully abusive to the crowd and was alleged to have made Nazi salutes (during the song ‘Swastika Eyes’). They were eventually forced off by officials after overrunning their allotted time; the festival organizers were at that point already annoyed at the band when, in response to their invitation to join other recording artists in signing a Make Poverty History poster which would be auctioned of for charity, lead singer Bobby Gillespie instead altered the poster so that it would read Make Israel History.

In 2006, the band played a January 30 comeback show at Glasgow’s King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. The show featured six new songs that ditched the electronic elements from the last three Scream albums, leading many fans to view the performance as hinting at a return to a rockier sound. The political lyrics remained, however, for instance in a new song called “Bomb Drops” which referred to Molotov cocktails, and in a change to chorus of “Swastika Eyes” which had him singing it as “American Eyes”.

The group’s single “Country Girl” received regular airplay in 2006 resulting in a chart entry of number 5, their highest ever, it was also used by the BBC in the closing credits of the Grand National 2007. The band were slated to appear at several major venues, headlining the Radio 1/ NME stage at the Reading/Leeds festival.

Primal Scream’s latest album is Riot City Blues, a return to the blues rock sound of their work from the mid nineteen nineties. Riot City Blues received mixed critical responses, with many fans and reviewers disappointed over losing the distorted electronica sounds of the previous two albums.

On the 26th of August 2006, bassist Mani was reportedly arrested at the Leeds music festival, after what was said to be a drunken brawl. However, he was soon released and the band’s appearance at the festival went ahead, leading some fans to suspect it was a ruse altogether.

Several of their songs have appeared on movie soundtracks including “Trainspotting” in the film Trainspotting, “Miss Lucifer” and “Swastika Eyes” in The Football Factory, “Star” in The Jackal, “Movin’ on Up” in Grand Theft Parsons and the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (on fictional Alternative station Radio X), and “Come Together” in Human Traffic.

Their new album ‘Beautiful Future’ was released on July 21st 2008.