We are not exactly sure what is going on in the head of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. In a recent interview with Kerrang he shows some humbleness and self-awareness, and then goes to contradict that wity bizarre statement towards America. Though they aren’t exactly wrong, it’s just a weird connection.
“We don’t play back home. We’ve boycotted America for many years now. I don’t know, I just don’t wanna go out like that. We did a few radio shows in 2010 for a friend and that was it. We haven’t properly toured America since 2006.” When asked why, Durst responded bizarrely. “The reason? We just don’t know what’s going on in America. It’s all about the new catchy thing and that’s always changing. America is driven by record sales. It’s the home of corporations. We’re just Limp Bizkit, so we don’t know how to do anything but Limp Bizkit.”
So it must have been the corporate structuring of America that goes against Limp Bizkit, and not the notoriously poor album sales of the band’s latest album, ‘Gold Cobra,’ and the lukewarm reception to their return from hiatus. That’s not to say that America has issues. But a tirade towards America about the changing times seems a little ill-concieved. There are plenty of people interested in the band. Though Durst did show some blatant awareness about his place in the musical climate. Here’s the deal: say in 2000, there were 35 million people who connected to this band. Twelve years later, lots of those people have moved on. We were a moment in time and it’s over.”
2000 saw the release of the band’s highest charting album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water. There is no denying the truth in Durst’s last statements- but it seems a bit coy to say that Limp Bizkit floundered largely because of the structure of the American music industry, and the band as being ‘over.’
The band retained continued success with The Unquestionable Truth a few years back, and though sales have been poor for their latest album, the reception to the band in Europe has been far better.
I wouldn’t expect this to come as a formal break-up of the band, as they are currently working on a follow-up to Gold Cobra on their new major label Cash Money Records, which features artists such as Nicki Minaj and Drake.
