Primus Suck, Primus Sucks! Is the chant from Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom patrons this evening as we’re all gathered to hear the Funk-Punk-Rock band perform!
Let’s take it back a bit first.
Primus are one of the most singular and idiosyncratic bands to emerge from the American alternative rock landscape. Across more than four decades, the band have built a reputation on eccentric musicianship, off-kilter rhythms, surreal storytelling and a sound that has always refused to sit comfortably inside any one genre.
Formed in El Sobrante, California, in 1984 by bassist and vocalist Les Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, the band initially operated under the name Primate before becoming Primus. The early years were characterised by experimentation, a revolving door of drummers and an old-school punk DIY mentality that helped shape the band’s unconventional identity.
By the end of the 1980s, the classic Primus sound was beginning to take shape. Claypool’s extraordinary bass playing, Larry “Ler” LaLonde’s distinctive guitar work and the band’s ever-changing rhythmic foundations created something that sounded like very little else around them.
The release of Suck on This in 1989 and Frizzle Fry in 1990 began to establish Primus as a serious force within the alternative music scene. Then came Sailing the Seas of Cheese in 1991, taking the band to a much wider audience with tracks such as “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver”.
Suddenly, Primus were everywhere.
Their bizarre videos became familiar sights on MTV and music television, while their music found an audience well beyond the underground scene from which they had emerged. Their connection with South Park and the unforgettable Primus theme further cemented their place in popular culture, introducing the band to an entirely new generation of listeners.
The 1990s saw Primus continue to push the boundaries with albums including Pork Soda and Tales from the Punchbowl, producing songs such as “My Name Is Mud” and “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver”. Their combination of technical brilliance, surreal humour and Claypool’s unmistakable bass style earned them a fiercely loyal cult following and enormous respect from musicians across the rock and metal world.
And now, more than four decades after their formation, Primus continue to do what they have always done best — make music entirely on their own terms.
Welcome to the Barras
On this particular night, the Barrowland Ballroom was packed to capacity, with the Glasgow crowd arriving ready to immerse themselves in the wonderfully strange world of Primus.
Fancy dress could be spotted throughout the venue, adding to the sense that this was going to be far from an ordinary night at the Barras. There was a genuine buzz throughout the room as fans waited for Les Claypool and the band to take the stage.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
As Primus appeared, the reaction from the crowd was immediate.
The opening notes were met with a roar, before the unmistakable sound of Claypool’s bass began to roll across the Barrowland floor. Within moments, the venue had transformed into a sea of bouncing heads, raised arms and huge smiles.
Primus have never been a conventional rock band, and there is something wonderfully unique about watching them live. The music is heavy without simply being metal, funky without becoming funk, progressive without disappearing into self-indulgence and, above all, unmistakably Primus.
Claypool remains the focal point, wielding the bass almost like another voice within the band. His playing is technically extraordinary, but it never feels like technique for technique’s sake. Every slap, pop and rumbling bassline becomes part of the band’s bizarre musical language.
Alongside him, the guitar work provides the perfect counterpoint, while the drums drive everything forward with precision and power.
The first three songs provided a fascinating snapshot of exactly why Primus have maintained such a devoted following for so long. The band sounded tight, confident and completely at home on the Barrowland stage, while the audience knew every twist, turn and eccentric musical flourish.
There was also a distinctly Glasgow flavour to proceedings, with Claypool embracing the local audience and even delivering a playful rendition of “Hurdy Gurdy Gurdy Hurdy Gurdy Hurdy Woo!” — a moment that was met with the kind of response only the Barrowlands can produce.
Looking across the room, it was clear that this was a crowd who had waited a long time to experience the Primus sound in this setting. From the die-hard fans to those discovering the band for the first time, everyone appeared to be enjoying the ride.
And that is perhaps the greatest thing about Primus.
After more than forty years, they still sound like nobody else.
They remain strange, unpredictable, technically astonishing and completely comfortable being exactly who they are.
For a band whose career has been built on doing things differently, the Barrowland Ballroom proved to be a fitting home for their particular brand of musical madness.
Primus don’t simply perform songs.
They create their own musical universe — and judging by the reaction inside the Barras, Glasgow was more than happy to spend the evening in it.
Do Primus suck?
Absolutely not.
Primus most definitely do not suck.
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