Helmet frontman/guitarist Page Hamilton recently explained his relative absence from social media and the internet in general to Everguide.com.au. When asked if he finds the “commentariat nature of the internet frustrating” he replied:
“No, because I’m not on the internet. We have a Facebook page, and I was just informed by our management that we have over 100,000 people on our Facebook. That’s cool, but I don’t participate in it because I’m a guitar player and a writer and I’m not a social media maven or guru and I have just no interest in it. I’ll read sports blogs and that sort of thing, just because I’m a big sports fan. But the last thing I need to do is read people’s comments about the band.
Every time I get sent a stack of reviews, it’s such bullshit (laughs). I mean, you don’t compare Helmet to Radiohead. I wanted to be the anti-songwriter, and I was. My goal was to create my own vocabulary, and I did. And some people can only measure things by comparing it to something that they’re familiar with. And that doesn’t work with Helmet. So of course I’d be frustrated reading a review by a guy who’s saying I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.
The problem is that the internet is some kid in a basement with an opinion. The fact that David Bowie and Elton John told me that they were fans of Helmet – or Neil Young – that means something to me because I grew up on their music and they’re great musicians. That means more to me than some guy who hates the fact that my hair is short.”
Helmet have a new song named “Anything And Everything” available for streaming here. It will see a release as part of a split with the Melvins which will coincide with the two groups December Australian tour together.
