THE VERVE - THE VERVE: 'POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS STIFLING MUSIC'

THE VERVE: 'POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS STIFLING MUSIC'

Reformed British rockers THE VERVE have hit out at political correctness - insisting the 'Big Brother' culture is stifling the music industry. Frontman Richard Ashcroft admits the industry is now completely different to the mid-1990s when the band were in their heyday - because increased negative attitudes towards drinking and smoking are hampering creativity. He says, "When we were younger, if we smoked in a TV studio, we smoked, if we drank, we drank. And then, very, very slowly someone with a clipboard would start putting a hand on the shoulder. "It's like, 'We want rock'n'roll but we want it on our terms. We want rock'n'roll but please don't smoke in this building and please can you hide the cans...' "The whole culture's going through this PC (political correctness), government, middle management thing, which is totally anti what music is."