Black Lips’ Jared Swilley Apologises For Homophobia, Tongue Kisses Dude

Black Lips singer/bassplayer Jared Swilley has been somewhat forgiven for his much publicised PC gaffe of using the word “faggot”, after doing an on-the-spot interview with Editor-In-Chief of homo-indie website The New Gay, during which he apologises for using the word, discusses the similarities between punk music and homosexuality, and frenches the interviewer.

Last year a good old-fashioned Indie VS Indie band beef was kicked off when Swilley launched a verbal attack on Nathan Williams – frontman of hype band Wavves, after Williams’ disastrous performance at Primavera Sound Festival (and by performance we don’t mean “musical performance” – more like the way your parents would say: “that was a fine performance last night, Kate” after you’ve thrown up at their 35th wedding anniversary the night before).

Williams retorted by calling Swilley a “dick” and from there it was ON – with the slurring match finally culminating in a blood-drawing fisticuffs session outside a Brooklyn club.

Shortly after the incident, Swilley was interviewed by Buddyhead and, amongst several other things, he said:

“First of all, I just wanna say that Wavves was NOT involved in that fight. That faggot didn’t even touch me.
What happened was, after we finished our set I went to Daddy’s with some friends and saw that faggot from Wavves talking to a photographer friend of mine.
The only thing I did was walk up to him and say “You’re that faggot from Wavves and I don’t like you”.
Bottom line is that faggot from Wavves didn’t even hit me.”

According to The New Gay, his frequent use of the F word “raised the ire of pretty much every queer indie fan in history” – ironic for a band whose live performance MO is drenched in homoeroticism: onstage pashing, nudity, and general displays of man love; so perhaps he is fortunate that he was cornered by their Editor-In-Chief, ‘Zack’ – who demanded an apology, sparked an intriguing dialogue about the parallels between the punk/garage movement and the gayness, and – like all credible interviewers should – asked for an on-camera make out sesh.
Gaytastic:

Main image by Faye Dumont

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