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Mike Oldfield hopes Olympic opening ceremony performance will help revive instrumental rock
LONDON – Mike Oldfield wants to use the Olympics opening ceremony as a rallying cry.
The British musician performed part of his hit “Tubular Bells” live during Friday’s spectacular, and says it was an honour — and a vindication for a much-reviled musical genre: instrumental rock.
“Tubular Bells” was released in 1973 and sold millions. But a few years later the punk movement triggered a backlash against its brand of progressive rock.
Oldfield says it’s time for a comeback.
He said Tuesday he hopes to use exposure from the ceremony “as a relaunch for instrumental music — real music. Let’s throw away all the computer software.”
The 59-year-old says he felt a “glow of pride” when Danny Boyle asked him to be in the ceremony, which celebrated five decades of British music.
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