PUNK’S FIRE
Some say it started in NYC’s Lower East Side around 1974. Others believe it came from the British working-class that became fed up with its state of oppression at about the same time. No matter where punk actually originated, it reverberated one message: express yourself and don’t hold back. As quoted by The Encyclopedia of Punk (written by Brian Cogan with a foreword by Penelope Spheeris), “Punk laid bare the idiocy of the rock dinosaurs and the consumerist culture they supported and reflected and in doing so pointed the way toward a more egalitarian future,” the punks broke barriers where others feared judgement for speaking their minds. All the injustices targeted towards the lower class powered by ego and greed were exactly what spawned punk as it came to be.. a selfish society fueling punk’s fire. From The Dead Boys, to The Sex Pistols, to The Buzzcocks and so many others, they all had something important to say and they intended to be heard at any cost.
NO AMERICAN DREAM
The punks refused to buy into the “American Dream” for their disbelief in giving to a society that consistently took from its people. In hindsight, they were a lot more intelligent than anyone really gave them credit for! They were widely misunderstood as being crude and violent. What most people failed to recognize was that they were totally bad ass for good reasons! They were paving the way for voices to be heard, feelings to be expressed, and the formation of a unity against the unjust and unethical. They wanted everyone to know that they were not going to sit quietly in a corner and allow people to stomp all over them. That’s where the freedom of song comes in to get the message across. Who wouldn’t have loved to see a group of people get on stage, scream into the microphone, thrash on their instruments, and say exactly what needed to be said?! Music nowadays in comparison, well a lot is different. The sound may not be as raw and ruthless as it once was, but songs today still have a little spark of the punk essence charging through them. Any time you hear something loud with an upbeat sound like pounding drums, someone shredding on a guitar, or powerful lyrics roaring with angst, that’s the free spirit of punk shining through. Get up, dance, and feel the movement!
DIY PUNK
The one thing that has remained a true staple of the punk influence is their rad style! Studs galore, tight slashed up jeans, and denim vests adorned with all sorts of pins are all something still very prominent in fashion today. From the streets to the runways in NYC, London, and Milan, you can see the inspiration in so many of the designer’s collections. Aside from the music, fashion was another outlet for them to express their stance against consumerism. DIY and handcrafted pieces became their trademark look. Now everyone all over is trying to emulate that rebellious attitude through their clothing; studding up their purses and shoes, shorts and shirts, or throwing on a few safety pins to give it just the right edge. I’m not going to lie, my Doc Martens are one of my favorite pairs of shoes which the punks are known to be famous for wearing. You can’t really blame us though.. the punks had some really wicked style!
THE PUNKOCALYPSE
Some good news is that today there seems to be a growing trend of people who are more interested in the live talent on a stage rather than a studio produced album. If it keeps moving in this direction, hopefully there could be a possible revival of that raw punk sound. What I wouldn’t give to hang out in a dingy punk club watching real music be truly played like it should be! Punk influence is still very much alive through the hearts and talent of those who are still coming together and composing authentic music with a clear, definitive message, or creating a line of clothing truly fueled by the punk lifestyle. Do you think punk will make a major comeback? Keep your fingers crossed because it just might! As long as people are still expressing themselves just as freely and creatively as before, punk is not dead. Punk is evolutionary.