the punk rock culture

Submitted by xxcheeseinpa on 04th September 2003

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There are alot of misconceptions of punk rock culture.punk is not just a music.punk is a series of ideas and belifes that were expressed threw a type of music.

4594 reads

Nickshall2001

4 December 2003 - 11:46am

True, and this has been constantly bastardized ever since. 'Punk rock' is a phrase widely used to denote rock bands, from Nirvana in the early 1990s even to bands like Blink 182. Punk and punk rock are two very different things, one being mostly attempts to be true to roots, such as bands like Pennywise, while punk rock can denoter any kind of rebelliouis teen angst music....

ursa9

14 January 2004 - 8:03pm

Message was edited by: The Firm Message was edited by: ursa9

karl_6

27 May 2004 - 8:45am

The term 'punk'as it is currently used denotes a multiplicity of musical styles, aesthetics, and political positions, that are often incommensurable. As we know there is no homogenous thing called 'punk, and never has been. At present it is common to come across items of clothing in high street chains such top-shop selling styles of clothes once associated with the dress of the British punk scene of the late seventies. There has been a lot of reaction to the commodificatin, and commercialization of this style, yet as someone as already said, punk is more than music. And of course the M.T.V and Kerrang generation will be lead to believe that resistance and challenge comes in the form of wallet chains, dyed black hair, and band t-shirts. I agree that a lot of the D.I.Y. ethics that typify the punk scene have been co-opted, in a watered down fashion to fit in with liberal-individualistic rhetoric and values which dominate Euro-America, but beyond all this, there is a very strong movement still putting on low cost, D.I.Y. shows,bands touring off their own back for fun not money, and some of the most sophisticated and engaging lyrics ever- subversive, poltical and motivating. Punk, or 'hardcorepunk' for me as always been about challenge, change, and movement, a permanent site of contestation, and as never been about stasis or stagnation, whether in the form of politics, music or dress. Punks can be socialist, anarchists, communists, and even conservatives (check out the emergence of new conservative punk websites..Dave Smalley what has happened to you?) Hardcore punk bands from the past and present that inspire me: Limpwrist, tragedy, severed head of state, Born Against, Rorschach, Shank, Spitboy, the process,spazz... to name a few Message was edited by: karl_broome Message was edited by: karl_broome

tony.gunnarsson

16 February 2005 - 9:19pm

I think that the three most important "punk" bands, historically and in terms of the development of ideas, were: 1) CRASS, who were the first to introduce serious politics (anarchism+pacifism+anti-sexism) and clever (intellectual?) satire to the scene. (see their "Feeding of the 5000" & "Stations of the Cross" albums for lyrics that still stand feels fresh) 2) Discharge, who took the peace message of CRASS a bit further by way of their new sounds of dooms-day music along with simple straight forward slogan (WAR IS NO FAIRYTALE etc) 3) Amebix, who took the ideas of the above 2 bands and the typical anarchist-punk lifestyle to, arguably, the logical end. Their aesticial protests ("slavery from the cradle to the grave" etc) led them, ultimately, to depression and drug-abuse. As far as I am aware, the "hard core" punk scene nowadays seems to have been pretty much mellowed-down to be "only for the music" and not too much for protest. Essentially -though this is generally speaking only and there are of course several exclusions- punk bands that should be developing the spirit and ideas of the three bands mentioned above, to my mind, seem to be just that: only for the music. The arguement that punk-culture leds people to changing perceptions re: the world generally, war, politics, vegetarianism etc and ultimately therefore people become more involved/active in the socalled "fight" for a better world is, still, valid. However, today I think the punk-scene is quite segregated from activist groups worldwide -be they media-critical groups and websites, animal liberation, pro-democracy and political (such as Anarchist groups) etc (Though "punks" may very well be rather more visible in, say, "squater-movements"). Finally, the reason why this is, I think, is because there is a somewhat anti-intellecturalistic feeling inherent in "punk-culture" -extremely weird considering all the sloganeering! (Surely people would like to educate tehirselves, not just take all they here on face-value). The other reason, no surprices here, I think is that much of the lifestyle is based on being drunk or "high". Best Wishes,

agingqueen

5 April 2005 - 4:06pm

The face of punk rock has greatly changed over the past several decades from something that was so taboo and so different in the 70's to something that's mainstream and cheap in a sense. Its funny how things like that happen. When I was younger, I spent my afternoons listening to groups like Black Flag or Discharge - the punk rock scene was one that i was proud to be apart of. Given its recent shift into mainstream culture, I no longer feel such pride with that association.

samweb

1 March 2006 - 12:24pm

I agree. punk can be used to describe not just musical style but anything. it depends on who says the word as to what it means to them. To me, punk is a musical style and a way of rebellion. Althouhgt there are many great punk bands, punk is mostly denoted my media and what the members of the bands say. Jonny Rotten from the sex pistols is one of the original punks, and could be said to denote what punk means.

caitriawaters

24 June 2006 - 4:22pm

The word, "punk" doesn't say look what intellectual goodies I have to offer. If you get past the middle finger introduction, then there's something to think about.

MarciaMarcia

25 June 2006 - 12:20am

intellectual goodies? lol

musicfan11

29 June 2006 - 11:49pm

i totaly agree- hey they just found all this music from a band back in the 70's called Brothers of a Head- it's pretty good- anyone else out there like 70's punk?

bits

5 October 2006 - 7:57pm

wow, what was that goth story-telling band? I don't mind straight up labels, I guess b/c I don't really use them but could care less if others do. I guess it's good for those people who don't listen to a lot of music but know they want to listen to a certain type, eg, an older woman who wants to hear a jazz song and can then search out jazz music easier on the web or wherever. This isn't my way as there are tons of groups in every genre that are amazing and if you actively take part in your music it's probably pretty hard to classify them (for example, the punk hookum jazz band The Molestics are hardly jazz that an old lady may like...maybe an awsome one), and musicians themselves often classify themselves differently. Billy Bragg STILL calls himself and his music punk, even though its straight up folk and pretty mellow. oh, although I do hate genres merely for all of these pretentious kids out there who insist on only listening to bands with genres consisting of no less than three categories. Third wave euro folk ska anyone? And I'd like to point out that safety pins were being sold as "punk" and on ripped-up cloths in england while the sex pistols were still around. Malcolm mclaren made them. Oh, Punk. On that note, apparently there is now spray-on-dirt to crustify your skid jacket, is that a rumor. God help us all.

Puke Stain

2 December 2007 - 7:01am

To Aging Queen: The cheapening of the culture is no doubt a problem. But it's not one that should've been unexpected. Bands claiming to be Punks have infiltrated the culture. The Oi! scene saw the introduction of skinheads infiltrating it and claiming to be punks. And now, emos are ruining it all. AFI is a prime example of what mainstream success will do to Punk bands that aren't completely devoted to the belief system and the music that represents it. But Punk is still alive. The statement that 'Punk Is Dead' is ignorance in it's prime. Punk isn't dead. It's just become the victim of misconception. Bands like The Casualties continue to keep it alive. While some of the older bands are leaving the culture, their legacy still stands for future generations of true Punks. I'm still proud to be part of the culture. I'm still proud to call myself a Punk and be part of what it means. The things that people associate with Punk don't make myself any less proud. It just makes me want to spread the true culture and keep it alive that much more. If you grew up listening to Punk and being part of the culture, you shouldn't abandon it or be any less proud of what the music instilled in the youth of every generation that's come since it's inception into the world. Just keep it alive. Keep it going. If you have kids, give them the choice to experience what you did and to spread the beliefs of a culture that, while not without it's problems, is still ultimately musical expression of everything that's wrong in this world, and a desire to change it.

willow28

29 December 2007 - 11:49am

The word 'punk' was originally US prison slang for 'catamite'. Musically speaking, it was first applied post mortem to the US garage bands* of the mid 60s which sprung up in the wake of the British Invasion (the Standells, the Seeds, the 13th Floor Elevators etc.) - most of whom can be found on Lenny Kaye's 1974 Elektra compilation albums 'Nuggets'. They were largely defined by their lack of commercial success - and were all the more endearing for that.
The mid 70s' punk movement soon acquired the alternative moniker of 'New Wave'*
*These terms are hardly unique, either. There is, apparently, a modern type of music labelled 'garage' (pronounced in the English fashion - rhymes with marriage rather than barge!) - mercifully I don't really know what it is.
New Wave, of course, previously referred to French filmmakers such as Godard, Chabrol, Resnais etc.)

Anonymous

4 March 2010 - 6:01pm

What are you guys talking about? I went punk rocker in 1977 and I was never in a band, as wasn't 90% of the few punk rockers there were that year. Punk rock was hardly played on the radio and you could not buy any records in main stream shops. In fact, in Sweden, where I lived, you had to go to an obscure independent shop and special order punk music.

People were in general shit scared of this "punk thing", but had not heard the music, so it was hardly the music that made any revolution. The revolution came via how people LOOKED and behaved, take note of this! Fashion, or how people dressed, was very rigid in the seventies and punk really shifted what and who was acceptable.

With a lot of people taking control of the music scene in a new way, and with small records label sprouting, sure, there was a revolution in the music industry too, eventually.

But it always flusters me when people analyze the punks and focus so much on the music! At the end of the day, I used to get beaten up because of how I dressed, not because of some rock that nobody in the rest of society had even heard.