In Defense of Punk Rock

Most of us who are into Punk rock initially got involved in the movement at some point in our teenage years. With acne on our faces, foam dripping from our mouths and giant chips on our shoulders we found excitement in music that was loud, full of energy, and completely anti authority. The excitement and fear that is associated with going to a Punk show for the first time is an unusual and unfamiliar feeling that leaves you constantly seeking the same sort of experience over and over again. Young punks become adrenaline and testosterone addicts much to the chagrin of their parents and teachers who pray that Punk rock will be a phase that passes quickly.

Records are bought, clothes are mutilated, hair gets sheered off or spiked up and dyed day glo colors. Somewhere along the line most punks find however that beyond the image and blasting guitars that being punk rock has deeper implications. Instead of just a uniform and musical style, Punk becomes a vehicle to reevaluate society and all of its roles. While there are many different cliques and sub tribes within Punk rock, all serious members of the culture have come to similar conclusions- that the world has become seriously fucked up as the result of mindless consumerism and abuses of power committed by establishments that were created long before any of us were born. As a result we respond in our own ways- some Punks become politicized while others reject their surroundings in purely social ways. Whatever form this rebellion takes on, one can be assured that people everywhere will notice the loud statements that punks make and will often respond with even more anger and hatred, further reinforcing a sense of alienation from society that almost all Punks have felt.

If all of this sounds like madness that's because it is. The Punk rock lifestyle is often overwhelming and exhausting. It can sometimes be a lonely path to walk but it seems that once you're in there is often back. When a mindset is changed radically it can be difficult if not impossible to go back to looking at life in a simpler and less antagonistic way. Yet inevitably as high school graduation approaches punks start dropping like flies, trading in the lifestyle for something that is more relaxed and seems more rewarding. As kids go to college they often pick up their class schedules and drop their Dead Kennedys records on their way.

Transitioning to the other side of society and crossing the line drawn in the sand to the side of the enemy must be a strange feeling, but like Joe Strummer said "He who fucks nuns will later join the Church." Of course it is understandable that people will change with age and find new interests and perhaps yet another new way to look at the world. At the same time though mainstream society seems so empty and void of substance and feeling. Maybe after years of spitting at the world that lack of substance and passion is exactly what some people go looking for. It might be easy just running on autopilot for a while.

Almost any Punk band that makes more than two or three full length records ends up becoming tame with time. The rawness of most Punk bands in their early stages is exciting and captivating. By the time most of these bands start to smell success though they seem to lose their desire to scream out their guts and emotions and those now empty guts seem to become hungry for a commercial reward. Bands who were once loved for playing raw and pure Punk rock rarely sound better when they turn their music into a more polished, sophisticated and "mature" product. The result is usually more disgusting than appealing and so all you old Punks who gripe about how your fan bases turned on you when you changed your sound, I have no sympathy. The so called "evolution" of bands usually adds up to a whole lot bullshit. If you want to make music that isn't Punk don't blame us when we turn your backs on you. Just like you once did we spit out the poison that society and the music industry tried feeding us because we didn't like it. It should be no surprise that when you try to emulate the "rock" music that we hate, that we want nothing to do with your fourth record. Don't forget you were once one of us.

The music industry as it stands offers nothing interesting or appealing to people who are looking for music that is energizing or thought provoking. Large venues gouge audiences' wallets while offering a less friendly and more anonymous experience. Why would someone want to pay sixty dollars to see a band play in a stadium rather than paying eight dollars to see a Punk band in a small space with a bunch of close friends? Overall the experience of seeing a big rock band is generally uninspiring and not engaging. At Punk shows people run around, singing along, and jumping on and off stage with bands playing. Admission is rarely more than ten dollars, records are almost never than twelve, and a T shirt that costs fifteen dollars is considered to be a complete rip off. It is not abnormal to go to a big concert and pay sixty to eighty dollars for a ticket, ten dollars for parking, six dollars for a hot dog, thirty dollars for a T shirt, and end up being nowhere close to the band. Meanwhile macho assholes who are trying to prove that they know how to "rock out" pick fights and throw up on the ground.

When people express a concern over the decline of the music industry it's hard not to laugh. That old beast is long past its expiration date and things have smelled rotten for a long time. In a last ditch effort major ticketing agencies and record labels are consolidating in an attempt to join forces in an evil alliance to survive a few years longer. Little good has ever come out of the commercialization of music. Perhaps the only interesting innovation that has ever come from those fuckers in their mansions on the hills is the "Wall of Sound" technique of recording that Phil Spector created when he was a key player in the music industry and look out how that old bastard turned out. Otherwise no great innovation has ever come out of the music industry that couldn't have been created in a less commercial atmosphere. The industry does not create music- it simply creates an outlet for products that more often than not probably would have been better if they were created in a more nurturing environment.

If the music industry ever collapses I will say goodbye with a "So long! Wish I could say it was nice knowing you." Make no mistake or misjudgment - if there were no commercial music industry that by no means would ever mean that there would be no music. One can guarantee with confidence that Punk rock would not suffer. In fact one could assume that if the playing field were leveled that few of the so called artists who are enjoying popularity now would still be successful when people actually began to seek out music rather than just having it served to them by mainstream media. Perhaps if this were the case people would learn what Punks have known all along- that the deeper a connection that one has to the roots of the music that they listen to the more satisfying it is to enjoy.

In short while I have learned to never expect that people who get involved with Punk rock at a young age will stick around for half as long as they say they will, let me remind our readers that at some point everyone involved in the punk movement came in looking for the same things and that the values that punk rock represents are still vital and important. While at times punk might seem juvenile, rehearsed, and perhaps even insignificant, know that we are fighting a good fight in a time of corruption and deceit. This undoubtedly will come off as idealistic, but the only thing that we can really hope to ever do is offer an alternative to mindless society and to do so by living as examples and rebelling in positive and thoughtful ways. To those who feel the need to change I say good luck and I hope that you find what you are looking for, but for those who stick around, give yourselves a pat on back and know that you are a part of something meaningful.

 

-Ditch-
Asst. Editor
Big Wheel Online Magazine