Step Right Up Folks! Anarchy For Sale!

Punk Rock, true Punk Rock had a 10 year run from 1974 to roughly about 1984, at least that is the opinion of many of us from the very old school. There were many who claimed Punk was dead, many more who said punks not dead. In my eyes, it died a long time ago and we like it that way.

But alas there are those who will not allow a dead horse to just lay dead. I have alot of respect for Offspring as a band, they are witty, cleaver and alot of fun live; what they are not is a Punk band. Green Day, pifft don't even get me started, pretend angst and rage while they have to hire on people to count the cash, definitely not a Punk band, never have been; never will be.
But these kids today will tell you that they are punk and that examples from above are their generations punk bands.

The race is still on: From my point of view you have the following vying for the longest running Punk Band (while line ups have changed, it still counts)The Damned (Godfathers of Punk), D.O.A. (Canada - Coined the Phrase 'Hardcore') and The Dickies. Sex Pistols don't count (even though they can reform, they just haven't put in the time). Ramones, folks 3 of the founding members dead, they are out of the race. These last 3 long time survivors are favorites of mine, so I wish them all the best. But if you can, listen to the music they make and compar it to todays 'Punk' (I'm OK with Alternative for these younger upstarts). While certain elements are there in todays sound, they lack the real reason to be angry.

So on to me point, I spent alot of years either running from or getting the crap beat outta me for being a punk. We didn't have "Crap Topic" to buy our look from, alot of it was D.I.Y., Sure at least from my side of the world we had Poseur in Hollywood for some of the 'fashion' that made the scene, but it was places like Zed, Poohba's, Vinyl Fetish and a few other record stores that would bring us the t-shirts as well as the music. T-shirts back then were smoking cool, first cut screens (yes some one actually hand screen printed it) and original ideas. "Crap Topic" I think got like 500th generation screens and most likely the worst looking shirts I've ever seen. I pass by this pit of shite in the mall to see kids buying up my culture and my movement with out the slightest idea of what it took to live it and build it.

The best example I have of this is one day Sy and I were up in Hollywood trolling for music on Melrose, now Melrose had pretty much died and the trendy crap moved in, but there were a few good shops left. Anyway we liked to park in the middle and hoof it to the shops, now I admit to being a beer drinker; I love the stuff! So yes I have a bit of a belly as a result (36 inch waist, 38 inch belly, so see not so bad). Anyway this kid of no more than 16 years old in his best punk rock regalia and his matching uniform twin walk over to me look me up and down and says, 'A Ramones T-Shirt with a beer gut, two old things that go together.' This was in 1997 I do believe, so meaning this little pile of punk rock coolness was born in about 1980, 1981. So I look him up and down and say, Humm 16 year old wanna be punk wearing a Germs shirt, they broke up before you were even born. So the argument ensues, oh you think your so hardcore; he says. easy for me I said, no not really; but at least I've seen The Germs.

Many scenes wish, hope and pray to catch on and be successful. Many bands dream of being an oober rock star and make all kinds of cash (Green Day - fucking poseurs). Many bands deserved to see something other than pay my rent, put gas in the van and maybe beer money. Many bands came back together to get their hands on these kids money, good fucking show! I say keep a coming guys, get what you didn't get back in the day. In our scene, the real punk scene, no body really wanted it to grow, it was way more cool before every asswipe jock decided he was a punk and got the football player mohawk and went to shows looking for fights and to wreck everything they saw. These assholes are the ones that usually got bands banned from certain places or brought the cops down around everyones ears. The very early scene went pretty much unnoticed for quite sometime, why not a bunch of selfish assholes.


But sorry assed excuses like Avril Lavigne? NOT PUNK, oh she's gritty and doesn't sing nice songs like the other girls, so fucking what, your a teenager and your cranky at the world because you didn't get a Wii system for Christmas. Blow me!