This blog it going to be a bit different from my usual blogs. I have always had an interest with this subculture but recently I have gotten into it again.
For those who don’t know Punk is a subculture that is a global movement that emerged in the mid 70’s in the US. UK, and a few other nations. It is a countercultural reaction against mainstream commercialism.
Punk emphasizes non-conformity, anti-capitalism, and individualism at its core. It is a movement against authority. It stems from political, economic, and social frustrations. It also focuses on raw emotion, passion, politics, and D-I-Y ethics. It is a truly incredible movement that I don’t think gets talked about as much as it should.
Many people when they think of Punk they think of anger and aggression which is partly true but Punk is much more. It is seeing something and doing something about it. Its standing up when no one else will. It’s knowing what is going on it your world. Due to a few individuals the punk scene, to some, has been lumped in with racism and negative and harmful ideologies, but this isn’t the case. Only a very very small, rare percent of Punks have these harmful ideologies. Most are very anti-racism, anti-fascism, anti-authoritarian, anti-white supremacy. Punks have actually significantly benefited many communities. Punk communities often operate in mutual aid, meaning they establish food programs for the poor, and establish support for the homeless and disabled. The Punk scene has also created a very welcoming and inclusive safe space for those who are in marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ and women. Punks have also been a big part in activism. They have fought against racism, sexism, animal cruelty, environmental issues, and even war. They often use bands as a platform to voice their opinions and impact society.
Most people think that Punk is just a style or music but the ideologies that go with the subculture are so much more important to the punk community. The style and music has a huge role but the ideologies have a much bigger importance. Without these the punk subculture in my opinion wouldn’t exist. Some people say they are punk and do not align with the ideologies and I think that is a problem. A much bigger problem than not looking the part. This happens in a lot of subcultures, Goth for example. I think the mindset, especially in this particular subculture, means the most.
But music and style plays a role as well. I could go on forever about this subculture and its ideologies, concept, and how relevant it is today but I fear this blog would be too long so I shall move on to talking about style and music for the moment. I may make another blog on this topic in the near future going further in detail.
The style. THE STYLE! I personally love the punk style. Some may see the style as too dirty or grimy, but I personally love it. Liberty spikes. Handmade pieces. Self-sown patches. Big chunky boots. Safety pins, chains, studs galore. leather in any form. Ripped band tees. It is such an art really. It is a statement. A statement that goes with the anti-establishment and non-conformity ideologies. It rejects consumerism at its core, something I think is very needed in today’s society.
The music is what really introduced this subculture. The music started it all. It is a genre defined by aggressive fast-paced songs. It started in the 1970’s and continued to grow and evolve. It now has spread into many various forms like post-punk, hardcore, Oi!, Pop-punk, etc. (there are way too many to name.) Some punk bands during the Proto-punk era include MC5, the Stooges, Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, Death, the Sonics and the Seeds, the Dictators, the Monks, and Blue Cheer but these are only a few of the bands that fit into this category. Next category is the NYC scene. This was around 1974. This consisted of bands like Television, Blondie, the Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys, Patti Smith, and Lydia Lunch. Many off these bands played at a venue called the CBGB club. It is what made this era the NYC scene era, seeing as it was a small legendary music club in New York that hosted some of the most influential punk bands to this day. Next is the UK scene which took place mainly in 1976. It centered in London- hence the name “UK Scene”. The key bands in this era were the Sex Pistols, The Clash, the Undertones and The Damned. It quickly split into 80’s subgenres like Anarcho-punk, Street punk (UK82), and OI!, to name a few. Many of the key venues for the UK Scene were the 100 club, the Roxy, and the Vortex. In the 90’s Punk grew even more reaching a huge audience. In the 90’s punk became a huge mainstream appeal. It was mainly through Californian pop-punk and skate punk. The bands that were most influential during this time were bands like Green day, the Offspring, Blink-182, Sum 41, Fugazi, Rancid, and NOFX.
This is getting to be a really long blog, so I am going to make a part two with some of my favorite bands, styles, and a talk about a few of the ideologies deeper.
Oh, my goodness Robin, I love this blog! Thank you so much for talking about the ideologies and core values Aswell!
I love this blog!!! I’ve been getting back into punk culture again and this is sooo good. Also, thank for the 400 band recs lol!!!