What Is Punk Rock

Punk rock as we know it today started in the 1970’s but whether you think it came from the USA or the UK first is immaterial. What can’t be denied though is that a disparate set of groups through the seventies in the US like the New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Television, The Heartbreakers, Wayne County and Blondie to name a few had some sort of scene going around CBGB’s, Max’s and Punk magazine with a look here, a haircut there and a rougher angrier alternative sound.

Key at this time is The Ramones with their uniform look of motorcycle jackets, sneakers and ripped jeans set to lightning fast catchy tunes against sarcastic lyrics. The heritage here was the garage bands of the sixties like the 13th Floors Elevators, Standells, Seeds and Electric Prunes and later The Velvet Underground and MC5.

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McLaren, Clothes, Sex Pistols, Disco & The Counter Culture

Linking these though is an unlikely figure of Malcom McLaren who managed the New York Dolls for a brief period and had a shop in the Kings Road London with his partner Vivienne Westwood that was selling rubberwear and more confrontational clothing and individual clothing. The shop starts to attract a variety of people from old Bowie fans, to disco kids, gay clubbers and the curious already dressing differently and standing out. A band, the Sex Pistols is also formed from people that frequent the shop now called SEX with Malcolm as manager with the New York Dolls and Small Faces and counter culture bands like Hawkwind and the Pink Fairies as influences. What’s different though is Johnny Rotten and his confrontational anti singer stage presence and lyrics set to the rawness of the music and the confrontational clothes, attitude and look with early fans like the Bromley Contingent and Soo Catwoman dressing in a shocking style to match.

Malcolm and Vivienne
Jordan & Soo Catwoman

Sex Pistols & Johnny Rotten – Photographer unknown

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Pub Rock

At the same time pub rock, a harder stripped-down R&B with bands like Doctor Feelgood, Ian Dury and Eddie and The Hot Rods and arguably The Stranglers, are making headway.

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The Ramones & Punk Rock explodes in the UK

The Ramones play England in July 1976 and instantly all the bands sped up to match their pace. The Sex Pistols are the torchbearers of Punk. Wherever they play, bands form or are influenced to change. Soon there is The Clash, The Damned, Eater, Subway Sect, Siouxsie & The Banshees and a handful of other bands and a recognisable punk movement. Women are a key part of Punk both in freedom to dress how they want, but also in joining and forming bands.

Reporting on the English music scene is led by three main weekly music papers Sounds, NME and Melody Maker. TV is also confined to 3 channels and 2 main music programmes, the Old Grey Whistle Test and Top Of The Pops. A Sex Pistols appearance on evening TV in November 1976 with Bill Grundy where they swear live on TV catapults them and punk into the public eye and into the daily newspapers, TV and magazines across the UK.

Bill Grundy show sparking filth and the fury in the media

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Fashion, Pogoing, Gobbing, Small Record Labels and Fanzines

Fashion wise shops like BOY and Sex/Seditionaries along the King’s Road London still expensively clothe punks but more follow the DIY ethic of bin liners, safety pins, self-piercings and ripped-up charity clothes. Fashion is key. The fashion is what sets you apart as a punk on the street from other subcultures and the average man in the street. It even has its own dance – the pogo – but less salubrious is the ‘gobbing’ on bands by the audience.

In their wake more and more bands form and there is an explosion of small record labels like Stiff, Step Forward, Small Wonder, Rabid, Raw Records and The Label and the alternative to the mainstream music press, diy fanzines like Sniffin’ Glue, Ripped & Torn, 48 Thrills and countless others.

The New Wave of journalism

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The Roxy Cub & Vortex – Punk Rock Strongholds In London

In late 1976 the Roxy Club with Andy Czezowski and Sue Carrington opened in Covent Garden and will incubate hundreds and hundreds more punk bands before its closure in 1978 as members crawl out of the primordial punk audience soup form and leave bands! The Vortex becomes another key London punk venue along with the Hope & Anchor and countless other revitalised venues. Elsewhere in the country punk bands, nights and gigs spring up with localised scenes.

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Teds and Skinheads -Youth Cults in Conflict

By 1977 Punk rock is in full swing, fights break out regularly along the Kings Road between Teds, a fifties youth cult based on music and fashion like Punk, and Punks. Skinheads make a comeback but unfortunately bringing more violence with an undercurrent of increased far right politics.

As Punks align to the left and include reggae in their music of choice, Rock Against Racism (RAR) and the Anti Nazi League (ANL) are formed to counter the spread of right wing infiltration into youth culture particularly Punk and some of its bands like Sham 69. Punk bands regularly play at reggae punk gigs and festivals promoting racial harmony with various degrees of violence as left and right clash.

Note the removal of house brick from friendly Ted’s hand!

Skinheads – Photo-Derek Ridger

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The Pistols Split, New Wave, Post Punk & Street Punk Rock

The Sex Pistols go to America in early 1978 and influence the US back with their look and sound creating even more bands and scenes but split at the end of the tour. For many its the end of Punk but for others its still the impetus to do something.

Punk is in the UK charts and softens to become New Wave. The second wave of Punk comes with a harder, more street look and sound and less art school with bands like Sham 69, Menace, UK Subs, The Ruts and such like. The fashion and sound become more uniform but also brings bands like The Slits, Magazine and Wire and Johnny Rotten’s PIL who all take the sound in a more exploratory post punk directions. Part of the allure of punk is the sheer diversity of sound it creates, subsumes and mutates into.

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Punk Rock Lives

By 1980 Punk was here to stay both going more hardcore and experimental and continued mutating throughout the years as another type of music and youth culture helping influence and spawning such bands as Nirvana, Green Day and The Offspring among others and being a continual influence and reference point both music and fashion/look wise. Look around today and the punk and post punk influence is everywhere.

Punk77 is a site dedicated to bringing you all of the above and giving a taste of what it was to be like in those times and a music that is still relevant and alive today. Anyone can make and play music whatever their ability and express themselves! Enjoy!

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