The Birth of Punk Rock
Punk was important to rock’s evolution to establish that the basics are tried and true and that’s not a bad thing! Psychedelic music showed us that we can abandon all rules, structure, and essence of familiarity and still have an awesome time. But punk shows us that sometimes the most rudimentary sounds can hit a nerve to excite and invigorate audiences. Punk shows us not to abandon the basics, because those elements can always be revived and relied on to reignite the true feeling of rock & roll. Rockers always find a way to speak their truth. The names, places and characters are always changing but some of the key themes stay the same; loud guitars, mischievous exploration, experimental edge, uncensored passion, innovative fashion and a rebellious attitude.
I started this journey into the birth of punk rock by watching a show from one of my favorite early punk bands, The Damned playing a show in San Francisco in ‘79. I think this pretty well established the U.K punk sound vs the U.S. The Damned played fast, they jumped around the stage, they edited a naked woman dancing into the video for their song “Great Big Titz” (which was their take on the glam rock band Sweet’s song “The Ballroom Blitz”). They berated the crowd constantly, telling them to shut up, calling them names and encouraging drinks to be thrown. Wild on stage antics include the guitar player dressed up like a glam rocker, the singer wildly flailing around the stage and spinning, the drummer shoving his drum sticks up his nose, standing on top of his drum throne, and even coming up to the mic at some points to yell his own insults to the crowd. They even played the encore without leaving the stage, saying “If we go off stage like rockstars, we aren’t going to have enough time to do it so you’re getting the encore now. Do you want the encore or not?! San Franscico, do you want The Damned?!” encouraging the crowd to cheer. This brash, irreverent edge was so entertaining to American audiences, I can see how this show from The Damned would go on to inspire west coast bands like The Germs, The Dickies, and the Nor Cal punk scene that would cultivate iconic punk bands for years to come including Dead Kennedys, The Vandals, Bad Religion, Rancid, NOFX, The Offspring, Green Day and many others.
The Damned - Live (San Franscico 1977)
After the screaming success of The Sex Pistols’ debut, and only album, “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols” in 1977. Other U.K punk bands such as The Clash, The Buzzcocks, and Generation X came to America and provided rock music with a crude relatability, fresh angst and revived rebel attitude that became what punk bands were known for.
U.K punk bands were a part of an outspoken counterculture for the time, embracing multiculturalism, and radical philosophies. They created a huge cultural movement in the U.K, being brave and making waves, they weren’t afraid to call out corrupt politicians with a sneer. The U.K punk movement radicalized the youth, causing them to embrace anti-establishment views and favor artistic expression and individual freedom. This movement would give birth to political organizations such as Rock Against Racism (RAR), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the “Stop the City” anti-globalisation protest demonstrations of 1983 and 1984.
Creem Magazine, April 1978
U.S punk bands didn’t have as much of a stark contrast to U.K punk bands at the time because rock music was very much integrated into American culture by the late ‘70s. While disco, funk, southern rock and soft rock were very popular, early U.S punk bands added a modern youthful take on the old school rock & roll template, creating a small subculture for those who appreciated it. A scene emerged in the east coast, where bands were known for their no-frills, minimalist approach. CBGB’s was home to the cool, artsy punk scene with bands like Television, The Ramones, The Patti Smith Group, The Heartbreakers, The Talking Heads, and Blondie.
The Ramones - Live (CBGB’s 1977)
Punk bands never reached mainstream success because their ethics and business sense were very much DIY and indie focused. Punk enjoys being “the other''. Getting mainstream success in punk means “selling out” which isn’t a desirable outcome for any punk rocker. Punk rejects popularity, consumerism, and authority. Independent record labels, zine creators and small community venues benefited from punk shows. It is a small but vibrant ecosystem and one that doesn’t seek approval or help. Big record labels tried to exploit punk with The Sex Pistols and aside from the turbulant, drug fueled drama within the band that led to their break up, ultimately large audiences couldn’t see the star power of punk music because of punk’s grungey unfiltered, unpredictable antics.
Luckily punk music continuously finds its way into the mainstream (as we’ll see in the future) and managed to stay alive through more of the “new wave” bands reaching eventual commercial success in the 80s and 90s such as The Clash, Blondie, and The Talking Heads.
The Clash, “London Calling”