punk rock changed our lives

[Bored Of Education]

punk rock changed our lives

I know. They are doing a festival with Slayer somewhere as well

[Calvert]

punk rock changed our lives

each to their own, but fashion and club culture are tangible and worthwhile esp. where they intersect with art and politics, and although DIY, anarcho-punk are good things, a lot of the music is just awful.

Fashion and club culture may be worthwhile in any normal society, not so much one in the middle of a vicious low-intensity de facto civil war. Sure, they were useful originally, but it's apparent that mere clotheshorsery and being seen in the right places are ultimately of no value.
DIY's legacy isn't about how awful or otherwise the music is, it's about getting it fucking done and it's great.You don't need the music industry to do it because there's nothing in it for them which is their bottom line.Hurrah!
I'd say that the vast, vast majority of awful music I hear is heavily-backed by the majors.

[Bored Of Education]

punk rock changed our lives

Of course, you are right in that punk popularised (rather than introduced) that DIY ethic that was to inform so much of what followed not only in music but fashion, art, etc but, also, so much of punk was on major labels and always was - The Pistols, of course, The Clash, Buzzcocks, 999 etc - as well as, of course, plenty of other fantastic music

Ironically, Tim Berners-Lee will probably end up being the biggest aid to bands being able to release music and book and promote gigs themselves

[Calvert]

punk rock changed our lives

Of course, but I don't think that the bands at the time were really concerned with DIY.
They were probably more career-orientated at that stage, or just readier to accept that this was the way the game is played, ie. sign to a major, do TOTP/ Cheggers Plays Pop, etc.
I think it only really became the elephant in the room when bands like Crass came along.
I mean, it makes sense that your anti-war stance can't really be taken seriously if you're helping to fill EMI's pockets, for example.

[MsD]

punk rock changed our lives

I've been over this ground on TP so not much energy for it, you'll be relieved to hear.

But, fashion and clubbing are often more interesting/subversive etc than they are given credit for and to see it as mere ...posing may be rather narrow-minded. These things aren't in opposition anyway.

[Bored Of Education]

punk rock changed our lives

Of course, but I don't think that the bands at the time were really concerned with DIY.

I think it was out of necessity rather than an ideology. If you hadn't been signed, you put it out yourself. Of course, part of the reason that a lot of bands weren't signed was that everything moved so quickly. The real DIY ethic was more about having three chords and an idea (and, then with Hip Hop, two turntables, a mic and an idea). You didn't spend years learning your craft (although, obviously, a lot had)

Indeed, in thinking about it, it was the start of record companies being caught on the hop, something we still are seeing now, of course. Previously, as bands took ages to learn their stuff and perfect everything at endless rehearsals and gigs, the record companies could pick them off them off at their leisure. For bands to be on the scene and playing in months and, if the record companies didn't sign them, they wouldn't hang around, they'd put the stuff out themselves, which must have been a shock.

As you say, it was people like Crass who started making an ideology about being DIY and independent. I am sure there was someone else before them that really made a big deal of it but I can't think of it now

[Cal Alamein]

punk rock changed our lives

Bored of Education wrote:

My band now is the Lone Sharks and, to bring the thread full circle, we are now playing at this festival in the summer.

Cool. I had done some detective work a few weeks ago and figured that was your band. Now, how to get to Bath in early June?

[RobM]

punk rock changed our lives

Bored of Education wrote:

Aha, someone fell into my trap. It was The Milk Monitors and we released a album and an EP and did a couple of Peel sessions so you may have heard of us at the time if you were into really obscure music at the time. We actually got together for a couple of songs last years for a gig in London

My band now is the Lone Sharks and, to bring the thread full circle, we are now playing at this festival in the summer.

The Milk Monitors ring a bell. I'm guessing however that you didn't make it to Scotland with The Damned?

I saw the original line-up at the Town and Country Club in Kentish Town but I think it was Thee Hypnotics who supported them then, any other gigs I saw with that line up were in Glasgow.

[Bored Of Education]

punk rock changed our lives

We played with them at Brixton in the first proper reunion gig in 1989. It was us, Horse (London) and the Claytown Troupe. We played at the Town and Country with Gaye Bykers on Acid, Dr and the Medics and, also, Thee Hypnotics in 1988. Maybe that is what you are thinking of. We played with quite a few reasonable size bands at that time - Senseless Things, Mega City Four, Cardiacs, Three Johns, The Shamen, Snuff. Fun times

[MsD]

punk rock changed our lives

Cal Alamein wrote:

Now, how to get to Bath in early June?

Easy, turn the taps on.

Now ask how to get to Shepherds Bush.

[Cal Alamein]

punk rock changed our lives

MsD wrote:

Cal Alamein wrote:

Now, how to get to Bath in early June?

Easy, turn the taps on.

Now ask how to get to Shepherds Bush.

Hey, I'm not going there! Wait a minute, the red tube line, yeah, Central Line.

I could also ask about Virginia Water, but that's too far away.