Last month I went to Harpos to see The Exploited, a punk band thats been around longer than I have. The headliners were okay, but the opening acts were just garden variety Bush bashers. As I watched and listened, I could only think how far this punk rock genre had fallen.
Punk rock, born in two cities, New York and London, in its earliest form had this sophisticated sound and feel to it. Johnny Rotten may have flunked out of school, but he was certainly sharp. He knew what he was talking about even if he never even took first year poly sci. Now all there seems to be is a bunch of Jello Biafra wanna bes, Henry Rollins clones of Henry Rollins clones, Lars Fredrickson knock offs trying to be the angriest of the angry with the best anti-Bush song out there. Case in point: Green Day. Im more than a little worn out on the constant over playing of the American Idiot album. If the punkers come lately actually wanted political punk music, they would still be rocking the Clashs greatest hits.
Also a far cry from its honorable origins is the death rock-ish variation of punk rock. As much as I like Alkaline Trio, its a far cry from the Danzig Era Misfits. You know what Id love to see get ripped off? Not his sound, but GG Allins act. I want to see some pretty boy punks jamming broken glass in their mouth and defecating on stage.
Im tired of this Blink 182-ization of punk music. MTV got their grubby corporate hands on it and perverted it in to Green Day. I want to see punk music feared and hidden from children. I want to see the Shiners suing The Dead Kennedys over the album cover for Frankenchrist. I want to see punk acts existing out of a Van or a tool shed like Black Flag did for seven years. I think its a damn shame to know that Travis Baker has a mansion and a playmate wife waiting for him once he leaves the gig. Its a sacrilege to know that once Tim Armstrong wraps up hes got a nice soft hotel room he can go to. Its the Mickey Mouse club version of CBGBs. Sum 41 is to Daffy Duck cartoon as The Sex Pistols is to Taxi Driver. It cool to know that Sid Vicious killed his girlfriend and its painfully lame to know that number two of Anti-Flag married his girlfriend. Its unpunk rock. Its all very ass backwards.
These guys need to do their homework: If you have a girlfriend and you dont break up with her, kill her. Dont marry her. If you dont drink, youre a pussy. If you do drugs, be sure to fuck up real bad so everyone knows what not to do. If youre not being sued or arrested, youre not trying hard enough. If youre on MTV, quit kidding yourself, youre not punk rock. If your fans are underage and unbruised, youre not punk-rock. if youve preformed at a place thatll hold more than three hundred people, youre not pop music. If theres a trombone player in your band, youre ska and you should be bloodied every time you go outside. If your knowledge of all things punk is limited to what Matthew Lillard said in SLC Punk, you know nothing.
Punk rock, born in two cities, New York and London, in its earliest form had this sophisticated sound and feel to it. Johnny Rotten may have flunked out of school, but he was certainly sharp. He knew what he was talking about even if he never even took first year poly sci. Now all there seems to be is a bunch of Jello Biafra wanna bes, Henry Rollins clones of Henry Rollins clones, Lars Fredrickson knock offs trying to be the angriest of the angry with the best anti-Bush song out there. Case in point: Green Day. Im more than a little worn out on the constant over playing of the American Idiot album. If the punkers come lately actually wanted political punk music, they would still be rocking the Clashs greatest hits.
Also a far cry from its honorable origins is the death rock-ish variation of punk rock. As much as I like Alkaline Trio, its a far cry from the Danzig Era Misfits. You know what Id love to see get ripped off? Not his sound, but GG Allins act. I want to see some pretty boy punks jamming broken glass in their mouth and defecating on stage.
Im tired of this Blink 182-ization of punk music. MTV got their grubby corporate hands on it and perverted it in to Green Day. I want to see punk music feared and hidden from children. I want to see the Shiners suing The Dead Kennedys over the album cover for Frankenchrist. I want to see punk acts existing out of a Van or a tool shed like Black Flag did for seven years. I think its a damn shame to know that Travis Baker has a mansion and a playmate wife waiting for him once he leaves the gig. Its a sacrilege to know that once Tim Armstrong wraps up hes got a nice soft hotel room he can go to. Its the Mickey Mouse club version of CBGBs. Sum 41 is to Daffy Duck cartoon as The Sex Pistols is to Taxi Driver. It cool to know that Sid Vicious killed his girlfriend and its painfully lame to know that number two of Anti-Flag married his girlfriend. Its unpunk rock. Its all very ass backwards.
These guys need to do their homework: If you have a girlfriend and you dont break up with her, kill her. Dont marry her. If you dont drink, youre a pussy. If you do drugs, be sure to fuck up real bad so everyone knows what not to do. If youre not being sued or arrested, youre not trying hard enough. If youre on MTV, quit kidding yourself, youre not punk rock. If your fans are underage and unbruised, youre not punk-rock. if youve preformed at a place thatll hold more than three hundred people, youre not pop music. If theres a trombone player in your band, youre ska and you should be bloodied every time you go outside. If your knowledge of all things punk is limited to what Matthew Lillard said in SLC Punk, you know nothing.
there's nothing wrong with white belts, ninjas, or parted hair, but a musical genre they do not make.
how was the Exploited show? I've never really enjoyed their music but I've heard they are actually a lot better now than they were back in the day.