Thursday, March 30, 2006
Covered in Punk
It was thirty years ago today that Malcom McLaren taught the band to, if not play, then at least to hold their instruments in a vaguely confident manner, look agressive and wear unusual clothes. Oh, and spit. That was very important. Yes, it's the anniversery of the Sex Pistols first gig or something like that. We've not been paying too much attention to be honest, but we've noticed that the Sunday supplements have been full of features about it, along with a number of attempts, with various degrees of success it has to be said, to convince us that John Lydon taking part in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here was some sort of rebellious act and not the slightly embarrassing sight of a desperate man trying to be controversial and failing miserably.
If you've read even a smattering of these pieces, you might be forgiven for coming away with the impression that punk influenced every band that has ever existed from 1977 onwards and was the single most important musical movement ever, rather than something which burnt out quite quickly, leaving behind a lot of embarassing American bands, seemingly unaware that the world has not only moved on, but has turned its back on the whole sorry affair, and that having spiked hair and wearing clothes with chains on them isn't really that counter culture and anti-establishment when even Top Shop has co-opted the style.
We'd also like to point out to all the people who've been claiming that punk is so much better than today's pop music because it wasn't all about style over substance that they're idiots. If anything punk was the ultimate triumph of style over substance, as strip away the image and the attitude then all you're left with is a bunch of ugly blokes who can't play their instruments making a godawful racket and spitting at people, something which is more likely to gain them an ASBO, rather than any sort of record deal.
The Buzzcocks were ace though.
music punk
If you've read even a smattering of these pieces, you might be forgiven for coming away with the impression that punk influenced every band that has ever existed from 1977 onwards and was the single most important musical movement ever, rather than something which burnt out quite quickly, leaving behind a lot of embarassing American bands, seemingly unaware that the world has not only moved on, but has turned its back on the whole sorry affair, and that having spiked hair and wearing clothes with chains on them isn't really that counter culture and anti-establishment when even Top Shop has co-opted the style.
We'd also like to point out to all the people who've been claiming that punk is so much better than today's pop music because it wasn't all about style over substance that they're idiots. If anything punk was the ultimate triumph of style over substance, as strip away the image and the attitude then all you're left with is a bunch of ugly blokes who can't play their instruments making a godawful racket and spitting at people, something which is more likely to gain them an ASBO, rather than any sort of record deal.
The Buzzcocks were ace though.
music punk
