[kj] OT: "Punk's Not Dead" documentary

[Leigh Newton]

I went through the same thing in high school, but for me it was metal instead of punk. 

In junior high, i was one of maybe 3 or 4 people in the whole 8th grade who was into metal. For everyone else it was either New Kids On The Block or Bobby Brown or Milli Vanilli and then maybe 5 or 6 gothy girls who loved the Cure. People thought I was nuts and asked me on a daily basis if I worshipped Satan. I was never an outcast though, more just like "the weird guy". 

Then at the very end of 1991, Nirvana blew up and everything changed. I became assimilated into a sudden cropping-up of other "weird" guys and girls. But the thing is, i really LIKED when the alternative scene blew up. Initially, anyways. I was 15, 16 years old and I loved Soundgarden, Nirvana, Faith No More, Fishbone, Skinny Puppy, Jesus Lizard etc etc. For a while, it was really cool. I would turn on the music channel (Muchmusic for me cuz I'm Canadian, eh) and, instead of seeing a bunch of bullshit, there would be 2 hour specials on bands I really liked with live clips and interviews and all sorts of stuff that had eluded me up until then. Of course, I died a little each time some jock would enthusiastically sing the lyrics to Teen Spirit and get the words wrong, but it was a small price to pay. 

It wasn't until around 1994ish when I think things really started to go south. Bands like the Counting Crows who sounded like classic rock bullshit but were being touted as alternative cuz they had dreadlocks and shit. Things got more and more gross after that and eventually, the Spice Girls got huge and put an end to whole scene. 

The funny thing is, now as a 30-year old man, I feel like the weird guy all over again. When people I work with ask me what I'm listening to on my ipod, 9 out of 10 times i just get a blank stare in response, even from the 20 year olds. Especially from the 20 year olds. I was even called a FREAK cuz i was telling someone i went to see Slayer and Marilyn Manson the other night. I thought maybe I'd fallen into a wormhole back to 1990 and looked down to check if i was wearing sweatpants and a Judge Dredd t-shirt. 

Leigh


----- Original Message ----
From: Christof hamille <wessidetempest at hotmail.com>
To: gathering at misera.net
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 9:54:14 AM
Subject: Re: [kj] OT: "Punk's Not Dead" documentary


My first three records were bought in 1978.  Kiss - Alive, Joan Jett and the 
Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'n' Roll and the Ramones -s/t

Punk as a lifestyle, for me, didn't really come into play until I was 12 or 
13 (1985 - first punk show, unless you want to count Joan Jett in 1979 at 
the State Fair headlining above the Beach Boys, Negative Approach) and a lot 
of that had to do with skateboarding.

I got the shit pummelled out of me all the time.  Not only at school but on 
the streets.  I would get chased out of stores.  Just for looking "weird".  
I was denied entrance into Disney World for wearing a Death Cult t-shirt.  I 
already paid money.  I was already into the first part of the park.  I had 
to flip it inside out or leave and NOT get my money back.  This was 1988.

And then in the 90's it was chic.  I wasn't being "weird" for shock value or 
to be ahead of the curve.  It was just a way of life that somehow made 
sense.  And still does today.  Even though I am not wearing big, heavy 
motocross boots or have red dreads or stink or whatever else I did at the 
time.  Honestly I am just to lazy today to be bothered.

I guess the hippies felt the same way.  I don't know.  I'm not a hippy

Chris


>From: "B. Oliver Sheppard" <bigblackhair at sbcglobal.net>

>Reply-To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the 

>band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

>To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)" 

><gathering at misera.net>

>Subject: Re: [kj] OT: "Punk's Not Dead" documentary

>Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:51:30 -0500

>

>I think you are right.

>

>I'm not old enough to have participated in the original '77 explosion of 

>punk, but am old to at least claimed I was into it before the punk cultural 

>9/11 that was the release of Nirvana's _Neverind_, when suddenly everyone 

>had retroactively been into punk all along and loved it, really, it 

>suddenly seemed like. Radio station formats changed overnight and the same 

>DJs that just weeks earlier had been spinning New Kids on the Block and The 

>Escape Club were not switching to alt-rock, acting like they'd always been 

>into it, hoping no one would notice.

>

>Now it's more punk to write books about book or make documentaries about it 

>than it is to actually make punk rock music, it seems like. There are 

>shitloads of new documentaries every month. The implication in a lot of it, 

>by older 30-somethings and 40 something who make it, is "Boy did you 

>youngsters really miss out! Too bad..."

>

>Fuck Against Me! too.

>

>Kicked out of school in the 80s for wearing Pushead/Misfits & Septic Death 

>shirts in Tipper Gore/PMRC Amerikkka,

>

>-Oliver

>

>

>

>

>culturevirus wrote:

>>The sad truth is we've become self-congratulatory wankers just like the 

>>hippies before us. When teenage rebellion is packaged for your convenience 

>>and available at the local mall punk truly is dead. The reality is every 

>>generation thinks they invented sex and rebellion, it's only when we get 

>>older we realize we're just doing what's natural. If only we had the 

>>humility to own up to it.

>>

>>

>>I am culturevirus

>>

>>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>_______________________________________________

>Gathering mailing list

>Gathering at misera.net

>http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering


_________________________________________________________________
Find a local pizza place, movie theater, and more….then map the best route! 
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&ss=yp.bars~yp.pizza~yp.movie%20theater&cp=42.358996~-71.056691&style=r&lvl=13&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=950607&encType=1&FORM=MGAC01


       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase.
http://farechase.yahoo.com/