Are we about to see another punk resurgence?

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Rogue Mag - Are we about to see another punk resurgence?

Times are hard, there’s no doubt about it. Even if you’ve got a positive outlook right now, a kinda “screw this, I’m not letting this crap slow me down” attitude, you can’t help but notice we’re not enjoying the plenty of recent years. Everyone knows it, the media are banging the hyperbole drum. Disillusionment is at a high. Student protests, youth riots and mass protests aren’t a threat, they’ve already happened. There’s a palpable sensation of frustration in the air. A suspicion over the way the financial markets and government are run is nothing new and now we’re living the reality of their effects.

Its a known fact that culture reflects the times and out of a very similar situation was born the first cries of dissentient in the form of Punk. Wind back to the late 70’s and the nation was faced with the same issues. Unemployment was high. Industries were failing and being shut down. But there was also another factor to consider. The popular culture of the late 70s was full of uber polished music, pop acts and prog rock bands that weren’t capturing the hearts of those who felt angry and forgotten. The youth spoke with their loudest voice – music. At the time the rebellion that was Punk was such a revolution its reverberations can still be felt. Even the mainstream media couldn’t ignore it, the Sex Pistols weren’t only selling out venues and inspiring their fans, they were sitting on national television, swearing on air and singing disestablishment songs against queen and country. Fashion followed the movement and the fans carved their own path, something they felt was theirs, a feeling of taking control of who they are and how they felt. It was shocking to many, which partly was the whole point. Popular culture didn’t define how the fans felt, through Punk they could be seen and heard.

The resurgence of Punk in the 90’s was much the same. The economy was yet another dip and the angst of youth will never go away. To many Punk seems like nothing more than anarchic rebellion but its much more than that. Its a movement of voicing a raw opinion creatively. Rather than burning down stores and destroying their own streets, Punk music is an outlet for the frustration the disempowered feel.

The current charts are as despairing as the state of the economy. Music is largely lacking the drive and passion we’ve seen in similar times. Pop is buffed and produced to the furthest extent, rock itself is experiencing a all time low, so much so it became topic of conversation on national new channels. Its not that Punk is dead. Punk for me is not just the music, its the attitude that flows with it, and now more than ever the people are angry, they’ve been let down and they’re pissed off.

Another signal thats worth considering is that Universal Records have just acquired the entire back catalogue of the Sex Pistols. We all know how the music industry works and I have a feeling they’re seeing the signs too. This doesn’t seem like a co-incidence, it looks more like a move to be part of the new revolution.

Karen Simmonds, MD, UMC UK says “To be given the opportunity to re-evaluate the Sex Pistols catalogue is every music lover’s dream. We’re looking forward to working with the band and celebrating their impact on worldwide culture.”

An expanded and repackaged edition of Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols will be scheduled for release later in 2012 to commemorate its 35th anniversary. UMC are also planning events and other releases throughout 2012 and beyond.

Famous for inspiring a generation to rise against the musical establishment in the late 1970s, the Sex Pistols changed the face of music and popular culture overnight with one of the most influential and controversial records in British music history. 35 years after its release, Never Mind The Bollocks and the Sex Pistols’ legacy continues to grow as new generations discover its powerful message and still relevant, seminal songs.

Gillan Williams

1 COMMENT

  1. Wonderful piece…I think you are spot on and found your article doing some research. I am on tour with Marky Ramone and certainly can attest to the rhyming of history. I fear for the future sometimes because I and many others know what’s coming

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