So here we are - Anniversary Year. Already people have different opinions on this. Some see it as pointless getting wrapped up in nostalgia, reminiscing about the past....some seeing it as us old punks denying our age.
Some are promoting it as a cause for celebration- possibly the last youth movement that made a difference & had a real lasting impact.
Certainly there will be a lot of chat looking t things with rose tinted glasses.
I see many sites where old punks cant even agree about what Punk was all about- the music, the clothes, politics, a way of life.
For me I shall treat this year as a celebration- Punk the music was the first form of music that I liked for myself, that I had chosen off my own back and not because I had heard it via friends or family.
For me it was about deciding for myself what to say, think or wear. Question everything, accept nothing on trust. Punk taught me to see everyone as equals until you know different.
Punk wasnt about barriers or uniforms, although PUNKS themselves made the punk image a uniform, which most of us eventually bought into. We also then divided ourselves & created our own barriers, which in my opinion was so negative. One example I still remember is CRASS punks saying things about Exploited fans and vice verse.
PUNK diluted itself and lost its voice, but I was left with some great music and bands that still excite me today. Not so much a movement anymore but still a great source of joy.
I expect EBAY to be flooded with shit loads of memorabilia this year and all for silly prices and I expect collectors looking for an investment will outbid the fans that really care about it all. I expect many Corporate entities to jump on the band wagon & milk us for our hard earned cash. Loads of compilation albums and magazines all ready to distribute, I must admit that I'm bound to buy a few things here and there.
But there will be smaller independent groups doing their own thing in celebration- make sure they are supported as well.
I hope this year will show the younger generation that they can have a go if they are determined enough - they dont need Simon Cowell or his X Factor generation- with effort & hard work dreams can come to- you dont need a record label, a manager- you can DO IT YOURSELF.
I will enjoy this Year with absolutely no guilt at all - it was a part of my life that introduced me to music that I still love, I met friends that I still know today.
Some of You FUCKERS out there will talk about how wonderful PUNK was, but at the time you were NOT a fan. I was a PUNK, I remember all of you cunts that sneered at us, attacked us physically & verbally, put us down, treated us like shit. You can jump on the bandwagon this year you shallow fools... the rest of us will carry a bit of pride that we were part of it.
We lived it we love it
PUNKS NOT DEAD
