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What does punk rock mean to you?

(58 Posts)
Chestnut Mon 13-Jan-20 17:49:22

I was in my 20s when punk rock came along. Didn't understand it and thought it was just the most awful thing I'd ever seen! There was a programme on recently with Chris Packham, a serious punk rocker, explaining what it meant to him and why it was so significant. I watched this in an attempt to understand what it was all about and thought it was interesting. He spoke about his experiences and interviewed other old punks, all now middle aged and often wealthy. Was anyone here a punk, if so what did it mean to you? Or like me did you just loathe it?

MissAdventure Mon 13-Jan-20 18:26:01

Oh how lovely to realise there are some fans of punk. smile

I watched the programme chestnut posted about, and the programme after it, but I had nobody to tell how great it was.

MissAdventure Mon 13-Jan-20 18:30:49

Lovely, thanks gaga.
I love the Stones, too.

I'm a bit of a latecomer to a lot of music because I really did only listen to punk until my late 30s.

Willow500 Mon 13-Jan-20 18:45:58

I identified more with Led Zeppelin, Cream and the later Beatles from age 15 but my youngest son was/is a drummer and the music he played in the beginning included quite a bit of punk until he veered into metal and heavy rock which I still love. Strangely now in his mid 40's he informed me the other day he only listens to jazz now hmm I have disowned him grin

Nortsat46 Mon 13-Jan-20 18:51:59

Debbie Harry
Chrissie Hind
Elvis Costello
Ian Dury
Boomtown Rats
The Jam

Rock against Racism
Miners Strike
Lots of badges with slogans on them
Supporting the ANC, when it was still proscribed...

My partner was in a punk band then, wrote ‘political’ songs and played very fast, very loud guitar.

We spent hours travelling in a decrepit van to gigs. I helped shift the gear and do the set up and the break down of the stage etc. We had a lot of fun.

Still love the Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young and the Boss, too, of course. ????

oldgimmer1 Mon 13-Jan-20 19:18:28

I loved punk, particularly after the sweet blandness of the music that was around at the time. It was raw, energetic and disrespectful....especially the Sex Pistols' God Save the Queen, which was banned (not sure if it still is..).

Chestnut Mon 13-Jan-20 20:06:25

Can't think the 70s music was bland oldgimmer1! David Bowie, Roxy Music, Queen, Bee Gees, ELO, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac was all great music. So many different types of music too.

oldgimmer1 Mon 13-Jan-20 22:09:56

I remember it being quite bland at the time that punk started, though. Think Nolan Sisters, Brotherhood of Man, Abba, Sutherland Brothers rather than Bowie, Roxy, etc.

The first punk record I remember hearing was Roadrunner by Jonathan Richmond. I think that was '76.

God Save the Queen came out in '77, as I recall, to "celebrate" the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

Oopsminty Mon 13-Jan-20 22:13:18

I didn't like it

I was a disco diva

But I loved Blondie who appeared to straddle the two

LadyGracie Mon 13-Jan-20 22:18:09

A noise

gillybob Mon 13-Jan-20 22:23:45

My dad confiscated my “Never mind the Bollocks....” (Here’s the Sex Pistols) album. Said it was “disgusting” and “wouldn’t have it in his house”. I later found out that he had given it to his friends son. angry

I loved Elvis Costello, The Clash, The Boomtown Rats, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Jam (who I saw in concert at a local nightclub with a fake ID ) and a few local punk bands too.

Chestnut Mon 13-Jan-20 22:50:57

It seemed to me from what Chris Packham said there was a huge amount of anger amongst young people which lit the touchpaper. I didn't feel any anger (in my 20s) and found it aggressive and ugly. I couldn't understand it. Having seen the programme I still don't understand it, but I can better appreciate why angry people would relate to it.

sharon103 Mon 13-Jan-20 23:34:30

Oh nooo Not Punk. What a racket that was. lol
I was into the lovely dovey soul music when I started work at 15 in 1970
Barry White
The Sylistics
Jimmy Ruffin
Diana Ross
Gladys Knight
The Tams
Billy Ocean
Major Harris
The O'Jays
Percy Sledge
Isley Brothers
Chairman of the Board
The Elgins
The Manhattans and many more
Of course they were vinyl then but I have a big collection of Various Artists cds which is all I ever listen to. It's hard to believe those songs are over 50 years old now.
I was a Rolling Stones fan when in senior school. I was in love with Brian Jones and I had their pictures all over my bedroom wall and wardrobe door.
My brother's still a fan of theirs and he's coming up for 74. In fact I bought him the Stones latest cd at Christmas.
I liked a bit of reggae. Desmond Dekker . Dave and Ansil Collins, Ken Boothe........

MissAdventure Mon 13-Jan-20 23:45:03

Oh I love reggae.
I can't abide soul music though. Too smooth.

sharon103 Mon 13-Jan-20 23:56:26

MissAdventure I'm a sentimental old fool.
Songs by these singers bring back special memories of special times with special people. smile
I liked the skinhead era as well. 1972?

GrannySquare Mon 13-Jan-20 23:58:59

Punk...my misspent youth.

MissAdventure Tue 14-Jan-20 00:04:24

That's lovely, Sharon.

There was a thread some time back about music and memories, and almost everyone ended up in tears at some point.
Music is just so special. smile

lovebeigecardigans1955 Tue 14-Jan-20 00:19:39

When I was a teenager (late 60s/early 70s) I wanted straight hair - it really matters when you're young, doesn't it? Mine was wavy and wouldn't do what was all the rage - go straight, so I had a 'bad hair' youth.
Then punk came along with multi-layered, multi-directional hair styles - and my previously difficult hair went in that style (the 'watered-down' more respectable housewife version) so easily. I must have been in my late twenties/early thirties and for the first time in my life I felt quite glamorous.
But I thought the music was a terrible racket.

sharon103 Tue 14-Jan-20 00:35:02

I'm sure the Punk rock era brings back some great memories of happy times for you. MissAdventure
I still say Punk was c**p though. lol

oldgimmer1 Tue 14-Jan-20 06:55:12

Well, it was short-lived and morphed into New Wave, which was gentler and s bit more sophisticated.

The 70s was really eclectic what with disco, soul, punk, middle of the road, glam and the rest. We were so lucky.

grannypiper Tue 14-Jan-20 08:41:37

oldgimmer1 (love your name) You are right, we had such a range of music back then, i feel sorry for the young ones now as their music is all just the same bland rubbish

Chestnut Tue 14-Jan-20 09:02:15

There's nothing new for today's youngsters, but they do have the backlog of late 20thC music to explore, so there's plenty of choice for them. They just need to be open to music of the past rather than expecting exciting new music.

Blinko Tue 14-Jan-20 11:34:44

I love the Stones' music but for the life of me, can't see what anyone would see in Mick Jagger... either then or now.

MiniMoon Tue 14-Jan-20 11:45:56

Ooh no! I thought punk rock was awful music. Very loud and irreverent.
I grew up with The Beatles, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Elvis and Englebert Humperdink.
I wasnt a fan of the Rolling Stones, but I loved Little Red Rooster confused.

Chestnut Tue 14-Jan-20 13:27:41

Plenty of punks on here but none have explained what the movement really means to them. How or why did it touch them? Were they angry?

SalsaQueen Tue 14-Jan-20 14:43:58

I was about 17 at the time of Punk Rock, and I loved it. I went to see a few bands play - The Boomtown Rats, The Stranglers, The Clash. I wore all the gear - leather jacket, torn fishnets, skirt with safety pins, etc. I especially loved The Sex Pistols and thought Pretty Vacant was, and still is, a fantastic song.

I'm 60 now, and still sometimes listen to Punk, although I like a lot of different types of music.