Street punk

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Street punk (sometimes alternatively spelled streetpunk) is an urban working class [1] -based subgenre of punk rock, which partly emerged as a rebellion against the perceived artistic pretensions of the first wave of British punk. [2] Street punk emerged from the style of Oi! and hardcore punk bands. A key band in defining the aesthetic was the Exploited. [3] [4] [5] Street punks generally have a much more ostentatious and flamboyant appearance than the working class or skinhead image cultivated by many Oi! groups. [6] Street punks commonly sported multi-coloured hair, mohawks, tattoos, heavily studded vests and leather jackets, and clothing, especially plaids, adorned with political slogans, patches, and/or the names of punk bands. In the 1990s and 2000s, a street punk revival began with emerging street punk bands such as the Casualties.

Contents

Characteristics

Street punk band Charged GBH on Warped Tour GBH on Warped Tour.jpg
Street punk band Charged GBH on Warped Tour

Street punk music is characterized by single-note guitar lines and short solos. Unlike similar genres, such as traditional hardcore punk, street punk bands sometimes consisted of two guitarists, one of which plays guitar melodies while not singing. Street punk also makes frequent use of communal vocals, gang vocals, and sing–along choruses. Street punk lyrics commonly address topics such as fighting, drinking, partying, inner-city turmoil, gang violence, blue-collar issues, union or organized labor issues, [7] or personal relationships. Street punk bands sometimes express political viewpoints, typically of a left-wing variety, although some street punks eschew politics altogether in favor of a more hedonistic, nihilistic outlook. Street punk also had influences from New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden and Motörhead. [8]

Punk veteran Felix Havoc said:

It was aggressive, yet had melody. As opposed to today's "melodic" punk it still had a lot of energy. It was honest. Hence the term "street punk." There is and was a feel that this was the kids music, from the streets, and was uncorrupted by "professionalism" or "musicianship." As opposed to the anarcho bands its message was more bleak and irreverent. The music was not a-political, just a less intellectual expression of political views of working class youth. The music was marketed as being of and by the working class. I suspect this was not universally the case. Still most middle and upper class kids cringe at frank discussions of violence as evidenced in a typical Blitz song. Early 80's UK punk was catchy as hell; it has sing-a-long choruses and hooky riffs. [4]

History

Origins (1980s)

UK 82

1980s-era punks Punk-27947.jpg
1980s-era punks

UK 82 (also known as UK hardcore or second wave punk [9] ) took the existing punk sound and added faster drumbeats and an aggressive distorted guitar sound. [2] The term UK 82 is taken from the title of a song by the Exploited. [10] Cross-pollination existed between this era of British street punk and American hardcore punk. [11]

The lyrics of UK 82 bands tended to be much darker and more violent than the lyrics of earlier punk bands. They tended to focus on the possibilities of a nuclear holocaust, and other apocalyptic themes, partially due to the military tension of the Cold War atmosphere. The other mainstay of the lyrics of the era was unemployment, and the policies of the Conservative Party government. Lyrics frequently denounced the Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher [12] in the same way that American hardcore punk bands addressed the Ronald Reagan administration.

The three most prominent UK82 bands, according to Ian Glasper, are the Exploited, Discharge, [13] and GBH. [14] The Exploited were controversial due to their aggressive lyrics and rowdy concerts, and were considered by Glasper to be "cartoon punks". [15] Glasper wrote: "For many, The Exploited were the quintessential second wave punk band with their senses-searing high-speed outbursts against the system, and wild-eyed frontman Walter 'Wattie' Buchan's archetypal orange mohican." [15] Discharge's early work proved to be enormously influential, providing the blueprint for an entire subgenre. Their later work, however, has been described as moving into heavy metal. [16]

D-beat

D-beat (also known as Discore [17] or käng (boot), in Sweden [18] ) was developed in the early 1980s by imitators of the band Discharge, for whom the genre is named. [19] The first such group was the Varukers. [17] The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans. The style is distinct from its predecessors by its minimal lyrical content and greater proximity to heavy metal. It is closely associated with crust punk, which is a heavier, more complex variation. [18] D-beat bands typically have anti-war, anarchist messages and closely follow the bleak nuclear war imagery of 1980s anarcho-punk bands. The style was particularly popular in Sweden, and was developed there by groups such as Anti Cimex [20] and Mob 47. [21]

Revival (1990s and 2000s)

In the 1990s, a new era of street punk began with emerging street punk bands like the Casualties and Rancid, [22] The Casualties became one of the most well-known street punk bands and achieved underground success. Their 2004 album On the Front Line peaked at number 8 on the Independent Albums chart. [23] On the Front Line and the Casualties' 2006 album Under Attack peaked at numbers 7 and 9 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, respectively. [24]

The 1990s also saw the spread of street punk to other countries, particularly Eastern European states that were previously behind the Iron Curtain. The Analogs, a group from Szczecin formed in 1995, gradually became one of the most active punk bands in Poland; [25] with roots in the antifascist Oi! scene, [26] [27] The Analogs are widely considered to be precursors of street punk in the country and are credited with popularising the genre there. [25] [28] [29] Their influence has spread to other countries in the region, as Mister X (started in 2003) – leaders of the street punk scene in Belarus [30] – have often cited The Analogs as one of their main inspirations. [31] [32]

International outfit Booze & Glory, originating from the Polish migrant punk scene in London, was formed in 2009. Playing punk rock, especially Oi! and street punk, they grew popular worldwide and have performed concerts selling thousands of tickets in Indonesia, where the hardcore punk scene is lively and growing. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Anarcho-punk is an ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcore punk, folk punk, and other styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Exploited</span> Scottish punk rock band

The Exploited are a Scottish punk rock band from Edinburgh, formed in 1978 by Stevie Ross and Terry Buchan, with Buchan soon replaced by his brother Wattie Buchan. They signed to Secret Records in March 1981, and their debut EP, Army Life, and debut album, Punks Not Dead, were both released that year. The band maintained a large cult following in the 1980s among a hardcore working class punk and skinhead audience. Originally a street punk band, the Exploited eventually became a crossover thrash band with the release of their album Death Before Dishonour in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crust punk</span> Music genre

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Varukers</span> British hardcore punk rock band

The Varukers are a British punk rock band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin. They produced their most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band play in D-beat, the musical style of Discharge. Also like Discharge, the Varukers' lyrics carry an anarchist political ideology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British rock music</span> Rock music from the United Kingdom

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discharge (band)</span> English punk band

Discharge are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The band is known for influencing several sub-genres of extreme music and their songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in heavy metal and other genres. The musical sub-genre of D-beat is named after Discharge and the band's distinctive drumbeat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D-beat</span> Genre of hardcore punk

D-beat is a style of hardcore punk, developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, after whom the genre is named, as well as a drum beat characteristic of this subgenre. D-beat is known for its "grinding, distorted and brutally political" sound. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead and the Buzzcocks. D-beat is closely associated with crust punk, which is a heavier, more complex variation. The style was particularly popular in Sweden, and developed there by groups such as Crude SS, Anti Cimex, Mob 47, and Driller Killer. Other D-beat groups include Doom and the Varukers from the UK; Disclose from Japan; Crucifix and Final Conflict from the U.S.; Ratos de Porão from Brazil; and MG15 from Spain. While the style initially developed in the early 1980s, a number of new groups working within the subgenre emerged in the mid-1990s. These include the Swedish groups Wolfbrigade, Totalitär, Avskum, Skitsystem, and Disfear.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Analogs</span> Polish street punk band

The Analogs are a Polish street punk band. Originating in Szczecin, they have been successful on the local and international punk rock scene with hundreds of concerts played across Europe as well as musical releases in Poland, Russia, and the USA. The Analogs have seen coverage in major Polish news outlets as well as many alternative music publications and punk zines.

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References

  1. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 10
  2. 1 2 Glasper 2004 , p. 9
  3. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 122
  4. 1 2 von Havoc, Felix. "Maximum Rock'n'Roll #189". Havoc. Archived from the original on June 21, 2004. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
  5. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 246
  6. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 5
  7. ↑ Ensminger (11 August 2016). The Politics of Punk Protest and Revolt from the Streets. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 53. ISBN   978-1-4422-5445-9.
  8. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 47
  9. ↑ Glasper 2004 , pp. 8–9
  10. ↑ UK82 Access date: September 20, 2008.
  11. ↑ Glasper 2004 , pp. 165, 320
  12. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 203
  13. ↑ Matt Diehl, "The Young Crazed Peeling", My So-Called Punk: Green Day, Fall Out Boy, The Distillers, Bad Religion—How Neo-Punk Stage-Dived Into the Mainstream, New York: Macmillan, 2007, ISBN   0-312-33781-7, ISBN   978-0-312-33781-0 p. 107.
  14. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 44
  15. 1 2 Glasper 2004 , p. 360
  16. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 172
  17. 1 2 Glasper 2004 , p. 65: "The Varukers were the original Discore band, the first and best of the hardcore punk acts to take the simple, yet devastatingly effective formula laid down by Discharge and play it as fast, hard, heavy as they could."
  18. 1 2 Jandreus 2008 , p. 11
  19. ↑ Glasper 2004 , p. 175: "I just wanna be remembered for coming up with that f-ckin' D-beat in the first place! And inspiring all those f-ckin' great Discore bands around the world!" – Terry "Tez" Roberts
  20. ↑ Jandreus 2008 , pp. 20–21
  21. ↑ Jandreus 2008 , p. 143
  22. ↑ DIEHL, MATT. "Agnostic Front Doc Shows a Band of Hardcore Brothers Who Never Gave Up". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  23. ↑ "The Casualties Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2019.[ dead link ]
  24. ↑ "The Casualties Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2019.[ dead link ]
  25. 1 2 "The Analogs - biografia, historia, o zespole". muzyka.dlastudenta.pl. dlastudenta.pl. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  26. ↑ Maciek Piasecki (2015-10-22). "The Analogs: "Tradycyjni skinheadzi pukają się w głowę, kiedy słyszą o skinheadach-faszystach"". vice.com. Vice Media . Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  27. ↑ Stowarzyszenie „NIGDY WIĘCEJ” (2023-09-06). "Seria koncertów The Analogs pod hasłem "Muzyka Przeciwko Rasizmowi"". ngo.pl. Portal organizacji pozarządowych NGO.PL. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  28. ↑ "Oi! Młodzież". Empik . Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  29. ↑ "The Analogs - Biografia". polskirock.eu. Archiwum Polskiego Rocka. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  30. ↑ Wiktor Rykaczewski (2012). "Mister X – wywiad". Dead Press. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  31. ↑ ANONIM.2230 (October 5, 2007). "5.10 Koncert: Los Fastidios, Dr. Green, Zimbabwe, Mister X, Bang Bang". Co jest grane. Retrieved July 18, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ↑ Hardcore Tattoo Records (2023-04-04). "Mister X - Nie chcę twojej pomocy from "Uliczni wojownicy" - Tribute to The Analogs". bandcamp.com. Bandcamp . Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  33. ↑ Rusek, Marek (2024-02-28). "Marek Rusek / Mark Rsk / KWADRANS TWARZĄ W TWARZ [Booze And Glory][ENG sub.] Zagłębiowska Mediateka". Kwadrans twarzą w twarz (Interview). Interviewed by Klaudia Pluta. Sosnowiec: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna w Sosnowcu. Retrieved 2024-03-05.

Bibliography

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