punks not dead
The IFC channel was showing a really awesome documentary called "Punk Attitude" that chronicled the 70s NYC punk movement and the subsequent British translation of it. What was so great was that it had lots of interviews with the musicians today (Chrissie Hynde, Thurston Moore, Jim Jarmusch, David Johansen, Henry Rollins, members of the Clash, PIL, The Ramones, and even Siouxsie Sioux, to name just a few that feature in it), reflecting back on live concert footage, as well as plugging into the idea of how it evolved into a conscious political form like The Clash. "Punk" as not just a music aesthetic, but a social and political aesthetic. And while it also charts the inevitable commodification (the awful awful awful bands like Good Charlotte, boy crotch-rock like Limp Bizkit, etc), it offers hope by offering that punk as a viewpoint, and not as fashion or even just a music style is an "attitude" towards looking at resisting things in the world: corporations, commodifications, and bad politics.
I'm so used to seeing documentaries (VH1-style) that wrap up a particular music scene in a totally facile way--like, you go through the rise and inevitable fall, and then the "comeback" that is usually so lame that its super pathetic. This documentary shed light on some little-known bands apart from the big ones, and also tied in the punk movement to such seemingly disparate bands as Public Enemy and the early 60s dub and Reggae. And best of all is that it ends on a "hopeful" note--with the possibility of political and social transformation yet to be realized but still perhaps within reach.
Watching the vintage footage of Joe Strummer of the Clash on stage and singing his guts out nearly brought tears to my eyes--how I think we could do with more rock-out politically-motivated smart music these days!
Watch it next on IFC: Saturday, 11/26, 11:45pm
6 Comments:
I saw that film too! And on the same nite late, on Sundance this film called "The Take"...
http://www.sundancechannel.com/film/?ixFilmID=6457&rname=The%20Sundance%20Channel%20Schedule
Which would probably engage your anti-sweatshop sympathies...
oh yeah, saw the clash way back when a coupla times -- we met 'em & my ex shopped with mick jones for mint milanos and talked springsteen's nebraska (mj's fave album of the minute)before the concert, then we scooted backstage after, more to the story, but...strummer wailing "somebody got murdered" and me listening to it echo at verdun was a haunting moment that gave me chills...
hi tracy, thanks for the other film recommendations..alas, i don't have the sundance channel, but hopefully can rent it on netflix or something :)
patricia, i'm so envious that you actually saw the clash live! wow, that must have been amazing... aaaaaaaaaaaaaa! it's great to hear your memories of it, too.
:D
fyi, my music heyday was a bit later than the original punk and clash scene: more like the late 80s/early 90s when bands like fugazi, 7 seconds, and local Bay Area ska music were big. in high school, my friends and i would go to gilman street in berkeley, where all-ages shows would happen. ahhh, memories :)
back in the days before i developed cat allergies our two sweet crazy cats were jaz and jello -- after two musicians we enjoyed...mmm, music, i love the indie arts scene whether it's music or what have you -- so invigorating, inspiring and liberating...have you seen "the decline and fall of western civilization?" (i might have title wrong but early emerging punk/thrash scene -- exene cervenka, darby crash and the like) -- interesting...and a wee bit disturbing if i remember correctly...
hi patricia, yes, i know which film you're talking about...i think it was part of a series, with the second film being about the LA heavy metal band scene (big hair bands). if i remember correctly, they were good documentaries, but seemed to be more into the shock value of punk and metal. hmmmmm, maybe i'm not remembering right, tho'!
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