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Punk rock and the independent music scene have together been more important than any other cultural influences since the birth of electric music.
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Just grabbed the above quote from Steve to start this new thread,
That comment sure brings back memories,
I got a copy of Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks when I was in elementary school, a highly subversive present from one of my moms friends ...
the lyrics and rebellious nature struck a big chord with me going to a "Queen Elizabeth' elementary school in Vancouver Canada, former British colony.
Soon thereafter me and my friends were getting the first DOA singles on Quintessence records and jumping around doing air guitar to tracks like World War 3, The Prisoner etc,
the first rock concert I ever saw was when I was 12 or so at a local University ballroom with the Ramones (whose show I hated - thinking it was just dumb, but realized years later that was the point ) and local all girl punk band The Dishrags (of whom I became a fan),
Those where the days where in my hometown there was zero chance to even get a gig if you played original music so people from the scene used to organise their own gigs at community halls where you might have a punk band, a pop band, a reggae band all on the same bill,
All kinds of little DIY labels were starting up left and right,
I remember playing on bills with DOA, No Means No et al,
Yeah those were the days that influenced so much of my own outlook, life trajectory and current DIY philosophy, even though I never played any punk music myself or bought very many records beyond the local scene releases, Black Flag, Bad Brains, SP etc..
What I find funny is how the initial 70's punk thing from NYC and London was IMO more of a media manipulation and nihilistic spew whereas the 2cnd wave of punk in North America circa the late 70's / early 80's seemed to spawn bands and a whole scene around them possessing some kind of incredible DIY ethic and idealism, especially with the West Coast bands, for whatever reason,
Too bad there's not much of a record business left for DIY actions to have much chance,