Punk Music and Activism
An Excerpt from “DIY- The Evolution of Revolution”
Brianna Lucynski, Co-Editor in Chief
An Excerpt from “DIY- The Evolution of Revolution”
Brianna Lucynski, Co-Editor in Chief
Since the punk genre began in the early 70s, it has consistently refuted any form of government and authority. The song, God Save the Queen, by the Sex Pistols was one of the earliest and most groundbreaking examples of rebellion against government from within the music industry. The song directly spoke out against the Queen and the British government. While this may seem drastic it can be explained by punk's attitude. Steve Ignorant claims that,“It [punk] exudes an irreverent disregard for symbols of authority and pre-established authority” (3). The song, God Save the Queen is a perfect example of this. The Queen is a symbol of pre-established authority, the song refers to her as “our figurehead” (Sex Pistols). Claiming that she doesn’t hold any real power. The Sex Pistols also call for an irreverent disregard of her. The Queen is generally well respected by the public and the song directly slanders British Government. Early punk bands such as The Sex Pistols set a precedent of punk attitude towards authority that was carried out through the 70s and up though even the 21st century.
The punk attitude that was first put into place in the 70s by early punk bands like the Sex Pistols was a breeding ground for activism groups and social movements throughout punk history. As mentioned earlier punk attitude is the rejection of authority. It is defined by Hanscomb as, “a spirit of rejection, sometimes one of anger and cynicism, initially directed at politics and society in general” (8). The “spirit of rejection” that Hanscomb talks about is what fuels many members of the punk community to take part in activism. This paired with punk's DIY values give members of the community a sense of independence from authority, giving them the power to commentate and reflect with their music but also a chance to fight back.
An example of the punk community speaking out against the injustices of society was the Riot Grrrl Movement. According to author Tiffany Rhoades-Piotti, “The Riot Grrrl movement was a third wave feminist movement during the 1990s that sought to make women more involved in the punk scene and provide a venue to express their feelings” (347). While the punk genre formed in the early 70s was inclusive due to its music style being basic and difficulty being at the amateur level, there still wasn’t a lot of representation of female punk artists. The Riot Grrrl movement began in Olympia, Washington where a group of women held a meeting to address sexism in the punk scene from there the movement grew (Rhoades-Piotti 347) with the help of popular female bands such as Bikini Kill and Bratmobile leading the movement. While the original goal was to make the punk scene more inclusive to women the Riot Grrl Movement advanced the feminist movement on a larger level. According to Rhoades-Piotti the Riot Grrrl movement represented a new generation of feminism. The movement not only opened up indie rock and punk to women but enlightened the public to the everyday struggles of being a woman (349). Through the use of their music the punk scene provided an outlet for women to be heard on a larger scale. It's common for the punk scene to provide a safe space for groups who feel they aren’t being heard. The inclusive environment created by the music draws individuals in and the aggressive often angry music is an outlet to express themselves. This is why the punk scene has been home to many different political and social activism groups throughout history.
The punk attitude that was first put into place in the 70s by early punk bands like the Sex Pistols was a breeding ground for activism groups and social movements throughout punk history. As mentioned earlier punk attitude is the rejection of authority. It is defined by Hanscomb as, “a spirit of rejection, sometimes one of anger and cynicism, initially directed at politics and society in general” (8). The “spirit of rejection” that Hanscomb talks about is what fuels many members of the punk community to take part in activism. This paired with punk's DIY values give members of the community a sense of independence from authority, giving them the power to commentate and reflect with their music but also a chance to fight back.
An example of the punk community speaking out against the injustices of society was the Riot Grrrl Movement. According to author Tiffany Rhoades-Piotti, “The Riot Grrrl movement was a third wave feminist movement during the 1990s that sought to make women more involved in the punk scene and provide a venue to express their feelings” (347). While the punk genre formed in the early 70s was inclusive due to its music style being basic and difficulty being at the amateur level, there still wasn’t a lot of representation of female punk artists. The Riot Grrrl movement began in Olympia, Washington where a group of women held a meeting to address sexism in the punk scene from there the movement grew (Rhoades-Piotti 347) with the help of popular female bands such as Bikini Kill and Bratmobile leading the movement. While the original goal was to make the punk scene more inclusive to women the Riot Grrl Movement advanced the feminist movement on a larger level. According to Rhoades-Piotti the Riot Grrrl movement represented a new generation of feminism. The movement not only opened up indie rock and punk to women but enlightened the public to the everyday struggles of being a woman (349). Through the use of their music the punk scene provided an outlet for women to be heard on a larger scale. It's common for the punk scene to provide a safe space for groups who feel they aren’t being heard. The inclusive environment created by the music draws individuals in and the aggressive often angry music is an outlet to express themselves. This is why the punk scene has been home to many different political and social activism groups throughout history.
Works Cited
IGNORANT, STEVE. Fight Back: Punk, Politics and Resistance. Edited by The Subcultures Network, Manchester University Press, 2014. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1mf700m. Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.
Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection, edited by Peg A. Lamphier and Rosanne Welch, vol. 4: Cold War America to today, ABC-CLIO, 2017, pp. 347-349. Gale eBooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7268100978/GVRL?u=nysl_ca_queen&sid=GVRL&xid=1004aaee. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.
Sex Pistols. “God Save the Queen.” Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Warner Records Inc, 1977. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/6ui6l3ZNvlrGQZArwo8195?si=StVEN9ngR0iHbzXrSKz60w
Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection, edited by Peg A. Lamphier and Rosanne Welch, vol. 4: Cold War America to today, ABC-CLIO, 2017, pp. 347-349. Gale eBooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7268100978/GVRL?u=nysl_ca_queen&sid=GVRL&xid=1004aaee. Accessed 6 Dec. 2020.
Sex Pistols. “God Save the Queen.” Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Warner Records Inc, 1977. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/6ui6l3ZNvlrGQZArwo8195?si=StVEN9ngR0iHbzXrSKz60w