PUNK NOT DEAD
April 30, 2012 8:32 AM Subscribe
UK/DK - A Film About Punks And Skinheads (SLYT) 1983 documentary about the tail end of the British punk scene including The Exploited, Vice Squad and The Damned and unfortunately Gary Bushell
Oh I am going to look forward to watching this when I get home.
Back at the punk rock shop, we had a pair of TVs hooked up to VCRs that we would occasionally remember existed. I think we had four tapes: a live set from the Exploited, some crazy-ass video art, and a Victory Records music video sampler. One of the guys who worked there had the Exploited tape on all the time. During a slow day, he was standing staring at the screen and called me over. I asked why -- I'd seen the tape in periphery a lot -- and he told me his favorite part was coming up. Apparently his favorite part was when Wattie Buchan (on vocals) got really into dancing on the stage, tripped and fell flat on his ass.
posted by griphus at 8:40 AM on April 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Back at the punk rock shop, we had a pair of TVs hooked up to VCRs that we would occasionally remember existed. I think we had four tapes: a live set from the Exploited, some crazy-ass video art, and a Victory Records music video sampler. One of the guys who worked there had the Exploited tape on all the time. During a slow day, he was standing staring at the screen and called me over. I asked why -- I'd seen the tape in periphery a lot -- and he told me his favorite part was coming up. Apparently his favorite part was when Wattie Buchan (on vocals) got really into dancing on the stage, tripped and fell flat on his ass.
posted by griphus at 8:40 AM on April 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
At least people won't be able to post spoilers on this one.
*sings* Dead cities, Dead cities... So prophetic.
posted by marienbad at 9:04 AM on April 30, 2012
*sings* Dead cities, Dead cities... So prophetic.
posted by marienbad at 9:04 AM on April 30, 2012
Metafilter: Fuck the USA.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 9:59 AM on April 30, 2012
posted by Samuel Farrow at 9:59 AM on April 30, 2012
passed the 'punks not dead ' graffiti everyday, even hung with wattie at the venchie - that speech before the song still makes me laugh.
posted by sgt.serenity at 10:27 AM on April 30, 2012
posted by sgt.serenity at 10:27 AM on April 30, 2012
I saw The Exploited at Fender's in Long Beach, California on the Punks[sic] Not Dead tour, like 87 or so... still have the t-shirt, I think. I saw a kid in the mid 90s wearing the exact same shirt (without the tour stops) in Brookstone, and when I talked to him about it he said he just saw the shirt in some Hot Topic-type place and liked it, he'd never heard their music. That was actually the first time I officially felt old, in my mid 20s.
Also, The Exploited sucked.
posted by Huck500 at 10:54 AM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also, The Exploited sucked.
posted by Huck500 at 10:54 AM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
...and when I talked to him about it he said he just saw the shirt in some Hot Topic-type place and liked it, he'd never heard their music.
A young (like, 13 or so) girl in my shop tried to convince her mother to purchase an Adicts hoodie for her. The girl had never heard of the Adicts, and, on top of that, her mother was totally not having it. I managed to intercede on mom's behalf by explaining to the girl that wearing a shirt of a band you never listened to is totally uncool. It takes a village, folks.
posted by griphus at 11:15 AM on April 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
A young (like, 13 or so) girl in my shop tried to convince her mother to purchase an Adicts hoodie for her. The girl had never heard of the Adicts, and, on top of that, her mother was totally not having it. I managed to intercede on mom's behalf by explaining to the girl that wearing a shirt of a band you never listened to is totally uncool. It takes a village, folks.
posted by griphus at 11:15 AM on April 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also looking forward to cracking a lager and watching this at home; just chimed in to say that I've seen the phrase "unfortunately Garry Bushell" almost as many times as I've seen the word "insufferable" attached to "David Crosby."
posted by scratch at 1:57 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by scratch at 1:57 PM on April 30, 2012
I saw The Exploited at Fender's in Long Beach, California on the Punks[sic] Not Dead tour, like 87 or so... still have the t-shirt, I think. I saw a kid in the mid 90s wearing the exact same shirt (without the tour stops) in Brookstone, and when I talked to him about it he said he just saw the shirt in some Hot Topic-type place and liked it, he'd never heard their music. That was actually the first time I officially felt old, in my mid 20s.
Also, The Exploited sucked.
I remember when a new girl showed up at school wearing a store-bought, fluorescent green shirt with the Exploited skull logo on the back. She also wore fluorescent green socks and a black skirt. We could tell at once she was a complete poser (because we were horrible punk high school girls, and the Exploited sucked) and made one of the skater dudes go ask her what her favorite Exploited song was... the end result being that she never wore that shirt again. That was in 1984.
She also turned out to be cooler than she seemed at first.( Hopefully we all did.) I guess the real moral of the story is that the Exploited are perennially appealing to people who have never actually heard their music.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:12 PM on April 30, 2012
Also, The Exploited sucked.
I remember when a new girl showed up at school wearing a store-bought, fluorescent green shirt with the Exploited skull logo on the back. She also wore fluorescent green socks and a black skirt. We could tell at once she was a complete poser (because we were horrible punk high school girls, and the Exploited sucked) and made one of the skater dudes go ask her what her favorite Exploited song was... the end result being that she never wore that shirt again. That was in 1984.
She also turned out to be cooler than she seemed at first.( Hopefully we all did.) I guess the real moral of the story is that the Exploited are perennially appealing to people who have never actually heard their music.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:12 PM on April 30, 2012
A few thoughts: There's a ripping weird guitar solo by Capt. Sensible playing naked in a plastic bubble that's pretty excellent at around 15 mins in....most of these bands strike me as 2nd generation British Punk rockers and here in the states they seemed pretty much squelched by the rise of all the hardcore bands rising up all over the country especially the Dead Kennedy's, Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Avengers and Germs type bands coming into there own on the west cost and the CBGB Hardcore matinee scene and the bands that played there, Reagan Youth, Kraut, Jerry's Kids, Agnostic Front and Murphy's Law and that bunch. As for the Exploited they seemed more like a band for posers and I'm sure they sold way more t-shirts and such just on the strength of the slogan: Punx not dead. I liked the song though.
Also, hair dye, I used to love the chemical smell of that pink and purple stuff girls put in their hair and it was such an essential smell at a hardcore show along with the leather and the sweat and cig smoke.
posted by Skygazer at 6:40 PM on April 30, 2012
Also, hair dye, I used to love the chemical smell of that pink and purple stuff girls put in their hair and it was such an essential smell at a hardcore show along with the leather and the sweat and cig smoke.
posted by Skygazer at 6:40 PM on April 30, 2012
What's with the Gary Bushell hate? I don't mind me some Gonads songs.
There's a ripping weird guitar solo by Capt. Sensible playing naked in a plastic bubble
The only curious thing about that is the fact he's in a plastic bubble.
Thanks for posting this. I have always wanted to see it.
posted by Mezentian at 7:36 PM on April 30, 2012
There's a ripping weird guitar solo by Capt. Sensible playing naked in a plastic bubble
The only curious thing about that is the fact he's in a plastic bubble.
Thanks for posting this. I have always wanted to see it.
posted by Mezentian at 7:36 PM on April 30, 2012
If You Had Ears, You Could Not Ignore It: Mainstream Responses to Punk, via PopMatters, 16 APR 2012
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:16 PM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:16 PM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
I dont see what the Damned have to do with the other stuff. They were proper 1977 London punk.
posted by w0mbat at 9:03 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by w0mbat at 9:03 PM on April 30, 2012
But The Damned were rarely traditional shouty punk.
They may have had one of the first "punk" singles, but they very quickly went off to do their own thing, as did most of the '77 bands who survived.
The Exploited are still screamin' loudly 'bout bein' cartoon punk.
(or were last time I listened to some newer stuff).
posted by Mezentian at 9:13 PM on April 30, 2012
They may have had one of the first "punk" singles, but they very quickly went off to do their own thing, as did most of the '77 bands who survived.
The Exploited are still screamin' loudly 'bout bein' cartoon punk.
(or were last time I listened to some newer stuff).
posted by Mezentian at 9:13 PM on April 30, 2012
What's with the Gary Bushell hate?
Not so crypto fascist who reckons he invented Oi.
posted by Abiezer at 10:07 PM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Not so crypto fascist who reckons he invented Oi.
posted by Abiezer at 10:07 PM on April 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
The only curious thing about that is the fact he's in a plastic bubble.
Yeah, it looks so surreal. He looks like he's giving birth to himself with a guitar.
posted by Skygazer at 8:13 PM on May 1, 2012
Yeah, it looks so surreal. He looks like he's giving birth to himself with a guitar.
posted by Skygazer at 8:13 PM on May 1, 2012
Also, must not forget the DC/Dischord/Minor Threat scene was also coming into it's own in a HUGE way round that time...
posted by Skygazer at 8:15 PM on May 1, 2012
posted by Skygazer at 8:15 PM on May 1, 2012
Oh good. This thread isn't closed.
Watched this last night, loved it.
It seems odd seeing Captain Sensible so young.
I didn't mind Garry Bushell either.
Unfortunately it reminded it why I could never take punk too seriously when I was younger.
I was saddened by the optimism that things would change.
And the fact that during Garry's scenes you could hear the click-clack of typewriters in the newsroom.
Also, I was wondering what happened to Carol Clerk and... she died.
.
posted by Mezentian at 10:28 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
Watched this last night, loved it.
It seems odd seeing Captain Sensible so young.
I didn't mind Garry Bushell either.
Unfortunately it reminded it why I could never take punk too seriously when I was younger.
I was saddened by the optimism that things would change.
And the fact that during Garry's scenes you could hear the click-clack of typewriters in the newsroom.
Also, I was wondering what happened to Carol Clerk and... she died.
.
posted by Mezentian at 10:28 PM on May 8, 2012 [1 favorite]
« Older Red Square | Bye Bay Baby Bye Bay Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
(Happened to me when I first saw it advertised in a record catalogue in the 90s.)
posted by acb at 8:39 AM on April 30, 2012