General

As someone who lived and breathed punk from about 1980-1984 I have to say something.

Although interested in punk when it first started, I really got into it through what is called "Post-punk", by most journalists. However, by late 1981 I was fed up with none of my friends wanting to go to punk gigs, so I decided to go by myself.

On the crest of Oi and Anarcho-punk at the time being big, plus loads of other new bands making noise (what many people don't realise was that 1982 saw more punk records sold than any other year, by miles). During that time I went to so many gigs I can't remember how many, or how many bands I saw (several hundered for sure).

Loved every minute of those times. Back stage with The Adicts, Defects, Chron Gen and The Damned (through my friendship with a French girl called Bambi). I wouldn't call myself a scenester, but was definitely a part of the scene in 1982/3. I still see some of the old bands like SLF and The Stranglers and have to say they are as good live as any bands you could see and it's great to see many youngsters there that have found there way to see these bands.

As for punk being bastardised, I agree with the OP, but that is mainly the American bands that call themselves punk, like the ones mentioned. Personally feel that the "punk spirit" does appear, but not always where expected (see the rave scene 1980's). Feel The Prodigy kept that spirit alive, then The Strokes, Libertines, The Hives, The Cribs and The Others were all definitely punk. Later The New-Rave groups kept that alive by both spirit and originality. Late of the Peer, Klaxons, Metronomy and Egyptian Hip Hop are about the only bands that are pushing the boundaries of music at the moment, but their music is much more in the Post-punk style.

Sorry if this post is rather long, but this is my subject reguarding music.

That's not entirely true. See any documentary, or read any book on the subject and you will find that punk would have existed even without the Pistols. There were many artists who were listening to the American "New Wave" groups and were in position to start bands. Punk originated from a mixture of styles from American Garage, American Alternative and Pub Rock in the UK and it was those that got inspired by these groups that got punk started.

The Pistols were the first to get an alternative sound together and inspired many bands to do likewise, so in that sense they were the most important. However, what really propelled punk and the Pistols to become mainstream was the Bill Grundy interview. Without that interview punk would have remained in a more underground state for a lot longer. However, it still would have risen to prominence eventually due to so many groups producing great music.

Malcolm McClarens shop "SEX" was very important to the whole movement. It was where the "Bromley Contingent" and all the Sex Pistols members met, which is why the Pistols were really considered the first punk band, as they used the clothing from that shop, which was all part of the image. Technically The Stranglers were already gigging and supported The Ramones on tour, but were never really considered punk amongst the purists. It was because their music and lyrics were so aggressive that they got tagged punk as well.

The Damned formed after the Sex Pistols, pretty much at the same time as The Clash, but they did release the first punk single "New Rose", much to McCarens displeasure. There was a lot of oneupmanship amongst the managers of the main three punk bands at the time.

To be fair I haven't been listening to much new music lately, but then that's hardly a surprise when then isn't a great deal to get excited about. The most inspirational album in the last year was probably Neil Youngs "Americana" and he's 67 years old.

Most of my listening to new stuff comes from Xfm, which I have to say isn't anywhere as good as it used to be either. Only John Kennedy keeps the fires burning bright there now that Steve Taylor and Iain Baker are no longer there. Yes there are some good DJ's still there, but I really miss the old Xfm when there seemed like no playlists.

As for the NME, there's no love there anymore either, since Tim Jonze and Pete Cashmore no longer write for them. To make matters worse they never took me on as a contributor, what an insult! I'm a better writer and have a better ear than any of the current writers, or the writers at the time. Get the magazine about 2-3 times a year these days, if that.

As for the New York scene, I'm a fan of all the bands you've mentioned anyway, particularly Television and Wipers and would say that punk was a joint venture anyway. However, the impact was at it's most aggressive and frightening to the establishment in this country. The way some people reacted to punk here was sheer revulsion, constantly banning gigs and as "Peter and the Test Tube Babies" sang, getting banned from the pubs (yeah it was really hard to get a drink sometimes).

If I'm one of the rest, I do find that very funny.