“We Sing for Change”
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“We Sing For Change” Straight Edge Punk & Social Change By: Francis Stewart ARTICLE THREE With hope in our hearts and bricks in musical genre and as a social movement. our hands, we sing for change. The research presented within this paper is based on field work which took place in ith genuine feeling and as loud as San Francisco and the Bay Area in 2009, Wpossible almost 1,000 people sang throughout the UK in 2010, and in Chicago this together in Glasgow’s Garage in 2006. in 2011. It also draws on the experiences Strangers leaning on one another, arms and insights of the researcher, a long time wrapped around shoulders and fists raised adherent to a subculture within the punk high singing in a united voice. Underneath scene known as Straight Edge. The inter- this impromptu display of solidarity lies viewees, informants and participants for the key to understanding the power and this study ranged in age from 25 to 58. In potency of hardcore punk both as a musi- cal genre and as a subculture. This song, With hope in our hearts Bricks, is not one of Rise Against’s singles from their latest album, it has not been and bricks in our hands, played on MTV or radio stations and it was we sing for change not listed in music magazines as a hit song, yet it is the song that elicited the greatest total 83 interviews2 and extended conver- response that evening. sations3 were carried out: 29 in San Fran- The reason for this response? These cisco and the Bay Area, seven in Chicago, lyrics outline both the purpose and concern and 47 in the UK (specifically, in Glasgow, of hardcore punk: change,social change of Durham, Newcastle, Dundee, Edinburgh, one sort or another. Social change that is Belfast, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester). largely wrought and / or articulated through musical expression. Understanding this What is punk? statement requires insight into punk as a Punk is essentially an umbrella term for a 41 music-based oppositional subculture char- musical approaches such as classic or ’77 acterised by expressions of estrangement, punk, Oi, anarcho-punk, garage-punk, psy- frustration and disenchantment, as a form chobilly, pop-punk, hardcore and straight of resistance that has evoked a sense of edge. Each musical styling has its own identity, authenticity and community for its sound, style of playing, aesthetic presenta- followers and adherents. Within the sub- tion and dance moves, yet they commonly culture of punk there exists a myriad of unite under the banner of punk on issues ARTICLE THREE such as politics, activism, animal rights, employment , future prospects and home social issues or human rights. life. Combined with a rapidly increasing di- Punk as a social movement is very vorce rate amongst their parents and the much characterised by the qualities of its first generation raised as ‘latch-key kids4’ emergent era. In the United Kingdom punk who spent more time with the television burst into public consciousness at the end than they did their parents5, this was a of the 1970s, although it had existed prior generation who had to radically redefine to that in the USA, particularly in the Bow- their notion of family. Unsurprisingly, many ery district of New York City. Early punk youth were angry and willing to loudly ex- performances in the US by bands such as press it, they were out of work and had a lot The Ramones and The Talking Heads were of free time to indulge their rebellious na- raw, unpolished, crude, politically charged tures and to present what they saw as the and often filled with bickering which would main causes of the problems they faced. occasionally become violent. Billy, a 50 year old undergraduate student The United Kingdom of the mid to late of philosophy and politics, from Blantyre 1970s was a time, much like today, of re- near Glasgow, describes the UK as he ex- cession and hardship.. During the 1970s perienced in his teenage years of the late this tough situation was exacerbated by an 1970s; international oil crisis, numerous workers At that time, at 17, I think there was a lot of strikes for improved pay and conditions, angst and a lot of anger you know, because rolling blackouts (fuel supplies are cut off things were dismal and you look back now resulting in no electricity for lights etc) and and yeah, they were dismal. You’d a right the government mandated three day work to protest, you’d a right to say, I’m no tak- week. ing this shit, I want something better, you As a consequence, young people were know. And it really, eh, punk evolved be- among the hardest hit both in terms of un- cause of that.6 43 Thus within punk music we find a refusal led to the developed hardcore punk to get to conform to the norms of performance back to the true meaning of punk. However deportment, a fierce do it yourself (DIY) this itself became a rigid form and constric- attitude and approach, a sense that any- tive approach in which ‘bands found them- one can do it regardless of gender, age, selves under the ruthless scrutiny of their instrument quality or ability. There is also peers and realized too late that they were a pervading a camaraderie or ‘brothers in trapped in a scene.’9 arms’ mentality, seeing the punk communi- Perhaps the most long running and ty being your family and a refusal to be co- significant problem punk has had to face opted, particularly by major music labels.7 from within is the frequent overindulgence Overall, and as a general comment, the with both alcohol and drugs. At times this qualities most sought within all aspects of sadly led to an early death, probably the punk are that of authenticity, integrity and most well known was that of Sid Vicious non-conformity. (John Beverley) in 1979 at the age of 21. What is of significance about punk is Others who followed the same tragic path not the aesthetic or the loud music per se, include Malcolm Owen (The Ruts), Darby but rather that ‘the music today has now Crash (The Germs), El Duce (The Mentors) become a doorway to additional learning and Will Shatter (Flipper) among many oth- not simply an endpoint in and of itself.’8 ers. However, this is not to idealise punk or to Autobiographies such as those by Eater portray it as a misunderstood passive, intel- singer Andy Blade reveal the easy access lectual movement. Punk has undergone its to drugs and alcohol that existed within difficulties, factions and attacks from with- punk circles, particularly for anyone close in. During the 1980s some punks felt that to or involved with bands.10 This was in no the music had become ‘watered down’ and way limited to band members, some audi- too media friendly and controlled, which ence members were also engaged in similar ARTICLE THREE pursuits and behaviors. Alcohol consump- ops (communes) and squats. In the USA tion amongst audience members was par- the most sustained reaction to the ‘drunk ticularly pervasive and indeed the cause punk’ began as a small collection of songs of numerous conflicts between punks and and spawned a worldwide movement authority figures.11 The normative behav- known as Straight Edge. The reminder of ior and attitudes displayed by those punks this paper will focus on straight edge and came to be known by the phrase ‘drunk the social changes found within it. punks’. During the early 1980s a variety of re- Straight Edge actions arose to the ‘drunk punk’, although Tito, a 47 year old drummer and pho- separate, they were still related and interde- tographer living in the Bay Area of San pendent. In the UK anarcho punk, amongst Francisco summarizes the impetus be- others, arose within punk circles as an at- hind the different approaches to punk tempt to bring serious political and social that led to the creation of straight edge; issues to the fore. This was led by bands such as Crass, Poison Girls, Flux of Pink Indians, and Con- flict. These bands utilized sonics, lyrics, aesthetics / appearance (for example Crass wore all black on stage), visual backdrops and projected images on stage, while in their own lives as they existed in co- 45 UK punk was largely based on anger at arms. Upon hearing the lyrics, many young monarchy rule and what that not only en- punks recognized their own lifestyle philos- tails, but also represents and it was very ophy or the lifestyle they wanted to adopt politically charged. The US on the other and began to self-identify as straight edge. hand did not have monarchy rule to reb- This spread to bands using it as an iden- el against, and the Vietnam War had al- tifying moniker, and the spread continued ready been protested at by the hippies, so through extensive touring and the practice American punks turned to their own lives, of making and swapping tapes for friends environment and what they perceived as or buying music through fanzines. Eventu- governmental brain-washing and a cultural ally it became known within the hardcore insular perspective.12 punk scene world-wide and has since de- Straight edge began in 1981 as a song veloped into a community within a commu- by then teenage lyricist Ian MacKaye from nity. It now has adherents in the estimated the hardcore band Minor Threat. Although tens of thousands throughout the world, al- this was not the first time that MacKaye though it is impossible to get precise num- had addressed similar issues, these lyr- bers due to the flexibility and anonymity of ics were the most direct.13 The 50 second self-identification, self-regulation and the song ‘Straight Edge’ claims that MacK- deliberate lack of a leader around whom aye does not need to drink, take drugs or all adherents rally around15 engage in casual sex because they are Adherents follow three guidelines: simply “a crutch” and he has “the straight abstinence from alcohol, drugs (includ- edge”.14 The song was only intended as ing tobacco) and casual sex.