No Compromise with Their Society: The Politics of Anarchy in Anarcho­ Punk,1977-1985 Laura Dymock Faculty of Music, Department of Music Research, McGill University, Montréal September, 2007 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts, Musicology © Laura Dymock, 2007 Libraryand Bibliothèque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-38448-0 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-38448-0 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, électronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. ln compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont été enlevés de cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract In order to analyze the re1ationship of punk to anarchy, this thesis will investigate the discursive function of "anarchy" both in contemporaneous accounts of punk and in subsequent histories. Beginning with the genesis of British punk and the first references to anarchy in different media during the late 1970s, subsequent chapters focus on the seminally influential anarcho-punk band Crass in order to discem their impact on the evolution of the anarcho-punk genre and its relationship to anarchism up through the mid-1980s. Severa1 other anarcho-punk bands will also be considered for their contributions to this genre. In addition to providing an in-depth study of anarcho-punk, which has been largely ignored by scholars, the present work seeks to enhance understanding of the role of anarchy in punk discourse and hopes to offer a starting point for analysing recent developments in other politicised subcultures. Abrégé Afin d'analyser le rapport entre la sous-culture « punk » et l'anarchie, cette thèse fera enquête sur la fonction discursive de « l'anarchie », autant dans les témoignages contemporains que dans les anecdotes subséquentes visant la sous-culture « punk ». Débutant avec l'origine britannique du « punk» et les premières références à l'anarchie dans les différentes couvertures médiatiques vers la fin des années 1970, les chapitres subséquents passent ensuite à l'étude d'un cas particulier très influent et déterminant du groupe « anarcho-punk » Crass, afin de discerner son influence sur l'évolution du genre « anarcho-punk » et de son rapport avec l'anarchie jusqu'au milieu des années 1980. Plusieurs autres groupes « anarcho-punk » seront aussi considérés pour leurs contributions à ce genre. En plus de fournir une étude approfondie du genre « anarcho-punk » qui a largement été ignoré par les gens de lettres, le présent ouvrage tente d'améliorer la compréhension du rôle de l'anarchie dans la dissertation de la sous-culture « punk », et souhaite offrir un point de départ pour analyser les plus récents développements dans certaines autres sous-cultures politisées. Table of Contents Acknowledgements Section 1. Discourse on Punk Introduction 1 l.A. Research Question 1 l.B. Previous Work on Punk 3 1.B.I. Work Conceming "Commercial Punk" 4 1.B.II. Work Conceming "Anarcho-Punk" Il Notes 14 Section 2. "Anarchy": Defore and After Punk Preamble 18 2.A.I. Brief History of Meaning 18 2.A.II. Sorne Main Concepts of Anarchism 20 2.B. "Anarchy" in Writings on Punk 31 2.B.I. Joumalistic Sources 31 2.B.II. Scholarly Sources 38 Notes 41 Section 3. Anarcho-Punk: Origins and Development 3.A.I. Crass: "The Total Package" 47 3.A.II. Crass: Contradictions, Reception, Positioning 60 3.B. Beyond Crass 70 3.B.I. Other Anarcho Bands 70 3.B.II. Disillusionment 79 Notes 84 Section 4. Conclusion 92 Notes 104 References 107 Discography 113 Acknowledgements l would like to thank the foIlowing people for aIl their wonderful assistance in making this thesis possible: first, the people who helped prepare me for or encouraged me to go to graduate school: Serge Lacasse, Karen Collins, and especiaIly Keir Keightley. Second, my adviser, David Brackett, for his detailed input and guidance in shaping and executing this thesis, as weIl as for supervising me on an independent project that nicely prepared me for thesis writing. Third, Peter Don't Care, one of the biggest punk fans around, who has provided me over the past five years with his own memories of Crass, tips on various sources to check out, and so, so many copies of period articles, reviews, and posters from his own extensive archives - without this excellent material, the path which eventually led me to this thesis may not have ever been started; l can't thank him enough. Fourth, Fernando Longueira, Kristina Kotoulas, and most especially Helene Drouin, for so patiently answering my many tedious questions regarding the technical aspects ofthesis submission and formatting. Lastly, J. Claude Chartrand, who has been very generous in translating (and revising) my thesis abstract. My parents, of course, also deserve a giant thank-you for aIl their love and continued support throughout my education, as does Dave Spedzia for always being there. Thanks as weIl to Peter Waldkirch, Erin Helyard, and Serena Emerson for making my last few months at Mc Gill quite entertaining. And, finally, thank-you to Alysha, Gabrielle, Eeks! and Emily for the great company and being a welcome distraction. 1 Section 1. Discourse on Punk Introduction In 1976, a London band called the Sex Pistols came to the nation's attention partly for their new style of music, but more for their shocking and outrageous behaviour. This band's aesthetic and attitude generated much press coverage and eventually gamered no small amount of scholarly investigation. In less than a year, the Pistols inspired many members oftheir audience to start up their own bands, leading to numerous decIarations of a "punk movement," or at least a coherent scene that, if not entirely homogeneous on a musicallevel, was thought to be bound together by certain motivating factors. The first ofthese was punk's reaction to contemporary mainstream music: so-called "corporate" rock bands such as the Who and Led Zeppelin were now seen às elitist and pretentious because of their increasingly complex music and isolation from their audiences (on the other hand, punk musicians considered pub-rock, a largely 1950s rock'n'roU/R&B revivalist genre popular during the mid-1970s in Britain, too reactionary and thus as irrelevant as corporate rock). Another key factor was the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the time: unemployment, recession, and inflation were aU on a steady rise and causing much urne st. These two sources of dissatisfaction provided the basis for punk's livid critique both against the music industry and society at large. Furthermore, this critique was delivered in such a confrontational manner that, along with the outlandish dress and aggressive behaviour, it led many both in and outside the punk scene to label punk as an all­ out rebellion. 1.A. Research Question British punk was described as a highly politicised music from its earliest years. To many observers, "it was natural that ifa group of London street kids got together and formed a band, it would be political.") Such conclusions were 2 often implied and supported by remarks about the (presented or actual) working­ c1ass status of many punk band members and their vitriolic lyrics about their frustrations with current societal con<;litions. Along with constant talk about the incredible intimacy between punk audiences and performers, aIl these observations consolidated into the rhetoric that labelled punk "the music of the people.,,2 Although the perception ofpunk as working-class revolutionaries' music remained common during and after punk's heyday, the beginning of a somewhat different, yet more confused, political slant arrived with the first utterances of "anarchy." Quite likely, it was the song "Anarchy in the V.K." (1976) by top British punk band the Sex Pistois that forever seaied "anarchy" as a keyword into punk discourse, but what exactly was this word supposed to convey? Since the punks' music, fashion, gigs, and behaviour have aH been described at sorne point as "anarchie," are we to understand the same meaning with each reference and thus take anarchy as a unifying, and unified, element of punk and its style? Additionally, historians and fans have subsequently come to see anarchy as an important part of the punks' generalised anti-authoritarian outlook which is a curious development since direct references to anarchy were infrequently made by the punks themselves.3 Aiready, we can identify two possible constructions of anarchy in punk: one is political, the other aesthetic, and we need to determine if and how they intersect.