h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Many shops are selling punk influenced clothing - the bondage trouser, anthing with extra zips and chains. This has given rise to a new group of kids who wear these clothes, listen to GreenDay and the Sex Pistols, and consider themselves to be punks. I walk into a pub where they are dressed in my suit after work, and they look at me in disgust. Hlaf of them have never heard of 'Stiff Little Fingers' or 'Crass' or even 'The Ramones'. They've never played bass till their fingers bled in front a horde of bouncing idiots. Clothes do NOT make th eman. Or woman.

hey, you're a little tough on them...
what they wan't is acceptance in a group, and rules to follow. We all fight to find that sort of things, some go to religion, some turns into nazis and some turn into young punks/yuppies/mods.
The fact that you were there in "the good old days" is not important in your attitude against them, you had a great time, right? well, let them have theirs, no need to argue whit them when theyre in the wrong. It's a new order now, punk is commercial, we have to accept it, and turn to bands like Atari Teenage Riot instead, or listen to good music even if its commercial. Ok i know some of them are just to much.. I mean, Jello Biaffra has told us all about the attack against him

I don't have a problem with new generations who like the same stuff - I don't mean to be of the first boat is better than the second boatload mentality. What I mean is that they buy a few CDs, some tarten trousers and theink they know it all. I walk into a pub after work in my shirt and tie, and they think they are automatically cooler than me. Thats what I meant by clothes do not maketh the man.

And it sill pisses me off that they don't know about the original bands but think they know more than me cos they look better. If Einsten wore a tracksuit would he know less about physics than a sports teacher in a suit?

Well it seems to me that the pop [shudder] industry is introducing more and more new-wave punk style clothing to the market (e.g. chains, baggy clothes/combat stuff, - all except the boots). This may be due to the rising number of 'Sk8ters'. Why do they always assume that if you like punk music than you must be some sort of skater?

Sorry, could you repeat that as I fell asleep half way through you pompous fella. Anyone who had not heard of SLF (with the exception of Alternative Ulster) is probably living in a state of grace

I think he would yes.

Im curious as to what people would classify me as. I live in the States and i listen to a lot of new punk (rancid, nofx, suicide machines) but i was also born in england and grew up with the specials, madness, adam ant (?) Now im a young adult that owns and operates a punk record store and label but i dont wear bondage pants or dye my hair pink...help me out here, label me.

If you own a punk record store, I shall dub thee 'lucky sod'. How about that?
http://listen.to/thepregnants

I am a punk. I am 19, nearly 20 and I still have dim hazy memories of the original wave of Punks who hung out in the alleyway next to my house. They took me for walks in my buggy and spiked my hair up with water and my grnanie lved em.
But now I too am what I consider ot be a punk. I listen to all the "classics" and the new stuff (Mostly the new stuff like Green Day). I dont however dress like the stereotype. I have short spiky hair, but it isnt in liberty spikes and its not dyed at all.
I wear combats, but they arent overly baggy as this is more to do with hip-hop and it has just become a sad wannabe thing anyway.
I wear t shirts and s***s and gas station sirts, but I dont try to look punk, I just dress how I want to. I dont care how others dress, un less they are dressed like wannabe hippy chicks or wanna be hip-hoppers.
I think this is attitude of mine is more in line with Punk than these showoffs who dress like freaks. Punk was a bout doing what you thought was best and what pleased you to do and not worry about or chastise others for doing the same thing.
There is a lot of hypocrisy in the current Punk movment, and it needs to stop. Everyone is so pretentious now, slagging people who like Green Day or Blink 182 for being "Sell-outs" just because thier bands are popular, well didnt the Sex Pistols sign to a major label to gain more recognition? In the end, thats what it is all about, making money and f**k anyone who disagrees.
And yeah, I have served my time on the stage too, I have been in 5 different Punk bands mate, I know how it feels to have your hands burn from the chord changes, the dizzy feeling of the adrenaline mixing with yer blood and the beer you drank half an hour ago. The fights, the mosh pits.
I am Punk, and I am proud of it!
Gareth McKittrick