"Fuck the Interweb... thats for Fagggotts" - The great Chris Unzworth
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about what the internet has done to the hardcore scene, and whether its effects could be considered a positive or a negative. It got me to thinking a lot about the power of the internet and the effects it has had on people in general, and it's effects on the greater population as well.
Over the last decade, since the world wide web turned from a military networking tool into one of the main methods of communication in almost every home across the globe, it has had such a great influence over a lot to do with modern day society, and at times i feel the significance of its effects have gone basically unnoticed.
Obviously there is more to life than the functioning of an underground music scene that arguably died before the internet was even born, but in my small world it holds a lot of relevance.
In the aforementioned conversation, my friend and I (who were ironically talking on MSN messenger) had come to the conclusion that we loved to hear stories of how friends were introduced to punk rock and hardcore through older friends handing them cassette tapes or through skateboarding videos. In what is supposed to be an underground scene it sometimes seems 'too easy' to hear the music and become a part of the scene. That is not to say that it should be seen as an exclusive club that only fucked up kids can get into, because im totally opposed to that kind of attitude, but it definitely kinda bums me out that the music that was born in lounge rooms, scumbag venues, and garages by middle class ugly kids is now picked up so easily on the internet by the 'cooler' crowd in school.
I was not around in 1982 or 1986 or even 1993 because im too young, and im so greatful that hardcore punk is still alive and well, but i did come from a very small town that had no sign of underground culture other than smoking bongs, crashing cars, and jumping off cliffs, so i definately did experience the joy in finding out about these awesome, passionate bands the 'hard way' ... through skateboarding videos, by talking with the 'big kids' and by hanging out with deadbeets. Personally, finding out what hardcore was about was always the most exciting time for me and my whole involvement in this scene.
I remember going through all the thanks lists of my favourite bands to see bands that they were friends with, and eagerly searching through Streetcleaner magazine to order me some. I remember wearing out my copy of the Thrasher video 'Donut Duty' because i LOVED the song 'Kids of the blackhole' By the Adolescents so much i played that section over and over again (by the way Chris Senn ripped up in that video). I remember hearing the Circle Jerks for the first time and being disgusted, yet so amused all at once, i remember being SO proud that i owned every DK's CD. I remember coming up to Perth to see 28 Days play, and being blown away by Toe To Toe. I remember the words that Scott mac said between songs and knowing that that means a lot more to me than whats going on in Cambodia (as selfish as that may sound). I remember hearing SOIA's 'Blood, Sweat, and no Tears' for the first time and KNOWING that I had to start a band, because for the first time i realised that hardcore was genuine music with a genuine message by genuine down to earth kids.
These experiences helped to make me the person i am today, and i feel a little bit sorry for 90% of the kids today who have found out about hardcore by logging onto myspace.com and reading other peoples 'musical interests'.
There are several reasons im totally not taking a negative stance on this. The first and foremost important reason is that finding bands or finding out about the scene through the internet in no way dictates an individuals sincerity. There are a lot of people that im really happy have become involved in the music and the scene regardless of how they found out about it. The second reason why the internet has had a great impact on hardcore is because smaller bands can network a lot easier. I am so greatful that my band can have the chance to see the world, and meet people and other bands accross the other side of the world because of internet networking. I can not say where we would be if it werent for the internet, but i STRONGLY doubt there would be much traveling involved!
As far as the wider community goes, Gabe and I also agreed that the rise of the internet as the most popular method of contact in recent years has got to have had detrimental effects on peoples communication and social skills. The fact that in most cities there is a hardcore scene in real life and a seemingly seperate 'online scene' is testament to this fact. Successful Businessmen were once great communicators who could sell ice to the eskimos and now they are generally nothing more than great researchers, who learn their market through statistics in databases.
In the end, im not one to judge as I am a child of the information age, and as i have said there are probably more pluses than minuses for me personally. I have decided that as this past decade has been called the 'information age', i think that the next generation should be titled the 'Miscommunication Age' as i think people will become more and more reliant on technology to go about everyday life, to the point where social skills are no longer required. Underground music scenes will become completely surfaced, losing the 'edge' they once had, or dissipating completely. People will lose individuality as the road to acceptance via the latest fads and trends are just a click away.
Look at me pondering life without technology on Livejournal.com What a hypocrite.
Now my brain is about to melt.
Go see Walk The Line. It's Brilliant.
Over the last decade, since the world wide web turned from a military networking tool into one of the main methods of communication in almost every home across the globe, it has had such a great influence over a lot to do with modern day society, and at times i feel the significance of its effects have gone basically unnoticed.
Obviously there is more to life than the functioning of an underground music scene that arguably died before the internet was even born, but in my small world it holds a lot of relevance.
In the aforementioned conversation, my friend and I (who were ironically talking on MSN messenger) had come to the conclusion that we loved to hear stories of how friends were introduced to punk rock and hardcore through older friends handing them cassette tapes or through skateboarding videos. In what is supposed to be an underground scene it sometimes seems 'too easy' to hear the music and become a part of the scene. That is not to say that it should be seen as an exclusive club that only fucked up kids can get into, because im totally opposed to that kind of attitude, but it definitely kinda bums me out that the music that was born in lounge rooms, scumbag venues, and garages by middle class ugly kids is now picked up so easily on the internet by the 'cooler' crowd in school.
I was not around in 1982 or 1986 or even 1993 because im too young, and im so greatful that hardcore punk is still alive and well, but i did come from a very small town that had no sign of underground culture other than smoking bongs, crashing cars, and jumping off cliffs, so i definately did experience the joy in finding out about these awesome, passionate bands the 'hard way' ... through skateboarding videos, by talking with the 'big kids' and by hanging out with deadbeets. Personally, finding out what hardcore was about was always the most exciting time for me and my whole involvement in this scene.
I remember going through all the thanks lists of my favourite bands to see bands that they were friends with, and eagerly searching through Streetcleaner magazine to order me some. I remember wearing out my copy of the Thrasher video 'Donut Duty' because i LOVED the song 'Kids of the blackhole' By the Adolescents so much i played that section over and over again (by the way Chris Senn ripped up in that video). I remember hearing the Circle Jerks for the first time and being disgusted, yet so amused all at once, i remember being SO proud that i owned every DK's CD. I remember coming up to Perth to see 28 Days play, and being blown away by Toe To Toe. I remember the words that Scott mac said between songs and knowing that that means a lot more to me than whats going on in Cambodia (as selfish as that may sound). I remember hearing SOIA's 'Blood, Sweat, and no Tears' for the first time and KNOWING that I had to start a band, because for the first time i realised that hardcore was genuine music with a genuine message by genuine down to earth kids.
These experiences helped to make me the person i am today, and i feel a little bit sorry for 90% of the kids today who have found out about hardcore by logging onto myspace.com and reading other peoples 'musical interests'.
There are several reasons im totally not taking a negative stance on this. The first and foremost important reason is that finding bands or finding out about the scene through the internet in no way dictates an individuals sincerity. There are a lot of people that im really happy have become involved in the music and the scene regardless of how they found out about it. The second reason why the internet has had a great impact on hardcore is because smaller bands can network a lot easier. I am so greatful that my band can have the chance to see the world, and meet people and other bands accross the other side of the world because of internet networking. I can not say where we would be if it werent for the internet, but i STRONGLY doubt there would be much traveling involved!
As far as the wider community goes, Gabe and I also agreed that the rise of the internet as the most popular method of contact in recent years has got to have had detrimental effects on peoples communication and social skills. The fact that in most cities there is a hardcore scene in real life and a seemingly seperate 'online scene' is testament to this fact. Successful Businessmen were once great communicators who could sell ice to the eskimos and now they are generally nothing more than great researchers, who learn their market through statistics in databases.
In the end, im not one to judge as I am a child of the information age, and as i have said there are probably more pluses than minuses for me personally. I have decided that as this past decade has been called the 'information age', i think that the next generation should be titled the 'Miscommunication Age' as i think people will become more and more reliant on technology to go about everyday life, to the point where social skills are no longer required. Underground music scenes will become completely surfaced, losing the 'edge' they once had, or dissipating completely. People will lose individuality as the road to acceptance via the latest fads and trends are just a click away.
Look at me pondering life without technology on Livejournal.com What a hypocrite.
Now my brain is about to melt.
Go see Walk The Line. It's Brilliant.