I'm no Bass Master General...
...but I was at Punk Bowl Mondays with Kayla and my new ball (the Headhunter) when I saw it. It pretty much defines my distaste for punk these days.
But picture what punk bowling is first--a stage in the middle of the lanes, where those classic UK Subs/Exploited types of local bands gather to play, drink two-dollar tall boys, and show off there punkish-ness there. And this isn't Hot Topic punks, or screamo punks, or indie punks...these are the mohawks, tight tight pants, studs, and leather jacket punks. Altough outdated, it's hard to be cynical of this shit...for me.
So in the midst of this I see this guy:
-very skinny with long hair to the middle of his back, and a shitty-but-trimmed beard
-retro aviator-style glasses
-dirty, fake, and long fur coat
-a tight and short black t-shirt
-VERY tight magenta cordorys with a shimmering silver belt...
-...and another belt over it--bullets, like an ammo belt
-these odd fingerless leather gloves with studs in them
-and finally, cowboy boots--spurs and all, probably brand new
Now to all the other punks there, he was the guy everyone wanted to talk to. In and out, not drinking, going to this group and that group.
Okay...he's a silly spectacle and and I'm aware of this. But that's not what makes me mad; punk--the music, the fashion, the attitude, the image, the aura, the calamity--to me, has always been what was outside the box, what was dirt, and filth, and repulsive enough to really piss off everyone around them. This, to me, seemed to be the biggest punk rock contradiction out there.
Like I said, I'm not the guy who really embodies punk. I guess I don't have the balls, or have an education, or understand the ways of capitalism too well...but this visual makes me really think that punk is dead. A guy who cares so much about looking punk rock that he crosses its boundaries (thinking it to be even more punk). Instead, he comes off materialistic, narcissitic, and not supportive of anyone but himself. And does he work and make a lot of money to support this lifestyle? Do his parent pay for it?
I am not punk rock. The second you realize that radicalism is "radical" because no one is one your side, you comprehend its hopelessness. Because what happens when radicalism becomes a convention (like "indie" has become)? Then you proliferate shit.
But I'm modest, and I feel like I can express myself by crawling under conventions, not hurdling over them.
Anyways, I'm always pessimistic. And the Headhunter is a real nice bowling ball.
But picture what punk bowling is first--a stage in the middle of the lanes, where those classic UK Subs/Exploited types of local bands gather to play, drink two-dollar tall boys, and show off there punkish-ness there. And this isn't Hot Topic punks, or screamo punks, or indie punks...these are the mohawks, tight tight pants, studs, and leather jacket punks. Altough outdated, it's hard to be cynical of this shit...for me.
So in the midst of this I see this guy:
-very skinny with long hair to the middle of his back, and a shitty-but-trimmed beard
-retro aviator-style glasses
-dirty, fake, and long fur coat
-a tight and short black t-shirt
-VERY tight magenta cordorys with a shimmering silver belt...
-...and another belt over it--bullets, like an ammo belt
-these odd fingerless leather gloves with studs in them
-and finally, cowboy boots--spurs and all, probably brand new
Now to all the other punks there, he was the guy everyone wanted to talk to. In and out, not drinking, going to this group and that group.
Okay...he's a silly spectacle and and I'm aware of this. But that's not what makes me mad; punk--the music, the fashion, the attitude, the image, the aura, the calamity--to me, has always been what was outside the box, what was dirt, and filth, and repulsive enough to really piss off everyone around them. This, to me, seemed to be the biggest punk rock contradiction out there.
Like I said, I'm not the guy who really embodies punk. I guess I don't have the balls, or have an education, or understand the ways of capitalism too well...but this visual makes me really think that punk is dead. A guy who cares so much about looking punk rock that he crosses its boundaries (thinking it to be even more punk). Instead, he comes off materialistic, narcissitic, and not supportive of anyone but himself. And does he work and make a lot of money to support this lifestyle? Do his parent pay for it?
I am not punk rock. The second you realize that radicalism is "radical" because no one is one your side, you comprehend its hopelessness. Because what happens when radicalism becomes a convention (like "indie" has become)? Then you proliferate shit.
But I'm modest, and I feel like I can express myself by crawling under conventions, not hurdling over them.
Anyways, I'm always pessimistic. And the Headhunter is a real nice bowling ball.