Punk can be defined as many things, a genre of music, an attitude, a lifestyle, or even a hoodlum. But to many others like me, punk is much more than just an attitude or a genre of music, it’s a way of life. Anyone can be a punk, even from the day they were born. Many norms and common folk like to label punks as a loud group of immature misfits and troublemakers. But punk isn’t about going around disgusting people, punk’s about having fun, being yourself and not caring about fitting in to the satus quo.
Punk first fully entered my life at the age of 16, I was so sick of all the the boring, generic, dishonest music that was going around all over the tv, and radio at that time (and still today). All that stuff just seemed so fake to me and it just looked like most of those bands only cared about being famous and looking cute. Especially all the “hardcore/pop bands” that were considered popular amongst scene kids, it seemed as though music was becoming more of a fashion statement than a way of life. Which was why I started a band with my classmate Jay who also shared the same views as me. We didn’t really know where to go with the music we made, but we knew we wanted it to be as far away from that as possible.
We later decided that we wanted to rebel against everything we hated that was considered popular by most kids our age. I had always had a good feeling towards punk music, I liked a couple bands here and there, but I’ never really payed too much attention to it. As weeks went on we noticed that the music we were creating had a really strong “punkish” sound to it, and we later decided that was the sound we wanted. It was fast, straight to the point, funny at times, and packed with raw human emotion which I fell in love with and could relate to.
As recording sessions got heavier I realized I needed some more inspiration. Which was why I went out and purchased “On The Front Line” by The Casualties (a punk band I’d heard great stuff about). That CD changed my life, every single track on that CD I felt I could relate to, and no other band or genre had done that for me before. From there on I went to discover other punk bands which would also become favorites of mine such as Leftover Crack, The Adicts, Career Soldiers, and Rancid (just to name a few).
Since discovering punk music, my life hasn’t been the same. Punk music has set me free from the preasures of life, looking a certain way, or trying to be something I’m not. Punk allows me to express myslef, makes me feel proud of who I am, and happy to be me. And that is why “Punk’s a way of life, not a materialistic thing!!!” (a quote from one of my band’s songs).
Good song from the band that opened my eyes
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