Punk Rock Is For Old Farts

When not on the clock, everyone pretty much wears “what they want” and either consciously or by default “makes a statement”.

The people who make a point of thinking they are somehow radical because of this are silly.

“This is who I am! I’m a gothy goth and I wear black spiderweb tights and eyeliner along with my Bauhaus shirt.”

“This is who I am! I’m a punk and I wear tight plaid trousers and a Mohawk and a leather jacket.”

Ironically, the most radical thing you could wear at a Skinny Puppy (or whatever edgy gig) show would be tan Dockers and a sweater vest.

Go dressed up AS the old person who really doesn’t give a shit . . . yeah, you’re gonna turn some heads.

I’m guessing a NON-ironically worn Ke$ha or Justin Bieber shirt would be quite the attention grabber too.

Part of being non-conformist includes making sure you properly hate and shame anyone who doesn’t properly conform to your vision of non-conformity . . . . or something like that.

When not on the clock, everyone pretty much wears “what they want” and either consciously or by default “makes a statement”.

The people who make a point of thinking they are somehow radical because of this are silly.

“This is who I am! I’m a gothy goth and I wear black spiderweb tights and eyeliner along with my Bauhaus shirt.”

“This is who I am! I’m a punk and I wear tight plaid trousers and a Mohawk and a leather jacket.”

Ironically, the most radical thing you could wear at a Skinny Puppy (or whatever edgy gig) show would be tan Dockers and a sweater vest.

Go dressed up AS the old person who really doesn’t give a shit . . . yeah, you’re gonna turn some heads.

I’m guessing a NON-ironically worn Ke$ha or Justin Bieber shirt would be quite the attention grabber too.

Part of being non-conformist includes making sure you properly hate and shame anyone who doesn’t properly conform to your vision of non-conformity . . . . or something like that.

I wear GG Allin shirts to church…

HAHA!!! That’s the other thing that’s funny.

“You can’t stop me! I’m gonna wear my DK shirt and bondage pants to this hoity toity black-tie French restaurant that my girlfriend is dragging me too. I’m not gonna conform!!!”

No, Asshole. You’re not rebelling or making a statement. You’re just an immature and insecure prick who likely also doesn’t own any clothes for adults or know how to tie a neck tie.

You should be a real non-conformist and run around naked!

But then you’d be wearing the nudists’ uniform.

No real way to be punk rock.

DAMN THE MAN!!!

I think the way this thread is going, it’s almost time to resurrect the “what are you wearing right now” thread…

Old school punk is dead and has been for a long time.

in the late 70’s when i was into it.

It meant something.

Old school punk is dead and has been for a long time.

Wow! No kidding? You mean stuff from 40 years ago isn’t new and fresh? “Old school” kind of implies . . . . well, yeah, do the math.

in the late 70’s when i was into it.

It meant something.

This is what the most boring people in the world say.
Seriously, I’d chuckle if I thought you were being ironic in your use of this horribly tired cliché.
But I know you’re not, so I’ll laugh hysterically instead.

Like, yeah, Bro! I mean, you know, back in the day when like shit meant something and it was like real and stood for something and . . . .

Just shut it, Hippie.
You honestly sound like a burnout Deadhead or something. They sing the same dumb tune.

Like, yeah, Bro! I mean, you know, back in the day when like shit meant something and it was like real and stood for something and . . . .

For me it’s the Cub Scouts. Back in the days when we earned our Webelo Scout badges upon successful completion of the regional Soap Box Derby, we knew that we had really ACCOMPLISHED something. Or when we got our moms to cook up some brownies or lemon bars for the troop meeting, we knew we were doing it out of a genuine spirit of communion and brotherhood, not to drum up some fucking “likes” on our social media pages.

But the Cub Scouts today, man…it’s all just a co-opted, corporate, Madison Avenue plastic fantastic scene, man. I mean anybody can go download their Soap Box Racer instructions from the Web, or go to a YouTube channel to figure out how to tie knots for your Wolf Scout rank requirement.

I burned my uniform and merit badges long ago, man.

It is rather amusing that every generation will claim they had the best music.

I was a teenager in the 90s, but my heart is still stuck in the 80s.

deadhead nor hippie.

black flag , ramones , sex pistols , christian death and

social distortion.

what i was listening to.

deadhead nor hippie.

black flag , ramones , sex pistols , christian death and

social distortion.

what i was listening to.

Only 40% of those bands had records out in the 70’s.

But I guess punk rock only truly “means something” when you can’t actually listen to it.

Anyway, since I’m sure everyone wants to know, here are some of my OLD FART PUNK ROCK favorites . . .

Dead Kennedys
D.O.A.
D.I.
Circle Jerks
Misfits
Social Distortion (but, like, you know, only the early stuff, you know, like before they sold out . . . of course)

It is rather amusing that every generation will claim they had the best music.

I was a teenager in the 90s, but my heart is still stuck in the 80s.

Same here - I generally find a lot of independent music from the '80s to be a lot more meaningful than current acts with a similar character, and am really not sure why. I was affected by world events to some degree but too young to really have a deep connection to any music subculture yet.

Something like Mark Stewart’s “Learning to Cope with Cowardice” or “As the Veneer of Democracy Begins to Fade” sound way more intense and convincing to me than the majority of, say, dubstep records that take a similar musical approach.

I’m not gonna lie . . . a huge portion of the so-called “hardcore punk” music is completely terrible. I mean, so terrible that even I don’t like it.

deadhead nor hippie.

black flag , ramones , sex pistols , christian death and

social distortion.

what i was listening to.

All I can think of is the scene in Joe Dirt where they accuse Joe Dirt of liking the bay city rollers and he says no way dude “Im a rocker! here’s my list of bands; Def leppard, van halen Not van Hagar, …” As if a list is some sort of proof.

[reply]deadhead nor hippie.

black flag , ramones , sex pistols , christian death and

social distortion.

what i was listening to.

All I can think of is the scene in Joe Dirt where they accuse Joe Dirt of liking the bay city rollers and he says no way dude “Im a rocker! here’s my list of bands; Def leppard, van halen Not van Hagar, …” As if a list is some sort of proof.[/reply]

Somewhat related, when i was working in The Alley at Chicago for all of 4 weeks, they’d have all these woven patches you could buy from marginally well-known bands - I bet dollars to donuts that the majority of people slapping them onto their denim battle vests had never heard a note of The English Dogs, The Anti-Nowhere League or Conflict.

True. If you heard Conflict you would realize it’s not something to brag about. Unlistenable crap.

True. If you heard Conflict you would realize it’s not something to brag about. Unlistenable crap.

Haven’t spun a Conflict record in ages so I can’t honestly recall much beyond ‘The Serenade is Dead,’ which at least was a catchy number.

A side effect of this whole discussion is that I’m now digging through records and files to find the most stereotypical, porcupine-headed, bullet belt / brothel creeper / studded biker jacket wearing PUNK possible.

Let me see how much of GBH’s “Midnight Madness and Beyond” and Exploited’s “Troops of Tomorrow” I can get through before the ladyfriend bashes down the door to my working nook. Maybe I’ll also yell “PUNK, INNIT!!!” and “CHAOS…DON’T GIVE A TOSS!!!” out the window at random passerby, for good measure.

Also, just out of curiosity, why hasn’t this topic succeeded in coaxing honest-to-goodness old school punk Terry Bones out of hiding?

A side effect of this whole discussion is that I’m now digging through records and files to find the most stereotypical, porcupine-headed, bullet belt / brothel creeper / studded biker jacket wearing PUNK possible.

I think those silly monkeyturds The Casualties took that title several years back. It hurts my eyes to even look at them. It’s like they turned 18 and went down to Melrose Ave with GBH and Varukers records in their hands and telling all the shops and hairstylists to sell them everything they needed to be rad like their dads.