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Photo by Jez Pennington

The foundation and a humble beginning
Back in the 1960s, the term “Punk Rock” was synonymous with the garage musicians. The likes of the sonics had just come into the picture. The vocal and musical instructions were minimal, and in all fairness, the skill was also limited. In the mid-1960s, the world saw the MC5 and the Stooges. The songs they created had a tinge of rawness. Many of these songs dealt with political issues. Their concerts, more often than not, turned out to be violent.

Then came the Velvet Underground. With Andy Warhol at the helm, they produced some rocking (and rather noisy) tunes. The definitions of music were being rewritten.

The likes of the New York Dolls and David Bowie were known for their outrageous dress sense. Some loud and peppy tunes were churned out during the era. Extravagance became the new buzz word. This is how punk rock and hair metal got off to a humble beginning.

The UK’s Punk Scene

The UK’s punk scene had countless traces of politics and economic problems that were prevalent during the era. Back then, the UK’s economy wasn’t in the best of health. Economic hardships were rampant unemployment was at an all-time high. Youngsters in the UK were angry, restless and out of work. These lads had a lot of free time up their sleeves.

This marked the beginning of punk fashion in the UK. All of these developments were centred around one shop, which was called SEX.  as we know it emerged, and they centred out of one shop. It was owned by Malcolm McClaren.

Malcolm McClaren had made his way back to the British capital from the US. In the US, he had tried to reinvent the New York Dolls in order to sell his clothing, but all of his efforts had turned out to be an exercise in sheer futility. But he had the courage to do it again. The youths who hung around in his shop became a part of his project. The project came to be known as the Sex Pistols, and within no time, they garnered a lot of popularity and fame.

The Bromley Contingent

These were the outrageous fans of the sex pistols, and were named after the neighbourhood they belonged to. They attended the initial Sex Pistol shows and realized that they could do it themselves as well. Within no time, they could be seen dominating London’s punk scene. Now, the punk scene in the UK began gaining momentum. Music Hospitality Tickets kept selling at a rate of knots. The Bromley Contingent was going all guns blazing.

The Punk Rock Explosion

During the late 1970s, punk music went a notch higher. The rising popularity of punk music gave rise to several sub-genres. Budding musicians began embracing the DIY movement. New sounds were being churned out. Fans could be seen making their way to concerts in order to catch a glimpse of their favourite punk icons in action. Consequently, hospitality companies began thriving.

Greatest punk songs of all time:
Anarchy In The UK –  by Sex Pistols
Pretty Vacant – by Sex Pistols
White Riot – by The Clash
Holiday In Cambodia – by the Dead Kennedys
American Idiot – by Green Day
Complete Control – by The Clash
The Kids Aren’t Alright – by The Offspring
God Save The Queen – by Sex Pistols
Blitzkrieg Bop – by The Ramones
London Calling – by The Clash

So, that’s how punk music made its presence felt in the UK. Today, this music genre has countless die-hard fans.


The above article is a sponsored post and is not created by Already Heard. Further information about sponsored posts can be found at alreadyheard.com/advertising.

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