Spin The Black Circle
I had a good evening on Thursday at Spin The Black Circle in Worcester - part bar, part vinyl emporium in the heart of the city centre - reading from Punk & Pistolry, chatting about punk, and “setting the world to rights,” as its known…
(Photo c/o Anthony Allen.)
The small but welcoming and enthusiastic audience included Ian, punk afficionado, and Anthony Allen, original drummer in the late 1970s Worcester punk band The Samples. I brought these two into the conversation, and it was interesting where we met. That place was the punk heartland: act, do, give it a try, do it now, do it yourself. We bemoaned the lack of local scenes (thank you, internet) and the alienated ease with which people these days listen to their wallpaper music (thank you, internet). Ironic of course that I'm remarking on this via the internet. Oh well, double-edged swords and all that.
Anthony's recollections of that first wave of punk were a delight to hear; Ian's, too. Anthony spoke of how those original bands inspired him and his mates to take up instruments even though they didn't really know how to play at that early stage.
That's the spirit!
(Photo c/o Chris Nicholls.)
We could do with punk right now. We need to feel the heady thrill of action. We need to throw aside those alienated experiences which for many are a kind of cotton wool surrounding them.
Where are the rebels? Where are the bands to be afraid of? Is anybody out there?
●