Where did that punk go? Where is he hiding...

I’d say punk is dying out because it just isn't that fresh, "out there" movement anymore. It's lost its edge.🤷
It makes total sense to me—someone like me, who wasn't even born until about 15 years after those first British albums dropped, isn't going to "get" it the same way someone who was a wide-eyed kid back then would. Plus, it took me years after I was actually born just to stumble upon those bands and start listening. So yeah, we're talking at least a 25-year lag compared to the old guard.

To me, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned... they’re all just names floating in a massive sea of great rock bands. At this point, "punk" is more of a descriptor for a specific sound or aesthetic rather than some life-altering ideology that dictates how I dress or think, like it did 25 years ago.

I mean, look at it this way: who's out here calling long-haired kids hippies today? Nobody. That era is dead and gone.

You always see those punks hanging around the Johnson & Johnson offices on the weekends—they tend to gather in that park near the NASDAQ building too. I guess kids just listen to everything nowadays because it's all so easy to access; most people pass through every possible subculture and genre before they hit eighteen, eventually just settling into being general alternative types, or what everyone calls "hipsters."

She’s definitely after the legends, but honestly—this girl is easily the best of the whole new wave. Check her out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqIIUiPF4Cw.

And check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-dQV590xUw
this live version of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEffVtFjVOE

Honestly, I can't stand those New York speculators. When it comes to Americans, my biggest gripe is definitely the folks from Miami—it’s just a bunch of dead weight led by total losers.

Dead channel, killer band. I’m still a huge fan of old school Alice in Chains 😁

The news is such a joke. Their favorite pastime is just slapping labels on everyone, but honestly, I’d rather deal with a massive cramp. Give the people some actual freedom for once, especially with this kind of stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?=-Kmh6Vyn8SE

The old guard can say whatever they want about me. Personally, I think that guy is an absolute legend—super likable. I don't mind getting fired up sometimes. My old man was a veteran, too, so I get where the intensity comes from.

I’m feeling that part where Houra sings—it’s solid—but then it hits me with those wedding-style vocals right after 🙂

Sean Doyle97 said:Mrtvi Kanal is such an incredible band—absolutely legendary! I’ve gotta say, I’m a huge fan of The Rolling Stones too! There's just something about that classic sound that hits different. 😁

Oh man, I almost completely blanked on that one! Honestly, what a ride—it felt like a whole new wave just hit us all at once.

My dad was a veteran.

Looking up and seeing two posts from my old man above... haha. But hey, listen, that old-school punk spirit never actually died; once you go full punk, you're in for life.
Punk isn't just about the music or what you wear—I moved past that phase about twenty years ago. For me, at least, punk is a way of looking at the world.

gentlegull93 said:I just wanted to point out that someone promised to provide an overview for this thread as a condition for opening it—and yet, they haven't delivered ☕

My apologies. 😍 I might be a bit slow on the uptake lately, but I haven't forgotten.

Take, for instance, San Francisco—I see punks everywhere, even more women identifying as punks 😍, but what’s long ceased being surprising—nor should it be—is how much more likely you are to run into someone decked out in full punk gear while they're actually listening to something entirely different, say, country, pop, or hip-hop; it hardly matters. It’s the same deal with hippies and their sort. I suspect that with punk, and perhaps these newer subcultures too, it’s becoming somewhat a matter of bygone eras; it was a specific movement during a specific window of time that left a significant mark, and now we mostly hear about various revivals that aren't quite as... well, let's say, media-relevant, simply because the initial boom has already passed.

So, generally speaking, that old-school connection where people would say, "I listen to X genre, so I dress like X," seems to have faded over time—perhaps only a certain attitude or life philosophy remains. Those rigid boundaries don't really exist anymore (I assume the sheer accessibility of all kinds of music online plays a part here), and besides, there are plenty of people—myself included, I suppose—who prefer to just throw on whatever fits the mood at any given moment, or whatever suits the occasion. You might feel sporty one day, casual the next, or play the role of the dresser, the rocker, the goth, the punk, or whatever else. And we all know that as people age, they eventually move past adhering to a single "style."

For example, I have a very close friend who is a punk; even today, she always wears at least one little detail that gives her away as a true punk, despite having been in that scene since she was thirteen or fourteen, and now being well into her thirties. It is true, though, that her interest in other genres has expanded significantly in the meantime. 😁 But, hell, she'll always be a punk at heart.

Look, you were busy, so we'll let it slide 😛 and thanks for the post 🙂

Sophia Wells72 said:For instance, I have this close friend who’s a total punker; she still wears at least one thing every single day that gives her away, even though she’s been rocking that scene since she was thirteen or fourteen and now she’s well into her thirties... and sure, her taste in music has definitely branched out quite a bit over the years. 😁 But, hell, she'll always be a punker at heart.

I actually went out and bought a Raymond badge myself just to pin on my jacket, just so people would know... 😳 🤣

Panker 😁

Let me weigh in. I was deep in the punk scene back in the mid-eighties—definitely the golden era for everything from classic punk to new wave and post-punk. Even in a smaller place like Columbus, the culture was massive, though the eighties vibe was a total departure from what we saw in the late seventies. I jumped straight into the extreme underground stuff because it offered way more creative freedom; you didn't need some mainstream media machine to build a scene, you just did it yourself. Honestly, that DIY spirit is still what I value most about the whole movement. Pre-war punk is long gone, and the nineties had its own weird identity too. I’ve been playing real shows and hitting festivals with my band over the last two years, and frankly, I haven't noticed "punk" being this specific thing people obsess over. It’s evolved into all sorts of different shapes now—the internet definitely changed the game. I don't have to like all of it, but it exists. These days, I don't really look at punk as some way to identify myself with other punks—I'm way too old for that labels nonsense—it's just something I do in my own way, which is probably how it should be anyway.

Man, just... ugh!! Seriously, screw this.
The truth teller said it.
Punk is just... niche, I guess. I don't really get how someone doesn't outgrow that kind of music after they turn 16. I know, I know, nothing is truly irrational, but still
I'm talking about the music. Having an attitude is a whole different thing.

And why on earth would anyone need to change the music?

Look, you don't need to grow up...
I mentioned before that I just don't get how anyone can still be into that kind of music after they hit 16.
The reality is, it’s pretty mediocre stuff that mostly just feeds that teenage rebellious streak. But I guess as we age, we learn things and try to evolve in all sorts of ways, including our taste in music.
Punk just doesn't really cut it for me anymore.
I'm speaking from experience here. I have so many friends who are still stuck in their 30s, and they haven't moved an inch past listening to Pistols, Exploited, and stuff like that... (just basic examples, honestly, I can't even remember everything we blasted when we were kids) and it’s actually kind of sad to watch.
But again, that's just my take. These are just things I see in people around me, so it definitely doesn't apply to every middle-aged punk out there.
Listen, man, listen to whatever you want 🙂
Attica man! 😁

Definitely the opposite. My music evolved way past any specific "punk" label—how would you guys even define that mindset? To me, it’s just being an underdog, kind of like most regular people in this country. 😁 It's not like I outgrew music or anything; I still love listening to it and playing it, obviously. Some people act all high-and-mighty about "sophisticated" music, but honestly, that pretentious self-indulgence is just as boring as some punk track. I don't get them either.

And look, I didn't just stick to those basic entry-level punk bands for long—I dove straight into the deep end pretty quick—but I still think they're solid, even with thousands of obscure acts out there.

granitepuma said:I know, I know, nothing is truly irrational

Sean Doyle97 said:some of those pretentious "high-quality" music tracks just feel like boring self-indulgence to me, kind of like listening to some punk band, so yeah, I don't get them either.

Well, I'm basically just quoting myself here. You already answered my previous point with my own response.
So yeah, I guess the idea holds that what seems totally normal to one person might be weird to someone else, and vice versa.
Oh, and I wasn't trying to start anything... It's just that Attica thing, man 😁

Look, I don't think being a punk is some badge of honor worth bragging about—if anything, it’s the opposite. Heh. Punks are just outcasts in their own way; you can put in the effort, but at the end of the day, you’re still just doing your own thing. That’s what real punks are to me. Then you've got the posers who try way too hard to "be" punk, only to eventually realize they never actually were, and then they move on. Whatever. Good luck to 'em.