Punk Exhibition with 'The Sex Pistols'

Stephen Colegrave, co-author of PUNK (Cassell 2001) and Inside Music (Random House 2004), built a bridge between Punk of the past and the present. This bridge exists within Keele University’s own Chancellor's Gallery, charting a visual journey through the Punk era, from its origins in Warhol's Factory and Downtown New York, to its emergence in Britain. We see photos of the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Ramones, Vivienne Westwood. And as the spirit of Punk is brought to life before our eyes, it made me wonder, is Punk really an era of the past? Or is it still a beating heart of progression?

     I had the honour of speaking with Glen Matlock, bassist for the Sex Pistols, one of the most influential Punk bands. Matlock outlined the beginning of his Punk career in 1974. He grew up in a world with the three-day week, fire raid bombings, the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six, power cuts, strikes, the winter of discontent. As he himself expresses, “there was this real atmosphere of everything broken. We came out of that.”

     In this broken world, the Sex Pistols emerged. And with them came a new genre. Punk. This new genre “didn’t blindly accept what was going on,” says Matlock. Punk and politics seemed almost interchangeable, and the genre became a vehicle for anti-establishment views.

     However, fast forward fifty years and we still find ourselves in a world of war, economic decline, a global pandemic, and Brexit. Do we not need Punk now more than ever? I was fascinated to find out whether musicians still use their music as a vehicle for social commentary and change.

     Therefore, I interviewed Jeanie Jean, a photographer based in the UK. Her work focuses on Punk, Goth, and Northern Soul subcultures, as she captures the pulsating energy of gigs, and the vibrant creativity of artists across the nation. And according to her, Punk is by no means over. Jeanie Jean passionately explains that “there’s loads of contemporary Punk bands. It’s such an exciting time now for young bands.” We are currently experiencing a Punk Renaissance, which is now intertwined with lots of other subcultures. She stated that “it’s very prominent within the LGBTQ+ community,” with Queercore forming in the mid-80s as an offshoot of the Punk subculture and music scene. Modern post-Punk explores important social and political issues today, such as misogyny and discrimination. But why then is the post-Punk scene today being buried beneath Pop? Why are these voices not being heard? In fact, few people at the exhibition opening even knew of this modern-day Punk Revival.

     I spoke with English musician and journalist, John Robb, bassist and singer for the mid-1980s post-punk band The Membranes. He states that “there are still people singing songs which can be perceived as radical and socially aware, only the impact lessens over the years because people expect that to happen, it’s just part of the tapestry of everything.” Yet in a world of unrest, we should be paying attention to what it is telling us.

     Jeanie Jean hopes that by photographing some of these bands, their music and messages can reach a wider audience. She named a promising new post-Punk band called the Molotovs, which came out of an event called Youth Explosion. Perhaps what we need today is more platforms for our artwork; more chances to share our voice. And it isn’t necessarily about having answers. It’s about posing questions.

     In Matlock’s words, “Punk is like a by-word for music that is a little bit more thinking, and a little bit more questioning, and a little bit more reading between the lines and not accepting the status quo. And I’m proud to have been (in my own way) one of the instigators of that.”

Article by Maria Conlon