punk rock features

Punk rock included the idea that the genre challenged the ‘authenticity’ of previous rock bands. The previous rock bands had become distanced from their fans and audiences, and seemed surreal from the audience’s point of view. For example the rock bands played on large stages in huge stadiums and arenas, which allowed them to become less personable towards their fans, and were not so much of a reality but rather an unattainable object. With the introduction of punk rock, this saw an opening to become more personable and attainable, which could be achieved through their performances. Punk rock bands tended to perform on smaller stages in small clubs and bars, which allowed the fans and audience to also be involved in the bands performances. The audiences were able to interact more with the performers and were a more realistic form of performer, unlike the previous large rock bands had been. Punk “…distinguished itself in its sheer intimacy” (Rombes, p6) and therefore was not like a lot of previous bands that produced a distance between themselves and the consumers, but instead allowed themselves to be seen as performing closely with their audiences. The idea of authenticity also stems from the idea that punk rock is a very minimalist culture. This can be seen through their live performances, clothes and attitude. The presentation on punk rock did not need the fancy arena or large stages to perform in, instead choosing the smaller more minimalist bars and clubs to play their music in. Their clothing also signified this minimalist idea, as their clothes were often old t shirts, pants and jackets that were torn, or altered to fit their image that they wished to portray. They often used safety pins through their piercings instead of earrings or common studs, also showing this modest attitude towards their clothing and appearance. Both of these ideas of minimalism and authenticity tie in together in the punk rock genre to demonstrate the meanings and ideas that lay behind the emergence of the genre.

1)Rombes.N, New Punk Cinema. Edinburgh University Press Ltd, 2005