One of the things that I was hoping to accomplish with this short series of posts was to illustrate the breadth and depth that exists within the punk rock movement. There have been many different eras or phases of punk that have occurred during the evolution of the movement. First there was MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges in what is termed the proto-punk era that began in the late 1960s. Then, in the 1970s, we had the classic era of punk that gave us bands such as The Ramones, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, early Blondie and Patti Smith. As the 1980s rolled along, commercially-motivated punk bands transitioned into more mainstream new wave and alternative rock streams, as we recently saw with Billy Idol and Generation X. However, there was an equal and opposite reaction to this flow of punk bands into the mainstream. While the Billy Idols of the punk world were signing record deals with major labels and pumping their fists into the air in arenas that were growing larger by the day, those true believers in the essence of the punk ethos were gathering in smaller venues like basements, church halls and even bowling alleys. Those who gathered there did so because they saw handmade flyers stapled to telephone poles or the sides of fences or on the walls of storefronts. These flyers advertised the music of bands who went by names such as Bad Brains, Black Flag, The Misfits and the subject of today’s post, Minor Threat. These bands are credited with launching the next wave of the punk movement, which became known simply as Hardcore. In all cases, these bands adopted a strict DIY attitude whereby they wrote their own songs, transported their own gear, created their own promotional posters and flyers, produced their music on record labels that they owned themselves, created their own handmade magazines that became known as fanzines and basically operated as completely self-contained operations. The songs they sang tended to be loud and fast and were screamed out as much as sung. When many non-punk fans imagine what a punk concert would be like, it is probable that their heads fill with images of bands of screaming white males and mosh pits filled with testosterone-addled white males all thrashing and bumping about. That sort of image wouldn’t necessarily be incorrect. However, in Hardcore, as in life, not everything is as black and white as it may first appear. Even in the seemingly straightforward world of Hardcore punk there are subtle variations that produce subgenres within the subgenre. Today we are going to focus on one of those subgenres called Straight Edge.
It is easy to read this and think to yourself… straight edge, crooked edge, lumpy middle….these names are silly because, after all, it was all just music. Who cares?! One punk band is just the same as the rest. That may be true in the world of generalities, but in the real world of hardcore punk music, there were factions within factions, and depending on where your own politics lay, there were huge differences in the experience you might have at a concert. One of the generalities that is often applied to the hardcore punk scene was that it was all bands filled with angry white males screaming their outrages to the sky while hoards of other angry white males thrashed and bumped against each other in mosh pits that swirled near the stage. Furthermore, it is assumed that the atmosphere at these hardcore punk shows was often hyper-masculine, and that violence was often a feature. To think that way about hardcore punk is not necessarily wrong. There were many Neo-Nazi and skinhead type bands that marketed their worldview via their song lyrics to crowds of choir members who were eager to absorb the message that violence is the answer and strength is a treasured virtue. We need only look back to the presidency of Donald Trump to note the rise in organizations like The Proud Boys and The Oathkeepers, whose membership ranks were swelled with young white males who felt that the surest way to enact the type of societal change they desired was at the end of a fist or a baton. It IS a generalization to link the rise of fascism with hardcore punk music, but having said that, there certainly are bands who tailored their music and their concert atmospheres to appeal to young men of a certain political disposition.
However, there is another side to things along the musical spectrum of hardcore punk music. This is the segment of the hardcore community that views music as Art and strives to be as pure in the pursuit of making that Art as they possibly can. Unlike Neo-Nazi bands who use punk music as a communication vehicle for their political ideology, there are punk bands who view their music as being the only thing that matters and that having a good time at one of their concerts in as safe a manner as possible is their purpose for existing as a band. One such band was called Minor Threat. Like many DIY punk bands, Minor Threat was made up of guys who came together from an assortment of small bands and who, in time, also left to join newer bands. Minor Threat came into existence in 1980 and was formed by two guys named Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson in Washington, D.C. As part of the DIY mentality that bands like Minor Threat adhered to, MacKaye and Nelson started their own record label and called it Dischord Records. At first, they used Dischord Records as a means of recording their own songs and being able to produce a limited number of actual albums or cassettes to sell at their shows. In time, Dischord Records became a highly valuable means by which many small punk bands were able to record and distribute their music across regional networks that sprang up all over America. But what really made Minor Threat one of the legendary founding bands of the hardcore movement was their politics. Ian MacKaye, in particular, began to grow dismayed at the violence and the drug and alcohol abuse that seemed to be running rampant at many hardcore shows. So MacKaye and his bandmates in Minor Threat decided to take a stand in defense of the music being played. MacKaye wrote a song called “Straight Edge”. In this song, he called for total abstinence when it came to violence, drug use and alcohol consumption. As opposed to those bands who believed that physical strength equated to the ability to wield power, MacKaye felt that a band’s real power lay in being as artistically pure and free from external distractions as possible. Thus, he mandated a policy that there was to be no alcohol served at the band’s shows. He also banned mosh pits. Instead, MacKaye encouraged his audiences to dance and have fun and to be respectful toward each other. In essence, MacKaye and his bandmates created a sense of community between themselves and their audiences that came to be known simply as being “straight edged”. The song “Straight Edge” became a one-minute long anthem that played as a manifesto against violence and impure habits. The example set by Minor Threat was embraced by a sizable segment of the hardcore demographic who, like MacKaye, were not into violence and racism and homophobia. They simply wanted to dance about and have a good old sweaty, cathartic time.
As mentioned above, Minor Threat burned brightly for a short time, and then the band broke up, and the musicians all went on to other things. The most successful project that followed was arguably MacKaye’s next band, called Fugazi. That band produced one of punk rock’s all time great songs: “Waiting Room”. (I wrote about Fugazi and “Waiting Room” in a previous post that you can read here). In any case, the straight edge abstinence movement ushered in by Minor Threat did not die when the band broke up. Straight Edge went on to become an established sub-genre that is practiced by many popular punk bands to this day, including my current favourites, Idles. It illustrates one of the main divides when it comes to understanding the difference between masculinity and toxic masculinity. Strength, and the power that goes with it, is a key factor in the mindset that comes with being a man. However, how a man chooses to use his strength is what really matters. Some opt for violence and destructiveness and to exert control over others. Other men, such as the boys in Minor Threat or in bands such as Idles, view strength as being best used when building things up and protecting the rights of others to be safe in their person and safe in their own skin. I have always believed that using my own strength to uplift others is the highest calling I can aspire to. There was a reason that small children always felt safe in my company when I was still a school teacher. There is also a reason why audiences felt safe going to shows put on by Minor Threat and later by Fugazi and now by bands such as Idles. That is because all these bands, as loud and as political as they may be, follow the principles of the Straight Edge movement, a philosophy that had its origin in a one-minute song called “Straight Edge” by Minor Threat. In my opinion, it is as positive a legacy as one could hope to leave behind. Thanks guys! Your efforts at making the focus of hardcore punk to be about the music and the music only are appreciated.
The link to the video for the song “Straight Edge” by Minor Threat can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.
The link to the video for an interview with the boys from the band Idles about toxic masculinity can be found here.
The links to the official websites for Minor Threat, Fugazi and for Dischord Records can be found here, here and here.
The link to the official website for Idles can be found here.
Before ending this post, I always like to point out that the title of this series of posts on punk rock came from the lyrics of a great song called “Boxcar” by a brilliant punk band called Jawbreaker. Please take a moment and click on the link to their website. Jawbreaker still tours, so you can discover when they might be coming to your town, you can buy some cool merch or simply listen to some of their music. In any case, I think they are awesome! The link to Jawbreaker’s website can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2024 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com