There was a lot of laughter when it was claimed on Twitter that the Liberals had something to do with punk. There is more to the comparison than it seems at first glance, says our author.
From Frank Schmiechen
It’s a big misunderstanding. Punk was never left. On the contrary. Punk was the counter-movement to the left united front of the hippies. They made themselves really comfortable in the 1970s. With their youth centers, which were paid for by the city, with their long hair, the demos, Bundeswehr parkas and music by Konstantin Wecker, Bettina Wegner and Pink Floyd. Much too cozy.
But then came punk and blew away the homely materiality. Suddenly, small, independent record labels shot up. New fashion was created. Countless fanzines emerged. These were magazines that were simply stapled and glued together. Punks took over the radio. The Big Bang of the Sex Pistols created thousands of bands who ventured into new musical territory.
They no longer wanted to retreat to the country and grow vegetables, but instead wanted to conquer the cities. Syph from Düsseldorf demanded: “Back to concrete!” Rabiat. With a lot of energy. Sometimes by force. How it is, in youth. The candles were blown out, instead of tea there was canned beer, old records were sold, the hair was worn short.
“Start again” – also a motto of the FDP
Nobody wanted to be dependent on government dough. Better to get jobs. The rehearsal room was paid for by myself. Nobody was waiting for coal or rooms from the city. It was done, not waited. Often the musical knowledge was not enough to start a band. But that didn’t stop anyone. Three chords. Rudimentary drums. Enough. Just do it. Try out. To learn from mistakes. Start anew.
The spirit of discovery is punk. Getting up instead of lying down is punk. If you look back on it, it almost sounds like a manifesto for the startup scene or the liberals. Many first generation punks and new wavers have become successful managers or artists. For example Mark Chung, the bass player from Abwärts and Einstürzende Neubauten. In 1984 he founded a music publisher. He later moved to London as Sony Music’s Senior Vice President.
In the mid-1980s, the begging punks suddenly came along with their big dogs. For example, they hung around the Mönckebergbrunnen in Hamburg, were somehow to the left, waiting for their welfare, schnapps and stood on Mitgröhl-Schunkel-Skirt from the Toten Hosen. The new hippies. The real punk had long since died or turned into new wave. But maybe he’s just returning. In a new disguise. If you look very closely, you can see it.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
