To alter the native

MOTHER SPEAKS: What is punk to me? You asked, as a first wave punk kid of fourteen in 1977 I would say that what appealed to me about punk was its cultural association with alternative society, where the deviant was permitted or even held in high esteem and conformity deemed negatively boring! And to me the punk phrase 'boring' means an out-moded belief system. Why was I attracted? Because I had failed to conform. Having been brought up by a woman who struggled as a participant of a revolution in western society, called now 'the womens movement' of the 70s I felt like a person who had strong views and beliefs about equal rights, pay and place in society for women. Having been born in the 60s against a back drop of post war austerity and fear of the cold wars threat of atomic weapons I felt angry about the constant intrusion of this fear into my childhood, I held the establishment, the government, the hierarchy, the norm and society to blame. Aside from injustices to humanity and corruption in the government being aired on the news, government seemed to me as a child to have failed to function correctly! The fabric of modern idealized society seemed to be threadbare and unsubstantial. Unhappy workers performing strike action caused all sorts of shortages, power cuts and in 1977 rotting rubbish formed rancorous rat infested mounds in the streets of the capital. I still do not consent to be governed by war mongers and I'm still interested in why there are marginalized groups in society when it defies humanity to make other humans lower or higher in status. I'm still a punk I suppose and I'm still involved in alternative society. Part of my belief involved non conformity of personal appearance, partly to question the conventions of beauty, to do this, especially as a female, is a political act.

An attractive idea behind the punk movement was to avoid getting behind and supporting the industries of culture. Much is spoken about the DIY nature of punk culture but this Doing it for ones self was not merely a charming quirk of punk culture it was an ethos, a direct political act against corruption in the music and fashion industries of the 50s and 60s when it was realised that youth had money to spend and industries evolved seeking to capture and manipulate the youth markets.