This section contains my opinions and thoughts on a variety of issues both to do with punk and not to do with punk. The essays below are highly opinionated and are only intended as means to share my own personal opinions with the reader. If they happen to offend anybody, I apologise in advance as they are merely random thoughts that have the privilege of being published. The essays themselves are not planned in any way other than the topic encountered so if they are structured poorly, once again I apologise. Any feedback, good or bad, is encouraged but if you feel the need to insult me please do it intelligently, don't go assuming that I'm a "faggot" or "dickhead", please attempt to stick to the subject. Anyway, the essays are listed below, just click on the one you want to read and enjoy!

Hardcore
For a few years now, what has become known as "new school punk" has grown unbelievably in popularity. Because of this there has developed an "elite" of punk bands that are easily accessible to the masses due to their mainstream success (however, the fact that these are the same bands that were touring for $30 per show 10 years ago is often overlooked). Because these bands are most visible, many say that punk is dying or, at least, losing its impact. This is especially the case due to the fact that many of these bands are not blatantly "punk" in their approach. "Punk" in this form has become the commercially viable soundtrack to teenage rebellion.

While such a statement may be true to some (in fact many), there are people like myself and my friends that enjoy the music of such bands along with lesser known bands from every sub-genre of punk (old and new). I did not wake up one morning and decide to buy a Your Mother CD, a band that I would have (at that point) no way of knowing about. Instead, I heard bands like Greenday and then dug deeper to find bands like NOFX and Rancid (I'm talking about the "White Trash..." and "Let's Go" era, not the K Mart special era). Eventually I was lucky enough to find the lesser known DIY bands like Your Mother nad England's Headcase. I do not regret ever liking Greenday and still enjoy their music. I am not going to turn my back on a band that improved my life beyond belief just because they are on a major or because thy sold too many copies when they continue to make good music. To do so would make me a poser and this is not what true punk is about.

Now, however, it seems that many are deciding that punk is too "cool" and so there is an enormous amount of people in search of something with less popularity and more street credibility. Because these people like punk but have a fear of admitting it, they turn to the closest thing - HARDCORE! Now please don't get me wrong, I love hardcore. I prefer old school like Minor Threat, Sick Of It All, etc. but also enjoy some new school such as Mindsnare, Force Fed Nine, Earth Crisis, etc. However, I have many problems with the hypocritical nature of the hardcore scene.

When I go to a hardcore show I feel somewhat out of place. Now, this shouldn't be the case. At a punk show I feel fine and I honestly thought that the word "hardcore" was merely an adjective that preceeded "punk" to form "hardcore punk", "harcdore" is merely a shortened way of saying it. Now I can't see any reason why I should feel this way because I am also there to appreciate the music, the sharing of ideas, the shelter from outrside society and even (at least I thought) the sense of community. Instead I get filthy stares and am looked down upon for not being 'hardcore enough'. This basically translates to mean that I don't own numerous copies of second-rate hardcore band's generically derived demo tapes, my clothing (which clearly lacks a link with athletic wear) is too cheap and not hip enough, I don't ride a skateboard, I'm not buddies with (insert name here) and I don't play with cannabis smoking paraphernalia in McDonald's while wearing a Straight Edge shirt (it happens!!).

Because I'm not 'hardcore enough' I am ignored, looked down upon and generally treated as an imposter. Basically, I am not respected for my own choices and opinions. I'm sorry, but I thought part of the punk (and hardcore) philosophy was about living your own life and doing your own thing. Just because I haven't followed the latest trend and changed for everybody else's benifit so that they can visibally notice that I like hardcore, I find myself being shunned and rejected.

I guess the funny (but at the sam time sad) part is that there is nothing that your typical hardcore fan likes to talk about more than their current dissatisfaction with the scene or how they can help the scene. Sorry guys, but if you keep this up there will be no scene to talk about in 5 years time. At this point your whining will be futile because you will be the ones accountable for scaring away prospective members of your own community. You will not even be left with many of those that you currently accept because they are really just posers at heart that are trying to keep ahead of the trends so that they will always be "cool" in a street-cred sort of a way. Those that really did like hardcore but weren't willing to buy the uniform will move on to something that has a true sense of community.

Although the scene is not filled with these hardcore police (remember the punk police are merely seen as trendy little kids now), unfortunately they appear to dominate the scene. This is not just the case where I live either, so don't pretend that it doesn't apply to where you live. I've been assured by friends overseas that it is the same everywhere.

So kids, please continue the fight against society (we all know it is badly needed) but remember who the enemy is. What ever happened to unity? Stop wasting your energy by misdirecting it and start accepting your fellow punks, skins (not those of the racist/facist variety), etc. for who they are. Acknowledge the similarities and the differences and give respect where it is due. Remember "Don't forget you gotta do what you like/ Respecting eachother learning not to fight/ Cause if I'm gonna live its gotta be free/ Taking orders from no one that's the way its gotta be" -Cause For Alarm.

Written on Feb. 25th 1998


Email me at n9704088@scholar.nepean.uws.edu.au if you feel you need to contact me for whatever reason.
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