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'For us back in the '90s, punk was a way of life'

posted 18 years ago by morerockmb
34 replies | jump to latest

Sorry guys, I had to post this article from The Onion here since it's relevant.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38773

BERKELEY, CA–Nineties punk Drew Tolbert, 29, expressed scorn Monday for the punks of today, denouncing them as "phony poseurs unworthy of the word 'punk.'"
"These kids today have no idea what real punk is," said Tolbert, who called himself "Steve Spew" from 1992 until May 1999, when he was forced to revert to his real name to take a job at Roberto's Custom Auto Upholstery. "Those so-called punk bands they listen to today? Sum 41? Good Charlotte? The Ataris? They're not punk. Back in the day, man, we used to listen to the real deal: Rancid, The Offspring, NOFX, Green Day. Those guys were what true punk rock was all about. Today's stuff is just a pale, watered-down imitation. There's no comparison."

Recalling the glory days of the '90s, Tolbert waxed nostalgic for a few moments before condemning today's punks.

"They can talk all they want about how much punk means to them, but the simple fact is, they weren't there," Tolbert said. "These kids today have no sense of history. They don't know about Pennywise. They barely know about Epitaph Records. Most of them don't even know about Green Day's legendary appearance in '94 at the L.A. Coliseum. It was a watershed, one-of-a-kind moment in the history of youth rebellion, and if you didn't live through it, as I did, you'll never get it, no matter how punk you pretend to be."

Tolbert's disdain for the current punks encompasses not only their musical tastes, but also their style of dress.

"Punk is more than just a Mohawk hairstyle," Tolbert said. "For us back in the '90s, punk was a way of life. I see these kids today hanging around Gilman Street in their leather jackets with their wallet chains, and I just want to say to them, 'You think punk is a costume, man?' Back in'93, it was about so much more: It was a rebellion against outmoded belief systems. It was a cry of outrage against the repressive authority of the Clinton Administration."

"I saw some kid wearing a Sex Pistols T-shirt the other day–he couldn't have been more than 9 when the Pistols did their Filthy Lucre reunion tour," Tolbert said. "I was like, 'You can listen to the music, you can wear the T-shirt, but I was there.' I had fifth-row seats at that goddamn stadium, man, right up front, close enough to see Johnny Rotten's wrinkles. Did you see an original member of The Clash play during Big Audio Dynamite II's last tour? Did you see two of the four original Ramones play at the KROQ Weenie Roast in '95? You did not, but I did. I swear to God, they're like a joke, these people."
Tolbert, who dropped out of Berkeley Community College in 1993 to spend a year skateboarding and living off his parents, was once a major fixture of Berkeley's punk-revival scene, although he still rejects that label.

"'Punk revival'... what *beep* Tolbert said. "Anybody who says punk was 'back' in the '90s doesn't know what they're talking about, because punk never went away. Sure, you didn't hear about it as much in the mainstream corporate media, but punk was always around for the true believers like me and my friends."

According to friends, the young Tolbert was a shy but well-respected member of his high school's yearbook staff before adopting a punk-rock stance upon his enrollment at the community college. He later formed a band, Absence Of Dissent, but the band broke up before completing any recordings or playing any gigs.

"We could've been huge," Tolbert said. "Bigger than New Bomb Turks, even. But all the greatest punk bands fell apart before their time. That's what happened to Darby Crash of the Germs, and that's what happened to us, except we didn't die of drug overdoses, and we came along about 15 years later. But the pretty-boy pretend punks of 2003 could never understand that."

"The thing I can't stand is when they get all self-righteous and act like I'm the one who doesn't 'get it,'" Tolbert continued. "That attitude is totally contrary to the whole inclusive spirit of what punk is all about."

Added Tolbert: "Don't try to be something you're not, man. That's what I say."

[–] eeleyebrown 18 years ago

This is a joke, right? The glory days of the 90's punk???" hahaha. That's the joke right there. How can he trash punk kids today, when he's just as much of a poseur listening to copycat-derivitive like bands like Rancid and Offspring? Those bands were just as influenced by the 70s punk bands as many of today's "punk" (haha i gotta laff) bands. And Spew/Drew should be laughed out of town for mentioning Green Day and "punk" in the same context. GD is a decent band with some ok songs but they could never be considered anything more than "alternative rock". Real punk isnt "pop" or corporate. It goes against the meaning of the word and genre. It's hard to be angst and stand for anarchy and anti-establishment when you get to ride in a limo from your room at the Four Seasons Hotel to play at Madison Square Garden. Right, Billy Joe? (real punks dont need to sing in phoney Brit accents either, especially since it was birthed here in the US.)

The fact is, there are "real" punks from the 80s who grew up on PIL, Flipper, The Minutemen and the Bad Brains who are saying the same thing about people from 90s punk wave. And no doubt, a few 70's punks who grew up on the New York Dolls, The Modern Lovers and Sex Pistols who still lament those early days over the post-punk era ('81 and after). But just because someone wasnt fortunate enough to be around during that period doesnt mean they cant be punk. That's an elitist attitude he's spouting. (unfortunately, that;s one of the negative trademarks of punk: petty elitism). As long as you respect the music you can be a part of it.

Genres change. What's considered punk today is very different from yesteryear. Same with any style of music. Today's C&W is very different from the days of Carl Perkins, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams jr. Rap went from Sugar Hill Gang to 50 Cent. 70s disco eventually became house and branched out into techno, industrial rave and drum & bass. Goth probably had its roots in psychedelics like the Doors, Bowie, Roxy and glam rock bands and it's evidenced in AFI and My Chemical Romance.

Cant expect punk rock to still sound like Johnny Rotten 30 yrs later. Especially with the change of music technology and record companies co-opting the genre and luring working class bands with lucrative record contracts the same way they did with hiphop. What passes for punk today is still "punk" but it jst has a different meaning now. Real punk is can still be found on college radio or at a local club in town but it aint on Clear Channel radio.

[–] tamilittlenut 18 years ago

The Onion is a satirical paper. This article is a JOKE, a PARODY. It's meant to point out how ridiculous this idea of punk as a way of life in the 90s (The 90s! Please!) is. Listen, one of the most recent Onion headlines was "Kitten Thinks of Nothing But Murder All Day." That should give you an idea that this paper is meant to be FUNNY.

[–] oddlaww 17 years ago

"And Spew/Drew should be laughed out of town for mentioning Green Day and "punk" in the same context. GD is a decent band with some ok songs but they could never be considered anything more than "alternative rock"

You're a *beep* idiot. Green Day were a major punk band in the Berkeley/924 Gilman scene, ask anyone. Oh yeah, and their first two albums were on Lookout!, what label were yours one? And what were you doing at the time when Kerplunk! came out? commentating on bands but not being in one yourself? Sounds really "cool".

Next time actually read up a bit...

[–] worldinferno24 18 years ago

what a dickhead.

[–] YellinginMyEar1987 18 years ago

I could go on forever about how much I love punk rock/hardcore but I would never for one second claim I grew up in the "glory days" of the "90's punk scece". This is for 2 reasons.

1) The 90's didn't have a punk scene. Sure, they had Greenday, but that is also "watered down" as the guy in the article said about todays punk rock

2) We all know the glory days was in the 80's. That guy in the article is a huge douche. And he also has mis interpreted what punk acctually is by a huge 100% margin. Punk isn't supposed to sound like anything, sure you have a "typical" punk sound but in most cases bands like that are acctually the worst punk bands. The real punk bands were the dudes that genuinley did things differently, in thier music and in thier life. I'm talking about black flag, bad brains, minutemen, Saccharine Trust, meat puppets. Greenday is real punk? Puh-leaze!

[–] wolfecastle86 18 years ago

yeah and not only that, people cant help when they were born. i dont condone most bands that people pass for 'alternative' nowadays that you see on fuse, but i can tell you plety about the 90s and the 80s. but yeah i wanst there to see Dez Cadena sing for Black Flag in 1980, hell, Black Flag broke up a year after i was born. I cant help that. if their music still means something to me, thats all that matters i cant help when i was born. (im 20, by the way.) i know 13 year old kids who all they listen to bad brains and skate. how unoriginal. this guy is a baby.

[–] Movieweirdo 18 years ago

You guys are kidding right?

The Onion is a fake news publication, who publish fake stories, written by their team of comedic writers. Get a clue fellas.

[–] wolfecastle86 18 years ago

yeah i know the onion is fake but ive still heard this argument plenty of times from real people.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] gotham23 18 years ago

I love how you just made yourself the object of that article's parody without even realizing it.

[–] wd_40 18 years ago

"The 90's didn't have a punk scene"

I might be blasted for this, but I disagree. I felt there was a place and rise of popularity for bands like NOFX, Guttermouth, Propagandhi, No Use for a Name, Screeching Weasel, Descendents, etc.

Sure they weren't the "glorious" 80's bands that most consider much better, but I still felt there was a lingering scene with a small grip on what most treasured from the 80's.

Also, I quite admire and respect the bands from the 80's, but I was of the group that enjoyed the bands I listed above and *gasp* better then the grungy 80's stuff. *shrug* Just more my cup of tea. Sure they wanted to make a buck, but I preferred the glossier production values. Just my taste.

[–] wordisbonz 18 years ago

hahaha gotham....these kids are f'in walking cliches. the article is mocking people like ALL OF YOU who argue over how "real it was back in the day."

hell....though it may have been better and real, all those movements failed or sold old...thats why we are stuck with this bush admistration/reality tv/emo pop punk/materalistic society we have today in my opinion....the psychedelic hippies, the punk of the 70s, hardcore and indie underground of the 80's, the alternative nation/grunge of the 90's all sold out and died. but at least they left us with a big mess of self destructive records chronicling the big crapwad implosion. makes me happy.

[–] oddlaww 17 years ago

100% perfectly put. Best thing I read in a while. :)

[–] insane_larry 18 years ago

That is some of the funniest stuff I've read in a while. I love the Onion. Genius. Too bad too many people think this is serious.

________________________________________
"Knowledge is good." - Emil Faber

[–] RyanLoweMPLS 18 years ago

Yeah, I can't believe all these people are taking the bait here. Doesn't anyone know satire when you read it? Did you ever REALLY listen to punk? Read the lyric sheets? The Onion is SATIRE. Some "punks" you are! Sheesh!

[–] anarchydragon77 18 years ago

This article was quite brilliant! I like to think that MOST people actually know it is satire. I dig The Onion on the rare occasions I get to read it. Sure it's a bit off topic, but one of the articles I remember very well in The Onion was written exactly like this one, but its subject (rather than being punk or metal) was Ambient music. The guy was complaining about how John Tesh is Not Ambient and how his ocean sounds aren't even real, man, they're SYNTHESIZED! He went on to say that back in his day, when he was in college, they'd go through a whole box of Red Zinger Tea in one sitting. It was so funny. I just had to throw that in, and thank the original poster of this...For what it's worth, whether you're talking about blues, or punk, hardcore, or goth, or metal; It seems there will always be those who thought it was better back in their time. This one guy I work with carries a ticket stub in his wallet from Led Zeppelin in 1976! (poignant because Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are on Sirius radio right now with their version of Stairway to Heaven!)... And when I saw Iron Maiden (in the 90's), (In the front row) I was next to a guy wearing a 10 year old Maiden shirt that was way too small for him, but he wanted people to know he was there then...I happen to like my NOFX and Bad Religion shirts from '92. I guess it doesn't matter as long as you feel you were part of something great. But that said, I no longer fit in my Voivod shirt from Tournado '87 (I wore a medium back then) and I don't think I'll try...

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] rancidbrie19 18 years ago

If anyone wants to hear some great modern, non watered down radio punk, go to www.bullets-in.tk (not my band, not plugging myself) or go to the ebullition records site of course.

[–] RyanLoweMPLS 18 years ago

Bullets In are incredible. I can't wait to hear their new 7"!

However, I doubt we'll ever actually *hear* anything on the Ebullition website. Kent is never going to upgrade that thing!

[–] anti_viande 18 years ago

DUUUUUUUUDE, I love the Onion, that article is so funny.
I was born in 1991 and I don't pretend to know *beep* about the NYHC scene in the 80's but I do like the bands invloved. I also like Propagandhi, Bad Religion and the others from the 90's. hooray for punk. that is all.

Using the gulliver too much, like?

[–] psirwin 17 years ago

This is the funniest thread I've ever read...ROTFLMFAO...The Onion is funny, but this takes the friggin' cake! I never saw any of the good old school bands on any on the reunion tours, I saw it all the first time around.

[–] KMRamones 17 years ago

Dude, I don't want to get all preachy, but Bad Religion started in 1980. And someone up there mentioned the Descendents as another "90's Band." The Descendents formed in 1979! I bet if you checked it out you might learn that many of the bands you like are older than you think they are; including The Offspring and NOFX. Just 'cause a band was popular in the '90s doesn't mean that's when they started.

[–] RyanLoweMPLS 17 years ago

KMRamones - While Bad Religion were around in the 80s and put out some solid records back then they took an undeniable nosedive with "Into The Unknown" and dropped off the map for a bit. They weren't major players really until their late 80s LPs like Suffer and No Control. By that point it was nearly 1990. They're responsible for the polished "Westbeach Epitaph" sound that was the predominate punk sound of the '90s. I know full well they were around in the '80s but I tend to think of them as more '90s then anything else.

As for the Descendents, yeah. 80's for certain. They released 1 LP in the 90s and were better known as All by that point.

[–] anarchydragon77 17 years ago

Whilst I totally agree with you about the Epitaph sound,
I think even the guy writing the article for The Onion Knows that some of these bands were around in the 80's, and he chooses to act like they just sprung up in the 90's, giving him creedence as a Know-It-All type who actually condescends his audience by acting like he knows even if he doesn't. Since we've all met someone like this; we can relate and it makes it that much funnier.

[–] cultoflunadoom 17 years ago

dissing the epitaph sound is so 2001.

The Church of Samuel L. Jackson and Latter day Snakes

[–] chadcore_666 17 years ago

i'm glad this documentary has sparked the entire "what is punk" thread. punk is an attitude. it's spawned debate. i love the fact that everyone has their own preconceived notion of what "punk" is. every individual has their own entitled opinion to it. pennywise is the best punk band ever. (excluding the misfits.) i'm 22 years old, and i wasn't there in the "glory" days, i was barely there in the 90's revival days. but i know one thing, punk is an attitude. i could wear Calvin Klein pull-overs and i would still be as "punk" as i am simply because of the morals and virtues i hold within. f*uck all you naysayers and pricks that say "we can't understand punk culture because we weren't there." it's like telling the next generation they have no perception of terrorism because they missed 9/11. f*ucking *beep*

[–] cultoflunadoom 17 years ago

by - chadcore_666 on Sun May 20 2007 08:24:52 i'm glad this documentary has sparked the entire "what is punk" thread. punk is an attitude. it's spawned debate. i love the fact that everyone has their own preconceived notion of what "punk" is. every individual has their own entitled opinion to it. pennywise is the best punk band ever. (excluding the misfits.) i'm 22 years old, and i wasn't there in the "glory" days, i was barely there in the 90's revival days. but i know one thing, punk is an attitude. i could wear Calvin Klein pull-overs and i would still be as "punk" as i am simply because of the morals and virtues i hold within. f*uck all you naysayers and pricks that say "we can't understand punk culture because we weren't there." it's like telling the next generation they have no perception of terrorism because they missed 9/11. f*ucking *beep*

pennywise the best punk band ever? 22 years old. what??? i think you need to listen to more music.

The Church of Samuel L. Jackson and Latter day Snakes

[–] RyanLoweMPLS 17 years ago

I'm with cultoflunadoom here, chadcore666. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what is and isn't punk. However, the first thing you need to know is that Pennywise's sound is wholly derivative of Bad Religion and NOFX. Sure they are an ok band... but "the best punk band ever"??? Perhaps you're just being facetious. I hope so.

[–] cultoflunadoom 17 years ago

So I checked RyanLoweMPLS's myspace and I guess he's the only one on this thread who would know where i'm coming from. Which is why I find it hilarious and he probably does too that people are asking where the Germs, operation Ivy and nofx are in a documentary about american hardcore.

I hardly listen to the bands in your list anymore Ryan but I grew up with the majority of bands you listed, so that will always be with me, His Hero is Gone, From Ashes rise, the screamo bands, the Ebullition bands etc.

Seriously, read some of the silly posts on the threads here.

The Church of Samuel L. Jackson and Latter day Snakes

[–] surgeryXDisaster 17 years ago

It sounds like that guy is just angry that the best years of his life are over so he takes it out on every kid he sees on the streets. What the *beep* do these 30 year old farts want us to do? starting something new isnt needed because if we feel the same way then why be apart of something diferent. *beep* anyone that says punk is dead. especially if your not a teenager

[–] blooddrivendream 17 years ago

Punks seem to be very fond of telling everyone they suck. The 70s punks say if you were not there when they were there you do not know anything. A lot of the hardcore punks say the same. According to the article the 90s punks now do the same. Punks like calling people posers. Some of them are like clique-y high school kids.

Punk is youthful. Punk is headstrong, irrational, and is consistently ready to pick a fight.

However, as an endnote, I am not even a huge punk fan, I prefer goth rock, grunge, and mental; so what the hell does it really matter.

[–] my_mom_says_im_cool 17 years ago

Greatest thread ever? Let me think... yes. The first reply was fantastic. Well thought out, well argued, nicely articulated and very thorough, and it completely missed the point of the article. Fantabulicious. As for the rest, I suppose I'll throw my two cents in, why not, I'm bored and I've got time on my hands. I'm not going to get into specifics about what band started what scene and where they were, because, I'll admit it, I was born in '86, I wasn't there. I respect the music and I enjoy listening to it every now and then, but I don't pretend to know a lot about it. I disagree with the statement that punk is dead though, as I've read somewhere else on here, that's a very elitist statement, to me that's saying "We were punk and you weren't there so, through no fault of your own, you are completely incapable of being punk, go *beep* yourself." And to me, that's not the way that I like to think of punk, I think punk should be all-inclusive, let everybody who wants to take part in it be able to. Also, I feel I should mention that punk is a word that I use very little, because nowadays it's way too hard to label somebody as punk without somebody else getting pissed off. Usually the only time I will describe somebody as punk and nothing else is when its to somebody who knows absolutely nothing about punk. If you read this and agree, well, then thats just great. If it pissed you off and you want to beat me up, good luck sucker. Try and find me.

p.s. The article was hysterical.

"I've got a weird thing for girls who say aboot."

[–] 17 years ago

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