1980's RADICALISM

Ever wonder where stagediving and slamdancing started? Right here in Southern California in the early 80’s with the Hardcore punk movement. This chaotic underground scene is the subject of the new documentary American Hardcore (the history of American punk rock 1980 – 1986.) If you liked loud fast music and had a shaved head or a crew cut and a threatening demeanor back then, you were probably Hardcore. We remember stuffing kleenex in our ears and keeping a safe distance from the stage during some of these shows, but we thought the scene was really cool. The movie features interviews with bandmembers from Gang Green, Circle Jerks , Bad Brains etc. and it’s fun to see how the guys look twenty five years later. Bet you didn’t know Moby was in a Hardcore band.

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1. By Pat
   On September 23, 2006 at

   It started with DOA in Vancouver in the seventies!
   Joey Shithead coined the term hardcore!!
   But call it yours if you must!

2. By Cliff Hanger
   On September 23, 2006 at

   Punk sprung up in a lot of places, NY, DC, Boston and yes here in SO CAL.
   This is going to be a great movie. Showcasing Minor Threat, The Mats, Articles of Faith.
   This is what hardcore punk was all about. It was music done for those who listened and not for the record companies ala Green Day and Nirvana (sans Bleach which is what Nirvana should have stuck to instead of the major label crap they put out.
   It then spawned great NYHC and OCHC outfits like Token Entry, No For an Answer, etc.
   Most of you probably have no idea about these bands because you have been brainwashed on MTV and KROQ crap.

3. By Eden
   On September 24, 2006 at

   didn’t punk start in the UK with the Sex pistols?? Now, that was hardcore punk.
   Stage diving and slamming probably started in USA.
   Would love to know where Ms. Charlton got that pic. Great Pic !!

4. By I'm just a MINOR THREAT
   On September 24, 2006 at

   Eden,
   The picture is most likely taken from Bad Religions Compilation album
   http://www.amazon.com/80-85-Bad-Religion/dp/B000001IO0/sr=1-14/qid=1159132933/ref=sr_1_14/102-6546289-4634528?ie=UTF8&s=music

5. By Cody Sparks
   On September 24, 2006 at

   THE RAMONES!!!
   When is this coming out and where might we see it?
   Cody
   Norman, OK

6. By Kids Don't Follow
   On September 24, 2006 at

   It opens in NY and LA on the 29th. Not sure if it will get coverage in fly over country, unfortunately.

7. By eden
   On September 24, 2006 at

   I’m just a MINOR THREAT ,
   Thanks for that !! awesome

8. By Nicola
   On September 25, 2006 at

   Punk originated in Wales in the mid seventies. Soon spread to the rest of the UK. Remember the Sex Pistols and the Clash. Saw the Clash in concert 1978 on the pier in Hastings,Sussex,England.

9. By Anonymous
   On September 25, 2006 at

   True, the early forms of punk originated in England but was shaped and expanded on in the United States.

10. By Nicola
    On September 25, 2006 at

    I don’t think it was so much shaped in the U.S. as distorted.

11. By Nicola
    On September 25, 2006 at

    I don’t think it was so much shaped in the U.S. as distorted.

12. By Anonymous
    On September 25, 2006 at

    What do you mean Nicola? Punk is just a generic name for a type of music that expanded into different genres here. Hardcore punk, garage punk, straightedge, emopunk, etc etc.
    I do agree that punk was maligned by the lame stream press as it characterized it as a bunch of neo nazis which just the farthest thing from the truth. The neo nazi angle was popularized in movies and then the media ran with it. By far, the majority of the punk movement was against neo nazism etc.

13. By Pat
    On September 26, 2006 at

    I remember my old dad saying slam dancing was a Teddy Boy schtick in the 50’s. I remember playing some Black Flag for him in the late seventies and telling him it’s this new stuff called punk. He sniffed “oh, we called it rock and roll”!

14. By Anonymous
    On September 28, 2006 at

    Janet darling, I was part of the punk scene in LA at that time, knew many of the bands and the followers.
    Sorry, but the whole punk thing, and hardcore in particular started in the UK.
    And if I recall, you weren’t punk back then, and in the 80’s you were wearing a ridiculous GLOVE, a la Michael JACKSON, while I was still very much a punk rock girl.
    Sorry darling. Try again!
    BTW, if anyone wants to know what happened to THIS punk rock girl – it took a LONG time for me to grow up, unfortunately. Like many punks, we were lost and from divorced dysfunctional families.
    I’m now a housewife and have a great husband and drive an Audi. Thankfully, I never got tattoos. I live in a luxury apartment.
    A friend of mine though was a junkie, got HIV, lives in SF in her bf’s parent’s home.
    I’m 47 years old now.

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