The term
anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some use the term more broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, including
crust punkCrust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
,
d-beatD-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers. The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
,
folk punkFolk punk , is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was pioneered by the London-based Irish band The Pogues in the 1980s...
,
hardcore punkHardcore punk, often just called hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated primarily in North America in the late 1970s. The new sound was generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock...
,
Garage punkGarage punk is a rock music fusion of garage rock and punk rock. It is fast-paced, lo-fi music characterised by angular, choppy guitar sounds — usually played by bands who are on independent record labels or who are unsigned. Common lyrical themes range from cars, girls, school, toilet humor, sex,...
(The International Noise Conspiracy) or ska-punk (
Leftöver CrackLeftöver Crack is an American ska punk band formed in 1999, following the breakup of the ska punk band Choking Victim. Primarily playing an amalgam of ska punk, and death metal with anarchist lyrics, they classify themselves as "Crack Rock Steady." The band is currently signed to Fat Wreck Chords...
)
History
Prehistory (1965-77)
Some
protopunkProtopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of music artists who were important precursors of the punk rock movement of the mid-1970s and later, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential....
bands of the late 1960s had anarchist members, such as the German blues rock band
Ton Steine ScherbenTon Steine Scherben was one of the first and most influential German language rock bands of the 1970s and early 1980s. Well-known for the highly political and emotional lyrics of vocalist Rio Reiser, they became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements, such as the squatting movement, during...
and English bands connected to the
UK undergroundThe UK underground was a countercultural movement in the United Kingdom linked to the underground culture in the United States and associated with the hippie phenomenon. Its primary focus was around Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill in London...
, such as
HawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock....
,
Pink FairiesThe Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as free outside the gates at the Isle of Wight pop festival,...
, The Deviants and the
Edgar Broughton BandThe Edgar Broughton Band, founded in 1968 in Warwick, England, is an English progressive rock group.-Career:The band started their career as a blues group under the name of The Edgar Broughton Blues Band, playing to a dedicated but limited following in the region around their hometown of Warwick...
. These bands, along with Detroit's
MC5KICK OUT THE JAMS The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan in 1964 and active until 1972. They played hard rock music that also included blues-rock, psychedelic rock, rock & roll and garage rock...
, set a precedent for mixing radical politics with rock music, and established the idea of rock as agent of social and political change in the public consciousness (though the MC5 were socialists). Other precursors to anarcho-punk include avant-garde art and political movements such as
FluxusFluxus—a name taken from a Latin word meaning "to flow"—is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s. They have been active in Neo-Dada noise music and visual art as well as literature, urban planning,...
,
DadaDada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zürich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
, the
Beat generationThe Beat Generation is a term used to describe a group of American writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, and the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired...
, England's
angry young men"Angry young men" is a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. The group's leaders included John Osborne and Kingsley Amis. The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John Osborne's...
(such as
Joe OrtonJohn Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
), the
surrealismSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
-inspired Situationist International, the May 1968 uprising in Paris, and the CND. The
hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district...
counter-culture was a significant influence on anarcho-punk.
Jello BiafraEric Reed Boucher , more widely known by the stage name Jello Biafra, is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
of the
Dead KennedysThe Dead Kennedys was an American punk band, formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. Pioneers of hardcore punk during the 1980s, the band gained a large underground following in the international punk music scene....
has cited the
YippiesThe Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was a more radically youth-oriented and countercultural offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s. It was founded in 1968. They employed theatrical gestures — such as advancing a pig as a candidate for...
as an influence on his activism and thinking.
Post 1977
A surge of popular interest in
anarchismAnarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state, as compulsory government, to be unnecessary, harmful, and/or undesirable, and favors the absence of the state ....
occurred during the 1970s in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
following the birth of
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, in particular the Situationist-influenced graphics of
Sex PistolsThe Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They are responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
artist
Jamie ReidJamie Reid is a British artist and anarchist with connections to the Situationists. His work, featuring letters cut from newspaper headlines in the style of a ransom note, came close to defining the image of punk rock, particularly in the UK...
, as well as that band's first single, "Anarchy in the UK." However, while the early punk scene appropriated anarchist imagery mainly for its shock or comedy value or at best as a desire for hedonist personal freedom,
CrassCrass were an English punk band, formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularized the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
may have been the first punk band to expound serious anarchist and
pacifistPacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
ideas. The concept of anarcho-punk was quickly picked up on by bands like
Flux of Pink IndiansFlux Of Pink Indians were an anarcho-punk/post punk band that originated from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.-Biography:The band formed from the remaining members of the Epileptics by Colin Latter and Derek Birkett with guitarists Andy Smith,...
and
ConflictConflict are an English anarcho-punk band originally based around Eltham in South London. Formed in 1981, the band's original line up consisted of: Colin Jerwood , Francisco 'Paco' Carreno , Big John , Steve , Pauline , Paul aka 'Nihilistic Nobody' . Their first release was the ep "The House That...
.
As the 1980s progressed, two new punk styles evolved out of anarcho-punk:
d-beatD-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers. The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
and
crust punkCrust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
. D-beat was a faster, more brutal form of punk music, and was created by bands like
DischargeDischarge is a British punk rock band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and mixing punk with metal...
and
the VarukersThe Varukers are a UK hardcore punk band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin, which produced its most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band are one of the first to play in the musical style of the hardcore punk band Discharge, known as D-beat...
and Diatribe from San Diego. Crust punk mixed anarcho-punk with an
extreme metalExtreme metal is an umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined, for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s...
sound, and was pioneered by bands such as
AntisectAntisect were an anarcho-punk band formed in 1982 in Daventry, Northamptonshire, UK. Their debut album, In Darkness There is No Choice, was released in 1983 on Flux Of Pink Indians' Spiderleg Records label and reached number 4 in the indie album charts...
,
SacrilegeSacrilege were a female-fronted thrash metal band from the Midlands region of England. Despite having played relatively few gigs during their existence, Sacrilege are today recognised as an important band; both as an influence on later heavy metal and doom metal bands, and as an example of the...
and
AmebixAmebix are an English crust punk band. Formed as "The Band with No Name," Amebix's original run was from 1978 to 1987, during which time they released three EPs and two full-length LPs...
. Somewhat later on in the 1980s,
grindcoreGrindcore, sometimes shortened to grind, is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk.Grindcore is characterized by...
developed out of anarcho-punk. Similar to
crust punkCrust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
, but even more musically extreme,
grindcoreGrindcore, sometimes shortened to grind, is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk.Grindcore is characterized by...
employed blast beats and incomprehensible
death growlA death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, unclean vocals, among other names, is a vocalization style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres...
s.
GrindcoreGrindcore, sometimes shortened to grind, is an extreme music genre that emerged during the mid–1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk.Grindcore is characterized by...
was pioneered by bands such as
Napalm DeathNapalm Death are an English extreme metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1981. The band was formed in the village of Meriden , England in May 1981 by Nicholas Bullen and Miles Ratledge....
and
Extreme Noise TerrorExtreme Noise Terror are an British crust punk/grindcore band originally formed in Ipswich, England in 1985. The band are widely considered one of the earliest and most influential European grindcore bands, and particularly the forefathers of the crustgrind subgenre.Notable for one of the earliest...
. Parallel to the development of these sub-genres, many bands in the American
hardcore punkHardcore punk, often just called hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated primarily in North America in the late 1970s. The new sound was generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock...
scene adopted anarcho-punk ideology, including
MDCMDC is an American hardcore punk band formed in Austin, Texas in 1979.MDC originally formed as The Stains before changing their name. Playing hyperspeed punk rock associated with far left sociopolitical issues has earned the band close association with Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys, as well...
and
Reagan YouthReagan Youth is an American punk band started by singer Dave Rubinstein and his friend and guitarist Paul Bakija in Queens in early 1980. They have been labeled a peace punk band, but are more commonly cited as a pivotal band in introducing the style of hardcore punk to the East Coast punk scene....
.
Simultaneously, anarcho-punk began to fuse with elements of the
new age travellersThe New Age Travelers are a group of people who often espouse New Age and/or hippie beliefs, and who travel between music festivals and fairs in the United Kingdom in order to live in a community with others who hold similar beliefs. Their transport and homes consist of vans, lorries, buses and...
movement and neo-
hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district...
s, as well as the older political
squattingSquatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use. Squatting is significantly more common in urban areas than rural areas, especially when urban decay occurs...
scene. Consequently, elements of
folk musicThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
,
countryCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
,
spoken wordSpoken word is a form of literary art or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. The category of spoken-word that is often done with a musical background is performance poetry...
, traditional Irish music and
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
were being incorporated by diverse performers such as Annie Anxiety,
The Men They Couldn't HangThe Men They Couldn't Hang are a British rock band whose mixture of folk and punk is not dissimilar to that of The Pogues .The original group consisted of Stefan Cush , Paul Simmonds ,...
and The Levellers. By the end of the 1980s, the emerging
raveRave or rave party is a term first used in the 1980s and 90s to describe dance parties with fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties DJs and other performers play Electronic Dance Music...
culture had an influence on anarcho-punk, with travelling sound systems such as
Spiral TribeSpiral Tribe is a free party soundsystem which existed in the first half of the 1990s, and became active again in 2007. The collective originated in west London and later travelled across Europe and North America. According to one member, the name came to him when he was at work, staring at a...
, Jiba system and the
Bedlam sound systemBedlam Sound System was founded in Dalston, East London in 1992. It was a free tekno sound system run by Steve Bedlam and four other people. The first parties were organised in early 1992 and later that year Bedlam was present at the Castlemorton Common Festival.The Sound System then became well...
. Another related off-shoot is the UK travelling crusty scene, with bands such as
Back To The Planet- History:Back To The Planet formed while squatting together in Peckham, south east London in 1989, and attracted a dedicated following throughout the early nineties. They played four consecutive Glastonbury festivals and played many free festivals, including the Deptford Urban Free Festival and...
and
Radical Dance FactionRadical Dance Faction were a band from Berkshire, England.- History :Radical Dance Faction were founded by Chris Bowsher in Hungerford in 1986, and were originally known as 'Military Surplus'. The band experienced many line up changes, with at least eighteen different people having being part of...
playing
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based...
/
danceThis article is about dance music in general. You may also be looking for electronic dance music or dance-pop.Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
-tinged punk.
By the 2000s, anarcho-punk had become more musically diverse than in the 1970s. In addition to previously established sub-genres, anarcho-punk encompasses
punk bluesPunk blues denotes a rock music fusion of punk rock and blues rock. Punk blues musicians and bands may incorporate elements of related subgenres, such as protopunk music or blues-rock....
artists like Darren Deicide,
pop punkPop punk is a fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. It is typically referred to as a strand of alternative rock that combines power-pop melodies and chord changes with speedy punk tempos and loud guitars...
artists such as Girlband and the
Bus Station LooniesThe Bus Station Loonies are a 'cabaret punk' band from Plymouth, UK. They have been described as a cross between Dead Kennedys, Undertones, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band....
,
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
influenced
PropagandhiPropagandhi is a Canadian punk band formed in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 1986 by Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky. The band is currently located in Winnipeg, Manitoba....
, New Wave performers such as
Honey BaneHoney Bane is an English singer and actress, possibly best known for her 1981 UK Top 30 single "Turn Me On Turn Me Off"....
and
folk punkFolk punk , is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was pioneered by the London-based Irish band The Pogues in the 1980s...
bands such as
The WeakerthansThe Weakerthans are an award-winning four-piece Canadian indie rock band that blends punk rock with folk rock.-History:...
. Some anarcho-punk bands incorporate
indie rockIndie rock is a genre of rock music that originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. The term is often used to describe the means of production and distribution of independent underground music, as well as the style of music that was first associated with this means of...
or
indie popIndie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s such as Orange Juice and Josef K and the dominant UK independent band of the mid eighties, The Smiths...
, such as the
Nation of UlyssesThe Nation of Ulysses was a post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. The band formed in Spring 1988 with four members and was known as simply "Ulysses." The original group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner on guitar, Steve Gamboa on bass guitar, and James Canty on drums...
,
Blyth PowerBlyth Power are a British rock band formed in 1983 by singer/drummer Joseph Porter, formerly of Zounds and The Mob.Blyth Power's music shows strong influences from punk rock and folk music, and the band members have described their sound as a cross between The Clash, Steeleye Span and The Rubettes...
and
The (International) Noise ConspiracyThe Noise Conspiracy is a rock band formed in Sweden in the late months of 1998. The line-up consists of Dennis Lyxzén , Inge Johansson , Lars Strömberg , and Ludwig Dahlberg . Up until 2004-05 guitarist/organist/keyboardist Sara Almgren was also a member of the band...
. Bands such as
AxiomIn traditional logic, an axiom or postulate is a proposition that is not proved or demonstrated but considered to be either self-evident, or subject to necessary decision...
,
DestroyDestroy was a Minneapolis crust punk band. Destroy originally formed sometime in 1988, and broke up in the spring of 1994.Vocalist Felix Havoc founded Havoc Records in 1992 as a vehicle for Destroy's Burn this Racist System Down 7" EP.-Members:...
and
DisruptDisrupt is an American anarchist crust punk and grindcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Although they only released one official album , the band acquired a cult following on the strength of several 7-inch EPs and compilation appearances.Members of the band have gone on to play in...
have fused the grindcore and
crust punkCrust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
sounds.
Digital HardcoreDigital hardcore is a music genre fusing elements of hardcore punk and various forms of electronic music. It developed in Germany during the early 1990s.-Characteristics:...
often takes an anarchist stance in their lyrics, as typified by genre pioneers
Atari Teenage RiotAtari Teenage Riot was a German digital hardcore group formed in Berlin in 1992. Highly political, they fused anarchist, anti-fascist and anti-Nazi views with punk vocals and the newly emerging techno sound called digital hardcore, which is a term band member Alec Empire used as the name of his...
. Digital hardcore mixes punk (and sometimes rap) vocals with elements of many different genres, mainly
hardcore technoHardcore is a style of electronic music that originated in the early-to-mid-1990s in multiple locations including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the UK...
,
thrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression. Thrash metal songs typically use fast, percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work. Thrash metal lyrics often deal with social issues using direct and denunciatory...
, and
noise musicNoise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
. One of the earliest precedents for this diversification were
Rudimentary PeniRudimentary Peni are a British anarcho-punk band. Culling influence from many different musical genres, as well as other aspects of culture, they are known as one of the most diverse and original groups to emerge from the punk scene...
and
TSOLTSOL are an American punk band which formed in 1979 in Long Beach, California. TSOL is short for True Sounds of Liberty although they are rarely referred to by their full name....
, who eventually became pigeon-holed as
deathrockDeathrock or deathpunk is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...
acts (there is some overlap between anarcho-punk and deathrock, even though the latter is largely
apoliticalThe state or quality of being apolitical can be the apathy and/or the antipathy towards all political affiliations. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased position in regard to political matters.-References:...
).
Beliefs
Anarcho-punk bears very close resemblance to
anarchism without adjectivesAnarchism without adjectives , in the words of historian George Richard Esenwein, "referred to an unhyphenated form of anarchism, that is, a doctrine without any qualifying labels such as communist, collectivist, mutualist, or individualist. For others, .....
, in that it involves the cooperation of various different forms of anarchism. Some anarcho-punks are
anarcha-feministsAnarcha-feminism combines anarchism with feminism. It generally views patriarchy as a manifestation of involuntary hierarchy. Anarcha-feminists believe that the struggle against patriarchy is an essential part of class struggle, and the anarchist struggle against the State...
(e.g.
Poison GirlsThe Poison Girls were an English anarcho-punk band. The female singer/guitarist, Vi Subversa, was a middle-aged mother of two at the band's inception, and wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles, usually from an anarchist perspective...
), while others were
anarcho-syndicalistsAnarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Syndicalisme is a French word, ultimately derived from the Greek, meaning "trade unionism" hence, the "syndicalism" qualification. Syndicalism is an alternative co-operative economic system...
(e.g. Exit-Stance). The Psalters are an anarcho-punk band with an affiliation with
Christian anarchismChristian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine anarchism with Christianity. Christian anarchists believe that freedom is justified spiritually through the teachings of Jesus. This has caused them to be critical of government and Church authority. Some believe all individuals can...
.
Post-left anarchyPost-left anarchy is a recent current in anarchist thought that promotes a critique of anarchism's relationship to traditional leftism. Some post-leftists seek to escape the confines of ideology in general...
is common within modern anarcho-punk.
CrimethInc.CrimethInc., also known as CWC , is a decentralized anarchist collective of autonomous cells. CrimethInc. emerged in the mid-1990s – initially as the hardcore zine Inside Front – and began operating as a collective in 1996...
, one of the major proponents of post-leftism, is strongly connected to the anarcho-punk movement.
Class WarClass War was a UK class struggle based group and newspaper originally set up by Ian Bone and others in 1983. It subsequently mutated various forms, becoming specifically anarchist.- Origins and stance :...
is a British post-left federation with close ties to the anarcho-punk movement. Many anarcho-punks are supporters of issues such as
animal rightsAnimal rights, also referred to as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of humans...
,
racial equalityRacial equality refers to social equality for people of different races. It is a stated goal of most current political movements. The divergence of any particular society from a state of racial equality is often contested by members of that society of different races.-See...
, anti-
homophobiaHomophobia is defined as an "irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals", or individuals perceived to be homosexual; it is also defined as "unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals and homosexuality", "fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay...
,
feminismThe term Feminism can be used to describe an academic discourse, or to describe a political, cultural or economic movement aimed at establishing more rights and legal protection for women...
,
environmentalismEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment...
, worker's
autonomyAutonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it refers to the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
, the
anti-warThe term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many activists...
movement, and the anti-globalisation movement.
Anarcho-punks have criticized the flaws of the
punk movementThe punk subculture is a subculture based around punk rock. It includes music, ideologies, fashion, visual art, dance, literature and film. The punk scene is composed of an assortment of smaller factions that distinguish themselves from one another through unique variations...
and the wider youth culture in general. Bands like
CrassCrass were an English punk band, formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularized the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and
Dead KennedysThe Dead Kennedys was an American punk band, formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. Pioneers of hardcore punk during the 1980s, the band gained a large underground following in the international punk music scene....
have written songs that attack corporate co-option of the punk subculture, people who are deemed to have sold out, and the violence between punks,
skinheadA skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s,
B-boyA b-boy or break-boy is a male dancer who practices breaking or b-boying, the original hip-hop dance style. Equal terms for this are b-girl, to refer to a female who practices breaking, and breaker which is gender neutral...
s and other youth subcultures and within punk itself. Some anarcho-punks are
straight edgeStraight Edge refers to a lifestyle and youth movement that started within the hardcore punk subculture whose adherents make a lifetime commitment to refrain from drinking alcohol, using tobacco products, and taking any recreational drugs...
, claiming that
alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. An important group of acohols is formed by the simple acyclic alcohols, the general formula for which is C
nH
2n+1OH...
,
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or...
, drugs and promiscuity are instruments of oppression and are self-destructive because they cloud the mind and wear down a person's resistance to other types of oppression. Some crust punks also condemn the waste of land, water and resources necessary to grow crops to make alcohol, tobacco and drugs, forfeiting the potential to grow and manufacture food. Some may be straight edge for religious reasons, such as in the case of Christian,
MuslimAlthough anarchists commonly reject organized religion , there have been numerous traditions within Islam that can be interpreted as anarchist in nature. For instance, Peter Lamborn Wilson describes the Hashshashin movement, also called the Assassins, as a proto-anarchist community...
,
BuddhistSome observers believe certain Buddhist teachings form a philosophical ground for anarchism.-Inferences drawn from the Three Universal Truths:Buddhism is rooted in three fundamental truths of the universe, the dharma seals, viz.:...
or
Hare KrishnaThe Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra , is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra which first appears in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, and which from the 16th century rises to importance in the Bhakti movement following the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.According...
anarcho-punks (see
Anarchism and religionAnarchists have traditionally been skeptical of and opposed to organized religion. Many organized religions are hierarchical and are aligned with contemporary power structures similar to those found in state hierarchies...
for more background).
Although Crass initially espoused
pacifismPacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war;...
, this is not necessarily the case for all anarcho-punks. Despite the broader punk subculture's reactionary antagonism towards
hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district...
s, the ideals of the hippie counterculture were an influence on anarcho-punk. Crass were explicit regarding their associations with the hippie counterculture, and this influence has also carried over to
crust punkCrust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
.
Direct action
Anarcho-punks universally believe in direct action, although the way in which this manifests itself varies greatly. Despite their differences in strategy, anarcho-punks often co-operate with each other. Many anarcho-punks are pacifists (e.g.
CrassCrass were an English punk band, formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularized the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and
DischargeDischarge is a British punk rock band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and mixing punk with metal...
) and therefore believe in using non-violent means of achieving their aims. These include peaceful protest,
refusal of workRefusal of work is a concept that has been advocated at various times by many social activist groups, mostly located on the libertarian left. The concept is associated with Marxism - and especially the Marxism of the Italian workerist/autonomist tradition and the French ultra-left Refusal of work...
,
squattingSquatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use. Squatting is significantly more common in urban areas than rural areas, especially when urban decay occurs...
, economic
sabotageSabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions...
,
dumpster divingDumpster diving is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but which may be useful to the dumpster diver...
,
graffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
,
culture jammingCulture jamming is a tactic in which an activist attempts to disrupt or subvert mainstream cultural institutions or corporate advertising. Culture jamming is usually employed in opposition to a perceived appropriation of public space, or as a reaction against social conformity...
,
ecotageEcotage is a portmanteau of the "eco-" prefix and "sabotage". It is used to describe illegal acts of vandalism and violence, committed in the name of environmental protection. As a term it goes back to 1972 and predates the more recent neologism eco-terrorism...
,
freeganismFreeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources"...
,
boycottA boycott is a form of consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons.-Etymology:...
ing,
civil disobedienceCivil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical violence. It is one of the primary methods of nonviolent resistance...
,
hacktivismHacktivism is "the nonviolent use of illegal or legally ambiguous digital tools in pursuit of political ends...
and
subvertisingSubvertising refers to the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements in order to make a statement. This can take the form of a new image or an alteration to an existing image...
. Some anarcho-punks believe that violence or property damage is an acceptable way of achieving social change (e.g.
ConflictConflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests. A conflict can be internal to individuals. Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social disagreement, conflicts of interests, and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations...
and
D.O.A.D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, BC. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to the second wave of the American punk...
). This manifests itself as
riotA riot is a form of civil disorder characterized by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against people or property. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are typically chaotic and exhibit herd behavior.Riots often occur in reaction to a...
ing,
vandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, wire cutting,
assaultAssault is a crime of violence against another person. In some jurisdictions, including Australia and New Zealand, assault refers to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, while in other jurisdictions, such as the United States, assault may refer only to the threat...
,
hunt sabotageHunt sabotage is the direct action that animal rights or animal welfare activists do to interfere with hunting activity.Anti-hunting campaigners are divided into those who believe in direct intervention and those who watch the hunt to monitor for cruelty and report violations of animal welfare laws...
, participation in
Animal Liberation FrontThe Animal Liberation Front is a name used internationally by animal liberation activists who engage in direct action on behalf of animals. This includes removing animals from laboratories and fur farms and sabotaging various facilities...
- or
Earth Liberation FrontThe Earth Liberation Front , also known as "Elves" or "The Elves", is the collective name for anonymous and autonomous individuals or covert cells who, according to the ELF Press Office, use "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment"...
-style activities, and in extreme cases, bombings. Many anarchists dispute the applicability of the term "violence" to describe destruction of property. Destruction of property etc. is done not to control an individual or institution but to take its control away.
Some anarcho-punks, notably in North America, have sought to use the electoral process in order to bring their respective areas closer to
anarchismAnarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state, as compulsory government, to be unnecessary, harmful, and/or undesirable, and favors the absence of the state ....
, although none of them walked for office as members of an anarchist party. Notable anarcho-punks who have run for office include
Dead KennedysThe Dead Kennedys was an American punk band, formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. Pioneers of hardcore punk during the 1980s, the band gained a large underground following in the international punk music scene....
frontman
Jello BiafraEric Reed Boucher , more widely known by the stage name Jello Biafra, is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
for mayor of San Francisco; T.S.O.L. singer
Jack GrishamJack Grisham is an American rock musician, raconteur and aspiring politician. He is the vocalist for the punk band T.S.O.L. , which emerged from the 1980s Los Angeles punk rock scene, along with Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Social Distortion. Grisham has also fronted the bands The Joykiller, Tender...
, for governor of
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
(he became disillusioned with anarchism and became a social democrat); and
D.O.A.D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, BC. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Their second album Hardcore '81 was thought by many to have been the first actual reference to the second wave of the American punk...
lead singer Joey Shithead. Jello Biafra, argues that humans are not ready for anarchy, and that some form of government is needed until certain social changes are implemented. Many anarcho-punks vote, and several anarcho-punks, such as Jello Biafra, and
Thought RiotThought Riot was an American hardcore punk band from California's Central Valley. The band was composed of intellectual young people, pushing progressive political ideas through their lyrics...
have expressed support for
Ralph NaderRalph Nader is an American attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, and former candidate for President of the United States. He ran as an independent candidate in 2004 and 2008, and a Green Party candidate in 1996 and 2000. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection,...
and the Green Party.
DIY punk ethic
Many anarcho-punk bands subscribe to a
do-it-yourself ethicThe DIY ethic refers to the ethic of being self-reliant by completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for you. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
. A popular anarcho-punk slogan is "
DIYDo it yourself is a term used to describe the creation, alteration or reparation of something without the aid of experts or professionals...
not
EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
," a conscious rejection of a major record company. Many anarcho-punk bands were showcased on the
Bullshit Detector series of LPs released by
Crass RecordsCrass Records is an independent record label which was set up by the anarchist punk band Crass.-Overview and history:Prior to the formation of Crass, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher had published their creative works via their own Dial House based Exitstencil Press...
and Resistance Productions between 1980 and 1994. Some anarcho-punk performers were part of the
cassette cultureCassette culture refers to the trading of home-made audio cassettes, usually of rock or alternative music. The culture was in part an offshoot of the mail art movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, it owed a lot to the DIY ethic of punk...
. In this way, an attempt was made to bypass the traditional recording and distribution routes, with recordings often being made available in exchange for a blank tape and a self-addressed envelope. The anarcho-punk movement had its own network of
fanzineA fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
s or
punk zineA punk zine is a zine devoted to punk culture, most often punk rock music, bands, or the DIY punk ethic. Punk zines are the most likely place to find punk literature....
s which disseminated news, ideas and
artworkThe visual arts are art forms that focus on the creation of works which are primarily visual in nature, such as traditional plastic arts , modern visual arts , and design and crafts...
from the scene. These were DIY productions, tending to be produced in runs of hundreds at most, although there were exceptions such as
Toxic Grafity.The zines were printed on
photocopierA photocopier is a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply. Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process using heat...
s or duplicator machines, and distributed by hand at punk concerts and through the mail.
Musical style and aesthetics
Generally speaking anarcho-punk bands play fast songs that are less focused on musical delivery than the average punk band is. The message is considered to be much more important than the music. It is not uncommon for anarcho-punk songs to lack the usual structure of verses and a chorus. One of the bands to take this to the extreme was
CrassCrass were an English punk band, formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularized the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
with their release
Yes Sir, I WillYes Sir, I Will, released by Crass in 1983 , was the band's penultimate 'official' album. The record consists of one continuous piece of music spread over the two sides of the original vinyl release , making it the longest punk song ever recorded , although this is intercut with two brief...
, a raging and almost free-form improvised musical backing over which the lyrics are shouted. However, there are exceptions to this. For example, later
ChumbawambaChumbawamba is an English band. Over a 27-year career, the band plays music ranging from pop-influenced dance music, a cappella/choral music and world music to acoustic folk music....
songs were more pop oriented and had a pop song structure that made their message more accessible, even gaining chart hits in the process.
With these exceptions, anarcho-punk is stylistically diverse with bands having different musical aesthetics. Folk-punk bands break with punk convention by performing ballads and traditional folk songs, often with acoustic and folk instrumentation. Some anarcho-punk bands even subvert regular pop song structures, lyrics and pop corn conventions either for artistic reasons and/or also to show how these are part of a repressive system of production and culture.
See also
- Anarchism and the arts
Anarchism has long had an association with the arts, particularly in music and literature. It shares these traits with other political movements, such as socialism, communism, liberalism, libertarianism and even fascism....
- Anarchist symbolism
While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of symbols to political movement, they have embraced certain symbols for their cause, including most prominently the circle-A and the black flag...
- Crust punk
Crust punk is one of the evolutions of anarcho-punk and hardcore punk, mixed with extreme metal guitar riffs. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in the UK, often had songs with dark, pessimistic lyrics, lingering on political and social issues.Crust is typically played at a fast tempo with...
- Punk ideology
Punk ideologies are a group of varied social and political beliefs associated with the punk subculture. In its original incarnation, the punk subculture was primarily concerned with concepts such as rebellion, anti-authoritarianism, individualism, free thought and discontent...
- List of anarcho-punk bands
- List of anarchist musicians
- List of subcultures
External links