Punk. London: A year-long celebration of four decades of punk
- Text by Joshua Gabert-Doyon
- Photography by Punks hanging out on the Kings Road, London, 1983. ©Ted Polhemus, PYMCA
A year-long festival of music, art, tattoos, writing, and film looking back at 40 years of punk kicked off this week at The 100 Club. The Punk. London festival takes place throughout the city to celebrate the birth of punk in 1976.
“Punk is about individuality, empowerment and freedom – it’s a liberating attitude towards work, life and art. Punk’s DIY ethos taught me that a good idea attempted is better is than a bad idea perfected,” says Don Letts, the British film director, DJ and musician who’ll be presenting a season of films on punk this summer at the BFI. “But in a cultural climate that feels like punk never happened the more pertinent question is – where is Punk today?”
Don Letts at the Punk.London Launch Party – Photo by Derek Bremner
It’s a good question to ask – while the festival focuses on the history of punk – photography from the good old days, the evolution of punk fashion and the early days of punk’s print culture – there’s also an emphasis placed on the up and comers. Rough Trade (which opened in 1976) is throwing a series of in-store and venue gigs.
There’s also gigs planned for London Fashion Week in late February, and a Punk Weekender at The Roundhouse, featuring music and spoken word performances, including a Women in Punk day put on by the British Museum.
The Clash © Jill Furmanovsky/rockarchive.com
Other highlights from the festival are photo exhibits by Janette Beckman (Punk Rock Hip Hop Mash-Up at the Chelsea College of Art Milbank Gallery), Jill Furmanovsky (Rockarchive’s A Chuck of Punk at Barbican Music Library), and Derek Ridgers, Anita Corbin and the PYMCA Archive showing together for a Punk Weekender at the Photographer’s Gallery.
For a full schedule visit www.punk.london
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