One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock

Was punk DIY? Is DIY punk? Interrogating the DIY/punk nexus, with particular reference to the early UK punk scene, c. 1976–1984

“…Secondly, the vast majority of punk bands used absolutely conventional manufactured instrumentation, whether bought, borrowed, or stolentheir guitars, basses, drums, and mics were not made by them. Even when they stole ità la Sex Pistols, from David Bowie, Rod Stewart (Savage, 1992: 75) or the Rolling Stones (Laing, 1985: 14) their equipment was the same as earlier rock bands, literally in these instances. Others specifically chose their brands of instruments for their historic resonance, that is, with the express purpose of displaying their connection with, rather than the distance from, earlier music.…”

Right time, right place

“…Folk discourse is a view of popular music that understands the commercial world, the industrialisation of production, mediation and consumption of music as inimical to music's true function as a social process that both emerges from and produces community. One of the key constructions of punk 'authenticity' is that it represents music of the people, for the people, regardless of evidence to the contrary (Laing, 1985). Access to the British Library's main atrium area is free, with its hundreds of desk spaces used daily by local and visiting students, scholars and general readers.…”