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Glitter-Punk Revolution NOW!
A Study of Androgyny & Style in Punk Rock
Somewhere in the American Deep South, 1957: A young man sits in front of a mirror backstage at a seedy nightclub. His pompadour is stratospheric and his eyes are ringed with black liner. He's wearing a pink silk suit jacket and pegged black slacks with red piping down each leg. The tour manager announces that it's showtime and the band members all stand to leave for the stage. The young man can hear the MC at the mic as he approaches the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Georgia Peach his own self, LITTLE RICHARD!" And the crowd goes wild.
Rock and Roll has always been about defying convention, stripping life down to its red raw truth, and then shouting about it. ANY conviction held by those who would oppress us was ripe for the defying. During the 1950s a distinctive youth culture was born. Religious, sexual, and moral rules were gleefully broken down by greasy-haired guitar-slinging hoods. Even then, at the very beginning, in rock and rail's embryonic stages, androgyny — or, to be more specific, the rejection of traditional/stereotypical gender roles — was an open invitation to rebellion for bored kids.
Whether we're talking about Elvis Presley's heavy eyeliner and dyed black hair or the flat out bisexual histrionics of Little Richard and his mentor, the great Esquerita, we're talking about ROCK AND ROLL, rebellion, and the smashing of gender myths and social predjudices. Elvis Presley was the ultimate masculine rock and roll image, but his appeal to females was based in equal measure on his femininity, his wild unbridled no rules music, and his complicated and unfathomable religious convictions. Forever and ever (amen), rock and roll would reserve a hallowed place for those who would break the gender rules.
The'60s
The first great androgynous heroes in the '6os were undoubtedly Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the unstoppable Glimmer twins. Mick's appeal was largely based on his ability to anger homophobic policemen and government officials. He not only seemed female but seemed like a BLACK female, and he did this while singing some of the most superficially misogynistic lyrics ever penned, which is typical of great rock and roll-confusing, liberating and vulgar. As cool as Mick Jagger once was, it was Keith Richards who epitomized the brooding punk coolness that led a generation toward deviation. His shock of jet black hair, eyeliner-ringed heavy lidded eyes, and ever-present cigarette was an updated version of the style of his heroes, Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent. His slash and burn, bastardized blues guitar raping was the perfect antidote to all the hippy dippy "free love" hogwash that the late '6os were to be revered for by spineless rock historian types. Keith inspired even as he decomposed. THAT was great rock and roll. He was the very epitome of the male rock 'n' roll rebel, all decked out in his girlfriends' favorite blouses. Keith was the man, until...
Iggy Pop. A beautiful mess. Heavy psychedelics and a two-chord moronic thud beat. That was the Stooges. Imagine Chuck Berry if he was a suburban whiteboy wearing mom's lipstick and moaning about girls who were "not right" and chicks that had a "TV Eye" on him. Before glitter rock hit in the UK, Iggy was a natural freak in Detroit. Before Bowie made androgyny cute, Iggy was horrifying and enraging jocks and frat boys. THAT was great rock and roll.
The '7Os, Part One: All That Glitters Isn't Gay
Glitter Rock, the early Seventies' only real underground music, was a two-lane path. On one lane, you had the pop star wannabe, bubble-gum hit meisters like the Sweet and Gary Glitter, and on the other hand you had the raw rumbling noise that would become punk rock. Slade, Mott the Hoople, the NY Dolls, and Wayne County epitomized the real dirt poor, dirty-minded rock and roll that we all crave, even in these sterile times. These were real degenerates, some of them homosexuals, most of them not, some of them drug users, some of them deviants. Some of them could barely play their instruments, but all of them had something to say. Surely the best Glitter band was the New York Dolls. What were they? Transvestite womanizers obsessed with rockabilly and '6os girl groups. Great, insightful, intelligent lyric writers about depressed Manhattan kids, drugs and fast times, and rock and roll. Their two official LPs, "NY Dolls" and "Too Much Too Soon", were the best of a whole butt-load of classic rock 'n' roll records that came from the Glitter era. Life-changing slabs of wax like T. Rexs' "Tanx", Iggys' "Raw Power", Mott The Hooples' "All The Young Dudes", the Hollywood Brats' self-titled debut, and Alice Coopers' "Love It To Death" were the defining moments of this time period, while honorable mention goes to Silverhead, Wayne County, Slade, Ziggy/Bowie, and even early Kiss. All of them broke the rules to the glorious soundtrack of catchy 3-chord apocalypse, and THAT was great rock and roll. Unfortunately, during the mid-'7os the glitz took over and the bloat set in. Orchestras, mini operas, and boring overindulgence replaced energy and rebellion, and nobody cool cared about glitter anymore. It was time to reclaim rock n roll for the rock n rollers.
The '70s, Part Two: Crash Street Kids
Punk Rock, which originated simultaneously in the UK and US as far as anyone can tell, was not really about destroying rock and roll but rather celebrating what was truly great about rock and roll while ridding it of all the bloat and uselessness that the hippy generation and the glitter/indulgence years had instilled. This isn't a history of punk rock as such, as anyone reading this hopefully already knows all about Malcom McLaren, Richard Hell, and the Sex Pistols. The point is that ALL the rules were again being broken, and punk was a great time for cool, tough, make-up wearing rockers. The Damned's Dave Vanian, Slaughter & The Dogs, Teenage Head, the Boys, Menace, Darby Crash, Eater, Generation X, the Heartbreakers, the Cramps, the Rich Kids, the Misfits, the Weirdos, and more all wore make up, dyed their hair, and were as colorful and unconventional as possible. These were the pre-hardcore years, when being different was not only accepted but was actually the GOAL in punk rock circles. Males were encouraged by the images of the first wave punks to experiment with make up and hair dye while wearing leather jackets, tight jeans, and cool shoes. In short, the punk look was a return to the drop dead cool of the 50's rockers, with an even more blatant tendency towards androgyny. The sound was knife-edge sharp, poppy, and full of harsh energy, and the look was all flash and leather and eyeliner and color. THAT was great rock and roll.
The '80: Out Of The Closet
In the 80's it was hard to tell who was cool because almost EVERYONE looked punk, or at least had some kind of look happening. New Wave was the hit single-driven, acceptable side of the post punk fallout, while Goth was the refuge of the arty, depressed Joy Division/Bowie crowd. These genres both had a high androgyny content, and great bands like the Psychedelic Furs, Specimen, the Lords Of The New Church, and Flesh For Lulu effortlessly combined punk energy with New Wave melody and Goth darkness, topped off with Glam's traditional androgyny.
Rockabilly was resurfacing as "psychobilly", and bands like the Stray Cats wore make up with their pompadours and cat clothes. Meanwhile, bands like the Cramps and Gun Club used eyeliner, roots music, and horror imagery to obtain a chilling, intense effect.
Punk Rock still lived in the hearts and guitars of Social Distortion and the rest of the early hardcore scene. Mike Ness made the statement that most men didn't know how to apply eyeliner and he was certainly right, especially as the mid- to late 80s witnessed a more jock-like mentality creeping into punk rock. Homophobia and racism escalated, and violence became more and more common at punk shows. The colorful leather jacket and eyeliner imagery of punk was replaced by shaven heads and social conservatism. This was NOT great rock and roll. In England the Exploited and their ilk were also fostering a more violent and less tolerant/intelligent mentality, even though their bright mohawks and tight bondage trousers looked pretty glam to me.
In the States during the late 80s, the final nails were hammered into glitter's coffin by bands like Poison and Cinderella, who married glam imagery to heavy metalish pop. For the most part this was awful, and of course America bought it in droves. MTV was saturated with long-haired David Lee Roth lookalikes wearing lipstick and screaming ridiculously.
Yet there were some bands, even in this dubious era, that had that essential rock and roll fire that cannot be manufactured by a major record label or music video channel. The Babysitters, Hanoi Rocks, Soho Roses, the Dogs D'Amour, the Quireboys, and the Bounty Hunters all made punk-influenced glam rocking noise that was intelligent and full of world-weary soul. Most of these bands were European or, in the case of Hanoi Rocks and Smack, Finnish. Hanoi Rocks were the perfect collision of punk and the Stones, with a full-on glitter gypsy look that incorporated everything from Teddy Boy jackets and creepers to pink lipstick and spiked belts and cowboy hats. Their 1983 LP, "Back To Mystery City", was the best record of this era and the missing link between the Dolls and the Ramones. Perfectly GREAT rock and roll.
The 90s: Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay
Grunge was the first mainstream 90's trend, and since the grungers claimed punk as an influence in order to gain hip street cred, the major labels started signing punk bands. This made everyone who was still interested in punk pretty much vomit, but it also led to a worldwide resurgence of punk rock bands forming, playing gigs, and releasing records. Some turned to punk to cash in on the industry interest, and some did it to show the world how REAL punk should look and sound. Two of the finest early 90's punk bands were the Spent Idols and the Stitches, California's rock 'n' roll legends who knew the magic of a great song played loud by suave bastards in creepers and black nail polish. These bands, along with NYCs' awesome D-Generation and the UK's devastatingly influential Manic Street Preachers, ignited an avalanche of bands with the tunes and the style to distract those with soul from the mindless techno and rap metal that plagues us in the late '90s. Great Rock And Roll in the '90s is nothing more than Chuck Berry riffs, the suave cool of the Clash, eyeliner, to leather jackets, creepers, tight black jeans, and hair grease. Les Paul overdrive and black nail polish NEVER goes outta style, and the spirits of Johnny Thunders and Joe Strummer are still with us! The following is a list of the best new bands who understand the history of rock 'n' roll, and are offering the intelligent and discerning punk connoisseur something that is miles away from macho hardcore and useless pop punk.
GLITTER PUNK REVOLUTION NOW!
THE TRASH BRATS: Formed in 1987, these veteran punk glamsters are still vital and going strong. Their look is full-on '70s glam, but the sound is a buzzsaw pop punk guitar attack to rival the Buzzcocks and the Ramones. These guys have always played punk shows and never minded the hardcore jock crowd throwing beer cans at them, as long as they could play and get paid. This is true punk rock because they don't even begin to care what you think of them. They are exciting and write amazing tunes, and you need 'em now more than ever. They have several records out and twp CDs on Circumstantial Records.
LIBERTINE: Fronted by Belvy K., who did time as a teenage drummer in the UK Subs, 7 Seconds, and the first line up of DGeneration, These guys are the perfect synthesis of glam, punk, and the sharp songwriting of the Psychedelic Furs and Jesus and Mary Chain. It's a tough, moody sound, and the look is next to perfect. Creepers, spiky hair, eyeliner, and cowboy shirts. A perfect band for imperfect times. They tour constantly and have releases on Alive and Kado Records.
THE TOILET BOYS: Campy, trashy Wayne County-meets-Poison and Kiss-esque gimmick band. Transvestite lead singer and typical NYC rock guys in the band. Huge potential, keep an eye on 'em.
THE CHEMO KIDS: Crazy Ohio kids hellbent on cheap noise and destruction, sort of like a Pagans meeting Teenage Head at GG Allin's funeral. The look is spiky hair, stripy T-shirts, skinny ties, arid eyeliner. Releases on Pelado Records. Cannot miss with punk 'n' roll fans, and better than most of the Junk stable.
CHINESE TAKEAWAY: Wild poppy punk from Sweden. These guys and a girl write some of the best '77-style pop punk songs in recent years, and their dayglo, leopard print '77 punk image mixes well with eyeliner. Hugely influenced by Menace, the Damned, and Raped, with catchy Thunders-esque lead guitars throughout. Releases on New Lifeshark and Pelado Records.
THE BACKYARD BABIES: These Swedish rock 'n' roll kids are following in the footsteps of their idols, Hanoi Rocks. They're getting pretty big over here, and they deserve it given their synthesis of hard rock and punk. It's sort of a cross between Social D. and Guns And Roses! Records on CBS import.
MORAL CRUX: Like the Trash Brats these guys have been around forever and should be HUGE. Frontman James Farris is an androgynous spiky-haired cross between Billy idol and Hanoi Rocks' Mike Monroe, and he writes political lyrics worthy of Joe Strummer. The tunes have that great Ramonesy '77-type sound. Releases on Panic Button Records.
THE UPSETS: Awesome California punk 'n' roll band a la the Dead Boys and MC5. They have that Johnny Thunders style down, along with hard, punchy tunes similar to great forgotten LA Glam band Motorcycle Boy. Releases on TKO Records.
THE DEAD END CRUISERS: Certainly the tougher side of the new wave of old punk, but glamorous enough to have covered a Demolition 23 tune on their debut album on TKO Records. A great band in the Clash tradition, with a hint of English glitter punk style.
THE BEAT ANGELS: Perhaps the greatest power pop band on the planet earth, these guys combine a Johnny Thunders-style look with a Clash-meets-Bay City Rollers pop sound. Their lyrics are a bittersweet view of the gutter a la Kerouac and Bukowski. If you dug the Clash for their melody, you'll love this band. CDs on Epiphany Records.
THE WEAKLINGS: One of the better bands on Junk Records, these guys are a "Raw Power"era Stooges-meet-modern-hard rock-style punk like Electric Frankenstein. The singer slashes his skinny chest with sharp objects a la Iggy, and the guitar attack is lethal.
BLADDER, BLADDER, BLADDER: Relocated British icons of cool, more gritty than glittery, but they did have the suss to cover the Babysitters glam-punk classic, "Everybody Loves You When You're Dead". Also dig this wisdom from the back of one of their Pelado Records singles: "a punk puts on plenty of eye make up for special punk occasions." Amen, brothers.
NEW WAVE HOOKERS: Their debut Junk Records CD had them paying homage to the Dolls via their cover photo and, even more so, in the tunes. The singer is a guttural shouter in the David Jo mode and the band rocks with power and more melody than most Junk bands.
THE DRAGONS: THE best band on Junk by far, these guys mix the Replacements' sad romanticism with the Dolls' swagger and '77 punk pummel. The singer is related to a member of Cali punk legends the Zeros, and this band is an instant classic in much the same way. It must run in the family.
THE STRYCHNINE BABIES: These make up wearing degenerates sound more like the Misfits than Hanoi Rocks, but their bad attitudes and cool style place them firmly in this round-up. Single on American Punk Records.
There you have it, your true alternative music. Are you sick of Oi, swing, and hardcore? Are ska and rap metal getting you down? Are all those sleaze/cowboy/punk bands just a little too tuneless for you? Glitter Punk Revolution now! Buy a cheap pair of creepers, spike your hair, put on your girlfriends' eyeliner, and LET'S GO!
About the Author: Chaz Halo sings & plays guitar in The Dimestore Haloes, a notorious glam-punk band from Boston, MA. They have releases on Pelado, Junk, and American Punk Records.
(Originally published in Hit List, September/October 1999. Volume 1, Number 4.)
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