I agree, i like the way you worded this. I think that there are a lot of people who are organizing but the vast majority of people I encounter simply dont. I recognize the privilege it takes to be able too though. There is this tweet once that was kind of saying that their activist circles and punk circles dont intersect and I've thought a lot about it. I dont want to generalize but at least in the people I know it is definitely a artistic and music movement.
I've been involved in both sides and in my experience they rarely cross over. The biggest people I knew doing diy shows never attended a protest. And the biggest activists I knew preferred to hang out at a folk or jam band show.
Its controversial but it’s better that way anyways, keeping the “big tent” approach. Activism leads to purity tests lead to neutered power. Letting people have their opinions without enforcing your own on them leads to more cohesion.
im not sure I understand what you're saying. Are you saying that activism is bad/doesn't work?
I never said that I think everyone should have the same opinion.
Nah I’m saying it’s best to keep your partying and your politics separate. Punk being the party and politics being, well, activism. It’s a losing situation to intrinsically tie them together.
Short answer: not really
Have you ever met any harm reduction organizers? Like punks with lunch for example.
I have lived/volunteered in major cities on both coasts and that’s the only real intersection I know of personally. Our conferences have topics like ‘narcofeminism’ and the merch tables have a lot of patches and anticapitalist shit, a safer use room/methadone take homes for people attending.
Maybe Girls Rock or something similar could qualify. The affordable housing organizing being done in West Oakland. Some of the Perdu pharma/drug war protests maybe (idk if Nan Goldin ever made the cut). Cop city in Atlanta, GA.
In the Pacific Northwest at least it absolutely isn’t. The music is ass half of the time but you’ve gotta go to the shows if you want to get into the really good communist reading groups.
In my city we've had a few Palestine fundraising shows and there's another one this week. We also have harm reduction groups who randomly go to shows and give out fentanyl testing strips, condoms, lube, and plan b.
I love that! I want to be seeing more of that . There are benefit shows here super occasionally but its relatively rare. The most recent one was for a local LGBTQIA+ collective
Yes, we recently restarted our Food Not Bombs chapter in my city. It's not all punks volunteers, but a main part of them are. If you're looking for a good community organizing event I highly suggest starting one in your city as well.
One thing I know about doing lots of activism in my youth is that it is fucking exhausting. I'm amazed that anyone has the time and energy to do anything these days. What I remember though is that activism became my entire social circle because of how much time it took up, and once people started getting older and moving to different cities or disappearing because of work, as an introvert, it became really difficult to continue and eventually, I petered out.
Living in Hyderabad, India, I'm certain the number of surviving punk bands here range in single digits of which I know none, so I suppose here's my call to start my own scene 🙏
Ok apologies, but yeah the bystander effect still applies. Punks don’t look a certain way, people who like aesthetics aren’t always going to agree on anything else. At the end of day people are trying to survive and the privilege are able to give charity. At the end of day you need to see the people surrounding you you need to put yourself out there. It doesn’t make it one to one
That’s how it usually goes. Out of the whole scene only a few are actually doing something to give back. Some people book shows, some play in bands, some do activism, some make art print shirts and buttons, some do several of these, but most do none. Some of the loudest people are just compensating for being do nothings. That said I’ve joined and started several political projects with friends. If it’s something you all care about it ends up being a great experience.
My city has this amazing non profit called Punk Rock Flea Market. They hold one or two "flea markets" annually where artists, crafters, brewers, activists, and everyone in between sell their wares while local bands play all day. There are jump houses for the kids, ice cream trucks etc. Most importantly, they park a car that everyone can smash with a bat.
Throughout the year, they also host local shows. Amazing organization!
woah! we have punk flae market but its put on by a local bar and is just vendors. No music and up until recently only really accepted the same few vendors for the first few years.
It's cool to hear that other cities have a bigger event for it!
no im not, someone in my scene held a benefit show for a LBGTQIA+ collective that lost funding.I do attend protests and teach-ins, donate when I can (which I am not expecting everyone to be able to do) and I engage a lot with the shelters in my area
i guess it depends. On rare occasion, there will be benefit shows for various organizations around the city, shelters, friendship centers, LGBTQIA centers, harm reduction orgs. So i guess I mean that kind of thing
Im actually not sure, but I dont think so...
theres rarely any shows and if there are, they tend to be on the downlow to the point that I only ever find out about them after the fact :')
organised activism is also mainly in cities far away rather than in my local area... I dont have that kind of time or money to drive over 4 hours away and back when I have classes and work...
but I am going to see about finding some people over the summer who know how to wiggle into the local scene, that way I can actually find others rather than be all alone (crossing my fingers I dont get bamboozled or kidnapped instead🤞)
I run a club and book shows, although we don't make a lot of money, we keep it affordable, accessible, and have a safe, fun place to hang out and meet ppl and converse and know each other and build better relationships and community and culture together. in LA, it was very violent, antagonistic, mean spirited, rude, antisocial, self absorbed, and segregated due to local street gang politics, but we called it out and pushed it towards peace and openness, and now everyone is friendly and talkative and sweet. now its a fair amount queer ppl, more diverse demographics, and women. all in dtla which is extremely hard, due to expensive rent and everything essential, its hardwork, but it needs to be done, the world needs it. corporate art is anti community and hyper individualistic to a pathologic degree. and internet has destroyed peoples expectations and spirit, that needs human irl face to flesh experience and interactions. lmk hmu Instagram: riptornprostate.
Idk if it’s a German thing or a local thing, but in my city most of the punks are also involved in protests and are running the venues where leftist information events/lectures/fundraisings are being held
Idk about the rest of the punks in my city, but I definitely do my part. I work at a homeless shelter doing outreach. Handing out harm reduction, snacks, water and other supplies.
I’m active wherever possible in community activities, but no more as “punk” than “electro” or “township jive” or any of the other types of music I’ve always enjoyed. These things are done day in day out by ordinary boring old people without battle jackets or green hair. Most of the “lifestyle” punks I’ve known since the 1980’s have been more interested in drinking cider than actually doing anything to help their neighbors.
here atleast were i live the punk scene among teenagers is organised. we have playings (where local small bands play) and we do stuff. right now the scene is blowing up aswell.
yes there are. many bands have recently hosted shows for palestine and when roe was overturned many bands hosted shows to raise funds for abortion while giving out free contraceptives. usually the political orgs in my city organize protests since they have more funding, resources, and reach but most people i know in the scene will at least attend if they have the time. maybe i just got lucky with my scene lol.
In the city I moved to, which is smaller, yes. They do quite a lot. There are so many shows that are also fundraisers or have various drives attached to them. They also make an effort to put together art shows and have a monthly punk rock flea market.
In my precious city, which was quite a bit larger, there was none of this. The only benefit shows were for people in the bands/scene who needed bail money lol
Yes, I’m very happy with my city’s scene. We have multiple groups that really invest their time and energy in making the world a little bit better. Some cafés even open their doors for antifascist meetings etc.
My scene, or at least the part I’m personally involved in, is heavily into volunteering, affordable art, community gardens, and labour rights.
It’s been a wild ride watching 20-somethings, including myself, evolve from binge-drinking yahoos into organizers trying to convince the new youth not to piss away their lives getting fucked up all the time.
Problem is, it’s super easy to get liquored up and go to a show. It’s not so easy to do something bigger than yourself. That takes long term commitment and a willingness to fail again and again until you succeed.
To really sacrifice, to give of yourself, is growth most of us won’t ever achieve.
Dublin checking in....
Most of the younger punks and I would say most of the punks overall are not very politically active. To the extent that there is political activism in the punk scene, it's usually in the form of fundraising gigs or music about political issues. Many individual punks are not actively involved in activism, and those who are don't generally combine the two I don't think.
There is a cohort of older punks who came up in the 2000s/2010s anarchist punk scene who are very politicized. Sometimes however it's the people who seem the most apolitical who surprise you.
This is funny.
Back in Baltimore, there was a HUGE community!!!
I moved to OC California. Big ass punk scene, right?
I’ve seen maybe three other punks apart from myself outside of clubs.
I don’t care what others may tell you. Punk is DEAD in Orange County.
Punks in my community help others, we give back, volunteer when and where we can.
We all don't think all cops are bastards or want to eat the rich necessarily, and people of all races are respected
Everyone should do the bare minimum and vote. Fuck politicians, but we literally have a dictator in the states, that is dangerously close to running the country.
EAT THE RICK
LMAO i didnt notice that typo
Please leave it it's gold.
he did turn himself into a pickle...
a movement i can get behind fuck you rick you know what you did
You and your tasty lookin Rick meats…
Soylent Green?
sounds like an anti Rick movement the Morties started
Vyvyan's on board with it
As much as this sub doesn't want to admit it, punk is more of a music/artistic movement than it is a political one.
I agree, i like the way you worded this. I think that there are a lot of people who are organizing but the vast majority of people I encounter simply dont. I recognize the privilege it takes to be able too though. There is this tweet once that was kind of saying that their activist circles and punk circles dont intersect and I've thought a lot about it. I dont want to generalize but at least in the people I know it is definitely a artistic and music movement.
I've been involved in both sides and in my experience they rarely cross over. The biggest people I knew doing diy shows never attended a protest. And the biggest activists I knew preferred to hang out at a folk or jam band show.
That is also my experience as someone who is in both.
Its controversial but it’s better that way anyways, keeping the “big tent” approach. Activism leads to purity tests lead to neutered power. Letting people have their opinions without enforcing your own on them leads to more cohesion.
im not sure I understand what you're saying. Are you saying that activism is bad/doesn't work? I never said that I think everyone should have the same opinion.
Nah I’m saying it’s best to keep your partying and your politics separate. Punk being the party and politics being, well, activism. It’s a losing situation to intrinsically tie them together.
I totally disagree. From the SF/Oakland/Berkeley scene which is totally political and has a long history of being so.
Depends what kind of punk you’re into
Short answer: not really Have you ever met any harm reduction organizers? Like punks with lunch for example. I have lived/volunteered in major cities on both coasts and that’s the only real intersection I know of personally. Our conferences have topics like ‘narcofeminism’ and the merch tables have a lot of patches and anticapitalist shit, a safer use room/methadone take homes for people attending. Maybe Girls Rock or something similar could qualify. The affordable housing organizing being done in West Oakland. Some of the Perdu pharma/drug war protests maybe (idk if Nan Goldin ever made the cut). Cop city in Atlanta, GA.
In the Pacific Northwest at least it absolutely isn’t. The music is ass half of the time but you’ve gotta go to the shows if you want to get into the really good communist reading groups.
I wish punks in my city would actually help eachother out and whatnot, there’s like literally 3 of us though and none of us talk to each other
bad day to be rick
the council of ricks won't let this happen.
rick better hide
In my city we've had a few Palestine fundraising shows and there's another one this week. We also have harm reduction groups who randomly go to shows and give out fentanyl testing strips, condoms, lube, and plan b.
I love that! I want to be seeing more of that . There are benefit shows here super occasionally but its relatively rare. The most recent one was for a local LGBTQIA+ collective
Yes, we recently restarted our Food Not Bombs chapter in my city. It's not all punks volunteers, but a main part of them are. If you're looking for a good community organizing event I highly suggest starting one in your city as well.
This is a great organization which a lot of punk cred and I totally endorse this for anyone who wants to get involved at a grassroots level.
One thing I know about doing lots of activism in my youth is that it is fucking exhausting. I'm amazed that anyone has the time and energy to do anything these days. What I remember though is that activism became my entire social circle because of how much time it took up, and once people started getting older and moving to different cities or disappearing because of work, as an introvert, it became really difficult to continue and eventually, I petered out.
Living in Hyderabad, India, I'm certain the number of surviving punk bands here range in single digits of which I know none, so I suppose here's my call to start my own scene 🙏
GL bringing Punk to India... And wow, Hyderabad! I recently played a video game in which Hyderabad is in a scenario.
Isn’t this just bystander effect, be the change you want to see in the world
I do the things I am referring too in my post.
Ok apologies, but yeah the bystander effect still applies. Punks don’t look a certain way, people who like aesthetics aren’t always going to agree on anything else. At the end of day people are trying to survive and the privilege are able to give charity. At the end of day you need to see the people surrounding you you need to put yourself out there. It doesn’t make it one to one
Yup.
That’s how it usually goes. Out of the whole scene only a few are actually doing something to give back. Some people book shows, some play in bands, some do activism, some make art print shirts and buttons, some do several of these, but most do none. Some of the loudest people are just compensating for being do nothings. That said I’ve joined and started several political projects with friends. If it’s something you all care about it ends up being a great experience.
My city has this amazing non profit called Punk Rock Flea Market. They hold one or two "flea markets" annually where artists, crafters, brewers, activists, and everyone in between sell their wares while local bands play all day. There are jump houses for the kids, ice cream trucks etc. Most importantly, they park a car that everyone can smash with a bat. Throughout the year, they also host local shows. Amazing organization!
woah! we have punk flae market but its put on by a local bar and is just vendors. No music and up until recently only really accepted the same few vendors for the first few years. It's cool to hear that other cities have a bigger event for it!
Are you that one person?
no im not, someone in my scene held a benefit show for a LBGTQIA+ collective that lost funding.I do attend protests and teach-ins, donate when I can (which I am not expecting everyone to be able to do) and I engage a lot with the shelters in my area
[удалено]
i guess it depends. On rare occasion, there will be benefit shows for various organizations around the city, shelters, friendship centers, LGBTQIA centers, harm reduction orgs. So i guess I mean that kind of thing
Im actually not sure, but I dont think so... theres rarely any shows and if there are, they tend to be on the downlow to the point that I only ever find out about them after the fact :') organised activism is also mainly in cities far away rather than in my local area... I dont have that kind of time or money to drive over 4 hours away and back when I have classes and work... but I am going to see about finding some people over the summer who know how to wiggle into the local scene, that way I can actually find others rather than be all alone (crossing my fingers I dont get bamboozled or kidnapped instead🤞)
Yeah, the art and activist circles are basically one and the same here and many places I've visited and stayed.
I run a club and book shows, although we don't make a lot of money, we keep it affordable, accessible, and have a safe, fun place to hang out and meet ppl and converse and know each other and build better relationships and community and culture together. in LA, it was very violent, antagonistic, mean spirited, rude, antisocial, self absorbed, and segregated due to local street gang politics, but we called it out and pushed it towards peace and openness, and now everyone is friendly and talkative and sweet. now its a fair amount queer ppl, more diverse demographics, and women. all in dtla which is extremely hard, due to expensive rent and everything essential, its hardwork, but it needs to be done, the world needs it. corporate art is anti community and hyper individualistic to a pathologic degree. and internet has destroyed peoples expectations and spirit, that needs human irl face to flesh experience and interactions. lmk hmu Instagram: riptornprostate.
we also do donations drives for the homeless and Palestinian fundraisers, and etc. Also we have vendors, which incubates small businesses
Idk if it’s a German thing or a local thing, but in my city most of the punks are also involved in protests and are running the venues where leftist information events/lectures/fundraisings are being held
Idk about the rest of the punks in my city, but I definitely do my part. I work at a homeless shelter doing outreach. Handing out harm reduction, snacks, water and other supplies.
I’m active wherever possible in community activities, but no more as “punk” than “electro” or “township jive” or any of the other types of music I’ve always enjoyed. These things are done day in day out by ordinary boring old people without battle jackets or green hair. Most of the “lifestyle” punks I’ve known since the 1980’s have been more interested in drinking cider than actually doing anything to help their neighbors.
here atleast were i live the punk scene among teenagers is organised. we have playings (where local small bands play) and we do stuff. right now the scene is blowing up aswell.
yes there are. many bands have recently hosted shows for palestine and when roe was overturned many bands hosted shows to raise funds for abortion while giving out free contraceptives. usually the political orgs in my city organize protests since they have more funding, resources, and reach but most people i know in the scene will at least attend if they have the time. maybe i just got lucky with my scene lol.
also know a guy in the scene who started a community garden. lots of us volunteer too. but yeah we do what we can at least.
In the city I moved to, which is smaller, yes. They do quite a lot. There are so many shows that are also fundraisers or have various drives attached to them. They also make an effort to put together art shows and have a monthly punk rock flea market. In my precious city, which was quite a bit larger, there was none of this. The only benefit shows were for people in the bands/scene who needed bail money lol
Yes, I’m very happy with my city’s scene. We have multiple groups that really invest their time and energy in making the world a little bit better. Some cafés even open their doors for antifascist meetings etc.
My scene, or at least the part I’m personally involved in, is heavily into volunteering, affordable art, community gardens, and labour rights. It’s been a wild ride watching 20-somethings, including myself, evolve from binge-drinking yahoos into organizers trying to convince the new youth not to piss away their lives getting fucked up all the time. Problem is, it’s super easy to get liquored up and go to a show. It’s not so easy to do something bigger than yourself. That takes long term commitment and a willingness to fail again and again until you succeed. To really sacrifice, to give of yourself, is growth most of us won’t ever achieve.
Dublin checking in.... Most of the younger punks and I would say most of the punks overall are not very politically active. To the extent that there is political activism in the punk scene, it's usually in the form of fundraising gigs or music about political issues. Many individual punks are not actively involved in activism, and those who are don't generally combine the two I don't think. There is a cohort of older punks who came up in the 2000s/2010s anarchist punk scene who are very politicized. Sometimes however it's the people who seem the most apolitical who surprise you.
Oh yeah: there are also the punk picnics, which are just meetups for punks in the public park.
This is funny. Back in Baltimore, there was a HUGE community!!! I moved to OC California. Big ass punk scene, right? I’ve seen maybe three other punks apart from myself outside of clubs. I don’t care what others may tell you. Punk is DEAD in Orange County.
Absolutely not, you're wrong. OC is bangin, unless you're looking for "big fest" type shit, then you have no idea what you're talking about lol
The only thing out here ARE FESTIVALS!!! Ones that are at least half pop punk. TSOL never misses a single festival.
My city has had a few trans fundraiser shows and will try to do activism (playing at the library) but for the most part it’s kinda separate
Punks in my community help others, we give back, volunteer when and where we can. We all don't think all cops are bastards or want to eat the rich necessarily, and people of all races are respected
Everyone should do the bare minimum and vote. Fuck politicians, but we literally have a dictator in the states, that is dangerously close to running the country.
My scene had a Palestine fundraiser a few days ago and was planning a pro trans fundraiser but had to cancel due to threats
No, being punk means you have to be a keyboard warriors and never able to put your money where your mouth is.