Never mind the Pistols
The annual Edinburgh punks’ picnic has grown into a full fledged festival. Brian Donaldson hits the cider trail.
Say it loud and spit it proud. Punk‘s not dead. At least that's what the organisers of Edinburgh‘s second City of Punk Rock jamboree firmly believe. With bands on the circuit nursing names such as Police Bastard. Jobby Crust and Armitage Shanks. the punk ethic and
Like all the best music festivals, it’s not solely about music. Six-a-side football, punk picnics and cider- tlrinking workshops are all on the agenda while the most bizarre event is likely to be the return of Punks ln Trunks at the Commonwealth Pool.
anarchic spirit appears to be holding out to a degree which many would have doubled when the punk explosion crackled and then popped out in the late 70s.
The Mohican: an inspiration to young swimmers everywhere
Having had a successful inaugural hash last year. the festival‘s net has been cast l'unher afield to attract the cream of the genre from countries where the underground movement has flourished. Punks from Germany. Poland. Israel and South Africa have been invited to visit venues such as Cas Rock. the MUsic Box and Stones for ten days of anarchy.
Like all the best music festivals. it‘s not solely about music. Six-a-side
wet hair into mohawk shapes.‘
Getting across a positive image of the punk movement and its practitioners has been a perennial problem due to moral panic and the antics of the minority. while such trouble-free and fun-filled occasions as Punks In Trunks can only do the cause some good. Last year's event saw just one sour incident of note when a bouncer assaulted at band~member
Neither would many of the followers have made the trip to the SECC to see the Pistols‘ Filthy Lucre Tour lift its corporate head in Scotland. Unsurprisingly. Deek views the Pistols reformation as irrelevant in the extreme. ‘They made some good music and shook things up but now we take the anarchy thing seriously and they obviously don't.‘ believes Deck. ‘()ne good example was when some anarchist punk squatters were living in one of John Lydon‘s properties in London and he got the cops to throw them out. I think that shows where he‘s coming from now.‘
To any A & R personnel reading this. don‘t waste your time talent-spotting in August as your intentions will not be football. punk picnics and cider- drinking workshops are all on the agenda while the most bizarre event is likely to be the return of Punks ln Trunks at the Commonwealth Pool. Co- organiser and ()i Polloi! frontman Deek explains. ‘It was one of the best days of my life to see all these punks in the pool with their trunks held up by braces.‘ he recalls. ‘When we came out at the end of the day you had all these kids who‘d been in there making their
welcome. Bands were only allowed on the bill due to their manager-less status and their burning desire to do anything but grab a record deal. ‘None ofthe bands are ever going to be famous simply because they don‘t want to be.‘ explains Deek. ‘I probably sound really puritan here but all it‘s about is having fun without any businessmen getting in the way.‘
City oj'l’tmk Ruck. (its Ruck. Stones. Music Box. Edinburgh. Fri 2—Star l/.
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