A little Pink, Alot Of Punk, and a Rockband.

Highschool in the eighties, in one of the roughest cities in B.C. held the throws of punk rock at its pinnacle. Safety pinned eyebrows, studded leather everything, and mohawks were an everyday experience in the hallways of West Whalley Highschool. The rude interruption of disco had been forcibly stuffed into a locker, where it belonged. The Sex pistols, Vice Squad, The Dead Milkmen,Day Glo abortions,The Misfits, the Ramones, and Skinny Puppy had put it there.

Although the music of our parents was miraculously still relatable, there was one day I remember, where someone had wired up some speakers and a stereo in the mainflooor hallway and were cranking Pink Floyds Another Brick in The Wall. It was Epic, and the air of rebellion was a massive part of my adolescence.

Well Frankly it never left me. 😂

I am still a punk at heart who loves to stick it to the man, take my power back with a flip of the bird type of human. Pink Floyd wasn’t the only band of my parents generation that had survived to party another day, Led Zeplin was massively appealing to the Rockers of my generation. For ten bucks you could go watch and epic laser light show of Zeplin at the planetarium.

I was a misfit amongst misfits and never had one clique but floated comfortably between them. I could be found at the smoke pit wth the Rockers, a park squat with the punks, or the vacant lot with the Betty’s.

I fuckin adored the Bettys’ and their intro to Vice Squad was a welcome addition to my repetoire.

I was also a massive fan of Joan Jett, though her Runaway days were held in higher regard among punks, I will never stop loving her. Ever.

Her song Crimson and Clover was also the closest I came to enjoying a love song.

The 90’s had some pretty impressive additions to the punk scene, with Drop kick Murphy’s, Flogging Molly, Buck o Nine and Cocksparer. All Bands that are on my iPod to this day.

To be honest, even now at 48 years old, if this song gets played, I will mosh.

While my teen years were definitely filled with angst, it was more directed at the corporate dogs than any douchey peers from the Preppy, Jock, or Rock a billy crews. The Punks, while very specific in their adornments, were friendlier and more fun and accepting of me than what I called the “normies”.

I enjoyed punks/rockers authenticity and disarming bluntness. The seething judgements of fashionista snobs was unbearable, and if it wasn’t for the “scrubs” ( how the rich referred to us) I would never have survived high-school.

Also, no example of my teens would be complete without a tip of my hat to Depeche Mode, the Cult, and Dead or Alive.

This about describes my musical foundations, but was far from its end.

I have always tended to gravitate to the underground, so here is one song from an artist that was further down my path, but was definitely influenced by my early excursions into music.

Oh Lou, I just love you, I am sure you are rockin with Tom and Prince and all the other amazing artists of my teens and twenties that are on the other side to soon. God Bless each of you for the many Blessings you shared with us here on Earth. 🎼