“Life We Make”: The value of music across the life courses of British anarcho-punks. In this presentation I will discuss perceptions of musical value articulated by British anarcho-punk scene participants in the narratives of music fandom they present later in their lives. This forms part of my ongoing doctoral research into the longevity of anarcho-punk within life course transitions. #Lifecourse Thomas (1999) and Vitale (2013) suggests that the term ‘life course’ is used “to denote the development of individual lives over time and space: articulating the individuals engagement with the particular social cultural and historical contexts of their development” (2013:2). In doing so Vitale argues that a life course perspective “considers individuals as being dynamically impacted by a variety of formative proximal and distal contexts, located in particular time and place” (2013:3). In terms of my research this is a useful way of mapping out a developmental perspective on the individual’s negotiation of their affinity with a musical subculture or scene. Indeed Andy Bennett argues that whilst there have been many studies concerning the cultural representation of music and its constituents associated with musical lifestyles “there is very little attention to the concept of lifestyle as an on-going and developmental process across the lifecourse” (2010: 256) # Scenes and sub cultures I use both the terminologies sub-culture and scene in my discussions although the term scene is more useful here. As Bennett and Petersen (2004) suggest the term scene avoids the presumption that the participants’ involvement and actions were directed by subcultural standards. Indeed Bennett further argues that ‘scene’ as a concept “portrays individuals as more reflexive in their appropriation and use of particular musical and stylistic resources” (2006). This concept is particularly useful in my doctoral research because I am interested in how that appropriation takes place and what the longitudinal outcomes of that appropriation are. # British anarcho-punk British anarcho-punk developed as a sub-cultural musical scene during the late 1970’s motivated by anarchist/pacifist politics and ideologies promoted by anarcho-punk bands such as Crass, Poison Girls, Flux of Pink Indians and Conflict to name but a few. British anarcho-punk encouraged people from all areas of Britain to collectively construct a politicised culture that challenged the political economy of the record industry, the commodification of ‘mainstream’ punk through the emergence of a ‘DIY’ music culture and challenged the politics of mass society, media and government. It also had an influence the formation of other sub cultural groups such as New Age Travellers, contemporary Anarchist groups and Direct Action protest groups. Previous academic work that focusses on the shaping of popular punk histories, (see Marcus (1990); Savage (1992); Laing (1985). has marginalised British anarcho-punk culture and identity from those popular music histories. As Cross 2004&2007; Dines 2004 and Sabin 1999; suggest it has historically been overlooked in the wake of the first wave of British ‘mainstream’ punk. More recently though a corpus of work has been emerging examining the anarcho-punk movement/ scene and its impact on popular music culture and histories. (edited collection coming out in 2015). # Background to the Study/Data Collection Previous studies by academics such as Andy Bennett (2006), Paul Hodkinson (2011), Ross Haenfler (2012), Joanna Davis (2012) and Nicola Smith (2012) have focused on ageing within a specific scene and what the active continuation of that subcultural involvement means for those ageing participants. My study, consists of people between the ages of 45 and 60 years of age who identify and perceive themselves to have been anarcho-punks and participants in the anarcho-punk scene between the years of 1977 and 1986. In some ways although my study follows similar trajectories as Bennett, Davis et al by including continuing ageing participants, it also takes into account those who once identified as anarcho-punks but have since re-assessed their affiliation and commitment to that particular subculture and scene. My research data primarily comes from 3 of the 9 participants that I am currently conducting a series of ‘in-depth’ ‘life history’ interviews with as part of my doctoral research. Rubin and Rubin (1995) suggest ‘life histories’ can provide a window to social and personal transformations as it focuses more on the individual and what they have felt and experienced as they have passed through the different stages of life (p27). As Helling (1988) and Watson & Watson-Franke (1985) suggest life histories interpret the past and make it understandable, acceptable and important through a combination of narratives and stories. They are primarily men (7) with only 2 females taking part so far. Schilt and Giffort (2012) point out, that the body of research into ageing subcultures and fandom has illuminated more about men than it has about women with studies by Halberstam (2005) and Vroomen (2004) being the few exceptions. Similarly Bennett (2006) and Bennett and Taylor (2012) discuss the problems they found recruiting female participants in their examination of punk scenes. The participant’s self-identification and involvement with anarcho-punk and the anarcho-punk scene was, and for some still is, varied. They consist of musicians, fanzine editors, promoters, squatters, teachers, housing officers, artists, political activists and fans-either then or, for some, continuing in the present, however to different degrees of involvement and commitment. So the findings I am going to present are by no means a representative sample of ageing anarcho-punks, or those previously self- identified as anarcho-punks, but a selection of points of interest from some early interviews with 3 of the research participants from my ongoing study. # Identity For all 3 of the respondents it was not surprising to find that their engagement with anarcho-punk was very much at the heart of the formation of their identities. Anarcho-punk came at a particular time in their lives and helped put perplexing feelings into context and solidify what they were already feeling. All 3 of them cited anarcho-punk band Crass as their first musical introduction to anarcho-punk. In many academic and non-academic writings Crass are considered to be the seminal British anarcho-punk band. Hearing this music at a particular time in their youth, (mid to late teens) seemed to help the respondents articulate what they were already feeling. # “I already knew inside, even as early as a child, that the way the world worked was wrong but I couldn’t quite understand how and why. When I first heard Crass it made me realize I wasn’t alone, that I wasn’t the only person who thought the world was wrong and that it was alright to feel that way. Crass and anarcho-punk helped me be aware of that. Without that, my life wouldn’t have been the samewithout sounding clichéd, it made me who I am today” (Respondent A) # “At school I felt that everything was against me and trying to push me into being a particular thing. It was all linked, school, teachers, my parents, coppers all in in together to fuck up my life. Stuff I was feeling but hadn’t quite managed to articulate it in my own mind. When I first heard Crass it was a revelatory moment because they were actually articulating what I actually felt. Before that moment I knew the world wasn’t fucking right but there wasn’t a political language for me that expressed what I wanted it to change to. Where early punk was broad and a general fuck you, Crass and anarcho punk was ‘fuck you because…list reasons why 1 to 10’ it was just pure rage” (Respondent B) # “I was already listening to punk and I remember first hearing Crass on John Peel and thinking this is awful but brilliant at the same time. Crass set out the template for me politically and ideologically what was relevant and real in the world. I went and bought Feeding* and remember sitting in my bedroom reading through the lyrics, looking at the images on the record sleeve…….you would punctuate the music with your own reflections on what the lyrics were about. “first wave punk informed our attitude, anarcho-punk formed our philosophy and politics” (Respondent C) The respondent’s comments seem to suggest that the music held value beyond its sonic expression in that it introduced them to a new set of politics and ideologies that enabled them to express themselves in a coherent and constructive manner. This correlates with Bennett and Taylor’s (2012) study of ageing punks where they suggest that for many ageing punks their involvement in the scene had played an important part in their transition into adulthood, had provided them with a sense of realism and that their sense of self continued to be informed by the punk ideology. # Community The notion of networks and community has featured heavily in academic investigations into music scenes and similarly in my interviews though too large to discuss here in detail. However it’s worth noting that all 3 respondents discussed the importance of community and the collective with reference to them feeling part of a family, or tribe, of likeminded people. They considered anarcho-punk as a community connected through a participatory DIY music culture, but also # “a set of shared principles, politics, ideologies and philosophies that was working towards an alternative-informed by the politics of the music”. (Respondent C) “Some of the relationships I formed back then have endured against all the odds. Some of the best people I have ever met I met through anarcho-punk and I still see them at gigs today”. (Respondent B) “there are some beautiful people that I met and still meet at gigs today and it’s nice that people are still interested in what we do as a band. It still feels like a sort of community-though Facebook has a lot to do with that”. (Respondent A) For respondent C it was also a way of connecting with new people as a result of his family relocating to a new town when he was 14. # “I remember that first day at this massive comprehensive school absolutely shitting myself with fear of the unknown. I spotted this older kid at lunchtime wearing a Crass badge and went and spoke to him, that anarcho-punk association was like a calling card, a passport into this new school and opened up into a network of other likeminded people” (Respondent C) #Longevity After a 30 year period I was interested to find out whether the respondents still felt attached to, or had some affinity with, anarcho-punk and the beliefs they developed at what was seemingly a pivotal point in their personal development. My interest here lay in whether there was a sense of maintaining those beliefs or as Bennett and Taylor’s study suggests if “what these people appear to have taken from punk”…. were.. “a series of resources through which to reproduce themselves as individuals over time” (2012, 240). When asked if they still listen to anarchopunk and what value it holds in their current lives they all said that they did in some way. # “I do listen to anarcho-punk nowadays, though when I am on my own as my partner doesn’t like it so much- I have started to go back to anarcho-punk, though it never really left me. Having kids it seemed that I lost myself in family life and I had become disillusioned with the scene. It has helped re-focus me. I listen to the lyrics and they seem as relevant no, in fact the political messages just reinforce my beliefs and I see them from a different perspective- I understand them better through the mind of an adult” (Respondent A) # “For me the musical and lyrical content still resonate, it speaks to me in a very base emotional level and is the most powerful influence on my life of anything, books. film, art. It’s a sort of touchstone for living without having to think about itit’s a personal politic informed by anarcho-punk. Cruelty and injustice still upset me because both of those things are unnecessary” (Respondent B) # “Yeah I still listen to anarcho-punk and go to some punk gigs, but for me it was through the music that anarcho-punk became a lifestyle that I wanted to invest in, I formed a band, started a fanzine, set up a squat. I lived and breathed that life for quite a long time and then branched out as I collected responsibilities. It informed me of numerous political and ideological positions that I have built on over time that I still embrace now in my career and personal life”. (Respondent C) #Nostalgia The discourse of nostalgia seems to feature prominently in discussions around ageing within music scenes. Recently there has been a renewed interest in anarcho-punk with many music magazines and cultural commentators re-visiting anarcho-punk and looking at the impact it has had on popular music, culture and politics. (Vice and Q magazine covers (slide).Along with this renewed interest a large number of ‘original wave’ anarcho-punk bands have reformed after being inactive for many years. As all 3 respondents were in anarcho-punk bands in the 1980’s I asked them their opinions on bands reforming and performing again. Respondent A’s band is one of those reformed original anarcho-punk bands. For her it is very much based around nostalgia and just missing the music and performing live after a 30 year hiatus from punk music; # “I miss the music, it’s the music for me….I enjoy the music and its fun (performing) it was always the best buzz, I can’t put a finger on it but it’s just an incredible feelingits not like getting high or doing some form of stimulant of any kind, it’s just a buzz. I am still nervous now about the forthcoming gigs as some of the lyrics are quite naive though now I have the opportunity to explain that they are 30 years old and written by 17 year olds. Though nothing has changed they are still just as relevant today as they were then-perhaps if everyone had listened to us 30 years ago perhaps we wouldn’t be so fucked up now(laughs)” For the guitarist of the band it is still very much about the politics which he has remained passionately connected to and active in since the early 80’s, recently serving 18 months incarceration for his activities with the Animal Liberation Front. When asked about bands reforming Respondent B and C were more critical of the musical nostalgic aspect: # “Are you any good? That is my first criteria-it has to be relevant it’s no good doing this because you can, because frankly some people just shouldn’t.”…..“The music and the performance has to be convincing otherwise I am out the door”. (Respondent B) For him, this would suggests that some sort of value judgement has been placed on that notion of nostalgia as the musical and performativity element still play an important part in his assessment of bands that reform. Indeed this is further reinforced by him. # “I am not big on nostalgia, and for quite a while I resisted seeing bands who had reformed just because if they are shit it will ruin my memories and opinions of them. It is nostalgia; though when people say that, it always seems a bit sad and desperate trying to recapture or recreate something from the past. There is something odd about seeing 50 year old men on stage seemingly trying to recapture their youth and singing about things that were significant within a specific timeframe -30 years ago” (Respondent B) Respondent C had similar opinions: # “I did go to Rebellion last year (an annual 4 day punk festival in Blackpool) and I was slightly challenged by some what I saw. There is a lot of nostalgia there, if I’m honest. Simply to reform a band and play the set you did 30 years previously for me is not good enough, there needs to be something else, there needs to be a freshness” Discussing a recently attended anarcho-punk gig he commented # “I went to see Conflict in Bristol recently……., it was a very mature audience who, I felt was quite sophisticated, these were people who were going off and committing their beliefs and principles in another way. They looked underwhelmed by the rock n roll theatrics of the performance…I can see where the rock and roll comes from its about exciting an audience but considering this music is a vehicle for change, or as a lot of us did think back then, to then return to it it’s understandable that some of us are going to be critical of the process. I personally think it’s (the music and performance) about something else it’s about expressing how you live your life and the possibility for others to do the same, that’s what lit my flame early on…There needs to be an acknowledgement that things have moved on and there are other possibilities to explore” (Respondent B) For respondents B and C it seems that being historically referential was not enough to solidify their perceived value of anarcho-punk. Hodkinson (2013) in his study of ageing within spectacular youth cultures suggests that, within the Goth scene he studied, there was a frequency amongst older members to reference the past suggesting that their “current participation was somehow less authentic and significant than that of the past” (2013, 19) It could be argued that neither of my respondents felt particularly ‘active’ within an existing contemporary anarcho-punk scene so that point of reference would be less important, however they still felt that for the sake of nostalgia there still had to be a sense of development, moving forward and exploring new sonic and cultural possibilities. #Conclusion: In this presentation I have provided an insight into the longevity of 3 middle aged individuals’ engagement with and affiliation to British anarcho-punk over their life course. This is not a conclusive representation of that, but with this in mind, I have offered comment on a range of themes of importance to my continuing research. Early findings suggest that anarcho-punk music opened up a conduit through which the respondents were able, as youths, to articulate their personal politic and be introduced to a set of values and ideologies that informed and shaped their subsequent life course development It also points to a sense of shared values and the notion of community being important to the renewal and maintenance of relationships over 30 years. Finally it suggests that the discourse of nostalgia, though present, is of less importance in how they perceive the value that the music they listened to 3 decades ago has in the present. Where other previously mentioned studies have focused on the concept/ impact of ageing for participants who are active within a continuing scene this brief intervention has sought to highlight and unpack some of the complexities/ issues of documenting the impact of a historically located scene over the subsequent life courses of its participants. In doing so it adds to the continuing field of life course studies and ageing within youth cultures. References: Bennett, A. (2010). ‘Popular music, cultural memory and everyday aesthetics,’ in De La Fuenta, E. and Murphy, P. (eds), Philosophical and cultural theories of music. Leiden, Boston: Brill. Bennett, A. and Petersen, R.A. (2004) Music Scenes: Local, Translocal, and Virtual. Nashville. Vanderbilt University Press. Bennett, A and Taylor, J (2012) Cross, R. (2004) ‘The Hippies Now Wear Black: Crass and the Anarcho-punk movement 1977-84. Socialist History 26, pp25–44. Cross, R. (2007) 'The other history of punk' a review of George Berger’s The Story of Crass. (London: Omnibus 2006), Freedom, 27 unpaginated Davis, J. R. (2012) Punk, Ageing and the Expectations of Adult Life. in Bennett, A. and Hodkinson, P. (eds) Ageing and Youth Cultures: Music Style And Identity. London. Berg. pp105-118 DiCiccio-Bloom, B. and Crabtree, B.F. (2006) The Qualitative Research Interview. Medical Education 40, pp314-32. Dines, M. (2004) An Investigation Into The Emergence Of The Anarcho-Punk Scene Of The 1980’s. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Salford. Douglas J. (1985) Creative Interviewing. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Haenfler, R. (2012) ‘More than the X’s on My Hands’: Older Straight Edgers and the Meaning of Style. in Bennett, A. and Hodkinson, P. (eds) Ageing and Youth Cultures: Music Style And Identity. London. Berg. pp9-23. Halberstam, J ((2005) In a Queer Time and Place: Transgender Bodies, Subcultural Lives. New York, New York University Press. Hodkinson, P. 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