spitting on the audience was pretty much normal for some of the bands that i grew up liking. and we thought it was cool. the whole big adrenaline rush of a punk show was so liberating compared to the flared pants wearing rocker burn out scene. i was a fan. man, did we have some fun, thrashing around and feeling like we had a voice. and the bands were cool. they played fast and loud, or had some other thing going for them like weird costumes or lyrics that didn't sound like lame crap, or a social or political message that made sense for once. i was about 13 years old then.
fast forward about 10 years to 1990 and i find myself in the middle of another music revolution, this time and electronic one made up of warehouse parties, e culture, zippies, smart drinks, and club kids. since then, i've been caught up in this electronic music culture, not just as an observer or a fan, but as a contributor (and a sort of prolific one at that. being a dj, and having the opportunity to produce music, run a label *and* a weekly event with jondi has kept me focussed on my own creative output. but i digress).
i knew what appealed to me about being a punk. it was the direct honesty of what was being expressed, the rawness of it all. by contrast, the appeal of club culture was that it was all accepting, a sort of safe zone for anyone to whom the beat spoke. smiles and hugs and being connected replaced the strange world of punk alienation.
so now where are we?
backtracking just a bit, the smiley face icon adopted by the acid house scene was the most appropriate symbol possible for the electronic and club culture movement. e changed people, and taught them to be more empathetic and kind towards one another (good. finally!). years and years went by when a loved up vibe was absolutely *the* thing to strive for at a party. in fact, if anyone ever got upset (angry, sad, paranoid or whatever) at a club, people sort of freaked out. some would rush to help the person, others would try to avoid them so that their vibe was not affected. and who was the dj? it didn't matter when you felt *that* good.
but lately, i've been wondering what we're doing here. i mean we're still in a mode of clubbing that is based on the club culture we began in the early 90s, but so much about the world has changed since then. to me, club culture, in it's current form, feels sharply non cutting edge. and i have scant few clues as to exactly how and why. or maybe i have too many clues and my pea brain can't put them all together. all i know is that i'm craving some of the direct, action oriented punk action of the past. the revolutionary aspects our club culture were never been able to emerge too far beyond the cloak of escapism that surrounded it all, and now i want more. i'll take all the connectedness i learned after midnight in so many warehouses , but i also want my scene to be more expressive of the fact that, for instance, george bush is a dangerous retard.
as an artist, this feeling is very difficult to put into words. it's not that i want to get rid of club culture as we know it and move on to something else. but i do sense that it's time to rip up some old and cut to some new. and if you don't agree with me... fuck off! (in a nice way, of course).