Publication:
MaximumRockNRoll

Author:
Felix Von Havoc

MRR #238
I was truly saddened to hear about the death of Joe Strummer. I was always much more into the Clash than the Pistols, Ramones or any other early punk bands. As Mark P. once said in Sniffin’ Glue “The Clash Tells the Truth.” I don’t care what anyone says the Clash were THE early punk band for me. They had the music, the look, the songs, the sound and the radical social political stance all in one.

Thrash Fest 4 went down in Minneapolis Dec 29th it was a totally crucial blowout. DS 13 played their last show ever Limp Wrist, Holding On, Tear It Up, Path of Destruction, Any Last Words, Damage Deposit and Guns, Liquor, Whores also unleashed some hardcore devastation on the 600 kids who showed up.

Then I woke up the next morning to the cold, hard truth. Life without DS 13. What do you do when your favorite band breaks up? I tried to reason with myself “I still have Tear It Up” but the sinking feeling wouldn’t leave me. It’s been a few weeks now and I’m beginning to adjust.

As depressing as these events may be, punk rock soldiers on. Joe Strummer might be dead, but there are millions of his records, words and music around the world now. Old heads from ’77 can spin those records years from now and wax nostalgic. Meanwhile young kids can pick up the same records and discover a whole new world of music and ideas that they didn’t know existed. Joe may be gone, but what he helped get started continues to grow. Look at Luk Haas recent discography of Asian Punk, http://tam89records.0catch.com/ we see that punk has spread to places like Nepal and Brunei and will continue to spread. Old punks might die, bands might break up, but this is NOT OVER YET.

Publication Date:
January 1, 1984

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