How to Be a Punk

7/27/2019 How to Be a Punk

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How to Be a PunkEdited by Horses4Ever, Nadon, KnowItSome, Jen and 174 others

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If you're a fierce individualist who has a bone to pick with the profit-driven world,you might be a punk. Here's a quick primer on punk fashion, lifestyle and music.

EditStepsLifestyle

1. 1

Have the state of mind. Punk means resisting tyranny in any form and makingyour own decisions and own ways without what others say. It's associated withrebellion and anti-establishment.

o Read up on classic punk topics like resisting tyranny, DIY, rebellion, anti-authoritarianism and anarchy. The more you know, the more easily you'll be ableto express yourself.

o Find interesting ways to express what you know and why you think it's important.There is a difference between complaining about authority figures and beingagainst the structure that allows for authority in the first place.

o Talk to like-minded people anddifferent-minded people. You need to talk to both

to really get comfortable with your own perspective. Also, if you're only talking tolike-minded people, how will you deliver your radical message to those that needit most?

2. 2

Find your scene. Get to know other people who have the same beliefs. Thisway you'll feel comfortable exploring your punk side without judgement or conflictfrom squares.
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o Go to some punk concerts. Some venues put up posters - check your localtelephone poles.

o Figure out where punks in your area meet, be it a specific corner or landmark.Punks usually don't meet at establishments unless it's for the sake of music -they try to use public space as much as possible.

o If all else fails, ask another punk on the street when the next gig is.o Don't be afraid to admit that you're new to all of this. Everyone was new once,

and they will probably understand. If you are friendly, people will like you whetheror not you know every punk band on earth and have all the typical clothes.

o Join a punk online community. Here, you can meet other punks world wide, tradeMP3s, find shows or discover new bands.

3. 3Avoid consumerism. Punks are very resourceful. Find new ways to enjoyyourself without giving your money to big corporations.
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o Enjoy the outdoors, be it hiking a mountain or enjoying the park with your friends.o Learn to cook. Not only is it an enjoyable way to spend your time but it also

saves money - more for you, less for the establishment.o Find free events through friends, the websites of venues you like or using local

event forums.o Get crafty. For each item you craft, you haven't supported a store that sells a

similar manufactured version.o

Visit the mall or a big-box store only when necessity demands it. Even things likefurniture can be found for free with sites like craigslist.org and freecycle.org. Ifyou must buy something, try to find it used first. It'll be cheaper for you and a littlemore anti-establishment.

Outward Appearance

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Express your attitude through your clothing. Punk clothing is iconic becauseit captures a a unique sense of rebellion and individualism. Let that anti-establishment attitude show in your outfits.

o Punks are known for being unique - don't let yourself worry that you don't look

like punk. Wear what you want, make sure its relatively alternative, and you'll fitin with any punk crowd.o Make your own clothes if possible. Invest in a sewing machine. This way you can

create truly unique looks without supporting the establishment.o DIY (do it yourself). A lot of punk clothing has a DIY look to it. For a punk, it's

always better to remake something old than support consumerism and buysomething new.

2. 2

Start out with some punk staples. If you're at a loss on how to build a punk

wardrobe, here are some items to consider:
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o Skinny jeans or tight jeans

o Black leather jackets or denim vestso Studded or spiked clothing and braceletso Mostly black clotheso Tartan, camouflage, animal print and blood stains.o Ripped clothing held together with safety pinso Band T-shirtso Punk band patcheso Black shirtso Spiky hair, Mohawks or dyed hairo Leather (or pleather) jackets with band patches, safety pins, or painted-on details

such as an anarchy symbol.o Bondage pants, or pants with added embellishments such as zippers going up

the back of the legs, chains, metal rings, or other add-ons.o Bullet beltso Fishnetso Classic accessories can include arm warmers, studded belts, bullet belts, and

wristbands with pyramid studs, stars or spikes.
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3. 3

Customize some of the shirts or jackets you buy. This is similar to remaking,but with an eye for little touches that express your unique viewpoints. Maybe by

cutting off the sleeves, sewing political patches on, or just cutting the neckline, orback differently these are all things that the traditional person wouldn't dare try -especially not for aesthetic effect.

o Rip or cut out a section of clothing, and replace it with a row of safety pinsholding the fabric together, or expose your layers.

o Stencil band names or symbols onto your clothes yourself.o Distress your own denim. Use scissors or an x-acto knife to make cuts, or run

sandpaper over the fabric to make it look worn out.o Strategically drip bleach onto jeans or T-shirts to make interesting patterns, or

make them look more worn-in.

4. 4

Find punk footwear. Consider that you may be walking more given your punklifestyle, since its pretty common that punks ditch private transport wheneverpossible. You need a sturdy, long lasting pair of shoes, or two, but you need toobtain them in an a-traditional way.
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o Boots - for men and women. Boots are often dark and are usually the bestchoice: they last a long time, you can find them on the cheap and the aestheticworks with the rest of your clothes.

o Stay away from shoe brands. Because commercialism and materialism arefrowned upon by punks, a lot of them choose to buy boots from the army surplus

store.o Common punk shoes include black boots, Dr. Martens,Converseand

someskate shoeslike Draven and T.U.Ks. Note that because these are ownedby corporations, some punks refuse to buy from them despite the aesthetic andyou may run into people who disagree with your shoe choice.

o Thrift stores are a good place to buy cheap shoes and boots, and then you don'thave to think about whether your money is going to a multinational corporation.

5. 5

Get the hairstyle. Spike it up, or even put it in a mohawk. You can also dye it.
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o Both males and females cansport a mohawk, and (though a primarily 'guy'hairstyle) some girls can pull off a Devilock nicely. Research the different kindsand think about what best expresses you. You might want a fanned Mohawk,Bihawk, Trihawk, "bitch" handles, or even liberty spikes.

o If you're worried about fitting into a conservative work situation, there's alwaysthe "Fauxhawk" (a wider strip of stand up hair that can be combed down to hide

the shaved sides of your head). Be warned, though, his style is sometimesfrowned upon by other punks since the look can adapt to the mainstream worldso well.

o Although it is most common for punks to have hair no longer than chin length,long hair is acceptable if you want to be a punk.

o Having random things - such as feathers,beads, ribbons and ties - in your hairalso makes you stand out if that's what you're going for.
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o There has also been a variety of80shaircuts and evendreadlocksthat havemade appearances in punk subculture.

o Consider dying your hair. You could go jet black, platinum blonde, bright red, orsome unnatural color like green or blue. Whatever you choose, be prepared tostick with it for awhile (or try a temporary dye first).

o If you don't want to hassle with complicated hairstyles, shave your head. This is ahuge message to others: you don't need to do what others do! A shaved headhas always been a classic punk look, and can be used for both men and women.

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Get some piercings and tattoos. Body modification is another outlet that punksuse to identify themselves.

o You will see many punks with their earsgaugedwith rings, often to quite largesizes.

o Septum and lippiercingsare predominant in both sexes.o Withtattoos, you will see a wide variety of images. A lot of punks sport their

favorite band logos, or have spiderwebs on their elbows (please be aware that inthe UK at least, spiderwebs on the elbow signify that you have been in prison).Straightedge punks sometimes have X's on each fist. Old-school-style tattoos(Sailor Jerry, for example) are also very popular, especially for chest pieces andsleeves.
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o Just remember whatever tattoo you choose, it will be there forever! Make surethat you choose something that reflects your personality, not just a current bandthat you like!

7. 7

Be patient with your style. Many people will tell you to avoid going from preppyto punk in one step, or that it's best if you ease into being punk or you mayappear like a poser. This is kind of true, but there is no way to go from not punkto punk overnight. You can't buy knowledge of punk music and you can't get anentire punk wardrobe without searching hard. Go to shows, introduce yourself toother punks, and gradually your style will develop from there.

Punk Music

1. 1

Go to punk shows to see bands live whenever you can. It is a large part of

being a punk. The energy is amazing. You do not have to get in the mosh pit butit is fun to watch. Play safe and have fun. Get to know your local scene, you willprobably see the same people and bands at shows over time.

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Familiarize yourself with the music, new and old. There are many differenttypes of Punk music, and it is important to remember that not every punk listensto every band here. A lot of Punks focus on one era of this music genre as thestyle of music has radically changed over time. This is a list of each era of Punkmusic, and some bands that influenced it.

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Try some genres of punk:

o Punk rock - Overall, it is loud hard rock music with electric guitars playing powerchords, energetic drum beats, heavy bass and began in the movement ofrebellion, DIY and anti-establishment. Normal punk rock: Ramones, the Clash,Sex Pistols, Green Day (mostly old), Alkaline Trio, Rancid and Against Me!.
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o Modern punk - Against Me!, Gallows, Dropkick Murphys, Title Fight, etc.o Celtic punk - Punk with some Irish instruments. Eg: Dropkick Murphys, Flogging

Molly, the Briggso Hardcore punk (or hardcore): Faster and more harder punk with vocals usually

lacking melody. Eg: Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Gallows, Poison Idea,

Suicidal Tendencies (although they are mostly thrash metal), AFI (early), Conflict,Rise Against, Agnostic Front, Kill Your Idols, etc.

o Beatdown hardcore (or moshcore/beatdown/youth crew/tough guy hardcore) -Hardcore punk made heavier with some more intense, shouted vocals and low-chugging breakdowns. Often traditional metalcore bands (Hatebreed, Converge,I Am War, Earth Crisis, Unit 731, Bury Your Dead) get called hardcore. Metalcoreis much heavier than tough guy hardcore and has elements of metal in it.Beatdown bands: Madball, Agnostic Front (later), Youth of Today, Death BeforeDishonor, etc. Bands of the genre who have played also metalcore includeTerror, Vision of Disorder and Stick to Your Guns.

o Oi! - Often misconceived as a racist genre, it isn't. Oi! is far from racism. Oi! is apunk genre in the scene of punks and skinheads (not racist ones) that weresimple, pub-friendly, treble guitar-based and had some blues-influence. Eg:Cockney Rejects, Sham 69, Skrewdriver (first album; before racism), 4-Skins, theBusiness, The Exploited, UK Subs, etc.

o Crust punk - Fast, insane and metal-influenced punk rock born in the 1980s inEngland. Bands are Amebix and Electro Hippies. Often bands wore all black,wore black leather and denim, slogans, patches and dreadlocks.

o Thrashcore - Fast, insane and blast beats-filled hardcore began in the early1980s. Bands include DRI, Raw Power and Electro Hippies.

o

D-beat - Heavy metal influenced hardcore with some metal traits but still purehardcore. The genre was played by bands like Discharge. The drumming wasalso extremely aggressive.

o Queercore - Hardcore punk that supported homosexuals and gay rights - Bandsinclude the Dicks and Big Boys.

o Street punk - Began in the UK82 era (1980s) of punk. It is a hardcore punk stylethat had catchy choruses, chants, lyrics usually on anti-establishment/rebellion/politics/etc, short guitar solos and usuly had bands whowore black leather jackets and clothes, denim vests, lots of studs and patches,skinny or tight jeans, plaid pants, black combat boots and multi-coloredmohawks. Bands include The Exploited, the Casualties, Clit 45, GBH, CheapSex, the Virus, Street Dogs, etc.

o Powerviolence - Most of it is punk. It often has influences from hardcore, crust,thrashcore and grindcore. It is usually extremely chaotic thrashcore with shoutingand screaming and usually really short songs. Bands include Iron Lung andSpazz.

o Ska punk - Punk with some ska influences - Eg: Rancid, Against All Authority andOperation Ivy


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o Skate punk - Fast punk rock with lots of guitar riffs, sometimes solos, singing anda raw tone. It is enjoyed by punks and skaters. Bands include MxPx, NoFX,Blink-182 (1992-1997; before Travis joined), Bone Brigade, Guttermouth,Pennywise and was pioneered by Suicidal Tendencies. Bands also often havecomedy lyrics.

o Melodic hardcore - Like hardcore punk, but has melodic vocals andinstrumentation. Bands include Rise Against and Bad Religion.

o Horror punk - A goth-punk style with a dark sound and horror-themed lyrics.Bands sometimes are seen wearing black, big and shock-stylized makeup, allblack, leather, studs, and the hair put into devilocks (not to be confused with emohair). Eg: Misfits, Balzac, AFI (1998-2000), Murderdolls, etc.

o Deathrock - Some type of goth-punk music which is extremely dark, atmosphericand has haunting or gloomy lyrics and themes. Bands include Christian Deathand Alien Sex Fiend.

o Post-punk - Punk, but more complex, introvertes and experimental. Bands

include Joy Division, the Clash, The Cure (early) and Siouxsie & the Banshees.4. 4

These genres are either derivatives of punk or fusion genres. They aren'tpunk, but stem from it. A lot of people call it punk while some argue that theyaren't.

o Emo - A type of music derived from punk/alternative with melody and emotionallyrics. Originally it was short for emotive hardcore, and was influenced byhardcore punk and post-hardcore. It later got reinvented for a non-punk soundand for an alternative/indie/poppy sound. At first it was bands like Rites of Spring,The Hated and Embrace. Later, it became Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate,

Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids, American Football and Drive Like Jehu. Now,it is bands like Senses Fail, My Chemical Romance, From First to Last, Snowing,Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Thursday, Paramore, Dashboard Confessional and theUsed.

o Screamo - A subgenre of emo, only harsher and has some screams in it. At firstit was bands like Pg 99, I Hate Myself, Orchid (not the metal band) and Saetia.Now it is bands like I Would Set Myself on Fire for You, Underoath, Thursday and

Alexisonfire.o Pop punk - A loud pop rock style with power chords and punk influences. It had

catchy choruses, pop melodies, happy melodies, usually teenage-tinged lyrics

and was influenced by bands like Descendants, Green Day, Ramones,Screeching Weasel, The Offspring and Bad Religion. Bands include Sum 41,Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Lit, Jimmy Eat World, Man Overboard,New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Motion City Soundtrack, Millencolin and Fall OutBoy.

More InformationClick on the following:


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1. 1

Ready for a punk hairstyle?

2. 2Do punk style as a girl.

3. 3

Take your punk look to Prom.

4. 4

Try steampunk style.

5. 5

Start making your own punk music.

6. 6Punk out your wardrobe.

Bands with Punk: Alkaline Trio Ramones Sex Pistols The Clash Minor Threat Rancid Against All Authority! Anti-Nowhere League Bad Brains Gorilla Biscuits Crass The Exploited AFI Fugazi GBH Guttermouth The Offspring (mostly old)
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Blink-182 (Scott Raynor era) Siouxsie and the Banshees 45 Grave Killing Joke Joy Division The Casualties Clit 45 Anti-Flag Black Flag Gallows Title Fight Yellowcard (early) MxPx Bone Brigade The Runaways

Dead Kennedys Street Dogs Bad Religion Rise Against NoFX Social Distortion Aiden Murderdolls The Creepshow Calabrese

The Misfits Samhain Scream Gray Matter The Descendants Screeching Weasel Teenage Bottlerocket Dropkick Murphys Hot Water Music Discharge DRI Suicidal Tendencies Balzac The Vandals Skrewdriver (debut album) Against Me! The 4-Skins The Business


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Cockney Rejects Conflict UK Subs Blitz Anti-Heroes Blood on Blood Agnostic Front Madball Comeback Kid Death Before Dishonor Terror Youth of Today The Queers The Dicks Jawbreaker

Buzzcocks Millencolin Pennywise Cock Sparrer Sham 69 Cro-mags Beastie Boys (only a few EPs) Chaos UK Suicidal Tendencies Flogging Molly

Operation Ivy The Damned Blanks 77 Less Than Jake Green Day (mostly early work)

EditWarnings & Tips Dumb punk is unattractive;smartpunk is brilliant. Know your

grammar,spelling,history,geography, etc. and you will bust some people'sstereotypes of what punk is! Punk is an ever-growing, evolving community. Don't"dumb yourself down" for anyone. There are smart, cool punks everywhere and ifthe first ones you meet are jerks, accept that jerks are everywhere, don't be/actlike them because they are a part of something that you want to be a part of.They represent the lowest common denominator of a greater whole andbetterrole modelsare out there.

Never be afraid of what people might think. Be anindividual. This is the whole point of being a punk. If you want long hair,

keep it long. If you have a Kelly Clarkson album next to the Misfits one be proud.
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The biggest part of punk is the beliefs. Even Johnny Rotten has been quotedsaying modern punks are "clothes hangers". Remember that it's not about whatyou wear but who you are. That's what matters most.

Don't be a racist. That is not good for either yourself or anybody else. All punksare against racists, This will make you look like a "Nazi punk" and that isn't punk.

"White people" are not worth more than people with darker skin. How you aretreated should not depend on where you come from or your skin color. It doesn'tmatter what your race is and you should judge people by their attitude and on theinside.

Remember to live out loud. If someone makes fun of you, ignore it. Don't worrywhat others think. Be yourself

Just because you are punk doesn't mean punk is your only music. Punk isn'tabout the music played within the movement. Branch out to other things likerockabilly,hard rock, ska, psychobilly, andheavy metal(remember you may berejected if you admit to listening to music not considered "punk enough" by some,

but this is a losing proposition. Fans of any number of the bands listed abovewould consider others listed as lame and vice versa; listen to whatever you want.It is important to note that some punks will hold it against you if you likemainstream music, punk or not.)

Don't think you know better than anyone. There is someone that will always knowmore.

Respect your elders, if they deserve respect. If someone comes up to you in asuit and tie and tells you that they like your Misfits shirt,be cooland ask them ifthey are a fan. For all you know, they actually saw them play live in the '70s whenthe punk scene first started and they may have some great war stories, or even

better, some band suggestions that you would never have heard about. The common misconception about punks is that they don't benefit for themselves

(ie: homeless, always drunk, didn't finish school, etc.). This is an idea created bythose who are not punk, so try to, in your life, make sure you are getting yourselfthe job, manner, and life you really want. A good example of a successful punkthat's done this is Tim Armstrong of Rancid. He finished school, fought hisalcoholism, got himself a home, and works with countless producers and artists.Other people may want to see you fail as a punk, so do the opposite and showthem up.

You're gonna get called out on how you dress if you "look punk". When youdoubt yourself, remember, this is who you are. This is what you love. Don't letanyone take that from you.

Don't go around calling other people posers, you'll look like you're one of thosepeople trying to do what it takes to not get called a poser and you'll look stuck-up.

If you weren't punk before, people might freak out a little.Be nice, though. Anddon't say goodbye to your old friends and step into a new crowd. The "make newfriends, keep the old" rule pretty much stands for everyone.

Remember, if you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything.
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Not all punks hate the government. If you hate it, hate it for a reason, and if youdon't hate it, don't pretend to.

If you're going to abuse the punk movement and use it only for it's fashion, thenforget it. No one, including hardened punks, will believe you.

The difference between being a poser and a true punk is that a poser is always

worried about how punk they are. Just do what you want. That's what punk is:Think for yourself. Play by your own rules and nobody else's.

It doesn't necessarily have all to do with how you dress or what you listen; it's away of mind, often accompanied by expressive music and clothing.

Punk rock means a lot of things to a lot of people. There are people who thinkthat all of corporate America is evil, and those who buy their punk gear from themall at Hot Topic. Always be respectful; that "mall punk" might just be the nextrevolutionaryactivistand that "old fogie" with their obscure 30-year-old patchesmight have a thing to teach you. Always listen to whoever and if you disagree,present your argument in a way that accepts that others have a right to their point

of view, even if you don't agree with it. The "mall punks" were those kids who hadblack shirts, spiked hair and piercings and they called themselves punk for it.They also listened to pop punk primarily like Sum 41, New Found Glory andGood Charlotte.

Remember, gradually make your way into punk, if you just come out of youhouse one day looking like the punks on the street corner, it will be a costume,nothing more.

If your parents or guardians disagree with your punk beliefs, etc., listen to them,and explain to them what you believe. Consider their point of view. Your mommay have a strong reaction to your newly dyedhairbecause the color you were

born with is the color she gave you and it's hard for her to watch you grow up. A lot of times people will not know what punk really means. Some say it is all

about going against the mainstream because it is mainstream. However, that isironic since the Ramones, Sex Pistols, the Clash, etc were very mainstream inthe 20th century but are still punk rock legends. Anyone who tries to be anti-mainstream is a poser trying to fit in and trying to be anti-mainstream ismainstream anyways since there are many people trying to do it. Real punks likewhatever they want and be themselves. Don't be afraid to like mainstream thingsif you do.

Some people think punk is all about protesting and making change. But evenlegends like Wattie Buchan and Jello Biafra said it was more of rebellion and DIYattitude. However, some punks do often organize protests or riots when they gotan issue with the law.

Listening to punk rock doesn't make you a punk necessarily. Parents/teachers/bosses/etc. may be threatened by punk aesthetics because

they don't understand them. Consider yourself an ambassador to a community,but consider that it is much more shocking/rebellious/subversive to say please,thank you and turn in yourhomeworkon time even though you don't "look like the
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type" than it is to live up to the stereotype that mainstream media would likeeveryone to think thatpunk rockis all about.

There are skinheads in punk. Do NOT mistake them as neo-nazis! Not allskinheads are racist! These skins are SHARP (SkinHeads Against RacialPrejudice) or working class skinheads. They often are into Oi!, a genre of punk

referring to bands like The Business, 4-Skins, Sham 69 and The Exploited. Looking punk isn't important. Remember punk rock began as a movement, but as a genre of music. Punk

bands are punk because of their sound. Popularity, looks, fans, etc don't affecthow punk a band is. In fact, some think that punk must be obscure, despite thepopularity of Sex Pistols, Ramones and The Clash.

If you play punk rock, make music for the sake of it, not for selling out or justpopularity. However, selling out is no t the same as getting fame or changingsound.
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How to Be a Punk