the punks are allright

Last night I was reading a book by Chuck Klosterman called Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. At one point in this book, Klosterman talks about how he despises people who love punk rock, he said that “There has never been a genre of anything that has made more people confused about what art is capable of doing, they all refuse to shut up about it.” Klosterman goes on to ridicule the people he had met who claim that punk rock saved their lives.  This viewpoint can properly represent the consensus feeling on punk rock music; it’s just noisy, violent, trashy throwaway music that serves no purpose in the realm of music and society. This way of thinking is the main problem surrounding the world of punk music; no one ever thinks that it can have an important role in people’s lives.  This viewpoint is not true in places like Brazil and Indonesia, where the youth of the areas are exposed to violence, religious intolerance and drug wars. In the Documentary The Punks are allright, a light is shown on the people who needed punk rock. In the words of the Minutemen, “punk rock changed our lives,” but can punk rock really change lives?

            Before I watched The Punks are allright the only Brazilian music that I was exposed to was a metal band called Sepultura and Stan Getz’s album Getz/Gilberto. I had no Idea that there was a punk culture in the favelas of Brazil. I however did know that the favelas of Brazil were full of crime, but I assumed that this problem was under control by the police. After watching the film, however, I found out that the police are constantly under attack in these favelas.  These towns not only are riddled with crime, but they are also rather impoverished. The children of these towns have no future; they most likely will either cling to the catholic religion or become drug dealers. The only thing that pulls children from dealing drugs or from becoming a fundamentalist is punk rock.

Blind Pigs are a band in Brazil who are a main topic of the punk documentary. The lead singer Henrike believes that punk rock is life; he met his wife at one of his shows and now has two children with her, if it wasn’t for punk. Henrike believes that punk rock can bring purpose to the children of the favela. He particularly want the children to start bands of any genre, he believes that its still punk because it is DIY. Music fulfils this need that the children have in these towns; it fills the children's need to belong and to actually aspire to do something with their life. Henrike had gotten a letter from someone in Indonesia who wanted to listen to Blind Pigs music but has no means to buy it, Henrike sent him a CD of his and in return this Indonesian man made them Blind Pigs patches that he made himself.  

Indonesia, another country in poverty, this country has the highest population of Muslims in the world (a fact that I did not know).  The documentary follows Dolly, a factory worker and punk rock enthusiast. Dolly was the one who sent Henrike  I can relate to how he feels about this music.

            In America, Punk (specifically Hardcore punk) has been created and listened to since the early 1980’s.  Like in Brazil and Indonesia, Punk has been a huge influence on the young; this is mostly because it’s created and listened to by mostly young people. In Indonesia and Brazil the punk that is being created is made by mostly the poor for impoverished people; in America, however, the Hardcore Punk movement was primarily made by middle class young people for middle class young people; I think that is why I was (and still am) attracted to this particular type of music. I am the first to admit that I am a lucky person; I went to a great high school in a great district and grew up in a loving household. That being said, my school district was extremely competitive. Because of the schools competitiveness, I was pressured by the school, my peers and especially by my parents to get good grades and to be a perfect, well-rounded citizen. This way of life always got to me, this pressure of pleasing everyone. My only venting was to go up to my room and play Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and Nofx records until I could barely hear. Although I don’t connect with Henrike or Dolly on a class level, we meet perfectly at the line of loving punk.

“Punk rock changed our lives.” Is it possible for this statement to be true? Can Punk rock really change people’s lives? This term will always mean something to someone, somewhere.  When someone says that punk rock is meaningless and can’t change anything; just remember the story of Dolly and how, without punk, he would be a crushed individual. Also remember how punk music changed the lives of the people in Brazil, it made Henrike the man he is today and it also give hop to those who need it most. Punk rock can change lives.