The B-52’s: Pioneers of LGBTQI+ activism in the New Wave scene

Benjamin Forrest on 28 February 2021

The punk and new wave scene of the late 70’s and 80’s is often seen as dominated by the angry voices of straight white men. The bands from that era usually picked out by the mainstream music press would certainly reflect that theory. In 1976, however, a band formed in Athens, Georgia, over a fishbowl cocktail, that would go on to become, not just one of the greatest bands to come out of that scene, but one of the greatest LGBTQ bands in history. The B-52’s, over the course of their history, have created some of the most brilliantly original songs of the 20th Century. Borrowing from a plethora of genres such as doo-wop, surf, psychedelia and everything in-between, The B-52’s are a true original – which is pretty rare to find. 

The B-52’s are far too often viewed as a mere novelty band; judging the B-52’s solely on ‘Rock Lobster’ or ‘Love Shack’ (their most commercially successful singles) is like judging The Cure based only off ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, or writing off the entire Devo discography after listening to ‘Whip It’. Their first two albums, in particular, consist of some of the strongest tunes to come out of that era of New Wave music. From the high energy of ’52 Girls’, to the experimental fever dream of ‘Quiche Lorraine’, to the 50’s surf inspired ‘Give Me Back My Man’. Do yourself a favour: listen to a B-52’s album in its entirety – you will come out of that experience a better person.

Throughout their entire history (1976-present) the B-52’s have been fearlessly themselves, going against the grain of the punk scene which acted as the catalyst for their creation. The art school kids from Athens swapped mohawks for beehives, bondage trousers for vintage dresses, and it was all the more defiant. Their kitsch and campy sensibilities endeared themselves to LGBTQ audiences in a way which was not really seen by many other New Wave bands – at least, not the same extent. By the time they released their first album in 1979, ‘punk’ had become a conformist fashion trend, much of the new music being released had congealed into the same boring sound concerned with cliched macho adolescent anger. The B-52’s, however, never bought into those ideals to begin with – they were always unapologetically non-conformist. 

Four of the five original band members identified as being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, the band certainly embraced their sexuality, but they were never defined by it. In fact, vocalist, lyricist and player of the organ (mainly) Kate Pierson said they never considered themselves to be a “queer” band, “We just thought of ourselves as just plain queer — as in eccentric,” which might explain why the B-52’s are so criminally overlooked when exploring the history of LGBTQ within music. 

After losing founding member Ricky Wilson to health complications related to HIV/AIDS in 1985, the band took it upon themselves to spread awareness about the crisis, producing a public service announcement for AMFAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) called ‘Art Against AIDS’ featuring a plethora of other notable artists of the time. The AIDS crisis was peaking during this time and the criminal treatment of the disease from Margaret Thatcher in the UK and Ronald Reagan in the US meant that very little was being done to curve the crisis. Even basic information on AIDS was still fairly scarce in 1987, homosexuality in general was often still seen as perverted or just generally wrong – you need only look at the headlines of The Sun newspaper around this time to distinguish just how bad thing were. The B-52’s, therefore, by standing up, speaking out against AIDS, and providing information to a countless number of people were doing an incredibly important service. 

The impact of the B-52’s on the LGBTQ community, and pop culture in general, is profound and long-lasting. More recently, fearlessly flamboyant frontman Fred Schneider appeared on two separate albums by Jinkx Monsoon, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5. Iconic drag queen Juno Birch also recently shared a lip sync video of ‘Give Me Back My Man’ which is well worth your time. The history of the LGBTQ community and the history of the B-52’s are woven into each other, they definitely deserve more credit than being seen only as the creators of ‘Love Shack’. 

The B-52’s have always been, and should be remembered as, an indescribably incredible band who embraced, but were never defined by, their sexuality and have constantly supported the LGBTQ community and all those who identify with it. Pierson, speaking to Lesbian/Bisexual women’s publication AfterEllen, puts it best in the quote: “One of the things the B-52s wanted to accomplish was for people to embrace their difference and encourage people to be who they are and accept themselves.”. 

Free Leonard Peltier!

Benjamin Forrest on 25 February 2021

45 years ago, on the 6th February 1976 an indigenous activist, and member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, by the name of Leonard Peltier was arrested in Canada in connection to the shooting of two FBI agents on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, USA, in 1975. Peltier was convicted of aiding and abetting the murder and has been imprisoned since 1977 serving two life sentences. The trial was strewn with inaccuracies, mistrials of justice and downright discrimination, yet Peltier remains behind bars to this day. 

Before we get into the case it is important to give some background on the anti-indigenous atmosphere that has presided in the US since the first colonisers landed in 1607. Indigenous people have suffered a complete erasure of their culture and way of life through government policies designed to have that very effect. From the early days of ‘Manifest Destiny’ indigenous people have been slaughtered and their land has been stolen. Buffalo, an incredibly important animal which formed a lot of the basis for the indigenous people and their nomadic lifestyle, were massacred in huge numbers (three million were culled in 1872 alone). First Nations, who did not believe in the ownership of land, were pushed onto underfunded reservations which were then gradually stolen from them by white settlers. Indigenous customs and traditions have been made illegal and the US Government has forced policies intent on ‘Americanising’ and integrating First Nations into the ‘civilised’ capitalist society created by, and for, rich Caucasian men. Today, indigenous people make up only 2.4% of the US population, with over a quarter living in poverty. Issues of unemployment, alcoholism and drug abuse also disproportionately affect indigenous people.

In 1968, taking inspiration from the African American Civil Rights movement reaching its peak in the early 1960’s and the rise of the Black Panther Party during this time, the American Indian Movement (AIM) was set up to address systematic issues of poverty and police brutality against indigenous tribes. Leonard Peltier was an active member of this campaign group when two men (who, at the time, did not identify themselves as FBI Agents) invaded Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. 

Peltier’s trial took a little over two weeks and the all-white jury took 11 hours to deliver a guilty verdict. It was later revealed, though, that throughout the trial the FBI had coerced and intimidated key witnesses and Peltier’s constitutional right to a fair trial had been violated. The case mainly relied on Myrtle Poor Bear as a key witness as she was Peltier’s girlfriend and witnessed the shooting – except it was later revealed she was not present at the time of the shooting, moreover she had never known Leonard personally. Several key witnesses have since recanted their stories, claiming they were made under intimidation tactics carried out by the FBI. During his trial the FBI spread fearmongering rumours of possible ’terrorist’ attacks to be carried out by AIM, thus building tension in an already anti-indigenous atmosphere. In terms of physical evidence: FBI ballistic expert, Evan Hodge, stated he was unable to perform a test on the supposed murder weapon. It was later found out that a firing pin test was indeed carried out on the supposed murder weapon, and the results were negative. The bullets which killed the agents did not come from Peltier’s gun. The jury, of course, were never made aware of this evidence during the trial. There was no forensic evidence to support the prosecution. There was no reliable witness testimony that either: placed Peltier at the scene previous to the shooting or identified him as the person who shot the two FBI agents. There is no reasonable evidence that Leonard Peltier was responsible for the murder of FBI Agents Williams and Coler. 

Despite the massive amount of evidence of FBI misconduct, blatant disregard for Peltier’s constitutional rights, and obvious grounds for a mistrial; Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for the past 45 years. At the time of his imprisonment, in 1977, the average sentence served for homicide before being released on parole was 8 years – Peltier has, to this date, served over five times that amount. The US Government even extended his term, in direct violation of the 1984 Sentencing Reform Act. Furthermore, he has been denied clemency by, everybody’s favourite war criminals, George W. Bush and Barack Obama in 2009 and 2017 respectively. The next scheduled parole hearing is in 2024, by which time Peltier will be 79. 

Unless action is taken soon, it is highly likely that Leonard Peltier will die in prison, for a crime he was wrongfully convicted of. His only crime was belonging to a race of people which the US Government has sought to rid themselves of by any means necessary. The treatment of First Nations in the US has been the longest continual massacre in its history, yet it receives very little attention. When I studied ‘Native American Civil Rights’ for A-Level History, Peltier was never even mentioned by name – it simply stated that two FBI Agents had been shot on a reservation, before swiftly moving on. The fact that Peltier is still imprisoned shows clearly that the situation in the US is not improving. Racism, injustice, discrimination and persecution against non-whites is still incredibly prevalent and indigenous tribes are yet to face any real reparations for the complete destruction and systematic dismantling of their entire way of life. Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned for 45 years for daring to campaign against systematic poverty and the persecution of his people, that does not give the impression of the free and fair society the US likes to present itself as. Free Leonard Peltier.

To find out more on the case, and find out how you can help, please visit: www.whoisleonardpeltier.info

Leeds art-rock gurus Mush take on the current dystopia on new album Lines Redacted

Benjamin Forrest on 14 February 2021

Leeds-based art-rock indie guitar gurus Mush released their second full-length LP this month to much critical acclaim. The album was released on Memphis Industries, home of their Leeds contemporaries Menace Beach, which acts as a good indicator for the sheer quality of this release. Mush burst onto the radar of the music press in the run up to the release of their debut album 3D Routine in early 2020 and, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the band seem to be going from strength to strength and gathering momentum all the while. Lines Redacted follows on from October’s Yellow Sticker Hour EP and is the band’s first release since the tragic loss of guitarist Steven Tyson in December 2020. 

3D Routine was, in my mind, one of the greatest albums of 2020 thereby it would be tough for Lines Redacted to top it, but I dare say that the new album is the band’s finest work thus far. Mush have retained their trademark sound in terms of jangly guitars and lyrics critical of the current political landscape, yet their sound has clearly matured a great deal since the last album. The angry, and at times comedic, takes on the current state of affairs are backed up by one of the tightest bands around at the moment. One of my very few criticisms of their debut was a feeling of overproduction, if you listen to the 7” release of Gig Economy vs the album mix, for instance, the 7” version feels a lot rawer and more energetic – a feeling which was lacking on the album in my opinion. On Lines Redacted, however, I have no such criticisms, Lee Smith does a fantastic job of mixing these tracks. Smith had previously worked with Pulled Apart By Horses and The Cribs which obviously suggests Lines Redacted is purposely going for a more raw, loud and distorted style in comparison to the clean-cut sound of 3D Routine.

The tracks on Lines Redacted fluctuate between moods, there is certainly more variation in this album in comparison to the band’s previous works – from the upbeat Mush we all know and love on tracks like ‘Blunt Instruments’ and ‘Seven Trumpets’, to a much more mellow, melancholic atmosphere on the final track ‘Lines Discontinued’. The album, on the whole, feels much more mellifluous as opposed to the high-energy of previous songs such as ‘Revising My Fee’ for example. ‘Lines Discontinued’ is definitely the standout track on the album, a seven-and-a-half-minute masterpiece which encapsulates everything that is brilliant about Mush. The sudden changes in mood, the tongue-and-cheek lyrics and the absolute excellence of the guitar riffs – it is all present within this track. ‘Lines Discontinued’ only serves as a representation for just how incredible and versatile this band are. 

I was lucky enough to see Mush perform at the album launch of 3D Routine (before the world fell apart) and it simply blows you away to witness such a display of musical brilliance right in front of you – particularly on Lines Redacted, I think Mush have been able to replicate this perfectly within a studio setting. There are no other bands that spring to mind that are comparable to Mush currently, nobody else is doing what Mush are – at least not to the same scale or quality – they are beautifully original, innovative and they are sure to go down as one of the greatest independent bands produced by the city of Leeds. 

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets evolve on chaotic new album Shyga! The Sunlight Mound

Benjamin Forrest on 11 February 2021

When flicking through boxes of singles in a record store, people like me are often compelled to a band simply because of their name. In fact, I have discovered some of my favourite artists via this method, and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are no exception. As you can likely deduce via the name, or the fact that they formed in an old horse barn after meeting each other through a shared drug dealer, that the Crumpets are a fairly ‘far out’ band. Their first studio album High Visceral (released in two parts) is brilliant explorations of grunge psychedelia, whilst their 2019 album And Now for the Whatchamacallit signified a transition more towards pop rock – though elements of their original sound remained, on tracks such as ‘Social Candy’. 

The Perth outfit’s latest offering Shyga! The Sunlight Mound feels very much like a continuation of their previous album, in terms of moving from a more hardcore, grungy, psychedelic sound to a style more consistent of indie rock. That being said, Shyga! blows the previous album out the water. It feels much more refined and perfected – incorporating elements of their early work whilst still creating a more pop-y sound – perhaps reminiscent of their Australian counterparts Tame Impala. Instead of feeling like the band have sold out their sound for more commercial success, though, it feels like this is simply an evolution in the sound of the band which, in my eyes, can only act as a positive thing going forwards – nobody needs another Catfish and the Bottlemen churning out the same album every few years. It is also important to note that the band exists on their own label, What Reality? Records and, I mean, their name is ‘Psychedelic Porn Crumpets’ – so I very much doubt the claims that the band are selling out their original sound for a more commercially viable record.

The album, from the first track onwards it is very energetic, fast-paced, and, at times, chaotic – most notably on tracks such as ‘Tripolasaur’. There is scarcely a chance to catch your breath, it is like racing through a tunnel of acid-induced hallucinations (much like in the beloved children’s film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). The band reportedly have a broad range of influences from Led Zeppelin to the Mighty Boosh, both of which are identifiable within this album, with many tracks featuring guitar riffs which would not feel completely out of place on a 1970’s hard rock album. The latter half of the album, in particular, features some fantastically energetic adrenaline-shots, coming in the form of ‘Mundungus’ and ‘The Tale of Gurney Gridman’ which were a very welcome addition to the driving momentum present throughout the album. Shyga! admittedly delivers some very route-one indie pop songs on tracks like ‘Mr. Prism’ which, although not a bad song by any means, is disappointing from a standpoint of musical exploration and originality. Much of what the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are doing on this album was being done by Menace Beach five years previous, so the Crumpets are not necessarily breaking new ground with Shyga! The Sunlight Mound. It does, however, show a maturing of their sound which often, on this album, results in some chaotically fun songs to listen to and I will still undoubtedly be revisiting this album throughout the year

“I know a good joke when I steal one”: An exploration of plagiarism in comedy

Benjamin Forrest on 7 February 2021

The issue of ‘joke thieves’ and plagiarism in comedy has become somewhat of a regular discussion in the past few years, with perhaps the most prominent example being American comic Amy Schumer who was exposed as having plagiarised a vast array of jokes from other comics such as John Mulaney, Kathleen Madigan and Wendy Liebman (among many others). It is important to note that joke theft is not a new issue, by any means. The 1993 Denis Leary special ‘No Cure for Cancer’ is widely regarded to have completely ripped off the act of legendary comedian Bill Hicks – both the Denis Leary and Bill Hicks performances are currently available on Netflix so you can see for yourselves how similar the two are. Further back than that, the 1973 National Lampoon stage show ‘Lemmings’ was accused of stealing a joke from Monty Python. So why is plagiarism in comedy much more prominent nowadays? It is difficult to say for sure, but the ease at which content is viewable on the internet means that if Amy Schumer tells a joke very similar to a joke Wendy Liebman told in the early 90’s, the likelihood is that there’s a video of that performance online. Thus, perhaps joke theft is not a much more important issue these days, it is simply easier to identify.

Schumer has faced very little in the way of consequences in spite of the overwhelming amount of evidence of thievery. Her new show ‘Expecting Amy’ is a hit on HBO Max, two of her stand-up specials along with her film ‘Trainwreck’ are still available on Netflix and she has won multiple awards from Critics’ Choice to an Emmy. It does not seem morally sound that Amy Schumer, and many other plagiarists, are allowed to create a successful and illustrious career based upon the jokes of other comics who are left to fall into obscurity. Denis Leary still enjoys an incredibly successful career as a writer and actor thanks largely due to the success of his ‘Cure for Cancer’ special, whereas Bill Hicks died in 1994 with only a handful of stand-up specials and an unaired Letterman performance to his name. Seemingly joke theft is not regarded as a big deal, when questioned on Leary’s plagiarism, Hicks quipped “I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and to really throw people off, I did it before he did.”.

Many have argued that nobody can really own a joke, they are in the public domain and hold no real value. Stand-up legend Stewart Lee tackled this idea brilliantly in his routine about Joe Pasquale stealing a joke from Irish comedian Michael Redmond, and I believe the sentiment of that routine still rings true. Furthermore, in an industry as hard to break into as stand-up comedy, it is ludicrous to have to accept mainstream comics ripping-off jokes from more obscure acts – that probably will not find themselves on Live at the Apollo or Mock the Week or any other of the one-size-fits-all comedy programmes being thrust unto the viewing public by the BBC – as an inevitability. Aside from anything else, it is lazy. Plagiarism just goes to portray a lack of creativity or originality which, ultimately, will have a detrimental effect on comedy as a whole by limiting the success of new and original comics.

As a journalism student, I know how seriously plagiarism is taken in my field as well as many others such as science or music. Does it not, then, make sense for plagiarism in comedy to be taken just as seriously? It is an incredible injustice, yet it seems to be constantly shrugged off as a mere annoyance. A written joke should be held in the same regard as any other artform. The Verve made no money from ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ because it sampled an orchestral version of a Rolling Stones song, yet Amy Schumer is allowed to continue her ridiculously successful career built off the back of telling other people’s jokes, does that seem fair to you? Stop supporting the hacks. 

Pom Poko release weird and wonderful second album Cheater

Benjamin Forrest on 2 February 2021

January saw the release of Cheater, the second full-length LP by Oslo’s finest art punk outfit Pom Poko. The album was released via Bella Union, an independent record label operated by Simon Raymonde of the Cocteau Twins – so, inherently, anything put out on Bella Union must be worth a listen. In a similar vain to Cocteau Twins, Pom Poko have managed to create their own weird, wonderful and distinctive sound which really comes into its own within their latest offering.

Their 2019 single ‘Leg Day’ gained airplay on radio stations such as BBC 6Music, and the band were fairly high up on the bill for Live at Leeds 2020 (which obviously did not go ahead). Pom Poko seem to be on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream of alternative music, and if this record does not tip them over the edge then there is no justice in the world. Every track is so perfectly crafted and yet simultaneously chaotic you cannot help but stop in amazement about what your ears are actually hearing. The melodic siren song vocals of lead singer Ragnhild Fangel are backed up by a vicious menagerie of noise and distortion reminiscent of an acid trip at a Mudhoney show – it shouldn’t work, but it does. 

The name Pom Poko comes from a 90’s Studio Ghibli film in which mythical creatures with shape-changing abilities use their supernatural powers in order to combat the urban development threatening their forest home. To an extent, I think that is a good representation of the band in terms of them using all their outlandish and unusual musical devices to combat the banal, grey, commercialised nature of so much of the music being released as of late. Pom Poko are determined to prove there is still a place for originality and experimentation in music. 

Cheater fluctuates between moods, from the dreamy almost-dreampop atmosphere created on ‘Andrew’ and ‘Body Level’, to the out-and-out punk chaos of ‘Andy Go to School’ and ‘Look’ yet, weirdly, it never feels jarring when listening in the context of the album. ‘Curly Romance’ is perhaps the best example of how Pom Poko are able to effortlessly switch moods, often abruptly, even within the same song. Listening to this album is like being caught up in a whirlwind except it is simply euphoric and, for want of a better word, fun. ‘Like a Lady’ is the standout track on Cheater as it sums up, for me, everything that the band means, as well as being a perfect development upon their previous work – it blows ‘Leg Day’ out of the water, despite how utterly incredible that song is. 

The band put their uniquely explosive sound down to a clash of their ‘jazz school training and experimental leanings’, and if jazz school incorporates even a fraction of the tumultuous debauchery present on Cheater, then sign me up! 

Pom Poko are set to play the Community Room at Brudenell Social Club in September, and I am looking froward to witnessing their rapturous chaos firsthand. 

Molchat Doma’s Monument: A gothic snyth-pop dance party

Benjamin Forrest on 19 November 2020

Belarus trio Molchat Doma’s 2018 album ‘Этажи’ was deeply ahead of its time, signified by the fact that it has only recent started gaining traction in the UK (yes thanks, in part, to Tik Tok – but let’s not go there). Nevertheless, the album solidified the band as one of the greatest current post-punk outfits on the planet and, as I see it, ‘Monument’ only goes to further that claim. 

Whilst I adore the band’s previous work, I would have liked to see more evolution in sound between their last album and ‘Monument’, it follows very similar themes and sounds – which is positive given how great their signagture sound is, however I feel as though, if they continue down this path for multiple future albums, the sound is in danger of becoming somewhat stale. For now, though, Molchat Doma still sound incredible, and refreshingly different in comparison to the vast majority of other popular ‘post-punk’ acts at the moment (a lot of whom are beginning to sound identical to each other, leading me to worry that post-punk will become the next ‘indie rock’, but that is a story for another day). 

The album kicks off with Cold War style nightclub banger ‘Utonut’ and doesn’t really lift off after that point, continuing the 80’s style synth, reminiscent of New Order, early Depeche Mode, or Telex, on tracks such as ‘Discoteque’ and ‘Ne Smeshno’. The standout track, for me, would have to be ‘Otveta Net’. The dark, booming voice of vocalist Egor Shkutko compliments the retro drum beat and Roman Komogortsev’s whining guitar tones beautifully to create what, I think, will come to be one of Molchat Doma’s defining tracks when all is said and done. 

Written entirely in quarantine, Monument embraces the darkness and despair, but doesn’t wallow in the sadness like so many others. Instead, the album is a kind of gothic snyth-pop dance party, which fits the mood of lockdown pretty well honestly. It is perhaps one of the few albums that would work equally well at a house party, or a 2:00am bout of deep melancholy. As Shukuto claims in the lyrics to ‘Discoteque’: “I will continue to dance”, that lyric, in my eyes, is a fitting signifier for the entire album: continuing to dance through the darkness and misery of life in 2020. Truthfully, this album could not have come out at a better time, deep into the second period of lockdown everybody is feeling helpless and tired, we all need the moody tones of three Belarusian men to help us forget about our troubles and cry-dance alone in our bedrooms to industrial, cold wave, post-punk synths.

Punk is Black!

Benjamin Forrest on 16 October 2020

Punk music, as a genre, has a long and illustrious history, and most music historians list the first ‘punk’ records as The Stooges’ 1969 album, or the MC5’s ‘Kick Out the Jams’ (also released in 1969) – some go further back to the US garage scene of the mid-1960’s, either way, the frequently told history of punk music is seemingly dominated by white artists, particularly white males. A section of that history which is often ignored, forgotten or even omitted is the vital contributions of some incredible black artists. 

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, for instance, released the single ‘I Put A Spell On You’ all the way back in 1956 (a full 11 years before the Stooges even formed) and whilst the song itself isn’t outright punk music in terms of lyrical content, it incorporates many of the devices later characterised as ‘punk’, such as Hawkins strained, desperate shouting vocals and outlandish, shocking live performances. 

A Detroit three-piece called Death recorded what is, in my eyes, one of the definitive punk anthems ‘Politicians In My Eyes’ in 1975 thus pre-dating the Ramones’ first album (widely regarded as the first out-and-out punk record). The single only sold 500 copies at the time and the band was largely ignored until 2009 when Drag City Records released the demos Death had recorded back in 1975 to critical acclaim. A detail that is often not recognised in the story of Death is that ‘Politicians In My Eyes’ was self-released on their own record label, thereby making Death one of the first independent bands to exist, years before Buzzcocks self-released their EP ‘Spiral Scratch’, credited with starting independent or ‘indie’ music.

The UK punk scene, the start of which is signified by the release of ‘New Rose’ by the Damned in October 1976, was seemingly dominated by three white male bands: Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Damned. I would argue, however, that some of the greatest records of that era were created by X-Ray Spex, led by Marianne Joan Elliot-Said (better known as Poly Styrene) whose overt feminism and politically charged anthems marked her out from the more mainstream punk artists of the time as being someone with something significant to say, as opposed to The Damned whose lyrical content was often closer to love than rebellion, or the Sex Pistols who were simply manufactured by Malcolm McLaren to cause outrage and profit. 

So why were these artists so largely ignored during their time? Why are they not widely credited for the invaluable impact they had upon the genre? Is it simply due to their race? In short, yes. The music industry, and particularly white musicians have always, for want of a better phrase, ripped off a plethora of black artists for personal gain. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and a countless array of other early rock and roll musicians highjacked songs penned by black blues/soul musicians in order to further their own success, often not giving these artists credit of royalties. So, following the same logic, it makes sense that the artists included in this article were ignored in favour of their white counterparts. The facts remain, however, that without Jay Hawkins there would be no Iggy Pop, without Death there would be no Dead Kennedys, and without Poly Styrene there would be no Riot Grrl. Every great musical movement was pioneered by black artists: from jazz in the 1920’s, to rock ‘n’ roll in the 50’s, ska and reggae in the 60’s – up to the Acid House dance music of the late 80’s and 90’s. Punk music is no exception this rule, and it goes without saying that these artists deserve much more support and recognition than they currently hold. I only spoke about three main artists in this article, but there are countless other amazing black/black-fronted punk bands you should check out: Bad Brains, Negro Terror, Bob Vylan, Big Joanie, Crystal Axis and The OBGMS to name just a few. Stop the whitewashing of music. Support black artists.