Emo Punk Rock

Emo Punk rock first came on the scene in the 1970's, and had a huge following in the US, UK and Australia. It developed mainly as a backlash against the way that rock had developed at the end of the 60's, which many people perceived had turned from wild and rebellious, into a tame, sentimental commercialism. Rock had always been youthful, wild and defiant but somewhere along in this had been lost. Punk brought it all screaming back with fast, hard instrumentations, stripped down lyrics and a political, anti-establishment vibe. Punk embraced self-publication and production, and with bands recording and distributing their own material, punk was able to evolve virtually uncensored, and blossomed into the spreading cultural phenomenon.

Punk rock was interlinked with a whole subculture, which rejected political idealism and commercialism and dared to rebel aggressively against constrictive and ineffective establishments. This involved distinctive, visual statements in the fashion and hairstyles, typically t-shirts with anti-establishment logos, unconventional jeans and spiked accessories, and short, aggressive hairstyles such as the Mohawk and the skinhead. Tattoos and piercing were also a major part of the style, as well as elements of bondage with leather and metal studded collars and wrist restraints being worn as accessories.

Punk Rock