the day the world turned day glow

A self guided tour of London's 77 Punk scene

Its 33 years this week since the sex pistols serenaded Queen Elizabeth II on her silver Jubilee. "God Save the Queen/She ain't no human being" echoes through the still air of the Thames. The Pistols, Mclaren and Westwood on board a charted boat loudly mocking the Queens river precession past the Houses of Parliament. Even if you think that the Pistols were commercialised bullocks you have to admit that hiring a boat to tell the HRH that there 'is no future' takes guts. And it changed the face of political warfare. 

Punk music has been a part of my life since before I was born. I grew up listening to UK 77 punk: The Pistols, The Buzzcocks, 999, The Stranglers, Ian Dury, The Members. I've been living in London for 8 months now and while East London has its share of ripped stockings, tight blacks and leather bombers its not where punk started. On my day off I decided it was time to find 77 Punks roots, to go back to the place where it all began. 

First things first, I have to look the part. I take my inspiration from Siouxsie, Poly Styrene and throw in a little of Debbie Harry (even though she's American, she is a personal style icon). Leopard print, creepers and more black eyeliner than I have worn since I was 14. I throw on my Joe Strummer denim jacket with the pin I bought in Barcelona- an anarchy sign made of skulls. I delete all the music from my i-phone and replace it with nothing but London 77 punk, and a little from their US counterparts. Later my best friend will applaud me for being thorough and committed. 

The clash on kings road. Get in the mood- listen to my mixtape

Chelseas Kings Road is the birthplace of London's 77 punk scene. Today it is more ponce than punk. Walking down from Sloan square I feel rather out of place. Maybe I shouldn't have dressed up quite so 77. I am surrounded by wealthy wives and what a friend had termed 'sloanies'- rich kids that wear designer track pants and ugg boots (like pembroke kids in Adelaide). Sloan Square is a go to destination for boutiques and more high end high street. How can so much have changed in the last 30 years?

My destination was further west, down Kings road. I had to keep in mind that even 3 decades ago Sloan square was a bit stuck up. What I wanted was the other end of Chelsea- where the council flats are, the area so aptly named Worlds End. 

I was looking for Beaufort Street where Poly Styrene had a stall at the market in 1976. Selling vintage clothing. Her stall was named X-Ray Spex- later to become the name of her band with Lora Logic. Unfortunately Beaufort street was a bit of a disappointment as is the old Man in the Moon Theatre, site of may of the first punk gigs. Today there's not much to see, its just another of many trendy Chelsea pubs currently undergoing refurbishment. I take a couple of shots on my camera but seriously wonder if I am wasting precious exposures on my film roll. 

Perhaps the only remaining piece of Punk history in Chelsea is 430 Kings road. The store is the site of Malcolm McLaren and Vivien Westwood's  infamous boutique SEX. Its still owned by the original group that opened it- I'm not sure if that means just Westwood, or involves Mclarens trust or other benefactors. These days it has taken on the name Worlds End after the name of the area that it is situated. The front of the shop houses a huge clock with Worlds End emblazoned across its face while the hands swing at rocket speed in an anti-clockwise direction. Inside a smaller version mimics its actions. The store is filled with vintage and Westwood and exudes a 'cool' pretentiousness (without that foul East London Schmick). The Shop assistant asks if i have any questions and we chat about the history of the store, the 77 scene and the almost complete irradiation of such an important part of London's history. Apparently there is a hairdressers around the corner that has been there since the 70's. Apart from that almost everything is gone, taken over by trendy, safe, wealthy west London consumerism. 

The Canadian shop assistant tells me about how lots of the shopfittings are original. The stool she is sitting on is one of the artifacts, thank goodness that some of it has been preserved. She let me know that Adam Ant came in last week, he was a regular back in the day. They also see people like Topper Headon from The Clash and she mentions the New York Dolls. Knowing that people involved in the scene go back means that Chelsea and SEX really meant something. Even if the rest of the street has all been painted over with fresh white paint. 

I walk back up Kings road to the site of the old Chelsea Drugstore, it pre-dates punk a little bit but it was an important hang out back in the 70's. The Rolling stones mention it in the lyrics to 'can't always get what you want' and it was used as a filming location in Kuricks 'A Clockwork Orange'. Now its a McDonalds. 

After Chelsea I head central to Covent Gardens where Londons 77 scene's most famous venue was situated. On Neal street I find the previous site, now unrecognisable save its tacky white tiles. Despite my previous disappointment I hold on to the idea that perhaps at the rear there are still remnants of a punk age long gone. Perhaps a little bit of Graffiti or a band emblem emblazoned on the back alley wall. Once again my hopes are dashed. The oh so trendy Neals Yard sits behind the Roxy, the graff now covered by bright pastel paint and kitsch. The sad part of this cover up is that punk is a movement that used the language of symbols and signs to get itself out there. Who can think about punk without thinking of its challenging aesthetic. Painting over the graffitti is like painting over cave paintings or the sistine chapel. Maybe in 50 years time people will realise this and go back to these sites to try and uncover some of the history. 

I knew going into my tour that the world has changed a lot in the last 30 years, especially in London. I knew that Punk is not something that council planners and historical societies hold in esteem. So I dont know why I was so surprised to find the history of a political and musical movement to be so forgotten. Maybe its because I don't want to admit that, in Londons west at least, Punk is dead. 

Perhaps the worst part of this is the lack of acknowledgment. London has such a long and rich history which is often made very visible via plaques and inscriptions. People are so fascinated by Jack the ripper that tours run constantly throughout the day. I see them across the road from where I work, they stop to look at a brick wall which now stands where a victim was found in a building that was demolished years ago. Where is the History of Punk tour? 

As I head back East I feel comfort in knowing that in E1 subcultures still exist. Perhaps its enough, here creative people thrive  and the rent is cheap- just like it was in Chelsea in the 70's. But that too is changing and soon everything good about the east will be too overpriced for people like me to afford. I've been told that the new place to keep an eye on is down south in Peckham. I guess its a good thing that creative types are easily adaptable. 

No matter what, the sound of punk will continue to echo throughout the ages. Parents will introduce it to their children just like mine did for me. Punk is a life lesson- stand up for what you believe in, even if you only know three chords. The leftover signifiers of the London Punk movement might be gone but they are not forgotten Punk music will forever form a staple part of musical education. Perhaps some day in the future there will be a Joe Strummer and Johnny Rotten tours instead of Jack the ripper. 

read more about kings road here... beware embedded music. Also punk77 is a great source of information about UK punk.