Clash Culture

Last night I went to an event at Central St Martin College of Art and Design called "Clash Culture". The event was hosted by Paul Gorman, the author of a new book called The Look which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the White Riot tour, and the impact the Clash had on fashion and the wider world. Special guests included Sebastian Conran, Alex Michon, Krystyna Kolowska and the legendary Bernie Rhodes.

One of the enduring comments of the evening was that Britain is today "fucked" (in terms of music, fashion and culture generally). It rung bells in my head because I imagine that in 1977 the same words were being uttered by him and his contemporaries. Three day weeks, grave digger strikes, you name it. The 1970s were truly crazy in that respect.

It was the 1970s and the economic and cultural decline of the Britain that in effect gave rise not just to the new fashion of a counter-counter culture, but also produced the angry young man that was epitomised in the likes of John Lydon, Sid Vicious, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones and others.

Clearly today, the country is not anything like it was then, but some might agree it is "fucked". The question is, could there ever be the radicalism and expressive libertarianism of a movement with the passion and anger of punk again? Is it possible, since the economic reforms of the 80s and 90s where the argument was won, to produce the passion anymore?

There is, I'd say, a movement occurring at the moment. That movement is one of an intellectual revival of the Enlightenment, a rejection of the relativism that has led to bizarre contradictions between multiculturalism and liberty, and the promotion of personal responsibility. However that movement is measured and small, and is unlikely to create the passion of the late 70s because there is no longer the economic malaise that was faced then.

Is punk therefore dead? No, but it has changed.