Slam Dancing

This morning, via community radio 4ZZZ, I got to have a 15 minute flashback to my early Uni days. Whilst I was driving in the car I heard the following songs:

• Shirley - Billy Bragg
• Gone Daddy Gone - Violent Femmes
• The Slab - Hunters and Collectors
• Rock and Roll High School - Ramones
• Slave Girl - The Lime Spiders

Now, most of these songs were out in the early to mid 80's, and all of these artists had a bearing on my youth, with the possible exception of the Spiders, however, I enjoyed them because it reminded me of the Hoodoo Gurus. I consider myself a bit of a punk, but what I consider punk is now what is apparently termed "old school" punk, and whilst not all of the artists above are real punk, they are variants of folk punk, post punk and rock! Don't you just love categorisation?

These days, I don't go out much to see bands, but back then it wasn't uncommon to go and see whoever you wanted to, being young, single, and with a belly full of beer. Slam Dancing wasn't uncommon either, or crowd surfing, although no one really could lift me up - nor would want to.

However, give me a smidgen of a fast song, and me and the kids will jump around the room like idiots doing all the stupid dances of the past. The pogo. The slam. The dead ant. The closest thing we've had lately has been Green Day or Blink 182. Hopefully, a bit of punk will rub off on them for the future.

Ciao for Now, Punk's Not Dead Angry Dad.