Tag: punk rock

STE Bulletin 23 – 2nd February 1994

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Coarse and guttural one-syllable Anglo-Saxon with Mr Cynical

Hello again, bet you’re glad to hear from me again. 

Time moves on, things change, people change. Not me, no way. I see all those so-called punk rockers wearing nice new clothes and brand new shoes and, get this, with their shirts tucked in! 

I had the misfortune to actually converse with one of these working-class pretenders (baseball cap on backwards!). You know what he had planned? He was going to punk out at a local show, with so-called punk bands playing. No doubt going on to a bar later and dance to rave or somesuch! What are these people coming to? Let me tell you – it’s not punk rock is it? 

You’ll never catch me in one of those places, even if Beki Bondage was naked in there. Punk rock is about rebellion and rejecting all those normal things. What do they think they’re going to change with their positive attitudes and smiling faces? Sod all – that’s what! 

All those straights can’t be changed – they’re assholes and always will be – this isn’t opinion, it’s truth and I should know….

Shaun’s Shorts

Mr Cynical, miserable old git, eh?

There’s been a lot of talk in the bulletins recently, about friends, especially since one of our greatest friends, Steve Burgess, passed away. I too have been thinking about friends.

Friends, by nature, are friendly. They reassure you and respect you. They can also point out your faults without holding a grudge, or without putting you down so that you still feel good about yourself. They don’t hold you responsible for their own problems and they are willing to accept change.

Steve Burgess was sometimes disheartened by the punk scene, due to its lack of acceptance of change or new ideas, i.e. closed-mindedness.

What do us old-time punks do? The ones who were there years ago?

Do we disassociate ourselves from what is happening now and reminisce about the glory days, or do we put in our efforts and make those glory days again (and again)?

I think those wishing for the old days are closed-minded and unable to accept change. I also think that is their right but what I’m afraid of is the poison that can be spread. It is easy to criticise our scene – it is easy to criticise anything. It is also hard to ignore unconstructive criticism. Doubts start to nag, “Is it worth it? Why do we bother?”

Let’s reject those ideas – they are not for our scene.

One of Steve’s favourite sayings was “It’s all punk rock, innit?” meaning that whatever we did, whatever we do – it’s still punk rock. We are not trapped by the term but released from it.

Can you accept change? Can you be my friend?

Fabric, Chicken-Bone Choked, Haywire – Joiners, Southampton, Hampshire, UK – 15th January 1994

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27th Dec 2023 – Unfortunately, I have little recollection of this show except enjoying Chicken Bone Choked, and buying the Fabric 7″. Here is what Rich Levine wrote about it.

“We were all still in a state of shock over Steve’s passing & there had been some discussion between ourselves about cancelling gigs but on reflection, it was far better to keep busy & around this time I think people took strength from being with their friends. Certainly, I remember spending a lot of time with people either at the S.T.E. house in Eastleigh or Jon, Selina & Dave’s Maybush house.
Have to say I don’t remember too much about this gig (there was also a lot of drinking at this time & I didn’t keep a diary in 1994).
HAYWIRE were based up in Southampton by this time I think & whilst on the surface it may have been an odd choice to have HAYWIRE supporting FABRIC, I think this may have been due to our sense of mischief as someone from Weymouth had drunkenly said to Tony (from FABRIC) that they “hated people like him” at the GO! Joiners gig a few years previously! 😉 
This was FABRIC’s first gig for us (although Jamie had played for us in LONG COLD STARE), they were from London & they had their own Wiija-affiliated label Whole Car who also put out CHICKEN-BONE CHOKED’s Ed Wenn produced sole 7″.
This was CHICKEN-BONE CHOKED’s last gig for us as tensions between Philip & Simon came to a head – a shame as they were a fine band.
The flyer backdrop to this one was the cover photo to ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT’s ‘Paint As A Fragrance’ LP.”

Cowboy killers – 12th January 1994

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Getting Bronwyn up is great fun!  She looks like a little child looking up at me through sleepy eyes, with her bottom lip stuck out.  She looks so beautiful.  She sleeps on and I wish I could get back into bed with her and into her arms and into dreams.  These winter mornings are difficult to get up to.

Read parts of ‘The Understanding…’ book as aid for tomorrow’s encounter with Fatty.  Learn to disagree, respect yourself and others – that kind of thing.  Just have to remember all the things it mentions and not get hot-headed as I could be tempted to and then I know nothing would get resolved.

Received our special chicken pox edition of the free LP for the Newport New Year gig (that we couldn’t attend).  Good old Simon – punk rock in spirit and in heart.

*Chicken-Bone Choked, Older Than Dirt – Joiners, Southampton, Hampshire, UK – 18th December 1993

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Rich Levine: “THIRST! were due to play but had to pull out late on as Steve was ill……Initially, it was thought that Steve’s illness meant THIRST! couldn’t play the gig was pleurisy. Tragically & suddenly on the morning of December 28 1993, Steve died from a heart attack resulting from an undetected congenital condition. He was 24 years & left behind his wife Chrissy & daughters Amanda & Bex who was only 3 months old. Steve’s death left a big hole in the local scene.”

Coarse and gutteral one syllable Anglo-Saxon with Mr Cynical- 1st September 1993

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Hmph! You lucky bastards haven’t heard from me recently, ‘cos I’ve been sunning myself on the Costa Del Sol. Now it’s totally different out there to the pigshit situation here. I mean you’ve got sun + late-night bars + women coming out: of your ears. What’s this place got to offer? THE LURKERS once in a blue moon + a load of whinging vegetarians taking up too much time + space at my favourite pub – The Joiners.

That place has gone to ruin since those T.S.E. guys started putting on gigs there. Just look at how many landlords they’ve been through recently + you know I used to prefer it before it was done up too. Just hasn’t got the same atmosphere these days.

Last time I was there, I could hardly get in the fuckin’ door for people accosting me with left-wing political newsletters + rags. The funny thing is there was no one on the dance floor to see the band. In fact, I’d guess everyone there was running a stall.

What is this shit? It’s supposed to be a gig not a fuckin’ market! It’s like the music isn’t important: anymore. Mind you, judging by the bands they have who cares anyway? I don’t know how they can call themselves punk rock.
Why don’t they put on something confrontational like MANIC STREET PREACHERS or something like that?


Even when people do get on the dancefloor, it’s all so polite, isn’t it? “Oh excuse me, did I knock your elbow? I’m so sorry”.
Where’s the violence? Where’s the craziness? Where’s the spirit + energy of youth? The T.S.E. twats are all over 24. Take my advice, don’t bother going to another one of their gigs, unless you want to be bored shitless, by clueless part-time intellectual so-called punk rockers, who wouldn’t even shake a stick at one of the Queen’s corgis if it bit him on the arse. Twats! Long live. G.G. (I think ‘Mr Cynical’ must be referring to G.G. ALLIN – the self-proclaimed “wildman of rock + roll”, who died of a drug overdose a few months ago. What with this + POISON IDEA splitting, I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Mr Cynical’ turns into a SINEAD O’CONNOR fan! – The Ed)

26th Jan 2024 – This last quip from Rich (The Ed) was about the one-page fanzine that I would distribute at shows called Fuck Around. It was put together without much thought by cutting out newspaper pictures and other bits and pieces. I ended up dedicating one corner of the work-photocopied sheet to Sinead because I thought she looked cool with her skinhead haircut.