“Life’s a Gamble” Penetration

Punk music in the 70’s was a breath of fresh air into a music scene that had become stale. Bands were releasing concept albums and were recording with orchestras and choirs. Punk brought it back to basics and made music relevant again.

One of my favourite bands was Penetration fronted by the fantastic Pauline Murray. When this single came out in 1978 I was convinced it would be a big hit and although it got air plays and support from people like John Peel the band never achieved the success they deserved.

Punk also ushered in the first of the performance poets with people like John Cooper Clarke opening for the Clash. Performance poetry has always been considered a lesser art form by the poetry establishment but like punk it has revitalised an art form that seems to have lost its way and no longer considered relevant by most people. It has been the performance poets who have become the voice of the disenfranchised and marginalised and as was shown by Tony Walsh, after the tragic bombing recently in Manchester, it is performance poets who have been able to give a voice to the grieving and a defiant answer to those who would divide us.   

Graffiti