Want to spend your weekend being radical? And doing radical things? Flexing your anti-authoritarian muscles whilst possibly constructing your hair into large spikes and going down Camden pick up some nice leather bitties from Cyderdog? Well, dear reader, we have just the thing. Opening today, The British Library are exploring the cultural movement of punk in a new exhibition, celebrating the musical phenomenon’s 40th anniversary. “Starting with the impact of the Sex Pistols in 1976, the exhibition explores punk’s early days in the capital and reveals how its remarkable influence spread across music, fashion, print and graphic styles nationwide,” they say. “Showcasing a range of fanzines, flyers, recordings and record sleeves from the British Library’s collections alongside rare material… it celebrates the enduring influence of punk as a radical musical, artistic and political movement.” Ya, fuck the man. Let us leave you with this quote from Avril Lavigne, an important musing on the continuing relevance of punk in society today. “I created Punk for this day and age,” says Ms Lavigne. “Do you see Britney walking around wearing ties and singing punk? Hell no. That’s what I do. I’m like a Sid Vicious for a new generation.” Rawk on.
Punk 1976-78 is on at The British Library from today until Oct 2
Photograph Vivienne Westwood, from the Colin Farrows archive
