Mutations

How can so many people pledge allegiance to punk, something with no fixed identity?

Depending on who and where you are, punk can be an outlet, excuse, lifestyle, escapism, conversation, community, ideology, sales category, social movement, punishable offense, badge of authenticity, reason to drink beer forever, or an aesthetic of belligerent incompetence. And if someone has a strong belief about what punk is, odds are they have even stronger feelings about what punk is not. Sam McPheeters championed many different versions.

Over the course of two decades, he fronted Born Against, released dozens of records and fanzines, and toured seventeen times across the northern hemisphere. In this collection of essays, profiles, criticism, and personal history, he examines the diverse realms he intersected, New York hardcore, Riot Grrrl, Gilman street, the hidden enclaves of Olympia, and New England, and downtown Los Angeles, and the forces of mental illness and creative inspiration that drove him, and others, in the first place.

About the Author

Ben Reed has mixed cocktails all over the world. Former bar manager of the Met Bar and Woody's in London he was then appointed Executive Director of IPBartenders and is now a freelance consultant. Ben has made many TV appearances. His column 'Barfly' ran in The Times Magazine and he has been in a wide range of publications, including Vogue, Red and GQ. His previous books include The Art of the Cocktail and The Cocktail Hour, both published by Ryland Peters & Small.