Street Punk

Street punk (alternatively spelled streetpunk) is a working class-based genre of punk rockwhich took shape in the early 1980s, partly as a rebellion against the perceived artistic pretensions of the first wave of British punk. Street punk emerged from the Oi! style, performed by bands such as Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects and Cock Sparrer. However, street punk continued beyond the confines of the original Oi! form. 

Funeral Dress

Street punks generally have a much more outlandish appearance than the working class or skinhead image cultivated by many Oi! groups. Street punks often have multi-coloured hair, mohawks, spike-encrusted leather vests, and clothing with political slogans or the names of punk bands.

The Casualties

Street punk music is characterized by single-note guitar lines and short solos. Unlike similar genres, such as hardcore punk, street punk bands often contain two guitarists, one of which plays guitar melodies while not singing. Street punk also makes frequent use of gang vocals and sing–along choruses, an aspect borrowed from the Oi! genre.

Begundal Lowokwaru

Street punk lyrics often discuss topics including violence, drinking, drug use, partying, inner-city turmoil or personal relationships. Street punk bands sometimes express political viewpoints, typically of a left-wing variety, although some street punks eschew politics altogether in favor of a more hedonistic, nihilistic outlook.

The Discock

Punk veteran Felix Havoc said:

“ It was aggressive yet had melody. As opposed to today's "melodic" punk it still had a lot of energy. It was honest. Hence the term "street punk." There is and was a feel that this was the kids music, from the streets, and was uncorrupted by "professionalism" or "musicianship." As opposed to the anarchobands its message was more bleak and irreverent. The music was not a-political, just a less intellectual expression of political views of working class youth. The music was marketed as being of and by the working class. I suspect this was not universally the case. Still most middle and upper class kids cringe at frank discussions of violence as evidenced in a typical Blitz song. Early 80's UK punk was catchy as hell; it has sing-a-long choruses and hooky riffs. ”

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