Crass - who?

Who?

CRASS

With the release of Anarchy In The UK by the Sex Pistols at the tail-end of November 1976 and the subsequent furore over their appearance on the Bill Grundy-hosted Today television show a few days after, the words 'Punk' and 'Anarchy' were introduced into mainstream British culture. A few months later in March of '77 The Clash re-introduced the word 'riot' with their debut single White Riot. Not that these words - apart from 'Punk', possibly - were in any way new, of course, but through the medium of Punk Rock they were being given a whole new dynamic.

'Anarchy' as exemplified by the Sex Pistols prompted an idea of absolute freedom through wild abandonment. An urgent and exhilarating declaration though more of a threat than a promise. Years later during the lead-up to their reunion concert at Finsbury Park in 1996, John Rotten would say "Anyone who doesn't know what that song is about doesn't know what anything is about," followed by a customary belch. And as with so many things, he was right.

Meanwhile, to the soundtrack of a wailing police siren, broken glass, alarm bells, dumb-ass bass, banging drums and cheap-sounding guitars as though freshly bought from Woolworths, The Clash called out for a riot. Arguably more of a call-to-arms than the Pistols' debut communiqué, Joe Strummer was leading the charge: "Are you taking over, or are you taking orders? Are you going backwards, or are you going forwards?" Just a push and a shove and all could be ours, it seemed.

As for the word 'Punk', it meant nothing less than a torn and tattered banner under which the desperate, the bored, the lonely and the plain rebellious could gather. A sudden, bright and shining beacon of hope that offered inspiration and something a whole lot better to anyone desiring it.

"I want more life, fucker." said Rutger Hauer's replicant android in the film Blade Runner. Punk offered more of everything - life included. The Sex Pistols had blown a hole in British culture and into the created space the Punk banner was raised. In towns and cities across the country whole armies of little Oliver Twists' stood up and poured into that space, all with one thing in common: They wanted more.

Everything suddenly appeared to be up for grabs and nothing seemed impossible. The spirit was revolutionary and the days heady. For once, dreams could be realised.

As time passed, however, and the 1970s started to draw to a close, for all the jumping and shouting and newspaper headlines Punk's full potential failed to be realised. The light that shines twice as bright burns half as long and with that the Sex Pistols imploded gloriously. "We opened all the doors - and the windows." said Sid Vicious and he wasn't wrong but by 1979 Sid was dead. The Clash in the meantime had turned their attention to America and brand new cadillacs, effectively if not somewhat mercilessly abandoning their British followers to the incoming Thatcher government.

Not that it really mattered, however, as both bands had by then spawned a legion of bastard children who were all too happy to pick up the Punk torch and to run with it. Moreover, so multi-faceted was the Punk idea that the bands and audience left in the wake of the Pistols and The Clash were wildly myriad and diverse...

From the Buzzcocks and their pop brilliance to the Damned and their pantomime chaos. From Adam And The Ants and their sex fetishism to X-Ray Spex and their dayglo plastic world-view. From Stiff Little Fingers and their barbed wire and bombs Belfast experience to the Angelic Upstarts and police oppression. From the Lurkers and their Fulham Ramones fallout to the Adverts and their poetic intelligence. From Siouxsie And The Banshees and their black psychedelia swirling to Generation X and their Sixties glam pop. From The Rezillos and their sci-fi beat to the Only Ones and their heroin flights. From Sham 69 and their football crowd stomps to Chelsea and their minimalist social commentary. From The Jam and their new Mod to the Slits and their feral rampaging. From the UK Subs and their Punk commitment to The Fall and their city sickness. From Alternative TV and their will to experiment to Menace and their Punk pride. From 999 to Penetration to Eater to the Vibrators to The Saints to, to, to... all points in-between.

Everything was suddenly eclipsed, however, with the arrival of a group seemingly from out of nowhere and the release of their debut 18-track, 12-inch single entitled The Feeding Of The 5000.

The group were called Crass.