My favourite Punk Pensioner ..

You'll have to speak up a bit today. My ears are still ringing from a UK Subs gig in Manchester last night. They're one of my fave bands, still going strong after almost forty years, and it was a trip back in time to be thrashing about in the mosh-pit at The Star and Garter. That's my idea of a gig .. no barriers, no separation between artist and fan  .. and no 'three songs and you're out' crap if you're a photographer. I know I say it every time but I can't help but feel smug when I compare punk to the kind of dreary dross that 18 year olds are listening to today. Where's the power, excitement and energy in the manufactured garbage of people like Adele? Oh yes, I feel so superior. Punk keeps you young, too. Lead singer Charlie Harper here? He's 72 !!...

Come on now, join in...

Hey, daddio! Can you image getting to 52 years old and saying to your grandkids ..  "Ah yes, children, I used to love slightly swaying my head in a depressed fashion whilst slitting my wrists to yet another durge from Adele!"

I'll thank God for ever and ever that I grew up when music was ACE - ie: when punk was in its heyday! The energy, the excitement, the thrill! And don't you dare say it was just meaningless noise! Why, to this day I can still be heard walking down the street whistling 'Too drunk to f*ck' by The Dead Kennedys, or merrily humming 'Blown to bits' by The Exploited! Ah, class!

The shot, now you ask, is yet another from this wonder-box of negatives that I found. I've popped a goodly number of the images onto Flickr. Why don't you pogo over there and have a look?...