nixsight

I’m certain I’m showing that I’m really an old-fashioned relic at this point, but…

I can’t be the only person that is utterly confused by the resurgence in recent years among young emos and punks of the straight edge philosophy?

I just don’t get it.

They’re like teenagers without the excess. Or born-again Christians without the crazy old book that makes them so easy to take the piss out of. I can’t think of anything more self-important and less interesting. And I’m no patriot, but I certainly can’t think of anything less British.

And if one believes that keeping one’s head straight at all times is of benefit, I suspect one has a deluded idea of the cognitive state that thrashing oneself about at a punk gig leaves one in.

Understand that I’m not talking about people who choose to refrain from getting themselves off their faces or shagging around as a personal life choice… in many cases, especially if one has an addictive personality, that makes perfect sense. It’s the people that insist on turning it into a lifestyle or a vocal public posture that I really don’t get. Killing people in the streets over something that you believe in at least shows that you have an imagination. Haranguing strangers over something that you don’t believe in? How can you make a pseudo-religion out of not doing something?

I’ve no idea why this has occured to me right now… It might be something to do with finally getting hold of some Sage Francis… not probably actually a “straight-edge” artist, but some of the politics in his lyrics seem to suggest the same message, and while I think his work is brilliant, I found myself sticking on those points. It didn’t stop my enjoyment of the music, or the vocals, actually, but that’s because I’m kind of cool on anyone thinking anything, as long as they don’t expect me to agree with them.