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Fast. Loud.
Liberating.The word punk is loosely interpreted and hotly debated. From music to fashion, we’re quick to form opinions of what it “is” and “isn’t.” But punk in its very nature isn’t about boundaries. It’s about beliefs.
Punk is a culture of inclusion that welcomes new members with open arms. It’s a movement built on a DIY ethos, where performing, promoting and even surviving requires nothing but your instincts. Anyone with an urge—from the opinionated to the frustrated to the isolated—can pick up an instrument and channel those feelings into something greater. And good or bad, it’s all relative as long as it’s authentic.
We fondly reminisce in monochrome about the heyday of punk—of CBGB and London Calling and all the offshoots in between. And while the handmade ‘zines, posters and flyers have expanded to the world of music sharing and social media, the philosophies are the same.
Punk is about the music, but it’s also about the mentality. And it doesn’t care what you think.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
'PUNK OFFERED A WAY OUT'
The Cribs’ Gary Jarman loved Queen as a kid, but it was the rawness and accessibility of Nirvana and the Sex Pistols that made him want to pick up a bass. “It can’t be underestimated how liberating it feels to realize you can play the music that you love,” he said.
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LIVE PERFORMANCE
'DIABOLICAL'
Tim Armstrong of Rancid enlisted the help of brothers Kevin, Justin and Jesse Bivona of the Interrupters for this killer acoustic performance of “Diabolical.”
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
IGNITING A MOVEMENT
In 1969, Wayne Kramer and his band the MC5 started an American rock and roll revolution, and kick-started punk rock.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
'PUNK GAVE ME A PLACE TO BELONG'
An “average little stoner kid” growing up, Social Distortion’s Johnny Two Bags discusses how he found a place in punk rock and the “colorful palette of great ideas and conflicts” it offered.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
'OUR BATTLE CRY WAS ‘DESTROY’'
Bassist Mike Roche saw punk rock as dangerous, almost incendiary, and he applied that ethos to his pioneering punk band T.S.O.L.
THE PUNK ROCK TOOLBOX
RIG ESSENTIALS FOR AGGRESSIVE SOUND
DEE DEE RAMONE
PRECISION BASS®Punk bass starts with Douglas "Dee Dee Ramone" Colvin. As the pounding heart of the Ramones, he pioneered a no-frills sound and style that left a permanent mark on rock music.
’68 CUSTOM
TWIN REVERB®The guitarist with an eye and ear for late-’60s Fender “silverface” style will love the ’68 Custom Twin Reverb, a perfect platform for overdriven punk sound.
AMERICAN STANDARD
STRATOCASTER®An American Standard instrument is instilled with the spirit of the legends who’ve shaped it, yet it gives you the freedom to carve your own legacy.
AMERICAN STANDARD
TELECASTER® HHFor the high-output guitarist who wants more power from a Tele®, the flagship American Standard guitar lineup rocks extra hard with the addition of two Twin Head Vintage humbucking pickups.
FENDER® DISTORTION
PEDALRock your amp and your guitar tone with the Fender Distortion Pedal, which delivers enormously satisfying distortion and sustain from subtle boost to scorching full-on crunch.
TIM ARMSTRONG
HELLCATBased on Armstrong’s own classic instrument, this SoCal-inspired concert acoustic is built to take a beating and project powerful tone.
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DEE DEE RAMONE
PRECISION BASS®Punk bass starts with Douglas "Dee Dee Ramone" Colvin. As the pounding heart of the Ramones, he pioneered a no-frills sound and style that left a permanent mark on rock music.
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’68 CUSTOM
TWIN REVERB®The guitarist with an eye and ear for late-’60s Fender “silverface” style will love the ’68 Custom Twin Reverb, which honors the classic look and great sound of that era’s amps.
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AMERICAN STANDARD
STRATOCASTER®An American Standard instrument is instilled with the spirit of the legends who’ve shaped it, yet it gives you the freedom to carve your own legacy.
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KURT COBAIN ROAD
WORN® JAGUAR®Meticulously modeled on the battered and highly unusual 1965 Jaguar that Cobain wielded during the heady early-’90s era when Nirvana ruled rock.
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FENDER® DISTORTION
PEDALRock your amp and your guitar tone with the Fender Distortion Pedal, which delivers enormously satisfying distortion and sustain from subtle boost to scorching full-on crunch.
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TIM ARMSTRONG
HELLCATWell known as the Grammy-winning founder of influential U.S. punk band Rancid, Tim Armstrong is also well respected as a producer and indie label owner.
“As a bass player, let me tell you, Dee Dee Ramone was the level by which all others were judged. And he set the bar high. He wrote hit songs on demand.”
— JERRY ONLY (THE MISFITS)
“As a bass player, let me tell you, Dee Dee Ramone was the level by which all others were judged. And he set the bar high. He wrote hit songs on demand.”
— JERRY ONLY (THE MISFITS)
PLAY IT RIGHT
LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PLAYING PUNK
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How To
Palm MuteDampen the sound of your strings and pick more precisely by mastering this easy playing technique.
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Playing Punk
Power ChordsBy learning this fundamental chord shape, you'll be well on your way to crafting your own punk classics.
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Get the Perfect
Punk ToneGet inspired with these tips and tricks as you dial in your own signature sound.
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Playing Bass In
The RamonesC.J. Ramone riffs on how he mastered the legendary tone and technique of punk’s forefathers.
Watch Now
“The whole punk ethic was do-it-yourself, and I’ve always been very literal, especially as a kid. When they said that anybody can do this, I was like, ‘OK, that’s me.’”
— MICHAEL STIPE (R.E.M.)
“The whole punk ethic was do-it-yourself, and I’ve always been very literal, especially as a kid. When they said that anybody can do this, I was like, ‘OK, that’s me.’”
— MICHAEL STIPE (R.E.M.)
HALL OF FAME FLASHBACKSTHE CLASH: THE ONLY BAND THAT MATTERS
Follow the group's rise from lowly street-rockers to genre forefathers, and how a diverse catalog fueled by social injustice roused a lost generation of U.K. punks.
EXPLOREHALL OF FAME FLASHBACKSTHE SEX PISTOLS: BEYOND THE BOLLOCKS
The Sex Pistols were more than destructive, provocative punk poster children. Find out how their radical stage antics and lyrics became cultural and political forces of nature.
EXPLORE
#PUNKINSPIRED
How has punk inspired you? Share your #punkinspired photos on social.
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