Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2003 09:58:27 -0700 From: skip Heller <velaires@earthlink.net>
Remember -- punk rock failed largely because it started out as an alternative to corpo-rock, but, the moment most of these bands did real well in the indie marketplace, they signed to major labels, hooked up with the established rock booking agencies, and played established rock venues. It didn;t replace anything. That punk rock has become the new corpo-nostalgia means only that those records sold better than any of us were told.
I think it was a little more complicated than that with UK punk and its ties to corporate culture. Remember, the Pistols and the Clash were on major labels, not indies (unless you count Virgin at that time). Same with the Stranglers and the Jam. At the same time, these initial bands did have kindred spirits in many other bands who flocked to indies which were sprouting up all over the place. This had a snowball effect as this encouraged other subsequent indie labels to start up. By the time that Rough Trade went from a record shop to a record label (around '78), they had effectively established a network of distribution around the country as was starting to happen in the States. Best, Jason -- Perfect Sound Forever online music magazine with warped perspectives http://www.perfectsoundforever.com