Sid Vicious would be rolling around in his grave if he knew that there are modern-day punks out there that don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t engage in promiscuous sex and a lot of them are vegan as well.
This worldwide phenomenon has a name and it’s called STRAIGHT EDGE.
The name Straight Edge came from a band in 1981 called “Minor Threat”.
“I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and funk my head
Hang out with me the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need”.
Straight Edge began in about 1980-81 with a man in Washington DC called Ian McKay. Straight Edge stems out of the punk thing. At the time there were a lot of punks doing drugs and getting wasted, drinking to excess etc. Basically following the general trends about what was trendy in the punk scene for the time. So as a rebellion against as what punk really was, Ian McKay decided he was going to be different and was not going to conform.
He stopped taking drugs and he started standing up for himself. He kept a clear mind and he wanted to do something useful with the punk scene. What he did was start a new form of music called “hardcore” and that’s how it all started….
On an interview on JJJ today (hack) it was amazing listening to these guys who are into what they call ‘x-ing’ (Straight edging) and refering it to a ‘religious belief’. But not religion as we would know it, rather a religion of social responsability and environmental concern etc.
Ironically they stil beat each other up in their punk dance style… what’s it called, where they beat each other, kick and puch. Like others mosh, the just punch hit and kick on the dance floor!
No Guarantees 
For the record, the term comes from a 1981 song ‘Straight Edge’, by the band Minor Threat:
“I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and **** my head
Hang out with the living dead
…
I’ve got the straight edge”
Scotty, Jacky says you need to mention her on your blog. Goodnight from us.
Yep, just been pointed out to me that you quote the song and my attempt to show off my punk knowledge totally flopped because you already mentioned it. Scotty how did you know that?! Again you impress me. And again I realise I shouldn’t post late at night. I’ll now eat my humble punk pie.
Yeah i hear that interveiw yesterday, i thought it was really cool, something about Hardcore i didn’t know about. And i believe that a ‘mosh pit’ is Punk but in hardcore they have ‘Beat downs’
i went to a few hardcore gigs, and man beatdowns are a great way to just go crazy, but also to have a good laugh at. Where else can you see guys cartwheeling into people and flykicking people pickinging them up and shaking their hand.
FANTASTIC!
Hmmm – Sounds like a lot of fun for a softie like me! beat downs!
Oh and Jarrod…I recomend a 10pm bed time in future..late night blogging only gets you in trouble…and speaking of trouble…JACKY – there I mentioned her!
I believe Ian Mackay’s – who’s band is Fugazi – dad was a United Methodist minister…