Punk: anarchy, class warfare, contempt for political institutions

Punks, at the centre of their gritty, grimy tattooed hearts, have always been collectivists. They fiercely promoted individualism, but, at the end of the show, always agreed that a lot more can be achieved by working together.

Laura Jane Grace, pictured June 8, 2014, is the lead singer of Florida punk giants Against Me!—and one of the most listened-to voices in punk rock today. Having just completed a memoir—and finished a record and a tour with her band—Grace sat down to talk in Toronto, and expressed despair about the Brexit result.Photograph by Jan Brauer

Opinion

BY WARREN KINSELLA

July 11, 2016

TORONTO—Punk: anarchy, class warfare, contempt for political institutions, right? Not quite, maaaan. Punk rock, like all youth subcultures, possessed a myriad of internal contradictions. It decried racism (as did Joe Strummer of the Clash) whilst some of its proponents (like Sid Vicious of the S...

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