GUY MANKOWSKI

Northumbria University

Pop Manifestos and Nosebleed Art Rock: What

Was The Point Of Post-Punk?

ABSTRACT

‘Post-punk’ has been defined in a variety of ways, with some writers1 viewing it primarily as

a reaction to punk with distinct musical features, while others2 contest if its organizing

principle can even be found in a stylistic unity. Moore3 described how punk responded to a

‘condition of postmodernity’. For the purposes of this piece post-punk is considered a

response to the response of punk.

This article addresses how manifestos came to be used in post-punk. Downes’4 description of

musical manifestos as a ‘key way to define…ideological, aesthetic and political goals’ is used

as a starting point. A series of chronological case studies investigate the key features and

aesthetics of the post-punk manifesto which include the use of numbered items, capital letters

and a direct, second-person address. Reynolds5 noted a ‘proto-fascist aesthetic’ evident in the

work of post-punk bands like Joy Division, but no evidence could be found that such an

aesthetic exists.

Given Reynold’s view that post-punk ‘tried to make politics and pop work together, but

failed’ 6 this paper considers whether any of the goals laid out in post-punk manifestos were

achieved. In conclusion it appears that manifestos are sometimes promotional exercise and

often self-motivating exercises. However manifestos written by the band Savages7 have

recently been successful in altering social behaviours relating to the consumption of music.

1 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, pxvii.2 Theodore Gracyk, ‘Kids’re Forming Bands: Making Meaning in Post-Punk,’ Punk & Post-Punk, 1:1 (2012): 73-87.3 Ryan Moore, ‘Postmodernism and Punk Subculture: Cultures of Authenticity and Deconstruction,’ The Communication Review, 7 (2004): 305-327.4 Julia Downes, ‘We Are Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives’, in Carroll & Hansen (Eds), Litpop: Writing and Popular Music.. 5 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.127.6 Simon Reynolds, ‘Totally Wired’.7 See Jehnny Beth’s manifestos under ‘Words’ at <http://savagesband.com/words > [accessed 15th November 2013].

INTRODUCTION OF KEY TERMS

Post-punk is a music genre that paralleled and emerged from the punk rock explosion of the

late seventies8. Reynolds9 described ‘a vanguard who that came to be known as ‘post-punk’,

who ‘saw 1977 not as a return to raw rock and roll but the chance to break with tradition’. He

defined post-punk in musical terms, as a series of bands who ‘dedicated themselves to

fulfilling punk’s uncompleted musical revolutions,’ and who ‘explored new possibilities

through their embrace of electronics, noise, reggae’s dub techniques and disco production’.

Alternatively, Gracyk10 argued however that ‘post-punk is sufficiently diverse that its

organizing principle is not to be found in its stylistic unity.’ He proposed that post punk

represent(ed) a shift away from punk’s romantic expressionism to a modernist commitment to

use verbal-musical interplay for the expression of ideas.’ Like other musical genres, such as

riot grrl, post-punk thereby resists a tidy musical definition. The riot grrl movement was

described as ‘a fluid set of contested, sonic, spatial and linguistic practices with the aim to

incite a radical girl gang into being’11. Comparably, post-punk could be argued to be a ‘fluid

set of sonic, spatial and linguistic practices’ which were a reaction to punk.

THE CONTEXT OF POST-PUNK

Moore12 argues that punk responded to ‘the condition of postmodernity’, in particular

responding to how ‘capital has employed the apparatuses of media, fashion and entertainment

to accelerate its shift from a regime of accumulation founded on the production of goods to

one based on the circulation of instantly disposable spectacles and services’. Moore argues

that the employment of capital left consumers only able to ‘fabricate an identity from the

unending flow of celebrities, lifestyles and products,’ a state of affairs which punk kicked

against.

By extension Frith13 described the ‘rock and roll apparatus’ and how it ‘not only energises

new possibilities within every day life,’ but also ‘places that energy at the centre of a life

8 See the entry for ‘Post-Punk at All Music. Available at: <http://www.allmusic.com/style/post-punk-ma0000004450 > [Accessed 5th September 2013].9 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, pxvii 10 Theodore Gracyk, ‘Kids’re Forming Bands: Making Meaning in Post-Punk,’ Punk & Post-Punk, 1:1 (2012): 73-87.11 Julia Downes, ‘We Are Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives’, in Carroll & Hansen (Eds), Litpop: Writing and Popular Music.12 Ryan Moore, ‘Postmodernism and Punk Subculture: Cultures of Authenticity and Deconstruction,’ The Communication Review, 7 (2004): 305-327.13 Simon Frith, S, On Record: Rock, Pop And The Written Word.

without meaning: the postmodern situation.’ Within this context post-punk is therefore

viewed within a postmodern context: as a reaction to punks reaction.

One form in which this reaction was expressed was in the use of manifestos. Manifestos have

been used as methods to state political, educational, scientific, technological and artistic

intent. Reynolds14 notes how formative post-punk bands such as Talking Heads Pere Ubu

used Dada performance techniques, such Dadaist sound poetry. The Dada art movement

created a manifesto15 which could have been a source of inspiration in the post-punk

movement, given post-punk’s use of Dadaist techniques.

Downes’ definition of the riot grrl manifesto is partly applicable to post-punk. She described

it as ‘a special rhetorical device: a key way in which individuals define(d) and redefine(d)…

ideological, aesthetic and political goals16. This part of her definition will be used for this

article. It is applicable to post-punk bands who did not have a published manifesto but who

disseminated their intent through various methods. These methods will be investigated in the

case studied, but first a short history of pop manifestos is required in order to offer a socio-

political context.

A SHORT HISTORY OF POP MANIFESTOS

Jelbert17 noted the proliferation of manifestos in pop music over the years. He identifies the

moment that pop groups and political manifestos came together. He cites the 10 point

programme of the White Panther party, which was co-founded by MC5 manager John

Sinclair. The White Panther party was a far-left political party founded in 1968, and MC5

became The Panthers’ house band- at which point politics and rock fused. In the Demand

number 5 on the Panther’s ten point program was ‘Free access to information media- free the

technology from the greed creeps!’ This plea to free information would later become a theme

in post-punk manifestos.

Various writers18 have noted the use of manifestos by post-punk bands in the era that

followed. At the start of the post-punk movement, in 1977, the band Wire declared their ‘7 14 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.37.15 Dada Manifesto, online at <http://www.391.org/manifestos/19180323tristantzara_dadamanifesto.htm > [Accessed 5th September 2013].16 Julia Downes, ‘We Are Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives’, in Carroll & Hansen (Eds), Litpop: Writing and Popular Music.

17 From ‘The Lost Art Of The Pop Manifesto’ <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/29/pop-manifestos-manics-malcolm-mcclaren > [Accessed 5th September 2013].18 Joy Press & Simon Reynolds, The Sex Revolts; Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’.

Rules Of Self-Definition’. This manifesto took the form of a self-address, and included the

items ‘No solos’ and ‘No Americanisms’ (Figure 1). The manifesto had a stark, black and

white layout and was numbered with each point.

Figure 1: Wire Manifesto (1977)19

Post-punk bands such as Scritti Politti, Gang of Four and Throbbing Gristle also created

manifestos as a means of expression. Although theirs were not expressed in the succinct form

of Wires’ document they were expressed through interviews, sleeve art and open letters. In

the eighties the hip-hop band Public Enemy were known for their strident declarations of

intent, as issued through their ‘Minister of Information’ Professor Griff. In the early nineties

Manic Street Preachers would revive the post-punk manifesto using series of open letters. In

the 21st century post-punk revivals would see the manifesto take on different forms, when

used by bands such as The Chapman Family and Savages. These post-punk bands will be

considered chronologically, but first we will consider the aesthetics of the post-punk

manifesto.

THE AESTHETICS OF POST PUNK MANIFESTOS

Reynolds20 noted that a ‘proto-fascist’ aesthetic was often identifiable in the work of post-

punk bands such as Joy Division. Joy Division used a Hitler Youth drummer boy image for

the cover of their 1978 record An Ideal For Living.

19 Wire manifesto available at http://postpunk.tumblr.com/post/43331901057/magnificentruin-manifesto [Accessed 5th September 2013].20 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.127.

Figure 2: Artwork for Joy Division’s ‘An Ideal For Living’ EP, (1978)

It is however to prove the existence of a distinct ‘proto-fascist aesthetic’. If the Nazis were a

source of aesthetic inspiration to the post-punk movement then an examination of Nazi

aesthetics is required as evidence. Hitler advocated that ‘sun and good health should take the

place of makeup21’, a requirement which was apparent in the clean-cut image of film stars

such as Kathe von Nagy in Flüchtlinge22, popular the Nazi reign. But it is difficult to trace a

link between the scrubbed, makeup less film stars of the Nazi era with the elaborate outfits of

post-punk performers. When Leni Riefenstahl, the Third Reich’s most famous director, was

asked by Ray Muller what fascist aesthetics were, she said that for her the phrase ‘had no

meaning’23.

Susan Sontag24 coined the term ‘fascinating fascism’ in a larger discussion of Riefenstahl’s

continuing appeal. She argued that Nazism’s substance has become ‘neutralized in formalized

appreciations’. Sontag proposed that the Nazis ‘theatrical spectacles and ritualistic scenarios

reappear(ed) in fetishized and sexualised appropriations’. For instance, in the film The

21 Irene Guenther, ‘Nazi Chic: Fashioning Women In The Third Reich’. 22 ‘Eric Rentschler, ‘The Ministry of Illusion, Nazi Cinema And Its Afterlife’.23 Eric Rentschler, ‘The Ministry of Illusion, Nazi Cinema And Its Afterlife’.24 Eric Rentschler, ‘The Ministry of Illusion, Nazi Cinema And Its Afterlife’.

Nightporter Nazi attire is used as part of sadomasochistic rituals in a manner which arguably

reflects Sontag’s observation. In which case Reynold’s ‘proto-fascist aesthetic’ might in fact

be just another part of the ‘unending flow of lifestyles’ which Moore25 describes as part of

post-modern life.

Regardless, members of post-punk bands certainly had a preoccupation with fascism. Joy

Division were clearly preoccupied with Nazis, with their singer Ian Curtis being ‘fascinated’

by the Third Reich (according to his wife, Deborah26).

The performance / music collective Throbbing Gristle (TG) expressed more than a

preoccupation with the Nazism. They developed a company called Industrial Records,

through which their music was released. A corporate identity was created using a distinctive

logo derived from the first gas chamber at Auschwitz27. Their frontman, Genesis P-Orridge,

said ‘we chose Auschwitz as our logo because it seemed appropriate for our music. It’s one

of the ultimate symbols of human stupidity. And I like to remind myself how stupid people

are and how dangerous they are because they’re stupid…Humanity as a whole is stupid to

allow anything like that to begin to occur’28. This quotation proves how distinct the intent of

the pop manifesto is from the political persuasions that may have informed its aesthetic. As

Ford wrote29 ‘Industrial Records’ use (of fascist iconography) was intended to be shocking

and resonant with historical references, but this was not done to celebrate fascist ideology’.

So the use of a manifesto does not betray a sympathy with fascism. Manifestos are a form of

address that has been used not only by fascists (Adolf Hitler) but also by politically by radical

feminists (e.g. Valerie Solanas), riot grrls and left wing academics (e.g. in The Euston

Manifesto30).

We will now consider chronologically post-punk bands who used the manifestos:

CASE STUDIES: SCRITTI POLITTI, GANG OF FOUR AND THROBBING

GRISTLE

25 Ryan Moore, ‘Postmodernism and Punk Subculture: Cultures of Authenticity and Deconstruction,’ The Communication Review, 7 (2004): 305-327.26 Deborah Curtis, ‘Touching From A Distance’.27 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.28 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.29 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.30 The Euston Manifesto can be found online at http://eustonmanifesto.org/ (Accessed 15th November 2013).

In the late seventies TG devised an manifesto, with their leader Genesis P-Orridge declaring

‘we need to search for methods to break the preconceptions, modes of unthinking acceptance

and expectations that make us, within our constructed behaviour patterns, so vulnerable to

control’31.

TG declared their intention to ‘look at this scabby, dirty, horribly society and transform it (in

music) into an inhuman emotionless spectacle32. Their manifesto was expressed in a series of

bulletins. One bulletin decried how ‘in keeping a monotonous culture and a society under a

control process one creates a façade of experts guarding knowledge / information. The public

at large feel, I am sure, that art is not for them. Artists have deliberately made them feel

inferior, excluded through not being trained in understanding of art. Demystification is our

duty’33.

Scritti Politti, who formed in the late seventies, also aimed to demystify. Where TG used the

Nazi party being used as a shock tactic Scritti Politti’s public address took more subtle forms.

Jelbert34 described Scritti Politti as ‘Gramscian’, given the influence of the neo-Marxist

theorist Gramsci on their work. Gramsci35, in his Prison Notebooks, defined the concept of

‘hegemony’- which Reynolds36 described as ‘a catch-all term that covers the official ideology

of state, Church and other institutions, along with more diffuse and subliminal ‘common

sense’ assumptions that hold together a social system’. In Scritti’s song of the same name

hegemony is described as ‘the foulest creature that set upon a race’37.

Scritti Politti assimilated an art-school sensibility, specifically by possessing the guiding

conviction that discourse around art was inseparable from the artwork itself: that every

artwork was a form of ‘active criticism’’38. The band demystified by trying to make the music

they created as transparent as possible. In their artwork, they itemized every expenditure that

went into getting the record into the shops39.Through their lyrics and artwork, Scritti Politti

where thereby addressing their ‘ideological goals’.

31 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.32 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.33 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’34 From ‘The Lost Art Of The Pop Manifesto’ <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/29/pop-manifestos-manics-malcolm-mcclaren > [Accessed 5th September 2013].35 Antonio Gramsci, ‘Prison Notebooks’. 36 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’ p.110.37 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.203.38 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’ p.226.39 From ‘The Lost Art Of The Pop Manifesto’ <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/29/pop-manifestos-manics-malcolm-mcclaren > [Accessed 5th September 2013].

As Leeds art students Gang Of Four were also influenced by Gramsci’s theories. Gramsci

believed that critique should unmask everything that appears obvious as a man-made

construct, a ‘truth’ that serves somebody’s interest40. On the cover art for their Damaged

Goods41 EP Gang Of Four made explicit the power imbalance between band and their record

companies by depicting a matador and a bull having a conversation, (using speech bubbles)

in which the bull says ‘at some point we have to take responsibility for our actions’. Here,

Gang Of Four were using Gramsci’s ideas to highlight the inter-play of power between

recording companies and artists which had hitherto been publically unsaid; even perceived as

natural42. Artwork was again being used to define ideological goals.

We will now turn to recent case studies to look at the manifestos used by Manic Street

Preachers, The Chapman Family and Savages.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS (1992)

In post eighties post-punk revivals the address of the manifesto has shifted to be inward

instead of outwards. In the early nineties the Manic Street Preachers kept their inter-band

manifesto private, whilst frequently alluding to it in interviews. Their guitarist and ‘Minister

of Propaganda’43 Richey Edwards did however issue a series of letters. They took the form of

state-of-the-nation addresses. These letters broke from the tradition of pop manifestos in that

they adopted a more passive, defeatist tone- albeit one couched in the capital letters used in a

military address through a telegram. In this sense the tradition of the manifesto was being

honoured.

One ‘manifesto’44, from December 1992, was issued by the bands lyricist Richey Edwards.

Like TG’s manifesto, it was concerned with conformity:

WE SIT IN STRAIGHT LINES, DO WHAT WE ARE TOLD, LIKE SEATS ON

LOCKERBIE, DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC.

40 Gramsci, quoted in Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.119.41 Gang Of Four ‘Damaged Goods’ (Fast Product, 1978).42 In the words of Reynolds (2009) ‘the ruling class exert hegemony by making the ways of the world seem like simple ‘common sense’. For more on theories of power relating to the use of language see Foucault’s ‘Power / Knowledge (1977) and Bordieu’s ‘Language And Symbolic Power’ (1999).43 Simon Price, Everything: A Book About Manic Street Preachers.44 Richey Edwards’ manifestos on behalf of the Manic Street Preachers can be found on the website of the Repeat Fanzine at <http://www.repeatfanzine.co.uk/archive/richey%20manifesto.htm > [accessed 5th September 2013].

The punk reaction to what Moore described as ‘an endless flow of celebrities, lifestyles and

products’ is evident in a statement which follows:

CULTURE IS A CHEQUEBOOK

This was a theme which Edwards again picked up on, in a missive from May 1992-

DIETRICH, GARBO, FRITZ LANG COLONISED THE IMAGINATION OF THE US

AND SOLD IT BACK IN TECHNICOLOUR

The punk reaction to the ‘condition of post-modernist’ is evident here, with a cynical tone

being adopted with regards to how even ‘imagination’ has become commoditized in modern

culture.

In a further missive Edward’s writes ‘STARTED PLAYING ‘CALIFORNIA UBER ALLES’

IN THE MIDDLE SECTION OF [then recent single] REPEAT’45. The view that every form

of artistic output is a form of ‘active criticism’ is here apparent. The subversion of the pop

song through the content it sampled was one method by which the band intended to issue

socio-political criticisms.

During their career the band addressed their followers not through a direct manifesto but

through a variety of means. These included strategic sampling of films, interviews and songs

in their music, and using relevant quotations from authors in their inlay cards. Downes46

described riot girl as a genre in which ‘a deliberate and conscious pillaging of literature,

theory, art, history and popular culture’ were used to ‘articulate subversive representations

that challenged the status quo.’ A definition used in riot grril is here also a fitting description

of the methods of ‘active criticism’ used by Manic Street Preachers.

THE CHAPMAN FAMILY (2010)

The Chapman Family were a post-punk band active in the North East from 2006-2013,

spawned during another revival of this genre. They wrote an open letter in 2010, which was

styled as a manifesto47. Edward’s state-of-the-nation address is- knowingly or unknowingly-

rekindled. ‘The country is in ruins,’ (it ran) ‘and the population is feeding on the glorification

45 Manic Street Preachers ‘Repeat’, Loves Sweet Exile / Repeat (Columbia, 1991).46 Julia Downes, ‘We Are Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives’, in Carroll & Hansen (Eds), Litpop: Writing and Popular Music.47Open letter by The Chapman Family, from < http://www.artrocker.tv/videos/article/the-chapman-family- adult-an-open-letter-from-kinsgley> (Accessed 5th September 2013).

of D-list celebrity morons’. During its conclusion singer Kingsley Chapman wrote ‘We just

want you to rethink your priorities.’ The articulacy of their anger and socio-political criticism

offered an inspiring contrast given their apolitical peers. However, the tools by which The

Chapman Family intended to achieve this priority shift was not detailed. ‘We turned our

amps up and the lights off’ they wrote, with their stance seemingly also their method.

Figure 3: An open letter from The Chapman Family (2012).

SAVAGES (2013)

In 2013 the post-punk band Savages have issued direct, specific manifestos. Excitingly these

statements (issued on their website and printed in their record sleeves48) are often supported

by specific strategies.

In the song ‘Shut Up’ (from the album Silence Yourself49) the bands front-woman Jehnny

Beth issued a spoken-word call to arms, which also appeared on their website. This manifesto

used military style capital letters and took the form of a second-person address. But Savages

offered a deeper insight into the restricting aspects of orthodoxy and hegemony than most

48 Savages manifestos can be seen online at http://savagesband.com/words [accessed 15th November 2013].49 Savages, Silence Yourself, Matador Records, 2013).

post-punk bands. Their manifestos were less self-referential than those of The Chapman

Family, with a panoramic focus more akin to Edwards’- albeit with more focus.

‘We live in a world of many distractions,’ she wrote, before warning ‘if you are distracted,

you are available.’ Reflecting the urgent, direct nature of post-punk music the manifesto

called for clarity of thought, as a way of preventing individuals from being manipulated. Here

the post-punk manifesto aims to enhance self-realization, as riot grrl manifestos did50.

Figure 4: Savages band manifesto (2013).

Beth writes, ‘perhaps having deconstructed everything we should be thinking about putting

everything back together.’ Moore51 described how ‘a postmodern style is defined by hybridity

and intertextuality, by its licence to (re)create using recycled objects and images from the

past’. In reacting to this ‘deconstruction’ Beth makes explicit the punk reaction to post-

modernism.

In their 2013 ‘I Am Here’ manifesto Beth recall the concerns of Scritti Politti, by addressing

how hegemony is maintained through enforced conformity. ‘Manipulations and fears…are

meted out to young, intelligent and radical people who yield to the pressure of accepted

practices,’ she wrote.

50 Julia Downes, ‘We Are Turning Cursive Letters Into Knives’, in Carroll & Hansen (Eds), Litpop: Writing and Popular Music.51 Ryan Moore, ‘Postmodernism and Punk Subculture: Cultures of Authenticity and Deconstruction,’ The Communication Review, 7 (2004): 305-327.

Either consciously or unconsciously Beth reasserts Gramsci’s views on how power,

particularly how it is deployed by ‘making the ways of the world seem like common sense’52.

Beth also echoed the sentiments of Throbbing Gristle, who warned against ‘a façade of

experts’ that exercised control over the populace53. The manifesto urged followers of the band

to ‘keep our mouth shut’, from an edict which elsewhere pleaded for people to resist

contributing more vapid content to the ether of social media.

IN OUR MODERN WORLD, MAN ASSIDUOUSLY ABANDONS HIS LIFE TO

PRACTICAL NECESSITIES AND HIS IMAGINATION TO SLAVERY.

MANIPULATIONS AND FEARS – MANIPULATION BY FEAR – ARE METED OUT

TO YOUNG, INTELLIGENT AND RADICAL PEOPLE WHO YIELD TO THE

PRESSURE OF ACCEPTED PRACTICES AND MANY AGE-OLD SERVITUDES. THE

ELDER GENERATION HASN’T COME TO WARN THEM: EACH OF THEM CAME TO

TELL ABOUT THEMSELVES. EACH ONE TO TELL HOW THEY HAD EATEN, HOW

THEY HAD SLEPT, HOW THEY HAD IMPORTANT ORGASMS, IMPORTANT

CHILDHOODS AND DREAMS. BECAUSE AN HONEST LIFE IS ADVERTISED AS A

LIFE OF SILENCE, NORMALITY AND DULL CONCEIT. ART IS STULTIFIED. LOVE

A PRIVILEGE. AND IN THE VICINITY OF OUR MOST SPLENDID CREATIVE

YOUTH, IT IS STRONGLY ADVIZED TO KEEP OUR MOUTH SHUT IF WE WANT

TO SUCCEED.

Figure 5: Savages ‘I Am Here’ band manifesto.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, this manifesto repeated the sentiments of the artwork

on Manic Street Preachers album The Holy Bible54. On it Octave Mirbeau’s novel The

Torture Garden55 is referenced. In this statement Mirbeau references conformity to

institutions and ‘moral and social conventions’. He then argues that they present a ‘permanent

contradiction’ between ‘your ideas and desires.’

52 Gramsci, quoted in Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.119.53 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.54 Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible, (Epic, 1994). 55 Octave Mirbeau, The Torture Garden

Figure 6: Manic Street Preachers sleeve art from ‘The Holy Bible’ containing a quote from

Mirbeau (1994).

In their manifesto Savages are continuing a punk tradition, responding to the condition of

postmodernity by asking their listeners to resist the demands of ‘capital’ which dictate how

art and lifestyles should be considered. The aim seems to be to overcome suppression and

achieve self-realization, ‘if we want to succeed’.

A further Savages manifesto detailed how the ‘solid, indestructible’ sound of the band was

purposefully ‘designed’ to ‘provide a wide range of emotions’. The music is described as ‘a

self-affirming voice’, intended to help listeners experience everything from their ‘erotic life

and jobs’ differently.

SAVAGES’ INTENTION IS TO CREATE A SOUND, INDESTRUCTIBLE, MUSICALLY

SOLID, WRITTEN FOR THE STAGE AND DESIGNED WITH ENOUGH NUANCES TO

PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS. SAVAGES ARE A SELF-AFFIRMING

VOICE TO HELP EXPERIENCE OUR GIRLFRIENDS DIFFERENTLY, OUR

HUSBANDS, OUR JOBS, OUR EROTIC LIFE, AND THE PLACE MUSIC OCCUPIES

INTO OUR LIVES. SAVAGES’ SONGS AIM TO REMIND US THAT HUMAN BEINGS

HAVEN’T EVOLVED SO MUCH, THAT MUSIC CAN STILL BE STRAIGHT TO THE

POINT, EFFICIENT AND EXCITING.

Figure 7, Savages Manifesto #1

In expressing the point that ‘human beings haven’t evolved so much’ Savages here remind us

of TG’s assertion regarding ‘how stupid…and how dangerous people are’56.

In a break from the vagaries of some previous post-punk manifestos, Savages issued an edict

requesting that fans at their concerts do not film them, as it prohibits the band from

‘IMMERSING OURSELVES’. In this instance an attempt to alter the behaviour of their

followers was expressed in a more developed, actionable agenda than their predecessors

frequently created.

Conclusions

Although some post-punk artists borrowed fascist iconography in their sleeve art, this seems

more a shock value tactic and a ‘representation of a formalized appreciation’ than part of a

‘proto-fascist aesthetic’57.

In summary post-punk manifestos were concerned with demystifying record production and

related power relations, more broadly those relations concerned with ‘unthinking

acceptance’58. They were used to unseat conformity and unveil the ‘façade of experts’, (to use

P-Orridge’s words59) that guard knowledge. Post-punk revivalist bands used manifestos to

react to the homogeneity of postmodernism. They were concerned with challenging

orthodoxy, conformity and modern blandness. In 2013 Savages have used manifestos to

further question the orthodoxy regarding how music is used in people’s lives.

These case studied beg the question of whether post-punk manifestos were successful in

achieving their ends. Are they merely a high-risk publicity strategy or a serious statement of

intent? The KLF’s Bill Drummond60 acknowledged that, compared to politicians, artists are

less at risk when creating manifestos. He said ‘Politicians can never be seen to be playing

with the idea. They've got to be seen taking it entirely seriously, at every level. A whole 56 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.57 Simon Reynolds, ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’, p.127.58 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.59 Simon Ford ‘The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle’.60 Bill Drummond was not a post-punk musician. He is an artist, musician and producer best known for his work with the avant-garde pop group KLF so within this context he offers an overview of contemporary, rather than post-punk music. His views are arguably relevant given the use of pop manifestos outside of post-punk.

campaign costing millions is riding on the back of it. An art manifesto would be recognized

as an artwork in itself anyway, critiqued by art critics not political journalists’61. Drummond

thereby concludes that manifestos are low-risk publicity stunts.

The people best equipped to ask what manifestos are for are probably musicians. James Dean

Bradfield is the singer of the Manic Street Preachers, a band who prior to releasing their

debut record Generation Terrorists proclaimed an intention to sell 16 million copies of it.

They also declared other huge socio-cultural ambitions, not least the destruction of capitalism

(though their intended role in this dismantling remained vague). Bradfield reflected that the

band were ‘mental for releasing those mission statements’62. He believes that that the

manifestos however motivated them through ‘fear of failure’.

When asked why Savages were motivated to write manifestos, Jehnny Beth’s comparable

view was that ‘It was an exercise. It’s more interesting to set yourself a set of goals before

you enter the rehearsal room. Whether you achieve it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is

putting direction into your work’63.

Jehnny Beth’s requests for audiences to not use mobiles and cameras are unusually outcome

focused for a manifesto. When I asked Beth if her requests had facilitated change she said

‘Yes, I think it has kind of made people more relax with the idea of engaging with the music.’

Refraining from using phones has resulted in audiences, in her words, feeling “permitted’ to

move their body. Because that is expected from you you feel more free to do it,’ she said. In

the case of Savages, therefore, post-punk manifestos have been effective at permitting self-

realization and altering behaviours regarding the consumption of music.

There are wider implications regarding this breakthrough. If performers are able to alter the

behaviour of people at their gigs, then could there be other ways in which performers can

affect the consumption of music? In recent years festivals have relied more and more upon

corporate sponsors, who not only push their products onto audiences for the duration but who

are thereby able to influence of the behaviour band and the audience. But does the internet,

through manifestos, offer performers a way in which they can counteract this corporate

61 From ‘The Lost Art Of The Pop Manifesto’ <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/apr/29/pop-manifestos-manics-malcolm-mcclaren > [Accessed 5th September 2013].62These quotes are rom an interview by Hall (2012) with James Dean Bradfield, available at: <http://news.qthemusic.com/2012/10/qa_manic_street_preachers_jame.html > [Accessed 5th September 2013].63 From an interview with Jehnny Beth <http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/a-savages-manifesto-on-music-1.5664067 >. [Accessed 5th September 2013].

control? The impact of Beth’s manifestos suggests that there may be further ways that artists

can influence the consumption of their work.

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CONTRIBUTOR DETAILS

Guy Mankowski is a PhD student and Associate Lecturer in Global Media at Northumbria

University, UK. His research has focuses on post-punk. He is the author of the novels ‘The

Intimates’ and ‘Letters from Yelena’.

KEY TERMS

Post-punk, punk, subcultures, manifestos, fascist aesthetics.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Dr. Adam Hansen for his extensive editing advice and Jehnny

Beth for her input.