Well, what do we have here?
SBS have just launched a new documentary dedicated to punk. Yes, you read right – Punk, as it’s simply titled, will dive deep into the anarchic history of the music genre under the producing eye of its heralded forefather Iggy Pop.
Filmmaker Penelope Spheeris is behind the camera for this one. She made Wayne’s World a thing, alongside Suburbia and The Little Rascals, while also detailing the US West Coast punk scene for decades, mainly through her documentary series, The Decline of Western Civilisation. So she knows what up.
What results is a fucking fantastic exploration of punk rock – from its roots in Detroit and New York during the late ’60s, all the way to the post-punk revival in the late ’90s/early noughties and beyond.
There’s a long list of luminaries featured in the doco – think Henry Rollins (Black Flag), John Lyndon (The Sex Pistols), Dave Vanian (The Damned), Ian Mackaye (Fugazi), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and Wayne Kramer (MC5), and the list goes on.
Pop looms large in the series and not only proved influential in bringing together such a strong list of interview talent but is also considered the originator of punk rock, alongside his band The Stooges and Detroit kings MC5.
You can watch Punk online now for free via SBS On Demand.
Never miss a story. Sign up to Beat’s newsletter and you’ll be served fresh music, arts, food and culture stories five times a week.
