Straight edge – an idealistic movement instituted by pioneers of the American hardcore punk scene which promotes a clean lifestyle (i.e. abstaining from drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and unsafe promiscuous sex) and a strong camaraderie among fellow members of the scene.
So what the fuck happened? Sure it still exists, but straight edge is a dying breed for sure. I suppose I can start by giving a non-cited, abridged version of the overall history of straight edge in hardcore. Please comment with corrections where needed as this is all from the confines of my brain and not encyclopedias or the internet. So if I was misinformed, not my problem.
The Beginning
When Minor Threat lead singer Ian Mckaye penned the lyrics to his anthem “Straight Edge,” he was reciting his own philosophy of a clean lifestyle and why he felt the need to rebel against the societal norms of intoxication and addiction happening all around him. I doubt he ever imagined that the message in his music would ultimately put a lot of things in perspective for fellow hardcore youth, who would model their own lives around his philosophy.
Although Minor Threat called it quits in 1983, the ideals in their songs lived on, even today. The idolatry that is their discography was full of a simple way of life that could potentially change society and keep American teens of the 80’s from turning into sex-addicted, recreational drug abusing, alcoholic, dead beats. The three main tenants practiced by Mckaye and other straight edgers included:
- no drinking
- no smoking
- no promiscuous sex
Within a small span of time, other hardcore punks got the snowball rolling and actively identified themselves as straight edge bands. Bands like SS Decontrol, Uniform Choice, and DYS (Department of Youth Services), all embraced this same clean way of living. They preached about straight edge in their lyrics and between songs and sets at their shows. Though this was the first push for what would be considered one of the most influential movements in American music in the early to mid 80’s, it was the scenes in New York and New England that would make straight edge living the most prevalent.
Initiated by bands like Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Side By Side, Judge, Bold, and a plethora of others, a hardcore scene of predominantly young and organized teenagers molded itself and spread like herpes. The sound and scene to which these bands and others like them resided was coined “youth crew,” after a Youth Of Today song by the same title.
Straight Edge In The 90’s
With the Youth Crew movement lasting between the mid 80’s and early 90’s, bands broke up and the people involved “grew up” (for lack of a better term) and moved on. Though these founding bands drifted apart, a new wave of musicians and hardcore youth was proliferating. With a heavier, more metallic sound and more steadfast, ardent and militant beliefs construed in their lyrics, bands like Earth Crisis, Strife, Unbroken, Snapcase, and Path Of Resistance paved the road for a new wave of straight edge hardcore. This second wave flourished and the bands responsible for it grew in popularity, not only gathering a new following of straightedge/hardcore converts, but also attracted national media attention:
The mid 90’s also saw a “Youth Crew Revival” of sorts. This was perpetrated by proclaimed straight edge bands that did not conform to the more popular metallic influence as heard with other 90’s hardcore bands. Bands like Ten Yard Fight, In My Eyes, Floorpunch, and Rancor all portrayed this revisited youth crew style.
Straight Edge In The New Millenium
At the end of the decade and the start of a new century, a wide number of the biggest names in straight edge hardcore called it quits. Such bands included Ten Yard Fight, arguably the most popular act from the Youth Crew Revival of the mid 90’s. They played their last show on October 17th of 1999 at a festival labeled National Straightedge Day or “Edge Day,” which became an unofficial annual holiday celebrated by straight edge people worldwide. Earth Crisis, the biggest vegan straight edge band of the 90’s also played (which was at the time) their last show at Hellfest in the summer of 2001. It goes without saying that the early part of this century has had a lot of ups and downs in both the number of straight edge kids and bands alike. With no real rhyme or reason aside from media “exposing” straight edge as some type of street gang, mostly due to followers of the hardline subculture, militant animal rights activism, and the foundation of FSU, there simply are not an overwhelming number of straight edge bands as there once were. However, the ones that are around are still doing it with just as much heart and conviction as those before them. Apart from now disbanded “super groups” of the straight edge movement like A18 and Over My Dead Body, some bands that still carry the message are xAFBx (Armed For Battle), Down To Nothing, Embrace Today, and Suffocate Faster.
I suppose now I will take the time to say that despite everything you read above, and any statement I’ve made or will make in the future about straight edge, personally I feel that straight edge is a CHOICE. I would never push or preach my views, beliefs, or philosophies on/to anyone. Anything I’ve written about straightedge from a first-person perspective is purely my opinion, my choice, and my conscious right as a human to be a healthy individual. It is by no means a pompous ideology or juvenile dick measuring contest. I’m not trying to profess that I’m in any way better than anybody simply because I believe in a movement that is (what I feel) the right fit for me. It’s the lifestyle I chose for myself. On behalf of the straight edge hardcore scene, I welcome anyone that wishes to be a part of it; perhaps reading this has inspired someone to look at what they’re doing and decide it’s time for a change. If you’re not straight edge, in that you drink alcohol, you use drugs, you smoke cigarettes, or you’ve had sex with everyone that would have you, that doesn’t mean I automatically think you’re a bad person or I’m any better than you. When it comes down to it, we’re all one race, the human race, and since the dawn of the hardcore scene, unity has been the major proponent amongst its fans, and something I believe in just as much as straight edge and no one should ever feel like they don’t belong.
There are a few things I feel I should define for those not familiar with certain other aspects of the hardcore scene that I have mentioned in this article, to further extend your understanding.
Veganism And Straight Edge: With bands like Earth Crisis, Birthright, and others singing about veganism and animal rights as well as straight edge, many people outside and even some within the hardcore community perceive veganism as part of the straight edge ethic. While it is certainly compatible with the straight edge ideal of clean living, veganism is NOT part of straight edge, although many bands in the 90’s and present day are vegan or vegetarian.
“X” Marks The Spot: The letter X has been commonly associated with straight edge since it’s inception in the hardcore community. According to Dischord Records, the prevalent “X on the back of the hand” can be traced back to a west coast swing by band Teen Idles (another Ian Mckaye band, prior to Minor Threat). They were to play a 21+ club in San Francisco, but because the band members were not of legal drinking age, they were denied access to the club. In compromise, management marked the backs of each band member’s hand with an “X” to signify to staff that they were under age and should not be served alcohol. Upon their return to DC, the band suggested to other clubs to adopt the same system to allow younger fans access to venues that served alcohol, without risk of serving minors.
Straight edge is also regularly represented with an array of three X’s. This XXX variation originated in artwork done by Jeff Nelson, drummer for Minor Threat, where he replaced the three stars of Washington DC’s flag (the band’s hometown) with X’s.
The term straight edge can also be denoted with the abbreviation sXe. By way of analogy, straight edge hardcore can also be abbreviated as hXc. Lastly, a person’s name or band can be signified as being straight edge by the addition of X’s to the front and back, for example, the bands Xlooking forwardX and xDEATHSTARx.
The Hardline Subculture: Hardline straight edge rooted in the early 90’s of the straight edge movement, with it’s name taken from band Vegan Reich’s EP titled “Hardline”. The philosophy of its followers was a more radically strict version of already established straight edge doctrines. Aside from tobacco, illicit drugs, and alcohol consumption being frowned upon, hardliners, as they were called, also did not use prescription medications, did not consume caffeine, resisted all sexual activities except those for procreation, and followed a very strict dietary regimen. The subculture’s food politics were very conservative and showed an affinity for respecting innocent life and the natural order. Hardliners ate only vegan and natural foods, shunned third-world crops such as coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa, and chose brown over white rice, natural vegetable oils over hydrogenated, etc. Their sexual politics kept with an Abrahamic respect of the natural order in that sex was not allowed aside from the purpose of procreation. Homosexuality was considered an abomination, pornography was renounced, artificial contraception was abjured, and abortion was militantly opposed.
FSU: Formed by Elgin James out of the Boston hardcore scene, in response to racist, skinhead gangs attending shows and using intimidation tactics to scare others. Standing for Friends Stand United, FSU is widely viewed by media outlets and federal and local law enforcement as a violent street gang, with many chapters established in the US and Canada. Some members follow the straight edge lifestyle.
So in closing, I’d like to say that I am not vegan or vegetarian. I love animals like the next guy, but have you ever seen a HEALTHY looking vegan? Mostly they’re very pale and deathly skinny and their poop smells horrific (speaking from experience). I like my turkey on thanksgiving, my ham on easter, and my burgers and dogs on the Fourth. I don’t draw X’s on the backs of my hands when attending hardcore shows. I’m there for the music because it’s what I love and I think being a walking billboard for straight edge may skew some impressions of me and I’d rather not come across as a pompous asshole. I’m not hardline nor have I ever agreed with hardline views. Their political philosophies go deeper than anyone should be willing to commit to. They’re like militant utopian hippies without the drug use and free love. Lastly, I support my local FSU. Some chapters in some places may be into illegal activities, but that’s their business and none of my concern. Kids in Philly have been keeping idiot skinheads out of shows before Friends Stand United was even organized, and that’s the way it should be. So in my opinion, FSU in southeastern PA is doing nothing wrong but looking out for everybody. Neo-fascism and racial violence has no place in the hardcore scene.
Davey Bx
(Yeah I sign my name with an X at the end. Now you know what it implies.)
No comments:
Post a Comment