The Politics of Punk
Payan, Jesus M. Outcasts. 17 January 2015
The Politics of Punk
Jesús Payán
Reverse Ekphrasis
Source text (for above photo):
THIS IS FOR THE OUTCASTS/REJECTS/GIRLS AND THE QUEERS/FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN WOMEN WHO HAVE SHED THEIR LAST TEARS/FOR THE FIGHTERS/PSYCHOS/FREAKS AND THE FEMMES/FOR ALL THE TRANSGENDER LADIES IN CONSTANT TRANSITION/CAST OUT/OUTCAST STOMP!/OUTCASTS/DO THE OUTCAST STOMPING SLASHING MOSHING TAKING/SCAMMING STEALING BAD-KID DAY DRINKING/FIGHTING CHEATING NEVER-BELIEVING/LOSING EVERY DAY BUT WE’LL NEVER BE DEFEATED/PLOTTING OUR REVENGE ON SOCIETY/PLOTTING OUR REVENGE ON THE BOSS/PLOTTING OUR REVENGE ON OUR ENEMIES/PLOTTING OUR REVENGE ON THEM ALL!/OUTCAST STOMP!/OUTCASTS/DO THE OUTCAST STOMP!/THE FREAKS ARE COMING/THE FREAKS ARE COMING/THE FREAKS ARE CUMMING/TAKEOVERTAKEOVERTAKEOVERTAKEOVERTAKOVERAGHGGHEHFH”
G.L.O.S.S. “Outcast Stomp” Demo, Independent 2015, Track 3, Bandcamp
Payan, Jesus M. These Boots Were Made For Moshing. Los Angeles, 17 July 2017.
Ekphrastic Approaches–Primary: Describe but imagine beyond the frame Secondary: Through Giving an Account of your encounter(s)
These Boots Were Made For Moshing. A pair of scuffed, worn-out Dr Martens. Torn leather, dents and dirt accumulated over several years, tears and blood from the accidental fall in the pit. They’ve watched countless bands and met so many people with unique stories. People who exist and thrive in society despite the best efforts of some people to silence them.
You can tell that they have been through a lot; They have seen shows in muddy backyards, dusty festival grounds, sweaty basements, the tiniest of venues, and even in a snowy stripmall in Albany’s White suburbia. Here, however, they are home, on the feet of an angry, sad, and tired punk boy while he waits for his bus home after going to The Smell in downtown Los Angeles to watch a couple of bands play everything they’ve got. These boots have stomped, kicked, danced, moshed and have been moshed, danced, kicked, and stomped on by other boots.
They represent the struggle that we go through. Punk welcomes everyone that White America and the Government does not. The working class, the poor, the black and brown bodies of the oppressed. All you need is a pair of boots, emotions you want to let out, and a bunch of other people who share these things in common with you.
These boots are for the outcasts, rejects, girls, and the queers; for the fighters, psychos, freaks, and the femmes! Outcasts, do the outcast stomp!*
*Modified/Reference to the lyrics of Outcast Stomp by G.L.O.S.S. Lyrics and song can be found here: https://girlslivingoutsidesocietysshit.bandcamp.com/track/outcast-stomp
