k i n d l i n g

“Remember her hair in the morning before it was pinned, black, rampant, savage with loveliness. As if she slept in perpetual storm.”

I watched from the back, only half paying attention at first. But before they’d finished even one song, I was absolutely riveted. I’d seen this level of performance before, but only in giant, packed arenas or stadiums, delivered by bands at the peak of their careers. 16-year-old Billie Joe exuded the casual self-confidence of a superstar, offset slightly but not entirely by a shy, self-effacing humility.

More important is taking the lifestyle, perspective, and attitude of punk and applying it to real life. I think a lot of people have have problems applying it all to the world outside of our little scene, and that’s what I hope to do. And have fun doing, of course. Some will think I’m limiting Cometbus by calling it a punk ‘zine but I disagree - A label is only as limiting as you let it be. If I call myself and my mag “punk” then maybe I can expand people’s perception of our lifestyle instead of limiting it. Got it?

In fact, I couldn’t help thinking that despite their height, adults were just plain unbelievably stupid: men were blowing up other men; soldiers were shooting at children; men were ignoring women they loved; the women who loved them pretended they didn’t; and when I read the newspapers to Pir Hederi everyone they talked about seemed to be far more interested in rules and arguments and taking sides than the actual business of living.