Uncle.Macaroons: Sub-Culture Hardcore kids/Straightedge

Hardcore is a genre of music, known as in full as Hardcore Punk. Derived from the punk rock music genre which started in the 1970s, they differ from each other in that Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, heavier and angrier compared to regular punk.

It is unknown as to where Hardcore first originated, possibly the U.S,with the popularity of the band D.O.A and their album "Hardcore '81". Places such as D.C, California, New York, Jersey, and Boston as well as Canada and the U.K, particularly in the South West have shown signs of hardcore.

Hardcore heavily influenced Straightedge, to stand against the culture of drinking and drugs, it began as a movement against American youth. With the song "StraightEdge" in 1989 from band Minor Threat from Washington D.C. Using a 'X' as a symbol to show you are straightedge, once began as a symbol to identify underage kids at gigs. Although hardcore music comes across as aggressive, underneath the message is forward thinking and a positive way of living. Followers of Straightedge usually are in groups, they take comfort and re assurance from each other, to carry on with the Straightedge way of living, believing that straightedge is not a trend but a way of life. Taking refuge in Hardcore music that they find they heavily connect to. They sometimes refer to themselves as a Brotherhood of outsiders, not feeling as though they fit in with the modern teenager. They feel they can release aggression and pressure that daily life causes, a way of dealing with their problems together, using gigs as a way of meeting new people who are into the same things.

Elgin James, leader and founder of the F.S.U

Although straightedge and the hardcore scene seems harmless, there is a militant side to it all, in Boston Massachusetts 1980s with a man called Elgin James, who formed a gang called the F.S.U (Friends Stand United) originally named 'Fuck Shit Up', a group against drugs and alcohol, that would purge the Boston hardcore scene from violent white power skinheads and drug dealers. They would beat and rob them, scaring them into leaving and no longer causing havoc, and selling drugs to young teens. Giving half of what they got to charities and straightedge bands, a kind of Robin Hood way of thinking but with a very brutal and violent way of

accomplishing their goals.

Click for Interview with Elgin James from PaperMag

Some Hardcore and Straight Edge bands such as Comeback Kid, Last Witness, Your Demise, Have Heart, I am Avalanche, Set Your Goals, Brand New, Coheed and Cambria, Architects, Our Time Down Here, Cancer Bats, AFI, BlackFlag, DOA, Every Time I Die, Gallows, Hatebreed, Leftover Crack, xLimpWristx, Minor Threat.

'Your Demise' (above)

'Last Witness'(above)

'Coheed and Cambria' (above)

Hardcore Punk and Straight Edge has a kind of look, a way of dressing. Wearing band tees is a massive thing, tight fit skinny jeans(usually girls jeans), loads of tattoos- the Straight Edge 'X', pin up girls, arm sleeves, thigh tattoos, neck tattoos, large chest pieces, some animal tattoos such as dears, wolves, eagles. Stretching your ears and putting things called plugs in them, piercings such as lip, nose, bridge, cartilage piercings in general, baseball caps, beanies, Denim jackets customised with studs, band badges, cut up band tees sewn on, double denim, Vans, long hair.

Interview with Christian, Salisbury- former Straight Edge:

Why did you become Straight Edge and why do you listen to the music you listen to?
"The main reason I went edge was because of the music, the scene and my friends. I listen to the music I do because I can relate to it, it's a way of expressing myself."

How do you feel you relate to the music?
"Its fast, angry and heavy, something I needed to set my head straight"

Why did you brake edge?
" I broke edge because I was unhappy about restricting myself from things I wanted to do, really kinda the opposite reason I went straight edge. When I first went edge I wanted to stop everything like drinking and drugs because I was doing too much of them. I got kicked out of my house, lost my job and stopped going to college. Got seriously into Hardcore punk, made some good friends and went to a lot of shows. I eventually cleaned myself up and after a few years it just got boring.
I got into scene as well just through meeting people at parties and gigs, then started going to shows a lot in London and hanging around a lot of straight edge kids and I wouldn't really say I'm 'scene' anymore. I still listen to a lot of hardcore and other music too, but because of work I hardly have time to go to shows anymore."

Did you drastically change your dress sense to fit in with the scene?
I wouldn't say I changed my whole appearance, mainly just wore more band tees and hoodies, wore slip on vans, grew my hair a little longer and got my nose pierced. I know people who have stretched their ears, grown their hair down to their back, sewn band tees to denim jackets, worn girls skinny jeans and covered themselves in tattoos"

Click for link to Youtube Inside Straight Edge video