PUNK'S FOR PUNKS
Who were the main influencers of the Punk Revolution?
Objectives:
Students will understand who were the main influencers of the Punk Revolution.
Students will identify the information they know and information they have not been previously informed of on the topic of punk.
Students will analyze The Clash and learn more about the band members
Lesson:
Questions/Interaction (Hook) - 2 min
Ask questions about what students know about the topic.
Do they listen to punk music?
Can they name a song from any of these artists?
Do they know any of the members? (show pictures)
There were several influencers of the Punk Revolution and many people who influenced the genre. It is important to look at the impact of the Sex Pistols and The Clash to understand who the names most associated with the genre were. The Sex Pistols were come and go full of anger, but The Clash was there to stay (Bindas 69).
Why punk started; Source (Bindas) - 1 min
In England
1976
Failure in British Socio-Economic system
More than 1 million out of work
The inflation rate over 18 percent
Who are the main influencers within punk? (Introduction); Sources: (Gilmore “The Clash”) (Gardner) - 2 min
The Clash, alongside the Sex Pistols, helped initiate the punk movement in Britain.
When the Sex Pistols ended, The Clash took over and became the new influencer.
Ask: Can you name a song by the Clash? (Interactive) - 1 min
The Clash; Source: (Gilmore “The Clash”) - 1 min
The band, The Clash, started because of Joe Strummers and Mick Jones.
The Clash became the lead to the Punk Movement
Before punk, the Clash was in the eyes of the people
Because of the English Press, the band started to turn on each other and they lost their drummer, so they had to find a new one before they could perform again. The new drummer was Nicky Headon (Gilmore “The Clash”).
The band name; Source: (Gilmore “The Fury”) - 1 min
The band name was chosen because of how many times their words were inside of the news.
Who is Joe Strummer? (Video) On bibliography of the lead singer of the band - 2 min
How they differ from the Sex Pistols; Source: (Gilmore “The Clash”) - 1 min
The Clash’s first album was representative of what people considered punk.
“While the Sex Pistols proffered a nihilistic image, the Clash took a militant stance that, in an eloquent, gutteral way, vindicated punk’s negativism” (Gilmore “The Clash”).
An event that represents the Clash; Source: (Gilmore “The Fury”) - 2 min
The Clash attempted to tear down a fence at a music festival dividing two groups of people.
They wanted to fight for what they believed to be right
Music Hitting Top Charts (Hand out a chart of stats); Sources: (Dolan) and (Gardner)- 1 min
The Album ‘The Clash’ written in 1977 by The Clash is number two out of the 40 greatest punk albums of all time according to Rolling Stone (Dolan).
The Clash wrote music that hit top charts (Gardner)
Analysis of “Should I stay or Should I Go” by The Clash; Source: (Wawzenek)- 2 min
One of the top songs written by The Clash
Play song for the class (Print out lyric sheet)
Analyze where the song could be heard and play clips.
Stranger things
Levis
Look at some of the lyrics to show the indecision in punk lyrics.
Ask: Overall, was any of this information or music recognizable? - 1 min
Materials:
Photos of Band Members and the Band
Photos of the album covers
Video of who Jos Strummer is
Clips of where the song is played and used
Print out Lyrics (highlight the key areas)
Top chart list printout
Annotated Bibliography
Bindas, Kenneth J. “‘The Future Is Unwritten’: The Clash, Punk and America, 1977-1982.” American Studies, vol. 34, no. 1, 1993, pp. 69–89. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/s
table/40642496. Accessed 23 Jan. 2020.
Kenneth Bindas talks about the start of the punk movement and the rise of punk in England. From the Sex Pistols to The Clash, there were many different artists who were very impactful when it came to punk. We learn about the formation of The Clash throughout this source as well as the viewpoints from the band.
Dolan, Jon, et al. “40 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone , 16 Nov. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/40-greatest-Punk-album
s-of-all-time-75659/the-clash-the-clash-1977-170701/.
This Source looks at the 40 greatest hits of all time and provides information on how the Clash hit top charts. It talks about the information on the album The Clash by The Clash. This album by The Clash ranks number 2 out of 40.
Gardner, Elysa. "Joe Strummer, 50, was the Ferocity Behind the Clash." USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2002. sirsissuesresearcher, www.explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/documen
t/2265682434?accountid=338.
Elysa Gardner talks a lot about the Joe Strummer from the clash in her work. It talks about not only his death but his legacy. He was the frontman of the band and so there is a lot to know about him. It breaks down all the information about him that is necessary to know.
Gilmore, Mikal. “The Clash: Anger on the Left.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 Jun. 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-clash-anger-on-the-left-250578/.
This source talks about the punk movement and the impact that the Clash had as well as the Sex Pistols. When talking about the Clash, the Sex Pistols often come into the conversation as well. This source gives detailed information about the clash and their formation as well as their band members and their ex-manager.
Gilmore, Mikal. "The Fury and the Power of the Clash." Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2011. Sirsissuesresearcher, www.explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2
Mikal Gilmore talks about a specific moment in which The Clash really showed what they were about. It examines a fence that bordered two groups of people, separating them at a festival. We learn about the name of the band and the members. We learn about the story and see the comparison of The Clash to the Sex Pistols.
Wawzenek, Bryan. “Top 10 Clash Songs.” Ultimate Classic Rock, Loudwire Network, Townsquare Media, Inc, 9 Mar.
Wawzenek looks at the top ten songs from The Clash. Looking at each song individually telling the story and background information. It talks about a lot of different information about each song such as background, lyrics, and how it ranks. Should I Stay or Should I Go for example was the Clashes number one hit single in the UK. It talks about how this song should indecision in lyrics which was common for punk music.