I've been hearing that Billy Joe Armstrong recently checked into rehab and also apologized for smashing his guitar and basically being punk rock.
So explain something to me, how can you sell yourself as punk rock when you are apologizing. I seem to recall punk rock being about fucking authority and all that anarchy type stuff. I understand musicians grow up musically, or mentally or whatever but seriously if you are going to continue to label yourself as punks act like NOFX,who truth be told aren't really that punk rock anymore, but at least they act like it.
So, when is it time to call it quits as a punk band? Honestly I think its when you ashamed of being punk rock. Now I don't want anyone to think for a moment that I am not saying people with substance abuse issues shouldn't seek help, but god damn it don't apologize for smashing you guitar and the show being stopped.
What people seem to forget is that punk rock is a beautiful fucked up mess of a thing. All these young kids don't know about going to a show and seeing a guitar player fall off the stage because he was so drunk (been there for that and know the guitarist who has grown up but is still just as punk rock as always), had a show stopped because the singer broke his nose (saw that at the warped tour), or had to worry about the cops showing up to shut down a show you were having in an American legion with no permit (played one of those). That's what's special about punk rock, it takes the rejects and the people that do this shit, and it puts you with more people that are exactly like you, meaning you don't need to apologize, because your with "friends".
I'm not punk rock, at least not the way I'd like to be. But I don't pretend to be, I've never pretended. I write songs about girls and love, I've never really "stuck it to the man" outside of high school, in fact I actually work for the man and he pays me very well.
Anyway that's my rant, nothing deep nothing meaningfully just a suggestion. Don't apologize for what you are, don't pretend to be what your not.
