Bastard country, bastard music : the legacy of Australian punk

Punk, a constantly self-renewing articulation of rock and roll’s original rebellious impulse, is a perfect vehicle for the irreverence of the Australian spirit; for an unwillingness to assimilate, which might be associated with the nation’s mongrel mix of culture. For certain groups crucial to the history of Australian popular music, this unwillingness constituted a rejection not only of the mainstream of music industry, but also of elements that prescribe punk as a style, particularly musically. If there is something we can identify as a maverick sprit, it can be found in legendary Australian bands like The Saints, X² The Birthday Party. In terms of musical style, none of these groups had peers or forebears to speak of; each was a bastard, an orphan that trod a singular path. Although none of these groups described themselves as punk, it is still possible to discuss their relationship to punk aesthetic even if, like Groucho Marx, these groups would always decline to join any club that would have them as members. While some of the groups use themes related to the nation’s convict past, all of them set themselves apart sonically and stylistically – not only from mainstream trends. They share the aesthetics attributed by Gendron to punk – minimalism, “assaultiveness”, amateurishness – even as most of them reject punk as a category.