Yeah, maybe the fact that I had moved away made me separate from the punk scene.
Before I moved away most people I knew was into punk. When I returned a year or two later only one of my mates was still into it. He was even called, "Woody the punk" in Failsworth like as if he was the only one left.
My mate Rourkey was now a Perry boy and Mani was wearing a fishtail parka.
Who knows what would have happened if I stayed.
It's strange how musically I changed from 79 to 83 / 84 without even noticing it......
I had a friend who one day just became a Mod from being a punk the previous day and year or so.
With me I came to the table late having seen Generation X on TOTP doing King Rocker aged 15 (Jan 79) about to turn 16.
That was it. I was a punk! 4 weeks later Sid was dead!
I launched into the Pistols / Clash (was never that keen on them to be honest) Boomtown Rats and then a friend got me into Siouxsie & The Banshees and I went all over watching them.
Then all of a sudden without noticing I was getting into Soft Cell, Visage, Tears for Fears..... and New Order, Bunnymen, early U2 and of course in 83 The Smiths turned up and I went in another direction - yet at this point I would have still said I was a punk.
Yet it was only later you start putting all the pieces together and realising it was punk / post punk and all family related. All of those bands were formed by former punks so it was natural i would follow their trail. It was a natural progression in the same way Madchester followed on from that followed by Oasis and up to today with the likes of the Courteeners etc.
One thing for certain is I wasn't into the 2nd wave of punk.....Chron Gen, Exploited, etc etc. Too cartoonish and couldn't understand a word they were blurting out. The fans all with same mowhawk hair style and studded jacket. No individuality.
