I am putting this article up on Punk Rock Philosophy at a pivotal moment. The US election has delivered some shocking and terrifying results- another Trump Presidency and therefore the prospect of another four years of reactionary and regressive political rule. It is frightening and incredibly disheartening at these sorts of times, and easy to think that the world is ultimately less caring, progressive and moral than we would like it to be.
So it was a saving grace for me to be re-reading this interview with the lovely Kerry from Scotland’s Goblin Mode Promotions and sharing it for all to read. It helps to be reminded that the work we do in our communities (powered by punk!) is where we find hope, humanity and good times! And we need all that now more than ever.
Kerry is a punk promoter with Goblin Mode Promotions in the bonny city of Glasgow where she is working hard to support grassroots punk bands, venues and gig goers! As well as that, she also manages to find time to be in her own punk band- Low Level Monk.
With her fingers in many punky pies, Kerry has a pretty good insight into the state of the punk scene now. And despite what is happening in the rest of the world, it seems in punk at least, there’s plenty of good news.
Kerry’s trajectory through to punk is similar to my own- far from beginning with mohawks and safety pins, a foray into music started with badass girl bands! But as soon as punk and ska entered the picture, something changed:
“I was really into Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child as a kid (Still think Beyoncé is amazing!) then my gateway alternative bands were like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, unfortunately. When I was 14 my first boyfriend was a skater- the first of many skaters (also unfortunately)- and he played Reel Big Fish to me. I had never heard ska punk before and then I saw them pop up on P-Rock, a short lived punk music video TV channel. I heard so many good bands there for the first time: Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid etc and one of my all-time favourites- The Distillers! I was hooked from then on”.
And it wasn’t just the music that Kerry was listening to that resonated and has endured. Like many of us, there’s something about what punk represents that has inspired Kerry in many areas of life:
“I like the lack of rules. My mum got me ‘London Calling’ one Christmas and I loved how The Clash take parts from all different genres but it was still punk as fuck. A friend with a cooler older sister introduced me to a ton of bands with women in them too. I think Kathleen Hanna is a huge inspiration for lots of girls, showing you can be vulnerable and also angry. Said friend and I started jamming together and ended up doing an all-girl punk band when I was 20 that was super fun.
I think the main appeal is authenticity. No one is making punk music solely for music or clout, the vast majority of us are never gonna have commercial success. You have to love what you’re doing to commit to being in a punk band”.
And playing drums for a punk band has been a great creative outlet for Kerry, especially now she is settled into Low Level Monk’s lineup:
“I think it was 2022 that I saw Neil (our singer) post on Facebook looking for a drummer. It took us a while to get going and find a bassist but Neil, Dave (our guitarist) and I got on really well and were into the same bands. It’s not always easy to find people to play punk stuff with in your 30s! When we finally got our bassist, Mike, it really came together.
We were just having fun playing covers at first, but it soon became a weekly thing and we started going to local gigs together. After seeing Goodbye Blue Monday and Wrong Life play, we were inspired to do originals and start gigging. It probably took a year and a half until we played first gig in Jan 2024”.
Perseverance pays off! And going to a punk gig and coming away inspired to make your own music is a tale as old as time. Or at least as old as 1977! But the motivation to get involved in supporting punk didn’t stop at being in her own band- Kerry wanted to support other acts to find gigs and be part of the punk community in Glasgow. But anyone who has ever spoken to a promoter will know that it is no easy role to play to get people out to hear the band’s play:
“It’s definitely a small scene but we’re lucky to have amazing bands. I’m constantly blown away by the quality of bands at gigs that cost a tenner or less for a ticket.
It’s great that the bands are so supportive and encouraging to each other. So many much more established bands have been very kind to us. I feel there’s a bit of a revival going on and there’s other people who started putting on punk gigs this year as well so there should be a lot going on next year!
It is a real challenge to sell tickets and get people to come. It’s not for lack of interest, many people are running on survival mode trying to keep up on job/family commitments. Everyone has less disposal income as well now, the tickets are cheap but when you factor in travelling and a couple of drinks it’s an expense that people have to consider when they’re struggling with bills”.
And we know that this is something that all areas of the music industry are experiencing, but live music in particular is in peril. Two grassroots music venues are closing per week, according to the Music Venue Trust (MVT). In 2023, 125 venues permanently closed. Of those that remain open, 38% reported making a financial loss in 2023 despite seeing an increased demand for tickets. The role of promoter- the person trying to get bums on seats and feet on sticky floors- is as essential as ever. Kerry is optimistic about punk’s prospects in this respect:
“I think people like what I’m doing because they can see it’s genuine passion and I see that in bands all the time too. Goblin Mode has done so much better than I anticipated but I’m not profiting off anything yet, I’m very happy so far with being able to pay the venue and bands with ticket sales. Obviously it would be great to make a little money at some point but it’s not a priority. Same with all the bands, they’re just happy to get out and play their songs to people and have fun”.
Scotland is an essential part of the punk story, boasting bands such as Skids, The Exploited and The Rezillos amongst many others. And it is not just the biggest cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh that have been the hotspots for punk shenanigans. Areas like Paisley were super important in the 70s and 80s as many bands were banned from playing in Glasgow thanks to the delicate sensibilities of the city’s council. Venues like The Bungalow Bar- a small bar in the town’s Renfrew Road- found themselves at the heart of the UK punk scene in the late 70s and early 80s.
Fast forward to 2024 and punks like Kerry are keeping the punk flame lit in Scotland (presumably with a slightly more open-minded local authority nowadays!). But if we are going to fight to keep our punk spaces alive then whilst we’re there, we also need to make sure they are safe and inclusive. This is something that whilst a work in progress in some respects, looks like there’s lots to be proud of in Glasgow:
“For sure, punk is still a bit of a boy’s club, I’m sure it can feel alienating for some people and that they still experience sexism.
“My personal experience has been fantastic though. Most of our gigs I’m the only woman onstage that night and I’m used to people thinking I’m a girlfriend or trying to charge me on doors until they realise I’m the drummer!
There are a lot of great female musicians/bands and I’m seeing more bands being vocal about being trans/non binary too which is great. I’m seeing a lot of diversity in younger bands especially and celebrating things like gender identity/queerness/neurodiversity.
I would say to anyone who wants to get involved in the Scottish punk scene, don’t be anxious about it, go for it! Most of us seem to be from working class backgrounds so we do understand adversity, especially when it comes to making music. I would love to have all different kinds of people playing at my gigs next year and would encourage anyone to get in touch with me if they’re feeling a bit apprehensive. I’m a very anxious person and being involved has helped me so much with that”.
You heard it here folks- get involved! And if you’re Glasgow based or Glasgow-adjacent, there’s plenty to get stuck in with:
“I’m really excited about the next gigs with one of my favourite bands, Goodbye Blue Monday, and two northern Irish bands- Parker and Ferals. Low Level Monk will be supporting in Edinburgh and Oh, Rain will be supporting in Glasgow. The dates are:
18th Nov, The Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh
19th Nov, Mcchullis, Glasgow
I would also love if anyone wanted to check out Low Level Monk’s recent EP, ‘There Is No Magic At The Gathering’ we worked really hard on it and you might enjoy it if you’re into melodic punk/pop punk/90s punk!”
It also looks like 2025 is going to be a bumper year for Goblin Mode Promotions and Kerry’s band Low Level Monk so make sure to follow on their socials! You can check out their 5-track EP HERE.
