Punk Rock Philosophy caught up with Kent’s premier pink-adorned punk duo to answer the question – Can Punk Rock Save the World?
Anyone who might be tempted to think that punk nowadays has lost its radical, political edge is clearly not paying attention. What we have at the moment is a politically astute and motivated cohort of punk bands actually getting out in the community and pushing for safe, inclusive spaces, better living conditions and a sustainable approach to keeping the arts alive.
The generic cry of ‘smashing the system’ has given way to artists who are clear and specific about what systems have failed us and how they can be fixed- bands like Menstrual Cramps, Bob Vylan, Problem Patterns, Kill The Icon….they are vocal, informed and mad as hell: a world-changing combination.
And ensconced neatly in this gang of rabble rousers is Margate’s queer punk party people Pink Suits. Starting their career as dancers, Ray and Lennie pivoted to music around 2016 feeling it was a better way to communicate the political observations that were building up as the world seemed to make one bad decision after another….
“That year felt like a massive moment in politics as it was the year of the Brexit referendum and of Trump’s election. It felt like a real shift in seeing how social media and the wider media was used to manipulate information and affect the outcomes of the democratic process. It was also worrying to see a rise in mainstream platforming of more bigoted and intolerant politics. We basically feel strongly about nurturing a fair, inclusive and tolerant society that supports its most vulnerable and provides for people in need and we were raging about how it felt like things were going the wrong way. So, we started doing a lot of writing around these themes, I guess poems, or rants really! And we decided to start the band to make use of this material”.
Punk has enjoyed such a long association with angry, political upstarts and with a reputation for being one of the easiest genres for newbies to start playing, it makes sense that Lennie and Ray- collectively Pink Suits- used the genre to get across a political message. But that was more by accident than design:
“We were not specifically drawn to punk initially, I don’t remember that we set out to be a punk band. We mostly listened to Rock music, folk and blues… Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchel and our favourite bands are AC/DC, Journey, The Runaways, some more punk stuff like The Ramones but we really wanted to be more like a classic rock band with Glam Rock aesthetics. But when we wrote the music it came out more punk. There are only two of us and we liked the distorted power chord guitar sound and favoured angry screaming over melody and singing.
Its only when we started playing gigs that people said we were a punk band and those are the line ups and nights that we got booked for. But really early on we played shows with folk musicians and blues bands and pop singers. We still don’t really consider ourselves musicians but we have been playing for quite a few years now and do feel like we are part of the punk music scene in the UK and are increasingly inspired and influenced by the genre, both historically and currently. We landed in the punk scene and it feels like the right place for us as the legacy of it being such a political genre is really what matters most to us.“
And it certainly feels like punk is their rightful home. The band have been unabashedly acerbic and provocative; equal parts combative and galvanising. Their first album ‘Political Child’ (2021) pulled no punches in terms of its anti-Authoritarian and pro liberation message with tracks like ‘Fake Great Britain’ (“living in this shit state fascist state”) and ‘Anarchist Wisdom’ which lists all the racist politicians across the globe (hint: there’s a lot of them). The band are now back with a new album ‘Dystopian Hellscape’ (released in April) and as you can tell by the title, Lennie and Ray are not particularly more optimistic in 2024 than they were 3 years ago. Even as, at the time of speaking to them, the result of the UK election was not confirmed and we’re still a few months away from a new Presidential election, the duo are not holding out a lot of hope:
“We think that we are going to have a good chunk of time living under a Labour government that is not so different from the Tory government we have been living with for a decade and a half. We don’t hate the Tories just because we have decided to be Anti Tory, we hate them because their politics and policies make life more difficult for a large portion of the population. We are anti fascist, anti royalist, queer, non binary, trans inclusive, socialist, working class artists who believe we should have a society that protects its most vulnerable and has a robust system of healthcare, welfare and social care. We believe in taxing the very rich to support those in need of support, we believe in LGBTQIA+ rights, especially in Trans healthcare and rights to self identify, we believe in a government funded free NHS service, nationalised rail, nationalised energy and water. The list goes on and on but the political reasonings that mean we are anti Tory seem like they are going to be the same reasons we are also anti Labour in its current state. They are already trying to roll back the rights of trans people, they don’t seem committed to any real environmental plan, they refuse to condemn Israel’s genocide in Palestine… “
But where you can find hope… is in the punk scene. If you want to find kindred spirits who share your despair at the hardening heart of the world and who want to take action to offer solidarity and tangible community-led resources and solutions then THIS is what punk was made for surely?
“Yeah, we feel like a lot of the Queer Punk DIY scene is specifically trying to create space that facilitates DIY action and Grassroots activism and that co-exists with the music and platforming bands but the focus is a lot on creating active space for political discourse, learning and action. There are political punk nights, like How to Catch a Pig for example, whose priority is political awareness and community care that then builds a night of bands and performers around these politics. I think a lot of what these organisers and nights are trying to do is create safe and active spaces for Queer people and allies to have genuinely progressive discourse, I am loathed to say radical political spaces, as it is mad that anti establishment, abolitionist genuinely socialist spaces of community care are considered that radical, but it does feel like a lot of things that the punk DIY scene and especially the Queer DIY punk scene wants to facilitate are ideas and policies that mainstream MPs and local councillors are just not willing to fuck with.
This is why these spaces are so dangerous to those who want to suppress political action and engagement. The DIY music scene needs to be protected and these places are a hotbed of community action and grassroots activism that pose a genuine threat to the status quo, which is why the establishment is more than happy to let them struggle and fail. These spaces show us what kind of society is possible if we work together to support and uplift all members of our community, if we hold each other up to a higher moral and ethical standard. I think everyone should get involved with supporting these events and spaces so we can all grow and develop more socially engaged and politically active communities together.“
Today Pink Suits release their new track ‘Are You Gay Yet’ – a pretty funky riff-driven track about LGBT pride and defiance in the face of everyday homophobia. The latest single taken from ‘Dystopian Hellscape’, it demonstrates a band that may not have started out considering themselves as musicians, but there’s definitely no doubt that they’re settling into a more confident and sophisticated sound. And they’re still evolving and certainly not looking to ensnare themselves in a punk net- they want to cast much wider than that:
“We actually just love some trashy 80s power ballad rock and I think we might try to write some big ’80s style songs soon. We also have a country band which is pretty fun and we’d love to write some slutty gay country shit! We would actually also love to write a big summer bangers album that is just joyous and optimistic, loads of songs that you can dance to and blast out of the radio whilst you’re driving down the coast, songs about summer and friendships, seeing the world, love and fucking etc. I think it would be so sweet to do a tour of just uplifting shit”.
And god knows we need to be uplifted! So I guess, a super simple question to finish with….how do we save the world? Because it needs saving- can punk be part of the solution?
“I think empathy is the punk-est thing. And I really do think it can save a lot. It’s hard to imagine in the late stage capitalist society we are in as everyone is really fending for themselves and the mentality can get pretty selfish. But being able to be in communities and helping people where they need help and sharing understanding that everyone’s experiences are different and valid I think could actually make some real change. It’s naïve and I really can’t see it happening in our lifetime as the systems and structures that we are living in are too far gone, but I do think empathy is the answer”.
Check out the new track, previous releases and more Pink Suits info on this link HERE.
