(This review first appeared in issue 51 of Shindig! magazine)
Sam Knee's previous
book A Scene In Between documented the fashions of the 1980s
UK indie music scene. His new book widens the net to cover the golden
years of Britain's musical tribalism, ranging from the leather gangs
of the early '60s to the baggy scene of the '90s.
Alongside the great
photos it's also a study of links between fashion and music. Knee's
writing is incisive and sharper than the creases in a pair of Sta
Prest, passionately charting the changing political and social mores
as well as the rise of the beagle collar, lopsided wedge cuts and
bondage strides.
British youth have
always forged strong links between music and fashion, what better way
of expressing your sonic allegiances than through clothes, hair and
mode of transport. Knee chronologically dissects each tribe, be it
teds, rockers, mods, space-rockers, suedeheads, anarcho-punks, goths
or soulboys, noting subtle nuances, gentle mutations, and sometimes
the seismic shifts between them.
The photographs are
evocative and nostalgic, mixing rare shots of musicians with those of
provincials youths in their finest outside-of-work clobber. Whether
dressing up or dressing down, they all look to be having the time of
their lives.
Some of these looks
remain timeless but all too often they've ran their course or been
co-opted by high street cash-ins. Knee's book serves as a reminder of
how, at its best, British youth culture has a vibrancy and spirit
that's somehow always one step ahead of the money men. Long may this
last.
Click here for Cicada Books.
