Be a Punk Rock Girl

First off, if you wanted to be a punk rock girl, you wouldn't be on the Internet trying to find a how-to guide. But since you are, you obviously need some pointers so read on.

Steps

  1. Be yourself. There are so many young kids out there today that just see a scene as a cool way to dress or to rebel against their parents. You don't have to dress, act or think a certain way to be punk. That's the beauty of being punk. It's not about the superficial- it's a line of thinking, it's a way of life.
  2. Be open-minded. Don't be prejudiced. Open up your heart and mind to the things that are "outside your box." Experience new things and ideas. Punks usually stick together because they have been outcast in some way or another from "normal, cookie-cutter" society. Not all punks stick together, so just hang out with whoever you like. Don't close people out of your life for their views, politics, style, race, religion, sex, sexual preference or anything like that. Talk to different people, learn, debate. Expand yourself.
  3. Go to shows! No matter what city or town you live in, there are shows. Your local bands might not be great, but pay the cover and support their efforts. It's what punk is all about. Rock out with your friends and have a good time. Respect the venues that you go to. More than likely, it's people just like you taking money out of their pockets to put on a show, so have a good time, but be respectful. Lots of venues shut down because people don't know how to act and be respectful.
  4. Check out some out-of-town shows. Larger metropolitan areas usually have shows all the time with larger touring bands. Check out bands' websites, blogs and social networking profiles (e.g. Myspace) to see when they'll be in your area or close to your area.
  5. Start your music collection. Punk is more than looking punk. There's no point in us listing bands here because the genre is so large, with many subgenres. You can find a niche to suit your tastes. Plus, if there's one thing punks love to do, it's nitpick and argue over what is and isn't punk. Check out the punk tag on last.fm or another music site for a very rough guide (although sometimes people like to mess about with the tags so be careful), look up some punk bands on wikipedia and follow links, or JFGI. Finding stuff out for yourself is the most punk thing of all. If you're here you probably already know and like one or two punk bands, so start looking for bands related to them. Older punks never had the internet, so take advantage of it as a really quick way to research and hear music.
  6. Get involved. Make flyers for bands or help distribute them. See if you can help at shows by working the door or helping to clean up. Or even better, you could...
  7. Start a band. This isn't essential, but people seem to assume that playing an instrument is part of being punk for a guy, but not for a girl. If you want to though, why not? Punk was originally about stripping rock music back down to basics, with no pretensions, and many punk bands valued passion and fun over skill. So you don't have to practice for years in your bedroom before having a fun jam with your friends. If you want to do more advanced stuff, having a 3-chord band will still help as you learn quicker by playing with other people, and you will meet more people through your band who can help you improve (and to form your next band with!). You'll be in great company- many female punk musicians got their start in the more open atmosphere of early punk scenes. Some people might criticize your skills at first, but those people are the type who take things too seriously.
  8. Speak your mind! Protest the wrongs of your governments! Protest the media! Protest commercialism! Make a difference! Or conversely, be totally apathetic and nihilistic, and make fun of political types who think they can change anything. There are two sides of the coin on this one, as there are on most things within the punk community.
  9. Read, write, and learn! Reading is an awesome way to, not only become more intelligent, but a great way to break people's stereotypes of Punks.

Tips

  • Don't be a jerk in the pit. Mosh pits are not about trying to kill someone. It's aggressive dancing. Circle pits move in one direction- don't try to go the other way.
  • Have respect for those around you and break down barriers. It's about being true to you. If you're not feeling the punk scene, go find what you're feeling because you're only going to be cheating yourself.
  • Don't be the jerk that always sneaks in the backdoor at shows. Pay the cover and support your scene.
  • Punk shouldn't be about race, sex, religion etc, and it purports not to be. However, sometimes it is, often in ways that aren't immediately obvious or even intended. There are coping strategies you can use, and with any luck you'll find some like-minded girls within the scene.
  • Don't try too hard. Be unique.
  • Don't stand outside in the parking lot at shows. Go inside and watch the band you paid to see. That's what you are there for.
  • Research your bands. Know about them and listen to their music to avoid being called a "poser."

Warnings

  • DON'T WEAR A BAND TEE FOR A BAND YOU DON'T KNOW!
  • Don't talk about bands or any other topic that you aren't familiar with. You will just look dumb.
  • Don't try to be the stereotype of a punk. That makes you a poser. Posers are highly looked down upon by punks. So don't dumb yourself down or be rude for no reason. Show that you can be an educated punk rocker with manners.
  • Never act like you're better than anyone.
  • Never speak out against the government without first knowing what you're talking about. That just makes you look like a moron.

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