Hippiepunk

Now, before you pelt me with bricks and chains, please allow me to explain..

I have long hair. This is a holdover from my metal-head days in junior high school, before I discovered good music and before I had any political leanings at all. I dress, for the most part, in baggy pants and t-shirts. The occasional hoodie, workshirt, or thrift store button down shirt making an appearance.

But, I listen to lots of punk rock type music. Good punk rock, like Husker Du, Bad Religion, the Dead Kennedys, the Descendents or the Minutemen. I do not listen to bad, fashion show punk rock such as The Casualties or Aus-Rotten. This causes me to go to shows (and yes, I know that all of the bands I like mentioned above except Bad Religion and the Descendents have broken up, but I still go to shows) so anyway, I go to shows and get harassed by glue-haired, acid tripping motherfuckers about being a god damn hippie. I'm in it for the music, not the fashion! It's not a way to get girlies!

Also, I may not have been clear above when stating some of my musical tastes: I also listen to lots of indie rock. This also causes a few people to criticize me for not being punk rock, just because every now and then I like to kick back with a little Sonic Youth, Pavement, or Guided by Voices. So to you all I say, "Fuck you!"

p.s. I hate the Grateful Dead and I don't smoke marijuana!

We don't call it hippiepunks but that's a good term. There's a lot of 'em here around, (in Visby), I guess I'm one of them. Some of 'em smoke, drink beer, I do neither and detest both. Most are vegans. Clothes are ragged, style borrowed from hippies and punks (and to a lesser extent, grunge) -- ragged, tie-dye, black, browns, naturals, colorful. It's consistent but in an odd way. Dreads and mohawks are common.

They're all self-proclaimed leftists, anarchists, and feminists. They're into the whole globalization thing.

Street art, some people call it vandalism, is also common.

As for music, the the Dead Kennedys the Grateful Dead are favourites of old, as is Led Zeppelin. One of the defining artists are Manu Chao. We listen to new hippie music, to new punk, to things that are both or neither. We also listen to a lot of local bands. Some political hiphop, a lot of weird electronic music (especially video game music). Ska is popular among this crowd too, as is rock and progg. Music is a big thing and dancing is as well.

There are hackers in the crowd as well as people who never ever use computers.

Is it new or old? Well, it's reminiscent of the yippies but it's different this time around, I think. Of course, I wasn't around then, so I can't tell for sure.

It's not for everyone, perhaps, but I love it.

I don't think that Orion and prole are talking about the same thing above. Orion just seems to speak of punks with long hair. I'm speaking of this whole movement that's sprung up the latest years.