A new book investigating the enduring resonance of the punk movement by local Brixtonian Charlie Waterhouse has launched this week on global crowdfunding site Kickstarter.
‘The Truth of Revolution, Brother’ investigates the ideas, beliefs and lives of the people that created the movement, and is the result of a year spent with some of punk’s most influential figures.
Featuring contributions from the brains behind Crass, Fugazi, Vice magazine and the political reinvention of Reykjavík – and many more – the book is a timely exploration of alternative lifestyles and attitudes.
Authors Charlie, Lisa Sofianos and Robin Ryde set out to understand the historical motivations behind punk and what can be learned and applied in today’s political and social context.
Brixton-based co-author Charlie Waterhouse (who also created the Brixton Pound currency designs) said:
“This is a book for people who are into punk, but also people that are just plain interested in how they can live authentically.
“The ideas in the book – of challenging authority, of disrupting ideology, of taking charge of your own situation couldn’t come at a better time”.
Co-author Robin Ryde adds: “We live in the shadow of the Global Financial Crisis and the terrible conduct of the banking industry. We find ourselves surveilled to within an inch of our lives. We look at the system around us and find it riddled with holes.
“The philosophy of punk offers a way of doing things differently. It offers a route out of a system that persists in failing us. And the voices heard echoing through the pages of this book won’t be with us for ever. There is wisdom here that we want to capture and to use.
“If you are fascinated by punk, philosophy, popular culture, art or how to live now, then this book will have something profound to say to you.”
The book will feature in-depth interviews with musicians, artists, poets, politicians and provocateurs of all hues. As well as Crass and Fugazi, the team have enjoyed extensive access to punks as varied as Sugarcubes, Big Black, Subhumans, Poison Girls, The Pop Group, The Møb, The Adverts, The Membranes, Oi Polloi, and Rubella Ballet. Artists such as Gee Vaucher and anti-folk’s Jeffrey Lewis feature, as does Mayor of Reykjavík, Jón Gnarr.
The team will soon also be speaking to Billy Bragg, Chumbawamba, Scroobius Pip and Mike Watt of fIREHOSE, Minutemen and Stooges fame.
The book will feature original artwork from artists as diverse as the aforementioned Gee Vaucher and Jeffrey Lewis, as well as David King (designer of the iconic Crass logo) and Gaye Advert.
The authors are now seeking crowd-funding for the final stages of production, and have started a Kickstarter project that has raised 32% of it’s target in the campaign’s first few days. Their final target is £15,000.
To find out more about the project and make a pledge of support visit their Kickstarter page here:
