Clifford, A.E. (1997, March). "Anarchy in the valley: The punk scene in 1997." S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

I was first introduced to the punk scene years ago when I was in high school: my youth group leaders managed a halfway house for punk rockers who couldn't go home. When writing about the 1997 San Fernando Valley adolescent punk scene, I learned that the culture now is amazingly different from the decade-old punk scenes I recall. Micah, my associate pastor's youngest son, is the typical rebellious pastor's kid. He has rejected God, rebelled against his father and everything he believes in (including organized religion), and attempts to embarrass his father anyway he can in order to separate himself from his father's identity. However, Micah is also a typical thirteen-year-old. He attends school, deems his friends and music as the most important things in his life, and is distressed by his parents' separation and other family problems. Yet, Micah is also a genius who comprehends life issues well beyond what is typical for his age.

So, where does a kid with Micah's intelligence, problems, and need for identity seek acceptance? Micah chooses to turn to the continuing punk scene in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. He and his friends frequent punk shows at The Cobalt in Canoga Park. They listen to the bands, hang out, dance, and chat about nonsense. This subculture is completely dominated by its music-which is loud, hard, and nearly impossible to understand.

Punk rock first gained popularity in Hollywood during the early 1980. "Shows" were held on weekends at local clubs. Drugs ran rampant, and those who attended were mostly runaways who had raised themselves. These kids, all younger than eighteen, were abused, molested, and stripped of self-worth. But, they found their identities at these shows. The punk scene lauded being real, original, and cutting-edge. Fakes were quickly identified.

Originally popular punk rock bands included Sex Pistols, Violent Femmes, Waysted Youth, Savage Republic, and Dead Kennedys. Their lyrics generally addressed revolution and anarchy and espoused anti-government, anti-religion, and anti-institution ideas. Punk groups and their fans dressed in leather and studs plastered with band logos, styled their hair in mohawks of many different shades, wore makeup, and maintained a "night club glow" by avoiding the sun. Skinheads with body-covering tattoos were regularly seen. Punk groups were the only heroes, and they offered no ideals or hope for the future. Slam dancing was the predominant source of release, yet it often became quite violent. Many of these shows ended in knife fights, but it didn't matter: most of these kids had nothing to live for, and few thought they would live to see age twenty anyway.

By the 1990s, punk rock had seeped into the Valley, though it emerged as slightly different. The kids were much younger but were experiencing as much pain as the early 1980s punkers. Shows were a lot less violent and slam dancing lost popularity, though some hard core punk wanna-bes occasionally got it going. Mosh pits became the norm activity, and these were a little less brutal. Clothes and hair toned down, too. Music was still the most important aspect of the punk movement, and again, it had to be cutting-edge and original. My sister's boyfriend was in a band, and I often visited clubs to hear him play. Now, their music focused on the sound. The originality of the chords and base lines and the funkiness of the the vocals were more important than the actual message of the lyrics. My sister's boyfriend found his identity in making music sound good.

I asked Micah what he and his crew called themselves; his response to me was "I don't like to label myself, but we listen to punk music." Right away, I could tell that Micah was involved partly for identity. He doesn't like to "label" himself, but his clothes advertise the punk bands whose ideals he upholds. Knowing a bit about the punk rock scene, I set out to discover how Micah's friends were different. I listened to a compilation of punk bands that he liked, visited a show, and talked to Micah and his friends at great length.

The first thing I noticed was that these kids are so young. Again, music is the center of their movement. It is still loud, hard, and fast, but the pendulum had returned: the message is all-important. Bands are singing songs of anarchy, anti-establishment, and individuality. Things need to change; however, there is a new thread among them. Peace is an important ideal for punkers today. There is not much violence at these shows, and the dancing is much less rough, even less so than moshing. Today, punks "skank," where they form a big circle and jump around flailing their arms.

Some of the bands Micah and his friends enjoy are 1980s bands, such as Misfits, Dead Kennedies, Naked Agression, and Sub Humanz. However, they also listen to newer groups, including Crass, Addicts, Dirt, Germs, and Litmus Green. I listened to Crass for awhile; their music is angry about abuse, hypocrisy, violence, and institutions-including the church.

Micah does not have much hope for the future. His friends, however, are a little more encouraging. Anthony feels that there are positive changes taking place in society. Micah challenged him on this, and it was interesting to see that they really are not afraid to hold their own opinions. I asked Micah and his friends what they consider to be the biggest problems facing society today. His friends said things like violence, bigotry, and racism. Micah, displaying his uncanny thirteen-year-old wisdom, summed, "Ignorance. It all stems from ignorance."

Micah and his friends are pacifistic. They are all vegetarians; Micah has even stopped wearing anything made of leather. He is pro-life, and feels very strongly about the issue. He does not involve himself in violence. He wants to go to college to "make a difference," though he's not sure in what capacity. Micah is a self-proclaimed atheist, yet this may be more to reject his father's identity rather than to willingly adopt such a belief system. Micah's friends do not seem to have a problem with the existence of a God, but there does not seem to be an interest in having deep faith.

How does one contextualize the Gospel as relevant for the punk scene? Fortunately, I have some prior knowledge into this issue. My youth group leaders who ran a half-way house for punk rockers found ways to reach these people. Their halfway house was a ministry, and it demanded hours of prayer and patience. In the 1980s, many punkers grew up with parents who verbally and emotionally abusing them while espousing belief in a Judeo-Christian God. For these kids, God was a hypocritical authority figure who only desired to control them. Religion was an institution to rebel against.

My youth group leaders knew that these kids hated God. However, they loved these kids who were hurting so badly for love. For their ministry, they needed to gain the kids' trust; any mention of God or religion would completely destroy any hope in affecting these kids' lives. These youth leaders chose to become involved in the scene. They spent Friday and Saturday nights in Hollywood frequenting the shows, learning the lingo and the dances, and slowly gaining the trust of the kids. They had to be involved in the scene for nearly a year before they could even get the kids to start talking to them.

Once the youth leaders garnered trust, they told kids that they had some spare rooms for anyone who had nowhere else to go. A few punkers moved in, but the youth leaders still had to wait before mentioning anything about God. Once the kids fully trusted and accepted the love from the youth leaders, the leaders slowly introduced them to the idea of a God who loves them infinitely more. They have amazing stories to tell about the kids in their house, and I have been fortunate to know some of the punkers whose lives are being used to advance the kingdom of God.

The same model of ministry can be adapted to reaching Micah and his friends. The first requirement for working with these kids is prayer from the youth worker and his or her supporting community. Again, this work demands someone who is willing to spend time with them, regularly attend the shows, learn about the scene, and speak their language. It takes a long time to move through the exterior of these kids to find out where they are really hurting. Micah is sometimes even harder to reach because he is so smart. As someone who wants to reach these kids, I must live a life of integrity. They can instinctually sense fakes, and they refuse to listen to someone who is not being real. I also need to listen; perhaps even for a year. They need to know that whatever else I am trying to accomplish with them, my motive is out of love for them and a desire to see them make it into adulthood.

If I can present myself as loving, trustworthy, and real, then I honestly share with them why I am able to care for them: it is out of love for God and in obedience to Him. I must exemplify who Jesus was during his time on earth. These kids need to experience love before they can begin to understand it, and many of them have never been loved. Since God is love, and Jesus is His divine example of love, this would be a good way to introduce these kids to God. However, as I stated before, it takes a long time, and I may never see the fruits of my efforts.

I have now known Micah for a few years, and I have recently become better acquainted with him. Having the opportunity to re-introduce myself to the punk scene in the Valley has been troubling yet intriguing and enticing. It has helped me to gain perspective on how kids are growing up today. I had almost forgotten how painful adolscence is, but with one look at Micah with his troubled brow, wild hair, and band advertisement clothes, it is impossible to ignore the heartache stifling this kid. Still, he is one of the lucky ones: his parents care about him and are trying to allow him to safely explore his identity. I plan to continue building relationships with Micah and his friends; and maybe one day, they will find God to be the relevant need in their lives.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. In your experiences with those in the punk subculture, do you agree with the author's observations about the subculture?
2. How have you been effective with these kids? What has been ineffective?
3. Do you think that the author's suggestions for how to reach punkers are realistic? Is it worth the effort? Explain.
4. Is it acceptable for a youth worker to spend hours, days, weeks, months attending punk concerts and being involved in the scene? Does this endanger a youth worker's integrity? Are there too many temptations and bad influences associated with such an environment?
5. For Christian youth workers, can a young person in the punk subculture be a Christian? Can the two labels coexist within someone?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Some youth workers may be fearful of becoming involved with those of the punk subculture. It is a harsh, uncomfortable environment to outsiders. Still, they are hurting kids, and they need love and acceptance.
2. Within subcultures, trends come and go. Before stepping into the culture, learn as much as possible. Learn more as you immerse yourself in the scene, but maintain an outsider's perspective.
3. When working with punkers, take it slowly. Rejoice in the small steps. Be willing to invest hours upon hours to earn the right to be heard.

Abigail E. Clifford and Kathryn Q. Powers cCYS