"Where there is a will... there is a way." Three years before Discharge inserted this saying into punk history on their "Warning" 12", punks in the town of Gateshead in northeast England were living it. With no place for punk bands to play or congregate, a small collective of bands and friends launched a campaign to make a space for punk against all odds, and by any means necessary. The story of Gateshead punk is documented in the new oral and pictorial history book From The Garage To The Station And Beyond: Stories Of The Gateshead Music Collective 1980-1988. The book has been meticulously compiled by true punk lifer, Sned of Flat Earth Records (and bands Generic, Blood Robots, One By One, Health Hazard, Doom, and more).
Starting in 1980 the efforts of these Gateshead punks transitioned from humble beginnings which included punk disco nights in a small garage into a self sustaining autonomous collective and their own dedicated punk venue, The Station, which became an important tour stop in the '80s, inspiring others to start their own venues in their towns.
Along the way, the collective hosted countless bands including the likes of Chaos UK, Anti-System, The Skeptix, Broken Bones, Disorder, Antisect, Onslaught, and Seats of Piss, and The Clash (who they had previously stiffed on a gig). These gigs were well promoted and attracted photographers wanting to capture the gigs. Many of those who documented the era have donated a slew of photographs capturing punk at it's most raw and most fun.
This book triumphs the rewards of hard work and dedication, something which can often be forgotten among punk cries of "It was easy, it was cheap, go and do it" and should be a welcome addition to any punk library.
