For TV, a surprisingly accurate and well researched series put the whole period into focus of a broken political and social era and the music that reflected or rebelled against it. Documentaries of this type often have a rose coloured view of the times usually being told by those reminiscing about their youth rather than the reality of the times. In the main this series avoided such indulgences
Despite the reputation punk has grown over the years by mainly those not there at the time, it showed the actual reality of the punk movement was not the mass popularisation of the music but more its small scale compared to the music business giants that surrounded punk and the attempts to swallow what they saw as the latest fashion.
But it was if nothing else, something that grew from young people making an effort to "do it for yourself" as John Lydon pointed out in part 3 of the series. The real punk period in the UK was short lived (about mid 76-78) but was a dynamic and diverse creative time for the young people who looked to escape the oppression of poverty both financial and social.
John Lydon (Rotten) as always, was great value and still holds on to the attitude and outlook that stopped him from becoming one of "the morons" he first raged about it in 1976.
YouTube has the first two parts of the Punk Brittania series and no doubt the final part will appear in the coming week or so. It's worth checking out. Search : Punk Brittania.
In the meantime here's John Lydon in a 2007 interview for a taste of what you'll hear from him. Metaphorically speaking, his song will remain the same no matter when it's recorded.
