Artwork by April Spagnola
What's up with this cover, you ask?.. Trump's stupid mug.. A Confederate Flag burning unceremoniously... Well, we're tired of the DIVISIVE state of American leadership. In fact, we are REVOLTed.
Three years ago six nerds that comprised of local musicians and artists, decided to throw a fundrager and raise money for a nonprofit "thank you" zine to the Arizona punk scene. Music was played, art was hung, raffle prizes were thrown, and the goal was reached. Thankfully, we were able to produce PunkForefront's first printed free zine entitled, "Locals Only". This punk dream, as well as many others, would not have come true without the support from Tempe's Yucca Tap Room. Due to the pandemic, venues such as Yucca and their staff are struggling more than ever. PunkForefront dedicates this issue to our Yucca Tap family, and are accepting donations until 8/31/2020 to benefit this hometown staple. Temporary closure to ensure safety for all is a must. We as a scene need to rage together and ensure our music venues are not a thing of the past.
Letter from our editor
Last Fall, in true PunkForefront fashion, the crew gathered at our usual collab spot, Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Arizona. As we gulped IPAs and grubbed on various hipster-infused entrees, the topic of ‘what’s our next zine theme’ kept swirling about. What was pounding on the forefront of our brains was this bullshit storm the Trump camp consistently pours onto our nation. Revolt. The title was so simple since it surged effortlessly and collectively in our rebellious veins. Our intent was to stay true to our “prints not dead” ethos by seeking ways to raise funds and produce another physical high quality free zine to our scene. We wanted to not only promote our punk rock confidants and heroes, but also develop the content with a fuck-you-finesse that would inspire change through musical actions. We left the brewery feeling inspired, and afterwards kept conspiring on ways to make our next run a reality. Unbeknownst to us, that would be later known as a much simpler time.
When 2020 flipped the world’s script, the need to make a statement was not only needed, but required. A fatal pandemic seemed to have crept into our lives in the night killing so many unexpectedly. The media attempted to distract us with killer bee headlines until corrupt cops wrongfully served society by committing horrific black citizen murders. As we rallied to find justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson and countless innocent protesters; Trump went on to attack the LGBTQ+ community on employer rights and rolled back protections in the Affordable Care Act through executive order during Pride Month. All the while the innocent keep getting sick trying to find sanitizer rations through a hoarding hysteria caused by many who do not even know how to wear a mask in public properly (the top goes ABOVE your nose moron).
In a society that seems to be falling crumbling with each new news brief, remember that a small act of kindness can inspire unity. Doing things indirectly is no longer acceptable because these events DIRECTLY impacts all of us. While we wait to vote in new leaders who will hopefully help our country find its way again, it is crucial for us to be the change. Efforts such as signing a petition, donating to a nonprofit organization, sharing #blacklivesmatter resources, shopping local, vocally standing by the LGBTQ+ community, wearing a mask properly in public, or offering a friendly ear to an impacted person who needs support, are some of the small ways that can make a big impact. Last, but not least, always know there are songs to be written and art that needs to be created. If we walk away from this time without finding some beauty or healing through this collective experience, that will be one more thing our villain of a puppet President will have taken from us. The need to inspire action and question authority is not just punk it is American, well, at least the America I love and remember fondly.
Silence speaks volumes, and at this point one of our editors/artists April Spagnola beautifully stated, “Revolt is more relevant than ever.” Our procrastination of our release did some good because the zine theme took on its own meaning. It was as if it no longer belonged to us and it was time to create. Over the past month, the PunkForefront editors collaborated 100% virtually to maintain safe social distancing practices. We also made the decision to keep our readers safe by decreasing interactions through physical materials. Until further notice our zine issues will be published digitally free of charge with an option to donate to our fundraising efforts that will in no way benefit PunkForefront. Be sure to follow our social media pages for more information on how you can submit work for consideration on an upcoming issue.
Revolt. This is our literary protest.
- Angela RoseRed
The Last Time I Felt Safe at a Show...
- Photos and Words by Angela RoseRed
My first time on tour with The Venomous Pinks was like being baptized into another religion, and the is road our scripture. Born again. Cheap meals, lifelong sisterly feels, and nothing but musical adventures behind those damn wheels. Like most reading this, an existence without an in-your-face, sweaty, punk rock gig at a random dive, is just not a life worth living. You are just existing at that point. Even being a weekend warrior like myself, there is nothing like walking into a show and greeting friends alongside strangers just like they are family. That stage, even if it is unfamiliar, is like a home away from home because what truly connects you to the next outcast is that this thing we call punk rock. It binds us straight up like DNA.
So what happens when the the miles end? In between tour runs, life has a tendency to creep back in. It easy to say to your hometown heroes who are playing the Yucca Tap Room for the millionth time, "I'll catch the next gig". That is of course until one day it is no longer safe to because of a life-sucking illness that has taken over our reality. Together, we watched our social media notifications quickly turn into a virtual graveyard of cancellation. It had to. Our lives were, and still are, on the line. I am envious of that pre-rona version of me that climbed in the van so carelessly. I wished I would have sang along louder, and hugged everyone a little bit harder. Before the second wave of closures, venues like our beloved Yucca Tap rallied to keep their consumers safe. However, other establishments have preyed on the dumb who buy into the COVID-19 is just "the flu" stance and taken consumers' money guilt free. The careless wear a mask, but not the safe kind. We are starting to see everyone's truth. It should have not taken a deadly disease for us to stop and realize our current societal situation needs to change , but here we are.
No matter what dumb assery decisions our lawmakers instill, or in some cases refuse to make, they can never take away our songs. Even with traditional live music events being an uncertainty, it has not stop our scene's collective hunger for artistic creation to promote change. We are stronger, resilient, and in some ways more unified. Our celebrated underdog society will never die, and together we have found ways to keep the music playing even if the days are filled with unknowns. Why? Because that's what fucking punks do.