SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH PUNK IN THE UK.

I have been away for sometime, and to be honest, part of the reason is because the tide of pointless band reformations that had taken place over the past few years had especially gotten to me, over the past few months especially. One reformed band in particular had probably been the cause of my giving up on the ZERO HOUR ZINE more than others, and that was the reformation of 'JET BRONX AND THE FORBIDDEN'.
This band were one of the more obscure of the 77 bandwagon groups to release a record at the time, their sound, a unoriginal plodding 'chugga chugga' beat was reminiscent more of the older Pub rock that plodded along at mid pace. As a Pub rock record it wasn't the worst, it actually wasn't that bad (i like it) but their future was not a glittering one and they soon split, only for member 'Jett Bronx' (or was he one of the Forbidden?) to leave the 'Punk business' and enter into TV presenting becoming the man we know as Lloyd Grossman.
That his band were reformed for the recent 'Rebellion' (am i the only one upon whom the ironically amusing title of the gig 'Rebellion' was not lost?) gig in Blackpool was a fine example of the state that much of Punk rock is in. I wont deny the novelty value of watching a band play for the first time in over 20..something years, and that goes to many of the other bands now doing the rounds again in various new guises, 'THE (ex-boomtown) RATS being just another example among many (SHAGNASTY, SPIZZ, HAZEL O'CONNER even) of bands who reform for the single intention of playing old songs.
Putting on big gigs that only feature (with the odd exception of course) these reformed bands also does the Punk music scene a big disservice, it not only makes it hard for those upcoming and recent bands who are trying to make their presence known (when these old bands should be including the recent ones in the line up to at least look relevant), and who's potential coverage is being diverted by the 'reform' (music) media attention. It also starves these new bands of places to play ("sorry son, we had a punk band last month, Pork dukes they were, nice old fellas, not like these new ones who just want to graffiti the place").
The new bands are starved of new fans who instead spend their time and money on re-issue LP's and gig money on the old bands, who very often have not got a lot to contribute to modern punk other that being there to play the role of 'traditional band', nine out of ten bands wont even consider writing any new material, this also has the knock on effect of giving the outside world the impression that the Punk scene is one that has run dry, is out of ideas and has had to retreat into the past in order for them to live in the present. This is of course not helped by the likes of the SEX PISTOLS who keep turning up and grabbing any attention they can, the appearances of these old bands and the "can the old boys still spit" sarcastic tones in the media stories from both music and newspaper surrounding them undermine the attempts of recent bands to publicise themselves and further serves to create the image of Punk as 'yesterdays music' who's main part is to play the role of temporary memory jogger for middle aged men on a fun night out drinking, much like the tours undertaken by 1980's band like the Human league, O.M.D, Haircut 100 and Culture club, or those taken by 1960's bands like The Swinging blue jeans, Freddy and the Dreamers and the Hollies.
In short, something is wrong with Punk in the U.K.
But i will be back, as soon as i get bored by being bored by oldie bands.