Anarchy in the UK

Punk Can Take It (1979)

“You don’t write a song like ‘God Save the Queen’ because you hate the English race. You do it because you love them and you’re fed up with them being mistreated.”
Johnny Rotten

Four decades ago, punk rock conquered the nation. It became part of life on every high street in the land, the anarchic voice of Britain’s rebellious youth and a needle in the side of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. This collection revives the original spirit of punk, telling the story of the music, its fans and its effect on the UK. So sit back and enjoy the sounds of Manchester, Belfast, Derry, Huddersfield…

See our Punk.London season.

Ten to try

Brass Tacks: Punk Rock (1977)
Punk – blessing or scourge? Let’s have a heated debate!

So It Goes (1977)
Tony Wilson presents live performances from The Stranglers, The Sex Pistols and The Clash.

The Captain Zip Video Trip (1978-1981)
Join Phil Munnoch (aka Captain Zip) for an energetic home-movie tour of the London punk scene in these four short films.

Rock Goes to College: The Stranglers (1978)
‘The most boring people I’ve ever seen in my f**king life’: The Stranglers are unimpressed by their student-heavy audience.

Punk Can Take It (1979)
Julien Temple’s punk parody of wartime propaganda featuring The UK Subs.

Shellshock Rock (1979)
Punk bands and fans cross the sectarian divide in 70s Belfast: the full version of John T Davies’ seminal documentary, featuring The Undertones.

Who Is Poly Styrene? (1979)
BBC’s Arena profiles the pint-sized teenage tomboy, lead singer of X-Ray Spex.

The Kenny Everett Television Show (1981)
The ethos of punk is alive and well in this anarchic Christmas special starring ‘Gizzard Puke’ himself.

One in Five (1983)
Queer punks discuss their experiences during a night of dancing and debate at Heaven nightclub.

Made in Huddersfield (1985)
A look at the Second Wave of punk that hit the North of England in the 1980s.