Robyn Writes

What the heck is straight edge?

Picture this. Stood in the middle of the room, there’s a poor boy or girl frozen stiff while a circle of drunks are asking them “Hey, why aren’t you drinking?” What do they offer as an explanation? There’s the classic “uh, I just don’t want to, I don’t drink”, which is then followed by more protestation from the others, or if they’re so inclined, “I’m straight edge.” This is definitely the more complicated one. Because a good majority of the time, a resounding chorus of “What the fuck is that?” comes up.

So, what the heck is straight edge?

By definition, it’s a movement which originated in Washington DC in the glorious scene that was the hardcore scene. At the time, clubs didn’t originally allow under-21’s into gigs. The Teen Idles, Ian McKaye’s first prominent band, were due to play a gig, but the entire band was under the drinking age. Therefore, the club marked their hands with an ‘x’ to make sure that they weren’t served alcohol. When the band returned to DC, they suggested the same thing, and soon, some clubs began using the same practise to let underage fans in. Meanwhile, an idea was spreading throughout the punk scene of a clean lifestyle. The band who would be Minor Threat adopted this lifestyle of no drinking, no smoking and no drugs, and defined the term in their song ‘Straight Edge’. The straight edge movement then became a thriving subculture, with several hardcore punk bands (including the notable Youth Crew movement) devoting their lyrics and their lives to it.

But if we’re being perfectly honest, how many people are going to take that in?

Not to mention, so much more has been added over the years, and it’s difficult to define exactly what straight edge is. If you’re really straight edge, then you have to be vegan, abstain from promiscuity, abstain from caffeine, be completely drug free and not take any medication at all, be atheist, campaign actively for animal/human/vegetable rights…

It’s hard to know where to draw the line and determine what is straight edge and what isn’t. One issue is whether you’re straight edge if you follow the lifestyle under the legal drinking age. Some say yes, some say no. However, take a look at society. We are living in a society where teenage drinking is higher than it has been in a long time and the number of underage smokers and teenage drug users is rising. Therefore, it makes more sense for people to take on the straight edge lifestyle (if they so choose) earlier. Of course, it’s more of a challenge to resist peer pressure at a younger age, but if a strong enough will and self-confidence is in place, there’s no reason why being under the drinking age should discount someone from becoming straight edge.

Of course, then the boundaries must be chosen. Should straight edge just be the three core rules, as demonstrated in the 80s? Or should straight edgers also be vegetarian? Anti-promiscuity? Atheist? The truth is that any one of these is right. The heart of straight edge lies in the core three beliefs – no drinking alcohol, no smoking and no drugs (presumably the illegal variety) – and thus, these rules must be followed. However, anything else can be optional, even though many are taken to be just as important as the main three. It merely depends on the individual and their beliefs. It must be said though that anti-promiscuity has been accepted as a core belief by many of the straight edge community, more so than any of the other beliefs often attributed to straight edge.

Then there comes the age old question – should straight edgers be proud of their lifestyle? There’s being subtle, and then there’s being hardline. Nobody likes a hardliner. Hardliners are the extremists of straight edge – militant about their beliefs and can be violent to those who don’t follow straight edge. On the one hand, hardliners are extremely proud of what they believe, and hey, shouldn’t everyone be? On the other hand, they’re more likely to punch you if you say you think straight edge is a ton of shit. Due to hardliners (amongst other things), a lot of stigma has been associated with straight edge, and a lot of the time, straight edgers are afraid to talk about their lifestyle. Again, it’s all down to choice. Do you risk being alienated or do you just keep your mouth shut? Then again, isn’t straight edge some kind of crazy stand against peer pressure? Although our generation has no idea about what it was like in the 80s, it’s been said that a lot of straight edgers back then took it up as a way of standing up against peer pressure to do things they didn’t want to do. This is even more relevant now, living in the ‘binge drinking’ culture that we seem to be at the moment.

So, stood at that party, poor boy/girl is wondering what to say… what is straight edge? Straight edge is a subculture. Straight edge is a term created by Minor Threat. Straight edge is a punk thing. But above all else, straight edge is a choice.

Summer Show Checklist (by Nox)

For anyone that has ever been to an outdoor concert you know the complications you are likely to encounter during such an event, such as how to carry all of your necessities safely without a bag and standing in the blazing sun for 3+ hours to get a good spot by the stage to see an anticipated band play. But if you have never been to an outdoor show fear not! I have composed this checklist to guide you through such an experience.

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY dress for the occasion. If it’s hot outside do not wear pants. Dress lightly, and never ever forget the sunscreen. Usually outdoor concerts are not held during cold months but if such a case were to come about, bundle up! Layer as much as you can! Socks, shirts, jackets, underwear, you get the idea.

2. Wear your most comfortable shoes. Plan to walk and/or stand most of the time you are there, but also keep in mind that whatever you wear should not be your most favorite outfit ever because it is likely to get pretty gross by the end of the day. *note: not by you but by other people around you. Take into consideration being in a crowd of sweaty people who will inevitably at some point end up pushed against you by means of moshing, skanking, surfing, or falling.

3. Pockets that close or some form of a rack trap (for girls). When you are planning to be in a crowd and walking all day the very last thing you want is a bag to worry about. So having pockets that close in some way is a good idea, so your money doesn’t work its way out while you’re skanking and nobody with slick fingers can leave you empty handed. Or girls, if pockets aren’t your thing, a rack trap is an awesome hiding place for cash. That way you won’t have sweaty money, and it’s safely concealed, tucked away behind your bra.

4. Speaking of money, BRING CASH. Most merch tents/ booths are not going to have fancy machines to swipe a credit card. Try to get your money ahead of time so you don?t get stuck paying that crappy service charge for the venue’s ATM.

5. Bandanas aren’t just fashionable they are logical. Bring one with you to use to wipe the sweat from your face. I know it sounds petty, but trust me when you are hot you don?t need salty reminders trickling down your face and into your eyes in the middle of watching your favorite band perform.

6. Stay hydrated. If you start feeling overheated go find a shady place to sit and get a drink, preferably water or something low on sugar and carbonation. You definitely don’t want to pass out mid-set and have to be carried out of the crowd by security to the on site medic while you miss half of what you paid for.

7. Don?t forget your camera. Make sure you have the wrist strap or a lanyard to carry it with so you won’t lose it in the process of jumping around in those hyper crowds. The same goes for your cell phone.

Remember these things when you’re planning for your show and you will be so happy you did. Also, make a checklist the day before and try to have everything ready to go ahead of time. That way you will be less likely to forget something. And always remember to double check that you have your ticket before you leave the house!

Why I am still straight edge

Straight edge is a big thing in my life. It’s a big theme running throughout this site – four out of six contributors are in fact straight edge. I’m pretty sure that if you’re reading this, you know what straight edge is. Hell, I wrote the explanatory article for here in the first place. As I write this article, it’s what the stoner community knows as “4/20”, an excuse to go and smoke as much pot as they can, because of a stupid slang term. If that’s what you like to do, then I’m not going to stop you. I have my vices, but the difference is, none of them are chemical substances that are likely to destroy various aspects of my body. Either way, I know straight edge is not for everyone and it would not be anywhere near as effective if it were. So, after seeing Christopher Gutierrez, my favourite independent writer, post a tumblr blog about why he’s still straight edge, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and explain that this is why I live the life I do.

I first became straight edge when I was thirteen years old. I had been drunk before. My actions when I was drunk caused me to fall out with pretty much all my friends, all because I decided to get a little too close to this boy they all liked. Nothing even happened, but they all got jealous anyway. After coming back from a New Found Glory show, I couldn’t sleep, so I started reading a couple of threads on a forum I frequented. And I started to see the value in this lifestyle called ‘straight edge’. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. A clean slate. Davey Havok was straight edge and he was cool. I thought ‘why not?’. What did I have to lose? I announced myself as straight edge to this online community and they laughed at me, saying that as I wasn’t legal drinking age, I’d sure change my mind. Six years later and I haven’t. And I can guarantee that ten, twenty years later, I still won’t have.

I thought that maybe, going to university would change it. I didn’t want to change who I was, but I thought that it could happen – after all, new situation, new fears. Peer pressure. I’d never given into it before – I know some people who quit edge when commencing sixth form – but I didn’t know what could happen. First night in, they were all playing drinking games. I respectfully declined. Nobody bit my head off, they all just said ‘okay’. I’ve been pulled up on it by others there, but I forgot that people at universities are generally more accepting and liberal than other places. I’m glad that I never gave in, because I would have been betraying myself.

Through being straight edge, I have apparently missed out on a lot. I don’t get invited to anywhere near as many parties as I would do otherwise. I find clubbing irritating because all my friends are drunk and I’m not. I actually have to deal with problems instead of drinking to make them all go away. In some respects, I feel left out. I missed out on a lot of the typical formative activities of my peers. However, I realise that it’s all worth it. Without straight edge, I wouldn’t be as strong a person. I wouldn’t have learned as many lessons as I have. It’s not a cross to bear, as a lot of people believe, but it’s something I’m proud of. I am proud that I have the strength to say no. I am proud that I can see things clearly. I am proud that I do not have to depend upon a chemical high in order to have a good time. Do I need to be like everybody else? No. I haven’t been like everybody else all my life, so why should I start now?

I’ve never “x’d” up. I’ve never worn any straight edge affiliated clothing. I don’t have a straight edge tattoo… yet. I barely ever say that I am straight edge, I just say I don’t drink. The pride I feel from being straight edge is kind of an inner pride – I don’t feel I have to flaunt it. It’s not because I’m afraid, it’s because I like to think that I’m more accepting of other people’s lifestyle choices and if I’m not militant about it, they might be of mine. That’s another thing that being straight edge has taught me – everybody has a choice. We can all choose to live one way or another and nobody is exactly right, but some people do end up making better choices than others. Who’s to say mine is better? Nobody. Although, I do think that I chose a better life than some of my high school companions. At least three of my old friends are now habitual drug users and I don’t believe that they’re better off than me, but they’ll have learned different lessons in their lives due to that choice. That’s their route and I don’t know if they’d change it. They probably wouldn’t. Just like I wouldn’t change mine.

I guess that part of the reason why I became straight edge was because I wanted to be different. I have to admit, I don’t like fitting in with the vast majority and I don’t think I should behave in a certain way or act like a dick to do it. I think it’s a waste of time. I think we should celebrate our differences because let’s face it, everyone is awesome in their own way. Unless they’re racist or a clown. But still, the world would be a much better place if everyone wasn’t afraid to hide who they really were and that’s part of what straight edge is – having the guts to admit that you are different and you’re happy with that. As HeyChris pointed out, straight edge is one of the biggest ‘fuck you’s’ in the scene. It’s rebellion in a rebellious scene. Straight edge is courage. And you know what? I like having that courage.

Star Trek reviewed by ninthandash and Nox

ninthandash’s review

I’d just like to state, first off, that I don’t consider myself a Trekkie. While it’s true that I can name all of the Starfleet captains in both chronological order according to the timeline of the show (Archer, Kirk, Picard, Janeway) and according to the order the series appeared in (Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Archer). And, of course, in order of my personal preference (Kirk, Janeway, Archer, Picard). Not to mention that I am aware I missed out Captain Sisko, but this is because he was the captain of a spacestation, not a ship, and was a Commander as opposed to a captain for the majority of the Deep Space 9 series.

But I’m not that into it. I don’t have an obsessive understanding of the themes, plots, characters. I know the different series, but I don’t really have a favourite. I can’t take part in a discussion about it at any given length. And although I’d grown up watching the original series (and of course the following ones), I wasn’t super excited about going to see the movie. Until the trailers came on, and then I couldn’t wait to see it. Still, not a Trekkie. I didn’t discuss it online, I didn’t wait anxiously for new set stills to be released (although I will admit doing this for Watchmen, but that’s a different story). I decided to go see it with my father, because we’d been watching the show together for years.

Then I saw, across the bottom of the trailer, those five fateful words. ‘Showing in selected IMAX cinemas.’ I live in one of eight cities in England that is lucky enough to have an IMAX cinema, and I make the most of this opportunity every time I can. So I didn’t hesitate to immediately go online, and book two tickets to see Star Trek in IMAX. My father and I really wanted to go see it at the midnight showing the day it came out, especially as I’d heard rumours about free Spock ears, but we were unable to make it. Nevertheless, on the 9th of May, we turned up at the IMAX and joined the already long and winding queue.

There’s something exciting about going to see a film at the IMAX, I’ll confess. The atmosphere is entirely different to that of a normal cinema. Maybe it’s because of the giant screen taking up a whole wall in front of you, or maybe it’s the fact that everyone is there to watch the film — not mess around on their mobile phones, or talk loudly to their friends while chewing on popcorn. Either way, as the lights darkened and the familiar Star Trek theme music began to play, there was an almost reverent hush in the silence of the theatre.

I was spell-bound from the first moment. The story isn’t simple, as such, but it’s an easily recognisable one. It follows a young James T. Kirk, and a young Spock, as each make the decisions needed to take them to the Enterprise. It’s interesting watching each character develop, and the crew members joining them along the way — Bones, Uhura, Sulu, Chekhov and finally Scotty. Watching the movie slowly unfold to set up the world of the original Star Trek series is strangely nostalgic. But there’s no real time for that.

Star Trek is nothing if not action packed. From the first moments of the movie, in which we see James T. Kirk’s father sacrifice himself for his wife and newborn son, there are explosions and fighting and aliens, oh my! The action doesn’t let up throughout, without the plot being sacrificed in favour of CGI and special effects. The Vulcans are introduced to us as a community first, and the conflicting aspects of Spock’s heritage (half human, half Vulcan) are set up perfectly, enabling us to fully understand why he makes the decisions he does.

The same can not be said for Kirk, however. Shown as a rebel, we’re told that his aptitude tests are “off the charts” but for some reason, he doesn’t go to Starfleet Academy until he’s pushed into it. Why not? In my head, I made up the story that he doesn’t want to live in his heroic dead father’s shadow, but the true reason went unexplained. However, his character as a cocky, arrogant but charismatic teenager is believable without being annoying, and the dynamics between him and the young Spock are fantastic.

Zachary Quinto made a perfect Spock. Being a fan of Heroes, I was worried that I’d see him as Sylar first and Spock second, but he was unrecognisable as anyone other than the young Vulcan. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed him playing Spock, and my father agreed that he was amazing. And of course, the movie wouldn’t have been complete without none other than Leonard Nimroy. The original Spock, he was not only playing Spock in the movie but also given a logical (for Star Trek, at least) reason as to why he would be there.

Finally, the IMAX experience made it even better. Although sometimes it was hard to keep track of what was going on, especially in the fight scenes, the overall sounds and images made it amazing. The picture almost seemed to surround the audience, and there was a definite feeling of being a part of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it, from start to finish, and would definitely reccommend it — in IMAX, if you can.

Nox’s review

Okay, so I just got home from watching Star Trek and the verdict? Pretty sweet. Now, I grew up catching an episode or two of the show every now and then, but I never really got into it. This movie, unlike most of the episodes I caught, was easy to understand and kept me interested from beginning to end. The twists were well placed and the fights were probably my favorite part.

I was waiting for the ‘Beam me up, Scottie.’ But sadly it never came. I was kind of bummed, but that little alien following Scottie around made me laugh so it was okay. I think the casting director did a great job. Spock was hella rad as a kid, young adult, and old man. Kirk was totally hardcore as a kid. No spoilers but the young Kirk was the coolest little kid ever, and I loved how the movie kind of showed the rebellious similarities between Spock and Kirk throughout the years.

Visually the movie was awesome, the fight scenes were great, the sarcastic comic relief was executed perfectly, and the all around substance of the film was stellar. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you haven’t already. I give it a five high five rating because who doesn’t love a smart ass trouble maker turned captain?

Overall rating…

5 out of 5 high-fives!

Review: Spaced Out: The Best Of Nimoy And Shatner

Upon an afternoon foray into Leamington, I discovered a thing of wonder in Head, the resident cheap CD/DVD shop. It’s a lot like Rise or Fopp, but with a different name and a lesser selection. Strolling through the rock/pop section, I spied the name ‘William Shatner’. Thinking it might be some of his spoken word stuff, but in the wrong section, I decided to take a peek, and what I found was beyond my wildest dreams. I found Spaced Out: The Best of Nimoy and Shatner, a collection of the various musical works they’d put out between 1967 and 1970. I had no idea that they even had musical works. So, being the Trekkie I am, I decided to pick it up (plus it was only £4, so why not?) and well… somebody other than me has to know about it, so here’s a review!

The collection is weighted heavily towards Nimoy’s work, because apparently, he had a lot. However, the CD opens on a Shatner song, which is… well, less of a song and more of a monologue over some acoustic guitar. King Henry The Fifth, followed by Elegy Of The Brave is just one of Shatner’s takes on Shakespeare upon the album, and it’s rather epic, in the classical sense of the word. In Hamlet, Shatner picks up from where Hamlet has just killed his father and decides to get into Hamlet’s mind, echoing his famous monologue – “To be or not to be, that is the question”. It’s backed by a beautifully minimalist orchestral score which intensifies throughout the speech – and it sounds wonderfully melodramatic. Hamlet is most definitely the standout track out of Shatner’s pieces. Most of Shatner’s contributions to the CD are in fact, more spoken than sung, particularly on his cover of Mr Tambourine Man, where he decides not to emulate the jolly, happy mood of the song and instead recites the lyrics rather overdramatically, with an absolutely terrifying ending, where he almost screams “Mr Tambourine Man”, leaving the song on a rather sour note. It’s disturbing, but effective. His take on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is somewhat less disturbing, but awfully… shit. The melodramatic recitation of the lyrics with a bad echo effect is most definitely not an improvement on the original, and I really dislike The Beatles. However, what makes it somewhat glorious at the same time is the transition from Shatner’s reading to an incredibly happy chorus. Straaaaange.

As I mentioned previously, Nimoy pretty much dominates this collection and it’s with good reason, because he can actually sing, and sing very well! He also had a far more prolific career musically than Shatner ever did. There’s a good selection included, ranging from covers to his own material based upon Star Trek and… wait for it… Lord Of The Rings. No lies. The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins is wonderfully camp, and I think that we have the 60s to thank for that. Comedy factors aside, it’s a ridiculously catchy song about Bilbo’s travels through Middle Earth. The Star Trek songs are equally great, with Highly Illogical, based on Spock’s view of human relationships, being one of the best songs on the compilation. A Visit To A Sad Planet, a log entry to music, is as melancholy as its name suggests, with a fantastic minor score and a chilling message. His covers are also well chosen and interesting – whilst Nimoy doesn’t stray too far from the originals (see Where Is Love if you can find it), he still makes them his own and they sound great. The best of his wide selection is probably his cover of I Walk The Line, which just sounds awesome, possibly because he’s not taking it too seriously. And that’s the joy of all of Nimoy’s songs on the CD – they’re fun!

Ultimately, if you aren’t a Trekkie, then it’s an entirely pointless collection. However, for those who love their Star Trek, it’s an interesting insight into the wider careers of both Shatner and Nimoy and there are some truly great songs on here. Definitely check it out if you’re a Star Trek fan, and if not… well, maybe just the Bilbo Baggins song for some universal chuckles.

3 out of 5 high fives!