I am a child of UK punk. Without UK Punk, I'm not doing this. It changed me and remade me in its own image. nd despite it sufferring through the normal social frissions of all movements, even those of an anarchaic nature. first of all, the everyone's a Beatle one I wrote about a couple ofweeks ago and also, really, any form of pecking order. After all, it's all about the plummage.

And even so, punk neither sold out nor died.

Jeffry Lewis claimed it died when the Clash signed to CBS but this is rubbish.

1. The Clash weren't the standard bearers of punk, the Sex Pistols were.

2. The Sex Pistols were signed and fired by A&M and EMI in quick succession.

3. had 75% of their "Anarchy In The UK Tour" banned.

4. Got me arrested on one occasion.

5. Went to the States.

6. And as the hottest band in the world, quit.

7. More recently they turned down both the rock and roll hall of fame and the London Olympics.

And what is left of the Sex Pistols is countless punk rock band, doing it for themselves wherever, whenever, as they chose. As music it is a like clay and it takes so many, many directions and forms, it might actually be more just rock and roll.

but

1. It really is an underground movement

and

2. There isn't much money it.

and

3. Everywhere and everyday, a spotty face 15 year old picks up an electric guitar and learns what magic you can make with three chords, there you'll find punk alive and kicking back against everything.

One more thing, CBS is the record company that sold you: "The can't bust our music". But they didn't sell the Clash. The Clash maintained their integrity, they lead after the Pistols left and with unbelievably high integrity, they maintained their dignity,

So, yeah, Jeffry,to paraphrase: : "I dreamt I saw Joe Strummer last night alive as you or me, said I but but Joe you're ten years dead, punk never died, said he, punk never died said he".

So there.