Jello Biafra, Joey Ramone, Punk Rock and Guitar Hacking

Jello Biafra has said some pretty interesting things over the years, much of it political. The one thing that keeps ringing in my head, and has since I first heard it on his spoken word album, Machine Gun In The Clowns Hands, happens to not be political. It's something he said about hearing The Ramones for the first time, at the confusingly named club, Ebbets Field, in Denver, CO. He didn't just enjoy the show. He made a very important realization.

"This is something I would actually like to do. I don't have to listen to Black Sabbath and kill myself after all! This is something to look forward to!"

Punk rock is a gas to listen to, but so is a lot of other music. Unlike some other musics, punk has a consistent subtext. Punk says to all of its listeners "Come do this with us. You can, you know."

Actually, it doesn't say it so much as it yells it, with a lot of spit flying around.

The point is that punk rock isn't just something to listen to. It is something to do.

What does this have to do with guitar hacking? Guitar mods are something you can do. Guitars aren't just there to be bought and played. They can be extended, shrunken, altered, circuit bent, built from scratch, their parts mixed and matched.

Don't just consume. Create. Do. Be.