What were you like as a TEENAGER???

[lyfenlyn]

I know I was a hot, but cute mess. What was high school like for you? Did you think you were punk at the time? What was it like when you first heard of punk? Do you have any evidence (pics) of you back then??

[Boombats]

Dang I'd say I was a skate punk. Really nerdy until I started making friends in 10th/11th grade. Had life-destroying crushes on any girl who would talk to me. First punk tape was Frankenchrist, then Feeding Of The 5000, Out Of Step, Eye For An Eye. First show was high school freshman year, 1991, Rollins Band at Vassar College. Was voted "most original dresser" in my senior yearbook alongside this fashion designer/model chick, because I had chains spikes and ridiculously baggy skater jeans. I cut my own hair into crazy shapes. I wasn't so much into the external shit as I was into the music. Listened to a lot of grunge too until Nirvana and all the MTV-touted rock bands ruined the genre for me. I was more into Tad and Mudhoney than Pearl Jam or those other lame rock acts that rode the Seattle coattails.

Pics coming soon...

[Boombats]

Here's a typical sampling of my high school's popular crowd:

And here's my senior pic, taken at the end of 11th grade for some reason:

My senior quote was from The Illuminatus Trilogy: "Freedom defined is freedom denied"

[El Machetero]

High school.....bah. By then, i'd completely gone off the rails, i'd already been kicked out of several schools, and i pretty much spent all my time smoking and selling weed, drinking, dropping acid, getting in fights, chasing girls, skipping classes, having little run-ins with the law and pissing off the wrong people. And yes, i did end up dropping out and being a statistic for a while.

But before that, i went to this alternative high school full of teen moms, wanna-be thugs, stoners, dope fiends, and every other kinda kid that didn't fit into the regular school system. It was fun....i seriously wonder how i passed any subjects, cuz i barely remember doing homework or going to class.

Yes, i was most definitely a punk rocker. i was actually a Hip-Hop head first, but i completely lost interest in it when i heard Black Flag ( i saw their footage from "Decline of Western Civilization" and was completely sold), and from there, i got into shit like Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, D.O.A., Misfits, Dr. Know, Crass, Discharge, Toxic Reasons, Agnostic Front, Vice Squad, Youth Brigade, D.R.I., Nihilistics, G.B.H., False Prophets, Scream, Millions of Dead Cops, Government Issue, Minor Threat and the Subhumans. This was in the late 80s too, when it was all about who had the biggest mohawk and the most studs on their leather jacket, and yes, i fully looked the part. i have pics to prove it, but i have to get them scanned.

The funny thing is that around '91-'92, punk started to become incredibly irrelevant to me, and i came full circle back to Hip-Hop. The overwhelming whiteness and suburbaness of the hardcore and punk scenes began to alienate me, and just couldn't hold a candle to the messages being shared at the time by folks like Public Enemy, Paris, X-Clan, Poor Righteous Teachers, Brand Nubian, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers and Sister Souljah.

From there, i started reading all about Malcolm X, Che Guevara, and the Black Panther Party, got all into being a Five Percenter and rocking the red, black and green medallions and the black army jackets with black berets and "Dwayne Wayne" glasses, became a DJ, got deep into cratedigging and all that. Fun times.

[the outsider]

I was a shy, weird, depressed, troubled kid in high school (but then, that could describe any teenager). I was really nerdy looking, studious, bookish type who didn't really go out much...I bascially had a few close friends but that's about it. I got into metal when I was in 10th or 11th grade. I remember loving the music but having to hide it because of the possible rude comments I'd get...Buying Metal Edge was an experience was an experience because I felt like I was on an undercover mission. I'd see the latest issue, look around to see if anyone was looking, grab the magazine, run to the cash register and pay for it. As for punk, I got into it a bit later (around 12th grade) and I remember really identifying with it because of the rebelliousness, the anger and fuck-you attitude, which is what I felt at the time. I guess that's why I chose my user name...I always felt like an outsider and not belonging anywhere. There was this contradiction of being this quiet, goody-goody student but feeling disconnected from everything.

I do remember only one black guy in my school who was a metalhead...picture a black dude with glasses, Jheri-curl mullet and sleeveless jean jacket. I always wanted to talk to him but I was too shy which was probably just as well because he was dating this white girl at the time.

I have high school pictures but I'm so embarrassed to show them. Maybe when I'm feeling brave and if you're in the mood for some laughter, I'll scan them sometime.

[lyfenlyn]

When I entered high school I guess I had certian expectations. But I was whisked away to a tiny town north of Seattle for freshman year and all my plans went out the window. I was at an all white high school, and there was NO black radio at all. You had to go to Seattle to hear the one black radio station there was. SO I started listening to nu wave. I had always dabbled in rock and stuff even when I was younger. My mom worked @ a rekkid stowe when I was small. Actually even before I was born (cause thats where mom and dad met) Anyhoo, mom was not havin me at all, she was depressed and distant so I was pretty much left to fend for myself. The punks were the kids that were cool to me and we became friends. I shaved the sides of my head the end of freshman year and had a frohawk for 3 years or so. Always spiked on top. I had thrift store clothes and ripped up flashdance tops. I was very outgoing, jokey type. Everyone knew who I was even if they didn't know me. I mean I am the BLACK one you know. (I'd use that all the time. 'You know who I am, the black chick.' Oh yeah! Ok.) I had a difficult time with school itself b/c I had already learned everything they were teaching like 2 years before. Every class was like that. So I'd get bored, I'd ditch, go to the library and read, hang at the rekkid stowe down the street. Crap like that. In the summer I would go to Western Washington University to take college courses and make up for the classes I ditched, I lived on campus and lived the college life every summer. I LOVED IT! School 11 months out of the year.

Moms was bugging me the second I turned 16 to get a job. She wouldn't allow me to get a drivers permit because she didn't want me driving her car. But she let my friends who had permits drive it. (?????!!!) The busses in my town stopped running at 7pm. She told me to get a job and she would pick me up. Well she didn't! I was so pissed off! So, I ran away from home alot starting in 10th grade, I would crash on diffrent friends sofas for a couple nights here and there. I would go dancing on the weekends in town and meet kids from other schools and befriend them and crash on their couches. I'd go to school, go to work and crash. I got tired of that so I put myself in fostercare. My mom agreed, then changed her mind and I had to go back home. I took off again. It was like this till I went to college when I was 17. I didn't do any drugs or drink till college. Didn't want to give mom any fuel yanno. Me aind moms are still on the outs to this day.

[lyfenlyn]

That pic of you looks like this dude I used to know my senior year named KIRK. Weird.

Boombats said:

Here's a typical sampling of my high school's popular crowd:

And here's my senior pic, taken at the end of 11th grade for some reason:

My senior quote was from The Illuminatus Trilogy: "Freedom defined is freedom denied"

[Rene]

Aloof, socially awkward, non-existent to peers, outcast.
There were periods of time in high school were I would hang out alone or hang out with any crowd, sort of like a chameleon. ...never felt like I fit anywhere. sort of like I feel now. Although discovering Afro-Punk is helping to change that along with some other things.

I had to and still do have to make a conscious effort to make myself feel " a part of..."

I remember hearing my brother listening to this really weird music that I never heard before. It sounded like a bunch of noise to me at first but then at age 12. I asked him what the hell he was listening to and he said "Jimi Hendrix."

I said "Why are you listening to that white-boy music and he said " Jimi Hendrix was Black."

I was speechless and had to find out more so one day when my brother wasn't home I got his Hendrix and started to listen. It was bliss. Been hooked on rock ever since.

Now the first rock album (cassette) I ever bought in a store was Weezer's Blue Album. Love Weezer.

[lyfenlyn]

I need a new Fishbone T shirt

Re:Dwayne said:

I was quiet kid. I had friends but it was a small circle of them. I did a lot of what "normal" teenagers do. I went to basketball and football games,prom and homecoming,house parties etc. I played on the football team my junior and senior year. Smoked my first joint at 15. I had my own style because my dad would send clothes from Cali. Nobody had what I was wearing.

I really didn't get into rock until my senior year ('89) when I heard Living Colour and Fishbone for the first time. They blew my mind open.

I have some pics. MAYBE I'll get around to scanning and uploading them.

[Nick Macklin]

I went to one of those typical inner-city public schools with 4000students and graduating class of........ i dunno, 12. I wasn't outcasted as bad as when I was in elementry though. It's so strange. I was rockin' Guns and roses back-patches on my vests since 8y/o so imagine what I was like by 14? The thing is most of the white folks I know got straight-up ostracized for being all punk n'shit. It takes all types I guess.

Anyways, after I ran away I spent the rest of my teen years from 16 to adulthood on the road with bands or hitchhiking so.....yeah, I'm fucked

[Aneesah]

I was quiet and socially awkward and most people thought I was stand offish. I was just incredibly shy. I'm a little better now lol. I was too embarrassed to go out and buy rock albums even though I developed an interest for it around 8th grade. My mom would catch me and told me I was listening to "white people music" or "that devil worship stuff".

But I only listened to what was playing on the radio. Didn't seem horrible at the time. I actually liked bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Incubus became my favorite band and still is today. I also got into a lot of At the Drive-in, Interpol and the Mars Volta a little later.

I digress, I was the weird, shy girl. I didn't get out much and I would write a lot of diaries. I had some friends but even they thought I was kinda weird. haha

[Christopher Irving]

Two Words........ BAD ASSS!!!

[lyfenlyn]

hmmm maybe we can work something out.

Re:Dwayne said:

I want the Truth And Soul album cover tee. The red,black and green logo is tight.

lyfenlyn said:

I need a new Fishbone T shirt

Re:Dwayne said:

I was quiet kid. I had friends but it was a small circle of them. I did a lot of what "normal" teenagers do. I went to basketball and football games,prom and homecoming,house parties etc. I played on the football team my junior and senior year. Smoked my first joint at 15. I had my own style because my dad would send clothes from Cali. Nobody had what I was wearing.

I really didn't get into rock until my senior year ('89) when I heard Living Colour and Fishbone for the first time. They blew my mind open.

I have some pics. MAYBE I'll get around to scanning and uploading them.