That Awful Blow of Enmity is Trying to Stop My Shine

The bizarre thing about the Chicago DIY punk scene is probably not so bizarre to those who are in it or have been in it. I used to envision it as a bigger, more intense version of the one in Sydney. Now while those are accurate adjectives to describe it, there is also an immense amount of social drama that seems to come with it. Each neighbourhood has its own reputation, each style or branch of punk has its own complexities and each generation has its own conflicting ideas. Not one person that I've spoken to has told me that it is a simple community. You see, I may not know of the conflict that happens or has happened within the Sydney community but very generally, everyone seems to work together a lot easier than those in Chicago. I know a lot of people in Sydney would turn around and be like "Oh people only ever watch their friends' bands at shows" or "Nobody ever shows up to the smaller shows" but to be honest, I find that we at least go to shows that may not be completely familiar. We're a little more, dare I say it, easy-going than the Chicagoans. I don't mean to shit-talk (and trust me, that is the last thing I'm trying to do) but having all this animosity surrounding me is just a little peculiar.

"Respect" is a word that seems to get thrown around a lot here. And it's always prefixed with "They don't" or something of that nature. The reason this is so hard for me to comprehend is every time us Sydney kids talk about disrespect or shitty attitudes or whatever, it is generally about or directed at one person, not a gigantic group. I know there a groups and bands that enjoy causing trouble and are known for being arseholes but I've never heard someone say "Everyone that plays shows and goes to Black Wire is a jerk" or "Everyone that hangs out at the Rattler is a tool". Nobody ever says that kind of shit.

Seriously though, Chicago, how did cheating on your partner, starting fights over nothing and excluding whole groups of people become trends within the community? Like I said, I don't mean to shit-talk or judge. I am just confused. I, obviously, wish it were different because it just seems like the norm to do these things and whilst people are still shocked when it happens, everyone somehow just moves on and buries it until the next incident happens where the unresolved past is brought back up again. Is it just me or is that implosive?

Maybe our desperation to keep accessibility to creative outlets open is what keeps us together in Sydney. Whatever it is, we're doing okay and we just need to get better. We all know that venues can be taken away from us so easily and it's definitely not that easy to open up houses for shows (you know, because we don't really have basements) so we've just gotta keep utilising everything we still have and continue to create new alternatives. That new huge warehouse space in Rozelle is a beautiful beginning though I didn't get to scope it out before I left. As for Chi-town, maybe I've misjudged you lot or maybe I'm just losing my shit and I'm sorry if I did but I just think it'd be a lot easier if people would let go of the destructive resentment towards each other.

I'm Stono. I'm nineteen. I come from Sydney and I've probably just offended a shitload of people I don't even know. But these are my observations from the outside in and if I'm wrong, I kindly ask you to prove it to me because it all just scares me a little.

-S