Hardcore punk for dummies

Okay, to be brutally honest hardcore punk kind of scares the crap out of me, I’d rather stick pins in my eyes or shit in my hands and clap than have to go through an entire three or so minutes of ear bleeding screaming. I remember my first encounter of hardcore punk was in a friends car, the music was loud, his driving was reckless, and there may have been pee in my panties. So I decide to listen to it again, but I mean really listen, and behind all the screeching and toe curling screams, there is some depth to hardcore punk and here are some steps on how to embrace hardcore punk.

Step 1: Slowly work your way into hardcore punk.

Okay so if you’re a Taylor Swift, Bruno mars or Justin Bieber kind of individual, I recommend you start off with some hardcore punk that’s a little easier on the ears, such as Greenday or Blink 182 (even though true hardcore punk fans are probably going to shun me for saying such things) then work your way towards something a little heavier such as Rise Against or The misfits.

Step 2: Understand what Hardcore is not.

Many people (including myself) have false assumptions of hardcore punk fans. We see them as reckless, troublemaking, drug and alcohol using shitheads who constantly look like they’ve been starved of happiness, however this is false, in fact most hardcore punk fans and band members are actually against alcohol, drugs and immoral sex there are even some vegan/vegetarian straight edge punks who are all about green peace and spreading the love, and the more you listen to the lyrics the more you’ll realize that what I am saying is true.

Step 3: Know the look

The hardcore punk scene has an anti-fashion emphasis, hardcore punk fans are all about the t-shirts and jeans and the DIY trend. Hardcore punk is not about flashy accessories or weird hairstyles, it’s about being yourself and if weird hairstyles and piercings are what make you happy then by all means pierce away!

Step 4: Be yourself

Don’t stop listening to what you love, just learn to accept the beauty of other genres, listen harder and embrace what hardcore punk has to offer, if you prefer more chilled music then that’s great, just stay open minded and be yourself and let the music consume you.