Jimi Hendrix called it ‘a safe kind of high’, likely because in truth music is far more about feeling than anything else. Why we listen to it and just what it makes us feel, plays a role in our collective passion for it – because we all remember where we were when we heard that track for the first time.
“Punk stood for DIY culture, which of course now is so current and crucial, and a rejection of racism and sexism, with a little bit of nihilism thrown in.” Professor John Schofield & Professor Paul Graves-Brown
Over time, Denmark Street has been defined by the characters that have lived and worked here. In truth the street is much more than a street, it’s a story about community, inclusivity and creativity; open in every sense of the word.
The whole of Denmark Street is steeped in creative history, but the parade from No. 21-25 has an especially rich heritage. Physically, this stretch of the street feels different from the rest of the street.
The history of popular music is replete with stories of artists who chafed against the constraints of smalltown England and headed to America to seek their fortune on a bigger commercial stage. But then, there was Jimi.
Punk’s story evolved earlier from the margins both literally and geographically. In the west, 430 Kings Road hosted different incarnations of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s boutique.
