Rebecca talks to Theresa, an old-school punk alive during the seventies and eighties.
When did you know punk meant something to you?
“There was no big moment, I got into it in the late 70’s, early 80’s so I was around 15 or
16. it was gradual, my sister Andy would bring music and send tapes over from the UK.”
Theresa and her family moved to Spain in 1976 while her sister stayed in the UK, with an
aunt, to finish her GCSE’s. “So we became familiar with the music that was coming out in
the UK at the time. No one had heard of any of the music we were listening to in Spain
– we moved just after Francisco Franco died and there were only three or four of us
Brits at school and just the fact that we were foreign by default made us weirdos. Me
and Andy would occasionally club together our hard earned money to buy a copy of the
NME and then we’d all pour over it and fight over who’d keep it. I guess I got into it
because of Andy – punk had both an inherited and imported meaning which stemmed from
her – she was the catalyst of it all.”
How did you know punk was something was special?
“It was instinctive. Me and my friends always listened to the lyrics, and the way the
people looked you’d never seen anything like it - people like the Ramones, clad in
skinny jeans and black leather, you didn’t see that in Spain. The only people in black
leather were the Guardia Civil and they had guns and truncheons and scary things.”
What does it mean to you?
“Doing your own thing without being an arsehole in the process. For me it was never about any given look. Post-Franco Catholic Spain was so conservative that almost
anything was mind-blowing but I liked this controversial element - the reactions it
sparked. The music was more important though, that and the attitude that went with it.”
What aspects of punk do you see in today’s world?
“I’d argue that anyone who shows a glimmer of individuality has the spirit of punk - be
that in how they dress, how they think, how they behave or the art / music they produce. Grayson manages to be all of these things at once. Fantastic guy.”
How relevant is the punk movement to today’s generation?
“It is always relevant for the young to reinvent the world, and to challenge and question prevailing conventional wisdom. I can’t wait for the young to take over.”
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Is it dead/dying?
“No; I think it’s evolving. That is what art, fashion, music, culture does. There will always
be pockets of it going on and there will always be people finding ways to shock the
establishment. Punk will always be around in the people that make you sit up and take
notice.”
How do you incorporate it into your art/life?
“Again, I tend to obey the rules that keep me alive, and challenge those designed to
control me or my children. In terms of art, clay in all its guises inspires me. I love
working with my hands and the fact that it is expressive and different each time. I find
its transformative ability fascinating especially as it goes through four different stages
– to me, that there are no limits. I suppose you could say that there are aspects of
punk in the process as each time you are hand-building something and you never know
how it’s going to turn out but you risk it anyway.”
What’s on your playlist right now?
“Where to begin? No Coldplay, definitely NO Coldplay. Very, very, dull. Other than that, it
pretty much goes from A - Z. I lie - it goes from A to V. I’m ancient. My alarm is set
to play Spanish Bombs - or Levi Stubbs’ Tears. The Jam always make me smile, anything
from the 2-Tone label will make me dance - as will The Go! Team. I’m loving Grimes
at the moment. Nick Cave is never far from my ears, and sometimes I just need Shirley
Bassey to belt out some tunes.”
What is your idea of the ultimate playlist?
“TheresaMix - compiled by my breeding partner for my 50th. It’s the one that goes
from A - V - beginning with Abba (yes, I know, It’s a nod to my younger sister. She
was obsessed with them when we were kids. I could have killed her at the time, of
course) and ending with Violent Femmes. Over 100 tracks. Set to shuffle, and I’m amused
for hours. If I were forced to reduce it to, say, ten, it would include New York Girls
(Bellowhead), Levi Stubbs’ Tears (Billy Bragg), Spanish Bombs (The Clash), Brimful of Asha
(Cornershop), Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (The Flaming Lips), Knickerbocker (Fujiya &
Miyagi), Tainted Love (Soft Cell version), something by The Jam (don’t make me decide…),
Oblivion (Grimes), Emma (Hot Chocolate), Coma Girl (Joe Strummer and his jolly Mescaleros), Debaser (Pixies), Whangie Stomp (The Positively Testcard), Jezahel (Shirley Bassey), A
Message to you Rudy (The Specials), Uncertain Smile (The The), Horchata (Vampire Weekend)
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