Destroy! The influence of punk.

• “Jon Savage: resistance is not futile.”

  Jon Savage’s journey into the heart of youth culture began at Cambridge University, where he turned his back on a career in law to pursue his passion for music and cultural criticism. From his early days writing fanzines in the 1970s to his influential roles at Sounds and Melody Maker, Savage became a defining voice in the world of punk and beyond. His landmark book England’s Dreaming captured the essence of punk, which, for Savage, was never just a genre, it was a cultural movement that challenged the status quo and created a space for personal expression and rebellion.In his latest book, The Secret Public, Savage explores the transformative power of LGBTQ+ resistance in popular culture and delves into how groundbreaking artists like Little Richard and David Bowie used their music and public personas not just to break taboos but to redefine the very concept of identity, carving out new spaces for self-expression, leaving a lasting impact on music and culture.Savage’s place in the history of music journalism is firmly established, and his passion for music and its power to affect change has never waned. To this day he sees punk’s DIY ethos as still offering a framework for artists to create and express themselves on their terms, despite the overwhelming influence of corporate interests in the modern music industry.“Punk was about doing things for yourself—if you want to say something, play an instrument, or write, then just do it. That’s the most important lesson it left us.” (Jon Savage)Savage continues to write and contribute to publications like The Guardian and Mojo, offering fresh insights into the intersections of music, culture, and politics. His work remains vital in understanding the cultural forces shaping our world, whether through his writing, public lectures, or interviews.In this episode, Savage reflects on the lasting influence of punk, the changing media landscape, and the ongoing impact of artists like Bowie and Little Richard in reshaping societal norms.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  20:22
• “Neville Brody: leaving convention behind.”

  Neville Brody was told at art school that he had “no commercial potential.” Instead of conforming, he built a career on defying expectations, reshaping graphic design, typography, and branding in the process.“You can’t be radical in every situation, but you can bring radical thinking into a commercial framework.” (Neville Brody)From pioneering font design to creating some of the most distinctive record sleeves of the 1980s, Brody’s work has always operated at the intersection of rebellion and mass communication. His radical approach to typography at The Face helped define the look of a generation, blending punk’s raw energy with the emerging aesthetics of postmodernism.But Brody has never been interested in nostalgia. In 2014, he founded Brody Associates, a creative studio dedicated to rethinking brand identity, design systems, and digital platforms. A decade later, he continues to push forward, balancing experimental projects with strategic work for clients like Samsung, Coca-Cola, and The Times, while maintaining a deep commitment to questioning the role of design in an increasingly automated world.In this episode, Brody discusses his influences, his belief in risk-taking, and why he left record sleeve design behind. He reflects on how punk shaped his creative philosophy, the tensions between commerce and radical thinking, and the challenges facing young designers today.Four decades in, Neville Brody remains as restless as ever, challenging conventions, reshaping industries, and proving that design is not just about aesthetics but ideas, disruption, and the power to change culture.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  50:24
• “Brendan Dawes: on the edge of oblivion.”

  Growing up in a small seaside town just north of Liverpool, artist Brendan Dawes was always determined to make something of himself. Leaving school at 16 with no formal qualifications, he found himself propelled forward by the rise of revolutionary computer technology and a passion for Acid House."The computer was like this amazing box where I could make creative things. I always wanted to make stuff in some form, back then it was music. But with computers, I thought, this is incredible. You could just type into it, and it would do things. It just spoke to me." (Brendan Dawes)A self-taught coder, Dawes developed a unique approach to his work, leading him to opportunities worldwide. In 2004, he created Cinema Redux, a pioneering work that transformed an entire film into a single visual and earned a place in the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) permanent collection in New York.Never one to stand still, Dawes became a key figure in the rise of NFTs, with Black Mamba’s Revenge, an abstract work based on the final fight scene in Kill Bill Vol.1, that sold at auction within the first hour of its release in 2020. This milestone marked a new evolution in his work leading him to collaborate with director Gary Hustwit, in 2024, on the groundbreaking documentary Eno, based on the extraordinary life of musician Brian Eno. The film, the first generative documentary ever shortlisted for an Academy Award, was hailed as a “revolutionary cinematic experience.”In February 2025, always at the center of creative disruption, Dawes took part in Christie’s inaugural AI art auction in New York, a controversial event that divided the art world. While some saw it as an inevitable evolution of artistic practice, others condemned it as a fraudulent attempt to profit from AI-generated works trained on artists’ intellectual property without consent.Always a true radical, Dawes continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, seamlessly blending technology, data, and visual storytelling. Whether digital or physical, his work remains at the forefront of cultural upheaval, redefining what art can be in an era of constant transformation.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  51:16
• “Daniel Miller: revelation vs limitation.”

  DJ, producer, musician, and founder of one of the most influential independent record labels, Daniel Miller began his journey in 1976, just as punk was shaking Britain to its core. Returning to London that spring, he threw himself into the movement, drawn to its urgency, rebellion, and creative freedom.Hearing The Ramones’ debut on John Peel’s radio show was a revelation, and solidified his love for music that defied convention. A few years later, inspired by the experimental sounds of Can and Faust, he recorded his first single as The Normal: Warm Leatherette, a cold, mechanical, dystopian anthem, which became an unintentional underground hit.“The big saying at the time was, ‘All you need is a guitar and three chords.’ My thing was, three chords were far too many. You can just have one finger on a keyboard and still make an interesting sound. Which I thought was more punk than being in a traditional rock band.” (Daniel Miller)After a short tour, he returned home to find a pile of demo tapes from an unknown artist named Fad Gadget on his doorstep. That moment sparked the birth of Mute Records, a record label that would redefine electronic and experimental music, and the rest is history.A true maverick, Miller has never chased trends or commercial success over everything else, instead championing artists who push boundaries and the very definition of music. From the industrial provocations of Throbbing Gristle and Laibach to the groundbreaking synth-pop of Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Erasure, his influence is woven into the fabric of modern music, and his pursuit of originality remains as relentless as ever.-Follow us on Instagram @destroypunkpodcast for the latest updates. Or visit us online: https://destroypunkpodcast.com for transcripts, show notes, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  55:41
• Sensoria : Scene x Scene

  In 1984, industrial music legends Cabaret Voltaire released Sensoria on the Some Bizarre record label, the first single from their sixth album, Micro-Phonies. The song mixed driving beats and multicultural rhythms over a winding soundtrack and a hypnotic vocal.The Cabs, as they were known, never sought fame in the traditional sense; instead, they just thought it was important for you to listen. For them how things were presented was just as important - believing it was about your takeaway from the experience, as a whole, that mattered most.Peter Care, a pioneering filmmaker from southwest England, had been making films for the band since the 70s, yet the music video he made for Sensoria was one of the most requested videos on the MTV video charts for seven months and was subsequently procured by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was also voted the Best Video of the Year in 1985 by the LA Times and is considered the greatest “underground” music video of all time.In this special episode of Destroy!" called Scene x Scene, we talk to film director, Peter Care, the "up and over" camera rig designer, Tony Hill, and Cabaret Voltaire cofounder Stephen Mallinder, about how the video was made.-#sexpistols #anarchy #1976 #destroy #destroypunkpodcast #punk #cabaretvoltaire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  --------  

  9:16

More Arts podcasts

Trending Arts podcasts

About Destroy! The influence of punk.