Cider Punk

Cider Punk is a subculture within the subculture of Punk Rock.

Cider Punk originated in the early eighties in the West Country of England, being championed by bands such as Chaos UK & Chaotic Dischord. Cider Punk is best understood as a sort of rustic mixture of UK82 Punk, Punk Pathetique & Crust Punk which transcends these categorizations through the consumption of large amounts of cider.

As with all Punk sub-categorizations, Cider Punk is characterized by an unconventional & anti-materialistic lifestyle. In Cider Punk, these aspects are exaggerated & made humorous through its obsession with rustic alcoholism, which also increases the level of anti-intellectualism in the subculture. This comes through very clearly in the music played by bands associated with Cider Punk, in that they play a version of Punk Rock that is even more stripped down & raw than standard Punk. Quite often, the guitars are so distorted that the chords being played are unintelligible. The lyrics are often reminiscent of a drunk's shit talking as well.

Evidence of the exaggerated nature of Cider Punk is found in the song titles of the Cider Punk bands; "Fuck Religion, Fuck Politics, Fuck the Lot of You!", "Sausage, Beans & Chips", "Destroy Peace & Freedom", "Loud, Tuneless n' Thick", "Too Cool For School, Too Stupid For The Real World (Let's Form A Band)" & "Head On A Pole".

Cider Punk was picked up on by American Punks in the early nineties, specifically in Oakland, California & Baltimore, Maryland who resonated with the rustic character & added Cider Punk to their burgeoning Medieval Punk & Folk Punk movements.

Here are the lyrics to Chaos UK's "Cider I Up Landlord".

Cider, cider apple tree Cider, cider I can't see Now I'm going out of me mind Now I'm going fucking blind God knows what's happening to me Feels like I've been kicked in Cider, cider apple tree Cider, cider one for me Cider I up landlord Cider I up landlord Put more cider in my jug Cider I up landlord Cider I up landlord Put more cider in my jug I just can't get enough When I'm guzzling my gallon down! I know a place in England where the cider apple grows The farmer that lives down there has got a big red nose He's always drinking cider, as he sits beneath the tree Come on drink your cider up, it's the one for you and me The one for you!