Dave The Punk

Dancing With Myself

GEN X

This August, we’re swapping American angst for British attitude — back to the UK, back to the ’80s, and back to the bands that shaped a generation.

Generation X. Yes, that’s you, DJ Caz — but also a punk band from the late ’70s fronted by the sneering, sneeringly photogenic Billy Idol. By 1980, they’d morphed into Gen X, with a slicker, more pop-leaning sound and one last throw of the dice: the album Kiss Me Deadly.

Dancing With Myself didn’t make much of a dent in the UK charts at the time, but it did something far more significant — it lit the fuse for Billy Idol’s solo career. The spiky energy of punk was still there, but now it came with a dancefloor beat, a sneer in eyeliner, and the first hints of the MTV era swagger to come.

London Calling

THE CLASH

The ’80s can wait — I’m tearing up the timeline this week with London Calling by The Clash.

Released in December ’79, but it stormed the UK charts right through January and February 1980, so I’m claiming it. Truth is, I was never that into ’80s Clash — but in the late ’70s, they were one of my absolute favourites. And London Calling? That’s my all-time number one.

The apocalyptic energy, the reggae groove, the iconic bassline — it still gives me goosebumps. The chorus hit me so hard it became one of my tattoos, inked alongside Joe Strummer’s battle-scarred Telecaster. This wasn’t just punk evolving — it was punk warning the world what was coming.

Animation

THE SKIDS

Best known for Into the Valley, but The Skids had plenty more to shout about — and Animation, from 1980’s The Absolute Game, is proof. It’s theatrical, dramatic, and full of that unmistakable Stuart Adamson guitar sound (before he went full celtic with Big Country). There’s a touch of post-punk grandeur in this one — all marching drums, soaring melodies, and a chorus that’s way bigger than the band’s chart position ever was.

They may never have cracked the mainstream, but this track still gives off the kind of intensity that makes you want to raise a flag and charge into the unknown.

Happy House

SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES

Welcome to the Happy House — where the smiles are painted on and the walls hum with paranoia. Released in 1980, this was a sharp left turn for the Banshees: tribal drums, warped funk guitar, and Siouxsie Sioux at her most hypnotic. It was their first single with Budgie on drums — and the beginning of something darker, weirder, and utterly brilliant.

Don’t be fooled by the title — this isn’t some cheery singalong. It’s biting satire wrapped in gothic bounce. Suburban dystopia never sounded so stylish.

Sound System

OPERATION IVY

I’m kicking off September’s Dave’s Discs with a blast from the late 80’s that defined what the 90’s punk/ska scene would become: Operation Ivy. They only released one album (Energy) before splitting, but their mix of punk urgency and ska groove lit the fuse for everything that followed — from Rancid to the entire ska-punk wave. Short-lived, but seismic in influence. With Sound System, you can hear exactly why Op Ivy still matter decades later.

Scentless Apprentice

NIRVANA

How about some Nirvana? Most people reach straight for Nevermind, but I’ve always thought In Utero was the stronger record. Scentless Apprentice, with its grinding riff and Cobain’s unhinged screams, shows the band at their rawest. Not radio-friendly — and that’s exactly the point. It’s a reminder that the 90’s weren’t just about polished hits, but about bands willing to make noise, take risks, and rip up the rulebook.

Affected by Them

THE EXPLOITED

Strap yourself in… it’s time for some Exploited. I was tempted by the album’s notorious title track, but let’s be honest — even mentioning it would get me blacklisted on half the airwaves. So instead, here’s a slightly more socially acceptable slice of fury from Wattie & co. The Exploited proved in the 90’s that punk wasn’t dead — it was just louder, angrier, and still very much spitting in your face. This is Affected by Them from 1996.

A New Kind of Army

ANTI-FLAG

The 90’s weren’t just about grunge and chaos — they were also about punk bands sharpening their politics and calling out the system with a chant-along chorus. Anti-Flag gave us anthems that were equal parts catchy and confrontational, and this track is pure proof. Anger never sounded so singable. This is A New Kind of Army by Anti-Flag from 1999.

No Government

ANTI-PASTI

October’s Dave’s Discs is heading back home to the UK, and specifically the UK82 scene. This was punk’s second wave: louder, angrier, and harder-edged than its late-70s roots. It wasn’t about fashion or hype, it was about noise, defiance, and a scene that lived and breathed DIY.

We start with a classic. No Government isn’t just a track, it’s a manifesto. Anti-Pasti nailed the UK82 sound early, and this song still bristles with the raw distrust of authority that defined the era.

Survival

THE DEFECTS

From Belfast came The Defects, bringing grit and power to UK82. Survival isn’t about speed. It’s a pounding, mid-tempo anthem with weight behind every note. Less sprint, more march, and that’s what makes it hit so hard.

17 Years of Hell

THE PARTISANS

The Partisans, out of South Wales, carried teenage fury into 17 Years of Hell, a track that’s as catchy as it is caustic. With its snarling delivery and driving riff, it’s UK82 at its most anthemic.

Jerusalem

ONE WAY SYSTEM

Dark, ominous, and powerful, Jerusalem showed that Fleetwood’s One Way System could blend aggression with atmosphere. Heavy on mood but still built for the pit, it stands as one of the UK82 scene’s standout tracks.

Degenerate

THE BLOOD

Closing out October with chaos. The Blood were always unpredictable, led by the theatrical, snarling vocals Cardinal Jesus Hate. His rasp and shock-rock persona gave the band a feral, unpolished edge that cuts through on Degenerate. Raw, uncompromising, and dripping with attitude. A fitting end to a month of UK82 defiance.  

Closing out October with chaos. The Blood were always unpredictable, led by the theatrical, snarling vocals of Colin Smith (aka The Cardinal). His rasp and shock-rock persona gave the band a feral, unpolished edge that cuts through on Degenerate. Raw, uncompromising, and dripping with attitude. A fitting end to a month of UK82 defiance.  

 California Über Alles

DEAD KENNEDYS

Kicking off November’s Dave’s Discs with a blast from across the pond: Dead Kennedys. Their debut single, California Über Alles, was released in 1979 and later featured on their 1980 album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. 

The song takes aim at then California governor Jerry Brown, portraying him as a smiling, eco-friendly dictator. Political satire at its most savage. When Ronald Reagan became president, they completely rewrote it as We’ve Got a Bigger Problem Now. But this is the original, in all its snarling glory.

The KKK Took My Baby Away

THE RAMONES

Another week, another US punk institution — the Ramones. This is The KKK Took My Baby Away from 1981’s Pleasant Dreams. On the surface it sounds like a classic Ramones love-lost anthem, all buzzsaw guitars and bubblegum hooks, but beneath the sugar rush there’s something darker and stranger going on.

Written by Joey Ramone, it’s widely believed to be inspired by real-life band drama, wrapped up in the Ramones’ trademark mix of humour, bitterness, and pop-punk perfection. Sweet melodies, sharp edges, and just enough menace, proof that even in the 80’s the Ramones could make three chords sound dangerous.

Gone Daddy Gone

VIOLENT FEMMES

Next up for November’s Dave’s Discs — not exactly punk, but definitely cut from the same rebellious cloth. Violent Femmes never fitted neatly into any box; too raw for pop, too tuneful for punk, and far too odd to ignore. Gone Daddy Gone, from their 1983 debut, has that off-kilter acoustic energy they made their own — all skittering rhythm, rubbery bass, and xylophone madness. It’s twitchy, playful, and just a little unhinged — a breakup song that somehow makes chaos sound fun.

Sailin’ On / I And I Survive

BAD BRAINS

This week we’re heading to Washington D.C. for a band who redefined what punk could sound like — Bad Brains. They were hardcore pioneers with the speed and fury of a freight train, but they also wove in reggae and Rastafarian spirit like no one else.

First up, Sailin’ On — lightning-fast, explosive, and impossible to sit still through. Then, without missing a beat, we shift into I and I Survive — a laid-back, dub-soaked groove that proves aggression and peace can live on the same record.

Two songs, one band, and the perfect example of how Bad Brains could thrash, meditate, and blow your mind all in under five minutes