The Top Five Wildest Punk Singers Ever
From the early days in the band, Rollins experienced riots started from fans in the audience as well as the police. As the '80s progressed, Black Flag changed its sound from straight ahead punk to a slower, more progressive style. Rollins being the face of the band, received the bulk of the criticism and in turn became more of a menacing figure than he already was. Usually wearing nothing but his gym shorts, you could feel Rollins’ inner frustrations towards the crowd being shouted into every lyric. Rollins used his murderous stare and long Charles Manson-like hair as a weapon that was equally powerful as his voice.
Despite Black Flag’s wild touring schedule, there are only a few bootleggers from the ‘80s out there to give us a glimpse of what this era was like. But despite the scarcity, some of Rollins’ most infamous moments have been captured. From punching a fan in the crowd, to getting hit in the head with a full beer can, to an incredibly awkward fan interview after a show. Rolllins for better or for worse, can be associated as the singer to one of the most infamous bands of the 1980’s.
As the one who seemingly started it all, Johnny Rotten was public enemy #1 and the face of the infamous Sex Pistols. Rotten (Born John Lydon) has made a 40 plus career of being one of the most outspoken singers on and off the stage, while simultaneously creating the blueprint for the punk attitude for decades to come.
Johnny Rotten cemented his legendary status as the Sex Pistols singer in 1977, when they attempted to protest Queen Elizabeth II and the 25th anniversary of here accession to the throne. As the Queen’s festivities were scheduled to set sail on the Silver Jubilee, Rotten and the Sex Pistols also floated out on riverboat in attempt to crash The Queen’s party. Rotten and The Pistols, performed now anthemic tunes like “Anarchy in the UK’ and “Pretty Vacant” before being shut down by London authorities.
After the Sex Pistols disbanded, Johnny Rotten, continued his legacy on and off the stage with Public Image Ltd. and can still be found performing at festivals and giving hot takes in pretty much any interview you can find of him.
When rock royalty like Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Zach De La Rocha (Rage Against The Machine), and Adam Yach (Beastie Boys) point to you as one of the most compelling front men of all time, then you know you’ve reached legendary status. Paul Hudson, better known as HR, is the singer for Bad Brains, one of the most respected and groundbreaking acts of the ‘80s punk explosion. Bad Brains started in Washington DC and comprised of all African-American band members, something that was not commonly introduced to the punk scene at the time. HR, known for his fierce vocals and unpredictable on-stage persona, became an enigmatic figure. In fact, HR and The Bad Brains played so fast and were so high energy, that they were banned in most Washington DC clubs.
The Bad Brains decided to make New York their new ground zero, where they were welcomed in by the CBGB’s crowd. It wasn’t uncommon in the ‘80s to see Bad Brains perform live with HR shaking his head, screaming, and even doing standing backflips on stage.
As the legacy of HR grew, so did his unpredictable behavior. During the recording of arguably The Bad Brains’ biggest album, I Against I, HR was in jail, serving a drug charge. But even time behind bars was not going to stop the charismatic front man. HR was able to record the standout track, Sacred Love, over the phone in jail.
Even with HR’s declining performances in later years, he still managed to make an on stage persona memorable. In a 2006 CBGB’s performance, HR, unbeknownst to the band, decided to grace the stage wearing a motorcycle helmet, making him completely inaudible and leaving the band to fill in with vocals. Whether it’s the best or worst moments, HR made sure it was memorable.
It isn’t just the guys who can make waves in punk. Wendy O. Williams of the punk rock meets shock rock band, The Plasmatics, served as front woman in the 1970’s and ‘80s. Williams relentlessly belted out songs like “Butcher Baby” and “Sex Junkie”, but the song titles were just an afterthought. When it came to her on stage performances, Williams held a presence, usually rocking a spiked mohawk and scantily clad clothing. Some shows Williams would cover herself in shaving cream, put on electrical tape, or even cut instruments in half using a chainsaw. Williams led the Plasmatics through underground notoriety in the New York punk scene, gaining respect from fellow Rock ‘n Roll rebels like Gene Simmons from KISS and Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead.
Williams retired from music in the ‘80s and sadly committed suicide in the 1998. Despite a tragic ending, her music and unforgettable persona lives on.
Take everything your loving mom is afraid of and wrap it all into one ball of punk rock decadence, and what do you get? Jesus Christ Allin, a.k.a. GG Allin. Backed by his band, The Murder junkies, Allin used his performances as a tool to take public debauchery to the absolute extreme. The stage was Allin’s public freak show, with defecation, self-mutilation, and sex acts, as part of the normal performance, but Allin didn’t stop on stage. Everyone from the front of the crowd to the wallflowers in the back were not safe from Allin’s physical assault on the crowd. Allin would go to the extreme, from starting fights (Usually naked), to throwing his feces at members of the crowd.
Throughout the years, Allin threatened to commit the wildest stage act possible; suicide. But for better or worse, Allin never followed through with his promise as he died from a drug overdose in 1993. Thirty years after his death, Allin is still the ultimate punk rock rebel, with a cult following that makes him arguably more popular today than ever.
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