Elvis to Crass. By Dave King 20th June 2014
On Tuesday June 24th a modest cultural milestone will be reached when memorabilia from influential British punk band Crass goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s Auction House in New York. (The overall auction is titled “A Rock and Roll History: from Elvis to Punk”).
The item for sale is a used base drum skin emblazoned with the still persistent Crass Symbol and “signed by the original drummer”. Estimated value, according to the catalog, $15,000 to $20,000.
Thinking back to 1977 when the logo was created and the band about to form (Crass dis-banded in 1984) it is hard to imagine that idealistic punks of the period could have predicted the band’s longevity in the public eye or the current financial appreciation of its products.
Perhaps this should come as no surprise. Could Elvis have imagined the untold and culturally diverse legions of impersonators that followed his demise, with their impressions of all his living incarnations, varying sizes and fashions? Certainly Elvis memorabilia has always been big business.
It seems that there is just something about Punk, coming as it did out of a particularly bleak social period in America and the UK, where its intensely held anti-authoritarian beliefs now have to co-exist, like it or not, with commerce. Punk and its philosophies seems particularly ill-suited to contain the extremes of hope for a better world and the current demands of the marketplace.
On the other hand, who might not want “A cream-white, red-speckled, 1950’s soft wool jacket, owned and worn by Elvis”? Estimated value at the same auction: $7,000 to $9,000
I suppose, ultimately, it all depends on where the money goes. In 1977 it seemed you could live on low rent and lentils, with time and energy left over to rail against “The Man”. Or rather Margaret Thatcher. Now artists everywhere are forced into much more defensive positions in societies worldwide that continue to undervalue their efforts culturally and yes, financially.
(Dave King designed the Crass Symbol).
PS. If this image is at all shocking, then Punk is not dead.