Bands

There is a small group of punk bands whose significance can hardly be overrated. The Ramones and The Clash are obvious examples – the same goes for Social Distortion. Without this group of Southern Californian rock’n’rollers, numerous current bands would probably not sound the way they do.

Since the early 80s, Social Distortion has released album after album with melodic midtempo punk rock. The songs from band leader Mike Ness draw as much on the heritage from The Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash as they do on fast punk music with safety pins through the ears and green mohican hairdos.

A lot has happened since Social Distortion first turned on the amplifiers. But even with 30 years of experience, the American band is essential for anyone who wants to understand the development of US punk rock – both the one on the charts and the one from the underground.

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