Alice Bag and Patricia Morrison on their way to a concert in 1975.
Q: It seems like there were a lot of people who made the transition from the glam or glitter scene to punk, including you. Philosophically and aesthetically, those are two very different scenes. Why do you think that transition occurred?”
Alice: “I think there are similarities. Both things were pushing against convention and rejecting the kind of music that was most popular at the time. Even though glam was really elaborate, orchestral, and theatrical, it wasn’t being played on the radio. Punk was taking things, breaking them down and throwing it back at the mainstream. Both things were challenging the musical status quo. I saw what they had in common. It was less intimidating to start a punk band than become a glam musician. It was available to you and you could have it right now. You didn’t have to wait until you are a virtuoso. You don’t have to be Brian May to get up on stage and do something meaningful. You don’t necessarily reach people in the same way, though. I still enjoy listening to a song by Queen, and I still enjoy listening to a stripped down punk song. They offer different things.”
Source: Sam Lefebvre, SF Weekly.
