All Ages – Reflections on Straight Edge

Beth Lahickey
Revelation Books.
Copyright Date: 1998
Review Date: 2002

This is a book of interviews with the leaders of the straight edge scene of the 80s and 90s. Even though it deals mainly with the second wave of straight edge, (bands like Youth of Today, Slapshot, Bold, Underdog, Side by Side, Gorilla Biscuits) it has interviews with originals like Ian MacKaye and Kevin Seconds. Some of the members of those bands come off as complete clowns who were only in it for the image and didn’t offer anything of substance. Others are obviously very committed (namely Ray Cappo and Porcell of Youth of Today. So committed they became Krishnas), and deserve to be commended for their values and perseverence. The most interesting interviews though are with the few females that were in the scene. They all say how clickish, and above all, how male the scene was. Punk rock was and is very gender free, but the NY straight edge scene seemed very macho, almost jocklike. The complete opposite of the 7 Seconds song “Not just boy’s fun”. It is a very interesting read, and the short interviews make it easy to pick up and put down again. If you have any interest at all in any of these bands, or you are straight edge yourself, then it is a must read.

223 pages, perfect bound. Revelation Books, ISBN: 1889703001