My Travels through the Maelstrom of Punk Rock

Enter the world of Professor Peter Smith. I have lived a full, exciting, and unique life. In my youth I lived a conundrum. My rebellious nature drew me my away from my academic studies into the world of punk rock; a very different world to that which I normally inhabited. Some might say I was a middle-class, aspiring academic. However, during the late 1970s I threw myself into the maelstrom of crazy, manic, dangerous concerts full of young, disillusioned, punks and skinheads, many of whom saw me as an outsider. One extraordinary night, in a small pub in Whitby, my girlfriend and I witnessed a performance by Sex Pistols which shook me to the core and changed my worldview of music forever. From then on, we were caught up in a whirlwind of punk rock, seeing the Clash, the Damned, the Jam; all the early punk bands during 1976 and 1977. It was a magical, explosive and sometimes scary journey. Amidst a sea of punks, my long hair stood out, attracting trouble and tempting danger. We managed to avoid many fights, pint glasses flying around, and running a gamut of skinheads waiting for us outside. Life was dangerous, wired, scary yet fun, fun, fun. Despite this crazy youth I grew up to become an internationally renowned academic and Professor. Then one night I fell down the stairs and in an instant my life changed forever. I broke my neck and I am now paralysed from the neck downwards. However, I continue to go to gigs, work and live a full life. This book is a cathartic reflection of my days as a punk! I hope you enjoy joining me on my journey through a strange life mission.