The Perfect Punk Lineup....in France?
- Fred
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
On June 20, 2026, Mike D, formerly of the Beastie Boys, will play his first solo show in Paris. That is big news in itself, but let's take a step back....
Back in the year 2021, we wrote the article: A Reminder of What Punk Can Be
Apparently, a loose association of punks were gathering under overpasses in the heart of Los Angeles, near Crystal Park, and putting on unauthorized, and raucous, punk shows. The LAPD kept breaking up the concerts and was criticized for shooting "projectiles" into the crowd at one point, since the location of the flash concerts weren't easily accessible for police mobilization.
To me, it was the purist form of punk, musicians and fans gathering in vacant, undeveloped spaces.
Now for motorists, they were uneasy with crowds of people near the highway with barrel fires burning. You're driving down the freeway in downtown L.A. and you're nervous enough as it is, without any "distractions."
But for every show that was shut down, the bands involved became more and more legendary, until the shows caught the attention of the Beyond the Streets art collective.
What is Beyond the Streets? "We celebrate mark makers and rule breakers, the agitators and instigators. Our curation showcases the best of contemporary and emerging artists."
Last month, the Zack de la Rocha produced documentary Dead City Punx was given a limited release in theaters. It was one of Beyond the Streets' latest art projects.
So with that, let's review the Paris Festival above:
Mike D: Famously of the Beastie Boys, it promises to be the first full show from the musician in 15 years. Remember, in the early days of the Beastie Boys, they were more of a Punk Band than a Rap Band.
Pussy Riot: Easily the most famous punk band from Russia. (Sorry Svetlanas).
Circle Jerks: Keith Morris co-founded the highly influential punk band Black Flag, then left to form the Circle Jerks when he couldn't get along with Greg Ginn. (No one can get along with Greg Ginn).
Dead City: From the L.A. TImes "It’s fitting that this hardcore (punk) quartet, two of whose founding members bonded over smoking crack on Skid Row, is ascending during a time of economic and cultural decline."
In theory, the above festival should be a destination show. Instead, at only 29.70 € ($35 U.S.), it appears that without corporate sponsorship, the organizers are depending on social media and word-of-mouth for promotion.
The DIY mentality.
And that's the catch.
As much as the story of Dead City warms our hearts, it appears that the band members all have crappy day jobs, as do I behind the scenes of Beacon of Speech.
The trick is to monetize that Punk Spirit without compromising your vision.