I Fought the Law

Fifty years ago the first punk single, New Rose by The Damned, was released. For Chris Packham this was the start of a cultural revolution that continues to define his life and ethos.

Five decades after the anarchy and attitude of punk exploded onto the UK's music scene, Chris meets the people who, like him, were touched by its energy and ideas. What happened to the ultimate teenage upstarts now they've grown old, got a mortgage and maybe even a bus pass? Chris talks to the punks to find out why the music had such an impact.

In episode 3, I Fought The Law, Chris meets the punks who stood up to the establishment to find out how their ideas changed our world and if their ideals remain the same. He meets fellow punks like Billy Bragg, Tom Robinson, Pauline Murray and Dale Vince who are still fighting for change. In rural Essex, Gee Vaucher and Penny Rimbaud from Crass remain committed to creative protest and system change. Many of the ideas they had in the late 70s and early 80s to create a cultural revolution can be seen in radical art and the protest movement today. Punk ideas and sounds are still the foundation for new bands who are standing up for what they believe all around the world. Finally, we meet the Riotous Collective from Leicester, a group of female punks who are defying the last taboo - age itself.

Produced by Helen Lennard
Sound Design by John Cranmer

A True Thought production for BBC Radio 4