The summer of 1976 through the summer of 1977 was the most significant year in British rock history, when punk rock rose from a murmur on the streets to a roar of defiance that still reverberates today. This collection of vivid memories of concerts and cultural flash points focuses on what was happening on the streets and in the clubs, answering questions like What brought punks together with London’s disenfranchised Rasta community? What made Teddy Boys—middle-aged men who dressed like 1950s rockers—hate punks so much that they roamed in packs looking for teenagers to beat up? What was it like to be in the now legendary Roxy Club? and Were the Sex Pistols really any good as a live band? Memories from others who were there—including members of the Damned, the Adverts, the Patti Smith Group, the Maniacs, and the Tom Robinson Band—add to this story of punk rock as it happened, stripped of hindsight and future legend, and laid bare.

Dave Thompson is one of rock's leading experts and the author of Never Fade Away, Stories For Boys, and Wheels Out Of Gear. Among Thompson’s other titles are biographies of the Cure, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Depeche Mode, Genesis, Gothic Rock, KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and ZZ Top. He lives in Newark, Delaware.