Punk Love – Susie J Horgan

Universe Publishing, Rizzoli Int. Publications, 300 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com

Nice, a photobook from very early DC HC-Punks and their bands. The book comes in a format a bit bigger then a 7″ sleeve and has ca. 130 pages, hardcover. Susie was only part of the early DC scene for a very short time and at her beginning of photograpy but some of her photos are know by thousends of people all over the world. She did the classic „kid with X’s on hands“ for the Teen Idles 7″ or the „bald kid on stairs“ for the first Minor Threat record – as it turns out both photos show Alec MacKaye. Some of her work has been published in the „Banned in DC“ book but here you get it all.

Tons of very young DC-scensters, like Henry (Rollins) and Ian (MacKaye) goofing around in the Häagen-Daz icecreamstore where they have been working in 1980. Ian skateboarding and of course a bunch of bands (Minor Threat, Black Flag, Red C, Government Issue, S.O.A.) but also lots of shots just from the kids hanging out at Wilson Center or 9:30 Club. Maybe the Rollins/MacKaye/Minor Threat motives are a bit too many in here, but, if those where the people hanging out together, that is the ones you take photos of – normal thing.

The foreword is by Rollins and Ian talks to Susie – which is interesting since you find out under what circumstances those photos where shot. There is also a short bio on Susie Horgan. The photos capture the energy of the young DC scene very well and while Horgan was a rockie on the camera she did a great job. Maybe 25 bucks for the book is a bit steep (considering it was printed in China….) but it is a regular publishing company, so maybe that is the reason, maybe not. It is a great document of a scene that had alot of impact in Hardcore Punk, nobody would have imagined back then. (dolf)

Isbn 978-0-7893-1541-0

[Trust # 124 Juni 2007]