CFP: Post-Punk Performance: the alternative 80s in Britain (Leeds)

POST-PUNK PERFORMANCE: THE ALTERNATIVE 80S IN BRITAIN

SCHOOL OF PERFORMANCE AND CULTURAL INDUSTIRES, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

9 SEPTEMBER 2009

CALL FOR PAPERS

The School of Performance and Cultural Industries is pleased to be hosting a one-day conference event called “Post-Punk Performance: the alternative 80s in Britain”.

Contrary to popular mythology, youth culture during the 1980s meant rather more than Spandau Ballet, Rick Astley, and Madonna. A quickly burgeoning ‘indie’ scene, born of the ruins of punk, set itself against the banality of the mainstream. Centred on music and synonymous with identity and self-expression, it offered a complex and layered network of alternatives for an increasingly politicised and self-aware generation of young people.

The purpose of this conference is to explore notions of ‘alternative’ music and performance in the post-punk era, circa 1978 – 1989. The ‘indie’ music scene of this period will serve as a lens through which to view core themes of liveness, fashion and visual identities, iconography, youth cultures and the socio-political context. The event will assess post-punk’s continuing and profound influence on the current scene, both in musical and performative terms. It will explore how post-punk is absorbed into the present and will be projected into the future.

In addition to contributions from academics and scholars, the event will invite label partners, musicians and influential journalists to exchange views and perspectives on the post-punk era and beyond. This framework offers unique opportunities to bring together the academy and industry, and to facilitate networking and discussion across these spheres.

A live performance event featuring poetry, comedy and music will follow the daytime proceedings. Acts to be announced.

Proposals might address one or more of the following themes:

• The frequency and velocity of musical genre development

• Liveness: performance authenticities

• Performance of style

• Visual identities: fashion’s relation to music and vice versa

• Transatlantic influence and exchange

• Alternative music, party politics and gender politics

• The past reconfigured for the present

• Song writing: structure and theme

• Media representation and music reportage

• Local scenes

• Record labels and musical identity

• Punk and post-punk: musical legacies and trajectories

The conference will be interdisciplinary. Therefore, we welcome contributions from a range of disciplines, including Music, Performance, Fashion and Textiles, Photography, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Film and Television Studies, Philosophy and Journalism.

Proposals should be submitted as a Word Document and should contain the following information:

 Name of Presenter

 Title of Paper

 Institutional Affiliation

 150 word biography

 500 word abstract

Please send your proposal electronically, together with a completed registration form, to Dr Philip Kiszely (P.Kiszely@leeds.ac.uk) by Friday 26th June, 2009. Acceptance will be confirmed by the end of July.

Cost: £125 (Includes conference proceedings, day conference, entry to evening event)

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:

Paul Morley

Paul Morley wrote for the NME from 1977 to 1983. A leading figure in critical, journalistic and industry terms, he formed ZTT, helped guide Frankie Goes to Hollywood to pop stardom, and enjoyed considerable commercial success and critical acclaim in his own right through Art of Noise. His television work is extensive, and includes appearances on the Late Show, Whistle Test, and the recent Top Ten series on Channel 4. He now writes for Arena and Esquire, and his books Nothing and Words and Music are as essential as they are challenging reading.

Dave Haslam

Dave Haslam was DJ at the legendary Hacienda nightclub during the heady days of ‘Madchester’. His book Madchester, England not only captures the spirit of that remarkable era but also offers a penetrating cultural commentary on time and place. A subsequent book on the music and politics of the 1970s titled Not Abba: the Real Story of the 1970s suggests the breadth of his musical interest. Founder of Debris fanzine, he has written for a variety of publications including The NME, The Times, and The Guardian. He teaches music journalism at the University of Salford and the history and culture of Manchester at Manchester Metropolitan University.

CONFERENCE ORGANISERS: Dr Philip Kiszely (P.Kiszely@leeds.ac.uk), Alice Bayliss (A.Bayliss@leeds.ac.uk) and Michael Rose

For any further information, please contact Alice Bayliss on 0113 343 8715