HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – A few weeks ago, WHNT 19 told you about the new exhibit at the Huntsville Museum of Art, “Days of Punk.”
It’s a collection of photographer Michael Grecco’s work from the punk rock movement. The photos of bands and musicians range from The Cramps to Adam Ant to Billy Idol to The Clash.
Punk was a snarling, thundering explosion of bands and musicians angry at the status quo, and Grecco’s work captured it.
He had a front-row seat for one of the most significant musical currents of the 20th century, a movement that still influences bands today.
“I wasn’t drawn to the punk scene as a photographer originally. I was drawn to the punk scene because the music was so different,” Grecco said. “I think it was ’77 I wandered into the Ratskeller. It was our equivalent to CBGB’s in New York—disgusting, vomit on the rugs, stale smell—but the music was different.”
An acquired taste for some, a clarion call for truth to others, Grecco knew this was “a thing” he had to hear and explore.
“I was a jazz listener in New York, a snobby listener, and I hated what was on the radio. So going down to hear that first show at The Rat in Boston just blew my mind,” Grecco said.
Grecco’s résumé touches a lot of bases. He was working with the Associated Press when he discovered this new brand of music.
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“Me documenting this happened organically. Yes, it was very intentional. Then I started gaining more access by shooting for Boston Rock magazine and WBCN, which was the K-Rock station in Boston. I had them as a client,” Grecco said. “So during the day I was a stringer for the Associated Press covering straight news, and at night I started shooting jobs. That got me more access and more known, and I became friends with the DJs and the musicians.”
What does Grecco want people to take with them when they leave the “Days of Punk” exhibit?
“The takeaways I would want people to leave the exhibition with…these aren’t music pictures. These aren’t just a document. These are from a special time in musical history,” Grecco said. “It captures that moment where punk intentionally broke AM radio and, over time, played on college radio stations, having a huge fan base. It infiltrated commercial AM radio and broke the system.”
Grecco’s exhibit, “Days of Punk,” will be at the Huntsville Museum of Art until Feb. 1. The museum is on Church Street in downtown Huntsville.
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