A film by Lasch Archives

Pulled from archival interviews and rare first-person stories, this 75-minute film details the punk scene from the inside—including how the business of punk got done—and how it gave voice to a community of misfits who gave voice to the world. PUNK: Crashing into Being celebrates not just the legends but also the artists who inspired them, and the documentarians who captured their raw essence and energy for us to experience here and now.

This Lasch Archives film is produced and edited by Beth Lasch, with contributions from Callie Lasch, Amy Lasch, Jon Sadleir, Wayne Sawyer, and the late Giorgio Gomelsky. PUNK premiered this May at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) as part of the exhibition Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphics, 1976–1986.

The film includes interviews, images, and performance footage featuring:

Danny Fields, Johnny Thunders, Jayne County, John Holmstrom, Dead Boys, Penny Arcade, Joey, Dee Dee, Tommy, and C. J. Ramone, David Johansen, Suicide, Peter Crowley, Hilly Kristal, Roberta Bayley, Joe Strummer, Marcia Resnick, David Godlis, Giorgio Gomelsky, Walter Lure, Iggy Pop, The Clash, Richard Hell, William Burroughs, Patti Smith, Sex Pistols, Lenny Kaye, New York Dolls, Debbie Harry.

Beth Lasch is an independent media producer, and founder of LaschArchives, a music/performance/spoken-word repository for legends and underserved voices making significant contributions to counterculture. While studying at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), Beth was captivated by the 80s New York underground music scene, and used her video camera to capture what was happening. In 1995, Beth created F# Sharp TV, an informational talk show about the business of music from the perspective of artists, which received national awards for “Best Informational Talk Show” and is still airing on TV. F# Sharp TV is also currently distributed in overseas media markets and on the web.

Image: Jayne County-Beth Lasch

Image Gallery L to R: The RUNAWAYS and Joan JETT and Gaye ADVERT and ADVERTS by Roberta Bayley/Redferns, Johnny Thunders live by Beth Lasch, POLY STYRENE and X RAY SPEX by Roberta Bayley/Redferns, Ramones & Iggy by Roberta Bayley.