Hey Ricky,

I immediately thought of Dead Boys when I was listening through your songs. But quite a few of those East coast punk bands from the 70s fit the bill. The Dictators, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, etc.

Good stuff!

Does that resonate at all?

Hey Ricky,

That's very cool. I'm a big fan of the Dead Boys as well as Thunders and the Dolls.

I did think that you leaned a little more to the rock than the punk as well, but it was still more in that 70s punk vein to me than it was in the rock vein. But as your friend points out, punk has a lot of flavours, and punks have a lot of opinions on where the different lines are. I'm not an authentic enough punk fan to likely know where the line is between some of those genres, but I think you fit right in the broader class of 70s punk/rock with an east coast feel.

Yep. That works for me. I like it.

The only thing to consider is, are you going to present yourself as a nouveau 70's punk-rock, or authentic old school punk-rock? That doesn't matter for your usp all that much. but it's an important distinction.

Hey Rickey,

Yeah, I think “Class of ’76 Nouveau Punk-Rock with an East Coast Feel.” is a great USP for you. It has lots of flexibility, but I think it's clear, simple, and accurate. You could use it as a headline, but you can also add to it. 

Done!

Sounds good. Just remember that no one listens to music because of what it is. They listen to music because of how it feels. Usually how it makes them feel is tied to what it represents. Not always, but very often when it comes to rock and roll. 

You know that moment when you are talking with someone and they express something that makes you go... TOTALLY! I know exactly what you mean! And then you think to yourself... I like this guy!

That is what we are trying to do with our copy. We are trying to show total strangers that we completely get what they care about. With music, it is about describing that experience and the way it makes them feel.

With 70s punk-ish rock, it's about giving the finger to the man, breaking shit, cheap tattoos, the smell of stale beer and cigarettes, and the smell of sweat in an over crowded tiny bar with walls covered in peeling paint and hundreds of stickers from the bands who have come before....

I say all of that to demonstrate the effect that I'm betting it even has on you, knowing that I am trying to teach you about copywriting. I'm hoping it made you go... this guy gets it... which is now your job to do to your readers and listeners. That's how we start conversations, and it's what advertising and copywriting are all about.

Or maybe I got it wrong and you;re thinking I'm a douche. Hard to say 🙂

Ha! Glad that clicked for you.

I'm 46. A little young for the real punk seen, but I was very into it all in the sort of late 90s resurgence that happened when we all rediscovered the New York Dolls et al. It's great stuff.

But whatever the era, rock and roll bars have always specialized in disgusting bathrooms 🙂

Thanks man, same to you!