It’s funny how changing circumstances can completely alter the perception of a song or piece of art. For example, when Garry Glitter sat down in 1973 to write Leader of the Gang he was probably trying to invoke James Dean and teen rebellion. But now, thanks to recent indiscretions abroad, if you asked anyone about Gary and his Gang the first thing that will come to mind is probably anal trauma.
Gary Glitter – Im the Leader of the Gang
But pedo or no-pedo (and he definitely is by the way), Garry was really onto something with this song because gangs are cool, and what he understood is that every youngster secretly wants to be in a gang – to belong, to roll with your friends, and to rumble with anyone who says differently.
But here’s the thing, I was never in a gang as a kid. Growing up in rural Leicestershire my idea of gang culture was based on 1950′s children’s stories like Just William and The Famous Five, and as a result my gang activity was limited to making dens, fishing, and running around in fields with sticks. But now I’m a lot older and (a bit) less naive, and I think I’ve missed out on something. Especially because the other day I sat down to watch 1979 gang movie The Warriors.
For those of you who’ve not seen it, The Warriors is a brilliant film – if you think Sin City invented the whole ‘film shot like a graphic novel’ aesthetic then go rent this movie. The film is a tale of warring New York gangs and at its time of its release I’m told it caused quite a stir. However, watching in 2009 you can’t help but notice that perceptions again have changed. Instead of a hard-hitting portrayal of inner-city gang violence The Warriors is a comedy in disguise, full of kitsch costumes and the ridiculous slag. But that’s exactly what makes it such a great movie, and it’s this part of gang culture that I really want to get involved with.
For me being in a gang doesn’t mean going down to South London, doing over a corner shop, and committing a racially motivated assault. It means dressing up ridiculous clothes, making up some stupid slang that no one else can understand, and hanging around with your mates.
I would love to live in the hyper-real partisan world of The Warriors, where everyone chooses an identity based on the music they like or the sport they play, and embraced it right down to the colour of their socks and the way they cut their hair.
With that in mind, click NEXT PAGE to see my guide to forming your own bad ass Warriors-style gang.
