Punks of the Liberties
In the early nineties the Liberties district of Dublin had a thriving underground punk scene. The central meeting point for punks, bikers and other peripheries was a watering hole called ‘The Old Chinaman’, situated on Golden Lane. Standards were pretty low but it had a great juke box, cheap pints and a pool table. The cellar (The Spider's Web) was used as a venue for regular, alternative gigs. Very little photographic evidence exists of this joint, as cameras were banned and it predated mobile devices. The venue was demolished sometime in the late nineties and the rest is legend.
I had permission to photograph the bands there, strictly before or during performances. I also got to know some of the tribe - the residents of flat called ’J41’ (J standing for jitters!). Everything revolved around music, making a little money and hanging out at various underground venues that popped up along the quays at that time. This series of images document the scene, the energy and the escapades.
