London's Calling - The Origins of Punk Map

Not everyone is going to like this map - but I love it. London's Burning: Punk Rock Origins
is an Esri map featuring the (loose) origins of some of London's finest punk bands. The map plots the birthplaces of some of the UK's first punk bands and even allows you to listen to a selection of their finest songs.

I do have two slight niggles with the map. The first is the choice of song for SHAM 69. The map's creator has included perhaps their most well know song. However, considering this is a map about the origins of the bands and that SHAM 69 hail from Hersham, then surely the song featured should have been Hersham Boys.

The only real problem musical historians might have with the map is the inclusion of the Anti-Nowhere League. ANL were not only from a slighter later era from the rest of the bands on the map but were also not from London. If you are going to stretch the boundaries of the map then it would have seemed more sensible to include The Stranglers. Their home town of Guildford is not only closer to London but the band are themselves of a similar musical vintage to the rest of the bands on the map.

The only reason I can see for the map's creator to add the Anti-Nowhere League is that they wanted to include the video for 'So What?' on the map. So What? just happens to be the most gloriously vulgar record of all time. I happen to own a very rare copy of the single myself which I bought on the morning of its release.

I will therefore allow for the inclusion for the Anti-Nowhere League. But - whatever you do - DON'T PLAY THE VIDEO (... you've been warned!).