By Detroit, Michigan, has long been regarded as one of the most significant musical centers in the United States. It contributed to the development of Motown, techno, and hardcore punk. This is largely due to the city’s huge African-American population. Jazz, blues, gospel, and hip-hop performers have also emerged in the city. Without the city’s extensive musical influence, which spans practically all major genres, it is difficult to conceive what the state of modern music would sound like.
For rock and hardcore music, Detroit was a significant city.
The 1970s punk movement was greatly influenced by 1960s proto-punk bands from the city, including MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and others. Death, from Detroit, were one of the first all-Black punk bands. The terms “punk rock” and “heavy metal” were originally used in CREEM magazine, which was founded in 1969. The magazine later welcomed contributions from authors like Patti Smith, Lester Bangs, and Cameron Crowe.
Many Detroit-born rock performers, such as Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, and Alice Cooper, had gained international success by the 1970s. One of the first significant hardcore scenes emerged in the ensuing decade, giving rise to groups like the Degenerates and The Holes. Nonetheless, a garage rock revival culture began to emerge in Detroit in the late 1990s and early 2000s, trying to match the heights the genre had attained there a few decades earlier. Just a small number of the scene’s acts, like The White Stripes garnered considerable and mainstream acclaim. The majority of the scene’s bands have long since vanished, a holdover from a time before social media when music scenes developed much more spontaneously.
Detroit Rawk is a great resource for people who want to understand more about the Detroit garage rock revival scene.
The documentary was a part of Lola da musica, a Dutch music documentary series, which broadcast in 2001. Every edition of the show featured a different musical act. These included artists like David Bowie, The Smashing Pumpkins and Underworld.
Detroit Rawk! mostly concentrated on The White Stripes, who hadn’t yet released the album Elephant. The Demolition Doll Rods, The Dirtbombs, and The Paybacks, all fellow Detroit rockers, are also featured in the documentary.
