Freak scene

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The freak scene was a term used by a slightly post-hippie and pre-punk style of bohemian subculture. It referred to overlaps between politicised pacifist post-hippies, generally non-pacifist progressive rock fans and non-politicised Psychedelic music and Psychedelia fans, moving between rock festivals, free festivals, happenings and alternative society gatherings of various kinds. The name comes, at least partly, from a tongue-in-cheek reference to the beat scene.

The freak scene was a stepping-stone between the hippie era and punk. The dissatisfaction with society's labelling of its subcultures had become self-parodying. The scene evolved from the growing awareness that sexism, which still existed to a significant extent in hippie behaviour patterns, was unacceptable. The taking on of the derogatory word freak represented an embracing of identity politics.

By the early seventies it was completely common usage for progressive rock or fusion jazz fans and others to describe people as a "dope freak" or a "speed freak", "sci-fi freak", "jazz freak", "healthfood freak", "Jesus freak" etc., according to a person's main obsessions. The Phone phreaks also arose around this time.

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[edit] Hair and clothes

The hairstyles were mostly long and unkempt but people were experimenting with other possibilities. Rock stars of the era such as David Bowie and Roxy Music were trying shorter styles and hair dye. Roy Wood of the pop group Wizzard had hair down to his knees with odd colours dyed in. These musical icons were influential. Shaven heads were seen occasionally but were not yet as common as they would become when punk began. There was a reluctance to make hair too short for fear of looking like skinheads (who at that time were still thought of by the freaks as associated with neo-nazism).

The clothing of the freaks used elements of roleplay such as headbands, cloaks, frock coats, kaftans etc. which suggest either a romantic historical era or a distant place travelled to. These were combined with cheap, hardwearing clothes such as jeans and army surplus coats. The effect was to make a group of freaks look like a gathering of characters from a fantasy or science fiction novel, like time-warped refugees out of Middle-earth. All of these appearances were intentional and enjoyed by the participants of the freak scene.

[edit] Music

One of the earliest instances of this usage to be popularized, was its appearance throughout the liner notes of the 1966 Mothers album, "Freak Out". The following year The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's album sleeve notes parodied the expression with these words for track one: "COOL BRITANNIA (Trad. Stanshall/Innes) Someone letta Freak-Out? What do you think Reader?" Another musical reference is from Joni Mitchell's 1971 song Carey: "A round for these freaks and these soldiers A round for these friends of mine..." Ian Gillian of Deep Purple often referred to himself as a Freak, such songs as (Space Truckin) with the Lyric "The Freaks said 'Man those cats could really swing'" and (No No No) with "Looking at them all it feels good to be a freak"

Music was an eclectic mixture around a progressive rock base. There were crossover bands bridging rock and jazz, rock and folk, rock and sci-fi (space rock) and experimentalism in all directions.

A BBC radio presenter, John Peel, presented a nightly show which played the music the freaks were mainly interested in.

By critics and fans alike, the influential Love's 1967 effort, Forever Changes, is seen as the perfect encapuslation of the freak scene's dual open euphoria and subversive dread.[citation needed]

Some of the major musical artists listened to on the scene were:

Following the success of the 1978 smash hit "Le Freak" by CHIC, the term enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence on the R&B scene by the early 80's, thanks to the efforts of artists like Rick James, Whodini, and Midnight Star. In 1981 Was (Not Was) released "Out Come the Freaks" with the lyrics:

"Woodwork squeaks and out come the freaks
Woodwork squeaks and out comes Trotsky
Out comes Trotsky, yeah
Woodwork squeaks and out comes Coltrane
Coltrane, Coltrane
Woodwork squeaks and out comes Che Guevara
Che Guevara, Che Guevara
Woodwork squeaks and out comes the Powell
Buddy Powell, Buddy Powell"

[edit] Literature

Aside from music, the subculture also made inroads into the underground comic scene with the introduction (in 1968) of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Gilbert Shelton.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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