Event

On 22nd October 2016, the Punk in the East (PITE) exhibition trail opened in the Norwich Lanes to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of the UK’s first punk single, New Rose by The Damned.

15 venues including shops, cafe bars, galleries and the Museum of Norwich showcased original clothing, local gig posters and tickets, records, fanzines, badges and hundreds of related photographs.  That evening Ruts DC played the PITE launch party to a sell-out crowd at Norwich Arts Centre.

Highlights of the trail included tickets, posters and press cuttings for the banned Sex Pistols gig (3/12/1976) at the University of East Anglia (UEA), large collections of Seditionaries and home made clothing, the illuminated sign from Norwich’s first punk club, Peoples, and lots of great images from one of the UK’s most revered gig venues, West Runton Pavillion on the North Norfolk coast.

As news of the 6-week exhibition trail spread, visitors travelled from much further afield. It also brought in yet more ephemera from individual pieces to larger collections which have since been archived.

As well as bringing back to life the UK’s most exciting music revolution, PITE also highlighted the era’s political landscape and in turn displayed other important images of local social history.

The Punk in the East exhibition trail was set up with a DIY ethos and without any funding at all. With that in mind we’d like to thank everyone involved, from the volunteers to the Norwich Lanes businesses and the staff of the Museum of Norwich, for without their assistant none of this would have ever been achieved.

Extra special thanks to the following:

Jonty Young,
Matt Worley, Jenny Caynes, Elliott Sadler,  Kerry Major,
Ben Wilson  (graphic design),
John Stutely (website),
Jessie Dodd,
Andrew ‘Wellie’ Wells,
Jade Heaviside,
Paul Mills,
Philip Browne,
Pasco-Q Kevlin and everyone at Norwich Arts Centre,
Steve Ignorant,
Steven Ashley,
The Norwich Lanes.

This website is dedicated to the memory of Jon Vince.