MC5, The White Panther Party, and kicking out the jams
Every good rock and roll band has believed that their music has the power to change the world. Even though it might not have seemed easy trying to become the biggest outfit on Earth, some of the most prominent names in music were just as concerned with delivering a message with their music as they were with creating a song that people could dance to. Although the psychedelic movement went hand-in-hand with various political movements, the message of peace, love and understanding was about to get a shot in the arm from the MC5.
As opposed to the other rockstars who were putting flowers in their hair and wasting away with folk-rock music, Wayne Kramer had started to create his brand of chaos out of Detroit. Miles away from the initial counterculture, Kramer set about making tracks with a more ferocious bent to them, taking the building blocks of old rockers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry and putting his own unique spin on them.
Alongside the band’s development through their raucous live shows, The Black Panther movement was also becoming a dominant force in US history. Standing for racial equality, the MC5 wanted to be a part of the movement, becoming a staunch advocate for The White Panther arising out of Detroit.
While the White Panther would be home to radical activists like John Sinclair looking to decriminalise the use of marijuana, Kramer knew that he could break down doors better with music than he could with politics. Although he aligned himself with the mentality of The White Panthers, Kramer had the idea of taking his guitar and turning it into a weapon of resistance, adopting the war cry “KICK OUT THE JAMS” whenever another group was playing.
Where Kramer came from, the phrase was a way for everyone to play the music that people wanted to hear rather than cater to what the critical consensus wanted. Announcing themselves to the world with the phrase “KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS” on the track of the same name, Kramer created a song that would act as a way for artists of any stripe to express themselves however they pleased, whether that be through music or any other artistic expression.
Outside of his political beliefs, what Kramer brought to the guitar community would also become an essential tool for guitarists who came after him. Although he may have been able to play some of the wildest guitar solos known to man, his way of toying with the traditional means of rock and roll lead playing fell in line with the sense of free expression he heard.
When speaking with Metal Evolution, Kramer broke down how he used his guitar as a musical weapon against authority, saying, “Guys like Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, I was heavily influenced by these guys. And when I heard what was coming out of the free jazz movement, I was like, ‘This is clearly the next step.’ I’m able to do things with my guitar to make it sound very un-guitar-like.”
Beyond the politics, Kramer’s mentality for turning the stage into a battleground was only matched by the power of The Stooges. Rather than take any political side, Iggy Pop became one of the most revered frontmen in the world thanks to his different ways of expressing himself onstage, earning the moniker of being the first punk rocker years before the genre had even gotten a proper name.
Kramer wouldn’t be the only one advocating for what the White Panther movement had to say. In the wake of his moving to New York after leaving The Beatles, John Lennon would immortalise Sinclair in the song, ‘John Sinclair’ from Some Time in New York City, encouraging his listeners to advocate for his release from prison after trying to sell marijuana to an undercover police officer.
In an age when rock and roll felt like it had the power to change the world, the MC5’s insistent on not settling for anything less than equality when they hit the stage resulted in some of the most heartfelt performances ever seen. Whether any new bands know it or not, the sounds of both punk and heavy metal still stand in their shadow.
