Every week, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 39-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
Drawing a woman using a pencil to trace around the head of a hammer feels like a version of the old adage “the pen is mightier than the sword,” which, as adages go, is a good one. I’m sure it implied writing, but can be extended to visual art and by association, lyrics and therefore punk rock, which for too long meant four white guys onstage raging. Every now and then, you get a punk band like Pussy Riot who isn’t defined by their lyrics or onstage rage. Whether it’s a collective, a group or a revolving door of political activists and artists, Pussy Riot clearly doesn’t limit itself to a PA and the stage.
“Excalibur” from Who Shot Elvis? (Matador, 1997) (download):
