Freak scene

The freak scene was a term used by a slightly post-hippie and pre-punk style of bohemian subculture. It referred to an overlap between politicised pacifist post-hippies and generally non-pacifist progressive rock 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. 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..."

Related Topics:
Hippie - Punk - Bohemian - Subculture - Progressive rock - Rock festival - Free festival - Happening - Alternative society - Beat scene - 1966 - Mothers - The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - Sleeve note - Joni Mitchell - 1971

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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.

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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.

Related Topics:
Scene - Sexism - Freak - Identity politics

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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.

Related Topics:
Progressive rock - Fusion jazz - Jesus freak - Phone phreaks

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