Poly Styrene was in the audience and all the stupid media stuff melted away. Styrene’s band X-Ray Spex had written one of the most important punk albums of all time: Germfree Adolescents. Besides being a uniquely talented singer, Styrene’s lyrics were way ahead of their time. She wrote about how genetic engineering could lead to genocide, how consumerism mixed with sexism to destroy women’s self-esteem, and the never-ending cycle of exploitation between individuals and corporations.
