BRIDPORT is celebrating the raucous, chaotic, energetic, musical blast that was punk and the infectious, joyful sounds of reggae with an exhibition at the arts centre featuring photographs by Adrian Boot, and a couple of punk rebooted gigs on 21st August, in collaboration with Clocktower Records.

The two-band gigs feature Nasty Fishmonger, a folk-punk fivesome from Bristol, and south coast five piece Pussyliquor, whose music is described as “punk music delivered with a smile and a satirical twist.”

Photographer Adrian Boot says: “UK punk erupted in 1976 like a cultural thunderbolt, driven by economic despair and a fierce rejection of the rock establishment. The Sex Pistols lit the fuse, while the Clash broadened punk’s horizons with reggae, politics and social conscience.

“Bands like the Damned, Buzzcocks, and Siouxsie and the Banshees added their own voices to a scene that was short-lived but seismic, reshaping British music, fashion and attitude for decades to come.”

The exhibition, which runs to 22nd August, explores reggae and the spirit of punk rock through a series of powerful images that capture the period’s energy and attitude.