Way back when, Minor Threat, Black Flag and 7 Seconds were groundbreaking bands. Minor Threat rallied against a nihilistic, substance addicted punk scene and began a worldwide movement. Black Flag combined primal rage with a creative spirit, responsible for anthems transcendent of the underground. With releases such as 'The Crew' and 'Skins, Brains and Guts EP,' 7 Seconds were a forerunner in defining hardcore as a genre in and of itself, a clean break from the excesses which killed punk in the first place. Bearing that in mind, it's a nausea inducing headfuck to witness musicians once so vibrant and creative hit harder by the middle age spread than Bret Michaels by scenery.

On a particularly slow news day, furore broke over clothier of begs Urban Outfitters stocking Minor Threat t-shirts. Former vocalist Ian MacKaye stated “I just don't give a fuck about T-shirts," further noting the futility of trying to track down bootleggers and diplomatically calling buyers of the $28 shirts “motherfuckers.” Strikingly, he added that “it's not a political thing for me.” This is in spite of MacKaye's own dogged activism, from the prices of his concert tickets to anti-war issues, compared to Rick Santorum donator and Urban Outfitters boss Richard Hayne.

Unlike John Lydon, whose selling out has been self-aware at least and meta at most, it's a real curiosity to see the intensely single-minded Ian Mackaye flip opinions so readily. If his changed attitude is out of apathy then that's lamentable from a punk who once cried “don't drink, don't fuck, at least I can fucking think.” However, it marginally has more dignity than the harsh turn of talking head troubadour Billy Bragg.

In a recent, widely derided column for the Guardian, Bragg added his voice to the South Bank redevelopment argument. The troubled project has seen arts heads go against broad sections of the public, celebrities and skaters looking to save the Undercroft, a DIY skatepark and art space. Bragg accused skaters of selfishness against the wishes of the larger community, such as businesses and young artists. Obviously he's entitled to make his case and participate in debate; what's been less credible has been his feuding with London skate shop Slam City Skates over the issue. 

Slam City allege that Bragg entered the shop and proceeded to 'scream' at staff members before being asked to leave. With CCTV footage of the encounter apparently soon to air, it's a pitiful sight to see Bragg so spiteful towards members of counter-culture, the natural enemy of the establishment. Perhaps it's just that hard to stay grounded in a Dorset mansion, an ossified voice being edged ever more out of relevance, ironically like a singer/songwriter game Margaret Thatcher.

Similarly to Bragg's changed opinions, Kevin Seconds of 7 Seconds wasn't happy to 'Walk Together, Rock Together' in 2011, when he took to Kickstarter to raise $7000 for a new van. For a successful musician in the game for 30 years, it was lamentable for Seconds to offer, cap in hand, 'digital doodle art' for $10. For over $50, a lucky buyer could get a 'shout out' from Seconds over social media, because someone out there was masochistic enough to associate themselves with a folk rocker two wild years ago. In a sign of just how far he was willing to commodify his work, Seconds offered to co-write a song with whoever would pledge over $750- as long as there was 'NO racism, NO sexism, NO homophobia,' so in theory a folk rock speciest anthem with Kevin Seconds would've been fair game.

With Seconds, it doesn't seem to be old age jadedness which hit him like McKaye, Bragg or Lydon; Bronson at Stuff You Will Hate put it best: “Although he will be poor and most of his closest friends will live on the internet, he will feel that his lifestyle is all worth it when he “sees the look on kids’ faces when he tells them about the time he got drunk with the lead singer of Lagwagon before their set at The Fest in Gainesville.” Nonetheless, age is age and you can't help but imagine that a younger Seconds would've just jimmied open an Enonoline door and be done with it.

The recent lawsuit of Black Flag seems to be the ultimate: jaded, money grubbing and mortifying. In early 2013, original members Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson, plus Stephen Egerton, reunited to play the songs of Black Flag as 'Flag'. Simultaneously, original guitarist and longest-serving member Greg Ginn joined with Ron Reyes, Gregory Moore and Dave Klein to record and play as 'Black Flag'. Ginn alleges that the former band is perpetuating a fraud against himself and SST Records, who he claims owns the rights, and sought an injunction against them touring.

Since their formation/reformation, Flag have gained much acclaim which Ginn has dismissed as “'fake' Flag band currently covering the songs of Black Flag in an embarrassingly weak 'mailing it in' fashion.” Considering Ginn couldn't keep a solid band together during Black Flag's original run it's unsurprising he's acrimonious, whilst the upcoming 22-song LP looks set to further tarnish anything the California punks ever accomplished. In the words of a true sage of grime, “leave it, yeah?”

Mackaye, Bragg, Ginn et al have strayed so far from their original selves that it begs the question: how does one age with integrity? With a mohican and a mortgage? Why not ignore the men of middle life crises and embrace figures like Kathleen Hanna, Poly Styrene or Joan Jett. Whether it's valid political commentary, charity work or basically just more beneficial contributions to humanity, the legacy of punk isn't just of money grubbers, politcos or playa haters.