feature: black punk history — afropunk alums pure hell

This Black History Month we’re honoring, who else other than our fav throwback black punk rockers. Today in Black Punk History we’d like to shout-out Philly’s Pure Hell—one of, if not the, first afro punk bands to hit the punk scene in the 1970s. Pure Hell was a four-member punk ensemble that spent the last few years of the ‘70s playing whichever venues they could get into. Soon after, the boys picked up and headed for the UK where they were discovered by Curtis Knight (who claims to have discovered Jimi Hendrix). Pure Hell only released one UK single,”These Boots Are Made For Walking”. In 2009, Pure Hell reunited for AFROPUNK Fest.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor

*Erin White is AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.