It's possible you've never heard of Richard Hell or Robert Quine, and you wouldn't be alone if that were true. They were the true pioneers of the punk movement - Richard Hell in particular being amongst the first to spike his hair and accessorize his clothes with safety pins - and even Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren admitted to 'borrowing' some of his band's style and sound inspiration from Hell's band the Voidoids.
One person who did know about them, and was a fan, was Elvis Costello, and he joined them for a gig at New York's CBGB in 1978, where this picture was taken - although there, nervously gripping his arm whilst sat between Hell and guitarist Robert Quine in the nicotine-yellowed backstage area, he looks like he may have been having second thoughts about the whole thing.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.