The Screen on the Green is one of the oldest, still operating cinema's in London, originally built in 1913. This cinema is located in the tourist neighborhood of Islington and is a host to movie screenings, in addition to live events. It is directly across from the Islington Green, hence the name, Screen on the Green. Islington today is one of the more tourist focused neighborhoods of London, and according to London tour guides The Screen on the Green is a highlight of the neighborhood for tourists to watch a movie or performance at. It is interesting to consider the possibility that this location being a point of interest in the punk rock movement may have contributed to London becoming a hub for entertainment. The Screen on the Green is a unique multi-use theatre with distinctive neon lights that illuminate the building. This theatre is a point of interest on the punk counterculture walking tour because on August 29th of 1976 "punk was born" at the Screen on the Green when The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Buzzcocks performed together, sometimes referred to as "The Midnight Special." This event was the first ever public performance of The Clash, a band inspired by the punk attitude of The Sex Pistols, and a band that would go on to be one of the most popular punk bands ever. Not only did The Clash go on to be a major player in the punk rock movement, but is known as one of the most popular British bands of all time. The timeline of this event is important to remember, as 1976 was a year of high tension in the punk movement, The Sex Pistols had just formed in 1975 and were quickly gaining popularity, however had not yet released some of their controversial hits yet. This location is significant because it was a moment when the feelings of discontent that punk bands expressed came together for a united performance. This is representative of the solidarity of punk culture, and this evening in particular was the end of a long, hot summer when punk rock was born.

Anarchy in the UK is one of The Sex Pistols biggest hits, and this song was performed at the Screen on the Green before being released to the public. Through lyrics, there is a clear dissatisfaction with the government in this song. In a later verse, The Sex Pistols sing "'Cause I want to be anarchy, It's the only way to be, Is this the MPLA, Or is this the UDA, Or is this the IRA, I thought it was the U.K, Or just another country, Another council tenancy…" This is relevant to the historical controversy over the punk movement because these lyrics clearly spread a message of the political dissatisfaction many people in Britain were feeling at this point in history by comparing the UK to major paramilitary organizations. It is through anger that The Sex Pistols respond to these feelings by releasing music that was a response to traditional rock n' roll. McLaren, manager of the band, said that "it's a statement of ultimate independence." By performing together at a major live theatre, the night at The Screen on the Green is symbolic of the influence of the punk message reaching youth in London on a large, public scale for the first time.

The Clash was a band inspired by The Sex Pistols, and at the Midnight Special two of the biggest bands in the punk movement came together to represent London. Both bands originated from London and performed many of their most significant shows in the city of London. They represented British punk on a global scale as the movement gained popularity and eventually combined with American punk band The Ramones. London is considered to be the most influential city in the punk movement, due to the popularity of bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Events like the Midnight Special at the Screen on the Green were important to the beginning and growing influence of punk culture.

According to the list of gig's performed by The Sex Pistols, many of their shows were cancelled due to venues worries about attracting the wrong crowd. By 1977 there was a flyer released with all the venues in which The Sex Pistols had been banned from playing at, including major places like BBC Radio One. This emphasizes the controversy surrounding punk bands in London. The Screen on the Green allowed punk to be born at their venue and used the hardcore punk attitude to merchandise this event as a "Midnight Special." On the live CD recording of the event an attendee describes this gig as a big social occasion when all the punk bands and fans came together. The event itself is a moment of solidarity in both the bands and the fans of the punk community, and represents the human side of punk culture.

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Timeout London. "Screen on the Green." timeoutlondon.com. https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/islington-area-guide Accessed November 15, 2017.