Anti Climax #1, 1979

All this stuff is copyright so don't rip anything off ok?

Seriously, I was contacted recently by Digital Rights Management hawks hassling about an article in an issue of Grinding Halt - apparently the DRM folk were operating on behalf of Vice Squad and it seems they'd adopted a scatter gun approach - they backed off as soon as it became apparent that I did in fact have full blessing from the creators of the zine - - fucking chancers.

Anyroad, here for your delectation is Anti Climax #1 serving up on a vintage paper platter delights such as: articles on The Adicts, Crass' Feeding of the Five Thousand, Metal Urbain, and Running Dogs; interviews with the UK Subs venerable frontman, Charlie Harper, The Buzzpops; live reviews of The Damned/UK Subs/The Specials, and Penetration/Cowboys International; and some product under scrutiny, namely recordings by The Specials, The Shapes, Wot's for Lunch Mum, Stiff Little Fingers, The Skids, XTC, and The Leyton Buzzards. Short & Sweet & Neat Neat Neat.

Single sided A4 scanned at 400 dpi

 

Cool Notes #5, 1982

If things go as planned you should find a balloon on this page. It’s a Christmas gift from me, what you do with the bloody thing is up to you. But have fun anyway. (If there’s no balloon hard luck)

Being a lover of the Ranting style of poetry Richard Edwards' Cool Notes always chimed nicely for me. Here in issue 5 there’s a focussed interview with the ever entertaining Atilla The Stockbroker and The Alarm too are given the third degree. There are mini features on Wall of Voodoo, The Insane Picnic, Johnny 7 Combo plus news on Special Duties, The Members, The Chefs, The Gas, David Rodigan, Steel Pulse, The Mood Elevators, B Movie, Talkover, The Assassins of Hope, and Ranter extraordinaire, Seething Wells (RIP). Richard and Cool Notes co-conspirator Kev cast their ears over effusions by Zeitgeist, Twisted Nerve, Living in Texas, Felt, The Monochrome Set, Joe Crow, Thomas Leer, The Nightingales, New Criminals 2, Twelve Cubic Feet, and The Apostles. There are reviews of gigs featuring Stiff Little Fingers/The Alarm, Talkover/Michael Smith, Dead Kennedys/Millions of Dead Cops/Serious Drinking/Peter & the Test Tube Babies. At the Hop is part 2 of a feature on ‘Roots’ music and homes in on luminaries such as James Brown and the Flames, The Harptones, The Spaniels, and The Mascots. A Brief Guide into Africa does as it proclaims. A number of cartoons are sprinkled throughout and there’s the near mandatory fanzine round-up and staff playlists plus some tips for those wishing to make their own LP, write a play, have a bash at seeing Haley’s Comet, or start up a brewery. Finally, there’s the, Those That We Left Out…and Why section telling of missed opportunities with Haircut 100, Flux of Pink Indians, Victor Romero Evans, UB40, Roman Holiday, and Dennis Bovell. Oh well, you can’t have it all I suppose.

 

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Cool Notes #5  

 

Thomas (Tommy Ramone) Erdelyi, 1952-2014

 

R.I.P. Tommy

Trees and Flowers #2, 1980

Is the future going to be a Nightmare?

This was a great fanzine - always fairly choc full of decent interviews, articles and interviews. Steve Toxin was at the helm with contributions in this issue from Gary Blatch, Kes, Ian Newton, Joe Bridge, Aggro Moore, and Vengeance. Just the one interview in #2 - that's with the Nuclear Socketts. Along with reviews of The Clash and Sex Pistols films (Rude Boy / The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle) there are shed loads of vinyl reviews: Crisis - Hymns of Faith, UK Subs - Brand New Age, Nuclear Socketts, Crass / Poison Girls - Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown, Siouxsie & the Banshees - Christine, Sham 69 - Tell the Children, Sex Pistols - Stepping Stone, Discharge - Realities of War, Angelic Upstarts - We Gotta Get Out of this Place, The Plasmatics - Butcher Baby, Dead Kennedy's - Holiday in Cambodia, Slaughter & the Dogs - I'm the One, The Cockney Rejects - Greatest Hits Vol 1, Stiff Little Fingers - Nobody's Heroes, and Toyah - The Blue Meaning. Just a couple of gig to report: UK Subs / Liquid Stone, and Slaughter / Cockney Rejects / Crisis / Manufactured Romance. There are 2 brief articles on Stranger Still, and The Prams + a handful of fanzine review and a couple of letters. I've got a fair pile of T&Fs to work through - good stuff the lot of 'em. 

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Trees and Flowers #2

Anti System T Shirt, 2014

 
Absolutely not my usual way of doing things as you will know if you've been paying attention - but I do like these T shirts so I have no qualms about breaking the ee code to plug them. If you're wondering about provenance, whilst it would be wrong to term them 'official', I can vouch for the fact that all contactable ex-members of Anti System were given the heads-up about this project and there resolutely were no objections. If you're interested in scoring one please follow the link below.

http://soapandspikes.bigcartel.com/product/anti-system-t-shirt-pre-order-available-may23rd

While I'm at it I'd like to recommend another Soap & Spikes product - namely the long -delayed release of Flowers in the Dustbin LP - it's a beautifully produced piece of vinyl housed in a very attractive screen printed sleeve with a snazzy booklet tipped-in. Highly recommended indeed.

http://soapandspikes.bigcartel.com/product/flowers-in-the-dustbinko-lp

To be absolutely clear - I am on no commission from S&S at all - got that?

Rapid Eye Movement #3, 1980

Nice try Jah but your request fell on ears deaf to such pleas. Anyroad, I think I may have used up all available superlatives enthusing about the fanzines that have appeared on ee thus far - certainly, short of indulging in a bout of neologising, I'd struggle to adequately give voice to my full opinion of this particular item. Suffice to say, it may well be my all-time favourite fanzine - I love everything about the bugger - back in 1980 it opened my senses and broadened my horizons so radically that I've felt indebted to Simon Dwyer ever since. The interviews here: Wire, The Chefs, and Andy Warhol are all exceptionally good - but the encounter with Crass is the zenith as far as I'm concerned - it's an utter tour de force. The remainder of the fanzine retains an outstanding quality not least the article about Philip K. Dick and the letter from Nag (Door & Window / n.b.records). In a word, Awesome!

Tragically for me - I've never seen a copy of REM #2 - if anybody can help me out with that I'd be extremely grateful.

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Rapid Eye Movement #3  

Peroxide #2, 1980

get set for a riot

Well I did promise, and here it is - issue 2 of Quentin Cook's perfectly formed Peroxide. This issue features excellent and informative interviews with The Vapors, Devo, Wreckless Eric, and Captain Sensible. A batch of articles on The Chefs, the Reigate scene (Escalators, Magazine Spies, Tools Down, Cellarmatics, Crime, The Hotpoints), Spizz, Wasted Youth, Serge Clerc, and unsurprisingly, Quentin Cook's band, Disque Attack. There's a wee tribute to Ian Curtis. A couple of live reviews of Adam & the Ants/Dave Berry & the Cruisers/Martian Dance, and Crime. Some product reviews of The Hotpoints, Vaultage 79 (Attrix comp), Hardware, Mataya Clifford, Magazine Spies, and Slaughter & the Dogs. There's a decent fanzine round up and some heartening words from Quentin about the support he received from fellow fanziners. Well, oi oi that's yer lot where Peroxide is concerned - only 2 issues saw the light and given the quality of both it's a shame issue 3 never saw the light with its promise of Killing Joke, Wasted Youth, The Photos, Athletico Spizz 80…and more. Ah well - we were blessed...

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Peroxide #2

Here's the Sex Pistols, 1979

Anarchy, venom, outrage, fury! 

 

Something of a curio here - it's Paul Sinclair's stand alone, Here's the Sex Pistols. The cover says it all really - it's basically a compilation of press around the Bollocks LP. Mention is made of Swindle and the Pistols' split + some newspaper cuttings and lots of pictures of John Lydon. I suppose it's one for the completist really. Still, worth a minute or 2 of anybody's time - if punk is your bag!

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Here's the Sex Pistols

Music Works, 1980

The Fanzine that Kills all Known Germs Dead

Ok, apologies for yet another hiatus - I wanted to leave the Truth of Revolution alert as the top line until the £15k was reached and I'm pleased to announce that the Kickstart was a success. 

So, cracking on, here is Cram's precursor to Intensive Care, Music Works. It's a lovely scrappy affair largely made up of gig reviews of Crass / Poison Girls / Annie Anxiety / The Epileptics / T42, The Scars / Spizz Energi, Athletico Spizz 80, The Cure, UK Subs and Toyah; vinyl reviews of UK Subs, Toyah, Politicians, Martha & the Muffins, UK Decay, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Notsensibles, Dangerous Girls, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Licks, The Slits, The Filmcast, The Pop Group, Discharge, Adam & the Ants, Killing Joke, and the Afflicted; an article on The Undertones; some little snippets from here and there + bits of collage and Cram's charts. All in all it's an enjoyable article all around really. 

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MusicWorks

The Truth of Revolution Brother

Update

 

It's excellent to be able to report that the Kickstart appeal acheived the £15K needed to get this great project off the ground. Well done to all those who pledged their support and congratulations go out to Charlie, Lisa and Robin.

 

The Truth of Revolution, Brother is a unique exploration of the philosophy of punk, based on the ideas, beliefs and lives of the people that created the movement. 
 

The punk explosion of the late 70’s and early 80’s changed the face of music, art, fashion and more. But it didn't stop there. We believe the originators of this movement were onto something really important. They had a unique view on an alternative way of operating in society (and often outside of it). We set out to reconnect to the same people that were behind this philosophical shift, to see how they live their values today. What had they learned? What is the lasting legacy? We are interested in what this means for us now. 
 

 We have spent a year with some of the most influential figures in the global punk movement. The people we’ve spoken to have been musicians, artists, poets, politicians and provocateurs of all hues. We’ve interviewed the brains behind bands like Crass, Minor Threat & Fugazi, Sugarcubes, Big Black, Subhumans, Poison Girls, The Pop Group & Mark Stewart and the Maffia, The Møb, The Adverts, The Membranes, Steve Ignorant’s Slice of Life, Ghostigital, Oi Polloi, Rubella Ballet and many more. 
 

 We are self-publishing a truly stunning and life-affirming book that captures the ideas, experiences and features artwork from real trailblazers. We are creating something of beauty, and have taken enormous care to respect the material and the people that we've been working with to produce a unique treatment about the next stage of the punk journey. 
 

Become part of this project by backing us on Kickstarter.com and help us to produce and print this book.
 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200002823/the-truth-of-revolution-brother-punk-philosophy-bo

Barricade #4, 1981

WRAP UP THE ROCKETS

Since I don't have a copy, I'll have to skip Barricade #3. Here in issue 4 you'll find interviews with Energy I.Q., and Stiff Little Fingers; articles about The Freshies (I've just read Jon Ronson's, Frank - it's brill!), and The Cynics; live reviews of Psychopathic Disorder/A-I/Noise Annoys, Noise Annoys/Flatbackers, Underground/Situations Vacant/Letsby Avenue/Concrete Rabbits, Ski Patrol/Concrete Rabbits, The Cure, Stiff Little Fingers/The Wall, and The Beat/Nervous Kind; and vinyl reviews of Stiff Little Fingers, A Certain Ratio, Surgical Supports, Tronics, Depeche Mode, and Corridor One. Neat stuff!

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Barricade #4

Ripped & Torn #14, 1978

Watch Tony D. squirm as the crawling toad says he likes the Buzcocks after all...

 

Apologies, I've no time to adequately blurb this one up. Suffice to say it's a Tony D. product so quality is assured. Just get stuck in for fantastically entertaining gubbins on Patti Smith, The Angelic Upstarts, Albertos Los Trios, and Swindle. At the movies with - yes, you guessed…Eraserhead! Trash Rock Lives by Jeremy Gluck. Excellent stuff on the Antz. Live reviews of The Slits/The Doll, The Members, Chelsea/The Fall/Snivelling Shits, The Skids/The Zones, and Punishment of Luxury/Leyton Buzzards. The Life & Times of Patrik Fitzgerald by Tony D. Vinyl reviews of Johhny Thunders, Mickey Jupp, The Skids, Julie & Gordon, Keith Armstrong, Raped, Controllers, Stiff Little Fingers, The Nips, Steve Treatment, Demon Preacher, Chelsea, Adam & the Ants, Skooshny, Buzzcocks, David Bowie, The Ramones, Blondie, The Rich Kids, Devo, Alternative TV/Here & Now, Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, Wilko Johnson & the Solid Senders, Dr. Feelgood, and Chrome + lots more to boot. Top Flight!

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Ripped & Torn #14 

Scott Asheton 1949–2014

R.I.P. Scott

Phaze One #1, 1980

We aren't mates professionally...

 

Thus spake Jimmy Pursey on his relationship with fellow Shammers. Ho hum! Anyroad, hailing from Middlesex here's Phaze One #1 - product of Maurice Conroy, Simon Conroy and  Maurice Walsh - that's Moz 1, Si and Moz 2 aka The Public Heirs. PO#1 sees the boys giving 6 pages over to the UK Subs and  features a review of their gig at the Music Machine along with separate interviews with Nicky Garratt, Steve Roberts, Alvin Gibbs and yer main man, Charlie Harper. Elsewhere there are interviews with Infa Riot, and Jimmy Pursey. Public Heirs themselves are interviewed by Aiden Brennan of Back Issue fame. There's a wee piece about Killing Joke. Theatre of Hate, Girls At Our Best, Blue Orchids, Orange Juice, Josef K, The Go-Betweens + Public Heirs have their discs /tape reviews. Oh Man! - Another Better Badges goodie!

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Phaze One #1

Blam #1, 1980

Image as Virus

Disease as Cure

Here's the debut issue of Peter Hall's excellent, Blam!. Featuring: interviews with Young Marble Giants, and Waxwork Dummies; articles about Dogma Cats, and Wah! Heat; live reviews of Adam & The Ants, The Monochrome Set, Charming Farming / The Yaks, and Dexys Midnight Runners; reviews of Swell Maps, Gilbert & Lewis, Robert Rental & The Normal, and Fire Engines' products and a crossword to boot. Yet another belter from Better Badges!!

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Blam #1

Bob Casale 1952 - 2014

R.I.P. Bob

Martin Neish 1960 - 2014

R.I.P. Protag

A System Partly Revealed #2, 1982

Government is Government and Government is Force

 

John Cato's yer man here. A System Partly Revealed #2 features: interviews with Crass, and Mila 18; Faction, Part 1, and Assassins of Hope in profile; A Justification of Anarchism being a brief hat tip to Bakunin and Proudhon, and The Spectacle, a nod and a half to Guy Debord. There's an extensive review of Rudimentary Peni', Farce EP and elsewhere a shorter look at the Outer Himalayan EP. Live reviews of Rubella Ballet/ Conflict/Annie Anxiety (Moonlight Club), Rubella Ballet/Omega Tribe/Youth in Asia (The Ship), and Crass/Dirt/Annie Anxiety (Crayford Town Hall). There are some nice pieces of poetry and lots more besides in a beautiful rambling mess.

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A System Partly Revealed #2

Peter Seeger 1919 - 2014

R.I.P. Pete

In The City #2, 1977

'…there's a thousand things I want to say to you'…but I think I'll just stick to listing the substantive elements of this consistently excellent fanzine. Frank and Pete present an interview with The Lurkers and features on The Boomtown Rats, and Generation X. Ultravox' (of course), Ha! Ha! Ha! gets a 4 page treatment with Scraps of Sham 69, Radio Stars, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, The Tom Robinson Band, Buzzcocks, Headbanger, Outrage, Rank Xerox ('…thanks for your quote and goodbye'), Polydor, The Jam, Barbara Fisher, and Island Records. Other contributions from Peter Baldwin (18, Putney), Len Parker (of Hounslow), Terry Carson(22, ex borstal), and not forgetting the ITC Charts.

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In The City #2

V Sign #2, 1979

The Reekers Require a Drummer - No Experience Necessary

This product of Stevenage Print Workshop sees Les & Tim interviewing The Fall, and Spizz; profiling The Syndicate, Scritti Politti, UK Decay, and Pneumania; giving us the lowdown on Deaf Aids/Drags, Joy Division, The Fall, Gang of Four/The Mekons and Delta 5 live performances; reviewing Crass', Stations of the Crass, Earcom 1 EP and The Scars; offering a bit of a fanzine round-up; publishing some poetry and sharing their Obligatory Chart of '79. It's an excellent fanzine indeed.

 

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V Sign #2

Rough Justice #2, 1981

Here's a a slim but worthwhile fanzine put together in Coventry by Pete Samson with contributions from Pete Every. Quite a bit of interest here with interviews: Monachy, Partizans, and Attrition; live reviews of Attrition/Idol-Eyes/Delayed Reaction, The Urge/Partizans, The Butts, and Human Cabbages/Famous 5/Relevant POS/ Delayed Reaction; a short profile of The Partizans; 7"s reviews of Theatre of Hate, Anti Pasti, SLF, Sly Dunbar, UK Decay, Ruts DC, Department s, New Order, and Eyeless in Gaza; From Brussells with Love comp (Brian Eno, Jean Moreau, John Foxx, Bill Nelson, The Durrutti Column, Martin Hannett, and A Certain Ratio); a bundle of cassette reviews - Undead Hatred, Dron Area, 21 Guns, The Wild Boys; a note on The Clash at Agora Balllroom bootleg; a few film reviews, a breif fanzine round-up and a write up of The Urge and The Hawks at Pebble Mill.

Long time ee advisor, Nicholas Bullen has offered these nuggets about this fanzine:

This is great - It's written by a guy who was at my school, and whose younger brother was in the band Delayed Reaction who are mentioned in the fanzine (and sounded completely like Six Minute War, by whom they were influenced a great deal)...I went to quite a few of the gigs reviewed in here...The "More 'Zines" section features reviews of two fanzines I made in 1980 and 1981 (when I was 12 years old): Antisocial and Out of Vogue (named after the song by the American band The Middle Class)...The "Who Cares?" section also features a review of a tape by Undead Hatred, which was the band which I played in before we changed our name to Napalm Death...

...many thanks to Nic for dropping by and sharing his wonderful memories.

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Rough Justice #2

Aftermath #3, 1980

Here's another excellent issue of Bobby C. and Tony M's Aftermath to get the New Year rolling for ee. Featuring: interviews with Industrial Muzik, Wasted Youth (there's quite a keen focus on WY with various references throughout + publicity shots of the band); live reviews of The Nips, The Mysterons/The Insex/Disco Zombies, and Athletico Spizz 80/The Scars. It's sad to see the generally dismissive appraisal of the T.V prog, Something Else - I thought the show was really quite good. There's an extended review of The Fall's, Dragnet, 2 pages dedicated to a by and large favourable review of The Clash's, London Calling from Bobby (marred somewhat by a decidedly bitchy counter-editorial). Also, Throbbing Gristle's, 20 Jazz Funk Greats gets the extended review treatment whilst elsewhere there are shorter reviews of Delta 5, 9 Below Zero, Mo-Dettes, The Piranhas, Nurse With Wound and Furious Baton Charge, The Opposition (The New Underground) is a brief peak at independent labels. Not forgetting the neat little fanzine round-up.

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Aftermath #3