Printed Noises #2, 1979

 

The 60c pencilled top right corner on the cover of this Printed Noise hints at a journey across the Atlantic and back to finally reside just across the Pennines from its Chorlton-cum-Hardy home. There’s a fine assemblage of bands for this second issue with Martin Clayton and Dirk R.E. Matrix interviewing A Certain Ratio, Joy Division (a choice typo has Peter Hood on bass! Rob Gretton gets his tuppence in, and bless Ian Curtis for exclaiming, “fanzines, you are the future of the world”),and The Teardrop Explodes (Julian Cope in comical messianic mode and Mick Finkler recalls Wire – just as Gretton did – just as Charlie Chainsaw did....). There’s an article on The Mediators and Manchester for Beginners puts the spotlight on venues (just the Factory and Band on the Wall really + a mention of City Fun fanzine Ed., Andy Zero reopening The Mayflower as Fun House). Modern Life, Modern Man & the Future offers a schematic for survival + PN’ take on the playlist with their Trendy/Matrix Earlists. Admirable.

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Printed Noise #2

Chainsaw #5, 1978

It's Chainsaw time again! Here's issue 5 of Charlie Chainsaw's smashing fanzine. Replete as ever with Charlie's charming comments. The editorial notes the move to double-sided printing and promises, “if I make a profit on this mag I’ll use it to get the bleeding N fixed!”. There’s a fetching snap of Charlie by Jon Romney of Negative Reaction fame and Mr. Chainsaw tells us that the rest of the photos were self-shot using his recently acquired “Boots Beirette that cost £12 new (good eh?)” – how sweet... Anyroad, Chainsaw #5 features: an interview with The Users; Money Corrupts discusses the allure of major labels, photo-fit punks, the “absolute bullshit” nature of the “New Wave” scene and offers props for Wire and Siouxsie & The Banshees; live reviews of The Soft Boys, Squeeze, The Boys/The Force, Slaughter & The Dogs, Siouxsie & The Banshees; LPs  - Live at The Roxy comp (Wasps, Mean streets, Neo, Bernie Torme, Art Attacks, Suspects, Maniacs (the Art Attacks review is ace - “it just sounds like a singer with a Northern accent, with a distant rumbling...”)), Raw Deal comp (The Users, Raw Sewage Co., G.T.s, Bloodclots, Sick Things, Psychos, Killjoys, Zhain); 7”s – Magazine, The Wasps, Devo, Blitzkrieg Bop, The Panik, Metal Urbain, Chelsea, The Pigs, Sham 69, Alternative TV, Menace; a review of Julie Davis, Punk; a short article on Charlie’s band, The Buttocks and neat ads for The Panik and Johnny Moped. Oh, and we mustn't forget Willie D’s Hitler’s Kids cartoon...HACK!

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Chainsaw #5         

NN4 9PZ #4, 1980

 

It has a dead swanky textured cover does issue 4 of NN4 9PZ; a lovely accompaniment for its sterling internals. Excellent work all around sees Chris, Mick, Neil, Tim, and Alan interviewing UK Decay, and Killing Joke (it must be said, the favourable write-up of the KJ encounter shows astonishing goodwill on NN4 9PZ' behalf). There's a mini-feature on Bauhaus; live reviews of 999/Pinpoint, The Zeros/Bauhaus/UK Decay, Antibodies, Killing Joke, UK Decay, The Crew/The Zeros/The Russians, Bauhaus/The Scars, Athletico Spizz 80; poetry from T. Sheppard, and a couple of interesting letters pages (T42 Seaman Stockton (Eklektik) corresponded), along with some of Chris' thoughtful responses. Of course there's the obligatory Playlist and a brief fanzine round-up. Pleasing indeed.

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NN4 9PZ #4

Adventuring Into Basketry #2, 1981

 

Here's an actual request fulfillment - issue 2 of Neil Burrows' and Andrew Hulme's AIB (featuring contributions from Monica Bryce, Jonathan Tait, Anna Watson, and Roger Horberry). A wonderfully well-rounded fanzine, issue 2 sees: interviews with Pigbag, The Raincoats, The Comsat Angels, Crispy Ambulance; Submerge Funk One and Submersibles Funk Two focus on "funky Music" (Haircut One Hundred, Heaven 17, Level 42, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Spandau Ballet); reviews of LPs - David Thomas & The Pedestrians, Dislocation Dance, The Diagram Brothers, WNW6 compilation (Artery, Out On Blue Six, The Pinkies, The Room, Dr. Mix & The Remix), Matt Johnson, Depeche Mode, Girls At Our Best, New Order, Ian Dury, Poison Girls, Jowe Head, Richard Earl - 7"s- Method Actors, Vivien Goldman, Lora Logic, Virgin Prunes, Girls At Our Best, Fallout Club, Pigbag, Scritti Politti, Rip Rip & Panic, The Associates, 23 Skidoo, The Cure, Dif Juz, Cabaret Voltaire, The Comsat Angels, John Marlon, Blackouts, Stephen Mallinder, Dance Chapter, Artery, A Certain Ratio - Gigs - Depeche Mode/Blancmange, Linx, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Altered Images, Rip Rig & Panic, Heaven 17; and Spitfire Parade (that's the AIB playlist in Basketmaker's parlance). The lovely lot of it neatly squeezed into 12 perfectly formed pages...hear me hear me - heaR ME HEAR ME!    

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Adventuring into Basketry #2  

Dry Rot #1, 1979

"AT LAST" indeed! This Dry Rot is a firm favourite of mine - just one of a handful of exceptional items I've been holding back. Produced by Rob Callous from the fabulously low-fi D.I.Y. stalwarts, Six Minute War. As far as I know 3 issues of Dry Rot saw the light. There's no flashy front cover for this fanzine, it just gets right on down to brass tacks from the get go with news on Proles, The Unknown, Riot/Scrambled Acne, Benny Normal, Doggy Ryan, Belgrade, The VDUs, Dyno Rod, The Red Plague, Crass. Great interviews with The Epileptics, Crisis and Crass. Live reviews of AD 1984, The Administrators/The Leopards, Brockwell Park including Stiff Little Fingers/The Verdict/The Spoilsports, Spizz Energi/The Last Words, Splodgenessabounds, Graf X/The Mass/The Licks/Klingons. Featuring Dummy, starring Captain Armpit, Shag Nasty, Mekons (selling out to Virgin), and Manicured Noise + Rob's charts (top and bottom 20 of 1979). Excellent stuff!

 

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Dry Rot #1     

Blaze #3, 1984

A fine fanzine this - glimpsed partially in the All The Poets post - here's full mashings of Blaze #3. Out of Peterborough - largely the graft of Janine Booth with many able contributors in Eleanor Linwood, Funky Will, Steve Crosby, Steve Hawkswell, Attila, Sooo Burton, Greg Lutto, and Snakey. Blaze #3 has features on: The Tempest, Everything you ever wanted to know about Northampton but were afraid to ask (incl - N/hampton Musicians Collective Rumpo Records), The Syndromes, Insect Flak, Cellar 16, The Exit Girls, Skating for Cover, Bullets for Silver, Armpit Orchestra, Groovy Underwear, Rouska (Richard Paddison), Some thinks you might like to know about some groups within about a 20-mile radius of Peterborough incl - So What, Perpetual Motion, Plastic Heroes, Method of Exection, The citizens); interviews with Billy Bragg, Swift Nick, Care for a Waltz, Orange Juice; live reviews of The Alarm, The Fleshtones, The Climb, PIL, Redaing Rock Festival (incl - The Stranglers, Big Country, Steel Pulse, Auto De Fe, Pendragon, Solstice, Hanoi Rocks, Man), The Big One @ Victoria Apollo (incl - The Style Council, Mari Wilson, Ian Dury, Hazel O'Connor, Elvis Costello, Paul Young, Passion Puppets), GBH/Conflict/ Chaos, Hiroshima Peace Day Festival (incl - Jo Boxers, Orange Juice, Pauline Black, Orchestre Jazira, Lost Loved Ones, Big Country, One The Juggler, The Icicle Works, Billy Bragg, Taming The Outback); poetry in the guise of Ranting at the Nation (incl - Attila the Stockbroker, Steve Hawkswell); plus Letters and Crossword

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Blaze #3

Pink Flag #6, 1980

Here's issue 6 of the excellent Sheffield fanzine, Pink Flag. Predominantly concerned with the local scene, Gary Birchall's extended live features on inter/national bands coupled with Pat Mackle's photographs provide enough interest for those outside the Socialist Republic. Issue 6 contains: news on Clock DVA, Artery, The Naughtiest Girl was a Monitor, They Must Be Russians, Corridor, Veiled Threat/Active Gliders, Sexual Lotion/Daktari, Dum Dum Dum; interviews with De Tian, Vice Versa, New Model Soldier; features on Hula, Comsat Angels, Objet D'Art; live features on Dead Kennedy's/UK Decay, Echo & The Bunnymen, Simple Minds; and poetry from Sheffield lexical juggler, Mark Mywords.   

 

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Pink Flag #6    

Acts of Defiance #7, 1983

 

As a lame atonement for the late-summer hiatus I'm posting this chunky bugger - the 40 riotous pages of Acts of Defiance #7. Yes, 40! True, Sned's already made AoDs available on The UK Zine Archive, but here's an opportunity to point you in that direction if you've yet to discover the place. Raf, Russ and Mike at the helm with: interviews - Famous Imposters, Annie Anxiety, Faction, Poison Girls; issues - veganism, Territorial; Army, Militarism, voluntary unemployment, In The City (capitalism), battery chickens, Nuclear Power Fades Your Genes (nuclear accidents), Youth Opportunity Programme; a liberal sprinkling of fanzine round-ups; updates on The Station; tape reviews - Youth in Asia, Napalm Death, Political Asylum, Autumn Poison, Passion Killers, Flowers in the Dustbin, The Committee, Self Abuse, Chumbawamba; a notice on 91 Products; Grangetown Anarcho Punk Gang cartoon; a mini feature on The Stoned Rayzens; and poetry from Edible, Annie Anxiety, Wilfred Owen, and Andy T....and speaking of the lovely fellow... 

Sheffield Marples 1983 pic Andrew Medcalf

...it's well worth noting the recent release of Andy's long player, Life at Tether's End. Yes! Some 32 years since his first appearance on Bullshit Detector we take delivery of this delightful lolloping slab of Andy at his seething 'n' bristling best. Generally I'm not really an advocate of reviews, rather, an adherent of the popular dictum; "writing about music is like dancing about architecture". Suffice to say, there's much to admire in Andy's approach to kicking-up a stink about social injustice and the venality of the political class. Certainly his has been a welcome return to the fray in recent years. As with recent live outings, LaTE sees Andy presenting the poetry in a musical setting interspersed with purely spoken elements. Whilst there's preference here for the highly affective raw ranting, there are some gems amongst the musical offerings, notably the clarion call of the scathing broadside, I Still Fucking Hate Thatcher (itself released as a very attractive 7" on 1in12 records by way of a benefit single for the venerable Club), and the wonderfully depressive Wooden Curtains. Alongside the many excellent new excursions, the CD handily compiles many of the classics first showcased here. LaTE is the debut release on the resurrected All The Madmen records, and it's got to be said that ATM have set the bar bloody high for future releases. The sturdy package houses a 96 page booklet featuring Andy biographised and interviewed by Richard Cubesville and a rake of ace agitart and illustrations accompanying the poetry and lyrics. Easily worth a tenner!          

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Acts of Defiance #7         

Voice of Buddha #1, 1979

 

DEAR READERS,

in this 1st issue we bring you interviews with the Slits, the Modettes and the Detours. Not content with that, we slag off the Stranglers and the Buzzcocks, while drooling over the Human League. Apart from that you'll have to find out for yourself.

NEXT issue (2) will contain interviews WITH THE JAM, ADAM & THE ANTS, MAYO THOMPSON & JOHN PEEL and anyone else upon whom we drunkenly stumble We love you

THE EDITORS...

...namely: Muf (Michael Leonards) and Jim (James Naylor) giving you the lowdown there. I reckon they snaffled the title from the Human League's, Being Boiled. Nothing to add to that really other than VOB #1 also features a brief track-by-track review of The Jam's, Setting Sons. Oh, and issue 2 did contain all they predicted it would - I'll post that one anon. Listen to the....

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Voice of Buddha #1 

Mucilage #2, 1984

Here are the 26 jam-packed pages of Mucilage #2 out of St, Albans courtesy of Aidan and Allan Clifford featuring incisive input from Coral, Debbie and Dave. Top notch interviews with Crass, The Cult, New Model Army, 400 Blows, New Kick, and The Redskins; features on Dr Who & the Rise of Timelord Chic, D.O.A., Beauty Without Cruelty & For Fox's Sake focus on vivesection, animal testing, and bloodsports along with the angry accompaniment of the stirring Black Mass' lyric, Scum (elsewhere there's a note on BM + This is Britain lyric); news on The Shout; live reviews of The Shout, Penumbra/Karma Sutra/No Defences/Chumbawamba, Husker Du; Clive Pig 12" reviewed; Today's Fashionable Cause; comic strips (Nosey Nigel, Baz Razz - He's Always Sick [i.e. he vomits a lot]) + Mucilage charts and a plug for the Mucilage Press, Some Jolly Cheap Printing. 

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Mucilage #2

City Chains #2, 1977

Don't ya just love that snap of The Bazoomis' Metin Kamil (R.I.P.) sneering at ya from the cover of this fanzine? There's a fantastic write-up and live review of The Bazoomis at The Roxy in this the second issue of City Chains - it's such a shame that we can't actually hear how the band sounded. Apparently they did record a demo but legend has it that the blighter is languishing in some obscure cupboard just awaiting to be rediscovered. Worth noting though, members of the band did go on to form the estimable The Expressos, and The Escape Club. Anyway, this here fanzine was the work of Chig and Elaine and a right riveting read it is too. Apart from the tantalising look at The Bazoomis, issue 2 also includes an interview with The Boomtown Rats, The Members and The Victims live at The Roxy, You & The Pistols appraises Sex Pistols, the punk movement under discussion in, Posh or Poor?, news on Sham 69, Ian Dury, The Yachts, and The Damned + a spot of carping about Elvis Costello on Top of the Pops. I like it...

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City Chains #2