The Fanzine Podcast (Tony Fletcher)
Explorez tous les épisodes de The Fanzine Podcast
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2021 | Introducing... The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast | 00:02:46 | |
Welcome to the Jamming! Fanzine podcast hosted by Tony Fletcher. In late 1977, as a schoolkid in South London inspired by the DIY culture of punk, I started a music ‘zine. I had no long-term plan, and certainly no idea that over the next decade, Jamming! would grow to become a national, even international, monthly magazine. And I certainly couldn’t have imagined that in 2021, there would be a full-colour book collecting together what we have called The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86. Its packed with reproduced interveiws, articles, photographs and cartoons, includes fresh recollections from those who were part of the Jamming! story, and comes complete with a foreword by Billy Bragg. For the Jamming! Fanzine podcast, I am hosting conversations with some of these former contributors, photographers, musicians, scenesters and schoolfriends, and seeing if we can’t, through the rose-tinted glasses of history, offer some sort of perspective on the heady days of that heavyweight decade. The Jamming ! Fanzine Podcast will drop every other Thursday from September 23, the book’s UK publication date, unless we are late to the proverbial printers or otherwise distracted. Hit subscribe now and we’ll see you on the podcast stand. The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available from all good book shops.on Sep 23 in the UK/EU, and Dec 2 in the rest of the world. More information and online purchasing options available at: https://tonyfletcher.net/book/the-best-of-jamming/ https://omnibuspress.com/products/the-best-of-jamming-published-on-23rd-september-2021 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Copyright reserved. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast logo was designed by Greg Morton, who also assisted with editing. The Best of Jamming! book cover was designed by Martin Stiff. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast website can be found at https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast/about Instagram.com/LeagleAlien twitter.com/TonyFletcher
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| 23 Sep 2021 | Ep. 1: From Classroom To Clubs | 00:55:58 | |
For this debut episode of The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast, Tony Fletcher connects with three old friends who all played an important part in the Jamming! school days, and each of whom wrote an introductory piece for The Best of Jamming! book. They are Richard Heard, Jeni de Haart and John Matthews, and over the course of a lively group call, they discuss
The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available from all good book shops.on Sep 23 in the UK/EU, and Dec 2 in the rest of the world. More information and online purchasing options available at: 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Copyright reserved. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast logo was designed by Greg Morton, who also assisted with editing. The Best of Jamming! book cover was designed by Martin Stiff. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast website can be found at https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast John Matthews maintains a regularly updated Spotify playlist entitled Latest Shit His Instagram is @john_matthews Jeni de Haart can be found on social media as @jenifusion
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| 07 Oct 2021 | Ep. 2: Mods and Sods with Mark Bedford, Guy Pratt and Buddy Ascott | 00:59:27 | |
For this episode, we spin back to 1979, for a lively and laughter-filled conversation with two famous bass players and a drummer: Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford of Madness, Guy Pratt (then of Speedball) and Brett ‘Buddy’ Ascott (then of The Chords). Together they discuss:
Mark Bedford's The Near Jazz Experience can be found at https://thenje.bandcamp.com/ His social is https://twitter.com/I_be_MarkB Guy Pratt will be touring soon with Saucerful of Secrets https://www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com/ Guy Pratt co-hosts the Rockonteurs podcast with Gary Kemp which can be found at https://www.rockonteurs.com/ His official Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/guy.pratt.official Buddy Ascott is currently on tour with The 1979ers and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/brett.b.ascott. The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available now from all good book shops in the UK/EU, and Dec 2 in the rest of the world. More information and online purchasing options at: 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Copyright reserved. The logo is by Greg Morton, who also assisted with editing. The Best of Jamming! book cover was designed by Martin Stiff. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast website can be found at https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Social media updates at Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 21 Oct 2021 | Ep. 3: Image as Virus with Joly of Better Badges | 00:55:49 | |
Between 1976-82, Joly MacFie printed some 40,000,000 badges (pins, in the USA) related to music culture. Along the way his company Better Badges grew from one-man garage operation to a sizeable small business that also printed and distributed dozens of fanzines. That connection started in spring of 1979 when Tony Fletcher stopped hoping for an ad for the 7th issue of Jamming. Joly, having just acquired a brand new table-top litho machine, offered to print Jamming at cost as 'guinea pig'. Joly and Tony's relationship flourished almost all the way to when Better Badges imploded, due to the usual cash flow problems brought on by a rapidly expanding business. Since the late 1980s, Joly and Tony have both lived in New York State, and in September 2021, they reconnected in the Catskill mountains. Tony brought Joly a copy of The Best of Jamming! book and the two sat down to relive the story of Better Badges. The edited conversation includes:
Joly MacFie can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joly.macfie His work can be found at http://punkcast.com/ The Old Punk Rock Badges Fanatics Facebook group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/37808373885 An article by Joly MacFie about Better Badges is at https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/521/429 The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available from all good book shops in the UK/EU; Dec 2 in the rest of the world. More info and online purchasing options at:
'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Copyright reserved. Editing assistance and logo by Greg Morton. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast website can be found at https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Social media at Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 04 Nov 2021 | Ep. 4: The Politics of Fanzines | 00:57:38 | |
Tony Fletcher hosts a conversation with three fellow former fanzine editors and Jamming! contributors, Tim Kelly (Revolutionary Suicide/Fanzine of Noise), Janine Booth (Blaze) and Richard Edwards (Cool Notes). Janine and Richard were also active in the 'Ranting Poetry' scene of the 1980s, while Tim toured with D.I.R.T., and played in Flux of Pink Indians and was part of the One Little Indian label that emerged from that band. Their discussion about 1980s alternative culture, conducted across three continents, covers:
Some specific highlights:
And, all four discuss how the values they acquired in the 1980s have stayed throughout their adulthood - and how, despite occasional major setbacks, we have witnessed considerable social progress in our time. Janine Booth is at: Richard Edwards contributes regularly to: https://www.soul-source.co.uk/ Tim Kelly is at https://www.facebook.com/tim.kelly.7330 Tony Fletcher's One Step Beyond podcast on Equal Playing Field: https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-28-equal-playing-field-first-half https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-29-equal-playing-field-second-half The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available as of Sep 23 '21 in the UK/EU; Dec 2 in the rest of the world.
'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 18 Nov 2021 | Ep. 5: The Birth of Creation with Alan McGee | 00:59:21 | |
This episode is a co-production with the Fifty Years of Fun podcast. In Jamming! 13, published in the spring of 1982, a 17-yr old Tony Fletcher wrote an editorial called ‘A Statement.’ Among those to read it was Alan McGee, new to London from Glasgow at the time, who was inspired to start a fanzine and a club night and a label all of his own. That label was Creation Records, home to The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and Oasis, to name but four. Along the way Alan would become a figurehead of the 1990s British music scene, and was recently the subject matter of a movie named for his autobiography, Creation Stories, produced by Danny Boyle, directed by Nick Moran, and co-written by Irvine Welsh. Tony Fletcher interviewed Alan McGee for The Best of Jamming!, and you will hear their conversation in this episode. Before that, courtesy of the podcast Fifty Years of Fun, which is producing an episode for each of the first 50 singles released on Creation, you will hear 'A Statement' read by Californian singer-songwriter Rose Melberg. Rose is a former member of the bands Tiger Trap, The Softies and Go Sailor and an established artist in her own right. And, following the interview with McGee, you will hear Matt Roberts and Scott Miller, from Fifty Years of Fun, interview Tony Fletcher about 'A Statement', its influence on McGee, and about the story of Jamming! and the culture of those times. Thanks to Fifty Years Of Fun for permission to use their material. You can find the full interview with Tony Fletcher on Episode 1 and all other episodes at https://anchor.fm/fiftyyearsoffun. Their Instagram feed is https://www.instagram.com/fiftyyearsoffun/ Alan McGee is at https://www.instagram.com/alanmcgee93/ The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available from Sep 23 '21 in the UK/EU; Dec 2 in the rest of the world.
'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 Dec 2021 | Ep. 6: Morrissey, Frankie, Natalie & Bronski | 01:02:29 | |
Chris Heath is a writer for The Atlantic, GQ and Vanity Fair, and author of several books. Russell Young is a visual artist with a background in music photography, sleeve design and video directing. Both got their professional start with Jamming! in the early 1980s. Thirty-five years after its demise, Russell and Chris joined Jamming!’s former publisher/editor Tony Fletcher in New York City, where all three have lived at one time or another, for a long-overdue reunion. The trio sat down with the new book, The Best of Jamming!, and various back issues, to discuss their favorite articles and photo sessions, exchange anecdotes, and consider what they learned in the scrappy fanzine days of Jamming! that helped them hone their craft as professionals. Topics covered include:
EVENTS Tony Fletcher will be appearing to discuss The Best of Jamming!: Selections & Stories From the Fanzine that Grew Up 1977-86 at the following events:
Saturday Dec 11th, 2pm, The Golden Notebook presents at Maria’s in Bearsville/Woodstock NY In conversation with author and Chronogram Arts Editor, Peter Aaron.
Tuesday January 18th, 6pm, Bowery Electric, Manhattan. In conversation with WNYC Soundcheck’s John Schaefer.
Wednesday February 23rd, 7:30pm, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Book Club at the Dublin Castle, London. In conversation with RNR Book Club’s Tony Gleed.
Friday February 25th, 7.30pm, the Electric Palace, Hastings. Featuring a screening of Rough Cut and Ready Dubbed and a conversation with Wendy May. For more on these events visit https://tonyfletcher.net/book/the-best-of-jamming/ https://www.facebook.com/theTonyFletcher/events The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press
'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Dec 2021 | Ep. 7: The Importance of Being Virgin | 00:59:26 | |
Tony Fletcher reunites with musician/composer Jim ‘JG’ Thirlwell, DJ Wendy May, and Dimple Records boss Brian O’Neill, all of whom he first met in the late 1970s when they bought copies of Jamming! off him while they were working behind the counter at the Virgin shops in Oxford Walk, Notting Hill Gate, and Marble Arch respectively. During that thriving post-punk period the entire Virgin chain served as a needed middle ground between the pioneering independents like Rough Trade, Probe and Revolver, and mainstream high street shops WH Smiths and Woolworths. Without the autonomy Virgin granted its record buyers, a lot of independent labels, emerging bands and street fanzines would not have enjoyed such a wide profile. In this conversation, the four discuss the role of the record shop during that period, the freedom the staff enjoyed at Virgin, and offer specific anecdotes and reminiscences about serving the likes of Elvis Costello, Boy George, Paul Simonon, David Coverdale and more. Additionally, Jim recalls how an encounter with a customer helped point him on a different creative musical path, Wendy talks of how she ultimately received the classic ultimatum - "it's your job or your band" - and Brian talks of how his love of selling records has inspired him to start a new independent label in his retirement years. JG Thirlwell is at Website http://www.foetus.org https://jgthirlwell.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jgthirlwell/ and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100045377091477 Wendy May can be found on Instagram and Facebook. Brian O'Neill's label Dimple Discs is at https://dimplediscs.bandcamp.com/ His Microdisney documentary project is https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/microdisney-film For details about the book events mentioned on this episode visit https://www.facebook.com/theTonyFletcher/events The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 13 Jan 2022 | Ep. 8: Tales from the Trenches | 01:05:31 | |
Tony Fletcher reunites with Bruce Dessau, Ross Fortune and Paul Davies, each of whom wrote extensively for Jamming! during its commercial heyday, 1984-85, and each of whom went on to further careers in journalism. As much as this is a talk specific to Jamming! magazine, it is very much a conversation about the music and media culture of the time - about how easy it once was to access the artists, about a time when publicists were friends with journalists, a time when alcoholic lubrication was considered par for the course, and about the blurred line between the interviewer and interviewee that resulted, to the point that Bruce Dessau recalls filling in for The Jesus & Mary Chain onstage while ostensibly covering them for Jamming! Other tales from the trenches involve interviews with:
…Plus recollections about editorial meetings by payphone, editorial commissions by snail mail, editorial copy delivered via British Rail, and the time the postman folded a Lloyd Cole LP in half so it would fit through Ross’s letterbox. There is also the time that the Virgin Press Office brought The Pale Fountains to his hospital bed rather than pass up the opportunity of a feature in Jamming! The three also discuss their subsequent careers at Time Out, City Limits, and Q magazines, Bruce Dessau’s migration into the world of comedy journalism, and Ross Fortune’s migration to Texas, where he now runs a saloon and is hard at work on three separate books. Bruce Dessau is editor of www.beyondthejoke.co.uk Ross Fortune can be found running www.thephoenixsaloon.com https://www.facebook.com/thephoenixsaloon Paul Davies is at twitter.com/longtimelurker Up Yours is at https://bit.ly/3K4GOwil Mike Peters interview on One Step Beyond podcast is at: https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-27-love-hope-strength-with-mike-peters For details about the book events mentioned on this episode visit https://www.facebook.com/theTonyFletcher/events The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Feb 2022 | Ep. 9: Jamming! Records with Rudi, Zeitgeist & Apocalypse | 01:05:16 | |
In the middle of 1981, Jamming! expanded from fanzine to record label. Between that summer and the end of 1982, Jamming! Records released five singles, all of them independent chart hits: two from the band Rudi, three from Zeitgeist, and one by Apocalypse. For this episode of the Jamming! Fanzine Podcast, we have one member from each of those groups: Brian Young from Rudi, Peter “Jaffo” Jervis from Zeitgeist, and Tony Fletcher from Apocalypse (and yes, from Jamming! Records too). The conversation revolves primarily around Rudi and Zeitgeist, about how the groups dealt with being based in the far corners of the British Isles, about the attractions – or not - of moving to London, and about what their experience was like releasing records on an independent label run by a 17-18 year old kid, but financed by a major pop-rock star, that being Paul Weller. Rudi were the first group on Good Vibrations Records out of Belfast, and Brian talks about that label, fellow Northern Irish groups like The Outcasts, The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers, and of touring with The Jam and appearing on the TV show Something Else. Zeitgeist hailed from Cornwall, and came to Jamming! after a couple of singles on Human Records. Jaffo talks about their cover version of The Temptations' Motown classic 'Ball of Confusion', of working with Dale 'Buffin' Griffin and Overend Watts from Mott the Hoople, and how their last single, 'Over Again', ended up being a collector's item. Apocalypse were from London, and released the single 'Teddy' in two versions, one producer by Paul Weller, the other by Griffin and Watts. You will hear snippets from all five Jamming! releases across the course of this show. Brian Young is at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100023024891685. His group The Sabrejets are at https://www.facebook.com/thesabrejets Peter Jervis can be found at https://www.instagram.com/therealjaffo/ and his radio show can be heard at www.mixcloud.com/bluesandgrooves Tony Fletcher can be found at www.tonyfletcher.net and https://www.instagram.com/leaglealien/ The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press For details about the book events mentioned on this episode visit https://www.facebook.com/theTonyFletcher/events 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast
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| 17 Feb 2022 | Ep. 10: Series 1 Finale with James Endeacott & Tony Fletcher | 00:59:47 | |
We close out the first Series/Season of the Jamming! Fanzine Podcast with an interview conducted by James Endeacott, for Soho Radio's Morning Glory show, with Jamming! founder Tony Fletcher. The conversation traces the full story of the fanzine that grew up, from schoolboy beginnings to corporate break up. Between them, they discuss The Clash, The Jam, the DIY Records Scene, fanzines, regionalism, Crass, reggae, Smiley Culture, the Rezillos, the Undertones, Billy Bragg, the Dead Kennedys, R.E.M., Robert Wyatt, The Smiths, The Fall, politics, poetry, synth pop, and much much more. James is a former member of Loop, a former A&R Director with Rough Trade, and author of his own memoir The Tall Short Stories of James Endeacott, published by Rough Trade Books. Tony Fletcher will be appearing at the following cities to discuss THE BEST OF JAMMING! SELECTIONS & STORIES FROM THE FANZINE THAT GREW UP 1977-1986. Weds Feb 23rd, LONDON, CAMDEN TOWN ROCK n' 'ROLL BOOK CLUB, in conversation with Tony Gleed Thurs Feb 24th, BRIGHTON, RIALTO THEATRE, in conversation with Guy Pratt Fri FEB 25th, HASTINGS ELECTRIC PALACE CINEMA, in conversation with DJ Wendy May following a screening of the movie ROUGH CUT & READY DUBBED. Tues Mar 29th, NEW YORK CITY, BOWERY ELECTRIC, in conversation with John Schaefer. For more information on all of these events, including times and ticket prices, visit https://www.facebook.com/theTonyFletcher/events James Endeacott can be found at https://twitter.com/jamesendeacott Tony Fletcher can be found at https://tonyfletcher.net/ The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton. https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 20 Jan 2023 | Ep. 11: A History of British Zines | 00:58:47 | |
THE It's a fascinating, lovingly compiled, and highly professional book - and the interview covers a similarly wide range of subject matter. Tony, Gavin and Hamish date the first ever British 'fanzine' back to 1936 (Novae Terrae), they debate what defines a fanzine, the commonalities among the various editors they interviewed, the shift from the music press culture (including those of fanzines) as a 'men's club' to the current 'zine fairs predominantly frequented by female editors, the financial struggles experienced by most zine editors, those moments of recognition that make it all worthwhile. And David Icke. Among the editors and zines referenced in this podcast that were also featured in WE PEAKED AT PAPER:
WE PEAKED AT PAPER can be purchased from Boatwhistle books at https://www.boatwhistle.com/we-peaked-at-paper. Gavin Hogg's podcast, The Giddy Carousel of Pop, is at https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ Tony Fletcher can be found at https://tonyfletcher.net/ Tony's latest music, writing and social media can be accessed from https://linktr.ee/TonyFletcher One Step Beyond podcast is at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Feb 2023 | Ep. 12: Archiving a City's Zine Scene | 00:57:50 | |
Back in 1980, Alan Rider started a fanzine in Coventry called Adventures in Reality. Over in Southend-on-Sea, Graham Burnett started his own fanzine called New Crimes. Forty years later, independently, without knowing each other, Alan and Graham both felt compelled to document their home city's thriving scene zine - Alan, with Tales from the Ghost Town: The Coventry Punk Fanzine Revolution 1979-1985 - and Graham, with Southend-on-Zine: FIfty Years of Voices and Stories from Southend's Underground and Alternative Press. Tony Fletcher, who started his Jamming! fanzine back in 1977, brought them together for the first time on this Zoom call to talk about their adventures in self-publishing, the thriving scenes they were part of. the ups and downs of running a 'zine back in the supposed heyday, why they took on the giant task of putting these compendiums together, and how the lessons they learned back then have remained applicable to this day. Artists referenced include The Specials, Crass, Dr. Feelgood, Attrition, Speedball, God's Toys, Eyeless In Gaza, Stress, the Sinyx and many more. Fanzines referenced include Hard As Nails, Alternative Sounds, Cobalt Hate, Anti-Social, Sniffin' Glue, Kill Your Pet Puppy, Toxic Graffiti and more. Tales from the Ghost Town and Alan's compendium of his own zine Adventures In Reality: The Complete Collection are both available from https://adventuresinreality.bigcartel.com/ Southend-on-Zine is available from https://spiralseed.co.uk/product/southend-on-zine/, as is the Vegan Book of Permaculture and more. A short video about Southend-on-Zine is on YouTube here. Tony Fletcher can be found at https://tonyfletcher.net/ Tony's latest music, writing and social media can be accessed from https://linktr.ee/TonyFletcher One Step Beyond podcast is at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 16 Mar 2023 | Ep. 13: Ripped & Torn with Tony D. | 01:20:18 | |
Tony D. – Tony Drayton to his parents - was founder, publisher and editor of the archetypal, seminal, influential punk fanzine, Ripped & Torn, which ran from 1976-79. Tony F. – who prefers to go by his full name, Tony Fletcher – was founder, publisher and editor of Jamming, which ran from 1977-86. Remarkably, and despite both being so prominent in the London fanzine scene, the pair had never spoken before setting up this podcast interview. That will explain why this episode runs over an hour long, because there was so much to talk about. Included in the conversation, from Tony D.’s perspective: · Taking the Central Line out to Essex to interview Crass · Playing “Mods and Rockers” in the primary school playground · How Tony D. was perceived as Glaswegian but has an English accent · Growing up in a tiny fishing village · The mid-70s Scottish music scene · Tony D’s seminal trip to London to witness the punk scene · Mark P. of Sniffin’ Glue convincing him to start his own zine · Ripped & Torn graphics · Contributors Sandy Robertson and Slip Kid · The importance of Compendium Books and the Rough Trade record shop · “Can Rich Stars Rock?” · A night at the Roxy, circa height of punk rock · The Ripped & Torn v. Jamming! feud · Why Adam & The Ants were once the greatest thing ever, and whether we were fooled again by Adam’s ultimate sell-out · The Public Image cover: “John Lydon… you pathetic little puppet” · The perils of printing and distribution · And why Tony D. stopped publishing
Tony went on to start Kill Your Pet Puppy and will be back on the Podcast in the future to talk about that zine and running away with the circus. In the meantime, the book Ripped & Torn 1976-79: The Loudest Punk Fanzine in the UK is available through Omnibus Press at https://omnibuspress.com/products/ripped-torn And you can find Tony D. on FB if you look for him under his real name. The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press Tony Fletcher can be found at https://tonyfletcher.net/ Tony's latest music, writing and social media can be accessed from https://linktr.ee/TonyFletcher One Step Beyond podcast is at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 17 May 2023 | Ep. 14: Bloody Revolutions with Toxic Grafity's Mike Diboll | 00:59:21 | |
Mike Diboll founded, produced and published the leading anarcho-punk fanzine TOXIC GRAFITY, producing six issues between 1978-82 "with various spin-offs." Never your typical band-interview-record-review zine, Toxic Grafity set about "to capture and express the ethos, attitude, aesthetics and politics of anarcho-punk using found images, collages, logos, slogans, ‘rant’, prose, prose-poetry, free verse, and essays." Issue 5 carried with it a flexidisc by Crass, featuring the especially recorded song 'Tribal Ribal Revels' which made that issue one of the best-selling zines of the entire period. After growing disenchantment with the direction of anarcho-punk, Mike withdrew from his close association with Crass and the other residents of Dial House. Following a period of addiction, near homelessness, and a surprise temporary conversion to religion (Islam), he finally embarked on Higher Education, taking a double first in Modern Languages (majoring in Arabic) and Comparative Literature, and graduating with a PhD in the comparative literatures of the British occupation of Egypt 1882-1956. This specialisation found him working and teaching in Higher Education in Bahrain in 2011, when the "Arab Spring" reached the small island nation, leading to a peaceful, carnivalesque uprising and then a brutal and bloody counter-revolution by State forces. Mike witnessed this deadly repression in person, and on this episode discusses the reality of a Bloody Revolution versus the ones we may all have fantasized about and idealised in our fanzine days. The horror also revived the memory of a life-changing incident riding a motorbike to school with friends at the age of 16. Please be warned: this episode contains graphic descriptions of death. In recent years, despite an ongoing battle against PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, Mike has revamped Toxic Grafity online, both as a depository for his zine writings and as a public space for new ones. He contributed a chapter on 'Mental Liberation' to the 2018 book Ripped, Torn and Cut: Pop, Politics and Punk Fanzines From 1976, published by Manchester University Press. Toxic Grafity can be found at https://toxicgrafity134567235.wordpress.com/ Mike Diboll can be found directly at https://www.facebook.com/mikediboll The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press Tony Fletcher can be found at https://tonyfletcher.net/ Tony's latest music, writing and social media can be accessed from https://linktr.ee/TonyFletcher His One Step Beyond podcast is at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 15 Jun 2023 | Ep. 15: Miki Berenyi & Clare Wadd (Alphabet Soup/Kvatch) | 01:27:14 | |
In the mid-1980s, before she became known for fronting the band Lush, Miki Berenyi put out five issues of Alphabet Soup fanzine (“It may be crap but it’s only 5p”) alongside her then-bestie and future band-mate, Emma Anderson. Meantime, before she started Sarah Records, Clare Wadd put out multiple issues of Kvatch fanzine. This podcast, hosted by former Jamming! editor Tony Fletcher, marks the first time ANY of the three have ever had a conversation with each other. Over the course of an hour-plus chat the three of them discuss:
Miki Berenyi is @berenyi_miki on Twitter and IG, and is also at https://linktr.ee/mikiberenyi Her memoir is Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success. Various Alphabet Soup bits are at https://standupandspit.wordpress.com/2014/07/12/alphabet-soup/ Clare Wadd is @Sarah_Records on Twitter and sarahrecords.org.uk. The Sarah Records special zine releases are at http://sarahrecords.org.uk/texts/fanzines/ Kvatch 5 is at https://stillunusual.tumblr.com/post/43093052386/kvatch-fanzine Support this show via the One Step Beyond supporter page: https://supporter.acast.com/onestepbeyond Tony Fletcher is https://tonyfletcher.net/ and https://linktr.ee/TonyFletcher
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| 20 Jul 2023 | Ep. 16: James Brown & Mark Hodkinson (Attack On Bzag/Untermensch | 01:32:18 | |
(Sign up at tonyfletcher.substack.com to receive this podcast interview in unedited form.) James Brown and Mark Hodkinson both hail from the Pennine District in Northern England. Both ran fanzines in the 1980s (Attack on Bzag and Untermensch). Both stayed in publishing. Both now have successful memoirs out about their lives in the world of words. Beyond that, their paths have been different. James left Leeds for London, and after 10 successful issues of his fanzine, joined the NME. He then founded Loaded, which was selling 350,000 copies by the time he went to edit GQ after 36 issues. He's written about this - plus his addictions to alcohol and drugs and his subsequent recovery - in his memoir Animal House. Mark stayed in Rochdale, and started a small imprint called Pomona, which published books by people such as Bill Nelson, Barry Hines and Bob Stanley; in his memoir No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy, he explains how a boy who grew up in a house with one book ended up with 3500. Both memoirs are now out in paperback. In this conversation with host Tony Fletcher, the three of them discuss:
James Brown is on Instagram and Facebook. Mark Hodkinson is on Facebook. The Pomona Books catalogue here Also discussed in this episode: 'The Politics of Fanzines' episode with Richard Edwards can be found here 'One Step Beyond Ep. 27' with Mike Peters of Love, Hope, Strength is here: 'Tacky Tiger,' Sparks zine on a Gestertner, is here. The Dear Boys single 'Blink Of An I' can be viewed, streamed, or purchased on Bandcamp from https://linktr.ee/thedearboys. The Best Of Jamming! can be found here For weekly articles by Tony Fletcher, news of upcoming writings, books, events, podcasts, and for exclusive access to archived interviews, sign up for his newsletter at tonyfletcher.substack.com. Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | Ep. 17: Confessions of an Ex-Zine Editor | 00:57:49 | |
Ten years after she ceased publishing her 2000s rock’n’roll fanzine Bubblegum Slut due to the lifestyle it induced (i.e. drug addiction), Alison B. found herself producing a new zine about her old zine, the lifestyle it induced and the year she spent in limbo before getting clean. That zine is entitled Confessions of an Ex-Zine Editor and it is astonishingly original and entertaining. Partly a “trainwreck memoir” in zine format, it has the benefit of additionally being side-splittingly funny, what with its reviews of old clubs that are now train stations and of snail mail that no longer brings free CDs. With Confessions now up to Issue 3, Alison is also the first ongoing fanzine editor to be featured on this podcast. Alison is joined by Jane Appleby, who produced multiple different zines in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Jezebel, Bambi, This Is Our Truth, Pretty But Schizo, Pussy Rock, Jezebel, and Trophy F*ck. In conversation with Tony, Jane and Alison talk about their zines and the scenes from which they sprang, about sex and sexual stereotypes, about publishing and printing, about how the Manic Street Preachers inspired more zines than any other band of the era, about recovery Bingo and receiving explicit fetishist letters in the mail. Bands mentioned in this episode include Hanoi Rocks, Guns ‘n’ Roses, the Manic Street Preachers, the Glitter Band, Sheila E, Shampoo, and We’ve Got A Fuzzbox and We're Gonna Use it. Franchises mentioned in this issue include Taco Bell and Trust House Forte. Plus, Tony learns a new word: Edgelord. Alison’s current Confessions of an Ex-Zine Editor and Bubblegum Slut can be found at https://www.instagram.com/bubblegumzinearchive/ And copies can be ordered via:https://linktr.ee/bubblegumzinearchive Jane Appleby’s fanzine archives can be found at: http://pussyrockfanzine.blogspot.com/ She is active on http://tumblr.com/jaynedolluk
The Best Of Jamming! can be found here and signed copies are available in the USA direct from https://tonyfletcherauthor.bandcamp.com/merch/
For Tony Fletcher’s weekly newsletter, long weekend read, and for exclusive access to archived interviews, just visit tonyfletcher.substack.com.
Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton.
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| 20 Sep 2023 | Ep. 18: Modzines and the Mod Scene with Eddie Piller | 01:08:16 | |
"No other youth culture or subculture centred on fashion or music, or both, has ever had as many fanzines dedicated to it as the mod revival." So wrote Eddie Piller at the start of his 2918 book Mod Zines (with Steve Rowland) and he should know: as editor and publisher of Extraordinary Sensations, Piller saw his 'zine sell a phenomenal 15,000 copies at its peak in the mid-80s, as many as legendary punk zine Sniffin' Glue had managed a decade earlier. Over the course of an hour-long conversation with The Fanzine Podcast's host, Tony Fletcher, former editor/publisher of Jamming!, Ed talks about some of those zines, about the success of his own zine once he brought in Terry Rawlings as partner, about the lasting allure of mod culture for him and thousands of others all over the planet, and especially, about his new memoir Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: A Life In Mod from the Revival to Acid Jazz. Published in 2023 by Monoray Books, Clean Living follows Ed's adventures through his East End upbringing to his West End clubbing, through trips to Australia and journeys round Europe, covers the violence of the era in gory details, ands with him founding the legendary Acid Jazz label, which is still going strong today. Additionally, as well as being a DJ, a podcast host himself over the years and an inveterate party promoter, Piller is the founder of Totally Wired Radio which since 2019 has broadcast DJs "who specialise in Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop, Ska & 2Tone, Country, Soundtracks and Library Music, Reggae, Film, Folk, Funk, EDM, World Music, Afrobeat, Latin, Gospel, Rare R&B, Poetry, Punk, Psyche and Garage, Disco along with Podcast Interviews." Oh, and he also co-wrote the book Punkzines, also published by Omnibus Press. Modzines referenced in this issue include Maximum Speed, Get Up And Go, Shake, Direction Reaction Creation, South Circular, XL5, Go Go, Shadows and Reflections and more. The Best Of Jamming!: Selections & Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up, 1977-86 can be found here and signed copies are available in the USA direct from https://tonyfletcherauthor.bandcamp.com/merch/
SIgn up for Tony Fletcher’s weekly newsletter, long weekend read, and for exclusive access to archived interviews, including those from his Keith Moon biography, at tonyfletcher.substack.com.
Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 18 Oct 2023 | Ep. 19: Postcard from Post-Punk Scotland with Bobby Bluebell & Alastair McKay | 01:10:32 | |
For an episode playlist, to see covers and pages of these zines, and for much more about the fanzine culture in general, visit Midweek Update #12: Fanzines are Alive & Kicking Edition. In 1980, in Glasgow, Robert Hodgens started Ten Commandments alongside writer Kirsty McNeil and photographer Robert Scott; after four issues, known now as Bobby Bluebell, Hodgens moved to London with his band The Bluebells and became, briefly a pop star. In 1983, between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, Alastair McKay started Alternatives To Valium. It lasted four years until Alastair, who freelanced for Jamming! during this time, set off to pursue his dream career as a full-time journalist. Both zines were resolutely Scottish in spirit, and each strongly influenced by Postcard Records, the independent label that called itself 'The Sound of Young Scotland.' In this conversation, Bobby and Alastair compare fanzine notes, share interview stories, and talk about how the Scottish post-punk scene shaped their lives. Alastair additionally talks about how Robert Smith told him The Cure were finished in a 1983 interview he took five months to publish, and why Paul Weller and Mick Talbot tried to punch him at a Red Wedge press conference. Among the fanzines discussed in this episode: Granite City, It Ticked And Exploded, Juniper Berry Berry, Fish Pie Tales, Jungleland, Slow Dazzle and more. Among the bands discussed in this episode: Orange Juice, Simple Minds, Josef K, Fire Engines, The Go-Betweens, Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Altered Images, Defiant Pose, The Pastels, Positive Noise, The Fall, Echo & The Bunnymen, Another Pretty Face, The Waterboys, and more. Tony Fletcher’s weekly newsletter, long weekend read, and exclusive access to archived interviews, is at tonyfletcher.substack.com. By signing up, you avoid the algorithms of FB & X, and you also have the opportunity to support those creators you want to support. The Bluebells' wonderful new album 'In The 21st Century' is out now on https://shop.lastnightfromglasgow.com/products/the-bluebells-in-the-21st-century Bobby Bluebell can be found on Twitter as @R0Poem and The Bluebells Instagram is @thebluebellsglasgow Alastair McKay's excellent memoir, published in 2022, is, Alternatives To Valium: How Punk Rock Saved A Shy Boy’s Life. Hecan be found on Substack at https://alastairmckay.substack.com, The Best Of Jamming!: Selections & Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up, 1977-86 can be found here and signed copies are available in the USA direct from https://tonyfletcherauthor.bandcamp.com/merch/ Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton.
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| 22 Nov 2023 | Ep. 20: What Was The First Ever Fanzine? | 01:00:11 | |
What was the first ever fanzine?When was it published? In what country? What did it write about? Where can I find it? When was the word fanzine coined? By who? Where does it come from? What is a Gestetner? Or a Roneo? Where can I get one? Actually, why should I care? To help answer these questions, I am joined on Episode 20 of my show The Fanzine Podcast by: Hamish Ironside, fanzine editor, book publisher, and co-author of We Peaked At Paper: An Oral History of British Zines; and by Rob Hansen, fanzine editor, archivist, and author of multiple books including Then: Science Fiction Fandom in the UK 1930-1980. Please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/what-was-the-first-ever-fanzine for more information, including visuals of the first ever fanzines, and links to Rob and Hamish's various publications. While there, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter. https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/what-was-the-first-ever-fanzine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 21 Dec 2023 | Ep. 21: NYC's Ira Robbins (Trouser Press) & Jack Rabid (The Big Takeover) | 01:11:42 | |
The Fanzine Podcast finally gets across the Atlantic, and talks to two of the mainstays of the New York 'zine scene. Ira Robbins started Trouser Press in 1974 as "hopefully the first consumer-oriented, ( inter }national rock fanzine" and went on to produce 96 issues that got up to a 60,000 circulation before calling it a day after exactly 10 years; Trouser Press continued life as a record buyer's guide, a website, and now as a publishing imprint too. Jack Rabid started The Big Takeover in 1980 as a one-page broadsheet devoted to New York punk band The Stimulators before gradually turning into an reputable zine that has been publishing twice a year for four decades now, circulation peaking at 30,000. The Big Takeover also has a website and a radio show. Between them, Trouser Press and The Big Takeover have published 181 issues, and counting. As well as discussing how and why they started out, how their zines turned into magazines, and why they have persisted in the world of small publishing all this time, Ira and Jack discuss their best and worst interviews, the bands that turned them on and some of those that did not. Acts discussed in this episode include: The Planets, Bad Brains, The Who, Pink Faeries, Even Worse, John Lydon, The La's, The Stranglers, The Buzzcocks, The Damned, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, The Mumps, Rory Gallagher, The Mad, The Stimulators, and many many more. The Trouser Press Archives are here. The ongoing Trouser Press website is here. Trouser Press books is here. The Big Takeover web site/magazine is here. The Big Takeover Radio is here. The Best Of Jamming!: Selections & Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up, 1977-86 can be found here and signed copies are available in the USA direct from https://tonyfletcherauthor.bandcamp.com/merch/
SIgn up for Tony Fletcher’s weekly newsletter, long weekend read, and for exclusive access to archived interviews, including those from his Keith Moon biography, at tonyfletcher.substack.com.
Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Feb 2024 | Ep. 22: Perzines Are Awesome with Liz Mason & Billy McCall | 01:14:04 | |
Liz Mason and Billy McCall are two of the more prominent U.S. “publishers” of what are affectionately called “perzines,” fanzines as expression of self. Liz publishes or co-publishes Caboose, Cul-de-Sac, Awesome Things and The Most Unwanted Zine and works as manager at Quimby’s bookstore in Chicago, which actively sells ‘zines. Billy puts out Proof I Exist, Behind the Zines, The Difference Between, has published at least three different pocket-sized memoirs, distributes fanzines online, and designed and initially produced the Zine Game. On this episode of The Fanzine Podcast, they join Tony Fletcher to explain the how, why, when, what, and where behind their phenomenal output, and dive deep into the thriving world of contemporary zine culture. You can read much more about Billy and Liz, and see pictures of their zines and the conversation we had, at tonyfletcher.substack.com/ Billy is at www.iknowbilly.com and https://behind-the-zines.com/ Liz is at LizMasonIsAwesome.com and instagram.com/caboosezine. The Best Of Jamming!: Selections & Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up, 1977-86 can be found here and signed copies are available in the USA direct from https://tonyfletcherauthor.bandcamp.com/merch/ Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton.
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| 29 Feb 2024 | Ep. 23: Sniffin' Glue with Mark Perry | 01:37:58 | |
To win a copy of the compendium, Sniffin’ Glue and Other Rock’n’Roll Habits, published by Omnibus Press, as mentioned on this episode, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/midweek-update-32-sniffin-glue-and - and don't forget to subscribe to the Substack account if you haven't already. Competition ends March 19. Back in 1976, given that there was no other publication dedicated to covering the Ramones or the new bands popping up around London, Mark Perry founded Sniffin’ Glue, the original British punk zine. Barely a year later, after a dozen issues that saw circulation rise from 10 – as in ten, total - to 20,000 copies, Mark walked away from it, partly because he was disillusioned with punk, but also to focus on his group, Alternative TV. Now, in 2024, copies of early Sniffin’ Glues go for ridiculous sums of money, but they have also been gathered up for a new edition of the compendium, Sniffin’ Glue and Other Rock’n’Roll Habits, published by Omnibus Press. The Sniffin’ Glue compendium gathers up every single page of that zine's 12 (and a half) issues, including all the ads, and has an extended intro written by Mark, along with various photographs from back in the day. On this episode, we discuss how Sniffin' Glue started, what the scene was like in London at the time, what was good about the zine, how it became so successful, and why Mark walked away from it after only a year. Mark Perry, Sniffin' Glue and Alternative TV can all be found at https://sniffinglue.co.uk/. Mark Perry can also be found on Facebook. If you enjoyed this episode, please do the usual like-review-subscribe, and check out previous episodes if you haven't already. Theme tune by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Tony Fletcher takes credit and blame for everything else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 04 Apr 2024 | Ep. 24: The Birth of Jamming! and a Fanzines Update | 01:10:22 | |
Please visit (and subscribe to) tonyfletcher.substack.com for more writings on zines and beyond. In this episode, Tony offers a short update on the Fanzine Podcast's future episodes and some of the activities around the zine scene before using the opportunity of being in the UK for a while to revisit the debut episode of what was then called The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast, "From Classroom To Clubs." The episode was summarised at the time as follows: For this debut episode of The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast, Tony Fletcher connects with three old friends who all played an important part in the Jamming! school days, and each of whom wrote an introductory piece for The Best of Jamming! book. They are Richard Heard, Jeni de Haart and John Matthews, and over the course of a lively group call, they discuss
The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available from all good book shops.on Sep 23 in the UK/EU, and Dec 2 in the rest of the world. More information and online purchasing options available at: Meantime, if you're a former fanzine editor interested in contributing to the Guest Ex-Editor project, "The concept is to bring various zine scene alumni out of retirement for one or two pages. Contributors might use their page(s) to revisit memories of their old zine, re-evaluate it, resurrect it (maybe with a modern twist to reflect where life has taken them since), or pilot a brand-new zine idea." Write to Alison via confessionsofanexzineeditor@gmail.com Zerox Machine: Punk, Post-Punk and Fanzines in Britain 1976-88 available now in the UK from Reaktion Books https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/zerox-machine Matthew Worley's Facebook group Subcultures, Popular Music and Social Change https://www.facebook.com/groups/267152449995279 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. Copyright reserved. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast logo was designed by Greg Morton, who also assisted with editing. The Best of Jamming! book cover was designed by Martin Stiff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 02 May 2024 | Ep. 25: When Saturday Comes: 40 Years of Football Fanzines | 01:09:53 | |
With Andy Lyons (WSC), Mike Harrison (City Gent), Kevin Whitcher (The Gooner.) For links to and pictures of these fanzines, to post comments, and to read more related writings and podcasts, visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/the-fanzine-podcast-ep-25-40-years For over 40 years now, football fanzines have run parallel to music fanzines in the UK, growing out of the same alternative pop culture as did the punk and new wave zines of the 1970s, as evidenced perhaps by the fact that the best known and longest-running of the non-denominational zines, When Saturday Comes, took its name from a song by the Northern Irish new wave band, The Undertones. At their peak in the late 1980s, it’s estimated there were at least 300 such football zines publishing regularly in the UK. Where the football zines differ from the music ones is in loyalty. If When Saturday Comes is like an alternative to the glossy football magazines the same way that a long-running music fanzine like The Big Takeover, which was featured on Episode 21, can be seen as a more authentically independent voice than a Spin or Mojo, the majority of zines serve more like alternatives to their stated club’s official program. In this context, the Arsenal fanzine The Gooner, whose Kevin Whitcher joins us on this episode, is like a Taylor Swift fanzine, economically removed from the subject it is writing about but passionate about it all the same, while Bradford City’s City Gent, whose Mike Harrison, also featured in this episode, would be more comparable to a zine dedicated to a cult band that refuses to go away – Guided By Voices or Teenage Fan Club, perhaps. Even as football fan culture moves largely online, to YouTube channels and podcasts, there will always remain a dedicated, if “discerning” audience, that is willing to read articles and opinion pieces that bring the banter of what we once knew as the football “terraces” in print. Kevin and Mike are joined here by When Saturday Comes’ co-founder and ongoing editor, Andy Lyons, for a conversation that discusses the various zines’ origins, their rise to influence and prominence, their engagement and effect on the game they support, and how they keep going after four decades and several hundred episodes a piece in the face of the younger fans migration online. The episode also discusses the tragic fire that took place at Bradford City’s ground in May 1985, at which City Gent editor Mike Harrison was in attendance. While we don’t get into any horrific detail, I do want to let listeners be prepared. Thanks to Richard Edwards and Peter Mountford.
Sign up for Tony Fletcher’s weekly newsletter, long weekend read, and for exclusive access to archived interviews, including those from his Keith Moon biography, at tonyfletcher.substack.com.
Theme music by Noel Fletcher. Logo by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 05 Jun 2024 | Ep. 26: Zerox Machine with Matthew Worley | 01:06:57 | |
For show notes, and to see images from Zerox Machine and other books discussed in this episode, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/zerox-machine-the-big-book-of-british And, while there, please subscribe to receive regular updates on this and other Tony Fletcher podcasts and writings. https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/subscribe Matthew Worley is Professor of Modern History at the University of Reading, where he is gainfully employed studying punk and post-punk culture. (Yes, it’s a thing these days.) To this end he has just published an arguably definitive new book, the culmination of many years’ research, Zerox Machine: Punk, Post-Punk and Fanzines in Britain, 1976-88. Across almost 350 pages and approximately 140,000 words, Worley takes an unprecedented deep dive into the subculture of the British fanzine scene, drawing on access to an incredible number of publications – six pages’ worth are cited at the end - and direct communication with many of the editors. Most importantly, he straddles the thin line between an authoritative research project with the kind of thought-provoking analysis one would expect from a Professor of Modern History, with a book that you average Joe and Jane ex- or current- fanzine editor can read and relate to without reaching for a Thesaurus. Zerox Machine is published in the UK by Reaktion Books: And in the US by University of Chicago Press: For show notes, and to see images from Zerox Machine and other books discussed in this episode, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/zerox-machine-the-big-book-of-british And, while there, please subscribe to receive regular updates on this and other Tony Fletcher podcasts and writings. https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 03 Jul 2024 | Ep. 27: Fanzine Lifers Jay Hinman (Fanzine Hemorrhage) & Tim Anstaett (The Offense) | 01:16:21 | |
Throughout the 1980s, Tim Anstaett ran The Offense, an influential, prolific, jam-packed fanzine out of Columbus, Ohio, where he still lives. In the 1990s, Jay Hinman began the underground zine Superdope fanzine out of Seattle, and after a hiatus, picked back up on zine publishing in the 2010s with Dynamite Hemorrhage, which set its stall with a 68-page debut issue. For the last few years, Jay has also been running the Fanzine Hemorrhage web site and newsletter, offering 200 reflective reviews (so far) of select music fanzines (and occasional magazines) from his enormous personal collection. The Offense is one of the few zines Jay has reviewed twice, writing that it “would have been my favorite mag in 1982 had I’d known it existed.” So for this episode of the Fanzine Podcast, podcast host Tony Fletcher brings the pair together for the first time. Over a one-hour conversation, Tim and Jay talked about their early entry points into punk and fanzine culture, hand-written first issues, why they each abandoned advertisers and distributors, their love of 4AD Records in general and the Cocteau Twins in particular, Jay’s cult heroes the Flesheaters, their fave zines of all time, and the best letter they ever received. Read more about this episode, and get links to various items discussed – from zine downloads to bands to TV shows and where to get Tim's books – at https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/midweek-update-51-the-american-in ... And please subscribe while you are there; it’s where Tony continues to exercise his own fanzine muscles by writing about underground and pop culture on a twice-weekly basis. If you enjoyed this episode and your podcast platform allows it, please hit the like button, consider leaving a review and, if you haven't yet, hit "subscribe" to ensure you don't miss the next monthly episode.
Jay Hinman can be found at https://fanzinehemorrhage.com Tim Anstaett can be e-mailed via tkarunner2001@aol.com The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press. 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast logo was designed by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 01 Aug 2024 | Ep. 28: Mick Mercer's Panache | 01:22:13 | |
The first issue of Mick Mercer’s fanzine Panache came out in January 1977, with Iggy Pop on the cover, perfectly poised for the punk/new wave/DIY revolution that was exploding across the UK. Mick kept the zine in print for a further 50+ issues, all the way to 1995, which makes it one of the longest-running, and arguably the most consistently prolific of all the original UK punk-inspired zines. In the decades since, Mick has carried on demonstrating his passion for indie music, comics, and cats, via blogging, radio shows, a Substack column, and his Cat Olympics. Oh, and he’s also written a few books over the years, for which he is rightly considered one of the gurus of Goth. For more info on this episode, including images from various issues of Panache over the years, and direct links to Mick's radio shows and other creative outlets, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/the-fanzine-podcast-ep-28-mick-mercers And please subscribe while you are there; it’s where Tony continues to exercise his own fanzine muscles by writing about underground and pop culture on a twice-weekly basis. If you enjoyed this episode and your podcast platform allows it, please hit the like button, consider leaving a review and, if you haven't yet, hit "subscribe" to ensure you don't miss the next monthly episode.
Mick Mercer can be found at https://mickmercer.substack.com/ The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press. 'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher. The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast logo was designed by Greg Morton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 12 Sep 2024 | Ep. 29 : The Flourishing Litzine Scene | 01:11:05 | |
For Episode 29, Tony's guests are Roual Galloway of Spinners, and Derek Steel of Razur Cuts, two of the more prominent among the many Litzines currently flourishing in the UK (and beyond). Litzines – independent zines of literature from outside the mainstream – are surely among the oldest of all forms of fanzines. Depending on your historical perspective, you could even argue that they predate the concept of the fanzine itself, which as noted back on Episode 21, was a word first knowingly used in 1940. Certainly, self-published zines of prose and poetry writing were an important part of the Beat culture on both US coasts through the 1950s and 1960s, have an anchor in the current vibrant world of perzines, and have been especially strong in the UK ever since the emergence of a new generation of poets in the early 1980s. These were people encouraged by the examples of cross-over artists like John Cooper Clarke and Linton Kwesi Johnson, and aided by the support of rock artists like The Jam’s Paul Weller, and they took to the pubs and small theaters of the UK to reclaim the form “for the people.” In the UK, the medium, in prose and short story form too, has also always had a close connection to the football terraces and others aspects of pop culture, and recent issues of Razur Cuts and Spinners, each weighing in at about 80 pages, readily demonstrate as much... For more info, including photos, more words, and more links, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/the-flourishing-world-of-litzines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 24 Oct 2024 | Ep. 30: Adventures in Eurock and Neumusik | 00:58:33 | |
In 1973, a Californian by the name of Archie Patterson became so enthused by all the interesting underground European experimental/electronic music he was hearing that he started up a fanzine dedicated to it, called Eurock. It lasted 40 issues, through 1990. In 1979, a Brit by the name of David Elliott felt much the same way and, in part inspired by Eurock and also by post-punk DIY culture, started his own zine Neumusik. While it only lasted 6 issues, until 1982, during that time it grew to over 70 pages and set David off exploring Europe to interview many of the important artists in person. What kind of artists are we talking about? Some of them you may know, like Can, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Nektar, Neu!, Heldon, Chrome, or Urban Sax.. Others you may never have heard of, like Guru Guru, Asmus Tietchens, Atem, Art Zoyd III, Gunter Schickert, or Shub Niggurath. All of them were at the forefront of musical creativity towards the end of the 20th Century, and Eurock and Neumusik were at the forefront of the fanzines writing about them, interviewing them, and cataloguing their culture. Patterson grew a distribution service and began publishing books; he still posts twice-weekly about the music on his Facebook. Elliot started a “band,” a cassette label, and recently wrote an extensive book on the British pop music of 1984. For more information about their zines, their culture, and where to get copies of their books, please head on over to https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/adventures-in-neumusik-and-eurock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 21 Nov 2024 | Ep. 31: Restarting an old Zine | 01:22:54 | |
For more information, pictures, how to contact the zine editors, and zine updates, visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/relaunching-your-fanzine Most fanzines are not designed to be permanent: their editors grow up, get "proper" jobs, start families, or just grow bored and want to move on. But occasionally, years down the line, fanzine editors come back around and decide to have another go at it. For this episode, we welcome back from Episode 17 Alison B, whose Confessions of an Ex-Zine Editor, dedicated to exorcising the addictive demons created through her original zine Bubblegum Slut, has resulted in a Guest Ex-Editor 'zine, for which she cajoled and convinced 14 other ex-editors to resurrect their zines, if only for 2-3 pages. Two of those ex-editors, Jøsh Saitz of Negative Capability, and Clint Evans of Peppermint Iguana, are now at work on new print issue after years away, and they join Alison, and host Tony Fletcher, in discussing why they would want to go through it all over again. Listen on to learn what an Adult Activity Book looks like, why Jøsh named his son Damon, why Clint was going off to Turkey the day after our interview, and whether Alison puts fake fur on her back covers (hint: she does). Other zines mentioned: Black Velvet, Abaxis, Artcore, Lunchtime For Wild Youth, Meal Deal Zine, Festival A, Golf Sale, Pretty But Schizo, Adventures In Reality, Pint Sized Punk, Myth & Lore, Mondo Grebo,. Please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/relaunching-your-fanzine for way more content. Thanks to Noel Fletcher for the theme music, and Greg Morton at Omnibus Press for the logo template. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 06 Feb 2025 | Ep. 32: Search & Destroy | 01:12:36 | |
It’s time for a new episode of The Fanzine Podcast, and we start 2025 off with one of the pioneers from the explosion of punk zines in 1977: V. Vale, editor and publisher of San Francisco’s legendary Search & Destroy along with its successor, RE/Search Publications. Now in his late 70s, Vale – who grew up in foster homes in the Midwest and found refuge in public libraries – has been active in the U.S. counterculture pretty much all his life. He attended U.C. Berkeley during the Free Speech Movement of 1964-65, was active on the city’s hippy scene, worked at the equally legendary City Lights book/magazine shop, and was on hand when San Francisco’s first punk bands – Crime, Nuns, The Avengers, Sleepers, Negative Trend among others – emerged in 1977, at which point he decided to document the culture. Basing Search & Destroy on the format of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine (founded in 1969), Vale’s preferred newspaper print and unadulterated Q&A format combined with the energy of those interviews and the explosive visuals of its layout to make Search & Destroy a must-read zine far beyond the city’s borders. This was just as well given that Vale reckons it took two years to get 200 people on board the SF punk scene but that he printed 5000 copies of that debut issue, helped by donations from Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. ...To read on, to see examples of Search & Destroy and RE/Search, please visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/search-and-destroy To order from RE/Search Pubs, visit researchpubs.com Thanks to Noel Fletcher for the theme music, and Greg Morton at Omnibus Press for the logo template. The Best of Jamming! is available via https://omnibuspress.com/products/the-best-of-jamming-published-on-23rd-september-2021 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 12 Mar 2025 | Ep. 33: What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen with Chris Coleman | 01:10:56 | |
For the 33rd installment of the Fanzine Podcast, we welcome Chris Coleman, former editor of at least two important ‘zines from the 1980s post-punk UK Midlands: Stringent Measures and What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen. The first of these zines straddled a vibrant local indie scene that included the likes of Eyeless In Gaza, In Embrace, Attrition, and the Glass Records label (about which Chris put together a special edition) along with Chris’s evident excitement for early U2. What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen, while maintaining the fanzine format, declared itself musically with a first issue featuring interviews with The Waterboys, The Alarm - and Johnny Thunders, to whom it later dedicated a special issue (as it did Marc Bolan). WANWTTS also put out physical vinyl – EP’s and albums alike - that included the likes of The Jazz Butcher, Jasmine Minks, The Membranes, Mike Scott and Nikki Sudden, and which therefore continued to place the zine at the heart of the mid-80s indie music scene. To this day, Chris continues to release records of lost archived recordings on his Seventeen label. Chris spent a Friday night indoors chatting with podcast host Tony Fletcher about his fanzine experiences back in the day. Other fanzines mentioned in this episode include Bucketful Of Brains, Alternative Sounds and Adventures In Reality, and the conversation also diverges into the likes of R.E.M. and The Smiths. We get to hear how Chris’s parents once collated and stapled and distributed zines for him while he was on holiday, and we find out which of the aforementioned musicians once commented to him, “You have great veins.” (Hint: it should be obvious.) Visit https://tonyfletcher.substack.com/p/what-a-nice-way-to-turn-seventeen for images of some vintage What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen, to find similar posts and pages dedicated to earlier Fanzine Podcasts, and for Tony’s twice-weekly writings. Thanks to Noel Fletcher for the theme music, and Greg Morton at Omnibus Press for the logo template. The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is available from here.
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