Rough Trade (my favourite new shop, though I can't actually purchase much in there apart from a coffee at the moment because am currently without CD or record player, I just go in occasionally and stroke the CD covers wistfully and wander out again) are holding a fanzine workshop with Everett True of Plan B - didn't our Tim write for Plan B or something?And it made me think - though of course we love the New Media and all - it would be fun to put together a little fanzine. And everyone could contribute, writing, artwork, photography, whatever they felt like. Novel writing - even joint-novel-writing - is clearly beyond me, but this is maybe more achievable. What do you think?
1.) What could it be about?
2.) What to call it?
31 comments:
Awww, I wrote for an indie fanzine (called Dog Biscuit) when I was at university, and then another one, which was more like the Economist, an Economist fanzine, hahahaaa, when I was in my 20s. I'd love to do it again, although really I don't think I'm 'cool' enough.
As I recall, our Tim wrote for Careless Talk Costs Lives, the precursor to Plan B.
I've just ordered Rough Trade's best of 2007 compilation, their year-end compilations are totally brilliant and I recommend them unreservedly to anyone. That's where I find probably more than half of my new music.
I purchased the first ever issue of ID when it was a landscape stapled photocopy and had every single issue until 1988. Yes. I threw them all away in a fit of misguided pique. Oh how I wish I could look at them now.
My Dad used to get Sniffin' Glue. I think that is how I got into liking the idea of kicking the system and particularly, into punk.
"our Tim"? Awww, that makes me feel all warm inside.
To be precise, I have written one piece for PB, but I did absolutely shedloads for CTCL. In fact I wrote the very first article in the very first edition (a live Spiritualized review, p 2) and was even joint album reviews editor for about 10 minutes.
Anyway, the fanzine thing sounds great, and I would go, if distance and advanced age weren't factors.
RoMo: I once shared a house with the founder of SleazeNation - it too was born as a badly photocopied student magazine (and associated club night) at Royal Holloway. I would have kept some early issues, but I held this individual in particular contempt because he once kicked the cat against the wall, so I chose to ignore anything he did.
I think we should call it "Shun the cat kicker".
I'd certainly be up for it. Never written for a fanzine. Did a bit for my Uni magazine, but the people who ran it were way too precious, and I never got to do anything good. Which is why I ended up at the radio station, where i could do whatever I wanted with two hours of FM air time...
Right, I have now signed up for it, so you people had better send me some articles before next Thursday - or else I'll have to write it all myself, which would be egotistical, and as I really know bugger all about music, not much fun to read. Send me your finest thoughts on music - pleeeeeeeese (- you do it on your blogs! Now do it for me! I can't pay you, but there will be very warm feelings for you in my heart)- or I will look like a right cock in front of all the other hip young things.
Rah, Del! I knew you wouldn't let me down. Can you email me something my dear? And let me know what name you prefer to go under. (slaminsky at gmail)The floor is yours. Don't know what length to ask for as I don't know how long this thing will be.
Tim, I know I'm probably not their target market - but as I lacked initiative or confidence to write or produce anything when I was young, I don't want to lose out now for being too old. Plus, ET is likely no spring chicken now...
Billy, I'm expecting something from you. And The Curve - or there'll be harsh words at half term.
If you are out of inspiration to write, you could send me one of these LP portraits - I'll be having a go at one tomorrow...
PS Tell your friends! All welcome!
And if you,like, know any pop stars who'd like to be interviewed before Thursday, do send them my way...
Shit. Bluff called. Er. Right...
Re: music - does it have to be about a current band/movement or can it be a 'when I went to see' type thing? (I'm wicked and I'm laaaaaazy!) x
Del, no pressure - you could just recycle a blog post...
RoMo - hurrah! 'When I went to see' would be perfect...
Oh dear, don't know the first thing about music. But I'll cheerlead for you from my desk. Go Slammie. Go Slammie. Go Slammie... (to fade).
I was pestered into contributing to a pan-European fanzine (!) that was advertised in the NME years ago. I did a couple of dance album reviews and they were apparently well received but the magazine went to the wall after that. Anyway, the best thing about it was a review of a covers album by some Italian bloke - "The Farm ruin Human League's Don't You Want Me by singing in style of small child reading poetry". Brilliant!
However, I'm much too old to understand music these days, even if I still love it, pathetically enough. I could review Stannah stairlifts or Saga holidays for you though.
Betty! FFS! You write about music ALL THE TIME! And you are brilliant and funny and interesting to read on music. Just send me one of your posts! Now is not the time to come over all modest and retiring. Maybe I should get in touch with that Tears for Fears woman? I bet she'd be up for it.
Good lord, blogging can be very dispiriting at times.
I can't write about music at all, except in a "this song makes me feel like watching butterflies in a meadow" kind of way. When I said I wrote for a fanzine while at university, I didn't mean I was any good at it eek eek fear fear backtrack backtrack.
I've never written anything even remotely similar to this since I was in school. I'm not very good at it though...
Erm, do you want me to review something or do a more general thing?
Oy vey. Beginning to wish I hadn't started this. It's only a fanzine - you know, what people used to write in before they had blogs to write on... same same really, but on paper. You know, like this or this...
So, if you want, send me an old post on music, or music related - or not, no big deal. I don't want to nag people to write, it's meant to be for fun...
Oooooh - Miss has spoken. A tiger ate my homework - I'm going to have to give it in late. x
I used to eidt a charity newsletter and I did a usenet-related fanzine (a spoof that ran for a few issues). Darn hard work. A website turned out to be much easier!
I've searched through my archive for a music-related post and this one is certainly in the fanzine style.
Or there's this one. I quite like that one.
Jolly good! do you want to be credited as Billy then?
Haven't forgotten. Will write up my ideas tonight...
Yeah, credit me as Billy. Make up a surname if you like.
Del, fab - tonight's the night, but it's a two parter anyway.
Billy - I dub thee, Billy Williwaw.
"Did a bit for my Uni magazine, but the people who ran it were way too precious"
Del, for shame!! As one of the "precious" people who ran the said magazine, I'd like to point out that Ben (SWSL) was a music editor and he (and I) were practically begging people to write interviews and do reviews. All most people had to do was ask, and they didn't, for the most part.
Except of course, during my first two years I also thought the people running the thing were a cliquey cabal of attention thieves. It always looks that way when you're looking in from the outside.
Ah, Olav, missed opportunities. This was in my first term of my first year, presumably before you and Ben had taken over the asylum. So spurned was I that I was turned forever to radio. FOREVER! Sadly I never really got anywhere with that...
Writing stuff now!
Hello Olav. I think Olav is the best name I've ever come across online & I'm hoping it's your real one.
Ooh, blogging, it's all wheels within wheels, I never realised. I was far too shy and weedy and pathetic to write anything at college (except for at Lit. Soc, less said about that the better) so bravo for getting in there.
Del - hurrah! You are a star and have earned my eternal gratitude.
Ah, you should have seen all these twentysomething chicks at the fanzine workshop though. So feisty, so fun, so confident, so much Krazy Kolour hair dye put to such good use... I would swap places with them in a nanosecond. Nostalgia *sigh*
I'm 20 something. And single. Can I come to the next one?
I'm sure you could. Rough Trade didn't seem that strict about checking who had signed up for it... next one on 6th March
I could submit my Machinochrist review.
Billy and I were inspired to go to Rough Trade at the weekend :)
A quick search turned up the words 'gabba breakcore mentalism' - I don't know what it means, but we clearly need more of it in the fanzine.
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