Buy Beat Motel at www.beatmotel.co.uk
ARF #2
£1 (post paid) for 40 A5 pages
A ton of work must go into this zine on the part of Nat and Jim, there’s hardly any white space at all! Random drawings and interviews include Alternative Blueprint, Bald Cactus, Squad 69, Leftover Crack and more. This zine also has the best centrefold I’ve ever seen, you could stare at it for hours and still find something new! If I had to go to a desert island I’d have to take this zine.
ARF, Yoemans, 49 St James Street, South Pemberton, Somerset, TA13 5BN
Bald Cactus #23/ Headwound #17
£1 for 48 A4 pages
Bald Cactus satisfies ever desire I have from a zine; great reviews, agreeable rants, smart thoughts and interviews with bands you’ve never heard of that are essential reading. The Coca-Cola info in this issue is particularly shocking, you need this zine. As if one smart zine wasn’t enough you’ve got Head Wound to contend with as well, this also is a damn near perfect zine, nice to see some book reviews in there too.
Andy/ Bald Cactus, C/O 145-149 Cardigan Road, Leeds, LS6 1LJ
Barbies Dead #17
50p for 16 A4 pages
What a great zine! What a crap way to start a review! I really enjoyed reading this smashed together zine, the politics are pretty much spot on and it does that rare thing that some zines do, it made me laugh! One thing though, don’t ever lend ya van to Alex! Features include UK Subs, Pilger and tons of smart very readable reviews.
Alex Woodhouse, The Square, Gunnislake, Cornwall, PL18 9BW
Bootgirls Business #3
£??? For 30 A5 Pages
All the way from Oz this one, well unless you are reading this from Australia, in which case it’s from your back yard, unless you live in a tower block and don’t have a back yard, in which case I’d better shut up and get on with the review. This is a fun wee zine that’s nice and personal sounding and packed with interviews with bands I’ve never heard of. Now that might put off the average zine buyer I’m always fascinated to read about bands I’ve never heard of, such as (in this issue) The Blurters, On File, Vicious and Crashed Out (ok, I’ve heard of them). There’s also some pretty smart cartoons and a funny micro-column from some lad calling anyone that doesn’t smoke (and therefore doesn’t have the decency to die young) a state scrounger!
No idea how you go about buying one of these, but they have a webshite at www.boot.live.com.au
Bubblegum Slut #18
£1 for 58 A5 Pages
Wahoo this zine has a furry heart on the front, no, it really does! Must have taken them Jeebing ages to stick all them on! Bubblegum Slut is (by their own admission) an unashamed cock rock zine. It’s really well done and this issue contains such leather clad posers as Tiger Army, The Quireboys, Teenage Casket Company, Pornovurt and about a billion more. It even has an article about filth in music. It’s literally crammed and still a good read even if you don’t like the zines, now that’s an accomplishment!
Bubblegum Slut, 27 Stores Lane, Tiptree, Essex, CO5 0LH or www.bubblegumslutfanzine.1hwy.com
Captain Oi Catalogue
FREE for a crap load of A4 pages
Not a zine I know, but still very pretty and comes with a free cd. If you’ve got no idea who Captain Oi are, they are the label that reissues all the smart stuff you never got a chance to buy years ago. This catalogue is well worth sending off for, and it’s glossy colour front cover kinda looks like an old footy sticker collectors album!
Captain Oi!, PO Box 501, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 8QA or www.captainoi.com
Codeye #12
50p (I think) for 28 A5 Pages
Packed with interviews and reviews of just about everything you can imagine (all smashed together in no apparent order), I like this zine but I don’t wanna say too much about is as I think this is a really old issue and ya know how fast things move in zine circles, probably got a flashy gloss cover on it! Anyhew, I’d recommend sending your cash and a SSAE, ya never know what you’re going to get back.
Rob Codeye, 23 Falkland Street, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS1 4JH
Debunk #1
£1 for 32 A5 pages
The challenge set by author Mafro was to write and publish a zine from start to finish in just one week, and he’s done that with style! This issue is mostly columns, they are all totally readable and most of them of a humourus bent. Interviews include a fascinating one with Paul Miro from Apes, Pigs and Spacemen (that bloke that was royally shagged by a major label) and some Christian lad. There’s a fair bit of white space, but I’m stunned there isn’t a lot more given the timescale they worked to! Grab this, and then wait with baited breath for issue #2
Debunk, 3 Pippin Close, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2QJ
Devoloution #5
£1.50 for 40 A4 pages
Another very swish full colour glossy pro looking metal/ goth zine. Covers a ton of other punk stuff as well with lashings of personality. Also has smart stuff like art and even some fashion pages. Good stuff
Devolution Magazine, 137a Brasenose Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7BP or www.devolutionmagazine.co.uk
Fast ‘n’ Loud #4
£1 for 28 A4 pages
Ah, now this has no white space whatsoever! There are a few ideas in this zine I really like, for each interview the fella has done his homework and decorates each page with ephemera related to the band in focus. Blimey, not like me to use posh words like that! Interviews include the guitarist from Dogshit Sandwich and his new band, Mothburner (holy crap, that name is SO goth!), reggae rareuns Basement 5 and a bunch of others. I’ve always loved zines that wear their punk colours on their sleeves but don’t just cover punk bands per se, there’s a whole lot of other stuff out there ya know! Good stuff, I’d buy it if it wasn’t sent to me for free!
88 Overbrook Road, Gloucester, G12 4RZ
Fear and Loathing #60
£1.25 for 30 A4 pages
Issue 60, Jeebus! This is a great zine featuring the Avengers, Guided by Voices and MC5 amongst a bunch of others. The overall vibe is friendly and well informed. However, if you think the text is small in Beat Motel wait till you see this, Jeebus!
Andy Pearson, 87 Bulwer Road, London, E11 1BY
Issue #18 ½
FREE for 4 A4 pages
Not so much a zine, more of an explanation as to why he hasn’t put out an issue for so many years, it’s more of a lead in to;
Issue #19
50p for 12 A4 pages
A pretty comprehensive slice and dice job (yeah I know it says that on the masthead) of what’s hip and happening in the Basingstoke area. Includes a pretty huge article on The Misnomer (we like). The layouts are pretty pedestrian, but this zine has it where it counts, in the content. Great reading material!
Neil Duncan, 25 Sarum Hill, Basingstoke, Hants, RG21 8SS
Maximum Rock N Roll #266
$4 for about a billion A4 pages
Ah the daddy of zines, I’ve never seen a copy before this one & now I can see why it’s so popular. There are loads of columns and they are all awesome! The only thing that bugged me was the lack of page numbers, but that always bugs me in zines. Shame I haven’t got space to write more, just buy it, it’s a safe bet!
PO Box 460760, San Francisco, CA 94146-0760, USA or www.maximumrocknroll.com
OX Fanzine #60
€4 for 138 A4 pages.
This is very much a magazine with a zine attitude. The bits that I could read (most of the zine is in German) are great. It covers Dwarves, Mars Volta, Converge and bloody loads more. This is a great zine, I just wish I’d paid more attention in German GCSE. Doesn’t matter really, there are so many shit cool photos in this zine you should buy it even if you don’t understand the language! Oh, and there review of Beat Motel #1 is the best ever, it describes one part of the zine as ‘A short report on the mistakes of trouser shitting’, love it!
Ox, PO BOX 10 22 25, D-42766 Haan, Germany
Perro Maldito #2
£? For 30 A5 pages.
Great grindcore zine from Italy featuring around 300 naked arses on the cover (seriously!) Includes a great Cripple Bastards Tour diary, man they are angry buggers. Also contains Melt Banana, Headless Horsemen and Discarga.
Raffaele Sironi, V.Biffi 11, 20050 Sulbiate (MI), Italy.
Perro Maldito #3
€2 for 26 A5 pages
Bit more politically minded than the last issue, which is no bad thing. Also contains Vitamin X, Infest, Death Side and more. Well worth getting.
Raffaele Sironi, V.Biffi 11, 20050 Sulbiate (MI), Italy.
Pogo Till I Die #8
£2 for 46 A5 pages
Tons of 70s stylee punk including Sadie Hawkins dance, Genocides, 3CR and well as a bunch of other interviews, all written in a kinda light hearted way, very readable. The reviews bit crazed me a bit, they are written in a conversational style all lumped together, but at least that’s original!
PO Box 514, Preston Centra, PR2 9WY
Positive Creed #8
50p for 40 A5 pages
Captain Oi, The Wake, Paul Neads, C.E Laine and about a gazillion reviews, all served up in a most readable manor and more personality than a room full of people with multiple personality disorders reheasing a play about multiple personalities. This zine was so popular at Beat Motel HQ the cats claimed it as a prime sleeping spot for about a month.
Positive Creed, 17a Charnley Avenue, Exeter, Devon, EX4 1RD
Punk Life #?
$? For 28 A5 pages
Hell, this zine is so DIY you have to provide your own staples! From the photocopy job you can see that there were once staples in various parts of the pages but no more. This zine is a kinda conversational collection of smart old gig posters, a few reviews of albums important to the editor. There’s a whacking huge interview with Wino from the hidden hand in here too.
omdharma@hotmail.com
Punk Life #1.5
$? For 35 A5 pages
This is like the bigger brother of the previous issue and has loads of memoir type thoughtful stuff in it about life in San Francisco, very readable. There’s more reviews, all written in the biggest font ever and interviews with Death to Tyrants & The Mass. I really like this zine, but can’t put my finger on why.
omdharma@hotmail.com
Ripping Thrash #22/ Why #6
50p for 40 A5 pages
Ripping Thrash seems to be one of those zines that everyone has heard of, so I was chuffed to get my own copy. There are a bunch of very readable options and commentary on society and tons of great informed reviews. Steve not only knows his stuff but is a bloody nice bloke! Why Zine is more along the lines of Reason To Believe, fairly militant anarcho stuff, but informative and inspiring. Two pretty different zines for the price of one, ace.
Steve, PO Box 152, Burton-On-Trent, Staffs, DE14 1XX
Riot on Your Own #19
FREE for 26 A5 pages
It may be free but I had to send a quid to the Post Office before they’d let me collect this as my copy had ‘insufficient postage’. This is a great zine mostly about the author’s hometown of Belfast. It’s crammed with photos (including the punk chicky centrefold) and photos in zines is something I applaud, they really help build a picture of a scene that looks fucking great fun! Buy it, you’ll love it.
Billy Riot, 5 Glen Road, Belfast, BT5 7JH, Northern Ireland.
Runnin’ Feart #12
£1.50 (I think) for 33 A5 pages.
Arg, the colours on the front of this zine gave me a headache, now that’s impressive! Running Feart is a very pro looking zine packed with interviews with the likes of Nekromantix, Flogging Molly, Tsunami Bomb, Dead Pets and probably every other band you’ve ever heard of. The layouts are pretty smart and there’s a ton of photos to gawp at, they are even printed clearly! A bit a lack of columns, but that’s just my opinion.
Callum Mason, 12 Crusader Cresent, Stewarton, Ayrshire, KA3 3BL, Scotland
Satans Fishtank # 16
£1 for 71 A5 pages
This zine leans way towards the more Kerrang bands area and it printed as a magazine rather than a zine. I can’t believe just how crammed this zine is, it reviews pretty much everything, even the Cillit Bang webshite! There’s a massive review of the download festival. There are so many bands in this zine I just don’t have space to list them all, but if metal is your thing you need to buy this zine.
Satan’s Fishtank, 17 Eyton Close, Winyates West, Redditch, Worcs, B98 0JY or www.satansfishtank.com
Thirsk First #1
50p for 40 A5 pages
I’m guessing that this lot have made many a zine in their time. Thirst First reads like a zine that’s been about for years, but it’s still fresh and funny. There’s a bunch of columns (always good to see) and some sort of odd poster that appears to cut it’s way through the middle of the magazine. Much like Beat Motel, this zine has a bit of a bias towards it’s home town (Thirsk, duh) but is far wider reaching. I’m looking forward to the next one.
Thirsk First, PO Box 132, Thirsk, YO7 1WR
Toxic Stress #2
50p? For 22 A5 pages
Smart attitude to this zine, really warmed to it from the second it’s pages scattered themselves around the room on falling from the envelope (no staples ya see). Includes an interview with one of the promoters of the punx picnic which should be gripping for anyone who has ever put on a gig. Also inspiring is the interview with James from Anarchoi Zine. The zine reviews are very in-depth, unlike my review of this zine. Buy It.
Ade, 26 Rutland Avenue, Borrowash, Derby, DE73 3GF
Trashpit #7
£1 for 26 A5 pages
Hurrah, another issue of one of the best looking and best printed zines in the known universe. This issue forges further into the glam metal world with chats with Robin Black, The Quireboys and a bunch of others. If you like lads in tight leather trousers with guitars you oughta buy Trashpit.
Trashpit, 95 Flamstead Ave, Loscoe, Heanor, Derbyshire, DE75 7RP or www.trashpit.co.uk
You Can’t Say No To Hope #5
FREE for 8 A5 pages
Very small but very cool zinette including instructions on how to make a torch from a log. This zinette goes a long way to prove if you’ve got something to say then you should get off yer fat can and say it!
71 Merlin Avenue, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CU10 9JY
The Exploited
Death Before Dishonour
CDLP (CAPTAIN OI)
Originally released in 1986 on Rough Justice this was definitely bridging the gap between hardcore punk and thrash metal. Even Wattie’s vocals have some of that metal screech to them. Funnily enough I thought I’d laugh at this but I rather like it. Part nostalgia and partly the fact that Wattie’s actually singing about something. He might be of pretty low intellect but at least he means it, man! Wouldn’t get that from MTV punks these days… The music works best when it’s slower (a sorta grungy punk metal hybrid) but the obligatory speed stuff is on there as well. Titles of note include Anti UK, Power Struggle, Sexual Favours, Police Informer and the title track. Bonus tracks on here include both Jesus Is Dead and War Now 12” EP’s (7 in total). All wrapped up in a great digipak with 16 page booklet. Should make any punks who like metal happy (like me!) Or vice versa, whatever, know what I mean?
Graham Culture
The Exploited
The Massacre
CDLP (CAPTAIN OI)
This is the latest album in Captain Oi’s efforts to remaster and re-release classic punk albums; The Exploited’s 1990 album The Massacre. The Exploited are one of the finest second-wave punk bands and one of the few to outlive the 80s. As ever with Captain Oi releases the presentation is of the highest standard with full lyrics and an informative introduction by punk scholar Ian Glasper. The Massacre is as intense and angry as The Exploited get with Wattie aiming his fury towards the government in ‘Don’t Pay the Poll Tax’, religion in ‘Fuck Religion’ and the police in ‘Boys In Blue’ amongst others. Captain Oi’s remastering has made this album sound the best it ever has. With four bonus live tracks this is certainly the definitive version of a much underrated album. Perhaps not essential for long term fans who already own the album but a must for those now getting into the band. Stand out tracks include ‘Dog Soldiers’ and the blisteringly fast live version of ‘The Massacre’.
Fatmark
Gallon Drunk
One For The Ladies
DVD (CHERRY RED FILMS)
Hell this band bring back some memories, mainly of seeing them drunk of their asses attempting to play on ‘The Word’. This DVD from the increasingly cool Cherry Red range shows Gallon Drunk at their noisy fucked up height. If you’ve never heard of this band, imagine Jon Spenser Blues Explosion, but even more drunk off their asses. They range from believable rockabilly skank to outright fucking illogical din. The vocals are at the best of times bloody awful and seem to bear little or no relation to the bleedin’ racket going on in the background. The instruments all appear to be lacking strings, tuning, or in some cases any proper amplification, the keyboard sounds like pure amplified evil and towards the end of the set appears to burst into flames, probably because ‘singer’ James Johnston has just been thumping it against the drum kit whilst jabbing it discordantly. The stage effects at this gig consist of tons of shite being dropped on the band from above, it starts off as streamers then they appear to be partly buried under what appears to be several kilos of greasy dandruff (honestly, that’s what it looks like). The band stops periodically to either drink beer (mid-song) or fuck with their tuning (just in case it might accidentally be in tune). Where some bands will have a beer on stage with them you can clearly see Mr Johnston has a whole crate within arms reach on top of his suffering amp. It’s sloppy, messy, and you wouldn’t want to want to watch this while you had a hangover, but I’ve gotta say this is fucking excellent. Oh, there’s some odd film on the end as an extra.
Andrew Culture
Motorhead
Stage Fright
2 DVD set
This is cool! Featuring a 90 minute live set recorded in Dusseldorf 2004. The set spans Motorheads entire career with all the usual classics (Ace of Spades, Overkill, Killed By Death) and the not so usual classics (Dancing on your Grave, Tragedy, Dr Rock). Great performance proving that these old farts rock harder (and with more honesty ) than todays posers. Great camera work, exciting and, as the old cliché goes, as near to being there as you’re likely to get. Fantastic pile driver sound too.
The cool stuff don’t stop there though, the excellent ‘We Are The Road Crew’ documentary on disc 2 is great as well. Featuring , amongst many others, an exceptionally fat, foulmouthed and funny Scottish cook! Plenty of other bits n pieces – Backstage Rider (how much!!??!), Fans (now that’s dedication) and an LA testimonial which has a bunch of wankers fawning at Lemmy’s feet saying how they are just not worthy of them (too fucking true – arseholes!!) Anyway from this fawning wanker who’s not fit to… etc, etc, BUY IT!!
Graham Culture
New York Scumhaters
Rocket To Bangkok
Demo CD
This is essentially an album of Ramones covers in an ‘Oi! Style’. As such it’s quite good, but there’s nothing to surprise here, just Ramones songs with the vocals sung in a London accent. The songs are performed well but I wonder why they felt a need to record an album of covers, which are not different enough from the originals to be that memorable. The artwork and sound quality is good and this band can obviously play well, it would be nice to hear some of their own material.
Fatmark
No Use For a Name
Leave Them Confused
CDLP (FAT WRECK CHORDS)
I was really looking forward to hearing this album, I am fairly new to NUFAN and adore live in a dive and hard rock bottom. But for some reason this album just hasn’t grabbed me by the bollocks, it’s all very nice and all and perhaps that’s the problem, the vocals are flawless as is all the playing but there just doesn’t seem to be many stand out tracks, the band sounds somehow bored. But NUFAN can be deceptive and if their previous albums are anything to go by this is gonna be a grower, and I look forward to adoring this album as much as do the previous stuff.
Andrew Culture
Peter Cat
DEMO
Apparently this cd was recorded live at the Arts Centre in Colchester, I can only assume they hid a ghetto blaster in a bin full of packing foam to get this sound. Actually, unless the singer really does sing ten times louder than the rest of the band can play I assume it’s taken straight from the mixing desk. All my bullshite aside though, this is a band I really love. I’ve caught them a couple of times in Ipswich and they first caught my attention as they are the only band I’ve EVER seen anywhere with a Television vibe about them. The instrumentation has that sort of melodic intelligence about it and the vocals veer between Tom Velaine and The Talking Heads, which the occasional Waxing Captors style whelp thrown in. The tunes are all great and I really look forward to hearing some properly recorded output from this lot.
Andrew Culture
Slunt
Get a Load Of This
CDEP (REPOSSESION RECORDS)
Hmmm, right, with a name like SLUNT well it ain’t gonna be good is it? Anybody who don’t get the horrible references that their name refers to are probably better off. Maybe we should run a competition for the two words their name is made up of? Dried spunk on a postcard to the Beat Motel address please.
Okay some press release quotes…’raunch rock assault’, ‘no-subject-too-taboo’, ‘rock-now-ask-questions-later’, ‘badass’, ‘we just fucking set the stage on fire’ and ‘appeared on Playboy TV while the action went on in front of them’. So they’re from New York, they are 2 ugly blokes and 2 horny women (allegedly) and they sing about screwing. They sound like AC/DC apparently (you fucking wish!!!!!!). Song titles include ‘Fast City Girls’, ‘Cliché Rock n Roll Party Song’, ‘Loved By You’ and ‘Fucking for Money’ (Joke, just made that one up). The cover features a particularly horny pair of tits eating an ice cream. Nice until closer inspection reveals a hairy belly button!!!
In reality they’re competent but dull rock music with sex as the selling point. Fucking shit, avoid like the plague no matter what Kerrang says
Graham Culture
SOMA
DEMO
Live this Ipswich/ Colchester band are seriously impressive, on cd they don’t really disappoint either. If a band is lucky they are graced with a singer that has personality and passion in his/ her voice, this band has two! Muscially they sound a bit like an old Ipswich band called Nemo (especially the second track ‘Frame’)but with a bit more groove and bite. Singers Lewis and Leah weave their vocals around each other and they compliment each other perfectly. Other comparisons are hard to make, you could say it’s Beth Orton with bollcoks but it’s got so much more soul and intelligence. I’m gagging to hear what they record next, if I had two pennys to rub together I’d sign this band. You MUST check them out at www.somaband.co.uk
Andrew Culture
They Fight Crime
Made For Each Other
CD Single (SELF RELEASE)
Elusive at best around Ipswich, They Fight Crime seem to average on one gig per millennium, but on the bases of this, you should see them whenever they decide to play again. With a very (pointed out by my girlfriend, I add) Bell & Sebastion feel they launch into a-side Made For Each Other. It’s a brilliant pop tune, bittersweet lyrics, catchy melodies and a corker of a chorus. First b-side Cross Country is my favourite on the cd. An upbeat but reflective song about youth, the lyrics are simplistic but get to the point and I would have thought this would have been a better option to lead the cd. The chorus sends tingles down my spine when I hear it. Final song Marlborough Road is a slow-paced think-along, a perfect end to the cd. Clive’s vocals are diverse and aren’t restricted by one setting. Accompanied by a tight guitarist and bassist (not to mention a cracking drummer) They Fight Crime have constructed a brilliant pop single. And good pop before you ask. To download some songs (or buy the cd for £2.50) go to www.theyfightcrime.com
Marc Newby
V/A
Follow Your Leader
CDLP
Billed as an international anti-Nazi hardcore punk compilation, this double CD compiles 52 tracks from a great number of countries including the UK, US, France, Japan and Croatia! The CD looks and feels like an 80s Crass records release, presented in a black and white fold-out card sleeve. The tracks are a mixed bag, as is the sound quality, with many appearing to be generic attempts at hardcore punk which are instantly forgettable. There are however enough good tracks to make this compilation well worth the stated £3 (Another nod to the 80s punk ethics of releasing records). Standout bands include Brazil’s Acao Direta, Italy’s Arturo and Holland’s Brezhnev. This compilation brings back a lot of the fun of collecting music which had been lost with the move from vinyl to the more sterile and easily manufactured compact disc
Fatmark
Last Updated on February 18, 2023
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