Eddie Piller and Steve Rowland – Punkzines: British Fanzine Culture from the Punk Scene 1976-1983

What an engaging and delightfully entertaining book this is! As its title so neatly suggests, it focuses on the British underground fanzines that came out in the wake of punk’s explosive entry into the music milieu back in 1976 and highlights the relevance of these cheaply made publications and puts them into a larger perspective. In other words, Piller and Rowland’s charming and lovingly made literary piece brilliantly summarizes the importance of the punk zines in an insightful, reflective, and above all humorous manner, and this a warm and honest account of what it meant to be both a fan of and a contributor to the punk music scene.

The fanzines were an essential part of punk rock’s existence, and given that punk musicians were so easy to approach and very much a part of the crowd, the editors and writers of these underground writings were able to provide both the bands and their admirers with a vehicle to express themselves and get their message across. In many ways, the fanzines became a way for everyone associated with the punk sphere to communicate with each other and share thoughts and ideas. The zines became the voice to the punk generation, if you will, and given that the spirit and ideals of DIY coursed through both the music and the fanzines, they complemented each other perfectly. Do not forget that the punk zines were unvarnished and unencumbered by any expectations of PR; they were made for no other reason than the love of this specific branch of music.

If you were ever curious as to how these publications were made and distributed as well as how they came into being in the first place and what their agendas were, this book is for you and will give you a deeper understanding (and hopefully also appreciation) of why zines ala Sniffin’ Glue, Chainsaw, Panache, and Kill Your Pet Puppy became popular and were a compulsory read for fans of the music. "Punkzines" is also jampacked with pictures of adverts and fanzine covers as well as interviews with various creators and editors whose heartwarming recollections and candid anecdotes are the stuff that a music fan’s dreams are made of.

"Punkzines: British Fanzine Culture from the Punk Scene 1976-1983" evokes the vibe and aura of the late 70s/early 80s and that whole bygone era superbly, and as is made clear within its 176 glorious pages, the punk phenomenon is something that will most likely never occur again or be reproduced. It was a unique cultural movement that different fanzines from London to Glasgow and further on to all corners of the UK were able to cover and put it into words. This one is the perfect visual guide to an inspired and inspiring subculture.

 

Punkzines: Fanzine Culture from the Punk Scene – omnibuspress.com