Slash (fanzine)

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Slash (fanzine)
Formation1977
Dissolved1980
TypePunk Music Fanzine
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, United States

Slash was a punk rock-related fanzine published by Steve Samiof and Melanie Nissen in the United States from 1977 to 1980. The magazine was a large-format tabloid focused on the Los Angeles punk scene. [1] The fanzine also gave birth to Slash Records, an important punk record label.

Contents

Description

Slash regularly covered such L.A. bands as the Screamers, the Skulls, Nervous Gender, The Bags, and X. It did not restrict itself to local acts; its first cover featured Dave Vanian of the Damned. It also featured articles and reviews on reggae, blues, and rockabilly, in doing so, introduced punk audiences to a wide range of then-unfamiliar musical genres.

Writers Claude "Kickboy Face" Bessy, Craig Lee, Richard Meltzer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Chris D., Allan MacDonell and Pleasant Gehman, and cartoonist Gary Panter were among the major contributors. Photo contributors included David Arnoff, Susan Carson, Kerry Colonna, Ed Colver, Diane Gamboa, Frank Gargani, Jenny Lens, Melanie Nissen, Donna Santisi, Ann Summa, Scott Lindgren, and coeditor Philomena Winstanley.

Closing

Slash magazine folded in 1980, as many of the main principals involved were increasingly concentrating on other activities. Bob Biggs was more involved in running the label; many of the writers were concentrating on their own musical activities. In addition, there was a widespread perception that punk rock was dying, as movements such as post-punk, hardcore, and deathrock were emerging while many of the original Los Angeles punk bands (such as the Germs and the Weirdos) were breaking up, and in such a changing environment Slash had essentially served its purpose.

Issues

VolumeIssueDateCover subjectCover byNotes
11May 1977 Dave Vanian (The Damned)Photo by Melanie Nissen
12Jun 1977John Denney (The Weirdos)Photo by Melanie Nissen
13Aug 1977 Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols)
14Sep 1977Kerry Colonna (live collage)Photo by Philomena Winstanley
15Oct 1977 Debbie Harry (Blondie)
16Dec 1977 Exene Cervenka (X)
17Jan 1978Local Scene Makers
18Feb 1978 Poly Styrene (X-Ray Spex)Photo by Virginia Turbett
19Apr 1978Bobby Pyn/Darby Crash
110May 1978 Alice Bag (Bags)
Collage of prior issue coversUnnumbered one-year anniversary issue. Free. No date or volume number.
111Jul 1978Spazz Attack
112Aug 1978 The Screamers Photo by Melanie Nissen
21Sep 1978 Pete Tosh
22Nov 1978 Siouxsie & the Banshees Photo by Stevenson
23Jan 1979Drawing by John Van Hamersveld
24Mar 1979 The Cramps Photo by Melanie Nissen
25May 1979RastaIllustration by Rick Monzon
26Jun 1979 The Alleycats Photo by Melanie Nissen
27Aug 1979"Jimbo"Drawing by Gary Panter
28Sep 1979 David Thomas (Pere Ubu)Photo by Melanie Nissen
29Oct 1979Su Tissue (Suburban Lawns)Illustration by Mark Vallen
210Nov 1979 David Byrne (Talking Heads)Photo by Kerry Colonna
211Dec 1979 James Chance Illustration by Mike Fink
31Jan/Feb 1980 Lee Ving (Fear)
32Mar 1980Winston Rodney (Burning Spear)Photo by Scott Lindgren
33Apr 1980 Malcolm McLaren and Johnny Rotten Illustration by Bob Biggs
34May 1980 Johanna Went Photo by Scott Lindgren
35Summer 1980Hardcore punkIllustration by Mark Vallen Final issue

References

  1. "Complete Slash print run". Circulation Zero. Ryan Richardson. Retrieved May 16, 2024.