ZigZag (magazine)

Last updated
ZigZag
ZigZag (magazine) cover - February 1978.jpg
February 1978 cover, featuring Debbie Harry of Blondie
Categories Music
FrequencyMonthly
First issue16 April 1969
Final issueJanuary 1986
Country United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

ZigZag was a British rock music magazine. It was started by Pete Frame and the first edition was published on 16 April 1969. The magazine was noted for its interviews, articles, innovative "rock family trees" by Frame, and support for American songwriters such as Michael Nesmith, Mickey Newbury, Gene Clark, etc. It lasted in various forms through 1986.

Contents

History

It was edited by Pete Frame for the first 29 issues, up to February 1973. Frame later said: "None of the English music papers wrote about the music I liked. They all concentrated on popular acts, but I was interested in the Underground scene. So I decided to start a magazine for people who liked the same kind of music I did. I called it Zigzag after the Captain Beefheart track "Zigzag Wanderer" and also the cigarette papers, which were used for rolling joints." [1]

Pete Frame's "rock family trees" first appeared in ZigZag. Very basic examples appeared in issue #14 The Byrds (August 1970) and issue #17 John Mayall (Dec 1970 – Jan 1971). The first "rock family tree" to be presented in the format that Frame would become well known for was in issue #21 Al Kooper (July 1971).

John Tobler joined immediately after the start-up and wrote for ZigZag from issue #2 onwards under the name John HT (his full name being John Hugen-Tobler). He wrote under the name John Tobler from issue #16 (October 1970) onwards.

After dying a first time, the magazine was taken over by Tony Stratton Smith, founder of Charisma Records, [2] and became a regular monthly from January 1974 with even some colour inside. Smith also financed The Amazing ZigZag Concert on 28 April 1974, to celebrate the magazine's fifth birthday. [2] Issues #30 (March 1973) to #40 (April 1974) were edited by Connor McKnight, with Andy Childs becoming editor from issue #42 (June 1974) for about 18 months. Andy Childs originally had his own fanzine, Fat Angel.

Punk rock years

Mid 70s ZigZag was marked by more musical British influence such as pub rock and early punk rock band (Dr. Feelgood, The Stranglers [3] ). Pete Frame became editor again from issue #58 (March 1976) to issue #74 (July 1977) – with the exception of three of those issues where Paul Kendall was editor.

Appointed as editor in August 1977, a major revolution was led by Kris Needs which saw ZigZag going through a third period where the magazine was totally devoted to punk. Around this time Pete Frame distanced himself and published the first book of his famous series of 'rock trees' tracing changing personnel line-ups in the rock music world. Late 70s, ZigZag poll introduced Ian Dury, Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Blondie, and minor artists such as Patrick Fitzgerald and Gruppo Sportivo.

ZigZag continued to be published in London and edited by Needs until the end of 1981 when Mick Mercer took over editorial duties. In April 1982, the ZigZag Club live music venue was opened at 22-24 Great Western Road, London W9. By the end of the year it had closed. The magazine ceased publication for a period during 1983 and was then re-launched for a fourth period, in October 1983, with Mick Mercer as editor, covering post-punk and early goth. It ceased publication with its final issue in January 1986, having published approximately 140 issues.

There was a failed attempt to relaunch the magazine in June 1990, with just one issue being published. ZigZag was purchased in July 1988 from Northern & Shell, who had amalgamated it with music equipment title "one two testing". Jim Maguire, who had been business manager of ZigZag in the 1970s, persuaded Richard Desmond (Northern & Shell) to sell him the title. Jim Maguire had a sound publishing deal with EMAP. But EMAP closed ZigZag after just one issue (May 1990) and then produced Mojo , a new rock monthly, some months later.

Related Research Articles

<i>Kerrang!</i> British rock, punk and heavy metal music magazine

Kerrang! is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd. The magazine was named onomatopoeically after the sound of a "guitar being struck with force".

<i>Melody Maker</i> Historical British weekly pop/rock music newspaper (1926–2000)

Melody Maker was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born composer, publisher Lawrence Wright; the first editor was Edgar Jackson. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.

Peter Frame is an English music journalist and historian of rock music.

Mick Mercer is a journalist and author best known for his books, photos and reviews of the goth, punk and indie music scenes.

<i>Sounds</i> (magazine) Defunct UK weekly music magazine

Sounds was a UK weekly pop/rock music newspaper, published from 10 October 1970 to 6 April 1991. It was known for giving away posters in the centre of the paper and later for covering heavy metal and punk and Oi! music in its late 1970s–early 1980s heyday.

<i>Mojo</i> (magazine) British monthly music magazine

Mojo is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title that would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music. The magazine was designed to appeal to the 30 to 45-plus age group, or the baby boomer generation. Mojo was first published on 15 October 1993. In keeping with its classic rock aesthetic, the first issue had Bob Dylan and John Lennon as its first cover stars. Noted for its in-depth coverage of both popular and cult acts, it acted as the inspiration for Blender and Uncut. Many noted music critics have written for it, including Charles Shaar Murray, Greil Marcus, Nick Kent, David Fricke, Jon Savage and Mick Wall. The launch editor of Mojo was Paul Du Noyer and his successors have included Mat Snow, Paul Trynka, Pat Gilbert and Phil Alexander. The current editor is John Mulvey.

Zigzag is a jagged, regular pattern.

<i>Generation X</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Generation X

Generation X is the first studio album by English punk rock band Generation X, produced by Martin Rushent, it was released in the United Kingdom on 17 March 1978.

Bomp! Records is a Los Angeles-based record label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw, and Suzy Shaw.

<i>Guitar Boogie</i> (album) 1971 compilation album by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page

Guitar Boogie is a blues rock compilation album featuring Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together with the Allstars and members of The Rolling Stones.

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of proto-punk and early punk rock ZigZag magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographies of musicians and rock stars, including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards.

Finish the Story was a band formed in Evesham, England in 1981. The original members were Nicola Mumford, Garry Smout and Peter Bright. Finish the Story was part of the 'Evesham Scene' which included bands The Photos and The Dancing Did.

Zigzag was started in 1976 and inspired by a meeting with the publisher of a Hawaiian tabloid magazine named Backdoor. The headquarters is in Durban.

John Hugen Tobler is a British rock music journalist, writer, occasional broadcaster, and record company executive.

Geoff Barton is a British journalist who founded the heavy metal magazine Kerrang! and was an editor of Sounds music magazine.

<i>Zig Zag</i> (1970 film) 1970 film by Richard A. Colla

Zig Zag, also released as False Witness, is a 1970 American thriller drama film directed by Richard A. Colla and starring George Kennedy. The film was remade in India as Majboor (1974).

Starry Eyed and Laughing were an English rock band of the 1970s. Formed in 1973, they released two albums on CBS, recorded three Peel Sessions and undertook a US tour, before briefly evolving into Starry Eyed, and finally disbanding in 1976.

<i>The Amazing ZigZag Concert</i> 2010 live album by Various artists

The Amazing Zig Zag Concert was a rock concert held at The Roundhouse on April 28, 1974 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Zig Zag Magazine. Described as "one of the gigs of the decade", the concert "has taken on legendary proportions over the years" and featured Michael Nesmith with Red Rhodes, John Stewart, Help Yourself, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers and Starry Eyed and Laughing. The concert was recorded, but was not issued until 2010, when it was released as a 5-CD boxed set.

Siiiii, is a British goth punk band formed in Sheffield, England, in 1983, taking their name from the William S. Burroughs novel The Soft Machine.

Party Day were an English goth/indie rock band formed in 1981 in Wombwell near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, originally a four-piece consisting of guitarists Martin Steele, Greg Firth, bassist Carl Firth and drummer, Mick Baker. Their sound was described as being "hard knuckleduster goth with post-punk overtones".

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.