Ep. 4: The Politics of Fanzines
Tony Fletcher hosts a conversation with three fellow former fanzine editors and Jamming! contributors, Tim Kelly (Revolutionary Suicide/Fanzine of Noise), Janine Booth (Blaze) and Richard Edwards (Cool Notes). Janine and Richard were also active in the 'Ranting Poetry' scene of the 1980s, while Tim toured with D.I.R.T., and played in Flux of Pink Indians and was part of the One Little Indian label that emerged from that band.
Their discussion about 1980s alternative culture, conducted across three continents, covers:
- politics and poetry,
- fanzines and football,
- soul music and sexism,
- animal rights and anarchy,
- rock, racism, reggae and Red Wedge. In other words, very much like the contents of a mid-80s issue of Jamming!
Some specific highlights:
- Tim Kelly talks about touring Northern Ireland at the height of the 'Troubles' with Crass and D.I.R.T.,
- Janine talks about being one of the few female fanzine editors of the era, the dark side of which she recounts in the poem 'Lighting Rigged',
- Richard Edwards talks about confronting Steel Pulse's anti-gay sentiments in an interview for Jamming!, noting that diversity does not always come with equality.
And, all four discuss how the values they acquired in the 1980s have stayed throughout their adulthood - and how, despite occasional major setbacks, we have witnessed considerable social progress in our time.
Janine Booth is at:
Richard Edwards contributes regularly to:
https://www.soul-source.co.uk/
Tim Kelly is at https://www.facebook.com/tim.kelly.7330
Tony Fletcher's One Step Beyond podcast on Equal Playing Field:
https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-28-equal-playing-field-first-half
https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/episodes/ep-29-equal-playing-field-second-half
The Best of Jamming!: Selections and Stories from the Fanzine That Grew Up 1977-86 is published by Omnibus Press and available as of Sep 23 '21 in the UK/EU; Dec 2 in the rest of the world.
'The Jamming! Fanzine Podcast Theme' is by Noel Fletcher.
Editing assistance and art by Greg Morton.
https://shows.acast.com/the-jamming-fanzine-podcast
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