Bloody fanzines

Did fanzines destroy the Mob?

When I became ‘manager’ of All the Madmen record label, a small ceremony took place where was given a large carrier-bag full of ‘Letters to the Mob’. Amongst these letters, to which I did my best to reply, was the following, to which I did not reply.

AL Puppy

Please note Question 29.

From Daz Russell of Caution fanzine circa 1983

1. Why do you always say that the individual are more important than The Mob?
2. Are you pleased with the lp?
3.Tell us about the ‘Youth’ single?
4. How many gigs have you done? How do you feel about doing them? Do you ever get any trouble at them? How do you deal with it?
5.How come you did ‘Is God a Man’ at one of your gigs? Do you do any other covers?
6. What is ‘Roger’ about?
7.Why did you put ‘Witch Hunt’ on the lp?
8.What and who is ‘All the Madmen Records’?
9.In what way are you associated with Flowers in the Dustbin? What other bands are on ‘All the Madmen’ and do you gig with.
10. Have you ever been abroad to do gigs?
11.Are you a punk? Are you a punk band? What do you think of punk at the moment?
12. What is your definition of anarchy?
13.What are the songs about?
14. Which songs go down better live?
15. Why is there such a lot of old stuff on the lp?
16. Why are your records all rather expensive?
17. Would you go on Top of the Pops?
18.What is ‘Raised in a Prison” based on?
19.Have you been in the studio much? Do you enjoy studio or live working?
20.Is The Mob a money making venture? Do you work in any job? What are your views on work?
21.Have you any plans for gigs/records in the immediate future?
22.What would you do in the four minutes before a nuclear war?
23.What do you think of the current alternative scene?
24.What would you do if you were Prime Minister?
25.What do you think of all the ‘punk’ record compilations there are now?
26. What tapes are available? Do you have any live, practice or demos which are unreleased?
27.What do you think of the music press?Have you been in any? What do you read? Do you like fanzines?
28. What do you think of politics?
29.Is it true you have split up?
30.What is for the future?
31. Anything else you would like to add?

43 comments
  1. alistairliv
    alistairliv • Post Author •
    February 15, 2008 at 12:47 am

    Thats brilliant John – off to bed now, but

    a) we need to give these folk some exposure here
    b) harass Daz or who ever is doing the £85 gigs to put free ads/ links on his site to these alternatives.
    c) encourage you dear reader to check out whats on offer and report back with a review etc.
    d) ask random artists/ forbidden manchester to put in links from their site to KYPP
    e) whatever else is necessary

  2. alistairliv
    alistairliv • Post Author •
    February 16, 2008 at 12:24 am

    Just had this e-mail in response to this discussion. Thank you Costas.

    Dear Alistair

    “The interesting question for me (not having been at any kinda music
    event since I left London 11 years ago) is – are there still
    alternatives? Is there still a choice – can you walk past the big name
    event and find something different/ new/ challenging going on else
    where?”

    I thought about you in November when I went to Greece… in Athens and
    Salonica there is a really big DIY punk & hardcore movement and it has
    been around for a long time… the groups only play in squats and
    student occupied universities etc, entrance is free and the CDs are
    either free or else very cheap, always without barcodes, they are not
    distributed in shops like Crass or Dead Kennedys CDs are for example.
    Because a lot of bands used the DIY-squatting scene as a stepping
    stone to playing in clubs etc, it’s now common practice in Greek
    squats (in contrast to the diy/squatting scene in the rest of
    continental europe) to refuse bands that play in commercial venues.
    There are plenty of zines and so on. when I was at college my roommate
    from France (plus the rest of our circle most of whom where south
    americans) was heavily into anarchopunk but mainly non-english stuff,
    he used to trade and mail order 45s, tapes and cds from all over the
    world and had a small crate under his bed full of 45s by diy anarchist
    punk bands from countries you wouldnt expect like say nepal and
    turkey.

    Getting back to greece the audience/performer divide is fairly lax, a
    lot of bands refuse to play on stages so that they can play on the
    same level as the rest of the people, people grab the microphone and
    sing with the singer and so on, there is a lot of dancing and dancing
    is participating rather than spectating, or at least it can be. There
    is a different air to it rather than shows at venues… even though a
    lot of the bands sound the same and their politics is a bit
    simplistic. I was always surprised that you never mentioned the
    international scope of anarchopunk on your blog.

    Costas

  3. Graham Burnett
    Graham Burnett
    June 3, 2008 at 10:54 am

    Was it Daz Russell who put together a Crass Fanzine which was literally a FAN zine, full of interviews filched from other zines and general gossip/worship of said band? I know some people kind of missed the point about Crass, but blimey…

  4. Penguin
    Penguin
    June 3, 2008 at 11:00 am

    Would not worry too much about that Graham, think he would have been all of 14 years old when he was writing about Crass. We all miss the point a little at that age generally…

  5. Nic
    Nic
    June 3, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Yes, that was Daz…And Penguin is right – he was about 14 at the time…he always had a bit of a ‘collectors’ mentality which may explain it a little too…

  6. andus
    andus
    August 9, 2008 at 1:41 pm

    I used to know daz, circa mermaid 1986-1989, Well i think £85 is perfectly reasonable, especially when you consider that you would have to pay £225 to see the ultra right on politically correct Chumbawamba play 15 times, yeah thats right £15 to see chumbawamaba in Birmingham a few years back,
    anyway does anyone know where daz is as i owe him £30, I have not seen him since 1996, I have his political speeches tape as well, so if you are looking in daz, i will say hello, email me kingandus@blueyonder.co.uk

  7. andus
    andus
    August 9, 2008 at 2:02 pm

    I would also like to add, that without Daz Russell there would not have been a punk scene in brum,( QED, Its been virtually dead since he left,) and many of the bands would not have seen the light of day as Daz was probably the only promoter that would let them play, Hell, he even allowed me to do my poetry at the mermaid, and for free as well, I didn’t have to pay him a penny.

  8. Nic
    Nic
    August 10, 2008 at 11:01 am

    Not quite true, Andus: bands were playing at other venues before Daz started promoting at the Mermaid and continued to do so while he was promoting, and continued to do so afterwards…
    (Although he did provide a focal point for the ‘scene’ – which was largely composed of people who travelled to the concerts from other cities and areas)…
    There is a ‘Punk’ scene in Birmingham still – not my kind of thing (too much ‘funny punk’ and ‘ska punk’ for my liking – where’s the people-moping-around-dressed-all-in-black and out of tune distortion, eh? 🙂 ), but it is happening nonetheless…

    You can email Daz via the ‘Rebellion’ festivals website…

    Brit it, Andus…

  9. andus
    andus
    August 26, 2008 at 5:55 pm

    Oh hit it Nic. I might have known it was you.
    Thats true there was punk gigs before the mermaid, i remember the Bolton Arms being one venue, but i still argue that the punk scene would not have been anywhere near as big as it was without Daz, in Birmingham that is. But what the hell. I wasn’t there in the beginning anyway,so its fuck all to do with me, I am a Jehova’s witness these daze.
    The punk scene is still happening the trouble is most of the bands are shite, although i did enjoy the varukers and sick on the bus last year at the Market Tavern, which is now gone along with The Bear and The Skatepark.
    Hit it.

  10. seepyaitch
    seepyaitch
    July 13, 2009 at 7:34 pm

    i bought a tape of the mobs last gig off daz russell 25ish yrs ago cherry orchard ave? loads of printed shite with it. there woz a pic of a trashed car on a ripcord lp? inferin it was d.r’s anyway me mate puts gigs on up here fer years [barrow,cumbria] an he reckons d.r is a tool [prima donna gig promoters] these ludicrous punk nostalgia gig aint my thing but i might go to blackpool on aug 8 amebix cravats and a whole heap ov drivel 4 30 quid might try sell me two amebix singles to pay fer it.

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