Beat Motel #10

Beat Motel zine issue #10

The juice...

Wow, we made it to the big 'one-oh'! We've been sitting on this issue for a bit longer than we intended, but after getting 'zine of the year' in Big Cheese magazine and then a nice bit of hype from The Metro newspaper we decided we probably ought to give the world what it (apparently) wants - a new issue of everyone's favourite home for knob gags and shoddy belief systems.

Buy this issue of Beat Motel and you will be treated to:

• Feckin' loads of smart/ funny/ dumb columns from our talented and (mostly) housebroken contributors
• More release reviews (CDs etc) than you can shake an oil covered BP branded stick at
• Interviews (yes really) with The Thermals and a few other bands
• These Arms are Snakes tour diary
• Mum Locked in Castle tour diary
• An interview with an independent horror film director
• Facts about farting
• Misguided and partially stolen humour
• All kinds of other random bits of bobbinous stuff that you've come to love and crave like the salivating dogs that you are

So there you have it, a clear rational argument about why you should invest such a pissy amount of money to buy issue ten of BEAT MOTEL (oops, sorry for shouting). And if you buy it and don't like it then you don't stand a chance of getting your money back, but as we print using recycled paper you can at least wipe your arse with our pages without getting nasty rectal paper cuts.

YOU CAN'T LOSE!

No One Rules Ok! #2

Zine Review | No One Rules Ok! #2

£1.00 for 40 A5 printed pages

I’m blogging this fanzine review because I’ve just put out a new issue of my own zine Beat Motel and gawd knows how long it’s going to be before the next issue comes out (if ever).

I’ve never heard of ‘No One Rules Ok!’ before and in what has become a very small and cliquey zine world that’s reassuring in its own right, what’s more reassuring is the fact that this zine is well-written, well thought out, intelligent and full of personality.

The biggest feature in this issue is a very long (but very cool) interview with Steve Ignorant of Crass – I’ve never been a fan of Crass but (as with any well written interview) there’s plenty here to hold my attention. Steve Ignorant comes across as still very much having something to say, and zinester Justin is respectful, keen, but not in any way sycophantic. It’s a tone of interview that works well throughout this issue of ‘No One Rules Ok!’ and makes the whole issue really enjoyable.

This music heavy fanzine (and thank god zines like this still exist) is also peppered with a few thoughtful paragraphs on various topics, all with the anarchic attitude that keeps me interested in punk rock based fanzines (as apposed to arty farty shite zines). Bands featured include Drongos For Europe (surely the most zinester interviewed band ever), The Warriors, The Sex Pistols experience (surprisingly enlightening) and a hilariously excellent mini-history of Fire Exit. Features include bits on Glasgow punk, Ulster punk and a smattering of book reviews.

I’m always a bit disappointed when zines don’t contain reviews of other zines as it seems a little ‘unhelpful’ to the cause, but then if I’m starting to expect anything at all from zines then I’m kinda missing the reason they exist in the first place aren’t I?!?

Grab a copy by emailing musicisloud@hotmail.co.uk or by sending a quid (and fifty pence for postage) to Justin, 30 Humber Ave, Brickhill, Bedford, Beds, MK41 7EL, United Kingdom.

Posted by Andrew Culture