Headwinds - Issue #2

A4, 24 pages (23 black and white pages, colour front cover).

£1.50 (+80p p&p)

Headwinds is a relic made in modern times. The second issue promises more of what was delivered by the first; reviews, interviews, columns and comics.

One of my favourite parts of this issue was the interviews with two ageing punk bands, because the parallels between the them are too delicious to ignore (and perhaps intentional). Culture Shock is a punk/ska outfit from Wiltshire who split in 1990 after an eleven-year run, before reforming in 2010 to put out a new LP, Attention Span. The Proletariat is an American band, originally part of the Boston hardcore scene before they split in 1985 and then reformed in 2016 to play a few shows and put out a vinyl reissue of their debut album, Soma Holiday.

Culture Shock and The Proletariat had their heydays at least thirty years ago, and both have a lot of thoughts about how returning to band life in the age of the millennials is a bit of a culture shock (you’re welcome). For all their similarities, the two bands have somewhat opposing views on the evolution of the musical landscape over the last few decades. Both interviews are an interesting read, even more so when read one after the other.

Another highlight was Mike G’s column detailing his stint as a homeless youth. The column doesn’t quite fit alongside the album reviews, band interviews and comics in the zine, but that scarcely matters. It’s an honest account of a difficult time – even though most readers won’t relate to the panic of not having a home, they will relate to him as a fellow human.

If pressed to find a fault with Headwinds, I would perhaps shoot a side-eye over to the comics. The art style is endearing, but the stories do seem to meander and then cut off somewhat abruptly. I do feel it’s worth remembering, however, that comics are more mainstream than they have ever been before, which means that the bar for them as an art form is staggeringly high.

Much like its first issue, the best part of the second issue of Headwinds is its sense of nostalgia for a time passed. Generations X and Y collide in these pages, and the two fit together wonderfully.

To keep up with Headwinds’ latest updates, you can follow @tblastzine on Twitter. You can get a copy of your own through PayPal by emailing HeadwindsZine@gmail.com.

Review by J.L. Corbett.

Headwinds - Issue #1

A4, 24 pages (23 black and white pages, colour front cover).

 £1.50 (+£1 p&p)

“Headwinds… refers to things blowing in the opposite direction to the one you’re moving in,” explains Mike G in the introduction to his fanzine of the same name. This theme of pushing through mainstream culture persists throughout the first issue, which contains comics, band interviews and reviews.

The layout of Headwinds is immaculate; it looks less like a zine and more like something you’d find in your local newsagents nestled between NME and Mojo. The time invested in its quality makes it a pleasant read – there’s no text disappearing into the centre crease or dodgy photocopying going on here.

Whilst aesthetic appeal is important, it means nothing without compelling content. Luckily, Headwinds is as interesting as it is pretty. Given that the zine only costs £1.50 (£2.50 online), I was surprised by just how much content there was – a couple of lengthy interviews, comics, articles, and tons of underground gig reviews – and how decidedly different the items were from those typically seen in mass-produced magazines.   

I particularly enjoyed the interview with Emma, lead singer of The Natterers, which covered topics such as world environmental issues, the perks and dangers of living in a digital age and the declining bat population in the UK. It was weird, and I liked it.

Stranger still was Mike G’s retrospective account of the Treeworgery Tree Festival, which he attended in the summer of 1989. Waiting 28 years after the fact to write about an obscure festival in Cornwall doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t. But it was so well-written that I found myself filled with nostalgia for a place I’d never been, and for a time in which I hadn’t existed. I found myself feeling increasingly wistful for hitch-hiking, serendipitous friendships and weekend tickets for £20.

Headwinds feels like a relic from the past, but it doesn't come across as dated. Perhaps it’s Mike G’s unabashed enthusiasm for the stuff he’s writing about that gives the zine a fresh, current feel, or maybe it’s down to its overall polished appearance. Who knows? The one thing that’s clear is that it’s very tricky to write about underground culture in an accessible way, and Headwinds is an excellent example of how to do it correctly.

To keep up with Headwinds’ latest updates, you can follow @tblastzine on Twitter. You can get a copy of your own through PayPal by emailing tblastzine@gmail.com.

Review by JL Corbett.