Ablaze! (fanzine)
Encyclopedia
Ablaze! was a British indie music fanzine
, produced in Manchester
and Leeds
, that ran for ten issues between 1987 and 1993.
, the Wedding Present and the Walking Seeds, and US noise rock
and grunge
bands such as Sonic Youth
, Dinosaur Jr
, Throwing Muses
, Pixies, Mudhoney
and Nirvana
.
In the 1990s Ablaze! continued to champion many of the defining indie, shoegaze and punk
bands of the era, such as The Pastels
, My Bloody Valentine, Lush
from the UK, Sugar and Nation of Ulysses
from the USA. Ablaze! was influential in propagating the Riot Grrrl
movement in the UK.
From issue 5 a free flexi disc
was given away with each issue, and with issue 10 a free 7" single. These featured exclusive tracks from acts such as The Wedding Present, Pavement
, and Cornershop
.
From its eighth issue onwards the 'zine was widely distributed across the UK, Europe and North America.
that had grown out of punk
, which eschewed involvement with the mainstream, especially non-independent corporate record labels. The tone of the content was more personal and more political than the mainstream UK music press:
Emblematic of this approach was the record review section of Ablaze!, which was known for its humorous and acerbic appraisals of the latest releases.
Ablaze! also stood out for its self consciously feminist perspective, and later Riot Grrrl perspective, on the underground music scene, where most often both the musicians and the commentators were male. An extended editorial in Issue 7, 1990, titled 'New Voices, new guitars' argued for "music that celebrates a non phallic sexuality" against the "hackneyed and objectionable thrustings of male rock". and issue 10 included Girlspeak, the manifesto of Girl Power International, and 'Five Strategies For The Unleasing of Girl Power', which readers were encouraged to photocopy and distribute.
Ablaze! operated an international fanzine distribution service, 'Worldwide Contagion', and in its pages featured comprehensive coverage the UK fanzine scene, as well as coverage of fanzines and other alternative publications in Europe and North America.
, Andrew Truth http://www.myspace.com/planetruthzine, Mark Williams, Ian Michael Hodgson
, Bela Emerson http://www.cellobela.com/, John Robb
, Terry Bloomfield http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2636716&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0261143000005328, Richard Rouska, graphic designer William Potter
, and photographers Ian T Tilton http://www.iantilton.net/index2.html, Greg Neate http://www.neatephotos.com/, and Tony Woolgar.
There has been growing interest in the pre-Internet era of fanzines. Music critic Simon Reynold wrote about the continueing legacy and appeal of the fanzine movement for the Guardian in 2009, and in the same year Karren Ablaze! was invited by The Cribs
to write about fanzines in general, and Ablaze! in particular during their guest editorship of the Guardian music section. Ablaze! is featured in Teal Triggs 2010 book 'Fanzines', (Thames & Hudson).
Ablaze! has been cited in discussions about women in rock music, including the books 'Sexing the groove: popular music and gender' (Routledge 1997), and 'Riot Grrrl. Revolution Girl Style Now!' (Black Dog 2009).
Original copies of Ablaze! and the free singles and flexis can still be obtained from collectors sites.
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, produced in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, that ran for ten issues between 1987 and 1993.
History
In the 1980s Ablaze! was an early champion of UK 'noisenik' bands, such as Dog Faced HermansDog Faced Hermans
The Dog Faced Hermans were a four-piece band whose style could be described as anarcho-punk incorporating folk and noise influences as well as unorthodox instrumentation.-History:...
, the Wedding Present and the Walking Seeds, and US noise rock
Noise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
and grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
bands such as Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur, prior to legal issues that forced the group to change their name, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005...
, Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
, Pixies, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
.
In the 1990s Ablaze! continued to champion many of the defining indie, shoegaze and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands of the era, such as The Pastels
The Pastels
The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, Scotland, UK.Their early records for labels like Whaam!, Creation, Rough Trade, and Glass Records, had a raw and immediate sound, melodic and amateur, which seemed at odds with the time...
, My Bloody Valentine, Lush
Lush (band)
Lush were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1998. They were one of the first bands to attract the "shoegazing" label...
from the UK, Sugar and Nation of Ulysses
Nation of Ulysses
The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply "Ulysses," the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner on guitar, Steve Gamboa on bass guitar, and James...
from the USA. Ablaze! was influential in propagating the Riot Grrrl
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement based in Washington, DC, Olympia, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest which existed in the early to mid-1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism...
movement in the UK.
From issue 5 a free flexi disc
Flexi disc
The flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
was given away with each issue, and with issue 10 a free 7" single. These featured exclusive tracks from acts such as The Wedding Present, Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
, and Cornershop
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
.
From its eighth issue onwards the 'zine was widely distributed across the UK, Europe and North America.
Ethos
Like many other fanzines, the style of Ablaze! was informed by the DIY ethicDIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
that had grown out of punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
, which eschewed involvement with the mainstream, especially non-independent corporate record labels. The tone of the content was more personal and more political than the mainstream UK music press:
"Ablaze! is a fanzine because we are fanz, fanatics, zealots, extremists, we are wild for stuff we’re wild for and that fact can’t change, except these passions are so real they have sell-by dates, determined by my own chemistry.". Karren Ablaze! 1993
Emblematic of this approach was the record review section of Ablaze!, which was known for its humorous and acerbic appraisals of the latest releases.
Ablaze! also stood out for its self consciously feminist perspective, and later Riot Grrrl perspective, on the underground music scene, where most often both the musicians and the commentators were male. An extended editorial in Issue 7, 1990, titled 'New Voices, new guitars' argued for "music that celebrates a non phallic sexuality" against the "hackneyed and objectionable thrustings of male rock". and issue 10 included Girlspeak, the manifesto of Girl Power International, and 'Five Strategies For The Unleasing of Girl Power', which readers were encouraged to photocopy and distribute.
Ablaze! operated an international fanzine distribution service, 'Worldwide Contagion', and in its pages featured comprehensive coverage the UK fanzine scene, as well as coverage of fanzines and other alternative publications in Europe and North America.
Contributors
Ablaze! was edited, and principally written, designed, and edited by Karren Ablaze!. Other contributors included writers Lucy Nation (Chris Trout), Gavin B., Justine Wolfenden (Hemiola Records), Steve AlbiniSteve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
, Andrew Truth http://www.myspace.com/planetruthzine, Mark Williams, Ian Michael Hodgson
Bradford (band)
Bradford were a skinhead indie band from Blackburn, Lancashire, England. The band is best known for being liked by Morrissey, who proclaimed them heirs to the Smiths throne.-History:...
, Bela Emerson http://www.cellobela.com/, John Robb
John Robb
John Robb is a Codhead vocalist in the punk rock band Goldblade. Based in Manchester, he has also written several books on music and frequently appears as a journalist/commentator on documentary/light entertainment music shows.-Early life:Robb was born in Fleetwood and grew up in suburban Blackpool...
, Terry Bloomfield http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=2636716&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0261143000005328, Richard Rouska, graphic designer William Potter
Cud (band)
Cud are a British indie rock band formed in Leeds, England in 1987, consisting of vocalist Carl Puttnam , guitarist/keyboardist Mike Dunphy , bassist William Potter , and drummer Steve Goodwin .Though an indie rock band, their music incorporated elements of funk...
, and photographers Ian T Tilton http://www.iantilton.net/index2.html, Greg Neate http://www.neatephotos.com/, and Tony Woolgar.
Legacy and afterwards
Karren Ablaze! went on to front the Riot Grrl groups Coping Saw and Wack Cat.There has been growing interest in the pre-Internet era of fanzines. Music critic Simon Reynold wrote about the continueing legacy and appeal of the fanzine movement for the Guardian in 2009, and in the same year Karren Ablaze! was invited by The Cribs
The Cribs
The Cribs are an English three-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr who was made a formal member of the group...
to write about fanzines in general, and Ablaze! in particular during their guest editorship of the Guardian music section. Ablaze! is featured in Teal Triggs 2010 book 'Fanzines', (Thames & Hudson).
Ablaze! has been cited in discussions about women in rock music, including the books 'Sexing the groove: popular music and gender' (Routledge 1997), and 'Riot Grrrl. Revolution Girl Style Now!' (Black Dog 2009).
Original copies of Ablaze! and the free singles and flexis can still be obtained from collectors sites.
