POSITIVE CREED - Fanzine - Issue 14

I'm still getting over the excitement of receiving several "proper" fanzines of late. That is to say something that gets ink on my fingers and panders to my more tactile nature. So it was a pleasure to receive the latest instalment of POSITIVE CREED, the always excellent fanzine put together by Rob Stone from Exeter.

As usual there's a veritable smorgasbord of news, reviews and interviews, kicking off with Gagz, lead singer of Welsh punk band No Choice. I recently caught one of their gigs in the Principality, having gone to cover new up-and-coming noiseniks Not Since The Accident. Having been going intermittently since 1981, Gagz recalls the reasons behind their reformation, recollects the recording of their vastly underrated debut "Dry River Fishing", their take on touring with major-based act Against Me, and the support they've always been offered by the Welsh music scene.

After a quick write up for some of the other paper based fanzines presently doing the rounds (4 Minute Warning, Barbies Dead, Failsafe) it's on to the kind of articles that results in hours of friendly argument over a pint down the pub. Namely, the "Top 10 Bass Punk Players Ever". I won't give away too much, and suffice to say I don't agree with them all (Dee Dee Ramone and Glen Matlock are omitted), but its all good clean fun.

A nice interview with Steve Whale of Oi! stalwarts The Business follows. I've said before I love this band and for me "Suburban Rebels" stands comparison with ANY punk song that has ever been released. Steve has been recently involved with Steve Ignorant's farewell tour and expounds on the flack Ignorant took from many hardcore Crass fans. He clarifies The Business relationship with Sham 69 and elaborates on the success afforded to the band in the USA. Finally, he gives short shrift to those people who are critical of Green Day. I look forward to catching The Business again at Rebellion later in the year.

The punk scene lost one of its stars in 2011 with the premature death from cancer of Poly Styrene of X Ray Spex. The bands original bass player Paul Dean reminisces about the formation of the band, playing the Roxy, taking part in the 1978 Rock Against Racism concert and of course memories of the sweet angel that was Poly.

Smaller articles on Patrik Fitzgerald, Red Eyes and Girlfixer precede the reviews section where R*E*P*E*A*T backed artists seem to fair pretty well. Beverley Kills get a healthy 7/10, whilst Johnny Panic's latest release "Ritual Riots" is (surprisingly for me) eulogised. The review concludes that it is "Easily the best album I've heard in a long time 8/10". Perhaps Rosey can add that to the album flyers. Similarly, the "Love Music Hate Racism EP" also gets an eight. The only blot on the copy book is Volunteers "Know Yourself" who Rob believes shows "so much potential it's unbelievable", but it "seems to him that "they've sold themselves short here". Still, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

So another cracking effort and well worth the nominal £1 price tag. So fish about down the back of the sofa and help support the UK fanzine industry. Send your filthy lucre to: PO Box 777, Exeter, EX1 9TU and tell 'em Bones sent you!

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