Fanzine
Buzzcocks, Joy Division, The Fall, Chris Sievey
Grass Roots Books
15th August 1979

Contributors:
Linder, Nicola, Roaring 80s, Andy, Neil, J.C., Martin, J, John, Eddie Manley, Stanley Knife, John D, Irna and Jayne, D.J. Turner, Hyphen, Roger Mitchell, Agapanther 2, Rupert, Ned the Donkey, Ed Thomas, Richard, New Hormones, Jez, Terry, Nick, Kev, Alan's Friend, M.Clancy, Jack, Volunteer Groupy, C.I.D, Fugue, CEE WEEEZ.
Offices: c/o Grass Roots, 109 Oxford Road, Manchester 1

TRANSCRIPTION:

Page ten
JUST SUPPOSE...
Just suppose G.M.C. police commisioner James Anderton, whose already spoken out on numerous 'moral and legal issues' decided to join a political party, got elected, and made it to the front benches of Parliament.
Just suppose some of his infamous suggestions for a'better Britain' were put into practice I.D. cards, work-camps, more police power, whole sections of the population with no 'right to be regarded as rational, reasonable people' .The day may be nearer than you think I'm not suggesting Anderton would be stupid enought to think he could get away with actu-ally joining a political party. But the case of Andertons men 'being involved' in a Conservative election meeting and Andertons subsequent statement that the Tory meeting 'was welcomed by the police asan excellent oppurtinity to meet the public' They were apparently making speeches.(courtesy New M/C Review ) make it seem irrelevant. Andertons recent statements about the desir-ability of work_camps were received favour-ably by National and local press: The Daily Torygraph remarked in its editorial about the similarity between Andertons work-camps and the'short sharp shocks' recommended before the election by William Whitelaw they go on to say if the work-camps are set up 'They should not be allowed to fall far short of the WORST expectations' I wonder whose advice the Tories will take?
Yet I have yet to see a word against Andertons latest utterings. The man is a bigger threat than the N.F. they seek power he holds it and seeks to extend it. 'The police were not satisfied to bring alleged wrongdoers to justice does this mean they want to deal out the 'justice' Isn't that a police state?! Andertons position may not appear to be all that strong, but the ways in which he can be removed are very vague. In theory the GMS can the Home Secretary can but normally it's the police commission who do it. Investigations ag against police are carried out by the police and if they find a case not proven the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) normally don't either. Making it very difficult to do anything.
Anderton is sitting pretty and is in a position to make it pretty shit for us. Come back Sir Robert Peel all is not forgiven
by
a rampaging, drunken and violent hooligan who roams the city streets, crashes through shops and stores, and wreaks havoc wherever he goes SURELY not deservicing of much save severe condemnation and harsh punishment. aka Smegma, aka NRH, aka Eeyore, aka Neggis, akaJaffa, aka Wolfie , aka--------
BONNY BIRMINGHAM
BY GID FUGUE
Birminghams only big time venue, unless you wann go to uniersity or the theatre is Digbeth civic hall. Arabeque and grand it just escapes being one of those too large places which promise, but never deliver, excitement. There's lots of room for wandering about, you can drape your body over the balcony and see the spectacle of hundreds of heads bobboing rhythmically up and down below. If theres not many people though it can feel cavernous and sad.
I would expect the place in Brum Mancunians would have heard of is Barbarellas. It must have been a wharehouse, it's got low ceilings and is dark, the layout isn't bad, you can see the stage from quite a distance. The disco is usually abysmal. Perhaps, because it's owned by people who aren't at all intrested in music and are just in it for the money, it is quite neutral ground for intresting audience theatre. For example Patrick Fitzgerald 30 people listen in tense concentrated attention while 5 heckle at the side. A scenario with a build-up Or Iggy Pop - why poser and poser-wat-cher (as well as me!) in town is out. The club is owned by 'the brothers' who own quite a few local night spots, including the disco dive, Polyannas, which won't let in people wearing hats(rastas) or turbans. They also operate a colour quota. The race relations board had them up and found them guilty but apparently they can legally carry on if they so choose, which they do. Devine decadence may be a laugh but Barbarellas I can do without.
There are sometimes gigs at the Festival Suite which is owned by the Co-Op. It's quite like the Coop in manchester except grander.... unlit chandeliers....and darker and has a bigger stage. It's worth watching out for gigs there as they are often intresting and off-beat Ditto for the small back-hall at Digbeth.
The local bands play in rooms above pubs a lot. The Fighting Cocks (Mosely) and the Bournbrook (Selly Oak) have regular gigs. Mosely is the Boho of Brum, The Lay abouts, the students, the well meaning socialists, the artists and musicians, the I.R.A. and D.S., they're all there, out to see the more famous local lads and lassies. The Fighting cocks gets too crowded and you can't get a drink. The Bournbrook is a pleasant place, shame about the audience. It's next to the university. It's got a bar room attached to the hall, so if you're not mad keen on the band you can sit and have a chat and still hear the music.
There's not a city alternative paper. Flypo-sters, the evening daily, and the record shops Virgin and Inferno, are where most gigs are advertised. The Mosely paper has a whats on column, it can be got at Prometheous bookshop in Mosely, or the Peace Centre in the city centre. There's lots of proper pub bands in Brum, a tradition, I was told by a musician friend, Steve Gibbons started. I can't say much about pub bands as I stopped going to see them a while back, they may have improved you never Know. I've tried to mention the better regular music places, also benefits can be worth going to and they can be in out of the way places like community centres, political clubs etc.
SWINGING LONDON
WHAT TO DO IN LONDON + MANCHESTER
-(By a Londoner)
The other week 4 of us went up to Manchester to see,(mainly), Kleenex. I'm sorry to say that based on first impressions Manchester's really shitty. Saturday night and the city centre is like a fucking ghost town. Well Londons not much better, it's busy but mainly: "Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Parle Italiano? etc. The Factorys a pretty good place though. Enlarged early '77 Marquee type place- I liked it.
So your down in London for the weekend and want to know what to do. Forget the sodding Post Office tower leave it to the tourists.
Clothes
Kings Road- Oh so stylish....Oh what a ripoff!!
West End. Oxford St.-Just expensive, deodorised shit.
Portobellor Rd. Market-Great, cheap 2nd hand gear, be original. While your down Portobello Rd pop in rough trade or buy bootlegs off the guys at the top end of the road (load of pistols boots).
Gigs
The Marquee has really gone downhill over the past 12months, as has the Nashville. Punk gigs at the Lyceum every sunday, with really heavy security. You'll get thrown out for picking your nose. Also there's quite a bit of violence; Skins v Punks and Skins v Skins. Theres often good bands at one college or another and they're usually pretty good at letting non-students in O.K.
Anyway my friend Alan has been asked by ZigZag no less to write up on the Manchester scene. He's especially intrested in Joy Division. If you could advise him on places to go and bands to hear he'd be well pleased and your favourite record shop could well be in ZigZag (WOW!). We should be up again in about a mon month, So any suggestions please to:- Alan Pride, 3Birch Grove, Welling Kent.
Thanks. If anyone's coming down here let us know and we might be able to arrange some thing.