5 posts tagged “alternative magazines”
"Broadgate Gnome
Where we got the name of the site from and an anarchic brew of attitude, politics, bands and great 'freak' atmosphere. Most of the Coventry underground can be found here. Ran from 1970-1.....
An 'underground' magazine published around 1970 - 71 and based in 'Gnome House', Humber Rd, Stoke. It contained articles on local bands, venues, politics and Coventry's 'freak scene' generally."
I don't have full copies of Broadgate Gnome in my vast archives (just odd bits) but that was the nature of the Gnome - people passed copies on as it said to do inside the mag. However quite a few fragments and articles will appear on this site. Below this is a prose poem styled survey of the early development of the Broadgate Gnome in the early 60's culminating in the full printed magazine that came out between 1970-71. The Gnome was a creatively duplicated magazine that emerged out of the 'driving force of rebellion of the 1960's'.
Although I wasn't involved with the Broadgate Gnome, it's impact on me as an organiser of band nights etc at the Umbrella was great. It cause great excitement at the time. For the first time there was a central focus for Coventry's radical and music scene (often interlinked - young people wanted to change the world at that stage - although they might not all agree on how). The Coventry music scene has to be understood against that background. Largely it wasn't about pop music as a commodity that you consume - although there was that element too. For many of the organisers, fans, musicians, artists and writers, there was a strong sense that the world was going to change, evolve, that they were part of that change, moving towards a more co-operative, egalitarian, creative, loving society. (albeit in some cases quite sexist until feminism kicked in more strongly during the 70's!). The music was part of that, underground, meaningful and so full of energy and rebellion. It wa creative and often challanged established music forms like the three minute pop song with its long, jazz rock style solos etc..
The Gnome published a range of articles, political and musical and even some poets. It was great to see people that you knew on the scene in its pages and it gave us a sense of ourselves I think, of being part of a scene. It was the Gnome that showed me (when I was 18) that a magazine could be more than just a magazine. Some of the team were created an artist's co-operative, linked to the Diggers Movement (inspired by Gerard Winstanley) (See Christopher Hill's Book below)
). Using the 'bomb Hole' outside the Golden Cross (opposite the bombed Catherdral), artists were now in control of their work from production to marketing. A similar co-operative was set up in 1971 for musicians, one of the first music collectives, that proliferated in the early 80's. They also attempted an alternative record label - The Pig Mother lable. Wandering John were to be the first band on this alternative, followed by John Gravenor's new band - one featuring Indian Summer's ex brilliant guitarist Roy Butterfield and Neol Davies ( who later of course was instrumental in forming the Two Tone lable eight years later. It was called the Tribal Rock Co-operative (an article on it from the Gnome is forthcoming on this site - along will some input from a Gnome correspondant to this site.). In addition, as the Diggers, they organised a benefit concert in The ruins of Coventry Cathedral, with no less than Pink Floyd (in their Ummagumma period) supported by the Coventry avant Garde Jazz group Ra Ho Tep, led by Tim James(August 1970).
All this wasn't lost on the creation of Hobo after Gnome's demise. The cretion of the Hobo Workshop at the HolyHead Youth Centre and later the Golden Cross was partly inspired by this initiative. Later in the 80's on Teesside I created Outlet Magazine which, apart from publishing non elitist poetry from the Tees Valley, created a community based writers infrastructure of first base creative writing course, set up a network of writers groups, performance venues, community based publishers and a Literary festival - Write Around - on which the established poets and writers came in on the terms of the local writing scene. That is what I took from it. Other followed through with their own initiatives both in Coventry and elsewhere.
Although the Gnome fell in 71, that alternative spirit in some form, continued through Hobo, Folks, Cov News and Alternative Sounds in terms of magazines through to 1980. Dando Shaft have a song called Pass it On, written by Dave Cooper, about love in the universal sense. This was the spirit, albeit, changing from a hippy perspective to an anarchist punk persuation in the mid to late 70's.
In Pete Chamber's The 2-Tone Trail - Neol Davies comments in the forward that "What was really special about 2 Tone - aside from the great music - was the attempt to change things and maybe people's thinking with an inclusive - almost co-operative approach. Bands working together instead of entirely out for themselves - we knew we were working against the grain but that seemed to make us more determined....(and later).. there seemed to be a sense of - it could only happen in Coventry - something about this city's character informed all of the band members' attitudes .. after years of forming different bands and trying to create original music"
Although working through the commercial music business rather than as an alternative, something of that early Tribal Rock co-operative spirit pervades the 2 Tone phenomenon.
In 1974, during the Hobo period - the Diggers group followed on the the 1970 concert with a new one which was
reproted both the local press and in HOBO No 4
From Hobo No 4 August 1974
ROCK IN THE RUINS
"Once more the Cathedral Ruins will ROCK! Following the success of the Digger's Concert in 1970, when several Coventry bands were featured. Streetmasse have got it together to present a concert on Saturday, July 13th at 6.30pm..admission (at gate only) 35p and, among other things, we are relying on the appearence of Monster Magnet, Scotch Mist and another band as yet unnamed. This is tobe a benefit concert in aid of the Digger's Hole, opposite the Golden Cross, which, with any luck, will be re-opening soon as an Art Gallery which will exhibit the work of local artists. If this proves successful and is well supported, there may well be a sequel in August and also possibly a folk concert. So let's have a good turns out. Any artists interested in the 'Hole' should contact Arol." Hobo Issue 4
Below is a prose / poems styled contribution from a Broadgate Gnome correspondant, responding creativley to this site, charting the early development of the Broadgate Gnome from its roots in the early 60's...
The Broadgate Gnome is a muse, an ethereal being that that floats in a
nearby but not always accessible place, from which occasional foraysare made into the world of Man. Long before He/She ever acquired a
public name the Muse first appearred to two Stoke Park schoolgirls.
Handwritten, potato printed sheets of Beatnick poetry ,vulgar cartoons
and private messages passed from hand to hand , usually in the Hertford
Arms
In 1964 it broadened
in interests and Translated into an occasional
neswletter type thing ,in real print, courtesy of The Matrix, and
mainly to do with the bands and musicians associated with the Cortina
Club in Bishops street. Initially ment as a way of promoting local
bands into clubs,it failed miserably, although It organised trips to
out of town gigs and actually promoted gigs of its own around the !
country. It did produce some work from the Working Mens Clubs across
the City, while convincing one of the proprietors of the great need for
childrens entertainers. Other Dabblings led to the tentacles being
lodged into Proper Journalism
across the Midlands and beyond
Its most important contribution to society was
to emphasise the
importance Of Tuesday as he most important religious
day of the week.
After huge financial losses it demised along with the rest
of its
empire, although one cartoonist did attempt a resurrection in a more
radical anarchistic form. This interest disappearred on night in the
city centre when detectives searching him found the original artwork of
"Superrickles",
The muse floated away for a while, until sometime
in 1968 when some Art
Students, a local press photographer and some political militants )mai! n
influence Jerry Rubin)and some local music groupies, mov ed into a pair
of rented houses on Bedworth Road. One house for parties and one to
house a newly aquired early electric typewiter, a rather bizzare heat
operated copying machine and some huge silk screening frames. Now
named the Gnome, attempts to get into print , apart from some excellent
individual poster work by the residents (naked Lunch) by a number of
factors. These were, the parties, the involvement of the group in
organising a more hip element into the forthcoming Anti Springboks
demonstrations and the overwhelming religious experience of one of the
number upon being invited as a special guest at the opening of the Sikh
Temple opposite. The subsequent disappearrance of half the occupants in
the direction of Afghanistan was the final factor in the end of this
chapter.
The poor Gnome was now
but a tattered flag! lying on the battlefield,
soon to be raised by a younger group,( once more in the form of
handwritten poetry sheets ( Big G) and posters and happenings)who
were then struggling to give local young artist and oppurtunity to show
their own work (The Hole in the
ground opposite the Golden Cross).
With this success and the provision of
premises by an Old Hartford Arms
contact, in Humber Road, the Gnome cast a wider web and drummed up more
support, even though this was ending time of many things as the end of
the decade approached.
Those
canvassed in this widespread apeall for support and money covered
many aspects of local society and hipdom. From Broughtons roadies to
"straight" old Labour Party and Communist Party contacts(yes we will o
an article on the Spanish Civil War) The local taxi firm, the often
inte! rmixed and transisent groups that made up the local "Alternative
Society" including The original founders (now a large mystical
feminist group about to decamp to a commune in wales) The People of The
Magic Wood( a very trippy group who met on the site of a bronze age
settelement near the University , chanted and plotted on how to change
the world, the local political theatre group ( who planted plastic
flowers everywhere and once raided an after election banquet in the
Guild Hall and stole the salmon starters) still shackled as yet
unorganised GayLibbers, the Artists co-op itself and even many whose
activities may have been deemed legal.and even some University don
type@.
All were asked for their thoughts and ideas and told they
would be on
the management comittee, although this never met.
A roneo
duplicator was acquired on a forever unpaid HP arrangement, a
way of! including parts of a electrostatic stencil into typed pages was
invented and production began, as people were encouraged bullied and
often
blackmailed into coming up with suitable content,
Financially it was doomed
from the start , as although it was sold for
money ,usually by street vendors, who were promised a slice of the
action but usually got all of the takings because no one was really too
bothered about collecting the income. The production staff had first
pick of any free tickets or "competition prizes!" that were collected.
@There has been many a
rumour that a well known feminist lecturer and
writer was involved at some stage,but fell out when the an issue
carried a picture of a semi naked young lady astride a large motorbike.
Other than saying that the "Young Lady" was in fact one of the
production staff who was usually
seen in a different guise , i am
unable to offer further comment.
To
follow,,,The muse moves on ..Celtic Cell, Dig For Victory and other
Another Birmingham magazine was The Birmingham Broadside,
Urge pictured in Coventry News >
By 1978/9, Coventry was rich in alternative magazines. Alongside Alternative Sounds (below) there was also FOLKS,
initiated by folk musician Pete Willow, (link to an interview with Covfolk Online)
with contributions from Arol (who I first met at Coventry Arts Umbrella in 1969 playing Jews Harp! Arol was a leading light in the creation of Broadgate Gnome in 1970 and later in creating Cov News in 1979. He also contributed to Folks. Caption shows Arol in action
FOLKS contained local news / reviews / feature articles / Letters - real and spoof! /History of Coventry folk / tablature of local singer songwriters such as Rod Felton. It even had a cross word! It carried ads for local folk clubs and folkies / music shops.It sold for 15p in some shops, folk clubs and the Wedge Bookshop.
Pete Willow is now a member of Oddsods Folk Group - here is their My Space ODDSODS
Rob Armstrong was featured in it, an ad for his Guitar Making Workshop (he made a guitar for Bert Jansch and was featured on the cover of one issue (below). Rod Felton's New Modern Idiot Grunt Band was also fetured as ws one of Rod's songs And I Love Her (his own song - not the Beatles song!). Singer Songwriter Dave Coburn wrote an
Here is a round up of other Coventry Alternative zines and papers in the 70's -
ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS
Was a later Coventry music fanzine first published March 6th 1979 and reflecting the Coventry music scene around the rise of Two Tone - and the music scene was at that stage was totally buzzing! Martin will no doubt be writing his own history. I enjoyed reading Alternative Sounds. It was co-founded with Dill of God's Toys four years after the demise of Hobo, because "Coventry needed something to publicise and help the local bands and inform people of what's going on - in this way giving us a much healthier scene." Alternative Sounds had the usual problem of resourcing it - mainly, at first out of their own pocket. A grant of £100 from the Princes Trust helped them get it established and the Lanch Polytechnic Student's Union (Now Cov University) printed it for free and the lads colled / stapled it themselves. Getting the printing done for free was a great help and printing costs were always a problem for Hobo it would have come out more often otherwise! They also had a camera so there's some great photos in it. Alternative Sounds were behind the brill Coventry compliation album Sent From Coventry. Here is the cover of one of the issues - other covers will be found in the photo gallery on here.
Rexbrough, who was involved, has a Coventry band index, strong on the bands around in the late seventies early 80's but not exclusive to that period - unfortunately it seems to have gone off line. Will put the url on here if I find the new location!
The SENT FROM COVENTRY album featured the following tracks by Coventry bands c 1979.
Side 1
1. Wild Boys - We're only Monsters 2. The Clique - Mothers Never know 3. The End - Panic in the Night 4. The Mix - With You 5. Machine (later called Hot Snacks) Character Change
Side 2
1. Protege - Protection 2. Solid Action - Message from a Loner 3. Wild Boys - Lorraine 4. Squad - Flasher 5. Homicide - Armageddon 6. Riot Act - Sirens 7. V. Babies - Donna Blitzen.
Machine or Hot Snacks as they became wre one of my favourite bands - the bass player Ollie had been involved in bands like Smack earlier. I'd met him in 1974 at the Sunshine Music Agency in Coventry while typing Hobo and, in his own words, I was "one the people that got him doing things" musically when he arrived in Coventry. The drummer Siverton was ex - Specials. Although it wasn't typical of their music as Jackie wasn't singing - I liked the song on this album - Character Change - With lines like "You're behind one decade" and the chorus "You need a character Change!" underpinned by Julian's synth riff and Ollie's groundhog bass. I used to go see them at their residency at the Ryton Arms. Urge formed out of an earlier Cov band Whistler and the Zoastra (see the entry below on Zoastra (with a link to Urge's You Tube vid of their single Revolving Boy. Whistler will be featured in the Hobo Band Directory - yet to come.
Lead singer of the punk band Riot Act Stu Knapper was the younger brother of Phil Knapper - a talented singer-songwriter and firend who had been involved in the Hobo Workshop in the mid seventies. Squad's guitarist Johnny Adams has an entry below here.
The album was a great initiative and showcase of some of the musical talent around at the time.
Another initiative at that time -c 1970 was the a call for a Community Arts Music Venue. Although I'd been off the music scene for a few years, involved as a Welfare Rights Worker in community projects such as SHACK (Young person's drop in advice centre and Coventry Unemployed Workers Centre, I supported this initiative whole-heartedly. It was what we'd fought for with Hobo - to an extent we achieved it with the Hobo Workshop - but something with more resources and funding behind it was definately need in Coventry. Although Coventry had a thriving band scene, it was always inspite of a lack of facilities and support. Bands found it difficutl to find suitable and inexpensive places to rehease (where noise wasn't a problems), getting gigs to start off with was a problem (the Hobo Workshop and the Umbrella Club Band nights had provided that in some measure but they had finished), suitable community controlled central performance venues was needed to showcase bands and much more. I met Martin at the first meeting. However it was shortly after that I moved up to Teesside to do my degree 1980 so didn't follow through on that. Someone who moved to Teesside a year later told me things had moved on that after I left. Here is the letter I recieved from Peter Baker - Coventry Community Arts Association. This sounded very familiar. Coventry's music scene did deserve to be much better resourced.
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