fanzine ARE YOU SCARED TO GET HAPPY + 2 flexi discs C86

	£		41
	$		54

I have a box of fanzines from my days as an indie kid.  I AM GOING TO LIST ONE AT A TIME.  All are from the mid 1980s and quite a few feature bands that got bunched in to the C86 movement - if there ever was one.  Not sure I would want to be in a movement named after a cassette tape given away free with the NME, but there you are, somebody had to give it a name.  Better than 'twee' I suppose, or what was it... 'shambling' or something that was credited to a throwaway comment by Peel.  Listen kids, as a grown-up now, I will tell you, theres no point getting upset about little details like that!  So yep, we were sensitive chaps, but our bands never quite got to the dizzy heights of the Smiths, although some of them we held dear to our hearts.  And now.... well yes now everybody thinks they are great and got some vague idea of what the indie scene in the 1980s was like, though probably, actually nothing like it, judging by some of the bands called 'indie' these days.  Hey do you want me to DJ for you?

The fanzines reflect the music of small-time independent venues and record shops and they are a diverse bunch.  To be 'indie' you had to have your record distributed by a chain of 13 or so independent distributers, who passed the records around each others patch, so if you were lucky, and knew which shop to go to, you might for example get your hands on a copy of the Mel-O-Tones buggs bunny mini LP pressed by Probe-Plus (good record, that).  You stood virtually no chance of finding this kind of stuff in the local HMV shop.  Or you could start collecting fanzines, and follow a paper trail to keep informed about your favourite bands.  They got hardly any press in the big music papers, unless they made such stupendous records that they couldn't be ignored (cue, MBV).  I always used to wonder why it was Aerosmith got acres of press coverage and Tools you can Trust got nowt, and then years later I got a job in a press cutting agency and came to face the awful truth... Big labels pay for big advertising, so you'd better give them that 4-page feature on the band with the new record out next week.  Same today with celeb culture... ahw come on, you don't really think Posh paid for that Louis Vuitton bag??

So enough ranting and on with the auction.  I will see how far I get with this, they are going to be listed one at a time and I have about 60 of them here.  I had more, but I was naive enough to lend a whole bunch of about 30 to some loser named Philip Scott when I was re-sitting my A-levels - did I get them back?  did I heck!  Those all had articles on either the Wedding Present or the Smiths in them, hence the scarecity of those bands in the following listings.  Shame that - there were some real great fanzines amongst them - now gone for good.

Most of the fanzines are home-made quality, usually photocopied sheets stapled together.  Some made a better effort, Are You Scared to Get Happy a good example of what can be acheived by commandeering the local student union colour photocopier.  Some have cover letters by the creator in reply to my own letter, sent with payment and SAE.  I think everything is still in place but its been so long ago I can't guarentee that all inserts are present and correct.  I will just list what I have got.  There will be basic info such as size format and how many sides of paper have print on them, but once again I will have to see how things go; there is quite a bit to get through.  On the whole, all fanzines are in excellent condition.

THIS LISTING:

ARE YOU SCARED TO GET HAPPY

NUMBER 6 + two free flexis + one free fanzine '373' MILES IS A VERY LONG WAY

Oh yeah, you all know this one.... Legendary fanzine, this issue dates from 1987.  you still get all the top names of the C86 scene. and an urgent style of writing bursting full of exuberant energy.  It starts and goes off on one long blast which won't stop till the very last page.  Pretty good really, though the pages don't seem as colourful as previous issues.  Speaking of which, what happened to them? can't believe I must have lent them out and lost them.  (I still have one earlier issue which I will list just as soon as I locate the flexi....)

SEA URCHINS, THE BRIDGE, VALERIE, ANOTHER SUNNY DAY, THE HONEYMOONERS, REMEMBER FUN

but the bands are a means to an end - the whole point of the fanzine is for Matt to announce to the world his manefesto for living.

'373' miles is a very long way is a companion fanzine produced by Matt's friends Amanda and Margaret.  quote "My Bloody Valentine have two new members.  A new lead singer, owing to the departure of their previous chap, and a girl on backing vocals."  makes me realise - I have been carting these magazines about with me for over 25 years!

SOUP DRAGONS, CLOSE LOBSTERS, THE CLOUDS, BMX BANDITS, STUMP, THE GROOVE FARM, A HOUSE.

Flexi disc#1,  THE POPPYHEADS, postcard for Flossie ep.  Sunshines forever / changes yesterday / first thing / on and on

Flexidisc #2, REMEMBER FUN,  Hey Hey Hate, and EMILY The Old Stone Bridge.

The flexis are 6 inches diameter, on Sha La La records.  ba ba ba - ba ba 004,  ba ba ba - ba ba 007.

They look in excellent condition, though being flexis you simply have to accept the risk that they may not in fact play.  A couple of coins on the centre to weigh them down might be required to stop them skidding.

24 printed pages diffent colours A5 size.

16 printed pages different colours A6 size

flexis 6" size in 7" fold-over sleeves in plastic bags.

+plastic bag + handwritten insert.

postage UK £2.00 recorded delivery,  Europe £4.00 recorded,  rest of the world  please enquire

end of auction: payment required within 5 days of finish.  If you have bought multiple items then it would be best to wait for me to send an invoice so that I can give you the best deal on postage.

payment by cheque or postal order (pounds sterling), or PAYPAL, or cash on collection.  Collection possible from Dalston in East London - you won't be charged for postage for this, but please be prompt.

I will endevour to get your goods out as quick as I can, but please understand that I am not a big businessman who has lots of minions running around doing his jobs for him.  Somebody has to wrap the thing up and take it along to the post office and wait in a queue, and that, dear reader, is me.  So please don't complain if I don't get it in the post right away - I have probably been waylaid by the baba who is very demanding of my time.

Good luck with your bidding and please feel free to keep checking my auctions for new additions.