Rock On! A semi-glossy aimed at the Metal/ New Wave market, ROCK ON! ran for at least seven issues through 1978. The articles were ten second reads with screaming titles like
Fat Out Of Hell (an appreciation of Meat Loaf),
Darts - A Teeny Band Or Something More?,
The Stranglers - Rock's Sexist Pigs - "Rock On isn't going to come in all moralistic here but you only need listen to four tracks to understand why
Rattus Norvegicus earned the title Rock's Sexist Pigs" - Jet Black on
What Country Stinks Most? and, terrifyingly,
ELP - A Much-Loved Band Soon To Rise Again?. At least they were true to their word about not adopting a moral stance over the men-in-black, as the same issues double-page spread of snapshots from The Tubes' stage show amply demonstrates. Best of all though,
Sounding Off, the readers letters ...
CAN'T WIN THEM ALL, TOM It really makes me sick seeing the Tom Robinson Band perform. I haven't seen them live yet, but I watched them on TV, and when Robinson sang Glad To Be Gay, it made me want to puke.
When my friends told me he was queer, I thought that if I had a chance to meet him I would rip the shit out of him. I like the TRB's music, but I just cannot stand him.
SHELLEY HATED I'm sorry, but I just cannot bottle up my hatred for the Buzzcocks any longer - I can't stand them! - and as for their lead singer, Peter Shelley, just who does he think he is?
Shelley's just like a big girl's blouse, and when I saw them on
Revolver a while back, I couldn't help feeling sorry for them - those poor, immature sods! They haven't got a bit of musical talent, their music is absolute shit! I've known cats to sing better.
Just what on earth do people see in them? I like a lot of punk groups, e.g., the Stranglers, etc, but these immature prats really get up my ass. I've only got one thing to say to the Buzzcocks - BUZZ OFF!
DEBBIE - NOT SO DELICIOUSWhy all the fuss about Debbie Harry.
With her bleached tatty hair and gaudy make-up how can anybody possibly think she's a sex symbol?
I'm absolutely sick to death of seeing her tired old (she's obviously well into her thirties) face staring up from every magazine and paper I read - ROCK ON! included.
I wouldn't mind if she had a decent voice but she can't even sing.
GET OFF GELDORF What is it with you lot? What exactly have you got against the Boomtown Rats - in particular I've noticed, the brilliant Bob Geldof. Ever since I've been reading ROCK ON! I've detected this 'hate' undercurrent towards Bob and the lads. It seems to me that everything he does is wrong according to you ...
There are plenty of bands around far more worthy of your criticism than the magnificent B Geldof and his Rats - so lay off them. You have been warned.
NEW WAVE - CONSTIPATED MORONS? We don't see how punks can talk of intelligent reading when they listen to garbage like that (The Clash, Penetration and Iggy Pop), and the way they dress up and pogo up and down like a bunch of poncey ballet dancers.
May we remind him that Quo, Zep and Heep have made it to the top through nothing more than years of hard slogging and LIVE gigs, which is more than we can say for the rubbish he mentions. That crap have only made it to where they are through notoriety, as they have no musical ability at all.
A MAG FOR MIDDLE CLASS POOFS? Your new magazine ain't bad, but basically it caters for middle class white college boys and pseudo freaks who're into Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, etc.
Taking a stand. The Rock Against Sexism campaign began here was an indispensable diagnosis of the current health of several punk and 'punk' bands circa August 1978, many of whom had already split, others who were teetering on the abyss, yet more who were seamlessly merging into New Wave acts. In short:
Who were the losers of the New Wave? - Who just managed to escape - and who are the survivors swimming fast towards big success?The Ones That Got AwayThe Stranglers:
Outlook: Disillusionment may set in. Stranglers fans will have to wait and see. The Boomtown Rats:
Outlook: The Rats are on the rise - there's certainly little sign of them falling from favour anyway.Blondie:
Outlook: The only roots showing now are the ones on Debbie's peroxide head.
Eddie And The Hot Rods:
Outlook: The Rods will be packing them in for a long time to come.The Clash:
Outlook: The Clash future is almost entirely dependent on the new album - if the new songs lose their old following they're going to need a lot of new fans to survive.Still Afloat ...?Sham 69:
Outlook: They are a band who can't afford to be big - they don't have universal appeal anyway. Jimmy and the boys are strictly on the level of the kids - and they're probably content to stay that way.The Jam:
Outlook: Change of musical approach and suits needed for these lads. Quick.The Vibrators:
Outlook: As long as the songs keep coming so will the fans.The Buzzcocks:
Outlook: With the right breaks and perhaps a hit single they should break through soon in a major way.X-Ray Spex:
Outlook:Very promising. Lots of ideas and lots of talent - the only problem is getting through to mainstream fans..
Sunk (Or Sinking) Without Trace ....The Sex Pistols:
Outlook: Keep a look out for Johnny Rotten though - there's no way someone with his charisma can die.The Damned:
Outlook: Needless to say there isn't one - but watch for guitarist Brian James.Eater:
Outlook: Very bleak - expect a split any day now.Generation X:
Outlook: Sinking fast ...The Depressions:
Outlook: Should have been drowned at birth - but are on their way down now. The article isn't credited, but the staff writers were
Jackie Finch and
Mary Ann Ellis.
Does anyone know if they did anything else of note?
