ZigZag

ZigZag was a British rock music magazine started by Pete Frame and first published in April 1969. The magazine was noted for its thorough interviews, well-researched articles, innovative "rock trees" by Frame, and support for American songwriters such as Michael Nesmith, Mickey Newbury, Gene Clark, etc..
It was written and edited jointly by John Tobler and Pete Frame for the first half of the 1970s. Frame later said: "None of the English music papers wrote about the music I liked. They all concentrated on popular acts, but I was interested in the Underground scene. So I decided to start a magazine for people who liked the same kind of music I did. I called it Zigzag after the Captain Beefheart track "Zigzag Wanderer" and also the cigarette papers, which were used for rolling joints."
After dying a first time, the magazine was bought by a publisher and become a regular monthly with even some colour inside. Edited now by Andy Childs who originally had his own fanzine, Fat Angel. This period was marked by more musical British influence such as pub rock and the precursor of punk (Dr. Feelgood, The Stranglers).
Around 1977, a quiet revolution led by Kris Needs, saw ZigZag went though a third period where the magazine was totally devoted to punk. This also around that time that Pete Frame distanced himself and published the first book of its famous series of 'rock trees' tracing changing personnel line-ups in the rock music world.
ZigZag continued to be published in London and edited by Needs until the end of 1982. In April of the same year the ZigZag Club live music venue was opened at 22-24 Great Western Road, London W9. By the end of the year it had closed. The magazine ceased publication for a period and was then re-launched for a fourth period, two years later - in 1984, with Mick Mercer as editor. It finally ceased publication with its final issue in October 1985 - having published approximately 135 issues of rock journalism.
Category:List of Music Magazines
Category:List of Magazines