Another State Of Zine....
Scanner was born in a hail of phlegm, defiance and attitude as an A5 print zine back in the Summer of 1998, in the English hamlet of Ipswich, Suffolk. It ran for near-on five years, culminating with a 92-page whopper in January 2003, which featured the likes of AVAIL, Exene Cervenka and Winston Smith.
From small beginnings - the first issue was a comparatively small 40-page minnow - the zine grew steadily in stature with a final print run of over 1,000 and distribution throughout the UK and in various parts of Europe and America plus Australia and New Zealand with further readers in Japan and South Africa.
The zine stopped not due to my personal lack of interest in the world of Punk Rock, or any kinda burgeoning disillusionment in an overtly commercialised and tame Punk Rock scene. Admittedly, I was getting tired of generic releases from say-nothing bands and ‘Punx’ who cared more for the shade of their hair dye and brand of sneaker than they did for the ideals behind MDC or SUBHUMANS. Thankfully, this was constantly countered by bands like FOUR LETTER WORD, DILLINGER FOUR and many bands like them that released vital, energetic, intelligent and out-spoken releases. Of course, the old faithfuls - surely I don’t need to name names - always revitalised the soul and scorched the ears.
Nope, Scanner in print form stopped due to a life-changing move. In March 2004, I packed my bags and headed to New Zealand. At the time I had no idea whether it would be a long-term move. I sure wanted it to be, but due to seemingly limitless bureaucratic red tape bullshit from the Immigration Services, I had to wait a year to see if my future here in NZ could be even semi-permanent. During that year I set up this website in an attempt to continue where the zine left off.
Move forward to August 2005... My application for Residency in NZ was approved and here I remain with no plans of leaving. From here, Scanner on-line continues and will continue until I either go back to a print form zine or get so disillusioned by the whole bloody world of Punk Rock and its seemingly increasing links to the safe, corporate and sponsored world of mainstream society that I would rather vomit all over my crotch than face another tiresome safe, major label band desperately wanting to be ‘dangerous’ and/ or ‘cool’. Fuck ‘em!
Where is this website gonna go from here? Well, I hope it’s just gonna get bigger and better, just as the print version did. I did have a ‘News’ section, but due to lack of release news etc being forwarded, I ditched it. Except for a few notable labels - Fat Wreck, Revelation, Household Name, Recess and Alternative Tentacles in particular - I had no release news sent despite requests and adding myself to mailing lists.
You can forward all review material to the address above that’s shadowed by the Dead Boy, Stiv Bators. For electronic contact, hit this LINK and send me an email. If you work for EMI or Columbia, yeah, please forward me your releases. They sell well on ebay but do NOT expect a review of your corporate crapola. My review policy remains the same - all releases sent WILL be reviewed, but anything on a major label does not run parallel to my ideals of Punk Rock. Period. Get over it and concentrate on your lucre-lusting contracts.
Also hit the LINK if you wanna join the mailing list to receive emails of each and every update as it happens. OK - get on with it - self-explanation over. Enter and enjoy....
Latest Updates
May 10th - INTERVIEWS - With NORMAN BRANNON (Anti-Matter zine)
May 6th - HOME PAGE - Latest "HEY SUBURBIA" PODCAST
May 2nd - TV PARTY - Review of BUZZCOCKS
April 25th - INTERVIEWS - With INFECTED/ Eugene Records
April 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of HEARTTHROB
April 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of K DAVIS
April 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of LOVED ONES
April 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NOFX
April 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE SHAPES
April 19th - TV PARTY - Review of THE DEAD BOYS
CD REVIEWS
AMEBIX - No Sanctuary {Alternative Tentacles}; BLITZ - Voice Of A Generation + Rarities, EATER - The Album + Rarities, PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES - Pissed And Proud + Rarities {Anagram}; HHH - Discographia Completa, SUBTERRANEAN KIDS - Early Stuff {B-Core}; SCOTT REYNOLDS & THE STEAMING BEAST - Adventure Boy {Boss Tuneage}; MILLENCOLIN - Machine 15 {Burning Heart}; LURKERS - Fried Brains {Captain Oi!}; SCOURGE OF RIVER CITY - s/t {Cherry Bomb}; HOLLYWOOD BRATS - s/t {Cherry Red}; DEATHZONE - When The Punks Of The World Unite {Deathzone}; GOOD RIDDANCE - Remain In Memory, NO USE FOR A NAME - The Feel Good Record Of The Year {Fat Wreck}; MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU - Discometal Youth, STRAIGHT CORNER - Gewehr Bei Fuss, VARIOUS - This Is Not Your Soundtrack For Violence, VARIOUS - Only The Diehard Remain {Horror Business}; THE QUEERS - Live: The Bowery Collection {MVD}; LEGION OF PARASITES - Another Disaster {Overground}; STATE OF THE UNION - To THe Bitter End - A Discography {Profane Existence}; PUKES/ MIKE PUKE - A Stab In The Ears For The Foolhardy {Puke}; DESTRUCTORS 666 - Many Were Killed Few Were Chosen; DESTRUCTORS 666 - Sachen Lassen Mit Fremden Machten, EASTFIELD/ DESTRUCTORS 666 - Labor Omnia Vincit, FLETCH CADILLAC/ DESTRUCTORS 666 - Biberati Ut Gothi, WHITE CLOUDS & GUNFIRE/ DESTRUCTORS 666 - Caveat Emptor {Rowdy Farrago}; BROKEN BOTTLES - Hospital, THE CROWD - Letter Bomb, THE FORGOTTEN - s/t {TKO}
7"/12" VINYL REVIEWS
FUCKED UP - Year Of The Pig {What's Your Rupture?}
DVD REVIEWS
CIRCLE JERKS - Live At The House Of Blues {Kung Fu}; PIXIES - Loud QUIET Loud {MVD}; VARIOUS - Belt Fighting The Man {Redemption}; THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG - 21 Years Of Love And Hate {Secret}; CHANNEL 3 - One More For All My True Friends {TKO}
BOOK REVIEWS
Iggy Pop: Open Up And Bleed; John Peel: Margrave Of The Marshes; Anti-Matter; '77 Sulphate Strip; The Replacements: All Over But The Shouting - An Oral History
ZINES
Mysterex #4, Beat Motel #7, Suspect Device #49, Zonked! #10, Profane Existence #56
INTERVIEWS
Boss Tuneage Records, Vic Bondi (Articles of Faith/ Report Suspicious Activity), Channel Three, Ritalin, Smoke Or Fire, Anthrax, Subhumans
HEY SUBURBIA - The Podcast #6 - May 2008
Here's the latest installment of Hey Suburbia - The House Of Scanner Podcast! You can either stream the whole hour-long show by left-clicking the link below, or if you want to save it to your hard drive to play later or burn as a CD, then right click the link and save it as you wish. You'll probably need a Broadband connection for a moderately quick download.
Let me know what you think - and if any of you have any requests - let me know!!
HEY SUBURBIA PODCAST, #6
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – Can’t Get Away With That
MILLENCOLIN – Who’s Laughing Now
STRAIGHT CORNER – Wanna Be
GOOD RIDDANCE - A Credit To His Gender
- - - -
LURKERS – Why You So Happy To Give You Mind Away
MIKE PUKE – Eye In The Sky
SCOURGE OF RIVER CITY – Dark Streets
LEGION OF PARASITES – Death In The City
- - - -
L’ODI SOCIAL – No Olimpics
COMMON ENEMY – One Up
IMPERIAL LEATHER – The Power Of Blame
CAREER SUICIDE – Realities
- - - -
EASTFIELD – Money
EATER – You
FORGOTTEN – We Got The Numbers
DEAN DIRG – No.1 Out Of 6 Billion
- - - -
CHANNEL THREE – One More For All My True Friends
TEXAS THIEVES – Today
ANTIDOTE – All Alone
BLITZ – Never Surrender
Previous Podcasts can be found by clicking this link here
Gone but not forgotten...
This website will forever remember those who provided inspiration and continue to inspire. Let us never forget those that paved the way for where Punk Rock is today and made some of the most refreshing, rebellious and raucous music ever. R.I.P. guys...
STIV BATORS, JOHNNY THUNDERS, JOEY RAMONE, DEE DEE RAMONE, JOHNNY RAMONE, JOE STRUMMER, DARBY CRASH, BOB STINSON, RANDY 'BISCUIT' TURNER, PIG CHAMPION, MALCOLM OWEN, PAUL FOX, LANCE HAHN, DENNIS DANELL, JEFFREY LEE PIERCE, JERRY NOLAN, ARTHUR KANE, BILLY MURCIA, STIG, DIMWIT, RAYBEEZ, KURT COBAIN, WIZ, STEVO, MIA ZAPATA, MIKEY OFFENDER DONALDSON, PAUL RAVEN, NIDGE BLITZ MILLER, FRED 'SONIC' SMITH, ROB TYNER, SID VICIOUS, TIM YOHANNON, GREG SHAW, JOHN PEEL
