BACK TO SCHOOL In the 1970s ZigZagprovided my musical
education about everything from legendary ’60s US bands to obscure English artists who rarely received coverage elsewhere. As a teenager with a limited budget it was hard to sort the musical wheat from the chaff. The back pages of the music weeklies were full of gig listings for dozens of bands I had never heard of; record stores contained a bewildering array of records by unknown American artists. ZigZagbecame my musical style guide for over a decade. If you didn’t live in “gig central” – namely London –it was hard to see a lot of new music. There was no internet and radio and TV coverage was minimal despite the brave attempts of John Peel and co. It is hard to appreciate that there was a time when ZigZagwas virtually the only cool rock music magazine you could buy in the UK. Despite its humble and independent status it was well distributed and always easy to find, despite its often sporadic publishing schedule. It wasn’t particularly expensive, either. My first issue, number eight, cost 2s 6d, and the 100th, my last, still only cost 50p.
was that Zigzagwas too personal to be shunted around like some brand name. It was alright when you did it, and Childsy did it and I did it – but if it wasn’t one of us then it wasn’t Zigzag. It was like The Byrds without Roger McGuinn.”
Zigzagdid go through a final phase with a guy called Mick Mercer editing: nice chap into showcasing new bands and the new goth movement. It finally ground to a halt in the mid-80s before being bought by E-Map then buried to make way for Mojo,who, funnily enough, I’ve ended up writing for –happy that something resembling Pete’s original dream of a quality music magazine appeared at the end of Zigzag’s line.
Pete continued with his family trees, writing radio and television programmes, and various books including Rockin’AroundBritainand TheRestlessGeneration, his masterly ’50s tome. He’s amazed at Zigzag’s lasting influence.
“All sorts of writers in magazines and books refer to it. It’s really peculiar. It seems to have had a greater influence than I could ever have imagined. I certainly had no idea at the time.”
I asked him for a personal Zigzaghighlight. He cited the magazine’s fifth birthday bash at the Roundhouse, featuring John Stewart (of CaliforniaBloodlinesfame), Michael Nesmith, Help Yourself, Starry Eyed & Laughing, Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers and one of the most uproarious, celebratory vibes he’s encountered at a gig.
“Tobler and I went to America and interviewed all these people at the end of ’73, anybody we could find, from John Cippolina to Linda Ronstadt, even Andy Williams. We also talked to John Stewart and Michael Nesmith, and got them to come over for this fantastic party. A lot of people think that, because I was doing these meticulous family trees, I was some sort of anorak train-spotter locked up in a cupboard. They’ve got no fucking idea! I know that half the current cabinet used to smoke dope during that period but I bet they didn’t have anywhere near as good a time as we did!
“Would I have changed it all? I don’t know. Would I do it all over again? Who knows? I could have had a quiet, comfortable career as a chartered surveyor – but then I’d never have met Ray Charles or Pete Seeger or Dusty Springfield. I’m 66 years old, for God’s sake! Who could have believed I’d live this long? Even more remarkable is the fact that you’re still alive and grooving after all you’ve been through! The ’60s was madness, the ’70s was lunacy and the ’80s was insanity! Is this century as exciting? For the current generation of questers and nutters, I certainly hope so!”
Thanks to Pete Frame and Phil Suggitt. 37
Zigzagprovided a generation with a kind of secret knowledge that the general public wasn’t interested in. Under the editorship of Pete Frame the magazine provided detailed coverage of the likes of Love and Moby Grape. Frame’s saga of The Byrds was presented in several exciting chapters, rather like an old movie serial. My brother and I pored over Pete’s meticulously researched Rock Family Trees which first appeared in number 21. Today it may be standard practice for music magazines to include CDs, but it seemed mighty impressive when, in the early ’70s, Zigzag issued its first (and only?) LP, a splendid disc by Mike Wilhelm &Loose Gravel.
In 1977 new editor Kris Needs transformed the magazine into a punk fanzine. In the space of a couple of months the cover names changed from Clover and Mike Nesmith to The Pistols and The Clash. Kris was a massive supporter of my favourite band at the time, The Flamin’ Groovies, and I continued reading until about 1980. Looking back, the mag reflected the times and pave the way for so much that followed, including Shindig!
Phil Suggitt
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