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If you didn't see it a few days ago, the Guardian ran a piece slagging off the NME over its post-riots coverage . Basically the NME dedicated a lot of space on the Enfield fire and the impact on indie record industry of so many small label records, CDs and DVDs going up in flames. An issue worth highlighting obviously. However the Guardian's writer didn't like the fact that the NME didn't cover the wider issues in any way, unlike the paper in the 80s where overtly political pieces were run, regardless of whether there was a music angle or not, including ones on the Brixton riots back then. I get the point and I'm not apologist for the NME but to me it says more about Britain, its music industry and its attitudes to politics in 2011 than the NME just pandering to its advertisers. In the 80s it seemed like half the gigs taking place were benefits for some cause or other - how often does anybody do a benefit gig now? Music and politics seemed to be inexorably linked in the 80s. Hardly any musicians bother sticking their heads above the parapet these days so why should the NME? And even if it did, would anybody have bought it? Just a view.

It's a music magazine. Why shouldn't it give space to the impact on the music industry? The other issues are being covered to death everywhere else.

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Definitely isn't inbred...has the GCSEs to prove it!

REVOLUTION PURITY LOVE SUICIDE ACCURACY

http://www.thesoundofconfusion.com

The NME's editor wrote this piece in The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/au ... mentpage=3, the week before last, a piece suggesting that The Clash were on their front cover due to lack of political music nowadays.
A load of bollocks! There's still a load of political music about, from the more politicised end of the UK hip hop & grime scene to communist R&B band The Faction to veterans of political punk, to politicised folkies and a lot more besides. There is just a lack of political bands in the small corner of indie rock that the NME has painted itself into. The NME is dying on it's arse. I wish it would go out in a blaze of glory, by trying to be adventurous both in the music it covers and in being politically provocative. Instead it will just wither and die like the Melody Maker did when they took the safe option of putting former smash Hits editor Mark Sutherland in charge, with his directives of all coverage of Oasis must be positive etc, when Everett True was also up for the job. Melody Maker would have died anyway, but at least ET would have taken some risks.

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Curmudgeonly Rock 'n' Roll time traveller from ye olden days

2nd verse same as the 1st...

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Curmudgeonly Rock 'n' Roll time traveller from ye olden days

2nd verse same as the 1st...

I'd rather it just died.

Seriously - who gives a fuck about the NME? or any music mag for that matter.

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Tall, moustachioed alcoholic - plays firewood with a bow.

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Jarvis Cocker or David Bowie or AVB or Johnny Borrell, she isn't picky

Cavey Cocker, Cup Cake Queen, Saint Thomas.

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Reason and rationality may be pursuing us, but we are faster.
Wittgenstein Blog: http://lwpi.blogspot.com/

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Alas, not actually Gryff Rhys Jones...

"Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
With no shoes and clothes
This aint funny, but he took his money
And sniffed it up his nose"