Pretty Vacant zine
Pretty Vacant zine is an e-mail rock (punk-rock, rock-n-roll, etc) zine created by Meghann, Kylee and Kei. It takes it's name and inspiration from the legendary UK punk rock band the Sex Pistols' track, "Pretty Vacant" from their 1977 debut album, "Never Mind the Bollocks".
The zine features interviews with both independent and major label rock bands, and even bands unsigned to any label. Also included are interviews with record labels, editorials, album reviews, new music/dvd reccomendations, tour dates and concert reviews.
The first issue, released September 16 2005, featured interviews with the California-based independent band Eternal Unborn and the New Zealand based HORROR STORY. The section lineup has changed a lot since the beginning.
Here were the sections for the first issue: News Visual Virus (movie reccomendations) New Audio, bitches! (album reccomendations) New Visual, bitches!(DVD reccomendations) Coming Soon To a RIOT Near You!! (tour dates) Youth Against Facism! (Independent band reccomendations) Otherside (Overseas band reccomendations) Punk's Not Dead! (Punk band biographies by Kylee) Fuck Authority! (Editorials by Meg and Kylee) Rants and Raves (Editorial complaints by Meg and Kylee) Sounds From the Streets (Interviews with independent bands) TV Nerds Unite! TV Party Tonight! (Upcoming punk rock programs on television) Give Me A Piece of Your Mind! (Subscribers can submit their own album review) The Scream (PVzine Message Board) You're Sick in the Head! (Subscribers can submit their own lyrics to display and gain reviews) HARDCore Covers (other zines to check out) OurSpace For MySpace (our MySpace accounts and different bands')
This first lineup contained WAAAY too many articles, not enough pictures and proved to be much more than could be handled. So, it was shortened a bit for the second issue (released October 21st 2005) and a few more pictures were added to make it a little more exciting.
The second issue line-up was: News New Audio, bitches! New Visual, bitches! Coming Soon To A RIOT Near You!! Fuck Authority! Youth Against Facism! Otherside Soundtrack Of Our Lives! (Album reviews) Sounds From the Streets (with interviews from Simon Young of the Stivs, Patrik of 48sin and Chris of Broken Stone) TV Nerds Unite! TV Party Tonight!
It was a little different, but still missing something. The next issue, number three, was released November 19 2005. This issue contained the first major label interview, with the almost-unknown (before their debut album was released) Chantal Clarrett of Morningwood. The issue was improving with a more professional look than the previous issues and had more of a theme with the colours black and lime green, the trademark colours of PVzine. The sections changed yet again for this issue:
News Shove This Under Your Christmas Tree! Pt. 1 (New Audio) Shove This Under Your Christmas Tree! Pt. 1 (New Visual) Coming Soon To Start A RIOT Near You! Rants and Raves by Ky YOUth Against Facism! Otherside An Ode To No One (an editorial by a friend of the editor) Soundtrack of Our Lives! Sounds From The Streets (Interviews with Chantal of Morningwood and Clint of Freakdrive)
This was a definate high in the history of the zine. What was to come proved to be not as successful. Issue 4 was released December 17 2005, again and again with a different section line-up. Do remember we were still figuring out what we were doing.
News was changed to Teenage News (the name of an unreleased New York Dolls record, and features news in different areas of teenage culture) New Audio, bitches New Visual Coming Soon to Cause a RIOT near YOU!!! Rants N Raves YOUth AGAINST Facism! Otherside We Want the Airwaves! (previously "An Ode To No One") Sounds From the Streets (A follow-up interview on Eternal Unborn)
For a year after that Pretty Vacant zine was..to say the least, dormant. Because of personal issues and a few big mistakes, and I myself, (Meghann), being the only one really working on the zine, I basically gave up. However, after a hell year in 2006, Pretty Vacant zine is back, still run completely by Meghann with design help from Kei. So far over 100 flyers have been handed out and lots more to go. Issue 5 was released Febuary 26 2007 with PERMANENT catagories, no more name changes:
Teenage News New Audio, bitches! New Visual Fuck Authority! Freak Scene (interview with Fueled by Ramen records) Revolution Rock! (The Perfects, Darque Carnival, The Stuff, The Disobedients and a follow-up interview with Chantal Clarrett of Morningwood and the first visual interview, uploaded on YouTube, with Cancer in Reverse) Hypnotize'd (album reviews, 3 albums)
The future for PVzine is bright. Some people may be jerks and rip up the flyers and throw them in the trash, but we can laugh because more subscribers are to come.
External links
To view the official PVzine MySpace: [1]
To view the official PVzine Site: [2]
To e-mail the Editor or subscribe for free: pretty_vacant_zine@yahoo.com
