ABOUT

Welcome to the official website for Lights Go Out.

So you’ve clicked on the about option and I guess this means you must be slightly interested in what the zine is about.  So I’d really hate to disappoint, so here goes…

Lights Go Out was born in early 2008.  With the basic ideas of putting together a fun fanzine project which had some cool punk bands involved and would be a useful resource for the punk scene.

Started by myself, Mr. T (not THAT Mr. T!) the zine has grown from strength to strength with every issue it would seem.  I always wanted to write a zine, and back in the early 90’s I played around with the idea but nothing seemed to materialize.  Back then I was going to call my zine “Little Pieces” after a Juliana Hatfield Three song.  But the idea got buried.

I always picked up zines at shows and enjoyed their cut and paste nature and finally in 2001 I put my first proper zine out.  I called it FPM.  A totally shite name I admit.  It was a play on FHM – but replacing the H for a P for punk!  This lasted like three issues.  Had some great bands in there too like Avail, Dance Hall Crashers and loads more.  I could also give the zine away for free back then as I had access to a photocopier at work so abused the hell out of that.

I kept FPM to the cut and paste look and totally enjoyed making it.  But hated the name, so changed it too Touching Cloth.  Yes I know this name sucks too.

Touching Cloth lasted just two issues and at this point my band commitments got very busy and I closed the project down.

A few years passed and zines like Beat Motel and Debunk inspired me to want to get back into the zine world.  I spent my time writing features for Beat Motel and Unsigned Showcase Magazine.  But it’s not the same as having your own actual zine that you’ve produced and bought into the music scene.

So in early 2008 Issue 1 of Lights Go Out was born.  Finally the zine was being printed properly and I felt very proud of what I had achieved.  I sold a Marshall 10 x 4 cab to fund the printing costs and I don’t ever expect to be able to pay myself back out of sales, breaking even would be nice on an issue.  But it’s not about that for me.

As I write this issue 6 has been out just a couple of weeks and I am so glad we’ve made it this far and it looks like we’re going to be able to keep going, I bloody hope so.

I like to think that we’re getting stronger in every issue.  We have loads of great people involved now and we appreciate everyone who supports us is any way.  Without your help this project might not survive.

So please do support us and buy a copy (or twenty!) of the zine.  We really do need your help to keep Lights Go Out running and providing an important product within our music scene!

Cheers!

Mr. T
(Nov 2009)

UPDATE: FEB 2011

We now also offer cheap button badges.  1″ (25mm) in size – please drop us a line and we’ll gladly give you a quote!  They’re a great promotional tool for your band/zine/label – so get in touch and let’s get people wearing your name! 

Da rules!

If you want to lift any content from this site, please let us know before by getting in contact. If you don’t, you’re a giant douche and we won’t ever talk to you again, let alone send you a christmas card and we’ll send round the boys to “sort ya out”!

If we have used photographs or images on this site that you do not wish to be used, please contact us and we remove them immediately – or at least at the first chance we get…we are very busy people you know!

Help Us Out!

Yeah you too can help Lights Go Out – how?  Well we are always looking for people to contribute to the zine and the site.  Reviews, interviews, columns and more!  Budding artists who have ideas for the front cover are always welcome as well!

Also if you have a site and would be up for displaying a banner on there for us, please just grab one of the below and use it – oh and do let us know where so we can link you and say thanks!

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