Packing a Punch – A brief history of UK Skinhead Zines by David ‘Toast’ Rumsey

One of the many things that marked the original punk era was the explosion in the self-published fanzine, or ’zine as they often became known. These A5 miniature magazines sprung up all around the country, creating an underground network of shared information and views. As punk wound its way to a close, a new sound emerged from places like Coventry and Camden, one that embraced new bands but had a healthy respect for the artists that had given the music its name – ska. This led to a new generation of skinhead, one that took its musical and fashion leads from both Jamaica and London and created something old but new. One of the many things that it kept from the punk side of its creation was the ’zine. Renown skinhead DJ, collector and sometime historian David Rumsey has compiled an overview of more than 40 years of the UK skinhead fanzine, looking in depth at each issue of pretty much every one of the ‘sussed’ skinhead mags, kicking it off with the infamous Skins ’zine which started in the late 70s and ending with his own Spirit Of 69, a last bastion of the DIY publishing which is about to see the 10th issue of its sporadic history. The slim book looks very much like the ’zines it documents: A5 in size, and full of what appear to be photocopied images that have been pasted into place, and gives a suitably thrown together feel to the whole thing which belies the work that has actually gone into it. Available from the author at £10 + £2.50 postage, contact toasttu@aol.com for info.