Noisy!
Noisy! Zine is a helpful guide to the current crop of bands laying claim to the Essex music scene. First printed in 2004, the zine’s ethos is all about encouraging people to go to more gigs by reporting on all the fun things happening in the area. Issue 7 [pictured] is a little different, however, as it sees Noisy! hit the road for Brighton, where they have been invited to put on a show as part of the city’s Fringe Festival. There’s an entertaining diary to chronicle the event, where a few vital lessons are learned about Victorian mourning customs (?!) and tucking into fish and chips while deeply stressed. It’s impressive to find such thorough music coverage for a single county, and the writers are honest about the successes and failures of trying to create a buzz when lots of people remain indifferent at best. It’s a worthy struggle, though, and the zine is a positive example of supporting the cultural output of your locality.
