(That’s Not Skanking and TNSrecords recollections of that night later in this Welcome to the Fanzine) later in this issue. issue, by Lee from The Blunts and ‘Ten Years of Dave, both who played that gig. The The fanzine was the first incarnation line up also included 3DBS Down TNS’ anniversary of TNS, but it was all always geared (who have recently reformed and will fanzine. towards starting to put on gigs and be playing the birthday party, after We have details of our tenth birthday even in the very early days, starting not actually playing the first gig - see party on page 4, and the full line up some sort of label. I’d written reviews Lee/Dave’s articles for the full story) is on the back cover. I imagine it’s for a couple of other fanzines and and Monkfish. It was also the first going to quite a lot more boozy than fancied having a go myself. I finally ever gig for a new three-piece punk your average tenth birthday party, did that in November 2003 (ten years band featuring myself, Dave and Big but in many other ways it will be quite to the month ago). Pretty much at the Hands. We are also celebrating our similar. It is going to be our biggest gig same time as starting the fanzine, birthday by playing the anniversary yet. Please get your tickets in advance myself, Big Hands and Dave, who gig. McGraw were supposed to play, so we don’t get too TNStressed were three quarters of a band but we’d unfortunately decided to split about it all. We’ll also have a ten called McGraw, (incidentally, all four up. We’d started jamming songs for a year anniversary box set, including a members of McGraw are still involved new band, but we were by no means t-shirt, a 7”, badges, stickers, posters in TNS on some level - three have ready. However, a band pulled out on and your ticket, which you can get written for this issue) were all living the day and we decided to give it a from tnsrecords.co.uk in Manchester. We were becoming go. We didn’t even have a name until disheartened by promoters asking the day, but we found a funny DVD I hope you’ll forgive us for taking the bands to sell 30 tickets if they wanted in a pound shop, called ‘Revenge Of opportunity to be a little self indulgent a gig, by disjointed line ups and The Psychotronic Man’ and decided in this issue. Lots of the features poorly promoted events, where the to use that for one night only. Ten are very much related to TNS, with organisers clearly couldn’t care less. years have passed and that seems to people sharing their first experiences We’d put on gigs ourselves since have stuck. and favourite moments. When I asked being teenagers, both in my home people to write about this theme, I town of Stafford and also whilst living Another part of our master plan (I really didn’t expect people to be quite in Stoke. We decided that the only say master plan - I mean drunken so nice. It means a lot that people way to combat the shit gigs we were idiots making things up as we went have said such nice things about witnessing was to do it ourselves. along) was to try and get the music the past ten years. We have at least I don’t think we even necessarily of the bands we were playing heard attempted to cover some other things thought about things in terms of the by people who might want to go to too. punk DIY ethic back then. It was the gigs. We were aware that lots of simply common sense. If no-one is the bands weren’t particularly ‘known’ It’s funny trying to remember how it all doing the things you want to happen, and that you couldn’t necessarily started after such a long time. I don’t then make it happen yourself. Simple. just expect people to go and watch think anyone involved anticipated bands they had never heard of. Our we’d be trying to document all this ten Doing it ourselves meant we could way to combat this was by burning years on, when we came up with TNS actually get bands we liked to play at CDRs and sticking them to the (or ‘That’s Not Skanking’ - a jokey our gigs, and that we could also make front of the fanzine. Issue 4 of the outburst at a gig in my home town of the first few gigs free to get into, as fanzine included volume 1 of the Stafford, many years ago). The early we weren’t arsed about making any CDR collection. That CD included issues of the first incarnation of this money. Big Hands had worked at The tracks by 3DBS Down, The Blunts, fanzine have helped me piece it all Thirsty Scholar and convinced them to McGraw, Monkfish and also, amongst together. They have also made me let us use their upstairs room for free others, Gunpowder Plot, who recently cringe a lot. It’s amazing how your on a Sunday night. As well as being a reformed and released an album opinions change over the years. Most fanzine in its own right, we also used through our friends at Pumpkin people don’t document that. For me, the zine to build up a bit of interest in Records. it’s all there in print for me to cringe the first gig we put on, which was on at, to laugh at, and also, occasionally, 11th April 2004 (yes, we have timed The second ever TNS gig took to give myself a big pat on the back the anniversary gig to the day). It place on 20th June, 2004. Alongside about. Despite the embarrassing wasn’t at that point too successful. Revenge Of... the line up included bits, it’s still pretty cool to have The first gig was pretty quiet to be Morning Pizza (who went on to be documented it all through the fanzine. honest. But it was a starting point pretty successful as Pendleton), I’ve collated the covers of every issue and it was a lot of fun. You can read Harijan (who have been a big Massive thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue. There are too many people to list you all, but we really appreciate it. Thanks also to everyone who has advertised with us. We couldn’t manage without you. If anyone does want to advertise, get in touch. You can also donate to help keep this fanzine free (each copy is worth over 60p), you can do so through paypal at [email protected] (or just grab something from our webstore. Every sale goes back into the label in some shape or form). Contact us: Fanzine/live - [email protected] Website/label/podcast - [email protected] Post: 17 Heywod Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1FB 2 influence on so many current bands, that first release. That said the Hopefully this fanzine is a good and were one of the first bands who catalogue number is TNS001. We showcase of how many people have we released stuff for when starting always remember Mikey Wong, who gotten involved. I’ve tried to not write the label) and, for the first time in is a big part of what we do today, too much myself this time as it’s really Manchester, the headliners of our saying “why is that the catalogue cool to get other people’s opinions ten year birthday party, the mighty number? Are you going to do 100 about it all. If anyone fancies getting Random Hand. We are really pleased releases?”. Clearly at the time that involved with any aspect of what we to have a band headlining who seemed ludicrous, but it’s maybe not do in the future, we’d love you to get featured so early in our history and such an impossible scenario now. in touch. have gone on to do so well. We are now up to 32 releases, which Sometimes TNS makes us tear our The gigs quickly became more has surprised us as much as anyone, hair out, and sometimes it’s all a bit regular, and gradually became especially because we are still very much to keep on top of. But I don’t busier too. I couldn’t possibly list all much making this up as we go along. think any of us would change doing the bands who have played TNS The gigs are slightly less frequent this for the world. We have met nights. Many have disappeared and no longer free (the bands travel so many awesome people during into oblivion, many have gone on to from much further afield and need the last ten years, heard so many bigger things, and a handful of the their fuel covering). They are still fantastic bands and made life-long bands who played early on are still pretty cheap mind. The fanzine is friends. There are so many brilliant part of the label today. Revenge Of... far less frequent, but it is still free. memories (and it is also massively also started gigging more and more It’s been a while since our last issue, responsible for our lack of memories, frequently. In 2005, we recruited a but this is the biggest one yet, so due to the sheer amount of booze- second guitarist, Liam, who was in hopefully that makes up for things.