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I've been given the green light today to start a monthly music magazine given away in the west midlands. i'm looking at a november launch. in a nutshell, it's going to be glossy, chunky and shit hot. the idea is to take on the paid-for monthlies (Q, mojo, uncut etc) but rather than shell-out £3.50 a shot, you can pick it up for nothing at venues, record shops, pubs, clubs etc. content-wise, it will have midlands-biased music news upfront, quirky regular features and columns, interviews with names and upcoming talent to preview gigs and album releases; competitions, picture specials, internet/multi-media/new technology pages and many many reviews pages. i think the key to it being a success (ie it gets snapped up and kept) is the reviews. i want it to be inclusive - from the new beyonce to the sunburned hand of man. also, there's be a strong emphasis on back catalogue/re-releases. the deal i've negotiated is that i'll do the first 3 to 6 months on a shoestring to get it established on the condition that when it takes off, writers will be paid a fee for their submissions. you will of course get the CDs you're reviewing. i'm not looking at ripping anyone off. i'm looking for people to supply reviews of 300-400 words in length, authorititively written. don't want those smartarse reviews you see elsewhere that just lazily slag stuff off to make yourself look good. i'd rather people write about stuff they're passionate about and have a feel for. i'm also interested in hearing anyone's ideas for a regular column of about 800 words on any subject that's music or pop culture related. one of my ideas is ebay challenge: give someone £20 to spend in charity shops or online and see how much profit they can turn from ebay in a month. quirky funny stuff y'know? it'll be funded through advertising, there's plenty to hoover up regionally and nationally as there's no real competition in the region. the target reader - nasty term i know - is people like us, music freaks and a bit older than nme. i work for one of the country's biggest newspapers as a music journalist and arts sub and i've got 20 years in business, 30 as a music obsessive. our new printing press comes online in the autumn and there's a lot of scope to make it look and feel nifty. it's also the plan to give away a free cd each month via sponsorship deals: static caravan are lined up to do the first. i've got a longer document which explains all the intricacies and nuances. anyway, i have huge respect for the unsung reviewing talent here so if you're interested and want to know more, mail me or ask here. i'm up for other ideas too: what's your idea of a perfect music mag? oh, don't tell rupert murdoch as there's a necessary need to keep it a bit quiet. over to you.
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