**SPECIAL XMAS OFFER!**

For the zine lover in yr life (or for something to read on Xmas day when you're stuffed full of mince pies and there's nothing good on tv) - BOTH issues of Shebang for £7 including postage! But be quick, the offer won't last long!

For full content details and our online shop, please visit the SHEBANG HOMEPAGE

(Note: Unfortunately the offer only applies for UK orders, but we're happy to reduce the shipping for overseas readers - drop us a line at mail@shebang-mag.co.uk to sort it out) x

Brighton Zine Fest: Update!

The goings-on for each day have been decided, and this year it's a massive FOUR days long (including film showings, talks, music and the traditional zine fayre). We can't wait! For more info visit the homepage: BRIGHTON ZINE FEST

WETDOG INTERVIEW

So yesterday Wetdog released their second album, Frauhaus!, which is pretty damn magnificent. This also means that the interview we did with them back in February is now dating so fast that it's no longer 'old news', but just a conversation that no one will care about by the time the third issue of Shebang comes out. So - as originally promised when we set up this blog - here it is, in all its technological glory. Unfortunately dear reader, there is no pretty illustration or light-blue papery texture to enjoy, but hopefully you'll forgive us (we promise not to make a habit of doing this - we're old-school printed zine lovers through and through!).

(Big thanks to Wetdog for helping us work out who said what on the dictaphone! Hopefully everyone is quoted correctly).

INTERVIEW:: WETDOG



after their gig w/ Kasms & Crystal Stilts
Brighton
12-02-09


So how did Wetdog come about?
Rivka: Wetdog started with my friends Sophie and Chiara...
Sarah: And a girl called Rivka, who's this one...
Billy: Two left, then I joined because I was friends with Sarah and Rivka and they asked me to join, and the new line-up will have been going for 2 years this May.
B: We need to make up a fake story for all this! We met at a casting for a Craig David video! I got the job.
S: At the time I was sporting a Craig David style beard. I've stopped taking the testosterone now.

You've played gigs with the Long Blondes, The Gossip and tons of other great bands. What's been your favourite gig so far?

All: Oooh!
B: I've probably got one if I thought about it actually. Didn't we have a really good one recently? The Vivian Girls one was good actually.
S: Yeah, we played with the Vivian Girls at White Heat, they were really good.
R: I really enjoyed our album launch, with Electricity in Our Homes and Captain Blood and the Sea Dogs. I also liked The Gossip in Frankfurt... was it Frankfurt? I think Frankfurt was the first one...and Beth was singing Careless Whisper to the girls in the front row.

Why did you choose to call yourselves Wetdog?

R: It was a reaction to all the glamorous names that bands were choosing at the time. My ex-boyfriend came up with the name as a joke really, and we ended up sticking with it. The other contender was El Blag, but no one was really up for that.
B: The other day someone actually told me that they thought it was the best name they'd ever heard, which was not the usual reaction!
S: Maybe it's because it's just unpretentious? That's why I like it.

Is it just one word or two?

All: One word.
S: It has been two.
R: And no caps ideally, though we do discuss this!
S: You're a caps girl, aren't you?

You've played a couple of Ladyfests, are events like that important to you?

S: We're into the ladies!
B & R: Yeah!
R: For a couple of years we seemed to play loads of Ladyfests, but they didn't ask us at the recent London Ladyfests.
S: I think it's because I started to shave my armpits about six months ago, so we're off the agenda (laughs).
B: We've done Ladyfests in Europe and stuff.
R: Yeah, the Ladyfest Madrid was brilliant. Organised by the very fantastic tassle-dressed Maria.

Was it different to the Ladyfests in the UK?

B: They're all different everywhere, even the ones in the UK. We did Brighton Ladyfest actually.
S: Yeah, that was good. Hint hint, if you're out there!



Would you consider yourselves to be feminists?

S: Yeah, I'm a feminist. Definitely.
R: I think when we first started, I was in another band with Sophie and it was quite nice to do a band without any men, just for a bit.
B: Fuck 'em!
R: Yeah, take charge of everything yourselves!
B: A woman once wrote in an interview that Wetdog had sold out because they had a boy now in their band. That being me! (Laughs). I am not a boy, and we would never have a boy!
R: No, that isn't true, we would.
B: Would we?
S: Yeah definitely.
B: We'd sound awful with a boy!
R: I think it's about the vocals more than anything.
Sarah: I quite like boy-girl vocals, like The Vaselines.

What music did you listen to when you were growing up?

S: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Rick Astley!
B: My first album was Michael Jackson's Bad.
S: Yeah, me too.
R: Ummmm....lawd knows...The Kinks, Kate Bush, The Country Teasers?
B: I was kind of brought up with a load of music like Pink Floyd and Dire Straights, who I have a nostalgic love for still. And David Bowie, and all that kind of thing.

Current influences?

B: I really, really like Electricity In Our Homes at the moment, they're probably my fave.
S: Crystal Stilts. I do genuinely love them, I was a stalker of them from back in the day.
B: Yeah, we listened to Crystal Stilts aaggeess ago on tour.
R: Captain Blood Blood, Euros Childs, Vic Goddard - and I'm really into Talking Heads at the moment - David Byrne is a god.
B: And I like New Bloods.

What's next in store for Wetdog?

B: Lots, lots of things.
S: Doom. Death. Suicide.
R: We've started recording our new album which should be our this summer, and also have a US release.
B: We're going to have a few US releases. This album (Enterprise Reversal) that's out at the moment will be out in the US soon, and we're having a split seven-inch...
S: ... with this band from San Diego called Blessure Grave who are really good.

How did that come about? Do you know them already?

S: Yeah, we just sort of messaged each other. They're a bit of a goth band, but yeah, I really like them. I think we've been indulging our goth side, cause we've been recording with this guy called Dave Allen who did loads of The Cure albums. It's been going pretty well.
B: So yeah, recording our new album which should be out here in the summer.


WETDOG MYSPACE

EAGLE LEGS (SHEBANG CLUBNIGHT) UPDATE

This month we were really, really lazy about Eagle Legs, and we'd like to apologise by announcing that the next event (on the 19th December) will be an EAGLE LEGS XMAS EXTRAVAGANZA! Even though we're still planning all the details, we're hoping to include mulled wine, zines, cake, an xmas-themed playlist, decking the walls and general xmas cheer! As soon as plans are finalised, we'll do an official post on here, so keep checking back.

We also have some extra special news that was announced yesterday - on the night of the January Eagle Legs (on the 16th) MEN will be playing downstairs in the Freebutt! If MEN are new to you, in short they comprise of JD Samson (LE TIGRE), Michael O'Neill (Ladybug Transistor, Princess) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR, The Ballet), with input from Johanna Fateman (LE TIGRE) and artist Emily Roysdon. The band describe themselves as a "a band & art/performance collective that focuses on the energy of live performance and the radical potential of dance music. MEN speaks to issues such as wartime economies, sexual compromise, and demanding liberties through lyrical content and an exciting stage show". If anyone is familiar with Le Tigre or any of their previous bands, then you'll have a good idea of what these artists are capable of creating. We're a bit too excited about this, and may have to leave you now for a little lie-down to compose our fangirl-selves.





MORE MEN

x

Southampton Craft & Zine Fair

Southampton is welcoming their first ever zine fest, in the shape of the Southampton Craft and Zine Fair, taking place over the weekend of the 21st & 22nd November at The Arthouse Gallery Cafe (178 Above Bar Street, SO14 7DW).



We really wanted to make it but have to be in Brighton for the next Eagle Legs clubnight (on the Saturday night), but would urge anyone living in or near Southampton to go along and join in the fun! Being a Salisbury girl I know it's rare to have these kinds of events around the mid South, so this is one not to miss.

Here's what they say about the event:

"Hip crafts meets subversive (and not so subversive) literature at Southampton's first (feel free to correct me on this one) zine and craft fair. 12-5pm both Saturday and Sunday. Stalls and workshops will be upstairs to browse and shop, whether for you or for Christmas presents for your nearest and dearest. Plus, as always, the Art House will be serving their super scrumptious cakes and lunch."

Sounds delicious!

The organisers still have stalls available to any zinesters wanting to take part, so drop them a line at craft@thearthousesouthampton.co.uk for forms etc. And help to spread the word! Facebook event is HERE

OFFICIAL PAGE

Brighton Zine Fest 2010:::

OFFICIAL PAGE

Are You Zine Friendly?

The marvelous Jimi Gherkin is continuing to fly to flag for zinesters everywhere with his newest venture, Alternative Press's Zine Friendly event. The second ZF takes place at the Foundry in London on Thursday 12th November, and hopes to spread the word about the ZINE FRIENDLY BLOG; a new, incredibly valuable resource for self-publishers everywhere full of venues, promoters, stockists and events that are all "zine friendly".

Over to Jimi...

"We are inviting small pressers everywhere to come down and promote their own work. For free! All we are asking is that people donate what they can, even a zine or two, to help Alternative Press to keep promoting the scene.

There will be communal tables where self publishers can sell their work. Printmakers or those with large work are encouraged to use the walls as a spontaneous temporary free arts space where you can stick up your work DIY style! BYOB (Bring Your Own Blu-tak!) Also, we are inviting some zine distributors to represent as much of what is going on in the scene as we can.

We'll be having a cake sale with free tea, Knitting Circle, CD compilation lucky dip (just bring a cd of your own favourite music and take your pick!), free blank zines for you to use and a poetry workshop followed by some performances and a short open mic..."

Things will kick off at 7pm until around 11pm.

SHEBANG CLUB NIGHT!

EAGLE LEGS!


If you happen to be in Brighton on Saturday 17th October, please come and join Rushka and Liv for the first ever Eagle Legs club night! The monthly night is happening on every 3rd Saturday (17 Oct, 21 Nov, 19 Dec) at The Penthouse, above The Freebutt at Phoenix Place in Brighton. (MAP )

Prepare to break our your best bedroom dance moves for a night of sonic fun, as we'll be spinning a lovely mixture of (good) indie, riot grrrl, punk, soul and more good stuff to boot. We'll be decking out your number one dinky dive with soft furnishings and chintzy decor - your new favourite party will feel just like home!

FREE ENTRY!! And there will be cheep drinks & promos to help you save pennies.

Making guest vocal appearances will be: Bikini Kill, Aretha Franklin, Bratmobile, The Runaways, Gossip, Etta James, Quasi, Lunachicks, Le Tigre, Mary Wells, Vivian Girls, Stevie Nicks, Sleater-Kinney, Elastica, MEN, The Go Go's, Irma Thomas, X Ray Spex, Long Blondes, Peaches, Marnie Stern, L7, Martha Reeves... & many, many more!





Have a listen to our sample playlist (still need to add some more soul!) : EAGLE LEGS SPOTIFY

Join our FACEBOOK GROUP for news, and our EVENT PAGE for the details.

Really hope you can make it - please tell yr friends!

x

Publish & Be Damned on today!

It totally slipped my mind to write an update this earlier in the week, but self-publishing fair Publish & Be Damned is on TODAY, starting at 3pm (til 8pm) at Oxford House in Bethnal Green, London. Here's the lowdown:

"Surveying a wide range of independent local, national and international publishers of magazines, fanzines, journals, diaries and periodicals, Publish and Be Damned celebrates publishing as a creative and critical space for presenting artists' work. As with previous years, the fair celebrates experimental approaches to making and distributing the work of artists, writers and musicians outside of the commercial mainstream. In addition we will have room dedicated to performances and talks throughout the afternoon."

For the full list of who's taking part, visit the Facebook event HERE

Handmade Brighton

Calling all Brighton-based creatives and craft-lovers! If you need a space to sell your wares, or want a peek at what other crafty folk get up to behind closed doors (without having to trawl for hours through Etsy), Handmade Brighton is here to help. The new monthly event aims to gather together local hand-made craft and fashion sellers, showcasing new talents and providing a space for everyone to meet and greet and buy original, handmade goods without the hassle of Internet fees or commission.



The event will be taking place on the 4th October downstairs at the Komedia, North Laines, and in addition to the craft stalls, there'll be live music, have-a-go workshops, bar, cakes and refreshments available from the Komedia cafe.

If you'd like to be considered for a stall or would like further info, email handmadebrighton@googlemail.com (the organisers advise booking stalls early to avoid disappointment). More info can also be found on their blog:
HANDMADE BRIGHTON

Off to sunnier shores...

Just a quickie to let you all know that we're away on hols from now 'til the 13th, so any orders made between now and then won't be posted out until the 14th. We're not ignoring/forgetting you! Both issues are still available and as always we NEED to get rid of them, mainly so I can have a corner of floorspace back in my room (I think the carpet's changed colour), and also because printing costs quite a bit & we're still far from the target for Issue #3. To complete (or start) your mini collection of Shebang zines, pay a visit to our online shop: MMM RETAIL THERAPY

Bon Voyage!



"Get up out of your seats... that goes for you too Grandma!"

Zineswap on Platform

Rob and Gordo from Zineswap have just been interviewed for Platform - check it out, it's a good read and there's some interesting blurb about the humble beginnings of zine culture. And some stuff about young children drawing knives and genitals on walls, if that's more likely to persuade you. READ HERE

If you're not familiar with Zineswap, we'd recommend paying their page a visit. Not only have they compiled a huge list of all the zines they've been receiving (pleasing my inner geek), but you can also send in your own zine(s) and get sent more zines in return. Their name basically speaks for itself.

ZINESWAP ONLINE

White Air Festival

The idea of us doing anything vaguely active and sporty is a hilarious vision, but thanks to Brighton's WhiteAir festival (taking place on 18th-20th September on Brighton beach) we've found a way to be wowed by extreme sports without having to break into a sweat.

The 3-day festival combines extreme sports and great music, including a headline set from our faves The Cribs, and British Sea Power, The Lemonheads and Sky Larkin, to name but a few. The festival is the biggest for extreme sports in Europe and features High Diving, Thundercats, Jetskis, Windsurfing Freestyle and Racing Championships, Surfing, Kitesurfing slider park, Wakeboards, Triathlon, Aquathlon, and a 56 miles off-road race starting in London and finishing at White Air, and many more. All of which we'll be watching from the sidelines, probably with an icecream in hand!

We'll be reviewing the festival in full in the next issue of Shebang.

For more info about WhiteAir, visit their official site:

Illustrator Interest...

OK, so the third issue is taking a lifetime to complete, thanks to silly things like full-time jobs and STILL having no internet at home (thanks Sky! Although we are watching back to back episodes of Miami Ink and planning future tattoos, so it's not all bad).

Basically, because we have so many illustrators 'watching' this blog, I just thought I'd test the water and see if there's any interest in helping out with the illustrations for the third issue? There's still a long way to go before we start allocating features to be illustrated as only half the content is written up, but I thought I'd see who fancies joining the Shebang gang. Obviously, it's pretty useful if you've actually read the zine before, just to get an idea of the kinds of things we are into design-wise. You also won't need to pick up a pen until September at the earliest, so it'll help if you have a few hours to spare this Autumn. What else...? Oh yeah, although we print in black and white, we do accept colour images, just so long as you bear in mind that it'll be greyscale in the zine. And please reply to this blog post rather than sending an email, as my inbox is a giant mess of unreplied emails at the moment.

Yup, I think that's it for now. Any takers?

(If you haven't seen the zine and want to have a look at a copy, our online shop and list of stockists can be found here).

x

Alternative Press Fair II

We're excited to share the news that we've been given a space at the Alternative Press Fair II, which takes place on the 2nd August '09 at St. Aloysius Social Centre in London.



The fair will be the final day in what's set to be a HUGE zine event, spanning 5 days, and including:

- The "Publish You" book launch, which includes submissions from tons of small press folks & zinesters, and also aims to act as a manifesto and discussion of the contemporary small press scene.

- Are You Zine Friendly? A chance for all those involved in small press to meet up and trade and sell their wares, along with music and general fun times. Even those who are zine-less are welcome to join in the celebrations and to hopefully go home with a goody bag of zine swag!

- Spoken Word Night Out! Taking a step away from the printed page, this night will see poetry, zine readings, story-telling and other performances from artists working in print media.

- Collaborama! A jam-packed BEAST of a zine event, Collaborama is a combination of zine, comix and small press stalls, a bbq, film screenings, workshops, performances and talks, and the chance for people to come together to create a collaborative zine for the day.

And to top it all off, Sunday will be the second Alternative Press Fair, a chilled-out day of perusing stalls selling comix, zines, poetry, radical literature and arts; a great ending to what's set to be a fantastic event! For more info on events, visit the Alternative Press Site and keep checking the Alt. Press Blog for the latest updates.

Hope to see you there!

24 Hour Zine Thing

Get your typewriters, scissors, glue and colouring pens out folks... for July is International Zine Month, and the 24 Hour Zine Thing aims to get everyone involved in making their own zine... the only catch being the time-frame allowed for getting your project all stapled up and ready to go.



What they say...

"Thought up by Julie, and taking its cue from 24 Hour Comics Day and with much much much respect to Scott McCloud, the 24 Hour Zine Challenge asks zinesters to create a 24-page zine from conception to final product in 24 hours straight. Zines should be of suitable size and technical difficulty so that this truly is a challenge for individual zinesters.

Feeling adventurous? Make an oversized zine! With collage material, all typewritten, with a blockprinted cover! Coptic-stitch bound with silver thread!

It’s not called 24 Hour Zine Day because there is no set day on which you must complete the challenge. There’s only a deadline for when you need to get the zine finished and submitted: July 31, 2007."

For more info, visit: 24hourzines.com

Bradford Zine Fayre - 21st June

Another Zine Fayre! And this time it's in Bradford, on Sunday June 21st at the Treehouse Cafe, which is opposite the uni on the left as you wander up Great Horton Road (hopefully this will make sense to people familiar with the geography of Bradford). The day promises to be a "celebration of all things DIY and papery", which we like the sound of very much. Unfortuntely we're not able to make it us Brighton Shebangers are moving house, so it's up to you to go on our behalf and give all the details! And speaking of details, here is what we have learnt about the event so far...

"The Bradford Centre for Non-Violence / Treehouse Cafe will be transformed into a den of DIY.

Three rooms will be full to the brim with lots of incredible zines from all over the UK. Feminism, queer issues, anarchism, music, personal experiences, crafts, art, photography, history, comics, illustration… zines can and do cover everything; you’ll have a chance to peruse through these lovely self-published tomes of joy and meet the creators too! Manifesta, Lola and the Cartwheels, BD7 Punx, Branches Distro, Subtext, Mobile Menstrual Zine Library, Claptrap, Beep! and ZNA Distro will all be there for your enjoyment, plus a load more.

Then there are the special workshops! For full listings, click here.

So please do get in touch if you want to exhibit anything. There will be tables for people to put individual zines on, but we want this to be collectively shaped and sculpted- so if you draw, write, paint, type, photograph, glue or sew then please get in touch!"

All info on their Facebook event page.

Ladyfest Oxford 2008

Although the 'fest is now halfway through, there is still just enough time to share the news that another brilliant Ladyfest is currently in full swing, and this time Oxford is doing the honour of celebrating women and creativity.



What they say:

Ladyfest is a non-profit festival which presents and supports the creative talents of professional and amateur female acts in our community, including performances and workshops. Both men and women, students and locals, are very welcome to be involved in organising our events, but we feel that to demonstrate the underrepresentation of women’s acts in cultural activities the performances ought to be women-only, or majority-women if not possible.

This year's festival will take place in a variety of venues across Oxford in order to raise money for Oxford Rape Crisis

What's On?

There's a great programme of events organised, including gigs, films workshop, book groups, crafts and more! And we're very pleased to have been asked to send in some copies of Shebang to be sold on our behalf at the Crafternoon, alongside some ace zines! Here are a few events worth checking out...

Ladyfest Book Group (Thursday 21st May, 5.30pm, in Borders)
- We will be reading Joyce Carol Oates' short story 'Faithless.' All welcome for a friendly and informal discussion.
http:​/​/​www.​facebook.​com/​event.​php?​eid=​60349108491&​ref=​ts

Ladyfest Crafternoon (Saturday 23rd May, 2-6pm, St Peter's College)
- We will be showcasing women's creativity by holding workshops throughout the afternoon including knitting, zines and textiles. There will also be a chance to buy lots of handmade goodies!
http:​/​/​www.​facebook.​com/​event.​php?​sid=​91a8ac395606e84​0032790057de4d1​fc&​eid=​62141357644

Ladyfest MixTape Party (Saturday 23rd May, 7.30-11pm, University College)
- Come along to University College bar where we'll be playing YOUR Ladyfest MixTapes throughout the evening. Get involved by sending us a compilation CD of up to 20 minutes of your favourite female artists and bands!

For more info on the event, visit their MySpace or Facebook.

Permanent Ink

OK, so while this may not have anything to do with our little blue zine, we still find it very exciting that someone has had our beautiful deer logo etched on his arm forever! Zoe Austin, the brilliant illustrator who came up with our deer logo, has posted this picture up on her blog of Falmouth student Ryan Bartby's new ink.



The guy's got taste!

London Zine Symposium 2009

We're excited to announce that we've been given the thumbs up for a spot at this year's London Zine Symposium! The all-day extravaganza takes place on Sunday 3rd May '09, just off Brick Lane at The Rag Factory, London, from 12-6pm. The event (now in its fifth year) will play host to small-press, comics and zine makers, encouraging a large get together of zinesters, with the intention of building a stronger DIY network and community. After the success of the Brighton Zine Fest, we're already making up flyers and posters for the show, and might even attempt some baking (despite probably being the only people EVER to fuck up a kids' chocolate cornflake cake recipe)!

Workshops for the day have just been announced, and include:

- The politics of zines and comix since 1970 talk by Roger Sabin and Teal Triggs
- Examining the rise of the zine festival and how to organise one
- Running a zine library with speakers from Barcelona, New Orleans, and Poitiers (France)
- Zine readings with Alex Wrekk (Brainscan zine/must-have zine bible Stolen Sharpie Revolution) from Portland, Oregan and other zine readers from across the UK
- Facilities to make a zine from the day with collaborations from those attending with the help of Footprinters print co-op
- A radical history walk of the local area (“Housing, Class and gentrification in Spitalfields walk”)
- How to use popular website Etsy to sell zines

For updates on the day, visit London Zine Symposium Site

Issue 2 Artist Profile: Kate Morris

I've only just noticed that after promises of Kate's work in glorious technicolour in the feature, her work is no where to be seen on the Flickr link! I've just tried to get on to upload the images, but have managed to get locked out of the Flickr account. I've got absolutely no clue what the password is, and the password resets aren't working. Oops.

So here - finally - is Kate's work in full colour, which as you can see, is a lot better than in black & white! If you want to find out more about her beautiful paintings, get yourself a copy of issue #2 and read up on her thrifty collections and secret adoration for Mills and Boon. Indulge your eyes!

Record Store Day

"If you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends"

Record shops are my favourite places ever. Where ever I may find myself, stumbling upon an independent record shop, full of unknown promise, is geekily joyful. But times are tough, and a lot of our beloved and trusted indie's are biting the dust hard, leaving only the corporate bigwigs to provide us with some physical musical indulgence. I've never really enjoyed MP3s, with their lack of album artwork, liner notes and speedy, throwaway deliverance. It's a really impersonal way of listening to music, just plugging in and watching files stream across the screen. The more creative aspects are lost amongst technical jargon and the clicking of buttons.

Which is why I'm pleased to announce that on April 18th, Record Store Day is celebrating the modest indie record shop, and all the joy it can bring. Started in the US in 2007, the day often involves special vinyl and CD releases made exclusively for the day, and hundreds of artists making special appearances and performances in shops across the world. Festivities include live performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades and djs spinning records.

But why only make a day of it? Pop by your local store today, show support and let's hope the independent record shop will remain an exciting visit for years and years to come.

For more info and listings of the day's events, visit Record Store Day Official Site

Update time!

All has been fairly quiet for Shebang recently; probably due to February being such a manic month, what with the printing deadlines/sorting copies/preordering/sending out orders/getting it in shops/Brighton Zine Fest and so on. But I'm in the process of getting a few ideas together for the third issue, and so far we've got interviews with Wetdog and Das Wanderlust (which was meant to be in the last issue, but we ran out of room!) as well as some other interesting bands in the pipeline. And hopefully we'll be including a feature on We Heart Arts, which also had to be axed from Issue 02 at the last minute due to space problems (to find out more, check out their website: http://www.weheartarts.com/)

I'll probably sort out an official call for submissions at some point in the next few weeks, but for now if anyone has any ideas or wants to contribute, let us know! E-mail: mail@shebang-mag.co.uk. Writers especially needed! And features on any topics relating more to arts and travel - I realise that the last issue was pretty music-heavy!

Shebang now has a few more stockists added to the gang, including Dave's Comics in Brighton and the Bonbi Forest Indie Emporium, a beautiful site full of independent designs and beautiful jewellery run by Cornwall-based Lee May (who we featured in the second issue).

This blog has also been a bit abandoned recently (a lot of that might have been to do with the sunny spring afternoons spent on the beach...), but fear not, we'll get it rolling soon.

And a massive thanks once again to everyone who came along to the Brighton Zine Fest last month, it was a great event and the organisers did a fantastic job! Some pics from the day...

Hello there Issue #2!

Issue#2 has finally arrived! The first copies saw the light of day at the Brighton Zine Fest over the weekend (a MASSIVE thanks to everyone who came along, we had a great time!), and now pretty much all of our stockists are topped up with the new issue (as well as still selling Issue#1).



a5, 52 pages, light blue paper, limited run of 400

Contents includes interviews with The Cribs, Tegan & Sara, Dan Le Sac & Scroobius Pip, Vivian Girls, Wild Beasts, Pens, Swallows & our crafty fave Bonbi Forest; a travel guide to Portland, Oregon; Kate Morris artist profile; Mixtape recommendations from Jeffrey Lewis, Los Campesinos!, Girls, Camera Obscura, Emmy The Great & more; Features on Cafe Hero and We Heart Arts; live reviews of Das Wanderlust, Jeffrey Lewis & The Wave Pictures, Twee As Fuck & the Shred Yr Face tour; record reviews and lots more! We'll put up the whole content list on our website soon.

Buy it directly from us at our online shop. Will post worldwide, and can do a deal if you want both isues - e-mail us at mail@shebang-mag.co.uk.

Coming Up - Brighton Zine Fest!

21st-22nd February 2009.

It's now less than 2 weeks until Brighton turns into a mecca of UK zine culture. For one whole weekend, zine-related events will be spread throughout the city; from zinesters selling their wares and live music, to a whole heap of workshops (inc. vegan cookery and papercraft) and a talk on sexism in activist spaces. It's all go, and all inclusive.

We'll be at the zine fair on the Sunday at West Hill Hall, selling the first ever copies of Shebang Issue #2 (fresh off the press!), along with Issue #1, badges, cakes and more! Please drop by and say hello!

Brighton Zine Fest Official Website

And thanks to some excellent timing, Jeffrey Lewis (one of our favourite musicians ever - featured in Issue#2) is also playing at the Komedia on the Sunday evening. So why not make a day of it & pick up a copy of his comic Fuff to add to yr zine collection? Tickets here

Day Out - Ladyfest Goldsmiths!

So yesterday, Rushka and I grabbed some copies of Shebang and donned our coats and scarves, ready to brace the chill of London town (we only had snow in Brighton for one day before it all pretty much melted away and warmed up, so knew that the snow-covered Capital was going to be pretty icy!)

After a quick visit to M&S to stock up on some overpriced by very nice snacks and drinks, we left Brighton in search of Ladyfest Goldsmiths - the first Ladyfest event we've ever been able to make (living on a budget in Cornwall for the past three years meant that trips like this were out of the question!).

The journey took much longer than the usual 50 mins, thanks to the recent snowfall, but we got there eventually!





(Please excuse my rather toothy snow excitement!)

Arriving at Victoria, we got our tube passes and headed to the underground, only to find that our route was under construction, meaning over an hours worth of tube connections and a swoopy bus journey.


BUT WE MADE IT!



We followed the trail of the beautifully designed Ladyfest posters...



... and eventually found ourselves in the Student's Union, which was lined with stalls, a knitting area, and performance area. We got a bit carried away with it all and forgot to take many photos until the end of the day, but here's a rough idea of the layout:



Every stall was different; one sold slices of homemade cake (the chocolate cake was recommended, and was delicious!)...



... another was covered in the cutest knitted goods, from knitted bows to knitted fruit & veg...



... and others were raising awareness of women's charities and organisations, including a Breast Cancer stall with complimentary ginger biscuits, decorated with pink bows of icing, and the Fawcett Society. The Ladyfest stall gave out free badges and an official zine, made especially for the event:



Inside:







Throughout the day there were musical performances...



...and talks; my favourite being a talk/discussion given by Frances Morgan from our favourite big-name music mag, Plan B magazine, focusing on the role of women in music journalism, and how to go about getting things on a more even level for both genders, whether they are musicians, writers or readers.

Towards the end of the day, we took over duties at the zine stall, and had chats with fellow zinesters, including the wonderful ladies at one of our favourite zines (now a blog), Uplift!





We weren't able to make it to see any of the bands in the evening as we had to get back to Brighton, but all in all it was a great day, and the organisers did a wonderful job. A really inspiring event!

If anyone went along to the evening part & fancies writing up a little report that we can add on here, please get in touch.