Rubble n Shit #3 (part two)

Here's part two of Rubble n Shit #3, written and slapped together in early 2001. If you missed part one you can read it here.

Jag and Mem from Outmeasured went on to be in Ghost of a Thousand.

Rubble n Shit #3 (part one)

It's early 2001. I've just turned 18. While everyone else is gearing up to finish sixth form and making plans for uni, I'm locked away in my bedroom frantically cutting n pasting about the bands I love, the gigs I've been to and the music I'm hooked on. I work full-time in a factory packing toys for minimum wage - £3.50 for 18 - 21 year-olds at that time - which gives me enough money to stalk the bands I love and put a zine together.

It's strange re-reading this as a (mostly) sensible 30-something. I miss the days when I could just drop everything to head off to a gig in Bath, Manchester, London or wherever else I fancied. I still do go to gigs in other cities from time to time, but these have to be strategically planned due to work commitments and limited finances.

Also, I can't believe how many gigs I've forgotten about. I've been to so many over the years that I have no recollection of some of them. Last year I was convinced I'd never seen Jimmy Eat World live, so I was pretty chuffed when I saw they'd been added to the Download festival line-up at Donington Park. Halfway through their first song it dawned on me that I'd seen them before, supporting Weezer at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in 2001. Later, when I was going through my ticket stubs, I discovered I'd seen them again at Rock City, Nottingham, around 2002. Idiot.

While I can remember going to the Dog Toffee, Feeder and Manic Street Preachers gigs that feature in this issue, I couldn't actually remember anything about them. It's been good fun looking back at what I'd forgotten, I just wish I had a zine review of all the gigs I've been to over the years.

Until I read this gig review of the Manics at the Apollo the only memory I had of that trip was the appalling b&b we stayed in across the road from the venue. It was freezing, we had a broken window in our room and there was a shared bathroom. On the plus side, it was full of Manics fans, who left a trail of multi-coloured feathers on the stairs and along the corridors as their feather boas malted everywhere. I think my feather boa of choice was black for that gig.

Rubble n Shit #2

I've been toying with the idea of blogging my old fanzines for a while, but was a little concerned about having to confront my teenage self and how much I would cringe over stuff I wrote almost 15 years ago. I never kept a diary as a kid, but in many ways opening the pages of these old zines is like opening a teenage diary, with thoughts, hopes and dreams all laid bare. They're the only document of what my best friend and I were getting up to as 17-year-olds and the bands we were obsessed with at the time.  

It was largely through reading Amanda's zine Paranoy over at Cite Something - go have a read, it's awesome - that gave me the courage to finally say 'ahh fuck it, let's all have a giggle at the teenage me'. So, here in most of its glory - I've only censored a couple of bits - is issue two of Rubble n Shit, written and compiled around 2000.

Apologies for the terrible spelling and grammar. Jeez, you wouldn't think I'd go on to study journalism...

Dog Toffee drummer Mem (second left) went on to drum for Ghost of a Thousand.

Bobby H's answer to what he'd do if he ruled the world made me howl with laughter.

This was during our King Adora stalking days, 

which went on for about two years.

Ahh, the Midgey Fest...

I was actually a teenage genius.

'Rocks like a bastard'

Obviously our favourite phrase in 2000

'why you need that special limited edition 

clear vinyl when you already have it on CD anyway...'

Some things never change.

This is my bedroom wall. 

Sometimes I can't believe the things my parents let me get away with.