Scream City 5 was the last edition of the fanzine that I produced, back in 2010 after a 2-year gap from the fourth edition. I didn't know at the time that there wouldn't be any others. In fact, for quite a while after this edition I had an active concept for SC6 "the Video Edition" which would have delved into the world of Ikon, Doublevision, Play at Home, etc and probably come with a free VHS tape glued to the front cover (seriously, this was in the concept!). I did some tests for video titles and had some ideas for articles including the Ikonathon (a non-stop marathon of video-watching that would somehow morph into a critical masterpiece plus, on a more serious note, the extensive interview by Brian Nicholson with the late Malcolm Whitehead that eventually made it onto Cerysmatic (and which, in turn, inspired the whole Scream City digital archive).

Back to Scream City 5 and its international theme, starting with the cover and Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion projection which has absolutely nothing to do with Factory but just seemed right for this edition. I stopped short of doing the fold-out inside front cover which would've enabled a build-it-yourself Dymaxion globe but I resolve to make the template available for those who are geometrically inclined. This, and other supporting materials such as alternate covers, source materials, etc will be made available once the main issues are published.

There were 10 different articles spread across 60 pages: Andrew James took a Factory Trip Around the World, I interviewed Fiona Allen about The Area and The Haçienda, James Nice presented an extract from his Shadowplayers book and discussed the background, David Quantick sleevenoted The Distractions, Ian McCartney gave us his magnum opus on Mozart vs Joy Division, Matthew Robertson had an exclusive interview with Andrew Penhallow of Factory Australasia, I talked to Mark Reeder, Ike Yard and Michael H Shamberg and David Nolan paid tribute to Larry Cassidy.

To top things off there was a limited edition compilation CD featuring Section 25, Ike Yard, Thick Pigeon, The Wake, The Names, The Durutti Column, Biting Tongues, The Distractions, Shark Vegas and Fidelity Kastrow & Spartak.

Phew! Enough fanzines already!!

Labels: Biting_Tongues, FAC281_The_Area, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Fiona_Allen, Ike_Yard, Malcolm_Whitehead, Scream_City, Section_25, Shark_Vegas, The_Distractions, The_Durutti_Column, The_Names, The_Wake, Thick_Pigeon

The ultra-rare Happy Mondays Shaun On One T-Shirt was assigned the Factory Records catalogue number FAC 288. However, the evidence would seem to point to them not being actually made by Factory. Fiona Allen, who ran Factory merchandising at the time, has no recollection of them and Kevin Cummins (whose photo it is) says no-one ever asked him for permission.

So it would seem these were made unofficially. As to how they came to be assigned the FAC number we can only assume that Tony Wilson saw one, liked it and decided to give a FAC number.

Of course if anyone has any information which contradicts this version of events then we would very much like to hear from them.

Labels: Fiona_Allen, Happy_Mondays, Kevin_Cummins, Shaun_Ryder, T-Shirt

Good to see Fiona Allen - former Haçienda Maître D' and proprietor of Factory merchandising emporium FAC281: The Area - popping up in this evening's episode of BBC medical drama Casualty, playing Fraser Beaumont: a "whip-cracking administrative advisor".

Obviously the interview in Scream City 5 will have provided Fiona's profile a necessary boost.

Four minutes to satellite!

Labels: FAC51_The_Hacienda, Fiona_Allen

It's still not too late to buy your copy of Scream City, the Factory Records fanzine which was published at the end of June. Yes, Scream City is back with its fifth (the biggest and best ever) issue which is 60 pages in colour and black & white and is available to buy now for 3.00 GBP + Worldwide postage and packing via eBay (Buy it Now with Paypal only).

Contents

- A Factory Trip Around The World - the art of international collecting by Andrew James
- An interview with FAC 51 The Hacienda's (and Smack The Pony's) Fiona Allen
- The Distractions by David Quantick
- An exclusive extract from James Nice's new book about Factory Records 'Shadowplayers' plus a Q&A with James Nice
- Closer, Karamazov and K550 by Ian McCartney
- Looking From A Hilltop... at Lytham St Annes (or "When Interviews Go Wrong") - a salutary lesson about the dark art of the interview and a touching tribute to Larry Cassidy by David Nolan
- An interview with Shark Vegas man and remixer extraordinaire Mark Reeder
- Matthew Robertson talks to Factory Australasia man Andrew Penhallow
- Factory Over America - Scream City talks to the US wing of Factory Records with new interviews with Michael H Shamberg and Ike Yard's Stuart Argabright and Michael Diekmann

Scream City is still an old school fanzine and is made from paper, ink and staples.

Labels: Andrew_Penhallow, Fiona_Allen, Ike_Yard, Joy_Division, Larry_Cassidy, Mark_Reeder, Matthew_Robertson, Scream_City, Shadowplayers, Shark_Vegas, The_Distractions

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