The New Wave Magazine

The New Wave Magazine was a UK punk fanzine by Nag & Ade from Barnet whose first issue was in January 1977 making it one of the earliest punk fanzines. It ran for at least eight issues all of which were in 1977 though I don’t think it made it to 1978. Notable for its being printed on green paper.

As a magazine we try to be different from others…we try to be energetic, spontaneous and original…we include comments, poems… we aren’t interested in fashion, but in new music by new bands. We work. We don’t live off the dole. We don’t want to be kept alive by hand-outs from the state. Ade, Virginia Boston, Punk Book

1977 described lukewarmly by Jon Savage in his Sounds fanzine round-up feature as

A strange mixture of perception and whimsey, no doubt reflecting its creator Band Ade, which doesn’t quite come off even on its own terms…flashes of inspiration.

And summarily dispatched by Julie Burchill in her earlier one in the NME from 24/3/77

The New Wave Magazine…is like its title – straight, functional and dull…it reminds us that “New Wave is Energy and Spontaneity and sometimes Originality”. A pity they don’t practice what they preach.

One sort of punky and the other long haired more rocky looking, they were intensely passionate about the new bands and music whether it was The Clash’s (see review below) or The Stranglers’ first album or seeing The Ramones or Generation X live or interviewing The Jam, John Otway or The Adverts. They didn’t conform to the fanzines format of cut and paste and that simplicity of design served up with honest direct interesting writing was their strength.

Click on the below for larger images – Click here for full fanzine from Still Unusual Blogspot

This is not a record. It is a statement

I don’t honestly believe that I’ve thought so much about an album before which has led me to having many opinions about it. On the first few playings my initial reaction was one of ecstasy. The powerful anthem-like choruses were hammered into my brain with all the subtlety of a two-ton mallet. The short exciting guitar-bursts from Mick Jones and the contorted Strummer vocals signified the rebirth of rock ‘n roll.. But with & difference.

The difference was the words. As {T got to hear the album more and more I began to decipher Strummer’s screaming and this is when questions started to fill my brain. primarily, are they completely honest? I mean Joe is the son of a diplomat so can he really be classed as & member of the working-class? And I do remember reading somewhere (can’t think where) that Mick Jones has & university degree, which would surely make nonsense of ‘Career Opportunities’ for a start. I really hope that they are honest in what they say and do – because honesty on the music scene is very scarce these days. If they practice what they preach then the Clash have the potential to be the most important
group of the seventies. Every time I play the album (and it’s hardly been off my turntable for 4 months) the adrenalin starts flowing which proves that the Clash have staying power. Every track is a power anthem — the stuff that is heard up and down football terraces on Saturday afternoons. ‘Janie Jones”, ‘London’s Burning’, ‘Career Opportunities’, ‘White Riot’ and ‘48 Hours’ all falling into this category. You all know what they sound Like ‘cos you’ve all got the album…

Everyone will nave their own favourite, but my personal favourite is ‘Hate and War’ where Mick sings with 4n emotional voice filled with pent-up aggression. “T have the will to survive, {‘1l cheat if TI can’t win.” I feel as if Mick’s more easy to relate to than Joe, and that’s the thing about this album. All the kids that are buying it can relate to the Clash, Although the Clash are heroes in our minds they are not detached heroes. ’48 Hours’ about the weekend squashed between the gruelling 9 to 5 system.

‘Career Opportunities* about being in the same dump, or on the dole straight after coming out of school. “London’s Burning’ – the boredom of nothing to do except getting pissed out of your brain every night down the pub. They’re all there – all the subjects that few groups really touched on before the Clash. Then there’s the controversial track “Police and Thieves’, I’m not really into reggae put this is great. Sure it can be taken two ways but the Clash have repeatedly expressed sympathy for wogs. The Stranglers aren’t the only group that feel like wogs! The Clash’s music is to get you dancing, and their lyrics to get you thinking. They have as much power (more than most) as the other new wave bands, but with the added asset of being very politically and socially aware. It will be interesting to see how the Clash develop and how they follow this album up; as they’ve said so much here. Their existence is gonna get better from now onwards – nice juicy steaks instead of buckets of paste – but I hope that they react in the correct way. Don’t sell out lads – a lot of people are depending on you. This is not a record review. It is a statement.

NAG & ADE

The fanzine’s articles featured heavily in Julie Davis’ 1978 book Punk which collated a load of fanzine articles together on the subject of Punk and the bands and with other fanzines in Punk Rock by Virginia Boston from 1978.

We here at Punk77 salute Nag & Ade for their contribution to Punk. Anonymous but influential – thank you for your efforts!

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