Thursday, June 25, 2020

An Influential 1990s Fanzine Returns

(by Bill Glahn)

























It's been more 20 years since Live! Music Review printed it's last magazine. Times have changed. Some changes were apparent 20 years ago. Like the impending doom for print publications in the Internet age - that was already apparent. A small family operation couldn't go on publishing and lose a couple grand a month. The kids had to eat.

Some changes were unimaginable. Like a pandemic of Covid-19 spreading across the globe, with even the world's richest superpower unable to stem the tide of new infections. The politics of that fiasco are divisive, but not altogether unavoidable. Music and music industry malfeasance will continue to be the focus of Live! Music Review in its new incarnation.

In the last 20 years I have also become a grandfather 5 times. That's the most beautiful part. I've quit drinking. That's a good thing, too. I've stayed in contact with a lot of old friends and lost touch with just as many.

As a grandfather, I have an obligation to protect my grandchildren. So, I take "stay at home" very seriously. Which brings us to this relaunch of L!MR. I've got time on my hands and sanity to maintain.

I'll be reprinting some original content from the old issues. But beyond that, I'll be recruiting some of your favorite past writers and approaching some new ones as well. There will be links to articles on the state of the artists, clubs, and concerts - a source of much debate in the ongoing attempts at reopening the economy. And, as in the past, we'll be reporting on new circulating bootlegs (mostly vinyl these days), fan CD-Rs, and downloadable MP3s. (We won't be hosting any, but may provide links to sites that are.) We'll also post YouTube links that you may have overlooked, artists that are doing "stay at home" concerts on Facebook.

It may not look a lot like the print editions and the topics may have changed, but it will be approached with the same "take no prisoners" attitude. L!MR's time may have passed at the beginning of the millennium, but its time for a reboot has arrived. Onward.

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3 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the grandkids!

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  2. Was a big fan if your mag. I met you once at a record show, either in louisville or indianapolis. Glad to see L!MR coming back even if only a web site. Better than nothing.

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  3. Hi! Mr. Bill. here is my group in Facebook dedicated to you (I was a subscriber from Italy from first issue) could you please be with us??
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/973719956024196/
    Regards Luigi
    Live! is dedicated to a magazine from the 90's. I hope editor Bill Glahn read this. Here you can share the icons of your collector items not just bootlegs from any age of recorded music, covers and discs on vinyl, cd, tapes and any other support. Also here you can offer if you have to sell or trade or ask if you want to find some item. I hope we can share experiences with the great community of the groups "Bootleg records from the 60-70-80" "Quelli che Amano i vinili colorati" "Pink Floyd Bootleg Record Collectors Worldwide" "Vinyl Sardinia" "Freak Out! (do you listen to.......?)" and others to come. enjoy!!!

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