Q Magazine

q mag was me favourite of the monthly music mags.

i must confess.

Back in the day - before smart phones, wifi and broadband- I used to buy it for the big cover interviews with oasis, verve etc and would read it from cover to cover. But what's the point anymore when half the articles are on the website or someone scans the pages? Its sad in a way but one day actually buying books or magazines will just seem as daft as buying a penny farthing bike would be now. We're kind of living through the transition, so it's wierd for us but everything has it's time.

Chris McCall to thread.

It is a shame to see it go. I gave up on it around 2010 when it completely lost its way. But I started reading it again about three years back and was really surprised at how good it had become. Great mix of contemporary acts and some proper writing.

I seem to be in a minority though when it comes to valuing long-form music interviews. They are becoming rarer and rarer, and almost exclusively reserved for massive established artists.

Journalism doesn’t grow on trees, Dan. Someone has to be paid to write the interview, take the pictures, publish the story.

I’ve read as many free scans of Oasis interviews on here as anyone else. But this attitude of ‘oh well magazines will just be replaced by websites’ has been proven to be totally false.

The number of professional music publications - as opposed to badly written fan blogs - has shrunk massively in the last 10 years. That means less exposure for small, unsigned bands and an ever growing reliance on features with the same ageing super celebs.

People pay £3 for a coffee but won’t pay £5 for a magazine that took 50 people a month produce. 90% of online advertising goes straight to Facebook and Google. The ads you see on websites generate pennies.

I hear what you're saying and you're right but I just think maybe not right now because as I say we're living through the changeover but eventually a new outlet will be discovered / created. People always want to read about music, people will always want to write about it and musicians will always like talking about it. Napster/free downloading was meant to be the death of music but now most people do pay for streaming services. Apparently the artists get buttons for that but eventually I'm sure they'll find a way to make it fairer for them? And somehow the same will happen with magazines, even if they exist only in digital form.

Guess i'm stuck with uncut or mojo to spend $15 on at the airport when i forgot my book now. For shame.

not going to happen unless spotify became £50 a month and people were willing to pay that.

Might be the way eventually

You sound like a certain solo artist.

I agree it is why I subscribe to The Economist and Financial Times.

I don't drink coffee.

Coffee keeps me awake. 6-page fawning spreads about the latest adventures of Fran Healy, not so much.

Gig prices for established artists seemed to make a big jump when streaming became the norm and merch prices too. £30 for a t-shirt?

The big artists will still make plenty of dough
Tougher on the smaller artists trying to make their way.

Q Feels Love?
Mag Outta Time
Put yer money where yer mouth us

(last) part of the Q

(as long as they've got) job openings in hello!

They were immortalised in that Beady Eye song, along with the NME.