MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – DECEMBER 2012

It’s the end of 2012 and there’s a killer on the cover of Q. Not an actual killer, but Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers.

2013 will see the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, a year which will see new music and a documentary, this getting a single page feature from Q.

Charlotte Church gets a two page interview, where she reveals pensioners still turn up at her concerts thinking she will perform her opera hits.

The band Keane get a five page profile as Q goes on tour with them in Japan, and are having a more successful time that Roy Keane did in Japan ten years previously.

Also featured is someone else looking to have success in a foreign country, asking why Breaking Bad isn’t available in the UK.

Q features the recent trend of musicians becoming DJs, with a profile of Radio 6 Music stars Cerys Matthews, Jarvis Cocker, Guy Garvey and Huey Morgan.

Cover star Brandon Flowers is interviewed as part of an eight page feature on The Killers, revealing that he believes he will one day overtake The Osmonds as the world’s most famous Mormon.

In live reviews, Q goes to see George Michael in London, back on the concert trail after a near fatal bout of pneumonia.

The magazine ends with a Q and A with Florence Welch, who reveals she has no plans to follow David Cameron on Twitter.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – APRIL 2013

David Bowie is the cover star of Q, having just released his first album in a decade. There isn’t a recent photo of him for the cover, it’s his iconic Aladdin Sane photo. He had been a bit of a recluse and living in semi-retirement at this point.

Q goes to lunch with Suggs, who is about to bring his life story on tour. They were “Totally hammered”.

Ke$ha is interviewed, where she talks about breaking and entering when younger, including breaking into Prince’s house with a Demo CD.

Mark E Smith is the subject of Cash For Questions, where he reveals his backstage demands are booze and fags.

Suede get a five page feature after bringing out a new album following a live comeback in 2010.

Cover star David Bowie gets a whopping 33 pages looking at his career from the 1970s to the present day, all aspects of his life and career, as well as a look at an exhibition dedicated to him at V and A.

And then after that, there is a two page review of his new album.

The magazine ends with a Q and A with Dido, who reveals that her special skill is being able to write with her left hand, despite being right handed.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – OCTOBER 2012

It’s October 2012 and Muse, with a space background are the cover stars of Q.

Blur get a two page photo special as they reunited to play Hyde Park, but do a couple of low key gigs first.

That concert was part of the Olympic celebrations, with a two page feature on the musical highlights of that sporting event.

Q goes for lunch with Daryl Hall, who talks about doing ads for Google with bad puns.

Also meeting Q is Bloc Party, who are back together three years after splitting up.

Tulisa gets a three page profile, as she is described as Britain’s Most Ambitious Pop Star, leading into a nine page profile of Muse.

The magazine ends with a Q and A with Professor Green, who reveals that he was once arrested when he was in hospital awaiting surgery.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – FEBRUARY 1993

A shirtless Brett Anderson is the cover star of Q in early 1993, accompanied by the headline “The band of 1993”

Oliver Reed feels the wrath of Q’s “Who The Hell Does …..” column a few pages in.

In news, Later With Jools Holland has got a new series and an earlier timeslot, now going out at 10pm on a Friday. Nicky Wire got into trouble after yelling “I hope Michael Stipe goes the same way as Freddie Mercury” at a gig, prompting some fans to give him a mouthful after the gig.

Meanwhile, The Edge’s dog ran away from home.

In other news, the tree that Marc Bolan hit when he died has shown signs of decay and might have to be chopped down. Factory records has collapsed under £2m of debt

The Levellers, having had a successful year, are the subject of a three page feature.

1992 gets a 12 page review, looking back at the events of the year, a year when U2 and Nirvana went big in different ways.

Shane MacGowan gets a five page interview, which stereotypically takes place in a wine bar.

In adverts, British Waterways are advertising Countryside Holidays, promoting the value of water based activities.

Bryan Ferry is on the comeback trail and doing his first interview in five years, and doesn’t react well to jibes about him being a country gent, saying “I lived in the country for a bit but I was never a fully paid-up Land Rover driver, though I have Wellington boots, both green and black”

Q gives four pages to cover stars Suede, stating that they are doing for Haywards Heath what Paul Weller has done for Woking, describing Suede as “Britain’s sexiest band, bringing back glamour not seen since Roxy Music”, nicely linking in with Bryan Ferry’s interview a few pages earlier.

There is then a double page feature on how the music scene in 1993 resembles the scene in 1973, while jokingly pointing out that some of 1973’s biggest stars are still going strong in terms of album sales in 1993.

In reviews, Ian McShane has brought out an album. Yes, that Ian McShane, Lovejoy. Or Deadwood, if you prefer. Q only gave him one star.

Riding high in the album charts this month were Cher, Erasure, Michael Bolton, Gloria Estefan, Genesis and Simple Minds.

After Neil Young went on the warpath against digital music the previous month, John Bauldie meets musicians who still record using analogue.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – FEBRUARY 1992

It’s early 1992, and Q has two big interviews as their cover stars – George Michael and Lou Reed.

As you open the magazine, Tony Wilson (Or, as Q addressed him, Anthony H Wilson) felt Q’s wrath, being the subject of their “Who the hell does …….” column.

In news, Kurt Cobain introduced himself on stage in Newcastle as “I am a homosexual. I am a drug taker, and I fuck pot-bellied pigs” while relations between George Harrison and Eric Clapton were said to be strained, as they toured Japan together.

Recent research has show that the average Radio 1 listener is 29, while the average Radio 2 listener is 61.

Freddie Mercuty of Queen had recently died, and Q does a double page picture of him on stage at Wembley, with accompanying text.

Tori Amos gets a double page spread, before you turn over the page to see a three page spread on the recently reformed Procal Harum

Also getting a three page spread is Marc Cohn, on the back of his success with Walking In Memphis.

Q does a chart of celebs who have treaded the boards in Panto over Christmas/New Year including Rod Hull in Crawley, David Essex in Bradford and Lionel Blair in Stockport.

Cover star George Michael gets featured, as Q joins him in New York, where he is about to perform two concerts at Madison Square Gardens.

Talking of concerts, Q follows up their feature on George Michael with a five page spread on ticket touting.

Lou Reed gets six pages as he prepares to bring out his 25th album, this one focusing on death.

With 1991 having just ended, Q looks back at the year, genre by genre, in a twelve page series, and then follows it with a two page look at the tours and albums coming in 1992.

In gigs, Q reviews Ned’s Atomic Dustbin at McGonagles in Dublin.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – MARCH 2011

Liam Gallagher is the cover star of Q as he prepares to launch the debut album of Beady Eye, a band comprising of the non Noel Gallagher members of Oasis.

If you look closely, in Liam’s shades, you can see the other members of Beady Eye in his reflection.

In “Q Mail”, Simon Hunt e-mails to respond to previous correspondence complaining about Take That appearing in Q, while cheekily asking when Justin Bieber will be appearing on Cash For Questions.

Jonathan Paul from Leicester contacts Q to complain about their ignoring of Ian Matthews and Chris Edwards in Kasabian articles, in comparison to Serge Pizzorno and Tom Meighan.

Q50 is a feature of the 50 songs you should download this month. Top of the pile was The Beat Goes On by cover stars Beady Eye.

Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol gets a guest submission, choosing Coal by The Mariner’s Children.

In news, Alex Turner records solo songs for a movie soundtrack, Green Day release a live album, The Kills are reforming and Beth Ditto is going on a solo career.

Featuring forthcoming albums, Glasvegas get a double page spread for their as yet titled new album.

Also working hard in the studio were Hard-Fi, with a propsed release date given as “Summer 2011”

Q dedicates a full page to a phone interview with Plan B, where he reveals that Forrest Gump is the one movie that makes him cry.

Tipped for greatness this month are The Joy Formidable, Miles Kane and MNDR.

Shaun Ryder is the subject of this month’s Cash For Questions, answering questions about Tony Wilson, UFOs and Reality TV.

In ads, Paul McCartney stars in an advert for PETA.

There are nine pages dedicated to cover stars Beady Eye, with Liam Gallagher claiming that “People will be calling their kids Beady Eye by the end of the year”

It’s not all about Liam, as Gem, Andy and Chris get profiled, looking at their musical CVs pre Oasis.

Junior Gallagher had gotten the first blow in to release post Oasis music, but Senior Gallagher (Noel) was at work on his debut solo album, with 17 tracks believed to have been recorded, one of which has Miles Kane on guitar, and was set for release in late summer.

Noel’s (using the name of Noel Galagher’s High Flying Birds) self titled debut album was eventually released in October 2011.

KT Tunstall gets a full page interview, where she denounces her stepdad, who was a BNP candidate.

Riding high on the success of Rolling In The Deep, Adele gets a four page profile.

Cee Lo Green is gets interviewed by Q, where he discusses his favourite albums.

Another band riding high in the charts, were Noah and the Whale, who got a three page feature.

2011 was the year that saw the 20th anniversary of the death of Freddie Mercury, and Q interviews Roger Taylor and Brian May, ahead of a feature about unseen Queen photographs being made public for the first time.

In reviews, Beady Eye’s debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding gets four stars.

Also getting four stars was Clare Maguire’s debut album Light After Dark and Hotel Shampoo by Gruff Rhys.

If Bruce Springsteen is your thing, Q has a handy guide for those wishing to explore his vast discography.

Concert Reviews sees Paul McCartney get a five star review for a concert at 100 Club in London just before Cristmas 2010.

Also getting five stars were The View for their pre Christmas gigs in Sheffield and Stoke.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – MARCH 1991

Queen, having just released their latest album Innuendo, are the cover stars of Q, in the early months of a year that would see the death of their lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Tom Jones feels the wrath of Q in their monthly “Who the hell does …….” column.

In news, Stone Roses are in Wales, working on an album they hoped to release that Autumn. It was slightly delayed …….. until December 1994.

Q does a four page feature on the work of Showbiz journalists at The Sun, Daily Mirror and Daily Star. You may recognise The Sun’s man, a young Piers Morgan, who boasts that he earns as much money as the Prime Minister.

Queen get a five page feature, mainly an interview with Brian May, covering the furore over their appearance at Sun City, with May defending the band’s appearance “The audience was mixed, as was our hotel. We were able to speak against Apartheid in interviews and play with black musicians in Soweto”

May also spoke about their post Live Aid revival, their decline in America, and Ice Ice Baby, which featured a sample of Under Pressure, which May thought wouldn’t sell as he thought it was crap.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – FEBRUARY 1989

Lou Reed and Simply Red, are the co-cover stars, as Q looks ahead to the final year of the 1980s.

But first, who feels Q’s wrath this month? Sunday Sport, since you ask, the subject of their “What the hell does ……..” column.

Q does a three page feature on Viz, an unlikely success in recent years, as well as an emerging talent in the world of Blues, Jeff Healey.

There is a full page tribute to Roy Orbison, who died in December 1988.

In news, Billy Idol appeared at a charity gig, doing an acoustic set, while Simple Minds announced the release of a new single called “Belfast Children”

Not sure if it was an error by Q, or a late change, but it was eventually released as “Belfast Child”, and became Simple Minds only UK Number 1.

Mark Knopfler got 5,900 spoilt vites in the recent US Presidential Election.

In letters, Q got correspondence asking what both The Buzzcocks and Cat Stevens were up to these days.

Lou Reed gets five pages, giving a rare interview, where he defends himself for doing an advert for American Express.

Mick Hucknall is interviewed, laughing at a Daily Mirror story claiming he was to become a hermit, living in Milan with a 500 sq ft kitchen.

Between recording in Spain and living in Italy, Hucknall hasn’t seen much of his home city of Manchester lately, defending it’s reputation, saying “I never get hassled in Manchester. Northerners aren’t like that”

One thing that Manchester has over Milan is Indian restaurants, “There isn’t an Indian restaurant in Milan, which I find incredible”, moans Hucknall.

Q does a feature on “Songwriters For Hire” and what they do, focusing on the main hitmakers (still working to this day) such as Albert Hammond (Dad of Albert Hammond Jr from The Strokes) and Diane Warren.

Q makes their predictions for who’ll be big in 1989, predicting big things for Guns n Roses and Londonbeat.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – OCTOBER 1987

Mick Jagger, having just brought out a solo album, is the cover star, as Q celebrates it’s 1st birthday.

It “celebrates” by unleashing it’s wrath on Clive James, making him the subject of their “Who the hell does …….” column.

Taylor Hackford, currently working on a biopic of Ritchie Valens, gets interviewed about the project, about how he tracked down Valens mother and tried to gain her trust and support of the project. The movie featured a cameo appearance by the band Los Lobos, who had a massive hit that year covering La Bamba.

ABC, making a comeback get a feature, with Martin Fry asking Q to pass on a message to his fans …. “Just tell the motherfuckers we are back”

Q does a feature on the current trend of album launch parties, complete of a picture of Sigue Sigue Sputnik partying with Leo Sayer, breaking down the guestlist rankings that PR companies use.

A-Listers include David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Roger Moore and Freddie Mercury.

B-Listers include Ringo Starr, George Michael, Samantha Fox and Anita Dobson.

Dropping down to C-List, it includes Bananarama, Bruno Brookes, Gary Glitter and Andrew Ridgeley.

If you can only attract D-Listers, you could be partying with Sinitta or Kim Wilde.

Chrissie Hynde gets interview about her concert memories, that Rolling Stones were the first band she say play live, and she drive 100 miles to see The Kinks when she was 18.

With Mick Jagger and Keith Richards bringing out solo albums, Mick describes it as a “Trial Separation”, amid rumours of a Rolling Stones split.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : Q – SEPTEMBER 1992

Morrissey, without a shirt, with the headline “Talking up Your Arsenal”, is the cover star of Q, as he prepares to release his latest solo album, Your Arsenal.

Garry Bushell feels Q’s wrath, as the subject of their “Who the hell does ……” column.

In news, Axl Rose surrendered himself to police on charges of provoking a riot, a full year after a concert in St Louis ended in a riot.

Kylie Minogue stated she was only friends with Prince.

Pat Roberts, new singer of The Stranglers, interviews celebrity Stranglers fan Stuart Pearce for their fan club magazine.

Pearce complained that a local radio show he was asked to guest DJ on had censored some of his picks, such as The Clash, The Damned and The Vibrators.

Pearce also said that his music videos “get howled off” in favour of dance and soft rock by his team-mates.

Not sure if the interview did Pearce any good, as Nottingham Forest got relegated that season.

Meanwhile, Sinead O’Connor has recorded some backing vocals for Peter Gabriel’s new album.

The BBC were forced to issue a denial that they were on the verge of cancelling Top Of The Pops.

Sophie B Hawkins, having had a Transatlantic hit with Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover, gets a double page feature.

Another female getting the double page treatment is Betty Boo, determined not to be seen as a flash in the pan, declaring “I don’t see myself rapping in 10 years time. I do eventually want to sing. I’m capable of writing songs”

The subject of “Where Are They Now?” was Adam and the Ants, it was revealed that Adam was working on a rockier solo album with Bernard Edwards from Chic, and Larry Blackmon from Cameo.

Reading Festival gets a four page feature as it celebrates it’s 20th anniversary.

Michael Jackson’s new tour gets a feature, looking at the excessive record company promotion of Jackson.

Q’s big Morrissey interview sees him issue his wrath on Johnny Rogan, the author of a biography of him and Johnny Marr, which he had refused to co-operate on, stating, “It was billed as the definitive story of The Smiths. The only definitive story of The Smiths is my story, if I ever tell it”

When questioned on a song that seems to sympathise with football hooligans, he simply replies “Well, they have such great taste in footwear”, before ending “As long as people don’t die, I am amused”

On Politics, he adds “I don’t want to be European, I want England to remain an island”

To accompany the article, Q gets musicians such as David Bowie, Justin Currie, Siobhan Fahey, Carl Smyth and Brett Anderson to list their favourite Morrissey song.