A couple of weeks ago, Daniel @Distant Echo told us about an interesting new project involving a traditional style fanzine called Northern Aficionado..
As many of you guys out there know, fanzines were a classic feature at gigs during the 80's and 90's. Personally I've always loved the physical feeling coming from a fanzine so I was immediately attracted by Northern Aficionado. I'm sure not only those in their 30's (or 40's..?) will share my same sensation of curiosity.. The younger lads will enjoy the opportunity to discover something that was a cult for many of their older brothers..
"We are two Northern lads with an interest in clothes, music and football"... They say...
Let's have a quick chat with them....
Hello guys. Firstly, why a traditional printed fanzine in the era of Internet?
I think people still like the concept of a fanzine. It's something you have to wait for in the post, it's not just instantly on a screen in front of you. You can pick it up and read it whenever, you can show your mates it, take it with you to the pub, the match, on the train, anywhere. This was one of the main factors behind a fanzine. We still have a presence online through our blog (www.northern-aficionado.blogspot.co.uk) and also our facebook page but the the whole project is based upon the actual print copy of our fanzine.
Tell us a bit more about your project...
Well as I've just mentioned it's all based upon a traditional fanzine. We wanted to get interviews, write reviews, have exclusive articles and features on our favourite things. We feel we've achieved this so far and are confident that with time the project will keep on growing, hopefully through other ventures as well as our print edition.
As with issue one we've got a number of great interviews lined up. In issue one we had interviews with 80s Casuals, Peaceful Hooligan, A Guy Called Minty and part one of our chat with Casual Connoisseur. In issue two we've got interviews with Distant Echo, TRiCKETT, Terrace Production and part two of our Casual Connoisseur chat. There's much more in both issues but you'll have to purchase them to find that out!
As with issue one we've got a number of great interviews lined up. In issue one we had interviews with 80s Casuals, Peaceful Hooligan, A Guy Called Minty and part one of our chat with Casual Connoisseur. In issue two we've got interviews with Distant Echo, TRiCKETT, Terrace Production and part two of our Casual Connoisseur chat. There's much more in both issues but you'll have to purchase them to find that out!
What kind of feedback did you get from your first issue?
It was very positive, people were emailing us and saying nice things about the fanzine which makes it all worthwhile. We never thought that we would have sold all our copies of issue one or would have been sending them out across the globe, even as far as Osaka, Japan. Hopefully we will continue to grow and this can only be achieved by more people knowing about us. The best way to do this is through the internet, so although we aren't dependent on it for our finished product, it actually plays a big role in people learning about us.
Your facebook profile says that your Interests are: Clothes, Music, Football....Would you like to tell us about some of your personal tastes in music?
We're into everything really. Personally, I really like all the 'Madchester' scene, so the likes of The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans are up there with my favourites. There are loads of bands that I'm really into though like Joy Division, The Smiths and Pulp. But also fairly new stuff, like The Enemy and of course The Arctic Monkeys. Far too many other musicians and bands to name really, so that just gives you a general idea.
What are your favourite clothing brands (old and new)?
Similar to my music taste really, quite diverse. Obviously the likes of Stone Island and CP Company are inspirational brands that just produce quality piece after quality piece. I also really like Fjallraven, The Greenland in my opinion is one of the best jackets ever made, and also Penfield who have produced some really nice pieces recently. 6876 are another brand which keep producing fantastic high quality clothing. The Norse Projects Elka is another brilliant jacket which we love. Then there's the likes of 80s Casuals and Casual Connoisseur, who are also producing some excellent items, some of the Casualco items have even gained iconic status really, the likes of The Weir Hat and The Beat a Storm cagoule are classic pieces. Peaceful Hooligan have also impressed me lately, their new collection has been amazing and obviously, you guys (Three Stroke Productions) . The quality of your shirts and workmanship behind them is mind boggling, but not only that the design is also outstanding.
In terms of footwear, it's no secret that we're into Clarks Originals. Items such as the Wallabees and Clarks Aschott are brilliant pieces which are so versatile. In terms of trainers, then we love Adidas Originals and New Balance. The City series from adidas is a personal favourite, some of the designs in that range are quite simply brilliant. But, New Balance keep producing nice trainers and recent releases have been really impressive. The fact that they are still making trainers in their British base is highly impressive.
What football teams do you follow?
I follow the mighty Huddersfield Town. At the time of writing this, we're almost into the League One Play-off final for a second season running so hopefully this can be the year we get into the Championship. We've got a great set of supporters and hopefully, if we get to Wembley we can cheer the lads on to promotion.
Where can we find your fanzine?
The two stockists we have are Distant Echo and TRiCKETT, so you can purchase from either of those websites. Distant Echo, which you guys will know a bit about, stock some excellent brands and the design of the website is great. TRiCKETT is also a great website and online shop, which sells a great mix of different products sourced from the UK and America.
for info northern-aficionado.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/NorthernAficionado
The two stockists we have are Distant Echo and TRiCKETT, so you can purchase from either of those websites. Distant Echo, which you guys will know a bit about, stock some excellent brands and the design of the website is great. TRiCKETT is also a great website and online shop, which sells a great mix of different products sourced from the UK and America.
for info northern-aficionado.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/NorthernAficionado
