HALLOWEEN WAS VERY FUN!


I've been writing and re-writing this introduction over and over again.

It's been three months since the last issue came out. I lost my gig at [the big magazine I was working at] and spent most of my time trying to find a job (so I can support myself AND this magazine). Next week I'll be temping again at [that particular magazine I don't want to name here], so a little moola'll be coming this way. I didn't change what was intended to be the Halloween's issue's theme, but I never had an idea as to how to justify it (other than just "why not").

I think that I do have an idea that this holiday issue being not being very holiday-ish.

It's a weird time for "the scene" right now. Crappy metal bands that once ruled the "strip" are returning to that area and for some reason they're welcomed there with open arms. While cool new bands with original sounds are told that they have to pay to play (although the "strip" clubs refuse to admit that that's what they do...more on that later) and still forced to play garages and record stores (and believe me, those can be really really cool shows). Cool bands are breaking up and some of the neatest places to play are shutting down. There are less good places to play in this town than are fingers on my hand (don't worry, I still have all five). What the sunset strip clubs (IE: The Whiskey, Coconut Teaser, and The Roxy) do is give newer bands who want to play there a bunch of tickets and tell them that if they don't sell all of the tickets, they must pay a bunch of money to them. Now when I spoke to one of the promoters at The Whiskey, he defended this by saying that if a band is good enough, that they'll sell all the tickets and denied that by saying that it is "totally not pay to play."

Being in a good band doesn't mean people know who you are. I think that maybe the secret to having a good venue is to have a place that you would go to whether or not there was a show. If a club can't exist on just being a fun place to be (IE: SPACELAND & THE MARTINI LOUNGE...not to kiss butt or anything), then they should rethink how they should run their club.

OW! MY SOAPBOX BROKE!!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this issue or at least use it to wipe your behind.


- Chris Beyond,
WILL WORK FOR FOOD, PHONEBILL, ETC...
nofimag@hotmail.com


Satanic Underlings of the Unholy No-Fi:

Holly Hillier, Ernie Mejia, Jason Kamimura, Phil Aja, Mom and Pop (for having me and not sacrificing me at a pagan altar), Jeremy Rosen, No-Life Records, All the Advertisers (Buy their stuff or demons'll getcha!), The subscribers (new and old), Lisa at Something Weird, Liz at Sacred Grounds, Sally and Mitchell at Spaceland, All the bands who played the pre-halloween shows, all the people who showed up and didn't beat me with my own torn off ligaments, Ewoks (someone has to stand up for them!), Oh and the readers who pick up NO-FI and sometimes write to me and tell me that the magazine is ok, and me.