CITY FUN Vol. 2 No. 16

Salford: City Fun Publications, 1981. First edition. Very good plus.. Early issue (May 15, 1981) of this hugely influential Manchester-centric post-punk zine, under the editorial tenure of Carroll and Naylor. John Peel called CITY FUN the most important zine of the period. It is an indispensable reference for the Manchester scene and the bands and labels that grew around it: Joy Division and New Order, The Smiths and The Fall, Factory Records and the Hacienda nightclub, etc. Founded by Andy Zero and Martin X in 1978, CITY FUN increasingly expanded its reach beyond the local music scene alone after its takeover by "classic feminist children of punk" (Fletcher) Naylor and Carroll, covering film, politics, feminism, and "covering Manchester's gay scene long before it featured in the mainstream media" (Anderton). This issue's highlight is a tirade against A Certain Ratio, a "soulless, humourless, shallow elitist bunch of tortured poseurs." Contributors include Brian Mills, Bob Dickinson, Catherine S. Miles, Elizabeth Intolerable, Andy Zero, Bob Braham, Ian Todd, Ray Lowry, Mike Harrison, and others. 12'' x 8.5''. Original pictorial self-wrappers. Offset in black-and-white throughout. [16] pages. Moderate edgewear and creasing, slight edge toning.