Where the overspills of a zine lurk...

So, I’ve heard a lot of stories about the early days of TNS, but I don’t think I’ve ever been told how and why you decided to start it. I think I’m right in saying it started out as just the zine? How did it develop from there? What made you want to branch out as much as you have over the last ten years?

Andy: It did start as a fanzine in 2003. We liked the idea of using the fanzine to tell people about underground music we liked and also using it to build interest in the gigs, in addition to just flyering. The first gig was in April 2004. When I first moved to Manchester my old band struggled to find decent, vaguely coherent gig lineups to play on, and the vast majority of promotors were asking you to sell a certain amount of tickets to get a gig, with them taking the majority of the money off you. We saw that as paying to play. As we’d put on gigs ourselves when living in the midlands, we just decided that DIY gigs were the best solution to this.

Bev: TNS branched out from there naturally. The label started to help get the great bands playing TNS gigs to be heard by more people. We wanted to support bands, that seemed to be the natural way to do it. The podcast and distro then went on to help both the label and the bands. We just keep attempting to improve what we do, any progression comes from there.

Ten years is a long time to keep doing something that isn’t even your day job. What’s made you want to keep at it for so long?

Andy: I have always said if I don’t enjoy it any more I’ll stop. But whilst it’s fun I can’t see any reason not to carry on. It was actually getting a bit overwhelming for me about 6 months ago and I was considering having a bit of a break, but then I came to my senses and just carried on. I’m glad I did that. As long as we are still excited by new music, I can’t really see any reason to stop. It would be good if I worked out a way of managing it better though, as at times it is all consuming.

Bev: Good question. I think I would be lost without TNS to be honest. It is a glorified hobby that takes up an incredible amount of our time, which can be very stressful, but when you stand back to look at some of the things we achieve it is very special. Each new achievement, or milestone, always seems to creep up and surprise us. Luckily, we always seem to have a new release or gig that keeps us excited and interested.

You must have had a lot of proud moments over the years, I know it’s a question a lot of people hate to be asked, but do you have any highlights? Anything that stands out in your memory more than most?

Andy: It’s very hard to pick highlights really as there are so many. The all-dayers are always fun. This years was just unbelievable, so I guess that would be the obvious thing to pick. The attendance, the cakes, the film they made for us and just the general atmosphere were all just mind blowing. I nearly cried when I saw that film haha.

Bev: As Andy says, it is hard to pick one highlight. The first compilation arriving has always been one of the best and the all-dayers are really rewarding. But I think the 10 year gigs must be close to the top spot now. The weekend was literally awesome. Just watching the crowd in Sound Control blew my mind. Good times.

Do you think the underground punk scene has changed much in the decade you guys have been doing this? If so, for the better or otherwise?

Andy: I think the punk scene will always change and evolve and it’s important it does so. There were places we used to play ten years ago, that had thriving scenes, that are less so now, and vice versa. In general, I think that there are a lot of people who understand how much you can do if everyone gets involved and supports the gigs and bands, and that collective attitude is making some very positive things happen.

Bev: The underground punk scene is constantly changing, but I think that makes it interesting and is needed. But at the centre of it there is a common thread with certain principles and a community. This seems to allow the scene to evolve, moving forward, but keeping the same spirit. People come and go, but the community and support remains.

You’ve created something that has resulted in a lot of amazing things for other people. You’ve helped out tons of bands, inspired fanzines, given people a million nights to remember. How does it make you feel that people tell you how influential you’ve been in this scene and to them? I know I’m one of them.

Andy: I’d be lying if I didn’t say it made me proud and I’m always very appreciative of the kind words. It really means a lot. But none of this is about individuals and we couldn’t do what we do without the help of many other people and there are lots of others all over the world doing similar things. I think the community spirit is incredible. It is amazing to know that people are excited by underground music and are being proactive, so if we’ve had some part in influencing a small part of that, then that is a good thing.

Bev: Awesome. We have been influenced and supported by so many people. If we can pass that on to others, who then inspire and influence, it is fantastic. One big beautiful chain in the underground community. Lovely stuff.

We all celebrated a decade of TNS with an absolutely amazing pair of gigs and an after party. I know you poured a lot into it and it definitely paid off. Were you surprised at how many people actually turned up for it? It must have been amazing to see the amount of people there and know they were there to celebrate something you’d achieved.

Andy: We were overwhelmed by the attendance and how amazing the atmosphere was at all the gigs. It was an incredible party and it was very nice seeing so many people having such a nice time. It was a lot of work and it couldn’t have happened without the help of lots of people. There is an extensive thanks list at www.tnsrecords.co.uk I don’t think I’ll ever forget that weekend, it was amazing.

Bev: I don't think we ever dared to dream that it would go anywhere near as well as it did. Even the day before. I forced myself to stand back and try an take it all in. It will definitely stay with me. As Andy said, the weekend was a culmination of so many peoples hard work and support. With out them TNS would be nothing. Mind. Blown.

What was different for you about the anniversary gig as opposed to a regular gig/night?

Andy: We always get more people traveling for the all-dayers, so they always tend to be our best attended. There were nearly 250 people (plus bands on top) in 2013. But with bands included, this year there were around 450 people, which is just amazing for a DIY weekend. I think a few extra people made the effort because of the 10 years and I think the line up was so strong that people didn’t want to miss out.

Bev: In a way it was a natural progression from previous all-dayers with the 10 year party being the cherry on top. That helped encourage us to try to make it extra special and also for more people to make an extra effort. To come. So many people travelled from across the country, which is very humbling. At the end of the day, everyone likes a party. Especially if you have a three tiered awesome Kim made CAKE!

I think I speak for everyone when I say we’d all love to be doing this again in another ten years. Do you want to try and reach another milestone like this? It seems like TNS still has a hell of a lot to offer.

Andy: I’m going to be 44 in ten years so not sure I’ll be pulling off that stage dive. That said, I had major surgery on my knee quite recently and that didn’t stop me, so I probably will. But yeah, like I say, as long as we are still excited by all of this, we will carry on. We have lots of good things planned.

Bev: Who knows. We will work on our awesome plans for the rest of the year then go from there. We have never really planned that far ahead, everything has developed one step at a time, which probably shows. Who knows what the future holds. We will probably keep going for as long as people support what we do.

And lastly I think I speak for myself and everyone I know when I say thank you. Thanks for giving us all this and letting us be a part of it. 

Andy: Thanks so much for all your kind words and the support you’ve given us. It’s much appreciated.

Two words: Blown Away. This new album by legends the AUTONOMADS is absolutely phenomenal. Mixing ska guitar with dub bass lines, gruff male vocals with melodic female, hints of folk melding with dub, it contrasts and flows all at once. It's an oxymoron of an album and it couldn't work more perfectly. It’s a war cry against Tory Britain, a soundtrack the majority of us have been itching for. For me to try and classify this into a specific subgenre of punk rock would be absurd – it has everything. The first track, "Conditions Of The Working Class" is not only more than a treat for the ears, but the mind too with stimulating lyrics to boot. It eases you into the album slowly and picks up speed fast, leading you in to what’s to come. And what’s to come is unrelenting. Innovating lyrics accompany music that never lets up. I could break down every song on the album and have more praise still to give. What stands out for me about this album is the power in their honesty. In this scene, everyone has something to rant about and sometimes you feel as though you’re hearing the same speech over and over again, each time losing a little bit of its power. Not here. Here the bands raw passion for their lyrics is evident in every verse, it’s a smack in the face, the very smack some of us need. It’s fresh. I think what really hooked me was the sense that they weren’t resigned to the miserable fate that is Cameron’s Britain, they are ready to fight back and they are using their means to do so.

“The (A) Word” is the shortest song on the album and probably my favourite. This is a punk anthem if ever there’s been one lately. Ska guitar gives it the speed it needs to back up its unmistakeable punk rock chorus. “Don’t brag, don’t gossip, don’t snitch, keep quiet”. It’s simple. It’s perfect.

“Dickenson Three”, “Self Help Housing” and “Gary Fisher” move on to deal with squatting and squatters rights. With the 2012 change in law that revoked section 6, I can see these tracks quickly becoming popular amongst those who still squat. It’s nice to hear a band dealing with an issue with facts to their anger. An argument with substance is the best argument and they’ve done so perfectly, not to mention accompanying rhythm that’s almost impossible to listen to whilst sitting still.

The album carries on in this fashion, dealing with a diverse range of subjects, at least one of which every member of their audience is bound to have had some experience with. It really is an album for the people and the people will not be disappointed. Any track off of this could be taken as an anthem against Tory Britain and it’s done so melodically and eloquently. It’s a nice surprise to find an album that’s both easy listening and innovating and yet if you heard these songs live a skank would be unavoidable. I don’t think it’s premature at all to rack this up as one of the best albums we’ll come across in 2014. The Autonomads have outdone themselves.

Manchester based punks Revenge of the Psychotronic Man have released their latest offering to the punk rock gods in the form of a 4 track 10 year anniversary EP. It sums up a decade of the band perfectly, at just around 8 minutes long it’s fast, heavy and everything we’ve come to expect from these boys. In the 10 years they’ve been making music I’ve gone through high school, college and qualified as a barber and yet I think that what this EP sums up the band has achieved is a hell of a lot more worthwhile.

It’s rare that a band is able to record the immense unyielding power and umpth they display live and admittedly, with Revenge being one of my favourite live bands, I honestly didn’t think they’d be able to pull it off. I’m happy to hold my hands up and say they’ve proved me wrong. This EP encompasses everything we love about them; the raw power, the unrelenting hard sounds, the speed you can’t sit still to. This is a punk album. Pure and simply. It’s the sound that comes into my head when I try and describe the music of the scene.

“Get Pissed, Talk Shit, Dance Like An Idiot” as both a slogan and track on this EP, is to me, the embodiment of ROTPM. Hard, fast, it leaves you itching to be part of a human pyramid knocking back a pint of cider. “Rita, Sue and Bob Too” has been re-recorded and somehow now sounds even better, bigger and ballsier. Switch to side B and we have some remixes of two tracks from Shattered Dreams Parkway, “Beer For Breakfast” and “Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far”, both sound absolutely mind blowing and despite my love for the originals, I can definitely get on board with these tracks. Both Tim G and C-Rave have outdone themselves, I didn’t expect it and was more than pleasantly surprised. In fact I was fucking awed.

All in all it’s a must have for any punk collection and I can only hope that in another decade they’ll be old farts still giving us such brilliant music to rave about. Go and try and wrap your heads around this: