I read with interest your article ‘Smells Like Zine Spirit’ by Hamish Ironside RC 540. Being the former editor of Penetration Rock Magazine which was first published in early 1974 featuring rock bands like Gong, Hawkwind, Pink Fairies etc. I also covered American punk bands from the very first issue which featured the duo Suicide.
In late 1976 whilst talking to Tony James and Billy Idol in the Electric Circus I was introduced to Mark Perry who had travelled up to Manchester with their band Chelsea. Mark told me that he used to read Penetration and that it inspired him to begin publishing his own Sniffin’ Glue fanzine.
Local Manchester punk fanzine Ghast-Up which was included in your feature directed their readers to Penetration #10 in orderto read my feature on Iggy and the Stooges for more information.
I also gave Paul Morley his writing debut in Penetration #7 after his continual persistance over several weeks which he went on to document in his book The North and Almost Everything in it.
I conducted the very first Motorhead interview at the Roundhouse one week before their debut gig at the same venue, we supported them through the hard times when they really needed it. I wrote about it extensively in my book Hitting my Head Against the Wall! Lemmy and Motorhead – The Early Years which was reviewed by Kris Needs in Record Collector Magazine.
My photographic exhibition ‘Anarchy in the Manchester Central Library – Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall 04/06/1976’ recently finished its three month run at the Central Library. The first and only time that the entire collection of photos taken on that night were seen together. There was also a number of other images taken for Penetration as well as a potted history of the magazine. The exhibition was visited by thousands of people from across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as a further 20 nationalities, it was a great success. The Exhibition Visitors’ book was packed full of messages thanking me for finally putting the images on display.
Forty nine years since the first issue Penetration Magazine is still creating interest as demonstrated by sales of my self-published Penetration Rock Magazine Compilation book featuring every issue in full. The book has accrued a number of five star reviews including one from Martin Ryan, Ghast-up’s joint editor who described it as an indespensible book.
As far as I was concerned Penetration was a rock magazine, to others it was a fanzine to Malcolm McClaren it was a little pamphlet, however, if my magazine/fanzine/pamphlet hadn’t inspired Mark Perry to start publishing Sniffin’ Glue would there have been a punk fanzine explosion?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Anybody interested in purchasing a copy of the complete collection of Penetration Rock Magazine will be able to find it on Amazon.
Paul Welsh Writer 