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In the early '80s I wrote for all kinds of
pop music, teen and girls' magazines - No. 1, Etcetera, Jackie,
Patches, Blue Jeans, My Guy, Link-up, Hit Machine, Kicks -
and, the best pop magazine of the decade - Flexipop!
Flexipop! gave me full reign to do just
about any kind of interview I wanted to. Whereas a lot of the other
mags just wanted to know about a pop star's favourite breakfast
cereal, Flexipop! let me ask all kinds of daft stuff - more
often than not with some kind of sexual overtones.
Most of the photographs were taken by Neil
Matthews - who later went on to direct videos and has worked with
everyone from Paul McCartney to Placido Domingo.
The art director was Mark Manning (who later
changed his name to Zodiac Mindwarp and become something of a pop
starlet himself).
Mark and I once directed a Flexipop!
photo-story called Bad Bax 2, which starred the punk rockabilly
band, The Meteors, and featured probably the most graphic acts
of cannibalism ever shown in a teeny-pop magazine. A granny in
Brighton complained to the police and the mag was seized! It was
later banned from WH Smiths stores for three months...
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This was me back in the '80s. Note the tailored white suit, the Panama hat,
the buttonhole, the faraway, dreamy expression.
Style: Brideshead Revisited.
Fashion God: Noel Coward.
This is a more recent picture. Note the designer scruffiness, the elegantly
tailored tatty denim, the whole ensemble perfectly complemented by the piece
of grass clenched delicately between the teeth.
Style: Ground Force
Fashion God: Alan Titchmarsh
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In later years, I got out of pop journalism
(it's good fun. But not much money!) and into computer journalism.
I've written for all kinds of computer mags,
presented videos on the PC Plus cover CD and written and
presented features for BBC Choice television.
In the 90s, I got back together with ex-Flexipop!
publisher, Barry Cain, to publish an 'adult humour' magazine called 18
Rated. The cover of the first issue featured the talented backside
of Elvis Aris (the amazing bottom impersonator) doing his stunning
impression of the late and great Elvis Presley. It was immediately
banned. (History repeating itself....?)
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