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The Rolling Stones in the press: Keith Richards interview- “Gettin’ A Bit Intimate ‘Ere I Dunno If Zigzag Can Take All This”
Zig Zag magazine, founded in 1969 by music journalist and publisher Pete Frame, quickly became a significant part of the music scene in the UK, especially for rock fans. Originally created as a magazine to celebrate underground and experimental music, it carved out its place in history by focusing on the avant-garde and left-of-center artists who were reshaping the British music scene. The magazine was deeply connected to the progressive rock and emerging punk scenes of the ’70s and early ’80s.
The content of Zig Zag ranged from in-depth interviews with up-and-coming artists to extensive album reviews and live performance reports. Its tone was laid-back yet knowledgeable, and its contributors included key figures in the British music press, who captured the gritty and raw feel of the changing musical landscape. The magazine wasn’t afraid to embrace the unusual, the obscure, and the experimental, giving a voice to artists who didn’t always get mainstream coverage, from psychedelic rock bands to early punk icons.
What made the magazine stand out was its willingness to give the lesser-known artists a platform, with the magazine often covering bands that hadn’t yet hit the big time. This led to Zig Zag being a kind of underground bible for music enthusiasts, with readers in the know seeking out the artists the magazine spotlighted. Artists like David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd were regularly featured (or the Stones, among other articles, with this great Keith Richards interview) and the magazine’s embrace of these larger-than-life figures helped cement its reputation as a go-to publication for anyone following the changing tides of music in England.
Unfortunately, Zig Zag ceased publication in 1983, but its influence remains strong. It helped document a transformative time in British music and provided a lens through which readers could experience the cultural revolutions happening in real-time.
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