Heart of a Punk - Soul of a Rasta

Heart of a Punk - Soul of a Rasta
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Heart of a Punk - Soul of a Rasta is a monthly English Fanzine compiled by “The Editor” and “The Bigot”. It first surfaced being sold after gigs at the Lord Raglan pub, Wolverhampton during the summer of 1977. Its early output was provincial heralding the local punk band Neon Hearts as “F***in bostin – the best punk band north of Lower Gornal”. And predicting the Wolverhampton reggae band Capital Letters would “Soon be able to play venues bigger even than Dudley JB’s.” The parochial nature of the fanzine changed after the Sex Pistols played the Club Lafayette Wolverhampton in December 1977.

The fanzine disappeared for several months resurfacing in May 1978 now being sold at Camden Market London. During its height between ’78 and ’81 Heart of a Punk – Soul of a Rasta never sold enough copies to threaten the mainstream music press but it did have a cult following. Apparently Paul Simeon bass player of the Clash has been subscribing to the Fanzine since the early Camden days in 1978, when he was asked in 2008 about early punk fanzines he said that "I’ve been a subscriber to the Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta Fanzine for f***kin years now and I’ve never received a single f***kin copy". [Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed December 2008]

The beginning of the end for Heart of a Punk – Soul of a Rasta came on 15 February 1983, whilst selling the fanzine outside the Hammersmith Odeon where The Stranglers were playing, one of its writers The Bigot was set upon by members of SIS (Stranglers Information Service) who were attempting to sell the bands own fanzine Strangled. Nobody required hospital treatment but shortly after the incident The Bigot developed the debilitating disorder Cruckshanks Malady. The condition very rare in England in the early 1980’s is akin to agoraphobia, a sufferer is able to buy tickets and attend a gig as normal, strangely he or she is able to watch the support act, but as the lights dim and the main artist or band is about to take to the stage a panic attack type state is reached and the victim is overwhelmingly compelled to immediately leave the venue. The fanzine did suffer by its input being reduced by almost 50% but still struggled on until July 1985 when it ended with a final prophetic statement from The Bigot. “Our past music has been sullied, the present is shit and I can see nothing coming to save us soon. Music in England must await its saviour, I believe a band will come out of the north maybe following on the coat tails of The Smiths, they will herald in a new age, they will be like an oasis, an oasis emerging from a seemingly endless desert! Hopefully I will live to see it. Farewell.”

After ten years absence Heart of a Punk – Soul of a Rasta returned in July 1995 and has been published monthly ever since. In October 2008 for the first time a limited run of the fanzine was made available for purchase through the Ebay online market.

When asked about the fanzine in 2006 John Lydon said “The Fanzine, Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta? Never bloody heard of it”. ". [Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed December 2008]

When asked what he thought was the main contribution the Fanzine Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta had made to the enjoyment and appreciation of music since 1977 Tony Parsons (British Journalist and author) is quoted as saying “Reading through the copy you’ve just given me I think the main achievement of the fanzine lies with the ability of the compilers to spread their infinitesimal talents so thinly for so long”. [Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed December 2008]

Finally Paul Morley (Stockport Journalist) is quoted as saying. “It is a pretty hopeless fanzine but they did get the Oasis thing right didn’t they”. [Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed December 2008]