In the late 1970's/
early 1980's, there came to be an explosion in what is now known as 'Cassette
Culture' - this was where bands and individuals could, in a pre-Internet
world, spread and distribute their music far and wide through the commonly
available C60 + C90 Cassette mediums. In many ways it was the embodiment
of the DIY ethic of punk. Often recorded on home tape recorders in bedrooms,
local rehearsal studios or gigs, then assembled in peoples bedrooms and
embellished with homemade artwork and then promoted via the network of fanzines,
flyers and letter writing activities of the day, the songs could be heard,
literally, on a global scale, with people often trading tapes everywhere
from California to Westcliff. Many Southend bands put out tapes in the period, and some labels, often associated with local 'zines, helped publicize these bands and individuals. |
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Necrology | ||||