Magazine (band)

Magazine
Magazine performing at the Hop Farm Festival, 2011.
Background information
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	Post-punk new wave
Years active	1977–1981, 2009–2011
Labels	EMI Virgin IRS
Associated acts	Buzzcocks The Freshies St. Louis Union The Speedometors Visage Siouxsie and the Banshees Ultravox Neo John Foxx Amazorblades Pete Shelley The Birthday Party Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds The Chameleons Swing Out Sister The Durutti Column Ludus The Mekons The Armoury Show Public Image Ltd Luxuria The Cure Apollo 440
Past members	Howard Devoto John McGeoch Barry Adamson Martin Jackson Bob Dickinson Dave Formula Paul Spencer John Doyle Robin Simon Ben Mandelson Noko Jon "Stan" White

Magazine were an English post-punk band active from 1977 to 1981, then again from 2009 to 2011. The band was formed by Howard Devoto after leaving punk band Buzzcocks in early 1977. Devoto had decided to create a more progressive and less "traditional" rock band.

Magazine reunited in 2009 for a UK tour, with almost all the remaining members of the "classic" lineup, with the exception of guitarist John McGeoch, who died in 2004. He was replaced by Noko, who had played with Devoto in Luxuria. Magazine released an album of new material, No Thyself, in October 2011, followed by a short UK tour.

Devoto formed Magazine in Manchester, shortly after he left Buzzcocks in early 1977. In April 1977, he met guitarist McGeoch, then an art student, and they began writing songs, some of which would appear on the first Magazine album. They then recruited Barry Adamson on bass, Bob Dickinson on keyboards and Martin Jackson (previously of The Freshies) on drums, forming the first lineup of the band. After signing to Virgin Records, Magazine played their debut live gig at the Rafters in Manchester on 28 October 1977.

"Motorcade" co-writer Dickinson, whose background was in classical and avant-garde music, left shortly after several gigs in late 1977. In early 1978, the band released their first single, "Shot by Both Sides", a song Magazine recorded as a quartet. It featured a guitar-bass-drums sound similar to punk rock. Shortly after the single's release, Dave Formula, who had played with a briefly successful 1960s rock band from Manchester called St. Louis Union, joined as keyboardist. "Shot by Both Sides" used a chord progression suggested by Pete Shelley, which was also used in the Buzzcocks track "Lipstick". The Magazine single just missed the UK Top 40. The band, with Formula on keyboards, made its first major TV appearance on Top of the Pops in February 1978, performing the single.