(c’79-80) Guildford-based post-punk fanzine Barbed Wire was a feature for two years and ran for 6 issues, from early 1979 to mid 1980.

Purchased from Bonaparte Records, Guildford these Barbed Wire fanzines form quite a collection. Source: Nick Hider

Gus Garside came up with the name and all the covers and layouts and most photos were by Fred Pipes. As fanzine go it was often criticized for being too professional! Barbed Wire No. 0, January 1979 was printed by Guildford Print Centre; the rest were printed after hours at a local architects. The copy was typed by Sara Green or Christine Royal and pasted up. Film was made and the halftones stripped in with sellotape, they were then printed offset and folded and assembled by hand (using the back of a spoon). They were then sold in local record shops.

Bruce Foxton reading a copy of Barbed Wire, backstage at Portsmouth Guildhall on 24th May 1979. Photo by Paul Spaughton and posted here courtesy of Fred Pipes

Advertising paid for most of the costs, and Rough Trade bought 50 of each issue, but it inevitably lost money and the only perks were free review records and guest list appearances for bands. Take a look at Fred Pipes fantastic archive to see full issues:

Barbed Wire No. 0, January 1979: Crisis, Jackie Lynton’s Band, Volunteers, The Piranhas…

Barbed Wire, issue 0

Barbed Wire Vol2 No1, Feb/March 1979: Vapors, Andy Latimer, Golden Age of Metro

Front Cover


– Barbed Wire Vol2 No2, May 1979: Squire, House, The Jam, Volunteers…

Front cover

Barbed Wire Vol2 No3, Late Summer Special September 1979: Jimmy Pursey, After the Fire, Ray Dorset, The UBz, Receiver, Volunteers, Undertones, The Jam, The Vapors, Squire…

Late Summer Special cover (September 1979)

Barbed Wire Vol3 No1, Jan/Feb 1980: The Vapors, Sid Vicious, Paul Weller, Jags, Mick Bryant, Peter Shelley, The Who…

Barbed Wire Jan/Feb 1980 Vol 3 No 1 (issue 5)

Barbed Wire Vol3 No2, May/June 1980: The Vapors, Crisis, Richard Ashworth…

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