ZAP Issue No. 2 n.N. (after modern times), or Issue No. 156 viewed over the last 10,000 years. Back when I was young, ZAP with its political – slightly sexist – anarchistic – hardcore punk – literary style was one of my TOP 3 favorite fanzines. Now in modern times, unfortunately not so much, because what made ZAP back then, the abundance of known and unknown hardcore and punk bands with interviews and concert reports, as well as the presentation of (concert) venues and really strange people, but also political statements and not to forget this slight naughty sexy sharp – aftertaste, is all just barely present. Unfortunately..... (or fortunately ???)
In the 2-page report by Diana Ringelsiep and Linus Volkmann “Old White Punkers,” ZAP for the first time really sheds light on the sexism problem. The “gropers” in the mosh pit and false claims on the internet to expose women are crap, should actually be self-evident. A female quota on festival stages is nonsense. The root needs to be addressed and not just when the tree is in full bloom. So more music education in schools, starting from elementary school.... And further support for girls (and boys!) in music schools.
This also fits with the double-sided interview with Nancy Barile mainly about women in the punk and hardcore scenes in Philadelphia and Boston, from the late 70s to the mid-90s and the six-page interview with Lou Nesbit (a porn actress like Sibel Kekilli, Gina Wild, Sibylle Rauch, and Teresa Orlowski, whom we “old ones” still remember, only Lou is much more submissive/masochistic) that allows a glimpse behind the scenes of the porn industry in Germany. The former interview with Nancy is extremely worth reading, while the latter with Lou actually just confirms the general speculations about how things go in the porn industry!
The 3-page report on the storming of the U.S. Parliament (Anarchy in the U.S.A.) is surprisingly well done.
The 1½ pages of “Grandmas Against the Right” are also nice.
Extremely extensive and research-intensive is the 4-page special on BLIXA BARGELD and his EINSTÜRZENDEN NEUBAUTEN, who should actually be celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. That BLIXA BARGELD must be quite crazy has been known to me for 30 years, but that makes him interesting. And the EINSTÜRZENDEN NEUBAUTEN don’t make industrial noise, as stated in this special, but “New No New Age Advanced Ambient Motor Music Machine.” So described BLIXA in 2018 to the “Weser Kurier,” and that is just one of the 44 sources cited in this special. Even though I am pleased with the report, the EINSTÜRZENDEN NEUBAUTEN are not so ZAP-like, why two LIMAHL photos are included in the special remains a peculiar mystery. Conclusion of the 4 very enlightening pages (at least for me), as BLIXA already says in the report, “....other people are rich – I am legendary.”
In addition to BLIXA, there is also something to report from a second band, the VIAGRA BOYS, who were actually asked 6 questions and answered them with about 100 words. Very sparse.
And all good things come in threes, with LOLL from the old, past GROWING MOVEMENT also being discussed over 2 ZAP pages.
But there are at least 4 review pages of tapes, vinyl, CDs, streams, and fanzines and books about punk music, hardcore, Oi, concert photos, and football, just like in the past.... Speaking of the past.... This is complemented by the 3 pages about anecdotes from the past, how one can tell what - where - why or what should definitely be kept silent (and now together: “what a great time we had”). I am actually looking forward to the second part of the geriatrics (geriatric medicine) trilogy.
On the other hand, there are extremely boring and uninteresting reports, e.g., about Thai boxing (a Thai boxer reports), the Berlin Strippers Collective (is there now a female quota in ZAP? Such things are more suitable for the Coupé or “Tracks” on Arte.). Or tote bags vs. WG stories, a few lines about Romania (yawn) and musical outpourings in the home office (I’m about to fall asleep).
Two English-language pages about horror porn, but instead of the ZAP layout designer/responsible person translating this Word document into German once, the 3000 ZAP subscribers are now supposed to take on the task of translating. No thanks.
I also left the “gardener” report aside.
The first 1½ pages of the serialized novel “Dr. Frederik Berndt – the doctor whom the Asis trust” were also not a highlight, just like the Larry Flynt epilogue.
All in all, the new ZAP is partially successful, yet it does not reach the quality of the past decades, unfortunately.
