| Alternative Ulster | |
|---|---|
| Editor | Jonny Tiernan |
| Categories | Music, Culture, Arts |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| First issue | 2003 |
| Country |  Northern Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Website | www.myspace.com/altulster |
| ISSN | 1740-7311 |
AU or Alternative Ulster is a magazine, written, designed and published in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Although centred on the music world, AU delves into other topics, such as culture and lifestyle.
Contents |
History
Alternative Ulster was first used as the name of fanzine published in Bangor in 1977 which has no relation to the Belfast-based music magazine, created in 2003.[1] The Ulster punk band Stiff Little Fingers had a 1978 hit called "Alternative Ulster".[2] The new magazine, recently re-branded as AU in 2006 has been steadily progressing and is famed for featuring local bands alongside international names, like Bright Eyes, CSS, Bloc Party and Muse among others. Countless local bands' EPs are reviewed by the same writers that review International Albums. To date, there have been thirty-seven official editions of the magazine. In 2004, the magazine won Magazine of the Year.[3]
Magazine
Although the magazine is predominantly music based, it also deals with other topics, regarding lifestyle for example. Each month there is a comprehensive Gig Guide that covers events across the whole of Ireland, as well as a Club Guide and Arts Guide. The AU editorial team also have a habit of showing up at gigs with various photographers, taking photographs of the crowd and artists alike for a page of photos in each issue. The Magazine is out monthly and can be bought at various outlets, notably Eason. It is supported by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. As well as being a music resource, other regular features include:
- Flashback
Flashback includes selected interesting facts from that month, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years ago. It helps the reader gain an understanding of how the music world has developed over the years.
- A to Z
This section gives the reader an in depth analysis of various important topics including, Video Games, Movies, The Rules Of Rock even Morrissey.
- Weird Wide Web
The 'Weird Wide Web' focuses on the Top 3 bands and videos from Websites, YouTube and MySpace.
AU Army
The AU Army is the dedicated street team for AU Magazine. It was created in January 2007 and is largely made up of students who did work experience in the AU offices. Its members can be found distributing stickers and back issues into waiting rooms and running stalls at gigs in selected cities around Northern Ireland. Aspiring AU Army members must first go through an initiation ceremony in order to become an official member. The ceremony involves either contacting the head offices in Belfast or adding the official Myspace as a friend and sending in a photo of a sticker placement, which is 6 foot above the ground.
Logo
The initial AU Logo featured the full words of Alternative Ulster and the word Alternative dominated the front page. In May 2006 Alternative Ulster re-branded as simply AU and the logo featured was simply AU in white writing enclosed in a red circle along with a white border around the red circle. Initially the words Alternative Ulster appeared under the circle, but this was later removed and the circle remained. Instead of dominating the cover, the logo was moved to the top left and the featured artists became the focal point of the issue cover page. The magazine also launched a sticker campaign, where their street team, the AU Army travelled around the country, branding all types of items with the AU logo.
Reader profile
Readers of AU come from a range of different backgrounds and musical tastes, but many are fans of Alternative Music who are primarily from Ulster or Northern Ireland, as the title Alternative Ulster would suggest.[4] The magazine is only in circulation in Ireland, therefore, the reader profile is somewhat restricted. The bands and artists featured in the magazine are usually from this genre and the magazine also gives a lot of attention to local bands and artists in an attempt to help them gain more media exposure. The magazine deals with, not only musical matters, but it also includes cultural and lifestyle sections, with recommended plays, hairstyles and fashion advice for example.
Staff
The magazine often employs artists from bands to write a column or even just an article thus bringing them closer to their fans.One such example is Andrew Griswold, from the notorious rock band, The Dangerfields, who wrote a column for the magazine from 2003 to 2006. The magazine is well known for its generous payments to contributors.
- (as of January 2007, Issue 32)
- Publisher & Editor in Chief - Jonny Tiernan
- Editor - David McLauglin
- Design & Illustration - Luke Carson, Tim Farrell, Stuart Bell, Elissa Parente
- Photography - Mark Leetch, Gavin Millar, Graham Smith [1], Phil O'Kane, Keith Wilson, Dean Chalkely
- Advertising Manager - Joanne Tiernan
- Marketing & Promotion - Stu Gowdy
References
- ^ Punk Fanzines retrieved 19 June 2007
- ^ Stiff Little Fingers site
- ^ "MAG-NIFICENT" retrieved 19 June 2007
- ^ Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission retrieved 19 June 2007
