The late 1970s: a seismic shift in the musical landscape. Punk rock had detonated, and in its reverberations, a new sound was taking shape – something adjacent, yet distinct. This was the era of new Wave Rock, a genre as debated and dissected then as it is fondly remembered now. Publications like the now-iconic magazine, New Wave Rock #3, which hit stands in February 1979, perfectly encapsulate this moment of musical evolution and identity formation. The burning question echoing through the music press and amongst fans alike was, “Is it punk, or is it new wave?” – a testament to the vibrant, often confusing, but always exhilarating musical territory being charted. Record labels and mainstream journalists, often playing catch-up, attempted to brand anything remotely “modern” as part of this “new wave” phenomenon. Miss the wave, and you risked being left behind in the musical dust.
New Wave Rock Magazine Cover from 1979
Even within the pages of New Wave Rock #3, this very question of genre definition takes center stage. As Michael P. Liben, in his interview piece with Tom Petty, candidly admits: “When I was asked to interview Tom Petty, I had one nagging thought: Is he new wave? Granted, the press has labeled him new wave (spelled p-u-n-k), but superficially I had my doubts.” This internal debate wasn’t unique to this magazine; it was a widespread preoccupation. The very essence of “new wave” was being hammered out in real-time, piece by piece, in interviews, reviews, and scene reports. Every article, from Mink DeVille features to Howie Klein’s San Francisco scene dispatches, seemed to grapple with the ever-present dichotomy of punk versus new wave, or perhaps something else entirely.
This identity crisis, if it can be called that, was a defining characteristic of the late 70s music scene. Whizbang Productions, the publishers of New Wave Rock, seemed acutely aware of this cultural moment. Alongside New Wave Rock, they also produced titles like King Elvis and KISS Meets The Phantom: Superscoops From The 1st KISS Movie!, showcasing a diverse portfolio reflecting the broad spectrum of popular music at the time, all vying for attention in a rapidly changing market. While only three issues of New Wave Rock were ever released – Issue #1 featuring Kiss, and #2 with Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith – Issue #3 stands out as a fascinating time capsule. It’s an artifact that resonates even with hardcore punk enthusiasts who were deeply entrenched in the grittier pages of fanzines like Slash and Damage.
Beyond the genre debates, New Wave Rock #3 offered genuine insight into the burgeoning music scenes across the US and the UK. Leaving aside a somewhat incongruous “Richard Meltzer’s poetry” spread, the magazine delivered a compelling piece by the legendary Lester Bangs. Bangs, reflecting on his own history with proto-punk pioneers like The Stooges, Velvet Underground, and MC5, offered a seasoned perspective on this “second wave” of punk, noting a sense of déjà vu. In a particularly pointed critique, the then 29-year-old Bangs took aim at the “young” editors of Punk magazine, Legs McNeil and John Holmstrom, for their rigid, almost dogmatic, definition of punk, which Bangs felt stifled broader musical exploration. This clash of perspectives highlighted the generational and ideological tensions within the evolving punk and new wave scenes.
New Wave Rock Magazine Cover from 1979
Visually, New Wave Rock #3 was a treasure trove. It featured a collection of striking photographs, many rarely seen elsewhere, capturing the raw energy of the era. Images of Mark Perry, Peter Laughner, Only Ones, The Screamers, The Zippers, and the enigmatic NY scene figure Rusty Hamilton, alongside more raw and unflinching shots of The Dead Boys and The Runaways – including a somewhat ironic soft-focus centerfold of The Runaways just before their impending breakup – provided a vivid visual counterpoint to the written content. Four extensive scene reports – from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and London – offered geographically diverse perspectives on the movement. Paul Grant, later known for his association with the Lazy Cowgirls, penned the LA report, adding a layer of insider authenticity.
Howie Klein’s San Francisco scene report is particularly insightful, peppered with local gossip and observations. His lament about rock station KSAN’s perceived abandonment of new wave foreshadowed the station’s format shift to country music in 1980, a move that sparked outrage amongst new wave fans. Klein also recounts the almost unbelievable anecdote of Jefferson Starship’s Paul Kantner scouting Penelope Houston of The Avengers as a potential replacement for Grace Slick – a humorous, if far-fetched, example of the mainstream music industry attempting to understand, and perhaps co-opt, the new wave phenomenon. The report also touches on the “Nix on Six – Save The Homos” benefit concert at Mabuhay Gardens, attended by Harvey Milk just months before his tragic assassination, placing the burgeoning punk and new wave scene firmly within the socio-political context of the time.
New Wave Rock #3 occupies a unique space, straddling the line between corporate rock magazine gloss and the raw immediacy of a fanzine. It’s a valuable artifact for anyone seeking to understand the nuanced and often contradictory forces shaping the wave rock and new wave music landscape of the late 1970s. While the publishers, Whizbang Productions, remain somewhat enigmatic, their magazine serves as a vibrant testament to a pivotal moment in music history. It invites us to revisit and reconsider the question: what exactly was new wave, and why did it matter?
