El Diablo Fanzine

VR: When did the fanzine start and how many issues have you done?
Mainy: I just started it last year. Two issues are out so far and the third is on its way.

VR: How many copies of each issue do you produce and how often do they come
out?
Mainy: The first issue had a print run of 200. I’ve since found out that this was a bit
ambitious, but they all sold out in the space of a couple of months. So I upped it to 250 for
the second one. I’ve been a bit lax in promoting that one so I’ve got about maybe sixty left.
My aim is to get some advertising when I’m more established, and as the cost of printing
gets offset I’ll keep dropping the price. Hopefully one day I can distribute it for nothing.
That’s still a long way off though.

VR: Why did you start the fanzine?
Mainy: It’s the usual frustrated artist thing. I can’t play anything, can’t sing worth a damn
and I’ve no inclination to be a roadie. So I write about it all. It all started years ago when I
wrote some reviews and things for the Runnin Feart fanzine and then did the Unnatural
Exposure punk newsletter myself for a while. I got the bug then and was doing alright with
it all. The highpoint was Maximum Rock and Roll including my mini zine as part of a scene
report on Scotland. Then unfortunately a few things all happened at once, homelessness,
no access to a computer and financial problems. So I put Unnatural Exposure on the back
burner. Then it just became part of the past. Something that I used to do.

VR: Do you do all the work on your own?
Mainy: I did for the first one, with the exception of an interview that my son did with a band
called AntiProduct. The second issue is more of an El Diablo family affair. A few mates
asked if they could contribute. So the fanzine is now mainly me, with some help from Andy
Grey, Craig White and a lovely lass called Kiki Kaos. All Scottish through and through.
We’re keeping it real north of the border.

VR: What made you start it?
Mainy: The old punk mainstay, B,O,R,E,D,O,M. I was sitting around with time on my
hands and I was tired of the usual NMEs and mainstream crap that don’t cater to the
bands I like, or even write anything that the people I know would be interested in. So I
decided to stop bitching about it and do something myself.

VR: Have you always bought fanzines, what ones were your favourites?
Mainy: I love them. There is a real sense of anarchy with them. The editorial process goes
right out of the window. They are mainly written by people that are passionate about it. So
the passion shines through. They are undiluted straight from the writers pen to the readers
head. The best ones in my opinion from over the years has been Fear and Loathing,
Suspect Device and Jelly Brain. All of them transcend what people think fanzines are all
about. Of the more recent crop Beat Motel and Bubblegum Slut stand head and shoulders
above everyone else. I should mention Scotland’s very own Anarchoi as well. It’s all slap
dash cut and paste with content all over the place, but its heart is in the right place and
it’s worth having a look at.

VR: How easy is it to get bands to meet and talk with you?
Mainy: Surprisingly it’s been no problem with the more established and successful bands.
The smaller, younger, less famous can be a pain in the arse though. They appear to rely
heavily on myspace and the internet and you end up chasing them up for answers and
such all the time. There also seems to be a difference between the US and the UK. The
US bands are rarely any hassle and are always up for it. Sadly some of the UK bands
need to get their fingers out.

VR: You interviewed one of the New York Dolls - was that your biggest success to
date?
Mainy: It was the bassist Sami Yaffa. Not an original NY Doll, but I was over the moon
as I am a huge Hanoi Rocks fan (right, who’s that sniggering at the back). He was very
gracious with his time, and in my eyes a real rock legend. We sat in a hotel bar in
Glasgow drinking all afternoon, talking about his whole career from 14 year old bassist in
Finland’s first punk band in 77 right up to joining and playing with the Dolls. I had a great
time. So if anyone thought he looked a bit rough playing that night I’ll put my hand up
and accept some of the responsibility

VR: Who were the best people to interview?
Mainy: I couldn’t single out any one person, or band. I’ve been lucky so far. Mike Davis of
the MC5 was just fantastic, Patricia Morrison, Lucinda Mellor who is the late Joe
Strummers wife was very nice, The Rezillos, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello, Thee Merry
Widows from San Francisco, The Priscillas. The list goes on and on. Oh and The
Termites from my hometown. I really have to say its been a pleasure to talk to them all.

Mainy, El Diablo Fanzine

El Diablo is a fanzine produced in Ayrshire by a guy called Mainy who is obviously
passionate about music and who knows what he's talking about. The fanzine is relatively
young but the first two issues contain articles on a wide range of topics including
interviews from both established and new bands of varying genres, gig and CD reviews, and
an enlightening article on disabled access to venues. There are still some copies of Issue
2 left (the contents are to the right) and Issue 3 will be available soon - it'll be advertised
here. Contact details to buy El Diablo are at the bottom of the page.

Mainy has taken the time to answer the following questions about El Diablo and has kindly
allowed a copy of his recent interview with Joe Callis of the Rezillos to be put on Vicious
Riff - click on the link below. It's a great read!

A number of people from the Punk77 website have read El Diablo so I've included some of
their comments from the site in white font.

'Speaking from a bands point of view, el
diablo is a great fanzine!, it really does a
great service for us lesser known bands.

Putting us along side Goldblade, Gogal
Bordello and other succesful well
established bands is something that rarely
happens in the real world, so i'd like to say
thank you so much for producing such a
great fanzine!

If other bands get half the support we
recieved from this fanzine, then the
punk/music scene will be a much better
place'!

Jimmy Hotrod