Running at the edge of their world: The Suspect Device Fanzine Story – Book Review

Forget all the books about the famous people. If you want to really understand the beating heart of DIY punk, this is the one to read says Nathan Brown of Louder Than War.

Zines were the bedrock of DIY punk before the internet. The “fan” bit fell away years ago as punk became a movement of equals rather than one of fans and stars.  While you could read about bands on bigger labels in Sounds or NME and John Peel might occasionally play a self-released single by some noisy outfit, if you wanted to find the seething underbelly you relied upon word of mouth, random purchases if you could find an independent record shop, letters from other punks or zines. Suspect Device is one of the longest-running DIY punk zines in the UK, and the editors – Tony and Gaz – are stalwarts of “the scene”. For 40 years they have been putting the printed word in the hands of punk rock punters.

This is not just a book about a punk rock fanzine and record label, it’s also about the lives of the writers, so we get some insight into what makes them tick and who they are. (Spoiler: They aren’t brothers and neither of their real surnames are Suspect).  Life moments and life movements. Getting the back story of how they got into punk at a young age – too young to participate in the first wave but enthusiastically embracing it soon after – will make for familiar reading to readers in the under-60 age bracket who were into punk as it started to slide into obscurity in the early 80s. Some incidents really struck a chord with me as I had similar experiences growing up. Reading the prelude to the zine being launched, I was transported back to a time of excitement. Discovering bands for the first time. Hovering over the “record” button on your shitty tape deck while listening to John Peel. Discovering that we really can do things ourselves and it’s not just rhetoric on a record sleeve. Not fitting in with the mainstream and finding yourself in punk rock has to be a familiar tale to many of us who stuck with it all the while.

The book title itself is adapted from a Stiff Little Fingers song with particular resonance to Tony (read the book to find out why, cheapskates). Additionally, the chapter titles are song lyrics or titles, which I absolutely love. It neatly sums up the enthusiasm this pair have for punk rock in its many forms. Rather than write a combined narrative, Tony and Gaz take turns to regale their version of events relating to a particular period of time, topic or issue of the zine. This means their characters shine through. In particular Tony wears his heart on his sleeve (or should it be page) revealing past anxieties and emotions, which is a brave move. The twin attack also gives this book authenticity, rather than being a “party line”. The fact that two people remember things slightly differently is the truth of history and witness testimony, so Tony popping up during Gaz’s section with a correction is welcome rather than an intrusion, just like a conversation in the pub with your mates. People agreeing on every detail of an event tends to only happen if they colluded back at the police station.

Once you’ve established who Tony and Gaz are and how punk happened to them, the book settles into a focus on the Suspect Device empire. Each issue of the zine gets a write-up, including the blags by which they managed to get early issues copied. Suspect Device also released tapes and eventually became a record label, so details of those releases are featured.

This includes an account of when they travelled to London to get the first SD single cut at the legendary Porky’s and then delivered the lacquers in person to Mayking to get pressed, opening the lid on a mysterious process which these days all happen by email and upload. Tony’s escapades playing in various bands also get the space they deserve. The inclusion of photos, including some very young-looking faces, adds to the sense that SD is part of a punk rock family. Hopefully SD will make many of these photos available online in larger format cos they are fascinating.

As they were active participants in the punk scene, the story is told in the context of what else was going on around Southampton and neighbouring towns and cities at the time so this book also provides some background history to DIY punk in Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. It’s not an exhaustive history as it is all about the interactions of the Suspect Device team.

However, it’s not just about Tony and Gaz. They have involved people other than themselves in the book, as they have done with the zine over the years. This ultimately makes it a better read, with new voices popping up and giving a different perspective. While there are plenty of “famous” people involved in the Suspect Device journey (including an interview with Gaz conducted by Steve Ignorant), they get no more kudos than the “unknowns” that make up the world of punk rock. Again this is refreshing. The SD lads don’t fall into the stardom trap.

For full disclosure I have to admit I provided a few pages of content myself, Gaz and Tony have been mates for over 3 decades and I play in the band Abrazos with Tony. But this shouldn’t make my view of this book any less valid. I’ve spent a fair amount of time with Tony over the last few years travelling to gigs so you’d think I’d heard it all. I still got to read plenty of new and amusing stories. I can well imagine coming back to this book again to re-read particular sections.

Overall, this book reminds me of how the long-lasting resilience of DIY punk is grounded in common values and friendship rather than transactions and profit motives. They do it ‘cos they love it. This is why it will be of interest to any punk anywhere rather than just those who read the zine or bump into the editors at gigs. As much as Tony and Gaz probably won’t concede it, they have been and continue to be an inspiration to others. If your interest in DIY punk is waning, read this book and you’ll get an injection of enthusiasm.

https://louderthanwar.com/running-at-the-edge-of-their-world-the-suspect-device-fanzine-story-book-review/

You can order or pick up a copy of ‘Running at the edge of their world: The Suspect Device Fanzine Story’ by Tony Suspect and Gaz Suspect from any good book or record store, or online, or direct from Earth Island Books.