image of person or book cover 6121338800942741459.jpg
y separately published work icon Roadrunner periodical  
Issue Details: First known date: 1978... 1978 Roadrunner
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Roadrunner was a rock magazine published in Adelaide between 1978-83. Its founding editors were Stuart Coupe and Donald Robertson, who worked together on the single-issue Punk zine Street Fever in December 1977. Though primarily focused on Australian and overseas rock music, it also covered areas of the burgeoning counterculture and issues such as punk. The final edition of December 1982 / January 1983 was published in Sydney.

Source: University of Wollongong Australia Archives 

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

y separately published work icon The History of Roadrunner (1978-83) Donald Robertson , 2017 25669206 2008 single work criticism

This is the story of how an Adelaide punk fanzine blossomed into a well-loved national music magazine that chronicled the glory days of Australian post-punk and 'pub rock' music in the period 1978-83. The do-it-yourself ethos espoused by the UK punk movement in the mid-1970s was strongly felt in Australia and inspired bands to form, play live and record and release their own records. The concurrent expansion of live music venues across the country (mainly pubs) meant more bands could live, work and play. Roadrunner was also very much a product of this do-it-yourself ethos. From the bunch of evangelical music fans and writers who initially came together, some left and others joined and as those involved became more technically proficient the magazine developed and grew. With no financial backing (until the final despairing issue), Roadrunner survived for five years due to the combination of a posse of enthusiastic (and usually unpaid) contributors, a creative and understanding production crew, a sympathetic printer, the support of key music industry personalities and— perhaps most important of all—a small but dedicated readership. In 2017, the University of Wollongong in New South Wales made all 48 issues of Roadrunner available in a digital archive (at http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner/).

y separately published work icon The History of Roadrunner (1978-83) Donald Robertson , 2017 25669206 2008 single work criticism

This is the story of how an Adelaide punk fanzine blossomed into a well-loved national music magazine that chronicled the glory days of Australian post-punk and 'pub rock' music in the period 1978-83. The do-it-yourself ethos espoused by the UK punk movement in the mid-1970s was strongly felt in Australia and inspired bands to form, play live and record and release their own records. The concurrent expansion of live music venues across the country (mainly pubs) meant more bands could live, work and play. Roadrunner was also very much a product of this do-it-yourself ethos. From the bunch of evangelical music fans and writers who initially came together, some left and others joined and as those involved became more technically proficient the magazine developed and grew. With no financial backing (until the final despairing issue), Roadrunner survived for five years due to the combination of a posse of enthusiastic (and usually unpaid) contributors, a creative and understanding production crew, a sympathetic printer, the support of key music industry personalities and— perhaps most important of all—a small but dedicated readership. In 2017, the University of Wollongong in New South Wales made all 48 issues of Roadrunner available in a digital archive (at http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner/).

Last amended 17 Jan 2023 14:31:51
Subjects:
  • Adelaide, South Australia,
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