My First... Duranzine - Finding Cherry Lipstick
Way back in 1996 it was a lonely time for me as a Duranie. There was just nowhere for me to find out any news or info about the band. Unlike now, there was no Google and I didn't know anyone who had access to the Internet. I'm not sure if I'd even heard of it or did it even exist then?
So I was listening to Radio 1 one evening and the DJ read out a letter from a Duranie wanting to know what the band were upto. Apparently they were due to release a new single 'some time next year '. I was so excited about this news but even more excited to know that I wasn't there only fan! The DJ then read out an address for fans to write to for more info. I wasn't quick enough to write it down but was pretty sure I'd seen it on the back of the White Lines cd single. The following evening I dug out the CD and there was the address, yay! I wrote a brief letter and enclosed an SAE. Letter posted.
This moment was eventually forgotten about as I received no reply. Fast forward some 12 or so months I receive a letter. The handwriting on the envelope looks like mine. What could this be?! I had no idea. Inside a letter "Thank you for your recent (??!! what?? recent??!!) interest in Duran Duran. Though they no longer have a fan club here's a list of fan run fanzines." It was a big list, mostly with weird foreign addresses. I had to choose one. So I opted for a British one (less hassle with postage!) I then looked at the names and spotted one called Cherry Lipstick. Good name and sounds very 'duranie'. I wrote a brief note and posted it off.
Well, less than a week later I received a friendly reply. Wayyyy quicker than I'd expected. History has taught me that nothing Duran-related happens quickly! I got my very first copy of Cherry Lipstick fanzine. Read it from cover to cover and loved it. Subscribed for more issues.
It was so comforting to know there was still interest in the band. We didn't all like everything they released *coughs Yo Bad Azizi * and I had a place where I could communicate with other fans.
The Cherry Lipstick years were great fun. We met up in London and took over various pubs for the day. We went to concerts together, chatted on the phone, I also recall a bidding war for signed DD merchandise that Mandy Jones had got hold of. These were great times. I made a friend in Adam and we still exchange Xmas cards. Cherry Lipstick eventually - after many wonderful years - was no more....... Until Now! I am so thrilled to have it back in my life and I hope the next few months bring it more interest and friends. If I'd opted for one of the other fanzines, I don't think things would have been the same x
And here are some of the ones that Fliss didn't pick... as advertised in the Dutch Go Duran February 1999.
How many did you read?
