Hot Press sucks blue chunks

john_henry

hot press is the worlds most pretentious, obnoxious, magazine of all time. Discuss.

garthv

Wow....your first post and you're slagging a major irish music magazine...way to troll!

starn

Hot Press sold it's soul to Dermot Desmond years ago.

Mina Loy

starn wrote:

Hot Press sold it's soul to Dermot Desmond years ago.

I agree. it's gone to ****.

Spicy Lauren

Snot Press wha?

Dick Darlington

Yea !!! Good call.

I worked for them as one of those Student Reps and we were treated like crap.

It was the time that Iggy Pop and Morrissey played for Heineken Green Energy Festival. They got us to haul these 2 page pullouts all over the city for the Festival with the deal that we could have tickets to any gig in the festival, except Morrissey because he was sold out.

Two days in blazing heat all over the south side, north side and inner city dropping them into pubs , cafes and anywhere else that would take them.

Then suprise suprise,a week later we get a call, they could only offer tickets to some crap band in Whelans.

eskimo

Look here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=280198&highlight=hotpress

I'm still doing that student rep thingy. I say "doing"..... I should probably say "not doing".

The magazine has no personality and that's it's problem. It doesn't know who it is or what it wants to be. So they just throw in a bit of everything. It doesn't work at all, IMO.

Jimi-Spandex

That mag is a real piece of ****e. It's not so much that it's pretentious, it's just that it's not very good at being pretentious at all.

I used to like that red meat cartoon though.

john_henry

reasons why hot press sucks blue chunks
1) Pro-irish music propaganda (if all these bands are so amazing then how
come none of them ever get picked up on outside of dublin, has an
irish band ever gotten less than 7/10 review in HP)
2) Ridiculous student politics. (see rory hearnes zapatista style pose on his
column, funniest thing ever)
3) Articles split over the whole magazine (im reading away, getting angrier by
the second and get to the bottom of the page. article continues on pg.
87)
4) ****e reviews (are they listening to the same stuff im downloading?)
5) Niall Stokes is a cock chuggler (he comes into the shop i work in every
saturday and rearranges the single facing of HP mags into bout 5 and
covers up all the rest of the mags)

P.S. my boss told me to bar him from the shop the next time i catch him doing it

Karl Hungus

john_henry wrote:

hot press is the worlds most pretentious, obnoxious, magazine of all time. Discuss.

Pretentious? What exactly is it pretaining to?

TheDoc

read it once, gave some irish band i heard a 8/10, i heard them, saw a gig, and they were booed of stage, they sucked "chunks"

SprostonGreen

They had Westlife on their cover. I thought it was meant to be rock orientated.

HarryHoudini

john_henry wrote:

reasons why hot press sucks blue chunks
1) Pro-irish music propaganda (if all these bands are so amazing then how
come none of them ever get picked up on outside of dublin, has an
irish band ever gotten less than 7/10 review in HP)
2) Ridiculous student politics. (see rory hearnes zapatista style pose on his
column, funniest thing ever)
3) Articles split over the whole magazine (im reading away, getting angrier by
the second and get to the bottom of the page. article continues on pg.
87)
4) ****e reviews (are they listening to the same stuff im downloading?)
5) Niall Stokes is a cock chuggler (he comes into the shop i work in every
saturday and rearranges the single facing of HP mags into bout 5 and
covers up all the rest of the mags)

P.S. my boss told me to bar him from the shop the next time i catch him doing it

I subscribed last april and I'm at the stage now where the mag comes through the letter box and it just get left sitting there in the plastic until in a forthnights time the new one comes through and the old is chucked out, still in the plastic having never been opened.

It is shocking low low it has sunk and I agree with all the above points especially No. 1. Its just downright embarassing.

The biggest thing of all that bugs me though is how feckin UGLY yer wan Anne Sexton is, there is no way she's getting any action with a face like that, how on earth they chose her to be a sex expert I'll never know.

legologic

God I hate hot piss... I hate the way they tell you whats good without any room for debate, what they say is right. Its the articles titled "100 CD's you must own", "50 bands you must see" that really agrivate me... according to who? and how do they know who I like anyway?

The worst thing is that in those lists, they feature what would be considdered classics of music standards but then, they lump in whatever's cool at the moment and is more than likely gona be a yearlong fad and be as memorable as ... well... Hearsay!

So many music magazines have gone this route of preaching the music bible according to themselves. I stopped buying Q as well because every week it had one of those lists of things I must see or hear or own! Alternative music journalism is so s**t at the moment.

Bring back Leagues! (and yes I know about Foggy Notions)

Amazotheamazing

Have to agree, I don't actually know anyone who reads it. I wonder who's buying it? There's hardly that many people in the Frames is there?

kittex

Anyone who has worked as a music journo or gets music company press releases, can tell you, more than half of the stuff they 'write' is merely a copy and paste job direct from bands PR.

And when left to do it themselves...well, the factual inaccuracies in some of their reviews are unreal.

It's a shame that Hot Press has gone down in quality so much, it was once not too shabby.
It's also sad that with such a history of good Irish journalists/writers and so many young talented people out there, they choose not to foster or use it.

Why should Irish music fans have to buy UK or European music mags to get decent quality music news and articles?

nlgbbbblth

GaRtH_V wrote:

Wow....your first post and you're slagging a major irish music magazine...way to troll!

Calling someone a 'troll' just because they post something supposedly controversial is so clíched.

Anyway the c*nts deserve it.

I went for an interview there around 12 years ago and they never got back to me. Niall Stokes and some smug lady. For that alone they should be glassed.

John

kittex wrote:

Anyone who has worked as a music journo or gets music company press releases, can tell you, more than half of the stuff they 'write' is merely a copy and paste job direct from bands PR.

And when left to do it themselves...well, the factual inaccuracies in some of their reviews are unreal.

That's very true. I've had hate mail from people because I didn't stick to their bull**** from the press release. I don't have too many factual innaccuracies because what most reviewers fail to realise is it's the record that's playing that's important. As for those top 50 lists of the greatest Irish albums since last week, that's nothing but lazy journalism. I remember when most magazines only did stuff like that for the Christmas issue (as who could be bothered working around then?) or for special anniversary issues. Now every issue there's a definitive list of stuff I'll never listen to no matter how many lists they appear in.

It's also sad that with such a history of good Irish journalists/writers and so many young talented people out there, they choose not to foster or use it.

It's sad but **** it, if they offered me a job there I'd say no. I'd rather not get paid and write the reviews I want rather than get paid by them and only being able to cover safe artists (whoever NME have pre-approved or those who were born in Ireland/have relatives here/once saw Ireland on a map). I say all the talented young turks start a new magazine. Although in fairness to it, Foggy Notions isn't selling to well despite being about a million times better than Hot Press.

starn

No time for Hot Press or Q whatso ever. I'am quite partial to uncut though

nlgbbbblth

Hot Press is an appalling read. It was tolerable in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

I read the NME for 17 years finally giving it up in 2000.

At the moment I read
Mojo
Uncut
Record Collector
The Wire
Word

John

I'm a Wire man and an occassional Terrorizer reader.

kittex

John2 wrote:

That's very true. I've had hate mail from people because I didn't stick to their bull**** from the press release. I don't have too many factual innaccuracies because what most reviewers fail to realise is it's the record that's playing that's important. As for those top 50 lists of the greatest Irish albums since last week, that's nothing but lazy journalism. I remember when most magazines only did stuff like that for the Christmas issue (as who could be bothered working around then?) or for special anniversary issues. Now every issue there's a definitive list of stuff I'll never listen to no matter how many lists they appear in.

Good on you! The PR is a sales pitch and not a short cut for getting a mag out quicker. Although it's all about pleasing advertisers with some bigger mags isn't it?

deedee lepoopoo

starn wrote:

No time for Hot Press or Q whatso ever. I'am quite partial to uncut though

Uncut is a good magazine. Plenty of reading in it and good broad range of reviews. Hot Press and Q have gone to the dogs a long time now.

Q was once a good magazine but the straw that broke the camels back for me was when they put Brittany Spears on the cover.

I think there is a niche for a good quality music magazine though.

dead air

Hotpress is a business and in order to sell as many units as possible, every now and again it must write about the westlifes and madonnas of the music world or put some shiny new band of the moment on the front cover. And therein lies its problem, this attititude of "sell, sell, sell" compromises any integrity it once had. But this is the world we live in, the age of mass media catering for a mass audience. The coverage of niche music scenes (i.e. your favourite bands) get sidelined somewhat.

I buy hotpress maybe once or twice a year (if there was a review that I really wanted to read and keep or if its reporting on some gig or festival that I was at). And in all fairness, sometimes the writing in Hotpress isn't half bad. The odd time, you can find very interesting articles.

Beastieboy

I've only read hotpress a few times but i never found it to be much good

john_henry

just another few things to get off my chest about HP. has anyone else noticed that if HP ever manage to get a non-irish act to agree to do an interview/cover they will always get a 9/10 review in that issue. case in point, arctic monkeys are on the cover this week and are the main interview. HP therefore gives them 9/10. i mean its an alright album but its nothing spectacular and definitely not worth 9/10, does this fall under the definition of payola? its sure as hell not honest reviewing anyway. also note 50 cents the massacre getting 9/10. this was the moment i truly gave up all hope.#

my final point is there obligatory social diary. stop trying to tell me these people are beautiful and talented and interesting and that their life is one bit better or more important than mine. the most obscene thing i ever read in HP was a congratulatory message to some advertising company for winning the lever bros contract (Ooohh!!) what time of magazine is this? has it no morals? as bill hicks once said, if you work in marketing or advertising, Kill Yourself.

Whiskeyjack

john_henry wrote:

hot press is the worlds most pretentious, obnoxious, magazine of all time. Discuss.

I think you might be thinking of the NME?I haven't read hot press in a while so I wouldn't know whether it's as bad or not.

tbh

I used to buy it a few years ago, but I got so sick of being told what to think that I gave up.

Smurfpiss

Niall stokes is an evil evil man and he molests unicorns.
Its true!!

nlgbbbblth

Smurfpiss wrote:

Niall stokes is an evil evil man and he molests unicorns.
Its true!!

Niall Stokes is a f*cking c*nt.

dearheart

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Niall Stokes is a f*cking c*nt.

To his credit, his editorials are dedicated over & over to the issue of homelessness.

Apart from that, I understand that Hotpress is pretty dogmatic in its ways. But wasn't that sex column [Ann Sexton] a first for Ireland? She's a crap writer, but at least it's being written if nothing else.

cheap sheep

when they did the 'top 100 irish albums of all time' they put 'o' by damo rice in the 2nd or 3rd place! it had only been out 2 ****ing years and all of a sudden its better than my bloody valentine, van morrison, the frames etc.

they haven't a ****ing clue!

John

cheap sheep wrote:

my bloody valentine, van morrison, the frames etc.

I'd agree with the first two but listening to roadworks is better than listening to the Frames.

starn

On a happier note. I had my photo taken for the next issues social section. I'am pictured holding the Ryder Cup

magpie

Hot Press:

1) Had Oasis on the cover with "the best Irish band since the Smiths"
2) Thinks NI should be annexed by the Republic
3) Thinks people who read music magazines want Gay/Lesbian news
4) Is run by middle aged men in leather trousers
5) Is generally symptomatic, therefore, of everything bad about the Irish music "scene".

Burn it. Burn Stokes. Burn MCD. BURN BURN BURN!

This post has been brought to you by the year 1977 and the Bromley Contingent. Thank You.

Robbo

I believe MCD yanked most, if not all, of their advertising in Hot Press because of Stokes launching another court challenge to the decision to give a license to Phantom FM instead of his crowd (Zed). Pretty ill advised when you're so dependent on advertising...

john_henry

i for one hope that they dont grant a license for an indie/rock station, because it will invariably be saturated with advertisements for greasy car dealers, shanty town housing estates and ****ing furniture/tile warehouses etc. nevermind the fact that theres gotta be at least one wacky dj on the station. its the law.

the real ramon

There's hardly anything HP I ever read, there's so little about music, it's all leftie trolling (I"m a leftie somewhat and a bit Right-wing when it comes to drugs, but I hate all the angry righteousness of the left- it's so counter-productive).

The cartoon of a priest w***ing was a cheap shot, there's plenty of good priests.

Mojo is the Biz.

Q and NME are **** aswell, how many best 100 polls do Q have to run (in a special collectors edition- ooooh).

I'm intrigued by Foggy Notions, where can I pick up a copy?

honru

It's a shame there's hardly a good music magazine/paper out there, only decent one seems to be Filter.

Hot Press is particularly boring to read.

John

the real ramon wrote:

I'm intrigued by Foggy Notions, where can I pick up a copy?

Tower Records and Road Records both stock it.

the real ramon

John2 wrote:

Tower Records and Road Records both stock it.

Thanks mate

odhran

I can't remember the last time that I came across such a diatribe! IMO, it's a sad fact that good writing and music magazines don't go hand-in-hand. Maybe I should give Foggy Notions a shot...

DotOrg

if/when phantom fm get going later this year, there are plans for a phantom based music magazine

Smurfpiss

DotOrg wrote:

if/when phantom fm get going later this year, there are plans for a phantom based music magazine

Where did you here that?
As much as I love phantom I'm not sure if that would work....still i'd give it a shot!

DotOrg

from people who know these kind of things. everythings on hold obvioulsy at the moment anyway. but if they have MCD behind them, they'll get much better access to bands than hotpress i reckon

John

Yes but with MCD behind them it's likely that the magazine will just be a publicity rag for MCD.

magpie

Yes but with MCD behind them it's likely that the magazine will just be a publicity rag for MCD.

As presumably will the radio station in general.

"Now here's the Sports News in association with Ipod, Champion Sports and MCD - Look out for the Phantom Minis who could be visiting your office and making your day with a Nestlé hamper and McNalley's on the Green voucher. Oh and maybe some music later..."

As far as Irish radio is concerned legit=sh1t

indiewindy

Loving reading all these posts laying into hotpress, its shockingly bad, though the current crop of music mags isnt the best, with uncut having good articles but then throwing round 5 star reviews like confetti its a bit silly. Vox is sadly missed it was really goo. Now I just get magnet magazine and sometimes mojo.

Steve_o

Hot Press is a rag nothing more!!!!

Pet

Dear god. You'd think I would have learned the first time I bought it, but no. I bought Hotpress twice in 2005 and I regretted it each time. What a load of ****e.

BrianD

magpie wrote:

As presumably will the radio station in general.

"Now here's the Sports News in association with Ipod, Champion Sports and MCD - Look out for the Phantom Minis who could be visiting your office and making your day with a Nestlé hamper and McNalley's on the Green voucher. Oh and maybe some music later..."

As far as Irish radio is concerned legit=sh1t

Jeez, mahpie you really never give up with this diatribe do you? Ever think of leaving the western consumerist society that you live in?