The gridlock of critique has rendered media a belligerent battlefield. Irritation bleeds and as anger clambers one slither of perceived editorial inaccuracy, the arsonist has already gone to work – suddenly, a newspaper’s sport section is coloured with algae while the precision of political discernment is always the first to be abhorred.
So when Beat Magazine was born in 1986, lying within a music media landscape populated by the likes of Juke, RAM and Rolling Stone, the ground rules were set. In order to fashion a reputation, you would need to be fast, accurate, to the point and most importantly, be able to roll with the punches – repute is not easily maintained.
When Rob Furst, former member of late-‘70s punk band La Femme, started the motor it was a rebellious mentality that drove the bus. “I wanted to be the James Bond of rock publishing,” Furst told former Beat contributor Patrick Emery in 2015. “But instead I’ve just gone slowly insane.”
For Furst, it’s been a long journey that’s given rise to three extrinsic publications, Mixdown, Fashion Journal and Forte – all of which have endured their own odysseys and their own battles.
Mixdown has become Australia’s most respected magnifying glass into the realm of music equipment, running the narrowest eye over the sort; bringing musicians and audiophiles face-to-face with the best gear and the fastest shortcuts to obtain it.
Fashion Journal, instituted by Linda Curtis under the Furst Media umbrella in 1991, has solidified a reputation as one of Australia’s leading fashion and lifestyle titles and stands as more than a publication, instead a community for lovers of style, music, travel and beauty.
Then there’s Forte, regional Victoria’s premier music and entertainment magazine giving a voice to the widest expanses of the state. This fortnightly title bridges locations as far as Warrnambool, Bendigo and Castlemaine whilst also draping the nearer cultural hotspots of Geelong, Ballarat and much of the Surf Coast.
Across 33 years, Furst Media has witnessed a proliferation of creativity across its four publications, empowering visionaries from all walks of life. Now it enters its
latest chapter.
Through 1672 issues, Beat Magazine has told the Melbourne story week by week, gig by gig, beer by beer. It has accommodated the likes of Patti Smith, Daft Punk, Pearl Jam and Crowded House on its cover, the latter coincidentally fronting both the first and 50th editions of the publication.
Once the last remaining weekly music and arts street press in Australia, for its 1673rd edition, Beat Magazine turns to a fortnightly cycle with renewed optimism. Reputations will continue to be fostered, stories will continue to be told and the smallest crevices of Melbourne’s cultural being will continue to be excavated.
Yet the Beat Magazine you have come to know and love will be covering such ingenuity on a larger, grander scale. Changing the frequency will allow more time for interviews, features and other native editorial to reside and prosper. Voices will reach further and for longer and content will jump higher.
Our gig guide has doubled so, planning your evening forays has never been easier, while the magazine’s thicker paper stock and altered design has catered for a more contemporary identity. Never stress readers, Beat Magazine will continue to live by the rock’n’roll aesthetic that makes it unique, however it will continue to do it within a new mansion.
Coinciding with the magazine’s new design and frequency, beat.com.au is also set to see an alteration and become more functional than ever. Such a revamp will roll out across the next few weeks.
So there you have it – a window into the legacy of Beat Magazine and how such a storied chronicle fashions the publication’s next steps. As Furst said in 2015, “We are not in the serious business … we’re in the fun business. What people want and the industry promotes, we reflect.”
Furst Media Managing Director, Patrick Carr, adds in 2019, “The best thing about Beat Magazine, for me, is working with kindred spirits towards a common goal of promoting music, arts and culture in our beautiful city of Melbourne.”
While former Beat Digital Editor and social media guru, James Di Fabrizio, gave his two cents in saying, “So here’s to the future, Beat. Stay curious, trust your judgement, embrace all the things you are.”
Seems like a fitting way to end. What a journey it’s been and what a journey we have before us. I hope you’re ready readers.
