ANAYLSIS OF MUSIC MAGAZINE TWO – KERRANG!

(KERRANG! NIRVANA EDITION, OCT 2013)

Leah Watts

Front Cover

Main Image

Masthead

Main cover line

Pull Quote

Date/Barcode/Price

Header

The date/barcode/price on this magazine is at the bottom of the page up the side of the page. This information is important for the audience if they want to buy this magazine, however it is really small in the corner so you would have to look closely at the magazine to see it. This suggests that you should buy the magazine for what’s on the front and who it involves rather than the price.

The Pull quote on this front cover anchors the image as the quote has been quoted from some of Nirvana’s lyrics and hen the image is of Nirvana so it is showing them along with some of their lyrics. Also the artist in the middle of the three is wearing sunglasses which links with the lyrics ‘but I can pretend the sun is gone’ so again this anchors the image and reinforces the point.

The header on this magazine is simple but attractive to the audience. The way it says ‘Nirvana: In utero at 20’ draws the audience in as they will want to find out more and find out Nirvana became what they did. The header is right at the top of the page and this is the way the audience will read the magazine so that will be the first thing they will see. So the first thing they see will straight away draw them in and make them want to read it.

The masthead of this Kerrang magazine goes all the way across the page, so even though when its on a shelf you will not be able to see the full title of the magazine you will be able to see the first bit of it and the way it has bits cut out of the letters makes it noticeable so the audience know what magazine it is. Also the masthead is in yellow which is a bright colour which stands out from the black and white background that it has for the main image.

The main image is in black and white which suggests that the picture is an old picture from when Nirvana were around. The whole of the front cover being in black and white apart from the pull quote and the header and the masthead, makes it look like its old and from a while ago (when Nirvana was alive and performing). Nirvana are sitting in the image and they don’t have much emotion which may reflect what the lyrics say in their songs. They are all looking directly into the camera drawing you in to the magazine, but the image wasn't specifically made for the purpose of this magazine as they are not alive. However it fits well with the pull quote and makes the audience intrigued about why they are on the cover and makes them want to read it.

There is no main cover line on this magazine, saying ‘Nirvana’. This suggests that the magazine thinks the audience of this magazine will know who they are as they were so big at the time they were around, so you will not need a cover line to tell you who they are.

AudienceWho is the target audience for Kerrang?The target audience for Kerrang! music magazine is people that like rock

music as this is what genre the magazine is aimed at and what the magazine is all about.

How does Kerrang attract it’s audience?Kerrang attracts its audience by having very famous and well known rock

artists or new rock artists on the front cover. If the artists are famous and well known then people will pick up thr magazine because they will want to read about the artists that they like. If there is a new rock artist on the front cover then rock lovers will see the magazine and wonder who that person is and if they are good, so they will pick the magazine up to find out more about them so they can see if they like them or not.

Contents PageMasthead/Contents

Main Image

Copy/Editorial

Contents/Headings/Subheadings

The main image on the contents page shows current rock artists, which contrasts with Nirvana who are on the front cover of this issue of Kerrang. It shows these artists on a tour bus which shows that touring is an important part of their career so people can see and hear their music. The image has the two artists in it but also shows part of the tour bus reinforcing the point that touring is a main part of rock artists lives.

The copy/editorial is short and brief on this magazine which doesn’t talk about what’s going to be in the magazine. This suggests that after you’ve read this you wont know what’s in the magazine so you will read on to find out. The editorial in this magazine talks about what you get with the magazine which will also be attractive to the audience/reader. It is an informal part of the magazine which invites you in to read on as it is easy to read.

The contents/headings/subheadings is just plain black writing and then the numbers of the pages are in red so they stand out from the rest, so you will have to wait to get to them pages as you make your way through the magazine.

The masthead of the contents page links in with the masthead on the front cover, as the background of the masthead/ contents all little bits are cut out of it like the letters on the masthead of the front cover. It also links in with the theme/genre of the magazine, as it looks slightly scruffy which links in with rock artists.

Double Page Spread

By-line

Drop cap

Main Image (secondary image)

The by line is down the side of the article as it is not the most important part of this double page spread, however where the photos came from/who took them might be useful for some readers.

The drop cap of ‘T’ is the big letter at the start of the article which have 6 lines deep in a 4 column structure. This is a connotation that most magazines have/follow as it starts the article so the reader knows that the article starts there and will carry on.

The background of this double page spread is a yellow colour which links to something being old. This suggests that Kerrang are showing how old the band are by using backgrounds and writing that shows this. Old paper normally turns a yellow colour over time, which shows how oldness is shown on this page.

On this double page spread there are two images, one is a picture of one of Nirvana’s members with wings put on by the magazine. He is playing the guitar and singing into a microphone, this shows him at work (when he is singing and playing instruments). The second image on this double page spread is an image of all three members on Nirvana, in this image they all look happy which is contrasting with the image on the front cover, suggesting that this image was from a happier time in their life and had a different meaning as the front cover image (showing different lyrics linking to their life). The clothes that they are wearing are the type of clothes that would have been worn in the 80’s/90’s showing the era that they were most popular.

The elements that connect the 3 different parts of the magazine

• The images in the three different parts of the magazine all link together as they are all black and white showing that they are from a while back, apart from the image on the contents page which is in colour to show the contrast of the new and old artists.

• Also bold black writing is used throughout all three sections of the magazine which again links them all together as

• ‘Nirvana’ is written in the same way throughout, it is written the way Nirvana originally wrote it on their album, so this reflects them and the music they made.

Background history of Kerrang!• The editor of Kerrang! is James McMahon and the publisher

is Bauer Media Group. Kerrang! is based in London.• Kerrang! is published weekly and has a circulation of

42,077.• Alan Lewis found Kerrang! magazine, and the first issue was

published on 6th June 1981, at this point is was published as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper which was edited by Geoff Barton.

• Kerrang! is devoted to rock music, however originally it was devoted to the New Wave of British heavy metal and the rise of hard rock acts.

• In 2000 Kerrang! became the best selling music newspaper (British)