Full Coverage
A History of the Australian Rock Press
The first full-length history of rock journalism in Australia
For over fifty years, Australia has maintained its own rock press — a vibrant, passionate, sometimes volatile industry of dozens of papers and magazines committed to the coverage of the country’s robust music scene.
From the glossy and glamorous to the punk and pernicious, these publications were the medium that brought Australian music culture to international attention and launched the careers of countless musicians, as well as writers, editors and photographers. Go-Set started it all; Rolling Stone Australia, RAM and Juke defined their eras; music newspapers like Beat and Inpress brought indie music to the streets; and sites like Mess+Noise, Tone Deaf and Junkee harnessed the digital age.
Drawing on comprehensive research and dozens of interviews with key figures such as Molly Meldrum, Phillip Frazer and Lily Brett, journalist Samuel Fell captures the vibrancy of music journalism in Australia with colourful anecdotes and surprising stories. Full Coverage is the tale of how the Australian rock press was born, grew and evolved to become an integral part of Australian culture.
‘A sensational history not only of music journalism but also of the cultural times … There are heroic, foolhardy, cruel and noble stories here.’ – Tim Rogers
‘A must-read for anyone interested in a nuts-and-bolts history of the Australian music scene’ – Anthony Morris, Books+Publishing
Samuel J. Fell is an Australian journalist and critic. He is a senior contributor to roots music bible Rhythms and a critic for The Sydney Morning Herald. His work appears widely, including in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Australian Financial Review, VICE and Crikey. His previous book is Stars & Hype: First-Time Notes on the American Deep South (2016).
