Full Coverage

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, publishers, and photographers. Go-Set started it all; the Australian Rolling Stone, RAM, and Juke defined their eras; music newspapers such as 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 scores of interviews with key figures including Molly Meldrum, Lily Brett, and Phillip Frazer, journalist Samuel J. Fell captures the vibrancy of music journalism in Australia with colourful anecdotes and rollicking 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.