Analysis of my own music magazine.

Tatum Gascoigne

The main cover line connotes the name of the celebrity in the main image “Liam” in grey old style font and placed at the bottom left hand side of the cover. This piece of text on the cover is the only one in grey which singles out the celebrity from the rest of the magazine showing his importance and status. It also makes the target audience clear because the stereotype people use of middle paged males and rock music. People will see the main cover line quickly as it stands out and understand that the person conveyed is from a rock band, therefore attracting this type of audience too.

The barcode has a specific placing angled long ways underneath the cover lines on the right side. This is a slightly unconventional placing for a barcode on a cover.

From the cover, I can determine that the genre of this magazine represents alternative, rock and indie music, but mainly focuses on rock. I can see this because the music artists and bands mentioned on the front cover are from this genre of music. The Beatles, Kings Of Leon and Wild beasts all produce music around the genres I have mentioned. The Beatles and Kings Of Leon have massive success and are well known for this genre of music and therefore the audience can instantly see what the genre of Q magazine is. Having these successful bands advertised on the cover means fans from them will pick up the magazine and this then concludes what the audience will be too; rock enthusiasts.

This cover stereotypes the target audience of being a middle aged male. This is portrayed through the icon which perfectly matches the stereotype. He looks quite rugged and unkempt and this is a stereotype of what middle aged men look like. The genre of rock music has a stereotype of being dominated by middle class, middle aged white males and the bands advertised (The Beatles and Kings Of Leon) also fit the stereotype.

The colour scheme (red, white and black) is used for all the text and the costume of the icon in the main image. It also portrays the stereotype of target audience being middle aged males. This is because these colours are stereotyped to be male colours for years and the media have constantly used this concept of gender and colour to audience so people instantly denotes dark colours like red black and white to male audience.

The mode of address is very normal and has used everyday language-rather than very well written formal language. This stereotypes the audience of not being in very high paged jobs and not upper class and therefore represents the target audience being middle class having typical jobs.

The group, Kings Of Leon, is a very successful band. The cover line is the only red cover line in red on the cover to make the audience aware that this cover consistently represents older rock bands band and make the audience draw attention towards it. Underneath it says ‘return!’ Which will gain attention towards music lovers who have been fans of them for years and have supported them throughout their career. This means the target audience is older because the use of ‘return’ signifies that the band have been around for a long time and therefore will have older fans.

The strapline on the front cover says “The world’s greatest magazine” in black block capital letters inside the masthead which is a red background. The strapline is placed inside the masthead which doesn’t follow the convention of placing it underneath the masthead so the audience can straight away see that this magazine is the best magazine you can get. Implying this immediately to the audience entices them as it representing them as the best in world, so the audience knows they won’t be able to get anything better than Q magazine.

The masthead reads “Q” in fancy white font against a red box in the top corner in the left hand side. Q magazine consistently challenges the conventions of layout on the front cover because they can do this. Q magazines’ status and brand has a lot of importance and they have reached ultimate success, so no one above can question what they're doing. I believe this attitude of doing what they want with the cover matches the attitude of Liam Gallagher and the stereotype of rock and roll behaviour.

The main image has been set up in a studio so the background and setting is plain and dull coloured. This denotes the genre of rock because Q uses darker colours to follow the stereotype.

The main image is a medium close up so the audience can see the clothes the icon is wearing and see the colour scheme that has been used still. The combination of the masculine pose and masculine colour scheme conveys the target audience of being a male very clearly. This type of representation of Liam Gallagher will then draw in males because of how men strive to be more masculine due to the expectation and stereotype of how men have to be big and strong.

Rule of thirds on the main image means that two of the hotspots directly hits the celebrity’s eyes. The icon is therefore staring directly to the audience and looks very serious and almost sinister and this is a stereotypical masculine pose. This could also represent the genre of music being rock because its more hard-hitting and less bubbly, like rock.

A pull quote has been used for a cover line to get some inside scoop on what Liam Gallagher is like and what the article will entail. From this quote, the audience can gather that Gallagher is outspoken and knows he attracts a lot of attention. This could imply the genre of rock because rock music is known for being loud and hectic and the persona Gallagher is representing fits this stereotype of being a bit too rowdy and rebellious. This pull quote also anchorages with the main image as the quote is a rhetorical question, and the direct address of the icon implies he is asking a direct question towards the audience as the eye contact is piercing; denoting even more the stereotype of being outspoken.

On the contents page, the Q symbol remains at the top left corner but has been sized down to fit the title in and make the layout very neat and organised. The masthead is placed next to the symbol, the one column on the page takes up half of the top left side and the main image takes up a large portion of the page on the right side. The two smaller images are placed underneath the column in a scrapbook style (angled and framed) and on top is the main image. The consistent use of the symbol Q makes sure that each important page is branded and therefore implies the strapline that this contents page is the best out there to the audience. The colour scheme of masculine colours are still present to represent the target audience and darker music genre.

The main image is a long shot as it shows the women head to toe doing a pose where she is on her toes leaning against a white box using her left hand and her other had is out pointing beside her. She is dressed in a maroon coloured suit with a big black and orange strip going down the blazer and trousers. She’s wearing black trainers and her makeup and hair is very minimalistic and natural. She is looking straight at the camera which is direct address towards the audience and the setting has been set up in a studio as there is a blue background. All of this seems very abstract and unique looking, which implies the alternative genre because this music genre is different and includes many different sub genres. Bold colours are used to imply the uniqueness of the whole magazine and what it;s about. The target audience is male dominated and this even shows when representing a women in the main image because she is surrounded by strong masculine colours of blue orange and dark red and is wearing a suite and trainers which is not feminine in the slightest. Therefore this women still follows the stereotype of men.

The masthead is ‘contents’ which is placed next to the Q symbol in black lower case letters spread across the top of the contents. The month and year is put in smaller red font above the contents also to indicate the date of this issue. At the very bottom of the lower right hand corner of the contents page yet again shows the year and month of this particular issue, a red Q along side the page number. All these features are plastered on the contents page to brand them as Q magazine. follow the conventions of a magazine and Q have followed these to make the brand successful and easy for the audience.

“10 pint interview with Liam Gallegher” yields to the stereotype of the target audience being of middle class men as it’s a very stereotypical act to drinks pints and hang around in pubs. Gallagher seems to portrays these implications of being a fun person who hangs out in pubs with similar people to himself and therefore attracts this type of audience. Mentioning substances like alcohol suggests the genre of the magazine to be rock because there is a stereotype in the music industry of the typical ‘rock star’ having extreme involvement within alcohol and drugs and Liam Gallagher definitely gives off rock star vibes.

There are also two images at the bottom of the left side of the contents. This article “odd couples” shown through the column listing the pages and the image on the right (which is a medium close up portrait shot) I think portrays the kind of unpredictable vibe Q represents as a rock magazine and adds to the rock stereotype of being outrageous. In the image is a white and black homosexual couple. This shows Q magazine represents all types of middle aged men whether that be sexuality or race.

The right image shows Liam Gallagher on the sofa with a dog with leather round its neck looking directly at the camera. The dog looks very serious and angry due to the leather collars and gives a ‘rock and roll’ vibe which portrays the genre of the magazine. Older people tend to own more dangerous looking dogs to protect themselves and look more intimidating which Q magazine has done to make Liam Gallagher look very masculine and therefore appeal to a male audience. The saying and stereotype that a dog is a mans best friend is used here to grab an audience of middle aged rock and roll males.

There are six subheadings; “Liam Gallagher”, “Christine and the queens”, “Jagwar ma”, “Banks and steelz”, “Black Francis” and “Grime special”. All these subheadings mention music artists that fall under the alternative genre of music that was represented on the front cover too and therefore categorises the magazines genre as alternative too. The contents has further shown the genre of alternative by including hybrid genres of alternative like electronic and grime.

From the contents it heavy implies the target audience to be British and mentions stereotypical British things. Below the subheading of Liam Gallagher it mentions the Butchers. The butchers is a very middle class place to go to and sharing how Gallagher gets “pissed-up in the Butchers” denotes the target audience being of the same nature as the celebrity. In the grime special section it reads ‘UK’s fastest-growing musical movement’ when describing grime music as another indication that the magazine is dominated by everything British, therefore drawing in a patriotic stereotypical white male.

There is a border around this image which makes the image look like a framed photo, a polaroid picture or a postcard image. Either way it makes it look much more authentic and vintage and makes the image look older as in this day and age, everything is digital and you rarely see a framed photo. This is the type of style you would see when the target audience (middle aged) would have seen when they were growing up and so Q is purposely trying to appeal to an older generation by using techniques to give them a sense of nostalgia.

This heading reads ‘features’ in red capital letters which tells the reader what other issues will be covered in the magazine and separates the small details below the contents to the actual column of information placed on the left side of the page. This makes the layout of the contents very clear and thought out.

There are page numbers beside the subheadings for the different topics in the magazine so the audience can easily flick to the right page they are looking for. Q follows the convention of using page numbers because it makes it easier for the audience and additionally makes the contents more successful and useful.

The photos are referred to by the headings that goes over all the images in a black box with white writing with page numbers. This gives an indication for the audience of where to find the articles relating to the image. All three images have the people that are talked about in the article in them so the audience knows what they look like and who they are. This can determine whether someone will read a certain article due to stereotypes of what a person looks like. For example, the picture of Heloise Letissier shows she is a women in a band which is a subversion of the stereotype and will ultimately dictate whether someone will read the article about her because women have been and still are supressed and seen as a minority but the dominating males that are heavily advertised in this magazine.

The mode of address Q magazine has chosen to use is extremely informal and relaxed and I believe this is one of the main contributing factors for determining the music genre and target audience. Rock music can sometimes be heavily explicit and definitely has a stereotype of bad language in their music. Additionally, Q has intentionally done the same to try and perceive the same stereotype because it’s a rock magazine. The target audience of a middle aged male also has the stereotype of a bad mouth and using swear words as everyday sayings too.

The pull quote represents Liam Gallagher as a very normal person leading a normal life; “I’m part of the community. Got my lactose-free milk, get pissed in the butchers, talking about the price of grapes.” All these traits are stereotypes of a middle class male who provides for their family, likes to drink beer and likes being in a tight knit community where everyone knows each other. The target audience is very clearly represented in a puff on the double page spread to very clearly state what kind of people Q wants to read the magazine and who Liam Gallagher is to emphasise who he targets. The butchers is a very male dominated job and is stereotyped as a very masculine place which sets the target audience to be men.

This image shows Liam Gallagher on stage from his time in Oasis (where his fame is from) in Kings Cross 1994. Q magazine has used an old image of him to represent the genre of rock. The aesthetic of this image connotes the genre of rock because it uses a black and white filter and looks darker and these colours are stereotypically used for rock music because this genre is darker too. Using the black and white filter also connotes the target audience as it looks aged and rustic which older audience can relate to.

The colours fit the colour scheme of red black and white used consistently throughout the magazine so far because it brands the pages as part of Q magazine. The colour scheme keeps the male dominated audience because these are stereotypically masculine colours and therefore will attract men. These colours are dark which refers to the genre of the music of rock which is a darker genre compared to pop music which magazines use bright colours like pink.

The page numbers are placed at the bottom of the page and follows the convention of every other magazine also.

The layout of the double page spread is quite unique especially the left page because the puff with the pull quote in which is an opening speech mark, separates the texts into two columns. This makes the double page spread more appealing and interesting for the audience. Its an unconventional way of placement because Q is so successful that they can mix things up and play around with the layout. The right side is more conventional with two columns however, There is a massive ‘U’ and is in bold and a different font to make it clear that the subject has changed and to section the next part of writing away from the rest. The word is ‘unlike’ which amplifies the reason behind sectioning this bit of the column off as it goes onto a different point. This makes the layout structured into different ideas and topics within the page.

The main image connotes Liam Gallagher in worn clothes casually relaxing against a worn sofa. The image covers half of the left page and gives off a very calm and cool atmosphere as he is wearing worn down materials for his clothes and pointing his hand. His relaxed position denotes the rebellious ‘does what he wants’ attitude that’s displayed throughout the magazine to emphasises the ‘bad boy’ image that stereotypically goes along with rock music.

The image of him performing with Oasis integrates with the text well as him and the interviewee talks about Oasis which ended in 2009 and therefore shows the audience his past along. There is also a baby black and white photo with all of his siblings in which integrates with the text as they also talk about his past and the bond with his brother and bandmate- “he has some thoughts about Noel Gallagher that’s he’d also like to share. So many thought about Noel”. Q also included a quotation from Noel Gallagher- “Oasis’s greatest strength was the relationship between me and Liam”. The image and quotations from both the Gallagher’s shows the relationship between the two are very strong and they have always been close since they were children. This is a positive representation of Liam Gallagher and shows he's a very genuine caring person and is more than the stereotype perceives him to be. The text and images also anchorage each other very well making the double page link together and flow.

Q magazine talks about “soft-rock classics gently tickle the room” where they were interviewing Gallagher which is a huge indicator of the genre of the magazine seeming they are going to locations that play rock music and therefore are associating the institution with this type of music too.

My overall impression of the double page spread is that it’s very geared towards the audience of a white middle class, middle aged male. The colours are very muted, only ranging as daring as the red. The stereotype of bright colours gearing towards a younger audience is the reason for the lack of bright colours. “Inside, it’s a quiet PM in a roomy, easy-going boozer serving lunch to a family at one table and pints to a gent tackling a crossword at the bar.” This setting is very stereotypically a middle class setting as men are known for drinking pints in bars and crossword puzzles. Mentioning these stereotypes draws in the same type of people to Q magazine.

There is only one caption, which is the date in which the interview took place “Tuesday, 2 August”. This is unconventional of Q magazine to do this as normally double page spreads have lengthy texts that are separated with captions. Because this issue contains 7 double page spreads of Liam Gallagher, it allows Q to ramble and give leeway about how much they can write about a certain subject. This means the columns are less structured and Q have taken a more relaxed approach, replicating the same vibe Gallagher portrays; a rock and roll way of everything.

In the red box there is a pull quote “you want quotes? I’ll give you f**kin’ quotes!”: Liam reminds us how to do a rock interview”. Q magazine refers to Gallagher being the boss and reminding them of their job and Gallagher is represented as very assertive and confident. This yet again shows evidence of the stereotype that all rock stars are rowdy and overconfident. This tells the audience of the genre of the magazine as the outspoken language is often used in rock music and has similar vibes of rebellious behaviour. Q’s mode of address to the audience is like a friend and aren't afraid to use swear words in their magazine because they want to come across as a middle aged man having conversation with a mate.

How are the fronts page, contents and double page spread connected?

• All three elements are connected through the constant use of colour scheme (white red and black) to brand their magazine. These colours used over and over again makes Q Magazine more representable and put together and therefore branded and prestige.

• The lack of formal language is present throughout as Q represents themselves quite literally like the target audience; a middle aged man. On the cover- “It’s been boring without me, Hasn’t it?”, the contents page- “you might think that the Aussie psychedelic dance trio are a bunch of saucer-eyed rave monkeys” and double page spread- “’my card’s behind the bar.’ By anyone’s estimations, these are ideal drinking conditions.” These quotes all have an element of humour and honestly to them and makes the magazine extremely relatable and light-hearted.

• Another clear connection through these pages in the magazine is the massive amounts of respect they display for Liam Gallagher. Q magazine shows the biggest respect to the celebrity and this shows the audience how much of an inspiration and legend Gallagher is and also how respectful Q is as an institution towards someone so big in the rock industry. “ world exclusive interview”, “greatest frontman of his generation”, “the singer an entire generation (or two) fell in love with at first sight in 1994…. thus ruining the careers of all competitors in the frontman business for years to come.” These quotations from across the pages I have analysed praise Gallagher consistently.