Future closes down alternative music magazine Bang

LONDON - Future Publishing has closed its alternative music title Bang, which launched in February, after poor sales.

The Bath-based publishing firm launched the title to cash in on the vibrant rock market, which has experienced a renaissance with the success of bands such as The White Stripes, The Darkness and The Strokes.

The magazine, which had not yet recorded an Audit Bureau of Circulations figure, is thought to have been selling less than 30,000 copies each month. Future had been hoping for a settle down circulation of 50,000.

The monthly music market in the UK is dominated by Emap's top-seller Q, which had an ABC of 172,557, followed by IPC's music and movies monthly Uncut, which recorded an ABC figure of 105,781 for the January-June 2003 period.

With Bang closed, Future still has a foothold in the music magazine market with metal magazine Metal Hammer, which has an ABC of 35,876, and Classic Rock with sales of 43,545.

Bang also had competition form X-Ray magazine, the alternative music magazine launched by Swinstead Publishing and radio station Xfm for the young alternative music crowd, and IPC Media's resurgent NME.

Bang was targeted at the 16- to 24-year-old male market and was originally edited by Crispin Parry and Danny Ford, who were also part-time members of the band Polyphonic Spree's choir.

However, Future parted company with Parry and Ford just three months after the title hit newsstands.

Speculation in the industry was rife that the two had been sacked after disagreements over Bang's direction. The two were replaced by deputy editor Dan Silver.

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