Magazine Research 2 (Kerrang)

. front cover

Kerrang is a weekly publication that features journalism on the rock music, now well-past its thousandth issue. Kerrang! Surpassed NME in terms, of sales, as the UK’s most-read music magazine. It’s a magazine that looks at one specific genre.
It very much like Q in the way it uses basic colours in order too simplify there magazine and not make to look like their is to much going on in the magazine i.e to many different colours. Kerrang uses more dark colours in-order to suit it music genre. Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, Death, evil, and mystery therefore this will help the selling of the magazine as it gives the magazine a sense of mystery.
Kerrang magazine also has a main story of a band (Biffy Clyro). The trade mark for this magazine is Kerrang this is used to catch the readers eye because it is a very well known and is easy to identify. The main image is placed in front of the trademark again because they sell the story more then the trademark. Kerrang is well known for its well known bands coverage this is why it as been known as a  The picture is also a mid shot and is the placed in the center of the  magazine and behind the text explain what the picture is going to be about in the magazine.
Unlike Q this magazine has more then one sub story and has placed them at the bottom of the magazine due to the main story more of a selling point. Although both magazines use the same idea of highlighting the bands names to catch the reader. Kerrang use a pug consisting of a free poster which they have put in bold white writing and have placed a red paint stroke behind. Also at the bottom is an another selling point of the magazine, by using the main bands that are in the magazine.

The contents page

Kerrang’s contents page is always packed fall of what’s happening in the magazine.  It is very tidally set out in order for the reader to understand it. When a topic for a number of pages is being shown it is highlighted. This is a good way to keep the reader engage, in order for them not to get confused and draw them away from the magazine. From the contents you can see that the magazine talks about bands and such things as up coming gigs.
But they are about different subjects on each band such as live reviews on fall out boy and feature on Biffy Clyro. In the content on the top left it gives you a sneak insight on what the next kerrang magazine is going to look like and what it is going to be about. This helps the selling of their magazine by allowing the reader to know what that next magazine is going to look Like and they will notice in it the shop rather quickly. This increase the chance of the reader buying the next magazine. All the pictures of the bands tend to be mid shots which allows the reader to identify the band easily if that does not work their names are just below in bold clear writing making it easy for the reader to read.  Altogether the magazine is very simple and plain in order too allow the reader to find an article clearly.

The double page spread

These two pages advertise the band’s new album this is what Kerrang magazine tends to do they will have an exclusive interview or information on a particular band and they will write about them and what they have been doing and what they will do. Kerrang’s double page spread usually consists of  a main large picture a few medium sized picture and then article talking about the topic which. the main pictures tend to take up most of the page on the left with the writing and the few pictures on the right page. Within the setup and pictures of the double page spread, where the article is expressed as a “World Exclusive”, makes it seem unique and special, where it is only available to the readers of ‘Kerrang’-it is also emphasized that the band has “invited” the magazine specially to their recording studio, so that readers can get an insight into the life of a famous band and the ‘celebrity lifestyle’-increasing fandom for the band. on the left hand side of the double page spread there is a teaser section of which it talks about the new songs which are going to be in the album making the audience think they are getting a sneak preview of there album before anyone else.Each of these pictures has been manipulated, to create a black and white effect, which matches the dark (almost gothic) emotional rock style of the band and its music. This is complemented by the bright red colour of certain text on the double page, which also relates to the bands style, with connotations of anger, blood and excitement.