puns in the NME

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

The NME, for its flaws, has come up with some magnificent puns down the years. My personal fave is the New Order/World in Motion one, which went 'Love will Terrace apart'. Very silly, I know, but what are your all-time favourite NME puns?

― Daniel, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Stone Roses and all that messy paint: Never Mind the Pollocks

KLF and the sheep: Welcome to the Sheep Seats

― MarkH, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

an article on the Levellers headed "Crust Never Sleeps".

― The Dirty Vicar, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Review of McAlmont & Butler called 'Al Green was my Valet'. They lose points for explaining it in a footnote on the page tho

― dave q, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

This one came from the Melody Maker, but has always stuck in my mind. Headline above a news story reporting the death of Rolling Stones keyboardist/roadie Ian Stewart - 'Key Stone Cops It'. Give that sub a raise!

― Andrew L, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When The Cure toured around 96/97 and Robert Smith appeared to have put on one or two excess pounds, I seem to remember they headed a live review with 'Piggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Bars'. Heh heh.

― Venga, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

RIGHT THEN... (rolls up sleeves..) these are the few in my memory bank that haven't been said already.

'Leica Virgin' (NME photography competition for novices)

'This alarming man' (their Morrissey witch-hunt began with this heading a list of supposed 'dodgy' comments of his)

and my own favourite

'Lol a poor loser' (The Cure's Lol Tolhurst fails to win his court case against R.Smith)

― Darren, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Often the puns are the best thing in the NME.

Prob not favourite but only one I could remember. is a Bryan Adams concert review "Bryan gigs". n.b to overseas readers this refers to a soccer player.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

***Review of McAlmont & Butler called 'Al Green was my Valet'. They lose points for explaining it in a footnote on the page tho

Ex-ker-use me, but that was MINE! In the Melody Maker, too - and the footnote was what made it. People took the footnote seriously, and really did phone us up suggesting alternatives.

― Jerry, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That was yours? Nice job.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

as far as i can remember, "al green was my valet" was the working title for kirsty maccoll's electric landlady, __well__ before mcalmont and butler...

― sebastianknight, Friday, 17 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I did smile at an MM picture caption that accompanied a live shot of Echobelly where the singer was dressed in a school uniform:

"Several captions suggested themselves, but we like our jobs."

― Dickon Edwards, Monday, 20 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

eighteen years pass...

LOL these are great!!

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 27 January 2020 00:16 (six years ago)

https://www.discogs.com/The-Men-They-Couldnt-Hang-Al-Green-Was-My-Valet/release/11524449

― Mark G, Monday, 27 January 2020 07:56 (six years ago)

Cover-mounted cassettes and, later, CDs sometimes had punning titles. I remember an electronic cassette comp (Leftfield, Orbital & co.) called "Bleeping with the NME". Can't fault that.

― Maltrsnapper, Tuesday, 28 January 2020 09:03 (six years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.