Brighton, as well as being awash with cafes, shops, restaurants, take-aways, and liberal sentiment, has lots of free magazines to read. From some of the more ragged, poorly put together pieces to some of the more professionally run, the Source is definitely at the upper end of the spectrum, offering professional interviews, articles and info with plenty of advertising to keep it free and available. One of the best places for local gossip about the music scene, the Source is a must read for local artists and musicians, although their theatre section is somewhat lacking.
It's amazing, when you think about it, that the Source is free to pick up and read. There is so much in here, from articles about general local info to incisive interviews with some of the hottest acts of the day, as well as listings of everything you might need in the Brighton music scene. There are quite a lot of ads, but that's never really bothered me: the fact that I can read some great interviews for nothing is really, really great.
The main reason the Source is still free, I reckon is for the listings: thanks to those, everyone in Brighton who wants to knows when nearly everything is on, which I reckon means most of the live places chip into to make sure all of their target audience are on the ball. The problems only arise when you look outside the music scene: there is so much happening in Brighton that the Source doesn't cover, especially the theatre scene. This is directly noticeable during the Festival and the Festival Fringe: little if anything is written about or covered.
Nonetheless, for a free mag, this is quite the well-written and researched tome for the Brighton music lover. Pick it up when next you see it, it won't cost you a penny to know all about what's going on. read more