Last updated 14:21, Thursday, 31 July 2008

In 1988, Sean McGhee produced a few hundred copies of the first, slim issue of Rock‘n’Reel and took it to folk clubs in Whitehaven and Cockermouth, unsure how many he would sell.

Sean McGhee

Today, the glossy magazine enjoys international renown, and when the 20th anniversary issue comes out in August it will be distributed to thousands of fans across the world.

There is one thing which has remained unchanged since those early days, however: Sean’s passion for music.

“I had always been into music, from when I first heard Sweet in 1970, then a few years later punk rock did the rest,” he says. “I was 12 or 13 when I first heard Pretty Vacant and there was something about those opening strains and the riff that stayed with me. Everything changed from then.”

Sean, 43, embarked on a musical journey that has never stopped. He got involved in the anarcho-punk scene in West Cumbria, promoting gigs and fronting local band Psycho Faction.

A few years on, however, he discovered a whole new genre: folk. “I suppose as I got a bit older, my musical tastes were widening. I listened to Christy Moore and the Dubliners, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention.

“I developed a real fondness for folk music. It’s amazing, songs survive that go back to the Napoleonic Wars. Can anyone put their hand on their heart and say the huge rock stars now will be remembered in 50 years, never mind 200?”

Sean secured a £120 grant from the Prince’s Youth Trust and, though he knew nothing about design, production, distribution or securing advertising, produced the music fanzine, with a cover price of 25p.

“I followed the idea punk rock had, where if you wanna do something, do it, whether it’s form a band or start a fanzine.”

Rock‘n’Reel was produced every three months from Sean’s home in Cleator Moor, where he still lives and works. It became a huge success. By issue seven there were 25 pages of advertising and it was soon being sold, through subscription, in 60 different countries.

There were around 25 interviews per issue, with some of the biggest names in music: Bjork, Donovan, Frank Zappa, Ian Dury, Jeff Buckley, and John Martyn to name just a few. The Levellers, the Saw Doctors, The Corrs and Asian Dub Foundation were all featured when they were still unknown.

It’s the early interviews that stand out for Sean. He remembers being admonished by Michelle Shocked when she didn’t like one of his questions, but won her round again because he mentioned MDC, a little known Texan punk band they both liked.

Known for his ability to talk for England, he got into trouble when interviewing Henry Rollins. Rollins lost his temper, asking: “Who is being interviewed here? Me or you?”.

For one of the first issues, Christy Moore sent his interview answers on tape, which he recorded at Dublin airport. Sean recalls: “At one point he said: ‘Hear that? That’s the sound of people emigrating.’

“That was in its paper tiger days, before the economic boom when Ireland changed massively, and he had recorded a moment in time that’s hard to believe now.”

But producing Rock‘n’Reel was not an easy task. Before the days of computers, Sean had to answer everything by hand, including the many subscription requests. He was dealing with advertising, distribution, editing, commissioning writers, and the financial side of things.

By 2002, his priorities had changed. He was married with three children, and had been producing the magazine for 15 years.

It was also running into financial difficulties. Chumbawumba and the Levellers raised money and Billy Bragg sent a cheque for £100 in the post, but the last issue was produced that year. Sean felt a mixture of sadness and relief. “It was only when I stopped did I realise how hard it had been. But I also missed the excitement.”

He was still flying the flag for music in Cumbria, however, and worked as press officer for Whitehaven Civic Hall, the Sands Centre, and as promoter of Solfest.

Then, in 2006, publisher Richard Ellin got in touch. He had been a huge fan and subscriber of the original magazine and wanted to relaunch it, with Sean at the helm once again.

He recalls: “My heart said yes but my head said no. He gave me time to think, and it took me a week to decide. I got to write my own contract, can you imagine that?

“I had a real passion for the magazine and the title because I’d launched it. I thought this was a good opportunity to run it more efficiently, meet deadlines on time and so on.”

The bi-monthly Rock‘n’Reel is now full colour, glossy and comes with a free CD, which has proved a good selling tool. Featuring folk, rock, blues and comedy, it is sold in about 400 outlets in the UK, and distributed across the globe. There are about 50 freelance writers and eight photographers on the books.

The latest issues have been as eclectic as ever, featuring Barbara Dickson, Bruce Springsteen, Eliza Carthy, Sixties folk star Melanie, KT Tunstall, and the anniversary issue’s cover star will be Bob Dylan.

And, 20 years on, Sean enjoys it as much as ever.

“I still find it all so exciting. That’s so important, and you’ve got to want to tell people about it, otherwise it may as well be a private members’ club. It says on the magazine we are fans writing for fans, which is the way it should be.”