Alt X - The indie anarchy of Lime Lizard magazine

Aim

A photographic, design and oral history of one of the UK’s most innovative underground music publications.

Alt X: The Indie Anarchy of Lime Lizard Magazine and 90s Music Culture

A photographic, design and oral history of one of the UK’s most innovative underground music publications.

Slip back into the black-and-white chaos of the early-to-mid 90s UK music scene, when creativity thrived in the margins, and Lime Lizard redefined what an alternative music magazine could be with its irreverent, anything-goes approach to writing, photography and design.

Alt X is a 297mm x 297mm hardcover celebration of Lime Lizard, launched in April 1989 by journalist Britt Collins, fresh out of college, as a defiant counterpoint to the NME, Melody Maker and Sounds establishment. Created on a shoe-string, with LOOP on its debut cover, it gave photographers, writers and designers total creative freedom. The London indie quickly became the fresh, authentic voice of the underground, showcasing the newly formed Stone Roses and Nirvana alongside icons like the Cure and REM.

The mag came out erratically and we treated every issue like it was our last. By 1991, evolving into a glossy with a distinctive aesthetic flair, Lime Lizard took its place on the newsstands alongside I-D, the Face, Spin and sold in Paris, Berlin, New York and Los Angeles record shops. It was the first British music publication to include free compilation tapes on the cover. Many Lime Lizard contributors went on to do great things, from shooting for Rolling Stone, international ad campaigns and MTV videos to writing bestselling books and Hollywood movies, as well as editing other publications, including Q and Uncut, and launching NYC and LA pop culture gems, Lemon and Wednesday.

Packed with unseen photography, original layouts, and new interviews with the writers, photographers, artists and provocateurs who made it all happen, this book is a time capsule of the raw, edgy DIY energy that inspired a generation of imitators.

Part deep storytelling, part visual anarchy, Alt X captures the sound, look and spirit of a vibrant counterculture movement in flux. If you love daring, experimental print, off-the-grid culture, and the untold stories behind it, this book is for you.

Funding method

All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £11,000 by 15th November 2026 at 2:39pm