Sideburn: 2012 Report

In 2012 Sideburn...

• We made three issues of the magazine (with four different covers).
• Increased the physical size of the magazine.
• Gained some high quality new stockists in Europe, Australia, North America and South Africa (we always need more).
• Didn't buy anything Chinese unless there was no choice.
• Supported the indie press by selling other people's 'zines and promoting other mags when we could.
• Had a special 16-page section in Dice magazine (#44).
• Organised Dirt Quake.
• Attended the Verona Show and had a great party with Mr Martini.
• Had launch parties in Liverpool, Kiddo in Barcelona and Edwin, London.
• Got the Royal Enfield project bike properly finished, rode it and raced it.
• Made 780 blog posts (more than last year despite an effort to take it easy).
• Expanded our social network marketing into both Pinterest and Instagram.
• Raced at many of UK Short Track's meetings.
• Supported both up and coming and long-established artists and photographers with commissions and fees.
• Had a great couple of films made by Patteran to promote Dirt Quake.
• Printed a bunch of different T-shirt designs and gave away a lot of free stickers.
• Supported Oil Stained Brain, Melbourne, and Suit Ride, London.
• Collaborated with Death Spray Custom to produce a special ten-page section & sticker for SB12.
• Attended a few shows in the UK, one in Italy and the excellent Wheels and Waves, Biarritz.

Out of all the things we hoped to do at this time last year, we failed with just one, to get to Finland.
Thanks for all your support. If you like the blog, but don't buy the magazine, please do something about it. This isn't a blog that just steals photos from other blogs (though we do sometimes), we try to serve up original stuff to amuse and interest and inspire, but mainly it's only here to promote the magazine. Those hundred pages, every four months, are what it's all about for us.

For 2013 we plan to...

• Attend our first US show, The One Motorcycle Show, Portland.
• Hold great launches at companies that support Sideburn.
• Sponsor the UK Dirt Track Riders Association race series.
• Attend the Motor Bike Expo, Verona (with Mr Martini).
• Make Dirt Quake 2 a day to remember.
• Make three great magazines using a mixture of complete amateurs and the best in the business.
• Post at least one blog every day.
• Support people who are trying to make the UK motorcycle scene more interesting - whether they bike builders, shops, event organisers or anything else.

Happy new year to all of you. Have fun in 2013. Stay safe. 

Gary, Ben, Mick and Dave