All about Quench

Features got in touch with former editors and current writers to find out their opinions on Quench past and present

Kerry-Lynne Doyle

Blind Date editor 2003/4

What were your initial feelings when Quench first started out? It was quirky, fresh and like nothing I’d seen before. I was a fresher when I got involved and it really caught my eye as something exciting and fun.

How do you feel in the knowledge that Quench is still going strong 50 issues on? Fantastic. It keeps going from strength to strength thanks to dedicated teams year upon year – and great editing. Each year the content seems to get better and better. It always has a team of enthusiastic and dedicated people working on it, which really shows.

Andrew Mickel

Writer 2003-6

What did you think of Quench when it first came out? At the time, the transfer from glorified listings receptacle GRiP to the fully-fledged Quench was astounding. It seemed so darned professional.

Are there any memorable articles that you can remember in Quench history? Mr Chuffy never failed to disappoint even if I rarely understood all the big words. The verbose work of Film Craig was also a great source of fascinating confusion – his last review used the expression ‘fuzzbox-salted exodus’. Bastian Springs was always about stuff I owned.

What do you think to the evolution of Quench? It may get smartened up every once in a while, but it’s the stuff that’s closer to what students are doing that makes it what it is – the sharper film and music reviews, and opinion that gives voice to what students are thinking. The moment that stops, Quench stops.

Gareth Lloyd

Digital editor 2003/4

What were your initial feelings when Quench first started out? Ohgodohgodohgod, I don’t know what I’m doing. I wonder if anyone can tell?

How do you feel in the knowledge that Quench is still going strong 50 issues on?

Awesome. There was a real feeling in those first few months of wanting to set an example that would last (well, from the other editors and contributors who weren’t frantically flailing in the dark like I was), and it’s great to hear that it’s still powering along.

Gary Andrews gair rhydd editor 2004/5

What was the highlight of your Quench years? Winning the Guardian award was pretty special,

What were your initial feelings when Quench first started out?I remember Tristan and Alex had a whole pile of cuttings from various magazines with ideas for Quench, some never made it, some made it but disappeared pretty quickly, like the sexi-est student, and some of which are still going strong. Quench was a bit of a gamble, especially as it was being designed from scratch, but after a few issues it settled into its groove and just kept getting better.

How do you feel in the knowledge that Quench is still going strong 50 issues on? The first few months was very much a case of sink or swim, if it hadn’t worked then it might not have lasted the year, but you only had to be around Tristan and Alex to know they weren’t going to let that happen. I think the award nomination in the first year helped strengthen its position within the Union after a year it felt like it had been there for ages.

Anthony Lloyd Music editor 2003/4

What was the highlight of your Quench years? Endless gig going but interviewing Graham Coxon after his split from Blur was a particular highlight. The man is a genius and I couldn’t belive how quiet and reserved he was. Interesting fact: he only wears shoes and we had a good chat about his shoe-shopping habits, especially from Clarkes.

What were your initial feelings when Quench first started out? It was exciting that we had a new format to play with and experiment, but there was also the added pressure of trying to continue the great tradition of the music pages. And how we were going to fit so many reviews on such a small page.

How do you feel in the knowledge that Quench is still going strong 50 issues on? Proud that I was once involved and that we didn’t completely fuck it up. Are we allowed to claim it as our legacy to Cardiff?