Started in Lansing in November 1979, Touch and Go was a xerox fanzine created by Tesco Vee, a pseudonym for then-elementary school teacher Robert Vermeulen, along with friend & fellow punk rock fan Dave Stimson. Early issues of Touch and Go covered bands in and around the Bookie’s scene as well as what was developing around Lansing, Detroit, and other scenes around the country.
As Vee formed his own band, The Meatmen, Touch and Go started to become the place for coverage of the fledgling hardcore scene. Along with writing about the hardcore scene, Vee started putting out records of various bands on his Touch and Go imprint.
(Tesco Vee as part of a panel on punk graphics at Cranbrook Art Museum on September 22nd, 2018 – his section starts at around 27:40)
Following Vee’s move to Washington D.C. in late 1982, he gave the record label to Corey Rusk – bass player for the Necros – which Rusk continues to run.
Touch and Go fanzine published 22-issues before calling it quits in September 1983.
All the issues of the fanzine were collected into the 2010 book “Touch and Go – The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine, ’79-’83”.
STRAIGHT EDGE