Flexidiscs

I have wanted to make a flexidisc for ages. Flexidiscs were popular when I was young. I used to get this guitar player magazine and in each issue you'd get one of these — it's just like a record only flexi! The video above is here because I was looking to see if I could find a video that actually showed how they were made... and then I found this guy, Heavy Metal Cripple, and I just thought he was too good. If you watch it until about a minute and a half you'll see him wave some flexidiscs around. He fits in here too because he talks about playing his grandfather Napalm Death, and Paul Elliman, whom I've been talking to about doing something on this potential flexidisc, was transcribing some 'lyrics' to a Napalm Death song when I saw him recently.

The idea to do a flexidisc has come up mainly because I asked Dylan Herkes to do a motorcycle rock and roll column for Head Full of Snakes, and I started to think maybe we could put some songs that he talks about on such a disc. Anyway then Paul Elliman came to stay and I got talking to him about this idea to make the publication and to maybe have a flexidisc, and he was really keen to do something for that. Sooooo...

I have discovered that The Vinyl Factory in Sydney can make flexidiscs. Only issue is you have to make a minimum of 1000 copies, and the cost is between $1100 and $1400 depending on whether you do just one side or two. I'm pretty keen now, although this does go somewhat against the idea to produce this thing as cheaply as possible (if not completely free).