Here is the biggest ever issue of International Musician and Recording World! Since our first issue in March of this year, this magazine has grown in size and rapidly grown up in attitude and coverage. We feel lucky that so many of our readers tell us what they like and what they don't like about the magazine – your chance is on page 126 – and we hope that we've managed to incorporate many of your ideas as we've gone along.

By way of giving something back to the thousands of musicians who have supported us each month, there's a giant competition in this issue with well over £1,000 worth of prizes – a PA system, Custom amp etc. – and we hope you'll have a go.

However, our main aim is to make each issue of International Musician worth much more than it costs to every reader. Starting next month we're starting a NATIONAL GIG FINDER – yes we're going to help with the gig situation! By way of a pilot we've published a guide to gigs in London pubs in this issue, but next month we're going to list venues, promotors (plus telephone numbers), types of band required, gig values, method of payment, operating nights and any other information that will help your band to find work. The gigs we cover will range from the "£15 for four hours boys" to the better kind of support at concerts or in colleges. Please HELP us compile this list. Send in details of the venues you know, the type of bands they take, the price paid and so on. In return you should discover more venues in the magazine that will be of use to you and we should be able to publish an up to date list that will be of tremendous value and perhaps start to break the stranglehold that agents and managers have got on the business.