State Library event celebrates 41 Years of X-Press Magazine

A special panel discussion at the State Library of Western Australia on Friday, June 19, will bring together Perth music industry figures to reflect on Perth’s music scene from 1985 to 2026. The conversation will explore the lasting impact of X-Press Magazine and its influential role in shaping Perth’s music, fashion, media and pop culture across more than four decades.

The panel discussion will include ARIA-nominated WA musician Abbe May, X-Press Magazine’s longest-serving editor Bob Gordon, current editor Brayden Edwards, founder and former owner of X-Press Joe Cipriani, and long-serving X-Press Magazine and WA photographer Toni Wilkinson. Moderated by State Library of Western Australia Manager Engagement and Creative Programs David Craddock, the panel will discuss rock ‘n’ roll and print journalism. The evening will also include musical interludes from Abbe May.

The panel discussion also marks the official launch of the X-Press Magazine: 41 Years on the Streets exhibition at the State Library of Western Australia. Curated by former X-Press editor Bob Gordon and presented with the support of Vanguard Media Group and X-Press Magazine, the exhibition recognises the magazine’s cultural impact and legacy and will run from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, September 6.

Beginning as a small guide to Perth’s nightlife first printed on June 21, 1985, X-Press Magazine grew to become a highly influential publication for all things music, art, fashion, food and drink in Perth.

The panel event and exhibition follows on from the launch of Rewind – 40 Years of X-Press Magazine, a 200-page coffee table book written by Bob Gordon which was released in March. The book was made possible after X-Press opened the vaults and digitised more than 1,500 print editions, bringing the gigs, artists and stories that shaped Western Australia’s vibrant arts culture into a new era.

The X-Press Magazine: 41 Years on the Streets panel discussion takes place at the State Library of Western Australia at 6pm on Friday, June 19, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from eventbrite.com.au  The exhibition will be on display from Friday, June 19 to Sunday, September 6, and is free to attend. For more information, head to slwa.wa.gov.au