Textual Analysis - Double Page Spread (DPS)

Kerrang! - Issue 1460 6th April 2013 - Double Page Spread - My Chemical Romance

Title: Kerrang!
Price: £2.20
Frequency: Weekly

Masthead/Heading - "So long and goodnight"
The masthead is a clever use of word play and double meanings- "so long and goodnight" are lyrics from My Chemical Romance's song Helena which also links to the fact they have broken up and what the article is about.

Colours - Red, White, Black
The colours in this DPS is the same colours used in the main image which gives it an even tone with no colours that stand out (apart from the page furniture in the bottom right hand corner which is surrounded by a yellow outline which attracts attention because it stands out) and it also matches the black widow spider on the flag which both stand out on the page. Red and black have connotations of importance, bold and danger (which links to their album 'Danger Days', which artwork is featured in the background of the DPS behind the band) They are monochrome colours which fits with the article and picture well rather than something that clashes. It's pleasing to the eye.

Main Image - My Chemical Romance
The main image is close ups of all the members from My Chemical Romance. The artwork from their latest (and last :( ) album is present in the background on an American flag which is patriotic and shows that they are from America.
Gerard's hair is the same shade as the "It left fans totally numb" extra information article box background.
The band are all wearing leather jackets and have serious looks on their faces to suggest a serious tone to the article. The leather jackets typically have connotations of rock bands. Their shirts also match the colours of the article which is also very clever and they go together well.
The band are looking up at the camera (low angle) which could suggest lack of power which links to the fact they are breaking up.
Gerard is placed in the front of the band which shows that he is the lead singer and the man in charge. He's standing next to his brother Mikey which shows a relationship. Frank and Ray are in the back so less of the focus is on them. All of them are on the same height level (give or take) to suggest that they are equal dispire Gerard being in the front, and the article affects all of them.

Anchorage/Text
The quotes on this page stand out amongst the article itself. The quotes suggest a break up. It's effective having Mat Devine saying a quote about them that stands out because he too is an American singer and musician so he will know how My Chemical Romance feel and fans of theirs will check out each others music.
The only up beat quote is from Mat Devine who says "When one door closes, another opens" which suggests hope for the fans- maybe they will release solo albums. It's also a pull quote, from the article itself only bold to create importance.
"It left fans totally numb"- this makes fans read the article because it links to them.
The text is very bold and in capitals to suggest importance. The 'news' section font is quite worn out and looks rock-y which links to the magazine- all of the sections are in this font and it doesn't change which suggests an equilibrium and the audience maybe confused if it changes. The font is plain and straight forward and nothing special- no fancy typography which makes us focus on the image rather than the font.

Drops Cap
A drops cap is used at the very start of the article ("B") in a red colour to suggest importance and bold so we will be more likely to read it. It suggests a start to the article and where to start reading from.

Section - "News"
The article is in the news section of the page rather than the main features which are located near the beginning and middle because the article doesn't feature any of the band being interviewed- it's just Kerrang! talking about their past. The fact it's on a DPS in the news section suggests BIG news which it true because they have split up.

Layout
The band are in the left third of the article and most of the picture takes up one page alone so you can clearly see the band and if you flick through the pages, it will immediately catch your eye. Plus this suggests that the picture of the band is more important than the article because the pictures continues over 1 and a bit pages and the article fills up the room. The article is placed slightly over the top of the picture which could suggest a hint of importance, but the main focus is on the image.
The article is presented in three columns which is the typical DPS layout and looks easy to read which just enough text but the font size in the article is a bit small and maybe hard to read for the audience. The image in this DPS appears more important than the font due to the font size. We are more likely to look and drool over the picture than to read the article.
There's a small introduction to the article to get the audience to know what they will be reading about and the font stands out amongst the rest of the article to suggest importance and to read this first.

Target Audience
The target audience based on this DPS would be teenagers as it looks quite busy compared to other DPS's on the market. My Chemical Romance is a rock band so the audience will be rock fans plus the magazine itself covers rock bands so fans of rock will buy the magazine.