ACE Magazine Issue 10

ACE L I V E R P O O L

SUMMER 2014 // ISSUE NO. 10

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF BANDTRAIL.COM

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF THE X&Y FESTIVAL 2014

ZEITGEIST

ACE Columnists DISCUSS drugs, climate change, PALM OIl and more

CULTURE

LIVERPOOL IS THRIVING: MUSIC, ART, MOVIES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE...

GUTTER G UCTLTUE BR C L U B djs C L U B C L U B djs

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B R O O K LY N M I X E R & B S S M N T P R E S E N T A N U G U T T E R FA B U L O U S S A T U R D AY N I T E RL O IOCKK LYCNLM & SB S&S M ES O FB S U IBX EJR AM RNNTB PRRH YETNHTM S N U- GFURTET E E RE FA L O–U SN SOA T 1 0A/ 4 N TBRUY S UPREDEAY D BNOI T AET S OF SLICK CLUB JAMS & RNB RHYTHMS

BR M IEX 8 N SO E ESLP ESETD. BLOPAOT O 1 0O/O 4 K- LFYRNE E NE TR R Y7 – S L B R O O K LY N M I X E R 7 8 S E E L S T. L P O O L

C O N T E N T S

HALF MOON RUN

Editorial Yep, it’s coming into Summer and what better way to celebrate than to hit up a few festivals. Obviously, you’ve already booked Glastonbury [Duh] but what’s on the local scene? There’s a great selection actually but we couldn’t believe our ears when we heard X&Y had booked Canadian folk rockers, Half Moon Run. + We had a cheeky look at the rest of the line up and it’s pretty damn good. So we couldn’t resist the opportunity to get on the phone and speak to the boys about headlining what looks set to be one of the hottest places to be in the city this July. Hello Front Cover.

Elsewhere; Bombay Bicycle Club talk about the pressures of making the new album, we take a look at what Liverpool Biennial Arts Festival has to offer this year, and of course Zeitgeist readers can peruse comment and opinion ranging from popular culture to politics to the environment.

If you’re interested in contributing to ACE, email us: Editor@ACELiverpool.com // Online@ACELiverpool.com www.ACELiverpool.co.uk | @ACELiverpool

PICKS

DRUGS & THE MIDDLE CLASS

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SALMOND

& THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE 34

PALM OIL THE COST OF CONSUMPTION

MUSIC09 CINEMA25 ART23 FASHION41 ZEITGEIST31 FOOD49

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published, designed & produced by sphinx media

editor & design dani telford // @iarewriter_ editor@aceliverpool.com design alexander williams // @alexander_jw

info@sphinxmedia.org head of sales & advertising Nemi Osuji // @nemi123

sales@sphinxmedia.org online editor elizabeth wilkinson // @lilly_betty14

online@aceliverpool.com sports editor simon mulligan // @SimonJMulligan

sports@aceliverpool.com contributors dani telford // Elizabeth wilkinson // alexander williams // Daniel Seddon // Emma seery // Patrick D’Arcy // Jack Graysmark // christopher burns // nancy buckland // Christopher worrall // Josh Ray // Feargal Brennan // Harry Sherriff // Faith mcnally // jamie scottgobin // Patrick Clarke //

ACE MAGAZINE

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HIGHLIGHTS Jason Derulo 28/06/2014 In support of his recently released 4th studio album, Talk Dirty, Jason Derulo is gracing the Echo Arena this June for what is sure to be a sell-out crowd.

Book now to catch everyone’s favourite Floridian at the height of his powers...

Echo Arena

Liverpool Giants:

Fruitville Station

X&Y Festival

06/06/14

11/07/14

Michael B Jordan stars in Ryan Coogler's directorial debut which centres on the remarkable true story of Oscar Grant III's eventful New Year's Eve in 2008. Expect a rollercoaster of emotions from this promising young director.

Back, and better than ever, X&Y Festival hits Mountford Hall this July with a killer line up featuring the likes of ACE Cover stars Half Moon Run, Little Comets, Lauren Aquilina, Catfish and the Bottlemen and many more!

Tickets are still available through Bandtrail.com!

FACT

Bandtrail

22 Jump Street

Ghostface Killah

06/06/14

14/07/14

The obviously titled follow up to the funniest film of 2012 (arguable! -ed) features even more thrills and spills than its predecessor. Once again, Hill and Tatum form a perfectly imperfect duo, this time, let loose on Spring Break.

The critically acclaimed Wu-Tang original heads over to The Kazimier this summer to regale revellers with hits from an illustrious, 22 year, career. Once described as a 'painterly' lyricist of 'unparalleled storytelling ability', don't expect auto-tune or poppy choruses from the GFK.

FACT

Kazimier

Mondrian and his Studios 06/06/14 From June, TATE Liverpool is remembering the life and work of famed Dutch abstract artist, Piet Mondrian.

Exploring the late painter's relationships with architecture and urbanism, this exhibition marks 70 years since the artist's death.

TATE

Chef 25/06/14 Jon Favreau directs and stars in this heart warming ode to family, self determination and happiness. Favreau is joined by John Leguizamo and Bobby Cannavale in what is tipped to be the feel-good flick of the Summer.

FACT

Not All Documents Are Records 05/07/14 Mann Island's Open Eye Gallery contributes to the 2014 Liverpool Biennial with an investigation of photography's merit when placed in the context of Art v Record. An interesting insight into the validity of photography as an art form well worth viewing.

Open Eye Gallery

22 Jump Street

Giant Spectacular 23-27/07/14 The Giants are back in town to commemorate the centenary of the start of WWI. This July, 14-18 NOW, along with Royal De Luxe will present a jaw-dropping feast of visual delights to our grand old city.

Royal De Luxe

LIMF 15-31/08/14 Last year's Sefton Park shenanigans are a hard act to follow, but judging by a line up that includes Boy George, Shaggy, The Lightning Seeds and more, 2014 is set for success. See you in the Sun!

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19.JULY.2014 6PM TIL LATE DISTRICT early bird tickets 5pound advance ticket 7pound FROM SKIDDLE.COM

MUSIC Holi One Festival

This summer, Stanley Park plays host to a festival with a dierence. Kaleidoscopic clouds of colour replace the usual muddy drabness and summery tunes from the likes of Felix Da Housecat and others provide a sumptuous soundtrack.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Bombay Bicycle Club

The Family Rain

With each album by Bombay Bicycle Club, you can’t help but anticipate the transformation from the boys they used to be. The guitars have been forced to the backdrop as each track focuses on an intriguing sample, working best on the alluring Bollywood tone of “Feel.” However, the soft, inviting vocals of Jack Steadman still underline each track, perfectly twinned with striking newcomer Rae Morris on the mesmerising “Luna.” It’s their most experimental offering yet, but its ambitious nature never feels forced; its relaxed aura makes it all the easier to indulge in.

An astoundingly strong debut album from the three brothers Rain. A 10-track album that is all killer and no filler. There’s not an ounce of fat on this wall-to-wall earworm fest. No nonsense slick pop rock with colossal basslines and melodies you’ll be humming days later. Recorded over four weeks at Berlin’s famed Hansa Studios with Jim Abbiss (Kasabian & Arctic Monkeys) it cements The Family Rain as one of the coolest UK bands that we must pay attention to in 2014. First listen, you’ll be forgiven for thinking the songs are a bit samey but there isn’t a man alive that will only give this record one spin.

Patrick Clarke

Present Tense

Wild Beasts build on their former forays into electronica and dive head-first into brooding synth-pop.

Their most delicate work yet, every melody grips you in its fragility atop a pulsating rhythm section that’s unhurried but never languishing.

Tracks like ‘A Dog’s Life’ build from lush vocals to ruminating intensity courtesy of their newfound synth sound, while ‘Sweet Spot’ and ‘A Simple Beautiful Truth’ prove that melancholia can still be groovy. In short, ‘Present Tense’ is the sound of Wild Beasts reaffirming their role (if reaffirmation be needed) as one of Britain’s best and most important bands.

Temples

Sharon Van Etten

Sam Smith

Heads of the psychedelic revival, Temples steamroll over, bedecked in velvet jackets and silver satin blouses. These San Francisco acid-rockers are the love children of Marc Bolan and Woodstock 69, willing the music to “Take me away to the Twilight Zone”. The cracking debut album Sun Structures transports you way back to that hippy sound with hazy charm, orchestral lounge pop and hallucinogenic tones. These harmonies are not to be missed. We say... grab your tambourine and glitter eyeliner, jump on the Temples bandwagon because psychedelia is back baby.

The title of Etten’s fourth album suggests an air of impatience at the idea of exploring where she is in life.

But to say the album is buried in pessimism doesn’t do it justice.

Yes, her gorgeous indie folk is undoubtedly dark, but beauty is most captivating when it haunts you so. On keynote “Your Love Is Killing Me,” the formidable echo of the opening beat suggests something more is lurking beneath the surface; though eerie, it still carries a sense of elegance. Etten offers a unique perspective in her striking, contemplative vocals; an album of reflection and speculation, “Are We There” is an impressive scope of sounds that never overwhelms.

It’s time for Sam Smith to step into his own, and he’s determined to tell it like it is. What may be surprising, after the formidable electronics of his debut EP “Nirvana” and hit single “Money On My Mind,” is how his debut submerges you in symphonic retro soul that plucks at your heartstrings. It relies a little too much on the “quiet-openingfollowed-by-a-soaring-crescendo” formula, with the heady pulse of “Like I Can” providing a welcome stimulus. However, the sacrifice allows Smith’s vocals to shine; his strength lies in his delivery of thought-provoking lyrics, an authentic flair that separates his startling falsetto from the rest.

In The Lonely Hour

Jack Graysmark

Are We There

Elizabeth Wilkinson

Sun Structures

Elizabeth Wilkinson

Wild Beasts

Under The Volcano

Harry Sherriff

Jack Graysmark

So Long, See You Tomorrow

international hit and topped the UK charts with tracks like “Even After All” and “Sunday Shining”. His début album Maverick a Strike went onto to sell millions globally and go multi-platinum. At this years festival Quaye will be entertaining Liverpool with both new material and the classics we all remember. [Showing our age here].

THE UK’S BIGGEST AFRICAN MUSIC

FESTIVAL Now in it’s 22nd year, Africa Oyé returns to Sefton Park on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June with a line-up of stellar international artists. With over 30,000 people flocking to the event last year, this years offering is sure to please the thousands of expected revellers.

Headlining is the amazingly talented Finley Quaye.

Rising to fame during the 90′s Quaye became an

Joining Quaye are Jupiter & Okwess International who will bring a blend of music inspired from Europe and Jupiter’s native Congo. With a documentary charting his musical exploration “The Dance of Jupiter” and a critically acclaimed new album “Hotel Universe”, Jupiter comes to Africa Oyé ready to delight. Also joining the bill are London based, Cuban 9-piece Wara. With a mixture of latin funk, hip hop and rumba, Wara blend genres with gusto and their international musicians add a spice of flair and individuality that defines the band. These three amazing acts are further supported by HAJAmadagascar & The Groovy People, “Homage to Magool” feat. Farxiya Fiska, Misty in Roots, Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate, Mose “Fan Fan’ and finally Abdoulaye Samb &Minnjiaraby. Having already won the “Inspiration Award” at this years Liverpool GIT awards and cited as one of Songlines Top 10 UK Summer Festivals for the 5th time in a row; we can basically guarantee that this years Africa Oyé is a must see, and attend, event.

Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney has told ACE “With all the acts now announced, we’re all really excited for Oye 2014. This is one of the most varied and eclectic lineups we’ve had in some years and the festival is all set to be a fantastic showcase of what Africa and the diaspora can offer, both musically and culturally”.

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Bombay BicycleClub Bombay Bicycle Club may once have expressed certain qualms at their now irrevocably official band name. A little less permanent are any expectations that may have become associated with that name.

Their curious wanderings through troves of musical influences and styles have mapped out a delightfully ambiguous evolution of sound for fans to traverse, while left unsure as to what might come next.

They’ve come a long way from the youthful restlessness of their indie-rock debut I Had The Blues, But I Shook Them Off, whose opening instrumental Emergency Contraception Blues hints at the heedless, adolescent experiences that influenced and shaped their music. In the soft, acoustic strums and flowing vocals of their second album Flaws they seemed to find their forte, before uncovering a third album, its very name A Different Kind Of Fix telling of their transformation once again to a lulling blend of rock-pop and subtle electro hinges.

Three years later, the reemerged quartet is confidently shrugging away any connections to those early indierock roots that may have clung on along the way. “The guitar’s taken a bit of a back seat with this album,”

drummer Suren de Saram explains. “We started out as a very guitar driven band. But is seems to have become less and less important. Now it sort of adds to the overall texture as oppose to being the main focal point.” With its deeper electronic fusions, melodic pop jingles and stronger lyrical focus, So Long, See You Tomorrow is what Suren calls their “most personal album yet.” “The whole thing is us,” he adds, with an enviable selfassuredness.

Their first self-produced album, it seems they may indeed have come close to unlocking the personal style they previously, and publically, sought after. Looking back on recording their first albums, not yet 20 years old and working alongside the likes of big-name producers Jim Abbiss and Ben Allen, Suren recalls bluntly, “We were really young, naïve kids. Back then if we disagreed with something, we didn’t speak up too much about it.”

Yet any difficulties they may have had in communicating their objectives did not mean they wavered similarly in their assuredness of self-expression. “You have an idea of what you want the album to sound like, and in the past we’ve never captured that sound exactly.”

It’s something Suren describes as being a “common trait amongst musicians.” Even the less musically gifted of us can appreciate the difficulties involved in translating a personal, largely abstract, musical sensitivity into the logical words of producers. During the time spent attempting to do so, Suren explains, you “lose the magic of the moment. When you’re self producing though, you can just get it down straight away.”

No longer soaking up influences from currents of postpunk or blasts of indie, or indeed resolute producers, they’ve spent their time away carefully crafting together a refreshing new sound to call their own. This time around, their influences stem from their very own experiences and are all intricately laced into the album’s fabric.

Between the albums, lead singer Jack travelled through India and the Far East, collecting sound samples, scribbling lyrics and harvesting an eclectic mélange of experiences and discoveries. These influences shine through in the Oriental chimings of Overdone and the springy, electro-infused Indian folk pungi of Feel and Luna.

We wanted to make it our most consistent and concise album yet, which we think we’ve achieved” Although Jack may have been the vehicle for this traveling, collating and writing formula, it’s certainly a fully collaborative product. “We all spent a long time with this album, whereas in the past it was more Jack’s personal thing. This was a much more open conversation. Even while Jack was travelling, he would be constantly emailing us with musical and lyrical ideas. Some would be near complete songs while some would be little motifs. If he got stuck and didn’t know how to move forwards, we would all be sending our suggestions back and forth. Each of us has left their mark in their own way.”

“From the start of making this album, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make it our best yet. We set the bar high early on in terms of quality and, as a result, we ended up leaving off a couple of pretty strong songs that we would probably just have included on previous albums. We wanted to make it our most consistent and concise album yet, which we think we’ve achieved. Not just musically, but also lyrically.”

A band whose name was appropriated hastily from a London chain of Indian restaurants, syntax has perhaps not always been at the forefront of their endeavours.

Suren laughs, “In the early days, lyrics would often be written the night before. For this album, we definitely spent more time focusing on the lyrical process.” Before adding, “although, the music still does tend to come before the lyrics.

“We felt the lyrics of the last album maybe weren’t as personal as they could’ve been and so people might not have connect to the songs in the way they could have. I mean, in some of the songs, there was such a huge amount of reverb that you could barely hear the lyrics at all.”

With each of their previous albums reaching a successively higher place in the charts, it might be understandable if their goal for this one is to finally break into the top 10. But Suren explains, “You can never make chart success your primary aim, unless you’re making commercial pop, which we aren’t. We’ve made an album that we’re really happy with, really proud of. Obviously it would be great if people connected with it and we’d be overjoyed if it charted. But, that’s not the be all and end all. We’re just really proud of this album.”

Released at the beginning of the month, So Long, See You Tomorrow shot quickly to number 1 in the UK album charts – in just 6 days. I guess it’s safe to assume that Bombay Bicycle Club are currently both proud and overjoyed – the best of both worlds really.

Words: Emma Seery

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Mutant

Words: Jack Graysmark

VINYL You might wonder if it is possible to create music that is truly “original” in this day and age. Finding your own sound involves walking a fine line, searching for something new and exciting without falling into territory that is just too obscure. It’s refreshing then, to find music that remains so striking and yet accessible in Mutant Vinyl, the alter ego of Edwin Pope crafted through his time at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

Every inch of the project arouses curiosity. Even the name is intriguing, a fitting title for a project that encumbers such a diverse range of sounds: “I chose the word mutant because it reflects the fusion of genres in my music,” as Pope explains over a pint in one of his favourite hangouts, the Philharmonic. He’s eager to chat, an excitable energy evidently bubbling beneath the surface. Despite this, he also carries a sense of determination, content at his current situation; a feeling that has arisen through deciding to go solo.

didn’t work as well when you sing it, but I went round a friend’s house the next day and noticed a Lavender bush, and the amazing smell struck me. These two vivid things came together- some songs just write themselves!”

Pope performs everything on his tracks, but with such an array of sounds present he has recruited a live band to realise the potential of his music in the live setting. “I’m lucky enough to have four fantastic musicians at LIPA who will happily take dictation from me! I rely on them for the big band sound, so I’m very grateful.” This is what makes Mutant Vinyl so appealing. Pope’s determination to pursue his own project, free from any restrictions or external concerns, results in a sound with a distinctive identity. The more you get to know it, the harder it is to resist.

“I’ve been in bands before, but I wanted a project where I call the shots. Often in bands, you learn to compromise, and it runs the risk of going in the wrong direction.”

Starting Mutant Vinyl allowed Pope complete control of channelling the direction of the project, bringing together a vivid medley of sounds- jazz, funk, trip hop- to create his own distinctive form of dub. One of the most distinguishing features of this is his black saxophone: “I was a massive fan of ska bands like Madness growing up, and I’ve always wanted to do something with the sax at the front!”

Heading to Liverpool allowed Pope the fresh start he needed to kick-start the project: “I think it’s really important to choose a university far from home because it makes it more of a challenge, having to restart your life.

But I also chose Liverpool because it’s such a vibrant city; it’s very different to what I know back home in Bournemouth. You can walk from your house into town and back and you see so many things that trigger ideas. I find just walking round Liverpool with an iPod is a really productive way to write music.”

Pope has a keen eye for observation that helps him craft his music. His most recent track, “Lavender,” was inspired by a woman he saw in the early hours after a night out: “she was wearing this beautiful blue dress, and it was such a contrast to the urban city scene. Blue

It’s even more extraordinary once in the live setting.

Performing in the Sefton Park Palm House as part of the latest Fiesta Bombarda, Pope’s impressive build and charming confidence creates a staggering stage presence. The energy lurking beneath the surface seeps out into the performance, lending an inescapable party vibe to the set. By the end, it is hard to tell whether Pope or the crowd are more exhausted. After, he simply remarks “if I give it my all and the crowd love it, then it doesn’t matter if I’m knackered.” Judging the crowd’s rapturous response, it is an effective formula, and why change something that works so well?

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x&y festival

On July 11th Liverpool is in for a treat. Returning for its 3rd consecutive year, X&Y Festival promises to delight the city with a long list of incredible international artists alongside some home grown Merseyside talent. Held at the newly refurbished Liverpool Guild of Students for the first time, and playing across 4 stages, ACE’s advice is to get your ticket early.

World renowned Canadian folk rockers Half Moon Run will be this year’s headline act #Winning. Their debut album “Dark Eyes”, released in 2012, has grown into one of the definitive indie albums. Having recently toured with

ACE One’s to Watch >>

Okay so there’s a lot of great names on this bill and we’re sure you’re going to want to catch ALL of them in action but here’s a few names that we think, you really SHOULDN’T miss.

Stu Larsen A true roaming musician, Aussie Stu Larsen will be in Liverpool straight off the back of his mammoth world tour. Taking in Australia, Europe and North America this brilliant singer song writer and all round cool dude will regale us with music filled with his own wanderlust. Listen to “Thirteen Sad Farewells” stay for the acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Matthew and the Atlas A stand out name from a standout list. The folk band joins the festival having already found huge success this year already. With an album dropped earlier this month The Other Rivers and a supporting role to the folk behemoths Mumford and Sons in 2010, they are highly regarded as one of the country’s finest.

Listen to “I Followed Fires”, stay for “Pale Sun Rose” to set the tone.

City and Colour, the band will be more than ready to head the stellar line-up.

Supporting Half Moon Run will be X&Y veterans Catfish & the Bottlemen. Catfish are one of the hottest bands around at the moment featuring on festival line-ups from T in the Park to Reading & Leeds. They will be joined by renowned Newcastle band Little Comets and Bristolian Lauren Aquilina who headlined 2013 BBC’s introducing stage at Reading & Leeds.

With LIPA graduate Thomas J Speight, local lady Natalie McCool and fellow scousers Sugarmen and VYNCE also announced, we’re pretty hyped about this one.

“I'm not a particularly timid person, though I'm not naturally given to getting up and talking in front of people. So playing live is something I've had to work at, and I'm comfortable with it now. Talking through microphones is a whole other kettle of fish though....”

Matthew And The Atlas

The Family Rain A truly family affair if there ever was one, The family Rain come to Liverpool fresh from two years of non-stop touring and gigging. The three Walter brothers, William, Ollie and Timothy, have already supported Jake Bugg and Miles Kane in 2013 and look set for big things in 2014 having announced a solo tour and a new EP "Hunger Sauce". Enthralled by the Brit-rock greats of the 70's its no surprise we are excited to hear these blues-rocking brothers. Listen to - Trust Me...I'm a Genius. Stay for - retro rock passion

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Watching Half Moon Run perform Full Circle in Session for Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1’s YouTube channel is in itself introspective. The fastidious and definitive nature in which they play commands all eyes and ears. There is a sense that something truly extraordinary is happening. And, well, this musical conversation equipped with an extraordinary sense of communion is simply rare to find these days, not since Pink Floyd have we observed a reverence to sound rather than performance in its entirety.

Remarkably when, they are for all intensive purposes, mere strangers.

Interview: Patrick D’Arcy >> Words: Dani Telford

Much has been made of this four-piece from Montreal whose beginnings were born from chance meetings and a craigslist ad. But who could expect less from a country that has given us Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Arcade Fire, et al, right? When ACE heard the boys were flying over this summer to headline Liverpool’s X&Y Festival in July, we thought a) [F*ck Me] what a booking! But most importantly b) we should really pick up the phone and get an interview with these guys, find out what makes them tick or, as we come to find out… not tick.

‘Road-worn’ and presumably home sick, Conner Molander, [guitar, keyboard, vocals, all-round musical wonder] sounds consumed as two years on tour takes its toll. A furious and demanding schedule has seen the band propelled cross-continent whilst the ink was still drying on their newly signed deal with major label, indica Records that was, let us note, expeditiously thrust upon them. A few rehearsals downtown in a ‘grotty room with paper-thin walls, vomit on the carpets’ and 10 local gigs later, the band were picked up and haven’t stopped since. The interesting thing, whilst the music is and always was connubial in some charmed way, the relationships between bandmembers had to grow organically. “When we met, we were basically meeting each other for the first time,” Conner tells us. “We knew each other through

reputation, but it was the first we’d actually met.” This initial encounter, we find out, was an organised rehearsal. “Musically, things took off right away, we were practising harmonies, immediately writing songs.”

But this band of perfect strangers, this band built on ‘half-promises’ and circumstance were yet to make a social connection. Remembering names was a feat in the first two weeks. It’s often pointed out that as individuals, they remain ‘stilted and ungelled’ but Conner sort of puts us straight, “We get on, so we’re lucky that way.”

Critics and music journalists alike have hung on to the admission that various members didn’t particularly like each other in the beginning, wouldn’t necessarily choose to hang out with each other and found it hard to talk outside of the music, but we are assured that these feelings have long gone. “We started spending so much time together, more time together than a married couple do I’m sure!” Conner Laughs. Perhaps, that’s what makes it work?

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HALF MOON RUN

“THIS IS A BAND OF STRANGERS, BUILT ON EMPTY PROMISES AND CIRCUMSTANCE”

From the outset, it has only ever been about the music. “The collective creative process is something we’ve always had great trust in,” he goes on to say.

The lithe yet lucid way in which the band produces music is arguably demonstrated in their debut album ‘Dark Eyes,’ engendering a varied assortment of sounds. From song to song, Conner tells us, there is a new mode of creation, which ranges fairly drastically. “Usually someone has an initial little riff or an idea, something on the guitar or whatever.

Then everybody else tries to, as quickly as they can, come up with the complimentary part. We negotiate the song form for a while, and sometimes it takes one day and some times it takes a year.” There’s also no rigid formula for where the band choose to write or draw inspiration from either. “You know, it’s continually surprising because we keep thinking we’ve figured out the best environment to write, whether it’s to isolate ourselves… in a forest, in a cabin, in the city close to our homes, we tried that too. And every time we think we’ve figured it out, something changes.” It’s a good sign that they don’t quite know the best way to write a song, he proclaims, because that’s when “you end up coming up with the most interesting stuff” [We’re inclined to agree]. Maybe, that’s why it’s so hard to pigeon hole this band, they are for the most part, un-genreable…Yes we hear folk, indie, at times electronic. It’s clear that pushing musical boundaries, exploring new territory and not relying on things they’ve already developed is what drives the band, possibly making them more exciting and more important than their contemporaries.

Surviving the festival machine has somewhat made Half Moon Run. Having spent what really is, their entire musical career on tour, we wondered whether it was something they actually thrived upon. Conner highlights the obvious benefits of travelling [Australia’s weather for instance] and playing big stages across the globe [Glastonbury, a highlight] but he doesn’t sound that enthused, as you’d imagine, living in and out of a cardboard box for the past 24 months. “I think if you ask me a year ago or whatever, I would maybe still be excited about being on the road but right now, I think all of us want to stay in one place, write some good music, and focus on being creative again without the process always being disrupted by touring logistics and everything that comes with that.” What, you mean say interviews with people like us? “Surprisingly,” Conner says, “the music industry is actually very non-musical. I find that now that I’m in a band and I’m on tour all the time, the time that I spend literally playing music has been decreased. At night, there’s so much other bullsh*t surrounding it with the industry… labels and agents and publicists and promoters and all that kind of thing.” And he’s right; the music should speak for itself. But hey, then we wouldn’t have much to write about.

As we ended our conversation, Conner contemplated what advice he would offer to his younger self, given the opportunity. “I could tell myself that, the whole music thing is gonna work out [laughs]… no I would probably tell myself to focus on the music. The reason that you’re doing this, why we all got together… was to play music.”

Luckily for us, X&Y Festival have secured Half Moon Run as headliners, July 11th @ the newly refurbished Liverpool Guild of Students. We’d say, if you haven’t already bought tickets, then you probably should. This could very well be the last time the band fly this side of the Atlantic for a long time, after all, there’s another album to write of course...

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The UK Biennial of Contemporary Art 5 July – 26 October www.biennial.com #biennial2014 liverpoolbiennial @biennial

A RT FILM TALKS MUSIC TOURS DEBATE E V E N TS DRINKS PARTIES LECTURES PA I NTI N G SYMPHONY DAZZLESHIP WORKSHOPS E X H I B ITIO N S DISCUSSIONS PUBLICSPACES A RC H ITE C TU R E PE RFORM A NCES

ART FEATURE Opening on the 5th July and running until the 26th October, this year’s Liverpool Biennial is packed to the rafters with innovative and diverse cultural offerings. By taking its visitors through the cities established museums and galleries as well as the more unusual and unexpected spaces, Biennial 2014 aims to highlight Liverpool’s cultural richness whilst connecting the city and its people to international artists and thinkers.

Advertisement The 2014 programme is set to begin with a specially composed piece by Michael Nyman entitled Hillsborough Memorial. It will be performed on opening night at Liverpool Cathedral by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Liverpool-born mezzo soprano Kathryn Rudge and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth and Training Choirs. The symphony represents the culmination of Nayman’s thinking around Hillsborough and the tragedies of 25 years ago. He hopes that the piece will make a small but significant contribution to the healing process still necessary for the families of the lost fans.

commemorate the work of artist Norman Wilkinson who’s “dazzle” technique helped to mislead the enemy and protect many ships. The dazzle ship will become part of Monuments from the Future; a project that will slowly turn Liverpool into a sci-fi sculpture park making use of Liverpool’s industrial archaeology to celebrate its possible new futures.

To find out more about the many events taking place across the city throughout Liverpool Biennial 2014, please head to www.biennial.com. Make sure you get involved.

For the Biennial Exhibition, A Needle Walks into a Haystack, the ambitious programme will include talks, screenings and exhibitions showcased across seven venues; the historic Trade Union Centre on Hardman Street, Tate Liverpool, the Bluecoat, FACT, and in the public realm. Overall, the exhibitions will reflect on how artists disrupt the realms of habits and habitats, reconfiguring the objects, images, representations and activities that constitute their immediate surroundings.

This years commissioned artists have been asked to bring both new and previous works to provide audiences with more extensive introductions to their practice.

This year Biennial will be joining in the First World War Centenary commemorations by teaming up with Tate Liverpool and 14-18 NOW by co-commissioning one of the major figures of contemporary art, Carlos Cruz-Diez, to paint a version of a ‘Dazzle Ship’ in partnership with National Museums Liverpool. To be housed at the dry docks adjacent to the Albert Dock the ship will

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THU 17th JUL 8:00pm All tickets £20.00 plus £1.00 per ticket booking fee

SCREEN Maleficent

Robert Stromberg’s dark fantasy adventure film, starring Angelina Jolie as Disney’s villainess character from the 1959 animated ‘Sleeping Beauty’, is set to take the box office by storm. In cinemas May 28th 2014.

Christopher Burns

The X-Men franchise got off to a flying start let’s be honest. Bryan Singer was instrumental to the success of the first two X-Men films giving the superhero genre credibility all the while being sleek, stylish and packing depth as well as a punch, but, that didn’t last and following on from the disastrous Brett Ratner helmed XMen: The Last Stand and the okay-ish - we can see what you’re trying to do here- Matthew Vaughn led X-Men First Class, Fox had quite the problem. Here they, essentially, had two giant sized casts of the same characters, and not just small names either, two sets of A-Listers (give or take a James Marsden) with one lot based in 60’s and 70’s and the other lot contemporary. So how did they solve it? It’s easy, it was staring them in the face all along, they simply threw the two casts together into a wild time travelling romp and the results were inevitably terrible, right?

Once Jackman gets to wax comic back in 1973, the screenplay (a three hander between Simon Kinberg, Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn) allows him the space to round up his band a la The Magnificent Seven and for relationships to breathe. James Mcavoy, who was the undoubted highlight of First Class, has now refined his Professor X terrifically and in his broken down drunken state is more, hilariously, Withnail and I than an Avenger but he, again, gets the film’s blood pumping. We have a showdown in Paris shot through super 8 like Zapruder footage, knee jerk action in response to America’s loss in Vietnam and to top it all a loathsome muppet like President Nixon hovering over it all. It’s set pieces are fast and fun too; a sequence which involves Evan Peters' Quicksilver stopping to taste soup as he takes out an entire room of armed guards perfectly frames Days of

Not quite, as Bryan Singer has rode back into X-Men territory like a mutant knight in armour to salvage, what now has to be called, his franchise and the results are anything but terrible as X-Men: Days of Future Past is up there in terms of quality with his first two X-Men films. The set up goes like this; in the future, mutants are rounded up in camps and killed by giant stalking and mutating sentinel robots, in the ensuing war, most of the world has been ravaged and in hiding remain the last of the X-Men. Charles, Eric, Storm and Kitty Pryde among others (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry and Ellen Page) devise a plan to send Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman) consciousness into his younger self to stop the development of the killer robots. Once there, Wolverine has to not only find the young Charles, Eric and Raven (James Mcavoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence) but unite them in his quest to stop weapons developer Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) from creating the sentinel destroyers.

The ground work is laid quickly and efficiently, through a surreal time jumping action set piece that is half Running Man half Terminator, so we can get on with all the time travelling chaos. Singer’s X-Men films to date have always maintained a poignancy and a grasp of what the X-Men myth is really about; the concept of the outsider blended with historical weight and Days of Future Past is no different as Singer’s opening comprises of muddy visuals that peel away to reveal death camps against a backdrop of a mutant genocide. The tone shifts however and the film, thankfully, elects for a spirit that screams playful.

Future Past; it’s thrilling, well paced and shot and, most significantly, very funny. Fassbender has also grown into his Magneto alter-ego and the climactic set piece lets his Malcom X on steroids persona lose to have plenty of metallic twisting fun while Jennifer Lawrence whose lone wolf exploits as Mystique could be a separate film in its own right commands the screen every time she steps onto it. If there are any criticisms then they’re mostly present when the film resides in it’s future stasis, the fun is missing and the band of mutants housed together in refuge lose any individuality they once had. Ellen Page is unfortunately sidelined to massaging Hugh Jackman’s head for two hours while Halle Berry’s Storm is left to do very little amidst Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen being shadows of the empowering charismatic figures they were in the first two films.However, without making the film appear bloated and unnecessary, a sect of characters had to lose out and the fact is, that now, the younger guys just do it that bit better. Days of Future Past may not win over X-Men non believers with its density and reliance on you knowing and understanding the universe already but what it has done is rescue a franchise that out of all of them deserves to be up in lights.

In a moment when these kind of films are screaming to be allowed to have some fun but are ultimately denied by the sombre restraints, Singer has restored playfulness and old fashioned thriller conventions yet not sacrificed any of the meaty stuff and has made the X-Men very current and relevant again.

Christopher Burns | @Christophj87

FILM REVIEWS Two Faces of January

Set in 1962, The Two Faces of January stars Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst as a couple who whisk themselves away to the enticing city of Athens to do some innocent sight-seeing.

However, the introduction to Oscar Isaac’s shadowy Rydal flips their sun-kissed dreams into misfortune as they are forced to take refuge in his care. Themes of murder, finance, deceit and love propel these characters into a journey of unpredictability and a race for survival. Yet even with its fluid tone and rhythm, the ending proves to be the director’s achilles heel. Noticeably anti-sensational in his approach to the climax, Amini’s cat-and-mouse tale stumbles across the finish line with a somewhat disappointing final scene and arguably; the weakest in the whole film.

Shot with a nuanced shine, this film capitalises on the European setting but allows itself to prowl on the edge of realism, investigating its characters with tense interest and an eye for the revered 60s tone and style. The production value goes a long way and the costume and make-up teams deserve commendations, there is a slickness to be found here. This film may not deliver on the suspense it demanded, but it works as an enjoyable and intriguing piece of cinema that goes down smoothly like an afternoon cigarette. Additionally, the performances are well tuned and the directing is a positive start for the natural screenwriter, but overall it has to be said that whilst the likes of Godzilla, X-Men and Frank are available for your viewing pleasure, there is no need to rush to see this film.

Godzilla

Edge of Tomorrow

In 1984, a little known English musician, Chris Sievey, donned a giant papier-mache’ head (a strange thing that walked the line between humorous and the stuff of nightmares) took the name Frank Sidebottom and almost instantly became a cult hit.

Ronson’s screenplay for Frank is a little different though; the nasally Mancunian accent has gone and is now an American drawl, the Sidebottom part of the name has been left behind too and, well, the papier-mache’ head is just about the only thing that’s survived. Frank is at times a satirical thorn in the side of the fickle music industry. An all out comedy; it’s physical nature recalling Harold Lloyd or The Marx Brothers and then, its soul, which is a delicate character study delving into the fragility of the human psyche.

If Godzilla was just the sum of its opening credits and then nothing else… it would surely be front runner for the film of the year. As far as credit sequences go, the lizard is all style and sleekness. As grainy projection footage of nuclear tests flickers before our eyes, sinister looking dusty old men in suits sit on deck chairs and watch the first steps of mankind’s biggest and most deadliest mistake while secret documents are ink blotted out. All of which bounces along hurriedly to Alexandre Desplat’s thunderously blood pumping score. It’s an absolutely magnificent start and like the promotional material it does nothing to quell the anticipation.Gareth Edwards should be commended for bringing a smart, stylish and thrilling monster movie to the screen.

Describing Edge of Tomorrow as Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers/ Aliens may not be completely accurate, but it is one of the things that springs to mind. Indeed, Doug Liman's big-budget science-fiction adventure feels familiar in a way that in fact welcomes and encourages these rather half-baked comparisons. Rather than this being a negative however, it gives the film something of a nostalgic, old-fashioned feel that sets it apart from its multiplex competition. On top of that, it is also Liman's best feature since The Bourne Identity, arguably Tom Cruise's best sci-fi film and one of the most effortlessly enjoyable blockbusters likely to be released this summer. It delivers an abundance of laughs and thrills.

Christopher Worrall // @ChrisDWorrall

Frank

Christopher Burns | @Christophj87

Christopher Burns | @Christophj87

Daniel Seddon | @d__Seddon

Boasting an admirable and handsome leading cast, Hossein Amini’s directorial debut fizzes in the Greek sunlight. However it must be said that with a more experienced filmmaker grasping the reigns, The Two Faces of January had potential to be one of the year’s standout films. With credits as a screenwriter on 47 Ronin; Snow White and the Huntsman and Drive, this Iranian-British artist pulls you along the vast, dehydrated European landscape with a thriller that makes for a 90 minute piece of satisfactory entertainment. For readers who may find this insightful, the author of the original novel (Patricia Highsmith) was the same individual who penned The Talented Mr. Ripley. This can be interpreted through its rich, lavish setting; sprawling narrative and challenging moral judgements that glide across its surface.

FILM FEATURE

Words: Daniel Seddon

and The Rise of Gareth Edwards Writer; director; executive producer; cinematographer; editor; production designer and visual effects artist, these are all key terms that describe Warwickshire-born Gareth Edwards, the latest filmmaker to tackle the gargantuan franchise that is Godzilla.

This is his second major cinematic accomplishment following Monsters (released in 2010), both of which feature forces of nature that hold the power to destroying cities, and our minds for that matter. This could lead us to believe that perhaps Edwards is a technologically advanced megalomaniac who dreams of creature-based world domination? Maybe, but for now we should bask in the glorious atomic light that this visionary has recently committed to the big screen.

Openly influenced by Quentin Tarantino; Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, this British filmmaker combines spectacle; human connection; slick yet ballsy CGI and a phenomenal confidence within his films that has clearly captured the attention of Hollywood. The craft of Edward’s style is something to behold, especially within Godzilla as this film provides evidence of his blockbusting maturity and eye for the extraordinary. The design of the M.U.T.O’s (massive unidentified terrestrial organism) during this piece is reminiscent of earlier science-fiction creations (notably the colossal bugs in Starship Troopers) and the appearance of these beasts throughout the film are testimony to the director’s knowledge of cinema and streak of cool that separates him from his mainstream contemporaries.

A comparison to Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla was inevitable and here we can focus on the financial and creative side of both, substantially different productions.

Edwards’ piece was honored with $30mil more for the budget, but at the time of writing this, his reinvention has scored $323mil at the box office, less than two weeks following its release. Interestingly, Emmerich’s film only made $56mil more in its whole cinematic run and this could’ve been down to a host of reasons, but from a cultural stance Edwards has the advantage by remaining loyal to the original Japanese concept and image. This element has ultimately paid dividends for the Brit and has truly sunk the wreckage of the 90s “overgrown iguana”.

For the record, the 2014 re-imagining doesn’t quite perfect the main creature’s architecture, Godzilla himself appears too bulky in general and (for want of a better expression) his face looks slightly cartoony. Edwards’ writing team have produced an extremely bold move within the narrative and without letting the beast out of the bag, lets just say there is a special moment during one of the battle scenes. Concerning the aforementioned scenes, the direction displayed onscreen is stunningly operatic and has a musical score that successfully intensifies the grey horror playing out before our eyes.

With a 3 year filmmaking process complete, Legendary Studios have shown great velocity since the wide release of Edwards’ film and actually planned a full trilogy for the nuclear ‘dinosaur’. The remaining two pieces of this Godzilla jigsaw do in fact welcome Edwards back to the director’s chair but this may prove to be in a future “far, far away” as this gentlemen has recently signed on to direct the first Star Wars spin-off film (slated to be released in 2 years time). To say this is an exciting prospect would be like describing Cristiano Ronaldo as a ‘decent footballer’, but for a guy who’s only directed two feature films in his career, this project may well be the one that Edwards’ ability is judged upon. Minimal pressure then.

Godzilla stars; Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick Ass); Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); Ken Watanabe (Inception); David Strathairn (Lincoln); Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene); Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) and Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine).

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ZEITGEIST ACE columnists discuss Climate Change, Drugs and Scottish Independence

ZEITGEIST

PALM words: Josh Ray

OIL the CosT of Consumption

Although you might not know what Palm Oil is, it is highly likely that you’ve consumed it at some point today. Permeating our supermarket shelves; from food products to cosmetics to washing powders, the highly versatile vegetable oil is quickly becoming one of the world’s most traded commodities. With a fruit that yields more oil per hectare than any other, it is being seen as an economically viable alternative to man-made trans fats, and with implications in the biofuel industry it looks like cultivation of this “wonder crop” will continue to increase. So why has palm oil been getting such bad press?

Well, while the oil from the fruit contains about the same amount of saturated fat as olive oil (roughly 50%), the oil taken from the kernel contains about 80% and is hidden in countless food products as a thickening agent, fuelling chronic illnesses. Further to this, because the plant only grows in tropical climates, its plantations are eating up some of the world’s most beautiful rainforests. With Malaysia and Indonesia together accounting for around 85% of global palm oil production; their delicate ecosystems have been ravaged.

Richard Zimmerman, executive director of the New Yorkbased non-profit Orangutang Outreach, tells ACE that “The situation for Orangutan is horrific, and to pretend otherwise does not do anyone any favours. In Sumatra, corrupt government officials and Palm Oil companies are on a path to destroy the Leuser Ecosystem. In Borneo, vast swathes of forest are being burned down and converted to oil palm plantations. Breeding populations of orangutans are being cordoned off into unconnected bits of forest, and as individuals are cut off from one another, genetic stability is in danger.”

The situation would be bleak for orangutans if it weren’t for care centres like BOS and IAR in Borneo and SOCP in Sumatra, who’s volunteers work around the clock to care for orphans and wade through the mountain of bureaucracy involved in releasing adults back into the wild.

But who are we to criticise the Malaysian and Indonesian people for cashing in on this lucrative crop? In the UK, we destroyed our forests centuries ago and the plant provides a living for around 4.5 million people in the region. However, palm oil isn’t as beneficial to the local people as the big agribusiness firms would have us believe.

Originally brought to South East Asia from West Africa at the beginning of the 20th Century by British and Dutch colonisers, the majority of the cultivation profits returned to Europe and offered little for the native people. The European model stayed in place after independence and expanded rapidly as governments nationalised people’s land, selling it on to private firms.

Today, whilst there may be some benefitting from small family owned plantations, the likes of Wilmar, Asian Agri and other agribusinesses offer little for their employees or the region, with allegations of human rights abuses rife in the former and the use of tax havens in the latter.

“ ACCORDING TO HARVARD, AT THE CURRENT RATE OF DEFORESTATION THE NON-VIOLENT AND HIGHLY INTELLIGENT GREAT APE WILL BE EXTINCT BY 2023 “ The most harrowing issue regarding deforestation however, is its effect on the delicate biodiversity of the rainforests. Take Sumatra for example, the past 35 years have seen the region lose almost 50% of its rainforests, critically endangering species like the Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhino and the Sumatran Orangutan. A similar situation has desolated the island of Borneo, the only other place Orangutans occur in the wild.

According to a study at Harvard University, at the current rate of deforestation the highly intelligent, non-violent great apes will be entirely extinct in the wild by 2023.

© International Animal Rescue (IAR) Above the looming extinction of many species, the region’s deforestation is also contributing to global climate change. “The peat forests are pure carbon above and below,” explains Zimmerman, “If the carbon they contain is released into the atmosphere, the earth will heat up even more quickly than it is now.”

So yes, when compared to petrol or diesel as a biofuel, or trans fat as a food product palm oil would appear to be a “green plant”. However, when you consider that deforestation accounts for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions and that Indonesia is the biggest contributor to these emissions as a direct result of the palm oil plantations, you gain a bit of perspective. But what can be done?

Consumer pressure can be a powerful tool, “speaking up and refusing to support an industry that is wreaking havoc with the earth sends a powerful message to companies”, explains Zimmerman. “The big companies need to realise that they'll sell more of their products if they are not destructive. Consumers truly do have the upper hand.”

Since Greenpeace released their 2008 Burning up Borneo report, heavily criticising big firms like Unilever for their supply chains, there have been noticeable improvements. External pressure has ensured the regulations are properly enforced by governments and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), established in 2004, is finally doing the job it was set up to do, with some big firms pledging for 100% sustainability by the end of this year. However, the past has shown the Palm Oil industry to be rife with hot air and broken promises, so we as consumers must ensure there will be backlash for anyone who reneges on their pledges.

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SCOTTISH independence

Words: Feargal Brennan

SALMOND AND THE QUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND Independence, North of the border is a pressing topic, soon coming to a head. Feargal Brennan discusses why a separated Scotland may not mean true independence.

The issue of Scottish independence, or the future spectre of it, has for centuries served as a topic of idle chatter along the corridors of the House of Commons. However 2014 not only sees the issue of Scottish independence becoming one the dominant political talking points, but September will see the ground-breaking referendum to decide Scotland’s future. The potential for Scotland to become independent of Westminster is now a real possibility, and by the autumn, a centuries old union could be torn apart and scattered into the North Sea. The tentative offerings of Blair’s Labour Government in 1997-98 saw the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, in a move seen by some as a token gesture by a new burgeoning Government seeking to appease a developing partisan faction north of the border. In truth, whilst the Scottish Parliament gave the Scottish people a political reference point, its ability to pass and implement laws was still often beholden to the authority of London.

However despite this, the establishment of the Parliament has meant that an ambitious governing Scottish National Party has been able to slowly chip away at Westminster’s power. Gaining control of ’devolved’ matters such as Scottish education, justice and healthcare- and giving rise to the belief that Scotland can go solo.

The Scotland’s Future ‘white paper’ presented to PM David Cameron by the SNP in November 2013, clearly shows Scotland means business, and in Alex Salmond the pro-nationalists have a leader bestowed with the longevity and political sway to deliver on his promises.

Salmond has made no secret of his desire to push the issue of Scottish independence to the forefront of British political discussion, and garner enough support to make Scotland independent by March 2016. However despite the ambitious claims made by both Salmond and the SNP, the paper itself and the suggested plan for Scotland in that awkward period between getting enough Yes votes in September and establishing independence appears fraught with difficulties.

Salmond has made no secret of his desire to push the issue of Scottish independence to the forefront of British political discussion, and garner enough support to make Scotland an independent nation

by March 2016.

Intertwined with the promises of a ‘changing Scotland for the better’, the paper sets out a number of niche policies that look to seal the approval of ‘floating’ and policyorientated voters. Proposals include in the paper include: thirty hours of paid childcare for pre-schoolers, the removal of Trident weapons from their Clyde base within the first Parliament and disbanding BBC Scotland by 2017, to create a new Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS), but maintaining a connection with the Beeb in order to keep Scottish Dr Who and Eastenders fans happy.

Skeptics note that the hard work of wrestling free of London’s control could go up in smoke as fiscal control is shifted from Edinburgh to Brussels’ However the most crucial and divisive issue facing the Scottish independence campaign in the run up to the referendum is that of the Scottish currency, more implicitly its position on keeping the pound.

The homework on Scotland’s economic viability has been done, and yes Scotland is in a position to operate as an independent economy, however the staunch position of all the main players in the Commons to refuse to allow the pound to be used in an independent Scotland creates a real stumbling block for Salmond. The options available to Scotland regarding currency look somewhat bleak as the creation of an independent monetary unit would expose them to extreme fluctuations on the exchange rate and uncertainty in attracting investment towards a currency and government in its infancy.

Alternatively, they could join the Euro, and subsequently the EU. However this choice, regardless of appeal, is also fraught with difficulties. As given the instability of both the Euro itself and the crippling financial crises that have ‘dominoed’ across mainland Europe, the appeal of becoming part of this mess are very unappetising to the Scots. Particularly amongst those who could see joining the Euro as all their hard work of wrestling free of London’s control, going up in smoke, as fiscal control is quickly shifted from Edinburgh to Brussels. So in order to maintain financial confidence, along with enough cash to ensure survival, Scotland looks most likely to have to secure a deal with the pound as a reserve currency. A compromise which suits neither Westminster, who have taken the position of ‘leave the UK leave the pound’, nor the Scottish independents who see the move as the UK continuing to control Scotland in the most crucial of ways.

As appealing a proposal as Scottish independence may seem, the devil really is in the detail with regard to this notion. Come September, further separated from the UK Scotland may well be, but independent... I think not.

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DRUGS

Words: Dani Telford

AMNESTY FOR THE MIDDLE-CLASSES the war on drugs was a slaughter, the other guys are winning.

But with the glamorisation and normalisation of hARD DRUG USE PREVALENT, IS THERE ANY WONDER?

Earlier this year, Philip Seymour Hoffman, lauded as “perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation,” by The New York Times, died alone, aged 46. With a hypodermic needle protruding out of his cold and lifeless body, surrounded by a plethora of heroin bags, Hoffman was reduced to a mere drug-addict. More recently we have learned the fate of Peaches Geldof, again, heroin playing its role in a similarly tragic ending to yet another celebrity drug induced death. This has, as you’d expect, sparked debate about the ambivalence toward drug-use and the status of celebrity, whilst also shining a spotlight on the overall surging culture amongst the fashionable metropolitan elite.

Accentuated was this case, when Rolling Stone candidly dropped Drake like a hot potato from the front cover to pay, what online users praised as a “Tasteful Tribute,” to the Oscar-winner, Hoffman. The point being, of course, not that this man’s life was celebrated but that the way in which he died has largely been ignored. The question of ‘Who killed Hoffman?’ commanding a hunt for the actor’s supplier rather than addressing the real issue of, why didn’t we prevent this from happening in the first place?

Affluent professionals and famed personalities, cocooned by wealth have and are driving a social acceptance that often leaves us inert regarding the issues and devastating consequences of narcotics. Once again, class plays its part as we sit back and accede to what appears to be a drugs amnesty for the bourgeoisie.

‘ Affluent professionals and famed personalities, cocooned by wealth have been long driving a social acceptance that often leaves us inert regarding the issues and devastating consequences of narcotics. ’ A throng of superstars, have fallen victim to their own private pleasures, from Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Judy Garland to Heath Ledger, Hoffman and most recently of course, Peaches. That doesn’t include, naturally, those who don’t consider themselves addicts but mere recreational and frivolous punters, who could, at any moment cross the line. Look for instance at that, “piece of sh*t” Justin Bieber [Seth Rogen takes one for the team]… his driving under the influence escapade placing not only his own life at risk but others. It’s clear he’s on a one-way track to demise and yet with a status as big as well, Justin Bieber, and an endless supply of cash to buy the best defence lawyer in town, it is no wonder the boy can stall and conceivably evade prosecution.

‘ MIDDLE CLASS USERS, OFTEN THE DRINK LESS, SNORT MORE’ TYPE, IMAGINE THEIR CRIMES TO BE VICTIMLESS. mUCH OF LATIN AMERICA WOULD PROBABLY DISAGREE. ’

Such is the case with any star or starlet, it’s the industry right? It happened in the 60s, 70s, the 80s, why would it have changed today? Cocaine use was rife back in the heyday; Fleetwood surely wouldn’t have produced Rumours without it, McCartney only recently gave up smoking the green stuff and Floyd, well… you get where I’m coming from. And yet, it’s not just ‘the industry’…

Drug taking has become a fact of life, true for bankers and lawyers as much as for music and movie stars.

Remarkably our perceptions of drugs are intrinsically linked to the user, it seems. As this culture continues to flourish, a double standard becomes ever prevalent. The preponderant difference is simply, a division of class, which allows one to view situations of drug use in dual light.

Prior to the Christmas period, our domestic Goddess, Nigella Lawson was exposed to a media circus and arguably something similar in court itself, as she fought off demands for prosecution. Admitting to the court that she had, in her lifetime taken cocaine and smoked marijuana but not, [and she stressed] habitually.

Accusations of drug use in front of, and possibly with, her children gave way to a somewhat outcry over the lack of action taken by Scotland Yard. Surely this is, in its entirety, a complete and utter contradiction to the crackdown on middle-class drug-use, of which former Met Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair vowed to uphold in his declaration of strength back in 2006. Certainly a smack in the face for Kerry Katona who some years previous had been charged for a similar offence, and was subsequently dropped as the face of Iceland. The difference between a reality star and the daughter of a notorious politician [an heiress to the J. Lyons and Co empire mind] being what exactly? I’m sure you can join the dots.

But when you have the likes of a PM and an American President conceding to a little dabble of drugs themselves, grandeur of talk ‘The War on Drugs’ becomes empty rhetoric. Those insulated by selfrighteous superiority have what can only be described as clouded judgment. Middle class users, often the dinner party ‘drink less, snort more’ type, imagine their crimes are victimless, as do those who brush said delinquencies under the carpet. The London Coke Brigade has little thought for those countries devastated by the trade, indeed the abject poverty of many Colombians and irrefutably much of Latin America. The lax attitude toward the bourgeois appears to exhibit approval of those adding to the sum of human misery. It begs the question, how long are we willing to permit social status to dictate our moral compass?

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CLIMATE CHANGE

FLOOD THE GREAT

WORDS: LIZ WILKINSON

You would be hard pressed not to have realised that Britain has been experiencing a bit of a battering of late. Although we British are accustomed to our erratic climate, after all the weather is our very favourite conversation topic, we still act extremely surprised when it gets over-dramatic. We can handle sunshine but oh not too hot, we can handle snow on the weekends but heck no travel disruptions and rain… please, we’re British; as long as it’s not too much and it ruddy well behaves itself.

DEBATE

“ SUCH IS THE PREVALENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE BELIEF, MORE THAN 1 IN 3 PEOPLE HAVE STATED POLITICAL LEADERSHIP ON THE TOPIC WOULD AFFECT THEIR FUTURE VOTE ” Not that it has in the past few months. In fact, global climate has been throwing whole populations into flux, from severe flooding in Indonesia, polar vortex in Northern America and of course our own flood and gale problems. There is bound to be endless debate on how we can protect ourselves, on how events like these can be avoided and of course who is to blame for them?

However, perhaps the most pertinent argument (and definitely the most controversial) is the role of climate change within this equation. How much has recent human activity really influenced our complex weather systems and could it possibly have aided or even triggered these devastating events?

concluding sentence may give you confidence. "There continues to be a lack of evidence and thus low confidence regarding the sign of trend in the magnitude and/or frequency of floods on a global scale." The IPCC also predicts that “extreme precipitation events” will likely become more frequent but will unfold “by the end of this century” rather than right now. So climate change hasn’t caused recent events?

In a recent poll conducted by Avaaz (a global civic organisation) 47% of respondents from the general public agreed that the “frequency and severity of the storms" were a direct result of climate change, while only 27% did not agree. Such is the prevalence of climate change belief that more than one in three people have stated political leadership on climate change and extreme weather would affect their future votes.

Then there is the tricky question of our very own jet stream, the one way conveyor belt that has brought nothing but storm after storm to us this winter. For months its path has been stuck in the same direction allowing low pressure to continually wave over us.

Professor Matt Collins from the Met Office has been quoted as saying "there is no evidence that global warming can cause the jet stream to get stuck in the way it has this winter."

Yet within the political machine there are disparate views being aired. Most politicians, including David Cameron and Ed Miliband, are loudly declaring the involvement of climate change in the recent floods. Cameron told the commons he "very much" suspects that climate change is involved whilst Miliband has declared climate change an issue of British national security. Yet how do these views fit with the physical data and evidence that scientists have available?

Perhaps not surprisingly the reaction from the Met Office has been decidedly more measured, and less eager to create an indelible link between climate change and the recent extreme weather. Dame Julia Slingo, The Met’s chief scientist, has said there was "no definitive answer" as to what had caused the period of stormy weather in the UK but then goes on to say "all the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change".

The renowned climate scientist Professor Sir Brian Hoskins has perhaps summed up the general opinion of the scientific community “There’s no simple link – we can’t say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ this is climate change”. The global climate is such a complex machine that there are many factors contributing to intense rainfall. Even the increase of our climate temperature doesn’t lead to the simple answer we may presume. We know that warmer air can hold more moisture, which then in turn will create more intense rain. Yet the question still remains how much rain? And where will all of it fall? Even with complex computer models it is understood that rainfall models are less reliable than those of temperature increase.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) documents are conspicuously undecided; i.e. they can be interpreted in many ways depending on the readers own climate beliefs. If you think that the role of manmade global warming is overplayed then this IPCC

For those who do advocate serious climate change the IPCC doesn’t leave you out. "The frequency or intensity of heavy precipitation events has likely increased in North America and Europe". So it has?

IF SCIENTISTS CANNOT AGREE ON CLIMATE CHANGE, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE REST OF US? Although the Met released a statement in the wake of those comments to confirm the “uncertainty” of the jet stream, it did not contradict or dispel Professor Collins’ words. Yet their chief scientist Professor Slingo has said that “all” evidence shows a link between climate change and increased floods.

If the scientists cannot agree, or find it incredibly difficult to give a certain link between flooding and climate change then where does that leave us? Our political landscape is going to be increasingly determined by everything global warming. Politicians will prove their leadership clout through flood defence promises, green energy initiatives and climate change budgets. Whether you believe the impact of climate change on our environment or not, it is clear that politics does. And after all, isn’t that all that matters?

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BRAZILIAN STYLE

You may have noticed, this summer is all about Brazilian style, and not just in terms of some extremely painful pre-beach waxing. Packing for a summer holiday is now becoming a competitive sport and no matter what your personal style mantra is, remember this: holidays occupy their own fashion planet. People do things differently there.

The days of turning up on a beach with flip flops, a matching bag and a pair of ‘fun’ sunglasses are long gone, my friends. Holidays need some serious thought, time, preparation and although you can take on some trends, this summer you just have to ask yourself: would this fly in Rio? First up, the question of sports-luxe and pool sliders. Yes, your fashion magazines will have been pushing them at you for several months but when you are standing in front of the mirror in your room on that crucial first day, in a swimsuit that looks like you found it in your old school’s gym kit cupboard and rubber-soled sandals that may have been decorated with a bit of diamante but make your thighs look like they belong in an Olympic shot-putting final, it might be time to think about what actually suits you.

You can kind of take it in one of two directions: the luxe hippie-chic beach traveller or the full-on glamour queen.

Each take a lot of effort and co-ordination, but the end results are equally as striking. For that luxe-hippie look you have to go for long, wavy locks that look like they have been dipped in sea salt and left to dry in the sun.

The bikini is only for the brave, so go for a tiny snakeskin print or batik look. Think Gisele and breathe in. Add an embellished kaftan, knee-length gladiators, some vintage Levi 501 cut-offs, piles of gold jewellery and a battered rucksack. Vintage Ray Bans complete the look. If you are going for a dark Brazilian tan there is no need to bake in that boiling sun – go for one of the darker self-tans available this summer and apply several coats! As for make-up anything goes as long as it is gold! You want to look naturally pretty but with hints of shimmer.

For the glam-girl look the style sky is the limit. For this look go for a colourful bikini and for extra style points get one that is customised for you! Julie Goodwin at fashion range POUT told ACE, “We recently launched our new bikini range at a special event in Liverpool, and girls can’t get enough. It enables you to choose a colour and design to suit your shape and personal taste, and you choose the embellishments for a really individual look.” So once that bikini is sorted, you need a bright, sequinned kaftan to match, and when it comes to your feet go for some cute flip-flops and, for when you want to strut your stuff by the pool, a pair of wedges that are high enough to give you some height, but not the type that will send you flying into the nearest palm tree. As for accessories do what you like as long as it is bright: hair flowers, hair chains, and tons of neon bangles are spot on. As for make-up and hair, go big or go home.

Think of a modern Brigitte Bardot, all tumbling waves and pouty lips. Highlight your (faux) tan with a bright lip gloss, manicure and pedicure and if you want to stay out of the pool, a sneaky false lash can finish your look.

If you are tempted to try the trend for neoprene swimwear think before you slip one on. They are fabulous at hiding muffin tops, but also hold in heat and after a few hours you might look amazing, but you will feel like you have been wrapped in an extra-strength bin bag!

Words: Nancy Buckland

If there was ever a summer to ditch your Brit-cool look and opt for something more exotic, then this is it. Be prepared to turn heads, just like the girl from Ipanema, and don’t worry if you jump in the pool and you come out minus a few accessories and a whole coat of body shimmer. What goes on in Rio stays in Rio.

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“I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture....” >> AINT IT JAY? Love him or hate him, Kanye West is to us what so many other fashion icons refuse to be, an evolving ideal, a man who moves with the times... even if he was rejected by Central Saint Martins. [Cough]. But then again, when you’re interning with Largerfeld at Fendi, who cares right? Urm, well, what about the fashion world itself, what do they think of Mr West?

Kanye attempted to address this in what has to be a legendary interview with The New York Times back in 2013. Mostly, he fails to convince us of his credibility because almost everything that comes from his mouth is simply outrageous. We do however learn why he’s so passionate about Fashion. Well...

Interviewer: But there’s vanity in fashion. You make clothes, but some people think it’s a vanity project, that you don’t take it seriously.

Kanye: But the passion is for humanity. The passion is for people. The passion is for the 18-year-old version of myself. The passion is for the kids at my shows. I need to do more. I need to be able to give people more of what they want that currently is behind a glass. I don’t believe that it’s luxury to go into a store and not be able to afford something. I believe luxury is to be able to go into a store and be able to afford something.

Sort of, kind of, remove all the bullsh*t crap and we hear what you’re saying Yeezus. But then again, that’s pretty hard too. This guy, when it comes to THE most ridiculous things ever to be ushered out of someone’s mouth, is king. And it’s often about culture and style. So ACE thought , heck, lets do a top 10 most gag-worthy quotes for the man that calls himself ‘Shakespeare in the flesh’.

Visiting my mind is like visiting the Hermès factory. Sh*t is real.

No flip flops for black dudes. I don’t care where you’re at.

I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of internet, downtown, fashion,

culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay Z was allowed to become Jay Z.

“No flip flops for black dudes. I don’t care where you at.”

When I think of competition it's like I try to create against the past. I think about Michelangelo and Picasso, you know, the pyramids.

[In regard to a life-size poster of himself] "I put me on the wall because I was the only person that had me on the wall at that time. And now that a lot of people have me on their wall, I don't really need to do that anymore.

I brought the leather jogging pants to Fendi six years ago, and they said no. How many motherf*ckers you done seen with the leather jogging pant?

I’m not trying to get into the [fashion] world. I’m trying to make a higher level of product for the real world.

Come on now! How could you be me and want to be someone else?

I jog in Lanvin.

I have to dress Kim everyday so she doesn’t embarrass me.

THAT SHIT CRAY

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return of the

wayfarer 2014 It’s that time of year again. You know the one, where all of Britain becomes convinced that this will be THE summer to remember. Endless BBQ’s, dazzling summer days and endless warm nights filled with music and frivolity that will last from June to September. Well sorry to burst that bubble, but it won’t happen (it never does). We may be lucky enough to dine alfresco those few times when the sun peaks out from behind the clouds for more than five minutes but by god we will be prepared.

Nothing screams optimism like a beautiful pair of Ray Ban sunglasses sheathed in its brown leather case. It means we are ready; prepped for the

moment when the sun will shine. Unless you are famous, or let’s face it pretentious, there are no reasonable excuses for wearing ray bans when it is a) cloudy or b) inside. It is however mandatory to have them on stand-by, that is to say within easy reach to suddenly whip them out of coat, bag, back pocket and smugly nestle them onto the bridge of your nose as if to say “squinting is so last season”.

A well timed ray ban reveal will leave those in your company not only jealous at your good sense, but in awe of your general grasp of life itself. Let’s face it; a wayfarer devotee is Steve McQueen incarnate right.

NEVER HIDE

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BE BOLD BE YOU

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GASTRO Hopskotch Street Kitchen & Bar THE new place to eat, drink and hang out. This fantastic urban eatery serves international street cuisine and oers some pretty tasty cocktails!

food & drink review

T H E

BIER COMPLEX

Bierkeller is a truly unique offering housed within the bastion of clothing shops and chain restaurants that is Liverpool ONE. That is to say that Bierkeller can offer you far more than just a wurst and a stein; if you are game to venture inside.

Of course, as the name suggests, you can settle yourself in for a truly Bavarian experience choosing between pretzel or currywurst all washed down with copious amounts of fine German brewed ales. Couple this with the rough wooden tables and on hand beer taps you could almost be forgiven for imaging you were at Oktoberfest, not in the heart of Liverpool. I say almost mainly due to the lack of lederhosen and Bavarian milk maids.

However, if you are not a fan of all things German kitsch, then you can choose instead to experience culinary offerings from wider afield. The aim of Around the World in 80 Beers is pretty self-explanatory. Housed within the Bierkeller complex this beer experience offers revellers a chance to travel the world through several pints of beers with a passport in hand “and reach beer topia”. Naturally if a person wanted to reach beer topia, they need some hearty grub to aide their quest. Here the choice is vast, Spanish chorizo, Chinese spring rolls, Brazilian wild boar, New Zealand lamb and Texas Bar-BQ; and that was just the ACE team’s lunch order. We only felt it fair to accompany this smorgasbord of world treats with an offering of Vietnamese Beer and Swedish cider, which let’s just say all went down a treat!

I suppose the real draw for Bierkeller is the humble marriage of fine food and even finer beer. The whole atmosphere is aimed at social interaction and simple relaxation. The upper level houses vast pool tables and wide screen tellies hosting every sport imaginable where you can while away a good few hours. If you are looking for a place to enjoy a few stress free hours and then Bierkeller would be a fine choice indeed.

Also, if you are a fan of football and the little competition commencing in a few weeks where England will undoubtedly loose in a flame of penalty kick misery, then Bierkeller is on hand offering a chance to sample themed food and drink from several nations. From the USA to Brazil itself they have your World Cup covered, as well as those wide screen TV’s.

Words: Elizabeth Wilkinson

“We are acquiring a bigger kit from the Wapping Brewery located under the iconic Baltic Fleet pub, taking over brewing all the cask ale for the Baltic Fleet, and opening a small brewery tap on our premises.”

- Mad Hatter Brewing Company A small brewing company making big waves in the craft beer world... Introducing Mad Hatter Brewing.

Mad Hatter Brewing Company started in the garage of Gareth Matthews and his partner Sue Starling in 2012. Its products were launched in February 2013 and represented a real triumph for enterprising, small brewers. Currently they run the whole operation between the two founders, Gareth as master brewer and Sue admin and promotions whizz.

It began as a desire to brew exciting and unusual beers using the best ingredients and live yeast. This first year has been their experimental phase, with “Gaz” brewing around 60 different beers. With a host of successful events under their belt and praise flying in from every corner Mad Hatter are taking the next step.

2014 sees the next phase and ACE is pretty excited.

“We are acquiring a bigger kit from the Wapping Brewery located under the iconic Baltic Fleet pub, taking over brewing all the cask ale for the Baltic Fleet, and opening a small brewery tap on our premises [corner of Jamaica Street in the favoured Baltic Triangle],” says Sue. ACE recommends the RedRum, then again, you should probably taste em all... Find Mad Hatter Beers @ Londis Penny Lane, Twenty Three Club, Quarter Bardeli, The Grapes, The Baltic Social, and the iconic Baltic Fleet pub.

In Manchester, you can find beers in Port St Beer House, Pie & Ale, Joshua Brooks and Beermoth. www.madhatterbrewing.co.uk

Cocktail Masterclass Words: faith mcnally // photography: Jamie scott-gobin Ace the art of mixing your favourite drinks with the help of one of Revolution’s expert ‘mixologists’ A cocktail master class is not the usual antidote to a cold and blustery winter’s evening, but nevertheless, it absolutely did the trick for me and a group of friends recently as we were invited along to Revolution St Peter’s Square. A fun-filled night of learning how to mix our favourite cocktails to perfection (and drinking them!) left us all with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and unfortunately for one of us, a strawberry puree soaked jumper (warning: it can get messy.)

The masterclass kicked off with a shot and a Strawberry Daquiri for everyone whilst our knowledgeable cocktail master Ste introduced himself and demonstrated the basics of cocktail making. Then it was my time to shine as he instructed me through the first demonstration cocktail Russian Bride: a twist on a White Russian that’s aptly named if you’re a bride to be enjoying the masterclass as part of your hen party.

After the first demonstration we were paired off and our skills were put to the test in a race to make the fastest cocktail, the catch being that the person pouring can’t see what they’re doing and has only their partner’s instructions for help (hence, the strawberry puree jumper accident.)

For the next class in our alcoholic education we each chose from the Disco Cocktails section of their extensive menu and set to work making them with the help of our lovely cocktail wiz Ste, this was of course followed by the inevitable ‘task’ of drinking them. Unmissable tipples include the Revolution original Tennessee Mudshake: a must for any self respecting chocoholic and The Jammy B*stard : every bit as jammy as the name suggests.The stand out cocktail of the night for me though, had to be the next demo cocktail Raspberry and Basil Mojito. The fresh and fruity twist on a popular classic made for a surprisingly intriguing taste.

The last lesson of the night allowed us to have free reign of their menu and each choose whichever cocktail took our fancy. Our choices included the a la mode Pornstar Martini, vintage classic Honeyberry Sour and best of both worlds G and Tea.We finished the night as we had begun with a shot, only this time it was flavour train style: a great way to end a fun, booze-filled and surprisingly educational night.

For those who like a bit of history with their beverages, also available is the Prohibition Cocktail Masterclass where you can soak up some interesting facts about the history and origins of various vintage tipples from the prohibition era whilst you sip them.

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A fun-filled night of learning how to mix our favourite cocktails to perfection (and drinking them!) left us all with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and unfortunately for one of us, a strawberry puree soaked jumper (warning: it can get messy.)

for more information Standard Cocktail Masterclass 90mins £24.95pp (food options available) Prohibition Cocktail Masterclass 90mins £29.95pp (food options available) To book your Cocktail Masterclass for a Birthday/Stag/ Hen Party or any other occasion call 0800 6300 860 to talk to a party planner or fill out an online booking form @ www.revolutionbars.co.uk/cocktail-masterclass/

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Websites >> Branding >> Print Design >> Search Engine Optimisation >> Content >> Photography & Video Production sphinxmediagroup.co.uk // info@sphinxmedia.org // @spxmedia

food & drink review Revolution Bar @ Albert Dock >> Revolution bars are well-known across Liverpool. With four separate bars straddling the city in Wood Street, St Peters Square, Cavern Quarter and at the Albert Dock it wouldn’t be a stretch to say most nights out in the city include a stop at “revs”. Their prevalence for high end vodka cocktails and shots is renowned, and to go through their entire cocktail selection would take a person many attempts (although I’m sure no one would complain).

What may come as a surprise to those of us familiar with Revolution’s alcoholic menu is that they have a fairly comprehensive food menu on offer too. We chose to eat on a Friday night to experience both the food and that famous Revolution atmosphere.

Of course we had to start with a cheeky cocktail (who could say no) and after much deliberation decided on a new copper jug “Prickly Jasmine”. Think grown up bucks fizz with a cheeky kick and you have an idea of how delicious this cocktail is, definitely a great choice for a girls night out.

The food menu itself is what you would expect from a bar serving food. Filled with burgers, hotdogs and pizzas it is rather pedestrian, but there are a few surprises thrown in there. Additions such as chicken satay and katsu curry seem a bit strange especially next to mac n cheese and fish and chips. However, as Nigella would say it’s all about the taste so lets get down to it.

Happily sipping our prickly jasmines we choose to order across the menu. Chicken satay skewers, garlic flatbread, from the small plate selection and vodka pizza and grilled rump steak accompanied with skin on fries and house slaw as our mains.

The small plates were a happy surprise, especially the satay skewers. Lovely thick strips of succulent chicken were chargrilled and served with a chunky, rich peanut satay sauce. The garlic flatbread, although a nice texture, could have done with a bigger kick of garlic and seasoning to really pack a punch.

Words: Elizabeth Wilkinson With expectations growing with the ever-increasing volume of the club music our mains arrived. The steak was perfectly cooked, rare and well rested but again lacked seasoning. Its accompanying peppercorn sauce certainly had the flavour but had been reduced too much. The house slaw was a nice touch, rich with red cabbage and a satisfying crunch.

Its assumed that a pizza is easy to make; its not. Here all the components were well cooked but failed to really gel together for a taste explosion. A beautiful pizza base topped with chicken glazed in vodka salsa, chorizo, pepperoni, goat’s cheese, peppers and red onion topped with pea shoots (phew) lacked the charcoal, intensity expected from fresh pizza.

As the restaurant/club became busier and the atmosphere ramped up the Friday feeling, those few niggles affecting the food faded away. To enter Revolution expecting a gastronomic explosion will leave you jaded, it is not that kind of eatery. However as a social hub for drink and food it excels. Grab your friends and pull up a seat. Big portions, good drinks a great night will make.

The Wine Review w/ Red Retro Wines >> I am too young to remember the heyday of mass produced Bulgarian wine but I’m told that during the 70’s no dinner party worth its salt would be deemed a success without a Bulgarian red taking centre stage. Nowadays we look to the New World vineyards of Australia and Chile to offer a substitute to the familiar Western European wines.

I can honestly say I was completely unaware that Bulgaria still had vineyards exporting, let alone exporting bottles that were any good.

O how wrong I was and happily so. Not only does Bulgaria have a re-emerging wine trade but the cabernet sauvignon I was lucky enough to sample was one of the best midpriced reds I have had in a long while.

The Golden Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 has already won two international awards and is brilliantly priced at £11.50 from Red Retro Wines. This relatively young company based in the North West has set its

sights on changing the perceptions of Bulgarian wines in Britain. Coming from vineyards over 2,500 years old, the wine championed by Red Retro contain no added additives and are all suitable for vegans. With no sulphates added to the wine the hypothesis is that the resulting wine will be smoother and easier to drink.

And boy is it. The Golden Rhythm is one of the smoothest wines I’ve ever tasted; a perfectly balanced, elegant wine that has a beautiful length on the palate. Deftly made with just the right support of ripe blackberries and dark chocolate it had a silky, almost floral style lifted with wonderful spice aromas.

If you are looking for a wine which will be a talking point then I would definitely recommend this one. Not only did it make me smile after a long day, but the flavours stayed with me long after my last sip.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m off to search for my next tipple (and it will most definitely be Bulgarian).

For more information about Bulgarian wines head to www.redretrowines.com or @RedRetroWines

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