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ACE L I V E R P O O L
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 // ISSUE NO.8
+ ZEITGEIST
ACE COLUMNISTS TALK POLITICS, CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
BANDTRAIL
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Page 7 - 10
MILES KANE HORROR CINEMA SPECIAL ART AT THE BLUECOAT ED BYRNE
THE ESSEX BORN STARLET TAKES TIME-OUT TO SPEAK TO ACE ABOUT HER TRIUMPHS OVER ADVERSITY, MAKING SMASH HIT RECORDS, RAISING MILLIONS FOR CHARITY AND RECAPTURING HER ZEST FOR LIFE. JESSIE J TRULY IS LIVING THE DREAM...
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JessieJ E X C L U S I V E ・ I N T E R V I E W
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Editorial
Features
If I’m honest, this month over at ACE HQ, we’re pretty chuffed with ourselves. Last issue saw Arctic Monkeys grace the front cover of our re-designed and re-sized publication, with incredible demand for the copy. ACE was literally g off the shelves quicker than you can say, welll... you get the picture. So we’ve upped our A game again and hope it has the same ACE effect. Lending a hand is Jessie J and her team who took the time to speak to us about the drop of the new album, and who looks mighty e on the cover we must say. We’ve been speaking to a few other folks, ya’ll might like this month including Miles Kane [Damn that guy looks good] and Ed Byrne, all-time funny man.
MILES KANE
Aside from chatting, we’ve been gearing up for the festivities coming our way; Halloween and re night playing their part, with a m and food & drink special. Lots to watch out for in the issue; Homeland, the IPhone, Fifth Estate, Political Parties, Winter Fashion and much much more. Tweet us your thoughts: @ACELiverpool #ACEMagazine #ACE2.0
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dani telford editor & designer
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Oct/Nov highlights
BRUNO MARS 24/11/2013
The sensational Hawaiian hits the Echo Arena late this November in support of his critically acclaimed sophomore Unorthodox Jukebox. Support comes from the beautifully soulful Mayer Hawthorne, so a night of unadulterated smooth is a sure-thing.
EchoArena.com
Natalie McCool
Tim Hetherington: You Never See Them Like This 16/09/13 - 24/11/13 Offering a unique insight into the lives of deployed American Soldiers, the late Tim Hetherington's photographs are as striking when presented outside of their original journalistic context. This exhibition is a celebration of a cherished son of Liverpool as well as a world renowned photographer. An absolute must see.
OpenEye.org.uk
Alice in Wonderland 19/11/13 - 20/11/13 Immerse yourself in the Volcano Company’s 21st century twist on Lewis Carol’s classic. This reimagining of the famed tale is said to be the darkest yet, so expect some devastatingly disturbing derangement.
UnityTheatreLiverpool.co.uk
The Nutcracker 20/11/13 - 23/11/13
The Counsellor 15/11/13 An all star cast including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz star in Riddley Scott's highly anticipated Crime Thriller which is being tipped to offer both style and substance in plentiful measure.
The English National Ballet come to Liverpool’s most prestigious Theatrical venue this November to entertain with a festive treat suitable for all the family. Regarded as one of the best Nutcracker shows around, the ENB’s performance is sure to ignite your Christmas spirit early.
LiverpoolEmpire.org.uk
Odeon.co.uk
Blumenthal 14/11/13 Brian Cox takes the lead in Seth Fisher’s dark comedy following the family of a deceased playwright who died laughing at his own joke. Tears and laughs can be expected as Fisher’s promising career takes to the silver screen for re length.
English National Ballet
FACT.co.uk
Natalie McCool 7/11/13
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 23/11/13
Back for a homecoming gig, Natalie McCool is playing arguably Liverpool’s quirkiest venue, situated on the legendary Wolstenholme Sq. Her anthemic guitar riffs are around for one night only so be sure not to miss out!
Oscar winner Jessica Lawrence resumes her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second instalment of The Hunger Games trilogy. The Capitol have made targets of Everdeen and her partner after their victory in the 74th Games and the Revolution seems nigh...
TheKazimier.co.uk
Odeon.co.uk
Editors
Findlay
18/11/13
27/11/13
Birmingham’ roll into Liverpool this November to entertain with their iconic ‘dark disco’ sound. Their latest album, The Weight of Your Love, fuses a new element of Americana which translates into their fantastic live show.
A fantastic year for Findlay which has included slots at the Reading & Leeds Festivals, along with a highly lauded set at Liverpool Sound City, is topped off with a return, this time at the iconic Korova Bar.
O2AcademyLiverpool.co.uk
Korova-Liverpool.com
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02/03/14
MUSIC Gabrielle Aplin
Fresh o the back of her solo debut ‘English Rain’, young Gabrielle is set to light up the o2 Academy this November with her sweet vocals and array of instrumental talents.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Arcade Fire
Paul McCartney New
Jessie J
Known globally as the darlings of Indie, Montreal’ managed to carve out a pretty successful career. Glowing r ree s a lot to contend with and high s a documentation of their past relived in vivid detail, delivered with an urgency and fervour that makes it almost impossible to look ahead. Arcade Fire have always managed to make themselves sound big and here they go again, with “Awful Sound (Oh, Eurydice) and “It’s Never Over (Oh, Orpheus) ACE had repeat on. And on and on.
McCartney is back. In a big way. In a good way. Returning with “It” producers Mark Ronson and Paul Epworth, McCartney has captured the magic of his past and reworked it into this new album New. Perhaps the title should read “back with the sameish” as “Revolver” whispers in the background of “Got to Get You Into My Life” and “Blackbird”
After a successful turn on The Voice, Jessie J has returned to offer up her second album Alive.
with pr modern beats New makes for good listening. The Beatles aged, but he’s still got it and it’s
demonstrated in full here as she talks to a lost love one in the clouds. For sure the tracks are more composed and mature than
suggest you wack it on yours too.
urban cool with masterful singing - if you like that sort of thing.
Katy Perry Prism Following on from the astounding success of her 2010 album Teenage Dream, which saw her break a 53 year old record as she sent 5 singles to No 1, Katy Perry is back with her third studio album Prism. Post Russell Brand divorce, Perry’s lyrics are jammed with girl power, new-age mantra to which all heartbroken singles can hang onto; and wail at the top of their voice because Perry is damn catchy. Also packed full of California air and throw back riffs Prism is a departure for the Popstress , but only slightly. Expect big ballads and cheesy pop, worth a listen at the very least.
since her debut Who You Are dropped, Alive has some pretty “Wild” and “It’s My Party” prove her urban credentials and chart worthiness whilst emotions run high in the power ballad “I Miss
Anna Calvi One Breath Real Estate guitarist Matt Mondanile has taken his Ducktails project back to his roots. Gone are the lush, extensive sounds of The Flower Lane replaced by a simpler almost home record vibe of Wish re Mondanile stands alone expressing his own sentiments, exquisitely realised on “Tie-Dye” where rich guitar and synth marry perfectly independence from his Real Estate band mates has proven Mondanile to be a highly accomplished songwriter and performer in his own right. Listen for the accessible songs stay for the beautiful lyrics.
You could be forgiven for thinking British songstress Anna Calvi’s gargantuan voice was that of Florence Welch. powerful notes are a focal point to the disk, having also been compared to Edith Piaf, Calvi’s second album demonstrates clear progression spanning quite a range, from Gothic Pop to Grunge. With a more personal tone than the sophomore release, One Breath strikes a balance between optimism and despair, beauty and ugliness. The y elements of Anna’s debut remain, but is more instinctive and urgent, revealing a wider spectrum of textures and emotion.
“I just shared it initially to his guitarist Brian Ray not expecting him to see it,” admits the Liverpool-born performer. “He then shared it and everyone was saying Paul McCartney's going to see it! I kept telling people no, he won't and in the end McCartney ended up sharing it on his official Facebook and Twitter pages and the number of views just sky-rocketed! “It's just unbelievable, he's my all-time hero it's a dream come true. I still can't believe it happened.” McConnell has already seen his four-song E.P. Worried About Thomas McConnell receive rave reviews this year. And he has much to look forward to with a nationwide tour supporting Ian McNabb and The Vinyls coming up in November and December.
Simon Mulligan // @SimonJMulligan
“It'll be really hard work but it will be great going everywhere round the country, including places like the Hope &Anchor, where the Sex Pistols have played. It's good to play outside of Liverpool as well, so that will be cool.” Long-term hopes for Thomas to release his own album lie in the pipeline, but for now he is pleased for now to see people enjoy his music, as he seeks to spread the word about Thomas McConnell. For any unsigned aspiring musician, to be endorsed by your all-time musical hero would be a dream come true. And if your hero is Paul McCartney, that feeling would be even more incredible. Meet Thomas McConnell, 20-year-old aspiring musician and Beatles fanatic, whose video cover of Paul McCartney's new release, aptly called New ended up being endorsed by the ex-Beatle himself.
“People compare me to the Beatles but I don't mind that comparison for now. All great bands sound like their heroes when they start out. “I just want people to say they like it. It doesn't really matter what they say, that's just always really good.” But if things continue in the same vein, there'll surely be more great things to come and less and less reason for us to worry about Thomas McConnell.
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MILES KANE
the Wirral
Words: Jack Graysmark
WONDER RETURNS RETURNS Miles Kane. Cavern Quarter. Stripped Down Set. December. Listening? Miles Kane has a message for us. The title of his second album, Don’t Forget Who You Are reminds us that though he has progressed to become a world class musician, working with the likes of Paul Weller and Alex Turner, he is still very much a lad from the Wirral. When his current UK tour was announced, eyebrows were raised at the lack of a Liverpool date. Well, it turns out that he was saving his beloved city for a treat: Miles Kane will play two homecoming shows at Eric’s on the 6th and 7th December.
Despite his well-trimmed appearance , there remains an undeniable energy to Miles Kane; he has a wild yet enticing persona which helps carry his sound Appearing at the venue on October 3rd, Kane was as sharply dressed as ever, in a navy blazer and matching pinstripe trousers. Despite his recent success, he still seems completely down to earth, happily at home with a guitar in hand - in this case, an acoustic model. After a stripped back version of the new album’s title track, he settles down for a chat with Liverpool disc jockey legend Billy Butler. The pair take us on a journey through Kane’s music career, from his days with Merseyside bands The Little Flames and The Rascals to his current solo material.
Miles Kane has always been on the radar at some level, whatever project he’s been involved in; the man himself describes his life in music so far as a “rollercoaster,” full of ups and downs. He recalls going to watch bands at local venues like The Picket, and instantly becoming besotted with the rock star image. However, he never ’s Bar, which seems a world away from the impressive rdes of devotees. The subject soon turns to Kane’s work in The Last Shadow Puppets, a bombastic, psychedelic project he started with Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys fame. Butler heaps praise onto the band’s work, clearly trying to coax Kane into revealing whether or not The Last Shadow Puppets will be returning. Kane swiftly breezed over the topic, an action he must have perfected by now, but he did reveal that he has been thinking about new material. In particular, he’s been listening to a lot of soul from the likes of Bobby Womack and Charles Bradley. It will be inter way into his music in the future, but for now Don’t Forget Who You Are is a fantastically enjoyable record, particularly because it has such a distinctive, enjoyable sound. Butler comments after the acoustic performance that “if you weren’t joining in with the la la la’s, there’s something wrong with you!” This prompts Kane to laugh Colour of the a cheerful and enlightening session. Trap Despite his well-trimmed appearance, there’s an undeniable energy about Miles Kane; he has a wild yet enticing persona that helps to carry his music. No doubt when he returns to Eric’s in December, it will round o what has been an incredible year for the mod rocker. After all, there’s always something special about returning to your old stomping ground. A triumph waiting to happen? We don’t think so, we know so.
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MAIN FEATURE
Words: Dani Telford
>>
Jessie j
LIVING DREAM the
She performed TWICE at last year’s Olympics, shaved all her hair off for Comic Relief, has a string of top 10 hits and a massive debut album, four tours and two series of The Voice behind her belt, so we’
The boisterous singer, committed to her cause, has spent her whole life battling the odds to ‘live the dream’ as they say. Not just in the industry but personally as well. With an irregular heartbeat, Jessie spent her childhood and teenage years in and out of hospitals and even su ered a stroke at the age of 18. Though you wouldn’t be able to tell, as Jessie clearly lives life to the full. For the past three years, she’s also fame’s trickier side of, awkward and invasive questioning from the media who resolutely leave no stone unturned, outing her as a ‘lesbian’ pretty early on in her career, which she now politely declines to comment upon. Instead, and rightly so, she prefers to focus on what should really matter, her music and her work. As the new album ‘Alive’ drops and a UK Tour imminent [Yes, she’s heading to Liverpool folks] we thought it’s probably best to try and speak to the lady herself, get the ‘scoop’, and thankfully for us… she said yes. With no pre-pr single o the album Wild ft. Dizzie Rascal and Big Sean shot straight to the top of the charts, a pretty big feat considering. Jessie tells ACE that was the plan all along; to have the track come out, the same time as the video and it didn’t half pay o . “It took a lot of convincing to get it through but it went to number one in four countries, so the reaction was great. I couldn’t be happier.” The idea was to strip back the way in which music these days reaches the supporters, “I wanted to see the power of music without all the social media and press,” she tells us, “I didn’t want the music stations and all that to get it before the fans did. “It’s a great start and something not many can boast about but we get the feeling Jessie is still nervous about what sort of reaction she’ll get for the album as a whole.
‘Why are you here?’ but the second is, ‘why should you stay here?’ “ There are preconceptions, expectations, already formed opinions and songs they’d quite like to hear some more of… it’s no wonder there are some anxious thoughts lurking in the back of her mind. “This second album is much harder e
proclaims, but she’s enjoyed the experience all the same. “It’s nice to get to know your voice again. It’s like being a chef and always cooking the same meals then branching out into baking. It’s nice to feel you’re exploring another piece of yourself. “ At one point, you even get 80s throwback, with Jessie’s track of choice Daydreaming – “Prince meets Whitney,” she tells us.
A FIRST ALBUM IS ABOUT ‘WHY ARE YOU HERE?’, A SECOND ALBUM IS ABOUT ‘WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE’ whether this is vocally or at the songwriting stage, and Jessie is well known for her team playing attributes. “FAMOUS” we say, for the ‘all in this together’ showmanship. “It’s important… When I’m on my tour, I always make a point of going out and saying thank you to everyone packing away. You have to remember it’s not all about you.” We guess this is what grounds the star. The album itself was written with a little help from Claude Kelly and the track Breathe written in New York with one of ACE’s favourites – Sia. “She did the melody with me and I did the lyrics. I’ve worked with some incredible people. I like working with people in the studio because then you can get to know each other. In the studio people see me in a di erent way and that’s also really important.”
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Jessie j
I DON’T WANT TO BE A CARTOON CHARACTER. SOMETIMES I LOOK BACK AND THINK ‘WHO’S IDEA WAS THAT?’ It seems to us, Jessie has it pretty sweet at the ’ away r y, was performing twice at the r
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#ACE2.0 we interview the biggest names
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Coming Soon
SCREEN Gravity
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in Alfonso Cuarón’s suspenseful thriller which follows two astronauts adrift in outer space.
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FILM REVIEWS Filth
credentials on its sleeve Riding on a singularly hysterical performance from rising star and Xman James McAvoy, ‘Filth’ pulls no punches in laying bare the sordid realities (and unrealities as it happens) of Bruce Robertson, the most crooked cop in what we can only assume is the most dysfunctional police department in Edinburgh. By turns Machiavellian, narcissistic and deeply, deeply unwell, McAvoy is a peculiar delight to watch as he manipulates his colleagues in a bid for promotion, happily pushing their buttons in the race for status and power. McAvoy brings a volatile energy to his performance as a character who, on top of the sins of his professional career, dopes, shags and drinks himself into a state of ruin and desperation bordering on the sublime. Comparisons have, in fact, been made with McDowell’s Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’; like Kubrick’s opus, ‘Filth’ plays a balancing act with comedy and violence, exaggerated all the more through an uneasy irrealist cinematographic palette. More than that, Kubrick and Baird both allow their pr ree-fall, constantly deferring the consequences of their outrageous actions until they can be deferred no longer. For any mega Welsh fans, there is enough in the script—enough black humour, violence and play with the sharpness and wit of Scots dialect—to stay happy for the ninety-odd minute run time. This familiarity, almost in spite of ‘Filth’s’ deliberately rough edges, works in its favour, keeping the movie bouncing along even through the grimmest of territory.‘Filth’ however, falls short slightly of the depth of feeling elicited by ‘Trainspotting’ in that although the viewer does come to feel something for Robertson other than disgust, the exposition of his troubled backstory offset against the confrontational “me-looking-at-you-looking-at-me” fourth-wall breaking occasionally becomes stale in an awkward pantomime way. Fortunately these moments are few and far between and the seemingly illimitable energy McAvoy brings to the r role to date— more than carries the movie to its unashamedly bleak, hysterical, nihilistic conclusion.
Blue Jasmine
Captain Phillips
Directed by Dexter Fletcher 'Sunshine on Leigh' is a
To think of Woody Allen’s latest as a comedic mishap of rich girl gone poor would put you on, almost, the right track but you would be doing it a bit of a disservice, as Blue Jasmine may just be the closest we have come to Allen’s very own breakdown and what a breakdown it is. But In the midst of the heart wrenching arbitration on love and loss that is Blue Jasmine, there is Cate Blanchett delivers a colossal performance. Blue Jasmine is a winning success for Allen, and yet very different and darker, to what has gone before. We, as the audience, take the ride with Jasmine, and slowly, while we’re blissfully unaware, the smile we have etched across our faces is being wiped away, when the lights go up we are left in a very dark place indeed.
We know Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump and we know Paul Greengrass, United 93, Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum; but we don’t know them together. ork to Both deliver the date in telling the real-life tale of Captain Philips in this tense modern day piracy thriller. Character development is sacri ced (and the better for it) in preference of nonstop, heart thumping, nerve jangling cinema. The Somali pirates, all played by newcomers, embody the desperation and determination needed to carry the tension of the and spark off of Hanks to create a tension that does not abate until the credits roll. Thi lm comes with a warning: Be sure to pencil in a stiff drink afterwards and a quiet moment to re ct. Simply, brilliant.
themes of relationships, marriage, heartache and loneliness tug at the heartstrings and has you tapping your toes in equal measure. Drawn into the story of family dynamics by Davy (George Mackay) and Ally (Kevin Guthrie), two friends returning from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Happy to be returning to their beloved Edingburgh, their lives are further entangled by the relationship that evolve whilst at home. The rapport between characters shines out from the screen as a result of excellent presence and performance. The score by The Proclaimers sets the tone well, moving the story forward. It’s a must see. Is it worth walking 500 miles for? Aye it is!
Elizabeth Wilkinson // @Lilly_Betty14
Sunshine on Leith
Christopher Burns | @Christophj87
Deborah Pugh // @DeborahPugh5
James Baxter
John S. Baird’s big screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s 1998 novel, ‘Filth,’ offers the viewer everything in the way of depravity, ultra-violence and transgression—all the time, seething with a sense of black humour, torn between the poles of mania and depression. Although unfamiliar with the text, ‘Filth,’ the movie, most of the time strikes that sweet spot between adept and
HORRIFIC CINEMA
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As time went by, Horror cinema became dictated by the culture and time in which it existed. The 1950’s was a period of r World Wars still fresh in the memory, along with the speedy progression of Science and Technology which evoked anxiety and awe in equal measure. So, the likes of The Blob (1958) and Godzilla (1954) neatly packaged everyone’s fears and paranoia of a pending nuclear disaster into smart, groundbreaking horrors. The 1960’s saw sexual liberation and a societal shift away from the pr rd family unit’. This, in turn, birthed a cinematic generation intent on scaring us fr red Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) appeared at the dawn of the era, creepily toyed with family structure and skillfully corrupted the once innocuous notion of a Son having a close relationship with his mother. While Roman Polanski’s hauntingly brilliant Rosemary’s Baby (1968) did little to buck the trend by continuing the cinematic assault on the sanctity of childbirth and the quiet family life. Bleeding from the 60’s and into the 70’s, the concept of
within the overall genre of Horror, albeit, in a far more merciless manner. Wes Craven’s uncompromisingly nasty The Last House On The Left (1972) and John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) propelled horror cinema into a bleak, violent age and both featured young women in horribly perilous situations at the hands of dangerous, and in Halloween’s case, faceless men. It was the family under attack again, but this time, as in Craven’s The Hill’s Have Eyes (1977), the repercussions were noticeably evolved in terms of brutality and sadism. But the real scare of the decade came in the form of something a little di erent, it wasn’t a slash of a blade or a kidnapping, it was a twelve year, well, a twelve year old girl possessed by the devil himself. William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) toyed devilishly - pardon the pun - with the innocence of childhood and literally had people fainting and vomiting in the aisle, The Exorcist, consider it as you like contemporarily, changed the face of cinema forever. So where did the blood come in? When did everything come in? The 1980’s, of course. The rise of capitalism in its y, materialism, body image, it could only be the 80’s and the thirst for more, more and more blood and guts had arrived, and it began with corridor’s gushing with the stu in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980).
John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) and David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986)
gruesomely transforming and eroding away in pools of skin rement was also present In Wes Craven’s A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984), Freddy Kruger going down in history as some kind of antihero, whereas at the beginning, he was anything but.
So, by the 1990’s we were all smarter, knowing, and we weren’t scared anymore, of course we weren’t , we had 90 years of scares on our side, how could we be? We knew the tropes and the formula by now didn’t we? Well, Wes Craven turned things on their heads once again with Scream (1996) and instantly Horror became meta. It became self aware and prone to the occasional moment of self-parody. Scream used every cliché and took all the tricks we knew, twisted them 360 degrees and still scared the hell out of everyone. The good old fashioned serial killer was back, and the 90’s couldn’t get enough of them, The Silence Of The Lambs (1990), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Seven (1995) all testament to the fact.
orror ee ss sasa orror ee ome ome meta meta self self aa are are an self aro i an self aro i So, the noughties came along and the seismically catastrophic event of 9/11 carved Horror - and cinema generally - in its image thereon after. The panic was authentic and drab in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002) but after came what the decade r re. James Wan’s Saw (2004) and Eli Roth’s Hostel (2005) both gave us torture and abuse r o light at the time in graphic and nauseating form through journalistic warzone reportage. Horror cinema, over time, has changed, always reactively. It is the worst of us, manifested. It toys with our repressions and fears and then holds a broken mirror to our faces so we can stare right back at our distorted selves. It becomes as vile and disturbing as we dictate, as society and the individual decides. We only hope the dynamic remains this way around, for an inversion is as potentially terrifying as the next new release you’re poised to see, or inspire
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E
HOM LAND All hail the return of Homeland. The Showtime o ering that has lead a merry dance for two incredible series is back on Channel 4 for its third o ering. For those who have missed the action so far (and even for those of us who have loyally followed because let’s face it it’s been a complicated dance) here is ACE’s Homeland 101.
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CIA agent Carrie Matheson is told by one of her informants that an American POW has been turned. After eight years of being believed to be dead, Marine Corps Sergeant Nicholas Brody is found alive in an Al Qaeda prison.
Then it gets a bit complicated…. Brody becomes a congressman, Carrie believes Brody is the turned agent, she illegally bugs his house, he prays in the garage, his wife is having an a air, then Carrie and Brody have an a air, another POW, Tom Walker enters the stage, Carrie’s boss Saul remains sane whilst she steady becomes insane, CIA Director Estes is just creepy throughout and Abu Nazir is the big bad. Brody gets a suicide vest, Carrie realises she loves Brody, Brody records a suicide tape and attempts to blow up the VicePresident. He doesn’t. Still with me? 6 months later….Carrie has been kicked out of the CIA, then asked back, Saul and Carrie follow Nazir to Lebanon, Brody warns Nazir, Carrie kicks butt and gets a memory stick. Proves she was right about Brody, he’s taking direction from Roya, kills a tailor, sleeping at a hotel, captured by Carrie. Analyst Quinn is in charge, Carrie turns Brody, Brody and Carrie have sex, Quinn goes to kill Brody but doesn’t. Roya is captured, Abu Nazir is killed, Brody and Carrie kiss whilst Estes and the rest of the CIA are killed in a car bomb. The car belongs to Brody, Carrie helps him escape Phew! And that’s just the overview. To mention every twist and turn or japer and caper that have occurred within the Homeland world would require me to write a dissertation entitled “Homeland: Brilliant or Bonkers?” and even then I don’t think I would be able to provide a conclusive answer. I think that’s mainly because Homeland is just that, a jumble of intense psychological thriller and farcical storytelling. So the only thing to do is hop on board, buckle up and get ready for the onslaught of pure entertainment that is Homeland. Watch on Sundays, Channel 4, 9pm Homeland runs till December 15th
ART Art Turning Left
An explorative investigation into how the production and reception of Art has been
values. TATE Liverpool presents what is billed to be an exceptional, contemporaril relevant exhibition this November (7th) onwards.
art AT THE BLUECOAT
IMAGE: DOROTHY CTOSS WORDS: ADAM SCOVELL This article was written at 3am, 28/10/13.
03:00 It s dark outside. A few hours ago I was at an exhibition with a running theme of ideas that manifest at 3AM. Strangely, the solitude of writing at 3AM isn t something new but the exhibition at Bluecoat aims to provoke such thoughts that occur during this time. Of course the solitude isn t the only aspect of early morning illusions but it is the dominant one at the show as the people from the arts industries enjoyed their wine and wandered casually between thoughts and walls.
A room smelled like cinnamon. I asked the attendant but apparently its lavender. Shapes that resemble stars and re spread across fabric and paraphernalia over a night-blue range (Sandra Cinto). We wondered together whether the work does evoke the sky or whether it’s something else. The shapes cover over children’s toys, those spinning tops. Childhood is hiding behind a re; a dark and more morbid one when ignoring the quaintness of the work and considering that their status as stars means they have been dead long since the viewer has seen their light. It’s strange to feel the need to describe the event of the exhibition opening but it is perhaps one of the e ects of being awake at this time of night. It feels like there is a time gives way to minor illusions of utopian loneliness and isolation. Even here though, the exhibition found a new avenue to show the vitality of other life in the early hours. The photographs of Dornith Doherty capture brief moments of animal life in the dead of night. They are blurred and distorted, seeming to be taken o the cu . The animals are looking at the camera, it could be a fox, it could be a daemon. They seem perturbed by the artist’s presence and therefore ours as well. Perhaps people are not meant to awaken naturally at 3AM: It is the time of other things. Other works show how animalistic and distanced people Treacy’s work shows humanoid forms seeming to be hidden by clothing and costume that evoke the metamorphosis into more obscure creatures. One has a leg akin to a werewolf. The picture is unnerving though not as much as the adjacent art critic’s loud and coated bore was as tiresome as the hours upon my eyes now, yet my ears currently crave for such a convoluted voice if only to break the current, opaque silence. More than animals, the video pieces showed people to become paranoid and uncomfortable. Jordan Baseman’s 16mm video work stood out. The cityscape it presented was a blur, only coming forth in the memory when the narrator dared to relate the night where he was raped. The people witnessing the work seemed unfocussed and casual, more concerned with not falling over in the dark. Even the viewer’s of the piece exhibited di erent behaviour when the light went out.
The bright lights of the normal venue space that shone vividly when coming out of dark seemed instantly blinding. The possibility of such a bright light seems almost impossible to conceive now at 3AM. Despite this, many of the works do seem bright and vivid, playing on the ideas that, even if most sane people are asleep in their own 3AM time zones, life thrives and haunts away the night without the popular majority aware enough to sit up and take note. Other works seem a cacophony of medias in the memory of a few hours ago but their genuine loyalty to the theme makes them seem far more of a collective than a group of individuals. Maybe people form gestalts at this ungodly hour? Images of women pissing on walls and spooky, the ideas blur. There’s a strange feeling of kinship rising between myself and the work. Not the more twisted ends but the more distanced places that it ventured to. Shadows can only be formed with light so their presence does indicate a light at the end of the 3AM tunnel.
3AM GIVES WAY TO MINOR ILLUSIONS OF UTOPIAN LONELINESS AND ISOLATION The time is now passed that magical hour though very little of the otherworldly has occurred. Instead feelings exhibition seems at once a microcosm of problems and ideas that can arise; sometimes on the outside but predominantly on the inside of people trapped in a state of insomnia. The night begins to fade out of a reality, essences of some of the work enshrines the yellow light coming into my bedroom window from the streetlight outside. 3AM y , y, utopian world.
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Capstan's Grand Bazaar / Sunday November 17th, 10:30am til 4pm / HAUS, Greenland St, Liverpool, L1 0BS / FREE
Capstan's Grand Bazaar is a new urban market for Liverpool, and here at ACE, we’re absolutely loving it. The venture celebrates local independent businesses and artisans and their home-grown produce and hand-made products. It’s the antithesis to the high street, supporting all that is great and independent.
appeared across the city including LEAF on reet, The Bluecoat and The Greyspace. The Grand Bazaar is a natural evolution for the organisers, and a slice of
As with traditional markets, they'll be hosting a truly diverse range of the best the region has to o er, including: Arts and Crafts; local produce - from baked goods to fruits, vegetables and cheese; Vintage clothes, textiles and home wares; handmade goods such as soaps, candles, jewellery and furnishings; and second hand vinyl, books and furniture.
#ACERecommends
Y transformed warehouse on Greenland reet in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle. Over 60 stalls will await you, as well as hot food, DJs, kids workshops and a few surprises. You can also take advantage of the FREE PARKING (up to 2 hours) that surrounds the venue. Capstan's Bazaar started in 2011 as a pop up Arts and Crafts Market, and has
discerning consumer. They also retain their portfolio of smaller pop up arts and crafts markets, with more in the pipeline for Christmas and into 2014.
STAGE CATS
Andrew Lloyd-Webber's extraordinary recordbreaking, smash-hit musical! This wonderful blend of fantasy, drama and romance is set on the night that the Jellicle Cats meet for the Jellicle Ball in a sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse.
theatre REVIEWS
Crime & Punishment Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Ian hall // @IanDHall1
o take on one of Russian literature’ moments could be a risk that very few would ever contemplate. Like the act of murder itself, the very thought is reprehensible to the vast majority of people. Yet in the hands of Writer Chris Hannan, Director Dominic Hill and the absolutely superb cast, Dostoyevsky’s Crime And Punishment should be seen as one of the crowning glories of this year or any year.
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To tackle the Russian classic could be seen as much an act of insanity as the idea of Raskolnikov thinking he could get away with murder, or to even see what power it held over the person as they start to suffer the remorse and devastation in their heart. However, with the Playhouse Theatre’s natural atmosphere and the mood of Dostoyevsky’s work rebounding through the steam and excellently executed words, the audience, even if they had never read the novel, were in for the most unexpected treat. Adam Best’s portrayal as the young former student whose life has started unravelling as he commits the most heinous of crimes and contemplates more was just incredible, the journey between light and dark already res and mannerisms descended ever
downwards as you could physically see the weight of the crime bearing down. The pit in which he was digging tore at his soul and r performances you are likely to ever see at The Playhouse Theatre. Mr. Best’s scenes with much loved actor George Costigan as they played a sort of karmic verbal chess with each other was pure gold. Mr. Costigan’s playful manner and expansive range lent the right type of serious mocking tone for which the culprit could only dig deeper into despair was remarkable. The unremitting pace of the performance captured the way the brain of the murderer was having to work just to keep up with the lies and fabrications he had uttered. The trap being set slowly and methodically until his actions meant all the good he had ever done in his life was all for naught. With his confession being heard by all and the sentence of banishment to the hard labour camps of Siberia thrust upon him, the emotions of the audience were there to see and feel, madness being contemplated at all its nefarious levels. Crime And Punishment is theatre gold. Stunning, a remarkable achievement and in which the themes that reside inside the weighty colossus of the book is perfectly matched by the superb cast, director and crew.
Elizabeth Wilkinson // @Lilly_betty14 I have to admit that I was rather excited about the prospect of seeing Jesus Christ Super Star amped up and reworked into a rock arena tour. Blending the iconic music of Andrew Lloyd Weber and lyrics of Tim Rice into a stage production that could captivate an audience of thousands, Laurence Connor immediately transported the story from the traditional Biblical setting to a qusai-Occupy movement. Grungy teens are the new disciples and dreadlocks the new sandals.
Liverpool Echo Arena
For someone who is a bit of a purist this re-imagined setting was going to be hit and miss for me. Although I appreciate that everything must be kept up to date and of the moment to captur ’ my home girl’ and Ben Forster’s ‘Jesus is my masseuse’ look didn’ headlines across the main screen. For me they were a tad na and actually distracted from the unfolding drama, refer r T re. rod, played as a dastardly character fr d ross the stage practically stealing the show. Bedecked in crimson crushed velvet and smarmy face, here is an example of where the juxtaposition of the story and the setting works well. Pontius Pilate as an exercise re other notable standouts. ’s performance was a real delight. His powerful rock voice (whodathunkit!) and hangdog eyes gives a real epic quality to the plight of Judas. His was the most rounded and realised character on stage and t intensely yet radiate emotion and gravitas to entrance the entire audience. Ben Forster, winner of the ITV programme that Weber performance. He has a heck of a rock wail and his ability to act, sing and r cross is impressive if a little daunting. Styling aside he makes a good leading man and carries the drama y, evidently sinking into the role that he has l most at home performing in front of thousands but the ’s songs are maybe too far-fetched for the pop star. Despite this her distinctive voice does add richness to the character and a unique twist to her performance. The simple staging [basically a large set of stairs] carries the action well but struggles to enrich the scenes and performances of the actors. As I have already said I am a purist and I love productions which have ingenious sets that r tr ross are the strongest visual elements and I just wish there had been more as these really were impressive. Overall, despite my reservation about certain aspects of the production, I was suitably impressed. I missed the re production but the score and talented performers of Jesus Christ Super Star made this rock arena show enjoyably memorable.
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Master
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THE
MARGARITA
unity theatre Liverpool
The epic vision of Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel was always going to be a daunting task for any adaptors; considering how the novel is based in two disparate times and lands, 1930s Moscow and the Jerusalem of Jesus. Nevertheless, from 1st until the 12th October, Unity Theatre held host to Lodestar’s adaptation of The Master and Margarita. W W
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V Iain Anderson //
stage COMEDY
ed Byrne
nov//24
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interview
Ed Byrne says he's a miserable old git. He didn't celebrate his 40th birthday last year and his new show, Roaring Forties, is partly about the many things he's smart and funny, and as for being a party pooper... Well, not really – he's planning a celebration in November when his tour reaches Glasgow, the city where his career began 20 years ago after he had studied horticulture at the University of Strathclyde. The Irish observational comic, who grew up in Swords in Dublin, started re-evaluating his life after that landmark birthday, as you do, and it gave him the idea for Roaring Forties, which is his trademark mix of one-liners and extended anecdotes, and covers a range of subjects from fatherhood and friendships to vasectomies and driving awareness courses . “It's about getting older,” Byrne says, “about being at an age where you're not really that old but no one thinks you're trendy anymore.” Byrne has embraced middle age and reached the conclusion that on the whole people annoy him. “It's like a spring-clean of my life,” says Byrne, “and I've come up with reasons why you can't be my friend. There are seven billion people on the planet and I only have the time to be friends with 10 of them and so I have to choose carefully.” What are his rules? “It's the little things that annoy me,” he says. Such as? “People who don't indicate on roundabouts, people who uses the phrase, 'Touched a nerve there', or 'I'm just making conversation'...” The list runs on. e if I forget to indicate just the once, for instance? “I don't have time for you! If we have to get into a debate about it, then no,” he says, laughing.
“As for the kids, any stuff I do about them I seriously doubt in years to come they'll hate me for and make me pay for their therapy,” he says with a laugh. “Although I am aware that there's an age at which you have to be sensitive to their wishes and not embarrass them, but that's some years off.” Talking of sensitive matters, Byrne
Being the married father of two young re) has given him lots of new things to talk re and his family, who often appear in his material, ever object? “It's something that most comics experience,” Byrne replies. “People know what you do for a living and then they complain when you mention them in the act, and I've certainly had at least one girlfriend in the past who objected.
vasectomy, but he was also under the surgeon's knife recently when he tried to move a compost bin in his garden and gave himself a hernia. Fans may have seen him exposing his midriff on rogramme to show off his war wounds, but they're healed now stronger than ever before,” he says. The Irishman is actually super keen hillwalker, he recently climbed Mont Blanc and bags Munros in Scotland.
“But my wife and my family are really re understands what goes with the job. Actually she comes off very well and people say our relationship – very sparky, very joshing - comes across. I can't think of a time when she's said you can't use this, but if she did, I'd not use it.
As he is about to mark 20 years in the business, has he noticed any differences in his performances over that time? “One thing that has changed is that I now don't pretend to think something for the sake of a joke. I mean there's always comic exaggeration and embroidering a
story to make it funnier, but it's more true to my life now. I used to say I hated kids, for example, and it wasn't true – I've always loved kids and wanted to have them, but that comic I was earlier in my career. “I think being truthful makes it more chancy, but if I take an opinion and try if people don't agree with me - I think it pays off because audiences know what's authentic.” His fanbase is, he says, “pretty broad” - people of his own age and above, and teenagers who know him from his Mock the Week appearances, while some of his audience is drawn from from his TV advertisements and occasional acting roles. Byrne may do more acting as he has some ideas bubbling away for a sitcom – no doubt one about a miserable middle-aged git one of them - and who knows if we'll lose him to the small scr live while you can. Ed stops off at the Liverpool empire november 24 purchase tickets @ atgtickets.com
ZEITGEIST ACE Columnists talk contemporary culture, trends, technology, and the future...
IS THE PARTY OVER?
Once major political parties could boast of being mass movements, reflecting the united will of whole sections of society. Today the ruling coalition parties barely break 200,000 members between them...
James Margeson // @ sudden_sloth
Since David Cameron became leader, the Conservative Party membership has halved. Labour isn’t much better, and many of their Trade Union a liate members are indi erent or even hostile to the party. The Trade Union movement itself has never truly recovered from the onslaught of Margaret Thatcher and deindustrialisation. Other European parties are also feeling the pinch, with those in crisishit Southern Europe faring the worst. It is particularly the centre left which has struggled to retain its appeal when forced to choose between austerity and their commitment to social programs. September was party conference season, traditionally a participatory event staged in a seaside town. Today the awkward photo ops on Blackpool beach are gone, replaced by slick metropolitan conference centres. Also absent are the mass membership: replaced by lobbyists, think tanks and the occasional journalist. Those party members that frustrated with the lack of power they have to a ect their respective parties, which are perceived to be in the grip of the archetypal Oxbridge graduate professional politician. Young people are particularly unlikely to sign up for a membership. The last party to seriously engage with the under 25s was the Liberal Democrats, but their u-turn on tuition fees - what is referred to in political circles as ‘the reverse ferret’ - seems to have soured that relationship for the foreseeable future. There is an increasing trend of deep suspicion towards political leaders and to systematic ideology. Society in general is becoming collectively more comfortable engaging in civil society on the basis of single issues, and voting patterns have become measurably less tribal. Ever increasing numbers choose not to vote at all. The sub 50% turnout is commonplace in a political era where
politicians are less trusted than estate agents. Such cynicism may be understandable, but begs the question: how do people participate if not through the political party? The usual answer is single issue pressure groups, charities and membership organisations as disparate as Shelter and the Countryside Alliance. This concerns politicians enough for them to consider a new law that would limit how much non-party organisations can spend during elections. There are also other, more radical, forms of extra-parliamentary action. “We are an image of the future” was the opening gambit of a 2008 Greek student manifesto during riots and occupations that followed the killing of a young teenager by the police. At the time it seemed like another ultaleft fantasy, but the rallying cry of Athenian carnage was destined to mark a sea change in how protest movements work. From Tahrir Square to the Spanish Alternative fà r Deutschland movement - and their less successful fellow travellers in Occupy Wallstreet - protest and discontent are increasingly realised as networks, not hierarchies. Almost the opposite of a party, the only thing they agree on is a lack of both leadership and a distinct political program. Just when the dead horse of the Guy Fawkes mask seemed to have been red symbol reemerges in disparate protest movements from Turkey to Brazil. The concept of direct democracy and gut mistrust of electoral organising has r generation to have grown up with MySpace, Facebook and Wikipedia. These irreverent networks need not be anti-government street movements either. Rupert Murdoch and the editors of News of the World learned, to their cost, the danger which a ragtag social media campaign can pose
ZEITGEIST
to structures of traditional political power. If there is another side to the Occupy coin, it’s the particular breed of political party bucking the trend. They are isolationist, opposed to immigration and belligerently hostile to the EU project. In Britain we have UKIP, a fusion of right-libertarian economics and deep social conservatism. Even in Germany, the backbone of the EU project, Alternative fà r Deutschland have enjoyed modest electoral success by opposing the Euro currency. Openly fascist parties are also enjoying resurgence, notably Jobbik in Hungary, Front Nationale in France and Golden Dawn in Greece. If the Indignados reject hierarchy and leaders, these murderous ghosts of Europe’s past are their ultimate antithesis. opposition to popular social movements. Although the leadership is now in custody charged with building a criminal organisation that ordered the murders of leftists and immigrants - it hasn’t stopped the Greek mainstream right pursuing ever more aggressive anti-immigration measures. UKIP is more benign, although not without anti-immigrant sentiment. The party presents a serious threat to David Cameron’s Conservatives, dragging the PM further from the liberal ground upon which his coalition precariously balances. Faced with the aim of increasing his party’s share recent governments, a drift into more polarising right wing politics could be a disaster. Westminster, rather than pressuring the existing political establishment, remains to be seen. A lot will depend on whether the party can withstand the public scrutiny of their increasing pr , while maintaining the commitment of their grassroots at the same time. What then of the disparate left that gave rise to Occupy and the student protests of 2010/11? Can Labour avoid the fate of the Southern European centre left and win them back? The Obama phenomenon proves it can be done, but Ed Miliband will have to be bolder if he wants to mobilise the discontented and sceptical youth.
OBAMA
‘CARE’ THE RISE OF THE FIFTH ESTATE AND ITS SUPPRESSION BY GOVERNMENT. WHY HAS OBAMA PLACED BRADLEY MANNING IN A BOX AND THROWN AWAY THE KEY?
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Clearly a blatant PR campaign and a deeply biased Hollywood misfire, the film produced by the collaborative DreamWorks and Disney, is very much divorced from Wikileaks’ ground operation and its true contribution to the massive global shift in the media landscape and empowerment of the commons in these revolutionary times
ZEITGEIST
P
rinting was and always has been tied to the rise of the press as a major institution for bringing accountability to the powers that be. The fourth estate grew out of the development between radio, television and other mass media outlets, all of which became central to the pluralist democratic process we see today, championed and pushed forward by the likes of The Guardian. Citizen and open journalism now taking centre stage with GU ‘Comment is Free’ and frequent BBC broadcasts utilising video/phone footage supplied by active members of the community who are close to the story itself. We only have to observe Syria and the material employed by the press to bring Assad and his army to account. The debate emerges over whether or not the internet is essentially a new medium, evolving the fourth into peaked through internet space and time. The internet’s broad social role in government and politics could arguably draw upon many similarities of traditional media but equally important, play a new and diverse role in ensuring governments and the press themselves are answerable for their actions, the featuring Benedict Cumberbatch hitting our screens this Autumn about Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange, The Fifth Estate, its meaning and all that is Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden and so on - it And if you wer e highly misinformed. Clearly a blatant PR campaign r produced by the collaborative DreamWorks and Disney, is very much divorced from Wikileaks’ ground operation and its true contribution to the massive global shift in the media landscape and empowerment of the commons in these revolutionary times - mor based upon two negatively biased books, a move by Director Bill Condon that wasn’t, we can assure, accidental. Several other key books documenting balanced insight were simply ignor ’s promotional materials are anything to go by, you’d swear a smear campaign were afoot. A large image of Cumberbatch embroiled in the wording ‘Traitor’? Why hello there Mr. US propaganda machine. weaknesses - the fact that it is unelected and often hidden behind a veil of anonymous cyber identity - it should not be suppressed. Active members of the ressure on corporations, governments, decision-makers, inter-governmental organisations and adhere to higher standards for the greater cause.They collect and distribute valuable information and ensure that key decision-makers are able to reach informed conclusions. They provide necessary services when governments either cannot or do not provide those services to their citizens. They attract passionate, committed people devoted to making the world a better place. In a world of uncertainty and suspicion, their faith in the power of association to develop the potential inherent in every society is somewhat remarkable. Perhaps the method in which this is conducted could be improved and regulated however because although freedom of rous game to be playing. DANI TELFORD// @iAREWRITER_
SMOKE &
MIRRORS Apple is no stranger to the quagmire, but never have its attempts to claw its way out been so feeble, so says ACE’s tech buff, Patrick D’Arcy After iOS 7 was released, users with an iPhone 4 upwards immediately noticed something was di er released the iPhone in 2007, to completely overhaul the UI (user interface). Keeping with the current trend, Apple decided to mimic the increasingly minimalist designs within the software industry and discard its previous skeuomorphic tendencies. However, users will also notice that other than the software’s appearance, not much else has changed. Apple have seemingly hidden the fact that they have not made any r aesthetic. T r, it’s pretty nice. The new icons are attractive as they ar t and the new menu screens are just as attractively simple. Once the initial shock wears o , after all no-one deals well with change, it will grow on you. Underneath this, there are a few upgrades worth mentioning. The new Control Center that users can activate from swiping up from the bottom of the screen o ers an easy way to access key featur amongst others. Similarly the re-jigged Centre is also useful, allowing an easy way to keep up to date with emails and messages. App Store automatic updates are a welcome addition, as is the new, improved camera app, which has a new fast shutter system for m fans. The changes aren’t many, admittedly, but the ones that are ther reciated. The only pr users might be expecting a similarly updated user reality it has stayed much the same, which is probably a good thing, but some users may be disappointed. The iPhone 5S itself is another case of smoke and mirr distract from the fact that the new iPhone is not rocessor is a marginal upgrade from the previous iteration, and so is the graphics car predecessor. Furthermore, the 4 inch screen is looking increasingly too small compared to the other high end smartphones, which tend to have a 4.7 inch screen or larger. This may not seem like much, but really does improve the smartphone experience. This is not to say it is not better than the iPhone 5, it performs faster and can handle more graphically intense apps with ease, however it is not the game changer Apple needs to regain its dominance in the marketplace, especially when you consider that its Windows and Android competitors upgrade their handsets more frequently and o er
cheaper base prices. This means that patient consumers can wait until equivalently powerful Android handsets are released, and with the new HTC ONE Max and Nexus 5 around the corner, they won’t have to wait long. r... the camera. Apple are heeding the advice many camera enthusiasts have been giving them for years, which is that the number of megapixels you have is not as important as how you use them. Remaining at a relatively low 8 megapixels, some customers will not be initially impressed, but make no mistake, this is one of the best cameras in the market. With a 15% larger sensor, bigger megapixels and a larger aperture, it gets good performance in low light conditions, and with the more powerful processor it can truly take rapid photos meaning it is perfect for shooting sports events and music gigs, or any other event involving frequent, rapid movement.
The talk of Apple’s decreasing market share is a classic case of ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’ There has been much talk recently of Apple’s decreasing Smartphone market share, but Apple fans have nothing to fear. This is a classic case of . The 14% market share it currently holds, which the naysayers point to as a sign of the end times, fails to take into account the increasing size of the smart phone released, it was the only r smartphone, and as more and more people sense that people will buy cheaper alternatives. Apple is not making less money there is just more money overall in the smart phone business. Furthermore, Apple holds the highest customer retention of any smart phone maker, meaning that once people go iPhone, they rarely go back. We generally think people will be mostly happy with the upgrade to iOS 7, with its cleaner interface, and new under the hood features making iPhone users’ lives just that tiny bit easier ’t change your life, but you will probably appreciate it nonetheless. Advice fr you already have an iPhone 5, don’t bother with the 5S. remental upgrade that it is simply not worth the money. However, if you have an older model, r. One of the best on the market, and, if you can justify the high price tag, well worth the purchase.
ZEITGEIST
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STYLE Mens Fashion Week S/S 14
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style
herve leger
fashion
oct//nov
THE STYLE MANIFESTO
NANCY BUCKLAND IT S TIME TO WRAP UP THE BANDAGE DRESS
You can’t move over your doorstep after dark without encountering the bandage dress. For those who think they are in the fashion know, they quote Herve Leger, whose name became synonymous with the garment, but it was really legendary king-of-cling Azzedine Alaia who created the bandage dress, and when he did, it was a thing of beauty. Worn by the tall striking supermodel Linda Evangelista, with her short cropped hair and feline features, all it took was a pair of Blahnik heels and fashion perfection was created. When Herve Leger made his name with the bandage dress in the 1990’s they were not really for us mere mortals to be seen in. One of his designs could set you back £2,500, and even then, that wouldn’t always win you fashion gravitas. A friend of mine, who had a very rich and stylish mother, went with her to Harrods to buy a Leger. The mother tried it on, loved it, and when she got to the counter to re was the actress who played Dorien from Birds of A Feather with the same dress. A purchase was not made.
+Olivia palermo
even the cheaper ones have the effect of a huge pair of Spanx. They suck bits in and push bits out, which is fine until you get up close, because ladies, that flesh has to go somewhere.
The modern day bandage dress is much cheaper to come by and girls love them because even the cheaper ones have the e ect of a huge pair of Spanx. They suck bits in and push bits up close, because ladies, that re. Even on someone with a model frame, they have just become such a cliché: big hair, over made-up faces, knock-o red soled shoes have created an army that looks like it could be renamed Valley of the Dolls. If you believe in su ering for your look then wear a bandage dress, and make it a cheap one. Between the nylon and the terrible stitching you have all you need to make a night out truly miserable. The back of the dress will always feel two inches too short, which means you spend all evening trying to pull it back to down into a more respectable place, or constantly covering it with your clutch bag. re out, this dress takes no prisoners. It literally clings to every section that you would usually keep hidden, and breathing in won’t help, because you are already pulled in so tight the only time you get to breath is in the Ladies, when you unzip it for two minutes for a few moments of heaven. The problem with being the ‘It’ dress of the moment is when everyone is wearing it, there is literally no room to move. Everybody looks the same. If you are on a night out and there is a chance that you might like to meet someone, then how is this person going to spot you? Sometimes it pays to be di erent. I once went out with a Burberry mac on and a pair of Louis Vuitton heels, and yes I did have something on under
the dress, but no-one else knew that, and I have never received so many compliments. Sometimes you can cover up in style, and leave a little to the imagination. I am not saying it’s time to turn your back on glamour. Whether you are born in Liverpool or come to live here then you are going to have to expect that glamour is part of our DNA. Our idea of glam grunge is putting Swarovski crystals on our Hunter wellies. However, there comes a moment when you have to call time on a worn-out look, but you don’t have to give up all your fakery at once. Even the best Hollywood A-listers rely on a little help, and that is before the airbrushing sets in. Whether your brows need help, or your hair needs volume, or your skin needs to warm up a shade from pasty to something a little more golden, there are ways and means of ramping up your look without looking totally trashtastic. Learning the art of subtle fakery will get you everywhere! Here’s the thing. When I last asked a group of men who they would marry they all said the same name: Olivia Palermo. They weren’t Chelsea boys or City types, but they certainly knew who this uptown girl was. So I asked what her appeal was, and they all said that she looked elegant. When I dragged myself up o was expecting at least an honourable mention for Helen Flanagan, I was informed that they liked a girl who looked naturally beautiful. So, girls, it’s time to put away those hellish ro overgrown knickerdresses, and go in search of something a little more subtle. And those knock –o Loubs? Girl, they are not fooling anyone!
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GIRL ditch the city this autumn... garb yourself in country chic and explore the outdoors ACe s Lookbook >>
Printed Welly, heritage £39.95 Joules.com
silk and wool checked scalf £59.99 | zara.com
Above: Barbour International jacket £229.00 | johnlewis.com
nw3 stag sweater £69.00 hobbs.co.uk
woodland butterfly tan £68.00 oliviaburton.com
Above: h & m slack trousers £14.99 | hm.com
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charles tyrwhitt
SWEAT >>
>>
IT OUT
with autumn creeping in, dark nights and cooler air breezing through that finely combed hair, ACE knows you ll probably slipping on a sweater sometime soon Kenzo have to be one of our favourites for simple but stylish, well-fitted sweaters. uber cool, this brand can set you back a fair few pennies but a club we definitely want to join, and well worth the splash.
of course our boi oliver proudlock produces some pretty nice sweat shirts that should make an appearance in anyones wardrobe. great prices as well... check out the range: sergedenimes.com
Number 10 recently o ered some ‘much needed’ advice *cough* to the general public about combatting the 10 % rise in energy bills this winter - “Wrap Up Warm” they tell us. Thanks Edward Davey, that’s great, yes sure, will take that on board. Aside from the ridiculous tomfoolery goings on at British Gas et al, and the subsequent outlandish advice from Downing Street, it’s not as simple as just chucking on any ole sweater to keep warm when you have style to think about. Doesn’t matter who you are, or what types of clothing and / or brands, take your fancy, when the British weather kicks in, it’s always a feat trying to come to a balance between fashion and the ‘gotta keep warm’ basics. The sweater, men, yes, the sweater can aid you in this process. Adding weight to the skinner of us and streamlining the heavier, the sweater is an ACE must have. Whether you’re more Mad Men, or Pete Doherty, make sure you stock up this autumn/winter.
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GASTRO East Village Arts Club
Magic Pumpkin Cake Recipe, Mulled Cider
food & drink review
I
‘m going to put it out there; in terms of culinary delights American diner-style cuisine does not rank highly on my list. I guess this comes from my aversion to style over substance, a pitfall many restaurants of this vein, fall into.
Springsteen blaring and everything deep fried it seems to me that the food served is almost an irrelevant process in the diner experience. However, I am told that there is a change afoot. Sophisticated burgers are becoming big business and people ar eateries in their droves as the décor has been toned down to cool New York loft rather than Grease revival and the focus returned to the matter at hand; the food. The East Village Arts Club has arrived on the scene in the last few months and fr impr the description “urban cool” rather nicely. The setting is very light and spacious with its large windows and high ceilings enhanced further by the minimal wooden tables and fuss free table settings. The minimalist theme is extended to the menu which although containing the obvious choices of pulled pork, burgers and chilli is not overwhelmed with a vast array of choices and sides indicating that each dish has been thoughtfully considered and developed in the kitchen.
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All together we were treated to a lovely meal, especially given the reasonable price point. Yes there were a few elements that didn’t quite work, but I can forgive those as little gems like the coleslaw and Eton mess offered bags of taste and satisfaction. If you’re looking for a relaxed lunch or early evening dinner then the EVAC is an excellent choice. Be sure to take your appetite and prepare for a few lovely culinary delights. Elizabeth Wilkinson | @Lilly_Betty14
We decided, in the interest of research only and not our greed, to plum for a round of small plates (starters) burgers, sides and desserts. If I was hungry when I started, which I was, I was well and truly pogged by the end. Our small plate choices of bbq chicken wings (£4.00) and deep fried calamari (£5.00) were pleasant served in a dive in and share manner they were devoured quickly. Onto our mains and here there was a split, whilst the san gennaro (£9.00) burger was lovely and moist the chicken katsu burger (£7.00) was decidedly less so. The consensus was that it was lacking enough sauce to make it a juicy burger experience, leaving a rather dry bread to chicken ratio. This was partially made up for in the quality of the house coleslaw (£2.00) we ordered as a side cited as “the best coleslaw ever” by my companion which consequently meant that I barely had a mouthful. Luckily I had my own generous serving of fries (£2.00) to keep me content which were skinny and crispy with a nice seasoning. Although feeling rather full we ploughed ahead and ordered two desserts (price on request), the banana Eton mess and black cherry cheesecake. The simple names belied the complex array that was served to us. The cheesecake was accompanied with marshmallows, milkshake, fudge and raspberries all arranged on a beautiful slate giving it a lovely presentation to match the taste. However the real star was the Eton mess, all slopped together in a large bowl it looked rather disappointing but the taste was sublime. Hidden y cream where swirls of to ee sauce, chunks of banana and crunchy nuggets of peanut brittle providing a satisfying taste sensation. 90 Seel Street
L1 4BH
@evartsclub_mama
food recipe
w h at s c o o k i n g w i t h
Elizabeth wilkinson
magic pumpkin cake
110g unsalted butter
225g canned pumpkin*
450 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
1
175g icing sugar
1 tsp ground nutmeg
140g plain flour
tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp water
tsp ground cloves
tsp ground cinnamon
directions With the onset of Autumn, comes the innate desire to batten down the hatches and hibernate in our y slippers and woolen jumpers. This wonderfully wobbly, custard come cake recipe will tickle the senses with its warming spices and rich texture. Best served with a mug of tea or why not try with our Mulled Cider recipe [See Overleaf]. Autumnal bliss.
01 | Preheat the oven to 160 째C. Butter 20 x 20cm cake tin. 02 | Melt the butter and set aside. 03 | Whip the egg whites to sti peaks. 04 | Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and light [5-6 mins]. 05 | Mix in the melted butter and water 06 | Add the milk, vanilla and dry spices. 07 | Then add the pumpkin and whisk gently until smooth. 08 | Slowly add the whipped whites until all combined. 09 | Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 mins + The top should be slightly jiggly but will set once cooled. Then simply dust with icing sugar.
MULLED CIDER Bonfire Special
ingredients 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1 clementine sliced into wedges, spiked with cloves 1 lemon sliced into wedges, spiked with cloves 100ml whiskey 100ml orange liqueur 3 tbsp clear honey 1 litre/pint cider 4 cinnamon sticks
directions Heat all of the cider toddy ingredients over a low heat until warmed through. Pour the cider toddy into 4 latte glasses or other heatproof glasses. Pour the cider toddy into 4 latte glasses or other heatproof glasses.
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