Venue 327

3 Arts Kate Romain

7 Film Willa Hope + Louis Pigeon-owen

10 Fashion Emily Claridge + Elley West 15 Creative Writing Hugo Douglas-Deane 19 Gaming Kirsty McAlpine 23 Television Denise Koblenz 27 Music Alice Mortimer + Lois Young Deputy Editor - Melissa Haggar Art And design assistant - Emily Mildren

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Cover Art by Emily Mildren

Concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk

EDITORIAL Venue

Editors-in-chief Dougie dodds + niamh Jones

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ou’ve probably heard this about fifty-seven times in the past few days but seriously, welcome to UEA. You’d better feel really welcome, or else. VENUE is like Concrete’s cool younger sibling, we do all of the things that UEA is known and loved for. From Creative Writing to Music, all the way to the depths of the Gaming world only to surface for some refined opera in our Arts section, we’ve got something for everyone. If you fancy writing for us, we’re having a big Concrete meet-up on 29th September in Lecture Theatre 4, as well as having a stall at SocMart (look out for the balloons and massive banner). Get yourselves on a mailing list and don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you have any questions at all.

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elcome to UEA! Now you’ve heard it fifty-eight times, but let me just add a welcome back to those returning for their second, third, or even MA years. I’m Dougie, the other, more manic, half of this duo. Niamh has covered most of the important news, like the Concrete meet-up and how hip and cool this paper is (and how terribly un-hip and un-cool we are). We’re extremely excited for this issue to come out and seeing what you write for us.

We’ve completely redesigned VENUE from the previous years, now a much smaller, more magazine like paper. Both of us are incredibly indecisive so it’s taken a long time to settle on this hopefully sexy design. All that’s left is a hearty thank you for picking us up and we hope you enjoy the read.

Concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk

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arts art is the greatest an exploration of the power of the arts KATE ROMAIN Earlier this summer, I visited the Muhammad Ali: I am the Greatest Exhibition, at the O2 Arena. I entered the exhibition knowing nothing about Ali, and though I was looking forward to it, I was sceptical as to whether I would know much more when I left. I’m not really into boxing. I’ve seen a few matches but that’s because the Las Vegas time difference means the match doesn’t usually start until in the morning, providing the perfect excuse to get drunk.

But this exhibition started at 2pm. When sober, would I be interested in boxing? Would I get anything out of the experience?

The exhibition was opened by Ali himself, before he died. His unexpected death, following shortly after, certainly gave it poignancy. Walking through the collection of artefacts, video clips, sound bites, and images, was both nostalgic and moving. Most impressive of all was the way in which the exhibition managed to be all this, and exceptionally informative.

I read about a young and headstrong Cassius Clay growing up in Louisville Kentucky, and his determination to be the best.

I viewed his bicycle that was stolen, and heard about his family and the racial

the exhibition was a huge gold sculpture of Ali with adorned with grandiose text declaring ‘I am the Greatest’: Ali had believed it, the exhibition curators were obviously convinced of it, and by the end of the exhibition, so was I.

prejudice they, and others, faced in 1950s America.

Photographs of Ali winning Olympic gold contrasted with harrowing videos of the Vietnam War, to which Ali was a conscientious objector.

Mounted on a wall was the notorious photograph of the Napalm Girl captioned with Ali’s words: ‘Man, I ain’t got no trouble with them Vietcong’.

My favourite section of the exhibition was a video clip of Ali delivering eleven punches in three seconds to boxer George Foreman in the ring: a stark juxtaposition to the Ali I experienced at the end of the exhibition, now engaged in a less glamourous fight against Parkinson’s disease. At the centre of

03 Kate Romain

For me, this is a testimony to the power of the arts. Through various mediums, the exhibition had gifted me with new understanding and appreciation for the extraordinary life Ali led.

It was a mixed media piece that immersed me in a way no medium acting in isolation could have done. In the same way that a collage or mixed media sculpture creates texture and depth, the exhibition used every medium available to communicate its message.

Indisputably, Ali’s story is a fascinating one, but it was only through the retelling of the story through art that I realised this. If I lost interest in an audio clip, a photograph would catch my eye. If I didn’t understand the significance of an artefact, a video

would provide context. It was almost impossible not to become immersed in the story.

On the train home from the exhibition, I began to consider what I had experienced a little more carefully. I was away from the bright lights of the exhibition, the audio clips of the cheering crowds, and the fashionably vintage video clips of a grainy, black and white Ali declaring ‘I’m so mean I make medicine sick!’, and things didn’t seem quite so clear. Was Ali the greatest? Well, no.

Probably not. No one is. Lost amidst the arts, however, I had gone from literally not knowing who Cassius Clay was, to believing that he was the greatest, in one afternoon. I’d got wrapped up in paintings, photographs, music and posters. Clearly, the arts had had a powerful effect on me.

I still consider Ali a hugely fascinating and inspiring person, but a person none the less, and as people, we are both beautiful and flawed. It is the arts that has the power to represent us in certain lights, and influence us in various ways. Muhammad Ali was great, but art is the greatest.

Illustration by Kate Romain

Concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

arts share your love of lit daniel box At UEA there are many opportunities to share your love of the arts, whether you’re into photography, painting, or poetry. Of course, literature has a special place in our hearts.

I think that I speak for all of us when I say that, at one time or another, we developed an obsession with books.

Whether you followed the events of the Twilight saga like an obsessive stalker, you desperately wished that you had been reaped as a tribute during your childhood, or you found some comfort in Hamlet putting your family issues into perspective, at

one time or another we’ve all felt a strong connection to literature.

UEA’s Literature Society is an energetic meeting ground for anyone who’d rather binge-read A Song of Ice and Fire than talk to their flatmates, for anyone who spends so much time in the library that they might as well invest in a sleeping bag, for anyone who would much rather have got to UEA with OWLS rather than A-Levels.

Our literary expedition hinges around our discussion groups.

With a different theme each week, from adaptions and graphic novels,

to philosophy and literature from our childhoods, to post-postmodernism and a sprinkling of the fantastical, there’s something for everyone to sink their teeth into. Amongst this onslaught of novels and poetry and plays (and probably a fair amount of drama in the discussions themselves), there’s many social events too. During Fresher’s week, LitSoc will be hosting our legendary literary-themed pub crawl. There’s also our Summer Ball which, in my opinion, is quite easily the greatest social event of the year.

Who knows, there may even be a theatre or a cinema trip in there as well.

Illustrations by Kate Romain

make yourself at home interior design inspiration for the new year LIBBY HARPER The excitement from moving into halls can be dampened when you are confronted with bland, clinical looking accommodation. It makes it very easy to shrug your shoulders and not bother trying to make it look homely, despite the fact you will be spend the best part of the year in that one room; whether hiding under the sheets whilst hungover or doing an

all-nighter in an attempt to meet a deadline. Fret not, there are many ways to make this tiny space a place that reflects a bit of you.

You don’t necessarily need to spend loads of money to make your room homely. A few touches such as cushions, fairylights and photo frames can make a big difference.

Primark is a great place to hit for good priced home décor. It is definitely important to make it feel like a comfortable space, especially for those times when you might feel homesick in the first few months.

It can be tricky to unleash your flair for interior design with rules and obvious ‘can’t dos’ such as painting the walls, no blue tac, and no candles. But small changes can be made to rid the feeling of it being just another uni room. Take advantage of the poster sale! They are based on campus for a few weeks and sell posters at low prices as well as the life saving white tac!

with memories of friends and family. Many people opt for a cute display of beverages, which is of course the most practical out of any home décor ideas.

Many of my friends and I created photo montages on our pin board walls. many photo development companies offer your first 50 or so photos to be printed for free. This way you can create a familiar space filled

Concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

Kate Romain

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arts artistic norwich: a fine city a little taste of what norwich has to offer BRETT MOTTRAM Norwich is one of the finest cities for art in the UK, with plenty to explore, regardless of your creative tastes. Your first year is also the ideal time to discover its treasures.

Here are a few highlights.

operas at Norwich Theatre Royal. There are amateur dramatic venues as well, and a performance at the

Maddermarket or the UEA Drama Studio can make for an enjoyable evening on a lower budget.

Let’s start with the most obvious: architecture.

The UEA campus, aside from its beautiful broad and surrounding woodland, is a concrete Brutalist masterpiece. If this is what you’re into, then great, but if you explore the city of Norwich itself, the view is very different. Whether you’re shopping or finding pubs and clubs, you’ll be surrounded by some stunning architecture as you explore the cobbled lanes, whether it’s medieval churches, cathedrals (both of them!), early-modern halls, or later civic buildings.

And if the Castle collections sound too mainstream, how about the Norwich University of the Arts? The British Art Show 8 exhibition there featured a room where lights went off, fans started blowing air into your face, and a seductive but disturbing voice invited you to sit down. There was also a long, trippy, artsy film about events in 1963, alongside many other more avant-garde pieces.

Norwich also has a long and still-thriving literary history. A UNESCO City of Literature, it has a wide range of independent bookshops which host events with contemporary writers, and UEA itself has its own literary festival in the autumn and spring too. So you can spend an evening listening to big names such as Stephen Fry, Bernard Cornwell and Margaret Atwood, before getting your books signed by them.

Finally, on campus there’s the Sainsbury Centre, where permanent (and free!) collections include earlymedieval artefacts, works by Francis Bacon, and objects from Oceania, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Special exhibitions have ranged from artists’ curious collections, to Alphonse Mucha, to Giacometti. These change all the time and you have to pay for admission, but being a UEA student means you get a really amazing discount. There are sometimes free evening lectures on art too.

Then there is theatre too.

Many of my best first year memories are of plays and

05 Kate Romain

Norwich Castle has preserved animals and birds, ceramic collections, paintings, and objects from ancient Egypt to Anglo-Saxon England, from ancient times to the present. Whether it’s a Renaissance painting of the Tower of Babel, a Norwich School landscape, or a Burne-Jones sketch, you’ll find something interesting here.

Concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

Film Rob klim Far surpassing Tim Burton’s nauseating remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spielberg’s film adaptation of The BFG will excite all audiences, from the ages of 1 to 100. No doubt, Dahl would be very happy with the final product.

Spielberg, as in his timeless film adaptations of Jurassic Park, uses CGI to bring Roald Dahl’s book to life. Most importantly, from an aesthetic viewpoint, the timeless artwork of Quentin Blake is beautifully and respectfully kept in consideration, particularly in the designs of the Giants.

They are appropriately terrifying and they really will

the bfg make you feel like a little “bean” in your cinema seat.

The BFG (Mark Rylance) would certainly make the late and great Dahl proud; he accurately encapsulates the friendly nature of the big-hearted guy. Although initially confusing, Rylance’s delivery of his speech is comical and his book-loyal execution becomes familiar and endearing to the viewer.

Far physically smaller, but nonetheless as powerful a performance, is that of Sophie (the young and upcoming Ruby Barnhill). She is terrific in the role and her

friendship with the BFG stays beautifully true to the novel.

Overall, Spielberg does not disappoint with this latest reimagining of the BFG. At points, however, a lack of previous knowledge of the source material can leave the plot feeling like it is trundling along in an aimless direction. Despite this, the final sequence neatly pulls the film’s elements together in a way that will both excite newcomers to Dahl’s material as well as satisfy the many fans of his works. The film will appeal to all of the ‘titchy little snapperwhippers’ in the Illustration by Dougie Dodds family, guaranteed.

a summer of remakes and revivals elliot hayes-clare If you’ve been following the film releases of summer 2016, you’ve probably noticed that you don’t really have any choice but to see a film with an unoriginal premise, be it a remake, sequel or adaptation.

So why is this?

Arguably this is because the biggest production companies don’t care about the quality or originality of the films they make. Instead, the driving question behind whether a concept is greenlit seems to be “has it made money in the past, and will it continue making money?”

Until an idea overwhelmingly crashes, sequels and the like will keep being produced – rarely does the creator of a franchise call it a day out of choice. Perhaps this

is a cynical view of current cinema, but it is hard to deny.

Superhero films are the most obvious example of this, with this summer seeing the release of not one but three big-budget outings: Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, and Suicide Squad. Civil War is the second highest grossing film of 2016 yet, so it is unsurprising that production companies would rather stick with safe bets than venture into unknown territory. The title of highest grossing film of 2016 currently rests with Finding Dory; making over £370 million, the sequel trumped profits of the original, Finding Nemo. In fact, out of the top 10 most successful films of 2016, only three could justifiably be described as ‘original’.

Is it any wonder that the biggest production companies turn to sequels, remakes and revivals as ‘safe bets’? All the evidence shows that these films are virtually guaranteed to make a large profit, regardless of their critical reception.

Ghostbusters only received an average of 60% on Metacritic, yet has still managed to make a worldwide gross profit of over £96 million so far. Sony Pictures even chose to make a film adaptation of Angry Birds rather than try to come up with something original, proof that distributors are truly scraping the barrel.

Despite the obviously ridiculous premise, The Angry Birds Movie has still managed to be the 19th highest grossing film of 2016 so far.

07 Willa Hope + Louis Pigeon-Owen

It isn’t all bad, however, and a remake by no means guarantees a large profit.

2016’s retelling of Ben Hur tells a sad story of a high budget production gone sour, not even making it into the top 500 films and securing catastrophic losses of around £92 million. While this is bad news for the film’s producers, perhaps it is good news for the general public. Will failures like this open the eyes of big production companies to filmgoers’ yearning for originality?

Maybe Ben Hur’s valiant sacrifice will lead to a golden age of cinema. Who knows? Until then we’re just going to have to wait for the next Simpsons movie.

Concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

Film Julieta Almodóvar REturns with a melancholic masterpiece fran painter-fleming Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta certainly packs a punch. With his bold use of colour and structure, this film can easily be interpreted as his most stirring film to date. Julieta is based on three short stories, ‘Chance’, ‘Silence’ and ‘Soon’ by the Canadian writer, Alice Munro. Yet what makes Julieta so striking is the Spanish director’s ability to seamlessly interweave these three vignettes into a complex and compelling film, exploring themes such as loss, guilt and motherhood.

Almodóvar’s brilliant use of a non-linear structure means he is able to attain a vast scope of the principal character, Julieta, and her life. However, what makes this structure so effective is that it allows viewers to more easily understand Julieta’s inner turmoil as painful moments are repeated, or her happiest memories are

juxtaposed with the harsh present day. The shot of young Bea and Antia playing basketball, for example, is repeatedly shown to perhaps parallel the churning of memories within Julieta’s own mind as she struggles to deal with her daughter’s disappearance. Almodóvar’s use of symbolism also works beautifully in tandem with this structure. Julieta is haunted by props within the film, such as the sculptures made by Ava, Xoan’s mistress.

Details such as these work to create such an emotionally powerful film.

The use of colour can also not go unnoticed. Right from the opening credits, a close up of Julieta’s crimson dress dazzles viewers as it slowly pulses, mimicking the movement of a human heart.

This rich use of colour is sustained throughout the film with the visually stunning

shots of the Pyrenees, Galicia and Madrid being accompanied by the bold outfits of both the young and elder Julieta. Whilst the elder figure may not model the bright blue stockings of her younger self, certain pieces such as her Klimtstyle dressing gown seem to offer comfort. Similarly, her mother wears a striking retro dress to combat the humiliation of her illness and her husband’s suspected infidelity. This use of colour therefore works to balance the film, as the effect counters the overbearing sadness of the plot.

While Julieta does lack the comic touch of some of the director’s other works, it compassionately explores the intricacies of motherhood and strongly delivers as his most poignant drama yet.

A must see for Almodóvar lovers.

ones to watch Foreign film: embrace of the serpent (2016) Before the credits roll over the winding Amazon, a frame of simple text states: “dedicated to all the peoples whose song we will never know”. This masterpiece gives voice to the cultures made voiceless by imperialism, yet it reaches far beyond any political orientation. It’s the human epic we didn’t know we had been waiting for, and everyone should experience it. - William May

Netflix original: The Little Prince (2015) Beautifully animated and gloriously unpredictable, this retelling of Saint-Exupery’s novel is a must see for feelgood film lovers. With a star-studded cast of voices, alongside fantastic music from Hans Zimmer, this film stays true to the beauty of the original book, but not without its own quirky twists and retellings. - Willa Hope

documentary: the act of killing (2012) Harrowing and deeply uncomfortable; this awardwinning documentary from Joshua Oppenheimer forces Anwar Congo, an executioner in the 1956 Indonesian genocides, to confront his horrific past. Given free reign to stage and celebrate his life events, Congo proudly displays the horrors of humanity and morality in war, in a chilling, yet essential, film. - Willa Hope Illustration by Dougie Dodds

Concrete.Film@uea.ac.uk

Willa Hope + Louis Pigeon-Owen

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Film welcome to Deutsches kino The hidden world of german cinema alex piper Despite an impressive catalogue of films released over the last decade, German cinema remains unable to gain any real traction with international audiences. The limited success of German cinema abroad, however, is by no means a reflection on the creativity or ingenuity of German filmmakers. Although sometimes criticised for its restricted and repetitive

thematic representation of ‘the war and the wall’, Germany’s turbulent and disturbed history offers a broad scope for cinematic exploration. The following is a brief overview of a few personal favourites to introduce you to the hidden world of German cinema.

das experiment Based on the Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971, this film hinges on a socio-scientific investigation of 20 men placed in an elaborately constructed mock prison. The experiment divides the men; half chosen to assume the role of prison guards, whilst the others pose as prisoners.

Das Experiment imagines beyond the actual events, elaborating on what would have happened if researchers had completely lost control of the experiment. The film is intense and claustrophobic throughout, posing some unsettling questions to its viewers. Can human behavior be determined by the uniforms we wear? In the right circumstances, do all people have the capacity to commit terrible crimes?

Despite being a welcome break from the war and the wall for many, I feel obliged to question whether this film is more chilling because of the thematic parallels to Germany’s past.

Das Experiment not only explores the roles of victims and perpetrators, but also addresses the responsibility of the bystander.

free rainer: Fernsehen lügt

Dein

Rainer, a self- absorbed reality television producer, has earned his millions by creating the same socially irresponsible and mindless dross that we have become accustomed to in recent television. After he is involved in an accident that changes his way of thinking, he is determined to spark a cultural revolution.

Intelligent, subversive, and furiously cynical about contemporary society, the film concerns itself with the struggle between morality and money. Critics and audience opinions on this film, however, are a long way from unanimous. Nevertheless, the fact that Free Rainer received such a broad range of critical reactions is proof enough that it accomplished its goal: to make a film that allows for creativity and individuality and to find expression in a medium that should serve us, not enslave us.

Free Rainer is a wild piece of German cinema, with a strong social and political message at its core.

East Germany during the Cold War, and gives a sobering insight into one of the most feared institutions of the government.

Appropriately set in 1984, this Orwellian political thriller traces the gradual disillusionment of Gerd Wiesler, a highly skilled officer who has devoted his life to the Stasi. Tasked with conducting surveillance on a likeable bohemian writer and his lover, Wiesler monitors them by eavesdropping and recording their most private moments. Wiesler gradually becomes absorbed by their way of life, and, having prided himself on his unfaltering commitment to the socialist cause, finds himself at a moral crossroads. As we follow his small act of rebellion inside the enormous cog of the East German communist regime, it becomes clear that this unique film is a gripping and un-missable tribute to the power of liberal humanism.

das leben der anderen My last choice takes us to the heart of the communist regime in

09 Willa Hope + Louis Pigeon-Owen Photo credits: Flickr

Concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

Fashion NYFW: Trend alert style fresh from the runway Elley west VENUE are writing this from our glamorous suite in New York, hot off the streets from a long day of showwatching, front-row gazing and hobnobbing with all the it girls. That or we’re sat hunched in our student bedroom, surrounded by magazines and endless open tabs, hastily trying to find the trendiest trends to bring you before we go to print.

We will leave it to you (and Oprah) to decide which of these is true.

Either way, we’ve been sleuthing the offerings at New York Fashion Week this September and are noticing a few trends emerging early.

There’s been a wonderful re-invention of the neckline these past few seasons. The neck has re-emerged as a focus feature in the wardrobe, with cold-shoulder tops and off-the-shoulder dresses being really popular. The bardot neckline has always held a classical allure, and this summer it’s been pairing with the choker- a hangover from the 90’s grunge trend that is so a la mode right now- to create a look at once conservative but also rebellious. There’s something about the combination of concealing but also revealing that feels exciting and playful, whilst still looking really elegant. In a number of New York shows there’ve been shoulders exposed by dresses and shirts. What’s been quite popular is a style that hangs off of one shoulder, creating an asymmetry that we think the high street will tap into through the form of cocktail dresses and evening wear.

The next trend we’re spotting literally sounds like fashion jargon garbage, but bear with us. The future is deconstructed shirting.

What on earth is that, we hear you cry?

Well it’s doing funky things with shirts. Alexander Wang and Carolina Herrera both offered a

Concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

twisted, jagged take on shirts, turning them into crop-tops and tubetops, again revealing the shoulders. We think this trend will manifest on the high street in office-wear that’s also appropriate for the everyday.

It’s a very Topshopappropriate look, modish but still classic.

As we approach the colder months, there’s a catwalk trend that you don’t have to wait for the next season to get involved with.

Trench coats have featured heavily in New York, coming in softer fabrics than the usual waterproof, which creates a more slouchy silhouette and a level of comfort. Trench coats have always been considered a staple; a good Mackintosh or long-line duffel is a musthave part of any transitional wardrobe.

They’re particularly good around this time of year because they can offer waterproofing without too much bulk or weight to carry around- perfect when the weather is so undecided.

Also, if you’re into such things, Kendall Jenner has been spotted wearing one recently too.

Illustrations by Elley West

Emily Claridge + Elley West

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Fashion

Beywatch

your monthly update on the queen

elley west What has the Queen Bey been up to this month? One thing’s for sure, wherever she goes, she owns: from the moment Bey stepped onto the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards, we knew she’d come to slay.

There’s not many people who could pull off a mintcoloured sheer gown with frothy feather collar but Bey looked gorgeous wearing Italian designer Francesco Scognamiglio’s feathered creation. She accessorised her red carpet

look with every powercouple’s favourite accessory, her child. Blue Ivy walked the carpet with her mother, wearing a poofy bronze princess fantasy (that cost a mere $10,000) but all did not look well for Blue that evening- several times Bey stopped and appeared to be gently reminding Blue to behave, which caused some fantastic faces from the baby heir that you can now find immortalised in the

meme-sphere. We’re sorry Bey, we’d never misbehave if we were your children- just in case you were considering adopting a few 20 year old students anytime soon.

Not done with owning the catwalk, Beyoncé also took over the stage, performing a 15 minute guided tour through her visual album Lemonade, complete with snarling, swearing, Black Power salute and realtime camerasmashing with Hot Sauce, her baseball bat.

No word on how Jay and Bey’s marriage is faring post-Lemonade controversy, but Beyoncé’s backup dancers seem to be doing great. While on tour recently, long-time dancer for Bey Ashley Everett was proposed to live on stage by her boyfriend, whilst Beyoncé watched proudly (and laughed at Ashley’s shock.) You might recognise Everett as being one third of the original trio in the Single Ladies music videoturns out he did want to put a ring on it! Congrats Ashley!

Illustrations by Elley West

Absolutely fashion the bbc does prada?

tess robinson Something that first introduced us to fashion, here at Venue, and also to the world of the industry was a little film called The September Issue. Following editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, the film took us behind the pages to see what it was really like putting together an issue. It was a captivating look at the highglitz, high-glamour lifestyle of Wintour, and her despotic rein over her poor stylist, Grace Coddington. The duo’s fiery relationship took centre stage in the film, as Coddington tried to exercise her creativity and Wintour pulled her back in, and for all their tempestuous bickering over models and photography shoots, what came through was a shared passion for fashion and a genuine dependence on each other to pull the magazine together.

Not to be out-done, British Vogue has also released its own behind-the-scenes documentary, Absolutely Fashion. Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, features front and centre. She comes off in the documentary as quite serious and well, a bit… normal. She seems like someone just trying to get on with their job. She doesn’t put up with any mess, that much is apparent as on several occasions she casually asserts her authority, veto-ing a particular cover in favour of another.

Similar to Coddington’s role in The September Issue, there’s a kooky stylist present here in the form of Lucinda Chambers, fashion director.

She comes off as a real gem in the series, her passion and creativity very much apparent.

The two-part documentary, available on the BBC iPlayer, offers an interesting look into the real business behind the magazine. But, like its predecessor The September Issue, this still feels like quite a limited view behind the curtain.

Perhaps it’s the director Richard Macer’s sardonic tone and apparent dis-interest (or at least, complete lack of knowledge) on the subject that slightly lowers the impact of the series. It comes off feeling like a halfhearted parody of The Devil Wears Prada, but made for the BBC. Perhaps we’ll stick to Meryl Streep next time…

11 Emily Claridge + Elley West

Concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

Fashion the september beauty edit elley west

Blue There’s never a better time to freshen up your look than the start of a new semester. We’ve gathered a few of the latest trends in beauty for you to consider adding to your makeup wardrobe.

Orange Warm, bright tones have been really, really popular this summer. With the launch of Kylie Jenner’s Kyshadow palettes, everyone’s been clamouring for warm, redbased browns and burnt sienna shadows. The look was brightened for summer, becoming more of a teastained orange effect across the lid, for a look nicknamed ‘sunset eyes’- we love it. For autumn it’s becoming much darker, but also much redder.

The eyeshadows are turning maroon and burgundy. If you’re feeling brave for fall, cut your crease with a matte blood-red for a vampy but still trendy look.

How We’d Wear It: We love the look of tea-stained eyes, so we’d take a soft, warm chocolate tone and run it really softly through the crease of the eye, barely touching the brush to the shadow and building slowly.

Carve out the crease and lid as needed, and finish by using the same shadow to line a wing.

Glitter Glitter makes everything better. This is a fact. Even greasy hair. That’s right Freshers, even if you’ve not washed your hair since your last night out, you too can look like a fresh fairy princess. Glitter roots have taken Instagram by storm.

Adding glitter to a slickedback ponytail or bun elevates what can be quite a severe look and softens it. Like we said, it’s a great trick if you’re trying to hide a bad hair day or just want to do something fun and different for your night out. Tie your hair up and then take a soft-finish hair gel. Apply it liberally to your roots, combing it out slightly so that when you apply the glitter you’ll get a gradient fade.

You’re kind of going for that starry, starry night look, that “I just got out of the glitter shower” look.

This is a style we absolutely love here at VENUE and are sure to be trying out.

Previously when it comes to beauty, blue has usually been about an 80’s retro revival look, but now the clean, brightly coloured lines that have been seen in the various fashion weeks feel utterly fresh and modern- no shoulder pads in sight.

There’s also a strange whispering throughout the halls of fashion. What’s that they’re muttering?

Something about blue lipstick? Wait, blue lipstick!?

Yes, it’s futuristic but maybe not so far away after all.

Some are saying it’s going to be a big trend this autumn, taking the dark-lip style

that always appears around this season and giving it a navy twist. If you’re brave enough to take the plungeand who shouldn’t be, it’s just makeup after all- then we recommend the Nyx Macaroon Lipsticks, which come in some AMAZINGLY bright colours, but also aren’t too expensive so if the colour isn’t for you it’s no biggie.

Nyx recently launched in the UK in Boots, yay!

How We’d Wear It: Dust a nude, matte eyeshadow across the lid and then take a bright, electric blue cream eyeshadow or gel liner and draw the neatest cat-eye you’ve ever done. Clean, interesting and relatively easy.

Illustration by Elley West

Concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

Emily Claridge + Elley West

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Photo Credit: WikiMedia

Illustrations by Niamh Jones

You may be wondering why we have dedicated an entire double page spread to Star Trek. To this, I have but one answer. Why the heck not? One of the most iconic programmes in television’s brief but colourful history, a low-budget phenomenon that was only kept on air by the letter-writing campaign of its fans. With hundreds of episodes, a whole series of films (which are still being remade to this day) and countless conventions and comics, memorabilia and merchandise, you can’t deny that the franchise is prolific. It’s so much more than the nerdy sci-fi series that your strange, dweeby cousin is into. Star Trek introduced the very first interracial kiss to our screens and had a multi-racial cast that were given parts free from horrific racial stereotypes. Latino badass Khan, Nichelle Nichols’ wondrous presence, which became the proud source of inspiration for Whoopi Goldberg and the first female African-American astronaut in space. Don’t forget Sulu played by the lovely George Takei and the introduction of Chekov at the height of the cold war. It also inspired the creation of our beloved mobile phones and tablets, influencing the likes of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

But I digress. The real reason I’ll give for these pages is that we need a little bit of optimism this year. We’ve had a whole host of important deaths, as well as Brexit, the attacks in France, Germany, Turkey and too many other countless atrocities to mention. So why not reflect on a utopian society, where everyone is totally equal, regardless of race or species. In a time where Donald Trump peddles a message of mistrust and defensiveness, why can’t we be inspired by Star Trek’s message of harmony, trust and inclusiveness? So join your dweeby cousin, raise your glasses of Romulan Ale with a hearty Qapla’, and live long and prosper my dudes.

-Niamh Jones Age 21

Creative Writing

Beginning, middle, end

Recently I’ve been contemplating my university existence. What I mean to say is I’m starting third year and I don’t know how I feel about it. You may be starting university (if so, hello and welcome to UEA!) or you might be in your second year, or your third, or your sixth... Whichever applies, you’re somewhere on the timeline, so I wanted to hear how you feel about it. The theme was also a chance to be a bit abstract; I didn’t necessarily want everyone to write about graduating or making new friends. So if you’ve just got here, or if you’ll be leaving next year, enjoy it while you can, and remember: writing about it can be a useful remedy. – Hugo Douglas-Deane

Beginning Middle End — Jack Carey They can’t do this to me, they can’t do this to me, they can’t do this to me.

“Frank? Frankie baby? You there?”

John Bernstein’s round sanguine face stared back at him. His beady eyes were framed by a pair of round glasses that perched on his long nose.

“Yes I’m following,” of course he was following, even after this dry lipped prick had been rambling on for near enough an hour.

John pushed his glasses high on the bridge of his nose. Frank had seen him do this several times before, usually before he delivered the bad news. He would’ve made a lousy poker player with a tell like that.

“You see Frankie, the music business is like the ocean, the tide comes in and the tide comes out, the stuff no one wants washes up on the beach”. Frank watched as John paused again to push his glasses up. Here we go.

“You aren’t at the beginning anymore, or the middle, you are here!” He gestured to the end of his desk. A desk which was probably worth more than what Frank was wearing.

“The thing is, the end,” he gestured with his hand again, “Isn’t what we want.”

Frank shifted in his seat before fumbling in his pocket for a cigarette. He plucked a straight out and slid it into his mouth.

“What about artists like Jackson, Presley, Cobain? They’re dead, they aren’t touring, but their shit still sells!”

“I’m going to be blunt here Frank, I don’t think a shotgun in the mouth or a drug overdose will immortalise your career, in fact probably the opposite.”

Frank’s thoughts lingered on the hunting rifle he had in his cabin out in Warsaw County, or the prescription he had for his gastric inflammation. What type of misunderstood artist killed themselves with gastric inflammation medicine? He doubted he could even load the damn rifle.

“I guess you’re right John, I thought I had a few years left in me, maybe a Greatest Hits at least!”

A look washed over John Bernstein’s moon like face. Pity or sympathy, Frank thanked him for it. This time he refrained from pushing his glasses up and the pair locked eyes.

“I know a guy who is looking for a cover song for his acoustic act, I’ll see what I can do.”

I sit and watch the ants — Ruth Stone I sit and watch the ants, I should be reading, writing, revising, But I’m captivated by their scurrying, Exploring the tiles, each one a Colombus, Crawling around the same tiles so as not to miss out on anything unseen before, And I think these ants are like me, Scurrying, hurrying, wanting to take it all in at once, Experience it all, this life, these moments, As if I might miss out on anything unseen before, And I think of the future, the dreams, the hopes, The could be, should be, would be’s, The expectation, the challenges, the rewards, Of being here, of doing this course, of becoming a career, The mixture of fear, hope, stress, ambition, And how I really need a coffee to deal with all this thinking, this planning, this future, But for right now, all I can do is sit and watch the ants.

15 Hugo Douglas-Deane

Concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

Creative Writing Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh — Benedetta Mancusi To whom it may concern Have you learned how to pronounce “still”?

To whom it may concern Congratulations, You made it: It’s almost time to drain All the puddles you used to jump in.

To whom it may concern Is there a formal way to say, “I’m not dumb, just afraid”?

To whom it may concern What does “almost” mean?

To whom it may concern Loan me some gold, So I can buy frankincense and myrrh, To moisturise my lungs and the lips of the two thieves Crucified with Christ, For no one drained their pain and tears.

Don’t pour any sunshine in my glass, For my glass is spilling rain.

Don’t loan me air to breathe, Pour me a storm To take my breath, my body and my glass away.

However, How many “buts” can a letter contain?

How many “buts” did you spread around like oilseeds, like grain?

However, Remember to stretch your legs and protect your knees, For your journey starts now, Now it begins.

Congratulations, but don’t wish me good luck: I’m not lucky, just dumb.

Have fun jumping in the puddles of green rain and mellow sky.

Kiss goodbye to the sun tanned fields of equine skin.

Take a coat and good luck.

Be dumb, be brave Someone will pour you a storm to take your breath away.

Kind Regards, and save some money, for the journey is long.

Kind Regards, Don’t be afraid.

You’ll find a way, a world to hug, a smile to wear.

Be brave, For all the eyes looking at you going away.

Be brave and goodbye, You’ll learn to love the rain. (what a cliché) Goodbye and leave the luck behind It won’t help you, It’s just a lie.

Concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

Hugo Douglas-Deane

16

Creative Writing Table for Two — Rahul Mehta A scene set to the purr of a jazz quartet The door swings open and in she steps.

He loses control of his lower jaw, She stumbles as her shoe catches on the floor.

They meet with timid smiles and fragile eyes, And wrestle with words to break the ice.

Talk turns to the menu, and ideas for a starter, Perhaps a soup, with a side of nervous laughter?

Rehearsed lines give way to the uncharted, Leaving a comfort zone which was once well-guarded.

As the cutlery collapses on a weary plate, Thus rises a tally of flaw and charming trait.

The ebb and flow of conversation pursues The raw magnetism of their similar views.

Wine bottles collect like a curious crowd, With complaints that the table’s too loud.

The inferno mellows to a merry bonfire, And their youthful tongues begin to tire.

A rash comment escapes, cue widened eyes.

Alas! The electric discussion burns out and dies.

Smile turns to frown, out leaps a disgusted scoff: “It’s getting late. I’d better be off”.

What was written in the stars has now been erased, And the singletons leave, both red-faced.

The Art of Italian Cuisine — Sophie Chapman Fresh food in the fridge Stirred up, and dressed with spinach Lasagna tastes great

Til The Fat Lady Sings — Jenny Moroney The evening sinks into night and two men sway out onto stone streets. Having left the music and clatter of the restaurant, this new silence seems concentrated; something they have to wade through.

James clutches a bottle of red wine in his hand and they decide to make a toast. There’s plenty to celebrate; their company has just finished it’s tour.

They use the marble edge of a water fountain as a seat and James tops up their glasses until they’re almost overspilling. He lifts his glass to his lips and slurs over it: “Is all really said and done now the fat lady has sung?”

Lucas trails his fingers in the fountain’s water, he notices a drowned bouquet of flowers. “That’s a question of forms and endings.”

James peers at Lucas through his wine glass. “And also a question of: why must she be so fat?”

Lucas gives a breath of a laugh. “Because life is fat.” He carries on staring into the fountain’s water. Tonight is their last night in Italy.

“That’s true.” James strokes his chin slowly then stands up with his hands on his hips. “Sometimes too fat to fit on a stage.” He starts to pace, his rolled sleeves fall down as his arms swing about.

“Which is why curtains are important, and also the flowers; thrown like fullstops. Then there are those claps - that space between each hand: empty, full, and empty again.” He spins round to see if his performance is being observed.

Lucas sits still, he bites the rim of his glass.

“Another toast?”

17 Hugo Douglas-Deane

Illustrations by Emily Mildren

Concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

Gaming ,

YOUR POkemon exercise routine Time to get rid of your summer blubber my fellow nerds

KIRSTY MCALPINE As September rolls in, we all fondly remember those days when we promised ourselves we’d get ‘fit for summer.’

Ancient goals of dropping a few inches from the waist or finally flaunting that risqué

swimsuit are quietly nudged under the rug and left to rot. Those running shoes we bought remain untouched by the door, but the bin overflows with ice cream wrappers.

‘No carbs before Marbs’ we

shouted, only to realise the difficulties of such a bold claim and just having a Twix instead. No more. My fellow gamers, I understand your tribulations. Therefore, I have compiled an effective guide to

fitness. All you’ll require is the gaming application: Pokémon Go. Plus, fitness wear and a drive to be the very best like no one ever was. Don’t forget to warm up and cool down, and drink plenty of water.

Sf buttacup lettering shaded sf buttacup lettering Pick from the following workouts:

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Sed nulla metus, rhoncus quis luctus sed, hendrerit eu metus. Donec vehicula dui at elit porttitor, et convallis enim posuere.

Integer consectetur scelerisque Build your stamina by performing exercises that scelerisque. Pellentesque at increase your breathing rate! metus consequat sem egestas volutpat. Mauris eget rhoncus 1. Run Class or jog untiltaciti you mauris. aptent encounter a Hypno, Jynx, or sociosqu ad litora torquent Pikachu.

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The Cloyster (Endurance)

Pokémon flees, keep going!

2. Filter your Pokémon by ‘recent’. Look at the CP for the most recent Pokémon you caught.

3. Convert it to seconds, and then plank for that length of time.

4. How many Weedles do you possess? Count them, add five to the number, and then do as many crunches.

Follow suit for squats and lunges.

convallis vel, semper nec ligula.

Praesent id orci orci.

Donec diam libero, accumsan hendrerit odio mollis, venenatis ultrices mi.

Pellentesque eget aliquet felis. Cras leo mi, tristique eget mauris convallis, congue consequat lectus.

Nam quis pulvinar sem.

Maecenas hendrerit quam a turpis facilisis hendrerit.

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The Arbok (Flexibility)

1. The Charizard (Warrior II Pose) 2. The Arcanine (Downward Facing Dog) 3. The Abra (Bound Angle Pose) 4. The Staryu (Extended Triangle Pose) 5. The Pidgeot (Lord of the Dance Pose) End with a light walk to cool down.

19 Kirsty Mcalpine

Donec justo purus, commodo a odio vitae, malesuada fringilla urna. Aliquam erat volutpat.

Vestibulum in libero dui.

Nunc eget mattis ligula, in egestas diam. Integer scelerisque iaculis justo, in pretium nisi tempus vel.

Etiam venenatis posuere nisl in pellentesque. Pellentesque nec varius lorem. Nam eget nisi purus.

Suspendisse potenti. Cum sociis natoque The Exeggutor penatibus et magnis dis (Balance) parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent sit Increase balance by building amet pretium in erat.

Praesent the muscles your lower tincidunt sit amet augue body and est legs! maximus posuere. Donec eu For quis eachligula exercise, look augue interdum into your Pokémon inventory. rutrum. Ut congue risus vitae Each exercise is allocated one Pokémon. Multiply the number of that species of Pokémon by 5 in order to calculate how many of that specific exercise needs to be done. Hold weights for an extra workout. Rest for 2-3 minutes between each set.

1. Rattata: Squats 2. Pidgey: Step-ups (per leg)

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In pretium odio quis lorem posuere dictum. Vestibulum at varius felis, in pretium nulla. Donec sodales lectus ac dolor venenatis egestas.

In rhoncus tristique risus, nec fermentum sapien gravida non. Proin porta scelerisque ornare.

Etiam mattis, enim quis luctus hendrerit, metus lacus gravida Sun’s out, guns out. libero, a imperdiet erat ligula ut tellus.

Duis a efficitur erat.

Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio.

Go urna. outsideSedand Cras id congue at catch metus. a Zubat.Etiam Only ante Pokéballs dolor erat, are allowed no great balls interdum non– fermentum id, or ultra balls! how viverra sit amet Record enim. Donec many Pokéballs ac mauris facilisi miss, and how many catch attempts fail. The catch attempts will equate to how many sets you do, and the missed Pokéballs equate to the number of repetitions per set. If you don’t own a set of weights, use bottles full of water, or books.

The Machamp (Strength)

Sets:

1.Chest Press 2. Arm Raise 3. Bench Dip

3. Drowzee: Walking lunge (per leg)

4. Bicep Curl

4. Charmander: Jump Squats

5. Feet-elevated Push Ups

Illustrations by Dougie Dodds

Concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

Gaming

WHy no one , really likes pokemon Go SaM WHITELAW Since Pokémon Go was released back in July it has become the most successful app of all time. The app combines the new and flashy augmented reality with the nostalgia of video games, which seems to be a winning formula. Niantic, the developers of the app, seem to only have a base knowledge of Pokémon, and thus the app seems to have no set demographic. This lack of target

audience has developed into a major problem for the app – that no one is happy with Pokèmon Go. Of the over 100 million users that have downloaded the app there are three main categories that players fall into: Pokémon fans, casual gamers, and curious people. Somehow Niantic have managed to make a successful game whilst not really pleasing any of the

groups that play the game.

This is due to the make up of the game, with Niantic trying to make the game accessible for people not familiar with Pokémon while at the same time attempting to make the Pokémon game that the Pokémon fans asked for.

Lets break this down as to why each group is not satisfied with the game. The curious gamers that downloaded the game just to see what the hype is will not keep it; they will either see the game as boring and delete the app within a day or they will play for a few days until the little enthusiasm they had dries up and then they delete it. These players have no connection to either the content or the style of the game and thus simply do not care about it.

The casual gamers, perhaps the true market audience, are more content, but Niantic have made it difficult to get into it. The idea of a casual game is to be played when bored, to open up whilst waiting for the next bus or in the last five minutes of your lunch break. Pokémon Go is not suited for this.

The whole dynamic of the game requires movement; which instantly restricts a large portion of the players.

The game also takes up

mobile data, which most people use sparingly and only for emergency equations.

Finally there is no reasonable end goal for players. True in games such as Clash of Clans you can only reach a certain level, but you can also max out all aspects of your base.

In Pokémon Go you have to reach the highest level, but also catch ‘em all, and with region exclusive Pokémon this is a near impossible task for the average casual player. Only a handful of people are willing to travel to Australia to get a Kangaskhan, and those people are Pokèmon fans.

Pokémon fans, whether they knew the game was going to be released or not, do like the game on the whole. The nostalgia created by catching Pokémon and training them is fantastic, but it’s not Pokémon.

Niantic have stripped away all the parts of a Pokémon game that fans loved growing up and to this day.

There is no trading, or Elite Four, or free healthcare. The aspects that they did keep, battling and gyms have been changed so that they are vastly different from what Pokémon originally was. By trying to simplify the game for casual players, they have eliminated the aspects that the Pokémon fans were most looking forward to.

The game is thus a successful failure, whilst captivating nearly every person with a smart phone at one point; the game instantly turns people away, with the number of users now decreasing.

The game is too much for casual gamers and too little for fans. If Niantic don’t fix these problems soon, Pokémon Go will eventually fade into the likes of Angry Birds and Doodle Jump.

Illustrations by Dougie Dodds

Concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

Kirsty Mcalpine

20

Gaming RimWorld: Build your story An imagination driven space age adventure

Tom Lacy You’re going to need a lot of imagination to enjoy RimWorld, but you may love it.

A search for RimWorld reviews on Metacritic will yield no results. This is because RimWorld is a game still in Early Access, and it is customary not to review a game until its official full release. That said, Ludeon Studios’ creation stands fullpriced on Steam at £22.99, and apart from the blue banner declaring its Early Access state, nothing about RimWorld screams ‘unfinished game’. That said, a disclaimer must be pinned here, warning that the game is in a state of constant change, and that any issues which I have found with it may well be subject to change in the future.

RimWorld is a ‘colony sim’ self-consciously inspired by Dwarf Fortress in mechanics and Firefly in theme. These

are some big names to throw around, but does the game live up to its role models?

The game has players rolling three random characters, or colonists, and aiding their survival after they crash land on a hostile planet. It’s a base builder: cut trees, mine resources, build houses, and avoid dangers. The characters you roll have a specific set of skills. Some things they will excel at, others they will be physically incapable of.

This can lead to some quite ridiculous situations if only one of your three colonists is capable of any hard work, allowing you to sit and laugh as they clean other peoples’ mess, haul all the rock, and do all the building while the others ‘relax socially’ and ‘cloud watch’. They will have a back story, weird quirks, old scars, and all sorts of other randomised elements. I rolled three characters to illustrate the point, and here they are, my noble colonists:

Todd Frazier arrived at the colony naked with his pet Labrador. As a child, he had grown up in a shelter on a hazardous toxic planet. In the shelter, he didn’t have much room to run around, so his physical attributes are weak. Not to worry though, because as an adult he found work as a clerk for a local dictator, sorting out his finances.

Jora Crosby is deaf, seriously de-buffing her perception.

She was trained as a military scout as a child, but unfortunately ended up working as, and I quote, a ‘medieval farm oaf’ in her adulthood.

21 Kirsty Mcalpine

Justin Miner is (you guessed it) a miner by trade, seriously increasing his ability to swing a pickaxe. Justin is ‘triggerhappy’, meaning he shoots twice as fast but with very little accuracy. This is a problem because it is quite possible to shoot your own guys in this game! Justin is also ‘ugly’, negatively affecting his ability to socialise. What a sorry bunch of sad-cases I have ended up with.

With this much depth RimWorld allows you to immerse yourself in a story, guiding your unique gang through a life that is almost comically hard. But that brings me on to my problems with the game. To a large extent, I feel like the fun comes from the player and their ability to immerse themselves in the game.

Without getting excited about each character, RimWorld leaves you with a fairly bland experience. Sure, the ‘Firefly’ feel is there in the form of a dusty hostile sci-fi world, but visually the game is lacklustre. (And this isn’t just because the game feels more like a Fall Out bandit camp building simulator than anything more friendly). The people are blobs with no arms or legs. So are the animals. There are no moving animations beyond bobbing as the characters move around.

The world, viewed from a directly top-down perspective, is ugly. Buildings have no visible roofs, windows, or other features; they’re just brown squares representing walls. Mountains have no height

Concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

and no rocky outcrops; they too are greyish blobs. Trees are two-dimensional and barely textured. Hunks of rock just look like someone has drawn an ‘X’ on MS Paint.

To Dwarf Fortress fans, perhaps this isn’t an issue, after all graphics has never been a particularly important aspect of this type of game.

But on the whole the visual impression is disappointing.

It feels cheap, almost rushed.

That said RimWorld is a tonne of fun, especially if you’re willing to dive into the characters and their stories. Go on, name your colonists after your flat mates, and laugh as they clean up your guy’s vomit before being carried off by bandits.

Television Yes They Can Katharine Lyon

Super Humans: Representation of Disability in TV Industry

In 2009, a disabled children’s presenter faced a barrage of abuse from parents who didn’t think it was suitable for her to be on screen.

Cerrie Burnell, who was born with a right arm that ends just below the elbow, found herself the target of a campaign which aimed to get her removed from her presenting job on CBeebies.

The campaign was set up by parents who claimed that Cerrie was ‘scaring children’.

Disability charities jumped to the defence of Cerrie and the BBC, and Cerrie ultimately kept her job, but the fact that this campaign existed, and that it gained enough support to attract press attention, is a disturbing insight into the way many people in the UK still feel about disability.

In an interview with Metro, Cerrie stated that people’s objections to her weren’t personal, but the result of seeing ‘something unfamiliar and challenging’, and this is not surprising; as far as representation in the media is concerned, disabled people are almost non-existent.

Disability has been absent from our TV screens for a long time. Even during the Paralympics, the coverage was, for a long time, very limited. While the Olympics would be constantly covered on the BBC, the lack of coverage by the British media meant that many were not even aware that the events were taking place. Olympic fever is inescapable; many who would usually have no interest in sport are drawn in by excitement of it all. Some may argue that fatigue may have settled in by the time the Paralympics airs, but it is very possible that the lack of interest in the events is down to the lack of coverage it has received over the years. A change came, to an extent, in 2012, when Channel 4 covered the Paralympic games. Not only were British viewing figures broken, but the games also attracted an international

23 Denise Koblenz

audience of 3.4 billion people. The International Paralympic committee noted a culminated growth of almost one billion (from the Beijing games in 2008. The games were broadcast in 115 countries and territories, more than ever before, and saw an 82% rise in hours broadcast to over 2,500 hours of content. Prior to this increase in broadcasting hours, it could be argued that the Paralympics simply didn’t interest people. However, seeing as viewing figures rose significantly along with the rise in hours broadcast, it shows there is an interest out there for Paralympic sport.

The Paralympics not only gave visibility to disabled people, but also introduced a wider dialogue about disability. Disability is often a taboo subject, with many able-bodied people believing it more respectful to

ignore it then to engage with any kind of dialogue.

The 2012 Paralympic games were accompanied by the launch of The Last Leg, which started out its life as a roundup show at the end of each day of the games. The Last Leg, which features three presenters, two of whom are disabled, encouraged discussion about disability, partially through the use of #IsItOkay, which allowed people to ask questions about disability that they would usually be afraid to ask. This led to audiences interacting with Paralympic sport in a new way.

The Paralympics can be, and have proved to be, hugely popular, when given proper coverage. Despite the worries that the Rio games would not be able to go ahead as planned due to funding, they have been a huge success. I like to think that this success will continue, just as long as the games get the coverage they deserve.

Illustration by Dougie Dodds

Concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Television Oldie But Goldie?

Some Things Are Better Left Dead

Denise Koblenz The BBC is celebrating glorious comedy moments of the last 60 years with its Sitcom Season. These last few weeks we have seen sitcom classics such as Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Keeping Up Appearances and Goodnight Sweetheart come back to life. Considering how much this nation loves to indulge in a bit of nostalgia, and especially after the success of Dad’s Army earlier this year, viewers had high hopes for those sitcom revivals. However, starting off with good intentions, BBC’s Sitcom Season eventually landed on our

screens with a disappointing thud.

Although viewing figures could almost compete with ITV’s new period drama Victoria, reviews and the backlash on social media was telling a different story.

70s sitcom Porridge and 90s favourite Goodnight Sweetheart at least attempted to put a modern twist on the original, bringing it to the present day and giving viewers at least some chuckle worthy moments,.

Keeping Up Appearances took on a different approach in creating a prequel called Young Hyacinth at least trying to be somewhat

innovative. All of the above gained mixed reviews, some praising the way it honoured the original others accused them of ruining a classic.

However, the one show that clearly stood out was the reboot of Are You Being Served?. Picking up where the show left off the viewers found themselves stuck in the 80s with endless innuendos, misunderstandings and cheap jokes. As critic Michael Hogan rather aptly described it, the Are You Being Served? reboot ‘was just tired and limp, like an iceberg lettuce long past its sell-by-date’.

These sitcom revivals wasted a good prime time spot on the BBC and would have been better off taking up a lazy Sunday morning.

Better yet, not wasting money that could be used for new, more innovative productions, on cheap reboots. Leave it to Gold or Dave to show much more enjoyable reruns of the original. We have only managed to get 60 years of TV comedy because of innovation and originality, not because of cheap rip offs.

The Cake Craze Continues Hannah Jarman

Cake, calamity and soggy bottoms - Recipe for success?

Amongst the beautiful English countryside sits a white tent decorated with multicoloured bunting. No, this is not a vintage tea party, but in fact the home of the BBC series The Great British Bake Off. A competition in which 12 contestants aim to be crowned the ultimate baker, it is somewhat surprising how this romanticised village fete is now in its seventh series, with viewing figures that compete with England football matches. This show has captured the British public, and one cannot help but wonder why.

The programme undeniably uses a fool-proof system. Like many other popular shows one contestant is knocked out each week. Yet, where the viewing figures for these shows have plummeted, GBBO has excelled. Mary Berry attributes its popularity to its relatability, saying that ‘[the] people in it could be your sister, your son, your next door neighbour’. The BBC cleverly picks contestants that seem, to put it simply, normal. None of them are particularly glamorous, even that interesting whilst some of them just seem a bit odd (take Val from the present series). It does feel as if you are watching friends or family, and as the weeks go on you do grow surprisingly

attached to the contestants.

for the contestants when they cry over their collapsing cake.

This makes GBBO possibly the least offensive show And this is the winning to ever exist. Unlike other formula of the show. When “knock out” shows where the there is so little to complain contestants can be ridiculed, about, surely you are on to a the most offensive thing in an winner. The overall “niceness” episode is pastry with a “soggy of the programme makes it a bottom”. When something feel good, easy watch that so does go wrong, there is little many enjoy. Let’s hope that mockery but support from Channel 4 doesn’t plan to the contestants, who help change this winning formula. each other when disaster strikes. Even the public get involved, most famously during “Swan Gate” where Ian’s Baked Alaska became a puddle of ice cream (whether

by Diane’s wrong doing we will never know), leading to the hashtag #bringianback.

Maybe I’m just a softie, but an element of sympathy is felt Illustrations by Niamh Jones

Concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Denise Koblenz

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Television Stranger things 1980s Sci-fi extravaganza Hannah Ford If there is one show that has got everyone talking this summer, it is Netflix’s new original show starring Winona Ryder, sci-fi and 80s nostalgia fest Stranger Things. It has already out-done other Netflix original shows such as House of Cards in the viewing figures, and for fans of the show, it is not hard to see why. The basic premise of the show is a small town where a young boy, Will, mysteriously disappears, and his friends set out to find him, befriending a girl with strange powers, and having to battle a ‘Demogorgon’ and come to terms with the ‘upside down’ along the way.

I am being purposefully vague about the plot, because I believe the show is far better when you go into it with no expectations or any ideas about what will happen. All you need know is Eleven, the mysterious young girl with powers, is a complete icon, Dustin is adorable, and if season two, which Netflix has recently announced will be happening, doesn’t bring #JusticeforBarb, there’s going to be trouble.

(Seriously, check out twitter, fan sites, and even Jimmy Kimmel: everyone loves Barb).

What I can reveal without spoiling the show, are the many, many throwbacks to the 80s within it. Not only due to its setting during the 1980s in America, it also features

a brilliant soundtrack of nostalgic 80s hit songs (such as the always brilliant ‘Africa’ by Toto), and 80s pop culture in its hit movies, books and TV. Throwbacks include Stephen King’s Stand

By Me, with the plot of the friendship between the boys and Eleven, and their journey – along a train track for some of it, like Stand By Me – to find Will. The logo of the show also echoes Stephen King’s book covers, and the title credits themselves feel very 80s, in their font, simplicity, and amazing scifi score. Another classic 80s film referenced is E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, when Mike hides Eleven (I won’t ruin it by saying who he hides her from and why), and dresses her up as his cousin, complete with blonde wig and pink dress – exactly like how they dress up E.T. in the film. It also features a chase on bicycles, where you can’t help but expect Mike and Eleven to start flying through the air. Of course, the show is also reminiscent of another 80s classic and Stephen King novel, Carrie. Eleven is very similar to Carrie: an unusual young girl who doesn’t fit in, developing telepathic and telekinetic powers. (At this rate, Stephen King could almost be credited as a writer for the show!)

and Stranger Things has many nods to The Empire Strikes Back. Dustin dubs Lucas a ‘Lando Calrissian’ as a byword for betrayal, they compare going to battle the monster as ‘R2D2 going to battle Darth Vader’, and the boys try to convince Eleven to move the model Millennium Falcon with her Jedi-like powers. The boys are clearly big Stars Wars fans, and use their knowledge and love of the film, amongst other films they are growing up alongside, to come to terms with the bizarre going-ons around them.

Stranger Things isn’t just a show with some serious 80s nostalgia – its creators, The Duffer Brothers, have clearly borrowed directly from the films, books and pop culture of the decade which inspired them in

But an 80s nostalgic show wouldn’t be complete without Star Wars references,

25 Denise Koblenz

Illustrations by Dougie Dodds

Concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

their own careers, and the show has grown directly from this. It is a homage to the 80s, wrapped in a gripping, funny, and seriously bingeworthy TV drama. Even for those who are not already fans of sci-fi and fantasy (I would never choose these genres as a favourite, yet I loved the show), Stranger Things will have something for you, whether through the beautiful friendship between the boys and Eleven, the devotion of mum Joy (one of Ryder’s best performances), or for the brilliant mix of horror, sci-fi and humour. It is definitely worth a binge, and with only 8 episodes, what’s stopping you?

Music New Releases olivia campbell Bastille Wild World

TWIN ATLANTIC ‘there’s inspiration from the idea that we’re all pretty similar’ jessica frank-keyes Scottish rockers, Twin Atlantic are back with a fourth album, GLA. The record goes back to the band’s Glaswegian roots and is already shaping up to be a return to heavier form, after the catchy pop delights of Free and Great Divide.

Despite opening with catchy guitar riffs, Bastille’s latest offering merely delivers an uninspiring indie-pop album filled with songs simply designed to be played on the dancefloor. The highly anticipated follow up to 2013 debut Bad Blood blends smooth electro beats with the lyrical talent of Dan Smith, but fails to deliver anything other than an average album.

Tracks such as ‘Good Grief’ and ‘Fake It’ are no doubt catchy, but ultimately remain similar to all the other tracks on the album. As admirable as Smith’s effort are, Wild World unfortunately remains the band’s inferior successor.

Georgina Hewison Frank Ocean Blonde

The record is such a different listen from your last two releaseswhat can we expect from the tour?

“We’ve been playing three songs or so a night at the moment and it’s gone well.

People seem to like it!”

Ross added that the band consider it a ‘release’ to play their new tracks. “I think it adds something to the set and makes it a little bit more dynamic.”

GLA is a homecoming for you, with tracks like ‘No Sleep’ and ‘The Chaser’ echoing your first album, Vivarium. Was it inspired by your roots or by life on the road?

“Vivarium was written predominantly in Glasgow, and we were so much younger then… more excitable and angsty. After Free and Great Divide - and getting to travel everywhere - we were getting to do the things we had always dreamed of doing, so in a way, that attitude you have drops off when you’re

getting to do what you’ve always dreamed of. The sound of your band just goes in a different direction.”

He continued: “When it comes to this album, we had always planned on taking a couple of months off in Glasgow, back with our friends and family. We wanted to focus on spending a bit more time with them at home and trying to just write for the first time ever - since Vivarium - in our own city and with our own lives going on around us.”

He makes the recording process sound almost relaxed, saying: “We’d finish a day in the studio and then go and meet mates in the pub.” But this laid-back mood contributed to the record’s sound. “Our wives and girlfriends are in Glasgow, so our actual lives went into making this music, rather than writing a song in the back of a tour bus somewhere in America. Your dreams and imagination come into it much more: it’s much easier to reflect Glasgow by actually being in Glasgow.”

Is there inspiration from anywhere besides home on the album?

“The album is named after our home city but it’s not necessarily about Glasgow. It’s about the idea of home… kind of a snapshot of what it’s like

to live in a city - sometimes you love it, sometimes you hate it. There are things about where everyone lives that annoy them but they’ve made them who they are.”

“That’s the situation we have here: our inspiration is kind of from Glasgow but it also came from people and places and friends from around the world. We’ve been lucky enough to travel and meet so many people and all of them have the same relationship with where they’re from.”

“No matter where you’re from, I suppose there’s inspiration from the idea that we’re all pretty similar.

We have the same loves and hates.”

What’s next for you guys after the tour?

“It’s pretty much just flat out touring until the end of the year now! Next year, we’ve got America and Australia, and maybe around that time it’s right to start thinking about what’s next.”

“At the moment our sole focus is on getting this album out and playing it to as many people as we can and just seeing what happens.”

GLA is out now, and Twin Atlantic play the Waterfront in Norwich on the 16th of October.

As one of music’s most elusive and multifaceted characters, it’s fitting that Frank Ocean treated his long-awaiting fans continued on next page.

27 Alice Mortimer + Lois Young

Concrete.Music@uea.ac.uk

Music a league of its own: latitude Festival 2016 alice mortimer Near the coast of our neighbouring county of Suffolk, lies Henham Park; home to 3,500 acres of greenland and the annual delight that is Latitude Festival. Delivering a diverse range of music, comedy, theatre, art and literature to over 35,000 cultural enthusiasts, Latitude’s vast array of acts, attention-todetail and all-embracing aura is what separates the event from the rest of the British festival scene, with families, couples and friends all enjoying a line-up of carefully selected, handpicked musical talent.

The line-up of this year’s edition was a real treat. On the Friday night, The Maccabees took to Latitude’s main stage to make their long-deserved headline debut. The five-piece gave a dazzling performance with tracks from early indie anthems to latest record, Marks To Prove It. The band’s love of brass instrumentation suited the setting of Henham Park to a tee, closing their set (and unknowingly their career together) with a confetti finale of ‘Something Like Happiness’, entrancing the crowd with blaring lights.

Following a headline slot at 2011’s edition of Latitude, Ohio rock band The National became the first ever act to headline the festival twice, but we weren’t left asking why. As a full moon fell

directly above the main stage on the Saturday evening, the band gave all that can be described as a shining performance creating an intimate mid-weekend vibe with tender, yet passionate rock.

However, despite its chilled ambience, the festival didn’t lack excitement; there seemed to be a certain buzz around New Order over the weekend, climaxing with a fitting finale of alternative-dance tracks on the Sunday night. With an exciting set spanning 35 years, from their Joy Division origins through to anthemic dance track ‘Blue Monday’ and those from latest album Music Complete, the hype for a show shimmering with 80s nostalgia was not to be a disappointment.

New Order’s predecessors M83 proved that quality 80s synthpop is still alive and kicking with tracks from this year’s Junk, their best yet. The French multi-

instrumentalists gave a tireless performance with pop bangers ‘Do It, Try It’ and ‘Go’, along with the ambient 90s alt-rock of their previous album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

Suiting Latitude’s love of theatre and comedy, exFleet Fox Father John Misty appeared to be another perfect choice for the festival’s main stage bill. Both dramatic and satirical, Father John (and his ego), bought psychedelic-folk and a witty stage presence to an audience who probably laughed more at his show than at comedy flop Russell Howard that same day.

New Releases continued... to such an unpredictable second release. The roll out of his additional visual album and lengthy list of credited artists already exceeds expectations - however it is the newly mature and fluid style that makes Blonde stand out. Stepping away from his allocated genre of R&B, he incorporates minimalistic guitar and keyboard to compliment trippy rhythms, wavering background vocals (including Beyoncé’s) and of course, his own adventuring melodic voice. Lyrics speak of love and injustices more intricately than Channel Orange, mixing abstract vocals with blunt statements.

Overall, Blonde’s complex entirety begs a closer listen, but ‘Nikes’, ‘Pink + White’, and ‘Nights’ are sure to please all listeners.

rachel grice Catering to nostalgic 80s dad-dancers and young indie fans alike, Latitude doesn’t boast a line-up of radio favourites, nor sellout arena acts, but does promise quality musicians and fresh upcomers, all in charming surroundings.

Latitude’s glorious, magical setting of Henham Park holds sentiment to many.

Jamie T Trick

See what I’m raving about: Latitude 2017 will take place from the 13th 16th July.

After the perhaps slightly lacklustre Carry On The Grudge, Trick is a glorious revival of the raw, poetic genius of genre-less Jamie T. Distancing himself slightly from the urban youthfulness of his earlier albums, Trick demonstrates a more mature continued on next page.

Illustrations by Emily Mildren

Concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

Alice Mortimer + Lois Young

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Music desert island discs: editor’s edition alice and lois chat about their music tastes and confess their guilty pleasures “favourite track “Which three from your tracks would you childhood?” take to a desert island?”

Alice: Alice: 1. ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ – Tame Impala 2. ‘A Day In The Life’ – The Beatles 3. ‘Going Underground’ – The Jam Lois: 1. ‘Come What May’ Ewan McGreggor and Nicole Kidman 2. ‘All Summer Long’ Kid Rock 3. ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ - The Beatles

“What’s your favourite album?”

Alice: It’s got to be Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not by Arctic Monkeys.

It’s the best album of my favourite band of all time, and I guess I thought it was the soundtrack to my wannabe angsty tweenage years...

Lois: The Girl Who Couldn’t Fly

by Kate Rusby is by far my favourite album. When I first heard it, I would get up early so that I could listen to it all again... now that is love.

Dean Martin, ‘Ain’t That A Kick In The Head’. I always used to listen to jazz music and big band with my grandad. Also, check out the RJD2 remix you’re welcome.

Lois: ‘Orinoco Flow’ by Enya. My parents used to play this to me to get me to sleep when I used to have nightmares.

So I associate it with feeling calm, sleepy, and happy.

“A track you associate with a fond memory?”

Alice: ‘Wake Up’ – Arcade Fire. Bit of an odd one. I was sat on the bus a few years ago and completely missed my stop simply because I was so into the song.

Arcade Fire are known for their instrumentation, impassioned climaxes, and generally powerful aura, so I just had a movie moment and forgot where I was.

Lois: ‘Summer of 69’ by Bryan Adams. It reminds me of my late teen years, when I finally

found some good friends. We used to jam to this in the summer of 2011.

New Releases continued... tone which contextualises the bold singles, ‘Tinfoil Boy’ and ‘Power Over Men’. The first half bursts with punk energy and excitement, then slows to a more lilting, melancholic second half. The immensely fun ‘Robin Hood’ is cleverly juxtaposed with the almost lamenting ‘Sign of the Times’, perfectly encapsulating the album’s sentiment.

“song best to comfort someone when they feel westley barnes Glass Animals upset?”

Alice: ‘Dry Your Eyes’ – The Streets.

That’s jokes. Don’t play that to anyone. On a serious note, you can’t be sad to ‘You Make My Dreams’ by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

Lois: DEFINITELY ‘September’ by Earth, Wind and Fire. It makes me so instantaneously happy.

‘Recommend an artist/song/ album” Alice: If you haven’t heard Metronomy’s latest record, Summer 08 is brilliant.

It’s fun, funky synthpop pervaded with dance cuts.

‘Back Together’ is erratic and just an all-round banger.

Listen, please.

Lois: I can’t recommend Kate Rusby enough – if you want a song to start you off, go for ‘Awkward Annie’. She is a perfect artist to help you relax, read, or snooze.

29 Alice Mortimer + Lois Young

How To Be A Human Being

Glass Animals deliver an uplifting amalgamation of dance-pop with How To Be A Human Being.

Kicking off with a hymn to underachievement and selfaffirming braggadocio that is ‘Life Itself’, the band manage to make a battle cry out of a song that is essentially about living with your mum and reserving your energy for your mate’s gaff party. Lead single ‘Youth’ might provide the sing-along festival chorus of the year, but perhaps is more about dependence than love. This is a good question when considering the main thematic thread of How To Be A Human Being: sure it’s party music, but the lyrics hint that this album is made for when the party’s over.

Cover credit: Flickr

Concrete.Music@uea.ac.uk

ACROSS 1. Where the mysterious eels live 3. Iconic UEA buildings 6. A fine city 8. The best hang out point on campus/four sided shape (3,5) 9. The bar sells these round and delicious foodstuffs 10. ____ Arts Centre 13. Oh UEA is...?

17. UEA is mainly built with 18. Where the books are 19. The better half of the bar/ The ___ bar

DOWN 1. The stickiest floors on campus are in the...

2. How many L’s are there?

4. Most reasonably priced cafe on campus 5. The fresher’s drink of choice 11. The stickier and sportier half of the bar/ The ___ bar 12. UEA’s furry friends 14. The day we thrash Essex in sport (4,3) 15. The best magazine in the world