Concrete issue 044 22 February 1995

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PIZZA? USIC INTERIVEW EXTRAVAGANZI. EAT 'Concrete' rates the SHAMPOO I DEUCE I SLEEPER I THE REAL McCOY I EMF

local delivery outlets •I

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vote to keep Waterfront UNION officers last night thanked Concrete after the first quorate meeting for two years voted to keep The Waterfront open, writes Miche/e du Randt.

For last issue, Concrete urged students to turn up and vote at the UGM to guarantee the survival of the popular music venue.

And 391 students packed into the LCR to discuss whether the Union should continue to run it.

Said Union Finance Officer, John Holmes: "From the turnout, it is clear that where an issue is seen to directly affect students, they will come out and have their say.· But the requ ired quoracy for the discussion of room rents fell short, after over 300 students walked out after the Waterfront vote. "lt's a shame they left after the Waterfront motion in the numbers that they did", John added, "because the issues that were to be discussed had not only an effect on them but certainly on future students here they were important and needed discussing ."

"In terms of The Waterfront, clearly no-one opposed it, so it's obvious that students are keen on The Waterfront staying open, whatever the terms .· John was quick to praise Concrete for campaigning on the issue.

Had the meeting been inquorate or the motion been rejected , it is likely the venue would have closed for good .

"Concrete clearly prioritized The Waterfront" , he said.

"If the Union believes that rents and accommodation are issues which students should be affected by, then we should market these properly to get this number of people here.'

• There was some discussion on how recent profits should be spent, and part of the motion detailing plans for a new manager was rejected following objections from the majority of students present.

_ _os_e_s y_et more cas 1n Registrr_p_i!y_-oH scandal ~ L

EXCL~INVESllGATlON

by S1mon Mann

l _

BLUNDERING Registry bosses were forced to pay out a staggering £35,000 in compensation ... after the VC secretly suspended one of his own top employees!

The high-flying PR official, Nina Anstee, 47, took UEA to an Industrial Tribunal last September, with a catalogue of complaints, alleging ' sex discrimination', ' unfair dismissal', 'victimisation' and ' breach of contract' - but won the tax-free out-of-court settlement "by way of compensation for termination of employment. " This figure also included £5 ,000 in legal expenses.

Said Ms Anstee, who has since left her £30,000 a year post, "The way they [her bosses] dealt with the situation was hugely inappropriate."

But Personnel chief, Richard Beck, defended the University's actions, despite refu s ing to respond to a list of 21 questions posed last week by this newspaper, about cloak-and-dagger operations.

• Concrete began investigating the case when unsubstantiated rumours emerged that Ms Anstee, had been 'summarily dismissed' from her job, which ironically involved fund-raising and the promotion of UEA.

Inset: (Top) VC, Derek Burlcel (Bottom) Nina Anstee

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

NUS Officer

By - ---.

UNION HOUSE is to be linked u p to UEA's computer network as part of a move to improve communications .

r----

But, since the University are refusing to contribute towards the paymentfor cabling the building , the Union are being billed for the work instead .

Th e cost of full connection was fi rst set at £1 ,500, although a recent estimate was in the region of £4,000.

Bill Rhodes, Union Central Services Manager, was stunned at the differential in price.

"The connection cost is a lot more than we expected . it's more expensive than we were led to believe", he said.

The network, which will run from the Computing Centre, will be linked up with around 30terminals within Union House.

Users ofthe system will be able to contact universities , both nationally and internationally , at the touch of a button - without having to go to the library or the CPC .

Mr Rhodes stressed the importance of the network connection to the Union and its members. "it's the future of communications within the University", he

said.

"Withouttheconnection, Union House would be left off the information superhighway."

He explained that the new system would provide an on-line information service, as well as a central stores catalogue , giving access to a full database.

The connection wil l be made available to student media resident in Union House, although they may be asked to contribute to the cost.

Despite this, Union Finance Officer John Holmes sees the netw ork as beneficial to all.

"The Union have welcomed the move, since they have been trying to getthe system installed for some time", he said .

"The system will enable users to contribute to campus computer magazine, 'Magnet', and should help improve inter-Union communications. " • See Concrete's new 'Hype' column on page 6. Essential reading for anyone wanting to surf the Internet.

Caroline Adlem

resitns NUS OFFICER, Greg Price, has resigned from the Union -five days after the departure of Phil Clegg, writes Mark Austin.

Internet facilities will soon be available in Union House

WELFARE VERDICT UPHELD ON APPEAL FOLLOWING a major victory in the Court of Appeal last week, university students are now entitled to apply for DSS benefits whi lst intercalating.

The case agai nst the Department ofSocial Security centred on two UEA students who were forced to take a year out of their studies, one for personal reasons, the other because of ill health.

The DSS refused to pay benefits, claiming the two were, "technically still studying."

But Lord Justice Hotfman said, " What counts as vacation for the purposes ofthe regulations is a matter of substance rather than the name which the university chooses to give it."

Janet Peck, Union Welfare Coordinator, who took up the stu-

dents' cases in 1991, was overjoyed with the students' victory.

"Obviously we are delighted with the result, it is the only fair and just outcome", she commented last Tuesday.

"Without it this group of people, whether they have paid into the system or not, are left destitute at a time when they are most vul nerable."

In a letter circulated to the Executive, he spoke ofbeing "tired and worn out by having to continually tight to do my work in this Union" and cited the detrimental effect it has had on hi s academic work. lie referred to tensions between certain members of the Executive which had come to a head at an LGB Society meeting on February 2, when LGB PresidentJono Turtle accused him of making racist remarks about a member of the Executive.

But Greg denied this in his letter, claiming that this was bound up in the "rumours, allegations and hurt surrounding the resignation of our Communications Officer."

"I fe lt it would be better for all if I went", he said in conclusion.

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1994

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Thafs what high-fly_fug PR boss Nina Anstee told Regist~ chiefs Andrew Motion: "delighted" at becoming UEA 's first Professor of Creative Writing

MOTION PASSED AS CREATIVE WRITING DON NOVELIST, poet and critic Andrew Motion has been appointed as UEA 's new Professor of Creative Writing.

Taking effect in September, the £20,000 a year part-time post has been created "to celebrate and build on the tradition of teaching the writer's craft which began at UEA 25 years ago."

Mr Motion will take over supervision of the nationally re-

nowned MA course from Malcolm Brad bury, who has decided to retire this summer.

He professed to be "delighted" at the appointment.

"This is a chance to build on the existing strengths of the course but also to take it in new directions", he said "I have written in various different forms and I want to broaden the base of the course to reflect that.

"I will be setting up a poetry

workshop as well as continuing with the existing fiction workshops and moving in the direction of more non-fiction."

He hopes that the part-time nature of the appointment will enable him to continue writing and reviewing.

• Turn to page 35 for the first in a regular series offiction writ/en by students on UEA 's Creative Writing MA course- a Concrete exclusive starting this issue.

PR BOSS, Nina Anstee, last week made sensational allegations to Concrete abo~t her treatment as a Registry employee, writes SimonMann.

The former Director of Development and External Relations said that on June 8, 1994, she was summoned to a meeting with VC, Derek Burke, and told that, "Your relationship with UEA has broken down."

Ms Anstee alleges she was then told to leave the campus immediately.

"None of the well-established procedures that should be used to ensure justice and fah-play in such situations was used at any time", said Ms Anstee, who was later banned from contacting her colleagues.

She claims the VC's action was the result of her unanswered corn-

plaints about the way she was treated following her substantial promotion in April 1993.

For although her responsibilities were doubled, she says she was offered terms, "that were discriminatory and which disadvantaged me in comparison with other Divisional directors, all of whom were men."

While suspended on full pay, Ms Anstee heard rumours from colleagues that she had been 'summarily dismissed'. She says that despite a number of requests, UEA have consistently refused to publicly deny these rumours.

Personnel Chief, Richard Beck, issued a statement to Concrete -the first time the University has publicly revealed anything about the Anstee affair.

He confirmed that "no disciplinary proceedings were instigated against Ms Anstee. She was not

summarily dismissed."

Mr Beck admined there was "a substantial and prolonged contractual dispute between Ms Anstee and the University before she left last summer."

He also claimed that Ms Anstee had resigned on July 12.

Yet Ms Anstee denies that she resigned, claiming that as there had been no substantiation or explanation of the VC's allegation, her solicitorhaddeclaredheronJuly 12to be "unfairly and constructively dismissed in breach of contract."

Following this, an industrial tribunal case was filed.

Council - UEA's most senior management body - was told that Ms Anstee had resigned, "to work as a consultant."

Mr Beck strongly denied that this explanation to Council had misled them.

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

Murphy under fire

'''

UEA team hop_e to get a look in on Beeb•s relaunched quiz show FIVE students from UEA are hoping for a prestigious place on the BBC's quiz show, 'University Challenge'.

Yeeesss - Paxman could soon be asking UEA 's team fo r the answers ...

~000 A student who enrolled at 12 universities to collect £40,000 a term in grants was jailed last month for fraud that would have brought him £360k in 3

Students have been restricted to a limit of two pints at the Jesus College, Cambridge union bar. But the new rule doesn 't specify which liquid this actually is

Out ofthe six UEA teams w ho sat through the first leg of the competition last week, the winnersemergedasJGPhillips(EUR3), Sally Brook(SOC2), Sara Cunnew (WAM2), Bob Scott (EAS2 ) and Mark Harper(MTH2). "ltwas quite surprising that we won, seeing as we did very badly in the first round", commented JG. "But we managed to get it together in the end, and basically wiped the floor with everyone else."

The team now face a tough questionnaire followed by a grilling interview, which , if all goes well , will earn them a place on the prestigious quiz show.

But the five students also have to be screen-tested before they get to the filming stage for the 1995-96 series, which begins in

You can help scientists at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich find out more about improving people•s diet and health in the UK! If you are aged between 18 - 60 and think you could swallow a very small tube, you could be one of the volunteers we need to find out more about how glucose is used by the body.

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May. Daniel Owen , Union Academic Officer said , "The show's production team is targeting some ofthe newer universities for the next series, including UEA." He added , "I hope the whole event w ill get students interested and involved."

J G: 'We wiped the floor'

NUS President Jim Murphy last week refuted accusations that his leadership was "shallow, superficial and unprincipled."

Speaking during a visit to UEA, he rubbished allegations that he had tried to cut the budgets of liberation campaigns such as the LGB and Race Awareness. "lt's no coincidence that many of the people who are organising this campaign are the same people who are standing against me for President at the NUS conference in March", he pointed out.

Murphy also called for a depersonalisation ofthe debate surrounding the campaigns, claiming, "Otherwise we will miss the opportunity to unite and sucoeed on so many of the challenges that face us." eMarl< Austin interviewed the NUS President here at UEA last week. Read his arlic/e on page15.

TWO EAS STUDENTS SCOOP PRESTIGIOUS FILM AWARD PLASTIC dinosaurs and a cut-out.ofTerry Waite have

proved to be the keys to

with.inaday.

..---- B Y - - -..... " Thiswasjnriiarked(X)nttastto-Caroline Jenkinson the other ~~petitors, w11o in·

success for two EAS

students.

For it was these props which helpedStephenBealeandYasmin Keyami to become overall winners of this years prestigious Eastman St~ent Commercial Awards, which are sponsored by Kodak.

The com~tition bri_ef was to produce a two minute commercial for one of a number of suggested products ofwhichStephen and Yasmin Chose Golden Wonder Crisps.

"We didn't think. we stood a chance", confessed Stephen.

"During the shooting we thought we were pretty desperate." The original plan was to

build an entire animated city. but the 'lack of time made that impossible.

Instead, 1hey chose to portray the Golden Wonders floating down from the sky, being heralded by other crisps, whilst 1he aforementioned dinosaurs, Terry Waite and various otherwaclcycharacters fro). icked below.

The soundtrack. was provided by a small Casio keyboard, which had two major drawbacks.

Firstly, it couldn't play chords, and"secondly, the batteries i>.ept rurming out.

"That was our budget - £1.50 on batteries," said Stephen.

The commercial took six hours to film, and editing was completed

eluded the London Intetnational Film School a'ild the Northern School of Film and Television.

They had access to far superior facilities, including underwater ~andcelebrityvoiceovers.

Yet the judges decided that ~tepheJJ. and Yasmin' sentry was

the best. " "We were very surprised in· deed. Wethoughtwe'dgoaway with a pat on ~e back", sai4

Yasmin.

,

"My immediate thought was that the others must have been really,really bad", added Stephen.

Theirprizewasaplaque, which they have given to the Sl:hool of EnglishandAmericanStudies to be put on display.

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REFURBISHMENTS We are pleased to announce that the bar will soon be refurbished after negotiations with the Courage Brewery. If you have any ideas on decor or ways that the bar can be improved, please contact the committee.

GRANT

have been revealed to refurbish the exterior of Union House In a scheme likely to cost around £120,000.

The proposals, which should have been put into practice two years ago, are being jointly funded by the Union and the University.

They includeaaxnplete~ design of the existing entrance to the building and the surrounding areas of Union

House.

Since this is often the part ofUEA first seen by visitors, University officials are keen to make the building more attractive.

One of the main objectives of the scheme is to relocate the wheelie-bins, currently

I

Rebec::Curran

I

situated outside Union House in the tumaround area where they are considered •an eyesore• by many, to a location inside the building.

This would subsequently mean relocating the entire toilet area in the foyer of Union House to 'retail space' adjacentto the Bill Wilson room at a cost originally estimated at £180,000.

But now University chiefs are looking to cut costs with a change of plan.

This involves shifting the main entrance doors further towards The Hive, moving the toilets along and putting the

binstore in their place- all at £60,0001essthantheoriginal proposals.

One UEA Planning official said, "This would give the exterior ofthe building a much better overall appearance.• The University have asked the Union to contribute £20,000 to the total cost of refurbishment as long as the prospective plans get the goahead.

Union Flt'lal'lCeOifioer,John Holmes, felt this was a fair request for improvements which would be beneficial to the students.

He said, "The plans would beofgreatbenefittoall. lcan't seethe Union havinganyprotr lemfindingthemoneytofund the proposed developments.•

The GSA has finally received its grant for this year from the Union. Although this money was due six months ago, it is always nice to receive it. The money has already been spent on societies and other lovely things!

TV Nexus UTV can soon be viewed within the GSA bar and due to new arrangements we are selling our old TV. Any offers? Contact the committee.

EDITOR We are currently looking for a volunteer to elect our forthcoming GSA handbook. If you are interested, contact our president, Geoff.

ENTS After the success of Wake last Friday, there are more bands appearing in the bar: INDY CLARK& THE EXPRESSIONS -24 Feb CROSS THE DOG- 3 March CELTIC SPIRIT-17 March There will also be a MUSIC QUIZ and a FRENCH QUIZ coming soon. Bye for now.

This section is written and paid for by the Graduate Students Association

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

Norwich grads amongst the •&est off in UK but debt levels increasing NORWICH graduates are " among the best off in the country."

FAST FOR

That's one fi nding from a new report commissioned by Barclays Bank, which revealed that the average East Anglian graduate runs up a debt of £ 1,732 compared to the national average of £2,233.

Debts to the Student Loans CornBy--pany are also claimed to be below Colette Coleman average.

However, a Lloyds Bank Student Adviser stated, "the need to borrow demand" for Access Funds. more is growing."

Increased requests for funding are He added that their statistics evident in the application period found that the average final year prior to graduation.

Last year 657 undergraduates studentaccumulatesdebtsof£2,000, a figure which applies to Norwich applied out of which 486 awards students as well as graduates in other were given, the maximum pay-out being£ 1196.A riseofabout £12,800 parts of the country.

Applications for student loans in is also evident in the amount paid Norwich have also increased by al- out by the Vice-Chancellor's Fund.

But the Union played down the most 500 over the last year.

A spokesman for the Student findings of the Bare lays report.

Loans company said, "We have " It seems to miss the main point certainly found that demands for that student debt is on the increase", our services are increasing each said a spokesperson. "Things are likely to get worse rather than betyear."

Growing debt has lead to a "steady ter for local students."

FAMINE RELIEF

1

Student debt increasing despite mounting protests ...

...,.........-.u-··v'"'"'oo Sign noticed in the Students ' Union building at Dalhousi e Un iversity, Nova Scotia; 'To obtain milk from the dispenser, press the lever marked PRESS. '

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An accountancyexam was cancelled at Nottingham Trent after one student sitting the exam pointed out that the answers were printed on the back of the papers.

While on a trip to Bulgaria, a Sunderland Uni profwas held for questioning by police after a fellow passengermistook him for an escaped convict...

cAFbOts W~liual~4 hour fast takes plac& on Wednesday, March 1, write$ Michael

Brannan.

Apartfromraising money for the starving in the Third World, thisyear's campaign aims to put an end to the worldwide pro-

ductioqandsaleoflandmines.

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Atlantic, or pages that have lots of pictures in them. NextSavoirFaira : The Joy of Email.

H'JIPE; THE Dfll Y [:[]U.Jmfl WHH B~HlT-~fl DB5DlE5[:Efi[:E

To begin with,Hypewould like to say a big thank you to all those potential gurus and contributors who have agreed to help transform our squealing runt of a server into a metaphor-mixing metropolis, writes Tristan Roddis.

But enough grovelling. This week,Hype gets didactic, and tells you how to skip gaily into the information age. Read on.

Savoir-Faire: Cruising the World Wide Web

OF UEA STUDENTS READ ISource: Campus Survey, Feb '951

And we need your help. We're looking for the following: Writers, proofreaders and typists.

In addition, the following positions on our Editorial Team need to be filled: Assistant News Editor, Chief Reporter, Assistant Screen Editor and Chief Stage Writer.

Concrete is UEA's most successful campus media.

To be a part of it, come to our weekly Monday meetings at 12.15 pm in Room 1.33. Or pop into our office, upstairs in Union House, and ask for the Editor, Niall Hampton.

The best and easiest way to find all that information that you weren't aware that you needed Is by using the World Wide Web (a.k.a., surprisingly, WIJ'NII).

This is a convention that allows people to connect pages of text, graphics, and even sound bites to other peoples' inform ation, simply by includingtheiraddress in the document.

The cunning thing is, only the author of the document has to know where this information lives. You, the reader, can therefore blithely paddle your own way through this sea of information without knowing nor caring where any of the computers happen to be located.

To begin your career as a pioneering infonaut, proceed as

1) lt's home-grown and wholesome- check outHype's paltry efforts by taking the following r route: UEA Welcome page follows: 1) Find a computer (library, CPC PUEA Information page PCampus TV, Radio and Publietc.).

2) Point the mouse arrow at the small picture that says "UEA INFO Or jump directly to us at: http:// (Mosaic)".

3) Click the left-hand mouse button www . uea . ac . uk/menu/ j student_media/concretelhype/ ; twice in rapid succession.

4) Click on any of the blue, under- comeonin.htm(Fromourpages you can also get to see all the lined words that look interesting.

5) Repeat step 4 until you are no sites listed below without having to type in those tedious adlonger interested. dresses ...)

Tip 1: Unless you are a serious 2) Billed as "new thinking for a UEAphile, you may like to start by new medium", you can't beat looking for the words "Information Hotwirad magazine for a good outside UEA"thatare hidden some- dose ofCalifomiantechnCXlpti- •· where in the information service. mism . Find it at http:// Tip 2: If you get bored following www.hotwired.com/ (n.b. you'll . the pointers that you come across need an e-mail address if you 1· on your travels, you can jump to want to use this regularly) any of the addresses listed in the 3)State51 (address: http:// · Dregs section (or anywhere else) www. state51 .co.uklstate51/ ). ·. by firstly clicking on the word "File" A London-based WebzJne. Last at the top left of the screen , then we looked it had a "Spotlight on on the "Open URL..." option. You Norwich" feature that included then have to delete whatever is in the words "Hector's House is a the box labelled "URL· and instead sort of bar that's not too bad". accurately type the address (http:/ Worrying. /etc.)you are interested in. Finally, 4 )Useless ~pages. A definitive indextothe saddest pages click on ' OK".

Tip 3: Bring a good book, or this around. Wonder atthe futility of copy of Concrete, or learn to do human existence at http :// your essays at the same time: www.primus.com/staff/paulp/ connections can often be very useless.html slowtoestablish, especially when r:J Hype can now be emalled you're tryingtogetholdofinforrna- at www.hype@uea.ac.uk or tion from the other side of the via internal mall clo Concrete

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If you're just coming out you need a good address book.

Turn to the listings in any gay magazine and you can make a note of t~ ban and clubs.

But where do you turn if you want to know about safer sex?

We can give you the basic facts, but for more detailed advice, ~e

a note of these numbers.

(If you're worried that someone else might see the names, you can always list them by their initials as NAH, THT and LLGS.) Whichever one you call, you'll get useful advice and information from people who are friendly and easy to talk to.

But what, briefly, does safer sex mean?

It's a good idea also to use a lubricant, but always

It's any activity where there's little or no risk of

make sure it's a water-based one like KY Jelly. Never

HIV transmission through exchange of blood, semen or

use anything oil- based like Baby Oil or Vaseline as this

vaginal fluid. That's why it's important to use a condom

will damage a condom. If there's anything else you want

for penetrative sex with a woman.

to know about safer sex, call one of these numbers.

But sex between men is often non- penetrative. For

And keep them in your address book. It's very

instance it might involve mutual masturbation which is

reassuring to know that help and understanding are just

safe as there's no risk of HIV infection through blood

a phone call away. Call The National AIDS Helpline

or semen being exchanged.

free on 0800 567 123, The Terrence Higgins Trust on

This can easily happen during unprotected anal sex,

0171 242 1010 or London Lesbian and Gay

making it very risky for either partner. So if you have anal

Switchboard on 0171 837 7324. They can

sex you should always use the strongest condoms such as

also give you details of local helplines

Durex Ultra Strong, Mates Super Strong or HT Special.

and services.

Tbe HEA recognises that tbe â&#x20AC;˘bove trademarks ore tbe property of the mâ&#x20AC;˘ken or suppliers of tbe product.

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Concrete. Wednesday, February 22, 1995

ACOU

nss of NEW DJ

0

s ool~o M~ IRebecc:~-or-m-ald-, City_ council to discuss

have started up a series of dance m usic club n ights a t the Norwich Arts Centre, IVrites

Ol~::bs~7s7~~.

whichnms every fortnight at the NAC, is an attempt to raise money for the troubled city venue, which wasalmostforced to close down

in November 1994owingdebts of £30,000.

Peter Robinson, Moist DJ and organiser of the event, described the new club night as, "a fresh concept in uplifting dance music with DJs playing

house,garageandabiloffunk."

He hopes the new concept of mixing 1ive music with recorded dance music, will attract young

PLANS t o relocate Norfolk's Records Office at UEA are being put under scruti ny by

ci~h~o~;~i~~~~illion hi-tech

Elizabeth Fry Building is one of several options currently being considered for Norfolk's main da!abase, which includes most of Norwich's historical records.

The news follows revelations that the new Norwich Library is to be built on the old Bethel Street site.

A spokesman for Norwich City Council said, "As yet, plans for the relocation of the records office are uncertain.

musicians and fellow dedicated music lovers.

"We have a bongo player and a Jazz guitarist who play along with the records", he explained.

"If more people come along who can play instruments we will try and get them to do their own thing."

OThe next Club Kiss Kiss is on Tuesday, February 24 and is £2 on the door from 7.30pm.

The NAC is situated on St Benedict's Street.

mov1'ng local arch1'ves ,JlJo Elizabeth Fry building.

"There are a number of possible options and UEAisjustoneofthe locations which is currently being con sidered."

Plans to rebuild Norwich City Library, which was destroyed by fire six months ago, have recently been speeded up by a local petition.

But councillors have already rejected four ideas for building the library on a completely new site.

The solution may be an enhanced Bethel Street building with a bookstore on an industrial estate and a new records office located elsewhere.

But whether UEA will be chosen as the new location for the records office is still uncertain.

The matter will go out to public consultation in a month's time, with the result being known shortly afterwards.

UATIONYEARBOOKPLANN DI THIRD YEAR student, John Hetherington, is c urrently try ing to produ ce U EA's first eve r Gradu ation Yearbook.

Andhe'sappealingtoallsources to help fund his ambitious scheme.

"The project sets out to produce a glossy commemorative yearbook containing indiv idual photographs of everyone in their final year as we ll as contributions

By-----.

Nick Amies providing nostalgia for many years after grad uation", he explained.

"How else will you remember the Queen's visit, the closure ofFifers' Lane or the reopening of the Waterfront in ten, I 5 or even 30 years' time?''

The expected cost of the book is likely to be between £5 and £12

depending on its overall quality and quantity.

Dlf anyone has any ideas, or thinks they could help John with his project in any way, then contact him via pigeonhole: J Hetherington, SYS 3.

Alternatively, e-mail him on the following account : U9220 712.

But be quick., because graduation's only a few months away ...

NIGHT CLUB

••••••••• 1 MON & I

W DS

=~-

The foyer in the Elizabeth Fry building and (inset) Norwich Library pictured after it was destroyed by fi re last summer

- -- · - - -

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1994

B UEA•s P._ioneering new lab is first in the world A MAJOR new research laboratory based at UEA's school of Biological Sciences opened last week.

By----.

Joanna Emsley

Thefirstofits kind in the world, the new lab uses human tissue technology, ratherthan animal experimentation , to carry out research into the formation of cataracts.

DrGeorge Duncan, Head of the Cell Biology Division at UEAsaid, "Cataracts mainly affect people over the age of65, so it's therefore relevant to carry out research on the cells that are most at risk those of a 65 year old person .· All the experiments are being carried out on human eye tissue from the EastAnglian Eye Bank at the West Norwich Hospital.

Crispin Huntrods of The HumaneResearchTrustsaid, "Our aim is to help scientists eradicate animal testing and find solutions in a cruelty-free manner.· He added, "This is a huge indication of our admiration for UEA and the research that is being done there.'

The lab will be leading the way forUEA by providing a 3 yearMSc course in Human Tissue Technology. Butundergraduatesarealso due to benefit from using some of the labs sophisticated facilities to assist them in their third year projects.

£1 pints draught lager !bitter I cider

LTJ packed for 2 hour

talk about Auschwitz OVER 500 people turned up to hear Auschwitz survivor Mrs Gena Turgel speak at a specially arranged meeting at UEA two weeks ago.

Mrs Gena Turge/ pictured with her husband Norman (seated)

PHOTO: KEITH WHITMORE

Rocking for Rwanda A BENEFIT gig to raise money for orphans in the troubled Rwanda has been backed by a group of students from DEVSOC, writes

Saskia Kent.

The Norwich based Rwanda Orphanage Ap·peal, which is raising funds for SASO (Sustainable Agriculture for Orphans and children in need) has already established project 'Safehaven' near Kibungo in Rwanda .

But further aims of the scheme include establishing a school and community clinic in the village, as well

as working towards a system of sustainable agriculture to encourage self-help community building.

One DEVSOC member helping the ROA urged for students to get involved.

"The orphanage has atready been established but 'Safehaven' is in desperate need of funds". she said.

The benefit gig takes place at The Waterfront on March 2, and features The Tofu Love Frogs, PMT and Rogues Gallery. eFor more information, contact The Rwanda Orphanage Appeal, Tel: 665861 .

Many ofNorwich 's Jewish community, plus local schoolchildren, students and members of UEA 's Jewish Society packed into Lecture Theatre One for the two hour talk.

The attendance, described as " incredible" by one official observer, even forced organisers to provide a last-minute audio link-up to an adjacent hall.

"I'm stunned by the response," said Nicole Gee, secretary of The Jewish Society, "It really has restored my faith in people."

Accompanied by her husband, Norman, Mrs Turgel told of the couple's wartime experiences, from the horrors Gena endured at the concentration camp, to the joys of liberation by the British troops, of which Norman was an officer.

But, she urged afterwards: "My experiences are not confmed to the past."

"I would like them to serve as an example to the active generation of today and tomorrow."

TheTurgel's talk was organised

by UEA ' s Jewish Society and The Students' Unionaspartofaweekof multicultural awareness.

,..---By--Michele du Randt Craig· Leverton, Director of the Holocaust Educational Trust stressed the importance of such an event, at a time when the history of the Holocaust has become a topical

FREE admission

issue.

vJth any s1udent ID B4 midnight

"With the 50th anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps, it is vital that as many peopleas possible know of the horrors that have taken place", he explained.

Union Community and International Liaisons Officer, Lara Wool ford agreed.

"I think it's got significance to the future generations who didn't live through the war, now that the facts are being confused by people who are deliberately using propaganda to rewrite history - to make out it didn't really happen", she said.

-'L.ol-.n_rv"'""'o

Students at Leicester University will soon be able to study love as an academic course. Unfortunately for them, The Love Research Project will not require a practical.

£1.50 pints draught lager Jbitter I cider

9

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1Oconcrete, Wednesday, February22, 1995

Registry announce honorary gongs .

HOT OFF the press two weeks ago came the news that UEA is awarding 11 honorary degrees in 1995.

The lucky recipients include outgoing VC, Derek Burke, who becomes an honorary Doctor of Science. This comes in addition to an impressive li st ofqualifications, but what use can y et another doctorate be to a top Professor? Chocolate teapot time mate ...

UEA grad and Booker prizewinner Kazuo Ishiguro picks up a Doctor of Letters. He must be the bloke in the Post Office who patche s up damaged parcels.

Crime writer Ruth Rendell gets the sa me honour - maybe that Wexford blokey'll be conducting a few investigations here at UE A. Like why food in the Dinertastes so marvellous ... not.

That's about it for the hardcore celebs - the other eight people given an immensely prestigious UEA degree include a fonner Norwich Lord Mayor, a couple of professors and an architect who's made "major architectural contributions to the University."

Wonder what these were? Designing University Village or the inside of the campus launderette?

HeJ teatbelj where's lilT essaJ mark!

Concrete S alternative view of campus life 1

LAST THURSDAY saw the staging of the Union's Mr & Ms UEA in_the LCR, won by Darren Smith and Sophie Clover.

But what led the Exec to hold a 'talenf show? It's not really PC is it?

X-Crete asked one of the show's insiders for his views .

"Conceptionally, it was a marvellous event, although a little short on female competitors, I think", said our source.

"As for Mr UEA, well, anyone who's got the balls to walk down the catwalk in a red satin posing pouch deserves to win in my book.

"One point was that there just wasn't enough swimwearfor my liking. Getthe blokes to strip down, and the girls to strip down- sexual equality; that's what I say.! mean, everyone'sbareinthesightofGod aren'tthey?

"It's a bit unfortunate about the first prize, though . Twenty or so hours on a coach to Paris isn't exactly my idea offun. But it could have been worse I suppose. A trip for two in a Union minibus, for example.

"As for the rap band who came on during the breaks, while all the contestants changed into their next

stunning outfits, well they weren't half bad .

"But there 's one thing I have to say about these type of

HAS ANYONE out there wondered what happens to their essays when they're handed in?

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bandsandth~

the curious fact thatthey always feel the need to .....-....~;.;;;;;:; say their name 55 times in one song.lt'slike, 'Walking down the street, feeling very good - Free Speech', then the next is like 'Me and my brother doing this, doing that-Free Speech', then 'We'll put

@

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our hands in the air like we just don'tcare-FreeSpeech.'Dothey think the audience have forgotten who they are by the second song or something? Very bizarre, in-

deed."

Thoseofyouwhohadyourgrades for semester one through this week have obviously endured weeks and weeks of uncertainty, not knowing where you stand in the broad context of things.

And now you've got them, the sense of anticlimax is just a real let down.

But this doesn't alleviate the irritation at the fact that students get a few weeks to do essays, but tutors on the other hand, get a few months to mark them.

Why's this? Well, X-Crete has looked into this fact and can offer the following as possible explanations: 0 Your tutor 'lost' your essay when you gave it in, and gave you a mark based on 'seminar performance'whatever that is (imagine your surprise when bits ofyour essay appear in some academic tome some years later), 0 They were too busy, mumbling something about a 'conference', an 'important phone call' or 'a meeting', or, OCiaimingtheywere toobusyadding up photocopying charges for the term to mark your essay.

oon£EV·

Concrete•s bits and bobs section

I No 3: 'Extrapolation'- the aluminium sculpture behind the library

The column that reveals how what happens really works ...

No 3: The Traffic Barrier on University Drive.

So how exactly does it work?

Also known as: 'The Tost Ra k N etc. c ear Suffolk Terrace ', ' That Weird Th,·ng th G A . . on e rass' etc k ge. Unknown, although it 's wearin re K ~rigin: There's actually a bitofhisto~ fo · ~~ell an.d h~sn't started to rust yet. ~ Iton !?an m 1993 from Norwich City Lib S p~latiOn for anyone interested. UEA 'aquired ' # on arnvals day to marvel at · "M d d rary. o ll s n?t actually ours, it 'sjust for all th chose UEA .. ." ' y wor ear, look at this artifact ofhigh culture' I' elparents S 0 1't b I · m so gad you e ongs to Norwich Librar ? s . · because it well, wasn 'tthere ltwas ~~re u~e .does. Luckily forthem it didn 't melt in last year's fi W at the way that the campus. is simply litt:'~~ app~ciated by conference visitors, no doubt am~~~ J C onference Visitors? Yes those w . d Wll statues, sculptures and the like ~ fi ' e1r Y people that · · a con erenc~ centre. Because that's what it is ft co~e m the holidays and use UEA like er all . It s not here for students- we're just an • unecessary Irrelevance 'cos we don't pay • .,_q, . • q g :,urns of money for hotel rooms - or do we?

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--

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

11 .

thewaterfront Iive THu 23 FEa Pato Banton & The Reggae Revolution £7 SAT 25 FEa Velo Deluxe + Fiel Garvie + The Gill £3.50 DooR MoN 27 FEB Sleeper SOLD OUT WED 1 MAR Comedy with Harry Hill £6/£4coNcs THu 2 MAR Les Negresses Vertes £6.50 WED 8 MAR AC Acoustics + The Sensless Things + Minxus £5 FRI 17 MAR Globo £3.50 DooR WED 22 MAR Radiohead + Marion £7 THu 23 MAR Blue Aeroplanes + Boo Hewerdine + Animals That Swim £6.50 coming soon Nitzer Ebb, Loop Guru, Tindersticks, Jim Martin, Moist, Let Loose Kingmaker

SAT 25 Feb SuN 26 Feb WED 1 Mar SuN 5 Mar FR110 Mar SAT 18 Mar WED 3 May

Fri 24 Feb Sat25 Feb Fri 3Ma Sat 11 Mar Fri 10 Mar Sat n Mar Frl17 Mar Sat18 Mar

The Mission £8.50 Courtney Pine £ .00 · Belly + Cold Water Flat £7.50 Faith No More SOLD OUT Del Amitri £9.50 Ozric Tentacles £8.50 Charlatans £8.50

MilkY Lunch XRated 9·6 £101£9 Upli ing bou 1 tee no Meltdown 9·1.30 £3.50/£3 lndie and alternative Upstairs Velo Deluxe live MilkY Lunch 9·2 £3 Student Special Meltdown 9·1.30 £3.501£3 lndie plus Upstairs Faceless Trip hop, dub, dance MilkY Lunch 9·2 £6/£5 Uplifting house to techno Meltdown 9·1.30 £3.501£3 lndie Upstairs Allsorted. Pure pop with DJ Bertie Bassett Globo 9-1.30 £3.501£3 Are vou part olthe Globo Conspiracy?

Thatcher Years 9·1.30 £3.50/£3 80s at their best! Upstairs lndie and alternative

12

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

concrs~le '>fO..;-«

~

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comment The £35k question

Concrete welcomes your letters on any subject. Whether it is something we've written about and you want to take issue with, or you just simply want to make a point, we want to hear from you. Write to us (before 1pm on March 1 to have your letter published in the next issue) at the address below or via our postboxes in Union .House, marking your correspondence for the attention of the Editor. Anonymity will be respected but you must include your name and address in the first instance.

So the Registry pay out £35,000 as a result of losing the Nina Anstee case, as exclusively reported in this issue.

Sometimes it seems that the University has lots of cash to throw around. Or has it?

Maybe this is the case for their administration departments, but guess who picks up the tab for all this.

Students. Remember? Those people who are here to make the university what it is : a place to get an education.

And what a surprise that as each year passes the following things are inflicted on students: rent levels increase, security is cut back, promised expansions are cancelled · like the campus chip shop, for example - and prices in University-run outlets continue to rise.

All this whilst student debt gets higher and higher - as we reported on page six.

Clearly, the Registry should get its act together and stop compromising its students with gaffes made at the top level.

Without us, they wouldn't be here

Double Awareness?

The necessity of the Union holding an awareness week is not in itself a condemnation of the way in which it is viewed by its members.

Such profile-raising exercises are a fact of life for any organisation, as the innovation behind commercial advertising proves.

And it must surely be of crucial importance for a democratically elected and accountable body such as the Student Union to keep its members informed of its activities.

But there is clearly always a question to be answered about the aims of events such as that staged last week.

The aim of the week was supposedly to raise awareness of the Union among its members - namely us, the students.

Yet beyond a four page pull-out in the last issue of Concrete, precious little that was laid on actually told us about how the Union works and what its policies are.

This must surely be the aim of such an event, and the following question needs to be answered : Was Union Awareness Week arranged to enable the membership to increase awareness of the Union, or was it staged to increase the Union's awareness of the membership?

And Finally.:.!!

So Faith No More tickets sold out little more than four hours after going on sale.

At least there's still something that we can get enthusiastic about.

Who said students have faith no more?

A FARE COP? ometimes doing something simple like buying a ticket proves something of a drama.

When doing just that at Norwich station, the queue was going nowhere, people were doing complex things involving odd methods of payment, the minutes were ticking away, it was tense, and my train was going to leave, minus myself.

Sod it I thought, as one does,

S

Dead on your feet ....

. y· ·.

Dead worried.

and dashed to the train.

But I was stopped in my tracks by railway police.

When I told them calmly I didn't have a ticket through no fault of my own, they freaked.

"While you stand here arguing with us you are even more likely to miss the train", they said.

"I've tried to buy a ticket, it's physically impossible. Can't I just buy one on the train?", I said.

"No - and you can forget your

student railcard, you pay full fare", they said. "I don't care what it costs, just give me a train", I said, in a rather bad ad for student poverty.

They were so petty, they insisted that the ticket guy sell me it on the platform - not on the train.

I just had the fare on me, and about two pence to spare.

I told them they had a stupid attitude, and they didn't like it.

Who will British Rail Transport Police be working for after privatisation?

The Gestapo, no doubt.

It seems that British Rail can afford heavies in uniform to hassle innocent students, but they can't afford counter staff.

And anyway, I hadn't been aware that I was arguing.

As far as I was concerned, I was just doing what university is training me to do, and being politely assertive.

They probably just didn't like the look of me, and when they found out I was a student, their attitude definitely hardened further.

Tony Crush HIS2

------~-•Editor: Niall Hampton UEA'S

Independent student Newspaper INCORPORATING

The event PO Box 410, Norwich NR4 7TB (01603) 250558

•Assistant Editor: Michele du Rand! •Features Editor: Mark Austin •eo-Sports Editors: Nik Davy & Jane Horner • Screen Editor.· Caroline Jenkinson • Stage Editor: Joanna Stubbington •Music Editor: Peter Hart eSpecial Projects Editor: Caroline Adlem •Picture Editor: Keith Whitmore •Staff Cartoonist: Tony Lansdowne •Chief Features Writer: Seth Levine•Chief Screen Writer: William Neil •Assistant Music Editor: David Hall •Chief Music Writer: Sam Richards •Editorial Contributors:

Rebecca Wormald , Joanna Emsley, Peter Elliot, Joanne Robertson, Olivia Simmons, Adrian Steel, Michael Brannan, Tristan Roddis, Colette Coleman, Saskia Kent, Simon Mann, Gliria Chrystostomou, Rebecca Curran , Liz Mills, Alberta Lopez, Bob Scott, Philip Miles, Toby Litt, Nicola Daley, Chris Weight, Martin Plant, Jo Warburton, Eleanor Perkins, Matt lngram, Sally Rose , Duncan Evans, Jess Morriss, Nick Amies, Sarah Morris •Chief Photographer: Sam Jary •Photographers: Mohamed Hassan, George Brooks •Special Thanks To : UH Stewards • Advertising Manager: Simon Mann • Production Manager: Step hen HowardeOTP Assistants: Niall Hampton , Peter Hart •Concrete is published by the Union of UEA Students. Opinions expressed are those of the Contributor and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Use of the name 'The Event' appears by arrangement with the copyright holders , Planet Zog Ltd. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced, stored in a top sound system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, technotronic, mechanical, channel tunnel, agricultural etc. •Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers, Prospect House, Rouen Road , Norwich •Concrete is printed on recycled paper © 1995

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

THE -CASE FOR I LIBERATION k

13

ASOLUTION FOR MARY CHAPMAN

I have been elected by the Lesbian, Gay and Bi exual Society to represent their views on the Union Executive, I feel that it is quite necessary to respond to Nick Batten's letter published in the last issue of Concrete (February 8).

While I sympathise with the fact that Mr Batten considers the activities of the Union to be too politically correct for his liking, there is one thing he has failed to realise.

Until Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, women, people of colour, and those of disabilities are considered to be equal to those who are, as Mr Batten states "relatively normal", the Liberation Campaigns and, subsequently, the various awareness weeks will continue to exist.

One of the main roles of the Union, as Mr Batten notes in his letter, is to represent the students.

Unfortunately for the Union Executive, some of the students who they are elected to represent are part of various minority groups.

In order to both increase the visibility and the overall understanding of the Liberation Campaigns, both the National Union of Students and the UEA Union

have chosen to initiate campaigns we are all equal. that will promote awareness of In addition, Mr Batten prothese groups.

- ceeds to complain that the issues In my eyes, colour, sexual ori- he considers to be of great imentation, religion and gender have portance are not being addressed no relevance to the fact that as by the Union Executive. people we are all equal.

Why not approach the Union I would much rather spend my Executive about these issues? time reading a good book than In order for the Union to "get having to worry about whether it together up there in [our] ivory I'm going to receive physical or tower", we need to know what verbal abuse when I step foot into concerns the students.

The Hive or the LCR. We are only able to do so if But wait a minute! others make the Union aware of Because I am not, as Mr Bat- such matters.

If you're concerned about the ten implies, in the "majority and relatively normal", then why price of the LCR then talk to the should I even be a consideration Union Finance Officer. of the Union?

If you feel that student unions I am by no means a radical gay complain about the lack of inactivist. volvement in the issues that I do, however, believe in fair seem to important to them, then and equal representaiton. request their involvement in isIt seems to me that every time sues that concern you. we have a straight white male MP It's a simple solution to a simaddress members of the Union, pie complaint. The best piece of or hold a concert by a band such advice that I can offer is to proas Faith No More that the ceed to the Student Union ofstraight white male is being given fices, find a member of the Exconsideration by the Union. ecutive and let them know what I hope that one day the Aware- concerns you. Every member of ness Campaigns do not exist. the Executive, contrary to popuThis, however, will only hap- Jar belief, is interested in student pen when people like Mr Batten feedback.That's what we were are aware and accepting of the elected to do. Seems pretty easy fact that despite the so-called dif- to me. ferences that exist among people, Gthrttt Ellis Union LGB Officer

• p1ua,

collection only Mon • Thurs

fMelanie Levene hated Mary Chapman Court so much, and had nothing good to say about it, then she should not have volunteered to show us new residents around.

I always fmd those introductory talks slightly false at the best" of times, but to read the dtrect translation from the horse's mouth didn't make me feel much sympathy with her plight.

As for the security of the place, the recent robberies speak for themselves.

I was fortunate in that I took all my belongings home for the holiday period, and therefore my room was not a rich target if the thieves were looking for specific rooms to rob.

I appreciate that not everyone can haul their possessions back and forth, so maybe the Student Union could do something to help them ...

How about arranging for valuables to be stored somewhere more secure?

Making such plans seems to me to be that much better than creating News of The World style banner headlines such as ' We Told You So ', and it's certainly better than trying to atone for misleading a lot of people who now find themselves at risk, and discover that nobody really cares too much.

Tirn Gowen SYS 1 Editor's Note: Asking the Union to arrange the possible storage of valuables as you

suggest above may well be a feasible option in Improving the security of residents' possessions at Mary Chapman Court, but it doesn't address the root of the problem.

This is one of underfunding, and it was to this that our front page story was referring.

Clearly, little has been done at the city residences since we last reported on its problems in 1993, and that was the purpose of the piece.

Any suggestion that Concrete ran the story on behalf of the Union is quite ridiculous - nobody pulls our strings except our readers.

DOUBLE TROUBLE?

W:

y is it that the Accom modation Office insist n making you feel like an unwelcome schoolchild?

Recently, I received a letter from them which I found quite ridiculous - I wonder if other readers would agree with me.

I live at Mary Chapman Court with my boyfriend of three and a half years.

Since we live next door to each other, we thoughtit would be OK if we moved the beds together in one room and our study tables together in the other room.

We affect no-one with this ar-

rangement, there is plenty of room and it is much more comfortable and homely.

I was shocked to receive a letter demanding that the beds were returned immediately for "safety and security reasons."

We pay rebt for both rooms, use both rooms and will gladly return the beds over the holidays and when our licences run out even though it is a distance of around five metres door to door.

The Accommodation Centre's letter seems ludicrous, especially since living at Mary Chapman Court you are left out on a limb

£1 oH regular £1.50 oH large £2oH large

with regards to real security problems.

I have friends who have recevied similar letters and we are fed up with the University's patronising attitudes.

Is this punishment for sharing our rooms?

Or is it just something else designed to remind you that you constantly live under the scrutiny of the university's watchful eye?

Sometimes you end up feeling trapped and disillusioned with the 'freedom' of university life in resi; dences.

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l4

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

F o r the past twenty-five years the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Movement has received massive amounts of attention not only nationally, but internationally. Both the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Society and and myself, the Union's LGB Officer, have organised this year's LGB Awareness Week so that the members of the Union will gain a better understanding of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual culture and politics.The week is composed of a wide range of events. Not only will their be a speaker on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual parenting, but their will be Lesbian and Gay performance artists, films, musicians among other things. As we continue to fight for equal rights and representation, it is my hope that all members of the Union will come out and show their support for not only the largest LGB in the UK, but also your students' union.

Gehrett Ellis Union LGB Officer Mooda)', Eeb[uacy 21 At I pm in the Bill Wilson Room there will be a debate featuring members of the

Union's various political societies. Student representatives from the Labour, SWSS, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat groups will debate on their respective parties' policies in regards to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Rights movement. From 4 pm -5 pm tune into Livewire as Gehret, Jo, and Helen dedicate an hour to playing music by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual artists, and even sneak in a few popular gay anthems. Norwich's own Rainbyrds will perform for the LGB and their supporters beginning at 9:00 pm in the Bill Wilson Room. All are welcome. Come and hear a band with flare and style.

Tuesda)', Eeb[uacy 28 Griffith Vaughn-Williams from the Campaign for Homosexual Equality will speak in the Bill Wilson Room at I pm on the topic of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and parenting.

Come and learn more about this controversial and popular issue. The entertainment highlight of LGB Week is the Live in the Hive appearance of The Divine David (as seen at Manchester's Paradise Factory)

and rising star Amy Lame (BOYZ covergirl) performing her show -'Gay Man Trapped in a Lesbian's Body.' Showing in Lecture Theatre 2 at 7 pm will be the popular American lesbian film 'Go Fish.' Tickets are available in the Union House Finance Office.

Wednesday. Ma[tb I A speaker from the growing activist group the Lesbian Avengers. To be discussed: the role of lesbians and militant activism in the LGB Rights Movement.

Ihursday. Ma[tb Z From I pm Alison Brown, CoConvener of the NUS National LGB Committee, will present a talk on the NUS LGB Campaign. Come and learn what part you can play in the fight for equal rights for LGB students. At 8 pm in Room 1.33 it's the return of the LGB Murder Mystery Party. Enjoy an evening of murder, mayhem and scandal!

Edday. Much 3 _To bring the week to a close, a debate featuring members of various Union religious societies will come together to discuss religion and the LGB .

This popular annual event begins at I pm in the Bill Wilson Room. In Lecture Theatre I at 7 pm is the already cult classic -Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.' Put on your best pair of stilettos and join Guy Pearce and company on their romp through the Australian Outback! Purchase your tickets from the Union House Finance Office. Last but not least is the ever-popular LGB party. Join the LGB and friends in Room 1.28 for a night of debauchery.

Throughout the week In Union House Foyer, Monday through Friday, the Norwich Gay Men's Health Project, ACT-UP, and our own LGB Soc will have stalls so that interested students can learn more about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual issues.

For those students concerned about coming out, the LGB is always available for support and advice. On Thursday and Friday, members of the LGB will be available for confidential advice in Room 1.28 from 12-4.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the infamous PINK CLOSET!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Mr & Ms UEA T

L'

liE IIJ<.JS :\11{ :\IS l"EA l'UiliJll;titiun. hl·lll in thl' LCR last Thursd:r~ \\as\\ un h~- UatTl'n Smith and Su11hil' CluHr. Thl'y huth \\in a '' l'l'kl'IHI fur-l\\ u in Paris. pro\ idl'd h~ Thl' U niun Tra\ d Shup. Thl· l'\l'n(\\ as :ltll'ntil'd ~~~ u\l'r 21111 Jll'upil'. and "' \\ dl a' thl' . main :\lr and :\Is Cumpl'litiun. indudl·d hallruum danl'in:,: dl'nwn,tratiuns and a lin· rap hand 'Frl'l' SIH'l't:h'.

Thl· Uniun uf UL\ Stndl'nts nuul!llikl' tu · thank Cunt:rl'll' fur all thl'ir suppurt in prunwtin:,: thl· l'\ l'nt. and alsu thank thl· full~m in:,: shops fur pru\ id in:,: duthl's : Baza:u· fm· thl' wuml·ns duh \\ l'ar, .luhn fil'lds fur thl' ml'ns l'H'nin:,: \\ l'ar. anti thl' rniun Spurts Shu11 fur thl' \JlUI'IS\\l'al'. l'il'turl'd ld't an· nnsucnssful t:unll'stants Tih:rn:r and lll'll·n hl'tll' l' hll' k nl'\t tillll'!

PlC : STEVE HOWARD

looming on the h<lrizon (6th1Oth march) the Women's Group are planning to break: traditionally male strongholds by example. there is a pending visit from the Mayor, a female clergy woman, and two representatives from the English Collective of Prostitutes. Meanwhile there _, are bi-weekly reading sessions and meetings.

Wednesday 22nd of February is the date set for readings concerning our body oppressive society which will take place from Spm in the Interview Room upstairs in Union House. All women are as always welcome to read or bring anything that they feel is relevant to the session.

Don't forget to tune into 'Out of the Kitchen' the new regular radio slot on a Monday 4 - 5pm, and to put all your suggestions in the

yellow box by.the Steward's Office. The show with Jo and Helenplays music by · women artists only, with exception of Lenny Kravitz who has a female drummer, not because she is a woman but because she is better.

Damn Straight!!

Don't forget also that Alison Brown ofNUS is going to be addressing the Women's group on the 2nd of March on the subject of Sexuality.

Help is always needed, all you can never get too much of a good thing unless of course you are Dolly Parton. In the meantime if you are too busy to take an active role, then take time to pause and ponder wise phrase of the fortnight, in lieu of Valentines Day:The more you think of someone and care about their needs the less they think of you.'

Want to start a new society?

FOR ANYONE interested in forming a new society, or for those members who would like to know more about how their society is run (and even what rights they have) help is now at hand. With no expense spared, the Union has now produced a spankingly new Societies Guide, or 'SocPack' to its friends, giving all kinds of details on just about everything you've ever wanted to know. And its very easy to get your hands on a copy -

just inform John Miller, the Societies Officer, of your desire and, as if by magic, it will be fulfilled.

John Miller can be contacted at his pigeonhole in Union House and, for a limited period only, via the 'SocPack' box outside the reception in Union House. Just provide your name and pigeonhole details and leave the rest to that funky internal mail service.

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

n •lt has been a difficult year in many respects for NUS President Jim Murphy, but it hasn't deterred him from standing for re-election at the NUS conference in March. Mark Austin spoke to him as he faces the year ahead ...

I

n some respects, NUS President Jim Murphy has much in common with Tony Blair, the leader of the party he is politically affiliated to.

He wants, he says, "to see the NUS massively reform and restructure itself.' · "At the moment, we are involved in a massive project which is creating ideas for the 21st century, but we still have a constitution and a code of practice which are dated from the seventies.· Murphy's concern to bring the NUS into the new millennium equipped for the task bears similarities to Blair's desire to rewrite Clause Four of the Labour Party's constitution.

Yet like Blair, it is not a task he is prepared to shirk. ltforms one of three objectives he has for the coming year should he succeed in his bid for re-election as President at the NUS national conference in late March.

"In terms of students,· he explains, "I would like to see a system of funding that alleviates

PHOTO: PETER HART

ment expend all their energies at the NUS conference, and think that good has triumphed over evil because they won a debate at the conference.

"I mean the majority of students remain oblivious to the fact that we go to Blackpool for four days every year.

"They don't know that it's on and most of them probably don't care that it's on.

"We have a debate and then we don't relate it to students and I would like us to make that con-

The tale went that Murphy was a racist, sexist homophobe who was out to get his own way at all costs! even to the extent of usu rping the jobs of those around him ...

•

hardship while students are in education, so that they aren't forced to work full or part-time and so that they can afford the books and afford the rent. • •And for those small number of students that can't even afford to eat or clothe themselves properly, or pay the bills, I'd like to see that they didn't have those pressures hanging over them.

"In short, that students are able to study free from the massive pressures of financial hardship.• lt is clear that student hardship remains a priority of Murphy's following the massive national demonstration that he coordinated in London last year over the Government's grant cuts.

Yet he is also operating in more ideological terms and is critical of people who conceive of the NUS's role too narrowly.

•A third point is that I would like the NUS to have a greater profile among the student population.

"I think that too many people involved in the student move-

nection to a far greater extent.' lt is a lack of such a connection that has perhaps exacerbated the rumours and accusations that have bedevilled his presidency this year. lt was late last year that stories first started circulating student unions around the country detailing the allegation Murphy was trying to cut the budgets of the liberation campaigns.

The tale went that Murphy was a racist, sexist homophobe who was out to get his own way at all costs , even to the extent of usurping the jobs of those around him.

They are something that he has had to deal with ever since, and he is clear in his own defence.

"In terms of any accusations that may exist at UEA and a couple of other unions around the country, I have serious concern that some people, either for political or personal gain, are making serious allegations that I absolutely refute.

"And more importantly than myself saying that these allegations aren't true, the vast majority of student unions around the country, including many people involved in liberation campaigns, accept that these people are working to a hidden agenda.' lt is widely believed that the source of the accusations is people, perhaps even those standing against him, who do not wish to see him re-elected in March and it is a beliefthat Murphy himself is not afraid to articulate.

"There isn't a coincidence that many of the people who are organising this campaign are the same people, of the same political organisations, who are standing against me for President.

"The accusations have arisen because of people's personal or political agendas.

"I just think that that is shallow, superficial and unprincipled.'

The subject is a murky one, full of incriminations and counter-incriminations, yet Murphy tries to rise above it all.

"Really what I would like to see is that the liberation campaigns continue to prosper at the NUS, that they are given the support they need and that we see a depersonalisation of much ofthe debate surrounding them.

"I think the liberation campaigns are being harmed because of all this speculation, accusation and personalisation.

"I think the issues are far too important for that to happen.

"I wish people would stop trivialising the issue of liberation around me as a person and as a politician.• lt might be idealistic, especially in today's world, not to expect a rough ride in a job such as Murphy's.

After all, he often has to tread a fine line between the students he represents and the politicians

and outside interests he is trying to influence.

So how does he see the NUS's role politically?

"The NUS, despite the accu-

sations of Conservative Central Office, remains above and beyond affiliation to any political party.

"So our role in terms of wider

society is to try and persuade whole sections of society, including politicians and vice-chancellors, to change and improve their policies.

"I don't know whether we are a lobby or a pressure group- I've never really understood the difference between the two.

"We are lobbyists for change and we are also a pressure group on behalf of students' interests.

"Politically, I think the leadership at the moment is probably centre-left.

"We aren't the revolutionary left that held the leadership in the 1970's and early 80's, but equally we aren't the 'student unions are just about getting cheap beer' type of centre-right", he claims.

He is clearly in a defiant mood as he prepares for the NUS conference in March, but Jim Murphy has certainly learnt a lot from the past year.

As he confides at one point, "and now this is off the record ... but now we're back on.'

He says it with a smile on his face, but you know from the look in his eye that he means it.

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PHOTO: MARK MERGLER

ited as recently as 1991 as "the last white city in England ' , you only have to walk the streets of Norwich for an afternoon to see why the National Front made this claim.

If you 're lucky (unlucky if you are a member of the BNP) you might see two.or three members of ethnic minorities during your travels.

This is not say that there isn't an ethnic minority population, but it is barely visible.

According to a recent report produced by the Norfolk and Norwich Racial Equality Council called 'Not in Norfolk: Tackling the Invisibility of Racism', racism in the county follows similar lines.

Most people take the view that there is no problem.

But this stems not from a belief that noone is racist, but is rather due to precisely the fact that there are so few black and Asian people living here.

Because ethnic minorities are so small in number, the majority of white people are simply able to proclaim that they themselves hold no racist views and yet are able to live without ever having that belief challenged.

This is something that third year student Lola Abayomi thinks happens a lot.

"People think 'oh, well I'm all right - I'm not racist', but then up here they've never been confronted with a large number of ethnic minority groups, and so they haven't been able to challenge what their beliefs are about race", she says.

"For many people, there's an ignorance inside them that they haven't had to confront before."

One of the principal findings of the Racial Equality Council's (REC) report was that "racist attitudes and behaviour are widespread in Norfolk, and have been experienced to some degree by almost all people from ethnic minorities living here."

The view that there is no problem here would seem to be diametrically opposed to such as-

tounding evidence.

But harassment can take many forms , and although it seems that there is not a great deal of physical harassment, the retention of stereotypical views of black and Asian people and ignorance about them is widespread.

"I've been here for three years and I haven't experienced any real racist prejudice, except for some funny looks and old ladies looking at me as if I've got two heads," says third year student Daenson Scipio.

"But I haven't experienced anyone calling me a 'nigger' in the street or anything .'

This more subtle form of racism appears to have beeR suffered by most ethn ic minority members, even sometimes with a distinctly friendly face to it, as Roberto Omozusi is on ly too keen to point out.

"There are some people who patronise you.

"They talk to you because it's trendy to be seen talking to a black person."

This is something with which Daenson agrees.

"You can't be sure whether they're talking to you for you, or because you're young, 'cool' and black.

"In clubs, you'll qulte often get young boys coming up to you and saying 'Yeah , all right man touch', and it's basically because they see it on TV and think that it's a black thing and that it's cool.'

Stereotypical views such as these can clearly only exist in places where black people are relatively few.

Not because people are naturally more racist, but simply due to the fact that if they had come into contact with more black or Asian people then they would reali se that the stereotyped views are not true.

This form of tokenism, while not intrinsically harmful, provides the breeding ground where bigots such as the BNP are able to reap fertile rewards. lt also finds expression in.peo-

- - --- - -

~------------------------~------~-~--~--------------------------------------------·~----------~C~o~n~ c:=r~e~ te,

•A recent report claims that virtually all members of ethnic minorities in Norfolk have suffered harassment because of their race. Mark Austin talks to some students about their experiences of such abuse and what can be done about it...

pie who know a black person and yet come to view them as different from "the others· _ Or the supposedly polite "I don't normally like black people but you're all right: Such platitudes do little for race relations except confirming the opinion that it is the black person who has to fit in to the white person's life, rather than it being a two-way process.

Frequently, it is the black or Asian person who has to become invisible in order to fit in and live a comfortable life.

In an illuminating comment in the REC report , one black mother is reported as saying that "it is only when he looks in the mirror that my son realises that he isn't white: Such a comment illustrates the extent to which identity with other members of ethnic minorities in Norfolk is likely to be family based rather than from any kind of ethnic peer group.

Which is unsurprising considering that such people will grow up with almost exclusively white friends.

The REC report confirms this. "lt is common for ethnic minority children __ _to grow up knowing no other black, Asian or ethnic minority children: There are no youth groups or clubs catering for children and young people from ethnic minorities.

For white people in Norwich, it may be that their one and only encounter-with a black or Asian person that informs what view that person will carry forward with them.

In this light, it is not surprising that the NF felt so at home here.

Apart from anything else, it confers an added responsibility upon blacks and Asians to create a favourable impression.

In an area of such ethnic minority underpopulation, it is also common for harassment to go unrecorded and unnoticed, simply due to the fact that people who suffer it may feel that they

have nowhere to turn to.

The REC report is clear that this does happen.

"Verbal abuse is such a common experience, reported by almost all people from ethnic minorities who participated in this study, that the total of 23 reported incidents in the whole of 1993 is clearly a fraction of the totaL • But it may well be that for students from ethnic minorities studying at the university, life is easier than for Norwich residents.

For a start, their numbers are greater.

According to the 1991 census, the proportion of black and Asian people in Norwich as a whole is 1.7 per cent - a figure that rises to 4.5 per cent in the University Ward.

But also , most blacks and Asians coming to study here will be coming from more identifiable ethnic minority 'communities' than those ethnic minority members that actually live in Norwich.

As a result, they may have a greater sense of ease with themselves and sense of cultural solidarity than black and Asian residents who find themselves living through an individual or family experience rather than a community one.

But interestingly, Daenson sees Norwich as in some ways an easier place to live than his home town of London.

"In a funny ~ort of way, I think London is more difficult than a place like Norwich.

"In London, where there are prejudices, people aren't afraid to use fists and start trouble straight away, whereas I think that up here, things are a bit slower to kick off.

"If trouble is going to happen here, I think that you can see it coming, whereas in London, you don't know when it's going to happen: This is a view which Union Welfare Officer Jaz lhenacho is not certain she agrees with.

"I don't know which is worse-

Norwich or London.

"London is scarier because you see NF skinheads on the streets, which you don't here, but Norwich is simply more subtle.

"In the end, I think I'd prefer to know where someone is coming from.

"I'd rather a neo-Nazi was recognisable as a neo-Nazi than to go for a job where the person behind the desk is exactly the same but wearing a suit and is unidentifiable.· Knowing where the threat is coming from is a luxury not afforded to ethnic minorities in Norwich.

Indeed, it is very often the case that, because of their scarcity, it is they who are individually seen as threats in a very stereotyped way, as Daenson comments: "A lot of people tend naturally to assume that you 're a drug dealer.

"They're not taking you or yourself, but for the images that they see on TV· The stereotypical racist images of blacks as associated with inner cities and poor quality housing has reached Norwich, making people believe that firstly it doesn't happen here because Norwich has no inner city as such; and secondly, that any black or Asian people that they meet must be like the poor, violent and drug-ridden blacks and Asians that are so commonly portrayed in films and on TV programmes. lt also has the added implication of meaning that ethnic minority members have to combat prejudice from an already disadvantaged position.

They have to dispel prejudiced ideas about themselves when they first meet someone, rather than being welcomed on an equal footing. lt may be up to them to have to dispel subtle racist ideas about dirtiness, ignorance and stupidity before they even start to be treated equally.

Yet in contrast to many other

parts of the country, the REC report points out that unskilled and semi-skilled jobs that the white population did not want Instead, says the report, "Norfolk has normally been a place they have moved to after having settled somewhere else in Britain.

"In this sense , it has often been a move up the economic ladder: As a result, the class structure and employment of blacks and Asians in Norfolk differs from most ~f the rest of the country.

The 1991 census indicates that while 3.5 per cent of white people are engaged in professional jobs in Norfolk, as much as 13.1 per cent of the black and Asian population of Norfolk is in professional employment Yet this is clearly able to be both a liability as well as a boost for black people. lt provides ammunition for groups such as the BNP, who conveniently overlook the fact that the ethnic minority population is significantly the lowest for any city in England.

All these factors conspire to mean that the situation vis-a-vis race and racism is significantly different for Norfolk than for

VVednesday,

many other parts of the country.

So what is the best approach for ethnic minorities to adopt in the face of such massive misunderstanding and prejudice?

Rob and Lola are sceptical about whether inter-racial support can solve the problem completely.

Says Rob, "Noone is going to stick up for you.

"One thing I've learnt since I've been up here is that people blag.

"People say 'yeah, we'll back you up' but when the crunch comes they'll turn around and tell you that you're on your own.• This is symptomatic of a feeling that you have to be black to understand what it is like to suffer such prejudice, no matter how much whites empathise with black friends and colleagues.

But with regard to combating the problem of racism here , Daenson is pessimistic.

"There's really not much point in confronting it, because there really isn't very much that you can do," he says.

"There's too much ignorance to try and overcome.

"If people can't comprehend your argument and where you're coming from , then there's no point in trying to confront them

and explain things to them.· This is not to admit defeat he stresses, but simply to focus your energies on those people who are willing to listen and understand - an attitude with which Lola agrees.

Jaz sees it differently.

"There's no point in moaning and complaining about how much racism there is and then saying 'oh well, there's nothing I can do about it though.'

"Black people who do experience racism aren't complaining enough.

"They have got to be responsible for themselves.

"They've got to do something.

"There's no point in running back home because places like Norwich will just fester. • lt may well be that it would need a complete mind-shift on the part of Norfolk residents to eradicate the 'invisible' racism that exists in the county and its towns.

But then special cases need special remedies. e'Not In Norfolk: Tackling the Invisibility of Racism' available from the Norfolk and Norwich Racial Equality Council, Guildhall Advice Arcade, Gaol Hill, Norwich. £5. Tel: (01603) 617241

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Features

22 , 1995

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â&#x20AC;˘ Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar is a country desperately trying to come to terms with its own possi~ilities as it experiences renewed interest in international eyes. Seth Levine paid a visit and fell in love with its charm.

M

yanmar is a country of infinite variety; a land of natural beauty and cu ltural depth, plagued by a succession of tyrannical rulers who have left an anachronistic legacy to-the modernising region of South East Asia.

Yet despite decades of xenophobic military leadership , Myanmar is beginning to re-open its borders to tourism.

The ruling junta in Myanmar has begun to view foreign currency as an elixir to cure its domestic ills.

Myanmar is one ofthe ten poorest countries in the world, with an economy that is reliant on a thriving black market.

Having seemingly taken their lead from China, the military rulers of Myanmar have embarked on a strategy of economic liberalisation whilst adhering strictly to an autocratic regime politically.

What this means in effect for visitors to Myanmar is that your foreign currency is very welcome, but you remain a "minion of colonialism".

The political situation in Myanmar is a moral quagmire for the potential visitor.

Since the introduction of a compulsory foreign exchange scheme for all visitors to Myanmar, the Government has benefited considerably.

Anyone entering Burma on a tourist visa must exchange

US$300 at an "official" exchange rate of one to one.

The "real" exchange rate , easily realised on the black market, is about one to one hundred.

The ruling j unta has created a situation where all tourists travelling to Myanmar are implicitly contributing to the support of the regime.

But does this make a visit to Myanmar intrinsically unethical?

The post-war record of Burmese politics makes for depressing reading .

The long-sufferin g Burmese people have endured a succession of dictatorial regimes which have plunged the country into long-tenn stagnation.

Despite "free" elections held in 1990, the military declared the resulting victory for the democrats void.

The leader of the democracy movement, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, was placed under house-arrest, where she remains today.

The remaining members of the movement were imprisoned, exiled or killed.

A one-party state has been in existence in Myanmar throughout the post-war years of isolation.

Despite being a pariah amongst the international community, these regimes have survived through six decades.

Whilst an increase in tourism

is unlikely to help further moves towards democracy, the mounting number of visitors has helped alleviate some of the repression which has been endemic in Myanmar since colonial times.

Ethical considerations aside, there can be few countries in the world that boast so many magical sights, that thrive so vibrantly on tradition, and whose inhabit-

for several decades, and that its inhabitants are just beginning to return.

The city seems almost too big for the amount of people living there.

Post-colonial ironies abound in Myanmar.

Palatial buildings which once housed Bunna's imperialist occupiers have been usurped for such

non-specific uses as "The Solidarity of The Union Of Myanmar.â&#x20AC;˘ The ruling junta of Myanmar is nothing if not pragmatic though , and if trading on Yangon's colonial past earns much needed foreign currency, then so be it.

The Strand Hotel in Yangon, in its day an embodiment of colonialism, has recently been renovated through a joint venture be-

Despite decades of xenophobic military leadership, Myanmar is beginning to re-open its borders to tourism. ants are so welcoming to foreigners.

The capital of MyanmarYangon (formerly Rangoon) is a monument, or more accurately a mausoleum, to colonialism.

Years of neglect have left the city with a depressing air of decay, heightened by the grandiose infrastructure of its ostentatious past- the faded weather-board of low rise-buildings; the wide, treelined avenues laid in a convenient grid; the lavish embassy complexes.

These imperialist remnants add to the impression that Yangon has been a ghost town

tween a Hong Kong company and the Bunnese Government.

The cost, US$200 a night, has to be put into context in a country where the average yearly per . capita income is US$250.

In a city w ithout street lights, where consumer goods are still tantalizingly out of the reach of its citizens, the obscene decadence of the Strand occupies a surreal position on the city's landscape.

Apart from the chance to see the repercussions of British colonialism 60 years after its decline, Yangon's major attraction is the Shwedagon Pagoda.

If you must have a religious ex-

perience, then this is probably the place to have it.

Myanmar is a predominately Buddhist country, and the Shwedagon pagoda is the embodiment of the country's religion and character.

The shimmering gold Pagoda rises 98 metres from its base, and is surrounded by a mesmerising number of smaller pagodas and shrines.

The Pagoda is fabled to enshrine eight hairs of the Buddha, much revered relics amongst Buddhists.

The fervour that engulfs the site is in-

fectious, and is capable of absorbing the most self-consciously secular visitor.

The 14 hour journey between Yangon and Mandalay, the next logical destination on any itinerary, is slow and uncomfortable, but waking to the sight of a Burmese landscape at first light is unforgettable.

Within the space of an hour the train sweeps through varied scenery; semi-arid scrub where cacti abound; flooded fields of rice refl ecting the morning haze; dense forest disturbed by the occasional human encroachment.

The scenery is littered with Pagodas as far as the eye can see. lt as if thousands of pagoda seeds were scattered randomly around the country, and through natural selection have managed to overcome the alien environment.

Whereas Yangon represents the historical corruption of Burmese culture, Mandalay is purported to come closest to representing the "real" Myan mar.

Mandalay is a city whose atmosphere is the main attraction.

Yangon offers a snapshot of Bunnese culture - a sort of religious/ cultural theme park built on the set of a colonial film.

In Yangon, it is easy to feel that some shrewd businessman is preserving the city for inquisitive foreigners, whilst its inhabitants

February

22, 1995

19

My.u,eindan Pa~ .

• __,,Mmgun

are begrudgingly playing along, waiting for something to change.

Mandalay is a far less self-conscious city.

People go about their lives, unaware that they are enacting a Western tourist cliche.

Monks in saffron robes go on their routine alms round in the morning, bowls in hand, impervious to the occasional tourist looking for that authentic photo.

Tri-shaw drivers ride laboriously around the dusty streets, stopping at roadside eateries to drink tea and talk.

Just outside Mandalay there lies a number of deserted cities, faded and withered, but with a charm unique to Myanmar.

The most atmospheric of these is cities is Amarupara.

U Beins Bridge, a kilometre long, gnarled teak structure, spans the flooded plains of Taungthaman Lake.

Monks saunter meditatively along the bridge, passed occasionally by villagers purposefully carrying provisions from the town.

With the sun a hazy red globe, the saffron-robed monks blend into the horizon.

Bagan (formerly Pagan) is one of those once-in-a-lifetime musts; a site so aweinspiring it leaves you weary.

In the scorched scrub on the banks of the lrrewady nestle 2,000 Buddhist temp les b u i It

900 years ago.

They vary in style from resembling Aztec pyra- mids to Gothic cathedrals.

The majority are made from dusty sandstone, merging with the parched landscape and posing as natural phenomena.

To fully appreciate the wonder of Bagan, it must be seen from numerous angles at as many different times of the day as possible.

The diffuse mist at sunrise casts an unreal light across the mag ical city, bestowi ng

upon it the appearance of an apparition. ' With the onset of daylight, the city basks in the dry heat and the sound of horse-carts trotting along the dusty trails reverberates peacefully.

Bagan can assume several different atmospheres; it can be magical, tranquil, forbidding.

At sunset, it defies description.

As the sun gradually sinks into The lrrewady, the sillhouetes of 2,000 pagodas spread accross the landscape.

Seen from the top of a pagoda, this spectacle is among the wonders of the world.

Bagan suffers from a paradox which is true of Myanmar as a whole.

To the ob-

lt is the product of a culture whose defining characteristics are kindness and understanding.

And in the midst of the greatest monument to this culture, stories of persecution abound.

There used to be a village within the temple area, catering to tourists who flock to the region.

Four years ago the military rulers decided that the villagers were having too much contact with foreigners, and summarily

relocated all6,000 of them.

Today, there is nothing left of the village.

On the top of a pagoda at sunset, a boy from Nyaung Oo, now the nearest town to Bagan, spoke thoughtfully of how life has changed since he was moved from Bagan village.

He could no longer play football because the village he used to play with is too far away; the nightly puppet shows which were an institution in Bagan have

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He told me how he used to spend all day at the site, talking to visitors and playing football.

Now he can only have an hour in the area when he is delivering vegetables. Most of all he is upset that he has lost contact with his foreign "friends."

Such is a visit to Myanmar - it desperately wants to be the most welcoming country in the world.

You leave thinking how easily it . could be.

• Disguised as a taste test of the regions best delivery pizzas, Concrete's editorial team last week ate sixty pounds worth of pizzas inside an hour. Here's how...

S

omehow, I don't think the Consumer's Association do it quite like this.

Here I am, at 7.15 on a Thursday evening, sitting in my illegally parked Metro, waiting for our Music and Stage Editors to buy out 'Le Chateau' on Unthank

Road.

The reason? Well, Concrete, being the sort of newspaper that cares about the welfare of students, has decided to do a consumer test of pizzas.

Those of you with long memories might recall that Concrete did something very similar way back in Issue 20. The idea was then, as it is now, to ring round various pizza companies, order one pizza from each, and then test it for taste, price and the time taken to reach our salivating mouths.

Any resemblance between this rigourously controlled taste test and a gratuitous excuse for our Editorial team to have a party and get hideously drunk is purely coincidental.

Once we 'd staggered back from the off-licence with copious amounts of alcohol (for the sole purpose of clearing our palates, you understand), we could start the ordering.

Domino's was first up, followed

by Double D , Perfect Piz.z a, Stotts, Pizza One and Trads, who were the winners of the last great Pizza Race.

All calls were answered within four rings of the telephone, although Domino's put us on hold for just over a minute.

We ordered a couple of 'vegetarian' pizzas, (from DoubleD and Stotts) for the veggies amongst us, and meat-packed ones for the less ethical.

Afewcansof Stella later, and our first pizza arrived. DoubleD came in

at twenty-three minutes and fou r seconds, hotly followed by Domino's, who took thirty minutes and thirty-six seconds.

The Double D pizza, which consisted of cheese, tomato and onion on a thin crust, cost us £7.40.

A reasonable size, it had managed to stay in one piece on its trek from Aylsham

Road.

Jo, our Stage Editor, proba b I y summed the taste

u

p

The price proved to be a big minus however. At £7.55 for a medium pizza, which is ontt designed for 1-2 people, it was certainly not the best value.

And, as both Features Editor Ma a n d

News Editor Michele pointed out, the topping did have a tendency to slide off the base.

No sooner had we digested this little lot than Stotts' delivery man was bursting through our door, brandishing a huge box. At £6 for another cheese, tomato and onion pizza, this certainly looked like the biggest bargain of the evening so far.

The waiting time was also very good, coming in at twentyfive minutes and twenty-six seconds. Their close proximity to campus probably had a lot to do with this.

Unfortunately, the taste I os t

Stotts

stringy", whilst several others commented on the dryness of the base.

Still, one must remember that, unlike the rest of the companies surveyed, Stotts also deliver lots of other goodies to your door, including fish and chips.

Which probably explains the rather piscine smell of the delivery bloke....

Meanwhile, Music Editor Peter was getting very excited about the arrival ofTrads. A veteran of the original Pizza Race, he was, to say the least, very biased towards the former winners.

Either that, or the vodka had already taken a firm grip on his mind.

Trads certainly did put in a very good delivery time; twenty-five minutes and five seconds to be precise. Plus, their reasonably

down very well with Steve.

The two main comments about this pizza were that the topping fell off the base, and that it was "greasy". Peter, however, was not

sized, meaty-type pizza turned out to be the cheapest of the evening, at£4.50.

Unfortunately, deliveries can only be made on orders over £6, so we had to get a piece of chocolate fudge cake as well; which went

to be swayed from his original view that Trads was the best. "lt's smart mate!" he declared. "lt's like home-made, the mushrooms you can taste of mushrooms and not bits of plastic like they are on Domino's - sorted!"

best.

"A bit

too many onions" was her comment.

Most people agreed that it was 'chewy', but that was really the only main complaint.

Co-Sports Editor Jane felt that it needed more m~at. However, as we pointed out to her, it was supposed to be suitable for vegetarians....

Domino' s offeri ng, a 'Mighty Meaty' pizza, priced at £7.55 was universally christened "nice", forwantofamore descriptive word. Indeed, the variety of toppings, which included ground beef, pepperoni and mushrooms, combined with a lovely crispy base, made this one of the most scrummy experiences of the night.

few lroMi: points.

Caroline, Special Projects Editor, reckoned that the "cheese is much too

Sadly, I never got to taste any of this apparently "smart" pizza, because I, along with Nik, had been sent out to the Porter's Lodge to await the arrival of Pizza One's offering. Typical.

This also meant that I missed the moment when Perfect Pizza tumed up, a rather wor ryi ng fortyeight minutes and five seconds after it was first ordered from their base on

PICS by Peter Hart: Tom from Trads (left), Perfect Pizza checks In (circled) and the man from Stotts. Ttte pizza (far right) was from Perfect, we think, but after half a , dozen they all look the same... ,~

Still, it was a nice large pizza (price: around £9), and nearly everyone enjoyed it.

"Squidgy and nice," said both Jo and steve.

My personal verdict was that it was "divine". This wasn't bad going, considering that this was some frfteen minutes after the pizza had originally arrived, and had been given plenty of opportunity to go completely stone cold.

I'd only just arrived back from the Porter's Lodge at this point. Pizza One had finally appeared, after a wait of forty-two minutes and thirty-five seconds (ten of those minutes being spentfreezing to death outside).

What we got were two small pizzas, costing £10.90, with a 60p delivery charge. Not surprisingly, this prompted the response that Pizza One were too expensive.

T hey were deliciou s pizzas though. "Very crispy, very hot barbecue taste,

1 Double D (23 mins, 4 secs) 2 Trads (25 mins, 5 secs) 3 Stotts (25 mlns, 26 secs) 4 Dominos (30 mins, 36 secs) 6 Pizza One (42 m1ns, 35 secs) 6 Perfect Pizza (48 inins, 5 secs)

1 Trads (£4.50 for a medium pizza) 2 Stotts (£6 for a large pizza) 3 Double D (£7.40 for a·large pizza) 4 Comlnos (£7.55 for a medium pizza) 5 Perfect (£9 for a large pizza) 6 Ptzza One (£11.50 for 2small pizzas)

1 Perfect • stodgy, good toppings.

2 DOminos-crispy, meaty toppings.

3 Pizza One • hot, tangy, good base.

4 Trads -a good home-made taste.

5 Double D • stringy but reasonable.

6 Stotts • too dry stringy cheese.

1 Tracls • good time, wicked price 2 Double 0 • nice price, speedy delivery 3 Dominos - dream of a pizza, bit pricey 4 Stotts • Pizza could have been better 5 Perfect Pizza • Slow, but what a taste!

6 Pizza One • Still the best restaurant

None of the take-aways were warned In advance of the test The taste testers: Catollne Jenlclnson, Nlall Hampton, Jo Stubblngton, Pete Hart, Nik Davy, Jane Homer, Steve Howard , Mlchele Du Ranch, Carol/ne Adiem, Mark Austin, Uz Hodgson.

22

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

I •They've been around for a bit now, but Sleeper are just beginning to make it big, with the commercial chart success of their single, 'lnbetweener'. Sam Richards talks to the band's John Stewart...

I

n 1994, Sleeper embodied the rise of the young British guitar band. From their acerbic debut 'AI ice In Vain', they gained an indie chart No 1 with 'Delicious' and began 1995 with 'lnbetweener' bursting into the · Top 30. The inability of singer Louise Wener to keep her mouth shut about anything has lead to much press attention but with the recent release of the album 'Smart', Sleeper will attempt to prove their musical worth and gain a place alongside Blur, Oasis, Echobelly and Elastica in the hearts of Britain's pop kids. Guitarist John Stewart is confident they will succeed: "We just thought it

liant debut album and that's how people are reacting to it so far (Apart from the 5 out of 10 review in the NME! - Music Ed).

The Event: So what's it like being a pop star?

Shampoo: lt's boring. We're always away when all the best gigs are on in London - like the Adam Ant one just coming up - we've realised we're in Japan. We're really p****d off. But it's good fun - we get loads of things free.

At the same time we're busy and we're always away. lt's much harder work than we thought it would be.

The Event: lt's been pretty crazy for the last couple of months hasn't it?

Shampoo: Yeah, over the last seven months we've worked non-stop. We've been to Japan, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and most of Europe. We were really impressed by Bangkok - it's scummy and we love scum.

Japan's really, really good for us cos we're really big over there: we get mobbed in the streets and stuff, so we really enjoy going there. In Bangkok there's these really huge, posh hotels and you look out the window and it's really scummy - there's people living in corrugated huts by the river. lt's just mad!

The Event: Tell us a bit about your rock and roll extravagance in Paris!

Shampoo: Basically we got very, very drunk and we smashed up the hotel room. But we didn't break anything really, we ruined the carpet and got charged four grand.

We didn't chuck telties out of windows or anything like that - but we frisbeed plates of curry round the room, and we chucked CocaCola and curry at the ceiling ... plus tomato sauce and beer. We flooded the toilet, chucked glasses from the balcony at the porter, kept the whole hotel awake all night.. ..

lt's got twelve songs on, no fillers, and it's done what we wanted."

Sleeper's ascent to stardom has appeared to have hap-

elt's true! They think we 'collect sentences!' What else did Shampoo have to say to The Event? Read on ...

The Event: And what about cleaning the carpet with your toothbrushes?

Shampoo: Yeah, we did do that. We filled up the bin in the bathroom with bubble bath and water, and we scrubbed the floor with toothbrushes in the corners, and we used flannels and towels to scrub the floor, walls and ceiling.

The Event: Are you glad that you had your first two singles on an indie label?

Shampoo: Yeah, it's really good because we now get in all the magazines: Smash Hits, NME, Melody Maker every time we release a single. And when we meet all the other pop bands like PJ & Duncan and East 17 they're like "How come it's trendy to like you and it's embarrasing to like us?"

The Event: Were you ever students at all?

Shampoo: No. The Event: So what do you think of students?

Shampoo: They're boring! They read dictionaries and collect sentences.

The Event: And what do you think students think of Shampoo?

Shampoo: They probably think we're stupid for collecting Barbies and having blonde hair...

The Event: Who's set for world domination in 1995, apart from Shampoo?

Shampoo: Um, our favourite band at the moment is Supergrass, and Menswear are going to be the next big thing this year.

The Event: Looking around your flat, there's a hamster here. Tell us about him.

Shampoo : His name's Beastie Boy. He trashes his cage like we trash our flat. He's really fat and overweight, and when people come round we always put him on everyone's head and whoever's head he s""ts on first wins a bottle of vodka.

The Event: Hmmm, t hanks Shampoo!

quite rapidly. Has it felt that way for the band?

"No, it wasn't really that sudden. 'Delicious' sold lots of copies over a number of weeks. We knew 'lnbetweener' would happen because we've been selling loads of singles.

allowed to say exactly what they want in this wor1d. Who's going to tell me I can't say what I want?"

Whoa, steady onl lt seems I've hit a raw nerve. Sleeper want free speech for all. But doesn't the fact that lots of people are listening (and some quite likely to be influenced) endow you with a certain amount of responsibility?

"No, I would say the opposite.

You should be irresponsible. If you're in a band, it's your job to be irresponsible. lf you can't do it, you should go and work for the consumer's association.

"Bands are about abuse- abusing your ears, abusing your equipment and generally having a f**"**g good time.

Bands that preach make me sick, to behon-

lt might seem instant to people who don't know the band, but it's been a natural progression for us."

So however they've got there, Sleeper are now bona fide pop stars. They will find themselves asked on to kids' lV shows and the promotional machine will start to grind into action, making sure Sleeper's faces are everywhere.

But John's a level-headed chap and is not about to let fame corrupthim: "All I'm really interested in is guitars. I don't give a s**t about anything else. Whatever allows me to keep playing guitars... an the rest just comes with it.

"There would be no problems in the world if everyone got to stand in front of an amp all day with a really nice guitar and make a big racket. it's very therapeutic. Very cathartic.• Solutions to world peace out of the way, how does John mind being perceived as merely one of the other blokes in Louise's band?

"That's fine from the attention point of view. But what people have to realise is that Sleeper are a band. We all talk about stuff together, we live in a tour-bus together and wear each other's socks.

"What I'm unhappy about are questions that go along the lines of "do you agree with what Louise says?· We all have the same opinion about things, that's why we're in a band."

Which leads us nicely to some of the opinions that Sleeper do hold.

On 'Pyrotechnician' for example, they extol the virtues of arson.

"We're telling people to go and light fires. lt's a pop record. If anyone hears 'Pyrotechnician' and goes and bums down a building, it's nothing to do with the song, it's to do with the fact that that particular person should be in a mental institution. •~t•s just a record and anyone should be

That's not music, that's social work."

Rock and roll! John paints himself as a bit of a wild hedonist here, but he's quite obviously not.

That's why he goes on to tell me about his idolisation of Madder Rose and how he begged to roadie for them at Reading, about his favourite new bands (Catatonia and Cardinal) and he soon reverts to his favourite topic, the guitar.

The fire-lighting, self-abusing rebel thing is just a bit of a front that most new groups feel the need to have (no bad thing of course), but John's immense confidence in Sleeper is absolutely real. At one point he says he believes the only great songwriters in Britain today are Noel Gallagher and Louise, and he never wastes an opportunity to stress that, good as the new LP is, the next one will be even better.

"Everyone's raving about this album that we made in November. Journalists are only just catching up to how good we are.

But the Sleeper they're talking about is the Sleeper who made 'lnbetweener'.

"The Sleeper I know is the band who's writing this amazing new stuff that p"**es on 'Smart'.

"We're in the studio recording our next single at the moment. it's fun because Blur are next door, so we can play them at video football. I held Damon to a tense 0-0 draw last night."

But what the kids want to know is -which band are the console kings?

"I'd have to say Blur. Damon is a genius at it, but they've been here a week longer than us. So Sleeper are catching up.• A nice metaphor for the real world. Sleeper are catching up and by the sound of their arrogant guitar-driven pop will be around for a long while yet.

Smart.

- -- - ----- - - - -

-- -

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

23

l

1 l\1\\ )~

Yes! Now you: too, ~ can be a 'top DJ! , _ .........r.

The Prodigy... now that's Ravel

. from?

Where does 1 t come .

The question should be Tom Dick and Harry , · e from?" Every ' "Where doesn t 1t corn ke ~oard and an ear for a good who's got a computer, a y tack in their garage. beat can create a decent rave r .

Originally from the UK t~o~h.

Who plays Rave mus1c. The

Prodigy, Moby, you know

the score.

• ?

Well, whilst carrying •t sound l1ke. des What 0 • , there are often female vobeats "of a repetitive nature.' h' s like "I really the top say1ng t 1ng . cals wailing over th thumping beat comes back 1n, want your body!" before e ' b cage vibrate. making your r1 1 k like? Men are usually sport

Wha t do . Ravers .

oobubble

·

jackets and very baggy the curta1n ha1rstyle, t e things. women are h nd the knee-cap YP jeans. crate rou . d the exposure of the usually fairly scant1ly clad, a~ for raves Accessories belly button is almost dr~ss eo ebaby's du~ies and twenty for either sex include wh1stles, Embassy Number Ones. · Plenty th dance? Like bloody man1acs.

And how do ey ' ·. t bits but when the beat of hand movements for the _qu1e lly moves to leg work. . the emphas1S usua kicks back 1n, . ood impression of some(See Keith from The Prod1gy for a g · n a lava flow) • one stepp1ng o h ou' re listening to

B0 w do you know w en Y. filtrates the Rave? Normally when Rave .1n f the head

sound waves, a natural reacthe "manic chicken",

people find aggressive bobb1ng od . . s 'f you find yourself 01ng t1on. o, 1 you're listening to Rave. n't get away . .t OW? Everywhere.

You ea Where 1S 1 n . t tions now' Jungle probably · There are several mu a . · here from 1t. dd'tion to the l1st. Rave 1S . being the most recent a 1 David Hall to stay for a while ... Rave on.

Enraptured ...

S10uxsie and the Banshees have never pandered to anyone's agenda but their own. From their first performance in 1976 ·a twenty minute rendition of 'The Lord's Prayer' . they have flown in the face of fashion .

As usual , the set was predominated by material from the new album. The only concessions to popuhsm Included a lack-lustre 'Christine' a powerful 'Dear Prudence' and a rendition of 'Nightsh1ft' ... which made my hair stand on end .

The opening song, 'The Double Life '. defined both the allure and the frustration of a live Banshees' performance · restrain~d power alternating with orgasmic release. When they really let rip : noticeably with 'Not Forgotten ' and 'Love Out Of Me ' they transport you on a path so primordial that 1t's probably best you don't reach the end . However, the meditative 'Sick Child ' and the prolonged 'The Rapture ' soon lost the audience's attention.

Siouxsie's 'f' ' k off' altitude , combined with her

undoubted sensuality. has always been a chal lenge to audiences . As usual , the challenge was met by a minority who think with the contents of their underwear, with chants for Siouxsie to take more than her jacket off.

Historically, th1s has always been guaranteed to provoke the only prolonged discourse that Sioux will enter mto. The content may not be Wildean , but the delivery is devastating ...

The final song , 'Peek-A-Boo', was a fitting end to the show. Its staccato rhythms and Sioux's failing voice reflecting the discordance that had gone before .

As always , the Banshees appeared to be playing for themselves. viewing the audience as unwelcome visitors. However. their arrogant stance, which leaves you at once bewildered , frustrated and enthralled, always leaves you begging for more ...

• Siouxsie and tile Banshees played the LCR on Weds Feb 8.

Bob Scott

The Event: What was the first record you bought?

Ojay: lt was ABBA's 'Waterloo' ... a very old one! I was a great ABBA fan!

The Event: And what was the last record you bought?

Ojay: I was in Paris and bought a 'Dance Machine' sampler- its a French TV show, we're there next week with Take That, Real to Reel and East 17. We were on the sampler with a number of other groups.

The Event: When was the last time you argued with Patsy?

Ojay: lt was the night before we went on Top of the Pops we had to talk about the show, because there were timing problems. Generally we get on well though!

The Event: What was the last item of clothing you bought?

Ojay: lt was a new outfit for our stage show. lt's an English designer suit, but I bought it in Berlin, from a Turkish shop!

The Event: When did you last have a holiday?

Ojay: I recently went to Turkey for three weeks - and I'll next get the chance in January 1996!

•The Real McCoy are currently riding the charts with 'Run Away'. Peter Harts poke to the group's Ojay and Patsy about firsts and lasts!

The Event: What would you spend your last £1 on?

Ojay: I'd give it to somebody who needed it more !han me, because I don't need my money to be myself. If I had no money I'd try something else- but there are people, like those who are handicapped - who can't.

The Event: When did you last 'run away' from something?

Ojay: That's a good question!

Normally I don't run away from problems.

The Event: What did you last dream about?

Patsy: My last dream was about having the show we're going to do in Japan on CD - I don't know how or why!

The Event: So do you dream about your work a lot?

Patsy: No, not really, it was just a one-off.

The Event: Who was the last famous person you met?

Patsy: lt was East 1-7. They're sweethearts - we don't really get a chance to chat a lot, or hang out together, or anything like that, but they're really nice.

The Event: And who was the first famous person?

Patsy: Prince! I went to his concert and I was in the front row, and I was invited to the aftershow party. lt was really cool.

The Event: Excellent, thanks!

Premier league football on giant screen TV -·Hive Bar 7.30pm 'Live in the Hive' bar open until 12.45am Weds: Trivia Quiz, Free Entry, Teams of four- Hive Bar 8.30pm, substantial liquid prizes Thurs: THE LEGENDARY LCR DISCO Fri: Hive bar available for private parties Sat: Pool Tournament in 'The Pub' 8pm start

Look out for details of drinks promotions etc on posters and blackboards around The Pub and The Hive

24

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

The

event

. I'J\ ·

li:!HMV '*''·Si,,,,,.

'-'VU

13 '·'

'h

David Hall looks at the latest fro.ijj'loads of, erm, 'top' bands incl~d~~p .Radiohead, ~l?!rks anq Zumpano

• MUSIC NEWS

e MUSIC NEWS e MUSIC NEWS e MUSIC NEWS e DFoxy lay-dee, Tanya Donnelly, formerly of The Breeders, brings her band, Belly, to the LCR on Weds March 1. Last in Norwich for a sell-out show at the Arts Centre, the band's increase in popularity is reflected in the change in venue size. Tickets are £7.40 adv.

DOther shows lined up by Union Ents over the next few months include the 'grandads of pop' (Smash Hits) Let Loose, Kingmaker, and the excellent Moist, whom The Event interviewed last issue. These events will be confirmed, and ticket prices revealed , nearer the time.

D"Baby come back ... " Reggae toast-master general, Pato Banton, arrives at The Waterfront on Thurs Feb 23, having already created a huge following in North America and the Caribbean, through his live shows.

Tickets for this unmissable gig (Are you sure about that? - Ed) are priced at £7 in advance.

DTickets for UEA's 'secret show', the Faith No More gig on March 5 sold out in record time ... four hours!

Said Marketing Assistant, Dominic R-P, "Concrete's coverage certainly helped shift those tickets!"

The first time you h~ar this song, it will probably be at either Ritzy's or PP. This is the ultimate in dance-floor, handbag techno. The vocals are a mix of Neil Tennant's efforts with the Pet Shop Boys, and Zig and Zag on

Many more destinations available Virgin Atlantic flights to Athens only £96 return- call in now ~· · for details

~·

SPAJU(S

~,.,.

"Them Girls".

"When I Kiss You" is good fun, and after those cheap Monday night pints, Sparks will seem like an all expenses paid trip to

Utopia. The single carries a couple of remixes plus a BBC session of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us".

Buy this if you dare.

Moody music from The mission's first release in three years.

The songs deal with dark topics like death, anger and betrayal , whilst occasionally showing signs of humour, which is something not normally associated with the band's studio dealings.

"Lose Myself In You" is a rocky tune, where the bass line 'hops' like Blur's "Girls and Boys", while the vocals come across in their usual smooth, dark way. "Swim With The Dolphins" offers a pleasant contrast of acoustic and electric, giving the album some dynamic content.

A great album to stick on if you feel like life is dealing you some poor hands.

Check it out.

UNION TRAVEL SHOP

Special Oilers Barcelona I Bilbao £119 rl Cologne I Dusseldorl £96 rl Bologna I Naples I Turin £144 rl Rome I Venice £142 rl Geneva I Zurich £118 rl

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••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

L

isa from Deuce is relating how she had a rrr-i-i-ipping time filming the video to the band's hit single, 'Call lt Love' - her trousers split, right in front of East 17's Tony Mortimer. ''We were in the middle of the dance routine, it was the end of the day and I bent down and they just ripped! lt was so embarrasing - he had a full view of my knickers," she told The Event. Before she had to go, she also revealed that she might be moving into a flat with Craig from the band. "But it might be a bit of a bad move," Lisa confided.

•Deuce are the latest teen sensation, in the charts with 'Call lt Love'. Peter Hart had a few vety quick words with singer, Lisa ...

-- - ---··---

....

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

Waddle are a local band who have played several opening slots at shows around the UK. "Food" is a heavy track that has plenty of the attributes of being a generic "metal" song.

Their style Is quite similar to that of another UK band,Headswim.

Waddle show a lack of depth in the songwriting department and the vocals are strained.

Having said that, the time changes are smooth and the rhythm section definitely have a good groove going.

Unfortunately, Waddle are trying to jump on an already packed band wagon.

25

-

An accessible tune from the New Yof't( quintet, that has defi- . nite Top 40 leanings. Wholesome indie-pop is probably the best way to describe "I'm Your Star". The chorus is infectious. The sort of track you'd sing along to even if you hated

GRAWDIGGU

it. The harmonies add some depth to the song, hauling it above your average indie-pop sound. Nyack's first single "Savage Smile" made the Radio One rotation last Autumn, because of the band's talent for writing catchy tunes. "I'm Your Star" will undoubtedly get air-play and possibly a mid-30s chart position. The CD single carries four tracks and is well worth a listen.

UIIGYAIIGO

8 IIIIMt DaapJ liP

LOVe Aftef

Deatlat lP

Cock-rockers, Bang Tango are back in a big way. This album epitomises the "rawck!" genre of which they are so proud to be a part. The opening track, "New Generation" says it all. Chords roar from the guitars, providing some serious air-guitar fodder for you metalheads out there. Other highlights are "Don't Count On Me", which is vaguely reminiscent of Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood' days. This album is filled to the brim with metal fringed "the kids are alright" rock. Sadly, its nothing new. Fortunately, for Bang Tango, they are damn good at what they do, and the singer has enough charisma to shift a hot air balloon. One for the rockers.

The intra of "1-800 Suicide", the opening track of the EP, is great. There is a mellow sample wafting over a typical swing beat, now synonymous with gangsta rap. The Gravediggaz rapping style is quite similar to that of acts like Onyx and the Fushinickens. The point is to get the lyrics and the message out through as many different members as possible. The differing vocals catch the ear, holding interest. "Bang your head" (the second track) shows a more aggressive delivery than the laid back feel of "1-800 Suicide". They take a couple of listens to get into, but the Gravediggaz are well worth checking out.

SLUII'tiS-Pn A · lt'tl Plve OCIOCir SOmewheN/ LP W

A REAL double A-eide. Both of these tracks are absolute blinders•. "Planet Telex" has Yorke's voice sailing above a dreamy guitar sound. There are great moments when the bass and drums leave, only to re-enter with real effect "High and Dry" owes a lot to itJ fantastic

production. Everything Is subtle and gelled, making this song incredibly accessible.

Radlohead exert a certain control in this song that is spooky. Not too much, not too little, but right on the button. This is the first taste of Radiohead's new album "The Bends", which will be' out of March 13th. If the single is anything to go by, we're in for a real treat

I always felt that Slash had more to offer than what we see of him in Guns and Roses.

Snakepit shows that to be the case. The fact that Slash is joined by Matt Sorum (drummer- G'n'R), Mike lnez (bassist - Alice In Chains) and Eric Dover (vocals -ex-Jellyfish), has as much to do with the rocktastic nature of this album, as Slash's prowess on guitar.

HAVE YOU GOT ANY "Beggars And Hangers-on", VIEWS ON THE MUSIC a ballad, is a great track, SECTION? THE MUSIC and Dover's vocals carry EDITOR WOULD LIKE the melody with ease. it's TO HEAR FROM YOU . quite a good thing that CONTACT PETER ON Slash didn't save this song (01603) 250558 , OR for G'n'R, because Axl COME TO THE would have annihilated it.

'CONCRETE ' OFFICE This is a group effort. No IN UNION HOUSE . excessive widdling, just good rock tunes.

HMV

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1. Luscious Jackson - Natural Ingredients 2. PJ & ouncan- Our Radio Rocks 3. ABBA - Gold

The first word that springs to mind when you hear Zumpano is "Beatlesque·.

There are serious attempts at pop song-writing on this Sub Pop release.

Vocals and melody lines appear to be the main focus of the band, and there is a feeling that the rest of the music is secondary.

There are some good hooks in the songs, and the guitar is effective in its simplicity.

Tracks to watch out for are ' Platinum Is Best Served Cold" and "Evil Black Magic' which both carry really attractive harmonies.

Elton John Believe

HMV, RAMPANT HORSE ST. NORWICH TEL(01603)625490

26

Concrete, Wednesday, Februa ry

22, 1995

Th

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efrent~

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!

~HMV •n "'"*

I 3 •• ,

•They're back! And they're going to be huge again! Who is it? Doh, it's EMF of course! Nick Amies is on the.blower...

I

t was the summer of 1990. EMF had just had their second top 5 hit, a top selling album, sell out tours in this country and America and a slot on Tom Jones' show where the Forest of Dean boys rocked out to 'Unbelievable' with the great gyrating one himself.

Everything was set fo r one of music's great phenomenons.

'Unbelievable' went to number one in America on the night of their second U.S show, the tour was a major success and the world was their oyster.

Then came the scandals.

Zack's famous fruit bowl impression using a lime and a stretchy part of his anatomy, Derry's alleged indulgence with the under age girls of America ( not all of them , but if we believe all that 's been written , a fair percentage ... ), the whole band being totally out of it most of the time and the violence at many of the gigs , mostly engineered by the members of the band .

The second album , 'Stigma', was a departure from the debut, 'Schubert Dip', and th e critics were hard. The album bombed , the subsequent tour was badly attended and their wild boys of rock image was becoming old hat.

The Mef... back for more in '95, finding life's a beach. Inset: As they were in '92.

Then nothing . So what's been going on , Mark ? " We 've been all over the place lately. We've been back to the Forest (of Dean ) to see old friends, we've recently been to

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Madrid to chill for a while before touring , Derry's been hanging out in California.. . admittedly it's not all been hard work but we 've definitely not been doing a Stone Roses!"

Mark de Cloedt sounds relaxed. The drummer of the band seems to have recovered from the excesses of the last three years on the road which reportedly had him in a state of depression and suffering from bouts of blackouts. " People don't rea lise that we have been touring since the end of '92. Places like Argentina, places we never went before. We only really got back in the country at the beginning of last year. We have been touring practically since the release of 'Schubert Dip', all

through the 'Stigma' album and we only really came back to record the new album and to catch up with family."

Rehearsals and record ing for the new album started in June of last year and according to Mark, the first tracks sounded terrible. He says that it was a combination of growing influences, personal problems and drawing on experiences gained over the past three years that proved to be too much for the five lads. • We were just throwing stuff out, we had about 30 tracks recorded and we had to whittle it down to a sensible amount. We were also in need of a producer at that time too."

The producer who came along was Johnny Dollar, the man responsible for Massive At-

tack's 'Blue Lines' album. He came ...and then he went.

(Stone Roses reference number two: See John Leckie .)

'Schubert Dip' was a rushed job, according to Mark, and the band felt like they had worked with the wrong people. 'Stigma' was a harder album, musically, and the third album promises to be yet another change of style for EMF. "it's a more complete album than the previous two. The album is made up of so many styles but all given the EMF treatment. There's acoustic tracks on there which isn't as big a departure for us as people will think. We have made this album for us this time, it tells the story of the past three years. There's a lot more

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a

melody in this one . Basically, we had our heads up our arses for 'Stigma', far too serious.

We've chilled out for this one."

So does this mean the bad boy image has been shaken off in favour of a more mature approach to the music ? I dare to ask about the wild times and those scandals which dogged the Met at the beginning.

• Imagine the scene, okay? I was twenty, Derry and Zack were both eighteen and here · we were with wads of cash and the opportunity to party nonstop all over the world. We were like kids in a candy store.

Yeah, we did alot of stupid things. We were playing to about 6000 a night on the first U. S tour and we were wired on stage, we'd dbme off stage completely pumped up and party until the next morning, taking more, getting about two hours sleep before driving to the next state to do it all over again."

Was there any danger of the indulgences and excesses splitting the group up?

"We are all best mates, so things like that only made us stronger together. The only thing which would cause us to split would be if one of us died ... and that's been pretty close once or twice."

I choose not to follow that line of questioning any further as Mark sounds like he is reliving a harrowing experience. So, what happened when the bubble burst?

"We returned to America and we basically got screwed by the record company. We were not promoted at all, we had no radio play booked, we were due to play 1000 capacity venues and we didn't even sell those out. By this time we were running on clockwork. We needed to get away from the unreality of it all so we came home." The Event asked Mark if he thought it was a hate campaign by the press that sealed the fate of the first period in EMF's history.

• We took the p*"s out of the press constantly for the first eighteen months. Zack's foreskin trick, the laddish behaviour, it was all tabloid fodder.

Yeah , I guess they took their revenge but what young blokes don't go out and get smashed and get laid? lt was just that we were living in the pages of the popular press. I could tell you things about Take That which could ru in their careers. ( I ask Mark to elaborate ... ) No chance mate, they are good guys, I think their music sucks but they are nice blokes ... ordinary blokes who do ... ordinary things. Use your imagination.· EMF are back.

And whatever your preconceptions of this band, it will be impossible to ignore their return to the scene. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

•

I

n the days before video, the granting of certificates to films containing scenes of graphic sex or violence proved a far less arduous and problematic task for the British · Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

Given that such films were exhibited only in cinemas, it could easily be ensured that, where necessary, access to the film was limited to those over 18.

Equally importantly, under these circumstances, controversial sCP.nes can only be viewed within the wider context of the film. The viewer is therefore subject to the film's 'moral system', which, even in the case of films such as 'The Driller Killer', ascribes what is right and wrong.

However, with the advent of video recorders and the release of films for private viewing, clearly the BBFC could no Jongl;)r restrict access to such material.

Also, playback facilities and the freeze-frame control made it possible to view explicit scenes out of context, thereby isolating the viewer from their moral consequences.

Revelations that young children were, indeed, gaining access to 'video nasties' prompted moral outrage and resulted in the 'Video Recordings Act' (1984). This empowered the BBFC to ban outright films which were "unsuitable for home viewing", and established the system of separate certification for video releases

27

n1

•'Natural Born Killers' opens in British cinemas this week, yet there is still no sign of 'Reservoir Dogs' on video. William Neil considers the often hazardous path to film and video classification and looks for some answers which remains to this day.

These fundamental differences between cinema and video go some way to explaining why films such as 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Bad Lieutenant' only encounter serious problems when it comes to video release.

But the real reasons for the recent delays are rooted in the widespread moral panic which followed the James Bulger case, and the media's speculative links between the killing and 'Child's Play3'.

Under the heightened media attention, controversial films which had the misfortune to be awaiting video classification - including 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Bad Lieutenant', 'Menace 11 Society', and 'The Good Son' - were simply 'shelved' .

Ironically, the equally violent 'Romper Stomper' and 'Man Bites Dog' -which missed the furore by a matter of days - were soon available uncut, for hire or retail, at stores across the country. But by far the most ominous result of the media frenzy was the unexpected crossparty support for David Alton's

anrti

ment to the Criminal Justice Bill in April of last year (no doubt allegations of 'sleaze' in British politics encouraged MPs onto the moral bandwagon).

Now law, the Criminal Justice Act compels the BBFC to pay special attention to "harm that may be caused to potential viewers, or, through their behaviour, to society".

Despite its well-meaning intentions, the new directive is a naive and ill-considered piece of law-making. For a start, the legislation preempts the outcome of the video-violence debate.

Contrary to popular belief, there is still no conclusive evidence that there is a direct causal relationship between on-screen violence and the development of violent behaviour.

As a result, the BBFC is still struggling to make sense of what the changes actually mean for its future strategy.

Far from clarifying the situation, the directive has instead created a situation whereby the BBFCs decisions are governed not by designated laws, but by the level of media concern at any given time.

In the longer term, exactly what effect · this will have on the availablity of future or existing titles is, frankly, anyone's guess.

In the meantime, the BBFC has decided that the fuss has died down

Harvey Keitel as the Bad Lieutenant - redeemed? to the extent that it can allow the video release of 'True Romance', 'Menace 11 Society' and 'Bad Lieutenant' (albeit with minor cuts to the latter).

Similarly, 'Natural Born Killers' - which suffered 3 months delay for similar reasons - has now been re-scheduled for general release on 24 February.

For reasons best known to the BBFC, 'Reservoir Dogs' remains 'in limbo'. Undoubtedly, the film's notoriety and its continued success work against the sort of 'lowkey' release the BBFC would prefer. lt also has the misfortune of being commonly perceived as the primary instigator of the trend for brutal, ultra-violent movies.

The belated appearance of 'Natural Born Killers' may, in itself, prove a mixed blessing for the fate of 'Reservoir Dogs'.

Despite Oliver Stone's claims that his film is primarily about the media's approach to real-life violence, it will doubtless be read by many as an indictment of film and television as a cause of violence.

Furthermore, if our attentive 'moral guardians' in the tabloid press react as they did when the film was originally scheduled for release last November, the furore will, at the very least, thrust the BBFC back onto its cautious path. For these reasons, 'Natural Born Killers' may provide the pro-censorship lobby with its best ammunition yet, and offers little real hope for the release of future titles, 'Reservoir Dogs' included.

· 28

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

• William Neil tucks into the paella and finds out more about Whit Stillman's latest film ...

8

arcelona is Whit Stillman's followup to his acclaimed debut 'Metropolitan', and displays a similar concern for the lifestyles of the young , privileged and educated sector of American society.

Following a failed relationship, sales executive Ted Boynton (Taylor Nichols) lives a reclusive life in Barcelona. An unexpected visit from his obnoxious Naval Officer cousin Fred (Chris Eigeman) prompts the revelation that Ted only dates 'plain' girls now, since beauty is simply an 'hazardous illusion'.

However, an encounter with the sublimely attractive Monserrat (Tushka Bergen) severely challenges this relationship philosophy.

Meanwhile, the terrorist bombing of a US Navy office signals the depth of anti-American feeling amongst many Spaniards, and fuels Fred's paranoia. .

The succession of complications which follow - both romantic and political- reveal profound differences in the two cousins' approach to life.

'Barcelona' has much going for it: an offbeat, yet perceptive script; good performances; and a genuine charm absent from the majority of mainstream American films. , As with 'Metropolitan', the WASP-ish nature of the characters perhaps makes 'Barcelona' more potent for meditation amongst American audiences.

However, like Woody Alien's similar light-hearted portrayals of New York's intellectual set, this film will undoubtedly find a market amongst their British equivalents.

"And we call this 'a chin'/"

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • •••••••••••••• • ••••••••• ••••••• • •••

•Nic/oa Daley puts on the glad rags for a trip into the fashion world with 'Pret-A-Porter' ...

I

t's time to don that spangly Versace number that has been hiding in the back of your wardrobe and hotstep it down to the local cinema .

That's because Robert Altman's new film , 'Pret-APorter' , or 'Ready To Wear' (to the less cultured ones among us), is a circus of hype artists, paparazzi and beautiful people .

What he did to the Army and Hollywood he's now doing to the fashion industry, and to give the film that authentic feel, Altman used the real March 1994 Paris fashion

shows as inspiration and as a backdrop.

Real life stars of the fashion industry, such as Jean Paul Gaultier and various leggy supermodels frolic amongst the gigantic cast.

The infamous stars range from Sophia Loren to Lyle Lovett, and Richard E Grant is particularly superb. Prepare yourself for a glimpse into the pretensions of this glamourous world .

Back-biting skullduggery abounds, but no one fails to look absolutely fabulous , and if, as Kim Basinger's character Kitty Porter says, "fashion, my friends, is war", then this is World War Ill. There is no plot as such and the film seems to be a frenzied and comical farce. The glittering finale promises something for the boys as nudity will be rife.

Sex, drugs and the correct Chanel handbag; what more could one ask for, 'darlings'?

Kim Basinger: "Fashion, my friends, is war/"

Concrete. Wednesday, February 22, 1995

S

ome would say that re-doing the muchloved classic animated version Is just playing with fire, but to mark the centenary of Its first publication, Disney have revamped 'The Jungle Book'.

This time it's for real, with real people, real animals and real (well, real-Ish) jungle scenery.

Just to give it that 90's feel, the story has now taken a

F

ans of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' will no doubt be drooling bucketloads that the current Captain, Jean Luc Picard, and his companions have finally been given their own movie.

Ironically, however, it is only when old school Trekker James T Kirk (the ever reliable Bill Shatner) is on screen that the film really

U

nlike 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Pulp Fiction', 'True Romance' is only written and not directed by Quentin Tarantino and for that reason both the style and look of the film is very different However, the usual menacIng mix of ultra-violence and ultra hip characters clearly shows that these films go together like fish and chips, with bucketloads of ketchup.

Indeed, hardcore Tarantino fans will not be disappointed with this worthy

STARlfii(:GEJI!IWDIS USA(1ttS)

Sci-A Olr: Oavld Canon IIGM Cannon ·out now comes to life.

Shame really, because Shatner's grizelled, fatherly, tongue-in-cheek performance comes at the start and end of the film. lnbetween, we have the

TRUE ROMANCE USA(18Q) ~

Dir: Tony Seott

Cinema City • Fri Feb 24 adaptation by Tony Scott Tarantino scripts seem to attract talented actors quicker than Pamela Anderson can attract a beachful of drooling men.

Clarence Wortley and his movie geek haircut is well portrayed by Christian Slater; Patricia Arquette provides the sleaze as Ala-

THEJUNGLEBOOK

USA (1t95) Children's ClaMic

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Odeon ·out now green standpoint, with a PC emphasis on world ecology and the preservation of natural habitats.

Obviously getting back to the 'Bear Necessities' on that one I Uz Mills almost impossibly noble Picard (Patrick Stewart) strutting his stuff as he tries to stop the evil Or Soran (the token British villain played by Malcolm McDowell) from blowing up a few planets in his bid to enter a fantasy world of perfection.

Anyway, it's worth a look but you are left feeling that maybe this was a wasted Ph/lip Miles opportunity. bama, while everyone's favourite psychopath, Gary Oldman, appears as a pimp with a nasty temper.

The plot to True Romance is not as original as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, but its straightforward formula Is coupled with Tarantino's unique blend of fast-paced dialogue and action.

Plenty action, plenty laughs, and, no doubt, plenty of people turning out to see this highly acclaimed addition to Quentin Tarantino's bloadsoaked cv.

M

ildred Pierce is a curious combination of film noir with 'women's picture' melodrama.

A playboy (Zachary Scott) is killed in a shadowy beach house, and restauranteur Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) soon confesses to the crime. A series of flashbacks conveys her story, but her inconsistencies suggest that the truth of the matter is more complex.

Murder, sexual intrigue and betrayal are typically noir themes, and the stylistic trappings of the genre are also clear1y evident. However, the

USA (1995) Thriller Dfr. Curtls Hanaon MGMCinnon~FromfrtFeb24

very high standard, and under Michael Curtiz' direction James Cain's novel is translated to the screen in an exemplary

MILDREDPIERCE USA (1145) Film Nolr1 Melodrama Dlr. tlichael Curttz Cinema Clty .Sun Ftb 26

manner.

presence of a female central protagonist is unusual in this context.

Though the sexual politics of the film ultimately prove rather questionable (in true noirfashion), 'Mildred Pierce' remains an engrossing film, representing classical Hollywood story-telling at its most polished and effective.

The production values are of a

The film is also notable for providing Joan Crawford with an Oscar. The award was presented by a smiling Curtiz, who had, it seems, conveniently forgotten his earlier displeasure at the casting of this "has-been" actress.

'Mildred Pierce' is also sure to bring back happy memories for certain students, having been one of last year's examination films for EAS' 'Key Issues' course.

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Not only must she brave the elements, but also save her marriage to Tom (David Strathaim) and deal with some criminals led by Wade (Kevin Bacon).

The story revolves around Roarke's alienation from his father, who we know is a Herbert because he's the only one the family dog won't listen to.

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29

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30 Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

•Stuck for something to say when Peter Greenaway pops around for a cup of sugar? Speechless when Barry Norman ticks you off for letting your dog foul his lawn? Well you needn't be with Concrete's concise guide to key developments in the history of film. Part One: 1895 to 1958 by William Neil

The Silent Period

Film Noir

The Basics: Within a relatively

The Basics: The 'heyday' of

short space of time, the cinema had progressed from simple 'actuality' filming of an events to an elaborate story-telling medium. Even before the 20s, the basic principles of the 'continuity system' - which ensured that stories were coherent and easy to understand - had already been established.

The 20s saw much experimentation in film technique, particularly in Europe through movements like 'German Expressionism', 'French Surrealism' and 'Soviet Montage'.

However, towards the end of the silent period, film styles corresponded less and less to national borders, and, through the emigration of European directors, Hollywood film-making had itself become a truly international and sophisticated artform.

What to say: "Hmm ... the absence of sound made for a disciplined visual aesthetic that was soon undermined."

the film noir cycle is generally held to span from 'The Maltese Falcon' in 1941, through to 'Touch of Evil' in 1958. During this time, a large number of basically pessimistic films were produced. They frequently dwelt upon themes of murder, betrayal and psychosis, and featured unprecedented levels of violence and implicit sexuality.

Even more immediately recognisable are the stylistic traits of film noir. A noticeable lack of daylight filming, shadowy interiors and claustrophobic compositions were all employed to enhance the sense of menace and oppression .

Though dismissed as 'depressing trash ' by contemporary critics, the genre has experienced periodic revivals , and the influence of noir techniques is apparent in much mainstream cinema even today.

What to say: "Negative perspectives on the human condition will always find cinematic expression in times of uncertainty."

What not to say: "Film noir? ...

Yeah, I love French fi lms."

What not to say: "D.W. Griffith ... wasn 't his first name Derek?"

•• I I

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................. ., ................

Not to be trusted: Rita Hayworth in 'Gilda '

• •

..

Hollvwood under the Studio System The Basics: After a brief period of transition following the arrival of sound and the onset of the depression, Hollywood settled into the 'studio system' of production which remained virtually unchanged for near1y 20 years.

Comprised of 5 vertically integrated 'majors' and several minor companies, this system continued Hollywood's domination of the international market.

Its success derived partly from the universally accessible nature of its product, and the weakness of the European industries. Also crucial was the successful interplay of innovation (of stories and techniques - such as 'Technicolor') with the standardisation which came with massproduction.

Under the studio system, genres - like the western, melodrama and the gangster movie - became

refined in order to target films to audiences and guarantee a profitable return. The genre to which a film belonged could be signalled through story content, setting, visual style, or the presence of certain stars.

During the early 50s, however, the studio system went into steady decline after legal attacks on its monopolistic practices, post-war protectionism and the growth of television. Further technical innovation - such as the development of 'widescreen' - could not prevent the need for more radical changes in production.

What to say: "Like Bazin says, the genius lies not only with 'directors of quality' but within the system itself.· What not to say: "Hitchcock's alright I suppose, but not enough jugs in them for my liking."

'Plane' innovation: Cary Grant in 'North By Northwest'

,.

The European Film Industries and Art Cinema until 1958 The Basics: During the 30s, the European film industries struggled against Hollywood's domination with varying degrees of success.

In both Britain and France quotas provided some protection, enabling the industries to expand.

In the totalitarian states the cinema became used for explicitly political purposes. The German and Italian industries produced a mixture of fascist propaganda and conventional entertainment, whilst in the Soviet Union government control and commitment to 'Socialist Realism' was absolute.

Following the disruption of war, the rebuilding of Europe was accompanied by a return to modernist sentiments and the development of successful European 'Art Cinema', most notably in Italy and Scandinavia.

The films were characterised by a 'realist' approach to both

characters and settings (particularly 'Italian Nee-Realism'), but also a 'subjective realism' , best illustrated by Bergman's elaborate dream sequences.

As directors explored different themes, their individual stamp of authorship became more prominent than ever before.

The modernist trend was even felt in Japan through the films of Akira Kurosawa, yet it largely bypassed certain other European countries.

West Germany was overwhelmed by Hollywood productions. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union continued to inhibit artistic freedom in Eastern Europe, though under Khrushchev some

experimentation became possible. Within Britain and France the 'cinema of quality' (based heavily on literary adaptations) greatly overshadowed the innovators. Not surprisingly, it was here that the impact of the new generation of filmmakers of the late 50s and 60s would most strongly be felt.

What to say: "Given the art film's preoccupation with 'la condition humaine', it is only to be expected that narratives will be episodic and characters uHimately goal-less."

What not to say: "lngmar Bergman? ... didn't she many Cary Grant?•

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Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

31

n

F

or Amy Le May, the rise to stardom has been a mete oric one. The les bian drag qu~n takes her show on the road less than a year from her first ever stage appearance.

She herself is the first one to admit that she is not a performer or an actress and that everything wasn't really supposed to happen how it has

done.

"Basically the show is my life story.

"I started to write it just for myself at the start.

Of course I had hopes that someone would eventually see it but its success and the acceptance I have received which have gone far beyond anything that I had hoped for.

She comes across as a very modest person as she talks about the content of the show, which may sound contradictory as the show is essentially the story of her life. "lt's based on my life I have had as a lesbian in a homophobic society.

"I am trying to get a message across in my show, a message which has been ignored not just by straight society but by the gay community as well.

"There are constraints put on you by being in the gay community, it's as much a form of discrimination as is the attitude society has for gay and lesbian people.

'There are similar feelings running through gay society."

Amy is taking her message of modem lesbian life around the theatres and pubs ofthis country as much as to educate as well as to entertain.

"Many people see lesbians as having cropped hair, as militant women in dungarees and big boots and that stereotype is accepted and lived by some.

'But many have new id~as and want to break away from the constraints.

'Many see any deviation from their ideas of a rigid lesbian way of life as a way of selling

out I mean, apart from my partner, all my other friends are gay men.

"They are my friends, I work with them, socialise with them, I enjoy their company.

"But this can offend many lesbians and often does.

"Many think that to be lesbian you must always be with women.

'I have had lesbians walk out of my shows because they don't agree with the content and that's encouraging for me because it means that they have listened and have considered what I have said . "lt has made them think and it is the attack upon their own short sightedness which infuriates them and makes them walkout."

The show takes on the format of a series of short stories concentrating on phases of Amy's life and experiences.

She feels the need for audience participation as a positive way of breaking down barriers between sexuality and stimulating people into response to begin a solution to anti-gay feelings in society.

"I feel it's only a small number of gay artists who are carrying the fight to the public in small shows like my own.

"The more there are the more acceptibility towards gay and lesbians will spread from the entertainment world to the real world and society.

"There are a lot offamous actors and actresses who are gay and need to come out but fear for their careers because of the homophobic attitudes of society.

"They need to come out and be honest in their work and then and only then will we become on an equal par in the business and in life."

From a surprise introduction to the world of entertainment, Amy Le May seems to be taking the progressive road to fame in her stride with a short programme of her own on Channel4's Takeover TV where she will be seen exploring the Judy Garland exhibition on London's Southbank.

In such a short time this principled woman has come to the forefront of the gay entertainment scene and now hopes to infiltrate the mainstream world to spread the message beyond the gay community and into our homes.

Listen Up!

a bit of fun with them, having a laugh .. . but then I can get a message across by saying that we can share a laugh together but 'did you realise that I don't have the same human rights as you according to law?'

"I don't preach but I get my message across."

I followed the line of questioning about government P.Oiicy and mentioned the latest Levi's Ad ( a female impersonator enters a cab and gets lustful looks from the cabbie u'ntil HE starts to shave).

Tory M.P's have called for the advert to be shown after the Watershed because of it's content. lt has said that it could be damaging to children.

"Well, it doesn't surprise me that the Tories said that.

The government of this country have got a set criteria only a few people fit into and all the rest have no say and no rights.

They persecute gender, they persecute race and colour, they persecute the poor.

I 11

We are all people after all.

No one is better than any one else, no one has a birth right to pressure others with different views, beliefs .. . or sexuality.

Gender is a bodily concept, you are born with a sexed body, either male or female.

The spirit inside has no sex and your spirit is your personality.

No one has the right to restrict your individuality.· So, as well as fighting for sexual equality, is there a fight for recognition in the cabaret business?

"There is competition in every walk of life but I am a firm believer that if you believe in yourself and what you do then no one else matters.

I keep my shows topical and I bond with the audience, I see people having a good time at my shows and that's all the recognition I need . • More recognition is coming David's way with a short film he has made appearing on Channel4 in the near future and a starring role in a music video for a gay music label in Manchester.

With an outrageous stage show, which still includes the original quiz show formula as well as alcohol, firearms and a rather graphic birth routine, The Divine David show is well worth a look.

Good taste not included !

Concrete previews some of the forthcoming events in LGB week

T

hroughout the history of Cabaret, the stereotypical drag queen has always been portrayed as an obviously male actor or comedian dressed as a woman trying to put across women's characteristics.

Images come to mind of comedians dressed as outrageously as pantomime dames in the .vain attempt to pass themselves off , as a 'woman'.

Of course, the completely over the top costumes and behaviour are all there to stress that there is in fact a man undeme~th it all.

But to refer to Divine David, one of the countries up and coming cabaret acts, as a drag artist would put you in the firing line of this very animated and principled performer...

"I would not consider myself as a drag act.

"Drag queens are men who try to change themselves and their body shape to that of a woman.

"They wear the false chest and the outlandish clothes and actually try to convince the audience that they could possibly be a woman.

"I don't do that.

"I wear the clothes and the make up but I'm still being me and putting myself across. • David Hoyle started his career as stand-in compere at a local quiz night in a club in his native Manchester.

•After his brief stint as the host, David returned to education to study an art and design degree. "lt didn't last long and he soon dropped out in favour of his first

love.

He returned to the quiz night and then made the decision to take the format further and

introduce another element into his show.

Donning his glad rags, Divine David was born and the combination of quiz night and stand up comedy became The Divine David Experience which toured the Manchester club scene with it's brand of shock humour and visual delights.

To talk to this man is an insight not just into the world of cabaret, which he obviously loves, but into the sexual politics of transvestite artists and the fight for gay rights in the business and in everyday life.

"When I'm doing the show, I'm not wearing women's clothes or men's clothes- they're just clothes.

"I don't think that there should be such blatant segregation.

"I wear what I feel comfortable in. ·At the moment, in the show, I feel relaxed in a trouser suit.

"I wear the make up as well but why should women hold the monopoly on looking glamorous

?

"If you look back into history, there have been periods when men and women have dressed virtually identically with wigs and make up. "lt's only the constraints and narrow mindedness of modem society which stipulates which clothes should be worn by each gender."

David believes that the fight for gay rights can be fought from a stage just as well as a podium in a lecture hall or at a demonstration.

"On stage, I am a gay man.

"I can be ridiculing a member of the audience in my show. having

Nick Amies

UNION BUSINESS CENTRE

IT PHONE CARDS ('ROM £2)

AT THE

DICTAPHONE HIRE (£2 DAILY)

p(JST oFFICE

Opening hours 9- 5.30pm Mon- Fri 9 - 1 pm Saturday

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32

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995:

The

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• Sarah Morris talks to five directors about their latest production

T

here I was at UEA Studio. Thursday morning, 9.30 am (their suggestion). I wanted to find out about a week-long festival of theatre given by students of the MA Theatre Directing course .

When I first heard about it was called 'Pentagram' now it's called 'Gauze'... l still don 't know what either mean !

I was prepared for the absence of Teresa lzzard , the only women director of the festival , as she had not been present when we arranged the time .

However, she phoned to say that she would be late and was the first to arrive at about 9 .50am.

These arty people .. so unpredictable!

Meanwhile John Hyde who has the challenge of organising the MA directors is becoming a little anxious.

He discusses the subject of a

photograph for my article .

Shots of actresses and actors will be tricky as the rehearsals are still in early days.

How about a shot of the group together, laughing at Morrissey (-He does mean the singer doesn't he?) and looking a bit like 'The Beatles'?

Thankfully, the rest of the band show up while I'm talking to lzzard. lzzard is directing 'The Inmates of St. Mary Egyptian' (1977) by Jose Martin Recuerda .

Set in 1831 , during the Liberal Rebellion in Grenada in Spain, it offers a convent prison as a microcosm for the wider persecution of Franconian Catholic society.

The women in the prison are there as political prisoners for their part in the Cause and for sexual"deviance". lt is, says lzzard, "about passion for cause, about desperation .. about passion for

Five MA directors oversee preceedings at UEA Studio freedom - political freedom and personal freedom and about the effects of the imminence of death on people."

The play centres on Mariana Pineda, a popular Grenadine heroine, who also inspired Federico Garcia Lorca's play in 1957.

* •• * *

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Tickets available on the door

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According to critic Gwynne Edwards, Recuerda's plays do have much in common with those of Lorca as "they both depict the same kind of Andalusia, governed by narrow-mindedness, cruelty and hypocrisy." lzzard, a fan of Lorca, assents that her Inmates will be influenced by his writings.

She found her instinct for Mariana 'reaffirmed' by the earlier playwright who admired her as 'a marvellous woman whose entire reason for being, whose entire motivating force (was) her love of liberty.' (Reed Anderson in 'Frederico Garcia Lorco').

David Graham, director of 'Burning Houses' is, by contrast, not interested in a writer reaffirming his sense of direction .

"I am not a stickler for the writer," he states.

Perhaps Pete Lawson, who may attend the performance will find his own text has something new to say to him.

Lawson calls his play a love story, a description that Graham has deliberately left out of the press release.

Why? "That's not really my kind of thing."

Graham's interest lies in an exploration of the idea of a more free sexuality.

'Burning Houses' features four people -gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight - who begin affirming a clear-cut sexual identity but find the reality much more ambiguous.

"Roughly speaking everybody ends up sleeping with everyone else" says Graham.

"Society boxes people into sexual identities"; the notion in 'Burning Houses' is that people should "love who they wish and make love to whom

they wish ."

Not without a sense of humour, Graham reflects why free sexuality is not the norm: "I think it's easier. "lt cuts down on the stress.

"After looking at the characters in the play, I can see why it's easier to stick to one sex! " Yet he is keen that throughout the play "assumptions are challenged and stereotypes examined ..

Graham warmed to a notion expressed recently by a Sunday Times critic who asked , "Why should people just go to the theatre to be entertained?

"Why shouldn't we challenge them , make them feel uncomfortable?

And he concludes, "And that's what I hope to do.

"That's what I hope for this play."

'Burning Houses' will be performed for only the second time at the festival but it will be coupled with an even newer work.

Desparecidos has been based on an idea by Jim Gleeson from the MA Creative Writing programme and developed by the company.

Director Tristan Brolly has played a key role.

"After hearing the initial ideas of Jim, my imagination has been in overdrive for the past four months."

Set in the present day village of Humahuaca, Northern Argentina, the title refers specifically to 'The Disappeared' in The Dirty War - those kidnapped and abducted by the military regime in 1976-83.

'The Lost Ones' also refers to other characters , among them two travellers who are in a sense lost.

The play looks at guilt, persecution and cycles of revenge; it asks 'does the end justify the means, when the search for truth and justice becomes a crime in itself?' lt is also technically adventurous, aiming to 'push theatrically further' .

"In some ways, what we're doing .. is playing with cinematic ideas in a theatrical form, the idea of cinematic montage, cutting from sequence to sequence.

"We're looking at the idea of the cut-away shot- we want to play with that so, in going from one sequence to another, we might go via an image.n From a new play, we move to a French comedy written in 1757.

Jean-Paul Cherrington has chosen to direct The Constant Players by Marivaux- "a very underrated successor to Moliere."

He likes the fact that it has good women characters for his all-female cast and its sharp engagement with the theatrical medium.

Four servants attempt to stage a play without understanding the principle of drama.

There is also an aunt, one of three rival Matriarchs, who is 'tricked into getting involved in the play.'

Says Cherrington , "it's a play within a play within a play within a play... it's quite intricate. "it's a study about what is actually theatre- what is acting, how do you act?- questions which we've been asking ourselves in the course over the past three or four months."

The power play within the comedy will require direction of a tense subtlety.

"The thing about drama of this period,· explains Cherrington, "is that there is very little strong physical interaction .. it's all repressed, bubbling below the surface .."

Below-surface tension will clearly be the mood of the night when The Constant Players is coupled with the master of subtext, Harold Pinter.

Kyriakos Manolakos will direct The Lover, "a study of personal fantasies and obsession."

Manolakos, who studied in Athens before coming to UEA, was drawn to the play through Pinter's treatment of marriage - "as a metaphor for the whole society.• At first sight, the couple in The Lover appear happily married but the very first line disperses that impression.

Arriving home, the husband kisses his wife on the cheek and asks "Is your lover coming today."

Not surprisingly, one of the things Manolakos likes about the play, is that it is very funny. ""I want to make people laugh because in a strange way they're laughing for their own state ..

"They're laughing at what's going on in society and what's going on with their own lives too .. Pinter is not realistic, he's an extremist.

He writes extreme situations but if you look a bit more you'll probably find that in a way they're not so extreme."

So there you have it - five mixed plays from five new directors.

They may not be fabulous time-keepers but they appear full of ideas, better than the Beatles (?)with productions that sound fresh, challenging and - dare I say it? - even entertaining.

Ut:A Studio lllafch 6-11

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ff ' Concrete, Wednesday, February

22, 1995 33

TV, VIDEO ~~Rr~nll ®

·

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.., ..· .. · · •.· '·

Caroline Jenkinson gets glam with • a new channel -changing comedy

A

usual, all your avourite soaps; astEnders, mmerdale, Brookside, Neighbours, Home and Away and Nexus's very own Home from Home will feature heavily in the schedules this fortnight.

UEA's own sports events will also be shown, along with national football, on Mondays from 7pm onwards.

Music comes from MlV and VHI, and of course Nexus's own fantastic new music show 'Grrr.. .' which will be shown on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the Nexus News at 1pm.

Movies include 'Death Becomes Her' at Spm on Wednesday February 22, and the 'Three of Hearts' at 10pm on Friday February 24.

And keep a look out for the all new, wide-screen, Oscar nominated Arts Show. Keep tuned!

·~

F

ans of the 'Comic Strip' will no doubt be delighted to hear that one of its original founders, Peter Richard son, has masterminded another top comedy series. ' The Glam Metal Detectives', which begins on Thursday February 23 at 9pm, is the series in question, which promises to take the viewer on a frantic voyage through various cable TV stations.

"So who are these Metal Detective people, then?" I hear you cry.

Well, they just happen to be a rock band with a mission to save the planet. Concerned with "funk and justice for an·. they somehow manage to find time between their gigs to do battle with the international villain Rolston Brocade, who plans to take over the world by means of a soft drink called Splat.

Other regular features in the show include the black-and-white seriai'Betty's Mad Dash', about a couple of 1920s flappers on the run from justice, and 'Colin Corleone', the strange tale of a Peckham lad who lives with his mum, but believes he's the Godfather.

Plus, there's the 'Bioodsports Channel', which ensures viewers will have a ringside seat at ram-raids, car-park riots and the like, with full studio analysis afterwards, and the chat-show where the unusual guests are never allowed to get in the way of the host Morag's

ego.

Doon Mackichan, who is probably best known for 'The Day Today' is included in the line-up, along with former Vrvienne Westwood model Sara Stockbridge.

But wiii'GMD' be even more glam than 'Ab Fab'? We shall wait and see ....

Comedy ahoy/ Ifs the Glam Metal Detectives

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • • • •••••••••••••• The column that fond/yremembets those classic TV progtammesof

yesteryear...

Four Weddings And A Funeral -Retail, £14.99

C

ommitrnent-scared

Charles (Hugh Grant) is 32 and has an array of distraught ex-girlfriends who make themselves difficult to avoid.

However, at a wedding he meets Carrie (Andie MacOowell) and becomes infatuated.

Three weddings and one funeral later and he decides to do something about it!

Written by Richard Curtis, this film carries some extremely funny lines and situation comedy. Noticeably it has an abundance of eccentric people, which adds to the jovial atmosphere. lt is pemaps these special characteristics that made 'Four Weddings' so hugely successful, making £28 million at UK box offices alone.

If you haven't seen it already, it is certainly worth a look, and is available to buy during a limited release period of five weeks, until April 30 (a second release is due in November).

This video even boasts a limited edition sleeve, for the collectors among you.

The tum-offs may be that the film is romantic, and d6es have

an inevitable ending, but the film doesn't really draw too much attention to these facts.

If you do decide to invest in the film, it is money well spent, as it's not the kind to be seen once, then left to gather the dust.

Joanna Emsley

The Premature Burial (1961)SSC 1, 12•.f0pm Friday Febuary 24 WILL: This is a smart film.

Directed with characteristic verve by the 'King of Schlock' Roger Carman, it's based on an Edgar Alien Poe story.

Ray Milland plays a cataleptic terrorised by fears of being buried alive like his father before him. Not as 'colourifically inspired' as his 'Masque of the Red Death', or as bizarre as the

Tu NYou RADJD I

13 . .

.

•

I

·:, ·

·~

~·

classic 'The Man Wrth X-Ray Eyes' (it doesn't have a nude jiving scene for a start), but still the work of a master.

CAROLINE: Come on Will, you know it's on way after my bedtime.

(Hmrnm, 'nuff said - Ed.)

.J Rock ' s newest wild men . The Black Crowes . are recorded

their ·Amorica ' album and have been described by Melody

~:r~o~~c=,~~ew~~h t~e

~:~~~ ~n~ ~ho~l r;~~~

Royal Albert Hall.

The band have re-

·n· Roll band in the world " because of

o as an Eighties kid could possibly forget that titanic monster of a cartoon 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'? Sadly, today the only mark left by the series comes in the shape of several muscular plastic figures (who couldn't stand up right but no doubt showed Barbie a good time!).

The struggles of He-Man, alias Prince Adam, and the mighty Battlecat against the "evil forces of Skeletor" (and friends) made compulsive viewing.

Yet questions remained unanswered to this day, after the series vanished into obscurity in the late eighties: How come Prince Adam's parents never recognised their son was in fact He-Man, just with a few more dothes on? How did Man at Arms manage to walk with all that kit on? Whatever became of Skeletor's fiendish pals Evil Lynn and Beastman?

Why did Orko bear the brunt of jokes at the end of each episode?

And finally, can anyone remember the name of that fit bird with wings (Wasn't it Claire Rayner?- Comedy Ed.) who guarded Castle Greyskull? Let us know!

(I think you'll find she was called The Sorceress - Screen Ed)

Chris Weight

Johnnie Walker, 1 FM, Saturday February 25 , 3 .30pm. .JChristopher Lee , cult rnaster of horror, braves the daylight to join Sue L~wley on Desert Island

_ cently receiv.ed wid~;· •... ~ th~~r _controversial ·· s~read acclarm · tor' -' <antrcs. ~-..:;. ·- --~. D~_?cs .. ~·" ~

~

~~--

Is he "Tall, dark and gruesome" , as the title of his autobiography suggests?

Or is the man behind the . mask much less sinister?

Desert Island Discs, Ra_ •. dio 4, Sunday Feb 26,

:

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.,:. ··.- .·.: '• . 12,,1 Spm. - ~artin Plant ·l'

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34 Concrete, Wednesday, February 22. 1995

•

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The

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BOOKSHElF

ID Win! A class 'Pingu' video!

Wh at could be better than an evening in with a packet of liquorice allsorts and a 'Pingu' video?

Not a lot, that's what I say. Especially when you've got a copy of 'Pingu the Photographer', which contains ten classic episodes featuring everybody's favourite penguin .

Released earlier this month, at the measly price of £9.99, this is essential viewing fo r all Pingu freaks. And yes, I know there are thousands of you out there!

Which is why The Event has a copy of the video to give away, courtesy of those kind people at BBC Video.

You have to be in to win ... and you also have to spot the five differences between the two pictures of Pingu printed here.

Post your answers to us via our competition box, which can be found outside the Steward's Cabin in UH . First entry out of the bucket of fish is the winner. Good luck!

-'o ,_ /

I -

lJ1lJ1I3YIDEO

Ed Jones is a new writer who has impresed both press and public with extraordinary talent and wit.

He is both prolific and literary; all the more surprising is that he is writing under the most difficult of circumstances from a prison cell.

For just three hours before the launch party for his last novel, Ed Jones was sentenced to three and a half years in HMP Risley for the illegal importation of cannabis with a street value of £35,000.

Ed wrote his first novel, Come Again , just after his arrest by customs officers who discovered his scheme to import drugs hidden in bars of chocolate.

One year on, Ed is about to have his second novel 'Every Man for Himself published.

A witty story of suburban temptation, sin and redemption - with just a whiff of arsenic and old lace, 'Every Man for Himself is the tale of Jed Green a small business man who made money in plastic dicks!

He finds himself steeped in debt and scandal when he expands his stock to include plastic boobs and everything begins to go wrong.

As a result Jones decides to leave the path of virtue and begins to discover life ...

I . FEBRUARY

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·I

also ... gloves hats tights speedo swimwear uea baseball caps rucksacks squash tennis & badminton rackets sports shoes·

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

SHORT

Sltle

35

~ ·vent ha

•Concrete ventures into the world of fiction with this short story from 'Adventures in Capitalism' by Toby Litt, a student on UEA's Creative Writing MA

A

er I won the Lottery and jacked my job in at the Lab, I decided, in spirit of scientific enquiry, to pend a year and a day believing verything the ads told me. Coke was it and Pepsi was The Choice of a New Generation. I was 32 and so wasn't really sure if that meant me.) 'A Year In Fairyland', I called it, 'The Place Where All Your Dreams Come True'. They'd been telling you (me) from since before you (I) were (was) born that if you (I) just did exactly what they said , you (I) would become "The New You" ("Me"), so I (on your behalf) decided to obey them (Them).

Before:

(Eugh l)

After:

(Phwoarl )

At the end of the Fairytale Year, I would judge whether I was substantially any happier than I would have been at the end of Just Another Year. Somehow, I doubted it. Almost immediately, because I live in London, travel by tube and because it was summer, I got Heatbusters to fit some temporary air conditioning in my flat. "Phewl Thanks Heatbusters. We needed that.· I drank Grolsch and joined Dateline. I too could find love. Andrew Average and Natalie Normal found love through Dateline and so could I. My first date, Lauren, who worked in Pharmaceutical Market Research in Putney, was lovely. But I drank so much Gro/sch during the first half of the evening, that during the second, I ended up farting worse than Peter Sellers in the lift scene in The Return of the Pink Panther. Lauren told me that a man with my unfortunate problem should seek medical help. But as Lauren wasn't an ad, I didn't believe her. You see, I'd also decided, about two weeks in, that I'd have to stop believing people. So when my mother phoned up and said, "Hello," I didn't believe her; I said "Who are you?" and she said, "Brian , I'm your mother," and I said, "No !You're not,• and put the phone down. This !continued for several days until I managed o buy a new flat. I informed Dateline of my Phange of address but not the crazed fNomen who was pretending to be my ,_.other.

My next two Dateline dates were disastrous: fell in love with both of them. I'd had to. If ~e ad said I too could find love through Dateline, then I could. Could and did. Maria !Narked for a company that supplied ~oicemail. I soon had Voicemail. Mandy

worked as a receptionist in a Harley Street practice, I soon had no appendix. In the meantime, of course, I was spotting other ads in which I couldn't not believe. I bought loads of stuff. One Friday evening I sat down to watch The Word and the next day I had to go out and buy a Fiat Punto, two Renault Clios, a Volkswagen Polo, a Citroan Xantia , some Monster Munch, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, a Cadbury's Twirl and a pack of Wrigley's Spearmint Gum, Andrews Antacid Indigestion Tablets (which came in quite handy after I'd eaten the Monster Munch), Go/gate Bicarbonate of Soda Toothpaste (which overcame the ill-effects of the chewing gum), a large box of Tampax tampons and a pack of Energizer batteries. I had breakfast at Burger King, where a Whopper was definitely on the menu, and lunch at McDonald's, where the Egg McMuffln was not to be avoided. I also made enquiries about the issue of PowerGen shares, took out several Personal Pension Plans, opened an account at the Cooperative Bank and joined both Weight Watchers and the Tenitorial Army. On the next day, Sunday, I bought The Sunday Telegraph , which necessitated a further glut of purchases, the most embarrassing of which was the full set of Birds of the British Isles Heirloom Thimbles. At this point I almost gave the whole thing up.

One evening, when I was out at WeightWatchers, Mandy called and accidentally heard the message that Maria had left the Voicemail. She was thanking me for the Diamond Ring I had just sent over to her via UPS. That got rid of Mandy. Unfortunately, Maria had left her parents' number in her message (she had gone down to Devon to ask their permission to marry me) Mandy called them up and told them everything, and that got rid of Maria. I lost 1Olbs in two weeks, mainly thanks to The Tenitorial Army.

The next three dates that Dateline sent along were Teresa, a Bicycle Courier who really wanted to be a nun, Maxine, a. Dental Hygienist who was a transsexual. I suggested she give Dental Hygiene a try.

My life became busier and busier. As well as all the Dateline business, there was the Culture (a hundred must-see and unmissable films , plays and exhibitions), the Investments (PEPs and High Interest Savings Accounts), the Insurance Policies, (Life, Health, Car. Home), the Cigarettes (Silk Cut, Marlboro, Embassy Mild, Benson and Hedges) and the Properties (Soho loft, Surrey Tudor, Scottish castle, Slough repossession). I was soon skipping WeightWatchers meetings and trying to forget I'd ever joined The Territorials. I started to wear dark glasses and to walk round looking at my feet, which was cheating, I know.

But something big was coming up. Sooner or later, I realized, I would have to stop deceiving myself. I was being hugely inconsist-

ent. I had to get away. I needed a break. I needed a holiday. The Tenitorials, who had started leaving frankly abusive messages on my Voicemail, would have to go stuff.

Florida. EuroDisney. Israel. Dublin. Malta.

The whole world competed for my body and my cash. In the end, I decided to go out the next morning and obey the first travel advert I saw. I slept badly, dreaming of the thousand places I might have to visit. I arrived in Pontins in Welshpool, took a daytrip to the Wailing Wall, got lost in the Galapagos, mugged in Central Park and finished with some Apres-5ki. In the morning I got up, drew the curtains and immediately saw a very scrappy ad on the side of a doubledecker bus. lt was for Beijing, so to Beijing I went - although I missed several planes on my slow and gradually more and more overladen trip through Heathrow. By the time I found AirChina Check In, I had stocked up on perfumes and cameras and extra luggage and towels and novels and the newspapers. They wouldn 't allow most of it on the plane, so I had it posted back to Surrey. lt could rot on the lawn.

During the flight I was able to really relax for the first time in month, though I did feel obliged to get pissed-up on the Duty Frees.

You may think me stupid, but it was only when I arrived in Beijing and got out of the airport that I realised I wasn't able to understand a single one of the many ads I saw.

Hotel was about the only word I could decipher. Going back into the airport would be an act of conscious will. I would be deliberately over-riding my ad-obedience, which intended me to have a holiday in Beijing . All I could do now, therefore, was have a holiday in Beijing. I checked in to my Hotel and started buying things, mainly cans of Coke.

For a day or two I tried to decide whether learning Mandarin would also be a disobedience. I decided it would. I had six months left in China, then. And after that, who knows? The Tenitorials would probably have me Court Martialled the moment .1 set foot in Blighty. And as for WeightWatchers, I hardly dared think. There was nothing else to do, I was stuck. One day I took a walk away from the Hotel, hoping that I would see an ad, any ad, telling me to go on holiday in Surrey or London or even just England. There was nothing. Deng Xiaoping. Televisions. Sniil-

ing faces eating rice. I carried on walking.

Wide pale streets full of people riding bicycles. I was lost. I couldn't go back to the same Hotel as before unless I got lucky and saw an ad for it. But I never did. My luggage including my dictionary, faded behind me as I was pinballed around from foreign Hotel to foreign Hotel.

Some law of chaos led me gradually north, out of the city. A month had passed. I was a different, bearded, shabby, raving man. I had started to have dreams in which I was a Monster Munch monster. I lost my passport, somehow or other, but thank God , not my American Express Card. I found myself in a Hotel from which I seemed unable to reach any other Hotels. I waited in the lobby for days, hoping for a copy of a foreign newspaper or magazine. Anything . Even Time would have done. If I had read Time , I would have had to enrol at the American University and to do that I would have had to travel to Michigan or Malibu or somewhere. But nothing happened to help me. I put the 1Olbs back on, plus.

Two months passed and then the woman claiming to be my mother arrived . I couldn't explain to her that I still had three months of my experiment left. She wouldn 't have understood. Mothers, true or false, never do.

But, bless her, whoever she was, she had a crappy novel with her and in that crappy novel was a complimentary bookmark. By taking out a year's subscription for the Readers Digest (unavailable, as yet, in China), I was able to maintain my pride and consistency. Just. I returned to England with my psuedo-mother, looking forward to receiving my free Clock Radio. When wearrived in Heathrow, there was something of an incident.

Here, in the Clinic, with a fortnight to go, they have learnt to prevent my escape bids by forbidding me television , newspapers, magazines and any glimpse of buses and taxis. Instead, Doctor Chandra lends me copies of the Autograph Edition of the Complete Worlcs of Charles Dickens. Every time I finish one, he gives me the next. I am currently reading Bleak House.

CJRead Johnny Boyne's 'You Think You Know Someone' in-the {ssue; out Maich 8.

next

on

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- - -- - - - --

-- - -

- - - - -- - -- -- -- - -- - - - , - ------,;----------,-;-:--:-:-::--:----

Concrete, Wednesday, February

in association with the Theatre WEDNESDAY MARCH l Cannon See Friday February 24 for details.

Odeon See Friday February 24 for details.

Cinema City The Slingshot (12). 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle. £3-£18.50, 2.30pm, 7.30pm.

Norwich Arts Centre See Tuesday.

8os wells Horizon. 9pm to midnight.

SUNDAY MARCH 5 Cannon I Odeon See Friday February 24.

lEA Belly -led by ex "Throwing Muse· Tanya Donnely, the indie-pop sensation are bound to deliver such old hits as "Feed the Tree· and material from their recently released album. £7.50adv.

Cinema City Gilda (PG) - Rita Hayworth at her seductive best. 5pm.

Schindler's List (15)- Speilberg's ada-ptation of Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize winning novel about a Nazi party member trying to save Jews from the gas chamber. 7.30pm.

Waterfront Hany Hill - If off the wall comedy is you scene Hany Hill, former Perrier Award winner, should prove a hit with his abstract stand up. £6/£4.

Theatre Royal The Sold Silver 60s Show Music from Freddie & the Dream-

Hys Club Night. Admission £1, 9pm2am. Happy Hour- midnight-1 am.

Cinema City Four Weddings & A Funeral "refreshing bright British romanticcomo!dy". 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle. £3-£18.50, 7.30pm.

Cannon See Friday February 24.

Peppermint Park Mr B's Flying Circus. 9pm-2am.

Admission £1 b41 0.30pm.

Odeon See Friday February 24.

Cinema City Second Best (12)- drama about a shy, lonely man's intense relationsip with his adopted son.

5.45pm.

Barcelona (15)- A survey of a

Waterfront les Negresses Vertes. Original and infectious Gallic purveyors of North African sounds with a rock crossover. £6.50, 7.30pm .

8os wells 4D Jones- jazz. 9pm to midnight.

Odeon See Friday February 24 for details. Pret A Porter also opens today.

Cannon ~ee Friday February 24.

Odeon See Friday February 24.

Oval Sods law & Support.

Cinema City Second Best (12). 2.30pm, 5.45pm.

Barcelona (15). 8.15pm.

Samanthas Alternative Night, 1Opm-2am.

Theatre Royal Oberto -The story of Oberto's desire for vengance on his daughter's seducer. £5-£32, 7.30pm.

Boswells The Boogaloos - blues. 9pm to midnight.

Cinema City Four Weddings and A Funeral (15). 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Hys Club Night. Admission £4 all night.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle. £3-£18.50, 7.30pm.

Ritzy Fast Trax. Admission £2 b4 10.30pm, £3 after.

lrom £3 or £4

14

IIOIIICH

Compiled by Caroline Ad/em

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK Highlight of Week One

group of priviledged young Americans in 1970s Barcelona.

8.15pm.

Boswells Showcase. 8pm to 11 pm.

Ritzy Nth Degree. Entry 50p with an NUS card, 9pm-2am.

Peppermint Park Student Night.

TUESDAY MARCH 7

Hys Club Night. Admission £2, 9pm2am. Happy Hourmidnight-1am.

FRIDAY MARCH 3 Cannon See Friday February 24 for details.

UEALCR Faith No More- once billed as the greatest progressive rock band since Queen, Faith No More had a string of Top 40 hits in Britain, and their last album ·Angel Dust• proved their most successful to date. Expect to hear some new and as yet unreleased material. SOLD OUT

MONDAYMARCH6

THURSDAY MARCH 2 Cannon/ Odeon See Friday February 24 for details.

ers, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders and Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits). £4£12.50, 5pm, 8pm.

22, 1995

Natural Born Killers· 'Bout time too matey. This should have been released last November, but the allegations of copy-cat killings persuaded the powers that be to keep it away from cinema screens. Well, finally they-'ve seen sense, and now it's here. But will it live up to all the hype?

Highlight of Week Two Faith No More- and speaking of hype, the 'Secret Show' is finally here. How will one of the world's biggest stadium bands cope with the delights of our very own, utterly lovely, LCR? Let's hope they aren't over-awed....

p;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~iiiiiiiiiii

lEA Live in The Hive Return ofthe Fab Ents Quizquestions on film, music & entertainment & a top £100 prize.

Norwich Arts Centre Manhattans The Comedy Club present Mark Hyperl 9pm-2am. Free admission Steel. 8pm. with an NUS card.

Boswells Jazz 'n' Blues Jam. 9pm to midnight.

Waterfront Milky lunch Student Party. £3

Hys Club Night, £3b410.30p

SATURDAYMARCH 4 2.30pm, 7.30pm.

Norwich Arts Centre Swamp Rat- stomping Cajun led by Pierre Le Rue. 8pm.

Waterfront Meltdown al the best in indie chart and dance with a surprise special upstairs. £3.50/£3. 9pm-1 .30am.

Oval Dreamthief & Mouth Like a Radio.

g

~Samanthas

§:Rock Club, 1Opm-2am. ~·

::: Boswells Niget Portass Blues Band. ~ 9pm to midnight.

a

_.:..:::::;:!!!~ ~ Hys Cannon/ Odeon See Friday February 24.

Cinema City Four Weddings & A Funeral (15). 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

The Secret Garden (U)- En-

thralling adaption of Frances Hodgson Bumett's Victorian fable about a young orphan girt.

2.30pm.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle. £3-£18.50,

Club Night. Admission £3 b4 10pm, £4 b411pm, £5after.

Ritzy Furious Fun. £3 b410.30pm, £5 after, 9pm-2am.

ruo~~ cm1rn~%srn© o~[U @)():!J~~~~

40

Concrete, Wednesday,February

22, 1995

14

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24

SUNDAYFEBRUARY26

Compiled by Caroline A diem

WEDNESDAYFEBRUARY22 Cannon Some or all of the films listed on Wednesday February 22 may still be showing. Ring for further details. The River Wild should also open today.

Ode on Some or all of the films from Wednesday February 22 should still be showing. Ring for further details. Natural Born Killers also opens today.

Theatre Royal The Wizard of Oz. £2-£11, 7.30pm.

Waterfront Milky Lunch- Uplifting House.

DJ's chris &James (Gardening Club), Mark Wilkinson + Paul Christian. Upstairs - Offyerface.

Hard House+ techno. £10/£9.

Oval Sweet 'n' Innocent.

Odeon

See Friday February 24.

4t

Cannon Screen One: Star Trek: Generations (PG)- Kirk and Scotty in their final appearance on the big screen (maybe). 2.30pm , 5.30pm, 8.30pm.

Screen Two: Interview with the Vampire (18) - Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise get steamy; the audience drools. 3.15pm, 5.45pm, 8.20pm.

Screen Three: Black Beauty (U) - Horseplay of a different kind in this adaptation of Anna Sewell's classic. 1.45pm, 3.45pm , 5.45pm.

Screen Four: Stargate (PG)Well sorted sci-fi fantasy, starring James Spader, Kurt Russell and Jaye Davidson. 1.30pm, 4pm, 6.20pm.

Odeon Screen One: The Road to Wellville (18)- Sir Anthony Hopkins in toilet humour shocker.

5.15pm.

Screen Two: Shallow Grave (18)- What would you do if your flatmate died, leaving behind a fortune in a suitcase?

8.30pm.

Screen Three: Leon (18)Doesn't Gary Oldman ever get tired of playing evil, nasty and corrupt blokes? 2.45pm, 5pm, 7.45pm.

Boswells Lee Vasey Band. 9pm-midnight.

..,

Cinema City War of the Buttons (PG) - Two rival gangs f~ght in 1970s rural Ireland. 2.30pm.

Faust (PG)- A surreal reinterpretation of the tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil.

5.45pm.

Killing Zoe (18) - A violent piece of modem pulp fiction .

8.15pm.

Odeon See Wednesday February 22.

Cinema City Killing Zoe (18). 2.30pm, 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Boswells The Wahoo Yahoos. 9pm-midnight.

I

I

•

11>

I

I

•

I

.;

I

Ritzy Fast Trax. Admission £2 b4 10.30pm, £3 after.

SATURDAYFEBRUARY25

Cannon/ Odeon See Friday February 24.

Cinema City The Slingshot (12)- Swedish period childhood film. 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle - A thunderos cocktail of tap dynamite mixed with the mighty blasts of the Big Band sound. £3-£18.50,

Oval Freakshow + support.

UEALCR Courtney Pine - Jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine has worked with such artists as Mica paris and the Pet Shop Boys, he combines a mixture of styles and influences to produce a uniqe form of free form jazz. £8adv.

Sleeper are touring off the success of recent single "lnbetweener". Bliied as another "next big thing", expect to hear songs off their debut ·smart" LP. Support from Blue Script.

SOLD OUT Boswells Showcase. 8pm-11pm.

7.30pm.

Ritzy Nth Degree. Entry SOp with an NUS card, 9pm-2am.

Waterfront Sleeper- led by Louise Weiner,

Peppermint Park Student Night.

TUESDAYFEBRUARY28

Samanthas The Fluff Syndicate - Dance/ TechnofTrance music, 1Opm-

Cannon See Friday February 24.

2am.

Hys Club Night. Admission £1 . 9pm2am. Happy Hour- midnight1am.

Cinema City Mildred Pierce (PG)- Joan Crawford gives an Oscarwinning performance in "one of the finest soap operas ever made". Spm. Tom & Vrv (15)- A portray! of the fraught relationship between poet T.S. Eliot & his wife Vivienne. 7.30pm.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 27

UEALCR The Go-Go's- Early eighties angirl band the Go-Gos, fronted

by Belinda Carlisle & Jane Wiedlin (hit single "Rush Hour") continue their reunion tour on the back of their greatest hits album.

THURSDAYFEBRUARY23 Cannon See Wednesday February 22 .

Hys Club night. Admission £4 all night

Theatre Royal The Wizard of Oz - An evening offamily entertainment based on the RSC's 1989 production. £2-£11 , 2pm, 6pm.

Peppermint Park Mr B's Flying Circus. 9pm-2am.

Admission £1 b4 10.30pm .

Manhattans Sheer Bliss! 9pm-2am.

Cinema City War of the Buttons (PG). 2.30pm.

Killing Zoe (18). 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

True Romance (18)- Quentin Tarentino's re-tread of the couple-on-the-run favourite . 11 pm.

Theatre Royal Beef & Lamb in a Stew - lan Botham and Alan Lamb in a evening of cricketing anecdotes, test gems and locker room secrets. £2-£10, 7.30pm.

Ode on See Friday February 24.

Norwich Arts Centre The Master Builder- lbsen's play presented by Next Best Thing. 8pm.

lEA Cannon See Friday February 24.

Odeon See Friday February 24.

Cinema City War of the Buttons (PG) 2 .30pm.

Killing Zoe (18)5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Hys Club Night. Admission £2, 9pm2am. Happy Hourmidnight-1am.

Theatre Royal The Wizard of Oz. 2.30pm,

Waterfront Pato Banton & The Reggae Revlution- Fresh from his collaboration with Sting, Pato banton brings his pop-orientatl;ld reggae to the Waterfront.

Don't take too much notice of his dire No.1 "Baby Come Back", his early work takes a more traditional approach to reggae and ragga . £7.

Norwich Arts Centre Four Men and a Dog -one of the most highly rated live acts on the Irish music circuit. 8pm.

7.30pm.

Waterfront Meltdown. lndie + alternative dance. £3.50/£3.

Cinema City The Slingshot (12). 2.30pm, 5.45pm, 8.15pm.

Theatre Royal Hot Shoe Shuffle. £3-£18.50.

Oval Dumpy's Rusty Nuts.

7.30pm.

Samanthas RockCiub. 10pm-2am.

8os wells Jazz 'n' Blues Jam. 9pm-M~ night

8os wells Beyond the Blues 9pm-midnight

Hys Club Night. Admission £3 b4 10pm, £4 b411pm, £5 after.

9pm-2am.

Ritzy Furious Fun. £3 b410.30pm, £5 after, 9pm-2am.

Live in the Hive Number Ones Disco- all the real hits from the poptastic past. Top DJs, top tunes.

Hys Club Night £3 b4 10.30pm, £4 ater.

- ..,

38

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

Sport

_}~:--

' ~

INTERVIEW WI·TH THE MANAGER· NAME: JOHN DEEHAN AGf: 38 SPORT: FOOTBAll · POSITION: MANAGfR TfAM: NORWICH CITY ' HONOURS: 7 U-21 CAPS, MilK CUP WINNfR WITH NORWICH IN 1985, HOlDfR OF NCFC GOAl-SCORING RfCORV (48 GOAlS) 3 MOST AVMIRfV PlAYfR: PAUliNCf

...:--·----------------···--

John Deehan talks to Jane Horner about his first full season as manager of Norwich City IT HAS been over a year since John Deehan took over as manager of Norwich City Football Club and, in his own words, "this is the stickiest period I've had so far".

Despite being tenth in the league, City are only five points above the relegation zone and have yet to notch up their first

leagoe win of 1995.

Says Deehan; "I felt until Christmas everything was pulling in the right direction. The players were playing particularly well, the team was functioning as a unit and the supporters were really behind us.

"We were hoping to have European qualification as a realistic target, but our performances in January were so disjointed that we lost

our momentum a bit".

He cites the long-term injury of Bryan Gunn, and the fac t that Ashley Ward is cup-tied and only able to play league games, as the two main reasons for the recent disruption and lack of communication within the team.

Last Saturday's match against Southampton was a prime example of this. It wasn't until the second

Lotus lifeline THE evocative Lotus name will appear on the Formula 1 starting grid this season after all, following a merger with Norfolk neighbours Pacific Racing.

The new Pacific Team Lotus alliance hopes to recreate the glory days ofthe prestigious Lotus marque, which many feared would never be seen again once the team was di sbanded last month.

The new team hopes to build on

By-----.

Sally Rose

Pacific's ten years of success in lower formulae, rather than their disappointing F I debut in 1994 when they frequent ly failed to even quali fy.

A completely new design team has produced the PR02 car for this season, powered by Ford Cosworth ED engines, which has already passed stringent FIA impact tests.

The Thetford-based team has expanded to 35 employees, including eight fo rmer Lotus staff, and was boosted last month by a million pound investment by Japanese businessman Ko Gotoh who joins existing shareholders Ke ith Wigginsand Bertrand Gachot.

Unsurprisingly, Gachot will drive in 1995, while Benetton outcastJ.J. Lehto and ex-Lotus driver Pedro Lamy are amongst the favourites to be chosen to partner him.

Ban leads to resignations THE Internal and External Sports Officers have resigned following a ban placed on the rugby club.

Jess Morriss and Michelle Ha yes have both handed in their notice after the one week faci lities ban on the men 's second team was upheld by the Sports Committee.

The ban was placed on the team after they rearranged a match with-

out receiving the proper concessions from the relevant authorities.

Initially it was thought that the team was also in breech of RFU rules, as they played the game without protective post-covers, but it has emerged that this is in fact totally legal in a club game, with the agreement of the referee.

However the ban was upheld due to the abuse of facilities, which

included taking advantage of the fact that a new member of staff was on duty to obtain a key fo r the changing rooms.

It was as a direct result of the refusal to reverse the facilities ban that the resignations were tendered.

Sports Officer Alex Bainbridge was said to be "extremely disappointed" with the decision of the two sub-officers.

half that the side began to gel together, and by then they were 2-1 down and could only scrape a draw.

Due to the dismal run of results, and also the sale of several players, a small section of supporters have turned against Deehan and chairman Robert Chase, calling for their resignation.

However, Dcehan refuses to take any notice; '~Everything I've done has been in the best interests of the club. A few people have said that some of the things I've done have been generated by my own personal opinion towards people and players, but that's a total misconceplion".

Although overshadowed by the departure of Sutton, Fox et al., Deehan has made several successful signings. Jon Newsome and Mile Sheron are first-team regulars, as is Ward, whom Deehan says has been a "leading light in our forward line".

However, it is the emergence of teenager Darren Eadie which has really captured the nation's attention, and which Deehan describes as "phenomenal".

Yet despite the co ntribution Eadie, Ward etc. have made, he is still looking to strengthen his squad and sign some attacking players before the transfer deadline.

Recent attempts to obtain players have fallen through, leaving Deehan rueful and disappointed.

"I've been let down. I was led to believe I could have a couple of players, only to be told at the last minute they were no longer available, because their clubs are still involved in European qualification and cup campaigns.

"But that' s life as a football manager, and I've learnt my lesson very quickly".

It is easy to forget that Deehan is relatively inexperienced at his job. It was only a few years ago that he was helping Norwich City lift the League Cup as a player- an achievement he cites as the high!ight of his career so far.

His move into management was unplanned - "It just sort of happened really". He was offered a coaching job at Manchester City

by Me! Machin, his first team coach at Norwich at the time.

He moved to Bamsley, then became assistant manager at Norwich, before gaining promotion to the hot seat following Mike Walker's departure.

Although Deehan admits nobody at City wanted Walker to leave, he adds "I don't think you get offered a job like that too often. You've got to take it, and I'm pretty glad I did".

His ambition now is to bring success to the Canaries, but he knows that realistically it will be hard to compete with the ' bigmoney' clubs like Manchester United and Blackbum, whom he tips for the title.

Nonetheless, if the recent loss of form can be overcome, he believes Norwich can "go on to become a very good side" and perhaps mount a serious challenge for a place in Europe next season.

FENCING What do you need?

Just you rself. Equipment is provided and insurance is covered in the membership fee.

Is it hard?

No. Thebasicsareeasytopickup, and members can be fencing properlywithinfiveorsixweeks. From there , it's as complicated as you want to make it.

Do you want to get fit, but don't know where to start? If so, then the Fitness File might give you a few hints.

This week: Fencing.

What else can about it?

you tell me

On a piste (in the sports centre practice hall on Mondays, from 7.30pm).

There are three types of sword used . The Foil is the basic bendy one, used to stab, with shots aimed at the chest only. The Epee is stiffer, and thrusts are aimed at anywhere between neck and waist, with wrists being a ~omm on target. The final sword 1s the sabre, which is used to chop anywhere, including the head (hence the hats which look like something from Space 1999).

What does it cost?

Three words to sum it up?

Speak to anyone from the fencing club, through their pigeon hole or board in the Sports Centre.

£7.50 to join the UEA Fencing club.

Fast, fun , and something else beginning with an 'F'!

Into supplied byChrls Burdett

What is it?

Two people trying vainly to stab each other five times with a sword .

Where do you do it?

(/) ~ ~

~ ~

~

~

c..

En Guarde .. ...

How can I find out more?

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22, 1995

39

Span

SPORTS SHORTS THE indoor cricket team is through to the national semifinals after defeating QMWC in the regional final. An awesome display saw their opponents dismissed for just 59 runs, which were then easily obtained by the UEA team. PresidentJamesCrigg says he is "very much filled with confidence for our semi-final encounters."

THE ladies cricket club will soon begin their summer season, and are looking for new members.

Full coaching is given, so it doesn't matter if you are an absolute beginner . Practices will take place every Sunday evening in the Sports Centre main hall check the noticeboard for details.

After Easter, there will also be practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Colney Lane.

Their first game ts on Feb 25.

Further details can be had from Sue Hall (EAS 3) and Carole Gill (LAW 3).

UEA women's rugby team defeated Crusaders Vixens 23-5 in their first match after the Christmasbreak.

The highlight of the match was the superb penalty kick in the first half by Anna Hillier.

The forwards played a tight, powerful game with some excellent communication, and second-row extraordinaire, Chip Hayes, with the help of Gerry Toote, set up a speedy try.

This was an all-round superb team performance, which showed a lot of the work. from training sessions being put into practice.

They have also received a walkover victory over Brighton to qualify for the third round of the BUSA Plate competition.

BOTH ofUEA's hockey second teams have qualified for the last 16 of the BUSA competition.

The women played with energy, style and detennination against King's College Roehampton, but despite a goal

by Dee, it took penalty flicks to split the two teams. UEA scored three, with King's only netting one, to give the Norwich side passage into the next round.

The men's team continued their unbeaten BUSA run with a 1-0defeatofUCL. This was also a very tight game, taking an injury time penalty to decide the match. The side has yet to concede a goal in BUSA competition.

VOLLEYBALLERS DO IT I STYLE! Ladles Volleyball UEA 3-0 Sussex THE future is looking bright for UEA's volleyball club following recent developments.

Not only has the club managed to secure sponsorship from 'The Horse and Dray', but the women's team are getting closer to the BUSA finals, and the men have Plate matches to look forward to.

With the aid of the Ber Street pub's sponsorship, and the Union of UEA students, the club have been able to purchase their much needed team strip, the arrival of which was celebrated by winning their second roundBUSAknockoutmatchagainst

the University of Sussex.

Without any previous experience of playing against each other, the first set was always going to be interesting as the two squads tried to find their opponents' weaknesses.

It was an intense set, with both teams fighting point for point.

However, UEA consistently played a high standard of volleyball, eventually winning the set 15:9.

The second set was equally well fought. A tactical substitution by UEA brought Christiane Massen on court to settle the team and give them the good hitting and serving techniques they needed to gain the second set 15 :9.

By the third set fatigue was evi-

---By--Eieanor Perkins dent in the opposition. UEA used this to their advantage and secured the final set 15:8.

UEA'svictorywasmadepossible by their great teamwork, enthusiasm and the encouragement from home supporters.

This result leaves the women with just one more hurdle to cross before they reach the finals tournament at the beginning of March.

Their third-round match takes place on February 22.

Squad: Perkins, Collot, Goppold, Lee, Massen , Moore, Gonza/es.

Wyatt, Shepherd

The team ...

MUDC Cross-Country UEA Men 18th/25 UEA Ladies 16th/21

Both the men's and women's hockey second teams are through to the last 16 of the BVSA competition

Highs And Lows American Football UEA 8-0 Warwick UEA 8-34 Cambridge THE Pirates extended their run of shut-outs to three before going down to Cambridge Pythons, writes, Matt lngram.

The game against Warwick was truly a team affair, with players raising their game despite injuries and flu.

The dour defensive stalemate was only broken in the third quarter when the Pirates found themselves with a receiver wide open in the end zone.

There followed a quick conver-

sion, and from then on the Pirates knew they could rely on an outstanding defensive performance to ensure another clean sheet.

In Cambridge, the Pirates faced the only unbeaten side in the league.

The Norwich team knew they had to put in a good perfonnance, and took the lead with a Greg Smart touchdown.

However, after this, the Pirates seemed to lose momentum, and the Pythons struck back to go into the break with a 14-8 lead.

The fact that many people were playing with injuries and out of position did not help, and the Cambridge team began to wear down their counterparts and continued scoring, winding up 34-8 winners.

INSPIRED individual performances were the order of the day for the Trojans at the BUSA crosscountry championships.

February 4 saw UEA 's athletics club in Manchester for the big race of the season and, despite excessive amounts of mud, the team came away with some pleasing results.

First off were the women, running just over three miles.

The course was an uninspiring combination of flat, fast playing fields and undulating, boggy tracks.

Nonetheless, Jane Homer managed

•••

TE

to improve by Jive places on last year's result, leading the team home in 37th.

Next to finish was Claire Wrighton (I 04) and, backed up by Laura Boros in !45th, and Jo Spackman in !49th, the UEA team ended up in 16th position.

Never expecting to threaten the likes ofLoughbrough, who took the team prize, this result was still commendable since, being sprinters, both Jo and Claire are unused to running anything further than 400 metres.

Racing twice as far as the women, the men finished 18th in the A race.

Captain Nik Davy showed what a year of serious training can do, placing a fine 57th compared to

'

•

- - - B y - -......

Jane Horner I 94th in Durham a year ago.

Alex Bowden also bettered his Durham perfonnance, coming 88th and first-year Alex Tate raced home to 122nd place, with Tom Koch hot on his heels in !29th.

Clive Rivers ( 158) and Chris White (226) completed the team, which finished up 18th, with Btrmingham, Loughborough and Cambridge taking the top three spots as expected.

The club is now preparing for what should be a cleaner and dryer race, the Imperial College Relays at Hyde Park.

-

results. • •

BUSAKNOCKOUT-ROUND2 (UEA score first) Football men's 4th women Badmiatoa men's lst men's 2nd women

t-3 0-t

UCL Greenwich

5-4 3-6 2-7

Canterbury QMWC Imperial

Netball Hockey men's 2nd men's 3rd women's 2nd (UEA won 4-2 Volleyball women

27-41 UCL

1-0 UCL 0-1 Imperial 1-1 King's on penalty flicks) 3-0

Sussex

BUSAPLATE ROUND1 Football men's 1st men's 2nd

THE football thirds gained a su-

V

V

Sussex- UEA w/o St Mary's - UEA w/o

perb 1-0 victory over Sussex to

progress into the third round of the BUSA tournament.

After being level at half time, UEA started to dominate and, during a period ofconstant pressure, they finally took the lead through Steve Pilditch.

Sussex tried desperately to equalise, but some great saves from man of the match Paul Jacobs meant UEA earned a thoroughly deserved victory ,and now fil.ce Brighton in the next round.

PHOTO ELEANOR PERKINS

Rugby men's 1st men's 2nd men's 3rd

7-6 V

Kent Greenwich- UEA w/o

8-5

Kin~

BUSAKNOCKOUT-ROUND3 FootbaJI men's 3rd

Badminton men's 1st

1-0

6-3

Brighton

BUSA PLATE- ROUND 2 The football thirds on their way to a 1-0 win.

PHOTO: Kl!mtWHmiORE

Football men's 1st men's 2nd Rugby men's 1st

0-1 1-2

Surrey Reading

19-7

UCL

men's 2nd men's 3rd women Volleyball 3-0 men

13-6 V

V

Kent Middlesex- UEA w/o Brighton- UEA w/o

Portsmouth

...

40

Concrete, Wednesday, February 22 , 1995

goal in the 75th minute put paid to the Women's Football Club's winning ways when they met Greenwich la st Wednesday.

The team took their BUSA league cction by storm, finishing undefeated with an impres-

ive goal difference, having conceded nine goals whilst scoring fifty .

Top scorer with 15 goals was midfielder Cath Tomlin, and last season's prolific goalmaker, Kath Jones, was hot on her heels with 12.

The side, depleted due to injury and unavilabi lity, suffered a lastminute shock when goalkeeper Emma Tinning dislocated her finger during training on the eve ofthe match, and right-back Nicola Howard was forced to take her place.

The team fought valiantly however, and managed to withstand the

constant pressure from the visitors, who were able to boast an incredible five members of the South East BUSAsquad.

Greenwich had most of the possession and pinned UEA back in their own half for the majority of the match, but on the occasions that the home side broke free, they

looked dangerous, shaking the London side's defence.

Having survived several goalmouth scrambles, UEA's luck finally ran out when both the 'keeper and the ball crossed the line, midway through the second ha! f.

Despite desperate efforts to retaliate, the homeside were denied an

equalizer and finis hed 1-0 down at the end of a gruelling, 90 minutes of football.

This was a disappointing exit from the BUSA campaign for a team that had previously demolished most teams by huge margins, uchas 18-4(Hertfordshire) and 11-0 (Nort h London).

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