Concrete issue 049 20 September 1995

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For the best guide to what•s happening in Norwich 9

• • LCR disco admission will rise by_ 25% this week as Union oHicers announce P.,lans for revamP.. UNION officers last week defended their decision to raise admission prices for the weekly LCR disco to £2.50 from the start of the year.

RECOGNISE this? lt's not the local Harvester restaurant. .. rather, lt's your newly refurbished Pub, which opened Its doors to UEA last Saturday. The popular campus outlet was refitted by local contractors Apple Interiors at a cost of just under £50,000 using cash provided by the Union's commercial activities. Following suggestions by Bars Manager, Tom Balls, much of the fixed seating that used to characterise The Pub has been removed, in favour of more open

space utilising moveable tables and chairs. New wood finishes, carpets, lighting and a brighter colour scheme finish off the design, completed just in time for the start of the new academic year. "£50,000 might seem like a lot, but ifs been seven years since it was last refurbished", said Union Finance Officer, John Holmes. "If you were here last year, you could see it really needed it. • And he added, "If you know what's best, come and buy a pint. •

They say the 25 per cent increase is justified because of planned changes to be made to the popular student night, which regularly attracted over 1,300 people during 1994-5. These are to include extending opening hours until 2am and purchasing a new sound system and additional lighting. Said Union Finance Officer, John Holmes, "We feel that £2.50 is truly justified for this - it's value for what you get. "We're looking to cover costs and are investing in new equipment, in addition to the fact that it's going on one hour longer." The Union's Management Committee - comprising of the four sabbaticals and senior managers - originally considered raising the entry charge to £3 in discussions over the summer. But this was opposed by two of the sabbs, and the level was fixed at £2.50 early last week. John added that the extra staffing costs incurred by closing later would be met through the increased price - the first rise since September 1992. Then, this was justified by the Union due to the purchase of six top-spec 'lntellabeam' disco lights for total cost of £15,000.

.....---By--Staff Reporter

But now, in addition to new lighting, the Union intend to purchase their own sound system which could cost in the region of over £50,000, rather then hiring one in specially, as has been the case in the past. "Although people may not know the difference between a strobe and an lntellabeam", said John, "we think we can make a bit more of The Hive and the LCR than at present - we're investing in the venue in the same way as in the recent refurbishment." He thought that the new LCR package would prove popular with students, despite the fact that the Union's membership was not consulted about the plans either this year or when the last decision was made in 1992. "If people don't come, however, then we'll have to look at the policy", he said, adding that he felt the Union was not making an insensitive commercial decision at a time of increased pressure on student finances and significant rises in campus rents. 'The LCR isn't a necessity it's just a good night out."

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2 Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

+++CAMPUS RENT RISE SHOCKER+++CAMPUS RENT RISE SHOCKER+++

VC IGNORES LOCAL MP•s

FEARS OVER RENT HIKES UEA'S VICE Chancellor has ignored the fears of Norfolk's Euro MP over this year's rent rises for campus rooms.

CONCRETE PRODUCES UNION HANDBOOK THIS YEAR'S Union Handbook, produced by Concrete, has been described as "the best ever" by Union Finance Officer John Holmes. Previously, an outside company designed and printed the Handbook for the Union, but following a detailed proposal from Concrete, the Union agreed to have the publication produced in-house for the first time. The result was a complete re-design, making greater use of pictures and graphics, and with radical alterations to the ordering and prioritising of the contents. The project provided employment for 11 current or former UEA students, who did all of the worl< involved, except the printing. Concrete's Advertising Manager, Simon Mann, said he was very pleased with the commercial success of the venture. 'We sold over70ads, giving an income of £12,200. As a result, the Union made a profit of more than £1 ,500, which would have been £2,000 but for a late request for an extra 1,000copies". He added: "This is the first time the Union has made a profit on the Handbook, which in the past has either broken even or lost money. "The all-round success of this venture shows what can be done when the Union makes imaginative use of the skills and experience students have to offer."

Professor Derek Burke has written to local MEP, Clive Needle, pointing out that the University considers its charges to "represent good value for money when compared to other Universities and private sector housing." He added, "In 1995/96 rents for most student study bedrooms will increase by 5 percent, but a premium rate will be charged for campus ensuite rooms which are perceived by students to be of superior value." He was referring to the rise of 13.67 per cent in weekly rents for rooms in top-spec Constable Terrace and Nelson Court, announced last May as Registry bosses attempt to reduce a whopping £220,000deficit caused by administrative blunders in the last few years. Mr Needle, Labour Euro MP for Norfolk, was contacted as part of the Student Union's campaign against the rent increases, which it sees as "excessive". In his letter to -Professor Burke, he wrote: "I am most concerned to hear that the University plans to put up its rents for accommodation to what seems to be an unacceptable level. "At a time when the financial position of students is worse than ever, with students facing grant cuts, loans and mounting debts, I am disturbed that the University has taken this decision . "The proposed rises seem way out of line with current inflation, and I would ask that you review your policies to see it there is a way in which you can bring rents to a level that makes them more appropriate and affordable to students." Yet in his reply, Professor Burke

Happy

returns for the 'Big Issue' THIS WEEK 'The Big Issue' celebrates Its fourth anniversary.

Above: Constable Terrace, where rents have risen by 13.67 per cent this year, and (right) Clive Needle, MEP refused to concede that campus residents are being charged unfair! y, stating that "significant increases in expenditure" have made the rises a necessity. He added that steps were being taken to address these problems he referred to, including efforts to ensure high occupancy levels as well as a systematic examination of costs -including cleaning and maintenance services - which will be "reduced where appropriate." "It is hoped that this will result in rent increases for 1996-7 at or around the rate of inflation", he concluded. But Union Welfare Officer, Esther Jillett, expressed her disappointment with the VC's response to the issue. "I think he's being slightly economical with the truth -he talks about premium rates and rooms of better value, but this includes rooms at the Village where students had all

kinds of problems last year", she said. "He's representing the University's point of view and why it's justified in putting rents up, but hedoesn'tadmittwothings: firstly, he talks about repaying loans, not about the bad management practices; secondly, new residences have been built to attract conference business, not to provide cheaper rents for students. "The University are providing services to business, not to students, who are having to fit the bill for this." She added that that the Union Executive are serious! y considering action in opposition to the rent increases, including staging a rent strike. "We're looking to go ahead, but students have the decision. We need a quorate UGM- the motion we'll put in will ask for a rent strike."

QUEEN•s LIST HONOURS UEA PEOPLE THE QUEEN'S Birthday Honours list saw new UEA vice-chancellor Elizabeth Esteve-Coll recognised for her work as director of the Victoria and Albert Museum by being made a Dame. Dame Elizabeth was often con-

demned for her controversial, "populist" approach to the job, but the news has nevertheless pleased UEA, also celebrating the news that Creative Writing graduate Kazuo lshiguro, best known for his 'The Remains of the Day', has also been

honoured with an OBE, gaining his gong for services to literature. Others recognised were UEA lecturer Janet Garton and Norwich Institute of Food Research scientistJenny Gee, both awarded

MBEs.

Above: Patrick Thompson, MP •Mr Needle's concerns were echoed by Patrick Thompson, Conservative MP for Norwich North, targeted as part of the Union's current initiative to write to public figures about the rent rise issue. In a letter to Esther J illett, he wrote, "Thank you for your letter alerting me to your concern about rent bills for university accommodation. I am worried about the facts you have outlined and intend to make some enquiries.! hope to be in a position to write to you again soon after Parliament reassembles next month."

The first issue was released in September 1991 as a monthly magazine for london,butasitspopularitygrew, 'The Big Issue' became weekly and then became available in many other cities, including Norwich, arriving here a just over a year ago. Launched as a positive step for homeless people, it has since gone on to gain much acclaim for its content and style, selling as many copies as 'Time Out' in London. Fortypenceofthe 70pcover price goes to the vendor; other profits are spent on hostel accommodation and helping to create opportunities not currently available for the homeless. Said Editor-in-chief, A. John Bird, "Our success is built on the tragedy of homelessness, but we strive to be about hope and resolve and not about defeat and decay. • Norwich South MP, John Garrett, said, "I regularty read The Big Issue and sellers are becomingfamiliaronthestreets of Norwich, just as they are in

London. "I applaud their enterprise, but it is shameful that we have a Government so unsympathetic to the plight of homeless people. "Norwich was once one of the best housed city in the country, but now hardly any rented houses are being built. •

Welcome (and welcome back) from Paul Goulder- the student•s and graduate•s landlord -housing 120 people.

the students' landlord

Concrete, Wednesday, September 30, 1995

NewstaHfor Waterfront

Saturday club nights for UEA

THE UNION has confirmed two new staff appointments at City music venue, The Waterfront. Stephen Forster joins the Unionmanaged venue as Venue CoOrdinator, whilst Michael Perret becomes Bars Supervisor. The position of Venue CoOrdinator has been created in the wake of last February's UGM vote on The Waterfront, which saw 391 students give their backing to the Union continuing to manage the King Street club, which re-opened in December 1993. But at that meeting, students felt the creation of the new post was not a necessity for the Union's continued involvement in the project, yet Union Finance Officer, John Holmes, feels that the role of Norwich City Council as joint partner in the venue necessitates a longerterm view. "Nowwe'vegotthebasetobuild until at least 1997, we do need someone based onsite whose sole consideration is the venue's development", he said. Mr Forster's position - advertised as a £16,005-£18,570 per annum vacancy in the Guardian over the summer - sees him assume responsibilities including the day-today operation and continued development of the venue, the provision of financial information, the preparation of budgets and preparation of grant aid applications. "Until now we've been relying on people on campus to run a venue four miles away with a significantly different customer base", said John.

Last year's successful bars p_olicy_ extended BEER prices in Union Bars have been cut for the second year in a row- as an extension of last year's hugely successful £1 per pint policy. And this year, students drinking on campus can expect to make savings on products other than Heineken lager and Flower's Best bitter: Foster's lager and Olde English cider is reduced to£l.20per pint, whilst stout drinkers see prices for Murphy's cut to £1.20 and Guinness to £1.20 Said Union Finance Officer, John Holmes, "Our beer prices are now at 1989 levels. All students have less money, so it's imperative that where the Union can, it keeps prices as low as possible whilst still being profitable. "Last year was successful and we're pushing for further reductions." He stated that the Union's initial move to the £1 per pint policy was facilitated by the NUS purchasing dealandthediscountsavailablefrom it, adding that the price benefits

passed on to customers were reflected in the volume of beer sold - a total of 2,163 barrels in the year August 1994 to July 1995, an increase of 40 per cent on the previous year. "You can either pass on the benefits to students or take advantage in keeping profits in the Union", he said. "We're trying to sell more so there's a chance we'll make more profits. We're encouraging students to drink on campus - they're recognising that the Union's the cheapest place to buy beer."

THE STUDENT Union has announced a new programme of Saturday club nights to be held at UEA. Following the granting to the Union of a drinks licence that enables them to sell alcohol to lam on Saturdays, the Union are keen to utilise the potential of the LCR and The Hive as a regular weekend venue for students and the people of Norwich. Said Finance Officer, John Holmes1 "It's an experiment until Christmas. The licence was sough~ potential was evident for the venue and we want it to be at the heart of the student entertainment experience." Although precise details of the programme have yet to be confirmed at present, it is understood that 'Section 77', as the event will be known, will feature acts including the Ministry of Sound, Cream as well as local dance impresarios Milky Lunch and Offyerface. Despite this, John feels that 'Section 77' will not appeal more to the City than to students. "As long as the venue's safe and as long as people can dance how they like, be seen with who they want to and dress how they like,itshouldn'tmatterwhothe other people are."

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Union Bars Flowers Best £1.00 a pint I Heineken £1.00 a pint I Murphys & Stella £1.50 a pint I Fosters &Olde English Cider £1.20 a pint

Supermarket Hundreds of special offers: Sliced lo~f 39p, milk 29p a pint, Heineken 69p a can, baked beans 19p, 12• top pizzas £1.99, 1 litre of super strength (8.5%) lager £1.69. Union Sports Shop Also available chilled and School scarves, UEA ties, frozen food, off licence, crested T·Shirts, sweatshirts toiletries, tobacco, hardware and joggers. Awide choice of and spirits. UEA memorabilia and sport accessories. Printing service for clubs & society N~w tPPNational Lottery agents, huge merchandise. range of magazines and .B ~ stationary: Oxford pad, set of Second hand course books dividers and ringbinder for bought and sold. Large £1. 75. Large selection of selection on most subjects Greeting cards from 99p.

Travel Shop National Express Coach Tickets & Rail cards, giving savings of up to 33%. Student discounts available on most ferries. 1996 ISIC Student ID cards now available (for just £5). Also tickets for lnterail, Eurotrain, Eurostar, Eurobus and great offers on travel insurance.

cheques, Western Union money transfer.Special offers in the shop including free lighters (spend £10 or more), batteries free with electrical appliances, batteries (LR6) 6 f o r the price of 4.

Bureau de Change (only 1°A, commission or ...... £2.50 minimum). American Express Travellers

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 30, 1995

STUDENT DEBT LEVEL INCREASES YET AGAIN MP._er cent increase forces more P.art-time working STUDENT debt at graduation has risen by 14 per cent since last year to an average of £2,293, according to annual research undertaken by Barclays Bank and NUS Services. The survey also suggested that increasing numbers of students are turning to pan-time work to help make ends meet, with nearly one in three are working an average of 12 hours a week during term time. It also revealed that fewer than one in five students expect to stay out of debt through the duration of their courses, and that achieving this is dependent on parental contributions. A marked increase in the take-up rate for student loans has also been recorded, bringing the figure for 1994-5 to 65 per cent, as opposed to 54 per cent the year before coming as local education authority grants face a further reduction to £1 ,885 this year. But, interestingly, the survey reveals that bank debt is falling, with 17 per cent of respondents owing money to their bank this year compared with22 percent for 1993-

4. Said an NUS spokesperson, "Our research shows that there is an increasingdividebetweenmiddle-dass

Another year, another logo. And a hearty welcome back from all of us at Hype. If you're new to UEA you may be wondering what all of this is about. Well, Hype is a column that appears,likeitornot,inevery ~lHlT-m edition of Concrete, as well as in virtual form on the emment may have you believe, you're not going to get bombarded World Wide Web. lt dedicates ifs meagre exist- - you generally have to go looking ence to exploring the multi-fac- for whatever it is that may run eted world of the intemet. Even counter to your sensibilities, and if you've never actually played once you find it, weN, you've only with this network, you win still got yourself to blame. doubtless have heard something about it. According to the papers you read, chances are that you will This is true. There is an incredible know that the intemet is either: amooot of crap out there. And a) a lawless and depraved place very little organisation. where teeming hordes of per- But there's also some truly interverts gather to meet other pae- esting stuff. dophiles, swap photographs of AH this means is that you're going coprophagy, plot the molesta- to have to develop new strategies tion of innocent citizens, and, to fitter the signal from the noise. um, other really horrid things Learn to use search engines. and that something must be Develop a taste for the delete key. donel or b) an exceedingly unhip thing. lt'• • boy'• thing Choc-a-bloc with nerds. Couldn't find anything interest- Unfortunately, the stereotype of ing if you tried. Not that you the sort of person who uses the would. I mean, you could just intemet as being a male, white, phone these people instead. Not middle-class American is still fairly apt. that I would. Etc. But that's only 'cos they got there first. The demographic is changThe lntemet Is full of filth ing, and the only way that it's going Depends how you define "filth". to get any better is if you get out There's bound to be things there there and make some noise. In the words of cyberfeminist Jude that will offend. But such is the price you pay for Milhon: having a totally open system, Girls need modems. where people can say and pub- The question as to who does and doesn't have access to the netlish what they please. Also, despite what the US gov- work is still a contentious issue

THE only [[]U..Jmn un TH []BSOlES[Eni:E

Student debt continues to rise in the face of continuing unrest over the issue ... students who have sufficient financial awareness to be able to handle the system of student loans efficiently, and those who have none of those attrib11tes. "We believe that about a fifth of students overall are in severe difficulties, and this is leading to an increase in drop-out rates." eThe NUS is to launch a major new

(for a global network, there sure are some underrepresented continents ... ) and one that will be discussed in future editions of Hype

myths and prejudices that the general public has about students need to be smashed, as well as getting the message across that the lifestyle decisions that students are facing today can often be achoice between eating and paying rent." 1be NUS will be sending an information pack. to interested parties, giving full details of the scheme.

Graduate Students Association

lt'• • bit tricky Well, yes. The main problem is getting your head around the concepts. The sheer scale of the intemet defies human comprehension, and realising what its strengths and weaknesses are can take quite a while. There are also irritating technical details that will hopefully become less necessary to know about as the user interfaces to the network get better. Ifs a steep learning curve, but the rewards CIU1 be great. And remember! Hype is on your side - we want you to be able to get the maximum from the network, and with specialists such as Dr. Net on hand both night and day, we hope to make your introduction as painless as possible. Also, we're always on the lookout for new staff and fresh ideas. Potential journalists of the New Media, researchers, surfers, hippies, Iuddites and oiks are all welcomed in our virtual office. Come and pay us a visit. Hype's Website can be reached as follows: •Click on Netscape or Mosaic on one of the university computers, then go: UEA Welcome ~ UEA Information~ Students~ Campus TV, Radio and Publications ~ Hype. Email us at su.hype@ uea.ac.uk or via internal mail c/o Concrete.

initiative to raise the media' s attention of the realities of student hardship over the coming months. As partofthecarnpaign, the NUS will be approaching people known to have connections with student life in addition to contacting organisations that will support a high profile, media based campaign. Said an NUS sp~?kesperson, 'The

WELCOME BACK- AND TO OUR NEW BAR! Welcome back to the new academic year. As you will notice, there is a new bar in the GSC. Ifs all thanks to the efforts of Geoff, Gripper and Mark 2 Sheds. Please pop in, upstairs in Union House - we are open 12pm to 2pm and 7pm to 11 pm most days - all postgraduates are automatically members. There are also limited associate memberships to the cheapest bar on campus, so apply quickly to get a place. We are desperately seeking bar staff to work one evening every fortnight, so please volunteer.

ABOUT THE GSA The GSA represents the graduate interest on all university issues, feel free to becomeinvolved. Elections for positions on the GSA Committee and the Graduate School boards will take place in the first week of November, so get brown-nosing (Geoff take note).

LAST BUT NOT LEAST... Finally, come up to the GSA for some fun. Other than drinking we have entertainment most Fridays, ranging from quizzes to orgies and cocktail evenings to bands and other musical acts (fortunately, Wake will not be playing). See you in the bar,

THE COMMITTEE (PLUS FRIENDS...) This section is written and paid for by the Graduate Students Association

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Tax back appeal targets students Thafs the warning to camP._us residents for 1995-6 THE INLAND Revenue are targeting students as part of a forthcoming initiative to give away over £500 million in unclaimed tax refunds. The bas is ofthe scheme, to be laun ched ne xt week, is the 'Tax back Pack', which includes all the essential information for those interested in making a claim. It highlights those who may have paid too much tax since the 1992-3 financial year - for example, students who have earned within their Tax Allowance of £67 per week but have still been charged at the basic rate. Said an lnlandRevenuespokesperson, "Anyone who shouldn ' t pay tax can claim all or some of the money back. Andsheadded, ''Ifyouwantto talk to someone about this, or you have any other tax queries, please contact any Tax Office or Tax Enquiry Centre - the address and phone number of your nearest one are in the local phone book under ' Inland Revenue."'

• The Taxback Pack is available by calling 0800 66 0800.

£1COIN-OP LOCKERS FOR LIBRARY LIBRARY chiefs have announced plans to dispense wi th key -operated lockers from the start of the Autumn Semester. As a result, library users wishing to store bags and personal effects wi ll now have to use coin-operated lockers, the use of which has been standardised throughout the building over the summer. All lockers will require the use of a £I coin, but there will be no facil ities available for the provision ofchange. Bagsare notpermittedin the Library or Library foyer.

YOU 'VE brought all your books , clothes and COs , waved goodbye to your parents as they drove away... but have you remembered a licence for you r TV?

a campaign to remind students that their sets must be licensed. Said Tony Kitt, TV Lice nsing Director, "We realise money is short for many students, but we ' re making it easier and easier to pay for the

to universities and colleges all over Britai n. Under present legislation, students away from home need a licence for their televi sion, whether watching in halls of residence or in private accommodation. But those who own battery operated televisions are covered by the

licences at their parents' address. "Students may only need the li cence for nine months, because in the summer they live at home", added Mr Kitt, "but we can refund the students for any unexpired quarter. "

Students at Warwick University have slammed

campus bosses forleV'ying a £70carparking charge. Sounds like a good case ofpark and whine .. .

• Further information can be obtained by calling 0990 226666.

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8 Concrete , Wednesday, September 20,

1995

Concrete welcomes your letters on any subject. Whether it is something we've written about and you wish 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 September 27 to have your letter includf!!d in the next issue) at the address below or via our postboxes in the foyer of Union House, marking your correspondence for the attention of the Editor, Niall Hampton. Anonymity will be respected but you must include your name and address in the first instance.

A.iustified increase? Spare a thought for anyone who arrived at UEA for the first time this week. There's a lot of stuff to take on board at the moment; for example, campus rents up by five and 13 per cent (depending on where you live of course), student debt up to £2,293, beer prices cut across the board, and last but not least, a 25 per cent hike in the LCR admission price. It's got the distinction of being the most insignificant fi gure amongst all the above, seeing as it's not exactly a life threatening issue, is it? An extra 50 pence to get into the most popular weekly event at UEA, or to use an alternative analogy, the same price as half a pint of Heineken or Flowers Best. The Union have explained the increase, claiming they can j usti fy thi s on commercial grou nds, with new lights, a sound system and an extra hour's opening (we were reliably informed just before going to press that thi s may only be for Fresher' s Week). But where was the consultation with the membership? Do they want new lights? Did they expressly ask for the last lot, purchased in 1992? Essentially, the LCR isn' t the most imagi native event you' ll find on offer on Thursday nights, but it's cheap, it' s here and your friends go to it. No doubt because of thi s, it makes a tidy sum for the Union's commercial activities - the benefits of which are passed on to the Union's membership, after all - and now it's got the scope to make an additional 25 per cent. Over 1,300 students regularly go to an LCR (that' s more than three times the attendance at the last quorate UGM in February thi s year).

Giving a third of them the chance to decide what they wantto pay wouldn't have been that much of a crime. wou ld

.it1

ot content with exporting to us thei r culture, the Americans, it seems now also export us their weather, the the form of the heatwave- or whatever it was - this summer. Meanwhile the Mitchell brothers on ' Eastenders' get more and more proper speaki ng roles - I wonder what it can mean. The most they used to say was ' I think it's the clutch' - ' No it ain' t'

concreie UI!A'S

Welcome to UEA Those who join the University this week have picked a great time to join the UEA rollercoaster. currently on the incline stage of the big dipper. We've got a new VC starting in a few days, a refurbished Pub, cheaper beer, some new schools and a new bin store and toi lets in Union House. All this plus your favourite campus media, Concrete.

lt's not all that bad now. is it?

THE STRANGE LINK BETWEEN AMERICANS, WEATHER, GULLS, CULLS AND GRANT MITCHELL

Independent student Newspape r INCORPORATING

The event PO Box410, Norwich NR4 7TB (01603) 250558

- 'It's the carbarr-e-a'. Now they even get quite (Phil)osophical at times. The Coastal Folk of Cornwall - it seems regard sea gulls as a nuisance. Strange, I always thought they were sort of part of the scenery. It' s the chip eating, apparently, or chip demanding, with menaces which seems to be the problem. " I think they should shoot them, you know" - I heard an old lady say

on a bus. I never did find out whether she meant the holiday makers who feed them, or indeed the gulls themselves. Many people would be upset by a gull Cull. Perhaps a holiday maker Cull might be okay. The real trouble is that such things get buried under the general label of 'the environment' . What are we to assume is meant by 'the environment' - that super pretentious pseudo

sincere cliche of our times? Li ving creatures? Plants? Or simply layers of gas? And what of the real nasties like nuclear waste and P.C.B 's -? I have enough trouble unblocking drains and gutters. Somehow, r think the asserti veness trained, real ale swilling, granny mugging seagull of the twenty-first century, might have a few ideas of it's own! Tony Crush (HISJ)

• Editor: Niall HamptoneOeputy Editor:Michele du Randt • Assistant Editor: Nik Davye Sport Editor: Jane Horner• Music Editor: Sa m Richards• Screen Editor: Matthew Doylee Special Projects Editor: Carolina Adlem • Contributing Editor:Caroline Jenkinson • Editorial Contributors: Mark Tobin, Peter Hart, NickAmies, Olivia Simmonds• Photographers: Stephen Howard, Mark Turner, Keith Whitmore, Peter Hart• Advertising Manager: Simon Mann • Production Manager: Stephen Howard e Special Thanks to: UH Stewards, Bonusprint, everyone at ECN , Norwich City Football Club, Sieve and everyone at MASS Computers• Super Special Technical Thanks to:Chris Techie and Ben 'SYS' Techiee OTP Assistants: Niall Hampton, Michele du Rand!, Nik Davy, Jane Homereconcrete is published by the Union of UEA Students. Opinions expressed are that ofthe 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 can of beans or transmitted by any means electronic, technotronic, concealed in a Harvester pint glass or otherwise.• Printed by Eastern Counties Newspapers, Norwich. ©UUEAS, 1995.

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Concrete Wednesday, September 20, 1995 9

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Rent Strike R University residences cost up to 13°/o more this year

ents in Consta ble and Nelson up 13.7% on last year! Vil lage rents up 10% Other residences up 5% These are rises you can't afford to do nothing about! As students at UEA this year, you face worse hardship and debt than ever; the grant has gone down by another 10% to £1885, worse than ever before. Students didn't have enough to live on three years ago, when the grant was £2265 and rents were about £30 a week! Now things are much worse. But the University has put rents in residences up drastically this year, in some cases to MORE than the grant. - A student living on Norfolk terrace this year is £700 WORSE off than a student living in Norfolk Terrace two years ago- rents have gone UP £700 there in two years while the grant has gone DOWN £1885,- All this means that the University is contrib to student debt

just as the government is. At the same time as rents have risen services in residences have been drastically reduced,- kettles, irons and bed linen have been taken away from halls and the cleaning service has been pared down. You are paying more for less. So -why are rents so high this year? Answer: because the University has mismanaged its residences account and run up a huge deficit. Is that students fault? NO!! But it's you that the University is asking to pay for its own mistakes. There are things that we can do to get rents down, however. Other Student Unions around the country like Oxford, Leeds and Nottingham have run successful rent strikes in the last few years, and we could do the same here. lt is up to you what your Union does, and you can help decide by coming to the Union General Meeting on Monday 25th, in the LCR, where rents is the main item up for discussion. A rent strike would mean that you pay your rent to the union instead of to the University. Your Union would keep the money . ___;,.

safe, and take responsibility for paying any fines you might get from the university. The point of a rent strike is to : 1. Make a protest 2. Deprive the University of the interest it would make out of your money 3. Put the union in a better position to negotiate for lower rents 4. Get lower rents! Why should we be making such a fuss about rents? Because students simply can't afford these rises- if you can, you are one of the lucky ones, but its likely that at least some of your friends can't afford it. Debt and hardship are the main factors that lead to students dropping out or not taking a University place at all. Poorer students are in effect being denied access to education. This is just not right- a university place should depend on merit, not having rich parents. So please come to the Union General Meeting and vote on whether we run a rent strike or not. Its you who will be have to pay these rent levels, and you who should decide what to do. Getting involved and taking action gets results!

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University Village - plagued with problems from day one.

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

Your Union - Your Welfare How the Union•s Advice Unit can help you in your time here at UEA

As students we all face problems at one time or another, from housing, childcare, financial hardship, discrimination and course pressure to problems in residences, like mouldy mattresses, security worries and huge rents; as well as the other things we all

expect to have to cope with. The Union is here to protect and defend its members interests, by campaigning and taking actionwhether against the government, the University managers, or anybody else. That is why it is in all of our interests to have a Union that is strong, and that every stu-

dent gets involved in- our welfare as students depends on our ability to fight for a decent grant, and against other injustices. If you have any gripes, worries, or top campaigning ideas come and see me- Esther, the Welfare Officer upstairs in Union House, or phone me on 5934621 anytime.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the UGM on Monday! The Union's Advice Unit contains qualified staff who will help you with any problem you have, from grotty landlords (the university included!) to money worries and queries of any nature. The Advice Unit is located upstairs in

union House, through the Steve Biko room at the top of the stairs. RECRUIT, the student 'job shop' is also up here, in the Steve Biko room, so come and look at our board if you want to earn some extra money or do voluntary work in your time here.

10 Concrete Wednesday, September 20, 1995

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Education is your right. lt is not a privilege.

AdamBowden The government is intent on recreating a two tier education system, which is prejudicial against those from low income backgrounds, and transforming the higher education system that we have, at the moment still free at the point of use and the envy of other countries around the world , into a factory farm production line, exposed to the "laws of the free market". lt is important that the government are not allowed them to wreck this country's Higher Education system and we have to stop those who posture as representing students nationally from selling us out. We must defend education

igher Educa tion is under threat today as never be fore and it is crucial that we take the responsibility to defend it. The government is cutting back funding in real terms whilst cramming Universities and Colleges across the country with too many students. The results are that you as students at UEA now face overcrowded lectures and seminars, classes in the evening and on Wednesday afternoons, expensive essential course text books etc.

EUR demo last March -over 250 students joined the protest

from this brutal and constant attack. The Union is a representative and democratic, (although not perfect) organisation. Students sit as non-Sabbatical Officers on the Executive, onForum, (elected from each year from their schools) the second highest decision making body within the Union structure after UGMs, and on School Boards (elected within each year within each school). Representation is so important because it gives you the student a way to let the Union, the Schools and the University know what you think about certain things, (i.e. the fact that there are 25 people in your seminar or that there are only two essential course text books in the Library to share between 40 people on your course or that your lecturer turns up late or drunk, or that your supervisor is incompetent) and it means that you can change and improve things that you and your fellow students disagree with. Last year the flaws within the representative system meant that the University ignored students in EUR. Students were forced to take direct action and demonstrate against the arbitrary degrading by the University of their grades.

This led to EUR admissions being down by 17% this year and the School had to go through Clearing. This unfortunate and regrettable incident could have been avoided if there had been effective mechanisms for communication and representation in place , but it shows what students can do when they act collectively and fight back to defend their rights. I know that with your support we can improve the representative structures that already exist to fully empower students whilst they are at UEA. Elections for Forum, School Boards and Executive will be taking place over the next month . Over the next year the Education Unit will be campaigning for improved and enlarged Library resources, a maximum seminar size of 16, no classes to finish after 5 pm, an increase in the provision of lecture theatre space, improved IT facil ities, increased

A dom

provision of lecture space, improved access for students with special needs, a reformation of the academic appeals procedure, and above all, improved representation for students at all levels within the University and the Union. If there is a particular campaign that you want us to organise, or if you have an academic problem of any kind and you need advice let us know. We are here to support you and to help you get the most from your time at UEA. If you want any more information come up to the Education Unit in Union House, call me on 592589 or on 2589 on an internal phone, send me a message through internal mail, or email me at su.acad@ uea.ac.uk

Representation is your right. lt is not a privilege.

~ 0 wden

Academic Officer

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Concrete Wednesday, September 20, 1995 11

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The Union•s Comme cial Services T A brief guide to the running of facilities on campus

he Union is more than just repre sentation, welfare advice and clubs and societies. lt is also the Bars, Entertainments and other commercial services on campus. lt really is very unlikely that you will spend even your first day at UEA without coming into contact with a member of staff

cut the price of Fosters (now £1.20), Stella Artois (£1.50) , Olde English Cyder (£1.30) and Murphy's (£1.50). What's more we've done this without putting any prices up. We hope the result is that students use our bars rather than anyone elses'. Not only have prices gone down in our Bars we have also spent money improving the facilities. Last year we spent £40,000 on

£635,000 and of this only £375,000 came from the University as a Block Grant. lt is obvious, therefore, that the Union needs extenal sources of funding and the vast majority of these have come in the way of profits transferred from the Union's commercial services. In short, all the money you pay for a loaf of bread, pad of paper, pint of beer is staying within the

The Pub -£50,000 spent on updating this Summer student organisation. We hope that the prices we charge are realistic and affordable for ever poorer students but again if you

opment of the commercial services will be arranging monthly forums for users of the commercial services to come

••••••••••••••••••••••••• "In short, all the money you pay is staying within the student organisation. If you are not entirely happy with what we provide then come and tell us."

••••••••••••••••••••••••• are not entirely happy with what we provide then come and tell us. To that end the Finance Officer (John Holmes) who has sabbatical responsibility for the devel-

employed by the Union (spot those groovy polo shirts). As it happens students spend more money at our Students' Union than at any other in the country - and that's not because we're expensive. In fact last year the Supermarket, Paper Shop, Post Office, Travel Shop, Sportshop and Bookshop took £3.2 million . And the BARS took nearly £1 million - and that's with just 7,500 students. (£130 each)again more than any other Students' Union in the country. Last year the Union took the step of reducing its standard lager and bitter to £1 a pint. The result was volume up by 40%. And it doesn't end there. This year we have decided to

refurbishing the LCR and over the summer we spent £50,000 on renovating the Pub - it has been seven years. We hope you like it, but if you don't come and vent your disapproval at the first UGM on September 25th when you get your chance to question the Executive on whatever issue you like. The Union's Commercial Services tread a difficult line between making profits and keeping prices as low as possible. In the last few years as student numbers have risen , not only has students' income gone down but so has the Student Union's. To carry on with its existing servives and to develop new ones the Union has come to rely on profits made from the commercial services. Last year for instance the Union spent

and discuss any of their queries or concerns. The first one will be on Wednesday 4 October in the Bill Wilson Room at 1pm.

12 Concrete Wednesday, September 20, 1995

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Monday 25th Septe111ber 7PI11 LC R

UNION GENERAL MEETING UNION GENERAL 路 EETING e lt is essential that vou attend e The only wav things can be done

e The main issue tor debate is rent rises e YOU decide what YOUR Union does tor YOU f

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UEA•s INDE E DE T S UDENT EWSPAPER

Concrete enters its fourth year of production during 1995-6. Below, the editorial team chart the progress of UEA's most

popular campus media with a look back at what we've achieved and explain why we need you to get involved...

ack in January 1992, Concrete hit the newsstands at UEA for the first time, and has since provided hundreds of opportunities for students wanting to try their hand at working in print media. During that time, with a print run of 7,000 copies every fortnight during termtime, it's been widely read too, with a senior BBC official commenting in 1993, "Concrete is an excellent student newspaper, one of the best I have seen".

Informing UEA students every fortnight The paper was originally set up by three UEA students and run as a private venture funded solely by advertising with no support from the University or the Student Union. Since its launch Concrete has published anything of interest to students - including news, features, entertainment and sport. Last year, for example, our news stories revealed massive rent rises for top-spec campus accommodation, health scares at the Village due to mouldy mattresses and the ransacking of 22 Student rooms, to name a few. We have also covered the grade fixing scandal in EUR and played an instrumental part in ensuring the survival of The Waterfront by giving the issue front-page publicity. Our features have reported extensively on newsworthy issues such as eating disorders and the role of pressure groups in our society, as well as less serious matters such as a pizza race and beer tasting - not

forgetting an exclusive trip to Disneyland Paris with top pop band China Black. We've also interviewed such celebrities as Barry Norman, Mark Lamarr, lan McEwan, Paul Whitehouse, Hugh Dennis, Whigfield, Deuce, Peter Duncan, Right Said Fred, John Prescott , Marina Warner, D:Ream and many more.

Expansion In September 1993, we responded to a crosscampus survey at UEA which suggested the need for an ents guide for Norwich by launching 'The Event', a 28-page tabloid paper which appeared free alongside Concrete every fortnight as well as Barry Norman, just one of our avid readers ... being sold our degrees led to severe in over 350 Norfolk newsagents. problems in producing 48 pages Featuring four pages in full of newsprint every fortnight, and in colour and including articles and March 1994, after ten very reviews on music , film, theatre, successful issues, 'The Event' TV, video, radio and computer was suspended as a separate games, 'The Event' was (with publication and incorporated Concrete), the most advanced instead as an 8 page student newspaper in the UK at entertainment and leisure section the time. within the pages of Concrete. But the fact that most of us At this point, after three years of were still students and tackling publishing an independent, self-

sufficient student newspaper, our track record convinced the Union Executive that owning the biggest student newspaper (per head of student population) in the UK could be advantageous both for the Union and its members. And following negotiations with Concrete's three owners, the Union bought the paper in July 1994 with an interest in maintaining the high standards that have formed the cornerstone of our continuing success. This move was consolidated with the appointment of Niall Hampton as full-time editor for 1995-6, the first time such a post has existed at UEA. Niall is therefore free to devote all his time to overseeing the production and development of Concrete, without having a degree to cope with as well.

Getting Involved Contributors have found Concrete to be invaluable as a means of launching - or just finding out more about - a career in the media. Some who get involved simply like writing, others want to put their views across to a wide

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audience or get their photos published, for example. Many former writers and photographers have indeed used their experience on the paper in the real world; for example our first editor, Polly Graham, left UEA to study for an MA in journalism at Cardiff and was then taken on as a trainee on the prestigious Daily Express training scheme. Jody Thompson, a contributor during 1992-3, is now a reporter on the Eastern Daily Press; Rob Hardy, staff photographer during the same year, completed his studies at the London College of Printing last year to pursue a career in freelance photojournalism. Peter Hart, editor between 1992 and 1994, is now working as a freelance journalist, contributing regularly to teen magazines.

We need YOU/ Now some 49 issues after our launch - that's well over 12 million pages of newsprint Concrete still offers UEA students the best chance to get involved in print media. Full training will be given in-house for those wishing to write or learn layout on our DTP systems - as well on as loads of other jobs necessary to produce a newspaper every fortnight! So, if you're interested in getting involved, visit our stall at Soc Mart (look for us in The Hive foyer), come to our weekly meetings on Mondays at 12.15pm or pop into our office (upstairs in Union House) for a chat. Don't forget - Concrete is written by UEA students for UEA students and we need you to help produce Concrete over this year and the next, and the next... _

Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

concrete tak~s you on a four p~ge guide"around 9ity QOd cgmpus

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

Features

i)k

11 11

Caroline Ad/em reflects on the various things to

phere), Breakers (fast-is h food , open all week, pool table and that's about it really) and the Bowl (refurbished last term , snacks a speciality). But don' t forget the Sainsbury Centre Buttery and Ca rvery. Contrary to (very) popular UEA student-lore, it's not that expensive and the food is considerably more adventurous than at certain other campus outlets. it's also bright and roomy, and to compensate for the trek from The Square, the views are far more interesting than, well, concrete. Barwise , The Pub, which has recently been extensively refurbished, is also a popular gathering place, especially for that pre-LCR warm up on Thursdays. Generally, during the winter, The Hive is busy during the day and The Pub at night, but in clement weather the masses tend to spill out into The Square which is then transformed from just an annoyingly unnecessary amount of steps and defec-

f you're living on cam pus, then one of UEA's attractions can be seen from most windows - the grounds. The 270 acres of park and woodland have earned UEA the moniker 'Britain 's greenest university' and are well worth a walk should t he weather permit. They are, however, best enjoyed in the summer when such outside pursuits become far more appealing. One way to wile away those cold winter days is, of course, to visit the library - conveniently situated a desperate books' throw away from the pub, should that seminar paper not be going so well. Those who , like me, are far more used to eating food than preparing it, might be interested to visit some of UEA's eating establishments. There's a certain amount to choose from , including The Hive (which serves snacks and alcohol and is usually quite busy), The Diner (reasonable food, no atmos-

Walking away from it all

tive fountain into a popular meeting place. And don't forget Carol's, situated adjacent to The Pub, which provides a smoke-free and jukebox-free environment. For those not seeking entertainment , a more worthy

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Try our home-made pasta dishes: Beef or vegetable lasagne, or a generous helping of spaghetti bolognaise- all only £4.75 Or some little extras: Garlic bread £1.00, mixed side salad (ring for choice of dressings) £1.50, coleslaw 85p, baked potato £1.75, gateaux or cheescake (various) £1.50 Voted Number one bylconcretel(issue 44) Book t he cellar bar for your party!

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53 Earl ham Road, Norwich NR2 3AD. Open every evening - Mon - Sat 5 -11 pm, Sun 6- 1Opm. Last orders 30 mins before closing.Min imum order for delivery £6. UEA deliveries to Porters Lodge, Village Site or Union House reception only.

afternoon might be spent visiting the Sainsbury Centre (although it might be arguably be better spent visiting Sainsburys itself). Entry is free with a UEA Student's Card, and it houses works by such artists as Degas, Picasso, Moore and

Bacon. And it's also one to remember should the parents require entertaining. If you're looking for more recreational things to do, then sporty types will be pleased to find ample activities to choose from on campus, including the ever-popular athletics , footb all, badminton , hockey, tennis and rugby - all of which are provided for with coaching and playing fi elds/ courts. So during the first few days, the more active student will doubtless want to stroll or jog along to Sac Mart, which is well worth a look and the easiest way in getting involved with something for the whole year. But beware signing up for everything that looks even vaguely appealing. You might think that your timetable gives you loads of free time, but wait until you start getting loads of background reading to do/discover the pub/discover the nightlife or just want to research that essay in depth. After a while , even Arts stu-

dents can stru ggle to find enough time to keep up with ma ny extra-curricu lar pursuits, so be realistic. But even if you don't, you might fancy a night out. The Library's open until quite late every week, or alternatively, should you feel like a quick drink or nine, there's always The Pub, The Hive or Carol's. There's also the Union Film Society, which shows several films every week, to which you can either pay an entry fee in advance or buy a semester or year pass. Films shown last year included 'Four Weddings And A Funeral', 'Schindler's List' and 'Speed', as well as more 'arty' and cult films. These are usually shown in Lecture Theatres One and Two, but popcorn and Opal Fruits are on sale to compensate for the lack of real cinema atmosphere. Tuesday nights see the excitement that is the Union's Live in the Hive event, which last year ranged from such attractions as comedian

IMPORTANT YOUR POSSESSIONS ARE IN DANGER FROM THEFT Insure them with Endsleigh THE OFFICIAL INSURANCE SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF

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Concrete,_Wednesday, September 20, 1995

_ ________Features]

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do when you need a break from studying ...

The infamous broad Stevie Star r . to bucking broncos. In addition, quiz nights and beer promotions are held, so it's always worth checking out this p rogramme of free events. On Thursday nights the 'fa-

mous' LCR disco is held, notable mostly because of the number of students who go but because of little else! Admission is £2.50 and two seperate dance floors are on offer. If there's one event to look forward to during the

week, then it's got to be this, for some reason. And what campus round-up could be complete without mentioning the Union's gig programme. Last year this included Suede, Belly, Primal Scream

and an exclusive appearance by Faith No More. Theatrically, UEA's Drama Studio also stages various productions, from both touring companies and student drama groups. lt's an idea to look for this semester's programme of events if drama is your thing. Other regular campus attractions include the Arthur Miller series of lectures by such distinguished writers as lan McEwan, Alan Bennett and Harold Pinter for the literary-minded student, whilst at the polar opposite of the scale comes the RAG Society's yearly Beerfest, staged in June. So there's usually something going on at UEA- a film, gig, disco or Whatever.... And even if there's not, you'll find there's many a good night to be spent 'quietly' in The Pub or The Hive,or even just in a kitchen with a coffee.. Or there's always Norwich, but that's another article....

Friday 22nd September

Friday 29th September

Progress All Nighter

..Come Dancing••

9pm- 6am £9 student concessions with Pete & Russell from Progress Dvid-James, Unity and Jeremy D + live percussion and funky guitar With Offyerface Hard House and Tachno in the Studio and Kissing the Pink The alternative in the Cafe Bar

9pm- 2am £3 admission with voucher with Des Doonican and Val O'Connor and Bone EM Uplifting House Upstairs in the studio: Club Classics and Old School (voucher available on campus)

Milky Lunch @ The Waterfront, King Street Cl) 701635 or 632717

18 Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

Ill

Caroline J·e nkinson gives the lowdown on what to

ou wanted excite mcnt. You wanted glamour. You wanted to be sur rounded by beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes in all sorts of trendy eateries and clubs. You came to Norwich. Oh dear. But tear not, pleasure-seek-

ers, for despite the fact that you have just condemned yourself to three years in a cultural backwater, all is not lost. In fact, you'll probably find that a good time is not hard to come by at all; for although Norwich lags a long way behind London and Manchester in the fashionable stakes, it is doing its best to catch up. Honest.

So, armed only with a bank account still in ~redit and an NUS card (which you should pick up on your first few days here - it can get you discounts in all sorts of places), you venture gamely off campus In search of this mythical ~ood time. But where should you go? Your parents, who have tnally recovered from the shock of

their little darlings leaving home, are probably right now wishfully hoping that you are going to spend your time improving your mind in one of the city's museums: the Castle Museum, Stranger's Hall or the Bridewell. Fat chance of that. You are far more likely to spend time improving your level of alcohol consumption in one of Norwich's many pubs. The legend goes that Norwich used to have a church for every week of the year and a pub for every day, although sadly, this no longer seems to be the case. However, you'll still be spoilt for choice. The· Mischief and the Adam and Eve come highly recommended, whilst the Murderers is the perfect place to start that Monday night pub-then-club liver destroying experience. Which leads us nicely on to clubs. Being all too aware of the spending power of students, most city clubs have special student nights, and most of them are on Mondays. Ritzy, in Tombland, and Peppermint Park, on Rose Lane, are the two biggest players here. The cheapness of the admission price (remember your NUS card!) is matched only by the cheapness of the pints. If you love bouncing up and down to 'Come On Eileen' at around five past midnight every week, then you're in for a treat, I can assure you. Then there's Zoom on Prince of Wales Road and Manhattans on Dove Street, both of which also do student nights, and Hys (Tombland again) which has no special student discounts to offer, but does boast a lo~ely armour-plated glass danceffoor. And let us not, of course, forget the Waterfront, which is owned by our very own Students' Union. The first club to bring late licences to Norwich, it has played host to some of the country's best DJs,

including Andy Weatherall and Sasha. Not to mention top stars and bands such as Paul Weller, Moist, Incognito and D:Ream in its other role as a live music venue. Another venue worth checking out is Norwich Arts Centre, which is hidden away down a back alley off St Benedicts Street. Cajun, folk, acid jazz; you name it, they'll put it on stage. NAC's varied programme also extends to poetry readings, dance, comedy and drama. And if all that wasn't good enough, they also do student concessions. The biggest venue in Norwich for drama though, still has to be the Theatre Royal. As you would expect for a venue that plays host to West End smashes, top comedians such as Jack Dee and Lenny Henry and major ballet and opera companies, it ain't that cheap, but the theatre always has some tickets available for around £3 or

£4. The insatiable 'luwie' will also be cheered by the presence of the Maddermarket on St Johns Alley, home of the Norwich Players. They put on around a dozen or so plays a year, and offer reasonable prices and student discounts. Like the NAC, it offers a more int imate setting than some of the bigger venues. If you prefer your action to be projected

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above your head and taken in with a large dose of popcorn, then again, you're spoilt for choice. Norwich is yet to be 'blessed' with the joys of a multiplex cinema, but we do have the triple delight of the MGM Cannon, the Odeon and Cinema City. The Cannon, situated on Plince of Wales Road, is the biggest cinema, with four screens, whilst the Odeon on Anglia Square comes in a close second with

three. In both places you can enjoy a steady diet of Hollywood blockbusters with your Haagen-Dazs, but you may find the odd 'arty' film on offer. The Cannon has all day student discounts Monday to Thursday (at one pound off the adult price), whilst the Odeon off~rs discounts before 7pm on Mondays to Thursdays. If you don't fancy having Brad and Keanu constantly paraded before your eyes, then you should check out Cinema City. They too screen the best of the blockbusters (usually some time after their original release dates), but more often than not you are served up the best of world cinema, with special festivals and talks to boot. Plus they offer the best student discounts in the city -ifs only £1.10 admission for matinees! You'll find this one-screen wonder opposite St Andrews Hall. So as you can see, you should never be stuck for something to do in Norwich. Check out Concrete every fortnight for all the major happenings, and you too can make your mark on this fine city. But if you still feel as though you've come to the back end of beyond, take heart; there's only twelve weeks to the

in Norwich

t doesn't matter whether you're a budding Delia · Smith or a baked bean fanatic - there's going to come a point when eating off chipped plates on a formica table whilst staring at a huge pile of unwashed dishes, (not necessarily your own), becomes unbearable. This is the time when, for the sake of your sanity, if not your stomach, it might be best to try eating out. And what better place to start than one of Norwich's top eateries, the best of which are listed below.

(Tom bland) This is probably one of the most popular student restaurants,and that isn't just because of its close proximity to Hys and Ritzy. Mouthwatering pizzas, pastas and sweet and savoury pancakes make up the largest part of the menu, and are incredibly well priced. Try the turkey curry pizza sounds awful, tastes divine and the Banana Dog, which is P1 P2's most famous dessert.

(Riverside Road) This used to be the local morgue, but don't let that put you off. American food is the name of the game here; burgers, ribs and the extremely filling fajitas. The best thing about zaks though, has to be the curties - these are spaghetti like chips which come in a huge pile on the side of your plate, and are impossible to finish. If you can't get a table at zaks, then fret ye not, for there is another one just up the road on Mousehold. They don't do curties though (sob).

(St Glles Street) We're talking American here too, with the same sort of reasonable prices and HUGE portions. The desserts are worth mentioning, because most of them are heaven in a dish; especially the Midnight Cowboy, a creamy, minty, chocolatey babe of a treat. The lunchtime specials are always worth a look too - a barbecued turkey sandwich, complete with salad and chips can come for as little as £3.95.

(Chapeif leid Gardens) Perfect for any special occasion, Pedros, as the name suggests, specialises in authentic Mexican food. Ifs not the cheapest restaurant in Norwich by a long shot (especially with regards to the cocktails), but as only the truly hungry or foolhardy can ever

manage more than one course, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Drink plenty of jugs of potent sangria, and you too will be quite willing to wear one of the silly floppy hats on offer to the discerning punter.

(Belvolr Street) One of the main student pubs in Norwich, mainly because of its location in the Golden Triangle, the Belle Vue is justly famous for its Sunday Lunch. A traditional roast with all the accompaniments, followed by a delicious desselt, can be washed down with a decent pint of beer in front of a roaring fire. Sheer bliss for under a tanner. ·

(Pottergate) Most, if not all, of the above eateries have some fo rm of vegetarian option on their menus. If you fancy some slightly more adventurous veggie fare though, you could do a lot worse than check out this first floor restaurant, which is situated above Rainbow Wholefoods. You can tell it's there, by the gorgeous cooking smells that waft over Dove Street every lunchtime. Try one of their soups, salads or hot lunches, or, if you're not that hungry, just pop in for a coffee and some freshly baked cake.

stOssy vans clothing carhartt x - large ben sherman bench wit+ wisdom hysteric glamour red or dead boarding free Footwear by: duffs, etnies, vans, blundstone and british industrial giants 17 bedford street norwich 762661

Concrete. Wednesday, September 20. 1995

The

eve ~@®~ ~mr~~ m s ic news . . music news .. musi c news • Stuart Adamson and chums, better known as Big Country, will be makinga return visit to the UEA LCR on Sunday, September 24. Tickets cost £9.50 advance. •And while we're on the subject of blasts from the . past, Irish folksters, The Pogues, (minus Shane McGowan, of course) will be making an appearance at the Waterfront on Wednesday, September 27. Tickets cost £10 advance. Get ready to jig on down at the gig!

• If you'd prefer something a little more up beat, then Megadog are back on Saturday, September 30, bringing their usual mix of dance and techno to the LCR. Drum Club and System 7 feature. At only £7.50 advance, you'd be barking mad to miss it! • The Bluetones, with support from The Gift, will be featuring as part of the usual Saturday night Meltdown at the Waterfront on September 30. Tickets are £4 adv.

Big Bang Theory romising "pristine guitars" and "fingerpopping rhythms", Bang Bang Machine played the Norwich Arts Centre on September 16. With plenty of new material from second album 'Amphibian' to showcase, the live Bang Bang Machine experience was billed as "invigorating and compelling and did not disappoint. Not content to simply churn out two and a half minute efforts as do so many bands nowadays, Bang Bang Machine took time on some blissed-out affairs, encompassing the best aspects of dub ambient and perhaps most evidently pop. Having now been on the music scene for the best part of five years the band feel they have now created their most polished work to date with main guitarist Steve Eagles' crafting beautiful pop melodies which well demonstrate the band's

to capture a variety of moods. The new album is billed as

for going out as well as coming home to" and the new songs used lead singer Uz's vocal range wen, proving her a noteworthy live singer, ably tackling the many big choruses the album has. Now on a series of dates to showcase the new album, Bang Bang Machine are touring throughout August, September and October.

The tour will be complemented by the occasional acoustic performances for which tfley are noted.

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

$30<Sifrent

II:!HMV

•'§I·< •u sa J§l·i'W "'"'

Mark Tobin takes a look at some of the latest releases from the likes of the Boo Radleys, Ruby, Paul, Menswear, and Delicatessen ... VAROUS ARTISTS

Pacing ftl8 W.OngWay (UD) • Single

his is basically a tasty sample of what is to be released from 4AD in the future months . 'Facing The Wrong Way' features four new bands, the most famous of Which is a Breeders offshoot (Kim Deal 's The Amps) . lt .probably comes as no surprise then that 'Empty Glasses', The Amps' contribution, is undoubtedly the worst track on this record . Rough , screechy and distorted is the only way to describe it. Undoubtedly it will be hailed as Punk! Rock! (such as Bis, The Delgados , Urusei Yatsura). However, Ms Deal 's attempt is laughable . The best songs on this sampler are Mojave's 'Love Songs On The Radio' and Scheer's 'Take You Anywhere' , and wh ile I'd love to tell you more about them , I'm afraid my 100 words are up!

Till! BOO RADLI!YS Aom ftla Beacll At lleltddere (CJeatlon) Single

h my goodness! Fantastic, absolutely amazing! These four new tracks , each one as startingly beautiful as the other, are all good enough to be the lead song. Listening to them I'm reminded more of Giant Steps than Wake Up!, simply because each song risks its neck and experiments. For me Wake Up! was too clean cut compared to the

A y

sprawling genius of Giant Steps, and so it is with undisguised joy that I listen to Hi Falutin with punk/thrash vocals and energetic organ solo, or Crushed which skanks into the room all dubbed up and meelancholy and then steals a guitar solo from Prince's excellent Joy In Repetition, or, indeed, Almost Nearly There which has a bloody harpsicord on it! Amazing!

Cow Club every Monday @ Zoom I

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Uplifting House with resident UEA DJs Kris Dent and Patrick P, together with Cow Club and Milky Lunch regulars Launch party 25th September. Don't forget the pre-club warm-up at Hectors House with Simmy and Paul Christian Zoom, Prince of Wales Road, Norwich (}) 701635

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

dfrent B

ugger, I really wanted to like this. You see, I quite like Menswear. I like the whole idea, I think it's funny, a nice little pisstake. And what's more, I genuinely liked 'Daydreamer'.

This however is fairly disappointing. Menswear are rocking out, giving it a bit of Oasis and, as a result, losing a lot of their appeal. 'Daydreamer' was sexy, its stop/start, lispy/ lusty vocals suited their

whole image perfectly. But this makes them seem, well, sweaty, and Menswear should never be sweaty. There is some salvation in the wondrous 'DaydreamerDubdreamer', but that's the B-side. I'll give it 2/5 overall and 4/5 for 'Daydreamer/ Dubdreamer'.

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

ypress Hill's DJ Muggs recently said that "Hip Hop is f**king boring, ain't nothingbut us and Raekwon". Now while I'm no Cypress Hill fan and I think that there are more groups/ artists than just Raekwon worthy of a listen, it would seem that Mr Muggs has a point. Lord;z: of Brooklyn

seem to have game red a fair amount of praise frfom various journalists across the globe, and the only reason I can see for praising this cack would be that Hip Hop is, indeed, "pretty boring"at the moment. Sample lyrics: "Yeah I'm Irish, an that's a fighror 'Word to mamma mia, it's my pizzeria". Cackety cack.

WHAT THE RATINGS MI!AN O Ba•n;;w:l

0 ........

hiS debut release isn't very interesting. That's not to say that everything here is redundant, or uninspired, but everything is dull. In the same way that the clever person in your seminars obviously knows everything but still reamins incredibly boring. They sit there talking incessantly about subject x, showing slides, graphs, treating us to informative role plays, handing out well researched pamphlets, but ultimately they just bore the pants off one and all because they are too interested in showing us how very clever they are, rather than teaching us anything. This album is that very person.

ftl . . . . . . 011 -

Crammed full of clever (knowingly clever) ideas and 'interesting' arrangement, but ultimately lifeless as a result. Paul has too much arsing about, too many platitudes, too much coffee table, middle class smugness for its own good. Not that any of these ingredients necessarily make a bad record, but when each song has all of them in abundance it gets a little too much. Paul seems to be far too interested in showing us her ideas and not her songs. Which reminds me: Paul is a woman. Wow! We even get sexual ambiguity. Paul: the musician who has never had a songwribng experience.

IIJUiftiiiiZ

ftle ....... Of .... SIIIIIe «Sub Pop)/ LP

instrumental album which uses the steel uitar "as both lead guitar and vocalisr. Hmmm, now instrumental albums can be ace, they can be haunting or melancholy or scary or whatever, sometimes in fact you wish that some bands would just drop their vocalists from time to time and let the music do the talking. I mean don't you just wish that Beth Gibbons would occasionally shut the f**k up

and let Portishead's music dictate your mood, rather than have her vocals drag you through the song? So there we are then. lt's established. I am not opposed to instrumental albums. However (and that was inevitable) this album is just boring. 'The Shadow Of Your Smile' (bar two uncharacteristically good songs, 'House of Pies' and 'Armory Park/Dwell') makes you beg for some sort

of vocal, any kind of difference to lift it out of the tedium . lt seems that the American underground currently has some kind of infatuation with easy listening /lounge music, and this follows neatly in that vein . Are we meant to view the obvious Shadows references as kitsch or ironic? Or should we just view them as crap? I'm going for crap, because kitsch and irony alone shouldn't be left as an albums get out clause.

For all your music requirements

his is my first taste of Delicatessan, and to be honest, I quite like it. lt tends to fit rather snugly into what I call Midnight MusicTM, which could be defined as the kind of music you listen alone, in

the dark, on full volume, for maximum effect. Such as you would for the Tinderstlcks with their black coffee melancholy or the Velvet Underground's 'The Black Angel's Death Song' and 'European Son' for their care- you shitless qoality

In fact these reference points are quite apt as this very single brings to mind both bands, which, all considered, is quite an impressive feat. So there we have it then, Delicatessan: Midnight Music, a rather attractive slice of understated brooding. with a just a little twist of evil.

HMV

KNOW HMV • KNOW MUSIC

15 - 17 Haymarket Norwich NR2 1QJ Tel: 625490

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

eVent $3CSm

ouston , we have a problem . So began one of the more worrying periods in US space history as the crew of Apollo 13 tried not to get lost in space . After a brief history of the Apollo space missions we are introduced to the crew of the latest mission, nu mber 13. Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) are the crew preparing to blast off. We learn that Lovell was understudy to Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission . Now, Lovell's family are all prepared for this, his last mission and final chance to get to the moon.

All the preparation work is going well with the crew working well together, as the mission gets the green light. However, there is bad news to come when the NASA doctor diagnoses Sinise as having measles. Sinise disagrees saying that he is in tip top health . But, the decision is made that if the mission is to go ahead , then Kevin Bacon from the support crew should be introduced , to replace Sinise . Hanks decides that this is the best option, especially if he wants to get to the moon . So with only two days to go, the new crew try and prepare for lift off. The launch goes smoothly, as do the first three days of the mission, as they near the moon. The US TV networks have lost interest in the space project. The Yanks have got to the moon and beaten the nasty old Russians, end of story. So when the crew make their broadcast from space to all of America - or so they think - no one is watching . As they are on the verge of talking to the man on the moon, Bacon is given

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• Matthew Doyle sees if Apollo 13 is something out of this world, or just another piece of space junk the order from Mission Control to stir the oxygen tanks. Oops. On stirring the tanks , one of them explodes in the service module, causing the ship to loose power as well as oxygen . The mission to the moon is cancelled. Priority now becomes getting our boys back home. Suddenly the TV companies are interested - there's nothing like a good disaster fro the ratings. lt's up to Mission Control to save the day. Gary Sinise is brought in to Houston, and together with the NASA boffins they try their best. This is a movie about team work and the ability to find a way through a situation . Throughout the film , there is a stiff upper lip feeling, reminiscent of those old World War 11 films. Ron Howard only hints at the illfeeling within the crew and they seem to remain incredibly calm.

Also, back at Mission Control , it seems that with a bit of sticky tape and good ol' US of A determination anything can be achieved. Overall, the film is loses it a bit towards the end, especially if you know the well publicised ending. However, there is almost enough tension to sustain it, even if Howard has gone a bit over the top with the cutting between the crew and the families back home. Nevertheless, 'Apollo 13' is an enjoyable trip in to space, with high points being the visual effects and the reconstruction of all the NASA bits and pieces. Ed Harris is probably the pick of the actors, as determined Mission Control manager.

APOLLO 13 lP.G) USA (1115)

SJacenma

Dlr: Rln Hawanl' · Canea • From Selll 22

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

25 ~--

hi Matthew Doyle checks out Sandra Bullock's latest feel-good movie

st year Sandra Bullock shot to tardom by driving Keanu Reeves round LA whilst trying to avoid being blown up by Dennis Hopper in 'Speed'. This year the pace has slowed down somewhat. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy Moderatz, who works on the Chicago railway. As the introductory preamble informs us, her parents are deceased. She now lives in a flat, sharing her inner most thoughts with her cat. The highlight of her day, if not life, is when Peter Callaghan (Peter Gallagher) breezes past her booth to get his token. One day, Sandra thinks, she'll get the courage to have a conversation with him. Sandra's such a sweetie that she even agrees to work on Christmas Day. But it is on this day that things start to go horribly wrong. Peter is mugged

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ROmantic ComedY Dlri John Turteltaub'\jjJ

start with a perfectly measured central performance. The supporting cast also do a fine job, making this a pleasure to watch. What we are left with is an entertaining and cosy Saturday night movie, which oozes feelgood factor.

Jack, played by Bill Pullman.

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Qdeon showing ' --"' _·now __ %""''"''"""'-'~--"' ~-·•L·'* on the platform and falls, unconscious, onto the tracks. As a train approaches, Sandra manages to rescue him, but he remains in a coma. As he gets wheeled into hospital, one of the nurses overhears Sandra saying that she was going to marry him. The nurse then duly introduces her to Peter's family as his fiancee. Before she realises it she is being invited to spend Christmas with the family, to help them while Peter is in hospital. She doesn't tell them the real story, partly because she enjoys the family company to replace her own, and partly because of Granny's weak heart. lt is while spending time with the family that she meets Peter's brother

as Jack. As the film progresses, she spends more time with the family and comes to love their company, especially Jacks. But how does he feel? And what should she do? Dubbed 'Sleepless in Chicago', the film is unashamedly romantic. The film has been made by the Disney off-shoot Hollywood Pictures, and it shows. But despite the loveydovey storyline, director Jon Turteltaub has managed not to make this as sickly as it might have been. This is in part due to a screenplay which has its fair share of wit to keep the film going. Even though it does fall in to some of the traditional romantic traps, like having banks of violins in the score just to remind you how you should be feeling, you don't mind forgiving it. Sandra Bullock gives the film a head

( _

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• certainly a candidate for : best film of the year, • 'The Usual Suspects' • is a high quality physiological thriller, with a large twist in the • ending. Stephen Baldwin, • Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del : Toro, Gabriel Byrne and Kevin • Pollak are five criminals who

:• B

ruce Willis is back as • super cop John • McCiane, in the third • 'Die Hard' instalment. John ~ McTiernan returns as director, • • and the action starts from the • first reel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--------------------~ : Thepro~em~th~Jernmy evin Smith wrote, irected, produced and cted in this, his debut feature. And a jolly good job of it he's done too. Winner at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, 'Clerks' is a hilarious look at the live, loves, ambitions and eccentricities of two clerks. Dante works at Quick Stop Groceries, while Randal works next door in the video shop. Randal tries his hardest to insult the customers and rejects the idea that his job should affect his behaviour. Dante is a clerk always hoping for more, but somehow always ending up back at the shop. The manager rings him on the morning in question asking him to go in early, which he .reluctantly agrees to.

. CLERKS (18) USI\(1994)

Off-beat Comedy Dlr: Kevl!l Smith

C#nema City· Oct2- 4

As the day evolves, his catchphrase soon becomes "I'm not even supposed to be here". He was supposed to sleep late, play hockey, enjoy himself. Instead, he's pelted with cigarettes by angry customers, shocked by sexual revelations from devoted girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti), and devastated by the wedding announcement of the high school ex he can't forget, Caitlin (Lisa Spoonauer). The film is almost worth seeing just for the scene in which the two debate which is the better

• film: 'The Empire Strikes Back' • or 'Return of the Jedi'. • Whilst not a new debate, the : arguments which are · • introduced are so original as to • be positively bizarre. • • Essential viewing for anyone who's ever worked as a shop • assistant, with the recognisable • • irritating customers: the woman looking for the freshest pint of milk or the old man • begging to borrow a porno • mag before going to the • bathroom. : • Shot in grainy black & white while Kevin Smith was also • working at the Quick Stop, this • is an example of guerrilla film : making at his best, and a very • • entertaining debut. • Available for a limited period only- catch it while you can . : Matthew Doyle e •

THE USUAL SUSPECTS (18) USA(1995) Thriller Dir: Bryan Singer cannon · now showing team up for a drugs heist on a cargo ship in San Pedro harbour. All does not go to plan -with 27 dead. The only

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (15) 1 USA(1995) ActiOfl · Dir: John McTlernan

Cannon-nowshowmg

of New York. He wants to

engageWill~inanex~o~ve

crim to survive is Spacey, who tells the story of what happened to cop Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), in the form of flashbacks. The cast are superb and the screenplay is enthralling. Go and see it now! MD

brother Alan Rickman. Along the way Willis picks up Samuel L. Jackson as a partner, and the two work very well together with some extremely witty exchanges. The result is an explosive,

actio~packedand

Irons is being a bit of a game of Simon Says, as payentertaining couple of hours. psycho and blowing up parts back for the death of his A blast. MD --------------------------------___;_;__

BRAVEHEART {1S}

USA (1995) ·, Scots Action 'A

Dlr: Mel Glbson · OC/e()ttr::0::. now showing ·-'· ,c-;..

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el Glbson sta':'.as Scots hero Wllham Wallace, who caused a bit _of ~ problem for the Engh_sh m the 13th century, want1ng freedom for Scotland. When he w~s a wee mite, his folks were killed, and so he moved to his uncle's to get educated. On his return, Wallace becomes the leader of a group of rebels determined to teach the English a lesson. Mel has done a good job with the megaphone, especially

! .

with the set pieces, creating battle scenes Tarantino would be proud of. The supporting cast all chip in well, but the three hour running time does

make it a bit bum numbing. However, Gibbo's Scots accent is quite close to being credible, making it not a bad job overall. MD

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26 Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

lii

enn1s menace

, •So you want a psycho in your movie? Just call one Dennis Hopper Esq. He can put the

nut into nutter, the psych into psycho, the mad into, er, mad. Matthew Doyle picks ten films to see why he has got the reputation of being the cream of the crackers journalist is one of the high A Best Shot (19861 Easy Rider (1969) points of the movie. V Dlr: Dennls Hopper As Martin Sheen is about to Dlr. Davld finally meet Marlon Brando, Anspaugh

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Dennis Hopper eo-wrote , directed and stared with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson in this tale of two drop-outs motorcycling across America. The film does feel a bit dated watching it today, but the idea behind it deserves credit. As with a lot of Hopper's early career, like filming 'The Last Movie' in Peru, the influence of narcotics is clear. Hopper's character sported a cowboy hat, bushy moustache and smoked lots of pot, and stories of Hopper, Fonda and Nicholson being stoned are common place . Nevertheless, this is an entertaining and influential movie.

;

Number of screws loose:

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~,,

•~ •

&The American Friend (1977) Dlr: Wlm Wenders

While his popularity in Hollywood was not at its highest, Hopper moved over to Europe, where audiences loved him. German director Wim Wenders had been impressed with Hopper ever since seeing him in 'Rebel Without A Cause', directed by Nicholas Ray, and so cast them both in this psychological thriller (aren't they all?). Hopper plays a psychopathic art dealer who persuades prissy Swiss Bruno Ganz to commit a murder. A gripping success.

,,, e

Number of screws loose:

. ..

Apocalypse Now (1979) Dlr: Francls Ford Coppola

Reports from the set indicate that Hopper had to be kept in isolation to stop him killing the rest of the cast. Rumours remain of a feud between him and Brando, which help to drive Coppola insane. · ~ Although only a cameo, this bit part as the nutty photo

he first encounters Hopper. He is so impressed by the genius of Brando, that he simply dismisses the severed heads, saying "well, he does go a bit far sometimes". Cool.

Number of screws loose:

/"/).r,-~

Blue Velvet (1986) Dlr: Davld Lynch

Perhaps the psycho role with whom the mad one is most often associated. Attached to a gas mask, Hopper abuses lsabella Rossellini and beats up Kyle MacLachlan to Roy Orbison . Deranged and monstrous, he is evil personified in Lynch's Americana. As one would expect from Lynch, the film can be described as bizarre and stylish and was one of Lynch's few box office success. The success of the film rests on the strength of Hopper's character, and he doesn't let Lynch down.

Number of screws loose:

Released in the US as 'Hoosiers', this is the story of a high school basketball team, lead by Gene Hackman. Set in Indiana, the team manage to beat the big boys. The film isn't outstanding, but Hopper did receive his first Oscar nomination. He plays the alcoholic dad of one of the players, who manages to get better after helping the team.

Number of screws loose:

True Romance (1993) Dlr: Tony scou

Nothing to do with cider, this is a black comedy in which Nicholas Cage gets mistaken for hitman Hopper. As Cage arrives in small town America he is given $5,000 as down payment to do the dirty deed. Of course, being a nice chap, he never intends to commit the crime, but complications occur when Dennis arrives in town. Hopper is one of the highlights of the film as the psychotic hit man, as the rest of the story doesn't last the whole film.

Hopper plays a dog-loving security guard, in his first encounter with a Quentin Tarantino screenplay. Father of Christian Slater, at first he appears to be a perfectly balanced chap, although the hat should have been a clue . When Slater and wife, Patricia Arquette, go on the run , Sicilian Christopher Walken is hot on their heels and the trail leads him to Hopper's caravan . lt is at this point that Hopper starts discussing with Walken the history of Sicilians. Although not an out and out psycho, certainly the wrong side of foolish .

Number of screws loose:

Red Rock West (1992) Dlr: John Dahl

,,, ..,

()super Marlo Bros. (1993) Dlr: RockY Morton I Annabel Jankel Perhaps indicating the link between life and art, Dennis Hopper seems to have gone a bit nuts in agreeing to stay in this ridiculous adaptation of the Nintendo game. Hopper play's Lizard King Koopa in a parallel universe, who attracts the attention of the Mario Bros. by kidnapping some princess. Hopper's only defence is that he needs the money to do something more artistic. All in all, us Hopper fans don't like to talk about this one in public, thanks all the same.

Speed (1994)

Dlr: Jan De Boot.

lt was Hopper's portrayal of the nine-fingered nutter Howard Payne which caused so much grief for the LAPD and public. The first thing he does is stab someone with a screwdriver, in his attempt to secure himself a pension. He then puts a bomb on a bus, but, thanks to Keanu, this plan fails, leading to a conclusion on the subway. During this final climax, Hopper's body and head get separated in a rather fatal manner, thus ending his chances of a cosy retirement. An all-round success from start to finish.

Number of screws loose:

Number of screws loose: (just for being in it!)

////</" Filming had begun before Hopper was even cast in Kevin Costner's wet fish of a movie. The film is a mixed bag of naff story and fine set pieces. Hopper is perfectly acceptable as Deacon, leader of the baddie Smokers, who floats round in the shell of the Exxon Valdez. He tries to kidnap little Tina Majorino, believing the tattoo on her back to be the key to dry land. However. he has to beat ol' Kev before he can do this, which proves harder than he thought. The film is a bit of a flop, but Hopper does the job well, even if he did have a dress rehearsal with 'Speed'.

Number of screws loose:

Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995 27

fb)fA~ The

~avanl

Caroline Jenkinson, you

two minutes in which to write a review of the film 'Quiz Show'. Your time starts now...

nyone who has a deep distaste for such TV gems as 'The Price is Right' and 'Wheel of Fortune' will no doubt love this true story about the scandal that breaks around a top-rated quiz show (hence the name!) in Fifties America. Herb Stempel (John Turturro) is the reigning champion of TV's hottest game show, 'Twenty One.' He clearly knows his stuff, but the problem is that he's not much of a looker, and lacks charisma. The ratings have levelled off, and the sponsors are getting itchy feet. Then along comes the dishy, blue-eyed literary professor Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes). He is everything that the sponsors and the network

•••••• •

• ••

QUIZ SHOW (15) USA (1995) Drama Dlr: Robert Redlord VIdeo - Out to rent have ever wanted. To guarantee that he becomes the new 'Twenty One' champion, the powers-that-be give Van Doren the answers to each and every question. Sure enough, Stempelloses and Van Doren goes on to become a national hero, with his apparently vast store of knowledge. But rats are about to be smelled, as Stempel's justified claims that the show is a fraud reach the ears of Congressional investigator Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow). The scene is set for a courtroom showdown.

Critically acclaimed and Oscarnominated, although not an outstanding performer at the box office, 'Quiz Show' is ... tab, for want of a more descriptive word. Redford directs with a masterly hand, giving the film the right amount of suspense and tension without relying on bigscale action, and handles a superb cast with apparent ease. Ralph Fiennes is always worth watching, for his 'babeness' if not his immense talent, and Turturro also puts in a fine performance as the whinging, snidey Stempel. You could spend a Saturday evening watching 'Big Break' and 'Raise The Roof', or you could rent this fine film out and watch that instead. Mr/Ms Contestant, the choice is yours!

DISCLOSURE (18) USA (1995) Drama Dlr: Barrv Levlnson VIdeo - out to rent

In • emortam

hat is it about Michael Douglas and women? He seems to have this habit for picking the most troublesome ones. Glenn Close in 'Fatal Attraction', Kathleen Turner in 'War of the Roses', Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct' and now Demi Moore in 'Disclosure'. Douglas is Tom Sanders, a successful business man and computer boffin for DigiCom. As the movie opens, DigiCom are about to be taken over and Douglas is hoping for promotion. But company boss Donald Sutherland wants to see more women in high places in the company. So he decides to give the job to Meredith Johnson (Moore)who turns out to be an old flame of the now happily married with kids Douglas. All is not going well for Douglas with the new product he is developing at work, so Moore invites him up to her office after hours,

9.00 - 12.00 noon Slmon Mayo Show: God of the Week

The column that fondly remembers those classic TV programmes of yesteryear

NO 7: WILLO THE WISP

A clinch with the power-hungry Moore gets a bit out of hand for the reluctant Douglas... e-mail. The result is a film more using work as an excuse for the between Douglas and Moore. meeting. The scheming Moore This was billed as a battle of the about office technology than office politics, which fails to live has other ideas however, and sexes, with the controversial up to its ambitions. Douglas has tries to make a move on the theme of the woman harassing made an art of the scowl, and reluctant Douglas, who makes the man. lt isn't. As writer Moore is, well, Demi Moore. his excuses and leaves before it Michael Crichton has shown in Certainly not the worst film of the all goes too far. However, the his previous books like 'Jurassic year, but not a recommended Park' he doesn't really care next day he finds himself on the wrong end of a sexual harassabout the characters. Rather, his rental either - unless you prefer VR effects to a decent story. ment claim from Moore. What main interest is the technology Matthew Doyle follows is a battle for power in this case virtual reality and

What better place to start this year's 'In Memoriam' column than Doyley Wood. Yes, you remember Doyley Wood - it was the home of that unforgettable star, Willo the Wisp. He looked exactly like Kenneth Williams, which wasn't surprising really, seeing as he provided all the voices for the show; and every week at around 5.35pm (we're talking pre'Neighbours days here!) he would regale a captivated audience with a startling tale involving several of the Wood's resident oddballs. Arthur the Caterpillar ("Oooh Mave!"), Mavis Cruet the fat fairy and Evil Edna the evil TV set were the chief protagonists, but there were others; most notable being the Beast, Carwash the Cat, and the Concrete office favourite, the Moog. The Moog didn't have a Jot of brains; he was once described by Carwash as "Quite cute, but not very intelligent." The series, which came to an end with that classic

episode where Edna was turned into a distressingly ancient technology-bound Binatone tennis game, was backed up by a host of audio tapes, books and even a 'Here's One I Prepared Earlier' series on 'Blue Peter', where they showed you how to make models of most of the characters. Screen Editor Matthew cites the Evil Edna model as his particular favourite. Channel 4 have been running the series again on Thursday lunchtimes good work fellasl - but it still doesn't quite recapture the magical feeling of those winter evenings, waiting for your tea to be cooked and having just enjoyed John Craven's 'Newsround', 'Blue Peter' with Simon Groom and Janet Ellis and 'Grange Hill' with a cast that was actually older than you. Willo the Wisp - top geezer! • Do you have any fond memories of programmes long past? Concrete would love to hear from you. Drop us a note in our pigeonhole here in UH.

- - - - -- -- -28

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

I!Vent S31f£@] __ _.....;;.;;.

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Shuttle-·ng back and lorth

John Shuttleworth is a star of the Edinburgh Fringe, has his own Radio Four show, and opened for Blur at the Mile End Stadium. He's about to appear at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, and Caroline Jenkinson spoke to him. Well, sort of.

raham Fellows is amazed that I actually want to speak to h1m.He has become so used to doing interviews as his alter-ego, DIY enthusiast and radio star John Shuttleworth , that he is quite taken aback by my insistence that I actually talk to him. Graham claims that John makes a much better interviewee than he does , being '·more together" than he is, but in reality Graham turns out to be a perfectly sweet and witty bloke, who patiently answers all the stock interview-type questions. Such as: do you ever get worried about being stuck in the one character? "Yes , YES, I do! l'rn going to invent another character," he cries, somewhat emphatically. He reckons that th1s new character will probably have something to do with John 's neighbour and eo-star on the radio show 'The Shuttleworths', Ken Worthington . "I might start doing Ken as I am now doing John," he reckons . But whoever this new character turns out to be, he or she will

have to go a long way to reach the same cult status that John has attained . There were the highly successful Fringe shows, which culminated in being given the Edinburgh Critics Award; the aforementioned Sony Award-nominated radio show, 'The Shuttleworths' plus numerous Radio One appearances , and , of course , his opening spot for Blur in front of 27 ,000 people. "I don 't think there were that many there you know! " he says , when I put that figure to him. "lt wasn't really my crowd, you know. They were only there for Blur." What did Damon say when they met backstage then? "I didn't meet them. I passed Damon ... but he wasn't looking," he confesses. "However, I did something on Radio One and I pretended I'd met them ." Th is non-meeting of Blur somehow seems to sum up Graham 's whole outlook on stardom . When I ask him whether he ever believes he'll be as big as his friend Steve Coogan , he repl ies "No, I don't. And it hurts. No, I don't really crave it. I think Steve wants it.

He wants to be a big star." Graham then proceeds to tell me a very funny story about the time when Steve went into a hotel, somewhat scruffily attired, and was completely unrecognised by the doorman, much to his dismay. Unfortunately, I don't have a dictaphone, so most of the story gets lost down the telephone . But there is a chance that Graham , or, to be more accurate, John, will soon get his own TV series. Meanwhile, Graham will be appearing as a seedy club manager, Clive , in Steve Coogan's new series . My time with Graham is running out, and neither of us can think of a funny way to end the interview. So Graham suggests that John comes to the phone. However, when I ask John to come up with "someth ing a bit quirky", he seems at a loss for words . "Arrhh .... I'm losing it.. it's slipping away from me ... gone." Poor bloke . Let's just hope he gets it back in time for his appearance at the Maddermarket on Sunday October 8, as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. Maybe Graham will give him a helping hand ....

' I

One of John Shuttleworth's many faces

f t

I• ~

an's WEDNESDAYS • Uplifting house I garage ·top DJs

• £1 admission • Happy hour • Open 9- 2am

SATURDAYS • CLUB DANCE Current Dance I House I Garage I Swing TUESDAY 26th • FROOTLAND Handbag &House

• £2 admission • Open 10 • 2am

FRIDAY 29th • JUNGLE I MASH • DJs Randell and Kenny Ken

FREE R00MHIRE

• £2 admission all nlte · • Pub prices. • onen 9 · zam

• Open 9- 2am • 2 rooms ot music

Conditions: £25 deposit, refundable it 80 or more people turn up. Bring your own DJ, all equipment supplied. Licensed until 2am (11 pm Sundays). Own catering allowed. Great tor private parties, clubs and socials.

Special admissions rates and free membership with UEA I NUS card - ring for details Manhattans (Mem) Nightclub, 15 Dove Street, Norwich 01603 629060 R.O.A.R.

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the desire to promote mur-a..,.,... at UEA, Fancy Free Proformed. This Is the first on of Its kind at the UEA -.:;.ouonolrnH Studio. cast of four, accompanied by an &>;,ic~•taa,e, five-piece jazz band, draw on ~.,.M1l81e•nts of Norwich and UEA, and the direction of Charlotte local choreographer Ruth car'lllill and musical director Andrew

-- -- -

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Welcome to the first competition page of a

new year! This week, courtesy of the Cannon Cin-

ema, Norwich, we have six T-shirts to give away.

cannon

This year a trip to the will be twice as good - especially if you take advantage of the new student discount scheme.

Student diScount ticket prices have now

songs from jazz and blues Nomax - mean, moody, macho-···--u"'autw11.a Bessle Smith and Jlm Cox, ken-hearted. His baby's left hln'lhll,od ,.,............,.. share their stories of he's got the blues. Then smtttAnlv_llll'l,m come to be "singing the out of the radio spring five cool •~r~~A. night." Two hours of non- from the age of jazz - Big Moe, charged Jazz and blues Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe and FtuJrll!!vall ' ~rots11161~111•1 have the audience on their _Moe (great names, huh?l). What they don't know about and dancing just Isn't worth kn~I:Mina. C!llliiiNio~tAon:& are people of 1930s the period that gave birth to and If anyone can beat the the Lady of the Road down theseguysl Featuring the Infectious 'jump - ....... the Woman learning that of the legendary Louis Jordan, knows you when you're down and the Girl with high hopes great dances of the 1940s, 'Five uuwa...o' 8Je1Cial date are commented on Is an exuberant musical celeb•·atll8rol \' hliH•'It•••......, Singer who Is covering the days when joints really were lng. So dust off your dancing _.. _._.,.,__... Mt:dhMIPP<,int:me•nl at missing the big head down to Theatre Street nrnor\tnr have been warned! together In a cheap ho-

October 17 to December 10

open Tue-Sun

12.00 - 17.00 information

phone 456060 or ask at gallery reception

been extended so that a cut price ticket is available all day, Monday to Thursday, with £1 off tile adult prio&.

Not only that but if you collect a student discount card from campus. and take it along each time you go, it will get stamped. When you have collected four stamps, you fifth visit Is absolutely freel Over the summer, Cannon Cinemas invested heavily into their Norwich site. This now means that the sound systems have all been up graded. Thanks to the miracles of modem technology, both theatres 1and 2, have had their sound systems redesigned so that you can now hear the film in marvellous Dolby SA (thafs Spectral Recordlogfactfans). Thlsmeansthatyoucan now hear the highs and lows on the soundtrack, adding that extra dimension to your cinema pleasure. Added to which both theatres 3 and 4

have had Dolby Surround Sound fitted, replacing the old mono systems they had before. What more could you ask for? Anyway, to win one of these Cannon Norwich T-shirts, just answer this simple question: Who directed the latest Tom Hanks

movie, 'Apollo 13'? Answers to be in the Concrete competl· tions box, which can be found by the Porters in Union House by October 1, please For more information, programme details and booking into, ring Norwich 624677

Fetishism

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts University of East Anglia Norwich

A National Touring Exhibition

plus

lectures and events workshops gallery shop

cafe

ADMISSION FREE TO UEA STUDENTS AND STAFF

UEA NORWICH

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The Rt. Hon. Tony Benn MP was at UEA at the end of last term giving a lecture about Thomas Paine. Matthew Doyle spoke to him about past present & future It doesn't take long when listening to Tony Benn to realise that he strongly believes what he is saying, During his life in politics his views have been clear, and he hasn't shied from saying what he believes. Tony Benn is a conviction politician: ambition doesn't come i11 to it. I cannot say I've been motivated by personal ambition . Otherwise, I would have said other things. Today, he is lecturing on Thomas Pai11e. Thomas Paine is a figure for all times: the welfare debate, votes for women . Present day policy makers cannot disregard him as a figure . He is still highly relevant. The Labour Party has grow11 under Tony Blair, but what is he up to? Well you should ask Tony Blair. He wants victory for the Labour Party, the same as I do. I don't think you win by abandoning what you stand for. There is also perhaps further ellcouragementfor Mr Blair ill what Mr Ben11 had to say. 011 the question of division between Old a11d New Labour, he said:

lt is always the right wing who leave the party, never the left wing. I worked in the cabinet with Reg Prentice, he went straight from the Labour Cabinet to the Tory Cabinet. Some people took the stopping train via the SDP. What I think may well happen, if the next Labour Government doesn't meet our needs, and there's real trouble then look for another National Government and that is when you need a strong Labour Party. But how do you see the future ofsocwlism? Well , I would rather influence the future, not forecast it! I think the next century will be the century of socialism . The collapse of communism has liberated socialism, just as the Reformation liberated Christianity. As the Pope had become too powerful, so communism had become a dictatorship. Now the dictatorship has gone. Unemployme11t is o11e of the major worries ill society, how ca11 this be reduced? Unemployment is not an accident. Unemployment is the policy. Unemployment per-

forms some absolutely vital functions for capitalism. lt lowers wages, it undermines trade unionism, it boosts profits, it limits imports. But above all it frightens people so they dare not put their head above the parapet. Even homelessness has that effect. If you walk along The Embankment, you see people in cardboard boxes, there is a very clear message injected into your mind: if I have a row with my boss and I get sacked, and I can't keep up my mortgage repayments, I will be in a cardboard box . Therefore , you'd better keep your head down. During the eighties the City seemed to be controlling policy more and more. How do you regarded the City and the culture it encourages? There is a new witchcraft of money. Every night the financial news tells you the Dow Jones industrial average has fallen. I don't know who Mr Jones is, but you have to give him credit, he works very hard. When most of us are watching the telly he's working out his industrial averages. Then we're told the pound

has lost three points against a basket of European currencies. I've never had a basket of European currencies but it sounds a very handy thing to take on holiday. As soon as the pound drops three points, Virginia Bottomley closes three hospitals, confidence restores and the pound rises again . This is absolute witchcraft. lt is a superstition to believe that there is no alternative. How do you build society for the future? lt involves a confident society. lt is not the leaders but the nations themselves who decide what should happen when they are determined. Now there is a counter attack on democracy with the secrecy and brain washing which is going on. People are demoralised and divided. When people have confidence they will do things: the suffragettes, South Africa, the Berlin Wall and the Poll Tax. Confidence is not offered by government but you do it yourself. What confidence can students have, with the current cuts in educatio11?

If you start having loans for students at college, you could have loans for students at school, you could have loans for students at playschool! You could come back in a few years, and if we don't change it, that's the way it will be. When I look back on the war there was full employment. I had a letter when I was 16Y2 from the government saying 'will you turn up on your 17th birth-

day and we'll give you free food, free clothes, free accommodation, free two shillings a day if you'll kill Germans?' lt was a sort of Youth Training Scheme. If you can have full employment in war time, why not to build homes, to recruit teachers, to have more nurses, to clean up the environment, why not? Because it's not profitable, that's what the argument is about.

WELCOME TO THE CHAPLAINCY Feel free to call in anytime

for tea or coffee and find out what we•re about

The Chaplaincy is for all faiths and is 1n The Square on campus

San1 Stniths Courage Best £1.20 a pint

•• 'J

STRONGB~W.

CIDER £1.2~ ptnt

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Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

M~T

ERS

Micheledu Randtexaminesthefinancial packages available to students this academic year and weighs them up...

owyou'veactuallymade it to university, one thing you'll find you can't possibly survive without, apart from your teddy-bear, is a bank account. You'll be forced into a rather harrowing experience at Soc Mart, whereby several smiling and suited people will thrust endless leaflets and free plastic keyrings into your already over1aden arms in the vain hope of recruiting you (and your grant) into their financial institution. But don't be put off by all this, and certainly don't leave Soc Mart feeling youhavetospendthenext semester trudging through the stacks of bumph before giving in anddecidingtoplumpforthebank offering the most freebies. For there are several very important things to keep in mind when choosing a student bank account- the least important being thenumberofmoney-offvouchers for the Virgin Megastore or cash gifts you'll receive on opening the account. This is because, unless you happen to be a member of the aristocracy or very lucky at the bookies, an overdraft is absolutely vital during your time at university. According to findings in the 1995 Barclays Bank/ NUS Services Student Debt Survey, the average debt on graduation is £2,293, a rise of 14 per cent. So you'll no doubt come to realise that the three month break is anything but a holiday when you find it necessary to work every hour of every day in order to be able to startyoursecond and third years in the black. This is why, although it may seem like a lot of extra hassle at the time, it is advisable to try and draw up some kind of a budget planner atthe start ofthe year, basing it on the intake of your grant cheque, student loan, parental contribution, part-time job etc, and then deducting for outgoing costs such as rent, food, books, travel, beer, etc (although not necessarily in that order).

MONDAY Cow Club Student Night Admission £2 with UEA I NUS card

TUESDAY Fresh! Current and classic chart & dance 10-2 £2

WEDNESDAY The Main Ingredient Hip Hop - Swing - Soul - Funk 9-2 £1

FRIDAY Some banks have ready produced budget planners, so there's even less for your brain to cope with. And since they set out particular categories,itmightremindyouthat you are supposed to actually spend money on 'academic' items such as books, not just beer. Another way in which most banks try to ease the pressure on students, and Freshers in particular, is by providing student business officers or advisers to help you with anything concerning your account - how to manage financially if your grant cheque is late or just to talk about ways in which you can better organise your budget planner. Of the major high street institutions, Barclays, NatWest, Uoyds, Midland, TSB, Halifax and the Royal Bank of Scotland all offer student accounts and there is considerable variation in what each has to offer, insofar as interest-free overdraft limits, credit interest rates, typesofcreditcard, bank charges and so on. The table below lists the major institutions and what each has to

offer, notonlytotheconfusedfirst year, but also to the seasoned postgraduate. ltsetsoutthemost important factors contributing to the decision you make in choosing which particular institution to go with. For with grants frozen since 1990, students have had to rely increasingly on the Government's infamous Student Loans Scheme, which you can apply for at any time during the year. And although the responsible student of the 90s isn't borrowing as much as is available, it is from this source that students borrow the most money. None of the institutions will necessarily stop you from going into the red, and they will want you to pay back those overdrafts subject to certain terms and conditions, but in general they are there to offer advice and look after your financial matters. In fact, it'sinyourown interests to keep on friendly terms with your bank since out of all the acquaintances you make at university, this is probably going to be one of the most important.

Club X-Press A credit to the world of house music A night of pumping house and garage Guest DJs 9.30-2 £4

SATURDAY Cow Club 9.30-2 £5

OJs Wanted c new to the area .... Opportunities for uphfbng house and garage IDIX OJs .... Rlng malcolm nch 166185

Louis !Marcfiesi Next to

RITZY Tom bland

STUDENT ACCOUNTS- HOW THE BIG BANKS COMPARE Credit Interest Rate(%)

Free overdraft

Authorised borrowing rate above free overdraft

Bare lays

2.5

Up to £750 in year 1 to £1,000 in year 3

7.9

20.1

Co-op

0.25 on 500+

Up to£500

19.58

32.92

Lloyds

Up to £500 in year 1; £700 year 2; £900 year 3

7.9

26.8

Midland

£500 year 1; £700 year 2; £900 year 3

Natwest

£750

9.3

29.5

Royal Bank Of Scotland

3.5

£500 year 1; 750 year 2

9.75 to 12.75

30.6

TSB

3.5

£500 year 1; £800 year 2; £700 year 3

6.2

29.8

Unauthorised borrowing rate %

Mondays & Wednesdays STUDENT NIGHT Free Jukebox plus ~Bitter ~Lager

I£ 1 A PINT

Saturday night

PUMPING HOUSE AND GARAGE FROM ZOOM

DJ GRAHAM HINTON

r·

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32 Concrete, Wednesday, September 20, 1995

000 MGM CANNON For exact listings and times, ring the cinema.

The Fox and The Hound IUI So1Sepl23 Cutesy Disney fore. Bel you'll cry at the end .... Bobette's Feast IUJ SunSepl24 A widow goes enters domestic service in the employ of two sisters, who live on a remote Danish peninsula . Subtided.

Apollo 13 IPGI Tom 'Con I have another Oscar please?' Hanks in true Moonshot disaster tale. See page 24.

THE WATERFRONT

Girls Night Out Thurs Sept 21 nna, Stacey and Becky ore left grounded and confused after a girls night out. Presented by Komment Theatre. £4/£2 cones.

Wolerworld 1121 Pock the sea-sickness pills for a trip across endless oceans with a fishy Kevin Costner.

MADDERMARKET

The Quick and the Dead 1151 Opens on Fri Sept 22 with Hammy Western, starring Shoron Stone as a gunslingin' gal and Gene Hockmon os the bad guy.

Table Manners Fri Sept 29-Sot Oct 7 Alon Acykbourn's sparkling comedy of warped surburbon values. £3-£7.

ODEON Bullets Over Broadway 1151 SunSept24 Woody Alien's acerbic comedy, set on the Broadway of the roaring twenties.

I Love A Man In Uniform (18) FriSept29 A neurotic bank clerk develops on unhealthy interest in police work after taking a bit-port in a TV cop show.

Vonyo On 42nd Street IUI Sun Oct1 An adaptation of Chekov's ploy, which is actually a record of the final rehearsal for a recent Broadway production. Quiz Show 1151 5un0ct1 Robert Redford directs the true story of a notorious quiz show scandal that rocked America in the fifties. Clerks 118) Mon Oct 2- Wed Oct 4 Refreshingly funny shop-ossistanrs eye-view of the world. See page 25.

For exact times, ring the cinema.

The Bluetones + The Gift SotSept30 As port of the Meltdown club. £4 odv.

THEATRE ROYAL Joon Armotroding Sun Oct1 One of Britain's leading singer/songwriters, with over 10 million album soles to her credit. £3 .50-£15 .

Blues In The Night Thurs Sept 28-Sot Sept 30 lWo hours of non-stop, highly charged jazz and blues tunes. £6/£3.50 cones.

UEA LCR Lee & Herring's 'Fist of Fun' SotSept30 Possibly the hottest double act around at the moment. £6.

NORWICH ARTS CENTRE Squid WedsSept27 Set in a lighthouse, this is a show of extreme encounters and startling creatures that lurk in rock pools. Sounds bizarre? Thars probably because it is! £5 odv/£6 door.

CINEMA CITY

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle 1181 Fri Sepl22 Psycho-nanny thriller. with Rebecco De Mornoy.

The Pogues WedSept27 They're still going strong after all these years too! £10 odv.

The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Come Down A Mountain !PG) Mon Sept 25-Sot Sept30 Please insert your own joke about Hugh Grant here.

The BFG IUI So1Sept30 Animated version of Roold Dohl's classic kid's story.

Burnt By The Sun 1151 Wed Sept 20-Sot Sept 23 Winner of lost year's Best Foreign Film Oscar, this is a gentle story about a Russian family in the 1930s.

Skunk Anonsie SotSept23 Exclusive LP Promotion, as port of Meltdown club. £4 odv.

UEA STUDIO

For exact listings and limes, ring the cinema. -. .

The Bridges of Madison County IPGI Clint Eostwood and Meryl Streep play a couple of starcrossed lovers. Don't forget the tissues. See page 24.

The Magician's Nephew Fri Sept 29-Sot Sept 30 This tale of adventure and mystery is the origin of all the Narnio stories. £2-£11.50.

NORWICH ARTS CENTRE

Die Hard With A Vengeance 1151 Bombs and explosions galore. Bruce Willis tries to make some sense of it all. See page 25.

Broveheart 1151 Mel Gibson goes into battle wearing a kilt and sporting on actually quite plausible Scottish accent. See poge25.

Block Grope Tues0ct3 Shoun Ryder and Kermit be~ out some damn fine tunes. £8.50odv.

Five Guys Named Moe Mon Oct 2-Sot Oct 7 Banish those blues for good with the Moes. See page 29. £3-£19.50.

The Usual Suspects 1181 Crime thriller done in a Tarantino-esque stylee. With Gobriel Byrne. See page 25 .

While You Were Sleeping IPGI Sondro 'Speed' Bullock in a light, frothy, romantic comedy. See page 25.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Mon Sepi25-Wed Sept 27, Sot Sepl30 Stage adaptation of C S Lewis's most famous story from Nornio. £2-£11.50.

UEA LCR THEATRE ROYAL Return To The Forbidden Planet Wed Sept 20-Sat Sept 23. A rock and roll musical masterpiece, loosely based on Shakespeare's 1he Tempesr. £3-£18.50.

BigCountry SunSept24 Still going strong, after all these years. £9.50 odv. Megadog Sot5ept30 Featuring Drum Club and System 7. £7.50 odv.

NORWICH ARTS CENTRE Dick Goughon WedSept20 One of the most influential voices on the folk and col music scenes in the lost 17 years. £5 adv/£6

i1 Highlight of the Fortnight

SotSept23 Red hot and frenzied folk. £4.50 odv/£5.50 door. Battlefield Bond TuesSept26 Folk music of power and possion. inspired by Scotland's rich heritage. £7.50 odv/£8.50 door. Alan Stuort Octet FriSept29 Brass-laden jazz from this highly experienced eightpiece. £5.50 adv/£6.50 door. The Mangoes + Foundation Sounds SotSept30 Local rocksteady and ska heroes return to NAC after last year's sell out gig. Presented by FDN Reggae. £3.50 odv/£4.50 door.

ZOOM Mondays - Student Night Admission £2 with NUS card. 9.30pm-2om. Saturdays - The Caw Club Uplifting House. Admission £5 with NUS card. 9.30pm-2om.

MANHATTANS Tuesday Sept 26 - Frootland: Handbag and House. Admission £2. 10pm-2am. Wednesdays - Uplifting House/Garage. Admission £1. 9pm-2om.

Friday Sept 22 - Club night. Admission £3 B411pm, £4 after. 9pm-2am. Friday Sept 29 - Jungle/Mash: D.Js Randell and Kenny Ken. 9pm-2am.

RITZY Mondays - Student Night. Admission 50p with any student ID B4 midnight. 9pm2om.

Saturdays - Club party night. £4 B411pm. £5 after. 9pm-2am.

HYS Tuesdays I Wednesdays - Club night. Admission £1 all night. 9pm-2am.

Wednesdays - Student Night. Admission SOp with any student ID B4 midnight. 9pm2om.

Thursdays - Club night Admission £2 all night. 9pm-2om.

Fridays - Fast Trox Admission £3 B410.30pm. £4 after. 9pm-2am.

Fridays - Club night. Admission £2 84 lOpm. £3 B411pm. £4 after. 9pm2om.

Saturdays - Furious Fun. Adl!lission £4 B410.30pm. £5 after. 9pm-2om.

PEPPERMINT PARK

Saturdays - Club night. Admission £3 B4 lOpm. £4 B411pm, £5 after. 9pm2am.

Mondays - Student Night Dizzy! Admission £1. 9pm-2am. Wednesdays - Club night. 9pm-2am. Fridays - Frantic Friday. Admission£3. 9pm-2am. Saturdays - The Big One. £3 B4 10.30pm, £4 after.

THE WATERFRONT Friday Sept 22 - Milky lunch: House & Garage. Admission £9 with NUS card. 9pm- Meltdown: A.dmission £3.50/£3 cones. 9pm-1 .30om.

heW terfr nt Zoom

Cannon Cinema City

0 eon Maddermarket Norwlch Arts Centre Theatre Royal UEA Union Ents

elr actually rather good a spin-off book (out

Concrete, Wednesday, September 20 , 1995

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCFC

8 Jane Jo-rne-r.....,I TO say that last year wasn't one of the greatest in the history of Norwich City football club would be a slight understatement. A season which was marred by the sacking of then manager John Deehan , the sale of more top players and clashes between demonstrating fan s and the police, was crowned by relegation from the

Premier League. However, if early indications are anything to go by, hopefully this year Canary supporters will be given something to sing about. After much close-season speculation, Martin O' Neill was fina lly named as the new City boss, and si nce his arrival from Wycombe Wanderers, the team's performances have slowly but surely im-

Down at Carrow Road, things are looking up... proved. At the time of writing, City are lying fourth in Division One, having gained their first ever victory over Wolves at Molyneux in midweek, and were recently boosted by the return of former hero Robert Fleck, on loan from Chelsea with a view to a permanent move. There has, however, been a distinct lack of new signings. West

Ones to watch

Ham' s Matthew Rush is the only player for whom chairman Robert Chase has been prepared to open his chequebook, but even his contribution has been limited after suffering a cruciate ligament injury after just one appearance as a substitute. Yet even with a virtually unchanged squad, the team has improved beyond recognition from the one which won just ten games

during the whole of last year. But success breeds confidence, and after completely destroying Luton Town on the opening day of the season, morale has been skyhigh. Even the occasional relapse, such as the 3-1 loss at Birmingham City, cannot ruin the positive start to their league campaign, and Canary fans are already planning the

celebrations for when their team lift the title. While this may be a little premature, it carmot be denied that if they continue to play their attractive but effective football, Carrow Road will be playing host to some exciting games over the next nine months, and come May the team could well be celebrating a return to the top flight.

Darren Eadie One of the club's most promising youngsters, Eadie (right) is a regular in the England Under-21 side. Although chased by many other clubs, he has committed himself to City, and has this season been worrying defenders with his attacking runs from midfield.

AshleyWard

Al though relati vely inexperienced, Ward (below) has already earned himself a reputation as a deadly marksman following his move from Crewe last December. After scoring twice on his City debut, he finished the season as the cl ub's leading goal scorer and, with two goals already notched up this year, it looks as if history may well repeat itself.

Robert Fleck Even if his one month loan spell is not extended, 'Fleckie' will have made a valuable contribution to the team. In the few games he has played since his return to Norw ich, he has been involved in virtually every attack. He has made no secret of his desire to make his move permanent, and City fans will be hoping that his signing will take place sooner rather than later.. After spending most of last year sidelined through injury. Gunn (above) returned with a vengeance to make his 400th appearance for the club against Luton. Although he was sent-off against Sheffield United, when he is on the pitch, this Scottish international can be relied upon to perform at a consistently high standard.

Danny Mills This 18 year old, Norwich born defender has been thrown in at the deep end by O'Neill, making his senior debut against Luton Despite giving away a penalty, his performance was impressive enough to earn him a run in the team and he looks to have a promising future ahead of him.

Wed 20 Sept: Home v Torquay United (Coca-cola Sat 23 Sept: Away v Grimsby Town (League) Sat 30 Sept. Home v Leicester City (League) Wed 4 Oct: Away v Torquay United (Coca-Cola Cup)

Concrete, Wednesday, September 30, 1995

A SPO Tl G CHANCE Whatto do and where to go to get (and stay) fit during your time at UEA CHANCES are that at sometime or another you'll be Involved In sport here at UEA. That Is, If you believe the statistics, writes Nlk Davy. There are a total of 33 sports clubs to choose from, starting with the American Football club, finishing up with the windsurfers and taking in pretty much everything in between. Of these, some are more serious than others, some more high-profile than the rest, but all aim to make their sport as accessible as

possible. Last year, the most successful clubs were the Volleyball and Cycling clubs. The former had their best year ever, with the ladies team finishing fifth in the BUSA (British Universities Sports Association) championship, whilst the second took UEA's biggest BUSA medal haul from the track and time-trial championships. Of the other teams, the men's football first team won the Gall pen Press League, while the seconds were promoted and the Aaddvarks bas-

It's touchdown time again for the Pirates!

ketball team won their local league, as did both of the ladies hockey teams. As if this wasn't enough, the Pirates American football team won the inaugural BUSA Southern Conference Plate, the indoor cricket team were runners up to Loughborough in their BUSA competition, and the Trojans men's cross-country team won the East Anglian Cross Country League. In addition to all the serious stuff, the team at the Sports Centre will again be running the Grand Prix, a year-long multi-sport event open to anyone. Teams of up to seven men, seven women and a captain of either sex compete in events such as the 'fun' run, swimming, the obstacle course and netball (just so the men can make fools of themselves as they haven't got a clue what's going on!). Speak to the staff at the Sports Centre for an entry form and more details. However, if you want to keep fit without competing at all, aerobics and step classes, and circuit and weight training are all available in the Sports Centre, which also has a well-equipped gym. (Instruction sessions for the gym will be run, so if you're interested, further information can be had from the Sports

•

•newsagent pos shop second I

a floodlit training area. Sports Mart, which takes place in •he Sports Centre main hall on Friday 22, is the best time to find out more about any sports you are interested in. Each sports club will be represented there by members of its committee (all of them are run by students elected from their member-

ship), all of whom will be willing to talk to you about any aspect of sporting life at UEA. So whether you want to train seven days a week, fifty two weeks a year, or just make a frenzied attempt to get fit after a summer spent lazing around eating ice cream and drinking beer, there should be something here for you.

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Another successful year for the football firsts Centre reception.) The Sports Centre itself boasts a main hall and a practice hall, three squash courts (a further two are available under Suffolk Terrace), as well as the gym, but other facilities are also available on campus. The tennis/netball courts opposite Waveney Terrace have finally been resurfaced and are now allweather, as is the eight-lane tartan athletics track, and the floodlit astroturf hockey/five-a-side football pitches. In addition to these, the University has 40 acres of grass playing fieldsatColneyLane, which include

Both of the ladies' hockey teams were promoted last year

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