The event issue 093 25 11 1998

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• - cartoons kick ass," said Eric cartman, the fat spoilt brat from South Park, and he was right. South Park, wHh Its cardboard cut-out animation, excellent guest stars, and the most verbally offensive eight year-olds you're ever likely to meet, has taken the world by storm.

The TV series was a hit, the videos flew out of the shops, and the cuddly toys are fast becoming a must for every student room.

Now Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny are moving Into the music industry with a new album released In aid of their school Chef, Chef (see review page seven).

To celebrate the boys' new status as multi-media moguls The Event has three goodle bags full of records, posters, albums and key rings to give away.

To win one of these most sought after prizes put your name, school, year, and a contact number In our box in the Hive along with the answer to this simple question: What road links Unthsnk Road with South Park Avenue?

THE EVENT. WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 25. 1998

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You can't help but question Cliffs sincerity, but the one thing that becomes clear is his incredible belief in the band. He says that Gay Dad is one of those things in life that feels "undeniably correcr, and adds - with more than a hint of tongue-in-cheek - "I can't wait for Gay Dad to come out."

Gay Dad's identity may be difficult to define, but their music isn't as pretentious as you would expect from a band "ordained by God." Cliff points out, "there is a kind of party element to it that in a strange way is kind of subversive." it's not the type of dour and reflective music that makes you want to hide away in your room.

Instead, "it reminds you there is a whole life out there."

This sp1rit is pa1nfully obvious in their debut single To Earth With Love. Released in early January, with their album following shortly after, it's a pre-

Homosexual parents? ordination by God? Pllil Steplaan spoke to Gay Dad, hoOy tipped new band about, weD... why that name?

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he LCR is darkened and the crowd, slightly r.estless in anticipation of Mansun, start to jostle for position near the bar. But before wide open spaces and stripping vicars there's the formality of the support band to go through.

Often this graveyard slot is occupied by Oasis wannabes and Cast rejects, but when you see the words "Gay Dad" emblazoned above a stage, you realise that tonight is going to be special. Because you're in the company of one of the most talked about new bands of the moment, the simply yet intriguingly named Gay Dad. How could a band call themselves Gay Dad and who the hell do they think they are anyway?

Frontman Cliff Jones describes Gay Dad as "the kind of thing to bridge the gap into the next millennium." He says the band are, "jettisoning all the debris that has come with us over the last

forty years"; getting rid of old values and boring prejudices that don't belong here any more.

Whatever they stand for, it is clear that Gay Dad have an agenda, and their unusual name has a part to play in this. "lt's not some kind of postmodem joke, it's a really interesting Nineties name," Cliff insists. But when pressed about the origins of the name the answer is not so

lt's not some kind of post· modent joke forthcoming. "it was a gift, it was ordained," we are reluctantly told.

He returns to this point later in the interview, claiming that everything with Gay Dad "happened how it was supposed to, as it was ordained by God."

millennium rock & roll song offering a vision of the world Gay Dad inhabit.

Ordained by God? Probably not, but th1s won't be

And here are some of our other favourite Gay Dads Freddy Mercury - the loveable but sadly dead s1nger of the aptly named Queen .

Ron Davies - the naughty but nice former Welsh minster.

Tom Fronczak of Rochester, NY - an American gay dad who operates a special interne! site for gay dads at http://members.aol .com/tjfronczak/gaydad.htm Oscar Wilde - the turn of the century wit and playwright, with great dress sense, a wife and children, and an aristocratic gay affair.

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Knowledge no.19 E I V I. s c 0 st e I 0 ~~~n~akingteawithPinochet

What's the big fuss then?

From his New-Wave roots to his new role as elder-statesman of Rock, Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus) has produced superb music, and thought provoking lyrics.

Who did/does what?

Elvis writes all own songs, although he has occasionally teamed up with some of pop's brightest lights, including ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, and he recently told Burt Bacharach the way to San Jose. The Attractions backed him for much of his career comprising of Pete Thomas on drums, Steve

Nieve on Keyboards, and Bruce Lee biographer Bruce Thomas on bass.

Sold a few records then?

Not for a while, really. Although his albums sell well, they haven't dominated the charts that often . His biggest selling single to date, Oliver's Army really sums up his success in that market: it was number two for weeks but never number one. Still, who cares about sales? Not him , apparently.

Which is best?

The generally acknowledged 'golden period' runs from his second LP This Year's Model, to his fourth Imperial Bedroom. He did a country covers album after that, which surprised a few people.

Did we mention his hatred for Margaret Thatcher?

PM Spice has been a hate figure for Costello throughout his professional career. He famously penned the extremely beautiful Shipbuilding as a rebuttal to all the nonsense that surrounded the Falklands War. While his 1984 single Pill & Soap, was an attempt to swing the election by ripping apart Thatcherite policy, the final summation of Costello's deep hatred for the Iron Lady came on Spike where he cla1med he'd like to "tramp the dirt down" on her grave. No danger of

What does the future hold?

With plenty of projects in the pipeline, it seems that Costello could go on making records, pop, classical or otherwise (he's remixed Tricky!) for years to come.

In retrospect?

I would rather be anywhere else but here today!

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Salute to greatness or cheeky rip¡offs looking to make a quick buck? The booOeg Jlmanda Jlkien examines the whole tribute bandthang

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ver the years tribute bands have become an increasingly popular phenomenon on the British music scene. lt seems as soon as a band splits up or even just takes a break for a while (five years in The Stone Roses' case) , there will be a replica trudging round the land, taking over the radio waves, and in some very cheeky cases, releasing 'their own' COs. So what exactly constitutes a tribute band?

Not to be confused with cover bands, tribute bands dedicate themselves to one group, and attempt to replicate everything about them.

They'll learn to play perfectly each note of Hendrix's guitar solo's, make a set of false teeth emulating Freddy Mercury's overbite, hit as many reporters as Bjork and probably do anything else which brings a group's live experience to life.

The mention of tribute bands in the past would have had connotations of dateless, acneridden secondary school boys who a group hoping to pull.

Unfortunately their desire to get off with the opposite sex was usually stronger than their creativity so instead of being the next Oasis, they just try to be Oasis!

For those of you unfortunate enough to have seen or heard anything by No Way Sis, such nightmare images probably persist.

However, with the existence of groups such as Bjorn Again, Unforgettable Fire (a tribute to the still recording U2) and Wham/Duran ( those two great 80's bands with fetching hair cuts), it's nice to see that it's not just pubescent, unshaven lads who form tribute bands.

The key word in many such bands is nostalgia.

In the retrogressive 1990's the atmosphere is ripe for the tribute band format to achieve success.

The Bootleg Beatles were introduced to please your parents and Oasis fans who want to know where their idols found their songs- sorry, inspiration - while Bjorn Again are for all those misguided twenty-somethings who think eurodisco is 'cool'.

Bjorn Again are perhaps one of the most well known tribute bands. Unlike ABBA they don't • c:tctu1a11v come from Sweden or indeed Europe, but originate in Melbourne, Australia. Since their first show in May 1989, they have performed almost 1500 gigs in over 40 countries world-wide, including three sell out shows at the Royal Albert Hall where ABBA themselves played in 1977.

The band were conceived in 1988 when Rod Woolleey (now the slightly more Swedish sounding

Leissle) had an idea which he hoped would capture the imagination of the people of Melbourne, enabling them to have a laugh and relive their youth .

After recruiting musicians from previous bands he'd been in and placing ad's for the remaining members, the final problem for Leissle was to find a constant supply of platforms.

A year later Bjorn Again performed their first show in Melbourne.

Prior to this, there had been no ABBA revival , and word soon got around that there was an alternative to the 70's ABBA. In 1990 Bjorn Again got an unexpected invitation to visit the native homeland of their idols where the Swedish tabloid press were interested as to who these ABBA impostors were.

They managed to win the hearts of several nostalgic Swedes by singing four songs on a weekly TV variety show called

i t seems that the copy ca ts aren't waiting for the orginal to disaapear

Fredagsextra.

Bjorn Ulvaeus of the original ABBA had been at home watching the show and sent them a characteristically modest telegram saying , "lt was always my belief that anyone who looks like me ought to have a successful career."

After having been accepted by their forefathers Bjorn Again started to tour the world, playing at the world's best rock festivals; Roskilde in Denmark, Phoenix in the UK and Sentosa Festival in Singapore. So what makes Bjorn Again so successful?

Probably because they look, sound and behave much like the band they ape. If you were too young to be a 70's dancing queen , the songs of ABBA have been Bjorn Again so that that most famous of Swedish exports can be enjoyed in the 90's. As the ABBA copycats demonstrate, though, it is no laughing matter being someone else for your professional career.

The most difficult hurdle facing the serious tribute band starting out, is the

obvious one: they have a hell of a lot to live up to.

The secret to being a successful tribute band is to be able to perform as well as , or perhaps even better than , the original artists- though in most cases there will only ever be one Bono of U2 or one Freddy Mercury from Queen.

For some it's easier to be a tribute success.

El Vet the Mexican Elvis has his own personality to add to the show, enabling to make a name for himself as a performer in his own right.

Generally speaking, tribute band~ provide entertainment as opposed to serious musical fulfilment.

The King, the latest big Elvis impersonator has taken this notion to its extreme. Not only does The King salute The King by singing like him, but he also 'pays tribute' to a dozen other dead artists by playing their songs in the Elvis style.

Groups can 't last forever, it's true, and some would argue that tributes offer some sort of service, although now it seems that the copycats aren't waiting for the original to disappear before starting out themselves.

There's a not-Paul Weller out there to mimic the

changing man who's still going strong himself.

Add to this a couple of Gallagher 'brothers', a few U2's and wannabe Spice Girls in the making (including one group who take things a little too far and strip) - mind you tribute Spice Girls couldn 't be any worse than the manufactured experiment itself.

As the years pass , the bands we love grow old, move to some obscure island, OD, or simply shoot themselves.

Whatever happens to our favourite beat combo's, we are sure to see them recreated by those individuals who have to try to be the band . Listening to the songs on their old record collections just isn't enough for some people.

They have to share their adulation with everyone else.

However, what often happens with these socalled tributes i& they end up doing the memory of their idols more harm then good, with second-rate renditions that turn one-time classics into sing-along pub cheese anthems.

Perhaps the retired rockers, the stars of today, and those who are pushing up the daisy's, should simply be left in artistic peace.

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at a great institution th e National ottery IS. Pay a pound, th en on Satu rday evenings watch the TV o see if your numbe rs come up.

You might win ten pounds, you might even win the lot: houses, ca rs . and lots of new 'friends' appearing from nowhere.

So there you si t, full of expecta ti on, watching as a celebrity guest sets the bal ls 1n motion.

Until that cynic says someth~ng that spoils it all.

Eddi Reader did that when she appeared on Lottery Ltve. Before press1ng the button she told v1ewers, ''it cou ld be you, but it's definitely Camelotl" thus incurnng the wrath of the shows' producer.

Two years later, Eddi is quite nonchalant about the whole episode: ·'it just came out, really . I just went on and said it, 'cos Camelot always do win, basically. But they got really upset-" Was she too honest for her own good?

"I don't think that there's such a thing as being too honest, really. I just went home to my children ."

Although her name may be unfamiliar and can be easily confused with a ce rtain US grunger, Eddi Reader has been playing music for a long time.

In the 80s she was in Fairground Attraction when they scored a number one hit with (If's Got to Be) Perfect.

Her career, however, goes back much further than that. Growing up in Glasgow, she started singing at the tender age of three, often pe rforming at parties or at those dreaded gatherings of relatives.

After school , Eddi went on to art co llege, where she became involved in a band wi th whom she busked aroun d Europe for about a yea r and a half.

This humble beginning eventually led to gigs with the likes of The Eurythmics. "lt was just stuff I liked doing ," she says of her early days, "and I really enjoyed all the partying."

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By this time Eddi had decided that she wanted her own band , and so Fai rground Attraction was born .

Success followed, but tensions within the band appeared over songwriting duties.

"The guy who was wri ting the songs didn't want to let anyone else wri te th em," she explains, ''Then he left the band and took the name Fairground Attraction with him ." After the split, Eddi final ly became , as she puts it, "someone on my own ."

Faced with the daunting prospect of making her

own LP , Eddi strictly refused to involve herself in the 'co rporate ' side of the business , "I've never been involved in the music business, I've only been involved in music," she asserts .

This single-minded attitude res ults in part from the tough time women have in the industry. As Reader points out, even with Girl Power, women still do have a harder time being accepted.

From the beginning of her career when she sang in bars, Reader was particularly aware that

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members of the audience, expecting all male performers, treated her differently, but she soon learnt to handle it. "i t's other people who have the problem. They think that if you're a woman on stage you must be on an ego trip or something."

However, Eddi thinks that the situation is changing. "I think that it's getting better" she says, "You see a lot of guys prettying themselves up and it looks great. I'm just so glad it's happening more now than it ever did before."

So men and women are quite similar really?

"I think the differences are in people's heads. We all have masculine and feminine qualities. I'm ready for anyone that comes up against me."

As for her music, Eddi describes it as "acoustic based, really gentle", though the songs usually change greatly style once she gets on the road.

Now, halfway through a tour, she admits she has trouble remembering what the records originally sounded like .

She often writes in collaboration, either by from working from scratch with someone or finish ing a song that has already been started. Whatever th e method the effect is to make the songs "completed and gorgeous ."

Th e results of th ese labours have been several albums wh ich cove r a range of styles . This is hardly surprising when she revea ls a list as long as your arm of favourite musicians , including Nick Drake , The Cocteau Twins , The Band , and Gram Parsons, as well as cu lt contemporary acts such as Annie DiFranco and Rufus Wainwright (a 22 year old singer in the Jeff Buckley guise).

As proof of her human frailty, Eddi also admits to liking the latest Mavericks single. Next year cou ld see Eddi Reader taking off in a camper van with her children and embarking on a road trip round the US , or perhaps somewhere else interesting: "Every day is something new . I just haven't found a place to put my roots down yet."

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~evenfj the round up of this fortnight's music releases hip hop beats.

And from then on, you're hooked.

The record travels through be-bop, funky jazz film soundtracks and fusion all perfectly mixed with beats to make you jump up and dance.

There's even a track that can only be described as performance poetry - or Jazzoetry as it's called in beardy circles.

The track that stands out is Data's Optimus Prime, remixed by Underdog, of Massive Attack and Sneaker Pimps fame .

Jazz double bass, trippy strings and hip hop beats, made by a new generation of people playing jazz. Nice? I reckon .

Lee Garner No Regrets includes guest vocals from Neil Tennant and Neil Hannon, and is, like many of Robbie"s songs, one that grows on you.

First impressions weren't good as it sounded too much like George Michael, but upon further listening this melodic tune becomes a great Joby Carpenter track to chill out to.

Savage Garden I Want You '98 The '98 suffix is a sign that this little ditty has been around before, and you could be forgiven for thinking that 'before' means the 80's, so synth-poppy-in- - - - - - - - - - - an-80's-groove is this song . lt does have qUite a pleasant chorus, but you're left asking "is that all that it does?" as I Want You turns into somethrng best described as dull Katie Durrant

Will Smith Miami The latest offering from the rapper cum movie star sees him serve up the cultural delights of Miami Unfortunately the song, like the c1ty, is a pile of steamy stuff.

The Fresh Prince brings a new level of cheese to the 'gangsta' world. This is bound to be played down Ikon on a Monday. Don't get jiggy with it.

Mark Edwards

Space Bad Days EP Space's new EP features Bad Days, a cover of we Gotta Get Out Of This Place and The Unluckiest Man In The World.

The first song did indeed cast a shadow over my day, the cover lacks all the vigour of the original, and the third sounds like a demented crooner singing in a second-rate musical.

Enough said, I think.

James Brown

Chef Aid

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The South Park Album

Is a boy with the Mir space probe up his bottom funny? 路r Whether or not you answer yes to the above question will dictate if you will like this LP. Recorded as a pseudo-live release, ThE South Park Album features all manner of musical celebrities such as Elton John and Ozzy Osboume coming to the aid of the financially strapped Chef at a huge benefit gig.

Of course, the four foul-mouthed brats who are the focus of South Park get in on the act as well , and there is plenty of the show's purile humour to keep fans happy.

As you would expect Chef ladles on the innuendo in his songs with titles like Chocolate Salty Balls, and there are decent contributions from Mase, Puff Daddy, L'il Kim and Primus, and a surprisingly good track from US noise mongers Rancid.

A few laughs here and there, but the Manics won 't be losing sleep come Brit Awards time.

Anthony Love//

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Nu-Jazz Generation Various Artists

"DON'T FILE UNDER JAZZ," ~@ proclaims a sticker on the sleeve.

Quite right too, because this is largely a drum & bass and hip hop record .

There is a bizarre blend of contemporary beats mixed with everything you might expect from an old jazz compilation album, and a little more besides. Nu-Jazz Generation opens with a Latininfluenced track of pure jazz impro-keyboard and

Radiohead

Meeting People is Easy (video)

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Filmed and directed by Grant Gee (creator of the No Surprises video) , Meeting People Is Easy follows Radiohead around the world, and showcases the media frenzy they leave in their wake. The video features live performances where Radiohead are as flawless and intense as we have come to expect.

Thorn Yorke twitches like a madman, and Johnny Greenwood wrings ear-shattering feedback from his guitar as tens of thousands look on in awe.

However, the drawback is that all we get are snippets played in wonderfully grand venues across the world .

Just as the band get going , the film is cut to weird camera angles showing endless interviews and press reviews of the band's latest and greatest album OK Computer. lt soon becomes clear that Gee's wish to make an arty-tarty statement about the tribulations of fame, is going to overshadow the most important thing the music.

This is ultimately the video's major flaw, wh1ch sadly makes it one only for Radiohead completists. Jamie McKie

Jools Holland & his khythm & Blues Orchestra UEA LCR, Saturday, November 14 lt seems appropriate that to mark the release of his Best Of album Jools Holland is on tour again, and on Saturday he played UEA in front of a sell out crowd.

As at last year's bash he brought along his chums in the Rhythm and Blues Orchestra to fill out the LCR stage and entertain us with their own fusion of jazz, blues and rock.

But it was the "boogie woogie" tracks which

Metallica Garage Inc. Chogga-chogga-chogga-chogga, ram-bamalamading-dong etc, etc.

Shut up and leave us all alone, you ageing makers of evil noise. it's been at least a fortnight since their last album so I guess we were due another lengthy installment from the stalwarts of every selfrespecting 14-year olds' record collection.

Except the difference here is that they've run out of things to scream about and have instead created a truly nasty compilation of covers that they've punished us with over the years.

As if we care where Metallica's influences came from . There's only one thing worse than poor heavy metal songs by tossers, and that's poor heavy metal songs covered by tossers (with the exception of Thin Uzzy's Whisky in the Jar which isn't necessarily poor but is still covered by tossers) . On the plus side, the free 32-page Thom Dunn booklet smells really nice.

inevitably had everyone up and dancing.

At various stages in these songs we were introduced to members of the orchestra who, in true jazz and blues style improvised with a passion. This worked extremely well, with the crowd energetically cheering every note; certainly a testament to the individual talents in the band.

As the evening drew to a close Jools Holland began to play the instantly recognisable hits, including the most popular of all, I'm In A Dancing Mood (an unmissable contribution to the Best Of album).

This gig provided the perfect showcase for Holland's talents as a pianist and was a real tour de force from the world of jazz and blues.

Kevin Howlett

Ash Wild Surf Out later this month, Wild Surf is the second single to be lifted from Nu-Clear sounds.

Apparently the song is insprred by the Beach Boys, which probably explains why it doesn't sound too original, a mish- mash of 60's nostalgia.

Still, it's an upbeat enough tune which stays in your head for hours after you've heard it.

RacheiCoollng

topdogformusic videos games THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

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Ronin Dir: John Frankenheimer 1998 Now showing

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he 'mission movie' is a tried and tested formula. The collecting together of strangers for a 'job' can be traced to The Dirty Dozen and beyond : Tarantino, as in most th ings, merely borrowed the idea. Surely, then , this is a worn-out genre? Not so, according to director John Frankenheimer. In Ronin Frankenheimer attempts to bring the mission genre into the nineties, using an all-star cast as operatives hired to ambush a heavily protected briefcase.

Ronin's nineties France is a world where clear objectives and fixed Cold War alliances are gone.

11 is a world where loyalty goes to the highest bidder, nobody knows who to trust or what the truth actuall y is, least of all the audience. As such , this movie is as much a psychological thriller as it is an action picture.

Leading the cast of Ronin (Japanese for masterless Samu rai) is Robe rt de Niro, who gives a characteristically good - if not astounding performance. Indeed, the only time De Niro shines is in his scenes with Jean Reno (Lean, Mission: Impossible), their understated chemistry su ggesting that this is a pairing an other director should make again, and soon.

Ronin is a deliberately ambiguous film , both morally and intellectually. J.D. Zeik's script conveys the ambiguity of the world of modern 'samu rai'; where bystanders get killed in crossfire, double crosses are everywhere and tru st is earn ed behind the barrel of an automatic. Zeik delights in leaving questi ons unanswered , but doesn't leave you annoyed because you can't follow the story.

Though not a great movie Ronin is worth seeing nonetheless for its occasional flashes of inspiration, great cinematography, and probably the best car chase scene since Sieve McOueen's in Bulfitt. it may not change your life, but if it makes you think twice about the action in other movi es th en Frankenheimer's done his job.

Kris Siefken

Th1s IS, w·thout doubt the u t1m te miSSIOn movie The Krlgl'ts wtlo say t a Holy Hand Grenada of Anuoc th Fr n Taunters and t kn1ght who wo t ccept deteat ev '1 wile he ha be r pa~ d from his arms. legs n'1d l:>rso Need we say more?

The ltaUan Job M1chael Cam and the rest of the SelfPreservation Society pull off the he1st of a lifetime Th1s 1s the f1lm that has fooled literally thousands of gullible souls into buying Minis due to the belief that they are faster than a very fast thmg w1th a lorry-load

3 ;;;;~p~;l;:·' oare Glint Eastwood has a habit of pumpin' dastardly varmants full of lead. In this film it's nasty Nazis who come-a-cropper when they get in the way of Glint's attempt to rescue a British officer from a mountain fortress.

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The Wizard of Oz

In this classic movie the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Lion set off to find the legendary Wizard in the hope that he will provide them with. respectively. a heart. a head, and balls the size of watermelons.

Dorothy (Judy Gar1and) and her overgrown rat, Toto, tag along for the ride too.

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Misstoa: lmpossibl

Well. we could hardly leave this one out could we? Tom Cruise stars in the big screen version of the classic sixties series. about a group of top secret agents with more cunning than a particular1y devious weasel.

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~eventJ fs 1995 and a small t>ugget crime thriUer about five men in a PQ!ice line up hits our screell$. Hf five relatively

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Sound familiar?

Th6 Usual~ gripped fllin al.ldienoes that year and now formS: lle basis of one of the most talked about moVIe debates ever: Who the is Keyser Soze anyway?

Well one person he~ year old Kevin SpaCey who WQn'W!eSf Supportfng Actor Oscit for his rokfat Roger Vet'baf Kint, the film's Clfppred narrator.

Spacey began his acting career after prematurely departing from a course at the prestigiOus JuAiard drama $Ch001, ~ he was studying with his pal Val Kli~JI- r$81 part was as a sp$81'-caniedri a tfl81 $laQe production of Henry tV.. ~wa&:-tOOn firE14;1lr the play's producer, Joseptl Papp. P8pp claims that the dismiSsal had nothing 1o do wlth Sp8Cl&y's acting abiRty: "I wanted to force Kevin 'OUt 1ttt0 the real theatre world." he says.

WeiJ, Itseemt tu~~ the trick. Had it not been for that push steey might still be playing extras In Shakespeare plays inst~ ~us ···.~In films like 86veltWith Brad~ l~lfiMhiS <»-stars were relieved to hear, Spaoey ls not a method aotor, and hasn't alWays played the bad guy. Take, for example. his role as a scientist ~ to save the world from e deadly OJJibcesR.

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to admit that it was n1e Usual Oscar that really ·fame. "Now when I go to the like 'Hey, Kev! GOOd for you, CQClfl'c t.l~fQ!r~ tile Oscar it was more like 'Hey, do I go to school together?'• His Mrltomlal'll:lA in Seven later in his reputation In the minds dnE~iQO!lii'S as someone you really didn't want to an argument with. Because that's what Kevin Spacey does extraordinarily well: he talks. He talked his eo-star Frank WhaJey off the screen as Hollywood exec. ~ Ackerman In the 1995 SWiinmlng with $hark$. We have atso seen him exerCising hts ~ 8kllls as a prosecuting lawyer in the &isham adaptallon A nme To #(ill, and as half 9f a bickering couple (with Judy Davi$) in HcJ$1/Je Hostages. This ~ he',a Oeu::ktbattetfng ~way on our ~ ih the apUy named The Negotiat.d[. ~inc:f· $atr'tuel L Jackson star as two ~. , one on either side of an offlC$ full Of

~

!TitJclllhat I just that I am a part of it."

His choices certainly don't depend upon the potenti.al for media exposure. as while Spacey: seems happy to do interviews and ramble his usual style about his fillll$, his car.eer' opinions of Hollywood, he his private Hfe. "I h8ppeii the loved ones in my lite along for the fide, so J tlilue to protect that ~ life wlth every fibre that 1 l Choose to talk about my p.. Beyond that it's my business.• some have

,ofi

tf is Spa<:ey's first foray into the world of crash-bangexploeion packed big-budget ~~. and with

~;8ti8Jfng the poster lt

promfs6s to be a box office hit.

But, to Spacey, The Negotiator is no run-of-th&-

who, despite aD ldB sac:c:--. Is largely a lllllmown quaatftv ~~that, "1heatre rolel are cloeer to

'

me as

tttan most of ~film roles.. But does that hEf sees hi~ as a spear"I could have had a

Says~.

influenced ner imports (nJ @I] [llJ [Q)J]

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wonderful career in the theatre and been perfectly happy." But then he wouldn't have had the hono'Ur being shot by Brad Pitt, would he?

~ -.~ tcreen part was a very minof rokrfQ tM;1.tMt6fllm Heattbum, and,~ he continued to appear occasianaly in stage . production&. he built up a steady stream of film ~over the following nine~ end I6IICIIIhed • repullllon for l'llrnMif in Hollywood atlln'ex~ c:haracter actOr. HoWever.

6T ' 6' 0"

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THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

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THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

Out of Sight Dir: Steven Soder bergh ~998

Now Showing

''My

daddy was a bank robber, he never hurt nobody." While it's unlikely that The Clash had a future Elmore Leonard novel in mind when they penned the line, it is quite apt for Steven Soderbergh's latest offering, Out of Sight.

The film is an adaptation of the latest Leonard novel of the same name, and stars everyone's favourite surgeon, George Clooney, as well as everyone's favourite Latino sex goddess, Jennifer Lopez (Anaconda).

Jack Foley (Clooney) is a prolific bank robber who is reputed to have robbed some 200 banks without ever having used a gun, relying solely on his powers of persuasion instead. Karen Sisco (Lopez) is a Federal marshal with way too much sex appeal.

The two become entangled when Foley escapes from the Federal jail in which he has been imprisoned, and Sisco is charged with getting him back. But it's not quite as simple as that. Sisco soon finds herself inexplicably attracted to the escaped convict and spends the rest of the film battling conflicting desires to put him back behind bars, and get him into bed. I'll leave it to you to work out which one wins.

In Out of Sight Soderbergh admirably tries to steer clear of the Hollywood tendency to concentrate on high octane action at the expense qf character development. But the time spent focusing on the complex relationship between the two protagonists causes the pace of the film to suffer, and it does drag at times.

Even so, the acting was impressive, even from George 'the girls love me and don't I know it' Clooney, and some slick cinematography make for an enjoyable couple of hours. Better than a poke in the eye with sharp stick, at any rate.

Stephen Clegg

OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK • 20 Snooker tables • 4 pool tables •satellite TV • Video Games • £250 jackpot machines • Hot and cold food available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week • Licensed bar at low prices 10am·11pm, 12·10.30pm Sun

ISTUDENT MEMBERSHIP £1 I St Mary's Pla in, Norwich Tel: 627478 Only 5 minutes from Norwich market THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

'~--------------------------~

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director's

llevin Smith

Starting Out Kevin Smith lasted four months at film school in Vancouver before quitting to make Clerks. The film cost $27,575, a sum Kevin raised by selling his comic collection, maxing out ten credit cards, getting donations from family - oh, and from working in the Quick Stop convenience store and RST video, the two shops which feature in the film. Clerks was entered into the IFFM (Independent Feature Film Market) and seen by a member of the Sundance festival committee, who liked it enough to enter it into the 1994 Sundance film festival ...

Making the Break ... Where it was picked up by Miramax and became a world-wide cult hit. The rest, as they say, is history. Clerks was followed by Mal/rats in 1995, which was universally panned by the critics, but has a cult following amongst Kevin Smith fans. 1996 saw the release of Smith's first serious film, Chasing Amy- in which Ben Affleck falls in love with a lesbian. Smith has been involved in a number of other projects too, including writing a series of Clerks comic books, and working on a (rejected!) script for Tim Burton's Superman Lives. Smith has appeared in all of his films so far, as the enigmatic Silent Bob - who always gets the best lines...

CSC!!JtE

HesaY.~s~:___________________ "There's this infamous moment where I was on stage giving an award away with Laura Dern, and I opened up by saying, 'I want to take this time to apologise for Mal/rats. I don't know what I was thinking.' it was said in a very tongue-incheek fashion; it was a joke. But some people thought it was serious. Roger Ebert, in his review of Chasing Amy, said, 'He started out with a great movie called 'Clerks', then followed up with a movie that was so bad that he apologised for it.'"

FllmograP.hy_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 Clerks (1994), Mal/rats (1995), Chasing Amy (1996) and coming soon- Dogma.

Stephen Quirke

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~eventJ

D

D

In the late 90's it seems as if nothing of interest can be found on the bloated organism that is the internet. However with The Force to guide him Caeser Bazlinfon found the way to hard drive heaven f you thought that the intemet was a domain solely for anorak clad pervy types, Bill Gates wannabe's who are thrilled by the prospect of installing the latest 590.4 megabyte processor wibbly thing onto their PC's, then think again.

Within the sprawling mass of utterly useless cobblers that makes up about 99 percent of the Net, there can be found a site that will amaze and thrill even the most hardened Netophobe.

Find the access screen of Netscape, and in the top address slot tentatively type www.starwars.com In just few seconds (or minutes if it's a busy time of day) you will have gained access to the official Star Wars interne! site.

On this site is something that will stun the world, and provoke gasps of delight and plans to purchase toy light sabres from everyone (well at least all blokes).

The little gem in question is a short preview of the long awaited, much anticipated, forthcoming prequel to the Star Wars trilogy, entitled The Phantom Menace.

This tantalising snippet is about a minute of footage from the new film, with Ewan McGregor flashing his sabre, a youthful looking Yoda, thrilling battle sequences and the young Annakin

I

Skywalker, who is aged about six. Your heart will bleed as you think of how this innocent young chap will become corrupted by the Dark Side of the Force, turn into Darth Vader and try to ... sorry, getting a bit overcome by nostalgic Star Wars emotion there.

But perhaps this proves how powerful a medium the intemet can be for showing snippets of forthcoming films.

Instead of having to shovel out vast sums of cash to pay for cinema or TV ads, a clip can be put

onto the intemet with little or no cost.

This clip, especially if it is for something which has a devoted following like Star Wars, is guaranteed to be seen by thousands who will spread the word around, persuading more and more people to visit the site.

In fact, the response to the Star Wars site has been phenomenal - at any one moment there are about 2000 people attempting to log on and view the clip for themselves.

This is has resulted in the site repeatedly crashing due to the overwhelming demand, causing no end of frustration to those desperate to see the clip.

To deal with this crisis fans are being urged to download the clip so that they can set up their own site for surfers to visit, thus alleviating the

!!!!!!d !

A quick zoom around the various trailer sites on pressure.

~-~

games coasoles, cyber m••ms, & peatlam poatlffs

E

the past students used to have valid excuses for mia8ing their lecUes or handing 11< tn late In the SIXties there was protest against Vlelnam, m the eighties against Maggle T and m the nineties erm, well against sod an Part of the reason for this apathy Is the proliferation of the gam&$ console: no longer the sole provtnce of kids the market has boomed in recent years with thousands of late teens and twenty somethtngs glued to a screen, fingers flicking tn a twitch of addiction The move on from the first generatiOn of consoles has ~ With Sega planntng the launch of the Dreamc:ast. the follow-up to the poor-selling Sega Saturn Though the console will not be out for quite some time it IS already caUSing a stir In games an:les, as IS the proposed abandonment of the Sony Playstation and introduction of a new system the thriHingly named VM Labs Project XHQ Wh le on the subject of computer games a new

survey from Microsoft has found that one tn three mums erlJOYing playing on computers • presumably why they were always so keen to stop you from playing when you were a kid.

The survey also found that one m four households own computers with the average time spent on them was seven hours per week • more time than Is occupied by eating!

Perhaps most disturbing IS the statistic that 10 per cent of people admit that computers had been the main topic of conversation In the

the intemet found that most have become totally obsessed with the Star Wars clip.

However, as most are based in the US they are a good source for clips of movies that are already out over the pond but haven't yet arrived on our shores.

Perhaps the most comprehensive site is to be found at www.aint-it-coolnews.com, where a helpful chap named Harry Knowles doles out film news, movie clips, and links to other relevant sites. http://movielist.simplenet.com contains lists of clips for movies such as Inspector Gadget (oh yes), Babe, Pig In The City (bring the apple sauce) and the somewhat interestingly named Orgazmo.

With the intemet becoming an ever more popular medium, and more and more people buying modems for their home PC's, the use of movie trailers is inevitably going to become even more widespread.

But for the moment, there is only one clip of interest, so dial up the Star Wars site, and prepare to be amazed.

Provided -you can log on, the Force will most definitely be with you.

Well, virtually.

York Tavern Junction of York Stand Leicester St ())&20918

nch: 11 :30· 2:30 Dinner: 6:00·1 0.:00 (I uPf'll:av and Sunday (ALL ·York Special Sunn~ 6' screen Satell ajor sporting rge beer

previous week.

A word of warning If the weather finds that it has been usurped, we could be in for some humcanes as it tries to recapture our attention Even the Pope hasn t remained aloof from thiS new found technophiha Whtle tn 1990 he confessed to bemg unsure as to the exact meanmg of the word computer'. he recently admitted that 'computers have certatnty changed my life Lets hope that the good Lord above Isn't a technophobe, or else old John Pauly could find himself out of a Job

private bookings · RING FOR DETAILS Two pool tables Pub Quiz on Sunday Evenings THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998 L

I"

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[event)

路.路

The building is still under construction, the security guards have menacing eyes and the whole place is full of manic tourists. Paul Stokes takes an irreverent look at the homes of our national treasures ublic art galleries are strange places.

Usually housed in buildings that attempt to display the grand civic pride of the town or city that is home to the gallery, they often to verge on the pretentious and faintly ridiculous.

Some, particularly those built in recent years, attempt to turn the building into a work of art itself by employing off the wall - and probably certifiably insane - architec ts to come up with twisted messes of glass, metal and futuristic gimmicks.

These wi ll produce, it is hoped, uniquely individualistic buildings which attempt to convey the eth os of th e galley through a metaphysical sense of functionality . In other words , they build an eyesore.

The Pompidou centre in Paris is a prime example of the 'too many drugs , too little sense路 school of

P

architecture. With that particularly ugly, yet slightly loveable, monster of an art gallery they made two fatal errors. Firstly, there's a square next to it which provides a perfect spot for cartoon artists and painters to con tourists, and secondly they put most of the pipe work, structural supports and . surprisingly enough , the escalator, on the outside of the building. Although this gives a nice view of the Paris skyline , it looks a bit silly; perhaps they ran out of room on the inside.

Although often hideous, modern art gallery design (which , as the Sainsbury Centre demonstrates , does work sometimes) shou ldn't take t11e blame. it's not as if their predecessors did any better.

Take the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, for example . This maze of rooms in which 'The Nation's' pictures are displayed is an unfortunate attempt to blend two other London monuments

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - . into one building. Nabbing other people's ideas is a fine architectural tradition, and the gallery would work if it was anywhere else in the country. But the fact it steals fro m two monuments in th e same ci ty makes 1t look a bit sorry.

The Greek temple style door. w1t h plinths and all . wa s done much bigger and better up the road at the British Museum . wl1ile th e Gallery's dome pales when you consider that five minutes down the Thames is the dome of St Paul 's which , as Rowan Atkinson once said. is a "great big titty. " But it's the art that makes an art gallery , and with public galleries this too is an 'interesting' experience.

Unlike private collections. where the interests of the owner give the collection a them e or coherency, there is a schizophrenic nature to the state's collections. With th e collection taking in many years and a changing range of interests, there is less holding the pictures together. One minute you'll looking at a court scene, th e next a glorio us battle , and then a load of scantily clad nymphs.

Still. they do se.y variety is the spice of life.

One thing, though , remains the same no matter what the collection , and that's the characters you find hanging around in public galleries.

Here's a few to look out for and next time you're inspecting a pantheon of national art treasures you can point them out to your friends . Indeed , there is a professor at Burgess Hill Poly who claims that these types represent an art form al l to themselves and consequently skulks round different institutions identifying variations. He currentl y has five distinct schools of art gallery visitors.

The Guards These are the people you see sitting on cha irs by the doors to each room who display a considerable am ount of lethargy it' s a matter of debate what would happen 1f som eon e was to steal or damage a work of art in front of th em: many question whether they would , A: notice. or B: be able to exert en ough energy to do anything about it.

However, they can look very menacingly at you if you spend too long (i .e.: 5 minutes+) 1n their particular section , and would secretly prefer it if no-one came in at all -that way their procrastinating wouldn 't be interrupted . Guards are drawn from a diverse range of social backg round s: Many are failed security guards (presu mably because they had to move more than 5cm per hour) , while othe rs are bored foreign language students who'd rather be practising their Engl ish with phrases like "four pints and a JD and Coke please," than ones like "''m sorry, I've no idea where the Cezanne is ."

Amusingly, guards in the Scottish National Gallery have to wear rather silly bright tartan trousers, so they can 't even act menacing.

The See-lt-AII Normally a tourist, this gallery goer has the express ambition to see the whole gallery in a day, right down from grand master to the Gent's loos on the third floor. Consequently they rush through the various rooms of the gallery - ticking them off on their itineraries - Without actually looking at any of the pictures . Often they'll be dragging someone round with them who'd actually like to see something, this can lead to displays of impatience and anger from the See-it-All if they're slightly slowed down. There is a variant of this type call the Pho to-it-All who gets very angry when they can 't use the flash or someone gets in the way.

The School Party Teachers across the country have cottoned on to the fact that , despite the risk of losing children on the Underground , it makes sense to take their class to art galleries so the institulion's staff and not them will have the pleasure of looking after 6C for the day.

THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

Th eir school uniform makes theses part1es look like great herds of strange coloured sheep with fact sheets. the filling of which can lead to great parts of th e gallery being occupi ed en-mass much like a V1ce Chancellor's office full of militant students.

The best thing about these trips are the pictures of pictures that the children are inevitably asked to produce: "Yes, Timothy, that's a lovely picture of Henry VIII, but I don't think he has three heads in Holbe1n's version ."

The Artist One of the pitfalls of visiting a modern art gallery or exhibition is that the artist themself cou ld be lurking around, jealously pouring scorn on th eir contemporari es' efforts and trying to overhear people's conversations about th eir work.

In these situat ions it's best to keep your ta lk small - the weather and the price of cheese will do nicely. On no account saying anything li ke, "it just looks like dots and squiggles to me." Not unless you wan t to be lectured on just how tortured the pretentious git's soul really is.

The artist's behaviour will, of course, change drastically if they think there 's a critic present.

Then its all sweetness and nice and "yes. I do see your point. "

Avoiding the Rain This character is particularly visible in galleries that have a free admission policy. it's raining outside, so they shelter in one part of th e gallery until the storm passes. Actually more likely to see art than the Artist and the See- lt-AII, who. let's face it , are just posers.

Not to be confused with the dirty-Mac brigade who are there to stare at all the nudes.

-

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E

arly indications had suggested that Sir Peter Ustinov would be the highlight of this autumn's Literary Festival , and they were not wrong. Demand for tickets was fierce . Queues formed two hours before Lecture Theatre 1 opened and eventually filled it to capacity, forcing two hundred more to watch via a video link in Lecture Theatre 2. Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley didn't fill LT1 and even the media personality that is Richard E. Grant didn't attract this level of interest. But then Sir Peter is not just a playwright or media personality, but somewhat of a cultural phenomenon . He has won two Oscars and three Emmys as an actor, starred in 42 movies, written nine, directed eight and scripted 21 plays. Yet his prodigious output is not his real appeal, as those lucky enough to be there discovered.

Sir Peter is a natural wit and one of the world's great story1ellers.

Indeed, if I was to level one criticism at the evening it would be that he was not allowed more scope in telling his stories. At times the interviewing was a little too directing, as though there were certain stories that must be told, and this occasionally restricted Sir Peter from avenues he might otherwise have taken.

This is understandable, though, when

The GofhiQ. • neat 111118 volume of

four stort. by EAS'a Julia Sel, Is

one of four new oleringJ froJIJ UEAa renowned Creative Writing dep8IOMnt. The coMinll page 11sta an Afterword' on page fil but as 1he book only Sll*hel t» 65 pegaelt .. hald to know Whether this omlaalon Is a 8Wie poet-modernist joke on 1he reader or a sloppy ml8take by the Rapid Publl8ting ~

The li1le story conc:ems a mllerable teenage golh living with her famBy In a remote Welsh hiU town AB a nanator she has 811 the venom and attitude of a creatiOn of Will Self or Poppy Z Brite, but none of the consi8t8ncy of VOICe Al time8 she 18 just out to shock ~ descdblng her laa8 angry peers as "such virgins. or &aYI'lQ of her hou8e that the only good thing about it is that lt1oolca like the kind of place they find dead bodies But occasionally the peraona is shattered by a phrase or aentance of expressive beauty: here the Creative Writing lecturers VOICe has broken

through her namdOrS fragile maak.

The same fauH dogs the longer and better story

EUR professor S bald has produced a bnlhant p1ece of wnt1ng 10 th1s novel. The book chronicles the present and prev1ous hves of four JeWish exiles, the em grants of the title. Ma10ly set 10 the early part of th1s century the horror of the holocaust IS never far away. But this never becomes overbeanng rather 1t is one of many tragedies that befell the em1grants. The v1tallty, humour, and charbcter of Jew1sh hfe m Germamc Europe 1s captured through the fragments of each exiles past. W1th h1s light, almost obsess1ve eye for the detail and m10ut1ae of hie, Sebald pamts a p1cture that Is VIbrant and forceful Moreover th1s IS a novel about memory how 11 shapes our present and future, our relationship w1th the past and our 1dentit1es As one of the characters laments.

"Memory . often str kes me as a k1nd of

onathan Dove's new opera Flight, set in an airport, is an attempt, we were told by the Glyndebourne rep ., to make modern music essible to a wider audience.

Dove was inspired by the true story of a refugee living in Charles de Gaulle airport. The opera's refugee , sung in a beautiful but unnervingly high counter-tenor by Christopher Robson , is one of the two central characters. The other, sung by Claron McFadden, is the controller, who looks down on the rest of the cast from her observation tower, and whose elevated position is mirrored by her soaring soprano.

The premise of the plot is simple but full of potential. Airports are places of transience and transition , where emotions run dangerously high.

When all flights are postponed because of a thunderstorm, the stranded inhabitants surprise themselves and each other with their actions.

Who populates this world? The harassed couple, hoping that their holiday will rekindle a lost romance; the ambitious diplomat whose transfer abroad precludes his heavily pregnant wife's desire to stay at home; the stewards and stewardesses, "passing planes in the night", who are never in one place for long enough to form solid relationships .

The set captures brilliantly the provincial atmosphere of a small English airport, and a slight superficiality is preserved by quirky changes in the tlecor from act to act.

The music itself is, as the rep . promised, modem and accessible, and it was performed to the high standard one would expect from such a prestigious company. The score is mostly enjoyable, although rarely challenging, and occasionally wonderful.

Sam Glazer and Emlly Hunka

interviewing a man who lunches with Presidents, dines with the famous and can be, at turns, equally full of insight and cutting about both. Those people who chose a darnp firework display over this display of intellectual fireworks should be kicking themselves now: opportunities like this are few and far between.

The good news, for those that missed him, is that Sir Peter makes a long overdue return to our T.V. screens on November 23. His new four-part serial, modestly titled Planet Ustinov - 'not by me." he complains - follows his epic journey around the Equator. lt might not be as good as seeing him in action but_if it proves one quarter as entertaining it is definitely worth a look.

Krls Selfken

d n pewakd kg e eh oth r have you read 1t have you read it? and for the four generat1ons smce 1ts charm has been JUSt as great A Chnstmas Carol1s wtthout a doubt a capt1vat1ng book and, w1th 1ts honest s•mpllc•ty, arguably D1ckens' best· loved work. Every reader can thm of a realhie Scrooge with a "Bah, Humbug!" att1tude to Chnstmas and hfe, and so consequently delight 1n Scrooge's transformation. If you have previously been put off Dickens by the thickness of The P1ckwick Papers, or Martin Chuzzlewtt, then think aga1n. A Christmas Carol, Dickens' shortest novel, has all of his excellent writing skill without his occasionally over-dense language. lt reads as well now as it must have done 155 years ago.

Whether you love Christmas or hate it (Dickens has a remarkably secular attitude to the proceedings) you should settle, once and for all, the have V haven't I read it debate. If you are looking for a post·tuii<ey 'pass the day in an alcoholic haze' experience, stick to Bill Murray in "Scrooged", or "A Muppet's Christmas Carol". If Instead, you fancy a great read, then open a copy of A Christmas Carol and let Dickens' imagination take you where he will.

Kris 5/efken

....

~constructed speecti Of 1llght yw-old nllnatOI' Is pappnd with iei-COIIIIQoullly lllerary pnaea SUCh .. "' ~of . . green wortd wortd that exlstad tlltnlllng fiDndl of Kelp and

'*

Ul......,

~

le thll Gwan lp88ldng or it Julia Bel? Would IM Nil narrator pleae stand up.

The problem 18 not that Bell can't write • far from it. aomellmes her prose can1es you along for pagaa,. dnlwlng you In to her world of outcas1S and aliens But you are alway$ jolaad back to

reality by a careless lapse of VOICe. Only slightly larger than a 'Penguin 60 The Golhlc 18 rather Oll'8rpriced at £3 Bell Is one t» watch for the future but right now I d rather spend the Student Loan Company s money on a bag of fish and chips SMt Gllar dumbness lt makes one's head g1ddy, as If one were not looking back down the recedmg perspec IVes of time but rather down on the earth from a great he1ght • The narrat1on IS hke that of a psychological· detect1ve h1story, p1ecmg together fragments of memones places, events and names, to evoke a time that was, and ts lost forever. In so domg we are left w1th the thought that memory 1s painful, and though we may w1sh to forget, 1tls our only I nk w1th the past and the lives of those that we once knew An excellent book with a sombre tone that 1s both sad and capt1vat1ng Ayo Mansaray

THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

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~eventJ

_

...

We drank it in the park aged 15, some of us drink it now with lager and call it snakebite, others of us are too 'mature' and get bladdered on beer instead. Claire Hickman takes a look behind that student institution, cider

W

en people think of Somerset hey think of cide r. but few people ave actually tasted traditionally made cider. Your average pint of Strongbow from the Union Bar has been made in a factory from dessert apple concentrate, imported from the continent, and then m1xed with a percentage of real cider apple pulp.

Traditional Farmhouse cider. on the other hand, is made entirely from small. bitter cider apples.

The process of traditional cider-making begins around October when the apples fall from the trees. These days the apples are p1cked up by a machine. but before the advent of such machinery, the apples were picked up by the local women.

After the rotten apples have been removed, the remainder are put through a c1der mill. This consists of a series of cogs which crush the apples. and two granite rollers wh1ch turn the crushed apples into a pulp.

The apple pulp is then made 1nto what are known as cheeses. F1rst. a layer of straw is put down, then a layer of pulp, then another layer of straw is laid on top with the ends of the straw tucked in so that no pulp is exposed. This is repeated to form six or seven such layers. More recently straw has been replaced by muslin as suitable straw (e.g. not covered in horse poo) has become hard to obtain.

An elm board is then placed on top of the cheese with heavy timbers criss-crossing it. The cider press (a huge wood and metal press) is wound down onto the board to compress the cheese. and the juice begins to run out. it is collected in a half barrel, sunk below floor level. from where it is pumped into wooden barrels.

The juice collected at this point contains no alcohol and is deliciously sweet. which is odd considering the unpalatable bitterness of the apples themselves. Although very pleasant to drink. this ju1ce is also a potent laxative and many an unwitting cider-maker has been caught out by drinking too much of it.

The wooden barrels are filled to the top with juice to exclude the air. but are not yet corked so that as the juice ferments. the barrels can be kept topped up. After two to three months of

fermentation. the process is complete and the cider is ready to be drunk.

Years ago this was how all cider was made. but nowadays most cider apples are collected up and sold by the tonne to major drinks firms. They are then mixed with imported concentrate to make well-known brands.

Some growers still make their own cider to sell locally, but most now find that selling the1r apples 1s the most viable option: particularly 1f their orchards are fairly small, as they cannot make enough cider to justify the t1me. specialist knowledge and equipment required to make authentic farmhouse cider.

Many orchards have been abandoned due to farmers no longer having the knowledge or inclination to look after them. particularly if the space they occupy could be more profitably put to use. Apple trees. like any other crop, require yearround attention: they need to be sprayed yearly to prevent fungal diseases and to kill pests. regularly pruned to keep them bearing fru1t as well as the apple picking in the autumn.The grass below the trees also needs to be kept in check but letting of the graz1ng can provide a useful subsidiary income for the orchard owner.

The number of tonnes harvested from one orchard each year can fluctuate dramatically - from a measly twenty tonnes one autumn to well over a hundred tonnes another - mainly due to the crop's dependence upon the good old British weather.

Late frosts in May can be disastrous. as all the blossom is ruined and few apples then develop. A cold and cloudy early summer is equally as bad as there is a lack of bees for pollination.

Despite the work involved. cider-growing is still an important industry in Somerset and other parts of the West Country. although perhaps not as flourishing as it used to be.

However. the art of actually making cider is dying . as the lure of selling harvested apples straight to major firms increases.

Although pleasant to drink, the juice at this stage is

also a potent laxative

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THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

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The most comprehensive guide to what's on around Norwich this fortnight FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEG AS Terry Gilliam films the modern literary classic of two men, one car and a bootful of drugs. Johnny Depp stars alongside lots of trippy effects. 3/5

ABC ANTZ Woody Alien provides the voice of the insect hero.

I suppose his physique fits the image. Makes you wonder if insects can divorce ... 4/5 OR DOLITILE Eddie Murphy is going to need more than a vet to get his career looking healthy again. Contains talking animals that will probably scare children.

ELIZABETH Scary redhead on throne shocker. If there were tabloids around in the 16th century that's how they would have reported it.

HOPE FLOATS Poor old Sandra Bullock gets dumped by her hubby on TV. Only in a film would any man willingly end a relationship with Sandra. Fool.

3/5 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN Spielberg's war shocker is still showing. Tom Hanks stars with Matt Damon 5/5 THE TRUMAN SHOW Jim Carey finds his life shaped by a TV studio boss. As opposed to a film studio boss.

3/5 SMALL SOLDIERS Kid's marketing venture goes horrifically wrong.

Tommy Lee Jones leads the commando elite on a mission against American kids. About time too.

4/5

UNI

BLAD E Wesley Snipes is the vampire killer who could do with a trip to the dentist himself. Based on a marvel comic strip, which should give you an idea of it's intelligence and complexity. Doesn't stop it being a good laugh .

GODZILLA Thursday, November 26 at ?pm Japan's psycho Lizard King is tamed by Hollywood and becomes a homeless pregnant single mum persecuted by science and the military alike. Better effects, but less radioactive fire.

THE EXORCIST Classic scare-test returns to the big screen with extra scenes. Floating sheets and rotating heads a go-go. 4/5

MAD CITY Friday, November 27 at 9pm Hoffman vs Travolta in hostage dilemma.

MULAN The Disney empire continues its campaign of world cultural conquest with this ancient Chinese tale getting the talking animal treatment. 4/5 RON IN Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Sean Bean are hired along with two less famous actors to steal a suitcase. Then it all goes wrong . Stylish camera work and direction in this action crime thriller.

THE APOSTLE Robert Duval as a Pentecostal preacher trying to recreate his life. Special showing for this critically acclaimed film .

CINEMA CITY VELVET GOLDMINE Thursday, November 26 at 2.30pm and 8.15pm, Saturday, November 28 and Monday, November 30 at 5.30pm.

Tuesday, De9ember 1 and Wednesday, December 2 at 8.15pm.

Glam Rock mock biography. staring Ewan McGregor and Eddie lzzard. Charts the rise of Glam divas in the 70's and their fall in the money driven 80's.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Sunday, November 29 at 4.30pm This 1951 Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh version is widely acknowledged to be the best screen interpretation of Tennessee William's stage classic. A study of madness, sexuality and class conflict in New Orleans.

ENTER THE DRAGON Tuesday, December 1 at 5.45pm Bruce Lee at his ass-kicking best. The Kung-Fu guru infiltrates a criminal gang at the behest of a US government agent.

ELIZABETH Friday, December 4, Monday, December 7, Tuesday, December 8 at 5.45pm Film Four's latest opus charts the early life of the last of the Tudors. A triumph of style and storytelling over historical accuracy. With Angus Dey1on and Eric Cantonna.

FULL METAL JACKET Wednesday, December 2 at 5.45pm Kubrick does 'Nam. One of the most brutal and poignant war films made. Private Go mer Piles is one of cinemas greatest madmen.

If you've been wondering why Twentieth Century Boy has been playing almost constantly on the Union Bar jukebox, Velvet Goldmine could well give you your answer.

The song is covered by Placebo on the film's soundtrack, which also features the likes of Bernard Butler, Pulp and Radiohead. Velvet Goldmine tells the story of sundry 70s glam rockers and their lives of sex, drugs and wearing slily clothes. The film is rather obviously based on real life glam icons such as Bowie and lggy Pop, but this in no way detracts from a gre t piece of film that perfectly captures the atmosph~re of a bygone era.

And, for the ladles, Ewan gets his todger out. Aga in.

s

0

A DAY OF BEATLES FILMS Saturday, December 5, 12.00 noon -9.00pm Rare screenings, memorabilia, talks and prizes in a whole day dedicated to the tab four.

MY NAME IS JOE Monday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 8 at 8.15pm Acclaimed director Ken Loach is behind this story of the relationship between a reformed alcoholic and his social worker.

GREASE Tuesday, December 1 at 9pm With a stage production showing in Norwich as well this over exposed musical is rapidly turning into an oil-slick.

AR MAGEDDON Thursday, December 3 at ?pm Jerry Bruckenheimer's summer offering wins on visual impact but suffers from a lack of intelligence. Despite the patchy script the cast get some good characterisation across, and the effects meet Hollywood's latest lavish standards.

OSCAR AN D LU CINDA Friday, December 4 at 9pm Suave Ralph Feinnes and Carte Blanchett share an uncontrollable urge for gambling in this period romance. Emotional strip poker, apparently.

THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY/ GOODFELLAS Sunday, December 6 at ?pm/ 9pm British gangsters square up to American 'Wiseguys'. Both tackle the underworld ideal of 'any1hing goes' and the inevitable paranoia of criminal life.

HARD RAIN Tuesday, December 8 at 9pm Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater in an armoured car. Makes the mind boggle. Or not.

THE X-FILES Wednesday, December 9 at ?pm When ever these two enter a room the stumble about with torches trying to find the latest mutant alien corpse. Why not use the bloody lights. And why is the ginger one always 'looking the other way' during UFO flypasts. The film entertains, but fails to rectify these vital faults.

THE BACK

AR

LIVE FLESH Monday, November 30 at 6pm Spain, 1997

• • • WIRWIRWIR

.;i

Going to the pictures is always a fun night out, and now thanks to ABC - who, it turns out, quite like J students - it needn't cast the earth. In fact, for ten lucky Event readers it won't cost any1hing at all! We've got ten free tickets for any screening of Out of Sight George Clooney's latest outing which sees him get fri sky with Jennifer Lopez after he gets out of jail. To win you just need to answer this simple question:

On which TV programme did George Clooney appear as Or Ross?

Then, er, post your answer, along with your name, school, year, and er, a contact number in our competition box in the Hive. lt couldn't, er, be simpler...

THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

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eventJ

• JOHN OTIOWAY GIG , FAT PAULEY'S. Twenty one years ago th1s chap was kept of th e Christmas number one spot by Paul McCartney.

Here h1m re-create this one success 8.30pm £7/5

GREASE Runs till Saturday. December 12 Ex-Bros frontman Luke Goss has successfully reinvented h1mself as a musical star. This latest production comes to Norwich fresh from West-End success.

7.30pm or 9.00pm PURE SWING MANHATIANS , CLUB Uplifting swing for the people of Norwich.

9pm-2am FREE SUPERFLY MOJO'S, CLUB Funky sounds for Norwich groovers.

10pm-2am £3

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THE CONCEPT COMEDY CLUB London circuit comics. All drinks £1.50.

Tables can be reserved in advance with the club Doors 8.30pm £4/ £3 stud.

MELTDOWN WATERFRONT, CLUB. lndie . Newpop. alternative dance and other student favourites .

In the Studio: Pure as Soul , Motown , Philly Atlantic and Stax, 21 .30pm - 2am £4/3.50

HUGH CORNWELL + GUESTS WATERFRONT, GIG .

The ex-Strangler performs new solo material as well as classics from his old band with a new fourpiece.

7.30pm £10adv

THE ROYAL FAMILY+ DJs LCR, GIG. The spirit of Freddy lives on with this tribute band and Radio Ga Ga disco.

9pm £5adv

CHAINS ON VELVET WATERFRONT, CLUB Metal , goth , grunge and industrial from UEA's Deviant Soc. 10pm- 2am £2 before 11 pm £2.50 after.

JAZZ JAMAICA FAT PAULYS, GIG. Steady mix of ska, rock steady and jazz. Classic tunes to get you dancing as part of the Norwich Jazz Festival.

7.30pm £8/6

STUDENT NIGHT LIQUID, CLUB Cheap, very popular student night from one of Norwich's poshest clubs.

Free before 11 pm with UEA card

CWFS@ZOOM ZOOM, CLUB Uplifting house & garage.

10pm-3am £5

ESTEEM MANHATIANS , CLUB Gay night.

9pm-2am £2

DANCE CLUB MANHATIANS , CLUB 9pm-4am £5 P.J. O'ROURKE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL, LECTURE THEATRE ONE Currently writing for National Lampoon magazine and Rolling Stone, the writer of Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle against Tyranny and Alcohol Free Beer and All the Trouble in the World: the lighter side of Overpopulation. The last speaker in the International Literary Festival.

~ CLUB CLASSICS FROM THE 70s, 80s & 90s RICK'S PLACE, CLUB FREE all night with Stud. ID/ £1 with flyers before FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER PLAY, MADDERMARKET. Runs till Saturday, December 5 Steven Berkhoffs stage adaptation of Edgar Alien Poe's classic horror story. £6.50-£4 JOY RIDE CONCEPT NIGHTCLUB East Anglia's premier Soul and R'n'B night. £3

THE KITCHEN WATERFRONT, CLUB, Cutting edge sounds from Residents DJ Tonic + CJ , with guests DJs Evil 'Eddie' Richard's, Richard

C. In the Studio: P.F.M. + Shere Kahn+ DJ 2000e + Louise In the Cafe Bar: Digs+ Woosh, + Steve 'Scratch' Wurly.

22.00 -6.00am £10 adv. more on the door.

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HENRY ROLLINS LCR, GIG. A spoken word show with talk and comedy monologues.

7.30pm £8 adv

PURE SWING MANHATTANS,CLUB Uplifting swing for the people of Norwich.

9pm-2am FREE

SUNDAY SERVICE MANHATIANS, CLUB House night.

8pm-2am FREE

SANCTUARY IKON, CLUB Old favourite student night. Chart downstairs, lndie/ Britpop upstairs.

9pm-2am £1 stud. before 11 / £2 stud. after

CLUB FLINT RICK'S PLACE . CLUB 11 pm £2 before

CARWASH LIQUID, CLUB Funky 70s disco night.

Wear your flares and get in for free . Otherwise £3.

GORGEOUS MANHATIANS, CLUB Happy House club night.

9pm-4am £5

UNDERGROUND MOJO'S, CLUB Lo-Fi and indie night .

10pm-2am £3

THE EVENT, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1998

BJORN AGAIN LCR , GIG. Like some hideous re-occurring disease this putrid ABBA tribute band returns to curse our minds and bodies.

8pm £9.50adv SUPERFLY MOJO'S CLUB Serious Funk.

10pm-2am £3

BRUCE DICKINSON+ PINK CREAM 69 WATERFRONT, GIG Not only did he sing with Iron Maiden. Bruce has also fenced if')ternationally and is a best sell1ng novelist. Makes you green with envy.

7.30pm £6.50 adv.

A NIGHT FOR DISCERNING ADULTS RICK'S PLACE, CLUB £ 3 with flyers before 11 pm

LCR DISCO+ FASHION SHOW UEA LCR. CLUB Never sit down in the LCR. Events like this keep dry-cleaners in business. Pay double to see loads of models in nice clothes. Suits you. £5/2.50

THE CONCEPT COMEDY CLUB London circuit comics. All drinks £1.50.

Tables can be reserved in advance with the club Doors 8.30pm £4/ £3 stud.

This full scale production is the final work of EAS third year students. Bertlot Brecht 's retelling of the ancient Greek classic, retold as a analogy of the rise of fascism and the need for resistance was written during the rise of the Third Reich. lt tells of a tyrant who uses force to stop opposition to his rule, but by use of force destroys himself and his city. The set was designed by a professional designer and constructed by students from the Norwich School of Art and Design. If you want to see some thoughtful drama produced by students, with good production values, this UEA drama production should not be missed.

LCR DISCO UEA LCR, CLUB Student night of drunkenness 10pm £2.50 CLUB CLASSICS FROM THE 70s, 80s & 90s RICK'S PLACE, CLUB FREE all night with Stud. ID/ £1 with flyers before BRECHT'S ANTIGONE PLAY, UEA STUDIO. Runs till Sunday, December 6 UEA Drama presents a re-telling of classic Greek story, parallelling the rise of fascism and the need for resistance.

7.30pm £6/3.50

MELTDOWN WATERFRONT, CLUB. Saturday's regular slot for DJ Paul Fayers.

In the Studio: EFFECT, hip-hop beatbox rhythms 9pm-2am £4/3.50

STUDENT NIGHT LIQUID, CLUB Cheap student night from Norwich's latest club.

Free before 11 p(n with UEA card

THE THATCHER YEARS WATERFRONT, CLUB. Paul Fayers with retro sounds from the decade of greed In the Studio: Funky Groove Shack, Funk, Reggae Disco, and R'n'B, 9.30pm-2am £4/3.50 CLUB FLINT RICK'S PLACE, CLUB £2 before 11 pm

CHAINS ON VELVET WATERFRONT, CLUB. Metal, goth, grunge and industria! from UEA's D~viant Soc. 10pm72am £2 before 11pm £2.50 after.

SUNDAY SERVICE MANHATTANS, CLUB House night.

8pm-2am FREE

ESTEEM MANHATTANS, CLUB Gay night.

9pm-2am £2

GORGEOUS MANHATTANS, CLUB Happy House club night.

9pm-4am £5 CWFS@ZOOM ZOOM, CLUB Uplifting house & garage.

10pm-3am £5

SANCTUARY IKON, CLUB Old favourite Student night. Chart downstairs, lndie/Britpop upstairs.

9pm-2am £1 stud. before 11 / £2 stud. after CARWASH LIQUID, CLUB .

Funky 70s disco night.

Wear your flares and get in tor free. Otherwise £3.

A NIGHT FOR DISCERNING ADULTS RICK'S PLACE, CLUB £ 3 with flyers before 11 pm DANCE CLUB MANHATTANS, CLUB 9pm-4am £5 HENRY MOORE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE, SAINSBURY'S CENTRE Running till December 6.

Three day academic conference

UNDERGROUND MOJO'S, CLUB Lo-Fi and indie night.

10pm-2am £3

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22.50-32 50 24.50-37 50 22. -32.50 24 50-44.50 27 50-37.50

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39.50-6

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THE EVENT. WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 25, 1998

· ~

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NOVEMBER ed 25 FASHION SHOW £2.50 hur 26 FASHION SHOW & DISCO £5 Sat 28 ROYAL FAMILY . tribu t e to queen

£1

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£8

DECEMBER ed 2 BJORN AGAIN

BRUCE ICKINSON THATCHER YEARS BD'S NOSTALGIAWITH NO SHAME THUR 3 DEC £6. 50

FRI 4 DEC

ID DOOR

OWN+EFFECT

£5su I £9 .50 at 5 club RETRO

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£3+UEA ID DOOR

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+SCRMCH Pf.RVf.R1S

l•lON 7 OEC £8. SO

PARTY £1 op tunes in the LCR f rom t he movies, erformed by UEA's own m usical gang, with a hint of Christmas spirit!

il"hu 1 0 LAST LCR raditional carol singing in the square

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