The event issue 169 17 11 2004

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I ROBOT

Collector's Edition (2Discs)

In the year 2035, technology and robots are a trusted part of everyday life. But that trust is broken when a scientist is found dead and a sceptical detective (Smith) believes that it may have been perpetrated by a robot. However his investigation uncovers a larger threat to humanity!

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Features

IS:

Sections

Film Features: The Horror! The Music ............................... p. 12 & 13 Horror! ........................................ p. 6 Alhums ............................................... p. 12 The Event fearlessly stares the new face of horror in the face, or somthing...

Jude the Ubiquitous Cinef.le: American Splendour .. p. 7 We seek him here we seek him there, the problem is he's bloody everywhere. The Event takes a cruel look at the world of Jude ...

Pavement, Crooked Rain; Bowling For Soup, A Hangover You Don't Deserve; Sonic Boom Six, Sounds 7b Consume; Steriogram, Scmak!;The 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Royal Society; Fleeing New York, AOK; Fabric 19, Andrew Weathera/1. Side column; Brand New Hero Records.

Singles ............................................... p. 13

TV Feature: University Challenge et al .............................................p. 9

The Thrills, Not For All The Love In The World; Busted, She Wants 7b Be Me; Death from Abovel979, Romantic Lights; The White Stripes, jolene-Live; Devendra Barnhart, At The Hop; Stromba, Giddy Up; Lemon Jelly, Stay With You; The Delays, Lost In A Melody; The Streets, Could Well Be In. Live Reviews; Million Dead; DJ Format; Amy Winhouse.

Yes, UEA is finally on University Challenge, The Event takes a joyous look at how it happened and other quiz shows we've got our eyes on ...

Film Cinema .......................................... p. 14

Music Features: To Hell and back again ................................ .......... p.4

I Heart Huckabees; Enduring Love; Ladies in Laveder; Bad Santa

Hell is for Heroes are back with a new record label and

DVD/VHS ....................................... p. 15

fighting talk....

Ed Harcourt ................................ p.5 The EveJlt has a Q&A session with Mr Harcourt and finds very very strange ...

Arts Features: Launch ofThe New Writing Partnership .................. p. 8

Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azk:aban; Spiderman 2; Bon Voyage.

Arts ........................................ p. 16 Book Review: Concertins: Creative Writing Anthology Theatre Review: Anouilh :S Becket; Richard Ill Opera Review: La Boheme

TV & Digital. ......................... p. 17

The Event hob knobs with the future stars of Nol"Wlchs'

creative writing scene ...

Centre Spread ..................... p.10-11

TV PreVIew: Peep Show; TV DVD Reviews: Bo 'Selecta!; Soap News: Hollyoaks and Neighbours; Digital Stuff: Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder

In-depth reVIews on UEA's annual drama festival,

concrete.editor@uea.ac. uk Philip Sainty Prince of Pursuasion Nathan 'MIA' Hamilton concrete.event@uea.ac.uk TimBarker& Sarah Edwardes concrete.eventeditorial@uea.ac. uk Tim Barker & Sarah Edwardes Creative Writing: Jassim Happa, Joe Barren concrete. arts@uea.ac. ul{ Editor: Luke Roberts Assistant Editor: Niki Brown Writers: Daisy Bowie-Sell, Dan Richards, Sophie Johnson, Dean Bowman, Alex Flux, Mark Dishman, Amy Lowe concrete.film@uea.ac. uk Editor: Dean Bowman Assistant: Dan Chandler Writers: Sebastian Manley, David McNaught, Priya Shah, Mark Simpson, Paul Stevens, Mark Crawley, Kate Bryant concrete.music@uea.ac. uk Editors: James Banks & Ben Patashnik Writers: Tom Soutter, Matt Elliott, Juhe Therese, Simon Griffiths, Colin Griffiths, Jim Parker, James Taylor, Laurence Guymer, Hanah Edney, Dean Bowman concrete. tv/ digital@uea.ac. uk Editor: Kate Bryant Writers: Martha Hammond, Kim Howe, Jassim Happa, Anna Steward, Franc1s Staple ton

Diversify e you hungry? Perhaps your loan hasn't come through (still) and the upboards are bare. Well never fear we have a juicy Pizza meal to g~ve away courtesy of our friends at Dellacasa pizzas on Lovelace Road. It consists of a yummy Medium Pizza, Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings, Garlic Bread or Chips and a can of Drink.

Blaggery Corner! his issue we have a feast of freebee's for you, hell we even give you a free meal. Just rember us when you become a rich multi-billionaire playboy, it was The Event that got you through University! (Or not.)

Anyway, one of our giveaways is a real cracker perfect for the student market.

Poker for Dummies! And a free pizza meal on which to nash whilst cheating your palls out of lots of dosh. Plus a lovely picture of this issues sponsor, Mr Jude Law, we are generous aren't we.

Apologies to: Colin Griffiths; for not crediting him for the centre spread last issue.

Lizzi Cook; for not crediting her as the sole proof reader for The Event last issue.

Sorry to you both.

The Event is published fortnightly by Concrete: Post PO Box 41 0, Norwich, NR4 7TB

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To win our tasiest ever competition simply tell us what shape a pizza is: a) Square b) Trapezium c) Cuboid d) Pizza shaped

E-mail: su concrete@uea.ac.uk Printed by: Archant

Email your answers with the words 'Pizza competition' in the subject field to: con路 crete.event@uea. ac. uk ow could you be a Multi-billionaire playboy without knoWing how to play poker like a pro? Don't know your Full house from your straight flush?

Have you always wanted to know how to 'limp in' or wondered what on earth a 'flop' is? Well have no fear, because the Event is here to show you the ropes.

We have three copies of Poker for Dumrrues on DVD (available to buy now) to give away courtesy of Anchor Bay UK. Let the appropriately named Chris Moneymaker show you the ropes and you'll be ready for Vegas in no time!

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To win tell us which of these two hands would win in a game of Texas Hold-'em (posh name for a game of Poker).

Hand One Ten of Hearts Jack of Hearts Queen of Hearts King of Hearts Ace of Hearts

Hand Two Ten of Clubs Ten of Spades Ten of Diamonds Five of Spades Ace of Diamonds

Email your answers to concrete.film@uea. a c. uk

01603 250558 Fax 01603 506822 Tel

Hurry before it gets cold or we eat it ourselves!

(Or if you have no time for competitiOns and e-mails see Dellacasa's advert on pg.

26).

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Now remember as the lovely Lady Luck says you stand a much better chance of winning if you take part so make sure you write in if you fancy winning any of the above prizes, fear not the terror of failure, if it is a wrong answer or no one the prize is going to, it may just go to you ...

PS. And the Unicorn says "Do I look like a dog?"

Editorial h my God! No Nathan. We feel a great emptyness where that strong strident force that is the Prince of Pursuasion should be. The stabilisers are off and we're on our way, straight into a tree. Well he didn't teach us to turn did he!

So, no Nathan, but a whole host of great stuff is in this issue so thanks to all the contributors and editors who have helped pull this all together. Before you all start writing in to us pointing out all the type-o's in this issue I'll just make an excuse, we had no proof readers this issue so it's not our fault. Honestly. We didn't win the Guardian Student Media Award this year unfortunatly, but we all know Nathan deserved it. Never mind.

But there's always next year so any eager beavers that think they can help please come in to the office, there's always space for new ideas.

Yours, The Editors.

O

17.11.04

To

ell and Back Again •••

he first thing to ask a band that h ave just m ade the decision to leave the m ajor label Epic in pursuit of indep e ndence in the shape of new labe l C aptains of Industry is: "Was it worth it?" Pausing from laying out the m erch an dise stall, He ll is for Heroes g uitarist Tom O 'Don ogue s imply smiles, wh ich say s it all. The fact tha t the Heroes ' lead guitarist is responsible for setting up the m erch stand rather than demanding m ountains of coke on a qua drupled ecker tour bus seems to show that th e ir inde pendence has gone far b e yond s e lling re cords.

Hell is for Heroes ' fi rst tour was a fre sh break from the waning British rock scene. The hard grafters wh o constantly dragged -their gear around th e country playing gigs anywhe re with a plug socke t, like Biffy Clyro or Hundre d Reasons , seemed to h ave an altogethe r different purpose to the m any bands who pre fe rred to fo cus on record sales.

That was three years ago now, and today - in a c lima te whe re the music scene swallows up new talent just to spit it out - ban ds that can last the test of time are rarities . Standing outside watching the hardcore fan- b ase begin to queue up in the rain, drummer Joe Birch says that his former band Symposium were tipped fo r the top: "Mayb e th at's half of the failure for b ands th ese days." By managing to maintain the ir underground s ta tus and mode sty, Hell is for Heroes seem to h ave come throu gh the ir Epic rejection all the bette r, and even after a three year lull the c rowd still go m ad whe n the first harmonic s of I Can Climb M ountains judd e r through the air. It 's like they h ad neve r b e en aw ay.

ustin Schlo sberg is the typical front m an . Quiet and mo d est, he sits on the stair s to the b a ckstage are a and d oes his best.to avoid the frantic stage preparations . "We're in the develop ing s tages," h e e gins. "We a chieved a lot with The Neon Handsh ak e [HIFH's deb ut album] but a s a band we can't b e sa tisfie d until we have made our d efining record."

Indeed, this seems to b e the re al point regarding ban d s like HIFH: they want their independe n ce just a s m uch

In a world where the media has the power to mab:e or break a band's reputation , Jus tin's honesty is surpris ing: "When it comes down to it", he says, "we need this simply to put food in our mOUthS " as they want to b e individual. " C aptains of Industry is an excellent opportunity for u s ," Schlosberg continue s. "Epic kept d e m anding sp ecifics for our n e w album but we were happy with it as it was ." So is January's new release the definitive album fans h ave waited for? " Far from it. If it was we would know it would be time to stop. No, it's just the next ste p ." Justin's commitme nt to touring is obvious , and in a world where the m e dia h as the powe r to make or b reak a band's reputation, his h on esty is surprising: "When it com es down to it we nee d this simply to p ut food in our mouths."

The responsibility h e feels he owes to his fans runs beyond Jus tin 's musical a spiration s . " C aptains of In d ustry is probab ly the most political inde p ende nt label in Britain," he say s. "We've noticed the way band s are hyp ocritically profitin g off p olitic s recently, but music can also h e lp p e ople re cognise issues in the firs t p lace ." Strewn across the m e rch table are p apers declaring

the tr uth about fre e spee ch and a sylum seekers. "We don 't sin g ab out politics much, though. It's injustice in so ciety which deserves more attention." up port act Cars as Weap ons truly are the m ost refreshing thing to be seen all night. An unspoilt band, in all their virgin m od e sty they see m to h ave the same independe nt approach as HIFH. They've got no gimmick a nd no establishe d fan base or s ound crew, but wh a t th ey have got is a blinding attitude to the ir work which p rovides a welln ee d e d contrast to the currently dilute d British rock sce ne. Bassist Stuart Clapp p ays homage to the night 's headliners, b ut with an EP produce d by none other than Waite r Schreife ls (le g e n dary form er Gorilla Biscuits and Rival Schools frontman] , Cars as Weap ons are sure to rise up the bill as the months p ass by.

This is exactly the opinion of the He roe s' drumme r, Joe, who say s that it would be excellen t for b an ds such as this to join his group on the C aptains of Industry label.

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While Th e Event stands outside in the rain waiting for the show to start, a van pulls up and from the b ack of it a band - called Shuriken - starts playing to the que ue of punters. Joe is unsurprised b y the g uerilla gig. "They fo llow us round the country and don't expect anythin g in return,'' he s ays .

As the doors open at 7.30pm and we start to h ead ins ide, Joe looks b ack at the soaking ki d s w aiting p atiently in the rain . "So, you a sked m e if it was worth putting our futures at risk by leaving Epic? We ll, whe n you see sights like this, after such a long time away, you just know it was all worth it." Turning back , h e adds: "This is all it 's about for us."

After ten years of touring the country re lentlessly, Joe's well-travelled eyes seem to be pleased with th e way things have worked out for Hell is for He ro e s , h owever long it has taken.

Hell is For Heroes' new singl e Karnichi is out on N ovember I 5th . Th e alb um will b e out in January on Captains of Industry.

17.11.04-------------------------------------

05

He's Not Hard-Core ollowing the release of his fourth studio album, Strangers, Ed Harcourt looks set to make an overdue break into the mainstream. His previous records have always been well received by critics and fans of his folky alternative indie alike, but - despite a Mercury Music Prize Nomination in 200 1 for his album Here Be Monsters he has somehow managed to escape major commercial recognition.

Nevertheless, Harcourt's most recent, and arguably most accomplished, work has the potential to make this charismatic, quietly self-deprecating young singer-songwriter into a household name.

Prolific to the core, Harcourt has produced a range of new material purposely for Strangers, even though he has a vast back catalogue of songs that haven't - as yet- seen the light of day. "I don't think I'm big enough for that," he laughs, when asked if there is a chance he will release an album of outtakes. He is proud of the material that has made it to the album. "I love it", Harcourt enthuses, before backtracking slightly: "Well, I don't love it, but I believe in it.

Over the years, I've set out to make albums that talk to people, and the audiences so far seem to be warming to that."

His influences are as diverse as his songs themselves, and Harcourt is quick to acknowledge his debt to the artists that have inspired them. "I was lucky to be exposed to a lot of different stuff _by my parents", he says.

"My mum was listenin to Johnny Cash and Th Beatles, and my da would listen to vario other things. Then I go into punk as that was kicking off when I little. But I guess my writ ing is influenced by combination of all those bands and whatever mood I'm in." The new album is a mixture of unashamed pop songs- "something to dance to", as Harcourt describes them - and more experimental works.

Although he has succeeded on recent albums in finding his own distinctive sound, Harcourt's music still draws frequent comparisons with other artists - Tom Waits' low-key country style and the wrought emotion of Jeff Buckley in particular. He is flattered by the references: "I love those artists. I love Jeff Buckley, and Tim Buckley even more. But if I were like them I'd be on

stage going for it, doing vocal aerobics and showing off - I'm just as good a singer as them. Some people have said I have an almost affected voice, which I'm not sure I agree with."

Harcourt has the same high expectations of his support band, The Magic Numbers, as he seems to place on himself. "It's better to have a support band you believe in rather than a crap one", he says. "It makes me want to play better." To say his own musical tastes are varied would be an understatement: "I'm nor one of those 'indier than thou' people who only listen to certain bands like Fugazi or Minor Threat. I like those bands but I'm not afraid to admit I like Supertramp." You like Supertramp? "I don't care! They have some good songs." Harcourt leans in towards the dictaphone, to make sure that the moment is on record: "I like Supertrampl They have some good songs." t is clear that Harcourt is a man immersed in his music. Aside from "playing mini golf whilst drunk", he spends much of his time off forming pub' bands with friends: "Just for a day", Harcourt says. "We play stuff that's too heavy for my albums, completely improvised. Normally it's me just screaming very loudly over some heavy metal."

Even without an audience, Harcourt is a born performer. At home on stages of any size - he has played to crowds of 10,000 and 15,000 people supporting REM in the US, a situation that he describes, simply, as "insane" -

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"I'm not one of those 'indier than thou' people who only listen to certain hands like Fugazi. I like those hands hut I'm not afraid to admit I like Supertramp."

Harcourt nevertheless concedes that the crowd can have a huge effect on the gig. "If there's just one person going 'woo', it's not too motivating," he says, and tells the tale of one particularly bad show: "Someone left a post online saying 'you were really rude to us, .you called us "tuckers'", when I'd just casually said 'OK you tuckers, here's another song'. He left this ridiculously long pseudo-psycho bullshit post, and I just thought 'who has time for this?' . I'd rather write a song. Or make a sandwich.''

Occasional sandwich making aside,

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

Ed Harcourt conte~nplates

finishing his SlnOOthie

Harcourt has been lucky with his breaks -particularly in America. Yet he says he is not too concerned about following the traditional musician's路dream of making it big in the States: "I'm going over there to support the album. I've toured there before, but I'm not sure how bothered I am with really breaking America.

It's just about getting the music out to as many people as possible." So does he have a plan for success? "I'd really like to do a troubadour sort of thing, get a small band and just go cross country on a train playing to whoever will listen."

Given his romantic vision of a

nomadic musician's existence in America, The Event sees fit to ask Harcourt what he thinks of the election result, which has been revealed to an apprehensive public that very morning.

His response is not for the faint-hearted: "It's tucked. I can't tucking believe it! But d'you know what, if they tucking want him, they can have him. They tucking deserve him." Anything else? "I had a thought. It'd be cool to tar and feather George Bush using Iraqi oil, and doves' feathers, for peace." Harcourt pauses.

"Can you sort that out for me?"

We'll see what we can do.

06

The Horror!

The Horror! f there is any consensus regarding modern horror cinema, then it is this: where once we watched in awe of a vital and terrifying super-genre, now there is nothing to see but the living-genre-dead. Horror films continue to resemble their long-gone ancestors, but the life has gone out of them. The recent clutch of Halloween-centred films has done little to counter such a theory ; The Grudge is a limp remake of ju -On : Th e Grudge (both directed by Takashi Shimizu), Exorcist: The Beginning a sledgehammer shocker intended as a prequel to Friedkin's The Exorcist, and Alien Vs. Predator the disastrous collision of two classic beast-franchises. All these films look back (and in the case of The Grudge eastwards) to other films , and so can be seen to participate in the current 'retrospective ' trend in horror, where homage has taken the place of originality and the remakes outnumber the makes.

Certainly, a good number of horror films from the last year or so make open reference to 1970s and early 1980s classics. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead are remakes of the 1974 film by Tob e Hooper and the 1979 film by George Romero ; Exorcist: Th e Beginning, Alien Vs. Predator. and Freddy Vs. ja son continue film series that began in the l970s/ 80s (The Exorcist, 1973, Alien, 1979 \ and Friday th e 13th , 1980/ A Nightl!'are on Elm Street, 1984); and Cabin Fever and House of 1000 Corpses deliberately evoke 'back to the woods' slashers like The Hills Have Eyes (1978) and The Evil Dead (1983). Also, Open Water shares something with jaws (1975) , as do es j eepers Creepers // with the original T e x a s

Massacre. That so many recent films can

be linked to a past period of cinema is the regular starting point for criticisms of horror, leading to charges of unoriginality and obviousness. Horror becomes a thief that steals everything important from old films , a nd adds nothing of value itself.

And that's not all! In addition to its 'unoriginal' tag, horror- and particularly remade horror - must also face accusations that it has 'missed the point' of 1970s films, that it has taken one look at those edgy arty originals and promptly messed everything up with its ruthless commerciality and modern gloss. They don't make them like they used to. This of course is true, but the 'unoriginal' criticism says they make them far too much like they used to, so what 's a horror film to do?

Perhaps all that seems a bit beside the point- there are lo ts of disappointing horror films being made , however you go about assessing them. But to treat every modern movie in the same way (i.e. unoriginal or misconceived, or both) seems unfair, and could mean someone unthinkingly dismisses a film that they might enjoy watching. Even if most horror is retrospective, not every film has the same sort of retrospectiveness. To make a film dotted with knowing winks at other movies is quite different to remaking a film from another decade. Remakes themselves vary wildly; they might be nothing like the original, or they may stick to their source scene for scene, even shot for shot (as did Gus Van Sant's Psycho, 1998). In the cases of The Texas Chainsa w Massacre and Dawn of the Dead, there is little onscreen that matches up with the original works, in either style or substance. The grainy handheld earner-

is

17.11.04

replaced - despite the presence of cinematographer Daniel Pearl in both films - by a lush and glossy look where the trees filter sunlight with spooky adeptness, and the blood glistens like raspberry coulis. The story too, working as a semi-sequel to the original (the kids pick up a traumatized girl near the beginning, who could be the survivor from the 1974 film), has its own distinct paths to follow. There are more minor characters and backstory for a start, and the confrontations between Leatherface and the girl - which originally consisted of a single, enormously harrowing non-stop chase - here become quite intricate hide & seek setpieces.

There are signs too that Hollywood may finally turn its back on the 1970s, in favour of more contemporary Japanese horror. ow good or bad these changes make the film are open to debate, but they do show that remakes might not be unoriginal.

2003's Chainsaw Massacre looks different, feels different, and thinks differently to the 197 4 version, and far from adding nothing new to the original, it adds and takes away as it pleases to make something close to an entirely new product. Obviously it has 'missed the point' of the original, as has Dawn of th e Dead, but that seems inevitable given the amount of things that have changed since the 1970s , and anyway there are plenty of new points up for grabs. Dawn of the Dead in particular seems to make conscious attempts to engage with contemporary issues like the actions of America during the war the opening credits contain shots of violence in the Middle East, and the film's ending has the heroes attempt to take over new territory for a new life, an action that ends only in more death and destruction.

While films like Dawn of the Dead and Exorcist: The Beginning share a name and little else with their originals, some recent films make great efforts to pick up on the tone or effect of earlier horror cinema. Cabin Fever not only sets itself up on The Evil Dead territory (a spooky shack in the woods), but also employs the now quite unusual mix of black humour and queasy bloodletting that Sarn Raimi made his name with in the 1980s. This drew a few cries of grave-robber, but Eli Roth's supersmart horror does more than reuse old material. Rather it takes its sources which range from Deliverance to Friday

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to The Hills Have Eyes and beyond - and uses them to set up fairly specific audience expectations, before gleefully dashing them in.

The danger might initially seem to lurk in the woods, but in the end all that infection-horror stems from a moment of panicky intolerance on the part of the young students. And what an upset to find the hillbilly shopkeeper keeps a shotgun for purposes other than prejudiceinspired violence.

Not all films are as inventive in their exploitation of source material as Cabin Fever (take a bow jeepers Creepers 1/) , but there is clearly life in the horror genre yet. There are signs too that Hollywood may finally turn its back on the 1970s, in favour of more contemporary Japanese horror. The most remarkable thing about The Grudge is that it keeps its Japanese director (Takashi Shimizu, director of ju an: The Grudge, 2003), along with a Japan setting, and even some of the actors from the Japanese film. The Ring 2, following the success of The Ring, will also credit a Japanese creator - the man behind the original Ringu (1998) , Hideo Nakata.

Whether such a shift would give us more brightly stylish thrillers in The Ring cast, or more films starring a tired-looking Sarah Michelle-Geller, is hard to say, but after all what's horror without a few surprises? the 13th

Here's Johnny! . .. I mean Raaaaaaargh

................................................................• Feature 07

Jude the Ubiquitous is it that in Hollywood, foreign stars can suddenly be thrust into the limelight only to fade away again just as quickly? Why do some achieve status as a media star rather than being taken seriously as actors? Take Penelope Cruz, after years of working in her native Spain she made the crossover to Hollywood and had a string of high profile films such as Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Vanilla Sky, none of which were huge hits. She also had the highprofile romance - in this instance it was Cruise and Cruz- which failed to last forever (two years to be exact) . Whilst Cruz is still around, her star has somewhat faded.

Now consider Jude Law. He first achieved real prominence and critical acclaim in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) and then had leading roles in Enemy at the Gates and AI (both 2001). Yet it was not until working with Minghella again, in the 2003 epic Cold Mountain, that Law achieved true

because Jude Law was in it. Already Alfie, which is truly Law's movie (he is in

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are some big films in that

just about every frame), has received at best lukewarm reviews, failing to top the British box-office and bombing in · America. Sky Captain did not succeed at the box-office and advance word on I Heart Huckabees ·has not been good. Of the remaining films only Closer features Law prominently and there he is surrounded by a strong cast including Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman so he won't be expected to carry the film. If Law wants to make it as a leading man in Hollywood he needs to start scoring some hits, but at the moment it does not seem that any of these films will carry him to that status.

Another actor in a similar situation is Colin Farrell, who has been touted as the next best thiJ:1g for a while. Farrell first came to prominence with his performance in 2000's Tiger/and and nas kept himself extremely busy since then ·with a string of films which have seen him star opposite (and hold his own against) some of the biggest names in the business including Tom Cruise (Minority Report), Bruce Willis (Harts War) and AI Pacino (The Recruif) . Soon to be released is Oliver Stone's Alexander with Farrell in the title role.

Although it has a big name director and a cast which includes Val Kilmer and Angelina Jolie it is Farrell's movie and there is a lot resting on his shoulders.

Only twice before has Farrell carried a film, in Tiger/and and again working with Joel Schumacher in Phone Booth.

Neither was even close to the scale of the big budget epic Alexander and although Farrell received much acclaim for his performances, neither was a huge commercial success. Farrell is already considered a fine actor but if Alexander is successful, then it will greatly elevate his status in Hollywood.

However, advance word on the finished film is less than enthusiastic and if it fails critically and commercially then it will raise serious doubts about Farrell's ability to carry a blockbuster.

list, including a remake of a 1960's Michael Caine classic, the latest epic from Martin Scorsese and an adaptation of an extremely popular children's book.

True, in The Aviator Law has only a cameo playing Errol F1ynn and in Lemony Snicket he is only the narrator, but he has a lot riding O!\ the success of these films.

His Oscar nomination for Cold Mountain and the fact that he has six such high profile films out in a short space of time means that the public, the media and the film industry are all paying a great deal of attention. If even a few of these films were to be big hits, and critical reception to his performances were positive it would raise Law's stock in Hollywood immensely. If on the other hand most of the films fared badly (and Cold Mountain did not do as well as hoped, critically or commercially), then the indication would be that the public were not going to flock to a movie just

ira Knightly is an Jther British star hoping to mlke it big in Hollywood, and it seemed after the success of irates of the Caribbean that she was well on her way. That said Pirates was Johnny Depp's film, and Knightly fared less well in this summer's King Arthur. Attempting to capitalise on her success in Pirates, her role as Guinevere in King Arthur was fore grow.ded in the films publicity. Neither the film or Knightly fared well under this increased attention, many critics questioned her performance and the film was neith€.r well received by critics or a huge commercial success. Knightly certainly has the looks and the media interest to be a movie star and with a sequel to Pirates on the way she will only be further exposed, but critics remain unconvinced as to whether she has the talent

If Law wants to make it as a leading man in Hollywood he needs to start scoring some hits. leading man status (getting top billing· ahead of Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellwegger) and an Oscar nomination.

Now a year later Law has seen his marriage to Sadie Frost fall apart in the glare of the media and now has another highprofile romance ·with Sienna Miller and he has no less than six films all to be released within a few months. Already out are Sky Captain and the World of 1bmorrow and Alfie, and coming soon are I Heart Huckabees, Closer, The Aviator and

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American"o.4S Splendor

to be a great actor. She has work to do if she wants to follow in the footsteps of Ewan McGregor, or Kate Winslet who has capitalised on the success of films such as Titanic to truly be considered a movie star yet is still taken seriously as an actress as her recent role in Eternal Sunshine of the SpoUess Mind demonstrates.

There are no doubts about Gael Garcia Bernal's acting talents as he attempts to establish himself in Hollywood. Unlike Farrell and Law, Bernal is already a big nameinternationally, first drawing the attention of foreign audiences with his performances in Amores Perros (2000) and Y tu mama tambien (2001).

Since then Bernal has largely resisted the lure of Hollywood, continuing to work in South America and Spain and this year has achieved critical acclaim and box-office success in Pedro Almod6var's Bad Education and Waiter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries. He has achieved growing status as an actor around the world and is only now making the move to America where he will star in The King alongside William Hurt (The Village). Bernal has managed to sustain his success up until now, but will it be sustained following his move to America? He now has an established fan base around the world, but will the attraction still be there in an English lan. guage film? Will he also be able to avoid the media glare and achieve success and prominence based on his performances alone as he has been doing until now?

It is difficult for foreign stars to achieve sustained success in Hollywood, even established American stars struggle. Questions have been raised over Tom Hanks' future after a string of disappointing films including The Ladykillers and The Thrminal and he has much riding on this Christmas' The Polar Express. Only a few actors can claim to have the pulling power to carry an entire film by themselves and even they are susceptible to flops. However success is not just to be measured commercially, and many actors achieve recognition for their performances. Yet it is stars and not just good actors who make money and after all, isn't that what Hollywood is all about?

Another film based on a comic book, eh? All spandex and no trousers I'm guessing.

Well that's not really a question, strictly speaking, but we'll ignore that. American Splendor may be based on a comic but it's no superhero caper. Instead it follows the existence of Harvey Pekar, a file clerk in a local hospital. He spends his time waxing lyrical with his oddball coworkers in a desperate attempt to stave off the urge to throw himself off the nearest rooftop. If this was a superhero flick, then Harvey is permanently stuck in mild-mannered alter-ego mode.

Not to mention the fact that it's based on a true story.

Yawn. Sounds dreary. So if there's no city saving action, what is it that makes American Splendor worth watching?

As Harvey's friend finds success creating an underground comic book series, the poor schlub decides to chronicle his own angsty thoughts about the world. The film blurs the lines between fact and fiction, enlisting the voiceover and occasional interference of the real Harvey Pekar in the narrative. This is a brilliant touch to the film and really underscores its unconventional style, very fitting considering its hero's own alternative take on life. American Splendor manages to be an extension of the comic itself all very much in Pekar's whiny, gravelly tone. Not to mention the novelty in being able to compare the real life characters with their dramatised counterparts. At its best moments, the film pushes the boundaries of cinema much in the same way that Adaptation did.

It forces the audience to accept the line between narrative and actuality and see each for what they are.

What if I have absolutely no interest in this Pekar guy's life?

The fact that American Splendor is a biopic can detract from the film's narrative, but because of the unusual way this is introduced it prevents too much focus being given to Pekar as an individual. Fans can enthuse, but those of us who just want a good movie are given enough arbitrary food for thought to munch our way through. Paul Giamatti perfectly embodies an image of teed off-ness that we can all empathise with, which provides the core of the movie.

So is this just another 'I hate my life and I'm gonna moan about it' movie?

It is, but this one is bizarrely trapped in some-

thing of a success story. There is a genuinely funny script, and the film avoids wallowing in Pekar's point of view. We are given the chance to look, perplexed at times, on his life but remain thankfully on our sofas. A classic to uproot boring rainy afternoons and make the best of a bad situation through moaning about it.

KateBryant

17.11.04

I

I

I

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New路 Wr it i ng Parne rship

launches n the evening of the twelfth of November the Assembly House on Theatre Street was filled with artists , publishers, wxiters and the movers and shakers of the Norfolk writing world. All were awaiting what could well be a n historic cultural moment in Norwich's already rich literary scene.

The launch of The New Writing Partnership was charged with a palpable atmosphere of excitement and endeavour. It is an organisation designed to provide a dynamic link between the writing public and the various creative and critical industries that support, and very often enrage and restrict, the art of the written word. Jon Cook, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, indicate d that the partnership was a unique collaboration between a university, an arts council and a city council. Whilst he repre sented the university the representative of the political a spect of the initiative was Charles Clark the Minister of Education.

The appearance of Mr. Clark as a speaker was not universally welcomed, one man gaine d the admiration of most students pres-

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ent by greeting him with loud boos and jeers, yet despite this Mr. Clark gave a rousing speech about the importance of the role of freedom , creativity and clarity of expression (don't mention the Iraq dossier) in constructing a greater more 'productive' society.

"A dynamic link between the various creative and critical industries that support the art of the written word."

Mr. Clark can always be relied upon in public events to deliver a speech full of philanthropy and idealism; it is however a pity that he cannot carry these elements through to his government policies. As one audience member commented it was ' the most ironic thing I have ever heard.'

Local writer Jill Dawson (Trick of the Light, Magpie, Fred &Edie), who is also a tutor on the MA creative writing course and on the New Writing Partnership board, went down better with a heartfelt dedication to the enterprise, lying her emphasis upon the importance of the more openly descriptive

NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL BOX OFFICE (Oi603) 63 00 00

term 'writing' as opposed to the slightly elitist, categorising term 'writers' . As well as a ye arly series of seminars and lectures designed to empower and encourage new writers , The New Writing Partnership will be based in King Street from where they hope to 'highlight, develop and support creative writing establishing the East of England as a national and international centre of excellence.'

imes have changed for writers . No longer can they wander into open publishing houses where the corridors are teeming with "editors randy for . talent."

Nowadays, "they [publishers] are doing everything to make life difficult for you." Barriers have been erected between publishers- who are more likely to be legal experts than editorsand the humble new writer. In a long hall, under lighted chandeliers, the author Jim Grace delivered the Key Note speech Letter To A New Writer.

www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk THEATRE STREET, NORW ICH NR2 1RL 17.11.04

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Ostensibly this comprised of seven letters in response to the diligent pestering of five unpublished writers. These letters used narratives and a range of didactic metaphors to highlight the obscure path to becoming a published author. The epistolary author occupied a shifting position between the desire to give advice- albeit abstract, and a more cynical outlook. Although patronising and demeaning towards the addressed, the author came to acknowledge that he could give useful advice. That is, so long as it didn't involve reading the manuscripts of his correspondents or recommending an agent.

Instead the author produced a chain of witty anecdo tes linking the gruelling career of an insurance clerk named Franz Kafka, the endurance of Solzhenitsyn and the stern warning given to him by Alan Benne!, "You should write leaflets, not novels." The letters were consistent in espousing' the benefits of keeping tautology, personal politics and truth out of writing. The letters spoke of the link b etween fiction and lying. In the third letter the epistolary author sincerely advised one young pretender, "you must master the art of lying." Apparently the ability to mould a story has little to do with truth.

"There was a group of professional, highlypaid liars in town," is how a gatherin g of in tern ationally acclaimed a uthor s in Adelaide is describ ed.

And as to how to convert a failed job as a reporter into a novelist, Grace has just the formula . During the literary festival in Adelaide there was a one sentence news story that ran as follows . "A man who was bitten on the hand by a taipan, cut his finger off and saved his life before the poison could spread to the rest of his body."

The following day the news item was expanded. The story gave the biological and common name of the snake. It explained the man had been sitting at a table with a blue and white tablecloth. The man had put his hand on the tablecloth where the snake was basking. lt explained what type of venom is contained in the taipan's alimentary tract and how quickly it can spread throughout a human body- 30 seconds. It then explained how the man had taken a steak-knife from the table and cut off his finger, before the venom caused complete paralysis.

Then the writers at the festival got hold of the narrative and maintained that after the man was bitten his wife cut off his finger, partly through agency and partly in malice.

Moreover she cut it off with a soupspoon. So there it is; the definitive guide to making the transition from journalist to novelist.

The letters' tone of address was condescending. The established author was placed a gulf away from the desperate scribblings of the new writer. But solace was offered in the craft itself. Grace read, "storytelling confers on us a hereditary privilege." Our ability to tell stories allows us to pass knowledge between contemporaries and across generations. The author of the letters affirmed that, "the best stories strike to the soul." There must after all be some reason that new writers put themselves through the tribulations that Grace articulated. Amidst these difficulties, this ability to strike deeply, to form a mystical and timeless connection with an audience, was a refreshing and spiritual observation. The key question is whether these letters were fictional or not. If they are not, the central argument of their author is surely undermined. Letter To A new Writer will be published in The Guardian in January.

There was a cynicism or perhaps simply words of warning directed towards writing as a profession. Yet encouragement can be taken from the persistence of fle d gling writers. It is this zest, energy and reflection, combined with shrewd business which The New W riting Partnership must look to fo s ter, th ereby ensuring the future of East Anglia as a dynamic centre for literary talent.

..............................................................• Feature 09

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we're above the average Joe when it comes to intelligence. Polishing our nails on our !-shirts. we sit gazing down our noses at low-brow quiz shows, wondering how on earth the slack-jawed buffoon who's reached the grand final even managed to make it to the studio on time let alone answer any questions. However, we never get off our ample posteriors and actually prove that we can do better.

That's why when The Event met up with Les Morrell, member of UEA's current University Challenge team, he was so eager to drum up interest for next years team. Their first bout against Queen's .

Belfast will be shown on Mon 22nd Nov and it's the duty of everyone and anyone to tune in with novelty UEA scarves and flags and cheer at their television sets until their throats are sore. Not just for UEA, but for the tradition that is University Challenge.

University Challenge has become a bastion of the quality quiz show, not

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least of aU because of the forked tongue of Jeremy Paxman. "We were asked at the interviews what we thought of Jeremy Paxman" says Les, "I think we all damned him with feint praise". Lukewarm feelings aside, he is undoubtedly a defining feature of the programme and a great source of fear for anyone who chooses to take part. "He knows when you're sure and when you're guessing" Les explains, adding the satisfying revelation that Mr Paxman fell foul of UEA captain Doug RandaU, who had a sneaky retort in the face of the host's usual belittling putdowns. Little bonus point there for UEA you'll have to agree. The small but valuable victory will be in UEA's upcoming bout with Queen's Belfast. Part of the joy of tuning in to University Challenge is the chance that one or two ticked off competitors might try their luck at taking its host down a peg or two. There is also the chance to see some of the future luminaries of stage and screen drawn to the

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James, David Melior and even Stephen Fry compete when they were still freshfaced. The 'guess the contestants future careers' game is great way of whiling away the slower rounds of the show.

Unlike the 'guess the presenters future career' that can be played with episodes of Have I Got News for You. he quiz show is a corner stone of British television; with its novelty question cards, buzzers and perhaps most important of aU, the almost impervious hosts. Jeremy Paxman may be a prime example of the text-book style host, but he is by no means alone.

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The warm, kindly tones of Blockbusters' sheer pride that comes from taking part Bob Holness or the silver haired host of is all the contestants should really need; Matermind Magus Magnusson also hold perhaps a tasteful yet modest trophy or true the quiz show values of knowledge the chance to return as a victor but defto the point of nerdiness. Richard initely nothing frivolous. The joy o Whiteley could not have existed on any knowing the answer to a question whe other plane. If Countdown hadn't given watching one of these shows leave him a purpose, one shudders to think audience members with a warm glow o what might have become of lfll.lllll!!!'!!lll!!""!""'!!!''!!l'!'!""'-'\. smugness.

Then, th him. There was always the slightly less prestigiou impression that they but nonetheles spent their time away from the studio in only the most bookish pursuits. .

They Millionaire? and were quiz masThe Weakest ters; they knew Link reside just all the answers beneath. They regardless of how quesspecialist the quesworth tion was, or at least answering, and gave the impression attempt to reward intellect, but just aren't they did. Their authority was finite. Recent years as fastidious. They're have seen an influx of new just a little bit too prime !angled hosts, or pres;nters in hosts' time to have that air of exclusionism a clothing, Anne Robinson being a real quiz show does - wheat from chaff notable culprit with her leatherette and all that. True quiz show participants clothes and incessant winking. Even Mr only exist in the highest echilons of acaBolton himself, Vernon Kay has tried his demia in the minds of the audience. ridiculously unsuitable hand at the role. Then on the lowest rung of the quiz show There is, of course, a very strict ladder cling shows like Distraction and unwritten hierarchy that any quiz show Headjam. They're loud, camp (well all connoisseur can recognize. Painfully quiz shows are camp, but these ones do proper as they are, the timeless delight it on purpose) and have questions about of shows like University Challenge, reality TV shows on them. Their prizes are massive and the contestants are Countdown and Mastermind sit at the top of the chart. Comical as some of more likely to have read a copy of Heat their sets may be, the emphasis is in preparation than spending long arduundoubtedly on knowledge. Their ous nours pouring over dusty volumes are, quite frankly, piddly. The of the Encyclopedia Britannica. They are game shows, dangerously close to including the likes of Big Brother in the same category.

So UEA, we must embrace the dying breed that is the quality highbrow quiz show. Rather than snort at the efforts currently onscreen, we should follow in the footsteps of this year's team and . compete! We are in serious danger of losing the oh so British stuffiness that we need to legitimize the quiz show's existence in the face of trashy new takes on the format. Blockbusters is already becoming a di.s tant memory for most of us, and with Distraction set to return to our screens soon, drastic measures may be required. Otherwise we may find ourselves sitting down to Mastermind with. someone having Big Brother as their specialist subject. Sharpen those pencils, don those specs and get down to some serious swatting!

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Students and proud parents could be seen making a bee-line for the Drama Studio this week for the annual exhibition of the dramatic talent of UEA, organised and supervised by the Drama Society.

Plays, monologues, ·improvisat.ions, poems, dances and live music were performed under the umbrella of Diversify.

erformances ranged from the clearly honed to fully improvised and there was some eye-clawing dross for good measure. For the most part the p ieces were purely escapist, by which I mean the audience did not physically participate, The · Improfessionals being a notable - Whose Line Is It Anyway-esque exception. Having said that, the energy required to laugh, absorb, applaud and withstand the urge to run screaming from some of the performances was sufficiently great to leave the average theatre-goer exhausted by the end of the evening.

Original works sat side-by-side with that of some of the most famous writers of modern times and it is hard to remem.l;ler a time when Berkoff and Beckett can have found themselves sandwiched between The Can Can and satirical ciyad about badgers, Bush and Barney (the dinosaur, as if you didn't know). Comparing the merits of such different shows is tricky and, for the most part, a hollow exercise; how can you reconcile a fe;·, Cabaret-

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eate s short, ambitious play written by first year student, Iman Sid. Cheaters addressed issues as diverse as battle-of-the-sexes, apathy in modern society, the threat of nuclear war, and football as a form of controlled violence, all within the space of a few minutes. The writing was snappy and funny and the audience responded well, laughing at the uptight Lucy and Wayne the slob, two characters which between them encapsulated modern attitudes to life, the universe and everything.

as "vid descriptions of uncomfortable sex, penis envy and a lot of crotch thrusting. This is Nikki Mailer's monologue from Stephen Berkoff's East. A bitter female response to the role of women in sex and society, the monologue had graphi.c language and suitably similar actions.

Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you are shocked, but apart from my concern for the young girl sitting in front of me, it was a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

The Can Can- Photo: Jassim Happa

•

I

style frolic with a relentlessly brutal East London?

Also there is the charge of authenticity and originality. Is an original work of more worth than a piece merely staged from another, professional dramatist's pen? Is a cover of a Radiohead song at an open mic of more currency than an original, sincerely strummed paean to sweetcorn?

The Event can see the letters page in the next issue. "Of course my play looked amateurish" writes Angry of ·Norfolk Terrace, "You compared it with Beckett!"

Point taken, its all too easy for reviewers to play a bit too free-and-easy with the power they have in their pens, condemning 3 months of someone else's hard"work at a stroke. It's alright to write vitriolic things about Placebo... Placebo don't live next-door (hopefully.) Therefore, this Event reporter says that the purpose of Diversify was to entertain and enthral, it is those that succeeded best in doing that will be written about. "'ealing The Show was performed

as the concluding piece on both Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Written and directed by 4th year, Matthew Peacock, this play-within-a-play asked a huge amount from the 10-strong cast and utilised almost every stage exit and entrance with burglars appearing from trapdoors, climbing into the eaves, disappearing behind curtains, with a p leasing line of slapstick thrown in for good measure. Jake Newman and Theo Leonard stole the show (quite literally, mate) as the hapless duo Kev and Ned, the latter's 'Mr Gimsdale!' whine being a highlight of the show. At times it felt laboured as the actors struggled to maintain the energy of the opening 15

James Sorel~Cameron director of Krapp ~Last Thpe Photo: Lexy Mostaza Improvisation Photo: Jsssirn Happa

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time the choreography, as well the costumes, was more ambi. us, and it was only two people who graced the stage. Wearing sparkly tails, and sporting Top hats and canes, Emily Muiray (who also choreographed both dance numbers) , and Laura Coombe gave us an enjoyable, triumphant ending to the first half of the show, and sent the audience away at the interval entertained and enthusiastic for more.

T

'Jle Improfessionals featured an improvisational group . A large cast went

to work improvising around such topics as Rome, Washing Up Olympics, and Ordinary Personal Objects, all of which were suggested (or thrown) by the audience in order to prove the authenticity of the improvisation. The team first faced the challenge of answering questions with questions on the subject of Rome, each in turn engaging a challenger in a 'question-off', with the winner then going on to face the next challenger. 'Stabby Jim The Little Mermaid' , better known as Joseph Wells, deserves special mention as the only one to win against his challenger, and also for being very funny in the process.

Losing Me Tapestry of Fear

e rformed, and written by Roanna Bond Losing Me is a poignant monologue on how to deal with telling the world you have AIDs. Roanna gave a realistic and courageous portrayal of how one is faced with this life altering disease.

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poem again writer by Iman Sid, provided a timely reminder that Drama s a serious business. A short poem on the nature of fear, our responss to it, and its integral place in our lives, it was read with quiet gravity by Sid, who cut a frail figure alone in the middle of an empty stage. The poem was again received with enthusiasm, and it is a credit to both the organisers and the audience that such a dramatic shift in mood was handled so smoothly.

an Can e Can Can! A fun, vibrant piece of choreography, and though a little under-rehearsed, still a great start to a night f entertainment. A flash of knickers here and there and a fantastic sense of fun make for a contagious performance that you can't help but smile and clap along to.

17.11.04

minutes and a snappier delivery overall would have benefited both cast and audience alike - at over an hour, the longest performance piece on offer - but some wonderful set-pieces made it a memorable, enjoyable play. ntertaining · for vastly different reasons was Evolving- Soul by Gillian Webster and Michael Grant an allegedly choreographed piece that appeared to consist of each cavorting, oblivious to their partner, to a hastily assembled backing track interspersed with some poor miming. On the up-side it was short.

Perhaps the most sensational piece of both Monday and Thursday evenings was a monologue entitled Losing Me, written . and performed by Roanna Bond.

Essentially the recounting of a conversation in which the speaker reveals to her sister that she has the Aids virus, the piece was presented 'as seen' with no introduction or synopsis in the program.

If it was meant to be a short, sharp shock it succeeded but lacking as it did any explanation as to context or legitimacy it seemed vulnerable to the charge of sensationalism. The question of authoritarian right and legitimacy left a sour taste since there is a great deal of difference between staging a performance in order

oul volving Soul took the word "freestyle" to its boundaries and gave an interesting contrast to the more organised dances. Taking African, and American music through the ages, Gillian Webster and Michael Grant made their groovy, sensual hips a pleasure to watch.

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Harold Pinter Patron of the drama studio to raise and examine real, important issues such as Aids and using such issues in order to publicise oneself. It may well be that Roanna has personal experience which she drew upon to write Losing Me but her absence of clarity upon this point distracted from an otherwise strong performance. rapp's Last Tape, also a monologue, drew an remarkably effecting interpretation of Samuel Beckett's ageing proagonist from Rob Castell. Alone onstage for well over 40 minutes, CasteU held the audiences attention with a mixture of banana-related improvisation and a bewitchingly ragged delivery of an old man's lamentations. Listening, at times bewilderedly and not without anger to tapes from his past, tapes of himself as he was, Krapp came to acknowledge what his past and his present states, alone and tired in the dark. Beautifully underplayed, this was perhaps the most mesmerising of any of the performances over the week. Dismissed by some as a vanityproject (Ca.s tell heads the Drama Society), and by no means perfect, the very fact that silence was allowed to exist on stage for minutes on end whilst an audience sat transfixed by a sole actor stands as testimony to the power of the performance.

Iss ones?

his dance interlude provided a sugar-sweet performance by eight girls in pink. There was an enthusiastic response from the audience. A fun and diverting piece.

17.11.04

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1.2 Music

Brand New Hero

Albums

l;fiUhtg

A fourth year student having

Pavement are one of those cult bands who never made it big in terms of sales. However, they did consolidate this lack of commercial success with a seemingly unilateral respect amongst music fans for their quirky, but consistently tuneful, portrayal of melancholy America. This re-mlease confirms Crooked Rairi. Crooked Rain to be the provider of some of Pavement's greatest son.g s, ~th the utterly optimistic Range Life and grunge classic (:'ut Yojll' Hair being a couple of the highlights. Pavement were a bieath offresh air in a rock scene which looked increasingly contrived and sold on superficial elementa.

While there are no complaints about the original album, there are plenty about the so-Called "exclusive tracks" included on this re-releaae, since the central problem is that they are substandard, half-arsed demo ver1ions or well-below par originals which should never have seen the light of day.

If Yt>u don't know Pavement and oqonder why they're so well regarded, by all means buy the original Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Even if you're a hard-core fan, don't spend your money on this. It'a a rip off.

]imParJcer Bowling For Soup A H angover You D on't D eser ve Being in the final year of an American Studies degree is hard enough, but factor in the running of an international record label and frankly, you're just being silly. But nevertheless t~s is precisely the situation of Ed Sellers who rUl\11 Brand New Hero Records.

"I started BNH in 2003 and do everything for it, including the website, designing the art for the COs, postem, shitts and flyers, finding the bands and deciding what releases to take on. I went to UCLA in my year abroad which was perfect because r was able to meet bands and other people in the industry face to face, and so things came together a lot more quickly. I also set up the first label UK tour from LA, which happened last month, and organised everything to do with that, from negotiating payments from clubs to getting the pizzas."

Brand New Hero had a fairly low-key start, with the release of the Skybop VS Highscalers compilation in March 2003: It has grown steadily ever since, cuJminadng in the zec::ent. th!eeweek tour of the UK with The Littlest Man Band, Suburban Ltgends and Army of Freshman. "Suburban Legends and Army of Freshmen were friends from California and wanted to tour the UK. We talked about Scott Klopfenstein (from skapunlters Reel Big Fish) and his new group The Littlest Man Band opening for us in London but Scott wanted to do the whole tour, which really boosted its profile," says Ed. "There were 24 of us travelling around the UK in a big bus and it was amazing! There were a few very memorable shows - we bad really great ones in Southampton and Manchester, and London was amazing. Norwich was really good too, because the Ferryboat was the smallest venue on the tour!'

One crucial factor in the running of BNHJs tha"4d ~­ dently loves the bands he's working witl,l. ·~e J4ttlf!St Malt Band is an amazing mix of musical styles. lt'a a lot of material that Soott Klopfenstein haa written over the years that he has finally decided to put together on one album. He got a bunch of friends together from various other bands and they made an incredible debut record. Suburban Legends are an eight man ska-pop band from Orange County. They are the best live band I've ever seen and have a fully choreographed aet.

They've played over 1,000 shows at Disneyland in Anaheim and so have got it perfected. They have very catchy melodies and are a very fun band. Army of FreshJ:'nen have a very unique sound. They have three voc~. keyboards and a vintage moog. They're very poppy and went to Japan with Bowling For Soup earlier this year."

So what of the futwe? "Aa soon aa I am kicked out for missing too many classes I'll either gob~ to Los Angeles or stick around hem to do mom tours next year. 1 want to keep BNH going for as long u pouible, and keep working with this circle of bands. 1 really want to have Suburban Legends and Army of Freshmen back hete as aoon as pollible, and I know they can't wait to come back and play. It's a lot of hard work and a lot of stress sometimes but it's also a lot of fun and gives me the chance to meet some great people and help out soJne amazing bands that don't get support from other labels. So hopefully people will take notice of these bands and we will expand and be able to help out more a lot mote break the UIC."

For more information about Brand New Hero Records, visit the website at www.brandnewhero.com

In the liner notes the band give their own views on this album: "We didn't set out to reinvent the wheel, or to revive music and save the recording industry. We wanted to make a Bowling For Soup record."

Which is exactly what they've done, continuing their tradition of catchy comedy-poppunk songs. Probably the most notable track on the album is the first single 1985 - unsurprisingly a song loaded with 80s pop-culture references (with plenty of 90s references for younger fans). The rest of the album is more of the same, complete with occasional handclaps, background "ahhhs" and the obligatory acoustic final track. The album is, above all else, fun, and if you've heard BFS before then you already know what you're getting: well-made and sometimes genuinely funny poppunk.

~

Colin Gri ffi.ths

What is most pleasing about Sounds 7b Consume is that it

successfully captures the sound of a band in the ascen- . dance, bursting with energy and vitality without once coming off as formulaic. Sonic Boom Six are unquestionably the most exciting band in the country right now, and if you're a fan of anything with even the remotest connection to punk or hip-hop you owe it The 80s M atchbox Bto your ears and your con- Line Disaster science to pick this up imme- The Royal Soci ety diately.

The B-Line Disaster's 2002 ,,,., B en Patashnik debut Horse of the Dog encap-;.1\, sulated everything great about this Brighton based quintet - short, sharp and frantic rock tunes capped off with Ouy McXnight's almos~ cartoonishly crazed vocals. Hits such as Psychosis Safari and the anthemic Celebrate Your Mother arguably catapulted them to the forefront of Britain's New Rock Revolution.

On listening to this follow up fans could be forgiven for thinking that some of the spark has gone ~om their sound. It is evident on tracks such as I Could Be an Angle Steriogram (sic) and Drunk on Blood that Schmack! the Disaster have attempted something a bit different but Steriogram are in the same the majority of this album, vein as· Sum 41: annoying little entertaining as it may be, fails punks who need to grow into to tread new ground. their DMs before they can be Nevertheless, they have suctaken "seriously". If you're a ceeded in producing a good, McFly fan then you're proba- loud record, albeit a longer bly thinking that I'm talking and slightly slower one that blasphemy. The second stand affinns their "mad" reputation. out track is Walkie Tallde Man, whose only advantage is that it Siznon Griffiths has appeared in 30 seconds of glorious television time in the Diet Coke adverts. Luckily the adverts are short so the rest of Fleeing New York the annoying song can be for- AOK gotten. Sadly there are twelve "songs" that your CD p layer It has been far too long since a has to endure before the genuine, passionate, rock nightmare is over. I have to band graced our ears, but admit that I only got to track thankfully Fleeing New York four before I wanted to crack have saved us from the ever the cd in half and throw it out • consistent drone of wannabes of my window. Ultimately, and produced a ·sound that is Schmack! (Yes, fe el the excla- raw and noticeably untammation mark) is similar to Diet pered with, and has that cerCoke: less than one calorie, no tain connectivity that makes carbohydrates, no flavour and good music. Opener Monkey definitely no fizz. is an eerie combination of beautiful chant-like vocals, ]ames Banks thought-provoking lyrics and

-o-

~

Sonic Boom Six Sounds To Consume Exploding out of Manchester with a frantic mix of punk, ragga, hip-hop and ska comes the mighty SB6, and boy do they impress. Old favourites Blood For Oil and Silent Majority prove that the underground punk scene can still throw up some startlingly insightful bands that are unafraid to tackle politics and social inequality, while Monkey See Monkey Do provides us with possibly the best and boldest mix of bea1s and guitars since Walk This Way.

~~~

melodious guitar playing, and on Scandinavia the only female singer of the trio shines with the quality and attitude of PJ Harvey. Unlike so many other albums none of the tracks fail to impress while the stream of noise is neither monotonous nor overdone. Just enough guitar solos, ballads and rock tunes to keep you happy, along with the blend of both male and female vocals which create something sassy, ravenous and unpredictable. This is an obviously talented band that could and should go far.

] ulie Th erese

Fahricl9

Andrew Weatherall Fabric release DJ albums regularly, usually showcasing nights at their respected London club, known widely for its introduction of various talented new DJs. This album was inspired by one of the acts at Fabric, and here Andrew Weatherall gives us a blend of dirty house, electro and gEmera! electronic fuzz to boogieon-down to in our bedrooms.

Fabric's releases are usually made in good taste; this album unfortunately doesn't seem to make the Fabric grade. A night of clubbing to .this and even the most discerning clubber may find a cosy corner in which to sleep for the rest of the night. Not an awfUl selection of tracks, but thi.s bland number leaves nothing to either chill out or have a dance to. The album was meant to compliment a band that played at Fabric, but without the band, the album holds little interest.

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Bannah Edney

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Music 13

Singles

Live Reviews

Apart from Conor Deasey's beard and the fact that he now sings about inner city Ireland, there is nothing new about Dublin five piece The Thrills. They remain the most harmlessly Arnericaobsessed Irish outfit since U2, and rely heavily on forty year old civil servants buying their records and filling venues , bobbing their heads gently and remembering how good Neil Young and Springsteen actually were.

"You show your age" , croaks Deasey, and perhaps he's referring to his audience, who have probably just gone out and bought Smile, hoping it fulfils their thirty-seven year old expectations that Pet Sounds wasn't just a fluke. After listening to their latest effort, one has to ask where the joyous pop of Big Sur has gone and why it's been replaced with dreary strings and doggerel. The song is instantly forgettable, but there is little doubt it will be played consistently by Radio Two. The Thrills will not offend any one with their latest offering, and that's the rub : they join mother's other favourites Keane, and remind you that at least Bruce was singing to his peers with all his heart and soul.

Laurence Guynter

Busted

Stromba

She Wants To Be Me

Giddy Up

At the heart of Britain's hardcore rock and roll scene is a three piece worthy of the worlds screaming accl aims.

Features to listen out for on She Wants 7b Be Me include the raspy rock voices from years on the road, the impressive sound of Charlie's eyebrows as he winks , and his amazing skills as he plays the drums at the same time as the guitar.

Oh, and a punk-ass attitude tha t would make John Lydon run home to his mother. Here they are a g ain showing us all what true rock music is all about: pop. Awesome.

Strornba is the brainchild of three men who are influenced by anything from jazz to reggae including much of what's in between. At first listen there doesn't seem to be much to this track but a few spins down the line it evolves into a gem since there is so much to listen to. Being entirely instrumental, the music holds your attention brilliantly as the ever transforming bass lines and drum beats (featuring classic dance to often traditionally ethnic rhythms) are merged p e rfectly by the eerie sound effects in a really well produced track.

Now kick back with a reefer and enjoy.

Charles Rumsey

The White Stripes

]olene - Live When Jack White was possessed by the devil he was told to take a country song and make it his own, so lift up that huge black quiff and I'll swear 666 is etched onto his fore head. He was probably told to screech like an angel of hell too, just for good measure.

]ames Taylor

jolene Live Under the Blackpool Lights is Jack White selling

your soul to the devil for less than a fiver. The beauty of this single is White's emotion: even though it's only audio you can really feel the tears flowing down his left cheekbone whilst he cries "Please don't take him just because you

can".

]amesBanks Death From Above 1979

Devendra Barnhart

Romantic Rights

Jl.t The Hop

The promising Canadian duo's debut single proper Romantic Rights, taken from their forthcoming album You 're a Woman, I 'm a Machine, sounds a bit like a cranked-up Fugazi with a touch ofTrans Am ... on acid. Bassist ]esse Keeler's brutal, metal-infused riff drives singer and drummer Sebastien Grainger's breathless and intense lyrics: "Come on baby/! love your company/We could do it and start a family." Romance, it appears , is not yet dead. Not only do they make a lot of noise for just two people, they've officially declared war on tedium too.

That can't be a bad thing, can it?

A gorgeously understated acoustic song that crawls under your skin and massages your senses until gentle sleep takes hold. At The Hop isn't a mundane plod through the average cliche-ridden territory of, say, Damien Rice, but an enjoyably touching and soothing song that presses all the right buttons without seeming overly familiar or trying to trade on stock images.

Subtitled by an effectively scratchy guitar and Barnhart's ethereal vocals, At The Hop deserves to avoid the hell of daytime radio and instead assert itself as a mainstay of any reputable chill-out evening.

Matt Elliott

Ben Patashnik

Lemon Jelly

Stay With You There's only one Lemon Jelly.

No, not a chant you are likely to hear at a football match, it's a simple statement of fact.

They're back with a new single, and lets face it: it rocks.

They rock, if in a non-rocking kind of way. Lemon Jelly fans will know what to expect, but that's not to detract from their consistently sublime sampling skills; Stay with You contains a blissful Gallagher & Lyle refrain layered over Lemon Jelly's trademark stunningly simplistic chilled beats, combining to create yet another masterpiece, and the B-sides kick ass too. Lovers of twee dance rejoice!

Matt Elliott

The Delays

It would be fair to say that there was a little bit of a buzz around The Ferryboat prior to this gig. That's because Million Dead are in town, here to bring their exquisite lo-fi hardcore stylings to the packed-out venue. Taking the stage silently they opt to let the thundering baseline from former single Breaking The Back do the talking. From the outset the crowd show their support, shouting eve1y word right back at vocalist Frank, whose energy levels amazingly never waver during a very active set. Live favourites Macgyver and Smiling At Strangers On Trains make a welcome appearance, as do two brand new tracks Bread and Circles and Positive Mental Attitude, both of which melt into the more familiar tracks very well in a barrage of perfectly timed cataclysmic noise.

Closing the night is an epic The Rise And Fall, leaving the crowd certain of one thing: Million Dead have thoughts weighing heavy on their minds. They deliver songs that scratch at you to wake up and realise the world around you, but ultimately send messages of hope, and never fail to climax in wonderfully structured works from all involved. Hearing this come across so well live is an expenence you really shouldn't miss.

Lost In Jl. Melody The Delays are once a gain breaking new ground with the ir first s ingle sin ce the release of their debut album Faded Seaside Glamour. Lost in a Melody is a clear evolution of their bizarre mix of jangling guitar music and electro pop as the pounding guitars give a solid base to the unusual, almost Jackson-esque vocals.

A solid dance-rock single it may be, but The Delays' chaotic and unrefined sound still shines through as a band yet to reach their peak. Not the breakthrough they may be hoping for, but certainly a positive sign of things to come.

Tom Soutter

]ames Taylor

Brighten-based hip-hop connoisseur DJ Format displayed his mixing talents when he whipped Po Na Na's into a storm of funky beats. Having previously toured with renowned hiphoppers Jurassic 5, DJ Format creates a blend of his own brand of funk and old-school hip-hop, and this set was a selection of his favourite hip-hop tracks. The mix could have been a little more varied, and the club was far from packed at first, but despite this, the music was of smashing quality and served to give the crowd a good piece of refreshing hip-hop education.

It was good to see students enjoying something different to the club nights normally offered in Norwich, although it seems to this reviewer that nights such as this are sometimes wasted through students simply being unaware of the types of music on offer. Bands such as Jurassic 5, People Under The Stairs and Ugly Duckling are among DJ Format's play-list of choice, and again, it is always good to see people dancing away to something a bit fresher than your average club night.

Hannah Edney The Streets

Could Well Be In Mike Skinner's latest take on the real life matters of Joe Public is again woman-orientated, and we join our hero chatting to a girl in a bar trying to decipher whatever signals she's giving off. Musically very similar to Dry Your Eyes, it further exposes a softer side to the sometimes brash Skinner, but alas you can't help but feel that this ballad is thoroughly bland. Consisting of repetitive . chord structures and uncharacteristically uninspiring lyrics leave this more likely to please existing fans than win over new ones.

Tyler James, the support act for Amy Winehouse, is largely disappointing. So much so that even the occasional reggae flourishes in his backing band can't salvage him from sounding like a jazzed-up version of Savage Garden. Fortunately Amy Winehouse herself is a winner, her live performance more than a match for her hi-fidelity recordings. Despite her precocious and rapid rise to fame, Amy Winehouse's ferociously husky and resonating vocal style completely disguises the fact that she is a mere nineteen years of age (even though the mini skirt doesn't). If you still need a hand mentally placing Winehouse then you need only imagine the obligatory Chicago jazz club scene of a film noir: she's the dame singing in the background swathed in cigarette smoke. And yet it's hard to imagine Miss Winehouse settling for the background as she jiggles and gyrates in front of the microphone, perfectly at home in her image as the bad girl of the R 'n' BIJazz world as she sings lyrics such as "I can't help you I help yourself." I would.

Dean Bowman James Taylor

17.11.04

14

Endur¡ing Love

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I Heart Huckabees

he quite striking posters for Roger Michell's Enduring Love frame the two leads, Daniel Craig

and Samantha Morton , in slight embrace as a red hot air balloon hovers directly over them like a giant cartoon heart. A pretty pun, for the rising balloon signals the beginning of the end for the couple's relationship, as Joe (Craig) is filled with guilt over the death of a man- killed by the fall from the balloon- he believes he could have saved. Love is a tricky business in Enduring Love, as easily collapsed from within a s it is vulnerable to circumstance, and forever a heartbeat away from pain even as it makes life seem wo nderful.

Two central relationships spiral out of control in the wake of the ballooning accident: Joe and Claire's (Morton) long-time involvement , and a series of increasingly heated encounters between Joe and Jed - a helpful stranger a t the scene of the tragedy, who later insists on talking through their shared experience. Joe 's exasperation at Jed's reappearances heats up as his relationship with Claire breaks down, but the film shrewdly refuses a line of clear-cut culpability.

That such an anxiety-ridden narrative retains a good amount of suspense and allure over its 100 minutes is down largely to Michell's wonderful cast. Craig and Morton both give compellingly naturalistic performances, but out in front is Rhys !fans as Jed, playing quasi-mystic saviour and laid-back dope , his sincerity at once endearingly naive and intensely creepy. !fans also provides the film its bursts of oddball humour; in one typically electric scene, he caps off a fervent lecture on God and the spiritual bond of love with 'wanna crisp?' These eccentricities lift Endurin g Love clear of American obsession thrillers in the Fatal Attraction mould, but just as refreshingly they are never allowed to construct the various English stereotypes present in Michell's Notting Hill (1999) and other London-set comedies.

If the screenplay (by The Long Firm screenwriter Joe Penhall, and based on !an McEwan's novel) works well for the characters in their specific settings though , it stumbles slightly when voicing its major themes through the leading man's scientific ' theories '.

Joe 's idea- which he never tires of rattling off to anyone who will listen- is that maybe love is one big illusion, spun by our evolutionary impulse in order to guarantee procreation. And that explains why we fall in love with the wrong people, and treat people we love badly: it 's just biology forcing the issue .

'Revolutionary' thinking? Whatever value such a thesis may or may not hold for the scientific world, it feels contrived here; the story really can't support Joe 's regular lecturing to different characters, and with every repeat the material becc!t\es less and less interwoven and more and more overwritten.

Far more telling of Joe 's inc reasing detachment are the casual conve rsations b e twe en friends , and later the awkward fights with girlfrie nd Claire. In both cases , the low-key dialogue and domestic settings work to emphasise just how strange Joe now seems to those around him, his extended sile nces and sullen outbursts made all the more ominous by their sudden e mergence in the middle of dinne r or during evening drinks . The fact that the film gives little time to furious chase-action also means tha t the blink-and-it 's-over violence, when it comes, has an extraordinary impact that most thrillers couldn't hope to pull off.

The film returns in its final moments to the rolling hills of the opening scene, and to several of the characters affected by the accident. Some things are resolved and some are questioned, but finally no answer is offered as to the nature of life's oddest emotion - a moving and thoughtful close that means while the film's attitude towards love remains nicely ambivalent, Enduring Love can inspire wholehearted endorsement.

Sebastian Manley

his is a film that had to be hard to sell to any studio. Three Kings direc tor and writer David 0 .

Russell had written an existential com edy that involved interesting, yet confusing, debates over philosophy and wanted to make it a Hollywood film. After much rejection, Fox Searchlights financed the film and a stellar ensemble cast signed up for this bizarre film.

Many of the actors have said that they didn't understand the script but trusted Russell and his vision for the film.

Thank goodness they did , as I Heart Huckabees is one of the funniest / craziest films that Hollywood has produced this year.

In a nutshell, the narrative revolves around environmental activist Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) who hires a pair of existential detectives

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(Dustin Hoffrnan and Lily Tomlin) to investigate a trio of coincidences that he has with a tall African doorman .

Whilst the inve stigators spy on him, Albert is helped in his quest for meaning by oil-obsessed fireman Jack Corn (Mark Wahlberg) and is watched from afar by a philosopher (Isabelle Huppert) from the dark side of existentialism. As the audience and the characters delve deeper into the confused mind of Albert, we see the rivalry that he has with corporate golden boy Brad Strand (Jude Law) and his bimbo Huckabees department store model girlfriend, Dawn C ampbell (Naomi Watts). Whilst this narrative may seem unintelligible, and slightly boring, it only serves as a base to see all these wacky characters engage in comical debates about the meaning of life and

other philosophical concepts that you should b e learning in lectures.

With this film being a comedy, Russell h as not opted just for intellectual comedy but everything from slapstick to screwball comedy-style witty one-liners and snappy exchanges between bickering characters. In what other film could you see one of the funniest (and messiest) sex scenes; Wahlberg and Sc hwartzman hitting each other in the face with a rubber ball; Hoffman confusing all with his crazy theories on life; and Watts and Law discussing their "Eight minutes of heave n " sex-life?

Thankfully, the ensemble cast play this movie as straight as possible and makes the film even funnier. It doesn't really matter if you understand the philosophical theories or not , as the characters believe in them and the concepts are shown in a light-h earted way.

I Heart Huckabees is a truly imaginative film and should be seen by all. If you enjoyed the eccentricities of Being John Malkovich or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, then you will definitely enjoy this film. Whilst it may be confusing at first, you should persevere with and you will find something to enjoy about it. No matter if you love or hate this film (as general opinion does seem to be split 50-60), you owe it to yourself to give it a go and see something different.

I Heart Huckabees is released nation - wide by Fox Se ar chlight on November 26th Mark Simpson

â&#x20AC;˘ Lavender Ladies 1n rom the opening sequence it easy to pigeon hole this film as another one of those "classic" British dramas. Like The shipping News and Iris before it, Ladies in lavander is also one long vehicle for dame Judi Dench to act moody and distance herself from being M in another james Bond film. That said, the reason that Dench gets so many of these roles is that she does play them exceedingly well and this film is no exception. Playing counter point to Dench's eccentricities is once again Maggie Smith who plays Dench's sister and as in previous films keeps a more grounded approach to life. The story centres around the two sisters relation-

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ship with a mysterious foreign young' man they find washed up unconscious on a beach, to whom they not only nurse back to health but also teach rudimentary English. The problems arise when Dench's character falls for the young man (who is handsome and a musically gifted) which leads to the many varied dramatic and touching situations.

The casting of Ladies in Lavender is it's biggest asset , with the possible exception of Daniel Briihl who seems to be out of his depth in certain scenes.

However Natascha McElhone's performance as Olga is truly note worthy adding much needed light heartedness

to what is essentially a quite depressing story of unrequited love and David Warner plays a convincing if some what lecherous Dr Mead. The issue of having such a strong cast only becom-es apparent when you look closely at the story, simple to the point of being excessive, with random tangents that lead nowhere and themes that continue to plague British films . Once again a weak plot is carried by a great cast, amazing soundtrack (created by Nigel Hess) and beautiful visuals.

Paul Stevens

Bad Santa

' N

ot your Typical Christma s Movie' , reads the tag line of Bad Santa the n ew Film from Ghost World Director Terry Zwigoff.

This is certainly fitting a s strangely enough most Christmas films don't fea-

ture booze, sex, violence, robbery and frequent use of colourful language. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as Willie, who takes jobs as a Santa Claus in shopping malls in order to rob them of thousands of dollars. However the one setback is that Willie is an alcoholic drop-out who just frankly doesn't like children.

It is easy to see why Thornton received a Golden Globe nomination for this part. He is one of the few actors who could get away with lines such as 'Why Don't you shit in one hand and wish in the other, and see which one fills up first? ' and still have the audience on his side. There are also great performances from the supporting cast, notably the fee bl e m a ll supervisor played by the la te John Ritter and Willie 's 've rtically challenged' sidekick superbly played by Tony Cox.

Amongst the blacker than black c omedy there are also aspects that appe al to the 'Christmas Spirit' . Mo st of these moments come in the developing friendship ofWillie and a bullied fat kid who he inadvertently befriends.

The only criticism of this film is the perhaps slightly unbelievable romance between Thornton 's character and a barmaid who has a fetish for men in Santa Claus 's costumes. Overall though Bad Santa is the perfect anecdote from an overload of general 'Christmasness' and is essentially viewing for anyone beginning to realise this holiday season is starting earlier every year!

Mark Crawley

17.11.04----------------------------------

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Harry potter and the prisoner of Azkaban AVE OUSE THIS WIZARD?

wonderful world engaged with nchantment, mystery and fantay is one which we cannot ignore.

Whether you are fans of Harry Potter or not, it is undeniable that you haven't heard of the third instalment that follows the adventures at Hogwarts. The E'? gerly awaited Harry Potter and the PI . J?ner of Azkaban has been highlightP.â&#x20AC;˘1 tS the best film made out of the sel :es written by the phenomenally successful writer JK Rowling.

The film spurns a darker, more dramatic tone that is only mildly detected in the two previous chapters. This proves to be a powerful and magnetic force which only reinforces the fact that the actors are not children anyrnore, and are growing up as quickly as the books are being written and published.

Gone is the naive, irresolute Harry, and we witness an angst ridden teenager,

coming to terms with the cards life has dealt him. The new path is astounding, as the book is brought to life under the new direction of director Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien). Some eyebrows were raised, as he is not an established Hollywood director. He has done himself justice here, pioneering a different flavour to Harry's two previous adventures. As we witness the amazing sets, and special effects that are nothing short of fabulous, we are taken on a journey that allows us to finally tap into the soaring imaginative world that JK Rowling envisaged for thousands of lost souls, before the creation of this film.

The story follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (Emrna Watson) who enter Hogwarts once again. The tale is classical cynicism at its best, as Harry comes to terms with events in his life. As is typical of any Harry Potter adventure, danger lies ahead, when Harry meets Sirius Black who has escaped from the Azkaban prison and is searching for him. Allegedly Black was put in prison for leading Lord Voldermort to Harry's parents, which regrettably led to their untimely death. Sirius (pronounced as 'serious') is known as the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere and the passionate performance given by Gary Oldrnan, lives up to the myth. In all honestly it is very ironic that 'Sirius' is the name of the man, as this is the film where you see that things get more 'serious' indeed. An encounter between the young wizard and Black is inevitable, as revelations come to light that bring surprises and unexpected

twists. Michael Gambon makes his debut as Durnbledore here, and it was pleasant that he did not try and imitate his predecessor, remaining true to himself as an actor.

However I would say that it would be a good idea to read the book first before watching the film. It can be a bit repetitive in places, and even confusing due to flashbacks such as the scene with the Hippogriff. This is a entire 15 minutes where the scene is a repeat of material from another camera angle, and is wholly unnecessary. This demonstrates how the transition from book to screenplay is not always easy.

The dvd itself is packed with many extras, including 5 deleted scenes, with an on screen Mauderers Map to explore the menu. There are packed extras of interviews with the cast and crew which is unseen footage, and always an insight for the hardcore Potter fans. The advantage here is that normally so much attention goes to Harry, Ron and Herrnione, it's a refreshing change to see some of the other characters receive credit. It would nave been delightful to see how the scenes set in Scotland were filmed as an additional extra.

The release of the film will temporarily sooth the viewers insatiable thirst for the future instalment of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, due for release next year.

Bon Voyage n the whole critical reception has been fairly icy towards Jean-Paul Rappeneau's latest project Bon Voyage a chaotic story of love and betrayal set against the Nazi invasion of Paris and starring a plethora of French stars such as Isabelle Adjani and Gerard Depardieu. Rappeneau has always had an original and deft touch with the historical drama, and his previous takes on the genre have both been well received internationally. Who can forget Depardieu's hilarious comic turn in Cyrano de Bergyrac (later remade as Roxanne starring Steve Martin) or the dramatically accomplished Horseman on the Roof? Bon Voyage manages to mix the kitsch humour of Cyrano with the kinetic pace of Horseman, to provide a rich and highly entertaining tapestry of a film.

Perhaps the reason the film hasn't been as enthusiastically embraced, despite being nominated for 11 Cesar's, is down to Rappeneau's irreverent treatment of his subject matter. Few films have treated topics so close to French national consciousness as Nazi collaboration with such a lightness of touch, indeed at times Bon Voyage runs like a more sophisticated episode of Allo Allo, except without the fake French accents.

Bon Voyage is set against the backdrop of the German invasion of France and the mass evacuation of Paris, indeed some of the epic scenes of refugees packed on bridges or flooding country roads, juxtaposed with eerily empty shots of Paris, wouldn't look out of place in Roman Polanski's emotionally intense exploration of the holocaust, The Pianist. In this sense the film has a certain sophistication, not least in its cinematography, that serves to foreground its more flippant humour all the more pointedly.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban is due for release on 19111104

Priya Shah

Spider-Man 2 he original Spider-Man was a mega-hit. Released the same summer as Star Wars Episode 2, which it out-grossed, and remains the most successful comic book movie ever. So there was a great deal of expectation for Spider-Man 2 which picks up two years later as Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles to balance life as a superhero with life as a student.

In a nice touch, the film's opening titles use some superb artwork to remind us of events in the original. As his powers begin to fail him, and still harbouring feelings for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), Peter turns his back on SpiderMan. But Harry Osborne Games Franco) still wants revenge on the man who killed his father and when robot tentacled villain Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) begins terrorising New York, Peter faces a tough choice.

For all the expectation, Sarn Rairni certainly doesn't direct like a man feeling the pressure. Having dealt with the exposition in the first film, he can really start to enjoy himself here. Take the truly horrific hospital scene, where Doctor Octopus' tentacles wreak havoc on the surgical team. The tentacle earn races towards a terrified surgeon and nurses scream and scrape their nails along the floor as they are dragged into the shadows. For a film rated PG (whereas the original was a 12A), this is dark stuff. However the film is a not a giant leap forward from what was already an excellent original, but then it didn't need to be. The actors continue to impress and there are minor improvements such as the look and movement of Spider-Man as he swings

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through New York. Rairni wisely gives the hilarious J.K Simmons, as Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jarneson, more screen time and new characters (such as Mary-Jane's fiance John Jarneson) and plot elements are introduced developing the story whilst creating many possibilities for future films.

But Raimi doesn't abandon the characters, or the relationships and themes developed in the original. This film is still as much about Peter Parker and his relationship with Mary Jane as it is about Spider-Man's conflict with Doctor Octopus. Whilst some may find extended Peter Parker sections tedious (particularly during the second act) and wish for more Spider-Man and more action, it is this attention to character which elevates the Spider-Man films above many other comic-book and action films. In this respect it succeeds much as the hugely popular XMen films have, finding a nice balance . between character and action and giving the film an emotional depth. Of course when the action scenes do come they are stunning and contrast brilliantly with softer, character driven moments.

Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus is a much better realised villain than Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin was in the first film. Unlike Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus is not hidden behind a mask and Molina creates a cooler, darker, more menacing villain.

Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus clash in a series of brutal fights spaced nicely throughout the film and a mixture of outstanding choreography and special effects means the results are awesome.

Admittedly this is a film best

enjoyed on the big screen, but it transfers well to DVD and there are extras aplenty on the 2-Disc set. Whilst it is questionable how long studios can keep churning out comic book adaptations (The Punisher recently received a critical mauling) , Spider-Man remains a cut above the rest and the complex web (sorry) of characters and relationships, means that by the time the credits role, everything is set up brilliantly for the third film.

Spider-Man 2 is released by Colombia Tri-Star Home Video on 26th November.

DiUrld McNaught

The film focuses on a young writer (Gregori Derangeri, The Officers Ward) who is framed for murder by a self-centred actress (Isabelle Adjani, La Reine Margot) with whom he is in love, and the offhand way in which Adjani treats the situation is perfectly in line with the frivolous tone of the film as much as it is with her character's thoughtlessness. During the invasion the prison is emptied and the young writer, along with the criminal he is handcuffed to, manage to escape to Bordeaux, where he meets up with an aged professor and his beautiful student (Virginie Ledoyen, The Beach) who are trying to smuggle gallons of heavy water to England in order to make an a~omic bomb.

Depardieu's Sleazy politician, calling to mind Jacques Chirac with his slicked back hair, who alone has the authority to grant the professor an exit visa, has other ideas, hoping to use the heavy water as a bargaining tool with the Nazi's. Every bit the opportunist Adjani's character becomes perfectly matched as Depardieu's lover, whose power she sees as a means of self-preservation. Meanwhile various subplots involving a colourful gallery of communist plotters, war profiteers and Nazi spies provide a rich if sometimes confounding context for the various stories to unfold.

Bon Voyage is a clear homage to classical Hollywood melodramas, such as Casablanca with which it shares some of its historical themes, but its farcical tone in dealing with serious and delicate subject matter recalls Roberto Benigni's Life. is Beautiful, whose use of comedy to explore the holocaust continues to divide the critical community. What Rappeneau demonstrates is that even if an issue is dealt with in jest, at least it is being engaged with in some way.

Ultimately humour may well be a more acceptable way to access a troubled past than sombre reflection.

Bon Voyage is released by Optimum on January lOth.

Dean Bown1an

17.11.04

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Opera Review

Book Review lf!JJ he MA in Creative Writing at UEA is hailed time and again as one of the best of its kind in the country, basically because of the high standard of writing that gets produced. The steady production of yearly anthologies is further testament to the high quality output. The latest addition called Concertina consists of four sections; prose, life-writing, poetry and scripts . The prose section is the longest and most diverse , containing stories including the slang-fuelled Stuff by Claire Haynes, an induction into the Navy called Damn Shame : Rawhide: I Used to Drive a Cadi/Jac by Joshua Bigley, and the story of a Pakistani medical student who tries to conquer his depression

by growing his foreskin back written by Royce Mahawatte.

Life-writing is the smallest section, comprising only three examples, as it is the first time that this promising form of writing has been included in the Creative Writing Anthology. The first by Caroline Fitzgerald tells of a dead sailor's resurrection, the next of the true story behind the enigmatic suffragist in Prisoner Number 204 by Leonara Klein, and the last a short biography of Grace Darling by KimRooney. he poetry section shows that contemporary writers are still interested in a variety of different forms. It is hard to speak

of all of the poets in one breath, as they are so different. However the standard is very high, if it is possible to say such a thing, and they are all affecting in some way.

The scripts host writing for theatre , animation, television and film , and range widely in style and presentation, from the seedy brothels in Amsterdam to health clubs, they are colourful, even if written to be performed. The anthology demonstrates just how promising these writers are, and although the contributions are not enough to judge the future trends of publishing, some of these may be the big names of the future .

Theatre Reviews he

Haymarket's

production

Dougary Sc ott as Becket

of

Anouilh's Becket, with a new transla-

Puccini's masterpiece Glyndebourne's modern-dress production certainly paid it justice. In the setting of the Latin quarter of Paris, we follow the lives of Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline and Schaunard, four artists enjoying a bohemian lifestyle. Their folly is epitomised by the wonderfully comic scene where they get their landlord drunk to avoid paying the rent.

The friends depart to celeb rate Christmas Eve at the nearby Cafe Momus; Rodolfo promises to join th em on ce h e h as finished writing an article. The beautiful Mimi delays him, however, after her candle goes out in the draughty corridor. The two are drawn to each other and the act comes to a climatic point with a wellstaged starlit sky for the love]"s' song. The passion increases and as the strings swell, so does the lump in your throat.

The wonderful Christmas scene depicted in the second act is full of energy reminiscent of Oliver! A supporting cast of drag queens, fire-breathers, and children running after the toy seller Parpignol, create an exciting carnival atmosphere.

Marcello's former lover, Musetta enters ostentatiously on the arm of the wealthy Alcindoro. Majella Cullagh's Musetta knocks you out with her overt sexuality and astounding voice. Leaving with the bohemians she leaves Alcindoro to settle the bill. fter the interval, the tone darkens with young heartbreak. On finding Marcello, Mimi admits her distress over Rodolfo 's incessant jealousy. She later overhears him talking to Marcello. He breaks down, saying Mimi is dying and that her health can only worsen in the poverty they share. Mimi reveals herself and the lovers decide they should part, but not until spring. Mimi passionately states, "! wish the winter could last forever " .

Some months later, back in the garret, the bohemians provide some comic relief in a dance that turns to a mock fight. The merrymaking ends abruptly when Musetta bursts in.

Mimi is now so ill she cannot make the stairs.

Musetta adopts a m aternal role, giving Mimi a muff to warm her hands. She prays for her life and the others look on in anxiety. Mimi dies quietly. Rod olfo runs to h er side and c alls her name. Peter Auty's voice is breathtaking and his e m otive performance leaves you reaching for the tissues.

Sophie Johnson

17.11.04

tion by Frederic and Steph en Raphael, is a wonderful night out at the theatre. From the dramatic tension between Henry !1 and Becket to Michael Fitzgerald's comedic performance as King Louis, you cannot fail to be entertained. John Cameron's original score is atmospheric and a d ds to the experience.

Anouilh 's Henry I! is a man saved from the loutish influence of his court by the friendship of the Saxon, Thomas a Becket. Becket was a person Henry believed he could trust.

However, despite the intimate frien dship that Henry craves, Becket remains detached, unable to love his king in return. It is this search for intimacy that lies at the heart of this drama. Again and again Henry asks Becket "Do you love m e?" Each time Becket fails to respond, Henry is again fearful and alone.

Whilst Britton's character wears his heart on his sleeve, Dougray Scott's Becket remains an enigma. He is charming and engaging and one can understand why Henry is drawn to him.

Jasper Britton gives a powerful and utterly convincing performance as a man whose heart is being compressed by the weight of loneliness and unrequited love.

t has been said that Shakespeare is a man as relevant to our own times as he was to those in which he wrote. Recent productions appear to have taken this rather literally, more often than not setting themselves in the 21st century. Trevor Nunn's superb 2004 staging of Hamlet stands as a vindication of this approach, making the original text the focal point and using the setting as a means of accentuating the familial aspects of the tragedy.

Conversely, the BBC2 production Macbeth on the Estate is testament to the perils of mistaking gimmickry for innovation, crowbaring in modernity at the expense of many of the essential features . Cut about to prove a point, the Bard goes AWOL, submerged beneath a Burberry-clad Birmingham estate. You can almost hear the director screaming, "Its relevant, do you see? It's got swearing and everything!"

It is with this in mind th at tonigh t's performance of Richard Ill by the Kaos Theatre C ompany is approached with caution.

Emerging from the Playhouse lounge into a foyer teeming with impressionable schoolchildren (obviously a set text, then) creates an odd atmosphere and any hopes for a subtle

rendering of the Machiavellian Richard are immediately d ashed by the appearance of the campest and , coincidentally, baldest Richard since O 'Brien donned a pair of fishnets for Rocky Horror.

hings deteriorate when the well-meaning, but clumsy musical accompaniment begins;The Smiths' Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want and Tom Waits' Poor Edward (see what they've done there?) can be singled out for sheer incongruity.

Thou gh the ensemble cast of four made valiant attempts to utilise technology to fill in the gaps - employing telephones, projections and a clever line in hidd en camera-b ased entrapment - the lasting impression is one of farce rath~r than disaster, melodrama rather than tragedy.

The tone of the play veered wildly: Richard seemingly swinging between homicidal loon and children's entertainer, whilst Henry Tudor was depicted as a caricature of, that least trustworthy of ch aps, Tony Blair. As metaphor it was inelegant, as a performance it was patchy, one im agines the Bard being driven to the bar in bewilderment.

-----------------------------rv TV Preview: Peep Show TV DVD:

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F .

Digital 17

ry few people have seen Peep Show; it seems to have lipped by largely unnolced despite being damned hilarious. That's why it is so pleasing to find it returning to Charmel 4 for a second series. Peep Show is one of the very few shows on television at the moment that can see even the most reserved viewer reduced to fits of uncontrollable laughter. There are moments of unadulterated agony and of side splitting humour, but confusingly they tend to be the same moments.

Much in the same vein as shows like The Office and Marion and Geoff. Peep Show's finest scenes manage to hit a rather unpleasant nerve in an amusing way. Most of Peep Show leaves audiences glad they weren't there, yet not entirely confident they never could be.

The show also has the extra dimension added by being filmed almost 路entirely in point of view shots, rather than utlising the documentary format like so

V

Bo' Selecta!

many other alternative comedy shows.

It is subtle differences like this that set Peep Show apart just enough to make it original.

Protagonists Mark and Jeremy still find themselves in the same old rut they began the first series in. The new series sees Mark spying on his beau Sophie via her e-mail address. In true Peep Show style, his plan to woo her goes well enough until its awful crescendo that finds Mark b ack at square one when Sophie catches him in the act of reading her mail and he awkwardly hits her in the face. Contrived as this seems, Peep Show manages to cultivate characters difficult not to care about. When Mark seems to have finally got his way with Sophie, there is a real sense of jubilation, and when this inevitably falls apart it's truly disappointing. Peep Show is at the very least an interesting variation on modern comedy and at its best an overlooked classic.

Kate Bryant

Soap News: Hollyoaks and Neighbours Justin finally gets a kicking in Hol/yoaks and Nina has r~~Lf.rri~etl

n Hollyoaks this week, months of tension finally come to a head.

Justin and Ali come to blows at Darlene's birthday party, proving once again that Justin's drug habit is affecting more than just his grades.

Richard is getting tougher as the week g oes on. Having had enough of Justin and his 'couldn't give a monkey's' attitude he forces Liz to punish her son for his latest outburst. Only time will tell as to how Liz is going to cope. Has Justin finally blown it with his mum or will he be able to convince her he has learnt his lesson? Why does she not see the cocky eyebrow twitches and sarcastic grins? Maybe he has always looked like he has trapped wind. Also, is Justin only smoking weed or is it something more than that? He is the most non-lethargic, violent stoner that The Event has ever seen. Is this th~ most unbelievable drug habit since Corrie 's Learme Battersby

I

and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra, Morcambe and Wise ......Jack and Nlna

had her over night cocaine addiction?

Answers on a postcard please.

In the warmer climes of Ramsey Street Jack's prospects seem to be looking up. With the return of Lynn and the warbling Nina, Jack has the two most important women back in his life. Is he too emotionally ravaged to cope with all this love? Nina is still on tour but has 'just called to say, I love you' , before she heads to America. Will she manage to tempt Jack along? Can he realistically leave his business? Is this just a clever way of getting rid of Jack's character for a month or two? At least it is better than being sent to fight Bush fires like his unfortunate father. Else where 路 in the street, Karl and Susan start to battle out their divorce. Toadie is representing Susan which means that Karl will have to hire and outsider (is this allowed?) .

or those of you who always thought the first two series of Bo' Slecta were a poor hybrid of Spitting Image and Eurotrash the new series will do nothing to change your mind, in fact you'll probably end up adding The Muppets on to that list. Even avid fans realise that the moments of hilarity are just that, moments.

So for those of you trying to decide which -series to buy for your Nan for Christmas then I'd strike this one of the list and stick to the first two. To quote Winnie the Pooh - what comes up must come down. So the third series might leave you a little deflated after so much hype and hilarity. It's not exactly proper Bo, but it still is funny. Old favourite Craig David is still on top form trying to break America again.

F

llnna Steward and Francis Stapleton

Martha Hammond and Kim Howe t' -

Digita_l Stuff:

Bli~zkrieg:

Rolling Thunder

CDV's Blltzkrleg:Rolllng Thunder on the PC, 拢19.99, avaliable from Nov 19th he object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his."

American General George S. Patton once said. Known for his daring and unconventional ways he was considered by many to be one of the best in armoured warfare and was destined to star in his own PC game.

Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder is a strategic war game that follows the General across 18 missions in which you have to control an army and lead them to victory. It is the 2nd stand-alone expansion of the Blitzkrieg series, following up on its relatively successful predecessor Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon. Although

T

the volume of expansion packs in shops today does suggest the games market is a little sterile.

The game plays very similarly to many other games in its genre like Age of Empires 2, Command & Conquer and Warcraff. It is not a groundbreaking game of its genre in any way. It uses the intuitive hotkeys which means it can be picked up immediately by any experienced gamer. The graphics are not entirely up-to-date, but are still serviceable. The game places playability above most other factors it seems. The major improvement is the game's Al. Your troops, as well as the enemy's forces have beeome slightly more intel-

ligen! in the way they handle battle situations. This is a satisfying change, making the action seem less synthesised.

Although the game hasn't been improved drastically from the original, it still makes an overall good impression. It will satisfy your game playing needs if you have an urge for a World War 2 strategy game. However pleasing as it is for fans of its style of gaming, it doesn't have the accessibility needed to lure in new garners. Blitzkreig:Rolling Thunder is a good example of its kind, but nothing more.

]assim Happa

17.11.04

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Creative Writing The Man Who Ran He ran, down the wet steps of the tube station, rain dripping off his hair.

Nobody knows why he ran, but he did.

Send contributions. to: concrete.event@uea.ac.uk and/or , contributions@dittomagazine.com

slowly slid to a halt, the doors hovered open. The man jumped out of the carriage, and dived into the awaiting crowd. He pushed and shoved and swam his way through the throng, ignoring the people milling around him like ants scuttling over each other to clamber aboard the tube .

*

*

He ran, down the escalator, through the white patterned corridors, and on to the platform. In his left hand he carried an ordinary black briefcase that swung in rhythm with his long, loping strides.

He ran, up the grey steps of the Underground, and out into the cool autumn world of London.

And so he continued running.

* * It was some time later, when a body was found a

As he made it to the platform, the tube arrived.

He dashed on to the tube, just as the doors closed shut. Even as the tube rocketed to the next stop, he still ran, through the packed carriages, barging past the commuters.

few miles north of Glasgow, hidden with the leaves.

It was a man, with an ordinary black briefcase

Gondola Occasionally, knowledge seems to evolve me.

Wisdom is metamorphosis of a picture I truthfully sold to God. Perhaps destruction is never the solution to any problem, But it apparently gives me the emancipation to carry on.

Down the waterfalls, a gondola is plunging, Into the infinite sea of illusions.

Bringing along with it, The food of time.

Which I know will one day, Drain my youth.

Still, I have to have its lovely taste.

In my mouth.

Where is the fountain of youth?

rigor-mortised in his left hand.

The briefcase was opened, and all that was inside was a small white card, with three very simple words printed upon it, in immaculate black ink:

*

jassim Happa

I love you. ]oeBarron

When the tube shunted into the next station, and

Cinema City

Short Film Making Course A six week course to b e held a t Cinema City b eginning Thursday 20th Janu ary 2005 at 7pm.

C ost is £65, all e quip m e nt include d . C ontact: Guy@cinemacity.co.uk or call 01603 625145.

I

Special Screening The Manchurian Candidate We dne s day 17th Nove mber (UC I Rive rside)

Union Films LTl Elephant Thursday 18th Novembe r Read my Lips Frid ay 19th Nove mber Van Helsing Thursday 25th November Zatoichi Friday 26th Nove mbe r

Look at Me (Comme un Image) Friday 19th - Thursday 25th Novembe r My Summer of Love Friday 19th - Monday 22nd Nove mbe r Laurel and Hardy Double Bill: Way Out West & The Music Box Saturday 20th November Central Station .S unday 21st Nove mb er The Motorcycle Diaries Tue sday 23rd- Thursday 25th November

Released this Fortnight The Manchurian Candidate Friday 19th November After the Sunset Friday 19th Noveinber Being Julia Friday 19th November G.O.R.A Friday 19th Nove mbe r Taxi Frid ay 19th Novembe r The Incredibles Frid ay 26th Novembe r School for Seduction Friday 26th Nove mbe r

UEALCR

Connected (at Norwich C athedral) Tuesd ay 23rd Nove mber Round the Borne Revisited Thursday 25th -Saturday 27th Nove mber F;une The Mus ical Monday 29th Nove mbe r-Saturday 4th December

The Damned Wednesday 17th Novembe r The Vandals+Audio Karate+God Awfuls Thursday 18th Nove mber Therapy?

Wedne sday 24th November The Rock Club Presents: Dressed To KiU Fr iday 26th November

The Women ofTroy Thursday l8th-Saturday 27th November Singing Technique Workshop Saturday 20th-Sunday 21 st Novembe r Fairport (Acoustic) Convention Sunday 28th Novembe r Blow The Wind Tue sday 30th November

Monday 10- 12 'Hivewire ' 12-2 Neil+Annie 2-4 Emergency Radio 4-6 La Curaracha 6-8 Rich Gets Retro 8-10 Sounds of the merry go

Tuesday 10-12 'Hivewire ' 12-2 Greg+Mike 2-4 Tom+Jerry 4-6 The Pulse 6·-8 CMS 8- 10 The Hook 10-12 Bad Manners ~

Theatre Royal

Maddermarket

round 10-1 2 Metal to Mellow

..

The Kettle's Yard Open 13th Nove mbe r 2004-2nd January 2005

The Waterfront

t! (l;l~\b outrageous GiF-tS, Giggly GadgetS. Bad TaS-t:e Bears, Prac-tiCal JoKes. OPinionated StiCKers.

"RUde <\- Mad Mugs. CheeKY Greetings cards 4-

The Kettle's Yard (Cambridge)

Embrace (Sold Out) We dnesd ay 17th Novembe r Motorhead+Sepultra (Sold Out) Monday 22nd November Whitesnake Tuesd ay 23rd Novembe r The Beta Band Wednes d ay 24th Novembe r Gomez Frid ay 24th Novembe r Status Quo Sunday 28th November

Wednesday

10-12 'Hivewire ' 12-2 Trainwreck 2-4 Wireless World 4-6 The Blonde Appreciation

4-6 Charles Rohrer 6-8 Dancelloor Damage 8-10 Alz and]ames 10-12 Starski+Dock

Society 6-8 Car Park Rock 8-10 Go Go Gadget Music 10-1 2 Exhaustion

Saturday l 0-1 1.30 Sally+Rosie 11.30-1 Faking it on a

Saturday Morning

Thursday 10-12 'Hivewire' 12-2 Mark+Sarah 2-4 Alex+Mark 4-6 The Alternative Slot 6-8 LCR Warm up 8-10 Musical Knick-Knacks 10-12 The Halyard Putteridge

Alliance

Friday 10-1 2 'Hivewire' 12-2 Hotrocks 2-4 Jarnes and the giant

lemon

3-5 Sports Show 5-7 Waterfront Warm-up 7-9 Rock Show 8- 1o' Windupl Wind down

Sunday 10-1 2 LitUe+Large 12- 1.30 L.O.U.D. 1.30-3.30 Mark+foe 3.30-5 Alternative Airwaves 5-6.30 Sonic Pefection 6.30-8 Urban Sonic 8-10 Rockblock 10- 12 Beats in Abundance

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