The event issue 232 22 09 2009

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Student Jobs & Vol unteering Fair 2009 Tuesday 6 October Student Union LCR, 12. 00- 15.00 - Local employers & voluntary organisations

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IT'S NEVER TOO LATE ... TO JOIN A SPORTS CLUB...

- Part-time and vacat1on work - Voluntary work -Campus jobs -Information and advice

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REMEMEBR TO JOIN ANY SPORTS CLUB YOU MUST HAVE SPORTS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP.

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BUY IT TODAY EITHER ONLINE AT WWW.UEASTUDENT.COM/SAM OR AT UNION HOUSE.

Further details at

www.emptoyab ility.uea.ac. uk

Don 't forget your bus pC1ss .. . A b;:Jrg;:Jin ;:Jt just Elf30 (or the ye;:J r, you get ~4 hour un limited h::Jvel in Nmwich zones 1- 5. With buses every 15 minutes between the city centre <Jnd UEA ;:JS wel l .:)5 the ch.:Jnce ot getti ng as t¥ <JS Bung.:Jy, Aylsh.:Jm or Wroxh;:Jrn with no exh;:J cost thts re;:JIIy IS worth every penny.

Buy yours tod<:1y From the lJnionTrave! Shop!

Buy your NUS Card from the Union Travel Shop today ! For just £10 you can get discounts on a massive range of goods and serv ices such as McDonalds, Amazon , Odeon , Pizza Hut and many more ... For more information log on to www.nusextra .co .uk

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Stella M cCa rtn ey cou ld quite easi ly have beco me one of th ese "glo rifi ed offsprings" whi ch feed off the fame of th ei r parents. But here we have a wo man who has establi shed a reputation as a success ful fas hio n des igne r by crea tin g a natural co nfi den ce and sexy fem ini nity in her coll ecti ons. " I wanted to creat e so mething precious" she sa ys, an d this defin es th e pu rpose of clothes for many wo me n. Most litt le girl s hav memori es of dressing up in th eir moth er 's cl oth es; wrappin g up in cash mere pa shmin as, pull ing on s quin ned skrrts and attempting to walk in hig h hee ls We felt admiration t owards ou r mothe rs as t hey w e ab le to w ea r th ese cloth es in the rr eve ryd ay lives, and us, mere child ren, had to wai t until we w re " proper grown -ups" before we could en ter t he fas hion world for rea l. M cCa rtney's autumn lin e exud es this sen se of precrous ness and luxury. There is th e cam el coati ng " Maxim a" coa t whi ch is a step above th e t rench. Its high neck and simple de tai ls, along w it h its sultry above-t he-kne e hem and ric h ca ram el colour make th is co at a high-cla ss piece of bea uty. Her signat ure styl e of sharp t ail oring is as apparent as ever in t he 2009 autumn col lection, wi th two exampl es of suits bearing th e bal ance of masculine and fem ini ne attributes . On e is titl ed " Buttermil k Silk Suit", whi ch makes you qu estion yourse lf as to wh eth er you am wo rthy to slip into it. Th e beau ti fu l honey sheen of th e fabric add s feminine charm to the powerfu l male in spi red cut of the su it. Thi s cont ra st of th e two gender wor lds is al so see n in the seco nd exa mpl e, th e "Thund er Grey Wind ow Pane Check Suit". Here, however, M cCartn ey has reversed th e rol es an d th e materi al is domin ated by the mascu lin e attribut es . Th e colour is of a da rk grey w ith woven blac k and t he fabric is heavy and th ick. The cu t of th e t ro users is disti nctly fema le; specifica lly shaped fo r our cu rves; t hey are tight at th e an kles and then fo ll ow t he natu ral li ne of th e leg. M s M cCa rtney appears to be a gen ius m t he ent w in ing of male fas hi on into our female worl d. The co nfi dence and in tensrty of he r designs are carried ou t by the w eare r rn a mann er that is fres h, ge ntl e and insp irin g. We applaud her ach ieve ments and adm ire her effo rt s as a vital wh ee l in th e machin e th at is fas hi on.

Coco Chane l (1 883- 1971) never goes out of style . A tru ly self-made w oman, she wo rked her w ay up from a childh ood spent in an orph ana ge to life as t he revered gra nd o ld dame of Parisia n fas hi o n ho uses. In t he 1960s she re vo lution ise d wo men's wa rdrobes by cha llenging Christi an Dior's restrictive and co rsete d ' New Loo k' w it h her own new coll ectio n of mo re w ea rab le and wea rabl e outfit s for th e moder n wo man of any soci al class. The desig ns she cr eated then are still very influ ential fo r desig ners in wo men 's fas hi on. Th e eponymou s littl e black dress, origin ally cre at ed by Chan el in th e 1920s, has become every girl 's stapl e party dress , partly becau se of Chanel 's intuitive creativity and her underst anding of w orking wom en's lives th at women dress the way the y do now and des igners co ntinu e to try and repli ca te Coco's effortl essly chic and simpl e ta ilo rin g. Th e fam ou s " Chan el Suit " is a co mbin ation of class ic French haute co uture and inspi ration take n from a much youn ger gen erati o n th an the then 70-year-o ld Coco's . Th e increased freedom and autonomy brou ght on by th e sexual revolution made her des ign th e comfort abl e suit s and dresses th at m illi ons of wo men bought and passed on to their daug hters. Un der t he gui danc of fa shio n great Karl Lagerfield, the Chane l brand sti ll exude s Coco's sty lis h elegance and t he label conti nue s to produce durable, t ail o red day wear season after season. Chanel's monochrome, symm etrical designs an d lassie beaut y make it th e world's most rdentifiab le fa shion hou se. Th e brand 's image revolve s around time less signat ure pieces such as th e Chan el No.S fragrance, famously mod elled by M ari lyn Monroe and synonymou s w ith powerful women ; th e2 .55 handbag, for whi ch you m ay wait on a list for years to buy; and th e Chan el ballet pump s featuring th e unm istakable " CC " logo and black and cream quilted logo . Coco Chan el had her very own sen se of sty le which she generous ly recr eated in her collections to be worn by others. For he r, what you wore was an exten sion of your pe rsona lity w it h the sea l of you r soul imprinted on it. Chane l had a saying that fas hion goes but style remain s th e sam e, so wh en buyin g a Chanel suit you ca n tru st that it w il l last fo rever, both prac ti cal ly and conceptua lly.

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VINTAG£ tASIIION>OLD tAVOURIT£s roR Nrnr WARD OR£S

Natasha Pickles, who has an extensive vintage fashion collection, is having another one of her top-notch fairs with men and women's clothes dating from the 1900s to the 1980s for sale.

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Kimandra is an online European vintage store which experiments with art, fashion and photography. lt was set up by two young Swiss ladies who believe that creating a love for the individual piece encourages long-term use and therefore discourages consumerism and over-production. This quirky collection covers men and women's fashion but get your orders in quick as many items sell out straight away.

For more information check out the Face book group by searching Affordable Vintage Fashion Stall at UEA.

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AnT > Rt~VI[\V > Sut~V[I~SIV£ SPAC[S/ Tn[ £AsT _ANCIJANS AT Tur SJ\tNSlHJ l~Y Ct~NTI~I~ Dropping into the Sainsbury Centre brings contrasting surprises for Brigid Marriott. project by the arti st over ne arly a decad e. Peopl e spea k in low voic es in th e ga lle ry displaying The Eas t

City stand s out in thi s sec tion. In th e protagoni st's playful and

Anglians. Th ese photograph s demand it, each image tell s of the

endless exp loration of Bucharest th ere is magic, mystery, and even romanc e again st a t awdry backdrop of concrete and poverty

qui et, traditi ona l rural life that is st ea dil y disa ppea rin g from the region . Party ka has brilliantly ca ptured in eac h of the 58 colour

disturbed.

photog raphs a land sca pe and co mmuni ty embedd ed in the past. Partyka trai ned as a folk lo ri st and Th e East Anglians is a melancholy

co mfortabl e id eas of do mes ti c space and our familia rity w ith

cel ebrati on o f a w ay of life in declin e; a dea d fox hanging from a fence beco mes an om inous symb ol. In eac h ph ot ogra ph th ere is a sense of oth er-wo rldl iness and ti me less ness; th e me n appea r part of t he landsca pe t hey are workin g on; t heir gaze is directed at th e ea rt h. Th e ex planations accom panying t he wo rks det ail th e probl ems facing thi s small -sca le farme rs an d th e co mpetiti on th ey face from th e dom ina nt 'ag ribusi nesses' an d alongs ide Partyka's short film, My Fr iend Eric, th e rea liti es of thi s co mmunity are broug ht

and along with Alys's Railings, th e famili arity of th e city b com es Psychic Interiors is more expli cit in its co nfrontati on to

our own bodi es. Grego r Schn eid er's fa scin atin g ex peri me nt in th e uncanny Die Fam ilie Schneider is di sq ui etin g t o say th e least, whil st M arkus Schi nwald's co ntort ed women res pond t o id eas of hyst eria and suggest a cla ust ro ph obic ex perien ce of th e fema le body. Th e East A nglians and Subversive Spaces : Surrealism an d Contemporar y A rt run s from 29th September to 13th Dece m be r

2009 . Combin ed adm iss ion for co ncess ions is £2 . See ww w.scva . ac.uk for mo re inform ation on arti st s and events.

into sharp foc us. Th e ex hi biti on dow nst airs, Subvers ive Spaces: Surrealism and Contemp orary Art, share s mu ch wit h The East Anglions. lt

too is co nce rn ed w ith co mmun iti es and lan dscapes, yet in it se lf poses a direc t th rea t to th e traditi onal ways o f life as ce lebra t ed

From now unti l the 13th December, the Sain sbury Centre is

by Partyka. Th e co ll ecti on fea t ures works by many contemporary arti st s in cluding Fra ncis Al ys and Pau la Rego along with exa mpl es of w ork from lead in g Sur rea li st s such as Rene Magritte and

running two exh ibition s, Th e East Anglions and Subversive Spa ces: Surrealism and Contempo rary Art, who se works examin e environm ents and th eir inhabitants' rel ation ship with th eir

Andre Bre ton . Th e first ha lf of t he ex hibi tio n, Wandering th e City, is co ncern ed with our engage ment wit h urban space.s; th e gallery

surroundings. Norfolk-born Justin Partyka's Th e East Anglians expl ores rural life in Eas t Anglia in a col lection of photograp hs taken as part of a

is full o f no ise, music, and vo ices from bo th ex hibit s and vis itors. Th e space is a th oro ughfare; forgotten is t he almost reve renti al hu sh o f The Eas t Anglia ns ga lle ry upstai rs. Calin Dan's Sample

LIT[nATlJ I{[ > R[VI [\V > Tit [ l()ST sv~ II~()L - ,~y 'DAN RrH)\VN th ere is still so mu ch th at is fun about hi s boo ks. Eve ryo ne loves a goo d myste ry sto ry and Brow n pu nctua t es his mys te ries wi t h pu zz les and co nspiracy th eor ies, chase

For th ose of you who are hopin g t hat Dan Brown 's new novel Th e Lost Symbol wi ll ruffl e as many fea th ers as it s predecessor, you may be di sa ppointed. Wh ereas Th e Da Vin ci Co de left many of its rea ders ree ling from a mu lti -layered, sca nd alous and persuas ive co nspirac y th eory, th ere is litt le in th e w ay of sho ckin g materia l in Rob ert Lan gdon 's latest adventure. You'll

se qu ences and int rig ue. If there is o ne sin th at Brow n ca nn o t be acc use d of, it is m ak in g hi s st ori es borin g. Brown also has a keen eye for exciting se t pi eces, and he obvi ously has very stro ng opini o ns on art. A n ge ls a nd Demo ns swee ps th e reade r

lea rn th at , app arently, th e foundin g fath ers of Ameri ca had great ex pect ation s for t heir new co untry and, oh yes, th ey w ere all Free maso ns, bu t th ere is no thin g in th e boo k th at's go ing t o cau se th e sa me co ntroversy th at he made by offend ing a billi on

throu gh Rom e at a pul se- poundin g pace, yet at th e sa me tim e he highli ghts loca ti o ns th at are of grea t interes t beca use of

Chri stian s. However, Brown 's most rece nt pub lication has becom e th e fast es t se ll ing adu lt novel of all tim e. Within th e fi rs t w ee k

Saint Pet er's Squ are, th e Fountain of Four Ri ve rs. If yo u are pl anning on vis itin g Rome but kn ow very litt le about th e city, rea din g An ge ls an d Dem o ns w ill provid e you w ith plenty of

of bein g on sa le international ly it had pa ssed th e two m ill io n mark _ As a res ul t it is almo st a ce rt ainty t hat thi s will be th e biggest se lling book of th e yea r, and hold the numb er one spo t

id eas o n what is avail ab le to adm ire. Dan Brown is o ne o f th ose authors th at is rea d sec retly.

thi s Chri stm as . With the se fi gures w e ca n ass ume that milli o ns of peopl e mu st have bought hi s lates t book base d on th eir enj oym ent of Brown 's previ ous work - and why not enj oy his books? Ad mi tted ly he has a curi ously in co ngruou s w ay of writin g his prose - se nt ences like " he raised hi s ghost-white fi st and banged three ti mes o n t he doo r" from Th e Do Vin ci Co de never fail t o amu se. lt is also tru e th at many of hi s st atements abo ut antimatter or th e lll umin ati o r Leo nard o Da Vin ci or w it chcra ft or Sir lsaac New t o n or M ary M agdalene, or perhap s any st at ement about fac t th at he has ever mad e, are mis leadin g or entirely wro ng. Ye t, des pite Dan Brow n's literary shortco min gs,

th eir aesth eti c bea uty. Th e Vati ca n, th e Ecs t asy of St Teresa ,

Oxfam have rece ntly st at ed th at he is th e mos t co mmo nly

C0D"E ._

donated auth or to th eir char ity. lt see ms th at peo pl e have bee n rea ding hi s boo ks before beco m ing so mewh at sheep ish abo ut seeing th em on th ei r own books helves. Dou gla s Ad ams, Kings ly Ami s, Jane Aus ten ... Dan Brown. Oh wh at wil l th e ne ighb ours think I Per haps, you m ight argue, peo pl e have beg un rea ding hi s boo ks but th en after becom ing so o ffend ed by wh at Ste ph en Fry descri bes as "arse gravy of th e wo rst kin d" th ey t hen sim ply di scarded th em t o th e loca l charity shop, but th e ongo ing sales fi gures w ill neve r ag ree. David Biggin s

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PorrRY>NAM[ ro DROP>CAROL ANN Durrv Matthew Hutchings profiles t he new poet laureate and popular GCSE anthology stalwart. Virginia Woolf; Ezra Pound; Robert Frost - Just a few of the many names we associate with some of the greatest poetry of the 20th century. Most of us will have read them at some point or other during our lives, even if it was only to get us through our A-levels. But what about poetry now? The stuff that is being written for us and even about us is being created every day, and if it is contemporary writing that really interests you, the works of Carol Ann Duffy are a pretty good place to start. Duffy, born 23rd December 1955 in Glasgow, is most famously known for her poetry, although you may also know her as a celebrated playwright and writer. Her debut collection of poetry entitled Standing Female Nude (1985) was an instant success, winning the Scottish Arts Council Award. A short while later, her second collection, Selling Manhattan (1987) was welcomed in much the same way, winning the Somerset Maugham Award, with her use of the vernacular becoming at this pomt characteristic of her truly unique style. Mean Time was published several years later in 1993, and it was this anthology, with its focus on relationships, that was to thrust Duffy even further into the limelight, winning her the Whitbread Poetry Award and the Forward Poetry Prize.

Her unblemished record of success coupled with her contemporary style and universal popularity has lead to her continued inclusion in the AQA anthology for GCSE students as part of the National Curriculum since 1994, so if you think you

recognise titles such as Havisham and Before You Were Mine, it's probably because you studied them. More recent publications include The World's Wife (1999), Feminine Gospels (2002) and Raptures (2006). which explores the many joys and sorrows of

love. As the first Scottish, female and indeed the first poet laureate of the twenty-first century, she represents a huge chunk of the UK in her newly appointed post (having succeeded Andrew Motion as laureate on 1st May 2009). A pioneer in many respects, she serves as the face of modern poetry, throwing aside the almost unwavering tradition of English males, who have dominated the role in the past. Commenting on her acceptance of the position whilst being interviewed on Woman's Hour, Radio 4, Duffy reveals that "the decision was purely because they hadn't had a woman ... I look on it as recognition of the great women poets we now have writing, like AI ice Oswald." And it seems as though we can expect some pretty explosive stuff from Duffy over the next 10 years of her employment as laureate- Her first poem since taking the post, entitled Politics, serves as a cutting blow to the government regarding the MP's expenses scandal, satirizing the Blairite slogan "education, education, education". If nothing else, give this one a read. Duffy recently visited UEA as part of the Literary Festival, giving readings of The World's Wife, Raptures and one of her most recent publications, To The Moon (2009).

(OM.bDY > UEA graduate and funny man Tom Moran chats to The Event about what makes him LOL. n

When did you first become interested in Comedy? When I was a child I always wanted to make people laugh, and wondered how this strange phenomenon called humor was constructed. Unfortunately, I was a rather stupid child, and my understanding of the world was so limited that I when I grew up I wanted to be a Tuna Sandwich. Nevertheless, I continued this interest into my teens, and always wrote jokes to go with class presentations at school. These were received about as well as a punch in the temple. When did you first become interested in Comedy? For many people, the student life supplies a big confidence boost and a new lease on life. I decided to follow my comic aspirations and joined Livewire 1350, writing sketches, parody songs, and presenting my own show. I then failed my fi rst yea r because I'd spent too much ti me trying to be a comedian.! started again at UEA studying Performance and Scriptwriting in 2006, and met a man named Pat who ran a small comedy night at The Workshop on Earlham Road. I went along and perform ed an 8-min ute spot. lt went down a storm and I've never really looked back. How did LOL St and Up Night get st arted? Rather than travelling to this mysterious "London" place, or relying on other people to put regular stand-up nights together, I decided that the best way to keep myself practicing was to start up my own monthly night at my local pub and constantly give myself gigs. I met a lot of other local and student amateur comedians, and the club took off in no time. That was three years ago. Since then we have tackled the ODEON cinema, the Playhouse and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Which Comedians are you a fan of? Certainly the best stand-up comic around at the moment is Michael Mclntyre, whose sheer energy and eccentric brilliant material can't fail to amuse people of all ages and backgrounds. Saying that, the comedian who makes me laugh the hardest is a man named Joz Norris, who often performs with Laugh Out Loud. Don't ask me what makes him so funny, because truth be told, I don't think even he knows. He just has an unbeatably awkward naivety about him which can't fail to crack people up. What's going on at The Assembly House? Next week will be our de but night at The Assembly House. Alt hough we will still be running monthly open mic nights in The Rose Tavern on Rupert Street, we wanted to start something bigger, better and more professional. The night includes a buffet meal in the ticket price, and the venue is quite simply stunning. T.here will be two great acts in the first half, and I will be headlini ng with an exte nded set, which is ve ry exciting. The Assembly House is on Theatre Street. LOL will take place on October 9th, starting at 19:30. Tickets are ÂŁ11 .75 and can be purchased by phoning the Theatre Royal box office on 01603 598688. Tickets have to be purchased in advance. For more information turn to Vr~l ' l on page 22.

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Send in the Clowns Send in the Clowns - Quick for something is wrong The crowd gave a gasp where it didn't belong. Has somebody fallen- is death standing near Are the Lion trainers hand's trembling with fear? The band skipped a beat, there were animal roars Quick ''send for the Joey's to boost the applause" Send for the Clowns when the Dogs won't perform When the Tigers are restless with on-coming storm In motley and costume their 'entree' must last Till the cage is assembled - then get 'em out fast. Send for the Clowns- what d'you say? They're all gone Well, that's it, we're finished, the show can't go on Who'll make 'em all laugh -get the children involved Till the danger is past and all problems are solved . . From when the Big Top goes up- Till the king pole comes down That's the power and the glory of being a Clown. Cath Carpenter

Th e Circu s of Ho r ror Child ren laughing in amusement. Adu lts gasping in horror. Some scream . Some are so scared they can't speak. They begin to throw things at me, I look around in my own horror and I run around in my small cage, desperately trying to find a way out . My master gets his staff and beats me commanding me to perform. I fa ll to the ground . Sti ll fra nti cally looking for someone, anyone to save me . I search fo r a sympathetic smile or kind words. He beats me harder and I duck my head and curl into a ba ll . He continues to beat me but I fee l no pain . I am numb. I feel no hatred. No sorrow.

Alone in a memory Sitting in her chai r, she is di stant . Her mind wand ers to before; th e ac hes and th e fa ded bea uty. She is in th e ce ntre stage;

I fall into a pi t of blackness, unable to move, to feel , forever to be known as th e main show, in th e Circus of Horror.

a rin g surround ed by exci ted faces, so expect ant, dazz led by her costum e. A fea th er in her hai r; she climbs, higher and highe r, a di sta nt vo ice yell s. Careful treading an d a wi de smi le, sa fely cross ing th e skele tal wire. Th ose were th e days of red and wh ite. But now she sits alone; qui et in th ought. Lost in th e memories of fam e. Lo st in the days of bea uty, And lost in her glori ous circus.

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Next issue's theme is

TU[ ÂŁN\Tll{ONMÂŁNT

Email your submissions to: concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk by the 14th October

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This week, Duncan Vicat-Brown discusses the genre of rock music known as Shoegaze, which has inspired bands as -diverse as The Verve, The Horrors and The Dandy Warhols.

Blood~

IALS Valentine - loveless

lt nearly bankrupted Creation Recor1s, and took two years t make. Worth it? Abo e and beyond. So go d that Kevin Shields never even tried to be t it. Key Tracks: Soon

oomer,

Ride - Nowhere

Looking for something more interesting from guitar music? Can't stand Kings of Leon? Over Oasis? Fed up of Feeder? Then Shoegaze (terrible name, but stick with it) could be the genre for you. Blending layers of heavily distorted, amorphous guitars with dreamy, unintelligible vocals, the name was coined by the NME in the early 90s because of the band's tendency to spend entire gigs staring at the extensive effects pedals strewn about the stage (near their shoes ... ), deep in concentration. These effects combine to create a sound that could either be the most beautiful, exciting thing you've ever heard, or feel like the sound of your speakers having a fight. The so called 'daddies' of the scene are Dublin's My Bloody Valentine and their visionary front man, Kevin Shields (They're going to be appear a lot, so let's just call them MBV). Formed in 1983, they released a number of low-key rock EPs throughout the 80s which showed some signs of sonic experimentation, clearly influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cocteau Twins and Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' production style. Then in 1988 came You Made Me Realise, followed by the debut LP, Isn't Anything. Critics fell over each other to lavish them with praise; Uncut called it 'one of the most important British rock albums of the Eighties'. Isn't Anything in particular features some of the most epic, blissed-out soundscapes ever recorded; All I Need genuinely sounds like you're hearing it from space. Shields and second guitar player Bilinda Butcher created the signature guitar drone by playing two distorted rhythm guitars simultaneously (a Fender Jazzmaster and Fender Jaguar, fact fans). The follow up, Loveless, had a legendarily troubled conception (see The Essentials) but is widely recognised as the best Shoegaze album to date. Words can't do it justice, just go and listen to the thing. And so came the wave of imitators; by the dawn of the 90s you could barely mQve for all the eager young shoe-gazers. Further influences were brought to the table, such as Dinosaur Jr, The Smiths and Spacemen 3, resulting in a wildly diverse canon of work. While no one quite scaled the giddy heights of MBV, early examples such as Ride, Moose and Yo La Tengo had several very successful attempts at the crown, crafting albums of spectacular scale and ambition. In addition, bands like The Boo

Radleys and Charterhouse took the genre in a more poppy direction, while still retaining the blurry, dreamlike elements, and Slowdive went for a hushed, ethereal sound which was derided by critics at the time but stands up well to reevaluation today. The most famous Shoegaze act by far are more famous for their later work, but their early EPs and first album are excellent examples of the genre; nowadays, you may know them as The Verve ... However, leading up to the advent of Britpop, the critics began to turn against shoegazing. Due to the self-importance of some of the scene's major players, some took to relabelling the genre 'The Scene that Celebrates Itself'. On top of that, the music buyin& public were now looking for a voice that they could identify with, something that Shoegaze's mostly inaudible lyrics couldn't provide. Instead, the disaffected youth turned to socially conscious Britpop and angsty Grunge, driving many Shoegaze bands to try their hand at a more mainstream sound; some were successful (The Boo Radleys had a huge hit with the Dexy's-esque Wake Up Boo!), some weren't so lucky: genre stalwarts Lush went for a full Britpop sound and were ridiculed by everyone, eventually disbanding after their drummer's suicide in '96. And of course we all know about the rise, then decline, then rise again of The Verve, as Richard Ashcroft's arrogance gradually pushed Nick McCabe's sublime guitars into the background . As for MBV? Shields scrapped all studio material recorded 9fter Loveless and they faded into obscurity.

Of course, our current magpie musical culture was never going to let Shoegaze stay dead. So now we have (drum roll) ... nu-gaze! Kicked off by late 90s alternative acts like Mogwai and Broken Social Scene, this new

incarnation uses the Shoegaze guitar style more as a complimentary addition to other genres; for example, Broken Social Scene use it to enhance their own brand of alternative indie, while M83 infuse it with elegant swathes of synth for. a more electronic feel. Other nu-gazers include acts as diverse as Silversun Pickups, The Dandy Warhols, Blonde Redhead, A Place to Bury Strangers and Crystal Stilts. This year alone, The Horrors enjoyed huge success with their second album, replacing their goth pantomime act with a combination of garage rock, synths and guitars that scream Shoegaze, while acts such as The Big Pink and Sian Alice Group have made waves with similar ventures. But the real reason to get excited? In 2007, MBV went back on tour and are now back in the studio. Kevin must think he's on to something very, very good ...

RMA * The vocal t'rack on Loveless almost sounds as if vocalist Kevin Shields is asleep. This may be because the band were averaging one or two hours sleep throughout the recording process * Robert Smith of The Cure is a big fan : "[My Bloody Valentine] was the first band I heard who quite clearly pissed all over us." * Yes, they are named after the same Canadian horror film that was remade this year. * On 11th June Richard Ashcroft of The Verve was admitted to hospital after drinking himself to extreme dehydration, and drummer Peter Salisbury trashed a hotel room, but the next day they were onstage again; can't call them lazy. * Nick McCabe on third album Urban Hymns : "By the time I got my parts in there it's not really a music fan's record . lt just sits nicely next to the Oasis record" * The term 'The Scene that Celebrates Itself' came about because most Shoegazer's attented each others gigs, drank together and sometimes played in each others bands. lsnt that nice? *With the exception of Yo La Tengo, who are American, all the big early Shoegaze bands were British, and most were from the Thames Valley.

Generally con~idered to be the second best Shoegaze albu . Steve Lamacq called them with is chainsaws.' incorrect; they'r better ..___.,;,;z:: than House of L0ve. Key Tracks: Seagu/1, Dreams Burn Down

Chapterhotse - Whirlpool A more ac essible Shoegaze albu , but also among t:; best. Combines the di torted, dreamy soun with pop-rock elemerllts that recall The Sm ths. A great place to st rt. Key Tracks: Falli g Down, Pearl

The Boo Radleys- lchabod and I Forget Wake and all that ea e this is the o ly album you need Key Tracks: ea we Kaleidoscope

The Verve - Verve EP This early EP proves beyond any doJbt that Nick McCabe ~as to Britpop's guitar~ what Jarvis Cocker wJs to its words. Key Tracks: Gravity Grave, She's a sJperstar

Mogwai - '(oung The Nu-Gaze mo~ement begins to stir; t olossal instrumental loyeliness from the noisy Stots. Key

Tracks:

,Yogwai

Fear Satan, Like ~erod

The Horro~s - Primary Colours inventions; sea return as the I of MBV, The and Kraftwerk. Key

Tracks:

Image, Sea Wit

irror's

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DISS[RTATION DISTRACTIONS1 The Event presents this year's new British series with the potential to side-track your degree.

"M erlin, are yo u deaf?" "I wish."

With t hose wo rd s, BB C's hi t mag ica l drama M erlin return ed, sparkin g hum our, adve nture and suspen se into our du ll, magic less lives.

Tho ugh som e sa y t hey had anti cipa t ed th at t he first season wo uld have bee n th e last , t rue fans sa t dow n to w at ch, eage r t o see t he developm ents for t he seco nd seaso n.

and even t he most die-ha rd fans mig ht fi nd

back again, inciting humour, frus t ratio n and

th em selve s perp lexed at why th ey like suc h an innoce nt fami ly progra mm e. lt pro babl y

someti m es a litt le suspe nse. This sea son, a prob le mati c ro mance is in th e air for Arthur

isn' t th e spec ial effec t s, w hic h are what we coul d polite ly t er m 's ub- pa r', it contains no ne

and ma idse rvan t Gui nevere- enough sa id . it's probab ly uns urp ri sin g t o sa y t hat

of th e bloo dy vi o lence, sex or any of t he nail bitin g ho rror t hat so ma ny of th e mo re popu lar t elev ision shows em brace. But what t he se ries does enca psu lat e is a feeling of broth erh ood

th e show is n' t wh olly hist o ri ca lly acc urat e but t here is a simp le j oy running througho ut th e

and chi va lry; of magic and in noce nce th at lea ds bac k t o chil dh ood ga mes of fanta sy. Th ere are old favo urites me rging in with

fo rt y-some t hing m inu t es th_at is ex tr em ely addi cti ve and deli ghtfu lly nos t algic. it 's no t a class ic by all means, but fo r pu re, un bridled TV mag ic th ere's no ne bett er.

Some face th e show with bew ild erm ent

new talent such as Ri chard W ilson wh o pl ays M erl in's adv isor and has som e hil ariou s lin es.

M erli n graces the screens of BBCl , 6. 15pm, Sa tu rday.

if t hey do n't share th e t ension o f wh et her M erlin 's secret w ill be revea led eve ry Sa t urd ay,

Arthur and M erlin's unu sua l re lati onship evolves from prince/serva nt, t o friends, and

Sophie Morga n

Com e Dine With Me has always been a favou rite fo r students, th e un employed and gene ral lay-

abou t s of all ages, but now the secret is out and the show's new pri meti me slot ha s seen it boi li ng over t o beco me one of TV's best-loved shows, and co ntinu es t o ins pire cooke ry puns in criti cs nati onwid e. Howeve r, origin al fans may have a few issues with t he new sup er-co mp<Jct ho ur-long epi sodes. Yes th e show still ha s Dave Lamb's simply hil ariou s comm entary (surely Co me Din e With M e wouldn't have survived thi s

llou;: lN It~[ WALL For th ose unfami li ar w it h th e show, Hole In The Wall is a ga me show based on a Japa nese form at,

long with out himJ) . Ye s, it still has strangers

important ly, it prompted so me of Dave Lamb's

mee tin g at the beginning of t he week, cooking for eac h oth er and t hen gradi ng th e res ulti ng

ve ry best snipes. Havi ng said this, Come Dine With M e is sti ll amongst the best thin gs on TV at t he mom ent,

di nn er pa rti es. Ye s, the one thou sand poun ds prize fu nd is stil l brought in on a silver t ray and of co urse, yes, the contest ants are st ark raving mad, and yet it still fe els like som eth ing

and the 'celebri t y' version it has 路spawned makes for some hi lariou s view in g. If anyone mi ssed th e rece nt epi sode with Ea stende rs' Big

is missing.

Mo, then ch ec k it out on 4od. We promise you

That something is th e ti me taken in getti ng to know t hese certifi ab le wa nn abe-

wo n' t be disappointed I

chefs. Arg uably the best pa rt of t he show wa s wa tch ing th e mea ls be ing prepared, having a chop by chop acco unt of w hat was bei ng done, and how it shou !d be do ne. lt was entertaining, it w as occa siona lly info rm ative and, most

The omnipresent Com e Din e Wi th M e has an Extra Portions omnibus this Saturday at 4pm, Channel4. Gemma Hen zley

way a man's package looks in t hat si lver ski n tight suit (suspected st uffings by so me), and it 's

slo t j ust before Strictly Com e Dancing, th is sho w is a lot of fu n to switch on t o if yo u're stayi ng in on a Saturday night, and t he nature of th e

even more t han how t he t hinnest women look lumpy in all t he wrong places in t he suits th at Bowie wo uld th ink loo ked odd .

shows allo..ys you to do more t han one th in g w hil e it 's on w ithou t mi ss ing out on an y of its

in whi ch B-list ce lebriti es don unforgiving lycra jumpsuits and try t o make t he ir bod ies fi t th e

As outragou s as t he const umes are, th e

parti cu lar nuances. If yo u fi nd yourse lf bored on

show brings so mu ch joy ju st by seei ng host,

a Saturd ay night, it 's wo rth tun ing in. Se riou sly,

shape of a hole in a movi ng wall in ord er .t o avoid sa id wa ll kno cking th em into a swimmin g pool.

Anton Du Beke, get his own back on th e ce lebrit y world for th eir t errible danci ng and should be eno ugh t o sa ti sfy all Strictly fans, not

th e suits are really ti ght.

You may be rea ding th is and wond erin g w hat

t o menti on see ing t he mos t irritating charact ers from th e leas t bea rab le shows gettin g dunked

th e appea l is to such an absurd se t up, and yo u should know, it' s much more t han th e ridi culous

Fitting in to a Saturday slot, Hole In The Wall is on BBCl at 5.45pm.

into a poo l of wat er. W ith th e conven ient tim e

Micha Butle r

and celeb rity trave l show. Fry's reac ti ons to th e

t he west 's attempts to go gree n. Deforestation

ani mals and his frust ration over lac k of modern

is one of th e largest threat s to th ese animals and

Th e Last Chan ce To See radio proj ect was first

co nveniences give s a ligh t- hea rted feel t o th e show and makes it highly relatabl e. However,

start ed by Douglas Adams and M ark Carwardin e as a way o f int roducing us to th e anima ls our lifestyles are pushing to ex tin cti on. Now, twe nty

we are also give n a grea t view of not ju st th e anim als fac ing exti ncti on but many of t hose in th eir habitats.

most of th e current deforest ati on is ca used by an increase in need for recyclable materials and th e rising popularity of bi ofu els.

yea rs on, St eph en Fry is honouri ng his fr ie nd Ada ms' memory by revi siting th e ani mals and seei ng if hi s message had succee ded in making th ei r sit uati ons are any less bleak. Fry is j oin ed by M ark Carwardi ne, whi ch gives a balance between nature document ary

One of t he most intere stin g parts of th e programme is th e new angle give n on th e threa t of extin cti on. We are shown traditi onal local threats to th e anim als, such as th e supersti ti ons th at lead many tribes to kill th e Aye-Aye on

Fry, the fina l episode in the series will be aired on BBC2 on Sunday at Bpm and you can find th e entire series available on iPiayer.

sight, and th e most surpris ing threat is th at of

Bea Bradsell

if yo u want to ca tch your own last chance to see th ese fascinating animals or just love Stephen

lelevision

0Gorl09

PRIMITIM[ - D [RRrn RRO\VN Derren Brown continues to showcase his talent for highly entertaining and controversial shows; a television career that kicked off back in 1999 with Derren Brown : M ind Control. He has since given us Russian Roulette, Seance, Messiah, The System, amongst many others and most memorably in The Heist persuaded members of the public to unknowingly perpetrate a bank robbery.

This time it is a series of how to's in such fields as winning the lottery, controlling the nation, being a psychic spy, and finishing with Derren travelling to mainland Europe to beat the casino at roulette, in the aptly named How To Take Dawn A Casino . Is any of it real? Who knows! But it is what it is, an entertainment show, and no one can deny that it entertains.

There are bound to be some people that criticise the shows, and admittedly they lack some of the intensity and mystery of his earlier work, and yet despite this they are immensely fascinating . The explanation of the lottery predictions may have puzzled some, as after a long build-up to how he might have genuinely predicted the National Lottery numbers, he closed the show with an explanation of how he would have fixed the machine, but of course that being illegal he did ne such thing. An odd setup admittedly - like a punch-line with no laugh - and yet in some ways a classic display of misd irection on a grand scale . Some may want to cling on to the beautiful lie he strings his audience along with but then he never says that they would be wrong to. Derren's new 'events' may not be to everybody's taste but what he offers is intrigue, humour, showmanship and charisma . "Believe what you want", seems to be his mantra, and being an ex-fundamentalist Christian he seems to have respect for all but the stupidest and most dangerous of belief systems . There's every chance you' ll come away feeling like you've been tricked, but that's probably just because you have. Derren Brown's Trick of the Mind 2 starts 10.30pm, Tuesday on Channel 4. Caroline Walker

Do"'NLOAD- [LASIItOR\VARD Pilot episodes of new American shows are anything but rare on British screens; from True Blood (FX/Channel 4) to Saving Grace (More4) to name just two, 2009 has seen the arrival of countless imports. So, aside from featuring UEA alumni Jack Davenport, what makes FlashForward worth watching? For one thing, it is being billed as the 'new Lost'- which may be due to the endless repetitions of the phrase "from the makers of Lost'' - complete with high action, inevitable plot twists and a confusing, long-winded plotline; but actually the plot is what really sets FlashForward apart. In a world where new television series are looking increasingly alike, (see E4 for the latest New York-set sitcom which wishes it was Friends) there is something undeniably appealing about a show which promises to tread new ground and FlashForward's premise does just that. On one day, the entire world simultaneously blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds, in which time they all see a vision of their future . it's simple, intriguing and brilliant. Best of all, the pilot does not disappoint. In fact, it almost manages to live up to the hypeno small feat considering how much hype there was, and that The Guardian is running a weekly episode-by-episode review. The pilot, aptly ti tled No More Good Days, thrusts its viewers directly into the action, opening with a shot of the show's hero, Mark Benford, from inside a

crashed car, and then following him out into chaos. The scene Is then interrupted by the title sequence, which is then followed by the obligatory 'four hours earlier', in which vital elements to any successful TV show are established: the setting (LA) and the characters (the usual assortment : an FBI agent, a doctor, a babysitter, a tortured recovering alcoholic and an endearing small child- we could go on). Kudos must be given to Five for snapping up

FlashForward and almost guaranteeing itself its first real hit in the process. Of course, no pilot is perfect and there is certainly a long way to go. But for now? We can't wait to see what the future has in store. Catch FlashForward 9pm, Monday nights on Five. Sara Barnard

X-rAaoR Vs STRICTLY CoMJ:: DANCING: AN AGJ::/0LD Qm:snoN With both X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing currently clogging up the weekend airwaves, those not addicted to one or both of these shows might be inclined to wonder what it is that actually attracts audiences to them . Is it the merciless judging panels? The tugs on the heartstrings as participants triumph over the odds while Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars whines in the background? Or is it the fact that Cheryl Cole looks like an aphrodite statuette brought to life? Whatever the reason, both shows generate a lot of publicity. First, the decision to place X-Factor auditions in front of live audiences

With the assured step of an RSC thesp, The Man Himself walks through the famous pub. The chatacters turn their heads; a nation holds their breath; .His Royal Blondeness opens his mouth and says ... Well who the hell remembers? To consider how much planning and effort must have went in to getting Boris Johnson inside the Queen Vie for those precious seconds is to lose all faith in modern politics. If this is the second stage of

gave the show a drama boost (thereby proving that Britain has, if not talent, then at least a lot of people with a lot of free time on their hands). Then the replacement of sixty-odd judge Arlene Philips with the bankably wrinkle-

free Alesha Dixon on Strictly Come Dancing led to accusations of ageism with even Harriet Harman entering into the controversy, with the valuable contribution of "as Equalities Minister, I am suspicious that there is age discrimmation there ." And that is perhaps where the issue of class comes in . Not even the most devoted fan could pretend that either show does much mind-expanding . Both shows are cheap and trashy and yet wildly popular because arguably they reflect the society that watches them . The upgrading of female judges to younger models while Simon, Len, Bruno et al continue

to wither nicely; the over-emotionalisation ; the preoccupation with 'ordinary' and ' real ' people making it - these are all indicative of the culture we live in . A culture where class lines have apparently blurred but other divisions remain - which is why Harriet Harman gave her two cents. Though you might think that's someone who really shouldn' t have the required amount of free time on their hands. This Saturday, X-Factor's final 12 hit the live stage at 8pm on ITV1, while Strictly Come Dancing's remaming 13 continue at lpm on BBC1 . Robert Van Egghen

televisual coverage that follows 'look a bit silly on Have I Got News For You' it seems Johnson's acting chops have actually worsened with his increase in power. Next step is presumably to cameo in the Queen's speech . In other news, Piers Morgan interviewed Cliff Richard and used his journalistic talents to reveal exactly how much of the man behind the songs that said man wanted revealing- namely that he likes tennis. Peep Show returned to a resounding 'hmmm' of vague familiarity, and Keith Floyd coincidentally died just as TV chefs nationwide realised he was the culinary messiah. Frankie Boyle has announced he will be

leaving Mock The Week - apparently favouring a career in comedy - and Never Mtnd The Buzzcocks attempts to do a HIGNFY by featuring famous guest presenters to replace a departing host Simon Amstell- Johnson's next silver screen performance is in the bag then . Jon & Kate Plus 8 continue to get their calculators out to negotiate how they will distribute their progeny while Jon files for a cease and desist order to prevent TLC rebranding it as Kate Plus 8: A Single-Mother's Story. Speaking of reality show co"uples with more children than they can count, Graham Norton has said that Peter and Katie should get back together if only

for the reason that they will be boring guests until they do, thereby attempting that most noble of pursuits: staying together for the viewers. Oddly Saw-like 'I want to play a game'-show The Cube will be returning to challenge chavs to walk in a straight inside Hannibal Lecter's bedroom and Living has renewed the Come Wed With Me format show, Four Weddings, saying that they want to tackle more culture-clash issues, such as 'pink or purple?' and 'how drunk is too drunk?' Josh Butler

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<GAMING> < Rrnfws > The most important t hing to understand about Halo 3: ODST is that you are getting two different games. On the fi rst disk is the campaign in

005Tby hiring ha lf the cast of the TV show Firefly: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk as well as Tricia Heifer from Battlestar Galactica

which you play 'The Rookie', an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, and the new 'Firefight' mode.

to voice the game's main characters. lt is very strange how ODST feels so different and yet so simi lar. As an ODST you are noticeably weaker

oosrs

second disk is the complete multiplayer experience from Halo 3. This second disk

than 'Master Chief', the series protagonist of the

inc lud es eve ry Halo 3 ma p re leased to dat e and three new maps that form the rest of the 'Mythic

first t hree games, yet combat sti ll fee ls to tal ly like Halo. Coming from Halo 3 it is a very strange

Map Pack'. ODST is t herefore both a new title

realisation that 'Brutes' are actually much bigger

and an old game at the same time. Not much can be said about the multip layer di sk; it is simply a repackagi ng of Halo 3 an d Halo 3's downloadable content. If you like Halo's

than you! In a step away from the curren t shooter trend, ODST has a health bar and health packs in

multiplayer a lot then you will continue to enjoy

t he game. This adds to the fee li ng that you are more vulnerable. The campaign is short even by shooter standards but it is well paced, making it a

what is on offer. The disk is best va lue for those that did not purchase Halo 3's additional maps, if you did spend t he extra money, then you wi ll likely share the slightly sour feeling that you are

blast to play all the way through. Every set piece battle is great to play. lt is difficult without being unfair and as a whole is very varied . ODSfs other new offering is 'Firefight' mode.

paying twice for content. Halo 3 is still one of the

'Firefight' pits up to four players against waves of

best and most popu lar shooters; if you like first

increasingly hard enemies. lt is so much fun to

person shooters then this disk offers some of t he best action to be had. 'Fo rge' and 'Theatre' mode are also included on this disk so you can edit/create your own maps and rewatch your best momen ts. The cam paign disk is all new content. 'Develope r Bungie' set a high expectatio n on

play and is something that many have wanted to see in a Ha lo game for years. Your team shares a pool of life and must hold out as long as possible

Halo 3: ODST is a great mix of old and

Enemies are made harder to overcome when the g<Jme activates power up 'sku lls' and players of the previous games wil l be familiar with medals

new; the length of the campaign and rather small amount of overall content wi ll put some people off but for anyone who already likes or is

Avai labl e on Xbox 360

awarded for vanous actions.

interested in the Halo series, ODST is a must buy.

Price : ÂŁ40

WET, a ti tl e that refers t o 'wetwork' - murders or assassinations that resu lt in hands wet with blood - is a stylised t hi rd person shooter that starts by

is. Every second is fast paced acti on w ith enemies fa ll ing before you, dozens at a time. There are also more intense sections in which events are

lt had to put you on edge and freak your brain out. Face-melting, musical debauchery." Every

round a pole while shooting people in the face. What we see in WET isn't anythi ng new; it's

hitting the ground running and doesn't stop until t he end. Players ta ke on the role of Rubi MÂˇa lone, an assassin or problem fixer, who agrees to help a wealthy old man find his lost son. However, it soon becomes appa rent that this man is not who he appears to be, and as these kinds of

depicted in a noir style where the only colours used are a powerful contrast of black, w hite and blood-red . During these sections Rubi's attacks become faster and more powerful, in order for her to dea l with the increased number of armed

piece fits the action perfectly. Although there is the possibility that some will become bored by t he si milar combat techn iques used, there shou ld be enough replay value in the form of Challenge Mode and the spectacular set pieces in the Story Mode to draw players back in for another play through. Graphically the game isn't anything

been done before. The slow-motion shooting sections are heavily inspired by Max Payne, and the acrobatics seem reminiscent of Mirror's Edge or Prince of Persia but never before have these aspects been thrown together to the same

Stefan Rose

degree of madness and chaos in a grindhouseesque setting.

goons in her way, and t he faster she kills them the more intense her rage becomes.

special, and some of the character mode ls look

Some may be disappointed to hear that there

a bit rough, especrally when compared to all the

Available on Xbox 360, PS3

her around the globe and ultimately leads to her

are some quicktime events in the game, which

killing lots of peo pl e in her sea rch for th e trut h and struggle to survive.

means there are moments of cinematic action

awesome art on the box, main menu and loading screens, but it's not too noticeable an d this

(Review based on Xbox 360 version)

will all likely be forgotten when Rubi's swinging

Price : ÂŁ40

characters so often do, Rubi becomes wrap ped in a web of intrigue and criminal affairs that takes

Your pro tagon ist is able to achieve victory

when the game will prompt the player to press a bu tton or comb ination to make Rubi avo id death .

over the hordes of gunmen that oppose her la rge ly because of her acrobatic skills, wh ich are

Whilst these have generally been accepted as a mechanic in gaming, it is still sometimes difficult

used frequ ently and to great effect. Rubi ca n slide along the floo r, run along walls, jump from

t o react at j ust th e right prec ise moment, or mash a button to the extent required to avoid

rooftop to roo ftop and leap between movi ng cars- and she ca n do all t his wh ile shooting her two revolvers. As if th is was n't enough fire power, she also ca rri es a katana for perfor ming melee

death, and whe n dying mea ns playing t hroug h a w hole section of gameplay again j ust because of one mistake it can be both frustrating and ruin

attacks which generate great amounts of blood. Rubi is essentia lly a complete badass. She even rega ins hea lt h by taking a swig of what looks li ke Jack Danie l's before throwing the bottle into t he ai r and, you guessed it, shooti ng it. There is a st ory, and effort has clearly been put into the cinema ti c sequences and characte rs, although th e ga meplay is w hat ma kes th is w hat it

th e fl ow of the ga me. This ca n also ha ppe n if the player gets lost, which will probably happen every now and then, but never for too long. Fortunately, these moments are not too prolific, and players will easily be distracted from t hem by the visual style and excel lent music. The composer of the game's score is quoted as saying, "I wanted music t hat would scare the shit out of you, make you fee l like you' re in the game.

William Moran

) .

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06o('l09 lssuc 32

<INT£RNbT> Kanye West recently became an overnight Internet meme after he stormed the stage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards as Taylor Swift was accepting the award for Best Female Video. As she began her acceptance speech, Kanye West suddenly appeared on the stage, stole the microphone, saying "I'm real happy for you; I'm going to let you finish", and told the crowd that Beyonce's video should have won, as it is "one of the best videos of all time." He then handed the microphone back to Taylor and stormed off the stage. Due to the fact that West had taken up Taylor's time, the show cut to a commercial break before she could finish her speech . Later in the evening, after Beyonce won Video of the Year, she invited Taylor onstage to finish her speech . Kanye was reportedly thrown out, and after returning home he posted an apology on his blog, written in a spectacularly all upper case .format. Clearly for Kanye Caps Lock is

cruise control for cool. After less than twenty four hours had passed, however, the entire event had prompted the Internet Superstars of notorious image board '4chan', to mock him and his inexplicable outburst to the point that it will

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taking the microphone from Swift's hands as well as one .of the many funny photoshop manipulations that has been created since his bumbling interruption. President Obama called West "a jackass", and many Internet users now use often edited and captioned images of Kanye to point out

If you h1ven't already, Kanye West's is a face you will almost certainly run into at some point online,, usurped microphone in hand . William Moran

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Use your voice and represent students in one of these exciting convenor roles for your Union. Nominations for both the Ethnic Minority Campaign Convenor and SSF Faculty Convenor close this Friday 9 October at 2pm so don't delay- get your nomination form to us today. To get your nomination pack log on to: www.ueastudent.comjvote;nom ination_pack or pick one up from Union House Reception.

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INT[RVJ[WS Music Editor Paul Cook talks summer soundtracks with Australia's The Temper. Trap and discusses the unique new festival at Jimmy's Farm with indie veterans Athlete ...

AIIILIJI Concrete caught up with Australian hot-topic band 'The Temper Trap' before their sel l out show at Norwich Arts Centre and discu ssed the band's rapid route to international fame and th e hectic European tour the band are set to embark upon . Your chart track 'Sweet Disposition' has been described as 'The Sou nd of Summer' - Wh at 's your response to that? I ju st think t he fact it has had so much air play like being used in '500 Days of Summer', on an ad on Channel 4 and on the soccer highlights show has contributed to people actually being able to hear the song. it's hard for me to say it's the "sound of summer" but I guess that's the way it works. it's had the sa me effect back hom e in Au st ralia. lt came out and didn ' t rea lly get going until the beginning of the summ er. · Wh at single do you plan to release next? Yeah it 's going to be 'Fade r'. I' m not sure whe n it 's going to come out, probab ly in November or so mething. lt wa s more of a record labe l decision than ours but they think that wou ld be a good fo ll ow up to 'Sweet Disposition.' Do you have any early plans for the next album? Yeah, we've been asked that a lot recently actually. We've all been playing arou nd in our own time and stuff. We've just had 2 weeks off

but we think it will be quite a bit of time before we get back into the studio. We've got a few ideas of where we want the new material to go but it w ill be a wh il e before we start working on that. The UK tour has now so ld out completely, are there any shows your particularly excited about playing?

Suffolk's 'Harvest at Jimmy's' is the latest event to crop up in the festi val ca lendar but is a weekend with a twist. Boasting an impressive 2nd year li neup along with an array of TV chefs the festival held at 'Ji mmy's Farm' (made famous on BBC2) is a unique food/music experience. We sat down with headline rs 'Athlete' to talk about the band's new album 'Bl ac k Swan' and their fe stival experiences.

Well we're excited to go to Norwich as we've never played there before. We had to cancel a show in Norwich before unfortl.Ulately so we're interested to see what the crowd there is like. We' re hoping the places we haven't been to before will surprise us the most. We 're also really looking forward to playing London as it had to be upgraded to a bigger venue which is cool. it's now at 'Heave n' which is a gay bar apparently so that'll be interesting! We're excited to play all of t hem -to sel l out a tour in England is j ust re ally exciting for us.

You're playing the festival with Badly Drawn Boy th is weekend who has supported you in the past, have you bumped into him yet?

You're doing a European tour soon w ith The Joy Formidable, did you meet up at Reading this year and did you specifically choose them to support you?

Where did you record the latest album?

No we haven't met them yet actually but we wanted to tour with them here in the UK but we were both busy. We're really looking forward to playing with them in Europe but we have n' t really ever seen or met them so it will be a new experience for us both.

which should be interesting but we would really like to play Latitude. it 's really unique and it's in Suffolk where a lot of our family are from. Unfortunately the upcoming tour doesn' t have a show in Ea st Anglia .

Yeah we both supported U2 and REM as we ll and I was chatting to him ten minutes ago actua lly. We're rea lly good friends with his bass player Stephen Fretwe ll too as he's come on tour with us a few time s. We used the same producer as him on ' Black Swan' actual ly, Tom Rothrock who's done load s from Foo Fighters to Elbow all the way back to Eliot Smith and Beck.

We recorded some of it in L.A. at 'Su nset Sound' wh ich is one of tho se famous place where history is just dripping off the walls. We got to use the sa me studio room that Led Zeppelin used which wa s cool but we recorded the rest of it at our own stu dio in South East London. Have you had time to explore the festival site ? Yeah we haven ' t enjoyed much of the loca l cuis ine yet but I have had plenty of th e cider ! Oh and a raspberry cupcake which was pretty sensationa l! Thi s isn't like the big festiva ls like V and Glastonbury. There's something really nice about it not trying to compete with something like Reading. There's more community spirit and Jimmy's got something really unique here. Are there any other festival s you're playing or would like to play?

How would you describe t he new direction of ' Black Swan'? We ll we worked with a produce r on th is one for the first time in a few years. I think with the songs on t his album we tried to come up wi t h songs that would still work well stripped back to be played on t he piano or on t he guitar. Is there anyone here you really want to see this weekend? Yeah we want to catch Badly Drawn Boy later and also Jose Gonzalez as we haven't seen him before . We really liked his first album and it kind of reminds us of this weird road trip we did across America as we listened to it a lot whi lst driving through th e desert.

We've got a festival coming up in Dubai soo n

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Thorn Yorke has announced that he is to fo rm a new band with Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea and ex-REM drummer Joey Waron ker. The unnamed ba nd has 2 shows booked in October at L.A.'s Orpheum · Theatre.

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Nor MAD[ ];'on loYh fP Sink and Bought a Bride showcase these vocals

About forty-five seconds into Brand New's fourth (and, if the rumours are true final) album, you start to suspect that lead singer Jesse Lacey may have gone a bit, well. .. wrong . After one minute and twenty-two seconds, that niggling suspicion is confirmed. Daisy begins and ends with an old, crackling recording of a gospel hymn, which plays for nearly a minute-and-a-half before the band suddenly burst into life, kicking and screaming, pounding its fists against its own head and bouncing manically off the walls; the album is an emotional trainwreck . Lacey alternates between primal, agonising cries and an equallydistressing pin-drop whisper. Standout tracks

nicely. The fact that there are standout tracks at all is worrying. 2006's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me break-necked through its hour-long running time without an unsatisfactory second; songs rising and swelling with all the power and self-assurance of a seminal band at the height of their powers. While Daisy is, in many ways, a progression, it doesn't feel quite as consistent. Tracks like Bed and Gasoline feel somewhat unfinished, more interludes than fully-formed songs, whilst Be Gone is just utterly bewildering with it's indistinguishable vocals and twangy country guitar. Still, the album maintains a prevailing sense of urgency, and the overall package leaves one slightly shell-shocked by the end, as Lacey repeats "I'm on my way to hell!" over pounding drums and screeching feedback. You believe him, and it's this quality that has kept Brand New at the forefront of their scene since their debut in 2000. Time has betrayed Jesse Lacey - he didn't "stay eighteen forever ", he didn't "die young and save himself" and he's really not happy about it. Tom Mclnnes

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Metronomy are arguably the forerunners, and indeed originators, of the new wave of British alternative electro-pop. Previous releases, Pip Paine (Pay The ÂŁ5000 You Owe) and Nights Out were written by an outfit which has since split, amicably to note, as original keys/bass player and general nice guy Gabriel Stebbing has formed his own band Your Twenties . The new lineup including ex-Lightspeed Champion drummer Anna Prior, produces a noticeable change in the sound . Metronomy prev1ously sounded upbeat and a heavy influence on catchy synth melodies created their own distinctive sound . However, the opening Not Made for Love has a new softer

side with harmonies and melodies reminiscen t of the slower tracks on Hot Chip's debut. Lyrically however, it remains typically truthful; heartbreak and misfortune contrast the poppy instrumental lines. Do the Right Thing continues this trend ; a groovy bass line and high vocal hooks sound like old Metronomy, but a significant maturing to their sound has taken place . The EP seems to be the morning after the night out dancing which their previous albums inspired. What Do I Do Now?, despite a faster paced synth line and heavily produced vocals, also adheres to t his matured, almost subdued sound and closes the 3 new tracks with a contemplative feel. Mount, having a certain penchant for remixing himself, has filled it out the rest of the EP with remixes by several other producers, which broadens the sound of the new tracks . The new sound of Metronomy is pleasantly surprising but knowing what the band can achieve, especially when venturing down the indie floor-filler route, leads one to recommend alternative t racks such as Radio Ladio and Heartbreaker to any new listeners. Alex Throssell

7/ 10 album after Simple Things vocalist Sia split from Zero 7 to pursue solo success. Binns and Hardaker's decision to bring in new vocalists results in an edgier final product and prevents the music from becoming unremarkable. New addition Eska Mtungwazi's vocals are outstanding, oscillating flawlessly between the chilled out Swing and the vocal jumpiness of Mr

the lyrics are wistful and dramatic, and Fa 1th utilises her impressive acting CV by playing every emotion with ease . Namely Broken Doll is an epic ballad of cinematic proportions, and Play On has a determined march that closes the album in style. Recent single New York, with its wistful instrumentation and almighty finale, is one of the finest musical moments of the year. In fact it's one of t1e only pop songs in recent memory to employ a ~ospel choir without being painfully cheesy.

McGee.

Think of Zero 7 and you begin to anticipate their unique blend of calming instrumentals and mellow vocals. Yeah Ghost offers this signature style with the familiar chilled lyrics and soft vocals in Pop Art Blue and The Road. However, there is a distinct move away from the tone of Simple Things with the inclusion of distinctly brit-pop and dance-influenced tracks like Medicine Man, which is undoubtedly the stand out track from the album with its playful vocal and upbeat melody. Yeah Ghost began as a purely instrumental

7/ 10

The album is both a departure and a continuance of Zero 7's style . At times the vocals are reminiscent of Regina Spektor's folkpop singing, though the critical comparisons of some tracks to the house music of Basement Jaxx are not without foundation . The new voices of Zero 7 are crucial to the success of Yeah Ghost, reinventing the strengths of previous albums and bringing them up to date without overshadowing the instrumentals. Yeah Ghost is not so different from previous offerings from Zero 7; the tracks are easily recognisable as products of the band . Those new to them will enjoy the combination of tones, whilst existing fans will be pleasantly surprised by the new turn this album represents. Perdita Fearon

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This time last year, Paloma Faith could easily have taken the music industry by storm. Artists like Duffy, Adele and Gabriella Cilmi made 2008 the year that the quirky, soulful ladies took charge; but now the genre of choice has shifted towards synth-heavy electro tunes, and soulpop artists like Faith are really struggling to find an audience. That said, don' t be fooled - Faith may appear to be Duffy '09, but the debut is surprisingly unlike anything you'll have heard for a while. The orchestras are out in force,

this originality and a consisten. tly impressive ocal performance, Do You Want... falls just sh of being something truly amazmg. Tracks like targazer and My Knees Are Weak provide moments that don't really leave much of an impression once they're finished , and at times the lyrics are let down by music that tries too hard to be over-theatrical. Still, thi~ is a better album than its singles' chart perfo rmances would suggest, and it'd be a ha me if, due to the current electro-pop climate, Faith joine9 VV Brown on the list of singers who had the rig~t album at the wrong time. Shaun Kitchener

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After 2006's Dece mberunderground, whi ch transform ed A Fire Inside from underground

doesn' t com e along too often , none more so than M um ford an d So ns. Hav ing almost stole th e show· supporting Th e Maccabees at Norwi ch's Wate rfront last term, the ba nd are fin ally back with their debut album full of soul and grace .

goth -punk heroes to synth -infused rock gods, it wa s und oubted ly di ffic ult for th e Ca liforni an qua rtet to deci de where to go next lt would be easy to crea te a Decem ber. . part 2, but at th e

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a so luti on to impress all - a record compri sed of t he st rongest qualiti es from thei r eight-a lbum -

th e soaring chorus li nes o f tracks such as Roll Away Your Stone and White Blank Page up lift

long caree r, flu shing away any aspects th at tire quickly.

the mid dl e secti on of t he album . St an dout t rack Little Lion Man desp ite being one of the band's

Crash Love combines every aspect that has made AFI an in spiration to so many; from

old es t is fa nta stica lly catc hy and evide nce t hat fo lk m usic can be both contemporary and maintain its traditional sound. Unfortu nate ly despite impressing throu ghout, the debut doesn' t make it al l the way throug h wi th out fa ult M any of the tracks so und too simi lar, almost as if the album were on e contin ual t rack. Ce rtain trac ks also don' t have much repeat-play potentia l, making for an album of t wo halves. On t he one ha nd , th e soa ring mid-section wil l have you li st ening aga in and again, w hilst earlier and latter tracks

severe cost of estranging long-term followers of th eir earlier sound. Fortun ately, AFI came up with

have n't t he longevity to have yo u listen ing start to fini sh more th an once or twice . Close comparison to Noah and the W hale wi ll probably always domin ate any mention s the band have in th e medi a but based on Sigh No M ore, Mu mford and Son s alre ady show more promise and potenti al with a far more unique voca li st w ho adds a signat ure sou nd to the band's identity. Paul Cook

frontm an Davey Havok's trademark "oh!" to big chorus' of entang led voices, and even their close relation ship wit h fa ns and fellow musicians in the bu sin ess (th e album fea t ures guest vocal s from com peti tion w inners and old fri end Ni ck13 of Ti ger Army). Opening trac k Torch Song has a de lightfully ol d-school intro reminiscent of Black Sails In Th e Sunset, leading to the ghostly Beau tiful Thieves with it s heavy reverby guitar

and grandiose End Transm ission. Th e wint ery atmosphere in th e beginn ing t racks bears a similarity to December... but wi th out the complicated synth, whi ch is arguably better left to Havok and guitari st Jade Pudget 's side proj ect Bla qk Audio . Okay, I Feel Better Now revisit s Havok's struggl e with empty love,

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discu ssed thro ugh a t radi ti ona l veil of gothic rom anti cism. Moreove r, long-term fans should recogn ise and app reciate t he faste r-paced energy of Medicate and Sacrilege that ech o the band's ea rlier punk infused sound. Too Shy To Scream and Veronica Sawyer Smokes are perh aps th e only slightly strange and ill-fitting tracks, nevertheless, th ey are by no mean s poor. Final track it Was Min e slowly cools th e atm osph ere until its close, alt ho ugh it isn't quite the This Tim e Imperfect th at was hoped fo r. Coming in at a strict 43 minu tes, Cras h Love is powerful, cri sp and crystal cl ea r- AFI's most focu sed effort to date. Stephanie McKenna

WILD R[i\STS

6/ 10

Splitting Th e Atom EP marks

ALL TJ l[ KINGS M[N Oh isn' t she clever. See, she says 'd isco stick' w hen really

t he grou p's first re lease in 3 yea rs, showcasing work w hich may end up on th eir fifth LP in

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sa y about Wild Beast s - they are, quite simply, brilli ant. All

wo rd trick s. Honestl y, thi s girl( ' ) is a tota l laugh riot. Sorry for anyone w ho wa s

Whil st repetitive, t he titl e track bu rrows into yo ur co nsc iousness in what

main strea m mu sic press does not have a bad wo rd to

she mean s... oh you get the idea. Lady G and her clever

February.

9/ 10

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the King 's Men is th e second singl e to be taken from their so phomore album Two

amounts to be an acceptably moo dy and introspecti ve

expl os ive burst of vi ole nt sarcas m . First th ings first;

Dancers, released earli er thi s yea r.

opener. Pray for Rain is definite ly th e standout t rac k. A laye red percussio n/ pian o bac kin g ebbs and fl ows, building in compl exity before dying down to almost noth ing. lt goes t hroug h many

this isn't as bad as Poker Fa ce . But it 's not as good as, y' know,

W ith a swin ging tom-bea t providi ng th e canvas for shimmer ing keyb oa rd s and swirling guitars, Wild Beast s have cra fted a po p so ng t hat sou nds bo th simp le an d in tri ca te at eve ry tur n.

changes w hic h is a welco me re li ef aft er t he me lancholic Splittin g the Atom. Unfortu nat ely Bulletp ro of Love is a lac klu stre shambles, going nowh ere. Voca ls are provided by El bow 's Guy Ga rv ey and butchered by som e horrend ous produ cti on. If at this point you are still playing th e CD, th e fin al trac k "Psyche" acts as a quick, yet sati sfactory close r. Ulti mat ely, whil st th e four tracks fail t o stand up to th eir

proper m usic. You know th e drill by now: lazy, repetitive bea ts, an unremarkabl e hoo k and "cleve r " (ie. pun ning ) ly rics. In a wor ld w here st ruggl ing band s are rewriting t he pop mu sic rul ebook, th ere's just no exc use fo r anyone t o be putting out mu sic thi s dull an d unin spired. Th e nove lty's worn off now sw ee th ea rt, if you cou ld fade bac k to obscuri ty now th at 'd be smas hing. Interesti ng ly, so meon e else wi th an amb iguo us ge nder sang a mu ch better so ng wit h the sa me titl e fou r years ago .. his/her catch phrase? 'I' m Old Greeeeeeeeeegg'

b st w ork, t here are still som e ge ms to be foun d, namely th e exce ll ent Pray for Rain . James Gorman

Duncan Vi cat-Brown

Th ere is no do ubting th e similarity in lea d singe r Hayd en Thorpe's vo ice to th at of one Anth ony Hega rty (o f Anth ony & th e Jo hn so ns) but thi s is not to Thorpe 's di scredit; th e false tt o yelp of 'Watc h M e, Wa tch Me !' th at introdu ces eac h verse gives wa y to some clever wo rd play, layered over an in stant ly ca tch y 'ooh oo h' refrain . Alth ough alrea dy with tw o fantasti c album s t o th eir na me, thi s single shows that t here is much more to co me fro m one of Britain 's most pro mi sin g youn g band s. Con or M aguire

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LIVI Music Ill[ (RIRS> U[A LCR > TI-IURSDAY 24TII S[PJ[MR[R A new tour, a new album, a new member and what appears to be the beginning of a new era for The Cribs. This series of changes probably means that nothing will ever be the same for The Cribs again. Their show here at UEA, the first of the new tour to promote the band's latest long-player Ignore the Ignorant perhaps symbolised this transformation perfectly. lt sat on the brink between the punk aggression of The Cribs famous shows of old (stage diving, lip bleeding, guitar smashing) and a U2-esque arena tour (video screens and power stances). The gig as a whole was competent, the songs sounded fine, the set list well selected but there was nothing inspiring, nothing that justified the live reputation that this band has

spent years establishing. The recruitment of a fourth member, possibly the greatest song-smith of all time, Johnny Marr has given them a musical depth and quality that is clear on both LP and live. The songs were performed flawlessly and new merged into old with ease. Opener We Were Aborted beautifully blended into classic Hey Scenesters and closers Be Safe and City af Bugs were stunning.

The Cribs have seemingly made a perhaps unconscious step away from their imposed title of "the biggest cult band in Britain" towards a higher branch of the British music scene tree. But this could perhaps be to their detriment. Their romantic appeal that created and captivated such a large cult following always surrounded their accessibility and below the radar approach. If they attempt to shake off their cult status and move above and beyond then they could potentially lose the appeal which drew so many towards them originally. This factor was unfortunately apparent at the LCR last Thursday- the old fans looked disappointed and new fans uninspired, a fatal mix for a band attempting to start again. James Hailing

Z[RO 7>U[A LCR> W[DNbSDAY 30TII SbPT[MRbR Zero 7 are well-known to the for their downtempo chill-out sound than for fast-paced instrumentals; so the decision to shift more towards the latter for new album Yeah Ghost is definitely an interesting one. it's certainly been a good few years since the band last bothered the mainstream album or singles charts, so depending on your viewpoint the jump in musical direction is either a realisation that commercial success isn't worth the effort, or an attempt to re-vamp the band and bounce back into the limelight. Either way, the new material is currently being showcased on a nationwide tour, and although the call at UEA LCR wasn't a sold out affair, the room was considerably busy; most of the crowd eager to hear some of the chilled-out classics for which

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the duo are more commonly known. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the intimate down-tempo songs from the duo's back catalogue that earned the biggest kudos from the fittingly subdued and harmless audience. Stripped back to just an acoustic guitar and haunting vocals, fan favourite In The Waiting Line in particular stood out as one of the highlights of the night. The newer, livelier material went down a

storm as well, complimented by breathtaking lighting design that was almost as impressive as the band themselves. A couple of the tracks without vocals felt overlong and disengaging, but that's a small criticism - this was a consistently strong gig powered by multi-talented musicians, amazing vocalists (credit to newcomer Eska Mtungwazi for an amazing performance of new track The Road in particular), and of course the magic-making outfit themselves. Yeah Ghost probably won't be causing too much of a tidal wave on the album charts when it is finally released this month, but when you can pull live shows like this out of the bag, frankly who cares? Shaun Kitchener

HocKIT> ARTS ([NTR[> MoNo v 28Tfi S£PT[~IR[R With all the buzz that has led to a thousand 'Hockey don't give a puck' puns, it is no surprise that tonight the Portland quartet find themselves playing to a packed Norwich Arts Centre. The venue is certainly brimming with anticipation which is possibly spurred on by the release of Hockey's debut album Mind Chaos, released this very same day. lt is therefore somewhat of a surprise that Hockey kick off proceedings with what is possibly the worst track on the record, the relatively dull Work. If that fails to light a fire, then the band soon redeem themselves by knocking out two of their singles within the next three songs . Both Learn To Lose and Song Away hint at the band that The Killers might have become if they hadn't

sold their souls to the devil and show just why Hockey currently find themselves drowning in media expectation. Comparisons have ranged from LCD Soundsystem to the Strokes to Springsteen and even to Maggie May-era Rod Stewart. However Hockey are at their best when their channelling the Stones. Curse This City and Wanna Be Black are the two distinct highlights of the night, showcasing Ben Grubin's vocal talents to the max as he does his best Mick Jagger impression up on the stage.

Apart from the opening song, the only time that they really fail to connect is when they try some American folk with Four Holy Photos. it's certainly no Fleet Foxes and just looks as if Hockey are trying a little too hard to mix it up a bit. As they go off to hit single Too Fake, a clearly won over crowd bays for more and the band return to knook out two more tracks from Mind Chaos, slowef track Everyone's The Same Age and a blistering Put The Game Down. Grubtn looks as if he may have been born to front a stadium ban& and off the back of tonight's performance that may be just where Hockey are heading. M ichael Blunt

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The backdrop of Jonathan Mostows' new

(Bruce Willis), who after the destruction of

these two factions which drives what little

science-fiction film Surrogates shows a new,

his own surrogate and is therefore forced to

action happens in the film.

almost utopian, society where humans ltve in isolation using their robot surrogates to carry

go outside into the world to solve the murders and the complex strands of conspiracy that it

Bruce Willts plays his usual tough guy character and plays it well, at first it is hard to

out thetr lives in the outside world.

reveals.

take him senously because of his surrogate's

The use of surrogates creates a soc iety

Although there ts some action in the film it is not overly action packed, instead the psychological turmoil of Greer dnd hts journey of self discovery whilst living tn the 'real' world

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is forefronted. The film also favours social commentary over car chases and explosions, warning of the over usage of technology in where crime is almost nonexistent, plastic surgery is eradicated and most important ly

social interaction in modern society. In classic sci-fi style, the film has a definite 'us' and

humans are safe from the perils of the world. However, the first homicide in years soon turns this perfect world into a potential nightmare, especially for the main detective Tom Greer

'them' divide. The 'us' is the surrogates and their users and the 'them' are the rebel society who live in human-only zones and boycott any

bizarre flawless appearance but the film does gives him a rare opportuntty to show some emot10n range. Whilst thts is quite an entert<llr1tng film tt doesn't stand out as anything new, the robot/ human relatwnshtp and the tmpact of robots in our daily lives has been done before tn such films as Blade Runner and I Robot. The story has the potential to be more than just enjoyable but the narrative has a few holes and predictability issues and also verges on being preachy about technology usage. The film is worth a watch for Bruce Willis but don't set expectations too high.

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Rache iCoxon

form of technology. lt is the tension between

TRIVIA TIMf *As you all probably know by now, the saddest news that the fi lm indust ry has dealt us since January of 2008, the beautiful and wonderful Patrick Swayze passed away on the 14th of September, at the young age of 57.

over 30 years and is somehow still making films ...

* ... The thriller which would be starring EwanMcGreggor is still in production, and may not be fintshed in time, but even if it is there

* For all of you who loved the quirky 500 Days of Summer you'll all be pleased to hear director Marc Webb has been stgned to direct

is still no guarentee he will be able to selltt to the conservative US film distributors.

an English remake of the Danish noir thriller Just Another Love Story.

* If you thought Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro have had enough of se lling out you'd be wrong, Little Fockers is in production now and

*The man behind the Ocean's Eleven-andthen -so me franchise - Steven Soderbergh - is

will be hitting our screens tn 2010. If that isn't enough to sell you a ticket the new cast list

getting ready to break away from his bank heist friends, and is set to make a spy thnller called Knockout. This will be starring a knockout of

may be, with all the old faces and the likes of Jessica Alba and Owen Wilson on board this is set to be the most star studded cast yet.

a mixed martial arts expert (hence the tit le) Gina Carano. Dates are unsure on this one, hopefully this isn't the last we will hear from this director.

*All you anime fans out there will be pleased to hear, Studio Ghibli will be making Toketori Monogotori a.k.a The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. it's a classic Japanese tale which is

* The legendary director Roman Polanski is under arrest in Switzerland and may be facing extradition to the US leaving the fate of his latest film The Ghost with an unknown fate.

centuries old, and has been made into a movie twice before in 1960 and 1984 although this is the first time it will be animated.

The star has been on the run from the US for

Micha Butle r

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0Gocl09 issue23 2

concrde.film® uea.ac.uk

Tel: 08702240240

OIII[R SCRffNS

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Ayers, The Soloist is the film version of a book chronicling the descent of a gifted musician from a scholarship at New York's prestigious Julliard School, to severe schizophrenia, social exclusion and homelessness. Unfortunately, there is a sense throughout that the film feels too big for director Joe Wright- the ambitious vision would have been handled better in the hands of another with more experience. Tliat said, Jamie Foxx (as the brilliant but troubled Ayers) and Jr. (Angelino, Robert Downey journalist and unlikely friend to Ayers) are nothing short of astounding both talented actors are on top form

The bicentennial year of Charles Darwin's birth is undoubtedly a suitable time to release a biopic about the pioneering naturalist, and Jon Amiel gives a valiant attempt at a psychological profile of the man. Unfortunately, this is precisely the problem. Despite the film's title, the writing of On the Origin of Species takes a back seat and is dealt with in a couple of overdramatic montages, with the chief bulk of the film concerning Darwin's relationship with his troubled family. Real-life couple Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly deliver interesting performances as the scientifically and religiously opposed Charles and Emma

and have a likeable quality about them, carrying the film emotionally and steadfastly holding our attention. Some scenes do appear to present somewhat of a sensory overload- vivid clashing of music and colour- indicative of Wright trying to do too much at once - but overall the film left a real impression of human interest and redemption through belief. Naomi Fraser

7/10

Technically, the film is excellent, especially when it visits the more exotic locations. The scenes involving wildlife stand out brilliantly. Christopher Young's score is complimentary and unobtrusive, bolstering the emotional depth of the events happening onscreeh . However, the plot's morose nature does ensure that Creation is a difficult work to enjoy, albeit with some solid ideas behind it.

Will Cross

6/10

Does the world really need another remake of Fame? That's the question posed by this somewhat underwhelming version of the iconic 1980 movie directed by Alan Parker. This was later turned into a TV series and Broadway musical which introduced the delights of legwarmers and dancing on cars to an entire generation. As with previous incarnations, Fame follows a group of diverse characters across four years at the exclusive New York City High School for the Performing Arts. They learn to dance, sing, act and look good whilst wearing a leotard. However, in attempting to cram so many characters over such a long time span into 107

Pandorum, German director Christian Alvert's entry into the sci-fi/horror genre, follows Bower (Ben Forester) and Payton (Dennis Quaid) as they awaken from hyper sleep onboard a starship millions of miles from Earth . Lacking in memory, neither man knows the full details of their mission or what has happened to the rest of the ships crew. After power loss, locked out of the main ship, Bower must venture to restart the reactor. As he journeys deeper into the ship, Bower discovers that something terrible has happened to rest of the crew and that the ships mission is key to humanity's survival. Christian Alvert was hailed as 'the German New Face of Cinema' at

movie The characters are never allowed to develop from the stereotypes of: the nerdy one, quiet one, the hot one, etc. Fame is not a bad movie; it's just a bland, unoriginal one. Though fans of American sitcoms may enjoy the appearances by actors such as Kel sey Grammer , the voice of Sideshow Bob and Frasier, and Megan Mulley who played Karen in Will and Grace. If you've seen the original there's nothing new here. If you haven't, you're not missing much.

4/10

Jake Miller

the 2005 AFI film festival, but after watching this, his first Hollywood feature, it is difficult to see why. The direction is cliched; frenzied camera movement and dark lighting is intended to create tension and suggest an unseen terror but instead makes what's going on difficult to follow. None of Pandorum's ideas are its own; the film is a kind of 'Frankenstein's monster' made from of the corpses of better films.

2/10

Paul Wardlow

Imagine a world without lies, euphemisms and imagination. Ricky Gervais did, and the result was The Invention of Lying. Gervais stars as fail ing fat screenwriter Mark Bellison who invents lies when he loses his job and faces the prospect of homelessness. Though packed with Gervais' trademark witty asides, mumbling and his self confessed ability to 'take forever to say nothing', the opening five minutes prove this movie not to be a comedy. Instead, it's a blatant attack on religion and society's shallowness. A slow starter, the premise was better than what appeared on screen . The idea that the people in this world not only told the truth but were compelled to blurt out their inner thoughts resulted in plastic, primary school style performances. Such decisions seemed like directing disasters ... at first. But Anna's (Jennifer Garner) aracter progression from social s ob to free thinker was captured by r acting becoming progressively I ss wooden. This innovative t chnique helped shape the style of the movie as well as reaffirm ing Gervais' persona as the lone voice of reason in an insane world . Though not what you may be expecting, The Invention of Lying will definitely give you a lot to think about afterwards.

/ 10

lame. Madow

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ueu.ctc.uk

Tel 08702240240

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Packed with more than enough testosterone-filled boxing, Fighting is, without doubt, appropriately named. The audience first sees Tatum as the down-onhis-luck Shawn McArthur, selling fake books on the street and then having a fist-clenchmg argument with a customer. After seeing that Shawn has great fighting potential, Harvey (Terence Howard) .. makes him an offer he can't refuse by funding him to enter fighting competitions. As they struggle, the grimy New York backdrop

and equally suitable soundtrack make the mood of the film just right. Director Dito Montiel does a reasonable job, but occasionally the situations the characters find themselves in mean the audience will be pushed to care. However, Terence Howard puts on a brilliant performance and Channing Tatum and Zulay Henao aren't harsh on the eye.

5/ I()

Elizabeth Poole

Another entertaining comedy film is churned out in Observe and Report, with Seth Rogan playing the lead character Ronnie Barnhardt, a hopeless and spectacularly rubbish security guard of a shopping mall. The film follows Ronnie's half-hearted attempts to keep the mall under control, from shoplifters to troublesome teenagers, whilst vymg for the love of an in-house cosmetic salesperson, Brandi (Anna Faris). The characters could be more likeable; when

Ronnie (who takes medicine for his bipolar condition) acts like a buffoon and tries to rape Brandi, the script is taken a bit too far by a film that constantly feels like it's trying too hard to be funny. Jody Hill both directed and wrote the script for the Observe and Report, however, the film would have been improved dramatically had Seth Rogan developed the script himself.

EH,.beth Poole

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concrelc.f-llm@uea.ac.uk

Tel 08702240240

www myvue eo m/ norwich

RAT£0 OR SLATfD?

AvATAR: RrvotmiONARY Sci-ti? First things first; this could change the way we watch films .. .forever. it's directed by James Cameron, the visionary who brought us Aliens, The Terminator (and its sequel) and True Lies, and about time too; he hasn't made a feature film since 1997. The big reason why Avatar could rule is because it's the .reason he hasn't made anything else for 12 years. Back then he pitched his script anl the budget was calculated,

stereoscopic 30 images; basically, they can simulate human sight to a degree of accuracy never before seen. Motion capture animation has been used to create photo-realistic CGI characters, but in such an advanced way that this can be done simultaneous! with

the final air battle looking like it will exceed anything you've ever seen before. Avatar cost $288 million and it shows. Unfortunately the plot is daft to say the least; a paraplegic former marine has his consciousness transferred into the body of a

The cast is not much cop either. Sam Worthington could be alright but the supporting cast is worrying; reliable hands Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi are countered by Michelle 'Pouty' Rodriguez and Zoe Saldana (Uhura in Star Trek, arguably the weakest performance). And then there's Joel David Moore, inexplicably playing a scientist; after The Hottie and the Nottie he shouldn't be allowed in films. Another issue is that, as his career has

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bringing the limitations of current technology into consideration. lt came to $400 million. Realising that no right-minded studio would part with that amount of money, Cameron sat back and waited for the technology to catch up with his vision. Then, in 2002, he saw The Two Towers and Weta Digital's CGI miracle Gollum. Time to get to work. In addition, brand new cameras were developed which can produce

the actor's performance; again, to explain, this means that he can direct the actor's CGI counterparts as if they were actually there. The trailer looks absolutely stunning; the visuals are beyond amazing and the effects look incredible. In addition, action sequences are colossal,

positions of power - a priest emerges from behind a horrific mask to reveal a yet more horrific face as he attempts to r-,olest the pubescent Valerie; what may or may not be the girl's father seems to metamorphose into a vampire at will, terrifying Valerie with a mixture of straight-out gothic horror, sexuality and violence. The film's main influence is not on the realm of cinema, but on literature. The author Angela Carter was a professed fan of the film and it is hard not to trace echoes of Jires's eroticised

lt is perhaps possible that the language of dreams has never been so convincingly portrayed as in Jaromil Jires's Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. First released in Czechoslovakia, its country of origin, on 16th October 1970, the film is treasure-trove of mysteries. The narrative is loose to say

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the least: it concerns the adventures of the eponymous Valerie in a vaguely medieval Czech town as she deals with her burgeoning sexuality. Limiting the film to mere synopsis is farcical; it is a disorientating fever dream of desire and threat, beginning with the theft of Valerie's pearls - what are they? A symbol of

Na'vi (a big, blue, humanoid alien) and travels to Pandora, the Na'vi's home planet, which humanity is attempting to gut for resources. He meets a female Na'vi, love happens, battle for Pandora's survival; a bored audience. it's more Fern Gully than Aliens.

her sexuality or her innocence? - and ending with a joyous springtime celebration by the erotically awakened youth of the town. • Czechoslovakia was at the time enmeshed within the Eastern Bloc; it is initially surprising that a film of such colour, such vivaciousness could emerge from behind the Iron Curtain. In the true spirit of surrealistic anarchy, the film tackles the traditional notions of a paternalisticsociety that were inadvertently espoused by the USSR. The principle antagonists are men in

progressed, Cameron has become more and more inclined to bludgeon his audience with unnecessary sentiment; thumbs up at the end of Terminator 2 anyone? And he directed Titamc, which needed two extra hours just to cram all the sentiment in. Unfortunately, Avatar doesn't look like it's broken the trend. This could make history, you just might not particularly enjoy 1t. Duncan Vicat-Brown

fantasy in her acclaimed The Bloody Chamber. Carter published a collection of short stories in 1979 that retold classic fairytales with a highly sexualised, feminist viewpoint; Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is exactly that- a dreamlike folk tale energised with the potential of feminist and political liberation. The film Is unique in the history of cinema. Feminist, anarchist, surrealist- it is a film that

is radical, not just in the views projected, but in the structure of its own narrative. For all its vagueness it is ultimately a film about the triumph of the oppressed over the oppressors; the young and liberated eventually entrap the creatures that once held them captive - it is a resolution that Czechoslovakians of the time could interpret any way they pleased. Luke Nash

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VrNUf> Tur SIGIITS & SouNDS ot TIIf CITY * So nic Boom Six>Waterfront> 7:30pm >£8.50 * Noisettes>LCR> 7:30pm>£8 .50 * The Unthanks>Arts Centre>8p m>

* Salsa Lesson>Hive>5:30pm>£2 * Bar b4 LCR>Union bar>8pm * Around the World LCR>LCR>10pm> £3 .50

£10

* Ca lvin Ha rri s> LCR>7:30pm >£14 •

* Film>l Love You, Man>LT1>7:30pm >£2., 75 * Nouve lle Vague>Waterfront> 7:30pm>£17.50

* Ruby Turner>Piayhouse>8pm>£15 * .George Szirtes: A Conversation With>Arts Centre>8pm>£4 * Bingo>Union bar>8pm

>free * Stewart Lee (8th & 9th)>Piayhouse>8pm>£14

* Eilen Jewel! & band>Arts Centre>8:30pm>£6 * Weekend warm -up>U nion bar> 9:30pm * Club Retro>LCR>lOpm >£4.50 * Meltdown & Britpoppin>Waterfront >lOpm >£3 .50

*Go Audio>LCR>7pm>£10 .50 * The Twang>Waterfront>7pm> £12 .50 * Pub quiz>Union bar>7:30pm

* UEA L1terary Festivai>Colm Toibin>LT1>7pm>£6 * NME Radar Tour (ft. Golden Silvers) >Waterfront>7:30pm >£9. 50 * The Proclaimers>LCR>7:30pm > £16.50 * Zion Train >Arts Centre>8pm>£8

Micachu & the Shapes)> Arts

In recent mont hs, what cou ld tentative ly

very large amount of hard work . Dozens of co medi ans have ent ertained crowds and stirred up uproarious laug hter at LO L's reg ul ar co medy nights, and t he club has firm ly estab lished itse lf as one of the most enj oyab le nig hts out in the area, fo r students or fo r anyone w ho enjoys having a good time. Its reputation is t hanks to every si ngle one of the comedians who have contributed to it over t he yea rs, as we ll as the en t husiastic and dedicated support of t he audie nce. Now that expe ri ence is about to be shown in a whole new light , as on Fri day t he 9th of October they' ll be performing in t he Assembly House fro m 7:30pm onwa rd s. Th e eve ning w ill feat ure se t s from Ben Briggs and Joz Norris, as we ll as an extended head line se t from Tom Moran, all hosted by· the inimitable Scott Brow n. Tickets are £11.75, w hich in cludes a ful l buffet meal cooked by

* Editors> LCR>7pm >f18 .50 * Pub quiz>Union bar>7:30pm

I * ldlewi ld>Waterfront>7:30pm>£1 5

-X be called the " Norw ich comedy scene" has seen so mething of an explos ion. Alongside the professional comedy clu bs such as Red Card and t he mont hly Comedy Store performances at the Forum, the re is now a profusion of ind epende nt come dy clubs plying their trade around the city, and at the fore front of th em is UEA's st ude nt comedy club, Laugh Out Loud. Laugh Ou t Lo ud was fou nded around three years ago by Tom Moran and Pat Cahill and having go ne f rom stre ngth to st rength since then, it is now bigger and better th an ever. Sti ll run by Tom Mora n, w ith some help from third year drama stu de nts and a great dea l of support from loca l venues and performers, it is now set to take its place as one of t he premiere comedy nig hts in No rw ich. Having performed in va ri ous pubs for t he last few years, as well as venues such as t he No rwic h

* Salsa lesson >Hive>5:30pm>£2

* HELL YES ! FEST! (ft. Centre>8pm>£7 .50 * The Pyjama Party>LCR>10pm> £3.50

Playhouse and t he largest Wetherspoons in Ed in bu rgh for t he 2008 Fringe Festival, t hey are now abou t to perform a specia l gala night in the wo nderful Assembly Ho use on Thea t re Street. Th is next step in the club's development is trul y t he cul m in ation of a

* Th is Town Nee ds Gun s> Marquee> 7pm>£4 * Th e Oth er One> LCR>lOpm >£4.50 * Meltdown & Ska'd Up>Waterfront >10pm>£3 .50

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the Assembly House's resident chef, and promises to exh ibit the ve ry best of what Laugh Out Loud can offer. Whe th er you're an old regular of LOL nights and want 'to come and support t hem in th eir brand new venue, or if you're com pl ete ly new and want to come and see wha t al l the fuss is about, then tickets can be booked through the Theatre Royal Box Office

on 01603 598688 . Josh Harri s LOL Comedy Club ca n be contacted via Facebook ('Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club' group) and the Ass em bly House can be contacted on 01603 62 6402 or by email at admin@assem blyhousenorwich.co.uk.

BUY ANY PIZZA AND RECEIVE A FREE SOFT DRINK* OR HOT DRINK

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OffER RUNS UNTIL SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER *OffER IS NOT fOR aonLED OR CANNED DRINKS

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Across 1: Apple based alcoho lic drink (5) 4: To leave behind (7) 8: Ingredient of stir fry (7) 9: Spanish slang for frie nd (5) 10: Viscous black liquid used in roads (3) 11: Silly (4) 12: Qu1et and shy (4) 13: Highest point (4) 15: Food used to lure anima ls (4) 16: 1970s style of dance music (S) 19: Opposite of fat (3) 20: Last letter of Greek alphabet (5) 21: Less than pounds (5) 22: To stop (5) 23: Used to write on a blackboard (5) 25: Sound (5) 26: Snake like fish (3) 27: Technology which locates flying objects (5) 28: Colour of a Coldp lay song (6)

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W IN RASSH U NTI]~ TICK [TS! Courtesy of the Union, we have a pair of tickets for Basshunter's LCR gig on Sunday 25th October to give away!

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Aher the massive success of his Now You're Gone album, global dance sensation

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8 7 Permanent Revolution at Borders! Come in-store and witness our everchanging revo lutiona ry range of CDs and DVDs at great value prices . Pick up a DVD from as little as £3 .99!

To be in wi th a chance of w inning a £10 Borders vouc her, bring one or all correct ly comple ted Sud oku to th e Co ncrete offi ce in Union House by Friday 2/10/09. Name: Email:

WtN f Abl[S or D[ATU MrrAL Tif]([fS! We are giving away two tickets to the Eagles of Death Metal gig on Wednesday 28th October! The band, often featuring Queens of the Stone Age members, have released three albums of great garage rock, and had hits with I Want You So Hard and I Only Want You .

For a chance of winning this great prize, just email your answer to t he following question by Thursday 15/10/09 to concrete.competitions@ uea .ac.uk :

To be in with a chance of winning, bring your completed crossword to the Concrete office in Union House by Thursday 15/10/09. Name:

What was the name of Basshunter's first UK number one single?

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We have thre e copies of the hillarious new slang diction ary from Lucy Tobin, Pimp Your Vo~ob, to give away I If you've ever ju st nodded when your mates have been talking slang you don't understand, or if you JUSt want a laugh at some of the definitions, this is the book for you. Never again will you confuse your braps with blaps! To be in with a chance of winning one of these books, email your answer to the following question to concrete.competitions@uea.ac.uk by Thursday 15/10/09:

t=l:Z::Z::QIIiz:q What

Down 1: Country m Nort h America w1th Frenc h spea kin g areas (6) 2: The wooden support around a door, drea m roof (a nag.) (9 ) 3: A guideline of correct behaviour (4) 4: Something which looks good is __ pleas1ng (13) 5: A loud alert, ohen used m the morning (5) 6: Chauffeurs (7) 7: An element used in the manufact ure of ligh ts (4) 13: One who assau lts another person (8) 14: State of disinterest (7) 17: Anger (3) 18: To agree (6) 21: A precious bead extracted from a mollusc (5) 24: Help (3)

Basshunter is back with a new record, Bass Generation. The climax of his UK tour is right here at UEA, so this is rea lly is a gig not to be missed!

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t wo words make the slang term "neek"?

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