The event issue 237 12 01 2010

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2009 TR[NDS[IT[RS, 2010 ICONS The Event ch oose thei r fash ion muses of 2010 whose style have become as legend ary as thei r work.. .

The TV Show>>>

The Music Star>>>

LADY GAGA Hit US TV show Mad Men, which completed its third season in America at the end of last year, has not only achieved critica l acclaim in the television industry, it has also received admiration in the fas·hion world . The show's accurate depiction of 1960s American culture is reflected in its use of cuts and tai loring as sharp and sophisticated as the storylines. The men aren't seen without dapper suits in retro co lours and the ladies look like they have walked straight out of Mary Quant 's wardrobe.

Till SHll/1> > > Marks & Spencer have an excellent collection of sixties-inspired shift dresses in monocrome and bright reds and pinks. This particular style is incredibly sexy and feminine w hilst still exuding power and professionalism, making Mad Men the perfect inspiration for workwear. Marks & Spencer's Limited Collection and Autograp h range feature classic, high qua lity pieces that, having been in fashion for fifty years, will last forever.

The TV Personality>>>

Ti ll STYLI>>> Admitted ly, t he majority of Lady Gaga's outfits are far too zany and outrageous for even most celebrities to wear, let alone your average student. However, the popstar has been so unavoidable in the press over the past year that it was inevitable that some of her quirky style would filter through to high street designs.Ruffies, lace, PVC and leotards have all entered the fashion mainstream in the last few seasons thanks to Lady G.

Lady Gaga's image is all abo ut drama and extravagance and it is easy to translate her theatrics to everyday fashion with accessories and detail. ASOS is the perfect place to find Gaga style wacky headwear, eye-watering platform shoes and show-stopping dresses. ASOS have identified the key features of Lady Gaga's style and created clothing that is unusual but not obscene! Prices on ASOS range from under a tenner to designer rates, and with their vast inventory there is someth ing for everyone, eve n the Gaga-shy. ASOS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>£55

The First Lady>>>

(II[RYL COL[ MICII[LL[ 0RAMA Tur Smr> > > Cheryl Cole has been the darling of the British press since becoming a judge on X-Factor and, despite Dannii Minogue's best efforts to oust her, she remains one of the country's best loved fashion icons. Cheryl's look is trademark WAG: fake tan, vivid colours, big hair extensions and ki ll er heels. She is always groomed to perfecti on w ith not a false eye lash or acrylic nai l out of place. Cheryl's hig h maintenance look is in stark contrast to her down-to-earth personality, a key reason behind her huge popularity and the desire of thousands of women to emulate her.

T111 Sr( 1111> > > Li psy has long been associated with imitating celebrity style and their website is full of the mini dresses in hot, bright colours and glitzy metallics so often sported by Cheryl Cole. With their pretty, girly dresses for any occasion, Lipsy should be the first stop for any wannabe WAG .

Lipsy»»»>»»»>»»»»»»»left, £18, right, £30

Tm: STYLI>>> After her husband's election in late 2008, Michelle Obama has been one of the most photographed women in the world. Politicians and their spouses are not usually the best dressed peop le... Male politicians are lucky; they can just wear a dark suit and blend in wi t h their peers . Women face a much toug her challenge. If the ir "look" isn't right, the criticism will be immediate and brutal. Michelle doesn't take a back seat or blend into the background but makes bold fashion-forward choices. She did not play it safe at her husband's inauguration ball, wearing exciting new designer Jason Wu. She gave the relatively unknown designer a chance, just as she wished that America would take the same chance upon her and her family. Interestingly, she did not choose an African-American designer. Amnau Eele from The Black Artists Association mourned that "This was our day!" Michelle cleverly sidestepped this issue, already inescapab le issue in her husband's campaign.

T1u: Snn11>>> Michelle is.arguably the best thing to have ever happened to J Crew, a US department store. After she was pictured in London wearing their bejewelled cardigan, it sold out within hours. With the company's stock price up by around 64% in the past 6 months, J Crew are not only the First Lady's favourite fashion retailer. Her mix of high-end and high-street allows her to keep connected to the public, who can emulate her wardrobe despite not being married to the world's most powerful man. Her place in the fashion elite was wel l and truly cemented when she appeared, sans family, on the front cover of Vogue. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who? Hannah Britt

fashion

f jan 10 Issue 37

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APPY Om wnu THr OLD. IN \VtnJ Tllr Nnv

AccrPTARLr IN rnr

N[W ICONS>

2009 has been and gone, and its memorable trends will

Fashion Editor Kat Jones writes her 2010 commandments, whilst Freya Barry looks at the 2009 trends unlikely to have made it past Auld Lang Syne.

80s....AND lli[ OOs

Taking inspiration from those

checked

be forever encapsulated in Faceboo k photos to show our grandchildren:

In a year over-shadowed by the

tight tees with deck shoes. Rolled up trousers and wax jackets ·showed his attention

1> Men in skinny jeans with Converse.

global recession, fashion perversely turned to the decade of over-

in the public eye is something we all do, and with high-street equivalents we can look like the stars .we admire. 2009

to detail and vintage style.

2> The wonders of leggings, jeggings and treggings. 3> The 80s revival of big shoulders.

indulgence and general ostentation that was the eighties. Shoulder-

gave us a eclectic selection of muses to choose from .

Laura Catterall

4> Boy meets girl; feminine brogues and loafers .

pads, sequins and denim reigned

5> Skinny ties with cardigans.

supreme, sending boho on its way.

DaisyLowe

Miss Catterall caught the attention of the public when

shirts and striped

6> Check shirts for both men and women .

No designer capitalised on this back-

This

7> Leather and biker jackets . 8> Snoods .

lash better than Christophe Decarnin at Balmain. In a year that began

have left the UK to work in the US but we salute her for

catwalk of Mark Fast's show in September. Everyone was

with acid hues and graphic colours at Alexander McQueen and Chanel exhibiting sheer metallic fabrics

showing us rock and roll chic.

wowed by her looks, so no

2010 is here, and it brings with it new and exciting fashion finds for us to get our claws into:

With high-waisted jeans, logo tees, gold brocade and black blazers, Daisy epitomised

doubt she'll continue to shine in 2010.

sultry glamour and made it look effortless.

Matt Smith

Who for 2010 and he creates

1> Lovely, suede, hooded capes found in Zara. 2> Jodhpur-style trousers .

developing the new rock-chick look

model

may

3> Underwear transformed into outerwear.

of 2009. Ripped, distressed denim

4> Inspirations from the sea, as seen in Alexander McQueen's

mixed studs, leather and yet more skinny jeans. This sharp, tough

Rick Edwards On T4 thisyearwesawa lovely,

Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

•

coated in angular patterns, Balmain went one sartorial step further in

fabulous

she

stepped

out

the

Our very own UEA Time Lord! Matt Smith is the new Dr and more edgy, urban style that is also impeccably smart.

5> Slate and navy colours for men, predominant in Paul Smith collection. 6> Top-to-toe denim.

silhouette was adopted quickly by

young British chap sporting

the high street leading to hundreds of imitation body-con dresses, LSDs

an American 50s style. He

Definitely keep an eye on him

showcased his selection of

this year.

RITAlL

(Little Sequin Dresses) statuesque high heels and multitudes of wetlook PVC leggings.

W[ Lrvm AND LOV[D 111r NouGIITirs

R[SOLUTIONS

For the ordinary fashionistas, this trend was an easy one to go over

A decade has been and gone like a flash of light. All of a sudden we

the top with; acid-wash rather than

have became young, stylish adults in a technical world and the days of

Now that 2010 has rolled round the corner, it's time

leather skinnies became a staple,

rushing home from school to watch The Fresh Prince of Bel Air on BBC2

with

for New Year's resolutions. Many people go for negative

opted for over back-breaking platform stilettos. While leather

are long gone. Here is a quick rundown of the fashion favourites of the noughties that we loved: ·

resolutions such as losing weight or giving up smoking.

biker jackets were once again in fashion, and despite the addiction

1> Running around in jelly shoes, Doodles, trainers with lights in the heel or Bootleg school shoes.

We think positive options should be embraced and fashion is definitely the way to do this. Re-inventing your style can be scary and expensive but there are

of figures like Madonna and Lady GaGa to PVC, everything was bound to come to an end. Trends set to continue into 2010 if the fashion

2> Leggings- yes, we were way ahead of our time. 3> Hair bands with your name on . 4> Wearing head-to-toe football kit. 5> Floral gypsy tops, ankle length skirts, and floaty smocks gave a hippy

forecasts are to be believed, feature a softer, more feminine silhouette, with a-line skirts enjoying a comeback and the further

look to 2004. 6> Velour tracksuits with Uggs or Mukluks, thanks to the WAGs.

many easy fashion fixes to allay your fears:

studded

gladiator

sandals

emerald green shoes and a bag. •

development of the underwear as outerwear theme shown at Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu this year, as fashion turns away from rock-goth and embraces minimalism. Celine

2> Embrace the clash: experiment with different

and Richard Nicholl are using strong, geometric lines and the English rose

textures and patterns.

look with softer fabrics and pastel colours reigns at Loewe and Philip Urn. 2010 therefore seems set to

1> Try touches of bold colours: wear all black with

3> Don't just jump into jeans : try harem, leather, cord jodhpurs, leggings. 4> Be Vintage: discover

your

see the return of... the Sixties mod? re-

wardrobe

by customising what you already have.

Nineties grunge? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: it's over for PVC. Freya Barry

7> Large, "bug-eye" sunglasses and huge handbags; staples of LA's Zoebots. 8> Boho/ethnic chic; originally inspired by Sienna Miller and Joss Stone. 9> Converse All stars and dark, skinny jeans started from by The Strokes, then picked up by Kate Moss. 10> Suits worn with trainers. When Jamie Oliver stepped out on Parkinson in a smart, tailored suit with his· trainers, the makers of Dr Who saw this relaxed style and used it for inspiration of David Tennant's dress code as the new Doctor.

D[SIGN[RS AND

L\R LS TO LooK

OUT tOR >

1> Tamburlaine Gorst, head of design at Kenzo Homme,

wanting a high-cut style. 4> French designer Sonia

has launched his own label for

Rykiel has a lingerie collection

sleek, urban men. 2> Martyn Sal,

his

in H&M, and in February her second collection of

lightweight trenches for men . 3> Edwin Jeans, for men

accessories and knitwear will be available.

and

arls

I ' ~jan I 0 lssue'U7

At~TS> INT[RNIT> Twrl1J]{J]~S ro tOLLO\V. You might already be following Stephen Fry but if you want to widen your Twitter hori zo ns The Event has tracked down the top Arts followees for 2010.

stori es which he ca ll s 'twisters '. Also a devoted dad, traveller and editor you do get the occasional tweet about what is going on in the cu ltural world on the other side of the pond . Best Recent Tweet: They rolled into the kitchen and he reached for something, anything, because he thought it sexy. His hands found a zester. She quickly left

futurism before it became so popular;)

TilL.\ IIll @lntervalThinks Describing itself as 'g uerrilla criticism', it tweet s reviews from play intervals, this is Twitter at its most immediate. Mentions the odd art exhibition too . Slightly bitchy, but in the nicest possible way. Best Recent Tweet: Misanthrope Guestthinker: why was it oil in verse? Difficult to take seriously, Music way too jarring to o. Keira fine and Toro F always vg @theRSC The RSC updates from the rehearsal rooms, grabbing actors and asking them to send tweets about the process of putting on a play, as well as giving details about production dates. If you like your Shakespeare, the RSC offers top notch information. Best Recent Tweet: Congratulations to Patrick Stewart! He's been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list. Arise, Sir Patrick: http://bit.ly/ltF/93

;\ill @DocPop San Francisco-based comic book artist DocPop is the nerd to be following on Twitter. DocPop is at the forefront of using technology within the comic book medium with collaborative projects such as his Robots Don 't Know Anything About Twitter foray or hi s 3D stri ps. Best Recent Tweet: I was into pre-post-retro-

:\'oJI\\'Inllhsrll @ WritersCentre The Writers' Centre is a Norwich-based literature development agency harnessing the literary talent this fine city has to offer. Don't forget to check out their writers' workshop if you're looking to hone your ski ll s. Best Recent Tweet: New blog post: Don't SLAM POETRY listen to the WORD OF MOUTH-

http://bit.ly/Buyu HG @I u kewrightpoet UEA graduate Luke Wright is an up-and-coming star on the spoken poetry circuit and one to keep an eye on . Luke tweets about his gigs, family life, and general day-to-day activities Best Recent Tweet : Snow Day! I'm off to London to chuck snow balls at the Queen

Llll:l/.\ 1{'Ill: @arjunbasu Montre al- ba sed arju nbasu uses his 140 characters to write poignant, sad, sexy, funny

@largeheartedboy You might know largeheartedboy for his blog but he is also an active tweeter. Though tweeting mainly about mu sic, he also write s about books, films and fashion. His reviews are insightful, often about books that you're not going to find on top seller lists anytime soon. Best Recent Tweet: New An drew Porter fiction @fivechapters this week http ://bit.ly/8CaRqC

Cm1111\' @AiexHorne Alex Horne is wavering between the underground and the mainstream. He is one of th e three presenters of BBC Four's We Need Answers and is about to embark on a so lo nationwide tour (at Norwich Arts Centre on January 26th) which concerns his attempts to create a new word and get it into the dictionary. Like many comics, he uses Twitter to amuse and update follow ers about his day. Best Recent Tweet: I'm watching cricket alone, by the way. This is the sort of witty banter I'd do if I was with friends. @DaveGorman Dave Gorman is known for travel logs and though accompanying stand-up shows,

ARTS> CUlTURAL CAPJTAlS Every year, the European Union Council sifts through numerous app li cations from countles s European cities, deciding who will become the European Cap ital of Culture for 365 days.

This year Istanb ul (Turkey), Essen (Germany) and Pecs (Hungary) carry the title . Worldwide Capitals of Culture, assigned by councils simila r to the European Union's, include Santo

Domingo (Domfnican

Republic)

and

Doha

(Qatar). But what is a Capital of Culture? Is it a ce lebration of the city's co ntemporary and hi stor ic cu lture, showing a place rich in diverse communities? A city which is remarkable but unknown and overshadowed? Or one with an underground cu ltural movement? Is it meant for the inhabitants or for those who live outside the city walls? Does a Capital of culture have the title for prestige or an opportunity - given to a city with the ideas but not the means? Cynica lly, is it for political or econo mic gain? Probably, closer than anything, it is a collective of all the above. The European Union state s a Capital of Culture is a city which must prepare a cu ltural programme, reflecting their European character and involve those who live there . The project has been running for 25 years in the EU, with fantastic results, bringing financial backing along with media publicity for both

recently he has made a return to sta nd -up proper, with a tour in which he cycled from gig to gig across the country. He is a brilliant blogger, and extends this on to Twitter admirably; well worth a follow. Best Recent Tweet: TV weather-men & women are loving this. Take that news, we're the news now'

the ci ty and the country. Over the past few years th e project has expanded and now two or three cities are crowned Capitals of Cu lture . it is a highly sought after title and once achieved the cities showcase a plethora of culture for 365 days, capturing both tradition and innovation, including: music, art, exhibitions, films, theatre, opera, history, architecture, the local communities, community projects, urban culture, rai sing awareness on issues and campaigns; as well as many more. Numerous projects are given opportunities which were not previously available; bringing together an d sharing different comm uniti es and interes t s. it is more than just celebrati ng culture; it expresses unity and co-ope ration that can be appreciated by all. And hopefully, some of us will find ourselves in one of these fine cities over the next year. Ran nah Speed

CJ.:-.:111.\1 1\111 s @theartsdesk Just as video killed the radio star, the internet is sadly having a good shot at destroying print media. As such journalism is going through a period of rapid change, and The Arts Desk is acclimatizing to the change well, providing quality arts journalism online, with interviews, previews and reviews. Best Recent Tweet: "an august journal with a real sense of fun, getting away with angles you couldn't in newspapers. Expect to see ... http:/I bit.ly/BNPmal Fiona Howard & Kirsten Peter Istanbul will host events including a Europe wide University theatre festival, animation projects, a project creating a literary map of the city, an art and technology festival and that 's really only the beginning .. . The the UK hosted a European capital of culture in 2008, wh en Liverpool took the honour. The next time it will grace our shores is expected to be in 2022, when the southern cities of Portsmouth and Southampton will share the title. Essen, Germany's eighth largest city is located in North West Germar:-y. Events there will include a tribute to the musical composer/ philosopher Hans Werner Henze and the opening of the Ruhr Museum. Pecs is the fifth largest city in Hungary and is home to the Necropolis of Sopianae a UNESCO word heritage si te . A deeply hi sto ric city, architectural evidence of the last 2000 years of its existence are on display.

arls

12jan10 lssue237

concrele.arts速uea.ac.ul

(OM[DY>R[\TJ[W> bDDI[ IZZARD Is the British legend on his last comedic legs? Late November 2009, the Brighton Centre; a crowd of around five thousand sit in nervous anticipation as a large screen displays the recent tweets of a legendary British comedian : he's running late due to inclement weather conditions. For many, this is the final delay at the end of a long, long wait. After all, these tickets sold out months ago. By the time Eddie lzzard strides onto the stage in jeans and coattails, one thought is on everyone's- mind. This had better be good . See, Mr lzzard has been away for a rather long time, acting in films and on TV, and hasn 't done any stand up for six years . Many would argue that he hasn 't done any good stand up since the Circle tour in 2000. So naturally, expectations are high for what has been billed as his 'comeback tour'. After all, he's had ages to come up with material. Yet, two hours later, the crowd emerge into the night unsure about what they've just seen . Sure, they laughed . Relatively regularly to boot. But ... lt wasn't

exactly Glorious was it? The problem with the Stripped tour is that Eddie seems to think exactly the same thing. At one point in Glorious (still the definitive lzzard set), a joke bombs and he makes a note on an imaginary pad to drop it from the set, which got a laugh from the audience . During the Brighton show he did this eight times . lt only got a laugh the first time . And this_was one of the last shows of the tour. This was not the only issue. Jokes that weren't even initially funny were taken to lengthy and tedious extremes, one gag about a Spartan pulling himself along the length of a spear went on for something like ten minutes. Even Eddie's famous randomness was weak, all too often relying on poo and crack coca ine (seriously) . This is not to say that it was an awful show. On the contrary, it was very amusing in places, though never hysterical. A conversation in broken Latin, echoing its French equivalent

LIT[RATUR[> Ill[ ART Ot SP[NDING ROOK TOK[NS Ah, the book token . Or the book card, as the modern plastic world has forced it to become. Whether you slide it from an Aunt's Christmas card with the same world-weary sense of inevitability each year, or happily receive it, glad that someone has attempted to massage your intellectual dimension as well as give you a oit of choice, the chances are they' ll still be sitting in the back of our purses/wallets come February unspent. Fear not, you probably just didn't realise there's

pile of books by the side of your bed to look well read. 'Well read' implies reading. You've just piled well. You may come unstuck when someone asks you a tricky question about plot or characters. In which case 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die will be a suitably sobering purchase and an equally effective doorstop. Your best bet is something a little off kilter, something that you've fancied owning but has always seemed a little frivolous, or a classic; basically something that you may a certain art to spending --:ki!:~~~a..-.::~ a book token, possibly have received as a gift because the in and outs anyway. of the process have never As such, the art section before been clearly is your friend . Try Frank defined. Warren's latest collection Firstly, no buying of anonymous secrets from books for your course. Sure, his Post secret blog Confessions the aforementioned Aunt on life, death and God, or relive well have meant for this gift to enhance your Banksy's best work in Wall and Piece. education, as well as save your hard pressed Alternatively, pick up a comedy book; Ql, bank account by giving you a little more money Mitchell and Webb and The Mighty Boosh all to spend on fun, but think about it, if she really had various tomes out this Christmas, now wanted that, she could have sent you the highly made affordable in the January sales. appropriate gift of high lighters and beer. As for classics, last book shop standing Secondly, nothing you can get at a library. Waterstone's has got a good range of cheap Penguins and good inclusions in their deals. Pick Yes, this does seem a little limiting, you with the condescending smirk. lt just means nothing them up so you can read them before they add you' ll read just once or you pick up because zombies. it looks a bit like something else you've read . The bottom line, the bizarre 'pretend money' concept of the book token takes on These choices of literature should only be taken in a nice free library or in airports. This will the same slightly mythical quality of monopoly ensure you get value for money from your little money. Spend with abandon, don't be sensible plastic ticket to literacy. and try something new. Equally, nothing you want to put in the Kirsten Peter

from earlier show The Definite Article, showed flickers of genius. But we know he can do better than amusing . The explanation? Eddie is bored with funny. Serious film roles in the likes of Valkyrie, and his choice to drop transvestism from his act, indicate that he wants to be taken seriously and this was reflected in the show, which began with a half hour bit about his new found atheism. The writing also indicated that his heart and soul wasn't in it, too often relying on old standards and tired surrealism to milk laughs from an audience raised on his older shows . Perhaps it's time he put his comedy career aside for good, and moved on to something he really cares about; if the aforementioned show-stealing performance in Valkyrie is anything to go by, it could be time for Mrs Badcrumble and James 'God' Mason to be put to bed . Duncan Vicat-Brown

lelevision

J2janl0

lssue237

MArrWIIo? Television provides a second opinion and presents the runners-up in the race to play the Doctor. OK, OK ... so Matt Smith is the best thin g sin ce sliced sa nitation (and obviously is from UEA, and therefore craps all over sa nitation); please hold the strong ly worded emai ls. Now, personally, we are among those unpatriotic commun ists who think that Doctor Who bears similarities to a primary school production of Jesus Christ Superstar performed with license fee money and an over-abundance of tin-foil - but that is not the point. The point of Doctor Who has always been the eponymous hero. Christopher

]A~I [S N[S I~rn Even before David Tennant announced that he would be leaving the role of the Doctor last year, the re was an unprecedented frenzy of specu lation and rumour surrou nding the unknown identity of hi s replacement, and one name in popu lar ci rculation was James Nesbitt. Since the launch of its re-i magined format in 2005, the show has captured the

Ecclestone, David Tennant - both Doctors of th e current reboot have done sterlin g work as the messianic wearer of suits, and from the brief glimpse of young Mr Smith on New Year's Day it seems he'll carry the torch manfully. But what if it had been someone else? If the Dane is the most sought after ro le in theatre (and indeed Tennant has already added that feather to his bow) then the Doctor is the Hamlet of knock-about British sc i-fi , and if Smith hadn't taken up the mantle there was still the cream of British

nation's hearts in a way few shows ever have, so it 's unsurprising that the unveiling of Matt Smith as Tennant's successor caused confusion and mixed emotion; among fans. For years it has attracted a flurry of bigger and bigger stars inc luding Catherine Tate, Kylie Minogue and John Simm, so the choice of the producers to se lect th e largely unknown 27 year old over the more recog ni sa bl e Nes bitt ca me as a bit of a surpri se. Newspapers and onlin e bloggers had all but baptised him in their eagerness for him to get the role (d espite his protests and public appre hension of following in popular David Tennant's footsteps). At the time he described the role as 'career su icide', but it was clearly tempting to look at his acclaimed role in Steve n Mofatt's Jekyll as an elaborate audition for the time-travelling eccentri c. But perhaps th e timing isn't right yet. The imagined 'Nesbitt doctor' could be a little too similar to Tennant's enduringly popu lar take on the iconic character. So, whi le he is given a little space to breathe, we shall see what Sm ith can bring to the tab le. Caroline Preece

ANHIONY llfi\J) "Why Anthony Head ?" we hear you cry. Yes, he's been arou nd a bit longer than recent Doctors have (both in term s of acti ng ca reer

and Earth years), but that needn't be an iss ue. The man is an acting maverick, a genius of epic proportions, and he's sexy (clearly a must since the Tennant reared his beautiful head) . He is also well versed at delivering ridicu lous, grand statements without batting an eyelid. For examp le; "we need to sto p the apoca lypse ... aga in ". He's also used to pretty young wom en helpin g him do hi s job. Buffy the Vampire Slayer wa s a great training ground for thi s role, and whil e Joss Wh edon 's proposed Ripper/Watcher BBC se rie s is still in Development Hell, what would be better than seeing one of the greatest tea drinkers in sci -fi play one of Britain's biggest sci-fi roles? Anthony Head would be perfect for Dr Wh o - as Cat herin e Tate puts it: "th e man wh o got a doctorate in tim e travel" - and he can sing! A musical Who episode beckons . Micha But ler

television actors lining up to fi ll those shoes. So, here's to th e 'Wh at if ... ?' it's far too ea rl y to say much about Smith , except that he must have something going for him to have knocked back so many fine actors, and to have such a shiny new logo designed for him. So below we list the possibles, the unlikelys, and th e Cribbins, and ask only that you entertain a little Doctor Who fan -service as we imagine travelling to an alternative Earth, where nobody has heard of Matt Smith. Josh Butler

PATD~SON J0S[P11 Once heavily rumoured to be in the running for Matt Smith's job, Paterson Jose ph is no stranger to British TV screens. He certainly has the acting chops for the role, with a broad background including notable role s in drama (Jekyll, which was written by new Doctor Who show- runn er, Stephen Moffat) and comedy- both Earth -based (Peep Show and Green Wing) and sci-fi (the moderately awful Red Dwarf-clone, Hyperdrive). lt would have also been a bold choice considering th at, yes, he is black. While it is now starting to get a littl e tedious to hear people remark how Obama's election has 'c hanged the world', it would sti ll have been a big step for the BBC to have cast a black actor in one ofTV's most prominent roles. There have been black Time Lords before, why not the most famous one? Perhaps Joseph's most Doctor-esque ro le can be seen in the slightly dated - but nonetheless grippin g - Neverwhere, a 1996 TV serial written and devised by prolific fantasy author Neil Gaiman. Playi ng the dashing Marquis de Carabas, Joseph brought

If you're gonna go old, do it properly and go OLD. Cribb ins is the man up to the task of bringing back th e wizened Doctor of William Hartnell and John Pertwee, rather than the standard whippersnapper heart-throb s (take a moment to marvel at a time when Tom Baker throb bed hea rts). Cribbins has already proved himse lf in th e field of pretending Who plots make any se nse, as well as showing his prowess for alternative comedy against Noe l Fi eld ing on Buzzcocks. lt wouldn't be the first time a guest star has stuck in a recurring role ("Barrowman !") and while the obvious problem is the fact that he's al ready appeared on th e series as a different character, writers of the series have never let a bit of logic prevent th em from wrang ling in a bit of ret-con and if they really tried they

to life a roguish and daring character that was hundreds of years old and had the ability to cheat death. Though quite what that has to do with the Doctor is anybody's guess. Tom Phillips

could explain it away with little difficulty commi t this phrase to memory: 'a wizard did it.' People are becoming time lords these days like it's going out of fashion (John Simm, Catherine Tate, Timothy Dalton) so it's about time Cribbins got in on the act. Sure, he's in his latter yea rs so all that running around may take him to task but don't let the act fool you - somet hing tells me he'll outlive us all. Josh Butler

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PRIMITIM~ - IIUSTL~ Simpering women? An annoying elderly man ca ll ed Albert? lt can only be Hustle . Weary under the weight of the same tired characters, series six promises little more than the same routine of con artists collectively deceiving rich and - with only rare exceptions- arrogant and lecherous men, whose fortune is often

the only justification the writers offer for why they deserve to be brought down in spectacular and overly convoluted ways. Obviously it would be preposterous to even begin to think that Hustle offers an accurate portrayal of how the real -world counterparts of these fat-cats live (episode one features milliona ire Tamir Abu-Aisaud being haunted by Kylie's hit Locomotion when you 'd think someone of his position would

have more pressing matters worrying him). Real istically speaking, Hustle doesn 't really cut the mustard when it comes to the private negotiations of wealthy businessmen, but then few but the most Apprentice-fantasising Alan Sugar wannabes will be tuning in for that. If there is any appeal left to be found in Hustle, it is in the aforementioned flights of insanity such as Emma Kennedy doing her best lookalike and soundalike of Miss M inogue. Granted, it 's difficult to see where the logic is in undergoing such charades when credit-card fraud would surely be much easier, but such tomfoolery propels the plot just as well as the nonsense involving Mickey and the policewoman . Undoubtedly, the costume design is worth sticking with the BBC a .little longer on a Tuesday evening when the TV herd begins to th in, but there is also the unfortunate case of Matt Di Angelo's fake tan which might get in the way of that technical Bafta. There are a few neat tricks in the misd irection of viewers which has the authentic feel of a narrative picking your pockets but, as with all distractions of this kind, if you're going to be taken for a ride it's important to keep your wits about you and make sure you check your change afterwards. Ella Fairhurst

R[AIITY- C~L~RRITY RIG RROTII[R The groans of derision are audible, yet there is really no denying it: Big Brother is the king of reality television and now the one-time social experiment is back with its seventh and final dose of celebrity-based action. In a culture as celebrity-driven as our own, Celebrity Big Brother should be the highlight of any Perezhilton.comsurfing Heat readers out there - and if we' re quite honest that's a lot of us, even if we'd

With the above CBB7 now in full flow it's probably a good time to make ourselves as a country feel better to know that there is reality TV trashier and more offensive in the US than we could ever hope to make, let alone watch . it's called Jersey Shore and the Americans hate it. Or do they love it? Although there appears to be some media conspiracy protecting America from too much coverage, the viewing so far has been spectacular with the now infamous drunk-guypunching-drunk-girl scene helping to spread the word. (And aren't you now intrigued that there are shows t hat can be described as having a drunk-guy-punching-drunk-girl scene?)

hate ourselves a little bit if we said it out loud. But people, now is the time to throw of the shackles of television dignity as this is the last chance to revel in CBB television gold. Remember, this is the show that brought you the Jade Goody/ Shilpa Shetty race-row (no need to thank them), George Galloway's disturbing feline quasiporn with Esther Rantzen, and John McCririck in all his unpleasantly chauvinistic glory. This year

I'm sure MTV imagined that they would just repackage The Real World and let us watch young people getting plastered and arguing, but they made something much more controversial. The main problem is the portrayal of these characters as embarrassingly over-sexed, fake tanned, thuggish, Italian American stereotypes. As a result there's been a raging Guidotroversy and a cry of racism primarily heard from Italian American committees, senators, celebrities, and so on, causing advertisers like Dominos to pull out of those specific time slots. There are so many people making a stand it obviously bears consideration that there is genuine hurt and embarrassment involved, but could it also be that offensive TV is just something we enjoy hating to make ourselves feel better in comparison? The possibility of excusing it as a Big Brother-like anthropological study decreases by the day, but whether ground-breaking or Neanderthal the significance of the storm surrounding this realitvely quiet shore is undeniable. Natalie Stephenson

DoWNLOAD - Gt~~

viewers to laugh at how serious they thought high school problems were, and is never truly condescending. The show obviously has its flaws - it has been accused of having 2D characters and admittedly they do sometimes threaten to become caricatures - but there are

Imagine High School Musical was written by grown-ups. This is almost a fair representation of Glee, but it's so much more than that. The show revolves .around a high school glee club that is threatened with closure until the heroic (and more than a little swoonworthy) Spanish teacher steps in to save the day. Through his kindness, sweet voice, looks and desperation he manages to get together an unlikely band of freaks, geeks, jocks and cheerleaders to create ... well, a band . The show continues the Buffy tradition of dealing with actual teenage issues through satire and a killer sound track. The cast are mostly unknowns but there are a few "'Oh it's THEM" moments especially with the obnoxious gym teacher played by Jane Lynch (the brassy blonde of gems like The 40 Year Old Virgin , and Role Models) and the ex-music teacher played by Stephen Tobolowsky who's been in just about everything as a minor part since the 80's (alright then, he's from Heroes) . it's fun for all the fami ly- painful as that is to write. it's serious enough to give a positive message to young teens and Spanish teachers with marital issues, and silly enough for older

enough aspects to the characters to make them believable, not forgetting they are school kids so too much depth would harm their bel ievability. If you're still not convinced give the first episode a try, it will have you humming Journey's Don't Stop Believing for weeks. Micha Butler

promises to be just as gratuitously fabulous with two Katie Price rejects in the form of ex-Another Level singer Dane Bowers, and Jortie's latest squeeze: the cross-dressing, cage-fighting Alex Reid. Although sadly for all those hoping for a scuffle, they seem to have become fast friends. Heidi Fleiss is another character to watch. A former Hollywood Madam with a whole host of A-list sex-secrets, she seems to be very well acquainted with another housemate, Stephen Baldwin - oh, please let the dirty little secrets roll! From the remaining gaggle Vinnie Jones,

Basshunter and Lady Sovereign (Sov!) are notablethey all have pretty incredible starry stories to tell. So sit back, put your prejudices aside and give CBB7 a chance. Yes, Big Brother's crown may have lost some of its sparkle, but like the real monarchy its irrelevance to contemporary Britain doesn't mean it can't hang around for some good old-fashioned nostalgia. Davina McCall has become a national treasure, and it's all coming to an end . it's sort of sad when you think about it - but then that's been true of every series. Gemma Henzley

Ironically TV schedulers seem to put the most effort in during the holidays while they have a captive audience eager for any form of distraction from their family and friends. Now it's all over they've given up. They know we all have boxsets and new toys to distract us and rather than fight for our attention, they're resigned to the fact. They don't care, they never wanted us 路anyway, they're doing just fine without us. At least that's what the week's TV seems to say. So You Think You Can Dance? is the BBC's answer to the question Si mon Cowell.never asked (namely, 'what would a talent show be like if they searched for performers skilled in a specific style and then berated them for sucking at mime?') Apparently it marks the end of Nigel Lythgoe's Popstars exile as he brings the format that has proved popular in the US back to the UK just as Cowell is breaking in to Vegas with his sadistic proposal of a long-running X-Factor stage show. Come to think of it, has anybody ever seen the two in a room together? Green card seam - I called it.

Jonathan Ross quits in a move that is somehow surprising yet inevitable. Too vulgar for the older license fee payer yet now too old and mainstream for the young, vulgar audience, he really was being paid too much for a TV personality who cannot be said to have any actual fans - like Graham Norton with the same jokes yet more pay. Requests must surely now be flying in for Film 2009 starring Mark Kermode and Friday Night with Charlie Brooker. That just leaves CS/, NC/S, Wallander and Lark Rise - the acronyms and the anachronisms. Heroes is back, presumably only to prove some insane point that sci-fi needn't worry about trivialities like being coherent or having viewers, and documentaries about both The Simpsons and Obama express their surprise that both are still kicking. The only hope is in Being Human which could very well prove to be just another Primeval fantasy disappointment but it evokes American Werewolf in London just enough to be of interest. Allegedly in its second series it's unclear when it's first one was ever shown, but as long as the vampire doesn't glitter in sunlight I'll be happy. Josh Butler r

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<GAMING> < PR£VI[WS > 2010 is looking to be a good year for games on all platforms. Microsoft are hoping to change the way we play games with their innovative Natal interface, Sony are going for bigger on line play with an upcoming game supporting up to 256 players on one battlefield, and it is rumoured that Nintendo will be releasing a new DS later in the year. With a slew of long awaited sequels and some original titles too, the next twelve months certainly won't be boring for garners.

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Set in a dystopian fantasy world, the latest in the ever-growing series is the first 'next generation' Final Fantasy game and thus has a lot to live up to. Pitched as the first of a three part series, coined as 'Fabula Nova Crystal lis' by the developer Square-Enix, FFX/11 takes place in the world of Pulse, of which the population has never seen the planet properly as the leaders pitch it as a dangerous place and so keep the population locked up within a walled floating city called Cocoon. Already out in Japan and proving massively popular it would be no surprise that when this game hits the west it will be met with open arms from fans everywhere. Xbox360/ PS3

The sequel to one of 2007s biggest games sees the player take on the role of the series' most iconic figure, the Big Daddy. He's smarter than your average Big Daddy, able to think for himself and use plasmids. Players will be let loose in Rapture once again after being re-awakened by Doctor Tenenbaum, the Little Sister loving mother figure from the original game, to help save Rapture from Sofia Lamb who has been abducting young girls from coastline to create a new generation of little sisters and an army from the previous generation. PC/X box 360/PS3 I February 9th

I March 9th

StarCraft, despite being released in 1998, is

The sequel to Bioware's 2007 Xbox360 space epic, Mass Effect; M£2 allows players to carry across their old M£1 saved game and continue near seamlessly with their developed character. Little is known of the plot other than it takes place a few years after the original in 2183 and the protagonist, Commander Shepard, is tasked with going on a 'suicide mission' and the players actions within the game wi ll determine if Shepard lives into M£3 or dies at the end of the game. Boasting even better visuals and improved combat mechanics this is for many the biggest release of the year. PC/ Xbox360

still considered by many to be the greatest competitive strategy game ever. it's a national sport in South Korea and some institutions even offer degrees involving it. Now, 12 years later, Blizzard are finally gearing up for the release of a sequel. With the legacy that the original game left behind with its three unique and finely balanced factions the sequel will have a lot to live up to and an extremely demanding fan base. The game is planned to be released in three parts, each telling the story of one of the factions in the single player. PC I 2010 (Date TBA)

I January 29th Sam Taylor

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T111. L1 '.ISillll Z1111' \\';, 1 M.A.G (Massive Action Game) is a Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter set in a fictional reality in 2025; a reality where countries no longer fight wars with their national armies, but instead use ever-growing Private Military Companies (PMCs) leading to price war conflicts between companies instead of countries. Players can choose from one of the three factions and then rise through the ranks to gain skills and weapons. Higher ranks will lead others into battle and even become commanders taking part in strategic manoeuvres off the battlefield. M.A.G is set to be one of the most interesting MMO games of the year on the PS3.

Just after the New Year Nintendo confirmed they are working on a new Zelda game for the Wii, but are yet to announce any major details regarding the title, although they have released some rather cryptic artwork that's raised more questions than it's answered . What is known is that Nintendo is aiming for an October 2010 release date. The company have stated previously that Twilight Princess, the first Ze/da game on the Wii, was not as perfect as they would have liked, so expectations are allowed to be high for this sequel. Wii I October 2010

I January 29th

William Moran

Vaughn Highfield

Expect to see full reviews of these games in upcoming issues.

PS3

wired

12jan10 issue2~7

N[W L£GISLATIONTuR£ATrns l NTt:RNIT Richard Joslin offers a critical and incisive perspective on the new Digital Economy Bill.

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Peter Mandelson (pictured), the labour government's Secretary of State and otherwise known as 'Mandy' or the 'Prince of Darkness', has completely reversed the government policy towards file sharing and general internet usage after a secret meeting with David Geffen. David Geffen is a billionaire producer who eofounded the DreamWorks studio with Steven Spielberg and a Hollywood mogul who is a loud critic of file-sharing. David Geffen has allegedly funded Mandelson's priv~te holidays to Corfu and Mandelson ordered officials t o draw up draconian regulations on internet piracy just days after he had a private· dinner with Geffen. A Whitehall source said: "Until the past week Mandelson had shown little personal interest in the Digital Britain agenda. Suddenly Peter returned from holiday and effectively issued t~is edict that the regulation needs to be tougher." Peter Mandelson, an unelected official with a rank of the highest order in the government, has been fired not once, but twice for his activities. Simply put, the Digital Economy Bill is an undemocratic set of laws arranged via corruption by media industry bigwigs with no regard for the interest of the general public. This bill could trample all over the rights of British citizens, and if passed, will mark the beginning of the end of the intern et people know and love in Britain. Why? T~e bill is, to quote Cory Doctorow, "perfectly t errible and useless." There is nothing in the bill about actually stimulating the digital economy, or

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improving Britain's horribly slow and unreliable internet {average British speed is 2mb/s, average Japanese speed is 60mb/s; source: http://www. jamai pa nese.com/top-30-cou ntries-ra nked-byfastest-internet-speeds/), and nothing about helping Britain's poorest 30% who have no internet connection. Instead, the Digital Economy Bill consists entirely of proposals seemingly designed to screw over the little man, in the form of penalties for people who do anything that may upset the entertainment industry. First, a three strikes rule that allows your entire family or household to be cut off from the internet if anyone in your house is merely accused of copyright infri ngement without proof, evidence or trial. Furthermore, the legislation does not tonsider the the entire issue of people using or hacking into other people's wifi networks, which are often unsecured or using outdated encryption protocols, most notably WEP. Potentially, if someone uses your wifi network, you and your entire family could lose the right to use the internet. In a world where countries are starting to recognise the internet as a utility necessary to daily life and as a human right (France, Finland), this seems horribly backwards and wrong. Second, the bill contains plans to deal the video game industry a blow with a new and even more stupid rating system - the fact that it seems to be okay for the government to label one form of media/art relevant to their suitability for kids seems perplexing in itself; why video games and not paintings, novels or opera? Thirdly, up to £50,000 fines if someone in your house is accused of file sharing. ISPs will now have a duty to SJ'Y on all their customers in case they can find targets for the record/film industry to sue - any ISPs that refuse this can be fined £250,000. Even more outrageous. than this is that the unelected Mandelson wants to give

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himself the power to make up new penalties and enforcement systems - as many as he so desires. In addition to these unaccountable powers to invent new laws as he so pleases, Mandelson says he's planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand removal of files, block any website they please, and Mandelson will have legal power to invent any penalty {including jail time) for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. Any successor of his will also have this power. As Charlie Brooker recently said in The "Christ knows how that's going to work. Perhaps they' ll employ a uniformed enforcer to run in and physically knock the mouse out of your hand every ten minutes. Maybe an em ail arrives, curtly informing you you've been fired from

Google. Now clear your cache and get out. I guess the powers that be could pressurise local service providers, but if they start cutting off broadband connections willy-nilly, neighbourhood Wi-Fi "theft" will skyrocket. And how do you stop people using iPhones and other mobile internet devices? Smash their fingers with rocks? Position snipers on rooftops?" lt seems completely surreal that this idea has persisted this long in the agenda of any nontotalitarian government. it's obviously intrusive, disproportionate, and openly hostile to the concept of oversight. A petition against the bill on the 10 Downing Street website has, as of the 4th December 2009, over 30,000 signatures. Hopefully with opposition like this, Parliament will vote against implementing the Bill, but it is still troubling that such legislation has even been suggested, let alone put before Parliament.

If you have a netbook or similar device, you'll

are almost silent, the device is completely

know how small and light they are, putting the portable in ultra-portable. However, you may also .know how cramped the comparatively small keyboard can be, especially when typing at length and if you're used to a full size keyboard. One solution to this problem is to simply attach a full size keyboard via USB port, although this obviously defeats the point of having an ultraportable computer. That is, unless you're using a flexible, roll up keyboard. These nifty devices roll up into a cylinder no wider than a can of Coke and connect to computers using USB ports, like normal keyboards. Surrounding the internal circuitry is sealed rubber casing, meaning key presses

waterproof and, more importantly, resistant to any beverage you choose to carelessly spill all over it. A quick Google search reveals a variety of makes are available, at prices between £10 and £20. Sam Taylor

Guardian:

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Period pains? Try having a boner in jeans.

lt seems that the more boring Facebook becomes, the more hilarious groups pop up to make it more fun. December seemed to be a peak time for the creation of such groups, with dissertation procrastination and holiday boredom prompting many to dream up weird and wonderful groups·to amuse their friends. This is one of the funniest to pop up in my group invitations in recent w eeks, thanks to a housemate of mine who has a particular penchant for crud e groups. "Period pains? Try

having a boner in jeans" currently has almost 45,000 members. This group is n<;>t particularly funny for its content or photos, but for the brilliant concept and even more brilliant heated debates betweefl its members. The hottest topic seems to be the argument over whether men really do have 27 erections a day, obviously dramatically affecting the impact of the group's title claim ! There is nothing better than a good old boys v girls contest and if you are up for a laugh/fight, this is the group to join! Grace Simpson

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MAIN };[AJURf Ill[ After the Oscar winning of Cormac adaptation McCarthy's No Country For Old Men it was inevitable that more novels by the veteran American writer would be appearing on the big screen. Like its predecessor, The Road very rarely strays away from the book, transferring its story across mediums perfectly. Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee are an unnamed father and son travelling across a post-apocalyptic wasteland America. We never discover what caused the planet's destruction, although the film seems to nod in particular towards the effects of global warming. Mortensen and Smit-McPhee struggle to

survive in this new world and their only real aim is to stay alive and head south. Much speculation was made over the genre of the book about whether or not it was a sci-fi. The same will most likely surround the film. lt is hard to say that any movie set in the aftermath of an apocalypse is not sci-fi, yet if so, The Road does it like never before. The only monsters that the pair come across are fully formed humans, free of mutations, far from being zombies, but yet capable of the most horrific deeds. There are certainly terrifying moments, such as when father and son discover what can only be described as a 'meat

cellar', which may be one of youthful naivety counteracting the most shocking and tense Mortensen's 'survival of the scenes in recent memory. fittest' attitude. The most poignant scene Both Mortensen and SmitMcPhee turn in outstanding is when the father discovers performances. Mo rtensen .a can of Coca Cola. The boy, has perfected the character of unaware of what this most the lost wanderer after three everyday drink is, is surprised by his 'treat'. Yet after he Lord of the Rings movies and to some extent in A History finishes it he. playfully kicks of Violence. His monotonous voiceovers prove a perfect accompaniment to the movie's bleaker scenes, devoid of all emotion. Smit-McPhee on the other hand is a remarkable character; a boy who was·born affer the disaster, he does not know any other. His black and white view of good and evil is the only thing that keeps any humanity in his father, his

the can away, like any Y?ung boy would, undermining how some things can never die out. lt is one of the few hopeful moments in a movie focused on the tragic. The Road is a tragedy, but by the end it is more thought actually provoking than depressing and brings the

message of McCarthy's novel to a much wider audience. The Road doubles up as the first great movie of the decade as well as being an apt warning for a new era. Michael Blunt

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The story is simple enough to follow; separated couple Meryl (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Paul Morgan (Hugh Grant) witness a murder and need to be relocated from New York to a remote town in Wyoming. The actors are obviously likeable, and well versed in this genre. However, it seems that they are not good at working in romantic comedies together, with what little believable chemistry there is making the film seem uncomfortable, not to mention the aging appearance of the two actors. That is not to say it is not funny. The film is full of one-liners but ultimately it is not funny in a

clever way, or in fact in a way that connects audiences to the film. There are touching moments, for example the ending, where the people of the small town in which they had been residing make a stand on behalf of the couple. Ultimately the film was flawed and at times dull. lt is a romantic comedy with the plot of an action movie. The result is a film that would have been better suited to the diverse personas of Bruce Willis and Angelina Jolie. Micha Butler

3/10

It is Graduation day, a fancy occasion that marks t:he first day of unemployment and welcomes students kicking and screaming into the rat race. We follow Ryden Malby (Aiexis Bledel) who is dealing with the struggles of job hunting after university. Throw in a couple of meandering subplots involving her dysfunctional famil¥ going coffin shopping and go-kart racing, and the plot certainly remains boring. Credit to Bledel's portrayal of her character; she gives a realistic · performance and it is not her fault that the script is messy, including a lack of on-screen chemistry with

her love interest, Adam (Zath David M ackenzie's films to Gilford). · date (Young Adam; Asylum) Post Grad is among a may not have been perfect, but long list of recent generic they did exhibit the growing American romantic comedies talents of an up-and-coming which fail to_deliver any side- director. Unfortunately, with splitting laughs due to the Spread, Mackenzie has taken concept being poor to begin these talents, transported with. For example, there are them to Hollywood, creating many comical ways to bury a manifestly boring film that the neighbour's murdered purports to deconstruct the cat, yet Post Grad treats it vacuous nature of sexualised as a mere time filler. Though Hollywood high-living. it is easy to watch for some, A kind of overly-raunchy it does nothing to infuse any American Gigolo or Shampoo, interest for the audience, Spread sees Ashton Kutcher opting to play it safe in order sleeping his way through to make a quick buck. Hollywood's wealthy females Paul Martin so as to live stylishly and easily. lt is a typical 'shallow-stud-inneed-of-redemption' story that, particularly in its final

3/10

half, has too thin a script led by too insipid an actor to expose anything deeper than skinlevel (it is, of course, extremely reliant on Kutcher based body shots). Mackenzie eschews the usual HollyWood ending, which is to his credit in many ways, though in a film this generic it is worth questioning the importance of narrative poetics; bleak endings alone cannot redeem bad films. Unless you have a special interest in Ashton Kutcher's tan-lines, Spread is not worth the ticket price. Kiron Ward

2/10

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lt Might Get Loud brings together three revered guitarists: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2) and Jack White (White Stripes) to discuss their musical inspirations and techniques. Documentary filmmaker David Guggenheim draws comparisons between the musicians' distinct personalities and performance styles. The passion with which each man talks of their careers should grab the attention of a viewer with even a vague interest in music. Some moments that work particularly well are those which have drawn animations accompanying their stories. Each performer provides a lesson to the other generations

of why the music of their time has its own specific value. As the guitarists describe how they developed their acts they each come across as far more self-deprecating and likeable than audiences might expect. One downfall of the documentary is that it veers away from the clearly conflicting perspectives between its subjects. However, in playing safe, Guggenheim secures a oneoff performance of the single eo-written song by these three international stars.

In 1982, an alien spaceship arrived over Johannesburg, bringing more than a. million alien life forms to earth. Leaderless and malnourished, the aliens were quickly overpowered and crowded into District 9, a segregated and highly policed slum. We follow Wikus (Sharlto Copley) as he enters the slum to hand out eviction notices to the less than willing · inhabitants, and after· encountering a

mysterious black liquid in one of the shacks, he discovers his superiors' desire to examine him for their use of alien technology. At close inspection, the film attempts to form an allegory for the events of 1970s Africa, combining the events of apartheid with an otherworldly spin for a modern western audience. Its cinematic success is a testament to its daring and originality in a year full of

Emma Featherstone

8/10 DVD R£L[AS£S

lt's Complicated is the latest film from director Nancy Meyers, whose previous credits include The Holiday and What Women Want. The film concerns the love life of Jane (Meryl Streep}, a divorced mother of three grown children and ex-wife to Alec Baldwin's Jake. After a drunken night of reconciliation while attending her son's graduation, Jane has to choose between having an affair with her ex-husband or pursuing a relationship with Adam (Steve Martin). The film is very funny at times and the three leads all give good performances. However, Meyers is clearly aiming for a specific audience, namely white, middle-aged

women . Streep's character Jane lives in a beautiful house, grows her own fruit and vegetables and runs her own business. She is an idealised role model for the presumed audience of middle-aged females . Instead of being a grounded examination of the failures and successes of relationships and families, such as Parenthood, lt 's Complicated is a farcical film that tries to be funny, but doesn't really have anything worthy to comment upon.

outstanding sci-fi films. While never completely departing from the tropes and conventions of similar films, its unique take on the documentary style, which is so popular at the moment, makes for a well-crafted movie, with outstanding performances from its lead characters. Caroline Preece

When five sorority girls inadvertently cause the murder of one of their sisters in a prank gone wrong, they agree to never speak of it again, so they can get on with their lives. This proves easier said than done; after graduation, a mysterious killer goes after the five of them and anyone who knows their secret. ·At times, the film offers satirical moments to relieve

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5/10

After turning a '3 star' comic book movie into a '4 star' triumph with his powerhouse performance as Tony Stark in Iran Man, Robert Downey Jr.'s rise from wasted talent to tinsel town golden boy is confirmed with his magnificent turn as the film's eponymous hero. However, more surprising is Jude law, whose Dr. Watson both entertains and endears, leaving us with the most engaging onscreen duo in years. Regrettably the film's other elements are not quite as impressive. The supporting cast are competent but under used, and the plot borders on pedestrian at times. However, Guy Ritchie's jump to mainstream direction is

successful, with a showdown in a boat yard particularly advertising his potential as an action director. The script is also superior to most mainstream fodder, with enough wit and intrigue to keep the masses amused. You can tell that all involved are pushing for a sequel, and a tantalizing glimpse of Dr. Moriarty is almost as blatant a set up as the joker card at the end of Batman Begins. Fear not however, as this is an entertaining setup to what promises to be a stunning sequel. Duncan Vicat-Brown

some of the horror contained within the narrative, but the satire is neither comical nor disarming. This updated version from the 1983 film The House on Sorority Row is sexier without doubt. Unfortunately, there is nothing else that captures the viewer's eye. The script had more potential to inflate the mystery that surrounds the narrative, but instead the

film decides to play it safe, locating the film within longestablished guidelines that have become repetitive and stale as of late. Sorority Row is an adequate film for the ·contemporary horror fan . For everyone else, don't ente r t he Row, it's far too tiresome .

7/10

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TRIVIA TrM£ > Huge movies can often look great in trailers, but wind up being a mess of shoddy CG I, nonsensical plotting and bad acting once you've sat down in the cinema. Rated or Slated previews four big movies coming out in 2010 anticipating both t he potential good - and bad - in each ....

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What's it about? The sequel to 2008's Iron Man, in which armoured industrialist Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) squa re s off against Russian psycho Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and th e machinations of rival billionaire Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). The good: The original Iron Man wa s that rare thing - a comic book picture that was just as, if not more, interesting when Tony Stark was out of the red and go ld suit. Iron Man 2 looks to have kept this welcome focus on character, whilst turning the thrill s and spills up to eleven. The bad : Iron Man 2 could suffe r from a similar problem that scuppered Joel Schumacher's two Batman movies as well as the woeful Spiderman 3 which was bloated by a case of too many villains.

T(lY SHlln' 3 What's it about? Woody, Buzz and eo return, eleven years after Pixar's Toy Story 2. As

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an eighteen-year-old Andy heads to co ll ege, the toys find them se lves packed away- and sent to a day-ca re cen tre.... The good: Pixar have yet to relea se a bad film, and the plot is an interesting evolution of ideas from the previous, classic movies. The bad: Expectation could be the enemy here. Pi xar have proven themse lves time and again - but the lS years of love for the original movies could send hype soa ring higher than Buzz Lightyear.

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What's it about? Blackly comic tale of everyday people (including a potty-mouthed 11-year-old girl) who decide to become superh eroes - with violent results. Talented Layer Cake helmer Matthew Vaughn directs. The good: Cou ld do for the com ic book movie what last year's Watchmen couldn't quite pull off - deconstru ctin g th e genre and offering something genu in ely new in the process. Word from early screenings has been impressive, and the trailers prom ise a quirky, original film . The bad: The problem with being knowingly quirky is that it can backfire on you . Kick Ass could we ll be too left-field to appeal to a mass audience, and lacks the name recogniti on of Iron Man 2 or The Dark Knight.

RIWIND 2009 > W£LL[S Q+A The Event was fortunate eno ugh to attend the Norwich premiere of Zac Efron's new film, Me and Orson Welles. The film tells the story of the late Orson Welles, the infamously exp losive, yet brilliant actor/ director, and young, naive Ri chard Samuels - aka ' Me' as they clash on and off the st age.

What's it about? Christopher Nolan, all-conquering director of The Dark Knight, returns with a big budget action thriller cryptically "set in the architecture of the mind", starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The good : With two Batman movies as well as The Prestige and Memento under his belt, Nolan has cemented hi s position as a director who can combine big budget thrills with genuine smarts. Wh atever Inception turns out to be, it will certa inly be worth seei ng. The bad : The sec recy that has swi rled arou nd this movie is intriguing for the moment. But as the troubled ad campaign for Avatar demonstrated, sometimes people don't ju st want to be teased- th ey want answers too . Warner Bros need to market this ca refully in order to keep people interested and not just frustrated. Liam O'Brien

The Event : Let 's start with you , Richard; how would you best describe Me and Orson Welles, which is a diffe rent kind of period film? Richard Linklater: This is really a coming-of-age story, which takes its roots from screwball comedy and the backstage stories of the SO's. it's the best kin d of historical story. The Event: Christian, this is your first big film role, as you became an actor quite late. Christian McKay: Yes, I was a classical pianist but began to lean toward s actin g in my late 20's. {laugh s) My first role was actually a man-eating tree in the panto Babes in the Wood ... I am lucky to have worked with th ese stars (points at his eo-stars) but I had to be confident beca use that was my character. The Event: What was it li ke playing the 'me' character in

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the film? Zac Efron : He's (Richard Samuels) going through what I did, I can definitely relate to son:'e of his experiences. The Event : You are as dashing as the period man, and you hark back to the old song-and dance man, is this someth ing that you want to be? Zac Efron: Yeah ... I did enjoy doing the litt le dance in the street that I did around Claire's character... but I do want to try some other characters who aren't teenagers. The Event: Cla ire, how would you describe your character, Sonja? Claire Danes : She is very sassy and driven, with a Barbara Stanwycke-esque screwba ll talking style. The Event : Richard, is your directing style li ke Orson Welle s'? Richard Linklater : No, I'm not a shouter, even to contra!" an ensemble cast. I think we managed to capture the spirit of the movie, which is ensemb le. The Event : Where did you find the locations for the film? Richard Linklater: All the interiors were filmed in the Isle of Man, and the exteriors

were all London -based. The girls did find out where Zac wa s on the Isle of Man - and they showed up! Claire Danes: The th eatre where we filmed wa s literally next door, adja cen t to the hotel we w ere staying in, and had a tunnel connecting the two so we didn't need to go outside much . The Event: Zac, do you have any othe r film roles lined up? Zac Efron: There are a few that I am consideri ng th at I can' t talk about, but I' ll next be in The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud. The Event: How did you create the look for the film? Richard linklater: To recreate the Welles magic we copied his simple style of a red wall and bare st age .. . we did have some of the original photos and other media to hel p. Rachel Coxon & Joey Millar

RATfD OR SLATfD? > 2009 RoUND-UP

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2009 is now ove r and many of its film releases have been consigned to ci nematic history. In our current cinematic climate, in which a large dose of hype and se nsationali sm accompany every large ci nematic release, it is all too easy for critical skills to dissolve, and judgemen ts t o be offered at face valu e. Many films of genuine quality have bee n relea sed over th e last year, which, if not meeting a positive critical res ponse from all quarters, have surely done enough to warrant a pl ace in the film canon. The 'blockbuster' is

a re lative ly recent genre, which often takes a critical kicking, and in many cases rightly so. Therefore it is especiall y interesting t o note that one of th e year's best fi lms was also the one that opened th e mon ey-s pinnin g summer period, J.J . Abrams' Star Trek. Not so much about resuscitating a dying franchise, the film pulled off the difficult tri ck of combining the requisite ste llar effects with interesting chara cters and amusing dialogue, offering a blueprint for future directors on how a 'b ig ' film should be done.

Of course, to expect this from all of the main stream releases would be too much , and so it wa s proved by, among others, Terminator: Salvation , which pl ayed the usual trick of combining an und ernouri shed screen play with CGI saturation, pred ictably resulting in a picture that managed t o be both action -packed and extremely uninteresting. Incredibly, Tran sformers 2 was even more fac etiou s and interest-free than T4, although given the acting talent on show, it is refreshing that the picture was relatively

fre e from di alogue. Action films in particular were bad - from the typi cal disaster fodder of 2012 to ones aimed at children, such as Night at the Museum 2, which, even if a showing was att en ded so lely by an audi ence in which toddlers were the o ld es t member, wo uld sti ll have hugely underestimated its target market. However child ren (and others) were we ll attended to with the fabulou s Up, whi ch was also incredibly sad and poignant for its opening period. A film that yet again shows the talent of Pixar studios,

which continues to produce excellent films regularly that appea l successfully to all ages. If Hollywood spawned the usual lack of surprises, with the gushy performance of Sean Penn in Milk stealing the co veted Oscar from the deserving Mickey Rourke, at least you ca n buy The Wrestler on DVD which avoided these perils. Of course, with horror, th e infantile imagination was let loose to run ri ot , with t he pred ictable resu lts being either turgid remake s of film s that were themselves derivative - e.g. The Last House on the

Left - or unhinged, as with The Unborn. Horror doesn't

have to be dull, and thi s was proved with the genuinely eerie and memorable Let The Right One In , a film that released its strengths and limitations and acted accordingly. Mixing horror, sc i-fi , action and everything in between very well was the fun and occas ion al ly jarrin g District 9, wh ich took a cast of unknowns, a little-used locatio n, money f rom Peter Jackson and pul led off one of the most unique spect ac les of the year. George Gilbert

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Low:GAMf OR IIATfGAMf? GAGA ON TRIAL The Event's Duncan Vicat-Brown and Oliver Brooks battle it out in a fiery, critical discussion of pop music's newest megastar Lady Gaga ...

Ill£ PROS£CUTION The best way to criticize this most abhorrent of musicians is with her own words. So, take it away Miss Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta: 'If I could describe my album, The Fame, in five

words, they would be ... New York ... Fashion ... Glamour.. . Pop ... Gaga .' Right, first of all that's six words. Second, only one of those words can actually be used to

Rage Against The Machine's Christmas chart element of fame must bear, but I spend all my topper was widely heralded as a triumph for money on my show. I don't give a tuck about music, a 'tuck you, I wont do what you tell money. What am I going to do with a condo me' to record label fat cats and their crop of and a car? I can't drive." Gaga is driven by disposable pop production proteges. Evidently performance and expression, elements central the general perception suggests that people to punk sensibility; her success a product of desire a deception, which is transparent to her willingness to transfer her energy and them, Rage being a multi-platinum selling money into her live show, accentuating her golden goose for Epic records, (making them respect for her audience. As she suggests, "I've label mates with B*witched, the Irish girl band taken something decidedly commercial and of C'est la Vie fame) are, ironically, a subsidiary made it interesting." of Sony Music - the same parent company that While bands desperately try to convey own Joe McEiderry. The consensus is that Rage their authenticity, Gaga implicitly embodies "stick it to the man", their packaged angst · her transgressive sensibility. Her stage name probably stemming from a repressed anger is conceived from Queen's Radio Go Ga, and towards their Dads - 'tuck you I wont tidy my she claims her biggest influence is David bedroom!' Rage may have been Christmas Bowie. Her ideology is Warholian ·in essence, number one, but the biggest selling single of working with a collective called the Haus of the year was Poker Face by Lady Gaga. Bad Gaga, who collaborate wi.):h their muse on Romance was also the first number one single clothing, stage sets and sounds. Gaga has her own community, almost akin to a subculture, of 2010. The Italian-American singer is the resistant to the pressures of the industry and self -ascribed " future of pop music", but their myriad of stylists and producers that importantly, she emphasises that it is reduce social consciousness and replace it unashamedly popular music. Gaga is the with conformity. She is independent without visionary persona of Stefani Joanne Angelina the cliched call of 'tuck you I wont do what you Germanotta, established from a commitment tell me'; provocative without being mundanely to her art. Her punk credentials are epitomised obvious . We know what she means when she by her approach to money: "Some artists are says 'I wanna take a ride on your disco stick', working to buy the mansion or whatever the but she doesn't say "naughty" words to

describe music: pop. Which is a genre. Good to see she's paying attention ... This stream of idiocy perfectly sums up everything that is wrong with Lady Gaga and her music. She and it are self-important, inane and vacuous. Each single resembles the one before it so closely that you wonder why she bothered. Her lyrics are so ridiculous they verge on comedy, while Gaga somehow sings them as if she's sharing real genius with us. Her only vague departure from her blueprint (Paparazzi) almost works, until, inexplicably, she adds a pointless Hollaback-esque shouty interlude near the end which kills the whole thing stone dead. Did Eminem end Stan (which Paparazzi stole its ever-so-clever lyrical theme from) with a wackydance? No. Because he's not a douche. The most frustrating thing about Gaga, besides her utterly loathsome interview persona, is that she has/had potential. She's

not a great singer, but she is by no means bad. She taught herself the piano aged fou r, was accepted early into a prestigious New York Arts school and apparently while there wrote deep essays about art, music and socio-politica l order. So how did she get from that to 'ra ra ga ga ga', 'I wanna take a ride on your disco stick' and 'Don't be bluffin' on my muffin' ? Because real songwriting takes effort, effort which Lady Gaga doesn't think you need. Anyone reading this with a vague knowledge of musical theory and the dimmest spark of inspiration could write a better song than Love Game. The only reason her music works at all is because it panders to a lowest common denominator. Come on, world, you deserve better! One final point. Go to Youtube and find the video of Paris Hilton interviewing her. lt speaks for itself.

authenticate her subversive potential. The point of her pop music, she adds, isn't merely to entertain, but to provoke response and discussion. Her art operates almost with a self knowing satire, challenging traditional preconceptions of what constitutes 'pop music.' Her style challenges conventional beauty myths, and she doesn't even sing real words: 'ra ra ro mama, gaga ooh la laa ." Some, like Christina Aguilera, even suggest that her

gender cannot easily be categorized: " I don't know if it is a man or a woman ." Gaga is the embodiment of 'semiotic guerrilla warfare,' re -evaluating the established code of pop sensibility, dispelling the conventions of beauty and modern diction to create a persona that transcends music; Gaga is an icon, a sensibility, defying all of the preconceptions we have of pop artists.

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ThN To WATCII IN 2010 [LLI[ GomDING When the mighty Biffy Clyro graced the LCR with their presence last year, nobody would have predicted that Pulled Apart by Horses would prove the most exhilarating band of the evening. The Leeds a/t-rackers sucker-punched unsuspecting Biffy fan s with their refreshingly honest lyrics and, in a genre that currently seem s a tad tired , an excitingly dynamic sound leaving a trail of newly converted fans in their wake . The notable vocal talent s of lead singer Tom Hudson are immediately clear and recent EP, I Punched a Lion in the Throat, is stylish , vibrant and a hell of a lot of fun. If there is any justice in the world Pulled Apart by Horses, a band hotly-tipped by both NME and Kerrang magazines, are about to hit the big time in a way that so many other good quality alternative bands do not. With innovative materia l (check out track e=mc hammer on Spotify), an energetic on -stage presence and the engaging Hud son as front man , 2010 will surely be the Year of the Horse. Gemma Henzley

Already the excited talk of an eclectic range of critics across the board, 23 year old singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding's achievements so far inc lude winning the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 Brit Awards and to uring as Li tt le Boots' supporting act, as well as featuring on the BBC's Sound of 2010 selection, amongst numerous other shortlists . Her debut single Under the Sheets, released in early November, has been enjoying wide acclaim, and offers a fresh blend of fema le vocals, pop and electronic sounds . Her style is compared with that of artists such as lmogen Heap and Lykke Li. Goulding 's work also incl udes several distinctive covers, inc luding Black & Gold by Sam Sparro and Ban lver's The Wolves, as well as collaborating on a great remix of Passion Pit's Sleepyhead by Starsmith, and Frankmusik on Wish I Stayed.

Ellie Goulding is set to play Norwich twice in the coming term , as support fo r Passion Pit on March 8th in the LCR and then returning on April 13th to play the Waterfront. With so many already enchanted by her alluring vocals and unique audible style, be sure to ch eck out this apparent shining-star in the making. Goulding's second single Starry Eyed comes out on February 22nd, and her album Lights will be released on March

Charming their way onto your iPod this year should certainly be Band of Skulls . A three -piece who appear to showcase a sound remini scent to that of Jack White and his numerou s side projects, they are in fact comp letely superior to White and, thankfully, far less annoying. lt is this comparison to The White Stripes that will undoubted ly propel the band to the heights they deserve amongst music fans this year. Despite their debut, Baby Darling Doll Fact Honey having been re leased in late 2009, the addition of the band's song Friends to the heavyweight phenomeno n that is the Twilight series, along wit h some fina l unprecedented attention to their live shows, has seen the attention to the band soar and leave them fresh on the lips of many top record in siders. With an adoring sound perhaps further reflective of a Radiohead circa The Bends era, tracks such as Fires and Honest are enigmatic, juxtaposing the heaviness of I Know What I Am, which demonstrates the band's overall abi lity in creating dynamic and enticing rock music. And if you ' ve listened and are still convinced that Mr White must be in the there somewhere ... he's really not, honestly. Emma leha ne

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Having grown from the streets of West London pubs, The Ru skin s have spent the la st year emerging from the airwaves of Radi o 1 and XFM on to even bigger stages. Aemen is the band's lead singer, with Ricky on bass and backing vocals and David on drums. Under the boys' belt are performances at the Underage Festival, E4's Skins and lnbetweeners parties, as well as supporting the likes of Good Shoes, Example, Lisa Mitchell and The Paddingtons; plus a personal performance for director

And now for something completely different. IDRchitecture, a six-piece from Reading, cla im to produce a sound comparable to 'an office carnival ' as they bombard their audience with a string of intellectually catchy lyrics and a sound that is perhaps unlike anyth ing el se currently available . Though their following is a meagre one at present, 2010 could be the year in which IDR emerge as one of Britain's most exciting musical prospects - Huw Stephens of Radio One

Danny Boy/e . They have been dubbed by NME as " the missing link between country, ska and indie", and also have had press coverage in Random magazine and ArtRocker magazine . The Ru skins have accumu lated a massive following which can be seen on each return to the loca l band night at Filthy McNasties in Twickenham where the crowd were literally swinging from the chandeliers. The band is current ly recording their first officia l video which will include Kaya Scode lario of Skins fame , as well as other special cameo appearances. The single Old lsleworth is due for relea se at the end of March. Carm ina Masoliver

Another year, another widely tipped prospect to emerge out of Brooklyn . Following in the wake of MGMT and Vampire Weekend com e Beach Boys-influenced post-punk quartet The Drums. Fronted by Jonathan Pierce, the band's debut E.P, Summertime! emerged seemingly out of nowhere on to writer 's desks and on record shop shelves. Critically acclaimed in NME, Q, and The Observer, the seven song collection featured such gems as the whistle -along Let 's Go Surfing, the brilliant but cutting pop of the superb ly tit led Don't Be A Jerk, Johnny and the ridiculously perfect, Cure-inspired I Felt Stupid. The Drums tunes are catchy enough to pray on the even most easily distracted of ears but still dark enough to pull in a few wayward Joy Division fans , creating the sort of pop music that band s like Editors and Whi te Lies can only dream about. All this from a group that only formed at the back end of 2008. 2010 will bring the first full length album, as well as a stint on the NME Awards Tour in the much coveted opening band slot, previously home to Franz Ferdinand and the Arctics . Expect to hear a lot more about The Drums in the coming months. Michael Blunt

having already heralded the band 's first single, Nourishment, as " brilliant". The reflection of an exi sten ce, which seems to have been viewed as a mundane and di scouraging one by the band themselves, through a series of light-hearted lyrics matched onto insanely upbeat rhythm s is not far short of 21 st century geniu s. In a world that can barely shake itself free of the threats of climate change, war or political ruin , IDRchitecture aim to recognise these concern s but produce contemporary music that can be listened to without it feeling necessary to shut yourself in a dark room and riddle your mind with the inevitably hopeless situation our planet faces. Though Nourishment will perhaps not achieve the success it deserves, expect to hear more from this genre-busting group of young men in 2010 . Sean Harr is

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The electro-indie-shoegaze blend of sound that has washed over many radio stations and fervent blogs recently is that of Delphic, a four-piece from Manchester. it is odd to say, but it seems that every so often when a select few people hailing from Manchester come together, they manage to completely revolutionise the music scene. Joy Division did in the 70s, The Smiths in the 80s, Oasis in the 90s and now we have Delphic, who are tipped for great success in the coming months. Okay, so the superlatives that stem from the previous Mancunian bands may not be applicable to Delphic just yet, but they are definitely shaping up to be one of the most interesting bands this year. it is easy to see how such hype has manifested; Delphic's sound is not one that is unfamiliar but in fact seems almost homely, this is because whatever musical background you are coming from, Delphic have tendered to your needs. If you want to hear Bloc Party, you can, if you want more Hot Chip-esque instrumental hooks, they are there, if you want floor filling beats they are there too, all wrapped up in a fresh and original way. So go, buy their album, Acolyte or catch them live at Norwich Arts Centre on 14th January, and enjoy the sound of the future. Alex Throssell

it was a Sampson vs. Goliath battle - Simon Cowell vs. Rage Against The Machine. For the last four years the high trousered one had monopolised the charts, making an X-Factor Christmas number one as inevitable as tomorrow morning. Each year Jon and Tracey Morter watched dismayed as Shayne Ward, Leona t.ewis, Leon Jackson (remember him?) and Alexandra Burke followed each other in predictable succession to the top of the charts. So angered were they that they started a facebook group encouraging people to boycott Joe McEiderry's The Climb in favour of Rage's 1992 expletive ridden call to arms, Killing in the Name . The surprise was that it worked. Over 50,000 more people purchased Rage Against the Machine's single. Gennaro Castaldo from HMV described the result as "the greatest chart upset ever", showing how much of a monopoly X-Factor has had over the music

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Consisting solely of Joey Stevens (guitar and vocals) and ltaru De La Vega (drums), Rumspringa have distilled the very essence of 'cool'. The pair makes music sounding not unlike a blues soundtrack to a long forgotten 70s film, filtered through the marijuana haze and studied cool of the Los Angeles music Headed by the fantastically monikered scene. Though the back catalogue is only two Swedish gent Simon Balthazar, Fanfarlo are a London five-piece who made a big splash short EPs, there are gems of hooks, riffs, melodies and lyrics on every track. Stevens' in the leftfield last year with their stunning guitar riffs are percussive and energetic with a debut LP, Reservoir. Combining a trumpet, hypnotic quality. Full of jazzy, funky phrases, its violin and mandolin with more modern heavily rhythmic music. Limber enough to hit instruments, their gorgeous chamber pop the growl of Tom Waits, on to quasi-rap-crunk, is set to go supernova this year: the readers before finishing up with a sweet harmony in of pitchfork.com voted them the fourth best hope for 2010, and Fleet Foxes are apparently the upper ranges, Stevens' vocals are a treat. Rounding it off is groovy drum work that is big fans. They' re generous too - up until July 2009 you could buy Reservoir for just $1 from technically solid and endlessly interesting. it's a late night, after hours of treats for their website. With a second album rumoured to be in the senses. If the three-track Free EP doesn't .seal the deal, the gorgeous Shake 'Em Loose ' the pipeline, and a track record of great singles Tonight and its haunting and catchy refrain and relentless touring, fans of Arcade Fire (you may have noticed that The Event are quite should do the trick. Currently mixing a full length album, Rumspringa look set to deliver keen ... ), Grizzly Bear or Mumford and Sons, on their tantalising start and find an audience would be well advised to watch these guys like outside of those in the indie clubs . a hawk. Their website is a good place to start, crammed as it is with free previews of tracks, video exclusives (check out their wonderful Robert Williams cover of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea) and entertaining blogs about snowball fights and rpcoon pestering.

Alessi Laurent-Marke has been parading two EPs, one album, and a lot of live shows around London's underground folk scene for three years since she built her Ark. 2009 saw her 'befriend' Laura Marling at the Royal Festival Hall alongside Mumford and Sons, Peggy Sue, Johnny Flynn, and more in the friends' spectacular summer show, and, anticipating the support slot again on Marling's UK April tour, Alessi and her debut album Notes from the Treehouse is set to dominate the female folk world in 2010. Alessi takes well-chosen inspiration from Nebraska's Conor Oberst, having recorded Notes in Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis' studio in Omaha, with backing vocals from Neva Dinova's - · Jake Bellows and the musicianship of other Saddle Creek contributors. However, although underlying comparisons to recent Oberst records seem apparent to the meticulous fan, Alessi's Ark is more explicitly reminiscent of the ordinary young lady; unique in herself, idiosyncratic, and timidly assertive in her appearance and dictated expression, which is evocative of Joanna Newsom or Laura Gibson. Signed to Virgin Records, a branch of EMI, Alessi promises to enter 2010 how she left 2009; growing into a woman as she turns 20 in June, and the popularity of her Ark growing too. Helen Thomas

Duncan Vi cat-Brown

industry. So how was an internet campaign was able to unseat McEiderry? Have we finally grown weary of the X-Factor? Since its conception the show has attracted its fair share of criticism . There are those that believe that it has effectively whitewashed our musical landscape. Whilst there is no doubt that each winner has been talented, they have all been talented in the same relatively inoffensive way. The programmes reliance on cover versions means that the acts never get to establish any discernible individuality. The show also focuses almost exclusively on pop music, meaning those from other genres are excluded. You would never find a Clash or a Bowie on the X-Factor. Others have criticised the power held by Cowell, as well as the apparent exploitation of the wannabe celebrities - many of whom are only kids. And yet, despite everything, we can't keep our eyes off the screen. 20 million people

tuned into the final, almost 1/3 of the UK's population . The show has become bigger than the sum of its parts. it is no longer just a talent show, it's a brand as recognisable as Cadbury's or Heinz. Celebrities clambered over themselves to perform their latest singles on the show and advertising space, especially on the final night, was sold off for eye watering sums of money by ITV. Even .the judges have increased

their profiles, none more so than Cheryl Cole, who has gone from "Isn't she the one from Girls Aloud/married to that footballer?" to national treasure, admired for her emotiona l _, involvement with her proteges on the show and her fabulous outfits. She, perhaps better than any of the stars created by the show, exemplifies what the public love about the X-Factor - the underdog triumphing to realise their dreams. All fhings considered, it seems unlikely that Simon Cowell will be losing any sleep . He is reportedly asking ITV to implement changes to the show that will make it bigger and better for 2010. Despite Joe missing out · on the Christmas number 1 spot his 450,000plus sales were not unsubstantial. The X-Factor group cover of You Are Not Alone in aid of Great Ormond Street reached number 1 in its first week and Joe made the climb to number 1 the following week, just as he predicted he could . Lucy Moore ~

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After a lengthy build -up and turbulent background to 30STM's new album (via their much publicised battle ,_ with EMI) it seems unlikely that This Is War would ever encapsulate the hopes of every fan , not simply because the band took the importance of this release beyo nd the ordinary in allowing others from across the world to sing, send in pictures and get involved in videos. As a result the first listen doesn ' t yield nearly as much enjoyment as the third or fourth - perhaps due to the overenthusiastic use of the fans' backing which can detract from Jared Leto's ~ singing. A marked change of musical direction via Kanye West and Brandon Flowe rs on Hurricane, and in the track Night of the Hunter imposes a much more overproduced electronic vibe on This Is War in comparison to 30STM's

Over the festive seaso n a few things are certain: you will eat too much, your family will argue and the music charts will be sa turated with greatest hits and best of albums. This Christmas has been no different. Snow Patro l, Will Young, Rod Stewart, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, Katherine Jenkins and Seal all released best of collections this year. The theory goes that best of and greatest hits collections mean that you don' t have to go and buy every single album the band has ever made in order to get all the good tracks. This is al l fine and good, yet

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- an initial distraction to the impact of the album as a stand alone piece wh ich references their earlier raw and dark style later on. Nevertheless, 30STM stil l manage to bring their usual conviction to every so ng and reach cinematic heights that have a memorable impression on the listener, enh anced by typically flawle ss song writing and Leto's characteristic voice. Involving their fan s so heavily in the ir music can be t ry ing on the ea rs, but create s a strong se nse of ownership between li stener and band which gives the abstract sense of war in the lyrics an individual ly relevant yet universal feel. Thi s ha s the potential to make This Is War a defining album in 30STM's history, if only for its symbolic value . Despite its flaws, This Is War should not be prematurely dismissed the benefit of severa l plays highlights the accomplishment in the subtleties of the alb um and ultimately makes it a really good listen not to be overlooked. Elizabeth Jackson

Rap-rock collaborations end in disaster the vast majority of the time. For every Walk This Way there are hundreds of un speaka bly dire attempt s, the most recent example being Kid Rock's 2008 Sweet Home Alabama rip off, All Summer Long. Somehow these two genres rarely fit together in a satisfying way. The Black Keys decision to create an路 album of collaborations with well kno wn hip-hop artists therefore treads a dangerous path. Whi le BlakRoc keeps a sa fe distance from th e dismal sludge of All Summer Long, it never quite hits the peaks of Walk This Way either. The opening track, Coochie, whic_h features, among others, the late 01' Dirty Bastard, sets the template for the rest of the al bum . Here, Ludacris performs a rapid Run DMCesque vocal progression as he

it somehow feels wrong. Some of the bands and artists that are putting out greatest hits surely dont have a big enough back catalogue of great hits. Sure Rod Stewart and Queen have a wealth of material from which to produce a co ll ection of so lid go ld hits; however, Snow Patrol and Will Young surely don't have enough material to collate such an album. Who exact ly are th ese collections of songs for? Any fan of a band would usua lly have a good amount of said artists work already, probably including all their favourite songs. Most people would

refrain from buying someone a gift of an album if they weren't su re that they were a fan . Therefore, greatest hits are only useful for people who have never really listened to the band before, who presumably would be better off buying a track or too individually before spending the best part of 拢10 on something they may or may not like. No, the people that greatest and best of hits are th e record label s and money hungry bands. Best of col lections are purely motivated by a hope of easy profit. There is minimal effort put in, maybe a live reco rding or two to give people who

5/ 10 trips up on his own words to ca lcu lated effect. Disappointingly, The Black Keys rarely seem to elevate themselves above mere backing musicians, the ir recognisab le blend of garage-blues-rock somehow lost in the mix. This doesn't detract from the album as a whole but it does raise the question as to why The Black Keys decided to spearhead a project that effectively keeps their signature sound to a minimum . The only two tracks where the ir input is cruc ial , shows a glimpse of what this album could have been . Dollaz and Sense features a rapped chorus which then gives way to Auerbac h's trademark scratchy vocals in the chorus to great effect. Similarl y, Hope You're Happy hinges upon a soaring two chord blues riff, possib ly the only song on the album where the guitar is truly essential. 8/akRac certainly has its merits as a hip-hop album, but Black Keys fan s will surely be disappointed by the lack of sung vocals and piercing guitar.

Jack Loughran

Vampi re Weekend's although second album, good, is not an album for our times. lt bounces along with decadent exu berance and its roots are still very much in the East-Coast - white-boy-Afrobeat - undeniably influenced by Paul Simon's 1986 album Grace/and. Its sound therefore seems at odds with the gloomy economic context of this early stage of 2010. The band members themselves with their privileged Upper West Side Manhattan background, as well as their music, are isolated and separate from con temporary eco nomi cal ly and culture, musical ly. However this gives the band and their albums a unique quality and a distinctive characteristic which makes identifying them among the rest a straightforward task. This factor has to be commended, but by making Vampire Weekend 's sou nd so

already have the tracks some ince ntive. However, original work is thin on the ground ; it's esse ntially profiteering off a band 's name, without any real effort. Most people would agree t hat the choices of a band's best tracks are a set of moving goalposts. Everybody will have varying tastes, with different people preferring different t racks. So a best of will rarely

be purely your favourite tracks from a certa in band. Most artists take great ca re and spend a lot of time arranging and compiling albums to flow and work as a piece in themselves. Ta king a collection of tracks an d cobb ling them together in a supposedly ecclectic work spanning their careers is likely to go wrong. So surely the se albums are just a seasona l opportunity

Contra,

distinctive, new album Contra comes off sound ing exactly the same as their debut. Although a good album in its own right, the al bum could easily be a typical collection of B-sides and rarities released in support of their successful debut. As well as its si milar sound its formula is pretty much exactly the same, 10 or 11 perfectly crafted songs, w ith one obvious single (Cousins) and a reflective down-tempo closer (I Think UR A Contra). Lead single Cousins buzzes with the familiar 'poloshirt punk' displayed on A-Punk from their 2008 debut. lt serves the same purpose, lead single and representation of Vampire Weekend on indie dance floors nationwide. lt undoubtedly provides the attractive sparkle for this album, but it's other songs such as White Sky and the Animal Collective influenced Californian English that give the album its depth of quality and sophistication. Contra is a competent follow up album; however it doesn't push the band forward. 路it's a subsequent next step, not backwards, not forwards, just a step, unfortunately along a pretty predictable line. James Hailing

that the record labels are exploiting rather than albums with artistic merit in themselves. Surely in this age of modern downloads its not necessary for it al l to be collected for you. With individual so ngs ava ilab le for as little as 65p then it's easy (and cheap) to assemble a collection of your own . Ed Leftwich

12jan10

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~bSTIVALS: ~RUGAL OR ~RIVQLOUS? With the cost of UK festivals soaring and the strong Euro making a trip over the channel more expensive, Josh Wood bridge looks to Eastern Europe for great music ev~nts at" tiny prices. From Leeds to V, from Glasto to Download, the UK boasts festivals that are the envy of the world. They punctuate our summers and give us memories that stay with us forever. But £4 for chips is starting to go too far. Ticket prices slowly creeping towards the £200 mark and extortionate food and drink prices have left me wondering if Michael Eavis realises there's a recession on? But festival organisers have us over a barrel. If we want to go to our favourite events, we pay what they say we have to. Or do we? Eastern Europe is already a place where holidaymakers look for a bargain, and now the same can be applied to their festivals. The modern phenomenon of budget airlines has made these festivals accessible, very competitive and something to seriously consider when making plans for the summer. Many of the bands and performers we all want to see, travel across Europe playing many different festivals, which can be a third of the price compared to the UK. Other festival essentials are also mindbogglingly cheap. You get less of a sense that you're being robbed for a jacket potato, and more of an appreciation of the economic boost the festivals bring to the poorer and developing eastern block countries. One of the countries that offers the best value is Croatia. The T-Mobile lnmusic Festival is based on the island of Jarun Lake in Zagreb (pictured above left). Kraftwerk, Franz Ferdinand, Lily Alien and Editors, at a two-day festival, in one of the Balkans most popular and inexpensive countries, fo_r £40, is not to be sniffed at.

Neighbouring Hungary offers one of Europe's most heavyweight festivals. Sziget festival's €170 price tag may top the scales, but it's a pound-for-pound champ. This weeklong festival, based in Budapest, is not for those gasping for a shower after four rounds at Reading. You're offered a smashing by The Subways one day, a Pendulum pounding the next; the line-up is box-office all week long, until the final bell.

finest superstars of drum and bass, dubstep, trance and hip-hop take to the main stage to drive the festival through the early hours as the sun rises to illuminate the stunning grounds of the fortress. £95 buys you entry to four days of the festival and ten days camping at the site. Having done it myself, EXIT festival is an experience like no other, and cheap as chips (well. .. not Leeds fest). Poland offer Open'er Festival, Romania

at the likes of V festival and T in the Park. The density of the line-ups in the UK is undoubtedly incredible. However, the blend of great music, great settings and more importantly, great people from all over the world create these priceless treasures in Eastern Europe. They highlight everything that is wrong about the direction British festivals have gone. The heart and soul of these events, that was once so unique, has been ripped out to leave money-spinning juggernauts that thousands buy into every year. it's for you to decide about the value ~ festivals in the UK offer. it's not for me to tell you what to do with yourself this summer. But if you're like me, and are not willing to pay £4 for chips anymore, know that there is another way.

lnmuslc Festival > I

Exit Festival > A cheap flight to Budapest will also unlock the gem in the crop. EXIT festival (pictured below right) is set in the stunning grounds of Petrovaradin Fortress in Serbia's second city, Novi Sad, which is a train journey from Budapest. Boasting around twenty stages, headliners over the years have included The Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy and The White Stripes. However, it's after the headliners are all packed away that this gem really shines. The

present B'estfest and Slovakia have Pohoda Festival. All over Europe are festivals that are now only a flight away. The world is your oyster, and these oysters leave you with extra spends. lt has to be said that there are aspects. of festivals in the UK that cannot be rivalled anywhere in the world. As well as the convenience of having these festivals on your doorstep, every song you hear over the previous year, more often than not, will be represented

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2 EatDn Street; E:aton, NR4 7AB 01603 454511

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King took a chance for a dream Of peace and equality, Setting out paving stones of our history. There's been those like Parks, Mandela, Tutu , But what about me and you? Sitting or standing with a mouth and two legs, And hands to place a pen In between fi nge rti ps And eyes to read my lips. But I say, I'm just a girl, Whose family were brought back together with the return "

Of roast dinners on Sundays, Sure to die of a broken heart, So how can I compare? Now, there's been the Burmese Using the internet to ex pose The repression of the regime which ha s been imposed. In Haiti, rape victims march, Veiled faces, Together, against the violence and disc rimin ation That suffocates the women .

l 1;-.;Tnln > The lines around your eyes grow deeper the less you smile. I know that part of me knows that you were once happy, but those memories of you only appear at flashes when nothing else occupies my mind . Memories so old, buried so dee p, that they glow like an old photograph as th ey fli cke r against the screen in my mind . You bathing my little brother, holding my father, grinning as you show me things about the world that you never knew I'd remember. Things that linger wi t h n~ explanation. And yet, it is th e memories that feel insignificant both living them and remembering them that toget her pull and warp the supple clay of a child's mind. Somehow though, things became harder to capture in the fla sh of a mental ca mera. What once appeared beautiful in adolescence became meaningless. What once see med unimportant became the thing to pu sh me to the furth est part of my personality; love, ambition, money; concepts that could never matter until some body shows you th ei r importan ce. A universa l pat h to happiness. Yet how ca n a child be taught that fulfilment can found with suc h simplicity? No two people follow the same se t of stepping sto nes through life, each perso nality is carved by unique experience, and still we are told that somehow we must find happiness in th e same pl aces as those so different from ourselves. Is it then through these paltry memo ries that endure the co nstant passing of time an d continue to glow bright and vivid in the safest pl ace of my mind, that I can learn why I feel things that nobody else feels? Why I do things th at everyone else does but find myself asking, why ? I am told to fee l one way and yet the things I know about th e world , th e thin gs th at fla sh from my past like lightening against the numbed darkness of my mind , tell me to feel another.

And we've had the suffragists here ~

But keep the waves com ing Keep striving for equality, Stand up for LGBT. Rig hts. Remember. We all have rights. Remember. Alon g with those written of in essays. Milton. Coppe. Win stan ley. it was those that gave us pen s, Hand s, Mouths. So I want to hear you stand up And shout.

..,. Carmina Masoliver-Marlow

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Soldier's fight in wars, but thy build bridges in floods . School children walk over Barker's Crossing In remembrance of a policeman who drowned. -.. The good old Bill.

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Men in Spain climb rocks wearing Converse . They would die for food. At sunset goose barnacles boil in sea water As th e Lord 's prayer is said.

These flashbacks confess that it is the same thing s th at shape your sa dness that make me fear my own. Yet knowing them and running from them only seems to bring th em to me at every corner I turn . Somehow, it fee ls safer to embrace my cynicism, instead of pasting over it with floral drea ms, to live with my fears rather than trying to submerge myself in the wate r that drowns everybody else . No, empathy is not universa l; happiness cannot be objectified, commodified, sold with gift wrap and a tag. We are all pulled by different strings, cast from different mould s. Find yourse lf in what already ex ists within you .

Like a needle moving through a thread you weaved your way till every thought was laced with you and all that could be done was to dream of another reality - a deviation from pre-ordained paths which snake round and twist and turn and yet are followed without ever really questioning why. Th e buildings are all the sa me, tall and grey with windows and doors in large ly si milar places. People still walk clutching carrier bags, trying to avoid someone else's look. The cash machine is lined with others wondering whether the person in front has even tried to get rid of their dandruff. A poster crumpled round the edges shows an out-of-town carnival. And yet, however familiar this may be, thi s does not feel like somewh ere ever visited before. The ground shudders as th e traffic passes undern eath and th ere is a sudden longing to follow, to find the source of whatever it is that has got under the skin. Robert Va n Egghen

Yoi 'TI I or Toi>,\Y We cry, they smile. Their youth Jets them skip jubilantly forward to the darkness of future. Cats cradle, sticky swe et s, jump, skip and hop. They are too na"ive and innocent to know the world's cruel embrace. Their eyes wid e open ready to absorb the fascination of simp le things, like climbing trees and swimming in lakes. Let them have th eir fun before the gift of youth is a distant memory. They too will grow old and re se nt the strugg le for that fre sh breath of life. We may grow old but in the heart we are forever young. S Cross

Kel sie Bufton

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venue

Vrnuf> TIIf SIGIITS & SoUNDS ot Tllf CITY *Howlback Hum & Horses Brawl> >8pm>£3 *Blackout Cabaret> .., >Spm>£1 *Heroes & Villains> >10:30>£3.50

*Reel Big Fish> LCP>7:30>£14.50 *Laura Veirs> >8pm>£10

*Wolfmother> LC >7:30>£17 *The Rebel Alliance Recording Tour> >8pm>£7.50 *80s Night & All our >lOpm>£3.50

*Jethro>T eatre Ro a >7:30>£5 *Matt Hodges Trio> >8pm>£4

*Delphic> *A Box of Night>

>8pm>£6 >8pm>free

*Stars Of Sunday League + Alex Sheppard +Adelaide's Cape> ~8pm>£5

*Super Action Heroes> 'Edw rd >8pm>free *Your Guilty Pleasures & Paradise City> >lOpm>£3.50 *Concrete Sociai>POW!@ Mustard Lounge>see below/Concrete Facebook group

*Play the Music Acoustic Showcase> >lpm>free *Chopin & Liszt> Piayhouse>7:30>£15 *Keno Kings> w >8pm>free *Meltdown & Ska'd Up> >lOpm>£3.50 *The Other One & Ha rmony>LCR>lOpm>£4.50

*Joe Mazzei> >4pm>free

Ed vard

*Henry Rollins (Spoken Word)> .CR>7 :30>£15

*Man is Man> Playhouse>7:30>£12 *Rupa & The April Fishes> >8:30>£8

*Martyna & John Bowman Trio> >2pm>free >8pm>£7 * Vivian Girls> *Terry Wisbey's Texas Thunder> 1r >8pm>free * Meltdown & Exile> >lOpm>£3.50

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*Tom Paxton> Theatre Royal>7:30>£20

*You Are Here> C. >8pm>£5 * Sonic Arts 57 : Seanchai- Jason Dixon> UEA SLhoo f Vlusrc>7:30>£4 *Comedy *Tom Russell> C >8pm>£11 Store> >8pm>£10.50

~~ JoiN Co

CRrn: Tms SDl[SllR

If you are one of the many people that joined Concrete at the beginning of last term but have yet to get involved, now is the time to do it! Simply email the editor of the section that you'd like to write for at the address listed at the top of every page and they will mail you about meeting times, article ideas or respond to your suggestions. If you have yet to join Concrete, come and visit our stall at SocMart2 on Wednesday from 12-4pm in the LCR . Many of the editorial and committee will be there to answer your questions and sign you up! Following the success of our collaboration with our friends at POW! last semester, Concrete will be hitting POW! hard this Friday to celebrate our first fabulous issue of the new decade. We will be meeting in the Red Bar at 7pm, aiming to get to Mustard for !0:30pm. For more information see our Facebook group: Concr~te - UEA's Independent Student Newspaper

So( M~\RT

> 13TH }A 1> 1 -4> LCR

POW! is an electronica club night run for students by students . lt was founded in April 2007, a natural progression from a Livewire1350 radio show by David Petrozzi, George Cottrell and Will Holloway. Passionate about music, the POW! boys decided that broadcasting their tastes to thirty listeners and attending mundane generic indie nights wasn' t enough. As such, they started to make movements plotting an alternative gimmicky fun-filled electro night. To this day, a roaring success, POW! continues to pack out venues administering a concoction of party vibes and banging basslines as well as pocket-pleasing prices . POW! mostly takes place at the student-friendly Mustard Lounge, though collaborations sometimes take place elsewhere in the city. The club night is usually on Fridays, offering students a competitive and compelling alternative to weekend clashes with the locals. To find out what POW! is up to and keep up to date on events join their Face book group at: http:/ /www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group. php?gid=59791087472&ref=ts

Catch the next POW! on Friday 15th January, a Refresher Rave: Dead Celebrities Ball AII-Nighter at The Mustard Lounge from lOpm - Sam! >»

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1: Colour associated w ith enviroment (5} 2: A wit held vote (10) 3: Small rema ind ers of the past (6) 4 : Round objects used in sport (5) 5: God Rest _ Merry Gent lem en, Christmas carol (2) 6: Computer RAM , thoughts of the pa st {6} 9: To request {3} 12 : Uncle's wife (4) 14: To act (2} 15: Tale (5) 17: Ten of them on the ends of the feet (4) 18: Hip hop group 'Straight outta Compton' {3} 21 : To j ab, perhaps on Facebook (4) 22 : Opposi te of she (2) 24: Tone in music - Cor F for example (4) 25: Meat of young cattle (4) 26 : Water falling from the sky (4) 27 : The underground part of a plant (4) 28 : Long feathery garment, snake (3)

name of a town in Somerset after which it is named (11}

7: Female name, day before event {3} 8: The EA in UEA (4,6) 10: Al one (4) 11: Last night of the year, abbr. {3} 12: Gym Class Heroes album, 'As Cruel _ School Children' (2} 13: Nationwide stud ents' union, ab br. (3) 15: To speak {3} 16: New UEA study cent re for international students (4) 18: Young and unaware (5} 19: Virginia Wo olf novel, ' The Lighthouse' (2) 20 : Product for cleani ng oneself (4} 23 : Annua lly recurri ng dat e of an important past event (11) 28 : Kings of Leon an d The Enemy both have songs called "_ Somebody" (2) 29 : Ship that sank in 1912 (7) 31 : Serving of meat, usually beef (5}

Th anks to thi s w ee k's guest compilers: Davina Kesby and Hannah Livingston .

Courtesy of the Un ion we have a pair of tickets to Henry Ro llins' spoken word gig at the L.C.R . on 18/1/10 give away! As frontman Black Flag and in his solo work, Rollin s is one of the best known names in punk rock, and has been touri ng his legendary spoken word performances for over twenty years. To be in with a chan.ce of winn ing, just bring any completed puzzle from this page to the Concrete office upstairs in Un ion House by 16/1/10. Name: Email :

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!We've gone Gaga gaga this issue, so we've also taken this picture of the Poker Foce singer with her dancers and changed six t hings about it! See if yo u can spot them while mulling over whether you ' re or or against her (see page 17 of The Event) .

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