Venue 268

VENUE

Concrete’s fortnightly culture pullout

music | interview summer camp | pp. 6-7 wired | played fifa street| p. 11 film | talk british gangster films | p. 20

Photo by Aaron Toumazou

issue 268 | 27/03/2012

The seventh edition of Latitude Festival, the UK’s favourite multi-arts event, is back for another long weekend at Henham Park on 12th–15th July 2012 and tickets are on sale now.

FOUR bespoke music arenas full of the greatest musical talent from across the globe, alongside ELEVEN arts arenas full to the brim with the hottest names from the worlds of comedy, theatre, poetry, literature, art, dance, film and cabaret are ready for you to discover.

If you like the sound of headliners BON IVER, ELBOW and PAUL WELLER mixed in with the likes of JACK DEE, TIM MINCHIN and so many more, then Latitude Festival is for you.

Find out the full line up and buy tickets now at www.latitudefestival.com.

03 IE

VENUE CONTENTS

www.concrete-online.co.uk

ssue 268 | 27.03.2012 ditor-in-Chief | Chris King | concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk

V

enue Editor | Alex Throssell | concrete.event.uea.ac.uk

Picture the scene if you will: deadline day, tons still to be done, yet half of the remaining editorial team are sprawled around the floor of the office doing their best Kate Winslet impression screaming, “no Jack, no, I’ll never let you go!” while Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On comes to a climax in fittingly emphatic fashion.

The capability to capture the mood of the room and express it simultaneously in interpretive dance isn’t usually a talent considered to be useful by employers, but somehow Hannah and Suze’s “performance” acted as the perfect catalyst for these Monday night blues. For a few minutes I forgot I had loads of coursework to do once I got home, I forgot about all of the possible mistakes in the issue and just had a good old fashioned laugh. Surely one of the best reasons for working in this silly little office, week in, week out. Have a great holiday and we’ll be back with our last issue of the year in May.

Alex

Music | Editors | Alex Ross & Jordan Bright Music Contributors> Marco Bell, Oliver Balaam, Aaron Toumazou, Cheri Amour, Rachel Moss, Sam Parker.

Wired | Editor | Josh Mott Wired Contributors> Harry Frost, Josh Mott, Leo Hunt, Joe Fitzsimmons.

Fashion | Editors | Hannah Britt & Milly Sampson Fashion Contributors> Hannah Britt, Becky Evans, Jess Beech, Freya Barry.

Arts | Editor | Emma Webb Arts Contributors> Aaron Toumazou, Angeline Dresser, Katherine Holder, Amelia Edwards, Emma Webb.

TV | Editor | Matt Tidby TV Contributors> Bex White, Bridie Wilkinson.

Film | Editors | James Burrough & Anna Eastick Film Contributors> Meg Fozzard, James Lillywhite, James Burrough, Rachel Greene-Taylor, Sam Langan, Sam Warner, Saul Holmes, Alex Dobrik, Kieran Rogers.

Competitions/Listings | Editor | Sam Tomkinson.

Photo by Laura Smith

Creative Writing | Editor | Ella Chappell Creative Writing Contributors> Michael Clampin, Tom King, Ellie Reynard.

MUSIC

27.03.2012

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

album reviews

04

paul weller sonik kicks

Paul Weller’s resurgent solo career continues to go from strength to strength with his new album, the impressive Sonik Kicks, which has reached number one in the charts this week.

Coming strongly off the back of the successful Wake Up The Nation, the album strays away from the safe waters he knows with a heavy emphasis on a psychedelic style.

The opening track Green immediately throws you into a whirlwind of echoing vocals with Weller ensuring a frantic pace from the outset of the record. His voice sounds as good as it ever has and his ability to produce unique melodies stands out through the album.

The guitar based tracks are distinctly homed towards a trippy yet mellowing resonance and Kling I Klang is a catchy song returning to Weller’s Jam roots with an upbeat tempo and witty lyrics.

From here the album continues on its frenzied journey, stopping to slow the tempo with a number of softer songs. Sleep on Serene is made up of purely melody but has a beautiful sound which has an altogether relaxing and satisfying effect. A sense of being lost in time is achieved with a range of interesting synthesisers and distortions which side towards the very psychedelic representation Weller wants to address. It’s perhaps a style not typically associated with Weller but he succeeds with the sound brilliantly. Nevertheless his forte for acoustic numbers still shrines through, and the

calmer tracks are the highlights of the album. By the Waters is a harrowing song, with a saddened tone which perfectly suits Weller’s aching voice (the song is reminiscent of his classics such as English Rose and You Do Something to Me), although his willingness to try and incorporate his voice into a more interesting genre is well worth a listen for.

The first single of the album, That Dangerous Age is an addictive track with a number of Weller like lyrics which hint at a homage to his own age and lifestyle with a good sense of humour. The whole album almost feels like one long eventful trip not too dissimilar to the albums produced by the likes of Cream and Pink Floyd, whose influence seems apparent at times.

The album swerves in many different directions with ease, with an obvious psychedelic influence which in turn makes the album one of easy listening with some particularly powerful and indulgent songs.

Study In Blue and Be Happy Children, which include his daughter as a female backing singer work well, as she complements Weller’s more rough ragged voice, and both are worthy inclusions. No doubt the Modfather will be geared up and ready to tour this notable album with the energy and commitment which has seen him revive his career in the last few years.

the first of many folk songs on the album; Tomorrow Will Be Kinder is a touching melancholic waltz with wobbly but resilient vocals. Taylor Swift also steps out of her comfort zone to deliver two surprisingly adult tracks. Not all the folk tracks are so successful: Daughter’s Lament for example, wails about mockingjays (fictional birds) in the hope that fan service will make up uninspired songwritng, but it is one dud in an otherwise outstanding collection.

The military drums return when Kid Cudi throws a curve ball into the mix. Groaning and lurching he sings “You’ll talk you’ll say nothing okay?” from the perspective of the voyeuristic, authoritarian game makers. It aggressively sets the album back on edge and reintroduces a sense of threat; it’s also catchy

as hell.

The Decemberists’ One Engine is also a highlight and, with more than their normal quota of electric guitar, almost sounds like early REM. Last but not least Birdy demonstrates her incredible range when she closes the album with the genuinely stunning Just a Game. Something should be said for the album’s production. Overseen by T-Bone Burnett, all 16 tracks carry a cohesive aesthetic while allowing each artist to excel in their own way. He even makes Maroon 5 sound alright.

Regardless of what you think of the film this is a daring and remarkable album and should not be missed.

Marco Bell

various artists the hunger games ost With The Hunger Games shattering box office records last weekend you would be forgiven for seeing the release of a “songs inspired by” companion album as little more than a cash grab. It’s a marketing tactic that hasn’t been popular since the likes of Top Gun and Dirty Dancing so it’s a surprise and a pleasure to report that The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond is an impressive collection in its own right and an interesting exploration of the film’s aesthetic and themes.

Arcade Fire’s distorted lullaby Abraham’s Daughter opens the album and sets an appropriately dystopian tone. Militaristic drums forcefully guide Regine Chassagne’s vocals and their awkward juxtaposition produces a palpable sense of conflict.

Next up The Secret Sisters introduce

Oliver Balaam

05

27.03.2012

wild beasts the waterfront

30.02.12 Kendal based Wild Beasts have come from strength to strength since their debut album in 2008, culminating in a set’s worth of solid crowd pleasers that stunned an enthusiastic Waterfront audience.

Genre hopping Alt J kicked off the night, a compelling trip-folk band that did a great job in revving up the venue, which was almost at full capacity from the very

MUSIC

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

gig reviews

start. Inspired by the likes of Radiohead, Elliott Smith and Lamb of God, they offer a unique amalgamation of varying sounds that did well in complimenting the Wild Beasts’ set that followed.

Wild Beasts came on stage promptly after Alt J’s departure, with a taste of their acclaimed 2011 album Smother, starting with Bed of Nails, which was received by a wave of adrenaline and the speedy formation of several mosh pits. Hopping momentarily back to their Mercury nominated Two Dancers for a zealous We Still Got the Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues, and back again to their latest album. It became quickly apparent

after the first half dozen tracks that the band have no weaknesses on the song front; constantly inspiring a fanatic and enthusiastic response within each track’s opening notes. It’s quite something that they’ve managed to churn out three albums worth of gold in the space of just three years.

After climaxing at a fantastically performed Hooting & Howling, a somewhat orchestrated pantomime-esque show came about whereby a dumbfounded audience beckoned them back. Their return was inevitable as the tracks they were yet to perform are two of their best. Restarting with an immensely haunting Lions Share

to the great delight of everyone present, leaving the ultimate culmination for the wonderfully piercing shrieks of All The Kings Men, which perfectly rounded off an astounding live set.

At the end of the gig, lead singer Hayden Thorpe made a point of noting their quick accession in popularity in the space of four years, where such venues might only half sell and festival tents weren’t received so eagerly; now they are selling out around the UK, Europe and Australia, and are in high demand at popular music festivals such as Latitude this year.

Aaron Toumazou

MUSIC

27.03.2012

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

camping out

06

before their eagerly anticipated arts centre show, venue’s cheri amour sat down with summer camp Two pieces are all the rage at the moment.

Jack White and his sister Meg were the first set of winning doubles way back in ‘97, all red white and black and now The Black Keys, DZ Death Rays and Blood Red Shoes are all proof that, as Marvin Gaye once said, it really does take two. One thing that’s not so en vogue is the 80s. Sadly dismissed as the era following the rock cool of the 70s and power pop and Brit hits of the 90s, the 80s sauntered off the dancefloor like a shy teen without a partner at the High School prom. Luckily for us, Summer Camp provide the perfect balance of Teen Wolf bravado and Pretty in Pink chic to make the 80s sizzle with electro glitz and Hollywood glamour. We caught up with the preppy pair before their recent show at Norwich Arts Centre to chat about the truth behind their identities, Sweden’s cool factor, and a spot of volleyball.

Both of you were independently established before you became Summer Camp; Jeremy with your solo music and Elizabeth as a journalist. How did the band initially come about?

E: We just did a song for fun together and then it kind of took off. I think it took us a while to think, maybe we shouldn’t do those other things. It was a really nice way for it to happen though. It felt very natural J: I think a lot of the time if you push really hard for something to happen – I mean, I’ve had that with bands when you’re busy sending out demos, just trying really hard to make it happen, and that almost makes it not happen. With Summer Camp, it was always something we were just doing for fun, when we felt like it and so then when it took off, it was great. That might sound like a massive cliché saying we’d do it even if no one liked it, but it’s not like that, we just didn’t even think we would ever play any of our songs live.

Initially, the band’s identity was quite secretive; at one point Summer Camp appeared to be a Swedish export. Was this secrecy intentional when forming the band?

J: We also said there was seven of us!

E: It wasn’t like a plan though, it was more that we just did this song, and then Jeremy was finishing the mix so we made a myspace and it put out the nationality default as Swedish.

We weren’t going to send it out to anyone or play it to anyone, but then we started getting all these messages in Swedish and had to try and use Babelfish to write back to them.

J: Apparently at the time, Swedish bands were being marketed as cool and so pretending to

be Swedish made us cool E : It was really weird. It’s one of those things that in retrospect, you think why did we do that? Why did we lie?

J: It wasn’t like we didn’t say who we were because it was some big secret and we were really Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, but more because we didn’t think that anyone would really care.

Were you surprised by the encouraging feedback to the songs? Do you think this perhaps propelled the project along initially?

J: Definitely. It’s definitely more rewarding doing something when people are enjoying it. It’s not like we do what we do and if people like it, it’s a bonus. The fact that people got into and liked it encouraged us to spend more time on it. Otherwise, we might not have realised there was any worth to it.

When you’re writing songs, it’s very hard to tell whether anything is good or not. Mostly people tend to think that everything they write is brilliant, or everything is rubbish – I’m most likely the former, Elizabeth is most probably the latter – so, you kind of need to play it to someone else to figure out if it is any good or not.

E: But we wouldn’t have done another song if that blog hadn’t found us though.

Your album, Welcome to Condale, is out now on Moshi Moshi Records. Did you think it was important to release the record on an independent label?

E: No, it was more because that was the best label that we met. To be honest, it was the people. We met people at majors and we met people at indies and we met people who weren’t even proper labels but we always came back to Michael, Steven and Rachel at Moshi because they just let us do what we want to do.

07

27.03.2012

MUSIC

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

becky cj a singer songwriter with over 94,000 hits on youtube, uea’s own

J: I think if that team had been working at a major label, then we would’ve signed to the major label. It’s who you’re working with at the end of the day.

E: Major labels get a lot of bad rep but I don’t think they’re any better or any worse than independent ones. It depends more on what kind of band you are, how you deal with it and how hard you work. And luck!

J: I think what it is, is that at major labels there’s a lot more money being thrown around and they have a lot more bands. If things go wrong at a major label then it seems like a much bigger deal than if something was to go wrong on an independent.

E: Expectations are a lot higher.

Your work centres around a very kitsch Americana, where did this influence come from?

E: Well, the LA suburb Condale that we named the record after actually doesn’t exist. We made it up. The place that we probably spent the most time in other than, of course, London and where we grew up, is California. So, it made sense for us to have that. Also, growing up we watched so many films – looking at America and getting this really, as I think most people do, idealised view of it, especially through teen films. It just made sense to us. We wanted to set the album somewhere and we wanted to have characters, something to write about and so we made something up.

J: But he’s a great actor! [laughs] You are supported on this tour by glitch popsters, Fixers – a perfect paring – but what bands are you currently listening to?

E: I’m listening to a lot of Alex Turner’s solo stuff. I’m not really a fan of The Arctic Monkeys, but I really love Alex Turner’s solo stuff. He did The Submarine EP, his lyrics are so good. And, PJ Harvey. She’s a genius.

J: I’m listening to a band called Three Trapped Tigers, a British band from London. They have just put out a compilation of their first three EPs and I think it’s better than their album. It’s really amazing. I’m also listening to David Bowie’s live album from 1972 just after Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. It’s really great.

To end, in light of the name I wanted to pitch a small game to you guys centering around whether or not the following subjects are summery or just a little camp?

phone kept flashing and I was thinking, “you’re so annoying!” I finally looked at it and was like “what the fuck.” I had an email saying Ed Sheeran had just tweeted me.” The tweet simply said: “your covers are wicked, keep it up!,” but Ed’s re-tweet of Becky’s video meant views instantly rocketed.

Despite the popularity of her covers, Becky insists that original songwriting is most important to her. “I don’t want to be just another YouTube sensation, people started requesting covers and that’s not what I want to be known for.” In the immediate future she will be focusing her time on writing, so as not

So will we be seeing Becky CJ’s face on an album cover anytime soon? “I’m in talks with various people … It’s a case of finding the right record label for me, I want to take things slowly so that my music and fan base grows organically. I’m still learning”.

We talk more about gigging, but most of all, about how Becky wants to finish her degree in Song Writing at London Centre for Contemporary Music. She concludes our interview by wishing me all the best for the rest of university; despite her overwhelming success, Becky CJ has her feet firmly on the ground.

J: I don’t have any camp associations with that, for me it’s summery.

E: It’s camp.

Miami Vice?

E: That’s neither!

J: For me, that’s camp.

E: That’s Del Boy. J: That’s one of the best elements of camp.

E: Well, it was the 80s. Pedal pushers, pastel shades. I think that’s summer.

Finally, all speedboats and sunkissed sheen, Duran Duran?

J: Daniel Radcliffe.

E: My friend actually just supported Duran Duran on tour. She sang backing vocals and when they came out, they all had individual circles on stage for their faces for when they began their performance ... but Rio, on the speedboat, that’s pretty summery but no, I guess it’s pretty camp.

E: He is way too short.

J: Camp in the best possible way.

E: No, John Lennon?

to “tarnish” her reputation as a serious artist.

With echoes of Adele’s 21 album, Becky’s own songs, with tracks such as Opposites Attract and Easy For You are dominated by themes of heart-break and lost love; surprising for a girl who is “really happy” with her current boyfriend. She laughs, “I just find it hard writing happy songs!” Despite her music’s heavy content, the budding star assures me that she’s “not actually been through that much drama”, but instead uses the experiences of others as inspiration for her music. “I use their stories as a starting point, and keep adding creatively. The end product doesn’t really end up being about them at all.”

With the pressures of “celebrity culture,” fame is something any aspiring musician has to contemplate. “I’ve not got this dream of being the next Katy Perry; I just want people to hear my music and know that it’s me behind it. I know that if I have to become something I’m not, it could all go to shit.”

E: Right, well Top Gun. That has to be the most homoerotic game of volleyball ever but you can’t argue that it’s not summery.

If you starred in a teen movie, who would play you?

J: Who would play me? You’re better at this than me. Maybe the kid from Almost Famous?

It’s easy to forget that Becky CJ is not your average 19-year old. “Um”s, giggles and the odd swear word show that the singer herself is not sure how to take her recent online success.

“It’s all a bit surreal” says Becky as she chats to me on the phone from her London bedroom.

No wonder; her videos of lyrical pop covers and original songs were initially recorded by her sister on her mum’s iPhone at their Croydon family home.

Becky grew up in a musical household, her father Steven Jeffries writes and records music for adverts. Despite this she hadn’t considered her music reaching such a wide audience; she uploaded videos to the web “just to see what happened.”

It was surprising then, when Ed Sheeran’s co-writer Chris Leonard and producer Jake Gosling shared her video via Facebook and messaged her to say they enjoyed the cover of Ed’s Lego House.

“I was rehearsing with my guitarist. My

J: Oh this is good!

Next, tiny umbrellas in cocktail?

E: Ally Sheedy [The Breakfast Club] or Winona Ryder. A little presumptuous having Winona perhaps, as she is so beautiful...

moss about music, men and her new mate ed sheeran.

First up, volleyball?

J: It’s not so much that we spent so much time there, it’s more the idea of reaching out to this impossible place that you grew up with in cinema and in TV shows because of Hollywood I guess. A lot of things were set in that kind of sun kissed small minded, beautifully flawed areas, and all the coming of age stories are the same in America, it made perfect sense to have it there.

J: Orson Wells [The Cradle That Rocks]?

becky cj is set to take the music industry by storm. she talks to rachel

MUSIC

27.03.2012

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

keep on selling in the free world 2011 album sales are america, sam parker asks

08

in a week where the end of

released, showing adele’s dominance in the us and the uk charts, and british boy

bands make their mark on

if could we be seeing the comeback of british music acts staking their claim on the

In the past week, UK record industry body the BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) announced that British musicians took their highest share of US albums sales, in 2011, for over a decade. With 30 UK acts having sold at least 100,000 copies in the US, the total British albums sold accounted for 11.7% of all albums sold in the US in the past year. Meanwhile it was also revealed that the UK album market was also dominated by British artists with 52.7% of the total album sales last year, their biggest market share for 15 years. It is probably no surprise then that the woman leading this surge of British dominance forward is none other than the award-winning Adele.

The London-born singer-songwriter took the world by storm in 2011, ending the year with her album 21 scoring the biggest selling album of the year in both the US (5.8 m) and the UK (3.8 m). In doing so, she became the first British act to top the end of year US billboard charts since the Spice Girls in 1997, while also selling more US album

world of music.

copies in one year than any other artist since Usher’s Confessions in 2004. If this wasn’t enough, she also spent a total of 12 weeks at number one in the US singles chart with Rolling In The Deep and Someone Like You. However, Adele wasn’t the only British success in the US. Mumford & Sons also stamped their authority on the US Billboard Charts, with their album Sigh No More ending the year as the sixth bestselling album in the States, whilst Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, Florence and the Machine’s Lungs, and even Susan Boyle’s Someone to Watch Over Me enjoyed US success, finishing in the top 100 bestselling albums of the year.

So, with all this success on the other side of the pond, could this be a sign of a new wave of British dominance in the world of music?

If British boy bands are anything to go by we could be seeing more of this success in the years to come. Last week X Factor manufactured boy band One Direction became the first British group to go straight

to the top of the US Billboard 200 albums chart on the first week of their debut album’s release. 176,000 copies of Up All Night were shifted by the band and, thanks to a huge promotional tour all over the States, the group are already building a huge fanbase across America with rumours surfacing that they have even penned their own US TV show on children’s channel Nickelodeon.

Their immediate popularity in the US comes on the back of recent US chart success from fellow Brits, The Wanted who recently became the highest charting UK boy band in the US singles chart with their single Glad You Came reaching number five. The lack of homegrown boy bands in America means that it is likely that both One Direction and The Wanted could continue to see prolonged success as the British boy bands take advantage of a gap in the US music market left by the likes of N’Sync and The Backstreet Boys.

Boy bands aside, the future of British artists also looks bright. Female artists

Jessie J and Rebecca Ferguson have been nominated in the “Brink-of-Fame: Music Artist” category of the NewNowNext Awards in the US (a category which aims to spot the rising stars of the future of US pop culture), while it is also hard to see a future US charts which doesn’t feature Adele after her sheer dominance of the American music industry last year. Let’s also not write off promising artists such as Labrinth, Emeli Sande and Ed Sheeran who have all had huge success in the UK and are yet to release their debut albums in the States.

Although it is a bit premature to be predicting a British overhaul of music charts across the world, it is promising to see a surge of artists and groups conquering the US and it can only be positive to see the increasing array of new British talent emerging each year. Will 2012 prove to be an even more successful year for British music? We’ll just have to wait and see ...

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WIRED

27.03.2012

concrete.wired@uea.ac.uk

review: fifa street EA have once again decided to release a football game that takes you back to the streets, allowing you to enjoy end to end action which is fast paced and fun to play.

For those who are new to the series, Fifa Street focuses on matches with six players or less on a team playing on street lit pitches similar to that of astro turf. The focus is shifted from slow build-up play and clever through-balls to performing a variety of tricks to leave your opponents on the floor, making the action much more intense.

This particular edition has added a more realistic edge to the series. Players look much more like their real life counterparts and rather than performing crazy tricks off the wall, the tricks in this edition are similar to that of real life freestylers. The venues also have been glossed with a touch of realism and the back lit street venues are particularly evident of this. As well as an improving the graphics, the inclusion of a World Tour mode creates a substantial career that was lacking from previous editions. This allows you to create a squad of 10 players and take this team to the streets to dominate on the world stage. There is

also a strong set of customisation options that allow you to meticulously design the players on your team as well as being able to import a Virtual Pro from Fifa 12. The customisation continues as you earn points in matches from pulling off clever tricks and scoring goals which are then converted into experience points for your players. As they level up they gain points which can be used to improve their stats, however, the inclusion of an auto level up system is omitted and so it can become tedious assigning points when several players level up at once. To progress in World Tour the points you earn in matches are converted into points that are then applied to your world ranking. This is important as it dictates which events you can access, however, early on, some events will require a high ranking and it does mean that many events will have to be repeated in order to reach the levels required. What this career mode does offer, however, is a much more in depth and rewarding mode that is certainly a big improvement from the series’ third edition.

Performing the tricks is also straightforward, with a quick flick of the

right analogue stick you will be performing roulettes, step overs and all kinds of fancy skills. There is also plenty of depth in this system, as to master the more complicated tricks will take plenty of practice to learn all of the button combos. Timing is also important to get past the opposition players and the system is simple yet effective.

As well as World Tour, Exhibition matches are available and allow for a wide variety of different game modes or even the option to create your own. Up to four players can play on the same console or you can take your world tour team online and battle it out against other players.

The best mode is the Street League mode in which you play 10 games against other opponents in a bid to gain promotion from one of the fifteen leagues.

The multiplayer adds another dimension to the game and certainly makes this Fifa Street

10

one of the most complete versions to date.

Although there are some minor issues, this game will provide plenty of entertainment and have you feeling like Lionel Messi in no time.

Harry Frost

review: journey

Released 14 March as a Playstation Network exclusive, Journey is a beautiful platformer in which the player takes control of a cloaked figure as they make their way across a desert towards a mystical, distant mountain. Journey is video game minimalism at its finest with no HUD, and no clear objective set out for the player except to travel towards the mountain on the horizon. The world consists of deserts,

snowy tundra, and underground caves that inspire the feeling of being underwater. The designers have clearly taken inspiration from Team Ico’s Shadow of the Colossus as there are no other living creatures in the world as one glides through the dunes and tundra towards the Olympus-like mountain which one can guess to be the destination of your beautiful journey.

One of the key focuses of Journey is to

build up the length of your cloaked figure’s scarf. This is done by finding ancient, hidden material which is spread throughout the world. This allows your character to jump and fly higher. Wired’s favourite gameplay feature is the dune surfing and one particular level sees the cloaked figure gliding down a huge dune pit, dodging in and out of the ancient ruins that are scattered across your path. One other unique and wonderful initiative that Thatgamecompany has implemented is the random online grouping which occurs throughout your journey. Players can be grouped with one other random travelling figure throughout the games story and you can choose to help each other reach your collective goals or go about one’s own business, occasionally seeing another figure glide across the horizon. There are no character names and no way of communicating with your strange travelling companion, truly making the two of you strangers, however there is something intrinsically touching and satisfying about the experience you have with these unknown cohort. One of the most memorable moments in any game Wired has reviewed this year came in the form of two Journey strangers collaborating in their accent of the mystical mountain, through thick ice and snow, both of us sharing this

beautiful experience together whilst we are so incredibly separate and foreign to one another, never to communicate in any way shape or form. One will never find out whom this person is but the experience you share will forever be memorable to the two of you. In the ending credits you are actually given the names of all the people you met along the way but there are often too many to actually contact, and in any case, one would not want to spoil the experience.

However, despite the uniqueness and beauty of Journey there is one slight downside, it is incredibly short taking only two hours to complete. There is some replay value in terms of exploration, but with a price tag of £9.99 the game feels too short and will leave the player wanting more and feeling hard done by. Nevertheless, Journey is an incredible gaming experience, one you will not find in any of the big blockbuster titles. It is a solitary meditation through one of the most beautiful virtual worlds one will ever experience, Journey will be one of those games that people look back on and say “this was influential”, and “Journey solidified videogames as an art form”, and for these reasons it is definitely worth the asking price and a must for any Playstation 3 owner’s collection.

Josh Mott

11

27.03.2012

WIRED

concrete.wired@uea.ac.uk

retro special: wired’s top 5 boss fights

ornstein and smough: dark souls

Although the game is packed to the gills with hardcore bosses, this encounter in Dark Souls takes the proverbial cake for its teeth grinding difficulty. Sounding like the comic relief from a Shakespeare play, Ornstein and Smough are a double act of armoured knights intent on making your life hell. Smough is fat and slow, Ornstein is fast and nimble, and both of them hit like a train. Whichever dies first, his companion takes on his powers and becomes even stronger. Like every boss in Dark Souls, they require hours of patience and pattern learning in order to defeat, but the feeling when they finally fall is oh so sweet. fire leo: viewtiful joe

A somewhat niche 2D beat-em-up from the Gamecube’s heyday, Viewtiful Joe also boasts a healthy roster of tough fights, but Fire Leo is in a league of his own. A

flame headed cartoon lion with a roman gladiator shield and a bizarre ballerina’s attack stance, Fire Leo sounds like a strange nemesis, but his boss battle is a monstrous endurance test requiring pitch perfect timing and a healthy amount of swearing.

The saving grace is the bombastic guitar track which plays while you battle, which you’ll probably end up hearing a lot of. phantom gannon: legend of zelda ocarina of time

There’s something about the Forest Temple, and Wired is not talking about the werewolves or the twisty corridor, or even the terrifying hands that drop from the ceiling. No, we’re talking about this handsome firey eyed gentleman, who is encountered in a strange art gallery, filled with paintings of a menacing country lane.

Phantom Gannon rides on horseback in and out of said artwork, forcing you to keep a

close eye on which painting the horseman is in. A clever, creepy boss which makes the perfect ending to a clever, creepy dungeon. bowser in the sky: super mario 64

Bowser gives you some aggravation several times over the course of Nintendo’s masterpiece, but it’s the final encounter with him up above the clouds which remains burned into your memory. Going toe-to-toe on a floating rock platform with incongruous disco lighting, you have to grab the reptile monarch by the tail and swing him into the bombs which he carelessly left around the edge of the arena.

Although arguably not as challenging as some bosses listed here, Bowser retains a special place in our heart as the childhood boogeyman who could, with some welltimed spins, be defeated. psycho mantis: metal gear solid

Psycho Mantis grabs the top spot, not for his difficulty but for the unique form of the encounter. Psycho Mantis is the first postmodern boss in modern gaming. In his pre-fight monologue Mantis addresses not the game’s hero, Snake, but rather the player. Mantis “reads your mind” by searching your Playstation’s memory card, and will comment on what other games you’ve been playing, and on how many times you saved while playing Metal Gear Solid. He goes even further, instructing you to place your controller on the ground, and then “moving it” with the power of his mind (activating the rumble function).

In order to prevent the psychic reading your “thoughts” the player must plug his controller into the number two socket, after which the boss becomes defeatable.

A little gimmicky, perhaps, but for sheer inventiveness Psycho Mantis takes the number one spot.

Leo Hunt

game over?

On Wednesday 21 March, shortly after removing themselves from the London stock exchange, GAME Group PLC officially filed for administration. This move will have come as no surprise to anyone who keeps up with gaming industry news. The company has been in serious financial problems for months now. However, the decision will still have a huge impact on the game market in the UK and is a reminder of just how fragile the retail industry is at the moment.

Major warning signs concerning the future of GAME Group (who own both the retail outlets GAME and Gamestation) started to surface in February this year, when both GAME and Gamestation came under a hailstorm of criticism for failing to supply customers with copies of Bioware’s new

release Mass Effect 3, which many had preordered months in advance. The reason for this was EA’s decision to cease supplying GAME Group stores with new release EA titles, through fears that should the company fold they would be unable to recoup any losses through unsold copies. This was a huge blow for GAME Group, as they were forced to refund thousands of pre-orders as well as losing the chance to stock what will no doubt be one of the year’s top selling games. Just weeks later, Capcom followed suit and GAME Group was forced to refund all pre-orders of Street Fighter X Tekken.

GAME giant Nintendo also announced its decision to cease supplying new titles, and with that, GAME’s demise was all but certain.

With the recent announcement, both GAME and Gamestation stores have begun huge discounts and sales in an attempt to minimise loss through unsold titles and lost stock. GAME Group has announced little in terms of when and at what rate they will start closing their stores, but after a rejected offer of a buy out from investment firm OpCapita earlier this week, it looks unlikely they can hold out for much longer.

The consequences that this will have on the gaming industry in the UK will no doubt be severe. GAME Group is the largest high street game retailer in the UK, with over 1,200 stores and 10,000 employees worldwide. With their now inevitable closure, high street shoppers will find their choice in video game shopping destinations

severely limited. Gamestation in particular was well-known for its emphasis on preowned game titles, attracting younger and more cash-strapped customers, who may now find game purchasing difficult without access to internet shopping.

The high street has seen a lot of its famous names close their doors recently, and now with GAME Group they see Britain’s biggest and most recognisable video game retailer fall victim to turbulent economic times and the rise of digital media. With so many gamers choosing to directly download (both legally and illegally) their video games rather than purchasing physical copies, the future of game retailing as a whole looks uncertain.

Joe Fitzsimmons

FASHION the hotlist smokin’ Curves Always smokin’.

Creme eggs How we like our men: hard on the outside but with a soft gooey centre.

These Oh McQueen, it’s almost worth never going out again so we can afford these.

chokin’ Vodka tonic Might be good for you, but it tastes like cat wee.

Posture correcting trainers We don’t care if they improve your posture, you look like a dickhead.

Calorie counting Booooooooring.

28.02.2012

concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

skinny love

12

Big women. Small women. Curvy. Skinny. Are we all beautiful? Not according to the catwalks. Our view of what is beautiful is warped and I blame the media pressure to be a size zero.

Numerous debates, campaigns and slogans have all taken place in order to allow women to feel beautiful whatever size they are, so why are we still striving to be skinny? Yes it is important to keep a healthy, balanced diet, and we are all guilty of those nights of binging on too much chocolate, but why can we not be happy just being ourselves?

I look at models strutting down the catwalk with ribs and hip bones jutting as they sway and feel sorry for them, not jealous of them.

Inspiration comes in many forms, not just in the superficial.

Personally I am a happy size 14 and when I look at Kate Moss I just want to bake her a big cake and force feed it to her, not starve myself to look like her. According to the rich and famous model: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. I beg to differ, quite frankly I’d take an Indian takeaway any day.

It has been proven that if a woman becomes too skinny she can no longer menstruate, cannot carry a child, and suffers from hair loss and increased mood swings. So why are girls still taking advice from a drug addict model? So after all this ranting who should inspire us?

My perfect example is my mother. She played many roles: a mother to two kids, a wife, a career woman, a caring daughter, an important member of my small village, and through all this managed to keep a smile on her face. Now she brightens children’s days by taking them from their difficult inner city lives to the countryside (most of them have never seen grass) all in the name of charity. To me that’s infinitely more fulfilling than losing two stone, especially when one sees genuine joy across their faces.

A woman once said to me “you should look in the mirror every day and say ‘I am beautiful’”. I wish I could say this to every self-starved teen out there. So I implore every woman who may read this article to take a good look at yourself, your life and think of the importance of the size zero.

Maybe instead of spending every waking hour trying to figure out the best way to become skeletal, we could spend time writing a novel, a script, saving people’s lives by studying medicine, or catching criminals. So no, Kate Moss, I can think of a hell of a lot of things that are better than skinny feels. Stick that in your crack pipe and smoke it.

Becky Evans

touch me up In the early years of childhood most girls have a Barbie doll placed into their eager little hands. Therefore, before they have even started school, they are presented with a tiny, unattainable model of what a woman should look like. As a child, staring down at the Barbie, you saw beach blonde hair, a flat stomach and blemish free plastic skin. Pouring over the latest issue of Vogue, 20 or so years later, the glossy image staring back at you has not changed much.

Gok Wan on his recent show, which aimed to improve teenager’s self-esteem, took a group of girls to see a fashion shoot. The model entered to meet the girls, effortlessly beautiful, before being whisked off to spend three hours in hair and make-up. Every shot they took of this preened and polished glamazon was amazing. Yet even before they left the studio, the photos were already being edited. It is not just a case of making people skinnier. Her muscles are removed and added in the “right” places, her face was re-sculpted and they even added extra strands of hair. This is just the first phase of editing. No woman needs, let alone has the time, to spend three hours on their make-up. The idea that even after all this time the image is still not “perfect” shows that striving to look like the models in magazines is just not attainable.

It says so much that people are shocked to see images of celebrities

on the beach leaning over to show a miniscule roll of fat. Women are used to seeing stars in glossy advertising campaigns where this would have been heavily airbrushed and disguised. It is a delight to see them looking naturally beautiful and to see that they are normal people too.

Yet the media often uses these images negatively to mock and insult them, setting yet more impossible goals for young women.

Magazines which include sections dedicated to street style and photograph normal, well dressed people are sending out a much more positive message. It is refreshing to see attainable images of fashion and beauty. Katy Perry is currently taking part in an advertising campaign for acne treatment. It is great to see a global superstar admitting that she does have imperfections that the cameras do not see.

The coalition government promised to make changes, but we are yet to see any real evidence of this. It is fine to be presented with inspirational images of beauty but not those which are physically impossible. Striving to look like these women will provide nothing but disappointment. Put down Barbie and look at the people around you for inspiration.

Jess Beech

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27.03.2012

FASHION

concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

plus size

s s ize

Photographer: Elizabeth Margereson, Model: Polly Grant

plu

my body’s too bootilicious for you, babe As a woman, I find everything I eat, everything I wear, and how much I choose to reveal in what I wear, discussed by magazines at great length. As a lady in the 20th century you really can’t win. We’re either too fat, or too thin.

We are bombarded with images of incredibly thin, photoshopped celebrities who are lambasted for putting on weight with those tiny, angry, red circles Heat magazine so loves to deploy. Our culture is so obsessed with weight gain and loss that adverts for the latest diet fads have become so commonplace that we barely

acknowledge them anymore. ‘Stop eating carbs! Stop eating meat! Stop eating food with a shadow!” What these adverts really mean is “Stop eating everything!’”

In order to combat this depressing culture that celebrates the thin, TV shows featuring cuddly presenters like Gok Wan have emerged, instructing us all to love ourselves and embrace our shapes whether they be pear, apple, cantaloupe… I’m all for embracing our bodies, although I can’t help but wonder where the Spanx pants these wardrobe gurus distribute are putting that fat.

Rather than trying to dress ourselves thin, or wear padded bras to add a cup size, or stop eating carbs, why not just live?

Have a doughnut, have a margarita. Just in moderation. I love fashion and clothes, but not the way the industry operates or the way it puts extreme images of underweight or tokenised overweight women on the catwalk.

Here’s the thing, I’m an average size woman with a healthy BMI. I like food, I exercise occasionally (though not enough) I also probably drink more than I should.

I’ve been thin, chubby, been an AA cup, a

D cup and then a C cup. Throughout my teenage years I have been assaulted by messages and ideas of how I should look as a woman. I’ve had enough. I refuse to be bullied into conforming to narrow ideals of what is attractive.

What I weigh does not define who I am or what kind of person I will be. My body is not available for public approval or acceptance. In the words of Christina Aguilera: “I am beautiful in every single way, words can’t bring me down.”

Freya Barry

ARTS

27.03.2012

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

bent: uea drama studio Minotaur Theatre Company’s production of Marin Sherman’s Bent was one that effectively evoked a whole spectrum of emotions in a very effective and poignant way. Revolving around the persecution of gay men in Nazi Germany, the comic elements came as a pleasant and rather necessary surprise. The humour is epitomised by the laugh-out-loud satiric rants of Rudy (Elliot Hughes) and an unexpected bout of vulgarity and nudity on Wolf’s part (Eliot Ruocco-Trenouth). The tragicomedy amalgamated well to entertain, and still represent the plight of homosexual men under Hitler’s regime in an appropriately sombre manner.

The story began remarkably comically in the Berlin apartment of the central character, Max (Tom Wingfield), and his partner Rudy.

Max’s waggish antics of the previous night unravel in an entertaining passive-aggressive censure from Rudy, but the comedy of the scene is quickly undermined when three Nazi officers enter, leaving the two as outlaws, and Wolf, who is an amusing accessory to Max’s drunkenness, killed. It becomes clear that the previous night was not quite the comic drunken escapade that was first depicted but in fact the historic Night of the Long Knives.

From here the gravity of the Nazi regime takes the forefront in the play as Rudy and

Max keep cover for two years until they are eventually caught. Comedy is still injected through Rudy’s whining and the witty remarks of Horst (Jonathan Moss), whom Max meets and falls in love with in Dachau.

Kudos to the actors, who were especially well cast for their roles. Particular credit should go to Elliot Hughes, who captured a neurotic, high-maintenance character exceedingly well. The female cast of Nazi representatives acted with suitable menace, especially in the final scenes. The set was equally endearing, effectively using minute devices to set the scene. For instance, a fairylight bordered frame to instigate a dressing room, and an orchestrated movement of torches to render a solemn train journey. At other times staging was awkward to watch.

When Max and Horst make love using only words and their imagination the scene is uncomfortable, but appropriately so. The scene is cleverly as compromising for the audience as it would have been for those in concentration camps.

The ending of the play grounded the ultimate tragedy, which was heightened by a chilling freeze frame climax and the absence of a final curtsy.

Aaron Toumazou

john lanchester: uea literary festival As part of the UEA Literary festival, John Lanchester read a short passage from his new novel Capital and the audience were treated to an insightful Q&A during which Lanchester discussed his writing style and shared his thoughts on the general state of the world today.

Capital deals with the bonus culture of London’s financial sector whilst examining how the lives of culturally and economically separate people intersect in the capital.

The protagonist suffers from comically odd sociopathic tendencies which Lanchester effectively delivers in a deadpan tone.

Lanchester has been criticised for joining the long line of authors who have recently attempted to write the overarching state-ofthe-nation book. He surprisingly countered this accusation by arguing what a futile task it is to attempt to write such a book.

Fiction is a very limited space, Lanchester explained, in the sense that ideas must always be excluded and there is not space to explain all tangential thoughts or offer a lengthy back story.

Lanchester’s selection process for writing fiction appears to follow his observation that “life is tragic in structure, comic in texture”. He added that tone is central to communicating this essence of

human nature. Lanchester employs the perfect tone for his protagonist who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his million pound bonus and the fact that he has been delegated the task of babysitting his children whom he does not understand. His wit makes this character’s struggle perversely appealing and somehow hilarious.

When questioned about how he decides what will benefit a novel, he explained how some things are only interesting because they are true which, of course, makes them unremarkable and redundant in a narrative space. A sense of reality is what makes Capital such a captivating novel, however.

Lanchester attributed much of his inspiration to the London which he witnesses around him, even on his street. This reality has apparently caught his attention because the city is rapidly changing, in his opinion.

To hear Lanchester’s claims that London is a city of extremes and one on the brink of what he referred to as “Manhattanisation” offered weighty insight into the tensions at work in Capital.

Angeline Dresser

14 hindi for

beginners in jarrold’s pantry Taking place in the run-up to UEA’s Go Global Week, it seemed only fitting that the designated “Café Conversation” on Wednesday 14 March was An Introduction to Hindi.

Tucked up in the Pantry, a kitsch café on the top floor of Jarrold’s, a gathering of students and members of the public congregate weekly to take part in intellectual discussions and conversations, organised and hosted, for free, by UEA student Alex Valente.

The atmosphere was extremely welcoming, relaxed, and informal, and it was easy to settle in amongst the more regular “conversationalists”.

“Namaste”, our teacher began, “Mera naam Anandi hai.” Within minutes, we were all learning simple Hindi phrases and had the opportunity to ask questions about the Hindi language, its structure and history. Primarily spoken in north India, Hindi, alongside English, has become the official language of India’s Federal Government, howvere it exists alongside 22 other constitution-approved official languages in India. Hindi contains 11 vowels and 38 consonants, and, according to Anandi, it sounds a lot like spoken-Urdu.

With upcoming subject matters ranging from “An Introduction to Turkish” to “Myths, Mutants and Superhumans”, the topics of “conversation’”are varied, intellectually stimulating and fun. Indeed, there is an undeniable satisfaction in losing oneself amongst coffee, homemade cakes and riveting conversation for an hour, especially if you can come away having learnt something new, and having challenged yourself to think outside of the box, or indeed bubble, of UEA life.

A Beginner’s Guide to Hindi: • Namaste, kya haal hai?

Translation: Hello, how are things?

Pronounced: Na-mast-ay, key-ar harl hay?

• Sab kuchh Tthik hai.

Translation: Good, thank you.

Pronounced: Sub kutch teek hay.

• Aapka naam kya hai?

Translation: What is your name?

Pronounced: Arp-car narm key-ar hair?

• Mera naam ____ hai.

Translation: My name is ____.

Pronounced: Meera narm ____ hair.

[For further information on future Café Conversations, visit: www.uea.ac.uk/ssf/cue-east/ events] Katherine Holder

15

27.03.2012

ARTS

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

standing water by terri armstrong Standing Water, the debut novel by Terri Armstrong, is a deeply moving work.

Armstrong, a UEA alumnus, won the 2010 Yeovil prize for it pre-publication, and from her writing style and completely believable characters, it is easy to see why.

The novel focuses on the return of Dom Connor, an Australian who has been living in England, to his family farm near the fictional town of Marrup. When he returns, he finds the farm a victim of a major drought and the town nearly deserted. He also finds that his brother Neal no longer wants to speak to him and is trying to maintain the illusion that nothing is wrong with the farm he has tended for so long, at the expense of his wife Hester’s happiness.

Loss if a major theme in Standing Water.

Dom returns to Marrup for his mother’s funeral, but he misses it by a day. The potential loss of the farm hangs over the story, increasing the already obvious tensions between characters to near breaking point.

Other characters, such as Andy, Dom’s old friend, have already lost their connections to family and friends. In addition to loss, death characterises this book; when Dom

this week in arts history

drives into Marrup the first thing he does is accidentally run over a neighbour’s dog.

Armstrong’s powerful use of these themes shows how the characters, especially those in Marrup, have become hardened to emotion. This, along with the extremely vivid descriptions of the heat and the flies, creates an incredibly bleak feeling. The characters seem trapped in an ultimately hostile little town.

Nonetheless, there are more hopeful elements to Standing Water. Both Dom and Andy, re-entering Marrup from cities with their own disappointments, work as forces for change in their own small ways. The tensions of the novel mostly sit around this work, will the inhabitants of Marrup accept change, or will they reject Dom and Andy altogether?

This is a beautifully written book with profound insights on the nature of family and friendships. The descriptions of rural Australia are completely engrossing, from the heat and the discomfort to the tree branches covered in cockatoos. Although thoroughly engaging, it is perhaps a little too bleak to be really enjoyable.

Amelia Edwards

dancesport hosts strictly uea In an event that has since been recognised as “the biggest student-organised event at UEA ever,” fifteen novice dancers from UEA Dancesport took to the LCR stage on 19th March with fifteen willing volunteers from a variety of sports clubs across the Student Union.

Organised principally by Dancesport President Chloe Rochester and Dancesport Publicity Officer Gurdas Singh Sually, Strictly UEA! followed the popular television series Strictly Come Dancing with dedicated accuracy, including interviews and training videos of the couples, and strategic integration of the recognisable theme tune.

The highly successful event sought to raise funds principally for UEA Dancesport.

Half of the proceeds were donated to the sports clubs represented by the competitors taking part.

Four judges, including Finance Officer Rob Bloomer, were entrusted with providing scores for the evening and hailed UEA American Football Treasurer Sam Walford and partner Sarah-Jayne Aston as the champions of this brand new event, Turn to Concrete (p16) for the full report.

... 1892

walt whitman died in new jersey aged 72 on 26 march 1892 Born as Walter Whitman in 1819, Walt Whitman became one of the most

influential poets of the United States, despite his work recieving heaviy criticism

during his lifetime. A humanitarian and “father of free verse” in poetry Whitman’s most recognisable work Leaves of Grass was accused of being heavily obscene and radical in a time of slavery, discontent and civil war.

Whitman left school aged 11 and went into employment to help support his family.

Deprived of the extensive education many of his literary peers would receive, Whitman instead observed much of the literary world in his various jobs at newspapers and printing agencies. Whitman worked as a teacher for a period of time and, after receiving little or no fulfilment from the job, founded his own newspaper The Long Islander in 1838. The publication was sold the following year and unfortunately, no copies of The Long Islander that were produced under Whitman’s eye have survived to the present day.

Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855 out of his own pocket, and many who read it bandied it as obscene, profane and pretentious. Less than 800 copies were originally produced. Ralph Waldo Emerson is often noted as the most approving critic of this particular work and his attitude

brought much of the fame, or infamy, to what would become an American classic.

Deeply affected by the travesties of the American Civil War, due in large part to his brother George’s involvement on the front line, Whitman produced later works reflecting on the nature of war, further fuelling the humanitarianism in his poetry. George spent a period of time as a prisoner of war in Virginia, which caused Whitman much distress, but George was later released, and survived the war.

Whitman’s sexuality was repeatedly called into question during his lifetime, and remains so today, with critics attributing homosexuality or bisexuality ‘at least’ to him because of the sexual imagery and ideas present in his early poetry.

Whitman suffered two paralytic strokes as well as sunstroke in his final years, and eventually died on 26th March 1892. After lifelong struggles for fame and literary recognition, his funeral was a nationally recognised affair, and Walt Whitman is now hailed as a revolutionary of his time, a national literary tradition, and a successful, appreciated poet.

Emma Webb

CREATIVE WRITING

27.03.2012 concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

poetry corner

16

i often wondered what we did

i sailed on down to catapult

i often wondered what we did with those days. they circled and circled at the plughole of my memory (foamy and indistinct) and then they just ... slipped away. cockroaches clambered over them and they decayed, their half-life all run out. when we found them again (years later) we had to check against dna records

I sailed on down to Catapult On a short sunny day such as this (They speak Catapult there you know) I got there at two-thirty clock and sat all along the dock Watching my boat slowly sink Then, crying gently for my floaty stock, Ran ‘tween the chapel gates and found the lock, Now suddenly I was in a spit of trouble Having lost the key and not speaking a word of Catapult,

to know they were really ours.

Hmm I thought and knelt I best learn fast

By Michael Clampin

By Tom King

they said that god was hidden

modern day drifter

they said that God was hidden in the cracks between the walls somewhere behind the radiator but all i found out was that it’s hot as hell back there

Here is another advert.

I am being sold everything. I want nothing.

I want to live in the jungle.

I can’t get a break. I can no longer sleep on my pillows at night.

Or put on a pair of socks.

By Michael Clampin

There is no relation between people in the supermarket. Only between them and the walls. They are the supermarket.

review: uea creative writing

There is no drama to life. The world is uninhabitable. It does not need inhabitants. People is now a strong term that carries questions.

Some wish somewhere Gave me and everyone else a future in light.

anthology 2011 As you are all probably aware, UEA’s Creative Writing master’s boasts an extraordinary list of alumni. The names Anne Enright, Kazuo Ishiguro and (of course) Ian McEwan have been dripping off the lips of likeminded students for years. But with such a high profile course that has run for so long it is sometimes hard to know where to begin looking for ex-student’s work.

All hail the Creative Writing Anthology. £9.99 is just not a huge price to pay for such a wide smorgasbord of talent, and copies are almost certainly lurking somewhere in the library. The book is divided into three sections; Prose, Life Writing and Script Writing (Poetry gets its own publication) each with its own introduction by a resident MA tutor at UEA. I challenge anyone to become bored whilst reading, I started and finished the book in a day unable to stop myself from thinking “just one more, just one”. The collection spans from ghost stories to biography to artificially intelligent supermarkets. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s a good one.

The real advantage here is that even if a particular piece of writing doesn’t quite grab you it won’t be long until you are on to something completely different. The disadvantage is wanting some of the authors’ entire collection of works at your fingertips within moments of finishing their contributions.

But this is nothing a trip to Waterstones can’t fix, in fact the campus store currently has an entire display dedicated to Creative Writing alumni.

If you are a Creative Writing student, buy this book. If you are reading the Creative Writing section of Concrete, buy this book. If you are as obnoxiously proud of attending UEA as you should be, buy this book. Make sure to look out for Marianka Swain’s script and Rachel B. Doyle’s novel extract as particular treats.

Ellie Reynard

But this is our future.

We are here in the darkness.

By Tom King

concrete short story competition 1st Prize: £30 Waterstones Voucher 2nd Prize: £10 Waterstones Voucher Free to enter for all UEA students.

Closing date for entries: 20/04/2012 Submission rules: An original short story on any theme up to 2,000 words in length.

Send all entries to concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk in a Microsoft Word attachment with your name and a contact email address.

Winners will be announced and their stories published in the final issue of

17

27.03.2012

concrete.tv@uea.ac.uk

TELEVISION

the new student sitcom coming soon from uea:tv starring: sophie north, hayley hammond, tom castle and tom ritchie

Beer cans litter the room. Empty pizza boxes are on the table. Sofa cushions are in disarray.

To the naked eye, this is a standard “morning after the night before” in a student house, but in fact it’s the set of episode two of UEA:TV’s new self-produced sitcom Story Behind the Status.

After being revived at the start of this year, UEA:TV has recruited some new creative minds, from which Story Behind the Status has come. Co-Heads of Comedy Sam Richards and Libby Masters joined forces and together their comedy genius has created a 6-part show based around four friends at the fictional Horsewick University and their antics after they move into their second year house. However, as you can guess from the title, it’s more than just a show: each character has their own Facebook profile, and each episode will revolve around what happened to provoke the characters latest statuses. Their pages will be constantly

updated, not only by the writers but by the cast, as they live out the online lives of their adopted characters. Crewed by volunteers from the society and with a student cast collated from open auditions, filming for the first episode recently concluded, beginning the gruelling task of editing, and resisting the temptation to spend all day watching outtakes.

Nevertheless, later episodes are being written and filming has already begun on episode two;.

Of the future, co-writer Sam Richards said, “as much as I love these characters, it won’t be an easy road for them.” Only time will tell what’s in store for the characters in upcoming weeks, so keep an eye on UEA:TV for details of when the first episode will be released. Get ready to laugh your socks off! Unless you like your socks, in which case, we suggest you fasten them down, or wear shoes.

Bex White

then and now: the west wing, today

This year, Barack Obama will be challenged by a Republican hopeful in the presidential elections. The decision over who will be the lucky opponent is being dragged out, state to state, in the Republican nominations, as the candidates perform in a wild media circus, introducing themselves to the world. As we watch potential future Presidents become increasingly slanderous as the votes are counted, we can take refuge in a programme that remains as important in considering American politics as it did upon its debut.

From the moment that the pilot screened on NBC in 1999, The West Wing presented itself as a fast paced insight into the workings of fictional president Josiah Bartlet’s White House. Albeit an admittedly glamorised version of US politics, the show’s engaging,

witty dialogue and ambitious characters won legions of viewers and critical acclaim.

Despite the insistence of Leo McGarry, Bartlet’s Chief of Staff, that “there are two things in the world you never want to let people see how you make ‘em; laws and sausages”, Aaron Sorkin’s scripts captivated an audience living under the turbulent Bush administration.

The West Wing never shied away from being relevant to the political climate. Whilst airing, the show presented an alternative approach to topical issues, taking them away from the blundering clutches of George W. Bush and passing them into the capable hands of President Bartlet. Subjects like nuclear ambitions, oil, and the “War on Terror” were all discussed in the show’s storylines,

and it’s those political philosophies that still resonate in the current landscape. We can find ourselves drawing upon them to judge the Republican candidates, particularly when they address an issue key to American cultural identity: the relationship of Church and State. President Bartlet’s Catholicism is a key part of his character; he understands his faith and its place within his presidency, keeping a distance between what he believes and the decisions he has to make. However, in the season two episode The Midterms, he humiliates a homophobic radio host on her use of the Bible, a type of intervention perhaps missing in the continued influence of Rush Limbaugh.

Further similarities persist in the social positions of the candidates. In the show,

Governor Richie turns Bartlet’s education into a slur, disgracing him for being an “academic elitist.” Real-life candidate Rick Santorum made similar criticisms of Obama’s policies, calling him a “snob” for wanting college education for all Americans. Despite the apparent nonsensical tone of Santorum and others, they fulfil critical tropes seen again and again in US politics.

As the candidates reduce in number and the election draws closer, we should continue to think of The West Wing and the value of its satire and political positions, whilst hoping that none of the Republican candidates have the chance to follow in President Bartlet’s fictional footsteps.

Bridie Wilkinson

FILM

27.03.2012

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

18

the kid with a bike Finally the post-Oscar pre-summer slump has ended and here we have a French delight from the Dardenne Brothers that has been scooping up the alternative festival awards from Cannes and the European film awards.

The eponymous kid in The Kid With A Bike is Cyril Catoul (Thomas Doret) who has been abandoned by his father and put in a care home and, by a random act of kindness, is living at weekends with a hairdresser named Samantha. One of the questions asked in the film is “So why do you do it?” and the only answer given is “For you”.

The characters seem to have no motive for what they are doing. Cyril’s dad leaves him for no real reason, Samantha cares for him because she feels she should, and Cyril turns to gang solidarity because he has nothing better to do.

It reverses the typical story of a father searching for his child as Cyril desperately knocks on doors, answers ad-

verts and even steals money, only to find that his father never wants to see him again because he has decided he “can’t cope with the stress”. This all makes for a gritty, realistic story of a child living in a world where he has to face poverty and clings to any father figure he can, similar to the equally bicycle-themed Italian film Bicycle Thieves.

And the bike is just as important as the kid himself; it is his escape plan, his pastime and the last part of his life with his father that he has left. Possibly the most heartbreaking scenes are not when Cyril is without his father but when he is without his bike, because it is constantly being stolen from him. The film manages to follow everyday events like these without being boring and incorporates moments of drama, such as Cyril’s violent outbursts, without becoming melodramatic. It’s probably the energy from Cyril himself that gives the film pace. He is always running, not to

anything in particular but just running away in general, and the tracking camera shots follow this perfectly. The cinematography captures the bright colours of a pretend childhood at the care home and the Belgian countryside, and contrasts nicely with the dark streets of the neighbourhood where Cyril is drawn into crime.

You can see why this film won the highest accolade available at the Cannes Film Festival, above A Separation, but did not make the Oscars. Its story does not wrap up neatly enough or contain enough feel good heart warming moments to satisfy that kind of audience. But after viewing, you do walk away with a feeling that even though all is not well, Cyril has found some sort of happiness, and that is enough for this film.

Meg Fozzard

19

27.03.2012

in darkness

wild bill

A warning. Do not trust the marketing for this film. Ignore the trailer, ignore Zoo magazine’s recommendation. Because that would have you believe that Wild Bill is another Guy Richie rip-off. But in Wild Bill, director Dexter Fletcher has created a sweet, touching tale of fatherhood set in gangland London.

The film concerns infamous exgangster Bill Hayward (the excellent Charlie Creed-Miles) being released from prison to find his two estranged sons, Dean (Will Poulter) and Jimmy (Sammy Williams), living alone in squalor, and his attempt to clean up for their sakes. What separates Wild Bill from the countless

FILM

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

Richie wannabes is that, at its soul, it is a character piece, a film which examines a young family’s trials and tribulations.

There is all the effing and blinding you would expect from the genre, but it never feels false. If anything, the stereotypical gangster traits add to the sense that this is something different.

All in all, Wild Bill is a revelation. With an exceptional cast, strong script and very little gangster posturing, this film has defied expectation. If you were expecting Snatch 2, then be warned. If you want a film full of heart, then Wild Bill is for you.

James Lillywhite

In Darkness tells the true story of Leopold Socha, a Polish sewer inspector who harboured a group of terrified Jews in the underground sewers of Nazi-occupied Lvov. Unlike former Holocaust dramas, the film refuses to paint any of the characters (including the persecuted Jews) simply as unflawed victims. Director Agnieszka Holland instead dissects issues of morality and humanity both above and below ground, eschewing the sentimentality of Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. She spares the audience none of the brutality suffered by the Jews, including the pain inflicted upon themselves within the group. The film’s most striking scenes are those fleeting moments of humanity that remind the characters why they must endure this persecution. A child plays with a toy truck along the walls of the sewer

James Burrough

ranter’s corner

the hunger games First there was Harry Potter. Then came Twilight.

Now the latest teen novel to be adapted for the big screen is Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, and the great action sequences set it apart from its predecessors.

Expectation surrounding the book-to-screen adaption has not disappointed audiences. In contrast, having read the book sets you at a greater advantage, for at times plot intricacies can be hard to follow.

The story is centred on Katniss Everdeen

while his sister sings an uplifting song. A young couple consummates their love for each other beneath a pile of worn sheets, providing a brief respite from their depressing reality.

For a film that spends most of its runningtime underground, the cinematography is surprisingly laudable, capturing the squalid conditions of the dark sewers in vivid detail. The audience can almost smell the sewage and feel the damp. They share the characters’ claustrophobia and the sense of impending danger that looms throughout. As a result, In Darkness is not an easy watch. It is simultaneously haunting and uplifting. A worthy addition to the plethora of Holocaust dramas, it is certainly worth enduring.

(Jennifer Lawrence), who has taken on the pressures of the role admirably and performs exceptionally well. After North America is destroyed by war and famine, the Capitol renames the continent Panem, and divides the land into districts. Each year, two tributes from each district are chosen at random and forced to compete in a specially created arena which is broadcast to the people as a reminder of the Capitol’s power. To save her sister, Katniss offers herself as District 12’s volunteer, and enters an

arena where only one of the 24 tributes can survive. Think Battle Royale meets Big Brother.

Importantly, don’t go before 8pm or you will be ambushed by hundreds of 16 years olds swooning over the characters Peeta and Gale.

This is, after all, a film targeted at teenagers, which does send a rather bizarre message when they all start butchering each other in the arena.

Rachel Greene-Taylor

Trailers are essential in the marketing and advertising for any film, but someone in the office gets it wrong from time to time.

They mislead the audience and manipulate them in coming to the cinema on false pretences. Paying money to see a bad film is one thing, but paying money to see a film that you thought was going to be one thing and then turns out to be another is just plain frustrating. Some directors even pride themselves on making a product that you think is going to lead you down one path, but takes you down another.

This debate was enhanced this year as Sarah Deming from Michigan attempted to sue the distributors of Drive because she was expecting to see a film more akin to The Fast and the Furious series. Quentin Tarantino blamed the financial failure of the Grindhouse films in 2007 on the poor trailers promoting the film. He claimed that the marketing put people off going to see it, as it looked like there were two feature films back-to-back, a five hour extravaganza.

There are thousands of people out there who deserve their money back, especially for those who went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The trailer made it look anything but utter tosh.

Sam Langan

FILM

27.03.2012

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

21 jump street

20

the popcorn chart venue’s top 5 british gangster films

The teen comedy has seemingly been milked dry: done to death. The same can easily be said of the buddy cop film. It is easy then to dismiss 21 Jump Street as simply another entry into the catalogue of catastrophes that is the history of both genres.

The odd combination of genres is mirrored by the pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as leads. The plot, as in any buddy cop film, is paper thin, giving both actors little room to test themselves. However, this film is all about the jokes. Both actors display a deft comedic touch with a wide variety of humorous devices. Inevitably, this

quest to give the film a broad appeal leads to a hit and miss comedy, thankfully with more hits than misses. However, 21 Jump Street’s true value comes from its fearlessness. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have succeeded in creating a fresh and original balls-out comedy, formed entirely from the cliches of its genre.

Overall, 21 Jump Street is entertaining and at points hilarious, a good film which only becomes great when seen as a rebellion against the trashy restrictions of its genre.

Saul Holmes

we bought a zoo

The words “does what it says on the tin” do come to mind occasionally when you go to the cinema ... ok, a lot of the time. But honestly, in this case, it’s not a bad thing.

In Cameron Crowe’s latest film, Matt Damon plays bereaved husband Benjamin Mee who looks for a respite from the unfortunate fate that has befallen him. Along with his two children, he buys a zoo. Well, don’t we all? But Mee struggles to maintain the zoo as it approaches opening day, as well as clashing with his son over their sudden change in lifestyle. However, support is at hand from Scarlett Johansson’s zoo keeper and they all

manage to move on and live happily ever after, while Sigur Rós’ Hoppipolla plays blissfully to the setting sun. No, seriously.

The film is predictably very formulaic, meandering constantly between heartbreaking sentimentality and witty one-liners.

Crowe holds his crown up in this respect, but it is nowhere near his best work. Nevertheless, it is genuinely uplifting and a wonderful film to watch if you need to relieve yourself from stress over coursework and exams for a few hours. It certainly proved a wonder for this reviewer.

Sam Warner

sexy beast (2000) Sexy Beast doesn’t sound like a British gangster film, but that’s exactly what separates it from the rest. It’s an original and unconventional piece of British cinema. Ray Winstone plays Gal, a retired member of London’s grim underworld living in rural Spain with his beloved wife. Unexpectedly, Don Logan, played by Ben Kingsley, turns up and pressures Gal into taking one last job back in England.

Logan is morose, vindictive and a psychopath, everything Gal has run away from. In one sense it’s a black comedy, in another it’s a surreal Greek tragedy. Whatever it is, Sexy Beast rips up the rules of the British gangster model and transforms into a poetic masterpiece. layer cake (2004) When Guy Ritchie went off to America, his long-time producer Matthew Vaughn was left to direct this tale which revolves around the lower, middle and upper echelons of British crime. Vaughn brings a level of maturity and realism which is left waning in his previous partner’s work. A pre-Bond Daniel Craig plays the lead, a smart, professional drug pusher looking for a way out of the business. The supporting performances of Colm Meaney, Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, Michael Gambon and others are outstanding and give grace to the twisting and engaging narrative. get carter (1971) Set within the criminal underworld of 1970s Britain, Get Carter is a tough, loveless film that becomes even more iconic with age. Starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, the story follows a London-based gangster who returns to his roots in Newcastle when he hears about the death of his estranged brother. The character of Carter is a typical anti-hero and Caine

captures this with aplomb. As it starts to become clear that his brother was murdered, Carter starts terrorising the men and women he thinks had a part in his brother’s death.

Even 40 years on, the film is still as brutal and controversial.

the long good friday (1980) Arguably, Bob Hoskins has never played a more famous role than that of Harold Shand, an old fashioned gangster facing the changing landscape of British crime. The film is set in Thatcher’s Britain: political corruption, IRA terrorism and the boom and bust of big business is rife. Shand is trying to go legitimate with the backing of the American mafia. But due to a series of explosions around the capital, his plans for a life away from crime are put in jeopardy. As Shand tries to find out who is behind the violence, he starts to lose grip on his whole operation. lock, stock and two smoking barrels (1998) Lock, Stock is a British success story: a major hit at the box office yet made on a tight budget with an eclectic cast. Writer/director Guy Ritchie’s debut feature is unique in every sense, but the strongest element of the film is the diversity of the ensemble cast. Eddy loses big in a card game with an evil mob boss.

In order to win back the money that he and his friends owe, they attempt to steal a large amount of drugs from a local crime syndicate.

The combination of slapstick humour, combined with the violent activities of the cockney criminals, makes the film an electric ride.

Sam Langan

21

27.03.2012

FILM

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

film preview:

the rise and rise of michael fassbender

prometheus

2009 saw the release of Quentin Tarantino’s much anticipated seventh film, Inglorious Basterds, and helped rejuvenate the career of a middle-aged Austrian actor by the name of Christoph Waltz. But it also kick started another actor’s career, that of Michael Fassbender.

From a character who’s principal purpose was to show us that Germans indicate three on their hands differently to us (I’ve checked, it’s true), within three years Michael Fassbender has gone on to play Magneto in X-Men: First Class, Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method and Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre whilst acting alongside the likes of Viggo Mortensen, James McAvoy and Keira Knightley … and he’s only 34.

Clearly then his career has advanced at an astronomical speed but unlike some other actors whose stars have recently risen, he has avoided being typecast; the most obvious comparison being Robert Pattinson, who will struggle to distance himself from the Twilight films. Instead Michael Fassbender has successfully plied his trade in both bid budget Hollywood blockbusters and small-scale indie films playing a whole array of varied characters and

omnipresence throughout the film Of course, Alien cannot be discussed without considering Sigourney Weaver’s role as Ellen Ripley. Weaver was thrust into the spotlight following her role, earning a Bafta nomination and taking her first step on the road to becoming the “Queen of Sci-Fi”. Ripley was one of the first major female protagonists in a major Hollywood science fiction production, a fact that was rather groundbreaking at the time.

She was not a secondary character, a love interest or just there for eye candy. She was running around the spaceship with a large flamethrower. This changed the game, and in most strong female leads in modern science fiction or horror, you can see a glimpse of Ripley.

There are many more things that could be discussed here: Scott’s anxiety-inducing direction, the shocking chest-burster sequence, and the fantastic supporting cast. But when it comes down to it, taking the legacy and status away, with Alien you are left with a truly effective, timeless film. And that is what makes it a modern classic.

It has been a long wait. 30 years have passed since Ridley Scott last took the reigns of a science fiction film, since Blade Runner left its indelible mark on cinema. Prometheus (released on June 1), descending from Scott’s acclaimed Alien, marks his anticipated return to the genre, and to a universe he first brought to life in 1979. Understandably, the mouths of many have been salivating like, well, a xenomorph’s.

That comparison, however, wears thin. It has been refuted that the iconic extraterrestrial antagonist of the original could make an appearance in what will be, presumably, a prequel to the events witnessed through the eyes of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. Instead, Prometheus could unleash a new, terrifying monster. Be prepared. However, by distancing itself from aspects of its predecessor, Prometheus has taken bold steps towards a new audience (something that will only be aided by a talented ensemble that includes Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender), while nods to Scott’s classic will cater for those who embraced the series 33 years ago.

In actuality, little is known of Prometheus’ narrative or the true extent of its relationship to its ancestor, with Scott having stated ambiguously that the film will contain “strands of Alien DNA.” Thus far, the secrecy has been preserved through a meticulously crafted marketing campaign that has seemed intent on cryptically revealing information. But make no mistake: what has been revealed looks spectacular. Its trailers have combined the thematic and the visceral, offering glimpses of intriguing imagery, of a foreign planet, mythological symbols, and a lot of impending fear. They evoke the art design of HR Giger, and there are references to objects and creatures seen but never explored in the original that could prove integral to Prometheus’ plot. Even its title is typographically symmetrical to Alien’s DNA: Scott wasn’t lying. But all this conjures are unlimited questions: will it explore the origin of the xenomorph? What about style, will it follow the minimalist approach of Alien? And what, exactly, is causing so much doom?

Prometheus, right now, is an enigma. Until its release, that is the way it should remain: a project that leaves its fans tantalisingly short of absolutes, blending familiarity with mystery. In a viral short, Fassbender’s android David has claimed: “Big things have small beginnings.” He should not be so modest. Prometheus has the potential to be even bigger than its forebear.

James Lillywhite

Kieran Rogers

receiving critical acclaim for each portrayal. In the same year he has played an iconic mutant who can control metal in one film and in another a man in his mid-30s dealing with sex addiction.

In no more certain terms were his acting abilities demonstrated then through his performance in the film Shame which was described as “brilliant and ferocious” and for which he received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice film awards, as well as Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and even led some to call for an Oscar nomination.

Now fresh off the heels from the critically commended Haywire and due to appear in Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Alien prequel Prometheus in the summer, with a further outing with Ridley Scott in the works, his career appears to have only just begun. If the next three years go as well as the previous three have, then it is safe to say that the name Michael Fassbender might become one which we will all have to get used to, but hey, what’s so bad about that?

Alex Dobrik

modern classics: alien (1979) “In space, no one can hear you scream.” The haunting words from the trailer to Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien. Has a tagline ever summed up a film so perfectly?

Tense, terrifying and totally immersive, Alien was released to critical and financial acclaim. Finding suspense in silence, as all the truly chilling films do, Alien took the horror genre into space, putting the unlucky crew of the Nostromo against a stronger, more intelligent and seemingly undefeatable enemy.

Praised at the time for its special effects and the design of the alien itself, the film has been highly influential, with multiple successful sequels and spin offs released. In Alien, we have a true masterpiece of the genre and of modern cinema.

At the centre of it all is the xenomorph alien itself. A towering creature of incredible agility and speed. A hunter that bleeds acid. A mysterious being that is born via human chests. This was a terrifying creation, made even more so by the fact you barely ever see it. Indeed, it was even designed to blend in with the dark walls and large wires that adorned the walls of the Nostromo. Whether hidden in the shadows or crawling through the air vents with only a faint beep to tell you where it is, the xenomorph creates a terrifying sense of

COMPETITIONS

27.03.2012

22

concrete.competitions@uea.ac.uk

across

3. What film has become the most successful horror film since records began 20 years ago? (3, 5, 2, 5) 6. How many world records does Andrew Flintoff hold? (7) 7. Which two time world darts champion died recently? (6, 6) 10. What do Panda Bears eat? (6) 12. What song did Katy Perry cover in Radio 1’s Live Lounge, which is also a famous city? (5) 14. What is the name of the Sport Relief single? (5) 17. What is the highest peak in South America? (9) 18. Which cricketer has reached the milestone of scoring 100 international centuries? (6, 9) 19. Who painted the last Supper? (8, 2, 5) 20. What’s the largest lizard species? (6, 6)

1 3

2 4

5 6

7

8

9 10

11

12 13

down

14

1. What’s the best-selling single/volume book of all time? (1, 4, 2, 3, 6) 2. What’s the largest lake in England? (10) 4. Who is England’s representative in this year’s Eurovision song contest?

(9, 11) 5. What’s the capital of Jamaica? (8) 8. Who is the Father of the House in the House of Parliament? (3, 5, 7) 9. Apart from Great Britain, which is the other nation attempting to break the land speed record? (9) 11. Which animal’s name comes first in a standard dictionary? (8) 13. A noble gas (5) 15. Which former Blue Peter presenter has recently discussed his experiences with web trolls? (7) 16. What month has the highest average temperature in England? (4)

16 17

18

19

20

I L

S P

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O Y

word wheel:

puzzle (left):

see how many words

requires numbers

you can make.

You

must use the centre

letter in every word

There

is at least one

nine letter word to be found.

1-9

in

each, row, column and shaded box.

mini sudoku (right): requires

1-6

column and

in each row,

2 x3

box.

courtesy of john white

WIN DELILAH TICKETS Win two tickets to see Delilah at the Watefront!

15

certainly an act to watch this year. Her YouTube channel has already had three million views, and Go was A-listed on Radio 1.

Following the release of her debut album From The Roots Up yesterday (26 March), Concrete has two tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner to see 21-year-old British singer-songwriter Delilah at the Waterfront on Sunday 22 April.

Having released her second single Go, on 19 December last Delilah has also performed year, which reached 17 in the alongside Emilie Sande and British singles chart, Delilah is been shortlisted for the MTV

Brand New for 2012 list, joining previously listed acts such as Jessie J and Tinie Tempah.

Tickets are available for £9 from UEA ticket bookings website and the campus ticket office.

To be in with a chance of winning, just submit your completed crossword to Union House reception by 12pm on Thursday 29 March.

The winner will be contacted that day and tickets will be left at Union House reception.

23 Tuesday 27th March 2012 LCR Club Nights: Fashion Disaster (10pm) Price: £3.50 UEA LCR Wednesday 28th March 2012 Waterfront Gigs: UFO (7:30pm) Price: £20.00 The Waterfront Waterfront Gigs: The Queers (7pm) Price: £9.00 The Waterfront C*A*B*A*R*E*T Comedy Night (8pm) Price: £2 The Birdcage Waterfront Gigs: Flux Pavilion (7:30pm) Price: £8.50 The Waterfront Thursday 5th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Rocket From The East - Semi Finals (7pm) Price: £4.00 The Waterfront Thursday 12th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: The Black Sharks @ The Waterfront Studio (7:30pm)Price: £5.00 The Waterfront

27.03.2012 concrete.listings@uea.co.uk

27 march Thursday 29th Gravy & Werewolf Promotions Present: The Minutes details (7pm) Price: £3 Take 5 The 39 Steps (7:30pm) Price: £9 Assembly House

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26 APRIL 2012 Friday 30th March 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Los Campesinos!

(7pm) Price: £10.00 The Waterfront

Waterfront Gigs: Rocket From The East Semi Finals (7pm) Price: £4.00 The Waterfront

LCR Gigs: Cher Lloyd - The Sticks and Stones Tour (7:30pm) Price: £15.50 UEA LCR

Wednesday 4th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Rocket From The East Semi Finals (7pm) Price: £4.00 The Waterfront

The Tilting Sky presents These Ghosts + Deers + The Soft + Rory Hill (8pm) Price: £6 adv/ £8 door Norwich Arts Centre

Tuesday 3rd April 2012 LCR Gigs: McFly (7pm) Price: £27.50 UEA LCR

Waterfront Gigs: From The Jam + Twisted Piglet (7:30pm) Price: 20.00 The Waterfront

Sunday 15th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: We Are The In Crowd + Every Avenue (7pm) Price: £10.00 The Waterfront

Friday 13th April 2012 Waterfront Club Nights: Color & MC Esksman presents Overload On Tour (10pm) Price: £12.50 / £10 (NUS) Adv The Waterfront Saturday 14th April 2012 LCR Gigs: The Golden Years 2012 (6:30pm) Price: £10.00 UEA LCR

LISTINGS

Saturday 21st April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Twin Atlantic (7pm) Price: £12.00 The Waterfront Sunday 22nd April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Delilah The Waterfront (7pm) Price: £9.00

LCR Gigs: Emeli Sande (7:30pm) Price: £15.00 UEA LCR

Wednesday 25th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Deaf Havana (7:30pm) Price: £10.00 The Waterfront Thursday 26th April 2012 Waterfront Gigs: Feeder (7:30pm) Price: £20.00 The Waterfront Waterfront Gigs: Rocket From The East The Finals The Waterfront (7pm) Price: £5.00

get that summer feeling Lectures and seminars are almost over; exams are looming and nights out in the city centre have been replaced by late night library sessions. This may seem a bleak time as students start to stress over their degrees, however this not so. It is quite the opposite actually. The lake becomes a hive of activity with hundreds of students enjoying themselves, with barbeques galore and general merriment being had. There is also the massive event out that is ‘Pimp My Barrow’. Organised by RAG this is charity event sees a thousands of UEA’s students design a barrow before wheeling around the city to different pubs.

Last year saw designs range from Thunderbirds to the Spice Girls. The day has a real festival feel to it, well organised and it’s all for a good cause so it is highly recommended to attend. The LCR will still be home to a variety of live music from big names in music as well as an assortment of club nights. The Waterfront will do the same. UEA students will continue to perform either comedy or music at places such as the Birdcage and Olives. There is also the most important thing … The weather. Last year’s weather was glorious and if it’s the same this year I am certain that the mood around campus will be much more jovial then first expected.

Sam Tomkinson

Photo by Harriet Jones

Aaron Toumazou

the kaos fashion show 2012

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING? check out or write for our brand new blog:

ueastudentblog.com

or email union.communications@uea.ac.uk The Union of UEA Students is a registered charity England and Wales no 1139778

Page three

The kaos fashion show 2012

“Fashions fade, style is eternal” - Yves Saint Laurent Revolutionz Ark

House of Fraser

Aaron Toumazou

Ga Chun Yau

Maddie Russell

Maddie Russell

Elements

“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat - you lost control of your life, so bought some sweatpants” - Karl Lagerfeld Poppy Valentine

Ark

New Look

Greg Mann

Ga Chun Yau

Aaron Toumazou

Aaron Toumazou

Revolutionz

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world” - Marylin Monroe Page three

The kaos fashion show 2012

the kaos fashion show 2012

Elements

Ark

Laura Smith

Maddie Russell

Aaron Toumazou

New Look

the kaos fashion show 2012

page five

New Look

Warehouse

Greg Mann

The kaos fashion show 2012

Laura Smith

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"It’s a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together." - Alexander McQueen

biggest poser

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the concrete swag award

best accessory

The kaos fashion show 2012

worst outfit

best outfit

best model hottest guy

the kaos fashion show 2012

the kaos fashion show 2012

hottest girl

page five

The kaos fashion show 2012

Page six

... and some more abs

More abs

Smart

Pretty pastels

Abs

Gorg

eous

vintage

Fierce Tropical prints and Pocahontas hair

Vintage Retreat backstage

er y farm x e s e Th we dig

Afro-caribbean society backstage

Last minute touch-ups

ed t in r o h ' in Smok

look licious

Swaga

This girl knows how to rock a one-piece

Tequila duck

Bringing 1940s hair to UEA

Brightens nude with a red lip

Sassitude

Cute in stripes

pull out: hannah britt milly sampson photography: laura smith greg mann ga chun yau maddie russell aaron toumazou susanna wood hannah britt

Prim in purple

Sexin g the s up now

y

Cheek

The hosts: Puja & Jacob

The founder: Gbemi

The kaos fashion show 2012

Jay Z/Kanye West - Niggaz In Paris * The Cataracs - Top of the World * Amanda Blank - Might Like You Better * Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn * Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning * DEV - Booty Bounce * Marina & the Diamonds - Oh No * M83 - Midnight City * New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream * Fanny Pack - Hey Mami * Nicki Minaj - Starships * Sneaky Sound System - We Love * The Strokes - Taken For A Fool * The Ting Tings - Hang It Up

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Ga Chun Yau

miss the show? hit up www.concrete-online.co.uk to relive the magic . . .