Venue - Issue 283 - 23 April 2013

Issue 283 Tuesday 23 April 2013

VENUE

www.concrete-online.co.uk Fashion - New Student Brand: Moloch T-Shirts, page 9.

Film - Dory and Drugs (but not at the same time), page 10-13.

Creative Writing - Endings and Beginnings, page 16-17.

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VENUE CONTENTS

Tuesday 23 April 2013

ISSUE 283

concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk

Editor-in-Chief | Amy Adams Venue Editors | Rachael Lum and Matt Tidby Music | Editors | Hayden East and Sam Warner Music Contributors> Jack Enright, Caitlin Gray, Henry Burrell, Harry Denniston, Alex Flood and Hayden East Fashion | Editors | Jess Beech and Lucy Jobber Fashion Contributors> Ella Sharp, Gemma Carter and Jess Beech Film | Editors | Kieran Rogers and Andrew Wilkins Film Contributors> Jonathan Blair, Luke Channell, Ha Nguyen, Charlotte Flight, Adam White, Andrew Hamilton, Melissa Taylor, Holly Wade, Kieran Rogers and Andrew Wilkins Television | Editor | Ellissa Chilley Television Contributors> Jame Sykes, Romy Higgins, Sam Day and Matt Tidby Creative Writing | Editor | Matthew Mulcahy Creative Writing Contributors> Michael Clampin, Django Robinson, Rebecca Hedger, Tom King and Holly McDede Gaming | Editor | Oliver Balaam Gaming Contributors> Adam Riza and Oliver Balaam Arts | Editor | Hatty Farnham Arts Contributors> Callum Graham, Jack Perkin, Tom Cullimore and Holly McDede Competitions/Listings | Editor | Amelia Edwards

From the Editors Greetings and Salutations, Dear Reader!

It’s going to be very difficult for us to move on from doing Venue. Optimists would say that we are endearingly over-sentimental about this odd little publication, friends worry about our over-attachment and/or cynics might be tempted to suggest we’re just incredibly power-hungry. Whatever it is, it’s going to be strange not submitting ourselves to creative imprisonment in this office on a regular basis. We’re expecting withdrawal symptoms.

That’s a harsh description. Truthfully, we have absolutely adored working with so many fabulous people. We are incredibly proud of what all our section editors have achieved this year, and would like to take this opportunity to tell them all that they are destined to do even greater things, in nicer offices than this one. Lastly, we must also use this last chance to tell Chris Teale, Harry Slater and Amy Adams that they are our favourite people.

Oh, and you, of course. Thanks for reading, chaps.

Rachael and Matt Photo: Holly Maunders

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MUSIC

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

feature

BREAKING: APRIL

Continuing his monthly series, Jack Enright highlights April’s rising acts.

The rationale behind the obsessive penchant that certain producers seem to hold for gaudy, somewhat flashy masks (think Daft Punk, Deadmau5, SBTRKT) is not at all clear, but from what we’ve heard from the cabals most recent addition, Brolin (pictured, above left), it’s a fashion that will hang on a while yet.

While information on this secretive Londoner is seriously thin on the ground, his brand of ghost-electro has been met with far-reaching acclaim.

Even heavyweight broadsheets like The Guardian were picking up on his debut single, NYC, when it surfaced last year not bad for a bedroom producer with less than 500 Twitter followers. A heartfelt ode to the city that gave the track it’s name, NYC carries the mournful air of much emotional bruising. Masked-man he may be, but Brolin still wears his heart on his sleeve - “life is short” laments the enigmatic producer, “take a moment if you happen to trip and fall.” A tender, hopeful piano refrain lends a touch of resolution, however, as Brolin concludes; “NYC is the place I have to be.”

The release that has been really getting the music world’s knickers in a twist, however, is his recent Cundo EP, released late last month. Lead track Reykjavik

sees shuffling, spiralling drum lines and cascades of punchy key chords cast a groove worthy of Hot Chip at their zenith, while Brolin’s fragile, Joe Mountesque lullabies soothe your ears like an acoustic balm. Thoughtful, pained electro is quite the vogue at the moment - think James Blake, Jamie xx, etc - yet what we’ve heard from Brolin thus far is enough to mark him out as equal to these artists. At this rate it can’t be long before Calvin Harris starts prancing about in some masquerade-ball getup.

Occasionally, by some sort of fluke of the fates, when the planets align and blessed bloodlines cross, you see the advent of a band that have the potential to just be really bloody good. Neonfaith (pictured, above right) are one of those bands. While Brolin stands in thrall to the bright lights and stirring vitality of New York, the Queens-bred Neonfaith have emerged from the big city’s more obscure nooks and crannies.

This is a band that has lurked in shadowy obscurity for an infuriatingly long time, having first shown up on the radar around six months ago when a handful of tracks dropped over Soundcloud. However it’s been very quiet since then, and all we’ve had recently

is a tentative promise of an LP release sometime over the next few months.

Yes, the releases we have to go on are few and far between, but the material we’ve heard so far is enough to warrant this excitement. Escape perfectly showcases their deliriously addictive interweaving of downbeat drum loops and shimmering guitar strains, while Megan Faye provides the melancholy retro-soul vocals.

While little is known about these guys, one thing we do know is that they are all rooted musically in hip-hop and rap - an influence that is clear in this track at least.

The looped-sample drumbeat that makes the track so addictive could easily have been lifted from a Nas mixtape, and gives the whole track a nostalgic, 90s vibe.

This is not to say that is feels derivative, however - Neonfaith have picked up on an aspect of a genre and taken it in very different directions, in this case splicing together hip hop beats with soulful, downbeat electro.

Equally as impressive is Tied Together, a brooding, minimalist number of layered percussion and percolating chimes. Here Faye’s sultry vocals lend the track an air of the lovelorn and disenchanted, as she appeals for that which “tastes like springtime on the breeze/something

different, something new”. Fitting lyrics for this band who, by blending genres so spectacularly, are blowing away genreboundary cobwebs with every release.

Electronic and folk - two very different areas of music. Compare two artists that seem to epitomise these respective genres most fully, say Kraftwerk and Dylan for example, and it seems hard to find much middle ground between the two.

That, however, is exactly what Mt. Wolf have done with their two opening EPs, combining light-touch synth modulations and hushed drum lines with the heartfelt confessionals of folk music.

Life Size Ghosts, their standout track so far, combines all these elements with ethereal vocal harmonies and glittering guitars. Released last year, this EP put the band on the musical map and when their follow up Hypolight dropped in April they began to really put together some momentum. They have something of a mini-tour kicking off this May, and although they won’t be visiting Norwich, they will be well worth checking out in the future.

Admittedly, this summer’s weather may be shaping up to be thoroughly lacklustre - but at least the soundtrack should be pretty good.

MUSIC

23.04.2013 concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

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interview

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BLOSSOM RECORDS

Celebrating their first birthday with a newly-found permanent premises on the Lanes, Hayden East sits down with Blossom Records to talk about their year.

Whye Tchien Khor

Snow infiltrates the recently opened Blossom Records, as Norwich receives an unwelcome spring snowstorm. “Still, it’s better than working on the market!” answers its owner, Blossom Blois.

Indeed, from working at a Sainsbury’s checkout to stocking records in her own shop, it becomes clear that she’s weathered enough personal storms to be in the position she’s currently in.

This month marks the company’s first birthday after a year of many incarnations. Together with business partner Adi Walder, Blossom originally started the company on eBay before securing a stall on the Norwich Market.

“At first it was a bit of a laugh; we both hated our jobs,” Adi says. “Working in the market is an easy-entry way to start your own business, but it taught us that we needed to sell our products in a different location.” The pair may have been trading in the wrong place, but their mission statement remains the same: a grassroots approach to selling music, with a heavy focus on recycling.

Blossom, a graduate from Norwich

University of the Arts, recounts the “karmic events” that led to the company’s newly-found permanent premises: “We used to take a 40-minute walk to the market to set up every day, and each time we would walk along Bridewell Alley. One day, there was a note on one of the shop’s windows that said it was available to rent. I said to myself ‘I have to have it!’” She smiles, wide-eyed.

“I always thought it would make an amazing record shop.” Her enthusiasm is evident, though Blossom and Adi both stress the struggles encountered to get the business off the ground.

“We had to sell everything we owned,” she says, matching her passion with determination. For Adi however, the biggest setbacks occurred more recently. “Trying to convince banks to provide us with the funding has been the most difficult challenge. If we originally had access to the money we have now, we would have had the shop in a much more business-ready condition than it is at the moment.” When Blossom recalls banks turning the pair away after

previously agreeing to match their own funds, it seems as though Adi’s visible agitation is justified. “Banks need to have more faith in grassroots businesses” he argues.

In fact, it’s Blossom Records’ friendly, hands-on approach to business that makes the company such a perfect fit for the Norwich Lanes, renowned for its heritage and independent shops. “As soon as we opened our shop door, our neighbours came out to support us,” Adi says. Prior to our conversation, Blossom and Adi were finishing a meeting with a local audio supplier who’s set to provide the shop with turntables. “We’re all pulling together for the same cause,” he adds. “The only businesses surviving are small ones, and that’s why the Lanes are so important.”

With the recent liquidation of HMV, the cynical among us may see the venture as a case of bad timing. But for Adi vinyl represents what Blossom Records is trying to do as a business.

“We’re trying to take things back a couple of decades to what HMV began

as, before everything went wrong,” he says. “We’re recreating that old concept of a record shop as a centre of the local community. We do the same thing as the Bridewell museum: we offer nostalgia.”

As well as records, the shop also sells vintage clothing sourced from across the country, ranging from tweed jackets to Levi’s jeans.

However, both Adi and Blossom are uninterested in appearing exclusive to any specific generation. “It’s not a selfish venture. We hope this place can offer something for everyone.” Adi says, touching wood. Blossom hopes that the shop can get involved in charity work before it reaches its second birthday, but it’s her long-term goals that are most exciting. “We have a cellar downstairs that is perfect for a small recording studio,” she reveals, fuelling Adi’s dream of Blossom Records becoming its own independent record label. With passion, drive and one foot firmly placed in the past, Blossom Records is soon to become what its owners envisage: “a beacon for people to feel positive about.”

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MUSIC

concrete.music@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

live review

Caitlin Gray

COUNTRY TO COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL London, O2 Arena 16.3.13 - 17.3.13 Caitlin Gray During the 16 and 17 of March, the UK welcomed a little slice of Nashville as the O2 Arena opened its doors to the inaugural Country to Country (C2C) music festival. Spread over two days, the festival featured eight country music superstars from across the pond as well as numerous pop-up stages scattered around the venue, and a “Town Square” area selling food and merchandise.

The line-up highlighted the great variations of the country music genre from bluegrass, to country-rock, to crossover country-pop superstars.

Although the stalls selling rhinestone jeans, tasselled denim shirts and more cowboy boots than you can even imagine

might have been a little tacky, the arena was filled with over 13,000 countryloving Brits ready to see some of the best Nashville has to offer, right here on home soil.

BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris compered the event, and opened by saying, “For many of us, this weekend is the fulfilment of a life-long dream to see country music recognised and appreciated in the UK.” Saturday’s openers included singersongwriter Kristian Bush, one half of award-winning duo Sugarland, performing a simple set in which he previewed his upcoming album, and Little Big Town whose close harmonies were as astonishing live as they are on record. They closed their set with a rendition of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, proving that any decent pop song can be countrified - complete with banjos, fiddle and double bass.

The night’s headliner was superstar Tim McGraw, who has had 11 consecutive albums debut at Number One on the Billboard album charts, which makes it crazy to think that most Brits have never heard of him. His set

was fantastic: not much of a talker, McGraw played hit after hit ranging from tracks first released over 15 years ago, right up to his newest single – his first single to receive a UK release – Nashville Without You. Sunday began with country-rock newcomer Brantley Gilbert, with LeAnn Rimes following. She blew the audience away with her incredible vocals, and appeared genuinely taken aback by the support of the crowd after three standing ovations. You could have heard a pin drop during her a capella rendition of Amazing Grace as she closed her set.

Darius Rucker was up next, and was already known by many in the audience as front man for 90s rock band Hootie and the Blowfish. Having recently transitioned into a very successful country music career, Rucker’s set didn’t disappoint and he really got the crowd pumped up and ready for Sunday’s headliner.

Closing out the entire weekend was country-pop princess Carrie Underwood (pictured above). Underwood has played England only once before and with

four studio albums to choose from, she played a great mix of old and new tracks, giving long-time fans a chance to hear all the songs they love, right back to first album hits. Her vocals were flawless and she had everyone up and singing along for her entire set.

Overall, the weekend was simply incredible. In the UK, country music receives next to no radio airplay time; imported albums can cost upwards to £20, and artists very rarely include a stop on their tours our side of the pond. Country music is generally very misunderstood by Brits, defined by Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton with songs about misery, heartbreak, dogs and tractors.

However, with the emergence of so many country-pop crossover acts such as Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum expanding their fan bases in the UK and across the world, the genre is finally beginning to receive the recognition it deserves here. With the C2C Festival looking set to become an annual event, it appears as though the UK won’t be neglected much longer.

MUSIC

23.04.2013 concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

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album reviews YEAH YEAH YEAHS MOSQUITO

Henry Burrell

JAMES BLAKE OVERGROWN Harry Denniston

No matter how many thousands of words are written about this album, it will come down to the cerebral and idiosyncratic response of each listener that reflects its real power: Blake’s music has that incredible ability to carve a very personal place in a listener’s mind that makes them feel they are alone with the music. Even the more intense tracks like Voyeur, with its beautifully tender and misleading opening and cowbell-driven beat, feel like they are made for the brain to dance to, not the body.

The first listen of each song is a fantastic experience: there are many

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Choirs, weird artwork and more instruments. One-upmanship is a common thing between bands - rivals that go bigger and better on their newest releases in an attempt to blow the other out of the water. This can often go terribly wrong (hi there, Kings of Leon).

It’s a much more curious thing altogether when a band simply one-ups itself every time they release an album, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of those bands.

Mosquito is the New Yorker’s fourth studio album. They don’t come around very often but when they do we and the media fall in love with them all over again, they soundtrack our summers and then they disappear. For ages. It’s been four years since their last album, but from the opening seconds of first track Sacrilege, you know they were never really gone.

Karen O has the ability to make every half-baked rhyming couplet

sound amazing, even when it’s “fallen for a guy, fell down from the sky”. The song takes place “in our bed” and as the steady, familiar ride and snare of drummer Brian Chase tumbles into view it is glorious business as usual as the Broadway Inspirational Voices join in for the thrilling climax.

But this isn’t a bad thing. Ever since they arrived on the NYC scene in 2001, alongside The Strokes and Interpol, they have been continuously evolving. Anyone who says those two bands’ best albums aren’t their debuts is lying. Yet Yeah Yeah Yeahs don’t fall into that trap. Each new album is a brilliant new chapter of their life as a band. Subway gently and beautifully samples the simple clickclack of an underground train as Karen O laments a fleeting moment in time.

The spiky title track and the thundering, disco flecked Slave continue to slap you about the face and remind

you that this is a band in the vein of old, from the pre-Internet days where a band still had a mystique. They are only ever judged, and loved, by what they create and that is a marker of a truly great group.

Area 52 begins with a futuristic Kinks riff before sirens burst the song into life and into space. Buried Alive features enigmatic rapper Dr Octagon and is produced by LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, but it never feels like a cashin. Because when a song pulsates with foreboding bass, laser-spike guitars and the commanding voice of a rap overlord, it’s only ever going to be amazing.

Mosquito won’t get played on Radio 1, but it will get played at parties, in cars, at barbeques and in bedrooms, because that’s where they belong. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band to treasure and hey, they made a choir sound good on a rock record. Kudos.

moments of sudden, breathtaking beauty that arrive undiluted, leaving you marvelling at just what Blake has done with this key change or that distortional effect. The most noticeable development is an increase in Blake’s straight-up singing, which gives Overgrown a more human heart than his debut had, and there are bolder textures too: the astonishing crashing canyondrums on I Am Sold, for example, which also demonstrates Blake’s ability to make a haunting chorus out of a repeated and manipulated phrase.

There is one loose screw though. Take A Fall For Me (feat. RZA) might have worked thematically, but it stands out like a sore thumb in every other sense, wrenching the listener out of the world that has been so painstakingly created.

Fortunately every other track more than makes up for this blip. Digital Lion leads you down step by step into Blake’s dazzling mind, with the kind of multidimensional depth that space and careful sparsity are supposed to create. Then there’s nomadic, panoramic opener Overgrown, the Anthony-esque DLM with its wunderkind piano wanderings, and the most instantly gratifying Life Round Here, which sounds like a Justin Timberlake vinyl left to melt outside in the sun.

Blake has created his own musical language altogether - an important and valuable development for music of any genre. The young London producer is a modern genius, and Overgrown will talk to everyone in a different way, explaining just why in its own words.

TRIBES WISH TO SCREAM

opener and recently released single Dancehall instantly reveals the blues and Americana-inspired feel evident throughout the record. Moving forward from their own brand of melancholic Indie-rock, influences like Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young are obvious and help create a more traditional rock ‘n’ roll feel, but retain the huge, anthemic choruses that made Baby such a success.

Score one to the Camden boys.

This feeling of progression is continued on the next track Get Some Healing with Johnny Lloyd proclaiming the band’s desire to “keep on moving” over an elegant yet powerful piano line. Standout track How the Other Half Live is Tribes’ first attempt at a political commentary and takes the form of a fantastic, Stonesy rocker culminating in a rip-roaring solo from Lloyd. It’s Tribes’ best effort to date.

Single Wrapped Up in a Carpet is a perfect example of Tribes’ bigger sound: keys, horns and strings, a Dylan-esque vocal from a quite frankly exhilarating Lloyd, complete with a sexy sax solo.

The second half of the record however does not live up to the first. Englishman on a Sunset Boulevard is an effective rewrite of Baby stalwart Corner of an English Field, but borrows a little too much from Oasis’ Don’t Look Back in Anger.

Altogether there is too much filler on the other side of the record. That is, of course, until album closer Street Dancin’, ending the record in a haze of Miles Davis licks and Be-bop brilliance with a trumpet solo the Prince of Darkness would have been proud of himself. Camden has never seemed so far away.

Alex Flood

Wish to Scream sees the return of Camden four-piece Tribes for the notoriously “terrrificult” second album, only made harder by the extraordinary success of debut record Baby. Seemingly seeking a fresh batch of vibes and a newer sound, the band decided to decamp to the States for the recording process.

Obviously feeling confident they chose LA’s famous Sound City Studios, famously where Nirvana and Fleetwood Mac recorded their mercurial institutions of guitar rock, Nevermind and Rumours respectively. A bold move indeed.

Tribes do not disappoint. Album

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SMOKIN’ Penguins in Clothes Knitted jumpers are so last season, but we’ll let this little guy off...

Optomistic dressing The slightest bit of sun and there are men in shorts. We like.

CHOKIN’

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FASHION

concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

Spring Cleaning Your Wardrobe

Ella Sharp

As the winter months leave us behind, the need for granddad cardigans and thick woolly tights have gone. Spring is just around the corner but before you run to the lake, cider in hand, take an afternoon to look through your wardrobe.

Your pretty camisoles and summer dresses might be hidden under mounds of winter knits and no one wants to spend time hunting for their prettiest blouse when the sun might creep behind those clouds any moment.

Start by taking all the winter regulars that you know you’ll wear again, the big cardigans, Christmas jumpers and the thermal leggings no one knows about, and store them in boxes under your bed so they’re easily accessible for those dreary days that are bound to return. Also do this with clothes you have a sentimental attachment too, such as a prom dresses.

This saves throwing them out and creates

lots of space for new clothes.

Go through everything in your wardrobe systemically. Try everything on, not only will it inspire you to create new outfits, but you can have a really objective look at everything you own.

Be ruthless! We all have clothes in wrong sizes, wrong fit or just plain wrong – and it’s time to get rid of them. But remember, your trash might be another’s treasure, so shove everything you don’t want into bin bags and take them to your local charity shop, or if they’re in decent condition, eBay them! Anything with holes, missing buttons or broken zips should be chucked out.

Clearing out accessories is much the same process. Battered shoes that you once loved can be re-heeled so don’t throw them out on a whim. However re-heeling is never cheap so think carefully about whether it will be worth it. Any bags that

have lost their shape or have un-repairable holes should be chucked; no charity shop wants un-useable goods. You shouldn’t be afraid of the needle and thread if you can’t bear to get rid. Stitching up holes in bags or clothes isn’t difficult – just practice on cheaper materials before heading to that silk shirt!

Cleaning out your wardrobe shouldn’t be a stressful process. Trying on old clothes is great fun and you can recreate that Sex and the City scene with friends and bottles of champagne (or cheap fizzy wine) if the mood strikes you! Hosting a clothes swap is a brilliant excuse to get rid of old clothes whilst re-filling the empty space with new ones. As the spring sun warms you in the square no longer will you worry about what awaits you when you open your wardrobe – with a clear wardrobe comes a clear mind and a clear room, ready for tomorrow’s revision session!

Your Guide to Spring Fashion 2013 Gemma Carter looks at the current trend for stripes, lace and all things tailored

Beach body dieting No thanks.

Pass us the cake.

Gladiator Boots A weapon of torture, not a fashion statement..

A Fashionable Farewell!

So, we have come to the end of our time as Fashion Editors. We’ve seen the highs of Norwich fashion in KAOS Fashion Show and Norwich Fashion Week, and even done a photo shoot in a snow storm. We’ve had the best time and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading!

A big thank you to all of our writers, stylists and photographers and we wish next year’s team lots of luck!

Over and out!

Lucy & Jess

After a long hard winter, spring has finally arrived, even if it was fashionably late!

With this sudden burst of sunshine spring 2013 trends can finally take centre stage.

From classic trends making a comeback to wardrobe essentials with a modern twist, the trends this spring has in store are definitely worth watching out for.

Stripes: Stripes are big this spring and a vital part of any wardrobe. Big, bold, thick or thin stripes can be worn in so many ways and in some way they suit pretty much anyone. For a fresh, nautical look try navy stripes or for a fashion statement try bold and black. For that casual everyday spring outfit pair a striped dress or top with a denim jacket. All in all, stripes exude classic cool and even though they’re simple they’ll still make an impact. On a student budget stripes are an investment as there is no doubt you’ll be able to wear them again and again.

Lace: This pretty and classic material has made a comeback and is perfect for spring days and nights. Try pretty and light white or pastel pieces with lace embellishment like dresses and blouses for that feminine laidback day look. However, for nights out try flirty sheer lace pieces in black or different shades of red, making sure the lace is the focal point of your outfit. Look out for lace midi dresses and pair them

with a killer pair of heels!

Tailoring: You can’t go wrong with a chic pair of tailored shorts or blazer this spring.

Although it may be a bit naive to think it will be warm enough this spring for shorts, they’re a piece that will never go out of fashion. Look out for different shades of stone and tan as they will be your staple for this spring and summer! Or, if you’re feeling brave pick a pastel coloured pair and make a statement. Blazers are also perfect this spring for the ever changing weather. Some days it is too warm for a coat but not warm enough to go without: a blazer is the solution to this problem.

There will be a colour for everyone; from hot pinks to cool creams it’s just a case of finding what is best for you.

Cut outs and crops: If you weren’t motivated to get into shape for summer already, then this may be your incentive. Crop tops and cheeky cut outs are a massive part of many collections this spring. Remember to dress for your shape and in a way that flatters your figure and emphasise your best bits. Not to worry if you haven’t got a washboard tummy or not sure if you’re confident enough, team a crop top with a pair of high-waist jeans or skirt. Dresses with cut out sections are everywhere this season but remember too not expose too much flesh, otherwise your outfit will look cheap not chic!

FASHION

23.04.2013 concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

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Meet Moloch

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Photographer: Chloe Hashemi. Models: Alek Stoodley and Billy Sexton.

Concrete Fashion introduce new, local brand of the moment

Jess Beech After a year of hard work, third year history student Alek Stoodley launched his own t-shirt brand Moloch online last month. Concrete Fashion caught up with him to chat about the brand, learning to sew and his plans for the future.

We love the brand name Moloch, where did it come from?

Moloch clothing came from the 1927 film Metropolis.

The scene on one of our t-shirts is of a group of industrial workers who are eaten by a monster named Moloch. I think it’s quite a striking image. The brand has moved on a bit since the original line, but I liked the name and stuck with it. I wanted to create a clothing brand that references cool cultural stuff like that.

How did the business start?

I have always been into design since I was 14 and 15. I got a t-shirt for Christmas and thought to myself, I could make something similar. I started off just messing around with t-shirts before deciding I wanted to do it properly.

What have you been up to, to get the brand ready to launch?

Over the last year, I have been trying to come up with designs.

I had an original set of ideas but I ditched them. I also had to decide between screen and photo printing and then had to find somewhere that was willing to print cheaply. I then had to learn to sew for the pocket t-shirts which was difficult!

How did you come up with the designs?

The idea to use Liberty prints on the pocket t-shirts came from my Mum, who used to be a fashion buyer at Liberty. The printed t-shirts are all mainly based on vintage imagery. When I was looking for inspiration, I accidentally downloaded a load of vintage pornography! That is actually where the stripper t-shirt came from.

Who runs the business mostly?

I do most of it, but my flatmate helps out. He actually came up with a lot of the ideas. My Mum is a great help as well.

Are you looking to expand the range in the future?

Obviously I would like to expand into shops, but I haven’t found anywhere that I feel suits the brand yet.

I would love to make it work as a stand-alone business.

I’m staying in Norwich next year to try and develop it.

Especially given the current lack of graduate jobs, I think it is a good opportunity to do my own thing. It’s not really about profit at the moment, just doing something that I enjoy.

How much does it cost to get our hands on a Moloch design?

It costs £25 for a digital print and £15 for a pocket t-shirt. There’s currently a 25% starting discount with the code ‘fritzlang’.

Moloch clothing is available online at www.molochclothing.com

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SPRING BREAKERS (18) Dir. Harmony Korine 94mins Starring: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens

Jonathan Blair Harmony Korine’s latest offering, a crime drama which he both wrote and directed, is a film that is hard to place. Although not known for the most commerciallygeared and “regular” cinematic pieces, Korine’s intention behind the 93 minutes of Spring Breakers is never clear, begging the question as to whether it actually has a point, or if it simply represents the reckless, greedy, selfish hedonism that it so unashamedly depicts. If the latter is correct, it succeeds tremendously.

The film delves head first in to territory common and overused for its genre, with

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FILM

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

REVIEWS

drug use, drunken college parties, and the violent gang culture of Miami featuring heavily. Thematically, this allows for the main cast’s youthful hijinks and disregard for their futures to take hold, though we do not get to see their induction into this underworld, as to them it is shown to be old hat. We are also not privy to any motivation behind their actions, with the interiority of the characters never properly explored.

The only exception to this is James Franco’s portrayal of the drug-dealing, gang-warring rapper, Alien, for whom we see some morsel of back story as he recounts his upbringing and introduces the young partiers to his feud with another gangster, Archie. It becomes unclear as to whether Alien is meant to be comical, or a menacing devil, an embodiment of vice and immorality. This ambiguity is not helped by the casting choice itself.

Franco’s reputation for having his finger

in every artistic pie arouses curiosity as to why he took on the role. Nonetheless, his performance is well executed and engaging, swinging randomly between sinister, endearing and, at times, loving.

As for the fun-loving female quartet, there is little to like or even care for, as the disengaged turn of Vanessa Hudgens as the criminally minded Candy cannot help but suggest that the former Disney child is only there to try and hurriedly “grow up’”. Selena Gomez, however, surprises in her portrayal of Faith, with the character’s Christianity and natural timidity giving her a multi-faceted and believable personality. An intense, decisive, and closely shot scene between Faith and Alien demonstrates Gomez’s solid acting chops, and redeems the picture somewhat from the emptiness which too often threatens the viewing experience.

The score, composed and arranged

by Cliff Martinez and Skrillex, doesn’t help the film’s undertone of trying a bit too hard to be seen as cool and edgy, but fits well with the debauchery of certain scenes. The film is greatly helped by often-brilliant cinematography and an intriguing treatment of chronology.

Prophetic gunshots sound throughout the picture, creating the right amount of suspense needed before the final denouement. However, it is a shame that this conclusion is inconclusive, the fates of all but Alien remaining unknown and the film ending as it began: with the audience knowing the characters no better than they did after the first five minutes.

It could be an exploration of the base flaws in humanity, or an ironic view of modern youths, and as such some will appreciate what Spring Breakers is trying to do. While praising it would be careless, to avoid it would also be mightily wrong.

FILM

23.04.2013 concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

OBLIVION(12A) Dir. Joseph Kosinksi 126mins Starring: Tom Cruise, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Morgan Freeman

Luke Channell Kicking off the abundance of postapocalyptic sci-fi films coming out of Hollywood this summer is Joseph Kosinski‘s Oblivion. Much like his last film, Tron: Legacy, Kosinski places style over substance and narrative comprehension.

Oblivion tells the story of Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), a drone mechanic in the year 2071. Humanity has survived an alien invasion but not without cost; Earth has become an inhospitable wasteland and mankind has been forced to relocate to a distant moon. Jack is one of the last humans left on earth, along with his colleague Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), whose mission it is to eliminate the remains of the invasion and extract the last of earth’s resources for future human use.

This mouthful of exposition is initially a lot to digest and is done in an uncreative and exhausted voiceover. The audience are given time to absorb this exposition, however, as we are delivered some spectacular visuals. The landscape is highly polished and sleek as tranquil sunrises and sublime waterfalls are presented; one thing is for sure, the end of the world has never looked so good. The futuristic technology inspires much the same feelings of awe as the slickly designed sky-tower and a

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particularly astonishing gravity defying swimming pool paint a visually stunning yet seemingly real setting.

Where Oblivion falls short is in its emotional content. Despite it building an undeniably impressive landscape, it fails to create any real connection or uniqueness in its characters. Tom Cruise puts in a strong, if somewhat routine, performance. However, Cruise’s character is neither substantial nor individual enough to carry the abundant weight of this narrative. Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko, as Jack’s love interest, play their parts effectively but the characterisation offered is too lifeless and fleshless. Once again, it’s great to look at but hard to care. The narrative adds to this sentiment as complexities arise in the real purpose of Jack’s mission; here the storyline disappointingly becomes convoluted and confused. The twists in the narrative are themselves intriguing but they are poorly executed, leaving the audience disconcerted. The narrative picks up pace as Morgan Freeman’s character Malcolm Beech is introduced and the truth of Earth’s history becomes debated.

However, we are again left unsatisfied as Morgan Freeman’s role appears insufficient and criminally unwritten.

Altogether Oblivion offers filmgoers a somewhat frustrating experience.

Kosinski’s preference of spectacular imagery over narrative coherence and character development limits the potential of what could have been a groundbreaking sci-fi epic.

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THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES(15) Dir.Derek Cianfrance 140mins Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes

Ha Nguyen When your debut film is loved and adored by many, it is not unusual to feel certain pressure about your next. This doesn’t seem to apply to director Derek Cianfrance.

After the much acclaimed Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines showcases an ambitious execution of gripping ideas, confirming that Cianfrance has still got much more to offer.

For his latest project, the indie director reunites with his muse Ryan Gosling, who plays motorcyclist Luke; a stunt rider working in a circus. Travelling with his stunt group, Luke enjoys his own company on the road. However, this isolation is put on hold when he meets his old lover Romina (Eva Mendes), and more importantly, a son he never knew he had. Desperate to provide for them, Luke decides to use his motorcycling skills to

rob a bank. As you do. This brings him to the attention of stern-face idealist cop, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper). Starting from an event of chance, the two men on opposite sides of the law are thrown together. The choices they make and the impact these choices have on their lives play out across an unforgettable 140 minutes of screen time.

As well as its riveting plot, The Place Beyond the Pines delves deep into human emotion. Throughout the film, the director offers an observation of life as

nothing but a continuation of choices.

Cianfrance stretches this idea as far as the nature-nurture issue, sharply commenting on the way that actions can affect people through generations. All are intriguing themes that are swiftly raised and brought together in a breathtaking ending.

The film is stunningly supported by Sean Bobbitt’s dimensional cinematography. Known for capturing touching yet beautiful visions in Steve McQueen’s Hunger and Shame, Bobbitt brings the drama of Pines to the edge

of the screen, blurring together jarring images that allow the audience to feel the emotion during its most powerful sequences. At times, the camera remains stationary, its stillness reinforcing the film’s more peaceful and reflective moments.

The Place Beyond the Pines achieves not only outstanding storytelling but, with great performances and well-written dialogue, confirms Derek Cianfrance’s status as one of the rising directorial talents of this generation.

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FILM

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

NEWS

Line up for Cannes film festival takes shape; trailer for hunger games sequel arrives; finding dory announced Charlotte Flight As the year progresses and spring finally arrives, announcements are starting to be made about the line up for this year’s Cannes film festival. It had previously been announced that Baz Lurman’s The Great Gatsby is to open the festival and now Jerome Salle’s Zulu, a crime drama set in Apartheid-era South Africa and starring Orlando Bloom and Forest Whitaker, has been announced as the closing film. It is an interesting choice, not least due to the presence of Bloom, an appearance that has prompted similar responses to Matthew McConaughey’s at last year’s festival. Like McConaughey, Bloom has taken a couple of years off and returns in a considerably different role than one may have expected.

Zulu could be the make or break of Bloom’s career.

In more mainstream news, the MTV Movie Awards took place on 16 April, providing the antidote to the awards season.

Voted for by the public, winners included The Avengers and Silver Linings Playbook.

Both films took three awards each.

The awards are used by studios to promote their next big releases and as such the first trailer of Catching Fire, The Hunger Games sequel, debuted at the event. Like the first film, promoters have taken the decision to get around the violent premise by not showing any footage of the actual games and only showing the lead up. This provides a refreshing change, allowing

those who have not read the book to watch the film spoiler free.

More sequel news was provided

by Pixar, courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres, who confirmed that there will be a Finding Nemo sequel. Finding Dory will focus on DeGeneres’ voiced character Dory, and the presenter is clearly enthusiastic about the script. The announcement is not a surprise, but is a sign that Pixar are continuing their move away from original ideas and focusing on already successful concepts after the mixed reception of last year’s Brave.

This is perhaps a sign that they are losing confidence in their often-brilliant original

ideas, in favour of financially sound projects with a guaranteed audience. However, Pixar have a good record with majority of their sequels and Finding Nemo is excellent, so fans will wait with high hopes for 2015.

ROGER EBERT (1942 - 2013): EVERYBODY’S FAVOURITE CRITIC

Film editor Kieran Rogers gives a personal tribute to influential critic Roger Ebert, who died earlier this month following a decade long battle with cancer I was a lost college student when I first read a Roger Ebert article. I had no idea what vocation I wanted to pursue and had little knowledge or appreciation for film.

Several paragraphs into his review of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and my mind was set: film is interesting, and film journalism even more so.

I credit Roger Ebert for completely changing my attitude through a combination of wonderful syntax and

perpetual enthusiasm. People can say what they wish about any form of criticism, that it’s scornful or demeaning, even meaningless, but there’s a reason so many flock to a critic’s words, beyond wanting to know if something tastes, reads or is made well. It is because they care. Ebert cared.

This is a man who reviewed a staggering 306 films in a year. Why? Because “[films are] important…they affect the way that people, think, feel and behave.”

I know I am not alone in my admiration.

This enthusiasm entertained and influenced many, and as such was why the great and good were mourning his loss when news of his death struck on 4 April. Among those paying tributes were Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, even Barack Obama, as well as respectable organisations and people in his line of work: The A.V. Club, The Onion, Slash Film, New York Times’ A.O. Scott, the UK’s own Mark Kermode, his friend and colleague Richard Roeper. Ebert was undeniably the filmmaker’s critic, the actor’s critic, the critic’s critic. He was everybody’s favourite critic.

Having started his career in film journalism in 1967 at the Chicago SunTimes (a publication he would write for until his death), Ebert became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1975. He would later, in 2005, also become the first to be honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Arguably, he may have

been best known in his native America for his role on TV in the 1980s. His review show with fellow critic Gene Siskel, Siskel & Ebert at the Movies (the quotable and hilarious highlights of which can be found on YouTube), brought film criticism to the masses and played a huge part in his unraveling as one of the greatest, and most revered, populist critics.

In 2002, he was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, and in 2003 underwent an operation to remove the disease in his salivary glands, something that robbed him of his voice. Yet, he didn’t give up, and became more prolific in his work, adapting to personal and technological change through the use of online domains and social networking (where his discussions also turned to politics and philosophy). Rather than seeing the internet as the death of criticism, he took it as a way to propel those who previously couldn’t express themselves, and in doing so became a bastion for the unheralded critic. This is the incarnation I primarily knew, Ebert: the online personality. Others will rightly remember him as far more: the aforementioned TV star, the author, the scriptwriter (he co-wrote 1970’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls), the optimist and the humanist, the latter of which is summed up in a beautiful passage from his memoir Life Itself: “We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances.

We must try.”

As a writer, Ebert reminded us not to forget ourselves, not to be emotionless, objective fools. His reviews dared to ask:

“Who am I? What is this film saying to me? Why do I feel this way?” They were fully aware that films could be, beyond anything, simply personal. “Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions never lie to you”, he once wrote. His words were always passionate, opinionated, insightful, funny and never overtly pretentious (the fact he liked Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties can attest to that).

It is the sign of a great writer when one somehow generates a personality from the flat surface of a piece of paper or a computer screen. Ebert did this in abundance. With his death, we may not just be grieving over the loss of a great man, but the last remnants of individualism in film journalism. It is so easy to question if there will ever be another of his distinct breed again, in this age of multiplicity and diversification, where, as Ebert would approve, anybody can have a voice.

Roger Ebert’s legacy will continue via rogerebert.com, his website containing a catalogue of his written work that only recently has had a redesign, and Ebertfest, his own festival dedicated to promoting overlooked films (which runs between 17 – 21 April every year). But, for me, I will truly miss the excitement of going to his website and gaining his fresh insight on the latest flick.

It is true that I have never met him or even vaguely knew him, but in this social networking age one can feel close to those a million miles away, and he influenced me in ways he’ll never know. So, to this revolutionary, visionary and inspirational film lover, I say thank you.

FILM

23.04.2013 concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

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THE GREAT FILM LIST

Concrete film’s class of 2012/13 nominate the films they consider to be the greatest

ANNIE HALL (1977) Adam White Annie Hall has a lot to answer for. It’s the blueprint for every romantic comedy of the last 30 years. Its fussy dissection of the crippling minutiae of modern relationships has since been replicated time and time again.

Its New York-centric navel-gazing and perceptive commentary on gender politics is also performed by actors who have essentially rehashed the same tics and mannerisms ever since. But it’s also a true one-off in spite of everything it’s spawned. It is a cripplingly funny, authentic exploration of love and sex,

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY (1966) and is breathtakingly experimental in terms of storytelling, visual effects and editing.

Woody Allen is neurotic and Jewish and everything you’d expect Woody Allen to be, while Diane Keaton makes her titular WASP-y intellectual smart and endearing, even while dressed like some kind of walking Tumblr page. Together their relationship is flawed and exhausting but uncomfortably relatable, all leading to a final chicken/egg analogy that just about cracks the mystery of why we’re even here in the first place. There’s literally nothing more hopeful, romantic or warm.

MEMENTO (2000) Andrew Wilkins Christopher Nolan’s early cryptic thriller is an endlessly fascinating drama that uses memory to question our own humanity.

The film follows Leonard, a man with a severe case of short term memory loss that rids him of the ability to form new memories.

Using his tattoos, notes and Polaroid pictures, Leonard sets out with one goal: to kill John G, the man who murdered his wife.

What makes Memento so astounding is the narrative structure. Not only does it combine two different storylines, one of the storylines is told in reverse order. As a result, each scene feels like one small piece

A day rarely passes when a Mean Girls quote is not heard or seen. The films societal commentary on the bitchy lives of modern day American teens is edgy and provocative, reminiscent of a time before Lindsay Lohan spiralled out of control.

Following the school life of previously home-schooled Cady Heron (Lohan), the film laughs its way through teen dramas and “girl-on-girl crime” relatable to all.

From the scandalous popular girls, “The Plastics”, through to the “Burnouts”, the film offers a slice of school life in which we can all associate, as it depicts the struggle

Andrew Hamilton The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is the culmination of a genre, encapsulating the violence of the frontier land. Crucially, it not only exploits death for entertainment, but also makes a unique movement towards questioning the bloody values that Westerns are based on.

As the title suggests, it is a film of contrasts. Stunning mountain ranges and barren deserts are captured with breath taking photography, but it is perhaps Leone’s skill at capturing the intimate that

is most haunting. What ultimately secures this film’s place as one of the greats is its supremely tense final scene, perhaps one of the greatest last scenes of all time. A lesson in the art of suspense; a full fiveminute showdown, fingers twitching at the holsters, a soundtrack that lures you to the edge of your seat.

Critically it is the shot not taken that is most important, securing Clint Eastwood’s image as one of the most iconic in film history, a hero for masculinity with a conscience, an archetype that has dominated film to this day.

FORREST GUMP (1994) of a larger puzzle. Leonard’s motives will be completely ambiguous in one scene but are then explained and seem obvious in the next. Removing the notion of a progressive narrative ingeniously makes the audience feel that they are suffering from amnesia.

Memento beautifully combines the detective film with revenge tragedy, leaving a finale that is both deeply emotional and surprisingly philosophical. The film’s representation of memory as a selfdeceiving weapon is its greatest strength.

By undermining everything we know to be true in the film, Nolan pushes our mental boundaries to the limits and in doing so, creates a masterpiece.

MEAN GIRLS (2004) Holly Wade

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Melissa Taylor As we all know, life is in fact like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get. What makes Forrest Gump so undeniably brilliant is that it perfectly reproduces the unpredictable spontaneity of life.

Just for the benefit of anyone who has spent their entire life under a rock, Forrest Gump follows the world’s most endearing protagonist (Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump), through the trials and tribulations of having a below average IQ, incorporating every key event in American history from the 50s to the 90s along the way. Including

every imaginable genre, from rom-com, biopic, sports film, and war movie, Forrest Gump covers all of the bases; it may just be physically impossible to not like this film because it contains something for everybody. Not only is the score really lovely, but the soundtrack, as well, is really very good; including the best songs from each era. Tom Hanks is supported brilliantly by Robin Wright-Penn, who plays his childhood sweetheart, Jenny, and Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan. The development of the relationships will warm your heart and probably make you weep; Forrest Gump may not be a smart man, but he sure does know what love is.

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM (1987) of hating those at the top while desperately wanting to be one of them.

Intelligently intertwining tough teenage issues such as body anxiety, bullying, first romances, lies and secrecy with a laugh out loud script from the comical Tina Fey, Mean Girls ensures there is never a dull moment. Nearly ten years on Mean Girls is still just as striking.

With even boys owning up to love this proclaimed chick-flick, and a possible musical in the pipeline, it stands out as a classic of our time and is the quintessential teen romantic comedy that can be watched over and over again without ever feeling repetitive.

Jonathan Blair Good Morning, Vietnam pushes its way to the forefront of this writer’s mind before any other film, every time. Indeed, anything with Robin Williams at his peak is hard to ignore. His funny, emotive, and engaging Adrian Cronauer steals a show filled with other greats, including Forest Whitaker.

But it goes so much further than that, as Williams’s military radio DJ, popular with troops but unwanted by the powers that be, subtly changes our perspectives of the world. He masterfully pulls off being endearingly positive in the face of adversity, without ever being annoyingly saccharine.

Mitch Markowitz’s script draws on every emotion on the human spectrum, bringing the loyalties to either side of the Vietnam conflict into question.

It is here that the astounding performances are allowed to truly shine, crafting a film focused on its social dynamic opposed to the cinematic spectacle of war.

As such we are shown the multiplicity of affects war has through a humanised standpoint, a stark rarity in Hollywood’s culture of exaggerated, romanticised and gilded emotion. Since its release in 1987 there has yet to be a film that balances comedy and the rawness of human emotion quite like this one.

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concrete.television@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

Fantastical Females

Venue considers the representation of women in two hit returning fantasy shows

Doctor Who James Sykes

The original director of Doctor Who, Waris Hussein, recently criticised the current show for being too sexualised. While things are certainly different to how the show was in 1963, different things are now acceptable and expected - the sexualisation of the Doctor’s companions has hardly been a recent facet of the programme. The notion of there being a female character acting as “something for the dads” was something that was certainly around in the 70s and 80s; Tom Baker’s Doctor being accompanied by the barely-clothedand-in-leather savage Leela who was of the breed of (not actually) “strong female characters”, in that she had a knife and killed people (until the Doctor told her to stop doing that).

However, despite the historical precendent, it is difficult to disagree with Hussein completely. Until recently, the Doctor was accompanied by “Sass Dispenser with Legs” Amy Pond, who, despite actress Karen Gillan’s best attempts, only proved to be a real character for about 10% of her time in the show, the rest of her time spent quipping like a Not Going Out reject or doing utterly tasteless things such as trying to get off with the

Doctor in front of her husband at her own wedding – “We haven’t even had a snog in the shrubbery yet!” Yeah, cos you just got married to your husband, Amy… And now we’ve got Clara who, so far, has fared a lot better than Amy in terms of writing, and has also benefited from a more grounded, naturalistic performance from Jenna-Louise Coleman. Clara ‘Oswin’ Oswald has a fairly complicated mystery surrounding her, as you’d expect from showrunner Steven Moffat by now.

Basically, the Doctor’s met her, or someone just like her anyway, three times now - in the future, the past, and the present. The first two times she died, the third time she started travelling with him, and he’s trying to work out who she is. Does anyone else miss the companions who the Doctor was interested in, respected and loved just because of who they were as people rather than how “timey-wimey” their plot arcs were?

Nevertheless, recent episode The Rings of Akhaten by Neil Cross gave Clara a believable family context within a few scenes, and via some admittedly dodgy plotting, she saved the day by being emotionally engaged with the memory

of her dead mother. It’s very difficult to imagine Amy Pond achieving anything like that. However, Steven Moffat’s episode The Bells of Saint John, this Clara’s debut, has been the least competently written, character-wise. A flirty vibe between the Doctor and Clara isn’t a bad thing, but only if it’s developed believably throughout the series; Moffat’s sledgehammer approach

isn’t quite so logical or intelligent, with Clara immediately suspecting the TARDIS of being the Doctor’s “snog-box”. Despite being a more promising and believable character than Amy Pond already, it is with a due sense of nervousness that viewers await the rest of the series, both for Clara, and for the dramatic build-up to the show’s 50th anniversary,

The arrival of House Tyrell in Kings Landing, following their assistance of the Lannisters during the Battle of Blackwater Bay at the end of season two, has bought Lady Margery Tyrell, King Joffrey’s new muse, and her fabulous grandmother Lady Olenna Tyrell, into the endless web of plots and schemes that make the fictional capitol the magnetic core of the drama. The pair’s touching

questioning of Sansa Stark in episode two is hugely emblematic of how Game of Thrones goes about its drama; every swordfight, beheading and revenge is justified tenfold beforehand, wrought from intelligent, sensitive character writing that considers depth of feeling before factors such as gender.

That is not to say that gender is unimportant – the show is often

dominated by an overbearingly visceral male sexuality, which many of the female characters understand and set about proactively manipulating. The likes of Cersei and Margery deploy their womanly wiles in a controlled, political manner for their own ends; as Cersei herself drunkenly hypothesises, “Tears aren’t a woman’s only weapon. The best one’s between your legs.” Whilst by modern standards this would be a lamentable philosophy to venerate, the strength of these characters in such a backward, male-dominated world is to be admired. Moreover, beyond Kings Landing, angry flame-haired wildling Ygritte continues to light up the cold North with her sass, and dragon mum Daenerys is having a great time floating around the desert burning people. These are diverse, engaging representations; not simply defined by sex, but power, morality and loyalty to others. Of course, HBO may continue to muddy the water slightly with regular concessions to the gratuitous, tangential nakedness they’re famed for, but the strength of the performances and clarity of the character writing continue to render the women of Game of Thrones uniquely watchable.

Game of Thrones Matt Tidby

The success of HBO’s hit blood-soaked, swords-and-swearing fantasy epic Game of Thrones is rooted in the show’s broad appeal; it appeals to the generation that grew up on Harry Potter by combining dragons and magic with vicious characterdriven drama, whilst drawing in more refined older viewers with its political intrigue, sumptuous production values and excessive nakedness. However, one of the most compelling reasons for the shows cross-generational appeal is its genre-defying representation of women.

Despite the world of Westeros being the standard aggressively patriarchal medieval world of much fantasy fiction, George R.R. Martin’s novels have provided the HBO adaptation with female characters that not only survive the whims of a procession of idiotic men, but often wield and manipulate the power themselves.

Alongside the likes of popular returning characters, such as the supreme (now Queen Regent) Cersei, honourable Brienne and badass Arya, the third season has introduced a number of new, beguiling and intelligent women, apparently one step ahead of their clouded male counterparts.

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The Village - review Sam Day BAFTA winning writer Peter Moffat’s rural period drama The Village aired its first episode on BBC One a few Sundays ago, telling the story of a village spanning from 1914 to 1920 in six episodes. A rugged country version of Downton Abbey, then.

The first episode commences with an old man called Bert Middleton in a white room for a meagre amount of time talking about his childhood in the village. Cue flashbacking to said village, following the boy version of the old man following a woman way too old for him called Martha Lane, whom he apparently fell in love with at the time. Then we have some scenes of how poorly this delusional boy is treated by his alcoholic father and his abusive teacher. And guess what, he’s left-handed.

Giving the impression that the entire six-episode series spanning over six years is going to be one big flashback following the life of an annoying brat, The Village is quite deceiving. There are more complex characters: farmer John Middleton, not just the village drunk, plays the “man-of-the-house” with an unknown haunted past, forced to work in his fields solo. It’s too much for him,

and he tries to force Bert out of school to help him out.

Top class characters on prime-time slots attract the best actors, hence John Simm of Life On Mars fame plays this

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complex dirtbag from Derbyshire.

“He’s a very intriguing character” says Simm. “He goes on a huge journey of redemption – he finds god”. He admits his luck at getting the role: “It’s a hell

of a part”. Simm performs the role with virtuosity, and when John Middleton comes home drunk and violent, you genuinely fear for his family.

John’s wife Grace is an abused, pregnant mother of two. She’s meant to keep her marriage together, but all she seems to do is let her family crumble.

More encouraging is village immigrant Martha Lane. It’s refreshing to see this character fight against the old-fashioned norm and give the obnoxious souls of the village a good ol’ contrasting opinion.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper period drama without an upper-class family thinking they’re better than everyone else, and the Allingham family provide that. But there’s a bit more to this one. Caro Allingham is an unhinged young woman who carries her dog everywhere, and Lord Allingham is a bloke with a scar on his face; whenever he enters the room, everyone must turn their back to him.

Although with the impression of just another one of those flipping period dramas on a Sunday night, there’s more to The Village than meets the eye. It’s definitely a grower, and it’s worth a watch on iPlayer.

Savile Row tailor Patrick Grant and May Martin from the Women’s Institute have been tasked with whittling down the sewers to find Britain’s finest, and we

best hope the TV newcomers know what they’re talking about because it’s not like most viewers know the difference between a pick stitch and an overlock hem. At least with cakes, we know that if there’s any hint of a soggy bottom, that baker could be on their way home.

Despite the lack of delicious tarts and sumptuous scones that make us want to reach for our mixing bowl and create the most calorific cake possible, the Sewing Bee has got off to a good start.

Amongst the challenges to create dresses and trousers, they even throw in a few crafty ideas that even the most clueless of beginner can get stuck into.

Maybe showing us how to turn ordinary clothes and scraps of fabric into something original will make sewing cool again. Everyone did it 50 years ago, and women then probably never had to worry about being caught in the same dress as their friend at a party. If we’re supposed to be being thrifty and austere, maybe this is just the kind of show we need.

Forget rifling through the racks in this year’s summer sales; pick up a needle and thread instead.

The Great British Sewing Bee - review Romy Higgins Up and down Britain attics are full of forgotten Christmas and Birthday presents. Abandoned gym equipment, food mixers and sewing machines are gathering dust, despite our good intentions to lose weight, learn to make a soufflé or fill our houses with homemade dresses and cushion covers.

However, a new show on BBC Two has come along that might just inspire us to rescue those poor sewing machines and get creative.

Following the same format as the immensely popular Great British Bake Off, the Great British Sewing Bee takes eight amateur sewers and tests their skills in order to crown one the best in Britain.

They’ve certainly gone for variety with the chosen contestants, with a lorrydriving steam-punk working alongside an 80-something grandma.

So, we’ve got the sewers, and we’ve got Claudia Winkleman, who doesn’t quite live up to the hilarity of Mel & Sue from the Bake Off but who does a valiant job of pretending to understand the technical aspects of sewing. She should be jealous; fawning over someone’s pocket-sewing skills isn’t quite as fun

as sampling dozens of mouth-watering bakes. But who takes on the role of the gentle but authoritative Mary Berry, or the scathing silver fox Paul Hollywood?

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concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

themed submissions

Endings & Beginnings

Transfiguration

By Michael Clampin

When the mutual blockade got so tight that all the arab oil ran out We found some tame horses And cut out their fore-brains, so they wouldn’t run away, And then they could haul the big guns without fear.

And when things got worse and the soldiers couldn’t take any more, When even they - scared fuckups that they were - had reached even their limit, Then we cut them open again and tore into the warm guts.

It felt good.

It felt primal.

They all felt alive And were happy once more.

And then when someone found a pen and signed that treaty, The one they trumpeted on the news with seven horns like the sound of naked salvation, We took what was left - the offal, the sinew, the bits of skin that no-one had tried to chew And filled in the holes that had split the ground.

Blood and bone and sickly-sweet flesh filling.

There was nothing we could do for the trees with shattered spines and faces held into the mud.

In a child’s vision, a white horse pranced around this one blasted hole, and the dead clambered up from the cruel viscous mud and they were all alive inside, and they had learnt from the past; and all were smiling with wisdom in their eyes and fire in their hearts. The shrapnel flew out of the bark as if on rewind and was made into medicines and machines and more precious things.

But of course, it was only a dream, and the desiccate earth is as barren as the day that I saw the horses drag their crippled haunches by, the day that I crawled into an open grave and begged the sky to turn away, that tiny day when we all died.

An Art Master’s Psalms

By Django Robinson

High up on Church Hill, safe in snow His gospel makes its gentle end.

And by the falling winter sun, The bluntness of the half-four bell, He knows, in this familiar place, That all will act as he expects, As he has seen it act before; His mortar board will keep him dry.

He has made a book of psalms From postcards and from standing-stones, From moments of long distance calls, Favourite bits of smiling girls, To teach him how to read a world That is so much altered today Only the sky remains intact.

He sits beneath the crumbling church In a vague and closing world; Doesn’t hear the half-four bell.

Shadows arc across the snowy fields, Heedless of his half-remembered prayers.

Crescent Sun Not Quite Goodbye

By Rebecca Hedger Goodbyes are never easy, and I knew this one wouldn’t be, either. I almost bailed on meeting you, almost spent the afternoon in bed watching old episodes of The Big Bang Theory. But I knew I couldn’t hide from this, from you, any longer.

Photo: Holly Maunders The walk to the pub gave me a chance to calm myself - to focus on the simple repetition of putting one foot in front of the other. This frame of mind shattered at the bar. Too stuffy, too many voices closing in on me. Drink in hand and sickness in my stomach, I looked, not for the first time, for the nearest escape route.

Then I saw you in the corner. The same hoodie, same jeans, same worn-out trainers. Glass of water on the table in front of you, head turned to look out the window.

A moment of calm in the chaos of the world.

When I reached the table, you turned your head and smiled. In your eyes, I could see that this wasn’t goodbye.

No. This was only the beginning.

By Tom King This is the morning that The crescent sun Makes its first appearance Dragging a tired moon behind it, Full and heavy.

The morning that introduces life To its limit, So only half the flowers will grow Towards a blue sky A half shade darker, And for the final crest of eternity The days will seem strange Beneath this altered sky Despite the yawning dawn cats And screaming roosters Who seem to have noticed no change.

NEXT ISSUE Time to start again. Venue wants your writing. Get it written. Get it seen.

Please submit your writing by Tuesday 30 April to concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

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CREATIVE WRITING

23.04.2013 concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

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themed submissions

Endings & Beginnings End This!

By Holly McDede My mom’s End of the World Countdown Timer goes off on her birthday in two weeks. She says I don’t have to buy her a present (due to the circumstances), but you know mothers. If I had to call it, I’d say her personal world - the galaxy that stretches from her tired mind to her calloused feet - will end precisely because the actual world won’t. That’s all she wants: an ending.

It is time to take matters into my own hands. I give Kenny, my devoted and obsessive boyfriend, a call. I announce I’d like to have a party.

“I am going to invite a priest. I hope that’s okay,” I tell him. “My religion doesn’t let me have parties unless there’s a priest there. He’s going to ask us to sign a few papers. Invite some witnesses.”

After we are married in Kenny’s basement, I propose we engage in celebratory sexual relations. He reaches for protection in his cabinet. I shake my head. “This one’s on me,” I tell him.

Am I offering to pay for his dinner? Will I pay for his baby’s dinner? The spirit of whiskey possessing his body like a demon, or an irresponsible idiot teenager who just doesn’t like the way condoms feel, tells him to just go for it.

After the school nurse diagnoses me with teen pregnancy, I ask to see my guidance counselor.

“I would like to drop out of school, please,” I tell her.

“Good riddance,” she says. “Tell your baby good luck!”

The school newspaper arrives with the headline: “GIRL RUINS LIFE. WHERE IS HER MOTHER?” When my mom sees it, she starts to cry, tears falling like they’re parachuting off planes. This is it! This is the end of her world!

But then she rises, and starts to hug me as her End of the World timer goes off. “It’s okay,” she says. “It’s not over. You’re still here. I’m still here.” She presses her End of the World timer off. “And whatever mistakes you made, I forgive you.”

“But,” I say. “I’m pregnant and stuff. Which means I’m having sex. Even though I’m, like, basically twelve. Isn’t your world over?” She reminds me that I’m eighteen, and that there’s still time for me to become smarter.

At this rate, the world will never end until it ends.

“Endings & Beginnings” seemed an apt theme for this issue of Venue, as it will be my last. It has been an absolutely amazing year, and being part of the editorial team of this paper has been a truly invaluable experience. Of course, it would not have been the same without you, the readers and the writers. You are all amazing, and I’m sure you’ll go on to do great things.

Thank you for your submissions, your support and your enthusiasm. It’s not all doom and gloom, though - the next issue will be the first to feature a brand-new Creative Writing Editor. I know you’ll make their year as worthwhile as you have mine.

Cheers, Matt Mulcahy Photo: Holly Maunders

GAMING

23.04.2013 concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

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@Concrete_Gaming

Review: Bioshock Infinite

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Adam Riza

The original BioShock, released back in 2006, is heralded as a modern video game masterpiece. Combining survival horror, first-person shooter, and RPG elements, whilst simultaneously delivering a thought provoking narrative and one of the most immersive locales ever created – the underwater dystopia city of Rapture – it was an almost unparalleled success. Six years later, Irrational Games have returned with BioShock Infinite, in every way a worthy successor, fictionally reframing the original game and setting a new standard

Oliver Balaam While you were busy drinking last St. Patrick’s day weekend, UEA’s School of Language and Communication Studies hosted a symposium on Japanese computer games and entertainment.

Welcoming academics from as far away as Ritsumeikan University, Japan, the free event was well worth attending.

Opened by Dr Marie-Noelle Guillot, who lectured about the cross-cultural pragmatics and translation, themes of cultural relativity were immediately explored. While niche, the lecture was surprisingly accessible laid much of the groundwork for the fascinating culture clash that was to come.

Guillot was followed by Dr Brett Mills, whose lecture was entitled: The Queen, James Bond and Mr Bean: Being British and being funny. Mills humorously conveyed his thoughts regarding the London 2012 opening ceremony and

for storytelling in the medium.

Set in 1912, you play as Booker DeWitt, a disgraced private detective who is tasked with retrieving a mysterious girl named Elizabeth from a mysterious city called Columbia, in order to wipe away his mysterious debt. It’s fair to say that not all is as it seems.

A fantastic reversal of Rapture, the city of Columbia floats above the clouds, and was founded by religious fanatic Zachary Comstock. Having seceded from the United States, Columbia is full of preemancipation racism, xenophobia and jingoism. The founding fathers are hailed as idols, nay gods, while Abraham Lincoln is demonised, and statues are erected of John Wilkes Booth. “More American than America” has been a common critical observation.

As well as dealing in broad political strokes, the game’s detailed world and carefully cultivated aesthetic allows for more complex critiques. The Fraternal Order of the Raven for example, are a Klu Klux Klan stand in who attack Booker with crows, a literalised metaphor for Jim Crow segregation laws. Needless to say, those interested in American history will find Columbia most engrossing.

Shortly after arriving in Columbia, Booker is identified as a ‘false prophet’ and is quickly assaulted by Comstock’s troops, forcing Booker to fight his way through the hordes in order to find Elizabeth and escape. Arguably the weakest aspect of the original BioShock was its combat, so

Irrational have gone to great lengths this time around, to make the gameplay as entertaining as the narrative is intriguing.

A regenerating shield is now present and gunplay is smoother and easier to control. Replacing plasmids are vigors, potions found and drunk by Booker that offer varying powers to use with his left hand/trigger. Some are familiar, such as Shock Jockey which shoots as electric bolt at your enemies, whilst others are entirely new, like Bucking Bronco, which launches enemies up in the air.

Combat also has a fantastic sense of scale due to the Skyhook, a tool that allows Booker to utilise Columbia’s aerial rail system, in order to speed over battlefields, shooting from afar or launching a devastating melee leaps. Player choice and experimentation is key, allowing the player to discover which weapons and vigor combinations work best and allowing them to dispense of enemies in their own way. Elizabeth is also a worthy companion, able to protect herself and thus not turning the game into one large escort mission. She also comes to Booker’s aid in the form of health packs, ammo and ‘salts’ to power his vigors.

Graphically the game is phenomenal, both from technical and artistic perspectives. The great looking character models and landscape is backed up by a fantastic brightly coloured, turn of the 20th century American aesthetic.

Overall, BioShock Infinite delivers everything expected of it and then

some. The gameplay has been drastically improved, although those that particularly enjoyed the survival horror elements of the first two games may be disappointed by the bombastic and overlit new setting.

Narratively, Irrational have yet again completely blown every other game away, providing an initially ambiguous tale that twists and turns towards an ending that will surely be talked about for years to come.

UEA’s Symposium on Japanese Games analysed the ceremony’s construction of nationhood on the international stage.

Arguably the highlight of the day, former Development Director at Nintendo Kyoto, Professor Masayuki Uemura (pictured), delivered a lecture entitled: Why was Famicom (NES) born in Kyoto, Japan? Continuing Mills rumination on nationhood, albeit less critically, Uemura discussed Japanese philosophy and how it informs Nintendo’s family-oriented business practices. He brought with him an amusingly dated collection of rare TV ads for Nintendo toys, and used them to illustrate the company’s development from toy manufacturer to game developer.

Uemura’s insider perspective on both Japanese culture and game development provided an alternative outlook upon the well known history of arguably the world’s greatest game publisher.

The symposium was closed by Hiroshi

Yoshida, another professor of Ritsumeikan University, who lectured upon the aesthetics of video games, and asked: what and how do we sense in the game world? Approaching early videogame aesthetics from a predominantly cognitive theoretical perspective, Yoshida discussed the construction and readability of videogame spaces, from the illusive 3D of Space Harrier, to the readable but nonEuclidian world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. He seemed more concerned with establishing a historical and theoretical bed of knowledge and terminology, rather than addressing more contemporary titles, but his lecture provided a fascinating look into the fast evolving but still infant disciplines of video game academia. Here’s hoping for a similar event next year and a continued friendship between Ritsumeikan University and UEA.

Hiromitu Koiso

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@concrete_arts

Callum Graham

www.concrete-online.co.uk

ARTS

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

ARTS HISTORY: CHARLES DICKENS

Charles Dickens is one of those figures from history whom practically everyone will have some vague understanding of. Unusually, he was just as famous in life as he is in death. He created some of the finest and most absurd literary characters in history and is often described as a Philanthropist.

Born in Portsmouth in 1812, Dickens left school at a young age in order to work at a factory after his father was thrown into debtors prison. Despite this difficult beginning and lack of formal education, Dickens rose to fame at the age of 24 when his first novel, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, was published in serial form for a literary magazine. The Pickwick Papers largely owes its success to the numerous and memorable characters that feature throughout. At this stage in his career Dickens was mainly viewed as a comedic novelist; it wasn’t until later that themes from his own childhood would find their way into his writing.

Charles Dickens occupies such a large space in the popular consciousness that it is difficult to think of him ever existing as a normal man. However, thinking about Dickens in relation to his contemporaries helps to remove the authority from his name and bring the actual man into focus. William Wordsworth described Dickens as “a very talkative, vulgar young person,” adding that he had not read a single line of his work. To

any young writer having a personality like Wordsworth as an adversary must have been daunting, apparently not to Dickens though who simply replied by calling Wordsworth “a dreadful Old Ass.”. Henry James described Dickens’s novels as being populated by “loose baggy monsters,” meaning that his characters lacked depth. Dickens never found great praise from his contemporaries, so why is he still remembered and celebrated two hundred years after his death?

Dickens was a writer for the people; he asked questions and addressed ideas in his novels that had long been overlooked within Victorian society. He was a fierce critic of the poverty and social stratification of the time in which he lived and vented his anger and desire for change in novels such as The Adventures of Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Hard Times: For These Times. He took the most painful elements of his own childhood and used them as a force for change. His social work wasn’t limited to his writing, in 1846 with the help of wealthy Angela Coutts he opened and ran Urania Cottage, a home aimed at helping disadvantaged women from the working classes.

Even if his literary and philanthropic achievements haven’t impressed you, always remember, a world without Charles Dickens would be a world without The Muppet Christmas Carol. And that’s no world at all!

REVIEW: UNIQUE FORMS OF CONTINUITY IN SPACE AT THE SCVA Jack Perkin At the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (SCVA), Umberto Boccioni’s (18821916) Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913) appears somewhat out of place. Flanked by Head of an Oba (King) from sixteenth-century Nigeria and Head of a “Staff God” from the Cook Islands, it seems to bear no relation – neither geographic nor chronological – to its neighbours. But what the Sainsbury Centre has achieved is not so much a mismatch as a juxtaposition; alongside these traditional exhibits, Boccioni’s Unique Form is striding aggressively towards Modernity.

But Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, which is on loan from London’s Tate Modern until September, is distorted by this “striding”. While its lower legs are thin, the figure’s bulk is dragged backwards towards its calves by the speed of “progress”. It has no face, but only a

helmet-like head, and from a distance, Unique Forms might easily be mistaken for a Roman Legionary (or, depending on your own taste, Optimus Prime from Transformers). However, considering the Italian Futurists’ relish for all things militaristic and mechanical, perhaps neither is a poor comparison.

Born in Reggio Calabria in 1882, Umberto Boccioni joined the Futurist Movement in 1910. He was a signatory of its Manifesto of the Futurist Painters, as was Giacomo Balla (1871-1958), whose Abstract Speed: The Car Has Passed (1913) is also owned by the Tate Gallery.

Like Unique Forms, Balla’s Abstract Speed expresses the power of industry that galvanised the Futurists, and led to their wholesale rejection of the past. As is written in their Manifesto, “we rebel against that spineless worshipping of old

canvases, old statues and old bric-a-brac”.

With this in mind, how would Boccioni have felt to have had Unique Forms exhibited alongside the sixteenth-century Head of an Oba? Although it was never finished during Boccioni’s lifetime, which was cut short when he fell from a horse near Verona in 1916, two bronze casts were made of Unique Forms in 1972. One of these is now at the SCVA as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Sainsbury Centre and the Tate, which is set to continue in 2014 with four bronze sculptures – the Backs – by Matisse.

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space is a surprising exhibit, but one that is worth encountering. Unless, of course, you agree with Boccioni that, “Exhibitions… condemn Italian art to the ignominy of true prostitution.”

Chloe Hashemi

ARTS

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LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT:

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

@concrete_arts

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Tom Cullimore Among the plethora of head-shaking, fingerpointing and retrospective self-absorption which followed last autumn’s Jimmy Savile revelations, one reaction stood out as the refreshing and incisive antidote the country so badly needed. On the Question Time panel on the evening of 12 October was poet and author Benjamin Zephaniah, who recalled in the weeks past having been sat on his Mum’s sofa when he saw the breaking news surrounding the emergence of Savile evidence, only to get up from his seat and declare: “I knew it!”.

Of course he knew it. We all kind of knew it – and yet it never seemed possible to articulate what Zephaniah had done: that treating anyone as untouchable, as the BBC had done Savile, is a dangerous game to play.

Only someone with the casual audacity, the intuitive desire to pursue injustices and inequalities where and when they appear, could get away with that on national television.

Zephaniah turned 55 last week, and yet for the untempered idealism which continues to resonate through his work, he could easily be half that age. The breadth of range in his texts, a mix of children’s poetry, young adult novels and a variety of politically themed writings, alongside his passion for public speaking, have seen him recognised as one of the country’s most distinctive writers.

As an impassioned and left-leaning political voice, not unlike this year’s most famous decliner of an honour by royal appointment, Danny Boyle, Zephaniah has often spoken of his desire to remain true to his principles and reject prestige throughout

his rise to fame. It is that same magnanimity which led him to reject the offer of an OBE in the Queen’s 2003 Honours List. For Zephaniah any association with the British Empire would be totally out of the question, as he told the Guardian: “Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought. I get angry when I hear that word “empire”; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality, it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised.... Benjamin Zephaniah OBE - no way Mr Blair, no way Mrs Queen. I am profoundly anti-empire.”

Zephaniah’s righteousness might be grating if it was without the heart and eloquence with which it manifests itself in his literature. His 2001 novel, Refugee Boy, for example, is as powerful an expression of the difficulties faced by Eritrean/Ethiopian families fleeing persecution as one is likely to find on a child’s bookcase – or indeed an adult’s.

That isn’t to say that Zephaniah’s work is exclusively grounded in the emotionally weighty, however. Read the title poem of his 1999 publication ‘Talking Turkeys’ and you’ll soon realise that his motivations (without giving too much away, Zephaniah is an honorary patron of the Vegan Society) are as much supported by a capacity for buoyancy and wit as they are gritty realism or pathos.

It’s an encouraging thing that we have writers like Benjamin Zephaniah in this country. It’s encouraging that from Reception to Sixth Form, undergraduate to post, we could all learn from something he’s written or said.

Flickr: Pogus Caesar

REVIEW: JAMES MEEK AT UEA’S LIT FEST Holly McDede James Meek, author of The Heart Broke In and The People’s Act of Love, arrived for the first time at UEA’s Literary Festival to a crowded audience. Possibly, this audience hoped that hearing from the man with such elaborately plotted, scientific, and juicy novels might also provide insight to his complex brain.

James Meek began as a journalist. “I had to make money and eat food,” he explained.

He won the Foreign Journalist of the Year, but explained that he was always a fiction writer. “But a secret writer,” he said. That is, until The People’s Act of Love became a bestseller. Last year, The Heart Broke In was shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year.

In her introduction, UEA Professor

Lavinia Greenlaw described The Heart Broke In as a novel about marriage, paedophilia, evolution, sex, birth and reality television. When Meek made his appearance, he did not fall under the weight of so many moral questions. Like a humble literary enthusiast, he perkily declared that his bookmarks matched his top. He went on to boldly summarise the gist of life, and of his novels, as: death, money and love. “We’re going to start with a reading about death. Sorry,” he declared, with a yoga instructor’s calm.

The idea for this novel, Meek explained, came partially from his fascination with continuum beyond death, or in more scientific terms, with evolution. Meek

decided to create a character obsessed with his own role in evolution. Moving away from death to the second theme of money, Meek read a section about Ritchie Shepherd, who hosts a reality show called Teen Makeover and has just ended an “affair” with one underage contestant.

Meek made a point to note that he had written The Heart Broke In long before the investigations into sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile. But the themes in his novel are certainly relevant.

“Is there still time for love?” Meek asked, referring to his third theme. Good question. In the story, his character Bec finally takes a break for the night from her malaria research to spend time with her

boyfriend.

When Meek is asked what inspired him to write about malaria, the audience gets the map of his mind they were waiting for. Mainly, his writing process seems to involve following a trail of stream-ofconsciousness. “What if you’re obsessed with evolution, but you can’t have kids?” he asked himself. Then Meek said that he started thinking, “Maybe one of the characters has morals. Maybe they’re also a scientist. Maybe they do scientific work that involves virtue. Working to fight malaria in Africa is virtuous.”

And with that, Meek somehow made a literary opera of sex, science, and betrayal seem like a simple connection of the dots.

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LISTINGS

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concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk 23.04.2013

ON CAMPUS

happening this fortnight UEA RAG Fire Walking Saturday 27 April

UEA RAG invites anyone brave enough to join them on Saturday and walk on fire. The event takes place at the Black Horse Inn and aims to raise money for RAG’s three chosen charities: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Eastern Air Ambulance and Malawi Butterfly Space.

Firewalking is an ancient practise which involves walking barefoot across burning embers. Scary as it may seem, participants in RAG’s firewalk are likely to be safe - but that doesn’t stop this being a great way to raise money for charity and impress your friends.

This promises to be a fun, exciting and entertaining evening, whether you

want to walk on fire or simply watch in trepidation.

The event starts at 6.30, and includes training. Fire walkers are encouraged to go on to the LCR with RAG afterwards.

Participants will be required to raise £100 and put a £50 deposit down to cover the cost if they do not show. A prize is offered for the fire walker who raises the most.

To register for this event and for any further questions, please email stephen.anderson@uea.ac.uk.

For more information on UEA RAG, find them at www.facebook. com/uea.rag.

Dragon Hall Norfolk Beer Festival Friday 3 - Sunday 5 May

One of the county’s most friendly and relaxed beer festivals is back for its third year in May. The Dragon Hall Norfolk Beer Festival returns on Friday 3rd May and runs through to Sunday 5th.

In just two years this has become one of the most loved and friendliest beer festivals around, and has become renowned as an especially female friendly festival. It concentrates on celebrating the quality and diversity of Norfolk’s finest ales from independent brewers – all in the magnificent surroundings of one of Norwich’s best-loved historic buildings.

The festival is supported by The Fat Cat, CAMRA and Tipples Brewery and will feature over 30 different ales from around the county including a number of newly brewed beers to sample and savour.

New for 2013 is The Cider Corner with a connoisseur’s choice selection of locally brewed ciders and perrys.

Over the years this spectacular medieval building has housed at least three pubs, the last of which, The Old

Barge Inn, was serving thirsty drinkers until 1969. Indeed the building we now know as Dragon Hall was owned by brewers Watney Mann until 1979.

Delicious hot food will be provided at all sessions by The Belgian Monk and live music will come from a range of bands including The Woodland Creatures, The Dirigibles and The Laura Cannell Duo. Special souvenir glasses featuring an original design by Norwich artist Matt Reeve are included in the admission price.

In celebration of the partnership between The Fat Cat and Dragon Hall Matt’s design combines the distinctive Fat Cat cat with an equally sated Dragon!

Dragon Hall Events Manager Rachael McLanagan said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich variety of small independent brewers we have here in Norfolk – and sample local cider too. I’d like to thank all the breweries, The Fat Cat and everyone involved. Dragon Hall depends on raising money from the events we put on to survive so please come down and drink beer to support us!”

UEA Photography Society Photography Competition Submissions wanted Sunday 12 May

UEA Photography Society needs your submissions!

UEA Photosoc is running a competition culminating in an exhibition in May/June to showcase some of the great photographic talent at the university. It will be taking place for a week from 31 May in the Underbelly of the Rumsey Wells, a venue renowned locally for its great exhibition space.

This is open to all students at the university, and they would love to see as many people as possible involved.

The competition is split into four categories: Portraiture, Landscape/ Nature, Film and Norwich/UEA.

You can enter up to three photos per category and entries will be judged independently to determine a “Best in Category” for each category and “Photo of the Year” from all the entries. The top five photos from each category will be professionally printed, framed and exhibited for a week, and there will be an opportunity to sell your work. There are also great prizes to be won!

Submit by email to: ueaphotosoc@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Exhibition submissions.’ The deadline is Sunday 12 May.

GOT SOMETHING TO TELL UEA ABOUT? If you’ve got a Society or on-campus event that you’d like to share, get in touch: concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk

LISTINGS

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www.concrete-online.co.uk

23 April - 5 May Live Music Public Enemy Price £25 7.30pm UEA LCR

24 April

The Waterfront 27 April Mr Woodnote, Lil Rhys & Eva Lazarus Price £7 8pm Norwich Arts Centre

Fossil Collective Price £7 8pm Norwich Arts Centre 25 April Big Country w/Simon Townshend Price £22.50 7.30pm The Waterfront Sam Carter Price £12/£10 Concessions 8pm Norwich Arts Centre 26 April Color presents Metalheadz The Takeover feat. Goldie Price £11/£9 Concessions 10pm

28 April Cash w/ Jack Pout + the Dirt Level @The Waterfront Studio Price £10 7pm The Waterfront Darwin Deez w/ San Cisco Price £12 7.30pm The Waterfront The Pigeon Detectives Price £12.50 7.30pm The Waterfront

29 April

30 April

Marcella Detroit Price £16 8pm Norwich Arts Centre King Creosote Price £10 8pm Norwich Arts Centre

A List (Special Price) Price £3.50 10.30pm UEA LCR

27 April

Noah’s Ark Party Animals LCR Price £3.50 10pm UEA LCR A List Price £4.50 10.30pm UEA LCR

1 May

2 May Frank Hamilton w/ Mark Grist and Lewis Mokler @ The Waterfront Studio Price £6 7.30pm The Waterfront Beardyman Price £13.50 7.30pm The Waterfront Joe Gideon and the Shark Price £6 8pm

Club Nights 23 April Thrifty Shades of Cray (The Bad Fashion Party) LCR Price £3.50 10.30pm UEA LCR

Norwich Arts Centre

3 May

4 May The Burning Crows w/ Kamikazee Radio and Blind Tiger Price £7.50 6.30pm The Waterfront 5 May Lordi + Kaledon + Hostile presented by Metal Lust Price £16.50 7pm The Waterfront Burn the Headlines w/ Depth and Freyr@ The Waterfront Studio Price £5 7pm The Waterfront Savages presented by tweeOFF! Price £9 8pm The Waterfront

Comedy 30 April

4 May

27-28 April Richard Herring: Talking Cock: The Second Coming Price £15 8pm The Playhouse Phill Jupitus Price £15 8pm The Playhouse

1 May

Jimeoin – WHAT?!

Price £14.50/£13.50 8pm Norwich Arts Centre Mark Steel’s In Town Price £15 8pm The Playhouse

2 May

2-3 May

Photo: Holly Maunders

COMPETITIONS concrete.competitions@uea.ac.uk

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23.04.2013

THE VENUE CROSSWORD

across 3. Singer of Thrift Shop (10) 6. Twice-baked biscuits (8) 10. Plant fibre used for clothing (6) 12. The world’s largest desert (10) 14. King killed at the Battle of Hastings (6) 15. Desert rodents popular as pets (7) 18. Indigenous population of New Zealand (5)

down 1. Dessert dish eaten in celebration (4) 2. Dinosaurs made famous by Jurassic Park (13) 4. National animal of Scotland (7) 5. Baby rabbit (6) 7. Raw fish in Japanese cuisine (7) 8. Ancient people of central Mexico (6) 9. Robbers at sea (7) 11. Town of Mozart’s birth (8) 13. Gas lighter than air (6) 16. Alcohol made from sugarcane (3) 17. Eastern exercise with a focus on breath (4)

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