Venue - Issue 286 - 8 October 2013

VENUE ISSUE 286

Will Cockram: UEA 50th Anniversary celebrations

Will Cockram

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interview: max wilde Hi guys! Whether you’ve succumbed to fresher’s flu or not, Venue’s here to help you through the next fortnight.

Fresher’s week may be well and truly over, but UEA’s 50th Anniversary celebrations were just what we needed to keep the momentumn going. Some of us got a selfie with Greg James, while others basked in the presence of Mark Lamarr. Unconfirmed reports suggest a giant glittery pineapple disco ball was also present. If you happened to miss the huge fireworks display, look upon our front cover in a state of jealousy.

One of us didn’t take too well to the start of timetabled teaching and escaped to a National newspaper for the fortnight. Somewhere in their office lies a copy of Venue,

ARTS

the secret life of concrete completely left by accident we can assure you.

In terms of this issue though, look out for a one-two punch of interviews courtesy of Music, while our Television writers sift through the best (and worst) of Fall TV. Make sure to check out our competition too.

Lastly, thanks to those who came to our Big Meet – it was great to see so many of your faces.

We’re a society as much as we are a newspaper, so if you don’t feel like contributing, do continue to swing by our socials. We’re a lovely bunch when we’ve not got the lergy.

Stay cute, Hayden and Ciara

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Editor-in-Chief | Sidonie Chaffer-Melley Venue Editors | Hayden East and Ciara Jack Music | Editors | Jack Enright and Alex Flood Music Contributors: Rebecca Chapman, Louis Cheslaw, Hayden East, Jack Enright, Alex Flood, Alice Reedy Fashion | Editors | Madz Abbasi and Ella Sharp Fashion Contributors: Gemma Carter, Holly Wade, Rachel Hayllor Arts | Editor | Callum Graham Arts Contributors: Holly McDede, Caitlin McKeon, Steven Podmore, Sophie Szynaka Creative Writing | Editor | Holly McDede Creative Writing Contributors: George Currie, Mia Jones, Jo Lavender, Beth Saward, Silvia Sheehan Gaming | Editor | Sam Emsley Gaming Contributors: Joe Fitzsimmons, Adam Riza Television | Editor | Robert Drury Television Contributors: Sarah Boughen, Adam Dawson, Roshan Harvey, Phil Turtle, Reoghan Walsh Film | Editors | Holly Wade and Adam White Film Contributors: Matthew Atwood, Louis Cheslaw, Melissa Haggar, Joseph Holmes, Chris Rogers, Jay Slayton-Joslin, Feder Tot Competitions/Listings | Editor | Saul Holmes

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MUSIC

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Interview

THE 1975 Venue writer Alice Reedy catches up with Manchester’s incendiary newcomers.

Rosie Hardy One year ago, The 1975 were yet another relatively unknown Manchester four piece.

Last month, their debut album went straight to number one in the Official UK charts. Frontman Matt Healy is keen to explain that this seemingly meteoric rise to success is actually the product of years of work and carefully planned timing.

In 2011, the song ‘Sex’ was released onto the web by a band called The Slowdown and began creating some viral stir. This was the first offering by the lineup we now know as The 1975. However, evidence and promotion of this promising track soon began to disappear and I was keen to understand the reasoning behind this unusual decision to effectively take a backwards step. Healy explains that the decision was simple: “‘Sex’ attracted a lot of major label interest and we got a bit disillusioned with it, so we sacked it off, did our own thing and came back as The

1975.” He goes onto describe how the band had been touring for years, playing under different names to avoid the attention from big record producers. They had even played The Waterfront before, although Healy could not remember under which alias they had performed.

This answer gives away a lot about the attitude of the band - they aren’t desperate for commercial success. They’ve always wanted to write and play music on their own terms. Healy mentions that they never even intended to release an album, but when they were finally comfortable with their style and identity as The 1975, the timing seemed right to go ahead and record one.

Healy refreshingly refuses to let the number one album credential affect his view on the band’s motivations or goals. He asserts that “statistics aren’t the important element of the band, it’s the validation on

a human level that matters.” He seems more enthused by the recent discovery that “kids are walking around with 1975 neck tattoos.”

Healy is obviously keen to dispel any conceptions of the band as an overnight or undeserving success; just another landfill indie band. He divulges an animated account of how the band have, for over ten years, “been developing their stylistic and musical vocabulary together.” He goes on to talk about their shared influences: “black-American music from Motown through to soul, to 80’s pop and 90’s r’n’b.”

He maintains that the band are “actually an r’n’b and soul band who’ve embraced a lot of elements of indie music.”

One physical marker of indie success that Healy is happy to accept is that The 1975 are the first act to sell out Brixton Academy before releasing a debut album, which is a huge accomplishment. Another

success that Healy celebrates is his band’s support slot for The Rolling Stones this summer. He seems entirely humbled when describing watching Jagger dance to ‘Chocolate’ on the side of the stage during the Hyde Park gig. He also explains incredulously how amazed he was to find that The Rolling Stones still rehearse before a live gig, even after fifty years.

With Healy’s focus on prioritising music and fans over statistical success, I can’t help but think that, if they make it that far, The 1975 will similarly be rehearsing hard before every live gig for the next fifty years.

I couldn’t resist slipping in one personal question at the end, about Healy’s mother, who rather unbelievably is Denise Welch of Loose Women fame. Healy laughs and tells me he has indeed met the rest of the infamous panel. If he can survive that, then Brixton Academy should be child’s play.

MUSIC concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

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Interview

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Jack Enright sits down with Max Wilde of 808 - the club night breaking new ground within the norwich music scene Norwich has a strange relationship with music.

For live bands and artists, it’s an established stop-off on the UK tour circuit, punching well above it’s weight in terms of both the breadth and calibre of the musical talent it attracts.

But when it comes to dance music, the story is entirely different. Norwich has traditionally lagged far behind the rest of the country when it comes to on-point, innovative dance scenes, with clubs uniformly geared towards the ‘cheap entry and cheaper drinks’ ethos. In such a scheme, the actual music is always a secondary concern.

A handful of new Norwich promoters, however, have finally started to buck this trend.

Foremost amongst these is 808 Promotions - a monthly club night now staged at Hideout that has been breaking new ground in Norwich nightlife with a run of discerning, forwardthinking nights bringing the big names of Loefah, Dusky, Jackmaster and Boddika to a one-time clubbing backwater.

Max Wilde, the man behind the 808 brand, knows all about the peculiar, lopsided nature of the Norwich scene. Having been born and raised in the city, he experienced the resulting frustration first-hand. “For some reason, Norwich was very different from anywhere else...it was always a complete void of a good, underground electronic music scene.”

Decent live music wasn’t hard to come by - venues like the LCR and Norwich Arts Centre have been putting on big artists for years - but for dance-obsessives like Wilde, it wasn’t enough. Even when he took to the decks himself, Wilde would find his music tastes sidelined - “I was always in Room 2, always tucked away round the back – it would be an afterthought, set alongside a more mainstream playlist... These were all reasons for starting 808”.

It hasn’t been an easy ride though. As with any project working against established norms, getting 808 off the ground was a difficult process. “Whenever you went out in Norwich” recalls Wilde, “it was all £1 entry, £2 jagerbombs and whatever...and that’s just what people were used to.” It’s easy to see how the reluctance to part with more than a couple of quid on the door would have a stunting effect on Norwich nightlife - operating under such tight margins means there is little scope for booking big-name DJs that will actually put on a show. Contrast this with door fees in Birmingham or Manchester, where admission can sometimes top £25, and it’s no wonder that Norwich was struggling. “But it’s definitely changing. “Definitely”, says Wilde, nodding forcefully. “Everyone was conditioned

Joshua Smithers

to spending nothing on nights out - but the culture has started to change now.”

The shift in mindset can be traced in a large part to some of 808’s first nights, staged in Kartel in the middle of 2012. “Last year I was really just booking the people I liked and wanted to listen to - and that meant it was different” he explains. “It was a new type of night, I was introducing people to music and artists that people round here hadn’t heard of.

And because it was such a new thing people who heard about the nights and were interested were pretty willing to go with it.”

The long-term effect, according to Wilde, is that if punters are paying a couple of extra quid on the door, then promoters can book bigger names, which, in turn, means better music, and better nights out. “The admission fee for 808 has doubled since we started, for example - but that’s not so we can make loads more money, it’s so we can book bigger names.”

To get 808 this far would have required a great deal of hard-headed ambition - and from our conversation it’s clear that Wilde has that in spades. Wary Norwich club-owners and doubtful national booking agents have both been overcome emphatically. But it’s only when conversation comes round to Manchester’s Warehouse Project - the 5,000-capacity Mecca of UK clubbing - that the true extent of Wilde’s ambition becomes obvious. “I’m one of those people who are really just all or nothing - and to be honest it’s my dream to one day be doing something of that size. I think that it’s a natural thing to aim for...in my mind, it’s not outlandish to see myself in charge of something like the Warehouse Project in 7 or 8 years.”

The claim is, frankly, a huge one - but one Wilde makes with a steady assurance you can’t help but find convincing. Hearing him discuss his aims for 808 feels less like the airing of distant pipe dreams and more like the recital of fact. 808 Promotions is barely a year old, and has already staged events that, a few years previously, would have been unthinkable. Give Max Wilde eight years and anything could happen.

You can catch the next 808 event, featuring a performances from Boddika, on October 19th at Hideout.

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BRITAIN’S BEST: THE MERCURY PRIZE NOMINATIONS 2013

Rebecca Chapman The Barclaycard Mercury Prize shortlist is the unopposed holy grail of the British music scene with no other award carrying the same weight in terms of critical credibility.

Not straying far from tradition, this year’s list has been cultivated from an array of newcomers, returners and one very special music veteran.

The most talked about entry of the year, and bookies favourite, is David Bowie’s album, The Next Day. Bowie announced his surprise comeback in February, giving us an album which has exchanged the Ziggy Stardust days for a more stripped back, raw Bowie with all the charm the British public fell for in the seventies.

With the Arctic Monkeys and Foals as representatives of the indie scene, there’s a likely chance that the genre will succeed this year. Both bands are among the favourites to win, with albums striving on the strength of personal development and maturity of their sounds.

A win for the Arctic Monkeys would see history being repeated following a win in 2006 with their debut album, a feat only achieved before by PJ Harvey.

James Blake has demonstrated a true progression of his work with second album Overgrown, which builds on the foundations of his previously nominated debut album. His experimentalism and talent for merging

genres is reminiscent of last year’s winner’s Alt-J, traits proving to be favourable among the panel.

It seems as though the list wouldn’t be itself these days without the appearance of Laura Marling. There is a hidden strength which lies in the rawness of Marling’s modesty, making her fourth album Once I Was An Eagle a deserving winner. Also holding the fort for folk is the Villagers. They’ve taken their folk sentiments and ambitiously implemented electronic undertones with their second album {Awayland}.

Fighting the corner for dance music are the likes of Disclosure and Jon Hopkins who both bring an electronic sound to the table. In the past, electronic elements have won success for bands such as The XX; however it may be less likely that the more club-oriented music of these artists will succeed.

Amidst the vast number of returners to the list lay the most exciting entries – the debut albums. Although experiencing a whirlwind year of popularity and chart success in 2013, this is no guarantee of triumph for Jake Bugg and Rudimental. Laura Mvula’s soulful album Sing To The Moon, often likened to the music of Amy Winehouse, shows promise despite a lack of massive public recognition. Meanwhile, post-punk band Savages remain the underdogs (perhaps undeservedly so) of the shortlist with their debut album Silence Yourself.

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Outside of those nominated, it would be a crime to ignore those who’ve missed out on making the shortlist.

London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait was predicted to appear on the shortlist but didn’t make it, while the lack of Mumford and Sons seems to be the result of the second album hurdle they’ve met, often infamous with such successful bands.

So whether it’s a fresh off the block debut album, or the twenty forth of a British legend, the awards, taking place on 20th October, will be as unpredictable as ever.

PREVIEW: Norwich Sound & Vision Festival: 10-12.10.2013 Alex Flood Cometh the second week of October, cometh Norwich’s premier internal festival, combining an exciting array of the world’s up and coming bands and performers with an interesting and engaging programme of speakers and guest panellists from each respective industry. Running from its official VIP opening at EPIC studios on Thursday 9th October, Norwich Sound and Vision promises three days of unmissable gigs, conferences and special events.

The festival will take place in fourteen different

venues, with most of the high profile music events staged over seven of these. The wonderfully intimate Norwich Arts Centre plays host to Thursday’s headliner Ghostpoet, whose gritty, eclectic mixture of spoken word and electronic music with various added dance music elements has seen him move to the forefront of Britain’s alternative music scene in recent years. His debut album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam earnt Ghostpoet a Mercury Prize nomination in 2011, and although he eventually lost to PJ Harvey, Ghostpoet can be seen as Sound and Vision’s biggest name this year. No Ceremony provide support on the night – think Queens of the Stone Age mixed with Alt-J and presented in a format not dissimilar to Burial. Again, not to be missed.

Blues fuzz-rockers Drenge also take residency in the Arts Centre on Friday night, and should pull in one of the biggest crowds of the festival. This duo of brothers hails from Derbyshire and instantly brings up images of early Black Keys (when they were still adventurous). Their set is sure to be an evening of explosive and bone-shattering rock n’ roll the Arts Centre won’t forget. An Alt-J DJ set follows, but as a DJ set and not a full performance the Mercury Prize winners from Leeds University cannot claim to be the festival’s main attraction.

The Waterfront welcomes Scottish indie-folk songstress Nina Nesbitt to its well-trodden floorboards on the Friday night, and then on the Saturday electronic dance sensation AlunaGeorge will host a night of sweaty club madness, all to the soundtrack of massive hit singles such as White Noise and You Know You Like It. Sure to be very popular with Norwich’s student population, the runners up in the BBC Sound of 2013 poll represent

Sound and Vision’s most well-known commercial pull.

Perhaps the most under-the-radar (but still not to be missed) act performing this year is MØ. The Danish star’s own brand of electronic soul conjures up memories of The Ronettes and Robyn at her desolate best, and is sure to reap huge rewards for her in the near future.

She performs in The Waterfront on Saturday before AlunaGeorge. Australian four-piece indie pop band San Cisco play in the smaller Waterfront studio on the Friday, and is sure to be well attended by hordes of squealing, NME-waving rugrats out for their big night of the weekend (students stay away), but their own brand of summer- spangled guitar pop is not unworthy of anyone’s time, and sure to be good fun.

Norwich Sound and Vision is not just about the music either. The pick of the bunch from the speakers lineup includes the mercurial Jamal Edwards, founder of SBTV, the media platform built from home to promote young and up and coming urban hip hop and rap talents.

Radio 6’s Tom Robinson also chairs a debate, best known for his time as lead singer of the pop group The Tom Robinson Band. His hits, such as Glad to be Gay and 2-4-6-8 Motorway, ensure that this will if nothing else be entertaining for lovers of 70’s cheesy pop. Staying on the radio side of things, Jen Long of Radio 1 is in attendance to give advice on how to get into national radio on Saturday in the Arts Centre.

For TV fans there’s an unmissable chance to extract pearls of wisdom from Phil Ford, producer and co-writer of Doctor Who and Taggart, and the incomporable Adam Tandy, who produced well-loved shows The Thick of It and I’m Alan Partridge.

MUSIC concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

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Album Reviews HAIM DAYS ARE GONE Louis Cheslaw

Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana have come a long way from their days performing with their parents as

DRAKE NOTHING WAS THE SAME Hayden East

Drake has always been hip-hop’s premier jack-of-all-trades. Last time we checked into his heartbreak hotel, he was busy deciding whether he was “a descendent of either Marley or Hendrix.” Now, two years later, he makes a similar attempt to plot his trajectory – this time “somewhere between psychotic and iconic.” Business as usual then, for his rather ironically titled third album.

By now we’re used to his over-

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Rockinhaim. Now known worldwide as Haim, the girl group blend the swag of Destiny’s Child, the angst of Janis Joplin and the family harmonies of the Jackson Five into the unique, striking sound that they display on their debut album Days Are Gone.

Much of the excitement around the release has been generated by the charisma that these girls project, charming interviewers and audiences alike wherever they go. Ever since their single ‘Don’t Save Me’ was premiered

by Zane Lowe (another act to grace the LCR this semester, along with the group themselves who will be here in December) on Radio 1, the band has graced magazine covers and radio studios across Europe and North America.

This same self-confident attitude that the girls themselves project is also present within the album’s opening tracks; ‘Falling’, ‘Forever’ and ‘The Wire’. It is worth noting that these songs served as the album’s promotion, and therefore the listener is eased into the

new release through the songs that they have already grown to love. By placing the singles in a bunch at the beginning, not only are we reminded instantly of the reason we bought the album in the first place, but we are also then given the freedom to then digest the new tracks without interruption from old friends.

It’s a shame that the second half of the album is at times a little less captivating than we are used to, but Haim are to be applauded for the diversity and ambition of their musical influences.

The beat behind ‘My Song 5’ would be fit just as well on a Pusha T album, while the rapturous ‘Honey & I’ exudes a Joan Jett-like confidence.

Current single and third track ‘The Wire’ stands out particularly, as the girls each showcase their vocal ability, with lowered voices teasing the microphone and uniting for the harmonies found in the chorus. ‘The Wire’ would be at home next to any Blondie song - and that’s something to be praised, rather than mocked.

The 02 Academy in Brixton has just announced that it will be hosting Haim next Spring as part of a wider tour that will take in a handful of the UK’s heavyweight venues. This serves as a reminder of just how lucky we are that they’ll be playing the Nick Rayns LCR on December 4th. While tickets have been sold out for weeks now, those who bagged one are in for quite the show.

Ariel Rechtshaid, the producer of Days are Gone, previously worked with Usher and Vampire Weekend, and it wouldn’t be a long shot to expect the Haim sisters to go on to reach similar heights in their career. Sure, there are some songs that don’t possess the same charm as the singles (namely the formulaic title track), but if the overall release is anything to go by, it’s an exciting time to be a Haim fan, or even just a fan of music.

emotional, meme-inspired posturing, and tracks like the piano-led ‘From Time’ and ‘Too Much’ show that Drake’s still at his best when he has a tissue at the ready. His after-dark reflections are delivered with clarity and precision, often exposing individuals for better or worse. ‘From Time’s mention of “Courtney from Hooters on Peachtree” is particularly specific, but it belongs to the Kanye West school of lyricism. For both rappers, disclosure is used as an emotive catalyst rather than an exploitative name drop. Make no mistake, Yeezy taught him.

And like Kanye West’s recent album Yeezus, Nothing Was The Same spends much of its time reflecting an angrier, more abrasive image of its creator. Drake’s evolution began as early as 2012, when he delivered a guest verse on Rick Ross’ ‘Stay Schemin’’. Forced into a corner by a growing number of detractors, his response was biting, brutal, but most importantly unexpected. His physical appearance soon followed suit: press appearances revealed angular shoulders, defined biceps and a rougher attitude, while his Instagram became populated with workout shots. Before long he was drinking shots out of his Grammy award.

A handful of well-selected guest verses during 2013 cemented the fact that Drake was out to prove his legitimacy as a rapper as much as a singer, and Nothing Was The Same finds him flexing his flow.

With its West Coast trap slouch, ‘Worst Behaviour’ manages to out-do Rick Ross at his own game, while the mammoth intro ‘Tuscan Leather’ is a 7-minute lesson in braggadocio. “I could go an hour on this beat” he boasts, like a man who’s got everything to prove.

Then there’s ‘Started From The Bottom’, the now-infamous comingup story for the Facebook generation.

Drake’s early beginnings as a Degrassi child star are hardly the drug dealing backstories that his peers possess, but there’s a knowingness in his bars that suggests he’s baiting the hip-hop community on purpose. And he makes a good point: disadvantage doesn’t make you ‘real’ by default – ‘the bottom’ is a completely subjective state.

Only through Noah ‘40’ Shebib’s production is he able to get away with such fluctuations in vocal delivery.

The right-hand man keeps his palette largely monochromatic – the drums are unhurried, the reverb is thick, and any dramatic flourishes are kept to a minimum. So rigidly enforced is this aesthetic that at least four pre-released tracks are exempt from the track listing (the Destiny’s Child-influenced ‘Girls Love Beyoncé’ is most notably absent).

The only crack in the airlock is the 80’s-inspired ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’, but it remains an anomaly.

On numerous occasions, tracks will descend into abstraction. ‘Own It’ is

particularly raw, an interpolation of the preceding track ‘Wu-Tang Forever’, which in turn borrows its hook its namesake (The Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘It’s Yourz’). The two-track suite makes for an intriguing change of pace, but the formless ‘305 To My City’ takes a step too far.

Surprisingly for a major label hiphop album, Drake keeps guest spots to a premium. He makes a point of letting us know he’s “not even talking to Nicki [Minaj]”, and he’s “just as famous as my mentor [Lil’ Wayne]”, and both artists are noticeably absent from the record.

Tension in Young Money/Cash Money Records aside, rising stars Sampha and Jhené Aiko are fine replacements, providing a much-needed soulful foil to his verses. True to recent form however, Jay Z offers an embarrassing set of bars on ‘Pound Cake’. One line is particularly lazy: “Look at my neck, I got a carrot cake” (carrot as in carat, geddit?).

It certainly makes a strong case for those championing Drake as a usurper to the throne – one he himself has fuelled with the album cover, which follows a grand tradition of baby faces in hip-hop.

Illmatic this ain’t, but with Nothing Was The Same, the Grammy winner’s surely on his way.

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SMOKIN’

Dr Martens

Oversized Coats Wrap up this season: the bigger the better

Tom Ford Name dropped

by Jay Z. So you know he’s hot.

concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

Autumn Staples

Gemma Carter outlines your A/W must haves COATS Fashion favourites this season include the classic camel coat making a comeback.

This timeless design is chic and adds a touch of class to any outfit. Venue also loves biker-style coats from traditional black to rich shades of burgundy and navy. Biker coats are flattering for most body shapes and instantly add an edge to your look.

Making a comeback

FASHION

CHUNKY KNITS No A/W wardrobe is complete without a selection of trusty knitwear. Oversized chunky jumpers and cardigans are a winter must have to keep us warm in lectures and walking around campus.

Try looking round charity shops and Norwich market for some cheap, vintage gems that you can definitely afford on a student budget. Mustard and maroon are a must-have this season and remember the chunkier the better!

TARTAN It’s not only the runway that has tartan fever this autumn, but almost every store on the high street is full of it too.

This traditional pattern has found its way onto trousers and even brogues this autumn coming in so many different styles and colours. Venue style tip: Try a baggy tartan dress with a pair of biker boots for a grungy feel or a tailored tartan blazer with a Peter Pan collar blouse for a preppy look.

HATS Trying on millions of different hats to find what’s best for you can be fun, and once you’ve found your favourite style you’re good to go. Cute bobble beanie hats are adorable and are perfect for casual every day wear but if you want something that is more style than substance try a knitted headband. Feeling daring? Why don’t you give a faux fur Cossack hair a go?

It will instantly add a touch of vintage glamour to your look.

BOOTS Two trends that are dominating the high street right now are biker and cut out ankle boots. Wear Biker boots with a girly mini/midi dress to add an edgy twist to your outfit, or wear with your favourite skinny jeans tucked in and an oversized chequered skirt for a vintage 90’s feel. The transition from summer to autumn makes selecting outfits tricky but this age old problem has been solved.

The solution: cut out boots. These boots are a quirky take on the classic ankle and add an edge to your autumn wardrobe. If you feel confident go for a pair with a bit of a height, that heel can make a world of difference to how you look and feel.

Wearing coloured socks underneath, adding a fun pop of colour to your autumn clothing colour palette.

Lock In or Let Down?

Holly Wade discusses Chapelfield’s Student Night

CHOKIN’ Killing off Darcy?

Fielding, how could you?

Fresher’s Flu Never a good look

Chapelfield’s bi-annual student lockin always promises to be a great night.

With discounts in most stores it’s the perfect time to buy the latest trends from your favourite shops while on a measly student budget. Or so you would think.

The night was said to include 30% off across stores, free drinks and live music with a selection of free giveaways; intrigued? So were we.

Being students we all love a good night out, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that when we shop we want to be faced with blaring music (please take note Bank). A mini queue, reminiscent of a Thursday night at Mantra, formed outside the Levi shop; their main incentives for enticing shoppers to come in were a DJ and a complimentary bar.

This would be perfect, except the shop itself is tiny and they only stocked beer.

A disappointment to say the least.

The nightclub theme continued with Lola Lo’s having their own section giving out free juice and goody bags, only if you signed up to their newsletter of course. But for a free pen and some novelty glasses a few emails are most definitely worth putting up with, right?

The best deals of the night remained

outside of Chapelfield itself with Primark always a win-win situation for poor students looking for cheap clothing and Topshop promoting 20% student discount on all items. At least the furore in Chapelfield meant that the exterior shops were relatively empty and much easier to browse in. And let’s be honest,

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Norwich’s tiny Miss Selfridge is always much more appealing when you’re the only group of people in there. And as for Primark, there’s no more need be said.

For such a supposedly popular event there was a huge lack of students – seriously, town can often be busier on a weekday. The lock-in at first glance seems like the perfect idea for Chapelfield to entice students to purchase their goods.

But once there, it is revealed just how much of a trick the night is as the shops just attempt to lure us into buying things that we don’t really need. It doesn’t help when the best stock is hidden out the back and only the dregs are left on the shelves.

The highlight of the night was simply having a fun time with friends and it soon became clear that Chapelfield was lacking in decent products to buy when half of our group left the four hour spree having spent nothing.

If you’re looking for a fun shopping night where you can buy some staple clothing for less than the usual price then this is the perfect night for you, but if you’re hoping for anything more then, sadly, it will probably be a little bit of a let-down.

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Photographer: Jacob RobertsKendall Model: Holly Wade Stylists: Madz Abbasi and Ella Sharp

Back to Black Rachel Hayllor The turning of the Autumn leaves ushers in a sense of reinvention, a chance to start fresh and, in the case of your sartorial choices, rejuvenate your wardrobe.

As inevitable as Freshers Flu, the Grunge look is back for the tail-end of this year; so to make sure you stay in the fashion loop this winter, here are three outfit ideas inspired by our scruffy nineties predecessors. Your tough new look will have you kicking butt and taking names.

Girl Gone Grunge Grunge style is all about defying expectations and (in the words of Dewey Finn from ‘School of Rock’)“sticking it to the man.” To fully embrace the trend, take a dress or skirt in an ultra-feminine fabric or print – think velvet or lace. Pair it with a shabby oversized cardigan and some combat boots for some vintage Drew Barrymore-inspired flair.

Extra badass points for pairing this look with ripped or laddered tights (also a great excuse to avoid shelling out for a new pair).

Dressing Down Mothers are always insisting we wrap up warm in the winter months, so to appease our fretful caregivers (and

because student housing is famously freezing), this look focuses on layering.

Take a plain vest-top or t-shirt in a dark, wintry hue and pair it with a plaid shirt, worn undone or tied around your waist.

Throw a leather jacket over it for warmth and texture, wear with ripped skinny jeans for added interest, and let your most beaten-up trainers provide comfort and shabby style.

To complete the look, add a warm beanie – a lifesaver if you didn’t have time to style your hair!

Heading to a Dive Bar This next look is great for an evening out at a gig or club. Pick up some shorts with some interesting texture like studs or velvet. Team those with an old band t-shirt, knotted at the waist. Then throw on some vampy suspender-print tights with some comfy creepers or high Jeffrey Campbells depending on your preference.

Grunge looks are emphasized by adding clunky or awkward looking accessories, particularly in footwear, like bright patent Dr. Martens. Feel free to put comfort over style. Add an ironic flower crown for a brave statement piece and some skull rings for sartorial contrast; for modesty or warmth go for a cool military jacket to finish off the ensemble.

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10 S

08.10.2013

ARTS

www.concrete-online.co.uk

treet

Art

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

The Brand Of Brand

Caitlin McKeon

Steven Podmore

The street provides a space for artists of all standards, from the playful and innocent to the political, aggressive and outlandish.

Graffiti is still a controversial issue though it’s making waves in other areas of art, politics and culture. The origin of graffiti is difficult to define; humans have been painting in their habitat since the original cave paintings, Ancient Egypt and Rome.

Modern street art bears its roots in Hip Hop culture, and generally expresses underlying social and political views.

Graffiti in Norwich is largely discriminated against; the council offers services for street cleaning and graffiti removal upon request. Artists are frequently described as “menaces” by local newspapers, though the community shows support for the art. Youth clubs offer graffiti workshops with established artists. There are also free walls and spaces allocated for legal graffiti, such as the pedestrian underpass below Grapes Hill dual-carriageway, and the abandoned warehouse near Upper Green Lane. Some believe that legal walls defy the Kate Snowdon: Don’t Go Go Gorilla - Stay!! point of street art, though like any form of art, its definition and execution are down to the interpretation of the artist.

Around the world graffiti is not only becoming decriminalised but encouraged.

In Queens, New York an entire block, 5pointz, is dedicated to street art. 5pointz is administrated by artist Meres One who reviews work before it is put up for the public. With decriminalisation came freedom; artists gained space and time to create their works and with that came rapid advancements. Better technologies were developed and the nature of street art has since evolved.

It is hard to have an article about street art without mentioning giants such as Banksy or Obey. Obey progressed from commenting on the political world with their propaganda and became a part of it when they created their iconic ‘Hope’ poster, a screen print of Barack Obama for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Banksy turned his guerrilla art into a brand and profitable enterprise. There are, however,

Russell Brand has returned to standup comedy after a several year absence with a show entitled Messiah Complex.

In his own words, “this show looks at the importance of heroes in this age of atheistic disposability, and obviously there is sex.”

With targets such as Jesus, Gandhi and Hitler discussed in relation to his own celebrity, the show appears to be a continuation of Brands own long history of subversive, extremely personal and consistently controversial comedy. Along with the discussion of Brand as a public figure, the past few years have seen a hugely increased profile for Brand.

With British comedy currently at a stage of huge mainstream cultural popularity, with the likes of Michael McIntyre and John Bishop commanding sold out arena tours and DVD sales numbering in the millions, Brand’s return to stand-up comes at a lucrative time. However his own return to the comedy circuit appears to be far more personal than an attempt to capitalise on the huge audiences of Live at the Apollo or Friday night comedy panel shows.

Rather he claims the prompting of Howard Stern, Radio ‘Shock Jock’ turned America’s Got Talent Judge, who criticised him for the poor quality of his recent film roles and advised Brand to return to what made him famous to begin with. Taking the advice to heart Brand has in interviews claimed that he doesn’t “feel like [he’s] having to compromise too much.”

Brand’s happiness at not having to compromise upon his material is unsurprising given his track record of dissenting against the rules of comedy and decency in his career. In his first television show Re:Brand, which aimed at pushing personal and cultural taboos Brand fought his own father to a boxing match, and in an attempt to challenge his own sexuality, “wanked off” a male stranger in a public bathroom. However these early events would be over-shadowed by a news story that managed to eclipse the Global Financial Crisis, a US presidential election and the restarting of the Civil War in Congo (although that was in Africa so it’s not like anyone would have talked about it anyway). The news story in question concerned Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross and a telephone call – enough said really, far too many column inches have been devoted to that story already.

His image as an anarchic comedian leads into one of the most fascinating aspects of Brand’s life. That despite the pre-eminence of comedy in the British entertainment industry Brand’s own

Credit to the artist hundreds of artists that choose to exhibit their work on city walls rather than galleries or museums, freeing their art from rule or regulation. Tamara Alves, Vhils, Arm Collective, Eime, Paulo Arraiano, Mr Brainwash, Rubin, Neck Face, Gaia and Chicken Boy to name a few.

Beirut, Lebanon, has a huge art scene.

Graffiti and street art has become definitive of the city’s identity. Twenty years ago the streets were occupied with stencils and inscriptions relating to the civil war and sectarian politics. In recent years their street art and graffiti changed dramatically and pieces now offer a critical look at Lebanese society with emphasis on unity and humour. Last year an event was held at the Beirut Art Centre called White Wall that was used to display and celebrate the Lebanese graffiti scene. The Beirut Photo Marathon is another event that exemplifies the importance of street art as part of modern Lebanese culture. The photo marathon welcomes all to take photographs defining the city, and street art is captured on a huge scale as part of the city’s image.

Among the artists who work there are Zed, Kabrit, Phat Two, and EPS who once said “We can change the world and make it a better place and if not completely better, at least better looking”.

A new form of art and communication called Dead Drops is a movement that started in New York by artist and architect Aram Bartholl, who plants USB sticks into brick walls where anyone with a USB compatible device can plug in and drop or receive files. Each USB stick contains a readme.txt explaining the project. This form of sharing and communicating is completely free of regulation, much like graffiti.

Unlike exhibits and museums the street is free to the public and the artist. Credit is given to the artists with the greatest skill and competence, every career starts from the same position and authenticity comes at exactly the same price. The cost of true authenticity is often measured in years rather than pounds.

Live Nation personal level of celebrity transcends that of any other comedian working today.

Brand manages to juggle a multiple of public images, most prominently the role of a tabloid villain, to be mocked for his eccentric dress, public battles with addiction, mental illness and sexual achievements.

Despite the near constant appearances in celebrity gossip pages, Brand’s comedy is in many ways a far cry from his most noticeable public face. Often subversive, extremely personal and offensive, Brand attacks the newspapers that track his movements within the celebrity world.

His articulate interviews and popular Guardian articles are further still from his image as the bohemian and rebellious Lothario of the British celebrity news cycle.

Brand’s masterful juggling of both the art of stand-up and celebrity are just part of what makes him so appealing, not just as a comedian but as a public figure. It is not hugely surprising that he drifted into a world inhabited by those he dedicated his material to examining. Brand occupies a complicated space in the world of British celebrity. He is somewhat revered for his habit of attacking politicians and the media for their shallow and anaesthetised public image; his recent appearance on the MSNBC Morning Show devolved into farce as Brand mocked the anchors. The Youtube video of which carries around ten million views.

His obvious mastery of public opinion and consistent courting of controversy have in no way diminished during his return to stand-up, with the show garnering critical praise for Brand’s ability to synthesise his rapid and emotional comedic style with the prominent themes of celebrity in both historical and modern culture. Tickets are already on sale for his upcoming dates at NTR, and it looks like a return to his old form.

ARTS

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

www.concrete-online.co.uk

08.10.2013

The secret life of concrete

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Holly McDede UEA doesn’t have an official mascot, but if it did, it would probably be a thick slab of concrete smiling at the student body like an ugly but lovable pug. The great Norfolk and Suffolk ziggurat pyramids simultaneously earn university architecture awards and quizzical looks from students. From the library, students can see the whole world - or at least UEA’s hip nature scene of sprawling grassy plains and a manmade lake. From there, it’s more concrete and pathways leading to more pathways to more concrete to more pathways.

The original architect for UEA, Denys Lasdum, was a part of a 60s and 70s trend tellingly called “New Brutalism.” That means he’s got an enthusiasm for blocks, structure, and lines that most people reserve for season finales of Breaking Bad. After Lasdum, architect Bernard Fielden stepped in, finished the library, and gave us all socialization opportunities with his arena shaped square. Norman Foster gets credit for the Sainsbury Centre, a building that instantly struck Arts History professor Dr. Daniel J. Rycroft when he

first went to visit the university.

“I was intrigued,” Rycroft said of the translucent, see-through office doors and constant sound of tea cups clicking on the inside of the building. “You’re always aware of the space you’re in. The space allows generous levels of interaction. It’s intimate.” Like an Art History professor, he finds appreciation in the little things, like the oval-shaped condensation that appears on the rectangular panels outside the Sainsbury Centre when it’s just cold enough outside.

Another Arts History professor, Simon Dell, prefers the original design over the newer buildings along Chancellors Drive.

“It’s a different conception. The new buildings seem more artificial,” Dell said.

When UEA’s blueprint was first designed, university attendance was far lower, and universities themselves were less profitable. Nowadays universities must look good for pamphlets and adverts, and artistic movements with scary names like Brutalism do little to impress parents emptying their bank accounts.

Yet the old design remains, and Dell

Flickr: .Martin. enjoys feeling like he’s walking around in a metaphor. He described the glass walled bridge that reaches out to the science departments as “an umbilical cord that links a mother to a child.”

For most, UEA’s concrete is only a backdrop to more important academic

concepts to attend to, parties to throw, and lives to live. Like harsh, cruel weather, it’s there, perhaps clawing its way into our subconscious, perhaps totally irrelevant.

It can be blotchy and ugly, but it can also be, with some imagination, beautiful as only concrete can be.

Art in your words Sophie Szynaka Impressionism, one of the most international and celebrated movements in art history, emerged in France in the 1860s. It combined the theme of modern life with a new interest in landscape, leisure, everyday life and painting outside of the studio.

The qualities of the Impressionist style are difficult to define as not all of the Impressionists painted in the same way. Whether an Impressionist choses to depict the modern world by painting outside, capturing a ‘snapshot’ like moment, focusing on light or space, with experimental materials, broken brushwork and/or a bright rainbow palette of colours varied depending on the individual artist. However, the Impressionists’ works did all reflect their own personal view of modernity. This is due to the great influence of the writer Charles Baudelaire who in his book ‘The Painter of Modern Life’ encouraged artists to go forth and paint the ephemeral and fleeting moments of the modern world around them.

Monet’s painting ‘Impression Sunrise’

Impressionism

(pictured), exhibited in 1874, is a key work as it is where the term Impressionism

Claude Monet: Impression Sunrise

was born. The critic Louis Leroy wrote against these works and in particular

Impression Sunrise in a derogatory manner. He accused the work of being a sketch-like, unfinished mere impression.

However, we know Impression Sunrise is finished as Monet has signed and dated the work. This harbour scene shows Monet’s personal interest in depicting the ephemeral moment of light on water and atmosphere at sunrise as well as the visual effects of smoke and mist at the busy port of Le Havre. Monet painted quickly using broken brushstrokes and there is also evidence of him painting ‘wet on wet’ in order to capture the fleeting sunrise before the paint can dry.

The enormous influence of French Impressionism on art lasted well beyond the original artists’ lifetimes. Their stylistic qualities and ideas inspired artists internationally beyond France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

So despite their exhibitions lasting less than two decades, Impressionism was a true rebellion in art from the traditional status quo. It is still well-known and loved today for its individuality, originality and creativity.

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CREATIVE WRITING

08.10.2013

www.concrete-online.co.uk

THEME: TRY Untitled

The Audition

“Mm-mm.”

“Happy.”

The muscles of my face work to make a smile.

She catches it, spreading it in her lap to look at. “Pretty smile.”

“Mmmmm.” Her hands are soft. So cliché, but they’re so lovely and soft, like velvet pads of water, little saplings. The nails. I love her nails. Little claws, a cat’s claws, all flattened out and softened and bendy. Couldn’t hook a mouse’s guts out with those. She doesn’t paint them, thankfully. Imagine a tiger with painted nails. It’s such a weird idea. Why would anyone paint their nails?

No, I like the little mauve half-moons that pale and pale up into the white sky at the top of her nail. Beautiful.

Flat little tigers.

“What are you doing?”

“Nails.”

She laughs and rolls her eyes and slips her smoky arms around my torso, laying her head against my collarbone. The fingertips dent little pearls into my arm.

“Hi.”

“Finally, two words in a row.” She smiled, curling the back of her knuckles, tucking them neatly against my chin, a sword, a sheath, a glove.

Her hair is surprisingly heavy. A sheet of dead cells, of carbon, the potential to be diamonds, but not quite. A few ribs of blonde glide down through the brown.

Stardust eyelashes. She’s got freckles on her eyelids, one mole, and a bit of yellow in one iris. The room reflects white in her pupils. Funny how dust is a bad thing, but stardust is romanticism. Heavy, silt, stardust.

She exhales and relaxes outwards, her bony limbs angular and fresh. I love it when she holds my hands.

It makes them feel different, unattached, light and airy.

The rest of me is full, full of effort and heaviness. Her touch makes me effortless.

“Back to school tomorrow.”

“College.”

“Oh, call it what you like.” She smiles. “School, college, hell, it’s all the same to me.”

“Don’t be mean about it. It’s not so bad.”

She shrugs and leans down, tracing her fingers over my face. “What about when we finish?”

“What about it?”

“Life. You know?”

I stare at her in the dark, too tired to ask what she means, so she has to elaborate.

“What next?”

“Not sure. Why do you worry about it?”

“Mmmm...” She loops a lazy arm over my head and lies across my chest, pillowing her head on my collar.

“Life seems pretty long right now. Don’t you think?”

“Maybe too short.” I can feel how warm her head is against my neck. “Maybe a bit too short.”

“But there’s so much to do.” She’s moving out of her parent’s house this week, moving into a new place with bills to pay and cleaning to do and cooking to learn.

There’s going to be a whole world of opportunity, of skylights and discos and dancing through the night.

“There’s so much to do. There’s so, so much to do.” The lethargy is draining away and I sit up and turn on the lamp, brightening the room. “A whole world to do! Come on, give me your hand! Let’s go up to the roof!”

Days arrived and left, like a fast train passing through an unwanted station, but now the evening had finally come. The months which preceded the event were monotonous, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in those dreadful days between the hours of 9 and 5, and as I sat down graciously, taking extra care to hold my dress firmly against the back of my legs, I was sure that the sleepless nights and routine hand exercises would pay off. This was my moment.

The room before me was dark, cat’s-eyes in neat lines sat before me, curving inwards from the top like an hourglass and I accepted that my time was up. I was up. I breathed deeply, looking around me and smiling back at the darkness. I knew they could see my face, highlighted by the yellow spotlight that hung over me like an awkward reminder of my potential future. My hands lifted in perfect harmony as if I was under a puppeteer’s control, and instinct took over.

Rehearsed formations skimmed through the air, touching down on the ebony and ivory slats, dancing across the keys like a ballerina skipping across the stage, leaping gracefully up and down the scale, pausing at just the right second and creating the art that filled the room with inspiration and autonomy. My eyes closed and nodding my head to the rhythm I remembered the sequences like they were innate, despite my heart bearing the surprisingly unfamiliar pain of nerves. It was nearly effortless, but not without former difficulty.

My fore finger played the last note and my eyes opened, the room still dark, full of the aloof shapes, and I began to hear the sound of thousands of fingers making their own music just for me. I took a deep sigh of relief, placing my black and white swan in my lap, intertwining their necks so still and perfect for the first time I could remember, and I watched my work tell stories to those unknown entities within the walls of the golden hourglass. But was it enough?

Writing Under Pressure Georgie Currie I choose not the words I write, Only the pen I hold, Insufferable, malicious I scratch, scratch.

A burning deep echoes the foe Who whispers, whispers Until I crack, crack.

Dawn till dusk I write, I writhe, writhe.

Pitilessly they itch across my flesh Inked in red, blue, black With words that devour, I am the snack, snack.

Speak fingers, speak words repressed and hidden That tingles and blisters.

They warp and clap, Praising and cheering until I chap, chap.

Have you lost your mind?

Are your marbles smashed?

Show me the way you write, write These pretty lines, lines.

Check your spelling, punctuation and rhyme.

Give me your hand and I will pull you through.

Give up, surrender and wave your flag To the beating of the words That pulse, pulse, They are the hunters, I am in their trap.

Of Cheese and Sheep

13

Mia Jones

Jo Lavender

Swans of smoke. Swimming and swirling around the pond of the ceiling. Lie down and blow me a smoky swan smile.

That damned fly is still there. Round and round and round, a Jacuzzi, frenzied, lost in another world. Syrup and sugar. It batters the wall, strangely loud, and pats blindly along the window.

“I thought flies went to sleep at night.”

“Light’s on.” Too tired to answer her properly.

When I stretch my hand out, it flops on top of hers, picking out one fingertip to play with the lips of her nail.

“Shall I turn it off?”

“Mm.” It’s garish, spoiling the mood, but I can’t let her up. The effort to roll over is worth a fresh exhale of air, cool duvet, and I can put my chin on her forehead and stare down at her. She giggles.

“Dork.”

“Mmmmmmm.”

“I’m going to turn the light off.”

I roll back and face the ceiling. The bare bulb zits in protest and goes dark, leaving just steeped twilight from the red line under the clouds – a long, long way away.

“That cloud looks like a swan.” She comes back to the bed and plunges down onto her stomach, the blankets bounding excitedly up from the bed like a splash of water.

Smoke pushes up from my lips as I exhale from the cigarette.

It’s an odd texture, warm as breath, white as death. She dips her finger in and twirls it into a ring.

“Bored?”

concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk

Coconutheadsets.com

to hide naked truthsthey seer at dawn, wane with the climbing hours, disappear at midnight, when you are stripped again.

To Face the Day Silvia Sheehan The effort it takes to The effort it takes to open the lidlet light bring its necessity (its urgency) So hard to ignore the seeping warningsdripping in like drops of dew spilling on your morning.

The stones you break as you surrender- to saythat this is just another blueprint day Clogged up with aftertaste of some shook-up dream The snow settles at first alarm and the glass is gone to air.

The effort it takes to get up dress yourself to hide naked truthsthey seer at dawn, wane with the climbing hours, disappear at midnight, when you are stripped again.

Fistcuffs in Dawn Beth Saward Ankles first. Hold her tight.

Today is one of those days.

Stupid bitch’ll have to fight herself If she wants to get up this morning.

Grief - you sit on her chest. Stop her breath.

Self-doubt, get the wrists, pull her back.

You, body image, you’ve been slacking off recently.

Kick her in the stomach, she’s still trying to get away.

Broken body, hold down the duvet, she’s retreating.

Excellent. Regroup for tomorrow’s attack. to hide naked truthsthey seer at dawn, wane with the climbing hours, disappear at midnight, when you are stripped again.

GAMING concrete.gaming@uea.ac.uk

Adam Riza

www.concrete-online.co.uk

Review: GTA V

Rockstar Games

To say that Grand Theft Auto V was anticipated would be an understatement.

But five years after Niko Bellic traversed Liberty City in search of the American Dream one of gaming’s most popular and acclaimed series is back.

Rockstar have been inspired by the GTA IV DLC and introduced three different playable characters in this entry.

Players take control of Michael, a middleaged ex-mobster with a dysfunctional family; Franklin, a young repo man yearning for the big time, and Trevor, a complete sociopath seemingly plucked straight out of Breaking Bad. Each character also has different specialist skills.

Whilst the player can pick any character at any moment to explore Los Santos it is

Joe Fitzsimmons

Valve Corporation

8.10.2013

during the main missions where this threecharacter dynamic comes into its own.

The epic story missions require the player to pull extravagant heists, however the execution of these is all changeable.

The main consideration usually boils down to taking either the direct or subtle approach: pugnaciously carve a path to the vault of a building, or land on the roof via

15

a helicopter and silently disable the alarm system. Players can even choose cut price crew members to save money.

During these heists, all three characters are involved in the action from different vantage points, requiring the player to achieve different objectives with different characters all in the same situation.

No one creates an open world game like Rockstar, and GTA V does not break that tradition. There is an almost overwhelming variety of things to do: street racing, sea racing, hunting, parachuting, and drug trafficking just to name a few, and that’s before even embarking on the quest for all the collectibles.

Aside from some noticeable texture popin, Los Santos looks fantastic, and it’s also pleasing to report that the various radio stations provide a fantastic variation of tunes to hear whilst driving down Vinewood Boulevard.

The best analogy to describe Grand Theft Auto V would be to compare it to another cultural behemoth, albeit a very different one: Disneyland.

Both not only forever altered their respective realms, but also spawned dozens of competitors, striving to become the next best thing and surpass the very reason they were created in the first place.

Whilst some fail miserably and some edge close, that special something, that magic, will forever mean that second place is the only pedestal up for grabs.

After all, there can be only one Disneyland.

9

Preview: Steam OS

Over the past week Valve has been causing a storm on the web, and this time it wasn’t a desperately contrived rumour about a Half Life 3 conformation (give it up guys, it’s over). Instead, it was revealed that after long dominating the digital PC retail market, Valve is shifting into hardware territory.

Valve recently unveiled Steam OS, a Linux based operating system designed exclusively for gameplay, and the Steam Machine, a console/computer hybrid that plugs into a TV, allowing gamers to play their Steam purchases in their living rooms.

Following the trend in recent years of shifting gaming to a more community driven experience they seem to be keen to move the image of the PC gamer away from that of a lone individual, isolated at their

desktop, obsessing over superior tech specs, to that of one who can enjoy gaming with family or friends in a social space.

One interesting detail at this point is that since Steam OS is a Linux based operating system there was concern that games not optimised for Linux, a sizable portion of Steam’s current library including some of their top selling games, would be unplayable.

Valve has tried to address this issue with the option of streaming games from your PC or laptop onto the Steam console. No doubt they will also continue to push for more Linux optimisations of new release games as they have been doing over the past year.

As their final big announcement of the week, Valve revealed the design of the Steam Machine’s controller, which is intriguing at

the very least. Shunning the standard dualthumb-stick design of all current generation consoles, Valve’s new controller employs two high resolution trackpads as well as small touchscreen.

This new design has been met with much scepticism on the web, but with Valve’s assurance that use of the controller is purely optional, mouse and keyboard enthusiasts are still eager to see what’s in store.

No release date has been officially announced as of yet. Valve state only that the sale of Steam Machines is ‘beginning in 2014’ but some sources suggest Steam OS could be released before the end of the year.

No doubt they will be coming up against fierce competition as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo dominate the console market.

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08.10.2013

www.concrete-online.co.uk

TELEVISION

concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Breaking Bad Finale

The US Sensation cooks up a storm as it draws to a crystal clear close Adam Dawson Breaking Bad was a rare show, both popular and brilliant. So when its finale rolled around, the expectations were ridiculously high. How could anyone find a fitting end to a show that thrived on plot twists and curveballs? The final half of this season was particularly excellent, so the finale was pretty much a make or break affair. If Vince Gilligan (the creator, writer, and director of this episode) got it right, it was pretty much a given that Breaking Bad would be remembered as one of the best shows ever made. If he got it wrong then it would drop from the King of TV to “the show with the terrible finale.”

Gilligan pulls it off however (like we were in any doubt), and crafts Breaking Bad into a masterpiece of storytelling that will no doubt be mentioned in the same breath as The Sopranos and Mad Men. There’s no higher compliment than that for any show.

Adweekly It’s also one of the most satisfying final episodes to a series because there are no loose ends. After moving the pieces into position for fifteen long episodes, there was no other way this could have ended.

Downton Abbey

Roshan Harvey At the end of last year, Downton Abbey fans were left absolutely flabbergasted by a shocking cliffhanger, in which one of the shows core characters. Matthew Crawley (played by the rather scrummy Dan Stevens; Sense & Sensibility, Frankenstein) was killed off. But after an excruciating wait the internationally popular and well-loved Crawley family are back on our screens.

After only a couple of episodes into its fourth season, the award-winning show is continuing to captivate in its signature portrayal of the upper classes.

Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, or busy polishing the masters’ silverwork downstairs, you’ll know that Downton Abbey is a period drama centred around the Crawley family and their servants. The Crawleys are a high ranking “well-bred” bunch descended from a long line of Lords and Ladies of which there are a few key characters.

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (played by the period drama must-have, Hugh Bonneville; Notting Hill,Mansfield Park) is the ever stern and stuck in his ways father of the family whilst his loving wife Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham

It needed to be wrapped up completely.

After all, Breaking Bad was telling a story that lasted from the very first episode until this one. It was always possible it’d knock us for six again in the 75 minutes

it had left, but it didn’t. This was the best thing it could have done – it took plot points left dangling from across all five seasons and addressed them individually.

It gave the viewer complete satisfaction without compromising the story at all.

It should go without saying that Breaking Bad has a fantastic cast who deserve all the awards created. But this episode rests entirely on Bryan Cranston’s final turn as Walter White (or maybe it’s more appropriate to call him Heisenberg at this point). Whichever you prefer, this is his episode. Everything is told from his point of view, and that’s perfect.

Remember: this has always been his story.

So from everyone who watched from the start, week by agonizing week, and from everyone who binged in one weekend, and from those who are going to start watching it right now, we here at Concrete say goodbye to you, Breaking Bad.

ITV (played by the lovely American-born Elizabeth McGovern; Kick-Ass, Clash of the Titans) is the perfect combination of adoring mother and class.

In this new season winds of change are sweeping through Downton’s many corridors; the Earl’s old systems and ideals are simply not working for the estate anymore and it is time for the younger generation to take over. The first episode centres on Mary Crawley

(played by the British rose Michelle Dockery; Hanna, Anna Karenina) who is still in a great state of mourning for her dead husband Matthew. She struggles to connect with her newborn son George, refuses to eat much, wears nothing but black and repeatedly indulges in moments of grief despite his passing six months ago. In fact, everyone is greatly affected by his death (Crawley’s and servants alike) not just because his

and Mary’s was a story of childhood sweethearts falling in love, but also because of everything he represented as a truly gentle man who was going to bring about great change to the running of the estate.

With Matthew out of the picture the baton passes to Mary and she gradually starts to settle in to her new role as a corunner of the estate. Judging from the first two episodes of the new season, Downton Abbey has certainly not lost its charm, despite that it is set in a different era to our own there are situations and characters that many of us can relate to. The Crawley family is one like any other; they fight, they have their dramas, sometimes they even do unforgivable things - but in the end they are a family and love one another even if they are constantly trying to out-class each other.

The gentle introduction of a few new faces heralds a bright new start for the show and if you are already a firm fan or a keen period-drama enthusiast then it cannot disappoint with impeccable acting, loveable characters and brilliant costumes and decor. Downton Abbey airs every Sunday at 9pm on ITV1.

TELEVISION concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Strictly Come Dancing

Phil Turtle Strictly has returned, in its usual manner, ready to go head to head with The X Factor in the Saturday night ratings war. Back are Brucie’s ‘jokes’, celebrities caked in fake tan, and enough glitter and sequins to sink even the most steadfast of ships. Oh, and there’s a little bit of dancing thrown into the mix too.

Now in its 11th series since its reincarnation in 2004, Bruce continues to muddle his way through his links, assisted as always by Tess Daly, who must surely be tiring of the show’s opening sequence where Bruce fumbles awkwardly in an attempt to catch her leg. Fortunately, she is spared this ordeal on the Sunday night results show, being paired with the rather more zany Claudia Winkleman (although quite why the BBC insists on maintaining the illusion the Sunday results show is ‘live’ is anyone’s guess, since it is almost universally known that it is filmed shortly after the Saturday show concludes).

Still here are the judges, each with their distinctive personalities; head judge is Cockney wise-cracker Len ‘Seven’ Goodman, preferring to see the good in each dancing couple as he fires off phrases such as

www.concrete-online.co.uk

BBC ‘pickle me walnuts’. Elsewhere, Bruno Tonioli continues to offer an opportunity to bet on quite how long he can remain in his chair whilst offering his innuendo-laden analysis. Often the real critique is left to

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

sharp tongued Aussie Craig Revel Horwood, whilst Darcey ‘Yeah’ Bussell’s presence offers the show a professional credibility.

Of course, the main difference from series to series is the celebrities chosen to

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take part. Strictly has stuck with its formula of combining those who are relatively new to the limelight, and those who, in many cases, left the limelight years before.

Among the stars tripping the light fantastic this year are Rachel Riley, the glamorous Countdown presenter, and Sophie EllisBextor (insert your own ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ joke here). Vanessa Feltz has obviously been chosen to deploy her fiery comebacks on the judges, whilst Anton Du Beke is again paired with an older lady, this time former Bond girl Fiona Fullerton.

From a show that has brought us unforgettable moments such as John Sergeant dragging his partner across the floor as if she were a kitchen mop, and Ann Widdecombe descending from the ceiling like an oversized butterfly, most viewers will be hoping for more of the same. Make no mistake, the show is in no way reinventing the genre, but it retains an appeal which draws in several million viewers every weekend throughout its run. Saturday night in front of the TV with Strictly on has become a hugely popular pastime for many, one that shows no signs of stopping.

The Ginge, the Geordie & the Geek

Reoghan Walsh

Sarah Boughen

Flickr: Disney | ABC Television Group Have you ever heard the phrase ‘adrenaline-fuelled action’? This was the phrase used by many to describe Marvel and Joss Whedon’s hotly anticipated foray into television, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, the follow up to Whedon’s 2012 blockbuster Avengers Assemble.

The show is set in the aftermath of what is now called The Battle of New York; or the final battle in Avengers Assemble. It follows a specialist team within the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D - just to make everything super cool and copacetic.

This team has one mission; to contain heroes and the threat that the knowledge of these heroes could pose to the world.

So who makes up this team? First we have

BBC Media Centre The opening scene of BBC2’s new sketch show entirely sets the tone of what the next half an hour has in store; a man on a train thinks he is on plane- that’s the punch-line. The Ginge, The Geordie and The Geek is silly, childish and daft, but for the right audience, it really works.

From a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Graeme Rooney (the Ginge), Paul Charlton (the Geordie) and Kevin O’Loughlin (the Geek) have finally brought their comedy to television. With their family-friendly time slot of a Sunday tea-time, it is obvious that their target audience is predominantly pre-adolescents with a fondness for the odd naughty word.

Although there are humorous moments for all members of the family, including

Agent May, an elusive female agent with a trauma in her past as yet unknown and Brett Dalton, the black-ops specialist with ‘family history’ who ticks tall, dark and handsome off the list. She, the quick-witted hacker who no doubt will end up in a relationship with tall, dark and handsome. And of course, two witty British scientists, one male and one female, with all kinds of on-screen chemistry.

The pilot plot was simple and unimaginative and the completely predictable host of characters meant that this was further emphasised. Though there are plenty of mysteries yet to be solved from this first episode, which perhaps will make you want to watch on, the phrase ‘adrenaline-fuelled action’ certainly did not pass through the mind of this viewer.

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a perfect portrayal of Mr Wolf which will return the adult audience to their childhood imaginations, it would be fair to say that The Ginge, The Geordie and The Geek may find itself more at home on CBBC, as it could struggle to achieve little more than the occasional snigger from its adult audience.

Stand-out sketches include an adulterous ventriloquist dummy, a couple of chip-loving criminal seagulls and a rather masculine tooth-fairy who is in debt to Father Christmas; The Ginge, The Geordie and The Geek is not satirical or witty but nor does it try to be. The programme may have a slightly dated feel around it, but the trio’s comedy never drags or gets boring; it’s simply silly, fun and ideal for a slightly younger audience.

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Filme-carti.ro

Blue Jasmine The Oscar season officially starts here, Joseph Holness reviews Woody Allen’s Latest Director Woody Allen Starring Cate Blanchett, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale Cert 12A Runtime 98 mins With the release of Blue Jasmine, a phrase being thrown around quite frequently is that it marks a ‘return to form for Woody Allen’, a redundant statement that seems to have been attached to half the pictures he has made in the last ten years. The truth is that over his six decade career he has made his fair share of forgettable and classic films, yet somehow this one seems to fit both of these descriptions.

Blue Jasmine tells the story of the eponymous Jasmine (Blanchett), the former wife of a Bernie Madoff-type figure (Baldwin), who is forced to move into the home of her adoptive sister Ginger (Hawkins) in a working class area of San Francisco until

she can get her life together again.

The source of the film’s drama and comedy might seem very apparent from this brief synopsis. It’s a fish out of water tale of a woman who goes from a place of elegance and comfort to just the opposite, and her struggle to come to terms with her new perspective on class and wealth.

This really isn’t that film. Rather, it’s a character study of a woman unable to adapt to new surroundings. Jasmine is the ultimate focal point of the film and it really is engaging to see her react to her new life. Cate Blanchett is a powerhouse; Jasmine being both deeply unpleasant and arrogant but also sympathetic, she acts in such a way that you feel she’s constantly one step away from completely losing it.

Worth a mention also is the character Chilli played by Bobby Cannavale, Ginger’s surprisingly sensitive boyfriend, who turns out to be the standout from a host of brilliant supporting characters.

What hasn’t been particularly prominent in the marketing is the role that

mental illness plays. Jasmine is severely depressed and anxious, often babbling about her life to those uninterested or even just to herself (a scene in which she unloads her problems onto her nephews is a high point). It is both funny and heartbreaking to see this unfold, a combination that Allen has proven time and time again that he is a master of. Perhaps the most important thing to note about this film is that, above all else, it is a Woody Allen film and this proves to be both its greatest strength and its most unappealing feature.

For fans of Allen’s other work, it has everything that you would expect: the nuanced look at human relationships, the neurotic rambling, a comedic perspective on the privileged American middle classes. But as the credits roll you don’t find yourself wishing for more, it is satisfying and lingers for a while.

As a seasoned veteran of Hollywood, Allen has been afforded the luxury of complete creative control, and here lies the inherent problem. More than any

other film he has made since Shadows and Fog, this may be his most impenetrable for those who are not calibrated to his sensibilities. This doesn’t mean that you must have an extensive knowledge of Allen’s back catalogue to understand the film, but it may mean that a somewhat sour taste in the mouth can be left come the finale. This isn’t strictly a fair criticism of the film itself though, for what it is worth, aside from a nasty moment between Jasmine and her boss that felt somewhat unnecessary, little is wrong with Blue Jasmine in its delivery. A hundred years from now when scholars and film fans pore over Allen’s filmography, it will be a film that people refer to as a high point in his later career, a neat encapsulation of the same themes that he explored in his earlier years. Blue Jasmine isn’t a brilliant film, but it certainly is a brilliant Woody Allen film.

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AT CINEMAS NEAR YOU

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Prisoners

Director Denis Villeneuve Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Maria Bello Cert 15 Runtime 131mins

Melissa Haggar From the twist and turns of dark, intricate mazes comes Prisoners, a gripping thrillerdrama film, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

The film focuses around Keller Dover, (Hugh Jackman) whose daughter disappears along with the daughter of a family friend. This spurs Dover into enlisting the

help of the other girl’s father (Terrence Howard) to help find them. Meanwhile, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is brought in to help recover the girls.

The film benefits from moving acting from Gyllenhaal and Jackman, the latter delivering a raw and gritty performance as a father who has to delve into murky waters in order to get his daughter to safety. It is a potently powerful performance; Jackman’s character Dover reminds us of the possible lengths we would go to for someone we love, and at what cost. Gyllenhaal excels in his role as the detective and puts in a memorable, haunting performance that will not soon be forgotten. This, coupled with a beautifully chilling and tense score from Jóhann Jóhannsson, singles out Prisoners as one to watch during the upcoming awards season.

The film is affected, in a way, by its relatively basic storyline; unfortunately if you have seen a lot of similar types of films, you may guess the ending before the film reaches its climax. This, however, does not detract from the efforts of

director Villeneuve, who creates a sense of pacing that holds certain details back, only revealing them at the very end. He succeeds in creating a film which could give itself away very easily if put in the hands of a different director, and, although somewhat predictable, it will not diminish the thrill for a vast majority of viewers.

Prisoners is a film focused around loss and the question of what people will do when faced with a crisis. The film also holds strong religious undertones that contribute to the eerie and disturbing nature of the piece. The film has enough intensity to command attention from most audiences; the acting is sublime and the script wellwritten, despite the fairly generic plot.

Prisoners proves itself to be a substantial thriller enriched with striking messages and performances, along with a strong and engaging subject matter that will satisfy audiences with a taste for the thrilling and dramatic.

approach to women, and the way that it depicts all Costa Ricans as possessing these values. This is one of many aggressive elements that feel uncomfortable in what appears to be a ‘Hollywood’ film, which is ultimately the movie’s tragic flaw. It is continually torn between the violence and language of an independent film, and the blockbuster power of Affleck,

Timberlake and Gemma Arterton.

If the director Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer) had decided what kind of film he was trying to make, perhaps he would have fulfilled more of this trio’s true dramatic potential.

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Runner Runner

Director Brad Furman Starring Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton Cert 15 Runtime 91mins Louis Cheslaw Up until recently, a film starring Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck would have been laughed at all the way to the Razzie Awards long before production had even started. However, in light of their recent career turns, Runner Runner has the potential to be one of the most exciting, dynamic releases of the year. Ben Affleck is currently Hollywood’s golden child, having been showered with awards for Argo, and deprived, some say, of his deserved Best Director Oscar. Similarly, Timberlake has come on leaps and bounds since his days at The Mickey Mouse Club, most memorably as fast-talking Sean Parker in 2010’s The Social Network. So with all this potential, why does the film ultimately fall flat?

Runner Runner opens at Princeton,where, within minutes, Richie (Timberlake) has

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thrown away his college funds on an online poker website. Of course this is Princeton, so we have the obligatory lab scene where data reveals that Richie has lost his money to no ordinary online gambler, and with that knowledge we are whisked off to Costa Rica.

The ensuing drama is enjoyable, if mainly due to breathtaking panoramas.

Less entertaining is the film’s misogynistic

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Special Screenings This month E4/Picturehouse Slackers Club are presenting exclusive screenings, including the dystopian sci-fi thriller Ender’s Game on Thursday 24th October. Matthew Atwood reviews their screening of It’s Such a Beautiful Day

It’s Such a Beautiful Day Director Don Hertzfeldt Cert N/A Runtime 62mins

CinemaCity Exclusive Screening It’s Such a Beautiful Day does not present a character in existential crisis in the same manner as most films. The main character is named Bill. He is a stick figure in an animated film by Don Hertzfeldt whose dark narration provides both a bit of comic relief and shock.

The sequel to Everything Will Be

Okay (chapter one) is centred around the meaning of life, and I am So Prouid of You (chapter two) is a satirical comment on consumerism. The plot of the third and final film focuses on Bill’s struggle to remember anything about his past, ranging from events as distant as his childhood, to anything as recent as a task he just completed. A mysterious doctor never tells Bill what is wrong with him, but informs him that he will soon die.

So far so bizarre. But amidst this ambiguity the audience put themselves into Bill’s shoes, which would otherwise seem difficult you might think considering he is only an animated stick figure. As the film gets closer to the character’s seemingly inevitable death the animation begins to dissipate, replaced with shots of real life. For example, as Bill walks down the street

actual people pass him, and the film becomes more three-dimensional.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day poses many philosophical questions, but it provides no answers. The day-to-day life portrayed in the film has very little excitement, yet opens one’s eyes to the monotonous actions of existence. Bill breaks out of this repetition once he decides to go out and live life the proper way: outside.

Death has given him freedom.

Despite the existential crisis and dark comedy, the film ends up giving hope, and easing the fear of death.

Don Hertzfeldt has created a unique film where cartoon stick figures feel realistic and relatable as they come to terms with the purpose of life.

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FlickeringMyth.com

Retrospective: “The Wicker Man” To celebrate its 30th anniversary re-release, Jay Slayton-Joslin revisits a horror classic

ThePlace2.ru

Robin Hardy’s 1973 masterpiece, The Wicker Man, is upon its 30-year anniversary.

It is now known as a masterpiece not just of British cinema, but also of the horror genre. The film follows Sergeant Neil Howie, who visits the initially idyllic but isolated island of Summerisle in search of a missing child who the locals claim never existed. Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t seen the original, the locals are not the peaceful residents that they initially seem to be. Instead, they follow an outdated, and sacrificial, folklore to the word.

Though the film was released to mixed reception, it is now regarded as a cult classic and an inspiration to those who follow suit in British cinema. The shame, as with many classic horror films, and with the industry being less original year by year, is that it may only trigger thoughts, to the younger cinema-goers of the 2006 Nicolas Cage remake, which follows Cage’s current canon of awful films and is truly shambolic.

With brilliant performances from Edward Woodward and horror veteran Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man not only thrills because it is a fantastic horror film, but because it is a breath of fresh air in a market that is over saturated by boring slashers. Hardy’s film is tense, frightening and brings an atmosphere of horror that makes you more uncomfortable than other horror films – you’re not afraid of turning the lights on. In fact, you might want them off, because the film doesn’t make you scared of what’s in the dark, but instead of the people you see in the day.

The film is now regarded as a classic of the 1970s. It has a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is ranked in the top 500 movies

by Empire magazine, and has spawned a spiritual sequel by Robin Hardy. It is possible that the original will fade into darkness. Yet there is always that hope that it will be remembered, and that thirty years on The Wicker Man is a true classic of the horror genre that we want to see burn on.

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08.10.2013

So wrong, but oh so right

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Diana is the latest big-screen megaflop, currently holding a 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fedor Tot investigates the allure of the “hate-watch” What’s worse than a bad movie? A mediocre one. Think about it, you’re probably more likely to remember the most diabolical pieces of film you’ve seen than the ones which just inspired a mere shrug. Why else does Batman & Robin remain in the collective memory of people today when something as completely mediocre as say, Ridley Scott’s treatment of Robin Hood from a few years ago? Can you remember that film? Doubt it. Similarly wouldn’t we rather watch The Star Wars Holiday Special than any of the prequels, not because it’s any better as a film - indeed it is much worse - but it, at least, does not commit the sin of being terribly boring.

It goes without saying that a shockingly bad film will inspire a much stronger reaction from the viewer than an average one. There’s something deeply voyeuristic about humanity’s need to try and wring enjoyment out of the most shabby pieces of work. That probably explains the profile of A Serbian Film. The film’s status is that of a gross endurance test of one’s ability to sit through the most vile images, a bragging-rights examination. People watch these sorts of films for the same reason they slow down an inordinate amount when passing a car crash on the street: they

want to see something disgusting that they can brag about to their friends afterwards and cause milk to spurt out of their nose.

There are of course, different types of ‘bad’ film. There are the gross-outs, the “sobad-they’re-funny” ones like Plan 9 from Outer Space and The Room, and the just plain bad ones like the 1998 shot-by-shot remake of Psycho. The idea that someone literally sat down, watched the film and said “yes, we can release this to the general public” is perhaps what gives these films a shelf-life beyond their brain-gnawing idiocy.

The idea that seemingly no one told Ed Wood or Tommy Wiseau “hey, do you not think this is a little...rubbish?” seems to compel us to watch a film more than one to receive acres of critical plaudits.

A whole film studio has been built out of the “so-bad-they’re-good” factor; since 1997, The Asylum film studios have released such critically lauded classics as Mega-Shark vs Giant Octopus, Sharknado, and personal favourite Snakes on a Train (still awaiting the much-hyped sequel, Goats on a Gondola, though). Considering their continued output, it seems The Asylum are doing pretty well moneywise, and the hate-watch shall live on.

Long live the hate-watch!

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The hate-watch watchlist

Chris Rogers unearthed some of the very best of the very worst. Watch at your peril...

Transformers: Revenge of the in which actor, writer, director and producer Tommy Wiseau presents a Fallen (Bay, 2009)

Highlander II: The Quickening (Mulcahy, 1991)

HalleBerryFan.com

This is a film that rivals the Star Wars prequels in terms of fan disappointment.

Desecrating the name of the flawed but primarily fun first outing, it delivers nothing but hammy acting, headache inducing effects and one of the most contrived plots of all time.

Scripted in two weeks (seriously, it shows) Michael Bay’s second foray into the franchise is – despite the explosions, chases and robots hitting each other – one of the most boring, irritating and leery action films of recent years and is further proof (as if it were it needed) that he shouldn’t be allowed near toys that we quite liked as kids.

The Room (Wiseau, 2003) A film which has gathered one of the largest cult followings of all time

notoriously terrible drama centring on (what he believes to be) an innocent man’s Hamlet-esque spiral towards doom, creating exceptionally hilarious results.

Catwoman (Pitof, 2004) Proving that the night really is darkest before the dawn, this superhero caper released prior to Batman Begins displays the opposite of what a brooding origins story should be - with 1980s level CGI, ridiculous dialogue and misogyny that would make Mike Tyson go ‘Whoa, give the girl a break!’

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LISTINGS

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concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk

8th October - 21st October live music 8th October

11th October

Reckless Love Waterfront Studio £11

Nina Nesbitt The Waterfront £8

Rhiannon Giddens & Leyla McCalla of the Carolina Chocolate Drops Norwich Arts Centre £10-13

Bowling For Soup UEA LCR £20

9th October Lee Scratch Perry The Waterfront £21 10th October Bastille UEA LCR £16

Kate Nash The Waterfront £13.50

12th October AlunaGeorge The Waterfront £13

Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes Norwich Arts Centre £16-18

Blue UEA LCR £18.50

WHOLE LOTTA DC The Brickmakers £5 20th October Everything Everything UEA LCR £15

Rock Monster Waterfront Studio £4

21st October

Local Natives The Waterfront £16

Baka Beyond Norwich Arts Centre £10-12

Goo Goo Dolls UEA LCR £24

Focus OPEN £16

Lester Clayton EPIC £6.50

Andrew Roachford Norwich Arts Centre £12

BRIT FLOYD presents P-U-L-S-E UEA LCR £26.50

ahab Waterfront Studio £9

club nights 8th October

comedy 15th October

Hipster Club UEA LCR £3.50

12th October The A List UEA LCR £4.50

Devon Sproule & Mike O’Neill Norwich Arts Centre £14

These Ghosts + Buffalo Ink OPEN £6

Show of Hands OPEN £18

The Wild West – Sheriffs and Outlaws UEA LCR £3.50

Anti-Nowhere League Waterfront Studio £13.50

18th October

17th October

Devil Sold His Soul Waterfront Studio £8

19th October

Ryan Keen + Gavin James Waterfront Studio £8

16th October

We Were Evergreen + Cheveu + BRNS + Mesparrow OPEN £6

Marc O’Reilly The Bicycle Shop £7

9th October Rob Beckett Norwich Arts Centre £10

19th October The A List presents 90s UEA LCR £4.50

12th October Josh Widdicombe UEA Lecture Theatre 1 £8-12

17th October Francesca Martinez ‘WHAT THE **** IS NORMAL?!’

EPIC £10-12 19th October Barry Cryer: Twitter Titters The Playhouse £17.50

theatre 8th – 9th October 12 Miles from Nowhere The Garage £5-10

Will Cockram

14th October Landscape II Norwich Arts Centre £8-11

17th October Wrong ‘Un The Garage £5-10

LISTINGS 08.10.2013

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COMPETITIONS

the venue crossword

Across 3. Hulk (5) 5. Wheeler dealer sitcom star (6) 6. The fall (6) 7. Yorkshire town featured prominently in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” (6) 9. Rebirth of culture in Europe (11) 11. Makers of chocolate (7) 13. Tone of voice, field of play (5) 14. Device used for navigation (7)

Down 1. Feeling of anger(4) 2. Nickname of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (10) 4. A university term (8) 8. Flat peaked cap (8) 10. Identity unkown (9)

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