Venue - Issue 302 by Concrete - the official student newspaper of UEA.

visions of sound

venue inside norwichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audio festival

#302 / my so-called retrospective / remembering de la renta spooky singles / scary movies / pretty smart at uea / gaming convention!

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An Open Letter of Apology from UEA FC

We would first and foremost like to take this opportunity to apologise to any members of The Feminist Society that were offended in the incident that this letter corresponds too. The incident in question occurred after our annual AGM in the last academic year where a few members of our club let not only themselves down but also let the club down. There was unfortunately a situation that occurred where boisterous and inappropriate behaviour was carried out toward some members of the feminist society. We have put measures in place to kick-start a new year of what we hope will be a successful one and to ensure that there will be no other incidents like this in the future from our club. Once again we are sorry and apologise for our actions and we hope that this is the end of the aforementioned incident and that no further problems will arise. Yours sincerely The University of East Anglia’s Men’s Football Team

CLUBS & SOCIETIES EVENTS THIS WEEK Royal Society of Medicine are holding a Paediatrics Career Evening, Tuesday 6-8.45pm. Islamic Society Charity Week features loads of great events raising money for worthy causes. UEA Marrow Society are looking for people to sign up to be a donor Monday (27th Oct) from 10-6.30 in the Hive. Indian and Hindu Societies Diwali ball is on Wednesday at Sprowston Manor, featuring Punjabi MC Table Tennis - UEA vs Leicester Sportspark 1pm on Wednesday. LIVE! HIGHLIGHTS MONDAY Simon McBride @WF Studio TUESDAY Annie Eve @WF Studio Damn Good presents Night Of the Living Dead! @LCR WEDNESDAY Jess Glynne @ Waterfront THURSDAY Little Comets @Waterfront Dave Giles @WF Studio FRIDAY Propaganda @Waterfront SATURDAY Meltdown @Waterfront SUNDAY The Blackout @Waterfront PSIGong @WF Studio UEA|SU FILM NIGHTS Our free film this Tuesday (28th October), celebrating Black History Month, is THE BUTLER. 6pm in Lecture Theatre 2 (seating limited).

Union Officers Liam and Yinbo at the TUC Demo on the 18th October

Student caucuses This year we want to get better at representing marginalized students. That’s why we are running a series of caucuses for you to get together and discuss the matters that interest you most. If you identify within a specific group you have the chance to

meet in a safe space to discuss ideas and problems you might face. This will give us suggestions to help us improve and make things better for you. Scan the code for more info.

Halloween Special 31st October FRIDAY!!! NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. 6pm in Lecture Theatre 2 (seating limited). Sunday Movie Marathon - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN LT1 from 12pm on Sunday 2nd Novemeber. Every POTC film played back to back.

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October 28 / #302

Editors Holly J. McDede and Adam White Cover Art Ana Dukakis Illustrators Tess Castella and Scarlet Dawson

music 04-07

fashion 08-09

arts 10-11

creative writing 12-13

Editors Myles Earle and Mike Vinti

Editors Gemma Carter and Helena Urquhart

Editor Katie Kemp

Editor Jake Reynolds

Contributors Art Allen, Myles Earle, Freya Gibson, Phoebe Harper, Emma Holbrook, Oliver Hughes, Daniel Jeakins

Contributors Gemma Carter, Adam Dawson, Francesca Tray, Helena Urquhart

Contributors Ellie Hicks, Holly J. McDede, Mike Vinti

Contributors Elley Blue, Ana Dukakis, Jenny Moroney, Peter Thorn

gaming + tech 15

television 16-17

film 18-21

the page of fun 22

Editor Joe Fitzsimmons

Editor Adam Dawson

Editors Neven Devies and Silvia Rose

listings 23

Contributors Joe Fitzsimmons

Contributors Rob Drury, Hannah Ford, Joe Frost, Nour Ibrahim, Adam White

Contributors Isis Billing, Neven Devies, Joe Frost, Will Hunter, Martha Julier, Aliyah Rawat, Chris Rogers, Silvia Rose, Adam White

Editor Daisy Jones Contributors Holly J. McDede, Charlie Methven

In an event that would make the perfect opening sequence in a really, really low budget Final Destination movie, my bicycle nearly killed me this week. While cycling along aimlessly, no intention of dicing with death’s firm, icy grip, my shoelace became entangled in one of my peddles, sending me careening to the side of the road. Unable to move my foot, now strapped to the peddle like one of those damsels tied to a train-track in a silent movie, all I could do

was tumble to the ground, buried beneath my bicycle and my shame. Cars passed by, cyclists asked if I was all right. It was the cringiest moment in a long, long time. But I also laughed a lot. Sure, some of it was through shame. But most of it was because it was so silly and ridiculous that all you could do was laugh. And you know what’s truly cringeworthy? Someone doing something embarrassing and then getting all pissed about it. Like cool your jets, son. To

paraphrase a girl on the radio a lot, bakers are going to bake and haters are going to hate, so you may as well shake and shake and shake and shake and shake. Shake it off. Shake it off. So that’s my inspirational life lesson for this issue. If Maya Angelou worked for venue Venue, and hadn’t sort of died, I would be Maya Angelou. Keep it real, kids Adam and Holly J.

music concrete.music@uea.ac.uk

Grange Days Phoebe Harper My excitement at the thought of seeing Kyla la Grange increased rapidly as the intimacy of the venue became apparent, the result of which being that I actually bumped into the minute songstress herself a solid three times before she went on stage. As venues go, the Arts Centre proved idyllic for Kyla. The incredible fifteenth century stone walls ensured a glorious echo filled the room as the bass poured forth giving an incredibly corporeal acoustic experience. La Grange opened with Fly, immediately sucking in the poorly underpopulated audience with that awesome all-encompassing bass, epic percussion and her soft croaking whispers which soon let rip. With the distressed plait of the bedridden Victorian madwoman, ice blonde hair and an imp-like figure clad in glittering attire, you could say there is definitely a touch of the ethereal to this 28-year-old singer. For her more intimate tracks, her eyes remained

Why the Birdcage Sings In October, The Birdcage welcomed an array of fresh local talent, Myles Earle was all ears The Birdcage, a fitting venue for music and culture, hosted local artists in The Birdcage Showcase for the Norwich Sound & Vision Festival on Thursday 8th October. Of course, the dim lighting and alt hip-hop provided the fresh atmosphere for underground and local artists to do what they do best. With a drink in hand, it was time to make way to the intimate stage to get an earful of some great music. To kick off the night, the young and uber-talented Let’s Eat Grandma took to the cramped and busy stage, packed with what seemed to be every instrument under the sun. The duo, though still in school, have been in venue Venue’s eye before and here they were again, gigging in Norwich City Centre. These two do have something special. Their voices, though child-like and angelic, have the ability to twist and turn it to quite a nightmarish and ethereal atmosphere. Their sound is definitely one to be considered experimental within pop music, and at a young age they have got something to go with. Let’s Eat Grandma’s Rosa and Jenny

are vocally talented, in addition to playing the piano, guitar and even the recorder and harmonica. These two young ladies seem to have caught the attention of many critics thus far, and we saw most of these critics leave once their set was done. Though this meant they would have missed the explosive energy of the next act, Bald Wife. Smashing the stage with their bone-crushing beats and heavy riffs, Bald Wife destroyed the stage; one of the instruments literally falling off the stage and on to the floor. ‘High-octane’ would probably be the word to describe the two, filling the stage with energy and raw sound; this duo is one to watch out for. We were then presented with Long Balls, and yes, this is the name of the band or should we say… solo act. As of the day of the showcase, Long Balls became Long Ball, and Neil James Earl was left to perform a set that was created in a day. As a student of the Norwich University of the Arts, this fellow shows off his artistry in his music. With the

lights turned off, Long Balls performed an interesting set, think radio interference with a smidge of house thrown in. You could call it electronic music at its highest, most artistic point. This was definitely not a set to dance to, but a set to experience. The engaging visuals and sounds complimented each other in a way that would make you simply sit, watch and absorb what can only be described as mesmerising. The final act of the night, Kagoule, seemed good. They checked all the boxes for an indie rock band, and seemed to have that stage presence of “I’m here to perform.” Though they have an established sound and are experimental with their beats, the kind of energy they were giving off was quite slack and bordering on lifeless. The only band that breaks away from the Norwich locale, hailing from Nottingham, Kagoule were decent. The night gave light to some interesting sounds and voices out there, showcasing some talents that we will have to keep an eye on.

“She would toss her head back, releasing this incredible, primal sound” closed, (especially with Heavy Stone which was genuinely heartfelt, silencing everyone), but as her more dramatic songs progressed, she would toss her head back releasing this incredible sound, almost primal in its intensity. (The opening to I Don’t Hate You was verging on pagan ritual.) Her trance like movements were only interrupted by proper dancing with the front row to her more poppy tracks, such as the anthemic I Don’t Hate You and Maia, when a smile as infectious as the rhythms would light up her face. Half way through the set, La Grange made the transition from new to old as she switched to material from her first album Ashes, which she herself admitted as ‘very, very depressing, very sad’ as opposed to Cut Your Teeth which she stated was a collection of ‘weird tales’ from her childhood. It was after this change that you realised how impressive she really is. Songs such as I Could Be and To the Torn elucidate the folky edge to her voice, like some kind of ancient Highland siren. Donning a guitar for the performance of these heartfelt, mesmeric pieces, my admiration flourished to no end, showing her ability to switch between goth-folk goddess and laidback electro luminary with an effortless ease. By ending on the brilliantly dark, sexysynth, better-than-Banks hit Cannibals, La Grange was sure to leave this impression burning in the audience’s mind. Be sure to see her live, because those synthy repetitive choruses and occasionally slow verses which can leave you slightly jaded really are something else live with this stunner behind them.

Joshua Smithers

Riffing on Childhood Daniel Jeakins got up close and personal with the new kings of psychedelics Credited as being part of the psychedelic resurgence spearheaded by Temples, SouthLondoners Childhood have developed a devoted following since releasing debut single Blue Velvet in 2012. Having gained a reputation as one of the country’s most exciting live acts through shows with the likes of Palma Violets and Peace, the band signed to indie label Marathon with a flurry of hype surrounding them. The acclaim received off the back of debut full-length Lacuna has seen the band bag a support slot with legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and frontman Ben RomanHopcraft tells me “it’s the biggest thing we’ve done. Anyone into indie music is always going to come across his work, and we’re all massive Smiths fans so naturally we’re really excited”. “We met [Marr] at Reading Festival last year and he really enjoyed watching us play,”

drummer Jonny Williams tells me. “He’s been in touch since then after seeing us play - it’s been really surreal”

“We aren’t going to hold back on making new music” Relaxing in the dressing room at Norwich Arts Centre before their headline show, the band discuss being attached to the emerging psychedelic scene by the music press and whether their billing accurately describes their sound. “We do like to take elements of psych,” Ben tells me, “but to just call us that feels a little lazy and almost unjust to the people that pursue that style. We’ve got as much dance and electronica to our sound as we do psychedlia”. This latest tour comes off the back of an extremely busy festival season for the band, and whilst the four-piece triumphed at many

of the big British festivals, they cite Japan’s Summersonic Festival as being the highlight of their summer. “Festivals feel really different out there, I couldn’t believe how many people turned up to see the first band on. There’s a lot less alcohol, and everyone’s up and ready to go at 9am”. We don’t tour much internationally”, continues Ben, “so it’s nice to see such a good reaction when we do. We seem to go down particularly well in France and Germany”. In terms of what’s next for the band, Jonny says that “we’re looking to play Europe and another UK tour heading next year, after we’ve wrapped up the tour with Johnny Marr. Writing new music is also always in the back of our minds so we’d ideally like to get back in the studio as soon as possible. We aren’t going to hold back on making new music just because we’ve only just put a new album out”.

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Wytches Be Bitchin’ Freya Gibson Thursday 9th October, The Wytches’s dirty guitar riffs and eerie vocals echoed through the gothic chapel of Norwich Arts Centre supported by God Damn and Telegram as part of Norwich’s Sound and Vision Festival. The band were greeted by a sea of tipsy and enthusiastic fans ready to roar along to the Brighton trio’s new album, Annabel Dream Reader. Since seeing the boys play a killer set at Glastonbury this summer, it was obvious they wouldn’t disappoint the love struck crowd hanging on lead singer, Kristian’s every word. After their set, possibly the friendliest and most modest front man of a rock and roll band, Kristian Bell, kindly took some time out to answer some questions for venue Venue . How did the three of you meet? At university. I met Gianni in Peterborough but I met Dan in Brighton. Are you able to write anywhere, or do you have to be in a certain environment/room/with certain people? I don’t tend to write whole songs when I’m away. I do when I’m at home, or sitting down somewhere but when we’re on tour I get loads of ideas and lyrics and things. Is Annabel Dream Reader a reference to anyone/anything? It’s just a subconscious thing, just like a kind of... it filters in and out of the truth and the dream. According to your record label Heavenly Recordings, they’ve issued an emergency second pressing of the album. Did you know when you were making the album that it would be so successful? I don’t really know, ‘cause we’d had the songs for so long. We knew they went down live on occasions, not all the time but, we kind of knew the songs so well that it didn’t really matter what we thought anyone else would think, because it

Jacob Roberts-Kendall

was so familiar anyway. Like second nature or something, so we just kind of waited and waited, because we recorded it a year before it was out. One of my favourite tracks on the album is Track 13, is there a reason that it was such an ambiguous name for the song or did it just happen? It was called something else before, but it was a bit too direct so I just changed it. It made it a bit too obvious. Obvious what the song was about? Kind of, it was just a bit stupid. The test pressing was the original title and I was like nah, there’s a few titles on there which I think are really lame. No, I like them all! What was it like working with Steve Gullick on the Wire Frame Mattress video? He was really cool, it’s really weird ‘cause I had so many of his photographs on my wall like six or seven years before I even met him or anything. It’s really weird because he was like touring with them (Nirvana) and everything, and he was quite close to that. Did he tell you some cool stories? Yeah he did, he got really intense when he told them as well. He’s really nice and easy to work with. He’s not demanding or anything, if you’re kind of taking something away from his vision he’ll kind of roll with it until you realise his was better. Who have been your favourite bands to tour with? Kagoule, they’re really good. Are Kagoule playing Norwich? They played exactly the same time as us at The Birdcage, I think they played electric just in an acoustic place. They were told to use brushes but I think they said no. Last one, what’s your desert island disc? Umm, The White Album ‘cause it’s a double album.

On Your Marks, Get Set... Hold Steady Art Allen When The Hold Steady played Epic Studios on the 11th October it is definitely true that there were people of different ages in the audience but not of all ages. There was a distinct demographic. Dads. Now touring their sixth LP, their first release in four years and entering their second decade as a band, The Hold Steady have been around for a while. Their new album title Teeth Dreams allegedly refers to a common dream that presumably one or all of the band suffer from. Dreams about teeth, they say (they being anyone from Jung to some online dream interpreter), are usually triggered by anxiety. Right, okay. Double Punch, an unengaging 5 piece (Mumford and Sons do loudish rock and roll) open for THS with very little charisma. The drummer has snowflakes tattooed on his shoulders where inmates of Vladimirsky Central have stars, I don’t think he’d fair very well in a Russian prison. He is marginally more interesting than the lead guitar player, mouthing impassionedly along without a mic, who is

marginally more interesting than singer. The singer is not interesting. One of them breaks a violin string. Interest peaks. Downstairs a post-rock two piece called Pony and Trap are howling and crashing around with their fringes flying. They don’t deserve the seated ten person crowd. Upstairs things radically improve with The So So Glos. They’re a gang of loudly incoherent punks lead by one particularly loud and incoherent punk who raves about the vacuum of the internet from within his Wu Tang T-shirt. They’re having fun, they’re sweating, maybe I’m having fun? I am sweating. Notable things they said shouted: “We’re standing in the face of all the modern world”, “fuck you” and “that last song was sarcastic.” Apparently it was their last gig ever and I honestly think that’s a shame. Norwich crowds are too polite to do their last gig justice. The Hold Steady look good. Craig Finn is looking usual, harmless even, but when he takes up the microphone and rushes up and down

the stage he jumps out of his rock pool and becomes a screaming tidal wave (in a liberally cut black shirt). People (Pitchfork) said that The Hold Steady’s sixth LP is undeniably the worst sounding and that may well be true... Teeth Dreams is a grey and ever so slightly lazy version of what the Hold Steady sound like. On stage however, letting go of those bleeding, broken lines about faceless doorway-darkening barely-breathing too-skinny kids from every city in America where you can cough up blood, they sound far from their worst. Unlike Teeth Dreams, but that’s a very different conversation.

“They’re a gang of loudly incoherent punks lead by one particularly loud incoherent punk...” Finn teases the audience, he flirts, muttering the opening lines of Stay Positive slower and slower before flying forward and throwing

himself into their new single Spinners. The crowd left with ‘yeah it feels pretty good’ falling out of their mouths like birthday balloons abandoned our sticky hands when that huge present appeared from behind the garden furniture. When they do get to Stay Positive, strobes start going off. As a lament to changing times and an aging audience they build themselves a monument. All the middle-aged beer users lose every single bit of their minds. Sequestered in Texas happens. A photographer starts headbanging. Solos on all guitars. Kisses blown at the end. No encore, genuine disappointment all round. Without getting oddly referential; in stage light they looked all right, but alternatively in bar light I imagine they could look slightly desperate. Tangentially, if you live in Norwich I believe it to be highly beneficial, at least occasionally, for one to have love stories from Minneapolis shouted at you from behind bright lights.

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Update or Die

Monster Mix

venue ’s ultimate Halloween playlist With October 31 fast approaching, Daniel Jeakins roots through his record collection to create Venue st

Talking Heads Psycho Killer A staple on any great Halloween playlist, this cutting from Talking Heads’ seminal debut retains its sick, twisted charm even today. The acclaimed New York art-rockers were always capable of creating atmospheric, spikey pop songs at their best, and there’s something about the way David Byrne sings “Psycho killer, qu’estce que c’est?” that still raises the hairs on the back of your neck.

himself as a “sad post-teen, caught up in the love machine”. It’d all be very romantic if it wasn’t for the “walking like a zombie” lyrical hook and ghoulish video that sees the singer’s backing band tear each other limb from limb. Anthemic and melodic, it’ll make your Halloween party really swing.

Halloween as pumpkins and trick or treating. It’s almost already guaranteed that someone will come dressed as Jacko from the music video, and if you get enough vodka down them there’s a chance they’ll make an attempt at doing the dance. For that alone, you surely have to give this a spin.

Los Campesinos! Cemetery Gaits Cult-favourites Los Campesinos! have always been in the business of hook-laden indie pop, but their latest LP No Blues brought the six-piece to a darker place. Cemetery Gaits highlights this evolution perfectly, with Gareth David singing “You’ll know us by the way we crawl, you’ll know us by our cemetery gaits”. Creepy stuff.

Arctic Monkeys Perhaps Vampire Is a Bit Strong But... One of the highlights of Arctic Monkey’s Mercury-winning debut, Perhaps Vampire Is A Bit Strong But… compares those that initially doubted the band would have success with bloodsucking villains (or heroes if Twilight is anything to go by). A riff-heavy rock song that bursts into life on drummer Matt Helders’ cry of ‘All you people are vampires!’, this one’s perfect if you’re going for an indie disco vibe.

The Prodigy Voodoo People Brutal and chaotic, dance music doesn’t get much more intense that The Prodigy’s Voodoo People. Released as the third single from Liam Howlett and co’s breakthrough album Music for the Jilted Generation, the song features a sample from Nirvana’s Very Ape. Retaining some of that song’s grunge energy but re-inventing it as a dance track, Voodoo People is appropriately creepy and yet totally brilliant. Stick on the pendulum remix for some extra omph.

Ice Cube Dr. Frankenstein An atmospheric hip-hop classic from Ice Cube’s fifth studio album, Dr. Frankenstein, sees the LA-based rapper compare his own influence with Mary Shelley’s famous monster. Complete with haunted house noise effects and Ice Cube’s typically political lyrical themes, this one’s perfect for hip-hop fans looking to make the perfect Halloween mixtape.

The Specials Ghost Town Another song practically nailed on to most Halloween mixtapes, ska legends The Specials’ signature track Ghost Town has become closely associated with October 31st since it topped the charts in 1981. A reggae-influenced commentary on unemployment and urban decay, Ghost Town’s creepy synths and spine-tingling chanting make it perfect for the occasion.

Cage the Elephant Spiderhead The opener from Cage the Elephant’s latest and greatest album Melophobia, Spiderhead presents the hard-partying Kentucky band at their absolute best. An arachnophobic anthem, Matthew Shultz screams “Spiders in my head, spiders in my head” over blaring guitars in a brilliant sing-a-long chorus.

Jamie T Zombie The big pop moment from Jamie T’s recent comeback album Carry On the Grudge, Zombie sees the Wimbledon-based singer describe

Michael Jackson Thriller You simply can’t leave this one out. The titletrack from the best-selling album of all time, Michael Jackson’s Thriller is as synonymous with

The White Stripes Little Ghost Jack White’s lyrical themes can often be a little bit out there, and Little Ghost is no exception to this – it features a line which asks if the ghost mentioned in the song’s title can “scare up some

love”. Weird lyrics aside, it’s one of Jack and Meg’s best tracks and serves as the highlight of the otherwise disappointing album Get Behind Me Satan. The Rolling Stones Paint It Black Whilst many would go for Sympathy of the Devil as their Halloween pick from the Stones’ vast discography, Paint It Black feels like a much better fit. The guitar riff that runs through the song is strangely creepy, and Jagger’s lyrics about wanting to paint everything black evokes a kind of gothic spirit. Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters I tried to resist picking this, but I’m not sure Halloween would be quite the same without it. Written for the 1984 release of cult-classic movie Ghostbusters, Ray Parker Jr.’s pop smash topped the charts in America and was even nominated for an Academy Award. Silly as it may be, sometimes you have to hold your hand up to pop genius and Ghostbusters is as close to the perfect pop song as you can get. Misfits Dig Up Her Bones Paint yourself as the crimson skull and grow that Deathlock long, the Misfits exist for Halloween. Their fusion of horror and punk is perfect for keeping things scary without having to put on any Gorgoroth.While post-Danzig is usually best avoided, this Michale Graves classic will be ringing in your ears through to November for sure.

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Aktiv I Oslo.no @ Flickr

Jessie Ware Tough Love Emma Holbrook

Two years after her magnetic debut album Devotion earned her critical-darling status, Jessie Ware has returned with an emotionally resonant and deeply accomplished follow-up LP. From humble beginnings as a former backing vocalist for Jack Peñate and SBTRKT, Ware has gone

on to become a Mercury Prize nominated artist and her sophomore album Tough Love suggests that she has barely just begun. Any worries that Jessie would not be able to continue her successes are dismissed immediately. Tough Love is a stellar opening title track that is deeply reminiscent of her previous hit, Wildest Moments, and alongside melancholic synthpop number Cruel, (the album’s standout track) and You & I (Forever), the record has one of the strongest openings of any this year. Say You Love Me quickly follows – a collaboration with Ed Sheeran and recognisably so. Its inclusion of a choir means that the song occasionally veers into generic, Simon Cowell pop ballad territory, but the stripped-back production does provide the best showcase for Ware’s incredible vocals. Jessie Ware’s forays into disco, evident in her collaboration with Haim on their album’s title track Days Are Gone, show that the dance influences of her previous record have quietly evolved, with hints of old-school

disco permeating album highlight Want Your Feeling. While the back-end of the record is not quite as accomplished as the near-perfection of the first seven tracks, this never detracts from the overall quality and elegance of the album. It would have been easy to assume that the newly married Ware would produce an album with a rose-tinted subject matter, but her lyrics betray a very familiar vulnerability, found in pleas such as, “say you love me to my face” as well as downright boldness: “so you wanna be a man about it, do you have to?” But there is still tender romanticism to be had in tracks like Sweetest Song and Champagne Kisses, that give the album emotional balance. The slick production’s dreamy synths and infectious R&B beats makes the record a thoroughly pleasing listen from start to finish, but it never overshadows the undeniable star of the show. Jessie Ware’s enchanting vocals, which have been arbitrarily compared to Adele’s,

evoke an understated confidence and power that gently asks for your attention rather than demanding it. It is an album that feels rather than announcing: even the sweetly euphoric You & I (Forever) could well be a declaration from the rooftops but instead, “I don’t want to stop the thought with you and I forever” is a delicately whispered confession. Tough Love still has the sultry, witchinghour aesthetic that defined Devotion but it is, perhaps, a more commercially orientated affair than its predecessor. However, with its flawless blend of various genres, such as new wave R&B and old-school soul, and audible influences, ranging from Sade, Aaliyah and Frank Ocean, Jessie Ware’s sophomore effort is arguably one of the best of 2014.

Cosmogramma, and 2012’s Until the Quiet Comes, FlyLo has been coping with the expectation of consistency well. He lives up to his track record with You’re Dead!, a record far more flowing and seamless than his previous efforts. He opens the door for many more contributors than on his other releases, featuring full blown rap verses for the first time either by himself in his rapping guise of Captain Murphy, or excellent features courtesy of Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian and long-time associate Thundercat are among the other contributors. Despite this relatively new angle, FlyLo is still at his best without vocal contributions beyond pure sound – adding lyrics only really serves to distract from the intelligence of his instrumentation. You’re Dead! remains consistent throughout its 38 minutes – a comparatively shorter record than we’re used to from FlyLo, and this is its most significant fault. On many

of the tracks – only two of which are over three minutes long – FlyLo reaches a brilliant point, only to kill the track dead rather than elaborating on the ideas. There is a lot of unrealised potential with the material here – a remix record would be interesting to see. The bite-sized chunks on this record will draw many comparisons to works like J Dilla’s Donuts, for example, and these are not unjustified. However, the strength of Dilla’s work is for each of his tracks to stand alone as well as it does operate as a whole – FlyLo’s pieces work extremely well in sequence, but the tracks don’t quite carry the same weight taken alone. Never Catch Me – the single with Kendrick Lamar – is the first thing one really notices about this album, and it’s hard to believe it is the fifth track. Whatever FlyLo was hoping to achieve with the four tiny introductory tracks, it hasn’t quite come off – although Never Catch Me certainly fits better in this context. FlyLo has never shied away from big

themes on his releases – the nature of the universe, dreams, roots, life, and as the title on this would suggest, death. Though in this case, You’re Dead! remains light-hearted and free-spirited, with the theme loosely connecting all the parts together. FlyLo dances through different genres – Prog, Jazzfusion, IDM, D’n’B, ambient – with the skill and technical ability of a producer firmly established as a veteran in the scene. And for the most part, it works. You leave You’re Dead! wanting more, and repeated listens will certainly reveal the intricacies in production Flying Lotus went through. But, despite the high points on this album, you come away feeling as if it was so near to becoming an instant classic, with just a few too many shortcomings.

Flying Lotus You’re Dead! Oliver Hughes

Written as an exploration of Jazz from beyond his imagined grave, You’re Dead! is the latest full length release from L.A. based experimental Hip-Hop producer Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus. Having been at the helm for several excellent releases in the past few years, 2008’s Los Angeles, 2010’s

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Frankie Stenning First Year - Psychology

Oscar de la Muerta

Adam Dawson pays tribute to one of fashion’s most memorable designers Whichever divine being is responsible for these things must have been awfully lonely up there this year. Or just badly dressed, which is why they’ve now taken Oscar de la Renta. He died in his home, aged 82. Everyone should be wearing black, which he almost certainly would have detested (unless it was one of his, of course). De la Renta left his home in the Dominican Republic to study painting in Spain at aged 19. He sketched clothes for newspapers to pay his way before deciding it was a fashion life for him. Learning from Antonio del Castillo (king of costumes) in Paris, the 60s let Oscar come into his own. He left Paris for New York, taking over Arden after Jane Derby’s death. Of course, how can we talk about his achievements in the 60s without mentioning a certain Jackie O? Even if she preferred French designers, every First Lady since has worn something by him. It’s not too much to say de la Renta created First Lady fashion (and not only because they’re the ones who could afford him). Hilary Clinton has a collection of his, calling them ‘my Oscars.’ His style – elegant, classy, sophisticated – created the language of First Ladies. He was even comfortable enough to have a dig at Michelle Obama for not wearing more American designers. When you’re as influential as de la Renta, you can pretty much say anything about anyone. Her first public outing in a dress of his

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was in October this year. We knew she’d cave. Let’s just think about this for a second. De la Renta may have come from an important Dominican family, but that doesn’t make it any easier for an immigrant coming to America in the 60s. His incredible talent let him dress the most important women in America for 50 years. So we should probably talk about his clothes. By far the most important aspect of his work is simple. He understands what fashion should do and what power the right dress has on the right person. Take the wedding dress he designed for brilliant human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who married some actor or another. Elegant, feminine, sophisticated. It’s pretty much as perfect as a wedding dress can get. Which you’d expect, given that Alamuddin (or Mrs. Clooney, as she’s known now) handpicked de la Renta to design her wedding dress. For being one of the last things he designed, he certainly went out in style. That’s Oscar de la Renta for you though. He was among the first great fashion designers, one of the ones who changed how the world thinks about clothes. Not to sound too dramatic, but the last great prophet of women’s fashion has gone. At least if we get up there, we know whoever’s waiting for us will have on an impeccable dress, and when Joan Rivers asks who they’re wearing, they can say ‘It’s my favourite Oscar de la Renta.’’

Impress or Express?

Francesca Tray discusses the war between fashion and the media Myles Earle Third Year - English Literature

Elea Street First Year - English Literature Photography Leah Omonya

Fashion; an outlet of freedom and expression for your individuality or a market of judgement and expectation that must be met? Open up any gossip mag, whether it be Heat or Closer, there will be a section both praising and criticising the clothing choices of many celebrities. There is even a ‘Best and Worst Dressed’ article written on what was worn at this year’s Pride of Britain awards. At an event such as this, celebrating the unsung heroes of our wider community, should the focus fall on the slightly risqué sheer lace LBD worn by Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor or the Local Hero winner, Betty McGlinchey who has looked after more than 1,200 children over nearly 40 years. What could be seen as a piece of writing to be taken in jest, with its primary purpose to entertain, has now become a topical issue in today’s society. ‘Who wore it best?’ pages provide direct comparisons between both men and women with a decisive conclusion as to who should be proud of their fashionable achievement and who should hang their head in shame regarding how they chose to wear the item. When that individual made the decision on which style statement they were making that day, it is almost certain they were not aiming to please the press but instead, pleasing themselves with their choice. Beautiful women such as Cheryl Cole

have been ridiculed for red carpet choices (remember the ‘tampon dress’ she wore to Cannes film festival one year?) Should society be allowed to insult someone so severely? She is only human after all. Scroll through any young person’s social media, you are almost guaranteed to find an individual worrying about what they can wear or must wear in order to be accepted by peers and colleagues alike. Many worry what they are wearing is not current, does not match or whether they are being too bold with their choices. Some may argue that we shouldn’t care but it is within our human nature to seek to be accepted or be faced with an isolated life with no interaction. The media simply amplifies this. Those reading these articles subconsciously take on board that judgement is inevitable and that they should do their best to avoid it, by meeting the expectation set out by individuals within the public eye. It is arguably too much power for one social structure to have but there are ways in which we can attempt to combat it. Embrace other styles. We need to reform society’s mindset, when you see other people expressing their individuality, instead of questioning whether they got dressed in the dark that morning, appreciate that we all have our own ideas and creative flair. That outfit makes them happy and they’re the ones having

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to wear it, not the observer. Free your inhibitions, wear those contrasting prints and textures, illustrate the style you love and others will love you for it, you dress the way you dress because you want to. Should we be dressing to impress or express?

fashion

concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk

On the Scene with the Geo Queen From geography to pageants, UEA’s Stephanie May Isle shines bright, Gemma Carter and Helena Urquhart got her talking Stephanie May Isle is a Postgraduate student studying for a PGCE at UEA, in order to fulfil her lifelong dream of teaching geography. However, Stephanie transforms the age old geography teacher stereotype having recently been awarded the title of Miss Cambridge Inspiration. We caught up with her to find out more... What made you want to enter Miss Cambridge Inspiration? Since a young age I’ve always been interested in pageants, in awe of the glamourous dresses. After completing my degree I applied for a few pageants and would get through to the interview stage but never got any further. After following the current Miss Cambridgeshire, who has been recently crowned Miss England, I discovered she was a trainee doctor and found myself inspired that someone so intelligent could be crowned Miss England. As a trainee teacher I thought if she can do it, I can do it, so go for it. I’ve always admired the amazing charity work that pageant girls do and before I even entered pageants I’d always been active in raising money and awareness for charities - I’ve loss count of how many times I’ve ran Race for Life. Now I’m Miss Cambridge Inspiration and in March will be competing in the final hoping to be crowned Miss Inspiration UK

“I’m ginger and proud, an English Rose at heart. I believe in natural beauty.”

in the pageant world. To succeed you must be intelligent and ambitious in whatever you do, whether it be teaching or farming. As a trainee teacher I definitely stand out from the crowd, I’ve never known a teacher to enter a pageant and since starting my PGCE I understand why – the workload is enormous! However, I love what pageants stand for and I love teaching geography, kids are great and I want to help shape their future. It doesn’t matter about hair colour, I’m ginger and proud, an English Rose at heart. I believe in natural beauty, I’m very pale and won’t be getting a fake tan for the finals. I also won’t be getting fake nails and most definitely won’t be wearing fake eyelashes. All women are beautiful without all the fakery and if that means I lose to a women who wears all of the above at least I would have kept to my morals. Do you worry that events such as Miss England give women the wrong impressions about what they should look like? Maybe 50 years ago but certainly not today. Miss England is no longer about parading up and down a stage or being a size 4, I’m certainly not a size 4 and do not aspire to be one either. Not all winners are models, most are normal women with normal jobs such as a receptionist or dentist and many are students – such as myself. Pageants teach women to be ambitious, inspire others, to appreciate yourself and your

true beauty inside and out. Miss England is not the only pageant, there are many that showcase other talents of women such as the Miss Inspiration - which promotes inspiring women, Miss Earth - which promotes women with key interests in environmental issues. What charity events do you have going on around campus? How can people get involved? On Tuesday the 28th of October I will have a table in Union House to raise funds for Ayla-

“Pageants teach women to be ambitious, inspire others, and to appreciate yourself” Mae’s three steps forward fund. A fund to help a very special little girl get an operation in the U.S.A to help her overcome a very rare condition called spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Once she has had the operation they will then use her progress as evidence to get the surgery on the NHS for other sufferers and raise funds to help others get the surgery needed to help her go to main stream school. On my stall I will have face painting, selling sweets/cakes/biscuits and Halloween costumes! There will also a few games with prizes and you can also help by donating any cakes/biscuits or old Halloween costumes. I’ll be there from

and a finalist of Miss Cambridgeshire where the final will take place in February. If I win Miss Cambridgeshire I could go on to win Miss England, which would be a dream come true. What do your family & friends think of it? I’m so lucky to have such supportive family and friends. They’ve always been there on the side lines cheering me on at any event. So far they have been helping me out with charity events, organising prizes, interviews and just general day-to-day advice. Being a trainee teacher and a pageant girl is pretty hard work, keeping my Facebook profile private is hard enough but keeping this quiet from the children I teach is like a James Bond mission. The university, my tutors and the school I’m teaching in are so supportive of me. I was surprised at the great response I’ve received from the University and the support to keeping up the balancing act of being a teacher and a beauty queen. The stereotypical pageant winner is blonde, likes fluffy animals and wants world peace. What do you think sets you apart? In all honestly I do love fluffy animals and want world peace but thankfully times have changed

The whole world in the palm of her hands / Photography by Will Cockram

10:00 till 16:00. This is my first charity event at the university and I hope to do another before and after Christmas including selling my own handmade Christmas cards. I’ve also just participated in the March on Cancer event and at Christmas will be running in the Santa Run in Cambridge for Each where of course I will be wearing a Santa Costume. If you follow my fan page on Facebook by searching ‘Miss Cambridge Inspiration’ you can keep up to date with all my charity and public events. You can also contact me via my fan page if you would like me help you out with charity events or if you have other questions. What are your career aspirations? My career aspirations are the same as they have been for the past 10 years: to teach. I’ve always wanted to teach geography since I was 14. I had such an inspirational teacher and to do half as good a job as he did would be an honour. I’m very passionate about geography and think every child has the right to learn about the world they live in. My mission is within the first 10 years of teaching to achieve 100 A’s, (that’s 10 a year). I’ve always told my pupils every single one of you has the talent to get an A. I’d like to be the head of my department within 10 years of teaching and possibly a head teacher of a small school eventually. I love teaching and if I get to be a Geography teacher for the next 40 years I will be very happy.

arts

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

Shutup, break boundaries, and put art in your mouth Holly J. McDede speaks to the artists who’ve gone from the streets to the walls of the Stew gallery in Moosey Arts’ latest venture If you want to meet people with cool super hero aliases, go to an art exhibition in Norwich. At ‘Art in My Mouth’, curated by Frazer Bailey this past weekend, the introductions went from “People call me Boxhead” to “I’m Bad Brad, and I’m the bouncer” to “My first name is Jerk, and my surname is Face.” The artwork, on display at the Stew Gallery until October 30, was colourful, trippy, weird, and exciting. Maybe that’s just what happens when the super hero artists who save our streets from greys and browns with colour end up hanging their work at an art gallery. Curator Bailey can’t draw, but he knows art and he knows artists. He recently founded Moosey Art, a collaboration of local artists. His home is covered with artwork, and he’s even invited artists in to paint his walls. Many of the artists at the exhibition came because he liked their work on Instagram, and then asked them to come down to Norwich. “I’m terrible at art work. I can draw a face, but that’s about it,” Bailey said. “I just like art. I don’t have friends. This is my way of making friends.” At the start of the night, there was a blank wall for

She’s not even that fat! She’s just chubby. It made me want to draw her more. artists to draw on as a form of live art. An artist who identified himself as Mr. Scribbs (which is a perfectly reasonable way for an artist to identify him or herself) did some doodling. “I just do childish drawings I’ve been doing since I was a kid. I just try to make them neater now,” Mr. Scribbs said. “I don’t

want a real job. I just paint. It’s fun”. Mr. Scribbs said that when he first moved to Norwich, there weren’t a whole lot of street artists. But thanks to Bailey, that’s starting to change. “Everyone here is a street artist in a way”, Bailey said. “They’re street artists that are also artists. I don’t agree with street art being a genre. It’s just art on a wall. It can be anywhere. Anyone who is good at art can have a wall and it can become street art. Why can’t a guy who does fine art go on a wall? Why say it’s not your thing? The street is just a big canvas”. But he seemed to have a knack for drawing in exclusively attracting artists who are interesting, and occasionally up to no good. An artist known as RX or AREX came over

“My first name is Jerk, and my surname is Face.” from Portland, Oregon to display a collection of his paste up skulls in the gallery. He spent about 30 minutes pasting up a variety of skulls while the gallery wanderers dwelled, and then his artwork was complete. “That’s kind of the fun part,” he said. “These are all pictures of my street art in Oregon. I get to have them here with me.” Like many street artists, he’s spent years and years working with the same images and seeing all that he can do with it. For him, it’s the image of a skull that keeps him going. While in university, he became fascinated by the Latin phrase, “Memento mori”. It’s a pleasant one, and it means, “Remember you will die”. Thanks! Around the time he was studying the inevitability of death, his family began suffering from medical problem after medical problem. “I had a brain

tumour. My mom and my dad both had cancer,” RX said. “Then I went on a field trip to a museum in London, and took a picture of this skull. It stuck”. For Ruth Knapp, it’s the image of a pineapple that’s been her constant, vibrant companion on the streets and in art galleries. Recently, in a project called ‘the Wensum Paste Up’, her image of a pineapple has been placed in the St. Stephens underpass. “I keep getting tagged and people keep Instagramming them,” she said. “People just like them. Toasters ran with a toaster for 20 years, so maybe I can just run with pineapples”. Sure enough, Toasters artwork was also on exhibition. Toasters, an art collaboration that’s been painting toasters throughout the UK for decades, hung up the image of the familiar household appliance. It’s a smaller version of the toasters recently painted on Barrack Street through another one of Moosey Arts’ projects, called ‘Get Walls’, that aims to bring more art to the walls of Norwich. Begoña Toledo, or the artist known as Boxhead, ,brought along her paintings of the same Boxheaded girl who came to her in a dream years ago. Since then, she’s been painting her across the world. “People keep asking me what it means, and I don’t know”, Boxhead said. “It’s the idea we all have a box inside our heads, our own words going on in there”. While Toasters has claimed the toaster, Liam Painter’s signature image is the outline of a naked woman. In this exhibit, it’s etched onto a piece of wood shaped like a coffin. When Painter learned that the skatepark he helped build in an old tennis court in Fakenham would be torn down, he began chopping off blocks of wood from it and using a pressure cooker to etch the image of a naked female figure on it. Bailey dug his naked female figure, and

soon helped him print t-shirts featuring the image. “My friend wore it to work, and got complaints from customers saying he had a fat woman on his back and that that was offensive,” Painter said. “But she’s not even that fat! She’s just chubby. But because of that, I thought, ‘I’ll just draw her more and more.’” For those who walked out the gallery and through the Norwich city centre, and ended up beneath the St. Stephens underpass, they may have spotted Knapp’s pineapples, Painter’s naked woman, and then the oddly, and pleasantly, familiar abstract

“Why can’t a go who does fine art go on a wall? The street is just a big canvas.” art from inside the Stew Gallery. Just a guess, but it’s probably safe to say the gallery artists took a brief stop by the underpass to make their mark before heading home. And that’s part of the reason why Bailey called this exhibition ‘Art in My Mouth’. It’s not artwork only onfined to one location. It’s n ot artwork only artists can understand. It’s the every day images of skulls, toasters, naked women, and pineapples. It’s artwork that has come from the streets. It’s artwork displayed in a gallery. It’s artwork without boundaries. It’s artwork that might as well be in our mouths.

Boxhead’s work outside the Stew Gallery Liam Painter’s signature female form

Ruth Knapp’s famous pineapples

arts

concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk

Thinking Politics: Butt Plugs, Vodou and the Changing Face of the Arts Mike Vinti on the political necessity of Art as a form of expression Art, like all culture, is inherently political. Even the most banal, poorly composed still life sitting in your local gallery has a political dimension. The processes by which we define ‘art’ and its prestige are rooted in politics and political discussion, even the creation of a work of art in itself is a political act. By creating a work of art, be it a painting, performance, or surrealist multi-media installation, the artist is reacting to their experiences, both personal and societal, attempting to communicate some part of that experience to an audience. It is, if anything the most fundamentally ‘political’ act. Predating any form of written language or civilisation, visual art is the oldest form of communication humanity has so it stands to reason that its relationship with politics is a long and complicated one. So why does so little art seem political? Despite their shared history, politics and art are seen as fundamentally separate in modern society and debate surrounding art is far more likely to centre on ideas of aesthetic and validity rather than the deeper ideas underpinning the work. Viewed side by side, the spheres of politics and art in contemporary society share many traits: both are viewed by the general public to be the preserve of a wealthy elite, sheltered from hardship and ultimately out of touch. Similarly, the spheres of contemporary art and politics can both seem to be devoid of original thought and both face a crisis of engagement. However, this need not be the case. The discourse surrounding contemporary art has advanced in more recent years. The rise in popularity of street artists’ such as Banksy

and Shepard Fairey, marks a shift in what we consider art and how we view politics’ place within it. Banksy’s work is obviously political, he targets the intolerant and oppressive, aiming to excite and engage people on the street, rather than professing to false intellectualism from the blank, white walls of a Chelsea private gallery. Yet, as with so much contemporary art, the aesthetic of artists like Banksy has been co-opted by those seeking profit, with many of

his art works removed from their original walls and sold at auction. Across the world, the streets have become a new home for artists that reject the stuffy, brand focused nature of the art world. In Haiti, citizens rebelled against the turmoil of the late twentieth century with elaborate, colour filled murals, utilising the traditions of Vodou art to target the oppressive military regimes they struggled under. In Brazil, French street artist JR worked with the inhabitants of Rio’s

That Creative Feeling

infamous Favelas to create beautiful portraits of everyday citizens on a gigantic scale, and there’s currently an 80 foot tall green butt plug causing outrage on the streets of Paris, so that’s something. The role of the art gallery is in turmoil, no longer palaces of creative thought open to everyone, they serve to shelter art from the public, fetishing it, reinforcing the idea that art is something that only concerns a privileged few. Artists have begun to realise this, as have those that run the galleries, and the debate surrounding how to increase engagement with the arts seems endless. The boundaries between art and politics that were constructed over the twentieth century have begun to give and as the art world once again finds its political roots, engagement with it will, hopefully, increase. For those of you in any doubt as to the political nature of art, look to history. From Franco to Stalin, Ayatollah Khomeni to Pope Innocent, the most brutal regimes have always cracked down on the arts, censoring books, destroying sculptures and fostering a culture which despises anything that challenges its morality. The creation of new ideas threatens those who want to retain their power no matter what form it takes. Visual art is one of the most effective tools for the promotion of political thought; it speaks to something higher than reason, it appeals to our emotion, our fears and hopes, the essence of what so many have theorised makes us human. Simply put, to deny the role of politics in art is to strip it of its purpose.

Awakening New Voices Ellie Hicks explores the changing dimension of the art world as female artists challenge old traditions It has not always been the case that women were given the freedom to express themselves creatively. Up until the end of the nineteenth century, women were excluded from artistic training academies. Linda Nochlin, a prominent feminist art historian, argues that it is these institutional structures that have defined the artistic past and rooted men firmly within it. Flicking back through the Western ‘masters’ of art it is not difficult to realise that they are all men: Picasso, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Monet, Cezanne… to name but a few. The masterpieces these men produced now recreate an image of the past. They comment on political, social and economic issues of the period, but also represent stylistic innovations and ways of thinking that were continuously evolving.

Gogaratalleres

But these issues are only ever shown through a male perspective. We have barely any insight into the female view of the world, and this inevitably shapes our understanding of the past. With the exclusion of certain gender perspectives we therefore must be missing half the story. In 1985 a group called the Guerrilla Girls was formed in New York. Their very objective was to fight both sexism and racism within the fine arts, using art as a tool to highlight inequalities. The feminists today remain anonymous, playing with the word Guerrilla by wearing gorilla masks to conceal their identity, and using bold protest art to express their ideas. Their work plays on fact and humour to prove that inequalities still exist within the art world. Today, in Britain at least, women are given

the same academic opportunities as men, as gender equality is gaining more support. Hopefully, future generations will be able to look back at this time and fully grasp both a male and female perspective of life. Not only is the gender divide being weakened, cultural boundaries are also fading. Victorian imperialistic notions of art hierarchy have collapsed, and greater communication between countries has created wide acceptance of all art forms. Cultural diversity is now celebrated as we are influenced by and appreciate unfamiliar art practices. Likewise, the boundaries of art are ever expanding; as the possibilities of art continue to grow and expand, there should be fewer excluded perspectives within the art world, producing more exciting, innovative and interesting art.

creative

“Faith, the least exclusive club on Earth, has the craftiest doorman” - David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

Hello! Following last issue’s theme of fear, this time I asked for creative writing submissions on the theme of faith.

concrete.creative

Flicker

Ana Dukakis

I’m not Hindu. In fact, I’m not religious. I’ve said it before, mildly delivered, with just the not a question, but a statement. As I stand inside Kapaleeshwarar temple, it whispers a statement of its own: you don’t have to be religious to see religion’s beauty.

and Scarlet Dawson for their wonderful faith-based illustrations. What is faith? How do we approach it? How does it approach us? Hopefully after reading these pages these questions won’t be answered at all, and you’ll walk away with more questions than you’ve ever had. Happy reading! - Jake Reynolds

Faith

Jenny Moroney the globe that you pull down around your shoulders as a cloak. Something that someone you love told you once that still makes you laugh alone at the bus stop past midnight.

Evening darkness has settled upon the grounds. In front of me people press

When God, Gabriel, Lucifer and the Reaper play poker on Saturday nights, they bet with planets. God cheats, but nobody calls her out on it.

silver metal gleams, mirage-like, while the conjure a small Aladdin’s cave. Each candle is

pushup, but with such intensity of expression and trembling of palms that it cannot be anything but a prayer. Others stand around a man carrying a lamp. I follow their actions and cup its light, smoothing its soft heat up and over my head. As he heads back into the temple’s recesses the swarm disperses. people talking, soft singing and low drumbeats all visit my ears. Yet somehow the temple radiates its own atmosphere of tranquility, thrumming a pulse separate from the Chennai bustling beyond the gates. Now only the fragrance of jasmine, bought from the street side and pinned in my hair, remains to connect me to the city outside.

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attention. It is unlike its subtle sister, who furnishes the temple quietly. And it is

Each layer tells a story, tiered like a wedding

palm, ghee. I admire their teardrop shape.

I wait, almost expectantly, for the candles to go out. None of them do. My friend informs me that using ghee as a candle base lets them burn resilient, and I stand, mesmerized. people I’m not religious, reasons that it must be the architecture of the box that keeps the candles lit. But the wind dances in the shell of my ear and whispers another answer: sometimes, perhaps, we can have faith that there’s something more. *Monumental tower normally found at the entrance of temples (especially in Southern India) **Form of painting using rice, white rock or chalk powder ***Oil lamp made of clay

kaleidoscopic plume of colour.

The Truth of the Moth Elley Blue

If I were called in to construct a religion, I should make use of light. I would worship at the peak of the day, Basking and glorying on some hilltop made divine by the sun, I would not sequester my faith in dusty shadows, Chiaroscuroing my faith between candle light and shadowed pew, I would blaze it And when they came to me stumbling from darkness I would anoint them with sunlight.

Scarlet Dawson

e writing

ewriting@uea.ac.uk

A Leap for Faith

Peter Thorn

“Well, if you think about it, it’s more one of your everyday metaphysical leaps, more’n anything…” Barely visible beneath the wisps of young grey cloud, a lush valley wound its way through the foundations of two great and mighty mountains. It was autumn down below; dead leaves. Occasionally, a strong billow of wind would send a handful of them scurrying upward, thrown on the wind through purple heathered crags, cold rainwater pools, rocks bitten down on by snow, even to the summit itself. On the top of this most lofty peak, Sebastian snatched one as it passed with a dancer’s delicacy. He did not take his eyes from the drop.

purpose that are the mark of men of action. He still reeked of dead seal, but, Fate thought, one couldn’t have everything. And it was still the most vaguely impressive thing he’d seen for a decade or so, so why not? “I’m not here for costume design,” Sebastian retorted, tailoring. “Where I’m going, you don’t need dress sense.” “Well, if you’re going, you’d better go, then, hadn’t you?”

drop. A glint from the setting western sun caught his eye, hair was caught in the wind and leaves that soared and fell around him, around the edge.

huge.” “Negative thinking will get you nowhere,” complained

“And like that you’ve lost me. Who?”

onto the other side. It clattered onto black onyx, and for a while the valley sang with that resonance. Not a few yards away, another rocky ledge glistened in the mist, treacherous, slippery, yet within reach.

Sebastian frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to know? You know, being a divinity and all?”

jump,” He smiled at Sebastian encouragingly, or as encouragingly as you could with teeth like that. Sebastian nodded. “Right. I still don’t see why you’ve got to be here. You’re worse than Death.” “Don’t go comparing me to that morbid bastard. If I have to listen to one more poetic interpretation of the Ignain Swamp Travesties, or the Bubonic Ballad...” He caught himself before the familiar rant took hold. A few of his brown ringlets had fallen out of place. Depending on how you looked at them, Sebastian noticed, they were either

Tess Castella

Quickfire Questions... with Elley Blue What do you believe in? I believe quite strongly in spirits and elves. In Iceland they will only lay a new road if they are sure it doesn’t run through an elfhouse. My kind of people. What don’t you believe in? Karma. Sadly, I don’t think the universe recognises you when you do a good deed. Is Shakespeare really that great? Yes. How do most people react when you tell them you write? ‘Oh that’s so cool, what do you

glaze over. Would you prefer your writing to be personal or public?

the job description, really. You tempt fate, I appear, and I can’t leave until you move on. You think I want to be out in weather like this?” His teeth were chattering in a unhealthy shade of purple-white, even down to the wings. Every so often, he would take his set of scales and rub

My writing is always personal but that doesn’t mean it can’t be public! Hence why this is being submitted. Is the concept of faith rational? Absolutely. We all need a way

to work, he would curse, adjust himself on the rock, and goad Sabastian to jump once again.

happens. What has been the greatest century for literature? I think the Greeks probably wrote every story and most literature since is a rehashing of the archetypes they laid down. What is the best smell in the world? Fried bacon early in the morning. What’s that behind you? A soft sofa cushion.

where I’m from, I can tell you. It’s all about the toga, everyone’s wearing a toga. What about your getup? Whale blubber and seal hide clash, you know. ” He pointed

God, this tempting is taking a while. I wish I’d brought a book.” Fate leaned forward. “So this is all for romance, is howled, and a fresh gale brought up more mud-soaked drama, fair enough, but…” “Don’t be disgusting,” growled Sebastian. Muscles tensed energy and tension. “Faith is my sister.” A grin played around Fate’s lips. “Well, you’re in the here tend to keep to themselves a little too much if you ask...” Sebastian turned round. “Never mind. So, a leap for Faith then? Why’s she on the other side?” “None of your business.” He unhooked two cruel metal talons from his belt; ice picks, apparently. At least he’d come prepared; One poor sod had tried something similar with bare hands and an upbeat attitude.

Sebastian turned back away from the precipice, and

“Purchase on the rock in case you miss the jump, very wise. Still, a lot of it comes down to me, you know.” Fate shrugged supplicatingly. “What can you do, eh?”

idea.”

Sebastian took several paces back. “I can jump”.

aesthetic.” In truth, the young man standing before him looked as if he could have strode from the very rock of the mountain every hem. His jaw was strong and hard-set, covered in features too were hard, though not cruel; a great power rested behind them, too inexpressive for weak emotion,

“Well, best of luck to you then. Can I leave before or after you’re a mash on the ground?” rock, taking gouges out of the mossy surface as Sebastian pounded toward the overhang, swinging the ice picks slippery tip of the edge; years of scrambling, clambering with his lost sister propelled him forward. stretched to its furthest exertion, willing him onward. overhang. Bracing for impact, Sebastian winced.

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gaming + tech

concrete.gamingtech@uea.ac.uk

Tarnia Mears

EuroGamer Exposed Joe Fitzsimmons visited EGX and all he got was a slightly underwhelming day out EGX is one of Europe’s biggest video game trade shows, with this year’s attendance topping 75,000. With the big three industry giants Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, as well as a variety high profile developers and publishers, EGX is clearly looking to play a role equal to a European equivalent of E3 or PAX. It is largely successful in doing this, but as a result brings the UK the major grievances as well as the big

“All this leads to an overwhelming sense of apathy and distance from the whole event” draws. Visitors are indeed given the chance to get a first play of AAA releases such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Far Cry 4 or Alien: Isolation. However, as you’re waiting in an hour long queue to get a chance to play Sunset Overdrive you start to get the impression you’ve paid good money to do the publisher’s marketing for them. Upon entering, visitors are greeted with Nintendo’s own stand, overshadowed by a giant screen playing upcoming title Super Smash Bros Wii U. The stage is crowded by fans looking to learn more about Nintendo’s biggest upcoming release. Smaller tables are showcasing soon-tobe-released titles such as Captain Toad, Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2. Directly behind, separated only by a neutral zone of walkway, are the gigantic Sony and Microsoft industry stands. In an obvious attempt to out-dazzle each other, both stands are a crowded mess of LED lighting, sleek dark plastic and desks piled high with monitors. Each have lined up the big console exclusives. Sony staking a place for Oddworld:

New and Tasty, Infamous: First Light, and Little Big Planet 3. Microsoft taking Forza Horizon 2, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Fable Legends. All of this is, at first, enjoyable. This feeling, however, is not to last. As the staff are so ever-persistent in making sure you enjoy the game as much as they want you to, and you pull out your phone to check the release dates of these upcoming titles, you notice something. With many of these titles so close to release it starts to dawn that maybe you have just payed for the privilege of playing an extensive game demo, not unlike those that many companies choose to post online. And herein lies the problem. EGX feels less like a convention for consumers and even less like an industry event for game creators. This is an event for publishers. With Day One sales and pre-orders becoming such a big slice of revenues in games these days, publishers seem keen to over-market their big titles in the run up to release. This is in order to create a sense of exclusivity that ensure an upshot in sales before pre-owned copies start to surface in the market. Shows like EGX must seem heaven sent then. Not only do publishers have to only provide playable copies of essentially finished games to whet the appetite of consumers, but they are able to do it in a controlled environment that suits them best. Surrounded by constant branding and staff dedicated to ensuring that players experience the game in the best light, players are inevitably more likely to develop a sense of anticipation for the title. Not only that, but attendees are actually paying for this privilege. All this leads to an overwhelming sense of apathy and distance from the whole event. There seems to be so much fun going on around, but the corporate effort used to stage it and the whole undercurrent of a desperation to sell a

product that this facilitates just leaves the whole experience draining. Sadly, this feeling of being overwhelmed is one that does not seem to let up throughout the weekend. For example, we have The Batman: Arkham Knight theatre, otherwise known as a dark pop up box with some benches. What this has in store for you a ten minute prerecorded play through of an early level, narrated by an annoyingly over excited staff member. The game does indeed look interesting, with more of everything that made the first two titles in the series such a success, but in such an uncomfortable environment one longs for the opportunity to watch a play-through on YouTube. One event exclusive, the announcement of the latest title in the Total War series is a positive. Titled Total War: Atilla, the game looks promising, taking the well established and highly successful Total War format to a slightly less trod path of military history. The obscene queue to get the chance to play an early demo, though, is enough to put most off. Of course AAA titles are not the only draw to the weekend. Tucked away in a slightly neglected corner is The Leftfield Collection, a hectic array of obscure and in-development titles from indie developers and bedroom programers. These games, whilst drastically less dazzling and polished than many on the show floor, offer an interesting alternative. Games such as A Light In Chorus provides a unique explorer-based game about cultural ancestry through the lens of striking starlight visuals and an absorbing soundtrack. The chance to sit down in a quiet booth and isolate yourself from the rest of the shop floor with a large screen and big headphones is also a welcome respite. Due perhaps to the method of acquiring indie developers through a sign-up initiative, the section lacks a cohesive theme, but

in terms of out-of-the-box thinking gameplay, The Leftfield collection is one of the weekend’s highlights and the space where some of the most interesting games are displayed. Another draw of the weekend - industry talks - provide an escape from the crowded show floor to a large, luxurious but unfortunately rather empty conference room. These talks show a personal side to the games on exhibition this weekend, as developers take the stage to talk about their process and their upcoming projects. One highlight of these talks is Jordan Thomas providing a running commentary to an unscripted play through of his current project The Magic Circle. A novel idea, with some

“In such an uncomfortable environment, one longs for the opportunity to watch play through on YouTube” interesting looking game mechanics to back it up, this looks to be one of the highlight exhibits of the weekend. Unfortunately with the whole series of lectures both streamed live on Twitch TV and now available to watch in their entirety online, the exhibition entry fee seems more and more unjustifiable. Overall, EGX weekend was an exhausting and all round underwhelming experience. There is no arguing the quality of some of the games on offer, but one wonders why a convention was necessary for consumers to get their hands on. These days in the video game industry, it seems to be getting increasingly tiring and costly to stay on the cutting edge. Playing catch up may not be that bad an idea. Calvin Goldspink

television concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Future Classics: Or, the Best of Now Rob Drury A Yorkshire village, beset upon by ‘the Rising’, causing many previously dead persons to haul themselves from their graves and stagger the earth wouldn’t capture many hearts (though the accents would win a fair few of us over). What makes In the Flesh such a shining example of a future classic is how it takes the stagnant formula and makes it personable and relatable whilst keeping its grim edge. Tying

“Tying together comedy, tragedy, drama, and bloodlust”

NYP Decider

Why Do the Good Die Young? Adam White writes a eulogy for Angela Chase as part of our special TV classics issue

In 2013, screenwriter Mike White spoke to enough to be an easy surrogate for everybody the AV Club about the cancellation of his watching at home. It’s hard to watch My SoHBO series Enlightened, and how it’s harder Called Life and not feel particularly linked than ever to mount television that lacks to her, or see her as an extension of our own ‘noise’, ‘noise’ being stunts and shocks and identities. Whether it’s suffering through a zit things scandalous enough to make you tweet or nervously riding a bicycle without touching about it while you’re watching. The shows the handlebars, Angela Chase is all of us. It’s on the opposite end of the spectrum to that kind of creepy. ‘noise’ are the quieter, more contemplative Surrounding her is a cast of similarly ones, the ones where the emotional pinnacle subversive leads, notably Angela’s best pals of an episode isn’t somebody getting pumped Rickie and Rayanne. Rickie, the first gay full of bullets, but instead the moment a lead on American television, is a fascinating character dyes their hair in an act of youthful blend of carefree joy and solemn rebellion, or discovers that the person they’ve insecurity. He’s also a character been completely infatuated with from afar never defined by his sexuality. actually knows their name. Compare him to somebody My So-Called Life is the televisual like Jack McPhee on the embodiment of ‘quiet’, but a quiet that far more successful speaks to adolescence, identity, and Dawson’s Creek a teenage struggle in a way that few, couple of years if any, young adult series have ever later, a character done before or since. At the centre who couldn’t of the show is Angela Chase (played by swing a cat without a young Claire Danes): a perpetual overit hitting some kind of thinker, adrift in a sea of adolescent gay-basher, and you turmoil, her ever-present voiceover can understand why introspective and full of youthful he remains an iconic pondering. She is simultaneously landmark in television naïve yet wise, full of broken history. sentences, an abundance of ‘likes’, Rayanne, too, is a speaking with delicate precision as great yin to Angela’s she ruminates on her choices, her quieter yang: frank decisions, and her dreams. and provocative, loyal She’s a fantastic character, but flawed, fond of sex, traditional as a teen heroine in booze and partying, yet Ondo Lady terms of personality, but complex never judged for it by the

show itself. She doesn’t have any kind of tragic backstory or bullshit ‘explanation’ for her wildness, either. She’s just a girl who enjoys a good time. Though disappointingly left unresolved by the end of the show’s first and only season, the emotional backbone of My So-Called Life is the unspoken love triangle between Angela, brooding musician Jordan Catalano and her goofy neighbour Brian Krakow. Jordan, played by a pre-fame Jared Leto, is the personification

“Angela Chase is all of us” of every intense outsider who leans against lockers because of All The Emotions, driving all the girls crazy in the process. Brian Krakow is absolutely none of those above, yet desperate to act on the aching feelings he has for Angela. He’s only stifled by his own awkwardness, doing everything he can to just be around her, even if Angela finds him completely exasperating. Brian Krakow is... some of us. Ahem. Whenever the good die young, we tend to insist that they burned too bright, like the world just couldn’t keep up with them. But what My So-Called Life did so fantastically was upend that cliché. It’s an enormously respected cult series, which existed very much on its own terms, unburdened by network interference or insistence that everything should be sexier or louder. My So-Called Life died young only because, if anything, it was just too damn small. And it would have been wrong to have it any other way.

together comedy, tragedy, drama, and bloodlust in such deftly written episodes is a testament to writer and creator Dominic Mitchell’s talents. The words and scenes Mitchell creates are then brought to life with beautiful camera work and attention-grabbing performances, notably by Luke Newberry and Emily Bevan. Newberry’s bashful portrayal of main character Kieren Walker sparks beautifully with Bevan’s brash, lively Amy Dyer, a character embodying the intelligent style of In the Flesh. The programme very deftly moves between talking literally about how to deal with the PDS population (Partially Deceased Syndrome…obviously) and talking about real society through the trials of our conflicted hero Kieren. Tales of friendship, love, struggles for acceptance all packaged up in the shape of someone relatable (even if they are dead) is a strong case for the programme to endure. The bloodied, tear-stained slot in the schedules In the Flesh inhabits is bursting with clever drama, witty humour, and is grounded in realism whilst being utterly fantastical, earning its Future Classic title.

Joe Frost Despite Louis C.K.’s jokes about how the hype around him won’t last, the praise for his FX sitcom Louie is a sure sign that he is already becoming a timeless artist. The show, in which he plays a fictionalised version of himself, has been airing since 2010 and each season improves on the last.

“Intensely honest, often amazingly surreal” Simply put, it’s given us some of the most hilarious moments on television for a long time. Further than this, it is the intensely honest, often amazingly surreal way that it delves into social issues in order to confront our behavior that will ensure it endures. C.K. (who also directs, produces, and edits the series) is becoming a serious creative force, and he appears all set to follow in the footsteps of Woody Allen. It is already easy to imagine Louie as a revered classic in a long, fruitful career.

television

concrete.television@uea.ac.uk

Pix 123

Nour Ibrahim puts Tony Soprano on the couch. Again. The mob boss, the family man, the plain old aging man. Our fascination with disgusting, tortured men who do bad things (not quite the rebel with a heart of gold) can be traced back to just before the millennium and the appearance of one Tony Soprano. The Sopranos ushered in the very bloody era of the anti-hero, forcing unwitting viewers to sympathize with their morally questionable protagonists. Pretty crafty stuff, and an amazing act of storytelling, which heralded in what many critics have referred to as ‘novels’ of the TV world. We’ve got to get intimate with the bad and see them humanised. Phenomenal acting from a relatively unknown cast was the crux of support for the unconventional, characterdriven show. We became invested and involved with the characters and their lives, even when they weren’t really doing anything noteworthy. Instead of looking at mob culture and the

dichotomy of good vs. evil, The Sopranos was about the day-to-day running of the, how do you say, ‘family business’. For Tony Soprano, this involved glimpses of his past and where he came

“Deeply flawed, irredeemably human characters” from, what shaped and molded him. As a viewer, you’re then in the position of trying to put it all together in order to understand him and reach your own conclusions about his psychological health, which makes up a good portion of the show as he talks to his therapist. Seeing Tony see his own flaws and faults, but then not breaking out of his habits, either because he couldn’t or didn’t want to, is fascinating and frustrating. The only way he knows how to do nice things is underhandedly, which made the audience question whether that invalidates the very act of

goodness he was pursuing. Following in the footsteps of Seinfeld, but definitely not as light-hearted or aimless, The Sopranos was a show that didn’t have to be about anything in particular, that didn’t set out to accomplish anything . There was no set or overarching plotline past those motivated by character developments. It was one of the first shows to portray its events and loose fitting plot as incidental. It sacrificed action and violence for pacing and character development. You ended up becoming more deeply invested in the woes of Tony Soprano, rather than the things he did or the things that happened to him. You’ve got to feel anxious with and for Tony, more about his children, and relationships with his wife and mother, than when mob dealings went bad. This was revolutionary. It proved that people were just as interesting as gun fights, perhaps even more so. It humanizes the crime world

and the eponymous ‘mob boss’ and made you reflect on why you were watching it constantly. A certain level of investment and perceptiveness was expected from its audience, never slowing or stopping to explain or elucidate anything from plot-points to character motives. You were expected to watch and keep up, know what was going on without being spoon-fed, and to largely reach your own redemptive conclusions for these deeply flawed and, for the most part, irredeemably human characters. It set the stage for shows that didn’t have to have a conclusion or ending with some theme, wrapping up at its peak popularity. Planned and precise, David Chase wrote an end to a show that was reeling in millions of viewers. It teased out stories and characters, giving its viewers little bits and pieces, with the hopes of a phenomenal payoff that left us waiting in a diner, wanting more.

its importance in television history cannot be overlooked. Some of my favourite and critically acclaimed shows would not exist without it, such as the recent HBO comedy Girls, about a group of women in New York (sound familiar?), and Netflix’s hugely successful Orange is the New Black. SATC ran for six highly successful seasons, spawned a successful movie (and a much less successful sequel, but let’s not go into that one). Sex and the City was one of the first major comedy drama series focused solely on women as main characters. And yes, whilst Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda may not exactly be feminist icons (in the words of The Daily Telegraph’s Tanya Gold, “Sex and the City is to feminism what sugar is to dental care”), it opened the door to more female-centric comedies

and dramas, and with it a whole new portrayal of female characters in TV. No longer just the mothers, wives, or sisters of the main characters, women took centre stage. Surely the show must be applauded for that Instead, Sex and the City is repeatedly marginalised and made the butt of the joke; the “guilty pleasure” associated only with bored, gossipy housewives and gay men. It’s not seen as acceptable for anyone else to watch at the risk of being ridiculed. While I may not personally be a fan, I still respect and admire it for changes in TV it caused, and the entertainment it provided for its demographic. Love it or loathe it, Sex and the City deserves its place amongst TV classics, and to be remembered for being the first step towards more gender equality in the previously male-dominated world of comedy drama.

Casa Da Caubi

Why is Hannah Ford the only one talking about Sex? If someone asked you to name a successful HBO drama from the last few years, you would have many to choose from: Game of Thrones, True Detective, The Wire. The broadcasting company has expanded hugely in recent decades, with some of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in America and abroad being shown on the channel. You would most likely date its success back to one of the most successful dramas of recent decades, which began airing on the channel in 1999, The Sopranos. But another hugely successful show began airing a year before that; Sex and the City. But of course, compared to The Sopranos, a silly little comedy about four middle class white women in New York fades into the background. But Sex and the City did achieve great success, gaining countless award nominations and

winning several Emmys and Golden Globes. It received praise from critics and viewers alike. Yes, it may not have been a gritty, “somethingto-sink-your-teeth-into” drama, but, when juxtaposed with HBO’s other successful shows at the time, it provided much needed light relief. It also catered for a whole different audience who

“No longer just the mothers, wives, or sisters ” were often overlooked. It cannot be ignored that Sex and the City was equally as important to the development of TV as The Sopranos just because it wasn’t about an old white man in a crisis. It deserves to be revered, rather than ridiculed. And no, I am not saying that with the bias of a fan of the show; in fact, I am personally not a fan of Sex and the City. However, I still believe that

film

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

one final push into the heart of the Reich. Pitt plays the hardboiled veteran tank sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier who leads his suitably grimy motley crew of GIs, played by LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal (of Walking Dead fame), Michael Peña and baby-faced new recruit Logan Lerman, whose lack of combat experience threatens their survival and the survival of their Sherman tank, which they have christened “Fury”.

“It will end soon. But before it does, a lot more people have to die”

The Guardian

Schmoeknows

Schmoe Knows

Fury

Director and Writer David Ayer Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LeBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña Runtime 134 mins Action/Drama Will Hunter Going into Fury, the new film by David

Arthur & Mike

Director Dante Ariola Writer Becky Johnson Starring Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Anne Heche, Lucas Hedges Runtime 101 mins Drama Cinema City Re-Release Isis Billing Despite being dotted with moments of cheerfulness, Dante Ariola’s debut about a failed golf-pro and his melancholy travelling companion falls short on the first hole. One can only assume its monotony is the cause of the film’s delayed UK release and rebranding from original title Arthur Newman. Arthur & Mike follows the story of Wallis Avery (Firth) whose dreary job, bland love life and failing relationship with his son push him to escape from his identity. Acquiring a forged ID under the name of Arthur Newman, Firth’s character fakes his own death and sets out on the road to become someone new. Staying in a fleabag motel his story collides with that of a hazardously intoxicated Mike, short for Michaela (Blunt), who he rushes to hospital. Having had her stomach pumped of a toxic amount of cough syrup, Mike reluctantly

Ayer, you may feel some trepidation. Another excuse for Americans to proudly proclaim “We won the war!”, Brad Pitt recycling his good ol’ southern boy routine from Inglorious Basterds…and the irritating little (insert expletive of choice here) Shia LaBeouf getting to play soldiers. Shia LaBeouf in general. Whilst Fury admittedly dazzles the eyes it nonetheless has very little going on between its ears. It is April 1945 and with Nazi Germany facing imminent defeat, the Allies are making accepts Arthur’s offer of a ride. They cruise around the insipid landscapes of Mid-West America, staying in a string of dubious hotels and progressing towards Arthur’s promised job as a golf instructor at a resort in Terre Haute, Indiana. Along their travels it becomes apparent that both are, conveniently, travelling under different names. Whilst Arthur is running from his life as Wallis Avery, Mike has stolen the ID of her paranoid-schizophrenic twin sister who she has left at a mental hospital in her home town of Durham. During their travels Mike spots a newlywed elderly couple and follows them to their home. Upon seeing the house being vacated,

“Hey there, it’s Arthur Newman!” Arthur and Mike break in and share a moment of disconcerting passion whilst role-playing in the bride’s wedding dress. This sets off a string of breaking and entering to fornicate and playact in stranger’s clothes. Meanwhile Wallis’ son Kevin (Hedges) is becoming increasing friendly with his father’s girlfriend Mina (Anne Heche). Kevin frequently visits their home where Mina is caught by surprise semi-clothed. A strange, highly uncomfortable sexual tension bubbles somewhere in the subplot through Kevin’s questions, such as: “did you and my Dad have a lot of sex in this apartment?” At the risk of spoiling whether Arthur’s

On the plus side, the chaos and horror of war are well conveyed and make the film watchable. Director Ayer, who wrote Training Day as well as directing End of Watch, is comfortable in this masculine territory and handles the battle scenes with aplomb. Ayer mostly avoids glorifying war; the tone is brutal and unrelenting with grey and desolate backgrounds. There are also genuinely harrowing moments: the shooting of a German prisoner is particularly haunting, while scenes where German civilians are hanged from trees for refusing to fight reminds us that this is a country brought to its knees. There are overegged passages, but in the case of a war movie where, whatever the film makers can throw on screen nothing can be as bad as being there, that’s not a bad thing. The problems for Fury are its lack of coherent narrative and thinly drawn characters. The film aspires to be Saving Private Ryan in a tank, but whereas Ryan had a central moral dilemma of eight men risking their lives to save one, Fury lacks a coherent narrative and

is essentially a series of set pieces punctuated by moments of GI “banter”. Worse still, Ayer apparently hasn’t even attempted to conjure original characters. Every war movie cliché imaginable is present: the tough-asnails sergeant; the bookish recruit who just happens to play the piano; the Bible-quoting southerner; the Hispanic-who-is-supposed-tobe-the-token-ethnic-minority; the red-neck who becomes the rookie’s arch-nemesis but ends up loving him. The character arcs are all utterly predictable - anyone with a vague knowledge of war movies will know in five minutes what happens to bumbling recruits in war movies. Furthermore, the generally bleak tone is undermined by moments of sentimentality - having the soldiers eat a meal with German civilians is a misstep while the Alamo-like finale verges on the cartoonish (Lerman’s character shouting “Fucking Nazis!” whilst blasting away with his machine guns is reminiscent of a teenager playing Call of Duty). The cast try their best but are overwhelmed by their sketchy characters. Pitt initially finds an interesting tone by portraying Collier as unlikeable, brutal and angry but ends up essentially impersonating John Wayne (“I’m scared, Sarge.” “Me too son. Me too.”) LaBeouf actually gives a convincing performance and provides the closest thing the film has to an emotional spark. Fury is an energetic, competent effort, but it lacks depth and a beating heart.

The Guardian The Guardian

dreams of becoming a star-golfer materialise, I will say that the film fizzles off with spectacular dreariness. Firth’s usual casting as the stiff gentlemanly type falls flat, as the plot doesn’t carry enough charm to juxtapose his rigidity, while Blunt’s character Mike is so emotionally fragile that even when she does something titillating, one can’t get past their irritation over her bouts of sulking. However, the actors carry their American accents flawlessly and Blunt can be commended for the versatility needed to transmit Mike’s constant mood swings. Blunt and Firth seem to have a natural chemistry and there are delightful fleeting seconds where something is genuinely funny in its quirky irony. But then, unfortunately, the story has the tendency to

relapse into melancholy. Overall, Arthur & Mike offers a plethora of unlikeable characters who discourage the emotional attachment needed to actually care about the journey. The tinkling soundtrack and grey colour-tint lend further blandness to the already dull expository dialogue. There are hints of potential in the script by Oscar nominee Becky Johnston, which breathes life into the tired narrative of the road-trip of self-discovery. But ultimately the tone is too heavy to exploit the moments of effervescent comedy.

film

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

Northern Soul

Director and Writer Elaine Constantine Starring Elliot James Langridge, Steve Coogan, Antonia Thomas Runtime 102 mins Drama Aliyah Rawat As vibrant and energetic as it is hard-hitting and gritty, Northern Soul immerses you into one of the liveliest subcultures in Britain from start to finish. Set in the otherwise bleak 70s Lancashire, the film showcases the music, dancing, drama and drugs that brought

together a generation of alienated youths. John (Langridge), is a disaffected schoolboy looking for something more. Cue reckless, decadent Matt (Josh Whitehouse), who introduces him to the Northern Soul movement. Their friendship grows and the two set about following their dream of traveling to the States to seek out rare records to start their own club. Of course, sucked in by the high energy scene brewing, this leads them onto one hell of a ride. It is a film as much about finding yourself as it is about the music, although the two undoubtedly go hand in hand. The soundtrack is at the forefront and it doesn’t fail to deliver: packed with fast-paced, toe-tapping American soul, it couldn’t be more authentic. Visually, the performance matches, with an abundance of captivating dance sequences. The film inevitably calls out to those who lived through

Bath Film Festival

Love, Rosie

Director Christian Ditter Writer Juliette Towhidi Starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Art Parkinson, Tamsin Egerton Runtime 102 mins Comedy/Romance Martha Julier Adapted from Cecelia Ahern’s novel, Love, Rosie treads a similar path as the author’s first hit P.S I Love You. The story follows two childhood best friends whose ‘love feelings’ start to develop around Rosie’s 18th birthday, but due to a drunken kiss, forgetfulness and the fact it’s a romantic comedy (drama?), a chain of disastrous circumstances follow, preventing the couple from getting together. Love, Rosie feels like it hasn’t quite translated successfully onto the screen, in both practical and stylistic ways. Lily Collins (Snow White) and Sam Claflin (The Riot Club) are likeable as the leads, Rosie and Alex, but due to the story spanning over 15 years it was impossible to believe that either of them had experienced marriages, divorces or children, especially since they only looked like they’d had a haircut since the opening scene. Normally, the plausibility of a romantic comedy is not an issue but when it tries to handle subjects such as teenage pregnancy, single motherhood and loveless marriages and all you can see are two teenagers, it does start to fall a little flat. This is where

the scene, and to those of you who didn’t, it will make you wish that you had. It crosses through the generations with its anti-establishment, community-focused basis, and this highly

“This is your break, you’ve got one shot.” anticipated film has already leapt into the UK Box Office Top 10 despite its limited release. As the directorial debut of photographer Elaine Constantine, it is clear to see her talents cross through the mediums. Her striking cinematography is complemented by her close attention to detail; from the perfectly accurate sets, carefully chosen outfits, right down to the raucous nights out in Wigan Casino. The shots are all beautifully constructed, with a particular focus on the characters. The shot of complete admiration when Langridge first sees Whitehouse dancing upon their meeting encapsulates that feeling of being completely lost in music and how something seemingly so simple can definitively change a person’s life. Though laced with brazen British humour and upbeat sounds, there are shocking twists which, for the most part, add excellently executed drama into the character’s lives, showing the despairs of drug binges, undercover cops and broken friendships. However, the story does feel disjointed at points, as it sometimes too abruptly descends into the darker side. Ultimately, the film is not depressing, for as much as it throws you into speed-fuelled allnight parties then slams you in the face with its

harsh realities, it is the movement that brings everything back together. It feels reminiscent of Trainspotting with its bold realism, and fits right into this rising sub-genre of nostalgic British youth films. Brilliant performances are given from all the cast, especially by the two leads. Langridge changes in front of us from a timid, disillusioned teen into a passionate, confident soulie. By the end, it feels as if we have truly grown up alongside him, we feel a real connection and a part of their worlds. Whitehouse, who costars as his crazed best friend, also delivers a powerful, at times shocking, performance filled with fiery dialogue. The pair are thrilling to watch as they navigate their way through this fast-paced culture alongside a strong supporting cast featuring Steve Coogan, Jack Gordon and Antonia Thomas. Overall it is a wonderfully crafted film, both authentically recreating the atmosphere and vibe of the Northern Soul scene and telling a compelling story about the people involved. It does what so many other films fail to do: it gives you pure passion with every scene, with every piece of dialogue and with each piece of carefully constructed footwork. Prepare yourselves for a vivacious, beat-heavy, amphetamine-fueled journey. As the film shouts out to us, “This is underground, but it’s gonna be massive!”

the novel may have been more successful, however the actors did add charisma to their formulaic roles. Collins is charming and funny even if she does look the same age as her 12-year-old daughter and Claflin is handsome and brooding. Jaime Winstone plays the compulsory funny, down-to-earth best friend with absolutely no backstory and Tamsin Egerton (St Trinian’s) turns up as Alex’s New York socialite girlfriend who almost becomes another obstacle for our young couple, before she conveniently turns out to be a controlling adulterer.

“Just look at Greg, what a bimbo.” Moving away from the interesting casting, the story itself is farfetched and repetitive, after all there are only so many times Sam Claflin can walk dramatically into a room with a bewildered squint, and for us to believe this will change the course of events. This is the second flaw of the film, its attempts to be earnest are contradicted by its contrived, satisfying resolutions. Despite the problematic plot, the script contains some good one-off gags (a humorous loss of virginity scene stands out), its dialogue jumps between laugh-outloud one-liners and uncomfortably cringey clichés. The film is enjoyably quirky, the visual style and soundtrack are above your average RomCom, but when compared to films of the same genre and similar subject matter: teenage pregnancy in Juno; the friendship saga, will they/won’t they of When Harry Met Sally, Love,

Hey U Guys

Rosie lacks the individual charm and strength to make it stand out. It couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to be, and thus became slightly throwaway. In terms of expanding beyond the genre’s formula, which is presumably what its peculiar plot was trying to do, it was successful to an extent. There was not a boring moment and the actors as an ensemble had good chemistry but overall it tried too hard to cover too much, which may be due to it being an adaptation but even so left it weak. There was strong sense

of humour at times, but occasionally it was difficult to tell whether the laughter was aimed at the jokes or the film and it did begin to take itself too seriously. While the cast give good performances, they simply look ten years too young and the film never embraced the silliness. Still, it remains a satisfying albeit disposable flick.

film

concrete.film@uea.ac.uk

It’s that time of year again when nights get longer and we turn to the dark side. For our Halloween themed issue, our writers explore cinema’s most terrifying and twisted moments.

Why Do We Watch Horror Films? With the resurgence of the horror film within contemporary cinema, Joe Frost explores the reasons behind out fascination with the genre. Horror is one of the most enduringly popular genres of cinema and has been from the very start. Glancing over lists of highest grossing films by year, it is inevitable that behind the barrage of superhero and animation features, a litter of twisted flicks will prove to be some of the biggest earners and local multiplexes will be flooded most Wednesdays by people of all backgrounds looking for their next macabre thrill. Even before cinema, ghost stories and gothic fiction were some of the most widely circulated works ever created. For some reason, we really enjoy terrifying ourselves and it is this that continually fascinates psychologists and provokes the question: why? One reason, very basically put, is for the thrill. Research conducted by Dr. Thomas Straube at the Freidrich Schiller University of Jena in 2010 actually displayed, through the use of scans, that the most active parts of our brains while watching scary movies are: the visual cortex where we process visual information; the insular cortex which is concerned with self-awareness and the dorsalmedial prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain connected to attention, planning and finding solutions. So, taking into consideration the limits of scientific testing of this kind, we can posit that it isn’t necessarily fear that attracts us to horror but the appeal of the ‘what if?’ and the chance to activate the survival

instinct in a safe place. Following on from this, Dr. Marvin Zuckerman believes that seeking to watch horror films corresponds highly with his research on what he has dubbed ‘the sensation-seeking trait’. Zuckerman says that thrill seekers enjoy the heightened awareness produced in intense situations and it is a “morbid curiosity” that leads them to the horror movie. When the brain is met with this intensity, the dopamine hormone is produced and this is what causes the giddy thrill that can last long after the credits have rolled. Moving away from the psychological, the sociological drive behind horror is just as intriguing. John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) in an interview with the Writer’s Guild of America described it as “such a venerable, such an adaptable genre”, horror evolves with the society around it and realises our common fears in highly creative ways. The mutated figures of monster films of the 1950s reflected a fear of the effects of nuclear weapons, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) is said to be a manifestation of the distrust of authority figures, and the current popularity of the zombie apocalyptic scenarios are stemming from the fears of various global pandemics. This suggests horror as a way to explore cultural issues both for the creators and the viewers. Again, the safe space of the movie theatre or living room is a place in

Jane Teresa

which we can confront these thoughts and process them without ever having to put ourselves in danger. Mixed up in the horror genre is also an unfortunate, highly conservative streak where often promiscuous teens and others stepping outside of what society deems acceptable are punished in the most gruesome ways by a psychotic killer. Due to this, there is a belief that we view horror as a way to reaffirm values but recent years have shown a more progressive crop of films arriving, a trend that will surely continue. From asking friends their views in the process of writing this article, what became apparent was - ignoring the subconscious

desire we have for horror - it is largely appreciated for the simple reason of fun. Watching a horror is a great social experience: either you get to discuss what scared you after and discover things about each other or have a good laugh. The genre invites a streak of very black humour and a bad horror often easily becomes a good comedy (2008’s Mirrors is a personal favourite). The speculation behind why we watch these films is interesting but there is still so much we don’t know about how our brains work for this to be conclusive. All we can be sure of is that horror has provided some of the most memorable moments in cinema and it will continue to do so.

The Curious Case of Torture Porn Pushing the moral codes has always been a primary agenda for the horror genre. Chris Rogers argues for, and Silvia Rose against, the inclusion of explicit violence.

For... The whole concept of the ‘torture porn’ genre (created by a fusion of the splatter and slasher genre) has been a much-debated issue since its emergence in the late 2000s. A comparison can be drawn between said emergence and tumultuous debate with the ‘video nasties’ scare of the eighties, when titles such as The Evil Dead were cut or downright banned due to their violent nature for fear that such content would inspire violence in the youth of the day. Of course looking back – with The Evil Dead and such titles now available uncut – it seems totally ridiculous that such censorship was enforced, and it’s becoming apparent that the same is true of the ‘torture porn’ genre. There seems to be a somewhat sniffy attitude held among many which assume that films of this type have nothing to say and are violence for violence’s sake. I would remind those people that for every gory masturbation

Against... fantasy (the Hostel films) and trash which tries to make us sympathize with reprehensible people (The Devil’s Rejects), there are films of this type that do have brains (besides those strewn over the blood-soaked sets). The unrelentingly shocking Martyrs is an example of horror that holds you utterly transfixed by the gore but contains transcendent elements that are little-seen in cinema full-stop, let alone slasher flicks. True, torture porn as a use of free expression is one of the more unconventional forms, but that hardly makes it less relevant. For some, it provides a way to relay messages and values in a different form, or gives the audience a window into the mind of the director, (even if all we find is the twisted immaturity of Eli Roth). The cutting or prohibiting of film for the purposes of censorship is akin to the burning of a book, regardless of its content or quality.

Many will associate ‘torture porn’ or ‘gorno’ with famous examples such as the Saw and Hostel movies, which depict all sorts of imaginative ways of cutting, burning, gouging and of course, sawing human bodies. There is no doubt that we have a dark, perhaps latently sadistic, side; gore has long been a key feature in Gothic literature which spans back over centuries. However, it is the way these deeply graphic scenes of violence are represented in modern cinema which raises alarm. Consider this quote from Eli Roth discussing his movie poster at the press junket for Hostel 2: “Any time people see women in a horror film they say, ‘Oh, these girls are just pieces of meat.’ And, literally, in Hostel 2, that's exactly what they are. They are the bait, they are the meat, they are the grist for the mill. So I thought it was actually a really smart poster ... and really, really disgusting! I love it”. It is troubling that he did not even

pretend that there was a higher political motive behind the violence (like there might be in A Clockwork Orange, for example). Instead, Roth articulates the brutal misogyny which bubbles indiscreetly beneath the surface of these films. Here lies the problem: we see predominantly attractive female characters being tortured which blurs the lines between violence and sex in a dangerous manner. Having these films in the mainstream continuously desensitises audiences to this intense violence and creates a sinister journey of association which starts with the objectification of a woman’s body and ends with hacking her leg off while she screams in pain. Though I am a strong advocate for artistic freedom, I believe that extreme examples of ‘torture porn’ express an unsettling departure from humanity, especially towards women, and therefore offer none of the emotional depth that can be found in other ‘dark’ cinematic works.

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The Alternative Guide to Halloween They may be off the beaten track, but Neven Devies shows us that these horror films are worth a watch (and a scream) The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears (2011)

Kidnapped (2011)

Häxan (1992)

We Are What We Are (2013)

Bold and hypnotic, Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet rework the stylistic conventions of the giallo in their new film far more suited towards an art installation than commercial cinema. Following a man who searches for his missing wife within his labyrinthine apartment building, the film may lack a discernible narrative but exceeds with its dizzying cinematic craftmanship. Screeching sounds of a blade slicing across flesh, rapid-fire montages of a murder portrayed through black and white stills photography and the sharp crinkling of leather, all expressed through vividly candycoloured stock create a truly visceral viewing experience. It's a relentless assault on the senses.

With a stark refusal to cut, and told through only twelve long takes, Vivas' flick is an austere and visceral take on the home invasion trope which has dominated the contemporary horror scene. The simple narrative involving a middleclass family forced to battle a gang of robbers may be paper-thin in character development, but it truly excels in its technical prowess. The lack of montage truly reflects that it's not the story that Vivas seems interested in, but rather the reflection of unadulterated brutality on screen; and whilst the intended verisimilitude falls short courtesy of some baffling character decisions, the film remains a wonderfully tight exercise in nihilism.

Presented as a mix between documentary, fiction and animation, and with a set of special effects so advanced for its period of production, it's no surprise that Häxan is considered the most expensive Scandinavian silent film. It may have won critical acclaim in Scandinavia, but the radical use of nudity saw the film heavily censored around the world. Even through the eyes of a contemporary audience, the surrealism of Benjamin Christensen's visuals are striking and deeply unsettling. Between the clever uses of avant-garde filmmaking techniques, and a selection of genuinely horrifying set pieces, Häxan remains a fascinating exploration of 14th and 15th century witchcraft.

Remakes are never easy to make, particularly when the selected film is barely a decade old, and so it comes as a wonderful surprise that Jim Mickle's version of We Are What We Are manages to take everything which made the original a success and build upon those foundations. Set in the rural deep south, We Are What We Are presents an unashamedly gothic tale of mysterious disappearances and unnerving family traditions. Between the oppressive atmosphere of its rain-soaked locale and the slow, manipulative building of tension, We Are What We Are is a wonderfully restrained horror film in an era where explicit violence is typically found at the forefront.

The Skinny

Sense Cinema

Go Pix Pic

A Horror Diary

Skeletons in the Closet

Everyone has some skeletons in their closets. Some movie stars have literal ones. Others just have weird horror movies buried at the bottom of their IMDb pages. Adam White unearths four of the best-slash-worst... Amy Adams in... Psycho Beach Party (2000)

Bradley Cooper in... Case 39 (2009)

Mila Kunis in... American Psycho 2 (2002)

James McAvoy in... The Pool (2000)

Perennial Oscar nominee Amy Adams didn't have the most illustrious start in Hollywood, replacing Sarah Michelle Gellar in the straightto-video sequel Cruel Intentions 2, and mystically sucking all the fat out of a deer on an early episode of Smallville. But she did also appear in this cult classic, an oddball mash-up of 1960's surfer movies and '90s slasher horror. As popular girl Marvel Ann, Adams evades a serial killer, gets her bikini bottoms torn off in a prank gone awry and partakes in an energetic dance-off on the beach. It's also the one legitimately good movie on this list.

Shot in 2006, when Bradley Cooper was just another TV actor trying to break into film and Renée Zellweger was still making movies and not just making the internet implode, Case 39 is your standard ‘evil little girl’ movie, said ‘evil little girl’ played by the same little girl who always plays evil little girls in things. Cooper is in boring ‘supportive love interest’ mode here, but he does take centre stage in the best scene of the movie, one involving killer hornets exploding from every orifice. Awkwardly, The Hangover Part III is still the most embarrassing project on Cooper’s CV.

I guess Christian Bale is just ‘okay’ in American Psycho. But surely you must have wondered what Jackie from That ‘70s Show could have done with the same part? Luckily for you, this movie was retrofitted in post-production with a prologue sequence in which a young Mila Kunis kills Patrick Bateman (played by Bale’s non-union Mexican equivalent, naturally). Flash forward to Mila’s college years, where she’s obsessed with her criminology professor (William Shatner, of all people) and so eager for an FBI internship that she murders anyone standing in her way. A trash masterpiece.

“Celebrate with death!” cries the DVD cover of this bizarre German slasher movie featuring McAvoy as a Scottish college student attending a pool party with a group of international actors speaking in garbled English. Everything’s fine and dandy until a masked murderer turns up and starts killing everybody. It’s like what would happen if a director remade Scream but drained it of all its wit, charm and decent acting. And made it a lot more German. Even weirder, Isla Fisher plays McAvoy’s ex, who doesn’t even make it to the damn swimming pool before she’s horribly killed. Poor Isla.

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Horoscopes for the Miserable Aries A recent storm killed 25,000 (fish) in the Broads. Whoever had to count all those dead fish had quite the job! And sometimes your life may feel like you’re endlessly counting fish no one gives a flying fuck about, but you know what? Someone does.

Quiz Time! By the Quiz Society’s own Charlie Methven 1. Which island nation in the Pacific is the only country with mainland territory in all four hemispheres? 2. The possibly paranoid Oedipa Maas, the philatelist Genghis Cohen, and the psychiatrist Doctor Hilarius are all characters in which American novel? 3. What did nearly 14 million people see Judith Keppel do on 20th November 2000? 4. Where are the Islands of Calleja? 5. Who tweets from the account @FLOTUS? 6. What short name links characters from some Shakespeare’s second history tetralogy, a 1968 sci-fi epic, and an early-to-late family sitcom of 2000s (that last character later broke bad)? 7. Which word in this sentence would score the highest number of points in a game of Scrabble? 8. Which African nation’s flag has three vertical stripes, which, from left to right, are the colour of a Mile, a Hornet, and a Lantern in the titles of films; of the famous residence foundat 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; and of the little bag sung about by the George Baker

Taurus One in four Norfolk toddlers suffer from tooth decay. Imagine, being born and already your teeth are dying. It’s a bummer, and this month, you’re going to have to learn to deal with - and maybe even enjoy - a lot of bummers. Hopefully tooth decay isn’t one of them.

Gemini

You should really just eat more pizza, when you think about it. Your lucky colour today is pepperoni red.

Cancer Online dating can be a lot of fun.

Leo Mosquitos have killed more human beings than all the wars in history. That might be where the expression, “He’s only human” comes from. When you’re trying to be a warrior in the battlefield that is life, remember: you’re not a mosquito. You’re just a person. Set realistic goals, like waking up .

Sagittarius If Cher could turn back time, she would take back all the words that had hurt you. And then maybe you’d stay. Next time someone breaks up with you (which may happen very soon) remember that the person you are dating is a lot like Cher, and Cher has a lot of regret. Also, it didn’t end so well for Sonny.

Capricorn It’s okay. Remember. Things might be awful, but they’re also okay.

Aquarius Think you’re lonely? There’s a whale that’s been singing for the past 20 years at a wave frequency that no other whales can understand in an attempt to find a mate. But no one can understand him, so that ain’t gonna happen. Does this make you want to cry? It shouldn’t. Because you speak a language other people can understand. So start singing! Sing, sing away, young Aquarius!

Pisces Onionaise is the third CD by the Vegetable Orchestra, an ensemble unique to the world of music committed to the exploration of the accoustic qualities of vegetables. Use this week to play around with your vegetables, and do something you’ve never done before. It might end badly, but it’ll at least be interesting.

Virgo

Selection?

Bonus Competition Find Calvin Goldspink’s name floating on the pages of Venue, be the first person to tweet us the page number @Concrete_UEA, and win a Gold bar! Wow!

In English-speaking countries, salsa refers to a spicy tomato sauce. In Korea, it means diarrhea. Similarly, luls in Dutch means a penis. When you speak this week, try to say what you mean because someone might take your salsa for diarrhea and your lulz for the male genital organ of higher vertebrates.

Libra One out of five operations at West Suffolk Hospital, were carried out on the wrong part of a patient’s body. Whoops! This week, try not to trust even your closest friends, whether it be with important medical operations or being decent people.

Flip and Reveal

Scorpio According to the multiverse theory, everytime we make a decision, we create another universe. So next time you think about making a decision, you might want to decide not to.

5 Michelle Obama

3 Win a million pounds

4 In the brain

2 The Crying of Lot 49

on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire UK

Quiz Time 1 Kiribati

8 Nigeria 7 Which (16)

Lovely Lydia Hearst

6 Hal

Listings 27/10 - 9/11

concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk

Simon McBride + Federal Charm Mon 27 Oct (£14)

Noveller

Thu 30 Nov (£4-5)

Annie Eve “The Sunday ‘91 Tour” + George Cheetham

Martha Wainwright

Jess Glynne + Ekkah

Joanne Shaw Taylor

Dave Giles presented by Upload Live

NME New Breed Tour: Superfood + Honeyblood

Little Comets w/ Gallery Circus + Daisy Victoria

Steve Cropper w/ Animals & Friends

Propaganda

The Orb

Tue 28 Oct (£8)

Wed 29 Oct (£11.50) Thu 30 Oct (£8)

Thu 30 Oct (£11)

Fri 31 Oct (£4-5) (on door)

Meltdown

Sat 1 Nov (£3.50-4.50) (on door)

Fri 31 Oct (£16-18) Sat 1 Nov (£17.50) Tue 4 Nov (£9)

Thu 6 Nov (£20)

Fri 7 Nov (£13-15)

Chali 2na

Sun 9 Nov (£15.50-17.50)

The Blackout w/ Yashin + When We Were Wolves Sun 2 Nov (£13)

Psi Gong + Deviant Amps + The Trolley Men Sun 2 Nov (£10)

Night of the Living Dead w/ Damn Good Resident DJs

Netsky Live w/ Meridian Dan + Kove + I See MONSTAS

Tue 28 Oct (£3.50)

Deviate

Tue 4 Nov (£2-4)

Pam’s Halloween Ball - The Freaks Come Out feat. Seb Fontaine

Wed 5 Nov (£17.50)

Jamie T w/ Slaves

Mon 3 Nov (£14)

Wishbone Ash

Never A Hero w/ Little Red Kings + Enigma Fri 7 Nov (£6)

Propaganda

Fri 7 Nov (£4-5) (on door)

The Damned + Gravedale High Fri 7 Nov (£20)

The Specials

Thu 30 Oct (£40)

Fri 31 Nov (£10-12) Sat 1 Nov (£19.50)

The Halloween A List Sat 1 Nov (£4.50)

1920’s Speakeasy - Dapper Gents and Elegant Ladies w/ Damn Good Resident DJs Tue 4 Nov (£3.50)

more listings at concrete-online.co.uk/events