#305
DECEMBER
JANUARY
THE LAST CARNIVAL
RETURNERS LCR
CASH
WELCOME BACK WEEK
Tuesday 9th
Saturday 10th
(A JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE)
Sunday 11th - Sunday 18th
Thursday 11th
HAYSEED DIXIE
FISH
Sunday 18th
THE MOVEABLE FEAST TOUR
AMON AMARTH
Thursday 11th
+ HUNTRESS + SAVAGE MESSIAH
RUTS DC
+ FREEDOM FACTION
Wednesday 21st
Friday 12th
ENRAGED
RUMBLE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
(A RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE TRIBUTE) + SILENCED BY SHADOWS
Friday 12th
Saturday 24th
A LIST & ALUMNI CLUB
FIRST AID KIT
UK SUBS
PAM’S HOUSE
Sunday 25th
Saturday 13th
Saturday 31st
+ THE MARKSMEN + DOGTOWN REBELS
FEBRUARY
Saturday 13th
POUT AT THE DEVIL
KING CHARLES
+ WALKWAY + THE INTENT
Monday 2nd
Saturday 13th
RAVENEYE FT. OLI BROWN Monday 15th
RIVAL SONS
+ KNUCKLE PUCK + TROPHY EYES + SEAWAY Wednesday 4th
THE KERRANG! TOUR 2015
+ BLUES PILLS Tuesday 16th
FT. DON BROCO + WE ARE THE IN CROWD + BURY TOMORROW
MICHAEL SCHENKER’S TEMPLE OF ROCK
Friday 6th
+ WESTERN SAND
AMBER RUN
Wednesday 17th
Friday 6th
CHINA DRUM
GORGON CITY
+ 4FT FINGERS + SPOT + GRAVEDALE HIGH
Sunday 8th
CROWN THE EMPIRE
Wednesday 17th
THE GAME
+ SET IT OFF + DANGERKIDS + ALIVE LIKE ME
Wednesday 17th
Friday 6th
THE BEAT
LEWIS MURPHY
+ THE RPMS
+ GRANT LEY
Friday 19th
Wednesday 11th
WINTER WONDERLAND XMAS PARTY
LOLA COLT Sunday 15th
Saturday 20th
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
3 DAFT MONKEYS
+ BLACK TUSK + CROBOT
+ LONGSHOREDRIFT + JACK POUT
Wednesday 18th
Saturday 20th
WATERFRONT NYE PARTY Wednesday 31st
NECK DEEP
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN Saturday 21st
GUNS N ROSES EXPERIENCE
FELL OUT BOY
Saturday 21st
UFO
+ BAD TOUCH
ENTER SHIKARI Wednesday 25th
GRANT NICHOLAS Wednesday 25th
CHANTEL MCGREGOR Thursday 26th
3RD ANNUAL NORWICH BLUES FESTIVAL Saturday 28th
101% PANTERA Saturday 28th
MARCH
JUNGLE
+ CLARENCE CLARITY Friday 6th
PAPA ROACH Sunday 8th
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS Tuesday 10th
ANDY C Friday 13th
Saturday 4th
Thursday 16th
TOXIC TWINS
(AN AEROSMITH TRIBUTE) + BLIND TIGER Saturday 19th
SIMPLE MINDS Wednesday 22nd
DUKE SPECIAL Wednesday 22nd
WHILE SHE SLEEPS & CANCER BATS Friday 24th
MAY DOC BROWN Thursday 7th
SKINNY LISTER Friday 8th
8:58
ORBITAL’S PAUL HARTNOLL Thursday 19th
MIKE PETERS
SLEAFORD MODS
WEDNESDAY 13
HEAVEN 17
Friday 13th
Tuesday 17th
EUROPE & BLACK STAR RIDERS + THE AMORETTES Thursday 19th
Thursday 14th
Friday 29th
GET YOUR
TRAGEDY: A METAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEE GEES AND BEYOND Friday 20th
THE ANSWER Monday 23rd
REEF
Friday 27th
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (A JIMMY HENDRIX TRIBUTE) Saturday 28th
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS VS. PIERCE THE VEIL Sunday 29th
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venue
concrete.venue@uea.ac.uk
December 9 / #305
Editors Holly J. McDede and Adam White Art & Design Director Ana Dukakis Cover Art Asia Patel Illustrators Dougie Dodds, Ana Dukakis, Sarah Irving, Saraswati Menon
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 Luke Brett, Ky De Silva, Holly J. McDede, Beth Piggott, Mike Vinti
Contributors Vicki Maitland, Lindsay Stark, Katie Wadsworth
Contributors Phoebe Harper, Holly J. McDede, Ellen Morris
Contributors Georgina Browning, Peter Thorn
gaming + tech 15
television 16-17
film 18-21
fun & listings 22-23
Editor Joe Fitzsimmons
Editor Adam Dawson
Editors Neven Devies and Silvia Rose
Editor Daisy jones
Contributors Joseph Durrant, James Freimuller, Alexander Smith
Contributors Hannah Ford, Adam White
Contributors George Barker, Tom Bedford, Isis Billing, Adam Dawson, Melissa Haggar, Emma Holbrook, Martha Julier, Chris Rogers, Dan Struthers
Editor Daisy Jones Contributors Holly J. McDede, Charlie Methven
Jos
venue . I am so excited for this week’s issue of venue You don’t even know. It’s like this. There’s some Creative Writing to keep you warm, including this sample micro fiction: “The angel on top of the tall building was preening its feathers. It was a silent night, the streets deserted. Perhaps there was no God.” Holy Jesus. Did you read that? Probably. Chills. We also get to meet the Mutually Assured Destructive Collective, also known as M.A.D. They were founded to bring less corny hip hop to the UK, and according to this interview, people are starting to care about hip hop again! It downright makes me want to care about hip
hop, which counts for something. Then, walk inside the Cabinet of Wonders in an article about an awesome eccentrics collection of oddities. This guy has got the skeleton of an 18th century bastard child. It’s even got its death certificate on a pedestal! How cool is that? (I can’t tell the difference between terrifyingly weird and cool anymore). There’s more. An article in Gaming called ‘Lick My Lollipop?’ about Google’s mobile operating system. If you’ve noticed, ‘Lick my Lollipop?’ is written as a question. The open ended nature of this proposition leave the reader with something... to think about.
Like, say, our more subdued Fashion section... which offers tips for picking the best Christmas jumper! And it’s great, because sometimes, one gets really tearjerkingly exhausted of hearing depressing news stories (guns, death, police, rally, help us) and you just want to escape, and read about freakin’ Christmas freakin’ jumpers. Sorry, that ended kind of emotionally. But seriously. Enjoy the fun stuff. Enjoy your holidays. Hohoho. Hoho! Ho. Keep it real, kids, Holly J.
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music concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
YouTube
All Hail YouTube
Beth Piggott takes a look at the power of YouTube Channels and their effect on the underground music scene YouTube first arrived on the web in 2005, and now, nearly ten years later, has announced a new music service that could be set to rival Spotify: Music Key. The rate in which music has moved from our physical CDs and vinyl to our computer screens and streaming apps has been startlingly fast. It is now very much apparent that the current indicator of musical success is less about actual sales and more about the number of views online. The question is: what does this mean for current music? What are the consequences for upand-coming musicians, and how must established artists adapt to maintain success in this evolving musical landscape? It would appear that as a new and/or
“Many from the underground music scene have found commercial achievement through YouTube” unknown act, the world of YouTube is both a dauntingly vast space and an exciting prospect as a tool for self-promotion. Standing alone, it would be easy to get lost in the kaleidoscope of music videos and audio-photo coupled uploads, but the rise of genre-focused YouTube channels has made it a lot easier to be seen and heard by the masses, searching for the next big thing, or to
individuals, browsing for tracks to fit in with their previous interests, or something new and different to expand on their collection. Eton Messy is currently one of the
“How must established artists adapt to maintain success in this evolving musical landscape?” most popular and well known of all these channels. Originally created by student DJs for the sole purpose of sharing the music they loved with friends, Eton Messy’s future Garage-based collection has been growing since its origin in 2011 and helped craft small artists and producers into well-established and celebrated names. Their paring of photography and graphic design images with the Bass/House/Garage vibe (stamped with the Eton Messy logo) are markers of the channel’s innovative attitude towards creating a forerunner in online music promotion, and this use of the ‘audiovisual’ is reflected in comparable channel, Majestic Casual (currently standing tall with over 2 million subscribers). Not only has the channel promoted unknown music to triumph, but has also certainly had a part to play in the growing presence of the garage/deep house sound in commercial
music. Beyond YouTube, Eton Messy has subsequently developed into a large-scale project, ‘Eton Messy Presents’, that tours the UK for sold-out venues and has even found success overseas, including the electronic festival scene with a slot at Croatia’s Outlook, one of the biggest bass festivals for worldwide fans. UKF is another big name in the field, again catering to the electronic area of music. Set up, similarly, by students, UKF is another name that had humble beginnings as a small YouTube channel but has now become a massive platform for aspiring musicians and producers with a collection of genre-based channels under its UKF header: UKF Drum & Bass and UKF Dubstep, to name a couple, with millions of subscriptions each.
“The rise of genre-focused YouTube channels has made it a lot easier to be seen and heard by the masses” Many from the underground music scene have found commercial achievement through YouTube, being granted a wide audience from all over the globe, simply unavailable before its creation. Now, as these are held up on pedestals of success, more
channels are coming out of the shadows with an aim to find a place in the ever growing YouTube channel arena. The Sound You Need, La Belle Musique, SubSoul and Indie Current have followed suit and are hugely subscribed to, proving the use of YouTube as an instrument to music promotion is a positive and advantageous route to take.
“The rate in which music has moved from our physical CD’s and vinyl to our computer screens and streaming apps has been startlingly fast” The underground UK music scene is clearly benefiting, but how does established popular music fare? With Taylor Swift’s recent, infamous retraction of music from Spotify, it would seem there is an anxiety surrounding the publishing of music online. Is there less money to be made when everything can be viewed for free? Surely the benefits of wider audience accessibility makes up for the lack of purchased downloads. It is clear that YouTube will be a continued and progressive vehicle for the contemporary music climate, and artists need to be considering this in their future projects.
music
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concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
Making Use of Our Mammal Hands Holly J. McDede sits down with Norwich Jazz trio to soak up their new album Sponges aren’t mammals, but members of the band Mammal Hands are sort of like musical sponges. But they don’t usually absorb dish sink water. Instead, they absorb all the sounds they dig, and let them slowly and selectively ooze out through their saxophones, pianos, drums, and guitars. Their sound can be described as jazzy, but the result of so much musical consumption is not necessarily Jazz. They call themselves Mammal Hands because they don’t want to call themselves jazz, or swing, or electronic, anything other than mammals who just happen to have hands. Mammal Hands is a fusion of three people who know music, and know how to bend and mix it. Drummer Jesse Barrett brings to the trio his knowledge of Indian Classical music. Saxophonist Jordan Smart channels Pharoah Sanders’ uncaged, free jazz. Pianist Nick Smart has the knowledge of classical, Jazz harmonies.
“Their constantly alert ears come from their years working as DJs”
“Their constantly-alert ears come from years of working as DJs” Their debut album, Animalia, is a combination of all those sounds, and more. The interwoven sax and piano melodies rise, and fall. Sometimes the sound is quiet and contemplative, and sometimes it’s a spiraling frenzy of sound, always held together by the melodic reign of one instrument. As a whole, Mammal Hands is partially an accident and partially intentionally. Nick and Jordan are brothers, so that was somewhat contrived. “We come from a family where we were always listening to music and buying albums,” said Jordan. “When we started playing, it made sense to share the stuff we were into and jam our ideas together,” Nick added. Their constantly-alert ears come from their years working as DJs. Jordan’s constantly alert ear comes from the result of working as a DJ for years with his brother Nick. “I’ve always enjoyed the way that DJ’s are always listening, looking for new music and trying to find tracks that the audience won’t have heard before,” Jordan said. “Anything you take in musically is gong to come out in your own playing.” When they were ready, they took their
Gondwanarecords.com
music to the streets of Norwich, and that’s when Barrett found them. He stopped to listen, and then approached them. “I don’t often approach buskers, but I was looking for like minded people and I could hear an openness and creativity in their playing and felt we might work well together,” said Barret. Approaching musicians can be scary, but it’s worked well for Barrett in the past. That’s how he met gifted percussionist Sirishkumar. “He was playing a gig in my parents house,” said Barrett. “His playing just blew my mind. He offered to teach me then and there. He taught me the nuts and bolts of playing, but I’ve also learnt a lot from him about discipline.” For the most part, they find out what their songs will sound like after they’ve already happened. Jamming is as crucial as note taking. Collaboration is everything.
“We all compose together. I think sometimes it’s really hard to try and separate what we each bring ourselves, especially as we all listen to the same kinds of music,” said Jordan. “Jesse is always saying, ‘What if we tried it this way?’ when we are writing. It will usually bring out something from a tune that’ll take it in a new direction.” Lately, they’ve been listening to a lot of hip-hop and Afro beat. It shows, particularly in the song Inuit Party, Inuit Party breaks down slowly before transforming into chaotic, free style jazz. Bustle is a fast,
“Lately, Nick has been under the influence of the harmonium , and their songs have taken on a North Indian feel”
relentless piano ostinato composed in odd metre. Tiny Crumb is earthy and melodic, and Jordan said, inspired by Alice Coltrane, Pharoh Sanders, and Joe Henderson. After two years of playing in gigs, they decided to put together an album featuring some of the songs they had written. Enter Animalia. “The goal for us was to…capture as much interaction and live energy as possible,” said Barrett. Lately, Nick has been under the influence of the harmonium, and their songs have taken on a North Indian feel. The soprano saxophone has taken over, and the flute has snuck in. Their ears are on the alert for new sounds to consume, and then release. Mammal Hands is currently on tour, and will be performing in Halesworth, in Suffolk, on 23 January and in London 24 January. For tour details, check out http:// mammalhands.com/#!live.
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music concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
Follow the e-Leader
Luke Brett & Ky De Silva take a look at SoundCloud and the unknown artists of the UK House scene Intimidating basslines. Sweaty raves. Sticky floors. Flashing lights. UK House is a genre sweeping the nation. Born through the traditional American-style known as Chicago House, the genre has seen a massive resurgence across the UK in the last three to four years. This UK-centric genre is
heavier, deeper, and meatier than traditional house music. It’s hard-hitting. It’s filthy. It’s powerful. Of course, due to this level of bodycrunching insanity, the genre hasn’t quite broken into the mainstream consciousness yet; many of the scene’s dirtiest drops are still relatively unknown, unsigned, and ready to be
discovered. SoundCloud, the Berlin-based musichosting site, is one of the central hubs on which these unsigned House musicians can be found. Not only has its use increased in popularity, there has been a surge in consumers looking for unqiue and interesting sounds. Poeple
are instinctively inquisitive and this doesn’t stop with music. Soundcloud has become something of a musical playgroud for everyone to explore. We’ve scoured through the heftiest drops to find four tracks that we think are worth a listen right now, to prepare you for the oncoming darkness of the UK House scene.
Hannah Wants & Chris Lorenzo Confess to Me (Remix) A collaboration between two titans of the scene, this heavy remix of Disclosure is powerful enough to bring even the most dedicated House enthusiast to their knees. Hannah Wants and Chris Lorenzo have teamed up to bring about a beat that’s as sexy as it is inhuman. As you listen on, the inescapability
of the bassline becomes clear; it haunts you constantly, determined to grind your bones into dust… in a dark and romantic sort of way. This tune is so hot, it’ll condense against your windows and cling to your curtains. It’s the perfect soundtrack to anyone’s steady descent into madness.
Black Butter
Woz Love More Worry Less (Remix) Bristol-born and based, Ashely ‘Woz’ Westlake is one of the artists signed by Black Butter Records, a label found in the heart of the London bass scene. Naturally, this track is particularly fresh, both in style and substance. Woz’s remix of Bipolar Sunshine retains the
Pop-like harmony of the original, tempting the listener into a false sense of security before hammering home with an incredibly tribal and minimalistic beat. Undeniably raw and peppy, it’s the perfect way to start any day of the week.
Sosoothe
Cause & Affect Stampede This track wastes no time on deep, spacey introductions and instead opts to dive almost straight into one of the filthiest drops on our list. Another of Chris Lorenzo’s collaborations, this track is whip-crack fast, with an actual whip-cracking sound effect buried deep in the grease and grime of the bassline. We won’t lie to you; listening to this track at any kind of high volume just isn’t pleasant. It grates you. It’s invasive. Be warned; listen to Stampede and you will wake up hours later in an abandoned East London warehouse, inexplicably covered in paint with the grit of the West Midlands lining your nails.
The Music
My Nu Leng Knowing Knowing Another Black Butter artist hailing from Bristol, My Nu Leng are a duo whose sound is sparse, fragmented, and undeniably aggressive. This track begins ominously; subtle voices and robotic fragments fill the room. While this may suggest that something serious is coming, nothing could prepare you for the intensity of the beat; when it arrives, it does so with demonic intensity, refusing to back down or even ease the pressure slightly. The bass is harsh, imposing, and unrelenting. It’s so addictive; you’ll be cutting shapes long before you reach the dance floor.
Black Butter
music
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concrete.music@uea.ac.uk
Going
Music editor Mike Vinti chats to Felix Clarke and Thom White, founders of Norwich’s M.A.D Collective What is the M.A.D Collective? Felix: We’re the Mutually Assured Destruction Collective, based on the Cold War principle, so we use a lot of Cold War imagery in the nights.
Thom: It’s flat peaks, ninety per cent male, high seventeen year olds, just not a scene we wanted to go for. Felix: We wanted it to be a bit progressive and a bit arty with it. Thom: We have like 50-50 male and female, which is rare for hip hop and I think that’s to do with the music we play. It’s not all tear out aggressive hip hop and grime. On the grime note, there’s a kind of reemergence at the moment, do you reckon this will play into your nights? Felix: Ahh, the grime renaissance, we were talking about this other day. When I was doing my GCSEs I loved grime. We’re going to be a UK hip hop label, so we want to represent that side of things. Thom: We’re planning to put out a grime EP in the next six months.
The M.A.D Collective
Who’s in the collective? Thom: I guess it extends beyond the people who just put on the night, we have Moses who’s an artist who does visuals for the nights and James who’s our designer. And obviously myself and Felix, but we’re in the process of putting an EP together which could feature over ten artists. Felix: We’re moving towards a record label so it’ll be a roster in that sense, but there’s no really defined borders. Anyone who’s ever DJ’d for us, anyone who’s done some art for us, they’re all part of this loose collective. When did you start? Thom: My birthday, January 17th. A friend of mine, sick of me whining on about the state of Norwich’s nightlife asked, ‘Why don’t you do it yourself?’ Eventually we did and luckily we got a good reception for it. Where there any nights you took inspiration from in setting up M.A.D? Felix: There were nights we liked but I guess the thing we were most conscious of is that UK hip hop can be very corny and we just wanted to avoid that.
You mentioned the Cold War imagery, is that political aspect something you feel is important to the nights? Felix: I like that it’s got a little agenda to it. We’re both liberal guys. Thom: (laughing) Or lefter. It gives us a lot of imagery to play with, The graphic design is really strong. Thom: That’s really testament to our graphic designer, James Ratcliffe, who also runs a night called Shapes in Bristol. He’s a great designer but given what he has to work with he’d be an idiot not to create something nice. Felix: It’s good because we can have a political undercurrent we can tap into and gives us some kind of theme for nights. Felix, does the political side of things play into your work as Paper Plates? Felix: In my previous music, I always resisted that because being preached at pisses me off. I respected political rappers for their stance, like Akala, but it just sounded corny when I did it. It’s more social commentary than political. If Thom and me do something I know it’ll be political.
Do you reckon you have some kind of regular crowd now? Felix: We’ve got a lovely bunch of supporters. There are people who have been to see us every night. Thom: People we don’t know as well. The Boat Party was a real eye opener, I only knew about a third of the people on there. Felix: Yeah, same here, which means people bought tickets and just jumped on a boat with us for a few hours. What do you think of the Norwich scene in general? You’ve got groups like Deftex and Boom-Bap festival all based locally. Felix: People are starting to care about hip hop again, which is nice for us. Def Tex are good old boys man, one of them came to one of our trip hop nights and he’s such a legend. There’s videos of IllInspired rapping when’s he’s like eight years old and he’s fucking killing it. Thom: Considering there’s not that many hip hop nights, there’s a lot of appreciation for hip hop. Wordplay magazine is based here. It’s mainy from the locals but I think we’ve helped shelter a scene with UEA students that might not have gone to hip hop nights. Outside of hip hop, is there anyone locally you think is doing something interesting? Thom: Kieran Harper, he’s a menswear designer. Felix: Kind of bespoke. If you tell him you want say a saddle bag to go halfway up a mountain he’ll tell you what you need and he’ll make it. Thom: Musically I think now with 808 gone and POW! gone there is a gap in the scene. I mean Norwich’s greatest shame is that it doesn’t have a good nightclub and I think if there was one, with a nice space and late licensing then are people that could do it justice.
Thom: We want to use less conventional venues, anywhere we can get a temporary events license, be it industrial space, on old building in town, anything we can get our hands on. Obviously you’ve got your ear to the ground. Are their any up and coming artists you want to big up? Thom: I think it’s worth keeping an ear out for Mr Keys’ album, that’s gonna be huge, he raps with S.M.B, Dirty Dyke, Edward Scissortongue, Jam Bazter, that whole High Focus lot. Obviously Mowgli, we’re very proud of booking, he’s managed to do something not even the U.S. has. Felix: He’s got his own sound without catting it from anybody. We’ve gotta shout out Lee Scott. Lee Scott is this Scouse guy and he makes dark, cult shit. He’s on Blah Records. Album of The Year? Felix: Oh damn, I should thought about this, what came out this year? I’ve been listening to a lot of Erica Badu. Thom: Jambaxter’s album came out last week and its huge. What are your plans for the future? Thom: Getting it out to other cities, we’re looking at getting set up in Bristol, London, and Brighton. We’ve got a venue lined up in Bristol some of our mates are doing up as cooperative which is perfect.
It is a shame that the more interesting nights have to use small venues that close early. Felix: It’s a thing for us when we want to book larger artists; we’re not sure where we could hold it.
Black Butter
fashion
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concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk
Best Dressed at UEA Recognise anyone? Tweet us @conc_fashion
Christmas Jumper Chaos Vicki Maitland offers her tips on tackling Christmas jumpers
One week into December and, with less than a week of term to go, we are well and truly in the festive season. Tinsel, fairy lights and mince pies are all well and good, but what is more festive than the good old fashioned Christmas jumper? Whether you are a fan of the-tackier-the-better or prefer a more conservative nod towards the season of good will, there is a Christmas jumper out there for you.
The Santa For people who like to show a bit of Christmas love, this is the perfect jumper. Whether it’s emblazoned with Old Saint Nick’s rosy cheeks, Rudolph’s shining nose or a snowman in his scarf, you can guarantee this will be sequinned, glittered and pom-pom-ed to the max. This is another jumper that speaks for itself, so wear with neutral toned jeans, boots and coat. Showing a hint of a crisp white collar is a great way to smarten up this look.
The ‘So-Tacky-It’s-Trendy’
Alex Edge First Year - Geography & Int. Dev
For confident Christmas enthusiasts this is a winter must have. Anything that plays a song or lights up when you press a button falls under this category, and should be worn with care. Finish your look with classic pair of black or navy jeans, ankle boots and a wool coat in a deep grey. With a jumper this loud, you can let it do all the talking, and matching it with darker items will really make the colours pop. Primark have a huge range of these jumpers in at the moment so you can get into the Christmas spirit without breaking the bank.
The Slogan
OOTD Magazine
Slightly subtler than ‘The Santa’, you need to read this jumper to see its full Christmas potential. Lyrics to classic Christmas songs, hilarious elf-based puns (who’s taking an #elfie this Christmas?) and everything in between can
be found written across these jumpers. Pair this with ripped jeans, biker boots and bobble hat.
The Winter Animal Over Christmas, robins, polar bears and penguins tend to find their way onto our jumpers. Whilst not strictly Christmas-related, these jumpers give a cheeky wink towards the holiday season. These types of jumper tend to come on a sweater fabric rather than a wool, so you can cover yourself with knitted accessories without looking like a giant ball of wool! A mid-length black skirt and a faux fur headband would look great with this. If you’re a little more on the daring side, pleather trousers or skirts would contrast well with the cuteness and fluff of the jumper.
The Fairisle A Christmas classic, this is one of our most conservative looks for the holiday season. Reindeers and snowflakes can be smuggled onto this jumper, and with its nod towards our Scandinavian friends this jumper can be worn all through the winter months. You can wear this with a skort and woollen tights (or corduroy trousers for that stylish Geography teacher look). Christmas knitwear doesn’t only come in jumper form; this print can be found on leggings and skirts – although we wouldn’t recommend wearing them all at once!
All I Want For Christmas... Katie Wadsworth tells us what’s at the top of her list this festive season Sylar First Year - Media
Alfie First Year - History Photography Leah Omonya
As all the carols will tell you, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! And that’s not just because for most of us Christmas signals the end of deadlines and the momentary lull before next term commences… but we’ll ignore that for now. Now of course we know that the best gift is giving, but it is also nice to receive too so I’ve compiled a wish list of five things I want under my Christmas tree this year. So take a coffee break from those essays and indulge in a little Christmas joy. Cosmetics are always a must as I don’t think you can ever have too many lotions and potions. A personal favourite of mine is No7 Pampering Dry Skin Oil Body Spray (200ml £7.50). This is no humble body moisturiser, it contains sumptuous softening Almond oil and nourishing Vitamin E which smooths and hydrates your tired skin, repairing the damage of the harsh winter winds. And if that wasn’t enough, it is scented with delicate notes of Vanilla and White Florals which leave your skin simply irresistible. Next up is perfume. Everyone needs a signature scent and Calvin Klein CK one Eau de Toilette (200ml £26.99) has clean bright notes which make it a fantastic everyday fragrance. CK one is classed as a unisex fragrance so you could find it in either the men’s or women’s fragrance section if you can’t immediately see it (I had to hunt). By everyday
fragrance, I don’t mean to make it sounds any less desirable, only that it can literally be worn everywhere and you aren’t going to suffocate anyone with too strong a fragrance. Everyone wants to smell fresh but there’s nothing worse than being smothered by someone wearing too much scent, so be warned. But you’re sure to smell fresh as a daisy all day long in this wonderful perfume.
Clockwise Right Boots, Fragrance/Outlet, Shop-Style
Okay, so we have to face facts now. Consuming vast quantities of roast potatoes and an obscene amount of chocolate is not going to do our health any good, but fear not, you can still enjoy your mince pies in the knowledge that the UP fitness tracker by Jawbone (£39) is sitting under your Christmas
tree to help you get back to health in the New Year. Fitness trackers have increased in popularity in recent years and it’s no surprise why, they act like that little voice in your head nagging you to walk to uni instead of getting the bus or making you go to the gym rather than hibernating in front of the telly because it’s cold and dark outside! The Jawbone has lots of great functions which track your steps, distance and calories, as well as monitoring sleep quality. It features a rechargeable battery and can be synched with other fitness apps for even more workout information. And best of all, it comes in several colours so you can still coordinate! What could be better than that? Now for a few little stocking fillers that are sure to make you smile come Christmas morning. First in is Soap & Glory™ Supercat™ Eyeliner Pen in Carbon Black Extreme (£6) for eyeliner addicts like me who can’t go without signature 60s flicks, this pen is a must. Super easy to use with a nib like a felt tip simply draw on and go and no smudging! Next up are the adorable Topshop Digital Penguin Toe Ankle Socks (£3.50). We’ve all seen the advert, and these penguin socks are sure to raise a smile on the coldest of January mornings. And one more for good measure: Accessorise Enamel Heart Stacking Set (£6). Add a pop of colour into your life with these fab rings which are 100% kitsch but we love them anyway!
fashion
09
concrete.fashion@uea.ac.uk
Photography Hugo Douglas-Deane
Model and Stylist Imy Orchard
All That Glitters Lindsay Stark shows us how to sparkle this festive season As we approach the festive season, it means one thing; parties, parties and more parties! From work festivities to Christmas Eve drinks to New Year shenanigans, the holiday season is the perfect time to inject some glitz into your life. You only have to glance at the high street to see that sequins and sparkles are huge this season. From dresses to hot-pants to heels, sequins are adorning absolutely everything and the good news is they’re surprisingly easy to wear. If sequins aren’t really your thing, metallics and glitter are just as easy to incorporate into your wardrobe through accessories and make-up. Dresses are probably the easiest way of featuring sequins in your wardrobe this winter, and they are available absolutely everywhere. New Look have some beautiful pieces this season, in a wide range of colours, allowing you to put your own stamp on the trend. They have every colour you could
dream of, including olive green, Barbie pink and post-box red. Turquoise coloured sequins are incredibly popular at the moment, creating a cute mermaid effect in the light. However, if colour isn’t your thing and you prefer a more traditional look, then gold, silver or black sequins look just as fabulous and are much more versatile.
“Sequin dresses are a huge statement, so keep it simple when it comes to accessories” Sequinned cami tops and tees are a great, understated way of sprinkling some Christmas sparkle onto your outfits this year. If you’re not a fan of the all over sequin look, beading is also popular on camis and still looks equally as glamorous. Topshop nail this trend with a black sequin t-shirt that would work just as well with jeans and a pair
of ankle boots for a lecture, or with a pair of leather trousers or shorts for a night out – mixing textures is huge this season. The best thing about sequin tops is that they can be dressed up or down, depending on what you feel comfortable with. If you’re unsure about statement sequin pieces then accessories are the way to go. They ensure you look on trend and stylish without looking OTT. Sequin heels are extremely popular at the moment, and they look fab with added embellishments – something that is really easy to replicate yourself with some fabric glue and crystals; perfect if you’re trying to save money! Clutch bags and jewellery are also an easy way of updating your wardrobe without spending too much; just remember to stick to a plain outfit if you’re going all out with bold jewellery or a sequin bag. Sequin brogues are a cool way of injecting some sparkle into
your daily wardrobe, as are cross-body bags, and statement necklaces.
“There really is something for everyone when it comes to sequins and sparkle” Glitter and metallic pieces are an even easier way to add some glamour into your lives this Christmas, with a huge range of choices available. Jumpsuits, dresses, jumpers and trousers all look super stylish in metallic hues, especially in gold and silver. These trends have also made their way into the beauty world this season; glittery eye shadow is the perfect way to update your look without having to buy anything new, and glitter nail polish always goes down well at this time of year. There are so many ways to rock the sequins over the festive season this year, so pick your favourite and go for it.
arts
10
concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk
The Sickness of Collecting: Inside Viktor Wynd’s Cabinet of Wonders Phoebe Harper deconstructs the world of Norfolk based artist and collector Viktor Wynd Viktor Wynd’s Cabinet of Wonders works on the level of a glorious picture book littered with fascinating glimpses into this lonely eccentric’s extraordinary lifestyle. The book, although a relentless visual feast, gives a real insight into the sufferings of an eternal aesthete and the sickness of collecting, a seemingly interminable addiction (I would perhaps propose a modest stamp album as methadone). When I asked Wynd if he might ever stop collecting, he responded that he is a “contented invalid - it is my sickness, I enjoy it, death will end it, nothing else. If I’m poor I’ll collect stones and shells I find on the beach, if I’m rich houses and paintings. The need to acquire and possess will never go away. But I am nothing if not inconsistent, and who knows one day I may say enough is enough, but I doubt it”. For Wynd, collecting is the ultimate means to distract from the mundane reality of the irksome everyday. He seems to have this art perfected. He’s really not a character you can imagine sifting through insurance policies or popping down to the Co-op for his Marybelle. I questioned what it was about life exactly that gave him the need to use his collection as a barrier, to which he answered, “I don’t know where to start and if I started where I’d stop...I’ve never understood life, I’ve always
Oskar Proctor
Oskar Proctor
“I am a contented invalid - it is my sickness. Death will end it - nothing else” seemed like a stranger looking in, I’ve never had a purpose or a reason, my mind is always working, my eyes are always busy, I like to surround myself with beauty and narratives”. Wynd’s zeal for the historical and unusual flourished after a childhood of exploration in Paris and then reading History at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. This then led to a life of collecting, culminating in his Hackney museum/shop, Viktor Wynd’s Little Shop of Horrors. Cabinet of Wonders includes a deliciously personal insight into the collector’s private Hackney home, ‘Fantasy Wyndworld’, his shop, and the inspirational and outrageous houses of his friends and clients. There are times when our bohemian author seems an absolute pompous so and so, as he deigns to invite us, ‘Gentle reader’ into the bizarre but fantastic world of Wynd. With a master-maid relationship scarily reminiscent of Holmes and Hudson and a collection worth more than a pretty penny, the reader conjures an image of a slightly jaded upper middle class bloke with more money than sense and lavish tendencies, all sprinkled with a hint of the undeserving. For example, in a plastic bag somewhere on the floor of his chaotic study lie the feathers of eight different breeds of extinct bird, which he was once dying to
own but admittedly now doesn’t care about. An ornithologist’s wet dream is just Wynd’s discarded plastic bag which he bought because he could. I asked him if he ever felt a lack of selfentitlement to such objects: “I’m an anarch in a Jungerian sense, I have no answers for political problems, and if I shouldn’t have it who should? I’m not a huge fan of museums that store 99% of their objects out of the public eye - languishing in museum captivity - besides, my collection is open to the world both in my museum and in frequent loans to institutions like the Tate Gallery, Kelvingrove & others abroad”. In spite of this, in today’s society Wynd is a figure that should be truly cherished. Few contain that same exciting train of thought and tendency towards the irregular, blissfully ignorant of fashions and not giving a flying fart about opinions and the media (Wynd absolutely refuses to own a television and if you do he
urges you to destroy it as quickly as possible). When opening his first public museum/ shop, Viktor Wynd’s Little Shop of Horrors, with the endearingly simple business plan built on, ‘1. Try not to lose too much money’, Wynd became overwhelmed by the success of it and was soon harbouring a collection almost too astonishing to handle, such were the funds and sponsorships. Soon, his modest Hackney premises enshrined the likes of Napoleon’s death mask and the mummified erect willy of a hanged man that once belonged to Oscar Wilde. The shop today holds such marvels as the abandoned condoms and Viagra left by the Stones in a hotel room, alongside the signed and dated testimony of the cleaner swearing to their authenticity. The collection exemplifies diversity, as shrunken heads, extensive amounts of taxidermy and every skeleton under the sun mingle among the likes of Wynd’s own artwork
and a jar containing the faeces of Wino (may she rest in peace) which is going for a modest fiver a sniff or 120 quid for the whole lot. However, there are times when Wynd’s arcane menagerie borders on the downright perverse, no matter how bohemian or eccentric you think yourself to be. In the boot of his Jag XK8 in amongst the Hunters and dirtied plaids lies the fully intact skeleton of an 18th century bastard child with its attached death certificate on a pedestal. Is this even legal? The book itself is perfect: size, weight, smell, gorgeous design, the full monty, and whether through shock, amusement or disgust it refuses to be parted from your hands. Having read this I just want to crawl into Wynd’s mind and have a good rummage; the same can be said for his wardrobe and covetous array of cowboy boots - obviously I tried my luck and asked for a pair to which I got the reply, “I adore cowboy boots, my favourites I bought in New York in the 1990s - they’re made of crocodile tails, for the first couple of years in order to take them off my room mate and I would spend over an hour yanking and pulling. “But to be beautiful one has to suffer. I’ve got an old pair where the heels have fallen off and I’m tempted to give them to you, but they have too many memories, too much a part of me”. Close. So close. Wynd says he wants to take his audience (whether that be of his museum, his personal collection or of his book) on a journey, as he leads them up and down the garden path whilst whispering in their ears. Well, hats off. His whispers have only encouraged my already too prominent tendencies to invest in the weird and wonderful. If only the SLC catered for such indulgence.
arts
11
concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk
Flipping Skateboards, Flipping Maps Holly J. McDede takes a look at a new kind of emotional geography
When Northumbria University geographers Jon Swords and Michael Jeffries heard that the Norwich City Council was set to vote on a skateboard ban in the City Centre, they knew they had to head back home to Norwich. Skateboarding and geography might seem unrelated, but a skateboarder’s mind can work in similar patterns. That’s what the geography duos discovered after they asked skateboarders in Newcastle to map their worlds. “A lot of skaters seem to see the world in a very particular way. They’re always on the lookout for shapes, sites, curves, jumps. They seem to have a very tuned in, 3-D vision,” Jeffries said. “They’ve got this sort of magical, architectural eye, and I rather like that.” Then he and Swords heard about the potential Norwich skateboard ban. The ban itself was the result of accusations that the skateboarders were
skating on the Memorial Gardens and War Memorial. “We read the things online and we thought, ‘This is just silly.’” Swords said. “So the university has given us a bit of money to come to the city and do this kind of work and show them that they’re not all bad”. So they asked Norwich’s skateboarders to map the Norwich skate scene. The result is not complete yet, but so far they’ve got cartoons, impressive sketches, doodled maps, and text about skateboarding. Many of the messages in the map plead for a little bit of respect. One of the images depicts a big eared, moustached man declaring, “Tosh!” That’s a reference to a Mike Sands, who accidentally sent an email to a skateboarder behind the Long Live Southbank skateboarding campaign that called his campaign message “tosh.” Other doodles are less artfully passive aggressive, and more chipper, as only stick figures can be. One reads,
“Lots of different people making friends all ages all backgrounds exploring and creating.” It doesn’t look like your typical map. It’s psycho geography. “Psycho geography is a more personal, reflective response to spaces,” Swords said. “It’s more of an emotional, personal feel rather than just seeing the city as a vehicle for commerce and consumerism.” Gawain Thomas Godwin is a skateboarder who contributed to the map. He sees skateboarding itself as an art. “It’s not really a sport. It’s about aesthetics and what looks good,” Godwin said. “But to skateboard you need really ugly towns. Norwich has got really beautiful buildings and cobbled streets. But people persist. Skateboarding is about endeavour and trying hard. It’s the challenge.” Some of the skateboarder’s favourite places were not included, because (sorry) they’re a secret. But many did note Eaton Park Skatepark, a park built by the council in 2010. Other skateboarders prefer to build their own ramps , either out of
wood or out of the world around them. “That’s the thing with skateboarding. It’s a street sport,” Godwin said. In the end, the Council voted to ditch the skateboard ban. Instead, they voted on a consultation on new powers aimed at stopping anti-social behaviour by issuing £100 fines. But skateboarders have other places in mind for skating than outside City Hall, anyway. They’re more creative than that. To check out the anonymous illustrations, check out Norwich Skate scene map on bassarids’ Flickr. To learn more about the Norwich Skateboarding World, find them on Facebook at Norwich Skateboarding.
Meet My Artist: Van Gogh Ellen Morris describes her first encounter with the renowned artist Most people think of Vincent Van Gogh as the strongly to me - firstly because you don’t have to be a stereotypical tortured artist - the guy who cut off his world renowned art critic to link the idea of ‘resting’ own ear. He’s a popular figure in art, but to anyone to the prominent bed in The Bedroom. Secondly, not doing an art history or an art degree, this doesn’t because I was beginning to understand what Van really mean anything. The only thing we know is Gogh’s artwork was really about: his paintings that he must have been a pretty good artist, because reflected his feelings. You can sympathise with the he’s famous. artist, and build up a connection with the painting. What originally interested me about Van The painting itself then becomes important to you. Gogh’s artwork was its simplicity. Unlike Picasso, With this revelation I looked up more of Van whose strangely shaped figures I find confusing Gogh’s work, and inevitably came across Starry and unrealistic, Van Gogh gave me paintings of Night of 1889. At first glance the scene looks scenes I could actually relate to. In his 1888 canvas dazzling, but the more you look at it, the more Café Terrace at Night, there was something very unsettled it seems. exciting and vibrant about the colours he’d used The majority of the painting uses curves it made me reminisce the evenings of some of my instead of straight lines, and the effect is continental holidays. In contrast, his 1889 canvas, The Bedroom, had a calm, nostalgic feel about it. The colours were plain and simple, and there was very little shadowing. Van Gogh wrote of the piece: “looking at the picture ought to rest the brain, or rather, the imagination”. This quote spoke very Art.co.uk
surreal. This is partly because, instead of imitating scenes as he had done in previous works, Van Gogh painted Starry Night from memory. It is also partly because it shows Van Gogh’s inner turmoil. Yes, I know, I’m doing that arty thing where you read too much into a picture that is just supposed to look pretty. But hear me out. The sky is painted with curves and swirls. It is anything but peaceful. It reminded me of an upset stomach. And then you realise, that’s what Van Gogh was feeling. Maybe he had a spicy curry the night before, I don’t know. What I do know is, for the first time I can understand where the art critics are coming from. There is definitely some inner turmoil going on
in that picture. Van Gogh has opened up to me a whole world of art and its criticism that used to be an exclusive club. That said, if you don’t have the slightest interest in art analysis, I would still advise you to look him up. The paintings, minus the analysis, are still incredible.
12 “Wel bycommes such craft upon Cristmasse, / Laykyng of enterludes, to laghe and to syng” - Anonymous, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight What? You expected me to quote ‘winter is coming’ up there? Tough luck, I’m afraid. Game of Thrones isn’t really my thing, and besides, I’m already knee-deep in an essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
creative
concrete.creative
Microfictions
Submit your own to @miniaturestory on Twitter The angel on top of the tall building was preening its feathers. It was a silent night, the streets deserted. Perhaps there was no God.
I’m sorry. That outburst wasn’t very festive. But what is? When I sent out a content call on the theme of winter, did writers respond with the sentiment that spirits are joyous when the nights close in, or did they explore the dark and the cold? Put your gloves and scarf on and see for yourself... - Jake Reynolds
A Handprint Hovers Georgina Browning
The steam rises, stroking the pane, not with tendrils because it is one continuous ascending stream of cloud. It catches my attention, away, to glance outside. The cobbles shine under fluorescent orange. A familiar image. But the church door across the street is under a stone arch wreathed with floating red lights that in reality are in here with us. The archway creates a gaping hole. It’s archaic out there and what makes it so much more is that it is fading. Not slowly but being rapidly devoured. The fog we make with our breath jealously clamours to conceal the outside world, perhaps the reality. It is cold, there is a slight draft curling around my lower back, it makes me afraid of the weeks to come. I can feel the warm glow across from me that you are sitting in; perhaps it is because you have always been warmer than me. I clutch my glass a little harder. There is a chip on the rim, and it looks like a bite mark, the wound stained dark with lipstick. I turn my head once more back to the Dickensian picture but two men appear in the frame, spoiling the scene. They glance in and I can see - the fog hasn’t yet reached the height to cover their heads - that they pause to look at me. Hands in their pockets safe from the cold and the bemused faces frozen like masks, they stand stock-still. Until, out of the trance, they become animated, just before the mist climbs to veil my eyes. I see them walk on, shaking the water from their ears and eyes. I only notice because you never do. I only started taking notes when I met you. The mist has reached its peak, and now we sit behind frosted glass in a cloud, hidden from outside. The opaque glass has flaws, though: smears and scratches and even hairs that float on the membrane from the people who were in my seat. A handprint hovers. The fingerprints swirl in their intricate design and I can see the lines on the palm and read its fortune. I could write my name over and over again, until every space is made clear with the charm, and the word is emblazoned on all our minds, until the water drips and slides down my index finger into my palm, soaking my lifeline. You wouldn’t notice and I won’t because there is already a name made livid by the white, dragged into existence, breaking the cloud and turned to gold on the glass. I have never loved and you have never asked.
Ana Dukakis
13
e writing
vewriting@uea.ac.uk
Winter, She Came Peter Thorn
The froth on the head of my beer is the colour of new salt, so I swill it around with the rest of the murk until it turns tepid brown, throw my head back and drink it. To hell with this tired old neck; it creaks and cracks any damn time I look up. “Shit, Bill. You want to get that looked at,” says Johnny, so he’s clearly heard the crackle. “Them bones is popping about like fireworks on 4th July.” He rolls up a half-assed paper smoke between two leathery yellow fingers. Christ, how’d we get to looking so old? “Go fuck yourself,” I tell him affectionately, “and ask about getting some hot water about those pipes while you’re at it. New management ain’t shit.” He laughs. “Cold is good, Bill, haven’t you heard? Keeps the customers sober for longer.” We’ve been coming here for near-on fifty years, Johnny and I, ever since we were young bloods ourselves, in fact. Okie’s bar is the rock upon which our contained little lives are poised, up in cold Colorado where the air cuts through your lungs like a knife drawing blood. It’s a shack, but a good one. One plan, oak-timber, but there’s a roaring fire and cheap beer you can drink there in the winter without feeling over-burdened by modernity. There’s been a change in climate recently though, what with the new resort. You get these spoilt little bastards roaring in from all round to drink and lock limbs and generally make a nuisance of themselves. When the last of our lot wither and die out here, Okies won’t cut it as a local, but there’s something too ingrown about it to make it another tourist spot. In short, it dies with us. “Don’t get any young bloods around here, Johnboy,” I tell him. “All in good time, Bill,” Johnny sighs. He licks the edge of the smoke with a tongue pink and deft and wet as a young man’s. “You watch. Soon as we hit the winter season, those kids will be stormin’ just about any dive they can find, so long as it sends ‘em reeling.” I snort. “They ain’t comin’ here. This place is for the nearly-dead or surely dying. Been that way since we all started going sour, you me and Hank.” “You think we went curdled, eh?” Johnny chuckles. “I always thought we was a bunch of lemons to begin with.” “Maybe you’re right, but we had fewer years to stew over.” I take another slug, swilling that rank taste around in my mouth. Soon, it’ll fall down my tired old guts and sit heavy in my stomach. That’s an Okie’s specialty right there, near-instant gut rot. The snows are picking up again outside, coating that broad long street downtown in thick white. If I think back far enough, I can see myself playing out in there.
Making snowballs with Hank or turning the slush yellow with Johnny, anything to brighten things up. “Pee makes it brighter, Bill,” he’d grin, clutching at his dick with both hands to stop the cold mountain wind from tearing it off. Snow like this you can lose yourself in; I remember after finishing my senior prom, I took my date down this very road, our fine things wrapped under warm furs and heavy boots. We found this big warm drift out in the dell near my father’s house, we built ourselves a cocoon in all this same white clean snow. When we got close, I could smell the cheap toilet water she’d splashed about her fresh in her hair and hanging heavy on her neck and I loved it, loved moving with her like that. I saw my son walk out in small shoes in snow like this, and when the shoes got bigger, and he moved away, it seemed like the imprints they made were as solid and definite as rock, and might last forever. There was snow like this in the days that followed Hank’s funeral, but it was gray, it was all gray and I don’t or won’t remember it too much. Each winter I see a new fall of snow and I wonder if it has memory, if it can see the footprints I’ve left and those I love have left for every step of this life. Old, wrinkled and tough as a root, I keep scanning the blank surface for something I might recognise, my son’s baby wellington, and the imprint of Daphne’s fur coat. But these are all just memories washed away in the thaw, and those times are only alive now in the heads of misers and sentimentalists like me. I’m broken from my reverie by Johnny. “We got more company, Bill. Guess you were right after all, ain’t that a bitch.” We watch as they crowd through the door, smooth fleshy skin ruddy with the unaccustomed sting of the climate, men and women in loud coats to match their voices. Dollar bills are slapped against the counter with the kind of assumption which makes even Clancy behind the bar wrinkle his nose a little. After they’ve got their drinks (we get a few sniggers as they pass, mountain-goat white trash that we are to them) they retreat to the corner nearest the fire, and strike up on some new and vapid thing to chew over. “Damned if that’s right,” I curse. “They’ve no idea. Every one of them, they’ve never earned anything by blood or strength under their hand. Hank wouldn’t have taken it.” “Well then neither will we.” Johnny holds his hands up in resignation. “I was thinking of turning in early tonight anyway. Fancy coming back with me to the shack? I’ve got something in the medicine cabinet, we’ll lick our wounds.” We step out into the clear and our feet break through the crust, damp and firm like they used to, the tracks of two old men cutting anew out against the dark vast November night.
Sarah Irving
Quick-Fire Questions... ...with Peter Thorn Is it the most wonderful time of the year? It’s a time of the year I’d like to be wonderful. Would you rather be hot or cold? Cold, there’s no room for knitwear in the heat. What is your favourite story set in winter? Filth. ‘Winter is coming.’ True or false? There’s no denying it. And we will be the pen in the darkness. What’s the best thing about winter? The intense fever dreams. What’s the worst thing about winter? Having to spend most of the time indoors. Is this a recent piece? Yes, I wrote it not two days ago to take my mind off this intense cold. Yah Funbug or Bah Humbug? Funbug. I don’t like hard-boiled candy. Is snow overrated? No way! The more snow the better. Do you prefer to write in summer or winter? Winter. You’re compelled to stay indoors, and even if you’re outside there are no insects biting you.
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270mm x 165mm Freshers 10_EISIH308 0814.indd 1
11/08/2014 11:44:34
gaming + tech
15
concrete.gamingtech@uea.ac.uk
iOS Over!
Lick My Lollipop?
Alexander Smith explores the end of the iPhone 5C
Joseph Durrant is ready for Android Lollipop
Recent reports are suggesting that Apple is aiming to shutter production of its ‘budgetlevel’ iPhone 5C. Released alongside the iPhone 5S last year, it was the lowest priced iPhone ever made, and many suggested Apple was looking to expand beyond the premium smartphone market they had all but cornered. If the reports are true, what does this mean for the future of Apple in the budget sphere? Firstly, consider the iPhone 5C itself. When it was released you would have been forgiven for believing that it was simply an iPhone 5S without the premium o u t e r casing. In fact, it had the same internal h a rd w a r e of the iPhone 5 released in 2012. This made Idoctor Electronic the phone a year out of date before it had even hit the shelves. With such a stingy approach to hardware, it could be said that Apple was never serious about the budget phone market to begin with. As a possible response to Apple’s market advantage various manufacturers using the open-source Android software have dominated the budget market. Cheap flagship-level phones, often featuring high definition screens, 12 megapixel cameras
and impressively fast processors, are growing in popularity. While it’s typical for businesses to enter growing markets, ‘budget’ has never been a word associated with Apple and it perhaps found itself in a conflict of principles with the iPhone 5C. It seems that Apple could have held its ground enough to maintain or even grow the strength of the premium pricing model. The iPhone 5C did not sell as well as predicted, with people seemingly happy to splash the extra cash on an iPhone 5S with its chamfered edges and champagne gold accents. Consumers may be recognising the importance of a smartphone in every day life and are therefore willing to pay for quality. Perhaps this
explains why the latest phone in Google’s historically cheap Nexus range, the Nexus 6, costs £549 for the 64GB model while the same capacity iPhone 6 is just £69 more. Of course, this is pure speculation. Apple could in fact be storming ahead with its cheaper range and the wind-down of iPhone 5c production could actually be signalling the launch of an iPhone 6C next year. Only time will tell if Apple has ditched the plastic for good.
November 3rd heralded the release of Lollipop’s focus on higher efficiency has Android 5.0, the latest incarnation of served it well. The recent apps button Google’s mobile operating system - has been replaced by a carousel menu; otherwise known as Lollipop. Described allowing you to not only go between apps, as a ‘sweet new take’ by the search giant, but also between separate tabs in Chrome. the update’s main feature is the fresh, The notifications and settings menus have dynamic interface, alongside notable been brought in from the top left and performance improvements. The bold new right to become one - scroll down once look and feel of the firmware is simply to view your notifications, and again to stunning compared to previous versions access the quick settings menu, removing of the OS. The designs of Google’s major clutter. Combine this with new power applications, such as Gmail (which management settings that allow you to now has support for non-Google restrict the background accounts), activity of supported Drive, and applications. Calendar As with all Android have been releases, Lollipop has been unified, pushed to Google’s line integrating of Nexus products t h e m first, with it currently seamlessly being available on with Lollipop. the 2012 and This is caused 2013 Nexus by a move from 4,5 and 7 their old design devices, as language ‘Holo’ to a well as the fresh one known as new Nexus 6 ‘Material Design’. and 9 phone and Those using older tablet, manufactured versions of Android by Motorola and HTC, may have noticed respectively. Whilst the Giuseppe Milo/Flickr these visual updates Google branded devices over the past two months, will get Lollipop as it was which are being rolled intended, other third party out across Google’s entire manufacturers will inevitably product line. write their own firmware to sit The new design over the top of it, meaning a large language is intended to mimic percentage of the market may not print design, something humans find easy get to see the progress that has been to read. Elements still have shadows, but made. Hopefully we will not soon be these represent a hierarchy - the closer lamenting a failed Android release due to the screen something appears, the to poor design, or not being intuitive more important it is, drawing the user to enough. Android has been criticised for critical functions. This produces output its poor design and user experience in that is both easy to follow and read. the past, especially compared to its main However, the visuals are not the only competitor, iOS. Lollipop is shaping up thing that have changed from KitKat, to be a huge step towards closing the gap.
Steam Streams
Joe Fitzsimmons explores Valve’s hot new product Twitch has been the breakout success of the gaming world in recent years. Capitalising on the rapid growth of competitive e-sports, and the odd viral hit such as Twitch Plays Pokemon, the website has completely changed how a vast number of consumers interact with games on the web. Recently acquired by giant Amazon for a staggering £970 million, Twitch has demonstrated that the spectated-play field of videogames is a market just waiting to be brought into the mainstream in the way the Wii and smart phones brought the physical playing of videogames. To this stage, enters Valve. A household name in the video game world, Valve already holds market dominace to an almost monopolising degree on
the PC gaming platform. With their move into living room gaming with the Steam Machine planned for early 2015, Valve have also revealed their intention to move into the streaming market with Steam Broadcasting.
“A household name, Valve already holds market dominace to an almost monopololising degree” Allowing users to browse currently broadcasting games in the community portal of the Steam network, as well as being able to search streams for specific games or broadcasters, users
are able to watch live streams of others showing off a vast variety of game content. These range from commentated play-throughs, called ‘Let’s Plays’ to indepth demonstrations of gameplay tactics. Steam’s main difference to rival Twitch right now seems to be the way it draws in revenue. Twitch so far allows content creators to make money from their streams if they generate enough viewers. This is currently not a feature in Steam Broadcasting. However, viewers do not have to sit through advertisements in order to watch content online, which is required on Twitch TV. Clearly, Valve is banking on the essentially free marketing of games on its platforms to pay for
itself. By offering a streaming service providing the opportunity to watch game content before buying, Valve is hoping that they can convince many a potential customer that the experience the streamer is having is worth the cost of purchase. With the added convenience of being so close to the point of purchase for the game they are watching, the potential sales market could be huge. It remains to be seen whether Valve can challenge the already established market dominace of Twitch in their latest venture. With companies such as Google also offering thier own streaming services, the medium is getting increasingly competitive.
television
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concrete.television@uea.ac.uk
Wikimedia, David Shankbone
Where Did You Go, Mary-Kate?
Like either a creepy old man or the official 14-year-old girl of venue Venue, Adam White talks famous TV teens of yesteryear On 10th October, a former child star wandered through a busy Los Angeles airport, her iPhone clutched tight to her ear, eyes peeking out from behind a pair of expensive sunglasses, tiny frame wrapped in an immaculately styled designer ensemble. Only this wasn’t an ordinary flash-bulb assault by the paparazzi. The woman’s recent fame was no longer based on talent or graft or any actual work, and the questions directed her way weren’t innocuous or superficial. Less “who are you wearing?” and more along the lines of “I can’t believe your dad showed you his penis”. Unknowingly en route
“They looked like the popular girls but never played them, were virginal yet never prudish, sexy but not *sexy*” to a forced incarceration at an institution, the woman in question was Amanda Bynes. As a result of a two-year long torrent of arrests, alarming Twitter posts, claims of mental illness, accusations of sexual abuse, rehabilitation and a subsequent relapse of sorts, Bynes went from a successful child actress to a media punch line. Her very public breakdown was given rampant press coverage, veiled by an obnoxious air of faux-compassion. It’s a depressing story on numerous levels. But it’s also an unsurprising one. Outside of the few to break out, television’s backlog of child stars is littered with forgotten names, high-profile addictions and occasional death. These are the oddly common by-products of early fame and inevitable drop-off.
Bynes was one of several key teen stars to hit the big-time in the early to mid-2000’s, one of the celebrities we now embrace with fond nostalgia, memories of a time when something like The Amanda Show was essential after-school viewing. Bynes, along with contemporaries like Hilary Duff, MaryKate and Ashley Olsen and Raven Symoné, were products of kiddie sitcoms, splashed across Disney and Nickelodeon like wholesome portraits of all-American youth. They looked like the popular girls but never played them, were virginal yet never prudish, sexy but not “*sexy*”. All white teeth and pink gums and wild arm gestures, aggressively mugging for laughs from the live studio audience. They had their own movies, the occasional pop hit. But all are practically synonymous with a very specific time in pop culture. Many are still around, clinging onto the fringes of media relevancy, but few have been able to parlay their tween success into an adult career. So why the assumed inevitability of adult misery? The fingers point at the toxic Hollywood environment many of these kids grow up in. The kind of industry in which young performers are indulged and pandered to whenever Movie Pilot
they’re bringing in cash, yet slandered and derided as soon as the notoriously fickle tween market come of age and find alternative interests. The kind of industry in which young women are promoted as wholesome girly-girls until their 18th birthday, when suddenly they are compelled to take their clothes off for Maxim cover-spreads and talk about being unbridled sexpots. Whether you’re Alyssa Milano, Melissa Joan Hart or Miley Cyrus, it’s seemingly part of the package. That and these kids are pumped full of enough Adderall to make their eyes bleed, shakily staggering out in front of baying crowds to perform like monkeys wearing people suits. Gradually, it develops into an emotional crossroads in which all the identity-forming development we experience in our teen years is exposed and critiqued on an exhaustingly enormous scale, inevitably accompanied by standard Fox News assessment and the whirring of a TMZ camera. For every child TV actor success story, names that include
Jason Bateman and Neil Patrick Harris (both notable in taking an enormous step back from the limelight before re-entering it in their thirties), there are at least a dozen not so lucky. The Hollywood wasteland is littered with exchild stars who transitioned from sitcom to scandal, or burnt out all-together, among them the mostly deceased cast of Diff’rent Strokes,
“The Hollywood wasteland is littered with ex-child stars” Kel from Kenan & Kel, practically anyone from Power Rangers, or the one who wasn’t Shia LaBeouf on Even Stevens. The solution? Seemingly get out of it all together. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, once gimmicky pre-teens, have long operated a legitimately revered fashion label. Their $39,000 alligator purses and aloof, poutylipped oddness is now very much a part of their appeal, long eclipsing the eating disorders and shady Heath Ledger conspiracy theories that could have consumed their entire brand. While Hilary Duff plugs away at her new music and Shia LaBeouf tries to laugh off the public intoxication and homeless bumfights that derailed his movie career, the Olsen twins successfully changed the conversation, dropping off the radar and resisting the continued allure of the spotlight by finding other avenues to pursue. Maybe they were smarter than the rest. Or maybe they just had better luck? Whatever it was, they defied the odds stacked against them from the start, the cycle that just keeps on repeating like a classic sitcom forever in reruns.
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Christmas Goldspink
concrete.television@uea.ac.uk
Gallery Hip
Hannah Ford ho-ho-hones in on the best shows this Christmas It’s Christmas evening. You’ve opened all of your presents. You’ve stuffed your face with turkey, potatoes, and pudding, and had a few too many glasses of Bucks Fizz. You’ve had several awkward conversations with elderly relatives and the obligatory Christmas phone calls to relatives you never see (reminding you exactly why you never see them.) What are you going to do now? Slip into your glitziest dress or smartest suit and go to a party? No. You’re going to slob out on the sofa, skinny jeans long since abandoned, poor yourself another drink, and dive face-first into a tin of Quality Street. Whilst beached on the sofa, you’re going to be watching some of the TV highlights of the year – Christmas specials galore. This, my friends, is how we do Christmas. But what will we be watching this year? Well, luckily for you, I’ve searched high and low (okay, I looked on Digital Spy), and found all the best Christmas 2014 has to offer. My “what-I-call” Christmas TV highlight for 2014 has to be the two-part final ever episodes of Miranda. The last we saw of Miranda, she was faced with deciding between two marriage proposals, one from her actual boyfriend Mike, and the other from long-term love interest Gary. I can’t wait to see what she decides since, whatever the conclusion, it’s sure to be “such fun!” Plus, if you want to see more of Miranda Hart, she’ll also be appearing in the Call the Midwife Christmas Special. Then there’s the Doctor Who special, with the very appropriately-named for Christmas Nick Frost as Father Christmas, and the possible departure from the series of assistant Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman). It’s guaranteed to be fun, with a Christmassy, inventive plot, and perhaps even an emotional farewell. It’ll certainly be better than last year, anyway, with Matt Smith’s self-indulgent, “aren’t I wonderful, look at me!” finale, now that the wonderful Peter Capaldi has taken over. As
ever, there will be the Strictly Christmas Special – and though Brucey may have left this series, I’m guessing they’ll defrost him for festive fun. Overall, the Christmas TV listings are pretty much the same as last year’s offerings. And the year before that, and the year before that... There’s the now obligatory two hour long Downton Abbey, half of which will be your predictably tedious Boxing Day sales adverts (DFS have a sale? How unusual.) Then there’s the yearly occurrence of the soap specials, where, of course, the residents of Walford and Weatherfield will enjoy yet another disastrous festive season. Tis the Season to be very probably murdered/ arrested/just generally miserable! Fa La La La La… Luckily there are going to be some original Christmas specials. Sadly, not Sherlock. Yes, I know what you’re thinking – “but the BBC
“Tis the season to be very probably murdered/arrested/ just generally miserable”
see.
Other TV highlights include an animated spin-off of the classic Christmas film Elf, Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas, with Buddy voiced by The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, and another adaptation of one of David Walliams’ children’s books, this time The Boy in the Dress. Also, there’s a Christmas edition of BBC Three’s hilarious comedy Cuckoo, starring The Inbetweeners’ sadistic giant Mr Gilbert (Greg Davies), Paul O’Grady’s heart-warming For the Love of Dogs at Christmas, and Michael McIntyre’s Very Christmassy Christmas Show. There’ll be the usual smattering of films on TV, including Puss in Boots, Madagascar 3, and Avengers Assemble on the BBC. So, how do this year’s Christmas TV offerings shape up to previous years? For the last few years, the quality of Christmas TV has been diminishing, with the same-old, same-old shows. However, this year, whilst retaining what we’ve come to expect and enjoy from Christmas telly – depressing or not, I guarantee we’ll still be watching Corrie come Christmas evening – but adding some original programming and a final farewell to one of the best sitcoms of recent years, Miranda, Christmas 2014 guarantees to be an improvement, with something for everyone. Except for Sherlockians. Sorry.
released photos of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman a month before Christmas, so it must be on then!” Alas, we’ve been teased again; whilst the one-off episode is a Christmas special, it’s not actually even being filmed until January, and will be on our screens for Christmas 2015. So only one more year to wait(!) But another brilliant drama is returning to our screens for Christmas – Charlie Brooker’s fantastic, subversive Black Mirror, starring none other than Jon Hamm. It’s guaranteed to be intriguing, funny, and mindbendingly bizarre. Top to Bottom: HD Marvel Wallpapers/Blogtor Who/FM Forums/Channel 4 A definite must-
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concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
Mental Floss
2001: A Space Odyssey
Director Stanley Kubrick Writers Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester Runtime 160 mins Sci-Fi Isis Billing Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey still stands as the archetypal sciencefiction movie, marking the genre’s coming of age with a philosophical meditation on space, time and the nature of mankind. As part of the BFI’s ‘Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder’ event, a month-long celebration of all things science-fiction, Kubrick’s transcendental epic was re-released in cinemas around Britain. Embedded within 161 minutes of stunning space-scapes, 2001 is structured in four acts which move from ‘The Dawn of Man’ to ‘Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite’. The film was co-written by Kubrick and
Arthur C. Clarke - the author of The Sentinel, a short story on which the movie was based. The first act, titled ‘The Dawn of Man’ follows a tribe of ape-men who awaken to find a mysterious monolith and discover that bones can be used as weapons. Kubrick here succeeds in painting a pessimistic image of the birth of mankind out of primitive violence as an enemy ape is clubbed to death. A bone is tossed into the air and we divulge into the second act with an iconic match cut that jumps four million years to the image of an orbitting nuclear weapons platform.
“I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do” Abroad a Pan-Am space plane, Dr Heywood R. Floyd is served by a swanky stewardess as Strauss’ ‘The Blue Danube’ perfectly mimics the weightlessness of the plane’s zero gravity. During the stop-over at a space station, the doctor encounters a group of Soviets who question him about strange
occurrences on Clavius which he says he isn’t “at liberty to discuss”. Upon journeying to Clavius he briefs a team on their investigation of an unknown object buried on the planet, later seen to be the monolith. The most chilling act is the third, wherein we watch the crew aboard Jupiterbound spacecraft Discovery One battle against their sentient computer, HAL 9000 The Guardian (Douglas Rain), whose disembodied voice is both menacing and petulant. Most of the crew members are cryogenically frozen inside large tomblike pods, appearing almost mummified. Dr. David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Dr Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood), the two men kept awake, become increasingly aware of HAL’s malfunctioning, which is suggested to be the machine’s superior intellect abandoning the fallibility of its human controllers. The film’s crisp colour palette of clinical whites, greys and black for the spacecraft interiors jars perfectly against the vivid red worn by David Bowman. Red begins to dominate the screen as man combats machine and Bowman journeys deeper into the crafts core to deactivate HAL. There is something
reminiscent of his use of red within his other films such as The Shining or Eyes Wide Shut that hints at a sense of hidden, lurking danger. The ending is bold and bizarre as David Bowman travels through a vortex of psychedelic flashing colour and arrives in a time loophole where he catches glimpses of himself at various different ages. 2001 is a testament to Kubrick’s attention to detail. The sets were constructed with the aid of NASA spacecraft consultants and the stunning visual effects earned the film an Academy Award. This exacting approach was previously unseen in the science fiction of the 1960s, where effects and costumes were more pitifully amusing than awe-inspiring. A masterpiece for its era, the film also stands up against the high production values and CGI of modern blockbusters such as Interstellar. There is no doubt that 2001: A Space Odyssey will continue to dominate science fiction until another director, even more visionary, can topple it.
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concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
Films International
Leviathan
Director Andrey Zvyagintsev Writers Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev Starring Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov Runtime 141 mins Drama Martha Julier Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan, like its titular sea creature, has entered onto the cinematic scene, creating seismic waves of critical attention. At Cannes, the film picked up a nomination for the Palm d’Or, while Zvyagintsev and co-writer Oleg Negin secured Best Screenplay, and at the London Film Festival it was awarded Best
Film. Controversially funded by the Russian Ministry of Culture, it has already been chosen as Russia’s official entry for next year’s Oscars. In all, the film was an international hit, and justly, if surprisingly so. Leviathan is an enthralling tragi-drama detailing coastal homeowner Kolya’s (Aleksey Serebryakov) legal battle against the corrupt Mayor Vadim (Roman Madyanov), a man seeking to forcibly purchase his land. The story is a retelling of the Old Testament’s account of Job, with Kolya’s peaceful life and home being slowly (and literally) destroyed by different forms of corrupted authority, whether political, religious or societal. The film is unsubtle in its metaphorical significance, highlighting the inherent moral bankruptcy of modern Russian government. At one point, Pussy Riot are glimpsed at on the TV news and at another, the leading men go shooting using past portraits of
Russian leaders (on being asked “Any current presidents?” Kolya’s friend replies “Not enough historical perspective”) for target practice. Finally, a portrait of Putin dominates the scenes set in the Mayor’s office, as he looms over the corrupt political transactions. The film is spectacularly shot, utilising the vast landscape of the North Coast of Russia to create sublime panoramas that encompass the film’s thematic concerns of alienation, isolation and insignificance. The use of natural light locks you into either the early hours of a grey morning, or the deepest black nighttime skies, void of any human pollution. A great, beached whale carcass haunts the beach as a ghostly reminder of the oppressive forces of nature working against our protagonist, only here ‘nature’ is equated with corrupt authority. Kolya’s frailty is illustrated repeatedly in his engulfment within this grand landscape, his powerlessness emphasised by his physical inferiority to the natural environment as well as his political impotence. Serebryakov shines as the ill-fated protagonist, his tragic descent into alcoholism acutely realised, but not without moments of melancholic humour too. In fact, perfectly observed dark humour punctuates the film throughout, normally due to the excessive alcohol intake (there is a large amount of fantastically unparalleled drunk acting here), which is at times overwhelmingly comic but always with a tainting poignancy. Madyanov is detestable as the selfish, alcoholic Mayor with no remorse, but again with a slight element of humour. It is through Madyanov’s character that the religious institutional criticism takes centre stage; frequent morally void conversations discussing God’s will for
Paddington
Director and Writer Paul King Starring Ben Whishaw (voice of), Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, Peter Capaldi, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent Runtime 95 mins Family/Comedy Adam Dawson Family films have died a horrible death recently. When was the last time your entire brood sat down to a film, and all agreed that it was great? Never? Director Paul King’s second film brings the loveable, accident-prone bear right into the heart of contemporary London. Literally everyone you know will love it. And if they don’t, you can stop knowing them – clearly they don’t have anything resembling a heart anyway.
“Do bears even have names?” The story starts in Darkest Peru, where an explorer happens upon two bears. He teaches them English, gives them a love of marmalade, and then leaves for home again. Flash forward to an adorable young furry creature collecting oranges for his Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo. Then that mild
Flicks and the City
peril comes in the form of a devastating earthquake. Paddington leaves his destroyed home, bound for London and the explorer who told his aunt and uncle they’d always be welcome in his home. There are two kinds of humour in Paddington. Slapstick set pieces work for children and show off what King learned directing TV comedy. No one mentions how ridiculous a talking bear in an anorak is, which plays to the strength of the movie. It embraces its ridiculousness completely. That’s not to say all the jokes are Paddington
in a fight with a tap. The non-visual humour and the clever wordplay are clearly meant for adults who’ve brought their kids to see the movie. Probably the most surprising part of the entire thing is that these jokes actually work. The strokes of seriousness in between the comedy ensures we don’t forget that Paddington engages, as it always has, with incredibly difficult themes: refugees, the search for home, the loss of family. The sight of a lone, lost person (or bear) sitting on a beaten up suitcase, with a luggage tag
the Mayor’s reelection occur with a sinister overtone of inauthenticity as his Priest quells his fears, offering an intimate critique of the Russian Orthodox church. Although religion is present throughout the film, it is clear God is not.
“All power comes from God. As long as it suits Him, fear not.” Elena Lyadova and Vladimir Vdovichenkov lead a tremendously authentic supporting cast, adding layers to the heavy realism of the piece. The film plays so seamlessly, you are at no point aware of its construction. Filmed on location with sweeping natural backdrops, flawless dialogue and impeccable acting allows an entirely immersive experience for the viewer. Furthermore, the tendency to omit vital scenes that remain inferred or ‘understood’ contributes to the film’s exhilarating pace, while its refusal to provide consistent or obvious dramatic gratification reinforces the idea of Leviathan as an epic of the everyday. Zvyagintsev provides a thorough and tragic portrait of modern Russia, and its employment of archaic justifications for enforcing empty authority. All institutions are rendered faulty whether they be religious, political or even familial, and the purposeless caused by this is what makes Leviathan such a perfect and relevant modern tragedy. around their neck resonates no matter what time period the story is set in. The first Paddington book came out in 1958, but that doesn’t make the refugee image any less heart-breaking. These serious moments play out alongside the light-heartedness. Take the scene when Paddington and Mrs Brown visit Mr Gruber, a German antiques dealer. A train laden with cakes and tea comes out of a cuckoo clock before Mr Gruber reflects on his own experience fleeing his homeland during the Nazi regime. The actors aren’t exactly challenged by their roles, but some do better than others. Nicole Kidman essentially plays Nigel Farage, now sporting a stylish blond bob. She’s a proper old-fashioned villain, none of this misunderstood hero nonsense we’re sick of already. Kidman’s a purely evil taxidermist who wants to add Paddington to her collection. Julie Walters plays the polar opposite of Kidman. Mrs. Bird is a loving Scottish granny with a slightly worrying drinking habit. But who amongst us can really say we don’t love a gin-soaked old lady? Paddington celebrates the best of people, the best of London. It’s about the Britain we wish we lived in – warm, welcoming, packed with interesting curiosities and even more interesting people.
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concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
Rise of the Superhero Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Melissa Haggar exploring the prominent role of the superhero on-screen Spider-Man. The Avengers. Batman. X-Men. These superheroes have taken to the big screen in recent years and proven to be incredibly successful amongst audiences and critics alike. It’s no secret that there’s big money to be made in the sub-genre that has been dominating contemporary cinema, and many studios are hoping to emulate the success of the big names and draw in the masses with their version of the ‘superhero movie.’ But what is it about these types of films that make them so popular? Why are audiences so inclined to go and see films that effectively feature people dressed up in unusual costumes, swinging around town and battling villains? The answer is one that could be unanimously debated, but there are certainly a few reasons to explain this phenomena. Superhero films feature people who are by definition, extraordinary, and yet (for the most part) they lead ordinary lives by day. They could be one of us. When the plucky hero takes off his outfit and transforms back into his usual ‘daytime’ self, returning to their mundane job only to don their suit and kick ass on the streets once more the next night, he is offering an audience the chance to revel in his success. You might sometimes think that you too could be that hero, you could wear that mask and fight crime in the way Batman or Spiderman does. You could be extraordinary. Now of course, superhero movies are merely works of fiction, but they offer up the chance to experience something that isn’t the ordinary or the mundane. They offer escapism. Whilst there are certainly more philosophical reasons why the Superhero subgenre is indeed so popular amongst audiences, there is of course the plain and simple reason: these films tend to be some of the most thrilling, exciting and action-packed movies out there.
Daniel Allen Films
Saraswati Menon
They are usually the ones with the epically proportioned budget. The ones starring your favourite Hollywood actors. The ones with the best visual effects you’ve ever seen. They beguile you, make you wait on the edge of your seat and entrance you with their heart-stopping action sequences that you would have never thought were possible. Superhero pictures are usually derived from popular comic books (Marvel, DC) and therefore have the necessary ingredients that would make a film adaptation successful – complex and intriguing characters, action, fantasy, crime-fighting, struggles (and more) – and it is this that is so appealing to an audience looking for something extra-special to see on screen. But of course, these popular comic-book to film adaptations come with their very own benefits. Legions of loyal fans of the graphic novels will undoubtedly go see their favourite superhero come to life on the big screen. This My Lawyer Will Call Your Lawyer extra avenue of potential viewers provides another profitable source for studios looking to make a big profit. They know they have another stream of potential audiences to tap into, aside from the regular action movie enthusiasts. When you add up all of these factors, the superhero movie business becomes very lucrative indeed. You need only look towards the future to see that there are many more films in the process of being made (take Marvel’s recent announcement that it will make at least eight more films, with the first to be released in 2016, and DC’s announcement that it will make a new Wonder Woman movie as well as a Suicide Squad movie). It would appear that audiences have developed quite the appetite for superhero movies and it seems unlikely that the hunger for these types of films will go away anytime soon.
Exhibition George Barker projects his view of why the cinema still has a vital place within our technologically advanced society In the age of instant streaming and video on demand, available on just about every device you can imagine, is there any point in leaving the comfort of your home to see a film? When a Netflix subscription is £5 and films are ‘freely’ available via the internet, what’s the point in paying exorbitant ticket prices? In this modern age it is possible to watch films at your convenience for next to nothing, but frankly, nothing comes close to the experience of cinema. For many films it is essential in order to properly enjoy them; watching Gravity on your phone as you wait for the bus is not how it is meant to be experienced. The first time you experience a film it is crucial you have the best possible chance of enjoyment. Ultimately, you simply aren’t going to get the same level of audio-visual quality at home as you get at the cinema. You’re not
going to feel the bass rumble through you as Hans Zimmer’s score crescendos as the hero/ heroine charges into battle. It’s the extremes of sound that the cinema is able to convey so well; silence is that much more potent and apparent when contrasted with epic noise. While 3D has yet to prove itself as a worthy addition to the film experience, the visual scale and audio range cinema provides simply cannot be compared to watching it at home on Netflix in bed when you should be at lectures. The most polarising facet of the cinema experience is the audience. Nothing is worse than realising you’re sitting amongst a bunch of morons as they continue to laugh at a minor penis joke seven scenes later, or sitting behind the person who has to point out every deviation from the book or comic, or worst of all being the only one to laugh. But in some
cases being part of a good audience can elevate the enjoyment of a film way beyond watching it alone. The collective exclamation at a jump scare, the gasp of surprise at the reveal of a twist, and the audience laughing with you in all the right places for the right amount of time can make a film that much more enjoyable. The best examples of the audience elevating the experience are cult screenings where audiences will quote along and interact with the film, The Room and The Rocky Horror Picture Show being prime examples. So many films can only really be properly enjoyed at the cinema, with Interstellar being the best recent example. Michael Bay films quite frankly must be seen at the cinema, because if you can’t watch the sweat glisten off some objectified (possibly underage... Transformers 4...) woman’s cleavage as everything explodes
on a huge screen with the bass threatening to disintegrate your skull, what’s the point? Ultimately, cinema provides an experience. It’s not just the audio-visual spectacle or the atmosphere of the audience, it’s also the anticipation, the speculation with your mates, or the pre-date nerves, the intense discussion in the pub afterwards, and perhaps even the collective disappointment. Though Netflix looks to be getting into the movie business, and we might see films released directly to the site, with a recent four-movie deal was signed with Adam Sandler, it seems we are unlikely to get anything worth watching for a while. Simply put, even in this modern age of convenience, the cinema is just as important to films as it ever was, producing an experience unrivalled by anything one can achieve at home. The cinema is here to stay.
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concrete.film@uea.ac.uk
Happy Face, Sad Face It’s time for the obligatory Christmas film list. Four writers share what makes them cry, for better or worse.
The Guardian
The A-Team (2010)
Amélie (2001)
The Lego Movie (2014)
Love Actually (2003)
I’m not going to argue that The A-Team, based on the 80s TV show, is a deep film. It’s not. The plot is crazy, adrenaline is on full flow and the finale is just a series of explosions. Yet it knows this and plays with it- the dialogue is witty, the action wacky, and the actors all know they’re doing it just for laughs. The gloriously over-the-top action scenes can’t help but leave a smile etched in your face. To cheer you up on a rainy day, all you need is some hilarious tank-flying or skyscraper-surfing. Just don’t think too much.
A modern Parisian fairy-tale, with all the whimsy and accordion playing one could ask for, Amélie is the tale of a shy dreamer, who likes cracking crème brûlée and dislikes drivers in movies who don’t pay attention to the road. A quirky supporting cast are the backdrop for Amélie’s series of selfless good deeds and though she doesn’t pursue love, it finds her anyway; in the form of a treasure hunt and a collector of discarded smiles. Amélie is a genuine heart-warmer, bringing a smile to your face and inspiring you to be a better person, and perhaps even teaching you another language along the way.
2014 has been a remarkably good year for children’s films, but The Lego Movie is that rare thing that appeals to children, parents and everyone inbetween in equal measure. The movie follows the story of nobody Emmet (Chris Pratt), an ordinary mini-figure who finds the strength to save the world against the backdrop of gorgeous plastic landscapes alongside the likes of self-pastiche Batman and shamelessly vibrant Uni-kitty. It’s imbued with the spirit of creativity, fun and acceptance and will leave you grinning ear-to-ear. Warning: will also result in singing Everything Is Awesome to the annoyance of everyone around you.
It may not be socially acceptable to admit to liking this classic, yet cheesy, Richard Curtis film with a star studded cast but it is a compulsory feel good Christmas watch. Frequent collaborators with Curtis steal the show however, including Hugh Grant who excels as the dad dancing British Prime Minister, Rowan Atkinson steals the scene in his three minute cameo and Bill Nighy’s rockstar granddad who has the best one liners. Also worth watching to spot the celebrities before their big break including Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead and Jojen Reed from Game of Thrones among others.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Up (2009)
The Land Before Time (1988)
Filth (2011)
Mental illness is never a happy subject for a film, yet this drama somehow fools you into thinking that somehow there must be a happy ending. Light-hearted scenes such as the drunken party or the boat trip convince you that there can’t fail to be a glimmer of hope for some of these characters. Even Nurse Ratched can be seen to be simply trying to do her job with some difficult patients. This optimism is wrong, however. The film doesn’t end in an even slightly dignifying way, rather, it is ambiguous and leaves us morally outraged. Tom Bedford
As anyone who’s shed tears over clownfish and toy cowboys knows, Pixar films have never shied away from sentimentality, but you’ve barely pressed play on 2009’s Up before the sadness hits you like an animated freight train. The silent montage of Carl and Ellie’s life, told through bow ties, handprints, picnics and Michael Giacchino’s gorgeous score, soon becomes an unbearably heart-breaking tale of lost dreams and lost soul mates. The grief of those four minutes hovers over the entire film and it becomes clear that for all their charm, the balloon-fuelled house, the Boy Scout and the talking dog aren’t just an adventure; they’re a healing process. Emma Holbrook
I’ve been reliably informed that I used to watch the VHS of this animated tale about a pack of young dinosaurs on a constant loop as a child, but re-watching it as an adult I can’t imagine why: the brooding atmosphere, the plight of youngsters lost and alone in an uninhabitable world, with loved ones falling by the wayside all adds up to one of the most depressing films you will ever see. It may be a treasured gem for some, but revisiting it as an adult will reduce you to a comatose wreck, sobbing away your lost childhood as you prepare for a difficult, uncertain future… Happy Holidays! Chris Rogers
Definitely not your typical Christmas heartwarming, feel good film. The closest it gets to Christmassy is James McAvoy’s character throwing up out of a car window to the tune of Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone. That aside, this film is a grimy tale of a corrupt police officer who breaks every single rule in the book and includes (a lot of ) sex, drugs, a tapeworm, and the gradual mental, physical and emotional deterioration of Bruce in what may be McAvoy’s best performance yet. Funny yet dark and depressing this may not be the best film to watch with the family over Christmas. Dan Struthers
Flick Facts Dougie Dodds
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Horoscopes for the Hopelessly Hopeful! Aries
It’s Quizmas! UEA Quiz Society’s Charlie Methven has a festive test for you! 1. Which band performed the original version of Love is all Around (which is adapted into a Christmas version in Love Actually)? 2. Which two of Santa’s traditional reindeer have names beginning with letters from the second half of the alphabet? 3. Which band, who performed at the Norwich Arts Centre last weekend, released a Christmas EP at the end of November? 4. Since 1947, which European city has donated the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square? 5. In The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, which muppet plays Charles Dickens? 6. What day is St Stephen’s Day? 7. “A pair of Chloe shades”, “a nice back rub”, “the keys to a CLK Mercedes” and “quality T-I-M-E” are all gifts received by which band in their song, 8 Days of Christmas?
Hey Aries!! Looking good today. So! Buddha described the mind as being filled with drunken monkeys who jumped, screeched, and chatted endlessly. Fear, according to Buddha, was an especially loud monkey. Buddha taught meditation as a way to tame the “drunken monkeys” in the mind. In other words, your mind is drunk. Which is good! Because, unless you’re an alcoholic, eventually you won’t be drunk. The monkeys will calm down. And life will get more peaceful. In the next few days, expect to sober up (mentally speaking).
Taurus
The National Science Foundation estimates that a human brain produces as many as 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day, depending on how deep a thinker a person is. Good news! In the upcoming weeks, the number of thoughts you think per day will drop (dramatically, like, really dramatically) and you’ll finally start to relax.
Gemini
8. What is the scientific name for the north star? 9. In a Christingle, if the red ribbon represents the blood of Christ, what is the orange that it’s wrapped around? 10. Which vaguely Christmasy named actor will play Father Christmas in this year’s Doctor Who Special?
Bonus Competition Find Christmas Goldspink floating on the pages of Venue, be the first person to tweet us the page number @Concrete_UEA, and win a Gold bar! Wow!
Flip and Reveal
Something exceptionally good will happen to you this week. Well, that sure is nice, isn’t it! Gee wiz, I wonder what it will be!
Cancer
A recent article in the Eastern Daily Press reads, “Father Christmas and his elves will be bringing a smile and some magic to Cromer Pier this festive season!!!!!” The article continues, “Children will be able to see the red-suited saint and his helpers on stage at the Pavilion Theatre every weekend from tomorrow between 10am – 12.30pm in the run up to Christmas.” In the upcoming weeks, Cancer, consider that Santa Claus might be real. Oh my god.
Leo
This week, you’ll be smiling a lot. But is that good? There are around 18 different smiles, including polite, cruel, false, self-effacing, and so on. But only one reflects genuine happiness; this is known as the Duchenne smile, in honor of the French neurologist who determined this phenomenon, Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne. Good news! I just checked, and the smile you’ll be using will, in fact, be the Duchenne smile.
Virgo
Last week, 100 brains went missing from the University of Texas at Austin. But good news, Virgo! You still have all your brains. Double
check, but I’d say you also have your heart, liver, kidney, and most of your teeth. This Christmas-or-whatever, there will be many things to celebrate!
Libra
John Steinbeck’s original manuscript for Of Mice and Men was eaten by a dog. Bet you didn’t know that. And I bet you will never need to. Listen, Libra, your friends may have the academic know-how, but this week, it’ll become quite clear that you’ve got the street smarts, the smag, and the ability to act smart in a dire situation. Enjoy!
Scorpio
Just for kicks, a steam locomative called the Mayflower will be hauling its first mainline special for two decades on a historic journey through East Anglia. Now, the other Mayflower is a ship that escorted Pilgrims from England to the Americas. This Mayflower may be seen as the lesser Mayflower, given its only going through Norwich to Windsor, but you know what? This week, forget all those bigshots who think they’re cooler and better and bigger than you. You’re the best. You’re the real Mayflower.
Sagittarius
Taylor Swift is a Sagittarius. Last week, she was dubbed Billboard’s Woman of the Year and also the New York’s global tourism ambassador. In the next few weeks, you might not become Woman of the Year, or New York’s global tourism ambassador, but you’ll feel like you are.
Capricorn
The Dwarf Syngnathidas (ahem, seahorse) swims at about 0.01 mph, making it the slowest fish in the world. Yet people still think seahorses are rather pretty. This week, take your time. People still love you.
Aquarius
If you don’t get everything you want for Christmas this year, you’ll at least get something.
Pisces
A BBC News programme broadcast in 1957 ended claiming that spaghetti grew on trees on a farm in Switzerland. Many viewers believed the report and called the BBC asking how to grow their own trees. Their response: “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best”.w Sometimes, Pisces, people around you just don’t seem to get it. These week, make the most of it. Learn to enjoy just how stupid people can be sometimes. Merry Christmas!
Quizmas Time! 1. The Troggs 2. Prancer and Vixen 3. Los Campesinos! 4. Oslo
5. The Great Gonzo 6. The 26th of December 7. Destiny’s Child 8. Polaris
9. The Earth 10. Nick Frost
Listings 8/12 - 15/1
concrete.listings@uea.ac.uk
The Last Carnival Tue 9 Dec (£8)
Propaganda End of Term Xmas Party Fri 12 Dec (£4-5) (on door)
Pout At The Devil + Walkway + The Intent Sat 13 Dec (£5)
Rumble - 20th Anniversary Fri 12 Dec (£11-13)
Ben Howard
Sun 14 Dec (£27.50) (Sold Out)
Rival Sons + Blues Pills
Meltdown + Britpoppin Christmas Special
Tue 16 Dec (£15)
Raveneye feat. Oli Brown
Wed 17 Dec (£25)
Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock w/ Western Sand
Winter Wonderland Christmas Festival
Wed 17 Dec (£22.50)
Sat 20 Dec (£14-18)
The Beat + The RPMs
Dance Squad Presents Acoustic Night
Sat 13 Dec (£3.50-4.50) (on door) Mon 15 Dec (£10)
Fri 19 Dec (£16)
Propaganda Xmas Jumper Party
The Game
Sun 11 Jan (£5)
Fri 19 Dec (£4-5) (on door)
Meltdown Christmas Cracker + 80s vs 90s Sat 20 Dec (£3.50-4.50) (on door)
Meltdown New Year Warm Up + Wraith Sat 27 Dec (£3.50-4.50) (on door)
The Waterfront New Years Eve Party Wed 31 Dec-Thu 1 Jan (£6-7)
Sam Kelly Trio
Tuess 9 Dec (£8) (Sold Out)
Lisa Redford
Wed 10 Dec (£8)
M.O.P.
Serious Sam Barrett
Wed 10 Dec (£18)
Tue 16 Dec (£6)
Thurs 11 Dec (£6-8) (Call for Availability)
Birds of Hell + True Adventures + Ben C Winn
Fri 12 Dec (£8-10)
Tobias Ben Jacob + Lukas Drinkwater
Gnarwolves + Prawn + Public Domain Darkest Hour
From The Jam - Setting Sons Tour Thu 18 Dec (£20)
The SweetBeats Fri 19 Dec (£10)
Wed 17 Dec (£3) Mon 12 Jan (£4)
Hattie Briggs Wed 14 Jan (£5)
more listings at concrete-online.co.uk/events