Ellie Robson Venue Editor
Hello! Welcome to the first issue of this year’s Venue. I’m Ellie, your new editor, and I’m incredibly excited to be working with our talented team of section editors and deputy editor and Venue co-parent Amelia for the upcoming year. It’s been an intense few days, learning to use Concrete’s editing software, arguing about how many people really do the sudoku featured on our back page (let us know if you do!) and worsening my reliance upon Vanilla Coke. We’ve made a few changes this year that we hope you’ll like, and we’re proud of what we’ve put together to kick off the 2019/20 year. I’m looking forward to going into my final year (I can’t say the same for the post-graduation life crisis) and hope that this year’s freshers have a fantastic start to the semester. Don’t forget to make the most of this week - try something you’ve never tried before, we have societies for literally everything - and I hope to meet some of you as future Venue contributors! Look after yourselves, and I’ll see you next issue.
Amelia Rentell Venue Deputy Editor
Welcome back! It’s us, we’re still here. I’m still here (most importantly). Have you missed the sticky LCR floor? Have you longed for the £1 Campus Kitchen chips? Or are you a fresh face ready for the best few years of your life? However you join us, I’m really glad you’re here. After spending a year abroad in America, I am thrilled to be back in the concrete jungle and more so, the concrete office. Being deputy editor of Venue this year is really exciting to me, Ellie has some great ideas for the upcoming year and I can’t wait to help her make them happen. Now that my heart is complete on it’s return to Blighty, (I hope some of you caught my travel column last year - it was a remarkable collection), I am ready to throw myself into my last year at this wonderful place. My best wishes to all the freshers on their first week conquests and to subsequent years who think they can handle freshers again (you can’t, your body can only manage once. It will never be the same). Don’t forget to stock up on vitamin C and buy some sensible shoes. Happy Freshers!
Featured Articles: Check out Leia’s ‘Finding Your Style 101’ article in the fashion section, for some tips for experimenting with your style at univesrity.
ARTS - Leia Butler
SECTION EDITORS
FASHION - Maya Coomarasamy CREATIVE WRITING - Oliver Shrouder
02 Cover image: Roo Pitt
Take a gander at ‘Concrete’s Great Gig Guide Sept-Oct ‘19’ for an overview of who to look out for in the coming weeks.
MUSIC - Lewis Oxley
GAMING - Martha Griffiths FILM AND TV - Fin Aitken
Favourites in the arts world Art Two Crabs (1889) Vincent van Gogh Van Gogh might seem to be a basic choice, but this summer I got my fill. I went to various different museums, including the National Gallery, the Musée d’Orsay and the Tate, including the special exhibition they are holding called ‘Van Gogh and Britain’. I always marvel at his still life paintings, enchanting night scenes and landscapes, but I had never quite seen anything like ‘Two Crabs’ before. With its warming teal, bright reds and oranges, it has become my favourite painting and something I will always associate with this summer.
Jess Barrett Image: commons wikimedia The Elephant Celebes (1921) Max Ernst ‘ What I like in this painting is the vivid imagination in the absurd imagery that is captured. The bold composition in the mechanical elephant highlights the profound sense of consciousness and imagination that blends poetry with perspective. The illusory effect, combined with the elements of collage, is a radical eye-opener into the effects of war and how it influenced the lives of those who lived through it. The piece is a great rejection of tradition and innovation into the avant-garde.
Lewis Oxley
Literature Image: Flickr
Sarah Winman, Tin Man This book had a significant influence on me because of its dizzying, tender outlook on life and relationships, wrapped up in poetic prose. The novel is an unbearably human exploration of friends and lovers Ellis, Michael, and Annie as they navigate their messy lives, growing together and apart through the years. Tin Man is important because it teaches us an unavoidable set of lessons, that the search for happiness is a circle, not a line, that sometimes simplicity can be the most beautiful state of them all, and that love (in all of its glory, against all the odds) can always Ally Fowler be found in your pocket.
Miranda July, The First Bad Man
It’s a spunky novel, that once picked up provides a complete storm of emotions. I picked it up at the beginning of June, not really knowing much about it. The novel left me in awe, but confused over what the hell I’d just read. There were so many moments where I wanted to put the book down because of the explicit sex scenes and the general intrusiveness of Cheryl, the main character, but I found myself unable to, and I finished the book in three days. It was enlightening to read something that exposed anxiety and insecurities so colourfully. It’s weird, it’s wacky, but I’d fully Jess Barrett recommend.
Hot and upcoming!
Erin Morgenstern, The Starless Sea I'm awaiting the release of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, due to be released November 5th 2019. Her upcoming work is Morgenstern's first release since her 2011 novel The Night Circus, a gorgeous and atmospheric imagining of mystery and secrets taking place in a travelling circus. I fell in love with this novel when I first read it, and it altered my expectations for how beautifully and emotionally written fantasy can be. The Starless Sea promises lovers, liars, and pirates, and I can't wait to see what Morgenstern brings to the table next this November!
Ellie Robson
03
Review piece Arthur Miller, A View From The Bridge One of my all-time favourite playwrights is Arthur Miller. His most famous play is The Crucible, which many people remember as a text they were forced to read in school. Miller is not all Salem witch trials and McCarthyism though… A View from the Bridge is set in Red Hook, an area not far from New York, but much poorer in comparison to the big city. The play is set in 1950’s America in a predominantly Italian-American neighbourhood where loyalty and honour are paramount. Our tragic protagonist is Eddie Carbone, who is far too close to his wife’s niece, Catherine. The dramatic tension in this play is caused when Eddie’s wife, Beatrice, has her two cousins come to stay. Marco and Rodolpho are illegal immigrants who want to work to send money home to Italy. Catherine falls in love with Rodolpho, which is where the trouble begins. The performance I saw, at the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich, was a very simple set; a chair and a white screen. However, the minimalistic set worked well in conjunction with the historic balconies and beams that the theatre has. The actor Nick Meir played the role of Eddie, alongside Nyree Williams as Catherine. The cast was a brilliant mix of young and older actors. The role of Alfieri, the lawyer who narrates and acts as a chorus, was well played, showcasing the power that a character like that can have in such a dynamic part of a play. Williams gave a great performance, utilising a convincing New York accent and skilful portrayal of a young woman to bring the character of Catherine to life. Nick Meir had some amazing moments, especially in Alfieri’s office where I could feel that sense of alarm that Alfieri explains with ‘his eyes being like tunnels’. Alfieri’s character is described as the ‘Bridge’ between the two cultures and so has an important job to do overall in the play, not only as its narrator and chorus. The play ran for a whole week, with evening and daytime performances. This was the perfect week for the setting because the heat really made it feel like an American community made up of longshore men. The play runs for two and a half hours with an interval in between the two acts. Arthur Miller’s plays vary in number of acts. The Crucible is a four act play but has a five act play structure, whereas A View from the Bridge, with far less acts does not feel like a short play. It has powerful and compelling lines which drive its plot. This play is really worth a read and worth seeing live because it brings Miller’s words to life. I really recommend reading all his plays, but this one especially because of its intrigue and suspense.
Gabriela Williams
Image: needpix
The best thing about A View From The Bridge is the intense passion within the storyline. The characters are so well-crafted and make the play so easy to immerse yourself in. The parts I found most successful were the scenes with Eddie and Catherine as they were the most dramatic and this was the storyline I was most invested in. I also loved the stage directions within the play. They are so simple yet add so much meaning to each and every sentence. The coolest thing about A View From The Bridge is that Miller wrote lots of alternative endings! I loved reading these and seeing all the different possible outcomes of the story, and it added a completely different dimension to the play.
Leia Butler
04
Subjectivity Subjectivity is a big deal when it comes to the world of art and literature. While I may see a painting and think that it looks absolutely gorgeous, you may hate the way the colours look. This is why it is often so hard to judge works accurately because it is often hard to universally agree on one opinion. We asked you this question: Do you think art/literature is entirely subjective? Here are your votes!
80%
20%
Yes
No
Here is what some of you had to say... W Yes, art and literature are subjective, and for a good reason. T.S. Eliot, Beardsley and Wimsatt (among others) argued that authorial intent should be disregarded when reviewing/analysing a piece of literature (or artwork). Relying too heavily on the author's intent supposedly 'led the reader away from the work.' In essence, they said that trying to desperately find the author's meaning was a needless process. When an author writes or an artist paints, what is important is how it is judged by its viewer. As Wimsatt and Beardsley put it, 'a poem belongs to the public.'
Bea Prutton
Art and literature are the products of an individual or group of individuals. Each person's perspective and ideas on the subject matter they explore is what fuels the creative process in the purest sense, beyond any external research and guidance. What draws us to create is our perspective and the ideas we come up with as we engage with the world around us and how we choose to interpret what happens - whether we reject the reality the waking world is bound to, or whether we stick to it. Perspective is an inherently subjective construct, shaped by the individual(s) and regardless of how objective a piece of work may strive to be, it is still very much the product of a person recreating an idea of objectivity.
Maddi Hastings
Since the question was "Do you think art/literature is entirely subjective?", I'd like to explain a little. While I don't think art is entirely subjective, I believe it 99% is. The majority of artwork is vastly interpretable, with different individuals coming through with very different viewpoints. However, I'd argue that there are a few things that aren't really arguable as such, for example the genre of a text such as ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ being primarily that of crime fiction- even if it does contain a few small elements of other genres.
Jack Oxford There will be polls in every issue, so do vote when we put them on Concrete’s Twitter and Instagram (@ConcreteUEA). Feel free to email any comments or discussion points to concrete.arts@uea.ac.uk
05
Photo: Pixabay
Second Hand September Forget aimlessly wandering around Chapelfield the next time clothing inspiration strikes (or the student loan drops) and head into the older part of town to hunt for second hand bargains. There are a couple of havens around Norwich, where you can dig through baskets and rails of clothing to find pieces to add to your wardrobe for a fraction of the price of high street equivalents. Read on for a guide of where to pop your head into. Loose’s Emporium, Magdalen Street
St Gregory’s Antiques, Pottergate
If you’ve got an afternoon free, you could spend the entire time in Loose’s Emporium and still not see everything. The ground floor is bric-abrac heaven for miles, but head upstairs to find a variety of vintage sellers that occupy different corners of the shop. It might take a bit longer to find what you’re after, unless what you need is 100 army jackets, but there is something for everyone at this manic jumble sale. The rest of Magdalen Street is home to plenty of other charity shops, so be sure to explore the surrounding area after you’ve finished.
Next to the everpopular bar the Birdcage, is a church that houses a jumble of antique and vintage shops that serve as the perfect setting to hunt for bargains. Walk past the slightly creepy vintage toys and war memorabilia when you enter, to find the rails of clothing and bags upon bags of accessories and shoes. Look out for their great vintage pieces, from bomber jackets to knitwear at a fraction of the price you would get it for elsewhere. On your way to pay, don’t forget to have a peer into the glass cases of jewellery too for some quirky items you definitely won’t find in Topshop.
Sue Ryder Vintage, 1 Bridewell Alley
One of many charity shops around the city centre, but this one has a wonderfully curated selection of vintage clothing pieces from all era’s and brands (keep eyes peeled for hidden designer gems!). The shop front is decked out with old records and vintage Vogue’s, hinting at the treasures that can be found inside, from fancy dress items to statement pieces, all colour coordinated.
- Maya Coomarasamy Image: Keisha Schneider
06
Summer Dresses or Sweater Weather? Instead of hiding your favourite summer pieces at the back of your closet as soon as the weather starts changing, flaunt them as transitional pieces between summer and fall using these simple tips and tricks! To kick off, dark shades are a fall essential, such as burgundy, navy and grey. While dressing for the transitional phase between summer and fall, try to balance radiant summer colours with sombre fall colours. Layering your clothes is a terrific way to keep warm while also looking fabulous. Try wearing a turtleneck top or just a simple white or black tee underneath your summer slip dresses or camisoles. Or maybe, wear your favourite crop tops underneath dungarees or pinafores. Invest in a statement jacket. This could be anything, a
leather jacket, a bomber jacket or a trench coat, whatever goes with your style the best, essentially something to throw over your summer pieces. A trenchcoat looks great with slip dresses, and a blazer can elevate a bralette top to a whole new level. White denim jackets and pastel cardigans are a beautiful garnish to an outfit embracing complementary hues. Tights, scarves and boots are fall staples. Try pairing A-line dresses and skater dresses with tights, maxi and midi dresses with a trusty pair of boots and scarves can elevate any outfit while keeping you warm and cosy. Not only are printed tees a comfortable choice for summer, but they also look perfect with patterned trousers or maxi skirts for fall. On warmer days, simply a playsuit with a jacket or an oversized jumper with some shorts will do the trick!
Swetha Natarajan
Sustainable Refresh Fast fashion is having a detrimental effect upon the environment. In fact, a recent government audit claimed that 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions were produced by the fashion industry in 2015 producing more emissions than aviation and shipping combined. Recently there’s been a surge amongst millennials in wanting to know that our clothes have been produced in an eco-friendly manner. Designers such as Stella McCartney are leading the way using ‘vegetarian leather’, which can be made of everything from mushrooms to pineapples, and refusing to use Brazilian calf leather. Brands which students love due to their low-price points, like Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing, are using materials which are harmful to the environment, such as polyester which is made using harmful chemicals (like carcinogens) and takes up to 200 years to decompose. When these clothes are washed, microfibres are released which end up in our sewer system and the sea.
Furthermore, trends are regularly changing, and young people want to copy what their favourite Love Island influencer has been wearing, meaning that clothes are worn a few times before being thrown away. Here are a couple of student friendly, sustainable brands to consider next time you get the urge to shop. Goose Studio is an example of a brand which aims to be sustainable without breaking the bank. Their vegan clothing is ethically sourced using 100% organic cotton and their pieces are stylish and timeless, following the idea that we should ‘buy less, buy better.’ It wants consumers to ask themselves if they really need a new t-shirt before buying it. Know the Origin is a brand of similar ethics too. It carries a slightly higher price tag but will last you a while and not go out of style. KTO also write a great blog on their website which looks at ways you can live more sustainably and tackles these issues. Both these brands are definitely not ones to be missed. Make sustainable decisions during your autumn wardrobe refresh!
Ellie Holmes
07
Image: flickr (Phil Gibbs)
Finding Your Style 101 University dress code can be terrifying because, for the most part, there isn’t one! The best thing about this is that the opportunities are endless, and it’s the perfect chance to experiment and find your own personal style! Don’t be afraid to dress comfy for class! One mistake I made was feeling the pressure of having to dress nicely to impress new people in my class. But it is important to remember that it’s a seminar, not a fashion show. Nobody is looking at what you are wearing, and they are just trying to get through the class so they can go home and nap. So, put on some comfy jeans or tracksuit bottoms! You can always compromise by wearing one comfy piece and one slightly nicer piece! The most important thing to remember is to be comfortable. So, if you feel comfortable and confident by dressing up a little, by all means, go for it, but you certainly don’t have to. Throw it back a few decades! Why not take a trip back in time and pick up some vintage pieces? If it worked for people in the 70’s there’s a good chance it will work for you too! Norwich is home to so many vintage shops and stalls in the city centre, and UEA often has vintage sales also! I always felt cool trying some older prints and patterns, and some of my most loved and unique outfits are made up of vintage pieces. Feeling adventurous?
University gives you such an excellent opportunity to experiment with fashion and try new looks. If it works for you, then it’s nothing but right! Try some new outfits, and some different makeup/ accessory combos and find a style you like! A statement piece and some popping make up can be a great way to let a new you shine through. Represent your uni! Universities often sell their own hoodies/clothes and these are a great way to stay comfy on campus while also showing off your uni. If you are feeling nervous about what to wear, a UEA hoodie is a very safe choice that is guaranteed to make you feel comfortable. You made it into UEA, so be proud and show it off! What about dressing for the LCR or club nights? My most important piece of advice on this one is to be yourself. People love to follow trends but don’t just follow the crowd! You’ll look your best in something you feel confident in. I’ve seen everything from mini skirts to jumpsuits to full-on suits in the LCR so pretty much anything goes! So, whether you love a slinky body con dress or prefer something a little more understated, you do you. Dress to suit you and don’t worry if it takes a few fashion experiments before you find your perfect style. Tip: Charity shops are a good way to try some new styles without breaking the budget!
Leia Butler
Image: flickr
08
The Woods I went down to the woods today to see what I could find I didn’t know I’d lose myself Within the confines of my mind. I went down to the woods today in search of a little peace I didn’t know that everywhere Birds’ singing began to cease. I went down to the woods today to find a space to rest I didn’t know that the fallen trees Would hinder my bequest. I went down to the woods today to think of days gone by I didn’t know that in those days We did not really try. I went down to the woods today to see the spaces that thrived I didn’t know that all those spaces Had been long deprived.
I went down to the woods today in search of life once shown I didn’t know that what was natural Was no longer known. I went down to the woods today to find where it all went wrong I didn’t know that it had started Where we could no longer prolong. I went down to the woods today to act not just ignore I didn’t know that I would be the one To ask you, to implore. To beg that in those woods that life had been left behind. I knew that it had started with us. I knew it had started with mankind. I did go down to the woods yesterday and I’ll tell you what I saw.
It was a bleak future for us One that we could no longer ignore. I did go down to the woods yesterday and I will go down tomorrow to try and protect our forests For the dawning of the morrow. I will go down to the woods hereafter to stop the inevitable drain the loss of our woods where life is ceasing whilst trees are decreasing and no birds are singing And there are no more trees to see. There is just sorrow for the lack of tomorrow.
Elena Rogers
Image: Amelia Rentell
10
The Coaster Bird Amidst the soak of roars and rain A sodden jackdaw falls, brings The weight of dampened feathers down To ink the bend of a coaster. Underneath, the children lean Against a painted bearing pole With sugar lumps like poppyseeds All scattered on their chests. An hour they have waited just to touch the crackled air That’s blasted back from carriages and shattered on its seats. They watched the clouded skies to catch each carriage hurtling on Towards the sallow jackdaw bending, pecking nearby leaves. The horror of the children’s screams was lost in joyful shrieks When the instant came, the instant went, and with it went the bird. The undertaker thundered on. The birdless guts were washed away, Each pat of red now pats of pink, To drip against the concrete’s grey. As if the bird had simply flown, the idle boys climb up to ride And press their chests in harnesses to scream, and scream, and scream and ride Against the storm in which the jackdaw ate.
Oliver Shrouder
The Mouse and the Bicycle
I saw a field mouse fresh-dead on the path, Blood black in the mud of the bicycle track, his Eyes, and brain, and paws, and all, were Curled like a stone in the dirt And so curls my brain at the sight of the gore, My eyeline dissected like mind split by tire, The sinews like wire, a being unreeled where Delicate body met bike.
Two explorers, one north, one lawlessly east, Who meet, and the weaker’s adventuring ends, and His treasures, his mappings, his soul becomes crust, which Clings to the spokes of the wheel And connects them, like ribbon to two planks of wood Makes a cross, on which hangs the unfinished campaign Of a mouse, who unwinds from his life and now lives The indefinite life of the bike.
Dylan Davies
11
Images: Pxhere (above), Pixabay
Confidence
Public speaking always terrified me. I hated the sound of my own voice Amplified through the microphone, Every crack of my throat audible against the silence of the room. I feared the multitude of faces Staring at me like dolls lined up in a toyshop, Their marble eyes glued to my body. I shuddered at my complete exposure: Nothing to separate me and my audience except the weight of my words. ‌ When my name is called, I take a deep breath The familiar rhythm of air filling my lungs reminds me that this nerve-racking moment is just a blip in my existence. I close my eyes to compose myself, just for a moment, but it is enough. I walk to the stage and, even though I am alone, I feel an invisible hand take mine and guide me to my position. The hand squeezes mine in encouragement. I briefly search the room for this unseen force but there is nothing – I am the only subject of this stage. When I look into the eyes of the strangers in front of me I expect to see the reflection of a quivering speaker, Voiceless and afraid. I am surprised at what I see mirrored back at me through their beady eyes; I do not recognise myself. Although my features remain the same, Katherine Childs I am coloured with confidence.
Image:: Pexels
12
Review: Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! The long-awaited album by the ‘Queen of the American Dream’ Lana Del Rey. It’s her sixth album and provides quite a different tune to her typical sound. Lana Del Rey ’s album is littered with artistic references, alongside the explicit mention of Norman Rockwell in ‘Venice Bitch’, she names Sylvia Plath. Lana is infamous for referencing many different artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and The Who.
perhaps it comes at an ironic time when America, and really the whole world, has entered a dark time full of anguish and conflict. To quote Lana, ‘I really do believe that words are one of the last forms of magic’. Lana seamlessly strings together complex references, clever wordplay and heartfelt emotion. Lana‘s music is magic. Elizabeth Grant, I commend you. You made me want to cry the whole time I was listening to it.
Accustomed to her regular referencing, I’ve realised my fondness of the album grows the more I listen to it. However, if this album were to be your introduction to her music, I feel like you might be discouraged to delve deeper and find hits like ‘Ultraviolence’, ‘Blue Jeans’ and ‘Video Games’.
The best few songs from the album are ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ (mainly because of the Elton John reference), ‘Venice Bitch’, ‘fuck it I love you’ and ‘California’. ‘Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman to have’ is also an emotional ballad, filled with a rare bit of falsetto.
This album definitely presents some darker emotions to listeners,
emotional outlet. In reality, this sentiment can be stretched to include the whole album. Norman Fucking Rockwell! Does it rock well? I wouldn’t label it rock, or even stretch it to pop, but it has certainly rocked my emotions. 4/5
Jess Barrett
‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ is a ballad to listen to when you feel downhearted and in need of an
Definitely Maybe at 25: The Spark That Lit Britpop Oasis, led by Liam Gallagher whose voice gives every one of their songs a nostalgic feeling to the British listener, released their debut album, Definitely Maybe and instantly became the faces of Britpop alongside other contemporaries such as The Verve and Blur. Whilst their debut does not contain their most successful tracks, namely ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ and ‘Wonderwall’, it nonetheless is filled with an intensely British optimism, impressive performances from Liam (and Noel as backing vocals) and an excellent yet raw production featuring shimmering guitars that became Oasis’ iconic sound. ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ is an anthem with lyrics detailing the youth’s
efforts
13 Image: Flickr
to
find
anything
worth doing, and resorting to substance abuse, with Gallagher complaining of how ‘there’s nothing worth working for’. He becomes more encouraging in the chorus, telling the youth to ‘make it happen’. This song has timeless subject matter - the subject matter of all the tracks could be argued as such and its instrumental contains vocal layering and variation that can easily be found in modern music. ‘Married with Children’ is another highlight, with Gallagher taking a far gentler tone compared to the album’s other tracks, singing a love song with minimalistic production featuring primarily a guitar. This song can be seen as the basis for songs like ‘Wonderwall’ in terms of instrumental, and ‘Songbird’ from
Heathen Chemistry in terms of the vocal style. The album’s opener ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ is similar in tone to ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’, with Gallagher singing of his hopes to become the titular rock star. The lyrics reference working a dead-end job whilst having dreams of something far greater. With the release of this timeless album, Oasis began an incredible career filled with hit after hit, with no other Britpop band ever reaching their level of success. 4.5/5
Jack Oxford
The Sound of Social Justice For as long as music has existed, it has bought society together and been used to share ideas. A prominent example: Band Aid. The charity supergroup, formed in 1984, raised funds to help stop the Ethiopian famine. Though they have faced much criticism for their methods, their hit ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’ features on playlists worldwide each December. While Band Aid’s legacy lives on through charity singles and benefit gigs, the fuel of desire for social justice appears to have been replaced. Charitable actions are used more as a marketing tactic than a statement of belief. Labels decide how artists are presented to the public by censoring what their music conveys, curating a public image. They decide who an artist is to their fans. Somewhat optimistically, I feel this is on the brink of change. We may be reaching a new era in music where once again artists can be and express themselves. In this era, bands choose what they put out into the world and marketing by labels can take a backseat. This new wave has been long awaited: climate change is becoming irreversible, Brexit is dividing our nation and global geopolitics are overshadowing the struggles of people worldwide. I heard the sounds of change at none other than the Reading festival. Headliners The 1975 put on their typical stellar performance, smattered with open discussion of issues the band’s vocalist, Matty Healy, cares about. Healy discussed his latest controversial move of kissing a boy onstage in Dubai, where it remains illegal. Later, the band began their encore by playing a Greta Thunberg speech as a means of introduction to their recent hit ‘love it if we made it’. Despite these moves not seeming out of the ordinary for the band described as ‘brilliantly odd’ in The Independent, the interesting aspect was their audience. The band has a reputation for its hysterical fans, but these teenagers in hysterics were not just the queers and the activists. Young adults from across the spectrum came in their masses to see the headlining performance, a testament to the compelling manner with which the band presents its music. I’m hoping that maybe the words of an idol are enough to inspire change
across the generation, regardless of background or privilege. The second standout act was Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. Early in their adrenaline-fuelled performance, Carter urged the crowd to form a mosh pit, declaring it to be for women only. This move allowed women to mosh without the fear of sexual harassment, showing a ‘prime example of how rock and roll can be a lot of mother-fucking fun without hurting anybody’. The atmosphere created was electric and Carter had the female audience hooked on the high of being seen, respected and empowered. While this simple act of real change shows the ease with which good can be put out into the world, the band did not stop there. The Rattlesnakes concluded their set with the hit ‘I hate you’, with the opening screen stating, ‘this song is dedicated to our current government’. While riling the crowd up with their rageful melody, big screens showed quotes casting light on the hypocrisy of Johnson’s cabinet. However, the band did not end their set with this anger, instead using their final words on the Main Stage to encourage attendees to register to vote. Again, the most notable part of Carter’s move was the diversity of the audience. While some of the aforementioned edgy teens made it over, Carter drew in a much wider age range, with everyone from children to pensioners in the audience. Despite some waiting for the Foo Fighters after, the crowd felt united by Carter’s sentiment, regardless of the background they brought with them to the show. As revolutionary as these performances felt in the moment, they are meaningless without the backdrop of wider change. Musicians needs to use their position of influence for good; times are too urgent for it to be otherwise wasted. Avoiding criticism by the press is too shallow a reason not to act. The sooner labels realise authenticity is the new cool, the better.
Laura Taylor
14
Concrete’s Great Gig Guide Sept-Oct’19 After a quiet August, hundreds of excellent bands are set to flock back to the bright lights of Norwich. In a monthly series for Concrete, we bring you the latest and most interesting gigs across Norwich.
release, ‘Further’, blends Hawley’s influences, from Elvis Presley to Roy Orbison and the late Scott Walker. Hawley is the master of reinventive retro pop done with outstanding musicianship. 04/10/19
The Night Café – The Waterfront
Gary Numan - LCR
The Night Café, with all of their indie credentials, are coming to The Waterfront on the 25th of September. Hailing from Liverpool, they are sure to make you bop and sway with their easy going sound and infectious hooks. 25/09/19
Richard Hawley - LCR
The legendary musician, dubbed the father of synth pop, Gary Numan takes to the stage at the LCR. An artist with a boundless amount of influence, Numan’s oeuvre is packed with ground-breaking gems including: ‘M.E.’, ‘Music for Chameleons’ and the seminal hit ‘Cars. His strive to be on the fringe of every musical movement makes him one of the most mesmerising artists of all time. 08/10/19.
Black Flag – The Waterfront
Sheffield’s baritone behemoth stops by on the 4th October. Best known for his albums named after Sheffield locale (Coles Corner, Lady’s Bridge to name a few), his latest
A surprise announcement given the small scope of their tour, the infamous Black Flag are coming to the Waterfront in October. Despite their lineup changes, they are as threatening as ever. Known for pushing the boundaries of punkrock and influencing the hardcore punk scene, their visceral sound creates anarchic live shows. 09/10/19
Snapped Ankles – Norwich Arts Centre Anonymous eco-synth band Snapped Ankles are one of the key highlights. With a newly beefedsound system at NAC thrown into the mix, their spine-shaking synthpunk will sound even bigger than usual. 15/10/19
Black Honey – The Waterfront
As part of the Wild Paths series of gigs, Black Honey are heading back along the A11 to Norwich. Almost marking the exact anniversary of their last trip, their slick-60s indiepop has energy in spades. With silky vocals and guitars that can both growl and purr – it’ll be an incredibly engaging set. 19/10/19. Molly Bates-Porter, Lewis Oxley
Callum
Gray,
TOOL: Fear Inoculum - Review. TOOL is one of those bands whose records can be difficult to ‘get’ their fanbase enjoy the visceral soundscapes and the incredible technical ability possessed by each of their members. Fear Inoculum, the band’s first album in thirteen years, is no different. At eighty-six minutes and only ten tracks, there aren’t many songs here that would fit into a party playlist, unless your party happened to be for fans of TOOL. Regardless, the songs on Fear Inoculum never feel too long, with every second being absolutely necessary. The band released the album’s title track as a single, and the build-up
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Image: Wikimedia Commons (left), Flickr
wto Maynard’s chorus - slow, with his voice coming in gently first - creates goosebumps upon every TOOL fan’s skin. The track could be representative of the album, with its strange lyrics referencing becoming immune to fear spread thinly over a multi-faceted instrumental, taking aspects from each of their albums. Invincible is similar, with a build-up across its twelve minutes, reaching a peak of high-tempo drumming and repeated riffs. Elements of electronic music are sprinkled throughout the track, and the distortion of Maynard’s voice contributes to the overall violent feel. ‘7empest’ is an incredible show of
the bands ability to create songs of a perfect length, with its fifteen minutes
barely giving the listener time to comprehend what they’re hearing. The album’s ‘interludes’ - not being named as such, but serving a similar function nonetheless - incorporate elements of other genres, with ‘Chocolate Chip Trip’ resembling a twisted Aphex Twin track with a Danny Carey drum solo, and ‘Mockingbeat’ being noise comprised of distorted jungle sounds, potentially interrupting the album’s flow somewhat despite being sonically interesting. To call Fear Inoculum a return would be an understatement. After thirteen years, TOOL has proved their music can still push boundaries without abandoning their signature sound. 4/5 Jack Oxford
Explosive New Content From E3 Every year the month of June sees thousands of both professionals and avid gamers flock to Los Angeles for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3. Their mission: to catch a glimpse of upcoming releases for software and games. Rumours abound and announcements are eagerly expected, but there are always a few wilds cards which take everyone by surprise and this year was no different. Here are just a few of the revelations that got the gaming community buzzing; we’re starting with the reveal that has already spawned a new meme and the ever-endearing line of “No, you’re breath-taking!” by the beloved Keanu Reeves. Yes, this is the announcement of Cyberpunk 2077 in which the aforementioned actor will be a playing a major role. Based upon Mike Pondsmith’s tabletop roleplaying game of the 80s, and drawing on classic sci-fi like Bladerunner and Ghost In The Shell, CD Projekt Red have built a sprawling city whose obsession with body augmentation now mean anything is possible. The game is set to be released in April 2020 and it may well have been the most hyped game of the expo. On a similar vein of tabletop games turned virtual, Larian Studios released more information for the highly anticipated sequel to
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the acclaimed Baldur’s Gate series. It was confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will follow the 5th Edition rule set of D&D, rather than the 2nd like the previous two games and will be tied closely to the tabletop RPG Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus. As of yet there is nothing close to a release date with Creative Director Swen Vincke going for the it’ll-be-ready-when-its-ready approach. Also, if technology gone mad is your kind of genre, then keep an eye out for Watch Dogs: Legion dropping in March. Hitting close to home, it was finally confirmed that the game will be taking place in a post-Brexit London where you play a part of the resistance fighting the surveillance organisation of Albion. What will make-or-break this game is its decision to make every Londoner you see playable; depending on the skill set you require for a mission, anyone is recruitable to your cause. In other news, if you wondered what George R. R. Martin is getting up to since the end of Game of Thrones (the TV show at least), he has been working with Hidetaka Miyazaki - of Bloodbourne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice fame - on a brand new addition to the Souls franchise. Whilst details are slim for now, it would appear Elden
Image: sourlemoning, WikiCommons
Ring will follow it its predecessors’ footsteps of dark fantasy but with a more open world feel. A release date has not been confirmed as of yet, but it is most likely to drop towards the end of next year. If you’re looking for something a little cuter in its gameplay, Nintendo have got you covered with plenty of recognisable faces returning in the coming year. Probably most exciting was the further information on both Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The two games will be released on Nintendo Switch in October and March respectively having first been announced all the way back in 2018. Whilst very little is still known about the newest Animal Crossing, it would appear the character of Tom Nook will be returning, and crafting will be a much greater part of the game. In terms of Luigi’s Mansion 3, Nintendo’s time at E3 was used to show a longer gameplay trailer which revealed great graphics and new combat options. There were hundreds more great reveals at the E3 this year including Star Wars, FIFA, Zelda, and a Blair Witch game, all which look fixed to set a high standard of game releases in the coming 12 months and beyond.
Martha Griffiths
First in Fortnite World Cup This summer saw the world’s first esports tournament for Fortnite, the hugely successful battle royale game released by Epic Games in 2017. The event took place in New York’s Arthur Ashe stadium from 26th- 28th July and featured 100 solo competitors and 50 duo teams competing for prizes from a pool of $30 million. The tournament was streamed on several well-known platforms, garnering 1.3 million viewers on streaming giant Twitch, and a further 500,000 audience members on YouTube. Players competed in six matches of the multiplayer game, accumulating points in a simple system based on their placement at the end of each match, and their number of eliminations. The player with the most points collected after the six matches won, earning a top prize of $3m – the largest pay-out to date for a champion of an esports
tournament. As with many sports, the focus of the tournament rested on the solo participants. First place went to 16-year-old Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf from Pennsylvania, represented by esports organisation Sentinels. Despite his success, Kyle has since been the target of various online attacks. His social media was hacked into just hours after his historymaking victory, and he has recently been the victim of “swatting”. The prank of “swatting” involves people interrupting streamers whilst they play, by faking emergency calls to get a SWAT team to attend the location where the player is based. In Kyle’s case, this took place at his home address, where he was luckily recognised by one of the officers attending the incident. One talking point of the tournament has been the absence of female
players in competitive gaming. This summer’s tournament saw no female soloists, despite there being 100 participants. This doesn’t match up with Fortnite’s user base, which shows that 35% of the game’s players are female, or the wider gaming population, which is estimated to be 46% female. Many have suggested that Fortnite’s biggest user base – young males – are the problem. Some hardcore gamers can promote exclusive and elitist attitudes towards the games that they are heavily invested in, deterring female users when this is expressed in derogatory and misogynistic insults. However, one victory for female gamers was seen at the Fortnite Cup weekend, with epsorts team FaZe Clan introducing their first signed female player, Ewok.
Ellie Robson
Image: BagoGames, Flickr
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Norwich gearing up for Nor-Con
Meet the Editor
Norwich TV, Film and Comic Con returns to Norfolk Showground for its ninth year. Offering a star-studded line-up of celebrity guests including: Cara Theobold - the voice of Tracer in gaming phenomenon Overwatch, Torchwood and Keeping Faith star Eve Myles, Kai Owen and Gareth Lloyd-Jones from Torchwood, 90s TV legend Michael Van Wijk - best known as Wolf from Gladiators, Doctor Who actors Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor Who), Sylvester McCoy (the 7th Doctor Who) and Sophie Aldred (the Doctor’s assistant), Kenneth Colley - Admiral Piett in the original Star Wars trilogy, and the ever-popular Red Dwarf stars Chris Barrie (Arnold J Rimmer) and Hattie Hayridge (Holly).
NOR-CON also includes the Artist Alley where some of the most talented comic book artists will be appearing and sketching live. Artists include Martin Griffiths who has worked on titles including Transformers and Thundercats, Lee Townsend whose work includes Marvel and DC, and Nigel Parkinson, the official cartoonist of The Beano’s Dennis the Menace, Bash Street Kids, Bananaman, Roger the Dodger and many more.
NOR-CON is taking place on 28th and 29th September 2019. Established in 2009, NOR-CON has grown from just 370 visitors to become the region’s premier geek-fest with an expected 8,000 visitors over the two days. Held at the Royal Norfolk Showground Arena, NOR-CON offers visitors a 3000m2indoor arena packed with displays, exhibits, celebrities, talks and traders selling everything from clothing and merchandise to bespoke costume accessories.
NOR-CON is a ticket only event. Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets online in advance as numbers are limited to ensure the event is not overcrowded. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.nor-con.co.uk.
Hello and a warm welcome to all our new readers joining UEA this year! I’m Martha, your new gaming editor for Venue and I am so excited for all the awesome things this year will bring. I’ve been a gamer from a young age (thanks to an older brother) and now I love immersive fantasy games such as God of War and Dishonored, yet having a special place in my heart for walking simulators such as Dear Esther and Firewatch. Whilst studying in the USA last year I was lucky enough to take a class that focused on videogames and why they are so important as another form of rhetoric, this is something I will be very eager to include in this year’s Venue. In future, this part of the gaming section will be used for a short column for new gamers to write about their experiences playing something for the first time. It can be a little daunting when you first dip your toes into the gaming world, and it will be a great encouragement to hear from those who have done just that. If this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, then drop me a line and we can find the right game just for you. Happy gaming!
Photo opportunities throughout the weekend include the chance to pose with some of film and TV’s most recognisable vehicles including the Back to the Future DeLorean, KITT from Knight Rider, the A-Team van (complete with a Mr T lookalike) and a fan-built replica of the Blade Runner flying car, known as the Spinner.
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Image: NOR-CON
In 2018, NOR-CON helped to raise over £700 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. The 2019 chosen charity is the Royal British Legion, which provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces community.
Roo Pitt
Martha Griffiths
Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the next cult classic. Let’s start with Quentin Tarantino. When anyone utters his name I reckon many of us think of the same thing. Violence. Extreme, graphic and bloody. It’s only after a few of the more famous deaths in Tarantino’s films pass through my mind that I start to think of everything else I associate with the 56 year-old filmmaker. His worldwide stardom, for a start. His previous eight films, many if not all of which are also cult classics and his seemingly endless flirtations with controversy from gun violence in America to describing statutory rape as “not quite the same thing” as rape. Even with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, his ninth film, Tarantino has opened himself up to a number of allegations. Misogyny seems to be the one many are using. Some critics will label it and simply move on. Whatever
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Image: Wikimedia Commonsedia
anyone says about it, you must see this film. And you will. Because it’s a Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino usually seems to have a thirst for upfront violence in his films, so what surprised me most in this film is the lack of on-screen violence. That is until the last 15 or so minutes, but it’s a three-hour film. The rest is just plot. You don’t need to know much backstory when you walk into the cinema but you have probably heard of the Hollywood actress Sharon Tate (played in this film by Margot Robbie) and the Manson family. The film’s storyline culminates on 8th August 1969, which in reality was the day members of the Manson family brutally murdered a heavily pregnant Sharon Tate and four others. It was a mass murder that stunned Hollywood,
Im-
and propelled Charles Manson and his cult of followers to infamy. As I sat in the darkness of the cinema, I expected at every turn to witness this unimaginable yet true violence. Slowly, Tarantino built up the story of actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) whose career is starting to wane and his possibly wife-murdering stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Tarantino peppers the film with references, allusions to, and the possibility of violence, yet for most of it there are only hints of violence. Overall this film is surprising. It’s comical at times and sad at others. But again, don’t expect anything less than a cult classic. That is what it will become.
Chris Matthews
Love Island ‘It Is What It Is’ Love Island caused a great deal of controversy when it came out, but five series later it has moved on from being every viewer’s guilty pleasure to something that fills up everyone’s social media timelines. Love Island this year might have appeared to be the same – the attractive contestants, the large luxury villa, even down to the personalised water bottles. However, it was full of deception and shifted from the programme we were first introduced to. One of the best things to come out of this year’s series was the relationship between Amber and Greg. They were the underdogs that stole the nation’s hearts and ended up winning the show. After everything Amber was put through on the show, I really believed she deserved to win and was happy with the outcome. To begin with, everyone thought Amber was brash and harsh, but as the show progressed and we saw her softer side, the couple became the nation’s sweethearts. However, in the last week it was rumoured that Greg had broken up with Amber over text – this kind of
behaviour was not what I would have expected from him, and the news shocked everyone who had rooted for the couple’s success. This year‘s series left me disappointed. There wasn’t as much drama, hardly any arguments and barely any challenges were featured on the main show. Instead, they were on one of Love Island’s many spin off shows Aftersun. I understand that they’ve got an increasingly large following and having multiple shows is a way to capture the audience and maximise profit, but it’s annoying. Why can’t all of the drama and entertaining scenes we combined into one show, rather than being split up? In addition to the multiple spin off shows, a lot of content was not featured in the main series. There was a lack of sex scenes, the contestants smoking had been cut, and almost every contestant appeared to have agency representation. Only six of 2019’s contestant actually applied to be on the show – everyone else was scouted. Clearly, Love Island has
become less about finding love, and more about building an influencer career. Molly-Mae Hague entered the villa as a social media influencer from the start, having her number of Instagram followers increase by 758 percent and has also secured herself the largest fashion collaboration deal with Pretty Little thing. Not far behind her, Maura Higgins has also collaborated with the fashion brand Boohoo and has released her own label. Perhaps this shift in the focus of the show reflects the attitudes we hold within society. We hold fame above love and romance, and every action we make is questioned. Our scepticism highlights that our society has shifted to become more deceitful and manipulative in order to obtain our desired outcome. Our current political climate is full of deceit and scheming. It’s no surprise that the same behaviour is being seen within reality shows such as Love Island.
Jess Barrett
Godzilla: King of the Monsters In spite of mixed critical reception, King of the Monsters serves as a powerful continuation of Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse series and as a love letter to long-time fans as well as the franchise’s pioneers. The film hosts some of the most impressive cinematography seen this year, with the true weight of its supersized stars being conveyed through well-choreographed fights and
beautifully lit shots. Whether heroic or villainous, the sight of each and every kaiju is rendered in an outstanding fashion. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the glorious chase scene in which the human characters lure the oversized pterodactyl Rodan into the path of the enraged hydra King Ghidorah, setting the scene for an enthralling airborne skirmish. The soundtrack respects its roots by
incorporating not only old-school themes, but also the numerous classic stomps and roars of Godzilla and his co-stars. King of the Monsters realises its place as a thoroughly nonallegorical iteration of the nuclearpowered reptile, instead thriving as one of the most enjoyable actionfocused Godzilla films in his 55-year tenure.
Mallory Spencer Image : Warner Bros. Pictures
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The Lion King “Faithful and Beautiful Retelling” The Lion King is Disney’s latest in a long line of live action remakes of their animated classics and this one is a success. It is a faithful and beautiful retelling of the beloved classic that is stunning to watch; the sheer artistry on display in this movie is breathtaking, from the first note of Circle of Life to Simba’s final roar. It may not be necessary or match the magic of the original, but it still tells a charming and enticing tale of betrayal
and belonging. The songs are still catchy. The characters are still loveable. Scar is still a perfect villain. Timon and Pumbaa steal every scene they’re in, as they always did for me. Despite its shortcomings, this movie is a fantastic remake which pulls at the heartstrings and appeals to everyone’s nostalgia. It will put a smile on your face and make you fall in love with The Lion King all over again.
Nerisse Appleby
‘Orange is the New Black Says Goodbye’
SPOILER ALERT
The final season of the prison drama, Orange is the New Black (OITNB), was released on the 26th of July. Each season beforehand had a powerful political message, but this final season really hit home for the American audience (and some Brits too).
The joyful parts of the season were the reunion between ‘Taystee’ and Tamika, known in the final season as Warden
‘The Joker’ The Clown Prince of Crime is returning to our screens in yet another incarnation. While initial feedback to the upcoming DC Universe film understandably showed some apprehension, acclaim from the Venice Film Festival and an all star cast of Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro has led to the film being one of the most hotly anticipated of the year.
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Image: Wikimedia Commonsedia
Ward. Alongside this storyline, the settling down of Joe Caputo and Natalie Figueroa into a long-term relationship was also nice to see, even if Joe became the target of a #MeToo movement caused by the actions of his earlier character. The more heartbreaking parts for fans of the season were Tiffany’s suicide after passing her GED exam, the homelessness of Cindy, and the deportation of a Hispanic mother of two; this plotline really brought the immigration laws currently active in America into the foreground and built upon the ongoing narrative that prisons are being run for profit.
‘The Irishman’ Scorsese and De Niro back together at last, need I say more? In one of Legendary Directors’ most expensive productions to date, The Irishman will follow the story of Frank Sheeran, a mob hitman and member of the Bufalino crime family. With Al Pacino and notable Scorsese alumni Joe Pesci also starring, the film comes with huge expectations and huge anticipation.
Gabriela Williams
‘The End of the F****** World’ The Channel 4 produced black comedy about two young kindred spirits on the run has developed a huge cult following since its release in 2017. With Blur’s Graham Coxon back at the helm after his acclaimed soundtrack for the first season, the series looks set to impress yet again.
Fin Aitken
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