CONCRETE TURNS 30!
384
VENUE
Editorial
3
New year, new Venue! Welcome back to UEA after the Christmas break, and huge congratulations for completing last term’s summatives (assuming that there aren’t any assessments left, lingering, waiting to be written… in which case, condolences, but remember: you’ve got this!) 2022 has started brilliantly in the arts world; we have so much to look forward to, so much talent that will be gracing our various screens, ears, and the pages of our novels in the coming 365 days. Venue will be there to document, review and keep you all up to date on the brilliant events happening in the arts, both on and around campus, and beyond. Now, onto this issue; Issue 384 of Venue. To those of you who may have seen a big bunch of us, wandering around campus in party hats a few days ago, with brightly-coloured balloons in hand, you have come to the right place for an explanation: the magazine and paper that you have picked up is a special edition. This is because, on the 22nd of January 2022, our good friend, Concrete turned 30 years old! The team at Venue want to wish our beloved student paper a really happy birthday, and thank them for all the hard work and passion that has filled their pages since 1992. Concrete has been such a staple of the UEA experience for its three flourishing decades, and so, with that in mind, we’re complementing their 30th birthday edition, with our own, artsy celebration of student journalism. We hope that you all enjoy. Photo: Samuel Baxter (from L to R, Deputy Editor Hamilton, Venue Editor Elizabeth and Deputy Editor Molly)
Happy Birthday, Concrete! Fizz, Hamilton and Molly
Section Editors: Arts - Jack Warren
Music - Tom manning
Books - Louise Collins
Gaming - Holly Jackson
Fashion - Zorsha Taylor-Suich
Film - Laura Patterson
Creative Writing - Izzy Murphy
TV - Ben Smith
Front Cover Photo by Samuel Baxter (www.samuelbaxter.uk)
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contents Arts .....................................................................5 Books ...................................................................8 Fashion ..............................................................11 Creative Writing ..............................................14 Music .................................................................17 Gaming ...............................................................20 Film ....................................................................24 TV ........................................................................27 30 years!........................................................... 30
Arts Sophio Medoize at Outpost
5
By Poppy miller It’s not often you see something like
film, as most of the technology seen
a modern, globalised era, where the
Sophio Medoize’s Artificial Sleep (Her
in shots is of the camera itself. The
deeper meanings and connections
her her her her her her HER). The
Tusheti communities are one of the last
of such traditions can easily be lost.
short film Let us flow!, accompanied by
true nomadic communities, migrating
Medioze introduces her work with
sculptural work, Let us flow! premiered
across
landscape
her poem ‘Madoli’. The words ‘others
at Outpost on the 27th of January,
throughout the year, and partaking
were always louder, happier, more
shaking off any last semblance of new
in a mixture of Christian and Pagan
wrapped up in their own world and
year inertia I had by reminding me
traditions,
less interested in her than she was in
of the velocity of life in a world that
ancestors.
the
Georgian
closely
following
their
them’ indicates the deep connection
is almost completely digitised. The
Medoize ‘s work depicts the intricate
these communities have with their
piece explores remote communities
rituals involved in the midsummer
traditions and rituals, and the absence
in Tusheti, Georgia, and the threat
celebrations of ‘Atingenoba’, a two
of a modern, or perhaps postmodern,
their impending digitisation can have
weeklong festival occurring 100 days
pace of life allows a deeper sense of
on ritual practices and the nomad
after Easter. Medoize explores the
togetherness.
community. Artificial sleep (Her her
importance of Horse racing within the
The significance of this work
her her her her her HER) kicks off their
festival and the practices surrounding
cannot be overlooked, and the difficulty
programme of 5 contemporary art
the races, exhibiting several rituals
maintaining
exhibitions across the year, supported
held before the racing begins. The
within a community in an increasingly
by the Arts Council England.
film depicts the Khorbeghela ritual, a
digital world is becoming impossible.
The film follows the traditions and
practice involving five men in a circle,
There is a sense that if these traditions
rituals surrounding bareback horse
with another five men standing on their
were to die, then not only are they
racing in
communities so detached
shoulders. It’s a deeply spiritual ritual,
gone, so is a frontier of human society
from the digital world that before the
occurring before the horse race begins.
that remains untouched by the digital,
government introduced Wi-Fi into the
Medoize explores the complicated
remote villages, phone signal couldn’t
conflicts between the modern and
Therefore, the exploration of the
be found for 10km. This absence of
traditional, allowing you to consider
Tusheti
technology is evident throughout the
how these traditions are maintained in
‘modernise, or remain faithful to
the
spiritual
replicable,
and
community’s
connections
homogenous. problem
to
Photo: Unsplash
tradition’ is of increasing importance.
26 Arts Concrete’s approach to the arts: a reflection By Elizabeth Woor – my personal favourite being that they
in the early 2000s. As this began to die
When I was scrolling through old
listed local events for that month. On
down, it’s clear that the covers of The
issues of Concrete for this anniversary
reflection, that’s something I think we
Event become less and less focused on
issue, I couldn’t help but be in awe
should bring back.
these figures. There appears to be a
of how much Concrete has evolved.
It appears that towards the late
much bigger move towards art created
In particular, as the editor of Venue, I
90’s there was a push to include more
by students around the time that Venue
was naturally struck by the evolution
commentary on Arts and Culture. Thus,
was born, suggesting that the Arts-
of the arts and how past journalists
The Event was born. This was a new,
loving community on campus wanted
approached reviewing, sharing and
whole magazine dedicated to the Arts.
the magazine to be more of a mirror
illustrating creativity on and around
It spanned well into the mid noughties,
image of the student body.
campus.
and boy, were there some dazzling
I felt immensely inspired by all the
During Concrete’s 30 years, the
covers. Unlike the student art and
versions of Venue’s past. The vibrancy
arts section of the paper has taken
photography that we highlight on the
of Norwich’s fierce independence and
numerous different forms. Venue as
front of Venue now, The Event appears
admiration for creatives is obvious
we know it today is actually a very
to have taken more of a popular culture
from 1992 to the present day. Here’s to
new format for the paper, having only
route. Cover stars included Borat in
30 more years!
begun to be published under this title
his iconic mankini, the characters of
around 10 years back.
desperate housewives and the one
So, what was before Venue you ask?
and only Peter Andre, sporting a
30 years ago, the arts were sections
sickeningly 90s outfit.
within the paper itself. Instead of a
Sadly, assuming that you too
separate pull out, readers could enjoy
would love to see Peter Andre grace
breaking news and cultural reviews
Venue’s cover, we no longer tend to
within the same paper. Although you
use portraits of a singular celebrity on
might argue for its efficiency, this format
our covers – somehow it doesn’t feel
perhaps illustrates a lack of recognition
that appropriate for a magazine that
for the importance of the Arts. Concrete
is reflective of UEA. Yet, they do point
in 1992 also only included sections for
to an interesting change in the style of
film and music, with a small corner
arts and culture reporting. Seemingly,
dedicated to books from time to time.
The Event was highly focused on
That was it. However, despite the space
famous people and their involvement
it held being small, there were still
with culture, which was presumably
some cracking articles and interesting
linked to the rise of celebrity influence
ideas within the arts section back then
Photo: Concrete
arts
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Our Concept of Space Over Lockdown: Choreographing By Allison Ko Recordings--meeting
When the world shut down nearly two
notes,
others have--from nature. In the final
years ago, everyone’s lives became a
verbalized
descriptions,
filming of Spring Awakening, the May
little bit more compact, and everyone
and videos of all possible angles of the
2021 government limit to groups of 6
panicked.
choreography--became
assembling
The
COVID-19
pandemic
movement
crucial,
and
outdoors
meant
careful
eating,
dumped in a massive google drive with
planning and camera tricks to put the
socializing
20 production team brains’ worth of
pieces of groups of people together--
our
own
ideas stewing. On top of the bad wifi we
as well as endless sticks of covid tests.
bedrooms. For many, the first months
wrestled through and whacking elbows
Filming everything outdoors became an
of lockdown were maybe a sudden but
on bed frames, our job became how to
intention: if not physically connecting
perspective-inducing slow-down, and
be clever about doing a musical about
with each other, then using touch to
then progressively going stir-crazy. As
teenagers and sex socially distanced-
interact with the grass, river, and trees.
a dancer, and speaking to other artists,
if not in separate rooms. Teaching
Our creative production team made it a
finding motivation to create became
routines definitely taught me how to
mission to connect the script to flowers,
impossibly
usual
be in many places at once. Transferring
colours, night/day time to make it a
circulatory routines turning into us
the rehearsal space over onto zoom
cohesive story: and as a result turned it
doing circles in our rooms--it’s much
strangely made it a very intimate
into a nature piece.
smaller and we seem much bigger.
experience--in the sense that bedrooms
Now, in 2022 where most of the
All our activities between eating and
are usually a private place. Lockdown
restrictions within the country are lifted,
sleeping we’ve figured out how to do
has had us unexpectedly invite everyone
I am especially aware of my experiences
in bed: the sameness definitely became
in: to peer through a window into an
of space in not at all socially distanced
an inspiration killer. From locking
intimate space we hold.
bachata dancing Friday nights, drinking
happened--and sleeping, condensed
everyone’s
working, down
tough.
and to
via
With
our
down to tentatively opening and then
In our little zoom boxes, it was all
together with friends at the pub, and
going back into lockdown, these past
about making small movements look
spontaneous bumping into so many
COVID-plagued years I think have done
big--and working out 50 different ways
wonderful creative people every day-
a lot to how we treat our relationships
to get on the ground and up again
-because it’s allowed now. At the end
with space. Signing up to choreograph
while simutaneously staying in frame.
of the day, though, I often find myself
a musical at uni while headed into
Depth was difficult; our brains can
ending up in a booked room in the
England’s
was
easily conceptualize flat plane dancing
Blackdale building, rearranging desks
definitely going to be an interesting one
on flat screens, but as soon as things
and choreographing alone, or jamming
for all of us involved. The UEA Drama
began twisting in the choreography,
in the kitchen to The Avalanches’ latest
and Musical Theatre taking on Spring
we
a
album by myself too early, sliding across
Awakening (music written by Duncan
little bit of chaos. With the absence of
the tiles making breakfast. I think going
Shiek) spring of 2021 with the reality
other people near us, the lockdown
about creating and about my day has
that everything had to happen on screen
drove us towards connecting with the
become about finding large spaces in very
and again, within our bedrooms, we had
environment instead. For my dancing
small ones.
to think about space in every aspect of
and writing, I found myself taking a
the production.
lot of inspiration--as I’m sure many
second
lockdown
(collectively)
descended
into
Editor: JAck Warren
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books
Talking Romance: An Interview with Talia Hibbert by Louise Collins
“I see romance novels as a blueprint of who deserves to be loved and how they deserve to be loved.” Whilst Hibbert’s books are primarily known as romance, they’re celebrated for the topics she includes. The Princess Trap discusses childhood trauma and betrayal, and The Roommate Risk delves into familial loss, and grief. Her books are brilliantly, beautifully layered, and they always strike the perfect balance. When asked about her themes, Hibbert replied, “the way I write is based on character” explaining “when something is integral to a character’s experience, it’s naturally woven through the story because it colours everything they do and feel.” Rather than writing her novels knowing they’ll portray grief or anxiety, she brings the characters to the forefront. I asked her what sparks her inspiration, and she replied, “I could find inspiration from anywhere because I’ve
been reading for so long that my brain is hard-wired to see stories everywhere.” Most of all, people are inspiring to her because they appear differently in new situations and by different people. Hibbert described her upcoming YA novel, Highly Suspicious, Unfairly Cute, as “romance for small people”, ensuring her audience know she’s still a romantic. The new book follows “best friends turned enemies turned rivals turned best friends who kiss” featuring two highly strung teens who spend an enrichment programme together. Anyone who follows Hibbert understands she’s a huge romantic, but she described why romance, including YA, calls out to her so much; “one of the things I love about it, is that because people falling in love happens in every context, it spans over so many subgenres, so there’s so many different corners of romance that I’m excited to explore.” Although writing mostly contemporary romance, Hibbert is drawn to fantasy and sci-fi romance; “I grew up watching Star Trek and Xena: Warrior Princess and that’s where my brain sits happily.” When asked about her go-to recommendation, Hibbert points to the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh, describing it as “one of the most cinematic, thrilling, creative and fascinating worlds I’ve ever sunk into as a reader.” There’s such a huge array of stories told in this series, and Hibbert states they’re diverse in every way, making them relatable to every reader. I’m personally sold by that pitch. Out of her extensive bibliography, Hibbert points to Work for It, The Roommate Risk, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown as being her favourites, although she jokes that she couldn’t explain why. I confessed that Eve Brown is one of my all-time favourite books, but that Rahul from The Roommate Risk is one of the best, most wholesome romantic heroes. She agreed, laughing, “noble, pining heroes are the best.” I had so much fun picking her brains, and I, of course, had to grab a zoom selfie. To stay up to date on her upcoming projects, you can sign up to her newsletter on the Talia Hibbert website.
Photo: Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert is a New York Times bestselling author of sexy, diverse romance novels. I had the pleasure of interviewing her. It’s safe to say that I fangirled, telling her how much I love her writing. Readers have celebrated Hibbert for her diverse characters, as she celebrates people of all shapes, shades, and sizes. Where romance books of bygone years ignored disability or described romances between petite women with tall, muscled men, Hibbert rejects the standard, showing that everybody and every body is sexy. She explained, “in all stories, diversity is important, because you’re telling someone their story matters. I see romance novels as a blueprint of who deserves to be loved and how they deserve to be loved. If romance isn’t diverse, then all it reinforces is white supremacist and patriarchal ideals.” One of her main characters, Chloe Brown, is a plus-sized Black woman with chronic pain, and Hibbert emphasises that her pain doesn’t mean she is any less worthy, or capable, of passion. When I asked Hibbert’s feelings towards the hate romance is often victim to, she noted the “toxic core of misogyny” behind the terms such as ‘trashy’. Expanding on her point, she explained, “the things associated with femininity such as emotions and happiness are seen as ‘lesser’. Less worthy, less intellectual.” She followed this up by saying “I think it’s sad that it’s considered normal that feelings and happiness are silly.” Rather than feeling angered, Hibbert feels sympathetic to the haters, wondering what kind of life they’re leading if they feel superior to happiness. Like many readers, Hibbert feels empowered by romance because it reminds us that “it’s not only okay, but good to want to be happy” in a world where we’re taught success comes from materialistic and financial gain.
BOOKS
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The Secret History by Donna Tartt: A 1992 Publication The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is one of my favourite novels, so when I was recommended The Secret History, I couldn’t wait to start it. I went into the novel optimistic but doubting it would meet the standard of The Goldfinch. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s fair to say I was entirely encapsulated by The Secret History, it’s haunting, horrifying and slightly addictive. The Secret History is not for the faint hearted. It is thematically heavy, filled with corruption, intelligence, envy, social class and murder. The novel follows the first-person narrative of Richard Papen who is reflecting on his 19-year-old self’s first year at Hampden College. In his first few weeks in Vermont, Richard quickly becomes involved in a small, elite group of students studying ancient Greek under the influence of a professor, Julian Morrow. Despite their higher social status and exceptional intelligence, the students appear quite normal, but Richard soon learns that is not the case at all, and the secrets quickly spill out over the pages. Although Tartt’s ideas and motifs are highly complex, the reader is not left behind. Through Richard, a less enigmatic character, the plot simply flows. A degree in Ancient Greek is not necessary to understand the novel. The other characters are not developed as intricately, for example, for the influence Julian holds, he isn’t as notably present. In the first hundred pages the characters don’t necessarily stand out from each other. However, this soon changes, and the novel becomes difficult to put down. I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody looking for quick read, with it being 629 pages long. However, it is the best novel I’ve read for a long time, and if you want a thrilling and challenging read then this is the book for you.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Unsplash
by sophie Colley
Anticipated Reads of 2022 By Katy Fajkus 2022 has already seen new releases receiving widespread praise, including Yanagihara’s novel To Paradise, which explores an alternative end to America’s Civil War. There are many more exciting reads lined up, here are a couple to look forward to. V.E Schwab’s upcoming YA fantasy, Gallant, released in March, follows Olivia Prior who moves into a large family manor full of eerie secrets, uncovering generations of haunting through her family. In May, Kelly Barnhill is releasing a new feminist fantasy novel entitled When Women Were Dragons. A ‘Mass Dragoning’ sees 300,000 women transform into dragons and Alex Green attempts to uncover why this event affects her family differently. If crime is more your style, Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment, released this February, follows the mysterious disappearance of Jess’ half-brother Ben. True crime writer Patrick Radden Keefe has numerous celebrated articles in “The New Yorker”, and his upcoming nonfiction, Rogues, will bring these together. If romance is up your avenue, May will see Akwaeke Emezi telling the story of Feyi Adekola after the love of her life dies in an accident. Five years on, You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty, follows her journey through loss to persue true love.
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BOOKS
Looking Back: A Jurassic Park Review by Eleanor Carr The name Jurassic Park brings to mind animatronic dinosaurs and chase scenes through deserted theme parks. Today few people, myself included, know there was a book before the film. Written by sci-fi author Michal Crichton in 1990, this book explores the dangers of taking science too far. The novel opens with a series of mysterious animal attacks in Costa Rica, later found to be the work of a dinosaur that should be long extinct. Palaeontologist Alan Grant and his assistant, Ellie Sattler, are brought in to investigate, soon finding themselves invited to the island of an eccentric billionaire Dr Hammond. This island is the titular Jurassic Park - a high-tech theme park with live dinosaurs as the star attractions. Alan and Ellie join a group of consultants, and Dr Hammond’s grandchildren, on a tour of the park. But there’s a storm rolling in, and as anyone who’s heard of Jurassic Park knows, the dinosaurs aren’t exactly happy to stay behind bars. Man vs Dinosaur might be a familiar story by now, but Crichton doesn’t pull his punches. Once all hell breaks loose, the levels of suspense rival the best horror. The characters are compelling too, Alan and Ellie make likeable protagonists, but the real star is Ian Malcolm, a chaos theorist and opponent to the park whose biting criticisms make for some of the best dialogue I’ve read. The social commentary is also surprisingly relevant, with the main conflict centring on the danger of ignoring experts and putting monetary gain over human safety. However, in between the action, Chrichton does manage to pack in a huge amount of mathematical and scientific jargon. I found myself having to google something almost every other page, but the plus side is I now know a lot about dinosaurs and 80s chaos theory. Less useful are the almost unbearable child characters who, at times, have you wishing the dinosaurs would just hurry up and eat them. Despite this, Jurassic Park definitely holds its own against the more famous adaptation. A neat scientific thriller, it uses the unique setting to its advantage and even manages to pack in comments on exploitation and scientific responsibility. For fans of dinosaurs or simply people who like a good scare, I would certainly recommend this book, which manages to be as prescient to the times in 2022 as it was in 1990.
Photo: Concrete 1992
EDITOR: Louise Collins
Fashion
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REMEMBERING THIERRY MUGLER: A PIONEER OF AVANT-GARDE HAUTE COUTURE by bethany james
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
‘I have always been fascinated by the most beautiful animal on the Earth: the human being.’ Innately creative, Strasbourgborn Thierry Mugler (21 December 1948 - 23 January 2022) lived to become the most renowned contemporary ‘ E n f a n t Te r r i b l e ’ . I n c r e a t i n g his first collection Café de Paris in 1973, Mugler began his journey to becoming a famous C r e a t i v e D i r e c t o r a n d D e s i g n e r. As Mugler designed the Alien Eau Sublime with its feminine opulence, spurring his audacious l e g a c y, h e w a s s i m u l t a n e o u s l y
preparing a new space for highfashion where the contemporary standards were ignored. This rebellious streak coined Mugler as a man who p o r t r a y e d t h e Av a n t - G a r d e i n higher voltage than ever before. Despite his theatrical displays amalgamating futuristic silhouettes with Metamorphic elements, Mugler declared that ‘the clothes [he] did were a direction of the everyday’. He was charmingly ostentatious in his fashion pieces which reimagined the way the world experienced the creation of garments. It was this straying from expectations that had him strike down all implicit creative rules. His theatrical productions, often lasting an h o u r, e v e n h o s t e d D J s e t s , p a r t y lights, and smoke to ensure an elusiveness experience. Even the t i t l e s o f s o m e o f M u g l e r ’s p i e c e s announce their entrance to the w o r l d ’s s t a g e : R o b o t Wo m a n , R e d C o w g i r l , Ve n u s D r e s s , We t Dress, Motorcycle Corset, and Les Insectes. These titles prove M u g l e r ’s e n d u r i n g a b i l i t y t o take risks in his demonstrations, using the hyperfeminine as a s o u r c e o f p o w e r f u l g l a m o u r. These entrancing motifs continued to reign at the top of the provocative fashion realm. Mugler dressed icons of the late 20th and early 21st centuries such as Beyoncé, Cindy Crawford, Lady Gaga, David B o w i e , a n d M a d o n n a . Wi t h n o t e s of seduction alongside selfassurance, Mugler gave space for diversity to travel to the forefront of fashion, changing the fashion world one step at a time. M u g l e r ’s models often became goddess-like space venturers who walked the
catwalk in manifestations of erotic fantasies. Pieces would be formed from eccentric yet timeless patterns crafted from vinyl, latex, metal, and faux f u r. To q u o t e a n e p i t o m i s a t i o n o f M u g l e r ’s l i f e ’s w o r k , ‘ I h a v e always been fascinated by the most beautiful animal on the Earth: the human being’, it is clear that Thierry Mugler was a remarkable designer of his time, marrying the human body and its fashion to exist as one.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Fashion
thirty YEARS OF SHOPPING: HOW by zorsha taylor suich
Photo: Wikimedia Commons Shopping in 2022 could not get any more accessible. Price ranges fit for all budgets scatter themselves around Norwich, and countless online shops have imprinted on our internet h i s t o r i e s . I n C o n c r e t e ’s 1 9 9 2 i s s u e p u b l i s h e d O c t o b e r 2 8 t h , ‘ To p To g s - Places to Shop and Places to be seen in’, the student perspective o f N o r w i c h ’s s h o p p i n g s c e n e i s similarly advantageous. Student s t a p l e s N e x t a n d To p s h o p r u l e d the highstreets, while charity shops were slowly increasing in their appeal. M&S was your ‘Cardigan Paradise’, alongside Blue Jean Co., a reliable source of blue denim jeans - two items that are styled today as love letters to
the 1990s. H o w e v e r, despite the prevalence of clothing shops, ‘Fine Clothes in a Fine City?’ q u e s t i o n s t h e c i t y ’s v a r i e t y o f choices. ‘It is mainly chain stores and not very exciting,’ one student, Fiona Matthews, said regarding Norwich. There was a broad, overarching disappointment from various students at the lack of independent, yet student-friendly outlets - unlike in London, where Camden market is known for its subcultural influences. To d a y, t h e s h o p p i n g l a n d s c a p e is a little different. Midrange price shops like M&S and River Island remain in our highstreets a n d m a l l s . H o w e v e r, D e b e n h a m s
a n d To p s h o p h a v e t a k e n m a s s i v e hits amid the coronavirus p a n d e m i c . A S O S b o u g h t To p s h o p in early 2021, and now functions exclusively as an online store. Regardless of the increase in online shopping spurred by the pandemic, N o r w i c h ’s cobbled highstreets are not dead by any means. After coronavirus restrictions on indoor shopping lifted in April 2021, dozens queued outside Primark and made local headlines - anticipating the f a s t - f a s h i o n b r a n c h ’s r e o p e n i n g . Shops like Primark and H&M continue to be affordable brands with the latest cuts and fits.
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Fashion
HAVE NORWICH OUTLETS CHANGED? However, there are more ecofriendly ways to shop economically. The charity shops mentioned in ‘Top Togs’ - Oxfam, Cancer Research, and Sue Ryder - remain as the sustainable pillars of the Norwich shopping scene. The stigma towards charity shopping has faded in recent years, now young and old people alike flood into the Sue Ryder on a Saturday afternoon. Since 1992, independent outlets have boomed. The Little Blue Company and Scarlet offer timeless styles that may go above a student budget. Although, boutiques such as Lady B Loves provide pieces suitable for a gift, cosplay, or Sunday best. The bright, nostalgic silhouettes and sui-generis patterns make a picnic out of window shopping. Even for
a student, one of these statement pieces would be worth its money. 1992 saw the Castle Mall in the works. 20 years later, it now stands in the heart of the city as a weekend destination for families, couples, and students due to its variety of establishments. One remarkable store is New-U, a brand new, nonprofit outlet that promotes sustainable fashion consumption with its iconic ‘swap shop’. Customers swap their clothing for in-store items using their established point system. If you ever need a place to give your old, loved clothes, try New-U, and find something to update your wardrobe in the process. Julie, 21, moved to Norwich from Hong Kong to study at UEA.
She notes how the city has affected her shopping experience; “Here it feels less saturated than in Hong Kong and London, as there are more independent stores within reach. It’s more fairly priced and size-inclusive in my experience. I like that you have access to second-hand cheap stuff and still have the option to shop at high-end places too,”. Therefore, we can conclude that a lot has changed in 30 years. Major chains have faltered, while independent outlets have flourished. Norwich continues as a city with a mishmash of styles and aesthetics. I only hope that it persists to breathe life into every student’s wardrobe high-end, second-hand, eclectic, or mainstream.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
EditOR: Zorsha Taylor Suich
14
creative writing
Birthdays
By bella hatch
Darkness, warmth, then glittering cold and harsh lights. The sounds of a world unmuffled by water and flesh. A sharp hand descends on your buttock and you choke on fluid and air and the first piercing scream of your tiny life. Gently cradling hands and harsh latex gloves deliver you into the world, out of your mother’s womb and into her arms.
Sweet sixteen: young and inexperienced and mature and growing up oh-so fast. A padded bra beneath your birthday badge, a brace-y smile that you haven’t yet been taught to resent, thick foundation over skin you constantly see problems in. Mum’s lipstick and perfume, playing at being grown while blindly navigating that awkward stage between innocence and worldly A single, tiny candle atop a single tiny cupcake, wisdom. You stand on the precipice of maturity, brought into your close field of vision and then but don’t yet know how to handle it. quickly retracted when your curious fingers stray too close to the flame. Birthday cake smeared, sacYour parents smile as you sip from flutes of charine and soft, across your lips. Fistfuls of icing bubbles, much more expensive than anything clutched in your exploring hands. Peals of laughter you’ve tasted before. The whole bottle is yours that feel new in your tiny chest, babbling nonsense now - in fact so is the world; a sparkling expanse words interspersed with the occasional utterance of unexplored experiences. Adulthood stretchthat sends parents racing for the camera, quick, es before you, glowing with opportunity, heavy quick, what was that, was that her first word, dar- with expectations and excitements. You stand on ling, say that again! the edge of a world you can’t even begin to fathom. How poorly these eighteen years have been At five, you think maybe you’re starting to get at preparing you for the biggest world you will the hang of this. Those memories of a hospital bed ever experience. The bubbles fizz in your throat and mother’s milk have faded in your ever-grow- and you laugh, drunk on the giddy headrush of ing brain, but the promise of safety still rests solid- it all. ly in the arms of the woman who birthed you, the man who holds you in the night when the monsters come. Whirls of colour and music, a rapidly cycling entourage of children brandishing gifts wrapped in loud, coloured paper and glittering bows. Your greedy fingers itch to touch the balloons, to take them outside and allow yourself to float away into whatever future you find yourself drawn to. Your first cake containing double digits settles in your stomach alongside a growing pit of wonder. You get the first taste of adulthood on your tongue when your aunt offers you a sip of wine from the table. You order your own food and cut it up with your own fork and big knife. You’re wearing the velvet top your cousin gave you, V-necked and pinched in around the waist you don’t have yet.
Photo: Unsplash
creative writing
15
love and avocados By hamilton brown This is what she had always wanted in life: a nice house which had a white picket fence on the perimeter, a Labrador named Jasper, and, of course, her dream man. It was all Anna had wanted since the age of seven, when her teacher had made everyone in her primary school class write about their dream futures, about relaxing in her titanic swimming pool in one of her three houses with her tall, dark, and handsome husband. Very imaginative, but not quite what I set you to do, Anna wrote her teacher. But now she had all that! Well, at least she did online. The real Anna lived in a tiny flat in the middle of London that she found on Rightmove with a couple of old uni friends. Her job was not what one would call glamorous in the least, working in the complaints department of a dog food company. And she couldn’t believe how her life had changed since a year ago. You see, quite unexpectedly, she got a complaint about her company’s Royal Puppy Meals range from a man who was, admittedly, rather intoxicated. He was complaining that the food was too dry, or too wet, or too something for his precious dog, Charles, and gave her his number in case she could do anything about it in the factory. So, one night after an unsuccessful date and in a drunken haze, Anna texted him. She explained that this was only a temporary job of course, only to see how the other half lives, and that she had been there for two days and was already bored – in fact, she had just texted Daddy to pick her up in their private jet and take her to Monte Carlo. To her complete surprise he replied, introducing himself as Hugo and writing something very witty about knowing how she feels, and asking him if she’d join him in his London home as he was quite without company. Of course she’d said no, but still continued to talk to him, deciding that some excitement in the midst of her dead-end job would be good. She found herself creating the character of Anna 2.0 – the glamorous, jet-setting rich lady. She’d go to expensive stores, relishing the experience of trying on satins and silks – outfits she could only dream of buying – and using the full-length mirror to take pictures for him when he asked to see what she looked like. And it wasn’t like she was completely cat-fishing him; she used her own face in the pictures she sent, and she
only created small fantasies that weren’t entirely her life. But she found that Hugo liked her, and that made butterflies erupt in her stomach and she smiled dreamily at the thought of him kissing her. After a year of texting, Anna still had the guise of a wealthy woman. They FaceTimed a lot, but had never met up as she hadn’t the nerve to own up to him about who she really was. However, this afternoon he’d asked her to join him for their first official date. Hugo said he has something important to ask her. After contemplating her relationship history with Hugo, his voice brought her back from her reverie to the two-hundred-pound restaurant they were sitting in and drinking wine she couldn’t afford. ‘So, Anna,’ he smiled, twiddling his thumbs. ‘Yes?’ she sighed, resting her hand daintily on her chin. ‘I want… I mean, will you…’ He produced, as if out of nowhere, a rather large, purple velvet box. Perhaps it wasn’t an engagement ring like she’d presumed, and her hopes deflated. He opened the box to reveal – an avocado? ‘Will I… eat an avocado with you, Hugo?’ She laughed but it wasn’t funny. She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. ‘No, darling! I know how much you love avocados, so I thought of the most romantic way of doing this…’ he cracked open the avocado to reveal a ring where the stone would usually be. ‘Anna, my darling, will you marry me?’ ‘Crap!’ she said under her breath. She completely forgot that she had said to him that she loved eating avocados on a regular basis, the reason being they’re tremendously healthy. She remembered typing that when she was in the midst of eating half a tub of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, flicking through a health magazine where they had mentioned avocado toast for breakfast. Anna 2.0 loved avocados. Real Anna hated them. Suddenly she had a moment of clarity. ‘Uh, sorry, no, Hugo. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your proposal. I cannot marry an idiot who thinks it is cute to propose with an avocado – nobody likes them!’ Anna stood up abruptly, ignoring his crushed face, and left, feeling rather content and clear headed and, unexpectedly, proud of herself. It doesn’t matter how attractive or rich you are, if you like avocados you’re just weird.
16
creative writing
Celebration By Molly Phillips
There is a statue in the square with my face stitched on to it in stone. It is uncanny granite, and I stare at it a long while, face to face with me, eyebrows raised so they are higher on flesh than they are on stone. I smile at myself. There is a statue. In the square. Where I grew up. And it has my face and body, my poetry in his hand. There is a plaque below the stone feet, which says: Milton Oliver: a celebration of Pefenton Village’s own bard. ‘Celebration’ seems a strange word considering this metal man is my obituary. I have been dead for the length of time it takes to carve a statue, but in contrast, there is also a gravestone a few streets away that says: Milton Oliver: beloved son and husband. That is a different celebration. A sadder one; one that the wife made herself so it should be more touching, but it actually isn’t because there is a statue of me in the square. Me, in the square of my hometown, where I coughed smoke into my youthful lungs, and lay looking at the drunken stars. Pefenton’s own pre-bard bard. Or something. Now bronze, stone, with well-shaped metal cataracts, taller than me, holding a poem carved in stone. Not my finest. I wish they’d chosen Graphite Essays. They’ve all been buying my books. Pefenton and beyond. I’d like to know why they didn’t do that when I was alive and could have used the royalties, but now, I suppose, I am Royalty. I am the celebrated, late poet, Milton Oliver, and they are remembering my life and times. I mean, I can’t say I blame them. Life of the party. If this was a celebration of my life in life, it would be raucous. No wonder they built a statue of me. The only funeral that could compete with my birthdays. A statue of me in the square. And, look, there’s some lads I went to school with. Ian… something, and… something Smith. Or something. They’re stopping, too! I knew Ian and Whatshisname would never forget me; from that very first moment they stuck my head down the-“Look at that, James!” (James, of course! James Smith!) “Haha, I know, do you think he paid them to build it?” “I think they should at least have chosen Graphite Essays.” Well, I’ve had better parties.
EDITOR: Izzy murphy
Music AN INTERVIEW WITH JACK WARREN
17
by Tom manning Formed last year, the band Jack and the Giants have been making a name for themselves within the Norwich music scene. Along with a drummer and cellist, Jack Warren is the guitarist and vocalist behind the band. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jack at the end of last month, in between the end of summative season and the start of a new term. 2021 was the debut year for the band and I asked Jack about how the group came about. “I had a lot of songs left over from my previous project and then started putting these ideas together during lockdown. I had been playing with Nichole, the cellist, a year before mainly doing folk covers and they’d been working really well, so I contacted Ben, our drummer, as I wanted to steer away from folk and the only way to do that is with a drummer.” With the band pulling from a range of different sounds in their music, I asked Jack what musical influences went into the band. “There are so many because we all come from different musical worlds. I started by playing bluegrass music with artists like Tony Rice when it came to playing guitar and The Stanley Brothers helped me to learn
how to sing. Guitar wise and instrument wise, I listen to all sorts really…folk a lot. I went through a Bert Jansch and Davey Graham phase and then Nichole, she’s an amazing cellist and can improvise so well, she’s an incredibly talented musician. We both have similar crossovers and then Ben comes from a more indie background in terms of the bands he’s been with before.” In the second half of last year, Jack and the Giants have been appearing at a number of local venues including a headline gig at the Bowling House and supporting a number of acts at the Norwich Arts Centre. “They were both quite peculiar really because we hadn’t done any recordings…we did a couple of gigs and people seemed to like it and then Alex Carson the guy who does shows at the Bowling House put us on for that one. “We really like playing in rooms like that, small, intimate, high ceiling…it works well with our sound. That was a great gig and the one at the arts centre was a similar story but bigger, we had seated audiences with both of those which really worked. We’ve been booked again by the same guy in London at St Pancras church, that’ll be our second time in London. Last year was busy and
this year what we’re trying to do, is get some recording done and I’ve got a lot of song writing to do.” Local venues such as the Bowling House and the Arts Centre play a big role for Norwich’s music scene. Jack reflected on how, “they’re really important for a few reasons. On the one hand they give fans access to all these acts where you don’t have to sell a million and one tickets. They’re also a great opportunity to test out new material because we’re one of those bands where loads of the stuff we write is a case of just jamming in a room and that’s often reflected on stage.” Be sure to keep up to date with the latest from Jack and the Giants through their Instagram: @_jack_and_the_giants
PRIMAL SCREAM DIXIE NARCO 30 YEARS ON by finlay porter Primal Scream’s Dixie Narco EP was released in 1992 and remains a littleknown gem to this day. Although most of us will have come across an indie soft-boy (or possibly a middle-aged dad) wearing a Screamadelica shirt in our time, the Dixie Narco EP has stayed well clear of the limelight. We already knew Moving on Up, from Screamadelica, and this is the track which earned Concrete’s description as “joyful” thirty years ago. But it’s the following tracks which earned this EP
a special place in Scream fans’ hearts. Stone My Soul, and Carry Me Home, bring a chilled out, ballad-esque vibe to the EP, the latter of which was originally written by Dennis Wilson for The Beach Boys. It’s the final track, the ten-minute long epic Screamadelica which makes this EP really worth a listen 30 years later. Continuing the experimental blend of acid house and country blues, it’s a pleasure to step back in time and see where the disco beats of Gonzo’s Tearoom originated.
Photo: Concrete Archives
18 2022 IN MUSIC
Music
By Tom manning
January tends to be a quiet month in the music calendar with big acts waiting until early spring to begin releasing new music. 2022, however, has proved this wrong. We are only a month into the new year and we have already seen some incredible releases from The Weeknd, FK A Twigs, Burial, Yard Act, and Earl Sweatshirt just to name a few. This is only the beginning of what is set to become another exciting year for music. February is set to see new releases from Big Thief, Alt J, Beach House, and the last album by Black Country New Road with singer/guitarist Isaac Wood. The singles leading up to Black Country New Road’s sophomore album show this is one you don’t want to miss.
For fans of UK hip hop, Kojey Radical and Kae Tempest are releasing their individual albums in March and April while we can’t forget the likes of Charli XCX, Father John Misty, Wet Leg, Fontaines DC, Rex Orange County, and more dropping between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. Kanye West has also confirmed Donda 2 will be dropping in February but given the album rollout for Donda last year, I wouldn’t hold my breath. I’m more than confident this year will provide countless gems across many genres and even though I’ll be hoping for Kendrick Lamar or Frank Ocean to release new music, I won’t believe it until I see it. Who knows, perhaps they will have already dropped by the time you’re reading this?
Dawn FM by The Weeknd – does it help us find light within darkness? By tabi fielding delivers a vision which most of his peers would be incapable of. Breathing life into unchartered territory of deep emotion, The Weeknd brings hope and peace to his listeners. Echoing the work of Michael Jackson, the vocals are steeped in sorrow and pain which can be correlated to the detrimental impact of the COVID pandemic, particularly relevant to the immense strain placed on the music industry. The afterlife concept of the album helps us move on and find beauty from dark times in our lives.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Weeknd has recently dropped a new 16 song album. Announcing the release earlier this month, he teased his imminent release with a mysteriously ambiguous trailer. The outro of the trailer is narrated with the lines “You’ve been in the dark for way too long. It’s time for you to walk into the light and accept your fate with open arms”. Many of the songs within Dawn FM latch onto themes of deep relaxation blending with melancholia without losing the sex-appeal of his previous releases. The album surprisingly features actor Jim Carrey, The Weeknd’s fellow Canadian neighbour and friend. Carrey reads a Seussian couplet in ASMR style adding a horror film like tone to the album. A key element in the song, Is there someone else? is the heavy synth that creates a deep base noise which adds a dreamy sense to the album. Dawn FM also features the electro-wizard producer, Oneohtrix Point Never who has previously worked with popular musicians such as FK A Twigs and Anohni. The producer focuses on creating a rich, luxurious, and operatic foundation for the album, this can be heard in songs Gasoline and How Do I Make You Love Me?. With finesse, charm and mastery, the new album
Music
19
30 YEARS OF CONCRETE AND THE LCR By Tom manning To celebrate 30 years of Concrete, I searched deep into the archives to discover some of the biggest names that have hit the stage at the LCR in the last three decades. I quickly realised my problem. There were far too many acts to fit into this article. In the 90s, the LCR welcomed the likes of Primal Scream, Blur, Suede, and Pulp with tickets around £10 (it’s hard to imagine, I know). The noughties saw Amy Winehouse, LCD Soundsystem, and Panic Street Preachers make the journey to Norwich. The 2010s, however, were perhaps the biggest decade for the LCR. In 2011, for example, the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, J Cole, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay all played in this single year. Coldplay, the day before, had played to a 70,000 people crowd in Madrid and when they arrived in Norwich, played an intimate set to 100 lucky fans in the blue bar. Although not at the LCR, 2015 brought Radio 1’s Big Weekend to Earlham Park where the likes of Muse,
Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift all performed. I still can’t quite believe that Taylor Swift knows Norwich exists, let alone played here.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
MILES KANE, CHANGE THE SHOW REVIEW
By Tom manning
Miles Kane has released his latest and one of his best albums to date. Famous for his work with Alex Turner in The Last Shadow Puppets, Kane has embarked on an impressive solo career. The opening track to this album Tears are Falling is optimistic, filled with smooth vocals that sees Kane accepting his emotions in an optimistic way. It’s hard not to bob your head or sing along to most of the tracks on this album and it’s Kane’s vocal performance throughout that leaves the listener feeling refreshed. With Change The Show, Kane provides a number of catchy bangers including See Ya When I See Ya, Never Get Tired of Dancing and Tell Me What You’re Feeling. The true highlight of this album though lies in Coming of Age, a song that draws on soul and Motown influences with the outro in particular leaving a shimmer of this 60s sound on the album.
Speaking about the album, Kane said how he “learned to let the future unfold of its own accord, while staying true to myself and that has led to what feels to me like a really uplifting album”.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
EDITOR: Tom manning
20
Gaming
Video Game Highlights Over the Past 30 Years By Holly Jackson
Photos: Unsplash
In celebration of Concrete’s 30th birthday, I will be providing you all with a brief overview of the most notable games in the past three decades and a trip down memory lane (I apologise in advance if I missed any good ones!). Throughout these years I have owned and played on various consoles, but I have to say that the Xbox One is probably my personal favourite. Throughout the 90s, lots of different titles came out, which may be more familiar than you would’ve thought. In 1991, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge was released. To my surprise, after seeing pictures of the graphics I remember seeing my dad play it when I was small on the Xbox 360, years after its release, so it must’ve been good. To this day, Monkey Island 2 is still popular and well-known. 1991 is also the year that the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog came out, which is a firm favourite of mine even now and certainly had a grip over me when I was younger. In 1992, (the year Concrete was born) Nintendo’s Super Mario Kart came out, which is a classic and still one of the best-selling games. In the same year, Street Fighter II was released. This game certainly had an influence on the gaming industry and is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises. Pokémon Red/Blue was released in 1996 by Nintendo on the Game Boy (who remembers those?). Mario 64 came out in 1997, which as my dad recalls was amazing to see after years of 2D gaming, and it absolutely influenced other games. I was interested to discover that Fallout 2 was released in 1998 – I would have guessed it was more recent than that. In the 00s, lots more video games that we know, and love came about. The year 2000 blessed us with The Sims, which evolved into one of my favourite games as a child. In 2001, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released, with San Andreas following behind in 2004. Of course, these games remain very much prevalent today, having been re-released last year on the Switch and other consoles. Halo: Combat Evolved also came out in 2001, setting the stage for more console-based shooter games. Perfect Dark Zero, which I still own, came to our screens in 2005. Nintendo released Nintendogs in 2005, which a lot of us were utterly obsessed with. Guitar Hero 2 came out in 2006, and if I’m honest, I am still slightly gutted that I never owned it – I really wanted the little plastic guitar and envied my neighbour who had one. 2006 also brought us The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Although the graphics and animation on this one (particularly the very intense zooming into character’s faces when they speak) could be classed as a jump scare, I do still very much enjoy this game. Of course, I couldn’t forget that 2006 also gave us Wii Sports. The theme tune is still ingrained into my brain. 2006 seems to be a big year for popular games – Cooking Mama, and Viva Pinata were also released, which I’m sure many of us played. To conclude the 2000s, I am also going to mention Just Dance 3, as its tracklist was the epitome of the 2000s. This was released by Ubisoft in 2010.
gaming
21
Photo: Unsplash Into the 2010s we go. Starting in 2010, we have the classic Fruit Ninja, which was one of the first games I played on an iPod Touch (again, remember those?). Another game that brings back memories for me is Forza Motorsport 4, released in 2011 (the one with Jeremy Clarkson’s voiceover). 2011 is also the year The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim was released (you know I had to mention it), as well as Minecraft, and of course, Temple Run, which I distinctly remember everyone trying to play covertly under the desk at school. Forza Horizon came out in 2012, and so did the Candy Crush Saga. 2013 gave us Grand Theft Auto V, which is another favourite of mine. Trevor holds a special place in my heart. In 2014, Destiny was released, as well as Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and another classroom favourite, Crossy Road, which somewhat filled the Flappy Bird shaped void in our hearts. In 2016, Pokémon Go came out, which I’m sure we can all agree was a beautiful moment in time, and even managed to persuade me to leave my bedroom. In 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out. Fortnite was also released this year, which quickly became popular across the globe. 2018 brought us a few more titles, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, (which I have yet to master), as well as Battlefield V, and Forza Horizon 4. Apex Legends was released in 2019, as well as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. 2020 was the year of the Switch, with lockdown being the perfect time to become addicted to newly released Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Call of Duty: Warzone and Cyberpunk 2077 also came out in 2020. This brings us to today, with last year’s releases such as Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5 and more still being rel-
atively new. Writing this has made me realise how influential and iconic older video games and characters are – we still play many of the games released thirty years ago, and different variations of them. I find that this is what makes gaming stand out in a way that is like music – some things just never get old. I am also nominating the Nintendo DS as possibly being the most indestructible console released during this period – mine still works 16 years later. It will certainly be interesting to see what the future of gaming holds, and what new releases await us.
Photo: Unsplash
22
gaming
An Overview of Graphic Design 30 Years Ago
By Holly Jackson
A lot of people ask me “What got you into video games?” and “How do you think of all these ideas for articles?” Usually, my answer is “My dad.” Ever since I was little, my dad has passed on several of his hobbies to me, gaming being one of them - I attribute my love for video games and creativity to him. We have played all sorts of games together. I remember coming home from primary school and playing Sonic the Hedgehog and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise on his Xbox 360. We both share a love of Skyrim and have spent many hours playing this and other titles across several consoles. In celebration of Concrete’s 30th birthday, I had a chat with the man himself about his career working in the gaming industry, which he started just over thirty years ago when he was around my age, (twenty). I asked him how he got into the gaming industry as a graphics designer. He described how he was initially working in a shop and enjoyed creating things using an art package on his computer. He sent some of his artwork off to a computer magazine and his work was soon plastered across its middle pages. He then contacted a firm in Covent Garden, offering to work for them on a video game. They asked him to come in for an hour, where he drew a picture and was sent home with a cheque in his pocket and told they would soon be in touch. He recalled opening the envelope on the tube home and realising he’d earnt more money in that hour than he would’ve earnt at his job within a week and a half. On closer inspection, he noticed an extra ‘0’ on the end and was amazed to find he’d been given more than he would have earnt in four entire months at the shop. Of course, I asked what he did with this money, to which he responded he “bought every single gadget available” and “had a very fast car with a phone in it” (this was unusual back in his day when phones were still enormous). He designed graphics and loading screens made for games on a computer called the Commodore 64. His favourite game on this console is Mission Impossible, as it featured digitised speech and animation. Of course, there was no 3D back then, so he would spend hours drawing the background graphic, then meticulously animating the characters by drawing them then slightly changing them for the next frame (onion-skinning). He met up with other creators for video game conferences two to three times a year. He said he had to choose a console/machine he was invested in to specialise in, as technological skills weren’t so easily transferable in the late 80s.
Graphic Design: No Parking by Rob Jackson
Graphic Design: Orange Sector by Rob Jackson
Editor: Holly Jackson
As technology progressed, he drifted into normal graphic design, as new automated software began to mean pretty much anyone could learn to design games. He also told me how at times, income was unreliable, and there could be big gaps where you didn’t earn much at all. Other times, he worked around just five hours a week and made a lot of money. However, he still very much enjoys gaming. As I previously mentioned, his favourite modern video game is Skyrim, and we realised we have owned pretty much every edition of it alongside some merchandise and what we refer to as ‘The nerd bible’ (The official Skyrim guide). He is also very happy to discover that he can mod it as he pleases on the Xbox Series X without it crashing (so far). He believes Battlefield I is the best online game because people don’t generally get angry and are just there to play and have a laugh. Several of his pictures were featured in Zapp! 64, a gaming magazine, which I have included here. It’s interesting to see how different video games looked in the 80s, and how each image is composed of hundreds of tiny little squares.
24
FILM
30 Years on...Frankie & Johnny (1991) decade ago after Scarface. Pfieffer’s
character
is
back into herself. This is completely a
solitary
30-something waitress in a New York café, whose simple world is turned
Back in 1992, the late, great Garry Marshall, aka the king of Rom-Coms, brought audiences
Frankie & Johnny (yes, like the song). Michelle Pfieffer and Al Pacino star in this extremely underrated flick, reuniting together almost a
understandable given her trauma from previous relationships. The film in itself is bittersweet, but a
upside down when the new chef, Johnny, begins working with her after
definite must watch, especially for those wanting a more realistic romantic comedy
being recently released from prison. The characters are not what you expect
to watch on a Friday night. From the unordinary love story to the highly likable
them to be, and they couldn’t be more different from another, yet everything
supporting characters, everything about this film deserves more recognition.
works. Both
with
The protagonists’ pasts make this film relatable to audiences through its
loneliness in different ways, and the more Frankie falls for Pacino’s charming
somewhat dark humour. Moreover, the feelings of reluctance that comes with a
Johnny, the quicker she catches herself to avoid being hurt again. Frankie’s
new relationship isn’t normally present in this film genre and it’s refreshing to see
neighbour/gay best friend, Tim, played by the hilarious Nathan Lane, is like her
that. Frankie & Johnny isn’t just as simple as
spirit guide in the world of dating. He eventually ends up convincing her to
boy meets girl, it’s a journey of personal growth with comedic relief from its
give Johnny a shot, as well as Frankie’s equally hysterical co-workers, Cora
characters. It’s a heart-warming film that would probably take the trophy for most
and Nedda, who push their friend to put herself first.
times “pardon my French” is said in a film!
characters
struggle
Pfieffer conveys the fear behind learning to trust again perfectly, with one minute being filled with hope and the next finding reasons to retreat
30 Years on... Jfk (1991)
by Elena rodgers
It has been over thirty years since Oliver Stone’s JFK arrived in cinemas and the enduring impact of the film still remains.
American public, having lived through
JFK follows the actions of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and his pursuit of the truth behind the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy. Partly based on Garrison’s book, On the Trail of the Assassins, which challenged the Warren Commission who found Lee Harvey Oswald guilty of Kennedy’s assassination. The film explores the wider theory that the government was involved in the assassination. This combines and implicates the FBI, CIA, Mafia, and the U.S. military’s involvement as part a conspiracy to kill the President. The
suspect a wider conspiracy. Throughout the film, Stone questions
and not accepted as truth.
the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, also began to
‘[w]ho’s telling the truth’ as the filmography follows one unreliable narrator after another through the film’s fractured style. Stone blurs fiction and reality with clips of the assassination and the aftermath. Billy Ray, who wrote Captain Phillips called it a ‘master class in directing.’ The truth is interwoven within the enthralling filmography but the consolidation of multiple conspiracy theories should be treated with caution
Photo: Unsplash
Photo: Concrete Archives
by Sienna Norris
FILM
25
30 Years On… Naked Gun 2 ½ : The Smell of Fear (1991) by Laura Patterson alternatively harsh towards The Naked Gun’s sequel released in 1992, calling it
In my case, this film served its purpose in perking me up after a gloomy day in
“lazy and much less entertaining.” I was curious to see if I would agree.
January, but it does lack the same vibrant
The comedic genius Leslie Nielsen returns as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, an incompetent detective - this time he must stop a kidnapping and an anti-
energy as the original film. I’m also not sure the woke Gen-Z of today would appreciate The Naked Gun franchise in the same way as it was back then.
green plot at a presidential conference. It was a pleasing surprise to see Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter) pop up in this film playing an
Photo:Wikimedia Commons
environmental scientist. The only thing to expect with the
I was introduced to the work of the Zucker brothers by my dad in my early
writing of these films is just plain silliness in the space of 90 minutes.
teens - swept away by the bizarreness of Airplane, I was keen to see The Naked Gun soon after. My dad originally saw these films in the 80s and remembers the
Think puns; think slapstick; think outdated, politically skewed jokes. As
theatre being packed with people howling throughout these comedy hits. Emma
gag. Rather than paying attention to the (incoherent) plot, one should focus on
Irvine-Robertson’s Concrete review is
not missing a joke by a millisecond!
Emma remarks, you need to be in the right mood for it as it’s just gag after
30 years on… Alien Nation (1988) In 1992, Concrete gave Alien Nation a reasonably stellar review. In her conclusive statement, Lara. W. wrote: “There are a lot of cop movie clichés here, but the script is excellent”. 30 years on, I’m not so sure. Combining the genres of Science Fiction,
“THINK PUNS; THINK S L A P S T I C K ;T H I N K OUTDATED, POLITICALLY SKEWED JOKES.”
by Elizabeth Woor
Matt Sykes - the typical hardened cop begins hunting down William Harcourt
that was released three decades ago. The acting was also believable, with James
– the ‘newcomer’ business man who leads a criminal ring.
Caan / Matthew Sykes putting on good performances. Still, it wasn’t enough for
Many have alluded, including Concrete 30 years ago, to the film’s plotline
me… it appears that Alien Nation hasn’t aged particularly well.
Comedy and Action, Alien Nation’s
being a bigger allegory for the unfair stereotypes placed on immigrants. In
plotline is nothing but jam packed. The film takes place in southern California,
this respect, the film’s message is still clear, and it’s an interesting take on a
1991 - a few years after 100,000 aliens (referred to as ‘newcomers’) have landed
difficult subject. Personally, I feel the action leading us through the plot feels
on Earth and decided to live amongst humans. For the most part, they are seen
too predictable at times. It’s much more of a classic police-chase story than expected
to have assimilated into American life; many have normal working jobs and
and, sadly, this meant that it was limited in terms of how many surprises could take
families. However, as you may expect, there is little enthusiasm for their arrival. This sentiment is only heightened when
place. I did enjoy the old-school graphics; they seemed to be reasonably good for a film
“IT APPEARS ALIEN NATION HASN’T AGED WELL...”
FILM
26 remembering Norwich’s Cinemas by Scarlet Ward
Photo: Unsplash As residents of Norwich today, we know of the Vue cinema in Castle Meadow, the
The ABC cinema on Prince of Wales Road was Norwich’s longest running
screen cinema and new home for the Norfolk and Norwich Film community.
ODEON at Riverside and Cinema City on St Andrews Street. Norwich has a rich
cinema. It opened in 1923 and was popular with children for its Saturday
Funded by the Arts Council grant, the arts house underwent refurbishment
history of independently run cinemas, unfortunately most of which are lost
morning showings of the Batman serials and films. It closed in the late 90s
in 2007 and gained two more screens, giving us the Cinema City we know and
to time. While Norwich didn’t have a cinema on every street corner, it was
and reopened in 2003 as a nightclub; in 2020, it started being converted into
love today . It’s a shame that a city once filled
once comparatively as full of cinemas as its pubs and churches. Commemorating
flats and offices. It makes you wonder what it would be like to live in this
with unique spaces to enjoy films now only has a few cinemas owned
Concrete’s anniversary, it’s interesting to think of the cinemas that UEA students
building now, so rich with its history and fond memories .
by multinational corporations - even Cinema City is a Picturehouse chain
like us could have visited 30 years ago. A famous cinema amongst locals was
A personal favourite cinema of mine is Cinema City. Operating as a cinema
owned by Cineworld. It’s also difficult to ignore the impact of streaming services
the Noverre Cinema, which opened in 1950. This beautiful, historic building still
since 1978, it shows a range of films from the box office hits to more low-
on the cinema industry, as it’s easier and cheaper to watch films in the comfort of
stands as a part of the Assembly House on Theatre Street. As well as having extra leg
key, independent films . The Grade I listed building, Suckling House, used to
one’s own home. However, the cinema is a fun and immersive experience, and
room space, it was famed for its unique screenings and not showing adverts
be home to the Suckling[LP10] family in the mid 16h Century. After falling into
we should certainly cherish the ones that remain in Norwich today.
before the film. [LP2] It’s most popular viewing, Cabaret, [LP3] was shown
disrepair, the building was purchased by Ethel Mary and Helen Caroline Colman
11 times. The Noverre was a Norwich treasure that unfortunately closed in 1992
in 1923, who restored the building and added a cinema projector for public
due to failing ticket sales.
use. In 1978 it officially became a single-
EDITOR: Laura Patterson
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The Endearing Longevity of The Golden Girls by danny hayes 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the airing of The Golden Girls’ last episode. With the recent passing of Betty White, the last surviving member of the shows core cast, many could be confused as to why a show about four semi-retired elderly women living in Miami still carries a huge cult following all these years later. However, the shows’ ability to handle real issues in a sensitive and caring, but always humorous way is exactly the reason behind its longevity. The show’s biggest cult following comes from within the LGBTQIA+ community, for whom the show has been an ongoing favourite since the ’90s. Such was The Golden Girls’ popularity that many writers recount the gay bars of West Hollywood shutting down to watch the show. At a time when the community was becoming increasingly stigmatised due to the emerging AIDS epidemic, the show tackled all issues head-on with the same tact and decorum as their other storylines. One of the most powerful television moments is shown in the episode ’72 Hours’ in which Rose undergoes HIV testing due to a
blood transfusion she received during an operation. When she claims it isn’t fair that she, a socalled “Goody Two-Shoes”, may be infected while Blanche isn’t despite her promiscuity the latter retorts “AIDS isn’t a bad person’s disease, Rose. It’s not God punishing people for their sins!”. At a time when many TV shows ignored the crisis, despite its devastating effect on the community, The Golden Girls reminded America that queer people were human, terrified, and deserved to have their voices heard. Another aspect of The Golden Girls’ progressive nature is its treatment of queer characters, most notable Blanche’s brother Clayton who’s coming out and marriage is a focal feature of several episodes. Rather than presenting him as a throwaway character, who could be used for comic relief and discarded, his story serves as an educational moment for the show’s characters and in turn the watching audience. In normalising queer characters rather than relegating them to minor plot points, The Golden Girls presented them as ordinary
people worthy of respect and admiration. The show gave them a seat at the table at a time when few would, allowing their issues to be explored sympathetically in situations with realistic consequences, and the same dignity as those around them. For me what makes The Golden Girls as relevant today as in 1992 is its ability to tackle any issues with respect, humour and camaraderie, demonstrating to the viewer that everyone is worthy of respect, and dignity. In showing issues such as homelessness, disownment, and bereavement the show stays rooted in the real world and provides situations with which the viewer can empathise with and learn from. At a time when social and political divisions seem larger than ever, The Golden Girls feels like a safe sanctuary where everything can be resolved over a portion of cheesecake with your best friends. In the words of the show’s famous theme song “thank you for being a friend”, and keep on staying golden.
Photo: Unsplash
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TV
New Year, New TV By molly phillips
The BBC turns 100 this year, having produced endless material to celebrate, and reminding us what a vital institution they are. There will be many specials of old favourites for the occasion. It seems especially fitting that Doctor Who should be there to mark the centenary when it has become near-synonymous with the BBC canon since 1963. The special will follow the new series that comes out in spring and will feature the Thirteenth Doctor’s regeneration. Meanwhile, former Doctor, David Tennant, started the year in Around the World in 80 Days (BBC). This heartfelt, re-imagined classic was a masterpiece, taking historical characters and making
them beautifully recognisable to 21st Century viewership. Teetering on nail-biting cliff-hangers as the three heroes try to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. This was a great start to the year, and audiences can only hope that it gets picked up for a second series. In addition, This is Going to Hurt — based on the book by junior-doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay — will hit BBC One this year, with Ben Whishaw playing Adam. Whishaw is such a wonderfully sensitive actor, and the two directors — Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley — are known, respectively, for The End of the F***ing World, and Ghosts, so we can expect a subtle and hilarious
adaptation of this very timely book. Finally, it will be a good year for lovers of the British sitcom, since BBC’s Ghosts has been booked for a fourth series, following the huge success of the previous three ventures to Button House. The crew behind Horrible Histories and Yonderland never miss with their quirky mixture of clever-idiocy and well-rounded, emotional characters. Together with the long-awaited final series of Derry Girls (Channel 4), we can look forward to two sitcoms which encapsulate British television at its finest: in equal measures, hilarious and touching, as they explore friendship and acceptance in their uniquely silly ways.
The TV Shows that started at Concrete’s Inception by benjamin smith Back in 1992, the very publication you are reading now, Concrete, was first published at UEA! A lot has changed since then. TV is not limited to a television set anymore and the concept of celebrity has all but been demystified with the easy access to all sorts of information. 1992 was also a year where some cult classic TV shows emerged onto our screen, so, to celebrate the birthday of our wonderful newspaper, I’m going to share the love and wish some amazing TV shows a very happy birthday this year! In the late 1980s and early 1990s, everybody knew French and Saunders. The comedic dynamics of Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French was undeniable, and they dominated the screens of British comedy. Jennifer Saunders’ solo Absolutely comedic pursuit, Fabulous, is personally one of my favourite TV shows ever,
premiering on the BBC in 1992. The high camp and ridiculousness of the characters, especially the protagonists Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, respectively played by Saunders and model turned actress Dame Joanna Lumley, the show created a new chaotic and vulgar space for women to be just as outrageous as men, while looking fabulous with horrific moral codes. Another cult classic that premiered in 1992, although for younger and more innocent audiences, was Barney and Friends. Airing all the way through until 2010, I remember watching the lovable purple dinosaur sing and dance with his multi-coloured friends and other kids, going on wild and imaginative adventures that perfectly captures children’s attention, so much so my parents eventually threw out a Barney picture book we had because my sister and I demanded it be read
to us every night because we loved the show so much. Finally, a highly influential anime, Sailor Moon. The original creator of the manga, Naoko Takeuchi, wanted to create a story that young girls could relate to more, as anime and manga at the time was a more male-dominated world. The adventures of Sailor Moon, her cat Luna, and the other Sailor Guardians captured the imaginations of the usually ignored or silenced school-aged Japanese girls, with the show spreading the acclaim of the stories and characters worldwide, paving the way for more diversity and originality in anime and manga
TV
29
The 2022 Golden globes by sienna norris
This year’s Golden Globes were like no other, literally. Held on 9th January at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, it was hosted as a private event with barely any attendees, and all of the winners were announced on Twitter. The reason behind the event this year, or lack thereof, was due to the backlash the Hollywood Foreign Press Association faced last year regarding its lack of diversity. Celebrities showed their support for people of colour, by not attending. However, a lot of history was made: the Best Television Actress Globe went to Mj Rodriguez the first transgender person to win an acting award for her work in Pose. Moreover, Rachel Zegler, the Maria of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, won Best Actress (Musical/Comedy), at 20 years old, becoming the youngest a n d first Latina of Colombian descent winner of the category. 77-year-old Oh Yeong-su, star of Squid Game, is the first South Korean actor to win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting
Television Actor. There was also a win for Jane Campion, the third female Best Director for her film The Power of the Dog. There were a few surprise wins at the Golden Globes, one being Nicole Kidman who played Lucille Ball in the biopic Being the Ricardos. Despite some of the response to her Best Actress (Drama) win, this is her fourth win in the category in four separate decades, making the ceremony even more historical. This year’s ceremony compared with the 1992 Golden Globes, 30 years prior, shows that there is still the same interest surrounding the most popular genres etc, especially with musicals. Beauty and the Beast won Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) back in 1992, and 30 years later, Spielberg’s rendition of West Side Story was the winning picture. The 1992 Golden Globes is notable for Jodie Foster’s Best Drama Actress win for her iconic performance in The Silence of the Lambs, Foster actually went on to
come out in front of the audience at the awards 21 years later. The Golden Globes, in recent years, have become somewhat controversial, but being home to memorable moments like the all-black dress code in 2018 in support of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements. The unusual structure of this year’s Golden Globes is a prime example of the improvements that need to be made in the industry in regard to inclusivity, and each step, like having more diverse nominees and winners, start to become small steps in the right direction.
Photo: Unsplash
EDITOR: Benjamin Smith
