Venue - Issue 248 - 23 November 2010 by Concrete - the official student newspaper of UEA.

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Your Priority Campaign 2010/11 .•. ,Fighting Fees and Education Cuts

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Thursday 2nd December Lecture Theatre 1 I 7pm YOUR CHANCE TO BE HEARD! Invited speakers are Simon Wright MP, Chloe Smith MP, Dr lan Gibson and an NUS representative .

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UEA

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STUDENTS

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Editor-in-Chief> Danny Collins I concrete.editor@uea.ac.uk Venue Editor Duntan Vicat Brown I concrete.event@uea.ac.uk

Fashion Editor Kat JQPes Fosh1on Contr1butors> Josephme L1ster, Com•llo Sompson, Robert Van Egghen, Kat Jones, Honnoh BriH \J.!Ill.P.:JI~~~o:;.~~,.,..... l

Arts Editor l1z Jack son

Arts Contributors> Victoria Highheld, Gwen Hanover, Cotherine Morpeth, Sulo Deone

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Creative Writing Editor> Robert Van Egg hen

Creative Wntmg Contributors> Cormmo Mosoliver, Andrew N1mmo, Robert Van Egghen, Robyn Comfort, Rochel Lum

TeleVISion Contributors> Helen Eoton, Natalle Fletcher, Eleanor Brown. Natalle Stephenson, Kote Alien PhU Turtle, Kathryn D11ghan

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Contributors> DJ Turne[ Alek Stoodle~ Voughn Highheld

Mus1c Contributors> Ant Firth Clork, Keiron Cordery, Fiono Howard, Jordan Bright, Tom Duffy, Amella Sulllvan, Alex Ross, Seb Crone, Ellle Kumar, Jomie Lewis, Alex Throssell

Film Contnbutors> Tim Bates, Drew N1choi,Yimbai Mukwenho, Jomes Collins, Michoel Lovelock, (Ioire Price, George Gilbert, Duncon Vicot·Brown

Comedy Contr1butors>Wdly McGough, Christian P1erre

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Listings Contr1butors>Georgmo Wade

Competitions Contnbutors>Henry Croft

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23NOV1DI I SSU£ :248

Fur conjures up the glamorous fee ling of old Hollywood in our mind; when men were dapper and women were dolls and no one watched the road when they were driving·. But let us not over-romanticise the image. If you don't watch the road, you' ll crash. And the fabulous coats they wore are nothing more than road kill. Fashion is not great enough of an excuse for the sla ughter of animal s to keep happenmg, the fashion world has moved on, we have new materials to use, faux fur among them, so we don't need to use real fur to feel glamorous. Fashion has always been about looking at the past, taking inspiration from what has already been done and transforming it into something new and fresh; recycling old ideas and moulding them into something unique. If we continue to coat our ski n with the skin of another then sure ly our fashion sense is stuck· in the past, gatheri~g dust and accumulating an unpleasant musk. The cha ll enge is t o capt ure the glittering aura of the golden age but translate it through new forms and ideas, otherwise su rely there wou ld be no need for fa shion designers, we could simply JUSt ha ve factories churning out the same goods. I understand that no other fabric ha s the feel and sensation of real fur, so by all means; you have my blessing to wear it . But only if you can go out and hunt the creature, kill it and skin it yourself. But if you can't handle the facts, you have no right to put it on your back.

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"I'd rather go naked than wear fur". I wouldn't when skiing. And that's why people first sta rted wearing the fur of dead animals - to keep warm . That's why the stupefyingly dull Doctor Zhivago had all the characters wandering round with racoons on their heads. it's chilly in Russia . Of course, it probably wasn't as chi lly as that when Kanye West and th en-girlfriend Amber Rose dressed themselves from headto-toe in fur and went to the Louis Vuitton menswea r show in Pari s. This led PETA VicePresident Don Matthews to say "Kanye can't help making himself look like an idiot . He and his girlfriend look like pathetic creatures from a shabby roadside zoo". Who says vegetarians have no bite ... Now I've been to a few shabby zoos in my time (thank you Holy Innocents R.C. Primary School), and can't recall seeing any anima ls wearing the fur of other anima ls. Perhaps that's because polar bears aren't usually prone to canniba lism. Perhaps they've no sense of style. And ultimately, that's the main point. Sure, it's ethically a little dubious, a bit cruel and maybe a tad sick, but it looks awesome. Obviously on a student budget, there is no way I could actually afford it without franchising my li ver. But I did look at those photos of Kanye, and thought he looked damn good . You might think I'm heartl ess, and the coats of dead animal never, ever look good. it's all a matter oftaste. Or, as Kanye so much more eloquently put it, "Remember clothing is a choice. We we re born naked''' Fre sh is an opinion, love is object ive, taste is selective, and expression is my favourite elective."You said it, Ka nye. RobertVan Eqqhen

We've handcuffed fashion and slung it in a cell. This issue we look at the moral and political debates surrounding fashion that bend the law or cha llenge the rights of its creators, consumers and the controversial impact it has on society. We focus on opinions of fur and w hat the future holds for extreme fas hion, along with a crime inspired photos hoot. Fashion can be more than just everyday style , it shows individual beliefs and can bring to light topic s that question our own principles.

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FASHION UNDER ARREST Although anti-fur campaigns ha ve been evident in the fashion world, particularly via PETA, there seems to have been little impact against the use of fur. Fur sa les rea ched a record in 2005, whilst last year more than 1000 tonnes of fur arrived in Britain . One iconic figure from the fashion industry that originally joined the fight again st fur was model, Naomi Campbell. In about 1994 she, along with four other iconic supermodels, declared the y would ' Rath er Go Naked Than Wear Fur' in a PETA campaign. The fact that five of the world's best-known supermode ls took part in this campaign, when previously many catwa lk outfits they may have worn were made of fur, looked like a major breakthrough. However, 15 years on, Naomi appears to have developed a case of amnesia. In a feature on the 1st September 2009 Naomi was shown in a campaign for New York furrier, ' Dennis Ba sso,' wearing a sable coat . One of these coats costs as much as £1 26, 750, suggesting designers are willing to cash in on cruelty to animals, whatever

the conseque nces may be . This points out just how fickle the fashion world can be. The basis of their support seems to be focused more on publicity and almost a 'trend' at the time to take part in antifur demonstrations; fashion has littl e real conscience. The main shows attended at September's London Fashion Week did not co ntain much fur, but high-end designers suc h as Burberry are not se t to give up on fur yet. Fur is once again a huge trend for A/W1o and whilst high -street brands may use fake fur, high-end brands do not. Fake fur now looks so realistic that it does seem hypocritical to wear it if we oppose the use of real fur. Unless asked, most cannot establish between real and fake; wearing fur is promoting fur whether real or not.

Camilla Sampson

I am not entirely su re where I stand on the issue of fur in fashion. A little like houmous, I'm not sure if the idea of fur is delicious, or if it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I find the idea of slaughtering, skinning and stitching defenceless little animals into apparel repulsive. But, I am perfectly happy to stomp around in boots which used to be a cow. I also eat meat, and am partial to the odd kebab (donner preferably, made up of whatever the takeaway owner ran over on his way to work that week ... ) Is it not then hypocritical for me to bitch and moan about people wearing fur 7 I do not believe so. Firstl y, one can argue that at least when you eat an animal, you do so in order to live. If you wear leather, you can be safe in the knowledge that the rest of the cow has been used to make Big Macs and marshmallows. What happen s to the rest of a chinchilla after its skin has been peeled from its flesh' Secondly, regardless of morality, people were fur for one reason - fashion . Okay, so Siberians may wear fur to keep out the freeze, but the weather in Eng land is nothing

that nice fitt ed trench can't keep out . A sma ll amount of fur, adding accents of texture to a bag, can be interesting. But a whole coat is just t oo much fur for me to handle. Seeing tiny legs poke out of the bottom of a huge fluffy coat makes me feel a bit sick. You look like a lollipop . A fluffy one. Fur may be warm but then again , so is a duvet. Your fur coat is about as flattering to a figure as strapping a 14 tog around yourself. You look like a fur ball. Faux fur is even worse . You look like a fur ball that a cat just coughed up . If you still insist on wearing fur there is a loophole. Buy vintage fur. We don't need new additions to th e fur indu stry, but we may as well recycle the old. High end brands should stop slicing and dicing little animals that cannot say no, cannot run away, for the sake of fashion. No rabbit should die for the sake of some smug ska nk who wants to prance around like a princess in a fur coat. However, that decomposing chinchilla wou ld ha ve wa nted you to make bloody good use out of his coat. Don't let that chinchilla die for nothing. Hannah Britt

23 N O V10

FASHION

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I(ILLER INSTINCT: FASHION GOES SAVAGE Lady Gaga seems to be splashed across the tabloids in stories relating to her eclectic choice of outfits rather than her musical achievements. We've seen the lobster hat, the bow made out of hair and the latest jawdropper: the 'meat dress' she wore to the MTV awards. This is not an article about Lady Gaga; it is about the surreal development that fashion is taking . lt appears that the hunter-gatherer instinct of our humanity is becoming more apparent in the world of fashion . We've killed the animal, skinned it and wrapped ourselves in its fur. We've been draped in feather boas and clutched crocodile skin purses. Yet it seems it is not enough to just take on the look of an animal, it's been done darling, done to a very literal death. Now, fashion has taken to the brandishing of raw meat, with cold, bloody, dead flesh touching pure, MMESJAPJ warm, living skin. For a field where perceptions abound with all things superficial, this is certainly an ethical debate to sink our savage teeth into. Yes, we know that Gaga's dress was not made of meat and was only an allusion to it, but the principle is the same. The intention is the same, it cannon-bolted the questions out into the world of how much more extreme fashion can get and how much of a superior species we regard ourselves to be. To be honest, meat is just a material; but not a good one for dress-making as I imagine it to be quite ..,..,.~ tough on the old needle and thread . Circa the war .:====:::::::=::::::::==:=-

t imes: our grandmothers made the most of what they had; rationing food, sewing holes in socks, sharing bath water etc. Surely we are doing the same. We are being econom ical in using every part of the animal. This primitive concept can also be seen in the shark tooth necklaces around the neck of a man and rabbit skin gloves on the hands of a well-to-do lady. We are strutting around like proud peacocks, embracing our top-of-the-food -cha in status. Where can we go from here? This is a sordid choice of subject even in our modern western society, which is generally quite open to newness and the impact it can create . However, after initial observation of said meat dress, it poses a similarity to a piece of art by the Canadian artist Jana Sterbak. Sterbak assembled a garment entitled "Flesh Dress" out of fifty pieces of cured steak.The artefact explored the role oft he human being through power, control and sexuality. These themes mirror the reaction to the contemporary meat dress; provoking a mixture of fear and excitement, it lures us in . In an almost surrealist fashion, it approaches the status of a fetish, an unknown unsure how to act. So it seems the future of fashion lies in the past. Previous ideas and impressions are waiting to be dusted down and recycled into avant-garde pieces. Fashion is rapidly becoming less about wear-ability and more about morality. KatJones

THE UsuAL SusPECTS Topman has an awesome choice of headgear in store for the young gent so, head to ~s/~7The Haymarket Norwich, Norfolk NR2 ~oL 0~603 629 ~54 Students get ~o% discount

Miss Selfridge supplied the lovely girly head toppers and they offer a ~o% student discount all year round . At the moment, if you sign up to their in-store loyalty card you can bag an extra ~o% of your purchase. Find Miss Selfridge at 22 St. Stephens Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR~ 3SA. 01603 626 803 Thank you to James and Hannah for modelling and to Laura Smith for taking the photos. Venue would like to thank Sasha from Topman and Bex from Miss Selfridge.

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23NOV 1 ISSUE 248

A~TS

ARTS>WINTER EVENTS UEA

LITERARY FESTIVAL>MELVYN BRAGG

A rather cliche hush fe ll over the crowd as Melvyn Bragg ascended the steps and ran _1 his fingers through a suspiciously brown head of hair, promising us 'quite an evening'. This was the last time he would g1ve a public talk about The South Bank Show and the air > was thick with nostalgia as Bragg delighted ~ the audience with his bizarre anecdotes, L namedropping shamelessly, interspersing 0 h1s memories with his thoughts and beliefs 0 about the arts. Within the hour Bragg led us gently through The South Bank Show's conception, success and final programme L with warmth and a smile; when he _j became especially passionate, urgent and 1.1.. sweeping gestures were added bending the microp hone into a variety of unusua l positions. The stories ranged from Harold Pinter's u rather pecu liar 'fetish' for 'pre-punctuality' with whom Bragg competed (unsuccessfu lly), ~ arriving up to half an hour early for their L meetings on ly to discover Pinter waiting for him. They included memories of a private performance by Pavarotti's father which Bragg imitated, belting out Italian Opera 0 at a pitch and volume LT1 has not seen in a w a: long time. He told us of Laurence Olivier's d1smissal of film as an 'anaemic med1um' 3 and of the frustration felt by the film's editor when Noel Coward's tended, to 'bugger off 1-

to the Ritz' when not in a particu lar scene.

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of thought, remin ded us of old one s and perhaps most im portantly prompted us to find ou r own" He preached h1s belief that Art should be treated equally whether Beethoven or McCartney and that was what The South Bank Show was there to do: remove the 'stigma'. He believes that the only element which div1des art from great art is time, when it is allowed to 'marinade'. There is now a new battle, or if not a battle a quest, for the source of art, a search to understand human imagination . Bragg tells us that the new frontiers are in neuroscience, and modestly dismisses all the broadcasting he has done up till now as nothing compared to the research and exploration into the arts which is to come. And after an hourofenchanted silence the

audience has been whirled from country to country, from pop music to actors, directors, and all manner of artists. He talked with a refreshing simplicity about the 'economy of the arts' and the effect industrialisation and the technological revolution had on art. Though the significance Bragg attributed to The South Bank Show somet1mes seemed stretched, commenting on how Shakespeare plays were examples of The South Bank

Show as they were all exp lorations into different mediums, at other moments he was astonishingly modest. The audience were humbled by this man who saw high and low art as one and the same, he opened new ways of thought, reminded us of old ones and perhaps most importantly prompted us to find our own. Gwen Han aue r

~ THEATRE>NoRwtcH PLAYHousE> HAMLET a: ]!:

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Hamlet has always been one of Shakespeare's most ce lebrated tragedies I Ill and every different prod uction does the play <{ justice in various ways. On t he small stage of 1.1.. th e Norwich Play house, th e st ory of Ham let came to life w ith w hat can on ly be described

as a highly surprising performance. Despite the complexity of the character, Giles Roberts gave Hamlet a rather onedimensional personality. Even though his take on Hamlet's sanity may seem simplistic, it ended up adding to the excitement of the production. Given on ly two sides to him the audience were never fully prepared for the drastic extent of Hamlet's madness. There was certainly never a dull moment as Roberts switched between overwhelming anger, to literally rolling on the Aoor 1n laughter. His character developed an almost schizophrenic attitude, which was sometimes amusing but overa ll rather frightening. Hamlet's relationship with Horatio was not as f ull y deve loped as it cou ld have been but it was interesting to see a female play the ro le, giving their relations hip romantic co nnotations. However, all insinuations aside, Dan i McCallum held surprising stage prese nce as Horat io. First found on t he night watch, talking to the guards as the ghost appears, instantly we were shown th e conce rn and se iA essness assoc iated wit h her character. Leavi ng Horatio as a

straightforward character drew the play away from too many complications. With so much Intricacy Involved with all the characters, she was the only noble moral focus of the play and McCallum acted with enthusiasm. 11

t he st ory of Hamlet

came to life[ ...] a hig hly sur pris ing perform a nce" There were two dramatic breakdowns that managed to shock the audience into disbelief, from both Ophelia and Laertes . Loren O'Dair's na·l·ve yet graceful Ophelia descends into madness after her father's death. Beforehand, O'Dair shows Ophelia's fragi lity but one is not given any indication of her later breakdown. Nick Holbeck also does Laertes justice. After Gertrude tells him of his sister's death, Holbeck had the ent ire playhouse entranced by the emotional intensity of his breakdown. There was no passionat e scream of anger or a look of faux shock. Instead, he realistically crouches

down, and weeps. He gave, without a doubt, one of the finest performances of the even1ng. Though all the actors gave intense performances, it was John Paten's portrayal of Claud1us that stole the show. He defin1tely lived up to the "less than kind" disposition of the murderous Uncle, and he was able to capture the aggressive hatred of Claud1us' soliloquies brilliantly. He handled the subtle manipulation of Laertes with the true zeal of a usurper trying desperately to keep his secret. But, regardless of the darkness of Claudius, Paton added humour to the character. Both Paton and Munow spurred on the absurdity of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Tobias Deacon (Rosencrantz) and Omar lbrahim (Guildenstern) made a perfect slapstick pair, giving welcome comic re lief between the Intensity of the othe r scenes. Overall the play was entertaining, often funny and definitely powerfu l. Constantl y intriguing, with numerous compelling insights into individual characters, it certainly all owed for an int erest ing night. Catherine Morpeth

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23 N O V1:J I SS U E 248

THEATRE>MADDERMARKET>MEASURE FOR MEASlliRE

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wrote Measure years ago, this remarkable performance certainly proved its timelessness when it was performed at MaddermarketTheatre. The play uses ideas

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of power, pride and religion t'o question whether justice is ever achievable in a world in which "we are all frail". Each character bears some form of human imperfection, which was translated

on stage into a humorous and equally chilling performance. The casting was faultless, their pronunciation meticulous, and not once did they fall out of character. Angelo, the strict Puritan who legi_slates against sex despite his own sexual promiscuity, was performed with icy perfection . The Duke was performed equally well, with an honest display of both pride and sincere regret . Yet the star of the show was most definitely the cheeky vagabond Lucio, who provided a welcome comic relief from the dark, serious mood . On the page, Lucio is an unrepentant character whom we cannot help but feel some disdain towards . On stage, however, Noel Jones brings Lucio to life. With a perfect mastery of comic timing, pelvic thrusting and cheeky expressions, we soon learn to love this naughty vagabond. The stage was modest but well utilised as it was transforr(led from a bleak dark room to a thriving brothel, to a vandalised street with ease. The most prominent colours of red and white reflected the dark and light aspects of all characters, who, in turn, were transferable to all humanity. In 路 a sense,

we are all painted with passionate red and white righteousnes~, not one of us perfect, which is perhaps why these characters are m still so easily related to. (!) This human f railty, performed to Z perfection by each actor, is what makes r this performance s(l memorably poignant. m With a soundtrack that includes the rock ....J

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hit 'Paradise City', and a cast packed with pimps and prostitutes, this performance may not be what you would usually expect of a Shakespeare play, but it is definitely ::;r not one to miss. Sula Deane

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The current production of Measure for Measure continues nightly at Maddermarket Theatre until Saturday u 27th November, when there is also a matinee performance.

ART>NUCA>No WoRKING TITLE On November gth, Concrete had the pleasure of viewing a Tate-Modernorganised exhibition featuring work by Fine Art students at the Norwich University College of the Arts. The exhibition, which has been curated by the students involved, shows work created in collaboration with fellow students from Bath and Winchester on Tate Modern's No Working Title project earlier this year. No Working Title is a project managed by the Tate Learning team which encourages students to team up using rules, systems and strategies conceived by conceptual artists whose works are on display in Tate Modern, including Yoko Ono and Douglas Huebler. The students were paired off with others from the Bath School of Art and Design or the Winchester School of Art and asked to devise a set of instructions, based on their own practice, by which their partner would make a piece of work . The project culminated in an earlier event at Tate Modern in March where each student revealed their work and engaged in a day of critical debate alongside academic staff and the Tate Learning Team . The student's instructions were extremely thought provoking and many

revolved around asking the other to 'think outside the box' and to view their surroundings as they would not normally have done. Artists pushed the boundaries with regards to gender and expression of sexuality as seen in 'Dolly with a Dick', by Emma Clark, about a troubled drag queen . Some pieces. invited the viewer to question art itself. Does it have to be purely functional or is it meant to be impractical and hard to understand? An example of this was seen in one work of art which consisted of three seemingly 'random' photo frames placed on a pedestal, with no real explanation of why they were there . The event comprised a two level space at the University campus, where students' work was placed on walls and pedestals alongside a typed up copy of their instructions from their partner. The artists were available to talk about their pieces an_d many seemed enthusiastic about the results of the project. "We are all very excited to be involved in No Working Title, discussing subjects surrounding ownership, authorship and the presence of instructions in art making," said Fine Art student Peter May. "Overall, working in collaboration with Tate Learning has provided us with a fantastic opportunity." Victoria Highfield

Following its showing on the NUCA campus the touring exhibition will travel to the Bath School of Art and Design and Winchester School ofArt over the next two months.

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23NOV10 ISSUE 248

W~ITING

WoRDS AND IMAGES

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This issue, we invited submissions based on the painting 'Autumn Leaves路 by John Copley... Autumn Leaves

Fields of Gold

Spitting leaves since the bonfire left like a Guy burning forked to the spot. Smoke choking me for all the words you wouldn't let out, stuffed up inside me cotton mouthed like that dumb toy animal you bought back when you got me birthday presents, wrapped up with a dress so small I broke the zip trying to make it fit and you replaced it, like you've done with me now. Something new, still nice, but not quite the same, not quite as good, not quite ... too much, a girl that you can take, doesn't burn so bright, a firework when set alight doesn't rise quite as high, but as you watch me fade and die, beside her at the back of your mind, do you repeat the way I shined like the pattern of our bodies intertwined.

We leave the bus for a random field We leave the bus for a random field A random field of fallen leaves from golden trees and I sit there, rich, as you go to sleep. We let the warmth seep through our skin We let the warmth seep through our skin We sat on the Green, now we sit on the Brown but you go to sleep as the gold flutters down . The moss is bright, the houses dull The moss is bright, the houses dull The sky now black so I wait for the rain; you'll only see the ground when it's slush.

Remember how they used to make us play famous statues, lichen-encrusted memories march upon your pretty face. A lifetime of emptied promises, smiles rehearsed, set Tired eyes that crumble, lonely, fine lines that never meet. How your eyes wouldn't look into hers, never once eroding that childish conceit. Listen to ME when I'm ta lking to YOU! You rise but the words fall to nothing, their nothings incomplete.

Sleeping Beauty

Life of the Artists

with apologies to Kawabata

Glassy eyes leave glassy stares at every stroke The cautious brush, the careful pen had undertook. To read, upon the canvas, painted words, To see, beyond those words, each coloured shape. Until by squinting everything unearths, And cracks the glaze for all emotions to escape . In art the truth is bare, one thing is rife. Beneath the surface dwells the artist's life.

Watching her sleep her breath like a sweet wrapper rustling, and him back where he stood the night before wondering if she would wake when touched. The falling leaves tattooed on her back are aching to be traced, her left arm bent, knees folded, her right hand fingering the edge of the sheet, chest rising, and him motionless as if he were asleep and she the one awake .

Fingers twitching, legs prepared to flee, Afraid of what your eyes might chance to see. Does it tell too little? Or worse- is it too much? Their life to all the world now magnified. A far-fetched dream, a broken past, the painful touch Of one lost love, a diary entry amplified, A slip, a luckless blunder meant to laugh and taunt, The prickly bruises inflate the fiery haunt. Vulnerable it is for those in such a trade 1 For fruits so lush a special price demands be made. One fine idea unlocks the past confined. Should their emblazoned work be destined to go far, Their fate and fiction have to intertwine, Ripping ruthlessly each long forsaken scar. Yet artists have no choice : they must pry out the heart, Then their blood turns to ink and their soul becomes art.

Autumn shrugs indifferently, shed ideas put us to sleep.

Creative Writing Events Saturday December 4th Aisle

is Ten - The UK's top poetry collective turns ten

years old this winter, and to celebrate they invite you to The York Tavern in Norwich for poems & pints. There will also be readings from poets & writers who have gigged with Aisle16 over the years. The York Tavern, 1 Leicester Street, Norwich, NR2 2AS. 8pm-11pm . Free entry.

Andrew Nimmo

Next Issue he me for next issue : 'Dreams

and Nightmares'

Email your submissions to concrete.creativewriting@uea.ac.uk by

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Robert Van Egghen Remember how we rescued tried and tortured Daddy Long Legs, repatriating body parts from here to the end of the street. "You're it" was then but this is now, so stop your complaining, food's on the table, think of all them starving children in-

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Carmin a Masoliver

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Rachael Lum

Creative Writing Websites

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etcetera http://etceterart.blogspot .corn/ Running regular features on UEA-affiliated writers, as well (I) as featuring reviews and works by talented writers from .across the globe, etcetera is well worth checking out for a: writing that offers something different from the usual <:( mainstream poetry sites. Cafe Writers http://cafewriters.awardspace.com/ The website of Norwich's premier poetry organisation, z promoting new and estab lished writers thro ughout Norfolk 0 and beyond, with details oftheir monthly meetings, annual I competition and news m RobertVan Egg hen Poetry http://robertvanegghenpoetry. <:( blogspot.com Blog of Concrete Creative Writing Editor lL featuring poems, prose and reviews

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23NOV10 ISSUE 248

TELEVISION

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REALITY: I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUTOFHERE

PRIMETIME: MISFITS E4, THURSDAY 1OPM

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The past weeks have seen the return of Misfits, the comedy-drama featuring a group of young people as they 'pay their debt to the community'. The second series picks up only days after the first ended , Nathan has discovered his power of immortality at a reasonably inconvenient time, Simon has killed yet another probation worker and the appearance of a heavily clad mystery character with a taste for parkour have set the scene for the opening episode. The series opener takes care of the most significant of these issues within the first ten m inutes, with Nathan being freed from his coffin, and quickly moves to more important problems, mainly a shapeshifting apparently 'mental' girl harbouring a sl ight obsession with Simon. Her introduction reminds the audience of the one of the most gripping features of Misfits: complete unpredictability. Anyone who describes Misfits as 'that chavvy version of Heroes' is sorely mistaken and has clearly never watched the show. There is something completely different about

it, something that comes across in much of British television and is often distinctly absent from American drama, namely the emphasis and importance of character. lt is the characters in Misfits who draw audiences, whether it is Nathan, the highly irritating, parentless, homeless, immortal; Simon, the lonely invisible guy; Curtis the ex-athlete turned time -traveller; Alisha who causes uncontrollable lust; or Kelly the gobby mind-reader: there is something for everyone to relate to. The key to the characters within Misfits is in the title: a group of social deviants, dressed in orange JUmpsuits, completely different from each other and yet forced together after they kill their rabid probation worker. Misfits is loved by many, loathed by some, and often simply misunderstood; yet there can be little doubt that it represents a welcome change from the standard weekday line -up of repetitive soaps and unnecessarily dramatic rea lity te levision. Helen Eaton

Gillian McKeith hasn't had a good first week in the jung le. In her pre-jungle interview, the TV nutritionist claimed not to have realised she'd be required to camp outdoors, had a mini-meltdown on her arrival into camp when she spotted, of all Australia's deadliest horrors, a spider's web, and then fainted and had to be revived by medics during a challenge where she was shut inside a rodent- filled crate. Given the fact that Gillian has a selfconfessed "phobia of anything that moves", one is lead to question just what exactly she thought she was getting herself into when she signed up to take part in the famously slimy, insect-filled shindig that is

I'm A Celebrity... Get me out of Here' Yes, the jungle-based reality show is back, with the usual bunch of unknown 'celebrities' forced to eat kangaroo penises and recite nursery rhymes whilst a horde of angry eels flap about their heads, all for our, the Great British Public's, sadistic entertainment. And so did we, after her disastrous first task, decide, in our

sympathy, to spare Gillian further anguish by letting her off t he next t ria 17 No, we decided the best thing forGillian to do would be something that would both target her fear of insects and offend her strict-vegan sensibilities in one fel l swoopthe notorious 'eating' bush-tucker trial. After struggling to cross the bridge to even reach the trial, (yes, that's right, Gillian's scared of heights, too), the only course Gi ll ian managed was the first, a cheese-fruit mix on a pastry base. Her fellow campers understandably disappointed, tensions soon began to rise, w ith everythi ng coming to a head in a heated and intense exchange over the best way to sharpen a stick. Let's hope things start looking up for the camp soon. Natalie Fletcher

COMEDY : Ul< VS THE USA

NATALIE STEPHENSON take s a closer look at British a nd A merica n comedy, in a bid to see who com es out on top.

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stand-up. This link comes from panel-based shows, comedy road shows and individual comedians claiming their own shows. Michael Mc lntyre, Russell Howard, and all other types that might feature on Mock the Week are usually the big winners. Obvious ly, there are sitcoms and sketch shows still churned out by the machine (with The lnbetweeners being a

'churned' exception, if you're a fan), but the loyalty, for the time being, seems to be w ith comedians. A ll things considered , this is a shrewd move with the channels producing simple programmes and then screening popular American ones cheaply. Very clever. But limiting home grown comedy7

USA Over in America they've stuck with the true and noble sitcom. Comedy Central does make stand-up programmes, but beyond

that comedy is seen through characters' lives and situations. I'm certainly not saying that they're all good - Shit my Father Says was translated from a twitter feed . No great explanation is required as to its quality - but there's something very sleek and professional about the American comedies. Compare Cougar Town with Three Pints and you'll get the drift. Plus, the long length of their seasons (not just six episodesl) gives more space for a show to grow and improve. The Americans do still have that loving feeling towards the UK, keeping the

mockumentary going in Modern Family, The Office and all , and attempting at every given moment to adapt our programmes. They do love us but they're so much better at being themselves. Overall, comedy is obviously one of those subjective things, and the form it takes is, too. it's most likely true that the main stream love affair with the cheeky, geeky stand-up comedian will probably run out fast, so perhaps it's a good idea to keep our eyes on the Americans. We can always try to adapt some of their programmes if we run out of ideasl

23NOV1:J ISSUE 248

TELEVISION

AMERICAN DRAMA

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Here's our pick of the best American Drama in recent years, and why Britain simply can't compete.

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THE WALKING DEAD FX, FRIDAY 10PM

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Following in the footsteps of True Blood and Buffy, there is a new American drama gracing our screens that packs a vicious bite . The Walking Dead is bringing zombie action to the small screen, focusing on the daunting prospect of everyday life after a zombie apocalypse. Following a small group of survivors in and around the desolate streets of Atlanta, it focuses on tough small town cop Rick Grimes and his search for his wife and son . The Walking Dead is a strong character drama as well a satisfying zombie horror. Written and directed by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), this drama is not afraid of asking the questions that most zombie films shy away from. Is it right to leave a racist brute to be eaten by zombies? Is it acceptable to start sleeping with your best friend's wife if you

KateAIIen

LOST

The television audience can be, broadly speaking, divided into three categories; those who never watched Lost, those who lost interest when the series changed channel, and those who stayed with it until the bitter end. Those that stayed were rewarded with six series of gripping, complex drama that demanded the audience's full attention, contributing to one of the most ambitious television projects ever. .......,~_.,.---=---...,

What made Lost so special was its mythology; it is impossible to name another TV show that could sustain a website with thousands of pages, each

When it comes to medical dramas, House has to be regarded as one of the very best that TV has to offer. Set in Princeton-Piainsboro Hospital, the show follows the grumpy genius that is Gregory House and his team of diagnosticians as they battle to save patients from an array of mysterious diseases. Although House's premise might seem a little tried and tested, what sets this hospital drama apart is that many of the episodes feel like a detective drama . For House and the team, it's not just a race against time to save a patient's life : it's also a rush to discover whether a patient is being entirely honest about their symptoms. Besides the slick camera action and perfect balance between the characters' professional and personal lives, the show's

think he's dead? By using the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, The Walking Dead is able to strip back all the unnecessary mundane details of life and focus intensely on the humanity of these situations. In a world full of flesh -eating monsters it strives to ask: how capable are we of becoming monsters ourselves? British drama has struggled to be as innovative as this when dealing with the same issues; perhaps this is because of the shortness of British series, which gives characters a little time to develop. Or it may simply be the lack of a believable apocalypse situation happening in Britain; as Shaun of the Dead proved, the British solution to a zombie apocalypse is to head to the pub.

dedicated to an individual item on screen, in case it played a part in the bigger picture . The appeal of the show was the way in which everyone thought they knew what was going to happen. The ensemble cast required viewers to keep abreast of numerous storylines, with flashbacks employed so that the audience could understand what made the characters what they were now. Ultimately, a show such as Lost could never be produced in the UK; the pilot episode cost over $10 million. A whole BBC series would cost far less. The large number of episodes in each series also contributed to the way in which the story arc was created. lt is unlikely that a series will come along on either side of the Atlantic anytime soon that will be able to live up to the great drama and suspense that Lost brought. PhiiTurtle

greatest quality is undeniably Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Dr. House . Laurie is one of the few actors who manage to make the ultimate anti-h ero into someone who's ::r both laugh-out-loud funny and brutally _J unsympathetic. LL With his drug addiction to Vicodin and various medical misadventures, the show's biggest casualty is sometimes the medic himself and it's always interesting to see u how the dynamic between House and his team changes when he's the one in the ~ h~p~l~d .

GREY'S ANATOMY

Blood, bones, and bizarre medical cases mixed with humour, drama and sex only scratch the addictive surface of ABC's

Grey's Anatomy. Every season, millions of viewers are doomed to surrender wholeheartedly to creator Shonda Rhime's magical medical world . The question is, why is this season of the American drama worth watching, when we have our British counterparts? Hollywood's Undeniably, they have financial backing, providing greater episode budgets, their own studio complex in Los Angeles with medical equipment that is the envy of many real hospitals . But what maintains the show's prominence is its compelling melodrama . The heart-wrenching sentimentality within their tight-knit environment is what British medical dramas strive towards ."The season that changes everything" is a tagline that has not yet disillusioned viewers.

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But why is the US medical drama House a far superior show to any British hospital dramas? Can you imagine Charlie from Casualty asking his team to collect 0 UJ their boss's underwear as a part of an a: employment dare? Enough said. Eleanor Brown 3

â&#x20AC;˘ The Season Six finale left characters reeling after a mass shoot out within the hospital. Season Seven follows the staff after their life-changing experiences, having looked death directly in the face. The shooting motivated the writers to raise the stakes, producing a calibre of highly-charged, addictive medical drama unlike anything previously written . Balancing th is with some laughout loud, comedic moments and oneliners, they maint ain the show's appeal. Expect exceptional break-ups, gratifying marriages, shocking break-downs and hilarious drunken antics, all beside medical miracles; I'll never forget the spider that crawled out of an arm mid-operation . Do not dismiss this new season of Grey's Anatomy as a guilty pleasure; truly, its genre-defining production and writing is back. Kathryn Deighan

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The big question behind Call of Duty: Black Ops is; 'Can Treyarch deve lop a Call of Duty game as wel l as Infi nity Ward (the other Call of Duty deve loper) 7 ' After the success of Call of Duty 4 (made by In fin ity Ward), Treyarch released Call of Duty: World at War, which was successful but generally considered inferior to Call of Duty 4. Until now, Treyarc h have been considered the worse of the two developers but with many fans of the series becoming disillusioned after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's release, this is Treyarch's t ime to strike. And strike they did, Black Ops may not be the huge leap that CoD4 was but it marks a new high for the series and cou ld even be th e best Call of Duty game to date. The campaign mode encapsulates everything that makes the Call of Duty sing le playe r great. it takes place ove r a variety of locations and time zones but is mainly set during the Cold War period. The action is fast and frantic and the m issions are packed full of set pieces an d great atmospheric moments. On one of the early missions (a particu lar highlight of the game) you have t o figh t your way out of a Russian Gulag with your fe llow prisoners; the miss1on captures the atmosphere perfectly and totally involves the player as we ll as contain in g some great set pieces, and a Gatling gu n. The much acclaimed Nazi Zomb ies mode makes its return. Just as good as in World at War, th e zo mb ies mode is addict ive and intense. The game on ly comes with two maps but they're both huge and the

amount of time you can spend trying to perfect your strategy is ridicu lous thanks to the large variety of weapons and upgrades to be found on each map. The split screen mode is one of the best way to play Nazi Zombies, although limited to only two players, there's nothing quite like trying

to survive a zombie apocalypse w1th your f1atma t e next to you begg1ng for you to revive them. The final mode that Black Ops comes wi t h is on line mu ltiplayer, and t his is the mode most peop le wi ll be buyi ng Black Ops for. The greatness of the multip laye r lies in the fact that Treyarch haven't tried

Treyarch's understanding of what makes a good game. For examp le, one of t he modes gives every player a p1stol with one bullet, so you have to be careful; 1f you kill someone you earn a new bullet but if you miss t hen you' ll have to attempt t o kni fe them. This is just one of the four wager mode game types and they're all fun and

Planet 2 is fast becoming one of the most antic ipated games on the PS3 ( a rig ht no longer he ld by Gran Turismo 5 alone). The only downside is that it won't be here in time for Christmas (expected January 21st 2011). The basic concept involves "some kind of inter-d1mens1onal, hyper-spatial, 18oo watt vacuum that appears in the skies, causing quite t he ruckus and sucki ng Sack boy up into its musty bowels," so you can imagine the scope for gravity and physics manipulation here. As with the first game, however, it's Little Big Planet 2's cust omisable aspects that will make it stand out as a wonderful ly

unique and innovative game. Whereas Little Btg Planet gave us the opportunity to create levels, the sequel places emphasis on creatmg games (and is accordingly being marketed as a "platform for games"). Players w ill not only be able to play a variety of game types (racing, shooting, puzzling), they will be able to use the 'direct control seat' - an mtricate Move compatib le system - to create mal leable levels and games from these genres and more. So ... if you want to play an RPG with guns and cars, guess what/ You can, and you can make itl The creation aspect is made all the more rewarding with the introduction ofSackbot s, AI NPCs that can he lp, destroy or fo ll ow you . They can be configured to act in certain ways and react to certain act1ons and events, and they wi ll no doubt add another challenge to t he vastl y spreading ocean of custom-buil t content. Oh, and you can even make your own full-blown videos this time around if you fancy yourself a filmmaker. And then there's the on line dimension , with over two million existing levels already

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make f or an ent ertain ing break from t he regu lar mu ltip layer. However, what rea lly makes the Black Ops multiplayer so good is how we ll ba lanced it is. Call of Du ty: Modern Warfare 2 was plagued w ith issues, such as the ab il ity to obtain mfin1te grenades for your grenade launcher when using a certain perk, and the abi lit y t o kni fe peo ple f rom a huge distance when using another perk. Although it's still early days for Black Ops none of the perks give players an unfair advantage or allow the game to be played us in g cheap tactics and , unlike in Modern Warfare 2, the guns actual ly require ski ll to use, meaning it's no longer j ust a case who shoots first wins. If you're not a fan of t he prev ious Call of Duty games, th1s game won't change your mind, but 1f you're already a fan then you defi nit ely need to pick up Black Ops as it takes the series to the next leve l and provides hours of entertainment. Al ek Stoodley

Play. Create. Share. When Little Big Planet was re leased lat e in 2008 it seemed as if Playstation 3 owners final ly had something to shout about. The Sony exc lusive game gave us fresh and exc it ing fam ily entertainment (that rea lly is fun for all ages), it gave us great co-operative gameplay for up to four players, it gave us a massive on line comm unity, and- pe rh aps most importantly - it gave the PS3 a much needed mascot in the form of the adorable and ever-changing Sackboy. it's not surpris ing t hen that since its formal unvei ling in June 2010, Little Big

to reinve nt the series, or add a whole load of gimmicks; they've simp ly listened t o what the fans have said and produced an extreme ly well balanced and fun game. The "Wager Mode" game types are by far the most addictive mode. These are fun and inventive game modes that really show

-Frantic and intense single-player campaign - Balanced multi-player that fixes over the cracks of Modern Warfare 2

- Essent1ally just more of t he same from the franc hi se.

available, including all the unlockable and/or created material from the first game; there is a lot to smk your teeth into, and that's before you step into the LBP2 web portal. The portal will act as an online database offering individua l profiles for every player and their creations, making it incredibly easy to find levels, games and content that appeals specifica lly to you. it's also a great tool fo r displaying your ow n hand iwork ... With Move control options, insane physics, endless creation opportunities, millions of on line leve ls and th e possib ility of 3D compa t ibi lity, Little Big Planet 2 promises to be t he next big thing for PS3 owners. DJ Turner

- Exiting new ways to play, create and share in the little big planet world I

- Could be more wading t hrough terrible user-created conte nt to fi nd a hid den gem.

23NOV10 ISSUE 248

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Fun links to pass the time between socialising and learning. Take A Weird Break Everybody has seen those lifestyle magazmes: Take a Break, Pick Me Up etc. Well, this website takes the weird and wonderful front page snippets and gives you a chance to see what's going on without ever haviQg to buy a magazine. Unless, of course, you want to read one ... http://www.takeaweirdbreak.com/ Is It Thursday? Does exactly what it says on the tin. Great way to find out if its Thursday or not when you're not sure. http://isitthursday.org/ Look At This F***ing Hipster A massive compendium of Hipsters from all over the world and the ridiculous pursuits they embark upon to seem 'cool' and 'bohemian'. Plenty of love, headphone and music connections, and pictures to make you laugh and smile, even if it is at the expense of hipsters. http://www.latfh.com/ Zero Punctuation Highly critical and incredibly funny animated video reviews of the biggest games out there, all done with zero punctuation . You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll become addicted. http://www. escapistmagazine. com/ videos/view/zero-punctuation

When the iPad was unveiled little under a year ago, people just stood back and went 'what;>'; so many felt that it was a pointless device that would find no place in modern society, and today, many people still feel the same. However, to argue that it hasn't been a success is just pure stupidity; the iPad sold over three million units in the first 8o days of its launch, and so many companies have begun to imitate Apple's device, the Samsung Galaxy Tablet for one. Now, a new American company called Kno are trying their hand in the market, and this time they are looking at students as their target market. The Kno Tablet (such an inspired name) comes in two packages, either dual screened (like a book) or a single tablet (similar to the iPad), and can be used not just for browsing the web, watching videos and being a small portable computer, but also functions as your notebook and textbook reader. Working similarly to Amazon's Kindle Reader, the Kno bookstore allows users to buy and read books on the move and without the bulk of carrying multiple textbooks, and it sells over ~ooo books at a discounted price. Not only can you read the textbook on the move but you can also highlight pages, write notes all over it and back up everything to a central server for access even when you are away from your Kno Tablet. There is also the satisfaction of knowing that when you are done making notes all over your books you can just wipe everything clean, knowing that you haven't ruined a page of the book or highlighted

@TheBig_A Ever wondered what happens when a law student meets a musical genius? Welcome to the multiple personalities of Anwobo Amihere. Caught between an insatiable desire to learn French and a cold dark search for some TNA (and all while emulating Kanye West), this man's struggle is a bittersweet montage of life in the concrete ghetto. Jackass? @iamweeman Remember RememberWee Man? He loves skateboarding, tacos and modestly random tweets about life as a diddy man . This one is worth it for the old school nostalgia! DJ Turner

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save yourself tons of money in paper and ink printing them off and highlighting your way through them . With a ~4 inch screen the unit itself is not too dissimilar in size to a laptop, especially the dual screened version. The dual screened version weighs in at 2.4 kg (5.5lbs), which is just a bit heavier than your average laptop,

and with the single screen retailing at $599 (£375) and the dual screen at $899 (£560) it's of a similar price bracket to a laptop and much cheaper than an iPad or a Macbook which so many students now have. Of course, for sa id price, compared to a laptop, it does lack a disk drive, but in a society where everything is moving towards down loads, is that such an issue? it also only currently holds ~6 gigs of information, which is about the same as a mid range iPod Touch or iPhone, however text files take up little to no space; but this does leave very little room for music, pictures and videos. When put side by side with a laptop, they do both offer different uses, with many students only using their laptops to browse the web, watch videos and do their work every now and again, it does make sense for the Kno Tablet to exist. For around £~oo less than a laptop you can get something that you can use the full capabilities of and, as it says on its website, after one term of owning one and buying textbooks, especially the bulky Medical, Science and Law ones, you have made your money back in savings. it is currently only penned for the US, with a release early next year. If it is the runaway success thatthey hope it will be, it's inevitable it will be washing up on the shores of Europe before the end of next year. Kno have thrown themselves into a relatively fickle market, but it will be interesting to see if it pays off and maybe in a couple of years paper will be dead.

Open

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Open Office

Avira

If you've ever had the problem of compatibility when opening a te xt document then Open Office will be a relief as it's capable of opening almost all common formats including Microsoft Office files, HTML and XML. Open Office is also available in over 40 different languages and provides spell checking and thesaurus dictionaries in over 70, making it a good choice for international students . Open Office will run on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Sun Solaris.

With all the viruses travelling around on the Internet and the potentially expensive repercussions of having your computer get infected with one, virus protection is extremely important. Which is why Avira AntiVir is such a useful program. Although it's the free version of a more advanced program, it still comes with an excellent virus detection system. According to independent lab, av-comparative .org, Avira always scores with flying colours . In fact, most of the time, Avira achieves the highest detection rate . It's also very light on resource use and you shouldn't notice any slowing down of your computer whilst it's running .

http://www.openoffice.org

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Some of the best, most interesting or just downright funny people tweeting right now! @housematewisdom Peculiar ideas and foolish words straight from the mouth of one man's misunderstood housemate, and the best part is this guy has no idea that he's famous! Fun for anyone fond of life's strange little moments.

the wrong piec;e of text. it also means that you'll never have to worry about running out of ink in your highlighter midway through a strenuous article! This technology isn't just applicable to books downloaded from the Kno 9ookstore but to all PDF based files; this means that you can download all those articles you'll need from Jstor, Broadsearch and even the Portal, which means you'll

http://www.avira.com GIMP

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a: Interested in graphics design or photography but don't want to splash out on expensive programs like Photoshop or Illustrator? Then GIMP is the perfect program for you. GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a free image manipulation program similar to Photoshop. GIMP supports graphics tablets and comes with a range of advanced tools such as the pen tool (which is extremely easy to use for beginners), dodge tool, burn tool and clone stamp tool.

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................... •Director: David Yate s : Release Date: 19/11/10 :

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Well, this is it: the last six films in this franchi se have built up the heroes, and built up the vi ll ains, to the point where the only solution is an epic final showdown, and everyone involved in this film knows it. The landscape s are bleak, the tone is darker from the word go and the camera jerks about like a 'C ioverfield'-style disaster movie . This is definitely the end. Almost. From the time it was announced that the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were going to take place over

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two separate films, this first entry has been eyed warily by critics and fans alike, with fans having an eve n higher expectation of the film's faithfulness to the book than they would normally, and critics being concerned that with this new freedom the makers of the film would slow the film itself down unbearably. While th ere are bound to be those who retain these criticisms when they see the movie, it strikes a good balance between the two. Structurally, this fi lm is very different from the past ones in the series, swapping the usual ' boarding school' st ructure for wild empty plains and dark cold tents, as Harry, Ron, and Hermi one

juggle hiding from a Voldemort-run wizard dictatorship, and try to find the remaining horcruxes, pieces of Voldemort's soul

on, could mean newcomers are lost - but the film casts a much more suitable, dark mood because of it, and, to be honest, if you're a

which must be destroyed. This, coupled with the fact that very little explanation is given for any of the past events that this film relies

newcomer to this series, why are you starting with the seventh film :> This new structure places a lot more emphasis

on the three lead characters than the previous films, and it is largely because of them that it survives, particularly in a long seco nd act that is light on the explosive set pieces this series has made its name on. Each of the three stars turn out career-best performances that clearly demonstrate the personal touches each have given their characters over the la st few years. Their chemistry exists with a strength that can only come at the end of a long movie franchise . Taken as an individual film, it's not perfect; by this point of the series, a lot of cas ual fans will come out complaining that it is light on the action they might

have expected. There is a ten sion running through this film that draws towards an epic climax which doesn't arrive; dramatic moments in the film tend to be low-key and over in an instant. But if the final film delivers on the new, darker direction that thi s film takes stylistically, and its total reliance on audience and characters' own expectations, it is going to be looked back on in the series as damn near perfect, and taken together, I have a fee ling they' ll make something great. Thi s is a company that knows what it's doing. But we'll have t o wait until July to see. Tim Bates

u LEGEND OF THE GuARDIANs: THE OwLs OF GA ' HooLE

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.................... : Director: Tod d Phi \lips : Re lease Date: 5/11/10

................... . Due Date is exactly what a child of Train s Planes and Automobiles and The Hangover would look like. This is the story of an uptight businessman, Peter Hi ghman (Robert Dow ney Jr) who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up on a no-fly list and finds himself havi ng t o make the rest of his journey home to his pregnant wife in a car driven by Ethan Tremb lay (Zach Ga li fianakis), the same man who got him kicked off the plane in the first place. Inevitably, things don't go according to plan . The comedy in th is film flows naturally and the gags are well timed and skilfully delivered by the

actors. The situations Peter and Eth an find themselves in are genuinely funny and watching their reactions, especially Peter's, to their increasingly dire situation creates some rea l laughout-loud moments in the audience. Both Robert Downey Jr and Zach Ga li fianakis play their characters to perfection. Downey, as the arrogant and sl ightly obnoxious businessman, becomes increasing ly frustrated with his incompetent travel companion. Zach Galifianakis might as well be playing 'Aian' in another chapter of his life either before or after the events of the Hangover. This film is a definite must watch. Drew N ichol

•Director: Zack Sn yde r : Re lease Date : 22{11{10

.................... •

For a man who has previously directed such profound ly dark ta les as Watchmen and 300, a chi ldren's film about owls is perhaps not the most obv ious next move. On a basic level, Legend of the Guardians is an adventure story. Based on a series of novels for young adults, there are several narratives at work w ithin the film. Superficially, it's friendly animation concerning two brothers - Soren and Kludd (voiced by Jim Sturgess and Ryan Kwanten)- who, along with their younger sister, fall out of a tree and get lost. But, as to be expected from Synder, its not quite that simple.

The three youngsters are taken from home by what can only be described as borderline fascist owls. Lead by Metal Beak (Joel Edgarton) and Nyra (He len M irren), these characters are unnervingly sinister. Be low the surface there are arguably biblical allusions. Sibl ing rivalry echoes that of Cain and Abel and the legendary guardians, the Owls of Ga'Hoole, seem to be an ana logy for God . This aside, the 3D grap hics are outstanding. The attention to detail here does draw attention to the lack of it in the plot, but the animation is so good thi s almost doesn 't matter. Vim bai M uk wen ha

: Directo r: Mike Leigh : Re lease Date: 5/11/10

.• ................... . A new Mike Leigh film carries a certain weight of expectation. Reknowned for his naturalistic sty le and unconventional, often script-free approach to film-making, he's also one of Britain's most consistent directors. Another Year, a warm but bleak meditation on the inherent cruelty of advancing age, sees him continue this trend and, arguably, reach a zenith. As Gerri, masterfully played by Ruth Sheen, observes, 'life isn't always kind.' Though she and her husband Tom (Jim Broadben0 have been lucky, their friends, like chaotic divorcee Mary (Leslie Manville, in Oscar-

worthy form) and grossly overweight Ken, have not had the same fortune . Lonely, drinking hea vi ly and stuck in dull jobs, we are forced to watch as they try but fai l to improve their situations whi le time marches on, taking with it their last chances at happiness . Happy-Go -Lucky this is not. This is as emotionally devastating a film as you're like ly to see this year, and Leigh 's heavy themes are carried well by a note perfect ensemble cast. it's far from an easy watch: Mary's drunken breakdowns and spiteful attacks are particularly painful, and Leigh's close-ups will often linger far longer than is comfortable. However, if you let it, Another Year will play on your mind for days. Du ncan Vicat-Brown

••••••••••••••••••• •Director: Col in Strause, • :Greg Strause • :Release Date: 12!11/10

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Skyline, the latest offering in the already exhausted al ien invasion genre, sees Jarrod (Eric Balfour) and Elaine (Scottie Thompson) tak ing a weekend jaunt to LA. it's not long before aliens arrive and shine a blue light, entrancing everyone who looks at it. And with that minor plot point, there ends any shred of originality in what is essentially a mash-up of every other sci -fi/monster movie ever made . From the moment our insipid group decide to leave the safety of their building, the film turns into a joyless ride of painful

predictability, stupidity and ridiculous plot devices . Whilst this might still just sound like brainless fun, especially to fans of Roland Emmerich's big disaster films, it isn't. Skyline is potentially the most boring disaster movie ever made . Yes, the CGI is pretty impressive, but more is needed than just pretty special effects to make a decent film. And, as this is basically the directors showing us their CGI prowess with occasional cut-ins of Eric Balfour looking serious or screaming in slow motion at the camera, it is not a decent film. Don't be fooled by the pretty blue lights. James Collins

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•Director: Andy Ftckman • :Release Date: 12111/ 10 : • • : •••••••••••••••••• : You Again is like snuggling up in a familiar, slightly loathed, kn itted jumper that your Grandma gave you . The plot is so predictable it is possible to look like a psychic. A few laughs were extracted, but whether they were th~ result of merriment or pain is debatable . You Again follows Marni, a furmer outta~ who discovers to her badly acted horror that her brother is marrying her former high school enemy Joanna, and he knows nothing about it. Things are made worse when it turns out that Joanna's mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) happens to be the nemesis of Marni's mother

(St'gourney

Weaver)

· Hilarity allegedly ensues. There are a few jewel moments when the comedy does seem to hit the right note, but these are memorable due to their infrequency. Marni and Joanna hold no attention at all and it is left to the mothers to valiantly attempt to carry the film . it is noticeable that any sniggers produced were of the ir making, but seeing two good actresses in something like this sucked any fun out of it. The men are quite likeable - but this may be due to the fact that they didn't have characters . In conclusion - bearable, but there are definitely better films to see. Claire Price

••••••••••••••••••••• This film comes at the tail end (we can only hope) of Western remakes of world cinema success stories, which have ranged from effective (The Departed), to dire (The Grudge 2), to utterly, utterly pointless (Quarantine). As one of the most critically-beloved films of 2009, TomasAifredson's Let the RightOne In is seemingly an obvious cho ice for this distasteful trend . However, like the thankfully stalled remakes of 0/dboy and The Lives of Others, there's a feeling that the story wouldn't work outside of its native Sweden . Even with director Matt Reeves' success with Cloverfield,

early buzz around prospects of Let Me In were, at best , lukewarm . Happily, Reeves has pulled it off - mostly. The two leads are arguably better than those in the original, particularly Chloe Moretz who, it appears, can do no wrong . Despite worries that the remake would tone down some of the cMtent for sensitive Weste rn eyes, Let Me In is, if anything, more graphic. Unf ortunately, the blockbuster direction and occasionally syrupy score feel very out of place with themes as dark as those covered here. Nevertheless, this is a solid remake of a modern classic, which, while not an improvement, is at least worth of mention in the same breath . Ouncan Vicat-Brown

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Iron Man 2 once again stars Robert Downey Jr in the role of businessman Tony Stark, who in the guise of his alter ego Iron Man, sin gle -handedly orchestrated peace between the Western and Eastern worlds . The political utopia does not last long as Stark is soon embroiled in a legal battle with the US government who want to seize his Iron Man technology on the grounds of national security. To make matters worse, a crazed supervillain is on the loose, and Stark is dying due to a part of the Iron Man suit which remains

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: chris Sanders ••Release Date: 15/11/10

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•• ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••••• permanently attached to his heart. As expected, Iron Man 2 boasts an array of visually impressive action sequences. Yet it quickly becomes a bewildering stream of glossy techno-babble amid the dizzying haze of gargantuan explosions, briefcases that can turn into robots, and shameless product placement. The dialogue appears to have been inspired by an instruction manual for a games console . Meanwhile, the talents of the surprisingly

le cast, including Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Gwyneth Paltrow are wasted in a film as carnal as this . Iron Man 2 does not translate well into a smallscreen DVD format, the natural habitat of big budget extravagance such as this being the big screen . However, for two hours of unintelligent escapism on a rainy afternoon, there are worse ways to pass the time . Michael Lovelock

Featuring the voice talents of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill and our very own former Time Lord David Tennant, Dreamwork's latest offering centres around the story of a young Viking boy, Hiccup (voiced by Baruchel), who sets out to fight the dragons that plague his island, but, on downing one of the beasts, finds he can't bring himself to kill it. In the plot sensibility of this picture, dragons are not the ferocious man-eating creatures of yore, but are intelligent, sensitive and want

"'> rto umans. Over the course of the film, Hiccup becomes very attached to his new friend . The story is simple, and the thinly veiled metaphor of tolerance, depicted through the human ignorance Hiccup discovers, will feel well worn to those schooled in films at least partly aimed at children . Unlike Pixar, Dreamworks studios have traditionally employed a nuts and sledgehammer approach to storytelling, and the trend is in evidence here. However, there is much to like about

animation, a vocal a: cast, is occasionally funny, U but most importantly, it has plenty of heart. Considering the amount of recent releases that have boasted much in the way of spectacular action but have also fi ~ lded some pretty bland characterization and little in the way of likeability, it is refreshing to have a feature wit h enjoyable drama and characters - even if it does include a healthy dose of juvenilia . George Gilbert

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~ THE INTERVIEW-JOHNNYI(NOXVILLE, s JEFF T REMAINE AND SPti<E JoNZE .:!

DuNCAN VICAT-BROWN met up w1th the star, director and producer of the pamfully funny tnlogy-closer Jacl<ass 30, to d1scuss profess1onal1sm, Shetland pon1es, and, of course, poo, head injuncs and throwing up ...

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Is there ever a time when you think 'This is not a good idea'? r- JK: Yeah , and that's when Jeff says 'Action'' Ul JT: Most of w hat we do wou ld be conside red _1 'not a good idea' by most peop le. 'Not a good a idea' is how we make a living . l!l

There's a disclaimer at the start saying that you're 'trained professionals', but ~ presumably when you first started out .:! you weren't .. 0 JT: We paid each and every one of them , u so technica lly.. Also, one of the first things we spent any money on was printing these t-shirts with ' Professional' written across .:! them , thin ki ng t hat m ight get us a litt le _J more leeway- 'what do you mean he's not a professional, read his shirt''

JT: Exactly. So, he had it coming . it's funnyon set, you 're not allowed to tell your fears, because if we figure that out you're gonna face it , y'know'

What made you want to film in 3D? JK : The studio suggested it and we did some tests and it worked out really well for us, we thought it could be fun.

Is it still as easy to nerve yourself up? JK: I think I'm more willing to do stunts now than I was when the TV show started . Maybe it's due to the concussions.

Was it harder? JT: lt was eas ier in a wa y and it was a lot more difficult, there were a lot more people . lt was shot in 3D, using 3D cameras, and

1.1..

Were you ever trained? SJ: (Indicat ing Johnny) He's been voca lly u trained .. JK: (Laughs) Trained in being douche bags .. ~. Steve-0 was actua ll y.. he went to Ba rn um .:! & Ba il ey's clown sc hoo l, he dropped out of college and then did that .. SJ: And then got kicked out of the circus, right7 0 JK : We got him kicked out of a circus inside w a: a flea market in Fort Lauderdale, and he was a clown, and he'd come out and the 3 kids would start cry ing .. SJ: But he's sk ill ed, and a lot of the guys are skaters, so t hey're pretty ath letic and they > know how to fall.

rAnd they're fearless? JT: Well.. not exactly fearless .. SJ: Maybe fearless is the wrong word, they (.!} de fi nite ly have fears, they just know how z to ta lk themselves out of having fear f or a r- moment. a: JK: We had two or three cries. Bam officially 3 cried . JT: lt was a bit sad, but if you think about ~ it up to that po int Bam had pee'd on everybody, he'd 'Rocky'd' everybody .. r JK: He was on his way to knock out Jeff.

The guy who stood up to you when you were making out with your 'granddaughter' was almost as heroic as you .. JK: Two and a half days we tried to do that and people were j ust ignoring us. I was like, really 7 No-one cares 7 We had her pregnant at one point, because nobody gave a sh*t and finally we were like uhh, and somebody said they had a pregnancy suit, so .. Are you ever paranoid on set? JK: Constantly. Every time we're on set. JT: Right now. SJ: I have my crotch covered at all times.

those cameras are big and bulky, and you need like three, four people per camera . But rea lly, on this test we did we shot just a few t hings, and t he energy .. it was just so obvious that it was time to shoot a movie. [Johnny] and Pontius and Steve -0 got together, and the energy was so big that it didn't matter what kind of camera we were going to shoot it on, it was going to happen. About halfway through, we discovered the Phantom Camera, which is the camera that shoots li ke a thousand frames per second, super slow motion; that we wrote more ideas for than we did for 3D. We had a custom built Phantom 3D camera and we

just shot the stupidest th ings you can think of with the most expensive, highest-tech device out there. Are they any stunts you wanted to use that you weren't allowed to, or that you w ish you 'd used ? JK : No, anything we wanted in the movie is in. A lot of great things got left out because we wanted to keep it to ninety minutes, so Jackass 3路5 is coming out in January, we 've got the entire cast in London shooting wrap-arounds for it. There's some great stuff in there. SJ: it's also a lot to do with the flow of it, not ha ving too many bits that are the same, we keep moving stuff around and dropping thing s in and out. Sometimes you need to give the audience a break, if you do something really gross you need to do something really G-rated next; the 'Wee Bar Brawl' was a nice thing to do after the 'Volcano'. JT: You know there's something funny that's not in that . We had one of the midget cops on a miniature horse, but it would just not go into the bar, we kept pushing it like 'Go' Go 1 Go 1' but it wouldn't budge. JK: I had a Shetland pony when I wa s little, called Bo Diddley. He lived to be like 34路 Was there a lot of throwing up on set? JT: Yeah , there always is, and it's always the same few. Cordell, Lance Bangs, Rick Kosick .. I have cameramen t hat are all set just t o fi lm our crew. SJ: Also, somet imes if we're in a smal l room, if Dave ends up pooing in the corner.. it smells rea ll y bad and the ones that are gonna get hit probably the strongest are those three. JT: I bully Lance and Rick into getting close - 'Gimme a close up shot on that'' - 'cos I know that it's bothering them. JK: I wis h we had a hi ghli ght reel of you going 'Kosick Film the poop! Film the poop'' Steven Soderbergh never ye ll s that out.. 1

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With the face of Justin Bieber becoming virtually impossible to avoid, VIMBAI Mui<WENI<A explores the teenager's persistence to breal< into film in early 2011.

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Bieber, discovered on Youtube by manager Raymond 'Scooter' Braun and mentored by Ushe r, has a legit imat e amount of industry power behind him. He is also an internet sensatio n. His Twitter account is taken as ve rbatim and serves to co unterac t th e numero us ru mours that surface. Boycotts have included an attemptto get 'J usti n Bieber Syphillis' to the top of Goog le search, and another t o have North Korea ad ded as an extra locati on f or his tour. For al l t he Bieber-fever the re is a

Justin Bieber is a Canadian teenager living the American Dream; that is, if the American Dream invo lves becomi ng a <:( market ab le co m mod ity an d be in g fl aunte d across the globe . Fol lowing in the footsteps of other teen stars suc h as Miley Cyrus and z th e Jonas Broth ers, Bieber's upcoming film 0 wi ll be in 3D. N ever Say N ever is intende d I to be a biopic charting his rise to fame and (I) following him around on his My World tour. <:( Di recto r John Chu , the man to blame for 1.1.. St ep Up 3D, desc rib es th e fil m as 'fun '. lt wi ll be fun f or Chu when t he dol lars start t o rol l

great deal of contempt. Presumably not towards the boy himself - who at 16 can hardly be blamed - but towards everything he rep rese nts. Due for release on Va lentines Day 2011, the film will probably sell some kind of generic rags-to-riches story to reassure t he au die nce th at Bieber is st ill just 'Ju sti n from the block'. Shamelessly timed to lure in hormonal teenage girls, it will offer some kind of hope that Bieber, or hi s real-life clones, are attain abl e. Th ere w ill be ca t chy m usic, bo ld grap hi cs and nauseous cliches.

You have to wonder whe th er Bieber does have a 'world' beyond t he performing and t he products. There is a book deal with Harper Co llin s and an ap parent need t o somehow create him by relen t lessly tel ling his 'st ory'. The boy's exist ence outs ide of the films, t he books and th e glossy magazi nes is negligible. Never Say Never 7 Perhaps one day Bieber will go t o North Korea- because, let's face it, that would be more realistic th an thi s film promi ses t o be. Vimbai Mukwenha

GIG REPORTS DEFTONES:

LCR 18 1 1 10

'The Next Episode' by Dr Ore and Snoop Dogg might not be every metal band's conventional entry song. But this isn't any normal metal band. With tense relationships, underachieving new material and a bassist in a coma, it's uncertain what to expect from these Sacramenta veterans. The lights go dark and The 'Next Episode' just keeps blasting. A hint of the strong affinity west coast entities have with each other regardless of taste. Strobes blind as a cave full of atmospherics and oscillating bass echo round and tension builds. As China Moreno (vocalist) walks onto his" raised platform over the stage the crowd goes ballistic. They drop straight into that spine crunching noise with China's signature vocals which continuously alternate between off kilter melodic whining and the angsty screams made by a late teen stuck in a thirtysomething year-olds body. The calm swagger ofMoreno commands the crowd . Songs from Around the Fur, including 'Be Quiet and Drive' and 'My Own Summer' get blasted with the pride as if they had been written yesterday. The DJ swirls atmospherics in and around the stage heightening the moodiness of this timeless band. The beautifully constructed 'Knife Party' succeeds in elating the crowd to an airy, shoe-gazing state. The effortless control they exert over their sound, the

stage and the croWd has been perfected to be an art form. They communicate with the audience rarely, but when they do it's with an honesty that grounds them from any potential perceived rock-star temperament. As they casually stroll through numbers from 'Diamond Eyes', you can't help but notice an inherent weakness in the songs that fail to capture the hearts and minds of those who love 'Adrenaline', 'Around the Fur' and 'White Pont so much. 'Passenger' expectedly brings t~e crowd to its knees with its dark, Tool influenced melodies and hedonistic undertones. Nearly two hours into the show and it's a wonder how Chino keeps on screaming how he does. 'Change (In The House of Flies)' closes the show with a romantic f**k you. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter, and tempo~ary bassist Sergio Vega [Quicksand], remain onstage to tune up, and tease the encore with a melancholic jam before the whole band come back on to smash their way through three tunes off 'Adrenaline' including the nostalgia inducing 'Birthmark'. Deftones executed the show beautifully and are still undeniably at the top of their game. Never miss an opportunity to see this band . Faultless.

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LCR 12 11 10

The Klaxons' latest tour for their second album Surfing the Void arrived at UEA on Friday the 12th November. Their most recent live show marks the culmination of three years of hard work for the band, which had their initial album rejected by label Polydor for being too experimental. HoweveF, after working with 'The Godfather of Nu Metal' Ross Robinson, responsible for the likes of Korn and Limp Bizkit, the group have managed to emerge from the album making process with another successful instalment of their psychedelic sound. Their new songs worked perfect balance alongside those which had propelled the band into the mainstream and created the foundations for an exceptional gig. The new rave pioneers kicked off with the album's title track Surfing the Void, combining the twin energies of rave and punk, they whipped the LCR crowd into a frenzy. The band's ability to dissolve genre boundaries is something that they have become renowned for since achieving commercial recognition, and their ambition to stand apart was clear from an intense and energetic performance that remains unmatched by their hordes of rivals. The opening song set the tone for the rest of the

gig as Jamie Reynolds' psychedelic rhetoric echoed about the LCR for the remainder of the show. The lively atmosphere and high energy levels were sustained throughout as they performed new album tracks; 'Same Space', 'Echoes' and 'Venusia' alongside the successful singles; 'Golden Skans', 'Gravity's Rainbow' and 'Magick'.

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Jdllrc··. f..'rqll11;11 W1· 1'·1 ! 'J/J Many critically acclaimed acts have fallen foul to the intimate size of the LCR and have received a very mixed crowd response. The Klaxons, however, were never in danger of this and displayed both a commanding and interactive presence on the stage, leaving their fans pleading for more once the show reached its eventual climax. The audience was not disappointed as they were presented with stunning renditions. of 'AtlantisTo lnterzone' and 'it's Not Over Yet'. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that The Klaxons will reach the dizzying heights of 2007 on the back of this year's mixed album reviews. However, what they provide the music industry with is a sound that is new,

exciting ana refreshing during a time when substance and creativity are being placed on the backburners.

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2 3 NOV10 I SS U E 2 4 8 ...-

MUSIC

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GIG REPORTS

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~ and Ji mmy Eat Wor ld's members stil l look L

18. it's eerie and a little bit disconcerting,

but the really astonishing part is, they play with all the energy and joy of their adolescent selves. Of co urse, ope ni ng wit h 'Sa lt. Sweat .

Sugar' and 'A Praise Chorus' is almost cheating, there's more shout-along pot ential in those two songs than at a student demonstration, but on the whole, the new material is given the same treatment . 'Coffee and Cigarettes' is na路lve and sincere in a way that only Jimmy Eat

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"We've bee n t old t hat we w ill get a fin e if we run ove r npm ... but we think you 're wo rth it". Th ose were the we lcome words of front man Yannis Philipakkis after what can only be described as a set of pure excellence. Pulling out all the stops to entertain a heaving crowd in the LCR, Foals proved that they are no longer a sma ll, up-and -comi ng band from Oxford but landed w ith musical greats. Flawless performances of 'Cassius', 'Two Steps, Twice' and 'Hummer' inflicted awe upon the enigmatic crowd of Foals devotees who, judg ing on oral partic ipation, have clea rl y foll owed t he band from their beginnings with the debut album 'Antidotes'. Whilst thrashing around onstage the five piece miraculously maintained inspiring

not e to note fusion of percussio n, guitar and synt hes w it h Phil ipakk is eve n mounting t he speakers on occasion, reve ll ing in t he dynamic atmosphere . Tracks from Total Life Forever displayed the maturity of the new album, from funky house party homage's to melodic masterpieces. 'Spanish Sahara' we nt dow n well with the crowd bathing in a sea of blue light. Despite these intermittent periods of re laxation there were of course a lot of crowd surfers, with ultimate respect going out to Philipakkis for bravely joining in with th e risque behaviour. Thankfully, it doesn't seem likely that this exciting band will be disappearing anytime soon . Amelia Sullivan

World could pu ll off t he new sing le 'My Best Theory' recalls the darker moments of 2004's Futures. New and old material is ba lanced perfectly, without appearing forced as they lurch between 'Get it Faster', ' For Me This is Heaven' and 'Invented' seam less ly. The seven and a half minutes of unlikely live favourite '23' are heart-wrenchingly brilliant, but only made more astonishing by the short sharp punk hit of 'Blister'. lt was written 11 years ago, but it sou nds li ke it was written yesterday. Fellow Arizonan Courtney Marie Andrews guests on half the tracks and adds the softer touches that are worked in so well on record , bringing 'Hear You Me' to a magnificent climax and neve r once looking overawed by playing a world tour with a band 15 years her senior. The only slightly uncomfortable moment is the refrain of the otherwise beautiful 'Goodbye Sky Harbour' as Jim Adkins puts down his guitar and picks up a microphone; he's clearly trying to look like Morrissey, but he just ends up looking like Cliff Richard. Even still, by the time the last chords of 'Sweetness' have rung out, t here's not

a sou l in th e LCR w it hout a sore throat and a grin on thei r face, whic h goes to show everything that makes Jimmy Eat World a great band; there's all t he raw emotion and personal po litics t hat you'd expect from a band who came from t he original emo movement of th e early go's, but there's more than enough glorious pop sensibility to drag anyone unsuspectmg along with them . Ale x Ross

LEss THAN JAKE: LCR os; 1111 o

Remember, November, gunpowder treason and plot7 Less Than Jake don't, but they still brought fireworks ... Opening with 'P lastic Cup Po litics' t he band's Fnday night performance was a pyrotechnic display of abundant ene rgy, jokes about get ting drunk and a mult itude of brass ridden antics . The infectious drive of 'Nervous in the Alley' set the benc hm ark for the most outrageous skanking of t he evening. From that point, there was no let up . Needless to say, the hits off Hello Rockview, their strongest and perhaps b'estknown album, received the best response. At the set's midway point, just before the brilliant, brass filled 'Conviction Notice',

the stage with the promise of free beer, but qutckly found himself stage diving off. Along wi th an irreverent interlude of old TV theme tu nes with a t wist, a mome nt tha t epitomised ska's sillierside . A commendab le guitar so lo from Chris Demakes, however, was a powerfu l reminder of the band's musical prowess. Wit h a setl ist rang ing f rom old to new, Less Than Jake fl aw less ly catered to fans of the old as we ll as the new. Topping off the evening with 'All My Best Friends Are Meta l Heads' and 'Look What Happened', the band managed to do what Guy Fawkes cou ldn't. They set t he bu ilding on fi re. Fiona Howard

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INTERVIEWS lAIN MAHANTY (l<tos IN GLAss HousEs) vs. SEB CRANE Welcome back to Norwich. This is your first time headlining UEA; are you looking forward to it?

We've done Waterfront before; supported Hundred Reasons there and then eventually headlined there, which felt like a big step. Then we obviously did the Prophets show at the beginning of this year here and so to be able to step up and headline it is wicked, pretty mind blowing. Do you think the band has come a long way since then?

I know its such a cliched thing to say but we have definitely matured as a band in that time and I think, as band, what we want now is a lot different to what we wanted back then . I mean back then, we were still kind of starry eyed at being on tour even and now we want to put on more of a show and are thinking a lot more about our set, our set design and things like that. I think we have come a long way, we have become men . Do you have any particular highlights from

How's it been going, you have been touring for a while?

Yeah it's good, we are near the end of the tour now, only 3 more shows ... Having seen a few other performances is Yannis (vox/guitar) still a fan of the stage dive?

Pretty much yeah, he likes to get amongst the crowd ... from a height! (laughs) Is it more difficult being raucous now with this more emotional record (Total Life Forever)?

Well, no, cause we still play the old songs, but it's just better, I think, before it was a bit more one dimensional; it would always be raucous and like non-stop energy. This time something like 'Spanish Sahara' actually creates a moment in the set which you can remember you know? lt makes it a bit more three-dimensional and makes the more energetic moments, more energetic. I mean the crowd are pretty fucking mad when 'Sahara' kicks off anyway, but we get to kind of stand back and look at it a bit. The album is more autumnal than the summer release suggested, would you have rather done it the other way around?

Well I'd rather tour in the summer yeah, but I think the album has some summery moments on it, like 'Miami' is a hot and sweaty song (laughs). But yeah, it was written through Christmas and into spring and I remember when the first hot day happened we wrote a few songs then, but then we recorded it in Gothenburg and it went from summer to winter and was.pretty gruesome; that had an effect on a few songs. Do you remember anything from your previous Norwich gigs?

The first show I can remember we played here was with Foals Mk.1, we had this guy called Andrew in the band and that was at this place called the boat menders or something (The Ferryboat Inn). This guy got arrested; the landlord was the Ipswich murderer who killed all those prostitutes, it was a really weird pub with all these lizards in the front room and we just played an awful show to, like, 2 people, I don't even think the support band watched. But then we played here before and I remember it being good, but I think we are a lot better now, it's something about the new stuff. So you're on a big tour and have a swanky bus; has that brought a change in the band dynamic?

playing in Norwich?

I remember last time we played ,the Prophets lighting tech was testing all the lights out while we were on, so our show looked wicked and then someone spilt a pint on the lighting desk so the Prophets ended up playing with no lights. We ended up looking a lot better. They were still awesome obviously, but we had a little leg up that day.

played with Bonnie Tyler actually. Ha-ha. Yeah we did a Child ren In Need event with .her actually. So Tom Jones is the only one (I) that's left. .J What's next for KIGH after this tour?

Writing and then hopefully recording the new record in March . There will be a new record next year as long as we can still write songs by then .

Are there any bands you really want to play with but haven't as yet?

it's quite nuts that we have been able to play with a lot of bands that we dreamt of playing with when growing up, like Prophets and Phonics, who were local boys. They were the sort of the bands that pushed us and made us think 'why cant we'? To be able to play and tour with them and get to know them is pretty mind blowing. And I used to say with Funeral and Manics as well; pretty much every Welsh band is an inspiration when you're growing up. So to be able to play with pretty much all of them, I mean, maybe not Tom Jones and Bonnie Tyler, oh no we have

it's just more boring, like there was a lot of fun in that old van (the Foalsmobile, a red Transit), it saw a lot of things and it's just different. it's a bit more professional now, a bit more regular, all the backstage stuff runs like clockwork and there are all these people working the show and you've gotta remember everyone's name, you start feeling like some rock star arsehole. The shows are just really enjoyable which is basically all it comes down to, but yeah I do miss the heady days of the Foalsmobile (laughs).

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Are you writing on the road?

No! (more laughter), we had intentions, we brought two acoustic guitars and me and Yannis were like "yeah, we'll fight the boredom and write some songs"; that hasn't happened, I dunno, time just goes. So what's in the foreseeable future for the band

I like to think it's going to be more of the same, we wanna push the pop side of things even further and the experimental side too. I don't think the next record will sound anything like total life forever though, I hope not anyway, it's nice to keep on moving forward . I

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23NOV 10 ISS U E 248

MUSIC concrete.music@uea.ac.uK

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Rock And Roll EP especially. The collection of five songs,

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released just in time for Christmas, bring to mind the summer memories of sitting in sunny pub gardens drinking cider, not the endless rain and wind of " ./ British winter. Lead track 'I Still Believe' is already a well established live song, popular with Turner's fans since he began playing it at festivals back in the summer. The sing-a -long chorus, comp lete w ith crowd participation, suggest that this is going to be his new anthem. 'Pass it Along' is a reminder that whi lst the music may be fo lk-based and gentle on the ears, Frank Turner is considered- by himself

at least- a punk artist, with a heavy dose of political lyricism and deeply passionate vocals sharpening the edge of this song . A mid -album break from the fist-pumping, audience aimed songs of the EP, 'Rock and Roll Romance' is a sweet ballad that sounds as though it was written to be whispered under bed sheets, to one person, rather than screamed out to a crowd of five thousand. it is the shortness of the track that makes it perfect. One of Frank Turner's signature moves is that he writes songs about real people, name -dropping and dedicating to his friends, which gives the listener an idea of what Frank Turner's personal life is really like. 'To Absent Friends' is no different, and the scattering of anecdotes in the song make this one of the EP's highlights. The EP ends on a melancholy note. 'The Next Round' has a mournful air, with Turner turning his attention away from politics and trying to spread some message about alcohol. The song is good, but the meaning isn't clear to the listener. One thing about Frank Turner's mu sic is obvious; it is the simplicity of the song writing that makes it so catchy and is testament to the power of "guitar and drums and desperate poetry". This EP is brilliant sample of Turn er's work, and fans w ill not be a=IE~ disappointed by the

quality of the songs.

ON THE lAM

Kele Okereke has ditched guitar-driven indie for the synths and drum machines of electro, having seized Bloc Party's indefinite hiatus as an opportunity to release his debut solo album, The Boxer. As the third single taken from Kele's solo effort, 'On The Lam' essentially demonstrates a talent that goes beyond main stream indie anthems. Elements of dubstep, drum and bass, garage and house clearly feature - but render the track difficult to categorise . Confusion is magnified by high -pitched vocal s barely distinguishable as male, let alone as Kele. The result is that 'On The Lam ' lacks a clear identity as a single and, although the electro hook ensures it will get playing time, this kind of thing has been done before, and better. lt would be a decent, if not outstanding track, were it not for the fact that fans know Kele can reach greater heights. Ultimately Okereke has laid a solid foundation to build on as a solo artist, or at least illustrated that a Bloc Party reformation cou ld yie ld somethi ng new: whicn no doubt indie kids abound will be calling for. Jordan Bright

Ell ie Kumar

liNKIN PARK - WAITING FOR THE END

BEADY EYE - BRING THE LIGHT

The time has inevitably come to ask the question- why are Linkin Park still here' After starting out as nu-metal poster boys, their latest single finds them trying to be the next U2. Unfortunately they've made a wrong turn somewhere, and have ended up writing half-arsed stadium rock for the clinically depressed . Fans of their early stuff will be waiting expectantly for something, anything to happen- a slickly-produced guitar riff, maybe? A screamed, angst-filled chorus7 Not a chance . Actually, the only positive thing to be said about 'Waiting for the End' is that it doesn't sound anything like Linkin Park. it's a clueless chant-fest with some synths thrown in, seemingly just to stay in with current trends. There are vapid echo ing voca ls and that vo ice- layering thing that bands do when they want peop le to sing along at their concerts. Seeking greater success by alienating your fan base is an interesting strategyand one that is unlikely to pay off. And yet Linkin Park are inexplicably still here, abusing the airwaves with would-be anthems like this .

Does Liam Gallagher care more about music or fashion these days 7 Will the break-up of Oasis spur Andy Bell and Gem Archer to actually write some decent tunes' Is Beady Eye the worst band name eve r7 All these questions and more are posed by the return of this new Noel -less incarnation of Oasis .

GulLTY HANDS -

RAzoR

Unsurprisingly, their debut single is a rock n' roll tune; however it does sound different from anything you've ever heard Liam's distinct Mancunian snarl over before . Com bining a piano riff straight out of the Jerry Lee Lewis rule book, a George Harrison guitar fill, lyrics about "taking you drinking" and an idiot simple chorus ("Baby come on I Baby hold on " ) the song sounds absurdly out of place in 20lO and takes some listening to get used to . However, once you've wound your ears back to 1964, it's actually a bit of a tune. Welcome back, Liam and co .

Slightly angular guitar pop is out of date. The addition of synths, listen up Guilty Hands, does not make it any better. it's not that the song is bad per se, it's just decidedly average. The simp le verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure and pre dictably clean cut 8os resurgence production result in an OK track, but one that could have been great if written by any number of bands 5 years ago. In t he present day, Gui lty Hands' effort ends up emulating the edgy riffs and cutting vocals of mid -noughties indie bands, but the plaudits that came as a result back then ultimately elude them. While you can forgive the outdated musical devices, the track's grating one line sample isn't so easy on the ears. The source is irrelevant and if you didn't really listen to the song it might not register, but after hearing the track multiple times, the soundbyte of "Hey Johnny, what are you rebel ling against" is possibly the most aggravating thing about 'Razor'. Vapid rebellion is so out dated it almost feels right again, note almost. Keep trying.

Jamie Lewis

A lex Throssell

Tom Duffy

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23 N O V 1 I SSUE248

COMELJV concrete . event@uea . ac . uk

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DEATH - OF COMEDY? -

POPE WITHDRAWS CONDOM BAN

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The Pope came out this week . The use of condoms 'in certain cases' has been deemed acceptable by the Vatican . In a U-turn from traditional Catholic teachings, t he Pope, in his new book, has given his blessing to the use of condoms as appropriate contraception under particular Papal conditions . lt is rumoured the Pope may have changed his m in d after an emp loyee of Trojan condoms was planted to work inside the Vatican without the knowledge of His Holiness . W hen the Vat ican was contacted directly for comments on what brought on the Pope's change in direction, Concrete was told he was too busy. Shortly after, a spate of wate r ball oon attacks occ urre d in the Vatican, causing a number of raised eyebrows . The change in policy has caused

rifts amongst those within the church . More orthodox members believe that the move is a disservice to the sanctity of sperm. Liberal members of the Catholic Church have been practicing condom use for years . One commented : "Once you get into the habit, there seems little point in not using them . You wou ldn't want to upset the Mother Superior, after all." Co ndom manufacturer Durex have the expressed doubts concerning effectiveness of holy condoms but have given their full support to the Papal mission . The Finish Association for Real Condoms Enterprise will be working with the Vatican and Durex to ensure that the programme works appropriately. FARC E wi ll be guaranteein g th at the co ndoms are t o globa l st andards, whilst safeguarding the amount of holiness as prescribed by Papal discretions. Despite the furo re bou nd to follow him in t he upcoming weeks, th e Pope will honour all of his Papal commitments . He will, however, be requiring extra protection .

W illy McGough

The internet ruins everything, doesn't it7 it's got it in for the commerciality of print media, the careers of struggl ing musical artists and the se lf-respect of hung -over students. But it could be good for comedy. Television comedy suffers from the same problems as the rest of its medium . it's up against YouTube and its army of short-term instant distractions: musically talented cats, homemade skits and, most threateningly, free bootleg versions of comedi ans' own shows, both watched and uploaded by well meaning fans not knowing or caring about the potential damage in lost DVD sales. However, broadcast comedy can rely on a hook it shares with its dead liest rival for screen time - the reality show - and that's the water cooler effect. While few people ta lk about good Mastermind questions, the instantaneous effect of a fresh gag or potentially classic clip creates good gossip. Once the classic moment is created, comedy comes into its own : it has longevity, with people happi ly watching clips and programmes that are decades old . Whereas other TV broadcasts sag as t ime moves on, a good gag is foreve'r. Because of this, it makes se nse t hat many channe ls are driving their own online presence. Channel 4 has put a lot of its classics online, potentially

creating new fans of old shows. Meanwhile, last year the BBC created an impressive new webs ite offering bl ogs, 'making ofs', additional content and web only exclusives . So far, comedy is finding a way of surfing the wave rather than getting swallowed by the wash of new content . If we're honest, live comedy has little to worry about and everything to gain from new technology. Live comedy fans know noth ing beats the th rill of the live gig . Like music fans, they're not going t o give up the chance to see something for real just because they have the recorded version. Instead, the web becomes a massive promotiona l notice board, none of it detracting from the main event. In different ways, comedy is surviving and, in some cases, thriving in the second wave of t he dot-corn boom . Fina lly, something the internet is good for.

Christian Pierre

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~~ * Squee .e +special guests The Lightning

Seeds - LCR- nopni (£33.50) * Livewire Unsigned- UEA Blue Bar - 7pm ( * Music At One: Daniel Law- The Assembly House - 1pm (£4)

* *

Cave Rave - LCR- 1opm (£3.5oadv) Alun Cochrane (comedian)- Norwich Arts Centre- 8:3opm (£10-£12) * The Merry Wives of Windsor- Theatre Royal (plays until 27th)- nopm (£5.50£22)

* *

Celebration- York Tavern (free) * o 90 n h H - LCR - 1opm (£4.50) * Norwich Alternative Sal sa -The Waterfront- 1oam-spm (£1 on the door) * Ha I Cruttenden (comedian) -The Playhouse- 8pm (£12-£14)

* Much Ado About Nothing presented by UEA DramaSoc (plays until 26th)- UEA Drama Studio- 7=30pm (£4.50-£6) *

Skunk Anans1e - LCR- 7:3opm (£2o) Young Guns - Norwich Arts Centre -

* Sticky Flange: The Popcorn PartyMercy (free admission with flyer before 11.3opm) . * Fat Poppadaddys LUAU - Lola Lo (free entry before npm on guestlist) * F lrr - ExitThrough The Gift Shop o- LT1 -7:3opm (£2.80)

* Clu Retro (£4.50) * The Glow Party- Mercy (£2.oo off Admission with flyer before midnight)

ney LCR - LCR- 1opm (£3.5oadv) Chess- Theatre Royal (plays until 4th) 2:3opm/7:3opm (£6-£35)

GET LOW ft. Toddla T - Havana (free)

Don't mind if we do Ellie .... With the return of Ellie Goulding to our humble LCR stage, we at Venue thought it only right to let our readers know a little bit about our home-grown songstress. Twenty-three-year-old Elena Jane Goulding was born in Herefordshire, England and was destined for stardom from a very young age . We at Venue don't love her merely for her impeccable taste in men - she is currently dating our very own UEA graduate and Radio One DJ Greg James - but for the fact that she is an immensely talented singer, songwriter and musician; she has written music for the likes of Tinie Tempah, Diana Vickers and Gabriella Cilmi, to name but a few. With such chart-topping hits as Starry Eyed and Guns and Horses, she has become widely known for her unique brand of indiepop and her refreshingly different voice. With both of her gigs at the UEA being

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* Ross Noble 2010- Theatre Royal - 7pm (£6-£21)

Rich Hall- The PlayhouseMedia Ball 2010- Sainsbury Centre - 7pm (£15)

.:~ 1ent D o - LCR - 1opm (£5.50) Talk of the Dead presents An Evening of Clairvoyance - Norwich PuppetTheatre 7:3opm (Ho) *. -Four Lions- LT1- 7=30pm (£2.80)

Arthur Sm hAt Larae - LCR - 8pm (£7£1o) * The View- The Waterfront- y:3opm (£10 call for availability) 0

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The all new Cave Rave theme and (making its return to the calendar by popular demand )The Disney LCR promise to be sell-outs ... so hurry up and get those tickets!

VIINUIIINvrrES YOU TO GET TO KNOW IIWII GOULDING "Why don't you be the writer?"

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~* Aisle16 Poetry Collective's 1oth Birthday

El lie Goulding - LCRRose Tremain - UEA Literary Festival-

a total sell -out within days of their release, it seems that her popularity hasn't faltered, especially here at UEA. Venue asked a student at the university their opinion on Ellie and this is what she said : "EIIie Goulding is so different; it's nice to see a real artist who writes her own songs and plays her own instruments, not to mention being absolutely beautiful in a totally natural way." With several awards and nominations under her belt, she truly is a force to be reckoned with . After winning both the BBC Sound of Music Award 2010 and a 2010 BRIT Award for Critic's Choice, she has broken through to the mamstream music scene with a bang . Her debut album Lights has reached number one in the album charts and, as a result of its success, 1s set to be rereleased at the end of November under the title Bright Lights. With tbis and much more to come, Ellie will undoubtedly rocket her way into the musical stratosphere . Georgina Wade

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l : The Odyssey a major Greek epic poem by _ _ .(s)

steer a boat. (7) 13: Sea , spiny sea creature. (6) l4: A shortened name for a football replacement.

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:;r legendari ly gruff vo ice w ill be tak ing to t he LCR st age on December 6th, fo r w hat prom ises t o be a painfull y funny n1ght . For a chance of w mnmg a pa 1r of ti cket s, JUS t bnng you r com plet ed crosswo rd t o th e Concrete Offi ce by 3pm on 2!12/10.

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The Hu ma n Lea gue, one of th e greatest elect ro bands of all t ime, wil l be play1ng the LCR on November 29th. To be m w1th a chance of wmning t1ckets, JUSt mcle t he co rrect answer to the fo llow1ng quest1on and bnng 1t to t he Concrete Office by 3pm on 25/n/lo. The Huma n League's most we ll known smg le IS 'Do n't You Wa nt Me7' Complete t he lync: 'You were wo rking as a wa1tress in . .' A) A resta urant B) A cock tail ba r ( ) The LCR Nam e: E-ma d: M obil e:

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