ISSUE ISSUE 541 541
541.1
CUB CUB
4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13
A Little Black Book of London Hot spots to explore across the city
ARTS
‘We Should Totally Just Stab Ceasar’ Race and colonialism in modern-day Shakespeare The Changing Face of Art The Battle of Ideas 2012 This Month in Arts...
FILM Camera Obscura Louis Stevens- Where Are You Now? Locals Only Films in London this September The Sequel
FEATURES 14 ICONIC: Personality Don’t 16 18
Worry About Being Worried ICONIC: Food Iconic on a Budget ICONIC: Area Down the Ditch
20 22 24 26 28 30
MUSIC
Festival Roundup The best of this summer’s festivals Summer Recap The latest gossip from the music world A Golden Summer of Music?
FASHION
You Want to be a Fashion Intern?A guide to fashion internship success September Fashion High Street fashion with an East End twist CUB Creates Make your own floral crown on a budget
TRAVEL 32 The Modern Tourist 33
QUPID Couple One: Manon Rowlands and Ashley Smith
“I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.” - Audrey Hepburn
TWITTER: @cubmagazine GET INVOLVED: editor@cubmagazine.co.uk
CUB 541.1
2
Photo by Jon Ronson Cover photo Eddy Milfort
ISSUE 541 SEPTEMBER
LONDON
A LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF LONDON BRICK LANE Beigel Bake Photo by Alan Stanton
EMBANKMENT Gordon’s Wine Bar
Photo by Ewan Munro
Bagels like you’ve never tasted before. Enough said? The bagels here are dirt cheap but taste like heaven. From salt beef to classic salmon and cream cheese, freshly baked bread to cheesecake, this place is open 24/7, and a bagel is a surprisingly satisfying end to a night out in Shoreditch. The ultimate example of how London still manages to tuck away a jewel right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. This place is a Francophile’s dream, the bar is underground, low lit with candles on each table tucked under the arches, with a smell of cheese in the air. Barrels of various wines line the walls, sherry and port included. The outside terrace runs along the Embankment Gardens and the al fresco mood is nostalgic of late warm nights abroad.
SOHO The Breakfast Club
hot spots to explore across the city.
The relaxed service and queuing is definitely worth enduring for one of the best and definitely the most elaborate breakfasts in London. Adventurous huevos rancheros, American ‘Ham so Eggsited’ pancakes, or a healthy bowl of granola all washed down with a giant coffee or hangover cure smoothie. Now doesn’t that sound like heaven?
When the library walls are starting to close in on you during revision times, the Gallery Café in Bethnal Green is a great little place to visit when sanity needs to be restored. Its convenient location (a two minute walk from the tube station) combined with a wide selection of yummy and affordable vegetarian/vegan dishes makes it the ideal place for students. And, there is free Wi-Fi. Who can argue with free Wi-Fi? They also organise film screenings, small gigs and art exhibitions. All in all, The Gallery Café has the charm of a small garden café , with all of the big city perks. FRIDA RUNNKVIST
LONDON
CUB 541.3
You’ve come to London for big nights, big venues and less importantly big educational potential, but on the second Friday of every month it may be worth passing on the supersized incentives of the city. Instead head for Shoreditch to Concrete where Itchy Feet events unfurl. In the basement, Itchy Feet blare out an alternative to relentless computer beats, opting instead for rock and roll, swing, blues, hip-hop with a few modern ‘classics’ mixed in for good measure. This ticketed event plays the tunes you can properly dance to, both for the sober and modest drunk with only one caveat – pre-drink, it shares the London trademark of over-priced drinks. ADRIAN POLGLASE
541.1
Amidst artistic warehouses and hipster bistros, this café serves fantastic organic food, great coffee and is fully licensed with its own canal terrace. Five minutes walk from Hackney Wick overground: Great for studying, drinking and talking prettily about art. The Counter also plays a vital part in the HWFI art scene by housing a gallery, studio space and some fairly rad individuals in hats. Most stunningly, the Olympic Stadium looms just over the canal, meaning this hangout serves as a real summary of old and new East London. SAM STENSLAND
SHOREDITCH Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes
Photo by missusdoubleyou
Don’t be put off by the bizarre name, ‘Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes’ is the trendiest place to grab gourmet pizza and a cocktail or pint whilst browsing an exhibition. Always buzzing with fashionable locals, the décor screams East-End-hipster. Prices aren’t extortionate and hey even us students can afford to treat ourselves every now and then. The place used to be two conjoining shops – hence the individual name which has been jostled together from the signs on the old shop fronts. Dream Bags is the epitome of Shoreditch: cool and quirky bar, eatery and gallery all rolled into one. Overall it manages to avoid being horribly pretentious and is definitely worth a visit.
SHOREDITCH Concrete
HACKNEY Broadway Market HACKNEY The Counter Café BETHNAL GREEN The Gallery Café
This is a lovely market and offers a range of delicious foods, second-hand books and even bikes. From the canal up to the park, Broadway Market is a great place to chill and even on a non-market day there’s plenty to do.
Photo by Kwame Lestrade
MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE: Gregory Doran’s current production of Julius Caesar locates the play in an unspecified modern African state and is the first to feature an allblack cast. The setting is appropriate, and rightly acclaimed, being well-suited to the often turbulent politics that have marked the formation of many African countries.
ARTS
‘WE SHOULD TOTALLY JUST STAB CAESAR’
Perhaps the most immediately obvious play in our selection, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice remains not only a powerful portrayal of racial tensions, but draws together themes of envy, pride, sex, love, and leadership. The schemings of the infamous Iago contain an uncomfortably sexual edge that have lost none of their potency; frequent, increasingly lewd references to the sexual element of the relationship between Othello and Desdemona - ‘an old black ram is tupping your white Ewe’, he taunts Brabantio, Desdemona’s father - and subtle allusions to the supposed infidelity of his own wife Emilia, result in a chaos of lies and suspicion that eventually lead to the downfall of the noble Othello. His murder of Desdemona, and subsequent suicide, is poignantly and finally expressed as a result of his loving ‘not wisely, but too well’. There have been almost too many memorable performances of Othello to count; from Laurence Olivier’s controversial ‘blacked up’ Othello of the 1965 Hollywood movie, to Patrick Stewart’s ‘photo negative’, ‘white’ Othello in Jude Kelly’s 1997 stage production, the role has courted acclaim and controversy in equal measures. However, title of ‘most memorable’ must surely go to Ira Aldridge, the first black actor to play Othello, who played two performances in London’s Covent Garden in April 1833. The threat of miscegenation continues in The Tempest, in which Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, is stranded with his daughter Miranda on an uninhabited island between the Old and New Worlds. In one heated exchange between Prospero
and Caliban - a native of the island, and the son of its deceased ruler, the witch Sycorax - Caliban rebukes Prospero and his interventions in island life, and rages at his thwarted attempt at raping Miranda: ‘[he] had peopled else/ this island with Calibans’. Caliban reminds Propsero of his illegitimate claim to authority on the island: ‘This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother/ which thou takest from me.’ Interestingly, it is also Caliban who provides a few specific references to the New World, hinting at the increasing interest of global expansion of Britain in the 1600s. Antony Sher’s situation of the play in an African setting for his 2009 production at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon, featured Zulu ceremonies and powerful references to South African politics, which not only brought the play to life but made sense of the racial and colonial undertones of the production. Whilst not having as immediate a resonance with themes of race and colonialism as the other two plays in our selection, Shakespeare’s reimagining of the conspiracy against Caesar problematises political leadership and civil rule. Brutus’ betrayal of Caesar in the apparent service of a higher political morality (I.e. the good of Rome) proves disastrous, and leads to his eventual defeat and suicide. Arguably reflecting Elizabethan anxiety as to the future civil state of England (the Queen was elderly and in failing health at the time of the play’s writing), Brutus’ treachery takes on an ultimately noble colour: ‘If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer - Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.’ END.
words by Phoenix Alexander
CUB 541.5
As Gregory Doran’s award winning Julius Caesar comes to the end of its run at the Noel Coward theatre, Arts Editor Phoenix Alexander takes a look at recent interpretations of three of Shakespeare’s plays that amplify, expose, and critique issues of race and colonialism.
THE CHANGING FACE OF ART Can classical art live up to our modern, technologically tainted expectations?
Photos by Lindy Drew Photography
If you mention The Mona Lisa to someone who has seen it they will often tell you it was a let-down; ‘It’s so small’ or ‘a waste of time’ are two things I have heard several times in regard to the pint-size portrait. And so with bated breath and heavy heart I followed the crowd up to the first floor, hoping to avoid disappointment and to not regret the huge amount of stairs I’d already had to climb. Surprisingly enough I did not find myself underwhelmed by the painting. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t overwhelmed either, but found that my feelings about it were very difficult to put into words. If I’m honest, the only way I can express them is in answer to a question from 10 Things I Hate About You: yes Chastity, it is possible to just be whelmed. I’m inclined to believe that the build up of people telling me over the years how disenchanting the painting was going to be lowered my expectations so much that I avoided the feeling altogether. Thinking about it, this is almost the exact opposite of why other visitors have found themselves regretting their visit; the expectation exceeds the reality.
On a recent trip to Florence I headed to the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery in the hope of seeing two other famous Italian masterpieces: Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Michelangelo’s David. The Birth of Venus has always been a favourite of mine and, in contrast to The Mona Lisa, is not lacking in size. Taking up almost a whole wall of the Uffizi, its breathtaking size only adds to the awe of seeing such an incredible piece of art. Similarly, Michelangelo’s David, as is to be expected, dominates the main gallery of the Accademia, and to think it must have been carved from one enormous slab of rock is almost unbelievable. So why do these works, despite being incredibly famous, not quite achieve the renown of The Mona Lisa, despite the fact that the visiting public seem to be crying out for a larger idol? The title of ‘World’s Most Famous Painting’ naturally leads you to believe that on viewing your mind will be blown and your eyes opened to a whole new realm of beauty, but the simple fact of the matter is that The Mona Lisa is an incredibly masterful work that has not only captured a human figure, but such an enigmatic and human expression, the smile that makes her ‘… an open text into which one could read what one wanted’. END.
words by Millie Jefferies
ARTS
CUB 541.7
Arguably the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Mona Lisa is the centre of much speculation. On a recent trip to Paris with the Fashion section, we took time out to visit The Louvre as, perhaps a little embarrassingly for an Arts editor, I have never been. As we didn’t have much time, we made a beeline for the museum’s most revered occupant, and I must say I was a little nervous.
The conflict between expectation and reality is paramount to understanding art’s place in the advanced modern world. If you find yourself suddenly struck with the urge to see The Mona Lisa then there is no longer a need to rush to book the next flight to Paris; you can simply turn on your computer and, voila, La Joconde is there before your eyes. With this in mind, do we still have a need for art galleries? In my mind, the argument is similar to that of Books vs. Kindle; is a technological copy as pleasing as the real thing? The 21st Century version won’t lead to the same disappointment as the 16th Century original, although you will still be able to appreciate the enigmatic smile that has captivated viewers for so long. Perhaps we merely need to accept that art is a subject which cannot be faced with expectations, otherwise the point of its existence is entirely defeated.
THE BATTLE OF IDEAS 2012 Are you passionate about contemporary issues? Do you enjoy stimulating, thoughtprovoking - and often provocative - debate? Would you like to challenge your points of view with other like-minded people? Step right up to the Battle of Ideas 2012, 2012 the annual festival of free-thinking! The format incorporates a variety of ‘lectures’ on themes as wide-ranging as abortion, terrorism, cloning, technology, and many, many more. The broad theme of this year’s festival is the question of whether the great ideals of freedom, solidarity, and equality, are still valid for the 21st-century, in teaching us how to live. Each panel related to the field offers a short piece, which is then opened up to the audience for discussion. The panel members are all highprofile, international speakers, from universities/organisations directly involved with the matters under discussion. For art lovers, there are a couple of special treats in the debate line-up: a ballon debate (a knockout-style debate with speakers eliminated by audience vote) on who is the greatest artist, with contenders including Leonardo, Blake, Rodin and Hirst, a discussion on the values of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, and a provocative look at the age old question of ‘who needs art anyway’?
Photo by SAM
WHERE IS IT? London’s Barbican.
DOES IT COST? Yes - but the organisers, The Institute of Ideas, kindly offer ‘Student Champion’ weekend tickets (I.e. for both days) at a reduced rate of £27.50 (compared to the £55 normal student rate).
So there’s really no excuse: Check out all the details at www.battleofideas. org and get involved. END.
words by Phoenix Alexander
ARTS
THIS MONTH IN ARTS... up and coming... WELLCOME COLLECTION Always a favourite, The Wellcome Collection on the Euston Road is currently running an exhibition entitled Superhuman, that explores the human obsession with being the best; from Ancient Egyptian prosthetic limbs to cutting edge nanorobot technology. Entry is free and the programme, which runs until 16th October, promises contributions from both science and ethics as well as the cutting edge of modern enhancements.
OLD SORTING OFFICE In other news, LA-based Banksy-prodigy Mr Brainwash has taken over the Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street, turning it into a huge exhibition of his work. The artist, famous for his part in the 2010 film Exit Through The Gift Shop, has taken centre stage in his first solo exhibition. The best part? The exhibition is free!
Let It Be, the first West End production to be granted theatrical rights to the backcatalogue of the Beatles, opens at The Prince of Wales Theatre on September 14th. After the utter flop that was the last musical attempt at telling the Fab Four’s story (Backbeat), critics are awaiting this new offering with baited breath. Its run is limited until January 19th 2013 so you’ll have to get in there quick if you want to have any hope of getting tickets (you may also have to ask Mummy very nicely as the tickets are very pricey) but it is definately worth a look, especially with loans still intact!
JENNY CARTER
opinion... FRIDA RUNNKVIST Just before leaving London for the summer, I was lucky enough to catch a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. The cheapest ticket went for about £20, and everything was as expected - overpriced. There is, however, something quite special about watching a theatre performance outside. It feels like it is one of those things that one should do at least once.
Boys and Sculpture at the Whitechapel Gallery is a fascinating video focusing on the way children interact with art by following a group of boys left alone in a room of Eva Rothschild sculptures. The group take full advantage of their freedom by destroying the artwork, and what follows is intriguing. While some play a boisterous game of football with spheres from one of the sculptures, others create their own works of art from the debris. What is interesting is that, aside from the psychological implications of the piece, the boys’ destruction of the sculptures perhaps resonates with the feelings of those who are cynical about modern art.
FLORA BARTLETT Even without any knowledge of the historical context of The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche (National Gallery) it is still an amazingly beautiful piece of art. If you’re aware of Jane’s story, however, the tragic force of this picture is incredibly powerful. She is being guided to the block on which she will be executed, blindfolded, at just 17 years old. It’s partly all of the history behind this image that makes me love it - in spite of how miserable the scene is - but also on a totally superficial level. Delaroche has painted the most beautiful white silk dress which I can stare at for far too long.
NEXT MONTH’S THEME : My Favourite Poem TO CONTRIBUTE: 100 words to arts@cubmagazine.co.uk
CUB 541.9
PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE
CAMERA OBSCURA WHAT?: New sincerity is a fairly broad movement which can be applied to many areas of art, however most notably literature, film and theatre. The propelling idea for works of the new sincerity is an attempt to escape the layers of irony surrounding works of post-modernism - arguably the dominant artistic movement of the past half-century. The new sincerity approaches themes of childhood, nostalgia and the passing of time with earnest – and carefully selected indie music. Precisely composed shots mix with bright colours and often whimsical versions of human relationships. ANY GOOD?: Zach Braff’s Garden State probably en-
capsulates both the best and worst parts of the new sincerity. The film has some beautiful shots, the quarry scenes particularly show off Braff’s eye for unique locations which are only enhanced by the critically acclaimed soundtrack. However, as with most works of the new sincerity, the film is pulled down by its lack of scope. Braff’s characters, as Wes Anderson’s do, inhabit a middle class whose anxiety can only garner so much sympathy in a world with much larger problems. Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson’s most recent feature film, shows as much his skill at creating worlds of child-like wonder as his inability to move beyond it.
WHO: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach, Sofia Copolla, Zach Braff, Hipsters.
VERDICT: Films from the new sincerity movement provide aesthetically pleasing and often moving tales of America’s middle-class, yet until directors of the new sincerity move outside their comfort zone it faces becoming a privileged niche rather than a movement with real cultural force. As David Foster Wallace wrote in his essay E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction the ‘new rebels’ – the new sincerity – must ‘risk accusations of sentimentality, melodrama,’ which they certainly have, but are they also those ‘Who treat of plain old untrendy human troubles and emotions in U.S. life with reverence and conviction.’? Probably not.
FILM Photo by BYTEMARKS
LOUIS STEVENS
Where are you now?
That’s right, the goofy kid from Holes has grown up: he’s taking drugs and he’s having sex. He’s even grown a beard; this has to be serious. At least, serious appears to be what he’s aiming for. Shia LaBeouf wants to be a serious artist; he’s reversing away from the big-screen as fast as his big-yellow-robot-alien-car will take him. He’s had a taste of the massive budget and decided he wants to be remembered for more than summer-movie filler (he also has apparently had enough of ‘studios, which give you the money, then get on a plane and come to the set and stick a finger up your ass’, according to a recent interview with Hollywood Reporter). From now on LaBoeuf will be master of his own destiny; sticking what he wants where he wants, when he wants on film; if he wants… Which he does! At least according to his plans for Nymphomaniac, an upcoming film directed by Lars Von Trier of 2009’s infamous Antichrist. In Nymphomaniac, a film which, you guessed it, involves quite a bit of sex, LaBeouf will be starring alongside Willem Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, and chances are he’s having real life sex with at least one of them. However, LaBeouf didn’t expect Von Trier
to simply take his word regarding his sexual prowess, oh no. According to The Guardian, Shia reportedly applied for the role by sending the director multiple videos of himself and girlfriend Karlyn Pho in bed. It’s unclear just how on board Pho was with this, but for LaBeouf this was such an obvious move he probably didn’t check. This news came shortly after the Disney-star featured in Icelandic ambientpostrock band (pretty serious sounding, right?) Sigur Ros’ new video, naked, which appears to have wet his exhibitionist’s appetite. Seemingly on a roll of new artistic endeavours (or just having a bit of a mad summer off from Transformers) The Guardian then reported that he’d dropped acid during production for The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman because his character was supposed to be on LSD, so why not? It’s official, Shia LaBeouf has grown up. But fear not, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Louis Stevens spending all day in bed; just next time he’ll probably be on a massive come down and lying next to a naked Charlotte Gainsbourg. END.
words by Harry Foster
CUB 541.11
Shia LaBeouf certainly had a wacky time playing his breakout role of Louis Stevens. I vaguely remember one of his shenanigans involving him attempting to stay in bed all day for charity, sending sister Ren into an absolute fury… – needless to say, Even Stevens was out there. ‘This guy!’ I thought, chuckling to myself, ‘How could he get any crazier?’ ‘Well…’ Shia LaBeouf seems to have answered (albeit twelve years later) ‘Maybe, I could drop some acid and have un-simulated sex on screen?’. Touché, LaBeouf, touché.
LOCALS ONLY
Film in London for September
Maybe you’re feeling a bit hung-over, maybe you need a well earned study break or perhaps it’s just getting a little too cold to do anything outside. Either way, London is never without top-notch special events for any film fan, so here are some highlights.
Photos by RJW1, RACHEL WHITE, DUNCAN C, FIN FAHEY
THURSDAY 20TH OF SEPTEMBER: OH COMELY FILM NIGHT A rather twee affair taking place at Queen Mary’s local Genesis Cinema, Oh Comely magazine will play a selection of shorts with the main feature being Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, a coming of age story sure to make you think ‘Man, I wish my life were that cool’ charting the tour of band Stillwater and one teenager, in over his head, attempting to cover them for Rolling Stone magazine. Oh Comely magazine seem a friendly bunch and encourage you to stay for a drink afterwards, have a chat, and if you’re like me, drown your sorrows that you’re not hanging out with rock stars in the 70s.
SATURDAY 22ND OF SEPTEMBER: AT HOME WITH THE LUDSKIS: MEAT POPPET MASQUERADE Get truely into the East London spirit with this left-field art collective’s big night at the Rio Cinema in Dalston. Be prepared for anything as the night will feature just about every artistic medium they can cram into the Rio’s beautiful building. Absolutely saturated with surrealism the Ludskis cannot be ignored, live performance, art, installations and music will attack the senses. Be sure to take a camera and let your mates back home know how London and cultured you already are.
FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER THURSDAY OCTOBER 4TH: KICKING AND SCREENING Kicking and Screening, the world’s biggest football film festival is hitting London for the second year running. Hosted across a variety of Everyman cinemas, football fans can catch a mixture of live events and documentaries covering themes from club rivalry to how football can build or mend communities. Tickets are going fast with the opening gala already sold out.
Today the sequel is more prominent than ever, with its partner in crime, the prequel. This summer, for example, we’ve had The Bourne Legacy, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises and the next film in the never-ending cycle of Bond films, Skyfall. Later this year Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings prequel will be hitting cinemas. One has to wonder whether, following the trilogy’s enormous success, The Hobbit will seem like an afterthought; the growing popularity of sequels may well be attributed to the astounding success of The Lords of the Rings films, as well as films like Harry Potter and even the Star Wars saga. But are movie producers taking advantage of the fact that a sequel almost inevitably rakes in more money than its predecessor? Certain examples seem to suggest that the more sequels the studios make, the more quality is sacrificed. Spider-man 3 is one of the worst perpetrators of this horror; there is no basis for the fiction, therefore it is difficult to create another gripping film which makes sense in relation to the others. Part of the reason Spiderman 3 was so appalling is a lack of time- when the previous film is deemed a success, the release date for the next installment is set. Is it fair to rush that creative process? That is how the film business works, for it is a business. With comic book films and original scripts it’s difficult to know when to stop. Perhaps the success of Lord of the Rings is specifically to do with the fact that each film is based on a specially crafted piece of literature. The trilogy seems to be the most successful form of sequels. It has that beginning-middle-end structure which audiences crave, with a definitive ending. But when there continues the possibility of going on forever, with no financial reason to stop, writers are completely exhausted of storytelling content. The Shrek films are an example of this- with each new installment I want to scream at the door of Dreamworks Pictures and tell them to stop. It’s difficult, as there’s no way of saying to a businessman, ‘please stop making money’. The most successful film series not based on a specific story must be Christopher Nolan’s Batman remakes. It’s refreshing to encounter the work of someone who believes in the integrity of film-making and the importance of a really great script. He proves that he can make simultaneously make great films and lots of this ‘money’ stuff, whilst demonstrating that the two are not mutually exclusive. END.
FILM
words by Catherine Bridgman
CUB 541.13
THE SEQUEL
DON’T WORRY ABOUT BEING WORRIED
‘N- …nervous excitement?’ Two words almost all freshers offer, if asked for their thoughts on their upcoming university years. ‘Nervous’ is always first, and foremost, of course. The summer before I started life as a student, I informed my friend that once in London any such awkwardness I had would (somehow) disappear, to be immediately replaced with an air of ‘aloofness’. I absolutely, definitely, totally could have worked the withdrawn cool cat thing, but it would have been a massive mistake (and also, I absolutely, definitely, totally could not). If hours and hours in front of a screen of some sort have taught me a single thing, it is that, to be awkward is to be among greats...
Freshers who are worried about faux-pas - such as an uncomfortable cough after a cigarette, or spluttering a shot of a strong spirit - should look to Woody Allen, who surpassed it all as he sneezed cocaine across a room in Annie Hall. The actor and comedian proved himself as the perfect portrait of awkward here, as the slipup had not even been scripted before. Extreme inexperience is not an embarrassment; it wins you Academy Awards, or at least some laughs from future friends. The father of neuroses has seen honorary offspring stumbling through our culture since. The character of Seth Cohen in The OC was too awkward to even make it to his initial interview for university, uncharacteristically smoking weed (or whatever, is it not cool to call it that?) and skipping it.
CUB 541.15
- Mike Nichols
FEATURES
‘Nerves provide me with energy. They work for me. It’s when I don’t have them, when I feel at ease, that I get worried.’
Illustration by ALICE HARRY
But if he had made it to Brown, we all know he would have clumsily worked his way into a crowd, whether with bits of comic book knowledge, or obscure indie band details. However, he is a bit ‘old hat’ now, so to stay ‘hip and trendy’, Lena Dunham must be mentioned. In a story of sophistication out-of-place for a student, she has said in an interview that she had a cheese and wine soireé to seduce someone, and it was successful… apart from the part where her roommate walked in on them. She has since used the spirit from such moments of bashful mumbling and blushing faces on her hit show, Girls (which is on our British screens - that bumble behind others - in September).
Even so, England does awkward a lot more awkwardly than all of these Americans, no doubt. Hello, Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Woody Allen’s ‘geek chic’ glasses, combined with Cohen-esque weird references (‘in the words of David Cassidy, in fact, while he was still with The Partridge Family’), and the pomp and the pretence of Lena’s gourmet gathering… et voila, ultimate uncoordinated uncool, which will work wonders at Freshers Week. I won’t go and wish you good luck, a lack of it will be A-OK, I assure you. END. words by Laura Staab.
ICONIC: Personality.
ICONIC ON A BUDGET The icon of the British home
The very British tradition of having a roast dinner may have been chipped away at by our increasingly hectic lives, but the fundamentals behind the roast are timeless. Good food, good wine and good company should be an essential part of anyone’s life – where the Sunday Roast may once have been the preserve of the noble classes, nowadays any humble plebeian can sample the delights of simple, homecooked food in a surprisingly affordable fashion. Put simply, it’s no surprise to learn that students are cash-strapped, but it may interest you to learn that a roast dinner a week will do wonders to your diet, friendships and bank accounts.
Photo by Clemens V.Vogelslang
Then, as food started to become my religion and Catholicism waned and withered on the vine, the children would take it in turns to cook. The Sundays of my teenage years were spent experimenting in the kitchen. Not always successfully, not always mishap-free. But the delight of unwrapping the foil off an impossibly tender leg of lamb I had studded with garlic and embossed in a fresh rosemary butter a couple of hours earlier far outweighed the over-done chickens, soggy broccoli and charred attempts at making gravy.
The entire cooking time had taken ninety minutes, and only the last ten could be described as a bit stressful. As we sat down, a house united and contented by heaps of good food and fellowship, and retold our summer adventures to one another, we agreed that this was something we should do regularly this year. My housemate and I had converted another two people to the charms of the iconic roast dinner. And the cost of this nostalgic evening? After a certain point it becomes hard to break down because of the use of previously-bought store cupboard essentials such as Bistro or dried herbs. But we tried to be as scrupulously fair and rigorous as possible, and came up with a figure of £11.45, or £2.86 per person. Granted, lamb and beef will be more expensive. But just remember next time you buy a meal deal from the supermarket, or are tempted by a Subway or a takeaway pizza that you could be taking part in an iconic, truly British tradition for a lot less money and a lot more fun. END. words by Patrick Ford
ICONIC: Food.
FEATURES
CUB 541.17
It was Samuel Johnson who wrote that ‘the feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef’. Most of us will have a childhood memory of roast dinner, for the simple combination of meat, potatoes, side vegetables and any number of delectable extras – stuffing, roast chestnuts, pigs-in-blankets – transcend the boundaries of class and generation. I have cooked roasts for, and been cooked for, by friends who left school at sixteen with no qualifications and the sons of Lords and Ladies. The usual suspects will cry foul about the middle-class snobbishness of small-town, suburban ‘family time’ over a roast dinner, but they are as hopelessly misguided as ever in their bitter criticisms. In my household, the children would be bundled off to Church with my father on a Sunday morning whilst my mother set about preparing a feast, the majority of which, of course, we scarcely appreciated.
Just a few days ago, my housemate and I cooked a roast for our other housemates as moving-in meal. We bought a whole chicken, obtained for a bargain £3.10 from the discount section of the Cooperative; eight large potatoes; a bag each of carrots, beans and broccoli. We lathered the chicken in butter, dried herbs, salt, pepper and garlic (hardly revolutionary stuff!), diced the potatoes, skin-on, into eights and laid them around the bird on the roasting tray. In to the oven at 160°C for eighty minutes, chicken out and wrapped in foil to stand before carving; potatoes back in to crisp up; start the carrots boiling away; then add beans, then broccoli. Oven off. Veg tipped out into serving dish, seasoned with salt and pepper and a knob or two of butter and back into still-warm oven. For the only indulgent touch of the evening, I poured half of the previous evening’s cheap, grim red wine into the chicken juices, added four teaspoons of Bistro, and tipped in half a pot of redcurrant jelly (a pot costs 85p), stirring all the time until it had reduced and thickened.
DOWN THE DITCH
There’s more to Shoreditch than creepers and dip-dyed hair.
The East End of London is arguably the most exciting place to be right now, and not simply because all the eyes of the world have been trained here for the Olympics. Oh no. Where else in the capital can you find a melting pot of different attitudes and trends? Being a born and bred Hoxton girl, let me enthuse you with the spirit of your new stomping ground while guiding you through a whistle stop tour of the East. For the uninitiated, the East End is not just the home of jellied eels, pie and mash and Pearly Kings, but a rich mixture of cultures and diversities. I want to begin by dispelling the negative connotations that surround Shoreditch and its plethora of brothel creeping toting hipsters who many view as “posers”. We’ve all heard “The Dickhead” song besmirching these Supreme cap wearing kids but I urge you to look past this and revel in the beauty of the area, filled with pockets of unexpected creativity and wonder. Not only a pioneer in fashion but also contemporary art, the exquisite (and free) White Cube gallery on Hoxton Square is the exhibition space of choice for the likes of Tracy Emin, Gilbert and George and Damien Hirst. You can reach this destination by taking a Boris bike down the canal, which runs behind our campus, as it’s an iconic part of London that many students fail to acknowledge.
And yes, although most of the indie kids bopping round are wearing empty frames, Old Street- aka Silicon roundabout- is home to a different type of geek, those from technology, with giants like Google having their offices nearby. It’s also known for its nightlife and there’s many ways to get f***** down the ditch, depending on how you like it. Get down and dirty to drum and bass and dubstep at Plastic People, visit an old Libertines hang out, Old Blue Last, or go celeb spotting at ultra-hip, ultra-grimy Joiners Arms. See Shoreditch for the gem it is; be whatever and whoever you want and revel in its diversity, a judgment free zone. These waterways connect us to a number of interesting destinations and they can be a great way to instantly escape the hectic and congested streets. There are plenty of wonderful cafés along the way where you can watch the barges meander by, or the magic of the opening and closing of the various locks. On the subject of hidden gems, Bank and Liverpool St are well worth getting lost in as the mixture of Victorian and modern architecture is a sight to behold.
FEATURES My final tip is that you pay a visit to the undervalued weekend food court at the indoor market on Brick Lane, which many dismiss as just a mecca for curries. Getting caught up in a selection of worldwide cuisines with sellers that are dying to talk to you about their signature dish and why their family recipe from back home is so special is what it’s all about. So freshers, get stuck into this new, crazy mix and don’t be afraid of sticking outthere will always be an art student wearing a more eccentric outfit, or that rugby lad who’s just that little bit more pissed. But hey, it’s the East End; who gives a f***? END.
CUB 541.19
Photo by Robin
Photo by Robin
words by Stevie Christian.
Photo by Michela Bettuzzi
ICONIC: Area.
FESTIVAL ROUNDUP
CUB contributors pick the best of this summer’s festivals The line-up for the tenth anniversary of Lovebox kicked off on the Saturday with Hospitality special guest, David Rodigan MBE. Every song Rodigan dropped resulted in open-mouthed awe and delight as the Hospitality tent enjoyed a diverse mix of reggae, dancehall and drum and bass classics. The reaction to Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love’ produced one of the best moments of the weekend with the entire tent singing their reggae hearts out.
On the 2nd of August thousands of punks descended on Blackpool for the Rebellion Festival. Whether you like your punk, hardcore, or almost acoustic, this 4-day event offers an impressive 240 bands spread over 7 stages and the line-up this year did well to balance the original ’77 bands with the new generation. The day saw its fair share of legendary bands with crowd-pleasing sets from the UK Subs, The Last Resort, The Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers and a top-notch performance from Peter and the Test Tube Babies. Ex- Specials frontman Neville Staple was a highlight of the weekend, powering through an uplifting mixture of old favourites and new material- whipping the crowds into a ska-fuelled frenzy. Public Image Ltd delivered an experimental headline set which seemed to divide the crowd; some praising Johnny Rotten’s continuing musical creativity, whilst others seemed disappointed, grumbling something about ‘selling out’ and ‘countrylife butter’. The addition of American bands Social Distortion and Rancid drew some of the biggest crowds of the weekend, and both played thoroughly satisfying headline slots, with Rancid’s blistering set closing the festival on an appropriate high.
Sunday showcased old school disco, hip dance moves and outrageous costumes. The standout performance was delivered by the legendary Chic. The group responsible for disco grooves such as ‘Everybody Dance’, ‘Le Freak’, ‘I Want Your Love’, ‘I’m Coming Out’, ‘Upside Down’, ‘Good Times’, (and the list goes on…) provided an absolute treat for those in attendance; This was a celebration like no other. It wasn’t all fun and games though. Lana del Rey delivered a competent performance to dispel suspicions that she isn’t any good live. But no need to fear as Chaka Khan was rolling back the years on the main stage. The soulful diva performed her signature hits such as ‘Tell Me Something Good’, ‘Ain’t Nobody’, ‘Through the Fire’ and closed with ‘I’m Every Woman’. Of course, the Queen of Funk isn’t as energetic as she used to be, but she’s still got mighty stage presence and the vocals to match. RYAN RAMGOBIN
REBELLION 02.08.12
LOVEBOX 15.6.12 - 17.6.12
The evening’s main attraction was provided by the founders of Lovebox, Groove Armada. They started off with records from their most recent album Black Light, but as the night progressed, you were taken on a trip down memory lane. Anthems like ‘I See You Baby’, ‘If Everybody Looked the Same’ and of course ‘Superstylin’ caused carnival scenes. It was a brilliant performance and an apt celebration of the ten-year journey which first started as a residency at 93 Feet East in 2002. Headliners Friendly Fires struggled to match Groove Armada, who easily stole the show.
Rebellion also does a good job at showcasing new bands, promoting the up-and-coming talent of the UK punk scene. Geoffrey Oicott, Crashed Out, Gimp Fist and Dirty Revolution all delivered quality performances, and the new ‘introducing’ stage gave unsigned bands a chance to make themselves heard. It is refreshing that despite the huge selection of bands and diversity of the crowds, the sense of community is strong throughout. As much as Rebellion is about the music, it is also a celebration of all things punk- revelling in the history and the continuing relevance of the movement. And beer, lots of beer… JAKE JOHNSTON
There wasn’t a set not to be enjoyed. Acoustic musicians in the Hidden Hedge, DJs at the School Bus and rock and indie on the second stage joined surprisingly high-profile artists on the Main Stage - Subgiant, Patrick Wolf, Dreadzone, Bastille, Lucy Rose, to name a few. It’s rare to see such a vast range of ages finding the same huge enjoyment in a shared experience; Blissfields is a festival for all. The atmosphere is so much larger than the site- the food is great, the people are friendly, the campsites are fantastic and the entire place is eco-friendly. You’ll never have to walk for more than ten minutes to see anything. It feels like exactly what it is an event run by friends, for friends, and with everyone arriving as a new friend. At £75 a ticket, I challenge you to find a better bargain. LAURA BLAIR
MUSIC
CUB 541.21
It’s not often that your entire experience of something can be summarised by a shirtless man in a field in Hampshire, wearing England flag pants and a neon furry tail over the top of his trousers. Wobbling around the pizza stall, he saw my press pass and happily pronounced: ‘This is fantastic. Everyone is so happy, friendly, smiley... we’ll all be here next year!’ I’ve got to admit, I think he’s right. Blissfields may be small, but it certainly outperforms its modest size.
BLISSFIELDS 29.7.12 - 1.10.12
BILBAO 12.7.12 - 14.7.12
This July I embarked with a clan of lifelong friends to find a quiet festival devoid of UV painted teens celebrating their GCSE results, something with an exotic quality that just can’t be found in Blighty. We came to realise that in the city of Bilbao, nestled within the verdant heart of the Spanish Basque lay one of the best kept secrets on the European festival circuit: Bilbao BBK Live. The festival was flourishing with its fair share of (distinctly British flavoured) chart botherers including Keane, Mumford and Sons and Snow Patrol, among others. Though the undisputable highlight of the festival and undoubtedly the raison d’être for a considerable influx of foreign clientele, was the chance to see the behemoth that is Radiohead in the flesh, an experience that I feel is justifiably dubbed ‘once in a lifetime’. Other almost equally notable moments were abound at the festival; an acoustic ‘Boys don’t cry’ solo performance courtesy of The Cure’s Robert Smith (effortlessly achieving to retrieve a swiftly ebbing sense of awe from the braying crowd as a malfunctioning keyboard postponed the bands headline set proper), a triumphant and swaggering return from post punk darlings Bloc party following a three year hiatus and a hauntingly beautiful set from LA based Warpaint, brimming with looping improvisations and brooding, ethereal melodies; a great shame then that this hidden gem of a band performed to a meagre crowd early in the evening. Bilbao BBK Live was a considerably smaller festival than I am personally accustomed to and this is by no means a slight; finding a sweet balance of being eminently relaxed yet never boring coupled with a line-up that would rival the biggest festivals in the UK and a serene climate made Bilbao BBK Live 2012 one of the finest live musical exploits of my year. CONOR STEPHENSON
SUMMER RECAP
All the gossip from the hectic world of music this summer. Our news coverage has been dominated by a summer of sport: Euro 2012, Wimbledon, Tour de France, Formula 1, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and even cricket, with England overtaking India as the best one day team in the world. So it’s understandable to have overlooked some of the weird and wonderful stories and releases from the world of music. Let’s fill in some of those gaps.
isn’t your conventional R&B track. The nine minute record has several layers and demonstrates Ocean’s talent as a singer and producer; you never want it to finish. The collaborations are on point as well with Andre 3000 stealing the show on ‘Pink Matter’. Ocean certainly deserves the recognition he’s receiving, as this album has restored some faith in a genre saturated with lazy writing and generic production.
It wasn’t always a summer of love with fallouts between some big-name artists. First up is Chris Brown versus Drake. They were involved in an alleged nightclub brawl, as reported by TMZ, which started off with Brown sending over a bottle to Drake’s table. The Canadian didn’t appreciate the gesture and an argument ensued over Rihanna, who has had relationships with both men. Entourages got involved and the pair now face a $16 million lawsuit for the fracas. Get over her boys… she isn’t the only girl in the world. Elton John also reignited his longstanding animosity with Madonna. John made headlines after stating in an interview on Australian television, ‘she’s a nightmare. Her career is over, I can tell you that. Her tour is a disaster and it couldn’t happen to a bigger c***… And she looks like a f***ing fairground stripper’. Harsh, but he’s got a point.
There have been rumours flying around the Internet that Andre 3000 is releasing a debut solo album in late-2012. The former Outkast lyricist has only featured in big-name collaborations like Drake’s ‘The Real Her’ and Rick Ross’ ‘Sixteen’ but he always delivers. On the songs he features on, the top YouTube comment is almost always about how he killed it. For instance the view of ‘craig12old’ on ‘Pink Matter’: ‘So Andre?, when are you going to stop teasing the hell out of us with these spotiotidopalicious ass lyrics and drop an album already… that’s not right Andre, for shame’. I could continue but that about sums it up, come on Andre!
Enough beef, let’s talk hip-hop and R&B. In a bizarre story, Snoop Dogg evolved into Snoop Lion. Whilst in Jamaica, a Rastafarian priest told Snoop he was no longer a Dogg… but a Lion. And that’s that, believing he is Bob Marley reincarnated: Snoop Lion is born. He plans on releasing Reincarnated, a reggae album that can be enjoyed by all ages later this year. La La La is the first record under his new pseudonym, but it just doesn’t feel right. He’ll always be Snoop D O double G. This summer’s best release has to be Frank Ocean’s debut album, Channel ORANGE. It’s an intelligent exploration into themes such as unrequited love, sex, spirituality, wealth and drugs. Outstanding vocals are matched by a stylish production; check out ‘Pyramids’ – it
Across the pond we witnessed grime-artist Tempa T try his hand at politics and run against Boris, Ken and co. in the London Mayoral elections. Targeting issues such as rising house prices and bankers bonuses, Tempa T produced several tongue-in-cheek videos for VICE Magazine’s YouTube channel (Noisey). Lethal Bizzle pushed his catchphrases to new lengths as he produced the ‘Leave It Yeah Remix’ featuring Arsenal footballer Emmanuel Frimpong and JME amongst others. Lethal also found a surprising fan in Gary Lineker who told Piers Morgan on Twitter to ‘leave it, yeah’. Grime aside, there were substantial developments in British music over the summer. No bigger was the return of the xx with their sophomore album, Coexist. The record is a minimalist masterpiece. ‘Angels’ illustrates the understated nature of the band: Romy Madley-Croft’s calming vocals accompanied by a few strums of a guitar and soft percussion is all you need. Whilst ‘Chained’ epito-
MUSIC mises the xx’s unique sound, with a chilled beat provided by Jamie Smith, soothing vocals from Croft and an uplifting guitar solo from Oliver Sim. The xx know they have a winning formula and are sticking with it. The rise of the UK bass scene/future garage genre has been startling. Leading the charge are producers such as Disclosure, Bondax, AlunaGeorge and Karma Kid. Disclosure have recently enjoyed a huge mainstream push with Radio 1 featuring them on their ‘A List’, Zane Lowe picking them for his ‘hottest record in the world’ slot and they’ll be touring alongside the likes of Magnetic Man and Annie Mac in late-November. It appears they’re now the poster boys for future garage - similar to how Chase and Status were for dubstep and James Blake for the post-dubstep genre. Tired of mediocre British rappers like Plan B and Professor Green? Our prayers have been
answered with Mike Skinner (formally of The Streets) returning alongside Robert Harvey (ex The Music singer) in their new project, THE DOT. Their eleven track LP entitled And That will be released on October 22 and you can catch them on tour during the autumn. Finally, during the summer you may have noticed the bright orange posters advertising the documentary film, Searching for Sugarman. It is an astonishing story about Sixto Rodriguez, whose music flopped in the US but was bootlegged to South Africa, outsold the likes of Elvis and became the soundtrack to Apartheid. However, Rodriguez was unaware of his fame and it was believed by South Africans that he committed suicide. The documentary gives an insight into the darker aspects of the music industry but the last twenty minutes illustrates the impact music can have. It’s well worth a watch. END. words by Ryan Ramgobin
CUB 541.23
Photo by NRKP3
A GOLDEN SUMMER OF MUSIC?
Photo by Shimelle Laine
You may not have noticed, but this summer London played host to a little something called The Olympics. As well as further cementing the fact that a fortnight of people running, jumping, rowing, throwing, swimming, kicking each other and shooting stuff is infinitely better than the other event that happens between each Olympics where loads of blokes kick a ball and let the country down, it also saved a prominent role for the music of Britain. Of course the question raised is, did this coming together of sport and music do any favours for Britain’s best and most successful export? From the onset it was obvious that the powers that be intended to incorporate music in a way never before witnessed at an Olympic games and Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony embraced this right from the off. Firstly, anyone who says the opening ceremony wasn’t entirely brilliant probably always has been, and most likely always will be, a fool. Olympic ceremonies are never very good. That’s just the way it is. As China epitomized, it’s usually just a hollow reflection of the amount of money spent on it- all pomp, no meaning. Danny Boyle on the other hand wasn’t having any of that nonsense as he produced an opening ceremony oozing with British culture and a strong narrative. Arctic Monkeys’ opening ceremony performance perfectly embodied the profuse Britishness of the event. The entire ceremony was joyously scattered with in-jokes and sarcasm that we all gleefully know the Americans didn’t quite get. Equally, most of the world probably wondered - ‘Who is this northern bloke with a quiff and why is he covering The Beatles?’ As far as I’m concerned, that’s the reaction I hope it got. Arctic Monkeys are arguably the premier in-someway-successful band Britain has produced this millennium. It’s surely best to showcase fantastic, most definitely British music as opposed to bands that have become so overbearingly famous that they’re near enough international entities? Then again, Paul McCartney is the exact opposite of this. Then again, again, he was in the greatest (British) band of all time and maybe the rest of the world isn’t quite as sick of him as we are? The montage of British music section of the ceremony was yet another master stroke in showing off our finest musicians. From the
MUSIC obscure choice of Led Zeppelin song ‘Trampled Under Foot’, through to unlikely national treasure Dizzee Rascal popping out of the floor; it was everything the closing ceremony would eventually fail to be- credible, enjoyable, unpredictable and most importantly, good. Ahh yes the closing ceremony; the part of the Olympics that scientists have proven is always utterly s***. On paper, London 2012 could have been the anomaly in that scientific research that I’ve just made up. A symphony of British music; what could be better? Nothing, you’d assume. Alas in true closing ceremony fashion, it was complete drivel. From One Direction shaming the nation to the bemusing omnipresence of the distinctly adequate Emeli Sandé (perhaps no other Scottish people were available…) it was all quite unnerving. It wasn’t until the dying seconds that a last ditch clearance off the line from Take That and The Who saved Team GB(‘s closing ceremony organisers) from a wholly embarrassing defeat. Despite that and a few other promising glimpses, the whole thing was about as impressive as the Australians’ sporting performance.
One could argue, however, that to make a celebration of British music so unrelentingly terrible and awkward is a remarkable achievement. Furthermore, it served as the perfect tonic to return us to our natural, healthy state of cynicism. Finally, after two weeks of unparalleled sporting achievement and national unity, we had something to moan about again. I mean, aside from the minor empty seats scandal, two weeks of such positivity was starting to feel somewhat uncomfortable. So then, with the opening ceremony, closing ceremony, Muse’s utterly bombastic and fitting official song (yes, yes I am defending that Muse song. It fitted perfectly with its accompanying Olympic montage), the ever curious decision to have music during races, the constant presence of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’, the huge free gigs around London over the fortnight and Blur’s Hyde Park headline show, it was a summer of music like no other. Whatever the rest of the world thought of it, there’s no denying that Britain has produced the most varied and often most brilliant music ever made. Rule Britannia and God Save the Queen… END. words by Edd Clibbens
CUB 541.25
Photo by Melissa Hinkley
WANT TO BE A FASHION INTERN? Three of Queen Mary’s perpetual fashion interns tell us what it’s really like, and provide tips on how to get through a fashion internship.
THE MAGAZINE Realistic expectations are key to any interning journey. On the first day, I found myself abandoned in a fashion cupboard packed to the rooftops, cross-legged on the floor and battling my way through a mountain of shoes and bags needing to be addressed and shipped back to various PR companies. The other intern I worked with began her very brief stint at the magazine by telling me how she hoped she’d be able to style her own shoot, write a couple of full page features and get to chat with the editor about a job at the end. She promptly flaked out and left after three days. An internship is a stepping stone, not a rocket launch into your dream job. You are probably there to do the jobs that nobody wants, or has time to do, and are expected to appreciate it. Internships are a test of your dedication, and a crash course in working your way from the bottom to the top. I found that hard work and initiative were greatly rewarded. After a week or so doing the menial tasks, I was gaining the experience I really wanted; putting together mini features, assisting on the picture desk, and taking the role of style assistant on celebrity and fashion photoshoots. As a bonus, my internship has lead to paid styling work for the magazine and its sister publications. LUCY WOOD.
THE LUXURY BRAND In March 2011 I started a part time internship at a luxury online label based near Marble Arch. This was great as it fitted in really well with my university studies and it was exciting to be working on a project I enjoyed outside of my academic work. Three months later, once I had finished my university exams, I was offered a full time paid role for the summer there! So not only had I learned masses about the fashion industry during my three month internship, I had also secured myself a job for the summer. Twelve months on, I continue to work for the company on a freelance basis. Working for a relatively small fashion brand has been fantastic, not only because I’ve always felt a valued part of the team with a lot to contribute on a day-to-day basis (there’s nothing worse than an internship with nothing to do), but also because of the variety it offers. In the past year I have mainly been focused on PR and writing copy for the website, but I have also worked with the production and design teams, helped out at photo-shoots, conducted market research and helped to organise the company’s stand at a prestigious trade fair at Olympia. When you find a company who make you feel really welcome, then I would say stick with it! Good things can definitely come your way. LOTTIE KINGDON
THE FASHION DESIGNER Last year I worked for around 3 months doing PR for an up and coming London based designer. My internship started with fairly basic tasks such as setting up social media and a website for the designerperfectly reasonable. But as the months went on my job seemed to change from helpful PR intern to unpaid PR manager of the entire company. I was single-handedly orchestrating the designer’s London Fashion Week show; everything from finding sponsors to casting models. I was spending almost all of my time outside of university doing a job which I would have been paid a decent salary for at a larger company. The final straw came when I had to help run a fashion show being filmed for a prestigious nusic channel. It was around 4am, the designer, the models and all of the guests were dancing the night away and drinking all the free vodka they could handle whilst I was made to pack up an entire collection alone, make sure none of the models ran off with the shoes and literally scrub the backstage area. Meanwhile the two friends I had added to the guestlist were denied entry. Internships are supposed to be a learning experience, but there’s a big difference between being thrown into an creative and educational environment and simply being exploited. LUCINDA TURNER
FASHION THE CUB FASHION GUIDE TO LANDING YOUR DREAM INTERNSHIP When it comes to planning a future in the fashion industry there is one thing that is valued above all else: initiative. Whilst certain companies will advertise for an intern, if you know where you want to go it’s worth doing your research and directly emailing the person you want to work for, explaining why you would be the best intern they’ve ever had. It’s important to keep your CV as up-to-date and as concise as possible. Most potential employers will spend around 30 seconds reading your CV, so if it starts with your Sunday job throughout secondary school rather than your pursuits within the industry then something is definitely wrong. Sometimes something as simple as the subject of your email can decide whether or not someone will read it. ‘Please give me work experience’ is pretty much a red flag, but a quirky attention grabbing title can make all the difference. Most importantly of all, you need to gather as much experience as possible before you start applying for placements with huge fashion companies. Before even starting to intern you can do so much yourself, everything from starting a blog to writing for your university magazine, HINT HINT HINT.
CUB 541.27
Left: Jumper £17.99, New Look, Skirt, £18, ASOS, Chain, Stylist’s Own, Shoes, £65, Bronx, Rings, £12.50, Freedom at Topshop. Right, clockwise: Top, £50, Prey of London, Necklace, £18.50, Diva at Miss Selfridge - Top, £19.99, New Look, Bangle, £17, Koopoi. com, Friendship bracelet, £12, Friendship bracelet, £12 each, lookbookshop.com, Rings, £7.50, Freedom at Topshop - Dress, £135, Silence Beyond Syllables, Jacket, Stylist’s own, Necklaces, £9-14, lookbookshop.com, Ear cuff, £8.50, Diva at Miss Selfridge.
Stylist: Lucinda Turner Photographer: Eleanor Doughty Model: Jessica T, First Model Management
CUBCREATES Our resident D.I.Y. guru and fashion editor Sarah Harrison gives us a step by step guide to one of the key accessories of the summer. So get ready to get creative and bring a little bit of the festival season to your new term wardobe...
WHAT YOU NEED: Flowers: I used plastic ones from Wilkinson’s £1.78 a bunch - I bought 2 but only needed one. Scissors: strong as they need to cut through the wire inside the plastic. Needle Thread: of any colour - I used a deep green. Elastic: 16p from a Haberdashery shop only stocked white and black.
1. Cut the flowers.
2.Pin flowers onto elastic.
3.Sew the flowers onto the elastic with
4.Add extra leaves to fill the gaps and
coloured thread.
cover elastic.
FASHION straighten.
6.Sew the ends of the elastic together.
CUB 541.31
5.Lay out the floral crown and
THE MODERN TOURIST AKWAABA: Welcome. The expectation of some tourists has become exceedingly high and spoilt. From volunteers to business trips, it seems that those who do not experience a big Ghanaian ‘akwaaba’ (though it is rare not to) feel as though they are not getting their ‘money’s worth’. It was on only my second day in Africa when I was confronted by an over-confident American teenage girl. Expecting to be greeted with a holiday receptionist’s smile, she walked over to a wooden busticket hut in Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana. Having earlier been directed by a local man to the booth, she ignored the other men who seemed to be trying to catch her attention. She then pulled a face of disgust when (the tourist assumed) she recieved ridicule from the local men.
Our ability to leave our homelands and travel, to carry digital cameras hoping to capture and own moments of the woman’s home country already exhibited our privileges, and now this American’s desire to haggle with her? Why had she come to battle with Ghana’s system? It was five cedi per person but the American wanted to pay five cedi total, for three. The woman did not care to laugh at her ignorance; instead she shook her head whilst mocking: ‘5 cedi total!’ She was refused service. Why was it that the interaction between tourist and local created such an aura of mistrust and suspicion? Why was it that both had been insensitive to the other, and stood firmly in their assigned roles? Through this small and seemingly insignificant encounter, it became clear to me that today’s tourist industry sells a fantastical image. The attitude that our flight boarding pass is a ticket into the hearts of the locals is an absurd notion. Without understanding this deluded notion, we fall victim to feeling as though we have done something wrong if we are not heartily welcomed. And thus, The ‘modern’ tourist is born, bringing false kindness into an unfamiliar world; condescending ‘alternative’ cultures whilst still desiring to experience an ‘authentic’ African adventure.
Locals are accused of exploiting these tourists in order to re-cement the wall between the rich tourist and the poor ‘native’. Some tourists will ‘interact’ through a closed smile and not dare to haggle whilst purchasing their goods from the local market; a sign that they feel demonstrates their own kindness. However, this tourist is saturated in suspicion and caution and refusing to fully engage on a friendly, one to one level the tourist denies a human connection with the local. They stick with their Western ideals, close themselves off and choose to trust fellow tourists over the helpful man who has worked and lived in the area all his life. The tourist pack second guesses each action, especially of unexplained kindness. By keeping defences up, the tourist fails to really appreciate his surroundings and one begins to wonder – why does this visitor spend his earned money to visit a country he believes is beneath him? Is it to reassert his own country’s greatness and modernity through comparison? Why spend the money to travel out of the continent to a specific country if simply to spend it by a pool or within an ‘all-inclusive Western package’ holiday? Why travel so far when one shields their eyes and hearts from the local culture and people? A ‘third world’ country is not just a background for your luxury week off. END. words and photos by Nataša Cordeaux.
CUB 541.33
Barbed wire coiled around the ticket hut’s open window, firmly drawing the line between American girl and Ghanaian woman, buyer and seller. Hostility was relinquished when a Ghanaian man reached the ticket hut for Beyin. However, the invading presence of three travelling friends who (the Ghanian woman assumed) were seeking a bargained down price seemed enough to re-fortify her wall of hostility.
GHANA
TRAVEL
destination:
QUPID
‘A little Welsh stunner, she’s adorable, funny and her boobs are huge!’ - Laurie McAllister ‘Ashley is a very short young man, he giggles like a school girl, he’s really rich and wears a suit everywhere…but he’s got a heart of gold and is hung like a horse!’ - Saad Akhtar
INITIAL THOUGHTS AFTER SEEING EACH OTHER?
M:
Why’s he wearing a suit?! Nice smile!
A: I thought she was really really pretty and that she had very good fashion sense, very fresh. She had very nice eyes , really big and brown. BEST PART OF THE DATE?
M:I liked when I initially saw it was him because I was relieved… or when we found out we could have steaks! Just the general conversation, can’t really pinpoint a moment, I was just glad when I saw him, and when we went on for drinks later. A: When we found out we could have steak! Or when
A new university year, a new Qupid, and the potential for eight new couples within our midst. These dates are going to be hopelessly romantic or entertainingly disastrous! We kicked off in style, with a couple of third years at The Morgan Arms and its safe to say things went very….very well! The conversation flowed, as did the wine, for these two lovebirds and they even continued their evening together at a mutual friends party. Making the most of their free meal, both opted for the steak as they dissected the potential reasons behind Qupid matching them together… in fact the real reason is that they are both just bloody lovely!
I got my foot stuck in the chair, I thought it would be embarrassing but she just found it funny!
uni, general life and gossip, mutual friends. We just chatted as you would, we were getting to know each other.
...AND WORST?
OUT OF TEN?
M: There wasn’t really one, I seriously cant think of an awkward part or bad part at all.
M: Ten. A: Ten.
A:
Being late, I don’t like being late.
WHAT DID ABOUT?
YOU
TALK
M: Mutual friends, what we’d been doing over the summer, holidays, how worried we’d been about the date, loads of stuff just general chitchat. A: What we’re studying at
VERDICT: So these two have kicked off the new Qupid year with a bang! I’ll be keeping my watchful Qupid eye on these cuties and will be posting an update in the next issue! In the mean time keep flirting you sexy people, and if you’re keen to be set up on a blind date of your own email: qupidcub@gmail. com
CUB 541.35
QUPID
COUPLE 1: ASHLEY SMITH & MANON ROWLANDS
EDITORIAL TEAM THOSE WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE TOGETHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Anna Matheson
SUB EDITORS: Emma Shone, Alice Harry, Jemima Chamberlain-Adams & Laurie Mcallister PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS: Laura Blair & Eleanor Doughty LONDON EDITORS: Bryony Hannah Orr & Lizzie Howis FEATURES EDITORS: Lauren Cantillon & James Deacon MUSIC EDITOR: Edward Clibbens & Ryan Ramgobin ARTS EDITORS: Millie Jefferies & Phoenix Alexander FASHION EDITORS: Lucinda Turner & Sarah Harrison FILM EDITORS: Harry Foster & Catherine Brigman TRAVEL EDITORS: Megan Morrison - Sloan & Tom Wyke QUPID EDITOR: Rosemara Mather-Lupton