CUB ISSUE 547
ISSUE 547 MARCH
MUSIC 19 21 23
ARTS 3 This Month In Arts... 4 1901: The Year of Picasso FILM 5 Coming to a Small Screen Near
cover photo by Tom Wyke, contents photo by LLoyd Ramos
7 10
You... How the future could be affecting the cinematic experience A Piece on Almodóvar Ben Affleck’s Roller Coaster Career
FEATURES 11 HISTORY: Grave Circumstance You Can’t Pick Your 13 HISTORY: Neigbours 15 HISTORY:The Only Special Rela16 17
tionship That Matters HISTORY: Our Hallowed Drinking Haven: Drapers HISTORY: Old Boys and Girls Just a few notable QMUL Alumni
Return of the Mac Why you should be excited about the reformation of the 70s icons Foals: A Retrospective Hey Boy: Hey Girl An exploration of the male/ female duo
FASHION 25 Shoot: Monochramatic Girl’s Life We inter29 Another view YouTube hit Mary from TheAnotherGirlsLife
30 Beauty Blogging
TRAVEL 31
Destination: Cambodia
QUPID
34 Couple Seven: Rosie Stocks and Jack Payne
TWITTER: @cubmagazine GET INVOLVED: editorcub@gmail.com “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter.” - Thomas Jefferson.
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LONDON 1 What’s Up London? Take a break from studying this Easter 2 Study Scenes
WHAT’S UP LONDON? Bored? Ready to take a break from studying and working? Check out what you can do!
DO LUNCH
GO TO SOMEONE ELSE’S HOUSE
Head over to Old St. and give your brain and body a healthy lunch at Pitfield, a café with a furniture store for your housing needs, and fresh salads prepared daily - yum. Alternatively try out The Drunken Monkey, Queen Mary University’s new cocktail bar and dim sum restaurant is affordable and has a great view!
For a little cultural experience that’s slightly out of the ordinary you might want to try visiting these museum-houses. Sir John Soane’s House at Lincoln’s Inn Fields is one house you’d want to have a sleepover in! Rammed to the rafters with paintings and sculptures, you will be forced to reassess your idea of a hoarder. Dennis Sever’s house on the other hand, is an experience. You are taken into the past when you enter the doorway near Liverpool Street, and encouraged to use your imagination.
HEAD OUT Fancy a night for students, by students? They know you best; these top cats will show you a good time. Stag Events have been running regular events accross London since 2012, check them out if you want a night you won’t remember! The guys from Diverge really know how to party - in fact they just had their second birthday party. With live bands, DJs and something a little bit surreal in the air you’d be mad to miss it. The fellows behind the Word of Mouth blog are always on the lookout for new music producers, their parties are packed with fresh tunes from independent labels and upcoming DJs, so head along and open your ears.
SIT IN THE DARK The recently converted Genesis Cinema isn’t just for films any more, you can get coffee and cocktails too. For the ultimate experience, visit their Studio 5 screen – with sofas and an in-screen bar you’re set. Alternatively pop down to the Comedy Café Theatre in Shoreditch, this loft space above the Bedroom Bar offers up a great night.
words by AnnaHarry Honorby photo by Edvvc
LONDON
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STUDY SCENES For those of you who hate the library, two alternatives to house your revision this Easter… NOTES CAFÉ Notes is one of these fabulously trendy cafes where you can write an essay whilst a vintage Bond film casually plays out on a screen before you, where your coffee cup is regularly refilled without you having to move from behind your computer screen, where there’s no danger of rowdy tourists interrupting you or screaming babies giving you a headache. Plus, if you’re really desperate for some procrastination they have a pretty unique selection of CDs and DVDs on sale for you to browse through and wonder whether you’re cultured enough and, if it’s all going terribly wrong and you feel like drinking yourself into oblivion, they also sell a temptingly large variety of red wine by the bottle…
THE PAVILION In theory, it may be warm enough to leave the house by the time Easter comes around, let’s just hope this is the case so we can laze - I mean, work furiously hard - outside The Pavilion in Victoria Park. There are plenty of cosy looking, inviting pubs and cafes to entice and perhaps even inspire around here, but The Pavilion is by far my favourite; feeling a million miles away from the city and overlooking the lake. The clincher for me, however, has to be the all day breakfast. Who can say no to that when you can’t think of anything to write midway through your dissertation?
words by Lizzie Howis
Born Emmanuel Radnitzky in 1890, Man Ray was a modernist artist whose work as a fashion and portrait photographer is renowned for his use of various media to create stunning works. Although he considered himself a painter, he was best know for his avant-garde photography, which is what kick-started my own love affair with his art. My particular favourites are his photograms. When Man Ray discovered this medium in 1922 he was quoted as saying, ‘ I have finally freed myself from the sticky medium of paint, and am working directly with light itself.’ These photograms are made by placing different objects on top of light-sensitive paper which, when exposed to light within a dark room, creates beautiful images. He was so impressed with his own attempts at creating photograms that he proceeded to name them aftter himself, and so the term ‘Rayograph’ was coined. As a major contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist artistic movements he is counted amongst some of the great artists of all time. Dadaism was both a reaction to the horrors of world war one and a radical rejection of traditional art. In a new exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery you can trace Man Ray’s career from 1916-1968 and features over 150 prints ranging from his use of revolutionary photography to his experiments with use of colour. The exhibition is running from now until the 27th of May and there are discounted tickets for students and groups.As a huge art lover I can honestly inform you that Man Ray is a great artist to seek out, particularly if you are in need a some fresh art in your lives. His work was radical and innovative, and I would argue that to this day he has not been out-schooled. His photography and paintings are fun and intimate and are worth the trip over to central London. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. END.
LIGHT SHOW - HAYWARD GALLERY
MAN RAY - NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
THIS MONTH IN ARTS... The Southbank centre has dedicated 2013 to ‘The Rest is Noise,’ and are hosting a year of spectacular auditory sensations, so it makes sense that the Hayward Gallery’s first exhibition should be entitled ‘Light Show;’ a tribute to art made through the medium of light. Billed as an invitation to ‘wonder at, contemplate, investigate and, in some cases, to interact with, illuminated environments and sculptures’ light Show presents 25 different pieces of work spanning from the 1960s to the modern day. With the flexibility of the venue, the number of sensory experiences awaiting you seems almost infinite; there are numerous side rooms built to house a single light experience, whilst the more open spaces present a chance to wander through and around light sculptures. Light Show is so much more than a sensory dream. Upon entry to the gallery space you are greeted by 19,600 white LED lights playing an eternally changing dance. The use of computer programming ensures that the spectacle is never repeated; what you see is unique to you in that moment.Exclusivity and interactivity come to the foremost in the small rooms that branch off the main gallery. A tunnel of smoke invites you to step into the artwork, and flail your arms in wild discovery, whilst in another room the movement is created for you with an ingenious use of shadows and moving light making the room gyrate in a way that evokes thoughts of a fairground ride. Elsewhere you experience how it would feel to stand inside a cloud, or in another room you are able to just reflect upon the primary colours; you may experience basking in hot pink sun, contemplate deeply in a blue zone or just wonder at how much you look like The Hulk in green light. At only £9 for a student ticket, you have until 28th April to be illuminated. END. words by Zoe Cantley & Hannah Ballard
ARTS Helfrecht has adapted Hemingway’s novel with just four actors. Explosive Josie Taylor performs the part of beautiful Lady Brett Ashley, a sensual British woman who seduces both the novelist Robert Cohn (Jye Frasca) and toreador Pablo Romero (Jack Holden). Meanwhile, Jake introduces them to the art of bullfighting and to the Spanish fiestas. This fast paced, festive and intense story is staged in the tiny Stage 2 of the Trafalgar Studios. When the protagonists become saturated with red wine at the San Fermines, the wine spills from the set and when they start dancing, you are literally a step away from jumping on stage. The vibrations of music performed by the jazz band Trio Farouche reach the spec-
tators who, absorbed in the play, could not dive more freely into the ambience of the era. Both the intimacy of the studio and the intensity of the play drags each audience member into the midst of the Roaring Twenties. To adapt a novel to a play, and to such a small stage, is overly challenging. As any Hemingway purist will only but too easily point out, the play does not fully respect the book. It only focuses on the hectic life of four characters, instead of exploring everything from buzzing Paris to the calmness of Pyrenees mountains, and then back to frenzy of Spanish San Fermines. But what is important in The Sun Also Rises, and in general terms in Hemingway’s novels, is what one intuitively understands, rather than how the action unfolds. And that is precisely what is present in Fiesta. It successfully pictures the drive for adrenaline shots of those who survived the Great War. It portrays the Lost Generation burning its life in a constant search for excitement and distractions. If you want experience the dangerous excitement of the San Fermines without risking your life (and your liver), Trafalgar Studio’s Fiesta is the place to be. END. words by Laetitia Sanchez Incera
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Based on Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Fiesta tells the tale of a group of American and British expatriates travelling from Paris to Spain in the company of accompany Jake (Gideon Turner), a journalist passionated by bullfighting. They go to the San Fermines, a week-long festival in which bulls are released in the streets of Pamplona and taken to the Plaza de Toros.
photo by Ian Bauer
1901: THE YEAR OF PICASSO
This unmissable opportunity to see the artist’s early works provides a fascinating insight into the development of his paintings and shows us the beginnings of his famous Blue period, early Parisian pieces and two wonderful selfportraits. Described as his ‘breakthrough year’, 1901 established Picasso as an artist. His debut exhibition by art dealer Ambroise Vollard when Picasso was just nineteen years old featured 64 works, several of which have been reunited for this London exhibition. People from all walks of life perused the paintings, heads tilted to one side, taking in the loose brush strokes of striking primary colours in ‘Dwarf Dancer’, which is said to be a response to French painter Edgar Degas’ ballerinas. The smatterings of contrasting colours form the background, presenting the dancer as the dominant feature. Sporting a defiant stance, the body of the dancer looks to have the ability to walk straight out of the painting towards us, combined with a menacing facial expression so intense it is almost terrifying. The famous ‘Child with a Dove’ painting displays a move from erratic brush strokes to contouring lines which frame the figure of the child, highlighting the pale dress against the bleak, dark background. The painting evokes sympathy for the child, who has discarded the brightly coloured ball and is clinging desperately to the small white dove for comfort. This piece is one of the first paintings of the Blue period, which saw a variety of darker, more depressing works. The Blue period contrasted greatly to Pi-
ARTS casso’s earlier works –the figures were less energetic and colour was lacking. Following the death of his friend Carlos Casagemas, Picasso painted several pieces relating to him. ‘Casagemas in his coffin’ can be found in the second room of the exhibition on the far wall, next to ‘Evocation (The Burial of Casagemas)’. These two paintings in particular feature little colour, yet are strikingly memorable due to their content. ‘Casagemas in his coffin’ shows a defined portrayal of Casagemas’ lifeless face, surrounded by wiggly and zig-zagged strokes of blue and white, symbolising his loss of life and the trauma surrounding it. ‘Evocation (The Burial of Casagemas)’ is a much larger piece, and shows a mother and infant ascending to heaven along with prostitutes, nudes and children – a scene which is taking place above the sombre burial of Casagemas, who is shrouded in white. Whilst his mourners comfort one another, Casagemas is noticeably alone, possibly referring to his mental instability and subsequent suicide. Two self-portraits of Picasso himself can be found on the same wall, separated by the exit door. The first ‘Self Portrait (Yo)’ shows the artist’s still-developing image, sketchy and confused from the neck down whilst the face is clearly defined and staring intensely out into the world and the eyes of the viewer. The second ‘Yo (Picasso)’ is different –the entire upper body is defined and painting in bright colours which conflict with the dark, featureless background, causing Picasso’s entire figure to stand out enormously in the foreground, appearing as an established and confident artist. Often melancholy, provocative and imposing, the paintings are a wonderful sight to behold. It’s certainly worth taking the time to visit the exhibition – it is truly inspiring to be in the presence of Pablo Picasso’s early triumphs. END. words by Amy Watson
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Whether you’re struggling to find ideas for things to do this month or just fancy coming back from a day out feeling cultured, a journey to the recently opened Picasso exhibition could be the solution. The ‘Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901’ exhibition is displayed over two rooms on the top floor of the Courtauld Gallery within the magnificent Somerset House, and is accessible via the Strand entrance (nearest tube stations Embankment and Covent Garden). The exhibition runs from 14th February to 26th May and admission is free for full-time students, so remember to take your Student ID or NUS card with you.
COMING TO A SMALL SCREEN NEAR YOU...
ARTS The film in question was Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. While I wouldn’t say that I regret the effort I made to see this film, which came out on DVD a few days later anyway, I do question the merit of seeing films in the cinema at all. In our hyper-digital age would it not be better to scrap these buildings all together? Save the journey and the often-astronomical costs and just have films released straight to the Internet. Most people I know already view a large proportion of the movies they watch this way and probably all of their television. One of the reasons that I could have been so keen to see The Master in a cinema is the fact that it was filmed on 70mm film, a format which constitutes larger frames that can pick up more detail and therefore lose less quality when displayed on the big screen. However, I didn’t actually see it in this format, as there are fewer than ten public 70mm projectors in the UK and only about 100 in the US. Anderson’s efforts could, potentially, be seen as an ode to the cinema of yore. After all, up until quite recently, with the invasion of HD televisions into homes, the cinema was where films looked their best. In the modern world, though, even the laptop I’m writing this article on can display an amount of pixels that my brain probably can’t even process, and the cinema is left with increasingly high budget explosions and a need for 3D to maintain its status as the site of the spectacular. Going to the cinema at all seems unnecessary when you take into consideration how many films already exist in the world and the very high probability that there are innumer-
able films readily available online or on DVD, Blu-ray etc. that are far more worthy of being seen than any being shown at the cinema. Everyone has a personal backlog of films they have been meaning to watch. For the last five years, 2001: A Space Odyssey has been on my ‘to-watch’ list and in that time I must have watched innumerable inferior and often quite atrocious films at the cinema. Seen in this way, the very existence of the cinema, with its capitalist origins and cynical commodification is almost an affront to the very artwork it is synonymous with. Marketing strategies that rear their ugly head when you feel the need to run out of a room, fingers in ears, screaming ‘I haven’t seen it yet!’ until you eventually cough up to see the latest blockbuster just so you can reintegrate with society. In spite of all this, and the rather large dent it leaves in my student loan, I am still a slave to the cinema. For over 100 years these buildings have been a consistent presence in our society. So what do cinemas mean to us now? In a decreasingly religious age, cinemas, along with gigs and spectator sports arguably and quite necessarily fill the void. Regardless of content or spectacle, the cinema offers something very unique. Sat in complete darkness you can detach yourself from your own reality for a couple of hours and focus entirely on whatever is being presented. The first time I watched Resevoir Dogs was on an iPod in a car; I truly hope this is not the way we are heading. Films deserve their own unique space, just as art is better appreciated in a gallery than on a postcard. Plus, there’s popcorn. END.
words by Oliver Westlake photo by Phil D
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I sometimes worry that I’m one of the few people who still goes to the cinema for reasons other than to go on a slightly unimaginative date or because it’s so cheap on Wednesdays that it would be rude not to. I have always loved going to the cinema, perhaps because I spent an impressive amount of time watching television as a child, so the cinema was just a far more spectacular version of this. Proof of my adoration is the fact that I recently travelled 70 miles on a cold February morning, just to go to the cinema on my own.
There’s something magical about watching a foreign film. Greats such as Amélie and Pan’s Labyrinth contain that special quality which has fascinated audiences over decades of cinema and given rise to heroes of foreign film. One of the most prominent of these superstars is Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar, who has seen huge success across almost four decades with his idiosyncratic films. The end of the Franco era relented a whole body of Spanish artists, and at the forefront was a director whose infamous tagline ‘un film de Almodóvar’ continues to excite audiences internationally.
UNA PIEZA EN ALMÒDOVAR A PIECE ON ALMODÒVAR words by Alainna Georgiou
Some people avoid foreign films due to the language barrier, claiming that if a film has subtitles it’s bound to be hard-work or confusing. However, Almodóvar’s masterpieces prove this pessimistic viewpoint lot entirely wrong. His signature use of vivid colours and ferocious landscapes add to the beauty of his films, which nearly all contain an abundance of polemic themes and shocking scenes. From his first success with Pepi, Luci, Bom through to his most recent film The Skin I Live In, Almodóvar demonstrates his ability to find the comedy and hope in even the most controversial and depressing of storylines. Whilst the popularity of the ‘40’s style melodrama may have faded from British cinema, Almodóvar’s works brings the genre back in full-throttle. His stylish and memorable blend of tragedy and comedy has helped to propel the likes of Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas into the world of international celebrity. Cruz, in particular has become the face of several Almodóvar films, playing roles ranging from an murderous wife to a pregnant nun. Almodóvar’s next release doesn’t seem to be shying away from absurdity either. I’m So Excited is set on an aeroplane and features three drunk (and quite camp) flight attendants who attempt to ‘cheer up’ the passengers as they face imminent death. Whilst it may be a little different to Almodóvar’s usual enterprises, I’m So Excited is already sparking interest. So if you haven’t had a go at getting into international film yet, have a try with Spain’s godfather of melodrama. Whether you love him or hate him there is one thing for sure: you will never forget the first Almodóvar film you see. END.
FILM In 15 years, Ben Affleck went from being Hollywood’s next big thing to its biggest loser, but now he’s back to the top of the pile thanks to a trio of fantastic directorial ventures. The cut-throat film industry is not in the habit of giving second chances, so the credit for this remarkable comeback must go entirely to the man himself - from the highs of winning a best screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting, to the lows of Gigli and Surviving Christmas (categorically two of the least enjoyable movies I have ever seen). Now, he’s back with a bang and he’s on a roll. Gone Baby Gone was his directorial debut in 2007 which received critical acclaim, as did The Town three years later. His latest outing, Argo, won four Oscars, including Best Picture, at this year’s ceremony and actor-cum-director Affleck is blossoming once again into a Hollywood heavyweight. So, it’s 1997, and Ben Affleck and his boyhood pal Matt Damon decided to write a film. The result is the quite incredible Good Will Hunting. Affleck and Damon take home the Best Screenplay Oscar and things are looking pretty rosy. Affleck then decides to turn into an action hero and accepts roles in Armageddon and Pearl Harbour, not great films but they keep him firmly in the public eye. This however, is where the fun ends. A quick spell in rehab in 2001 was closely followed by a
whirlwind romance and engagement with Jennifer ‘Jenny from the block’ Lopez - a romance which gave birth to the monstrosity that is Gigli. I urge every single one of you reading this to never, ever watch that film; the lack of chemistry between the ‘happy couple’ is astounding. Needless to say, the engagement to Lopez was pounced upon by the media and Affleck was forced to endure constant headlines and gossip-column-abuse. Meanwhile, best friend Damon is taking the film industry by storm and gaining a reputation as one of the most gifted actors in America. The matter was not helped by Affleck partaking in flop after flop such as Jersey Girl and the aforementioned Surviving Christmas. Fast forward to 2013 and Ben Affleck is happily married to Jennifer Garner and has three children. Having got his personal life back on track he is now at the top of his game and is, in my opinion, one of the most talented and promising directors in the industry. Argo fully deserved the Best Picture Oscar and it is an absolute travesty that Affleck has not even been nominated for Best Director. But he’ll get his chance eventually, of this I’m sure. END.
words by Saad Akhtar photo by Erin Lassahn Photography
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BEN AFFLECK’S CAREER ROLLER COASTER
GRAVE CIRCUMSTANCES
FEATURES As the title suggests, it is a Spanish-Jewish cemetery for a people collectively known as the Shephardi, and you may be surprised to know there’s another one nearby (unless you lived in Albert Stern House, which has a very clear view). Generally speaking these types of cemeteries are unique as they have gravestones which lie flat on the ground. This is to remind people that we are really all the same, and that death is the great leveller of the playing field. When we die we are are likely to be interred beside strangers and it no longer matters how rich we were, how successful we were or even who we were. That’s all very well and good, I hear you cry, but what about our cemeteries? Well. The one behind Albert Stern is called Old Velho and is the oldest known Jewish cemetery in the United Kingdom - opened soon after Jewish people were allowed back into the country under Oliver Cromwell in 1657. It closed in 1742, where it reached the capacity it currently stands at, which is around ¾ of an acre. The land where Albert Stern now sits used to be the site of a hospital and old people’s home for the Shephardi between 1790 and 1977.
As for the one in the centre of campus, it’s known as Novo Beth Chaim. This has a much more controversial history but the cemetery was still open for more than 100 years, and was initially a replacement for the Old Velho cemetery. Unfortunately, the land was sold to Queen Mary and the decision was made to move many of the grave sites to another cemetery in Brentwood, Essex. This, unsurprisingly, caused a fair amount of annoyance within the Jewish community when it happened in the 70’s, as over 7,500 graves were relocated. Novo Beth Chaim is believed to have been a target for bodysnatchers and grave-robbers in the 18th century. In 1786 The Times published a report including a description of an incident where people dressed recently exhumed bodies in everyday clothes and simply carried them to the surgeon who was buying the body as though they’d had a few too many at Drapers - some things really do never change. END.
words by Beth McAulay photo by Lloyd Ramos
HISTORY: novo beth chaim burial ground.
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We’ve all seen the graveyard in the centre of campus- but how many of us can actually say that we know anything about it? Just as I suspected - radio silence. Now whether that’s because I’m currently sat alone, or people don’t actually know anything about it, allow me to enlighten you...
YOU CAN’T PICK YOUR NEIGBOURS...
Workhouses. I wonder what that word makes you think of? My mind jumps to a very Dickensian version, full of cruel men who scream ‘MOOOOOOOOORE?!’ incredulously at the tops of their voices. The reality of these institutions was little better. The 19th Century incarnation of workhouses has its roots in a law that dates from 1388, when it was decreed that the state would be responsible for the support of the poor. Updated as the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, this legislation was meant to directly counteract the mass unemployment that followed after a combination of the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of new technology that could replace agricultural workers. It provided Workhouses so that the destitute would have somewhere to go. Unlike todays modern welfare state that attempts to give individuals the support they require in separate, comfortable housing, the 19th Century laws were created as the complete last resort. Workhouses were not places to be entered into lightly, designed to be completely unappealing to discourage the population from seeing them as the easy way out of poverty. Some of the Poor Law authorities had hopes to run their Workhouses with a profit, by using the free labour of the inmates to manufacture goods – in
The Mile End Workhouse from 1857 was situated just to the north of our modern campus. From looking at old maps, we can see that the Workhouse was adjacent to a Jewish Cemetery, as well as being able to identify Longnor Road and Bancroft Road, both of which still exist today. The buildings were built to house up to 300 children, a stone breaking yard, and an ‘imbeciles block’ as well as many men and women, are now used as part of the Mile End Hospital (as of 2004). The stigma of being born into a Workhouse (since many destitute women were pregnant when admitted) meant that the children would have faced much prejudice and disadvantage in later life, having had ‘Mile End Workhouse’ printed upon their birth certificate. This was changed from 1904 onwards, so that any children born inside received the more subtle ‘The Lodge, Bancroft Road’ on their documents. Workhouses were not exclusive to East London, but undoubtedly play a part in its dark past. As told in the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, Call the Midwife, what she termed ‘the Workhouse scream’ could still be heard in the East End of the 1950s. She attested to the mental scars that such places left on their inhabitants, and the subsequent trauma the people of Poplar faced when having to visit any other institution, whether it be the Royal London Hospital, or an NHS run OAP home. The Workhouses are entwined with the past of the East End and they echo throughout our campus. Just remember the next time you wander up Bancroft Road to the gym or Drapers, that less than 150 years ago, wandering up that road would have indicated something completely different about your circumstances in life. END words by Lauren Cantillon
FEATURES
a 21st Century context, sheer exploitation. East London in the 19th Century was not the same place as it is today. In 1891, there were over half a million people living in Tower Hamlets alone (compared to the 201,100 registered in 2001). With mass immigration from around the world, the mass supply of unskilled labour led to low wages and poor conditions throughout the East End, meaning that the Workhouse was a very real threat. Within East London there were multiple Workhouses, but it may surprise you to learn how close to our University buildings one once stood.
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When I first told my Grandparents I was coming to QMUL, their initial responses were of happiness, joy and being proud of their Granddaughter. Yet after some more in-depth questioning, they all began to display the same uneasy looks on their faces; they had learnt that the location of QM was East London. In the 21st Century, East London may conjure up images such as hipsters, crazy cocktail bars and the towering skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, but to people of my Grandparents’ generation, East London had a much darker, seedier reputation – something for your Granddaughter to avoid! After explaining that our beloved E1 had evolved over the years, the Grandparents were sated and worried no more. But without us even knowing it, some of the darker memories of the East End lurk beneath (or very nearby) our footsteps every single day; the East London of the Kray Twins and Jack the Ripper, the Poplar Slums, the working Docks, and of the unspeakable poverty that often prevailed.
THE ONLY ‘SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP’ THAT MATTERS Between gazing up at the über-modern façade of France house, enjoying the poster-paint aesthetics of the Fogg building and wondering at the technological gadgetry of ArtsTwo’s lecture hall, it can be pretty easy to forget about Queen Mary’s rich and interesting history. But it doesn’t just stop at the Jewish Cemetery and the ceremonial Queen’s Building; this month, Queen Mary’s historic connections with King’s College Cambridge are reignited in the annual Long Vacation scheme. Each year, Queen Mary sends eight of its most promising students to stay in the picturesque environs of King’s College for four weeks of the summer. Don’t be fooled by the name though; it’s not a holiday, and if you’re lucky enough to be granted a place you’re likely to spend those four weeks in doing more than just sunbathing on King’s expansive lawns or punting on the river. Students who are successful are expected to make the most of having access to some of the world’s most exceptional and specialised academics, and to Cambridge’s excellent libraries and other study facilities. The scheme dates all the way back to World War II. East London experienced very heavy bombing at the hands of Nazi Germany; one only needs to look at photographs to see how much the skyline has changed. Bombs were falling in all-too-close proximity to Queen Mary College, and the Principal decided the best course of action would be to send his students to stay at King’s College Cambridge
until the dangers subsided. Neighbouring ladies’ college Westfield College (which joined with Queen Mary College to eventually form the University we know and love today) also decided to send their students to St Peters’ College at Oxford University. Kings’ College opened its arms to 50 QM students, to join the 150 of its own students already living at the college. Queen Mary staff joined Kings College’s staff at the high table during formal dinner, and the students joined in all the college’s clubs and societies, trying punting and other Cambridge-specific activities for the first time. Thankfully, the special relationship that Queen Mary forged with Kings’ Cambridge survives to this day, and the benefits that a short stay at the stately college can bring to a Queen Mary student are clear. One second year student said of their experiences, ‘Many of us received referrals to varying departments to meet with academics and to use specialised libraries… I was researching and writing my literature review for my 3rd year project, so the fantastic medical book collection at the King’s library, along with internet access, provided me with all I needed.’ Although the deadline for this year has passed, first years should definitely consider applying for the scheme next year, as it provides a unique opportunity to sample academic and social life at a Cambridge college. END. words by Mary Bateman
FEATURES Drapers, everyone at Queen Mary has experienced, to one degree or another, the magic of our very own Union which hosts a range of nights throughout the week such as the cheapest of cheap Monday Nights Calling and, of course the dreaded monthly, sporting event Hail Mary. Even though Drapers has its foes, yes I agree it can be horrendously rubbish at times, what would we do without it? I think we can all agree that we are grateful to have a venue we can call our own, where we can go and drown our sorrows, have a casual glass of wine over dinner with our fellow student buddies or quite simply just go and get totally obliterated, land up in an ambulance, start a fight, get kicked out, get off with the closest person to you, and on the way home a good old Dixie Chicken tops off the night! We’ve all been there, done it, ticked the box and got the certificate. And Drapers’ certainly has many, oh so many stories to tell. The possibilities are endless. However, what many of us do not realise is the truth behind Drapers, how it happened to arrive on the premises of Queen Mary University and why. For this understanding we must dive in to a bit of history… so we start on the 20th of May 1885 when the People’s Palace was approved to provide a library which is now the Octagon, reading rooms and a swimming pool etc…what! It is also in 1885 that the Drapers’ Court of Assistants resolved to grant £20,000 ‘for the provision of the technical schools of
the People’s Palace.’ So who are the Drapers’ Company? The Drapers’ Company was originally a medieval guild for the drapery trade, based in the City of London and founded in around 1361. Today it has a ‘range of responsibilities, including administering educational charitable trusts.’ – and Queen Mary has been fortunate enough to profit from this. The Drapers’ Charitable Fund also makes a further substantial annual grant to Queen Mary to recognise excellence and achievement by students, staff and support staff. Hence the recent Drapers’ awards for Teaching of which the results are yet to be released. So to put it bluntly, over the years, the Drapers’ Fund has kindly helped and supported Queen Mary, and as a way of saying thank you, Queen Mary ‘sensibly’ decided to name our very own hallowed Student Union, after the Drapers’ Fund. How lucky they are! What a wonderful, original, frantically crazy, and well, what ever else you want to call it, SU we are blessed with. What would we do without you? Live on Drapers! END. words by Katie Schuster
HISTORY: the drapers fund and long vacation scheme.
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OUR HALLOWED DRINKING HAVEN: DRAPERS
OLD BOYS AND GIRLS
ZoĂŤ Cantley introduces us to some of the past QMUL students you may not have heard of before...
JULIE GARDNER
1
Julie Gardner is a Welsh born television producer, who is most famous for holding the position of executive producer on the 2005 revival of the iconic series Doctor Who. She then went on to serve as executive producer on Doctor Who’s spin off shows, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She also produced BBC television hit Silent Witness. She now lives in Los Angeles where she works at BBC Worldwide. Described as an outstanding student at A-level, studying English, History and Drama she then continued her education at Queen Mary where she graduated with a degree in English, proving there are definitely career opportunities for English students other than teaching!
2
Sarah Waters is the bestselling author of Little Strangers. She is best known for her Victorian settings and lesbian protagonists, with her debut novel Tipping the Velvet being a prime example of this. After receiving a BA from the Univeristy of Kent, and an MA from Lancaster University both in English Literature she arrived at the East gate of Queen Mary, ready to start her PHD.
BRUCE DICKINSON
3
Bruce Dickinson, best known as the lead singer of Iron Maiden, is definitely one of the coolest Queen Mary alumni best known as lead singer of Iron Maiden. He left school with A-levels in History, English and Economics and eventually applied and was accepted to read History at Queen Mary. Before he chose to attend our university he spent six months in the Territorial Army, soon realising it was not for him. Interestingly, other than being a great rock legend (some may argue for or against this) he is also a qualified pilot and a broadcaster, taking multi-tasking to a whole new level.
Images of old westfield college students courtesy of mcmilwp
SARAH WATERS
Images of old westfield college students courtesy of mcmilwp
ASHLEY BANJO
4
Ashley Banjo, Born 4th October 1988 is an English street dancer, choreographer and actor. He is most famous for his lead role in the dance troupe Diversity who won the third series of Britain’s got Talent in 2009. Their prize was not only £100,000 cash, but a spot on the prestigious Royal Variety Show to kickstart their career in the public eye. Since winning the show Diversity have won several awards and performed a sell-out run at the 02 arena, which Ashley choreographed, produced and directed. He has also had success as an individual and is currently judging the Sky 1 show Got to Dance alongside other dance prodigies such as JLS member Aston Merrygold. Ashley grew up in Leytonstone, just a few tube stops from campus and studied a joint honours degree in Physics and Biology. Originally Ashley and younger brother Jordan came together with nine other friends and named themselves Swift Moves before they coined the name Diversity starting their journey (unbeknown to them) to stardom.
SIR ROY COLIN STRONG
5
A name you may not be so familiar with is Sir Roy Colin Strong. To his name, Strong holds an array of different occupations: museum curator, art historian, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer to name a few. He graduated from Queen Mary with a first class honours degree in History, which clearly was the start of what was to be a very successful and prestigious life and career. Born in North London in 1935, he progressed to become the director of the National Portrait Gallery in 1967 at the age of 32, making him the youngest ever director to hold the position. However his record breaking career did not end there; he also became the youngest director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1973 at age 38. He added Sir to his namesake when he was knighted in 1983. All in all he is definitely someone to look up to.
words by Zoë Cantley
HISTORY: qmul alumni.
RETURN OF THE MAC
Over time there have been many types of Fleetwood Mac; the founding Peter Green years with the heavy blues focus, the postGreen pre-Buckingham/Nicks alternating line up (even encompassing a ‘fake mac’ scandal), the loss of Green to mental problems induced by drug overuse, a member randomly joining a cult on tour and never returning, and on-going lawsuits over the ownership of the name. Through everything, the Rumours line up survived the long haul (minus Christine McVie, who put touring on hiatus in 2008 and has never returned.) So before you get all ‘Peter Green was the true Mac’ on me, let’s take a look at the figures to establish why the Rumours line up is the ONLY reunion to be excited about this year:
photos by Eva Rinaldi and Badgreeb records
And so, it has finally happened. After at least two years of hints, documentaries and endless Glastonbury headline slot rumours, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie are heading out on the first reunion tour since 2009: The return of the (Fleetwood) Mac. Having hinted in early September 2012 about American tour dates, a string of US shows emerged in January, ruling out that coveted Worthy Farm slot. Eventually, the British fans’ thirst was quenched by the announcement of 4 dates in the UK next September, which, of course, sold out pretty much immediately. Two more London shows ensued, a belated re-release of 1977’s Rumours celebrating its 35th anniversary, and a couple of new songs to test out on the live circuit - could 2013 be the year of the Mac?
Most commercial success: Rumours has sold over 40 Million copies across the world and remains one of the best selling albums ever to date. Tango in the Night reached triple platinum, Mirage double platinum, and even Tusk, which was deemed unsuccessful by the band’s then record company for Buckingham’s new wave experiments reached number 1 in the UK and produced two top ten singles. Not to mention the royalties collected from various covers and adverts over the years. Relationship Drama: Everyone loves a bit of a story behind the lyrics, and Rumours offers potentially the most dramatic back-story behind an album, like, ever. Listening to the record, the break down of 3 separate relationships leave their mark; ‘Go Your Own Way’, is an angry, punchy attack on Nicks from former lover Buckingham - of which lines ‘Packing up, Shacking up’s all you wanna do’ directly accuse her of moving on a little too soon, if you know what I mean. ‘Dreams’ encompasses Nicks’ take on the break down of the volatile relationship, whilst also becoming the groups only number 1 single in the US. ‘You Make Loving Fun’, is Christine McVie’s open admission to an affair with one of the band’s touring crew. Whilst world famous ‘The Chain’ is the band’s only collective effort in song writing on the whole album and provides some pretty heart wrenching lyrics, and that famous bass-line. Drummer and only original member Fleetwood was also going through a messy divorce at the time of production, as a result of his wife’s affair with former guitarist Bob Weston (who was swiftly fired from the group when the affair surfaced.) It’s not quite your happy go lucky story, but it meant one of the greatest albums in pop history, and certainly beats your Rihanna/ Chris Brown drama of today’s mediocre pop charts.
Outrageous touring lifestyle; separate limos, dramatic rider demands from Nicks (pink rooms, white pianos – the original diva.) Overt drug abuse: (Nicks: first cocaine, then tranquillisers.) Alcohol addiction (McVie) and you get one crazy cocktail of a touring experience; Nicks estimated in a 2007 interview with The Times she had spent millions on coke… there’s a reason why the band’s dealer was included in the album ‘thank you’ credits. And then there’s the style; where do you think the Florence Welch’s of today get the inspiration for those gothic flowing robes and airy on stage presence? Stevie Nicks of course, wind machine and all. Inundated with the rewards of their commercial success, the Rumours gang weren’t afraid to splash their cash. That all cleared up, what exactly can we expect from a new tour? 2009’s Unleashed Tour, (which this then 18 year old obsessive was lucky enough to be present at, and probably the youngest person in Wembley Arena,) saw the band play a plethora of hits from the bigger albums. As well as a couple of Buckingham/ Nicks’ solo efforts, and probably the longest encore I’ve ever witnessed. The show ended with a shout out to the missing McVie, who was supposedly in the audience, and Buckingham and Nicks joining hands after years of rocky relations. This year? We’re told at least two new songs will be aired, with Nick’s hinting to Fox News this month about the possibility of a new album depending on the reaction to the new songs on tour. Whether a new album will be a return to form or not remains to be seen, but with both Buckingham and Nicks having brought out solo records consistently since the band’s hiatus, it’s not exactly as if they are out of practice. They may be in their 60’s, but the Mac are far from stopping yet. END words by Anna Matheson
photo by Jamie Neely
FOALS: A RETROSPECTIVE
New album Holy Fire has followed suit. The album opens with some instrumental brilliance that somehow has a touch of, dare I say, 90s pop to it. Not Blur, more Charlatans. Then, massive lead single ‘Inhaler’ is a deeply personal take on quitting cigarettes, while ‘My Number’ – the band’s poppiest track to date – is warm and heartfelt. There’s a soul ache behind Stepson, possibly picking up where early B-side Glaciers left off. This is a drastic change for a man who so cryptically sung about those ‘wasp nests in your head’ on the band’s debut album. Foals formed in Oxford in 2005 after the disbanding of Yannis and drummer Jack Bevan’s cult math-rock project, The Edmund Fitzgerald. Reacting against the progressive scene popular in the town at the time, the band have talked of their desire to make pop songs from the outset – music that girls could get ready to go out to, or that could be heard from commuters’ headphones. Primarily, the goal was to break away from making music for musicians, and in April and August of 2007 the singles ‘Mathletics’ and ‘Hummer’ caused a wave of hype around the band (the latter has subsequently been named NME’s 142nd best track of the last fifteen years). Early on, the band had made a name for themselves on the house party circuit, uploading images of smashed up kitchens to their MySpace, and this prompted an incendiary set on the House Party Special of teen drama Skins. By this point, the band members had dropped out of university due to their signing with Transgressive Records.
2010 album Total Life Forever served as a progression for the band. After three years of extensive touring and the instalment of a studio in their shared house, the band set out to create a record with more space and freedom than the last. The title track is directly inspired by futurist text The Singularity is Near by Raymond Kurzweil, and overall the album is of a semi-philosophical vein. On the nownot-played-live ‘This Orient’ – a love song that only Foals could write – Yannis proclaims how ‘It’s your heart that gives you this Western feeling,’ while ‘Spanish Sahara’ is a slow swelling of desolation. A wider sonic palette is also offered throughout, the band reneging on their anti-guitar-effects ethos of the early days. Another two years’ touring and that takes us up to now, and Foals have created an album that in many eyes could beckon them stadiumwards. A sold-out tour of the UK awaits, including two shows at the Royal Albert Hall, and the band now have a wealth of songs to pick from. Arguably a more conventional record than previous efforts, it is likely that Holy Fire will extend Foals’ music to many a new listener, and certainly those alienated by the glitchy leanings of previous albums may now be drawn into the fold. Go listen, go see, go Foals! END. words by Tom Phelan
MUSIC
Debut album Antidotes was recorded that summer. And what a debut it is! The twelve tracks are a fearsome experience – all abstract words and spiked guitars, which complement each other beautifully. The band rejected the final reverb-drenched mix by producer Dave Sitek (of TV And The Radio fame) and chose to mix it themselves in favour of a drier sound. The immediacy of opener ‘The French Open’ is joyous, with a wave of unnerving brass that suddenly gives way to a Franglais shoutalong about tennis (yes, tennis), and classics ‘Balloons’ and ‘Cassius’ are every bit as quirky, words spat and instruments attacked [a note for the fans – Youtube is a great way to track down B-sides from this era, some of which rival tracks on the album]. Foals like to be self-sufficient and Antidotes’ artwork and videos were created by friends of the band, Tinhead and Dave Ma, who still handle the band’s artistic presence to this day.
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Yannis Philipakkis used to be an angry man. One recalls the Foals frontman, when asked if he felt a pressure to always look cool, inviting an interviewer to smell his t-shirt, which was apparently unwashed after fifteen days of touring. Sadly for mega fans, the scent of said garment was not described, but what interviews over the years have revealed is an intelligent, articulate musician, with no fear of slating contemporaries and elaborating on the band’s absorbing music. Recent chats with Yannis though have shown a more measured side of his character. He has given up smoking both weed and cigarettes. He has moved in with his girlfriend. And he is less angry.
HEY BOY, HEY GIRL
Something about the simplicity of the male/ female duo seems to leave behind the artificiality of image and invites us to enjoy the music without the need for a poster of appreciation on the wall. For decades, bands have gained fans for their image; the glam rockers of the 70s: Mark Bolan, David Bowie, the hair sensations of the eighties: Bon Jovi, Kiss, Aerosmith, the pretty-boy bands of the 90s… You get the point. For years, bands have provided fans with a pick & mix of members and with so many to choose from there has always been someone for everyone to fancy. And those are just the male bands. For just as long, female bands have relied on their image for attention. Not until the Runaways in the late 70s did an all-female band who wrote, sang and played their own songs make it to the top of the charts. Fast forward to now: a time of iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. People are really interested in the music and have all the resources to find more of what they like without the need for a promotional image. The male/female duo is sans superfluous members and is rarely, well… bad. We’ve all seen and loved 2007’s Juno and will therefore remember the brilliant soundtrack that featured music by The Moldy Peaches. Their male vocalist Adam Green has teamed up with Little Joy’s Binki Shapiro and together they have created a wholesome 10 track album, an extension of the hesitant 3 track E.P. The Fall, that began their musical pairing last year. With the Peaches, Green was the socially awkward but charming singer and with Shapiro he becomes a cooler version of himself – the shy guy who finally gets noticed by the prettiest girl in school. Together, Green and Shapiro make sweet 60s sounding love songs without the cheese. The contrast of Green’s awkward vocals with Shapiro’s soft, feminine tones make for a unique and humorous sound and the delivery is effortless. Green and Shapiro’s style may not be new; they rely on their classic forbears from the 60s (their ‘Pity Love’ echoes Frank and Nancy’s ‘Something Stupid’). However, far from old fashioned, Green and Shapiro have the right dose of 21st century folk and would be at home sitting around a camp fire with the likes of Fleet Foxes. In 2013, this classic sound is welcome and stands out against the computer-generated orchestra of music around them.
MUSIC Listen to: ‘L.E.S. Artistes’, ‘No Mark’
But what about the male/female duos who aren’t both singers? Established in 2006, Lilly Wood and the Prick are a French alternative pop-folk duo comprised by singer Nili Hadida and guitarist Benjamin Cotto. The majority of the lyrical subject matter focuses on relationship issues sung from Hadida’s female perspective, but something about the relaxed nature of the two musicians whose band resulted from a casual conversation in a café, means that their songs never sound like the musings of a broken-hearted girl. Like Green and Shapiro, Lilly Wood and the Prick don’t take themselves too seriously; their song ‘Le Mas’ appears to be influenced in parts by comedy duo Flight of the Conchords’ ‘Foux du Fa Fa’. However their tongue-in-cheek approach doesn’t make their songs any less heartfelt. In 2008, their cover of Santigold’s ‘L.E.S. Artistes’ was stripped down and sung with feeling by Hadida whose voice is mature, yet youthful, and always unpredictable. Influenced by both Eric Clapton and Etta James, Lilly Wood and the Prick are as unique as their name, and with two albums under their belt; one stripped back and vocally focused, the other packed with catchy pop riffs, whatever they do next promises to be well worth the wait.
Finally, although formed in 2011, brother and sister duo Wild Belle are really just starting out. With an unbounded genre that is indie and psychedelic pop while it is also ska and jazz, Wild Belle stand out because of their unique sound. Singer Natalie Bergman’s jazzy vocals almost mimic her brother Elliot’s saxophone; an instrument which remarkably, yet effortlessly, fits into their arrangement and which the band has made as fitting to indie music as the keyboard. The Chicago band’s debut album Isles is set for release in March and you can catch them live at Cargo in Shoreditch on the 4th April. Listen to: ‘It’s Too Late’, ‘I’m in Love’ So if you’re looking for something refreshing to listen to, the male/female duo is a good port of call, showing that sometimes less is more when it comes to making great music. END.
words by Nathalie Grey photos by Nicolas Esposito and Rock Cousteau
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Listen to: ‘Nighttime Stopped Bleeding’, ‘Here I am’
Stylist – Sarah-Rose Harrison Photography – Lloyd Ramos Behind the scenes photographer: Laura Blair Make up & Hair – Sarah-Rose Harrison and Elyse Clarke Models – Rosie Stocks and Fenn O’Meally
Exclusive CUB magazine 20% discount for Motelrocks.com with the code CUBMOTEL20 (only valid on full price motel garments) valid until 25.03.13
Left: Swing Dress with Ruffle Hem, £30 – ASOS, Lace Ruffle Socks – Topshop, £4, Leather Hepburn Platforms, £28 - ASOS Right clockwise: Roll Neck Crop Top, £12 – ASOS, Skinny Disco Pants, £30 – ASOS, Lita shoes – Jeffery Campbell, Broken Heart Studded Tee, £26 – Topshop, Trip nyc Z Dkinny Jeans, £80 – via ASOS , Alvin Boots, £90 - Topshop, Geo Pattern Coat, £80 - ASOS, Contrast Socks, £6 - ASOS, Shoes – Zara, Alex Bodycon Dress, £40 – Motel Rocks, Lace Ruffle Socks, £4 – Topshop.
ANOTHER GIRL’S LIFE CUB Beauty Editor Sarah-Rose Harrison interviews upcoming Beauty Blogger and YouTuber Mary from TheAnotherGirlsLife: What inspired you start your YouTube channel? I’d been blogging for a couple of years on and off and watching youtube videos for a few months and just became obsessed! As much as I do love blogging I just thought video would be much more suited to me. I love a chat and it just seemed like the perfect extension to my blog. I found out my little point and shoot had video capabilities and the rest is history really! I loved the idea of having my own ‘channel’ where people could just come and tune into me...bit narcissistic really! What is the best thing about being on YouTube? Probably creating relationships with other Youtubers that you love to watch. When I first started watching Beautycrush, Uglyfaceofbeauty and Sototallyvlog I NEVER thought I would get to meet them but by chance I did. I now I have like, little ‘internet friendships’ which is so nice and makes you feel like you’ve got a real space that’s just yours, away from everyday life. It’s a really supportive community as well and my own small success has only been down to getting myself out there and meeting these girls and having them champion me and my channel. I also really love the process of making videos, it’s really rewarding when you spend hours editing and you get a flood of lovely comments. The worst thing about being on YouTube? It’s pretty renowned that Youtube can be a place of hate. It really is next level sometimes so that can be really tough to deal with at first and a real downer. You’ll re-evaluate what you’re doing so much but it’s always important to just delete those comments, or give them a humorous answer back and move on. The internet is renowned for trolls and you can’t let people you don’t know, and will never meet, affect you. You also have to think they would never say this in real life, because the internet isn’t real life, as long as you think that and don’t take it too seriously you should be fine. It can also take ages to upload, unlike a blog which is instant.
What’s the best opportunity you’ve been given through YouTube/Beauty Blogging? Most recently I got to work with a fab new channel called Fashtag which was an amazing experience. Also just getting to meet other Youtubers and create a supportive network is the best part for me. What’s the best advice to give to someone wanting to start out in a market that is already so saturated? Just to always be yourself and don’t expect too much. Blogging started through a passion for a subject and the desire to communicate this to others, it’s important to keep this passion and your first priority should always be enjoyment. The rest will come if you work hard enough. What is your biggest Beauty pet hate? Bad eyebrows. Overplucked, over filled in, wrong colour. I can’t stand bad eyebrows. I’ve gone on a pretty big journey with my own eyebrows and I think it’s so important to get them right. What were your first ever beauty products? Rimmel Stick Concealer and Fudge Brownie lipstick. A must for any 14 year old. END. For more CUB Beauty visit cubbeauty.blogspot.com
If you ask any girl who has an interest in the beauty industry and has not been living under a rock for the last few years, the chances are she could reel off a list of bloggers and YouTubers specialising in beauty that she follows religiously. The trend began in the United States, where people like YouTube’s most subscribed beauty guru Michelle Phan led the pack of emerging talent. The UK soon caught up, and today leading figures like the Pixiwoo sisters and Fleur De Force command the attention of millions of viewer and have succeeded in turning their passion for beauty into careers. I first discovered YouTube’s beauty community in 2009 through Pixiwoo, then run solely by makeup artist Samantha Chapman who was filming tutorials on a grainy camera in her bathroom. Fast forward to 2013 and her channel, which she now runs with her sister Nicola, receives over 6.5 million views per month and has become their full-time job. Video bloggers now have the capacity to reach larger audiences via YouTube than a presenter on a radio or TV platform and the appetite for them keeps growing. What the online beauty community offers is accessibility to product information from an unbiased source and practical advice that comes from someone who feels more like a friend than the pushy sales assistant on the makeup counter. While many beauty bloggers by no means claim to be professionals, there has also been an increase in the number of professional makeup artists using YouTube and blogs to connect to audiences and educate about all things beauty. Lisa Eldrige and Charlotte Tilbury are both extremely accomplished makeup artists in their own right. Their work regularly graces the pages of top fashion magazines and they count A-list celebrities among their clients. Both women have successful YouTube channels yet clearly they don’t need YouTube to help launch a career. Rather it seems that they, like so many others who have hopped on the beauty bandwagon, want to be part of the online community that has such an influence on the industry that they work in and on women today. With the considerable influence that beauty gurus exert over the beauty industry’s con-
sumers, it is unsurprising that there has been a drive from cosmetic companies, magazines and fashion labels to approach big name bloggers and YouTubers for collaborations. The highly successful YouTuber and blogger Tanya Burr has started writing for Grazia magazine, and the Pixiwoo sisters have a regular makeup column in the Daily Mirror. These online stars can capitalise by being relatable in a way that cosmetic companies with their distinctive brands can’t be. To put the scope of their influence into perspective, you don’t have to look much further than Twitter to see how many people hang on their every word. 22-year-old Zoella has 130,000 followers on Twitter; the cosmetics giant Clinique has 110,000. Trends spread rapidly across the online beauty community and when a product is lauded about, it can actually become difficult to track down in shops. In 2011 Sam from Pixiwoo launched her Real Techniques line of makeup brushes and for months you were lucky to spot them in store in Boots. On the back of such commercial success, digital communications agencies have been set up to manage social media stars and turn their blogs and YouTube channels into viable commercial entities. With consistent uploading of content and relevant exposure, bloggers have built up astounding followings. Recently beauty gurus have begun to pool their followings by creating new joint channels that focus on different aspects of their field each day and the production on these enterprises appears ever more professional. I have no concrete statistics or solid information on this, but I swear that over the last few years the amount of ‘cake face’ makeup and awful dye jobs I see around has considerably lessened. Now I can’t attribute all my unconfirmed data solely to the growth of the online beauty community, but when half a million people have subscribed to a channel like Tanya Burr’s, surely that significantly decreases the odds of me encountering the Scouse brow on an everyday basis? With more people creating YouTube beauty channels and blogs every day, who knows whether the market will become so saturated that it will become irrelevant – but for now the beauty gurus seem to be here to stay. END.
FASHION
words by Elyse Clarke
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BLOGGING BEAUTY
“Travel is not about collecting passport stamps but about keeping your eyes open.” - Pico Iyer
The beaming smiles of everybody going about their day-to-day life on the busy streets of Phnom Penh was one of the most noticeable changes when arriving in Cambodia, from their not-so-smiley-neighbour, Vietnam. Not only are Cambodians big on smiling they are incredibly caring and spirited.
This February saw the state funeral of former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, the last of the Asian leaders who led their nation to post-colonial independence. The Nazi controlled Vichy government in France crowned him King in 1941, at just 18 years old; he led the country to a peaceful independence in 1953. A coup by the Khmer Rouge, an offshoot of the North Vietnamese People’s Army, in 1970, removed him as King, he then went into exile and the country plummeted into civil war. Still in exile, Sihanouk threw his support behind the Khmer regime. When the Khmer Rouge captured the capital, Phnom Penh, in 1975 Sihanouk was given the position of head of state but put under house arrest.
words and photos by Millie Kidd After the Vietnamese had defeated the Khmer Rouge in 1979, Sihanouk worked from China paving the way for peace talks which eventually put an end to the bloodshed. In 1990, Sihanouk was at the heart of complex negotiations to form a new government, he was later reinstated as King and in 2004 he passed the thrown to his Son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni. His Majesty the King Father of Cambodia died of a heart attack in Beijing on the 15th October. The smiles of Cambodians had disappeared and the country shifted to a state of mourning. Over a million people descended on the streets of Phnom Penh dressed in white to show respect. His popularity continually baffles foreigners; his people remained so loyal, even when he was supporting a regime which carried out one of the worst genocides of the 20th century, killing over 20% of the population. Today, the genocide that kept travellers away for decades is causing an influx of tourists, with some of the top attractions being Choeung-Ek Killing Fields and S-21(the high school-turnedtorture-chamber-turned-Genocide Museum), Another absolute must see, despite being a total tourist trap, is the sunrise at the temples of Angkor. It has been said that Cambodia is known to the world for two things — Angkor Wat and the ‘Killing Fields’, some believe one came from God and the other from hell. Straying away from the main tourist district in Phnom Penh, there are so many little markets with incredible food on offer, perfect for a student budget. The best we found was in Psar Toul Tom Poung, the Russian Market in the south west of the city. A bowl of stir fried noodles, spring rolls and various other vegetarian bits and bobs thrown in, and a glass of fresh orange juice for $1! Another option is the popular fried tarantula; I can let you decide for yourself how you would feel about that one. Getting from place to place is easy, cheap and slow with a million tuktuks dotted around. If you are feeling more adventurous and looking for a faster ride, opt for motorbikes. Generally cheaper as you can not only negotiate the price but also the
number of people on the bike; on our trip to the Choeung-Ek we managed to squeeze 3 of us plus the driver on a very busy road! Moving out of Phnom Penh, and down to the beaches, which in my opinion rival the Thai Islands, a 4-hour bus journey (for around $4) and you are in paradise, especially if you hop across to one of the islands in the pristine waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Ru was a highlight as it has everything, from expat run hostels to village life, and to top it off palmfringed, deserted beaches. For a real island getaway Koh Rong is where you need to be. You will literally be the only one on the beach. This makes a huge change from the crowded Thai islands, but be sure to take a tent and a torch, as there are no hotels or hostels. Accommodation on the coast may see you forking out a bit extra, with the average room around $8, but it’s well worth it! One of the treatments the coast offers is ‘Dr.Fish’, the recently imported idea that fish should be allowed to eat at your feet, found on nearly every beach in the south. One sign claimed that they “could release your exhaustion and feel matter of you”… whatever that means, needless to say I, personally, disliked Dr. Fish. When meeting people in Thailand, Vietnam or Laos, the topic of conversation usually strays to if you have been to or are planning on going to Cambodia. Everyone seems to have nothing but good things to say or regrets about not getting there. Unlike the rest of South East Asia in Cambodia you don’t feel like everyone is out to rip you off. On the ride home from a quick trip to hospital in Siem Reap the tuk-tuk driver noticed the giant plasters on my arms from where I had blood taken. Inquisitively asking what was wrong, he proceeded to give us a free lift back to our hostel and a few days later spotted us in the night market and stood chatting to us for nearly an hour! When was the last time a London cabbie did that?! END.
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COUPLE 7: ROSIE STOCKS AND JACK PAYNE
I’ve had this week’s girl waiting for a while for a candidate who might live up to her extremely high standards, but I finally managed to track down Jack, a handsome third year who vowed to sweep her off her feet. They battled their way through the sheeting rain… (that’s rain falling so hard that it look likes solid sheets, for those not up with their meteorological lingo), to Fatcat’s where things warmed up… and got steamy! Jack ‘A mildly self-obsessed, over confident gym monkey, who’s way too into nutrition, with a sharp, sarcastic sense of humour.’’- Joseph Miro Burn Sale
Were you nervous? R: Yes! More so than a normal date anyway, as I had no idea what/who to expect. Also had just come from doing a presentation so was generally a bit of a wreck anyway. J: Would love to say that there was not an ounce of nerves and I was a real alpha male about the whole situation. That would be a lie though… I was pretty nervous, but that was part of the fun with the whole thing. Did you like what your date was wearing? R: He apologised almost straightway for not wearing a tux, which I was devastated about. But eventually got used to and accepted his t-shirt jeans combo. J: She looked great. Although I don’t think I complemented her, Rosie you looked great. See that there…so smooth haha. Best parts of the date? R: Was generally fun all night. Was especially funny discussing how two of our mutual friends knew each other from a certain drunken night out. J: The anticipation beforehand is actually quite fun, wondering who it might be. As for the date, just getting to meet Rosie was pretty cool. I liked the way
when we first got there we went to order a drink and Rosie said straight up “I’m having a pint”. It was pretty casual and chilled from there really. Any awkward moments? R: Not that I can remember, but maybe when the staff started to looked like they wanted us to leave because we were the last people there. J: Nahh, I certainly don’t think so. Although sitting eating your dinner when the window in front of me showed a group of old men bench pressing and making eye contact with a struggling old man half way through a mouthful of your dinner is quite awkward (the gym is obviously next door). Any sexual tension? R: Haha! Way too pissed to tell. J: Oh the way we gazed into each other’s eyes was truly insatiable… Naturally. Out of ten? R: 8. J: I’d say a good 9.4, for both the experience and getting to meet Rosie.
Yet ANOTHER success-story for me… and them I suppose! I have it on good authority that these two will be seeing each other again - and not just in the library! Let’s hear it for drunken first daters everywhere, alcohol has been the catalyst to many a true romance. photo by Laura Blair
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Rosie“A blind date is perfect for Rosie, it’d need to be! She’s got powerful hair and a cracking personality. It’s nice to get her out of the house’ - Megan Morrison-Sloan.
EDITORIAL TEAM THOSE WHO HELPED PUT THIS ISSUE TOGETHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Anna Matheson SUB EDITORS: Emma Shone, Alice Harry, & Jessica Anne Ormrod PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS: Laura Blair & Eleanor Doughty LONDON EDITORS: Bryony Hannah Orr & Lizzie Howis FEATURES EDITORS: Lauren Cantillon & James Deacon MUSIC EDITORS: Edward Clibbens & Ryan Ramgobin ARTS EDITORS: Millie Jefferies & Phoenix Alexander FASHION EDITORS: Sarah-Rose Harrison & Lucinda Turner FILM EDITORS: Harry Foster & Catherine Bridgman TRAVEL EDITORS: Megan Morrison - Sloan & Tom Wyke QUPID EDITOR: Rosemara Mather-Lupton
photo by Laura Blair