ISSUE 3 2016
MUSIC - FASHION - LIFESTYLE
The
Botanist
Jamilah
Slam Dunk Miss crystal Nancy Broomfield
Cotswold Collective
Creative Instincts
The Next Chapter
Beyoncé Leeds Festival
2016
The Beach
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Contents page Music:
Beartooth Devil Driver Oscar Lonely The Brave Glass Mountain The Ramona Flowers Bloom Twins Leeds Festival 2016 Noel Gallagher The Beach The Lapelles Slam Dunk Beverly Knight Evans The Death Zoe Birkett Band Of Skulls Jamilah
Chastity Live At Leeds Pete Doherty Newton Faulkner Botanist: Kick Back Sundays Will Joseph Cook Wheatus We Came As Romans NEEDTOBREATHE The Hunna MARTHA LOCK Phantogram Katy Blackwood Crystal Castles
BEyoncÉ
contents
Photography, Modelling & Lifestyle Cotswold Collective Lady Garden Jesus Gets The Girl Miss Crystal Nancy Broomfield Sarvin Rowena Cole Fleek Photography urban decay Creative Instincts
The Botanist
DARKUS
The
DARKUS Team Editor-In-Chief:
Thushara S Chandrasiri Graphics Team:
Lead Music photographer
Amy Hanna & Laura Robinson
Interview & Review Team: Andy Elsender Becca Fergus Emma Bright Eva Lightfoot Eve Monaghan Jack Alexander JC Rivers Liv Cossey
Jemma Dodd
Guest Photographers: Chris Sharp Glenn Wallace Simon Sarin
Cover Star: George Morgan Photographer: Simon Sarin Layout & Design: Laura Robinson
Special thanks to:
Blackstar PR, Carry On Press, Chuff Media, Hall Or Nothing, I Like Press, Ian Cheek, Little Press, MHC Publicity, OPR, Simon Sarin, Pomona, The Botanist (Newcastle), The Zeitegeist Agency, Tony Linkin, U Music,
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The TEAM
Editors Note Thushara S Chandrasiri
W
hen it comes to creativity, what I look for as an editor is someone who is not afraid to take risks, push themselves and think outside the box, just as long as you remember you are passionate and genuine about the art you create be it music, fashion or photography. Whenever I feature someone in Darkus not only do I look at the quality of a person’s work, but also their personal journey. I have always said your story should be treated as a testimony to the world in the sense that it leaves other people inspired. With this issue I wanted to do something a little bit different in regards to the cover and offer 3 different option which can be appreciated and celebrated for their own reasons. The three we have opted for, I believe really do highlight the creativity and variety which exists out there. Why three different covers for the same issue? I am never one for being orthodox so why not ha! With it being the heart of festival season, this time you will noticed we are a lot more music orientated not just focusing on major
festivals such as Reading and Leeds but also highlighting some of the most refreshing new music around at the local, national and international level. I also wanted to use 2016: Issue 3 as an opportunity to catch up with some of the other creative souls who continue to inspire me on a daily basis and just go from strength to strength. To be a true artist requires motivation, a positive mental attitude and having a hunger for always taking your profession and passion so to speak to the next level. Like I say with each issue, the best way to invest in Darkus is to approach with an open mind, then only will you be able to understand you discover as a result. Love You All
Thushara
Beartooth Aggressive
Article By JC Rivers
I am from an area where you had 2030 heavy metal bands alone, so over saturated is an understatement. So when I hit play, my instant thought was “oh dear, another heavy metal band” but as the song went on I was pleasantly surprised. Beartooth manage to mix clean vocals and screams in a way which you rarely see from modern day metal bands which allows them to stand out from the crowd. The video itself comes across with a strong political message, which again is far from the norm in
their genre. It’s really refreshing to listen to a heavy metal track and not think they are a cheap version of Slipknot. Beartooth look like they are moulding themselves into an independent, strong band, that will make sure that you come back for more. If they keep up the good work as they have with ‘Aggressive’ they will not fall into obscurity like many before them, but it is a huge risk with the type of music which they produce. The music industry is
about standing out and being different. Doing that will make sure you catch someone’s eye, the trick it to keep their attention for as long as possible, and these guys have definitely caught my attention.
DARKUS Photo by Ben hoffmann
DEVIL DRIVER
Trust No One, But if You Want Metal, Trust DevilDriver to Deliver.
I
’m going to be perfectly honest with you, if I say those magic words “California Groove” and you don’t automatically think “Clouds over California”, “I Could Care Less” or “Bitter Pill” then you, dear reader, are more than likely in the wrong place, because this is about to get heavy! That’s right! We’re about to let loose DevilDriver, arguably one of the greatest groove metal bands to come out of the west coast. That’s right folks! Dez and the gang in DevilDriver have finally released their seventh studio album “Trust No One”, which I, personally, have been waiting for about a year! Now if you read my articles when they happen to appear in your issue then you’ll know that I have a special, some might say dark and cruel and grotesque place in my heart for the heavier side of
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metal, but you will also probably know that there is a list of things that a song or album must do in order to give me the fuzzy feeling and yet also be brutal enough to make me scowl and head bang and I tell you now my friends, this album does it in spades! I know what you’re thinking, “Jax seems to be very fond of this band” and you would be right. Very right. But this has to be an impartial review and I am at least going to have a stab at it! So let’s dive right into things! You can see the band’s commitment to this album by not only calling it “Trust No One” but sticking with the style with the seriously cool looking wolf in sheep’s clothing cover art. (I’ll only say it the once… if you don’t know what a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” means then I can’t help you). But this artwork really
music sets the tone for just how heavy the album is. It’s a serious scene for some serious music. This is my favourite bit, where we actually talk about this heavy, badass music! If you know DevilDriver, you know that there are things they do extremely well. This album highlights all those amazing skills presented by vocalist Dez Fafara with the guttural vocals and speeding rhymes and lyrics, the savage string mutilating picking guitarist Mike Spreitzer and Neal Tiemann and last but not the least, the man who has given me the much desired double pedal based warm fuzzy feeling in my soul, drummer, Austin D’Amond. Throughout the album we see this skills deployed with extraordinary effect, the effect being the creation of some awesome metal, that if used properly could melt the face of any weakling not strong enough to withstand these epic tracks. If you’re actually going to go through with this plan can I just say, don’t it’s probably illegal but if there’s
no stopping you then use the title track of the album “Trust No One”. This song is possibly my favourite, with its epic grooving double pedals, Dez’s awesome lyrics, combined with his vocal style that makes me want to jump straight in the pit! And the truly amazing guitar track on this song that will make anyone feel the urge to air shred so hard it would put the air band from that one episode of Scrubs to shame! So if you like DevilDriver, like heavy beats that you can head bang to all day long, or as we’ve previously mentioned, see if you can melt the faces off none metal fans then this is the album for you! I’m not joking, this album is awesome, I already have a copy, and if you don’t, why not! Go! Go get one! Now! Trust No One is available in hardcopy and for digital download now. Article By Jack Alexander DevilDriver release the long awaited follow up to 2013’s Winter Kills.
“I’m not joking, this album is awesome, I already have a copy, and if you don’t, why not! Go! Go get one! Now! Trust No One is available in hardcopy and for digital download now.”
Photo by Dan Santoni
Article by Thushara
OSCAR
when it comes to music. I’ll listen to/and make it all DM: Where does the heart, soul and mind of your music lie? O: One part in a form of reflective selfdiscovery. The other, the heart DM: What freedom does the music you create in regards to expressing yourself? O: An invaluable sense of freedom DM: Is it easy to have confidence in the music you release as a musician? O: No! I think part of the creative process is Darkus Magazine: Are you enjoying your self-doubt. Otherwise if you walked around year so far? as though you were the second coming, Oscar: So far it’s been really great! It you’d probably sound like Oasis started off on Venice Beach in LA so, start as DM: What has been some of that you mean to go on! important advice which you will always DM: Congratulations on your debut LP – remember? ‘Cut And Paste’. What was it like to finally O: I’m lucky enough to have had lots of get it completed? mentors and advisers throughout my life. O: It’s been a real journey and just feels DM: You have your own headline tour good to have something substantial out coming up in the Autumn. How is preparation there now. To have it all in one place is an going? amazing feeling. O: Good! I’m really gonna start making DM: What do you think the LP teaches each stage a home and dress things up a fans both old and those yet to discover bit more. Make it more of an event in a way. you about where you’re at right now as a Having to re-learn some old songs too! musician? DM: Whether playing to a room of O: I think it just shows how interested I am strangers, or people already knowing of in stylistic experimentation and that I will Oscar, what do think the best thing anyone continue to be that way throughout! can do to fully appreciate your music? DM: Busy few months ahead, how do you O: Dance whilst smiling ;) think you will embrace the festivals and DM: This year has seen a rise of impressive shows you play? UK artists, what do you think Oscar brings to O: With open arms! I’m really looking the party? forward to getting stuck in. This year will be O: I hope I bring a sense of fun, honesty, the first proper festival run for me so BRING warmth and melody to the table IT ON! DM: A pleasure for speaking to you Oscar DM: What and who were your influences – from both a fan perspective and your growing up? Do you think it shows in your own, in regards to 2016, where do we go music? from here? O: My Mum (punk), Dad (techno) and O: Touring, touring, touring, recording, Sister (r’n’b, hip hop, grime and ukg). I think it touring, holiday, touring, touring :P does show in a way. I have no boundaries
He is one of the most gifted, friendliest UK artists to enter the music scene, with his material being both refreshing and full of promise. With the release of his debut LP, Darkus Magazine caught up with North Londoner, Oscar to find out more about the man behind the music.
Lonely The Brave Diamond Days Article By JC Rivers
Diamond Days by Lonely the Brave is a good song, but I don’t feel that connection that gives it that re-listen value. It’s more of a “let’s have this in the background” kind of song. I am not trying to take away the talent of this band, if you listen to any other track they have brought out, you will instantly hear the hard work which has been put into their songs. However, listening to Diamond Days, I was hoping for a crescendo, and I was left waiting
unfortunately. The particulars of the band by themselves are fantastic, put together the sound itself is even better. The vocalist David Jakes has such a smooth voice which entices you into the track initially and your kept in with the Kings of Leon like rhythm of the guitars. I will look forward to hearing more from Lonely The Brave, in the hope that they release more songs, but with added punch.
Answers By Harry Hanson (Lead Singer) Questions By Thushara
We caught up with Bradford based band, Glass Mountain who although may be relatively new to the music scene, nevertheless have such great passion and promise to offer the UK music scene. We hear a lot these days about the rise of northern based bands, and my chat with Glass Mountain just emphasised just why this certainly is a band to watch out for.
Mountain, what is it about the band that should make people embrace them? H: I think in modern day music there’s a recurring theme of bands jumping onto scenes because at the time it’s in fashion and therefore profitable. I don’t hate bands for it; it just worries me that the love and passion is gradually more and more slipping away. Everything we have written is honest to us, we Darkus Magazine: Welcome guys; love the tracks we have created how is life treating you? Has It been and the love certainly comes a pleasant start to the summer? across;that’s what people can Harry: Our summer has started embrace from us. With the EP there really well thank you. Around this were no boundaries. We tried some time last year, me and William were crazy ideas because there was no just getting together every so often conscious decision or compromising to write songs, so to see where we to make it fit into what’s trending are now, one year on is special and musically. Write it honestly and makes me excited for the summer when people latch that will mean so and beyond. much more. DM: For anyone new to Glass
DM: The name of the band originated from a painting from local artist, David Hockney; what is it about his work that you admire? H: Hockney has a fearless attitude to making art, unrestricted by genre or medium and just as likely to use an iPad as a paintbrush and an easel. And while he clearly takes his work very seriously, there is an almost child-like sense of wonder about it. That is hugely inspiring to us. His use of colour and perspective are brilliant and utterly unique. We’re so lucky that a mile from our studio there is the world’s largest collection of Hockney original pieces in a huge and very beautiful Victorian Mill, and it’s free to go there and just soak up the vibe. DM: Do you see your music in similar terms of expressive and creative art? H: Sometimes it’s good to think about the making of a song or a record as the decoration of empty space, just like a painter would make decisions on what to apply to a blank canvas. Starting with just silence, and then depending on your mood, your influences and the tools you have at your disposal that day, these all play a part in how you decorate that blank space, be that a canvas or, in the case of a song, silence. Some of the best records ever made have very little going on. And the same goes for art. Space is a very undervalued thing in music, I think.
DM: You have an EP out at the moment; do you feel the five tracks you have released are a good introduction and reflection of what Glass Mountain has to offer? H: We finished the five songs and decided to release those as our first EP. It’s a good way to let go and then focus on the next batch. We’re very proud of the songs and recordings, and it’s a diverse batch for sure. As a band we’re only a year old and so we feel there’s still a lot to explore. But yeah, the EP shows what we are about right now. I think a record is like a photograph. Take the picture, capture the moment and then move on. Don’t dwell on it. Warts and all - it captures the band at a precise moment in time. DM: You had your EP launch show at Leeds 360 Club; what were preparations like for that? H: The launch was a special show for us; it was a real highlight for the short time we have been together. We put a lot of prep into it, which included aesthetically bringing a different element; we used the UV lighting and paintfrom the Glacial Video. And we also played a track for the first ever time live, Home In The Weather, which went down a treat. The song is really delicate on record so it was a challenge to bring the fragility of that track to the stage; it was well worth the
effort. DM: What do you feel are the crucial things that are needed for a healthy relationship within a band? H: Honesty; hard work; lots of hanging out socially to balance the hard work plus lots of humour and beer. There is a beer that is made locally to us called Three Swords. It’s a pale ale that Lewis is so fond of he has their logo on his guitar amp. Having a strong social life together helps when the writing or recording gets tough. The music is a by product of us being best friends. The two things are not separable. DM: And what do you think you each individually bring to the world and the music of Glass Mountain? H: Wow, that’s very deep. I have no idea what we bring to the world individually. In the big scheme of things, we’re just specs of dust. Within the band we all have our unique strengths and weaknesses. That’s the great thing about having a team – together we make a brilliant whole, and we compliment each other beautifully, I think, from Jonny’s intricate yet never overly complex drumming and his lightning wit; Lewis’ bi-polar guitar, delicate and sorrowful one second and then so thick
and heavy that you could build a housing complex upon it. William has a real musical talent; his ability to play both bass and keyboards means that tracks can take different routes in the writing process, something we really take pride in. He’s also one of the funniest people I know. I asked the band to comment on what I bring to the party. William reckons, “Harry has a lightness of touch to his guitar playing, his singing and, really, his overall take on life. Upbeat, thoughtful and great at keeping spirits high when we run out of steam or ideas. He’s a rock”. DM: West Yorkshire has such a thriving music scene; how does it feel to be a part of that? H: It has thriving music. I don’t know if there is a scene and, if there is, we are not yet part of it. Bands just do their thing, and Leeds got a lot of attention for a while. But I’m not sure it’s important where you are from or if you’re part of a scene. Standing alone or not fitting in is just as interesting, either as a band or as a music fan. DM: And, finally, where do you hope the next stage of Glass Mountain will take you? H: We want EP 2 to be a true progression from the Glacial EP, staying true to our love of guitars and alt-rock. I’d like it to be more extreme dynamically – making the quiet bits even more quiet and intimate, and having the loud bits so passionate and intense that it moves people deeply. We are emotional people living in a confusing and aggressive world. I’d like to try and make a record for people who feel vulnerable in this world.
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The Ramona Flowers I first discovered The Ramona Flowers roughly about a year ago, and ever since I have always been a big fan of their music, as I always found it fresh and exciting. In general regardless of what your natural choice of genre is, The Ramona Flowers are a band who are genuine in their own right and can appeal to anyone.
and Rebuild’? Well doing a bit of extra hunting I discovered their new single ‘Dirty World’ taken from the upcoming album. Just like any piece of music that this band, first impressions are its pretty darn special. Lyrically as a listener its something which we can all relate to, and in some respects encourage you to look deep about yourself and the world around you. What I quite like about this track as well is that it in some way has a 80s vibe to Having done my research, thanks to my good friends over at Hall Of Nothing, I was really excited it, but with a futuristic twist to it. For some of you that may be a funny thing to hear of the band’s second to try and imagine, but you album ‘Part Time Spies’ know what at the end of which will be released 9th the day this is The Ramona September 2016. If that is Flowers we are talking about not enough my adrenaline so they successfully manage levels get even more insane to make anything work. If that as well as supporting anything Dirty World has Stereophonics on some of only just reinforced my love their summer dates this July, for The Ramona Flowers and they will also be supporting has also made me curious the whole of the White Lies as to what the new album UK Tour in November. Don’t will offer. One thing is for know about anyone else but sure though, it will certainly for this Ramona Flowers be packed full of character fan, this is one of those rare and personality, just like the moments I pretend no one Be sure to try and catch the band perform band, so straight away you is looking and do a happy at this summer’s Smoked And Uncut Festival just know its going to be dance ha! down in Bath as well as supporting a couple pretty aweome. So with the new album what of dates with Stereophonics. can we expect and how will Article By Thushara it differ from ‘Dismantle
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BLOOM TWINS Answers By Sonia and Anna Kuprienko Article by Thushara
Darkus caught up with sisters Sonia and Anna to find out about their exciting new album and see what the talented ladies been doing since we last spoke to them earlier this year. Darkus Magazine Welcome back to Darkus Sonia and Anna. How has life been treating you since we last saw each other during the Duran Duran UK tour? Sonia and Anna: Thank you for having us again! The beauty of our duo life is that we are getting certain things twice. Not only did we do a UK tour with Duran Duran but we have just come back from an Italian one. We have just realeased our new single “Amnesia” and had our first ever headline show in Ukraine, which left us speechless as it completely sold out! DM: You have been working hard on the forthcoming debut album. What do you think it represents about your journey and connection with music? S&A: It represents our life’s journey and everything we see and take in. It’s our story with all the ups and downs, the connection between my sister and I and between the stage and audience. DM: Having a debut album, how do you think it will change the dynamics for
the Bloom Twins S&A: We try to do what feels right. We will hopefully be touring a lot more, and we really want to be able to share our music with many people around the UK. We write for ourselves and for other people. DM: What was it like to work alongside Nick Rhodes?
S&A: It was very easy. He lets us discover our capabilities and he’s the best guardian. He gives us all the freedom to experiment with sounds, melodies and makes us notice some amazing things that would have otherwise slipped from our attention. DM: What are your main dreams for continuing and ending 2016 in style? S&A: To play a lot of shows and to meet more like minded people to share our music with.
us. DM: How easy is it to have confidence in your music when trying to make your mark on the UK music scene? S&A: We are not trying to guess what will get someone’s attention. We share what we feel, and it’s easy to be confident if you are honest with yourself and everyone. When you get appreciation - that is all that matters. That’s why we say we create music for people who will listen to it, otherwise our music would not even exist.
DM: Your new single, ‘Amnesia’ was released in May. How happy are you with the feedback it has received so far?
DM: What makes the Bloom Twins a special place that people should embrace
S&A: It’s amazing to see Spotify listens go up or see blogs talk about it. Our video was premiered on The Independent and it made us smile all day long in the same way when we see so many hearts on our social media feeds that our blooming fans are leaving for
S&A: We all seek something we can relate to. Bloom Twins is a place where you will find experiences that are similar to yours, songs to listen to in a candle lit room, songs to kiss or cry to, and a place where honesty rules ;)
Article by Thushara Its getting to that time of year where exams are complete, and focus is placed on how best to celebrate the summer in style. We here in the UK love a good festival, and there is so much to choose from. However its no surprise that the biggest highlight in the UK calendar is of course non another than the sensational festival that is Reading and Leeds. One of those festivals that unless you attend yourself, cannot be described because it is festival whereby music, memories and the company of good friends are celebrated for one of the best bank holiday weekends in August. Each year the festival brings some of the biggest UK and International names, and offers a variety of genres for all tastes. Furthermore having been one of the most reputalble and successful festival for over 10 years, the key question you may
be asking yourself is what organisers are going to bring to the equation in 2016. Headlining names include the likes of Biffy Clyro, Fall Out Boy, Foals and yes its true Red Hot Chilli Peppers. All these bands in my opinion I consider to some of the most exciting and well respected bands within the music industry over the past 20 years and beyond. When you look at these names for a moment, although you could say Foals are a lot more recent than the rest, its good to see a band who have continued to go from strength to strength getting the acknowledgement they deserve. Festival goers of Reading and Leeds 2015, may have remembered that last year the band made a special cameo appearance and surprised us all with a very exclusive secret set.
Of course while its mind blowing to have such legendary names headlining the festival, we cannot forget about the other fabulous names who are part of the line up. Looking through the list, like with every year the festival brings together artists who have a true
passion for the music and vision they create regardless of how long they have come in their journey. Just looking at the lineup other names I would recommend investing your time in, would be the likes of HAIM, DMAs, THRICE, The Wombats and Crystal Castles.
The great thing about Reading and Leeds is that for one weekend you have all your favourite artists in one place, so like as always, this year will see you spoilt for choice. August Bank Holiday may seem like a life time away to some of you, but at the same time there is already such hype
and excitement. For many of you this will be your first ever festival experiences, and for the rest of you, welcome back! However I cannot emphasise enough how whether this is your first time or your 7th, it will certainly be one of the biggest highlights and mind-blowing festivals you will ever encounter!
As everyone begins to prepare themselves for the best weekend of the summer, Darkus caught up with some of the artists on the line-up, which included a visit to a special intimate show with Biffy Clyro, and a chat to a number of the most refreshing and exciting artists who are taking their music to new heights.
Read on to find out more. For now though I leave you with this. There is no set rules of how to approach the festival especially as a newbie. Instead what I will say the best way is just to go with an open mind, seize the moment and embrace the spirit and magic that is Reading and Leeds!
Article By Andy Elsender Photos By Danny Payne Photography
Biffy Clyro What do you get when you put one of the biggest rock bands in the world into a pub environment with an acoustic guitar, bass guitar and a wooden box? Perhaps, one of the greatest acoustic shows of all time! Ahead of their stints around Europe for the festival season, finishing off at the infamous Reading and Leeds festivals, the Scottish trio headed to Headrow House in Leeds to perform to an intimate 100 lucky lottery winners. This was unlike any other gig one could experience. For anyone who has attended a Biffy Clyro gig, or any big rock show before, you queue for hours, usually in the rain, with aching feet and an agonising back, in order to stand on a barrier, to be continuously crushed. This on the other hand, was rather bizarre. Myself, accompanied by a number of hardcore Biffy fans that I met outside, simply strolled into the tiny room and sat on the wooden bench, merrily conversing until James and Ben popped out from a side door meters in front of us and began to familiarise themselves with the surroundings. Swiftly followed
by Simon, introducing themselves as ‘The 1975’, they opened with a relatively tranquil rendition of The Captain. The intimacy of the room cataclysmically adjusted the dynamics of the Scottish rock band; from Wembley Stadium, to a room filled with a stripped back performance producing an exposure to silence and the inevitable awkwardness between tracks. Clear crowd favourites such as Mountains and Black Chandelier immediately evoke a response and relieve the tension with a sing-along. Ending the night, what somewhat felt prematurely, whilst the sun was still shining, Simon addresses the audience as the ‘politest crowd ever’ and then closes the gig with the wonderful B side track, ‘Different People.’ The band then finally exited the stage to a rather tame standing ovation. For those interested, you can catch Biffy Clyro at their next UK slot performing at Reading and Leeds Festival.
VANT They are a band I enjoy seeing play live time and time again, and each occasion being even more exceptional than the last. Since discovering VANT over a year ago, I am totally blown away at just how they continue to go from strength to strength, and always put a lot of passion and energy into the music they create. With nothing but respect for these guys, I was delighted to hear that they were part of this year’s Reading and Leeds line up, because I just know that they will use the opportunity to take things to the next level. Darkus Magazine: Hi guys, is life being kind to you to these days?
Answers By Mattie Vant (Vocalist & Guitarist) Article By Thushara
there been any of these which have meant the most to you? M: The April tour was very special. It was our first time in mainland Europe and a considerable jump in venue capacities, that alongside the majority of the shows selling out made it feel like we have really stepped up a gear and it pushes us to take it a step further with the release of our new single Karma Seeker. DM: With the UK tour, what do you think you gained the most?
Mattie: Pretty god damn kind.
M: Pounds. It’s so hard to eat healthily on the road, thankfully we’ve all shed the excess ahead of festival season.
DM: 2016 has seen you undertake a number of amazing opportunities such as selling out the Lexington in London as part of the NME Awards, the release of tracks such as Fly By Alien and your own UK tour in April to name a few. Has
DM: VANT are known for having an energetic live performance and exceptional chemistry with the crowd on and off stage. When people continue to come to your shows – especially returning fans, how does it make you feel?
M: It’s amazing. Our fanbase is awesome and it’s fucking amazing to speak to so many switched on young people after each show, the amount of kids that are engaged with politics and share our opinions is humbling to say the least. It fills me with hope. I said at our biggest ever headline show at The Dome in London that it feels like we’re finally starting to resonate with people and it honestly seems like that throughout the UK and now further afield in places like The Netherlands, Norway, Belgium & Germany, long may it continue. DM: Do you think if people only listened to your material and did not come to your live shows, and vice versa, they would miss the full meaning of what VANT represents? M: Possibly. We try and have balance as a band, for every three political songs I write there is a more light-hearted wackier one. We use our lyrics and interviews as a way of expressing our opinions and the live show is reserved exclusively for fun and escapism, although I do tend to throw a couple of political observations here and there! DM: As a band that have such strong ties with the North East, what was the local scene like for you during your formative years? M: The North East had an amazing music scene a few years ago The Futureheads, Field Music, Maximo Park, Kubichek!, Dartz! to name but a few, unfortunately I was always too young to really be a part of that generation (although I’m lucky enough to be friends with a lot of these artists now) but I found it very inspiring and it showed me that if your music is good enough you can succeed regardless of your heritage. However, I felt I had to move south to further my career and it was gamble that appears to of paid off thus far.
DM: Is there any way you prepare differently for a festival than say if it was your own shows? M: It’s a lot more like a support slot. The majority of a festival audience hasn’t seen you before so you have to win them over in the usually shorter set time you are given, which is a really fun challenge! DM: Many have described you as the hotly tipped band of 2016, what do you think that is down to? M: I guess we’re unique in the fact that we’re the only ‘new’ band writing about political topics and engaging in conversation, this has been lacking from rock music for a long, long time. DM: For anyone that comes out to one of the festivals such as Reading and Leeds, how do you think their experience will that extra bit enhanced from checking out your set? M: We will make you dance and think at the same time, it’s a mind blowing assault on the senses! DM: For a band in your position what is the biggest form of recognition you could have based at where your at right now in your journey? M: The way the industry works these days is on social media statistics, so I guess ‘likes’ and ‘follows’! It sucks but it helps us get to where we need to be ahead of our debut album. DM: Although the year is not over, would it be fair to say that VANT are at a happy place? M: Happy in our own lives but horrified at our planet.
Blossoms Answers by Tom Ogden (Lead Singer & Guitars) Article By Thushara & Emma Bright
Being one of the most exciting UK bands to enter the music scene, Stockport band, Blossoms have been pushing themselves as they continue to take their music to new heights. With such an important summer ahead including the release of their self-titled debut album and being part of the 2016 Reading and Leeds line-up and the like, we caught up with frontman Tom Ogden to discover more about the band’s exciting progress. Darkus Magazine: How has the past couple of months been for you? Tom: Its been really good, hard work but fun. It was an honour to also be supporting a The Stone Roses on their recent tour. DM: To get that opportunity with The Stone Roses, did it seem real? T: It was one of those moments where you are that amazed that you have to pinch yourself haha. Meeting such an exceptional person as Ian Brown was truly a surreal moment. DM: Having released your debut album – how did you enjoy the overall process? T: We were really happy with the direction we had taken and so proud once it was all finalised
and complete. I feel it offers a whole new fresh approach to music, and overall everything we wanted made it on. DM: Did you always know you wanted to create music? T: Not really to be honest, I kind of fell into it. When I was about 14 or 15 I just wanted to do something music related but didn’t know what. It was actually my dad who encouraged me, so more than anything it was about doing something which allowed us to build a strong father-son relationship. Eventually it became natural to the point where now when doing anything where music is involved I really get a buzz. DM: You were part of the BBC Sound of New Music 2016. Did you find you received a new influx of fans or that the music was received differently as a result? T: The way we see it was that it created even more exposure to get Blossoms heard and yea I would say we gathered some new fans along the way. We were really made up to be included in that list against many other great names in the music scene at the moment.
DM: This year sees you returning to the Reading and Leeds lineup . Having played before, how do you think 2016 will differ after such a successful year? T: The album will finally be out for a start by that point, so more people will already be familiar with the material we have on it. It is such a honour to be invited back for sure though. I think everything we have done this year has been a build up to performing Reading and Leeds. DM: How does it feel knowing the likes of Johnny Marr and Ian Brown are fans of your work? T: It is such a great compliment. Both of these guys are just great influences when I was growing up so to know that they approve of the music you
create really does stay with you! DM: Some have described Blossoms as ‘indie pop’ however how would you personally describe your sound and the way you want to portray Blossoms? T: We try not to stick to one genre to be honest, however would say at the moment there is a big guitar synth vibe coming through. DM: What is the future plan for Blossoms? T: Well we are currently writing more material. Also It would be good to go back to the USA. We cant say too much now, but I would say we have and continue to evolve as a band so we get bigger and bigger.
spring king Answers By Pete Darlington (Guitarist) Article By Thushara Our final featured artist from this year’s Reading and Leeds line up is Spring King. This has proved to be quite a productive year already for the band with not only the release of their debut album, ‘Tell Me If You Like To’ which was released 10th June 2016, but also an adrenaline fuelled headline tour this Fall. For a band that are continuing to evolve, despite still being relatively new, the addition of the Spring King to the line-up will certainly leave a lot of music fans impressed. Darkus Magazine: You have had a special few weeks with the release of your debut album. How does it feel to finally have it released? Pete: It feels amazing. We have been a band for about 4 years, which feels like a long time, so has been a long time coming. We are just excited to see how well received it will be. DM: How much significance do you place on an album? P: I guess it will be the first real time people will hear us. I think this album acts as a point of self-
discovery not just for our fans, but also ourselves too. Also we see it as a really important chapter for us as a band. The level of press we have received lately has just been amazing, and I think with this album out it will truly be a defining moment for Spring King. DM: What do you think it represents about what the world of Spring King looks at right now? P: I think it’s the first time we have fully captured what we want to do with our music. It was important that we preserved that same sound and energy that people can experience if they came to one of our live shows. DM: Did everything you want make it onto the album? P: In general yes. However there was a couple of songs I fought for that didn’t quite make it, but at least we can still revisit them at a later point. DM: Already there is much excitement about your headline UK tour in October. How do you think the shows will compare to other events.
P: The biggest shows we have played so far was probably Scala in London, which I think was a real turning point. In October we will headline KOKO in London which will be a good experience. I think this tour will really test us as a band but its something were really excited about. DM: When you made your TV debut on Later With Jools Holland did it seem like a dream? P: I still don’t believe I did it! Growing up it was alwaus the place to watch music. When the invite came through at first I thought it was a windup, but then when it sank in I became anxious wreck haha! DM: How do you think that Spring King will add to the Reading and Leeds 2016 experience? P: We played the Festival Republic stage last year which had a good response. This year we will be on the Radio 1 stage, so we want to do everything we can to showcase our music, and hopefully gather some new fans as a result. DM: Now I understand that Spring King are a band who are not afraid to party. What can we expect if we to go to one of your celebrations? P: Reggae nights, Rum and Cocktails – and oh maybe a bit of ale too ha! DM: Can you remember the very first guitar you owned and the memories it brought?
P: Yes! I was about 10 and got myself a 3 ¼ Nylon String Guitar. I still play it to this day and has such sentimental value. DM: When entering the music scene how important is it that you enjoy yourselves but also remember to stay focused? P: There is a tendency often to take things too seriously and try to make pop music in an aggressive way, but for us it is only worth doing if you have fun. Mistakes happen but that is just part of the process. DM: Do you feel that the evolution of Spring King has been a natural one? P: Definitely! We have Tarek as drummer and singer, which feels a bit different but natural. In the early days we doing ok, but it felt something had to change. We used to be a 4 piece and at that stage Tarek was on guitars, so although it was a daring move to mix things up, it certainly helped to strengthen the dynamic of band. DM: What make the world of Spring King an exciting place to be? P: It has to be when we connect to the fans and its always good to see our music reaches out to a mixture of ages. Also recording and writing is something which will always bring such great excitement for us. I believe we have made out first big step as a band and now we just look forward to the next steps to come.
Noel Gallagher
Article By Andy Elsender Photos By Jemma Dodd
With the demise of Mancunian rockers Oasis in 2009, and the Gallagher brothers soaking-up the majority of the publics limelight, it has left a prominent hole in the music world, particularly with the domination of the infamous Brit-pop. Although both brothers dabbled in a number of varying subjects, such as the apparent Beady Eye, it is clear that the eldest brother was here to stay with his High Flying Birds‌ Starting with a number of High Flying Birds recent classics, Noel featured an array of originals in
cohesion with Oasis hits, producing a great relief to a number of fans clearly present to experience tracks such as Champagne Supernova. Although some of the more overplayed songs like Wonderwall perhaps, to some extent fall a bit flat these days, due to it relentlessly being overplayed in every possible venue and by every obnoxious student with an acoustic guitar; less-performed tracks like Half the World Away are still able to tug at the heart-strings and encompass the empowerment of the magical 90s.
The Beach
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Darkus Magazine: How has 2016 been for you so far? George: 2016 has been a great year so far. It’s been my most prolific songwriting year already and we’re only half way through! DM: You recently had a showcase in London. How are you feeling now it is out of the way? G: Yes I’m feeling great, it was an incredible night, I can’t believe so many people came to see me play. DM: For someone such as yourself when do you find you are most creative and connect to music the most? G: Creativity changes a lot. Generally first thing in the morning or really late at night. I actually run in the middle of the night sometimes to clear my head and come up with new ideas. I’m useless in the middle of the day as my mind is all over the place. DM: New video and single out at the moment called ‘Geronimo’. I know its still early days but are you happy with the attention it has received so far? G: I’m extremely happy with the attention the video and song are getting. I was shocked at how many views it go in the first couple of days, it made me
Having recently joined RCA, musician George Morgan aka The Beach has been doing some pretty exceptional things this year already. Having highly recommended to me by our good friends over at Carry On Press, we thought it would be a good idea to catch up with George to discover a little bit more. think “I must be doing something right!” DM: When you’re creating music and then making music videos, do you find it an easy process when it comes to staying true to the original vision for the song? G: It can be quite a hard process because it’s a bit of a tug of war with ideas. Whether in the studio with my producer or going through visual ideas with directors etc. it’s hard because you have to let a few things go but I love working with other creative people and hearing their ideas come to life too. I see both things as very collaborative. DM: Latest member of the RCA family – what do you think The Beach bring to the equation? G: I love to travel and the campaign is centered around that, so I guess I bring the exoticism! DM: For anyone only just
DARKUS discovering your music, can you offer any advice for them to help guide them into fully embracing the music and world of The Beach? G: My advice would be don’t question it just get on board and let it take you on a journey. DM: When you are officially in music scene, especially as a relatively new starter, how important do you find it to embrace the digital world of the likes of Spotify, Twitter and iTunes? G: Massively important. I believe they are the true measure of success as an artist as there are is no bullshit with those platforms, if people are streaming your music then they are liking it, end of story. I was first discovered from a You Tube video, and I think digital platforms are such an important way for emerging artists to break into the industry. You must embrace it because it’s not going away and
they provide great ways to have direct contact with fans. DM: How easy is it to have confidence in the music that you are about to share with the public? G: It’s not easy and it won’t ever be but as an artist you just have to really love what you are putting out because at the end of the day not everyone will like it. Some people might even hate it but as long as the artist has confidence in it then it doesn’t matter. DM: Any plans for the rest of the year? G: It feels amazing to be involved with Reading and Leeds. I love festivals but have never been to this one so its great to be going, let alone playing. The rest of the year for me is putting out more songs and hopefully playing live loads!
Article By Thushara Answers By The Beach (George Morgan) Photos By Simon Sarin
To find out more information about The Beach head over to: Twitter @Thebeachmusic Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebeachmusic In addition the latest single Geronimo will be officially released 12th August 2016 and is definitely worth the investment! LR
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The Lapelles Darkus Magazine: Welcome to Newcastle how are you enjoying yourselves these days? Gary & Jamie: Its been pretty mental, we have been pretty busy. We quite like Newcastle it’s a little bit similar to Glasgow.
I am really loving the music scene we have in the UK this year, and have been impressed by the emerging talent. I think back to what the music scene was like when I was growing up and in all honesty I didn’t really pay much attention, so I am absolutely grateful that in recent years I soon opened my eyes to incredible potential that surrounds me. Having been on the look out for new talent my search brought me to Glasgow based band, The Lapelles. Everything about five piece band just amazes me, there tunes are catchy and addictive and the vibe they have just makes you smile. Furthermore although their lyrics are deep, they nevertheless manage to make their music fun and relatable to the listener. 2016 has been such an exceptional year for this band, so we caught up with Gary and Jamie when the gents came to Newcastle recently as
DM: Having been asked to be support for The Last Of The Shadow Puppets how did it make you feel? G&J: It has been really overwhelming. Such a surreal moment when you realise you have the opportunity to perform along the side of the likes of Alex Turner whose music was quite a big influence in our teenage years. These are probably our biggest shows so far. DM: What is it you feel when looking at the current music scene that The Lapelles bring to the equation?
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G&J: There are a lot of garagy style bands these days, especially from where we come from. I would like to say that without trying to pigeonhole ourselves that we a re a bit more pop orientated but meet down the middle so we appeal to a mixture of crowds. We love what we do and always like to have a laugh.
DM: Where do you see yourselves in your own journey as a band? G&J: We just love making music. We are playing a few festivals this summer so it’s a great opportunity to showcase our music but also build on the experiences we have encountered so far. We would like to play more festivals such as the likes of Reading and Leeds which would be a dream. DM: Do you remember what your very first show was like as a band?
music G&J: Yes! It was about 3 years ago over in East Kilbride. It was such a small venue playing to few of our friends and family. DM: Material wise, which song do you think best showcases what The Lapelles are all about? G&J: We would probably say our latest single, ‘Grab Life By’. It seems to have a good following and has a good response on the likes of Twitter. It has quite a summer vibe to it so will be good to see how the song goes down when we play the likes of T in The Park. DM: Do you think that the live show element brings something extra special that people who only listen to recorded material would miss? G&J: Definitely! Both offer different aspects to the music, and I think people can sometimes forget that they go hand in hand. With the recorded material however we do try and capture the live atmosphere as much as possible so it encourages people to come out and catch one of our shows. When we are on that stage and see the crowd singing along and joining in it means a lot. DM: What are your plans for the rest of 2016? G&J: We would definitely like to get down here more, as we have not really played Newcastle that much. Also be great to do our own headline tour at some point. This summer though we have T in The Park and Electric Fields then probably try and fit in more recording.
DM: Has anyone given you any advise that will always remain a forefront of your mind? G&J: Someone once told us that it would take 5 years to become an overnight success. Also a number of great people have reminded us of the importance of writing constantly. DM: Is there any set way for anyone to truly appreciate and embrace the magic of The Lapelles? G&J: No as everyone will see it in different ways. What we try to remind fans is that they should take away what they want from a gig. DM: Ideally what do you imagine the next dimension looking like? G&J: We hope to get over to Paris, and the feedback we receive so far just motivates us more. Also we would like to play in London, however we don’t feel quite ready yet so are just enjoying the process which will eventfully help us to get to that point.
Article By Thushara Answers By Gary Watson (Vocals& Guitar) and Jamie Holmes (Synth & Keyboard) Photo By Ronan Park
To discover more about these absolutely friendly, genuine and talented guys then be sure to check out the following:
Twitter: @TheLapelles
www.thelapelles.com
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Slam Dunk Having been to this year’s Slam Dunk in Leeds, I must say how yet again I am left amazed and buzzing of the exceptional work of organisers to create and take the Slam Dunk experience to a whole new level. Having attended their Leeds site, myself and Jemma prepared ourselves for a day of fun packed music from some of the finest UK and International Artist you could ever encounter. We started the day by checking out the likes of Young Guns, a band I have only seen once, and recommended to me by some of my dear friends. Despite having an earlier slot, this was no problem for this adrenaline fuelled band as they still delivered 100% and got a good reaction from the crowd as they played the main stage. When you haven’t seen a band for a while, it is always nice to see them appear at a festival such as Slam Dunk as it allows you to see where they are at in their journey, and if you are only just discovering them acting as a good way of getting connected with some of their music. For me this year’s Slam Dunk was like a dream come true as I was able to listen to some of the bands
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who were so influential when I was just discovering music. It is hard to select a favourite highlight as there are just so many, however some included seeing the likes of The Starting Line. Wow so many memories of this band as I think their album ‘Say It Like You Mean It’ was my most listened album when I was 19, and having never seen them live before this year was just incredible. I always imagined what it would be like if I ever saw TSL play live (not that I thought I would ever be that lucky) but you know what it was better than I expected. Lead singer, Kenny Vasoli was full of energy as he helped deliver an electric performance as they performed the majority of the tracks from the debut album which introduced the world to the magic of The Starting Line. Having been taken back by seeing TSL was time to quickly leave the O2 Academy stage and head back to the main stage to see another titan of pop-punk, Yellowcard. Due to technical issues fans were left waiting in anticipation for the Jacksonville five-piece to take to the stage. Unfortunately due to major delays, this resulted in a shorter set much to the frustration of Ryan Key,
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Article By Thushara Photos By Jemma Dodd
however he was committed to ensuring that he made it the best 20 minute Yellowcard Experience ever, playing iconic tunes such ‘Ocean Avenue’ and ‘Way Away’ taken from the debut album which helped to shaped the future for Yellowcard. Some of the other artists I checked out over the course of the day included a very special and intimate acoustic set by The Rocket Summer, the ever so energetic New Found Glory and an DJ Set by my good friends in Bury Tomorrow. However this was more than just any DJ Set, as it took place underground in a Car Park – yes you heard right, thus making it just that extra bit special and different. It is fair to say that festival organisers want to think outside of the box and use Leeds City Centre in a creative way as possible, which in my opinion I feel was quite special. Having been coming to Slam Dunk for a number of years, when back in the day it was held at Leeds University Student Union, this years Slam Dunk experience not just exceeded the expectations, but am sure there were a fair few people, myself included who were left saying Fuck Yea!!! So your at a show like Slam Dunk, drink is flowing, people are throwing some shapes and memories are created and then it comes to that all important question, taking into considering the number of stages and different genres, which headliner to decide to go and watch. It is a hard choice, so after a bit of thought, and taking into consideration this
would be a once in a life time opportunity I had to opt for Panic At The Disco. Again a band who created a lot of hype back in my uni days, they have become one of those artists who have achieved so much and continue to amaze and excite fans. Furthermore you know the strength and respect a band receives when you look around to see even after all these years, the likes of Panic At The Disco can still attract new fans. In regards to their set they performance with such brilliance, passion and energy as they indulged fans with classics like ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’, ‘Lets Kill Tonight’ and ‘Time To Dance’ which got many people up on their feet singing at the top of their lungs. Equally popular were their much more recent hits such as ‘Victorious’ and ‘Crazy=Genius’ taken from their latest album Death Of A Bachelor. The ambience at Leeds Millennium Square was simply electric, thus making it a excellent way for the Slam Dunk crowds to complete their fun packed day in style. Being the 10th Year Anniversary for Slam Dunk, it is safe to say that organisers made this year one to remember thus in my opinion only reinforcing for my me why this will always be one of my favourite festivals around.
Read on to find on what happened when we spoke to some of the artists who were part of this years’ experience.
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Memphis May Fire I would probably say I have known Memphis May Fire for a good few years now having first met them in Camden in 2012 back in the early days of Darkus Magazine. Since then not only have I been a fan of their music, seen them play numerous times when they have visited the UK, but also seen how incredibly well band led by front man Matty Mullins have continued to move forward and blossom immensely as a band making them one of the strongest metalcore bands to originate from the US music scene. I have a huge respect and love for these guys so it was a pleasure to catch up with Matty again when MMF appeared as part of this years 2016 Slam Dunk lineup.
Darkus Magazine: Hi Matty nice to see you again. Did you have a nice flight? Matty: Yea, I flew in a few hours ago then headed straight here to Leeds. It is such a honour to be back in the UK, would probably regard it as being my second home. DM: So what is new since we last spoke? M: Well we have a new record which we are working on at the minute. We have all the tracks sorted and now its just at the mixing stage. Also we have done a bit of touring alongside Killswitch Engage and We Came As Romans. So yeah we have been busy busy busy!! We don’t really find it easy to get ‘us’ time recently,
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so will be good to finally get some quality time to ourselves this summer. DM:I know you are always doing exciting things on a personal level. Any thing you can share? M:Well I have been doing some work on a project focusing on releasing my own range of hair products for men which is something a little bit different. Also I am working on my own solo album which I hope to be released in 2017. DM:Hair products? I am intrigued tell me more? M: Haha! Yea I have always been fascinated in
music the whole Barber culture, so I wanted to create something superior for guys for a change. I think I must of spent about 2 and a half years developing the product. DM: Where do you see yourselves in your journey as a band? M: I think we are stronger than ever. These are really important times in the music scene where anything can change at any moment, but with anything we do its important we are always greatful for the opportunities and remember to embrace the positivity. DM: What I respect about you Matty is that you are not afraid to bring Christianity and your personal journey with Jesus to not just your life but also your music. M: Yeah totally. There is a big separation with music, and a lot of the time there can be so much hatred. However a relationship with Jesus is something to be celebrated. Not only did he pay the price, but despite feeling uncertain, one thing remains that Jesus’ love for us is concrete.
DM: What do you think the key to your success has been so far for Memphis May Fire? M: We are absolutely passionate about our music, which I think shows on every level. We play and practise so hard so it will make us worthy of the shows we play. At the end of the day it is about giving it your all. DM: Your always full of positivity my friend which I respect. Would you say looking at the progress of MMF, you have arrived at a happy place! M: Totally! I think the new record is one of the best yet and quite rock influenced. We still have further to go as a band, but yes I am thankful for everything we have encountered and those moments yet to encounter.
Answers By Matty Mullins (Lead Vocalist) Photos By Jemma Dodd
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Hit The Lights
Darkus Magazine: How does it feel to be part of the 2016 Slam Dunk Anniversary? Nick: It feels amazing. Slam Dunk is like one of my favourite reasons to come over to the UK. We have played a number of times over the years and it has always been a fun experience, a chance to catch up with friends, and seems to be getting bigger each year which is awesome. DM: Do you ever feel whenever you return you relive the memories? N: Absolutely! Which is why it is so fun. Its like a tradition at this point haha! The worst part about it all is flying over, but it gets easy after that. DM: What is the best way to appreciate a Hit The Lights Set when you are in a Slam Dunk audience? N: The best way? I dunno I guess just scream your fucking head off and jump around with me so I am not the only one that looks stupid. DM: Are you happy with how this year has treated you so far? N: It started out really slow and boring, but these days its gotten a lot better so hopefully it will remain
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that way. DM: Where does the spirit of Hit The Lights lie? N: Probably in the connection between us and the fans. I mean like when were all singing together and stuff. We have been a band for over a decade now so a lot of our songs are not just our songs, they have become something else to other people. Hit The Lights has become part of those important memories others have of their childhood, good times, hard times etc. DM: How do you think the industry has changed compared to when you first started? N: Erm I think CDs still were a thing when we started haha! Its been weird. The internet has changed everything I guess. It is a cool time to be alive and things are going to keep evolving. I think however there is a little detachment about what supporting an artist is, and a little entitlement to wanting free music all the time that as innocent as it may seem on the surface can actually hurt artists. You have to therefore find that balance between people who want to genuinely support you and those who just want to listen to a song for a few minutes before moving onto the next thing.
music DM: What will this year’s 2016 Slam Dunk performance for Hit The Lights teach people about where you’re at in your journey? N: I think we have been getting gradually heavier as a band and our new songs reflect that. Our old stuff is fun and poppy which is cool, but I think because people assume we are going to sound the same they can sometimes not listen to our stuff, but if they approach our music with an open mind they may be pleasantly surprised. It’s always good as a artist to create new music and kick people in the ass so to speak so they are like ‘whoa where did that come from’. With Slam Dunk and other festivals like this, it is an opportunity to showcase our new material to new people who wouldn’t of necessarily considered it before. DM: Do you think you have matured over the years? N: Yeah absolutely. I think one of the most grown up things I have done is for example when I was writing a song which had the words ‘make love to you’ included haha! That’s a thing I would maybe in the past not do, but I am 32 now so I am able to say stuff like that and not feel embarrassed ha!
DM: Any plans for how you wish to continue the year? N: Slam Dunk will the end of a cycle of live shows which will be a nice way to see us into the summer. We will be doing a lot of writing over coming weeks as we prepare material for a new record, and then we have some dates lined up in the Fall with a great band which we cant announce just yet. DM: Is the creative process of writing always as easy as it sounds? N: I think when I am with my band mates that is when I think the most, as they in a way support me but also challenge me to think outside of the box. I have a solo project on the side so to be in that group environment is quite nice where ideas bounce of each other, as when its just you on your own there is less expectation I guess to test yourself. I would definitely say though having the other guys, helps inspire me and make me a better song writer.
(Answers By Nick Thompson – Lead Vocalist) Photos By Jemma Dodd
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Hacktivist Another new addition to Slam Dunk this year, we spoke to UK band Hacktivist. Darkus Magazine: How are you feeling? Hacktivist: Yea really well. Feels like such an honour to be part of the line-up as we have never played before as a band. However we have been as punters a few times, so will be good to see the whole Slam Dunk experience from a different angle. DM: With it being an Anniversary show then, what’s best way to celebrate? H: Get really really pissed haha – I think that is the general idea isn’t it! DM: How has 2016 been for you so far? H: Its been pretty busy so far which is wicked. We have released a new album for a start which has received a good response. We went to Russia which was really good, and coming up this year we also have Australia. DM: What does the new record teach people about Hacktivist? H: This is definitely an expansion of the EP we had previously. We would probably guess we have certainly broadened our horizons a lot more and has given us more avenues to explore. DM: Which song for you is a favourite to play live?
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H: ‘Hate’ it is nice and bouncy and has a nice big riff section. We also quite like the self titled one, ‘Hacktivist’ just because it was the first song we ever wrote and being one of the originals always gets people moving. DM: Main goals for 2016? H: Promoting the album! Getting out and about as much as possible and doing plenty of touring. Also try and fit in some writing for the new album so we can look forward to the next chapter. DM: Be it support or festivals where you have a shorted set, do you think people can underestimate the amount of work that goes to it? H: We find that shorted sets are the ones where we feel the most pressure in a way because there is really little time to even prepare or sound check on stage. Every song has to be 100% and performed to the best of our ability. There is no time to wait to get comfortable instead you have to seize the moment. DM: What is the vision behind Hacktivist? H: Positivity mixed with awareness. We don’t have a single message as such but the things we promote encourage people to broadly open their eyes to the world and situations around them.
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to a point where you can chill out and have fun on stage. We love playing to each other as much as we love playing to the crowd. I guess the other plan is to just take our time to write the best fucking songs as possible. We are a fan of really big song writing and not ashamed to want things like really big choruses and putting love and attention into the lyrics. A lot of our influences comes from films, cult movies and cult literature with a touch of the philosophical to add to the mix. DM: Do you have a typical DEAD fan? DEAD: We would like to think that our music appeals to anyone who love music so it can be the token dad stood at the back of the room to the girl in the t-shirt up at the front. Its music at the end of the day and it’s the language for everyone. DM: When you are still new how do you get people to take you seriously? DEAD: This is the thing, you shouldn’t go out there
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expecting to gain fans instantly, as that comes in time. Much of the time we play in our own little bubble and in the nicest way possible its kind of a selfish thing for us , because as much as its for the fans, we very much live our music on a daily basis. DM: What would you choose as the ingredients to a DEAD cocktail? DEAD: Tequila! Or Bloody Maria – its like Bloody Mary but you add three times extra what you would normally add with a generous dash of tequila. We wont lie it seriously burns and stings but its pretty much us haha! DM: Why is now a good time to invest? DEAD: We are at the start of something special, playing the majority of festivals this summer. If you don’t take the time to invest now, then by the time you finally do you will discover your friends have already heard about DEAD, so be part of the journey as soon as you can.
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DEAD! Based in London and describing themselves as being at the start of their journey, this year sees the addition of DEAD to the Slam Dunk family. A band which are totally new to me, so was only right I took the time to speak to these fantastic and down to earth West Yorkshire gents to discover more about their experiences. Darkus Magazine: How does it feel to be part it feel to be part of Slam Dunk 2016? DEAD: It feels really good, we have never been before, not even as punters.
in it, and we think it’s a good indication of what we are going to do but also there are a couple songs in our set which are proper balls out rock and rolls sounds which is what we are all about.
DM: As newbies to the whole Slam Dunk family then, what do you think you are going to bring to the party? DEAD: Not sure really. They booked us to do our thing, so we were happy to just come along and perform. Its going to be a real proper rock and roll show which is what we kind of do already, and hopefully the kids take that away from our set.
DM: Where do you see yourselves at in your journey at the minute? DEAD: At the start probably. The new song we mentioned before feels very much like DEAD 2.0 at the minute. Having spent 3 years on the DIY circuit, where you are not just the band you’re the promoter, management and drivers all rolled into one, was pretty hard work. So now we have a serious game plan having been recently signed everything we have done before we see it as laying those essential foundations.
DM: What is the best way to fully embrace a DEAD set? DEAD: Come to a show, don’t hold back and give it your all! DM: What song is a good starting point for a new fan? DEAD: We have just released a song called Your So Cheap which has got some cool 90s vibes throwback
DM: What goals have you set yourself? DEAD: We are writing towards a big album to be honest and the main goal is just to improve our live performance so we can continue to get better. When you all play your parts incredibly that’s when you get
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Ben Rays (Slam Dunk Festival Director)
We must not forget that we would not all be able to enjoy Slam Dunk each year if it was not for the impeccable work of the organisers. We took time to have a quick chat with Festival Director Ben Rays, the main man behind Slam Dunk, and has played a pivotal role in evolving Slam Dunk into one of the most revolutionary music events in the UK. Darkus Magazine: What has preparation for this year’s Slam Dunk been like? Ben: Very long and very hard. When I first started the festival ten years ago, it was quite small and there was not much planning involved. I think I booked some of the venues as short as 2 months away from the event haha! However now it is a year long process. As soon as you finish one year, you have a bit of a break before you have to start thinking about the following year. Each year gets better and there is always something we try to do differently. This year the major change has been the midlands site, moving from Wolverhampton to Birmingham NEC which was a bit of a strange thought at first. We wanted to ideally keep it in Wolverhampton but the venue was closed for innovation work and we didn’t want to make the fans in the midlands miss out so we went with the NEC option as the alternative. Its proving to be a
positive result so far with over 13,000 tickets sold. DM: What was the initial vision for Slam Dunk in 2006? Ben: I tell people sometimes that it was almost like an accidental festival. I remember that the management for Fall Out Boy gave me a call and told me that the band were touring in May but there was nowhere big enough for them to perform so I suggested as we have an open air space here in Leeds Millennium Square we could possibly get that to work and add a few extra bands to the line-up. It was then after that, that I decided to create multiple stages. DM: What is the best way to fully appreciate and embrace the Slam Dunk experience whether this is your 1st time or 4th,5th or 6th time? Ben: I think it is to move around and go to as many stages as possible. For example we have 8 stages here at the Leeds site. Have a wonder round, the atmosphere is great out there and its reflected in everyone that you see attending at this year’s festival.
DARKUS
Beverley Knight H
aving had to re-schedule part of her UK tour due to a being unwell, music fans of Gateshead’s stylish Sage turned up in their masses to enjoy an evening of the finest soul music by none other than Beverley Knight. Probably one of the leading UK female artists to bring soul music to the UK music scene over a number of years it was so good to witness Knight still showing she is still the same strong remarkable artist she was when she first began. I was in junior school when I first heard the name Beverly Knight, and most of my teenage years I could recognise one of her tunes but hadn’t really followed her. Therefore when I knew I was going to be seeing her live at the Sage, I really had no idea what to expect. Seated in a prime location,
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I was looking around to see a audience buzzing with excitement and anticipation, the majority a lot older. However this being said if you looked closer you were able to see some younger fans, thus demonstrating how in 2016, Beverley Knight still successfully manages to draw in new fans. The main purpose of her UK tour was to promote her latest album Soulsville which sees Beverley showing that she still has what it takes to make new, exciting and refreshing music, while still be able to maintain her original style which makes her tracks that extra bit special. Some of the tracks from the album she introduced us to included ‘When I See You Again’ a really deep and heartfelt song which you can relate to especially if you focus on the lyrics. If your want a track which
music is strong for not just the lyrics, but the energy and vibe it reflects then Beverley also had something for that too, such as ‘Hold On I’m Coming’. From what I heard, the new material made me excited for what Soulsville has to offer. You can’t have a Beverley Knight show without having a few old school tunes, as it is some of those classics which have brought many happy memories and probably for some been one of the reasons that they were converted to become Beverley Knight fans in the first place. One track, which even I recognised, was the soulful and beautiful song, ‘Shoulda Woulda Coulda’. Hearing the song on the radio is one thing, but when the lady herself is singing it live in front of you, WOW she just takes it to another level, making you fall in love with it all over again. One song to really touch me from the whole set however had to be ‘Gold’, a song which Beverley explained she wrote when discussing relationships and the likes with her friend, with the underlying
Article By Thushara
Personally though I found it one of the most enjoyable shows I have been to in a while
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message not to forget your self-worth. Throughout the night Beverly continued to bring an addictive and positive atmosphere, with a lot of dancing and enjoyment from the crowd. Personally though I found it one of the most enjoyable shows I have been to in a while, and has made me want to discover more, and there is no better starting point than investing in her latest album Soulsville
Darkus Magazine: The latest album, Vanilla will be coming out soon. What goes through your mind when you are releasing a record to the public? Dan: Nothing really, we’re just thinking about what we’re going to do next. We don’t have any kind of expectations anymore. DM: How happy are you with this album? D: Yeah pretty happy, it’s good. DM: With it being the third album you have created was there anything you wanted to make it stand out from the past two albums? DM: They’re all different anyway. We weren’t thinking of it in relation to the others. DM: When writing material and spending time in the studio, what is the best way to fully embrace the creativity? D: Personally when we’re recording I like to smoke crack, it’s the only thing that seems to get me in the zone. I’m not trying to advocate it, it’s just what I do. DM: You will be taking to the road in July to play a number of shows as part of your UK tour. Is there any city outside
Evans the Death Article By Thushara Answers By Dan Moss We caught up with London five piece band to discuss their latest album.
of London, that seems to understand the true vision of Evans The Death and is more responsive? D: A lot of bands seem to say this but we found Glasgow to be particularly receptive. You can never really tell what an audience is thinking though, I mean most people just stand there and listen
then clap wherever we go. I’d like to provoke more extreme reactions. I want to see people dancing and hear people booing. DM: You try not to allocate yourself to one specific genre, so is there such a thing as a typical Evans The Death fan? D: There really isn’t, I’m quite pleased about that. There’s a
vicar who’s into it and also this guy who’s in prison. A couple walked down the aisle to one of our songs, I know we’ve been played at at least one wake, and we’ve had a song used in a dildo advert. You’d be surprised, maybe in the beginning it was predominantly
white middle aged indie blokes but nowadays all sorts of people turn up to the shows. DM: One of the tracks you released officially from the Vanilla album was ‘Suitcase Jimmy’. Although only being out since 10th June 2016, has it created a good vibe? D: Not really to be honest, it seemed to fly under the radar a bit. We got the reaction we wanted when we played it in Gothenburg last year, somebody very clearly said “what the fuck was that?” – It’s supposed to confound people, it’s meant to be a bit of a spanner in the works. DM: Where do you see yourselves in your journey as a band? D: It all came together pretty haphazardly and I don’t know when or how it will end. We’re all still pretty young and we have baby faces so we can pretend we’re a new band still, but I think we’ve hit on something now that’s quite good. DM: The UK tour and new album are pretty big priorities this year, but have you got anything else in mind you want to achieve to end the year in style? D: We’ve been thinking about the next LP all year so I think we’ll do that. We usually go to a party on this boat in Greenwich on New Year’s Eve. We like to do things on boats.
DM: Vanilla saw you working alongside Rory Attwell, who also produced your two previous albums. What is it about Rory you enjoy working the most? D: Rory’s been one of my closest friends since we started recording together, we share a similar sense of humour and he always gets where we’re coming from. DM: Sometimes people can overlook and underestimate the amount of time that goes into a recording process. Where your in the heart of recording how do you determine if a specific track represents what you want it to say? D: We don’t spend a lot of time in the studio, we just try and get the ideas across in the practice room as much as possible. It’s more about creating some kind of atmosphere than trying to get it perfect. I like to leave in mistakes and stuff, we do most of it live. DM: When the crowds come to one of your shows on this tour then, what is it they need to do to prepare themselves for a true Evans The Death experience? D: I don’t want to tell people what to do, we try and treat each show like a night out, I mean personally the group is my social life so I think if people turn up and want to hang out then that’s good.
DARKUS
Photography: Fleek Photography
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Zoe Birkett The zoe birkett Academy
Darkus Magazine: It is a pleasure to meet you Zoe, tell us, how is your 2016 going? Zoe: Its going very well, I started the first half of the year in The Bodyguard musical playing the lead Whitney Houston, then took a trip to NY, and now opening an academy in the north east for Young Performers.
Many of you will recognise Zoe Birkett from the early days of music competitions such as Pop Idol. Not only was she only 16 when she first appeared on that show in 2002 wowing the likes of Simon Cowell, but in many respects it was only the beginning of a very exciting journey. Fast forward to 2016 and Zoe has achieved so much, taken part in so many exciting projects and has the same, if not stronger passion that she had when she was a teenager. It was therefore a delight to be able to take time to speak to Zoe to discover about her experiences and how she is inspiring others through her work.
DM: You have been busy playing the lead in the Bodyguard Tour these past few months. How have you enjoyed the experience? Z: Ah wow it was mind blowing ! I was so nervous at the beginning of the contract, naturally I had big shoes to fill, Whitney Houston is the greatest vocalist of all time! But once I started rehearsals and trained hard with a vocal and acting coach I realised I could bring my own stamp to the part! Touring around the UK was great too, I got to meet a lot of fans and people who had supported me throughout my career DM: Whitney Houston is such an inspirational and strong lady, however what do you think you brought to the role when you were playing the lead? Z: I obviously watched the film a thousand times before I started lol, but I feel maybe I brought some more vulnerability to the part, she is a strong diva woman, but she is also a mother, who falls in love, and wants protection deep down, and I loved bringing that part out of her.
DM: Many will know you from back in the day from Pop Idol when you were just 16 - how important of platform was it for getting yourself out there in the early days? Z: Pop Idol was a fantastic platform, I still get asked about it to this day , 15 years on! So I feel that really say something about the original show! I had been singing and dancing since I was 3 years old, saw the advert for it and thought I’d see ow I got on...and here we are hehehe DM: How do you think you have progressed as a musician? Where do you see yourself in your journey? Z: I know more about my voice then I ever could imagine, down to placement, technique ,understanding my vocal chords , but I can never stop learning, I recently started to learn the saxophone, knowledge is power in this industry, you should never stop wanting to know more ! DM: When in this industry, and based on your experiences, how important is it to stay true to your roots and not sacrifice your vision for the sake of pleasing a crowd? Z: Being a woman of 31 now, my vision has changed over the years, but I have never let anyone push me into something I didn’t want to do, ever! I believe the moment you sacrifice your own happiness and creativity is the moment this becomes a “job” this has never been a job to me, its my life, my first love
DARKUS and all I’ve ever wanted to do, I feel blessed everyday employed within the Industry. None of my teachers to do something that makes me so happy. are EX performers who have fallen into teaching their all within a working contract ,knowing all the DM: What are your main influences? latest dance choreography, singing styles, shows, TV Z: Oh I find influences everywhere!! I enjoy being roles and scripts , I’ve made it my mission for the around people who like to work hard! My family academy students to feel what’s going on within the influence me everyday, just by being so happy and industry here and now!!! Without the added costs of proud, their constant positivity pushes me into London trips, train tickets, stage school fees etc., I’m thinking that I can truly do anything :-) bringing all of that right to their doorstep! DM: How does it feel knowing that you too are a positive influence on others? Z: It’s a wonderful feeling, and some of my fans that I have met over the years truly are one of a kind!!they have followed me all over the world to support me in shows, created websites, social media pages and it really does touch me! DM: This summer will see you coming back to the region as part of your Zoe Birkett Academy project. What is the main vision about the Academy? Z: My vision for the academy is for the children of the North east to experience something new and refreshing from teachers that are currently
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DM: When you come into the music scene at any level, how important is it you have a clear vision for the direction you want to take? Z: I think it is important yes to have clear vision of the direction you want to take but more importantly The direction of who YOU ARE! and I feel that only comes from life experiences, age and understanding the business , I didn’t wake up and think this is the direction I want to take, I had to learn abut myself first ,my strengths and weaknesses, my knowledge of the business and from there could I decide how I could make my own mark on an ever changing industry, the best thing I learnt from that was to just be YOU! Never try to be anyone else it does not work! EVER!
music DM; From your own experiences, how significant was the advice and guidance you received? Z: I’ve always had a lot of support and love from my family and as a child the people who taught be really believed In me, but no one could prepare me for being at school one week leading a normal life, to then being on Pop Idol, having fans and making records the next, that whole time was so crazy, I had to grow up into an adult world pretty fast, and understand business even faster!! DM: What has been that one bit of key words of wisdom which will always remain at the forefront of your mind? Z: Success: when hard work and determination meet opportunity. DM: Although living in London at the moment, what does it feel to know that you were part of a revolution of outstanding musicians who emerged from the North East? Z: Wow...erm no one’s ever said it like that....well I guess it feels fantastic, I am very proud to be from the north east, and the moment I am home at least once a month which is really great, especially living in London, its great to escape! I just thank everyone for their support over the years, it means the world to me, ill continue to grow as much as possible and hopefully continue in making people smile.
www.zoebirkett.net @iamzoebirkett
fOr for further information email
info@thezoebirkettacademy.co.uk
To discover more about the Zoe Birkett Academy www.thezoebirkettacademy.co.uk The zoe birkett Academy head over to:
@theZBAcademy
Band of Skulls If there is one thing you do this summer, make sure its checking out Band Of Skulls. This year has seen the band perform a number of shows and festivals such Live At Leeds, and being a newbie to their music, I was left more and more impressed the more I discovered about them.
Article By Thushara Answers By Matt Hayward
Darkus Magazine: Hi guys, how is life treating you in the world of Band of Skulls these days? And are you happy with the way 2016 is shaping up for you?
M: I think the honesty in what we do. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors these days, selling something that’s not always what
Matt: Hello! Life is treating us kindly, thanks. Things are pretty hectic at the moment, but so far 2016 is shaping up to be a good ‘un. DM: Massive congratulations on the latest album, By Default. Being the latest album in your collection how did you want it to differ to HIMALYAN or even your earlier work? Matt: Thanks very much. We don’t really compare albums or look back too often. By Default, was written in a period of time and the songs reflect that period. We have to keep moving forward. Saying that, the new songs have been meeting the older songs at the shows and they seem to be getting along just fine.
it seems. We’re very proud of our history as a band and the path we’ve taken to get here. I hope that comes across when listening.
DM: What do you think this new record tells your fans, as well as yourselves, about where you’re at in your journey as a band?
DM: Already this year you have played a number of shows and festivals such as Live at Leeds and Liverpool Sound City, as well as supporting the Stereophonics; how have these opportunities enhanced your personal Band of Skulls experience?
M: It feels like a new era; I hope that comes across. It’s our fourth album which is nuts to us as we always feel like we’ve only just begun, and still have everything to prove. I guess we’ll look back at this time in a couple of years and probably understand it a lot better than we do right now.
M: We’ve just been excited to be playing live again. It’s been a while and you start to really miss it. The shows so far have been great. We’re not too fussy where and when, we like to play all manner of shows whether it’s our own shows, festivals, supports, clubs, theatres, weddings, bar mitzvahs. Just glad to be playing.
DM: As a new listener to Band of Skulls, I must say how the new album made an excellent first impression; when you are reaching out to new fans, what is it that you want them to take from hearing a Band of Skulls track or watching a live show?
DM: Honesty and feedback is such an important thing these days, and something which sometimes gets taken for granted; are there any words of wisdom spoken to you, either externally or internally, that have remained with you and helped to keep Band of Skulls strong?
DM: The shows you have played recently have been the first opportunities for people to hear your new material; overall what has the response been like?
M: Don’t get wrapped up in what other people are doing around you. Stay honest and focused on what you love to do and do that. DM: When making the album, how difficult was it to take a break from touring, especially as Band of Skulls are known for being extra special when it comes to playing live? Ha ha, extra special? We look at touring and being in the studio as antidotes to each other. They’re both poisonous, too much of one and it’ll get ya. From your perspective, what are the fundamentals to an effective creative process when writing? M: You have to be patient, some things come quickly, some take a long time to form. Always be ready to catch inspiration as it falls. For me ideas come at the most bizarre times and as soon it does you have to be ready to run with it otherwise it’s in danger of slipping away.
M: It’s been amazing. There’s always this excited apprehension before playing new songs for the first time, but it’s been great. It’s amazing to see the songs start to evolve live the more we play them. You learn new things about them every show. DM: Do you think the music scene has changed much from when you first began as a band? M: Yes, it is forever changing. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. I think the industry and how music is consumed is having the greatest effect these days. DM: How does it feel when, after more than 12 years, Band of Skulls still manage to draw in new and young fans? M: It’s amazing to us, truly. It’s amazing to have all kinds of people listening to our records and coming to see us play. Coming from our hometown of Southampton, to playing all over the world is pretty incredible to us. We feel very fortunate and grateful. DM: And, finally, what makes now a good time for people to invest in the world Band of Skulls? M: Now is as good a time as any.
DARKUS
w e i v r e t n I Jamilah with
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Article by JC Rivers
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had the distinct pleasure of meeting and interviewing Jamilah as she prepared to open up for Nelly. As I was walking up to meet her, I couldn’t help but notice the sheer amount of people who had arrived to the gig. This was going to be a huge opportunity for Jamilah in her quest for stardom.
JC: When did you realise you wanted to be a singer, and how have you made that dream become a reality? J: Well I actually didn’t start singing until quite late, when I was around 19. I went to school in South Shields (North East England) and the girls that I went to school with were in a girl band called “Desire”. They went on the XFactor the same year that JLS were on, they got to the judges houses before they got kicked out. When they re-grouped they knew I could sing and they asked if I could help out. So just randomly I said “Yeah go on then” because I knew that I wanted to be a singer at that point. So when I joined the band, that was it. I left the band after a couple of years. After that I moved to London in 2013 after I graduated, I spent a year in the studio for the first time, writing for the first time, connected with other musicians for the first time and that was the beginning of this. I feel like the move to London made this a reality. JC: What do you think are the main differences are between being in a band, and a solo singer? J: I couldn’t be in the band any longer, everything was a competition. There was a conflict as they would listen to songs that I didn’t really listen to. My dad then sat me down and asked “Could you be best friends with these girls” and that’s when I realised that I couldn’t be in the band because you have to be tight. JC: How do you separate from being professional Jamilah, and “normal” Jamilah? J: I don’t think I do, as I don’t think there is much of a difference. I actually have to try and make that more clear. I am always laughing and joking, I think in time I will need to tone that down to come across more professional. It’s a work in progress right now.
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JC: What do you think are the best and worst things are about being a singer? J: the best thing is the feeling, I can’t even describe it. I wish I could bottle it. The worst part is the fact that I want to do this for the rest of my life, if you want to take this seriously and be a success, you have to be at a certain status to do and you can’t just hand in a CV. It’s such a gamble, which is hard being a parent too. So it makes it harder to take that gamble. JC: How do you mange to separate your personal life from your music life? J: It is really difficult, because you cannot separate the two. I will be watching films with my son and I will have emails from my manager which I will need to reply to. I just won a competition to play at the Vodafone, Capital Summertime Ball I was in Alton Towers when I found out, and I had to have an interview while in the park. Some things can’t wait, because if you wait then that spot may be given to someone else. JC: What enticed you to apply for the Nelly gig? J: I was tagged in a status on Facebook by the person who booked me for the Tinie Tempeh show I played couple years ago. I submitted a video from
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Jamilah is one of the nicest people you will meet and Darkus would like to wish her all the luck and we will see her in August to see how the EP launch has gone so far so keep your eyes peeled!
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DARKUS YouTube. I was shortlisted with 14 other artists and the race was on from there. The votes came in and now I am here. JC: What are you listening to right now? J: I am listening to a lot of Ella Mai, she’s a girl from London who was discovered on Instagram. I love Beyoncé and Zara Larsson. With summer coming I am obviously listening to a lot of Rudimental *at this point I would like to point out that Jamilah did a little dance* JC: Is there anyone, doesn’t have to be music based, that inspires you and influences you to reach your goals? J: This will sound so cliché but I love Beyoncé. She manages to balance a working and personal life perfectly. If you want to do something you need to look at the best. Her private life stays private and she still has had an amazing career. As a parent this is vital to me. JC: What is next? J: I am currently working on an EP, and I have been working on this for a while, and it fees great that it is coming to fruition. I am actually having a EP release show, right here on August 5th. There are a few videos coming out also to promote the EP. JC: Where will you be in the next 5 years? J: Happy! I feel like with music, you just don’t know. So whatever I do, I will just make sure that me and my son are happy.
You can keep up to date with all things Jamilah using these link, be sure to check her out!
www.jamilahmusic.com twitter: @JamilahMusic
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facebook: Jamilahofficial
JC: Finally, do you have any tips for young singers? J: Don’t stop, if you stop you will lose your rhythm. Also network as much as you can, if you can’t physically be in a place where it is buzzing, get online. I don’t need to be in London all the time, but I can be on Social Media all the time. Don’t let them forget you.
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Article By Thushara Answers by Brandon Williams
We caught up with Brandon Williams from Canadian band CHASTITY for a quick chat about the latest single. Darkus Magazine: Hi Brandon, how are you enjoying your year so far? Brandon: My year has been fine, I think. In Vancouver right now, away from my home, and I’m feeling anxious. DM: Back in May you were over in the UK to tour; did you achieve everything you wanted from your time here? B: Yes. All the places were great, the towns in specific. A town called Hitchin was really great. DM: Did you notice any major differences between the Canadian music scene and the UK music scene based on your time here? B: Yes, Canadians are loyal but the culture isn’t sunk as deep in music as it is in the UK, I don’t believe. Canada is a young country, and young, I think, in our understanding of ourselves in a lot of ways. DM: Your single, Peroxide, was released
recently – it’s still early days but are you happy with the feedback and the attention it has received thus far? B: Yes, I’m pleased with it; people seem pleased with it. DM: What do you feel Peroxide says about Chasity; not just as a song but your progress as a band? B: I’ve had it written in another form for a few years now, so it’s a relief to have recorded it the way I’d hope and to put out. DM: Be it witnessing a live show, listening to the Tape EP or watching one of your videos online, what is the best way for a new listener to understand and embrace the vision of Chastity? B: Any of the above is OK, I think, although I hope the music comes first. Be sure to check out the band’s debut album which will be released later this year. For more information, head over to www.facebook.com/ chastitysongs
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LIVE AT LEEDS 2016 It was that time of year again for us to head over to Leeds for this years Live At Leeds. An event which brings together good food and drink, music and also showcases some of the exceptional venues that exist in this beautiful city. Being spread across the city, the Live At Leeds experience allows people to explore and discover all in the name of music.
What I love about this festival is that it is an opportunity to hear and meet some of this country’s rising stars, especially those who are based at the local level. Yes there may be some big names on the lineup, but for me what makes Live At Leeds that extra bit worth it for me, is its emphasis on fresh, new and exciting music. Regardless at what point you enter the music scene or how much experience you have as an artist you are all in the same boat at the end of the day, so festivals such as Live At Leeds act as a platform to get yourselves the acknowledgement you deserve. So who were some of the artists I managed to check out on my visit this year. I first headed over to Belgrave Music Hall to see local band LUV who until this point we were strangers so to speak. Although quite a young band, don’t let this fool you because once they begin to play you will soon be left speechless for all the right reasons. Initial impressions are important, and LUV not only
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captivated me with their catchy tunes, and their endearing personalities but there performance helped portray them as a band who have great promise. I am only too excited to see how the band develop in future months. From here I then headed over to The Key Club to see another local band, Fizzy Blood. The band visited Newcastle a while back, and unfortunately I was not able to check out their show then, so I was excited to see what these guys had to offer, especially on home ground. As soon as I walked into the venue straight away it was a struggle to get to the front as the whole place was packed out, thus showing just how popular Fizzy Blood are. The set was full of energy, with the songs being both relatable and fun. I would say that this is a band who really do shine and highlight the incredible potential they have, via the medium of live music. Without a second thought, I had to go and see my good friends The Hunna as they were playing
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Photo By Amy Hanna
DARKUS Leeds Becket 2 stage such lovely guys and regardless whether they are playing a festival or one of their own headline shows they always bring such energy and happy vibes to the atmosphere. Staying in Leeds Beckett, I then headed over to the main stage to see two bands who have highly recommended to me recently through friends. The first was Blood Red Shoes. I have only heard 1 or two tracks by the band probably about a year ago, but never really had the opportunity to pursue them any further nor did I know much about what they had to offer. Thanks to this year at LAL, I was able to finally discover just what I had been missing out on. Oh my days! Straight away I was hooked by this duo whose set was intense, energetic and delivered with such power. I may not have known any of the tracks, but fuck my life that didn’t stop me from joining in and dancing. For a new fan this was the ideal opportunity for me to discover some of their earlier tracks such as ‘Light It Up’ ,‘Red River’ and ‘Colours Fade’ as well as much more recent tracks such as ‘Speech Coma’ and ‘An Animal’. It is worth noting that Blood Red Shoes consist only of two members, Steven Ansell (drums and vocals) and Laura-Mary Carter (vocals and guitar) but the duo work incredibly well together thus complimenting eachother and making them a fanstastic and strong band duo to see perform live. They certainly exceeded my recommendations. The second recommendation I checked out was London based band The Duke Spirit. Writer Andy Elsender of our very own dream team wrote about
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these talented souls in the last issue of Darkus, and I always regard Andy as a good source of judgment, so I was excited to finally see the band for myself. Stepping onto the stage at Leeds Beckett, the band led by lead vocalist Leila Moss, Tom Butler on bass, Olly Betts on drums and Luke Ford on guitars really brought their ‘A’ Game to the Live At Leeds 2016 crowd. Putting heart, passion and plenty of spark into their set, The Duke Spirit gave us the finest live music experience you could ever encounter. It was so good how the energy of the band flowed into the audience, making the atmosphere in the room that extra bit special. 2016 has already been an eventful year for The Duke Spirit with the release of their latest album KIN as well as numerous shows of their own. Furthermore they returned to scene after a 3 year break, so this LAL showed that despite taking time out, they are very much still committed to music with this year being a year that they are stronger and focused than ever. This became even more evident as the band showcased some of the new material from the latest album – a newer fresher and revitalised band who are still loyal to their original roots. I would of liked to have seen more artists at this year’s LAL, but from the few I was able to go and see I was nevertheless impressed. Was it better than last year? All I will say is that each year brings its own memories, so LAL 2016 will be another year where I am thankful for being introduced to some of the most exceptional artists that exist within the UK music scene.
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Photo By Amy Hanna
Article By Thushara
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LIVE AT LEEDS Exclusive Interviews
Like always whenever at an event such as Live At Leeds, I like to take the opportunity to catch up some of the artists, especially those who captivate and inspire the minds of their fans through their music. Although I spoke to a number of incredible musicians, there was two who really took my attention the most, and in some respects offer a good comparison between being new to the industry and those who have a number of years of knowledge and experience.
Declan McKenna My first case study so to speak was 18 year old Declan McKenna. Here we have a young guy, doing incredible work, and despite his age is very much committed and focused what direction he wishes to take his music. With just a matter of week until, the release his latest single Bethlehem, when asked how he was feeling, Declan told me just how happy he was to finally be able to get the single out there to the public, as having put a lot of thought, love and care in to it, he felt it was a song which illustrated where he was at the moment with his music. Looking at him it was so easy to see the excitement in his eyes. For me that is a sign of true character because it shows someone who although may still be relatively new to the music scene, it is their hunger to succeed and be acknowledged which drives them. Live At Leeds was just one of many festivals Declan
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would be performing, as well as Glastonbury, Latitude and Kendal Calling, so when asked about what music fans could expect Declan told me that it was a chance to see him perform at what he feels like is the start of his journey, so should anyone see him a year or so down the line they will hopefully be able see how he continues to progress on a daily basis. What is quite endearing from speaking to Declan is that here we have a young guy, not afraid to be himself. Too many times in this industry we see people who hold back, so its always quite refreshing when you meet someone like Declan who at a professional and personal level approaches everything with such sincerity and humbleness.
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Benjamin Francis The second interview I wanted to highlight to you was my lovely chat with an exceptional singersongwriter originally from York, Benjamin Francis Leftwich. Having first come onto the music scene in 2011 with his debut album ‘Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm’ Benjamin has always stayed true to his roots, and created music which speaks straight from the heart. Having had a busy few weeks, we caught him at a time when he had just completed a string of UK headline dates. I asked him how he found it? Benjamin tells me that although it was hard work playing back to back shows, and travelling, the experience was absolutely worth it, especially as the response from the crowd was so good. For the fans not only were they able to hear some of his earlier material but also preview some of the upcoming tracks from his upcoming album ‘After The Rain’, which is due for release August 19th 2016. When your name is Benjamin Francis Leftwich, and your playing shows or releasing any new material what can you expect? For Benjamin there are a number of priorities. Firstly he tells me its about
Article By Thushara
pushing himself to ensure he ensures he plays to the best of his ability, and yes there may be a mixture of emotions attached to some songs be it a reminder of happy or tough times, but its about having the confidence to express yourself in a safe way, where in many ways music becomes your therapy. The second objective which we both agreed on is that although it is good to see the appearance of loyal fans, its equally important as a musican to think outside the box and reach out to those fans who are yet to be converted. Again like my chat with Declan, I was incredibly inspired from my brief chat with Benjamin because he was so genuine and passionate, and most of all thankful for the opportunities which have allowed him to succeed thus far. I wish both Declan McKenna and Benjamin Francis all the best for the rest of 2016 and beyond. My chat with both of these wonderful gentlemen reinforced that regardless of how many years of experience that music is a constant evolution where you are always discovering more about yourself as an artist.
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Pete Doherty I
will forever regard Pete Doherty as one of the greatest musicians around, and despite having great success with the likes of The Libertines and Babyshambles, there is so much more this talented guy has to offer. Therefore it really excited fans when he announced he would be doing his own UK tour – which for me especially was an opportunity to just focus on Pete Doherty. Coming to Newcastle’s prestigious and awesome Riverside, part of the Think Tank family, fans turned up in their numbers, and with quite excitement as Pete Doherty brought his UK tour to the city this May.
Bringing together crowds of all generations who had nothing but absolute admiration and respect for Pete, you just knew that based on the atmosphere in the crowd that this was going to be one show you should definitely not miss. Before I get to Pete however, I must draw your attention to a gentleman who since I have known him back in 2014 has not just made me smile through his approach to music but comes from one of the best Welsh bands to put a refreshing sense
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of excitement into the UK music scene. Who am I talking about? None other than Jack Jones, lead vocalist for Trampolene. Many of you would of seen us feature Trampolene in recent issues of Darkus, and as a trio they always manage to deliver such electric and energetic performances whilst making their music something which is in tune with the topics of today’s society. For this Newcastle date however, although I am a big fan of Trampolene is was nice to just see Jack as the emphasis was on his solo material, thus making it a candid and intimate set which allowed fans to look into the mind of this exceptional song writer. What I quite admire about Jack is his ability to take risks, and although his lyrics to some may feel a little daring, he delivers each song he writes with such poetic beauty. Taking on issues such as drugs, employment or society as a whole, there is something which we can all relate to, and in an environment where you are encouraged you speak your mind. People these days tend to play it safe, so when I know Jack Jones is on the line-up, you know he is going to mix things up nicely making you feel as a listener nothing but captivated. Some of the songs he performed on the night included ‘Alcohol Kiss’ and ‘Ketamine’. Alcohol Kiss especially is one which is usually performed with his other two band mates Wayne and Rob, but hearing it with just Jack on his own, and somewhat
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Article and Photos By Thushara spoken poetically allowed you to really focus on the emotion and love that goes into the lyrics, thus giving it a song I have heard countless times, an extra new dimension. Having enhanced the energy at the Riverside, it was time for Pete Doherty to take to the stage. Beginning with a Libertines classic, ‘Breck Road Lover’ the excitement and adrenaline in the room increased ten fold. As soon as the beat kicked in, the fans without any thought were ready to dance and sing along at the top of their lungs. If this is only the first song of the night, dangggg just wait for the rest of the set haha! Its only really the past two years I have been a real fan of Pete Doherty but at whatever point you discover a musician, seeing them perform live just makes the experience worth it. Fans were treated to a number of popular hits on the night such as ‘Last Of The English Roses’, ‘The Whole World Is Our Playground’ and ‘Flags Of The Old Regime’. The chemistry between Pete and the crowd was just so mind-blowing that everyone in
the venue was in high spirits throughout the night. Obviously as Pete is famous for his work with The Libertines and Babyshambles, it would be rude not to spoil his loyal fans with some of those tracks as well, with probably based on the reaction of the crowd, ‘What Katie Did’ being one of the favourites of the night. Having given 110% as he always does, it was time for this night to come to an end, but in true Pete Doherty style its never too late for a bit of extra fun. Not just doing 1 but 2 encores. There may be a curfew, but that soon went out the window as both Pete and the fans were here to party so when it comes to live music, its best to embrace that opportunity at it’s fullest! Based on the level of energy and passion that Pete Doherty showed on that stage, this is the perfect example just how music creates a sense of freedom and safety and the love Pete has for the music he creates but also the love of his fans is priceless. I look forward to seeing him again very soon.
Newton Faulkner Article By Thushara Photos By Jemma Dodd
He has to be one of the most passionate, down to earth and exceptional creative minds around, and each time when you hear the name Newton Faulkner it brings nothing but inspiration and smiles. Having had an eventful 2016 already we caught up with the man himself after completing an incredibly popular headline UK tour. I started our chat by seeing how the adrenaline levels were after being on the road for a few weeks. He explained to me that it was in his opinion one of the best tours so far during his time as a musician. Despite playing each night, and constant travelling it was nevertheless an incredibly good time overall. Music aside, Newton has a number of strings to his bow, including his time with Green Day the musical. Having to put his acting skills to the test, which he was pretty happy with, Faulkner was only too pleased to be given a leading role. I asked him what he found most beneficial about it the most, and it was quite simply the fact that it opened up a number of new opportunities and avenues which he may not of previously considered. So for a guy such as Newton Faulkner is it easy to have confidence in the music which is created? Yes. Faulkner compared it very much to acting, in the
sense that it is about finding the meaning, depth and in some respects a story which is relatable and honest. As a large majority of his material is quite personal and reflective is it always as easy as it sounds to reconnect with the songs he created. I admired his openness when he explained it is not always so straight forward as it may seem as there can be some songs where the emotion is just still over powering and raw that even though they beautiful in their own right, not all songs are performed live. Saying this however, Newton Faulkner also tells me his approach to music and life in general is to always be positive. Regardless of how your feeling, it’s a case of ‘music karma’ so he feels ‘regardless of how I feel, I have a responsibility to approach everything with a positive mental attitude’. Quoting Eric Roache he goes on to explain, ‘music is a language so you have to make sure you have something to say.’
Moving on as time was ticking away we then went on to discuss the latest material. Having had the opportunity to share some of the new music on the tour he felt quite amazed at the feedback and response it had been getting from the fans especially. When you’re a exceptionally talented pioneer of music with many years of experience, like Newton Faulkner it is often the case that when touring the crowds will expecting to mainly hear the classics. Faulkner tells me he did not disappoint those fans, but was also glad he had the opportunity to sneak in a few of his latest work. What is it like to tour when you are Newton Faulkner then? He told me that when it comes to live shows that is where he feels most at home. As he describes it “it is such a comfortable feeling, and regardless of how I may have those initial nerves, once on the stage that soon is replaced with confidence and belonging.’ From some of the shows he has played he goes on to explain how its so humbling to sometimes see three generations of a family turn up to the shows, which just
demonstrates the incredible ability of this talented musician to keep the music relevant to his current fan base but also still successfully manage to draw in new crowds as well. Personally I would see this as one of the main ways when your in this industry that you truly have the acknowledgment you deserve. Having had such a in depth chat with Newton Faulkner, we could of talked for hours, but sadly it was time to bring this discussion to an end. However not without asking one more important question – why is now a good time to invest in Newton Faulkner? Not wanting to give too much away, he explained that these are quite interesting times where nostalgia is embraced but progression is also celebrated. There we have it then! My time with Newton Faulker was surely quite a fruitful encounter and I am sure that he will continue to evolve and go from strength to strength. His latest album, HUMAN LOVE, it now out so be sure to check it out to discover where Newton Faulkner is at in his journey as a musician.
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The Botanist strikes a chord with music lovers L
IVELY bar and restaurant, The Botanist in Monument Mall, will be celebrating The New World Trading Company’s (NWTC) 10,000th live music gig this July with a special band performance. The team in Newcastle will welcome international acoustic duo Kick Back Sundays on Thursday 14 July when they stop off on a UK-wide tour of NWTC’s venues for an evening of entertainment. The leisure group’s 10,000th gig campaign is being sponsored by Heineken and is the climax of 364 days a year of live music across its 14 sites in the UK from London to Glasgow. To mark the occasion, Australian vocalist Ashleigh Rodier and multi-instrumentalist Ben Foster will be touring each one in a VW Camper Van and vlogging their experience along the way. The series of local gigs will run up to the milestone celebration. A playlist of the ‘top 40 songs of all time’ as selected by Genre Music will be played in the unique sound
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of the upbeat duo based in Warrington, which consists of two acoustic guitars, foot percussion and a harmonising vocoder. While Ashleigh’s sweet, strong vocal quality charms their audience, Ben performs the duties of drummer, bassist and lead guitar all with one instrument and his two percussive pedals, one for each foot. NWTC books a minimum of 14 live acts a day through its partner Genre Music, which supports young local talent by giving them a platform to perform in their local areas. The Botanist general manager Andrew Shiel-Redfern said: “We love being able to bring live and intimate performances to our customers and are proud of our partnership with Genre, showcasing the best of upcoming North East musicians and artists. We are really looking forward to this one-off event coming to our Newcastle venue – it’s set to be a brilliant night.” The final – and the official 10,000th – gig will be
music celebrated with a huge party at Manchester’s The Oast House on Sunday 31 July, where the very first gig was played back in late 2011. You can pick
up a golden plectrum from The Botanist for your chance to win £100 bar tab at Newcastle’s gig on the Thursday 14 July, and also VIP tickets, travel and
For further information on the gig Email
newcastlebdm@thebotanist.uk.com
Call
0191 261 6307
or visit
The Botanist at Monument Mall, Newcastle NE1 5AU. To find out more about Kick Back Sundays, visit:
kickbacksundays.wix.com/homepage
DARKUS
Beyoncè In all my years of going to shows, if you asked me a couple of years ago if I would be going to see Beyonce anytime in my lifetime, my response would probably be, ‘please child quit playing, I aint that lucky’. Having entered the music scene in the days of Destiny’s Child, this was only the beginning of things to come, as over the years Beyonce went from strength to strength, pushing herself and creating music from the heart.
The legendary artist, mother and pioneer of the international music scene What we all now have the pleasure of witnessing now in 2016 is the legendary artist, mother and pioneer of the international music scene who continues to inspire people of all generations be it via her music or simply through her kindness and love for people. For a lot of people, myself included growing up, Beyonce’s music was always a source of strength which I will always be thankful for. She is person who has experienced life – good times, bad times, love etc, and successfully manages to transcend those feelings and emotions into something beautiful and poetic which resonates with her fans. The underlying message whenever I think of a
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Beyonce track or her journey is that it is ok to hurt, but if you focus on the lyrics and embrace the words of Beyonce, everything will work out well as long as you don’t give up and keep fighting – that my friends is true strength. As someone I will always truly value and respect, it was like a dream come true when I heard that she would be coming to Sunderland’s Stadium Of Light for the opening night of her World Formation Tour in Europe. If your going to such an important show, then for me there is only one way to appreciate it fully and that is to opt for Standing Tickets – not only because you have a better chance of getting as close to the front as possible, but this is Beyonce we are speaking about who has a catalogue of monumental hits, so you know you need to do some serious dancing. The set began with dancers coming onto stage dressed in black and all wearing a very stylish black fedora. You look around for a moment, waiting for the adrenaline to kick in, and then next thing you know the lady herself looking stylish as ever makes an epic entrance. The screams of joy in the crowd just increase tenfold. If your used to only hearing Beyonce’s recorded music, then oh my days seeing her perform her tracks live is just a whole new experience. In regards to the songs on the night there was quite an exceptional collection, I would probably say
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The Formation World Tour 2016
Daniel Vesco (Parkwood Entertainment / AP Invision)
about over 30 songs. Of the classic Beyonce songs, fans were treated to the likes of ‘Run The World (Girls)’, ‘Me Myself And I’, and ‘Naughty Girl’. It was equally if not better to discover some of her latest material taken from her latest record Lemonade, such as ‘Sorry’ which is just sang so beautifully and with an electrifying type of emotion. Other songs from the new album included ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself ’, ‘All Night’ and ‘Freedom’. I would probably say that with these new songs they are a lot more reflective, but show that be it 2006 or 2016 the quality of Beyonce’s material just continues to
remain nothing other than exceptional. Just being in the same room at Queen B herself its so easy to understand what makes this incredible lady such a blessing. Throughout the night Beyonce continued to bring the energy, the good vibes and plenty of sass. What was also very touching and humbling to see was how she paid tribute to all the opportunities which allowed her to get to the place where she is now – be it the life she created with Jay Z, the moments of joy she experienced growing up. If there is one thing
DARKUS you can learn from Beyonce, which is no surprise is how much value she places on the importance of family so for her to share those precious memories with her fans on this tour at the shows just emphasised how kind spirited she was. For me there were two other highlights of the night firstly her homage she paid to the recent departure of another great musician, Prince which was just such a precious moment. The second was her tribute to the days of Destiny’s Child, which I said earlier, was probably for many there first introduction to Beyonce the musician…but not Beyonce the person. Being a lady who knows how to do things in style, after a few touching words she knew there was only way to thank that crucial point in her career – playing ‘Survivor’. Man that song not just a classic, but having Queen B sing it to you live just blows your mind. After just over 2 hours of playing sensational tracks, and thanking the crowds in Sunderland for making
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this such a fantastic start to the tour in Europe, it was that sad moment when it was time for Beyonce to wish her fans good night and bring the show to a close. Looking around although the fans were sad it was time to go, you could really show the joy and happiness at the same time. Beyonce created memories for a lot of fans over the years and this show helped people to rekindle those, while also creating a new set of extra memories which they will cherish forever more. For the moments of strength you brought me over many years, and how you have continued be an absolute inspiration on all levels, I have no other words to say other than, Thank You Beyonce for the past, the present and the future. Article By Thushara
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Thank You Beyoncè for the past, the present and the future.
Will Joseph Cook
Darkus Magazine caught up with singer-songwriter Will Joseph Cook. Having had a busy few months, this is a year that sees Will fully embracing his evolution as a musician. Darkus Magazine: How are you enjoying the lead up to your headline show at Boston Music Room? Will: I made a great breakfast so I’m feeling pretty good. Good eggs = good day = great gig. DM: When people think of London they usually think of the likes of Camden Barfly, Dingwells or even KOKO. What was it about this venue that
appealed to you the most? W: It’s fun playing places you haven’t been to before. I was talking with a friend about it and we were both
saying that as a gig goer it makes the night way more exciting if it’s new territory. So hopefully it will be a memorable evening for everyone heading down. DM: Having supported Walking With Cars, how have you enjoyed the experience?
W: It’s always awesome to play to new
more responsive to the most powerful parts crowds of people who may not have heard of a song and then to know which parts I should build on. my music before. We had a lot of fun, and the band were really lovely. DM: The rest of this summer will see you play a number of festivals including Y Not DM: Is there anything from your time supporting other artists you are going to try and Reading and Leeds 2016. What was it and incorporate when it comes to your own like to be selected to be part of the lineup? headline show? W: Felt great! Reading was a definite W: I like it when bands transform the venue ‘coming of age’ festival for me and my friends so it’s weird to be playing it. I also into their own space. When I supported think that the line up means a lot to people Everything Everything the stage set up and and is exciting to see, even for fans who their set was all very conceptual. I thought can’t make it to the festival. that was really cool. DM: From your own experiences what is DM: Great news to hear about the new the best way, you have found to approach single, ‘Take Me Dancing’. Do you think it’s the UK music scene when you are trying to a good song for new people especially for get your voice heard and taken seriously as grasping where your at in your journey at a musician? the moment as a musician? W: I think it’s best to keep everything simple, W: It’s definitely a song I’m very proud if you’re starting out don’t consume your and for me it says a lot about the kind of time with making a perfect album on your message I want my music to have. To new own. Playing shows, uploading songs and listeners I would 100% recommend. DM: You have two amazing EPs out at the enjoying yourself are far more important moment too. There is so much talk these days and engaging. For most people I would say just be prolific and don’t be precious about about debut albums, but do you think the power of an EP can be underestimated? having your songs online, the more people W: My EPs were really important for that hear your music the better. DM: When people listen to your music or experimenting with my song writing. I think they’re pretty key, especially see one of your live shows is there anything in particular you want them to take away? for a young artist, to finding the W: The main thing for me is that they love path you want to go down with your music. I think an album has to it and come to the next one. If I see familiar faces at shows then I feel like I’m doing the sound intentional and cohesive, right thing. Plus it’s cool to share the journey EPs teach valuable lessons. with fans. DM: When it comes to DM: Once the summer is over, any plans writing material is there any you can share with us, on how you see particular situations when you yourself ending the year in style. feel most inspired? Or is it a case of recognising the opportunity and W: I don’t wanna jinx anything but we’re embracing the moment? looking at playing some shows in the US, Taking the music to other countries is pretty W: Whenever I’m emotional I write better high on my list. songs, to me it doesn’t matter what the emotion necessarily is. I find it makes me
DARKUS
WHEATUS Darkus Magazine’s very own Becca Fergus caught up with frontman Brendan Brown from Wheatus when the band came to the UK recently as part of their UK tour. Read on to find out more. Darkus Magazine: When you wrote Teenage Dirtbag, were you expecting such success? Brendan: No. I knew it was a good tune but I also knew it took more than that (back then) to get through to people. I was initially more concerned that it would go unheard, good tune or not. There are, sadly, plenty of examples of that. DM: Was Teenage Dirtbag inspired by a general adolescent experience, or yourself? B: I never talked about this when our 1st album because I thought it was a little too dark. When I was 10, there was a teen murder in my town. The kids involved were commonly referred to by all, as dirtbags. They were HEAVILY into drugs. It just so happened that they were also into the same music I was into. The killer was arrested with an AC/DC shirt on. My tape case was full of AC/DC. That made for some difficult times. It’s very alienating to be held in suspicion for your tastes. That’s the cultural backdrop, being 10-11 in 1984, finding my musical identity in that reactionary environment.
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DM: Do your other tunes ever get jealous? B: No. They’re snobby about it...they’re like, “well you’re just a relic from the tough love 80’s, Dirtbag... and we’re like, more sophisticated & interesting, musically.” and Dirtbag is like, “pfft, fuck you assholes. I sell more.” DM: A 33 date tour seems rather hefty; how are you preparing for the task? B: It’s not the longest we’ve done...that was last year, I think we had 40 + shows last time with one day off. Sleep is the only real answer but we also try to exercise, eat well, all that. Staying away from alcohol is helpful as well...I didn’t have a drop last tour & I still got sick so erm, yeah. DM: Has there been a friendship with Busted since the Noughties? B: James & I met via email, through a fan-becomefriend called Gemma, in 2005. We’ve been friends ever since. We have some very important common interests. We wind up writing together almost every
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DARKUS time we see each other. He’s also the master of the random drop-in. You never know when James is gonna show up at Wheatus HQ. He’ll always be a member of the family, which reminds me, I need to make him a key set. DM: Does it feel as though there is a connection with musicians of around that time? B: I must admit, my connections with musicians from that time are limited. I somehow have longer term relationships with people from after that period, and a few from before. I think that’s down to us not having a lot of time together with our “classmates” from that era...I mean, we were also sort of the wimpy-weird band from that time. It was also logistics a bit, most of those punk-ish bands we were classed with were based in The USA and we toured more overseas. DM: What can we expect from album seven? B: Well, while I could never write in this style, from a production standpoint, I’ve revisited a record that stunned me when I was 14 & changed everything BITD, Metallica’s socio-political tech metal masterpiece, ...And Justice For All. Cliff had just died & I don’t think they had time to get Jason up to speed enough so the record consists of only 3 instruments, drums, guitar & vocals. ...but that thing COMPLETELY sucks the air out of the room. It broke all the rules & I’ve often thought it could be an interesting engineering adventure to try and capture some version of those tonalities that accommodates an equally crushing bass sound. Again, obviously, we cannot sound anything like Metallica ... but I’ve begun to run that engineering experiment & it leads quickly to very dangerous and unexplored places. Very exciting. ...oddly, the recipe often reminds me a bit of Beck’s Sea Change & Morning Phase records, just some of the aesthetic mind you, not the song writing. DM: What inspires your sound the most? B: It’s different on every record. I think the inspiration comes, not from the sound, but from the puzzle you’re trying to solve when you’re looking for it...and the sense that you may be getting somewhere new & interesting based on hunches, guesses & mystical ideas. I’m also quite inspired by films & cinematography. ...pictures can become sounds, but there’s nothing inspiring about trying the same trick twice.
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DM: How do you feel about the alternation from headline club to arena and vice versa thought touring the UK? B: We’ve never done it before but we’re excited to try it. On our last 5 tours a short club set was 1 hr. 20 minutes. I’m curious as to whether the bigger audiences will change the way we experience the durations. It’s gonna be a fun experiment. DM: Has chopping and changing members altered the dynamics of the band? B: It’s actually stabilized our dynamics quite a bit. We’ve been able to establish a longer term trust. We’ve never had any vitriolic splits...it’s sort of a revolving cast of characters in some cases. It’s also important to remember that our longest current member is Matthew, our bass player. He’s been in the band 10 years longer than any other member besides myself, I’m obviously, the barnacle. DM: What do you expect from a Newcastle crowd? B: The musical history of the place is pretty profound so there’s always that pressure. I mean, Brian Johnson is a Geordie...If I think about The Toon being his home city while I’m on stage I’ll fuck up the song, BIG TIME. Somehow the NC crowds always maintain that legacy without being up themselves...it keeps us real as well. I have a Newcastle ritual, I do it every time we’re there. I sneak off & stand at rivers edge & listen to Sting, The Soul Cages. It’s my atheist coming of age record. very important. I have 2 copies on vinyl. Prized possessions. I sit there like a dork thinking about The Roman Empire, the wall, the industrial shipping age...yeah...well, I never said I was cool. DM: After the release of your seventh album, what is the next big thing for Wheatus?
Tour dates, and another one and another one ... and. another. one.
Answers By Brendan B Brown Article By Becca Fergus
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We Came As Romans Who Will Pray We Came As Romans releases third music video for new album. I know many things about the heavier side of music, you probably know this by now if you keep up with my articles, but there are things I don’t know. The question I have to ask right now though is: What the hell is “post-hardcore”?! No one seems to be able to give me an answer in words and has simply pointed me to the band We Came As Romans, a band I don’t remember breaking into the lime light. But this article isn’t about me trying to understand what “post-hardcore” is or why any band finds it necessary to have two vocalists, it’s about the new music video that has been sprung on us by We Came As Romans, to accompany their fourth studio album. “Who Will Pray” is the third music video to be released to support the self-titled album alongside “The World I Used To Know” and “Regenerate”. According to an inside source this new music video “demonstrates the band at their most kickass!” and after having watched the video myself I find myself agreeing with the statement. This videos really does make the band look Kick-ass since they all don
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their subpar superhero costumes and generally fight crime very badly. This makes for a strange but at least vaguely entertaining music video that’s a good way to kill time for four minutes. The song itself is simply acceptable, non-offensive and benign, conforming to the stereotypical sound and feel that we have come to expect from mid to late 2000s “rock” bands. That’s not to say it isn’t good, beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all, I’m simply saying, really it needs to be the sort of thing you like to begin with. If it’s the type of thing you are already into you’ll be happy to know that We Came As Romans will be supported by a member of their shockingly beige contemporaries and have a series of UK shows lined up for their tour. The Band will be supported by Memphis May Fire and dates can be found on We Came As Romans’ official band page. The music video is available on Vevo and Youtube and the band’s full length self-titled album is available in stores and for digital download.
By Jack Alexander
DARKUS
Need to breathe If there is one band I need to recommend you check out from this issue of Darkus, it has to be none other than South Carolina rock band NEEDTOBREATHE. Best known for their album ‘Rivers In The Wasteland’ back in 2014 which received much praise, the band wanting to continue to take their music forward with the release of their latest album H A R D L O V E on 15th July 2016 which is said to be an incredibly strong masterpiece which despite the highs and lows of life, shows that NEEDTOBREATHE’s passion and spirit is very much still alive. As a new fan, the band can offer something
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which brings both joy, lyrics which are easy to relate and will have you singing and praising NEEDTOBREATHE in no time. Despite identifying themselves as a rock band, I think this is a band that anyone can listen to regardless of genre, age or anything else. The true way to appreciate anything is to approach it with an open mind, and with the case of NEEDTOBREATHE trust me when I say this you certainly won’t be left disappointed. In fact you may very well be wanting to get your hands on the new album and recommending it to all your nearest and dearest. From the new album then what are some of the
music exceptional tracks to look out for? First there is ‘Great Night’ which just amazes you from the moment you press play. Like other work NEEDTOBREATHE have, Great Night is a song filled which is full of good positive energy, and music which really does leave you smiling throughout, and no doubt humming along in no time. The second, and probably my favourite is ‘Happiness’. Lyrically as a listener you instantly connect, and yes it addresses how days can seem tough, but reminds you to keep going, as the band say “all for you in my pursuit of happiness”. You could also in a way also see this song which teaches you with the right attitude you can make peace with your past. Similar thing can be said about another
of their tracks, Hard Love which again possesses so much strength and positivity on all levels. Based on these tracks alone, I can already tell that when H A R D L O V E is released on 15th July 2016, it is going to be pretty special. It is hard not to listen to a NEEDTOBREATHE song and not feel a sense of comfort, joy and inspiration – so what are you waiting for? Go Order Your Copy right now!
Article By Thushara
HARDLOVE Released on 15th July 2016
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The Hunna Having first seen them a few months back, The Hunna have continued to bring their energy, and addictive and fun music to the UK scene, making them one of my favourite bands of 2016. Having only ever seen them live, which is an experience in itself, it was time to finally catch up with these 4 guys, who I can only describe as the most friendly, down to earth and genuine guys you will ever meet. Darkus Magazine: You have been busy lately I hear? The Hunna: Yea we just finished playing The Great Escape. We only had one other festival so far this year which was Live At Leeds. We don’t really know what to expect when we go to something like a festival but so far its been good. We have received a really good reception from the crowd. The room we played at The Great Escape was really fully, which organisers said they have never had before. We went over to France as well to play a
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festival which we forgot to mention haha. DM: Did you pick up any French lingo during your visit? TH: Je suis oi oi…..haha….no seriously it was so good to be out there and see the reaction of the crowd in a different country who know our songs and are not afraid to sing along.. DM: How happy are you with you 2016 so far? TH: Its been a whirlwind and so crazy so far. So much has happened and so quickly too, so we are just taking it day by day really. We are enjoying it so much though, and the fact that we are playing sold out shows, and having all these people sing our songs back is always what we wanted. DM: It hasn’t been long since you last toured, so what are you going to do differently? TH: We have got a lot more new material for a start, a few songs from the album which we can debut.
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Also we are visiting some cities which we have never played before. Things have progressed a little bit more since we were last on the road so what is different is probably the fans having a better idea of who we are and more familiar with our music. DM: What does each tour then tell fans about where you’re at in your journey> TH: It’s weird. For example when were on stage we feed off the energy of the crowd and how they react or even just talking to them after the set. It’s almost like playing to a group of friends. The fans are pretty much; it feels, anyway, on the same journey as us. We have got to this point because of them, so it’s nice that we can all collectively see everything grow. DM: Be it a short set or a longer set do you think its easy from the outside to underestimate the level of work that goes into the Hunna? TH: Definitely. There is a lot that goes into a set and all the other stuff like recording and just being in a band in general that people don’t see. There’s people behind the scenes etc. In our case especially the way we perform live, we are quite old school in our approach, and to be as good as we can be takes a lot of commitment and hours. DM: While touring this time round I understand your going to take some time out on your days off to get some more ink. Any ideas of what kind of
tattoos you want next? TH: We just signed to a label called 300 in America, so were wanting to get the logo as a tribute ha! There is lots of talk of squad name tattoos too. Were super excited because we have wanted to get some for so long now, but never had time really so its good we finally get the opportunity to treat ourselves. DM: Signing to 300 what do you think you are going to the party? TH: We are the first UK artist they have ever signed for a start, so we will offer a rock twist to Britpop which they may not to seen before. DM: When do you find you are your most creative? TH: Even before we got signed we spent a lot of time together. It can literally come out of nowhere, for example we could be having a smoke and that always gets the creative juices flowing. We will think up random stories or film ideas . also with our fashion, we do a lot of it ourselves and buy cheap stuff , cut it up and create based on how we feel. We enjoy experimenting and vibing off each other. DM: Song wise which brings you the most excitement on stage? TH: Probably ‘Bad For You’ which we always play during the encore. Every time we play it the atmosphere always goes mental.
DARKUS TH: Take over the world baby haha‌seriously though we want to be the biggest band in the world and be internationally recognised. We hope The Hunna is a name people will one day soon all remember and feel inspired. At the end of the day anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it, and we want to emphasise that to people via our music.
Fans will also be happy to hear that the band will be appearing at the following locations this summer for an exclusive HMV In Store Appearances in conjunction with the release of their debut album.
For more information about the Hunna then be sure to head over to thehunnaband thehunnaband thehunnaband www.soundcloud.com/ thehunnaband
Friday 26 August - 6:00pm - hmv 363 Oxford Street, London Tuesday 30 August - 5:30pm - hmv Newcastle Wednesday 31 August - 1:00pm - hmv Liverpool Wednesday 31 August - 5:30pm - hmv Manchester Thursday 1 September - 1:00pm - hmv Leicester Thursday 1 September - 5:30pm - hmv Birmingham
Article By Thushara Answers By Ryan Potter (Vocals & Guitar), Dan Dorney (Guitar), Jermaine Angin (Bass) & Jack Metcalfe (Drums)
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MARTHA With their second album Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart due for release this summer, and keeping themselves busy with a bit of touring, these are very exciting times for MARTHA. We caught up with the band to find out a little more.
Darkus Magazine: Hi Guys, tell us a little bit about how your 2016 has been going? Jc: Martha wise – it’s been quiet – we finished the new record and we’ve played a whole 2 shows. We’re desperate to get back out touring and what have you. Hopefully people have missed us – we’ll see. On the whole though, the political climate of 2016 is getting to me. What a fucking shit year so far right? Daniel: It’s been a funny year. Having a rest from shows was great at first, we are all busy all the time and it gave us time to catch up. But not playing can also be canny frustrating, especially when you’re sitting on a new record. I’m pretty sure this is the longest we’ve gone without playing and were itching to get going again. DM: Being based here in the North East, during
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your formative years has the local music scene always been a smooth encounter? Jc: Durham is great. The scene definitely changed over the years – bands come and go, tastes change and so on. Sometimes it’s been great (like now I think) and others it’s been less great. I think all of these phases have been formative for us as a band though. It’s weirdness that we draw a good part of our schtick from. Durham is like, right in the middle of Newcastle and Sunderland. Geographically we’re very close, but the closeness of the North East music scene kind of ebbs and flows. Right now though, I feel really good to be part of such a great thing. Nathan: Being in a small town has its pros and cons. You have to work a lot harder to make stuff happen, and there’s this fragility to things that can be quite
music hard to bear. But when things go well, it can feel really amazing. We’ve been doing this a relatively long time, and I can remember the days when we had to really work to persuade people that Durham was worth playing, that it wasn’t a boring shit hole. Now we almost have the opposite problem, we get tonnes of requests from bands wanting to play, and we struggle to meet the demand, because putting shows on requires a lot of time and collective energy (we never want to get to the point where we’re halfarseing it either). I think Durham is now a town that bands, in our small DIY scene at least, regard as being pretty a decent place to play, and that’s incredible really when you think about it. Naomi: One thing that has always been a bit of a battle is finding suitable venues. When we were teens putting on shows we struggled to find places to put on all-ages shows. We’d use community centres and each one, at some point, would become no longer viable for whatever reason. We’re incredibly lucky right now as some good friends of ours run an amazing arts space called Empty Shop that we have been using as out main venue for shows for a few years. Empty Shop has a big part to play in how well Durham is doing for DIY shows these days . DM: Congratulations on your second album, Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart, which will be released 8th July 2016. What can fans expect from the new record? Jc: Thanks! We’re excited to get it out there. I think we’ve tried to be as true to ourselves as possible – so there’s a lot on there that’s gonna appeal to folks who are into our other stuff. At the same time I
think we’ve evolved into sometime slightly different, which again is a result of being true to ourselves. I mean, we could have really pandered to radio and stuff – We got some shit off some hack radio DJ about our accents when the last LP was doing the rounds and we could have easily “toned it down” to appeal to chumps like that. Instead we made the record for ourselves and the folks who like us already – so we’ve got a bit weird at times, we’ve got more loud vs. quiet. Stuff like that. We’ve made the record for punks and weirdos that come see us and we’ve made it for the same punks and weirdos that we haven’t reached yet. Daniel: The sound of cloven hooves and duelling guitars. DM: Comparing this album to your first one, what do you think the latest release teaches outsiders as well as yourselves about where your at in your journey as a band? Jc: On Courting Strong we were looking back. At our formative years, at school, getting shit faced, getting smooched or whatever. Blisters is where we are now: we’re still the same awkward goofs figuring shit out except now we’re “grown-up” and we’ve got all the responsibilities that come with that. We’re just as unprepared for life as we ever were and that’s ok. I want people to be able to take it away that it is ok to be in your late 20s or whatever and still be a terrified weirdo. DM: You are quite proud to call yourself punk fans. What is it about that genre that brings that little bit of extra excitement? Jc: Punk is all we’ve ever known really. I cut my teeth on the Blondie cassettes and Upstarts LPs my uncle gave me. We all grew up going to DIY punk
DARKUS some old friends. Naomi: I’m totally itching to be playing shows again. We’re really excited! Jc has been spending the last month fixing u the heap of a van we bought to make it usable. It’s looking great now. There’s rugs in it and everything!
shows in Durham. We’re more than fans though; we live it. That sounds corny as fuck, but I really think punk transcends a particular musical genre. I’m punk in my approach to work, relationships, survival. A punk approach to the mundane day to day definitely keeps things exciting. Daniel: If you ain’t punk now, you never were. DM: July will also see you undertake your UK tour – how is preparation going? Jc: We’re getting there. Our van is my main source of income. I drive punk bands around the continent in it. It’d great and I’m lucky to get to do it. Our last van got fucked up when I was on tour with our best pals Milky Wimpshake in April. A wheel broke off on the autoroute near Dijon and we were stranded. The van ended up staying in France so I’ve had to put a new one together from scratch. So, logistically, yeah, we’re prepared but we haven’t played together since May so we’ll see how these next couple of weeks play out. Daniel: Yeh prep is going well. I need to get my overdrive pedal fixed though. I’m really just looking forward to play again and to have an excuse to see
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DM: How easy it to get taken seriously as a band when you are visiting some of the bigger cities such as London, Nottingham and Manchester? Nathan: I think it depends on the city. By the time we started touring as Martha, we already had quite a lot of experience touring in other bands, and also putting on DIY shows in our home town, so we had a good network of very trusted and dear friends from our community who we could call on to help us out. I think it’s often more about the sensibilities of the people booking the gig than it is the town itself. Like if you go through some faceless corporate booker who couldn’t give a shit about the band and is just cashing cheques, then you’ll probably have a shit time wherever you play. We’re a bit of a tough sell, we don’t have mass appeal but if someone who cares books us, it can be really successful (albeit on a small scale). In the past I’ve played awful shows in London that would make you never want to go back, but now I’d say London is one of our favourite places to play and it’s somewhere where we feel genuinely appreciated. We’re lucky that we have friends in most cities big or small who we can book shows with. DM: In terms of songs, which would be a good starting point for someone wanting to fully embrace your band? Jc: From what’s already out there, I’d maybe say “1997, Passing in the Hallway” or “Bubble in My Bloodstream”. They properly encapsulate our awkward but also that we like to rock out. There’s a track on our new record called “Curly and Raquel” and I really think it’s the perfect Martha song. It’s awkward and romantic and I reckon it fucking
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shreds. It’s the most fun to play. Maybe the others will have some other ideas, but those are my hot picks.
Daniel: were in the process of booking another tour in August, playing a load of smaller towns. I’m looking forward to that.
Daniel: I agree with JC. Of the newer songs that are available right now, id pick “Goldman’s Detective Agency” as a good start.
Naomi: Yeah it’s hard to know at this point. Waiting to play the record release shows is filling me with excitement but also apprehension. We’ve got lots of shows in the UK coming up and I think towards the end of the year we’ll be planning our travels further afield for 2017.
DM: As a four piece – what do you think you each bring to Martha? Jc: I’m the one who never smiles in photos. Nathan: I smile in the photos but feel sad inside usually. I also write a lot of the lyrics. Daniel: I usually smile in the photos. Naomi: I smile in photos but look miserable af on stage. DM: How do you imagine the rest of 2016 progressing for you? Jc: We’re gonna rock some shows. Hopefully folks will be into the record. Plenty of mischief. Nathan: it’s a lot of uncertainty at the minute. If people come and see us play in the summer, and seem to dig the new record then I’ll be very happy.
DM: What makes MARTHA that one band that if it hasn’t happened already, people need to invest in? Jc: We’re from Pity Me. “Pity me”. If that’s not something to get behind I dunno.
Article By Thushara Answers by Nathan Griffin (Drummer), J. Cairns (Guitar), Naomi Griffin (Bass) & Daniel Ellis (Guitar)
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LOCK
Elysia Downings photography
Although still relatively new to the music scene, London based band LOCK have been quite busy taking their music to the next level. We caught up with members Edie and Gita Langley to find out more about the magic of LOCK. Darkus Magazine: Quite a productive 2016 so far for LOCK right? Edie & Gita: Yeah! We’ve written and recorded the most part of our debut album and played a bunch of great shows, we’ve been really busy. DM: Have you had any particular highlights so far? E&G: Performing at The Olympia in Paris supporting The Libs was up there. It’s such an iconic venue, it felt very romantic. DM: This summer sees you being part of some amazing festivals including Glastonbury. What do you want to get out of those experiences the most? E&G: You know, for us it’s all about putting on a great show and being bad ass. Festivals are a great way of reaching out to new aud iences who wouldn’t necessarily have come across us before. We happened upon Little Simz at Glastonbury, never heard of her before and we were blown away – big fans now. DM: For people such as me just discovering LOCK, where would be a good starting point?
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E&G: Well, so far there’s only our debut Ep out for you but those couple of songs really do represent who we are and our new EP continues on that path though it’s a little harder and darker. DM: What makes LOCK a special place? E&G: We want people to listen to our songs, or watch our gig and be able to escape into whatever dark amazing world they wanna go to. DM: When people listen to your music what do you want them to take away about where you are at in your journey? E&G: The High Life is a social commentary on the rich kids of Instagram which we’re fascinated by in a sick kind of way, like a modern day Great Gatsby. We’re inspired by film and there’s elements of loneliness and regret but also we hope to convey how strong a bond we have as sisters and and no one can mess with that. DM: You have your debut EP out at the moment. Are you happy with the response it has received? E&G: Yeah, we had a great response, got played on
music the radio and had some pretty cool reviews. We just want to put some new music out now and build on it. DM: Do you ever find that the power of EPs can be underestimated? E: I think a lot of bands only put out EPs as record companies are too shy to commit to a full length album until it’s a given it will do really well. In any case EPs are a really good introduction to a new band, you don’t give too much a way - kind of like a calling card. DM: When it comes to the song writing process – when do you feel the most inspired? E & G: Driving / Insomnia DM: When you got the news that Topshop would be including ‘Click’ as one of their choices for their 2016 fashion show what went through your head? E&G: Free clothes ... Didn’t get any though DM: Being a duo, what do you think you each bring
Article By Thushara Answers By Edie Langley and Gita Langley
to LOCK? Furthermore how do you think you complement each other? E&G: We complete each other. And we tell each other how hot the other one looks. DM: Having spent time apart temporarily how valuable was the time you spent on separate projects? E&G: All of the work we do apart is its own journey and those experience can only make us better songwriters and performers. We come back together and we’ve grown up a little more. DM: For a band such as you how easy it to get yourselves noticed when still relatively new to the music scene? E&G: I think you’ve just got to do what you do, put your heart into it and people will take notice if it’s coming from a genuine place. DM: What is the next dimension for LOCK? E&G: Terminator 5
Richard Stowe
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Phantogram A
s ever I am always on the look out for fresh, and exciting music, and something which makes be proud to press that repeat button over and over again. One such song do so was ‘You Don’t Get Me High Anymore’ by US Indie-Electro duo Phantogram. Taken from their upcoming album, ‘Three’ this is one of those songs which personally I regard as a track with a bit of attitude and one which resulted in me singing along at the top of my lungs while swaying along. Indie-Electro is not really a genre I have given much attention to for a good few years, but this track made me quite intrigued about Phantogram, and I would probably say is a good starting point to draw you in. Further research then leads you to other exceptional tracks they have released such as ‘Black Out Days’ a deep, dark but powerful number taken from their debut album ‘Voices’ which was released in 2014. Although I have not had a chance to hear that album in full, I must nevertheless say that based on what I have heard, I am very much looking forward to the release of ‘Three’ in September 2016.
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The band will be heading to the UK in November for a mini headline tour, so be sure to keep an eye out for details. I tell you what though I certainly cannot wait to get my hands on the new album and more exciting than that, to see them live. Article By Thushara
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Katy Blackwood If there is one profession I will always respect it is the incredibly hard work of live music photographers. As you can imagine this is such a competitive industry, so its about going that extra mile to make sure that you give your work that edge, just like with anything. Having first randomly met Katy Blackwood at last year’s Leeds festival, when I then saw her again at a show at the O2 Academy a few months later – after glaring at her for a good few minutes, I realised it was the same super cool person I saw back in Summer 2015. At that point all I knew was she was a photographer and had little knowledge of her work, however that soon changed once I had a quick look, and my word, it was outstanding. The North East, in my opinion has a number of leading music photographers, but Katy would have to be one of the most exceptional and talented female shooters I have the pleasure to call a friend! If you have read past issues of Darkus, you would of seen her work featuring in some of our most recent reviews. So with this in mind, it was only right I use this opportunity not just to interview, but help showcase the wonderful work of one of the most talented and hardworking people I could ever know. Darkus Magazine: How has your evolution as a live music photographer been this year? Katy: It’s been great! I’ve been really busy, going to lots of festivals, I feel like I permanently live in a Travelodge. Getting to The Great Escape for the first time was cool, and while it’s been a lot of hard work, it’s been a pretty productive year so far.
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DM: Can you remember the first show you shot? K: Yeah! It was a small gig at The Head of Steam in Newcastle headlined by this angsty punk band called Pacific Theatre. I was a music blogger and I’d just bought my first DSLR so I could take photos for my write-ups, and I had a friend in the opening band so was able to get myself along.
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Afterwards people said I had a “natural talent” for it, and I realised that I enjoyed shooting more than any review, so I just kind of never stopped doing it! Pacific Theatre have split up now, but their drummer runs Little Buildings. DM: Is there such a thing as ‘perfect conditions’ when shooting a show? What in your view are the big no no’s? K: Ha ha, oh god, don’t get me started! I guess perfect conditions is just beautiful, neutral lighting, or catching a band outdoors. But there’s so many faux pas going on in the photo pit. The absolute worst thing is going to a smaller gig and someone decides to use a flash, I sometimes just walk away when that happens to be honest. It’s inconsiderate to the fans who don’t want to be distracted by a flashing light in the crowd, and also to the band, who probably don’t want to be blinded. DM: This year you have already attended a number of festivals – any particular favourites so far? K: I think Sound City in Liverpool is my favourite so far. The weather was lovely, and it was nice and small, but with some really good bands on the bill. Up until that point I’d mainly covered metropolitan festivals, spread out over an entire city in small venues, so to actually get outside in the sun was a
great change and reminded me just how much I love what I do. DM: Compared to shooting a show, how much more preparation is required both before and after when it comes to something such as a festival? K: It’s much more hard work. You’ve got to plan an itinerary, and inevitably that never goes according to plan because stages run late or you just can’t get to see bands on time. You’re on your feet for maybe ten or eleven hours, lumping around a heavy camera, and it just takes a lot out of you. I’ve kind of curated this “dragged through a hedge” aesthetic for festivals because it’s how I look by the end of the night! DM: You spent a large majority of your time in the North East, having moved to South Yorkshire (Ey up!), have you noticed any major differences in the music scene? K: Yeah, I live in t’Sheffield now! I actually haven’t had a chance to really explore the scene around here yet, but the big difference is that it’s so well connected to other cities. Newcastle can seem pretty isolated, which I feel is one reason why so few bands from the North East make it big. Whereas from Sheffield, I can be in Leeds, Manchester or Nottingham in an hour, and London in two, but I’m also still not too far from home.
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DM: Working as a freelance photographer is it easy to get your work noticed? K: It can be pretty difficult! The problem is that music photography is such a saturated field, so you can be producing great work, but there’s so many other photographers that you can get lost in the noise. It’s quite similar to how it is for bands, actually, except instead of looking for a record deal you’re looking to be picked up by big bands and publications. I’ve had some success, which I’m massively thankful for, but it’s a very hard industry to break through in. DM: How do you decide which publication or where your images will be used? K: Usually it’s decided
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in advance by the specific assignment, so if I’m shooting for a publication they’ll be used there. I also try to get my photos out to bands so they can use them on socials, which I’m not really paid for, but gets my name out there - I know exposure is a dirty word in photography, but imagine if every band I shoot shares my photos, I would wind up being pretty famous! DM: How has social media helped you? K: Social media has been amazing in getting my work out there. My first newspaper role was a result of me being spotted at a gig by an editor, who then looked me up on Facebook and offered me a spot shooting shows for them. And Instagram
photography is such a great network for someone like me too. While I don’t have many followers, it’s so good to know my photos are being seen and appreciated by the subjects. DM: Take us through a typical day in your life? K: It’s actually pretty boring! I’ll usually wake up and check my emails, and then do any bits I might need to do, like sorting photos or writing. In the afternoon I’ll do messages or try to have fun, and then if I’ve got a show in the evening I’d set off some time in the late afternoon, get there for doors, and do my thing. Afterwards, depending how tired I am, I’ll either sort my photos the same night or just chill out before bed. DM: Was music photography always something you wanted to do? K: I’ve always been passionate about photography, but not always music. When I was in my early teens I used to be the photographer in my social circle, with a cheap compact camera that I’d take to parties and photograph people, even though camera phones were a thing by then. I still have the thousands of photos I took! I think it helped me to learn composition and how to make people look good long before I ever shot a gig. I’ve always loved music, but I was a radio DJ in my teens and then went into writing first. But really, my biggest passion is making people look good, capturing the little
Article By Thushara
moments. DM: With so much competition, is there anything you think gives your work that little bit of extra edge? K: Ha ha, I’m not sure how to answer you here without sounding egotistical! I guess I’m just consistent. A fellow photographer once said that they “appreciate my eye”, in that I can capture interesting photos that other people miss. I remember shooting The Libertines with sixteen other people, and they were all crowded in one spot and I took a long lens and wandered off to the side. I don’t really resort to gimmicks like black-and-white and the clarity slider to make my shots interesting. Oh and, also, I’m clearly absolutely lovely. Damn, I ended up sounding full of myself, didn’t I? DM: What is next for the Katy Blackwood empire? K: World domination, lend me your ears! I’m actually starting to shoot directly with bands more often, so hopefully that’s going to continue. The ideal would be to build a relationship with one that’s going places, and just be their personal photographer, similar to what several other awesome women in music - Rachael Wright with CHVRCHES springs to mind - already do. That documentary side of photography really interests me. But yes, world domination!
Twitter: @KatyBlackwood Instagram: @KatyBlackwood
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Crystal Castles Quite lately these days I have been getting into the soul consuming, electronic music of Crystal Castles. The project of duo Ethan Kath and Edith Frances, the pair are well known for their critically acclaimed album III back in 2012 as well as other exceptional sensational material. I know the duo will be appearing as part of this year’s 2016 Reading and Leeds line up, so I was curious to find out what the pair were up to these days, given that they have only played a handful of shows over the past couple of years. However it didn’t take me long, thanks to my good friends at Chuff Media to discover that Crystal Castles have only recently released their latest single, Concrete, on 5th July 2016 which is shows the duo are very much still able to push themselves and create music which is both mind blowing and really takes your experience as a listener to a whole new level. Each Crystal Castles track possesses its own characteristics and identity, which is one of the
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duos many strong points, so with Concrete you are given almost an instant real true party vibe once you hit that play button. The beat alone gives you a sensational level of adrenaline, which for me especially made me more and more excited the more I listened to it. Then to draw you even more, we are given the delicate yet beautiful vocals of Edith. The end result being you are soon enchanted into the world of Crystal Castles. As I said before the pair have been a bit quiet since their album in 2012, so knowing that there is new material out their just makes me and other fans no doubt, overjoyed that despite being a tad silent, Crystal Castles are nevertheless still alive and stronger and refreshing than ever. Hardcore fans will be quick to point out here that Edith in essence is pretty much new to the group, having replaced former member Alice Glass when she departed Crystal Castles back in 2014. Having heard both Edith (based on Concrete) and the more old school CC tracks which featured Alice I think they both offer something different. Alice played a
music pivotal role in making Crystal Castles a name to be remembered, especially if I reminisce about tracks such as ‘Empathy’ which will always be one of my most loved and iconic tracks. However although not taking anyway anything from Edith, to me she is still pretty new, but I know she won’t waste time bringing her own unique style and twist with Ethan to help continue to take Crystal Castles forward. The duo have announced that they will be playing a run of North American and European shows, with this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival being
their only UK appearance this year. I don’t know about anyone else, but this is one of those rare opportunities you certainly wouldn’t want to miss. Based on ‘Concrete’ alone, you just get that feeling that something exciting is about to happen which will make the music of Crystal Castles highly recommended to invest in.
Article By Thushara
To keep up to date of all the latest news head over to www.crystalcastles.com
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The Cotswold Collective
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aving last featured her work in Issue 6 of the 2015 collection, we met up with the exceptional and inspirational photographer, Stefanie Calleja-Gera to discuss her mind blowing new project, The Cotswold Collective. It is always a pleasure to see the work of Stefanie, and it is safe to say that she continues to go from strength to strength.
Darkus Magazine: It is great to speak to you again Stef. How has life been treating you since we last caught up? Stefanie: Life has been an amazing rollercoaster since we last spoke – in the first 14 days of May alone I’d been on flying visits working in Newcastle, Manchester, London, Cambridge, Oxford & even a quick trip over to Berlin! But of course, it’s not just about the work itself, it’s everything around it - building any business takes a huge amount of your time and mine is no different; I find social media to be the biggest time drain of all, once you start you can’t stop! I’ve also been trying to work on that all important ‘work-life’ balance I keep hearing about and squeeze in a personal life somewhere too - usually on a quiet Tuesday afternoon ;)
DM: You have been hard at work on a special fourpart project called The Cotswold Collective this year. How is the project going? S: Yes, it’s going great - I’ve been lucky enough to get involved with some other awesome creative independent business owners in the Cotswolds to do something positive together. I can’t quite believe we’re near the end of this first project actually – I’ll be quite sad when it’s complete! I’ve so loved
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coming up with creative concepts together, sourcing locations and working out how we’re actually going to make it happen!
DM: What was the overall initiative for this project? S: Well, as well as wanting to bring creative people in the Cotswolds together, we wanted to do something with a message and make a positive statement about the world around us and try to help aspiring creatives & models along the way. Our focus is sustainability within the fashion industry, looking at different techniques to create or manipulate fabrics that leave a less damaging carbon footprint. How best to convey this message? Well, we decided to focus our shoots on the four seasons with each one representing an element; Spring=Earth, Summer=Fire, Autumn=Wind & Winter=Water. We then broke the project into 2 competitions, one working with Gloucestershire University Fashion Design Degree Students to encourage & support talented young designers. The Uni made our brief part of their curriculum and the students had to come up with concept outfits that could be designed and made for each season with a focus on
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DARKUS sustainable fashion and “hand-made” in some way shape or form. After whittling the entrants down to the 4 finalists with the best & most relevant design, they created the garment to be used in a shoot for each of the four seasons. The second competition focused on helping to encourage aspiring models in the Cotswolds to realise their dreams with a one-year model contract from BMA Models up for grabs. We held castings and BMA decided their top 4 finalists who were then taken on to the final 4 shoots. Once all four of these shoots are completed the winning model and winning designer will be announced in July. It became a much bigger project than we initially intended, mainly due to the overwhelming support we’ve had and to everyone’s drive to really show what you can do when you work together, so we’ve been thrilled to just roll with it! DM: Was it easy to stick to your original plans, or did it require a bit of initiative and flexibility along the way? S: We’ve definitely had to be flexible; locations falling through, getting everyone together for the shoots as ultimately, we’re all running our actual businesses at the same time and it takes a lot of juggling to fit in any collaborative project, especially one of this magnitude! Generally though, any compromises we’ve had to make haven’t impacted on the overall look or feel of the shots as we’ve
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worked hard to “flex” and to ensure the sets & props fit with the original concept and feel of what we’re trying to achieve. DM: Tell us a little bit about the team you chose to help bring The Cotswold Collective alive? S: We always knew whatever we did we’d need to give it 100% and would need to work with some really talented people. At it’s core, that’s what the Collective is all about – promoting and collaborating with talented likeminded Creatives. Our team on this project has changed and evolved a bit since the very beginning, as it started off as just two local photographers wanting to do something fun together. This then became two photographers and two hair & make-up artists. As the project grew in scale we lost a couple of the original team due to workloads, which is completely understandable – the amount of time and energy you have to put in to make something like this happen is huge! As we defined the parameters of what we were doing, it became apparent that it would be amazing to have a videographer with a vision on board; someone who could help bring all the photography to life by showing the audience a back-story and giving it depth. This is when we amicably parted ways with one photographer but gained an experienced videographer & art-director in Justin
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photography Golby of Golby Creative (www.golbycreative.co.uk). Justin has heaps of experience working on fashion shoots from his days as an Art Director in Sydney on glossy mags and had loads of creative ideas to bring to the table that have helped make this project what it is today. In addition to Justin, we are also very lucky to have uber-talented hair & make-up artist Jodi Croft of Face Perfect By Jodi (www. faceperfectbyjodi.co.uk) on board. She’s totally brought our visions to life on each and every model using everything from glitter, glue, special FX, artificial snow, and even buttons on our last shoot, for which we’ve just completed the hair & make-up trial and are set to do the main shoot very soon! DM: What I find quite interesting is the emphasis on sustainability in fashion. Do you think it is easy to misinterpret what the real meaning of ‘Eco-friendly’ is? S: I think the important thing to focus on is how we as consumers can make a positive impact on the environment in the choices we make and our general energy & water consumption habits and also how the fashion industry goes about production and ways in which this can be changed to reduce our carbon footprint. I’m sure some people will read the words ‘ecofriendly’ and think “bunch of tree-huggers”, but I do think that these days people are becoming more savvy and more aware of our dwindling resources and understand with more open minds
the importance of taking care to consider the environment around us. We don’t expect to make a ginormous change within the industry through this project, but we’re keen to raise awareness of what goes on and how sometimes a simple change can make a big difference. It just takes us not being lazy! DM: This project also sees you collaborate with REIN and International Designer Paul Costelloe. What was it about their work that appealed to you and helped you to decide they would be the perfect match for your creative team? S: I have worked with REIN for a while now and I knew immediately they would be a great match for our young designers, as they’re an on-trend emerging London brand who’ve recently gone through all the trials and labours of establishing themselves, so who better to advise budding young designers on the rewards and pitfalls of running your own fashion business in the modern world? I was lucky enough to meet Paul Costelloe at LFW 2015 and have since kept in touch with him. He is such a world-renowned powerhouse name that when we found out our winning designer could have the privilege of working with his very select fashion design team, it was too good of an opportunity to miss! What both of these designers add to our project can’t be described in a few short words as they,
DARKUS along with BMA Models in London, have made our project into a massive opportunity for these young and talented people, which is so important to us. DM: From your point of view what are some of the key issues surrounding the current fashion industry? S: In general, our project focuses on the overuse of water worldwide within the fashion industry – there are many ways in which this can be reduced, one of which is down to us, the consumer and our massive water consumption: washing machines especially! Each of the four shoots focuses on a different area of this. So for instance; Spring = Earth & Chemical dyeing pollution Summer = Fire & Energy consumption Autumn= Wind & “Fast Fashion” Winter = Water & Water shortages After each shoot we deliver a blog with information about each of these problems so do check it out! DM: By people taking the time to follow the progress of The Cotswold Collective, ideally what is it you want them to take away? S: Hopefully, they will come to understand what we are trying to achieve as we appreciate there are a lot of elements involved with this project! Ultimately, we’re helping young people and delivering a positive message whilst creating some cool images and having fun! DM: There are so many more genuine long term benefits to choosing Sustainable fashion over fast fashion right? S: Absolutely. So, ‘fast fashion’ – i.e. your cheap, mass-produced or unethically made clothing is one of the major factors in speeding up our use of resources, overuse of water to create & wash them, and over-filling of landfill sites when we get bored of wearing them. Sustainable or ethically / eco-friendly fashion works with the land, generally uses less chemicals or unnatural fabrics to create it and hopefully uses more environmentally friendly ways of actually producing it as well such as waterless dyeing with CO2 instead of water or the use of natural dyes instead of chemically enhanced ones. You can also recycle or up-cycle clothes to help slow the mass-production wheel. There are loads of companies now that specialise in recycling clothing so look them up – Google is your friend! Look out for labels on clothing or for companies
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that actively support and work towards an ecofriendly future – Levis have created a line of clothing that exclusively use up to 8 discarded plastic bottles per pair of jeans that would usually end up in a landfill. Thank you so much for inviting us to share this with you. It’s been an amazing journey so far and we can’t wait to reveal all of the final results for the Summer and Autumn shoots as well!
How can people discover more about The Cotswold Collective and follow your progress? We’d love people to visit out website: www.cotswoldcollective.co.uk where they can read more about us and the project on our blog posts and also see more of the images we’ve created already. Also find us on Facebook and give us a like and a share via our page: www.facebook.com CotswoldsModelCompetition Or follow us on Twitter for live updates: @CotsCollective
Sponsors: BMA Models Gloucestershire University REIN London Paul Costelloe Concierge PR
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Winter shoot: Photography: Stefanie Calleja-Gera www.scg-photography.com Photography Assistant: Davey Terrific Hair & make-up: Jodi Croft www.faceperfectbyjodi.co.uk Film: Justin Golby & Alison Golby www.golbycreative.co.uk Model: Xenia Von-Brockdorff Clothing Concept & Design: Jodie Spears Location: Wyck Hill House Hotel Special FX: MTFX
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Spring shoot Photography: Stefanie Calleja-Gera www.scg-photography.com Photography Assistant: Nicky Kelsey Hair & make-up: Jodi Croft www.faceperfectbyjodi.co.uk Film: Justin Golby & Alison Golby www.golbycreative.co.uk Model: Edita Kelsey Clothing Concept & Design: Amelia Dennis Location: Forest Of Dean Special FX: TLSFX
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group of London based women on a mission to change the future of gynaecological cancers.
Darkus Magazine were honoured to speak to Mika Simmons, Actress and Founder of the Gynaecological Cancer Fund to discuss more about the incredible Lady Garden Campaign. Just discovering more about Mika as a person and the work her and her team undertake to raise awareness is amazing, so was a blessing to know this inspirational lady.
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arkus Magazine: What inspired you to launch the Gynaecological Cancer Fund’s Lady Garden Campaign?
Lady Garden Campaign was born.
Mika: In 2013, Dr Susana Banerjee, a Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden, asked me to do some fund raising for key research into personalised treatment of Gynaecological Cancers. This work has the potential to lead to individualised and more effective treatments so that all women will have the best chance of survival and quality of life. I immediately agreed, but also suggested I wanted to launch a major awareness campaign - something I’d had a burning desire to do since losing my Mum to Ovarian cancer 10 years earlier. I had always wondered if she might have had a better chance of survival if she’d known what symptoms to look out for enabling earlier diagnosis. I knew awareness was paramount and so I put together a committee of women who had similar experiences to me. At our first meeting it was confirmed that we all felt the same - that lives could have been saved by earlier detections of gynaecological cancers - the
DM: What’s it all about? Mika: Lady Garden is the first campaign by the Gynaecological Cancer Fund. We are a group of London based women on a mission to change the future of gynaecological cancers. These cancers are currently nicknamed the silent killers. Not only do we not know enough about the symptoms - but recent research by a leading female cancer charity revealed that nearly a third of women are too embarrassed to go to the doctor with gynaecological concerns - let alone talk to a friend. Apparently, 65% of 1000 women feel uncomfortable using- the word “vagina”! The Lady Garden Campaign is a spring board to draw awareness to the issue and empower women everywhere to talk more openly - without shyness or shame. The funds raised through
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this campaign will go towards Dr Banerjee’s ground-breaking research at The Royal Marsden so more women will have the chance to receive treatments that work for them, without being subjected to unnecessary side effects. DM: What made you settle on the name Lady Garden? Mika: We felt it was a nickname for vagina that would grab the nation’s attention and that it had cross-generational appeal. That was important to us because not only do these cancers affect all ages - we discovered that women from teens through to ladies at retirement age found it difficult to talk about that area of their bodies. Even some female doctors we talked to admitted they still called it “down there”. We really wanted to shake that up and give women the confidence to be more open - humour is a great way to ignite conversation. DM: How important is humour to your campaign and why?
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Photo by Dave Bennett
humour is a great way to ignite conversation.
Mika: Very important. We felt this area of the woman’s body needed reclaiming and knew that humour was a good way to get women talking. Everyone we talk to about the Lady Garden Campaign at first laughs and then they want to know what it’s about. I don’t think anyone forgets about it once they’ve heard. DM: Tell us a little bit more about the team you have and what it was that helped you to decide they were the right people for the committee? Mika: Just after I left drama school, my dreams were swiftly coming true, I’d got my first major acting role in a TV period drama (Daphne du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek) and life in London was incredibly exciting - then Mum got diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. She was just 53 years old. When she told Keir (my brother NBC journalist Keir Simmons) and I her diagnosis, she was absolutely adamant she was not going to let this be the end of her life. Devastatingly this was not to be the case. Like so many other women who contract these particular cancers, she died just a short nine months later. Tragically, I now realise
lifestyle that she had probably had symptoms for over a year before her diagnosis that went un-questioned, being written off as menopause and fibroids. I believe if she’d been given better guidance or knew what I know today about these silent killers - she might have still been with us. I was adamant I wanted to do an awareness campaign and so I pulled in 5 old friends, all of whom I knew had a personal story around Gynaecological Cancers - Jenny Halpern, Chloe Delevingne, Astrid Harbord, Clare and Tamara Beckwith. And between us we brought together the committee. I may have been the ignition for the Gynaecological Cancer Fund, but I could never have achieved this without the help of my 9 fellow founders. The 10 of us are a very powerful team, all highly motivated and bringing different skills to the project. All of us knew from the outset that it was the Lady Garden Campaign that would really count. I was thoughtful about this from the outset. Working in the entertainment industry myself, I already knew the value of having a public
profile and I therefore brought together a group of women who, along with me, had access to that. We have all called in favours from every ‘Influencer’ we know, asking them to support the campaign. We’ve been very, very lucky and so far - no one has said no. I think that’s partly because everyone loves the tongue-in-cheekiness of Lady Garden, but it also just not a campaign any woman would say No to. If these cancers haven’t affected you or someone close to you yet, they absolutely could tomorrow. And its working.
The Gynaecological Cancer Fund committee are:
Mika Simmons, Chloe Delevigne, Jenny Halpern, Tamara Beckwith, Astrid Harbord, Bridget Barker, Josephine Daniel, Kate Percival, Emily Hambro and Clare Van Dam
DM: Although still relatively new, what has the response of The Lady Garden been like so far? Mika: Incredible. In fact - I’ve had to learn to be very shrewd with my time as we are constantly getting offers to collaborate. And most importantly - we are getting feedback that its working too - we are all constantly being told that it’s inspired someone to go for a smear - and some of those were subsequently diagnosed with pre-cancerous cervical cells. The results of this campaign are immediate - by breaking the taboo and getting women talking - we are saving lives. The Lady Garden Campaign has really lit up the Nations imagination and we are hoping that this years campaign will have an even further reach. DM: What’s your ultimate goal? Mika: We have a two pronged attack we are raising awareness which ultimately leads to prevention. These cancers can be diagnosed earlier if women are knowledgeable about symptoms and insist on being tested. And we believe the research by Dr Banerjee at The Royal Marsden will ultimately create better cancer care for women who are diagnosed - treatments that work, with less unnecessary side effects. We do hope you will join us on our crusade to make these cancers Silent No More.
Article By Thushara Answers By Mika Simmons
What you can do to support us Join our Lady Garden Network and fundraise with us
• gynaecancerfund.com/lady-garden-network-join-us/ If you’re short on time you can always just donate here
•
gynaecancerfund.com/donate/make-a-donation/ or here
• www.justgiving.com/gynaecologicalcancerfund To read more about us, the research we are funding and upcoming events go to
• gynaecancerfund.com/about-us/ For more information o on the Lady Garden Campaign go towww.ladygardencampaign.co.uk #ladygardencampaign #SilentNoMore
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Photo taken by @Yurphoto -Instagram-
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e are always on the look out for new fashion, especially those with a positive vibe. Therefore it was a real pleasure, after a recommendation from a dear friend of mine that I discovered Jesus Gets The Girl. Although still a relatively new brand, don’t let this fool you because already JGTG has achieved so much, thus making it a name which we will all be investing in. We had the pleasure of speaking to co founder James Crutchley to find out about the vision
DM: What was the main motivation for creating JGTG? J: My girlfriend and myself created JGTG. On one of our first dates the term ‘ Jesus Gets The Girl’ was mentioned to us, in relation to my image/style of long hair and a beard resembling ‘Jesus’. As a little joke i decided to get some t shirts printed up with Jesus Gets The Girl written on them but they soon got a lot of attention online, so we decided to create an Instagram and Facebook page for JGTG and soon sold out. DM: As an up and coming brand, where do you see yourselves in your journey? J: At present we are still in our infancy, however we are getting some good traction. We have a long way to go but are here to stay. DM: You have a new collection out at the moment,
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Photo Taken by K. Nicole
Darkus Magazine: Tell us a little bit about the concept and vision behind the brand? James: Jesus Gets The Girl is a statement to remind you that anything is possible, I look at it like this - Jesus is You and the Girl is your dream. In all aspects of work and life we will face obstacles and generally we do what we can to overcome them, JGTG is a positive reminder that you can overcome any negative situations.
called Beach Punk, can you tell us a little bit more? J: The past couple of years my band Dead Sea Skulls have been visiting Los Angeles to either record or perform shows. I absorbed a lot of my surroundings over there and it stuck in my mind quite clearly.
fashion There is a great beach life in LA which is also coexisting with music culture- Beach Punk was created to symbolise that. DM: What are some of the main achievements in the last couple of years for Jesus Gets The Girl? J: We launched at The Clothes Show in Birmingham, which was a great start for us. We had a lot of exposure from the show and made some great connections. From there we got our first account with Bolongaro Trevor, which saw us placed in Stratford’s Westfield Centre, Carnaby Street and also at their store in Leeds. A lot of my music friends are really into JGTG also, as it symbolises their journey within the Music industry, so it’s an amazing and humbling experience to see some of my heroes and influencers wearing JGTG for their live performances, worldwide.
DM: How responsive has the fashion industry been to Jesus Gets The Girl? J: There are a lot of positive comments and feedback coming in from all sectors of the fashion industry. Of course, like anything some people will dig it and others won’t but thankfully thus far it’s all been positive. DM: What are your main platforms for getting your collections noticed? J: I guess like most people social media is a huge networking device, so we are utilising those platforms. I’m lucky that I have a vast network of musicians who are really digging what we are doing here. They Are wearing our Tees for shows etc and it’s really helping the brand reach all the corners of the earth.
www.jesusgetsthegirl.com
Photo Taken By J. Crutchley
DM: Do you see a next level, or is it more a case of embracing the moment? J: Of course there is a next level for JGTG. We are currently working with a PR agency, which will push us further afield than a social media reach. We are designing more lines to add to our current Store.
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Miss Crystal Nancy Broomfield Many of you will recognise Crystal from a previous issue of Darkus where she made a brief cameo appearance. Here at Darkus I like to invest in people who inspire with the journey they take when trying to pursue their dreams. It was therefore an absolute pleasure that this fantastic and hard working model agreed to having more of her work featured plus having a much more in depth chat to find out more about her and her experiences. When it comes to modelling, like with anything, its important that you always have passion and focus, and that is something Miss Crystal Nancy Broomfield certainly
Darkus Magazine: Welcome to Darkus! Tell us a little bit about yourself? Crystal: Hiya! My name is Crystal Broomfield and I come from down the south of England. I’d say I’m quite easy to get along with but I am also very down to earth and speak my mind. DM: Where did your interest in modelling originate from? C: Well it mainly all started when I saw lots of images online of different models all telling a story through their facial expressions, clothing and how they expressed themselves. I had quite a few insecurities and thought if I started modelling, I could express myself and tell my story through images. DM: Do you think people can sometimes misunderstand the positive confidence that comes from being in front of the camera? C: Yes. Very much so. Some people say it’s because your vain, self centred or love yourself. I think it’s actually quite refreshing to know that ladies are actually comfortable with their bodies and their looks as there is quite a few issues with how society wants the female to look.
DM: When your deciding on a photographer to collaborate with, what qualities are most important to you? C: I like a photographer who has a good sense of humour, doesn’t take things too seriously but at the same time is professional about what they do. Also, I think first impressions are everything. DM: You have done a number of shoots lately, however what was it about this boudoir style shoot that you enjoyed the most? C: It was probably one of my favourite shoots I’ve done so far! I think it was the fact that I could let my hair down by feeling comfortable in lingerie with the photographer but in the same way it’s classy and tasteful. DM: When your in this industry which can sometimes be competitive, what in your opinion is the best way to deal with feedback – not just negative but positive too? C: I don’t really see it as competitive, I see it as a ladder. You start at the bottom and you learn how the others are succeeding (Climbing the ladder) and you learn from that. Some negative feedback is quite disheartening but at the same time you do take it in.
DARKUS I want all girls, any sizes any race to feel beautiful in their own skin. C: The majority of the photographers I have spoken with about shoots and about their work has been serious, but at the same time quite rewarding as you admire each others work and talk about how you’ve got to where you are today. DM: What are the main ways you use to showcase your work (other than Darkus of course )? C: I have a portfolio on PurplePort where I present my latest images. I also use Instagram for all the images that I have done in the past and ideas of some that I’d like to do in the future.
Positive feedback is always so motivating because you know if other people like the image and how you look, you’re doing a good job. You also have more determination to do something different and achieve higher! DM: When people see your images here, what is it you want them to take away about who you are as a person? C: Everyone is going to look at them differently. I would like to think it would make young ladies think about the way they look. I’m not perfect I know that, but I love my imperfections when I look at my images. I hope they can feel like they don’t have to have a big chest or false lashes to look pretty. I want all girls, any sizes any race to feel beautiful in their own skin. DM: How easy is it to be taken seriously and most importantly respectfully when it comes to getting yourself noticed?
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DM: Take us through what a typical day looks like for you? C: I wake up to the sound of birds singing outside my window.. Just kidding! On a typical day I go to work as a domestic cleaner, when I come home I tend to spend a lot of time with my mum and my dog Lola. During the day I also like to look up new ideas which would be fun to shoot. I don’t tend to go out or see friends as to be honest, I don’t really have any. I prefer to keep myself to myself and that way people can’t talk behind your back or judge you. DM: How do you think you have progressed not just a model but a person too, say compared to when you first started? C: When I first started I was very insecure and thought I didn’t have much going for me. I suffered with bad depression and I was constantly fighting a losing battle with life. When my modelling picked up, so did my confidence and outlook on life. During and after every shoot I feel like I have progressed that little bit more. I feel like I am making my family proud which makes me proud of myself. I’d say I have come very far to where I used to be and it’s a pleasure to be able to share this with you
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What is the next stage for you? Who knows? Life is just one big roller-coaster. You don’t know how long it’s going take to get to the drop or the loop, but I guess all you have to do is sit back and try to enjoy the ride before it’s all over
Article By Thushara
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sophisticated, elegant and at the same time sexy!
FASHION
Sarvin Clark Embracing The Vision
Darkus Magazine were blessed to catch up with Sarvin Clark, founder and creator of beautiful, elegant and classy fashion label Sarvin. It was such a pleasure to discover more about the vision, journey and world of not just the label, but the inspirational lady herself.
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arkus Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as a designer so far? Sarvin: I graduated from MMU with IFM Master
degree and established my brand a few months after I graduated. I grew up in a family that fashion & education was always a topic of conversation. During my childhood my dad owned a garment manufacturing company and he used to always take me to the factory and show me the machines and tell me how would they work! This all fuelled my passion for fashion.
DM: What was it about fashion that encouraged and inspired you to want to create Sarvin? Sarvin: I wanted to create a range of designs for women who fel powerful and sexy when they wear my designs! As a fashion model and working in this industry for many years I always loved hourglass and silhouette shape dresses with a touch of a luxury fabric.
DM: What is it about your collection past and present you are most proud of? Sarvin: I am most proud of how it is growing and
I am receiving such a positive feedback from my customers and people I work with. It makes me proud every time I see a big smile on my customers face after they receiving their dress and my family’s face when they come and attend my fashion events.
DM: What is your main vision for Sarvin? Sarvin: My main vision is to focus on growing
the brand and expanding my product range. And hopefully one day I will be a part of the big concessions like Selfridges and Harrods.
DM: Take us through what a typical day looks like for you? Sarvin: I always like to start my day by going for a run or workout in the gym. Then the day is mostly spent in front of my computer or in meetings developing my business. In the evening I love to cook and try new recipes. I also will spend a couple of nights a week rock climbing and sometimes like to catch a film at the cinema with my husband.
DM: Sarvin continues to grow from strength to strength. What do you think has helped you to succeed? -
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determination! And of-course my lovely family and friends support.
DM: You have had numerous achievements, from coverage in the likes of Vogue as well as taking part in fashion and trade shows. Was there anything you consider as being the turning point where you were actually living the dream and making your passion a reality? Sarvin: There was no turning point in my life as I have always loved fashion and wanted to be part of the industry. I decided that I should really follow the path I love, try and make my way designing and enjoy every minute of it!
DM: When customers are investing in your beautiful designs, in your mind as a designer, what is it you want them to think and feel? Sarvin: I want them to feel like a
million dollars! It is exactly how I want them to feel when they wear my designs, sophisticated, elegant and at the same time sexy!
DM: How would you like Sarvin to evolve further? Sarvin: I would like to develop
the range and expand the brand internationally. Hopefully one day you will be able to not only purchase the dress online also in a shop in most of the countries. SarvinOnline Photographer: Nick Michael, Dress Designer: Sarvin Clark, Model: Anna Paul, Model 2: Philippa Grace Madgin-Ramsden, Stylist: Diana Zen,
Article writen By Thushara
sarvinboutique
Stylist 2: Leighanne Mroczka, Makeup Artist: Hollie Fitzmartin, Hair Stylist: Anneliese Parkes, Jewelry owner: Louise Gillespie Location: Cosy Club Manchester
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Rowena Cole Colin Chau/TOP MODEL
We get quite a few submissions here at Darkus Magazine for a number of people wishing to be featured. With such a competitive industry as an editor what I look for is someone who inspires through their journey, and I could not be more than honoured to choose Darlington based model, Rowena Cole for this issue of Darkus.
Darkus Magazine: Welcome Rowena, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you think your in your journey? Rowena: Hi! Thank you! I am a 21 year old fashion design and marketing student from Darlington. I love all things creative as I believe creativity is a great form of self expression whilst simultaneously offering something to the world! Whether it be music, art or modelling it is always guaranteed to inspire and bring joy to somebody! I believe that you get what you give in life. So its is always
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Having looked through her work I was impressed at the quality of her work, and then upon speaking to her I was even more happy to discover how genuine and passionate Rowena is for making her dreams of modelling a reality. Not just this but as you will discover for yourself via this article we hear about some of the other sides of the industry which we sometimes forget about but are just as important. Being based in the North East, I think a lot of people can relate a lot to Rowena through her experiences, and that if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything.
necessary to enhance the lives of others when you can! Better to be the person who smiled than the person who didn’t smile back. It happens to me on a daily haha! DM: Congratulations on being a double award winner of Top Model UK 2016. What was the best thing about being part of the whole experience? R: Aw, thank you! The generic answer here would be to say winning. But I would say the best part of the experience was getting an insight into what the
photography industry is really like. Quite brutal at times. It has taught me a new level of professionalism and how important it is to grasp every opportunity with both hands and to never doubt yourself! I also really enjoyed being surrounded by many like minded individuals who all share a passion to be successful, it creates a real buzz. DM: As part of that, you won the title of natural beauty. In your view how would you define natural beauty? R: I did yes! I would define natural beauty by a person who embraces their flaws. I believe that inner beauty always shines through to make a person truly beautiful. DM: How does the likes of competitions of Top Model UK differ to everyday modelling? R: I would say that competitions such as Top Model are a lot more intense than any previous modelling I have perused. You must be prepared to strip off in a number of seconds for outfit changes in front of dozens of other models, stylists and MUA’s! There is no room to be shy! But the fast pasted environment only made it more enjoyable for me. New experiences and challenges build character...haha! DM: Would you consider it the next level? R: Yes, the extensiveness of the fast paste precision you have adapt to may be daunting for some, its not for those with a delicate ego. DM: When you have a look at all you have achieved so far with your modelling, when have you felt the most confident?
R: I felt most confident on the finals night after I had won. The amount of congratulations I received was overwhelming! Since then my confidence has continued to grow! DM: In an industry which can be quite competitive, how easy is it to get yourself noticed? R: It is defiantly not easy to get yourself noticed. It helps that I now have quite a wide portfolio and if you are wise with your use of social media and network as much as possible, opportunities are bound to arise... if you are looking for them. Gaining a titles such as my own really does help a lot too, it gives you an edge which not a lot of other people will have. DM: Who are your biggest supporters? R: The first person to spring to mind here is my best friend and actress Miss Courtney Duncan. Her screams at the final show were fabulous haha! Along with of course my parents and my other close friends. I received a lot of unexpected support of many! DM: Have you got any other projects coming up that we should look forward to? R: Yes, I have a few exiting projects in the Pipe line! In the next few months I will be published in ‘Camera Craft’ which is a photographers magazine which I modelled for a creative beauty shoot, you can pick this up in retailers such as WHS etc . I will also be published in another magazine around September/October but that’s all I can say! A trip abroad for a photo shoot for a fashion brand is also on the cards!
DARKUS DM: When it comes to shooting – what factors help you to decide which team you wish to collaborate with? R: I have learnt that it is always very important to do your research when working with new photographers and MUA’s. I can be very critical and I wont work with someone if I don’t feel there style isn’t suitable for what I am wanting to create. I feel its very important not only as a creative but as a person as a whole to live a life true to yourself and not what others expect of you. There is no room for faults in this industry. DM: Can you remember what you were like in the early days? R: What is classed as the early days ha?! I did my first photo shoot when I was 14 down in London, I remember being told I was very confident for my age. From then on I did little bits of modelling now and again my confidence fluctuating with age. It was only last summer I began to build an update portfolio. Comparing my current self to myself from this time last year, I can say for definite that my confidence has grown. I know my angles, what works and what doesn’t. I no longer fret about getting a bad shot, nobody’s perfect. As long as you can get a couple of good shots from a shoot there is nothing to worry about. I believe that when realising images, less is more. DM: If we asked you to choose a song to walk down the catwalk to, which represented who you are as a person, what would you select?
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R: Destinys Child- Independent woman... first song to come to mind hahaha! DM: You describe yourself as an aspiring curve model. How important that be it modelling world or life as a whole, we have confidence in the way we look and feel? R: I think feeling confident within yourself is one of the most important lessons to learn in life. There was a time in my teens when I had very little confidence in myself. Your thoughts really do create your reality. It is so important to love yourself as person and let that love generate outwards into the world! We are conditioned as human beings to be unhappy with our selves because it is good for the economy. They want is to buy their wrinkle cream, because its ‘unattractive’ to have wrinkles. They want us to buy the latest car because the one we have is ‘not good enough’. We are conditioned to feel bad about our selves and to always desire more. I say go against the grain, be happy and live in the present moment! Accept where you are in your life and know that you can ALWAYS improve and never be disheartened by failure. I believe that if you feel good, you will look good. Nobody will sign you if you are a misery to be around? I aim to bring positivity and joy to everybody I encounter. I think this is a trait everybody should live by. I aspire to be a curve model, as I am a healthy size 10. Which I find strange to be classed as ‘curve’. As the UK’s womens average is a size 14, with 45% of women being over
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a size 16. I want to prove to the world you don’t have to be a size 6/8 to crack the modelling world. DM: Ideally you would like to be agency signed next – what opportunities do you think that will bring you? R: I think and hope that it would bring me a whole host of opportunities. Bringing me the liberty to work with many different brands and skilled people in the industry. Ideally I would like to be signed to a North East based agency but should the opportunity arise else where to be signed I would not turn it down. DM: Tell us a little bit about some of the charity events you have been part of? R: Last year I took part in and modelled for the festival of thrift over the course of a weekend. It was in aid of Oxfam and is a great free little day out for all the family. I will be doing the same again this year, where it will be held in Redcar. Earlier this year I also did a sky dive in aid of the Great North air Ambulance... it was not model related but it was a hell of a lot of fun! DM: Does it ever feel that people underestimate the
amount of time and work that goes on behind the scenes as well as publically when you are pursuing your passion of modelling? R: Yes. Most defiantly yes, without a doubt. A lot goes in to one photo shoot and they generally take all day. You have to plan travel, make-up hair, outfits, photographers and locations to name a few. That is why it is so important to have a good team with you. You then have to spend the time doing PR in an attempt to get yourself noticed. It is very time consuming, but I enjoy it. DM: We wish you all the best Rowena! Where can people discover more about you and follow your progress?
People can follow me on Instagram:@Topmodelrowenac
or like my public figure page on Facebook @Rowena C Cole! My snap chat add is also on my Instagram!
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Model Kookie Katana
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hen it comes to the North East scene I would probably say that Fleek Photography mastermind, Chris Sharp has to be one of my favourite photographers of summer 2016. I always look for people who have a vision for the art they love and convert it into something beautiful and special. Chris Sharp is a prime example of someone who is able to do this, with exceptional results each time.
Darkus Magazine: Welcome to the Darkus Chris! Tell us a little bit about yourself? Chris: Hey, thanks for having me it’s an absolute pleasure! I’m Chris, I’m 28 years old and I’m the founder of Fleek Photography, based in the Northeast. I used to go by my own name but decided this year I wanted to get out there more so rebranded myself, new logo, new style and better portfolio! As well as having a love for photography I’m very involved in graphic design and often design Model Aaron Jones websites and print work for many artists within the music industry which has opened a lot of doors for me. DM: Where did your journey into the world of photography begin? C: I’ve always loved photography and taking photographs from a very young age. I was always the one gathering friends or family members together to get the odd snap. It wasn’t until 2012 until I had my first proper photo shoot. A very good friend, Jamilah, needed pictures for her debut EP. Having worked with Jamilah previously managing her website I jumped at the opportunity and borrowed a camera for the day to do the outdoor shoot. We picked our location which was an abandoned railway line and off we went. We got
some stunning pictures which were used for the EP and her website. The rest is history :-) DM: How long did it take you to decide it was something you wanted to do and make the decision to invest in your first professional camera? C: Literally the day after my first shoot I went out and bought a Nikon DSLR. It was a standard one which wasn’t very expensive but did the trick for me to learn as a beginner. This helped me gain more confidence and I started to work with more musicians to help with promotional shots for their websites. This has now resulted in me buying a Nikon D7200 and a variety of different lenses and lighting to use for shoots. It’s a great little camera, the images are sharper and it’s very easy to use I would highly recommend anyone starting out to start small and build your way up. DM: Being part of the North East Photography scene what do you think the pros and cons are that go with being with that? C: The pros of being in the North East photography scene is that you get to work with so many different people from all walks of life such as musicians, models, makeup artists and other photographers. There are so many creative people involved too which is very inspirational. There are also so many
DARKUS studio’s to work at in the Northeast, which has helped me learn more about my camera and the different lighting set ups to produce the best images I possibly can. DM: With there being so many great photographers, it’s opened up opportunities to do collaborations on shoots, or hold our own days at the studio which is always fantastic. C: There are a lot of photographers who all want to be the best. You have to constantly be on the ball and make sure you’re posting your work out or updating your website to keep people interested. DM: Is competition and feedback necessarily a bad thing when it comes to creativity? C: I think it’s 100% a good thing. I love to receive feedback good or bad; it always pushes me to better myself. A lot of photographers from the Northeast are so inspiring, and it always gives you that kick up the backside to get more creative to make sure your portfolio gets noticed more.
Model Shaun Emery
DM: How do you think your have advanced yourself as a photographer? For example the comparison between the first shoot you did to one you have undertaken most recently? C: It was just the other day I was looking through photographs I had taken 12 months ago. I did have a giggle. I feel that I have become more confident, I always know now what I want from a shoot before it’s even started. Whereas 12 months ago I would jump in head first not knowing how to pose the models or the correct lighting set ups to use. So my work back then was not the best. I’ve learnt more about the camera and what works best for
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my shooting style. My most recent project has been quite creative and I even got a mua on board too. We created some stunning images which you can see here in the magazine of Jamilah. I think it’s important to have a good team of people to work with whether it is makeup artists, studio owners or other photographers. DM: When people look at your work, what do you want them to take away from it? C: I want them to think ‘wow, what an amazing image, I really want to work with this guy!’ I aim for that with every image I take or edit. I want to inspire other photographers and models with my creativity and different shooting styles. I’ve had the opportunities to work with some fantastic people within the music industry, which I’ve received fantastic feedback from a lot of photographers and I often get messages and emails asking for advice for their shoots which is great as I love to help people who are just starting out DM; Each photoshoot and project can be different, but when it comes to having the chemistry between photographer and model what elements are required to ensure it is a positive experience for both parties? C: I just be myself. Friendly, outgoing and I always ensure that that model has just as much creative input into the shoot as I do. I think this is very important as there are a lot of models out there who have the idea’s but not the confidence to speak up. A great creative mind is what I love most. When shooting in a studio I have the music on, I often ask the model what kind of music they’re into and put a play list together for each shoot. I find this helps both of us to relax while working and
photography Model Dee Dixon
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I want to inspire other photographers and models with my creativity and different shooting styles.
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“2016
has been an amazing year so far! Bigger and better things to come for Fleek Photography.
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Model Frankie Serino
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photography sometimes there has been the odd dance off. Haha. It’s important to show the model what the images look like there and then. This has always been a positive thing for all of my shoots as we can decide what works and try more poses and come up with more ideas. DM: Paid Shoots versus Time For Print – do you have a side? C: I don’t have a side at all. I love shooting, especially in a studio and have done both TFP and paid shoots. I’ve held a lot of my own TFP model days this year which have all been a huge success. This has helped both me and the models build up their portfolio to go on to greater things. I book the studio out for a full day and have a variety of different models from pin up, glamour, fashion and lingerie come in to shoot every hour. I highly recommend any photographer to head over to Harbour Studio in North Shields; it’s by far the best studio in the Northeast. There’s so many different set ups, and the studio owners are always there to help and give advice which is fantastic! DM: What are the main platforms for getting your work noticed? C: All of social media! It’s a fast paced environment. I’ve always got my phone in hand tweeting, or posting up on my Facebook page. I started my own Facebook page for Fleek Photography 12 months ago, and already there’s over 5 thousand likes. Social media is definitely the future! I don’t know anybody who hasn’t got either a Facebook or Twitter account. Networking is key! DM: Take us through what a typical day looks like for you? C: Each day is very different for me. I try to shoot as often as possible and fit this round my full time work. But for a shoot day, I tend to get prepared the night before, make sure everything’s fully charged, memory cards ready. I always message or call the model to make sure they’re still good to go and that we are both aware of what we’re wanting as an end result. During the shoot, I’m always snap chatting, or getting the studio owner to get some behind the scene shots for my website. Once we’re happy, I head back home and send the images straight over to the model, I like to let them pick their favourite images from the day before the processing begins. It’s normally a day or two before a decision is made,
there’s never any rush. I tend to then spend the rest of the evening editing from previous shoots or arranging future shoots or other projects to work on. DM: Editing is such an important process, but time consuming too. How do you know where to draw the line? C: I always know how I want the end result to look before I start editing. I’ve learnt that this prevents over doing it. I do like to try new styles now and again as there’s so many different ways to edit in Photoshop. But this is the part I love the most. Producing the images ready for the off. DM: Is it always easy to have confidence in the end result when releasing your work for the world to see? C: If I was asked this question 6 months ago I would have said no. But now, I feel that I’ve grown a lot as a photographer and I’m confident with the images I produce. I’ve got a good team of people behind me, and I often ask for their feedback before any work gets published DM: What is the next dimension for Fleek Photography? C: There’s a lot lined up for the next few months. Jamilah’s EP is released on 5th August, we’ve just finalised the images and artwork for that so that’s now been sent to the printers ready for the release. I’ve also got some photo shoots already in the pipeline with some well-known names in the ‘celebrity’ world so you’ll have to keep an eye out for those! Summer is here which means a lot of outdoor shoots for calendars for 2017. Which will be fun; I can get a nice tan while I work haha. My aim is to grow more and have my work published as much as possible, so I will be concentrating on creative shoots for various submissions. 2016 has been an amazing year so far! Bigger and better things to come for Fleek Photography.
Answers By Chris Sharp Article By Thushara
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DARKUS Regarded as one of my favourite male photographers, despite only knowing him for a short time I have always been left amazed and speechless at the beautiful work of Swindon based photographer, Glenn Wallace. Although his style of photography may not be for the faint hearted, he is a guy not afraid to take risks, push boundaries and create work which is both tasteful and stunning. 2016 is such an incredible year for Glenn as not only has he continued to take Creative Instincts to a new level but has also become the official manager for two exceptional models, Daniella Lucas and Gabriella Grigo. Knowing these are pretty awesome times for Glenn as well as the two ladies I thought it would be great to catch up with all three of these gifted souls to find out how they are enjoying this next stage of their journeys.
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The Next Level Darkus Magazine: Welcome everyone – how has 2016 been treating y’all so far? GLENN: 2016 has been truly manic, everything just seems to be happening all at once and now I’m trying hard to keep up. I can’t complain though, because I’ve had some amazing opportunities come my way, as have both of the girls (Daniella & Gabriella). I have lots of good things planned and can’t wait; I just wish the weather would hurry up and improve. Oh and a front cover with Darkus haha, over the moon in all seriousness. DM: Glenn, Congratulations on being official model manager for Gabriella and Daniella! What is it about these two lovely people that gave you the incentive to go down the managerial route? Glenn: It was actually another model (Inca Mcdonald) who suggested that I seriously think about going down the management route, but sadly she didn’t have the time to commit to be model. However, I realised the management path was something I wanted to try and knew that I wanted to try and recruit some of the best in the business. I had been introduced to Daniella by her cousin (Ricardo Ferreira) and knew from the first time we shot that she had incredible potential. She is one of the most beautiful people you will ever meet both inside and
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DARKUS out. She gives 110 percent on a shoot and everyone who has seen or worked with her knows she will go far in this industry. I just hope to be along for the journey and I most definitely owe Ricardo a drink for the introduction. Gabriella is someone I actually contacted to shoot, after seeing her on Facebook. She had done a few shoots previously and not to sound arrogant but I knew I could produce something much bigger and better for her. She took some convincing before finally she agreed to shoot. We have never looked back since and I’m proud to say that every time we work together it just seems to get better. She is very passionate about her work and hard-working and has an incredible look on camera. I think both girls had a combined following on social media of around 1000 when I met them and now they have 130k between them. It’s growing every day, as are the opportunities for them and I couldn’t be prouder DM: How important is the relationship between model and photographer? What are the key things that you need to make it be a smooth process? GLENN: Confidence is key within this industry and building a report between model and photographer is incredibly important. If the model is uncomfortable or unhappy it will soon show in the pictures. I like to try and push the models I work
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with to achieve the best they can and often surprise themselves with what they can do. I try to keep my direction simple and allow them to flow where possible to make the shots as natural as possible Gabriella: A good Relationship between model and photographer is the most important to get the best results and be comfortable in different and a lot of the times awkward situations. You have to work as a team, be able to read each other, be able to listen and of course have a great laugh to enjoy the work together. Daniella: It is extremely important to have a good relationship with the photographer because if you’re not having a good time it will effect your performance which will reflect in the images. The key to a smooth process is having a positive attitude and arrive fully prepared for the shoot! DM: Tell us your vision Glenn for stage 2 of the Creative Instincts empire? GLENN: The next stage for Creative Instincts is to launch my website later in the year and the release of both my tattooed and non-tattooed calendars later in the year, so please keep an eye out for these. I’m hoping to have my calendars sold in stores across the UK next year. I’ve just had some of images released of t-shirt with House of Priory, so please be sure to check them out at www. houseofporiory.com, the quality of these t-shirts are
photography amazing and hoping to work closely with this brand in the future. DM: So not only are we blessed to feature you in another of Darkus, but we were equally delighted to have you be our front cover stars. From the work we see here, what do you think it teaches us about your work – both individually and collectively? GLENN: It’s amazing to be involved with Darkus again, as I love the work that is being produced by
only absolutely stunning girl , but also very beautiful person. We worked really well together and had a great fun. The shoot perfectly defined out team work and captured us as creative instincts Angels who was a start of this amazing team, black and white to recreate balance in everything we do and who we are. Daniella: These images show mine and Gabriella’s individuality through the style of the shoot, Gabriella has a strong/ fierce look which was perfect
If interested in booking either of the girls you can contact them via my email address or directly via their respective email addresses Hellocreativeinstincts@gmail.com Missdaniellalucas@gmail.com Gabriellagrigo@gmail.com
And follow us at @Danilucas10@gmail.com, @gabriella_grigo and @creative_instincts
the magazine and everyone involved. Then to be on the cover is incredible, but I don’t want to take away from the girls because they deserve this. I think individually it shows how my work has developed recently and my vision of showcasing girls in a natural way, keeping it classy, but at the same time sexy. I think collectively it shows what you can achieve when working with a great team and I can’t thank Emily Cutts (MUAH) and her assistant Emily Fraser for their hard work in getting the girls ready on the day. I also want to thank Emily Cutts for her costume design skills (bunny girl head pieces). I need to thank Borjia Club Northampton for the use of their incredible venue for the day and Mr Sammy Dee for organising this venue for us. Gabriella: I was very honoured and blessed to work with such an amazing model as Daniella, she is not
for a dark angel where as I have a more subtle/ sensual look which was great for the white Angel. DM: What was the concept behind the shoot? GLENN: The original concept for the shoot was Fallen Angels (based on the front cover picture), however due to time constraints and a few technical difficulties we didn’t get enough for the series as we wanted. We also got some beauty shots of both girls individually, with a Victoria’s secret type theme to the whole day. DM: What qualities do you think you all bring when united together? GLENN: I think together we bring a lot of fun to the shoot, a lot of creativity and the ability to produce some incredible pictures together. So all in all I’d say we are an official dream team when we get together
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and want to thank Darkus for believing in what we do and showcasing our results. Gabriella: We are both similar but very different , we complement each other’s look without overtaking each other. Glenn Wallace and stylist Emily with her assistant worked so hard to help us achieve such an amazing look and create a memorable photo shoot. DM: As much as its good to be working together, its equally important these days when doing anything creative that you think outside the box and embrace things such as the digital world. Would you agree? GLENN: I think it’s always important to have an open mind, especially in this industry. I always try to push myself with trying different concepts and ideas as I always want to learn more. The digital world can’t be avoided these days so the best thing to do is embrace it and enjoy. Gabriella: I totally agree. Digital world is very important , it creates the effect, anything you want to achieve, but in out work, we try to not ruin real people and we believe that there is so much to discover and create in a real world, that’s much more powerful than digital world, it only adds effect and completes the stunning images. DM: What is it about Glenn you love the most? Gabriella: First thing you know about Glenn , the
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most passionate and talented person, who sacrifices so much time and effort for everyone. His work and talent will take him far and he deserves it. Daniella: I love Glenn’s playfulness and his attention to detail in everything he does. DM: When booking any of the models who are represented via Creative Instincts, what is the main thing people need to consider? GLENN: I think respect is the upmost important thing. The girls are both professionals and need to be treated as such. I know with any booking they can produce what is asked of them and more. Ultimately they want to create stunning images, but they want to be respected and to have fun at the same time. It’s important to outline the details of the shoot, including location, timescales, payment and levels expected. DM: Since signing to Creative Instincts, how has it helped you? Gabriella: I was very honoured and blessed to work with such an amazing model as Daniella, she is not only absolutely stunning girl, but also very beautiful person. We worked really well together and had a great fun. The shoot perfectly defined out team
photography work and captured us as creative instincts Angels who was a start of this amazing team, black and white to recreate balance in everything we do and who we are. Daniella: Creative instincts has helped me in many more ways than one! I have had the most amazing opportunities that people could only dream from working with incredible models to travelling the world. But most importantly from day one it has helped me build my confidence and I have learned to push myself out of my comfort zone at every chance I get! DM: What have you learnt about yourselves so far? GLENN: I have learnt that I need to be much more patient at times and that I need to managed my time much better. It’s a lot of work to take on when managing others as well as trying to do your own job. Plus I work as a night manager at a hotel too. So I’m really trying hard to find a balance and to remain professional at all times but not always easy. On the plus side thanks to working with these two incredibly young ladies my photography and editing skills have improved so much and the support and faith they have shown in me honestly means the world. It’s nice to have two very supportive people behind me and now the guys at Darkus too so thank you Daniella: I have learned that I can do anything I put
my mind to, no matter how much bigger than me I think it is! DM: Have you considered the next part of your journey yet? GLENN: Everything is so crazy busy at the moment that I am just trying to take one step at a time. The next few months will be filled with trying to get all the calendars organised in time, because I will be releasing individual calendars for the girls too. I am also hoping to join Darkus Founder and Owner Thushara on a mini tour in August to discuss opportunities for both of us moving forward. Gabriella: There are so many steps and opportunities in our journey, one of them that we are looking forward to is our own calendars. That will require a lot of work , but results will be stunning, also we are going to shoot abroad, and of course to feature many more front covers Daniella: I am just taking it as it comes right now. I have so many big things coming up this year that I cannot wait to share with you all! Watch this space lovelies x Article by Thushara Answers by Glenn Wallace, Daniella Lucas and Gabriella Grigo HMUA: Emily Anastasia Cutts & Assisted By Emily Fraser
URBAN DECAY Perversion mascara and naked smoky palette By Kelsey Robertshaw Urban Decay is a very popular high end brand of cosmetics; they are mostly popular for their Naked range of eyeshadow palettes, one of which I will be talking about later. They are also known for their primers and setting sprays but for now I am concentrating on a product that hasn’t had much hype compared to the aforementioned products. The products’ names are well known for being relatively ‘grungy’ sounding, so that explains the name on this mascara. Every product that Urban Decay has released is extremely high quality so this shows that you can’t scrimp on quality. The price starts at £8.00 for the smaller tube and
£17.50 for the larger tubes. Even though the packaging is simple, its highly attractive with its dark purple, glossy tube and the recognisable branding. The brush is large, like the Dior mascara brushes,
which are very expensive so Urban Decay has entered a whole new ball game with this, and it distributes the highly pigmented product evenly, separating each lash, and the brush is sturdy so there will be no worries about snapping the brush and needing to buy a new one. The mascara is buildable so you can go for a day time look with soft lashes or a night time look that’s super intense with fuller, blacker and thicker lashes. The formula is creamy but not clumpy and it is lengthening and contains royal jelly which stimulates lash growth and conditions your lashes so if you have problematic eyelashes that fall out or are very small then this is the mascara for you. This is the first high end brand of mascara I have used and I don’t think I will be looking back to the dark days of clumpy, cheap, smudgy and drying mascaras.
I purchased the Naked Smoky palette for £38.50 from the Urban Decay counter. I had heard some fantastic reviews by makeup focused youtubers but I really wasn’t prepared for the sheer quality of this product. The packaging was beautiful and inside the box there was a slip of paper
showing the customer how to achieve particular looks with this palette which I am yet to try out but I am sure I won’t be disappointed. The palette itself is a beautiful 3D design with a smoke effect on the front and translucent edges. This also comes with a double ended brush; a smudger and a crease brush, which is easy to clean and versatile - the crease brush end is fantastic for blending! I swatched each of the shades without a primer on my wrist and they were all highly pigmented, particularly the
shades Whiskey, a deep brown, and Dirtysweet, a light gold. Each shade within this palette works well with the others, making it extremely versatile. This is fantastic for me, as I often find with palettes that you can have so many amazing shades but only a few go with each other and you end up having to use shades from your other palettes with it. This is not the case here! There are 12 shades within this palette ranging from pale pink, grey and mid brown transition and highlight tones to deep purples, golds, silvers and blacks, and each seperate pan is 1.3 grams of pigment heaven. Overall, the products I have tried so far by this brand have not let me down
at all, and I’m really excited to try out all the other products. Primer potion, I am coming for you!
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Article By Thushara
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food
The Botanist Newcastle
Known for its beautiful dĂŠcor and its exceptional food, drink and ambience, The Botanist has been a must go destination for the visitors and people of Newcastle Upon Tyne ever since it opened its doors in November 2014. Those who have followed the progress of Darkus would know that we have been fortunate enough to use it as a venue for a number of photoshoots which have graced recent front covers. It was therefore an absolute pleasure to be invited by the management of The Botanist to sample the first day of the launch of their new menu on 31st May 2016.
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pon my arrival I was given a great warm welcome by the front of house staff who were both very inviting and friendly. Being the first day that the menu had been released to the public, my server Clarissa nevertheless had incredible knowledge of the new menu and went above and beyond to tell me which recommended items I should try out. When it comes to new food and new places I never know where to begin, so placing my confidence I went with a number of her choices. There is so much variety on the menu throughout. While I browsed through the menu, I opted for Clarissa’s first recommendation from the nibbles section, the Padron Peppers. Beautifully seasoned and fresh and super tasty too. Man just thinking about it is making me crave them more haha! Accompanied by a harissa mayo which gives the dish a nice balance, especially as sometimes green peppers can be over powering. The speed for the first dish was excellent, I would say ten mins max and came out hot and fresh. Having only opted for some water at this point, it was time to try out one of the cocktails. Being the indecisive person I am, again I called on my server Clarissa for assistance. Asking me what my favourite fruit was (which I said passionfruit) she gave me a number of options, but in the end it was a Passionfruit Mojito which stole my heart and it was so refreshing. The Botanist are known for their drinks and this drink was the perfect example of what makes them leaders of what they do.
Looking around the place the general ambience is lovely and thriving with energy. Yes I may be there to enjoy the food but I am soaking up the atmosphere at the same time too. Time to move on and select a starter. Potted Salmon with Brown Bread. Again the great flavours, well-seasoned and just the right portion size. My only point of improvement to
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add would possibly be a bit extra bit of brown bread. The salmon comes served in a garden style pot giving it that authentic vintage classy touch which fits perfectly with the Botanist’s vision and theme. So far 2 food 1 one drink recommendation have been a hit, Clarissa certainly knows what she is talking about! Let’s see if we can make it a full house. I just want to point out here that I am extremely impressed at the level of professionalism shown tonight. I first came to The Botanist when it first opened and have been a couple of times just for a drinks for those special occasions. However todays visit has given me the incentive to return. Looking at the new menu it is good to see they that have provided plenty of variety to accommodate a number of appetites and pallets.
with Soy beans and sweet chilli dressing. Such lush and perfectly balanced flavours. Usually I don’t order salad dishes when dining out, but this is a very welcome step outside of my comfort zone. Each bite makes me excited for the next. The salad is fresh, dressed well and the soy beans just giving that extra touch. The beef, again well season and packed full of flavour. I would thoroughly recommend this dish to anyone. I had it without a side dish, and you know what I don’t think it needs one because the dish is so delicate, delicious and beautiful the way it is. The staff continues to be warm, professional and friendly through, with their attentive servers and management ensuring everything is ok. It is not just me who feels this way because I can see a lot of other happy diners.
Back to the food now. So for my main meal I decided to go with the Crispy Salt and Pepper Beef
Having had a good browse through the menu, I decided it would be a good opportunity to speak
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to manager Alice wheatley about the new menu. I asked her from her point of view, what it is she liked about this new menu compared to the previous one. Alice explained to me that she felt that this was a lot more of a summer vibe to it where the emphasis is on the use of fresher ingredients but still maintaining high level quality food. Although still early days, she tells me that there has been a nice welcoming response from diners to the new menu too. So I have had a lot to eat at this point, and time is ticking away. I am asked that all important question – would I like to see the desert menu! You can never be too full for desert ha! At this point I have a different server, hopefully I haven’t scared Clarissa away, but hey this server is just as friendly and knowledgeable of the menu which shows that the botanist staff are a united work force, on the same page and more importantly all with an equal commitment to maintaining high standards and delivering exceptional customer service. For my desert option I opt for the Lemon Posset Tart, which is one of the newer items to be added to the desert menu. The lemon curd is tangy but light, with the summer fruit coulis balancing out the sharpness of the lemon. A nice way to end a meal when you want something a bit extra, but don’t want something big. There you have it then! Its quite safe to say that I extremely enjoyed my visit to The Botanist Newcastle, where the food was to of the highest standard and the staff went above and beyond to ensure that customers had a dining experience to remember. At the end of the day the end goal is to let your hard work do the talking, so it is impressive
Make sure you pay The Botanist a visti! Monument Mall, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7AL
enough to encourage customers to come back, and based on my visit its safe to say I will be returning very soon. The new menu is one that sees The Botanist take things to the next level, and I am confident that it is one that will bring nothing but love and happiness! On behalf of Darkus Magazine, I wish Alice and her team all the best as they continue to make The Botanist one of the most sophisticated but inviting places in the heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
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