TSA – Issue 39 - January 2018

Free Issue 39 January 2018 WeAreTSA.co.uk

Also: Interviews with

The Xcerts and The Dunts

A Highland Fling:

an exclusive look at the new

Scottish Ballet

YOU CAN BUILD ROCKETS. BUT CAN YOU LAUNCH FUTURES? A job in teaching isn’t for everyone. But if you can share your passion for Maths, Computing, Engineering, Home Economics, Physics, Chemistry or English, you could be just who we’re looking for.

Start your career at teachinscotland.scot

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lifestyle

FREE | Issue 39 | January | WeAreTSA.co.uk 4 Letter from the Editor 5 Basically...

6 Street Level: The Great Mural Trail

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Music 8 Liam’s Corner 9 NHFC Pick of the Month 10 Near You 11 The Complete Gig Guide 12 INTERVIEW: Xcerts 16 King Tuts New Year’s Revolution Coverage 18 Introducing: Highland Fling

Bringing the world to Glasgow

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20 LGBT Section Lifestyle 24 No Opinion, No Problem 25 Things You Never Knew You Needed (Until Now) 26 The Year of Self Care 27 I Work Hard for Uni, is Uni Working for Me? 29 Stress: Debunked Bookshelf 30 Book News + Top Five 31 Fiction Submission by Sophie McNaughton 32 Five Fictional Characters We Wish We Were Friends With IRL 34 Finger Oot: Creative Books for Creative People 35 The Line Between Sharing and Not Caring

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Movies 36 Here Come the Globes 37 Top Ten Will Ferrell Movies 39 Q+A with Woody Harrelson Cover Image: Kirsty Anderson E. info@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk T. 0141 222 2202

Suite 3.3, Station House, 34 St Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4DF www.wearetsa.co.uk TSA is the most widely distributed publication of its kind in Glasgow and Edinburgh and we work every day to keep it that way. Our in depth local knowledge means we deliver the right number of copies to all the right outlets, and our regular fresh issue keeps readers engaged.

Contributors: Ross Gallacher, Sophie McNaughton Sophie McLean, Rhiannon Melrose, Liam Menzies Romy Prestly

E. info@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk Facebook: thestudentadvertiser Twitter: @TSA_Newspaper Managing Director Mark Ferguson Editor Rachael Procter editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

18 January - 4 February 2018 Buy tickets now at celticconnections.com /celticconnections

@ccfest #ccfest18

celtic_connections

Funded by

LGBT Editor Jonny Stone j.stone@tsaglasgow.com New Hellfire Club Pick of the Month www.newhellfireclub.co.uk Sales Executive kenny@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

DISCLAIMER This publication is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed without the written permission of The Student Advertiser and the publishers. The proprietors of this publication are publishers and not agents, or sub-agents of those who advertise therein. They cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information gained from this publication. The Student Advertiser takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisements in this publication.

We consider our sources reliable, and while every effort has been made to ensure that information is accurate at the time of print, reporting inaccuracies can occur, therefore readers using this information do so at their own risk.

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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Hello.

Hello! My name is Rachael and I’m just passing through here.

You may be in the process of noticing that my introduction is, approximately, one month late given that I took over as editor from the wildly talented Katie Jones in November. Yes, hello. Being late is part of who I am as a person. But, in my defence, there was actually method in my, um, tardiness.

Allow me to explain: while edition 38 marked my debut in the editorial world, it also happened to be my design break-through as well. And while this new-found creative freedom granted me the power to build a new edition of TSA from scratch, I did, however, fail to accumulate inside-out working knowledge of both InDesign and Photoshop in one sitting. (I know, can you believe it?) So, I wanted to save my introduction for issue 39 where something else would be making it’s first appearance: TSA’s fancy new look!

Issue 39 takes us to a whole new structure. We now have definitive music, lifestyle, movie and literature sections which will ensure we are covering just about everything we want to in future editions. We hope that this new structure will enable our readers and contributors to find a place where their writing and interests belong.

It just so happens that our content for this edition is singing this month! Our loyal music columnist-cum-gig-guide author Liam Menzies’ enjoyed a little chat with The Xcerts. I also had my own wee dose of interaction with the man at the forefront of the upcoming King Tuts New Years Revolution Chris Beltar and The Dunts who are set to perform there this month.

The definite highlight of this edition can be found on page 27 and in your discovery of the Nintendo 64 Game Soaps as featured in our ‘Things You Never Knew You Needed Until Now’ feature. I feel like my willingness to pay £11.99 to get ahold of even just one of these soap bars says a lot about my priorities in life, but I hope that you will be inspired by the contents of this feature in future editions of the newspaper as well.

In terms of who I am, I’m a 2017 graduate from the University of Strathclyde as well as a former Starbucks barista and Buchanan Street Paperchaser. My interests lie primarily in cinematic music, poetry, Biffy Clyro and stationery, and I enjoy challenging my body’s intolerance for lactose on a daily basis. (Note: “my body’s” – my mind is very much in favour of a 3:1 ratio of whipped cream on top of my non-soya hot chocolate.)

P.S. if you failed to make the connection between my aptly titled top five poetry books setion ‘January Embers’ (p.32) and the quote from the film/book IT, in turn failing to mutter under your breath, “my heart burns there too,” I am very sad.

January Embers = a poem in IT. January = the month of this poetry theme.

Can you hear me patting my back?

Onwards!

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lifestyle

Basically...

There’s so much happening in the world, where does one divert their attention to amid the chaos? This summary of everything you need to know right here.

Disney Fox

Disney is set to pay $52.4 billion for Fox assets which, if approved by U.S. Regulations, will spell excellent news for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Fox owned several characters who are now free to appear alongside their Disney-Marvel team mates. Pricey though, eh?

ma The Dalia La a has launched pp a free iPhone to for fo llowers e at d stay up to s el w ith his trav all s, g and teachin ose th f 16million o ss... le o fo llowers n

‘Youthquake’ is declared the word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries, reflecting what it calls a “political awakening” among millennial voters.as

14 going ond3th0at one in

s have foun Two universitie r children alcohol by thei e all fun six parents give , this sounds lik ow N .

14 of e children’s the ag at th er you consid til un es m ga d an veloped by es aren’t fully de brains and bodi than a few sips – as 11% e this age and mor had, the study revealed ve ha s 14 r de of un covered the owth...literature, dis – stunts their gr

Peter Cancels

The comedic superstar has cancelled his entire 2018 tour due to family circumstances. The tour sold out in minutes, resulting in extra dates being added all over the country, and is a huge blow to keen comedy fans anticipating the comedians return to stand-up after eight years.

y As of Januar e ub uT Yo 2018, at re th r de un is on e

by Googl TV. Amazon Fire to ue d is is Th een d isputes betw es. ni pa m both co s ha on Amaz king begun restoc ts uc od Apple pr ly ke li is which TV due to Apple g in ur now feat Prime Movies.

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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The

Mura 1 G

lasgow’s the kind of place you can stroll aimlessly through with no real direction and almost always uncover something worth writing home about.

Perhaps you were blessed to be in town on the same day as a rather gifted busker who has garnered an audience as wide as the clyde.

Shoppers will encircle their humble set-up on the Style Mile, ready to pounce on the next big thing, and you might even tippy-toe to look too. Or maybe you caught a topless man stoating along Sauchiehall Street on a frosty Sunday afternoon, treating passers-by to a rendtion of last night’s tunes. “People Make Glasgow” as the slogan goes and the Glaswegian people don’t disappoint.

However, have you ever stopped mid-stroll to consider the graffiti – the way the brickwork in certain blackened alleyways absorbes the artistry like a deep, matte mist employed to conceal it?

Maybe you have before turning onto that little lane you parade down to reach Tingle: Mitchell Street. Your eyes may be focused on trying to tediously navigate those cobbles – they are either slippery or uneven and must never be approached at normal walking speed – but you are still aware of your dingey surroundings, in

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STREET LEVEL particular the vague smell of urine. You feel the weight of something large in your way which you look up to assess, and then you see it: a collossal explosion of colour on the wall before you. A face.

A magnifying glass.

The surreal period of sensory conflation forces you to take a double-look. Inch by inch you begin to digest the exquisite detail of the 40ft mural above you which you summarise with one sentence: “Here, by the way: that’s actually pretty good.”

There are around 21 other murals scattered across Glasgow like the one on Mitchell Street.

Embracing the concept of street art, in 2014 The City Centre Regeneration team launched the very first City Centre Mural Trail to promote the growing portfolio of works adorning buildings within Glasgow City Centre. This very special project has opened up fabulous opportunities for several city-based artists to express themselves on some rather unconventional canvasses – legally – for the first time.

The official city centre Mural Trail map and app are free to download on www.glasgow.gov.uk./citycentremurals So let’s take a look at where you can find these impressive bursts of colour around Glasgow’s grey city and how, without really being aware, they are brightening up our everyday activities.

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1

. The World’s Most Economical Taxi (Image: left) Tucked away down Mitchell Street iconic aresol, artist Rogueone (not to be confused with the Star Wars film of the same name) created this colourful piece as a way of brightening up the usually dark alleyway.

Rogueone’s exquisite art makes appearances all throughout the Mural Trail.

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. The Barras Pirate

The newest addition to the mural family features Glaswegian girl Lola dressed as a pirate, another creation by Rogueone. It can be found in the newly lanuched courtyard space at Barras Art and Design.

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. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

This strikingly enormous artwork is discoverable on Mitchell Street, actually a mere stonethrow away from Rogueone’s Economical Taxi. The image depicts a girl holding a magnifying glass and kneeling as though to pluck something from the pavement. It is said that, from the right angle, it will look as though she is reaching for pedestrians on the street!

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. Strathclyde University Wonderwall Spanning a record-breaking 1000 square meters, the UK’s largest mural is situated on the wall of the University of Strathclyde. It was commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Charter which conferred the university’s status, and also to celebrate the Commonwealth Games in 2014. It features an impressive mix of students past and present sitting in a lecture hall, depicting the various stages of deteriorating attention span which I’m sure many of us can identify with.

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. St. Mungo @ High Street

This mural is a modern depiction of St. Mungo and is a tribute to the poem The Bird that Never Flew. (For all you University of Glasgow students, that’s where the litte birdie comes from on your university crest.) It is a fitting location for two reasons: one being that it is in prime position to meet the attention of traffic filtering off of the motorway and into the city centre via the Royal Infirmary and it is also located right beside the Glasgow Cathedral, St. Mungo’s final resting place.

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. Tiger Style Be sure to check out this iconic mural on your travels. Situated by the Clyde on the side closest to the city centre, James Klinge’s ferrocious tiger is a popular spot among photographers and instagrammers alike. The huge slabbed space in front of this mural leaves ample space for posing and capturing some iconic photos.

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. Fellow Glasgow Residents

The most striking thing about Smug’s nature-themed mural on Ingram Street is the positively exquisite detail. This collossal, life-like artwork spans the full length of the wall at the City Halls car park. It features various wildlife creatures and bursts of foilage, each sprayed with an unfathomable level of attention to intricacy.

You won’t be able to capture this whole beast in one picture.

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

GREAT al Trail

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January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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by Liam Menzies @blinkclyro

www.blinkclyro.com

LIAM’S CORNER www.blinkclyro.com

B e s t R e c o r d s o f 2 017 With another year been and gone, there are some mixed feelings to be had about the past 12 months: an abysmal time political wise with a glimmer of hope at times? Check. Another batch of spine chilling revelations concerning established figures? Check. Horrible memes? Check.

One thing that has been consistently good in 2017, and one of the few things to keep the spirits going from January to now, is the arts, specifically music. Yup, the regular down at your local may

MC Almond Milk - Full Day, Cool Times Scottish hip-hop may sound like a funny concept to some but considering the meteoric rise of Young Fathers, the arrival of MC Almond Milk and his place on this list wasn’t so much a question of if, rather when. With some of the best production to be heard in this genre all year, a particular highlight being on Wet Wednesday Pt. 2 with its jagged crackly guitar and solid keys, Full Day, Cool Times is as claustrophobic a listen as you’ll get in 2017.

Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory The real appeal of an album like Big Fish Theory is that from a totally superficial level, you’ll have an absolute joy from start to finish without putting much thought into your surroundings. Upon further listens, and thorough analysis,

it’ll be difficult not to find yourself admiring the lavish, almost avantgarde production or the nihilistic dark lyrics of Mr Vince Staples which make this album one of the most compact, well made pieces of art 2017 has provided with us.

Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me In a particularly miserable year, it’s rather apt that one of the best albums I came across was one riddled with grief; enter the stage Mount Eerie’s A Crow Looked At Me, something that I’m hesitant to even call a record considering how raw a document this is of Phil Elverum’s coping process after losing his wife.

It isn’t an easy listen but if you’re up for the challenge and want to witness this organic mish mash of music and poetry then this is the art for you.

Pronto Mama - Any Joy Another Scottish act well worth smothering in love, Pronto Mama did a very good job at not only filling the Bombay Bicycle Club hole in my heart but surpassing this comparison by becoming a wholly unique band. Tracks like Arabesque touch on familiar issues but the way they go about it with a bucket load of layered performances is enough to make you feel more patriotic pride than Scotland making it to the world cup.

SZA - CTRL There’s not a lot that can be said about SZA’s debut offering that hasn’t been said by countless other reviewers but I’ll give it a shot. It’s an insightful and introspective album

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music

tell you that it was better back in his day when it was “real music” (side note: please double check that said regular isn’t a member of Kasabian) but the 2010’s have proven to be an incredible decade for tunes and this year has kept the ball rolling with another cluster of cracking albums.

What follows is gonna be a few of the records that I deem to be the best of the best, the creme de la creme, as well as some other albums that represent our humble wee country’s booming independent scene.

best tracks

Brockhampton - STAR

Continue reading...

An act that no one could have anticipated blowing up this year, American hip-hop outfit Brockhampton kicked off their first entry in the Saturation series with a vicious intro in the form of HEAT, only to raise the bar with this bad boy. STAR isn’t so much full of references as it is overflowing from every fibre of its being, jam packed with some of the chillest delivery you’ll encounter all year.

Be sure to check out Liam’s exclusive Edinburgh and Glasgow Gig Guide on pages 12 and 13.

Kendrick Lamar - D.N.A

Liam Menzies is a college graduate, somehow balancing uni work and a love for music: legend says that he’s yet to be seen in the wild without a cap on.

that finds our artist asking questions of herself, partners and family while showcasing some utterly gorgeous vocals in the process. The whole of CTRL is a treat but cuts such as Drew Barrymore and Garden (Say It Like Dat) are particular highlights in terms of vocals and production respectively, showcasing a woman who is one to watch.

Aye, Humble was a behemoth with its notoriously catchy 808 backed piano riff, but if this was the braggadocious side of US heavy-hitter Kendrick Lamar coming out after a drink then D.N.A was the vicious, contemplative one that rears its head outside the club. Featuring a Mike Will beat that metamorphosis into an untamable beast in its second half, D.N.A is a track that has to be heard to be believed.

Wolf Alice - Don’t Delete The Kisses This UK indie rock act have been inescapable and I’m not just saying that because I’ve interviewed and reviewed them several times; Visions of a Life was a beautiful record that surpassed all expectations and that’s in no small part thanks to this lovely tune which brings to light just how gorgeous Ellie Rowsell’s vocals and lyrics are.

Stormzy - Big For Your Boots If you weren’t made aware of grime before 2017 then Stormzy was here to say 1) have you had your head in the sand and 2) look what you’ve been missing out on. A chillingly produced banger, the Croydon rapper proved not only to new fans why he’s worth listening to but also anyone who doubted he couldn’t follow up his smash hit Shut Up.

King Krule - Dum Surfer With some of the most unique pipes in the music scene, King Krule has impressed since day one and this single off his long anticipated follow up LP to 6 Feet Beneath The Moon keeps that trend going. Packing in some moody guitars and sprinkles of the jazz influence to be found on the rest of The Ooz, Dum Surfer will have you dumbfounded at how such a young talent has dished out two quality records in a row.

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January Pick OF THE MONTH

It’s no great secret that Scotland’s music scene is a thing to be proud of. So we here at TSA have teamed up with Scotland’s very own New Hellfire Club to bring you a monthly pick of who we think are doing epically well right now. Keep your eyes out for these up and coming bands. This is TSA and New Hellfire Club’s ‘Pick of the Month’.

Hello there Fables! (Or The Fables to be more precise!). It’s great to finally get you guys in for another wee chat, and you will be the first Pick Of The Month in 2018! So open up the interview then by telling us a wee bit of the history of the band, how long have you guys been together, and how did you actually get together in the first place?

The Fables were formed in January 2013, 3 of the members (Mark McSween, James McSherry and Paul McGrane) had known each other since childhood while a third party was able to put us in touch with Lloyd McAllister, our astoundingly talented lead guitarist (not his words – he’s very modest).

In May 2015 some line-up changes were necessary when original drummer Paul McGrane emigrated to Australia.

It was at this point that Alan Burgess joined to provide us with his considerable skills as guitarist/backing vocalist/ songwriter. Having been a friend of the band for several years prior to this, Alan was immediately one of the gang.

A few months later we were very fortunate to be able to recruit Allan Hopkinson as drummer/percussionist/ backing vocalist and the roster has remained unchanged ever since.

I usually leave this question to the midway point, but since we are all still hungover and sickly from the holidays, let’s just get it over with. The name, how did you come by it? Drunken decision, or well thought out and discussed plan?

The name is something that took months to decide on.

It was essentially inspired by the bedtime reading of frontman Mark McSween’s two young children, the key piece of literature being “Aesop’s Fables”. As soon as “The Fables” was suggested as our name the debates were over.

You guys seem to go through spells of quiet, then really busy spells of gigging and writing again all at once. Is this just the real life aspect

interrupting the band at points, or is it just more difficult to keep the pace up these days in an ever busy music scene?

With regards to the quiet/busy spells, there’s no definitive answer. A great man once said that “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.

We are a pretty tight unit though, so in the studio we can rattle through the complete set (14 original songs) and have a bit of time left to work through new material as well. It works well for us and there is a bit of a flow to how we work. We each listen to varying styles of music, so each have a different slant on how we see a tune progress. Sometimes Mark will turn up with a Bob Dylan type tune, written on an acoustic guitar, and when we leave the studio 3 hours later it has morphed into some sort of Queens of the Stone Age heavy rock song. But it’s all part of the process.

Tell us a wee bit about some other bands you love on the local music scene, is there anyone you love sharing a stage with, and any other bands our readers should be aiming to listen to in 2018​?

When it comes to new bands, there is an amazing array of talent out there. Some bands, like the Tijuana Bibles have been doing really well (and rightly so). The Shambolics are producing some excellent music right now and are making waves on the music scene- really like their style and carefree attitude. Vida and Rituals are another couple of great bands out there.

McGuire of PMG Photography, who came up with the essential concept for the video – a man seemingly feeling down on his way home from work whose spirits are raised when he stumbles upon a recording of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Town”. All of Tony’s scenes were filmed on a cold Sunday evening in November, with the band footage already in the can from a rehearsal several weeks prior to this we had all the footage required. At this point it was up to Pat to edit as necessary and come up with a finished product. He duly did, and the band were delighted with the result. All in all, from to concept to completion, the process probably took about 2/3 months. Special mention should go to the staff and patrons of MacSorley’s Bar, who were extremely accommodating on the day.

You guys have some other big plans for 2018 already, is there talk of a new release coming soon? Any big gigs coming up that we should be getting excited about?

We’re hoping to make some gig announcements soon, the grand plans are to play our music in Glasgow and further afield this year. There will definitely be another single release within a few months as we’re sitting on some tunes that were expertly recorded by Sandy Jones at Foundry Music Lab and it would be a shame not to let the world hear them....a real shame.

You have a new music video just dropped; can you talk us through the making of a music video?

How did you guys plan it out and decide on the storyline? How long did it take to put together from initial idea, to final creation?

Great fun was had making the video for “Rock ‘n’ Roll Town”. It was suggested that we recruit our friend Tony to act as the “star” based on his penchant for indiscrete suits and grandstanding. The piece was helmed by Pat

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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Near you Here are ten gigs coming a venue, well, near you very soon.

EMBRACE

LORD HURON

O2 Academy, Glasgow

Oran Mor

28th March Following on from their stadium stint supporting musical chameleons Coldplay, Embrace will be back playing in Scotland this spring with an O2 Academy gig on 28th March.

They’ve just let loose the song Wake Up Call ahead of the launch of their self produced album Love Is A Basic Need.

Is that really 7 Embrace albums? Is it a return to form? Do we need another Embrace record?

At any rate it’s a return to their roots and it’s all sounding suitably heartfelt and epic.

Tickets are on sale now for a very reasonable £22.50, should be a packed night.

27th January DOUGIE MACLEAN Royal Concert Hall 24th January

Dougie Maclean will be playing Glasgow as part of the coveted Celtic Connections traditional music festival that will be taking over the city centre from the 18th of January onwards. The Caledonia singer will likely have you all in tears as he and his trusty guitar treat you to the soothing vibes of traditional Scottish music.

A night with this legend is definitely not something you want to miss in the festival.

Lord Huron is an American indie folk band based in Los Angeles. The group’s debut album, Lonesome Dreams, was released in 2012. Their newest release, Stranger Trails, garnered a fair amount of attention when the track ‘The Night We Met’ became the love theme of the sensational TV series Thirteen Reasons Why in 2017.

The band play Scotland as part of the Celtic Connections festival taking place in Glasgow between the 18th January and 4th February. Catch them in the Oran Mor on 27th January.

BASTILLE Usher Hall, Edinburgh 11th April Bastille – the soulful rockers and festival headliners of choice around about the 2012-13 mark – are coming back into our peripheral vision for a very good reason. The quartet, front manned by dreamy vocalist Dan Smith, like many of us, have sussed out that their debut album Bad Blood and follow-up Wild World contained a musically winning formulae. Literally. Brits, Teen Choice, Grammy’s... you name it. Thus, they have decided to bring it back to the forefront of the UK live music scene in 2018, with one distinct, gravity-defying difference.

h of

mit an S to: D

Pho tille

Bas

Be prepared to be amazed as Bastille give their back catalogue a dramatic reimagining.

Bad Blood and Wild World will be redefined before your very eyes with new ideas and instrumentation, such as a choir, string quartet and brass section with Smith’s whimsical vocals, that the world fell for in the first place, at the forefront.

Wednesday 11th April 2018, Edinburgh.

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music

CANE HILL Garage, Glasgow 22nd January

The Louisiana metalers follow up their 2016 album SMILE with the release of Too Far Gone on 19th January. They

support Motionless In White a couple

of days later on the 22nd at The Garage, Glasgow. Expect anger, smut, a gleeful fascination with the grotesque and

hurt… lots of hurt. They’re tipped for big things in 2018, go punish yourself.

CILLA: THE MUSICAL Kings Theatre Cilla – the musical is the awesome and, be warned, sweetly heart-warming musical adaptation of the critically acclaimed hit ITV television series. It tells of the real-life, extraordinary story of that teenage girl from Liverpool whose dreams of stardom lead to her becoming one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers of all time.

Blessed with the same songwriting gifts as the likes of The 1975, the synth flourishes of Chvrches and a new era indie pop IT girl in singer Natti Shiner, Fickle Friends have established themselves as the essential new British indie-pop band of 2018. Their highly anticipated debut album You Are Someone Else will be released in March and a UK tour will commence shortly afterwards

Jan 30th - Feb 3rd 2018, Glasgow

iams

THE MUSICAL

Will

FLASHDANCE -

y ayle ge: H Ima

It features the 60s soundtrack of dreams, including hits such as Anyone Who Had a Heart, Alfie and Something Tells Me, Twist and Shout by the Beatles, California Dreamin by The Mamas and The Papas’ and many more.

FICKLE FRIENDS La Belle Angele, Edinburgh 22nd march

Edinburgh Playhouse 15th January

PAUL DRAPER The ART SCHOOL 27th February

Paul Draper was the frontman of Mansun – one of the most iconic bands of the late ’90s. Off the back of their biggest radio record, Mansun imploded in 2003 and Paul all but disappeared from view.

Spooky Action is the result of a decade of thinking, tinkering, writing, recording and focusing. Draper brings his debut solo tour to Glasgow’s quirky Art School in February 2018.

Our very own Strictly Come Dancing Champion Joanne Clifton and A1 star Ben Adams bring you Flashdance – The Musical in January 2018. The story, in short summary, follows the unforgettable journey of Alex, a determined welder, who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. (Cast your mind to that iconic scene with the chair and water.) When a romance begins to complicate everything, she stifles her drive in order to chase after her dream of attending Shipley Dance Academy.

Prepare to be BLOWN. AWAY by an astonishing musical spectacle and unfathomable choreography to this iconic score. Listen out of those smash hits Maniac, Gloria, I Love Rock & Roll and of course that damn catchy title track Flashdance... What a Feeling.

PARAMORE SSE Hydro, Glasgow 20th January They have returned! Heck yes. The ‘Still Into You’ singers have returned to the mighty Glasgow, this time performing in the Hydro, to a sold out gig, proving once and for all that the Glaswegian masses are still very much into them too. The allAmerican, Grammy-winning trio, captianed by the fiery red-headed Hayley Williams, will likely dlight old and new fans to their greatest hits, like ‘Misery Business’, ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘The Only Exception’ in what is sure to be a highly energetic and euphoric evening. Look out your black eyeliner, everyone. It’s time to party like it’s 2006.

SSE Hydro 20th January 2018

Our complete gig guide >> january 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

11

Gig Guide: Music

in Edinburgh & Glasgow The Transmission Sessions A night of live music from across the country Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £6.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 19 JAN

Glasgow MON, 1 JAN

Drugstore Glamour The Raunchiest, Sleaziest, Sweatiest party going comes back once more to rinse you with disco and powerful treats to welcome in the new year!

Nice N Sleazy: 23:00 FREE

TUE, 2 JAN

PERMOCULTURE The History of Dance, made present!

Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE

WED, 3 JAN

SCRAM STANDS UP Great night to be had by all!

Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £3.00

THU, 4 JAN

New Year’s Revolution Headlined by AWKWARD FAMILY PORTRAITS with support from THE HUR, HUGH KEARNS, RHONA MACFARLANE King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 First Dates Pop Punk + Nu Metal School Disco vibes Nice N Sleazy: 23:00 FREE

FRI, 5 JAN

The Sinsheimers The Sinsheimers are bringing the towering pop-rock of their EP Bandinage to O2 ABC Glasgow this January, to show why they’re the band you need to be listening to right now.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £9.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 CONFiDANCE New years, new grooves and CONFiDANCE is starting off 2018 back where it all started, Stereo Cafe Bar Stereo: 23:00 £4.00

£5.00 Harsh Tug OG Kush + Gin n Juice + Hip Hop Bangers Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SAT, 6 JAN

Single By Sunday Be sure to catch the Glaswegian pop band, Single by Sunday as they take to their hometown stage after an amazing debut at the start of 2017.

O2 ABC: 18:00 £11.75 The Roly Mo A bunch of charming young lads playing straight up pure rock n roll from the moon.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £9.00 Orion’s Belt + Tom Slatter + Marcus Doo Kick off 2018 with a feast of psych and folk wonderment Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 TBA New Year’s Revolution Headlined by THE DUNTS with support from MOON STRANGER, THE MOTION POETS, THE NAKED FEEDBACK, PUBLIC RECORDS AND CAMERON BRISBANE King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on.

Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

12

gig guide

SUN, 7 JAN

New Year’s Revolution Headlined

by MATT SCOTT with support from CRAWFORD MACK, NOAH, LUKE LA LOPE King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80

MON, 8 JAN

Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow’s longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer!

Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE New Year’s Revolution Headlined by REDWOOD RIDGE with support from THE BLUE LIGHTS, PARIAH SOUL AND DIRTY OLD RED King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80

TUE, 9 JAN

New Year’s Revolution Headlined by LAYAWAY with support from ATLAS RUN, GET OUT STRONG AND DON’T LOOK DOWN King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces.

Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

WED, 10 JAN

Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling) Andy Cooper is an accomplished vocalist, songwriter, producer and performer who hails from and resides in Long Beach, California. After graduating from Poly high school in the mid-1990’s, Andy helped form and produce the Hip-Hop trio Ugly Duckling which, over the span of 20 years, released six albums and frequently toured the globe; more than 40 countries stamped in the passport.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £9.00 ilktoast + Antiguo + Slowlight With a freshly squeezed new EP spread on a hot slice of Warburton’s mathy-indie-rock.

Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £3.00

THU, 11 JAN

Steamed Jams disco, house + techno Stereo: 23:00 £3.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 12 JAN

New Year’s Revolution Headlined by BOOHOOHOO with support from THE LITTLE KICKS, NOAH NOAH, OH JAY King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 SLAM Slam kick off their 2018 residency with pal Gary Beck!

Sub Club: 23:00 £12.00

SAT, 13 JAN

Seaway The Canadian rock outfit return to Scotland!

Stereo: 18:30 £11.00 Long Earth Long Earth came together by a series of fortunate but unexpected coincidences. Born from an agenda of no agenda, the principal from the outset was to create a musical adventure with no preconceived plan of the final destination.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £8.00 New Year’s Revolution Headlined by OCEVNS with support from TWENTY FOUR, BAD HOMBRES AND NEW HORIZONS King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on.

Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

SUN, 14 JAN

WHITE WHINE: WOMENSAID + BAD AURA WHITE WHINE is a spontaneous performance project devised by Andy Brown (Ubre Blanca, Kaspar Hauser, etc).

At each performance a different collective of musicians will perform a spontaneous composition for as long as they can or half an hour, whichever comes first.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £3.00 Helicon This is Helicon’s first and only Scottish show since the album’s release and before a UK and European tour in 2018.

Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 £5.00 New Year’s Revolution Headlined by SWAY with support from THE VANITIES, PRETTY VILLAIN AND PLASTIC POETRY King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80

MON, 15 JAN

WHITE WHINE: COMFORT + SMACK WIZARDS WHITE WHINE is a spontaneous performance project devised by Andy Brown (Ubre Blanca, Kaspar Hauser, etc). At each performance a different collective of musicians will perform a spontaneous composition for as long as they can or half an hour, whichever comes first.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £3.00 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow’s longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer!

Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 16 JAN

WHITE WHINE: APOSTILLE + HERBERT POWELL WHITE WHINE is a spontaneous performance project devised by Andy Brown (Ubre Blanca, Kaspar Hauser, etc).

At each performance a different collective of musicians will perform a spontaneous composition for as long as they can or half an hour, whichever comes first.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £3.00 Astral Retail On the 16th of January 2018, all well suited souls will be welcomed to observe, from the perspective of their current chosen skin suits, the experience of the fitting room of life, a botanical flesh farm and a plethora of obsessively friendly noises and movement.

Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 TBA New Year’s Revolution Headlined by IKARI with support from TAKE TODAY, BROTHERS AND PAINTING ROCKETS King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces.

Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

THU, 18 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: BROKEN RECORDS Broken Records formed in 2007 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They use their different musical backgrounds and a wide variety of instrumentation to compliment the eclectic sound they create.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Patrick Shand - Struggle With Purpose Patrick Shand performs their 2017 Edinburgh Fringe show Struggle With Purpose, a collection of songs and spoken word pieces which address existential pangs, dark corners of the internet and the fragility of our minds, amongst other things.

Stereo: 19:30 £3.00

Catfish An excellent live band return to this intimate venue.

Nice N Sleazy: 07:30 £10.00 The Switch + Indian Tonic + Fauna + Chris Capanni The Switch + Indian Tonic + FAUNA + Chris Capanni Live at Stereo Cafe Bar Stereo: 19:00 £6.00 This Is The Kit oin the Paris-based folk outfit This Is The Kit, as they prepare for UK shores with a headline show in support of their latest album, Moonshine Freeze.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £17.40 New Year’s Revolution Headlined by FAUVES with support from WALT DISCO, THE VIGNETTES AND SNACK VILLAIN King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 WSHOM In Africa The 19th of January marks the start of a new season of WSHOM – We Should Hang Out More nights in the legendary Sub Club and WSHOM stoked to be able to bring you some of their favourite DJs and producers to the Dear Green Place throughout the course of 2018.

Sub Club: 23:00 £10.00

SAT, 20 JAN

Dootchi & Guests With a mixture of Soft, Melodic songs, and Hard hitting heavier songs, DOOTCHI cover a range of different styles with influences of Funk, Rock, and Indie.

Stereo: 19:00 £6.00 Celtic Connections 2018 presents: The Lone Bellow Country music coming all the way from Brooklyn, New York.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £18.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: TREMBLING BELLS Formed by Alex Neilson (drums/ vocals) in 2008, Trembling Bells have been likened to the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention, by way of Shirley Collins and Sandy Denny. They have collaborated with Mike Heron (Incredible String Band), Stevie Jackson (Belle and Sebastian) with their own brand of psychedelic indie-folk rock.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £12.00 New Year’s Revolution Headlined by THE NINTH WAVE with support from ACRYLLIC, DAS PLASTIXX AND LE THUG King Tuts: 20:30 £8.80 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on.

Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

SUN, 21 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: DOGHOUSE ROSES There’s always been a melodic streak through the folk-blues sound of Glasgow’s Doghouse Roses; influenced by the rich musical heritage of the city, along with the fingerpicked guitars and heartfelt tales of many dusty storytellers, this is the ‘boundary ignoring landscape’ (Americana UK) of the new record, ‘Lost is not Losing’ scheduled for release in March 2016 Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00

MON, 22 JAN

Hazy Recollections Hazy Recollections celebrates and connects acts whose music meets at the boundaries of the indie, folk and roots scenes.

O2 ABC: 14:00 £14.10 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: START TO END - JONI MITCHELL | COURT AND SPARK Start to End presents a two-night extravaganza of two of the best modern folk albums ever recorded. First up is Joni Mitchell’s classic Court and Spark album, first released on 1st January 1974.

Featuring Rachel Lightbody on vocals and Tom Gibbs on piano/keyboards, alongside members of Admiral Fallow, Pronto Mama and Fat-Suit and many special guests.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow’s longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer!

Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 23 JAN

Witt Lowry Now heading to the UK for a headline tour, this is your chance to see one of the most exciting up and coming rappers in the game.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £12.40 HOLY BOUNCER With support from Black Cat Revue and Shredd.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £7.00

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: START TO END - JOHN MARTYN | SOLID AIR The second Start to End night for Celtic Connections features a live band’s interpretation of John Martyn’s seminal Solid Air album, released on 1st February 1973. Featuring Sam West on vocals/guitar and special guest musicians.

Oran Mor: 19:30 £12.50 I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces.

Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

WED, 24 JAN

Le Vent du Nord The French band stop by on their tour to welcome Glasgow with their new LP. O2 ABC: 19:00 £19.65 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: ALESSI’S ARK With support from CHRISSY BARNACLE + MOLLY LINEN Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 The Desertfest Tour Desertscene have teamed up with our official beer buddies over at Brooklyn Brewery to bring you ‘The Desertfest Tour’ featuring FATSO JETSON & ALL SOULS: heavily credited as the Godfathers of the Desert Rock sound Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £10.00

THU, 25 JAN

James Grant & Yolo Canter James Grant is a Scottish singer-songwriter who was frontman of the band Love and Money.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £21.90 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW - CARLA EASTON, ZOE BESTELL & THE MISS’S Carla Easton (TeenCanteen/Ette) heads up a specially curated night from the people behind celebrated Glasgow membersowned record label Last Night from Glasgow, alongside Zoe Bestell and The Miss’s.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 26 JAN

Big Country The huge band arrive at the ABC for their 25th anniverary.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £23.00 High Shore The small up and comers bring along Stop The Rain for a night set to rock the venue.

O2 ABC: 19:00 £9.00 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: CHARLIE STRAW Wirral-born Charlie Straw is all about stories. Whether it’s the stories in his songs, the story of him recording his early music in a basement in Thailand or the story of him sofa surfing the length of the UK for 30 days playing a show every night in venues including prisons, churches and barns.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00

SAT, 27 JAN

The Spook School The Spook School are back with a new album! Could it be Different? Join them on January 27th 2018 as we bring TO BE UNVEILED super special friends and guests to Glasgow.

Stereo: 19:00 £8.00 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: MARNIE Following on from her critically lauded 2013 album Crystal World, Marnie continues to develop her very own take on a modern pop sound through the release of Strange Words And Weird Wars, out on 2nd June 2017 via Disco Pinata.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland.

O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on.

Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

SUN, 28 JAN

Hazy Recollections Hazy Recollections celebrates and connects acts whose music meets at the boundaries of the indie, folk and roots scenes.

O2 ABC: 14:00 £14.10 Sofi Tukker This duo are set to raise the roof.

Stereo: 19:00 £12.50 CELTIC CONNECTIONS: LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW - SISTER JOHN The second curated night from Last Night from Glasgow features the Americana stylings of acclaimed Glasgow 4-piece, Sister John, with support from Annie Booth and Andrew Nicol.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Deliberate Crumbs + The Agony Angsts + Romeo Taylor Special show featuring special bands for special people in a special place and a special time finishing at a special half ten so we can get to the chippy before it gets shite.

Nice N Sleazy: 19:45 £6

HYPNOSIS #1 Artist and beatmaker HHXX of the increasingly prolific music collective MdnGne will be the first act on the line up. Following the December release of his awaited 12-track project, ‘Heavy Rain’, HHXX will be bringing the bassy, trappy haze rap to the stage.

Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £4.00

MON, 29 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: EUGENE KELLY Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines joins us for a very special solo show, playing a selection of Vaselines classics and solo material, this is not to be missed.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £12.00

Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow’s longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer!

Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 30 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: FISKUR Fiskur is a new collaborative project formed by Glasgow singer/songwriter Ross Clark and Frightened Rabbit multi-instrumentalist Andy Monaghan. The songs come from many different places and perspectives, from smoggy nights staring at the Shanghai skyline, to hazy afternoons fishing on the River Kelvin.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00 I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces.

Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

WED, 31 JAN

CELTIC CONNECTIONS: FEATHERWEST Launching their new album ‘Home At Sea’, effervescent, indietronic-artrock meets wonky pop created by enigmatic partners in life and art, Featherwest headline the Hug and Pint as part of Celtic Connections 2018 with special guest supports to be announced.

Hug And Pint: 19:30 £10.00

Edinburgh MON, 1 JAN

Lighthouse The annual Lighthouse gig at The Jazz bar. Jazz Bar legend Rossco Galloway is joined by his brethren, Mike Kearney and Daniel Mcgeever. Playing one set of their new album and another of edinburgh songs/choice covers. One or two, or three or four more special guests will be along for the ride!

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 £5.00 Lights Out By Nine “Something Soul, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues” from the well-travelled Fife-based powerhouse Rhythm & Blues 8-piece, featuring old favourites, brand new original material, and other writers’ contributions.

The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Tweak Tweak_ trot down to Sneaks after their NYD belter at SKY bar, with their secret guest in tow, for the final festive 5am.

Sneaky Petes: 23:00 £20.00 Taste Taste returns to The Liquid Room for our annual New Years Day Party Liquid Rooms: 23:30 £10.00

TUE, 2 JAN

William Young An afternoon of blues, jazz and soul by the Kentucky-born singer, backed by the best damned combo in town.

The Jazz Bar: 17:30 £5.00

WED, 3 JAN

Hot Tin Roof Stripped-back atmospheric Blues/Soul from Andy Challen (guitar/voc) and Gavin Jack (slide guitar), AND loads of Swing/Blues Dancers on the dancefloor!

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

THU, 4 JAN

Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor!

The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

FRI, 5 JAN

After Work Blues Acoustic/Electric Blues by singer/guitarist John Hunt – and check out his amazing hand-built guitars! ‘Gritty, Funky Boogie-Woogie from a master of blues slide-guitar’ – Evening News The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Sound System Legacies Sound System Legacies explores the legacy of dub / reggae / roots music and sound system culture on more contemporary club / dance music styles such as dubstep, jungle, d n b, garage etc, featuring various guest DJs… Look out for some of the mighty Messenger Sound System in here as well!

Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

The events listed below were correct and up to date at time of going to print but please check the venue’s own website prior to booking

SAT, 6 JAN

Graeme Mearns A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined The Jazz Bar: 19:00 FREE Rewind To the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s we go!

Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £9.00 Hotline HOTLINE, run by girls, for everyone and anyone, where you can freely dance however the hell you want. Expect everything from disco to dancehall, house to hip hop, and of course lots of RNB. A night created to increase the representation of women and non-binary artists in the club scene, LGBTQ+ friendly.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

SUN, 7 JAN

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/songwriter Henry Ibbs.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

MON, 8 JAN

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

TUE, 9 JAN

Jazzbreakers Stewart Forbes & Keith Edwards recall the unique ‘Hard Bop & Soul Jazz’ front line sound of 2 tenor saxes. Groups such as Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, Johnny Griffin & ‘Lockjaw’ Davis and especially UK’s own Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes ‘Jazz Couriers’ provide the inspiration The Jazz Bar: 17:30 £5.00 Midnight Bass DnB, Jungle, Bassline, Grime & Garage with DJs from Junglism, Big n Bashy, Electrikal, Roots, Witness, 59th Degree + more!

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

WED, 10 JAN

Edinburgh School of Music Showcase Join the students of Edinburgh School of Music as they will perform songs that they have been working on since the beginning of the year. Everybody is welcome!

The Jazz Bar: 13:00 £3.00 Mr Traumatik Having wowed the crowd at the Liquid Room in November, awardwinning drum ‘n’ bass MC Mr Traumatik plays his second ever gig in Scotland at this special one-off event for charity.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £11.00

THU, 11 JAN

Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor!

The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

FRI, 12 JAN

After Work Blues Acoustic/Electric Blues by singer/guitarist John Hunt – and check out his amazing hand-built guitars! ‘Gritty, Funky Boogie-Woogie from a master of blues slide-guitar’ – Evening News The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Headset Skillis (Big n Bashy) and friends playing garage, techno, house and bass downstairs, with old school hip hop upstairs.

Bongo Club: 23:00 TBC

SAT, 13 JAN

Palmiros Palmiros are a three-piece Rock n Roll outfit with a 21st century edge.

Blues, Country and Pop combine in a triangle of Guitar, Bass and Drums.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 TBC Graeme Mearns A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined The Jazz Bar: 19:00 FREE Soulsville Est. 2010, this is Edinburgh’s institutional shot of Deep Rhythms and Rugged Grooves. Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans will be spinning the finest cuts of Deep Funk, Latin Rhythms and Rare Groove into the early hours from 11pm -3am. Strictly party vibes.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

SUN, 14 JAN

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/songwriter Henry Ibbs.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

MON, 15 JAN

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

TUE, 16 JAN

Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players.

The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Midnight Bass DnB, Jungle, Bassline, Grime & Garage with DJs from Junglism, Big n Bashy, Electrikal, Roots, Witness, 59th Degree + more!

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

WED, 17 JAN

The Sunday Sinners Dance to dynamic Funk/Soul grooves from in-the-pocket 5-piece band with outstanding vocals.

The Jazz Bar: 12:00 £4.00 Dunt Club The Dunt Club returns to the Bongo Club for their first birthday bash. To help reign in the celebrations they invited along Clouds heavyweight Liam Robertson under his Perth Drug Legend guise.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

THU, 18 JAN

wonderboy Wonderboy are an Edinburgh based four-piece who still can’t quite put their fingers on what genre they are (somewhere between alternative rock, pop and prog).

Sneaky Petes: 12:00 TBC Czeslaw Mozil This internationally acclaimed Polish singer, composer, accordionist and TV personality stops in Edinburgh on his UK tour.

Bongo Club: 19:00 TBC Apple Bum A celebration of hip-hop & rnb.

Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £4.00 Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor!

The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

FRI, 19 JAN

After Work Blues Acoustic/Electric Blues by singer/guitarist John Hunt – and check out his amazing hand-built guitars! ‘Gritty, Funky Boogie-Woogie from a master of blues slide-guitar’ – Evening News The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Substance Recognised by the authoritative Resident Advisor to be “one of Edinburgh’s most important outposts for house, techno and bass”, Substance brings a wide ranging collage of classic and cutting edge underground electronic music to the Bongo.

Bongo Club: 23:00 TBC

SAT, 20 JAN

Graeme Mearns A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined The Jazz Bar: 19:00 FREE Refresher’s 90’s Rave We are pleased to be touching down in Edinburgh with our touring Students 90’s Rave.

Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.50 Messenger Messenger Sound System, the original roots advertiser, consistently programmes the heights of conscious reggae music, dub-wise and otherwise!

Crazy to think now that it first started in Edinburgh back in 1987 and that it’s been keeping the fires burning, every month, at the Bongo for two thirds of that time.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

SUN, 21 JAN

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/songwriter Henry Ibbs.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE John Martyn tart to End return with a live band interpretation of John Martyn’s classic 4th solo studio album ‘Solid Air’.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 £11.00

MON, 22 JAN

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

TUE, 23 JAN

Sextile As a stable fixture in the Los Angeles underground, Sextile has been gaining a devout following since its creation in 2015. The four-piece outfit has all the makings of a revolutionary sound — boldly throwing convention out the window to create an entirely original, genre-bending imprint that combines the raw energy of 70’s punk with the intricate and sophisticated structural elements of 80’s post-punk and synthwave.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 TBC Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players.

The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00

Midnight Bass DnB, Jungle, Bassline, Grime & Garage with DJs from Junglism, Big n Bashy, Electrikal, Roots, Witness, 59th Degree + more!

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

WED, 24 JAN Hot Tin Roof Stripped-back atmospheric Blues/Soul from Andy Challen (guitar/ voc) and Gavin Jack (slide guitar), AND loads of Swing/Blues Dancers on the dancefloor!

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

THU, 25 JAN Mandelin Orange Honest music, shot through with coed harmonies, sweeping fiddle, mandolin, acoustic guitar and the sort of unfakeable intimacy that bonds simpatico musicians like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 £12.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00

FRI, 26 JAN After Work Blues Acoustic/Electric Blues by singer/guitarist John Hunt – and check out his amazing hand-built guitars! ‘Gritty, Funky Boogie-Woogie from a master of blues slide-guitar’ – Evening News The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Electrikal Electrikal are back for our earth shaking series ‘WALL OF BASS’ at The Bongo Club. For this event we move the DJ booth on to the dance floor and will be cramming in as much sound system as possible to create one massive wall of sound.

Bongo Club: 23:00 £6.00

SAT, 27 JAN Graeme Mearns A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined The Jazz Bar: 19:00 FREE Mumbo Jumbo Mumbo Jumbo is a night with a mix of musical styles from funk and hip hop to house and electro care of resident DJs Trendy Wendy (The Street) and Steve Austin (Headspin).

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

SUN, 28 JAN Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/songwriter Henry Ibbs.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

MON, 29 JAN MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests.

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Rituals, The Ninth Wave & Wylde Independent Venue Week is a UK wide celebration of Grassroots Music Venues.

We use it each year as an opportunity to showcase the best in current Scottish music.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 £8.00

TUE, 30 JAN Avalanche, Walt Disco, Shredd Independent Venue Week is a UK wide celebration of Grassroots Music Venues.

We use it each year as an opportunity to showcase the best in current Scottish music.

Sneaky Petes: 19:00 £8.00 Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players.

The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Midnight Bass DnB, Jungle, Bassline, Grime & Garage with DJs from Junglism, Big n Bashy, Electrikal, Roots, Witness, 59th Degree + more!

Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

WED, 31 JAN Hot Tin Roof Stripped-back atmospheric Blues/Soul from Andy Challen (guitar/ voc) and Gavin Jack (slide guitar), AND loads of Swing/Blues Dancers on the dancefloor!

The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Shed Seven Rescheduled show.

Liquid Rooms: 19:00

TBC

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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Interview W

ith the current UK rock-scape being rampant with belligerent oldies rambling on about saving guitar music, y’know that thing that has been consistently up and running since its inception, or neon loving indie acts, it’s always refreshing to have a home grown act like The X-Certs blur the lines. Speaking to front-man Murray Macleod, it’s evident that the Aberdeen outfit are doing whatever they god damn feel like which is no doubt due to how organic their rise to fame was: There Is Only You may be the album that introduced some to the boys, “it wasn’t until the tail-end of the promo tour for that record that we noticed any big change in the size of our audience”.

In fact, it wasn’t until their recent gigs in October of last year that the band were prompted to play at the O2 ABC in February, a big but well deserved step up considering that just one of

the many releases in the band’s discography happens to be a recording of a King Tuts performance from 2009. We can’t look into the future by any means but if the past is anything to go by, expect the band to radiate a phenomenal level of ferocity, charm and showmanship with a set-list well tailored for all.

Speaking of which, the new album: the fourth

“When you’re caught in an endless press circuit, no doubt answering copy and pasted questions more times than you’ve had hot dinners, it would be natural for you to become exhausted.”

THE X-CERTS

in The X-Certs saga (yup they’ve been around for a wee bit considering how youthful they are) Hold On To Your Heart seems set to be another sure fire hit for the Aberdonian boys when it hits store shelves and your ears in a few weeks time. From what we’ve heard so far, we’re in for a treat as, from how Murray put it, “the writing process this time round has been much more of a collaboration, a lot of things just clicked and we added to them as we went until we felt satisfied”.

One such track to come from this new approach is Feels Like Falling In Love, a song that, while admittedly has some alt noughties influence behind it according to Murray, wears its 80’s/90’s drenched heart on its sleeve: it unashamedly rocks in with a bucket load of bravado, like the underdog in a John Hughes-esque film turning up to his prom in the third act to win over his crush with a blaring, near sole riff stealing the show especially during the bridge.

While there’s been a few singles such as Falling In Love to drop, it feels like Murray and co. are more excited to see what the fans make of the album as a whole: “There isn’t really a track in particular that we’re most hyped to share with fans, we just want them to go through the album in full and see which ones resonate with them the most. I think that comes down from how long we’ve taken on this project”. Imploring your fans to listen to your work in full is nothing new but when some listeners are hard to convince to listen to a full album, and the aforementioned plea is delivered with such generosity and wholesomeness, it’s not hard to find yourself wooed over by the heart that must have gone into this new record.

When you’re caught in an endless press circuit, no doubt answering copy and pasted questions more times than you’ve had hot dinners, it would be natural for you to become exhausted and what not. That didn’t seem to be the case for Murray who gladly chatted away about some of his favourite records of the year (Ryan Adams’ Prisoner being a particular favourite), a discussion about Phoebe Bridgers and the origin of her debut album name (too explicit for this magazine) as well as a story about his flat mate who just received a long overdue vinyl from an act who are now in the bad books - poor lad. The Xcerts are undoubtedly a band to be reckoned with but behind the scenes, they’re some of the loveliest lads you’ll ever have the pleasure of chatting to, ones who are as much of a joy off the stage as they are on it.

by Liam Menzies @blinkclyro

www.blinkclyro.com

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music

4-7 APRIL 2018

10-14 APRIL 2018

Photography Kirsty Anderson Registered in Scotland No.SC065497 Scottish Charity No.SC008037

scottishballet.co.uk

B Belty

W

e caught up with Chris Beltar, the organiser of the King Tuts New Year’s Revolution Festival which will be taking over the venue from the 4th to 21st January 2018.

So, the legendary King Tut’s: who hasn’t played there?! It seems like anyone who’s anyone in the music business stops by the Hut at some point in their career almost like it’s a rite of passage. In your opinion, what is it about this venue that makes it the perfect start-up location for musicians?

Since inception, we’ve always looked for the freshest talent to emerge and go on the journey with them, from a modest crowd in a 300 capacity Tut’s to now playing stadium shows, selling out arenas and headlining festivals.

I’d say the room lends itself to early shows for artists. Although it’s 300 capacity, it looks brilliant with 100 people in it. It’s a versatile space that can cater to many different styles. In the last week alone we’ve had spoken word poetry, metal and indie rock shows!

The fact that acts want to play the venue at the beginning of their career and return after they’ve become more successful, speaks of the quality of the venue and it’s team.

I did a brief bit of research into some of the artists who have taken to King Tut’s iconic stage over the years and I was genuinely shocked by some of them – Oasis? Snow Patrol? It’s mental when you consider where many of

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these artists are now. Do you believe that the KTNYR festival will be a sort of launchpad for undiscovered/up-andcoming artists hoping to make waves?

It’s mad the amount of big names have played at the venue and we are so grateful for their continued love for the venue. Acts who have previously played KTNYR include Fatherson, Lewis Capaldi, and The Van T’s, who’ve all gone on to build international careers beyond the live circuit as well as playing at festivals like T in The Park or TRNSMT. This further proves KTNYR’s credentials for championing hot new Scottish acts .

I can’t even begin to imagine the sort of stress that goes along with organising a festival this large.

It’s unlikely to have been without difficulty, but what have been some of the funner and more rewarding factors for you?

Very satisfying moments are when acts that you work closely with go on to sell out the venue. Notable past New Year’s Revolution and Summer Night’s headliners include The Lapelles, The Vegan Leather, The Van T’s, Wuh Oh, Rascalton, Ava Love, Model Aeroplanes, and Declan Welsh & The Decadent West. All very hot and exciting new Scottish artists, many of which sold out the venue. What’s very cool is, when there is a bit of buzz about the whole event and you notice people attending multiple shows, staying and watching all the bands on the bill as well as the

headliners. There’s definitely a community feeling around the festival and a mutual love of music between all attendees.

Okay, serious question. If you could rewind to a moment in Wah Wah Hut history that you missed, what would it be?

In terms of recent history, I would have loved to have been witness to Liam Gallagher’s video shoot in King Tut’s a few months ago.

My boss, Dave, always talks about how special it was when The Killers opened for Stellastarr at King Tut’s in 2004. This was the point where they were a real buzz band and the first album was still to take the world by storm but they were playing massive songs like Mr Brightside and All These Things That I Have Done in the setlist.

Paolo Nutini did a show in the venue at the beginning of his last album campaign. I think to have seen a song as fantastic as ‘Iron Sky’ in an intimate setting like King Tut’s would have been incredible.

It’s almost common knowledge that the arts industries suffer slightly more than others but I actually think it’s quite reassuring to see a line-up of so many new faces in the early stages of their careers. In your own words, why do you believe

B B

Down with

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

we should be working to keep the creative arts scene alive in Scotland? What does it mean to you?

The Dunts

I believe we should be encouraging the creative arts scene as it gives people a space to express themselves and their beliefs in a healthy way.

Shows are such a communal thing - you can be having a terrible day or be in a bad mood, and then a good show can totally change the way you’re feeling. I think that is incredibly powerful and should never be taken for granted.

I can’t imagine what I’d be doing in my life if I wasn’t part of a music community; it means an awful lot to me. I’ve met a lot of my closest friends through the music scene and I’m sure our bond is so strong due to our mutual interest in music.

Finally, say we only had time to attend one performance throughout the festival: who would you tell us that we absolutely could not miss this year?

Very tough as there’s lots of different kinds of shows happening that all have their own merits.

I would say The Ninth Wave’s show is going to be pretty special. Every time I’ve seen them in the last six months, they’ve considerably upped their game. They very much have a bit of spectacle about their live shows that goes beyond the amazing music they make. This makes the show pretty unmissable. Imagine Marilyn Manson meets Duran Duran and Simple Minds.

GOLDEN and

regular tickets are still

available for the King Tuts New

Year Revolution from:

KingTuts.co.uk.

Boyyy B

Saturday 6th January

Hello! After playing several gigs in other venues synonymous with Glasgow’s music scene – Stereo and Broadcast to name but a couple – how are you all feeling to be returning the monster that is King Tut’s?

all over the world were emailing us and calling us, so it got to the point where we kind of had no clue what we were doing and we were lucky enough to have people who we were familiar with and sound with on hand willing to step in as our managers.

This will be the third time we have played King Tut’s. The second time we’ve headlined it too! The first time we didn’t expect to headline though, so it’s nice to go into it knowing it’s our headline show for sure. It’s one of the best venues in Scotland without a doubt and it’s a big draw, everyone loves coming to see you at Tut’s so in that regard, we are all feeling amazing.

What is the best thing about playing live in front of your peers?

Here in G-town we proudly host one of the world’s most thriving underground music scenes. So, being so heavily involved with it, can you tell us what is it about it that keeps you hungry for more?

It’s the friendly competition. Everyone is friends with everyone.

There’s no hostile competition or bad blood between anyone so I’d say what keeps everyone hungry is the idea that everyone is constantly releasing new material, doing bigger gigs and making their mark on the scene. Everyone wants to release the best tune and be part of the biggest gig and because it’s such a relaxed, friendly environment, it’s led to a very very healthy music scene.

To our knowledge, The Dunts are – at this present moment – unsigned, but what I find quite refreshing about this is that you state on your website that you are happy for the band to keep hold of the management. What inspired this decision?

We are still unsigned at this moment. Our website hasn’t been updated in so long due to us being lazy mainly, but we are managed now. Before we reached that point however, the reason we were fine with stuff just being dealt with by us is because we weren’t out of our depth - we could handle it just fine. Then we released Dimitri and a lot of crazy stuff started happening and people from

Hearing large crowds of people singing back your tunes to you without a doubt. It’s happened a lot but most noticeably at King Tut’s and at St Lukes. Just such a crazy feeling especially when you’re in a band as new as we are and not quite used to stuff like that happening yet.

Okay, so you’re roaming idly around Glasgow when the news reaches you that Guitar Guitar in Trongate has decided to give away guitars to up-and-coming bands in the area (dream). Which brand and model would you all go for?

Hahaha. It’s a hard one to decide specifically but they’d all be Fender. All of our guitars at the moment are Fenders (and a Squier).

Rab would probably go for a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar, because he already has a Fender Jazzmaster and he’s the type of boring person who sticks to what he knows and likes. Colin has this thing with cream telecasters, anyone who has ever spoke to him about guitars will know all about it, so probably that. Not too sure what David would go for but he recently upgraded from a Squier dimension bass to a Fender one which he’s in love with so probably something in that vein. Our drummer, Kyle, would probably try chance his arm at getting free cymbals or something instead of the guitar!

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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SCOTTISH “This is one of the funniest, funkiest, most irresistibly infectious ballets I have ever had the delight to sit through” Daily Mail

BALLET

a wee

r o m a nt i c M

eet James – a young Scot with little beyond sex, love and rock and roll on his mind.

Despite recently marrying his beloved girlfriend, Effie, he finds himself in the fateful company of a little, gothic fairy – a Sylphide – with whom he becomes rather obsessed with. Thus, Highland Fling begins. And I must warn you: this is the Trainspotting equivalent of the ballet world.

This raw reworking of the classic Romantic ballet La Sylphide is brought to you under the direction of Olivier award-winning Matthew Bourne who was responsible for the shows conception in 1994. Highland Fling finds it’s exclusive home in the Scottish Ballet, the only company Bourne has licensed any of his work to actually. This brand new touring production promises to be ripe with modern allusions, fashion, wit and other entextualised goodies before a backdrop of a Glaswegian industrial estate. And it’s Scotland, so of course there needs to be tartan. In a herculean effort to keep this as patriotic as possible, Lochcarron of Scotland will provide the tartan for the tour, who produce for none other than Vivienne Westwood. Ooooh.

Hailed by critics as being “utterly hilarious” and “charming”, there doesn’t seem to be a better

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show to take your friends, your kids, your friends’ kids, your granny – heck, even your postman – to to ignite their infatuation with dance. Promised to be every bit as funny as it is romantic, and tragic, it will sing true to the work of the young artists originally responsible for the the ballet revolution.

August Bournoville’s La Sylphide debuted in 1832, an era completely synonymous with Romanticism. The Romantics, a group of flamboyant creatives, held a poignant rejection of reality and an infatuation with illusion in their work. It suddenly makes sense why Bourne, of the famous all-male Swan Lake, is the driving force behind Highland Fling, the only ballet you will have heard of to have people belly-laughing in the theatre. La Sylphide – which is actually the oldest surviving ballet in the world – was pivotal in Romantic movement which would transform dance altogether.

Highland Fling – which I feel the need to remind you is anything but Universal (U) in it’s certification – plays on interesting themes such as excess and unattainable realities. James, our cheeky protagonist, struggles to stifle his intrigue of the Sylph and, later, come to terms with path

f l i n g

of doom she inevitably leads him along. It is a love story, one you won’t have heard of and unlike any of the others.

Scottish Ballet is taking the production on a tour across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, stopping off in Lerwick, Kirkwall, Oban and Stornoway. Not to worry, however. You can catch it in Glasgow and Edinburgh first at the Theatre Royal and Festival Theatre respectively. And, let’s be honest: you’re only going to find out if those dancers are true Scotsmen by going to see it for yourself.

Performance dates and times: Theatre Royal, Glasgow 4-7 April Festival Theatre, Edinburgh 10-14 April Clickimin Main Hall, Lerwick 21-22 April Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall 25 – 26 April Atlantis Leisure, Oban 29-30 April Lewis Sports Centre, Stornoway 3-4 May

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Fix r e g r Bu

g e t o o t t h e

h Culture Trip o o s e

Riverside Museum – this award-winning establishm ent is full to the brim with trains, buses, bikes and eve things to see and do. The n a ship for you to explore former Glasgow Transport . And yes – it is also free ent Museum has hundreds of ry. vintage cars, The Writer’s Museum – ano ther free exhibition. Locate d in Edinburgh, see some Stevenson among other fasc of the original manuscrip inating artefacts from Rab ts from a selection of Scottis bie Burns. h writing greats such as R. L.

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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LGBTI NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD By no stretch the benchmark for equality, equal marriage has been celebrated in the media after passing legislation for the last five to ten years, with Scotland offering samesex marriages in 2014. This is not the case in Northern Ireland, however, with the UK government contending that now is “not the time” to be pushing on with any attempts for equality. In response to Rutherglen’s Labour MP Ged Killen’s impassioned plea for action, Northern Ireland Minister Chloe Smith stated “I do very much sympathise on this issue and I share the frustration that is encapsulated

in the letter I’ve just heard him read out.

However, this is not the time to be unpicking the devolution settlement on this issue. This is, rightly, for a future executive to return to look at. We hope the executive can be brought back up to do this, and look at many other very important issues.” LGBT activists in Northern Ireland, where UK same-sex marriages are not recognised, have previously called for the UK government to directly intervene to secure equal marriage due to the collapse of powersharing between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

In an unexpected move, 5 ft 2 singer Lady Gaga has announced a two year Las Vegas residency, following in the footsteps of fellow gay icons Cher, Céline Dion and Britney Spears.

This residency at MGM’s Park Theatre in Vegas will begin in December 2018 and last for two years, following a supposed “lifelong dream of being a Las Vegas girl.” (This is virtually the first time I have ever heard Gaga refer to this in

an interview…) Call me a cynic, but I feel Gaga may be a little premature in leading her own Vegas residency, which is usually reserved for artists who have earned their stripes later on in their careers; I think I’d prefer her to focus her time and energy on creating new and careerredefining music. But if you gave me a ticket I’d cry like a baby and be there in a heartbeat.

Uplifting news from Canada (as tends to be the case in the TSA LGBT+ editorial) as Quebec schools are to begin educating children as young as five on same-sex relationships and identity from September 2018. This amendment to the curriculum, which will be mandatory in over 3000 schools, comes after a successful twoyear trial period in 200 schools across the province. This is despite some mild backlash regarding not necessarily the religious aspect of the debate but

more how appropriate the curriculum is to children so young. The progressive curriciulum will include learning about homophobia and sexism at the age of 12, and consent at 13. Education Minister Sébastien Proulx said: “I know it’s not an easy subject, I know these are sensitive questions, but we now have a societal response to a societal issue, and this is what we’re going to do.” This follows similar education initiatives in British Columbia and Ontario.

Despite every terrible thing that has surfaced from Hollywood in 2017, the Best Foreign Film category at this year’s Oscars is turning out to be surprisingly queer-centric. From Finald’s Tom of Finland and Taiwan’s lesbian-centric Small Talk to France’s BPM and Chile’s A Fantastic Woman, it is exciting to see so much queer talent emerging and being celebrated in mainstream cinema, especially films as diverse as these. Call Me By Your Name, coming-of-age drama adapted

from the 2007 novel, is receiving critical acclaim and much buzz in the lead up to awards season, with three Golden Globe nominations. Hurray for queer cinema!

And nice news on behalf of the first female Bishop of London Sarah Mullaly, who openly embraced the LGBT+ community and told the Evening Standard that “nobody is outside the love of God.” She added that added: “London reflects a diversity of views and everybody can find spiritual home in London.

I’m chairing one of the committees which is reflecting on our teaching and tradition on this issue. I can’t give

a sense where this reflection is going to go, but it’s important to stress that everybody is loved by God.” Whether or not this signals a shift in the acceptance and tolerance of the Anglican Church is, of course, yet to be seen, but it feels good to have such a powerful leader in our side of the ring.

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GLASGOW’S DRAG CULTURE Mainstream culture has caught on to this wacky cultural phenomenon we like to call “drag.” It’s now cool to like drag queens, and if Little Mix can throw drag-themed birthday parties and your auntie is telling you to shantay away when you didn’t ask her to, it is suffice to say this is the closest drag has been to major pop culture exposure (for now…). So why not kick off 2018 by putting your money where your mouth is and celebrating drag in real life, not just on Netflix and YouTube makeup tutorials.

Glasgow is home to an incredible drag scene, with a rich and diverse line up of queens across the city that put on amazing performances throughout the year. The Polo Lounge hosts the wonderfully titled Mothertucker each Tuesday. The line up includes some of Glasgow’s finest queens, including Lacy Rain, October Fist, RuJazzle, CJ Banks and Perry Cyazine. Wednesdays spell out Suck each week at Delmnica’s, meanwhile on Thursdays, you can head to AXM and indulge in Trigger, which boasts a roster including the likes of Carrie Ann Crow, Frans Gender, Bearberry McQueen and Ann Phetamine (to name a few). December saw the amazing Trigger: Monster Tucker, a weekly competition that

sought to find a new resident to join the girls on stage as they open for America’s reigning drag superstar, Sasha Velour the sold out Klub Kids show this year. Venues like Katie’s Bar also host a variety of amazing drag shows throughout the year. When it comes to Glasgow drag, there is something for everyone.

by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

LOVE, SIMON: A HOLLYWOOD TURNING POINT IN 2018 Hollywood isn’t doing so well these days: between the emergence of historic sexual abuse amongst women within the industry, whitewashing in casting and the ever-present absence of authentic diversity, the movie industry has a lot to answer for as we enter 2018.

One thing that has emerged, however, is the breakthrough of queer movies and LGBT-centric themes within mainstream cinema. Between transgender new classic Tangerine, last year’s Best Picture winner Moonlight and current critic’s choice Call Me By Your Name, it feels we have turned a corner in Hollywood where queer stories are beginning to be explored. But more on that later.

Cut to Love, Simon, a coming (out) of age drama adapted from Becky Albertalli’s widely successful novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Jurassic World’s Nick Robinson plays Simon, a 17-year-old closeted gay high school student forced to balance his friends, his family, his email pen pal Blue, and the boy threatening to reveal his true sexuality to the whole school. Of course, no-one else knows Simon is gay and he doesn’t know who the anonymous classmate is that he’s fallen for online. What ensues is an uplifting, challenging and empowering story of a teenager learning to embrace his identity.

The film stars Australian actress Katherine Langford, more famously known for her raw performance in the cause celebre Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, and the woefully underrated Jennifer Garner as Simon’s mother.

The film picks apart the coming out process, challenging the very idea of such a revelation by having the straight characters “come out” as heterosexual to their parents. Love, Simon is produced by the people who brought us The Fault in our Stars, another rousing coming-ofage drama, but this film is tinged with optimism and, bafflingly for a

film with a gay protagonist, a probable happy ending. A film centred around coming out, it is indicative of the times we live in when the very act of revealing one’s sexual identity – once a potentially harrowing, uncomfortable, potentially dangerous admission – has become the primary focus of a major Hollywood film.

I grew up in the pre-Gaga era, with the aftermath of Article 28 still palpable in the air, in which identifying as LGBT+ was still not as embraced or celebrated as it is in most parts of society today, that hazy post-AIDS, pre-marriage equality period. So I am thrilled to witness the success of LGBT-driven stories, especially about teenagers, in mainstream cinema. We are at an interesting point in pop culture when a movie about a gay teenager is greenlit, produced and distributed by a major Hollywood production company, without the grit or emotional turmoil of indie films of a similar theme. It wasn’t too long ago that Hillary Swank won her Oscar for playing Brandon Teena, the transgender man brutally murdered by his girlfriend’s family in Boys Don’t Cry, or Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave an amazing turn in Gregg Araki’s intense drama Mysterious Skin. Perhaps it has been realised that teenagers and young people today are much more open-minded and invested in queer stories, regardless of their own orientation, and Hollywood are finally paying attention.

Of course, with mainstream exposure and recognition comes a whole host of issues to consider, notably the diversity and representation our community needs and most often does not get; GLAAD Media reported in May that racial diversity in films with LGBTQ representation decreased in 2016, with characters played by people of colour down to 20 percent from 25.5 percent in 2015 and 32.1 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, gay men (mostly white) make up 83% of

LGBTQ film representation. More can and should be done to ensure a diverse range of queer stories are being told – by queer people.

It’s almost bittersweet seeing the buzz and hype for Love, Simon: on the one tiny miniscule hand, it’s frustrating that films like these – shiny coming-of-age teen movies that focus on embracing your identity and celebrating queerness – weren’t being made when I was 14. But on the much bigger, more compassionate hand, it is such a positive and inspiring thing to see young people – straight, queer and everything in between – excited about this movie online, as well as seeing Hollywood invest in these stories.

Go see Love, Simon; support LGBT+ cinema in Hollywood, as well as independent cinema, by buying your cinema ticket; visit CCA and see if queer artists have made a film you would never have seen otherwise; follow SQIFF and keep posted on their inclusive cinema programmes; pick up a camera and make your own movies! Celebrate the momentum of equality we have worked to achieve and invest in LGBT+ stories.

Love, Simon is released in the UK on 16th march 2018.

by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

21

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

Reading Is Fundamental brings to you the finest new literature queer writers have to offer. We will also take a look back at seminal works that have shaped queer literature throughout the ages; suggestions are always welcome, so get

A

h New Years resolutions…so many empty promises. Whether you vow never to eat sugar again, do pilates every day or try not to be a judgemental monster making snarky comments at any given moment, we are all guilty of not holding up our end of the bargain. One resolution I always hear is, “I am going to read more,” and this can be achieved! Especially when you think of all the compelling and diverse queer literature due for release in 2018.

And we’re always on the lookout for new queer literature, so keep us posted on the big gay book you simply cannot put down.

In the meantime, feel free to kick off 2018 with an understated, leisurely bang and peruse the following.

Pulp, Robin Talley, expected 2018 Talley has cultivated an incredible career writing novels featuring rich LGBT+ characters and is set to release her fifth novel Pulp sometime this year.

It follows a closeted teen in the 1950s finding a way to express herself by writing a lesbian pulp novel and a contemporary out-and-proud lesbian who discovers the book years later and becomes fascinated by its pseudonymous author.

Reign of the Fallen, Sarah Glenn Marsh, expected 23 Jan 2018 Author of young adult novels like Fear the Drowning Deep, Marsh is releasing Reign of the Fallen, a self-described “lavish fantasy with a surpising and breathtaking LGBT romance at its core.” For fantasy fans, the series follows a talented necromancer who must face down a deadly nemsis who has learned how to turn her magic into a weapon.

White Rabbit, Caleb Roehrig, expected 24 April 2018 Author of Last Seen Leaving, Roehrig’s gaycentric mystery follows Rufus Holt juggling the tumultuous aftermath of his seemingly dead and buried relationship and a very sudden phone call from his sister April, begging for help. He and ex-boyfriend Sebastian find her, drenched in blood and holding a knife, beside the dead body of her boyfriend, Fox Whitney.

April swears she didn’t kill Fox—but Rufus knows her too well to believe she’s telling him the whole truth.

People Like Us, Dana Mele, expected 27 Feb 2018 Pushcart-nominated writer Dana Mele releases her debut in February. Kay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet, but the past is past, and she’s reinvented herself entirely.

Now she’s a star soccer player whose group of gorgeous friends run their private school with effortless popularity and acerbic wit. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay’s carefully constructed life begins to topple.

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lgbt+

in touch at @jonny_stone_ or @TSA_Newspaper to keep us in the know. Get out your library cards.

Meet Cute: Some People are Destined to Meet, (Anthology: Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton, Katie Cotugno, Jocelyn Davies, Nina LaCour, Emery Lord, Katharine McGee , Kass Morgan, Meredith Russo, Sara Shepard, Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi, Julie Murphy), expected 2 January 2018

For anyone looking for something a little different, Meet Cute is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors. This diverse and enormously talented bunch of writers have created “a collection of stories that are at once romantic, epic, everyday, heartbreaking and real.”

by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

TRUMP’S LGTB+

2018

STUDENT OFFERS Available Sunday - Thursday SBCo Beers - £2.50 Per Pint Yes, this is a Trump-centric feature. And it’s ugly.

Since coming into office, Trump and Republican representatives across the US have been attempting to strip back LGBT+ rights that have fought after for so long. Historic and landmark legislation and public opinion alike are at risk.

He may have stated that he was an ally when running for office, “respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights,” and the naïve may have believed him, but this façade was dropped the minute he came into office. Chad Griffin from the Human Rights Council (HRC) stated in 2016 that “all the progress we have made as a nation on LGBT equality—and all the progress we have yet to make—is at stake in November.” So what damage has Trump done to the fight for LGBT+ equality in America, and what scope is there for progress in 2018?

I think I was one of many who hoped Trump would be as passive, useless and mostly-figureheadish as the impression he gave during the election. This has been proven wrong, unfortunately. Last month, Trump banned the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) from using words like “transgender,” “foetus” and even “science-based” in official documents. The words are banned for official documents for the 2019 budget which will be released in February. When the leader of the free world is condemning the use of the word “diversity” in official health legislation – let alone banning words at all – you know things are not covered in rainbows and glitter.

In December, Republicans in the US Senate passed an unprecedented overhaul of the US tax system in, sparking widespread condemnation from Democrats who say the new law will benefit the rich at the expense of the middle class. The passage of a sweeping $1.5 trillion tax bill will be Donald Trump’s his first major legislative victory. This move was criticised by LGBT+ campaigners, who claimed it will affect programmes and provisions in place to help marginalised communities, from access to healthcare to support for people on low incomes.

The Human Rights Commission’s (HRC) David Stacy has stated that “If the Trump-Pence tax scam becomes law, programmes crucial to the LGBTQ community like Medicare, Medicaid, global HIV and AIDS programmes, and the Ryan White Care Act will surely face future efforts to cut

their benefits” while GLAAD Media has suggested that minorities will be prevented from accessing affordable healthcare services. So that’s cool. But what can Trump do in 2018 to make LGBT+ lives easier, safer and liberated?

For one he can work on the jargon he uses and, shockingly, his social media activity. For someone so haphazardly communicative, he seems very cautious to pick and choose what LGBT+ focussed terms he uses and whether or not to promote something inclusive. So this year, he could publicly acknowledge National Coming Out Day, World AIDS Day and Pride. These small things will make a huge step in shaping his voters’ perspectives and priorities about LGBT+ issues and hopefully spread more unity than derision.

Legally, he would be more aware of the implication of acts I’m guessing no one is telling him affects more people than he is aware. Who knows whether or not he knew how many minorities would be affected by the tax overhaul: perhaps he wants these people to be disadvantaged. But if we are to give him the benefit of the doubt, he needs to be more switched on to the needs of his LGBT+ citizens, who make up 3.4% of the population.

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And if he really is the “respectful, supportive” ally he claimed to be in November 2016, he could speak out about human rights violations internationally but even in his own country: 27 transgender Americans were murdered in 2017. This was not reported in the mainstream media. Trump could address the consistent and harrowing murders of women like Brandi Seals, shot dead in the street in Houston, Texas in December, as opposed to banning the very word “transgender” in health initiative budgets.

There is no funny, insightful or optimistic way to end this feature. Our LGBT+ brothers and sisters in America are being abandoned, murdered and overlooked: when the President refuses to acknowledge or amend this, things do not look good for us. I can only hope our own government intervenes in what can vey quickly become a violation of human rights and hold our special friends accountable for acts our community has spent too long trying to prevent.

In the meantime, let’s keep writing ugly features.

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

23

Lifestyle Lifestyle

No opinion? No problem Y

ou got into university and, let me tell you, the age-old idea that “children should be seen and not heard” is about to become a thing of the past. University is only the beginning but I trust you know this. At least one person will idly mutter the phrase, “you’ve got your foot in door” as if to both encourage you and remind you not to get too ahead of yourself at the same time. For now, though, you are here to enjoy the experience and I sincerely hope you do.

However, I’d like to warn you: as someone now out the other side of this liminal phase, I should make you aware of a social shift that will have taken place that you may have missed. You see, beyond deciding to stay on for your senior (5th and/or 6th) years in school, this will be the first major, voluntary step you will have taken towards improving your education. On one hand, everyone will congratulate you; the other is busy clutching onto a sinister underlying sentiment.

Besides a crippling alcohol-cum-eclectic fashion habit, the world now expects that you will have something of value to say on just about

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

everything having made it “this far” into your education. Your choice to not contribute to certain discussions – i.e. fail to utilise your political rights, write tweets about rising sexism statistics, consider becoming vegan etc – will be perceived by some people as being a somewhat disservice to yourself. And I say ‘will’ with intention; it is almost guaranteed you will encounter someone like this at some point.

Fundamentally, the point I’m trying to make here is be careful what you give your finite energy resources to. Not every manifesto is going to represent you in government in the same way that not every dig will warrant a response. Maintain a level of respect for every opinion you become a bounce pad for but never feel pressured into having one about something that doesn’t concern or interest you.

University will teach you how to voice your opinions but you won’t have one on everything.

We all got “this far” due to a combination of hard work and a genuine level of intelligence.

Do not allow yourself to question that for the next four years.

The Year of Self Care I

f you have any form of social media – most importantly, Instagram or Twitter where celebrities, organisations and hobbyists with a lot to say flock in high numbers – you will be aware that 2017 was very much the year of “self acceptance”. And we were all there for it.

Now, over a week into 2018, the general vibe for the year ahead, as presented by the media and its social media spokesmen, is that this is going to be the year of “self care”, something else we are definitely all here for. The “self care” umbrella refers to the plethora of simple things we should all be doing for ourselves to make us feel like we are actively taking care of our basic needs: food, drink, sleep, relationships and hygiene. There is scientific evidence backing the claim that doing a little bit in each category will make you feel less stressed, more organised and more in control of your emotions.

Now, hold up. This is not me placing pressure on you to take out a gym membership, make a Tinder profile, invest in a Tempur mattress for a grand and start calorie counting. In 2017, I spent many a morning wishing my mum a good day at work as I climbed into bed for the (day) night

24

lifestyle

after a hefty night out, most of which I felt were forgivable under the self acceptance invasion in 2017. I’ve completely avoided Tinder up to this point. Actually, I’ve done a decent job of avoiding socialising altogether since working full time but surely there must be some sense behind not doing these things. Surely.

Let’s get something straight: you’ll be old and wise enough now to know that something does not magically shift with the clock striking midnight on the 31st of December, bestowing a frenzy of good or bad fortune upon each human being on earth depending on whether they prefer odd or even numbers. Nothing is going to change in 2018 if we don’t. As my sister once advised my teenage self through a break-up, “don’t change what you have for breakfast if you’re worried about the weather”, which translates to: if you’re tired go to bed instead of starting another episode on Netflix. So what will you be doing in 2018?

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

LIFESTYLE

Things you never knew you needed until right now

This real-life Mermaid tea Made by actual mermaids! Ok. That was a lie. But this butterfly blue pea flower and lemongrass tea turns from ocean blue to vibrant pink when you add lemon to it. Sorcery? Most definitely. [Firebox | £14.99]

This Stormtrooper glass This beautiful little glass features a miniature piece of imperial headgear suspended in the middle of it, 000modelled on the original helmet from 1976. Fill it with milk for that authentic look. The force is strong with this one. [Firebox | £11.99]

This edgier scratch map Not everyone likes travelling but I assume most people enjoy the satisfaction of scratching off surfaces. This 100 Top Movies poster follows the same principal as the famous scratch map.

Work your way through the list and scratch off each foil to reveal the movie artwork when you’re done.

[Film Buff | £12.99]

This question box lamp No it won’t release any beanstalks, gold coins, green pipes or red and white mushrooms when you punch it. However, you can tap it as often as you please and it will release a satisfying ‘ping’ noise when you switch it on.

What more could you want? Realistically.

[Amazon | £29.99]

This legitimate dragon egg

This selfie game changer

Burn the wick on this candle- I MEAN real dragon egg and it will hatch to reveal your new pet.

Prepare to become your very own Father or Mother of Dragons without a lot of the mess because while it is absolutely real and not fake at all, it know’s how to behave, ya hear me?

[Firebox | £29.99]

Unlike most phone flashes that drain your battery, this one is recharged via Micro USB and burns bright for up to 45 minutes. Bright lights make your selfies clearer and your skin look flawless. Never struggle with “bad lighting” again.

[Firebox | £14.99]

These Nintendo 64 game soaps Everyone knows that the Nintendo 64 was the greatest games console to have ever been created. Which is why you need these life-sized replica games in soap form. Let the Energy Citrus scent rejuvenate you and replenish your energy levels after battling Bowser and the like. [Firebox | £11.99 each]

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

This life changing contraption Thou shall never again struggle to dip thy nail polish brush into the bottle whilst painting both hands. Fits like a ring, works like a dream and is available in lots of cute colours. Nobel prize worthy. [Tweexy | £14.99]

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

january 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

25

Terms Terms and conditions and conditions apply.apply.

OfferOffer endsends 31 January 31 January

26

lifestyle

I work hard for uni but is uni working for ME?

Starting a new chapter in life is guaranteed to go hand-in-hand with stress. The concept of exploring brand new territory, in all forms, will always be a challenge.

University is a prime example. Not only is there the possibility of having to move away from home and fend for yourself for the first time, there’s also leaving the safe haven of school and old friends behind, studying a subject you know little about whilst hoping it’s right for you, and having to balance a heavier workload with family, work and a social life.

Unfortunately this isn’t the end of the list. Poor sleeping and eating habits, academic pressure, full schedules and the continual burden of competing for a job at the end also contribute to some students feeling overwhelmed.

University of Strathclyde student, Gillian Crisp, said: ‘I’m always so stressed, even outside of uni.

There’s always a deadline to work towards or something to complete. I’m too busy to think about going out or anything else, uni is my life.’

There’s a fine line between the amount of stress that motivates you to work harder and the amount that can lead to serious issues like severe mental health disorders.

In 2016 it was reported in a YouGov.uk survey that 1 in 4 students suffer from a mental health problem, 74% of which suffer from another condition on top of this. Norman Lamb, former Care Minister, said: ‘I regularly meet with university students all

“I’m always so stressed, even outside of uni. There’s always something to complete. I’m too busy to think about anything else.

University is my life.” across the country and am struck by how often mental health is raised as one of their main concerns about life on campus.’

It is believed that workload is the prime cause for the severity of pressure brought upon young people. City of Glasgow College student, Kyle Brown, said: ‘I feel like I wasn’t really prepared for how much work it would be. I regret complaining about the amount of work in school now because I didn’t realise how lucky I was. ‘

The University of York have reported that over half of ambulance calls in the previous year were for incidents of self-harm or suicide attempts. As well as this, the number of student suicides has increased from 75 in 2007 to 134 in 2015 in the UK alone.

This steep rise in stress levels within student communities has caused an increase in demand for support services provided by universities.

Around 94% have experienced a steady surge in just five years, including the University of Dundee (70%) and the University of Edinburgh (75%). Of the 24 institutions asked, the University of Southampton was the only one to report a decrease in demand for services.

As well as this, the Institute of Public Policy Research revealed that 15,000 UK based 1st year students disclosed mental health issues in 2015/16 compared to just 3,000 in 2006. Clearly, universities simply aren’t doing enough to look after their students.

Sir Anthony Sheldon, Vice Chancellor of Buckingham University, said: ‘This is a massive problem and universities have been negligent in accepting their pastoral responsibilities.’

In a report conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute, they claimed that some institutions must treble what they spend on support services because current funding is inadequate. The recommendation was that universities carry out a review of what they are currently providing students with, in order to identify weaknesses, thus, making way for sufficient progress in the foreseeable future.

Vice President of the National Union of Students, Shelly Asquith, said: ‘The NUS is urging the sector to take these statistics seriously and consider an urgent review of the level of funding given to mental health services, particularly counseling.’

It is estimated that only 6% of students use the services available to them. Whilst this is around 115,000 people, it is only a minor percentage of an extremely large number of students.

Gillian Crisp further remarked: ‘If I needed more help I would go to someone on my course first but other than that I’m not sure who or where I would go to. I know that tutors have office hours where they will reply to emails but we haven’t been told about any guidance services.’

This suggests that people are unaware of where to go for help, and that the services are not advertised thoroughly around campus.

by Romy Prestly @romyprestly

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

27

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Stress: Debunked

Sure, everyone gets stressed. Exams, money, family, friends, you name it, there’s always something to panic about. However, the effects of stress impact people in various ways. Some people can easily hide it and are able to strive from it but for the majority it is difficult to cope with, and can be suffocating almost. With exams approaching and stress looming, all you’ll need is a few self-help remedies to get you through these times.

When you’re stressed the last thing you often feel like doing is getting up and exercising but physical activity is a huge stress reliever; it gives you time to think and clear your head.

So, taking your dog a walk or walking up and down the stairs a few times is great for giving yourself a minute to breathe.

Have a cup of tea. In my opinion there is nothing that can’t be solved with a cup of tea.

In many shops you will find flavoured teas which help with destressing, this is a great

“ In my opinion there is nothing that can’t be solved with a cup of tea.” natural remedy. Teas give you a much-needed burst of energy during the overwhelming times.

Chamomile tea does wonders for detoxing as its has neutralising and calming properties work as a natural sedative. It helps alleviate stress and enables a better night’s sleep.

Getting a good sleep is a great stress buster.

Make sure that your bedroom is your own personal tranquil oasis with no reminders of things that cause you to tense up during the daytime. Sometimes sleep can be hard when you are feeling overrun with too many thoughts

whirling around in your head, therefore, your sleeping spaces should be as stress-free an environment as your living space makes possible.

Try meditating. Meditating is another effective way to clear your head; the silence and downtime will give you time to focus on your breathing and plan your next steps. By putting your workload into perspective like this, the task in hand begins to seem less daunting and more manageable.

During meditation, push all the intruding worries or thoughts out of your head to the best of your ability, focusing on the sound of your breathing and surroundings.

Don’t forget to take time out from stressful activities: do something you enjoy every day!

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs and cater for what you want to do with your time.

Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

If you regularly make time for yourself, you will be in a better head space to handle the many

stresses life throws at you.

Stress may seem suffocating but after trying a few of these stress management tips, things won’t seem so daunting.

by Louisa McCearney

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

29

news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news. news.

book news Women Writers Less Likely to Be Reviewed than Men

In a recent speech, the writer Anne Enright, discussed how books by women are rarely reviewed by men claiming it is as “if it is beneath their dignity”, while books by men are appraised by critics of both genders. The implication is that literary editors believe books by male writers express universal concerns while those by women are regarded as much narrower in scope. Hmm...

y r a u n a J -o o s r e b m E mmaannccee

“The best modern poetry books. Go.” The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace Children Worst Hit by Library Cuts Figures show that children are the worst hit by recent cuts to library expenditure. In 2016-17 there has been a 22% decrease of children’s books being borrowed from council run libraries. More than 100 libraries closed in Scotland and Wales during this period, leaving only 3745 remaining across both locations. Sad times for our future babies, that’s for sure.

“Lolita is the most overrated book of all time” In an quick fire article featured in The Guardian, the renowned Scottish novelist, Ian Rankin, stated that he believes ‘Lolita’ is the most over-rated book of all time.

The Vladimir Nabokov classic is often citied by readers and writers alike as one of the greatest literary works in the world, so the Rebus author’s proclamation comes as quite the shock. In another question, the writer revealed that the greatest writing influence on his work is William McLlvanney’s ‘Laidlaw’.

Transgender Books in Primary Schools Government-backed guidance says that primary schools should use books featuring transgender parents. The guidance emerged following a report by the National Association for Head Teachers (NAHT) which is endorsed by the Department for Education. The NAHT, which represents around 30,000 school leaders, told its members to “forbid” any complaints from that may “interfere” with the school’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment for transgender people.

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Bookshelf

The interesting title of this collection is likely why thousands upon thousands of readers are intrigued by Lovelace’s debut work. Though, after reading the first few poems, you begin to understand that Lovelace’s (is that her real name? Who knows) poetry tells a story with a beginning, a middle and a triumphant end. It is a striking mix of poetry and prose which is loosely linked to fairytales – more specifically, her disenchantment the ideologies in fairytales that young women are likely to have idolised as children. Lovelace frequently references princes, monsters and evil step mother motifs; the poetic protagonist (assumedly Amanda) plays an unconventional princess character. For such a young poet, Lovelace manages to communicate difficult subjects through beautiful, thoughtful writing discussing her experiences of abuse, menstruation, heartbreak, loss and self harm to ultimately become the heroine of her own story.

The Sun and All Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

A stunning second collection of poetry from infamous writer Rupi Kaur, The Sun and All Her Flowers very much deals with identity in several forms. Ethnicity, gender, immigration – to name a few. It illustrates personal insecurities very well and talks sensitively about female inequality with lots of references to Kaur’s Eastern origin and the various traditions synonymous with Indian culture. It’s a very current set of poems, looking at gender and sexuality as the two separate entities they are and covers everything from female repression to deciding not to shave and feeling comfortable about it. You should also check out Kaur’s original set of published poems Milk and Honey.

Love & Misadventure by Lang Leav

Lang Leav is an internet poetic sensation and I don’t use that term lightly. Her poetry is often shared by celebrities – most famously by Khloe Kardashian – and she is often cited as one of the greatest modern poets of our lifetime. Lang’s debut release Love and Misadventure is a beautifully nostalgic collection of simple, poignant poetry that encapsulates Leav’s experiences with romance, hope, loss and heartbreak.

Her poetry is very easy to read, often rhyming, while her short interjections of prose are easily digestible despite being so detailed. Leav has something for everyone to hear regardless of where they are in their relationships and her books are a fundamental staple in modern, romantic poetry.

Dirty Pretty Things by Michael Faudet

It’s not quite Fifty Shades but it is definitely not the kind of book you want to leave lying around anywhere curious hands might pick it up for a flick through. Faudet’s poetry is unpredictable, ranging anywhere between sweet and romantic to downright dirty (hence the title) and covers a variety of literature forms like concrete and prose as well as standard iambic poetry. This is a stunning read. Visually, Faudet uses the same format as his creative partner Lang Leav and he too communicates very challenging emotions in terms that are easy to relate to, which I think is what has made this pair the worldwide success story that they are.

Chasers of the Light By R. M. Drake

What sets Gregson’s work apart from others is the presentation of it. Writers often talk of their experiences of getting life-changing ideas unexpectedly – for example, J.K.Rowling often speaks of writing “Dumbledoor” on the back of a napkin on the train. Gregson, however, designed his entire debut collection around the first poem’s original conception. Famously, Gregson had an idea for a haiku poem that was so urgent he recorded it on the back of a receipt using an old typewriter in a charity shop. And, in doing so, he unknowingly began the Typewriter Project: an Instagram movement captained by Gregson himself that finds others producing poetry on whatever material is closest to them at the time. Chasers of the Light is the product of mass accumulation of his own works. Therefore, it is a very visual book.

BOOKSHELF

McNaughton Sophie Thursday, 25th January

some wee

foaxes twintyseventeen

here thair its thair aht foax again. rummagin throo ma bins bold as ye like. boxin day. dain ma boax in its fureezin. ahm only in ma slippers sa ah canny go oot n hunt it. no in this weaer. thi snaws awfy deep. aht foax hus goat ma wheelie bin tipped rite oor n its firin intae ma auld boax ah special kay. ahm hauf hopin an auld crismas cracker goes aff in its face. ahm aboot tae shout hawl you move but then ah see a wee cub behin it scamperin oot fae eh hedge. wan two three. three cubs. scurryin across ma gairden. mad wee ginger snouts n bushy tails too big fur thair boadies. nosin throo leftooer pigs n blankits. awk ah feel bad noo. ah widny hurt they wee cubs fur thi world. neither ah wid. its nice seein thum. a wee faimily munchin away oan herb

n garlic stuffin. ah cin heer eh wains screamin n sum disny fulm playin n ah cin smell turkey gettin reheated n ahm hinkin aboot how much lecky is burnin while ah munch toast n luk oot eh back windae in ma new crismas jammies wae her pink goonie oan since ah didny get wan. n ahm watchin eh wee foaxes. thair wee sharp mooths full eh fruit cake. in aboot ma rubbish in thi snaw in ma back gairden huvin thair ain crismas dinner. enjoy bois merry crismas. twintyeighteen awk here we go again. here ah go again on ma ain. that’s a gid song aht. wee bitta whitesnake. hing on. ahts detractin fae ma point. aht hings distractin me again wae its mad ginger tail flickin aboot aw ooer thi joint lit a feather duster. let me journey back. aht foax is back again. ye ken thi wan. mockin me so it is. well no this year pal. her maw n dah are ooer sa thi wains are entertained. climbin aw ooer thair heeds lit wee spider monkeys scoffin quality street n makin stain glass windaes oot thi wrappers. keepin thum occupado for a while. no payin attention tae whit am dain.

Ah, Rabbie Burns. The icon after which we have named an annual celebration. Burns Night gives the people of Scotland a much needed beacon of light during the bitter month of January. As Burns’ most favoured style of writing was Scots dialect, Glasgowbased creative writing Masters student and fiction writer Sophie McNaughton has offered up her talents for TSA readers in celebration of our national poet. ah wis prepared this year so ah wis. ah might still have her pink goonie on. standard. but ah’ve no goat thi slippers oan this time. ah’ve goat ma bits oan n ah dont care anymare. aht hings gettin hunted. it scampers across ma grass coated wae that thick frost. thi kind aht crunches unner yer bits lit gravel n there’s a fog creepin lit sumhin ootta silent hill n aht foax is balancin up oan its hind legs. front paws oan ma bin ready fur tippin thi hing. well no this time bucko. ahm just aboot tae charge oot there. three day auld daily record in haun. bits strapped onto ma freezing tootsies huntin this hing oot ma gairden once n fur aw but. here. just as ah go fur thi door. wee pebbles paws at ma trooser leg. she kens whit ahm lukin at. we caw her pebbles like thi wee yin in thi flintstones on account ae her rid hair. she’s goat a leftoor piece in her other wee paw. turkey n squashed stuffin n pigs n blankits n gravy n bacon chucked in fur gid measure. gadz. a cacophonous combo ae thi horrid food aht comes wae this mingin festive season. she’s sayin dah dah mon we’ll gee a piece tae thi wee foaxes. tae

thi foaxes. is she kiddin me oan? but wae aht wee face ah can hardly say naw cin ah. we totter oot thi backdoor n thairs thi menace. thi beast aht mocks me. comes back here n laughs aht me. thi vermin aht plagues ma dreams so it does. n we ur walkin across the grass n thi beast freezes n stares at us n a single wee club slinks oot fae behin it. it’s got pure fuzzy mockit fur. wee pebbles lets go ae ma haun. mon dah dah shes sayin. bold as ye like. she’s ooer thair in her wee barbie wellies extendin her paw tae thi wee fuzzy ginger pups n placin thi piece on thi grass pure gentle. crouchin doon next tae thi foaxes she makes aht chi-chi noise. thi same noise she makes tae thi cat n they look at me as if fur permission n patter closer tae hur until.

Check out more fantastic

by Sophie McNaughton @__soooophie moonchildwriter.wordpress.com

january 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

31

FICTION

Fictional characters we wish we were friends with IRL

by Sophie McLean sophiemcleanblog.wordpress.com

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Who else would we want to be our best friend other than this loveable sponge? As a child, every day Spongebob Squarepants would prance around on our TV screens with his pink, chubby and brainless life-long best friend and seemingly unemployed and readily available neighbour Patrick Star. The inseparable duo were always on a mission to bring endless fun and laughter to any situation. Throughout almost every episode of Spongebob, we watch as he tries his best to resolve situations which often lead to a series of disasters; getting into trouble from his money-crazed boss, crashing his car or ego-fuelled feuds with his seriously grumpy neighbour Squidward Tentacles. Reasons why Spongebob makes a great best friend is because, although Patrick isn’t the brightest star in the sky nor does he give the most logical advice, Spongebob deems Patrick as the smartest and most trusting friend in all of Bikini Bottom. Spongebob is loyal even in the most difficult of times, he even went as far as lending patrick his brain in one episode with no question about it. The pair have their petty arguments, but always become best friends in the end. His determination to make things right whilst messing up even more is what makes spongebob so entertaining. When can we become Goofy Goobers?

RICK “Lets get Riggity, Riggity, Wrecked Son!” Rick and Morty is probably one of the most popular TV shows on Netflix right now due to it’s pop-culture references, substantial violence and dark humour. Rick, a scientist who has been missing for 20 years shows up to his daughter’s house and begs for his quiet grandson to drop out of school and become his timetravelling, risk-taking sidekick instead. In each episode disaster unfolds at the hands of Rick, who has rather outlandish, selfish and quirky characteristics which often involving everyone in his crazy scientific experiments. Rick brings excitement to everyone’s lives, whether that’s by turning the family pet into a talking, new world ruler or from buying a sex robot for his grandson- we can’t help but laugh. Although, he claims to be detached from his family, he always finds a way to save the day and bring normality back to their lives. We learn a number of life lessons from Ricky and Morty which teaches us to always make the right choices and put family first.

“Listen to me, Morty. I know that new situations can be intimidating. You’re looking around and it’s all scary and different, but you know, meeting them head on, charging right into them like a bull… that’s how we grow as people.” - Rick.

SHELDON COOPER “Bazingaaa” Sheldon Cooper who is often described as a stereotypical geek seems like the perfect best friend and the guy who knows exactly what to say to cheer you up.

Sheldon who was a former child genius has an IQ of 187 and works as a theoretical scientist. His often highly intellectual remarks, scientific jokes and puns throughout the show is what makes Sheldon different from the other characters. However, Sheldon who attended college when he was 11 is still very much in touch with his childish side and often makes immature and playful comments to his peers. His intelligent, ironic and sarky sense of humour is what makes the Big Bang Theory so enjoyable even if he fails to show a lack of empathy at times, Sheldon will always tell you the truth. Not only will Sheldon help you with your maths and science homework, but his knowledge and witty humour makes any argument with his neighbours and friends hilarious to watch. He even made an algorithm to help people make friendships.

BRICK TAMLAND The news team’s most loyal and hilarious weatherman has to be Brick. When we first met Brick Tamland, he said: “People seem to like me because I am polite, rarely late, I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.”- don’t we all need a friend like that! His spontaneous somewhat reckless and selfless behaviour is what makes us love him so much. Brick has an exuberant personality and is often overdramatic in almost any situation, he is often found shouting at the other end of the microphone on live TV, eating garbage or wearing green trousers in front of a green screen. Brick seems like an ideal best friend because regardless of what happens, he always remains loyal. He is sure to make a funny yet awkward insult against any threats to the news gang which often always make us cringe but giggle none the less. He sometimes even makes the most logical and thought-provoking comments but then forgets what he said.

Throughout Anchorman, Brick shows heroic tendencies whether that be by running to the battle scene with a hand grenade, aiming a futuristic machine gun at Kanye West or by awkwardly telling the enemy they got their clothes from the toilet store. We all need a goofy loveable Brick Tamland in our lives.

JOEY TRIBBIANI “You can’t just give up, is that what a dinosaur would do?”

With the return of everyone’s favourite sitcom to Netflix we can’t help but feel excitement to see Joey Tribbiani on our screens yet again. If we were friends with Joey IRL we would probably be dancing, building forts and eating pizza! Joey always knows what to say for a comedic laugh or to resolve a crisis. We love Joey for his charismatic, goofy and overprotective personality, as well as his love for food- beware though, don’t touch his cake! Joey keeps his friends motivated and never lets life get him down. Joey works as an actor which is also a bonus and means that his friends get into loads of cool events and venues. He would do anything for his friends, he once even went as far as kissing his friend Phoebe because she wanted someone to kiss her that cared about her and proposed to her because she thought she was pregnant so he wanted to help her raise the baby. Joey seems to know how to solve any situation thanks to his creative, unusual and amusing personality.

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Bookshelf

Bookshelf Bookshelf

The line between sharing and not caring

H

ere I sit, cross-legged before my household printer, impatiently tugging at the barely released sheets of cartridge paper as they slowly reveal themselves to grubby paws. A few minutes pass and before I know it I am holding Kristen Roupenian’s short story ‘Cat Person’, “a must read feminist short story” as proclaimed by Stylist online just a week ago with a helpful link to the online version and a less-than-helpful summary of the story (which had me navigating through the page with one eye closed).

writing dissertation. Being very much out there for the printing is not to undermine the time and craftsmanship that will have gone into ‘Cat Person’s’ composition. Try and say otherwise and I will begrudgingly locate the very tearstained, university souvenir that had me sweating over dramatic irony for 12 weeks for you. So, knowing the time, pain, planning and stress that goes into a story seemingly simple, is it hypocritical of me to now be replicating it for my own enjoyment free-of-charge?

The story only found its way into my peripheral today but, with a little research, I wasn’t long in finding out that it was first published in The New Yorker sometime during the final weeks of 2017.

A bit of ye olde copy-and-paste and voila! Tonight it has made its publishing debut in the spare room of a house somewhere in South Lanarkshire too.

You will be familiar with the Kindle vs. paperback debate that, since its conception, has been at the forefront of the book lover’s circle. Is reading on an electronic device a way of exploiting writers even though it is a cheaper, more economic (the trees are, no doubt, very thankful) and faster way of publishing, sharing and having customers read what you have written? This may just be the sort of age-old disagreement that book snobs thrive off talking about.

You see, that’s the thing I want to bring into the open right now. In my hands I am holding 7,000 words of Roupenian’s prose, almost the equivalent size of my undergraduate creative

Personally, as a wanna-be-writer-of-fiction, my

main priority is always having people hold your work in their hands. Putting so much blood, sweat and tears into something that sings not only of your personal experiences but your impressions of the world around you, and making how you see a valuable talking point among everyone who touches it. I believe writing is very much a profession built around sharing and being happy when your work is being shared around, but that is not to say I don’t believe we should be paid accordingly for people to enjoy our work. I’m positive The New Yorker will have sorted out this concern nicely.

If I was ever to meet Kristen Roupenian – author of a viral “must read feminist story” called ‘Cat Person’ and now owner of two U.S and U.K book deals – I am certain she would be glad to hear that I indulged in her craft, with her thoughts being far away from wondering how I digested it and the damage it inflicted on my purse. Given that it was the very act of sharing that made her the writing sensation she is today.

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

33

FINGER OOT!

IT’S 2018. WE MADE IT THROUGH THE MINEFIELD THAT WAS 2017, AND TO HAVE DONE SO UNSCATHED WOULD BE NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACULOUS. START 2018 RIGHT BY PUTTING YOUR CREATIVE FOOT FIRST AND INDULGING IN THESE HELPFUL GUIDES.

Things are what you make of them: Life Advice for Creatives Ah, resolutions. They’re wonderful aren’t they? Meaningless promises we make to better ourselves that once, while approaching the summit of a chilly, well-fed December, seemed plausible but are far less appealing beyond the first week of January.

Like myself, you were likely in a similar position at the beginning of 2017 as you are this very minute, with hopes of unwrapping a bikini body for all of Instagram to see in time for the Christmas just passed.

Sadly, you preferred to spend your time behind the dish of pigs in blankets on December 25th (I speak from experience, I assure you) as one too many unavoidable social gatherings throughout the year meant it simply wasn’t worth losing weight in between. Alas, the guilt has now seeped through your extra layers and you will have come to the realisation that things – unavoidable as they may be – are what you make of them, this being the very message behind artist Adam J. Kurtz’s book of creative life advice.

Kurtz – who is much a superstar on

34

Instagram as he is on the bookshelf – is a living, breathing illustrator, artist and entrepreneur with a message for anyone looking to embark on a creatively driven career.

His compact advice book is broken into nine or so handwritten chapters (pages of a notebook that have been uniformly scribbled on and then torn out) debunking challenges found in the creative professions such as ‘How to Stay Sane When Working from Home’ and ‘How to Get Over Comparing Yourself to Other Creatives’. He writes in a quirky, conversational tone that makes him feel approachable, like someone we should listen to. Perhaps the greatest selling point about this book is the perforated pages which mean you can easily tear out any of the high quality sheets of the book to stick in your creative space, or share with anyone who might need a kick too. In summary, it’s colourful, aesthetically pleasing, inspiring and beautifully comforting. So. All of the things that any creative needs to overcome a slump or, of course, start the process.

S teal L ike an A rtist : 10 T hings Nobody Told You About Being Creative

There were times during university that I wished for Austin Kleon to appear to me on my shoulder and pep talk me through insurmountable essays. Kleon, an american writer and illustrator, has a lot to tell you between the pages of his debut creative self-help guide Steal Like an Artist, and you’re going to want to revisit this handy book time and time again. Even if just to marvel at the hand-drawn beauty of it all.

Ok, so the title seems a little confusing. Being in the academic circle, you’ll be well versed in the importance of, well, not stealing.

Ever. But is encouraging you to steal from your artistic peers what Kleon is actually advising you do? Or did you notice the simile ‘like an’ – none other than ‘artist’?

That’s right. Before you’ve even opened it, Kleon’s book gives a nod to the hushed fact that everyone borrows from everyone in this business. However, rather than this being a self-help guide to ripping off your mates’ talents, Kleon’s expert guide explains how to utilise the work you admire to form the basis of your own creations.

Steal Like an Artist explores important, need-to-know principals

like how and why you need to properly accredit other people’s work in your own as well as – and I find this the most engaging part of the book – how to generate ideas using brainstorming techniques. He also encourages you to start healthy habits that you wouldn’t normally consider, like not binning your scrap paper in a bid to put an end to you disregarding your less-than-perfect kernels in favour of unachievable perfection.

Kleon’s book is needed in this world. It is useful, interesting and comforting, littered with inspirational thoughts, quotes and diagrams from the author’s imagination that encourage you to think of things differently. It shines light on history’s greatest creatives and their struggles, reminding you just when you need to hear it that everyone muddles through a wavering road in this field.

If you don’t put this down and feel a sense of tummy tingling at thinking about why you love the art that you do, then it’s maybe not for you. But you won’t. You’ll be here for it too, praying that someone uses your work as an example in their own creative explorations some day. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

Bookshelf

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

Write yourself alive this year If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to spend more time indulging in the things you love, a great way to go about doing this is through writing articles which can then be sent off to various publications for consideration.

The unfortunate reality of the profession is that you will likely not be paid for your submissions, the privilege being the exposure for your writing in a renowned publication, so this really will need to be a labour of love. However, the benefits to you are almost immeasurable, particularly if you’ll be preparing for the job hunt in the very near future. Allow me to elaborate...

Say you like reading. Great. So do 50% of the population, which works in your favour because is there or is there not anything better than reading what someone new has to say about a book you’ve just read? One of the greatest joys in life is discussion – bouncing ideas off of another person. They challenge your perspective on things, forcing you to consider fresh avenues whilst putting you in a position where you’ll learn how to properly inform your own opinions.

This will teach you how to be respectful of other peoples’ in the process.

If writing for a magazine or newspaper isn’t something you’re feeling up to in the beginning, why not start your own website? It’s free to do with costs only coming in to play when you want to add fancy, and fairly useful, extras depending on the host site you decide to use. (Wordpress is a good one.)

Publish content at your own will. Include images you’ve taken or high quality ones you’ve sourced for free from various stock websites to illustrate your

work.

When it comes to the job hunt, showing a portfolio of active interest is a fantastic way of showing an employer that you really care about what you do. Thus, in applying for a job, this will make you a more promising candidate as the implication you have laid down is that you will approach this new job with the same passion.

You needn’t post every single week, just regularly enough to stay in the know with what’s happening in your field and how you feel about it. Have external bloggers, freelancers or peers offer suggestions in the comments sections or even offer to publish their article rebutting or agreeing with the points you’ve highlighted in your own work.

Having your own website is a great thing to have because you can eventually monetize it too if you feel like there is scope for it. This is achieved through having people advertise on your page for a fee and, alternatively, applying to have products sent to you in exchange for review and/or tutorial content. The downside of this, which will make it a little difficult for you to score deals in the beginning, is that advertising opportunities typically become available to you as your readership expands. All the more reason for you to share your content as much as possible using free social media sites.

As you will hopefully see, every tool you need to build an online writing presence is currently accessible, very cheap (if not free) and will enable you to reach to a large audience, given that everyone and their dog – literally – has a social media account of some description these days.

by Rachael Procter @rrretro___

editor@thestudentadvertiser.co.uk

january 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

35

MOVIES

Here come the Globes

The 75th Golden Globe Awards ceremony will take place on January 7th, 2018 somewhere in America.

The event will be hosted by Late Show host and the occasionally funny Seth Meyers and will honour the best in film and television of 2017. (“Best” according to a group of faceless and nameless journalists and photographers from Southern California who do not have a Wikipedia page). The awards ceremony’s most distinguishable feature is that it splits the traditional best picture and best television series categories into two: drama, and comedy or musical. In terms of awards ceremonies, this is riveting stuff as more people, films, and shows get recognition.

M ov i e s

Best Motion Picture Dunkirk

The Post

The Shape of Water

Call Me by Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy The Disaster Artist Get Out

The Greatest Showman I, Tonya

Lady Bird

Best Actor, Motion Picture

Leading the film pack is Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water with 7 nominations and, for television, David E. Kelley’s Big Little Lies with 6 nominations. Feud: Bette and Joan and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are also getting considerable attention with 4 and 6 nominations respectively. These nominations, along with Oprah “Queen of All Media” Winfrey getting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contribution, show that the members of Hollywood Foreign Press Association are showing much needed love for women-centric stories both on the big and small screens and it’s about time.

Here are some highlights from the 2018 Golden Globes nominations.

T elevision

Best Television Series, Drama The Handmaid’s Tale This Is Us

The Crown

Game of Thrones Stranger Things

Best Television Series, Comedy Black-ish

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Master of None SMILF

Will & Grace

Best Actress, Television Series, Drama

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale

Tom Hanks, The Post

Katherine Langford, 13 Reasons Why

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Best Actress, Motion Picture Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Meryl Streep, The Post

Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

Best Actor, Comedy Steve Carell, Battle of the Sexes Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver

James Franco, The Disaster Artist

Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Best Actress, Comedy Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker

Best Director Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Claire Foy, The Crown

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce Caitriona Balfe, Outlander

Best Actor, Television Series, Drama Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul Jason Bateman, Ozark

Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Best Actress, Television Series, Comedy Pamela Adlon, Better Things Alison Brie, GLOW

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Issa Rae, Insecure

Frankie Shaw, SMILF

Best Actor, Television Series, Comedy Anthony Anderson, Black-ish Aziz Ansari, Master of None Kevin Bacon, I Love Dick

William H. Macy, Shameless

Eric McCormack, Will & Grace

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World Steven Spielberg, The Post

36

movies

by Ross Gallacher

M OV I E S M OV I E S

by Rhiannon Melrose @RhiannonAdele

r.melrose@tsaglasgow.com

TOP TEN MOVIES WITH

WILL FERRELL

It is not surprising that Elf is top of the list, given the time of year, but it is a classic. Alongside Ferrell stars James Caan, Zooey Deschanel and Mary Steenburgen, as ‘Buddy’ the elf ventures to the big NYC in search of his long-lost biological father. Being raised amongst elves and at the North Pole, Buddy’s way of life is a bit different to ours.

He believes he is an elf and follows their rules to life. Through his Christmas belief and hilarious gags, not to mention his ridiculous outfit, this film brings the festive feels right into your home. You would be a “cotton headed ninny muggins” to not enjoy this family festive film.

Daddy’s Home A Ferrell and Wahlberg collaboration takes us on a comic journey in Daddy’s Home. Stepdad Brad (Ferrell) tries his best to keep everyone’s lives happy as they go about their day to day lives yearning for his stepchildren to treat him as if he was their real dad. As soon as slight progress is made it all gets turned upside down when biological father Dusty (Wahlberg) returns and causes chaos. Brad holds out hope and tries to begin a respectful relationship, through his insane and entertaining trouble we see the comedy great Ferrell yet again is.

Written by Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay, Step Brothers is a must-see comedy film. Two unemployed, middle-aged step-brothers are forced to get along, uncovering their insane rivalry for one another as they compete to get the most affection from their newlymarried parents. Their childlike antics take a turn and gets them into bother as living all under the one roof proves to be too difficult.

Ferrell and Reilly combine their talents to give us a ridiculously hilarious performance. With memorable quotes that have you rolling on the floor saying, “that’s so funny the last time I heard that I laughed so hard I fell off my dinosaur,” this film could be watched again and again and still be as funny as the first time.

The Other Guy Another Ferrell and Wahlberg team effort on delivering an action-packed comedy film. The Other Guy is about two off-balance detectives working in New York City, who have been paired up to take on work like their superiors, and get away from the desk work to see the real action. Ferrell and Wahlberg have this comedy connection where they can just bounce off each other’s humour keeping the storyline flowing along with fresh new gags and plenty of action with tonnes of explosions and crashes. Would it even be a Ferrell comedy if things didn’t go as they planned?

“Don’t act like you’re not impressed” with the tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s in the male-dominated world of broadcast news. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy tells the story of Ron’s, Ferrell’s character, news team and a female colleague’s competitive way of work in the TV station as they both thrive for the no1 anchor spot. With constant foolishness and amazing one-liners the film keeps you laughing at every take. There is no wonder it has made number 6 on TimeOut’s top 100 comedy films of all time and deserves its place on this list.

We have all seen a Will Ferrell film at a point and I’m sure we all have a favourite, but what makes the top spot on our list I took to Facebook to round up the results. Some might find the top 10 surprising but I wouldn’t have put it any other way. Will Ferrell fan or not, give them a try: there is bound to be at least one that will have you in fits of laughter.

Rival Olympic ice skaters, Chazz Michael and Jimmy MacElroy are disqualified from competing in the men’s singles competition.

After their dreams are shattered they work together and find a loophole which allows them to pair up and work alongside each other to pursue their career goal of gold medals. The pair battle it out with a brilliant cast, including Jon Heder, Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. “Mind-bottling, isn’t it?” Blades of Glory creates a parody of inspirational drama within sporting events. Skating away in a comedy gem, Will Ferrell delivers comic value once again.

Old School Old School is just as it sounds, old and School.

It is about three miserable family men who go back to their youth and seek out the college days by starting a fraternity.

It has every cliché you can imagine from the wild frat houses and parties but it delivers what you want in a comedy film: the cheap laughs.

With a great cast who have now gone on to huge careers that all stemmed from this film due to the massive backing it received, it combines adult and student interests in the one movie to entertain one and all.

Following on from the first Daddy’s Home movie, the two dads Brad and Dusty are now on the same page and happy with the way things are and each other. This sequel brings in their Dads and changes things up a notch. Conflict arises when they come to visit over the holidays. Still a laugh all the way through movie, plus a few unexpected twists. It is a heart-warming, fun film for all. I must add the Mel Gibson casting was superb.

Anchorman II We all know sequels are not usually as good as the original. But this is far from true when it comes to Anchorman 2: it isn’t called The Legend Continues for no reason. Featuring most of the original cast, things take a different direction for Ron (Ferrell) as he is cast aside for his wife and goes on a downward spiral.

Redemption comes when Ron is offered a new chance to deliver the news in the form of a 24-hour news channel. he team reunites and the commotion begins all again and explores new comedy grounds to get us all laughing just like the first time if not more.

Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is the racing king and American hero, idolised by all his trophy wife and the boundless sponsor deals giving him the luxury life we all desire. This all changes when his place on the leader-board of the NASCAR scene is challenged by an unknown French Formula One driver. Ferrell is put to the test to prove he belongs on the track and his commitment to the sport, in the race to be number one. Taking the funny side approach in looking at the NASCAR world, this film is just like any other NASCAR film with the muscle cars, fast action and let’s not forget the crashes, there is just more laughing involved. As sports comedy goes it is up there with the greats and Ferrell has outdone himself again.

January 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

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lifestyle