Exposed Magazine December 2017

DECEMBER 2017

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

MILTON JONES // SLADE // GLASS CAVES // HAAI // WULFMAN FURY // ALBUMS OF THE YEAR // CHRISTMAS EVENTS GUIDE + TONS MORE INSIDE!

FOLLOW US ON EXPMAGSHEFF EXPOSEDMAGSHEFF

BRMC head up our festive special!

The Sheffield Gift Card gives recipients the freedom to shop with top high street brands, independent retailers and a wide range of amazing restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues.

SHEFFIELD

NOW OPEN OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM 12PM THROUGH TO 2AM

With our newly launched Sports Lounge there is nowhere better to come down and enjoy all your favourite live sports.

State of the art technology means we have the highest quality screens and visuals to showcase all your favourite sport.

We have also included quality new gaming products and tables offering the latest in electronic gaming Our food and drink offering has also been completely revitalised with a whole host of grazing food, sharers and individual plates to indulge in.

Book now on 0114 228 8980 or visit www.sportslounge.gentingcasino.com St Paul’s Place, Arundel Gate, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 2PN

www.sportslounge.gentingcasino.com

SHEFFIELD

‘TIS THE SEASON

PACKAGES FROM £16

Make Christmas 2017 One to Remember We offer a great selection of packages that transform the traditional Christmas party into an unforgettable night.

SUN - WED

£24

FOUR COURSE CHRISTMAS MEAL £32 (Thursday to Sunday) £24 (Sunday to Wednesday)

THURS - SUN

£32

CHRISTMAS GO EXPERIENCE Our 4 course meal can be upgraded to our Go-Casino Experiences including a drink and £10 bet voucher for just £10pp

Book now on 0114 228 8980 or visit GentingChristmas.co.uk St Paul’s Place, Arundel Gate, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S21 2PN

Terms and conditions apply.

y.

PA RTY IN STYLE HAPPY NEW YEAR LOOKING FOR THE IDEAL CITY CENTRE VENUE TO CELEBRATE YOUR NEW YEAR IN STYLE? What a better way to see in 2018 than by joining us for a delicious five course meal complete with complimentary bubbly at midnight, plus fantastic live entertainment from the incredible Dave Perkins followed by our resident DJ until late.

£65 PER PERSON

SHEFFIELD

Book now on 0114 228 8980 or visit GentingChristmas.co.uk St Paul’s Place, Arundel Gate, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S21 2PN

Terms and conditions apply.

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32: BLACK CHRISTMAS After carrying the torch for true rock and roll for two decades now, BRMC will kick off 2018 with the release of their eighth studio album Wrong Creatures. Exposed spoke to drummer Leah Shapiro about the process of returning to the fold after recovering from brain surgery.

18: EXPOSED VS We take on the board game boffs at Tree House Café and try to avoid resorting to shameful levels of cheating.

21: LOOKIN’ LOCAL After some gift shopping inspiration? Then get your peepers around what’s on offer from some of our favourite Sheffield independents in our Christmas gift guide.

26: HUNGRY LIKE THE WULF Wulfman Fury recently announced themselves to the city’s music scene in a whirl of energetic guitar and hook-laden tracks. In fact, it sounded that bloomin’ good that we collared ‘em for a good ol’ chinwag to find out more.

77: TWAS THE NEYT OUT BEFORE CHRISTMAS It only comes around once a year, so it’s time to get on the eggnog chasers and make the most of what Sheff is serving up over the festive season.

93: CLASS OF 2017 Find out which records tickled the tabs of the Exposed team this year.

13: UPFRONT 41: FASHION 45: FOOD 75: THINGS TO DO 85: NIGHTLIFE 86: COMEDY 86: MUSIC 101: LGBT 103: GAMING 105: FILM 106: CULTURE 110: CULTURE

Right then. Send a mince pie and a gallon of Belgian Blue this way – Chrimbo has arrived!

So consider this issue as a little prezzie from the Exposed team: a guide to everything worth doing in Sheff while you’ve got a solid excuse to overdo it with the food, ale and nights out. It’d be a shame not to make the most of it…

On reflection, 2017 has been another big one for our fair city. We’ve seen some brilliant new additions on the restaurant and bar scene in particular, with places like Jöro and the recently opened Public ensuring that Sheffielders can continue eating and supping in style into 2018. If you throw Edward’s, The Old Workshop, Krynkl, Stew & Oyster, Kuckoo, Southbank Warehouse and OHM into the mix too, you can see that the city’s nightlife scene has received a much-needed boost – with hopefully more still to come.

There are a few exciting bands kicking around on the local music scene at the minute, one of them being this month’s In Session stars Wulfman Fury, who I had the pleasure of a good natter with last month (p.26). By the time this mag goes to press you should also have two singles and a live session track on YouTube to get stuck into. I’d definitely recommend having a nosey and seeing what you think.

Okay, what else? ... We’ve got Leah Shapiro of the consistently superb Black Rebel Motorycycle Club talking to Laura Copestake about the band’s new album for our cover feature; Dave Hill of glam rock royalty Slade dropping by in the music section, while our Nightlife Editor speaks to psych rocker turned Phonox DJ resident HAAi. Throw in your usual roundup of news, events and spotlights on the city’s finest independents and you’ve got a festive belter of an issue on to flick through.

Right, we’re off to find a cosy bar or two so we can get the merrymaking started nice and early. We’ll catch up again in 2018, but in the meantime have a cracking Christmas and a very Happy New Year from everyone here at Exposed.

Take care,

@JosephFood

SCROOGES PHIL TURNER (MD)

PHIL@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

NICK HALLAM (SALES DIRECTOR) NICK@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SARAH KORIBA (ACCOUNTS)

ACCOUNTS@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS JOE FOOD (EDITOR) JOE@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

THE GRINCH MARC BARKER (DESIGN)

MARC@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS

MARK PERKINS, ROSE TRIGG, KERRE CHEN, HEATHER PATERSON, ELEANOR KEALLY, MEGAN ROGERS, MATT HILL, AARON JACKSON, LAURA COPESTAKE, RACHEL HAVARD

THE BUSINESS STUFF EXPOSED IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY

BY BLIND MICE MEDIA LTD UNIT 1B 2 KELHAM SQUARE KELHAM RIVERSIDE SHEFFIELD S3 8SD THE VIEWS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF BLIND MICE MEDIA LTD AND WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE INFORMATION THROUGHOUT EXPOSED IS CORRECT, CHANGES PRIOR TO DISTRIBUTION MAY TAKE PLACE WHICH CAN AFFECT THE ACCURACY OF COPY, THEREFORE BLIND MICE MEDIA LTD CANNOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTRIBUTORS’ VIEWS OR SPECIFIC ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS.

Tues 28th Nov • £24 adv

Shed Seven + Cast Weds 29th Nov • £22 adv

Mike Garson

& Guests play David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' ft. Steve Norman & More Thurs 30th Nov • £29 adv

The Charlatans

+ Slow Readers Club + Average Sex Fri 1st Dec • £25 adv • COMEDY •

Margaret Cho Fri 1st Dec • £4 adv Club event 11pm - 3am

Black Parade 00's Emo Anthems Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd Dec • £35 / £60

HRH New Wave of British Heavy Metal Weds 6h Dec • £ check website 6.30pm - Midnight

Bongo's Bingo Fri 8th Dec • £13 adv

The Smyths

Fri 8th Dec • £17 adv

Fri 15th Dec • £ check website 6.30pm - Midnight

Bongo's Bingo Sat 16th Dec • £12 adv

Definitely Mightbe Sat 16th Dec • £20 adv

Everly Pregnant Brothers' Xmas Do Sun 17th Dec • £18.50 adv

Uli Jon Roth

Sun 31st Dec • £25 - £30 adv Club Show 9pm - 5am

Detonate & TTC NYE:

Chase & Status DJ Set Kurupt FM, Friction, Holy Goof, S.P.Y. + more Sat 13th Jan • £ check website 6.30pm - Midnight

Bongo's Bingo

Fri 2nd March • £20 adv

Sleeper

+ Star Shaped After Party Mon 5th March • £15 adv

The Temperance Movement Thurs 8th March • £23.50 adv

The Wailers

Performing The Album 'Legend' In Full + More Hits Fri 9th March • £21 adv

The Wombats Fri 9th March • £14 adv

The Amy Winehouse Experience Sat 17th March • SOLD OUT

The Wombats Thurs 22nd March • £19.50 adv

Wed 24th Jan • £ check website 6.30pm - Midnight

Blancmange

Bongo's Bingo

Fri 23rd March • £11 adv

Sat 27th Jan 2018 • £15 adv

Livewire AC / DC Sat 27th Jan 2018 • £TBC Club Show 10pm - 5am

Nearly Noel's High Flying Birdz Sat 24th March • £13.50 adv

The Clone Roses

While She Sleeps

Detonate: DJ EZ &More + The Courtbetweeners

+ Milk Teeth & Shvpes

Sun 11th Feb 2018 • £25 adv

Sun 25th March • £14 adv

+ Aquabats & Army of Freshman

Sat 7th April • £20 adv

Sat 9th Dec • £10 / £12 adv

DJ Food - 'Selected Aphex Works' AV Set

Bowling For Soup

+ Stoaty & R.Lyle

Fri 16th Feb 2018 • £25 adv

Sat 9th Dec • SOLD OUT

+ Smith Street Band & Brick + Mortar

Shed Seven (2nd Date)

Sat 9th Dec • £5 adv / Free for Shed Seven gig-goers. Club 11pm - 3am

Star Shaped Club: Shed Seven Official Afterparty

- Rick Witter DJ Set Thurs 14th Dec • £21.50 adv

The Twang

+ Ivory Wave & The Assist

The Front Bottoms

Sat 17th Feb • £12 adv

CASH Fri 23rd Feb • £26.50 adv

Scott Bradlee's Post Modern Jukebox Sat 24th Feb • £16 adv

Space

+ Velcro Teddy Bears

Amplifier + Awooga 3 Generations of Ska: ft. Stranger Cole, Neville Staple Band, The Paradimes with Sugary Staple & Buster Shuffle Fri 13th April • £23 adv

The Vaccines

Sat & Sun 14th & 15th April • £35 / £60 adv Blues Festival

HRH Blues Tues 17th April • £26 adv

Public Service Broadcasting

o2academysheffield.co.uk 37-43 Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PN • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm-4pm. No booking fee on cash transactions.

Box office enquiries: 0333 321 9999

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com • ticketweb.co.uk

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stated

CHRIMBO IN NUMBERS:

SEASON’S GREETINGS! The markets are open, the Sleigh Bar and Thor’s Tipi are getting through mulled wine at an alarming rate and the Exposed office has just polished off the umpteenth box of mince pies.

In other word’s – IT’S CHRISTMAS! Flick through and see how Sheffield plans to celebrate the festive season.

364 GIFTS MENTIONED

IN POPULAR CAROL AND ALL-OUT BANGER ‘THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS’

6 million ROLLS OF SELLOTAPE

SOLD OVER CHRISTMAS IN THE UK EACH YEAR

650

MILES PER SECOND IS THE AVERAGE SPEED CLOCKED UP BY SANTA’S TURBOCHARGED SLEIGH TO VISIT EVERY HOME IN THE WORLD ON CHRISTMAS EVE

12%

THE PROBABILITY OF SNOW FALLING IN SHEFFIELD ON CHRISTMAS DAY AT LAST CHECK

ns.

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LET THERE BE LIGHT

Last month saw Illuminate the Gardens bring their firework bonanza to the Botanical Gardens. After some teething problems on opening night, the organisers rallied around to ensure the second evening was a huge success.

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SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

You’ll finally experience that warm, Christmassy feeling after launching a hefty turkey leg across the table and hitting your loathsome brother-in-law square on the bonce. Festive greetings, Darren, you boring shit.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 - JAN 19 Why fate has decided to let you see out another year on this planet is a struggle for the cosmos to comprehend.

AQUARIUS JAN 20 - FEB 18 You don’t mind putting the Christmas tree up yourself this year.

In fact, you quite enjoy the sensation of rough pines rubbing against the more sensitive areas.

PISCES FEB 19 - MAR 20 Remember when you saw mummy kissing Santa Claus? Yeah, turns out he’s your real dad.

ARIES MAR 21 - APR 19 A time for giving, a time for receiving. But it’s the latter part that gets you all excited, isn’t it? You naughty little elf, you…

TAURUS APRIL 20 - MAY 20 Forget New Year’s resolutions, you’re perfect just the way you are. Unless you’re counting a basic lack of hygiene, the many deeply embedded personal flaws – and, oh! Don’t get me started on that god-awful laugh of yours.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 What’s this? Santa’s heard all about the break-up and brought you a fleshlight and a year-subscription to Brazzers for Chrimbo. God bless the Big Man. CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 22 The reclusive worm in your pants finally dies of loneliness.

LEO JULY 23 - AUG 22 All you’ll want for Christmas are your two front teeth, after repeated heckling of the Queen’s speech leads to Grandad socking you one right in the kite.

VIRGO AUG 23 - SEP 22 Following one glance at your browser history, Santa permanently banishes you to the naughty list.

LIBRA SEP 23 - OCT 22 The world is certainly shrinking, Taurus. But your recent mince pie and prosecco binges see you expanding at a most alarming rate.

SCORPIO 23 OCT – 21 NOV End your happy long-term relationship on Christmas Day. Just trust the stars on this one.

Every month, the Great Foodini cups his crystal balls and slips into your aether. Can you feel him, dear reader? Can you?

This month we’ve teamed up with the Moor Market to offer £100 of vouchers to go towards your Christmas shop. Simply head to exposedmagazine.co.uk/ competitions, sign up to the comp and we’ll draw a winner this month!

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 15

“Nasty sods are jellyfish, but great movers.”

FITZALAN SQUARE REVAMP

WE’RE IN FOR A RIDE We love Sheff, but those hills can’t half be a struggle at times. This makes it welcome news that the global pioneers of non-docking city bike sharing, OFO, will be launching in Sheffield this month – their first venture in the north. The non-docking aspect derives from the attachment of a ‘Smart Lock’ where

GPS functionality allows users of the OFO app to locate available bikes. The bright yellow bikes will be based in a number of designated areas around the city, and Bluetooth device pairing grants a smooth unlocking process without the hassle of fumbling with keys. Decent.

What’s more? OFO bike sharing won’t break the bank with a half hour jaunt costing less than the price of a Gregg’s slice, and capped at only a fiver per day. On yer bike then!

Ofo.com

Fitzalan Square is set for another major facelift as part of Sheffield’s Knowledge Gateway plan. The historic space will wave farewell to the “traffic island” design and be transformed into a fully pedestrianised hub and city link through Esperanto Place to Norfolk Street.

The site of modern Fitzalan Square has been in the market quarter of Sheffield since the Medieval era, and takes its namesake from the Market Hall which overlooked the site for a cool 150 years.

After deliberation amongst Council chiefs, funding has finally been agreed with the City Region’s planners and investors, with the final contribution coming from the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)> LEP’s formal pledge of £4.115m in funding should soon see work underway towards the area receive some much-deserved TLC. Watch this space.

KEEPIN’ IT LOCAL

PLAY THE RIGHT CARD A gift card aiming to support city centre retailers has recently been launched by Sheffield Business Improvement Districts – and just in time for Christmas!

Users will be able to purchase items from 16 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

selected chain and independent retail, restaurant, entertainment and leisure venues across the city centre in an attempt to encourage more spending on the high street than at competitive retail outlets like Meadowhall. So far more than 60 city centre businesses have signed up to the scheme.

The Sheffield gift card can be loaded with £5- £500 on their website – sheffieldgiftcard.co.uk – where you can also find a list of participating venues.

To mark the station’s 50th anniversary, last month BBC Radio Sheffield recruited 300 of South Yorkshire’s finest to remake PULP’s iconic anthem ‘Common People’.

Filmed in the Leadmill, the video features a range of residents, radio presenters, a community choir, Shaun Doane of Every Pregnant Brothers, even the Lord Mayor of Barnsley and the Look North team make an appearance!

Jarvis couldn’t make the filming but announced: “I’m very honoured and excited that a video has been made using PULP’s music as the basis. I’m wishing Radio Sheffield fifty more years of broadcasting success”.

Gi’ it a watch at tinyurl.com/ y7n4quwd – it’ll make you proud to be a dee-dah!

NatioNal Elf SERvicE ERvicE

NatioNal Elf SERvicE Day friday 15th December

Get elfy in December anD help keep our patients healthy!

Every £1 donated to our SPECT CT Christmas Appeal for Sheffield Children’s Hospital will be matched by Graham Royle of GRI Group up to a total of £50,000; and Matthew Davison of Dutton Recruitment to a further £25,000.

(Therefore £75,000 of donations would become £150,000 towards our Christmas Appeal!)

Register to take part www.tchc.org.uk

tEam thEo’S Glow RuN tuesday 19th December

TREEHOUSE CAFE Board games: the number one cause of sibling scraps and tearing families apart since c.3500 BC. Honestly, I know a guy who knows a guy who pretended his brother was invisible for six months after a violent sesh of Trivial Pursuit.

Armed with multiple Christmasses of gruelling family Monopoly experience under our belts, we decided to roll the dice and take on the board game whizzes at Treehouse Café. Here’s how it all went down…

Words: Megan Rogers Pictures: Professor Plum

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We arrived at Treehouse Café and were greeted by Ruth, who ensured that we were well hydrated and caffeined-up for the challenge ahead. We opted for flat whites all-round, God we’re an adventurous bunch – delicious though, by the way. Also good to see that Treehouse have kept it local, sourcing the good stuff from Sheffieldbased Frazer’s Coffee Roasters.

The pièce de résistance, however, is the mighty (painfully non-alphabetised) bookcase on the far wall offering an eclectic assortment of board games enough to satiate even the kookiest of board-based fantasies. A hoarder’s paradise or a cool collection? We aren’t sure.

The games we were to battle over were already expeditiously arranged over three centre tables, each testing a range of cognitive and physical skills. Ruth introduced us to our opponents Andy, Matt and Sam, and to Patrick, who would serve as in-house game referee/maestro/wizard for the duration of the afternoon.

GAME ONE – ‘SONAR’ First up was battleship-esque game ‘Sonar’ and Patrick deftly explained the game’s rules to the challengers.

Played in real time, both teams were split into three roles: A designated Captain (Joe), an Engineer (Me) and a Radiographer (Eleanor). The Captain was in charge of setting the direction of the submarine and firing cool weapons, the Engineer had to plot damage taken to the sub and the Radiographer was in charge of plotting the enemy’s movement. There’s a lot going on.

Much to our surprise, Team Exposed secured an early lead by being the first to inflict ‘damage’ on the Team Treehouse submarine. ‘Ave some of that, lads.

However, it wasn’t long before Andy of Treehouse stripped bare our convictions and knocked us down a few pegs through an aggressive offensive of mine detonations and expertly-targeted torpedoes. Captain Andy evidently wasn’t taking any prisoners today. Both our submarine and pride ended up suffering the four ‘damage’ that formally

translates to ‘Game Over’.

As if sustaining a couple of crafty direct hits from Team Treehouse wasn’t enough destruction to our fragile egos, our Radiographer realised that the enemy movements she had been plotting were in fact a comical far cry from the actual position of their sub, so we never stood a chance anyway. Balls.

Our Treehouse nemeses had admittedly played the game a fair few times before, and so we put defeat down to our newbie-status.

Practice makes perfect, after all.

GAME TWO – ‘FLICK ‘EM UP!’ With the second game, we were going retro.

Wooden western cowboy game ‘Flick ‘em Up!’ tested our ability to ‘flick’ tiny wooden objects towards slightly bigger wooden objects and knock said slightly bigger wooden objects over. The Sheriffs (us) had to shoot (flick) bullets (tiny wooden objects) to kill (knock over) all of the bandits (Team Treehouse).

The catch was, employing a thumbed flick

was a big ‘no no’, and belive it or not, a thumb-less flick is pretty darn hard. Much to our dismay, it became apparent that the Treehouse Team were clearly well-practiced in the endeavour of thumb-less flicking and quickly started to knock our guys down.

After an initial lead by Exposed, Treehouse Bandit nicknamed ‘Crazy James’ went full Kill Bill on our poor boys. The last man standing was of course ‘Lazy Pete’ (who hid behind a cactus for the duration of the game) and he was certainly no match for the expert finger-flicking dexterity of Team Treehouse. Joe excused the game for a quick toilet break, probably due to trying to drown his despair with coffee, but returned to another loss on the scoreboard for team Exposed.

We don’t have an excuse for this one other than having embarrassingly weak fingers.

GAME THREE – ‘CODE NAMES’ At this point in the afternoon, the Treehouse team had valiantly won two out of three games, and so our chances of securing

victory were already history. However, due to not wanting to trudge back to the office and our gallant good spirit, we took up our positions for the final game. *cue the A-Team theme song* The name of the game was to assign a ‘Spymaster’ within the team, whose role was to offer clues to the ‘Intelligence Analysts’ relating to varying code words laid out in front of us. Eleanor valiantly volunteered (she was unknowingly already sitting in the designated Spymaster chair). Each card corresponded to each team’s colour, red or blue, but only the Spy Masters were the wiser of which ones were which. By offering one word clues, the Spymasters must prompt their team of ‘Intelligence Analysts’ to choosing specific cards.

However, if chosen incorrectly and you end up revealing the ‘Black Assassin’, it’s game over (tears of shame flowing). The first to identify all of their team’s cards wins, so the more code words that can be connected by a single clue, the better. After an impromptu “practice” round (Spymaster Eleanor forgetting our team colour and instead giving away a point to our opponents), we started the game afresh…

“Death two” was the final clue from Eleanor. The first answer was obvious – “Funeral” Joe asserted with ease. The second seemingly not so much as we deliberated over “ground” (dead people get buried, right?) and “pass” (on the grounds that people ‘pass’ away).

“Think about how simple my brain is!” Eleanor spurred, battering her own intellect for the sake of Exposed walking away from Treehouse Café with the semi-dignity that winning one out of three games would secure. A legit martyr, that girl.

With this snippet of intelligence Megan and Joe threw caution to the wind and with a newfound confidence, Megan declared, “Pass”. Eleanor slid a red spy card from the deck and cemented our victory. We’d done it; we’d finally won a game (albeit with some not-so-dignified “helpful prompts” from Eleanor, along the lines of “No, you don’t want to pick that one” (AKA barefaced cheating).

VERDICT:

Although we had justifiably lost 2-1, the experience wasn’t a total kerplunk. We’ll definitely be back to claim our victory soon, Treehouse Café.

The scores so far: EXPOSED: 31 CHALLENGERS: 41 DRAWS: 3 WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 19

students play for free before 7pm on weekdays

Want to know how to win at Christmas while keeping it local?

Then get yer peepers round some of this lot...

Plant one on meh

Plantology on Division Street live to bring us, the people of Sheffield, aesthetically pleasing floral creations for our homes.

With an abundant selection of plants and beautiful bouquets, forget Ikea and get yer mum something bloomy from your local botanical shop this Christmas. plantologyflorist.co.uk

Best Foot Forward

The Secret Shoe Box offers stunning Loake footwear for both men and women – the widest collection in South Yorkshire. Gift vouchers are also available. thesecretshoebox.co.uk

Dirty Dancefloor, Dreams of Naughtiness Clobbercalm Supply Co.

Bringing a range of international denim, vintage clothing and hardwearing clothing brands to Sheffield – including an exclusive selection of Red Wing shoes – browse the online collection of Clobber Calm Supply Co. and have your loved one looking smart this Christmas. clobbercalmsupply.co

Grab a piece of booze-soaked Sheffield history by purchasing an engraved slat from the old Leadmill dancefloor. leadmill.co.uk

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 21

Put a ring on it

Division Street’s Collard Manson has an impressive collection of unique rings, necklaces and earrings, along with gothic-style homeware and intricate objects. collardmanson.co.uk

Coincidence Lifestore

Something to Relish

Bringing a touch of Nordicinspired minimalism to Sheffield, Coincidence Lifestore offers a wide range of home accessories and lifestyle products – from modern decorations and furnishings to calendars and beauty products. coincidencelifestore.com

From 1 Dec – 11 Dec, Henderson’s Relish will be hosting an online stocking-filler promotion. Grab discounts on pin badges, cufflinks and these handy travel-sized bottles! hendersonsrelish.com

Hoppy Christmas!

Satisfy the beer lovers out there with a handmade Beer Central ale crate, engraved and filled with tipples of your choice. facebook.com/BeerCentralLtd

Get Stuck In

Following the huge success of the first Sheffield Cook Book, our sister company Meze Publishing produced a sequel to continue championing the city’s ever-growing foodie scene. amazon.co.uk 22 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

A Fine Vintage

Proper nesh out there, innit? No danger – Jojo’s General Store has a ton of vintage garms to keep warm and treat someone (or yourself) to this winter. facebook.com/RagParade

Get Vulgar

Vulgar have become the home of all things jazzy and bold. This popular vintage spot is perfect to find your bestie a little something rare and out there. Check them out for some quirky designer garms. vulgarsheffield.com

Find us on: 377, Ecclesall Road, S11 8PF

WE LOVE FANCY DRESS, DO YOU?

www.party-town.co.uk

0114 263 13 13

BAR | FOOD | CULTURE

GETTING DOWN FOR A

CHRISTMAS

GET TOGETHER?

BE IN TOUCH www.edwardsglossoproad.uk

217-231 GLOSSOP ROAD S10 2GW

VOTED SHEFFIELD CAMRA PUB OF THE YEAR 2013 RATEBEER BEST PLACE FOR A BEER, SOUTH YORKSHIRE 2016 & 2017.

Cask ales on rotation (almost 5000 in 6 years), Over 100 Whiskies, wide range of rums, gins, vodkas and ciders.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Reg & Friends open acoustic night.

Come along and play, sing or just watch.

Free entry

Shakespeares Ale & Cider House,

146 – 148 Gibraltar Street // 0114 275 59 59 www.shakespeares-sheffield.co.uk

Sunday 03/12 Laughter in the Dark – Charity Event – a comedy night with a difference! Come along to be blindfolded and exposed to an exciting night of comedy with a fantastic line-up of acts. If you’re not on board yet, it’s all for charity! Help us raise awareness (and money) to support the Royal National Institute for Blind people and the good work they do for those living with sight loss. Doors at 7:00pm, Entry is Free, Donations welcome.

Tuesday 05/12 & Sunday 17/12 Green City Blues – Dance Class – Green City Blues is a friendly, informal blues dancing night. No experience of dancing and no partner necessary – we run an all-levels class and everyone dances with everyone else. So if you like blues music and like to hug* then come and join us!

Starts at 7:30pm.

Friday 08/12 Chris Murphy & Boxer Genius – Gig – Folk Rock with a funky bass angle containing urban country undertones. “Poetic and inspiring” – Exposed Magazine. Supported

by Hungarian Lanterns and Colin Mounsey. Doors at 7:30pm, Entry TBC.

Saturday 09/12 Go Go Gorilla Christmas Special – Rhythm and blues DJ night playing their classic and rare Rhythm & Blues collections from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. There may even be the odd Christmas tuen thrown in. Starts at 9:00pm £4 OTD Sunday 10/12 Haze Christmas Gig – Although they started out as a neo-proggressive band, the latest Haze CD includes more folky/ acoustic/medieval influences, hinting at a more Jethro Tull/Strawbs sound. Doors at 7:30. Entry TBC. Friday 22/12 The Stoops – Christmas gig – “A band, famous for their ‘Are you up for it!’ approach to good old British indie rock and armed with a fistful of solid rhythm based songs…they are a band that seems to love what they do and just get better and better each time we see them.” - Sheffield Scenester Doors at 7:30pm. £3 OTD.

SHIP INN • 312 SHALESMOOR • S3 8UL

If you’ve ever walked up Mowbray Street on a rainy November evening, chances are you will have tucked hands deep into pockets, faced your head down and powered onwards until you reached somewhere slightly less, well, clichéd. I did it on an almost daily basis for two years, and it often struck me that this strip of road probably represented Sheffield for a lot of people who’ve never actually lived here. I’d picture reluctant visitors, minds already swayed by repeated watches of The Full Monty, driving by and nodding knowingly before saying something like “It’s grim up north, innit?”

Maybe that’s just some mad form of civic paranoia – in fact, it almost definitely is – but this small stretch in Neepsend certainly scores the post-industrial northern hat-trick: haggered old factories, blokes in overalls smoking outside

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noisy workshops and an abundance of places to buy chips. Throw in the drizzle dampening the scene tonight and the stereotype is nailed down.

However, as so often is the case with this place, scratch away at the surface and you’ll uncover a story or two. Spaces left during the city’s industrial decline are often filled with fresh examples of creativity, and this rundown suburban area now stands as something of a Mecca to the Sheffield music scene. Most weeknight evenings, when the noise of the working day quietens, you’ll hear the muffled din of bands slogging away in the many practice rooms dotted around the area – a particularly famous one being Bruce Works, 69 Mowbray Street, once shared by Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and The Makers in their respective salad days. Just around the corner sits the fabled Yellow Arch Studios, a veritable hub of talent which has seen pretty much every local act worth their salt pass through its doors at some point: Hawley, Jarvis, Christie, Monkeys, Rev, Milburn, Slow Club – the list goes on and on. It’s also worth pointing out that colossal metalcore group While She Sleeps have their studio a few hundred yards further on in the thriving 92 Burton Road development.

Basically, if you’re talking about music history, this place has got it – in spades.

Back to this evening, then; and I’m stood outside Fox Den Studios, waiting to meet a new band looking to continue the strong line of heritage around these parts. Garage rock five-piece Wulfman Fury is fronted by George Moran, who also designed and built the studio in question a couple of years back. He’s had a good whet of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle already, through touring worldwide as guitarist with Miles Kane, but as a prolific songwriter himself he’s now looking to start sharing his own 28 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

material with audiences. George takes me upstairs to the mixing room where the rest of the band – Joe, Steve and Will (David wasn’t available) – are relaxing and watching the prerelease footage for their second single, ‘Draw the Line’. One month following their arrival on the scene with debut ‘Night Sweats’, it was time to delve a bit deeper into what we could expect from a band with bags of potential.

Tell us a bit about the process leading up to the release of your debut single last month.

GM: We had been writing and recording for about eight months and eventually ended up with about 20 tracks done before we put anything out. We had a bit of a plan to get a few things together and ready – the website, the first track, gig announcements – all that before we started shouting about anything.

We’ve got our ammo ready now.

Do you think that’s a bit of an issue nowadays – bands rushing out the first couple of demos before having a solid arsenal of music to fall back on?

GM: Yeah, because we’ve all been in bands before I guess we’ve learnt from mistakes and want to focus on building something here in Sheffield. We don’t want to release one track then leave things to go stagnant while we start working on other; we want that good mixture of track releases and gigs coming together.

It’s also handy having your own custombuilt studio when it comes to that.

GM: The project started with just me and Dave, who also works at Fox Den, putting together a few tracks then I started bringing other musicians in. I had a think who was A) a sound guy; and B) a really good musician. Will was working here and his band was splitting

up; my little brother [Joe] and I have similar voices, so I knew he could hit the high notes.

Steve was just the wildcard, the internet weirdo that got in touch. *Laughs*

As of today, you’re one gig and one single in.

How has the reaction been so far?

GM: Good. The first gig was well-attended, and also people seem to like the first track. We’re all about focussing on winning over Sheffield at the moment. That’s the aim.

You do fairly often see bands crack it at a city-wide level, but what do you think holds a lot of young northern bands from making that step up in a national sense?

GM: I guess it gets to a point where you need to get the industry involved, and that’s where it can be difficult. Bands can sell out shows in their home cities, but then going down to London and expecting similar turnouts is a different thing.

WS: I think, as with a lot of things, it’s all about just being a bit savvy. It’s important to have a bit of a plan and run with it.

GM: Getting radio play is the major thing when it comes to bands stepping up a level.

And that system seems a bit rigged in itself.

GM: Totally. A lot of it is completely rigged.

I had it with a previous band, Mabel Love, when we met this radio plugger who said he’d get us onto Zane Lowe. To be fair, he got us on there – then a bill for £500 turned up not long afterwards.

WS: But your music’s got to be good enough as well, obviously.

Now ‘Night Sweats’ has been released, how

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is the schedule shaping up?

GM: We’ve got the second single and video finished, and we’ll be releasing towards the end of November, which I imagine will be before this issue gets printed. We’ll have a December single out on Friday 15th December, plus two extra tracks and an EP in January. Hopefully that’ll give people the chance to hear enough of what we’re about.

What made you choose that track as the first single, the one to “announce yourself ” to people?

GM: I guess just because it’s a kind of catchy, upbeat track. It’s quite difficult because there are a lot of different coming out of the track we’ve recorded so far, and we didn’t know which one to pick. I think ‘Night Sweats’ is probably a good snapshot though.

That song’s about sleep paralysis. Is that something any of you have personally experienced?

GM: Me and Joe. JM: It might be hereditary because I think pretty much all the men in our family have suffered from it.

GM: I’ve had it about six times and it is just terrifying. I think it can be triggered by feeling tired and a bit worn down, because the first two times was when touring and staying up all night. We were about to play on Alan Carr, and I had this dream in the dressing room that the keyboard had fallen on my back and completely paralysed me. Some people see gremlins and mad creatures.

SH: I’ve had it a couple of times and it’s been someone on the end of my bed, leaning on my chest. It’s horrible.

You’ll be treating us to two tracks in the session on Thursday. The second one, ‘Waterslide’, is one of the upcoming releases.

Tell us about that one.

GM: A lot of our tracks are very specific to a subject, but ‘Waterslide’ is more of a psychedelic, dreamy sort of tune. It’s a bit hard to explain what it’s about in that sense.

Is it nice sometimes to just write a tune which doesn’t necessarily have to hold true to a certain subject or idea? To just have a bit of fun and run with something?

GM: Yeah, the lyrics came to me quite quickly.

It’s more like a trippy vision in my head.

WS: It doesn’t necessarily have a direct context, but when you listen to it you can really get into the groove and enjoy it.

30 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

GM: Basically, it’s about going to a waterpark with your bird. But a sexy waterpark.

For people in Sheffield picking up this magazine thinking ‘Ah, sexy waterparks and sleep paralysis … interesting. But shall I go see them live?’ What would you say to entice them down to a gig?

GM: If you’re into bands like The Strokes and Black Keys, it might be the sort of gig you’d enjoy. We’ve got catchy, well-written songs that don’t go on forever and you can have a good dance to them. Production-wise, we’ll be going to town on things as well.

Foxes are a bit of a running theme I see; the whole studio’s centred around them and you’ve got one slung over your shoulders in a couple of band pics. What’s the link there?

GM: I’ve just got a weird obsession with them.

It probably dates back from where we me and Joe grew up, Darley Dale out in Derbyshire. We would regularly see them about in the quarries and stuff, so that probably initially triggered it.

For that photoshoot we actually had to switch foxes because the first one was a nightmare; I had to walk it for two hours beforehand and it still literally wouldn’t come anywhere near me.

The second one loved it though.

It’s the Christmas issue, lads, so let’s get festive for a sec. Favourite tune?

WS: I’m going to have to go with the Mike Hughes track, ‘It’s Xmas Time (But I Don’t Mind)’, just because I actually played on that one.

GM: Oh yeah, I did too. Slade’s always a good shout though.

JM: The Pogues. I like how you can sing along without knowing any of the words – you just need to make a weird ‘nerrh’ sort of noise and you’ve done the Shane MacGowan impression.

SH: It’s gotta be John Lennon for me. Or The Darkness.

Would you ever have a pop at one?

GM: The money is massive if you get it right, but I’m a bit of a Scrooge so it’d be a bit antiChristmas. So nah, probably not.

And on that festive note, we’ll round things up. Thanks for your time, chaps!

Dale Storr Friday 1st December Calico Fever Saturday 2nd December Nick Harper Sunday 3rd December Jack Lukeman Tuesday 5th December Aynsley Lister Band Wednesday 6th December Sam Kelly and The Lost Boys Thursday 7th December Sound Of The Sirens Friday 8th December The Fargo Railroad Co. Saturday 9th December Otway and The Big Band Sunday 10th December Luke Daniels & Nancy Kerr Monday 11th December Jack Carty Wednesday 13th December Moulettes Thursday 14th December O’Hooley & Tidow ‘Winterfolk’ Friday 15th December King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys Saturday 16th December Danny Bryant Sunday 17th December Grace Petrie Tuesday 19th December Winter Union Thursday 21st December Sinnerboy Friday 22nd December 6th Legendary Funk & Soul Revue Saturday 23rd December Acoustic Angels Friday 30th December Get full listings and tickets at www.mygreystones.co.uk.

If you are a band/artist interested in playing a gig at The Greystones, contact greystones@thornbridge.co.uk

EXPOSED IN SESSION

An exclusive YouTube gig from some of the city’s finest musical exports, filmed live every month @The Greystones.

Watch the session online at: www. exposedmagazine.co.uk In session produced by: Joseph Food @JosephFood Filmed & directed by: Samuel Thornhill Recorded & mixed by: Fox Den Studios – foxdenstudios.co.uk

32 | www.exposedmagazine.co.uk

In an industry where the rising pressure of commercialisation looms large, sticking to your guns can often be tricky and bands can often surrender their roots in pursuit of mainstream popularity. But there’s no denying that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are still carrying the flame for authentic rockers around the world. Formed 20 years ago by high school friends Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been, BRMC have shown little sign of stopping: they continue to tour relentlessly and release flawless albums, all the while keeping the spirit of rock’n’roll truly alive.

With their upcoming eighth studio album out in early 2018, I was patched through to Leah Shapiro’s Berlin hotel room to talk about the new record, Wrong Creatures, and picking her drumsticks back up after undergoing brain surgery.

Hi Leah, how’s your day going?

All good thanks! We’ve just got into Berlin. It’s a normal, sort of greyish day – but at least it’s not raining!

Does it feel good to be back on the road?

Absolutely! I love touring, and I’m happy that we’re doing a full album cycle as well.

How are you feeling about the upcoming release?

I’m excited about it. We’re slowly coming out of that vortex you’re in when you’ve been working on something really intensely for a long time.

The album release will mark your 10th year in the band. How does it feel to be reaching that milestone?

Yeah, that’s really crazy. I can’t believe it’s been that long because it certainly doesn’t feel like 10 years. There’s something about time moving so differently, especially when you’re writing a record and touring. It doesn’t feel like that much time. Usually with an album cycle we’re touring for about 18 months and back home everybody is living their lives, which can make it weird going back to reality because you’re kind of in this little bubble.

This record has been a couple of years in the making, hasn’t it?

Yes, we went back on tour in the summer of 2015 and more or less right after we got home from that we properly got back into the headspace of writing again.

Then we recorded it in two different chunks, like six months apart. So yeah, a lot of time was spent on each individual song, which can sometimes make it hard to figure out how things are going to fit together as a whole.

But my strategy is to just not think about that and to have some faith in the fact that everything is going to make sense and come together in the end – and it usually does.

This is the first studio album the band will release since you underwent brain surgery. How did it feel going back into the studio after what I can only imagine to be a very difficult period?

Well, I think when we started the writing process I was still healing to an extent, which meant in the beginning I wasn’t able to do the marathon writing sessions. So I think we eased into it a little more gently and slower than we usually do. I guess maybe I was part of the reason we kind of took our time in a different way than the past two records. But being able to play without all those issues I had before was a nice experience.

Did it feel different in any way compared to previous albums?

You can never predict how the writing process is going to go. You have to explore the ideas you’re working with and figure out which ones you want to dive deeper into. I guess the only difference really was that we were working with Nick Launay, which made it a bit different because the previous two albums were more just us on our own.

What was it like having Nick’s input on the album?

It was great. It’s always helpful to have someone who has a different perspective than your own because it brings a bit of a reality check and a sense of grounding to the process. He was a nice, patient voice of reason and he also helped push certain things in different directions. At least for me there were a couple of instances with drum parts and arrangements where he got me to go a bit further out of my comfort zone.

I read that your surgeon is a fan of the band and was able to create a recovery programme to help you get back into drumming. Did this sense of starting again change you as a drummer in any way?

It changed me in the sense that I’m much more aware of my body when I play. I obviously want to take care of the work that he did so I don’t have to go through that ever again. He knew our band and had a very good sense of what the physical tolls of touring are, especially for a drummer. If he hadn’t had that knowledge I probably would have started too early and gone way overboard too soon. He oversaw the whole process and cleared me every step of the way.

The journey surrounding your surgery is quite touching, with your fans and the band raising money for the operation.

That was absolutely incredible and not something I expected at all. It was very humbling and incredibly sweet. On the first tour back as well I could definitely feel the support from the BRMC community, which was awesome. It kind of made that tour almost a therapy tour for me because I was so burnt out with all the doctors and rehabilitation stuff that getting out there and playing was a great feeling.

You’ve already released some tracks from the album including ‘Haunt’ and ‘Questions of Faith’. What made you pick these as some of the first tracks people would hear from the album?

I think overall the album is maybe a bit moodier, that’s just sort of where the music took us. I’m still wrapping my mind around the album and figuring out my own thoughts about it. I’m trying to listen to it as a normal listener and not in that studio mindset where you’re listening with a very critical ear and trying to find flaws.

Do you find it difficult to listen to it normally?

Absolutely, especially at this stage. It’s similar, I suppose, to writing: if you

spend an extreme amount of time on one thing you get so absorbed trying to make it the best you possible can. We’re pretty critical of ourselves and that can go overboard, which is why it’s good to have an outsider like Nick who can put a stop to it when the critical part of your brain becomes too much.

The title of the album is taken from the lyrics of ‘Little Thing Gone Wild’. Is there a particular reason you chose this?

We had a couple of ideas in mind for the album title and were trying to figure out what kind of visual references each of them had. Everyone we talked with had a different visual interpretation of what ‘Wrong Creatures’ meant to them and we all liked the idea that it was open to interpretation and not just this one well-defined label. I think all of us are still trying to figure out what it means to us and it’s probably going to change over time. If you ask me in a years’ time I’ll probably say something different.

BRMC have long been seen a truly authentic rock’n’roll band in a music industry where a lot of bands are seen to “sell out”. Is this something you’re conscious of?

I don’t know. We sort of just do the music we want to do, in the way that we want to present it. I think you’ve just got to feel attached to your songs and feel good about the way you present them, not to just churn stuff out.

That’s a problem with music today: everything moves so quickly and feels so disposable. At the end of the day, music is still a business and keeps a roof over our head. But I think it’s important to find that line, in any art form, where the art and the business meet. That can be tricky, but I feel like we do that well.

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Situated on West Street, inside Cobblers and Keys, a small staircase on the left will lead you up to The Secret Shoe Box, home of Steel City Shoe Shine. It’s an intimate space, but one which oozes with character and vintage charm; 1920s jazz sets the scene nicely, beautifully furnished wooden cabinets display expensive Saphir waxes and a stunning selection of Loake shoes stand proudly on shelves at the back.

On the right-hand side of the room, Joe Dakin is busy at work. A client is seated in the wooden throne, a pair of leather brogues hoisted onto the iron clad rests, while Joe rubs an assortment of waxes into the shoes – sometimes pausing to melt the wax with a lighter before continuing to work the product in with strokes, light brushes and slaps. It’s impressive to watch this artisan, centuryspanning trade brought to life with such obvious care and precision.

“I grew up as a bit of a subculture kid,” he explains when asked about his distinctive style and line of work. “It was almost like my lifestyle allowed me to fall into the trade. I was

38 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

part of the punk scene for a while and then moved into the skinhead culture. It’s a very dressy scene: well looked-after Doc Martens, perfectly pressed clothing and suits for dancing at night. That’s where the OCD-like passion for smart-looking clothes and shoes probably started.”

After a stint as a chef, Joe was taken on by Wayne at Mooch Vintage where he eventually began restoring leather products by hand, posting before and after shots on social media.

One slow day for business he sat outside the store with a rotary shiner, some creams and went to work. It did the job: people’s interests were piqued and Joe began to build a name for himself – “The Shoe Shine Guy”.

“It wasn’t long after that I was introduced to Saphir products – that’s where things really started taking off for me. 90% of what I do is about the quality of the products; it’s just knowing how to use them correctly. I just carried on doing what I loved, carried on treating every shoe as though it was my own – and here I am.”

Following a period in London where he met and worked with Stephen D.R Skipper, one of the best shoeshiners on the planet, it was time to find a base to continue plying his trade from. He teamed up with Nick from Cobbler and Keys and the Secret Shoe Box was born.

Some of the finest Loake shoes – brogues, boots and loafers – for both men and women can be browsed and purchased upstairs. In further exciting news, they will soon be official stockists of luxury Gibson menswear suits, adding the final touch to the full package on offer at the venue: shoe repair, authentic shoe shining and a bespoke suit service. Not to mention Joe’s personal touch of loyal customer service, especially when it comes to selling the shoes they’re so proud to stock.

“Every pair that come out of this shop, before being boxed they’ll be nourished by me personally – just so people won’t wear them dry and crack the leather before they’ve even started. It’s skin and you’ve got to look after it as such. On the other side of things, some people will bring in a pair of shoes that aren’t expensive but they mean something. They’ve got married or travelled the world in them and they want to keep them. When they come in and apologise for it, but I tell them it doesn’t make a difference for me. If you put me in front of a customer I’ll keep them entertained, talk to them and explain what I’m doing. I’m a Sheffield lad and I think Shefffield people appreciate that passion and honesty. It’s all part of the service.”

thesecretshoebox.co.uk // @thesecretshoebox steelcityshoeshineservice.com // @steelcityshoeshine 145 West St, S1 4EW

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 39

Gypsy Rose Salon, 327 Abbeydale Road, S7 1FS. 0114 438 5827 / gypsyrosebeautysalon@gmail.com / Gypsy. Rose Beauty Salon

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE STYLISH

Words: Kate Mitchell

If all the gift-buying, food-planning, cardsending frenzy isn’t stressful enough at this time of year, there also seems to be added pressure in the wardrobe department.

Absolutely everything after 1 December feels like an occasion to dress for. Even watching a festive film at home seems to require a coin-flip between your favourite joggers and the new fox onesie you bought on impulse – and that’s all before you’ve even assessed the dreaded New Year’s Eve outfit situation. Last year’s lace bodycon dress has a none-too-subtle red wine stain (is that red wine?!) and your favourite high heels never actually recovered from the 2016 work do.

With all this in mind, we’ve put together a festive cheat-sheet to relieve you of the indecision surrounding winter’s sartorial dilemmas. Hopefully it will inspire you, leaving you plenty of time to think about where the in-laws are going to sleep (or to book a last minute holiday on the other side of the world).

CHRISTMAS DAY MOOD: COMFY

BOXING DAY MOOD: COOL

NEW YEAR’S EVE MOOD: CLASSY

NEW YEAR’S DAY MOOD: STATIC ON SOFA

Your uniform today? A Christmas jumper and some stylish, slouchy joggers. You’ll still look polished but thanks to the drawcord waist, you’ll also be able to breathe out after lunch. (This is one day of the year to shelve your skinny jeans, or any item of clothing with zips and buttons.

You know, in case extra roast potatoes happen to be available).

Boxing Day has a sense of occasion to it with relatives to see or parties to attend - so you need easy-going, flattering loungewear to turn to.

Whether you’re curling up in front of Harry Potter, heading out for the requisite family walk or sat on the M1, dressing down doesn’t have to be drab. Think bright, slouchy jumper dresses like this one from Boohoo. Grab your old friends – the black tights – and you’re good to go.

With a little planning, party dress panic need never strike again. If the problem is that you struggle to find things you like and feel like a human Quality Street in everything that hits the shops post-November, a well-cut little black dress accessorised to perfection is the answer.

o you’ve decided you’re going to spend New Year’s Day in your PJ’s - and that is a very good idea - but you’re going to need some good ones. Snuggle up with a hot chocolate looking fabulous in this Cath Kidston set. The rose pattern is very restful; ideal if you have a raging hangover. And who has pyjama jackets anymore? We’re all missing out. Personally, I need one in my life.

Embellished christmas jumper, £39.00 Warehouse Slim leg joggers, £9.99 New Look Black Gingerbread Fairisle Knit Christmas Jumper, £15.99, New Look Slipper boots, £20 Accessorize Christmas tree earrings, £4, Accessorize Sophia round necklace, £17 Accessorize

Maria Soft Knit Jumper Dress, Boohoo, £25 Gloves, £16.99 Mookau Ecclesall Road Faux fur pom hat, £12 Warehouse Cable knit scarf, £18 Warehouse Geox snowboots, £116 John Lewis Bird necklace, £34 Oliver Bonas

Black dress, £96, Eliza J at House of Fraser Clutch bag, £22, Accessorize Black ‘Carla’ bodycon dress, £51, Linea at House of Fraser Lipstick, Bobbi Brown creamy matte lipcolour, £20.40, John Lewis Bracelet, £59, Swarovski High heels, £69, Office

Wells Rose brushed flannel long pj set, £55, Cath Kidston Wells Rose slippers, £16.99, Cath Kidston Totes hot water bottle and socks set, £15, House of Fraser Pink soft throw, £11, Primark Octagon mug in Sky, £12.99, Moonko, Division Street

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 41

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Flanked by large chain venues such as Nando’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Express, it can be quite easy to miss the small, sleek unit housing Koko Japanese Resturant. But what the place may lack in size, it certainly makes up for in stature amongst Asian cuisine lovers in the Steel City.

The Ecclesall Road venue pride themselves on serving up a “traditionally untraditional” take on things, throwing a few western flavours into the mix to suit a range of palettes – while also remaining faithful to their Sheffield roots.

“It’s Japanese fusion food,” restaurant manager Drew Garber tells Exposed, “We like to incorporate a range of oriental tastes and put our own innovative spin on it. Traditionally speaking, Japanese good can be quite subtle, but we’re not – we’re all about flavour. We’re very proud to be based in Sheffield, so we work closely with local producers like The Porter Deli and StarmoreBoss.”

Take a quick look at the new winter menu for a taste of the local affiliations. The fillet steak is pan-fried and covered in a sweet Japanese fusion sauce using Sheffield’s O’Hara’s rum, which can then be washed down with a Japanese gin, whisky or lager – or, if you’re feeling really flush, a bottle of their finest sake. The traditionalists can be catered for, with classic sushi and sashimi meals available, but Koko likes to provide a dining experience you’ll struggle to find at any other East Asian restaurant in the city.

Inside the 28-seater restaurant it’s a classy, minimalist affair; but despite fine-dining décor and a menu to match, the team work hard at creating a lively atmosphere for customers to enjoy. “We don’t want the service style to be

too rigid,” Drew says. “It’s Ecclesall Road, it’s Sheffield; we’re about having a good time and letting our passion for the food shine through when we talk to customers. As a result, we’re really popular for birthday celebrations and that kind of thing – people know they’re going to get a high standard of food along with an enjoyable atmosphere.”

Already the new menu seems to be going down the treat, with staff touting the soft shell crab tempura as a customer favourite in the making.

They deliberately held back on the number of dishes, claiming they would rather do a smaller menu to their high standards than risk letting things slip with a vast one. As Drew puts it: “It’s about the quality of the output: the things that come out of this kitchen and the value we give to our customers is of the upmost importance.

That’s what we’ve kept in mind while working on this menu.” kokorestaurant.co.uk // 503 Ecclesall Rd, S11 8PR

r

17 19:26

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The Brew Foundation Steak, kidney & Bitter That pie INGREDIENTS 4 tbsp oil 2 onions, chopped 25g flour 1kg stewing beef, diced into 2cm pieces 3 lamb’s kidneys, middle white bits removed, chopped 400ml Bitter That 300ml beef stock 25g butter 500g mushrooms, sliced Pack of ready-made puff pastry 1 egg, lightly beaten Sea salt and pepper

METHOD Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in an ovenproof casserole and gently fry the onions for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Season the flour and toss the steak and kidney in it. Add a little more oil to the pan and, over a medium heat, brown the meat. You may have to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add some of the beer to the pan to deglaze it. Scrape well using a wooden spatula and then add the rest of the beer and the stock. Return the onions, steak and kidney to the casserole and gradually bring to the boil, stirring well.

Put a lid on the casserole and place in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry briskly for a couple of minutes. Stir into the casserole.

Continue to cook for a further hour. Remove from the oven, check the seasoning and leave to cool.

Allow the pastry to come up to room temperature and then follow the instructions on the pack. Turn up the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

Spoon the pie filling into a suitable pie dish. Place the pastry over the filling, trim and crimp the edges. Make a hole in the middle for the steam to escape. Brush the surface of the pie with the beaten egg. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Stuff the turkey!

We all know the drill when cooking a turkey on Christmas Day: baste, baste, baste, and baste again. Four hours of arduous love and care that leaves you feeling more like Ebenezer than Buddy the Elf. But you can always branch out and peruse more alternative grub for the Big Day. Megan Rogers has a few ideas up her sleeves for inspiration...

Main

Dare to do the unexpected. If you’re the type of person with a Christmas to-do-list as long as Santa’s, a one pot hearty slow-braised partridge with bacon and chestnuts not only scores 10/10 on the festive flavour scale but essentially cooks itself, result! Also, sautéed reindeer. Yes, you heard correctly. Commonplace on a Scandinavian menu this ultra-lean, rich meat is the perfect Christmas showstopper, if you can get your hands on it.

Veggie

Vegetarians, I challenge you to go full Kill Bill on the nut roast this year.

It’s about time that dry, anti-festive, obscure mass was abandoned. A warm beetroot and butternut squash wellington with pesto will get those taste buds tingling again. Alternatively, if you’re feeling a bit fancy, a shallot tarte tatin with goats’ cheese is a real winner, winner, veggie dinner.

Vegan

You’re hosting vegan guests this year and panic-mode is in full force. Fear not! Apricot, chestnut and aduki bean balls are packed with flavour and quick to rustle up. This fruity, spicy treat is sure to go down well. A sweet potato, sage and caramelised onion tart wouldn’t go amiss either. Just blend up some rice cakes, hazelnuts, olive oil and soya milk for the perfect crunchy vegan base. Crisis avoided.

Trimmings

You could posh-up your traditional gravy by just branding it a jus OR you could really push the boat out and try some of these deliciously non-traditional accompaniments. If you’re cooking up a dark meat main, add richness to the good stuff with a hit of madeira wine and whole grain mustard. A flavourful white wine miso gravy will also satisfy your veggie and vegan compadres. Finally, swap the cranberry sauce for a boozy bacon jam - you won’t look back, we promise.

Dessert

It’s time to give that Christmas pudding (that only your grandparents eat anyway) back to Medieval England, because dessert this year is going global. Invoke the Portuguese way and dust off those baking skills with a Bolo Rei (or King’s Cake), a sweet bread filled with nuts and candied fruit.

Traditionally eaten on both Christmas Day and January 6th (Kings Day in Portugal), you can have your cake and eat it, twice.

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START THE NEW YEAR WITH....

OPENING TIMES NEW YEARS EVE - 5.30 TO 9.30 FOOD SERVICE 6.30 - 8.30 NEW YEARS DAY - CLOSED NEW YEARS EVE MENU FIXED MENU OF 6 COURSES £65 PER PERSON

478/480 Fulwood Rd, Sheffield, S10 3QD Phone: 0114 263 0106 // Email: contact@lavangsheffield.co.uk Terms and conditions apply

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SEAN CLARKE, HEAD HONCHO AT THE MOOR MARKET’S BEER CENTRAL, SHOWCASES HIS CRAFT BREWERY OF THE MONTH AND RECOMMENDS SOME OF THEIR FINEST TIPPLES.

HOPPY CHRISTMAS! Ho ho, what’s Beer Central’s Sean Clarke got in his sack this month? Only five of the best festive tipples for you to crack open over the Chrimbo break. Cheers!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for beer! Forget the turkey, forget the endless search for the latest iPhone, forget Auntie Maude’s new slippers – Christmas is a perfect time of year to focus on beer. So much so, we’ve picked out some real Christmas crackers for you to try and you’re likely to find them in Sheffield’s many pubs, bars and bottle shops. Enjoy responsibly and have a good’un!

Wingin’ It

This really is a delicious beer! Wiper & True brew in Bristol and the annual release of their Plum Pudding is much looked forward to. What we have here is a deep, dark porter with dried fruit, cinnamon and lemon zest, offering up caramelised sugar and dark fruit flavours, complemented with a toasted finish. No Christmas gimmicks here – just class seasonal brewing!

It’s not unusual for sports stars to open restaurants once they retire.

Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Ryan Giggs are just a few of the famous names to have gone into the hospitality industry after their first careers finished. But how many of them are actually in the kitchen, cooking the food?

Originally from London, Olu Babalola is a successful basketball player who settled in Sheffield after joining the Sheffield Sharks, and he has recently begun sharing his love of soul food with the city. Whilst studying at Clemson University, South Carolina, he picked up the range of recipes from the chef known as ‘Mama’, a little old lady in her 70s, who may not have said much but became so fond of Olu, she passed on the ingredients behind her secret seasoning mix, a family recipe which was over 100 years old.

And it’s this that makes self-taught chef Olu’s dishes stand out.

TINY REBEL - YOU SNOWS IT (ABV 4.2%)

thewingkings.co.uk

BROUWERIJ HUYGHE - DELIRIUM NOEL (ABV 10%) Brewed in Flanders, Belgium, this is one of the most famous Christmas beers in the world. Chestnut in colour, this is big and boozy, with lots of spice and a well-balanced sweetness too. You can even turn off the fire, as this winter warmer will keep you feeling toasty through the coldest December days.

WIPER & TRUE - PLUM PUDDING PORTER (ABV 6.8%)

Cardiff’s Tiny Rebel have teamed up with Newport rappers Goldie Lookin Chain to create a seasonal special that everyone can enjoy. This is a super pale Christmas ale and the combination of New Zealand and UK hops will have you reaching for a few of these. It’s impossible to just have one – but since it’s Christmas, you can probably get away with having a couple more!

With his basketball career nearing the end, he recently began unveiling a range of pop up events to showcase his range of soul food dishes which include the likes of chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, fried catfish, collard greens, honeybuttered cornbread and that old favourite, mac and cheese.

“I’m making a lot of things you just can’t get anywhere else in the city with a recipe unlike any other,” he told Exposed.

Whilst there are plans in place to open a permanent restaurant in the near future, in the meantime the best place to sample the Wing Kings offering is at Olu’s fortnightly popup events at Sentinel Brewhouse.

Next up is the Soul Food Sunday Lunch on December 3, offering three-course set menu for £14.95 or £7.95 for kids. Alongside the food, there’s also live music and the range of tasty tipples you’d expect at one of the city’s best brewery-owned pubs.

MOOR - OLD FREDDY WALKER (ABV 7.4%) Don’t get confused, these aren’t brewed on The Moor here in Sheffield. Like Wiper & True, Moor Beer Co are based down in Bristol where Old Freddy Walker is a real legend: a seasonal special that always lights up the darkest nights. It’s a rich, dark and full-bodied Old Ale that loads you up with lasting Christmas Pudding flavours.

WEIRD BEARD – BLACK CHRISTMAS (ABV 4.5%) Brewed in West London, Weird Beard have created a very seasonal stout. Easy drinking with lots of Cranberries & Sorachi Ace hops, you’ll get a fruity, slightly tart beer with hints of vanilla & coconut.

BEER CENTRAL LTD

The Moor Market, S1 4PF Telephone: 0114 2755990 facebook.com/BeerCentralLtd

Street Food Warehouse Returns What better way to honour the spirit of the festive season than by stuffing your face at Sheffield’s Streetfood Warehouse? If you like sipping craft ale with your feet propped-up, sheltered beneath the glow of candles and fairy lights, head down to Trafalgar Warehouse (next to Corp) on 11th December for great tunes, casual vibes and of course – a truly mouthwatering selection of grub! facebook.com/TrafalgarWarehouse WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 49

Koko

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503 Ecclesall Rd, Sheffield S11 8PR kokorestaurant.co.uk // 0114 266 2843

A Safe Bet! Genting Club Sheffield launched an interactive sports lounge last month, only the second of its kind by the casino.

So how is it different to a regular sports lounge? Well, you’ve got interactive TV screens, the latest electronic games, four Sky boxes to broadcast four different events

simultaneously and live odds for games provided by Genting Bet. There’s also a brand new bar and a re-launched menu you can keep well fed and watered while you’re glued to the action. Available at evenings and weekends, it includes a full breakfast menu at the weekend and a late-night food menu.

sportslounge.gentingcasino.com

STARTERS

To whet our appetite, the chef kindly sent over some vegan sushi tasters – anyone who instinctively recoiled at the phrase “vegan sushi”, stay with me, because the crispy, smoky aubergine nigiri were a delight.

Now, cheese-lovers who might find Japanese cuisine lacking on the dairy factor will be pleased with the Panko Taleggio: rich and gooey Italian taleggio cheese, ensconced in Japanese Panko breadcrumbs. A more traditional starter was found in the Renkon Tempura, a mighty construction of generously battered tempura vegetables including lotus root and deliciously sweet okra.

Really being treated to try the best of the menu, we were presented with miniature sides of togarashi-style seared tuna. Let’s just say I could barely believe the tuna cheese sandwich I’d had earlier came from the same place after tasting the velvety slabs of highest quality fish.

MAINS

Par-tea Time!

A Sidney Street factory head recently been given a new lease of life as an open-till-late tea bar with tea cocktails, tea lattes and tea-infused gins!

Local business Birdhouse Tea Company are behind the venture to transform the disused factory into a bar, restaurant, shop and kitchen with courtyard, all dedicated to the humble brew! They’ll be offering over 50 unique tea creations, with names inspired by Sheffield. So you’ll be able to sip on “Botanical Gardens”, “The Full Monty” and “Peace Gardens” teas from 8am10pm.

Setting itself a cut above a traditional tea-room, Birdhouse Tea Bar & Kitchen will have four separate tea zones.

Zone 1 will be a retail space with trained experts on hand to find your

perfect tea as well as running tasting sessions. Zone 2 is set to be the takeaway tea and coffee bar where you can grab hand pulled coffee from Sheffield roasters Foundry roaster, sandwiches and patisseries as well as, of course, a massive variety of tea options, from loose leaf to tea lattes, ice tea and cold brew.

Zone 3 will serve food (think Buddah bowls seasonal salads, sharing platters, cakes & specialist afternoon teas with a birdhouse twist). Showcasing their passion for using tea as an ingredient, it will feature in cocktails, infused house gins and food too. Finally, Zone 4 will be a classroom for tea tastings, sessions and events hosted

by Rebecca of Birdhouse Tea Co, a Certified Tea Champion by the UK TEA ACADEMY and 10 years experience in tea. Sounds good, no?

Head to birdhouseteacompany.com for more 50 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

On the subject of fish, we had been waiting in anticipation for the Brill fillet since manager Drew revealed he sometimes tells customers he won’t charge them for it if they don’t think it’s incredible. After having a taste for ourselves, this seems like a very safe gamble. The succulent, buttery white meat was like no fish either of us had tried before.

Now, a Japanese restaurant isn’t worth its salt these days if it can’t deliver what the UK audience are hungry for: sushi. Koko’s offerings are a tad more maximalist than the standard menu, with a selection of jumbo-sized California-style rolls jam-packed with inventive ingredients and flavours.

After the triumph of the vegan aubergine taster, we tried the vegan Haru rolls along with the grilled prawn and tempura salmon Takisha rolls, each stuffed with a bigger line-up of ingredients than could possibly fit in the confines of this review. When all ingredients combined, the rolls hit your palate with a burst of flavour in a much more indulgent and unique experience than simpler sushi.

DESSERT

Next up, more tasters! We were offered some umeshu, which turned out to be a dangerously drinkable amaretto-like plum sake.

On the desserts side, Koko offers some classics, like a torte and cheesecake, but after all the new flavours so far we were ready to keep up the experimentation and went for the chocolate mochi (curiously squishy, rich Japanese rice cakes) with red bean ice cream and the light, poached uzu pear with a fragrant ‘ume shusorbet’ – a welcome return of that delicious umeshu with a delicate melon flavour.

THE VERDICT

As ever, the only downside of Koko is that you won’t be able to bring yourself to eat normal standard Japanese food ever again.

WWW.ASHOKA1967.COM INSTAGRAM ~ TWITTER ~ FACEBOOK #ReytGoodCurreh Photo taken on my iPhone 6s+

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A wise person (probably) once said “home is where the gin is”, and you can certainly feel at home in the cosily decorated Vintedge gin bar.

What was once a menagerie of vintage sellers under one roof has now become a gin emporium for juniper junkies. Both the owner and much of the antiques remain, however, with the venue fully kitted out in turn of the century pieces. The bar counter itself, owner Sally Mastin told us, is an old relic from the Netheredge post office.

Why the change from vintage shop to gin bar? Well, the decision didn’t come totally out of the blue; from the success of their ‘gin wagon’, she saw an opportunity to tap into the drink’s resurgent popularity. “You’ve got lots of connoisseurs coming in,” said Sally, “but then also people who just like gin, especially the flavoured kinds”. And there’s certainly enough flavours to choose from, with nettle and rhubarb to chilli and ‘unicorn tears’ on the menu. Soon to be introducing more gin cocktails too, we got a sneaky peek at their creations, the most surprising of which being an indulgent, chocolatey martini made with a cream gin liqueur rather than the traditional vodka.

After a busy opening weekend, Vintedge is already becoming a top evening destination on the Abbeydale circuit. There are big plans to extend its appeal to daytimes with Afternoon Teas arriving in the new year, along with gin talks and masterclasses. Open from 12 on weekends, you can snack on complimentary nibbles until 6pm on a Saturday too. We’ll drink to that!

The Gin Bar at Vintedge, 444 Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield S7 1FR. Open 4-11pm Tues-Fri, 12-11pm Saturday and 12-9pm Sunday.

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Christmas at La mama!

We are open Christmas Eve from 5pm to 9pm with 2 for 1 cocktails, closed Christmas Day. We open again on Boxing Day, serving Tapas Happy Hour all night.

We are taking Christmas bookings throughout December. We have a festive party set menu at £22.95 per person. If you would like to receive a copy of our Christmas menu please just get in touch.

The restaurant is available for free private hire over the festive period each Monday and Sunday (minimum 25 people). We have two menus available for private hire – £14.50pp lunch buffet menu and a £20.50pp evening buffet menu. Please just call or email if you would like to discuss a private hire booking.

We are also offering our ‘Bottomless Fizz’ offer throughout Christmas. You simply need to pay £15 per person to receive a bottomless glass of bubbles all night. The offer runs from December 1st and is available every night of the week through December.

We are currently taking bookings for New Year’s Eve. We will be open from 6pm.

Address: 238 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield S7 1FL Phone: 01143279597 Email: lamama.latin@gmail.com Website: www.lamamalatin.co.uk

YOUR ONLY DESTINATION FOR LOCAL, NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CRAFT BEERS, REAL ALES & CIDERS An amazing range of specialist bottled beers, ales & ciders include

Kelham Island  Acorn Thornbridge  Bradfield The Kernel  Buxton Steel City  Marble Saltaire  Weird Beard Magic Rock  Verdant Cloudwater  Omnipollo  Ashover  Lost Industry Brew Foundation & Northern Monk & 100s more

THE MOOR MARKET SHEFFIELD CITY CENTRE

0114 275 5990 BeerCentralLtd td

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2 for 1 CoCktaiLs! Something to look forward to after a long week at work!

Unwind with our 2 for 1 cocktails every Saturday afternoon from 12pm to 6pm. kids Eat frEE every Saturday from 12-4pm!

It’s no secret that the Steel City today is something of a beer mecca. At last count, when the University of Sheffield published a report touting the city as the Real Ale Capital of The World, there were a total of 23 breweries plying their trade here. That translates as one brewery per 23,991 people (nearly five times more than London); with the same report also finding that up to 1,000 different beers were produced by local brewers each year.

One might imagine that real growth for independent businesses may prove difficult in such competitive circumstances, but on the contrary, the beer scene around these parts continues to flourish and many brewers are upsizing to cope with levels of demand. Take Stancill Brewery for example: in the space of just four years, business partners Thomas Gill and Adam Hague have turned a post-uni venture into becoming one of South Yorkshire’s largest beer producers. Stancill today have four venues under their belt – The Horse & Jockey, Wadsley; The Norfolk Arms, Grenoside; The Albion, London Road; and The Closed Shop, Commonside – the latter two being added to the roster during the last six months.

“We’ve said we’ll have a consolidation year ever since we started, but it’s just never happened,” laughs Thomas as he gives Exposed a tour of the premises.

“The last four years have been a bit of a journey, to put it mildly. We’re not going to stop, though; we’re looking for more. I was in London over the weekend having a look at a few micropubs for inspiration. We like the idea of having somewhere that’s not necessarily a pub in the traditional sense, but an interesting small space to serve good beer.”

Stancill was born when the 150-year-old Oakwell Brewery closed its doors back in 2013, prompting Thomas and Adam – both fans of Oakwell’s trademark Barnsley Bitter – to purchase the brewing and filtration equipment and recreate it themselves. After finding the soft water Sheffield receives from the Peak District to be perfect for brewing, they decided to move the short distance to Parkwood Industrial Estate on Rutland Road, just a stones-throw from the city centre. It didn’t take long before they were forced to install some new conditioning tanks so they could increase capacity.

What’s behind the success then? Well, for one, the culture shift to supporting independents and a general eye-opening to the rewards of deviating from core brands helps, claims Thomas. “Before we got our first pub, The Horse & Jockey, it was an Enterprise Inns pub – same too with the The Norfolk Arms.

They would have largely served core brands, and you do get the odd “Where’s your Carling?” when behind the bar; but overall people are more open at trying real ales, blondes and beers. And once they’ve discovered one drink they like, they want to go and discover another.”

Something which also makes Stancill unique in Sheffield is they’re one of the only breweries to create a popular craft lager and pilsner – Stancill Lager (4%) and Sheffield Pilsner (5%) – entering an area that many brewers avoid due to expensive equipment costs. “We inherited some great equipment from Oakwell Brewery which allowed us to brew those drinks, both of which have been really well-received, and they’re definitely our most popular brews now.”

Today the brewery produces around 30,000 pints a week, with an everchanging range of beers on offer (keep an eye out for the Christmas specials).

They now employ 50 members of staff across their pub division and with their latest purchase, The Closed Shop, have been working on bringing the kitchen up to scratch with a new seasonal menu. Perhaps, following another busy 12 months, you might imagine 2018 being a good time to take that consolidation year. But from Stancill’s perspective, it’s more a case of striking while the iron is hot and continuing to get the best out of every venue and brew.

“No, we’re going to keep on moving,” says Tom. “There’s enough of us brewers in Sheffield now. It’s a buzzing place, we’ve got to be the brewing capital for the UK – for real ale certainly, and the craft scene is coming along well too. We’ll be looking for new venues, working on new brews and really working to push our lager following the positive reception it’s had. Things are well-placed at the moment and we’re looking forward to the future.” stancillbrewery.co.uk 58 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Cactus Living • 57 Green Lane • Kelham Island • Sheffield S3 8BB

FL I

info@cactusliving.co.uk • Tel: 0114 275 8333

www.cactusliving.co.uk

For fresh ideas ...

Love Your Moor Market You’ll find a massive choice of fresh produce and value products - make sure you pop in soon!

Home to the biggest number of independent traders in the region Facebook/moormarket @TheMoorMarket www.sheffieldmarkets.com

DP20244

Getting the right gifts for friends and family can be tricky business this time of year, but luckily the Moor Market has a wide range of prezzies to suit all tastes from a wealth of independent traders.

Exposed nipped down one afternoon to get some Chrimbo shopping sorted, and here’s just some of what we found...

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LULLABY LANE BABY SHOP

NUT BAR

CHARACTER MOON

LOVE TO CRAFT

Lullaby stock everything you need for your little ones. With a wide range of well-priced clothing, accessories and baby essentials on offer, it’s certainly worth a visit.

Owner Phil showed us around the stall, pointing out the super-cute festive baby dresses. The beautiful baby grows start from around £6, with the more luxury outfits going up to £25.

Owned by father and son duo Jack and Philip Schofield, Nut Bar have been trading in the markets of Sheffield for more than half a century. They pride themselves on their vast array of local and international nuts on offer – all at bargain prices. . At this festive time of year, their biggest sellers are the classic still-in-shell walnuts, so be sure to get stocked up quick!

To be down with the kids these days you have to be up to date with the latest Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig episode, and at Character Moon they offer an extensive collection of branded children’s PJs at affordable prices. It’s a real tot’s paradise with stuffed animals, character-themed rucksacks and onesies all on show.

Prices start at around £5.99.

Step inside a crafters dream, with a whole new assortment of stock dedicated to your Christmas needs.

Stallholder Sarah showed us their hand-knitted baby couture from a designer in the Isle of Wight, along with a selection of other festive treats. Her pride and joy are the adorable knitted Dickens mice which took precedent on the top shelf. The stall is also handy for stamps, pom-poms and various haberdashery goods.

HH COLLECTION

FRILLY JO’S

JB TOOLS AND PET SUPPLIES

BEAUTY BOX

If you’re looking for something that’s one-of-a-kind, the variety of lighting, mirrors and ornaments available at HH Collection are quite unique. Many of the products include a hint of indulgence, with crystals and specialist metals featured in the designs. The stall also showcases freestanding wooden giraffes and pooches – perfect for any animal lovers in the family.

If your partner’s on the naughty list this Christmas? Then get down to Frilly Jo’s and treat them to one of the new-in, red lace bodysuits.

Along with lingerie, they also stock night time and comfort wear for all shapes, sizes and budgets. The eyecatching 1980s-style tutus and leg warmers are very popular, so pop down and have a look for yourselves before they fly out.

After purchasing a stall in the old Castle Market more than twentyfive years ago, JB is a bit of a treasure on the Sheffield market scene - their steady stream of regular and loyal customers serving as testament.

One half of the double-stop shop, JB’s Pet Supplies, is now fullystocked with festive furry-friend delights from pet stockings (how could you not?!) to wild bird feed (very popular at this time of year, we’re told!).

Winter Wonderland frosty blue wigs and tiaras are some of the goodies on offer at Beauty Box this season, with scarves and brooches being particular popular.

The new owner and her three daughters are currently on the look-out for a new brand name, as ‘Beauty Box’ was inherited from the previous owners. If you’ve got a knack for beauty-themed creativity, drop by the stall and let her know.

Opening times: Mon-Sat: 8am-5.30pm facebook.com/ MoorMarket @SheffieldMkts sheffieldmarkets.com

P-P-PICK UP A PARCEL! Get your Christmas shopping delivered to The Moor Market via their Amazon lockers. Simply order online and pick up from the locker point situated next to the cash machines.

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 63

Once the beating heart of industrial Sheffield, the Kelham Island and Neepsend areas have long been associated with old mills, factories and workshops. However, following a vast and ongoing regeneration project, these adjoining city suburbs are now hugely in-demand as places to live, work and play – due largely to an offering of quirky businesses ranging from modern restaurants to traditional ale pubs. It’s also the home of your friendly neighbourhood Exposed, so next time you’re in the area feel free to pop in for a cuppa, yeah? In the meanwhile, here a few other places certainly worth checking out.

The Bhaji Café

The gorgeous Bhaji Café is a family-run business serving traditional, delicious Indian cuisine. As well as flavoursome thali cuisine, there’s an array of ales and beers to wash things down with, including Samuel Smith’s fruity raspberry ales and Indian pale ales Vocation Life & Death. The colourful, friendly vibe adds to the experience - and with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options, like their chickpea and aubergine masala, everyone is catered for. thebhajishop.co.uk

Grind Café

With their to-die-for freshly made sandwiches, Grind Café is definitely worth a visit. Or if you want something a little less carby, their mouth-watering salad selection trumps anything you’ll find nearby. The independent café is also designed around huge glass windows that look onto the surrounding Kelham Island, so you can watch the world go by during your early morning breakfast or late lunch. Oh, and don’t even get us started on their famous sausage rolls… grindcafe.co.uk

The Old Workshop

A winning collaboration between booze aficianado Tom Harrington of the Beer Engine on London Road and the owners of The Bhaji Café, this hip venue is one of the latest additions to local bar scene. Open Thursday to Sunday, it prioritises good beer, great music and a chilled atmosphere. A botanical theme runs throughout and Sheffield artist HINEink helped decorate the place with a colourful giant jellyfish spread across the bar wall. oldworkshop.org

Stew and Oyster

Boasting an extensive, delicious menu and welcoming layout, Stew and Oyster is the ideal bar/restaurant to visit if you want to unwind during the evening or throughout the day. Food is served all day Monday to Sunday and a selection of hot drinks from coffee to hot chocolate (for the sweeter-toothed) can be enjoyed in the intimate snug. Fancy something a bit stronger? Cask ales and beer from breweries Half Moon, Thornbridge and Kelham Island are favourites. Menus, naturally, offer homemade stews and fresh oysters, but there’s also a selection of sandwiches and other cooked dishes to go at. stewandoyster.com

The Riverside

Right on the edge of Kelham Island you’ll find the ever-popular Riverside Bar & Café, which is loved by students and professionals alike. Not only does the pub serve up some of the best home-cooked dishes, but it also sources a wide range of ales and spirits and is looked after by one of Sheffield’s finest bar groups - True North Brew Co. Its beer garden is the main attraction of the venue all year round, nestled on side of the River Don. Plus you can spot its Instagram-worthy neon sign from a mile off, so get yer cameras out. riversidesheffield.co.uk

64 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SPOTLIGHT ON

Kelham Island & Neepsend

The Fat Cat

A regular post-work haunt for the Exposed team, it’s nigh-on impossible not to be charmed by the traditional, old-school atmosphere in the Cat – plus the well-priced food and ale is hard to turn down! When you’re feeling nesh, the pub’s outdoor heaters in their picturesque beer garden make winter barhopping so much easier. thefatcat.co.uk

The Depot Bakery

Just a stone’s throw away from Yellow Arch Studios is The Depot Bakery, sister company to fellow Sheffield favourite Tamper Coffee. Whether you’re popping in for relaxed brunch or a quick loaf of bread, the artisan goods you’ll be served are baked onsite right next door, along with the fresh produce being locally sourced. The Burton Road site is also home to popular event Peddler Market and stays open throughout the night’s shenanigans. thedepotbakery.co.uk

Ship Inn

Awarded the National Pub Designs Award 2016, the standout Ship Inn interior makes it one of the cosiest, most interesting pubs in the area. The historical boozer has grown in popularity since coming under new ownership in 2015. Serving a delectable range of craft beers, ales and bar snacks, it also hosts live music and quiz nights every Wednesday. facebook.com/allaboardtheship

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The Milestone

Celebrated as Sheffield’s first gastropub, The Milestone is a hearty yet modern restaurant set in the heart of Kelham Island. With prices a little higher – but plenty of deals and earlybird offers to be had – this is a perfect place if you are looking for something a bit more sophisticated. The food is contemporary British dining at its best, and the grade II-listed building also hosts a selection of popular cookery classes upstairs. the-milestone.co.uk

Krynkl

Winner of the Construction Innovation Award 2016, Krynkl is a innovative development created from up-cycled shipping containers. The four-floored venue is home to a number of exciting start-up and independent businesses brought together under the umbrella of avant-garde workspaces and an ethos of creative collaboration. Residents include Knots ‘n’ Niggles sports and holistic massage parlour, edgy unisex salon The Bunker Hair Shelter and 2 AA Rosette hyper-seasonal restaurant Jöro - widely tipped to receive the city’s next Michelin Star. You’ll also find one of Sheffield’s first rooftop bars, Inc. This halfcovered, fairylight-adorned space specialises in damn good service and craft beers, and serves 2-4-1 cocktails on Thursdays 4-8 pm. Chin chin… krynkl.co.uk

92 Burton Road

Centred around a cobbled courtyard, 92 Burton Road hosts a range of events from the monthly Peddler Night Market celebrating local talent to popup cinema events. Permanent foodie residents include Nether Edge Pizza Company and the Sheffield Cheesemasters, not forgetting the quirky Kelham Arcade. Showcasing the heritage of Sheffield’s mechanical revolution, 92 Burton Road boasts a 7,500 sq ft. ex-industrial-era warehouse available for hire, from weddings to ‘Sleep Outs’ raising money for young homeless people in Sheffield.

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Kelham Island Tavern

With a seemingly endless list of awards to its name, you can always count on the Kelham Island Tav for a great pint in a comfortable setting. Don’t believe us? See their recent accolades of Sheffield CAMRA Pub of the Year 2017 and Yorkshire Pub of the Year 2017 for proof. Hosting quiz nights, it stands out from the rest by playing live folk music every 4th Sunday, Acoustic nights every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sunday, and Blues sessions every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 9pm. Well worth a visit, it is a friendly, intimate pub that will always be free from the rowdier crowds. facebook.com/kelhamislandtavern

Shakespeares

Another pub situated on the real-ale trail, Shakespeares is another traditionally furnished venue with an expansive beer garden. Once a Georgian coaching inn, this large pub was restored to its former glory six years ago and prides itself on quality hand-pulls and a vast whisky selection for punters to browse. shakespeares-sheffield.co.uk

C O M I N G

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K E L H A M breakfast / lunch / early evening homemade food coffee / cake / afternoon tea beer / wine 8am until 10pm FITZWILLIAM &HUGHES 17 ALM A ST K ELHAM ISLAN D SHEFFIELD S3 8SA GATEHOUSE@FITZWILLIAMANDHUGHES.COM 0114 272 1465 WWW.FITZWILLIAMANDHUGHES.COM

3 INSPIRING

PLACES Explore Sheffield’s industrial story from early industrialisation to modern times where ‘Made in Sheffield’ remains a mark of craftsmanship and quality known worldwide Discover the world behind the waterwheels Experience the mighty River Don Engine in steam!

Join us for a new era at Sheffield Industrial Museums and see our 3 heritage sites restored, transformed and brought to life See www.simt.co.uk for events, admissions and opening times or call 0114 272 2106 Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet Abbeydale Road South Sheffield S7 2QW

www.simt.co.uk

Shepherd Wheel Workshop Whiteley Woods Sheffield S11 2YE

Kelham Island Museum Alma Street Sheffield S3 8RY

1 STEEL

STORY

0114 272 2106

LIFESTORE + COFFEE SHOP 284 Shalesmoor Kelham Island S3 8UL Tues -Thurs 10-4 Fri- Sat 10-6 www.coincidencelifestore.com

SPOTLIGHT ON

Kelham Island & Neepsend

The Gym

Perfect for those with healthy new year’s resolutions (though why not start early?), memberships at The Gym start from £14.99 a month, consist of free fitness classes for members, have no tie-down contracts and the 24/7 opening times are ideal for those on shifts or wanting to avoid the peak time rush. With free parking and only a five minute powerwalk from Shalesmoor tram stop, you’re struggling for excuses not to join! thegymgroup.com

Kelham Wine Bar & Kitchen

Nestled nicely in the corner of the picturesque Ball Street Bridge, poised nicely in overlooking the River Don, this small but atmospheric venue allows people to eat, drink and basically unwind in a relaxed setting. Pizzas, salads, sharer boards and a gluten free menu are available, as well as a gorgeous breakfast selection – avocado and eggs, or a breakfast burrito, anyone? With a top-notch wine list, fabulous selection of gins and Instagram worthy cocktails, this is a great nook for a classy night out with your friends… or to impress a date. twitter.com/kelhamwinebar

Kelham Arcade

Located on Burton Road, Kelham Arcade is home to a host of talented independents including Kelham Barber, Cry Baby Tattoo, a homeware store and an ethically sourced antique taxidermy shop. There’s plenty to discover inside, so pop in to say hello when you next get the opportunity – they’re a friendly bunch! kelhamarcade.uk

The Gardener’s Rest

Something of a hidden gem and for our money boasting one of best beer gardens in Sheffield, this traditional pub was purchased by a community group via a crowdfunding scheme earlier this year. As well as offering a wide selection of beers and ales, they also work with various charitable causes and host regular community events. thegardenersrest.com

Pearson and Earl’s Barbershop

The latest addition to Sheffield’s barbershop community, Pearson and Earl’s has had rave reviews. Providing services for children to OAP’s, its retro décor is open and welcoming for everyone. Clientele receive a chilled out experience whilst getting that full head shave, or even a trim for that unruly beard. It also sells products such as Morgan’s Pomade beard cream, to help keep your beard revered - not to mention the retro gaming machine to keep you occupied while you’re waiting! facebook.com/pearsonandearlsbarbershop

Bar Stewards

Open in the evenings on Tuesday through to Sunday, this small independent bar and bottle is all about handpicked beers and ales. Situated opposite Shakespeares in West Bar, not only does it offer up national and international real ales and craft, as well as wine and lagers, it also serves as a well-stocked off-licence. Owners Alan and Charlie are always keen to talk everything beer with customers, so swing by next time you’re looking for something new to sample! thebarstewards.uk

Cactus Lettings

Founded in 2008, Cactus are an independent lettings and property management agent who are here to help. Whether you’re new to the buying/ renting market or an experienced investor, they’ll work closely with you to ensure the best possible outcome every time. cactusliving.co.uk

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COMING SOON: Upshot Espresso

Industrial chic café serving incredible coffee and seasonal food

Steel Yard Business Park

The development on Bardwell road will consist of 56 independent businesses housed in stacked shipping containers around a central open space.

Dun Works Development

Opening in early 2018, this large development will be home to 225 apartments available across a range of prices and needs.

Yellow Arch Studios

Today the UK’s first fully-licensed recording studios, this venue in Neepsend has provided rehearsal space to some of the city’s finest musical exports, with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Tony Christie, Richard Hawley and Bring Me The Horizon all treading the boards there. Keep an eye out for some of many top events taking place there over the year. yellowarch.com

Fitzwilliam & Hughes

A recent addition to the area is Fitzwilliam & Hughes, which has just opened in The Gatehouse at Little Kelham, smack bang in the heart of the Kelham Island district. Their other venue, which you’ll find in the Imperial Buildings opposite Rotherham Minster, is well regarded for the taste, quality and sustainability of it’s coffee as well as their excellent afternoon teas. The good news is you can also get beer and wine too. fitzwilliamandhughes.com

Clobber Calm Supply Co

Selling some fine vintage men wares and one of the only places in Sheff to stock Redwings boots, owner Ben’s journey began with a simple Instagram feed and has culminated in an online store and his own premises. Hardwearing, high quality clothing sold to you with passionate, friendly service – head down and see what all the fuss is about. clobbercalmsupply.co

Drop Dead

Want to make a statement? Selling own-brand clothing and owned by Bring Me The Horizon’s Ollie Sykes, Drop Dead sell alternative fashion for men and women including hoodies, t-shirts, trousers and leggings, as well as an assortment of accessories. Grungy fashion and soon to be taking on a Game of Thrones line, swing by this clean-cut, compact shop just off the dropdead.co

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Kelham Island Museum

Standing on a 900 year old man-made island, Kelham Island museum tells the story of Sheffield’s industrial journey. There’s a range of interactive galleries, rare collections and the famous River Don Steam Engine to marvel at once your inside. simt.co.uk

Coincidence Lifestore

This Scandinavian-themed store is perfect for minimalist, yet striking home furnishings. After originally having a gift shop in Bakewell, the owners decided to lay down permanent roots in Kelham Island and join Sheffield’s wealth of independent traders. Pop in and take a look at their Nordic goods, along with stock from Sheffield-based artists and makers. coincidencelifestore.com

Kelham Island Brewery

Based next-door The Fat Cat, Kelham Island Brewery have been knocking up some of the finest ales in Yorkshire to keep city drinkers well-nourished for almost 30 years now. The microbrewery has won many awards for its beers and regularly treats visitors to tours followed by beer tastings and a mighty pie and pea supper! kelhambrewery.co.uk

Craft & Dough

Nestled in the heart of Kelham Island amongst industrial factories, modern apartments and a thriving string of traditional pubs, Craft & Dough is another venture from the well-renowned Milestone Group, combining a mammoth menu of eclectic beers (the craft bit) with freshly baked pizzas (dough) in an intimate, trendy setting. craftanddough.co.uk

THE GRIND CAFE KELHAM ISLAND

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The Fat Cat

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EVERY SATURDAY IN THE FAT CAT BEER 23 GARDEN THROUGH DECEMBER ALMA ST, S3 8SA. 0114 249 4801 WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 73

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BIG FISH LITTLE FISH ‘WINTER WONDERLAND’ Plug // December 3 // Pre-walking infant free, £6 Child, £8.50 Adult If you’re a parent wanting to be responsibly irresponsible you will love the Big Fish Little Fish family rave happening over at The Plug this month. With a licensed bar, festive themed crafts and Mark Archer of ALTERN8 spinning some old skool tracks, there’s something for the child in all of us (and the actual kids as well!) www.the-plug.com MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE ICE iceSheffield // December 8-9 // From £5.50 This year iceSheffield is bringing us an enchanting show you won’t forget. Join Belle, Snow White, Aurora, Elsa and over 100 skaters as they search for their happily ever after.

If you’re after a bit more magic you can also join the VIP skating sessions with the cast on the Saturday and if you come dressed as your favourite fairy-tale character you could be featured in the grand finale. www.sivtickets.com 5TH ANNUAL BURLY Q WINTER BALL City Hall // December 9 // From £25.20 Expect glitz and glam in Sheffield City Hall ballroom as Burly Q return with their evening of magical entertainment. Now in its 5th year, the Winter Ball will see showgirls, comedians, magicians and performers dazzle the audience in a variety show spectacle. If that’s not enough you can complete your night with a two course dining option and then head over to the dance floor until the early hours. www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk A 1940S CHRISTMAS National Emergency Services Museum // December 16-17 // From £6 Step back in time this Christmas and head over to the National Emergency Services Museum for their 1940s weekend. Bringing the Victorian Police, Fire and Ambulance station back to its former glory there will be music, crafts and the chance to take a ride in an actual fire engine. Father Christmas will also be paying a visit on a day that is set to be jam-packed with Christmas magic. www.emergencymuseum.org.uk SANTA, ELVES AND SLEIGH BELLS Tropical Butterfly House // December 20 – 24 // Normal admission charges apply, (Santa’s Grotto advance bookings online only) Santa and his Elves are making a stop at the Tropical Butterfly House this December. You can enter the Christmas jumper competition, hop on board the free tractor sleigh ride and see the Farm Barn Nativity scene.

There’s also chance for you to have animal encounters including giving a present to a lemur. But make sure you save time for visiting Santa in his Grotto and his Elves in their workshop! www.butterflyhouse.co.uk

The Gifts of Christmas Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? Yes, it’s that time of year again, people!

From 15th November to Christmas Eve, Sheffield’s magical fifty-cabin-strong Christmas Market will be taking over the city centre shopping area, decking the halls of Fargate, Town Hall Square and Peace Gardens. The seasonal handmade crafts and a visit to the Big Man himself will ensure any reluctant Grinch hearts grow at least three sizes before the Big Day. Returning this year is the ever-popular

Sleigh Bar, which will be well-stocked with as many hot beverages, beer and blankets as the soul demands after a heavy session of Christmas shopping. Just around the corner in the Peace Gardens, Thor’s Tipi bar will be serving up more of the same but in a more Nordic fashion.

If grazing the food stalls is more your thing, you can Jingle Bell Rock your way to the infamous German Sausage Grill or pick-up a winter wonderful wood-fired pizza. Happy holidays, eh?

For opening times and info visit sheffieldchristmasmarkets.co.uk

A Pop-Up Prezzie Pop-up cinema specialists The Village Screen will be spreading the Christmas cheer in earnest by presenting a trio of festive favourites at Abbeydale Picture House this month. On Saturday 16th December the afternoon showing at 2.30pm will show family comedy Elf, while later in the evening the 8.30pm screening will show cult classic Gremlins (16+). The following day, Sunday 17th December, will see the first Home Alone movie showing from 7.30pm.

The stunning Grade-II listed cinema will be decked in Christmassy décor, while a selection of DJs will be spinning festive tunes to add to the atmosphere. Food and drink will provided by local street food traders The Gravy Train, Pie Eyed and Cow Boys Burgers, and The Village Screen Bar will be open serving delicious cocktails, beers

by Thornbridge Brewery, prosecco, wines, mulled wine, soft drinks and a selection of cinema snacks and hot drinks. So grab a blanket, head down and get snug!

Tickets are priced at £14 for adults and £11 for children, students and seniors. There are also family ticket options available. Head to www.thevillagegreenevents.co to get yours.

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O U S T BEFOR T Y E N E E TH

Planning some festive merrymaking this year?

We’ve got you covered.

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VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS MARKET Kelham Island Museum // December 2 & 3 // Accompanied children free, Concessions £5, Adults £6 Over 120 market stalls will be filling Kelham Island Museum during the first weekend of December. If you’re after some last minute stocking fillers, make sure you browse the wide selection of handmade goods from a variety of independets. There’s also plenty of family entertainment on offer, including a fairground, street food, live music, traditional crafts and – of course – Santa and his Reindeer. simt.co.uk STREETFOOD WAREHOUSE Trafalgar Warehouse // December 4 & 11 // Free Entry Why not stick your feet up and tuck in after a long day of Christmas shopping at the Streetfood Warehouse? There’s food from all corners of the globe and provides the perfect venue place to relax under the fairy lights with a drink in hand. facebook.com/StreetFoodWarehouseSheffield IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT BEER The Sheffield Brewery Company // December 8 // Free Entry Christmas cheer is in the air down at The Sheffield Brewery Company, as they get ready to host their first annual Beer & Carols event.

From 4pm until midnight there will be festive hymns performed by Tom Read, a selection of Emmanuales beers to pick from and artisan wood-fired pizzas from The Alfresco Pizza Company. facebook.com/emmanuales LEADMILL CINEMATIC The Leadmill // December 8 & 11 // £6 If you think there’s nothing better than getting comfy and watching a Christmas film then you’re going to love what The Leadmill has lined up. They will be screening the ever78 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

loveable Elf with some maple syrup, candy cane cocktails, popping candy popcorn and free Christmas hats on the side!. On the 11th December it’s the turn of another true Crimbo classic, The Holiday, featuring snowball cocktails, mulled wine, popcorn and Santa hats. leadmill.co.uk

CHRISTMAS ROLLER DISCO @ PEDDLER MARKET 92 Burton Road // December 9 & 16 // £35 Looking to add a bit more excitment to your Christmas night out? Peddler Market is putting on a fantastic event for everyone to enjoy. Start off with a glass of fizz on arrival before tucking into a 3-course dinner prepared by their top traders. Then get your skates on and spend the rest of the night rolling along to a live DJ. peddlermarket.co.uk LAST LAUGH COMEDY CHRISTMAS CABARET City Hall // Selected dates throughout December // £20 Yorkshire’s longest-running comedy club is ready to have you in stitches with their popular Christmas Comedy Cabaret. With entertainment from some of the best UK and international stand-up comedians on offer, and food also available, it’s the ideal night out for a Christmas party. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk YELLOW ARCH CHRISTMAS BEER FESTIVAL Yellow Arch // December 3 // £1.50 Between 12-8pm the Burton Road venue will be hosting some of Sheffield’s finest breweries alongside a few guests, while some of the city’s finest musicians take to the stage. Of course, mulled wine and mince pies will be in plentiful supply and a selection of street food vendors

on-hand to soak up the booze. Children and dogs allowed throughout the day. yellowarch.com

NEVERLAND Theatre Deli // December 1-31 // From £16 Escape to Neverland this December with an immersive new musical from Theatre Deli.

Last year’s The Great Gatsby was a smash hit, and now The Guild of Misrule and Theatre Deli are back to take you on a journey and help you rediscover your lost child. So hop on board the pirate ship, mingle with cast and get ready for an evening of food fights, absinthe bars and live music. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk LOU LOU’S CHRISTMAS VINTAGE FAIR City Hall Ballroom // 3 Dec // £2 OTD; U12s free Winner of ‘Best Vintage Fair’ for three years running, Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair is back for a festive special! Find yourself affordable vintage and retro treasures to help prepare you for Chrimbo, or get your gift shopping wrapped up nice and early for the retro lovers in your life. Lil’s parlour will be on-hand for refreshments and The Victory Salon will be providing everything from victory rolls to skyscraping beehives (email info@thevictorysalon. co.uk for info). thevintagefair.com A LEAP INTO WONDERLAND Ponds Forge // Selected dates throughout December // £48 Prepare for a magical evening of wining, dining and dancing with the ever-spectacular Christmas ball at Ponds Forge. Sit down for a three-course dinner before making your way to the dancefloor to enjoy entertainment from resident DJs and bands. sivchristmasparties.com

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT BLOO

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9pm - 4am For tickets go to www.soyo.me/tickets T. 0114 276 7552 E. info@soyo.me www.soyo.me

BUNGALOWS RELAUNCH WEEKENDER Bungalows & Bears // November 31st December 2nd // Free Your favourite Div Street bar and venue is back with a bang following their refurb throwing three free parties in a row with New York Brass Band, Afriquoi and The Reflex. bungalowsandbears.com

CHRISTMAS OVERDRAFT @ THE LEADMILL December 18 // £6 The Leadmill is welcoming back the highly anticipated Student Mondays in festive spirits with Christmas Overdraft. Cheap drinks, great student classics with cheesy dance, indie and R&B music to celebrate to. leadmill.co.uk

LET SAUL GET DOWN: SAUL’S SESSIONS The Harley // December 5th // From £3 House and disco upstarts Saul’s Sessions return to the Harley for their residents’ night featuring cartoon mascot Saul. Time to get funky! theharley.co.uk

COSMIC DISCO: DEEP SEA DISCO @ THE HARLEY December 13 // £4 Davey A’s Blue Planet 2 has even inspired a new maritime club-night which sees the Harley adorned with jellyfish and all things watery, while the Cosmic Disco resident DJs take you deep into their house, disco and afro-beat bags. theharley.co.uk

SANTA’S NORTH V MIDLANDS V SOUTH BAR CRAWL Code Sheffield // December 7 // From £4 After the huge success of their fresher’s event, the battle between the North, Midlands and South is back – but this time it’s going festive.

Be a Northern Nutcracker, Midlands Mince Pie or a Southern Snowman and represent your roots with pride. codesheffield.com

MUZIK 90S WAREHOUSE RAVE SECRET LOCATION December 22 // From £11 Set to be an unpredictable night resembling a 90s warehouse rave: acid, rave and techno music will be the soundtrack for the night - no music played from after 1995, no cameras, no filming, no phones. Release you inner 90s self for one night only. The secret location will be revealed to ticket holders only via text. muzikevents.co.uk GATECRASHER: THE WHITE PARTY AREA December 29 // From £27.50 Area Sheffield is hosting a huge post-Christmas night-out with trance music and a line-up set to be announced soon. Free t-shirt when you book early bird or VIP tickets online. areasheffield.co.uk

FULL MOON PARTY CODE SHEFFIELD December 11 // From £4 Code is set to become a Thai Island paradise with their Full Moon Party. Thousands of glow sticks, fire breathers and UV body and face painters will fill the room as you drink from your authentic Thai rum bucket. Perfect for those searching for warmer climes this winter. codesheffield.com WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 81

HAGGLER’S CORNER CHRISTMAS MARKET Haggler’s Corner // Dec 3 // Free The popular monthly market bring will be serving up their Chrimbo special with the usual array of craft beer, cocktails, food and live entertainment. Plenty of stalls will be on-hand, selling everything from canvas prints to jewellery and they’ve placed an emphasis on making it child-friendly with plenty of activities for the young’uns to enjoy. hagglerscorner.co.uk CHRISTMAS MEMORIES City Hall // December 5 // From £12 It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Neil Sands is bringing his West End cast back to the City Hall this month for a magical Christmas production.

With over 60 Christmas songs and carols to be performed and over 40 costume changes, things are nicely set for an evening of good ol’ festive fun. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk KID’S CHRISTMAS PARTY Tapton Hall // December 16 // £10 per child Get your party shoes on and celebrate Christmas with the kiddies in the picturesque setting of Tapton Hall.

There will be music, games, crafts, food and drink – and of course, a visit from the big man! taptonhall.com MOTHER GOOSE Lyceum Theatre // December 8 – January 7 // From £15 After the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs last year, this year’s fun-filled pantomime is Mother Goose. As always, expect heaps of audience participation, spectacular sets and egg-cellent special effects. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk THE SNOWMAN: LIVE Firth Hall// December 9 // From £10 Sheffield Rep. Orchestra is bringing some Christmas magic to Sheffield with their performance of Raymond Briggs’ beautiful tale. The animated classic will be screened in full with the orchestra providing the iconic soundtrack live. concerts.sheffield.ac.uk A CHRISTMAS CAROL Library Theatre // December 11-13 // From £6 If you’re in need of a bit of Christmas spirit this year, Spectrum theatre’s adaptation of this Dicken’s classic might just do the trick. Set in today’s modern day Sheffield, the story follows Bob Cratchit, Ebenezer Scrooge and all the other colourful characters through the course of one night where everything will change. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk 82 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BASSFEST NYE SHEFFIELD Magna Science Adventure Centre // December 31 // From £41.50 This new year’s Bassfest NYE is heading back to the home of bassline. With a mixture of live artists and DJ headliners, from J Hus to Skepsis, it’s bound to off once again at the old steelworks venue. bassfest.co.uk DANZA FT. HANNAH WANTS Tank // December 31 // From £13.44 Danza have produced some pretty special line-ups to date, but will be pulling out all the stops for their final event of the year.

Joining the party at Tank and helping Sheffield see in 2018 with a good ol’ rave will British house royalty Hannah Wants. www.tanksheffield.co.uk DETONATE & THE TUESDAY CLUB O2 Academy // December 31 // From £30.50 A special bash will be rounding off the year down at the O2. DnB legends Chase & Status will be bringing their vast repertoire of hits and unique talent to the decks. Also on the bill is pirate radio station Kurupt FM and DJ/producer Holy Goof, with more still to be announced. academymusicgroup.com

NYE BLACK & WHITE BALL The Leadmill // December 31 // From £7 Dust off your best frock, grab a glass of champers and head down to iconic venue this NYE where they will be polishing off their new dancefloor for a classic Black & White Ball. Room 1 will be delivering the best indie Rock’n’Roll music around, while Room 2 will be treating punters to their favourite pop guilty pleasures. There will also be magicians and performers on hand to make sure it is an unforgettable night. leadmill.co.uk A GATSBY AFFAIR Crystal Bar // December 31 // From £9 We’ve all dreamed about attending a Gatsby party – and now you can at the Crystal Bar this New Year. Step back into the 1920s (minus the prohibition) and dance the night away to a mix of pop, R&B hits and party anthems. Dress to impress, like. facebook.com/crystalbarsheff STUDENT NEW YEAR’S EVE Code // December 31 // From £5 The Sheffield dance haven is rounding 2017 in celebratory style: an 8-hour raving marathon where all drinks are £2.50 and you can dance away until the sun comes up. codesheffield.com

TOP PICKS

MUZIK EVENTS: SKREAM (ALL NIGHT LONG) Code Warehouse // Friday 1st December // £25/£22 NUS (+bf) House and techno superstar Oliver Jones hits Muzik as part of his nationwide “Open to Close” tour, which sees the former dubstep pioneer go ‘back to basics’ and play all night at some of the best clubs in the UK. codesheffield.com THE TUESDAY CLUB: DUB PHIZIX & STRATEGY Foundry // Tuesday 5th December // £6 TTC favourite Dub Phizix - who brought you 2011’s revolutionary ‘Marka’ - returns for a journey through the best in dark drum’n’bass. Expect all the big tunes from Exit and Critical records and some fire bars from MC Strategy. Support comes from Atonal resident Coxie. foundrysu.com MANGO DISCO X LA RUMBA: TROPICAL PRESSURE FESTIVAL TAKEOVER Yellow Arch Studios // Saturday 9th December // £10 This launch party for the unique Tropical Pressure Festival - which celebrates the rich cultures of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean on the cliffs of Cornwall - is being held by Sheffield’s two leading world music promoters. The huge line-up of live music and DJs is sure to sweep you out of Yorkshire and into sunnier climes for the night. yellowarch.com NICE LIKE RICE X BAL FASHIONS X PBR STREETGANG ALBUM LAUNCH BAL Fashions // Saturday 9th December // £6 One of the UK’s funkiest house duos release their debut album after 10 years in the game, with many more under their belts as DJs. They hit the new Exchange Street venue on their album launch tour which also goes through Fabric, Manchester’s Hidden, Leeds, Berlin and Bristol. facebook.com/NLRSheffield

For our full round-up of autumn nightlife listings, head to exposedmagazine.co.uk/ listings-homepage

Although she was no stranger to a residency, when HAAi was announced as the next resident at London’s Phonox few people outside of Dalston’s Ridley Road Market Bar knew her name. One year on, she’s launched her Coconut Beats label and is wowing audiences worldwide with her eclectic selection. We caught up with the Australian psych enthusiast ahead of her slot as part of the killer lineup at Pretty Pretty Good’s Southbank Warehouse party last month.

You’ve spoken about how important the Berghain was in your conversion from psychedelic rock to dance music. Are you a fan of Anthony Parasole then?

Yeah, he’s a boss; it looks like it’s will be a great night. I saw Pretty Pretty Good had Peggy Gou there last weekend, and it looks really cool. I think some of the Phonox crew are gonna come up with me too which should be fun.

You launched your Coconut Beats label this year following a load of sick themed parties at your Phonox residency with Daniel Avery, Auntie Flo, Chaos in the CBD, Disco Halal and JD Twitch of Optimo. How long have you been producing dance music?

I’ve always messed around in Logic, but it was more when I started the residency. It was a natural thing, so it’s been a year or two. It’s a grey area as I was always making music with my band, and there was always some crossover there. I was loosely pushing the ideas for Da Da Da for about 18 months.

And ‘Be Good’ is the first 12” vinyl release, something you’re a big advocate of. You started on vinyl and didn’t use CDJs until recently.

How did that happen in this day and age?

Ridley Road was all vinyl, and I actually fought tooth and nail for a year with them to get CDJs as I was starting to find a lot of music I couldn’t get on vinyl. But I’m so glad I started on vinyl, it changes the way you DJ in terms of being a selector.

Like encouraging you to play longer records for longer?

For sure, plus it takes time to get them. It’s so much quicker with digital in every way. It’s an incidental part of becoming a DJ. Who else have you got releases planned with on the Coconut Beats label?

For the rest of the year while things pick up it will just be me. We’ve got some collaborations with other labels planned, aligned with the Coconut Beats parties. And an edits compilation!

How long have you been collecting vinyl? Was it psychedelic rock that you started out on?

Like Pink Floyd etc?

Since I moved here from Australia, so around five to six years. I was never really into the 70s stuff; I started with African stuff, Turkish funk and Thai psychedelic punk and rock.

Has your residency at Phonox changed the way you approach club DJing?

100%. In a discussion I had with them recently, we worked out it was 330 hours I had played there.

Which is mental. It’s given me a lot of confidence playing in other places. And I know when I can play harder and when to bring it back and make it more fun. My music collection grown exponentially, as I spend hours and hours scanning each week for new and older stuff to play.

Do you play some tracks every week? What are the HAAi Phonox staples?

I try to keep it fresh every week, but there are some tracks that I maybe play every fortnight or so. A big one is the Maceo Plex remix of Rebolledo’s ‘Discotico Plexico’, an odd combo but it’s epic. Then there’s also &ME’s ‘Avalon’, which has this massive marching drum break in the middle. It’s huge!

What Coconut Beats parties have you got planned for Phonox in 2018?

Well we did four weeks in a row in July 2017, so we’re hopefully gonna do eight in a row in 2018 over Easter. It’ll be really exciting if we pull it off!

What’s next after Phonox? Is heavy touring something you want to try, having already done the residency thing? There’s lots of romance around residencies at the moment. Is the grass always greener?

This summer I toured a lot, an next year is already looking quite busy. But the residency is gonna carry on indefinitely. Phonox are so supportive of everything I do outside of the club, what with Coconut Beats being properly realised now. It’s a proper family thing.

coconutbeats.com WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 85

“People have said to me, “On one level it’s quite clever, and on another level it’s not clever at all,”’ says Milton Jones, analysing his own comedy. “I think that’s a compliment,” he laughs. “I’m not sure. You could take it either way.”

Over the last 20 years Jones has established himself as the master of one-liners. The professor of puns. The king of the zingers. And nonsense has always played a crucial role in his streams of non-sequiturs.

Even Jones’s on stage appearance screams absurd: the wild hair, wide eyes and garish Hawaiian shirts. Put those alongside his beautifully constructed pieces of wordplay, and it’s helped the 52-year-old stand-up stand out among the t-shirt and suit-wearing comics on ‘Mock the Week’, which Jones has been regularly appearing on since 2009.

But, in his new touring show – ‘Milton Jones is Out There’ – we see Jones questioning the importance of his own nonsense in our increasingly divided times. Could we see an end to the silliness and pun-foolery? Answer: absolutely not, as I quickly find out when we meet.

The blurb for the new show talks about you running for prime minister with a manifesto of nonsense. What can you tell us about the show?

As well as me doing loads of trademark jokes and little sketchy pieces, the show sees me thinking: with all that’s going on in the world, maybe I should be doing something more serious rather than talking nonsense. I seem to have a crisis of confidence in terms of: is nonsense of any value? And of course that results in more nonsense rather than less.

Is it difficult to mould a show in that way – to include a message and a narrative – via lots of one-liners?

Yes, it is. I end up with a massive bag of jokes which probably don’t fit, which is really annoying.

Is the show very political in terms of opinions or content?

Not really. It’s all fairly jokey. There is one pseudo-political joke, which is as near as I get.

With my stuff, people remember the joke rather than the point. Though my aim with the tour is to add in a couple of moments of pathos, really questioning whether I’m on the right track.

The onstage Milton is a persona, which adds another filter for any opinions. He’s a character, but he still has your name, and you don’t specifically say he’s a character. Is that deliberate?

No! I think if I was starting again I would give him a name. He evolved as I tried out things – he was working so I stuck with it. But there are levels to him. I can pull things back and talk about my real life, to some degree.

What are the key differences between the persona and the real Milton Jones?

I think most comics are accentuated versions of 86 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TOP PICKS

MILTON JONES IS OUT THERE COMES TO SHEFFIELD CITY HALL ON DECEMBER 3RD themselves, to some degree. I am, apparently, quite clumsy and I don’t approach things particularly rationally. I quite often see the other side of things. The differences are, hopefully, I’m not socially obtuse! I’m quite conventional – I’m married, I have three kids, a house – so it’s almost an escape from normality.

I don’t have to be responsible onstage. I don’t have to pay car tax.

Onstage Milton has a distinct look: the hair and the shirts. Is it important for him to be visually distinctive?

I didn’t set out to do it, but it’s been useful branding. If you don’t remember the name you go, “Oh that guy with the shirts and the hair.” Originally the whole idea was that it was a signpost to say where I was coming from: it was leftfield.

How easy is it to find the right kind of shirt?

It’s quite hard. It can’t be whacky in a stag night way. It needs to be more, just … “no”.

The shirts certainly make an impression on ‘Mock the Week’. You’ve been on the show for a long time now.

I was on recently and I was the third oldest person there in terms of appearances. It felt quite odd. I think the BBC now uses “Mock the Week” to try people out, and that makes me feel a bit like a senior statesman.

Has that changed the tone of the programme?

The new lot all know each other, so I think it’s less competitive than it used to be. It’s a more pleasant show to do.’

And a joke you performed on the show was the inspiration for the new tour…

Yes, about Boris Johnson. “An idiot with stupid hair running the country?” Bing! That’s where it started. I feel like I’m destined to play Boris Johnson at some point.

You’ve had many of your own series on Radio 4. Is your own TV series something you’re working towards, too?

I’ve had three or four scripts that have come close. Who knows the truth of why these things don’t happen?

Through writing scripts, do you generate much material that can be used elsewhere?

Very much so. Fortunately, I’ve done so many scripts now that if I think a subject’s coming up on Mock the Week I can put a key word into my material file.

Do you actually have a file of your jokes?

I have an “all my material” file on my computer, yes. You’ve got to wade through it, but it’s worth it because I can forget stuff easily, Is there a particular formula to a Milton Jones joke?

I was never good at maths, but there is a mathematics to it. It’s like balancing equations.

There’s an ideal format, and yes it can work the other way round, but it’s not quite as elegant. It’s about getting the joke down to the lowest form of words, the minimal effort. That’s important.

MARGARET CHO O2 Academy // December 1st // £25 Margaret Cho’s new stand-up show ‘MOTHER’ offers an alternate take on motherhood and how we perceive women in LGBT culture. Definitely her edgiest show to date; a collection of riotous observations on race, drugs, sexuality – gay – straight - everything in between.

“Shockingly funny” - London Evening Standard academymusicgroup.com

“I LOOK AT HUSBANDS THE SAME WAY I LOOK AT TATTOOS. I WANT ONE BUT I CAN’T DECIDE WHAT I WANT AND I DON’T WANT TO BE STUCK WITH ONE I’M JUST GOING TO GROW TO HATE AND HAVE TO HAVE SURGICALLY REMOVED LATER.” Margaret Cho

MAISIE ADAMS Edward’s Glossop Road // December 8 // £15 One of the fastest rising stars on the UK comedy circuit and winner of the So You Think You’re Funny? Comedy Award 2017, Maisie Adam’s hilarious anecdotal material and self-deprecating Yorkshire charm makes her live show unmissable for lovers of stand-up.

‘There’s something incredibly watchable about Adam – whether it’s her effervescence onstage, finding jokes in the minutiae of life or her fantastic physicality. Inevitably she’ll be compared to a young, female Peter Kay, except her jokes and performance are far more eccentric.’ - The Skinny edwardsglossoproad.uk DOC BROWN O2 Academy // December 15th // From £12.00 After supporting Ricky Gervais on his ‘Humanity’ tour and appearing in his 2016 movie ‘Life on the road’, Doc Brown is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Focussing more on his musical style of comedy, Brown is a true innovator of his trade and should not be missed when he hits the O2 academy in December.

“A seamless mix of truly inspired hip-hop and stand-up. He’s a total star... an utter joy” - Time Out academymusicgroup.com MILTON JONES Sheffield City Hall // December 3rd // £26 Yes, he is the weird guy from Mock the Week with the weird hair and the even weirder tropical shirts.

Jones’ upcoming tour ‘Milton Jones is Out There’ is set to tackle the media, the government and everything in between with his clever pun oneliners and sharp wit.

“Absurdist, one-line masterpieces” - The Times sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

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A QUICKIE WITH…

PALOMA FAITH

Eh up Paloma, what’s important to you at Christmas?

Getting a rest!

What do you look forward to about this time of year as a mum?

Maybe a resurgence of the innocence and charm of what Christmas is about. Sometimes that can be lost in adulthood.

What is your favourite childhood memories of it?

My mother used to write handwritten letters to me from Santa Claus. More than all the presents and the food, I was always dying to see what Father Christmas had written to me. He used to tell me about his reindeer and his life at home.

Do you think you will start to establish your own festive traditions for your family?

Probably, but I would imagine they would be based on my experiences. I always had a stocking and left snacks and drinks out for Santa Claus which were non-alcoholic because I was concerned he was drinking too much in all the other houses.

Would you ever record a Christmas album?

Well I’l never say never!

Finally, are you dreaming of a white Christmas?

Probably not, what with climate change today…

The Architect is out now 88 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TOP PICKS

BABE PUNCH The Washington // December 2nd // FREE Babe Punch are finally bringing their aggressive punk back to Sheffield. The 5-piece alternative-rock band from Nottingham have been turning heads this year and are widely touted as ones to watch in 2018.

For fans of: HMLTD, The Fall washingtonsheffield.com SLOW CLUB Plug // December 8th // £15 As part of Plug’s Steel City December Season, local legends Slow Club play their first headline and first Sheffield show of 2017.

We’ve certainly missed their folk-pop harmonies and loveable indie anthems!

For fans of: Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, Los Campsinos! the-plug.com BLOOD SPORT Record Junkee // December 9th // £10 After gaining a reputation as one of Sheffield’s most interesting and diverse bands, self-proclaimed “Aggro-beat” legends Blood Sport are calling it a day. The band are set to play their last show at The Leadmill in December. Do not miss out.

For fans of: Giant Swan, King Ayisoba leadmill.co.uk SHED SEVEN O2 Academy // December 9th // £24.50 Fear not, Shed Seven are back with their first album in 16 years along with a huge UK tour with support from Cast. It’s set to be a night of throwback rock anthems, unashamed Britpop nostalgia and funny hair dos.

For fans of: Ocean Colour Scene, The Charlatans, The Bluetones seetickets.com THE TWANG O2 Academy // December 14th // £21.50 Hop in the time machine and go back 10 years; The Twang are set to become one of the biggest bands in the UK and their debut album ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’ is released to critical acclaim. Back to 2017 and they’re bringing the classic album back for an anniversary UK tour, stopping off at the O2 Academy.

For fans of: The Enemy, The Pigeon Detectives, The Streets ticketmaster.co.uk

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Talking tunes, touring and, erm, snooker with Matt Hallas from West Workshire indie rockers Glass Caves Let’s start with a fun one. If you could only listen to one track by one band for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Oof! That’s a tough one, isn’t it? It would have to be ‘Love Paranoia’ by Tame Impala.

That’s a fair shout.

It’s a good tune.

Speaking of tunes, you were awarded Radio 1’s Track of the Week back in 2013 and the band took off, but what was the first sign for you where you thought ‘We’ve really got something good going on here’?

You know, it was around that time. We started busking in York to make a few quid, because bands generally don’t make that much money.

Because of that, we started selling out Fibbers in York. We played to like 400 people in there and thought, ‘Do you know what? Let’s just do this because something’s really connecting here’.

We sold out the Cockpit in Leeds as well and had a feeling that something good was starting so we thought we’d just give it a crack, write some good tunes and see how it goes.

There’s a whole load of positivity running through your album ‘Alive’. Did you always want to create these sorts of feel-good, empowering tunes or did it happen when you got together with the rest of the band?

On our first album our manager was a bit more like “Guys… you’re just a bit depressing”.

We’ve tried to stay a bit more positive because if you’re having a bad day not every wants to hear that kind of stuff. People want pickin’ up when they’re feelin’ down. The idea is give a bit of joy to people, to reminisce but have a good time.

Do you still get nervous or did the busking days get shot of that?

I think the busking did get rid of it to be honest. When you’re performing solidly every weekend, and even on the weekdays when we were trying to raise cash, people don’t wanna listen to you at that point.

The general public can be brutal.

They really can. There were times when old people have screamed at us. We had one old woman who drove past on her little scooter shouting “shutuuuuuup”. We’ve had business guys in suits going “Get a real job, lads”. So I mean, when you’re on a stage performing for people who are enjoying what you’re doing instead it’s not that hard to do at all.

I suppose it’s in those moments that you realise it’s all worth it.

Definitely, and the busking actually helped us to build a fanbase. The only other way you 90 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

can do it, really, is by getting a big playlist on Spotify and a big placement on radio. Busking was our alternative.

Do you still busk at all now?

We do it less so but it’s still a great tool. It’s a lot of hard work, it’s harder than it seems. You’ve got to be there early, you have to get a good spot, you’re waiting until 11am when shoppers arrive, and you play out until they go which is like 4.30/5pm. You have to pack down, then you have to get home. It’s like a twelve-hour shift. That said, it can pay well and it’s basically paid exposure. You can’t really argue with that, can you?

You’re heading over to Germany in the New Year. Have any of you been to or played in Germany before?

We played a gig there for the first time in early October. It was basically just a nice little oneoff show. But we played with Razz on our last tour, and they’re pretty big in Germany, and they said “Boys, do you wanna join us on our album tour in Germany in January?”

Nice!

I know, it’s sound. See, I’ve only ever seen Berlin so it’ll be nice to check out what’s about.

I’ve heard Berlin’s very different to the rest of Germany. I think’ I’m going to try a frankfurter in Frankfurt.

I mean, you’ve got to else have you really even been there?

Exactly. The boys said I should hire an Audi R8 and drive it down the Autobahn too. It’s mad, limitless. You’ve never experienced speed until you’ve done, like, 180 on a motorway.

Is the dream to then take your music further afield, or are you content with continuing to make your mark on the UK circuit for now?

Do you know what, I think the way that promoters treat you on Germany is just next level. We arrived in Berlin and we got a cheese and meat board with bread. We got peppermint shots, a selection of spirits and beers and mixers. You just don’t get that in England.

Cheeky couple of bevvys or nothing, is it?

You might get a crate of Carling, play a show then get out of there. It’s a totally different vibe.

It could be that we just end up being a German

touring band.

You’ll have left as Matt and come back as Klaus.

That would be good wouldn’t it? *scuffling* Sorry my cat’s attacking my feet.

What’s your cat called?

She’s called Tilly. We found her. She were just like a stray on a hospital site and a friend of ours took her and got her spayed and gave Tilly to her mum, but her mum was like “Get rid of her, that’s an awful cat I don’t want her”. She had nowhere to go so we said we’ll take her on.

Awh! She’s properly sound, but she’s a bit scatty.

We’ve definitely gone off-piste, I probs need to rein it back in.

Yeah, we definitely have. Sorry about that.

Do any of you have any weird hobbies or habits?

Me and Elliot, the drummer, we went through a patch of playing about thirty hours of snooker

a week.

Christ.

Yeah, properly nerdy. That were our little downtime, we’d write all day and then play hours of snooker at night. Also, Elliot’s visited most of the Mcdonald’s in the UK. Hahahahaha.

He’s got like a rating system and everything.

Like, he knows which one does better nuggets, he knows where the good fries are.

Elliot NEEDS to publish that.

I know he does, I keep telling him! He could start a vlog, people would love that.

In-keeping with the festive spirit thrust upon us, what do you want for Christmas this year?

I really want a drum kit even though I’m not a drummer. But I live in a flat so I feel like that’s out of the question to be honest.

Who in the band who be most likely to give you a gift as an inside joke and what would the gift

be?

Probably Elliot. We spend a lot of time together playing snooker. Right, this is getting a bit deep on snooker now. However, I digress. Basically, the proper nerdies down a t’snooker hall have ‘em, these magnetic chalk holders which goes to your belt buckle so your chalk is magnetized to your belt. He were on about getting me one of them.

What’s the worst present you’ve ever received?

It’s Elliot again! He once bought me a guitar spatula.

A what?

You know like what you turn eggs over with, but shaped like a guitar. It were horrendous.

Honestly, it didn’t even do its job at all and it looked rubbish. He were really upset as well, he were like “I’ve got you a great present”, and I used it once. I think it went straight to the charity shop. But don’t tell him that.

Are you all Christmas jumper blokes?

Ah nah, it just goes against the grain of a band member, doesn’t it? I think, maybe you can get away with it, a bit tongue-in-cheek Christmas jumper. I bet you can. Maybe I should try. I might do it. I’m gunna do it.

Maybe you should debut it at your Plug gig.

It’d have to be a good’un though.We’ll see…

Glass Caves play Plug on Saturday 9th Dec. Get tickets and more info from theplug.com

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 91

all shows open to the public (14+ unless stated otherwise) Tickets available from foundrysu.com Box office: 0114 222 8777 Friday 8th December

Saturday 9th December

SLADE

the brand new heavies

CHRISTMAS SHINDIG

Doors 7.00pm Tickets: £23.50

8th December Friday 22nd December

Doors 7.00pm Tickets £23.50

9th December Saturday 20th January

brand new THE CRIBS JOE CARNALL JNR the SLADE heavies &CHRISTMAS friends SHINDIG

& SUPPORT

Doors 7.30pm 7.00pm Tickets: £15.50 £23.50

Doors 7.00pm Tickets £20.00 £23.50

Thursday 8th February

Saturday 3rd March

PAUL YOUNG

GUNS2ROSES

Doors 7.00pm Tickets £23.50

Doors 7.00pm Tickets £12.50

Friday 16th March

Saturday 3rd March

& CHINA CRISIS

SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA

‘APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION’

SEPULTURA

+ OBSCURA, GOATWHORE, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

Doors 7.30pm Tickets £14.50

Doors 5.30pm Tickets £22.50

Friday 23rd March

Saturday 21st April

FIELD MUSIC

HEATHER SMALL

Doors 7.30pm Tickets £15.00

Doors 7.00pm Tickets £28.50

& SUPPORT

THE VOICE OF M PEOPLE

Foundry, Sheffield Students’ Union, Western Bank, S10 2tg foundrysu.com facebook.com/fsfsheffield foundry@sheffield.ac.uk twitter.com/su_foundry

c )

m 7

THE BIG MOON – LOVE IN THE 4TH DIMENSION

KENDRICK LAMAR – DAMN.

LANA DEL REY – LUST FOR LIFE

ST VINCENT – MASSEDUCTION

One of the most listenable indie albums in yonks, this debut record from the London four-piece is brash, hook-laden and consistently explosive. They’re not reinventing the wheel by any means, and there’s a fair bit of nostalgia going on here – but who cares when it’s this much fun? They’re masterful at pulling you in with soft, guitarpicking innocence before Juliette Jackson’s vocals turn to a snarl and a cacophony of whirring guitars blow you away. Their performance at Tramlines didn’t disappoint either.

Joseph Food

Kendrick Lamar’s fourth LP proves the rapper really wasn’t kidding with To Pimp a Butterfly.

DAMN. is a charged testament to quintessentially ‘Kendrick’ lyrical genius and another damn clever indenture in the rapper’s personal trajectory of producing culturally pertinent music. With the metaphysical existentialism of the final track ‘Duckworth’, DAMN. culminates a literary epic that poignantly calls out the racial, cultural and political fuck-ups generated by American institutionalised bigotry. Meg Rogers

When you’ve been serving the drunks of Sheff for 10 hours and largely listening to the whiney tones of Bieber, hearing Lana Del Rey’s album for the first time during the bar clean-down came as a sweet release to my ears. I’d never really taken to Lana before, finding her lyrics and tone too deep and dreamy.

So maybe I’ve grown mardy over the years and been swayed by her sulleness, but Lust For Life quickly became my favourite album of 2017, with ‘Cherry’ being my track of the album.

Eleanor Keally

When I reviewed this a few months back I suggested this record would take some time to fully appreciate, and in listening to it repeatedly since then, I’m now in no doubt that it really is streets ahead of anything else released in 2017. It manages to be both epic and cinematic, while still being intimate and personal at the same time. If anyone tells you that today’s music has lost its creative edge, shut them up by playing them this. It is a simply phenomenal piece of music.

Mark Perkins

DAN CROLL – EMERGING ADULTHOOD

BLAENAVON – THAT’S YOUR LOT

THE DARKNESS – PINEWOOD SMILE

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING – IN EVERY VALLEY

Having been a fan of Croll since his debut, Sweet Disarray, I was looking forward to seeing what direction he would take with his new album. Emerging Adulthood really packs a punch, providing stronger, bolder sound from Croll. There is the perfect blend of vibrant, intricate songs and nothing is amiss, as each corner has been meticulously filled with catchy rhythms, nifty riffs and engaging lyrics. Laura Copestake

Five years in the making, Blaenavon’s debut is an instant classic; giving me the same cheesy grin I had when listening to the first Maccabees record. Just when you think about calling them an indie pop band with bangers, they then pull a visceral U-turn on piano ballad ‘Let Me See What Happens Next’. It was well worth the wait, but I worry about how old I might by the time the sophomore effort releases. Tom Barton

This album sees Lowestoft’s finest back to their swashbuckling, ostentatious best. After a drummer merry-go-round, the four-piece have settled on Rufus Taylor (son of Queen’s Roger) to take care of tub-thumbing duties. With subject matter ranging from Caribbean pirates to Japanese tourists held in Alcatraz, it’s fair to say they are tackling the big issues in 2017. Rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be fun after all, right? Chris Lord

There’s an rony in the wordiest writer on Exposed’s roster, a man routinely bollocked by his editor for continually exceeding his wordlimit, oto choose an album with barely any words on it. However, in a fine year for albums, Public Service Broadcasting’s In Every Valley takes the laurels for me.

Powerful, polemical, and stirring, it’s a stunning encomium for the way lives and work interwine communities. Aaron Jackson

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 93

Dave Hill is the lead guitarist and founding member of iconic rock group Slade, whose journey with the Black Country group spawned six number ones, platinum-selling records and a selection of rather outlandish outfits. I spoke to him ahead of the band’s gig at the Foundry about his views on modern music, that Christmas song and how he found writing his first autobiography.

We’re obviously here to talk about Slade, but to start – what’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

I’m quite an energetic person, and I do all sorts of things that others think are crazy but I think are quite normal. Quite a popular story about me is that my first house was next door to what I later found out was a stately school for about 500 girls. We were quite big at the time, with a few number ones under our belt, so that meant we couldn’t really go into my garden at certain times because they’d all be out on break or lunch asking for autographs. It was really bizarre for the first year or so, and people thought I was a lunatic. I think there’s something about it on YouTube, if you type in “Dave Hill Slade School” or something you’ll see what I mean.

Why the name Slade?

Before we were called Slade we were called The Inbetweens. We went to a recording session where someone from the company said that they liked us but we needed a new name, and so they said they would ask around to get some ideas. There was a woman who worked there who named objects; she had something called Ambrose and a purse or something called Slade. So we decided to put the two names together and call ourselves Ambrose Slade.

However, when we met our manager, Chas Chandler, he said that we should drop the Ambrose and just have it as one word: Slade.

It doesn’t have a definitive meaning, but it sounded gutsy and we liked that. It was that simple.

Why did you choose to carry Slade on in 1992?

I didn’t want the original band to break up, but it’s hard when the singer decides that he doesn’t want to be in the group anymore.

We were in a kind of No Man’s Land at that time, and I spoke to a friend in London who told me that I wasn’t likely to just start over again, that I may as well carry on being “Dave from Slade”. And he was right, so I decided to carry on with what I had always done.

How did you adapt to lineup changes and forging ahead with a new singer?

They say that in life, you can’t push the river: you just have to go with it. The original lineup went through everything together, good and bad, so you get used to a certain security. But once I decided to just carry on, Don Powell [drummer] and I started again with two new guys, as we had started the original band in the first place anyway. It was difficult at first, but eventually it started to come together – and you just have to keep going from there. I’m glad we did, though, because I’ve seen whole new parts of the world because of the job that I do.

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You’re playing at Sheffield’s Foundry this month. After all these years as a hit band, do you think it is important to try and attract a new fanbase?

That’s an interesting question. We definitely attract a certain set of people, but there are always people at our gigs that are too young to be there, who couldn’t have been fans of us from the beginning.

I don’t know if that means that they listen to their parent’s music, or whether they just want to experience something from that era.

Younger people often aren’t used to our sound, and we surprise them with just how raw it is. You should never rule out trying to capture something new. Originality is where music is falling short these days, with loads of manufactured groups and manufactured fame everywhere, and the fame lasts like five minutes and you’re gone. We took a long time to get there, and we had something to say at the same time. We weren’t manufactured.

What’s it like having such an iconic Christmas tune played every year?

We’re obviously known for ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’, and we do a lot of touring around December because of it. People from younger generations who don’t know much else about us do ask things like “are you Mr Christmas?”, but we are about so much more than just that song.

Your autobiography is also out this month. What was that like as a creative experience in comparison to writing music?

What made you want to do it?

I’ve always been good at telling stories. The question about whether I’d do it was first asked years ago, just after Slade first broke up. I think people wondered whether I was going to “tell it like it is” in regards to the breakup, but I didn’t know how I was going to do it back then. It was actually my son who made me want to do it, he just said that I should get my story told. So about three years ago I went to a meeting at a publishing company, where I met someone who had worked on loads of books and told me that I should just write it. With his help, and after 3 years of writing, I have a physical book ready. I’ve been able to tell my story. It was interesting because Noel Gallagher agreed to write something for me – he wrote the afterword – and he wrote that ‘no Slade=no Oasis’, which was nice to read.

But the real reason, I suppose, was to get it all out while I remember it, and create something for my grandkids, who don’t know that I’m a rockstar. It’s not all happy go lucky: there’s some tough stuff in there, but it’s what made me and I’m proud of it.

Slade play Foundry Sheffield on 8th Dec

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MORRISEY LOW IN HIGH SCHOOL Blimey Morrisey. You’ve changed (again!). Mozzer’s time in L.A. clearly got deeper under his skin than that incongruous permatan. The new album, Low in High School, which continues the return to musical form that began with 2011’s Years of Refusal, announces itself with the muscular rock of ‘My Love I’d Do Anything for You’, complete with BIG rock drums and that wiry, twangy bass beloved of metal bands. Okay, Rage Against the Machine this ain’t. But it’s also miles away from the fey wheyfaced jangle of The Smiths or early solo stuff. Across the record’s 12 tracks, Moz’s band bounces expertly between genres, from post-punk abrasion (‘I Wish You Lonely’), through rock-opera concept pomp (‘Israel’), 70s clavinet funk (‘Spent the Day in Bed’), sensitive piano balladry (‘In Your Lap’) and art rock (‘I Bury The Living’). The consistent thread pulling all this together into a cohesive whole is Morrisey’s revitalised song-writing chops. Mentally banishing all thoughts of his previous work in a certain 1980s Mancunian indie band, it enables you to appreciate with fresh ears his casual pop smarts and stealthy way with a musical and lyrical hook. Former fans who might have taken against Morrissey in recent years because of his tendency to spout increasingly small-minded platitudes might be pleasantly surprised by this record, which calls to mind many of the good things that made Morrissey Morrissey in the first place. 8/10 JC

PALOMA FAITH THE ARCHITECT

BEANS ON TOAST CUSHTY

Paloma Faith is back with The Architect: a modern thinking record which observes the many sociopolitical problems facing the world.

It’s clear that Faith has put writing about love aside on this record and instead tackles politics head-on. A dark, bold selection of songs such as ‘WW3’ shines a light on the many issues facing our conflicted world.

This becomes even more prominent in the interludes from Baby, Nym & Janelle and Owen Jones, the latter of which breaking up the album with a Politics of Hope speech.

There’s a plethora of powerful collaborations on the album, from Samuel L Jackson’s bold opening to John Legend’s soulful duet. The use of strings creates a colossal atmosphere throughout and tracks like ‘Crybaby’ and ‘Warrior’ provide stand-out moments with an electro pop feel.

Whilst much of her old sound is still in there, this record doesn’t linger on the past. Instead, Faith looks to the future and has crafted an album which both entertains and explores.

7/10 LC

As per tradition, Beans on Toast is celebrating his birthday with the release of another album. This year we’re treated to Cushty – an opinion-forward, folky array of songs which explores everything from austerity to the A303.

Whilst the album title might allude to the idea that life is all good, opening line ‘the world is dying’ suggests otherwise. But he manages to put his trademark comic spin on the content of the album, and the use of a full band perfectly complements the hard-hitting lyrics.

‘Taylor Swift’ sees him thinking of the celebrities he would like to have a drink with – a conversation we’ve all had with our mates over a pint – while ‘Jamie and Lilly’ is a warmhearted, modern day Brighton love story. However, it wouldn’t be a Beans album without some protest, and his views are made clear in tracks like ‘Major Oak’ and ‘The Ignorant Englishman’.

Cushty shows his passion, wit and relatable take on our collective worries; and once again he gets his point across in style. 8/10 LC

A legend in the Sheffield music scene, Steve ‘Papa’ Edwards has joined Parrot (Crooked Man, I Monster), and Mr Somerset (Death Rays of Ardilla, Mzylkypop) forming the upcoming electro-soul band, Universal Tree. Edward’s impressive pipes have featured on some of dance music’s biggest house tunes from Cassius’ ‘The Sound of Violence’ to Bob Sinclair’s ‘World, Hold on’. This time, however, Universal Tree are slowing down the tempo and revving up the soul with new single ‘The Road’. The song’s minimal aesthetic amicably showcases Edward’s honeyed vocals, and the thoughtful interior melodies keep the rhythm categorically playful whilst playing homage to Edward’s electronic roots. Universal Tree’s ‘The Road’ is the apex of undemanding, easy-listening, and Edward’s et al are certainly coaxing out the Sexy in Soul with a capital S. MR 96 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Photo: The Picture Foundry

UNIVERSAL TREE ‘THE ROAD’

MARSICANS

These Leeds-based, pastel-coloured, un-buttoned shirt lovers are making big waves in the UK. It was only a matter of time before people starting taking notice of their 4-part harmonies and spotless live performances. Their first 2017 “Friends” was noticed by Chris Martin, leading to a tweet hyping up the track from the Coldplay account- leading to thousands of new fans. Their most recent single “Throw Ourselves In” marks a sonic change for the band, with a heavier focus and much bigger “riffage”. Throw yourselves into Marsican’s discography before they get too big and say you listened first.

GLASS MOUNTAIN

Bradford/Leeds band Glass Mountain aren’t trying to be anything they’re not. In a world of bands trying too hard to sound relevant, Glass Mountain stand out by keeping it simple.

Their EP Glacial is a visceral mixture of spoken word, poetry, piano ballads and stadium-ready singalong choruses. Stand-out EP title track ‘Glacial’ is a seven minute banger that slowly creeps up, leaving you aching for more.

LIFE

TRASH’S TOM BARTON SELECTS 5 OF HIS FAVOURITE BANDS REPRESENTING THE NORTHERN MUSIC SCENE.

VULTURES

It’s a strange time for Sheffield music; there are tonnes of bands and musicians, but nobody seems to be doing anything that different. I don’t mean to plague the many great bands in the scene with the “sounds like Arctic Monkeys” label because I think we’re well past that now. I just don’t feel like anyone is really pushing the boat out. Apart from five-piece Vultures, of course. With clear influences from the likes of Brian Jonestown Massacre, Nick Cave and The Horrors, their latest single ‘Underneath the Rain’ is an impressive stepup. A band with such a strong set of influences and the tunes to back them up, I reckon they are set for a big 2018. A recent team-up with promotions company Scruff of The Neck should give them the backing they deserve to take their self-described “hazy cosmic jive” to the rest of the country.

After touring Europe with Slaves, releasing their debut album and playing countless festivals, LIFE are finally getting the recognition they deserve, and not just in their native Hull. Their criticallyacclaimed debut Popular Music is a tongue-incheek, thought-provoking reminder that we’re all being completely f**ked over. LIFE are a show of force for bands north of the capital, proving that you don’t need a record deal or a rich daddy to make a name for yourself in the industry.

FOREVER CULT

This grunge quartet is leading the march of DIY underground music coming out of Leeds.

Forever Cult’s latest EP Homewrecker is a dark, unpredictable mix of punk and psychedelic rock. Standout track ‘Codeine’ makes you want to rip your ears off, but I mean that in a good way, if that’s even a thing. Forever Cult are a screeching, fuzzy reminder that you don’t need to go to Shoreditch to see the best guitar bands the UK has to offer.

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Sheffield City Hall

Live Music | Comedy | Entertainment

December 2017 Since 1932

Friday 1st2017 December | Doors 7.00pm 1932 Collabro Saturday 2nd December | 7.30pm

The Sensational 60s Experience December | 7.30pm It’s ourSunday 85th3rd Birthday!

Milton Jones is Out There Monday 4th December | 7.30pm

Chris Rea

Tuesday 5th December | 2.30pm

Christmas Memories

Tuesday 5th December | 7.30pm

Bananarama

Wednesday 6th December | 7.30pm

Robert Plant with support from Seth Lakeman Thursday 7th December | 7.30pm

Kate Rusby at Christmas Friday 8th December | 7.00pm

The Hallé

Sunday 10th December | 7.45pm

Cara Dillon: Upon a Winter’s Night

Monday 11th December | 7.30pm

John Wilson & The John Wilson Orchestra Thursday 14th December | 7.30pm

The Bootleg Beatles in Concert Friday 15th December | 7.30pm

Christmas with The Overtones Saturday 16th December | 3.00pm & 7.00pm

City Hall Christmas Concert: Black Dyke Band and Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus Monday 17th December | 1.30pm

Sincerely Yours: The Vera Lynn Story

Monday 17th December | 8.00pm

Lindisfarne

27th December – 7th January

Saturday 9th December | 7.00pm

Sleeping Beauty

Saturday 9th December | 9.00pm

1st December – 31st December | 8.15pm Friday 15th December | 1.30pm

Rat Pack Live from Vegas The Burly Q Sheffield Burlesque and Cabaret Winter Ball 2017 Sunday 10th December | 3.00pm

Christmas Last Laugh Comedy Cabaret Please check the website for a full list of dates.

Christmas Celebration

sheffieldcityhall.co.uk Box Office: 0114 2 789 789 J103057_SIV EXPOSED Full Page Advert 248 x 175.indd 1

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The Christmas season is finally upon us, and we have a huge list of festive events planned on the local LGBTQ+ scene to celebrate! But before cracking open the mulled wine, we start the month on a serious note as SAYiT host Sheffield’s annual World AIDS Day vigil on 1 December at the Winter Gardens. Come down and light a candle in remembrance of those who have lost their lives due to HIV/Aids. Hidden Perspectives will also be hosting their World AIDS Day lecture at the Arts Tower, where Dan Nield – otherwise known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s Sister Judy – will be discussing promoting joy and exorcising guilt: a queers nun’s approach to non-heteronormative shame.

Also on 1 December, and kicking off the season to be jolly, we see the return of Proud – Sheffield’s biggest LGBT club night. They’ll be spreading the cheer with more glitter, sweet treats and seasonal giveaways than you can shake a candy cane at!

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a drag queen (or two) so make your way to the Mulberry Tavern, who this month will be hosting international drag artist Terri Fox and Gran Canaria’s Pixie Primark. We also have Sheffield’sown Petals Petrovsky taking to the stage for her charity show in aid of SAYiT at Rileys and Co on 9 December.

We are spoilt for choice on the party front throughout the month with the LASS (Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield) Christmas bash on 7 Dec at Together Women Project; T-Boys Festive Social at The Art House on the 9 Dec; and Andro and Eve’s Reyt Queer Do at The Old Workshop on the 13 Dec, featuring a line-up of fresh northern drag king talent including Sammy Silver and Zayn

Phallic. If you fancy helping Andro and Eve put on events, meeting cool people and guaranteeing at spot at their sell-out events by assisting, then join the volunteer get together on 13 Dec at The Old Workshop to find out more. Vegan cake guaranteed!

There are more winter wonderland treats with Trans Active’s ice skating social on 6 December and two opportunities to see Out Aloud, Sheffield’s LGBT Choir, carol singing at Weston Park and the Winter Gardens on 16 December.

In true Band Aid style we also have a host of live music offerings with Queen and Adam Lambert taking to the stage at the Arena on 8 December, while Grace Petrie’s Sheffield Lefty Christmas takes place at the Greystones on 19 December.

Finally, while many of the student population may be heading home for the holidays, we know that for many that is not an option. However, there is no need for anyone to be lonely this Christmas, as Sheffield SU LGBT+ committee will be hosting their estranged students’ meal on Christmas Day – open to LGBT+ students from both unis.

That’s your lot for this month, and until next time, love and mince pies!

FRI 1 DEC: World AIDS Day Vigil Winter Gardens // sayit.org.uk A Very Terri Christmas // The Mulberry Bar and Venue // facebook. com/themulberry barandvenue Proud / /Foundry, Sheffield SU facebook.com/proudsheffield MON 4 DEC: World AIDS Day Lecture: Dan Nield // Arts Tower // hiddenperspectives.org.uk WED 6 DEC: Trans Active Ice Skating // Ice Sheffield // trans-active.co.uk THU 7 DEC: LASS Christmas Party // Together Women Project // @ las_sheffield FRI 8 DEC: Queen & Adam Lambert // FlyDSA Arena // adamofficial.com SAT 9 DEC: T-Boys Festive Social // The Art House // t-boys.co.uk Petals Petrovsky’s Charity Show // Rileys & Co // facebook.com/ petalspetrovsky SUN 10 DEC: Pixie Primark // The Mulberry Bar and Venue // facebook. com/themulberrybarandvenue WED 13 DEC: Andro & Eve: Volunteer Get Together // The Old Workshop // androandeve.com FRI 15 DEC: O’Hooley and Tiddow // The Greystones // ohooleyandtidow.com SAT 16 DEC: Out Aloud // Weston Park & Winter Gardens // outalaoud. org.uk TUE 19 DEC: Andro & Eve: A Reyt Queer Do // androandeve.com TUE 19 DEC: Grace Petrie: Sheffield – Lefty Christmas // The Greystones // gracepetrie.com MON 25 DEC: Sheffield SU LGBT+ Estranged Students Christmas Meal // lgbtsu.weebly.com

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NI NO KUNI II: REVENANT KINGDOM

FAR CRY 5

Released: 19/01 // For: PS4, Windows PC When I finished the first Ni No Kuni, I yearned for more; so when it was announced a sequel was due, I was one happy boy. Whilst this won’t be an official collaboration with Studio Ghibli, there’s still an obvious influence as former Ghibli character designer, Yoshiyuki Momose, has been involved.

Expect tons of top-notch JRPGness in what looks a great sequel.

Released: 27/02 // For: PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC You know what you’re getting with Far Cry: acrazy antagonist with a bunch of equally crazy followers, a wide array of weaponry, animal skinning and very harsh fall damage. Would I have it any other way? Absolutely not. This time around, you’ll take on a religious cult who just so happen to partake in brainwashing and the occasional murder now and again. Sign me up.

KIERAN WADE GETS ALL GIDDY ABOUT SOME OF THE TITLES HEADING TO A CONSOLE NEAR YOU IN 2018…

GOD OF WAR

DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT

Released: Q1 // For: PS4 God of War is getting a soft reboot, now taking its inspiration from Norse mythology. I was a sceptic at first but after seeing the demo footage, I’m excited. The game is being rebuilt from the ground up, most noticeably a major shift in gameplay to a RPG-heavy environment, whilst maintaining the fast-pace which made the series so successful initially.

Released: 30/01 // wFor: PS4 Much like previous instalments, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT pits both villains and heroes from the Final Fantasy universe together in a messy beautiful brawl – one full of magic, swords and spiky hair. However, instead of 1-v-1 battles, NT will allow 3-v-3, thus making for some pretty crazy dream fights.

Onion Knight, Squall and Jecht versus Cloud, Kain and Kuja? Why not!

PS: IF THERE WAS OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION CRACKDOWN 3 AND THE FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE WERE COMING OUT IN 2018, THEY WOULD BE ON THE LIST FOR SURE! LET US KNOW WHAT GAMES YOU’RE MOST EXCITED FOR @EXPOSEDMAGSHEFF

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“Merry Christmas, MOVIE HOUSE!” A PROGRAMME PACKED WITH NEW AND OLD CHRISTMAS CLASSICS, A KITCHEN STUFFED WITH DELICIOUS, SEASONAL COMFORTS, A BAR FILLED WITH THE SMELL OF MULLED WINE AND MINCE PIES AND A WHOLE STACK OF STOCKING FILLER OFFERS AND DEALS. IT MUST BE CHRISTMAS AT THE SHOWROOM! COME DOWN AND GET IN THE SPIRIT, YOU CAN SEE OUR FULL PROGRAMME ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.SHOWROOMWORKSTATION.ORG.UK

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Film edited by anna stopford

Paddington 2 Murder on the Orient Express Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded remake of Agatha Christie’s celebrated novel takes us inside an opulent steam train in this charming and nostalgic murder mystery. The infamous Hercule Poirot (Branagh) is joined aboard the iconic train with an eclectic mix of society’s upper echelons. When the train is brought to a standstill, and a passenger is discovered to be murdered, Poirot is stranded with his most challenging case yet, and each of the passengers becomes a suspect.

Is it the Governess, the Missionary, the Butler, or the Professor? The scenario feels incredibly familiar, showing the immense influence that Christie has had on the genre.

However, rather than feeling like a tired old cliché, its triumph is in its quintessential charm, welcoming a new generation to delight in the revitalised old classic. From the luxurious set to the elegant costumes and dramatic dialogue, it is a joy to watch.

The only accusation that can be levelled against Branagh stems from this charming aesthetic: whilst the Express and its characters are visually stunning, there is a sense of superficiality to the film. The characters are one-dimensional, their only depth uncovered

by Poirot’s cross-examinations, serving only as a plot device for the mystery to develop.

Besides a comically bad Belgian accent, Branagh’s only characterisation of Poirot is his obsessive compulsive tendencies, turning the moustachioed detective into something of a caricatuNonetheless, this is a film that should be enjoyed at face value for what is – a fun and quirky adventure.

The mystery is complex enough to keep the audience intrigued and engaged, yet not too complicated that we get utterly lost. Whilst it is a perplexing puzzle indeed, Poirot’s musing monologue alongside the developing plot ensures no-one gets left behind. The ending was genuinely surprising, and Poirot masterfully ties up all the loose ends to form a satisfying bow atop a frivolous, endearing tale. 3.5/5 AS

THE LAST JEDI – 15TH DEC It’s that time of year again when middle-aged men start soiling themselves in excitement at the latest instalment of the most successful movie franchise ever.

Has Luke turned to the dark side?

Will Kylo Ren kill his mum? Is Poe Dameron’s jacket available in an XL? All will be revealed. Probably.

THE DISASTER ARTIST – 8TH DEC The 2003 movie The Room is one of those films that’s so bad it’s become a cult classic. A bit like Showgirls with less tits. So much so, that James Franco has now directed and starred in a film about its making and by all accounts it’s Franco’s finest performance to date and likely to be a surprise festive hit.

I grew up in London and I go back every few months so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the place looks like. It’s knack all like the picture postcard version of Paddington 2, where everyone lives in multi-million pound terraced villas, rides steam trains and knows everyone on their street. But it’s all part of Paddington 2’s charm; it presents us with the world we wish we lived in rather than the one we actually do, which let’s face it, is just what we need at the moment.

Telling the story of how the marmalade sandwich-loving bear is wrongly convicted for stealing a precious pop-up book he is saving to buy for his Aunt Lucy’s birthday, it’s a wonderfully crafted family film with as much appeal for adults as kids. Hugh Grant has a blast as the villain, an aging actor who has designs on the same book, while Paul King’s direction is pitched so expertly that even when Paddington befriends his fellow inmates and turns their drab prison canteen into a bijou bistro, it makes perfect sense.

Then there are the scenes of old school physical comedy, with Paddington washing windows with his bum when he accidentally runs into his neighbour’s patio doors, or doing the laundry in prison and turning everyone’s uniforms pink because he’s left a red sock in the wash.

The interactions between the animated bear and the cast never feel clunky and the message is so refreshingly sweet that it will melt even the coldest of hearts. Grant may get the plaudits for his hilarious performance but with his sure handling and perfect sense of escapism, it’s King who is the real star of this wonderful film. 4/5 PT

THE DINNER – 8TH DEC Adapted from the best-selling book, The Dinner stars Richard Gere and Steve Coogan as two brothers confronting a difficult issue over dinner at a plush restaurant. Reminiscent of Polanski’s Carnage, it also sounds scarily like The Trip but with fewer Roger Moore impressions.

GREATESTSHOWMAN–20THDEC You might not have heard of PT Barnum but you should google him, he sounds like a real cad.

Rising from nowhere to become an author, philanthropist, politician and all round showman, he toured the world with his self-proclaimed Greatest Show on Earth. This musical stars Hugh Jackman.

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TOP PICKS

NEVERLAND Theatre Deli // 1-31 Dec // From £13 Follow the roaring success of their immersive Great Gatsby show, Theatre Deli is going to be transformed from retail hanger to the world of Neverland. Mingle amongst the cast and expect live music, absinthe and food fights. theatredelicatessen.co.uk MOTHER GOOSE Lyceum // 8 Dec – 7 Jan // £15 It’s panto season again! This year Sheffield legend Damian Williams celebrates his 10th year at The Lyceum with an hilarious production of Mother Goose. The show will also star Jake Canuso (from ITV’s Benidorm) and children’s favourite Andy Day (CBeebies’ Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures). sheffieldtheatres.co.uk RENT Studio // 13 Dec – 23 Dec // £12,50 The final show of this year’s Christmas line-up is inspired by 1920s Harlem; at the time the heart of an artistic and cultural movement teeming with the young and gifted. Commissioned by Homotopia, Rent Party is an immersive live show which celebrates the Harlem Renaissance and the lives of its young, black, poor and LGBTQ people. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk SLEEPING BEAUTY City Hall // 27 Dec – 7 Jan // From £6.16 Manor Operatic Society return to the City Hall stage for their famous annual pantomime, and this year it’s the turn of family favourite Sleeping Beauty! Expect thrills, spills and a sprinkling of magic as this classic fairy tale is brought to life on stage, complete with rousing sing-alongs, spectacular dance routines and plenty of audience participation. sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

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Somewhere over the Rainbow With Christmas just around the corner, it’s that time of year when the musicals and pantomimes hit the theatres of Sheffield in earnest.

This month timeless classic The Wizard of Oz is heading to Crucible Theatre, recently extending its run due to high demand for tickets. During a break in a busy rehearsal schedule, we invited Eleanor Keally to slip on her ruby shoes and skip down the Yellow Brick Road with the show’s talented cast.

Gabrielle Brooks – Dorothy

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up in North London with a very normal family, no one was particularly musical apart from my sister and I wanted to be just like her. I was quite hyperactive at school, so I went to a drama club to calm down a little bit.

What do you do when you’re not acting?

I actually blog quite a lot. I love to write and always thought I would write if I didn’t act. I have two blogs, one is a general life blog and the other is an anonymous blog that I write about acting. I wanted to create an open space for actors to talk about any issues with acting and feel safe about it.

Have you adapted the character of Dorothy at all?

I’ve had to; I can’t be Judy Garland. I mean, I want to be Judy Garland, but I had to stop myself from watching the film just before I started rehearsals because I want it to be new. There’s going to be a lot of kids coming to see the show and I will be their first Dorothy, so I can’t cheat them by pretending to be somebody else’s – I have to be my own.

What’s your favourite part of the musical to perform?

Oh, I know you want me to say ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’...

No, you speak freely…

I do love that song – it’s just incredible. But I love acting with the boys, so ‘Off to See the Wizard’ is my fave.

Andrew Langtree – Scarecrow

How’s Sheffield treating you?

I love it, it’s really great. I seem to remember really loving the audience reactions at the Lyceum because everyone’s so warm and open. Everyone likes to have a good time, so I’m really looking forward to getting in here and the experience they are going to have watching this. Just to look at the set and designs is amazing; the designer Janet Bird has created something really special.

How has it been living in the World of Oz for a bit?

Incredible. I think seeing a production like this at Christmas will be wonderful.

It’s literally stepping into the dream of a young girl; it’s truly epic and fuels the imagination.

How have you found playing the Scarecrow?

What I’m doing with the scarecrow is taking everything from the text. This adaptation was written by someone called John Kane, an actor at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and he adapted a script from the movie. I haven’t gone back to the movie at all; I’m just going from that text. What I hadn’t realised is that even though the scarecrow doesn’t have a brain, he makes most of the decisions; he drives the story along because he’s always the one to suggest what to do and realise what’s going on.

How do you prepare for the Scarecrow role?

With a lot of stretching. There’s a lot of dancing, it’s very physical and I don’t have any bone structure! Musicals are very difficult. I’m always shocked when people see it as a lower art form as you have to be so disciplined and on-form.

Jonathan Broadbent – The Cowardly Lion

Nice to meet you, Jonathan. Can you give us a little rundown on your life?

Well I was born in 1977, in the ye old London town of Clapham. I’ve been acting for nearly 20 years, but this is the first musical I’ve ever done. I’ve done plenty of plays and worked with the director Rob Hastie before, so it’s nice to be working with him again.

How is the transition from Shakespearean plays to family-oriented musicals?

I’ve done family Christmas shows before so I’m not unfamiliar with that, but it’s really the same principles: you’re trying to find the truth of that character in that moment, with the words that the writers have given you. On this, it just so happens them words happen to be sung as well.

Have you changed the lion at all to give a twist?

Yeah, we’ve added a bit more physical comedy in it. What they achieved in the film they did over many retakes but we have to do it every day live for eight shows a week, so obviously we have to consider how things might take their toll on you physically. We’ve changed a few rhythmic jokes just to make them a bit sharper and funnier. But it’s still pretty faithful to the original, I’d say.

Max Parker – Tin Man

I’m gonna pass the baton to you now, Max...

I’m from Manchester and trained since being a kid in acting, singing and dancing all as separate things. I did a musical theatre course in Manchester, trained for drama school in London and stayed there ever since. Since graduating five years ago I’ve mainly done musicals, mostly in the West End. I’ve just finished filming a TV series as well, so to come to this is great. I knew Rob [the director] was doing this musical and he does a lot of Shakespeare and straight stuff too, so I was eager to come on-board.

Do you feel that being northern has had an impact on your career?

In ‘TV Land’ they do like to cast you for particular roles. Manchester, like Sheffield, is a really big city for the arts and a good pathway. To go to London was the next step, just because there’s a lot more drama schools in London.

Do you have a favourite role you have played throughout your career?

This is probably the most iconic role I’ve played. Obviously, I’ve not put it in front of an audience yet – but it’s definitely up there.

The Wizard of Oz comes to the Crucible Theatre 8 Dec – 20 Jan. Get tickets and more info from sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

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Here’s What’s Included

Stay from a night to six months

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When Sheffield social worker Tony Tingle retired, he decided to fulfil his lifelong dream of a trip across the heartland of southern USA. He was so inspired by his journey and the people he met there, he has published his first book, Blowing Down The Road, at the age of 67.

Phil Turner caught up with him to see what kind of state he found America in…

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I have a confession to make. Tony Tingle is my father-in-law and I helped him publish his first book, which was released at the end of October, so any accusations of nepotism are to be expected.

But anyone interested in the state of US politics, the history of the human rights movement, or even folk who just love to learn about the kind of music that America has brought to the world over the years will find something to savour in his debut novel, Blowing Down The Road.

Originally a blog just for friends and family as he fulfilled his lifelong ambition by traveling across 21 states and three time zones from New York to New Orleans and Santa Fe to San Francisco, five years on it has become his first published work. I chatted to him about the people he met, the music he listened to and the effect he thinks Trump is having on a country that has recently finished eight years under its first black president.

As someone born and raised in Sheffield, where did this affinity with the US come from?

We watched a lot of westerns and crime films and I started collecting singles so the images and sounds of America were with me from an early age. America just seemed like completely the other end of the spectrum from Sheffield – which much as I love it – is dark, grey and confined. All my family lived within just a few streets, so even going to Attercliffe seemed like a big deal at the time. America on the other hand, was big, bright and unconfined and that was a massive draw.

You spoke to people with quite differing views to your own and managed to keep it friendly. Do you think that would that be as easy now?

No, I think you’re right, it wouldn’t. The racist, misogynist right has been emboldened by Trump. Just as I reined my views in so I could have conversations rather than shouting matches, they did the same but I think that would be less likely this time around. The sense I get is that things are much more polarised. Look at the support Bernie Sanders got in the run up to the election, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he’d beaten Hilary Clinton. I don’t think it’s outrageous to say that an element of the people that voted Trump would have voted Sanders. There was an element of racism in the Trump vote but also lots of people wanted to kick the establishment and Clinton represented that.

Blowing Down The Road retails at just £7.99 and is available in Waterstones, The Famous Sheffield Shop, Forgotten Fiction, The Porter Bookshop, Books On The Park, Next Chapter Books, La Biblioteka and Amazon.

Do you think Obama could have done more while he was in power? Was he radical enough?

From my point of view I would have liked to have seen him do more.

He came into the presidency on a massive wave of support, but once he got the presidency he let that slide and didn’t use it in the way he could have done to gather backing for his policies. Republicans had sufficient support in the House of Representatives and the Senate to block what he wanted to do. But maybe he could have got around that by tapping into his base and keeping that support active and on the streets.

Obama didn’t put the economy back on its feet, he didn’t follow through on Obamacare as he could have done and left a wounded duck that Trump’s now trying to finish off. That’s the one area he could have really made a difference. It was a missed opportunity.

It’s such a vast country and you spent much of the journey travelling alone. Is that a curious sensation, that feeling of being somehow outside of things?

You’ve got to like your own company for sure. I wanted to be in my own headspace without someone tugging on my sleeve saying ‘go left’ when I wanted to go right, so that’s why I did it on my own. And that approach lends itself to being reflective because you set your own agenda and get the room to reflect on what you’ve done in a way I never had before. You don’t actually live life normally because you want to push yourself to do things you can write about.

You covered 21 states and three time zones. Where would you go back to first?

It depends what you want. Arizona is spectacular and everything I expected the Wild West to be. There’s Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon and the deserts – it’s a landscape we just don’t have in Europe. Equally if you want a taste of the music then go to New Orleans. The people there think they are a different breed to the rest of America and to a large extent they are. They’re background is a mix of French traders, runaway slaves, people from the Caribbean, so the place has got its own identity and they are very proud of it.

Any plans to do another trip?

I’d love to – if enough people buy this maybe I’ll get permission from the wife go again. I’d love to travel up west coast of Australia. There’s nothing there at all. It would be fantastic.

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THE SOCIAL N E T WO R K

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NO FRONTIN’ With six killer parties under their belts this year, and one more to come before Chrimbo, Front & Back are quickly becoming one of Sheffield’s busiest house and disco promoters. Our nightlife ed had a natter with founder and resident DJ Joe Batchelor to see what all the fuss was about. tinyurl.com/ydga9968

TALKIN’ GOSPEL Leading Bob Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin was the special guest at Edward’s Bar for the first CAT Club event in their intimate theatre room. We popped along and gained some intriguing insights into the artist’s controversial Gospel Years.

Head to the site for more. tinyurl.com/y7b8ll8r

@ExposedMagSheff Steeped in Sheffield heritage, thine colleagues hath been watered as kings @P_U_B_L_I_C_

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