Exposed Magazine May 2020

2 0 2 0 M A Y

SPOOKY DAYS

LOCKING IT DOWN WITH GHOSTPOET SELF ESTEEM // MIRIAM GRIFFITHS // SHEFFIELD PHOTOGRAPHER AND ARTIST SPECIAL

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE CHILDREN’S CHILDRENS HOSPITAL CHARITY

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REMEMBER... sell vouchers online that you can order for yourself or as a treat for a loved one that you can use when all is back to normal If you really cant go without your Freshmans fix, then find us on insta sales and DePOP

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M A Y

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46 46: GHOSTPOET “It’s not a critique of society, it’s more of an essay. It’s an essay on society.”

We talk about getting creative in the midst of a global pandemic with the Mercury Prize nominated artists, who this month releases his fifth studio album, I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep.

SPOOKY DAYS

LOCKING IT DOWN WITH GHOSTPOET SELF ESTEEM // MIRIAM GRIFFITHS // SHEFFIELD PHOTOGRAPHER AND ARTIST SPECIAL

FOLLOW US ON

EXPMAGSHEFF EXPOSEDMAGSHEFF

Exposed Cover final may2020.indd 1

05/05/2020 09:15

TOP BRASS PHIL TURNER (EDIT AND DESIGN) PHIL@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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

20: TUNING IN

FINANCE

Sheffield social hub Foodhall are taking to the airwaves with a community-run radio project to keep people informed and entertained.

Eloise Feilden went to find out more.

MICHAEL JOHNSON (ACCOUNTS) MICHAEL@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MARK PERKINS ELLIOT LUCAS ELOISE FEILDEN CAL REID HEATHER PATERSON SALLY STRONG

24: TAKE A SHOT

THE BUSINESS STUFF

Rounding up some of the Steel City’s finest snappers to talk about an image they personally hold dear.

EXPOSED IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY

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40: SELF ESTEEM We catch up wth former Slow Club artist and modern day British pop innovator Rebecca Lucy Taylor about the Sheff singer’s new EP, Cuddles Please.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE CHILDREN’S CHILDRENS HOSPITAL CHARITY

40

24

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.

52: SHEFFIELD ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Now more than ever, we believe it’s important to showcase and support the talented local creatives whose work can keep us stimulated and entertained during dark times.

78: FILM 81: LGBT+

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CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY DURING LOCKDOWN?

EAT FOR **

WHEN WE REOPEN! WHEN DINING IN A PARTY OF 4 OR MORE IN THE RESTAURANT

We are currently taking online bookings for up to 30 people with deposits not required until we are open for business as usual*

N A P O L E O N S C A S I N O & R E S TA U R A N T 1 7 L I VE S E Y S T RE E T, S H EF F IEL D, S 6 2BL 0114 285 5566

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w w w. n a p o l e o n s - c a s i n o s . c o . u k / S H E F F I E L D Terms and conditions apply to all offers and promotions. *The reservations team will be in touch once we reopen for business to confirm your booking and deposit payment. ** Members only.

Birthdays which fall during the lockdown period from and including 01.03.2020 will be honoured on a date of your choice before 30th November when the premises re-open (not available on special dinner or event nights). Offer only available on pre-booked Dine in Style packages and ‘free birthday meal’ must be mentioned at the time of booking. Sides and supplements chargeable.

Birthdays during December will be honoured in January. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.

18+

UPFRONT: KICK OFF

KEEP THE FAITH! Welcome, dear reader, to the second issue of Exposed Magazine produced under lockdown – again published for online eyes only due to continuing wide-scale disturbance caused by Covid-19.

Let’s not beat around the bush here – April was tough. Downright heartbreaking at times. Going from our usual enjoyable task of showcasing the glorious hustle and bustle of Sheffield to working on Exposed while locked in our homes, isolated from family and friends and the spaces we love, with the closure of our favourite local businesses and a never-ending stream of event cancellations weighing heavily on our minds, it was difficult not to surrender to a case of the blues on occasion.

However, amidst unavoidable sadness, the Steel City community and its ‘largest village in the world’ mentality has unsurprisingly shone through, bringing hope and heartwarming tales of support and charity to the fore each day. Things might have changed drastically in a short space of time, with more tough times to come, but the steely resilience of Sheffielders emanating from all corners of the city will help us all to see this through.

CREDIT: MARC BARKER

Rest assured that we’ll be back in print and available from the usual gaffs soon as it safe to be. In the meantime, we’ve decided to dedicated a good chunk of this issue promoting some of our favourite local photographers and artists (maybe give them a hand by ordering a print or sharing some of their work on social media?). Music is a welcome distraction these days, and we’ve got chats with Ghostpoet and Sheff ’s-own Self Esteem to keep you occupied along with the usual bits and bobs that make up your monthly Exposed Mag.

We’ll be keeping things ticking over as usual on our website and on our social media pages, so do be sure to check in when you can. Most importantly, however, stay safe and be kind to each other. This will pass and we’ll return more united than ever for it. www.exposedmagazine.co.uk

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UPFRONT: CHILDREN’S HOPSITAL CHARITY

CAN YOU HELP?

Emergency appeal from Children’s Hospital Charity...

The Children’s Hospital Charity have launched an emergency fundraising effort to support Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust during the coronavirus epidemic.

Emergency children’s surgery and some high dependency care in South Yorkshire, Bassetlaw and Chesterfield is being brought together at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, as hospital trusts work together in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Sheffield Children’s has undertaken extensive preparation work for the peak of the outbreak and is able to assist its neighbouring trusts, as the illness tends to be less severe in children.

The Children’s Hospital Charity have already funded equipment to support the Intensive Care Unit at Sheffield Children’s, but with your help, they can go further to support their work.

Director of The Children’s Hospital Charity, David Vernon-Edwards, said: “We urgently need to continue supporting the staff at Sheffield Children’s, who are working day and night to support the public throughout this crisis.

“Many charity events have been cancelled over the coming weeks, which were all due to raise vital funds for Sheffield Children’s, but they need our support more than ever.

“We are starting to feel the true impact of this additional and unparalleled strain on the wider NHS so today we’re outlining some of the ways your donations, large or small, can make a difference on the front-line.”

Specialist equipment has already been purchased to enable the team on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

to quickly establish airways in patients with difficult respiratory conditions.

The process is the same as when treating adults, but children require a much smaller tube which makes placement into the airway much more difficult. The new device enables staff to review the process on a monitor, ensuring accuracy and safety.

David Vernon-Edwards continued: “The Children’s Hospital Charity remains fully operational during this unprecedented time, but the extent to which we can help the staff and patients at Sheffield Children’s depends entirely on your support.

“Every donation, fundraiser or virtual challenge will fund vital areas that need your help within Sheffield Children’s, which remains open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help us all.”

In addition to the new equipment for the Intensive Care Unit, the Charity have also funded 2-metre markers within the hospital and across all its sites to encourage staff, patients and visitors to respect social distancing for their own safety.

Donations are also helping to support staff at a time of unprecedented pressure. The Children’s Hospital Charity have committed to providing additional resources to support mental wellbeing.

Two downtime areas have been created for staff, away from their work areas. Mindfulness colouring books, crosswords and playing cards are among the activities being sourced to encourage positive mental wellbeing at this most difficult of times.

New craft activities, toys and games are also being funded by the Charity, so they can be taken to children

at their bedside by staff to alleviate boredom, with reduced social contact procedures now in place for their own protection.

John Somers, Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust added: “I remain humbled every day by the dedication of our staff, the generosity of our community and the commitment we jointly share for the care of children.

“If you are thinking of donating please consider the change you can make now and, in the future, as we continue our mission to give children the best care possible.”

If you would like to make a donation to support the patients and staff at Sheffield Children’s Hospital at this unprecedented time, you can donate online at www.tchc.org.uk, call 0114 321 2470 or text SHEFFCHILDRENS to 70085 to donate £5.

This costs £5 plus your standard message rate.

IF YOU CAN HELP PLEASE HEAD TO WWW.TCHC.ORG.UK, CALL 0114 321 2470 OR TEXT SHEFFCHILDRENS TO 70085 TO DONATE £5.

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UPFRONT

OPEN ARMS! Sheffield businesses provide free meals to those in need A brand new not-for-profit organisation has been launched with the support of numerous UK businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, with a view to re-purposing closed restaurant kitchens across the nation to provide free nutritious meals to those in need.

With the restaurant and bar industry effectively closed while having the equipment and supplies that could otherwise go to waste, and with a recent BBC report highlighting the impact of the global pandemic on poverty, individuals

that will benefit from the Open Kitchens initiative include key workers and anybody who is struggling to maintain a well-rounded diet as a result of physical isolation or financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Donations are needed to cover the essential running costs for each Open Kitchen with every £1.85 donated enough to provide a single, restaurant-quality meal. So far Sheffield-based businesses such as Tamper Coffee, Depot Bakery and FirePit Rocks (who are aiming to provide 12,000 free meals in total)

have signed up to do their bit and the first deliveries in the city have gone out this week.

Rick Bailey, owner of FirePit Rocks, said of the scheme: “Our staff and chefs are working voluntarily. We make nothing out of it – everything is given to provide high quality, nutritional meals.”

“Once the meals are prepared they are handed to our ‘Delivery Angels’ who drop them off around the community following strict health and safety guidelines.”

“I’d encourage any restaurant to join the scheme and help society’s most vulnerable if they’re in a position to do so in these unprecedented times.”

Donations can be made via the initiative’s central Just Giving page –justgiving.com/openkitchensuk.

Each restaurant will have their own Just Giving page created too, which can all be viewed via the map on openkitchens.co.uk. £80,000 has been raised, 20 kitchens opened, and almost 40,000 free meals provided to date. openkitchens.co.uk

WEST BAR SQUARE DEVELOPMENT A STEP CLOSER A new investment of £150m from Legal & General is set to bring forward the first phase West Bar Square – a huge mixed-use regeneration project which aims to link Sheffield city centre with the bustling Kelham Island area.

The company has partnered with Sheffield City Council and Urbo (West Bar) Ltd – the development will comprise 200,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, 350 built-to-rent homes, a multi-storey car park and landscaped public spaces. The first phase will see the construction of modern office space and is expected to accommodate up to 1,800 workers.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Sheffield city council cabinet member for business and

investment, said: “Although I recognise it may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds in these difficult and challenging times, it is really important that we don’t forget to invest in the future of our city and continue to support developments for when Sheffield emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is fantastic news for the city going forward and yet another example of how we are attracting major new investment partners into the city. We are repeatedly being told that there is a shortage of new Grade A office space in the City Centre which could have a negative impact on the local economy in terms of options for new or existing businesses to move and expand.”

WESTBARSQUARE.COM

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Moving up to Sheffield from London for uni, I can remember sitting in the back seat of my parents’ gold Ford Focus and seeing the words ‘THE NORTH’ printed on a road sign in capital letters as we drove up the M1. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes, remaining there until we arrived and my mum sternly demanded that I was not allowed to cry before she turned around and got in the car to make the journey back the way she came.

As it turned out, I ended up spending nearly all my time hanging round with other students, and most of them were southerners like me. Moving somewhere as a student pretty heavily skews your view of a place. You look at it through beer goggled eyes, stumbling down West Street after your friends because one more shot of tequila is definitely a good idea. My time at uni consisted of going to a lot of pubs, combined with a permanently surprised look on my face at how gorgeously cheap each pint was, and a very minor amount of actual work being done.

know another side to the city’s culture, has opened my eyes to so much more of what Sheffield is about.

This is to say that I no longer view the city as one monolithic thing. That being the host to my university experience which could, in another life, have been exchanged for any other decentlysized city in the UK. It is no longer my second home; the place that I return from during reading weeks and Christmas holidays and summertime. I may still live in a house of six people with a contract running out in a couple of months and the prospect hanging over me of lugging all of my stuff two roads away (somehow always uphill) to the place I’ll live in for only the next year of my life, but I feel more a part of Sheffield than I ever have before.

BY ELOISE FEILDEN

“GETTING TO KNOW ANOTHER SIDE TO THE CITY’S CULTURE, HAS OPENED MY EYES TO SO MUCH MORE OF WHAT SHEFFIELD IS ABOUT.”

Only in the last year, having graduated and chosen to stay in Sheffield to join the real world, have I begun to realise just how much it has to offer. Putting my English Literature degree to best use by working in a pub for six months post-graduation, all of the ey ups and reyt goods became part of my daily life. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb, I was welcomed by the community of locals with open arms (Sheffield really holds up to the title of friendliest city in the UK), and my pronunciation of words like ‘room’ and ‘ask’ was mocked only with the warmest of sentiments.

And so, living here outside of the university bubble, and getting to

And one thing that I’ve learnt most from living here, and getting to know people from here, is a sense of pride. Pride of where you’re from, and of what that makes you. There is a deep and enduring love that people from Yorkshire have for their hometowns, and their country, that is far less passionate - and certainly less prevalent - when you head back down to London.

That isn’t to say that I and all of the people I grew up with weren’t proud of being from where we were from, but it’s a different kind of pride, and one much less grounded in a sense of community, or embedded in the place itself. If nothing else, living in Sheffield has taught me how to appreciate where I’ve come from through learning how to love where I’ve ended up.

WANT TO SHARE YOUR SHEFFIELD STORY? DROP A LINE TO JOE@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK 12 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CITY GRAB GRAB A LOCAL BITE! Now more than ever, it is crucial that we come together and support local businesses facing immense pressure in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

We can all do our bit to help keep our favourite places going during these difficult times, so that when the gloom lifts they are ready and waiting to welcome us back.

Bringing together an exclusive selection of independent eateries and takeaways, the aim of City Grab is to provide a fairer service and keep money firmly within the local economy.

It’s more efficient than anything currently out there as City have 2,000 drivers on the road, completing 150,000 journeys every week. This allows them to deliver further and faster than their competitors. Going hand-in-hand with the local focus, City Grab charges fairer commission rates to businesses using the app. These are 50% less when compared to typical discounts offered by global food delivery giants… plus the taxi driver delivering the food receives all the delivery fare too.

It’s supporting your local businesses, keeping your city’s economy strong, and providing fresh choice from your favourite Sheffield food vendors and restaurants.

Since launching in March, the app has been growing rapidly and at time of print there are now over 50 businesses signed up - local legends, new kids on the foodie block, places that will safely bring beers, spirits and even cocktails to your front door.

Tummy rumbling?

Here’s a closer look at what you could soon be tucking into…

domo Fancy a slice Sardinian soul food?

Of course you do. This highly-rated Kelham Island gem will be serving up family-sized tray bakes of lasagne, gnochetti and parmigiana, along with various Italian street food options, meat and cheeses from their deli counter, and some of the best restaurant quality takeaway pizza you’ll find around these parts. domorestaurant.co.uk

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Pinch N’ Pull Bringing the finest Mexican fusion street food direct to doors around Sheffield, Chesterfield and Dronfield, Pinch N’ Pull serve up the freshest selection of high quality tacos and burritos you’ll find around these parts. They also offer a range of sides from fresh salsa to fully loaded nachos, and their house burger – a chipotleinfused pork patty served with a creamy peanut and chilli arbol salsla – is well worth a nudge. pinchnpull.co.uk

Sheffield Food Producers Collective A The Sheffield Food Producers Collective is a group of local Sheffield food producers, passionate about creating amazing and award-winning products. Head to their profile on City Grab to choose from a number of superb independents: Russian Pies, Kevin’s Pies, Samosa Cart, Moss Valley Fine Meats, Yee Kwan Ice Cream, Secret Cake Club, Bullion Chocolate, Sheffield Cheesemasters, the Hedgerow Preserving Company, Smith’s Coffee Roasters and more… facebook.com/SFPCollective

Amigos Amigos Kitchen serves up a hearty feast of Mexican-style street food from a popular spot on London Road. Sizzing fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas – it’s all there and waiting to tempt your tastebuds. Their tostadas are also a rarely-seen delight – a sort of Mexican pizza made with a tortilla, generously topped with layers of melted cheese and jalapeños. amigosmexicankitchen.co.uk

Sunshine Deli Serving up the finest vegan food to Sheffielders since 2014, Sunshine Deli pride themselves on tried and tested handcrafted recipes that have helped them build a loyal following in the Steel City. It really is a vegan paradise: pizza, burgers, burritos, pies, desserts, chippy-style sausage and chips – but for a more guilt-free experience, there’s also a selection of healthy, hearty meals and lunches to choose from. sunshinedelisheffield.com

FirePit Rocks Producing some of the finest smoked BBQ cuisine in the City, this well-known West Street establishment have their own in-house smokers and house rubs. All of the produce is fresh – everything from mouthwatering handmade burgers to succulent chicken dishes all provided with their homemade sauces. Browse the menu for a succulent selection of burgers, wings, ribs, briskets, dogs, pizza and off the chart RE-Loaded fries – done in true USA style! firepit.rocks

pago Need something to quench your thirst? Founded by Austrian brothers Jakob and Franz Pagitz way back in 1888, Pago Premium Fruit Juice is now sold in over 30 countries around the world and is especially popular around the Mediterranean in places such as Italy, France, Spain and Croatia. Pago’s original core values of quality, taste and choice still ring true today with 13 different natural fruit juices. They only produce from natural ingredients, sourced from the best producers in the world and are free of artificial aromas, sweeteners, preservatives and E numbers. Pago is also vegan-friendly and all profits will be donated to our fantastic NHS staff. pagofruitjuice.co.uk

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CITY GRAB

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC BARKER

2019 PREVIEW: BANDS TO WATCH

Urban Pizza Co. Why go to the huge chains for average at best pizza when you can support independents and ensure a high-quality experience? The team at Urban Pizza Co. believe in only providing the best ingredients to ensure everything on our menu is as tasty as it looks. All the Italian classics are there, made with passion and a keen eye for detail. There’s also an impressive vegan selection too! facebook.com/urbanpizzaco1

Jamesons Tearooms Reowned for the finest afternoon tea service in the city, this elegant tearoom is offering a range on stunning homemade traditional foods. With a quick order CityGrab can bring the Jameson’s experience to your front door – with brunches, lunches, breakfasts, cakes, sandwiches, scones and more available. jamesonstearooms.co.uk

Our Cow Molly One of the city’s favourite farm shops, revered for its award-winning ice cream and dairy products, has joined CityGrab so you can stay stocked up with finest quality organic produce during the lockdown period. From the basics such as milk, butter and eggs to meats, preserves and that famous ice cream for the freezer. ourcowmolly.co.uk

LOVE OUR NHS At the time of writing, CityGrab has donated almost £20,000 to the NHS by wavering their fees across three weekends. These fees went directly to the NHS to support the brave staff on the frontline. Keep an eye out for future charitable promotions!

Urban Choola One of the finest spots in the city for authentic Indian cuisine, this Ecclesall Road establishment is inspired by Punjabi influences with a focus on dishes cooked in the tandoor, traditional favourites and a cherry-picked selection of mouthwatering dishes from regions across the sub-continent. urbanchoola.co.uk

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Moss Valley Fine meats All your meaty needs can be provided for with a order to Moss Valley – pork, bacon, ham and sausage experts who specialise in tender and succulent produce. Whether you’re after the basics or splashing out on huge ham hocks and hefty steaks, you can help to support this family-run farm that has been in operation for 100 years. mossvalleyfinemeats.co.uk

ASHOKA Ashoka has been at the forefront of quality Indian cuisine in the Steel City since 1967 – and is still as strong as ever with its heartfelt commitment to making “reyt good curreh”.

All the favourites can be found on their City Grab menu, from their signature Taxi Driver (hot!) to Karamelised Kashmiri. Expect only the finest from the Arctic Monkeys’ favourite curry house. ashoka1967.com

proudly supporting

FirePit Rocks have joined up with #OpenKitchens to help feed our community and cook hundreds of meals every day for the elderly, vulnerable and NHS key workers.

Just ÂŁ1.85 is enough for us to cook 1 meal, so even the smallest of donations can mean the world to someone who is struggling.

138 West St, Sheffield S1

Our MD R the fi ick, delive rst 10 r 00 mea ing ls!

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CITY GRAB

2019 PREVIEW: BANDS TO WATCH

imran’s One of the city’s most popular takeaways, the famous Imran’s has got you covered when it comes to takeaway treats. A wide selection of burgers, pizza, peri peri, kebabs, desserts and more - all freshly prepared, affordable and ready to arrive at your front door within minutes! imranssheffield.co.uk

deckards The in-house street food traders at Barrowboy and undisputed masters of the bao, Deckards have built up a citywide rep for the softest, fluffiest buns served with a delightful array of homemade sauces and tempting fillings ranging from Korean brisket to buttermilk fried halloumi. Their loaded fries and Japanese fried chicken option are also pretty perfect for some self-indulgent snackin’. facebook.com/deckardsfood

street food chef This award-winning family-run Mexican street food outlet is passionate about providing a healthy fast food alternative to the people of Sheffield. They’re probably best known for their mouthwatering burritos but also serve tacos and quesadillas as well as gluten and dairy free options, all created using locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality. streetfoodchef.co.uk

AND THE REST! Ajanta’s, Roti House, La Vlad, New Cod On The Block, Everest Restaurant, Mangla, Shapla, Bandar Aden, Chutney, Stack Lounge, Harlequins, Taco Mex, Kashmiri Aroma, Vito’s Italian, Snowcream, Dial-a-Drink, Ramshaws Butchers, El Paso, Ranmoor Friery, Cookies & Cream, China Red Szechuan, Pepe’s Piri Piri, Proove Pizza, Two Thirds Beer Co., Oi Soi, ALS Goncha, Wicker Kebabish, The Porter Pizzza Co, Rassams Creamery, Elif, Cossack Cuisine, Lynne’s Burgers, Dumpling City, The Mowbray, Tiffin, Hungry Horner Street Food, OHM, Small Stuff, Viraaj, PJ Taste, Hebdige Butchers, Roses The Bakers, Afats Grill, Mirage Vape Stores, Puck’A’Food, Yee Kwan Ice Cream, Beres, Spirit Store, Adnan’s, Shawarma Stack, India Garden, Chinos, Little Instanbul 2, Southern Fried Chicken, Kebabish Express, Proud Potato, The Little Snack Bar, The Soap Loaf Company, La Creme Desserts, Spoilt For Choice, The Potato Oven, Lavang, Dead Donkey, The Bhaji Shop.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? City Grab is available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Download the app, browse the menus on offers, pop in your address, and the food will be on its way! You can also keep up to date with the latest news and offers by following City Grab on Facebook and Insta (@citygrab). If you own a restaurant and would like to feature, email phil.turner@citygrab.co.uk.

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ALSO AVAILABLE ON

now available for delivery through

138 West St, Sheffield S1

www.firepit.rocks WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 19

£17,087.86 raised for our amazing NHS staff!

Thank you for your support!

Your citygrab orders raised £17,087.86 this month in delivery fees which we’re donating to local NHS staff.

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the lynne’n’out burger

Love homemade burgers - now you can grab them!

Simply download the citygrab app, place your order and we’ll deliver to your door.

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FOODHALL COMMUNITY RADIO

LISTEN UP! Foodhall Community Radio comes to Sheffield as a new venture devised by the Foodhall Project, a volunteer-powered community hub situated in the heart of the city.

With shows broadcasting every Saturday and Sunday, the project is bringing a whole host of new sounds and thought-provoking discussions chaired by a variety of voices. Exposed’s Eloise Feilden was able to grab a chat with one of the project’s producers Grace Thambyrajah (aka Gracie T, host of The Tiny Okra Show) in order to find out a little more about what Foodhall Community Radio is and how they’re helping to promote inclusivity in the midst of these trying times.

First of all, what is Foodhall Community Radio and how did it all get started?

Foodhall is a multi-use social space, completely managed and owned by the community. It’s all about trying to implement the National Food Service in the UK, tackling a lot of social isolation, trying to integrate the community through different creative platforms, but at the forefront of that is making sure everyone has access to food. So everything that goes on outside of that main service all aims to promote inclusivity.

Foodhall Community Radio was born out of an idea of some of the organisers of events (the branch of Foodhall called Lates) who organise all the parties they put on, and the money raised from these events goes directly back into Foodhall. So our aim was to make an accessible platform where the people who partake in the activities at Foodhall can also join in on this. Sheffield is kind of lacking a radio presence at the moment, so we thought Foodhall would be a pretty good place to start a new station. The organisation has a lot of lovely aims that we thought could be unified through radio, and one of our main points was trying to create a really balanced programme to make sure it was as inclusive as Foodhall is.

What kind of shows and music genres are you trying to platform within the programme?

We don’t really limit what kind of shows we take on, but we try to balance it between talk and music. We get a lot 22 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

of political shows as well as a lot of music – everything from folk and country to underground Sheffield music.

You’re very community-oriented in terms of who is involved in creating the content, but specifically how does the project bring communities together?

Before the lockdown was implemented all of our meetings were completely open. We had all kinds of people from different backgrounds, some who were involved with Foodhall before and some that weren’t, all coming to these meetings because we all wanted to get involved with the radio station. Unfortunately because of COVID-19 we have not been able to have these massive open meetings because it’s just not logistically possible anymore, so instead we have a Facebook group which we advertise on our main public-facing page, and all the decisions that we make, all the promoting we do, is all put on this big Facebook group of about 200 people. It’s not the same as having these big open forums, but it’s kind of doing the job.

And how is the programme being created now that no one can meet up with each other or physically be together in the same space?

A lot of people obviously still work full-time jobs and have other struggles and difficulties that have meant that they can’t be as involved in the planning where they might have been able to before the pandemic started, but there are about seven or eight of us that have volunteered to put the most time and effort into it. We’ve had about 90 applications so far – which is phenomenal – and we sent an email out at the beginning of the lockdown period explaining that we won’t be able to do live shows anymore because we can’t have access to Foodhall, but that if people want to send us pre-recorded shows we will air them. We just do it on a first come, first served basis for now to make it fair. The idea is that people record their shows from home, and we offer a lot of advice and guidance about how to do that under these circum-

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELINA THEODOROU

stances.

Your first broadcast was on the 29th March. How has it been since then?

It’s been great. Originally we were just gonna broadcast on Sundays, but we had such a crazy amount of shows come in that we extended it to Saturdays and Sundays every weekend. It’s been lovely to see the community get involved even though everyone is so far away from each other. It’s nice, and it’s been quite a positive thing during the lockdown for people to tune in and interact virtually.

What are plans for the post-lockdown future?

We did start building a studio within Foodhall just two days before Lockdown happened, and all our blueprints are drawn up; we just need to build things like tables and shelves. We’ve kindly had a lot of equipment donated to us, and Party for the People gave us a grant which was absolutely amazing because we don’t have a lot of funding as the project is just community based. The long term plan is to have a studio set up so that people can choose to record their shows live or continue to send us pre-recorded shows, and we’ll just carry on from here and see where it goes.

Foodhall Community Project

Tune in every weekend at: foodhallproject.org/community-radio // @ foodhallcommunityradio // radio@ foodhallproject.org // mixcloud.com/ FoodhallCommunityRadio

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Chris Saunders Simon Kent (2016) This was one of those shoots where you get an idea and think that it might work out ok, but, down to spur of the moment thinking and a bit of luck, ends up being twice as good as what you imagined.

I was aware of Simon’s work and his method, which is to carve sculptures from big blocks of wood with a chainsaw and set fire to them so the finished piece is scorched, so a photo during this process was always going to be striking. I think a shot of him with a burning sculpture would’ve been quite eye-catching in itself, but we then had the idea of both subject and artwork being reflected in a pool of water, so we had to wait until after it had rained a lot.

The day came, a particularly overcast one, and we drove to various locations where we thought large pools of water may have formed. Not one of them worked, just a few big puddles here and there. After a while of this Simon said “Why don’t we just go down to the old Stones brewery and do the shot in there? It looks good, really derelict”. I’d never been in and by that point I was just hoping to get a half decent shot even if it meant it being without water involved.

The brewery, situated in Neepsend, is really secure these days as they obviously got fed up with urban explorers, street artists, (and pyromaniacs!) trespassing, but when we did this there was no barbed wire on the walls. So we had to lift the sculpture over a pretty big wall and squeeze in through a gap to gain entry. When we finally got in we both started laughing at what we saw – a huge pool of water, bigger than we ever hoped we could find, there before us. The clouds in the sky miraculously all dispersed and the sun started shining, but what really worked is that most of the water was still in shade so I could light the scene how I wanted.

I didn’t think of it at the time but people have often said it looks like the cover of Led Zeppelin’s Presence album. Given that I love Hipgnosis, the studio that designed that cover, I take it as a huge compliment. I’ve definitely been influenced by their work. chrismsaunders.com |3 WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK| 25

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India Hobson Black Cullins (2015) It seemed to be a fitting tribute for me to choose a photo of the Black Cullins (near Glen Brittle on the Isle of Skye) because that’s exactly where we’d be today if we weren’t staying safe at home. Our work as photographers takes us all over the UK and beyond but Scotland has a very special place in our hearts as its wild and rugged beauty appeals to our introverted, nature-loving souls.

We first took a road trip through Scotland in 2015 and it has been pulling us back ever since. We felt inspired by the breathtaking vistas and invigorated by the fierce whip of the wind and despite not being able to travel there physically at the moment, we’re swimming in our images and words from past visits; kneedeep in the textures and colours of the weathered landscapes and virtually riding a sugar-high from imagined snacks of butter tablet and Irn Bru. Scotland is the subject of the next book in our Haarkon Adventures series and we can’t wait to share it with the world.

Haarkon Adventures Scotland is available for pre-order via Haarkon.co.uk. indiahobson.co.uk

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Speaking with Rebecca Taylor (Self Esteem) on the phone, we followed up the mandatory few minutes of coronavirus convo by moving onto an altogether more uplifting topic – her upcoming EP Cuddles Please, due to be released on 1st May. Consisting of three reworked versions of songs from her 2019 bombastic pop banger Compliments Please, plus a cover of Alex Cameron’s ‘Miami Memory’, she starts off by telling me how she came up with the idea.

WORDS: ELOISE FEILDEN

“We did some shows over Christmas where I just got it in my head that I wanted to play the songs stripped down, wearing a tuxedo. That sort of got out of hand and we did a whole tour simplifying the songs and making them into their bare bones. It was nice just to try hard to sing the songs really well rather than doing my full gig where there’s a lot going on with dance routines. I was just interested to see if the songs worked on their own without any frills. It was really fun and people liked it so I thought I should record it. And Neighbourhood Voices did a couple of shows with me and it sounded really awesome so we thought we should get that on record as well.”

The three songs from Compliments Please that will feature on the EP in their reworked forms are ‘The Best’, ‘Favourite Problem’ and ‘In Time’. “They just felt quite special,” Rebecca tells me, adding that while performing the album live on a previous tour she found that these three songs worked best with the live choir. “The original of The Best is really dancey but the lyrics are important to me. Sometimes because it’s such a fun song I don’t think it connects for people what it’s actually about, so I thought let’s do the emotional piano version of it and really ram it down people’s throats. I’m just trying to trade on goosebumps here.”

If you aren’t aware of them already, Neighbourhood Voices are a Sheffield-based female choir who sing modern pop and indie tunes, led by founder Gina Walters, who also provides vocals for local band Before Breakfast. After performing live with Self Esteem at The Leadmill, Neighbourhood Voices continued the collaboration by singing the backing vocals for the Cuddles Please EP.

And if you’re wondering, as I was, about the choice to include a cover of Alex Cameron’s ‘Miami Memory’ track, there’s some fairly straightforward reasoning: “I just think it’s one of the most beautiful love songs ever. The song overall is just the smartest, most truly intimate love song about just being so so in love. He’s describing simple beautiful moments with somebody he can’t get enough of and it’s really sexy but also miserably hopeful, which is my cup of tea.”

“30 women singing my lyrics is very much what I’m into, and they sound so good. There’s something massively empowering about having a load of women singing live with me, and I like having really personal lyrics but with a choir on the records to sing them, so being able to recreate that live was just ace.”

We discuss the name of her EP, and I suggest that maybe in moving from ‘Compliments’ to ‘Cuddles’, the title reflects the more intimate and stripped-down nature of her EP compared with the album. As it turns out, I’m completely wrong, but Self Esteem finds the interpretation amusing.

“I love that, but no,” she replies, chuckling.

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30 WOMEN SINGING MY LYRICS IS VERY MUCH WHAT I’M INTO

“It’s just about amusing myself really. I just kept thinking it would be funny if all of my albums were called something Please. With Compliments Please I kept thinking it was a funny idea because I demand what I want from people, and ultimately so often that’s all I want. But anyway, it’s too late now.

I’ll say no to that party I don’t wanna go to. It’s crazy. I am the world’s most impatient person, but bizarrely the fact that there’s nothing I can do to hurry this up, I feel quite zen about it.”

“I think it’s also because I’ve lived so many years saying ‘Sorry, no worries if not... could I, may I…’ and feeling like a really big problem all the time. And actually being a solo artist and finally fully realising myself, I’ve decided I’ll just say what I want and if I don’t get it then what’s the worst that can happen? People say no. It’s just a funny statement but also about being direct and asking for what you want.”

Althought she lives in London nowadays, as soon as she heard rumours Cuddles Please about the lockdown she hopped on a train back to Sheffield to stay here is out now. with her family. Being from the Steel City, and working with artists and groups like Neighbourhood Voices who are based here, I ask her if she feels passionate about this place remaining part of her identity as an artist despite the fact she’s moved away. “Yeah massively,” she says. “It always has done. Every time that Slow Club could record anything up north I would really advocate for it. I feel very comfortable here, which helps me make my best work I think.”

We start discussing the lockdown, and talk about what Rebecca is trying to do to keep interacting with people online. She mentions her daily workouts, which she’s been streaming on Instagram for her followers to join in with everyday, and I ask her whether she’s doing that in order to stay connected with her fans. “No!” is the very speedy response. “I need to make sure I do that workout everyday, and I knew if I streamed it that would be the only thing powerful enough to make me stick to it. I think people think I’m being really inventive with how to engage with fans, but nah, it’s all just for myself to make me not go crazy.”

She is doing some gigs from home during lockdown, though, and when I spoke to her she was just preparing for an online festival organised by DIY Magazine Self Esteem would be performing in later that night. Rebecca seems in high spirits despite everything, and counts herself lucky for the situation she’s in at the moment. “I was in a writing phase of my next album campaign so would’ve been staying in a lot just working anyway. I’m just trying to count my blessings and keep working. I think the longer this lasts the more it’ll become easier – humans are adaptable and you’ve just gotta surrender to whatever the hell it’s gonna be, which is hard but necessary.

“The fact that no one can do anything and no one is going out and you don’t have to worry that you weren’t at something, it’s like wow we’re all so fucked up that it takes a global pandemic for us to say maybe

After mentioning Slow Club – the indie duo she was a part of for over ten years before going solo – I ask Rebecca about what it’s been like since she left. Unsurprisingly, having released her first solo record, she’s had time to really enjoy having control over her own artistic choices and take her music and her career to new and exciting places that she’s always wanted to explore.

“It’s been pretty life-changing to be honest. I haven’t made loads of money or anything like that but inside, just knowing that even a handful of people like it, let alone playing Brixton to over 1000 people at the end of my tour. Selfishly I just needed to do this for me, and the fact that anyone likes it is just brilliant. I don’t feel relieved like oh here I am and that’s that; it feels very much like the start in my plan for it all. Knowing I can build from here, and that the possibilities for the art I wanna make are open to me finally. Just being true to who you are and not saying sorry for it – I recommend it. It’s funny, but that’s all I had to do.”

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COVER STORY

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The world outside may have ground to something of a halt, but the genredefying, twice Mercury prize-nominated artist Ghostpoet is on-hand to serve up a record very much of its time with ‘I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep’ – a thoughtprovoking snapshot of the dystopian mess we have all entered into.

Last month, as lockdown measures continued to shackle the UK and COVID-19 continued to snare its way across the globe, Elliot Lucas called Obaro Ejimiwe to discuss how he’s dealing with the current crisis and what he hopes to achieve with his latest musical musings.

First things first, how are you doing? How are you coping with isolation?

I’m okay, in terms of my own mental state. I think we’re all feeling the same way in terms of frustration. And trying to, on a psychological level, understand what’s going on. You look outside and everything looks fine. It’s something that you can’t see and that’s very difficult for the mind to comprehend, at least for me.

It’s getting better. I think the human brain is very resolute and is able to adapt to pretty much any situation. So I’m starting to get used to it, but at the same time, I’m trying to fight that because I don’t wanna get used to being indoors. I’m doing what I can.

How have you been filling your free time?

Talking to journalists mainly *laughs*. Other than that, keeping my mind busy, keeping my exercise up, reading, pondering, cooking.

Let’s talk about your latest album ‘I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep’. What is the overall theme or message of the record?

Well, I’ve tried to make music in the same vein that I have on my previous records, where I’m constantly questioning what it is to be human, and what makes us tick as human beings. So that’s what I always go about trying to do. That’s what I felt like I’ve achieved on this record but in a more concentrated way.

That’s very ambitious. What made you want to approach big topics such as that in the first place?

It’s been a lifelong thing. It’s what I’ve been doing since my first record. I’ve always done that in some shape or form because these are constant questions in my mind. I always want to make music that people will relate to. It’s important to evolve lyrically and musically, record to record. But I still want to ask those questions that we’re all interested in. So that’s what I write about.

You’ve described the track ‘concrete pony’ as a “a snapshot of where were at as a society.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA DUDLYKE

O RIED T I’VE T IN MUSIC MAKE IN ME VE A S E H T ON HAVE THAT I S EVIOU MY PR E WHER , S D R RECO TLY NSTAN O C M I’ G IONIN QUEST O IT IS T WHAT D N A MAN, BE HU US MAKES T A H W AN S HUM TICK A S. BEING

COVER STORY We seem to have everything and nothing at all. Infinite possibilities and choices galore but we seem set in stone, frozen in place, oblivious to the storm clouds in the distance”.

Is it fair to describe the record as a critique of society?

Not a critique of society, it’s more of an essay. It’s an essay on society.

That’s interesting because the album, to me as a listener, seems to have a very negative vibe.

You have this sort of horror-based aesthetic, with very unsettling lyrics and melodies. Is it not designed to unsettle? *laughs* Of course not. I wouldn’t wanna do that.

I think it’s important that you feel something. If that’s how you feel after hearing the record then I think I’ve done a good job. Some people will find [the record] positive, some people will find it negative. Some people will find it somewhere in between. That’s fine with me. I just make stuff that makes me feel good. Yes, it’s a dark record, but with depth and meaning. Hope is sprinkled in there. Although, not much.

Do you think your album is exactly what people need right now to take their mind off of things?

I don’t know. Who am I to say? I would like people to listen to it. People have a bit more time on their hands, so maybe they’ll be able to digest what’s going on in it a little more than they’d be able to normally. But who am I to say that’s the thing they should be listening to; that’s up to them.

I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep is released via Play It Again Sam on May 1st .

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ALBUM REVIEW The first thing that strikes you when listening to this record is Ejimiwe’s vocal delivery. For all the critical acclaim that Ejimiwe’s music has received, he cannot be accused of coasting on a beautiful singing voice. The passion he puts into his music is not evident in his disinterested baritone, which he uses to speak-sing many of his lyrics (an artistic choice, since previous offerings by Ghostpoet have been more expressive).

It is evident, though, in the substance of those lyrics. Ejimiwe transports listeners to a bleak, dystopian world, in which the worst elements of modern life are dialled up and emphasised. But he also emphasises the resilience of the human character even in the face of those circumstances. Like stars, it is a light that can only be seen against a backdrop of darkness.

It is also evident in the sonic characteristics of the album. Ejimiwe’s music can be described as orbiting trip hop, alternative rock and electronica. But Ghostpoet himself has long decried the constraints of genre, and the insistence on labelling. ‘I’m just an artist who experiments with sounds and loves guitars’ says Ghostpoet. That’s reflected in this album, which has an everything including the kitchen sink approach to sounds and instrumentation.

Eclectic sounds like sirens and shaking tins never feel intrusive or forced, merely supplementary. It is a feat of disciplined attention to detail and wild

creativity.

Overall, the album has a consistent voice. No track feels out of place or jarring, and each song transitions smoothly from the last. As such, nobody could describe this album as a ‘rollercoaster’ ride, but this album hits its stride early on and stays there. Ghostpoet immerses listeners in a world and a sonic landscape that is truly unique.

4/5 EL

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Coming Soon at

Sheffield City Hall

Live Music | Comedy | Entertainment

Tuesday 23rd June | 7.30pm

Wednesday 1st July | 7.30pm

15th & 16th September | 8pm

Thursday 17th September | 8pm

Sleeping (with) Beauty

Arron Crascall

Alan Carr Not Again, Alan!

Undr The Cosh

Friday 18th September | 7.30pm

Friday 9th October | 8pm

Thursday 22nd October | 7.30pm

Saturday 31st October | 8.30pm

Everly Pregnant Brothers Meyt & Two Veg

Mo Gilligan There’s Mo To Life

Texas

The Grand Hallowe’en Ball

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T S I T R A O P S

Jim Spendlove Luckily for me I work at home so the lockdown hasn’t created a major change in my life. However, it has been strange to have lost the option to nip out for coffee or go to the pub after a day of working.

I’d say the most important thing I’ve done to stay positive is to switch off the news and uninstall Facebook on my phone, as much as I think it’s important to stay up to date I think that as long as I’m doing what I can in terms of social distancing, I don’t really need to bombard myself with constant updates on how the situation is developing – and it’s still all there on browser if I want to check in anyway. Aside from that, just exercise and drawing every day has been my routine so far. @jim_spendlove | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK 252

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Randy Debono I’ve spent this extra time further developing my art skills, and without the noise of the usual day to day life I found that I can focus more on the kind of art I want to create. I have rediscovered my love for pencil and graphite work; there are a few new pieces I have cooking at the moment and will further develop this new path. I think we should use this time to better ourselves and focus on where we can improve. @debonoart | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK 58| WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK 7

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Sheffield Cathedral, a place for all people, even during the most challenging times.

We are always here for the people of Sheffield and South Yorkshire. Please join us in prayer and visit our digital platforms to see how and what we are communicating at this difficult time for our families, our communities, our city, our country and worldwide.

CONNECT WITH US:

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FASHION

Spinning Yarns Based in Sheffield at Yorkshire Artspace’s Exchange Place Studios, Miriam Griffiths Knitwear is a small-scale label that creates luxury clothing collections from high-quality, locally sourced materials.

Last month, Sally Strong spoke to Miriam about her ethos and creative process.

How do you express your creativity through fashion and craft?

I like my creative outlet to also be useful; that’s why I like making clothes. Not only do they look good and express my creativity, they also keep people warm and comfortable. I like making people question how something was done and it’s a big achievement for me when I create something that makes people think.

What is your design process like?

I tend to start off by collecting images that inspire me, so they could be photos I have taken myself or found online. I then develop a colour palette from these images and a theme that will run through the collection.

I start developing knit techniques from this research, which I then experiment with to try to push their limit.

After this base has been set up I translate the colour and techniques into garment designs, to see how they will work with the body.

Using high-quality, local materials is integral to your work. Can you tell us more about it?

I like to use materials that have travelled as short a distance as possible, to try and keep my manufacturing footprint small. I also think it’s important to support local industry and keep the UK textile industry going.

So many of the textile factories have closed or moved abroad, so it’s nice to work with companies which are still UK-based and have been established for a long time.

It’s also beneficial for me as ordering times are shorter and the quality of the yarn is very high.

As an independent fashion house, how do you find making in Sheffield’s creative scene?

It’s a really supportive community. Having a studio space in a large complex is great as you meet lots of people and can share advice with each other. Lots of the people in my studio building do the same shows as me and we share transport, so it means you know people when you’re at the show.

Any projects coming up?

Not at the moment. I am starting to plan my Autumn/ Winter collection and plan for this season. Spring is quite quiet for me in terms of my own work. miriamgriffiths.co.uk @mgknit

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STEP INTO THE SWINGIN’ SIXTIES

LOCKDOWN PLAYLIST To keep your tabs warmed up during the lockdown period, Exposed’s resident music blogger Mark Perkins invites you to join him on an auditory journey through some of his must-listen albums – one influential decade at a time.

If you’d asked me if I fancied a few weeks, months even, staying at home, listening to music, with almost no distractions, I’d have put my name down in an instant. Of course, the reality of the Covid-19 lockdown isn’t quite so appealing. But in the midst of all this mayhem, it’s been a daily distraction to reflect on the music I’ve collected over the years, and seek out the lesser played and the overlooked to see what I used to like about them, and indeed, in some cases, what on earth made me buy them in the first place.

My vinyl album collection, now partly stored in the attic, goes all the way back to the very first album I bought from Woolies in 1967, up to the most recent addition: an LP I’ve been after for years, and four weeks ago, finally found in Oxfam in Broomhill. I’ll come back to them both later.

Of course, CDs made an appearance about 30 years ago, so I’ve been dusting some of those off too, and I’ve had a right old time playing some of the ones I’d forgotten I’d even bought. But the digital elephant in the music room is of course, Spotify. Sitting here, in streaming utopia, it seems as though every album I’ve ever bought is now available - which ironically has meant old glimmers like me, with a music ‘collection’, are a thing of the past. My kids don’t own any music, they compile and share playlists. Of course it isn’t true. Vast areas of my vinyl collection aren’t on Spotify, but we’ll overlook that for now.

Ok. A Lock-Down Playlist said the editor, so that’s what I’ll have a go at. I’ll restrict my picks to albums available on Spotify, so we can all join in, and pitch right in to the Sixties.

Almost none of these albums are ones I bought at the time. I was only 11 at the end of the decade, and had very little pocket money, so these are mainly albums I’ve discovered since. Some are very recent. The Free Design album, for example, is something I’ve only just discovered in the last few months.

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PISCES, AQUARIUS, CAPRICORN & JONES LTD THE MONKEES

My Woolies LP purchase that I referred to was More Of The Monkees, bought for £1 10s, or £1.50 to anyone who doesn’t remember old money. I was eight-years-old. Of course I’d heard of The Beatles, The Stones and even Bob Dylan, but The Monkees were clearly superior to all of them. The reason being that none of the others lived together and had wacky adventures every Saturday on TV. The first two Monkees albums, of which this was the second, are not their finest moments, but they wrestled control of their music from the TV company, and, against all the odds, four guys hired as actors to pretend to be a band actually became a singing, playing, recording and touring group. My playlist choice is their fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, and is one of the best albums of the Sixties for me.

The surviving members Mike Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz are still touring, and their recent live album includes several songs from here.

I’ll be back to the Monkees when I get more up to date, as some of their very recent output is, astonishingly, still worth listening to.

BOOKENDS - SIMON & GARFUNKEL

Like a good many groups I listen to, I only came to appreciate Simon and Garfunkel after they had stopped recording together, but after playing their Greatest Hits album forever, I eventually went back to listen to their albums. Legend has it that their record company were so desperate to sign them, they didn’t object to Paul Simon’s added requirement that they could have unlimited studio time. “They just sing and play acoustic guitar. How much studio time will that need?” said the president of Columbia Records. Well, he’d not reckoned with the perfectionist approach of Paul Simon, or his quest to find and record new sounds. ‘Cecilia’, on Bridge Over Troubled Water for example, took two weeks of studio time before he found the sound he was happy with. My choice for opening up a world beyond ‘Mrs Robinson’ would be the album Bookends, their penultimate album, and the last one they recorded with both of them in the studio at the same time. It contains the song ‘America’, which for me remains Paul Simon’s greatest achievements, managing to be both epic and intimate all at once. Like any good road trip movie, it reveals as much about the people involved as it does about the road they travel on. The whole album is often seen today as heralding the end of the optimistic Sixties.

They question everything, as the young people of America became bewildered and uncertain of their place in the world.

PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN - PINK FLOYD

I’ve never been much of a Pink Floyd fan, and never owned Dark Side of the Moon, but I thought I’d take the time getting to know their early stuff. Piper At The Gates Of Dawn came out in 1967 when Syd Barrett was still with them, and the album seems to capture what (I imagine) it was like to be a teenager in the psychedelic Sixties. Barrett was heading for the nervous breakdown which ended his music career, but here his influence was as noticeable as his absence was felt when he left. ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ perhaps hinted more than most at where they were heading at almost 10 minutes in length.

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LOCKDOWN PLAYLIST

COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING - KING CRIMSON

King Crimson were far too scary for me when I was a kid in the Sixties. Just the cover painting of Court of the Crimson King, and tracks with titles like 21st Century Schitzoid Man were enough to send me running back to my Monkees albums. Now I can wallow an album where jazz and blues met classical and symphonic influences, all coming together to make an excessive prog rock masterpiece.

The dizzying musicianship still sounds impressive. Greg Lake and Robert Fripp were just two stellar characters who contributed here, before moving on to even greater things. They never made a better transition from their live shows to the studio than this, so wallow in the pomp and excesses of this classic as the decade drew to a close.

KITES ARE FUN - THE FREE DESIGN

The Free Design had almost no success during their career, which is astonishing when you listen to their debut, Kites Are Fun. Their sunny close harmonies hark back to a carefree summer holiday, and a world where the The Mamas and the Papas drifted from the radio, and the Mike Sammes Singers sang your favourite TV theme tunes.

You’ll no doubt want to check out their Greatest Hits package too, even though they really had none in the time they were together from 1967-72. It’s almost like discovering a childhood soundtrack I never heard at the time. They even look like The Seekers, perching on stools, in black and white. If i didn’t know better, I’d put money on them having been on the Val Doonican Show every week.

MAMAS AND PAPAS IF YOU CAN’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES

If you want to hear the defining sounds of the Sixties, maybe you should look no further than the Mamas and Papas first album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. Their big hits, ‘Monday Monday’, and ‘California Dreamin’’ are both here, but there are other gems just waiting to be discovered. ‘Straight Shooter’ seems like it’s about to break into ‘Last Train To Clarkesville’ at any moment, and the closing track, ‘The In Crowd’, is one of several cover versions given a magic sheen by their harmonies and, just as importantly, the top-notch session musicians who they used on the album.

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GOODBYE AND HELLO - TIM BUCKLEY

Tim Buckley should have been a much bigger star than he was during his lifetime, but an accidental drug overdose at the age of 29 left us with several albums of real depth, all of which are worth a listen, but none better than his second album, Goodbye and Hello. Here he tries to break away from the Dylan-inspired folk music boom of the time, and its production takes a turn toward the decidedly psychedelic, with almost straight lifts at times from Sgt Pepper. But his voice is the star, and his emotive, inspired style of singing shines through. Perhaps try his later Happy Sad album if this sparks your interest.

THE SOUND OF INDIA - RAVI SHANKAR

As if you needed to be told, the Sixties was a melting pot of musical influences. When George Harrison decided to play sitar on the Sgt Pepper track ‘Within You, Without You’, it’s odds on that in his record collection was a copy of Ravi Shankar’s The Sound of India.

In fact George once called him the Godfather of World Music.

Listening to the streaming edition robs us of the liner notes, an education in itself, as they have a detailed look at the structure, motifs and themes you’d be hard pushed to spot without some guidance, but it’s still a great listen.

CREAM ON THEIR DISRAELI GEARS - GINGER BAKER

If you wondered who Ginger Baker was, and why his recent death made such news, have a listen to this. I never listened to anything remotely like this when it came out (I was nine-years-old), but looking back it’s easy to see what this album was responsible for: Blues/Jazz/Rock meeting for what was in commercial terms the first time. So much of what came later started here. It’s impossible to imagine there was anyone who had success in the fields of prog rock, jazz fusion and heavy rock who didn’t own this.

If you see film of Cream playing live, they come alive on stage, but this is the closest they got to capturing that feeling in the studio.

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TROUT MASK REPLICA - CAPTAIN BEEFHEART

SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD - THE MOODY BLUES If you think ‘Knights In White Satin’ is the height of the Moody Blues’ achievements, listen again. My uncle David gave me his vinyl copy of their In Search Of The Lost Chord album, and in the days when I didn’t have much else to listen to apart from Monkees records, I played it to death, and it introduced me to the concept album and to a world where artists experimented in the studio.

Don’t bother with the remixes and alternate vocals which frankly pollute the reissues of this album. Just listen from start to end and experience where a chemically enhanced approach to music will get you.

IN A SILENT WAY MILES DAVIS

Miles Davis snuck in at the end of the sixties list with In A Silent Way. It has a certain ambient quality to it, although that musical term wouldn’t be used for another 10 years. There are only two tracks, both sides of the LP in those times. The first side lets the beauty of Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock’s playing shine, whereas the second lets John Mclaughin’s guitar playing take over. Miles takes a democratic approach to it all, allowing everyone to make their contributions as the instruments seem to drift in and out. No-one gets to dominate at all.

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ELI & THE 13TH CONFESSION TODD RUNDGREN

Now here’s a Corona lockdown challenge. If you’ve never heard Captain Beefheart before, listen to Trout Mask Replica repeatedly, until you work out that an album, which first appears to be a rambling cacophony, is actually a work of genius.

More has been said and written about this album than anything else here in this list. You’ll not get a CD on eBay for under £40, and don’t even bother with the original vinyl album. It re-imagined what was possible in the world of rock music like no other album before or since. Produced by Frank Zappa, it wasn’t just ahead of its time, it was somehow in a time and place of its own, and is as challenging today as it ever was. He recorded vocals onto instrumentals he couldn’t really hear.

He composed on the piano, which he didn’t know how to play. But once you accept that what the musicians play is exactly what they meant to play, and what he wanted them to play, it might start to make sense. Good luck.

There was a time in the Seventies when anything Todd Rundgren came within 20 feet of I’d buy, so when he once said Laura Nyro inspired him to write his own songs, and he namechecked her on his first album, I was already predisposed to like her. Eli And The Thirteenth Confession is a collection of piano-led songs, where she sings jazzy, bluedeyed soul, and heartfelt power pop ballads.

Nyro never made much of an impression on the charts, but she paved the way for the likes of Janis Ian and Tori Amos, with several of her songs being covered to greater acclaim by other artists.

DUSTY IN MEMPHIS DUSTY SPRINGFIELD

I’ve always loved Dusty Springfield, and so I’ve taken some time to wallow in her best moment, which for me came when she fulfilled what, looking back, seems to have been an inevitably.

Dusty In Memphis was not quite what it appeared to be, and when the sessions didn’t go too well, much of the final music was actually recorded in New York. It was hoped this album would revive her floundering career, which it failed to do, but it later came to be regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. It’s often forgotten that she played a major role in the early acceptance of black music in our charts. The Motown All-Stars tour played over here to half-filled venues, until she insisted they guested on her weekly TV show.

Well, that went on a bit more than I thought it would. I’ll get onto the seventies now. That should be a bit more of a reflection of albums I bought at the time, but who knows, by this time next week, I might well have discovered a previously unknown love of Senegalese nose-flute music.

Happy listening!

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MUSIC

WORDS: CONCHIE

Like first albums bought with your own money (Def Leppard, Hysteria), first pints (The Farmer’s Rest, Newcastle), and first kisses (a gentleman never kisses and tells), first gigs are a rite of passage.

They say a lot about where you come from, and everything about where you’re going.

In that sense, Iron Maiden on a cold November night in the North-East of England makes perfect sense. If Spring is when a young person’s fancy turns to love, teen years are when a young person’s thoughts turn to independence and staking a claim for their own identities outwith of the familial circle. Usually, this involves claiming any loud and obnoxious music that other siblings haven’t already claimed and then playing it loudly and obnoxiously enough to make the point to your long-suffering parents that you’re an adult, Dad, and you can make your own decisions, Mum, and you will do, right after they’ve paid all the bills, done your washing and served tea.

When your parents grew up on Hendrix, The Who and Zeppelin, though, and your elder sister has already laid claim to Metallica and Guns and Roses and returned from a Def Leppard concert expressing a clear determination to marry Joe Elliott, finding the loud and the obnoxious presents something of a problem.

Enter Iron Maiden.

I’d come across the band when someone I’d been thrown together with at the start of the new school year had turned out to share my interest in guitars and music and loaned me his copy of Maiden’s Live After Death – an absolutely classic rock live album – during a biology lesson involving fruit flies. I’ve yet to give Andy his copy back, but as he’s remained a lifelong friend and partner-in-crime ever since and he still hasn’t returned my copy of Solid Air I’m sure we’re even.

When the band then announced dates to support their Seventh Son of a Seventh Son album, a die was cast.

Back then, there was no Ticketmaster. No online sales. We queued at Newcastle City Hall from 8am on release day with everyone else, knowing that if they were sold out by the time we reached the box office we were stuffed.

Luck was with us. We got tickets. Luck was also with us when our parents said we could still go despite the gig being smack in the middle of mockexams (although given that he saw The Who at their destructive best at Newcastle City Hall in the sixties at around the same age, my Dad probably thought Maiden were small beer).

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To this day, Maiden remain prophets without honour in their own land, being routinely dismissed in the UK as a musical joke of screaming guitar solos, bombastic delivery and pantomime theatrics; all of which shows you just how otherwise intelligent critics can completely miss the point. Maiden remain a thrillingly potent live proposition precisely because of those elements – after all, as they cheerfully admit, they’re in the entertainment business.

For two teenagers losing their metal virginity, you couldn’t ask for more than a big show well-delivered by a great band at the peak of their considerable powers.

Which is exactly what we got. Joining a sweaty, seething but ultimately welcoming tribe for the first time, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith gave us rock guitar heroes for the ages, with Murray’s fluid legato stylings contrasting beautifully with Smith’s more considered approach. It was as if someone had set fire to Steve Harris’s shoes, as he never stood still all night while delivering a propulsive bass complement to Nicko McBrain’s galloping drumming.

The only person who moved more than Harris was vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who never stopped exhorting, cajoling and connecting – all the while delivering soaring vocals. Some of you might think his ‘scream for me’ shouts are a little hackneyed, but it worked to make their show our show.

The whole point was the shared experience – which is the whole point of music.

On top of that were the songs. Maiden didn’t write the heavy metal playbook, but they did refine it with songs that if you strip away the ballistics would get more credit if anyone else had produced them. If Dylan had written Run to the Hills and Two Minutes to Midnight, the sixties counterculture would have claimed them as masterpieces of the protest singer’s art in the name of First Nations Rights and Anti-Vietnam sentiment. The Trooper and Powerslave are no less silly or crunchingly kinetic than Zeppelin’s The Immigrant Song or Misty Mountain Hop. Seven albums in, the entire set was all killer, no filler delivered in the way that used to be the preserve of rock stars only (because only rock bands sold enough to put on stadium shows) but is now the standard template of a pop concert: bright lights, big sounds, climactic moments.

Looking back, one of my closest friends in Sheffield has The Smiths as his first gig. Morrissey and Marr in all their glory. I used to be jealous of that.

Now, though, I’m glad Maiden were my first live experience. Morrissey has followed the traditional path of the liberal iconoclasts by becoming fascistically right-wing in his old age. Maiden, however, remain a damn good night out.

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FI L M

Family Time Exposed film blogger Cal Reid rounds up his pick of the best family flicks to gorge on during lockdown.

If there’s been one good thing to come out of lockdown life, it’s been the chance to gorge on all the shows that the streaming services have on offer. All those Prime and Netflix originals don’t seem much of a hard task anymore with all the free time, and as if by magic, possibly the most exciting of all streaming services was made available in the UK in March – Disney+.

Many complain of the lack of range offered by Netflix and Prime, and its true that they do perhaps lack in terms of offering all-round entertainment for the family. But it’s safe to say that Disney, for all the highs and lows it’s delivered over the decades, is the best company for offering entertainment that all ages can enjoy. If ever that were an essential requirement, now is the time!

Taking advantage of my six-months free subscription, I’ve given Disney+ a plus a good going-over and have come up for a great list of films and shows through the eras on offer to keep everyone in the house happy!

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ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016)

The best of all of the Star Wars films (suck it, Empire) because it functions more like a war film. An apt description would be The Dirty Dozen in space. With greater character depth and emotional punch than we’re used to, along with the aweinspiring costumes, starship battles and explosions we expect, Rogue One adds a greater level of depth to the original trilogy.

MOANA (2016)

One of the cheeriest and most uplifting of the animated Disney films, Moana features one of the more interesting angles for a Disney princess film. I’m going to pick this one over Frozen, as we’re entering a warmer climate now, and also because ‘You’re Welcome’ is, quite honestly, a far better song than ‘Let it Go’.

It’s hilarious and heartwarming and worthy of the whole host of awards and nominations it received, many for the incredible soundtrack alone.

With rumours of a sequel confirmed earlier this year, lockdown provides the perfect opportunity to dive into this gorgeously animated movie. How can you not love Dwayne Johnson after this?

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954)

With a trip to the flicks sadly out of the question for the foreseeable, movie studios have thankfully blessed us with many of the new releases on YouTube and other streaming services. For those looking to keep up with the latest films, here a few to sink your teeth into over the next few weeks...

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Apple, Amazon & Google Play The tense reimagining of the H.G. Wells sci-fi novel, transforms the story into a tense psychological horror/thriller which has proven to be a critical surprise as well as a guaranteed exercise in terror.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

One of the finest entries from the studio’s live-action productions, the lavish, handsomely mounted adaptation of the Jules Verne novel is a thrilling adventure filled with stupendous action, fabulous artwork and riveting performances from Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre.

The film is probably most famous for the steampunk submarine Nautilus, and the battle with the giant squid amidst a ferocious storm.

Curzon Home Cinema The critically acclaimed romantic drama is available to rent online, depicting the secretive painting of a relevant bride against the backdrop of a dreamlike coast.

MILITARY WIVES

Curzon Home Cinema From the director of The Full Monty comes a feelgood British movie packed with an array of home talent, including Kristen Scott Thomas and Sharon Hogan.

A group of wives bond in a choir group whilst their husbands serve in Afghanistan.

GARGOYLES (1994-97)

Disney’s answer to the gritty and acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. A Scottish castle is transported to New York and placed atop a skyscraper, where its stone guardians come to life to battle robots, evil corporations, wizards, witches and even their own kind. There’s a dark tone to proceedings which adults may enjoy more than kids, and various Shakespearean story themes featuring characters such as Macbeth, Banquo and Fleance creates more grown-up intertextuality to keep older generations entertained.

Another selection to feature brilliant animation ahead of its time and a fantastic theme tune.

Gargoyles is a show that deserves a great deal of review now it’s available online.

VIRTUAL CINEMA NIGHTS

LOVE, WEDDING, REPEAT

INFINITY WAR/ ENDGAME (2018/19)

Two defining films in a gamechanging franchise. The two really have to be viewed together.

In terms of quality there really isn’t all that much between them. Both work so well because of the events depicted in each. What’s impressive is the effective wrapping-up of ten-years’ worth of storytelling in such an exciting and surprising package.

BED-KNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971)

Before she took to the small screen solving murders, Angela Lansbury was portraying a lovable apprentice witch in WW2 England, forced to look after three evacuees. An obvious reaction to the the success of Mary Poppins, going so far as to cast David Tomlinson and feature a sequence involving animated talking animals, the film is nonetheless just as entertaining as Poppins.

Netflix A joyful little Netflix original starring Sam Claflin and Olivia Mann, as two people in love trying to cope with a variety of farcical mishaps at the former’s sister’s Italian wedding. Throwaway stuff that kills an hour and a half harmlessly and leaves a smile on your face.

THE HUNT

YouTube, Amazon Prime.

Blumhouse’s latest, features a group of rondo individuals who awaken to be hunted by society’s elite for sport (because obviously that’s how rich people are).

Imagine Hard Target without JeanClaude Van Damme.

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LGBT+ support that is available.

Events moving online means we can also access those from further afield. Manchester’s LGBT Foundation have been running a whole series of online events from cooking and creative writing to sessions around sexual health and healthy relationships. This month they have FUB (For Us By Us) on Tuesday 5 May – a session for queer men of colour with discussions on sex, dating, toxic masculinity, body image, hook-ups, PrEP, and anything else they can muster up. They are also joining forces with Team PrEPster and Rainbow Noir for The OUTlet – a safe discussion platform for all QTIPoC (Wed 20 May) with discussions about sex, dating, gender, body image, femininity, masculinity, fetishism, kink, consent and more!

Check their Facebook page for up to date event listings as new events are being constantly added.

The Party Don’t Stop So, we’ve arrived at the sunny month of May and have been enjoying what should be beer garden weather, but the lockdown continues meaning all public events are still on hold, with the latest LGBT casualties being Sheffield Pride and Pinknic both confirming the cancellation of this year’s events. All is not lost, however, as there are a whole host of queer events online to enjoy. All of the following events are now Sheffield events as they take place in the comfort of your own front rooms (even if some of them may technically be hosted outside the Steel City).

If you are feeling disheartened seeing the evergrowing list of Pride cancellations up and down the country, then check out one of the numerous online Pride events. First up we have Online Worldwide Pride (Fri 1 – Mon 4 May) featuring performances from Missie Jay, The Dolly Show, The Ultimate Cher, Oge Classic, Ruby Slippers, Oedipussi Rex, Jada Love and Miss DQ. Rainbow & Co are hosting their Pride Online event (Sat 2 May) with singers and performers, giveaways, product launches and talks from some amazing LGBTQ+ folk. Their line-up includes Bradley Birkholz, Sofaya, Billy Mick and more to be announced. Bradford Pride are also moving their celebrations online (Sat 9 May) with five hours of live stream videos and pre-recorded work from some amazing world class entertainers – check their website for details. Virtual Pride’s Online event (23 May) will feature 14 hours of

free performances streamed live from the artists homes along with a virtual parade to bring attendees together while raising funds for LGBT+ charities. Rotherham Pride who have also announced the cancellation of this year’s event are still busy working hard behind the scenes towards next year, but in the meantime you can join them for their fortnightly quiz nights (4 and 18 May) hosted by local legend Nic Harding.

May also means it is IDAHoBiT – the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Traditionally this is marked by an event in the Peace Gardens with speakers from local groups and organisations. Host’s SAYiT are this year putting on a virtual event (Mon 18 May) with messages from LGBT groups, individuals and allies on this year’s theme of ‘Breaking the Silence’. Message SAYiT at info@sayit.org.uk to get involved and share your messages.

SAYiT’s LGBT+ Domestic Abuse project, ‘Call It Out’, also continues to run throughout the lockdown and is sadly needed now more than ever.

The lockdown is affecting all of us but for some people, and disproportionately so for LGBT+ people, this may mean being stuck at home with an abusive partner or family members while the safe spaces you usually access for support or to take a break are closed. If this affects you or someone you know, see sayit.org.uk for details of

Feeling anxious, stressed or depressed? Then head to Transformation Is Choice’s LGBTQ+ mindfulness and wellbeing sessions every Tuesday for meditations, sound healing, EFT wellbeing techniques and coaching techniques. LASS (Lesbian Asylum Support Sheffield) have also moved online with weekly zoom meetings every Sunday – if you are an LGBTQ+ woman or nonbinary person who is a refugee or seeking asylum, drop them a message to get involved. Trevor is still in the studio at Sheffield Live, bringing you DiversityFest Radio every Thursday and keeping everything crossed for lockdown to be lifted for DiversityFest to go ahead in September.

This month we also see the return of Invert for a one-time only queer alternative virtual club night (Sat 2 May) – playing all the good things to make you dance in these unpleasant times. DirtyFilthySexy are also taking a leap into cyberspace to bring you their first ever online drag show, A Digital Drag Nightmare (Sat 2 May). Your favourite messes in dresses Nana and Marilyn Sane will be hosting an extravaganza of performances featuring some of the fiercest local altdrag talent including artists of all styles, genders, backgrounds, levels, and abilities from total beginner to international artists.

For more drag joy check out Queeriosity Unplugged! (Sat 2 May) – a four-hour drag cabaret extravaganza raising fund for Mermaids with an extraordinary international line-up including Donna Trump, Christian Gay, Chanel O’Conor, Lucky Stiff, Violencia Exclamation Point, Barbs, Miss Moppe and many, many more!

Last but by no means least, if you still want to be fierce in your own front room you can join House of Decay every Tuesday for an online kiki, looking at the basic fundamentals of vogue: old way, new way, femme and hand performance techniques.

That’s your lot for this month; keep an eye on facebook.com/sheffieldlgbtevents for updates and announcements on the latest events.

Until next time, stay home and stay safe!

Love and rainbows...

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“There’s still a big appeal to our early, fast-paced guitar songs – the energy you get at live gigs when there are loads of kids in the room going mad. I think some bands get the impression that they can slow down a bit for the second album, but I think speed and energy can be the essence to really great tracks.”

EOIN LOVELESS, 2013

BROTHERLY LOVE For almost a whole decade now, our long-running Exposed In Session feature has seen us enjoying a monthly linkup with a wide array of artists and bands who’ve come to find themselves intertwined with the music scene up this neck of the woods.

Such is the nature with local music coverage, sometimes we’d showcase popular bands on the regional circuit whose time, for one reason or another, would eventually come to pass without making much noise outside of the Steel City’s seven hills; and sometimes we’d work with musicians who’d fulfill their potential and go on to achieve national or sometimes international recognition.

In the case of Castleton grunge rockers Drenge, we’d booked them for the customary interview, photoshoot and filming treatment just as they started to make the transition from up-and-coming buzz band to leading names on a UK rock scene that was ready for an injection of visceral modern-day punk. The fraternal duo swung by the Exposed office all the way back in the summer of 2013, a few days before they were duo to support Arctic Monkeys at The Roundhouse and just after former Labour MP Tom Watson had dedicated a small chunk of his official resignation letter to suggesting that Ed 80 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Miliband go check them out.

Following our interview, Eoin and Rory spent the afternoon with photographer Marc Barker pottering around the derelict factories and workshops situated at the back of the old Exposed office, where the long-abandoned offices containing faded newspapers dating back to the ‘80s and the skeletal remains of trapped vermin made for a suitably grungy shoot setting.

Read the interview and watch the session in our archives: exposedmagazine.co.uk/in-session/drenge.

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