Fuse 36

Fuse.

Carol Ann Duffy / The E3 Expo / Devonshire Green

Photo: Ed Miller

Short Fuse.

‘Storying Spoons at The Ready; Soup Kitchen Returns Sheffield’ Sheffield has long been a great city for art and culture.

Amazing bands, amazing artists and amazing cinema.

Last year saw the birth of Storying Sheffield.

An art and community project based in the University’s School of English which gives undergraduate students the chance to work with people from the wider community and tell the stories that they rarely get a chance to tell.

What’s impressive about the project it the sheer volume of creativity put into it by everyone involved.

Last year Storying Sheffield spawned the Women of Steel film which has been shown at various locations across the city.

And this year, if all goes to plan, the exhibition will feature a virtual garden, a live artist as well as various other videos and installations.

The project was the brainchild of Dr. Brendan Stone who, along with Dr. David Forrest managed the module. The free exhibition is to be held on the 17th of June in the Jessop West exhibition space.

Find out more at www. storyingsheffield.com

After Soup Kitchen’s last serving, it is back and open for business. Presented with its rich content and guarantee of a good night, the odd food and cooking analogy cannot be avoided.

Forget lumpy gravy, cold custard and all things reminiscent of the old school canteen days, Soup Kitchen is above and beyond. Smooth beats and the right side of grime are all on offer and I for one am very excited.

If not for the monumental night that ‘Soup Kitchen’

represents, it was born from humble beginning with one of the founders and two of the current team being students at none other than at the University of Sheffield.

Soup Kitchen started just over a year ago as a project to bring exciting and new underground electronic music to the forefront in Sheffield.

It placed emphasis on the use of different locations and venues from intimate settings of an artist’s studio to a warehouse and even

someone’s house. More importantly all locations are kept a secret until 24 hours before kick off, building hype and anticipation ahead of the massive night.

The ‘collective’ as they are known consists of a close group of promoters, DJs, producers and artists all wrapped up in one tidy package.

Working to not only hone the music talent but also push the boundaries in terms of the nights they put on.

Increasing in popularity

the event is pulling bigger and bigger names, with the last event headlined by Joy Orbison and Pariah.

The likes of Midland, Lil Silva, XXXY, Mele and Dark Sky have also been lured by the kitchen’s sweet smells.

Never forgetting their roots, the Kitchen still exhibits the sparkly talent of local Sheffield DJs Danny Beck, Louis Louis, Wonky Ninja and Dan Boaden.

Support for Soup Kitchen is varied; but the vast, viral machine that is born after each event proves that

it has accomplished its task of presenting an up to the minute, legitimate, underground scene that Sheffield craves.

The kitchen’s next event on 20th May features Breach, a.k.a Ben Westbeech, Ben UFO, Cooly G, T. Williams, and Dan Boaden, Jack Opus, Squarehead, Kidnap Kid, Luke George and TSW all in a closely guarded secret location.

Lauren Kelly

Sam Bolton & Isla Badenoch

Fuse.

Friday20th May 2011

Morris Dancing

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Morris dancing has been around for ages now and it isn’t showing any signs of disappearing.

The tradition of morris dancing dates back for many years, and whilst is it generally known as a quintessentially English tradition, it is popular around the world in places such as Australia, New Zealand and China.

Morris dancing is also dominated by men, and is usually accompanied by folk music.

It can still regularly be found at many village fetes across the country. However, Sheffield has its very own dancing troupe to entertain crowds in the city centre and at Meadowhall last weekend. Catch them at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=AppG51y9Awk .

Fay Guest James Garrett

Photo: Tom Jackson

PLANK LIFE You may not have heard of it yet, but planking is the latest fad to sweep the country.

Originally from Japan, it involves lying on your front with arms by your sides in unusual and uncomfortable public places, and photographing it.

In Australia, National Rugby League player David Williams was planked after a try during a game in early 2011, and he later spoke about this on Australian television where he described it as “pretty active lying down”.

So popular it is in Australia,

that the Facebook group promoting it announced that May 25th 2011 would be the inaugural annual Planking Day to encourage new and group planking..

Planking is not the first wild and wacky recreational activity to raise eyebrows and cause confusion.

Parkour (free running) also caused a sensation when it first burst into the media attention some years ago.

Often criticised for being dangerous, parkour is often practiced in built up urban areas, including across buildings, which has led to

some accidents.

On May 15th 2011, planking was in for similar criticism, when 20 year old Acton Beale plunged to his death after reportedly planking on the edge of a seventh floor balcony in Brisbane, Australia.

Several authority figures have since called for people to stop participating in the latest fad; however Australian psychologist Paul Martin has warned of more deaths due to the fad, as a result of the police crackdown that has been put into place in Australia.

He says that the part of

TWEETING SOME TUNES the brain responsible for decision management is not fully developed until the mid 20s, and seeing as most “plankers” are young adults, they are more likely to be risk takers.

Couple this with the now heightened publicity around planking due to the death of Acton Beale, and there is the possibility that more people may be encouraged to try it.

Due to the stress of exams and essays Fuse is currently planking in the Union, so if its not here next week, you all know why.

Fay Guest

The first piece of music composed by using information on the social website has been composed. The song was created on a computer program which turns posts into sounds.

Each character used on Twitter was given its own distinctive sound.

The programme then read them and produced sounds accordingly, which resulted in a variety of different songs.

The computer accessed the twitter feed every 30 seconds and took used the top 20 tweets, to make the sounds. The system was developed by Music Technology student Sam Harman, whilst on his undergraduate course in Bournemouth University, and it seems he has big plans for the project, James Garrett Fay Guest

Short Fuse.

Q&A: Luke Avery

Throughout 2010 Luke Avery has been took photos of everyday life in the Steel City - 365 photos, 365 people.

Fuse caught up with him to talk Sheffield, photography, and allotment doors.

What’s the response been like so far?

It’s had a good response, hopefully those that see it will like it and maybe look at Sheffield or the people they see out and about following that differently.

First exhibition, 365 photos – how has that been?

It’s been a massive effort you don’t realise how long a year is until you do a project like this – not only to shoot the photos but to exhibit them as well.

It’s been a gargantuan effort.

Have you met any of the subjects again?

We had a fair few there – somewhere between 30 and 50 subjects came along – it’s been interesting to see that.

It’s good to meet new people you wouldn’t normally encounter, because it gives you a very difference perspective on things.

Sheffield is my adopted home so to go and meet those people who’ve lived in Sheffield all their lives – anywhere between 15 and 80 years – you do definitely get a different perspective on the city.

FUSE. Musings

subsequently Kent assume), is so

(we

a step back and say “I did good.”

There’ve been a lot of people who tried the project and failed, who’ve given up after a week.

There’s a certain kind of “grit your teeth and get on with it”. But after a certain while, I made it part of my daily routine and I think that helped massively.

On the days it was good, it was fantastic. On the days it was bad, when you had to ask 10 people in all kind of areas because no-body was happy to have their photo taken, it was horrible.

It was definitely a challenge, and it was one that I managed to do.

How did a degree in chemistry turn into professional photography?

I’ve always done artsy hobbies and science academics. It got to the point where I was graduating and I decided, I’m gonna try this.

I’m gonna go and be self employed, because I don’t want to get to 40 and go “What if?”.

I don’t want to live the safe lifestyle and then forever wonder what would have happened.

So I decided I’d make a go of becoming a professional photographer.

And it was worth it?

Yeah, I’m really proud of the photos. Sure there are minor niggling details that you see because you live and breathe these things.

But you’ve got to take a step back from that, you can’t live and die in the details. You’ve got to take

A lot of your coverage comes via the internet.

What difference has that made to your work, having the Flickr and Sheffield365project. co.uk?

It makes it a lot easier to get coverage if people have that ease of access.

Fuse... is loving DOG WEDDINGS, yes it seems Man’s best friend is now eligible for marriage. All you need is two dogs, a random person to carry out the service and a park for it all to take place.

Fuse... is intrigued by the latest App to go viral, it’s called the IAugment, and it shows you what your breasts would look like if they were enlarged. The app is free and obviously aimed at women who are looking to get breast enhancements.

It was invented by US plastic surgeon Elizabeth A. Kinsley, from New Orleans, who was the first surgeon to

And finally – what’s next?

I’ve got quite a few ideas.

There are some allotments near where I live, and for whatever reason the people have been putting actual indoor doors onto the entrances, so they’re like little secret gardens, doors to another universe, which I think is quite fascinating.

But for a larger scale, I want to do something on people with unusual jobs – there’s a guy down the road who repairs ice cream vans for a living.

I’ve got a few starting points, so I’d like to take it from there.

Hannah Frost Luke Avery’s full “Sheffield 365“ exhibition runs until the end of the month at the Workstation. pandas can live up to 25 years old in comparison to their wild counterparts who live to around 15. Giant pandas are among the worlds most endangered species, currently there are only 1,600 remaining in the wild. The death of Ming Ming was a sad blow to the Chinese program attempting to boost the population’s numbers.

obviously the greatest piece of television ever created. I mean why would you watch long haired cave men tamed for TV and put in oversized and unashamedly stylish woolly jumpers when you can watch bright orange women with boobs more fake than the story lines?

Fuse... is loving House MD, The genius doctor has graced our screens for seven series now, and he doesn’t look to be going anywhere. The show was recently renewed for its’ eighth and sadly final season. But Fuse isn’t worried, if the last seasons are anything to go by, then fans won’t be disappointed.

If you haven’t seen it, make sure to check it out.

So I think that definitely brings the photographs to the audience in a much smoother, more effective manner than 10, 15 years ago.

use 3D technology to figure out what women would look like after surgery.

Fuse... was sad to learn that the worlds oldest panda has sadly passed away. Ming Ming was 34 years old and was living in Guangdong preserve in Beijing. Captive

Fuse.

Fuse... is wondering... why E4 have joined the faux reality TV party when The Only Way is Essex, and

Are there any characters in particular who stood out?

There were absolutely some

You’ve obviously learnt a lot about Sheffield – but what did you learn about yourself through the project?

I learnt that I have actually got the nerve to go up to a stranger and ask to have their photo taken – and then repeat that 365 times. That I’ve got the determination to see a stupid project

through? I’ve never really thought about it that way.

Friday May 20 2011

It’s a been a big leap, hasn’t it? To go from nothing to such a massive exhibition.

Yeah. I don’t like to do anything by halves.

It seemed like the only appropriate way to do it, to exhibit all the photos.

I could have done a curated version with 20 or 30 photos from the year but I feel that’s almost missing the point of the project.

characters.

I got almost frogmarched into a pub in Arbourthorne - actually. I took the photo of these two ladies having a cigarette outside the pub.

And then this guy comes out of the pub and says “OI! You’re taking a picture of my wife!” and I was thinking, oh no, what’s going to happen now?

He wanted to know what I was doing so I explained it and he said “If you want Sheffield people, you’ve got to come in the pub!” It was absolutely fascinating.

Characters like that really make a project like this, I think, and there’s plenty of them.

3

Interview. Carol Ann Duffy.

Photos: Ed Miller

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

After starring at the University of Sheffield’s Lyric Festival, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy talks to Fuse about her work.

Words:TimWood

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As an ever-present on GCSE and A-Level syllabuses most university students will have come across Carol Ann Duffy’s poetry in what appears to be their increasingly distant adolescence.

Now entering her third year as Poet Laureate, Duffy is beginning to flex her poetic muscle.

She is quick to dispel the rumours that she was close to the role in 1999 when her predecessor Andrew Motion was appointed.

“At no point did I have to seriously consider the role.

“There was no official activity that I knew ofthough there’s always the media speculation.

“I put a bet on at Ladbrokes on U.A. Fanthorpe to be appointed then!”

The laureateship has

requirement to write poems so I’ve tried very hard to write the poems I would have written anyway, perhaps being more aware of timing, and certainly more intent on including new work by fellow poets whenever there seems to be a national platform.

“Interestingly, I think I wrote a lot more ‘public’ poems during the Thatcher years than I do now.”

At times it would appear that the laureateship would oblige her to write for public occasions as a result of public fervour.

As one of the most publicly-engrossing national events of recent years the Royal Wedding was of no exception.

“I wasn’t asked to write about the Royal Wedding, but I did feel that the timing was perfect to look afresh

“I wrotealotmore ‘public’poems duringtheThatcher years” forced Duffy to consider her inspiration and the problems posed by being considered the nation’s poet.

With her new volume The Bees out in Autumn she reflects on the affect the role has had on her poetry.

“I don’t think it has affected the way I write.

“There isn’t any official

at the connection between love and poetry.

“It’s a delight to discover moments when poetry can add to events.

“It is our National art.”

The political power that has come with the laureateship could not be more central to the arts community with the recent

announcement of cuts across the board by The Arts Council England (ACE).

Duffy, like many, is understandably concerned and will not let the cuts pass lightly under her reign.

“I’m organising POETS CUTS, a huge reading of UK Poets on Friday June 3 at The Logan Hall in London to protest the ACE cuts to the Poetry Book Society, Enitharmon, The National Association of Writers in Education, and The Lancaster LitFest among others.”

Having recently appeared as a guest at The University of

Sheffield’s Lyric Festival the Manchester Metropolitan University Professor of Contemporary Poetry is central to the promotion of university writers.

“I really looked forward to

“There are fantastic poets teaching in Universities throughout the UK, including Sean O,Brien, Don Paterson, Jackie Kay and Jo Shapcott.

“At The Writing School at MMU we try to encourage an

“Heartfelt, sincere and captivating” reading for Simon Armitage in Sheffield.

existence for our students both in the University and

carol ann duffy

The Lyric Festival St. George’s Lecture Theatre

9/10 Due to her intense popularity in literary circles Carol Ann Duffy’s presence ensured that St. George’s Church was packed with an array of literature lovers.

Wondering how she could cater and entertain such a diverse audience, my worries quickly diminished as the awesome Duffy captivated her admirers, who hung on each rhyming couplet.

It was almost impossible not to engage with this woman who stood before us making us laugh at observational poetry about modern British life and in the next breath fully exposing the still raw grief of her mother’s death.

This intimate address

in the City, with formal teaching alongside gigs at The Royal Exchange Theatre and literary festivals.”

Given the cuts to arts funding Duffy recognises that the next crop of poetic talent is of upmost importance to the future landscape of university and public writing.

“As Poet Laureate, I’m involved in a couple of large projects to enhance the presence of poetry in schools so that more 18year olds will arrive at Uni with a confident relationship with poetry so watch this space.” was heartfelt, sincere and captivating.

Musician John Sampson continued the evening, displaying his talents on a multitude of wind instruments.

As someone not usually inclined to this genre of music, the folk ditties still impressed in the venue’s acoustics– the perfect accompaniment for Duffy’s rich verse.

Duffy described Sampson as her ‘present from the Queen’, and what a present he was…

He rallied the voices of St. George’s Church to sing in unison in a rendition of ‘Over the Sea to Skye’, armed with only a recorder.

And in the next, very well controlled, breath he performed one of Mozart’s classics.

It was a thoroughly entertaining evening, the perfect combination of words and music.

Becky Moules

Interview.Doug Claybourne

TO HELL AND BACK AGAIN

From Vietnam chopper gunner to assistant director of one of cinema’s all time greats, Apocalypse Now. Doug Claybourne tells Fuse his story.

See the newly restored Apocalypse Now in theatres from May 27th and on Blu-ray from June 13th

Words: Tom Fletcher

N

ot many figures in the film industry can claim to have contributed to one of the greatest war films of the modern era. Even fewer, though, can claim that, ten years prior to the shooting of the legendary Vietnam epic, Apocalypse Now, they themselves were serving on the front lines in Vietnam.

Doug Claybourne’s long-term involvement

“I volunteered.

I was off to Vietnam”

“But,” he pauses, “I missed a few meetings [...] and ended up being drafted in ‘68 anyway, so I volunteered. I was off to Vietnam.

“I began as a truck driver, working twenty four hours on and twenty four hours off. But on my off-hours I volunteered to be a helicopter door gunner for the Army’s airborne unit.

They needed numbers. The helicopter door gunners prior to myself had been getting shot down and killed.”

Claybourne served out his time in the far East and returned home safely to continue his work within the media.

“Around 1975, I was working as the assistant art director for The City of San Francisco Magazine. This was just before Francis Ford Coppola was to start the prep work for Apocalypse Now. “I managed to speak

“I was in a real war, firing real bullets” the most prestigious and surreal eight weeks of work experience a film enthusiast could ever envisage.

“Working with the likes of Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, and Dennis Hopper was

“In my first movie, I had Francis Ford Coppola as my directing instructor” Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen were my acting instructors. It was the most amazing film school you could ever imagine going to.

They were all wonderful people to work with.

Merely being able to watch these people at work was a huge benefit.

It was pretty incredible.”

He then laughs and says, “I would recommend it to anyone.”

But Claybourne’s enthusiasm, knowledge, and flair on the set in the Philippines saw the young film fanatic quickly rise up the ranks. His role within the film was always destined for much more than eight short weeks. He rose from production assistant to assistant director of the second unit, up to being assistant director for the first unit.

“After 238 days of filming,’ he continues, ‘I’d moved up to the role of first assistant director.

I then became the postproduction coordinator. I made a deal with Francis to stay on and carry on working for him and learning from him.

“I ended up spending three and a half years on the movie.”

One of the principal reasons for Claybourne’s invaluable contribution to the shooting and production of the film was his first-hand experience of the hellish Vietnam combat zone.

But he explains, “Everybody that was involved in the Vietnam conflict had vastly different experiences.

Everybody’s reality was a little different. All the veterans brought their own experiences to the party. We wanted to make it as real as we could so

a lot of research was put in to set dressing and production design. They all did an incredible job.”

It would be natural to expect that, given his service and exposure to the napalm fires, hellish conditions, and barbarism of the Vietnam war, returning there, albeit in a fictitious context, would pose psychological difficulties.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other long term repercussions were rife in Vietnam combat veterans.

“There was a bizarre moment when filming the dark scene where Martin Sheen shoots a civilian Vietnamese woman on the sampan boat. The vehicle had literally just arrived from Vietnam a week prior to filming. It was then I realised that I was in Vietnam less than ten years before. I was in a real war, firing real bullets. But there I was, making a movie about it all. It was a bizarre, strange reality that I was experiencing.”

When asked about whether he agreed with many plaudits ranking Apocalypse Now amongst the greatest ever of its genre, his modesty is admirable.

“It certainly isn’t

“This is the time to take those chances” my place to make judgements about whether or not it is one of the greatest. Apocalypse Now is certainly a great movie, but there are so many great, great pictures out there.”

Although Claybourne’s story is a motivational one, he modestly insists that he only learned from the master.

“I would tell any film students hoping to make an impression the very same thing I learned from Francis Ford Coppola himself back in the 70s.

“Do not be afraid to take risks. Whether it is your simple, day-to-day experiences, or whether you are in school or out, this is the time to take those chances and do things that little bit differently. You don’t have to do it all by the rules.”

Fuse.

Photo: Giampaolo Macorig

a fantastic experience.

“It’s pretty amazing to think that, in the first movie I did, I had Francis Ford Coppola as my directing instructor and Dean Tavoularis as my production design instructor. These are Academy Award winning figures.

“Marlon Brando,

Friday May 20 2011

with the film really started in 1965, fourteen years before its release, when he joined the Marines. “I got involved on a bit of a tangent,” says the Texas born combat veteran.

“I actually joined the Marines before college in order to avoid going to Vietnam in ‘65.

Photo: Rocklin Lyons

to the director a lot, we discussed the movie, the war in Vietnam, my own experiences, and what was going on over there at the time.

“This really was the conversation that made me very interested in what Coppola was doing.

“By 1976, he had gone to the Philippines to start shooting the movie; I had left the magazine and moved back to LA at this point. I had decided to see if the movie business was something I wanted to be a part of, because I realised I really didn’t want to be just an art director. So I went back to LA and joined the Design College.

“It was at this point when I heard a quote from Coppola. He said that film students aren’t willing to take risks. I took that to heart.

“So, I sent a telex to the Philippines saying, “Look, I’ll come over for nothing. I’ll work on the movie for you for nothing.” It just made more sense to get some experience in the business before I spent four years studying something I may have simply lost interest in.”

Claybourne then began

5

Feature. E3 Preview

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

Football has the World Cup, athletics has the Olympics and cycling has the Tour de France.

If the videogame industry were a sport then the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) would be of equal significance.

On June 7 over 50,000 people will pour into the Los Angeles Convention Centre’s five expansive halls to experience a diverse range of videogame content which isn’t yet available to purchase, or in many cases hasn’t even been seen before.

It’s Willy Wonka inviting you into his factory.

The event, which takes place each year sees press and public rub elbows to

6

As covered in last week’s feature, Sony are going through a rough time at the moment, as are its customers.

PSN was offline from 20th April until 15th May, and despite it resuming with a free “welcome back” gift, they will still have a huge job convincing customers that they’re safe to trust again, both with their personal details and their free time.

Sony are sure to touch on the subject and reinforce their improved security network following the rebuild, however the best way for them to prove to the fans that their platform

play the newest videogame experiences not yet on the market, before anyone else.

The event also holds significant importance for the publishers themselves, specifically the three hardware manufacturers

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Each one will give a press conference, attended by the world’s media to outline their strategy for the following year and make unexpected announcements to grab

and entice fans to their platforms.

As well as being a way for publishers to advertise their games, E3 is a way for them to advertise their platform from a holistic point of view, with the aim to use E3’s vast spectacle to attract and appease large audiences.

This spectacle has in the past given way to many announcements and surprises over the years, many highlights including the Metal Gear Solid 2 Trailer in 2000, Nintendo announcing the final name “Wii” in 2006 and Square Enix announcing Final Fantasy XIII for Xbox 360 at Microsoft’s press conference in 2009.

Like a Shakespearian play

2 for the Playstation 3, a significant announcement considering Gabe previously and famously called the PS3 “a total disaster”.

is the place to be focussing on in the coming year is by showing games.

And this is one area where Sony is definitely the best equipped of the big three Publishers.

This year boasts arguably Sony’s strongest line up

of first party titles to date, including Uncharted 3, sequel to the unanimously loved 2008 game of the year, Resistance 3, follow up to the disappointing second act in the franchise and InFamous 2, promising sequel to the superhero title which debuted in 2009.

Not to mention titles scheduled to launch next year such as The Last Guardian, the latest work from Japanese studio Team Ico and Starhawk, spiritual sequel to 2007 multiplayer shooter Warhawk.

And this is just what we know of.

Last year Sony wheeled out Valve bigwig Gabe Newell to announce Portal

the E3 press conferences give way to family, romance and betrayal, born before our eyes by company executives and delivered through the sensationalist hands of the industry’s media.

These factors make E3

irresistible to anyone with a faint appreciation for the interactive arts.

So what can we expect from this years show?

Well it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.

up with the DS in the West.

To try and bridge this problem Sony will undoubtedly dedicate a large chunk of their press conference to the NGP, announcing it’s retail name (it definitely won’t be called the NGP in stores), price point and release date, as well as what to expect from it’s launch line up.

The device is expected to launch sometime this fall in Japan, although after the tragic events that took place in the country over the last couple of months it would be highly understandable if they decided to delay, and a simultaneous Western launch is all but out of the question.

The device has had certain people puzzled however, especially its high end specifications.

When the original PSP launched it was significantly more powerful than Nintendo’s DS, however

what Sony discovered was that consumers were less interested with playing console games on the go and more bothered about playing experiences they couldn’t get on their traditional consoles.

Much to everyones surprise then when Sony revealed the NGP with its high powered internal specifications, large, high resolution LCD screen and a rear touchpad.

Not only does this go against what has already been established by the Nintendo DS and to a greater extent the iPhone, but it raises the cost of the machine to astronomical levels, a barrier to entry for potential customers.

It’s unclear whether the device will capture the sort of attention it needs from the hardcore, but it’s a certainty Sony will give everything they have to try and make that happen.

And there’s no better place to start than E3.

“A significant announcement considering Gabe previously and famously called the PS3 ‘a total disaster’.”

Whilst there’s no confirmation of Sony performing a coup of similar stature in June, the positive press it received last year combined with the negative press PSN has been inundated with over the past few weeks might force Sony to produce something of a similar magnitude.

Finally there’s also the matter of the NGP (Next Generation Portable).

Announced back in late January, the NGP is Sony’s successor to the PSP, a device that showed initial potential but failed to keep

Coming after nearly a year of continued growth in the US, Microsoft are sure to go into their press conference with a natural and deserved swagger.

Gamers are buying their systems and most importantly are buying software to play on them,

causing publishers to look fondly upon the platform as a result. With the release of Kinect back in November however, a peripheral that aims to reach and appeal to a more casual gamer than the one Microsoft has so overtly courted over the last 10 years, they must balance

the event to its actual title, any confidence in predicting such titles was blown out the water when Nintendo announced the name “Wii” back in 2006, but rumours circling suggest it may be

Batman: Arkham City – As a general rule, games based on films, especially those of the comic book genre are awful (excluding Spiderman 2 of course).

To much my surprise then when Batman: Arkham Asylum was released back in 2009 and shot to popularity both with myself and the wider gaming community.

In fact it was nothing short of fantastic.

So consider the implications of building upon that foundation with a larger, less linear

environment, improved combat and a denser cast of characters.

Yes, this one will be good, mark my words.

Battlefield 3 – If the bass filled crunch of this games announcement trailer didn’t fill you with nostalgic memories of Battlefield 2 back in 2005, then you haven’t played Battlefield 2.

Six years on and DICE are finally ready to give it a true, worthy sequel.

When a developer says a game took so long to make because they were waiting

gamers to finally fulfil their dreams of waving a lightsaber for themselves (we’ve all seen Star Wars kid on Youtube), whilst the latter represents one of the biggest contradictions the industry has ever seen; creating a sequel to a game which required a peripheral featuring around 40 individual buttons, that subsequently requires a device characterised by its

titled “Stream”. Whilst “Stream” sounds initially abstract, it actually fits neatly with the platforms almost certain feature of having the console stream certain content to a six-inch screen located on the controller itself. See, it’s a clever name when you think about it isn’t it? No, it’s actually not, but neither was the Wii so that’s irrelevant.

As well as supplementing the malnourished 3DS and unveiling the malnamed

“Project Café”, Nintendo will likely continue its support of the waning Wii. Games like Zelda: Skyward Swords will provide gamers with some reason to look forward to turning on that joyful box in the near future, but only

on specific technological

Republic

lack of any buttons at all.

Surely this is all one big practical joke?

Fear not t h o u g h fans with opposable thumbs, Microsoft will surely ensure an even split between Kinect based games and those which use a controller.

Amongst such games will be the excellent Gears of War 3 (trust me, I’ve played it) and Forza Motorsport 4, although my appreciation for yet another game where the same cars circle the same tracks is wearing particularly thin. Microsoft

is also famous for making surprise announcements during their conferences, so expect the unexpected, actually don’t, that’s a ridiculous contradiction.

Oh and Modern Warfare 3 will be demoed there, predictably, and it’ll look no different from the last game yet everyone will buy it, and I’ll spend my evenings crying into my pillows at the injustice. Actually I won’t, I’ll be playing Battlefield 3, but you’re free to imagine I will.

To recap: Kinect, Modern Warfare 3, first party titles (Gears etc.) and a surprise announcement that’ll make your head hurt. If I’m right, which I suspect I will be, come and find me bearing gifts as a reward for my wisdom.

just.

It’s clear that whilst Nintendo are happy to let their little white friend sit inside people’s houses to be brought out occasionally at parties and family get-togethers like some rejected character in Toy Story, it’s equally clear that the bright sparks inside the company are more excited to toil away at producing games for these new platforms which allow them greater

creative freedom, like HD, a feature many gamers first experienced back in 2005.

Apart from a surprise resurgence of the Vitality Sensor this seems the likely order of proceedings for Nintendo’s presence at E3, although don’t confuse predictability for a lack of surprise, actually that’s another ridiculous contradiction. We may be able to guess the running order but what “Project Café” truly entails will likely leave us all in a mixture of bafflement, excitement and wonder.

MMO and appearing as more of a Co-Operative KOTOR than a Star Wars spin on World of Warcraft I’m cautiously optimistic.

Bioshock: Infinite – Ken Levine’s team at Irrational Games created one of the best games ever made in the original Bioshock back in 2006.

So much was my disgust that publisher 2K soiled the name with a cash-in sequel that as expected failed to live up to the original, obviously down to the fact

that Irrational were actually hard at work on the real spiritual sequel, Bioshock: Infinite instead.

When Infinite’s first trailer was revealed and showed a city in the sky I knew instantly of its connections to Bioshock, however with the two titles sharing nothing other than coincidental similarities, and after the deflating Bioshock 2, should this potential masterpiece be called Bioshock at all?

My expectations are sky high. Bad joke, sorry.

“It’s a clever name when you think about it isn’t it? No, it’s actually not, but neither was the ‘Wii’ so that’s irrelevant.”

Friday May 20 2011

“It’s me, Mario”. Nope, it’s not, although you can bet you’ll hear that well versed phrase at some point during Nintendo’s press conference. Not just because they’ve already heavily hinted at a new Mario title being revealed for their freshly birthed 3DS, but also because they’re showing for the first time their new home console, the successor to the Wii, tentatively titled “Project Café”.

As the Wii was once called the “Revolution”, “Project Café” will be renamed at

their showing between these two groups to be considered successful.

And Kinect is hardly a failure. Selling over 10 million units by March of this year, Microsoft clearly has to dedicate some time to show support to the device that at the moment may be collecting dust above televisions as software fails to surface. There’s no doubt that Microsoft will show and announce games for Kinect but must be careful to not alienate the gamers who made their platform what it is, and aren’t ready to embrace the buttonless approach just yet.

Two games that are likely to appear are Star Wars Kinect and Steel Battalion.

The former allowing

“Battlefield 3 is less cocky as it is rightfully confident.” revolutions, then you know it’s going to be worth the wait.

Launching audaciously alongside Activision’s behemoth Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 is less cocky as it is rightfully confident.

Star Wars: The Old

Fuse.

– Let’s start this with the disclaimer that I’ve never played an MMO before, nor do I particularly want to.

However such is the quality of Bioware’s magnificent Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) that I’m instantly and without question on board with this massively multiplayer online sequel.

Being the first fully voiced

7

Feature.Tramlines Festival.

Rocking Out on Devonshire Green

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

Ahead of Tramlines Festival this Summer, Coral Williamson and Sam Bolton talk to Sarah Nulty, Assistant Festival Director, to see how Sheffield’s biggest ever free festival is shaping up.

8

Three years ago, something amazing happened and no, it wasn’t the release of Susan Boyle’s album I Dreamed a Dream.

Over the course of one weekend, 60,000 people gathered in various venues across Sheffield for an amazing musical experience, known as the first Tramlines Festival.

This year, there will be four main stages and 70 venues to take in between July 22 to July 24.

Tramlines’ success speaks for itself – with an expected 175,000 festival goers this year, it can only get bigger and better. Yet it is still the same price as in its first year: completely and utterly free.

The festival weekend features 200 local bands of various sizes, and is organised around eight musical genres: Pop, Rock, Indie, New Music, World, Folk, Blues and Dance.

But this is not just a festival for the students who haven’t gone home yet; it also offers fairgrounds, a kids’ area, and markets, so there really is something for everyone.

Are preparations for Tramlines going well?

Preparations are going very well. This year’s event is bigger than ever and we started planning a long time ago.

Last week was busy as we launched our new site and made some big line-up announcements.

It’s becoming quite hectic now.

What Tramlines?

inspired

Tramlines was inspired by a number of people coming together to do a festival. The original event was really a hybrid of various festivals and organisations in the city.

We were concerned with how quiet the city was during the Summer when all the students have gone home and wanted to rectify this.

Local festivals can be criticised for a rise in crime. However, the first Tramlines Festival was accompanied by a fall in crime rates.

How important do you think local festivals, like Tramlines, are for their city’s image?

Falling crime rates during the festival is excellent.

The whole point of the festival is to promote Sheffield 52 weeks of the year. We want people to come from other parts of the UK to see Sheffield at its best.

If crime rates fall even when the city centre is 10 or 20 times as busy as a normal weekend then that is testament to the goodwill of our

attendees. Sheffield is known as a safe city and that reputation is not unfounded.

Do you think a festival like Tramlines, with so many different acts and stages, would work in other UK cities or is Sheffield culturally unique?

The concept could work in other cities but it is fair to say that the Sheffield music industry is generally very good at collaborating and this is a massive help for Tramlines.

Sheffield City Council have been supportive of the project, if they were generally opposed it would be a problem and I imagine that some city councils would not be so helpful.

What are some of the biggest challenges in setting up a free festival?

You have over 70 venues across the city at your disposal, right?

Yes, there are over 70 venues. There are many challenges involved but it would not be possible without the help of the individual venues. Many program themselves which makes our life a little easier.

Some of the biggest challenges are logistical issues relating to the number of people in Sheffield over the

Photo: Mike Siggers

weekend. We have to accommodate a predicted 125,000 people on the Saturday of this year’s event.

How have Nokia come to be involved, and what are they doing?

Initially the link came through creative Sheffield.

Nokia approached Tramlines because they wanted to help us tell our story and were keen to support grass roots movements.

They have given us technology that will enable our attendees to document the festival from their own perspective.

Is there anyone you think might steal the show this year, or are particularly looking forward to seeing?

It’s impossible to include every single local act but I think we have a good go at Tramlines. Getting the big headliners is important but we recognise the need to feature the locals as well.

Having local acts like Toddla T, Rolo Tomassi and The Crookes who command a large audience but are also based locally is an ideal situation because it ticks both boxes.

Would you say Tramlines is a great starting point for smaller bands to get noticed?

It can definitely help.

Some bands who played particularly good sets in the first years have gone on to achieve great things and it would be nice to think that Tramlines has played a part in that.

Tramlines is a great way for Sheffield to get noticed and that trickles down to all our acts and organisations.

Free music is certainly popular with listeners but it’s not always that sustainable.

Unfortunately, as sales are affected by file sharing artists’ performance fees go up as this is the only way they can make money.

Someone, somewhere has to pay for either the recordings or the music otherwise the whole industry may collapse so I don’t think they’ll be a big shift to free festivals. It’s a nice idea though, music should be accessible to everyone.

Finally, can you give us any hints or exclusives about who’s going to be announced for the lineup next?

Ooh that would be telling.

The Dance Village at the University of Sheffield is looking pretty exciting with some massive artist yet to be announced including DnB and dubstep DJs. The New Music Stage is also going to very special this year.

With more bands than you can shake a stick at, Tramlines is jam-packed with incredible talent and is an absolute must for your Summer.

Fuse recommends: Toddla T Our very own Steel City DJ, producer and composer will be gracing the stage of Sheffield Union’s Octagon on Saturday July 23 as well curating it.

Rolo Tomassi Self-defined ‘progressive hardcore’ rockers Rolo Tomassi do their hometown proud by playing the New Music Stage on the Sunday, which they’re also curating. Expect a raucous combination of styles, led by fierce frontwoman Eva Spence.

Ash As the tour following the release of the A-Z series comes to an end and the boys from Ireland prepare to say goodbye to Russell Lissack, Ash will be rocking the Main Stage. Prepare to be bombarded with an array of anthems and countless classics.

Los Campesinos!

Having wrapped up recording for their new album, Los Campesinos! are not a band to be missed at Tramlines.

Their infectious indie pop will have you dancing come rain or shine at the New Music Stage on Saturday.

Josh T. Pearson Fuse favourite, Josh T. Pearson will be returning to Sheffield after his amazing gig at the Queen’s Social Club (See issue 34).

Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster from this bearded Texan.

The Crookes Coming back for a second year are Sheffield’s indie darlings The Crookes.

Playing on the Main Stage on Sunday, their romantic crooning is spectacular, and debut album ‘Chasing After Ghosts’ deserves to be heard live.

Fuse.

Tramlines is uniquely different from the mainstream festivals in a number of ways.

Firstly, this year’s event is completely free and that’s something we’re very proud of.

The way that the festival takes place across an urban setting is also very unique as is our highly inclusive approach.

How difficult is it to be diverse, not just in terms of genres, but in balancing local and further-afield bands?

How do you feel about the music industry at the moment? Are free festivals and free music the future?

Friday May 20 2011

What do you think Tramlines offers that the big, mainstream festivals, like Glastonbury or Reading & Leeds, can’t?

There’s never one particular highlight for me. What does it for me is the festival as a whole and atmosphere in Sheffield over the weekend.

9

Reviews.Music releases. amon Tobin ISAM Ninja Tune

6/10

Fair ohs

Everything is Dancing Faux Discx

9/10 In the uniform indie world of guitars, percussion and vocals it is always refreshing to hear attempts at innovation.

A band that encapsulates influences that transcend various intercontinental scenes, Fair Ohs’ debut Everything is Dancing is an album that can take you to the nether regions of the world.

With sounds of The Rumble Strips and Fela Kuti, Fair Ohs marry their pop sensibilities with the syncopated patterns of

Clapton Fox Amazing Thunderstorm Peacock Skins

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

5/10

10

Presumably the result of Eric Clapton and Jamie Foxx’s recent civil partnership, Clapton Fox delivers neither the blues belters nor the soulful anthems that his parentage would suggest.

Instead, Amazing Thunderstorm proves a curious amalgamation of pop sensibility, folk tenderness and leftfield electronica.

Clapton Fox is, contrary to popular suspicion, the adopted moniker of Polishborn Robert Kaniepien a man who claims to be a former choir boy, classically trained multi-instrumentalist, song writer, DJ and producer.

indigenous African music.

They’re an infectious band whose sound make it imperative for you to get up and dance.

Listening to ‘Almost Island’, just imagine you and your best mates drinking a can and dancing in the festival mud, merrily and repeatedly shouting “my friends / my friends are tough”.

They’re a summertime band but if the weather doesn’t comply with their nature, this album will take you to tropics and beaches, with a glass of Pimms in hand, dancing to your heart’s content.

‘Colours’ is a particular favourite. Psychedelic in parts, carried through with an addictive bassline and their signature straightto-the-point unambiguous lyrics, it’s arguable that Fair

Ohs are a band that don’t say much.

Rather than a negative critique, this makes them more endearing and clearly shows that they are a band that holds a simply musical message.

They give us a break from the Zach de la Rocha’s of the world because they just want to make us dance.

Afro-beat is musical genre for the thinking-man’s band to play with.

Foals, the late Larrikin Love and the majestic TV on the Radio draw influence from this sub-Saharan sound.

Fair Ohs are a small band with a big sound willing to venture into inspired musical landscapes, taking risks that only a ‘mighty pharaoh’ would take.

Perhaps it is the vast array of Kaniepien’s myriad gifts that lead to his debut album’s somewhat bi-polar nature.

At its most successful Amazing Thunderstorm proves an intimate and delicate listen.

This can be said particularly of the latter half of the record with standouts including the ghostly ‘Isabelle’ and sinister ‘Oblivious’, both of which evoke the spirit of a more relaxed TV On The Radio.

There is also a certain charm to Kaniepien’s Beckesque drawl, particularly on opener ‘Ain’t No Justice in the Sky Pt.1.’

However, more often than not Kaniepien’s ambitious song writing proves more distracting than engaging.

Many of the songs are literally half-decent, in that half of their content is charming pop psychedelia that is then interrupted by

disorientating and unwieldy electro tomfoolery.

The lowliest example of this comes with ‘Procrastination’, a song that offers promise before being engulfed by synthesized groans of “procrastination” – but perhaps students will find this touching and relatable.

Kaniepien’s ambition is not to be sniffed at, yet his desire to flex his various talent-laden muscles often leads to this record sounding like his inner choir boy getting beaten up by a drunken robot.

Mention must, however, go to Kaniepien’s drummer Giorgio Zampirolo who keeps the rhythms of the album interesting throughout.

‘Amazing Thunderstorm’ is out on Kaniepien’s own Peacock Skins on August 1.

Michelle Maria

Tom Childs

Fourteen years on and pushing the boundaries in a self-created avant-garde music genre, Brazilian-born Amon Tobin has returned with his seventh album.

ISAM is a heavy, atmospheric paradox of scifi and sound design. For a casual listener of all tracks mainstream it’s nothing but a migraine. However, for an open-minded listener of experimental music it’s a surreal look into the mind of a unique and talented producer.

Amon takes you on a journey from laid-back to a gritty and vivid salvo of sound.

There is fierce tension throughout the album, from the almost subdued ‘Journeyman’ to the dubstep-esque bass driven ‘Goto 10’ – a track with a haunting melody lost in erratic rhythms and shattering bass drops.

Blurring the lines of mainstream acceptance with what sounds like a broken soundtrack to a Formula One race, Tobin captures spirited field recording and electronica to create the unique sound of ‘Surge’.

Now playing: With the abundance of new releases each week it can be difficult to sift through the shit in search of the gold so Fuse has handpicked some of the musical highlights for you.

This week we were treated some more music from local boys Arctic Monkeys.

‘Reckless Serenade’ is the third track that we’ve been treated to off the highly debated, forth coming album Suck it and See. A different tack to what we’ve heard so far and strangely reminiscent of Alex Turner’s

ISAM then takes a slightly eerie turn, with the short and sweet euphoric lullaby of ‘Wooden Toy’. Then just as you think it couldn’t get any stranger, Tobin’s musical wit and skill are showcased perfectly in the memorising ‘Kitty Kat’ where vocal snippets are drowned out by a troubled cascade of sound.

Immediately followed by the equally cryptic, ‘Bedtime Stories’. Led by the delicate sound of a music box, the track builds into a mealstrom of dub beats.

‘Dropped from the Sky’ is a statement of Tobin’s experimental creativity; it’s a seven minute summary of ISAM’s complex, almost frustrating compilation. All the listener can do is be helplessly immersed in this new, obscure world.

This album is anything but mainstream dance, dubstep or electronic. Drifting in a world of its own, ISAM is an album for the eclectic pallet.

Rachel Dixon

Lotus Mason Lotus Mason GlowB

6/10 The London based poprockers, Lotus Mason, have made their mark on the other side of the world in front man, Blair Jollands’ homeland of New Zealand and now the four piece have brought their brand of electronic infused pop rock to British shores.

Taking the album on opening track, ‘Beso’, alone, you could be fooled into thinking that Lotus Mason are sort of a Keane v.02. Majestic piano and powerful vocals, much

work Submarine.

2009’s viral sensation Ed Sheeran has been making waves after his performance on Jools Holland a few weeks back.

The new single from the multi-talented singers o n g w r i te r- b e a t b ox i n g rapper, ‘The A-Team’ is an emotionally powerful and incredibly addictive step into the mainstream.

Speaking of ‘emotionally powerful’ the experts in pulling heart strings, Death Cab for Cutie have thrown another single from the new album, to be released on the 31st of may, on to Pitchfork. com.

‘Underneath the Sycamore’ is typical Death

like those that defined the Keane sound, permeate the ballad gracefully, but it feels like an imitation - it’s all a little bit ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ As the album progresses though, the bands’ eponymous debut evolves into something far more captivating. They embrace electronic elements increasingly, one moment seeming inspired by early 80’s electro-pop and the next they bear striking resemblance to the Flaming Lips.

‘Automatic Human’ is a turning point. The band pick up the pace, switching briefly from the down tempo opener and balladlike ‘Apple’, to a more dance orientated sound.

Combining funky slap bass with Jollands’ vocal, it’s a standout.

‘Broken Silence’ epitomises the Flaming Lips influence; the synth bass could have been lifted straight out of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot.

‘Honey Trap’, which follows, has truly euphoric moments and is frustratingly familiar.

As the album draws to a close the quartet introduce more acoustic ideas. Both ‘Dream of You’ and ‘Signs of Life’ open with lone acoustic guitar and grow into anthemic rock.

However, Jollands’ vocals don’t match the anthemic instrumentals, sounding too deep at times and strained, as if in competition. As Jollands sings “No, nothing seems to change” it’s just not as good as when he uses a softer voice.

Lotus Mason are at their best experimenting with the electronic and utilising bass, but fall short of reaching the heights they seem to be grasping at.

Sam Bolton

Cab which bodes well for the rest of the new work.

The third single from Brighton based pop-rockers the Go! Team’s newest album, Rolling Blackouts, ‘Apollo Throwdown’ is a fantastic blend of frantic and laid-back. It’s a standout moment on a standout album.

Metronomy’s recent breakthrough album The English Riviera, released back in April, has been received amazingly by critics and ‘The Bay’ has been an obvious highlight. We can’t help but play it, and Erol Alkan’s extended rework, over and over.

Sam Bolton

Reviews.Live music.

PS I Loveyou The Harley Tuesday May 10th

Noah and the Whale.

Photo: Matteo Benni/Flickr

Noah and the whale The Leadmill Saturday May 7th

Noah and the Whale are clearly aiming to defy expectations.

The band first emerged on the nu-folk scene in 2008 with debut album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down and its number one single ‘Five Years Time’.

The band’s second offering, The First Days of Spring, was a far bleaker affair inspired by the breakup between lead singer Charlie Fink and fellow nufolk star Laura Marling.

Their latest release, The Last Night on Earth, sees the band embrace synthesizers and lyrics that bristle with hope and possibility.

The band did not have to hold any worries that a change in direction would

Wild Beasts

City Hall Saturday May 14th

stage and instantaneously set to work on seducing the crowd.

With a beautiful energy Hayden Thorpe crooned “new squeeze, take off your chemise” on the sensual song ‘Plaything’.

Needless to say, all chemises were duly removed.

Wild Beasts were clearly at home in the princely surroundings and flowed beautifully through a selection of songs.

The setlist was taken primarily from their new record Smother, with the sexually charged songs oozing from the speakers and hanging in the air like memories of romantic engagements.

Despite each band member operating in their own focused sphere, most notably drummer Chris Talbot integrating bongos into his drum kit with aplomb and thus overtaking Bez as England’s pre-eminent bongoist, the sound was incredibly wholesome.

That said, the songs were not without certain live flair, such as the excitable spasms of Tom Fleming as he squealed his parts

delightfully in ‘All The King’s Men.’ Similarly, first single from last year’s Two Dancers ‘Hooting and Howling’ was executed amazingly and lapped up by new and old fans alike.

The band throbbed their way through the set and as the crowd pulsated with them we all felt a unifying belief.

The the once quirky and novel boys from near Leeds had created something close to a modern masterpiece.

From the amusingly poetic and archaic lyrics to the multiple instruments taken up by each man on stage, not one member of the audience could find a way to fault the band on what they have accomplished.

By the end of the night, the audience was so intoxicated by Wild Beasts’ performance that the sexual tension in the room was in no danger of disspating anytime soon, and was in fact going home with the audience members as they retired to bed.

Joe Kinnaird

Tom Childs

65daysofstatIC Queen’s Social Club Friday May 6th

Following on from Glasgow Film Festival, Sheffield band 65daysofstatic have returned, rescoring the film Silent Running.

Substituting Peter Schickele’s original compositions with 65dos’s unique sound of discordant harmony and experimental electronics, Silent Running is the cult classic 1970’s sci-fi film, being credited as being the first environmentallythemed mainstream film.

Attracting fans of alternative music and sci-fi alike, the Queens’ Social Club was alive with excitement as everyone waited for this unique event.

Reverberation set the scene as the lights dropped.

65dos pleased the crowd with an explosive wave of

textures, in perfect timing to the introductory credits.

In the first half of the film we see Bruce Dern’s character, the dedicated and nurturing, Freeman Lowell on a space freighter, carrying some of the last forests and plant life.

65dos complimented this with enchanting ambience with a flavour of fitting space effects.

Every silent moment of the film was an excuse to go wild and make the crowd know they are not just a backing band, seeming slightly out of sync with the style of the film.

A highlight of the night was listening to Lowell’s passionate plea to reminisce on how “there were blue skies, and there was fresh air...and there were things growing all over the place.”

The four musicians used this moment to bring back a theme, played softly on piano and progressively transcend into a beautiful harmony of ambient tranquillity, which

fit like a glove.

The second half of the film includes numerous one sided conversations between Lowell and his automated services robots.

The band found fewer opportunities here to play anything too energetic, which in fact enhanced the experience.

When you marry together a respected film with the innovate sounds of the best of Sheffield’s music, you produce a soundtrack which is trying to win more votes than the movie itself, without much cohesion between the two.

65dos’s original sound is not yet suited for the silver screen, especially when competing with the success of Explosions in the Sky’s soundtrack for ‘Friday Night Lights’ or more recently Daft Punk’s epic score of ‘Tron Legacy’.

Adam Darts

Lianne WIlliams

Fuse.

Elsewhere, the sombre ‘My Door is Always Open’ casts aside the jubilant instrumentation of previous tracks to place Fink’s tender vocals at the forefront in what is an impressive highlight.

Needless to say, the biggest cheers are reserved for the opening chords of ‘5 Years Time’ and recent single ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N’.

Both songs see the crowd sing along joyously and highlight the band’s potential for producing hit singles.

As the band leaves the stage to a rapturous applause by a grateful audience, it seems clear that whichever direction the band decides to head in next, their fans will continue to follow.

Musically, their style is fast paced and energetic, which makes for an intriguing contrast with the melancholy delivery of the lyrics and vocals. The main driving force of PS I Love You’s style is clearly their distorted guitar riffs and emphatic, extended endings, each one being more compelling than the last.

As the set draws to a close, the songs become somewhat uplifting and the vocals are more intense, being frantically belted over the rapid guitar parts.

Their music is extremely progressive and reminiscent of artists such as Band of Horses.

Throughout the show, the stage is kept mostly unlit which helped to maintain the electric atmosphere up until the band finish abruptly, without an encore.

Friday May 20 2011

The lower depths of Sheffield City Hall must have a long history of esteemed gentlemen wooing opulent young women, as it seemed the perfect place for Kendal quartet Wild Beasts to beguile an audience with their sound.

Unlike your standard indie rock venue, it matched Wild Beasts’ aura of mystique perfectly when they eventually came to the stage.

Summer Camp, the first support, jangled along with the effervescence of a schoolboy on the first day of spring.

However, second act Perfume Genius struggled to beat the excitable babble of the crowd.

Mike Hadreas’ frail and delicate songs failed to make it past the first few rows, which was a great shame given the quality of his debut album Learning.

Wild Beasts arrived by slinking onto a shadowy

lead to a diminished fan base as they were watched by a crowd who made their appreciation heard throughout the band’s 80 minute set.

Arriving on stage dressed in suits and looking like a folk version of the Reservoir Dogs, the band opened with a rousing version of ‘Give a Little Love’ followed by ‘Just Before We Met’, two songs with endless contrasts that show a band confident in its identity.

In particular, lead singer Fink appears to be a changed man.

Whilst songs such as ‘Blue Skies’ showcase his emotional fragility, the band’s new songs offer plenty of exuberance and buoyant choruses, particularly ‘Life is Life’ with its repeated refrain of “And it feels like his new life can start, and it feels like heaven” sung in Fink’s bruised vocals.

Red flashing lights engulf the intimate stage of The Harley as the support Bhurgeist, a local Sheffield band take to the stage. Calm and collected, they play in an effortless fashion.

The witty and undaunted frontman engages the crowd in conversation, declaring before one track “this one’s not about breaking up with your girlfriend!” and unashamedly poking fun at the bands usual lyric trend. Bhurgeist sound like The Cribs back in the days when they were relatively unknown and seem to have the same laid-back attitude.

When PS I Love You come on stage, it is to a much more demure and dark atmosphere.

The minute stage is dimly

lit apart from the occasional flashing bright light which highlights the face of the lead vocalist and guitar player, Paul Saulnier.

The Canadian duo look stereotypical with their trademark checkered shirts and unruly hair, the front mans confidence lacking as he appears slouched and shy on stage.

As they begin to play, the crowd react enthusiastically, embracing PS I Love You’s garage rock style. The first two additions are an interesting mix of soft, but distorted guitar chords with punky vocals layered over the top.

Saulnier’s vocals are carried powerfully across the room and the introductions to each song are mesmerizingly dramatic and repetitively drawn out.

The band stand modestly on stage, doing nothing more than solely concentrating on their instruments.

65daysofstatic. Photo: Reena Mahtani/Flickr

11

Reviews.Screen. attack the block

Dir: Joe Cornish

8/10 Don’t be put off by the likes of Kidulthood, Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block is a British ‘hood film you don’t want to miss.

Attack the Block, isn’t your standard inner-city-‘youff’movie. Cornish’s feature debut manages to create something quite remarkable - an action-comedy that is actually funny.

The film follows a group of young, south London kids who live in a building of flats they call ‘The Block’. When aliens invade, they take it upon themselves to ‘defend the block’ and, with a little bit of hyperbole, ‘save the world’.

Right from the outset, Cornish (of Adam and Joe fame) ignores conventions.

We’re introduced to the

protagonists - Moses (John Boyega), Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones), and Biggz (Simon Howard) - when they mug trainee nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker). We don’t root for them. We don’t feel any empathy. We absolutely detest them.

Cornish sets himself a brave and seemingly unattainble goal by initially making the main characters exceptionally unlikable and then hoping that their personalities grow on the audience by the end of the film.

This is where Attack the Block excels. As the group realise they can’t overpower the extra-terrestrials and their bravado steadily wears off, we’re left with characters that are little more than scared children.

When Sam, the nurse they mugged previously, is reintroduced to plot, it’s genuinely moving how they’re all drawn together leading to Sam eventually forgiving them when she learns what kind of people

they really are.

It is a take on youth culture that hasn’t previously be explored on film. Although, it is hardly surprising that this aspect features so prominently considering that Cornish claims his inspiration for the movie comes from an occasion when he himself was mugged.

‘What struck me about it was how young the kids

were, I’m sure I was on same level as Call of Duty as them’ says Cornish, commenting on the idea that the mugger seemed as scared as he was.

But that’s a side issue. Attack the Block is primarily a comedy, and, unquestionably, that’s what it does best.

From the over-use of street patois to the affable weed dealer played by Nick

The Way

Dir: Emilio Estevez

6/10 The Way fulfils the task of being a simple road movie where the protagonist tries to get from A to B with a few hiccups in the process, but it all seems just a little bit too inevitable and you end up waiting for the end of the journey more eagerly than the characters themselves.

The Way is nonetheless a relatively heart-warming film; with American eye doctor, Tom (Martin Sheen), going to Europe to retrieve his son Daniel (Emilio Estevez), who recently passed away in an accident on a pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

Priest 3d

12

Dir: Scott Charles Stewart

3/10 Back in 2009, Scott Stewart and Paul Bettany made a film called Legion. It was about a badass archangel defending humanity from a bunch of other angels when no-one else could. It was terrible.

Rather than sighing and saying, ‘at least he died doing what he loved’, Tom takes his son’s ashes and spreads them across the remainder of the pilgrimage where he meets a variety of characters.

The most prominent of Two years later, and no lessons have been learned.

Stewart and Bettany have made another film, this one called Priest (they like their one word Biblically-based titles, don’t they?)

It is about a badass monk defending humanity from a bunch of vampires when no-one else can. It is also terrible.

After a long war with vampires, humankind has finally emerged victorious thanks to a group specifically trained in the art of vampire slaying by the clergy, simply called the

which are a fat Dutch guy called Joost (Yorick van Wageningen) who stops for cheese every five minutes, Canadian Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) who smokes more than a Victorian chimney, and Irish writer Jack (James Nesbitt) who Priests. The price, however, has been the personal freedoms of humanity, who are now confined within cities and are told that to question their religious overlords is to question the word of God. The Priests have become ignored, forgotten, or feared. That is, until more vampires appear.

They destroy a village and capture the niece of the titular Priest (Paul Bettany), leading him, Cam Gigandet, and Maggie Q to go against the will of the clergy and hunt down this new threat.

reinforces the stereotype that all writers have completely lost it – which is only true to some extent.

Whilst supporting characters tend to be endearing in films like this, in The Way you find yourself becoming more drained by One of the problems with Priest is that, unlike other directors who steal from or pay homage to very good films, Stewart seems to be content stealing from and paying homage to films that just weren’t that good in the first place.

Hence we have not even remotely terrifying CGI vampires almost indistinguishable to those from I Am Legend; an animated prologue as seen in Jonah Hex; and a bizarre, made-up, ecclesiastical fighting-style straight out of Equilibrium.

Frost, Cornish builds up an elaborated parody of the gang culture that happens within Britain’s inner-city estates.

Attack the Block is not just a sci-fi film.

It seamlessly blends genres - horror, comedy, action, and even a hint of romance.

It’s exciting, fun, frightening, funny, and sometimes a little them than Tom does.

This has nothing to do with the casting however, it’s a welcome change to see a father and son being played by a real life father and son.

Although I can’t help but feel casting one of Martin Sheen’s other sons, say Charlie Sheen for instance, would have made for a far more amusing and lighthearted film.

If in real life Martin were to outlive Charlie I wonder if he would scatter his ashes doing what he loved… ‘banging 7 gram rocks’ whilst in the company of two porn-stars. Perhaps not.

While these overly sentimental ‘emotional journey’ types are usually regarded as either ‘uplifting’ or ‘self-indulgent tripe’, The Way falls somewhere in between. The sentimentality is moving at times and a bit These elements, combined with cheesy dialogue, an overly sombre tone, and a frankly ridiculous plotline, all make Priest exactly the sum of its very poor parts.

It is surprising that Bettany, a respectable and talented actor, has found himself here again, not least of all to him, judging by his facial expressions at times. You can’t help but wonder if his pained, despairing visage is coming from his character or from having to put on that ridiculous looking cross tattoo yet again for another day of shooting.

Likewise, Karl Urban makes it very clear he doesn’t want to be there by spending most of the film hiding beneath his very wide-brimmed hat.

Priest’s pace is frantic and its action sequences are quite well done, which makes it all the remarkable just how dull this film truly is.

The holy imagery and anti-organised religion

overwhelming. It’s also ridiculous, completely ridiculous, but (unlike Adulthood, 4321, and whatever-else-NoelClarke-has-directed) it remains fully aware of that fact throughout. It’s got everything a film needs and so much more. Put simply, Attack the Block is destined to become a cult classic.

Rowan Ramsden over the top at others while the interaction between characters seems a bit unrealistic and artificial.

While it’s hard to care for a lot of the fleeting characters, Sheen and Nesbitt in particular pull off convincing performances.

Although for Sheen it would have been awkward had he not been able to play the role of a grieving father with any conviction while his son was directing.

Even though The Way is largely predictable, it doesn’t mean it’s not necessarily an adequate road trip movie.

It has its moments, but essentially is ‘just a really long walk’ (as Tom says) in some pleasant Spanish countryside – even if they do have to stop for cheese or a fag every few miles.

Eddie Watson

message are both hammered home to such an extent that they quickly become groan-worthy. Also, few of the characters are even remotely engaging or sympathetic. Bettany’s niece is barely in it, making it hard to fear for her safety, and Gigandet will be winning no awards for his wooden contribution.

In fact, it is left almost solely to Maggie Q (as Priestess, naturally) to supply the film’s heart and warmth in her conflicted, yet butt-kicking, role.

At least it looks rather nice (if a tad drab and dark at times), but the 3D, having been retro-fitted in as is the custom with so many films nowadays, adds very little and if anything becomes an annoyance over time.

Don’t waste your money on the extra expense.

In fact, don’t waste your money at all. You’ll only be encouraging Stewart and Bettany to go for third time lucky.

Elllen Jurczak

Reviews.Games.

Mortal Kombat

XBOX 360. PS3

8/10 Mortal Kombat, a name which brings back images of blood and gore in the mind of every gaming fan, is back. And it lives up to the expectations.

The usual suspect, Midway Games (now called NetherRealm Studios and under the label of WB Games), tries to bring back the franchise to its former fame with its 9th edition of the infamous game.

After receiving average

Dissidia 012 final fantasy PSP

8/10

with quality.

This version’s characters are a lot more distinguishable and all of them have unique moves.

Also, the games developers announced the option of downloading new characters. So far only two have been confirmed, but there should be more added soon.

One of Mortal Kombat’s criticisms has always been its confusing story.

To compensate for this developers decide to bring the player back to the time when the first three games were set.

From there the story is developed by using the good characters’ mini stories to put together the main plot, where they try to alternate the future, in which Shao Kahn (the main protagonist in the series) reigns victorious.

This makes the game more inviting to the newcomers, which have not played another game from the series before.

All in all, Mortal Kombat is very entertaining and addictive game. It hopes to entangle the new generation and to satisfy the old timers.

The gore and horrific

fatalities live up to the “Suitable only for persons of 18 years and over” sign, so I do not advise you to show off your skills to your little sister or play in front of your parents.

Yuliyan Uzunov

TOP 5 FINAL FANTASY GAMES

own distinct fighting style with different strengths and weaknesses, which are fun to experiment with, and the game offers plenty of opportunities in the early levels for trial and error.

This flexibility is extended to the game as a whole.

Square Enix have gone out of their way to make Dissidia 012 accessible – you don’t need to have played the first game or, in fact, any Final Fantasy games before in order to enjoy it.

But if you have, there are lots of little references and acknowledgments to the franchise, such as a Moogle shop and wandering Chocobos.

One slight annoyance is the decision to move away from the first game’s character based system wherein it was possible to play as a single character and complete the game with them, and instead forcing you to play as certain characters in certain chapters in order to advance the storyline.

This does, however, mean that by having to try out characters you might not otherwise consider you become proficient in a lot of fighting styles before then being able to pick your own team of five favourites for the later stages.

Another frustration of the story mode is the recycling of material from the first game making up the middle act, yet this is softened by the updated battle system and

other new features such as roaming, which allows you to explore this world as well as the familiar battle grids from the first game.

Aside from the main story, there are plenty of extras to occupy your time.

There is a multi-player option, as well as a creative area which allows you to create your own levels.

In fact, the game encourages creativity throughout, offering plenty of options to suit your own gaming style and aesthetic preferences.

Then there are the hours of fun to be had levelling up or gaining exclusive items in Battle Mode.

The game looks beautiful, pushing the limited capabilities of the PSP to their maximum, and the music really adds to the atmosphere as well as including some of the most iconic Final Fantasy scores.

With details like these little gripes like the slow (and frequent) loading screens and the fiddly nature of camera angles in close quarters seem petty, but they grow to become increasingly frustrating over time.

Overall, with its rich world and varied gameplay, Dissidia 012 is a must for any Final Fantasy fan, and certainly worth a look for any other gamers interested in fighting/RPG games.

Ellen Jurczak

1.

VII – probably the best known in the franchise, something about Cloud, his companions and ultimately cool bad guy Sephiroth always leaves gamers wanting more.

Hence the two spin-off games and movie 2.

VI – featuring a record 14 playable (and, more importantly, memorable) characters, the game also sports a creepy clown villain and some of the best music of the franchise. Well worth a look 3.

IV – a groundbreaking game which moved away from the first three’s simplistic characters, dungeon settings and lack-lustre gameplay and not only redefined the entire genre of Japenese RPGs but paved the way for all future FF games 4.

VIII – a huge leap in graphics meant for the first time the people of an FF game looked like, well, people, making it all the easier to empathise with loner Squall and his eventual love-interest, the freespirited Rinoa 5.

X – the first to use character voices and a stunning game even by today’s standards, complete with a plot twist near the end which remains one of the best in gaming history.

Editorial.

With the announcement of the Wii 2 being released in 2012 (rumoured to be called ‘Stream’, hilariously), Nintendo look set to make a fortune once more from the ‘casual gaming’ market.

Likewise, the ever increasing number of Facebook games, apps and other such easy to access time fillers means that gaming companies are trying harder and harder to target this lucrative group of individuals.

But is this good or bad for other, more ‘hardcore’ gamers?

On the one hand, as developers strive to pander to this group with games which, overall, cost far less to create and thus are less of a financial risk, the hardcore gamer can come to feel ignored.

Instead of experimenting with new or original ideas, it becomes increasingly likely that developers will stick to mini-games likely to reach a wide audience or ‘safe’ sequels to big franchise games, guaranteed to make money and attract a wide audience.

Moreover, many casual games simply aren’t any good. They are often trite, mediocre, utterly unchallenging and thus unrewarding.

Yet there is a positive side.

Any extra attention to the still largely considered to be niche world of gaming is advantageous, and there is an increasing range of games which aim to bridge the gap between casual and hardcore audiences, such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

The extra attention and money coming into the gaming industry if anything makes it more likely that new and innovative games will be made and more talent drawn into creating great games.

Who knows? Maybe eventually gaming will cover as many genres as films (with summer blockbusters and indie sleepers), as their releases become just as anticipated. Only time will tell.

Ellen Jurczak Arnold Bennett games@forgetoday.com

Fuse.

favourite Final Fantasy characters in the same place and have them beat the crap out of each other which is, frankly, a real treat.

The dialogue is at times stilted or twee, but even this doesn’t detract from the excitement of seeing these characters from different beloved worlds interacting.

Watching Squall and Cloud share a silent eye roll as their more boisterous companions bond over their collective perkiness is a sight sure to set many a fanboy squealing.

This time round, there are a host of new characters to play with, including Lightning (easily the best thing about FFXIII) and some old favourites including Tifa, Laguna and Kain Highwind.

Oh, and Yuna and Vaan are there too.

Keeping its fighting/roleplaying model, much of the mechanics of combat remain the same but slight amendments have served to improve it significantly.

This includes the addition of an ‘assist character’ who can help your PC out when things get tough. There are lots of aspects to the combat but these are introduced gradually and explained well so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Each character has their

style. The basic attacks and combos are easy to perform, but combining them for more devastating series of hits needs a bit of practice.

Also this game features a newly introduced power bar, which can be used to power up your attacks, break an opponents combo or, if charged to the maximum release a devastating attack.

Where, with a little help from X-rays, you can see how your fighter crushes the insides of your opponent.

It also game features the option of Tag Battle, where there can be two players on each side, allowing the opportunity of four players to play at the same time.

The PS3 version the game features 26 playable characters, including Kratos, the main hero from the God of War games and six unlockables, with all time-favourites like Scorpion, Raiden and Liu Kang returning deadlier than ever.

The new characters in this game are Kratos and… I am going to keep the other one in secret.

The roster is small compared to Armageddon’s over 60 fighters, but they compensate the quantity

Friday May 20 2011

Despite the unnecessarily convoluted and confusing title, this game (sequel to the first Dissidia by Square Enix in 2009) is simple at heart.

It is a fun, rewarding and undeniably addictive game with enough characters, gameplay mechanics and other features to keep the pickiest of gamers engaged for hours on end.

The story is the same as last time: a host of heroes and villains from across the various Final Fantasy worlds have been called together by the god-like beings, Cosmos and Chaos, to play their role in an unending battle between the two.

The characters have all lost their memories but slowly begin to regain them over the course of the game, as well as forging new friendships and enmities between themselves, and have been told that once they win they will be returned to their own worlds – but can they?

Outlandish as the plot may sound, it is the perfect excuse to get a load of your

feedback for the last two releases (Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Mortal Kombat vs DC universe) the creators decide to bring the game back to its roots, and to be more precise – fighting in the 2D plane, a lot of violence and gory finishers (the so-called Fatalities).

While the battle stays in the two-dimensional plane the graphics are fully 3D, featuring amazing backgrounds and, while the models are not astonishing, the gore lives up to the expectations.

While not as fast paced as a Street Fighter game, and not as full of moves as a Tekken game, Mortal Kombat manages to challenge them with its own

13

Reviews.Arts.

Yes, Prime minister Play Lyceum

9/10 For a show as well loved and respected as Yes, Prime Minister, a remake is certainly going to raise questions.

Should it be updated?

Should it be a TV show again?

Should it have the same characters?

Is there even any point, with the brilliant The Thick of It having effectively taken its place?

The remake is not a TV show or film but a stage production, and it is updated to the world of BlackBerrys, Twitter and coalition government, although much remains the same.

Viewers of the original will be happy to see the

Of mice and men Play The Blue Shed

Fuse.

Friday May 20 2011

8/10

14

Of Mice and Men is a novel usually remembered for being that little book absolutely everyone had to

Simon Armitage

The Lyric Festival St. George’s Lecture Theatre

9/10 I approached Simon Armitage’s inaugural lecture as Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield knowing the evening was going to leave me either extremely bitter or supremely smug.

I say this because earlier this term I attempted to join one of Armitage’s modules.

Much to my regret I was rejected due to the module’s popularity.

The near-capacity audience settled under

return of the sly and cynical wit of Sir Humphrey Appleby alongsided the earnest yet completely inept Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley.

And unsuprisingly PM Jim Hacker is still caught in the middle of it all.

Yet it feels not a bit like the series- the storyline is more outrageous (bordering on ridiculous in parts.

A new central character is introducedspecial policy advisor Clair Sutton who effectively acts as Sir Humphrey’s foil.

The plot revolves around a deal to save the EU and the PM’s reputation going completely balls-up due to a perverted foreign secretary with specific “needs” to be filled before agreeing to seal the deal.

The first half is somewhat restrained in its approach and closer to the political satire of the original series.

Unfortunately it would appear the auidence has moved on as many of the jokes fall flat and there is

the nagging sense that this isn’t quite as good as it should be.

However the second half accelerates the storyline significantly, resulting in a style closer to The Thick of It than Yes, Prime Minister.

It is undoubtedly the more entertaining half to watch, yet it becomes harder to follow the plot which rapidly spirals out of control.

There are a few instances of deus ex machina being employed which at times feels designed purely for a cheap laugh.

Overall the result is outrageous, fresh and thoroughly hilarious, although it seems to have left the dry, satirical and measured humour of the series behind for an accelerated and edgy take on political humour.

James Bollington

study for GCSE English.

Until a theatre performance brought John Steinbeck’s 74-year-old novella right back to life.

The performance took place at the brand new Sheffield venue, The Blue Shed, a finger-on-the-pulse arts space just out of the city centre.

The building is a huge converted warehouse, on entry it looks more like an

electro club space than a theatre, all colourful spotlights and huge projection-screens.

The performance space itself is very minimalist and adaptable, a quality used to great effect by the Mind the Gap cast and crew, a company dedicated to incorporating learning disabled actors into its productions.

The adaptation, written

by Mike Kenny, is set three months after Steinbeck’s text, and tells the original story through a series of flashbacks.

The audience entered to blue grass folk music, finding one of the actors, Jessica May Buxton, already on stage preening herself in the role of the prostitute Suzy, whom George visits at a brothel in a western onehorse town.

The play uses only three actors playing multiple parts with a single set, the brothel bedroom, in which to tell the tale.

The instantly recognisable duo, Lennie and George are well cast.

Jez Colborne plays George’s blend of weary exasperation and

compassion with a drillsergeant-like intensity, bouncing well off Robert Ewens’ soft-spoken, childlike Lennie.

Jessica May Buxton demonstrates her versatility by successfully playing five characters in total, three of them male, through small on-stage outfit changes.

The pared down performance was a brilliant canvas for the spell-binding work of William Simpson, whose innovative top-down projections cast a speeding rail track, fields of Lennie’s beloved rabbits and starryskied western landscapes onto the setting.

This paired beautifully with Mike Kenny’s script, allowing characters to cross-fade between scenes seamlessly.

Though some of the intensity of the tale’s end was lost due to the actors playing multiple characters, the minimalist set-up was generally bolstered by resounding recorded voices and stunning light effects.

the esteemed glare of the leering Deans that bedeck the walls of Firth Hall.

Armitage was given a brief but flattering introduction and the man himself shuffled to the lectern.

Armitage prefaced his lecture with the Groucho Marx quip ‘I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.’

I braced myself for a solid hour of my good old friend Mr. T. Vision getting harangued because he’s not as clever as books and isn’t as handsome as paintings.

However, as soon as Armitage started speaking, very poetically I hasten to add, I was aware that he too was a friend of the gentlemanly window of life that pervades through every

student lounge in Sheffield.

The lecture was not an argument for television as such.

Rather it was an argument as to how it is a potential tool for the poet.

It seemed bizarre to me that the same stage that allows the likes of Jeremies Clarkson and Kyle to spread their own brands of abhorrent idiocy has also played host to some truly moving and important work helmed by our new member of staff.

Clips were shown of the insightful Saturday Night, the moving and poignant Out of the Blue as well as Feltham Sings and Songbirds.

A lot of Armitage’s work for television has involved people with poetic lives who lack poetic voices.

In this respect it is as honourable as it is enthralling, good art for the sake of good.

At one point, Armitage surmised that ‘In all arts, the borders and the boundaries are a good place to pitch camp.’

Regarding poetry and television our new professor is camping on the edge of a void where the printed text stops and television is but a dim glow in the distance, but a glow nonetheless.

Needless to say I left the lecture feeling less than smug.

Jenny Acton

Tim Vine: Jokeamotive Tour

Stand-Up The Octagon Centre

6/10 If you’re a fan of Tommy Cooper’s punslinging then Tim Vine’s latest tour is almost certainly worth a look-in.

For most, Vine will be recognisable for his ten minute appearance as a guest comedian on Live at The Apollo.

Unfortunately, ten minutes is a more appropriate slot than a full show for a set of Vine’s fashioning.

Although boundlessly talented and dexterous with language, his material can become exhaustive as gag upon gag is driven at you without the respite to absorb some of the more complex wordplay.

Vine’s comedy plays on

percentages, promoting laughter in patches rather than a relentless bellyaching.

This is not to detract from the material but it takes a muscular concentration to stick with his end-of-the-pier style without coming away feeling slightly fatigued.

This is light entertainment after all…

It is with mild relief that Vine doesn’t attempt to restore his status as a world record holder.

Across 2004/2005 he briefly held the record for most jokes told in one hour with just shy of 500 gags!

As the act winds towards its end some of the more recognisable material comes out with Vine reprising ‘Alarm Bells’ and welcoming the surreal Flag Hippo on stage.

Given the atmosphere of the Octagon, Vine drew the most he could out of a restless and reluctant audience.

For those who enjoy frivolous and family-friendly comedy, Vine is perfect but others may find one night a little too much.

Tim Wood

Tom Childs

Photo: DiamondGeyser/flickr

Sheffield Originals.

Forge Radio schedule

Listen online at www.forgeradio.com, in the Union or at The Edge

Tue

Wed

Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

9 - 10.30am Kerry Dragon

9 - 10.30am No Comment

9 - 10.30am Morning Love

9 - 10.30am Bro, Bob & Bren

10:30 - 12.00am Who’s This Joker?

12 - 1.30pm No Rhyme Nor Reason

10.30am - 12pm The James Kenny Show

10.30am - 12pm Danni Hunt

10.30am - 12pm Jack & Harriet

10.30am - 12pm Philip Brown

9 - 10.30am The Adventures of Jess

12 - 1.30pm Luke Wiechula

1.30 - 3pm Gutter Music

12 - 1.30pm Is Right, Laa

12 - 1.30pm Film Unit

1.30 - 3pm Whole Lotta Rock

3 - 5pm SRA Chart Show

1.30 - 3pm Alex & Carlo

1.30 - 3pm Holden & Trigg

12 - 1.30pm Let’s Call The Afternoon Off

3 - 4pm Amy and Polly

5 - 6.30pm Bethan and Max

3 - 4pm Breakfast

3 - 4pm Breakfast

4.30 - 6pm Weekend Kickback

6.30 - 8pm The Melting Pot

4 - 4.30pm News Desk

4 - 4.30pm Backchat

6 - 7.30pm Down The Line

8 - 9.30pm Songs About Girls

4.30 - 6pm A Little Bit of What You Fancy

4.30 - 6pm The New Music Show

7.30 - 9pm Soon I Will Be Invincible

9.30 - 11pm The Wind Up

12 - 1.30pm Pop! Goes The Weasel 1.30 - 3pm Tim Rodber 3 - 4pm Breakfast 4 - 4.30pm Muse/Mashing & STOP! SABBYTIME! 4.30 - 6pm Unseen

6 - 7.30pm Straight Outta Crookesmoor

7.30 - 9pm Cool Beans

7.30 - 9pm Amplify!

9 - 11pm The Jazz Show

9 - 11pm Sam Moir

11pm - 1am Crusty Dub Meets...

11pm - 1am Banana Hill Radio

7.30 - 9pm Brewing Up Trouble 9 - 11pm Reverb 11pm - 1am More Than Welcome

Get involved.

12 - 1.30pm Off the Record 1.30 - 3pm 2 Lads & a Couple of Mics

1.30 - 3pm Liana Live!

3 - 4pm Breakfast

3 - 4pm Breakfast

4 - 4.30pm News Desk 4.30 - 6pm Giulia & the Journos 6 - 7.30pm The Troublesome Gentlemen 7.30 - 9pm Never Far From Wrong 9 - 11pm B-Side 11pm - 1am Come on Trev!

4 - 4.30pm Talk To Us! 4.30 - 6pm Legendary Knights 6 - 7.30pm The Late Show w/ Ashley 7.30 - 9pm Weekend Warm-Up

9 - 11pm Small Ideas 11pm - 1am The Nihilist Gardening Hour

9 - 11pm House Bandits (CM) 11pm - 1am Paul Beauchamp

Want to write for Music, Games, Art or Screen? Are you a photographer or artist?

Contact: fuse@forgetoday.com or Contact: contribute@forgetoday.com

Fuse.

6 - 7.30pm Sports Desk

6 - 7.30pm FUSE

10.30am - 12pm That Friday Show

Friday May 20 2011

Mon

15

Fuse.previews Friday May 20 - Thursday June 2 2011

Fuse Preview: Cinderella The UK’s most popular choreographer, Matthew Bourne returns to the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 May with his new production of Cinderella.

Created to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Blitz. Cinderella is a thrilling and evocative journey through London during the Second World War. A chance meeting results in a magical night for Cinderella and her dashing young RAF pilot, together just long enough to fall in love before being parted by the horrors of the Blitz.

Tickets for Cinderella can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at Sheffield theatres.co.uk and are priced from £20.00 - £34.00, discounts available.

Fuse Previews: Upcoming Productions Hobson’s Choice @ The Crucible; Thursday May 26 to Saturday 25th June; £10 Harold Brighouse’s brilliantly observed northern comedy is about growing up, moving on and getting out. Barrie Rutter, Artistic Director of Halifax-based Northern Broadsides, plays the title role of Henry Horatio Hobson and is supported by a large cast.

Sat 21

Sun 22

Give it A Go: Curling @ Student Union; 2pm; £3 Give it a Go has teamed up with IceSheffield to give you the opportunity to try the region’s latest sport. You’ve seen it played in the Winter Olympics so now try it yourself. Curling is a sport that everyone can play. Wear trainers for the curling session. Ice skates are provided for the skating session.

Wear warm clothing and bring a pair of gloves.

Shuffle presents Twisted Revision @ Plug; 10:30pm; £5.

Twisted was the first night club pioneer vocal electro house music.

Guests artists included Steve Angello,Axwell, Shapeshifters, Dave Spoonn and Chris Lake.

On Saturday, Twisted is returning to Plug for one special night. In the live room you can listen to the best of chart. Any fans of House music or anyone who just wants a break from revision, head down.

The Sunday Screening: The King’s Speech @ Interval Cafe; 8:30pm; Free Historical Drama starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter.

The Kings Speech charts the personal relationship that developed between England’s reluctant King George VI, plagued by a nervous stammer, and his irreverent Australian speech therapist.

Fri 27 Covert @ Plug; 10:30pm; £4 Covert at Plug has been attracting students since it started. In the Main Room you can listen to all the latest Chart hits, whereas in the Back Room you can find Dubstep, electro and drum and bass.

Stone Run @ The Corporation; 7pm; £4 Stone run is the result of three local Tasmanian musicians joining forces with the musical stylings of the outrageously lyrical Keith Nicholson.

A Scotsman who has travelled the globe in the techno music scene as writer/producer with releases with Wavelab and Transonic.

Sheffield Sizzler @ Crucible Corner, Tudor Square, Theatre; Friday 3 June; Free.

Artists and performers from Sheffield grassroots performance scene, will present a mix on offer in the city. Being staged at the theatre, in Tudor Square and in Crucible Corner, audiences are invited to grab a drink or snack at the Crucible bar or Crucible Corner and experience.

Tea is an Evening Meal @ The Adelphi Room; Thursday May 26 to Saturday May 28; £8 This is a theatre experience with a difference. For just 13 people, the audience gathers round a dinner table for this, intriguing and interactive show about Northern teatime rituals. Sharing personal experiences, gathered stories and a nice cuppa.

Fri 20

David R Black @ Corporation; 7pm; £5 Supported by New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack, Nasmyth Row and Septic Enema. This is a three piece alternative art-Rock band from Manchester. Fans of the genre, make sure to get down there and check it out.

email: listings@forgetoday.com

Mon 23

Tues 24

Wed 25

Hayseed Dixie @ The Corporation; 7pm; £15 Is there really such a thing as a hillbilly band covering rock classics?

You betcha. They are called Hayseed Dixie and they play Rockgrass.

Supported by Black Spiders and The Clench.

400 Years of King James’s Bible- The Books That Make The Bible: From The 1500s To The Present Day @ Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul; 10:30am; Free Follow the tale of English bibles from the 1300s, the days of Wycliffe’s hand-written bible, and its Latin predecessor, and discover why two South Yorkshire contributions to the BBC’s History of the World have a place in the King James story.

Children For Breakfast Present: Parts and Labor @ The Harley; 7:30pm; £7 Children For Breakfast are extremely excited to be back in the game.

To celebrate this we’re heading back to one of our favourite venues with one of our favourite bands from the everimpressive Jagjaguwar

Colourmusic @ The Harley; 8pm; £5.50 Welcome to the beautifully strange world of Colourmusic, a place where concept albums, an LP named “My _____ is Pink” in this case, have nothing to do with structured narratives or loosely-linked lyrics.

More like musical walls that must be climbed, whether that means shunning acoustic guitars or modeling the rhythm section of some songs after metronomic sex act.

Cellar Fest Events presents Heart in Heart Album Launch @ Plug; 7pm; £6 Cellar Fest Events presents Heart in hand, Only Memories Northern Album Launch, with support from Polar and more. Heart in Hand are a melodic hardcore band from the South coast of the UK, mixing furious hardcore with crushing breakdowns and emotional lyrical content

Sat 28

Sun 29

Mon 30

Tues 31

Wed 1

Give it A Go: Yorkshire Wildfire Park @ Glossop Road to entrance to Bar One; 10:15pm; £13.50 Take a walk on the wild side and encounter animals from all over the world in their natural habitat. There is plenty to see as the park is home to a wide range of animals from Madagascan lemurs to friendly wallabies.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park also houses some of the rarest and endangered African carnivores and has recently rescued 13 lions from Romania.

Rampage ft. Soul Shredder @ The Corporation; 7pm; £4 With support from Goat Leaf and Firegarden, enjoy three bands and then two rooms of Room of Rock and Metal from DJ Random Rich and Metalsammlung.

Sade @ O2 Academy; 6:30pm; £23 The British singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.

She first achieved success in the 1980s as the front woman and lead vocalist of the popular Brit and Grammy Award winning English group Sade.

Quintessential Cocktails @ Interval Cafe Bar; 8pm; Free It‘s cocktail happy hour all night on a Wednesday and we have something for everyone’s palate. If you like classic cocktails try one of our range of Mojitos.

Showcomotion 2011-Small World Shorts @ Showroom Cinema; 11am; £2 A special programme of animation from the Small World international short film festival. These are the best short animated films from around the world. None of the films have any dialogue but use great film making techniques to tell unique and interesting stories.

South Yorkshire Sailing Club Open Day; 1pm; Free A Open Day for South Yorkshire Sailing Club.

Come and chat about membership, enjoy a free sail on the 80 acre reservoir, and sample the fantastic facilities.

The club is open to all whether your new to sailing or you’re a experienced sailor, SYSC would be delighted to accept you in to the club.

If you enjoy sailing, make sure to check it out

With The Punches@ Corporation; 6pm; £6 With the Punches is made up of five guys with a passion for music and a drive to succeed.

Every member of With the Punches grew up listening to music at a time when it actually meant something. You will find no over the top choreography, no gimmicks, no silly hair cuts, just plain music.

Jason Collett @ The Harley; 7:30pm; £7 Jason Collett is a Toronto based singer-songwriter.

He recently joined forces with fellow Canadians in an independently produced film project.

Thurs 26 Set Your Goals @ The Corporation; 7pm; £10 Supported by A Loss For Words, This TIme Next Year and Decade. Set Your Goals are a a San Francisco, California based pop punk band with hardcore influences and dueling vocalists formed in 2004. The band name comes from melodic hardcore band CIV’s first album, Set Your Goals.

John Cooper Clarke @ Foundry; 7pm; £12 John Cooper Clarke, the legendary performance poet, is considered a major figure in punk poetry and punk literature, having opened for acts such as Sex Pistols, The Fall, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Thurs 2

Michael Ball @ City Hall; 8pm; £36 Michael Ball, Britain’s leading musical theatre star, multi-platinum recording artist, TV and radio presenter and Olivier Award winner, will be hitting the road once more across the breadth of the UK to perform a brand new show; ‘Heroes’. Aptly named, Michael will be performing some of his own hits tributes to stars of past and present. A dynamic performer, this should not be missed.