Fuse Issue 82

Fuse.

Contours Festival 2015 SpecialEffect Mental health and the arts Queer Presence Film Fest

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Thursday April 23 2015

Short Fuse.

Comments and rants on entertainment news.

Please, sir... we want some more games to be released soon

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his fortnight our Games editors had a pretty hard time trying to pick new releases to put in the reviews pages, for the very simple reason that bugger all is coming out at the moment.

For years now, the spring has become an increasingly empty period in the annual release calendar, a no-man’s-land between the piles of AAA titles shipped in time for Christmas and the landslide of games that get released in the summer months.

But why this enormous drought from March to May? Because of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Since its inauguration in 1995, E3 has grown into a mammoth in the gaming industry. Every year, journalists flock from all over the world to see big-name developers tease them with pre-alpha footage of games that don’t have a release date, but which you can still pre-or-

der for £80 to receive the Special Edition which comes in a steel box complete with a book of artwork bound in the developer’s skin.

But why is this overblown circus still running? We live in a world of 24-hour news cycles, where websites are constantly updated with news of changing release dates, which games are going to be exclusive to which consoles, and which games are getting patches that make tiny differences to which consoles. In that environment, having the corporate equivalent of a town crier decreeing upcoming releases once a year can’t help but feel a little quaint.

It’s not as if E3 is the only event of its kind, either. There are gaming events happening across the world all year long, and many of them are much more inclusive. Huge events like the San Diego ComicCon, or even smaller ones like the

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A quick look at some of the entertainment stories from the past fortnight which were too interesting, funny or downright bizarre to overlook.

Phil Bayles

The great Curzon kerfuffle

n Friday April 10, the latest film by Ruben Östlund was released in the UK. Force Majeure is a wonderful comedy about the façade of masculinity.

My anticipation to sing its praises on the day of release was quelled by a statement made by the Showroom, saying that the film’s UK distributor Curzon Film World would not allow them to show Force Majeure, or any other Curzon films. The Showroom is only able to screen Force Majeure two weeks after its release on April 24.

Curzon released its own online statement defending the move as “standard industry practice”.

Now ah’m no big city lawyer or nuthin’. Nor am I an expert on film distribution. In fact, my business knowhow is zilch. All that being said, it does seem awfully fishy that this situation has arisen since the Curzon opened its own cinema at the beginning of the year.

At the time of writing Curzon is

In Case You Missed It

Eurogamer Expo in Leeds, are also opportunities for the public to come together and share their love of videogames and ridiculous costumes.

But since E3 is closed off to the wider public, all that we can do is sit hunched by our computers waiting for updates and livestreams, like Victorian urchins with their noses pressed against a butcher shop window.

Like the Hollywood studios that can now get away with showing us a 10-second teaser for a 90-second trailer, E3 and its ridiculous awards given out to whoever turned up with the best demo serve only as a reminder of how increasingly huge sums of money have robbed developers of their senses.

Sadly, there’s no cure for viral marketing.

the only cinema in Sheffield showing Force Majeure. By blocking the Showroom, they have effectively eliminated the competition.

“Curzon has fucked over our local independent cinema” The two cinemas regularly screen the same films, but as soon as one comes under its distribution arm, Curzon has chosen to exercise its power in order to fuck over our local independent cinema.

I remember speaking to film friends before Curzon opened up shop here. They worried over potential clashes with the Showroom.

The big London-based corporation in the world of arthouse films coming to supplant the beloved local In one of the most beautiful videos we’ve seen on the internet in a long while, Professor Stephen Hawking ran over fellow phyicist Brian Cox this fortnight, before blasting off into space in his wheelchair. No, we didn’t make that up. The 73 year-old was recording his own rendition of ‘The Galaxy Song’ from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life as part of the comedy legends’ reunion tour.

purveyor of all things subtitled.

Back then, I fought Curzon’s corner, lauding the new cinema and their on-demand service as offering more platforms to see world cinema outside of London.

Now I feel naïve believing that Curzon prioritised audience exposure over profit, and a little bit betrayed (melodramatic right?).

Curzon Sheffield is a lovely cinema with comfy seats and friendly staff. Plus, they project their films properly, which annoyingly can’t be said for other cinema chains.

Their tickets, however, are more expensive, so students and cinephiles on a budget should be able to turn to the Showroom as a more viable option.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Showroom Workstation Chief Executive Ian Wild gave the final word and what distribution should mean: “The important thing is it’s available and it’s accessible to audiences.”

Joe Brennan First we had Arnie getting run over by two animated meerkats in a golf cart, but now it’s Sylvester Stallone’s turn to sell out in the most bizarre way possible. The Rocky star has made an advert for Warburtons in which he pitches a film called ‘The Deliverers’, about a crack team of specialists delivering bread... in Bolton. Laugh all you want (we certainly did), but it can’t be any worse than the second or third Expendables films.

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Thursday April 23 2015

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y the time you read this, Forge Press will have had its annual AGM - the only event that any of us bother to leave the Media Hub for apart from Christmas, or the unlikely event that someone sets the Students’ Union on fire.

Your humble Fuse editors will have been replaced by new, younger models, leaving us alone to wonder what we did wrong, crying in a foetal position in the corner of the Hub with a bottle of gin to ease the pain.

In all seriousness, we’re so bloody sad that we have to leave this job.

We’ve had an absolutely amazing year working with some of the best editors and contributors. And, if we’re totally honest, there’s nothing like the rush of power you get from bossing eight other people around on a regular basis.

Consider this our last hurrah, and boy is it a doozy. Your section editors have pulled out all the stops with four cracking features.

In their continuing quest to highlight alternative cinema, Screen went along to Queer Presence - a one-day queer film fesitival in the heart of Sheffield, while Music look

to the the future with an interview with the people behind the Contours festival, which is organised entirely by students right here at the University.

Arts get even more intimate than usual, as our editors Chloe and Joss talk openly about the effect that the arts have had on their mental health, while Games carries on from last issue with a look at an amazing charity called SpecialEffect, which makes specialised equipment to help people with disabilities play videogames.

We’re gutted to be going, but

we can’t wait to pass the baton to the next generation of editors.

Next issue will be our handing over, where we’ll work with the new team to show them the ropes. Then after that, we take off the training wheels and let them go it alone for the last issue of the year. Whoever comes after us, we’re sure that they’ll have some amazing ideas for the future of Fuse.

No, we’re not crying. We just have something in our eye.

Editorial.

We want to say a huge thank you to Ruby Gullon, Sophie Maxwell, Nicholas Moody, Phillie Spottiswoode and Robin Wilde for designing our amazing front covers this year. You guys rock.

Phil Bayles & Kate Lovatt

Megumi Igarashi’s vagina canoe isn’t more heinous than a penis

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ast week Megumi Igarashi, a Japanese artist, went to court for making a kayak modelled on her vagina. Igarashi is defending her art under her freedom of expression, despite facing obscenity charges.

This is not the first time the artist has been arrested for obscenity. Last July, after sharing digital files containing a 3D scan of her genitalia to people in return for donations, Igarashi was arrested.

Yet, even though she was released days later following a campaign defending freedom of expression, she was rearrested in December and charged with obscenity.

But is making a vagina boat obscene? Far from it. Igarashi claims that her vagina selfies are not obscene, arguing that the piece isn’t a precise replica and that it doesn’t

cause sexual arousal – thank goodness that it doesn’t.

What Igarashi has managed to challenge with her piece of art is not how a vagina looks as a kayak but, more importantly, the double standards imposed across Japanese culture. Every April the Kanamara Penis Festival takes place in the city of Kawasaki, near Tokyo, drawing thousands of visitors to view 3D images of the male genitalia. If male models of penises can be viewed, why can’t vaginas?

Japan’s treatment of sexual imagery has also come under scrutiny as a result of Igarashi. The country’s obscenity laws ban the depiction of female genitalia, pixelating it within images and videos, yet, once again, openly show male genitalia.

The kayak that has been created challenges how Japan approaches

the female form, bringing into question why the it is hidden more than the male. By creating the kayak Igarashi is, in her words, “demystifying”, the vagina. With a culture that has such a strong pornographic industry, it is surprising how one piece of art can be clamped down on with so much force.

The wonder that is the vagina kayak exposes more about Japan’s attitude to sex than Igarashi could ever have imagined. Her artwork isn’t obscene, in fact it’s the opposite of obscene. It is testament to the fact that the female figure is often far too oppressed within society. Who knew a kayak in the shape of a vagina could bring that point to the forefront?

very beginning that the future of emerging artists isn’t Tidal’s main concern. During the pompous press conference held in New York stars like Beyoncé, Madonna and Kanye West (who all partly own the platform) made their appearance to support the service and stress how important it is for artists to monetise their music. Like hearing such complaints from a bunch of millionaire musicians can possibly move the hearts of music fans.

If Tidal really wanted to make a change it would have focused more on upcoming artists and would have

given them the chance they so desperately need for their sound to be heard. Small artists’ interests haven’t even been mentioned and the press conference seemed no more than a presentation for the music elite by the music elite.

Worse still, Tidal hasn’t really clarified its royalty structure and there’s no concrete proof of how it’s going to pay the artists more compared to Spotify or Deezer. If the platform was as transparent as it claims it would have explained how much the artists, especially the smaller ones, are going to get per

stream.

Maybe Jay-Z didn’t realise disclosing this information was necessary before calling Tidal “the service which will revolutionize the music industry”. An artist-owned platform sounds like an excellent initiative to re-establish the value of music, but there’s no doubt Tidal is doing it all wrong.

Joss Woodend

The tide goes out for Tidal

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wo weeks ago the rap star Jay-Z formally launched his new music subscription service, Tidal; the first streaming platform owned by artists which promises to re-establish the value of music, offer a better service to fans and adequately compensate musicians. How this is going to magically happen remains unclear.

Tidal’s $20 high-quality subscription, which is what the company prides itself on, is ridiculously overpriced. With music sales in decline since 2004 you have to wonder who’s going to pay $20 for a plat-

form which offers very little added value.

In what way is this service revolutionary when most music fans can’t afford it? No wonder Tidal’s already been branded “a club for music’s one percent”.

Looking at the impact Tidal might have on the music industry the future doesn’t seem brighter. By charging a high price and making big names exclusive to its platform, Tidal is likely to cause a rise in illegal music downloads, in turn negatively affecting upcoming artists.

It’s been clear, however, from the Fans of 90s Britpop may be in for a treat, after a rumour surfaced earlier this week that Oasis may be getting back together. Reports appeared online suggesting that Noel and Liam Gallagher are finally on good terms and are ‘considering’ reforming the band. After the lukewarm reception of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, a revamped Oasis could hardly do worse.

Mortal Kombat has unexpectedly become the latest player in the fight for greater LGBT representation in videogames. In the newly released Mortal Kombat X, new character Kung Jin is revealed to be gay in a cutscene. Not bad for a game series in which you can punch people so hard you get an x-ray view of their bones breaking in slow motion.

Arianna Fazio

Thursday April 23 2015

4 The work of Oxfordshire-based charity SpecialEffect is not only innovative, but humble. Providing videogame experiences that are tailored to each individual need, the group aims to promote the therapeutic values of fun, while also advancing technology beyond the realm of gaming. Their project Eyegaze, for example, seeks to develop software that lets you control a game simply by looking at it; such stunning research expands the potential of a medium that is often omitted from the realms of wellbeing, and theoretical value. We spoke with Mark Saville from SpecialEffect to hear more about their vision.

Could you tell us about what SpecialEffect does?

Essentially we’re helping people with disabilities to enjoy the benefits of playing games, on the most basic level. But it extends a lot further from just having fun, really; it’s about being able to join that community, promoting inclusion and self-confidence.

We’re discovering hidden benefits from day to day, hearing back from the people we’ve helped.

Which games do you work with, and how do you do it?

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people we help want to play the big games, like Fifa and GTA, which is understandable; the idea is that we help people join in with everyone else.

We’re a pretty small organisation, with three teams of people who set up our systems across the UK. Each disability is different, which means each adaption we make is unique; sometimes, when it comes to things like hand dexterity, an alteration by as little as a few millimetres can make all the difference.

We don’t charge anything. We just decided to do whatever it takes to help people, and we’re so humbled to have so many people supporting us.

Can you give us some examples of the hidden benefits you’ve found to the SpecialEf-

fect setups?

Most of all, we’ve found that it brings people together. When once they had to watch their friends having fun, the people we’ve helped can now join in.

For instance, our work extended to helping a 70-year-old man who’d suffered a stroke reconnect with his nephew. In the case of severe disabilities, the chance to immerse themselves in a videogame not only suggests potential therapeutic benefits, but also gives parents some respite.

We see small benefits in so many different ways, but the best thing is seeing families and friends growing together.

What inspired you to start the charity?

It all started with Dr Mick Donegan, the founder of the charity, and his work within another group that helped bring accessible technology into schools.

Although the charity helped communication and education within the disabled community, he found so often that this support was restricted to schools.

Very often, we find the people we work with can’t play things like football, as the majority of their friends can. What gaming is doing is levelling that playing field; the people we’ve met want a similar sense of competition, and a sense of escapism. With this, gaming can help every type of player learn about experiences and people in a different way.

How do you try and oppose the opinion that gaming is a negative, undeveloped medium?

At the moment, we’re trying to obtain research against the whole idea that video games are just for the 13-year-old boy in his bedroom. We still get articles about the negative aspects of gaming, with many journalists wanting to jump on the bandwagon.

But I think the stigma is slowly changing, thanks to the increased scope of gaming, and the way people are getting more creative with it, all over the world. Also there’s the demographic thing, those 13-year-olds are now 23, so this generation take it more seriously!

Can your research be inspiring to technological advancement as a whole?

He found a lot of parents saying, ‘hang on, our kids still need a quality of life at home: how are they going to play with their friends after 3pm, or in holidays?’ So SpecialEffect aims to use similar research for entertainment purposes, which are just as valuable.

I would say our eye-gaze and StarGaze projects go beyond gaming. If we can install software that gives someone with paralysis, for example, a means to independence and communication, it can be life-changing. And industry changing.

What purpose do you feel games have in the disabled community, and in every community?

How has the money raised from GameBlast15 helped the charity so far?

On a practical level, it has allowed us to plan

SpecialAffection: Facilitating gaming in the disabled community

for the future. The charity has been able to expand, yet all of the money still goes directly into funding every aspect of the work we do, from putting petrol in cars, to buying peripherals and software for each need.

What have been the biggest struggles and successes of SpecialEffect to date?

I think a significant struggle has been keeping pace with the progress of technology.

When the new gen consoles came out, we sat around looking at the handsets, like ‘hang on a minute, how are we going to adapt that?’

Things like facial recognition and virtual reality technology have a lot of potential in our research, but we’re just trying to keep tabs on all of them.

Our greatest success is probably that we’re still here! It sounds terribly cheesy, but the ability to continue helping more and more people is the best thing. And it’s not just in terms of expanding our reach; often we can go back if people’s conditions change to adapt their setup. It’s so reassuring to think we’ve been around long enough to do that.

Finally, how can we get involved?

Fundraising for us is vital, and we love the sheer variety of ways our supporters do it.

Charity streaming is often what gamers do best, which is fantastic. But we’ve had other weird fundraising ideas, like people cutting off their hair, tattoos; one twelve-year old decided to do a sponsored scooter for us!

We love the little ways to fundraise, and it all helps so much. Nevertheless, we’re in need of more regular donations to keep us moving forward. If you can give the price of a cup of coffee a week, you could entirely change someone’s way of life.

Words: Samantha Fielding Photos: SpecialEffect www.specialeffect.org.uk

Thursday April 23 2015

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Music editor Rachel Bell caught up with Contours festival organiser Rebecca Elvidge about the evolution of the event and how she imagines its future...

What have you got planned for this year’s festival?

Well this year, we’ve got four stages, so we’ve downsized since last year – last year we had more stages, and it was spread further across the city. I think we just found out that it was a bit inconvenient for people, I mean it was still good, we attracted a big crowd and raised lots of money, but it’s a bit more localised this year.

This year, we’re having acoustic acts in the University’s beer garden – probably from about 2pm until 8pm.

Then we’ve got folk and blues in the garden of the University Arms from noon until 4pm. Obviously with us having two outside venues, I’m praying for good weather – it’s a festival, it should be outdoors. And we’ve also got two indoor stages, because you can’t predict the weather. So then we’ve got metal in the upstairs of the University Arms from noon until 4pm, so that’s really exciting as we’ve never had metal before, and Sheffield’s got a good scene for that.

Finally, I’m not too sure what’s happening in Studio, but Forge Presents are organising that which should be good. That’s happening from 2pm until 9pm and then we’ve got a DJ in Bar One later until 1am. We’ve got all of our genres sorted, so it’s musicians next!

And what’s this year’s charity?

It’s a charity called the Long Well Walk, and it’s pretty exciting because they are in the process of sorting out a stall at the festival. It’s a charity based in Sheffield that links our community to communities across Africa raising awareness about clean water there. They’ve got plans to carry this theme onto their stall, so selling quirky things like handmade jewellery which should hopefully create some festival vibes and generate some interest in it. I think it’s a real asset for us!

What I really wanted to talk about was how you think the festival has evolved. This is the festival’s third year – so how do you think that the festival has changed?

It’s only my second year on the festival so I’m not too sure how the first year went, but I know that last year we raised over £1000.

That’s always been the aim – to attract a strong crowd where people enjoy themselves, and to raise as much money for charity as possible. It was brought into discussion this year as to whether or not the festival itself should make any profit, but it was decided against. I’m glad it was actually, because that’s what sets the festival apart, the fact that it’s not for profit. And I think that we’ve progressed in the fact that we know what we are doing and where we are going, we are running things a lot more smoothly.

This year it seems so much more professional - I’ve gone from marketing to operations and you’re working with a smaller group of people, because sometimes it can be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. We want the festival to be well regarded in its own right. I want to really push it this year because it’s my last year here and it would be great if we could establish it well enough so that the next group of students can easily take it over.

And finally, the last thing that wanted to discuss is how you envisage the festival in the coming years – I mean what are your hopes for the future of Contours?

I think that I would really like to see it getting out there more. Getting more stalls involved would be great to see, as would getting more local businesses involved. I would love to see it grow even more. It’s not like we are looking to be the next Glastonbury or anything, but it would be nice for Contours to become something well known in the city where people can make the most of their bank holiday weekend!

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Thursday April 23 2015

Speakin

g Out

Words: Chloe Coleman and Joss Woodend Design: Joshua Hackett and Joss Woodend

Thursday April 23 2015

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For this issue’s feature, arts editors Chloe Coleman and Joss Woodend share their experiences with mental health, and how the arts has helped them with their illnesses.

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held the beautiful contraption in my hands. After saving and putting half towards it, my parents and I had teamed up and bought me a second hand Nikon D100 DSLR camera. It was 2007, and with an onslaught of loneliness and low self-confidence, I was beginning my unknown journey into the depths of adolescence. But this wonderful device, was about to become my flotation device, if you will, as I learnt to swim against the waves of depression and self hatred.

“ I devoured books at an alarming rate: the written word was my nutrition”

That winter held the first snow day I’d ever had the joy to experience. I was beyond myself with early teenage excitement as I threw back the curtains that morning and was greeted by

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uring Easter I read my first full book in over a year. I’ve picked up countless books Gone Girl, Game of Thrones, Brideshead Revisited - and not been able to read a single one. For an Arts Editor, a person who shares their passion for the arts every day, that’s hard to admit.

“The power of the arts should never be underestimated” Depression hits you like a hypnotist. It first hypnotised me when I was 12, and has left me under its influence ever since. He’s a hard guy to fight off, very persuasive and convincing that you’re not under anything at all, in fact the opposite.

That you’re perfectly fine. But I never have been, and it’s taken me until now to try and wake myself.

I’ve been a bit of a fuck up the past few years, pushing everyone and anyone that cares about me away. The arts is no exception to that. I didn’t appreciate how much it has been there for me, given me room to breathe, until recently.

a blinding wonderland of snow that had only been touched by the tiny footprints of my younger brother.

It was also the first day I took my camera out properly, the first day I realised that I’d found my “thing”, as it were. The quality of these images became a huge sense of worth. But it was, and still is, so much more than that.

Behind that camera, you have a perspective that no one else has, you are the fly on the wall. Quite frankly, when I am behind my camera, it is the only time my mind will stop racing. The sense of still overcomes me, and there is no escape quite like it.

On top of this, I devoured books at an alarming rate: the written word was my nutrition. A particular novels that resonated with me was To Kill a Mockingbird, my budding interest in social injustice and the beautiful imagery and freedom of Scout’s youth was a fantastic escape. I read exquisite novels, and I read total trash, but all of it kept me ticking over.

Thumbing through a well read copy of anything kept me afloat.

Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down was a weird combination of terrifying and comforting; but it was a book I was so

It has always allowed me an escape from myself, and always been there when I’m at my lowest.

Whether it was picking up a pen to draw and write, or immersing myself in a novel, the arts have always been there, waiting to catch me like the world’s softest cushion. The sort of cushion you’d find in John Lewis, one of the ones that’s really expensive but worth every penny.

I’ve read countless books that tackle the subject of mental health – Manic: A Memoir by Terri Cheney, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel, Red Tears by Joanna Kenrick. Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in literature as a way of coping, as a way of feeling like somebody else understood.

Wurtzel struck a real chord with me, describing herself in a way that felt all too familiar: “I feel like a defective model, like I came off the assembly line flat-out fucked and my parents should have taken me back for repairs before the warranty ran out”.

Reading novels over the years has allowed me to find a deeper understanding of how I was feeling and, in a way, find the courage to speak out.

My connection to art has been no

glad I found. A story of five people who all coincidentally met on top of a multistory car park on New Year’s Eve, all of them battling with depression.

“Thumbing through a well read copy of anything kept me afloat”

Not to forget, graphic novels provided solace, a beautiful combination of both escapist stories and capturing artwork. My most favourite was Watchmen, a combination of comedy and disturbing darkness that was difficult to read at times, just because it was so scary.

Arts is massively expressive, and is a fantastic way of showing your emotion, and it’s never too late to start. I started drawing at 16, and in my arts classes, there were so many people that were so much better at me at this. At first it really got me down, but with some perseverance, it really did become a saving grace.

different, and I spent my time as a teenager using it to both express myself and get rid of some of my anger.

My final GCSE Art project centred on a person’s experience of depression and self-harm, and to represent this I decorated a plain, white cupboard. On the outside the cupboard remained plain, as if nothing was wrong, yet on the inside I had splashed it with red paint, incessant thoughts that ran through my brain, names that people had called me over the years, and a doll that sat alone in the corner – hair a mess, blood all over her, cuts on her arms. The irony of it all is the A* I received at the end.

My use of art didn’t stop there, and in my A Levels I created a large painting of a face, one side happy, one side sad, and a fabric hanging that represented feelings of decay, full of ripped holes and damaged photographs.

Art gave me a way to express what I was feeling on the inside, and to release some of the emotion out before it could damage me any further. At the time I didn’t realise it, but now I look back and see how

Being able to make a vision of how depression affects you is an invaluable skill and an extremely soothing process. The finished article doesn’t have to be something you planned, or even resemble what you wanted it to in the beginning. The process is what matters.

I found this with still life, I used so many bold colours in my images of what were originally boring, everyday objects. They became things of fantasy and movement.

Theatre is an artistic outlet that should never be overlooked. Although sometimes expensive to see in your local venue, immersing yourself in drama societies or choirs is free, or in the case of here at the University of Sheffield, very cheap, and extremely therapeutic.

If you’re not the stage star type then there is always watching student performances. Seeing a play come to life can be extremely cathartic. There’s something about seeing another character go through similar emotions, or in most cases, more dramatic scenarios and issues than you are experiencing.

We cannot encourage you to divulge in the arts enough; it’s beyond important to make you happy, or at least keep you busy. Involving yourself in societies here at Sheffield is a fantastic way to meet new people; and the more people you can talk to, the better.

much it kept me floating.

That’s not to say that I haven’t had the support of people as well. Naturally I have, and they know who they are. They’ve provided me with advice, hugs, patience, and cheese when most needed. Those people have kept me from falling further into a state of hypnotism.

“Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in literature as a way of coping”

But the sad truth is that one in every four people each year will experience some form of a mental health problem. I’m no stranger to that statistic, and neither are the majority of people that surround

“Graphic novels provided solace, a beautiful combination of both escapist stories and capturing artwork” Obviously, this is not the answer to mental health issues; but is simply a suggestion because it helped the both of us so much. One in four people deal with a mental health issue, and for most of those people it’s depression that they cope with every single day.

Chloe Coleman

my life. The people that surround yours.

Mental health affects countless numbers of people, and each person needs to find something specific to them that will help. Counselling, medication, and support have all helped me, but it is the arts that has given me the strength to carry on even when I felt I had nothing left.

Art can be therapeutic. It can allow you to express your feelings through writing, poetry, or drawing, or it can help you repair yourself by reading novels and viewing theatre or exhibitions. For its ability to calm, I thank it every day.

Somebody once asked me why I had so many books in my room and in response to him, I read because it helps me. The power of the arts should never be underestimated.

Joss Woodend

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Thursday April 23 2015

presenting

Sheffield’s Queer presence

This weekend, we celebrated queer identity...

Thursday April 23 2015

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...with a diy film festival

words by valeria vigilante

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n Saturday evening, when I was walking back home, I thought over the day I had just spent at the Queer Presence Film Festival.

I was tired and sleepy but I was happy, because I had a great day, full of laughter, good humour, and colourful life.

The one-day event was held in the Moor Theatre Delicatessen on a very sunny April Saturday. The place itself is lovely and - I swear I haven’t been paid to say this - you should go for a coffee and little chat with your friends. I’ll be back before the summer for sure.

The atmosphere was intimate and friendly. As I walked in I was at ease and felt like it was just a long film marathon with a bunch of friends. It was in fact a long journey into LGBT culture.

“Intimate and friendly” The Queer Presence Film Festival was created by LGBT Sheffield, The Friends of Edward Carpenter, E.D.E.N Film Productions and the Interplanetary Division, without any economic funds – they simply asked directors for a copy of their works - and it was entirely free.

Considering this lack of budget, the festival was amazing and showed all the different sides of the LGBT universe.

We started with an insight into the troubles that every teenager faces when s/he questions his/ her sexuality. Show Me Love is a Swedish 1998 movie about two girls, Agnes and Elin, who try to start a romantic relationship. The film is funny, enjoyable despite the subtitles, and delicate. It shows the struggles of being a teenager and the feeling of being different.

Moving from the ‘L’ to the ‘T’, we saw two witnesses about two completely different sides of being transgender with Beautiful

By Night and Toms.

In Beautiful By Night James Hosking explores the lives of three older drag queens in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area: Olivia Hart, Collette LeGrande and Donna Personna.

He follows them from the complicated make-up routine to their shows and later on as they make their way back home. In less than 30 minutes he gives a perfect picture of what a drag queen’s day looks like, by capturing the dark and the bright sides, the person behind the mask, their stories and their weaknesses.

The best part is

their stories about their first time putting some makeup on.

Ultimately, they are all beautiful in their honesty.

Toms: The Complex World of Female Love is a short film

by Coconut TV about the Thai phenomenon of tomboys, known as ‘Toms’.

“Who here knows who April Ashley is?”

By definition, a tomboy is a girl who acts and dresses in a masculine way and usually dates very feminine girls called ‘Dees’.

It explores the complex and wide world of the Toms and their fan bases on social networks, in particular on Instagram.

Who here knows who April Ashley is?

Honestly, I didn’t before Saturday. But the third section of the festival was all about her, featuring a Homotopia documentary about an exhibition of her life and then an interview with April herself.

Born as George Jamieson in 1935, she’s one of the first transsexuals to have had sex reassignment surgery. Since her secret was revealed in 1961, she has been at the centre of public attention, struggling to find work, and speaking out about her story and her dramatic fight to find a new identity. Watching the interview, what strikes most about her personality is her combination of calm and

strength. Her attitude seems to say, yeah, I’ve been through a tough life, some indiscreet attention doesn’t harm me too much.

The fourth section was a documentary about Edward Carpenter, a poet who lived in Sheffield during the Victorian era.

While Oscar Wilde was sent to jail because of his homosexuality, Carpenter moved in with his lover and partner-for-life George Merrill in 1898. Oscar, you should have moved to South Yorkshire.

“We kept laughing” Byephobia followed. It’s a documentary by E.D.E.N, a local LGBT film production company, which aims to destroy the common stereotypes and myths about bisexual people. The funny part was that they used a 1950s infomercial about homosexuals as inspiration.

The result is a brilliant three-minute-long video, with good quality directing and writing.

We kept laughing during the following section, which humorously explored the issues that queer people face regarding body image and weight. Performance artist Scottie’s doc-interview was outstanding, hilarious and remarkably honest. The philosophy behind it is quite simple: just asking queer people about their body issues, from simple questions about the kitchen area - their food habits, past diet and so on- to the bedroom.

By contrast, the story of Stavros Louca is both sad a n d

inspiring.

After entering the Mr Gay UK competition in 2014, Louca won and the following day he was disqualified because he wore the underwear the competition provided on his head. Why did he do it? They didn’t have his size: Louca weighs in at 30 stone.

The last section of the day was a way-too-long documentary about the Cockettes, 1970s San Francisco theatre group whose performers lived and played on the stage dressed as women, while keeping their beards. The result is original and quite eccentric.

The story behind the movie is rather interesting, but the film is slow and in some parts boring.

The large number of interviews it includes gives accuracy to the story for sure, but it doesn’t entertain the viewer.

Before the Divine Disco kicked off, we sat to watch I Am Divine, a 90-minute documentary about Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine. The entire festival was good, but if it wasn’t, this movie would make the event worthy of attention. Divine was Edna Turnblad in the original 1988 production of Hairspray.

“We were served some chocolate dog poo”

The documentary shows the exploding personality and outrageous life of Divine, who rewrote the concept of a drag queen by never limiting his life or his career. His philosophy is perfectly described at the end of John Waters’ seminal film Pink Flamingos, in which Divine famously eats fresh dog fæces.

Appropriately, we were served some chocolate dog poo as a tribute to Divine – quite disgusting, but pretty hilarious.

The Queer Presence Film Festival was a great experience. It had a wide range of video material covering different LGBT experiences and stories.

It’s impressive that the entire event was organised without any funds, only happening because of the voluntary action of the LGBT community.

I can’t wait for next year!

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Thursday April 23 2015

Fuse Games.

GRAND THEFT AUTO V (PC) Rockstar

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ore than a year and a half passed since Grand Theft Auto V first appeared on the old generation consoles, followed by a “remastered edition” for Xbox One and PS4, we have to ask whether the PC version is really worth it.

The city of Los Santos, in which the game takes place, is massive, yet filled with content you really can’t get enough of. There are tons of things to do from competing in car races, planning and executing heists, engaging in countless sports and hobbies or simply walking your dog to the park.

Despite large maps featuring in most modern games, none of them come even close to how much fun content is packed inside GTA V. The story revolves around three playable main characters this time,

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Monolith

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reimagining of a Wii classic, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D brings a massive title to the 3DS handheld system with a mighty bang.

Set in the vast world of the Bionis, you can play as Shulk and his companions as he undertakes his quest, and attempts to unravel the secrets of the titular Xenoblade weapon – the Monado.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D throws you straight in at the deep end, fighting against the Mechonis invasion, whilst teaching you the basics of combat.

The game is very learning intensive; you’ll fail a lot in the beginning trying to uncover the ins

CULT CORNER

GLITCHHIKERS

Silverstring Media 2014

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ne of the great, mostly untapped, wonders of gaming is that it can take mundane experiences and transform them into extraordinary art. And yet that is what Silverstring Media have done with Glitchhikers.

Released last year as a paywhat-you-like PC download, Glitchhikers blends surreal aesthetics with

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and outs, but the complexity of the battle system makes it all the more rewarding once you’ve cracked it.

Packed to the brim with side missions, this is a game that will keep you entertained for at least 100 hours.

and ability to save the game anywhere means it feels just as grandiose as it did on the big screen five years ago.

Most of the beautiful visuals hold together well, although the char-

‘The complexity of the battle system makes it all the more rewarding once you’ve cracked it’ Despite being ported from the Wii, the scale still compliments a small screen; the huge landscapes

minimalistic gameplay to produce a 20-minute experience that stays in the mind longer than your usual six-hour campaign.

You play a nameless, genderless driver, cruising along on an earlymorning highway, in a textureless world of black and purple. The radio plays moody, yet sleepy music, with interludes by a cryptic DJ who seems to be addressing you directly.

The lids on your eyes momentarily shut every now and then, placing you in a dream-like haze. You can’t stop driving though. All you

can do is change your speed and your lane. Whatever difference that makes.

Along your journey you pick up strange hitchhikers (crescent moon goddess?) that engage you in stranger conversations. Lines such as “Driving is a metaphor” and “Entropy is everywhere” are par for the course here.

Now I can sense your eyes drifting to another page, thinking: ‘oh, it’s another pretentious indie game that some beret-wearing hipster is trying to flog to me’, but bear with me here.

each with his unique background story and set of skills, which allows for some variety in mission design and keeps both the action and story fast paced thanks to the ability to swap between characters instantly, even if they are miles apart.

GTA V’s story, as with the whole series, is immature, filled with plotholes, and lacking the emotional depth seen in some other big titles, which have grown along with their fans, while GTA still feels like it is aimed for young people who legally can’t buy it.

The gameplay is near perfect and runs flawlessly; from controls and interface to multiplayer balance. For a game of this size, you would forgive a few bugs here and there, but there are none immediately obvious. This is the perfect console to PC port, a major improvement over GTA IV. Everything good in the original version is here; the added first-person view and the larger selection of songs and radio stations are still present. But what really sets the PC

version apart are the graphics. If you have a powerful enough gaming rig, then you’re in for a treat; new lighting models, post-processing effects, and additional levels of textures will leave you amazed. All those options can be changed, enabling the game to run on computers with lesser hardware components as well.

Another exclusive feature on PC is a video editor allowing users to record their gameplay, edit it with the many tools available and upload it for others to see.

Overall, there is no doubt that GTA V is one of the best open world games so far. The immersive, beautiful world, accompanied by the top-notch soundtrack, allow a perfect translation to PC. But if you have already experienced the game, especially on the new generation consoles, it may just feel like playing an old game, only in slightly higher quality.

acter models can sometimes look a bit washed out during combat.

The music has also transferred surprisingly well, and anyone who has played the ‘Guar Plains’ stage on Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS has had a taste of the orchestrated soundtrack packed into the game.

Nonetheless, such a large game can sometimes come with the feeling of getting lost, and spending hours looking for an NPC to finish a mission can become very tedious at times. The camera controls can also be a little clunky, as the New 3DS C-stick doesn’t feel as intuitive as it perhaps should.

Due to its complexity, the game is much more suited for the hardcore RPG fan than the casual gamer; there is an incredibly steep learning curve (one that I couldn’t handle myself five years ago when the game was first released), and there’s very little help in the form

of tutorials.

Yet all in all, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is a stunning, intense game that you won’t want to put down, and is definitely a perfect flagship title if you were thinking of investing in a New Nintendo 3DS.

What’s great about Glitchhikers is that there is a modicum of selfawareness about how ridiculous the dialogue is. It captures that nighttime mood, when everything seems profound, like when you philosophise in the shower (c’mon we all do it).

Interwoven into the conversations are self-conscious musings on how we create meaning throughout our lives. Rather than being lectured though, the game forces you to engage with its themes through the dialogue choices, and purposefully conservative gameplay, which is

then brought together with a stellar endgame choice.

Glitchhikers offers something different to anyone who plays it, but it can wriggle into your mind for days after you finished it.

You may even find yourself revisiting the highway after an evening cycling through an endless stream of Steam games. You boot the game up, and in one sleepdeprived blink you can finish it. But you’ll never stop thinking about it.

Tareq Omairi

Jay Harrison

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Joe Brennan

11

Thursday April 23 2015

Fuse Arts.

BOOK CORNER Remember Me This way Sabine Durrant

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abine Durrant’s novel Remember Me This Way provides a touching insight into the experiences of grief and domestic abuse, and is a worthy read. Her portrayal of the main character Lizzie’s experience of the loss of a close one resonates with the reader, leaving you with thoughts of how you would deal with a similar situation.

The novel revolves around Lizzie and her experience with the loss of her husband, Zach. After his death in a car accident in Cornwall, she struggles to deal with his loss and becomes gradually convinced that he is not dead. She becomes conscious that Zach is following her, watching her every move.

Durrant executes her portrayal of Lizzie’s loss perfectly, separating the text into both Lizzie’s and Zach’s experiences. Lizzie’s sections read as a commentary to modern life, and you read them as if each experience is happening with each page. Yet Zach’s sections are more reflective in response, slowly teasing the reader with informative snippets about their complex relationship.

As Zach’s diary entries intensify, and Lizzie becomes increasingly anxious about Zach’s presence, it begins to emerge that the pair’s relationship featured domestic abuse.

Durrant’s portrayal of this is harrowing, connecting the reader to Lizzie seemlessly. It becomes

THE KING’S SPEECH Lyceum

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man steps out in his underwear. Assorted household staff follow in his wake, dressing him, feeding him.

There is no more fitting introduction for Prince Albert, who starts out as an impeccable stereotype of British royalty – waited on 24/7.

It’s interesting that our first glimpse of Bertie should be of a man plain and unadorned. This is no doubt a deliberate choice to remind us that, outside the material trappings of the monarchy, he’s a man like any other.

The King’s Speech tells the tale of the challenged oratorical skills of Prince Albert, who was to became King George VI, and his relationship with an unconventional therapist.

This is set against a backdrop of family strife, the intrusion of new technology into the traditionally private life of the king, and the growing Nazi threat. All the ingredients of a great work of theatre are present.

quickly clear through Durrant’s writing that Lizzie is anxious of Zach’s return as a result of the abuse she experienced during their relationship.

Yet, above all, the author’s approach to the topic of grief is both brave and refreshing. It’s eyeopening to follow the experience of an individual’s journey of loss and domestic violence.

Remember Me This Way is an emotional novel that provides an insight into the effects of grief, and deserves to be read.

Joss Woodend

The Great Outdoors: Paintings by stanley Royle Graves Gallery

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ou can escape to the hills with the current exhibition at Graves Gallery, The Great Outdoors: Paintings by Stanley Royle.

An ‘adopted son of Sheffield’, Royle was renowned for his landscapes and this collection of works pays tribute to the great affection he felt towards the environs of our city.

The oil paintings are particularly impressive, demonstrating a masterful use of colour and light. The giant canvases are more like windows onto the outdoors, than mere wall decorations.

Royle truly understood the thousands of plays of shadow that construct any individual moment in nature. These images are not idealised, greeting-card like scenes, but portray the landscape as it would really appear, with valleys ob-

scured by dark shade and looming clouds scudding across the sky.

A close inspection reveals Royle’s beautifully accurate use of colour - such as in the lichen-dappled tree trunks, the mingling of colours in a river, and the moss carpeting a stone bridge. The artist’s mind at work can be seen in a collection of pencil sketches – jottings of dimensions and ideas made by Royle before starting a major work. Clearly, this was a man who considered his subject deeply.

Perhaps of most interest to Sheffield residents though is ‘The Quartet’: a series of specially-commissioned views over Sheffield. These really draw you in, both due to the familiarity of the scenes (including one of Firth Court), and the intimate details - a gaggle of ducks, curtains flapping in the windows, skylights catching the sun, picked out against the haze of buildings.

These touches give a sense of scale, so that you can place yourself within the context. There is also an abundance of more ordinary scenes - churches, snow-covered farmhouses - and the horse and plough is a recurring trademark. Royle was

concerned about the impact of the growing city on the surrounding landscape and this stands out in his direct contrast of urban and rural themes: one image, for instance, depicts a farmer leading a cart horse against the billowing pollution from the industrial sprawl.

The exhibition also takes the viewer to the coast, in a series of watercolours from Royle’s time in Canada, and a beautifully rendered dreamy pastel scene from Cornwall, where the boat reflections are so perfectly captured that the water seems to shimmer.

My personal favourite, however, has to be ‘Morning on the Derbyshire Moors’, where Royle’s wife stands in pensive mood against the rolling heather, which perfectly complements the subtle lilac hues of her dress and bonnet.

Just as the hills stretch everlastingly behind her, so these paintings are likely to stand the test of time in testifying to Royle’s deep affinity with the natural landscape.

film adaptation, starring Colin Firth.

While minor changes are made, the plot proceeds in an identical manner. We may be used to characters becoming more nuanced in translation from screen to stage, but this is not true here.

Edward, Bertie’s older brother, becomes an out-

right bully with Nazi ties.

One particularly welcome difference is Bertie’s discussion of the specific mode of King George V’s departure.

Caroline Wood

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Follow us on Twitter @ForgePressArts Befitting its thematic importance, the radio microphone is central on stage. It descends menacingly from

the ceiling; an adversary to be defeated.

Radio presenters are placed physically higher than the play’s other characters and a large “ON AIR” sign looms over the stage action. It’s all broadly symbolic of the newfound power of the media.

While the play is ostensibly about Bertie’s struggle, Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue and his wife Myrtle provide an unlikely emotional heart of the piece. Jason Donovan’s performance as Lionel is gentle, carefree, sometimes brash, but always a joy to watch. This production revolves around him.

Most of those seeing this play will be reminded of the infinitely better known

“Jason Donovan’s performance as Lionel is gentle”

He discloses to Lionel that his father’s demise was deliberately hastened so as to make the publication in the morning broadsheets as opposed to the scurrilous “evening journals”.

This does well to underline Bertie’s fear of the strange new media the royals have developed.

While The King’s Speech is a respectable production with true heart, a touch more innovation would have been welcome. At present, this play fails to step out of the shadow cast by its own film adaptation.

Joshua Hackett

12

Thursday April 23 2015

Fuse.Albums. music Fuse SLUG Ripe

Nadine shah Fast Food

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adine Shah gained significant attention when her debut album, Love Your Dum and Mad, was released in 2013.

Hailing from South Tyneside, what spurred particular interest in Shah was the unique way in which she used her first album as a platform to explore issues surrounding mental health.

Although new album Fast Food seems to focus on the slightly more ordinary subject of love, Shah continues to deliver an individual style. It does not completely live up to the excitement of her debut, but there are certainly pleasant moments littered throughout that make it a worthwhile listen.

The album starts with title track ‘Fast Food.’ An eerily chromatic and clangy guitar line opens the song, and Shah’s distinctness is immediately introduced to listeners.

Her commanding vocals add to the mix, creating an exciting introduction.

However, this sultry and simplistic sound gets old pretty quickly.

There are no real layers to the album - it soon becomes clear that each track is more or less indistinguishable.

Although Shah’s powerful vocals continue to impress throughout, the song writing is unfortunately lacking something special.

One highlight that may provide insight into Shah’s potential is ‘Nothing Else to Do.’ With one lyric - “And there was nothing else to do, but fall in love” - repeating throughout, it allows for a bit more experimentation.

There are irresistible harmonies and a beautiful brass instrumental, creating an altogether much softer and more interesting sound.

Lyrically, the album is fantastic.

The strength and driving feel of the music contrasts well with the vulnerability of the lines which often comment on the helplessness of falling in and out of love.

Nadine Shah should definitely not be put to one side. Fast Food proves she is a unique and innovative artist, and this could definitely be built upon. It just may take slightly less repetitive and indulgent song writing to create a masterpiece.

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lug is a project from Ian Black, former touring member of Sunderland art-rockers Field Music.

That artsy sensibility is present on Ripe, but its avant-garde ambitions are bolstered by a ballsy, vintage rock ’n’ roll backbone.

Black draws from the same pool of influences as Muse, overlords of ridiculousness, but he uses these sounds - the hairy-chest riffage of Led Zep, the operatic madness of Queen - with a greater sense of earnestness.

Black deploys several left-ofcentre instrumental choices - slinky synth interludes on ‘Sha La La’, thoughtful, building organs on opener ‘Grimancing Mask’ or mournful steel pans on instrumental ‘Weight

of Violence’ - but his true love is the his six-string.

On Ripe, every facet of the guitar is explored with irrepressible joy.

It blasts straight-up rock stomp on manic ‘Cockeyed Rabbit Wrapped in Plastic’, there’s easy surf-cool twang on ‘Sha La La’ and ‘Kill Your Darlings’ sees flecks of Nile Rodgers funk peppered over drifting piano.

It’s a shame that this sense of fun is squandered in the second half by a lack of coherence, where Ripe is unfortunately allowed to become a disparate collection of songs rather than a cohesive album experience.

It’s the sort of album made by white men who love music by other white men, which means Ripe is starkly out of place in the rapidly diversifying musical landscape, but there’s still something charming about listening to Black cutting loose and playing with his toys for half an hour.

Rhys Handley

Josie Kirk

GIRLFRIEND

Arrive Alone, Leave Alone

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anc-born group Girlfriend’s edgy take on synth-pop comes to a head in this five track EP, Arrive Alone Leave Alone.

Opener ‘Monte Carlo’ echoes the adored electro pop vibes and catchy hooks of the 80’s, teamed with Amory’s unmistakable falsetto.

‘Style and Substance’, a throbbing disco hit with a remarkable synth riff is the definite stand-out track of the EP. The production is slick, the vocals on point and the beat captivating.

The tracks that follow are blended effortlessly and the EP is a delight to listen to as a whole without the need to skip between tracks.

For a band that has yet to break out onto the music scene, Girlfriend are producing tracks that radiate maturity and experience.

They manage to strike a balance between producing enthusing pop tracks while maintaining a sense

of vulnerability and passion within their music.

The final track, ‘Stop’, gives listeners a chance to enjoy Amory’s incredible vocals, something that enhances the quality of the entire EP. Pop is always slated for being flimsy and over produced, but Arrive Alone, Leave Alone subverses that stereotype entirely. Girlfriend have proven that pop can still be deep, edgy and poetic. This small but wonderful EP could certainly be a snapshot of the genres future.

Rebecca Stubbs

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Thursday April 23 2015

liveFusemusic.

Gigs.

TURBOWOLF The Harley April 16

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pon hearing about Turbowolf’s gig at the Harley – a fairly small and intimate venue – I was excited, yet somewhat sceptical. Could a band renowned for their thick, multi-layered sound really make their music fit into a two hundred person venue?

After the first song finished, my question had been answered: yes, yes they could, and in quite the spectacular fashion.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure seeing many rock and metal acts, including some incredibly well-known ones: Metallica, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, for example. Yet despite this, there are few bands with quite the live energy that the Bristol based Turbowolf brought to Sheffield last Thursday.

Though excellent in the studio, their recorded music cannot hold a candle to their live renditions.

Though there are a thousand reasons why Turbowolf are such a pleasure to watch, the one thing that really sets them above many of their contemporaries is singer/ keyboardist Chris Georgiadis. Not only does he have the ability to re-

produce his vocals and instrumental work with flawless accuracy, his ability to work a crowd is unparalleled.

From joking and speaking to individual members of the audience – even inviting one of them on stage to play the keyboard – to crowd surfing and dancing on the ceiling (literally), the man really knows how to get a crowd moving, and boy did they move.

It may be weeks before the bruises disappear from my knees, but that is a small price to pay for what seemed to be and endless mosh pit. Hyperbole aside, every single song was presented with such dynamism that the crowd couldn’t help but move with it. If all of that wasn’t enough, the entire band was kind and humble enough to stick around after the show in order to sign the shirts and albums of their adoring fans.

It’s safe to say that this one single gig changed me from a casual admirer to a hard-core fan of Turbowolf, and I would highly recommend everyone to go and see them next time they visit Sheffield.

DRENGE The Leadmill April 17

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t was only a matter of time before the Loveless brothers took to the stage at the Leadmill for their own headline show. Making that inevitable leap from their boisterous set at Plug last year, expectations were high for this homecoming gig, in support of their second album, Undertow.

From the outset, the band confidently devotes a great deal of their set to exposing new material.

The breakneck urgency of comeback tracks ‘We Can Do What We Want’ and ‘Favourite Son’ is propelled from the stage with ease.

But it is the older, heavier songs which establish themselves as clear highlights. The band are punishingly relentless during the frenzied fan-favourites ‘Bloodsports’ and ‘Backwaters’.

Drenge undoubtedly appear most comfortable during such moments, perhaps still grappling with how best to employ their recently expanded line-up to settle into the more developed and brooding character of the new songs.

The arrival of bassist Rob Graham means recognising a tradeoff. His mechanical, driving bass lines comfortably fatten up the lower territories of their sound, but notably absent is some of the spontaneity and impulsiveness that seemed to be so much of the appeal and the driving force of the earlier two-piece shows.

Otherwise untroubled, they push on. The audience is barely allowed to catch their breath until the penultimate, cathartic sing-a-long of ‘Fuckabout’ - a collective ritual now ingrained in the live Drenge experience. #Frontman Eoin’s inter-song musings remain characteristically sparse throughout, preferring to let

three roaring guitar amps do most of the talking.

Things are rounded off with the twisted, tortuously long crescendos of ‘Let’s Pretend’, reaching almost unbearable levels of intensity before Drenge finally leave their roomful of devotees, shrouded in feedback, to try and make sense of all that’s gone on before them.

It often feels like there’s a kind of unspoken onus on the local musicians who are elevated to the monument of the live circuit that is the Leadmill.

Few bands could be more acutely aware of this than the Sheffieldbased brothers, but the night’s proceedings ultimately prove that Drenge are nothing but worthy.

of the young quartet. Opening with ‘Rango’, Catfish and the Bottlemen set the standard for Van’s vocals being constantly enthused with the lairy chants of the crowd. “So she can make you make mistakes / And you can offer to take her home” ripples throughout the venue from front to back: the crowd are really into this band.

Turner. Less polished: but, like Arctic Monkeys, also succeeding in their stab at creating engaging lyrics.

“You’re simpatico,” oozes McCann, as the band slide into another crowd-pleaser. It feels like the only instance that the crowd allow him to take centre stage is in daintier tracks such as ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Homesick’, in which the latter of these intimate songs still exhibits McCann’s strained vocals that almost mimic the shouts and screams that would feature in arguments between lovers.

Every ticketholder in the O2 weren’t afraid to show Catfish and the Bottlemen that they were big fans with big expectations; and it’s difficult to imagine anyone being left disappointed. Their increasing success has led to an absence of their name on this year’s Tramlines’ line up, but their visible enthusiasm for Sheffield surely won’t hinder them from visiting again at some point.

Chloe Bolton

Harry Chambers

James Turner

CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN 02 Academy April 4

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hile feeling that their new found success has cropped out of nowhere, with their UK tour selling out completely, Catfish and the Bottlemen follow the archetypal rags-to-riches story and remind the crowd that the Steel City holds a special place in each member’s heart.

“Remember when the SOYO’s chandelier came down a few years ago, at Tramlines?” smirks Van McCann, reminding us that the Llandudno boys graced lesser acclaimed Sheffield venues, such as the Frog and Parrot, years prior to their sold out show at the O2 Academy.

Waltzing onstage to some fauxdramatic Pirates of the Caribbean music, everyone in the audience was enthused, if not ecstatic, at the sight

“It’s difficult to imagine anyone being disappointed” The band have been dogged by comparisons to Sheffield’s own Arctic Monkeys. They’re young, passionate about poeticising young, tumultuous love and the crowd have adopted Catfish as one of their own; but generally, they’re more anarchic and disorderly than a comparatively reserved Alex

Thursday 23 April 2015

14

Fuse Screen.

Fuse. screen

glassland

Dir: Gerard Barrett

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ow strong can be the bond between a mother and her son?

It would be reductive to say that Gerard Barrett’s second movie Glassland answers this question, but at least it tries to.

The story of John (Jack Reynor), a young taxi driver in Dublin, and his alcoholic mother Jean (Toni Colette), whom he’s desperately willing to get back on the wagon, is a means to explore the darkness of lonely, directionless lives in the suburbs.

Through his taxi and his wandering around, you get not only John’s story but also those of the people close to him, such as the reason behind Jean’s addiction and John’s friend Sean (Will Poulter).

The final result is an intense picture of the lives of those Hollywood

never talks about: the lost ones.

Barrett aims for truth, to make you uncomfortable and leave you with a mute feeling that can’t be described.

His directing, enriched with closeups, doesn’t want to be merely artistic but adds strength and drama to an already intense story.

But what makes the movie most noteworthy is the absolute absence of any form of soundtrack – there is only one song at the end that empowers the meaning of the finale itself.

The bouts of silence don’t follow Depeche Mode’s philosophy ‘just enjoy some silence’ at all.

They are cruel and dark, sometimes making the entire movie slow down unnecessarily.

23 and 22. That’s how old Reynor and Poulter are. Barrett casts two actors who don’t have to pretend to be young, but are very talented beyond their years. Reynor portrays a faithful and heart-broken son in a delicate but sensitive way, while

Poulter’s angry character is never caricatured, but honest.

Toni Colette is outstanding in her role, as in every movie she features in, and gives a strong, complex portrait of alcoholism. The confession of how she sees her life is stunning.

As for Michael Smiley: he’s superb in his supporting performance, with only around ten minutes of screen time.

Glassland is a great movie, but it’s slow in certain points.

It’s much more than artistic or wonderfully crafted: it’s an honest artwork that shows life is not fair and doing the right thing and caring for people brings risks, harm and no reward.

Glassland is an example of when cinema is not just about glamour, awards and money. It’s about telling a story. And we’re thankful for it.

Valeria Vigilante

SMALL SCREEN Game of thrones: Season 5, episode 2 Dir: Michael Slovis

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his instalment of Game of Thrones is concerned with the theme of dual conflicts.

The world is caught between two Queens - angry Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and headstrong Danaerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

The conflicts stem from the uncertainties of these two women.

Cersei’s paranoia spirals when she receives a threat from the Martells, who currently hold her daughter.

Her anguish spurns brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to prove his worth by setting off on a quest

CULT CORNER

Paranoia Agent Dir: Satoshi Kon 2004

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here is a pink dog haunting Tokyo and that pink dog is Maromi. This fictional Hello Kitty-esque creation acts as a sort-of mascot for Satoshi Kon’s series Paranoia Agent. But this isn’t a cute anime about furry animals.

Rather, it is a dark look at modern society.

A kid wearing roller-skates is stalking the streets and clubbing people with a golden bat. A frightened, yet thrilled public quickly dub him Shonen Bat (Lil’ Slugger in the dub). Each episode often follows a single character who eventually falls under the bat. Usually they are shown to live double (or even

triple) lives. As their facades begin to disintegrate, they are promptly attacked by Lil’ Slugger.

The detectives investigating these attacks, the tangential connections between victims and the everwatching eyes of Maromi weave a slippery cohesion to the series, but like his films, Kon breaks down narrative and visual consistency. Reality is more of a guideline here than a hardened rule.

Soon it’s less about who Lil’ Slugger is, but rather what he is or represents. This mystery is the central thread that engages you in the plot.

It might be easy to chuck in the obligatory comparison to Twin Peaks, but David Lynch doesn’t hold exclusive rights to weird shit. This is a distinctly Kon production, through and through.

The animation by Madhouse sells the mundane urban setting and characters, which adds to the pal-

pable sense of unease that the illusory narrative provides.

Each episode throws new, characters and situations at you. There’s an unusual trio who form a suicide pact, that is humorous and oddly sweet. Then there’s a slightly corrupt cop, who eventually turns to robbery. There’s even an episode about the collapse of an anime production.

At the heart of Paranoia Agent though is Maromi. What does it have to do with these people, and with Lil’ Slugger? The answer always seems unnervingly close to home.

Joe Brennan

with Bronn (Jerome Flynn) to claim back his illegitimate daughter.

In a first glimpse at their destination - the kingdom of Dorne - the seeds of revenge are growing in the heart of Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) who seeks revenge for the death of Oberyn.

Cersei’s enemies are as much on the inside as they are outside, as she flounders in her position as head of the King’s council. She doles out positions and powers to the incompetent Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) while her uncle Kevan (Ian Gelder) sees the Queen’s desperation as weakness.

Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) feels the force of both Queens. Cersei is calling for her brother’s head, while Varys (Conleth Hil) and Tyrion sit in their safe box talking of a saviour in Meereen.

But that saviour, Daenerys, is struggling to live up to her own leg-

end.

While she reconciles to give a pro-slavery protester a fair trail, the prisoner is murdered in his cell by freed slave Mossador (Reece Noi), leaving Dany with no choice but to execute the boy in front of his people.

It leads to a disastrous revolt as the other freed slaves hiss at their Queen.

Dany learns of the cruelty and responsibility that comes with ruling fairly.

The episode reaches a quiet thematic conclusion as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) reunites with Jaquen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha).

Cersei and Dany are on quests to maintain the power they are losing, but it’s Arya whose path is truer as she seeks the new by shedding all ties to her former self.

Rhys Handley

Thursday 23 April 2015

A little chaos Dir: Alan Rickman

A

lan Rickman’s first foray into directing after a hiatus of more than 15 years creates a charming atmosphere in A Little Chaos.

The film follows Sabine de Barra (Kate Winslet) as she is employed to landscape part of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles for King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman) and becomes romantically entangled with married head gardener, André Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts).

“The quality acting means that you will not be disappointed, but rather diverted” The salvation Dir: Kristian Levring

S

et in the 1870s in the dusty landscape of the American frontier, The Salvation is advertised as a “Danish Western.”

But make no mistake: this film is more of a classic Western than you might expect, despite the involvement of Scandinavian writer/ director Kristian Levring and lead actor Mads Mikkelsen.

The plot is fairly typical of the Western genre: Mikkelsen plays Jon, a Danish settler who takes vengeance on the men who killed his newly emigrated wife and son.

Jon’s actions lead to local gangster Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) seeking to take his own retribution for the death of his brother.

In addition to the plot, The Salvation is full of Western idiosyncrasies such as stetsons, saloons, and “goddamits” from angry men.

However, this is no bonanza-style flick with improvised one liners or cheesy music.

The acting is intense, with no

A period drama down to its core, the film never seeks to stray from a simple storyline, which is much to its credit: it accomplishes what it sets out to achieve without being melodramatic.

Rickman’s direction elevates A Little Chaos to an immersive visual treat with several memorable lines and gorgeous cinematography.

There are many instances where the stunning backdrops overshadow the actors (emphasised by Rickman’s willingness to leave several empty frames) and draws the viewer in, leaving us with a lasting, unachievable, desire to visit 17th-century France.

The costume department will also receive much credit for its sumptuous capes, elaborate footwear and wigs which create the atmosphere of French court life more than any dodgy accents could have come close to.

These clothes smiles to be seen apart from the occasional sadistic grin. Indeed, there is no doubt that Mikkelsen’s gritty portrayal is a highlight, establishing him alongside Eric Cantona as a natural for this genre. Eva Green’s minimalist delivery of her lines is, by contrast, somewhat lacking.

The story seems at first like any other bloody 21st-century thriller, featuring tense shootouts and the regular cocking of shotguns designed to pull in a wider audience.

While some viewers may simply see a normal Western with a darker mood, The Salvation has an ability to appeal on multiple levels.

A key underlying theme explores how violence breeds more violence, with a degree of emphasis being placed on the parallel of both Jon and Delarue being former soldiers.

The setting of an anarchic, trigger happy 19th century America is the perfect venue to make the point, as it resonates with the USA of today, while depicting the issue as a historical, evolutionary one.

The character of Jon is the most obvious vehicle for this theme, as he begins to resemble his enemies more and more as the film pro-

“A period drama down to its core, the film never seeks to stray from a simple storyline” were complimented perfectly by the expert cast who wear them and elevate the formulaic subject matter.

Stanley Tucci gives a particularly stand-out performance as Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, providing perfectly timed comic relief just as the slow pacing starts to show.

However, there are several issues with the film, from its eerily quiet first half (relieved by Peter Gregson’s score, when it comes into gresses.

On the contrary, the only characters who retain a sense of their morals are the ones who die for their cause. This film shows that survival means more exposure to the reality of endless death, which, like the constant harsh sun, scars individuals irreparably.

What all viewers will agree on is the sheer beauty and artistry of the film. Shot in South Africa, the sweeping, arid hillsides are a testament to Levring’s direction, while the moonlit scenes reflect the smallness and isolation of the desert town setting.

There is no doubt that this picture is a visual masterpiece, without being as in your face about it as something like The Return of the King. This pared-down cinematography is seemingly part of Levring’s subtle, modest style.

The combination of beautiful shooting, solid acting, and a classic plot with hints of a deeper message make The Salvation required viewing.

Dir: Daniel Espinosa

T

he film adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44 takes on the task of highlighting dark passages of Russian society during the golden era of espionage, the Cold War, and to build up an old-fashioned psychological thriller all based on his main hero’s fall and redemption.

The result is a mixture of failure and dissatisfaction. The ambitious attempt to provide a comprehensive historical background of the communist dictatorship in Moscow results in fact in a phony, sloppy, and slightly propagandistic representation which tends to trace old stereotypes.

On the other hand, the thriller side of it results in nothing more than a boring narrative diversion from the (late) moral growth of the protagonist.

Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) is a child of the Ukraine famine of

Megan Myer

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Luke Hedges

Child 44

15 play) to the ridiculously melodramatic sequence in which Sabine falls into a large body of water in a storm and has to be rescued by André, causing the romantic tension to be pushed to its plausible limits.

Yet these issues are easily overlooked in the midst of the enchanting cast, gorgeous cinematography and life-affirming dialogue which, combined, manage to subtly engage the viewer into a glorified film about French gardening. This is no small feat.

A Little Chaos is certainly not going to be the most memorable film of 2015 but as a period drama it ticks all the boxes and provides an entertaining diversion for those who enjoy this genre.

The quality acting means that you will not be disappointed, but rather diverted - and perhaps, by the independent character of Sabine, even a little inspired.

1933, a young decorated soldier of WWII and, in the 1950s, a faithful agent of the Ministry of State Security (MGB). As he fights in the streets of Moscow to keep the order among the traitors of the regime he is informed that a spy is hiding under his very nose: his wife Raisa ( Noomi Rapace).

“A missed opportunity” The decision to stay at his wife’s side alongside the revelation that the authorities are hiding atrocious murders of innocent children, drive him apart from the party and bring him and Reisa into a forced exile in the countryside.

Soon enough though, ghosts of old enemies of the party and the undefeated threat represented by the child murderer return to torment the couple, leaving them with no other choice than to fight for truth and justice.

As the movie agitates promis-

DOT COM

cuously in different genres, the audience gets lost in a multitude of narrative inputs and graphic contents. The direction and the screenplay, both as overladen and stereotypical as the characters’ fake Russian accents, fail to add something to this poor historical portrait, and even more significantly, fail to keep up to the great talent of the cast-ensemble.

Ultimately, the movie is weighed down by its own long and repetitive plot, a weight that not even a solid actor like Tom Hardy could ever bear all by himself.

Paradoxically, all the ingredients for Child 44 to be a good movie were there. Nevertheless, with all its 137 minute-long identity crisis, this movie is not much more than a missed opportunity, proof that sometimes all the talent in the world is not enough if you are not sure how to use it.

Mariaclaudia Carella

Fuse Listings.

Photo: Joshua Hackett

All the events in Sheffield that you don’t want to miss in the next fortnight.

Screen.

Games.

Pitch Perfect: Sing-Along Edition (April 24, the Nelson Mandela Auditorium) The awesome folk of the Five and Dime Picture Show return for this screening of Pitch Perfect, probably the finest film set in the world of competitive a capella singing that features snow angels in puke. Singing along to the film’s amazing musical numbers is keenly encouraged, so dust off your pitch pipes and let’s get serious. Dixie Chicks serious.

Game Releases

Eye Openers: Appropriate Behaviour (April 27/28, the Showroom Cinema, 6:15pm) Any film that describes itself as an ‘ironic, Iranian hipster date movie’ is almost certainly worth your attention. Director Desiree Akhaven stars as Shirin, a bisexual woman whose brother’s arranged inspires her to rebel against her family and figure out what went wrong with her exgirlfriend. Download the Now Then Magazine app and you can get in for just £5!

April 28 Broken Age: The Complete Adventure (PS4) Magicka: Wizard Wars (PC) State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition (Xbox One) Tropico 5 (PS4)

April 24 Dungeons 2 (PC)

March 5 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PC, PS4, Xbox One) Coming soon to the University of Sheffield’s independent cinema...

Friday April 24: Pitch Perfect - Sing-Along Edition Saturday April 25: Big Hero 6 Sunday April 26: Inherent Vice Friday May 1: PK Saturday May 2: Selma Sunday May 3: The Third Man For more info on future releases or to volunteer go to filmunit.org.uk

Tickets: £2.50 each

Arts.

Music.

Jesus Christ Superstar (April 20 - May 2, the Lyceum) Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stunning rock opera about the last seven days of Jesus’ life returns to Sheffield, complete with some of the most memorable songs in all of musical theatre. Starring Glenn Carter as Jesus, Tim Rogers as Judas and The X Factor’s Rachel Adedeji as Mary Magdalene.

Hamlet (April 27, the Showroom Cinema, 7:30pm) With Maxine Peake in the starring role, this unique and groundbreaking five-star stage production played to sell-out houses throughout its run in 2014. Shakespeare’s most iconic play, Hamlet explodes with big ideas and is the ultimate play about loyalty, love, betrayal, murder and madness. Recorded at the Royal Exchange, Manchester.

The Gondoliers (April 29 - May 2, the Montgomery Theatre) Dore G&S Society returns to the topsy-turvey world of Gilbert & Sullivan with a glittering performance of their popular Savoy opera about two drunken gondoliers who must jointly rule a kingdom after the old king is assassinated. And they’re never ever sick at sea. Bollocks, wrong play.

The Full Monty (May 5 - 23, the Lyceum) In 1997, a British film about six out of work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose took the world by storm. Now Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar winning writer of the film, has gone all the way with this hilarious and heartfelt adaptation that’s getting standing ovations every night.

With songs from the film by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones, this award-winning production is one huge package of laughs and emotion starring Gary Lucy, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Rupert Hill, Martin Miller and Bobby Schofield.

Live Gigs Theory of a Deadman 24/4, the Leadmill Propa Local - 24/4, Plug Dubcafe - 24/4, the Harley Lazuli - 24/4, O2 Academy Arcane Roots - 24/4, Corporation This Feeling - 25/4 Plug The Carousel - 25/4, O2 Academy Buffalo Summer - 25/4, Corporation Public Service Broadcasting 28/4, the Leadmill

Akala - 30/4, Plug Pretty Pretty Good - 30/4, the Harley Symmetry - 30/4, O2 Academy Ugly Duckling - 1/5, O2 Academy Devilator - 1/5, Corporation The Staves - 2/5, the Leadmill #Back2Life - 2/5, O2 Academy Souljam - 3/5, the Harley Shields - 5/5, Corporation Kid Wave & Bully - 5/5, the Harley The Intern Takeover - 7/5, the Harley

Album Releases April 27 Blur - Magic Whip Braid - Deep in the Iris Nai Harvest - Hairball Nick Catchdubs - Smoke Machine Odessa - Odessa Paul de Jong - IF Prefuse 73 - Forsyth Gardens Raekwon - Fly International Luxurious Art Robert Pollard - Faulty Superheroes Turn to Crime - Actions

May 4 Ava Luma - Infinite House Best Coast - California Nights Ciara - Jackie Django Django - Born Under Saturn Holy Ghost! - Work for Hire Jacco Gardner - Hypnophobia Landshapes - Heyoon Mumford & Sons - Wilder Mind My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall

Life at the University of Sheffield is about so much more than lectures and seminars. Which is why the Union created the Give it a Go programme; an easy way to try everything from archery to chocolate tasting. Joining an event couldn’t be easier. Once you pick an event you like, buy a ticket from the Union Box Office (or online at sheffieldsu.com/events), then turn up on the day! Be prepared to try something new and make friends! Oh, and don’t forget to bring a bottle of water.

Day Trip to Liverpool Bar One Saturday April 25 8am £15 Birthplace of the Beatles and home to the iconic Cavern Club, Liverpool has a wealth of culture and attractions to explore, so get praticing your best Scouse accent!

Needlebook Activites and Sports Zone Thursday April 30 5:30pm £4 Come along to Stitch Soc to make your very own needle book - a much better way of storing needles than sticking them in your arm. All levels of experience are welcome and all materials will be provided.

Meet the Bees The Edge Saturday May 2 1pm £2 Sheffield’s Beekeeping Society invites you to come and take a look at their hives.

They’re even throwing in a free jar of honey. Adorable yellow bears in red t-shirts need not apply.

Football for Friendship Students’ Union Sunday May 3 1pm FREE A friendly football tournament organised by UEFA sponsor Gazprom, which provides students and locals from Sheffield the opportunity to meet with refugees and asylum seekers in the community.

Sports Day With Sheffield Goodwin Sports Centre Wednesday May 6 8:30am FREE Help us inspire children from local primary schools at our annual Sports Day, and give them a chance to try something new. No previous experience is required.