Chase & Status / No Limits Film Festival / The Digital Economy Bill
Fuse.
Features.Short Fuse. Editorial
Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
Peter Mandelson is an absolute utter twat
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There is one feature in this week’s Fuse that I urge you to read immediately (well, preferably after you have read this editorial). Michael Smith’s piece on the Digital Economy Bill that was hurried through Parliament prior to the election campaigning is an important insight into how the Bill will work and why it’s wrong. The Bill, which allows the film and music industry the opportunity to pursue illegal downloaders and potentially get their ISPs to suspend their Internet connection, represents a gross invasion on personal privacy, is a potential tool for government censorship and is a major step in the wrong direction for dealing with illegal filesharing. Firstly, despite all their whinging, the music industry really isn’t at Death’s door. Music revenues are actually up: the live music sector continues to grow, the revenues collected by the Performing Rights Society have increased and last year was the biggest ever selling year for UK singles sales. Illegal filesharing may still be damaging record sales, but getting the Government to rush this Bill really represents the ultimate in shite customer service Mr Geffen. By turning to your customer base and referring to them as common criminals whilst still employing the likes of Chris Brown and Amy Winehouse despite their misdemeanours shows just how much respect the music industry is willing to show the consumer. People don’t really consider illegal filesharing as, well, illegal and it really is going to be an uphill battle (and ultimately a futile one) if the industry believes they can turn the tide that the Internet has created. The sheer volumes of music that people download means that they often own more music than they can actually listen to. What is needed is a model whereby artist earn based on what people actually listen to; something like Spotify perhaps? Really though the problem lies with the inadequacies of the current copyright laws. A botched job when they were first introduced, they have never been properly updated for the Internet so what’s the point of a new Bill that protects copyright laws that bear no relation to the way in which the current world works? Really though this is a finger-in-ears approach by the big fish in the music world who have failed to understand how their industry is evolving. However, if they continue with their ‘the ship is sinking, so lets drain the ocean’ type of solutions, then maybe, just maybe, we the consumers will have the last laugh.
What lies beneath the white picket fence InHindsight BlueVelvet Director: David Lynch Blue Velvet is a year away from its twenty-fifth anniversary. What is so striking about the film is that it is still controversial as it engages with some unnerving subject matter. It is one of the most accessible David Lynch films and quite possibly his masterpiece which exhibits his trademark style of blending the surreal with what is comfortably commonplace. Blue Velvet is the story of the teenager Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle McLachlan). Coming home one day after visiting his father in hospital, he finds a human ear in a nearby field. His curiosity and desire to make sense of the world around him leads him into a detective role that slowly initiates him into the seedy underbelly of his sun-drenched suburbia. Jeffrey is helped by a girl called Sandy (Laura Dern) who gives him information gleaned from her father, a local police detective. This American suburbia is all too familiar; the boys have side partings and the girls with their candy floss perms exuding innocence. The first shot of the film is of a picket fence and a batch of roses, gently swaying to a light summer breeze.
However, what Lynch does with this cinema world is subvert it fantastically, making his film not just a great coming of age drama, but a dissection of Hollywood cinema and its traditions of representation. After the picket fence and roses we have a shot that travels slowly under the grass exposing a seething batch of insects, scratching and crackling into the sound track. All these images seem strange and surreal, but they cling to your memory and seem a perfect illustration of what is to come: Jeffrey’s realisation that under the rose-bed surface of his American society there is a terrifying secret world of insects, deviants and criminals.
A dissection of Hollywood cinema and its traditions
son, by a man called Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper); easily one of the greatest villains in cinematic history. Frank blackmails Dorothy for sexual favours and in the scene that follows, in front of the voyeuristic Jeffrey, beats and demeans her whilst inhaling nitrous oxide through an oxygen mask and sadistically shouting, “Don’t you fucking look at me!” Hopper’s demonic eyes and the violently contorted face he pulls each time he inhales are so harrowing they become unforgettable. These scenes are what produced such an outcry when Blue Velvet was released, that novelist Angela Carter called Lynch a misogynist and caused a young Mark Kermode to storm out of a viewing. Lynch’s film considers issues of sex and violence and their relationship through these characters,
but it is a mistake, as Lynch once said, to presume Dorothy Vallens is an archetype for all women and Frank one for men; they are characters in an individual story. The film does consider these themes against the backdrop of American culture, though, and by pitting the innocent Jeffrey and Sandy against the world of Frank and Dorothy, Lynch creates his own disturbing vision of the world.
A terrifying secret world of deviants and criminals What makes Blue Velvet great, and still watchable, and relevant after all these years is the tension it
achieves when these two worlds collide: the lollipop lane of high schools, jocks and open tops and the nightmarish world of sex, violence and drugs. Lynch has not only questioned the film noir of the ’50s and ’60s, he has radically re-written its language to incorporate some of the less salutary aspects of society into that genre. As we are sucked into the idealised world of Jeffrey and Sandy, there is a memorable scene where a frustrated Sandy says: “Why are there Franks in this world!?”, and despite ourselves we actually understand her. Blue Velvet contains so many memorable performances, Hopper’s in particular, and has such a perfectly constructed vision that it remains a song of innocence and experience that isn’t easily forgotten. Simon Reilly
As Jeffrey is led deeper into his own detective story, he sneaks into a mysterious woman’s apartment and hides in a closet when she returns home. This is Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), a nightclub singer, who Sandy has discovered to be associated with the severed ear. We later find out that it is the ear of her husband who is being held, with her
GEEK out! Le GEEK, c’est chic Clubbers’Guide GEEKS DQ Name of the night GEEKS. Tagline The hottest new bands and the hottest new music. Who runs it Threads and Club Pony. When is it on and how often is it Every Thursday. Where is it DQ. What type of music will be playing No nonsense indie, New Wave and not so guilty
pleasures. Door tax £3 with NUS card or £4 without. Who’s it for Indie geeks and music fans. Who’s played in the past It’s a brand new night but at the first event they had teenagersintokyo. Who’s lined up for the future Hoodlums, Final Flash, The Good Natured, Wild Palms, Hot Club de Paris and BABE SHADOW. Recommendations for other nights Club Pony for electro and Threads for everything else. Next event Thursday, April 22 with Mammal Club playing live.
Mammal Club will be playing live tonight (Thursday, April 22) at GEEKS.
Features.Short Fuse.
Politically correct? A-side For political music It can cause change As long as there have been good citizens staging protests, there have been protest songs. From the placard-waving of the swinging ’60s, to the recent backlash against a somewhat aggressive US foreign policy, political activists enjoy marching to a good tune. And what better way to make people aware of a cause close to your heart than to pen a song about it? What the politically-minded Bob Dylan and Neil Young started in the ’60s at the height of the Vietnam War protests has blossomed into a massive global movement with real democratic power.
Activists enjoy marching to a good tune
people to change their outlooks for the better. Even though they are less prevalent, protest songs are still being written, and are still inspiring new generations of political activists. Bragg is still going strong, and the title of Neil Young’s 2006 track ‘Let’s Impeach the President’ speaks for itself. In the same year, the sexuallycharged force for political change that is Peaches released her fourth album, Impeach My Bush. Green Day’s 2004 return to the charts saw Billy Joe Armstrong repeatedly bang on about not wanting to be an American Idiot. Unfortunately, a month after the album’s release George W. Bush was resoundingly re-elected. Never mind, Billie Joe; you can’t win them all. Lizzie Palmer
B-side Against political music It makes no difference
Protest songs don’t have the right effect And that’s exactly my point. The true punk protests of the ’70s were truly worth listening to and now it seems like people are jumping on the bandwagon. Yes, bands like Against Me! and Anti-Flag are the closest to that spirit we now get, but to be honest it’s all been done before. AntiFlag’s guitarist, Chris Head, normally has a sticker on his guitar saying “This Machine Kills Fascists” but the political folk singer, Woody Guthrie, was doing that seven decades ago! Now there’s a guy who used protest songs to great effect. His folk song ‘This Land Is Your Land’ is still sung in schools all across America today. It was also added to the National Recording Registry, which is a collection of culturally and historically important American songs. Surely that’s a much more effective and worthwhile way to get your voice heard then taking a few awards home. Sex Pistols ‘God Save The Queen’ is one of the most significant protest songs of the punk era but the band didn’t just sit down, sing the song and then thrive off its royalties. On June 7, 1977, the late Malcolm McLaren organised the band to perform on a boat on the River Thames, passing the Houses of Parliament, which caused a bit of chaos. Three months prior to that infamous incident, the band satirically signed to A & M Records outside Buckingham Palace. But you don’t see things like that anymore. People are quick to sign up to the campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to number one, so why can’t this same energy go into real and important issues? There are too many bands and singers who write protest songs and don’t actually do anything actively to try and make a change. True punk spirit in most protest songs is dead. When asked about the punk movement, McLaren said: “Its authenticity stands out against the karaoke ersatz culture of today, where everything and everyone is for sale.... Punk is not, and never was, for sale.” The fact is that singing a few ‘inspiring’ words over a few clumsy chords isn’t going to change the world. It just gives us the philosophy to accept it and sing a long. Kristi Genovese
Fuse loves... the new Doctor Who. The whole style and appearance of the show has massively improved (which seemed almost inconceivable) and Matt Smith is thankfully a magnificently eccentric Doctor, who may just succeed David Tennant as our heartthrob. However, what the hell have they done to the theme tune?
Fuse has... been relistening to the 2006 debut album by the recently deceased Jay Reatard, Blood Visions. It’s well worth a revisit; its raw energy, simplicity and ro u g h - ro u n d - t h e - e d g e s sound is reminiscent of the UK garage rock revival of the early noughties but with a much greater pop sensibility. Though further releases ultimately proved not to be as good as his first, Blood Visions showed off Reatards immense ability and it just highlights what a loss to music he is going to be.
Fuse is... glad to see the Brockmans (the fictional family at the centre of BBC sitcom Outnumbered) back on our TV screens. The sleeper hit is now one of the funniest shows on TV and perhaps its biggest star is the precociously talented Ramona Marquez, who plays the delightful but overly inquisitive Karen. Let’s hope that if we ever have children they don’t run rings around us like the Brockman trio.
Fuse has... developed a large dislike towards the amount of American, independent, coming-ofage sentimental comedies that seem to be coming out of California on a conveyor
Fuse thinks... that if you want a proper comedy instead, then you should watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Yes so it’s aimed at children, but for the sheer number of genuinely funny jokes, verbal and visual, crammed into every minute, it worth checking out if you haven’t already. However, unless you want to get condescending looks from nine year olds in Blockbuster, it might be best to seek it out on the internet.
Fuse is... having a bit of a sulk about feeling priced out of music festivals this summer. Not to wallow in nostalgia, but a day ticket to Leeds Festival cost £40 when we first visited in 2003; it’s now a whopping £87.50. We don’t even want to go to Leeds or Glasto this year, because the line-ups have all the imagination and dazzle of a wooden spoon, but we’re really peeved about how bloody expensive the whole festival industry has become. We don’t want to pay through the nose to fund U2’s appearance fee, or Muse’s fireworks; we just want to see as many great (and new!) musicians as is humanly possible, booked by people who care, and not by the moneymen. And the ticket alone won’t cover your costs; you’ve got to pay through the nose to trek there (hello ATP, and Bowlie 2!), and sustain yourself over the weekend. Heck, we’d gladly pay that kind of money to fly to Barcelona for Primavera Sound if it weren’t slap-bang in the middle of exams. We’re off to the small ones, then, and hoping that Tramlines comes up with the goods.
Fuse.
Protest songs just aren’t what they used to be anymore. Do they really make any significant change or do they just make people feel comfortable that millions of people around the world feel the same? Protest songs tackle social issues like human and civil rights, the abolition movement and war. Of course, I welcome freedom of speech and uniting a community with real depth and meaning but I just don’t think protest songs have the right effect anymore. T h e protest album with the most mainstream success in the 21st century so far is Green Day’s American Idiot but actually it evokes more irony than empathy. The title track is their reaction to the warped American pop culture and the capitalism and fame that comes from the media controlling us. It’s basically a hypocritical and bias ‘protest song’ because they are part of the media themselves, they play a part in controlling what teenagers wear and buy, and they happily took home awards for it! When asked about Green Day’s music, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols said: “ So there we are fending off all that and it pisses me off that years later an outfit like Green Day hop in and
nick all that and attach it to themselves.”
The Fuse team’s thoughts
belt. Adventureland, 500 Days of Summer, and most recently, Whip It. They all seem to come with critical praise and we recognise that we are on the opposite end of a Marmite scale to a lot of people, but there’s far too much choreographed quirk and a big lack in the quantity of laughs for these so called comedies to win our hearts.
Thursday April 22 2010
Let us turn our attention to the London borough of Barking and Dagenham, a top BNP target-constituency in the upcoming May elections. Who is campaigning tirelessly and tunefully to rescue his hometown from Nick Griffin’s reign of terror? Musician and political activist, Billy Bragg, well known for providing a critical soundtrack to the Thatcher years, with lyrics like “I’ll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage.” Folk against fascism. Rock against racism. With protest songs often seen as a preserve of the left, music can also be politically exploited by the farright. Folk legend Eliza Carthy responded angrily to a piece in The Guardian suggesting that Griffin was a fan of her traditional English sound, making the point that traditional music actually does the opposite - it is a way in which to “celebrate the ancient culture of where you are from without
pushing anyone away”. Whilst politicians may often appear dull and unapproachable, music is accessible to all. It gives people an outlet. Would Billie Holiday have felt comfortable in 1930s America going on a massive tirade about the injustice of, what was at the time, an abhorrently racist society? Probably not. But her beautifully haunting version of ‘Strange Fruit’ got the point across in a subtle, but no less poignant way. What seems to be missing in much of the vacuous chart music released today is a point (other than hitting the top of the iTunes download chart.) The ’60s as a decade was musically mindblowing because the songs being written were not just commodities to be bought and sold, but artwork to be interpreted and understood, and political music often held to account the corrupt politicians of the day. As well as raising awareness of an issue, protest songs can serve a valuable purpose. Pacifist John Lennon not only spoke about the horrors of war, but implored the world to ‘Give Peace a Chance’, with the aid of tambourines. Political music does not have to consist of maudlin ballads complaining endlessly about ‘broken society.’ They can be hopeful anthems meant to inspire and encourage
Fuse Musings
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Interview.Fernando Mierelles.
The Constant Filmmaker City of God and The Constant Gardener director Fernando Meirelles talks to Isabel Glover about breaking into the industry.
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Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
f fe c t i ve l y translating the horrors of murder and rape into celluloid takes a special kind of person. It’s difficult to believe that the Brazilian gent sitting in front of me at the University of Leeds is the director who orchestrated the disturbingly violent award-winner City of God, or 2005’s gritty thriller The Constant Gardener. But Fernando Meirelles is that special kind of person. It was surprising to discover that the Brazilian director had originally graduated from the University of São Paulo as an architect. Any students out there despairing about whether they have chosen the right degree or career can breathe a sigh of relief. Before he graduated Meirelles realised architecture wasn’t quite his cup of tea and made steps to enter into the industry that he was passionate about. The example Meirelles sets is that irrespective of degree classification, you can make it in cinema with a bit of know-how, a lot of passion, and an absurd amount of dedication.
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The death count in the Rio favela rose to 604 dead in six months
Along the way Meirelles has learnt a lot, and speaking to students at the University of Leeds he boiled his experiences down to some essential lessons. First off, start small. “Using a tiny camera I started filming a weekly program with friends that was completely improvised.” It was through these lowbudget productions that he taught himself how to direct and produce films. Secondly, no matter what the budget or time you have to produce, the most important thing is always “to have a good idea”. One of these good ideas jumped out at him after reading the book City of God by Paulo Lins. The story of the Brazillian urban slums,
the favelas, is one otherwise “invisible in Brazil”. In contrast to the media’s negligence of this subsection of society, the original novel pushed Meirelles to his breakthrough project: “I wanted to discover the world of the favela.” The reality of this world is the violence at the heart of the film, and Meirelles stresses that his film is no exaggeration. The death count in the Rio de Janeiro favela where City of God is set rose to 604 dead in the six months it took to shoot the film. “We could only film in a quiet corner of the favela for just four days” with the tight restrictions of the area’s drug lords keeping the crew away from the heart of the area. It was prohibitively difficult to get funding for the film and he even had to put in his own money. “Everybody said that no-one would be interested in a film about the slums.” The overly cautious critics duly had to eat their words as City of God went on to earn an Oscar nomination, while simultaneously bringing the favelas to the world’s attention. Meirelles is driven by what inspires him, and unlike some film directors, he would never accept any old project. Based on the thriller by John Le Carre, The Constant Gardener (2005) is one Meirelles most widely recognised films, and stars Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes. Working on the film brought unique challenges, and while working with big name actors helps draw in the crowds, for Meirelles the biggest challenges was working with the local tribes people. The Ngalani, a genuine Kenyan tribe were at the heart of the film, and working with non-actors wasn’t the only challenge. “It was extremely difficult to film and direct the tribe, but it worked out in the end, it was definitely worth it.” He discloses that “we had to use a string of about four translators to be able to communicate with the tribe in their language, from Portuguese to English to Swahili to Turcano, their indigenous language.” He could have easily used actors in these scenes but he states, “I prefer to work
with normal people who are natural actors and train them myself.” His experiences with the Ngalani tie into his wider belief that a film’s social impact should not be limited to the cinema. “The Ngalani are an extremely poor community, they live in the middle of the desert with nothing. So, after filming we set up the Constant Gardener Trust. A school was built in the village and the trust supports the tribe financially.”
“Everybody said no-one would be interested in a film about the slums.” A non-goverment organisation ‘Cinema Nosso,’ was also created for the impoverished boys of Rio’s favela, after Fernando had worked his magic there. Through drama and film classes, the charity shows these children that there are more possibilities in life other than being a drug dealer in the violent world of the favela. He doesn’t give much away when questioned about his future projects. All he tells me is that his next film, which will be released by the end of this year, was filmed in the United States and is about rock music. I will await it impatiently. Although, he does inform me that, “deforestation and the environment are areas that really interest me for a future project.” Meeting Fernando Meirelles was a bit nerveracking, but it was refreshing to encounter such an accomplished director, who was so passionate about social responsibility and doing something positive with his work. It’s brilliant that he didn’t actually study film, and showed that if you’re worried about your future career then don’t… just do a ‘Fernando’ and do what you love no matter what your degree is. Artwork: Alex Sherwood
Feature.Digital Economy Act.
Is this it? Political jargon can confuse many of us, and with the Digital Economy Act looking to threaten how we use the Internet, Michael Smith breaks it down and explains why this affects us.
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bare minimum of evidence. Because the law considers the owner of an Internet connection to be wholly responsible for what’s downloaded through it, all of Andy’s housemates would be cut off as well. Cafes, pubs and libraries may also have to think twice before offering free, open wifi to their customers. “What’s the big problem”, I hear you cry? “So what if pirates aren’t able to download stuff for free anymore? How will Scouting For Girls afford new pants and socks if everyone downloads their albums for free?”
Innocent people will be cut off from the internet. Well, even if the music industry’s estimate of £215bn in sales lost to piracy by 2015 are accurate, a recent poll suggests that the people who download the most illegally are also the biggest spenders on legal music. The people the industry are targeting might just be their best customers. Piracy expert Peter Bradwell, who conducted the survey, said, “The presumption that filesharing is theft can be quite damaging. You can’t simultaneously argue that the Internet is as important as gas and water and then say that committing reasonably minor offences gets you thrown off it.”
What Number 10 has to say: http://number10.gov.uk/Page21348 Find out if your MP is involved, and if so, how they voted: http://www.theyworkforthebpi.com/
basis that “they won’t use it in these ways, it’s only intended for a particular purpose.” Stop and search powers are a really good example of that. When they were brought in we were told they were only for use in limited areas for terrorism purposes, and of course we’ve seen the whole of Greater London designated for the last nine years as a place you can stop and search without suspicion”.
YouTube could therefore be blocked. Labour MP Tom Watson, who led the opposition to the bill, thinks the bill was fatally flawed, “What we really need in the UK is wholesale copyright reform for the digital age. Essentially what we are doing with this bill is helping old publishing interests manage the politics of decline, and I don’t think that’s where government should be.” The Digital Economy Act will allow innocent people to be cut off from the Internet without due process, on the say so of corporations. It’s an act with the potential to allow government to commit acts of censorship unheard of this side of China. Despite all this, less than half of our MPs voted on it, and of those only around 40 saw fit to turn up to the two hour debate. Democracy in action, people.
Why You Should Care... “A consequence is that bill payers are responsible for not only their own activity, but also that of any viruses they’re infected with, hackers using their PC, housemates, passers by sharing the connection, traffic they’re routing as a proxy, etc. The systematic shutdown of free Wi-fi in restaurants, libraries, Universities, pubs, etc. is expected by many, since it’s become too risky to provide.” Chris Warburton, Free Software Society President
Fuse.
Want to find out more?
Even more controversial is Clause 8 of the Act. This section was seemingly designed to cover socalled “cyberlockers”, sites like Rapidshare and Megaupload, which can be used to host music and movies for direct download. Because these sites are usually based in countries with more relaxed copyright laws, they can’t easily be shut down, but the Act allows the government to order ISPs to block any site which is likely to be used “for or in connection with the infringement of copyright”. This clause was the subject of some of the bitterest fighting in the commons. Many backbench MPs felt its power was so wide ranging it was open to abuse. It could easily be argued that YouTube, contains a significant amount of copyright material, and could therefore be blocked. Labour MP John Hemming saw still more sinister potential in this clause, despite having been a member of the BPI for a decade. “Look at Wikileaks.” He said during the Bill’s brief debate, referring to the website used by whistleblowers to leak secret documents anonymously. “It holds government copyright material. They would want to apply to have Wikileaks banned in the UK. That’s clearly in the bill as it stands.” But our government would never do that, would they? Anita Coles of human rights group Liberty is not convinced. “In the last 10 or 15 years there’s been so much legislation passed on the
Thursday April 22 2010
his month, a law was passed that could result in YouTube being banned, an end to public wifi and countless innocent people being cut off from the Internet. The Digital Economy Bill was given royal ascent on Friday April 9, despite strong opposition from the Liberal Democrats, a small but vocal group of Labour MPs and the Open Rights Group, who encouraged over 20,000 people to write to their MPs. The Bill was fast tracked using the “wash up”, a period prior to an election where parliament can rush through legislation without full scrutiny. To illustrate what the new law might mean to you and me, let’s invent an imaginary music fan, who we’ll call Andy. Andy will admit that he downloads quite a lot of music, (after all, who can afford to buy everything?) but he also spends a good deal of money buying the stuff he really likes on iTunes. Lets say EMI suspect that Andy’s downloaded the full set of The Beatles Mono Remasters. Under the new law, EMI can go to Andy’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) and demand his personal details and a record of his downloads. Next, EMI can instruct the ISP to send Andy letters, asking him nicely to stop downloading illegally, and suggesting some less nefarious ways to satisfy his McCartney craving. Should our mate Andrew ignore these letters, EMI be able to have his Internet connection slowed down, or even suspended, on the
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Feature.No Limits Student Festival.
Testing the limits
Still very much in its infancy, the No Limits Film festival will soon student events calendar, as Alex Sherwood discovers a veritable
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Laundrette hort films have long been a creative haven for aspiring young directors, and over one gloriously sunny weekend, the No Limits Student Film Festival provided a platform for any student with the drive to pick up a camera and show off their talents as a film-maker.
Despite being the festival’s first year, the student organisers certainly took their name seriously, putting ‘no limits’ on the length, content or number of films that could be entered. The result was a total submission of 126 films from 99 directors from the UK and abroad. Mixing unique screenings around the whole of Sheffield, most accompanied by an eclectic mix of guest speakers, meant that the festival was easily the biggest of its kind. Attracting 200 people to the outdoor screening in Ponderosa park and dozens more to the late-night ‘Lock In’ for the festival’s most extreme films, there was as the cliché goes ‘something for everyone’. With so much to see, it was impossible for a one lowly critic to glimpse more than a handful of what was on offer (especially when the sun was out for what felt like the first time in years). Hopefully some of the best, worst and most bizarre have been picked out, so that if you missed the festival this year, you won’t want to do so again!
The film opens with the steady hum of machinery, the mix of low rumble and sloshing soap suds that anyone who has been into a laundrette would recognise. Ok, obviously that sounds awful, but actually it is nowhere near as dull as it first appears. There is something calm and soothing about the atmosphere of the place, and it ultimately provides a wonderful blank canvas for the stories of the people that move between the machines. The people are the key. An interviewer poses open questions to them and the responses he gets are more than just mundane clichés; they are funny, rich and full of personality. A man, rifling through his pile of socks, is asked if he’s ever been in love, to which he replies without irony: “Well, I’ve certainly liked two women in my life... a lot.” Later in the film, a cleaning lady confesses her childhood dreams to be an astronaut, and when asked if the magnitude of space makes her feel insignificant, she comes back with words far wiser and more poetic than anyone could have expected: “Humans are insignificant. We are on this planet for a limited time. Space will still be out there when we are dust and gone.” Throughout the film people come and go, notably a string theorist and a washing machine enthusiast (no joke, they actually exist), and as the camera lingers over them it feels like the viewer is getting a candid glimpse into, not just the lives, but also the minds, of these real, fascinating people. The real mark of a good documentary.
Ready Or Not Where many of the best films in the festival extended past the 15 minute mark, Ready Or Not truly keeps things short and sweet. Just as a short film should.
Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
“The future is not what it used to be,” is emblazoned boldly across a London skyline, suggesting that a glimpse into a dystopian future is soon to follow. Indeed, as we begin to shadow our protagonist through the streets of the deserted capital the atmosphere becomes quite eerie, begging the question of what has happened.
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The sudden arrival of a shady hooded figure dissipates anything other than sheer exhilaration as a frantic chase ensues. They dash along streets and bolt down alleyways, the central character barely staying ahead of his pursuer, all set to a pounding soundtrack which resonates with the tension of the pursuit. Right from the start it is easy to see why the film won the Best Editing award. Snappy shots add to the feeling of momentum and some crazy angles make the chase feel as disorientating to the viewer as it would be in real life. Well worthy of a place in any Jason Bourne blockbuster. It wouldn’t be fair to spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that there is a good twist that took most of the audience by surprise and raised a few chuckles. Definitely watch out for this one at other festivals.
Tensions rise
in Ready Or
Not.
n become a fixture in the smorgasbord of short film delights.
Latecomers Another fantastic mini-documentary that allows us to delve into the lives of two extraordinary individuals. Both have made decisions about their sexuality quite late in life but both with very different consequences. Maurice led a life like most men of his generation: he worked, got married and had a family. Then, three years after his wife died, Maurice decided to become Margaret. He was 58 years old. Peter also got married and raised three children, but at the age of 53 he felt that he finally needed to tell his wife that he had known for a long time that he is gay. Both Peter and Margaret talk of the initial fight against their sexuality. Growing up as young men in a time when homosexuals and transsexuals were widely disliked, they both thought they could change. Peter believed that through marriage and Christian faith, his feelings towards men would dissipate, but they did not, and it only served to make his inner turmoil worse. Maurice took a different approach and tried to swamp himself with femininity, based on the slightly skewed logic that if you eat too much chocolate then you eventually become sick of it. Once again, this approach failed, but it spurred him on to have the sex reassignment operation and accept his sexuality. The film ultimately explores the emotion of regret. Not just as to whether their decision should have been made earlier, but also whether it should have ever been followed through at all. The conclusions that Peter and Margaret come to over the short window of time are incredibly moving in terms of their sincerity. Latecomers is such a poignant film because these two life stories echo in people wherever there is discrimination against sexuality.
Maurice un
dergoes sex
reassignme
nt in Lateco
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Best of the Rest
Winner of the Best Film award, When the Hurlyburly’s Done is a stunningly crafted piece of cinema which stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of intrigue, originality and sheer technical brilliance. Filmed by a group of German students, but performed in English, the plot revolves around a dangerous affair between the beautiful Gwynn and her lover Jacob.
There are a few more that deserve an honourable mention.
It must first be explained just how beautiful the cinematography in this short is. There is really no exaggeration in saying that every single shot of Hurlyburly has the quality of a major motion picture. In fact, it blows a lot of them away. In part this is due to the period setting; the dark wood panelling and deep reds that adorned the stately homes of the early-mid twentieth century lend a shadowy richness to the colour scheme, which in turn adds to the ensuing drama.
Dog’s Dinner had without doubt one of the best twists of the festival. The story of a man’s obsession with eating every animal species, told through a poetic narration.
Beyond doubt a masterful piece of short film-making, with a gripping story line, good acting and even better looks, this deserves to be watched by lots of people.
Love Inc, follows a young apprentice at a company which actually controls love by computer, but he inevitably falls for a girl on his monitor. The apprentice desperately tries to stop her real suitor, but soon realises that he just wants her to be happy. A touching, 21st century take on Cupid and love. Kalev’s Son, easily the most confusing piece at the festival. Based on an Estonian epic poem, the actors move around in front of a green screen and random animated stuff happens. One minute the hero is boxing a huge guy in a leotard, the next minute he is ploughing a field. The lack of subtitles didn’t help. On the Edge created a genuinely funny scenario around the generally serious topic of suicide. Two men ready to leap off the edge of a cliff manage to inadvertently talk each other out of jumping. Comedy highlight of the festival.
Fuse.
The plot unfolds as a distraught Jacob carries Gwynn, bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound, into the house of a doctor friend. Without hospital treatment she will die, but a heated argument between the two men reveals that it is Jacob that the doctor is worried for as he asks, ‘Are you ready to die for her?!’ A flashback triggered by these words reveals a nightmare scenario where Jacob is forced to choose between shooting Gwynn and his own death. After a tense struggle he overcomes his captors, but that doesn’t explain Gwynn’s injuries, and it becomes clear that something is not right.
Grandma Has Gone is a moving drama about a Polish boy who finds it hard to cope with the death of his beloved Grandma. Slightly soppy ending but the funeral has a brilliant trumpet solo.
Thursday April 22 2010
When the Hurlyburly’s Done
7
Interview.Chase & Status.
Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
Changing S tatus
8
How do Chase & Status follow up the 2008 Drum ‘n’ Bass Album of the Year? Jeremy Peel talks to Saul ‘Chase’ Milton to find out
A
s of 2010, Chase & Status seem to have drawn up something like the perfect blueprint for the UK crossover act. Staring down the mainstream with unshakable poise, neither retreating into the credible safety of the underground nor falling prey to recycling the shrill, caffeinated jumpup nonsense that has ruined Pendulum’s reputation, they now find themselves uniquely positioned as ambassadors of the underground.
‘I can’t say enough good things about Plan B right now.’ the album will touch upon “all the same” key sounds of More Than Alot: “There are a couple of new styles, but a lot of it works within dubstep, drum ‘n’ bass, that kind of stuff.” Interestingly though, he is more than ready to launch, unprompted, into a defence of sonic progression. “I want to take it to the fans who went
out and bought ‘End Credits’. I want to take it to the fans who went out and bought ‘Smash TV’. And we will do that, we still love where we’re from, but we’re not in the same place that we were and that happens as an artist, you evolve, you get older, get into different things.” Very different things, it seems; when asked about new influences, Saul cites progblues masters The Black Keys – a recommendation from MC Rage – and draws a distinction between the “tunes” of More Than Alot and the “songs” that have emerged from the new album sessions thus far. It’s not much of a stretch to expect a continuation of the verse-chorus-verse approach seen in ‘End Credits’, Chase & Status’ last single and first Top 40 hit to date. Featured in that single was Plan B, a London shockand-awe MC turned soul crooner. As Forge Press goes to print, his concept album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, sits at the top of the UK Album Charts. “It’s fantastic,” claims Saul. “I’ve had it for a long time now and I’ve been saying for ages that he’s gonna be the new Amy Winehouse, if you will; uncompromising, driven music with at titude and he does it himself. It’s brilliant. I can’t say enough good things about my friend right now.” Plan B’s public transformation began with Chase & Status and the nihilist genius of ‘Pieces’, and to hear
Saul talk, he’s a member of the group in everything but name. “We are from very different worlds and it’s fortunate that we happen to get on. When we hooked up in the studio something happened, we come from different places and it meshes well. Obviously we’re working with him as well for the new record so we’ll see what happens.” Obvious maybe, but now confirmed; Plan B is set to bring his song writing prowess to the new LP. As Saul heads for his train he reveals that not all of his time is devoted to work; Chase & Status are heading to Antwerp
‘The more successful people are, the more levelled they are.’ early to see Rihanna – “a lovely girl” – perform, and to meet up with the writing and production team they worked with on Rated R. “They’re really down to earth and easy-going. The more successful people are, generally, the more levelled they are. Those without much success generally seem to have their head in the clouds, whereas people who are doing it are grounded, work hard and move on tomorrow.” Plug Presents Chase & Status at the 02 Academy on May 5 Visit www.forgetoday.com for our interview with Plan B.
Fuse.
Such is their current standing, in fact, that it comes as quite a shock to realise that More Than Alot is already two years old. The group’s debut proved to be not only that most rare of things in drum ‘n’ bass – a consistent album – but also an audaciously capable tour of the UK underground, taking in liquid, jungle and old school hip-hop, before a quick unexpected detour through the winding alleyways of acoustic soul saw it emerge, breathless, into an expansive, Bollywood-infused reimagining of dubstep. So successful was it that the duo are still collecting the fruits of their labours, in the form of sell-out live shows since last year’s Radio 1’s Big Weekend (“a really big deal
knocking the songs out in the studio, then getting them ready to take them live, then going through rehearsals for a couple of weeks with the band... we have to put everything else on hold. So yeah, it’s a lot of work, but it’s really worth it, it’s something we really enjoy”. The tone of work/enjoyment monologues like these suggest that the group are currently dying to see the payoff for their current efforts, and Saul talks of the new album’s progress with eager pride, albeit without any specific details. At all. He promises “fantastic” collaborations, but predictably refuses to supply us with any names. “I’m afraid I can’t really let you know about any of that yet, my friend. But we’re really excited about it and looking forward to unleashing it to the world soon.” Musically, we’re given a little more to go on. Saul claims that
Thursday April 22 2010
‘It’s always the same: studio, home, studio, home.’
for us, we really jumped in the deep end,”) and their pick of the world’s most forwardthinking pop stars to work with. However, the key to their stillrising, ah, status is and always has been their impressive work ethic. It’s late afternoon when we manage to get hold of Saul ‘Chase’ Milton. He’s about to board the Eurostar on the road to a DJ booking in Antwerp – a frantic reshuffling caused by Iceland’s volcanic gift to the world – having squeezed in a couple of hours’ sleep after a studio session ending at 10:30 this morning. “In my eyes, nothing’s changed since 10 years ago when we were stuck in Manchester making music,” he tells us. “It’s always the same: studio, home, studio, home. You can’t let the fame get to you, it’s got to keep you grounded. The moment you get too big for your boots, it’s all gone. There’s so much more to do, man, I still don’t think we’re anywhere near where we want to be. We’re just very happy with how things are going at the moment”. At the moment, “much more” consists of trying to fit sessions for More Than Alot’s follow-up around DJ sets all over Europe and preparations for the live band – consisting of Chase, Status, MC Rage and drummer Andy Gangadeen – to head out on their secondever UK tour. “It’s gruelling, the whole music affair is gruelling, writing a lot of the music and
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Reviews.Music.
New year, same old chaos Album The Futureheads The Chaos
Anyone that has heard ‘Heartbeat Song’ will find it hard not to let their mind drift back to the musically fruitful year of 2004. British music had had something of a revival, with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party making their presence felt. The Futureheads’ selftitled debut initially attracted slightly less attention from the public, but their frantic post-punk inspired pop could be found playing in any NME-reading 16 year-
Album
2010 sees Leeds record label Dance To The Radio celebrates its fifth birthday, and to commemorate this, the label has released a limited edition 12” picture disc, released in conjunction with the worldwide celebrations of Record Store Day on April 17. The compilation reunites artists who featured on Dance To The Radio: Leeds, the very first DTTR compilation, with a selection of artists on the present roster as well as a selection of their favourite bands from over the world. Leeds natives The Sunshine Underground and iLiKETRAiNS make a return to their roots; as does label co-founder and ¡Forward, Russia! member, Whiskas,
this is apparent from the moment the album starts. The Chaos showcases the band’s talent for creating energetic, crowdfriendly ditties with all the enthusiasm and optimism of a fresh-faced group’s first effort, but with the experience of a well established band. ‘This Is The Life’, ‘I Can Do That’ and the aforementioned ‘Heartbeat Song’ are all prime examples of The Futureheads at their poppy best. Sat alongside the more punky and Franzesque opener ‘The Chaos’ and ‘The Connector’, it’s hard to not want to dust off those old favourites, don some Converse and head down to your local skanky venue for a night of pushing and shoving.
now performing under the moniker Honour Before Glory. There are some real gems on the release; Paul Thomas Saunders’ gentle stripped-back folk sounds like a one man Fleet Foxes, with his track ‘Death of a Sports Personality’. Blood Oranges utilise that typically Yorkshire strain of indie pop, with the boy-girl vocals of Slow Club and the vibe of Sky Larkin, whilst Club Smith’s track ‘Lament’ employs the anthemics and post-punk revival sound that resembles White Lies so closely that it could be mistaken for them. At the time of the label’s incarnation, the burgeoning so-called ‘New Yorkshire’ movement was in vogue, with a host of Yorkshire bands such as The Cribs, Kaiser Chiefs, and, of course, Arctic Monkeys going on to receive widespread commercial recognition and acclaim. Five years has passed and although the scene is perhaps less relevant than it once was, a multitude of talent still lurks. The title of the compilation is therefore very apt. You
may not even look to Yorkshire for the latest bands any more, but whilst you forget, labels like Dance to the Radio continue doing what it always did; finding the best bands locally and from further afield and getting their music out there.
Natasha Parker
Jordan Tandy
Album Mixtapes & Cellmates Rox
Rox is the first we’ve heard from Mixtapes & Cellmates in a good long time. After a strong debut release in 2007, the Swedish shoegaze outfit somewhat fell off the radar, going into hiatus whilst exploring various solo and side projects. Once reformed, they decided to return to basics, scrapping all their old material and beginning afresh; Rox, then, represents a brand new
Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
Various Artists DanceToThe Radio Still OccupiedThough You Forget
old’s bedroom. This may all seem like pointless trivia, but the fourpiece seem to think that it’s 2004 all over again and are still singing the same old tune. Predictable? Maybe, but after all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Chaos is the band’s fourth full-length offering. The jarring guitars and harmonies that became synonymous with the group are still present underneath Barry Hyde’s excitable North-Eastern chatter. Despite maintaining their distinctive sound, many felt after 2006’s News and Tributes that the loveable bunch had mellowed out and grown-up, but now the boys from Sunderland are ready to prove the doubters wrong. Maturity wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be, and
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The Sunshine Underground are amongst the label’s success stories.
start. It starts strong; album opener ‘Never’ launches enthusiastically into a dramatic Killers-esque intro, whilst slow and emotive verses contrast nicely with a powerful and potentially catchy chorus. Unfortunately most of everything that follows is a bit of a disappointment. Track after track blurs into one dreary musical mess, which even switching between male and female lead vocals doesn’t seem to be able to save. Harsh beats mesh with clashing guitars with little distinction, and as a result the whole thing sounds rather confused. There are some moments that stand out. ‘All The Lights’ is a particularly fine example of the delicacy of frontman Robert Svensson’s voice, which on other tracks is sadly often drowned out by a too heavy guitar. ‘Soft Eyes’ with its upbeat tempo isn’t quite shoegaze, particularly as it is led vocally by bassist Matilda Berggren in a manner reminiscent of Paramore’s Hayley Williams, but adds some much needed differentiation between tracks which otherwise all sound extremely similar. It’s sad, because there are times during Rox which show that Mixtapes & Cellmates truly have the capacity to soar, particularly when Henning Runolf is permitted to wield his
guitar in a series of stunning solos. However, when the same guitar is put behind Svensson’s subtle voice, the whole thing collapses. Rox is disappointing because, in standards and substance, the potential is there for it to have been an excellent record. However in practice the lack of clarity coupled with the sameness of the songs means it falls far short of the mark. Georgina Beardmore
Album Officer Kicks CityWide Curfew
City Wide Curfew hits the ground running with ‘Murderland’, an upbeat mix of forceful bass runs, distorted guitar and unrelenting drums, which defines every inch of
Officer Kicks’ sound. The pace doesn’t slow for the ‘The Kraken’, one of the album highlights, which rides a vigorous guitar riff on the back of a merciless, thundering bass line. They seem more concerned with creating simple, old fashioned rock; a sound which is bound to work well in a live setting. ‘Box of Dust’ is a brief break from the onslaught of energetic guitar riffs; instead we’re treated to a softer, eerier sound. It builds slowly on the gentle acoustic guitar and spaciously haunting vocals with dark piano and a soft acoustic lead before an insistent bass drum carries it home. The break doesn’t last long; ‘Tom Thumb’ brings it back to loud, classic rock sounds. The album closes with ‘White Heat’. As a piano ballad it deviates drastically from everything that’s come before; it shows the band’s softer, musical capabilities. Warm strings accompany the piano and vocal, and although musically it’s a huge change of pace, it still shares their ethos that music can be simple and stripped back and still be first-rate. Officer Kicks keep things simple; no computer generated beats, no unnecessary sampling, and only a little messing around with the tracks in the postproduction. It is, simply, rock. Sam Bolton
Reviews.Music.
These musical magicians charged, with hypnotic drum beats and haunting backing vocals chanting “This is attack music”. This is art-rock at its darkest, the set dominated by tracks from new album Hidden. Barnett, and everyone on stage, remained aloof for most of the set. It’s not hard to do when the smoke machine has decided to shroud even the first couple of rows in its impenetrable grey haze, and the crowd seemed to love it. There are sporadic outbursts of two or three people dancing here or there, but for the most part the crowd was a sea of bobbing-head dolls, unmoving except to sway to the inescapable beat. This was not a crowd of people who have come to see what all the fuss is about – they knew who
These New Puritans were, and they knew what to expect. They weren’t disappointed. Jack’s slim figure broke through the smoke at one point to announce a new song, “This is the second time we’ve played this.” It lacked his usual rapping tones and rhythm, but was catchy, despite its slow, echoey beat. It wasn’t given a name, though even if it had been, it would have been impossible to understand, since there was a constant echo effect on Jack’s microphone. It summed up the evening really – art-rockers maintaining a mysterious air through special effects and not talking to the audience. But the crowd seemed to love it.
of shit out of a guitar yet, you haven’t lived. Some brilliant, aggressive tremolo picking from both guitarists suggests a definite Editors influence, that or a serious grudge against intact guitar strings. Many of the songs are heavily driven by a rhythm section snatched right out of Dave Grohl’s man-bag. The atmospheric guitar blitzing alongside some good old fashioned domestic drum abuse makes for an intensely enjoyable show. Considering such an explosive wall of sound, the sound engineer was bang on the money as even the tiniest details are crystal clear. Subtle synthesisers, the more tender vocal moments; you’d be forgiven for thinking their CD was just being played through a speaker the size of your garage. It’s professional, it’s clear, and its one hell of a trip. The set was a bit shorter than it ought to have been, but if that’s Chapel Club’s biggest criticism based on tonight’s performance, who’s going to complain? These really are the roughneck glory days that bands will take with them on their glitzy, world challenging travels. Chapel
Club should relish these while the they can, as somehow I can’t see them playing The Harley for much longer. Tom Fletcher
vocal samples and minimal beats draw similarities to contemporary Kerian Hebden, better known as Four Tet. Panda’s set drew towards a close with acclaimed track ‘Quitter’s Raga’, which featured in Pitchfork’s Top 100 tracks of 2009. The oriental-tinged two minute track powered by a frayed vocal track in an indecipherable tongue moulds and blends into a cacophony of noise and drones before evolving into a dance floor head banger. Support on the evening was provided by noisemakers Dam Mantle and Seams, who both appear on Gold Panda’s soon-to-be released EP, You, each providing a remix of the titular track. Seams and Dam Mantle each provide a similar brand of glitchy, bass heavy, ambient electro, Dam Mantle providing more of a dubstep influence to their composition. Musicians on stage twiddling with sample pads, synthesizers, and laptops may not provide a great deal of visual excitement, but you can’t argue with the music they create.
Gorillaz -‘Super Fast Jelly Fish’
Live These New Puritans Leadmill 17/04/2010 These New Puritans came on with the same mysterious demeanour that remained for most of the set. ‘We Want War’ - with its ear-numbingly long intro was set to a stage of thick smoke. Though the floor was nearly full, no one was actually dancing. The atmosphere proved too dramatic for such things, as a gap in the smoke showed front-man Jack Barnett with his head on a keyboard. By the time ‘Fire Power’ was played, with its raw angry power, the weak vocals of the previous few songs had been forgotten. ‘Attack Music’ is similarly
Photo: Jan Van den Bulck
Live The Lovely Eggs Stockroom 16/04/2010
Singles
As exceptional as Jamie Lidell’s voice is his last album Jim was a little bit Mother’s Day friendly: the music harked back to a golden, bygone Motown era. Now, Lidell is pitting his voice against something sexier and angrier. The instruments sound like they’ve been beaten up and dragged through a storm out of a pop song and into some dishevelled blues showing the first signs of dementia: the guitar
Live Chapel Club The Harley 15/04/2010
Relentless touring up and down the country builds some hellish character. So many bands are nostalgic for the glory days of earning 50 quid and the odd can of lukewarm Carling. As soon as they take the stage though, it’s clear that London boys Chapel Club arrived at The Harley with one thing in mind: “let‘s ‘av it.” Possessing all the amiable swagger of a young Jarvis Cocker, the infectious confidence of their front man more than justifies his lack of movement on a stage of such modest size. His fierce baritone vocals, effortlessly reminiscent of a rough-edged Ian Curtis, suit the band’s style and tone to perfection. Now, if you haven’t seen a guy shred seven shades
squelch, the piano stomps and the trumpet fizzes and fits at an unnatural frequency. But there is still there saying that this is all just Lidell fiddling around trying to find the striking music to match his mind-blowing voice. Alistair White
Beautiful and original, the song features a soothing melody interspersed with strings and gentle brass which gradually builds to a rousing final chorus. Georgina Beardmore
places, it’s just all too polished, too Leona Lewis for anybody save your Auntie Barbara, she’ll love it. Tom Fletcher
Keane -‘Stop For a Minute’
TheTravelling Band ‘Sundial’
Preconceptions are a nemesis for any band, especially if you call yourselves Keane. The champions of MumRock return with their most pleasantly sickly offering yet. Whilst soaring at an altitude of a diet-U2 in
Angular math rockers Foals continue their contemplative streak in forthcoming album Total Life Forever’s second rapturous offering. Nods to minimalism abound as Oxford drop-out Yannis Philippakis yearns for a sense of belonging. No doubt this earnest jaunt will find its place at the summer festival circuit. Daniel Merriman
The first single to come from their as yet untitled second album, ‘Sundial’ has a fuller and more rounded sound than any of The Travelling band’s previous work.
Foals -‘The Orient’
Live Gold Panda The Harley 13/04/2010 Last time Gold Panda played in Sheffield, it was September last year, supporting Simian Mobile Disco. He slept on a sofa in my living room after a night out with me and my houemates at The Harley. Seven months later, fresh from a nomination in the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll, alongside the likes of Ellie Goulding, Gold Panda returns to The Harley, this time as the headline act. Adorned with a panda hat and a long white cardigan resembling a scientist’s lab coat, Panda kicks off with the throbbing and claustrophobic opener. Gold Panda’s gentle melodies, blended with sounds of crackling vinyl, chopped up fractured
The second single release from Gorillaz’ critically acclaimed album Plastic Beach, ‘Super Fast Jelly Fish’, is a psychedelic mix of laidback hip-hop and simple electro. It features the hip-hop talent of De La Soul and Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals provides vibrant guitar. Following the grittier ‘Stylo’, ‘Super Fast Jelly Fish’, presents a contrastingly lighthearted sound. Sam Bolton
Jordan Tandy
Fuse.
Jamie Lidell ‘The Ring’
stage after the band’s final song, to go and get another Strongbow. Lizzie Palmer
Thursday April 22 2010
The Lovely Eggs (known in the real world as Holly Ross and David Blackwell) are cheerful, bizarre and refreshing. With a much heavier sound than expected, they thrashed through a set of unusual tunes, mainly taken from their 2009 record If You Were Fruit with some brand new material thrown in “Just so we can practice them a bit” remarked Ross. Support band Hexicon arrived late onstage at the Stockroom, due to the highly valid excuse of traffic on the M1. Despite the roadworks, they put on a solid performance, infinitely enhanced by the fairly surprising addition of a French horn about halfway through the set. The Lovely Eggs burst onto the scene at around 10pm, and immediately launched into their unique musical blend of the weird and wonderful.
Ross and Blackwell’s onstage chemistry was fizzing (as it should, they are married after all) as they played through some of their better known songs, alternating Ross’ sweet, northern vocals with deafeningly loud guitar interludes. A particular highlight was ‘Oh The Stars’, a strange, almost philosophical tale featuring olives, oil, countries and the universe (if you only listen to one Lovely Eggs track on Spotify make it this one). Ross, showing herself to be quite the comedienne, put her heart and soul into making the unusual lyrics as bewildering to the audience as possible. Keeping with the theme of brilliant, nonsensical lyrics, ‘Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion?’, featured more rhymes with the word ‘accordion’ than one would have originally thought possible (including scorpion, beef bourguignon and obscure American novelist Richard Brautigan.) Ross continued to switch between ordinary singing and unhinged screaming, Lancaster’s small, blonde answer to Karen O. There was no encore, as Ross sidled elegantly off the
Coral Williamson
11
Reviews.Media.
Take a musical safari favourite albums, Surfer Rosa by Pixies and Pod by The Breeders. He also has a lot of interesting thoughts on the music industry. Eric: It would have to be Tim Westwood after my impression of him. We know he’s a big fan of the show so it could happen soon. Watch this space...
Radio Profile Off the BeatenTrack Specialist Name of the show: Off the Beaten Track. When is it on: Thursdays, 9:30-11:00pm.
If your show was an animal what animal would it be and why? Eric: I don’t think we would be a single animal, more of a gathering of various ones. A collective, even. Yes. An Animal Collective. Clara: A platypus. It’s difficult to define!
Who presents the show: Clara Chinnery and Eric Shapiro. What type of music do you play: Eric: Eclectic rock, electronic, alternative - music mainly from independent labels. Clara: Mainly indie, also some folk, hip hop and electronic music. Describe your show in a few words: Clara: Eclectic, interesting, different. There should be something for everyone. Eric: If Pitchfork Media and Gorilla vs. Bear had an illegitimate love-child it would sound like Off the Beaten Track. Do you do any features on your show? if so what are they: Eric: ‘Reason why Swedish bands are better than the bands of any other country
bar none’ of the week. Catchy, I know. Biggest on-air gaffe: Clara: We once had to miss an entire show after unknowingly pulling out an internet cable which meant that the system we use to play music through wouldn’t work. Eric: My Tim Westwood impression on the first ever show that somehow sounded more of a racist stereotype than the person I was imitating.
How much prep do you do before you go on air: Clara: We usually meet up the day before the show to agree on a tracklist, and try to research the artists as much as possible. Eric: Scour the blogs, collect together about 85 minutes of music and then order them neatly. We’ve been planning the shows since the age of five. Who would be your ideal guest? Clara: Steve Albini, who produced two of my
presenters: Eric: One of us LOVES Jenga after a night out. Clara: We have five passports between us. What is your strangest talent? Clara: Suddenly gaining the ability to speak Spanish while drunk. Eric: I’m a penniless Jew. What are you wearing? Clara: A cream dress with a crane pattern on it. Eric: Circa-1968 Jagger haircut, ironic moustache, and ‘jeggings’ Can you lick your elbow? Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Did you just try both/either of
Finish this sentence in no more than 20 words: Students should listen to our show because... Clara: They want to listen to something they haven’t heard before. Eric: We are the polar opposite to Greg James and Fearne Cotton. Literally everything about them.
Thursday April 22 2010
What does your last text message say? Clara: “Or maybe Ireland :P x”. Eric: “Did the Gaga tickets come through yet” [from Clara]. Finish this sentence in a unique way: Phi Fi Fo Thumb... Clara: He went downtown and got him a gun, so don’t shoot shoot shoot that thing at me...
Describe yourself in three words: Clara: Cheerful, tall, thoughtful. Eric: David Dimbleby exciting. Tell us a random fact about one of the
Animal Collective: comparable to Off the Beaten Track.
Forge Radio schedule
Listen online at www.forgeradio.com, in the Union or at The Edge
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun
8 - 9am The Monday Breakfast Show
8 - 9am The Tuesday Breakfast Show
8 - 9am The Wednesday Breakfast Show
8 - 9am The Thursday Breakfast Show
8 - 9am The Friday Breakfast Show
9 - 10.30am Heal Your Hangover
12.15 - 1.30pm 3 Girls Multiple Laughs
9 - 10.30am The Amy and Polly Show
9 - 10.30am Bizarre
9 - 10.30am Georgie and Charlie Gatecrash
9 - 10.30am Dale Wetter
9 - 10.30am The James and Tom Show
10.30am - 12pm Happy Monday Show
10.30am - 12pm What a Wonderful World
12 - 1.30pm The Noble Morton Sessions 1.30 - 3pm Gus and Sam’s Hour of Power (and 30 minutes) 3 - 4.30pm Harry Horton
Fuse.
4.30 - 5pm The News Session 5 - 6.30pm Eve 6.30 - 8pm Monday Like This 8 - 9.30pm Sports Desk 9.30 - 11pm Morgi Music
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these things? Clara: I already know I can’t because I’ve fallen for that trick before!. Eric: Nope. That’s something Greg James would do.
11pm - 1am Gutter Radio
10.30am - 12pm Unplugged
10.30am - 12pm The Matt and Sam Show
12 - 1.30pm The Pid and Imo World
12 - 1.30pm 100 RPM
1.30 - 3pm A Little Bit of What You Fancy
1.30 - 3pm Giulia and the Journos
12 - 1.30pm Something for the Week
3 - 4.30pm Film Unit Round Table 4.30 - 5pm Cricklewood 5 - 6.30pm Jed and Jen
3 - 4.30pm Fuse 4.30 - 5pm Blue Like an Orange 5 - 6.30pm PG Tips
6.30 - 8pm Forge Loves
6.30 - 8pm The Chris Conway Show
8 - 9.30pm Trance-4-Nation
8 - 9.30pm Chris’s Chillout Session
9.30 - 11pm Beats and Pieces 11pm - 1am Tom Bowles
9.30 - 11pm Dubstep Forward 2-Step Backward 11pm - 1am Ready Steady Crunk
10.30am - 12pm That Friday Show 12 - 1.30pm The Mandy Show
1.30 - 3pm Ed and Guy
1.30 - 3pm Ready for the Weekend
3 - 4.30pm Walk Talk
3 - 4.30pm Taut Ladies
4.30 - 5pm The News Debate Show
4.30 - 5pm Your Sport
5 - 6.30pm Don’t Upset The Rhythm 6.30 - 8pm Brewing Up Trouble 8 - 9.30pm Kristi Genovese 9.30 - 11pm Off The Beaten Track 11pm - 1am Musical Meanderings
10:30 - 12.00am The Punchline 12 - 1.30pm The Saturday Meltdown
5 - 6.30pm Schubert Lemon
3 - 4.30pm Owen in Rock
6.30 - 8pm 1337
4.30pm-5pm Mike and Ed’s IntraMural Round-up
8 - 10pm Liam White
5 - 6.30pm The Globetrotter 6.30 - 8pm Soon I Will Be Invincible
6.30 - 8pm Straight Outta Crookesmoor
8 - 9.30pm The Shrimps present...
9.30 - 11pm The Soundclash 11pm - 1am Bedrock
3 - 5pm SRA Chart Show
1.30 - 3pm The Cultural Implosion
5 - 6.30pm The Melting Pot
8 - 9.30pm The ‘Lovely’ Show
1.30 - 3pm Sunday Snews
9.30 - 11pm Keyboard Cats 11pm - 1am Under The Bed
Reviews.Screen.
Brutally beautiful
Film Centurion Out Now
Loosely based on fact, Centurion is a great actionadventure which follows members of an ill-fated Roman legion as they battle for survival in chaotic northern Britain. The year is AD 117 and the Roman Empire is advancing throughout Europe. In northern Britain a savage army, the Picts, have held the Romans to a bloody stalemate for over 20 years. The story follows the historically mysterious Roman Ninth Legion as they attempt to slaughter the Picts. Under orders to march north, the Legion are ambushed and slaughtered by a strong resistance. Most of the men are promptly killed and the leader, General Virilus (Dominic West), is taken captive. Against the odds, a group of seven Romans do survive. Fuelled by revenge, soldier Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender)
takes his team deep into Pict territory as they race to rescue their general and take him to the safety of the Roman frontier. But Quintus struggles to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines. Encountering harsh terrain and a blood-hungry Pict warrior, Etain (Olga Kurylenko) the band of soldiers enter into a desperate struggle for survival. British director Neil Marshall’s idiosyncrasies resonate throughout the film. He is a master of gorenography, with the levels of violence, sparse dramatic dialogue and fast-paced action clearly nodding to his previous works. Marshall has worked wonders here with a small £10million budget. The cinematography is clear, the sound is detailed, and there is a professional feel to the film far beyond its budget. In terms of acting, every cast member puts in a decent performance. Many of the actors are British whom, before now, have not had starring roles in major movies such as Noel Clarke who plays Macros. But the main flaws with this film come in it’s simplistic construction. The main issue being the basic
Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) on the run from some savage Picts. dialogue. The characters unimaginative plot. While undertones of the movie. speak in a string of clichés the film has been set in Themes of guilt, love and and dramatic phrases. an ancient time and place, loss soon phase into the The script is far too the plot differs little from wash of violence and ordinary, with tired themes any other action-adventure vengeance. of duty and honour yarn. The vengeful plot and becoming vehicles for It is a shame that such definite fate of the Ninth predictable speech. flaws exist as they strip all Legion is bound to ruffle Another problem is the meaning from the serious the feathers of those here is outstanding. She is a master of the subtle, sensual delivery that films of this style couldn’t survive without. Overall, a slightly clichéd plot is more than redeemed by the beautifully stylish art direction, cinematography and some stellar performances. Father Ridley may have found competition. Directorial prowess and imagination appear to be hereditary as Jordan Scott gifts us with a spellbinding debut. Tom Fletcher
DVD Cracks Out Now
DVD I’m Gonna Explode Out Now
Lizzie Palmer
Fuse.
Fiamma (Maria Valverde, front) the alluring newbie. mayhem, forbidden desire These are unsettling and betrayal catapults and alienating themes the audience into the for any viewer to digest, tremendously realistic and particularly in the final 20 encapsulating madness minutes. Suddenly we’re of the boarding school watching Lord of The Flies; society. the sense of claustrophobia Despite being an erotically and isolation is staggering. charged tale, Scott cleverly Few actresses today adopts a powerful but can captivate an audience subtle representation of the with such mysterious and sensitive and controversial disturbed characteristics so subject matter. effortlessly, but Eva Green
Maru Hernandez (Maria Deschamps) is 15 years old and feels different and misunderstood, keeping track of her lonely existence in a secret diary. Maru’s luck changes however when the mysterious Roman (Juan Pablo de Santiago) arrives at her sleepy prep school, whose antics have seen him expelled from institution after institution. The pair soon set out on the run together, although most of their wayward ‘adventure’ is spent hiding on Roman’s roof to the total ignorance of his somewhat distracted father (his mother was killed in
fakery of the modern world which Catcher in the Rye first brought to light. I’m Gonna Explode owes a lot to its young stars. In her first film appearance, Deschamps portrays the uncertain throes of first teenage sexual experience with a wonderful vulnerability. Despite the potential for clichés when making a film largely centred around teenage angst, I’m Gonna Explode avoids such flaws until the somwhat predictable ending, during which melodrama overrides the intelligent subtlety permeating the rest of the film. However, Neranjo’s latest offering is a beautiful, poignant story with a great cast, and will surely appeal to anyone who has ever felt apart from the mainstream.
Thursday April 22 2010
Jealousy can be a powerful weapon, but desire can be even more dangerous in the wrong hands. In her directorial debut, Cracks, Jordan Scott has given us one of the most profound and disturbing psychological dramas of the year. Set in an Irish boarding school during the 1930s, Cracks tells the scintillating story of a group of teenage girls and their captivating teacher. The self proclaimed queen and heroine, Miss G (Eva Green) is a bohemian adventurer and profoundly wise mentor who thrives on the adoration that her girls lavish upon her. Everyone has the odd skeleton in their closet however, and those who seem too good to be true are often the worst, so prepare for twists. In a slightly predictable turn, along comes Fiamma (Maria Valverde), the stunning, Spanish, aristocratic new girl. Her arrival naturally throws a spanner in the works, particularly when she captures the eye, heart and desires of Miss G, much to the envy of Di Radfield (Juno Temple). Soon a downward spiral of
a car crash years earlier, giving him further ‘troubled’ credibility.) With little more than each other and a small red tent, they spend their days baking in the sun, drinking tequila straight from the bottle and their nights falling asleep listening to Bright Eyes on a battered personal stereo. Beautifully shot with a cool, faded ambience, Gerardo Neranjo’s third film has often been likened to J.D. Salinger’s celebrated novel of teenage alienation, Catcher in the Rye. Roman certainly has something of the Holden Caulfield about him, with a resoundingly bleak outlook on life, and a love of alcohol and sex. Both Roman and Maru spend the film engaged in a seemingly never-ending search for something real, “something to live for,” away from the so-called
looking for an accurate, historical documentary. However, this movie deserves praise for putting a modern spin on a disputed legend and turning it into an appealing, if simplistic, action-packed adventure. Ashley Scrace
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Reviews.Games.
Nobody’s perfect
Console Perfect Dark HD Xbox Live Arcade
The release of Perfect Dark on Xbox Live Arcade has a lot of heads turning. The game had long been considered a revolution in gaming sharing many gameplay similarities with another N64 classic Goldeneye, however it was set in the dystopian future of the year 2023. Perfect Dark had many unique features when originally released, a cooperative storyline and AI stimulant enemies in multiplayer to name but two. Everyone hoped that it would set the tone for future first person shooters, however it was ahead of its time in many respects and the variety of features and quality graphics weren’t picked up by other developers for some time. A re-release updated for
Fuse.
Thursday April 22 2010
Ten years on and whilst we don’t yet have flying cars at least we have our old games in higher resolutions. movements the gun always out of the game, however possible to get that satisfied allowing for up to 12 players leads crosshair first. In long without this the game is feeling of covering someone and stimulants. It retains its sessions this can be a little at times impossibly hard with proximity mines when award scheme, however frustrating when compared requiring split second they nip out of the room there is now a leader board with other games. reactions. for a second, or killing system available. Overall it Along with the benefits The variety of weapons someone hiding in a vent is worth a play for old time’s of computer generated can be exceptionally with your farsight. sake, but in many respects stimulants, come some enjoyable with the different The new release itself has it doesn’t compare with computer aided flaws. The effects and functions none few changes, with slightly most FPS’ on the market auto-aim can be too much of which differ from the improved visuals and a new today. of an aid, taking precision original game. It’s still online multiplayer system Mike Walden
Only a few horses were harmed in the making of this screenshot. through swathes of enemy bidding, each with their own infantry is surprisingly strengths and weaknesses. almost as compelling as The importance of the lopping off heads whilst makeup of your army, Mount and Blade: doing so. One of the key terrain, morale and other factors in the enjoyment tactics put most supposed Warband to be found in this is the strategy games to shame. PC underlying attention to The single-player mode detail, with weapon weight sees the character you and relative momentum control move from fighting of attacker to target the odd bandit, performing Warband is the the influencing the damage of tasks for a lord of the standalone expansion back your attacks. land, joining the warparty for the much loved Mount The combat system is of a kingdom, swearing and Blade, a game from the elegant in its simplicity. vassalage to a king and, small developer TaleWorlds You have four possible ultimately in Warband, which allows you to swing directions in which to swing forming your own nation your sword about in battles, your weapon of choice and conquering lands and the scale of which were block: above, left, right granting fiefdoms to your previously reserved for and centre, selected with own loyal vassals. This is all RTS titles. Warband adds a slight movement of the done via Total War-esque the ability to become a mouse in the corresponding world map filled in villages, monarch and recruits direction before clicking. castles and towns to travel vassals in the fictional land While this is easy to grasp between and conquer. of Caldaria as well as the for beginners the ability to There are however many highly anticipated addition feint, kick whilst blocking more opportunities on the of multiplayer combat. and the pace involved in continent of Caldaria than For those uninitiated to fights means that there is this, you are pretty much left the phenomenon of Mount plenty to separate the men to your own devices. You can and Blade the titular draw from the boys. compete in tournaments, of the game is the horse In addition to your own support a claimant to one of based combat. The sense martial prowess you can the thrones, sell prisoners of weight and power behind also order around a wide into slavery and get into bar the steeds as you ride variety of units to do your brawls among other things.
PC
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the 360 with remapped controls was always likely to generate interest; from first play everything brings back memories. The storyline isn’t especially long, but with four difficulties, and plenty of maps/enemies it doesn’t lack in variety or toughness. As well as the main story and general multiplayer modes, there is a target range with time related challenges and plenty of unlocks that increase game time drastically. Unfortunately the game doesn’t live up to all previous expectations, as plenty of things have improved in the world of videogames in the past 10 years. The most noticeable flaw is the unchanged aiming system; in modern games a twitch in an analogue stick results in the player character rotating on the spot keeping the gun directly in front of them. In Perfect Dark, when the stick is twitched, the player character twitches the gun not moving their head, such that with small movements, the gun returns to the centre, and to make larger
The multiplayer has a wide array of gametypes to choose from including battle, siege, capture the flag and deathmatch. Each team playing as one of the singleplayer factions and each player selecting a class of unit which they can customise with money earned between rounds of a game. Up to 64 players can fight at once in the game (unless you tweak the server to allow more) and there is little lag to be seen even with this many individuals going at it. Whilst Mount and Blade: Warband is a thoroughly enjoyable and will keep you addicted long after many triple-A titles would have become stale it is not without faults. The game is riddled with game breaking glitches and bugs which can ruin a singleplayer campaign which you have put days into. There are niggling polish issues like clothing and scenery clipping, misspellings as well as the graphics, whilst being impressive for a game form such a small developer, leave something to be desired. These all do very little to mar what is otherwise a unique and worthwhile experience however and everyone should give this game the chance it deserves to take over their lives for a few weeks. Brendan Allit
PC Majesty 2:Kingmaker PC
Majesty fans must feel like Christmas has come early. After having to wait nine years for a sequel to the original Majesty, the first expansion has been released only six months after Majesty 2. Featuring an all-new campaign with eight new missions, Majesty 2: Kingmaker doesn’t come packed with new features, but does retain the same gameplay and tongue-incheek humour that made the original so good. The premise of the expansion is very simple. After claiming your rightful place as the king of Ardania at the end of Majesty 2, a new threat to the kingdom has emerged through GrumGog, the king of goblins. Gameplay is completely unchanged; Kingmaker mostly plays as a standard RTS, except that you have no direct
control over units. Each unit is free to wander the base and surrounding area as they see fit, and the only way to influence them is by placing a waypoint on the map with a specific order and offering a reward to whoever completes the order first. While this will be very strange to newcomers, it actually works very well once you get used to it. However, it is worth mentioning that, unlike the gradual difficulty curve (followed by sharp spike) in Majesty 2, Kingmaker starts out hard and just gets harder. It is technically possible to play the expansion without the original, but from a difficulty standpoint it isn’t recommended. So yes, this is essentially just more of the same. However, the gameplay in Majesty 2 was so different to other RTS games that being more of the same really isn’t a bad thing. Some more buildings and units would have been nice, but their exclusion can be forgiven. For fans of Majesty this should be a no-brainer, and for RTS fans there are much worse options out there than this unique fantasy-sim. James Cook
Reviews.Arts.
Fair is foul and foul is fair Theatre Vinegar Tom Drama Studio
Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom presents a contemporary view of witch trials, focusing on absurd patriarchal depictions of the female gender. The play addresses historical perceptions of liberated and sexually aware women as being outsiders in society, and how this brought them under persecution. It examines scapegoates in society and how it is still relevant today, be it discrimination against gender, ethnicity, religion or disability. The play opens with Alice, a 20-year old village girl, clothed in black lace, a red corset and black skirt, which accentuate her overt sensuality and her deemed impurity and darkness as juxtaposed with her friend Susan. Alice (Della Ann Owen) is too artificial in her performance. Her sensuality is too lascivious; biting her lips in front of an unidentified man she appears as more of a Lolita than a witch. The chemistry between the two characters is questionable although The Man (played by Josh Simpson) is better at conveying the palpable
Sarah Raine as “cunning woman” Ellen. Photo: E Santos sexual tension this forbidden affair should have. He shows a greater emotional register and stage presence which is significant given that Alice is the main character. A more successfully portrayed connection
Preview Dancing to Darwin: The Comedy of Change Douglas Knoop Centre
Richard Scott
Exhibition Food Glorious Food Western Bank Museum Whether it’s a takeaway pizza, a traditional Sunday roast or something finer like a slow poached fillet of lamb, we all have a favourite meal. We probably all have a favourite smell and texture too, from freshly baked bread and greasy bacon to melted chocolate and crunchy cracknel. For most of us our first cooking experience was probably baking cakes at primary school but the love and curiosity for food lasts our whole lives. The Food Glorious Food exhibition looks at the history and culture of food going as far back as the 14th century. When I first walked in there were toddlers running around with spoons and aprons like a chaotic nursery, while on the other side was an elderly couple reminiscing whilst looking at old packaging, so there really is something for the whole family. The exhibition is set out like a house, from the garden to the kitchen, to illustrate the different
Iris Provias
Poetry Curious: An Evening of Poetry Firth Hall
An evening of poetry was a showcase of work by those who have written for the English Department’s online magazine Route 57, as well as work from the Creative Writing MA. It was a modest turnout for the poetry reading, conversation and the chance to share your own work in an open mic section. This was an event for the Curious festival, which is a programme of engaging events that is open to students and the public, running from Mon aspects of food. The kitchen has cupboards that reveal old objects inside including a butter churner that shakes cream and a knife cleaner. In the living room is a table with examples of the nation’s favourites; a big breakfast, spaghetti Bolognese and, of course, fish and chips. There’s also cutting edge designs of cutlery, which includes a very luxurious marrow holder and a lobster pick, if you feel that way inclined. A nostalgic cabinet was full of retro packaging with the old Oxo cubes box, Heinz soup tins and Fry’s cocoa powder, showing how there was an explosion of new products after the war rations.
12 to Sun 25 of April. There were two guest poets Ben Wilkinson and Helen Mort, both new talents based in the city of Sheffield. For me, they were high points in an altogether mediocre evening. Ben Wilkinson was charming and articulate, while Helen Mort added elegance. She was poised and honest; and after hearing her poetry it was clear why she received an Eric Gregory award from The Society of Authors in 2007. Poetry is a personal and subjective art form; this evening was not to my taste. However others enjoyed the informal, friendly meeting of poetry writers and listeners. Much of the other poetry showcased was clichéd and obvious, a little political, there were scenes and memories of Yorkshire and other poems that were consciously about the poet or poetry. There were some pretty phrases and the occasional chuckle from the group, but little that stayed with me as I left Firth Hall. What the evening showed is that there is a certain truth in the idea that poets are not usually performers as well, and why should they be? Most seemed nervous, unsure of their words and self-deprecating. There was no authority and little ego, but there wasn’t the poetical content, or style for ego to be welcomed. E. Rodda Dotted round the exhibition are leaflets where people have contributed memories of food, with historical transcripts from the Millennium Memory Bank. The main thing Food Glorious Food tries to convey is how much food has changed with some memories fonder than others. We also seem to be more sophisticated with our food choices as the recipe book from 1800 shows. Anybody for calves head hash and hedgehog? No, didn’t think so. The exhibition explores the rich variety of tastes, smells and textures of food but also aims to teach with lots of facts on recycling, processed food and packaging. At the end people get the chance to write and draw their own food memories, from recipe ideas to their first memory of food, which is a nice insight into the Sheffield community, adults and children alike. It’s primarily like going back in time but young children can keep themselves entertained with a big table full of plastic food, tins and bowls. It’s worth going for a few nostalgic memories but make sure you eat before you go or you might leave feeling very hungry! Kristi Genovese
Fuse.
and work of Charles Darwin through contemporary dance. Over the next half-hour Nicky presents us with a series of video-clips demonstrating the startling behaviour of her research subjects - fiendishly clever birds. It was a surprise to me to learn that crows are grouped just behind apes and dolphins as the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. Nicky demonstrated how these birds learn to work in tandem, use tools, and have been proven to have a concept of past and future that allows them to
reason. She then showed us the mating rituals of the Hummingbirds, Blue Manakins and the Bird of Paradise, who use dance to attract potential mates. The Bird of Paradise steals the show, throwing away twigs to clear a dancing circle on the forest floor and performing a pre-dance mime before it deploys its evolutionary weapon - a comical inflatable ‘tutu’, which it struts around the floor – only to be driven from the stage by a more experienced male who doubles his crowd of admiring females. It is three principles of the natural world - how it hides and reveals itself to its advantage, how individuals vary because they are both similar and yet different, and how the future becomes the past that inspire the movement and choreography of the Rambert Dance Company’s upcoming show. At the centre of its story is how these factors allow females to be picky about their partners, resulting in increasingly exaggerated and extraordinary displays - a real comedy of change. The clips we saw of the performance certainly look intriguing, and no doubt we’ll be bringing you a review in the next issue.
(‘Vinegar Tom’ is the name of Joan’s cat) and voices whispering ‘witch’, that represent the invisible fear and irrationality alive in the characters’ psyche and her interactions with others. Vinegar Tom is an unusual production, using dark tales from history to provide metaphors for our modern world. It successfully portrays the climate of fear and suspicion that was present in both the witch hunts of the past, and which can be seen in the medialed witch hunts against sections of society today.
Thursday April 22 2010
The academic world can certainly throw out some curiosities. The University’s latest seminar series Arts-Science Encounters raises a few eyebrows with its promises of delivering “the science and poetry of magnetic resonance imaging”, for example. One might expect the attempt to sex up the text book to come off awkwardly. Our professors do have a sense of humour however, and while keeping tongue firmly in cheek, they also succeed in making us think. A professor of comparative psychology at Cambridge, Nicky Clayton explains how her double life as an academic and a professional dance instructor (tango and salsa) have come crashing together. After meeting Mark Baldwin, the artistic director of the Rambert Dance Company, she found herself brought on as a consultant for a very special performance to commemorate the life
is that between the two farmers Jack and Margery, neighbours to Joan, Alice’s mother. Margery (Melanie Harrison) is natural on stage and conveys very well the desperation of her oppressive marriage to the humorous simpleton Jack
(Adam Cowdnell). Many of the costumes are splendid and originally designed for the production, Jack’s plaid shirt and drawn on tattoo point at the modern contexts that surround the play. Other notable performances include those of Susan (Nicola Worthington) a married friend of Alice who, as a result of having multiple children, is at a crossroads about her pregnancy. She stands for the numerous women who suffered physically and emotionally under the burden of repeated child bearing - we find in her echoes of April from Revolutionary Road. The most enthusiastic and captivating acting in fact comes from minor characters of Kramer (Ryan Smith) and Sprenger (Erin Taylor) who give life to the stage and act as a chorus in key scenes. SutCo’s production of Vinegar Tom is successful in its technical aspects, in which it excels. The simple yet inventive set revolves around an Alice In Wonderland-style playmat covering the entirety of the stage floor and the effective use of lighting which allows for smooth transitions between the scenes. The soundtrack is a powerful part of the production ensuring that this play is a chilling experience for the audience. It builds an atmosphere through the sound of cats hissing
Mouth-watering exhibits.
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Fuse.listings Thursday April 22 - Wednesday May 5 2010
email: listings@forgetoday.com
Thur 22
Fri 23
Sat 24
Sun 25
Mon 26
Tue 27
Wed 28
Calendar Girls @ Lyceum; £16.50£28.50; 2.30pm
Sensoria: Strummerville 2010 (UK Premier) @ Showroom; £6.90; 7pm
Food Glorious Food @ Weston Park Museum; Free Admission
Bachelorette @ The Harley; £5adv; 8.00pm
Filmmaker Don Letts shows how Joe Strummer’s unique contribution to the music world is manifesting itself through a charity set up in his memory: Strummerville.
Budding cooks of all ages will enjoy the eclectic displays of labour saving gadgets, historic culinary devices and unusual recipes, before delving into the larder, stocked with interesting food stories and nostalgic packaging.
Larry Garner & The Norman Beaker Band @ Boardwalk; £12adv; 7.00pm
The Science and Poetry of Magnetic Resonance Imaging @ Humanities Research Institute; Register Online; 5.30pm
Rambert Dance Company: Comedy of Change @ Lyceum; £8.50-£21.00; 7.45pm
Frankie Boyle @ City Hall; £20.00; 8.00pm A group of women spark a global phenomenon when they pose for a charity calendar with a difference! Based on an inspiring true story, Calendar Girls is quirky, poignant and hilarious. The Yes Men Fix the World @ SU Auditorium; Free; 7.30pm
Rock warriors soon to be cult heroes, for fans of Black Sabbath, AC/DC and TurboNegro.
Two activists who pose as top executives of giant corporations lie their way into big business conferences and pull off outrageous pranks. Rag Raid - Pink Theme @ Source & City; Free; 11.00am
A Night of Vandalism @ O2 Academy; £20.00; 6.30pm
Go down as an army to swamp Fargate to spread the RAG love and raise cash for local Sheffield Charities. Major pink fancy dress is encouraged!
DeLorean Drivers’ pop, electro and disco lights up the stage with eclectic rockers A Lot Like Eskimos and Echo Chamber DJs.
Thur 29
Fri 30
Sat 1
Writers of Influence Exihibiton @ Graves Gallery; Free Admission
Bromheads at the Library @ Library Theatre; £6.00adv; 8.00pm
KISS @ Sheffield Arena; £40; 7.00pm
Student Band Comp Final @ Foundry; £2.50; 7.30pm Five top bands will battle it out. The critics choice winner will support New Young Pony Club at Let’s Go Disco on May 7th. Sensoria: British Sea Power @ The Showroom; £12.50; 7.00pm
British Sea Power perform their live soundtrack to Man of Aran, a powerful documentary presenting daily life on the inhospitable Aran islands on the west coast of Ireland.
Diving World Series @ Ponds Forge; £10 day pass; 10am & 1.45pm Global names such as Team GB’s own teenage sensation Tom Daley and the Beijing 10m platform Gold Medal winner Chen Ruolin.
Last Laugh Comedy Club @ City Hall; £16.00; 7.00pm Chris Brooker, Phil Butler, Nige, John Scott ...a grungy mix of Billy Connolly and Arragorn always plays a blinder.
Last Laugh Comedy Club @ The Raynor Lounge; £5.50adv; 7.45pm
Lightening Seeds @ City Hall; £22.50; 7.30pm Ian Broudie returned last year with a new Lightning Seeds album, the first for ten years, wrapped in melody and full of the timeless emotional depth we’ve come to expect from him.
Rock legends KISS are set to bring their new ‘Sonic Boom Over Europe: From the Beginning To the Boom’ Tour to the Sheffield Arena, opening up the UK leg of the tour.
Northern poet Professor Jon Glover will read from his recent collection. He is joined by Professor Sean Spence, worldleader in brain science research into deception. Life Drawing @ Crookesmoor; £4.50; 6.00pm Have a go at life drawing in this workshop that is suitable for all abilities. Models, tuition and a range of materials are provided. UFO @ O2 Academy; £17adv; 7.00pm
Mark Baldwin’s brand new work skillfully blends dance and science and commemorates the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Still Waiting @ The Drama Studio; £4; 7.00pm A new play by Dominic Gee-Burch, a secondyear student here at the University, based on a true story. SuTCo’s final show of the year promises to be one of its most exciting yet.
Creative Sounds Feat. FreeFold + Junction 31 @ Corporation; £6adv; 7.00pm
World Snooker Championships @ Crucible; £18adv; 10am
FreeFold are a five-piece rock band. Formed in May 2006, the past two years have acted as a transition period enabling the band to create a distinctive style, sound and show.
With their new material designed for the live arena, prepare for clear arrangements, catchy melodies and high energy throughout as UFO go on tour.
Sun 2
Mon 3
Tue 4
Wed 5
Metropolis and Wax:On @ O2 Academy; £16.00; 11.00pm
RAG’s Walk in the Park @ Endcliffe and Bingham; £3; 11.00am Get your society or group of friends together and set yourself your own challenge, fancy a 2mile ramble or maybe a challenging sponsored 10 mile hike- you can do as many laps as you like!
Damon and Naomi (Ex Galaxie 500) @ The Harley; £6; 8.00pm
A Woman of No Importance @ Drama Studio; £7; 7.30pm
Damon and Naomi’s mature yet captivating style is appealing to both their older fans and younger generations who appreciate the raw beauty that music can convey.
One of Wilde’s funniest plays. The combination of guests at a dinner party at the home of the regal Lady Hunstanton leads to conflict, romance and revelations.
Wax:On and Metropolis present an extravaganza to remember. Don’t be surprised if your memory of the evening turns out to be a little hazy.
Katy Brand’s Big Ass Tour @ Lyceum; £18.50; 8.00pm
This year there are a record 77 different beers, 18 different ciders and perries and three fruit beers! They’ll also be live bands, music and hot food served in the garden.
Tiffany’s voice has the sassy swagger of Chrissie Hynde, Shirley Manson’s vampish purr and the hellion roar of Courtney Love.
Bringing you five-star comedy for a cheap-aschips price! Comedy acts perform on their way to comedy big time.
Sheffield two-piece Bromheads follow up releasing 6 singles in 6 months with their first ever theatre performance, at The Library Theatre, with special guests. 5th Annual Union Beer Festival @ Union Gardens; 5.00pm
Tiffany Page @ Fusion; £6.50adv; 7.00pm
The Black Spiders + Slaves To Gravity + Downslide @ Fusion; £6adv; 7.00pm
Frankie Boyle, star of BBC2’s Mock the Week and one of the hottest and most controversial comedians of the moment, is back on the road in 2010 with an all new live show.
A journey from Shakespeare to Jarvis Cocker, a new exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery celebrates some of Britain’s finest literary talents.
Larry is a great performer and very much a modern day Bluesman. His songs are stories of his past and everybody’s present.
As a student of computer-based composition, Bachelorette makes use of traditional instruments, but deploys mostly electronic sounds.
John Otway Solo @ Boardwalk; £8adv; 7.00pm
The Futureheads @ The Leadmill; £12.50; 7.00pm The Futureheads have always made the most of what they have around them. This time around it is the present state of our nation that has acted as the primary source of inspiration.
Following the success of her hit TV show, Katy is returning to her live roots with this silly, sassy and smart evening of comedy.
A rare solo show to launch the eagerly awaited follow up to his autobiography Cor Baby, That’s Really Me a book that outsold all his albums within weeks.
Gama Bomb + Mutant + Redmist Destruction @ Corporation; £7adv; 7.00pm
Back For Good: Recreating the Music of Take That @ City Hall; £15+; 7.30pm
With an arsenal of razor fine riffs and rapier wits, Gama Bomb prepare to take on the brainsucking musical dead.
With amazing dance routines, adoring fans will be singing and dancing within minutes to ‘The Greatest Boy Band Of All Time’.
Batusis @ O2 Academy; £12.50; 7.00pm
Chase and Status @ O2 Academy; £13.50; 7.30pm
What happens when Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome, the two founding fathers of punk rock join forces? In a word: Batusis.
Hammerfall + Dream Evil + Tribe @ Corporation; £14adv; 7.00pm
Community Board Games and Cake @ Coffee Revolution; Free Admission
Sweden’s biggest power metal band play at Corporation, featuring exmembers of InFlames.
The World Snooker Championship returns from 17 April – 3 May. This event is the oldest and most important tournament in snooker.
Come and chill out with your community over a free cake and a game of Monopoly or Jenga. A great way to spend a cold Tuesday evening!
Current champions of the Drum ‘n’ Bass scene, Londoners Chase & Status have had three dance chart number ones, whilst debut album More Than A Lot entered the UK dance album chart at number two. Example @ Fusion; £8adv; 7.00pm Example’s widescreen look at life is a vision perhaps typical of a man who has immersed himself not only in street culture but also in film making.