Forge Press #122 - Graduation/Tramlines 2018 by Forge Press

PRESS

the graduation issue class of 2018

#122

tramlines guide overleaf

Monday 16 July 2018

Editorial

ello there, and welcome to this special Graduation issue of Forge Press. For many of you graduation will be a mix of excitement, trepidation, relief and also a little sadness. You’ve (probably) worked very hard to get to this stage, and you’ve (hopefully) been looking forward to this celebration for a while now. But, once you’ve picked up that certificate and thrown that hat in the air, for most of you it will soon be time to say one final farewell to the University of Sheffield. No more Peak District on your doorstep, no more living minutes away from your closest friends, no more Bar One burgers, no more midweek nights out, no more midweek lie-ins to recover from said nights out. The list goes on. There will be plenty to miss when your days as a student are over. But now is not a time to be sad. We’ve created this issue to fill you will nostalgia and a sense of pride in what you have achieved during your time here in Sheffield. Inside you’ll find our highlights of the past three academic years, a guide to some of our most notable alumni, information on what’s on throughout Graduation Week, and much more. This issue of Forge Press is the first to be created by the new 2018/19 Editorial Team and I’m pleased to say

I’m immensely proud of what they have achieved. Our contributors have been outstanding, our new Deputy Editors David Craig and James Pendlington have been an immense help throughout the whole process, and our new Head of Design Chloe Dervey has made the whole paper look beautiful, not least with her fantastic cover designs. Overleaf you will also find our guide to Tramlines 2018. The festival is celebrating its 10th year with a move to Hillsborough Park and it looks like it’s going to be huge. Our new Music Editor Harriet Evans and the returning Ben Kempton have worked with contributors Niall O’Callaghan and Shaun Perryment to compile an extensive guide to the festival, as well as interviews with a number of acts, including Blossoms, Little Comets and The Sherlocks. It’s well worth a read. Congratulations to all of you who are graduating this week, you’ve got exciting lives ahead of you but, for now, take a few minutes to enjoy your final moments of university life (unless you just can’t leave and are continuing with post-grad, of course). I hope you enjoy the read.

Credits

Contents

Editor David Anderson

3........................What’s

Managing Editor Freyja Gillard

On?

4-5............2015-16 Retrospect 6-7............2016-17 Retrospect

Deputy Editors James Pendlington David Craig

8-9............2017-18 Retrospect

Design Coordinator Chloe Dervey

11....................Food and Drink

Contributors Ben Warner Gethin Morgan Luke Baldwin Niall O’Callaghan Shaun Perryment Josie Le Vay Matthew Hartill Music Editors Harriet Evans Ben Kempton Copy Editors Connie Coombs Salena Rayner Laura Foster

Please contact Forge Press on our Facebook page or at press.hello@forgetoday.com

10.......................Grad Puzzles

12-13..............Graduation Map 14.....What you will/won’t miss 15...........................Uni Bingo 16......Forge’s Post-Grad Guide 17...Successful Sheffield Grads

Tramlines Guide Overleaf Headliners...........................2 After Parties.........................3 Interviews........................4-6 Travel Information................7

n o i t a u d a Gr

. s n o i t a l u t a r g n Co

! t i d i d You

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

? n o s ’ t Wha ....................................................................................

roar AND POP TARTS

.................................................................................... It’d be rude not to make possibly your last night out ever in Sheffield one to remember. That isn’t to say, of course, that you’ll remember everything from the night itself, and who could blame you? In the most ambitious crossover event in history, for one night only (or, more accurately, a whole week as those kind folk at the SU are putting on a party every night throughout the week) the SU’s two biggest nights out, ROAR and Pop Tarts, become one. Not only that, but parents and guardians go free. Heady stuff indeed.

Photo by Leo Bojesen

...................................................

stuff your face

................................................... Ah, now we get to the important stuff. As with all major events in your life, food should play a crucial part, and your University of Sheffield graduation is no different. With View Deli and Inox Dine open for breakfast throughout the week, the usual range of venues are also available. So pop along to Proper Pasty, relax in Interval, and of course enjoy one last trip to Bar One.

MONDAY 16 - FRIDAY 20 by Matthew Hartill

.......................................................................................

PLAY WITH YOURSELF!

....................................................................................... The SU Plaza is about to go all technological on our graduates. Visit this stall and you’ll be able to pick up a truly unique memento of the day - a miniature 3D replica of yourself! All you have to do is pop along for a full 3D body scan in

all your finery, and hey presto! A smaller version of yourself to put on your mantelpiece and terrify your grandchildren with in years to come. Who said you weren’t being spoilt?

.........................................................

PHOTOGRAPHY ........................................................

If small models of yourself don’t float your boat, then go more conventional with some classic, and hopefully classy, graduation photography. The SU’s official graduation photographers Ede and

Ravenscroft will be in the Students’ Union throughout the week to take snaps of you and your family, and help to make it a day you won’t - and thanks to the photograph itself, can’t - forget.

......................................................................................

SOUVENIRS AND GIFTS

...................................................................................... Your graduation day is one that you will remember for the rest of your life, and to help you do that, the Students’ Union have laid on their very own souvenir and gift store. From graduation bears to

personalised hoodies, most of the gifts were made in Sheffield itself. What’s more, many of the products come adorned with the University crest, just in case you ever forget where you studied.

..............................................

raduation day is a very special one for family, friends and, of course, you, the graduate - but before you get too carried away with robes and mortar boards, the University and Students’ Union have got plenty of events to keep you busy before you bid farewell to university life forever (or until you do a post-grad).

tramlines festival

.............................................. Just in case you lived under a rock (or just aren’t interested - in which case, stop reading now), there’s something else going on towards the end of your graduation week. Yep, you can round things off in style by heading to Sheffield’s own music festival Tramlines at Hillsborough Park. It is taking place from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 July, and you can read everything you need to know in our Tramlines guide at the back of this paper.

Monday 16 July 2018

Forge Press

YEAR IN REVIEW

2015/16

by Luke Baldwin

Some mad stuff has happened over the past three years, from club closures to political protests. Chances are, amongst the stressful revision and endless hangovers, you won’t remember everything. Luckily, Forge Press have got you covered with our three ‘Years in Review’. So sit back and enjoy our stroll down memory lane...

The Diamond opens What does millions of pounds, years of development and the destruction of a historic building get you? Everyone’s least favourite library on campus, of course! Students rejoiced at the opening of the Diamond in September 2015, which saw the end of the construction site which had inconvenienced us for so long and promised to solve the study space crisis instead. But we quickly realised things were too good

to be true. Instead of cutting edge designs and layout, we were treated to some incredibly inefficient spaces complete with unnecessary gaping holes. What should have been sleek and stylish, the Diamond ended up looking like someone threw up an unfinished crossword, even being voted the ugliest building in the UK. It didn’t even get air-con until Christmas!

Satsuma gate Most students find SU politics to be a rather dull affair, epitomised by their lack of enthusiasm during March’s Officer elections. But 2016 was the exception. Rather than the landslide Labour student win, we had the closest Presidential race ever, going all the way to last preference with the winner succeeding by only 13 votes*. But more excitingly was what happened during the much anticipated live debates segment of campaigning. One rowdy student

wasn’t best pleased with the jargon being spouted on stage and took it upon himself to bring an end to the farce by throwing a satsuma at one of the candidates on stage. To this day, no one knows who launched that citrus attack or indeed why. Was it meant as political statement or just an act of boredom? Hardly ‘Who Shot JFK?’ but still very entertaining. *The Labour student did still win though to be fair.

Brexit result

Dubbed by some as the UK’s ‘Independence Day’, most students will see 23 June 2016 as the day the younger generation were well and truly shafted by their elders. Campaigning was rife all over campus but many young people were apathetic, thinking the Remain result was in the bag. How foolish we were. The shit-show we’ve endured in the years to follow has made us

realise just how big an impact that 2% had. In years to come when water supplies have ran out, western civilisation has collapsed and average folk are cannibals who worship the Sun, perhaps we’ll look back on the 2016 EU referendum as the beginning of the end. Either that or Toblerones will just keep getting smaller, only time will tell.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

Chant ban

2016 was a great year for sport with many hailing Leicester’s shock Premier League win hailed as a modern day underdog story. But it wasn’t all fun and celebrations as SU Council, well renowned for their humour and good nature, took the bold decision of banning chants at Varsity events on the grounds that they were often classist against Hallam students. Despite strong opposition from then Sports Officer Flic Wilbraham and the rest of the Sheffield Uni sporting community, the motion was passed by a large majority. And people say student politicians are snowflakes. Of course, the ban doesn’t apply to Hallam students, who are free to call us posh-toffs to their heart’s content. Clearly it doesn’t faze our players though, with Uni winning every Varsity since.

DQ closes

Sheffield seems to have you covered for indie hits and cheesy pop beats, but what if you’re a big R’n’B fan? Well the answer used to be DQ, near Devonshire Green. A long time favourite amongst students, the club sadly closed in 2016 after struggling to compete with its bigger neighbours. Every night in Sheffield has its go-to night on - Wednesdays are for Corp, Fridays are for Leadmill and Tuesday are, surprisingly, all about Tuesday Club. But every Monday we can’t help but sense the DQ shaped void. Where once was happy students and banging tunes now lies a disused building, but the memories of DQ Mondays will live on.

The Force Awakens

Remember when a new Star Wars film coming out was exciting? Nerds around the world eagerly awaited the release of the Force Awakens in December 2015, which would hopefully rewrite the wrongs of the dreaded prequels. The first film to be released in the pivotal space opera for over 10 years promised to usher in a new era and breath new life into the franchise. Three years and three more films later and this enthusiasm has subsided greatly, as the once beloved series slowly morphs into just another formulaic Disney cash cow, reflected by the relatively poor performance of the recent Solo stand alone film. One can only hope that we’ll see a resurgence in a galaxy far far away.

ROAR roof collapses ROAR is a staple of the Sheffield student weekly calendar, particularly for sports teams, bringing the roof down every week. Except one week in 2015 when the roof literally came down half way through the night, having to be held up by security. Fortunately, nobody was injured, with the night continuing as usual apart from a few students drawn away from their VKs to take photos of the unsung heroes who had to stand in the middle of dance floor holding up the Foundry ceiling. Thankfully we’ve not had anything since, so the Pop Tarts glitterball should be safe for now.

Morgazoid There’s nothing stressed students’ love more than knowing there’s another stressed student in an even worse situation. Enter Alex Morgan (aka the Morgazoid) the Engineering student who, after some classic student organisational skills, had just two days to meet his word count. A plight many students can sympathise with, the Morgazoid saga gripped us all when his friends decided to keep us updated on his progress through Facebook. In the end, Morgan managed to submit his work, albeit a few days late. And what better way to celebrate than by going for a dip in the local pond, much to the amusement of his captivated audience.

Monday 16 July 2018

Forge Press

YEAR IN REVIEW

2016/17 NSS boycott successful The Students’ Union spent much of the second half of 2016/17 asking departing third years to refuse to fill in the National Student Survey, as part of the ‘Boycott the NSS’ campaign. They hoped this would help prevent future fee rises, especially based on exam results.

This came as part of the latest debate on tuition fees, which included controversy about the Teaching Excellence Framework, which ranks Universities based on results, and Jeremy Corbyn pledging to scrap tuition fees if he was elected in 2017. And late in the year, Education

Officer Ali Day announced that the campaign had been a success – only 48% of a required 50% filled it in, rendering the answers completely unusable. £9,000 tuition fees were free to live another day.

eduroam goes down during exam season

The University Wi-Fi network eduroam is usually criticised for being unreliable at the best of times, but in May 2017 it felt the need to go down during exam season, sending students in the University almost into anarchy.

For two hours the University was without Internet, with very little explanation, at perhaps the worst time for it to go down. Students could no longer spend their time ‘revising’ on Facebook, so much so that they had to resort to

actual work. Textbooks don’t need the Internet, after all. So, while that two hours wasn’t ideal for a whole range of reasons, it was perhaps the two most productive hours of revision ever seen.

The Ridge closes down The Ranmoor student village bar and leisure area closed down due to a lack of demand from students in the area - presumably as they had 3,000 mates and the Edge five minutes down the road.

It was still open for students to do the laundry they had undoubtedly been putting off since the start of Freshers’ week, but apart from that they had to find somewhere else for their food and drink fixes.

A campaign was started up in late 2017 to try and get the Ridge reopened, but it unfortunately failed and the building was left to fade into people’s memories.

by Ben Warner

John’s Van ‘goes vegan’ Almost all students have felt the need to make the trip to the campus institution that is John’s Van, especially after a heavy night on the tiles at Roar. However, in April 2017 a decision rippled around the cities when Jez – the man with the van – announced he was to introduce a fully-vegan menu. No more sausage barms in the morning. However, he soon revealed that this was part of an April Fool’s Day prank, something which should’ve been obvious to anyone with a calendar. Balance was restored to Sheffield, as the regular diners at the van flocked back for their glorious sandwiches and burgers.

Five in a row at Varsity The University of Sheffield made it five years in a row at Varsity, completing yet another victory over local rivals Sheffield Hallam. In the end, the victory was reasonably comfortable, with Uni of winning 45-35 on points, despite going behind early on with a loss in the boxing at the Octagon. There was a good-natured atmosphere between students in the city, especially on competitive nights out, in contrast to other cities around the country where insults were thrown at events, and a shop even ransacked in one place. It was never really in doubt that we’d win it, but it was good to round it out with a fifth consecutive title.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

SU named best in country (again) The Students’ Union and its amenities is one of the best parts about being a student here in Sheffield, and that was vindicated when it was named the best SU in the country for the ninth year in a row. The title was confirmed in the Times Higher Education Student Experience survey, which also named the University the third-best nationwide. Who needs Oxbridge? The SU is somewhat underrated, containing almost anything you might need during your three (or more) years in Sheffield. Food outlets, free printing, the Forge Media Hub, bars. You name it, it probably has it. And that’s why we love it.

Nick Clegg loses due to student votes

A huge increase in Sheffield Hallam’s turnout helped to kick out the former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, well-known for not getting rid of tuition fees despite his promises. A steady stream of students lining up at the polling station in Endcliffe student village was typical of the scenes across the constituency, as many students put crosses next to the name of Labour’s Jared O’Mara. He put in a strong drive in an attempt to be re-elected, even giving Sheffield’s biggest student media organisation, Forge, an exclusive interview. But, in the end, his past record wasn’t enough to save his seat from being one of Labour’s many gains during the 2017 General Election, which saw South Yorkshire turn entirely red.

Monday 16 July 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW

Forge Press

2017/18 All female SU Officer team A lot went on during the SU Officer Elections this year. The campaigning period overlapped with both the Beast from the East and the UCU Strike. The new Education Officer couldn’t be announced on results night because of a ‘breach of conduct’ by one of the candidates. But after all this chaos, and when the final Officer for 2018/2019

was announced, there was sudden realisation that something amazing had happened - all eight positions had been filled by women. This was a first for Sheffield and possibly the country, and a success for Women’s Officer Celeste Jones’ #SheShouldRun campaign. She wanted to empower women across the University and encourage them to take the opportunity of

Beast from the East Sheffield has probably been hit by the snow every year you’ve been at uni, but not like it was this year. Beginning in February, the cold wave nicknamed the Beast from the East hit the UK and, boy, did it hit Sheffield.

Whenever it went, it seemed to come back, covering Sheffield in a thick blanket of snow. It would have been amazing if we weren’t so bloody busy will all the uni work we had to do. No sledging or making snowmen for busy students

running for a leadership role, and it worked. More women ran for SU President and SU Development Officer than in previous years. The election of Lillian Jones as SU President was particularly significant, giving that there had only been one female President in the last 20 years. #SheShouldRun, she did run, and #SheWon.

like us, just the odd out-the-window Instagram story and walking back from the IC on sludgy pavements while admiring the massive cock and balls some guy drew in Crookes Valley Park.

Concourse redevelopment What better way to remember your final year of university than with building work? Sadly, there always seems something being built, redeveloped, or knocked down and it goes on for what feels like forever. The piece of building work which stands out the most for this academic year has to be the concourse redevelopment. Whether you pass the Students’ Union en route to lectures everyday, or just pop in to grab a meal deal, most students seem to pass the SU at some point everyday. Trying to navigate the

concourse during this time has certainly been a challenge, especially as they seemed to change the areas you could access every few days. Never has it been more difficult to get a pint from Bar One. It was such a relief when the work started to get completed, and you realised that perhaps it would in fact, against your darkest fears, be completed in time for graduation. You may have thought that the patch of grass in front of Coffee Revs was a nice touch. Well, actually, the building work has gone on for so

long that you’ve forgotten there was grass there to begin with - there’s a new floor though! Engineers, and any other graduates who used the Mappin Building, you have our sympathy too. It takes the piss that you had to walk a crazy route through other buildings to get to lectures for so much of your time at uni. It takes the piss even more that you have to leave before you can see any of the results of the building work you had to suffer through. If that’s not a reason to do a Masters then I don’t know what is.

by Josie Le Vay

Arts Tower Occupation Sheffield hit the national news again, and this time it didn’t have anything to do with the trees. It had to do with a group of students occupying the Arts Tower during the UCU strike. Around 25 students occupied the building in solidarity with striking members of the UCU and demanded concessions from the then Vice-Chancellor, Keith Burnett. Members of the Sheffield StudentWorker Solidarity occupied the building by blocking the doors with chairs and other furniture. They also distributed flyers with their demands and hung banners in the Arts Tower and in the tunnel connecting the building to Western Bank Library. The occupation certainly divided option, perhaps even more so than the strike itself. But regardless of what you thought of the whole thing, there’s no way you could have gone about your uni life and not heard about it.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

Ofo bikes

Jared O’Mara When Jared O’Mara first got elected, it was a point of celebration. Sheffield was hitting the headlines yet again, and this time for ousting the former Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg from his Sheffield Hallam seat. It was big news, and students got a lot of the credit. With a grudge against tuition fees, and the surge of Corbynmania, the heavy student population had the power to gain to seat for Labour in the 2017 General Election, and they did. The positive stories surrounding the young disability campaigner soon changed their tune when Guido Fawkes found old online profiles from the newly elected MP, containing a series of derogatory comments about women and gay men, which he made in his 20s. More and more comments started to emerge and O’Mara was suspended from the Labour Party for eight months. He has only recently been reinstated.

In January something changed in Sheffield. Yellow bikes just appeared, everywhere, seemingly overnight. It was like we were living in a bizarre Doctor Who episode. Where did they come from? What did they want? Why were they yellow? Although parts of the new series of Doctor Who were actually filmed in Sheffield, the bikes hadn’t fallen from the sky from an alien spaceship (disappointing, I know). They were actually called Ofo bikes, and you could pick them up and leave them anywhere by using your smartphone. They were pretty cool and another asset to Sheffield. Why I am speaking in past tense? Because the yellow bikes are no more. Ofo recently announced that they’d be withdrawing their ‘scan and go’ bikes from the city, just six months after they were introduced. They did note that there was some vandalism and theft of the bikes, but that wasn’t why they were taking the strategic move to withdraw from Sheffield and focus on other UK cities. So if you’re leaving Sheffield and happen to have an affection for the yellow bikes, there’s no reason to be sad, because they’re leaving too. And if you really really like them, then go get a grad job in somewhere like Norwich or Leeds where you can be reunited with your yellow friends.

We Won Varsity The University of Sheffield won Varsity for the sixth year in a row, beating our arch rivals Sheffield Hallam. We did lose the ice hockey again, but we don’t really need to talk about that, do we? We ended the tournament lifting up with Varsity cup once again, and that’s all the matters. Even if you don’t care much for sport, you can guarantee you’re going to have a mate that does. Sport is a huge part of uni life in Sheffield and it’s great that we get to leave on yet another win. On a different note, another story came out of Varsity, one of the alleged incident of a banana being thrown at a black Hallam graduate by a University of Sheffield student during the hockey match. This story made national news and led to a campaign from the SU and its BME Committee to campaign the University to Take Racism Seriously, after it said it was ‘not a racist incident’.

Sheffessions Remember Yik Yak? Once valued at hefty $400 million, the anonymous messaging app was a key part of uni life in first year, allowing even the most unpopular of students to get hundreds of upvotes from their witty comments and confessions. Sadly, the app crashed and burned when it decided to ditch its key feature in the summer of 2016 - anonymity. Yet fear not, a Facebook page mimicking the original concept appeared late this year. Sheffessions allows students to anonymously confesses ‘crushes, grudges, and juicy gossip’ that they ‘wouldn’t dare reveal anywhere else’. These confessions are all submitted via a simple Google Doc form, and with the confessions now reaching the 2,000 mark, the page is certainly a hit. Students submit all sorts of different things, and while it’s fair to say some of them don’t hit the lofty heights of other confessions (come on moderators), there are some real gems too. You know the ones we mean. The best Sheffessions? The one clogging up your newsfeed because at least five of your friends have been tagged in it. I’m not exactly sure what purpose the page will hold for those of us leaving Sheffield, but it was fun while it lasted.

Magid Magid Sheffield’s new Lord Mayor, Magid Magid, has become somewhat of a celebrity. Everyone is talking about him and his yellow snapback and signature squat. He’s gained even more attention now he’s ‘banned’ Donald Trump from Sheffield, reaching international headlines. He did this while wearing a ‘Donald Trump is a wasteman’ t-shirt and a sombrero in solidarity with Mexicans, and of course, his mayoral chains. He was even on Channel 4’s Hunted while he was Deputy Lord Mayor, but I wouldn’t really recommend watching. He ended up going inside a Subway and it didn’t end well. Looking at all of this, it’s easy to see him as a joke, but he’s far more than that. He is the first Somali, the youngest, and the first Green Party councillor to hold the role of Lord Mayor. He is truly representative of Sheffield: the first City of Sanctuary, a young student-populated city, and a Green city full of people desperate to save their trees. He also put on public screenings of the latter stages of England’s World Cup run free of charge for everyone to enjoy.

Monday 16 July 2018

Break F

ight the graduation day feeling of intellectual inferiority by attempting our Sheffield-based quiz. Get every question right and win a mystery prize*.

Break your brain

How many of the 2018 England World Cup squad originally came from South Yorkshire?

When did the University of Sheffield receive its Royal Charter?

1909

1906

1912

1905

Who is the University of Sheffield’s Vice Chancellor?

Keith Burnett

Koen Lamberts

Gill Valentine

Dominic Trendall

When was the last time the University of Sheffield didn’t win Varsity?

1999

2004

2012

A wind tunnel

Rats

Graduate Job Search D

2014

What major problem did the Hicks Building have when built in 1962?

It slid downhill

Physics students

Arts Tower Crookes Weston Park Ranmoor

Graduation Unemployment PhD Steel

Leadmill Corp Hallam Forge

Who was Sheffield Students’ Union President in 2014/15?

Christy McMorrow

8 Yael Shafritz

Ally Buckle

Who opened Western Bank Library in 1959?

T.S. Eliot

J. R. R. Tolkien

John Steinbeck

3 6

9 9

4 ANSWERS: 1) 5 2) 1905 3) Keith Burnett (until October) 4) 2012 5) It slid downhill 6) Yael Shafritz 7) T.S. Eliot 8) 40.

*Prize consists only of intellectual fulfillment. Your days of getting things free end here, graduates!

Iris Murdoch

Where is Sheffield ranked in the Guardian’s University League Table for 2018?

2 3 7

5 7

7 6

Hicks Diamond Western Bank Home

Sheffield SU-doku

Kezia Dugdale

Forge Press

ill in the grid using the numbers 1-9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and box. Difficulty: Medium

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

Food & Drink at The SU Bar One

New Leaf

What better place to reminisce about your student days than in Sheffield Students’ Union’s legendary Bar One. Open until late, Bar One serves a range of drinks, including bar favourites, cocktails, and craft ales, & food from gourmet burgers and delicious burritos, to sweet waffles and sundaes! Bar One caters to all tastes and has an extensive menu suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans so everyone can ensure a well deserved indulgence.

Build your own delicious handmade salad or wrap; perfect for a light lunch or energy boost. If you fancy a salad, choose from a base of pasta, leaf, cous cous, or brown rice, add a selection of tasty ingredients and a dressing, and enjoy.

11:30am - 2:30pm

11am - 1am (food served 11am-9pm)

Interval Cafe Bar Serving a delicious range of meals, gourmet sandwiches, wraps, salads, cakes, and stonebaked pizzas throughout the day. Offering a great range of hot drinks, wines, craft beers and ales, this is the perfect venue to celebrate your special day with friends and family.

Pearls Bubble Tea Serving a selection of authentic Asian bubble tea drinks, to refresh your day. Choose from a selection of original, milk, and fruit teas and one of the vast selection of tasty toppings, from classic black tapioca to lychee!

12pm - 4pm

11am - 11pm (food served 11am - 9pm)

Coffee Revolution

Proper Pasty

The Students' Union’s own coffee house, Coffee Revolution, will be serving up tasty treats, indulgent cakes and sundaes, and some expertly crafted hot drinks to keep you going throughout your graduation day. Coffee Revolution’s Baristas will be serving up delicious coffees, teas, hot chocolates, and incredible locally sourced pastries all day long from 8am each graduation day.

Tasty, hot, filling, and we’re proud to say ‘Award Winning’ Cornish pasties to keep you going through your day.

9am - 3pm

7:30am - 6pm

Grill & Go

11am - 3:30pm Try a Grill & Go burrito or hot wrap made to order, just how you like it. Perfect for a quick bite to eat if you have a packed schedule on the day!

8am - 3pm View Deli The View is our speciality vegan & vegetarian cafe. Savor your morning coffee with the stunning city skyline. Serving freshly baked savoury breakfast pastries, muffins and deli sandwiches.

Inox Dine

10am - 6:30pm Enjoy elegant views and delicious food while you celebrate with family and friends at the University's very own restaurant.

Concourse Cafe Bar

An essential part of any Summer Graduation celebration, we have a great choice of Champagne, Prosecco, & Pimm’s, as well as high end espresso drinks & treats served in the Summer sun.

Our Shop The Students' Union's shop provides all the essential graduation items you need, including soft drinks, sandwiches & snacks, coffee & breakfast on-the-go, hair grips, tissues and batteries!

8am - 6pm

Monday 16 July 2018

Forge Press

Graduation FIRTH COURT Krebs Cafe

CONCOURSE Concourse Cafe Bar Jazz Band Alumni Graduation Hoodies

BA N R E T ES

OCTAGON Graduation Ceremonies Graduation Enquiries Desk Varsity Gifts DVD Order Point

DURHAM ROAD

STUDENTS’ UNION INFORMATION Welcome Desk Box Oﬃce Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) Student Advice Centre

Upstairs: Graduation Robing Alumni Relations Desk Graduation Photography Downstairs: Graduation Ceremony Broadcast

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

THE UNIVERSITY ARMS

IL KH

K AN

LEAVYGREAVE ROAD HO

RO AD

UPPER HANOVER STREET

FAVELL ROAD

O O R B

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

KEY Information Drink Food Cash point Souvenirs Water

GLOSSOP ROAD

Toilets Disabled Access

SOUVENIRS

FOOD / DRINK

Sheﬃeld SU Store Tinytwin3D Graduation Models Graduation Jewellery Graduation Flowers Graduation Framers

Coﬀee Revolution New Leaf Our Shop Proper Pasty Grill & Go Pearls Bubble Tea

Upstairs: The View Deli Inox Dine Downstairs: Interval Café Bar Bar One

Monday 16 July 2018

Being a student in Sheffield Things you’ll miss... by Ben Warner

2 for 1 Bar One burgers Is there any better excuse to meet up with an even number of friends than the 2 for 1 burger offer that is often going on in Bar One, especially during exam season? The trip down there for a delicious burger – meat or otherwise – can be wonderful respite from the hectic time during exams, and can fill you up with a delicious food baby before you undoubtedly head back to the IC for another six hours of revision. Student nights out Students are well-known for their ability to go for a night out almost any day of the week, and Sheffield has clubs and events to suit any taste. Like a bit of cheesy pop? The SU has Pop-Tarts. Nostalgic for the ‘80s you probably didn’t experience? Leadmill’s got Club Tropicana. Fancy a big singalong? The benches of Bierkeller are there for you. When you’ve flown Sheffield’s nest, you’re sure to miss these nights and many more. The Peak District Not many cities can boast the rolling hills that Sheffield has on its doorstep, just 15 minutes away by bus. A cheap student ticket can make a trip to the Peak District a cost-effective and wonderful way to spend a relaxing weekend day – if the weather’s alright, of course. They have stunning views, many villages and dozens of pubs ready to welcome you after your walk around one of the finest parts of the wonderful north of England. And you never know, if you walk too far you might even end up in Manchester. The lie-ins Any day of the week is a suitable day for a student to justify having a liein, especially if you’ve been out the night before. Whether you’ve got no lectures, don’t fancy that 9am or your

...and things you won’t by Connie Coombs

Corp hangovers As many of us know, Corp produces its own special kind of hell the morning after. Maybe it’s the fact that Corp pre-drinks tend to go harder than any other or that the Rainbow Challenge always seems like a great idea when you’re one blue pint down. Either way, you’ll probably never need to spend another Thursday in bed, rueing your decisions and wondering if the person you got with was actually over eighteen.

pillows are just really comfortable this morning, lie-ins are one of the best parts of being a student. They’re also a luxury you can’t really afford when you’ve graduated and are part of the world of work. But, on the other hand, you will be being paid. So there is that. Riding the paternoster Surely you rode the paternoster lift in the Arts Tower during your first weeks as a student in Sheffield? It’s one of the only ones left in the country, and is equal parts exciting and terrifying. It doesn’t stop moving, and sometimes it requires you to act like a trained athlete when you need to get off it – that or you might end up going round the dreaded top. But it’s an endearing part of the University campus, and you might miss it enough when you’ve left to come back for one last ride.

The Students’ Union The best Students’ Union in the country for the last ten years and with good reason. You could probably live your entire three years as a student in the SU and never get bored. It has two bars, several food outlets, a well-stocked shop, a bank, Film Unit, its own nightclub… the list goes on. It’s amazing that this is free and open to all of us as students in the city, and we should be very grateful for it. You’re sure to miss it, but fear not! Now you can buy a lifetime membership card meaning you can come back to visit any time you want.

The hills This one is pretty obvious and bound to be on the lips of anyone graduating: “At least I never need to walk up/see/ think about Conduit ever again”. Nowhere in the UK has hills quite like ours, and chances are you’ll be able to ensure your morning commute to your Proper Adult Job doesn’t involve anything steeper than a two percent incline. Even if you stay in the Steel City, your newfound Proper Adult Friends probably won’t insist on holding pres up in Crookes, saving you wobbling down School Road in heels because you were too drunk or too cheap to take a taxi. Exam stress I’ve been reliably informed that taking exams as an adult is vastly different to taking exams as a student. If your chosen profession does insist on further training, you won’t have to be up at 6am to get a seat in the IC or brave Western Bank. You’ll probably find yourself actually motivated to study, and there’s a fair chance the question paper will be on things you actually learned. Other people you’ll never need to interact with include the exam fear-mongers who panic both themselves and you, or the chronically over-prepared sort making you guilty about not starting revision weeks ago. The Diamond Benefits of moving to literally anywhere other than Sheffield: you never have to see the Diamond again. Benefits of staying in Sheffield: you can look at the Diamond and sigh in relief that you never have to enter it ever again. Engineers will never need to witness Philosophy undergrads splayed over a booth made for four people, and Arts graduates will never need to defend their use of a building that has seating space when nowhere else does.

Student houses Picture this: you wake up to go to your Proper Adult Job. You make your way downstairs in whatever you slept in, go into the kitchen, and it’s relatively clean. Upon opening the fridge, you see all the food is yours. There’s as much milk as you were expecting in the carton. Your bowls and cutlery haven’t mysteriously vanished. You never have to live with fellow students ever again and can walk around stark naked without it being seen as grim or some sort of power move. No more chasing people for bills, or worrying about if everyone’s paid their rent on time, or finding unflushed poos in the toilet. Everything is yours. Your guilt at missing lectures When your alarm goes off at five to seven to remind you to get up for your Proper Adult Job, you might long for the days of being able to snooze it (or turn it off completely) and wake up at the crack of noon. If you were anything like me, you missed a couple of lectures here and there (especially 9ams), but you felt bad about it, wondering if you actually did need the extra hour of sleep (You did, probably, but that defeats the point of this). No more will you feel bad about your lack of attendance, because you will attend out of fear of getting fired. Thank the Lord for consequences to your actions.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

Sheffield University Bingo!

How many of these University of Sheffield experiences have you done?

Tried Henderson Relish

Picked up some Yorkshire slang

Ridden the Art Towerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paternoster lift

Ate a Notty House Pie

Dined at Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Van

Gotten lost in Meadowhall

Watched a movie at Film Unit

Visited a Sheffield Theatre

Enjoyed the Botancial Gardens

Actually read a copy of Forge Press

Visited Kelham Island

Had a Bar One Burger

Realised Yorkshire Tea is the best brew

Taken in a Sheffield Museum

Seen a gig at the Leadmill

Attempted the Corp Rainbow Challenge

Gone to Tramlines

Pulled an all nighter at the IC

Seen a SUTCo production

Ridden a tram

Attended a Varsity Match

Cheered on a Sheffield football team

Gra

dua

tion

Visited the Alpaca Farm

Visit the Peak District

Monday 16 July 2018

The Forge Press

Grad Guide

hen the gowns come off and the certificate goes into a drawer, you might find yourself wondering what comes next. For many people the months after leaving university can be tough, as you lose much of your social circle and your sense of a goal. Hopefully our tips can help you through deciding what to do next.

Robin Wilde

Staying On

f you’ve either got an academic career in mind, need a higher qualification for your dream job, or you just haven’t had enough of Western Bank, you can always go back for postgraduate study. This brings you a few advantages – you can drink in Bar One without being thought weird, you can feel really old at Pop Tarts, and you can mooch another £10,000 out of the Government to fund a year of further study. With only a year to do a Masters, don’t expect to make too many new friends – but that might suit some better than others. Mostly, it gives you the warm glow of knowing you’ve escaped reality for another year. Good work.

Jobs

he big one. Especially if you can’t fall back on living with your family, you’ll want to find a way to earn a living now you’re being unleashed on the world. You’ll find a few more doors have opened now you’ve got letters after your name, but that’s no guarantee of success. Don’t expect to walk straight into your dream job, but try to apply for roles you can see developing into something you want to do; either as direct career progression or through giving yourself vital experience. Be realistic with your salary expectations (even with a £15,000 a year entry level job you’ll be earning more than you were on a student loan) but try to factor travel and rent costs into your decision too. It can be dispiriting to end up doing a difficult job and having nothing left at the end of the month.

Moving

lthough Sheffield boasts reasonable student retention rates, if you’re not interested in working for a university, a hospital or the council, options might be limited. A lot of students will head to London, Manchester or other up and coming cities, and this can be a good option, particularly for those looking for work in the finance or engineering industries. There are a few things to bear in mind. Be prepared for higher rent than you’re used to in Sheffield (you’re likely to have to share a house or flat at first) and try to budget for council tax (no more sweet, sweet exemption for you). Check with the local council wherever you end up how much that will be.

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Lifestyle

hings change from here on out. Even if you’re doing a Masters, your days of Corp hangovers and Aslan’s kebabs are mostly behind you (except on weekends). You’ll have more money, but less time to spend it, and if you’re living back at home while you get on your feet, a

slightly more limiting social circle than you’re used to. Still, it’s a good time for a clean break. Find a hobby you’ve long wanted to try, explore cities you’ve not yet seen, or learn to cook something more than pasta. There’s a big world left to see.

Friends and Relationships

eaving the warm cocoon of university life for the harsh realities of the outside world can be stressful and it isn’t helped by the likely scattering to the four winds of everyone you’ve got to know throughout your degree. For some, this will be a private relief, but if you’re feeling lonely try to seek out people with similar interests through any local hobbyist groups or by chatting to people at work. The magic of social media (and a regular income) means meeting up with friends at occasional weekends or chatting through group chats remains a possibility where it didn’t before. If you have a partner and are moving far apart, this can be a difficult time. Before you leave, have an honest discussion with each other about what you both want for the future, and if you think the relationship can work at longer distance than you’re used to.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

Sheffield’s Most Successful Alumni Gethin Morgan

So, your university experience has sadly come to an end. You leave with thousands of pounds worth of student debt, a (hopefully) good degree and a boatload of great experiences. Of course, life moves on and now you shall spread your little wings like the fully-fledged adult you are. Spread far and wide my younglings, just like these folks below, the University of Sheffield’s most successful alumni. No pressure.

Lee Child

Clockwise from top right: Dan Walker, Dame Jessica EnnisHill, Amy Johnson, Dr Nichloas Liverpool, Dr Helen Sharman, Lee Child

Having studied Law at the University, Jim Grant (real name) naturally became a crime writer. Most famous for the bestselling Jack Reacher series, which has 22 entries to date and two film adaptations. He has given over 50 ‘Jack Reacher Scholarships’ to the University and regularly returns to give talks at literary events such as the annual Off the Shelf festival. What a guy.

The Rt Hon the Lord David Blunkett Sheffield-born Lord Blunkett has been blind since birth, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the youngest ever councillor in Britain at the age of 22, while still studying at the University. He went on to become MP for Sheffield Brightside in 1987 and after Labour’s election win in 1997 he became Secretary of State for Education and Employment. He later also worked as Home Secretary, and finally, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

in space in 1991 and was the first woman ever to visit the Mir space station, securing her place as probably the coolest Sheffield alumni ever. Imagine being an actual astronaut. Mental.

Professor Sir Harry Kroto The name might be familiar to you, since he has two University buildings named after him. A school classmate of Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Kroto came to Sheffield to study Chemistry. From there he went on to have a long and successful career in the field, most notably discovering a third form of carbon in 1985, which he called ‘Buckminsterfullerene’ and which eventually went on to win him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Dan Walker After gaining a BA in History and an MA in Journalism Studies, Dan Walker has gone on to become one of the finest broadcasters on television. Specialising in sports journalism, he has covered many of the world’s biggest sporting events, as well as hosting Football Focus and now BBC Breakfast.

Dame Jess Ennis-Hill Probably the most famous of our alumni. Heptathlete Jess studied Psychology while pursuing her goal of becoming a professional athlete. After graduating in 2007 she achieved that and then some, becoming three-time World Champion and most famously winning Olympic gold at London 2012.

Dr Helen Sharman

Eddie Izzard

ASTRONAUT! Yes, we’ve produced a real life astronaut. Not any old astronaut either. Sheffielder Dr Sharman became the first Briton

The stand-up comedian only spent a year in after he decided not to his Accountancy &

and actor Sheffield complete Financial

Management degree. In that time he pursued his love for performing arts and established the Alternative Productions Society. Having gone on to have a very successful career in the entertainment business, he has more recently focused on charity fundraising, and in 2009 ran 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief. Beat that.

Amy Johnson It seems Sheffield has a knack for developing pioneering women who like to keep their feet firmly off the ground. Amy Johnson became the first woman ever to fly solo from Britain to Australia in 1930, having graduated with a degree in Latin, French and Economics just five years prior.

Sir Richard Roberts Three years before Sir Kroto won a Nobel Prize, another Sheffield graduate in the shape of Sir Richard Roberts shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine. His work on gene structure and DNA has had an immense impact on medical treatments. He’s also another man with a University building named in his honour. So if you want a building with your name literally on it, all you have to do now is win a Nobel Prize.

Dr Nicholas Liverpool Former President of Dominica *mic drop*. What more can I say? Google it.

the graduation issue overleaf

tramlines PRESS #122

festival GUiDe

2018

Monday 16 July 2018

Harriet Evans | Music Editor

Tramlines

I’m really excited that my first issue as Music Editor is focused on something as special as Tramlines’ 10th year. We’ve put together a full guide to this year’s festival, including handy tips on how best to travel to and from the new Hillsborough site, stage times, my top picks for the Fringe stages and suggestions of after parties that are sure to keep you dancing from dusk until dawn. We’ve also packed this special issue full of interviews with the artists who will be taking

Forge Press

the city by storm next weekend such as Blossoms, Little Comets and The Sherlocks, so you definitely don’t want to miss this. It’s with this special edition of Forge that I also want to send my deepest sympathies to the family of Sarah Nulty, Director and Co-Founder of Tramlines. Without her, Tramlines would not exist and her memory will most certainly live on in the spirit of this festival. I hope you all have a wonderful time not only at Tramlines, but at any other festival you go to this summer!

The headliners

Stereophonics

Rat Boy

Clean Bandit

Friday 8.15pm.

Craig David’s TS5

Saturday 8.45pm

Saturday 8.30pm

Tramlines Stage.

Sundau 7.30pm.

The Leadmill Live

T’Other Stage

The Welsh boys are back in Sheffield with an impressive 10 albums to their name. Stereophonics have been a big name in alternative rock since 1992 and are headlining the Tramlines stage on Friday at 8.15pm. Expect to be having a ‘Nice Day’ whilst listening to classics like ‘Dakota’, ‘Caught by the Wind’ and ‘C’est La Vie’.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Friday 8.30pm Tramlines Stage. Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds are no amateurs to headlining festivals. Expect big tunes from their four albums as well as classic Oasis hits such as ’Half The World Away’ and ’Champagne Supernova’, which always create special moments for the crowd. They will be headlining the Tramlines stage at 8.30pm on Saturday - this is not one to be missed.

Tramlines Stage. After his comeback and rebrand, Craig David presents his TS5 set to the Tramlines stages for the first time. Sure to bring a mix of new hits and classics, this headline set is one you won’t want to miss. Catch him closing the main stage on Sunday at 7.30pm.

Essex boy Jordan Cardy, AKA Ratboy, made waves on the indie scene for over two years before finally dropping his debut album SCUM last year. You’ll undoubtedly recognise a few tracks from adverts, TV shows and the Fifa 17 soundtrack.

Having produced radio hits such as ‘Rockabye’ and ‘Solo’, the Cambridge graduates bring their alt-pop back to Tramlines. Sure to be blasting all their best songs, they headline T’Other stage on Saturday and there’s definitely no place ‘I’d Rather Be’.

Mystery Jets

Tom Grennan

Jake Bugg

Friday 8.00pm

Sunday 7.45pm

The Leadmill Live

T’Other Stage

Hailing from Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, indie rockers Mystery Jets have been active for six albums and 15 years now. Expect a careerspanning set, packed with classics such as ‘Two Doors Down’ and ‘Young Love’, when they headline The Leadmill Live stage on Friday night.

Tom Grennan tried his hand as a footballer at Luton Town, Northampton Town and Aston Villa before he was released and realised his true calling lay in music. The indie singer-songwriter released his long-awaited debut album this month, and promises to put on a show at Tramlines. “I’ve got to tone it down a bit now I’m in the spotlight,” he told Forge Press earlier this year, “but I do like to go crazy once in a while.”

All the way from ‘Slumville Sunrise’ to ‘Bitter Salt’, his Johnny Cash inspired riffs are sure to leave you ‘Broken’. Bugg sets T’Other stage a-Lightning Bolt at 7.45pm on Sunday.

For the full line-up and stage times, see tramlines.org.uk/line-up.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

After Parties Guide Friday 20 July TTC Presents: Friction, Dimension, Hazard, DJ Q & More 10:30pm - 4am O2 Academy Sheffield Students’ Union residents The Tuesday Club are serving up a massive bass-heavy line-up at the O2 Academy on Friday. Featuring the likes of Friction, Dimension, DJ Hazard, DJ Champion, DJ Q, Deadbeat UK, Andy H, MC AOB. The Night Kitchen Presents: Denis Sulta, Brame & Hamo 11:45pm - 6am The Night Kitchen

The Sherlocks Interview

Harriet Evans speaks to the local indie rockers ahead of their Tramlines set. We’ve seen you’ve got a very busy summer ahead! How was Neighbourhood Weekender? Insane! It was the biggest show we have ever played and we loved every minute. How does it feel to be playing a slot at a festival in your hometown? It is awesome. We have our biggest headline shows in Sheffield and they always go off, so we can’t wait to smash it. Do you have anything special planned for your performance at Tramlines? We’re going to play it by ear and judge the crowd on the day but you never know with us. Anything could happen. It would be nice to try out a new tune for the fans so we’ll see. We’re more than up for it though and we love playing Sheffield. How do you feel about being up there on a line-up with Noel Gallagher and Stereophonics, do you still get star struck? Can’t wait, we love both bands. Stereophonics are a huge influence and their setlist is a joke, there’s that many hits on it! It’s good to be a part of it and to be mentioned in the same breath as those two! But not really no, they’re just people

Saturday 21 July Horse Meat Disco 10pm-4am Foundry

like anyone else. Have you checked out Tramlines after parties?

One of Sheffield’s most iconic music venues hosts a party which is sure to go on until the early hours of Saturday morning. Get ready for a night packed with disco, techno and house.

the

No, I haven’t yet. Might have to have a look and see what’s happening, but to be honest we’re one of them bands that starts our own after party wherever it may be. We’ve got our own little circle we like to keep with, but we’ll see. Are there any new Sheffield bands that you think we should check out? Oddity Road are a class act. They’ve supported us a few times on our UK tours. What would you say the best moment has been for you as a band so far? I would say releasing our debut album and it reaching number six. It was a great day when we found out our position in the charts because we were playing Reading Festival to about 20,000 people. If you had to listen to only listen to one album for a whole year what would you pick? It would have to be Liam Gallagher’s As You Were, we’re still obsessed with it. We’ve seen you’re touring in autumn and you’ve already sold out Leeds! You must be pretty excited. Yes, we’re also super excited for touring Europe in the autumn which is always eventful. We’re buzzing to be back in the UK too, every gig will be crazy and full of passionate fans. Catch The Sherlocks on Tramlines Stage at 3.30pm on Sunday 22 July.

Brand new club night Le Freak are bringing a disco, funk and soul special to the Foundry. Horse Meat Disco are returning to the city to take over Room 1 with help from Dan J, while Plump DJs host a funk and disco set in Room 2 with support from Bungle. After two sell out shows already in Sheffield this year, this is not to be missed. Bluewave x Tramlines From 10:30pm O2 Academy Hitting ‘rewind’ at the O2 Academy with a huge UK Garage line-up. Featuring Artful Dodger, DJ Luck, MC Neat, So Solid Crew and more. Nice Like Rice Free party at Bal Fashions 10pm - 5am Bal Fashions Following the success of the Castlegate Escape, the Exchange Street Collective is coming together again to host a packed Tramlines schedule across the whole weekend from Thursday to Sunday, and it’s free entry.

All weekend The Harley’s Tramlines Weekender The Harley The Harley have joined forces with Queens Social, Pretty Pretty Good, ROOTS, DEEP MEDi, La Rumba, SoulJam and Applebum to put on four nights of huge events at two iconic Sheffield venues. You don’t want to miss these world-class party vibes.

Monday 16 July 2018

Interviews// Blossoms This isn’t your first year at Tramlines, where was your first performance at the festival? We played Tramlines in 2014, I think it was at Yellow Arch Studios and there was about seven people there [laughs]. Wow, it’s definitely going to be a bit different this year then! It’s great to be playing Tramlines again, from seven people in 2014 to second from the top on the main stage this year. We supported Noel Gallagher in Europe in April, so it’ll be great to see them all again. What’s your favourite track to perform live? It changes from gig to gig, but I think

recently I’ve really enjoyed playing ‘I Can’t Stand It’ and ‘Between The Eyes’ from our new record Cool Like You.

we’re looking forward to that! We’d love to go and play some festivals in South America, the crowds seem to be wild there!

Is there a particular show or a special moment that’s stood out for you and why?

What’s your plan for after the summer?

We headlined Castlefield Bowl last year and played to 8,000 people which was probably our biggest moment as a band so far. Previously, we opened for James and The Charlatans there so it was great to go back and headline in our own right. Are you going to any other festivals this year as a spectator or band? We’re playing Sziget Festival in Hungary, it’s Myles’ birthday and Arctic Monkeys are headlining so

Forge Press

By Harriet Evans

We’re going back to Europe in October, then hopefully USA again, then another UK tour! Are there any other bands at Tramlines who you think we should check out? Neon Waltz and The Magic Gang are playing and we’re big fans of those two bands. Both of their debut albums are great so I’d definitely check them out.

Photo credit: Ellie Mitchell

//Red Faces How did you get together and how long ago did you form RedFaces? We formed RedFaces when we were all in school together. It was something to do at lunch time and we were all into the same music, so it seemed like a bright idea. We pretty much just kept gigging and writing from there and it slowly became something we could do full time. As you’re from Sheffield, what are some of your favourite things about the city? There’s always a great vibe in Sheffield. There’s countless gigs on and it’s a great place to start up a band, even if you’re just school kids wanting to play covers in a tiny venue. I also love how green Sheffield is. When you go to different places gigging you really begin to appreciate how many trees and green parts there are in the city. It makes a change to tall, ugly buildings and most places aren’t nearly as picturesque. Do you have a favourite track to perform live? I think it’s always the newest songs in the set we prefer doing. It’s like when you’ve imagined the way something sounds and you finally get to hear it and translate it live. There’s a couple of new tracks in the set so we will be looking forward to playing them this summer. Our last song in the set, ‘Take it or Leave It’, is always fun too. Is there a particular show or moment that’s stood out for you and why? Playing with DMA’s has been great fun and all the festivals we’ve done this year have really set the bar high for the rest of our gigs. Tramlines and YNOT will definitely be highlights of the festival season for us, as they’re so close to home. What’s your plan for after the summer? We’re just going to keep writing, recording, messing about in the van and playing gigs. We’ll be on tour again in the Autumn after the festivals and hopefully have a couple more songs out. We want to release as much material as possible this year.

//Frazer

//Bang Bang Romeo

Tell us about how you started.

How and when did you form the band?

We formed the band in 2011. The three of us studied music together at college.We got put together in a band for a college performance, and then we met a few of the lads in Sheffield, funnily enough, out drinking.

Myself and Ross started writing together roughly six years ago, after being introduced to one another when we both played the same Doncaster festival separately. We have been in BBR together ever since. We started to develop a full band line up and found Richard on an online ad. We had auditioned a few other drummers beforehand, but minutes into jamming with Rich we knew he was the guy. We’ve been brothers and sisters ever since.

What was the inspiration for the name? Oh no, this is really bad. It comes from my dead dog. We were going to call ourselves ‘The North’ but there are a lot of bands called ‘The-’ something out there, so we just named it after my dog. What are three of your favourite things about the city? That’s a tough question! The Leadmill is probably one of my favourite things, it’s where I like to go on a night out. The rest of the lads support Sheffield Wednesday, so that would be one of their favourites. The local music scene is probably my third. A lot of good bands come from here. We’re good friends with a lot of bands from Sheffield, and people like Ben Hartley at Leadmill, so the music scene is one of the best things about it. Any plans on releasing an album anytime soon? Probably not this year. We have an album worth of stuff recorded but what we’re doing is recording music all the time. We’ve got three or four singles coming out with videos and hopefully that will help to get us more exposure. So we’ll probably release an album next year. How excited are you to be playing Tramlines this year? I love Tramlines because I’m from this area and I’ve got a lot of friends that come. We’ve actually played Tramlines quite a lot. Our first year our gig was in a car park! Then we played The Leadmill and the last couple of years we’ve played Crystal. It’s a good job we’re on Sunday because Noel Gallagher’s playing Saturday at Hillsborough Park and we didn’t wanna clash with Noel Gallagher because no one’s gonna be in town.

What’s your favourite thing about Sheffield? The music scene, of course, is rife right now, the times of people heading to London to seek their fortune is pretty much done. We know of a few London-based bands that we’re pals with who have actually jumped ship to ‘seek their fortunes’ in Sheffield. Sheffield has a personality, a culture that really can grab you and lift you up. It’s also hilly, ain’t it? Are you excited for your show at Tramlines? Do you have anything special planned for it? Our Tramlines slot in our minds has been up there on a diamond pedestal since we got the call that we’d be playing Main Stage on the same day as Noel Gallagher, Reverend & The Makers, and Blossoms (to name a few). We know the Sheffield lot love a good time, and we plan on giving them one by doing what we always do, having the best time of our lives on stage. Has there been a specific special moment you’ve had while performing? I think walking out on to the Main Stage at the IOW to something like 10,000 people. And seeing homemade BBR banners in the crowd with people screaming the words to our songs back to us. It was a moment that we’ll hold in our mental treasuries for a very long time! For John Giddings to then say that we had the biggest crowd for a Main Stage opening act in the IOW festivals history, was a ‘pinch me’ moment, amazing. We can’t thank everyone involved enough.

Forge Press

Monday 16 July 2018

// Little Comets This isn’t your first time at Tramlines, is it? Yeah, that’s right, this will be the third different location now as well! We played when it was in the middle of the city, and then we played a couple of years ago when it was in a field in the middle of nowhere, and now obviously Hillsborough so it’s been all over the city! We played a secret gig the night before our first time as well at the Frog and Parrot and Catfish and the Bottlemen played before us! One of the most amazing gigs we’ve ever done because we had no expectations for it and it was a nightmare venue, but we were amazed by the atmosphere! How does it feel seeing the festival evolve into what it’s become today? How did you guys meet? Me and Micky, the guitarist, we’re brothers and Matt used to just pop his head into the room where we rehearsed. We didn’t have a bass player, but we wanted to borrow one of his guitars so in return we asked him if he wanted to play bass, which is strange because he was a guitarist. We used to play with a drummer as well called Mark, but he left a few years ago when he got married. Nathan is our drummer now and Matt Saxon is one of our touring members.

But really, me and Micky do all the studio work and writing which works quite well. What is it about Sheffield that keeps bringing you back? What’s your favourite thing about the city? My dad’s family are from Sheffield, we’ve made quite a few friends over the years, quite a few familiar faces at the gigs. It’s kind of like a Newcastle gig in that sense, always got familiar faces there, like a homecoming gig.

It’s lovely, always love playing Sheffield. When we started we played Sheffield quite a bit because we knew somebody from here who used to sort out gigs for us - house parties or old venues like The Grapes and then The Boardwalk - but yeah, it’s just a fantastic festival to play!

what’s playing and just chill out, enjoy a few of the bands and then head home. You’ve said in the past that some of your lyrics come from a dark place, how come? The thing is, because I’m not very good at having a conversation about what I’m passionate about, I lose my train of thought and I get overcome by emotions. When I have a limited amount of syllables to express myself in I find that I have to use it as an outlet in that sense. It’s kind of cathartic writing a song; it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. With your recent singles, ‘M62’ and ‘The Punk is in the Detail’ taking your sound into a different direction from your older music, which are you looking forward to playing more? I think naturally we like playing the new ones because it’s the current stuff we’ve been writing and we’re kind of naturally closer to it. We always tend to play a good mixture of new and old because it’s exciting to see people’s reactions!

Are you excited to be back for the event? Oh yeah! Especially the weather, should be cracking! My little boy’s gonna come so I think we’ll just see

By Animesh Anand

//Stage times Bang Bang Romeo Saturday, 1.30pm (Main Stage) Red Faces Saturday, 2.30 pm (Main Stage) Blossoms Saturday, 6.45 pm (Main Stage) Little Comets Sunday, 3.30 pm (T’other Stage) Frazer Sunday, 6.40 pm (Crystal Stage)

Monday 16 July 2018

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Interview // Alex Cooper Niall O’Callaghan chats to the Resident Leadmill DJ and all-round Sheffield music man, ahead of his set at Tramlines. How did you start DJing? It actually came out of a night out at Viper Rooms, strangely enough. A few years ago, they had an indie & mod night every Wednesday and I got talking to the Mod4It DJ, Darren Gray. One week he asked if I fancied giving it a go for half an hour, and it just took off from there. How long have you been a regular at The Leadmill for? I’ve been at Leadmill for just over five years now playing soul & motown, three years playing indie. I had a couple of contacts at Leadmill already and I think they got fed up of me pestering them after a while and caved into giving me a slot. It’s such an overwhelming privilege to play at such an iconic

venue alongside a fantastic team of DJs, managers, promoters, engineers, bar staff, and door staff. And Nev. From its history to the sense of family amongst the regulars, Leadmill really feels like a special place and it’s hard not to crack a smile when you get the place proper bouncing. What is the song that gets requested the most? At a guess, I’d probably have to say ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ by The Courteeners. What is the funniest customer encounter that you’ve had in your time at Leadmill? “Don’t suppose you’ve got any deodorant do you? I stink.” “No, sorry love.” “Oh. Well in that case, can I have

‘C’est La Vie’ by B*Witched?” What do you think Tramlines means to the city and the people of Sheffield? Tramlines has become such an integral part of the fabric of Sheffield. The whole city goes into party mode for the weekend, and there’s a real buzz in the air. It’s also a great platform for local bands to get their music heard by a wider audience. How long have you been attending Tramlines? As a Sheffield native, I’ve been to every Tramlines so far. My first year was actually as a promoter, where I booked bands such as The Sherlocks and Kartica for a tiny venue off West Street back in 2013. Since then I’ve DJ’d at club nights

for Leadmill, and last year I was fortunate enough to be invited to DJ at the main stage on Ponderosa before The Libertines. Who has played the best set at Tramlines that you have seen? It’s impossible to pick one stand out moment. From Reverend & The Makers on Dev Green to Basement Jaxx on Ponderosa, getting sweaty in Leadmill to The Enemy and Milburn, Primal Scream making getting soaked worthwhile, mariachi bands and busker’s buses. Got a lot of class memories over the years. What do you think of the decision to move the main festival out of the city and into Hillsborough Park? Personally, I’m someone who likes

to venue hop, and try to cram in as much of the festival and the Fringe as possible, so the move will make that slightly more difficult. Having said that, I see the move to Hillsborough Park as a largely positive one. Tramlines have been able to attract a much higher calibre of artists, and in greater quantities, than they ever have done before. If you don’t innovate and strive to make yourself better each year, people will lose interest if you stand in the same place for too long. When can we see you across the weekend? You’ll be able to catch me DJing Friday night at The Washington alongside The Orielles, which I’m really looking forward to, or down the front bouncing to Milburn and Rev.

Quickfire Q&A Arctic Monkeys or Pulp? This is tough, but Pulp just edges it for me.

Beer or cider? Beer

Vinyl or streaming? I love vinyl, but streaming for the convenience.

Festival or venue? Venue

Last album you bought? Image | The Leadmill, Sheffield

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino

What’s in your rider? Red Stripe (‘DJ Juice’)

Monday 16 July

Leppings Lane

Parkside Road

MAIN STAGE

Middlewood Road

POND

VIP

INTO THE TREES LEADMILL STAGE

LIBRARY STAGE

Hillsborough Park

GATE 2

Penistone Road

GATE 1

Yellow Line Tram to Hillsborough

Travelling to Tramlines

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Niall O’Callaghan Tramlines is celebrating its 10th anniversary by moving location for its largest festival to date. Rather than being based in its usual inner city stages - last year the Ponderosa, Devonshire Green and Endcliffe Park, and before that various bars, pubs and clubs throughout the city Tramlines has moved to Hillsborough Park for 2018. The park is about 15 minutes away from the city centre by tram, and all stages are now within a five min walk from each other. We’ve put together a quick guide to help you get to and from the festival site:

Tram Both the yellow and blue lines take you to Hillsborough, there are tram stops pretty much wherever you are in the city and they’re frequent too. If you’re on the blue line get off at Hillsborough. If you’re on the yellow line get off at Hillsborough Park.

Bus The 52 or 52A takes you from Broomhill to Hillsborough Park, although you’ll have to pay £1.20 with your student card now.

Taxi/Uber An Uber from the city centre can cost between £5-£8 and from Crookes to Hillsborough Park costs about £8, whilst a taxi will cost about £10. But watch out for surge pricing as this will probably bump up fares on the day.

Car There will be no parking at the festival, so driving is not recommended.

Tramlines Fringe: Editor’s Picks Harriet Evans Despite Tramlines moving to Hillsborough Park, there won’t be a shortage of events going on in the city centre for this year’s Fringe. With so many clubs and bars transforming into live music venues, we’re really being spoilt for choice. We’ve put together some of our favourite venues for you to check out if you want a break from the busy main stages or to discover some new music and did we mention they’re free entry?

Fringe Stage at Devonshire Green Prepare for Devonshire Green to be turned into a family-friendly world music stage, curated by Alan Deadman and Young Music. Sheffield’s Ska sensation, Jungle Lion and Mango Rescue Team are just two of the bands bringing the carnival vibe to the stage.

The Forum Bar and Kitchen To celebrate the 10th year of Tramlines, this venue has pulled out all the stops. From Friday to Sunday you can catch Demob Happy, Life and Strange Bones who are playing alongside some of the best upcoming UK bands. They’re bound to put on one hell of a show.

Picture House Social

Orchard Square

Having taken part in the Fringe for the past three years, PHS are joining in on the fun again this year with a variety of fantastic up and coming bands which are worth checking out. They’ve gone all out on their sound system this year, making it bigger than ever before, so you can carry on the party until the early hours each night.

Independent Sheffield label, Labelship, are hosting live music in Orchard Square’s open air mall. From 11am-6pm on Saturday you can enjoy live music, street food by Snowden Hill Water Buffalo and Gourmet burger and bacon, a pop up bar and also free face painting, what’s not to like?

Southbank Warehouse

Bungalows and Bears

If you’re into dance music you definitely need to make your way over to Southbank Warehouse. Celebrating the best of Sheffield’s underground music scene, Southbank Warehouse have curated a lineup featuring some of the Steel City’s finest DJs and bands who are at the forefront of the scene.

On Sunday at 11pm Sourdough are taking over Bungalows and Bears for a night filled to the brim with disco, afrobeat, soul and house to celebrate a wonderful weekend of fringe music. Not to mention there’s free entry and, best of all, free toast!

There are so many other great venues which are worth checking out at this year. In fact, there’s too many to name! So, make sure you get out there and explore the whole city at this year’s Tramlines Festival, you’re bound to stumble across something amazing. Other venues:The Green Room, The Mulberry Bar and Venue, The Doctor’s Orders, Southbank Warehouse, The Washington, Plug, Bloo88, Record Junkee, Bierkeller, Maida Vale, Orchard Square, Frog & Parrot, Shakespeares and Crystal.