Fused Magazine Student Issue 2 by Fused

FUSED MAGAZINE

THE STUDENT ISSUE

MUSIC, FUNCTION, FASHION LIFESTYLE, DESIGN, ART, CULTURE

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CONTENTS 04 Welcome To Birmingham 06 The Black Country 10 Top 5 Places I’ve Been Sick 12 Meet the Parents 14 Nightclubbing 16 Student Cuisine 18 Birmingham Street Style 20 The Custard Factory 22 Oxjam 24 Win a KIA 27 Midlands Hip Hop 36 Fashion 44 Glasvegas 48 Drinkingsham 50 Body Language 52 Photoshop Your Life 64 To work or not to Work Editor-in-chief: David O’Coy dave@fusedmagazine.com Marketing: Kerry Thomas kerry@fusedmagazine.com Advertising: Rhiannon Jones rhiannon@fusedmagazine.com Contributors: Jonathan Baker esq, Louika Constantinou, Christine Franz, Paul Hartnett, Heducation, Kinglux, Daniel Koch, Luke McNaney, Kimberley Owen, Joanna Reynolds, Alex Rochester, Danny Smith, JP Watson Photographers: Paul Hartnett, Steph Jennings, Rhiannon Jones, Kinglux, Martin Pickard, James Tate Cover: Newtasty IIlustrators: Adhemas Batista, Kate Copeland, Phil Davis, Kris Jones, Newtasty

Fused Magazine, 315 The GreenHouse, Gibb Square, Gibb Street, Birmingham, B9 4AA tel: 0121 246 1946 info@fusedmagazine.com www.fusedmagazine.com myspace.com/fusedmagazine twitter.com/fusedmagazine Facebook: Fused Magazine Group DISCLAIMER

Reproduction of all editorial/images in any form is strictly prohibited without prior permission. Fused cannot be held responsible for breach of copyright arising from any material supplied. Views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily the publishers. All unsolicited material submitted should be accompanied by a S.A.E. © fused 2009.

welcome to birmingham

FOR SOME REASON BIRMINGHAM HASN’T ALWAYS HAD THE GREATEST REPUTATION OF THE UK CITIES. It’s been called grey and concrete, is known for its part in the industrial revolution and for the neighbouring Black Country accent. But underneath that, there is a wealth of qualities that have made it your choice of university city. If you didn’t visit the city before you got here, and if you’re still thinking the most justifiable reason for being here is your degree, we plan to change that. From the local food, to the happy-go-lucky locals, to the shopping and the music scene to everything you could ever want Birmingham can provide it all. But before you get into our tips through the rest of the magazine, we should start with some locally acknowledged facts that make us all prouder that we live here, and hopefully you too. In Mercer’s 2007 most livable cities list Birmingham came 55th in the world, 2nd in the UK. It takes full credit for raising, and-is even willing to stretch the claim of ‘to-inspired’, Ozzy Osbourne, The Beat, The Streets, Robert Plant, Editors, The Twang and Ocean Colour Scene. Was the inspiration for The Lord of The Rings after Tolkien saw the beauty in Moseley Bog. Was the birthplace of custard powder, after which apple pie never felt lonely again. Is home to the National Indoor Arena - where Gladiators battled it out for our eight-year-old entertainment needs, Edgbaston Cricket Ground - where the Ashes take place and is home to Cadbury Chocolate. It has more canals than Venice, more trees than Paris and its own “Walk of stars” for those who have made a significant contribution to music, film or television and come from Birmingham - who needs Hollywood? So the conclusion is: Birmingham is a great place to live, and well done you for choosing it as your home for the next 3 years!

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Join Urban Outfitters and Fused Magazine on Thursday 8th October from 6pm for a night of music, art and fashion. Shop! dance! drink! st luck y r fi e h t r fo G GOODY BA customers 5-7 Corporation Street, Birmingham, 0121 633 2920 For more info see www.fusedmagazine.com Or join our facebook group

The Black Country IF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF UNI IS YOUR FIRST TASTE OF BIRMINGHAM, YOU’LL COME TO REALISE IT’S AN UNDERRATED CITY. Second and third year students will rave about hotspots like Digbeth, Jewellery Quarter, Brindley Place and beyond. One hop on a bus or train though, and you can discover the wider West Midlands and what the region has to offer. The so-called Black Country encompasses the three boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and the city of Wolverhampton. Word of warning: you might want to check out the numerous online dictionaries to prepare yourself for the unique dialect, which even has a smash hit viral YouTube vid dedicated to it.

town of Silent Hill, has its own castle and a zoo (oo-er!). There has been ongoing chatter about a much-needed renovation of the latter, but rock fans can rejoice: should the plans finally go ahead, the infamous JBs will likely be knocked down. A haven for emos and skate kidz on a Thursday night, the club also boasts regular gigs – while the Twang played recently, the venue has also played host to Oasis and Damon Albarn.

If you’re majoring in History, you can learn more about the area’s industrial past by stepping back in time at the Black Country Living Museum, the town’s much-beloved living history heritage site. Or remain in the here and now by making a dent in your student loan at nearby Brierley Hill’s Merry Hill Centre, a Westfield shopping complex The unofficial ‘capital’ of the Black Country is Dudley that sits adjacent to the popular bars and clubs of the which, despite a high street that resembles the ghost Waterfront, which is like Broad Street next to a canal.

Of course, if you want to avoid chavs on your night off from studying, perhaps the bars of Wolverhampton may be a better bet. Sure, there are the big brands like Yates’s and Oceana but the ever-popular Royal London is readymade for the quiffed and fashion-conscious Converse crowd. Personally, I would advise a trip to Cuban Exchange for a sexy cocktail or two before ripping up the dancefloor at the Civic Hall, whether that be during one of the venue’s many gigs or its weekend club nights. It’s a wiser move than dedicating time to the local footie team Wolves FC, long-time rivals to Birmingham’s very

own blues boys. With Wolvo boasting its own university, the art crowd are catered for at the brilliant Light House Media Centre, which regularly shows new work from newbies in its gallery space. You can also catch the latest indie flick or bust your best Napoleon D at Friday night’s Lightbar Revolved – six quid for a bottle of wine is a bargain, no? If movies and alcohol are a distraction you can’t afford, pop over to the city’s Pop Art gallery, an extension to the main Wolverhampton Art Gallery, for some more musing and inspiration. Jump on the train at Wolves and you can be at Walsall in a flash; here,

you can experience the town’s own art experience in the form of recent addition, New Art Gallery. It’s also home to some trendy little bars including swanky Wharf Bar, which is perched perilously close to a body of water, should you be a little tipsy at closing time. So there you have it – no excuses, get your ‘Yam Yam’ on and paint the town(s) red! Words: Luke McNaney Images: Steph Jennings

Top 5 places I have been sick TO THE DEDICATED HEDONIST CALLING GOD ON THE BIG WHITE TELEPHONE ISN’T JUST A PITFALL OR HAZARD OF THE JOB, IT’S SOMETHING TO BE APPRECIATED AND EVEN ENJOYED, YES ENJOYED. Don’t look at me like that. If anything, a good chunder clears room for the next excess and adds to the mythology of the night out.

Off the Bridge in Brindleyplace** – *The Dome II was a trendy shirt or Hurrgh Splat Sploosh! short skirt paradise, where men grabbed ladies bums and ladies drank The Iceland Room toilets of Oceana Metz until this gross act of personal Nightclub***. Notable because after invasion became the most charming the second round of Aftershocks chat-up line they could think of. Now (or “Satan’s Earwax” as it should be home of the O2 Academy. know) sent me running to the toilet, the first set of heaves sent my house- **Brindleyplace is the expensive nest mates headband I was wearing into of bars that overlook the canal just off the toilet, “it’s ok” I thought “fish it out Broad Street. Expensive cocktails are This attitude is most likely a self serv- and swill it in the sink” which was fine served and when sunny it is popuing one for me because I haven’t until I was promptly sick on top of it. lated by tourists or arseholes. been able to do more than a couple of shots before puking since the in- Outside Edwards’s number 8**** af- ***Oceana is a nightclub near Hurst cident in Paris back in ’93 which the ter the first and last time snorting fla- Street that used to attract a big crowd less is said of the better. Suffice to voured vodka [Eds note: Only an idiot but now is looking frayed round the say I have a vague memory of myself would actually try this]. edges. trying to buy some plastic lemons off a kebab vendor by banging on O.K. this isn’t really me being sick, ****The legendary rock club on John the glass shouting “JAY VOOD-RAY it’s a friend of mine and while I ap- Bright Street, has since been burnt OOON CITRON”. preciate this may be cheating a little, down, rumour has it due to a firework its also worth bearing in mind its still in the toilets – but in my experience So now, in the year of our lord 2009 MY list, so there. This was back in the the toilets were so soaked in wee I – the last days of this consumerist heady days of the late 90’s at Expo- would be surprised if a flamethrower decadent empire, I here collect my sure Rock Café***** We were hanging would work in them. Edwards has favourite vomit stories from around around the front when The Man came since moved to the Newt (briefly) and the great city of Birmingham. to hassle us, well it was two Police now has found a home at B.U.S.K. Officers, but when your young and over the road on Gough Street. Fingers down the throat time at the angry even traffic lights start to repreHolloway Circus Queensway, in the sent The Man. My friend, the drunk- ***** Exposure closed its doors and vain hope of sobering up before try- est one amongst us, immediately turned into Expose lap dancing club ing to get into the DOME II nightclub*, seemed to sober up and explain we and has now turned back to its roots luckily I was a little bit sick on my were merely waiting for some friends as a refuge for young looking blackshoes too. This, when wiped, gave of ours. Halfway through this expla- clad men in make-up called Subside. them a “just polished” look - which nation he nonchalantly turned to his also circumnavigated the bouncers left, vomited, and without missing a Words: Danny Smith / Illustration: another excuse not to let me in. beat continued the sentence where Kris Jones he left off. Classy.

Meet the Parents

SO YOU’VE FOUND THE CHEAPEST BEER, THE EASIEST PLACE TO PULL AND WHERE TO WASH YOUR CLOTHES. Now it’s six weeks in to the first term and time for a check up from your parents - a visit to see how you’re settling in and the place their baby is mow calling home. Obviously you do not want to show them where you last threw up. So take advantage of their decision to spoil you with a nice lunch or a new pair of shoes and guide them to the areas you’d usually get spit on if you went just as a student. Mom and Dad are your cover, and you are the fountain of Birmingham knowledge to them. The Mailbox - There are the obligatory Nandos and Café Rouge’s, along with several other chain restaurants, but there is also Pennyblacks - a wine and alehouse of respectability that serves up good local food like faggots. If you really want to go all out to impress then a glass of champagne in the style mecca that is Harvey Nichols wouldn’t be a bad idea - plus you have the added benefit of pointing out possible Christmas gifts.

Electric Cinema - Absolutely nothing to talk about with your parents? Take them to the oldest working cinema in the UK where you can rent a sofa and catch new, indie or old school film. While talking is frowned upon alcohol consumption is welcomed. Jewellery Quarter/St Paul’s Square - After taking them to the Jewellery Quarter, the Georgian Square of St Paul’s is only a gemstone’s throw away. With Jools Holland’s Jam House, restaurants and several authentic pubs there is also a nice church to visit if your parents think your soul needs praying for. Purnell’s/Simpsons - Limp hair, bad skin and a cold? The effects of bad eating have set in, so let them shock your tastebuds back into consciousness by taking you to either of these Michelin starred restaurants. Sutton Park - Have they travelled a long way and need to be entertained for more than a few hours? Right, make the effort to go to Sutton Park. It’s in the poshest suburb of Birmingham (it used to be a Royal Town until it got swallowed into Birmingham), it’s the largest urban park in Europe frequented by Henry VIII back in the day and is full of walking trails, a bistro and a restaurant overlooking pools (nice natural ones, not chlorine filled ones) and an ice cream shop. Fresh air, exercise, coffee and cake-what is there your parents could disapprove of?

Brindley Place - Regress back to childhood and visit the Sea Life Centre, make up a bunch of pretentious opinions on the art in the IKON gallery to impress them or merely go to lunch at one of the many bars, cafes, restaurants of the area, some with familiar chain names, some not, but because they’re by a canal it all becomes “quirky” and is a even finer in the Autumn sunshine. Words: Alexandra Rochester / Image: Rhiannon Jones

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Nightclubbing IN THE DIZZY DEPTHS OF YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTIONS TO A NEW CITY OR TOWN YOU CHANCES ARE YOU’LL BE THROWN IN TO A WHIRL OF BARS, CLUBS AND PARTIES. With a diverse scene of dub step to rawk ‘n’ roll the West Mids has it all and the team at Studio Kinglux have been busy shooting the good the bad and the scary of the scene… ‘Nightclubbing. We’re nightclubbing. We’re what’s happening’. Ah! Such poignant lyrics by Iggy Pop. Probably more so when you’re high and 18-years-old rather than stone cold sober and just the wrong side of 30. Nightclubbing – that’s how the Studio Kinglux camera ended up spending weekends for the best part of eighteen months. Eighteen months of sleep deprivation for the sake of documenting the newest musical and streetstyle trends. Was it worth it? Probably. Did we find what we were looking for? The jury is still out on that one. What we found was a curious reality, one step removed from the hazy promises of torn flyers and hastily Photoshopped nightclub art. We unearthed a subterranean microcosm of gaudy lights and statement t-shirts. The latest catwalk trends emulated by the high street or ripped up to create something new. We photographed muddied, bloodied ravers who had survived until dawn in a washed-out event. We saw bodies of all different shapes and sizes expressing themselves in the name of dance and style. We saw clubbers asleep on the side of the dancefloor despite bowel-trembling bass frequencies smothering them. These are not the regular pictures of people having a prescribed good time. There are plenty of social networks that share those kind of images. Nor is it the tabloid selection of celebrity wannabes stepping out of urbane midnight lounges. This book is really a collection of images of people pursuing escapism in spite of what might seem a contrary set of circumstances. Binbags and limousines, the earnest kiss of a sweaty, loved-up girlfriend. The comradeship found in losing a fight. The do-it-yourself idealism of young people who, without a budget, seek to find a place for themselves and their friends where they can project their ideals and find status through a shared sense of individuality. There is something distinctly British in the desire for enjoyment despite adverse forces - whether it is financial, geographical, meteorological or legal, amongst many other constraints. Rather like a flower that pushes up through a crack in the pavement, these potential limits only serve to stoke the fires of self-expression and inventiveness. Most importantly, and most British of all, is that they do so with a resilient smile. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must get to bed. ‘Smile. You’re Nightclubbing’ is a book produced by Kingklux and can be purchased from their website www. kinglux.co.uk Words and Images: Kinglux

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student cuisine

SO YOU’RE ABOUT TO SPEND THE NEXT THREE YEARS OF YOULIFE DISCOVERING THE LIMITS OF YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, how many days you can go without a wink of sleep and more importantly train your brain and expand your knowledge in a specialist subject. In order to succeed in any one of these things, the most crucial of course being the latter (*coughs*), you will have to make sure you are well nourished to keep your brain and body working to it’s full potential. I know what you’re thinking – cue a tower of pizza boxes, an endless supply of baked beans and stale pasta right? Well…yes BUT the good news is it doesn’t have to be this way! When it comes to student cuisine, most people fall into one of two categories – firstly there are the budding Jamie Oliver’s who can cook up a feast fit for a king in between lectures and seminars and secondly or perhaps more commonly, the ifi-don’t-have-a-takeway-every-dayI’m-probably-not-going-to-eat-forthe-next-three-years, people. It’s a well-known fact that Student dining leaves nothing to the imagination. But whether you’re the boss of beans on toast, the knight of noodles or a cheese butty maker student cuisine doesn’t have to be as terrible as the tales told about it.

We’ve heard the stories and the rumours. The staple diet of a student mainly consists of alcohol, takeaways and baked beans. The anecdotes of mouldy fridges, cup-a-soups and replacing breakfast with leftovers, are legendary. Whilst most students deem dining as the least important thing to worry about, it is undeniable that maintaining a healthy eating pattern and learning to cook your own meals will keep you super studious, super alert and super healthy. Being a student and being away from home for the first time in your life you’re probably used to being cooked for so when it comes to feeding yourself fast food probably seems like the best option. Whilst it might be easier to order a pizza or get a bucket of KFC it’s unhealthy - habits like these will soon have you noticeably heavier and addicted by the end of your first year - not to mention how much it’s going to cost you. Learning to cook simple recipes will not only save you bucket loads of money but it’s also a good way to teach yourself transferable skills for the future too. Along with this it doesn’t have to be as time consuming as you might imagine. Quick and simple healthy recipes are easy to find on the Internet or even on the sides of food packets. It’s also a great way to make new friends and bond with the people

around you. In just a few easy steps you will go from takeaway tyrant to chef extraordinaire. Top Tips for fine student dining - Don’t let yourself go hungry before you eat or else you’ll never cook! When you’ve got a free period go and prepare a meal as you study. - Share cooking responsibilities with your housemates. Help each other out and cook together that way its more fun. You can invent new creations. - Share cooking costs with your housemates – get together and do a weekly shop that way it will save each of you money and you’ll be able to get more for less. - Make sure you have standard store cupboard ingredients like pasta, tinned tomatoes and rice that can create quick and easy yet substantial meals. So there you have it, deep inside every student is a budding Jamie Oliver or Ainsley Harriott waiting to be unleashed. Step away from the Pot Noodles and opt for the pan and by the time your three years are up you’ll be hosting banquets galore. Words: Loukia Constantinou Illustration: Newtasty

Birmingham Street Style WE HIT THE STREETS OF BIRMINGHAM TO SEE WHAT TIPS WE COULD GET FROM THE LOCALS. From their favourite shops to the best bands to see we have the insider knowledge on where to go.

but doesn’t like to admit it How would you describe Birmingham? There’s always something going on..something to suit everyone.

3. Thomas (23) from Rugby, works at The Sunflower Lounge 1. Phaze (18). Bars: Sunflower and Victoria. Band: Pubs: Scruffy Murphy’s, The The Tantrums. Night Out: Thursday Nechelles. Band: (His band) FourQ - nights student jazz at The Yardbird influence = Guns and Roses (Free & cheap drinks). Fashion Shops: Primark & Oasis Market Icon: early Mr Hudson 2. Sophie (18) training to be a 4. Emily (17) primary school teacher. Shops: Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Clubs: Resurrection, Rag’n’Bone, Disorder. “I like to look at the top Propaganda. Band: Tempting Rosie floor of Selfridges but I can’t afford Shops: COW, Urban Village, Primark it!”

5. Paul (23) Manager of a hairdressers in Leamington Spa Band: Black Dollar Bills. Shops: Charity. Clubs: All I know is stay away from Broad Street! Fashion Icon: Prince. ...Not really, I just look like him. 6. Joss (19) studying Fashion at BCU. Clubs: “I live in Snobs” / Custard Factory, but it’s a bit chavy. Band: A Night For... Shops: Charity Shops What makes Birmingham special? It’s really cultural. Words: Joanna Reynolds Photos: Rhiannon Jones

The Custard Factory Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham. 0121 224 7777 - custardfactory.co.uk

HEADING DOWN FROM THE GLITZ OF SELFRIDGES AND LEAVING THE CITY CENTRE BEHIND YOU’LL START TO PASS BIRMINGHAM’S FAMOUS RAG MARKET AND REACH DIGBETH HIGH STREET. Home to a run of quirky shops and bars. The area is being quietly changed and renovated to become the heart of the city’s Creative Quarter. If you venture down past St Martin’s Church you will discover the lively Irish Quarter with its numerous buzzing pubs and social clubs. Further along you will begin to see evidence of Digbeth’s thriving alternative and underground music scene, with pubs and clubs such as The Institute and The Rainbow attracting large crowds of young people after dark. At the heart of all this is Digbeth’s real gem - the Custard Factory. This complex is set in five acres of factory buildings, originally

constructed in the late 19th Century to house Bird’s Custard Factory. Bird’s moved to Banbury in 1964, and the re-development of the buildings began in 1992. The Custard Factory is now home to over hundreds of cultural, artistic and media based enterprises, as well as shops, cafés and bars and is entering a second stage of redevelopment as we speak. In the daylight hours, the Custard Factory is a fantastic place to shop, eat, learn new skills and get involved with the local creative community... SHOPPING Urban Village and General Stores This fantastic vintage shop is a real treasure trove. Whole afternoons can be spent in here trawling through rail upon rail of unique finds. Incorporating Cocoblack Vintage,

Diamond Togs, Natty’s Vintage, G&B Collections and Red Wing Boots, as well as the main shop, Urban Village.Expect to find cute vintage dresses for around £15, cool retro men’s t-shirts and sweatshirts, beautiful leather jackets, antique jewellery, and more hats, sunglasses and shoes than you can count - all at affordable prices. They also stock a good selection of vintage vinyl for around £5 each. In the Urban Village section only they are offering 20% off with a student card when you spend £50 or more (offer may be limited and subject to change). Mouldy Loaf Best known for their cool t-shirts carrying quirky graphic illustrations from innovative independent creatives, this store also stocks wonderfully unusual accessories, jewellery and homeware. Offers include two t-shirts or tote bags for £30, and regular sales where you can pick up bargains for as little

as £5. Even if you only have a few pennies to spare, you can pick up cool badges to customise clothes and bags for around 50p. Mouldy Loaf will soon be expanding their stock to include more books as well as an increased range of homeware. The Birmingham Bead Shop This is a lovely new independent store and workshop space offering all the materials you need to create beautiful handmade jewellery and crafts. Buy jewellery hand-made by the in-shop artists from as little at £3.50, or pick up some beads from the pick-and-mix selection from £1.60 a pot. Students can take advantage of a 10% discount with a student card. Every other Tuesday from the shop hosts Beading Club - an informal and fun evening where beaders can meet to share ideas and work on projects together or independently, with the opportunity to use the shops equipment for free. Buy materials from the shop or bring your own. There are also a number of more specialised workshops running throughout September, all from £14 per person. Visit thebirminghambeadshop.co.uk for details. Ideal The store that brings skateboarders far and wide to the Custard Factory is Ideal. Not only do they sell the best threads – including trainers, hoods, tees and jeans from Volcom, Emerica, Altamont Apparel, etc – but as well as looking the part you can practice it too thanks to the indoor Ramp that is next to the shop. For just £20 per year and a further £2 a visit you can hang out with fellow skaters and, if you are lucky, catch the odd cheeky gig too. MEDIA AND ARTS Studio4 Gallery This cool little gallery store offers shoppers a selection of what it calls “subversive arts and crafts”. Fantastic for bagging an unusual gift or just treating yourself, you can pick up amazing contemporary

prints, greeting cards, t-shirts, bags and badges, as well as local comics and magazines. Also, if you’re an artist yourself, or simply want to make a print or painting that bit more special, you can get frames tailor made to suit your needs at the adjoining Framers workshop. A must see for anyone doing art at BIAD. Rhubarb Radio Rhubarb Radio is Birmingham’s Community radio station that streams online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at rhubarbradio.com/ listen. Born out of a collective of Birmingham based bloggers, the station aims to provide the best of international music and chat - with a Birmingham accent. With six to eight live shows each day, the range of music on offer is almost endless. With Rock’n’Roll, chillout, minimalistic breaks and beats, Reggae, Jungle and Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Grunge, Soul and Funk, Indie, Rockabilly and Blues, hip hop, Bhangra and more - as well as a comedy show and a cross media magazine show - there really is something for everyone! And if you miss a show you can listen again online for up to six days after. The station also offers workshop sessions and training programs in radio journalism, broadcasting and production. And if you fancy hosting your own show they will give anyone who produces a good demo a shot! Class Act Theatre Company This company offers adult classes for everyone from beginners to advanced performers, taught by postgraduate professional actors and directors. Classes include self-confidence techniques, public speaking, stage fighting, musical theatre, theatre history and more, and start from as little as £2.50 per half an hour. Tutors will also provide you with audition, casting and career advice, and links with reputable agents. Class groups participate in regular performances to put their learning into practice. Go to classactdramacentre.co.uk for class listings.

Rhubarb-Rhubarb Rhubarb-Rhubarb is a Development Agency for photographic artists from the West Midlands and beyond. Working to build the confidence of up-and-coming photographers, Rhubarb-Rhubarb offers workshops, seminars, management guidance and funding via the Arts Council of England. The Rhubarb-Rhubarb Gallery also curates and organises fantastic exhibitions and commissions, often in collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned galleries one of the most recent and most notable being Obama’s People by Nadav Kander. EATS yumm deli This is a lovely little deli and sandwich shop that offers a createyour-own style service counter. You simply pay for your main filling and then choose to have it in a salad box, sandwich, Panini, meze flatbread or jacket potato. All salads and dressings are included. They also offer breakfast options before 11.30am, and the barista makes a very good cup of coffee! The Kitchen The Kitchen is a stylish licensed café located by the poolside in the Custard Factory complex. In the daytime they offer delicious (and cheap) sandwiches and snacks, as well as free Wi-Fi. By night they regularly host free parties, and are a popular venue space during fullcomplex club events, with student drink offers including alcopops and pints of larger for only £2 (usually £4). Custard Factory by night Factory Club hosts club nights every weekend and you’ll often see the entire Custard Factory transformed into a live music venue with Marquees turning the space into a huge capacity venue. For a list of the dance, drum’n’bass, dubstep nights and loads more visit - factoryclub.co.uk. And for regular weekend and festival events make sure you visit custardfactory.co.uk.

The Vans Off the Wall Music Night 1 night - 12 countries - Over 20 bands 30th October 2009 The Vans Off the Wall night returns for a second year and this October is set to be bigger and better than ever. The pan-European music night takes place simultaneously across 12 different cities. Vans will create an evening of rock and punk with live performances across, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK and Ukraine. The UK event will see FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND and FIGHTSTAR co-headline the main stage at the brand new 02 Academy in Birmingham. Supporting these two heavyweights of British rock on the night will be Welsh favourites Kids in Glass Houses, fresh out of the studio, and fellow countrymen and live favourites Attack! Attack!. The Slam Dunk stage will also host a special reunion from Birmingham based Farse performing together for this night only and will be supported Blackfish and Me vs Hero. The third room will present the UK Now stage with Out of Sight, Saving Aimee and Young Guns to

finish off a stellar line up. For more information about the bands, cities and venues check the dedicated MySpace page at myspace. com/vansmusicnight WIN TICKETS We have 3 pairs of tickets along with a pair of Vans to giveaway for the O2 Academy Birmingham date. To be in for a chance of winning just tell us: In which year was Vans founded? Send your answer along with your name, address, phone number, date-of-birth and shoe size to competitions@ fusedmagazine.com putting ‘VANS’ in the subject box. Deadline for entries is: Friday 16th October, 2009. Tickets Only £15 Adv available from theticketfactory.com 0121 767 2675

Win A KIA SOUL Moving to a new town to go to university is exciting times and as you’ve chosen the very large region that is the West Midlands to do that we want to offer you a helping hand, and stylish way, of exploring the area further. Now the transport system of the West Midlands is pretty good but you don’t want to be stuck on a bus when you could be driving a new car do you? To celebrate the start of the new university term we have teamed up with Kia Motors to offer one very lucky student the opportunity to drive around in a brand new Kia Soul for an entire term. Be the envy of your fellow students when you get to offer them a lift in this SUV / supermini hybrid. Launched in early 2009 the individual design and style of the Soul is ideal for the busy student who socialises and studies hard. Available for a three month period, you’ll get to cruise around campus, ferrying friends from home to class and even visit the folks. To be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize tell us: How many different models are available in the Soul Originals range? Entry details: Join the mailing list at www.fusedmagazine.com then email your answer along with your name, address, telephone number and date of birth to competitions@fusedmagazine.com putting ‘KIA COMP’ in the subject box.

Terms & Conditions Competition closes 30/10/09. Kia Motors will deliver the car anywhere in mainland UK only to the winner’s home address on date agreed with full tank of fuel provided. The car will be picked up from the same address. The loan is available for a three month period (equivalent to one full university term) from two weeks after the closing date. Entrants must hold a valid NUS student card and be in full time further education at a UK university. Nominated driver must be over the age of 18 years, with a full, current and clean UK driving licence and must not have incurred a driving ban within the last three years. If the nominated driver has been involved in any accidents specific details will need to be given and details will need to be checked with Kia Motors insurers. Details of the nominated driver’s driving licence must be presented to Kia Motors prior to loan commencing. Car must not be driven outside of the UK during the loan period. In the event of driving penalties being incurred during loan period, Kia Motors will forward penalty notice(s) to the driver’s home address by post. Please note the loan car may not be the same colour and specification as shown in the picture. No cash alternative is available. For more information about the KIA Soul visit www.kia.co.uk/microsites/ soul/.

Snapshot Of Midlands of Hip-Hop THERE ARE SO MANY TALENTED DJS, MCS AND PRODUCERS IN THE MIDLANDS IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO TRY AND MENTION ALL OF THEM HERE so we asked our favourite promoters of the finest nights in Hip-Hop, Heducation, to give us a rundown of the cream of the crop... Crate Escape Records was started in 2008 by DJ Cro - one of Birmingham’s most active club and radio DJs. Cro has been working with UK and US artists, culminating in a limitededition vinyl release with Kurious, and a 7” single, featuring Serocee. More recently, releases include a limited series of hand-numbered 12” EPs - ‘Dig For Victory’ with Audessey, Jonny Cuba (Ninja Tune) and Ollie Teeba from the Herbaliser. Keep ‘em peeled for the follow up EP which is well under way. Get in quick if you want one of the follow up EPs - so far all vinyl has sold out before the release date!!! Listen or buy at www. crateescaperecords.com

Beggars, Stig Of The Dump and Dr Syntax, as well as local talent from Redbeard, Kosyne and Sonny Jim. Get filthy at http://www.myspace. com/percyfilth If you like intelligent, thought-provoking hip-hop, then Barrowclough’s your man. His first solo album launched to much critical acclaim, winning attention from national publications including Hip Hop Connection. The album, ‘Life On The Ground’ is a humble portrayal of life, love, religion, politics and beards! Barrowclough’s amazing, and sometimes hilarious, story-telling ability and tight lyrical flows keep the listener hooked throughout the journey. Leftfield hiphop without an ego - get your fix at www.myspace.com/verticalthinkers. Electronica plus dub multiplied by hip-hop beats equals Automaton well maybe not? It’s not easy to define Automaton’s style - the reason is because it doesn’t really sound quite like anything that has come before comparisons can be drawn to Ninja Tune or Wall Of Sound, but there’s only one way to understand... get some aural irrigation at http://www. reverbnation.com/automaton or get the complete Automaton experience by catching the full band live.

Hailing from the south of Birmingham, Percy Filth has brought together an exciting mix of MCs from across the world, to feature on his latest project. Released on EatGood Records, this 9 track EP, ‘Elbow Grease’, is a testimony to the hard work that has gone in to putting together a package At only 17, DJ Switch was the with such diversity and depth. Guests youngest ever UK DMC Technics include Maylay Sparks, Foreign DJ champion. Three years later, he

already has four UK DMC titles and a world title under his belt, and is only just warming up! With more and more club and touring experience, Switch has honed his set to combine precise turntable dexterity with clubshaking beats and a cheeky sense of humour, and defined an individual and truly unmatchable style. Check him out at http://www.myspace.com/ djswitchbeatz or at one of his regular Midlands shows. Last, but most certainly not least, one of the biggest personalities on the scene is the unmissable, Mr FX. Whether you hear him on the radio, or freestyle battling on the mic in a club, it’s hard not to be charmed by his charisma, or at least get knocked flat by the volume of his voice! You can catch his eclectic radio show on Monday nights on www.ruffradio. co.uk from 10 til midnight. Or for the real experience, check him out live! http://www.myspace.com/ mrfxplayazcliq Catch all these guys at Birmingham’s no.1 hip-hop and beats night, Heducation - 9-4am, every Friday at The Rainbow, Adderley St, Digbeth, B12 0LD www.heducation.com

Ocean Colour Scene OCEAN COLOUR SCENE ARE THE GRAND MODFATHERS OF THE BIRMINGHAM MUSIC SCENE. They even named their biggest selling album, Moseley Shoals after the Brummie suburb they used to call home. As Noel Gallagher once said: ”apart from Oasis …Ocean Colour Scene are the only other band that matter then, now and for the future!” After an incredible twenty-year journey through British rock and roll, as well as accompanying Paul Weller on live duties, they took a break from putting the finishing touches to their new album Blue Sky Drinking to have a chat.

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What’s inspiring you at the moment? Working On our new album, which is out in January 2010. We’ve being making current contemporary rock music since the acid house day’s, that has stood the test of time and it never fails to amaze me the wide appeal, and audience, we attract. It’s great to see long-haired students discovering the band for the first time via tracks on their Playstation to bald Stone Island clad middleaged men punching the air thinking that they might have been extras in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

What were some of your favourite nights out in Moseley? Watching a good band and having a beer at The Jug of Ale [now closed]. Are Ocean Colour Scene partly to blame for making Moseley so popular and pushing up all the prices? Yes! What’s the best-kept secret in Birmingham? If I tell you I will have to kill you. Where can you get the best Balti in Birmingham? Anywhere on the Ladypool Road.

Fused, in our youth once saw Pat Roach walking down New Street in a full-length fur coat. What have been some of your favorite brushes with other celebs? Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss and Mohammed Ali. What was the first gig you went to see in Birmingham? Grumbleweeds. As you’re very well toured, in the scale of rock ‘n’ roll excess what band would you put on top and who would be on the bottom and where do OCS come in that list? Primal Scream top and Primal Scream bottom with us in the middle somewhere.

What did you make of X Factor band Journey South covering your song ‘The Circle’? It brought us a year’s beer! You’ve always been dapper dressers, where’s your favourite gentleman’s clothing emporium? Georges in Hurst Street. Is the Brummie accent sexy? You What? What’s going on with Paul Weller’s hair? It’s growing on us. Ocean Colour Scenes album is due out early 2010 and the first single to be taken from the album will be available later this year. Get updates on oceancolourscene.com. Illustration by: Kris Jones

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Fashion Hotspots IF SHOPPING IS CLASSED AS ONE OF YOUR CARDIO WORKOUTS THEN BIRMINGHAM REALLY IS THE PLACE TO BE TO FLEX YOUR SHOPPING MUSCLE AND DELVE INTO YOUR STUDENT LOAN (COME ON WE’VE ALL DONE IT) TO INVEST IN SOME UNIQUE PURCHASES. You are probably well aware of Birmingham’s credentials as a shopping mecca - with over 1000 retailers in the heart of the city you are sure to satisfy your shopping cravings. But just to help you out we have put together a pick n’ mix of the niftiest fashion hotspots for you to check out. Cow Vintage – Digbeth This vintage store has an iconic status and it’s easy to see why. This warehouse is bigger than a BMW car dealership and is more jam packed with vintage attire than Dot Cotton’s wardrobe! Whether you favour kitsch, glitzy or 80s power dressing you can find a dress to suit every occasion. If you fancy picking up a vintage Chanel bag, a chic belt or even some vintage stilettos you can find it all here under one roof for a reasonable price tag. Past shoppers include Klaxons and Hot Chip so there is definitely something for the

boys here too. Mark our words you will be safe in the knowledge that you will be wearing a one-off and not be risking the chance of three other girls wearing the same dress as you at the next Rainbow warehouse party! Urban Village & General Stores – Custard Factory, Digbeth urban-village.co.uk/ This vintage store is a primary source to get all your mod gear, cute dresses and quirky jewels. Based in the Custard Factory you can combine a visit here with grabbing a lush bite to eat and discussing your new purchases. Along with originals you’ll find some re-modelled gems all handcrafted by the lovely stall owners. Top Banana – York Road, Kings Heath myspace.com/topbananavintage Whether you are hunting for a 50s nipped in waist summer dress, a sultry 70s maxi or a Hawaiian shirt – this is the place. With regular visitors in the form of The Twang, Poppy & The Jezebels and Editors you better get in there quick. This store is great for purchasing a piece of vintage Americana with dozens of Converse All Stars, band t-shirts and name plate belts.

Charity Shops Birmingham is a charity shop haven. Head to Kings Heath high street (aka the charity shop mile) or Shirley for the best bargains. Not only perfect if you are attending a fancy dress party but also for uncovering cheap and chic accessories. Markets & Car Boot Sales The Bullring is not only home to Selfridges but you can also barter for low cost material if you’re a fashion DIY-er, or even pick up some low cost make-up at the infamous Bullring Rag Market. Alternatively you could check out the Digbeth Flea market every Saturday to pick up a few one-offs. If you are looking for something a little more foody both Moseley and the Jewellery Quarter host excellent Farmer’s Markets as well as craft and art stalls – great for cute presents. We Create – Oasis Market, Corporation Street We create is a small enterprise that works with, and encourages, new creative design talent. Housed within Oasis Market the newly opened shop includes 8 local young designers and their labels. Get in quick before these guys are snapped up and the prices begin to soar as the handpicked lucky few develop their style. Also see the great shops in the Custard Factory article on page 20 including Mouldy Loaf. Ideal and The Bead Shop! Kimberley Owen

Canal’s Well that Ends Well A FEW YEARS AGO A DISTANT GREAT UNCLE, KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS WAL (SHORTENED FROM WALTER), GRIPPED MY WRIST AT A FAMILY PARTY. “I’ve lost me water legs kid, the hull has run its course to the ground”, he mumbled, “I’m handing the tiller to you”. The landlubber I was, this was the gobbledygook of old age. Then a drink or two loosened him up and he told the tale straight: He was passing down the keys to his beloved canal boat, Tres. This was his third boat, hence the drab (unintentionally) comic Spanish title, an ugly 15 tonne block of claret steel, feathered with beige trim. She groaned along the water when she mustered 6 miles an hour. Most of the interior was lined with crude wooden panels and rusty brass handles. A decrepit Mira shower trickled at best and her shallow bog needed changing every twenty minutes. The carpet was worn out, a fading mauve number from years gone by, maybe even the industrial revolution itself. Everything else, salty seadog trinkets and route maps included, stayed stuck to the surfaces with the help of Blu-Tack (one of the boat’s more modern touches). My relatives, avid narrowboaters, Wal and aunt Betty, had been chortling around on Tres unnoticed for years but

were past the age for fitting through narrow gangways. It appears painful hip injuries were happening more frequently - something had to be done. The solution? Passing the gauntlet to me. For them it was logical progression, I was heir apparent whose youth could stoke her engine and keep it chugging, I alone could pass on the legacy of our canals to an unknowing and untrusting generation – or something like that. Not originally a welcomed role. First, my knowledge of the canal was limited to the relics of our Black Country’s humdrum museum, where, at best, you would yawn at ageing images of mustachioed brutes tugging at the reins of whinnying horses. Second, I, like most of you reading this, thought canals were bloody dull – analogous to Stevie Wonder’s latter career perhaps. It did not take long for that view to change, however, and I suggest you take heed: Canals in and around Birmingham offer endless amusement. A day out includes anything from reckless drinking in waterside pubs to uninterrupted relaxation, seeing quieter and unrecognizable bits of a by-gone industrial town. Of course, most Brummies love spouting their proud inheritance: “Birmingham has more miles of canal than

Venice mayte!” And they would be right. But lost in that braggadocio is a simple fact: most of them have never set foot on a boat or strolled along our miles of blackened towpath, unless to spray graffiti on the bridges of busy train lines. This is an opportunity to put that tragedy right, and seeing as one of our major canals runs slap bang through Birmingham University’s main campus, it is an adventure on your patch. I suggest you put your wallets together and rent a narrowboat for the day in Brindley Place [brindleyplace. com], get out on the canal and take in the stares from flabbergasted gongoozlers. Failing that, join them on foot, take the stairs down the side of the University train station and stroll into town (canal on the right!). Casual strolling, a dying art, a pleasure normally banned to rural England, is a satisfaction not to be shirked in Birmingham. Remind your nostrils they are capable of smelling something other than billowing exhaust pipes on the Bristol Road. Play around with the echo of a swearword in the squeeze of the thin Five-Ways tunnel. Keep your eyes peeled for soggy water voles and kingfishers. Sit on a bridge with a tin of beer. Trust me, do any of this with an open mind and you’ll get the drift.

You should end up in Birmingham’s cleaned up Gas Street Basin, where the Worcester and Birmingham Canal meets the BCN Main Line. Here you could meet anyone from experienced narrowboaters to suited professionals and spotty kids looking for a big night out. Once there, look into overpriced boutiques in the Mailbox and dream of what might be, go to the Ikon gallery [ikon-gallery. co.uk], or tap on the glass to piss off the sharks and sea horses in the Sealife Centre [sealife.co.uk]. Whatever you choose, finish up with a deserved pint in a dated gem, the Tap and Spile. The pub compliments your day perfectly, sits amidst red-brickwork from the early nineteenth century, is a listed building, and maintains that canal aura. What’s more, it stays open after hours if you twist the charismatic landlord’s arm the right way round. In fact, try and stay there till the early hours of the next day, then retrace your steps back to campus (canal on left!) – skim stones, feed ducks, have a tin on a bridge and applaud the day you just had – do it for Wal. Words: JP Watson Image: Kris Jones

GIVE PEACE A CHANCEÂ

Stand out from the crowd and get some inspiration on party dressing

MUA and Hair: Nik Masi Wardrobe: Elizabeth Harrison Model: Caroline Pires@Muse Photographer: Edwin Flores Assistant: Tyler Callaghan retouching by solstice retouching

Glasvegas IT’S BEEN A MAD YEAR FOR GLASGOW’S FINEST. With working class anthems like ‘Geraldine’ and ‘Daddy’s Gone’ they came to conquer, not only the nation’s indie clubs but sooner or later, the nation’s biggest stadiums - as well as adding a Mercury Music prize nomination under their black studded belts. Fused hooked up with James Allan and Paul Donoghue on the European leg of their tour in Berlin for a quick round up of the last couple of fun-filled months. What’s it like being described as Britain’s Best Band? James: I thought my “Best band of all time” could have been better. Paul: “Best band in the universe” would have been good as well. James: And there are probably bands on other planets as well. They [NME] took the easy road. Quite disappointed. I felt quite disillusioned with the whole record industry. What were your day jobs before your were signed? James: Well I was unemployed before we signed the record deal so I didn’t have a job. I was a professional watcher of ‘The Wonder Years’ - I was really good. I was really hard working at my job, watching ‘The Wonder Years’ and making demos at home. It’s quite nice – there are a lot of morals in ‘The Wonder Years’. With some of your songs, especially ‘Daddy’s Gone’, you definitely become part of other people’s lives. How does that feel? James: It really depends. I don’t wanna spend every night of my life talking about somebody’s Dad that didn’t take them out for candyfloss when they were 15. I was only expressing an idea in a song but I understand that sometimes in life people have strong feelings about things and they want to tell you - which is cool. I don’t really know what I can do I have only made a song. I don’t consider myself to be some kind of saviour of anybody or anything. It was only a record. You have a very strong voice and great lyrics but you stand together as a band. James: There’s a certain electricity, and I am not only talking about me, but with the other three - I always knew it. When we played together and hang around it was totally fucking obvious to me. It was the electricity. I think that’s part of the reason and when I look at the other three I can see the same thing. The last 12 months have really been crazy but have you experienced moments where you felt ‘now we really have to stand strong as a band’ - it will get tougher in a way? James: Yeah, there are moments when the tide is gonna be really crashing against you and pulling you a certain way. And a lot of times it’s not going against the tide it just takes you along. But it can obviously get quite wild and a lot of things that happen are pretty new experiences, stuff that we’ve never been through before. So you’re kinda finding your feet and you’re learning how to adapt and how to go with the tide almost. I don’t know if you ever truly learn really. I am sure some bands sign record deals and they do the same show in every town, every nice and they are like so perfect. We are really not like that. We are really in the gutter some nights. Some nights

Glasvegas Cont... I can hear the angels singing when we play. I am quite happy with that. It’s alive. It’s got a pulse. Some people are too fucking good for their own good sometimes. They do their thing and all the guitars are in tune. And they do it every fucking night man. I have seen bands like that in Glasgow before.

But do you reckon that might change at some point? James: Who knows? It might! If the passion goes I’ll go though. I’ll walk. And I have walked away from things that I have loved before just because the passion wasn’t there. I’d have the balls to walk away tomorrow if that happened or tonight. If that happened during the first song then I walk. I really fucking pray cause I love being in this band and I love being part of this but it’s like one of these things in life you can’t guarantee. You just got to see what happens really.

Our drummer was crying during one of the songs last night. She started crying when I started playing the song ‘Ice Cream Van’. She was so upset because she fucked a part up. To be honest, we were appalling when we played in Paris. But even if you are appalling it’s still outrageously special. It’s so fucking obvious how special it is. Even if you’re lost, you’re still getting great electricity and I had Words: Christine Franz/Daniel Koch to tell our drummer that because you can’t always tell Illustration: Kate Copeland yourself. But other people will be able to see it. I can’t imagine another drummer in the fucking world crying during one of my songs. In some ways I am glad, it’s got a pulse. Its not like you sign a record deal and you look at your big tour dates and you think: “Let’s get to the end of the tour!”

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Drinksingham according to Fused LOOKING FOR THE BEST DRINKING DENS IN A NEW CITY CAN BE LIKE FINDING A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. LET US BE YOUR GUIDE TO SOME OF THE BEST PLACES FOR A TIPPLE AND YOU WON’T GO HOME DISAPPOINTED. The Gun Barrels, Bristol Road, Selly Oak, B-ham Picking the trump out of Selly Oak’s jumbled deck is probably a Birmingham student’s paramount predicament. Forget holed hours honing academia! Relish the challenge of pissed-up contests between Bristol Road’s aptly named Soak, the rugby-sloshed stained memories of the Old Varsity Tavern or the slightly rotten Pear. Barring its gruesome décor The Gun Barrels probably holds sway. Not because it serves the best pint or plays the most melodic music, no, but because it offers you variety, and gives you the chance to do the most amount of pub while you do the least amount of study. Moseley High Street, B-ham Surprisingly, students tend to overlook one of Birmingham’s most established drinking hubs: Moseley. Strange considering the area’s ability to conjure beguiling characters out of the darker caves from the surrounding neighbourhood. Two gems found there, glaring at each other from either end of the pub culture axis, are the Bull’s Head and The Prince of Wales. The former, stylishly renovated in the not-too-distant past, offers later nights, a notorious gaggle of DJ’s and its fair share of

coiffured scenesters. The latter maintains rank as one of Birmingham’s better traditional pubs. With its Victorian ‘service summon’ bells in the back room, the concrete paved suntrap out back and its quintessential cross section of Birmingham’s estimable characters, the Prince is a pint that should not be missed. The Lord Clifton, Great Hampton Street, B-ham It’s hard to imagine a better place to go for boozy off-books merriment. Tucked away in Hockley, and enveloped by the depressing scraps of failed and failing industry, the Clifton certainly overcomes the conventions of situation where pubs are normally concerned. It’s a joy to roll up there on Sunday, slurp a few cider slushies and wage war against their formidable roast potatoes. It also offers the novelty of a ping-pong table in the beer garden and maintains a great, challenging soundtrack throughout your haunt. The empty surrounds also allow for later licensing, meaning those full bellies now have the opportunity to be danced back into shape or drowned by more as tomorrow’s lecture dawns. The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, B-ham There are some purists who claim that beer is better served when kitchens are expelled from a venue. With Kings Heath’s Hare and Hounds they may be on to something. Focusing instead on the provision of excellent live music at their banquet, the H&H deserve their seat at this table, following the demise of the once royal Jug of Ale (RIP). What’s more, the bar staff are even willing

to let you order a takeaway from local restaurants while you sit there! Behind the scenes they have tried to uphold an image that juxtaposes robust sound against the architecture of a Victorian dive, a motto that pretty much succeeds and continues to impress. One of the challenges, for an outsider of any pub, is that desire to infiltrate the dwelling community who drink there daily, and the H&H is no different. In fact, a knowing nod from one of her esoteric customers may be your watermark, telling you that you have landed properly in Birmingham; that your feet belong here. Island Bar, Suffolk Street Queensway / Jekyll and Hide, Steelhouse Lane / The Victoria, John Bright Street, B-ham Lumping these 3 venues together does not do them the justice they deserve however they are all owned by the same person who has some cracking taste in drinking dens. Island is a rock ‘n’ roll cocktail bar with live music and DJ’s playing throughout the week while upstairs is home to Birmingham’s first Tiki bar. The Victoria is a beautifully renovated city centre pub that hosts some of the best nights Brum has to offer (including Coldrice and Hott Date). While the youngest of the trio, The Jekyll and Hide, does a fine line is Gin based drinks in the Gin Parlour. Choose anyone of these for a night out and you are in for a treat! Basement Bar, New Street, B-ham The most central of our Birmingham choices Basement takes its routes from the dive bars of NYC – complete with the best jukebox in the city, some killer DJ’s spinning 60’s soul, funk and rock ‘n’ roll and a seedy windowless vibe that means you feel more likely to be sitting in Lower Eastside Manhattan than Brum. The Craven Arms, 8 Craven Street, Coventry This traditional pub has recently been renovated with the improved decor making for a pleasant drinking hole. They offer a good selection of real ales, as well as decent pub grub, with the Sunday roasts proving popular with the locals. This is a friendly and lively venue, with pool tables, a quiz night, and live music (often Folk) on Sundays. There is also an outside seating area for when the sun is shining, and to top it off you can take advantage of free wireless internet access leaving you no excuse to do the necessary research for all those essays. Lovely. The Golden Cross, 8 Hay Lane, Coventry The Golden Cross is the oldest pub in Coventry. Built around 1583, this medieval timber framed building, located near to the Cathedral, just screams character. Hosting regular (and usually free) gigs showcasing the best local bands from Coventry and Warwickshire, this pub is always thriving with students and young people. With decent food, wireless internet access, and club nights at the weekends, this old gem is well worth a visit.

With walls covered in quirky artwork and photography, this pub simply exudes alternative cool. On Wednesday night’s The Tin Angel presents In Store Sessions, with a free lineup of the best new kids on the block as well as established midlands favorites. Sunday night is Kashmir Open Mic Night, where for just £1 entry you can take to the mic or just enjoy some surprisingly talented singers and musicians. The Tin Angel film night is also a must Roots to Shoots, which runs every last Thursday of the month (7pm, £3/£1.50 NUS) The Cuban Exchange. Exchange Street, W-ton This one’s a bit of a hidden gem, as it’s a little more out of the way than some of the main bars in the town centre. The music policy is good, erring towards electro and funk, and the place has a great atmosphere. A dance floor area, as well as plenty of seating, gives the best of both worlds. Prices can be slightly higher than Wolvo’s chain bars, but a night in The Cuban Exchange is most certainly worth a few extra pennies. Thursday nights are great for cocktail deals, and look out for £1 shot promotions! Light Bar, Fryer Street, Wolverhampton One of the best venues in Wolverhampton for indie and alternative music. Funky decor and layout, including a cobbled courtyard area with tables, fairy lights and heaters, gives the place a quirky edge and nice chilledout atmosphere. Get there early at the weekend for cheap drinks deals, including wine at £1.50 a glass or £6 a bottle. Light Bar regularly hosts a range of arts and music festivals which are well worth keeping an eye out for and you can pop up to the cinema and take in an exhibition on your visit too. The Royal London, Wulfruna Street, W-ton This popular pub is your classic cheap and cheerful student hive. With more of an indie/rock vibe than main rival Varsity, and more drinks deals than you can shake a stick at, frankly, you can’t go wrong. Pool tables, quiz machines and a sports screen will all keep you happily entertained. Get down there on a Thursday for Pound a Pint night, but make it early if you want to bag a seat! The Giffard Arms, 64 Victoria St, Wolverhampton The Giffard Arms is unarguably the best Rock pub in Wolverhampton. Set in an impressive Tudor building with Gothic interior decor, this is a unique setting to say the least. Whether you’re an Old School Rocker, a Nu-Metal Head, a Grungie or a Goth, you will feel right at home. And if you’re none of the above don’t be put off; renowned for its friendly proprietors, staff and regulars this pub is far from exclusive or intimidating. Thursday nights are all about Metal and NuRock early in the evening, with Eclectic Rock taking you into the early hours. Friday nights mix it up with 60s and 70s Classic Rock in the Main Bar and Death Metal in The Dark Room. The venue also hosts live bands on the last Friday of every month.

The Tin Angel, Medieval Spon Street, Coventry Brum Bars: JP Watson This is a fantastic pub and live music venue attached to Wolves and Cov Bars: Joanna Reynolds the Tin Angel Record Store and Rehearsal Studios Illustration: Kris Jones

body language YOU ARE ALREADY AN EXPERT IN BODY LANGUAGE – EVEN BEFORE YOU COULD SPEAK WORDS YOU WERE INTERPRETING A COMPLEX SET OF CODES and signifiers whilst adjusting your own movement’s syntax accordingly. The key to using body language to your advantage is simply being aware of it and not letting your subconscious be in control. A lot of you reading this will have moved here to start university; some of you may have only picked up this magazine to avoid drawing attention to yourself in the canteen. While everyone else has seemed to fall into groups easily, you’re sitting here pretending to be interested in my words hoping the others think that you’re just the loner-intellectual type and not the lonely-psychopath type. So this article isn’t going to turn you into a modern day Cary Grant – but it may, with practice and a little bravery, give you just enough mind voodoo confidence to utter the magic words “Anyone else fancy a pint?” after that everything else is easy. 1. Smile when you first see someone: This needs to be a genuine smile not a fake. Studies show we are remarkably good at being able to tell a fake smile from the real thing – it seems the difference is the eyes. Make sure the smile reaches your eyes and really work those crow’s feet. If you’re still struggling, try thinking of something

funny, like a Ninja Turtle kicking your Nan down the stairs - works for me. The other person thinks: This person is happy to see me, I LIKE being liked

want to bond with ask them for a favour as big as you think you can get away with. This sounds wrong but the brain has a habit of backwards rationalizing everything and will presume you’re a friend already. The other person thinks: OK so tomorrow I’m helping him move house/buying him a beer/ bearing his child, and as this is something I would only really do for a friend - he MUST be my friend, right?

2. Open body language: Most body language guides tell you to have “open” body language. This basically boils down to “not closed”. So uncross those arms, keep your hands away from your face and stand facing the people you are talking to. The other person thinks: This guys not scared/on guard/ lying, so it’s 5. The depressing ‘Golden Rule’: probably safe to relax. People don’t like you for who you are, people like you for how you make 3. Mirroring: This is the subtle copying them feel about themselves. Making of a person’s own body language and people laugh is all well and good, mannerisms to force a bond quicker but laughing at their jokes is better. with that person. Next time you’re in Telling really interesting stories about a pub have a look round at people your gap year is fine, but nodding in and you will notice that good friends, an impressed way while they regale or people who are really bonded, are you of the time in Prague when they sitting in nearly the same positions. lost their wallet is far better. We do this naturally when we are The other person thinks: I feel good relaxed around someone we feel when I’m around this person; I want close to. There is a lot about this to be around this person more. online if you Google it,but it boils down to this; if they sit with their legs And remember if you do get brain crossed, so do you, if they speak meltingly hammered at every available quick with long pauses then you try opportunity the rules say if you are to tweak your voice that way also. ever arrested, pass out, or drunkenly The key word here is ‘subtle’ if their jump into a fountain with someone, conscious brain notices it will look like that person is automatically your new you’re taking the piss. best friend. Have fun! The other person thinks: This person is like me. I like people like me. Words: Danny Smith Illustration: Phil Davis 4. Ask a favour: Here’s a good one when meeting someone you quickly

MOAN MOAN MOAN > DOOM AND GLOOM > PHOTOSHOP YOUR LIFE “PHOTOSHOP THE RECESSION RIGHT OUT OF YOUR LIFE,” ADVISES ARBITER OF TASTE, PAUL HARTNETT. “WEAR A LOOK THAT REFLECTS ELEGANCE, HERITAGE, DISTINCTION AND EXCLUSIVITY. THEN... CATWALK!”

Whilst fashion in clubland’s nooks and crannies all over the UK is experimental, eclectic and dynamic, it is rooted in tradition and youth gangs such as Birmingham’s Peaky Blinders and Manchester’s Scuttlers (fearsome early twentieth century hoolies) but driven by amazing resourcefulness. It is irreverent and nonconformist, often Style, n, a mode of expression, execution, action or bearing exploring and conveying political, social and cultural Style, n, the manner in which something is expressed or concerns, frequently keen to fuck around with conflicting performed as separate from its intrinsic content or meaning push buttons to provoke a reaction. Almost indefinable, invariably intangible, style is a magic formula that thrills and delights us. Style separates the glamorous and the glorious from the ordinary and the humdrum. Style is exceptional, perhaps even extreme, but it’s an aspiration that has little to do with wealth or status.

Successive generations have invented their own ‘so wrong it’s right’ style clashes. Pilfering historic archives, wardrobes, customising shit gifts, and rummaging charity shops (often outside them after dark) are all essential skills. Take a visit to clothing superworld A Child Of The Jago in London’s Shoreditch to see evidence of this.

Fashion is a constant revolution that undergoes a regimented aesthetic upheaval every six months, or so we are brainwashed into believing. The mission is always a search for the new, or - at least - a twist on what has gone before.

FUTURE > FUTURE > FUTURE There’s a new vibrancy coursing from Glasgow to Brighton right now. These essential groovers are invariably grouped in fashion and art colleges and come from not only all corners of Earth. That’s what makes for the heady mix.

Culture and style are a symbolic aspect of our resistance, our determination, to be identified as different from others - to have something we can say that is our own, which sets us apart from others. Clothing identifies the wearer with a particular set of values, beliefs or interests. What appears as perforated, etched, monogrammed and DIY hi-luxe on one of midnight’s children can often end up on a catwalk within weeks. Trend-spotters have CCTV eyes. A store such as Zara can turn around a hot, new look in less than six weeks - from a street or clubland snapshot to Autumn / Winter shelf down New Street. FUTURE > FUTURE > FUTURE Making more of a splash than a British summertime are the contemporary international street-style warriors gathered here in this STUDENT ISSUE of FUSED, characters who live the lifestyle 24/7 and flourish beyond the restrictive world of mere fashion design and consumerism. What they all share is an inner dynamic - a reason why they do what they feel compelled to do, without breaking the bank. A sense of Bohemia most definitely.

Some designers stalk the boardroom, some are hungry for a taste of media power, some are playful in the extreme with ideas of cultural exploration and riotous extravagance. Some just want to make skirts and shirts that make the tills go ker-ching. Each year the number of students entering fashion schools around the world ranges from eight to ten thousand. A glittering departure from NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology or London’s Central Saint Martin’s will not guarantee a job at the end of so much slog. Out in the real world no amount of marketing, advertising or hysterical hype will guarantee a designer’s repeat success. The recession that politicians and editorialists would have us believe is on the wane has a pre-punk vibe to it. Now’s the time to be resourceful, go wild, wear your aspirations upon your sleeve. Dare to be different, why look like a Matalan brochure? It’s a time to gang up with your mates, share accom’, share the bills, share the lifestyle. Go on, piss on corporate clubs, take the DIY ethos to the extreme and question the puppeteers who think they have you and your ever-so-handy cc by the short ‘n’ curlies. Ignore what ‘style bible’ sneeringly pump your way, turn your collective backs upon ‘i-D’, ‘Dazed’ and Topshop / Topman in their attempts to shovel their wares your way, crash their empires by thinking outside of the brainwashed box.

International Herald Tribune’s Suzy Menkes, the grande dame of couture journalism, recently remarked, “The UK is a perpetually renewable source of originality and quirkiness.” That sense of originality and quirkiness is clearly not restricted to London only, but catwalking through the capital city you’ll see a fabulous pick’n’mix of raw-edged innovation alongside the identikit poseurs who are one gigantic DON’T. Continues over...

FUTURE > FUTURE > FUTURE Survival of the fittest means using your brains. Avoid the herds with their Primark bags, shopping, avoid a Saturday that means pizza on the sofa watching ‘Crap Factor’. Have a think about what you want, then just do it, as the Nike ad men would put it. Dream up your own style, dream up a world of your own. Today the UK’s cultural and ethnic diversity encourages a fusion of styles. Ever since the swinging 60s, the UK has been acclaimed for producing some of the world’s most creative and innovative fashion designers who ‘exhibit’ their first ‘looks’ on dance floors rather than catwalks. The most exciting pictures you’ll often see about a London Fashion Week event are of those attending. Unfortunately, so many brave new ideas fail to make it beyond London’s Hoxton-Hackney-Bethnal Green E2 triangle. Cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and London are always a really good place for new ideas and even though right now things are anything but financially stable, creatively the UK is a good place to start new things. It’s a fact that the UK supplies a lot of new blood to differing aspects of the design industry. To be part of the future you have to think away from sheeplike mentality. Whilst Topshop and H&M dominate the high street with an all-time aesthetic affordable low, many individuals prefer to opt for vintage clothing and accessories as thrift dressing is a unique and inexpensive way of creating a look whilst also making a political statement of their mistrust of the consumer society. Paul Hartnett is currently writing a novel, tentatively entitled ‘YOU BITCHES’.

WHAT TO DO AFTER UNIVERSITY THE ONE THING ABOUT UNIVERSITY IS THAT WE ALL KNOW IT’S AN EXCUSE TO PROLONG THE INEVITABLE OR TO PUT OFF THE INEVITABLE. Get a degree in something. Something silly. It’s a degree at the end of the day. Little do you know that you are screwed. Not ‘screwed’ in the fresher “lets have sex with the Henry vacuum cleaner whilst getting slammed on vodka chasers” sense or even the pre-reality “nail a fat chick” rugger boy recognition. This is in the vain of post-traumatic-student syndrome. What on Earth are you going to do after these three years of so called debauchery, Neighbours and of course hard work? Let’s see, a number of options are available for those who care…and more importantly for those who don’t! Start thinking about the work situation now and it could put you head and shoulders above the poor suckers that don’t! POST-GRADUATE STUDY A master’s degree is the best way to keep your head knee-deep in debt and to retain the luxuries of student life alive. Grab this bad boy of a qualification and you can teach other youngsters a subject that you lost faith in years ago. Opportunity rating: 6 out of 10 SIGN ON Timez iz ‘ard thanks to the current economical

downfall - unemployment is now more common than Swine Flu. Some may say it’s that boarder between hopelessness and delectability. Who really cares though? At roughly £100 every two weeks, it keeps the best and the worst of us ticking over. All you’ve got to do is battle through the gauntlet of phone calls, meetings and general trivialness before you get taxpayers money. Not to mention visiting the crack den that is the Job Centre. Opportunity rating: 0/1 out of 10 GET AN OFFICE JOB Clock in at 9, tie up to eleven and slowly die inside until 5 - an office job. Yes the pay can be pleasant, hell you can get yourself regular bonuses for selling little old ladies new debt schemes or repossessing their houses. Brilliant. However, you will notice a feeling that drains from your inner hippy centre unlike one has ever felt before. This is your soul being faxed off to ‘senior management’, be it a higher power or Mr Murdoch with a business certificate and a German sports car. Either way, you are doomed. Opportunity rating: Before 5 months 7 out of 10 / After 5 months minus 7 out of 10

have been clever with you degree and studied something relevant, or willing to get on your knees, if you catch my drift? Opportunity rating: 10 out of 10 if you finally get it. LEAVE THE COUNTRY There is nothing wrong with escaping your comfort zone - especially if your comfort zone is a hellhole with no possibility. Get on an airplane and see the world before you do any of the above. Forget about your troubled student loan and try coal mining in Greenland or cattle herding in the states – all of which shit on working at McDonalds for minimum wage. Opportunity rating: 1,000,000 out of 10. These are your options, have a look, have a think, and more importantly have a drink. Years down the line you don’t want to be blowing your brains out with Mr Shotgun. Until then, have a BLAST. Words: Jonathan Baker esq. j o n a t h a n b a ke r.e s q @ gmail.com Illustration: Adhemas Batista

GRAB YOUR DREAM JOB This will not happen! Sorry to be the pessimist but this is a saga of fairytales – unless you