Quench issue 69 = 15 Sept 2008

phoric effect on the brain and dampens inhibitions.

As ethanol crosses the blood-brain barrier it causes a release of dopamine and endorphins, causing the euphoria, and removing the inhibitions. However the more alcohol drunk, the greater the effect upon the central nervous system. This causes neurones to misfire, and slows down the resultant nerve impulses, causing malcoordination,

causes headaches, nausea, and the general feeling of weakness. The sensible way to avoid all of these things is to not drink to excess, but in reality the pressure is on in Freshers’ week to drink yourself into oblivion. So the next best thing is to prepare properly, by eating well before going out and drinking lots of water and fruit juice during the night.

Other preventatives include eating activated charcoal tablets, which

the short term, the more regularly you have to use a cure like these to help yourself, the more damage the alcohol will be doing to your body. In the long run, your liver, robust as it is, can only repair itself if you give it a break.

Student Media

Party

Editor Hazel Plush Executive Editor Ben Bryant Assistant to the Editors Elaine Morgan Arts Kate Budd, Lisa Evans Blind Date Emma Chapman, Sarah George Books Aisling Tempany Fashion Meme Sgroi, Nicole Briggs Features Gillian Couch, Louise Cook Film Adam Woodward, Francesca Jarvis, Sim Eckstein Food Jenny Edwards, Jen Entecott Gay James Moore Going Out Alex Gwilliam, Kirstin Knight Huw Huw Davies Interviews Ben Marshall, Leah Eynon Music Guy Ferneyhough, Kyle Ellison, Phil Guy The Rant Andy Swindenbank Travel Andy Tweddle, Simon Lucey

COVER: BEN BRYANT

{Voyeur

Congratulations. Welcome to University, and the best years of your life so far. Did anyone ever tell you that your school days would be the best? Well, this is big school.

Uni is a big old whirlwind of new people, experiences and challenges - get out there, get stuck in, and if everything goes to plan you’ll trip out the other side with a degree, friends for life and a well-nurtured Neighbours addiction.

This special Freshers’ edition is here to help ease you into things a little – have a look at Going Out for a guide to nightlife beyond the Union, heed some words of wisdom from Huw, and let Features enlighten you on the ins and outs of Fresherdom. Film and music review their picks of the new releases crop, Gay gets its dancing shoes on, and Travel goes all exotic on us.

The next couple of weeks should fly by in a technicolour blaze of new friends, new experiences and a big fat dose of hedonism. If you’re finding the whole scenario a little unnerving, remember everyone else is in the same boat. Stick your photos up, buy a door wedge, and make your flatmates a cup of tea. Get stuck in, chat to random people and sign up to everything at Freshers’ Fair. These next few weeks won’t exactly shape the rest of your time at University, but throw yourself out there with all guns blazing and you won’t regret it. Enjoy. HP

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

When you've got your hands full in the kitchen, this wipe-clean apron is a chef's best friend. "Smear your mayonnaise on his face and this stud won't bat an eye," says one satisfied customer. Hoff creampot and muffin cases also available.

For those who want to recreate the ground-shaking magic of a post-Come Play tête-à-tête, this cheap wine-flavoured toothpaste comes in three mouthwatering flavours. Use the Chardonnay tube for authentic debauchery and nostalgia: waft that sexual scent over unsuspecting passers by and watch as new animal magnetism reels in the laydeez.

My personal favourite, the handy Willy Whacker. Although a sure-fire defence tool when it comes to fruity Valleys-dwellers, this light handbag-sized flies-swat is essentially a wooden spoon. Why not make your own? I know you Freshers have to save your little pennies, but with some red ribbon, white paint and carefully applies black marker you can have one just like mine.

Am r D

Purveyor lth and dis nser vulga

Hello girls, boys and in-betweeners! Amber Duval here, your very own mistress of style and debauchery.

Good lord, you are a rowdy mob of scamps, aren’t you! I tried to venture outside my humble country pile the other day, only to be swept away in a passing crowd of deliciously boisterous youngsters. They were chomping at the bit for a taste of my goodies, but I soon taught them a thing or two with my new sturdy handbag-sized Willy Whacker. One thwack to the nut chops and I escaped with my dignity intact. My dear departed Ernie would be proud. Anyhoo, due to that rather unfortunate incident I’ve decided to share some of my inimitable wisdom and compile you your very own Freshers survival pack. These goodies will keep your monger safe and unmaimed by the rampant masses unless, of course, that’s what you’re after. As for me, I’m meeting up for another disciplinary session with my new young friends – it turns out they actually enjoyed a short sharp smack of the Willy Whacker. Filthy! Joyous!

Don’t be shy my little filth-mongers in training – look me up for some facebook frottage and we’ll be friends forever!

Revel in the fact that you're a fully paid up member of the literacy club and invest in some of these fetching non-permanent tattoos. Almost guaranteed to attract the attention of other literacy lovers, these body adornments feature the well-known and well-loved phrases 'literacy for life' and 'I heart libraries'. And if that hunky lady model is anything to go by, you'll be attracting the cream of Cardiff's chops in no time. Bon voyage!

Rampant flatmates giving you trouble? Hang this portable air freshener in your room for a fishy linger. I should know - I once enjoyed a ladyfriend who hoarded dried cod by the packetload. Using the feeble excuse that she enjoyed such foreign fare, she permeated our dwellings with her cloying scent. I can't look at another dried fish without recalling those hedonistic glorydays. Mm.

For those who love a little cock tiffin, pop these 'After Sex Tissues' in your handbag or manbag and strap yourself in for the ride, safe in the knowledge you can WIPE OFF THE SHAME. Definitely not guaranteed to wipe off anything that'll lead to pus or rugrats, though.

Feeling chirpy? Pleased with yourself? Happy, even? Well Andy Swindenbank isn't.

Sfeeling lucky,, punk??

o you're new round here then; a bright faced fresher, eager to get to grips with a new city, make some friends and most likely consume enough alcohol to ensure a liver transplant later in life. Well, my innocent young friend, it isn't all quadruple Vodka-Red Bulls, easily accessible overdrafts and total independence. Oh no, this shit just got real, and you may find yourself surprised and annoyed by aspects of your burgeoning University career.

Back in my day, the descent into pessimism began with the queue hell that was enrolment; a soul-sapping, temper baiting experience that left many people dead inside. Nowadays I hear it's done on those newfangled computers, but they'll probably crash on you, just to make the experience authentic.

You will, however, have to deal with all the crazy admin shenanigans that go with Uni life. Particularly if, like me, you opted for a humanities-based degree.

What's that? Your course doesn't add up to enough credits and you have to take a subsidiary module from a list of subjects that look so banal that you'll eventually want to scratch your own eyeballs out? And they didn't tell you until you got here? Un-fucking-lucky punk, you've hit the anti-jackpot. Not only will you be forced through a year of extra lectures about something you couldn't care less about, you'll have to smile through gritted teeth as people laugh and call you a slacker for taking a humanities course. Don't worry though, when you graduate and get that job in Mc. Donald's you can always spit in their hamburger...

And what, I hear you proverbially cry, if you are in fact taking a 'real' course? Well frankly, I'm unable to relate to you, so who knows? Maybe everything will turn out rosy.

Naturally, that's not the end of it though. Life is full of disappointments - my house-mate's copy of The Erotic Witch Project for example - but that's another story. There are also other Uni disappointments: Talybont is further away from anything than you first realised, buying a stash of paper plates instead of washing up isn't economically viable, and chances are that someone in your house likes to demonstrate their terrible taste in music at offensively loud levels. You've not felt anger until you've heard the echoes of some twat mangling the introduction to 'Plug in Baby'

on their guitar as you lie nursing a hangover at 8am. But don't forget the fruit stealing house-mates, endless flyers for clubs you're never going to visit and, of course, the small issue of having to get an education. No doubt all of these things (and more!) will eventually twist you into an angry, bitter soul who thrives on being critical and sarcastic in order to just make it through the day.

Or perhaps that's just me...

huw

he thinks stuff ?

Hello. Welcome to university, and welcome to Quench magazine. If you’re reading every page in an attempt to pretend the endless bags and boxes littering the floor aren’t there, then kudos – you have a very healthy attitude to unpacking. Long may it continue, until you move out of your halls of residence and find the A-Level folders you were convinced you’d be using all the time. It may seem like it’s your whole life in a suitcase, but sorting it all out isn’t too painful. I wouldn’t say you can’t move on without unpacking – that’s psychobabble and besides, I bloody hope not because in my first year I didn’t actually unpack until some time after Christmas – but it feels good to do it (I may or many not have lifted this idea from an episode of Frasier).

Still, it’s not worth worrying about too much. I also don’t think it’s worth stressing over making your room ‘your own’. I may be the wrong person to dispense advice on the subject, seeing as mine was practically bare until I lost all sense of direction and plastered my walls with Calvin & Hobbes strips and 7000 photos, but I’ve always rejected the notion that your room = you. It doesn’t matter if someone entering your room doesn’t see a poster of your favourite band within 2.3 seconds. Your room shouldn’t have to be a personal CV unless you want it to be. OK, it helps people, but getting to know someone is what makes conversation fun. That, and emphasising random

words to confuse people. Oh, you like Green DAY, do you?

Speaking of conversation, be warned that it may go in circles at first. “Where are you from?” “What are you studying?” “Do you like Family Guy?” If you find these predictable questions irritating, resist the temptation to stab the culprit

ASKING “WHO DO YOU THINK WOULD WIN IN A FIGHT: AN OTTER OR STEPHEN HAWKING?” WILL GET A RECEPTION LIKE GARY GLITTER IN A PTA MEETING.

in the eye because you may well find yourself doing it when you’re not concentrating (asking dull questions, that is, not stabbing someone in the eye). It’s an easy trap to fall into (asking dull questions, that is, not…).

When I came to Cardiff, an article in this very magazine advised me to be different and ask less predictable questions. The problem was that the suggested alternatives could probably be described as ‘wacky’, or even ‘zany’. Maybe you do want to get yourself noticed rather than blending into the crowd, but saying things like, “Who do you think would win in a fight: an

otter or Stephen Hawking?” is only going to do that for you in the same way Gary Glitter blends into a PTA meeting. There’s only one answer to the question, “What’s your favourite balloon animal?”, and that’s to back away slowly.

Yep, there’s a lot to look forward to. Even so, you may want to know now, before it all starts, just how it ends. You work yourself into a stupor and drink yourself into a coma for three, four, five or even six (you nutter) years, and what’s the big finale? The big send-off? The culmination of all those days and nights cramming before an exam?

You get to shake the ViceChancellor’s hand.

I know. Incredible, isn’t it? Oh, he’s some old guy called David Grant who earns more than the Prime Minister. He seems nice enough, even if his attempt at speaking Welsh sounds like Vic Reeves saying “Uvavu”. But hey, meeting David Grant, eh? The big D.G. That’s, like, wow.

So there’s an incentive for you. But remember: it’s the journey that counts. On the way to that magical moment where you get to be in direct physical contact with the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University for just over a second, you will make friends, have a great time and learn a lot about yourself. Enjoy every minute of it.

Tea with Mr Scruff

Ben

Bryant

caught up with the eclectic Mr Scruff at The Big

Chill

festival for a chat and a

brew

Amaster of music made to get people wobbling on the dance floor, Mr Scruff is a very rare breed of DJ: a cratedigging, self-confessed music obsessive who somehow never fails to connect with his listeners. Despite possessing a record box chock-full of obscure records that his audience has likely never encountered before, he nevertheless manages to hold down a crowd of thousands for four hours at his set at The Big Chill. His music isn’t really pop, his fans aren’t just students, and he is renowned as much for tea and cartoons as he is for his eclecticism, DJ skills and six-hour marathon sets. So who exactly is Mr Scruff?

When I enter the tent, he is sitting on a cushion at the ankleheight table, a look of guru-like serenity spread across his face, cross-legged, pupils like saucers. He’s been coming here for 12 years, and he looks as comfortable as though he were in his own living room. Does this mean The Big Chill feels like a second home to him, then?

“Yeah, definitely, it covers a very wide spectrum of music and the people are open and relaxed. I really like playing places over and over again. It’s nice to come back, feel at home, know the crowd, know the atmosphere and

know what’s appropriate. When I come here, it’s like a holiday… I just happen to be DJing! And those are the best gigs – the ones you really enjoy that don’t feel like work at all.

That Mr Scruff feels so comfortable at The Big Chill probably has a lot to do with the fact that it attracts exactly the kind of quirky, funky artists that crop up in his DJ

"it's crazy how people react to stuff from their backyard"

sets over and over again. This year, a handful of his Ninjatune labelmates have made an appearance, while countless artists from Brighton-based funk label Tru Thoughts have taken to the stage. It seems as if a resurgence of funk and soul music is being championed by the festival this year – although, tellingly, there is a conspicuous absence of more mainstream artists like Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson et al. Does he think there’s a divide in the scene?

“On a mainstream level I think, with people like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, and the whole Mark Ronson thing, shows that the scene is still going strong. And they’re working with underground artists like the Dap-Kings. So on a

very chart level, it’s probably more successful than ever before. But on more of a grassroots level, I’m not so sure.

"When hip hop was very big in the UK, a lot of those people were into funk and jazz. Kids growing up six or seven years ago were really into funky hip -hop, and now people aren’t. And it’s what young people are getting into that dictates what’s going to be successful. The student taste affects how successful scenes are in the country. You have people like The New Mastersounds and Baker Brothers and people like that who are massive in Japan – Baker’s last album sold 17,000 copies in Japan. Over here, we’re lucky if they sell 500. And they’re from Bournemouth! So it’s quite crazy how people react to stuff from their backyard."

I ask him how he feels about the success of mainstream artists like Joss Stone and Mark Ronson. Does it frustrate him that these artists will take albums of covers and repackage a sound for the mainstream, resulting in enormous commercial success, or does he see this as positive for the coverage it gives the scene?

"Well, I got into reggae through listening to Madness. And you can either go, well, Madness are just doing less good cover versions of Prince Buster, but I was nine years old at the time! Then I got into the ska originals of the tracks they were doing, and that got me into really rootsy rocksteady from the 60s, and if it hadn’t been for Madness I wouldn’t have discovered

them. So it’s really important that you have this accessible music that’s in the charts, where young people listen to it and go, “Yeah that’s the music I like”.

"So they might listen to Mark Ronson or Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone and then think, I’m going to buy a Soul Jazz compilation. The music has to start somewhere, and no-one can be a collector or an expert first. And no matter what kind of music you get into, everyone gets into the catchier, chart end of it first and then digs deeper. That’s a very important part of how youth culture evolves. And that’s still happen ing now, and I think there will be a following a few years now from the Mark Ronsons and Adeles, and all these kids who may never have heard soul music before.

while introducing his audience to music that they’ve never listened to before. Part of this is undoubtedly down to the friendly way he packages his music, which includes using iconic cartoons and bonkers ideas like selling tea at gigs. While his identity as an artist is strong as a result, people have accused him of relying too much on ‘gimmicks’. How does he feel about this?

"All these new bands rehashing old music are wearing their influences on their sleeves, but they’re introducing what a lot of people take for granted to a new generation, and you can never forget how important that is."

Mr Scruff's defence of pop music makes a lot of sense when you look at his own history. He's a great example of a DJ who manages to achieve commercial success

"Some people are really into it and others aren’t. Some people don’t like the fact I DJ all night. Some people don’t think the cartoons are appropriate. But it’s what I do, and if I see people enjoy it, the whole thing makes sense to me. It’s not like, come and listen to this £500 jazz record, because out on the dancefloor, there’s none of that baggage; people don’t care how much I’ve paid for a record.

"Nobody in this room might have heard what

I’ve played before, but nobody cares, because it works. This is all good music, but put together in a way that makes sense, because if you’re playing a lot of music that’s new to people you have to be really careful about how you present it, and I think that adding the visuals adds a cheeky angle to it as well. It means that I don’t have to play the cheesy music to make people feel included; I just make the environment more welcoming and more comfortable."

It's exactly the kind of all-inclusive philosophy that Mr Scruff applies to his own music: "The same goes for my albums – they’re quite diverse, and I think maybe the way they’re knitted together gives the sound an overall feel. ‘Get A Move On’ was huge, but I didn’t deliberately think ‘I’m gonna make another cheeky, old, jazz-sounding house record’. I never intend to repeat myself, but I I still have my own sound – I can’t help that."

There's something affecting and even a little bit selfless about Mr Scruff's mission to celebrate neglected music and make it accessible again, that is a million miles away from the cool, aloof attitudes of many of his contemporaries. In his own way, he is a pioneer of pop music. So who is Mr Scruff, anyway? Himself, of course.

/ 09

“I

WAS JUST KEEPING A DIARY AT FIRST BUT AFTER A FEW YEARS I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS A STORY WITHIN ITS PAGES."

Aisling Tempany talks to Cardiff author and MA Creative Writing student Nia Wyn about the experience of writing, receiving award nominations and the balance of being an author and a mother.

Nia didn’t seem like an author when I spoke to her. It was the day that results were due to come out, and both of us began with module result nerves. NIa wonders if we’ve ever met, both studying in the same department, sharing tutors and lecturers.

You might not expect a published author to be a student aswell, but in Nia’s case studying was an opportunity to explore new opportunities in her life and writing.

“It’s been a luxury for me returning to study again and a wonderful experience. I’ve enjoyed all of it really. There have been times it’s been hard to balance studying with my son’s needs and the demands of the book, and times it’s been difficult to settle down to serious writing but on the whole I feel very lucky to have had a year like this.

"One of the many reasons I wanted to do the MA in Creative Writing is that it could lead to work that I enjoy and can also

base around my son’s needs. The deadlines of journalism do not fit in with our lifestyle so easily now but I hope to set up my own writing workshops based around Joe’s timetable and my own. I feel the MA has given me the confidence to do this. The tutors have given me a lot of encouragement.”

Her book, Blue Sky July, is an eight-year account of her experience of dealing with her son’s disability. “I was just keeping a diary at first but after a few years I could see that there was a story within its pages and decided to write it up as a book. I hoped it might be comforting to others who face difficult situations. It’s not really a book about disability, it’s more about the thoughts and feelings that emerge when life is tipped upside down, and the journey from heartbreak and despair to acceptance and happiness.

"I love writing: I always have and think I always will. I wrote poems as a child and then worked as a journalist/feature writer for fifteen

10 /interviews@gairrhydd.com

years. I consider it something of a luxury to be writing my own stories now."

I ask about the reaction the story has had from other people in similar situations.

"A lot of charities and organisations that help people with disabilities have spoken well of the book which means a lot to me. This is a personal story and was never intended to be representative or a story about disability, but I’m delighted it’s been so well-received and I hope it helps highlights a condition that is so often misunderstood.

"I’ve had an enormous amount of letters from people. Not just from people in similar position but people in all different walks of life that feel it has connected with them in some way. The newspaper I worked for had a call from someone in New Zealand the other day who had just read it and wanted to get in touch. It’s had some lovely reviews in the Australian press when it was released there last

month and has also had some interesting coverage on the internet. One review was by a football supporter who said he never read books, but had been taken in by my novel. That kind of comment means the world to me."

It seemed as if, three years from where the book ends, that it had become separate from her own life now. Nia agreed: "One of the strange things about writing a book about a true story is that your relationship with the world is changed by it. We’re a few years on from where the book ends now, Joeski and I, but we keep bumping into people who have just read it and want to talk about it, so it feels a little like being in a different time zone."

One thing about being an author Nia seems less comfortable with is the press attention she has

received. When speaking, Nia was concerned that her opinions might sound bigheaded.

"I’m quite a private person and it’s all been a bit overwhelming to tell the truth. Being on the telly, radio and in the papers is not really my cup of tea, but the book has made its own journey in that way and I’m grateful it’s reached so many different people.

"It’s wonderful, on reflection, to think that something written at the kitchen table for personal reasons has been embraced that way."

Her book is nominated for Wales Book of The Year. Was she surprised?

"Yes, it was quite a surprise, and wonderful that it’s made it to the short-list. Most unexpected and it means a lot to me to see it celebrated for the writing. It was lucky enough to be short-listed for

the Good Housekeeping Book of the Year too and I felt a bit weird to see it listed alongside Ian McEwan and the likes."

As the book is now published around the world, in Italy, Holland and South Africa, its likely to get even more attention:

"There has been some film interest and there are a number of offers to consider at the moment. It actually went to board room discussions at Dreamworks in Hollywood who sent some very positive feedback, but it’s not really a Hollywood-type blockbuster book. Steven Spielberg may be putting a comment on the back, though, for the American edition. That feels pretty amazing to me."

Blue Sky July is reviewed on page 28

Fa ion FRESH

IT'S TIME TO SHED YOUR OLD SKIN AND ADOPT SOME FRESHERS FASHION. BUT WHAT STYLE ARE YOU...?

Photo: Sophie Pycroft Model: Soraya

1. What would you consider an ideal night out?

a) A trip to a traditional shisha bar, totally immersing yourself in the atmosphere and sampling a full selection of traditional Meze and Moroccan tea.

b) After a day enjoying the great outdoors, you head straight to the nearest gastro-wine bar to enjoy a boozy meal discussing Tatler’s ‘Most Eligible’ List.

c) Spend the day trawling through the local trinket shops looking for details to attach to your latest lace-covered creation. You spend ages perfecting your eye-liner before you head off to an obscure gig.

d) You spend the whole day meticulously planning every aspect of the night ahead, from who’s going to be there to what each of you are wearing. You all get glammed up and gorgeous together before heading to the opening of a new trendy bar in town.

2. How would you describe your style?

a) Whatever catches your eye: flowing shapes with ethnic prints and natural fabrics feature frequently.

b) Depends entirely on the occasion but a fail-safe outfit is a nice cashmere v-neck with a pashmina, intricate earrings and big hair.

c) The blacker the better: dark colouring and layering of rich textured fabrics is essential. You introduce individuality through accessorising.

d) Bright and Beautiful! Whatever you wear will definitely get you noticed and is carefully thought-out.

3) What is your favourite drink?

a) A herbal tea.

b) Elderflower cordial or Champers, darling!

c) JD and Coke or Guinness and Blackcurrant.

d) A nice coffee with friends or Vodka Redbullit means you can keep going all night long.

4) What music is most likely to be heard blaring out of your room?

a) Buena Vista Social Club or Jack Johnson.

b) A good old morsel of cheese like Chesney Hawks, or John Mayer for the chilled times.

c) Kill Hiliday, Get Up Kids and numerous other little-known controversial bands.

d) Rhianna or The Ultimate R’n’B Collection 2008 (party mix).

Mostly As

You are a well-travelled student who loves anything quirky and cultural. For inspiration this season you only have to look to the fabulous folky collections seen on DKNY and Gucci. The natural Safari and Floral patterns which you favoured this summer have given way to a more hushed richer palette. Mix luscious paisley prints in burnished autumnal colours with fringing and and fur (- faux of course!) Loosely structure flowing shapes should be clinched at the waist with detailed skinny belts to create a look that is a magical modern folk tale.

Mostly Bs

You are a homely traditional type who is used to the finer things in life, and this is reflected in your style. Your look is based on quality rather than following immediate trends and the end product is groomed, refined and well put together. This season take a look at the catwalks of D&G where hemlines took a dive. The focus was more gentry chic than their usual scandalously thigh-slashed skirts. To perfect this prim and proper look, focus on tweed, check and tartan. But rather than sticking with tradition: experiment! Mix and match contrasting plaids and pay attention to acid-coloured tartans (check out House of Holland for inspiration).

Mostly Cs

You're an emotional sort who draws inspiration from a variety of influences, from medieval to punk. You may have previously been critiqued for your passion for all things on the darker side of life but this season Goth gets glammed and gorgeous. Your love of intricate detailing is something that you have in common with Givenchy and Derek Lam, whose catwalk shows were awash with delicate lace and heavy religious iconography. Combine multiple textures (soft sheer lace, leather and pvc), and experiment with a structured silhouette (voluminous coats teamed with structured skirts) and the overall effect will be more mesmirising, less Morticia Adams!

Mostly Ds Your fun-loving animated nature is loud and proud. This season the plethora of bold bright hues that graced most of the catwalks is the perfect way for you to express this. Take your pick from the kaleidoscope of colour from rich ruby reds (moschino and Jean Paul Gautier) to vibrant violets (Armani) to electric emeralds (Miu Miu). The most effective way to wear this colourful trend is by selecting any of the simple-shaped dresses featured this season in one colour, and layering on accessories of the same colour. Gaultier demonstrated this with red dresses, tights and gloves. But to avoid looking like a tomato/blueberry/anything off a fruit’n’ veg stall make sure you use varying shades of your selected colour. We want you to turn heads for all the right reasons!

On your marks.

Olympic fever has dominated Britain's summer, but don't go hanging up your running shoes just yet. Welcome to the Fresher Games, your very own tournament of stamina, resilience, and sheer dogged determination. Let the games begin.

It's likely that over the past month or so you have caught at least a glimpse of the Olympic Games on TV. You think that those world class athletes are amazing? You should take a look in the mirror. They may only compete in one or two sports, whereas you, the Olympic fresher, have a whole host of intense events ahead of you.

As you are reading this in Cardiff, you have inevitably excelled at the first event of your time as a fresher; the hurdles. Through stamina, grit and determination, you have overcome the hurdles or exams, applying, results, packing, (unpacking.. well maybe at least a duvet so far?!), you may have even cooked yourself your first meal. Go you – you definitely deserve some kind of medal.

All the work that you put into the hurdles pays off when it comes to the next event…. Diving. From the minute you arrive in your new ‘home from home,’ you will be plunged into another world of excitement and opportunities. New people, new places, new concepts, it can all seem quite daunting, but the best plan of attack is to dive straight in and have the time of your life. Invest in a door stop, it may be small in size, but the impact it will have on your social life is massive. You may not believe me now, but by the end of the year you will be passing on the same golden nugget of knowledge to impending freshers! Try and eat dinner at the same time as your flat mates: firstly this is much more sociable, but secondly it holds the added benefit of meaning you can all help each other overcome such hurdles as turning on the hob for the first time! Take a deep breath, and dive off that high board.

There is no time to rest after your first dive in: now you're onto the incredible 100 metre sprint that is freshers week. Freshers week will fly past you in a colourful-yet-drunken blur, so enjoy every minute of it as you don’t get many experiences quite like it in life. Don’t worry if you don’t take in everything that you are told, and just keep remembering that every first year is in the same somewhat dazed

position. I often reminisce about feeling completely lost on my first trip to the Cardiff high street, (which has to be mentioned as it is a fabulous place for shopping; the labyrinth of arcades are a wonderful way to lose yourself for mornings, afternoons, even days.) You may have never been out every night of the week before in your life, but if you’re ever going to do it, this is the time to do so. So pull on all your resources and complete your hundred metre sprint in true freshers style.

Your first year at university will slowly develop from a sprint to a marathon. Drinking marathons, late night working marathons, maybe even actual sporting marathons, are all aspects of student life. As you become more settled in, the real funs starts. Cardiff holds so many opportunities that whatever your interests, there is always something for you. The societies fair in freshers week is always heaving, so don’t despair if you don’t make it to the infamous ‘cheese society’ stand, as you can see a full listing of all the societies on the union website, and join up to them on there too. The hype is true – Cardiff does have a buzzing nightlife, but it also has beautiful parks and lakes, with the beach a short drive away, so it really is easy to have a well rounded university experience at Cardiff.

The final Olympic event that you will complete this year – wow, you must be tired by now- is the relay. By helping each other through your crazy first year at Uni, you and your new found friends will realise that things are always easier when you have a bit of support. Who knows, this time next year you may be the one passing the baton to the new freshers.

Freshers week: Get yer bling out.

marks. Get set...

Every Olympic athlete goes through gruelling training programmes, but we're giving you a bit of a head start on this one.

When it sinks in that you're an actual, real life fresher, there are a few things you need to know. Pin it to your noticeboard, stick it on your flattie's forehead or save it on your mobile... You'll thank us!

No. 1: Taxis. Taxis are very handy, particularly as a fresher, and especially in Cardiff. This is because firstly, you’re bound to get quite lost and secondly, being lost in the vast amount of rain that you probably aren’t used to is even less fun. These are the two that seem to be the most useful:

Dragon Taxis – 029 2033 3333

Capital Cabs – 029 2077 7777

No.

2: 24 hour shops. These aren't very common so when you find one, try not to be so drunk you can’t remember where it is next time you need it. Other than the big Tesco or big Asda, which aren’t all that convenient to get to, I have still only found one; Spar at 176-178 City Road in Roath, has been a life saver. If you need directions, the number for it is: 029 2049 0049.

No.

3: 24 hour booze line. The one big no-no about these lines is that they make drinking pretty pricey. However, when you’re at a party and you’ve run dry, that won’t matter and you’ll be making a beeline for the nearest phone. Beer Runner also goes that extra mile; not only does it provide alcohol around the clock, it also offers other necessities like food. For more info have a look at the website www.beerrunner.com. BeerRunner – 0871 200 2298

No. 4: AQA, or, Any Question Answered. This is possibly the cleverest idea for anyone to have stumbled across in a very long time. If you’ve not yet discovered AQA, get your phone and text any question you can think of to 63336. This will prove how useful a tool it is. Or, get on their website www.issuebits. com and use the free question each person is entitled to once, to prove it that way. AQA can get you out of a pickle, help you in a quiz – not that I’m advocating foul play, but some questions are really tricky, or even just help you out of boredom. There aren’t many of my friends who’ve text AQA to ask who they are. Try it, it’ll spook you with some obscure bit of information about yourself that you’d forgotten or deemed completely irrelevant.

No. 5: The News Desk. Got news? Don't be shy, share it with the busy beavers of Gair Rhydd. Up here on the heady heights of the Union's fourth floor, we always appreciate a tip off of any story that you reckon is newsworthy. No, that aint just when your housemate fits two creme eggs in his mouth, or your Henry Hoover decides to blow instead of suck - we're talking about real life news stuff. Getting royally screwed over by your landlord? Noticed anything dodgy going down at Uni? Spotted Gynn from Big Brother? You get the picture. 07908551922.

Refreshers

AStudent loan burning a whole in your pocket?

Overdraft simply begging to be exploited?

Gillian Couch offers a little word of warning against giving into temptation...

s a student, there are two ways to look at the concept of a Fresher: as a prospective one, or as an ex

As a prospective fresher, you’re bound to be a bundle of excitement. If you’re an

making our new house nice. I have since realised that this is balancing on the edge of impossibility.

mean in terms of the drinking and the frivolity, as it’s inevitable that since then you will have outdone yourself several times over. No, I mean the lasting financial affects of fresher-dom.

For many a student, this is the first time they’ve had so much money at their disposal. You’ve not only been given a loan which at this point seems pretty massive, but you haven’t, of course, made any thoughts about food or bills or any of that rubbish. Your loan is sitting tantalizingly in your account, just waiting to be spent on fun. What’s more, chances are that you’ve got a massive overdraft lulling you into a very false sense of security, which can only loosen your purse strings.

I can only expect to waste yet more money and fund Ikea's Christmas party all over again

While this may seem like a very negative light to shed on Freshers’ week, I must confess to being one of life’s natural cynics, resigned to the reality that I may never ever leave my sorry state of an overdraft. Not that I blame it entirely on the drinking malarkey, no. That was just a nice foundation for the beginning of my self-inflicted poverty. What really got me was the ridiculous amount of money I spent on unnecessary crap for my new house. When I entered my second year, I assumed sensibility and therefore convinced myself that I would make better use of my money, by spending it not only on fun things like eating and drinking out at every available opportunity, but on

When you return next year, and the year(s) after that, Cathays is most likely going to be your new home. If you’re unfamiliar with Cathays, you must understand one thing: it is possessed by students and a lack of bins. This disasterous combination results in rats and mice, and I’m afraid to say that there is no way to avoid them. You may say you’ll never leave food out: you will. You’ll say you’ll always empty your bins: you won’t. I don’t mean this in a rude way, I only speak the truth. As a someone who’s a little obsessed with tidying and cleaning a house that will always be messy and untidy, I can assure you the mice and rats will persist. They are sneaky, so be warned. Anyway, I digress. The point I mean to make is that no matter how many trips you make to Ikea; how many cushions, shelves, lights, throws etc, you spend your money on, your house is unlikely to ever be as nice as you hope. So, my advice is this: still buy these things, don’t go depriving yourself - that would be silly - but when you’ve spent a couple of hundred quid on stuff, realise that maybe it’s time to stop. I am sure that this tip of knowing when to stop is going to help me save money this year, so I really am trying to spread the wealth. Although resisting that expensive string of bright, mood-creating lights that I would normally buy will be hard, I realise that some level of self control may help my sorrowful financial status.

As an ex-fresher facing that heady week in September for the third time, I like to think I won’t be lulled in by pretty but useless things for my house. I may, however, be kidding myself. Although I am not moving house, which is good news as the nice stuff will still be there, I am swapping rooms. Inevitably, this has lead to my current hunt for a rug and a blind… do I need these things? No. Do I want them? Yes. Therefore I'm more than tempted to waste yet more money and fund Ikea’s Christmas party all over again in order to provide myself with a nice place to come back to. Although I’ll probably be too drunk to appreciate it, as the joy of being back at uni takes it’s toll once again. Sorry, overdraft.

Cardiff University Student’s Union Interchange... for international and home students.

Want to: Learn a new language? Make new friends?

Practice existing language skills? Widen your horizons?

Then get yourself a TANDEM

PARTNER!

Whether you are looking to liven up your social life, build on foreign language skills or simply make a difference in the student community this scheme is for you!

Once you have a tandem partner its simple, you can meet up as often as you like, wherever you like. Whether you are practicing a language or simply going out with new friends, it is a great opportunity!

To get involved come to the launch night Thursday 2nd of October in CF10, 8 till late. Bring your friends to learn more!!

The

Food Trail Cardiff

As students descend on Cardiff, many of us flock to Tesco’s and Lidl’s for cheap buys. But in the spirit of buying from local and independently owned

shops, Kath Petty investigates what the city has to offer.

Zem Zem Continental Mini Market

Zem Zem is a small and independently owned shop on Wyverne Road, at the end of Salisbury Road, specialising in Mediterranean and exotic produce. This continental food shop is a gem in Cathays, which not many students make use of, perhaps for fear of not knowing what to do with most of the ingredients once inside. But I would suggest picking up something you are unfamiliar with, and experimenting a little. Items such as feta cheese and sun-dried tomoatoes are available cheaper than that of most supermarkets, as is a lot of their other produce. The in-store butchers is great value too.

Cardiff Central Market

Located in the heart of the city, next to Howell’s department store and opposite St. John’s Church, Cardiff Central Market is a must for local and fresh produce, all at excellent value. It houses numerous fruit and vegetable stalls, some of which sell more exotic and hard-to-find produce, such as plantain and okra. The fish stall and the many butchers also stock wide ranges. Stallholders are very helpful and are willing to give advice, and if you shop around you can find some very good deals, with the added bonus of only having to buy what you need.

Roath Real Food Market

Roath Real Food Market is held every Saturday from 9:30 until mid afternoon, in the car park of the Gate Arts Centre on Keppoch Street, just behind City Roath. All the produce sold here is produced locally, from vegetables to cheese, meats, fish and bakery items. While some stalls specialise in more expensive produce, like the delicious cheese stall, much of it is very good value and organically produced. If you’re feeling peckish, stalls selling pancakes, burgers and hot dogs will satisfy your appetite, making it a great way to spend a morning with friends.

Wally’s Delicatessen

Situated in Royal Arcade in the Hayes.Wally’s Delicatessen is a real delight. Its owners claim that it’s the best deli in the city, which could well be true. Wally’s is a veritable treasure chest of fine and international foods. It sells a very large range of produce, all fairly priced, from masses of spices and herbs to dried fruits and nuts, pickles, chutneys, flours and oils from all over the world. The fresh food section is equally as impressive, with a wide selection of cured meats from Spain, Poland, France, Italy and Germany, many continental cheeses and lots of fresh olives, all prepared in-store. It also sells more upmarket versions of more studenty type items- pasta poducts of all wonderful shapes and sizes, and accompanying sauces, as well as products from the world of the Orient. If it isn’t already evident that I am advising you to visit this shop, take note: visit this shop. While it probably won’t be beneficial to your student budget to shop here everyday, it woudn’t harm to buy the odd delicacy on occasion, to expand your repetoire and enliven the average mundane student diet.

Where else to shop in Cardiff...

Market Garden, Albany Road- situated right next to Tesco’s on Albany Road, you can get all your fruit and veg here at a lower price than Tesco’s, and you can support independent trade too!

The Spice of Life, Inverness Place- just off Albany Road next to Tesco’s is this great little shop which sells herbs, spices, flours, beans and pulses, all prepared and packaged in-store, and served by a very friendly owner.

Madame Fromage, Castle Arcade- in this arcade just off St. Mary Street, Madame Fromage serves a large selection of foreign and local cheeses, as well as continental produce such as pâtés and chutneys. It’s not cheap, but is a nice treat, as is the café, which serves what’s on sale.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Ingredients:

500g mince beef (or Quorn mince)

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

1 red or green pepper, chopped

4 rashers of unsmoked bacon, chopped

8 mushrooms, chopped

1 large onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely diced

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 large glass red wine (not the expensive stuff!)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 tbsp olive oil

500g of spaghetti

salt and ground black pepper

parmesan cheese to serve

Method:

Recipe: Spaghetti Bolognese

1. Heat up a large saucepan on medium setting and add the olive oil. Once heated add the chopped onion and garlic and fry for two minutes, or until soft, stirring with a spatula. Then add the bacon and fry for another 2-3 minutes until cooked. Once cooked, add the pepper and mushrooms and stir for a few minutes. You might need to turn the heat down a bit to avoid burning.

2. Add the red wine to the vegetable mixture and turn to a mediumhigh heat until the wine starts to boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes until most of the wine has evaporated. Meanwhile, heat up a frying pan and cook the mince, stirring until it browns. Then transfer the mince to the vegetable mixture.

3. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and salt and pepper to the saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until the Bolognese is simmering. Let it simmer for about half an hour, the longer you leave it the better the flavour will be. Taste to check for seasoning. If the mixture is too dry after this time, add a little vegetable or beef stock if you have any to make it saucier.

4. While the Bolognese is simmering, cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the spaghetti once it’s cooked, divide between four plates and spoon over the Bolognese mixture and serve with grated parmesan cheese. warm fresh bread and a gutsy red wine.

Tired of meaningless sexual encounters? Bored of searching for a soulmate in the snakebite doused, labyrinthine recesses of the Students’ Union? Then perhaps we can help you to find...

Email our lucious hostesses now at blinddate@gairrhydd.com to arrange a blind date. You provide the conversation and we’ll keep the wine flowing. Our dedicated sultry love goddesses are pretty damn good at this sort of thing. In fact, they're experts at enticing Cupid’s arrow to the table, and guarantee that your blind date will be the single most satisfying evening of your life, ever.

*possibly-

Already

M Arabian Nights

got itchy feet for a new adventure? Satisfy your travel pangs with Simon Lucey's Morocco diary...

orocco is only an hour’s ferry ride from the comfort of Europe, but a Western tourist could be forgiven for thinking they are a world away from home. The immediate impression of poverty will strike even the most experienced travellers fairly hard, but the beauty of Morocco’s rich Arab, African and European culture soon shines through.

breeze blows across from the Atlantic, making it a perfect site for windsurfing and kite surfing. The beach itself is flat and perfect for an afternoon game of football, with locals and tourists all mixing in together. Beyond the beach, the town offers a small taste of Morocco with its pretty whitewashed Medina - although most of its attractions are understandably aimed at tourists. Nevertheless, you can pass a very pleasurable few hours getting lost in its endless streets and haggling with the vendors.

Since the 1960s, Morocco has been a gateway into Africa for wealthy Westerners who wish to immerse themselves in the delights of this Islamic kingdom.

The rich and famous - Jimi Hendrix amongst them - have flocked to Morocco to enjoy the laid back culture which often contrasts with our own perception of Islam. Today it offers attractions to many different types of traveller, be it a quick beach break on the Atlantic coast, a fashionable city break in Marrakesh or Fez, or exploring the awe-inspiring Sahara and Atlas Mountains.

Essaouira is Morocco’s most relaxed seaside town, offering a very attractive alternative to beach holidays in Europe. A constant

Due East from Essaouira you will find Marrakesh, arguably one of Morocco’s most entertaining cities. Southern tribesmen and Berber villagers flock here to the ‘Red City’ to sell their goods and spend the proceeds. Djemaa el Fna provides surely the most exciting marketplace in the Arab world: by day it is a marvel, but at night it transforms into a carnival of musicians, snake charmers, story tellers and other street entertainers. It’s easy to find budget accommodation around the square on any side street, but if you’re on a bigger budget why not head to the fashionable new town? The new town, built by the French in the mid-20th Century, is the popular choice of Europe’s rich travel-

lers. It boasts pavement cafés, trendy boutiques, gardens and boulevards, and has an altogether calmer feel.

11 A carnival of

musicians,

If big cities intimidate you, why not head to the smaller Chefchaouen? The city is approximately 75km south of Tangier and probably the most impressive of the smaller rural locations. With a population of around only 42,000 it is a charming place to spend a few days wandering the streets of the medina, which have a good balance of stalls aimed at tourists and functioning local businesses. Alternatively, you can trek out into the surrounding hills for stunning views over the town. As the area is towards the north, its architecture is more Andalusian than Arabic and features unique Moroccan tiled roofs and eaves.

snake charmers and story tellers... 11

The most infamous Moroccan attraction is, without doubt, the Sahara desert. One of the best places to enter the desert is through Merzouga, a small town not far from the Algerian (closed) border. The best way to access it is by

an overnight bus to Rissani, from either Fez or Marrakesh. The long, tough journey is well worth it, and the best place to stay is Auberge les Dunes d’Or which can organize overnight camel trips into the desert for less than £20. The night trip into the desert is simply awe inspiring, a must-do for any traveller willing to make the long journey. After sunset your Berber guide will cook you a delicious Tajine on an open fire, and you can sleep in the tent or under the stars.

If you wish to explore the Atlas Mountains, one of the best starting points is the Todra Gorge, a huge natural feature which is visible by car or foot. It is a good place to

break up a long journey to or from the Sahara, but don’t go on the Rough Guide’s hike without decent footwear, water and sun block!

Also worth noting, on the way to Marrakesh, is the Cascades d’Ouzoud. This is a stunning amphitheatre of waterfalls where fashionable young Muslims come to relax and rebel against the strict culture of the city. When I visited it could have been compared to Rock or Newquay the week after GCSEs finish, but during the week it’s far quieter. Nestled among the plunge pools are cafés and campsites where young people come to relax, smoke and drink. Whilst on the weekend it can seem like a bit of a theme park, it is well worth a visit during the week.

Morocco offers a safe and cheap alternative to the classic British summer holiday in Europe, whilst keeping its promise of vibrant culture and natural beauty.

Who? What? Where?

For a bargainous £4, the Students’ Union has a brilliant comedy night every Tuesday in CF10. Hosted by The Comedy Network, it has seen the likes of Russell Howard perform in our very own CF10 cafeteria. A chance to catch some of the rising stars of comedy in the Union.

The 100-year old New Theatre is situated in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre. It offers traditional and highly acclaimed performances of plays and WestEnd musicals. The theatre also provides a glimpse at new, fresh and upcoming productions, and displays various pieces of art. Appealing to all generations, this venue successfully combines the old with the new.

Chapter Arts Centre has diverse cultural appeal: from film, to live plays and regular art installations. The centre includes a cinema, theatre and art exhibitions, providing a variety of attractions. Chapter Arts Centre is unique and diverse and is widely acknowledged for its innovation. The centre is located in Canton, a short walk from Cardiff city centre.

Alongside Bar Risa and Vue cinema you will find Jongleurs, a comedy venue which attracts many sought-after stand-up comedians. Jongleurs does not offer a student discount, and tickets are £11.50 each on a Saturday night. However, this price includes entry into Bar Risa afterwards. There is also a good food menu.

The Gate is an arts venue within a converted church. The venue has a grand theatre as well as an art gallery. The gallery is constantly changing, and displays different artworks regularly. An alternative arts venue, The Gate is located in Roath, just beyond Cathays.

The Sherman Theatre has become the new voice for upcoming Welsh playwrights, who have the opportunity to present their plays to a live audience. It is a popular venue in Wales for theatre, either for well-known productions or for new ones. It is a modern building and has a friendly atmosphere, as well as a small cafe and bar.

Martin Tinney is recognised as one of the most exceptional art galleries in Wales. It is situated in Cardiff City Centre and is open MondaySaturday. The Gallery focuses on well-known Welsh artists as well as upcoming artists. There is a variety of art on show which will suit all manner of different artistic tastes.

Situated in the heart of Cardiff Bay, BayArt is a modern gallery which promotes the best of Welsh and international contemporary art. BayArt is an impressive space, which features up to six major exhibitions each year. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 - 5pm.

Atop destination for culture in Cardiff, the distinctive Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) plays host to a wide range of arts events. With art galleries and two theatres at the venue, it is well worth a trip to Cardiff Bay to see the esteemed performances of theatre, musicals, comedy and dance. The building is also a favourite venue for the Welsh National Opera.

Following a recent major refurbishment, The National Museum in Cardiff is an appealing gallery, which includes work by Monet and Cézanne. It is only a short walk from the Students’ Union and town. With regular exhibitions and other historical displays, it is definitely worth a visit, and - even better - it’s free entry.

Books

all the latest from the world of books...

Once upon a time, university was an elite institution for the brightest and most intellectually stimulated people. But, sometimes, it seems that a glance around your Literature seminars will reveal that half have never picked up a book that they didn’t *have* to read.

Us keen readers are a lonely breed. After all, unless you join a book group, the chances are that when you read, you read alone. And therein lies a problem. If we have to read on our own, and no one wants to talk about books with us, then what are we supposed to do? It seems that talking about modernism and poetry over a few drinks with like-minded people is no longer sophisticated or intelligent, it’s pretentious and posing. But that’s not true. You’re only a pretentious poser if what you say is bollocks.

Being highbrow and cultured comes at a cost, and the price is a completely empty social calendar. (Having a naked lunch with William Burroughs is a joke not even worth making; the chances are they haven’t heard of the book.)

Ultimately, if people don’t like you because you read books, the chances are they’re not people worth knowing. And if you ultimately end up dying sad and lonely, at least you’ll have read a good book on the way.

“ “

IF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE YOU BECAUSE YOU READ BOOKS, THE CHANCES ARE THEY’RE PEOPLE NOT WORTH KNOWING.

The

Wisdom Of Whores. Elizabeth Pisani. (Granta, 10.99)

Elizabeth Pisani is an epidemiologist with a decade of experience in HIV/AIDS prevention projects, including work for United Nations agencies, WHO and various other organisations. Her area of expertise is the nature of the Asian HIV/AIDS epidemic and she has lived, worked and travelled in the region for substantial periods of time. Before studying epidemiology, she spent almost a decade working as a foreign correspondent in Asia and was based in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. This experience greatly influenced her approach to epidemiological research and the writing of her book.

The Wisdom of Whores is in part a history of HIV/ AIDS and the industry surrounding it, but it is also an account of Pisani’s personal and professional journey through the labyrinth of politics, economics and ideology on which the HIV/AIDS industry is built. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a different aspect of the subject matter, including what exactly HIV/AIDS is and how it spreads, how HIV/AIDS became recognised as an epidemic, the methodological problems that researchers face, how ideologies, politics and money have both helped and hindered the efforts of governments and NGOs to deal with HIV/AIDS, and the role of the author herself in the developments that have occurred.

But The Wisdom of Whores has not become just yet another mindnumbing textbook on safe sex. Rather it is humorous, insightful, highly informative, based firmly in reality and full of fabulous anecdotes of the author’s experiences as an investigator of sex and drugs in Asia’s underworlds. Pisani has thrown away the P.C. brigade’s rulebook, without saying anything offensive about anyone. This book is a remarkable achievement and it can only be hoped that it receives the recognition it deserves, not least from the people who have the power to implement Pisani’s philosophy.

Rebecca Ganz

The Good Plain Cook, Bethan Roberts (Serpent’s Tail, 10.99)

The Good Plain Cook is a lighthearted novel inspired by the author’s research into the life of the American art collector Peggy Guggenheim, who had lived in rural Sussex for a year. The book is set in 1930s Sussex, with Guggenheim becoming the unconventional American Ellen Steinberg.

The story concerns social pretence and deception. Ellen hires ‘good plain cook’ Kitty Allen, but the household is not what Kitty expects – her mistress believes in calling her staff by their first names, sunbathing in the nude and allowing her daughter to call her ‘Ellen’. She suddenly decides she wants Kitty to teach her to be ‘domesticated’, yet Ellen is merely playing at being a communist and doesn’t really know how ‘the peo-

The Last Cigarette, Simon Gray

The Last Cigarette is the final book in a trilogy of memoirs by Simon Gray, an established and revered playwright, screenwriter, and author notable for his seemingly irrepressible output. Although, I have to admit begrudgingly that I was unfamiliar with both the author and the previous two works which make up The Smoking Diaries.

Accordingly, I approached the uncorrected proof with the ignorant caution of a man who judges the content of a book by its title and press release. Before I had even turned a page my mind became

weighed down with negative presumption. How could somebody be so far removed that they believed their own personal struggles with tobacco justified a 312 page book?

ple’ actually live.

This is Roberts’ second novel. Her first, The Pools, was considered a ‘compelling debut’. The Good Plain Cook is engaging; it alternates in perspective between Kitty and Ellen’s daughter Geenie, which fills the pages with numerous enlightening observations on the difference between the rich and the poor. That said, the use of description is somewhat simplistic and sometimes downright odd – a person’s nose is described as being like a large radish, for instance.

The novel is light-hearted and easy enough to read; it lends itself to a train journey or an afternoon on the beach.

I need not have worried. The book is breathtaking. Gray has taken a topic which could be deemed selfsatisfying and transformed it into an imperative narrative structure, weaving it sparingly through his varied accounts. The book is not really about smoking, it is about

a man trying to make sense of life. What makes this book exceptional in comparison to many other autobiographies is that the author is far more fascinated with the Other than with the self. The Last Cigarette exploits a resonant mix of child-like wonderment and weathered cynicism. Gray seems to adore the human race and despise it within the same breath, occupying a contradictory position somewhere between an anthropologist and a sociopath. Yet his qualms with people are never presented in a way that alienates. Instead, they are presented with the same comedic vigour that carries the rest of the text. Any man who equates a middle-aged woman with bacon cannot fail to raise a wry smile, even amongst the most contemptuous of readers.

The Last Cigarette is an accomplished text by an accomplished writer and I cannot recommend it highly enough. You should treat Gray with the respect he deserves and do as I did not: read the previous two books first.

Liam Dando

Laurel Burn

BOOKS REVIEW THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE WINNER AND RUNNERS-UP OF THE WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2008.

Winner: The Presence, Dannie Abse (Penguin, 8.99)

Written in the year following his wife’s sudden death in a 2005 car accident, This collection of poems deals with Abse’s bereavement and his attempts to readjust after more than fifty years of married life.

Abse is a fantastic poet and this shines through in beauti-

ful turns of melancholy phrase such as ‘a gloomy echo of an evening from another decade’. His long-running career has also blessed him with a keen eye for a good poem, and the pieces interspersed throughout, by both Abse and other writers, make for lovely atmospheric interludes which breathe life into the text.

The fact that day-to-day life must be accounted for is an unavoidable trapping of volumes written in diary form. The Presence attempts to steer clear of this trap through regular rever-

sions to various times in the past, but this often feels slightly pretentious, with Abse looking for an excuse to tell the reader about his encounters with other literary figures.

Ultimately, while the included poems make this an interesting read it’s doubtful that there’s much in The Presence to enthral the passing reader. As can often be the case in memoirs, there’s little that really happens and, as Abse himself puts it, ‘there is no happy ending’.

Emma Davies

Runner-Up: Blue Sky July, Nia Wyn (Penguin, 6.99)

Sometimes there are books you read which change your perspective on situations. Nia Wyn’s story of her disabled son was a relief to read after, while working as a support worker, seeing many parents reject their less-than-perfect children. The memoir depicts the feeling of an otherwise perfect world turned around, but does so in an honest way without seeming

cruel or overly-sentimental. There are places where the narrative becomes preachy about society’s attitudes to disabilties, but these are rare. The short, choppy style of the novel also means that at times you feel like you’re only getting snapshots of emotions rather than the whole picture. This does, however, fit in with the development of her son Joe seeing the world through flashes of colour, before gradually beginning to se the whole picture.

Reading the book, however, might make you feel almost a

tad invasive and nosy, as you read about the breakdown in the author’s relationship with her husband and some of her other friends. Its value, and perhaps its strongest hold, is that, being set in Cardiff, it potentially changes your thoughts about some places very close to home. It reveals a life and side of Cardiff that some students don’t really notice exists beyond Park place and the Students’ Union.

Aisling Tempany

Runner-Up: The Claude Glass, Tom Bullough

Despite the author’s nationality, this is one of the most culturally ‘Welsh’ books you could read. The dark setting of the Black Mountains and the tensions of Anglo-Welsh attitudes make it an intense read. But that’s not to suggest it’s a heavy one: Tom Bullough’s ‘Welsh’ novel is also light-hearted, poignant and tender.

Told from the point of view of its two child characters, the near-feral Andrew and the hippy son Robin, social politics become a background for a tale about friendship against the odds. This sounds a little contrived, and perhaps the storyline is, but Bulloughs style of prose allows the sometimes overblown idiosyncracies of their opposition to be more bearable. The author knows style, even if he doesn’t necessarily know realism.

An embarrasing scene

at the awards ceremony (where Bullough was mistakenly said to be the winner, and told on the stage that Dannie Abse had in fact won), will probably leave this book in Bullough’s mind for a long time as a humiliating memory best forgotten and a sideline joke headline on BBC News. This would have made a worthy winner though, as an accurate representation of Welsh literature and a fitting acknowledgement of an up-and-coming author.

John

Davies

Cardiff is

GAY!

With the promise of a prosperous and pissed-up new academic year, james moore presents a glittering guide to gay Cardiff.

Cardiff may be relatively small, but it’s certainly not stunted in what it has to offer the gay residents of the Welsh capital.

Admittedly, it doesn’t have the vast array of gay clubs and bars that you’d expect from London’s Soho or Manchester’s Canal Street, but Cardiff’s more intimate scene offers a comfortable and unpretentious community that the bigger cities fail to achieve.

the crosses

The veteran gay venues of Cardiff, the Golden Cross and the King’s Cross are institutions in the development of Cardiff's gay scene. Like all good gay icons such as Cher and Madonna, age doesn’t stop either of these pubs from being outrageously fun and colourfully camp. Both venues offer karaoke, drag acts and cabaret every night of the week, making it easy for any gay socialite to fill up their diary. The Kings Cross has a more contemporary edge, but ultimately both Crosses offer a mixture of entertainment along with a cheap drink, providing a perfect start-off point before painting the town pink.

pride

The youngest addition to gay nightlife in Wales, Pulse has added a hunk of much-appreciated modernity to the Cardiff gay scene. Voted best club in Wales by readers of the Pink Paper, this bar and club is something of a jewel in gay Cardiff’s crown. Student nights are a Wednesday, but Pulse can always be counted on for reasonable prices, fantastic floor-fillers and a bit of eye candy to get the party started. And it’s not to be written off on weekdays, offering the infamous Fannyoke on Mondays and a Tuesday quiz. Check out www.pulsecardiff.com for details of new events.

With the official cancellation of Cardiff’s 9th Mardi Gras in early 2008, it seemed Cardiff had lost one of the most important events in its LGBT calendar. But you can’t keep a good gay down and, thanks to the determination of the South Wales gay scene, the event still went ahead, proving that pride is well and truly alive in the Green Green Grass of Homo! Even if it isn’t the Mardi Gras Cardiff has known since 1999, the annual September event hasn’t lost any of its fun or festive spirit. No matter in what form it takes place, the Cardiff Pride remains one of the best in the UK, attracting an average 40,000strong crowd. Go to www.pridecardiff.org for more info and tickets for the big gay day.

This is the swanky, sophisticated venue for the more discerning gay, arguably with a hefty price tag to match. It does, however, have a relaxed, chilled atmosphere that is not present at any other gay venue in the area. Notably missing the rainbow flags of the Golden Cross and Kings Cross, Icon offers a little more subdued venue for those gays who don’t always enjoy high camp. The music is still cheesy and the cocktails are still flowing, making Icon another great pre-club bar to start off a good gay scene crawl.

club x & exit

In the shadow of the popular Pulse, the original Charles Street hot spots of Club X and Exit have dwindled in popularity. But competition has made both venues pull their socks up in a bid to regain the glory of their heyday. Because of their constant reinvention, your best bet is to keep yourself updated via each club’s website to be sure of admission prices and any special offers. Generally, Club X caters to those who like their night outs with a hardcore edge, whereas Exit is more muted and commercial on the music side. Whatever floats your boat. Both venues offer a great night out and a little nostalgia for veteran Cardiff gay clubbers who remember the Cardiff scene B.P. (Before Pulse).

If you’re looking for a perfect opportunity to explore all of these venues, head on down to the societies’ fair during freshers' week and sign up to be involved Cardiff’s LGBT society. The organisation is there to create a community for the gay population of the University, and will no doubt provide plenty of expeditions to the hotspots that make up Cardiff’s gay scene. Have a fabulous freshers’ fortnight, and happy gaying!

a little something for the weekend...?

DRESSED UP BUT NOWHERE TO GO? WHEN THE HEADY GLOW OF THE UNION HAS WORN OFF,

GWILLIAM KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE TO HEAD

So, you’ve arrived at Uni, you’ve kissed your parents goodbye, you’ve unpacked all your stuff in your room and you’ve said hello to your new housemates. What’s next?

Why… go out and party of course!

When it comes to nightlife Cardiff has a lot to offer, so we at Going Out are here to provide you with a quick rundown of just what exactly goes on in the Welsh capital when the lights go down and the music turns up. Whether you favour spending your nights in a darkened bar moshing to indie music, getting dressed up like a lifeguard and singing along to a night of pure cheese, or raving away in the middle of a dancefloor until the small hours, Cardiff has something for you. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Student’s Union is the be-all and end-all of the student social scene, for if you stray just a little further into the centre of Cardiff you will discover a whole other world of entertainment just waiting for you to explore.

To help you make sense of what exactly is on offer, here is a brief guide to some of the city’s main clubs, bars and club nights.

Make sure you check us out every fortnight in Quench for comprehensive listings of exactly what is going on in Cardiff over the following two weeks.

during the more popular club nights.

Buffalo Bar

11 Windsor Place, CF10 3BY

One of Cardiff’s best known and most well loved bars, Buffalo is popular with both students and native Cardiff residents alike. It has a fairly spacious bar and seating area downstairs, whilst upstairs doubles up as additional seating and a dancefloor when needed. Outside, Buffalo has one of the nicest bar gardens you will find in the city, featuring a covered roof, patio heaters and an extra DJ booth for those al-fresco summer evenings. Once again, drinks are not priced to be student friendly, however there is a large range on offer behind the bar and if you are looking for a pleasant environment to have a relaxing drink with friends then Buffalo is ideal. Great food is also served during the daytime.

10 Feet Tall

12 Church Street, CF10 1BG

Glo Bar

4 Churchill Way, CF10 4HD

Far from being anything to do with glowsticks, ‘Glo’ is in fact Welsh for ‘Coal’, yet funnily enough it doesn’t have anything to do with that either. Instead, at Glo Bar you will find a trendy environment filled with leather sofas, mirrored walls and sleek metal surfaces. Upstairs is a lounge/bar with lots of seating, whilst downstairs has a small dancefloor and DJ booth used for the variety of club nights hosted here. Drinks are slightly more pricey than the majority of student venues, however the pleasant surroundings more than make up for it. Only major downside to the venue is that it can get rather cramped, especially

Ten Feet Tall manages a rather exceptional feat, given its central location, in that it combines a bar, café, restaurant, gig venue and nightclub all into one building! Stretching over 3 separate floors, each area is allocated a specific purpose, with each catering to a slightly different market. Whether you fancy sitting by the open bay windows on the ground floor sipping coffee, watching live music in the upstairs performance area, or dancing in the basement club (known separately as Undertone), Ten Feet Tall pretty much has it all.

Vodka Revolution

9 Castle Street, CF10 1BS

Revolution is a branch of the well known nationwide chain that you may recognise from home. There are not many externally run club nights that use it as a venue, but it is open until 2am every night and is the perfect place to drink fairly cheaply before heading on somewhere else later on.

Clubs

Oceana

1 Greyfriars Road, CF10 3DP

fect gritty feel needed to compliment a good night of alternative music. Make sure you get the necessary wristband on entry that will allow you to buy alcohol from the bar.

Metros Bakers Row, CF10 1AL

This nationwide club chain needs little introduction. Featuring no less than 7 rooms, all themed in a different style, Oceana is one of the primary hangouts for students looking for a mainstream mass market night out.

Tiger Tiger 9 Greyfriars Road, CF10 3QB

This is Oceana’s main rival, and only a 60 second walk away. It offers pretty much the same affair as Oceana, only on a slightly smaller scale. Again it is a favourite of the mainstream student crowd, and Mondays in particular are always very busy.

Clwb Ifor Bach 11 Womanby Street, CF10 1BR

Known by most simply as ‘The Welsh Club’, Ifor Bach is probably the most eclectic of clubs you are likely to find in Cardiff, as well as being one of the city’s oldest and longest running. Set in a large brick building and spanning 3 separate floors, it plays host to everything from live bands and music to weekly student nights and full on drum n bass, electro and techno club nights. The bottom two floors have seating and small dancefloors, whereas the top floor holds the main room and the largest area to dance in. Drinks are very reasonably priced, and the club has a friendly and accessible vibe. Make certain you know what it is you are aiming to go out for, though, as the individual floors often run independent club nights and paying for entry to one won't grant you entry to all three!

Barfly Kingsway, CF10 3FD

Cardiff’s main gig venue, this is where the majority of bands that visit the city will play. Comprising of just one room, a bar, and a very low ceiling it has the per-

A small and intimate venue that caters for alternative music tastes. Infamous with students for its rock bottom drinks prices, Metros is the place to go for a night you will likely not remember. Go down, get drunk, mosh with your mates… just don’t look at the floor.

Club nights

Aperture Monthly (Fridays)

Cardiff’s premier drum n bass night, Aperture is the brand responsible for bringing the majority of the big name DnB DJ’s to the city. It has proved so successful over the years that it has even spawned several subsidiary nights, such as Overture, that cater for slightly different tastes within the genre. The night is incredibly popular with both students and Cardiff residents, and early arrival is recommended to guarantee entry. Aperture runs predominantly at The Welsh Club, whereas the smaller offshoot nights tend to be held in Glo Bar.

C-Y-N-T Weekly (Thursdays)

Short for ‘C You Next Thursday’, C-Y-N-T is Cardiff’s only weekly student night that caters exclusively for dance music tastes. After having only been in existence a year and a half, the combination of super cheap entry and drinks prices has seen it fast established as one of the most popular nights in the city. Musicwise residents play a blend of house, electro and techno on a weekly basis, with big name DJ’s being brought in periodically to add a bit of variety to proceedings. After having moved through virtually every venue in the city during its short life, it is likely that its home for 2008/9 will be Clwb Ifor Bach.

fortnight Books in Cardiff

1 October:

THE BAY LIT FESTIVAL:

This promises to be a festival brimming with Bibliophiles from all over the UK. Check out www.academi.org/baylit for more details.

•Launch of The Untogether by Jeb Loy Nichols, Chapter Arts Centre Media Room, 8.30pm.

4 October:

-Michael O’Brien signing The Death of Justice: Guilty Until Proven Innocent, Watersones. 12-2pm.

5 October:

•Beyond the Border: Stories and Songs of Wales, Chapter Arts Centre. Tesco Stage, Wales Millenium Centre. 1pm.

BayLit: 8-14 October

8 October:

•World Poets tour Kemi’s Cafe, Craft in The Bay, 6pm. £4/£3 conc.

•Poetry Prose and Pinot Grigio Bar One, 7.30pm. £4/£3 conc.

9 October

•Lunchtime Lit: Moonrise by Meirion Jordan, Borders, Free.

•Po-Lit-Ics (Welsh Language) Siambr Hywel, Ty Hywel, National Assembly For Wales, Free.

•The Big Gig and PoetryFim The Point, 7.30pm. £8/£6 conc.

10 October

•Lunchtime Lit: Llyfr Glas Eurig by Eurig Salisbury (Welsh Language), Borders, 1pm. Free.

•The Rhyme Machine (Welsh Language), The Wharf, 7.30pm.

11 October

•Workshop: Tecstlynion (Welsh Language)

The Academi Glyn Jones Centre, 10.00 am. £4/£3 conc.

•Workshop: The Creative Art of Blogging, Seligman Room, Wales Millenium Centre, 11.00am. £4/£3 conc.

•Lunchtime Lit: Twenty Thousand Saints by Fflur Dafydd Borders, 1pm. Free.

•Squads on Screen: The Premiere, Seligman Room, Wales Millenium Centre, 3pm. £3/£2 conc.

•Shocked Yet?

Terra Nova, 4pm. £3/£2 conc.

•Aisle 16’s Services to Poetry The Wharf, 8pm. £8/£6 conc.

14 October

•PoetryLive!

Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millenium Centre. 10.45am. Limited tickets available at £14.

COMPETITION:

Books have two tickets to The Big Gig and PoetryFilm on Thursday 9 October to giveaway to one reader who can answer the following question:

Which PoetryLive! speaker won the English Language Wales Book of The Year 2008?

Email your answers titled COMPETITION to books@gairrhydd.com. A winner will be contacted by email on 5 October.

inmusicthisweek

musiceditorial

Ametronomy

nother summer, another Mercury shortlist, another reason to despair. Well, not quite despair, but at least let out a gasp of shock, rub your eyes, and check you did actually read that The View released one of the best twelve albums of the year. Well that was last time around, but 2008 appears to be the year of the young female songwriter, with Adele, Estelle and Laura Marling all vying for the coveted award.

If the bookies are proved right then none of those cats will get the cream; since the shortlist was announced, dubstep producer Burial has been their

Afavourite for the award, while simultaneously being talked about as the dark horse. How that works I do not know. Burial would be a worthy winner, although the tabloid attention he has subsequently received led him to reveal his true identity (William Bevan for those who care), I quite liked the mystique personally. Still, it’s amusing to watch a BBC entertainment correspondent struggle to explain what dubstep is.

The bookies are also touting Radiohead as a good bet, although I can’t see a panel of music industry execs rewarding a band who proved cutting out the record label middle man can

Gindrinker live show is always more of an experience than an occasion of musical merit, and tonight it's as clear as ever that the local duo are by no means aiming to please us.

Droning, screaming guitars are never a strong recipe for commercial success, and Gindrinker seem to have no plans to change this perception. Their sound is one of jerky, tense synthetic drum beats and wall-of-noise chords, all topped off with psychotic Mark E. Smith-esq vocals and more feedback than is

actually work. Then again, the Mercury’s are notoriously difficult to predict, partly because its so difficult to compare records from such different genres, and partly because the awards panel seem to actively court controversy in its choices.

While we here at Quench are getting typically swept up by the hype of an award we don’t really care about, it seems the time to reflect on those cruelly overlooked. Portishead? Wild Beasts? M.I.A anyone? Surely such glaring omissions call in to question the credibility of the awards in general. GF

socially acceptable.

What’s bizarre then, is that Gindrinker are genuinely entertaining to watch. Though their music may be reasonably unappealing to many, they have a stage presence that is both interesting and often comical. The top floor of Clwb Ifor Bach are unsurprisingly bemused by Gindrinker tonight, and songs are followed by scattered applause and stifled laughter directed at the sweaty, flailing antics of the Cardiff duo. Awkward pauses between songs are filled with nonsensical conversation between the two,

including the prompting of a Q&A session. ‘Why are you so shit?’ an anonymous audience member asks. ‘This I don’t know,’ is the muttered reply, ‘we shall discuss it afterwards’.

This is in some ways Gindrinker’s saving grace: they are fully aware of how unattractive their music is. As a result, the whole thing is carried in good humour without a hint of any real sincerity, and the band are much better for it. Gindrinker are not greatthere’s no arguing that - but they are bizarrely entertaining and eventually are well received. PG

live live live live live live live

FUTURE OF THE LEFT

Clwb Ifor Bach

12/08/08

the band have played time after time, constantly polishing their act on the way to establishing themselves as perhaps the UK’s most exciting live act.

It’s easy to be sentimental about a band because they're based locally, but there just aren’t many bands whose performance is quite

by Falkous’ whimsical tales of cats, wizardry and sausages.

Between songs, the band exchange some trademark on stage banter, the crowd safe in the knowledge anyone brave enough to try heckling will be utterly humiliated. One would hope that these trademark snippets are left to be en-

tain a similar swagger throughout. It’s a deafening climax which sees Mathias join the crowd, as Falkous playfully dismantles a drum kit still being pummelled by drummer Jack Egglestone. Indeed, if they had any more songs to play it’d be a pleasure to watch them continue all night, but for now we’ll have to wait for album number two.

Kyle Ellison

PClwb Ifor Bach

14/08/08

unctuality isn’t everything, sure, but showing up two hours late doesn’t really count in The Death Set’s favour.

Despite being booked to play at roughly 10pm it’s not until 12.30 that the band actually make an appearance, something that is appar-

ently due to the fact both the majority of Cardiff’s indie gig-going public and the band themselves have gone around the corner to watch Bonde Do Role who are playing at 10 Feet Tall instead.

Word on the street is that The Death Set knew that tonight’s gig was being reviewed for the NME and upon arriving at the venue and finding it quite empty decided that they would go around the corner and steal as much of the audience as possible from 10 Feet Tall once the bands finished there. So when they do finally arrive on stage and shout “This is a

punk rock show!” it sounds somewhat lame for as we all know there is nothing in the world less punkrock than trying to make yourself look popular to impress the NME. To be fair to them, The Death Set’s lively onstage antics are quite fun, but 90% of what is coming out of the PA is made up of samples and backing tracks; there’s nothing particularly memorable about the band’s own music. Not really worth a two hour wait.

Si Truss

a bluffer’s guide to... CARDIFF

For a capital city Cardiff is really quite small, but as former freshers we know all too well it can still be easy to find yourself in places you don’t want to be in. Outside of the typical student hotspots that will be made obvious to you, there is an underbelly of Cardiff that offers a thriving alternative community, and hopefully this guide should get you on the right track.

Of course, we are just here to offer you the bare bones of what the city has to offer, but if you to explore for yourselves there are plenty of hidden treats to be found. Charity shops aplenty, for example, are located on Albany Road as well as knowing the best coffee shops and pubs to grab a drink in, or even pick up a copy of the latest fanzine or regional magazine.

BANDS

With bands like Stereophonics, Feeder and The Automatic trying their best to show Cardiff’s music scene in a good light, they haven’t exactly done us proud. Look a

your nose. Former Cardiff University students Los Campesinos!, for example, have gone on to release their excellent debut album ‘Hold On Now Youngster’ through Wichita and have since toured the US and Europe extensively.

Elsewhere, Future of the Left (pictured), featuring former members of cult bands McLusky and Jarcrew, have shaken up the local music scene by making an aggressive alternative rock album which has not only been taken in by the locals, but is critically acclaimed worldwide.

Make sure to check out these and the other bands that we’ll be featuring on the front page of the section, where amongst others we’ll be reviewing the likes of Attack and Defend, Picture Books in Winter, The Muscle Club and Threatamantics.

ues are always an appealing prospect.

Venues Clwb Ifor Bach and Barfly provide a more spacious environment, albeit at the sacrifice of any comforts. For a grimy, more wallet-friendly experience these are the places to go. With a plethora of both local and more established acts touring through, its likely that if you’re heading out to see a band, its going to be at one of these two. Of course, there are the larger venues: CIA and the Millennium Stadium. If you’re willing to give up half your loan, feel free.

RECORD SHOPS

Spiller’s Records is the first and foremost in Cardiff’s independent stores, but there are plenty of others dotted around the city centre. D’Vinyl on Albany Road and Kelly’s Records in Cardiff Central Market are both fine examples, providing a decent range of second-hand CDs and vinyl; that’s if you’re willing to trawl through their collection, obviously. Independent stores don’t make it easy, but that's part of the experience. Apparently. Meanwhile, in big corporate town, HMV and Zavvi are there on Queen’s

Spillers Records could be considered the centre of Cardiff’s music community, but why exactly is it so important? Quench goes along to find out...

To unfamilar eyes it would be understandable to view the small, understated shop front of Spiller’s Records as that of an establishment of no real interest or significance. To locals, however, Spiller’s Records represents a pillar of Cardiff’s independant music scene. Chances are, if you’re a Fresher and love your music, you’re going to be seeing a heck of a lot of this place. Whether you're browsing for upcoming events, checking out local releases and demos or looking to form a band of your own, this musical Aladdin's Cave should be your first stop.

Originally founded in 1894, Spiller’s has adopted the tag of ‘Oldest Record Shop In The World’. Since it’s founding by Henry Spiller in the Queen’s Arcade, and a move to it’s current location, it has been recognised by the BBC’s Culture Show and awarded for being ‘An Influential Meeting Point For Generations of Welsh musicians’ so it’s no wonder that much of the local scene relies on Spiller’s both as a record store and as one of the hearts of social interaction amongst musicians in Cardiff. Quench went along to

the store comes from us and from our interaction with our customers; what we stock is more intuitive in that way.' In addition to the customary selling of established artists, the store welcomes the participation of local unsigned talent to advertise shows, search for new band members or release material without the aid of record companies. This is, of course, a huge part of Spiller's influence in Cardiff: by acting as a staple of the unsigned and up-and-coming musical community it provides support for dozens of local artists and bands who might otherwise struggle in an industry often governed by business rather than talent.

'I don't think the average person realises how manipulated they are by the Major record companies and their advertising and promotional tactics' Todd states. 'At Spiller's we tend to steer away from the more commercial releases that are everywhere, in places like supermarkets and sell more alternative releases that don't get as much exposure elsewhere.' It is this stubbornness for independence that makes Spiller's so vital to

"It seems like the world is

getting way too homogenised"

interview Senior Manager Ashli Todd, who shared her ideas on the store's significance to the the Welsh music scene.

Primarily, Spiller’s prides itself on it's relationship with customers. Ashli tells Quench, 'Everything we stock and play in

our local music scene; it is a record store bursting with character, and a passion for avoiding the easy-route that makes Spiller’s so unique when compared to commercial high street giants. Phil Guy

Monday 22nd

Glasvegas @ Barfly

Tuesday 23rd

Beggars @ Barfly

Rolo Tomassi @ Croft, Bristol Golden Silvers @ The Louisiana, Bristol

Thursday 25th

Cajun Dance Party @ Thekla, Bristol

Friday 26th

Johnny Foreigner @ Barfly The Rollin’ Clones @ The Point

Saturday 27th

Little Boots @ Thekla, Bristol

The Other Smiths @ Barfly

Sunday 28th

Foals @ Students’ Union

Hot Club de Paris @ Clwb Ifor Bach Whte Lies @ Thekla, Bristol

Tuesday 30th

Ladyhawk @ Clwb Ifor Bach Dragonforce @ Students’ Union

Thursday 2nd

One Night Only @ Students’ Union Longview @ Thekla, Bristol

Friday 3rd Foals Olympic Airways Transgressive

The Spinto Band @ The Louisiana, Bristol Islands @ The Cooler, Bristol

Saturday 4th

Friendly Fires @ Clwb Ifor Bach

The Hold Steady @ Anson Rooms, Bristol

Sunday 5th

The Ting Tings @ Students’ Union Seasick Steve @ Carling Academy , Bristol

This might not be the spiky mathinspired indie-rock of old, but Foals deliver a mature even if slightly uneventful offering that hints the Oxford quintet have hidden depths. KE

6

Throw away the lyrcis and this is actually a half decent Weezer song. Big riffs, a catchy chorus and outrageous guitars - unfortunately just lacking that killer punch, though. KE

Ouch my ears! Along the lines of Glasgow Mega Snake from 2007’s Mr Beast, this is big, heavy and pleasing. Arguably too long, but post-rock normally is. PG

This is big, camp and utterly ridiculous. It’s a wonder that this made the cut for Apocalypso, let alone a single release. Personally, I am going to pretend that this song never happened, and listen to Beams instead. PG

Industrial percussion, tense synth parts and Beth Gibbons’ trademark bitter-sweet vocals; We Carry On is the third single from Portishead’s album Third, and it’s just great. PG

8

Oh, they’ve gone and done it. Yes, Yo! Majesty might just have released the club hit of the year. I could well be sick of it come Christmas, but for now “fuck dat shit”. KE

7 Oh, 3 7 7 9

Wild Beasts have delivered us another cut from their astonishingly accomplished debut, I have no idea what he’s singing about but since he’s basically the male Kate Bush that’s of no relevance. GF

9

Golden Age marks the glorious return of TVOTR. With its funky bassline, soulful vocals and reverbladen production surely I’m not alone in frothing at the mouth for Dear Science,? GF

FIlm.

THEY MIGHT AS WELL CALL IT WHITEJACK!

This summer, film and television "got a little less funny" with the deaths of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, aged 50 and 65. Mac, who appeared in the Oceans trilogy, Transformers and Charlie's Angels, died in hospital on August 9th from pneumonia. Since his death, many friends and colleagues have paid tribute to the late star, including comedian Chris Rock; "Bernie was one of the greatest friends a person could have. Losing him is like losing 12 people because he absolutely filled up any room he was in." Hayes, who wrote the theme to Shaft, also provided the voice for the Chef in adult animated series, South Park, and died of a suspected stroke.

WILL WE EVER SEE PARNASSUS?

So apparently, it would seem that Terry Gilliam is without a distributor for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the film that features Heath Ledger's last ever performance alongside his replacements, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gilliam is finding it tough selling Parnassus to distributors because of his 'unreliability'. Despite much press coverage about Ledger's last feature-film appearance, the Twelve Monkeys director has not yet struck a solid deal that will ensure that audiences see Imaginarium in 2009.

news.rumours.conjecture. news.rumours.conjecture. news.rumours.conjecture. news.rumours.conjecture. news.rumours.conjecture.

tropic thunder

dir: ben stiller

cast: ben stiller, robert downey jr., jack black, steve coogan out now, 107 mins

Synopsis: Behind schedule and over budget, Damien Cockburn’s (Steve Coogan) wartime memoir is under serious pressure. In desperation, the flustering director turns to Vietnam vet “Four Leaf” Tayback (Nick Nolte) who suggests giving his primadonna stars a sense of reality.

Twenty years from its initial inception, Ben Stiller’s self directed Vietnam War spoof has arrived with a swagger. The opening scene is epic. Sweeping through the heart of the Vietnamese jungle, plunging you into familiar territory. Breathtaking cinematography and a martial score mix with pensive narration. This is a War film.

The sheer grandeur of the

opening is almost overwhelming, before someone yells “cut!” and the real Tropic Thunder jumps into action. References to classic War films are unashamedly blatant, the flop-within-a-film format justifying such transparency. Significantly, however, war and War films are not the punch line; the primary target is the movie industry itself. Highlighting this, three faux-film trailers prelude the film. Each introduces a different lead character, whilst satirising a Hollywood which so often misses the point, misjudging its audience with cheap, lazy comedies.

Of course it is difficult to ignore the irony of actors lampooning the very industry which has granted them success, but this film repeatedly hits the right note.

The A-list ensemble turn in some of the freshest, most daring comedic performances in recent memory. Stiller is in back-to-best form as misguided action man Tugg Speedman, whilst Jack Black is typically outrageous as lewd funny man Jeff Portnoy. Then there’s Downey Jr’s unforgettable

Kirk Lazarus, whose method-like dedication to staying in character keeps the film rolling, even when the cameras aren’t. In order to play the role of an African American sergeant, the acclaimed Australian thesp undergoes a controversial skin-pigmentation procedure. The result is a blacked-up Downey Jr. (who is just so hot right now) in a role only he could pull off. Appearances from Hollywood icons past and present pepper the film too, most memorably that of Tom Cruise, in what is quite simply the cameo of the decade. Obvious criticism lies with the film's unashamed political incorrectness, which is prevalent throughout. The script repeatedly flirts with the boundaries of taste, but Stiller’s writing has never shied from such foreplay in the past. You can write off every bad sequel and miss-fire Stiller comedy of the last few years, safe in the knowledge that the sacrifice was for the greater good. Tropic Thunder is not just the funniest film of the year but, in time, may well be revered as the pinnacle of Stillers’ career. Adam Woodward

hellboy II: the golden army

dir: guilermo del toro cast: ron perlman, doug jones, selma blair out now, 120 mins

Synopsis: Struggling to accept his life of secrecy and the compromises expected of him by squeeze Liz (Blair), Hellboy's (Perlman) troubles escalate as he becomes embroiled in ancient war between man and the magical realm.

Big Red’s first outing on the big screen, 2004’s Hellboy, went largely under the radar despite muted critical acclaim. Since the success of Del Toro’s gothic fairytale Pans Labyrinth however, the Mexican has become the hottest director in Hollywood. The latest instalment of Mike Mignola’s graphic novel has had no chance of being ignored this time around.

It is somewhat disappointing, then, that opening scene fails to excite in the way we might have expected. Thankfully, the scene is salvaged by a delightfully realised puppet re-enactment of the ancient myth that comes to dominate the lives of Hellboy and his paranormal investigation team, and, from this point on, Hellboy II never looks back.

Unlike many of the superhero films of recent years, Hellboy stays true to the spirit of its source material, retaining the dry, playful tone of Mike Mignola’s graphic novels as well as the heavily stylised aesthetic. Rather than trying to sanitise Mignola’s world, Del Toro revels in the world of grotesque fantasy. It is this refreshingly unapologetic attitude to the film’s ‘comic book’ roots that sets apart Hellboy from the bulk of the superhero films.

The Troll Market set piece stunningly illustrates Del Toro’s beautiful eye for design and attention to detail, a bustling, grotesque, art deco visual feast that cannot help but betray the enthusiasm and love that the director has put into this film. The characters are given more room to breathe and to grow, lending warmth and humour to the movie.

Indeed, it is exactly these feelings that make Hellboy II such a delight to watch. The entire film feels like a lovingly prepared homage to cherished novel: delicate, subtle and uncompromisingly faithful. It isn’t perfect, but then again, the best films usually aren’t, are they? Sim Eckstein

wall-e

dir: andrew stanton cast: ben burtt, elissa knight out now, 98 mins

Synopsis: After spending more than 700 years cleaning up the rubbish that humans left on earth, WALL-E’s attention is diverted from collecting waste to wooing sleek super-robot EVE, a scout from the new home of Earth’s population. Soon, the fate of all humanity rests in the little robot's hands.

With the release of Ratatouille last year it seemed Pixar had reach unassailable heights in both story telling and animation. ‘Surely’, we postulated, ‘nothing will top this wonderful piece of cinema for many a year’. WALL-E, Pixar’s ninth feature length movie, shows us that, frankly speaking, we all have shit-for-brains.

Quite simply, WALL-E is a masterpiece. With no dialogue for the first thirty minutes or so, it's evident from the off that Pixar have resisted the temptation to repeat the successfully established buddy movie formula and have made a far more ambitious movie. The extent of their ambition, however, is startling. With the main character remaining virtually mute throughout, Stanton put a lot of faith in his animators' ability to invest what is essentially a large amount of pixels with personality. They have repaid that faith in spades, invoking some of silent film’s greatest exponents. Indeed it is not an exaggeration to suggest that WALL-E, at times, boasts all of the expressiveness of Chaplin in his prime.

Despite the movie’s bleak opening and melancholy tone, it succeeds in having universal appeal and, unlike many animated films of late, it does so without resorting to the Shrek 2 technique of relying slapstick and smut. Beautifully written, laugh out loud funny and genuinely heart warming, WALL-E, is as close to the perfect family film as you are likely to see. Pixar have raised the bar again. Sim Eckstein

It is not an exaggeration to suggest that WALL-E, at times, boasts all of the expressiveness of Chaplin in his prime.

you cannot

As part of Film Desk’s Summer Review, Francesca Dark Knight. Set in a cityscape embroiled of the hero and the villain in spectacular

At the time of going to press, The Dark Knight has broken eight box-office records and holds the position of second highest grossing film of all time behind Titanic. An impressive feat, even for a film as highly anticipated as this one. With controversy swirling around the BBFC’s 12A certification and Christian Bale’s alleged assault of his mother and sister, the sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins has rarely been out of public discussion since its release in July. So what exactly is it about TDK that has surpassed all expectations set for the comic-book movie, and is it really as flawless as the world seems to think?

you thought we could be decent men at an indecent time " " (Two-Face

It is achingly difficult to try and pinpoint what makes this film so menacingly wonderful. It may well be the sleek cinematography and dark representation of Gotham City, or the explosive action sequences packed to the inch with fire, violence and devastation, or perhaps it’s in the tiny details of the

be serious!

Francesca Jarvis takes a look back at this summer’s most successful blockbuster , The embroiled in corruption and immorality, the latest Batman installment challenges our notions fashion...

construction of character. Whether you can single out just one of these aspects or not, there’s no denying the power of performance in The Dark Knight.

Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent plays a hugely symbolic and tragic role in Nolan’s story. His rise and fall, as orchestrated courtesy of Ledger’s Joker, teaches us all that there isn’t always happy endings in the world of the blockbuster; far from it, in fact. Dent’s transformation from wise white-knight intent on saving the heart of Gotham to a desperate and tragic menace is perhaps one of the most underrated elements of the whole film. In complete contrast then, comes Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker, drenched in hype since his untimely death in January of this year. It may be no surprise that the role has been perhaps the most talked-about aspect of the movie, with tremendous critical reception and calls for an Oscar nod come 2009. And for completely good reason. Ledger is a mascot for chaos, with sadistic characteristics and an urge for rebellion. As Michael Caine’s Alfred puts it so brilliantly; “Some men just want to watch the world burn”. The Joker encapulates this statement vividly, entering the realm of comedic maniac in a beautifully written and constructed character. His vice for destruction and demolition is echoed in every little mannerism and detail, every lick of the lips, and every line delivered dripping with sardonic deliberation.

The Dark Knight will always hold echoes of the tragedy of

Ledger’s death, but it never fully overwhelms the performance or the film itself. There is thankfully a gulf of distance between Ledger and his Joker; one that the audience can distinguish between and enjoy regardless of the circumstances of the world outside Gotham City. And if that isn’t the mark of a truly fine actor, then I’m not sure what is.

Despite Ledger’s status as crux of the film, Christian Bale is still wonderfully tortured as playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, fighting with what it means to be Gotham’s most unlikely self-sacrificing anti-hero, and star turns from Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhaal are all equally as solid.

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introduce a little anarchy (The Joker "

Nolan's second directorial meeting with the Batman franchise is arguably a more sleek and grittier affair than the first, bringing the terrorised streets of Gotham alive with blue-tinted spectacle and an uneasy sentiment of fear that trails the plot as it reaches some of its more pivotal moments. Critics have compared this unease to a mirroring of our world in a post9/11 state, inside an atmosphere of orchestrated fear and terror that

is so prominent throughout the Western world. Nolan's Gotham is a city plagued by this type of terror, one that lingers and unsettles both its inhabitants and its audience.

One major criticism of the film that seemed to appear in the days following its release was its epic 152 minutes running time. A time that resulted in parts 'dragging', and certainly not a time suitable for a children's film. But let's remember something: Batman, under the new watch of Christopher Nolan, has never claimed to be short, simple and child-friendly. Instead, we are delivered an intense tale of morality, sacrifice, terror and violence in a world created from make-believe. The Daily Mail recently waged a hate-campaign on the British Board of Film Classification for their certification of the film, claiming it too violent and terrifying for children 12 and under to watch. It's no Spiderman, but the origins of comic-book come from the imagination, and this is merely Nolan's.

It's uncertain where the franchise goes from here. With such a successful release financially and critically, it's almost a dead cert that the studios will want more of the same in years to come. With the third act bringing some atonshing surprises however, the future for Bruce Wayne and Batman is ultimately shrouded in a shadowy ambiguity. Whatever happens next for the dark knight, it'll be tough to top this summer's biggest, and undoubtedly best, movie. It's by no means flawless, but it's about as close as you're going to get.

CARDIFF CINEMAS

Cineworld: Mary Ann St. 0871 200 2000

CARDIFFCINEMAS

Love film? Then you’ve come to the right city. Four cinemas spread across Cardiff offer a fantastic movie experience, whatever your mood or taste. Here’s what you need to know:

www.cineworld.co.uk

Boasting a Block-busting twelve screens, Cineworld is Cardiff’s largest cinema. Situated opposite the CIA and just a short walk from the city centre, you’ll be spoilt for choice with a variety of films, from Hollywood to Bollywood. Catering for students, 2 for 1 tickets are available Monday to Thursday via Studentbeans.com. So you can pocket some spare cash, or, if you’re feeling extra chivalrous, buy your date some flowers or something.

Chapter:

Market road 029 2031 1050 www.chapter.org

Vue:

Wood Street

0871 224 0240

www.myvue.com

Set amongst some of the city’s top bars and restaurants, Vue is the alternative central Cardiff cinema. Although not the biggest in-town multiplex, you’ll find a range of films at competitive rates and times. Perfect if you prefer your movie going experience on the cosier side, but perhaps not the film lover’s choice. Still, a great place to unwind for a few hours with a date/friend/associate (delete as applicable).

If over priced Pik’n’Mix and Pepsi-swilling chavs aren’t quite your bag, then Chapter is the place for you. Its two screens offer a unique atmosphere and an array of arthouse and mainstream flicks, as well as theatre productions and gallery exhibits. Located in Canton, Chapter may be a little further out of town, but you’ll want to spend the trip home impressing your date with your freshly in-touch sense of culture.

Odeon:

Red Dragon Centre Hemingway Road 0871 224 4007

www.odeon.co.uk

Venture down to Cardiff’s newly rejuvenated Bay for a night out and Odeon will provide you with all your basic cinema requirements. If you’re not that side of Cardiff, however, then the more central (and cheaper) cinemas are your best bet. Although, on the plus side, if your film of choice turns out to be complete twaddle, there’s always the neighbouring bowling alley. Date saved. 46 / film@gairrhydd.com

Ah, the movie villain, one of mainstream cinema’s great staples. More than a mere ‘bad-guy’ and yet distinct from those characters who send chills to our very soul, the movie villain captures our attention and affections with a delicate balance of malevolence and charisma, malice and melodramatics, immorality and a sense of humour. They make us smile admiringly against our better judgment, they excite us with their grotesque vitality, they make us root for them instead of the hero. In short, they make many a film worth watching. Here is our pick of the top 5 movie villains.

THE JOKER - THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

Much has been said about the late Heath Ledger’s performance as Batman’s equal and opposite nemesis in The Dark Knight, but few could deny that his Joker is one of the most compelling villains of this century. Balancing the psychotic fury and violence of the murderous clown with unhinged theatrics and sense of humour (“How about a magic trick?”), Ledger moved the Joker away from Nicholson’s pantomime baddy and created the paradigm of modern villainy. Truly an unstoppable force…and he made it look so damn fun.

COUNT OLAF - LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004)

In post-Potter scramble to film every child friendly book under the sun, this gothic gem passed somewhat under the radar. However, boasting a truly wonderful villain in the form of Jim

Carey’s Count Olaf, it deserves a renaissance of interest. Intent on getting his hands of the three Baudelaire children’s inheritance, Olaf dons ever more ridiculous disguises as he carries out his increasingly wicked and desperate schemes, and is the perfect vehicle for Carey’s ‘love it or hate it’ inimitable style. Over the top, grotesque and totally morally bankrupt, you cannot help but fall in love with the man.

ALAN RICKMAN – ANY NUMBER OF FILMS (1988 – PRESENT)

I’m sure that Alan Rickman is a nice man in reality. He probably helps the homeless or nurses sick kittens back to health. On screen, however, he seems incapable of resisting the role of the archetypal villain. Be it the ever so slightly camp but unervingly menacing Snape in Potter, the ludicrously melodramic Sheriff of Nottingham, Judge Turpin in Sweeny Todd or Hans Gruber in Die Hard, the man embodies villainy on celluloid, and for that we salute him.

DARTH VADER – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

Plastic face? Check. Billowing cloak? Check. Seriously imposing baritone voice? Most definitely check. Vader is the classic villain. In fact, I’d go as far as suggesting that even those others on this illustrious list would be quaking in their boots at the thought of trying to pull off a fight to the death and a shocking, emotional reveal whilst clad in black PVC.

URSULA – THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)

Quite simply Ursula scared the shit out of me when I was a child. It might have been something to with the fact that she looked exactly like my Grandma if she had been a purple Octopus (she wasn’t, by the way), but the charismatic wickedness of the octopod witch is still infectious today.

Words - Sim Eckstein

Images - Benjy Phillips

max payne

dir: john moore

cast: mark wahlberg, mila kunis, ludacris out now, 100 mins

Synopsis: New York detective Max Payne arrives home one evening to find that his wife and newborn baby have been raped and murdered by a gang of hoodlums raging off a new super drug known as Valkyr. Cue a quest for revenge that leads him into the city’s dark underworld.

As a fan of the Max Payne computer games, I was pleased to find that the film’s story line follows the plot of the first game pretty faithfully. Considering the woeful track record of films based on video games (Doom, Hitman, Street Fighter etc), this adaptation goes some way to break from the mould.

The film, as a whole, is highly stylised and pretty to watch. The gritty, noir-esque quality of the graphic novel sections featured in the game remains, and there are some great shots lifted directly from this for those in the audience that recognise them.

The film’s lead roles, however, are horribly miscast. Mark Wahlberg is just not menacing enough, and the part would have been far better off in the hands of someone like Micky Rourke. Mila Kunis (yes her out of That 70’s Show) is so comically unbelievable as femme fatale Mona Sax that you want to slap her until she goes home and stops looking like an angry kitten.

Interestingly enough the game’s signature selling point, it’s pioneering use of Matrix-lifted ‘bullet time’ , is rather under used in the film, although the moments when it is are satisfying to a degree. Overall, it’s a fair attempt at capturing the mood of the game, that should hold some appeal to fans of the Payne universe, but definitely won’t be causing any major reactions beyond that.

Alex Gwillam

zack and miri

make a porno

dir: kevin smith cast: seth rogen, elizabeth banks out now, 101 mins

Synopsis: When long time roommates Zack Brown (Rogen) and Miriam Linky (Banks) run into some financial trouble they find themselves facing homelessness. Down on their luck the pair decides that the best way to make hard, fast cash is to make a porno. But as filming begins, what started out as a business proposition between friends turns into something much more.

It seems odd that this film fits so well into the Apatow mould, especially as it was Smith who began paving the way for such gross-out flicks well over a decade ago. Perhaps the mentor has become pupil, but perhaps that is too harsh and too easy a right off. The joy of all of this vulgarity is that after all these years, Kevin Smith still finds sex a sordid affair, and this cum-com exemplifies his penchant for filthy film-making.

The Jew-fro sporting Rogen, whose embodiment of all things slacker makes him the ideal Smith alter-ego, once again exhibits the bumbling charm that has seen him become Hollywood’s latest comedy golden boy. There are equally strong turns from the evereffervescent Elizabeth Banks, while Justin Long puts in a scene-stealing cameo as the gay porn star lover of high school player Bobby Long (Brandon Routh). Fans of Smith's earlier work will be pleased to see some familiar faces amongst the cast too, most notably Jason Mewes in characteristically indecent form as Lester the Molester.

A razor sharp script proves Smith is still the daddy of offbeat dialogue and outrageous one-liners. There is plenty of fruitful titillation too (after all, this is a porno), but the narrative at times borders on tedious and generally fails to get the blood pumping. There are moments of unadulterated smut and genuinely stomach-churning lewdness that only Smith could deliver with such impenitence, but scattered amongst all the sentiment their impact is short lived.

Slushy ending aside, this is still Smith’s finest work for some time; it’s edgy, ruthlessly rude and above all very funny, but ultimately falls just short of delivering that much needed money shot.

Randy Longhorn

albums albums albums albums

Nights Out

After 2006’s lo-fi release Pip Paine (Pay Back the £5000 You Owe), Joseph Mount and co. have been very busy indeed. With a flourish of singles with only limited availability online, its been difficult to keep up with the fast rate of output. What a relief it is then that Nights Out encompasses everything you may have missed from Metronomy in the last few years, including older pop gems My Heart Rate Rapid and Radio Ladio. It's nice to finally have the older songs on hard copy, and they slot in perfectly with the rest of Nights Out. To accompany these older songs are newer singles Heartbreaker and Holiday, and a handful of new unheard tracks, all of which continue very much in Metronomy’s quirky, intricate flavour. Of course, the fact that half of these songs are months old and already established in their own right means that Nights Out is in some ways a kind of half album/ half compilation for older fans. It was always going to be a difficult balancing act, but Nights Out successfully combines the old with the new, and this should satisfy fans and strangers alike.

Phil Guy

PARENTHETICAL GIRLS Entanglements

Tomlab

Beautiful, witty, theatrical and perverse, the latest record from Parenthetical Girls sees them expand their sound with orchestral arrangements. And the result? Perhaps their most spectacular album to date, and surely their best hope yet at finding success on UK shores.

OKKERVIL RIVER The

Stand Ins Jagjaguwar

Will Sheff and co’s latest outing is compiled from material which didn’t make it onto 2007’s The Stage Names. While this suggests a hastily pasted together leftovers album nothing could be further from the truth. The Austin band have of course pulled this stunt before with Black Sheep Boy Appendix, but the difference this time around is that The Stand-Ins feels like a stand alone album.

Like their other outings, the first thing about Okkervil which knocks you for six is the sheer quality of vocalist Will Sheff’s lyrics. He is essentially a story teller and The Stand-Ins is brimming with tall tales and heartfelt biographies, perhaps the most notable of these is the last track which suggests the feelings of failed glam singer Jobraith in 1979, four years before his death.

Interspersed within the record are three instrumental interludes. Presumably these were included to tie The Stand-Ins together although they are unnecessary and only really serve to pad out the track listing. But, when your only real gripe with an album is that there aren’t enough songs, you know you’re onto a winner.

Guy Ferneyhough

On the surface the delicate instrumentation seems to possess a certain innocence, yet upon delving further into the mind of frontman Zac Pennington we begin to reveal a much darker picture. Lyrics of love and torment tackle extreme subjects, yet the songwriting is consistently clever and precise. Avenue of trees for example, tells a story of a pederastic relationship, but its careful construction results in a desperately fragile love letter evoking melancholy rather than hatred. Whilst the lyrical content is often dark there is a surprisingly light feel to Entanglements. In the first half at least, the sheer melodrama created by strings and brass are more reminiscent of show tunes than gloomy alternative pop songs. Album opener Four Words begins with tinkling piano but quickly races off the page at whirlwind pace, sweeping you off your feet in the process before landing back down softly. Although there are moments towards the end that lack the instant appeal of the beginning, the album's easily digestible 11-track length doesn’t allow it to droop in the mid-section. So whilst closing track 'The Regrettable End' might be aptly titled in some respects, perhaps the record's modest length works in its favour. Either way, it's an accomplished collection of material from a band growing in confidence, and a sure contender to be one of the albums of the year.

Kyle Ellison 9