The Edit, Issue No. 006, ‘The Bucket List’
CONTENTS NEWS
8-10
Romeo and Juliet... Or Is It? There’s a Campaign of Hate Waiting at the School Gates
The Edit, Issue No. 006, ‘The Bucket List’
FEATURES The People’s Zero The Leadership Race
ARTS & CULTURE
11-15
16-21
Ecstasy Fourteen Things to do Before You Die (That Will Kill You) Plume A Bucket List With a Cultural Twist
MUSIC Karen and Johnny Little Dose Review Ones to Watch
22-25
FASHION
26-33
Fashion Girls on Film Debenhams Impress With Designer Fashion Glasgow Designers Go Global
SPORT
34-41
Muay Thai Fight Night
THE EDIT THE EDIT THE EDIT TEAM/ TEAM/ TEAM/ CONTRIBCONTRIBCONTRIBUTORS UTORS UTORS FEATURES NEWS FEATURES
NEWS
NEWS
LAUREN SIMPSON LAUREN lsimps30@ caledonian.ac.uk SIMPSON lsimps30@ caledonian.ac.uk
PR MANPR AGER MANAGER
ARTS & CULARTS TURE & CULFEATURE TURES
SIOBHAN VICTORIA McDADE LAUREN SIOBHAN smcdad12@ PATERSON VICTORIA SIMPSON caledonian.ac.uk VICTORIA vpater12@ McDADE PATERSON lsimps30@ caledonian.ac.uk smcdad12@ PATERSON caledonian.ac.uk vpater12@ caledonian.ac.uk vpater12@ caledonian.ac.uk caledonian.ac.uk
FUNDRAISING FUNDMANAGRAISING PR ER MANAGMANER AGER
PHOTO FUNDMANPHOTO RAISING AGER MANMANAGER AGER
ARTS & CULTURE MUSIC MUSIC
EDITOR
EDITOR EDITOR DEPUTY EDI- DEPUDEPUTY EDITOR TY EDI- TOR TOR CHRISTINA LITTLE CHRISTINA clittl21@ caledonian.ac.uk LITTLE clittl21@ caledonian.ac.uk
FASION
FASION SPORT MUSIC SPORT
NADINE WALKER SIOBHAN VICKY NADINE nadinewalker McDADE IRVINE VICKY fashion@live. WALKER smcdad12@ VICKY victoriairvine. co.uk IRVINE nadinewalker caledonian.ac.uk journalism@ IRVINE victoriairvine. fashion@live. gmail.com victoriairvine. journalism@ co.uk journalism@ gmail.com gmail.com
PHOPHOTO TOGRAMANPHOPHY AGER TOGRAPHY
CHRISTINA LITTLE clittl21@ caledonian.ac.uk KEIRA MURRAY KEIRA keira-murray@ hotmail.com MURRAY keira-murray@ FASION hotmail.com
NADINE SAHIIL WALKER JAIDKA nadinewalker SAHIIL sahiljaidka@ fashion@live. hotmail.com co.uk JAIDKA sahiljaidka@ hotmail.com
KEIRA MURRAY keira-murray@ hotmail.com
SPORT
SAHIIL JAIDKA sahiljaidka@ hotmail.com
PHOTOGRA- PHODESIGN PHOPHOTOGRAPHY DESIGN TOGRATOGRA- PHY DESIGN PHY PHY
MELANIE DAVID PHOEBE FINDLAY GILMOUR DAVID GRANIA LEWIS INGLISPHOEBE MELANIE melanie.findlay@ AISHLING SHANKLEY GRANIA DAVID daveygilmour@ GILMOUR BORON LEWIS PHOEBE hotmail.co.uk HOLMES INGLISFINDLAY live.co.uk STAUNTON AISHLING GILMOUR GRANIA grania_28@ daveygilmour@ LEWIS lewisboron@ www.melanie SHANKLEY BORON INGLISphoebeihmedia@ HOLMES melanie.findlay@ AISHLING aishling daveygilmour@ live.co.uk hotmail.co.uk btinternet.com STAUNTON SHANKLEY findlay.com grania_28@ BORON lewisboron@ gmail.com hotmail.co.uk HOLMES phoebeihmedia@ staunton@ live.co.uk STAUNTON aishling grania_28@ hotmail.co.uk lewisboron@ btinternet.com www.melanie phoebeihmedia@ gmail.com yahoo.ie aishling staunton@ hotmail.co.uk btinternet.com findlay.com gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS: staunton@ yahoo.ie Simon Ward, Lewis Boron, GCU Students Association, The Drama Society, Jim Griffin, yahoo.ie CONTRIBUTORS:
MELANIE FINDLAY melanie.findlay@ hotmail.co.uk www.melanie findlay.com
Caroline Armour, Berlin Marathon Archoive, Daily Mail,Lewis Tawfik H Ibrahim, Rachel Fulton, John Johnston, RobSociety, Douse,Jim Roar Teigum, CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Ward, Boron, GCU Students Association, The Drama Griffin, Esler, Facebook, Elizabeth Ather, Collette Cullen, Little Doses, Atlantic Records, Mark Osborne, Gordon Ritchie, Sarah Vieira Da Douse, Cruz, Roar Teigum, Simon Ward, Lewis Boron, GCU Students Association, The Drama Society, Jim Griffin, Caroline Armour, Berlin Marathon Archoive, Daily Mail, Tawfik H Ibrahim, Rachel Fulton, John Johnston, Rob EmilyShona Morton, David Muir, Mhairi McGowan, Amber Khan, Chris Amos, Suzie Goldberg, Jonathan Daniel Pryce, Caroline Armour, Berlin Marathon Archoive, Daily Mail, Tawfik H Ibrahim, Rachel Fulton, John Johnston, Rob Douse, Roar Teigum, Esler, Facebook, Elizabeth Ather, Collette Cullen, Little Doses, Atlantic Records, Mark Osborne, Gordon Ritchie, Sarah Vieira Da Cruz, Claire Thompson, Carol Cullen, Fairfield, Silvia Pellegrino, KatRecords, McBride, Daniyall Qazi, ToniSuzie Lennox Esler, Facebook, Elizabeth Ather, Collette Little Doses, Atlantic Mark Osborne, Gordon Ritchie, Sarah Vieira Cruz,Pryce, Emily Morton, David Muir, Mhairi McGowan, Amber Khan, Chris Amos, Goldberg, JonathanDaDaniel Emily Morton, David Muir, Mhairi Khan, Chris Amos, SuzieKat Goldberg, Jonathan Daniel ClaireMcGowan, Thompson,Amber Carol Fairfield, Silvia Pellegrino, McBride, Daniyall Qazi,Pryce, Toni Lennox COVER IMAGE: Adapted Kat fromMcBride, The Seattle Times Qazi, Toni Lennox Claire Thompson, Carol Fairfield, Silvia Pellegrino, Daniyall COVER IMAGE: Adapted from The Seattle Times COVER IMAGE: Adapted from The Seattle Times
EDITOR’S LETTER WORDS: Christina Little
I
t’s coming to that time of year again when The Edit finishes up and offers it’s last edition for the academic year. But don’t worry! We’re back again next year with a fresh new editorial team. So last issue.. what were we going to do to go out with a bang? Bucket List Issue seemed appropriate. By this point I’m guessing everyone has heard of a bucket list? For those shaking their heads it’s a list made up of things to do before you die. By this I do not mean moments before you die, jump on the next plane to wherever and complete your bucket list. In this issue, we explore the extreme and the wacky in a bid to bring to you the very best in bucket list todo’s. In the last academic year The Edit has evolved tremendously. We have introduced our very own blog www.theeditgcu.wordpress. com, shifted to an online output for the vast majority of our issues and held a very successful Vintage Rocks night to name a few. Admittedly I’ll be sad to leave at the end of this year, but I have no doubt what so ever that the new team will bring even more excitement and bustle to The Edit. Have a good summer and hope your exams go well. Christina, The Editor
8 / NEWS / The Edit
THERE’S A CAMPAIGN OF HATE WAITING AT THE SCHOOL
GATES
https://www.facebook.com/IntCampaign vpe@gcu.ac.uk WORDS: Simon Ward VPE PHOTOGRAPHY: Lewis Boron, GCU Students Association
‘GCU students unable to apply for the Poststudy Work VISA’s that they believed they were entitled to’
The Edit / NEWS / 9
T
he UK Governments heavy handed decision to clamp down on immigration in April 2011 has left 220 GCU students unable to apply for the Post-study Work VISA’s that they believed they were entitled to when they first enrolled as GCU Students in January 2011. The UK Border Agency ruled last April that the Post-study Work VISA route for Non-EU International students will no longer be available for application after April 2012. This leaves this group of students at GCU - and hundreds more in the UK - with drastically limited options for continuing to work and live in the UK beyond graduation in June this year. This is despite footing the hefty bill for their own education and in turn allowing all Scottish and EU students to be educated in Scotland for free. By picking this arbitrary closing date for applications of April 2012 - out of sync with the academic calendar - the Government has not only displayed a lack of coherence with their own Higher Education sector, but most importantly shown how little they really care for the welfare and future of the Non-EU International Students. This Post-study Work VISA is one of the main attractions to most, if not all, Non-EU International Students coming to study in the UK, with successful applications granting these students legal access to skilled work in the UK for two years. As well as helping to pay off the large debts of tuition fee that they are subjected to in the UK, the VISA gives them the invaluable experience of working in a sector that they have studied, honing their skills which they can then take back to their home countries, having a directly positive impact – often in areas lacking in educated and experienced workers.
These two years of skilled working experience has benefit’s far greater than the Con-Dem Government seem to fathom. As well as the benefits they have to industry in less developed countries, there is the wider benefit of having a culturally vibrant Island, filled with ambitious and mobile students and professionals aspiring to succeed outside of their culture and comfort zones. Having written to the Education Minister, Mike Russell, highlighting the damage this issue will have on both the students themselves and Scotland, GCU Students Association and National Union of Students are now campaigning together to lobby the Home Office, demanding that they offer a special dispensatory window in June to allow these students to apply for a PSW VISA. In retrospect, with the Con-Dem coalition in charge during such economically hostile times, there should have been a sense that some sections of society would suffer the most; however this obvious shorttermism shown by the government will not tackle the problem areas that come with immigration but will only serve to marginalise International Students in the UK, damaging the prospects of our current and future students. The damage to the HE sector as a whole will be huge with the possibility of even fewer students and staff members becoming internationally mobile, as well as the curriculum and teaching methods remaining inflexible and old fashioned, but that will be for another government to resolve so they’ve no need to worry. If you’re passionate about this issue and would like to join the campaign then sign up the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/IntCampaign and give us your opinions, or alternatively email me on vpe@gcu.ac.uk.
10 / NEWS / The Edit
ROMEO & JULIET... OR IS IT? WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: The Drama Society
The Drama Society is Putting on a Play!
T
he play will be taking place in Caley on Tuesday 3 April it will be free but you must have a ticket to attend.
So what’s it all about?
Sneaking in to each other’s universities is dangerous, and people are starting to talk. When Jules is caught on CCTV footage going to Strathclyde the night it is set on fire things turn nasty. This all somehow leads to an ‘epic pub quiz finale’. Whoever wins, also wins Jules back. With Strathy thinking they know it all, will Rory be able to win his love back? We are having a Strathclyde and Caledonian side. This means we can literally go head to head with the epic pub quiz and show Strathy who is boss.
A slightly (very) modified version of Romeo and Juliet. The age of Facebook is here, and meme’s have led to a divide between Strathclyde and Caledonian students. Rory So please…come along and help us win and Jules, a pair from opposing universities Jules back, for Rory and show Strathy we are however can’t stay away from each other. not just a college turned university!
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THE LEADERSHIP RACE WORDS: Victoria Paterson PHOTOGRAPHY: Tawfik H Ibrahim, Lewis Boron
12 / FEATURES / The Edit
A
round January every year University buildings start getting covered in brightly coloured posters, students in equally bright t-shirts are around campus campaigning for your vote, and your Facebook news feed becomes a midden of tagged campaign photos and status updates telling you who they are and therefore who you should be voting for, as the Students Association holds its annual Students Election to decide who will be leading the organisation as well as who will be representing you as students for the next year. These elections are really important to you as students as the sabbatical officers elected in the positions of Student President, Vice President of Education, Vice President of Wellbeing and Vice President of Activities as well as the student trustees and NUS delegates all work to ensure that the services and activities offered at GCU are improved and that your voice as a student is heard. So far this year the officers elected at
the last campaign race have been involved in campaigning with unions on campus to protect the public sector pensions of staff and graduates, delayed cuts on library opening hours and had Facebook banned on the third level of the Saltire Centre, cut our energy consumption and increased the level of activities offered by the association to the largest ever. All this to improve your lives as students, so it was definitely worth paying attention to who was campaigning and making your vote for this year’s officers and trustees count. This year’s election candidates proved their passion for GCU and want to follow in the great work left by this year’s officers by campaigning tirelessly over the past few weeks. I’m sure many of you will have seen
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them at your lectures trying to get your vote as well as standing in the rain and cold at the front entrance to campus handing out flyers and talking to students in slogan t-shirts. Think my favourite was new Vice President of Wellbeing Sinead Wylie’s meerkat ‘Vote Sinead… simples’ how someone managed to paint a meerkat in that detail into a cotton t-shirt… They also had to prove their worth at candidate’s question time and explain as well as face questions from students on what they would like to improve and why they deserved the job the most. They all put a massive effort into their campaigning and every candidate proved they wanted and deserved the jobs on offer but it all came down to election week from the 27th February to the 1st of March before the results being announced at the Elections Party at O’ Couture that night and weeks of tireless campaigning came to a head with the results being announced:
Sabbatical Officers 2012-13 Student President – Carla Fyfe VP Education – Danielle Borrett VP Wellbeing – Sinéad Wylie VP Activities – Nick Lowden
Student Trustees 2012-13 Alistair McFarland Cameron Shaw Nosheen Siddique
NUS Delegates Ashleigh Lyons Ewan McLean Alex Tetenta
Referendum Results Do you agree that Facebook should be banned from computers on the third floor of the Saltire Centre? Yes 836 No 599 Do you agree that any computer, logged on but not in use for 45 minutes, should be automatically shut down? Yes 1113 No 283 A huge congratulations is in order for those who won as well as for those who were unsuccessful as a huge amount of work and effort was put into campaigning this year, and I as well as the rest of student body are looking forward another leadership race next year, despite the mess it makes of your news feed.
14 / FEATURES / The Edit
THE PEOPLE’S ZERO http://www.thepeopleszero.com / http://www.bucketlist.org/ WORDS: Jim Griffin PHOTOGRAPHY: Berlin Marathon Archive, Daily Mail
T
he People’s Zero is a mysterious do-gooding website run by a shadowy figure claiming to be an anonymous student at Caley. He makes no claims to be a great man. He is a man like any other. A simple man. Some would say a stupid man. A stupid, unattractive man. But a man whose work in these pages places him alongside literary giants like Dickens, Austen, Greer and Titchmarsh. A man who missed The Edit’s deadline and bashed this out on his phone.
B
eing as how this is the bucket list issue, my colleagues will no doubt be indulging themselves in all manner of exhilarating and hedonistic activities and advising you to do the same, so that the pages of this magazine resemble the grotesque selfgratification of the last days of Rome. Not so here. It’s a theme completely at odds with the joyless existence of the do-gooder, and while the rest of the world is high on amphetamines and Choc Dips we must continue with our po-faced endeavours. However, it’s been suggested there’s fun to be had even in this dour world of do-gooding, opportunities for a bit of the old bucket listing if you’re imaginative - or incredibly cynical. We’re talking sponsored events here, getting your friends and family to agree to give their cash to charity in exchange for you doing something awesome you were already going to do anyway. You could run a marathon for CARE International, firewalk for WaterAid, abseil for Amnesty, trek the Himalayas for Yaknak or swim the channel for Burt Ward’s Great Dane Sanctuary. The Red Cross organises skydives from 10,000 feet, zip slides over the Clyde, abseils from any tall thing they can find, walks, runs, swims, triathlons and white water rafting, and treks across the Great Wall of China and the Peruvian Inca trail. Oxfam’s recruiting volunteers for the Reading, Leeds and Download festivals, and putting on moon rides for midnight bikers, 100 kilometre walks across the South Downs and the Gold Challenge for would-be Olympians. Any
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awesome thing you fancy doing can get cash heading in the direction of a good cause. More or less. Top of my own bucket list is to make it through a whole article without going off topic and descending into silliness, but based on my past performance no one’s coughing up the cash.
out, the thirsty have access to overpriced isotonic sports drinks, the huffy are chilled out, the virginal get some, the nominees for Best Presenter at the National Television Awards feel like they stand a chance against Ant and Dec, the glass ceiling is shattered, the bathroom floor is finished with a high quality laminate, where we act our age not our shoe The unfortunate thing, of course, is size, where we send someone a postcard next that people are onto this and are sadly more time we trip over, where we think of our own likely to sponsor you if you do something comebacks under Section 17 of the Tedious horrific, exhausting and difficult because, Cliché for Unimaginative Estate Agents Act deep down, your friends and loved ones are 1997, where talentless schlubs don’t have all awful people. If they’re going to pay out to eat kangaroo ass to feel validated, where they want to see you suffer. If you’re trekking people sit in stony silence when Michael to the South Pole they’ll want to see you McIntyre tells a joke, where the wine is lose a toe. If you’re shaving your head they’ll flowing, where the incontinent are bone dry, demand instead hot wax, an unsympathetic where the lollies in Sherbert Dib Dabs are beautician and the unholy trinity of back, sack slightly larger than they are currently, where and crack. They want to see you drown in a Jeremy Kyle is unemployed, where zebras bathtub of baked beans, a sponsored event have their white gaps painted in so they look now fortunately outlawed under the Tedious like regular horses, where your fingers stop Cliché for Unimaginative Estate Agents Act smelling within 72 hours of chopping garlic, 1997. Yer man The Zero once did a Terrible where your granny’s not casually racist every Movie Marathon, sitting through 25 of the time you visit, where the editor of the Daily worst films ever made in one miserable week Mail is kept in a bunker beneath 18 feet of while friends and family looked on, laughed, solid concrete, and where bananas don’t get and pointed out 27 movies would have made those stringy bits that dangle on your lips and better sense. How I hate them. make you look all undignified and stupid. Still, if it gets a bit of cash to a charity or two it’s all worth it because, as full on proper do-gooders, the number one item on all our bucket lists is the betterment of humankind, the desire to live in a world where the hungry are fed, the homeless are housed, the sick are healed, the short are slightly taller, the gangly have more self-confidence, the ugly are wiped
Apologies, I seem to have wondered off the point a little there. For more on the joys of bucket listing visit www.bucketlist.org. For more of this do-gooding type of thing visit www. thepeopleszero.com.
16 / ARTS & CULTURE / The Edit
ECSTASY WORDS: Caroline Armour PHOTOGRAPHY: Lewis Boron
F
or many, the story of a group of young people embedded in Edinburgh’s drug culture will sound familiar. Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy understandably draws an immediate parallel with Welsh’s earlier adapted work Trainspotting. It is the story of Lloyd (Adam Sinclair), a relatively small time drug dealer who falls in love with the law abiding Heather (Kristin Kruek). Those expecting the second Trainspotting are likely to be left disappointed. Yes there are scenes of drug use, sex and violence but there is little that is particularly hard hitting or surprising. It opens stylishly enough in a club with a monologue from Lloyd on life, his current dubious situation dealing drugs and the drugs themselves, which he then proceeds to take. He declares himself ready for love, setting the scene for the rest of the films action. Which comes crashing back down to reality the next day when Lloyd finally goes home and we meet his alcoholic father, concerned for his son’s welfare but stuck in a state of inertness following the death of his wife.
Edinburgh is the backdrop for much of the film and pretty as it is, it felt as if screen time which could have been used to add depth to the characters was squandered on shots of touristy landmarks. So when the relationship between Lloyd and Heather finds itself inevitably in difficulty it is in turn difficult to care. The underdeveloped relationship with the father too is an opportunity lost. It did have a few noteworthy moments, particularly from Woodsy (Billy Boyd) who is sectioned for resisting treatment for his paranoid schizophrenic behaviour, and organises the other residents into an imaginary orchestra. He at once provides the much needed humour and the ‘look what drugs can do to you’ public service message. Ecstasy attempts to tackle ideas it cannot deliver on; life, love, religion and the morality of taking drugs do not sit easily with lines such as “I don’t want to be with you forever, I need to be with you forever”. It rounds up a little too neatly, nothing wrong with a good old happy ending but in this case it just didn’t suit. A 5/10. Ecstasy is in selected cinemas from the 20th of April.
PLUME
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WORDS: Rachael Fulton PHOTOGRAPHY: John Johnston
“M
ercy is difficult,” announces narrator Alby, heralding Plume’s overarching theme of forgiveness as the play opens. Yes, mercy is difficult. This is why pardoning the failures of this Lockerbie-inspired tale may be a struggle. J.C Marshall’s play, shortlisted in 2010 for the Tron’s Open Stage competition, follows retired schoolteacher Mr Peters [Sylvester McCoy] as he grieves his son William, a Lockerbie bombing victim. Driven to desperation by the government’s desire to free Abdelbaset Mohmed Ali al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, Mr Peters decides to jump from a hotel room window. The action of the play is an emotive dialogue between Mr Peters’ former pupil Maller, now a cleaner in the hotel, interspersed with flashbacks of Mr Peters’ time with his son and descriptions of imaginary birds. William’s childhood friend Alby, also imaginary, narrates the play and performs the role of William throughout the years. Based on a local act of terrorism that had worldwide political impact and blessed with a talented cast, Plume had incredible potential. Sadly the play tries too hard to stimulate its
viewers with needless controversy; harbouring a surplus of subplots including sexual abuse, homosexuality and attempted-suicide-byanaphylaxis. Climactic emotional scenes are muddied by a melee of storylines and overpowering references to the play’s themes of mercy, imagination and love. Despite these setbacks, Gemma McElhinney shines in her visceral portrayal of nervous Maller and Finn Den Hertog does well to perform both Alby and William in various stages of life. Andy Arnold’s directorial talent is clear, specifically in the well-executed flashback scenes, and Kenny Miller’s set design is a striking consolation prize for Plume’s failings. Sylvestor McCoy, while frequently mispronouncing ‘Maller’ throughout the play, aptly depicts the grieving, aged father to the best Marshall’s script allows him. The Lockerbie bombing and its ensuing debate are enough to provoke grief, horror and pity in an audience, without the need for further emotional complications. The merciful solution would be to strip the script down to its bare bones– grief and compassion– and allow Marshall’s ability to portray raw human emotion to exude from one simple story.
18 / ARTS & CULTURE / The Edit
FOURTEEN THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE (THAT WILL KILL YOU)
WORDS: Rob Douse PHOTOGRAPHY: Roar Teigum
3. Make Love on a Forest Floor
I
t’s a common misconception that those ‘things to do before you die’ lists literally refer to events that should occur prior to drawing your final breath, whereas they’re actually more about experiences that contribute toward a rich and fulfilling life. That is until you read the suggestions specifically designed to make Death stand up from his desk, crack his knuckles and whisper, ‘challenge accepted’. That’s what this list is all about.
1. Shark Cage-Diving
One word: Mauledtodeathbyashark.
2. Skydiving Because nothing tells the world you’re tired of life like approaching it at terminal velocity.
Science fact: Mountain bears are unable to distinguish between the sexual musk of their own and that of humans.
4. Buy a Round-the-World Air Ticket and a Rucksack, and Run Away Also, don’t tell anyone where you’re going. That way the authorities will already have you listed as a missing person when you turn up in a shallow grave six months later.
5. Spend a Night in a Haunted House -- by Yourself Do you know how most haunted houses get their reputation? Because something terrible happened there.
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6. Experience Weightlessness As far as I’m aware, there are only two ways to do this: undergo months of gruelling physical training to become a proper astronaut (then hope your rocket doesn’t explode) or get in a plane that flies as high as it can before plummeting directly towards Earth fast enough to simulate a state of zero gravity. So, both good, good ideas, then.
7. Sing a Great Song in Front of an Audience This one is only really dangerous if the song is ‘My Way’ and your audience is from the Philippines, where karaoke enthusiasts have been known to shoot people who perform it badly. True story.
8. Ask Someone You’ve Only Just Met to go on a Date I’m not saying that anyone who instantly agrees to go on a date with a complete stranger is a murderer. I’m only saying that they probably are.
11. Handbrake Turn a Car While Traveling Over 30 mph The website I found this on advised that perhaps you should first “take an extreme driving course where they teach you how to do handbrake turns (so you don’t crash your car or kill someone).” All I’m saying is if you have to learn how to do something in a way that won’t kill you or others around you then maybe it’s better not to do it at all.
12. Get in a Physical Fight I have never been in a fight that I didn’t lose, so maybe it’s the coward in me speaking when I say that anyone who will happily fight you for fun is going to destroy you.
13. Eat Something That’s Alive Not only is this intolerably cruel, but if there’s one time that an animal is at its most ferocious, it’s when some dopey prat is trying to stuff them down his fat, self-entitled gullet.
14. Run with the Bulls in Pamplona
For some reason the Spanish really seem to hate bulls --hate them-- but in the spirit of good sportsmanship, every year give them a chance to get their own back by chasing humans with a death wish down narrow streets for half a mile. When I went to Las Vegas the cleaning Since it began in 1925 there have only lady spent twenty minutes telling us how her been fifteen people killed, but I would point son-in-law was abducted outside a bank and out that each of those deaths came about in executed in the desert. People in Vegas do not one of two ways: trampled to death under a mess around with money. Remember: What two ton animal or gored to death on a giant happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and that horn. Both as a result of something you includes your kidneys. entered into willingly.
9. Lose More Money Than You Can Afford at Roulette in Vegas
10. Reflect on Your Greatest Weakness and Realise How it is Your Greatest Strength Technically every human being’s greatest weakness is their mortality, making this pretty reckless advice when you just know that the first thing anyone who thought they were immortal would do is put it to the test.
That about does it for the list, if you want to try any of these things then be my guest; far be it from me to be a Debbie Downer on your borderline suicidal tendencies. Just don’t be surprised if, upon arriving at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter looks you up and down –taking note of the gaping hole in your abdomen recently occupied by a bull horn – shuffles his papers and says, ‘not tonight mate, we’re full’.
20 / ARTS & CULTURE / The Edit
A BUCKET LIST WITH A CULTURAL TWIST... WORDS: Siobhan McDade PHOTOGRAPHY: Siobhan McDade, Shona Esler
I
may have only been on this earth for a mere nineteen years but I feel in my (nearly) whole two decades I have seen some sights, some sights of cultural brilliance which no person should ever go without seeing in their lives. Therefore instead of writing about my bucket list, I thought I would make a few suggestions to all of you for yours…so here it goes my top three recommendations of enriching experiences which everyone must encounter before it is too late.
1. The Renia Sofia Museum Madrid I have to be completely honest. Before I entered this museum the last thing on my mind was ‘you are minutes away from seeing one of the world’s most iconic paintings’ instead I was thinking more along the lines
of, ‘let’s get through this quickly then it is on to eat more churros’ (Spanish type donuts which you dip in chocolate). I was fourteen and on a school trip. However my view soon changed shortly after entering the building. Museum is the wrong title to be given to the Renia Sofia, as although the corridors are seeped with history it is portrayed through the controversial and modern mix of art and sculptures, nothing here feels old or stuffy. It is where my curiosity for art cultivated from, as the remarkable art work and sculptures each seemed to capture a moment not only in Spanish history but in the mind of the artist too. However, it was once piece in particular that grabbed my attention. Arguably Picassos most striking and prominent piece, the Guernica takes centre stage in one of the rooms of the museum. Capturing Spain’s struggle for democracy, the Guernica explained more to me in the five minutes of viewing it than reading a half a history textbook on the Spanish Civil War ever did. The painting makes you understand the chaos the Spanish people went through to get the freedom that they have today and you realise just how raw the situation still is (considering the painting is just seventy five years old!). I even struggled to tuck into my churros after (although I
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did manage eventually) because it is an image that really stays with you, not in an eerie way but in a reflective way. My advice would be to go and experience this thought provoking work first hand, before the painting and its meaning becomes too faded.
3. Berlin
For Berlin there is not so much a specific gallery or building to visit as just walking outside is an experience in itself. The whole city breathes culture, from Charlie’s Checkpoint to a collapsing graffiti ridden 2. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival building. If I was to recommend a must thing Now you could say I am a little bias as Edinburgh is my to do though, it would be a walking tour. hometown and in my eye can do no wrong…but I do truly Although at the time the thought to my feel everyone must experience at least one Fringe Festival! friends and I of walking around in 30 degrees Why? Because firstly even before you take into consideration Celsius for two hours was not the most the thousands of talented street performers, actors, inspiring of thoughts…I am so glad we comedians, singers, dancers, clowns, ladyboys (the list could did it. A tour guide walks you through the go on!), there is an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation history of Berlin, seeing spots from the grand that is felt throughout the whole city and is unique to Brandenburg Gate to the tribute Banksy Edinburgh at this time of year. A buzz, that even if you are Street Art seen all over the remaining parts of not seeing a show but just sitting in one of the many pop up the wall. The contrast in the majestic historic beer gardens relaxing among the talented people is still felt. buildings and the contemporary expressive Secondly of course, there is the vast number of shows art work, relate in some way to the struggle that you are able to see, which range from a street performer between the two sides that was seen before fire breathing to Jimmy Carr performing in front of 1200 the fall of the Berlin wall. people in a packed out theatre. I argue, nowhere else in the Berlin is an amazing place and five days world is there such a collaboration of the Arts, where truly no was certainly not long enough there…you idea is too weird to be made into a show (and trust me there could spend a lifetime exploring this city and are some crazy ones). Everyone should give the festival a go its significant past. at least one year and hey if you get bored you can always do a bit of celebrity spotting or make the most of clubs extended opening hours (5am!).
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SING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING Glasgow art student and boyfriend makes it to the finals of renowned singing competition, Live and Unsigned.
http://www.liveandunsigned.uk.com/tickets/purchase/ WORDS: Elizabeth Ather PHOTOGRAPHY: Facebook
Karen, alongside her band mate and boyfriend, Johnny Hood, has certainly proven that to be true. The pair, aptly named ‘Karen and Johnny’, managed to secure a place in the regional finals of the renowned Live and Unsigned competition last month, and are set to take to Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall stage in just two week’s time. With ten thousand pounds as well as a UK tour up for grabs, Karen is certainly excited. “I’m so happy about it. It feels so great to be part of such a renowned competition. The fact that it’s all about originality makes it even more rewarding to have made it this far.” Blurring lines between rock music and soul, the duo hope that people will be able to relate to their music. With a basic guitar and vocal, combined with complex lyrics, Karen hopes people will be able to interpret their own meanings from her songs. “A lot of the lyrics I come up with are pretty abstract, but I do try to incorporate themes into each song. Sometimes I’ll cribbling a note in what appears let one of my friends hear one of our songs and they’ll take to be a jam-packed diary, Karen something away from it that I never even considered.” Simpson seems preoccupied. Since creating their band just over three years ago, Karen Eventually closing the book and and Johnny have played alongside numerous other artists, glancing at me, she realises she’s been keeping including Glasgow-based band Pearl and the Puppets, who me waiting. “I’m so sorry. My head’s so full supported Elton John back in 2009. of things that if I don’t write it down, I forget “We’re hoping that getting involved with a competition to do it.” like this will give us a chance to do some more collaboration Karen’s life certainly seems hectic; and develop in different genres and styles.” juggling a Masters degree in Research at The Live and Unsigned competition was first established Glasgow School of Art and keeping up a part five years ago and acts as a platform for some of Britain’s time job in fragrance PR. And that’s not to best, undiscovered talent. Last year’s competition winners, mention the small hurdle of finding her feet The Trinity Band, went on to secure a management contract, in a brand new city. as well as £90,000 investment and will take to the stage in “I’ve been living in Glasgow for a few Toronto later this year. months now and I absolutely love it. It’s so So, with all of this potential success in the pipeline, it much more edgy than the likes of Edinburgh looks like Karen will need to invest in a bigger diary. and Dundee and I just feel like there’s much Tickets for the regional final are now on sale and are more opportunities for people like me.” available online at www.liveandunsigned.uk.com/tickets/purchase
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LITTLE DOSES OF SOUL LETS THE HEART ROCK N ROLL
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WORDS: Collette Cullen PHOTOGRAPHY: Little Doses
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dinburgh-based five-piece, Little Doses are hitting UK venues to promote their inaugural album ‘Rock Riot
Soul’. And the band, who were ‘born from the ashes’ of a number other musical alliances including Snow Patrol, are taking no prisoners. Renowned muso haunt Nice ‘N’ Sleazy hosts the Glasgwegian leg of this minitour and when the show kicks off with the folk-tastic ‘Every Hit You’ve Ever Heard’, the petite but enthusiastic crowd are visibly hoping the title is facetious. There is a collective sigh of relief when they realise it is. What the red and black clad Little Doses have in spades is an earnest charm evident in their on-stage camaraderie, experienced guitar riffs and uncompromising percussion. Another aspect of the band that distinguishes them from every indie band you’ve ever heard is the warm Celtic vocals of Kirsten Ross. The element of a female singer gives them some real soul. Her sound is best-showcased on the melodic ‘Carbon Cycles’ as her breathy vocals have invited comparisons to Stevie Nicks, although hints of early Sharleen Spiteri also shine through. Providing the backing vocals is renegade dummer, Michael Branagh. ‘The Branagh’, as he is known, is clearly the rebel-rouser of the quintet and takes obvious delight in this, interspersing a raucous drumming style with equally rowdy quips as the evening progresses. His spot-on timing and skill are exposed on up-beat number ‘Mile High’ which dictates “you’ve got to live life while you can” – no need to tell this guy that. This track, along with ‘Stolen Cars’, also highlights that Little Doses have two lead guitarists. When Mike Skinner and Chris
Alderson both auditioned in 2009, the three existing members couldn’t choose between them, so they kept them both on. Rather than confusing the sound, they play well together and add depth to the material. Bass guitarist and founder, Mark McClelland, completes the line-up; and while he plainly does not relish talking about his former life with Snow Patrol, he does not bristle at the question either. He is also quite convincing when saying he is glad to no longer be Gary Lightbody’s partner in crime in terms of musical direction and commercial success. The anchor of the band both on stage and off, McConnel played the leading role in the production of this album that was recorded in his own living room. Little Doses describe their sound as eclectic , further shown by their album name ‘Rock Riot Soul’ and their bizarre band name which arose from McConnel misreading the front of a copy of cheesy 90s horror flick ‘Death in Small Doses’ – the ‘death’ was dropped for fear they might attract too many teenage emos. Honorable mention must be also given to support act, The Temperance Movement, whose lead singer packs astounding vocal punch. While they were perhaps a tad more vigorous than the main act, the final Little Dose tune, ‘Slow Burn’, provided both a storming crescendo to the night and an apt metaphor for the band’s charisma.
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ONES TO WATCH A few dates to pencil in your diaries http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ http://www.circus-records.co.uk/ http://www.delilahofficial.co.uk/ http://www.musicglue.net/thestaves/ http://www.thestaves.com/ WORDS: Victoria Irvine PHOTOGRAPHY: Atlantic Records
THE STAVES resh off their recent sold-out tour F of the UK and Ireland supporting Michael Kiwanuka, sultry sisters The Staves
have announced details of a new EP. The Motherlode EP, set for release on the 2nd April through Atlantic Records, will see the London trio exercise their angelic vocals and signature guitar plucking further before their album debut later this year. Catch The Staves at Glasgow’s Oran Mor on the 16th April for a night of acoustic perfection. Tickets are available from www.musicglue. net/thestaves For more band info, visit www.thestaves.com
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DELILAH hile most 15-year-olds are holed up W in their room in a mood with their parents or loitering the food courts of their
local shopping centres, singing sensation, Delilah, was penning her first track. Now the 21-year-old North Londoner is ready to release single, ‘Breathe’, to eager fans. “Breathe is the first wrong I wrote in first person,” says the popular songstress. “I call it my self-help song.” Delilah has previously wowed audience members at her gigs, recently supporting Emeli Sandé at London’s KOKO as part of MTV’s ‘Brand New for 2012’. And she is now heading out on her first UK headline tour. Kicking off at Glasgow’s O2 ABC2 on April 12th, Delilah will play a total of ten venues, showcasing music from her forthcoming album ‘From the Roots Up’, out this summer through Atlantic Records For ticket information visit www. ticketmaster.co.uk For free track downloads and further information on Delilah, visit www.delilahofficial. co.uk
Flux Pavilion ubstep is certainly one of the hottest D trends in music in 2012. At the forefront of this craze is Flux Pavilion, a
multi-instrumentalist and producer certainly not to be overlooked. Hailed as one to watch by the prestigious BBC Sound Poll 2012, the UK artist has spent the past few years mastering his sound. Now featured on Kanye West and Jay-Z’s album ‘Watch the Throne’ as well as selling out numerous live dates, Flux Pavilion, aka John Steele, is ready to release his first single ‘Daydreamer’ featuring Example on 30th April. Head to The Arches on 9th April to witness the walls crumble at the sheer weight of Flux’s beats. For more information visit - http://www. circus-records.co.uk/
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GIRLS ON (FASHION) FILM http://www.ten30.co.uk/shop/ WORDS: Nadine Walker Photographer: Mark Osborne Hair: Gordon Ritchie of Rainbow rooms Make up: Sarah Vieira Da Cruz Model: Emily Morton
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et to be a permanent fixture in Glasgow’s fashion scene, fashion brand ten30 are continuingly pushing boundaries and breaking the mould. Designer Alan Moore recently held a film showcase in the city featuring a unique live project inspired by the late Alexander McQueen. The film features a breath-taking model with porcelain clear skin and fiery orange hair. The model stands in a bright room wearing a piercing white dress. What comes next is captivating. Live on camera, the dress is then worked on with dye in an interesting manner. Moore says: “I had the idea for dying the dress for a while. The inspiration from ‘The White Dress’ came from a McQueen performance where he sprayed a white dress. “I wanted to create something that was beautiful for that moment and gone the next. The way the dye moved and ran through the dress was incredible. “With the film, we wanted to capture that beauty but also add as much information as we could to it. The cinematography, the model and the soundtrack are all meticulously thought-out to show an understated beauty. The film is almost uneasy, something I have tried to achieve in all my shows. “I think the film represents ten30 well and is another example of our love for performance and beauty within fashion.” A second film features a short interview with designer Moore himself. Giving an insight into his creative mind, the film is beyond intriguing: “I did the behind the scenes film as a way of explaining the thought process. Not just my thought process behind this project but behind the label as well. Ten30 are one of Glasgow’s most promising creative labels. Proud of their Scottish heritage, the award winning brand boasts luxury fabrics and timeless pieces. The collection now focuses on wardrobe staples made to last the test of
time: ““I have stripped everything back to 5 garments that will be on sale throughout the year. And that’s all. This year I am focusing on more projects like ‘The White Dress’ rather than focusing on producing new collections. “The five essential, non-seasonal, timeless pieces are clothes that every girl should own. Each garment is made from the highest quality silks, Harris Tweeds and leather and are all hand made in Scotland. “It is the subtle detailing, simple shapes and wear-ability that makes the pieces distinctly ten30.” Visit ten30’s YouTube channel by searching ‘Fashion films from ten30’. Shop ten30 at www.ten30.co.uk/shop .
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DEBENHAMS IMPRESS WITH YOUNG FASHION WORDS & PhotographY: Nadine Walker
Even the bras have a youthful touch
Event date: 29th February 2012 Event venue: 29, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow
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ne of my fashion bucket list items is to buy a really expensive designer dress. I’m not talking on-trend and coveting every fashion-fad of the season. Oh no. This fashion choice has been made with precision. Think timeless, elegant, wearable and chic- four key factors in any piece built to last. And who would have known that I could get it all from Debenhams? A bright and spring-themed showing of ‘Designers at Debenhams’ in the city impressed me no end. Beautiful dresses from new design partner Jenny Packham and pretty colours from Henry Holland shone new light on the department store. Quirky prints, floral clashes and affordable pieces filled the room at the launch, and all with a prominent theme- “I didn’t expect this from Debenhams.” With exciting collaborations old and new, Debenhams are on-trend experts who are the perfect choice for affordable luxury.
The Edit / FASHION / 29 Debenhams press night was a first for Scotland
This fun two piece by STAR is wearable together and alone
H Holland’s collection screams youth!
Prints remain a huge trend this season
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GLASGOW DESIGNERS GO GLOBAL
TWITTER: @jennieloof http://www.facebook.com/jennieloofclothes/ https://www.chouchoucouture.com/ http://www.marketplace.asos.com/boutique/chouchou-couture/ http://www.facebook.com/hollyhoodbychouchou/ WORDS: Nadine Walker
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lasgow-based designers are basking in worldwide domination thanks to an internet boutique. Jennie Lööf and Silvia Pellegrino are set to enjoy a worldwide customer base thanks to their ASOS Marketplace Boutiques for their fashion brands. Their Glasgow-based labels Jennie Lööf Clothes and Chouchou Couture are available in Glasgow and beyond thanks to ASOS Marketplace which celebrates independent fashion labels from all over the world. The designers, who are both heavily involved in local Glasgow fashion events, have let their creative juices flow all over recent photo shoots for their online boutiques which showcase the fantastic teams working in Glasgow. Chouchou can be found on ASOS Marketplace now, while Jennie Lööf Clothes will be available from April. The Edit caught up with Jennie and Silvia on the cusp of new clothes and exciting projects.
Jennie Lööf Clothes Photographer: David Muir davidmuirphotography.co.uk Model: Mhairi McGowan Make-up Artist: Amber Khan Set assistant: Chris Amos & Suzie Goldberg
orn in Sweden and from a generation B of fabulous seamstresses, Jennie now creates her beautiful clothes in Glasgow’s Southside. Sharing the house-turned-creativehub with architects and artists, Jennie is always inspired. The designer recently started sewing classes where she teaches beginner to advance level workshops. The classes have been a sell-out, proving Lööf ’s flare for teaching as well as design. Following her fashion success in Glasgow, Jennie is excited about reaching
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customers all over the world: “I had never thought of selling my clothes online, I am a big fan of finding wonderful unusual independent shops and try things on and wanted to sell my clothes in actual shops. “It wasn’t until late last year I was convinced by my friend Christin Haussman that ASOS Marketplace would be an ideal place for me to showcase my clothes and reach a wider audience. She showed me around the site and I loved the way it looked and how it really does its best to help and promote new designers. “She cheekily logged into my twitter account and tweeted ‘who would like Jennie Lööf on ASOS Marketplace’ and when my followers tweeted back saying they would, I thought it was definitely worth a go.” Lööf has had a rethink of her current business since the creation of the online boutique threw a spanner in the works. Lööf will now sell all one-off pieces exclusively on ASOS Marketplace. You will only find her ready to wear line ‘Lovely by Jennie Lööf ’ in Glasgow and Stockholm stockists: “The things that are going on ASOS Marketplace are pieces from all my previous collections. I don’t work with seasonal collections, but with timeless long-lasting designs. My clothes
are all handmade one-off pieces which make them an investment that will suit every wardrobe at any time.” Lööf is all work and no play of late and is in the middle of making her newest ‘Jennie Lööf ’ collection that will be showcased at Nightwalk in Glasgow’s The Arches on 1st May 2012. Nightwalk is a fantastic platform in Glasgow for independent fashion talent. It also celebrates the community vibe in Glasgow: “I am also making my newest readyto-wear collection ‘Lovely by Jennie Lööf ’ that will be out in the shops around the same time as Nightwalk. My ‘Lovely’ collection is all made out of contemporary fabrics and a couple of items in each size. The designs are a combination of my trademark designs and some new ones.” ‘Lovely by Jennie Lööf ’ is available in Lala Land in Glasgow. For updates on stocklists in Glasgow, Troon and Stockholm follow Lööf on twitter @jennieloof. To shop Jennie Lööf ’s designs and stay up-to-date with all her news visit www. jennieloof.com and www.facebook.com/ jennieloofclothes.
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CHOUCHOU COUTURE
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talian lady Silvia Pellegrino and her line Chouchou are all about sass and luxury. Her beautiful designs boast luxury fabrics, from all over the world. Chouchou are a regular at fashion events in Glasgow thanks to Pellegrino’s passion for independent design and drive for celebrating the vast amount of talent in the city. Recently approached by Vogue, Pellegrino’s designs are reaching places she could only imagine: “I was blown away when Vogue contacted me and that I am featured in their Vogue UK April issue. “It has been all go recently, our Chouchou ASOS Boutique opened one month ago so it’s still pretty new. I have to admit that the whole ASOS Marketplace
experience has positively surprised me. Because Chouchou places such an emphasis on the fit, finish and textile research- all factors that are immediately noticeable when you try the piece on- initially I didn’t think that selling online would be a very successful way to market our designs. “I was wrong; ASOS Marketplace is truly ahead of the game. They make the whole selling and buying experience both fun and addictive.” Chouchou have had great success with their quirky staple, The Hollyhood. Coming in all different prints and colours, The Hollyhood sits comfortably on the pages of Vogue: “I would compare The Hollyhood to what chocolate does to me: I simply can’t stop! There isn’t a type that you wouldn’t try and even the crazy combos such as dark chocolate and chilli or milk chocolate and raspberry are something you wouldn’t have thought of but they work their magic when you try them. “Out of this huge food metaphor I would just say that I personally love wearing hoods or hoodies in general, they reminds me of LA and they give me a relaxed feeling. I like to transform the hood from the typical ghetto jersey item into a sport deluxe statement accessory. “I work with exaggerated shapes, leathers, silks, studs, lace……anything you can think of. Sometimes clients come and ask me for personalised Hollyhood which really makes me happy. I love trying to interpret their idea and create something unique.” The full Spring/Summer 2012 collection will be released in April. Chouchou’s true inspiration for this collection has been the fabric: “We have created pieces we’d personally want to wear and worked with the specific consistency and quality of each and every exclusive fabric cherry-picked in Italy. When you try a Chouchou garment on you immediately realise that it doesn’t just make the most out of your body shape but it also feels great next to skin.” A true stand out from the new collection is the sexy and young rainbow stripe dress and pencil skirt. The fabric features the optical illusion trend that celebrities such as Kate Winslet have been photographed in. These pieces are a perfect addition to your spring/summer wardrobe and Silvia
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Photographer: Jonathan Daniel Pryce Model: Claire Thompson Make-Up Artist and hair: Carol Fairfield Styling: Silvia Pellegrino Assistant Stylist: Kat McBride
is more than excited about it: “I wanted to create something fun and flattering at the same time. The colourful stripes have been used in many different ways to create optical and graphic effects. “I’ve always preferred curvy women such as Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren. This dress has been designed with the intention of highlighting and celebrating the female beauty. I am a firm believer of the fact that sexiness is something that comes from within and what a dress can do is to help bring the confidence and attitude out.” Chouchou is currently stocked in four Glasgow boutiques and one Edinburgh boutique. Get yourself some Chouchou from La La Land, The Shop of Interest, Purdies and Welcome Home in Glasgow and from Athena Boutique in Edinburgh. To shop Chouchou and to keep up-todate with all of Chouchou’s news and events visit www.chouchoucouture.com , www.marketplace. asos.com/boutique/chouchou-couture and www. facebook.com/hollyhoodbychouchou.
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MUAY THAI FIGHT NIGHT WORDS: Daniyall Qazi & Toni Lennox PHOTOGRAPHY: Tawfik H Ibrahim
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iven that this was the first Muay Thai fight night to be held at Caledonian University it was surprising to see just how professionally everything had been put together. Even before the fights started the music was blaring and the bar was selling cheap drinks for the crowd to enjoy. The atmosphere at the event seemed more like a party than a crowd waiting to watch two people punch each other in the face repeatedly. The turnout for this first fight night was impressive as fans, friends and family members turned out in their hundreds to lend support to the competitors from Strathclyde, Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian universities, and from the Griphouse gym. After everyone had taken their seats and had time to get a drink in their hands the show got under way as announcer, Jenny Flinn, looked to immediately dispel the misconceptions that this fight night was going to be anything other than friendly and safe by opening by telling the crowd that the event was “about everyone getting involved, no winners, no losers.” Once the fights began and the crowd gave each fighter a huge ovation, while Caledonian fighters of course got an especially warm reception from the fans, and right from the first bell the sportsmanship that each fighter displayed was great to see. Every fighter on the card went out to the ring and gave everything they could for those in attendance, and with the music blasting between fights and the bar open all night the fans certainly got one hell of a show.
RUNDOWN OF THE FIGHTS WORDS: Daniyall Qazi
Biggest Crowd Pleaser he first female fight of the night was T between Hannah Doyle and Paulina Borecka and it was a slobberknocker right
from the word go. Given that fight sports are usually associated with male competitors it was great to see that two female fighters got in there and sent the crowd into a frenzy for three rounds. The two fighters stood in front of each other and fired off as many shots as they could for 15 minutes and put on arguably the most entertaining fight of the night. Even though there were no winners or losers on the night, when the final bell rang both of their hands were raised, because after that performance they were both winners.
Move of the Night Throughout the event we saw a vast array of Muay Thai techniques from leg kicks, head kicks, teep kicks and trips, and some that were a little more out of the ordinary. In the fight between Kevin Dunne from Glasgow and Merzad from Caledonian, we saw Dunne catch one of Merzad’s legs and look to kick the other out from underneath him, a trip move we saw a lot of on the night. Apparently Merzad saw it coming too as he somehow managed to jump over the top of Dunne’s kick, garnering a burst of applause and cheer from the Caledonian crowd and a simple smile from his opponent.
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Best Knockdown The fight between Alex Johnston and Przemek Szyszka provided us with the first knockdown of the night and it came from a head kick that Johnston landed in the second round. Szyszka seemed to think the shot was going to hit the body but ended up with a shin in his face instead, getting knocked him to the canvas. Indicative of the quality of all the fighters on the card, Szyszka got quickly back up to his feet and got straight back into the fight.
Worst Injury The fight between Paul Stoddard and Callum from Cale gave us the worst injury of the night. About half-way through the second round of the fight Callum landed a huge straight right hand to his opponents face causing the fight to be stopped then and there. After Stoddard turned around audience members go to see why this was the case: there was huge swelling underneath his right eye. Though the night gave us a fair few bloody noses, the ball of swelling on his face was especially gruesome.
Q+A Interview with Guy Ramsey, Instructor at Caledonian Muay Thai: WORDS: Daniyall Qazi
he university hosted its first Muay T Thai fight night on the 29th of March and started what will likely be a new
martial arts circuit across the UK. One of the people key in bringing about this first event is the instructor at the Caledonian Muay Thai fight club, Guy Ramsay, and he sat down with The Edit after the event to share his thoughts.
How was the event set up? We tried to use the model that Strathclyde have been using for the last seven or eight years to get people to experience the sport as part athletics, part entertainment which is kind of what the fight game is. We have a student who is a member of the club doing events management and one of our other student members has fought professionally so between the two of them they put the event together.
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How was the involvement of the other fight teams brought about? There’s a Muay Thai scene in Glasgow that’s kind of been in the three Universities for the last 13 years so there’s been a history of working together to put on events. Obviously you can’t have people from the same team competing against people from the same team so we need people from Strathclyde and Glasgow coming down. Then to increase the people here and to get more matches, we got some gyms that are friendly and known to us down as well, that’s why there’s a few different groups here and hopefully we can open it up to clubs from further afield for the next one.
What did you think of the show? It was just the first one and its always kind of weird because it’s not pro-fighting, it is an inter-club and the rules of engagement are different, there’s more control in it so that no one gets sparked and they’re non-decision bouts which changes the dynamic completely. You can’t do that (have professional rules) given budget constraints because if you do that you have to have paramedics and doctors in place whereas at the inter-club level you generally don’t need that because the contact isn’t that hard.
What did you think of the turnout and the atmosphere?
you’ve only been doing this for a term you can still get up and give it a go at this kind of level without getting hurt. Most of the people fighting on the card were people who started fairly recently, a high percentage of them had less than a year’s training.
What’s the expectation on members to actually get in and compete? What is the training regime like? First and foremost it’s entirely voluntary there’s absolutely no pressure, and a lot of people just use Muay Thai as a really good way to get fit and have no interest in competing. The training is really not that different between people who want to compete and people who don’t, there’s always an element of fairly harsh cardio in any class and then the majority of time is hitting pads. You’ll be sweating for 90% of it. You don’t need to have trained any other sport to do it, I feel that you should find something that you can sink your teeth into and that you enjoy and let that be the way you workout and while Muay Thai might not be for everybody, come down and you might find out that you actually really enjoy it. Most people don’t know how therapeutic it is to just smash something.
Where do you guys train? We have 2 sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday down at the Arc but we also have a really good relationship with a professional fighting Muay Thai gym, Griphouse, that’s a 10 minute walk from the University.
The turnout was really amazing. I think it was curiosity given that it was the first time There are a lot of it’s been on and the support that was there for misconceptions the Caledonian fighters was great and given that we were in the refectory with the lights surrounding combat on it was actually really good.
What would you say to people who are now looking to join? The range of experience on the night was pretty good; we had some guys that had been in the gym for about 3 months that were given a shot, and guys who had fought professionally. The good thing about an interclub is that anyone can get involved; even if
sport, in reality what is the likelihood of injury?
It is easy to get injured if you’re poorly prepared, but if you have 2 athletes that are on a fairly even playing field it’s actually less dangerous than most sports. The kind of impacts you get from team sports is far greater, in rugby you get people running at a 15 mile an hour sprint into each other. That kind of collision would never happen in a combat sport, we have 2 guys that are
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matched in weight and experience and yes we might be trying to hit each other, but we know that and that’s what we train for. So if someone says they don’t know about Muay Thai then I have to ask what you do know about. Do you know about rugby? Let’s take the ball out of that and actually see what’s going on.
How do you feel about the growth of Mixed Martial Arts(MMA) given that Muay Thai is such a prevalent technique in that sport? I think MMA saved Muay Thai in a way. In the past a lot of people just looked at boxing and Karate as the methods for striking then they said ‘Muay Thai, what’s that?’ Now with the UFC they know it as the best striking system to be using for MMA which is where the evidence shows us that that works.
Is Griphouse a Muay Thai only gym? No, we have the Muay Thai gym and a boxing gym and a jiu-jitsu gym and a MMA gym, we have all these different individual aspects and then we fuse them together and then we identify areas that an individual fighter is good at and ones that he is weaker at and we improve on those.
Finally, what is the future of Caledonian Muay Thai, how many events are you looking to put on and what can we expect to see in the future? We are hoping that the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) will acknowledge it as a university sport and make it official. The only missing universities at the moment are Dundee and Edinburgh and they’re going to start next year so finally there will be an alternative to just fighting professionally and I think that will definitely happen next year. So next year we’ll see Cale students competing across the length and breadth of the UK.
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Converted to Muay Thai WORDS: Toni Lennox
I
am not the combat sport kind of girl, like a fair majority of us Caledonian girls, the only form of competitive fighting we have done usually involves a sale rack. That’s was before I was asked to attend this event. At first I took the usual stance: “Oh my! Poor students pitted against each other in a ring of pain with a crowd paying to watch? What has become of us?” But when I got there I was greeted by the fabulous Imogen Hendry, in all of her blonde glory and her GCU hoodie, to find out she not only was the organizer but a competitor and the future team Captain for the Caley Muay Thai boxing team, as well. Forgetting completely I was at a sporting event Imogen invited my backstage to chat to the other competitors. Only to discover “backstage” meant locker room and locker room meant lots of half naked men. Time flies when you’re having fun, Imogen was rushed of her feet as at this
point the fights were now only a few minutes away. Eventually I was kicked out of the locker room and seated for my premier Muay Thai fight. The eye of the tiger music was turned up, the crowd fell silent and Jenny Flinn stepped up to announce the first fight. I suddenly became my mother, my face resembled the first time I had watched the Russian roulette scene in the Deer Hunter, oh the horror. But by the third fight I had eased into the sights and began to get a little competitive, resembling the gambling uncle at the races I would find myself shouting out things like “come on!... Unfair! Woo, yeah Caledonian well won in that round.” The night continued to surprise me. By fight, lucky number seven, I was a regular spectator. Every fight I witness and was so controlled, there were absolutely no looks of revenge in the fighter eyes or hateful before
The Edit / SPORT / 39 match comments. All of the fighters were completely professional. Every bloody nose, cracked rib and knock outs were greeted with a hug and a wee laugh. It was so surreal. For a split second, from the hit to the slam of a fighter hitting the floor the victor would lean down, help up the injured party, give them a hug, and they would share in a laugh. Total sportsmanship all round. I simply could not argue anymore with
the sport. Imogen and Jenny laughed at me because I convinced myself I would only stay for a few fights. I stayed to the bitter end. Initially I started off in my seat legs crossed pen in hand ready to tell the world (by world I mean The Edit readers) of the cruel sport that is Muay Thai, by the end I was on my feet, one arm raised in support of the fighters, shorthand note pad long gone in awe of how much fun I had. I was left with only one word. Wow.
Q+A interview with Imogen Hendry WORDS: Toni Lennox
I
arranged to meet Imogen a few days after the fight for a coffee so we could talk without her being dragged off with someone in desperate need of her assistance. Admiring her Vivien Westwood bag and adorable jacket we sat down to discuss her literally kicking organisational ass.
How did you feel the night went? Generally it went quiet successful, I’d say, from my point of view it was pretty hectic behind the scenes, so quite stressful but it went as well as it could. We pulled in £675 at the door and came away with £275 profit. All of the money will be put into the club. I was just trying to cover the cost of the ring £400, I thought anything on top of that was a bonus. All of the proceeds will go straight back into the club to help cover coaching and training costs.
If you could go back would you change anything about the night? I was meant to have 6 on hand volunteers but only one showed up which meant I was
stuck doing all of my jobs plus the jobs of five other people, which, unfortunately meant I couldn’t fight.
How did you feel forfeiting? I was gutted, but, I was so busy that I would have had no time to fight anyway, also I was the only first aider on site, so I had people being thrown at me with bloody noses most of the night.
What were the biggest injuries you had to deal with? For the most part it was mainly bruises and bloody noses; the biggest injury was a cracked rib that Mikey Dunlop received. He actually cracked it in the first round and he kept fighting through till the end.”
What was the run up to the night like? Nothing happened with it until January time, I had various meeting with the uni but I felt they weren’t taking me seriously about it just because mainly it hasn’t ever been done
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before so they didn’t really think I’d take it all the way. But I guess I proved them wrong. When we came back after Christmas I started emailing to get the alcohol license sorted because that needs to be done six weeks in advance so when they kind of released I was serious about this, things started happening quickly, there was a lot of red tape though the uni had to cover with us.
What is the next plan you have in mind for the club? To hold more events like that, possibly with some prizes and maybe beginning to point score the games. The fights you saw were not scored they were all friendly matches.”
What would you say to those who have pre misconceived notions of Muay Thai boxing?
Would you ever consider Muay Thai as a career?
How did you get involved?
RELAX. I cannot stress that enough, I know it is hard but relax as much as you can, if you tense you will end up with more injuries. Because of the adrenaline rush you don’t feel anything till your outside of the ring. It is amazing. Also, don’t drink when you get out, after my first fight I had like two drinks and was gone because of all of the adrenaline.
I would love to keep competing, like any hobby you want to keep developing, I haven’t thought about a career, it not on the cards as A lot of people think the way you used to of yet but I will keep competing and training. that Muay Thai being a combat sport is brutal I love Muay Thai. and you’re going to get hurt, without actually coming along to see the fights for themselves. Any advice to first time You saw, a lot of the people who came out of fighters? the ring didn’t have a scratch on them.
I actually just started training in September, that’s when the current team captain Asma asked me to help her with the three year plan that she devised for the club.
The three year plan? The three year was basically trying to get Caley up to the same level as the rest of the universities holding events such as the one on Wednesday night. Asma found out that I was an events management student and put me to the task. So the three year plan is now complete we have now asserted ourselves as, sort of worthy, with the other societies on campus and other universities.
Nearing the end of the interview Imogen asked me a question:
would you like to come training? My reply: Yes.
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