Live Magazine Vol2 Issue 6 by Livity Ltd

free The Voice Of Youth

spring 2012 vol 2 issue 6

Prince Of Pop: Labrinth tells all Plus Cover Drive

Northern grime

Plan Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new film The dark side of the tweet Delilah

find a space to do the things you love_ visit www.somewhereto.com for more information

somewhereto_ has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.

04 05 06 08 10 12 13 14 16 18 20 24 48 50

Ed’s Letter The Crew & Key Playaz News Live Loves & Loathes Dummies Guide To BLOGGING ourtube For And Against We Love... being eclectic world in focus Inside Job sport Gadgets – totally wired Cooking With cover drive Challenge

Features 17 20 25 26 30 32 34 36 42

PAUL MASON ETHICS IN ATHLETICS CHRIS RYAN GRIME UP NORTH SOCIAL NETWORK BULLYING ILL MANORS OLYMPICS BRANDING LABRINTH FASHION

ENTERTAINMENT 52 54 56 61 62 63 64 65 66

SOUND ADVICE CULTURE CLUB CULTURE AWARDS FULLY BOOKED FILM AND TV DAVID GYASI GAMES PHOTOGRAPHY BEST OF BRITISH: DELILAH

Photography taken by Jendlla Hallam

Regulars

Ed’s Letter We’ve been discussing innovation in creative and media industries a lot in the office lately. More importantly we’ve been talking about our role as the leading voice in youth media and how we’re changing the perception of young people. The question we’re asking most, though, is where are all the changes leading? Whatever the answers, we’ll continue to challenge readers, fans and ourselves on the topics that mean something to the young people of today. We’re not so interested in debates around New Media v Old Media, we just want to create something that’s different and tells the world what we have to say in the best possible way. Our team are making sure that you can read, watch and listen to what we have to say online at live-magazine.co.uk and youtube.com/ livemaguk. We accomplished so much in our tenth anniversary year and it finished off with us taking over the Guardian’s Film & Music section. It’s only spring and we’ve already achieved some great things: we’ve been on Newsnight talking about Stephen Lawrence; we’ve worked with major brands and cool organisations, and it looks like we’ll be powering forward for the rest of the year. Last but not least, our new YouTube team have been very busy creating videos for your entertainment. We filmed Bajan pop band Cover Drive making macaroni pie for Cooking With. They were a pleasure to work with and the pie tasted great too. If that’s made you hungry, turn to Page 41 to find out how to win a free meal at Nando’s with comedian Kojo. We’ve got interviews with two of Britain’s most interesting writers, Paul Mason (Why It’s Kicking Off Everywhere) discusses the effect of the current economic climate on our generation. And SAS man Chris Ryan talks about life as an ex-soldier and his new book Agent 21 Reloaded. Another favourite is the Live Challenge, where Ayman decided to attend different religious services to get a taste of what it’s like follow those faiths.

Photography Jendlla Hallam

Before I sign off, I’d like to congratulate Jermaine Robinson who has been our fashion ed for the last year and a brilliant friend to us all here at the Live HQ, as he’s now moving on to bigger and better things. We’re now in need of a new fashion editor! If you think you should be the one to take on this role, ﬁnd out how on page 47. Until our next issue out in May, au revoir.

Tweet me the good news @CelesteLiveMag

Copyright Livity. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in part or in full without prior written permission from the publisher. Live Magazine endeavours to ensure that all information enclosed is correct and true. All efforts are made to ensure non-copyright images are used and photoghraphers are credited. Prices and details are subject to change. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the writers and not necessarily the publisher or editorial staff.

Live Magazine, Unit 11, Piano House, 9 Brighton Terrace, Brixton, London, SW9 8DJ Tel: 0207 326 5979

The Crew

LIVEMAGUK Editor

Features Editor

Games editor

Online Editor

Fashion Editor

Film Editor

Art Director

Music Editors

books editor

politics editor

DESIGN Photography illustratio

Celeste Houlker, 20 Monique Todd, 19 Andre Anderson, 19

Senior Designer Louis Harris, 21

Deputy Editor

Iram Sarwar, 20

Deputy online Editor

Kamillah Baiden, 21

EdiTORIAL aSISSTANT Shineze Henry, 16

Samson Pharoh, 23 Jermaine Robinson, 17 Leanne Joseph, 16 Robbie Wojciechowski, 17 Omar Shahid, 20

SportS editor

Christian Adofo, 23

pRODUCTS EDITOR

Fiona Anderson, 21

culture editor

Edwina Mukasa, 22

Jamal Wright, 22 Jhenelle White, 20 Aida Gugsa, 16

Monique Todd,19; Emma Chinnery, 21; Corban Wilkin, 21; Samuel Sasiharan,18; Petra Valenti, 23; Lorna Dean, 20; Rodney Gold,

15, Sarah Langley, 21

Cover photography

Jendella Hallam, 22

Senior Mentors Emma Warren Steve Yates

Production Manager Kay Daylami

Advertising and Business Development Andrea Gamson

Live Mentors

Jason Page, Naomi Brown, Callum McGeoch, Caspar Llewellyn Smith, Ruth Saxelby, Kieran Yates, Ian Prior, Patrick Kingsley, Nick Aveling, Mark Calderbank, Francessca Allen, Lauren Grant

Contributors Live Kolstad Kvalsvik, 24; Rachel Mckenzies, 17; Zindzi Rocque-Drayton 21; Emily Williams, 17; Penny Mtshali, 17; Kimberly Webber, 18; Tosin

Omilaju, 21; Anne Arts, 18; Ravae Richardson, 19; Mohammed Ali, 16; Laura Blumenthal, 21; Ugo Ozour, 16; Tej Abiola-Adeleye, 22; Jamal Whyte, 18; Earl KingBrown, 18; Thomas Owusu, 18; Pai Takavarasha, 22; Margaret Gusah; Hannah J Davies, 19; Eli Anguelova, 15; Ajaun Riley, 19; Bogie, 16; Sabian Muhammad, 22; Margaret Zawedde, 15; Joshua Correia, 15; Amiee Cliff, 20; Latoya Casely-Hayford, 19; Jada Simone, 19; Ruta Sudmantaite, 17; Ju Suhyun, 18; Ria Dwyer, 17

thanks to Oxford House, The Guardian, Veranda Restaurant, Kath Viner, Alan Rusbridger, Michael Whitaker, Grahem Peace, somewhereto_

Key Playaz Finn Grist

20-year-old Finn has only been a member of the Live family since November but his thought-provoking writing style has already engaged mass debate on our Sports pages. The avid Harlequins (and part-time Man U) fan is on a gap year, with aspirations to go into sports journalism and be a presenter on Sky Sports. See this young wordsmith on a screen near you soon!

Ayman Al-Juzi

Ultra-bright spark Ayman has been with the Live team since the old days of Live East, and has recently been given an internship working on somewhereto_ with Livity, although Live Magazine couldn’t bear to let him go. His favoured areas are politics and music, and he hopes to combine his love of travelling with his passion for journalism. Take a look at his Live Challenge in this issue.

Louis Harris

21-year-old Louis Harris from Kingston works as a designer for Live. You’ll often see him sitting in the corner, neon-green headphones on head, making sure our layouts kill it. He ﬁrst heard of us through a friend, and has since become a major player in Team Live. In ﬁve years he sees himself running his own graphic design company. We don’t doubt it.

Christian Adofo Aida Gugsa

Live’s newly appointed Sports Editor was one of the writers behind our Guardian takeover issue back in December. He wrote an enlightening piece on African songs and was interviewed by BBC London Radio. His most impressive work is based around ideas of race, culture, and social unrest, and he says the articles on the London riots were the ones that hit closest to home. One to watch.

Bubbly 16-year-old Aida graces the third-ﬂoor ﬂoorboards of Live HQ with her funny persona on the regs. As the new editor of our Book Club, she knows what makes a good read, and has a keen eye for fashion. She has hopes of globetrotting in the future and we don’t doubt she will! Be sure to check out for her How To Blog feature in this issue, inspired by Live alumni and OG Kieran Yates.

Regulars

news

write...

Dance off

If you live in Salford and are aged13-19, there’s a positive all-singing, all-dancing postcode war that could land you a potential Broadway career. The theatre production Docks Law is looking for teenagers to take part and get training in acting, singing and dancing at the Oasis Academy. This will give you the chance to audition for your desired role in the show, which takes place at The Lowry in April. For more information check out www.oasisacademymediacity. org (PT)

Tower of power Our friends over at somewhereto_ (see page 22-23) recently held a competition for young animators aged 16-25. The winners had their animations showcased on the massive LED screens of the BT Tower, lighting up London’s skyline for an evening. To be in with a chance of winning an awesome somewhereto_ hoodie, VOTE for your favourite animation now at http://www.facebook.com/ somewhereto (IS)

Hey guys, it’s me Sabian, your Olympics columnist. The year is moving fast and the Olympic Games are so close. So far, the theme for the opening ceremonies, directed by Oscar-winning Director Danny Boyle, has been announced as “Isles of Wonder”! That’s still a good few months away, so I’ve been keeping tabs on events you can get involved with in the meantime to keep you occupied.

I’m all about encouraging people to try new things and it seem the organisers of London 2012 think the same way. On 3 March the London Symphony Orchestra will be mixing with students from the Guildhall School of Music to create a new, fresh kind of music that you’ll be able to hear and judge for yourselves. (LSO St Luke’s, 161 Old Street, London)

JLs join sport relief Have you always felt you’re going to make big changes to this world? Now’s the time to start. Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile is coming on 25 March and JLS are on board with their new single Proud. Aston from JLS explains: “Having been to Uganda to see some of the work that Sport Relief supports, we’re really proud to be part of a campaign that changes so many lives. Hopefully as many people as possible will buy our single and raise as much money as possible for such an amazing cause.” Sign up at sportrelief.com/mile (AR)

On 22 March, somewhereto_ will be showcasing art and culture projects at a vibrant art centre in the heart of London’s East End. Oxford House in Bethnal Green will be host to an evening showcasing what somewhereto_ is really about and explaining how to unlock potential spaces for creative young people to do what they love. If you want to know more about somewhereto_, be there! (Oxford House, Bethnal Green)

Live Goes YouTube

Words Iram Sarwar 20

Pai Takavarasha 22

Words

Words Ajaun Riley 19

We’ve been making magazines for 10 years and we’ve been online for four. But now we’re proud to announce that we’re fully operational on YouTube. Our channel, Youtube.com/livemaguk, is being run by 12 young creatives who are coming up with ideas and making amazing videos pretty much every day. They were trained up thanks to our new relationship with YouTube. You’ll be able to see features like Stephen’s regular news round-up, Eve-Yasmin’s interviews with the stars of music and comedy, and Omari’s powerful spoken word. Like, add, share.

If you are an animation or visual effects wizard then head down to the Aniscape Animation Festival in a somewhereto_ space in Leicester from 23-25 March! It’s a great opportunity to mix and exchange ideas with other animators and visual effects experts. If you have any show reels or short movies, send them to the Aniscape team and have them shown at the festival. For more information go to aniscape.tumblr. com. (Phoenix Square, Leicester) www.somewhereto.com @iamsabian

Are you aged 18 - 24? Making a real difference to the world? Zeitgeist Young Minds could be the opportunity for you. Whether it’s in science, the arts, education, innovation or inspiration - we want to hear about it! You could win the chance to join some of the world’s top innovators and leaders at Google’s most prestigious event, Zeitgeist. Simply upload a 60 second video to YouTube to tell us how you are making a positive impact on the world. Competition closes 19th March!

www.zeitgeistyoungminds.com

regulars

live loves TFL We used to spends hours waiting for a bus, but not anymore! TFL has introduced a departure feature online. All you do is tap in your bus, find your stop, and you’ll know how long till it comes. (RM) Debating Debating social issues gives me a chance to voice my opinion and express my views. Some find it boring, but I would rather debate than go to see Drake for free. (BX) Snow There is nothing like watching the snow fall outside your window, then running outside to build snowmen and make snow angels. Better yet, having a snowball fight! (LK)

How I Met Your Mother Prepare your tummy muscles for all the laughter caused by the hilarious things Barney and his friends are constantly up to, in this American sitcom shown on E4. (LK) Easter eggs It goes without saying, masses of free chocolate and an excuse to stuff your face for an entire weekend. You might find yourself devouring little chocolate animals, but then it’s what the Easter Bunny wanted, right? (FA) Pancakes We have a good excuse to munch as many of these fabulous invention as we want on Pancake Day (21 Feb). The only question is: maple syrup, crazy fruit combinations or lemon and sugar? (LB)

live loathEs

Photography Monique Todd 19

Words Laura Blumenthal 21

Words Ugo Ozour 16

Words Mohammed Ali 16

Words Rachel Mckenzies 17

Words Fiona Anderson 21

Words Live Kolstad Kvalsvik 24

Words Bogie 16

Tight clothes There is a big difference between ‘fitted’ and being too tight. If your size Milk, Macy D’s and FB. How about is not in stock, then look for something we give up Lent and try taking else which is! (BX) up something instead (I mean something productive by the way; “Cheeky” not another bag of Quavers). (FA) I hate it when boys use the word “cheeky”. Some boy is rude to you, Female addiction to heavy bags then expects you not to be rude back. A big heavy handbag affects your And then when you are, apparently shoulders and posture and can it’s being “cheeky”. Come off that cause injury. Pack your bag the please. (UO) night before and dash the junk. (RM) Liquorice It’s just horrible. Who thought this Revising over the holidays could be classified as a sweet? School’s out, but how comes we Sweets are meant to be enjoyable, can’t have free time because of not a punishment! (LB) revision? We work all day at school, so why do they want us to do it Failing at Lent in the holidays as well? That’s just Why do we even try? Every year we madness. (MA) underestimate the force of Dairy

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weekender urban stories &OKPZ GSFF NVTJD TFUT GSPN cYäh w äBOE Z w{ äw zä ~{äi w ä] z QFSGPSNBODFT BOE EBODF DMBTTFT GSPN X äX {ä[ { w { KPJO UIF e { wä äwäZw äQSPKFDU EJSFDUFE CZ BXBSE XJOOJOH IJQ IPQ BSUJTU W w w BOE HFU ZPVS OBJMT EPOF BU UIF mw~ädw äf C ädw äXw 1MVT B XIPMF MPU NPSFÞ Part of Music Nation 5IF $JUZ PG -POEPO $PSQPSBUJPO JT UIF GPVOEFS BOE QSJODJQBM GVOEFS PG UIF #BSCJDBO $FOUSF #BSCJDBO 'MJQ i +POBUIBO -VDBT

Regulars

Dummies Guide to...

Increasing Blog Traffic If a blogger writes a post and no one’s there to read it, does she really say anything at all? Aida Gugsa, 16, goes on the hunt for readers

Two months ago I’d never written anything I didn’t have to. My writing extended to schoolwork, homework, exams and thank-you letters – all those things that people make you write.

Interview with Raphael Blake Blogger and Social Network Consultant

Then I started my blog, and now all I want to do is write. At first I didn’t care about the followers, I just enjoyed the experience of uploading posts. Then I realised if I didn’t have any followers no one would be reading them. I needed to find out how to get people reading, and I needed to do it FAST. Blogs are big business. They started in the late ’90s, and by 2002 there were 50,000 worldwide. By early 2006, 160,000 blogs were being launched every month. There are an estimated 77.7 million blog readers in the US alone. Blogs are officially massive. So, what is a blog? The term is a blend of the words “web log”. Simples. I started to shout about my post on social networks like Facebook so I could attract more followers, but after a month I had a pathetic three followers, as most of my friends were on Tumblr, not Blogspot. (By the way I’m not calling my followers pathetic – that was directed at my blog). What was I going to do? First, I needed some professional advice. Keiran Yates is a journalist and ex-Live contributor who has used blogging to build her career. If anyone could help me, it was her.

How can you make your blog the first thing to appear on Google? Make sure you tag your posts with words that relate to the content. If you are blogging a post about intergalactic pixies, for instance, you might use the tags: space, wings, galaxy, intergalactic, pixie. That way, whenever a person types a search into Google that contains any of these words, your blog is more likely to come out as a result.

How can you attract attention to your blog and gain readers and followers?

Make your blog social-network friendly. Adding plug-ins such as the Facebook and Twitter buttons will give you the desired effect. People can then share your posts with their friends on these platforms.

Words Aida Gugsa, 16

“You’ve got to keep updating your blog regularly, keep your attention on trends and try exercising a unique voice,” she said, advising me to publicise actively on Twitter and Facebook. “If you can get high-proﬁle people involved it can help drive trafﬁc to your blog. Always try to stay fresh and new. Your point of view, how you see the world, makes you an individual.”

Are there any resources that teach you blogging tips? Mashable is the best. Subscribe to your favorite topic about blogging and social media.

Regulars

These days, I feel like I’m starting to understand how to make my blog work. But ﬁrst I’ve got to get something clear: people, we have to represent ourselves properly online! You know when your mum nags at you to stop posing in your pictures, and says that once videos are online they’re there forever? Well, she’s right. Posting pictures of yourself smoking weed, or uploading stupid nude photos could destroy your life. Some of the people who posted pictures of themselves looting during the riots ended up in prison. So now that you know what not to say, what do you say? Raphael Blake, blogger and social network consultant suggests asking yourself some questions. “What do you want your blog to be known for? Is it having news before anyone else, is it an interesting opinion, or is it having the most unique angle on a topic? Whatever it is, a wise blogger once told me, ﬁnd your voice because that’s the one thing no one else will ever have – it will always be unique to you.”

Do you have any tips on how to use SEO to create more traffic?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a combination of techniques that will make your blog easy for search engines to index and rank. Tagging all of your content and customising all post links is the most reliable place to start. Enter your web address into multiple web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla and Explorer. Save your blog as a favourite/bookmark on each of these browsers and do the same for every computer you search on; that’s just one of my secret tips.

How important is layout? Is it OK to use a generic layout or should you customise it to make it look interesting? Customisation does make a difference, though there are plenty of readymade templates you can tweak that do an amazing job.

My favourite blogs follow the worlds of fashion and music. Fashion guru Meek-N-Mild gives step-by-step advice and really engages with her readers. As a BIG fan of jazz and old-school soul, I also read a great blog called Jazz Wax, where you can listen to the old greats and read about them at the same time. Now, if you are more of an R&B fan, I would suggest Next2Shine, which is full of new music. All of these are examples of how I want my blog to look, and are regularly updated with a solid theme that readers can always relate back to. But beyond reﬂecting your passions, blogs can also change the world. Look at the Arab Spring – bloggers like Sandmonkey played a massive part in helping to foment the Egyptian revolution. And Alexei Navalny may become the Russian equivalent.

How heavily should you promote it? Should you hassle your friends or just let it find its own audience? Spamming your friends and everyone you know is one way, but there is a more credible way to promote your blog. If you mention a public ﬁgure, a normal person or certain location in your post, ﬁnd them on Twitter, say something interesting and @mention them, but don’t BEG for it.

You can also plug your blogging platform into Twitter and Facebook so that every time you post it comes out in your feed for your friends to see. Above all, be consistent with how often you post.

Starting a revolution may be some way off for me – no, really! – but the urge to create a blog was always there. Still, it took help and encouragement to convince me to create one. Now that I’ve done it, I’m excited like when I ﬁrst went on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter – it’s that same feeling. So come jump on the wave, and you are always welcome to read my blog, or even follow me, at www. aidagugsa.blogspot.com.

Blogroll Meek-N-Mild

Fashion

AwesomeGames

Games

KieranYates

Music

LeftFootForward

Politics

Hyperfrank

Music

www.meek-n-mild.com www.awesomegames.co.uk kieranyates.com www.leftfootforward.org hyperfrank.blogspot.com

www.live-magazine.co.uk

regulars

ourtube We all like to have a good lol– even the occasional ROFL. lucky for us, YouTube has plenty of comedians ready to blow. Here are live’s favourite future comedy stars. Enjoy!

T BOY

Alex Reads Twilight: Ch.1

You might remember T Boy from his hilarious Don’t Jealous Me series. The YouTube sensation from London creates comedy by having fun with his roots and the trials of being a “fresh” African in London. Well, he is back to his old tricks in his latest video, which will leave you on the floor! In this video, T Boy sings about running away from immigration with up-and-coming East European rapper Bricka Bricka. A mustwatch. (PM)

Introducing Alex Day, a musician from Essex who has risen to fame by mockingly reading Twilight chapter-by-chapter. He’s got a good line of amazing quotes (“Bella… stupid girl”). Beware: his sarcasm and obvious hatred for the book will leave you gagging for more. If you’re not a Twilight fan, or even if you are, he is definitely one to watch. This is literary criticism as it should be. Comedy gold. (IS)

in association with

YOUTUBE CHANNEL OF THE ISSUE Now for something completely different: Canadian hoop dancer SaFire and her FireSandra channel. Yep, she sets fire to her hoops. Wow!

what is it? SaFire has been hoop dancing since 2006. She uses her channel to publish tutorials and videos of her brilliantly athletic performances.

why is it so popular? All the techniques and tricks involved in hoop dancing are impressive. SaFire is really good at what she does, and doesn’t use her channel just to show it to the world, but also to inspire people and help them become good hoop dancers. Her tutorials are well explained and easy to understand.

Words

Penny Mtshali, 17

This new YouTube series puts a hilarious twist on stereotypes of youth today. The three 18-yearolds are Brit school graduates, and their new comedy sketch Mandem On The Wall turns negative typecasts into laughs. This series is going to leave you wanting more with its witty, relatable jokes, excellent comedic timing, ‘what did he just say?’ scriptwriting, and extremely catchy theme song. Mandem On The Wall looks to leave you rolling with laughter. (LJ)

Leanne Joseph, 16

We bring you more South London comedy, this time in the form of Motive. This hilarious comedy crew specialise in creating spoofs that mercilessly rip grime and dancehall stars to pieces. Some of their funniest videos include a rib-tickling spoof of the Channel 4 series Top Boy and musical spoof video My Girl Can’t Cook. They are definitely close to the bone and sometimes off-key, but they are guaranteed to provide you with laughs over and over again. (PM)

Words

Mandem On The Wall

Live Kolstad Kvalsvik, 24

Motive

top videos to check With over 700,000 views, SaFire Hooping is the most popular clip. I also recommend Safire In The Sun, Love The Process and SaFire Hooping Interview, where she tells her story and explains the nature of hooping and hoop dancing.

how’s the future looking? Having already founded her own company, SaFire Dance Inc, as well as the 300-strong online community Hoop City, there is no doubt SaFire is already well established within the hooping world. Future plans include publishing a children’s book about hooping. (LK)

Make sure you subscribe to our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/livemaguk

regulars

for Everyone has a different way of speaking, a different accent, a different background. We all have our own personal idiolect. People might judge us, but they’re wrong. They are relying on stereotypes and ignoring the fact that a lot of people who use slang are nonetheless intelligent. People have different reasons for using slang. Our generation use slang to understand each other better. We are all, as the saying goes, products of our environment, influenced by the way other people speak around us. Slang helps us understand each other. Slang is our secret language, it separates us from the older generation. It’s funny to see adults’ confusion when we speak it. Who hasn’t sniggered when your mum goes, “Have you seen outside? It’s peak out there. Boy dem running up and down the place.”

Using slang with your friends allows you to interact with them better and establishes a common language. It brings us together and it makes life funnier and more interesting. Although slang isn’t acceptable in certain situations, for instance when you’re attending a job interview, I still believe that it creates a mutual bond that is very powerful. People who only speak standard English are considered by some to be snobs, whereas those who speak using slang are deemed uneducated. Recent events have underlined the gulf that exists between the older and younger generations, something I felt keenly as a young south Londoner during the riots. Slang shows we’re smart and inventive. Ya get me? (RG)

For & Against:

Slang like this

DENCH.

Mandem needs to fix up and speak smart. Or maybe it’s time we embraced speaking properly, bruv. Two Live writers go head to head

against What’s gud bruv, you kl? Sound familiar to you? Most young people tend to speak colloquially, using slang terms to shorten sentences. I’m going to break it down, fam: we use these because we are lazy. Most of our mums wouldn’t know what butters means. But among our peers it’s cool to use slang – we see it as the norm. But we’re letting slang take over its ability to speak English properly. Take a moment to ponder this. We do not always have to speak standard English, but we do need to be aware that the way we speak affects how we are viewed. Let’s face it, the world judges you by first impressions and as we grow older we need to switch the slang on and off according to our surroundings.

Illustration Ruby Roberts 21

Words Penny Mtshali 17

Words Rodney Gold 15

This skill is vital, for example, when a teacher or lecturer asks you a

question in class, you need to represent yourself formally and speak well, so that they’re able to understand what you are saying. Imagine them asking you a simple question: “What do you hope to get out of learning this subject?” And you reply, “Rah, to ramp up my ratings innit.” You may be a very educated individual but, sorry, talking like this makes you sound like the exact opposite. It doesn’t mean you’re being fake – when you’re with your friends you can speak freely. My advice is to teach yourself how to speak properly. When you’re speaking to people with authority, such as your parents or teachers, you can start pronouncing those Ts and stop shortening your words, fam. For practice, try watching the news. It may be boring but it will help you improve the way you communicate with others, especially those who aren’t familiar with slang. Good luck! (PM)

www.live-magazine.co.uk

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aztec shirt

denim bralet

river island www.riverisland.com £35 Stay style savvy with this Aztec inspired shirt. Perfect for lazy days and long nights.

Topshop www.topshop.com £24

Walk down the high street feeling like you’re on the catwalk in this sophisticated bralet.

We Love...

skinny chinos

topman www.topman.com £28

The chinos are back as our Spring staple. Working well for both business and pleasure

being eclectic Spring is around the corner, so stay on trend with our jeans and print inspired look

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Keep ahead of the game with these custom-made retro shoes. A must-have for any die-hard Mario fan.

Words Christian Adofo 23

Words Iram Sarwar 20

Give yourself some edge and invest in some silver Dr M’s. Easy to wear with any outﬁt come rain or shine.

Words Celeste Houlker 20

Words Fiona Anderson 21

Be the envy of all your friends with this maxi skirt. Featuring Spring prints, this skirt is a must have.

DR MARTENS OFFICE

mario shoes inkheart www.etsy.com £64

MAXI SKIRT RIVER ISLAND www.RIVERISLAND.co.uk £40

World In Focus

Look East Qatar Women can drive in Qatar (unlike in neighbouring Saudi Arabia). During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking in public is illegal between sunrise and sunset.

World Cup fact I: The 2022 competition will be held in Qatar, despite temperatures of 50 degrees (and allegations of bribery). Qatar’s solution to the heat? blowing ice-cold air into the stadiums.

World Cup fact II: The family-run government has said it will dismantle the stadiums after the competition and send them to poor countries.

Respected news channel Al-Jazeera is based in Qatar. The station, which is like an Arab BBC or CNN, was set up after the Emir of Qatar loaned the broadcaster

Words Omar Shahid 20

Life changed massively in Qatar after it gained independence from Britain in 1971, and again after Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani took over in 1995.

$137m. The country has been run by a royal family for

200 years

and is currently headed up by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. There are no democratic elections or institutions and the first parliamentary elections are planned for 2013.

qatar was once one of the poorest Gulf States but is now one of the richest, with a per capita gdp of around £51,000.

Have you noticed more coverage of Arab states lately? We have. that’s why we asked live politics editor Omar Shahid to find out more about one of the Middle East’s rising economic powers: Qatar

Qatar is the largest producer and exporter of oil and natural gas in the world. in 2010 the economy grew by .

19.4%

The Qatari royal family have a taste for Western luxury companies. They own, or part-own

Harrods Volkswagon Barclays Miramax Sainsbury’s

regulars

Paul Mason Paul Mason made his first appearance as economics editor of bbc’s Newsnight on the evening of 9/11. he covered the collapse of the Lehman Brothers, which triggered the worldwide recession, live from its HQ in New York. his groundbreaking reports on the rise of China as an economic power won him the Wincott prize in 2003

Omar Shahid, Live’s Politics Editor, caught up with Mason in an exclusive interview about his new book, Why It’s Kicking Off Everywhere. He explains why the 2011 revolutions happened, how social media has changed our behaviour, the implications for professional journalism, how young people will react to continued unemployment and whether the demonisation of Arabs has ended.

In a nutshell, why did it all kick off? It kicked off because the economic system started to fall apart. That changed young people’s outlook as to what their prospects were and did so almost immediately – and over large sections of the western world. It happened at the end of 10 years in which communications technology has become very democratic. This is rushing at us and the combination of social media, a huge economic crisis, empowerment of individuals and a generation that acts and thinks differently, has basically produced the explosion. Why are people acting and thinking differently? There has been a historic change in human behaviour driven by mass consumption. Above all, social media and mobile telephony have literally changed the way we do things. They have even changed what we do with different bits of our body, our thumbs. We are still human beings, we are the same animal, but the social side of us, the empathy we have with each other, has been enabled more. It’s hard to pin down, nobody is theorising it, nobody can study it scientifically, there is no mass sociological study of it yet, but it’s the job of the journalist to notice this stuff.

Words Omar Shahid 20

A young person in your book says “social media isn’t making us more antisocial but ultrasocial”. Is social media really making us more isolated and is it such a bad thing? There is strong evidence that a creation of an online world is a creation of an extra human space that has its own laws of interaction. That’s quite interesting. Nobody knows where it’s going.

Another young person in the book said “I can’t believe people still read articles when we have instant information from social media”. What’s the future for young journalists when social media is becoming the main tool? All the business models of media are in crisis. That doesn’t mean they can’t exist, it just means we have to find something people are prepared to pay for. It’s just a question of finding the content that people will pay for.

With our country’s debt pile now at £1 trillion, and youth unemployment still bad here and around Europe, how will the youth react in the next year? I think this generation of youth – even people who are very disadvantaged in terms of money and education – are still very self-educated; they know more than my generation 20, 30 years ago, and therefore they are able to be more entrepreneurial; some will be pure business entrepreneurs but others social entrepreneurs. Yes, the West is going to be crippled by debt probably for a decade. Yes, the form of capitalism will have to change, at the very least, if it’s going to deliver anything like social justice. Do I know what the final outcome is? No. Can we predict some things? Yes. It’s going to have to be greener. The Germans are pouring money into green technology. It’s going to have to be more hi-tech – that will create new markets. There will probably be markets in genetic medicine in 10 years time. Not just genetic medicine but genetic, cosmetic surgery. Out of that will come the Richard Branson of the future, and other stuff that might be more attractive than Richard Branson.

How do we create the content people want? People already have a lot of the truth coming at them, unmediated by us – they choose whom to follow on Twitter. I followed the right people in Libya, so I could work out when they had started the assault on Tripoli way before even the newswires started reporting it. I thought, “S**t they are going to assault Libya, this is amazing.” I just think there are going to be fewer journalists making lots of money and a lot of people doing bits of journalism for free.

Do you think our perception of the Arab world is changing? There is a struggle between the “Arabists” and the people who are still reducing issues to terrorism, violence and religion – and there are people like me who want to see beyond that. I’m afraid Syria, and the war in Libya, has allowed this image to come back. Look, people shout “Allah hu akbar”. Why are they shouting it? It’s because they think they are going to die. They want it to be their last word. They aren’t shouting it because they are religious fanatics.

Regulars

INSIDE JOB

Asif Khan AND Pernilla Ohrstedt Asif Khan, 31, and Pernilla Ohrstedt, 30, are two young architects with their own rapidly emerging design studio, Pernilla & Asif. We caught up with the busy duo, who were commissioned by Coca-Cola to work on an experimental and innovative building using sound technology for the Olympics How did you get into architecture? Pernilla: Through art and design. I’m from Sweden and decided to go to St Martin’s in London to study art and design. There I discovered architecture schools and I ended up at the Bartlett School of Architecture, where I met Asif. Asif: After we graduated we had our own practices and we came together for experimental projects, to discover and make new things. We enjoyed taking simple elements and combining them in a unique way. Do you need any specific qualifications in order to pursue architecture? Pernilla: You just need an interest. You don’t need to be amazing at maths or art, just a passion for architecture and creating things. You can pick up skills along the way. Certain courses may have requirements, but there are different routes. Asif: Ultimately you need passion to succeed. Apart from being passionate, what advice would you give aspiring architects? Asif: Persistence – believe in yourself and discover what it is you want to do and follow that. Pernilla: There are no rules. Architecture has endless opportunities and you can put your spin on it.

Photos Petra Valenti 23

Words Kimberley Webber 18

Tell us a little more about the Olympics and how you approached it? Pernilla: Mark Ronson has created an anthem with Katy B, where he’s recorded young athletes from around the world, and we were asked

to create a pavilion to celebrate this. We came up with the concept to create a building that integrates both sound and music. We brought in engineers and a sonic branding company to re-composite Mark’s sounds into the building. So it’s like playing the building like an instrument. It’s a building that’s open for everyone to experience. We’ve created a space where people can reconstruct a track from sound stems recorded by athletes by interacting with and literally touching the building. Asif: Our aim is to inspire the next generation, and we value emerging talent. We want to show that architecture can be amazing and experimental and that it can encompass music and sport. It’s quite a coup getting this job. Tell us about what was involved in the selection process. Pernilla: The Architecture Foundation set it up, and Coca-Cola approached them for a list of the best emerging architecture practices. There was a competition and we won! Asif: It was a strenuous process – like running the Olympics itself! Giving everyone the ability to create music through a building is amazing. Where do you get your inspiration? Asif: Looking, keeping our eyes open, searching and observing. We think in terms of creating space, and that realisation gives us inspiration. Pernilla: By crossing boundaries and composing things in a new way, like we did for this project. We also did a project called Cloud, where we combined common materials to create an indoor skyscraper.

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calling northern talent! Do you want to write news or features or perhaps interview local artists? Are you a photographer who would like to create content for our website and magazine? Or would you like to contribute to our YouTube channel with clever and funny YouTube films?

Liverpool

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Live Magazine is now distributed all around the country and we’re looking for writers, photographers and film makers who can contribute from our main cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Get in touch with a link to some of your work, and if you don’t have any work, send us three brilliant ideas for pieces we should be covering in the mag and online. Put ‘Northern Talent’ in the subject line and send to:

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Live@live-magazine.co.uk

ETHICS IN ATHLETICS

In Athletics, eligibility rather than ability has become a great point of debate. Christian Adofo asks why nationality in sport is still ambiguous and more controversial than ever before

sport Bangers ‘n’ Mash, Big Ben and Sir Trevor McDonald – these are the icons I immediately think of when I talk about British culture. But what about Andy Murray? He’s magically British when he wins at Wimbledon, but suddenly becomes Scottish again when he tumbles to defeat. He’s just one example of how national identity is a blurred concept – particularly in sport. The English football team has been coached by an Italian for the last five years. England’s 30-man rugby squad is a veritable UN peacekeeping plethora, with eight players who were born overseas (Shontayne Hape, Dylan Hartley and Alex Corbisero amongst others). And the recent No.1 ranking of England’s cricket team is heavily indebted to the South African-born influx (Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Craig Kieswetter, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Michael Lumb and Jade Dernbach) in the squad. The trend continues into the Great Britain Olympic team, as the majority of the handball squad is comprised of players from the European mainland (Jesper Parker and Steven Larsson from Sweden; Sebastien Prieto from France; Robert Garnham from Norway). Wrestling is another low-profile event where foreign imports have been recruited to boost homegrown interest and funding. Olga Butkevych and Yanna Stadnik are the only females in the squad, and the Ukrainian-born duo are eligible to apply for British citizenship in February. In athletics, a number of foreignborn competitors are expected too, with Americans Shana Cox and Michael Bingham in the 400m and Jamaican Germaine Mason and Cuban Yamile Aldana in the high- and triple-jump respectively. No female British hurdler has won an Olympic medal since Shirley Strong in 1984. The last before that came in 1948 at the second London Olympics, with Maureen Gardner defeated by the legendary ‘Flying Housewife’ Fanny Blankers-Koen. But that may soon change. Tiffany Porter is an American hurdler with dual nationality who ran for the US as recently as 2006 at the World Junior Championships in Beijing. She has shot up to fifth in world rankings in the brief time she’s been part of the British set-up and remains resolute amid the criticism. “I don’t focus on the negativity. I have an immense pride and honour in competing for Team GB,” she says when I ask whether she’s perturbed by comments from sprinter Angie Thorp. The retired athlete contacted the Daily Mail (who called Porter a “Plastic Brit”) to express outrage that the American smashed her long-standing British 100m hurdles record, claiming Porter was only repping Britain because she wouldn’t have qualified for the US team. Porter, whose parents are English and Nigerian, and who was born in America, has always claimed that she is equally proud of her American and English heritage. She’s opted not to train in equatorial climes (an option some of her teammates have taken) and made the decision to stay at her Detroit base until a month before the Games. “For this year, I don’t want to get caught up (with the press); I want to maximise everything and concentrate on myself. ”Mental focus forms part of a professional athlete’s DNA and maintaining it is key to staying ahead.

The England football team has been coached by an Italian for the last five years One figure who overcame barriers in international competition (literally, he’s a hurdler) is former World Champion and GB athletics legend Colin Jackson. The sprinter was unbeaten over 44 races in the mid ‘90s and is passionate about foreign-born athletes switching allegiance.

Words Christian Adofo 23

Illustration Emma Chinnery 21

“When you’ve been brought up in an environment and you aspire to represent a country, you represent that country slightly differently as opposed to someone who has come over to (Britain) and

adopted it,” Jackson tells Live in a phone interview. He gives the example of British-born World Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who moved to Canada in his early teens. “Lennox was one of these people who loved being British but unfortunately as soon as he opened his mouth, he had a Canadian accent. So people didn’t have the same connection to Lennox as they did with Frank (Bruno) around the same time. “[Tiffany Porter] has a British passport and there’s nothing illegal about what she’s doing in any way and it’s quite credible that she wants to come and represent Great Britain. But there is still a sense of stealing.”

In an Olympic year, with competition for places noticeably intense, athletes are coming from every corner of the globe to compete for Team GB Nationality used to be simple for athletes, but since the ’90s the boundaries have been blurred, with each country having their own rules. Middle-distance African runners are crossing the Red Sea for new pastures in the Middle East for a variety of reasons, from lack of training and support at home to the financial rewards available in the Gulf. One such runner is Saif Saaeed Shaheen (formerly Stephen Cherono), who controversially switched loyalties to Qatar from Kenya in 2003, for a reported $1 million. Bahrain has also followed suit, granting citizenship to sub-Saharan sportsmen Abel Cheruiyot and Leonard Mucheru Maina (the latter has since re-acquired his Kenyan nationality). Yet others are doing it for the love of competition. Moroccan-born marathon runner Khalid Khannouchi was granted American citizenship in 2000 and became the world-record holder in the event two years later. Slough’s Fiona May competed as an international long-jumper for Italy rather than the UK, and our biggest hope for gold in 2012, Mo Farah, was born in Somalia, coming to Britain when he was eight. The most famous case in Britain was South-African runner Zola Budd. The barefoot teenage distance-runner was fast-tracked to a British passport for the 1984 Olympics at a time when South African sport was subject to an international boycott because of apartheid. The swap became infamous when Budd collided with American Mary Decker (the home favourite and Gold medal hope) at the Los Angeles Games. “We need to make a massive separation. It’s not like the situation we had with Zola Budd where there was a real rush to get her to represent Great Britain,” says Jackson. “People like Porter have always had a British passport: they just haven’t chosen to represent GB before. That’s the difference.” However, the American-born medal prospect is determined to find a place on the podium in front of her adopted home crowd in E20 (the former fictional postcode of EastEnders brought to life, à la Pinocchio) and has even brushed up on Cockney with fellow teammates naming ‘cheeky’ as her favourite term. The world has changed – and it looks like GB athletes are benefiting from the highest level of funding of any Western nation, naturally making us an attractive prospect for nomadic athletes and coaches. In an Olympic year, with competition for places noticeably intense, athletes are coming from every corner of the globe to compete for Team GB. When the plentiful medal swag is won and the open-top parade is greeted by millions, you could be Mr Blobby 2.0 and no one would kick off about your origin.

More about the Olympics and other sports online www.live-magazine.co.uk

i n a s s o c i at i o n w i t h s o m e w h e r e t o _

Space Is The Place somewhereto_ helps young people find the spaces they need to do the things they love. We spoke to three young people about their success with somewhereto_

You could be in the next issue of Live, if you challenge somewhereto_ to find you a COOL space.

Do you love to dance, but need a space to perform? Or are you part of a band needing a space to rehearse... or paint, debate, write or play sport? Inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, somewhereto_ aims to bring young people together with space-holders. It might be a physical space that you need – a sports hall, piece of land, darkroom or recording studio, or maybe you need magazine column inches, online space or even screen time in a cinema. somewhereto_ can help you ﬁnd that perfect place. This is a nationwide project and there are regional coordinators based all around the UK to help you ﬁnd the space you need. somewhereto_ is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to create a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from London 2012 Olympic communities across the UK.

WWW.SOMEWHERETO.COM

follow for opportunities @somewhereto_ Call To get going 0844 243 9299 FIND YOUR FREE SPACE AT www.somewhereto.com

Music_

gardening_

exhibitions_

Name: Mary Winn Age: 16 Based: Gateshead, North East

Name: Andrew Kenny Age: 24 Based: Gateshead, North East

Name: Ashleigh Ward Age: 22 Based: Brighton, South East

I was performing in a shopping centre with my band and somewhereto_ were promoting their opportunities, so we signed up. We don’t have money to hire practice space but somewhereto_ were offering it free. I rate our experience with the project 10 out of 10; I doubt we’d have gotten this far without somewhereto_.

I’ve always wanted to create a community garden, especially in Belfast as there’s so much unused space, but it’s hard getting permission, and the owner to sign it off. Trust in somewhereto_; they’re helping people like me. We all see empty spaces, let’s use them to change our communities.

Seeing an advert on Channel 4, I decided to get in touch. somewhereto_ transforms communities, and the fact that it’s young people with crazy, creative ideas is brilliant. I was really pleased with the pop-up Brighton exhibition, even though the cold and windy seafront weather put a few people off!

to read the full interviews go to www.live-magazine.co.uk

top uk spaces up for grabs_ 1. Rinse FM Air Time, London Get your own show or podcast on this immensely successful underground radio station, and help showcase London’s best talent. Yes, really!

aesthetic, this expansive space could be the perfect place for your art installation, performance or ﬁlm.

2. Sound Masters Studios, Birmingham This studio set-up brings you the beneﬁt of not only state-of-theart recording equipment, but also the slick expertise of an experienced producer; ideal if you need somewhereto_ record your breakthrough single.

A huge Grade II listed building with a tough, industrial

8. Brewsmiths Coffee and Tea Bar, Birmingham

A brand new BMX-friendly space located at the end of the park – perhaps you could think of a one-off event to hold here?

This independent coffee shop, just outside Birmingham’s jewellery quarter, is open to hosting meetings and exhibitions.

9. The Hoop Garden, London This leafy space in Kings Cross is a dynamic mobile garden that is currently located on a construction site. Gardening, vegetable growing and conservation projects are all welcome.

4. Rich Mix Film Screening Slot, London If you want to get your short ﬁlm seen by friends and contacts in a comfortable, professional setting, apply for a slot during of the regular ﬁlm screenings at Rich Mix, an arts centre in east London.

5. Rochdale Cultural Crafts Bazaar, Rochdale

3.The Boiler Shop Building, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear

6. Haggerston Park BMX Track, London

Open space available at the monthly Cultural Crafts Bazaar at Rochdale’s Covered Market: get involved if you’re enterprising and you need some space to sell your handmade goods.

7. The Scoop Outdoor Amphitheatre, London This outdoor performance space consists of a sunken stage with tiered seating for up to 800 people. The Scoop is usually used for dance, music and theatre events, but there’s nothing stopping you from using this minimal - but huge space even more creatively.

10. Street Art Space, Leicester The front of an old nightclub, this space provides somewhereto_ visually express yourself on the streets of Leicester’s city centre.

SECURE ONE OF THESE SPACES OR FIND ANOTHER NOW. GO TO WWW.SOMEWHERETO.COM

showcase_

2 1 ‘ r a M Jan -

More info at: www.somewhereto.com/THEO2

Scan Here

WHO: somewhereto_, 18 artists and The Grafﬁti Life Company WHAT: Street art exhibition WHERE: Outside The O2 (North Greenwich) WHEN: 3 January–27 March WHY: This is a one-off street art exhibition of stunning, diverse and multilayered artwork that will rotate (every two weeks) in three 6mx3m display cases outside The O2 until 13 March. All the artwork is being created by 18 young artists from somewhereto_ partners The Grafﬁti Life Company, who found the space through somewhereto_, and had additional support from AEG Europe, the London Development Agency, and O2 Think Big. Visit the O2 now to see their work!

Regulars

Amazon Kindle Fire £179.99 Need a colour touchscreen that reads books, plays videos and has wireless networking to boot? At less than half the price of an iPad2, the new Kindle Fire will blaze competitors into oblivion. It provides a welcome alternative in a tablet market where Apple has gazumped allcomers.

Wii U by Nintendo £129.99

Padintosh £30

Following Nintendo’s success with the Wii, the Wii U is the next console to fall off the motion gaming conveyor belt. It features 1080p HD graphics and has a new controller with a built-in touchscreen, which offers panoramic views and simultaneously works with the TV screen.

Everybody loves a good reminisce, blowing the cobwebs off family albums and watching VHS tapes of birthday parties. So why not take your nostalgic penchant further, with the Padintosh! Made in the style of the original Apple Macintosh, the case ﬁts snugly onto your iPad2 and protects it from the odd bump and grind.

totally wired

Live untangles the bird’s nest in its brain long enough to find these perfect gizmos for sound and vision

Griffin DJ Splitter Cable £12.99

These may look like cool little ﬁgures that could live in Guatemala, but they combine Far East swag with the practical functionality of a speaker. With a rechargeable battery that lasts four hours and a clear, crisp sound, the portable ‘phonies’ will keep it going louder post-nightclub.

If you like taking snaps that have more zest and persona than your average social network picture, this compact all-weather camera is more than ﬁt for the job. With a metal handgrip to keep it steady and a rubberised coating if you’re a cautious cretin, this model also has a new GPS antenna to pinpoint your current co-ordinates and movements more accurately.

For DJs and amateurs alike, this little gadget shouldn’t be underestimated for getting a party started or bringing good vibrations to a jamming session. The cable enables you to mix and cue songs simultaneously through your speakers. Compatible with most handheld Apple devices, download Algoriddim’s ‘djay’ app to master the digital ones and twos.

Design Rodney Gold 15

Fuji Film FinePix X150 £249.99

Words Christian Adofo 23

Mobi Headphonies £24.95

regulars

Soldier Boy

Chris Ryan is an SAS soldier turned best-selling author and TV frontman. Finn Grist fixed Ryan in his journalistic crosshairs to find out more about his new teen book, Agent 21

How does an ex-SAS soldier, who tried to join the army at 16, turn into a best-selling author? The question should be: how does a best selling author become an SAS soldier? That’s the hard bit!

What advice would you give to young people entering the armed forces? Think long and hard. It is a very dangerous occupation.

What was the most useful training you underwent?

The best training I ever had was an 18-month alpine guide course.

What do you prefer: writing or making TV programmes?

I enjoy both, as they are equally as demanding and fulfilling.

What was the most enjoyable TV show to make?

Chris Ryan’s Elite Police, as I got to work and operate with police units around the world.

Will there be more Chris Ryan TV shows in the future?

Yes, the third series of Strike Back is being made as we speak.

What’s the most amazing place you’ve ever been to?

Africa, without a doubt. It is so diverse and it has a wonderful array of different wildlife.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever had to eat?

Apart from a well-known burger high-street supplier, the worst thing I can think of was salted dried fish in Norway.

What is the most scared you’ve ever been?

The most scared I have ever been was during my escape from Iraq.

What’s the deadliest animal you’ve ever encountered? That would have to be an elephant or a hippo.

What are the worst weather conditions you’ve ever found yourself in?

While filming a programme for the BBC in Siberia. It was -45°C.

You rose to fame with your book The One that Got Away, which was based on your account of the Bravo Two Zero mission and your subsequent escape. What is your reaction to Michael Asher’s book, The Real Bravo Two Zero, in which he contradicts some of your (and fellow soldier/author Andy McNab’s) accounts of those events? I find it amazing that he can comment on something when he was not even there with me.

What do you remember of the 300km trek you embarked on to get out of Iraq, and what was going through your mind at the time? Of course I remember. It is with me for the rest of my life.

Who is your favourite current author?

My favourite author is [BBC defence and diplomatic journalist] Mark Urban.

What was the most valuable piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

words Finn Grist 20

Failure is not an option.

25 1

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Northern Uproar! Grime might have started out in Bow, E3, but there are now MCs and producers from all over the UK. Forget about the F64, says Ayman Al-Juzi, it’s all about the N64

ou only need to spend ten minutes on YouTube to find that grime is now officially UK-wide. Whether it’s the thousands of views on Shotty Horroh’s freestyle, or Northampton MC Ill Murk appearing on Chris Moyles’ breakfast radio show, or Birmingham’s Lady Leshurr smashing SB.TV, the north is definitely a rising force in UK music. Let’s rewind a minute. Grime was born in the early 2000s as a child of the struggles and hardships of a few east London boys. It was not, like the lyrics on the old UK-garage track, “just a London ting”: it was a Bow, E3 ting. The scene back then had many different names, from ‘sub-low’ to ‘eski’. One of the first tracks to officially be called ‘grime’ was the Musical Mob’s killer instrumental, Pulse X. The roots of the scene were in garage, and it developed into grime for a few reasons: a DJ called Slimzee played hard instrumentals that didn’t suit the hosting-type MCing of outfits like Heartless Crew; a group of friends started making music round Wiley’s house; and they all performed together at a rave called Sidewinder in Milton Keynes.

Grime is now worldwide. Dizzee started out freestyling over garage instrumentals on pirate radio, and 11 years later, he’s had more than five No.1 singles. It has even reached protests – Lethal Bizzle’s Pow became the adopted anthem at last year’s student demonstrations. The song’s aggression brought together those driven by anger at the cuts. Hip hop in the US started in New York, and is now a nationwide genre with different regional styles, from west coast G-funk to dirty South. In a similar way, grime has expanded beyond London throughout the UK. Now, cities from Manchester to Birmingham are producing their own artists.

Words Jamal Whyte 18

Words Ria Dwyer 17

Words Ayman Al-Juzi 21

Of course, it’s still early days: a lot of people would struggle to name one MC outside the London scene, let alone in a particular city such as Manchester. This is not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of coverage and opportunity for young grime artists from outside London. It could be that urban radio stations in London such

as Rinse and 1Xtra should be giving northern MCs more coverage. But the real problem lies within the cities’ own radio stations not giving these MCs exposure. Take for example Liverpool, where radio stations are dominated by indie, rock and other band-related music. There is no significant space for MCs to be recognised, so they’re forced to spread their music by selling mixtapes on road. It’s a tough career for someone outside London. However, a platform which does give northern MCs hope at the moment is YouTube. A quick scan across some freestyles and tracks from MCs such as Wariko (Nottingham), Asher Don & Dialect (Leeds), and C4 (Birmingham) shows us the unique flows that different accents and slang can produce. These guys are definitely talented, proving that grime doesn’t end at Watford’s northern border. A good documentary that gives you a real feel for the struggle is Sam White’s Grime Up North, presented by Charlie Sloth, which aired on 1Xtra earlier this year. Charlie interviews MCs in cities like Newcastle and Manchester, and gets them to show off with some on-the-spot freestyles. Not only is the documentary an eye-opener that shows how many MCs are trying to make it big in the UK – it shows you that most of them are actually from outside London. Charlie bumps into MCs regularly on his tour of the UK, and they all scream the same message: they want opportunities and a spotlight like London’s. So which city outside London is making the most moves? “Well, really, all of them. Everywhere we went there were rappers approaching me and Charlie,” says White. “There were little pockets of rappers everywhere, even in the small towns”. This is probably a shock to some people in London, who think the scene only exists in the capital. “London-centricity is holding back the UK scene as a whole,” he says, adding that grime won’t be able to evolve if it sticks strictly to its roots. After all, American hip hop didn’t stay put in New York.

Once we start listening to out-of-London grime on a mainstream level, we’ll see the genre evolving through different slangs, accents and dialects but we will also see an evolution of its style as a whole. This is important for any genre to survive, because at some point people will get bored of the same old sound. We’ve seen it take off from underground to mainstream; now it’s time for it to take off from London to become a recognised UK-wide movement. “It’s only a matter of time before we get the next Tinie Tempah breaking

through from somewhere like Leeds or Manchester or Newcastle. That’s what Charlie thinks too.” If the legendary Charlie Sloth thinks so, then watch out for the next Scouse Wretch 32 or Geordie P Money! People listen to grime all over the country, so why can’t they make it there too? And why can’t we open our ears to some different styles? Sam White has the final word: “Grime expanding out of London makes the whole scene bigger. It’s a step up for the industry to be nationwide.”

R i s i n g S ta r s

Live shines a light on some new talent from Manchester, Nottingham and Liverpool. Wordz, Manchester What’s different about the scene in Manchester?

There are a lot of people doing freestyles but I’m bringing a fresh sound to the city.

Who are the main players?

Geko and Blizzard. They’re both young and are building a name for themselves and creating a buzz at the moment. Wrigz, too.

What’s the one tune I should check out from you?

Bossy. It’s a different kind of song because it’s about empowering women.

Kasst, Liverpool What’s the grime scene like in your city?

There is talent up north. The majority of MCs are real here, the rest spit in London accents. In Liverpool nobody’s really pushing grime but I’m a new talent, fresh to the scene and I have so much to offer.

Who are the main players outside of London?

Mayhem, Sbd, Rio and Lady Leshurr. She is one of the most versatile artists out there at the moment.

What’s your city got that London hasn’t?

Accents and the buzz. But it’s easier to get exposure in London because there’s more links.

What’s the one tune I should check?

Me and Geko (USG), Liverpool To Manchester.

Wariko, Nottingham What’s the grime scene like in your city?

Thriving. You got myself, artists and producers like Virgo. You got Beat Geeks. I inspire the youngsters.

Who are the main players outside of London?

I was one of the main people pushing it. I did a track with Ms Dynamite and I’ve always been up in the ears of the country.

What’s your city got that London hasn’t?

No other town has our accent, that’s a vital part of your persona. I’d hate to be from anywhere else.

What’s happening for you over the next few months?

Lord Of The Mics is coming out and the tour starts 16 February at Storyline in London. I’ve signed a distribution deal with EGA, who manages Devlin, for my new project, Natural Born Poet.

What’s the one tune I should check?

On Wariko.com I have free downloads. Listen to 24/7.

i n a s s o c i at i o n w i t h b a r c l ay s m o n e y s k i l l s

$AvE and gain £

Like Wu-Tang Clan famously said, “cash rules everything”. Live loves to talk money, so read on to find out how you can save £50 a week by keeping your finances in check It’s spring, which means it’s time to check your wallet and scrape those coins out from the back of your sofa. We’ve been working hard here at Live HQ to find ways to stack up your cash, creating this indispensable guide, kindly supported by Barclays Money Skills, to guarantee your account stays on the right side of red. You might want to take note of barclaysmoneyskills.co.uk because they’ve got loads of ideas on budgeting, saving and generally increasing your financial knowledge. Think of them as the smart older sibling who’ll ensure that you’re not still paying off your social life in your 30s and who can help you find smart ways to manage your money. Still listening? Good, because by the end of this you could be hundreds of pounds better off. It can be easy to lose track of your spending but here are some simple tricks to make sure you’ve always got some cash.

Top Ways to save 1. Prioritise your shopping list! Want new clothes? Or need to buy lunch? Be honest with yourself: bills need to be paid, but you want a new jumper. Needs have to come ﬁrst.

2. Resist!

Millions of pounds are spent on advertising to make you spend your dough. Don’t give in! Walk past the shiny window displays and ignore. And avoid those money-wasters like snacks and drinks.

3. Be brutal!

Design Louis Harris 21

Iram Sarwar 20

Set yourself a budget and only draw out that amount from the ATM. Spend what you have and leave the debit card at home. Check barclaysmoneyskills.com for budgeting tips.

Top Banking Tips The most important thing to remember is that your overdraft is not your mum/friend/fallback or ‘free money’. It will leave you worse off because of pesky interest rates, and the fact that once you’ve got it, you might keep increasing it. Overcome its alluring power by keeping it for emergencies only – and that doesn’t include getting the round in to celebrate your end-of-term deadline. Average interest rates are around 19% so if you borrow £100 you’ll pay back £119. If you spend two grand, you’ll end up paying back an extra £400. It’s not that difﬁcult: open your bank statements (or better yet, check online regularly) and learn to go through them properly. If you bank online don’t lose that weird gadget they posted you. Keep it somewhere safe! We’re getting serious now: if you don’t check your statement regularly, you’ll lose track of what’s coming in and out, could suffer identity fraud, and you could end up with no money, no overdraft, and no way of ﬁnding any extra money for another month. Budgeting, which is the art of knowing how much you have coming in and how much you can spend, is vital. You can also check that your outgoing payments are accurate and no one’s stealing your identity. How would you know if someone else is spending your money for you unless you check your statements? If there is a mistake on your statement, be sure to report it to your bank. Just don’t ring to complain that £100 went out at 4am on a Saturday night, only to remember that it was you after all.

Iram’s Weekly spending

Mondayto Camden. Quirky sunglasses, £5

Shopping trip al Deal, £3 Supermarket Me Drink, £1 Total: £9.00 sses and I could have n’t need sunglahav Verdict: I did e saved £6. uld Wo k. drin lived without the

Tuesday al, £3

Cheap Meal De Blusher, £6 Chocolate, 60pr £3.40 Cheap eyeline Total: £13.00 in for lunch! Would : Ultimate fail! Only went Verdicted . £10 have sav

Wednh,e£3sday

daey, £2 urbs Th g a uettshop, £10 nds, £7 icken frie ery

Ch kly groc vie with Weecks for mo te, 55p h! I Sna of chocola5p tomac ed mpty .s Didn’t ne e Bar of cola, 6 n a ould m Can l: £20.20 hop oton 1 x £2 itite’s a habit. C od sa fo s t k ’t u c n Tota b o t: D ited snbe honest, Veorudldichave rlim la to sh colate o c6o.15. od so cho e saved £ ng gr,o£17 feelim s e a hav p w and -trend ju n ment assigna treat – o n a d d e te rv le e p s Comided I de ini, £3.80 , £12 n dec ken panfor Claire ing ”o ady Chicday gif t somteIthhad alre g ow in y Bir th , £3 bout h r t bu to bu self inrved a tre’tathinkinge aa card fo y Cardl: £35.80 m d e h n g t ne es ad as Tota t: I caounse I feltdI gdet andhawve alsot.mIt’s the thIowuas if u n c Verddic b 0 be 20.0 prese ekly Fail. I could tren n”t my wele her a aved £ t. spech I had df of buyinoguld have s mu ire instea right? I w Cla t counts, erly. 0 £96.5 tha king prop otal: 00 T thin k e . e 9.15

Friday

W t: £50 5 ed: £4 Budged have sav nt: £47.3 e l p u s Co d have Coul

n, £10 £2 Sandwic ous trip to student unioay me, Spontaneeded burger on the w ho Much-ne .50 Travel, £2 .00 Water, £1 0 ks, could Total: £18.5 er af ter drin e the burgan ught anyone at bo ly t on no I : d t c Verdiskipped the snacking£7. have have saved a drink.Would

KEEP A SPENDING JOURNAL “Err, where has my money gone?” It’s a question I ask too often. I take £10 out in the morning and next thing I’m trying to remember where it went (errr, chicken shop again?). Sick of my irrational spending patterns, I decided to keep a five-day diary monitoring everything I bought. It proved very interesting indeed. I buy a lot of junk I don’t need! I challenge you to do the same: it only takes five days, a pen and piece of paper, which also doubles up as a budget planner. And no, don’t think this is a reason to buy a fancy new diary that costs a fiver, like I nearly did!

“The experiment left me traumatised!” How can I spend £96.50 in just five days? This experiment has definitely been an eye-opener to how the little things add up. Just take a look at my spending journal (above). Over five days I spent way too much on lunch, adding up to a ridiculous £78 over 30 days. If I made lunch instead and only spent, say, £5 a week on lunches, that would be £20 a month and then I’d have in theory £58 a month to buy things from my ‘want’ list, and still be within budget!

What I learnt I can save a fortune by swapping little details. If I make my own lunch, costing just £20 over a month, I would save £58. I need to check my statements online regularly. The last thing I want is my identity stolen. It also reminded me how much I had left, so I didn’t dip into my overdraft for inessential items. I should take out a set amount of cash (to cover my weekly needs, like transport). I’ll also be leaving my debit card at home, so when it’s gone it’s gone and I won’t overspend. I really have to work out my budget and stick to it! The ten minutes you spend working out how much you’ve got and how much you can spend will be the most productive ten minutes ever, I promise.

For more information on how to be FINANCIALLY savvy check out

barclaysmoneyskills.com

f e at u r e

online but offkey? Social networks are obviously a big part of our lives. But what happens when things go wrong? Live uncovers their darker side

Facebook and Twitter can fuel our deepest insecurities. Say you stumble upon casual pictures of your partner in the club with some friends, and the pictures have been repeatedly liked and commented on by someone of the opposite sex. You can’t resist the urge to dig a little deeper into this person’s life – this person who’s apparently so “friendly” with your loved one. Maybe it turns out this person has many friends – more than you. Maybe their pristine profile picture has a couple of pages of comments, most from the opposite sex, including a casual but flirtatious comment from your own boyfriend/girlfriend after you started seeing each other.

Kidscape is a UK-based organisation that fights online bullying. Peter Bradley, the company’s deputy director, stresses that social networks can only exacerbate relationship problems that already exist. “People have to look into why they are using Facebook, what the barrier is and why they are unable to communicate effectively faceto-face,” he says.

Within minutes you’re a paranoid wreck and you can’t share it because you’ve committed the unmentionable sin of stalking The darker side of Facebook can be seen in various extraordinary cases, like that of the 18-year-old Italian man who, in late 2010, made international headlines after suffering an asthma attack apparently sparked by logging into Facebook and seeing how many men his ex-girlfriend had added to her list of contacts. Using a new nickname, the teenager re-friended his former partner on the social networking site, but the stress of seeing her photo on Facebook linked to so many new male friends was too much.

Words Anne Arts 17

Words Samson Pharoah 20

Peeved and irate you delve further into their profile and find numerous likes and flirty comments from an even wider circle of “friends”. Within minutes you’re a paranoid wreck and, worst of all, you can’t

share it because you’ve committed the unmentionable sin of stalking.

Illustration Corban Wilkin 21

or most people social networks are harmless fun. But for others it’s a problem, with users checking up on partners and exes, rummaging through accounts, and scanning pictures for clues as to what went down, and with whom.

In September 2011, Diane Foxley, a librarian from Gloucestershire, paid tribute to her 21-year-old son, Simon, who hanged himself in their back garden after being unfriended by a girl he had confessed his love for on Facebook. When the shy musician attempted to reconnect with the girl, who did not share his feelings, his family say he was bombarded with messages from her male friends warning Simon off, including one which read, “go and die”. His father and younger brother found him dead at the family home hours after Simon read the post. His mother was left a suicide note that read, “Thank you for everything that you have done for me, I hope you all make the most of your lives.” The 55-year-old librarian now wants to warn young people about the dangers of making thoughtless comments online. “The boys that made those comments to Simon would not have done it face to face,” she told the press. “They were trying to warn Simon off but they did not realise how sensitive he was. Being told to go and die was the final straw. I would say to anyone, please be aware of the dangers of social networking sites, and keep an eye on your sensitive young people. We do not want another family to go through this hell.”

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Live Says Live’s Anne Jupiter shares a personal view

The old-school ways of bullying like taking someone’s lunch money or pushing them in the hallway have been joined by a new culprit: social network bullying, where bullies have relocated to the internet to harass people through RTs on Twitter.

Natasha, who mentors teenage girls across London, spoke to Live about her own alarming experiences with cyberbullying and recalled a wide range of online madness. “There are a lot of arguments about private conversations and pictures that are shared on BB or Facebook. I’ve heard of instances where people steal each other’s pictures, usually an unflattering one, then they put it up as their profile pic to make fun of that particular person”

“Girls come to me in tears, in floods of tears. I’ve never had any suicides but these girls definitely have suicidal thoughts” Among tales of screen-munching, ruined reputations and people creating two accounts (one for their mothers to see and the other for more down-low activity), Natasha recalled a particularly vivid case of cyber-bullying. “The worst thing I ever saw, and it really did shock me, was a picture put up on Facebook of a boy and a girl having sex in the doggy position. One of them had

taken the picture on their phone, and then it somehow got uploaded onto Facebook. The uploader was asking if people could name and shame the girl and people went ahead and tagged her. “Girls come to me in tears, in floods of tears. I’ve never had to deal with any suicides but these girls definitely have suicidal thoughts because social media is their whole world.”

Online bullying is even more severe than school bullying because it’s there for life, a constant reminder of a mistake or a bad experience, and because people join in through laughing, commenting and sharing nasty messages. The bullying can be so intense that people are forced to delete their accounts, and sometimes even harm themselves. Everyone who instigates or encourages bullying is as responsible as the bully. And, God forbid, if the victim decides to harm themselves, everyone involved, including the ones that laughed or commented or shared, should face whatever consequences get brought into measure.

Most people agree that social networks don’t make people bully each other, but there’s no doubt they are an ingrained part of our lives for better or for worse – and we have to deal with the consequences.

On social networking sites, there’s no authority figures such as teachers to stop things, and no amount of ‘Twitter preaching’ (sharing one’s views and speaking out) will help stop it.

If we can’t blame social media for our online escapades and obsessions, it looks like we’ll have to become more self-aware so we can assess our intentions and selfregulate. Kidscape’s Peter Bradley has a few ideas.

I want to address the people who become bullies over the internet. You need to evaluate your life. Why would you type something you wouldn’t say in real life? Bullies don’t think of the consequences or know how much pain they’re causing a person. They need to reconsider.

“I think everyone just needs to be aware of the amount of time they spend on social networking sites. If it’s out of balance with other aspects of their life, they just need to take a step back.”

film

one sick film

Riz Ahmed

When Live interviewed Ben ‘Plan B’ Drew back in 2009, he told us he was working on a film. It was, he said, an “urban musical”, where six interlinking stories were soundtracked by different songs. Fast forward three years and iLL MANORS is to be released this May. The film was written, directed and scored by Plan B, and features the likes of Riz Ahmed (Four Lions) and Dannielle Brent (Bad Girls). iLL MANORS had real beginnings. It was inspired by events and people in Plan B’s life, including a police raid on his house and a girl he met who was prostituting herself to pay off drug debts. The screenplay was originally adapted into short film Michelle in 2008. Since then, Plan B has acted in Adulthood and Harry Brown, directed the music video for Chase and Status collabo Pieces, and gone on tour with his hit album The Defamation Of Strickland Banks. Live caught up with four actors from iLL MANORS – Jo Hartley (This Is England), Riz Ahmed and newcomers Ryan De La Cruz and Ed Skrein – to discuss the film, working with Plan B, and the importance of portraying the real London. Live: First off what’s iLL MANORS about? Ryan: iLL MANORS is about four characters who’ve been raised up in Newham and are trying to fight for respect, which is a common theme amongst youths in literally every area.

Words Finn Grist 20

Words Ria Dwyer 17

Words Christtian Adolfo 23

Words Jhenelle White 20

The film’s being called a “hip hop musical”. Does that description put it in a box? Ryan: I don’t think so. The film’s got a hip hop musical vibe to it, which relates to young people who live in inner-city communities. Ed: There’s a need nowadays to pigeonhole and put things into a bracket. The soundtrack is narrative – that’s the only link the film has to a musical.

You might know Plan B as a musician and actor, but that’s not all he’s been up to. Live meets the cast of his directorial debut, the ‘urban musical’ iLL Manors

Ed Skrein

Riz: It’s difficult to describe because it’s completely fresh. It’s not really a hip hop musical – the music and lyrics in the soundtrack are an important part of the film, but it’s also a hard-hitting drama with lots of interlinking stories, like Pulp Fiction. What are your characters like in the film? Ryan: I play Jake, who’s probably the youngest in the film. He’s easily manipulated and blatantly wants to be tough. Ed: One of the girls working on the film said to me, “Ed is an angry man”. And he is. He’s a cold individual who’s been weathered by his circumstances. Riz: Aaron is a young man damaged from growing up in foster care, care homes and youth detention centres. He is stuck in a destructive rut and needs to find himself. Are there any similarities between you and your character? Ryan: (Laughs) Maybe a little bit. I’m the young one in my band, Rascals-Class 90 Ent, and I really look up to the older guys. But I’m not violent like Jake – unless I have to bust some kung fu on one of my elders and teach them some manners. Ed: Nah, I’m a positive and peaceful guy; you’ll always see me laughing and smiling. It was strange walking around hating everyone. As soon as filming ended, I could crack a joke with these people. Jo: Carol and I are miles apart. Carol has a huge fear of change. I love change. She’s never taken responsibility for her actions. However, we do share some traits – insecurities and fears. She’s warm and caring like me, but doesn’t have the energy to leave her manor! Riz: He’s one of the least similar characters to myself I have ever played. I’m lucky to have grown up in a loving family, been supported in my ambitions, and had opportunities opened up for me.

film

Ryan De La Cruz

Ben “Plan B” Drew

Is it true you guys came across some trouble from locals whilst filming? Ed: We weren’t filming in the luxury of Pinewood Studios, we were in Forest Gate, where the film takes place. We’d be filming a scene about drug deals and there were drug dealers rolling on the same road. The funniest thing was we’d have people walking past shouting, “Real gangsters don’t shoot movies, real gangsters do it in real life!” Then they’d come back saying, “Oi, let me be in your film bruv”. Them lot were bravado as soon as the camera was there, but there was nothing to worry about. How close is this film to reality? Ryan: I think it’s very close to reality. It relates to young people a lot – this is what’s happening out there. Riz: This film is a raw and difficult look at the underbelly of our society. The place that is hidden away from the shiny gloss of films, music and magazines is where this film shines a light. Is it important for films to be realistic? Jo: Of course it’s good for people to see reality in movies. [The characters] all make certain choices, which is part of being human. iLL MANORS is a true portrayal of our time. It’s an honest, hard-hitting movie, riddled with hope. Ed: I think it’s important we show all sides of the story. I don’t blame the government for ignoring what’s going on in east London – it’s understandable that they want to hide the reality of prostitution, drug dealers and single mums. This is going to be a real shock to people. What’s Plan B like as a director? Ryan: He’s really great. Because he’s an actor himself, he could really show me how to do things better. Ed: We’ve been friends for over a decade, so it was a unique

Jo Hartley

situation. We both had a job to do so we weren’t going to be there cracking jokes. He’s an intense individual and when he gets into work mode he doesn’t mess around. It was a good learning process and a natural, progressive step to take with someone who’s like a brother to me. Riz: He’s a perfectionist and doesn’t settle for anything less than what he has in his head. He knows exactly what he wants and that makes you feel secure as an actor. David Cameron recently said the UK film industry “should try to support more commercially viable pictures”. Would films like iLL MANORS be in danger under the PM’s thinking? Jo: David Cameron obviously knows nothing about filmmaking. You can’t predict a film making money. That’s damaging to low-budget movie making. It will suck the love and passion out of this industry. Most of the best films ever made are not commercially successful anyway. What’s the illest manor you’ve been to? Ryan: Hackney and Brixton. Ed: (Laughs) I wonder how many times I’m going to get asked that! You know, the illest one was in Seville, Spain. It was basically a bunch of tower blocks run by the gypsies, cut off from the motorways with horses running around. It’s so grimy the police are scared to go there. It was a next type of flex. Here, I feel like I can walk through any manor and decipher what’s good and what’s not, whereas there everyone was potentially trouble. Jo: I’m not going to highlight a particular area. Let’s just say I’ve been to a few and they’ve taught me many valuable lessons. I love the estates; they have soul! Riz: The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. There are 10-year-olds with machine guns asking you for sweets and selling you heroin at the same time.

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behind the fun and

games

the olympics aren’t just a showcase for the world’s best athletes. they’re also a huge commercial opportunity for the biggest brands on the planet. Is that a good thing? The Olympics. One of the most anticipated sporting events in the whole world. Years of preparation. Billions invested in developing an immense stadium complex. But that’s not what has us captivated. As the Olympics draw nearer, the big question is how can young people benefit from the event this summer in London?

Illustration Emma Chinnery 21

Words Eli Anguelova 15

Words Ravae Richardson 20

It’s a question that points directly to one of the Games’ most controversial and complicated issues: corporate sponsorship. Last month, a volunteer on the Olympics’ sustainability commission resigned over a sponsorship deal with Dow Chemical Co. But other companies are doing good things for young people across the UK, so who’s right?

One of the brands most frequently associated with the Games is Coca-Cola. This year, the company is sponsoring Future Flames, which rewards young people who have contributed to their local communities with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. It’s a reward that can encourage young people to make a positive contribution to the lives of others. It is helping in other ways, too. “Coca-Cola is working in partnership with [the London Olympics] to deliver a zero-waste Games in 2012,” says the brand. Essentially, Coke has promised it will use recycled materials whenever possible, in everything from bottles to staff uniforms. It also claims that threequarters of the drinks it sells at the Games will be juice, water and low-sugar beverages so that customers are offered a healthy choice. Another Olympics sponsor promising to benefit youth is Procter and Gamble, the company behind Max Factor and Lenor. P&G has announced an investment of £3.3 million in sporting facilities and youth programmes. It’s also sponsoring more than 150 athletes, who’ll encourage young people to embrace healthy lifestyles. As Live dug deeper into the facts, we came across a number of examples that suggested corporations don’t see the Olympics as just a source of revenue, but also as a chance to provide opportunities to teenagers, and to guide them towards great achievements. In historically deprived east London, where the majority of Olympic events are taking place, there has always been a need for new

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sporting facilities – or even just somewhere young people can go to occupy themselves. That’s where Adidas’ AdiZones project kicks in. Olympic AdiZones have been popping up in east London and all over the UK in the run-up to the Games. The free outdoor gyms and sporting facilities encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles by practising different sports while having a good time. Meanwhile, people with disabilities could soon have improved access to sport thanks to collaborations between the Paralympic Games and sponsors such as Balfour Beatty and Capital FM. Despite the criticism, an ever-increasing number of brands are clamouring to be associated with the Games. Whether their aim is to sustain the environment, promote a healthy lifestyle, or just motivate young people, one thing is clear: their programmes will have many good impacts for youth in London and throughout the UK. Of course, there’s another, darker side to corporate sponsorship. Under the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act (2006) the police could forcibly enter private property and confiscate any anti-Olympic posters. The committee has confirmed that officers will have the power to enter homes, but insist they won’t. This unsettling precaution is designed to stamp out any threat of protest and create a compliant, controlled environment. You’d think that as the entire globe looks towards the UK, it’d be detrimental for human rights to be undermined – instead the authorities are going for gold, obtaining powers that give them total control over the Olympic zone. Guardian journalist Vikram Dodd made the point: “Evidence that freedom is being trampled on could seriously damage Britain’s reputation, even if police say they won’t use these powers.” The Olympics should unite nations and inspire. Heightened police presence should create a comforting sense of security, not a stifling surveillance state.

The Olympic laws are designed to prevent a repeat of a 2010 World Cup ambush, when Dutch beer company Bavaria staged a publicity stunt. Thirty blonde women removed a layer of clothing to reveal bright orange dresses advertising the beer. Sponsors are demanding watertight regulations against such guerrilla tactics. According to The Guardian, “areas along routes to Olympic events, including streets, driveways and gardens, will be subject to bans on nearly all advertising”. Any combination of the terms ‘Twenty Twelve’ ‘Gold’ and ‘Games’ in the same sentence is an infringement of Olympic rights. Unofficial street trade in the vicinity of Olympic events is strictly prohibited. Even animals are subject to rules against displaying or carrying ads. While rival companies battle for our attention, sponsorship deals determine even what paying punters can eat. McDonald’s is the only company permitted to sell food in branded packaging inside the stadium. Guerrilla marketing isn’t the only problem. Controversy surrounds Dow Chemicals’ involvement in the Games. In 2001 Dow merged with Union Carbide, the company behind the notorious 1984 chemical tragedy in Bhopal, India, in which up to 25,000 innocent people died following a lethal gas leak. Almost 30 years later they have failed to issue a satisfactory apology or compensation to the thousands of devastated families. Yet Dow has become an Olympic Partner until 2020 and their involvement has caused fury, with India initially threatening to boycott the event completely. Just how many regulations, how much history, will get shoved under the carpet in order to illustrate an idyllic, compliant snapshot of the capital? For all the great work done by some sponsors, it seems that others might be expecting a bit too much for their money.

www.live-magazine.co.uk

Design Louis Harris 21

Photos Jendella Hallam 21

Styling Tej AbiolaAdeleye 22

Words Iram Sarwar 20

Musical Royalty The UK’s answer to Timbaland talks socks, Simon Cowell and new album Electronic Earth with Live’s Iram Sarwar

Sitting on the floor of Oxford House, a Victorian east London chapel, 22-year-old Labrinth is struggling to tie his shoelaces. “I never really got the hang of this,” he smiles, dressed in a sharp red suit, and singing a cheerful rendition of his hit Let the Sun Shine. The photoshoot has been going on for hours but jumping up and down in his brightly coloured socks and “sick pimp hat”, Labrinth is still as vibrant as ever. Even when the shoot ends and it’s time for the interview, he just wants to chill on the floor. Labrinth, real name Timothy McKenzie, could be any easy-going lad from Hackney, east London. But first impressions can be misleading. While most young people are dealing with coursework deadlines, exams and looming unemployment, Labrinth has produced chart-topping hits for the likes of Tinie Tempah, Professor Green and former Live cover girl, Yasmin. He is the musical genius behind Ms Dynamite’s comeback, hangs out with Simon Cowell, and even owns his own restaurant. It seems the only thing that Labrinth hasn’t mastered are his shoelaces. He grew up as a ‘90s child listening to the music of Prince, Michael Jackson, Talking Heads and Radiohead. Raised in a large family, Labrinth was the youngest of nine musically talented siblings. With a brother drumming for Tinie Tempah and sisters who are respected backing vocalists, it is no surprise that Labrinth is now one of the brightest stars on the UK’s urban scene. “I always have [my family] in mind when I’m making music. Every time I make a beat I’m always thinking ‘what would they think about that?’ They’ve brought so many different styles of music home to me and it’s inspired me.” Being brought up in such a creative environment, Labrinth found his love for music at the tender age of 15. It was then he came to the attention of future mentor and manager Mark Williams. Having already started composing music at school it was obvious he had the talent, and the image would soon follow suit. What was needed first was a name: why Labrinth? “Writing lyrics one day I saw labyrinth in the dictionary. My mum was always saying labyrinth, as in life is like a maze. Because of the way I create music, you never know what I’m going to produce. It fits.” Want to know what else he considered? Live can reveal that he nearly named himself Dappy D or Killer Versa. “That was when I was rapping!”

Labrinth has been sure to stay away from the stereotypes associated with his Hackney home. He turns serious for a moment, thinking on the chaos on his doorstep last year. “I think the riots were terrible in terms of what they turned into. It was so silly, people thought they could change things through violence, which isn’t the way.” With that Lab seizes the opportunity to bring us back to his music as he spreads his message through song: “Stop the war/ What are we fighting for?” Our thoughts exactly. His career kicked off after he was given a publishing contract by EMI music three years ago. Impressive as that was, things got crazier when he produced, co-wrote and featured on the biggest UK urban song of the decade: Tinie Tempah’s Pass Out. The song finally gave grime’s urban-pop offshoot the long-awaited credibility it needed and has changed the face of music since. TV talent mogul Simon Cowell came headhunting, making Labrinth his first non-X Factor artist signing for his Syco label. How? Taking a deep breath he starts: “Basically we had an argument on the Tube and he thought he was a badman, so I was just like, ‘Bruv, yo what you on, Si?’” Always the joker, he tells us how Simon (he chucks in a mock wooop at the mention of his name) was really looking for producers and after the success of Pass Out and Frisky he was the obvious candidate. “He saw my swagger and said that I was an artist in my own right. At the time other labels wanted to sign me as well – luckily he stepped in at the last minute and swooped me out of there!”

“once you go into X Factor you sign away your soul because your creativity is your soul”

Is this cheeky chap afraid of TV’s Mr Nasty? Certainly not, he giggles. “Simon is really the friendliest guy in the business. He has to put his game face on when he goes on X Factor; but he’s a loveable sheep under that whole façade.” But what was the first thing Mr Cowell ever said to him? “‘You’re a genius,’” he recalls. “Then he offered me a cigarette.” Live looks worried. “Don’t worry,” he mocks. “I’m old enough.” Seeing as Lab’s boss is best known for X Factor we naturally had to get his opinion on whether he thought it was an easy way into the music industry. “I wouldn’t say easy, because once you go into X Factor you sign away your soul because your creativity is your soul. But if you just want to be a singer, sure it’s perfect. I couldn’t do it because I like to micro-manage everything I do.” It becomes clear just how much Labrinth micro-manages. His eye for detail is in everything that he does: he’s on time, he’s sharp and, most importantly, his hair has to be immaculate. When he thinks it’s out of place, out someone goes for a comb. His team roll their eyes, telling us he needs everything just so, even though to a neutral eye it already is. “Otherwise the fans would think I’m hobo man,” he explains. Perfectionist he may be, but this man, this big kid, is one of the greats in UK music and is paving the way for future artists. As we watch him strut his stuff in Oxford House he is unlike other awkward hide-in-theirbedroom producers. He is outgoing, gregarious, and is constantly stopping to have a joke with everyone around him, and he spends the time between shots running across the floor in overly-bright socks. His incredible talent and newfound fame do however come with responsibility. “You know we got trips overseas, baby, I got a limo outside,” he jokes in an American accent. No really, it is hard. “I’ve got to make records and make sure that they’re getting put out in time, make sure I deliver for sponsors and that I’m wearing the right clothes all the time.” And of course he has to deal with wild fans. “A girl tried to spear me once! I’ve had people turn up outside my studio, some people just sit there and come every day just to give me a CD or to say something. That’s extreme, I never expected that!” Extreme as the fans may be, Labrinth stays down to earth. “I don’t look at it as fame, I look at is as me expressing myself and having fun with music.” At 18, while most of us were slaving over our A-Levels, Labrinth had already produced an entire album for rapper Master Shortie. It was this first production that led Lab to new BFF Tinie Tempah. Even though he has been producing for years, many still see him as Tinie’s

sidekick. He shrugs: “I understand how it is perceived but I know what I’ve done and I get paid for what I did!” Although he is yet to release his debut album, his reputation precedes him. He has already been hailed as the UK’s Timbaland – so does that mean he’s searching for his own Aaliyah? “I already have her, a girl named Etta Bond (a singer who is signed to Labrinth’s record label Odd Child and is already making waves after featuring on Wretch 32’s track Forgiveness) who is a great artist. I’m not sure Timbaland sings, I don’t think he would have come out with Let The Sun Shine.” He adds uncertainly, “I would say I’m different, but as a producer maybe.”

“I’m down with the UK and that’s why Americans are coming here, they love what we’re doing” This March, Labrinth’s debut album Electronic Earth finally hits our airwaves, showcasing him not only as a top producer and songwriter but as an amazing singer too. The album “is about musical freedom. I’ve been classed as an urban artist but that’s not the way I see myself.” It sees Labrinth collaborating with a whole host of artists who he insists on keeping schtum about. “I can tell you I’ve worked with Tinie,” he says cheekily. As we push for more he puts his hands up defensively. “I’m not giving anything away.” With Labrinth jealously guarding his new album, we’ll just have to wait and see. The first single off the album, Earthquake, has already achieved massive success. With catchy lyrics about Buckingham Palace, Labrinth is known for his interesting word choices. “When I write lyrics it’s not always cryptic or complex,” he says. “For me Earthquake was about the UK making waves in terms of music and that was my underlying meaning.” As we casually slide in a mention to the “throw bombs on it” lyric, Lab looks slightly horrified and laughs: “I don’t mean bombs in Afghanistan or anything!” Having already worked with the likes of Busta Rhymes on the American version of Earthquake the next logical step should be to make the move across the pond. Not Labrinth. “I just went to the US to record my video, and listening to their radio, I was like, ‘What’s wrong with you guys?’ They play the same songs every five minutes, you change stations it’s the same song! It’s like they’re all playing the same mixtape. I’m down with the UK and that’s why Americans are coming here, they love what we’re doing.” Normally when stars start to make money they splash out on gold chains and spinning rims, but Labrinth is different. Always the businessman, he put money into something he says will eventually

make him money, a European restaurant, Mosaica, in the heart of Wood Green. The restaurant came after the owners approached him as an investor. Seeing as his studio was in the same converted factory building – and as a lover of good gourmet food – he accepted. He laughs, “I can’t cook there. If I tried I’d probably burn the kitchen down!” As if a hugely successful music career weren’t enough, Labrinth is also a style consultant for Reebok. His love of snap back and bowties has led him to be one of the UK’s leading style icons. Sitting next to us in a Reebok sweater and enviable hightops we’re inclined to agree. How does he do it, we ask? The free clothes help, but, sometimes it does come at a cost. “I did pay £400 for some trainers: ridiculous I know!” Good to know that, just like the rest of us, he’s not great at managing that weekly budget. Labrinth is a quadruple threat: he sings, he writes, he produces and plays many an instrument. Chuckling at the thought, he says: “Every time I produce I learn a new instrument”. Speaking about his aims for the future he simply states he wants to inspire people. “I want to let everyone know that they can make music freely and not have to copy everybody else,” he grins. “I want to push my record label, my artists, and I want a No.1 album – that’s what it’s about, man!” Life is going incredibly for this 22-year-old. But what would have happened if Lab hadn’t followed music – where would he be? He thinks hard, it’s obvious music is all he’s ever cared about. “I’ve always liked this dance fighting style called capoeira, which I used to do when I was younger. I also like art, I used to paint. I’m no good at maths but I really enjoy the idea of it. To be a mathematician would be amazing. Maybe be the new Einstein!” With such a confident approach to new challenges, just maybe he’ll be able to finally perfect the art of tying shoelaces.

QuickFire Ketchup or Mayo? Ketchup

Beyoncé or Rihanna? Rihanna

Drake or J.Cole? J. Cole

Celebrity Crush? Halle Berry

Favourite Labyrinth? Pan’s Labyrinth

Football Club? Arsenal

FB or Twitter? Twitter

Embarrassing Moment?

Ripping trousers on stage at SB.TV’s Christmas party

Labrinth Milestones 2008 Master Shortie – A.D.H.D

Labrinth’s first production way back in 2008 when he was just 17, this was the start of his big-time career. Although the album wasn’t a huge success it marked Labrinth out as one to watch.

Tinchy Stryder – Warning

Next for Lab was working with one of the biggest names in the UK urban charts at the time. He features on the hit Tinchy album that led him on to great new heights.

2010 Tinie Tempah – Pass Out

This was the track that made Labrinth. Named as track of the year in 2010, it has probably been played in every club since. Their collaborations not only gave Tinie a No.1 album, but also brought Lab to the attention of new boss Simon Cowell.

2010 Labrinth – Let the Sun Shine Labrinth had now made it with the release of his first debut single. Written when he was just 17, it charted at No.3 and demonstrated his versatility as an artist.

2011 Ms Dynamite – Neva Soft

Ms Dynamite’s comeback track last year has had great commercial success and left us on edge for what to expect from Lab’s debut album this year.

2012 Labrinth – Electronic Earth He spots talent, he makes hits and now he’s finally releasing his debut album. There is a buzz around this record like never before and it will surely cement his place in UK music history. 2012 is going to be his.

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Winning peri perks include: 1. All you can eat Nando’s for you and up to nine mates, 2. Hanging out with Kojo at your table. 3. Being ﬁlmed by Live Magazine and appearing on youtube.com/LiveMagUk. 4. Being featured in the next issue of Live Magazine with your mates. 5. Competition closes 9th March at midnight. All entries before then will be counted and the winner will be chosen at random. The meal takes place on 13th March at 4:30pm. You will have to get yourself to a secret Nando’s location in London. We will inform the winner of the location on the 10th March. If you can’t make the meal we will have to give the prize to a runner up. 6. For more Ts&Cs head to www.live-magazine.co.uk

night vision Creative Director: Jermaine Robinson Assistant: Teju Adeleye Project Manager: Celeste Houlker Production Manager: Latoya Casely-Hayford Stylist: Jada Simone Stylist Assistant: Fiona Anderson Photographer: Samuel Sasiharan Photographer Assistant: Suhyun Ju Photo Retoucher: Jada Simone, Petronila Malenya and Richard Kolapo Ajala Make-Up Artist: Ruta Sudmantaite Models: Anders Amporful, Jeremy Owusu-Ansah Boateng and Kate Iorga

Jeremy wears Breo Orb watch; Bol$hie Virgin Mary silk top

Kate wears Two Weeks for Bitching And Junkfood dip dye headdress; Vans print cotton t-shirt; Two Weeks for Bitching And Junkfood plastic bomber jacket; Two Weeks for Bitching And Junkfood spike cuff; Two Weeks for Bitching And Junkfood plastic skater skirt; Bol$hie platform boots

Anders wears New Power Studio for Topman Lens printed on back cotton t-shirt; Bolshie army print kilt; Puma Sky 2 High NM trainers

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Deadline: 20 March 2012

regulars

cooking with Cover Drive The four-piece Bajan pop band are bringing some much-needed sunshine into the charts with their Caribbean party rhythms. Now they prove they can master the kitchen as well as the studio

Fresh from finding out their single Twilight has hit No.1 in the UK, Cover Drive arrive at Veranda Restaurant in Brixton prepared to be chefs for the day. And quite right too: cooking a slap-up meal is a great way to celebrate. While the group whip up one of T-Ray’s aunt’s special macaroni pies, we find out the secret to their chart success. Have you got any Bajan delicacies that you miss? T-Ray: Flying fish, but we can’t seem to find any. Jamar: Yeah, they don’t fly around here. Amanda: When we do a showcase, macaroni pie is what we usually eat though. So this should turn out pretty well if you’ve made it before. Amanda: Oh no, we haven’t made it before, we just eat it. You get to travel around the world. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve eaten? Amanda: There’s this really great Brazilian restaurant in LA called Bossa Nova that we love. Every time we go to LA we definitely make sure we eat there. T-Ray: We have a friend back in Barbados who introduced me to sardine and peanut butter sandwiches – it’s actually pretty tasty. Amanda: It’s pretty disgusting, I think. Wow! Were you OK after eating that? T-Ray: Yeah, you put some ketchup and hot sauce in there, and peanut butter with bread on top – it’s a good source of protein. Congratulations on your UK No.1. How have you been celebrating? T-Ray: We were at home playing Dragon Ball Z on PlayStation before we found out, and I was about to beat Jamar. We quickly went out, then went back home, celebrated, and continued to play Dragon Ball Z. And guess who won. (Looks smug)

Photography Petra Valenti 23

Words Tosin Omilaju 22

How did you come up with the name Cover Drive? T-Ray: We tried to think of a name, one that tied into the Caribbean and also sounded really cool. My dad, our comanager, suggested Cover Drive, which is an excellent cricket shot and it fits because we strive for excellence.

How did you all get together? T-Ray: We’ve known each other for ages. Amanda used to babysit me. Amanda: Yeah, coochi-coochi-coo. (Laughs, pinching T-Ray’s cheeks) Barry: Barbados is so small. People in the same age group all know each other. T-Ray: We were all pursuing music individually and my mum, our manager, suggested we form a band. Your first major gig was supporting Rihanna. What did you learn from the experience? T-Ray: That Rihanna is amazingly gorgeous. Amanda: Not to underestimate ourselves. We were so nervous, obviously, it being our first gig in front of a crowd of 25,000 people. But we had so much fun. We were more confident moving forward, especially after having approval from Rihanna. She said we were great and her band couldn’t believe it was our first gig. What do you do before you get on stage to calm your nerves? T-Ray: We always pray. Barry: I recite lyrics just to make sure I don’t forget anything – that’s the worst, forgetting lyrics. Amanda: Barry and I go silent before we go on. It’s a big thing to go onstage in front of a lot people, so we focus on what we have to do. Jamar has a very special ritual. He takes a PEP before he goes onstage – a Performance Enhancing Poo. Touring with Dappy meant you were able to go all over the UK. What was your favourite city? Amanda: When we started the tour Twilight hadn’t been released yet, but by the time we got to Oxford everyone knew the song. So that was the first time we heard the crowd sing it back to us. It was really amazing. You said that you’d love to work with Ed Sheeran. Who else is on the top of your list? Amanda: Rihanna at some point, obviously, as that would be great. We would also like to collaborate with Dappy, he’s amazing. We have so much respect for UK artists like Jessie J and Tinie Tempah, too.

regulars Who inspires your music? Amanda: Definitely as a band we love No Doubt, they are a huge inspiration to us. If we could ever accomplish what they have done that would be amazing. As the only Bajan pop band in the charts, what do Cover Drive bring to the music industry? Amanda: We bring a lot of sunshine, definitely. Our music is feelgood music. That is the whole purpose of this album, to make people feel good. Amanda really loves Disney, we’ve heard. If you were a Disney character, who would you be and why? Amanda: Little Mermaid’s Ariel; out of all the Disney princesses she did what she wanted to do and was the most rebellious. Jamar: I’d be Mufasa. I think it’s a cool name. Amanda: You know Mufasa dies? Jamar: Really, he dies? I don’t want to be Mufasa anymore.

What can we expect from your forthcoming album, Bajan Style? Amanda: You can expect to feel good. The whole album just makes you feel like you’re at a beach party in Barbados. Tell us some of your plans for the future. T-Ray: World domination. Amanda: Slowly but surely, that is the plan. We’ve just gotten our first No.1 and we thank everyone that supported us. And what do you all make of your macaroni pie? Amanda: I’m proud of us, as it was our first time making it. All: It looks good. Jamar: And it tastes pretty good too.

You must miss the beaches in Barbados. Have you been to any here in the UK? Amanda: We were driving in Brighton and could smell the ocean nearby, so we went to visit the beach. We were told there was sand there but it was rock. T-Ray: It wasn’t even pebbles, they were like legit stones.

dench Watch COVER DRIVE MAKE THEIR MACARONI PIE on our Youtube channel www.youtube.com/livemaguk

regulars

Challenge!!...

Weekend Of Worship

Ayman Al-Juzi had a negative perception of religion. what happened when he challenged himself to visit four different places of worship over one long-weekend? I recently decided I’m agnostic. I don’t believe in organised religion, and I’m very doubtful (but not entirely sure) about the existence of God. I arrived at this conclusion through a variety of experiences – my own and my parents’ – as well as learning more about the arguments for and against the existence of any religion or God. Being from a Middle Eastern background I’ve always been very aware of religion’s tendency to divide. Palestine and Lebanon, where my parents come from, have been at the centre of some of the worst religious strife in the last 50 years, and my family has suffered a great deal as a result. These countries are not the exception – religion and conflict always seem to go hand in hand. Being born to a Christian dad and a Muslim mother made me aware that a person’s religion is simply determined by family and geography – you don’t really get to choose. Each religion believes it has the best moral compass and that it is the only route to its own version of eternal happiness.

I joined in, copying the movements of those around. I Was simply imitating others, but felt that my Muslim mother would’ve been proud But I felt I needed to challenge the bad image of religion that has been building up in my mind. I decided to have a weekend of worship, exploring the four biggest religions on our planet: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. First, I visited a mosque in my local area. I went during the Asr prayers on Saturday afternoon, which are the third of five prayers that Muslims partake in daily. I am no stranger to mosques, as I’ve visited Lebanon many times on family holidays, and some of my family there insist on taking me!

Illustration Corban Wilkin 21

Words Ayman Al-Juzi 21

I had never been to a mosque in London before, though, and at first it was disconcerting hearing the service in English. But the

content was very similar. The imam talked about marriage and the importance of dedicating yourself to your wife and children, quoting from the Koran. Despite this, there were no women present. Instead there was a different room for their prayers, noticeably smaller, with just a handful of worshippers. The congregation was mostly silent and serious, quietly listening to the imam and respecting what was being said. Even though I do not know how to pray, I joined in, copying the movements of those around me. I was simply imitating the others and not actually reciting the prayer, but I felt that my Muslim mother would’ve been proud of me – and I must admit I was moved by the atmosphere. I felt that, had I been a true believer, my prayer would have counted! After the prayers finished, most people left but some stayed around, discussing religion and generally catching up with their friends. The sense of community was amazing. Most of the time I view religion as something that causes conflict, but here I could see it bringing people together. This set the trend for the rest of the weekend – it was a real eye-opener. The Sunday church service I attended the next day, like the mosque, was also very moving. I visited an Anglican church because, from what I understand, it is a kind of halfway house between Protestant and Catholic branches of Christianity. It felt different from the mosque as it was relatively unknown territory. I turned up about 10 minutes early. Just as I was deliberating over whether to hang around awkwardly outside or enter the church, take a pew and talk to other members of the congregation, a woman appeared at my elbow and told me to feel free to join. I took up her invitation.

regulars

It turned out she was the preacher’s wife. She made me a coffee and gave me a welcome bag, containing a CD of Christian music and a chocolate bar. The service itself lasted around two and a half hours, but I felt surprisingly engaged throughout. Offered communion, I opted out and went for a blessing instead. Despite my weekend of worship, I wasn’t ready to drink the blood and eat the flesh of Jesus.

London with my first ever dose of meditation.

After church, I hopped on the Underground and pondered my visit to a Hindu temple. I had no idea how I was going to approach this. I arrived at my destination and looked up at the vast building in front of me. The first thing I noticed about the temple was how incredible the building was. With its limestone walls and imposing towers, it looked more like a tourist attraction than a place of worship. Inside, though, were devout Hindus, as well as so much gold you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Fort Knox.

The speaker raised many interesting points, talking about how when a person is reborn it is like lighting a new candle with an old one, but using the same flame – a mind-boggling concept. Then we meditated. After some initial breathing instructions, he left us to work at our own pace. As my mind emptied of everyday thoughts and worries, I felt more relaxed than I could remember. The speaker stressed this process did not involve talking to God or angels, as Buddhists don’t believe in a deity. It was a non-religious tool I picked up for relaxation, which can only be a good thing.

At the end of the day, I believe as long as you are not harming or bothering other people, it doesn’t matter what you believe… as long as it isn’t Scientology! I sat on a bench on the side of the room and soaked up my surroundings, as there were no scheduled services. The prayer here was considerably less social and more personal. Religion may have a long history of conflict, but the atmosphere here was incredibly peaceful. Despite the near silence inside, I started up a conversation with a middle-aged man, who explained the roles of all the different Hindu gods. After 45 minutes I got up and left the temple. It was time for me to end my long weekend in central

I arrived at a Buddhist centre in the heart of the city in time for the 7pm talk about reincarnation. The small modern room was filled with a variety of people. To my surprise, this was the most multicultural experience so far, with people from all races and all walks of life.

It was a fitting end to my weekend. Although I still have my doubts about religion and my own faith. I learned we should stay open-minded. In a world with so much variety, it makes no sense to be anything else. My negative image of religion has been challenged and I’ve seen positive aspects shine through. Faith brings people together, and builds a sense of community. It can bring peace of mind to the stressed. These qualities were common to all the four religions I explored, and showed me that on a personal and local level, religion can be a very good thing. My issues arise when it becomes too institutionalised and controlling. At the end of the day, I believe as long as you are not harming or bothering other people, it doesn’t matter what you believe... as long as it isn’t Scientology!

Check out some interesting facts about Religion online www.live-magazine.co.uk

Music

Sound Advice DVA

PrettyUgly

DVA has always been a marked associate of London’s bass culture, and after a spate of growing interest in his killer bass-driven Natty/ Ganja 12-inch that dropped with Hyperdub in 2010, the producer presents his first feature length, Pretty Ugly to the contested dance market. The record is varied, taking influence from his roots with the Aftershock crew alongside label mate Terror Danjah, but also shows a mature outlook on production. At times Pretty Ugly can be a little out there, but then the perfect bass album has always been a difficult thing to get right. This is a fine attempt from DVA. (RW)

EMELI SANDÉ Charming listeners with

Our Version Of Events

her voice and captivating audiences with her lyrics, Emeli Sandé spills out her emotions and experiences in her strong debut album, Our Version Of Events. With singles Heaven, Daddy and Next To Me dominating the charts, the world has already had a taster of what this artist is capable of. Now the album brings even more of Sandé from her gentle side to stories of heartbreak that form big, powerful anthems that would fit quite nicely alongside your Alicia Keys albums. With all of the songs written by Sandé and her producer Naughty Boy, this is soulful gospel for the modern day. (LJ)

Press Play

KEATON HENSON With folk sales up 20% in the Dear…

UK, thanks in large part to Mumford & Sons, there’s never been a better time for a debut from artist, poet and musician Keaton Henson. Bringing together sparse instrumentals and fragile lyricism (minutiae like the space between a lover’s eyelids on Small Hands feels like arthouse cinema dialogue), he reaches his most raw on the ironically titled Party Song, a Creepesque acoustic requiem. Dear… comes at a time when commercial success is a bigger possibility than ever, its title is not a salutation to the masses. Reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith, it’s too intimate to be an invitation to all. (HJD)

= essential music = Good Stuff = Worth a listen = I’ll Pass = Meh...

Albums

SPEECH DEBELLE Mercury Music prize-winner Freedom Of Speech

Speech Debelle returns with another expressive and opinionated album. The 12 tracks deliver a continuous anthem of strength, confidence and emotional challenge, holding forth with her opinions on the world, society and love. With less attention on production and instrumentals, the album focuses more on the impact of the lyrics, emphasising the power of the spoken word throughout. The single Studio Backpack Rap is about as heavy as it gets, but stick with it to the end and you’ll find yourself taken to new and strange places. This album isn’t just music, it’s poetry. (LJ)

we caught up with PHILLY RAPPERS CHIDDY BANG to find out what’s on THEIR ipoD What have you been listening to recently?

Playaz Circle, Playa Club, Two Chains, super Southern Atlantic hip hop and also my friend Chip Tha Ripper.

Do you have a song on your iPod that you always skip? I love everything on my iPod. I don’t skip.

What track do you love but don’t want people to know you love?

I don’t think there’s any songs like that because if you like music, you like it. But I think probably Frank Sinatra is the one I only play to shave to – you don’t go blasting that around just anywhere.

What track have you always played since you first heard it?

The whole J Dila album, The Shining, I’ve played the whole thing all the way through once a week for three years and Jay-Z The Blueprint – that made me want to rap.

What’s the one track or album that you are most excited to have on your iPod?

Words Hannah J Davies, 19

Words Leanne Joseph 16

Words Ellen Wilkie 16

I’m going to download some new Rick Ross. I love Triple Beam Dreams.

Music

Four 2 Watch BONDAX

For schoolfriends George Townsend and Adam Kaye of Bondax, modern dance music has become something of a stereotype. These two have had plenty of Radio 1 airplay and label interest. “We’re taking the angle that dance music can be more than just that,” they say confidently. “There are meanings and feelings beneath most of our tracks.” To place the pair under any set genre is an impossible feat, as they swap between minimalist chillwave in ‘All I Want’, and crisp cut, brass driven trance in ‘Just Smile For Me’, but it’s the R&B hooks that tie each tune together. Through a link-up with producer extraordinaire Last Japan, the duo have developed a strong following online. With an EP set for release soon, many are eager to see what they produce. “We want to make something relatable rather than just mindless bass music.” (RW)

Jessie Ware South Londoner Jessie Ware first decided to turn her back on a career in music to go to university. After doing some backing singing for a friend, though, she says, “I felt like I had been given a second chance with singing, and realised it was now or never.” Now, she’s worked on songs with SBTRKT and Joker. “At first I thought I was going to be intimidated,” she admits, “because I wasn’t sure what he was going to be like and dubstep was not an area I was that familiar with.” It was a great match though, with Jessie becoming a regular on BBC Radio 1Xtra and similar stations. Her dream from now on is “touring and travelling the world as much as possible”. (AA)

O Chapman O Chapman’s lyrics wouldn’t look out of place inside a diary. He divulges all of his stories, his feelings and ultimately all of himself over the sound of the gentle teasing of guitar strings. There’s a certain juxtaposition, Chapman recognises, in a “sound that may be easy on the ear, but when you listen to it further then there’s a darker side to it”. You’re in the palm of his hand, hypnotised by the raw, unedited but innocent voice. He cites his influences as Simon and Garfunkel for their “perfect songs and perfect melodies and harmonies” as well as Nick Drake for his “introspection and finger-picking style”. Mellow, tender and beautiful, O. Chapman is a charmer, and his songs will be the soundtrack of many a love story. (EW)

Context

Words Leanne Joseph 16

Words Robbie Wojciechowsk i 17

Ayman Al-Juzi 20

Words

Starting out on his own in his bedroom in Norwich, Context has been bringing music to the airwaves since 2008 and has racked up support from the likes of SB.TV, The Independent, RWD, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra to name a few. But this doesn’t match his most achievement: being the first ever unsigned act to make the MTV Brand New for 2012 list. But he’s got big hopes for the future too: “I want to make the BBC Sound of 2013 list, get a major festival booking, get signed,” he says, “Easy eh?” Already on Radio 1’s daytime playlist, the rapper describes his music as ‘melodic grit’. “I don’t know what it is, but people like a box so at the start I made one up – dubhop – maybe out of insecurity,” he admits. “Either way, I’ve ditched it now.” (LJ)

Interviews, Reviews, New Music & more online. www.live-magazine.co.uk

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

culture club

Been there seen it done it

profile: Bola Agbaje

Who is she? A renowned British Olivier Award-winning playwright of Nigerian descent. Why do we care? Her ﬁrst play, Gone Too Far, is a perceptive study of identity, history and culture, depicting a world where respect is always demanded but rarely freely given. It premiered at the Royal Court theatre in 2007 and is now being made into a movie. She’s also had plays open at the Almeida Theatre, Soho Theatre and Tricycle Theatre. Why should we look out for her? Her last play, Off The Endz, starred Ashley Walters and was welcomed with warm approval. The Independent newspaper said it “illustrates her extraordinary natural talent for blending penetrating moral insight, razorsharp awareness of the zeitgeist and a lovely mischievous wit”. What’s Next? Bola makes her return to the Royal Court theatre in April with Belong. This satirical play hopes to bring into question our notions of home. It’s a co-production with Tiata Fahodzi, a British-African theatre company that aims, using techniques rooted in traditional African theatre and music, to promote and produce world class productions to all-inclusive audiences.

Weekender @ The Barbican Date: 2-4 March Admission: FREE Part of the London 2012 Festival and the BBC and Olympic’s Music Nation weekend, this event celebrates the capital’s urban stories, ranging from Shakespeare to grime. With two days bursting with free art, performances, theatre and ﬁlm, you won’t be bored! Take advantage of workshops run by Opera In A Day, who offer a great opportunity to perform on stage in the Barbican Theatre. There will also be dance classes courtesy of the award-winning Boy Blue Entertainment company from east London. (EM)

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LONDON

BIRMInGHAM LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER Leonardo Di Vinci @ Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Date: Until 25 March Admission: FREE Ten of Leonardo da Vinci’s finest drawings from the Royal Collection are being shown in five venues across the UK, including the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Works selected reflect Leonardo’s range of interests: sculpture, engineering, botany, mapmaking, hydraulics and anatomy. The exhibition includes chariots designs fitted with flailing clubs and a study of the head of Spartan queen Leda. (EM)

ARTIST ROOMS @ Tate Liverpool Date: 24 Feb-27 July Admission: FREE Seven important works by the Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed are being shown in Liverpool, thanks to the Tate gallery’s Artist Rooms project. Refreshing, unexpected and humorous, his work succeeds in challenging our preconceptions and rearranging the rules of conceptual art. The artist recently donated the works to this collection, which is now in its fourth year. They are the ﬁrst new works from a contemporary artist to join it. (EM)

Annie Lennox @ The Lowry Date: From 17 March Admission: FREE As an innovator and icon, former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox has remained relevant for four decades and is internationally renow8ned both for her music and personal style. This intimate exhibition in Greater Manchester explores her changing image and vision. A selection of costumes will be shown alongside personal treasures, ephemera from her political campaigns and an exclusive video of one of most striking and inﬂuential female artists in UK music history in conversation. (EM)

C u lt u r e A w a r d s

bang the gong!

festival sees poets from all the participating Olympic nations come together for a week of readings, talks and performances. Poetry Parnassus marks the ﬁrst time so many poets from so many parts of the planet have converged in one place; it is a monumental poetic happening worthy of the spirit and history of the Olympics, so they say. The Electric Six Award For Taking You Further Than Just A Gay Bar WorldPride, London, 23 June–8 July An event that promotes awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, WorldPride consists of an array of theatre shows, debates, poetry and music that culminates in the main parade, which will pass through the capital’s streets on 7 July.

Oscars schmoscars! Who wants to know about awards for things that have been and gone? Instead, we’ve cast our discerning eye across 2012’s cultural and social landscape and awarded them with Live gongs

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Words Christian Adofo 22

The Bard With The ‘Ardest Bars Award World Shakespeare Festival, The Globe 23, Apr–9 Sept Across the UK, thousands of performers, both amateur and professional, will be involved in the festival which promises a unique take on the man like William’s extensive bibliography. In an event of unprecedented ambition, all of Shakespeare’s plays will be performed

The African Grey Parrot Award For Most Repeated Event Olympics and Paralympics, 27 July–12 Aug and 29 Aug–9 Sept With around a million mentions of the gargantuan cost to taxpayers, the number of trees that have been uprooted (sorry) and how public transport will remain gridlocked longer than a game of Guess Who between Stevie Wonder and a two-yearold, London 2012 has ﬁnally arrived. Embrace the Games, it’s your only chance. The Frank Ocean Tribute Award To Sporting Swag Mine to Medals Exhibition, British Museum until 9 Sept This display will tell the story of the production of the medals for the London 2012 Games and will give the public an opportunity to see the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals. Unlike the Games, it’s free. The William Blake Ode to LDN Award Poetry Parnassus, Southbank Centre, 26 June–2 July Curated by poet Simon Armitage, this visionary

Illustration Corbon Wilkin 21

The Madonna Award For Persistently Par-worthy Reincarnation Battleship from 18 May Cher has done it, J-Lo made a smooth transition and Madonna is still ﬂopping hard in hope of recognition. Now everyone’s favourite Barbadian songstress, Rihanna, is making her ‘acting’ debut in this Universal blockbuster! Which will see a naval ﬂeet engage in intergalactic beef with, yep, you guessed it, aliens. The poor beings never get a moment to chomp on a KitKat.

in London’s Globe, each in a different language, each by a different international company. Every day for six weeks, national theatres, renowned artists and new young companies will celebrate, performing Shakespeare in their own lingo within his original theatre.

Words Edwina Mukasa 22

The Tumbleweed Award For Matters Of The Monarchy Queen’s Diamond Jubilee,1-5 June It’s the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II (Jigga and Kanye could take a leaf out of her book and try sitting on a throne). To us mere mortals, it means an extended bank holiday. Yet, she hasn’t forgotten us all, so she’s planning a large concert produced by Gary Barlow, a parade of 1,000 boats and events along the Thames. Give me some origami ﬂoating in a puddle any day.

The Oscar the Grouch Award For Services To Pessimism 21 Dec 2012 = End of the World Many, many, many (we’ve established a longitudinal theme here, in case you’re not the sharpest tool in the box) years ago before the time of Bruce Forsyth and The Queen. The ancient Mayans predicted that an apocalypse would occur on that date, with their 5,125-year-old calendar resetting itself to 0.0.0.0. The Any Excuse To Get Drunk (Responsibly) In The Street Award St Patrick’s Day, 17 March Whether you’re from Iran, Nicaragua or Chad, you have a special 24-hour pass to assume the nationality of the Emerald Isle in celebrating the day of its patron saint, St Patrick. Drink and be merry. The Stephen Fry Award For More Culture Than A Pot Of Yoghurt Urban Classic, Barbican, 3 March Urban Classic on Saturday 3 March, the Barbican’s 30th birthday, is a meeting of musical cultures. Bringing together the BBC Symphony Orchestra with leading artists from the UK’s urban music scene. Including multiple BRIT and MOBO awardwinner Ms Dynamite, N-Dubz producer Fazer and rappers Devlin and Skepta.

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Are you aged14-24 and passionate about journalism, photography, film making, illustration or web content creation? Fancy interviewing celebrities, blogging, reviewing, fashion styling and making your ideas come alive while making friends and future professional contacts? You can by getting in touch

To join Live, Londoners should come down to our induction, held in our Brixton ofﬁce every Wednesday at 4pm. If you live in Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, get in touch on Tel: 0207 326 5979 Or send us an email: live@live-magazine.co.uk Live is a youth lifestyle media brand working across Britain and covering music, culture, real life, politics, fashion, sport and technology. We spot trends before they become mainstream. We dig deep into serious issues, and deal with them in a way that makes sense to our readers. We are the #voiceofyouth. We work with industry professionals, who provide mentoring and support at every step of the content creation process at our Brixton ofﬁce. Our mentors are ex-editors and regular contributors to the Guardian, Observer, Dazed and Confused and Word Magazine and include well-respected experts from a broad range of print, online and broadcast.

So what are you waiting for? Email us at live@live-magazine.co.uk

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skeen team OvalHouse Theatre’s 33% festival is for young artists by young artists and right at the centre is 17-yearold Tristan FynnAiduenu’s first play, Skeen!

Remember when ‘skeen’ was the ‘it’ word? Skeeeeeeeeen! If you do, then you’ll also remember all the ‘sket ‘stories that were read by just about everybody on Facebook! Every single one of them had the same common factors: a girl, a gangster and the death of at least one character. Sounds familiar, right? Set in south London, Skeen! focuses on ﬁve teens as they attempt to rehearse a play to be shown that same day in their school. What’s this play about, you ask? A sket, of course. Everything seems to go wrong. Whether it’s about characters not getting along or misheard information, it makes you wonder: will they ever get their play sorted in time?

Skeen!’s down-to-earth 17-yearold playwright, Tristan FynnAiduenu, came to Ovalhouse through the Truth About Youth programme, where young people from south London join the theatre to challenge perceptions about youth. He manages to incorporate the main elements of your typical sket story to create a play that holds your interest with jokes, drunken texts and Facebook. Interviewing Tristan, we found ourselves laughing and thinking back to the time our friends took out their phones between lessons to read the stories like Keisha The Sket. Some of us even sneakily read them during lessons! We had no shame, just like the characters in this play.

Words Emily WIlliams 17

Words Oyin Raufu 17

We sat next to Tristan as his work came to life. “It was weird to see my work on stage,” he said, although judging by the audience’s reaction, I would say that they loved it. There was a lot of laughs in Skeen! but were also moments that render you silent in Skeen! We wondered, is this life imitating art, or art imitating life?

There has been a lot of ﬁlm and TV about inner-city youth Kidulthood, Top Boy, that always seems to tell the same story of crime and violence. Do you think young black people risk being stereotyped by their own art? I will never tell a writer what to write, because it’s about what they think needs to be told. But I do believe, especially in the ‘street’, that there are so many other stories that can be told in many different ways. One thing I loved about Top Boy was the character of Ra’Nell. He was really well portrayed as a street boy with a hard life who just wanted to be good and do good by his mother. It was something I related to. Look at Idris Elba, Ashley Walters, Noel Clarke, John Boyega. They’re doing other roles. They’re doing well. Why can’t we? What was your inspiration for writing Skeen!? I’ve been trying to write this play for a few years now. It was just looking at the youth: the way we’re presented in the media and, even more importantly, how we represent ourselves. Adults aren’t the only ones who stereotype. We also do it to each other. Where did you grow up? Was your upbringing similar to the situation you depict? I’ve been a London boy all my life. The situations and characters I depict are like bits of me, the

billion complex strands of my memories and personality, combined with the stories of people I know. I knew this play would require a lot of research because, all in all, I’m quite a good boy, really. I know I’m only 17, but growing up so far I’ve learnt that things change. Attitudes change. People change. The status quo changes. This play is partly about how I choose to go, or not go, along with it. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing for two years, but I’ve been trying to write for about seven. The play’s gone through three or four transformations and maybe nine or 10 rewrites, which is quite typical. You’re incredibly young to be a playwright – only 17. Does it make you nervous seeing your work on stage? It made me incredibly nervous but I knew it needed to be done. There’s a thing that happens in me, which I’m sure happens in other people, when I realise something needs to be done: I forget I’m nervous and just do it. Being 17, I felt incredibly lucky. I’ve always wanted to do something amazing whilst still young, and I managed to do it. How hard was it to write Skeen!? It wasn’t really hard because I was around the things that went into it all the time. In school, you

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hear about who’s doing what and who’s doing whom. It was just about taking it all in, then putting it into my play to make it as close to reality as possible. What do you hope audiences take from this? To be honest, I hope they leave and just think about the things they watch. I think they already do, but I just want them to think about what they’re watching, why they stereotype. I want them to think, why am I stereotyped? What do you want to do after Skeen!? I intend to tour maybe in schools. It’s important for people to know that this is how we are seen, and to make them think about how they behave. It’s inappropriate for certain ages, though. Maybe just the GCSE and A Level students.

How do you feel about the negative press young people get? Personally I don’t like it. How could I? I can’t sit down and read negative press. It presents me in a bad way and I’m not like that. I’m not saying all youth are brilliant – they’re not – but all youth deserve a voice. We should be able to show society that not all of us are bad. Do you hope to inﬂuence the public’s opinion about young people with Skeen!? Yes and no. I want them to see a positive representation but I also want them to see an honest one – this is what youth do and how they speak. We have to stop going to the extreme. We have to sit down and say, what are we going to do about this?

WANNA GET INVOLVED IN THEATRE AND ARTS? Truth About Youth is a project funded by The Co-operative Foundation that aims to dispel negative sterotypes about youth. We’ve been following them for the last year at Live, and they do some pretty cool stuff. They’re always on the lookout for fresh new talent, so if you’re a young playwright, poet, actor or dancer and have something to say about being young in London, then look them up! Contact: toby.clarke@ovalhouse.com www.ovalhouse.com | youtube.com/TruthAboutYouth @TAYLondon1

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BOOK CLUB

Book Editor Aida Gugsa speaks to five Live bookworms about Edward Hogan’s latest novel, Daylight Saving, as part of our brand new, majorly exciting book club. Daylight Saving follows teenager Daniel Lever on a family trip to the Leisure World Holiday Complex, which is his personal idea of hell on earth. but then he meets Lexi, a mysterious girl with a secret to hide – and a watch that goes back in time. The closer they get, the more Daniel learns. soon it’s up to him to save them both

Josh: This is a good read. As I started to

Time travel or, as the author describes it, the “loop”, is a huge part of the story. Do you think Hogan pulled it off?

Penny: The time travel was interesting. It

brought the story alive and sucked me into the book. It also had a moral message, which taught me something. Margaret: It reminded me a bit of Back To The Future, but it was more mysterious and less cheesy. Josh: I liked how it emphasised change. It was similar to Groundhog Day for me.

What did you make of Daniel, the book’s hero?

Their relationship was deﬁnitely important. What did the rest of you think?

Penny: Lexi helps a certain side of him

come out and he has a better attitude at the end. Daniel saves Lexi, but she saves him, too. Rodney: I think Daniel was destined to be a hero. He comes out as one at the other end of his adventure. Edwina: He has all the ingredients not to be a hero. He has weight issues, he’s unpopular at school, and his parents have split up. Everything about his environment is broken, but through his relationship with Lexi he ﬁnds motivation and a sense of hope.

Rodney: Their friendship really helped

Daniel, especially as his connection with his dad waned. When it comes down to it, you need that one person you can call upon, even if you haven’t known them for long. Penny: I’d say he had a different, genuine connection with Lexi. He’s had therapists and other adults around to help him, but he really changes from talking to this girl.

The VERDICTS! so what star rating would our readers give this issue’s book club read? over to you...

Josh Edwina Penny Margaret Rodney

Words Edwina Mukasa 22

Mtshali

Words Penny

Words Aida Gugsa 16

Words Margaret Zawedde 15

head over to www.undercoverreads.com to watch the trailer and also read the first chapter of daylight saving absolutely free

Meet the author we caught up with the man behind Daylight Saving, derbyshire-born, Brighton resident edward hogan

If time travel existed, would you go back and change anything? I’m not one of those people that says, ‘no regrets’. I’ve got loads, and I think they’re important. I’d probably hang out with my friends and my brother more. I had some brilliant mates at school, and we don’t see each other so much anymore. I had a very dodgy haircut in 1997 so that would have to go.

Do you remember your childhood crush? There were so many! The things I looked for in a girl when I was at school were: a) she had to be at least two years older; b) she had to be a smart-mouthed bad girl; c) it was important that she was completely unobtainable – if she actively hated me, that was even better.

How do you relate back to your characters when writing a novel? I always try to do some of the things that they do, or go to the same places, so I can get a feel for the sights and smells they’d experience. For Daylight Saving, I spent time in swimming pools and walked around shopping malls. I also tried to tap into my memories of visiting a sports holiday complex as a kid.

What was your favourite spooky movie when you were a teenager? My mate Keir was always trying to get me to watch the Freddie ﬁlms, but I scare very easily. I loved Ghostbusters but was upset for weeks when Luke lost his hand in Empire Strikes Back, and The Shining nearly killed me! Recently, I watched a Swedish ﬁlm called Let The Right One In, which is just so brilliant and shocking.

twitter: @edhoganderby

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impressions of the book?

know the characters more I developed a greater understanding of the story. This book stayed with me long after I read it. Edwina: Because the main characters are a bit younger than me. I thought, how do I relate to these characters? How do I invest in the story? But then towards the middle, especially when you start to ﬁnd out what happened to Lexi, it started to get more interesting and a bit sad. Penny: I started reading and the book kept me interested – its storyline made me eager to continue on. I also liked all the characters.

Words Rodney Gold 15

Aida: What were your overall

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Fully Booked

= Just Read It!! = Good Stuff = Worth a Read = I’ll Pass = Meh...

Love Books? Go To spinebreakers.co.uk after the snow SJ Crockett (Macmillan)

Stripping language to its bare basics, Crockett conjures a spine-tingling tale of grit and vivid imagery with minimal speech. The protagonist, 15-year-old Willo, is in the midst of an ice age, fighting for survival on his own after the loss of his family: “They all gone. Dad gone. Magda gone. The others gone. But I don’t know why.” Funny, inspiring and thought-provoking, After the Snow is a tender portrait of the human condition and the limits of the self. A quick and easy read, it’s the perfect book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon. (MT)

Blink And Caution Tim Wynne-Jones (Walker) Blink And Caution is a crime story about Blink, a naïve skinny street punk, who scratches a living thieving. Figuring well-dressed kids don’t get harassed, he nicks some smart clothes as camouflage for stealing from hotels. There he meets Caution, a young runaway fleeing her dealer boyfriend. She sees Blink as an easy mark and uses him, but over time their relationship deepens. With her intelligence and his cunning they devise a high-risk blackmail scam. This funny, fast-moving and upbeat story is great as a book and could do even better as an action film. (AG)

Agent 21: Reloaded Chris Ryan (Random House)

Sue Townsend (puffin)

Chris Ryan, SAS soldier turned author, continues the story of Zak Darke in the second of the Agent 21 series. This instalment follows Zak on his first solo mission, without the help of his “guardian angels”. The teen agent turns into a man as he’s forced to use all he’s learnt in the last 18 months in this Angola-based diamond smuggling adventure. The special-agent novel isn’t a new idea, but Ryan’s own military experience is evident. It’s this that allows him to describe Zak’s gadgetry, such as his underwater dart gun, while conveying the emotions of a young man alone on a mission, struggling with issues of trust and morality. (FG)

Wonder RJ Palacio (Alfred a knopf)

Words Monique Todd 19

Words Finn Grist 20

Words Edwina Mukasa 22

Words Aimee Cliff 20

The next time there’s something or someone you want to turn your eyes from, this book about a little boy with a facial deformity will force you to keep looking. Through the voices of August Pullman and those closest to him, Wonder tells the story of what it feels like to be the kid people constantly look away from. See how it might feel to slip into August’s skin and have your emotions pounded by the day-to-day observations of people who don’t think you notice their whispering. With an ending that catapults you into a heart-thumping, torch-lit showdown, Wonder might not be a pretty picture, but it’s one well worth seeing through. (AC)

Words Aida Gugsa 16

Live Classic The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ First published in 1982, The Secret Diary is now 30 years old. Publishers Penguin are celebrating with a special edition to introduce a new generation to this literary icon. Adrian, the book’s 13 3/4-year-old hero, is a pretentious, dense, but utterly lovable teen. His dog gets in terrible trouble drinking sherry and eating his father’s model ship collection, and his parents are a mess. Adrian’s friends include Nigel, “a punk at weekends”, and Pandora, whose “treacle-coloured” hair and “bust” win Adrian’s undying love. Through his brutally honest observations about himself and others, readers are swept into a mindset and world that is still relevant to young people today. Stick him in any situation, momentous or mundane, and the outcome is bound to be wickedly funny. (EM)

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Front Row

= Just Watch It! = Good Stuff = Worth a view = I’ll Pass = Meh...

Reviews of what’s coming and what’s already here

Review

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Review

17 Feb, 2012

Miss20Bala (DVD) Feb, 2012

The10 Feb, Muppets 2012

WILD BILL 30 Mar, 2012

Ghost Rider gets a boost of comic-book style and corniness in a sequel that’ll make you forget the first one ever existed. It’s an adrenaline-pumped supernatural film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Johnny Blaze is pulled out of hiding in Eastern Europe to rescue a young boy from the devil. Nicholas Cage is hilariously over the top, and Idris Elba’s character, Moreau, is a bikeriding priest. You’ll have a great time watching this movie whether you think it’s good or not. A sense of humour and an appreciation of comics is necessary. (JW)

Miss Bala is about a young girl, Laura Guerrero, played by the stunning actress Stephanie Sigman. Laura aspires to be the next Miss Baja, for which she and her friend Suzu sign up. The tale takes a twist when they witness a massacre, during which Suzu is kidnapped. Determined to find her friend, Laura begs a police officer to help with the search. From there, everything goes downhill. Laura is forced to take part in criminal activity to save her family. The ending isn’t a happy one, but it certainly raises awareness of the issue of drug trafficking. (PM)

A stand-out moment in The Muppets is when Kermit first appears; childhood memories instantly flood back. Everyone’s favourite frog harmonises a song about the Muppets being forgotten and you feel guiltridden. Whatever it takes to get the Muppets back together Kermit, Walter and the gang will do, even if it means tricking Miss Piggy and kidnapping the rest. With friendship, music, romance and loads of famous guests, it has the perfect blend of star power, emotion and nostalgia, making it one of the best films you’ll see this year. (PT)

Wild Bill is the directorial debut of actor Dexter Fletcher. It’s a well-paced, witty and heartfelt film set in the heart of East London. It tells the story of a father out on parole, who goes to see his abandoned children who now live in an apartment on their own. The film manages to be youthful and slick while also dealing with heavy themes of abandonment and crime. A great performance comes from the film’s young lead, Will Poulter. All in all, this is a film with some laughs, some seriousness, and a great story. I highly recommend this enjoyable film. (JW)

Live Classic Face/off

Words Margaret Gusah

One of the coolest things about this film is the fact that both actors play the bad guy and the good guy. The lines between good and evil, justice and obsession, wrong and right, are completely blurred. The film really does reflect the identity questions that we all face and challenges us to think about the significance of physical appearance. The action scenes are very long and frequent, so be warned! (MG) Words Pai Takavarasha 22

Words Jhenelle White 20

Travolta is very good when it comes to being the bad guy: he was brilliant in Pelham 123, and it’s a wonder how someone who’s such a fantastic villain was ever Danny, the heartthrob in Grease! Cage’s reverse transition

from evil to good is equally as brilliant and the onscreen relationship between the two is very real and effortless.

Words Penny Mtshali 17

Action packed, extremely twisted and very fast-paced. Using a ground-breaking surgical procedure, Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) Is able to take on the physical appearance of national terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Will Agent Archer be able to maintain his own identity while assuming that of an enemy?

More Film Reviews, Interviews and Previews online www.live-magazine.co.uk

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IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE

Suddenly it’s all happening for the man who almost quit acting. David Gyasi talks about Batman, being black in ’60s Britain and exactly what his wife said about Halle Berry

David Gyasi is the one to watch for 2012. This British-born actor is about to become a fixture on TV and film on both sides of the pond, starring in a range of roles that will cement his name as one of Britain’s best talents. He appears as a first-generation immigrant in BBC’s ambitious upcoming drama, White Heat, which airs in March. He also appears in George Lucas’ Red Tails, Cloud Atlas alongside Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, and most incredibly of all, in the new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises. Live: I almost didn’t recognise you, because in the show you have quite a lot of hair... David Gyasi: Yeah, yeah my ’fro, what did you think of it? Good, very ’60s. My brother has a proper monster afro, though... Ahh, tell him he’s just showing off! Having grown up in Britain, how difficult was it to play a Jamaican who’d come here in the ’60s? When I first read the script I wasn’t that interested. I found the hostility and the overt racism that Victor faced difficult and it was frustrating that he didn’t seem to respond to the abuse. It wasn’t until speaking to my dad that he made me read it again. He came over in 1966 and, although from an African background, he shared the same experience. He said, ”Don’t mistake that silence for weakness, rather it is dignity and in that dignity there is strength.” Victor comes over on a scholarship to become a lawyer and eventually a judge. So I read it again and fell in love with the character and thought perhaps the writer has got this right.

Words Zindzi RoqueDrayton 22

How important are shows such as White

White Heat is a six-part drama spanning four decades from 1960s Britain all the way to the modern day, charting the intertwining friendships, relationships and betrayals of seven characters who meet as university housemates. In White Heat the epic meets the personal as the characters’ lives are played out against the backdrop of major events and cultural shifts. David Gyasi plays Victor, who faces racism and alienation, yet yearns to find acceptance from both his housemates and his new country.

Heat in showing the black British immigrant experience? Hugely important. I did another project before this called Red Tails, about the Tuskegee airmen [African American pilots, who fought in WW2], and when I read that piece I was so moved and honoured that I had people like that in my culture. But then I was frustrated and angered that I didn’t know this story before. If we show these stories and really look at the history it will help young people today to walk tall, knowing that people have fought to give you this platform. And I hope White Heat becomes something that they look at in schools. Red Tails as well. You also have the blockbuster film Cloud Atlas coming out soon. What was the filming experience for that like? It was amazing, just a phenomenal experience. Before White Heat and Cloud Atlas I had been the guest lead in bits of TV and stuff. Working with people like the Wachowskis [who wrote the screenplay], Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Halle Berry, they are very classy people and it was great to be doing that with Oscar winners. Were you starstruck? No, although Halle Berry made an impact. In fact the first thing my wife said as I got off the

plane was, “How was she?” Not, “How was it?” And yeah [sigh], she looked pretty beautiful. There was a moment when she walked into the room and I think everyone just had an intake of breath. You have a part in the final instalment of the latest Batman trilogy, which everyone is so excited about!! What can you tell us? It was so massive for me because the day before I had been thinking about giving up acting. To get that call on that day, that is what Batman was all about; then the next day I got the White Heat call. In terms of the shoot though, I can’t tell you anything because I don’t know anything. I arrived, they told me my lines, Christopher Nolan would just say ”something has just happened over there and I need you to react to it”. I did a little bit with Christian Bale and a little bit with Tom Hardy and that was it. So do you prefer doing BBC dramas or Hollywood blockbusters? [Laughs] how are you going to ask me that question? I am about the project. If you were to compare my Batman experience to White Heat, I would just go White Heat, because it is more involvement for me. It is all about the project.

Game On

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PS Vita Vindicated

Live Gamer Finn Grist gets his hands on the latest gaming gadget, ps vita. exploring new features that make this lil device a musthave for 2012 Front Facing Camera Front touchscreen Reality Fighters Reality Fighters was our favourite launch title for the Vita. The front-facing camera allows players to capture themselves as ﬁghters, then use augmented reality, real-world pictures rendered as levels, to complete the experience. The endless number of ﬁghter customisations mean the game’s playing life will be long, and the promise of lots of downloadable content has us really excited.

Escape Plan The touchscreen and touch pad on the front and back of the Vita, along with its six-axis motion sensor, allow players to manipulate the environment of this immensely fun game. The aim: escaping a labyrinth of puzzles and traps using the new Vita features. This artistic black-and-white game is extremely enjoyable, and the pick of the casual launch-title games.

Back touch Pad FIFA Football The Vita makes this game its own by allowing players to use the back touch pad to point to where they want to score, and the front touchscreen to aim passes. The toucscreen also makes for easier formation and player customisation. Boasting PS3style graphics, EA’s FIFA franchise will surely continue its success on the Vita.

Display Quality Game customisation ModNation Racers This game is all about customisation. Using the front touchscreen, players can create their own drivers, cars and even levels. ModNation also allows for cross-play between the PS3 and Vita, meaning this game will be able to compete with simulator racing games.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss This game is proof the Vita can handle the graphics of a PS3 on its 5-inch, 16million-colour screen. Meanwhile, the dual analogue sticks give the gaming experience a natural feel. This is the most impressive game to go from PS3 to Vita, and appears poised to continue the success of its previous two titles.

GamePreviews Asura’s Wrath

Release date: 24 February Age: 15+ Platform: PS3, X360 RRP: £39.99 This phenomenal game is about Asura, a respected general of the Gods who defeated his rival, Gohma. Good graphical layouts make this action game fun and easy to understand. Each chapter of the game also plays out like an episode of an anime series. From developers CyberConnect2 and Capcom, this game is worth the investment. (TO)

Words Thomas Owusu 17

Release date: 9 March Age: 18 Platform: PS3, X360, PC RRP: £39.99 Mass Effect 3 (ME3) brings Sheppard’s ﬁght against the Reapers to an end, reprising the trilogy’s trademark branching storyline, with improved thirdperson-shooter mechanics. It also answers some criticisms, bringing back gun customisation and grenades. ME3 is a no-brainer for previous players looking to end their unique stories that also offers something to newcomers. (JM) Words Earl King-Brown 18

Words Jamal Wright 22

Release date: 30 March Age: 12+ Platform: PS3/X360 RRP: £39.99 The ultimate ninja ﬁghting game is back, modiﬁed for faster gameplay and with plenty of new additions. There’s now a meter bar that restricts substitutions, an awakening mode that lets characters transform into beasts when they’re about to be defeated, and over 90 playable characters. A must-have for your Naruto collection. (EK)

Mass Effect 3

Words Finn Grist 19

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations

Street Fighter x Tekken

Release date: 9 March Age: 12+ Platform: PS3,PS Vita,X360,PC RRP: £39.99 The most exciting title added to the PS Vita since its launch sees two of the biggest combat-game franchises collide. Reﬁning its battle system to accommodate both games, Capcom offer a new Gem System and character customisation mode and classic characters like Ryu and Yoshimitsu return too. Deﬁnitely one to watch. (FG)

Photography by Henry Houdini

regulars

O F BRIT

. BEST OF B

RITish . B F O

T S E B

rit

ish . BES T

Now that Live is national, we thought we’d explore this green and pleasant land a bit further. In this new regular feature, we grab a celebrity and get them talking about their favourite places across the country. 22 year old Go singer Delilah is first up.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

I live in Shoreditch. I don’t get to spend that much time at home so it’s always nice to chill out, meet people and go to the local parks. I really like the fashion scene here; Sundays are best, especially in summer. When I first moved here, I fell in love with it because there’s so much going on: an art gallery, outdoor festivals, all sorts of things.

If I ever have time to go away I’m escaping to the sunshine [laughs], but I have family that live in Nottinghamshire, so we’d go up there at Christmas and stuff. Nottinghamshire is very green with lots of countryside and lots of country things to do. (Image by Andrew Hill)

Busaba Eathai, Old St, London

any park where you can walk your dog

I’m in love with Thai food and I happen to live in an area with lots and lots of Thai restaurants. One of my absolute favourites is called Busaba Eathai. There are lots of other smaller Thai restaurants in Shoreditch but I like that one because it is kind of fun. They have huge tables – you can sit like 12 people around them – plus they cook the food very quickly!

Where are the cutest guys? Ha! I don’t know... I couldn’t say it’s any one place, I think it’s about luck. I’ll tell you what, I have a dog and I’ve found that having one attracts men. I didn’t get the dog for that reason, but I literally can’t go five minutes without guys stopping. They don’t talk to me, they talk to my dog [laughs].

FRIENDLY PEOPLE IN LIVERPOOL

WEEKENDS IN MANCHESTER

I really like Liverpool, but it depends where you go. I’m quite bad at remembering where things are. I’m more like a Sat Nav in the sense that when I get there I know my way around by going to the same venues over and over again. But yeah, I love the people, I’ve got a lot of nice friends that I message when I’m there. At one gig I didn’t have a pair of tights and someone came and brought me a pair. The people up there are really sweet. (Image by Eugene Regis)

I like Manchester for the crowds. They’re energetic, really responsive and always up for a good time. A Saturday night in Manchester is nuts. There are people everywhere. When I do my gigs I have to work a little bit harder [than when I sing with Chase & Status], but the responses are really good, so it all pays off. It’s different when the crowd are rowdy but I like the challenge. I’ve played some great gigs in Manchester. I like the shopping, too. (Image by Gene Hunt)

Words Monique Todd 19

Hoxton Square, London

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