24th MARCH 2014/ ISSUE 19 FREE
MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Food & Drink: Craft beer for the masses
Interview: Indepedent Editor Amol Rajan
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WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Music interview: Haim
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SU election results: General Secretary Already, Exec, Cook - Current Community Officer
Charlie Cook crushes opposition to become next year’s General Secretary of the Students’ Union - Gen Sec Skelton, ‘Charlie Cook is the only capable candidate of being General Secretary’ Jonathan Breen Editor-in-chief Current UMSU Community Officer Charlotte Cook won an overwhelming victory to become next year’s General Secretary of the Students’ Union, last Thursday. Cook received 1206 votes, 841 more than her closest rival, with 365 for Greg Knowles, 185 for Peter Werner, 135 Laura Sullivan, 129 for Jennifer Grimshaw, and 102 for Joe Baines-Holmes. The Mancunion spoke to Cook after the results were announced, “I’m excited about the prospect of bringing eight individuals into a team, and what a team – six women”. She added, “I’m going to try and take everything I’ve learnt from this year, everything that’s gone wrong and everything that’s gone right, and then we can create a really positive, cohesive group who can work together and produce amazing results – I’m so excited!” Supporters of Cook included the current General Secretary Grace Skelton, who told The
Mancunion, “Charlie Cook is the only capable candidate of being General Secretary”. The elections for the eight Executive Officer roles, which closed on Thursday 20th March, saw 20,818 votes cast across all positions, and 35 candidates stand in total. The current Education Officer Rosie Dammers also stood again, this time for Wellbeing, beating the next candidate by 757 votes with 1526 cast for Dammers. Joel Smith was elected for Activities and Development Officer, Harriet Potter for Education, and Conor McGurran for Campaigns and Citizenship, all with considerable leads over the other candidates. The other winners were Jess Lishak for Women’s Officer, Tessy Martim for Diversity, and Ellen McLauglin took Community Officer, after a close race with Saad Rehman. A statement on the Students’ Union website describes what next year has in store for the winners, “Students elected to the Exec team will either take time out from their studies or will be finishing their degrees, and get paid £16,600 to lead on implementing student ideas, running Union campaigns, supporting student led activities and raising student voices at all levels”. The ceremony took place in the Club Academy, in the basement of the Studentsi’ Union. Candidates were given the opportunity to hear the results privately, before they were announced.
Charlotte Cook speaks to students in the Club Academy after winning the race for General Secretary Photo: Cil Barnett-Neefs
02 : NEWS
ISSUE 19 / 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Highlights
Film:
Feature; Video Nasties
Students wait for the results of the Executive Team elections
Page 18
Photo: Cil Barnett-Neefs
Picture of the week
Games:
Voice acting through the ages Page 15
Books:
Digging up dirt on Richard III Page 21
Manchester Central Library New Deputy Presre-opens with £100,000 grant ident and Deputy Andrew van den Bent-Kelly News Reporter
Manchester Central Library reopened on Saturday almost four years after closing for renovation work. The facility underwent extensive refurbishment costing £48m in a bid to restore its ageing original features whilst installing modern technology throughout the building. The library’s ground floor, which at one stage was not even open to the public, now contains interactive displays and the building’s famous reading room and dome have both been restored. Users of the library will now be able to view many of the city’s most treasured works, some dating back to the 13th century. The Grade II* listed building has been one of the most iconic features in the city’s skyline ever since it originally opened in 1934. Designed by the renowned architect E. Vincent Harris, its rotunda domed structure bears
some resemblance to the famed Pantheon in Rome. Notable users of the library include novelist Anthony Burgess and Morrissey, who allegedly made use of the building to study. It was announced earlier this month that the newly opened library would receive a grant worth £100,000 from Arts Council England. The plan is to use this to fund a year-long programme of cultural events, including various exhibitions, performances and workshops for a wide range of library users. Another part of the programme will see a high-profile musician host a week-long residency, during which time several local artists will work together to create a sound inspired by the new library itself. The Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Rosa Battle, said “We want to open up the library to everyone and particularly new audiences. This Arts Council investment will help us to position the library as a pivotal cultural facility for the city, as well as helping it to become a cultural destination of national and international significance.”
Cuts in government funding mean that the Central Library will be shut on Sundays. Neil McInnes, the Head of Library and Information Services at Manchester City Council, was full of praise for the newly refurbished facility. He said: “This breathes new life into Central Library in its 80th year and makes it fit for purpose for future generations of Mancunians and visitors to the city. A truly 21st century public library where every space feels alive.”
Deputy Editor: Harriet Hill-Payne
BeautyEditor: Haylee Wells beauty@mancunion.com
Manchester Central Library before its renovation. Photo: Stafford Student @ Flickr
Sub-Editors: George Bailey, Jennifer Grimshaw & Eleanor Muffitt
Fashion & Beauty:
Diamonds; Real of Fake? Page 16
Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com Facebook: The Mancunion Twitter: @THEMANCUNION Editor in-chief: Jonathan Breen editor@mancunion.com Postal address: Univerity of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone (0161) 275 2933
News Editors: Michael Williams, Pippa AllenKinross & Aidan Gregory news@mancunion.com
Professor Colin Bailey, a Dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has been appointed Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Professor Bailey is a professor of structural engineering, and will take over from Professor Rod Coombs, who took the decision to retire early this month. He was chosen for the role by a commission chaired by Mr Anil Ruia, Chairman of the Board of Governors. The search is now on to replace Professor Bailey in his role as Dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Once a successor has been found, Bailey will then take up his new post.
foodanddrink@mancunion.com Film Editors: Sophie James, Robbie Davidson & Angus Harrison film@mancunion.com
News Web Editor: Dan Harold
features@mancunion.com
opinion@mancunion.com
Aidan Gregory News Editor
Food & Drink Editors: Ben Walker & Maddy Hubbard
News Reporters: Inez Dawoodjee, Anna Philips, Charlie Spargo, Haider Saleem
Opinion Editors: Alice Rigby and Charlotte Green
VC appointed
Features Editor: Sam Dumitriu Games Editor: Alasdair Preston games@mancunion.com Lifestyle Editors: Moya Crockett, Isabelle Dann, Beth Currall & Lauren Arthur lifestyle@mancunion.com
Fashion Editors: Susie Coen & Marie Yates fashion@mancunion.com
Music Editors: Tom Ingham, Patrick Hinton &
As Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Bailey will play a crucial role supporting the President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, in a wide range of leadership duties. In particular, he will be responsible for the external engagement and internationalisation of the university. Professor Bailey graudated from the University of Sheffield with a first class degree in Civil and Structural Engineering. He went on to take a PhD in Civil and Structural Engineering, from the University of Sheffield, which investigated the behaviour of buildings subjected to firery conditions
Phoebe Clarke music@mancunion.com Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Thomas Dowler & Thomas Turner Sports Reporters: James Eatwell & Jonathan Roberts sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Stephanie Scott theatre@mancunion.com Web Editor: Jennifer Ho webed@mancunion.com Photography Editor: Peter Chinnock photography@mancunion.com Photography team: Patrycja Marczewska, Joshua Brown & Cil Barnett-Neefs
ISSUE 19 / 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
NEWS : 03
UCAS Media sells access to students’ personal details - Company reportedly makes millions for selling access to the personal details of university applicants to marketing advertisers - They boast their student market is worth over £15 billion Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has sold access to the personal details of over a million students to advertisers. Last year, the company received more than £12m for providing the addresses and emails of its users through UCAS Media. Just since September 2013, students have received multiple emails from UCAS Media advertising insurance, EE, Sky Broadband, Oxford Scholarly Editions and The New York Times. Currently, students must optout of receiving emails for these to stop. However, this would include no longer receiving emails regarding course information or possible career opportunities as well. UCAS receives approximately 700,000 new applicants each year, and boasts that their student market is worth over £15 billion.
On their website, UCAS Media tells future investors: “If you want to market your brand to students, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got the data and the know-how to help you, which combined with our student insights mean you can target your message in the best possible way. “More than that we understand who students are, what they’re interested in, where they’ll be and what they’ll need – and most importantly how to put you in touch with them”. The company also offers access to the details of 15,000 parents who signed up for further information about higher education. UCAS Media is not breaking the law, as it doesn’t sell the data of individuals directly but uses its own channels to deliver marketing. However, Imogen Durant, a third year English Literature student, told The Mancunion that it was an infringement of students’ privacy and trust in such a well established
The UCAS Media website reads: ‘We help them reach uni - we help you reach them’. Photo: UCAS Media website organisation. sends to students, UCAS Media access to details, so long as the She said: “It makes me feel writes: “UCAS Media undertakes advertisements sent to students uncomfortable and betrayed. I emailings for companies who were relevant and benefited just delete the emails normally, have information that we feel them. but they are annoying. may be relevant to prospective However, he added: “I was “I think UCAS should stop students. oblivious that this was going sending the emails from “The income received from on, they should have told us advertisers and apologise”. distributing this information is that they were doing it. It does The UCAS Progress scheme, gift-aided back to UCAS (which seem like a way to monopolise aimed at teenagers from the age is a registered charity) and out of students’ motivation to of 13 looking for information on used to minimise the costs of study, because everyone has to post-16 courses, also collects the UCAS application system use UCAS”. data from applicants. Although both to applicants and higher According to the UCAS Media the teenagers have to opt-in education institutions”. website: “If you’re looking to receive emails, they are Gerard McCrory, a fourth year for direct marketing services encouraged to do so when they French and Italian student, aimed at the student market, register. said he didn’t think it was an we’re here to help you target On the marketing emails it issue for UCAS Media to sell your ideal audience whenever
Academics predict ‘voteless recovery’ for Conservatives
Aidan Gregory News Editor
The popular university politics blog Policy@ Manchester has predicted a “voteless recovery” for the Conservative Party. The study, undertaken by Dr Robert Ford from The University of Manchester, Dr Will Jennings University of Southampton, and Dr Mark Pickup, from Simon Fraser University in Canada, argues that although the UK economy is showing real signs of recovery, this is not filtering into public opinion. Dr Rob Ford, a lecturer in the Politics department, said, “Most economists are agreed that Britain is heading towards a robust recovery: GDP is steadily growing, unemployment falling; business and consumers are
growing in confidence. So today’s Budget statement will be surely be the sunniest in George Osborne’s Treasury career. “But the enduring problem for the Tories is they have seen little evidence the improving economic climate is helping the Government’s political fortunes. “As the months pass, they see no meaningful movement in the polls. Instead, the evidence points to a voteless recovery in 2015. “Going on current figures, British voters are unlikely to give the Government any electoral reward for its “tough decisions” heralded by the Tories and Liberal Democrats over the past few years.” The problem for the government in the run up to the general election next year will
be convincing the electorate that recovery is well and truly underway. In the words of the study, “voters have noticed the improved economic climate, though they have yet to give the government any credit for it.” Dr Ford believes that as the months to the next general election count down, it will become harder and harder for the conservatives to narrow the 5 percent gap in the polls that exist between them and the Labour party. Without any major landslide in public opinion, the UK is looking at a small Labour majority and thus another hung parliament. The report concludes, “There is still time for the parties, and their leaders, to change their electoral fates, but it is starting to run out.”
you want. “We’re in regular contact with students, so we know what they think about uni and college, what careers they’re interested in and what they want to study – plus much more to help you with your student marketing and recruitment. “Our unique position in the education sector means we can combine excellent data with our multiple UCAS channels to draw together highly reputable and timely campaigns – delivered for you to as many of our students as you’d like”.
White British adults are “less qualified” than ethnic minorities Charlie Spargo News Reporter
Research by the University of Manchester has shown that adults from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to hold a degree and be better educated than their white British counterparts. White British adults are also more likely to have no qualifications at all, in contrast to ethnic minority individuals. The data was extracted from the 2011 census, which showed an overall increase in the amount of students gaining educational qualifications in comparison to the 1991 and 2001 censuses. The University’s Centre on Dynamics and Ethnicity (CoDE) also showed that people from Chinese, Indian, and black African backgrounds have the highest proportion of
individuals holding degree level qualifications. Only 11 per cent of the black African group had no qualifications at all, compared with 24 per cent of the white British group, making them the least likely to be unqualified. White British individuals also showed the smallest increase in people holding a degree since 1991, at only 13 per cent. People from Chinese backgrounds were threequarters more likely to have university education than people from a white British background. University of Manchester researcher Kitty Lymperopoulou said this was linked with “an improvement in access to education overseas and the increasing proportion of ethnic minority people educated in Britain. “[However] we need to
remember that…ethnic minority groups continue to experience inequalities in education and the labour market.” There is still evidence that Bangladeshi and Pakistani individuals, while experiencing a fall in the number of unqualified adults since 2001, were still more likely to lack higher education than those from the white British group. This may be due to the low rates of education in women from these groups, poverty, or discrimination, according to Lymperopoulou. Despite the encouraging findings by this study, it also showed that there are certain ethnic groups who continue to be disadvantaged. Over 60 per cent of white gypsy/Irish travellers had no qualifications at all, far more than twice the rate of white British individuals.
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
04 : News
Student to stand as Democratic Republic of Congo MP 19 year-old Salford student says she is inspired and motivated to make a difference Anna Philips News Reporter Noella Kissina, 19 year old Politics Relations University
and
International
student of
at
the
Salford
has
revealed her plans to run as an MP in the next Congolese general election. The student aims to utilise her political activism to tackle the poverty and violence, as well as the lack of certain levels of education in the Central African Republic. Noella
currently
lives
in
Wythenshawe with her parents, and intends on returning to the Congo to try and make a difference in the country from which her parents originated.
She told The Independent: “Yes, I am scared… but at the same time I am motivated and there is a driving force within me to make a difference. “There is obviously going
She has already has gained
to be danger and the militias
the support of the Congolese
mean there is some level of
ambassador to the UK, His
risk.”
Excellency Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi.
She added: “Because parents were refugees that left a mark
The country has a population
on me and made me aware
of 75 million people, and
of the situation. Because I
harbours rich minerals such
was born here, raised in this
as gold and copper, which is
country with a very democratic
then sold to manufacturers
society, made me want to be
in Western countries to make
politically active, and to help
phones and computers.
democracy in the land of my
Control over these precious
parents [sic].”
minerals continues to divide
Noella has also founded and
the country, creating conflict
runs her own charity in the
and violence between militias.
DRC, named African Christian
She explained how in 1993
Associates, which distributes
her parents fled the Congo,
vital medical equipment as well
where an estimated 5.4 million
as books and toys.
Venture Further Business start-up competition Want to start your own business? Here’s your chance to win £10,000 and make it a reality. • Enhance your CV - enterprise and entrepreneurship skills • Advice, mentoring and support workshops • Produce a business plan and progress your idea It’s open to students, researchers and recent graduates from all subject areas at The University of Manchester – so get involved! The closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday 28 March 2014.
people were killed in the Second
Congo
War
which
began in 1998.
I would encourage anyone with a business idea to enter “Venture Further. It’s a safe environment to test your ideas and builds a great foundation for the next steps.” Matthias Schmid 2012 winner and co-founder of Kaffeination Ltd. – the creators of UPs caffeinated sweets.
Visit our website for more details – www.manchester.ac.uk/venturefurther
/EnterpriseAtManchester
Manchester Enterprise Centre
@EnterpriseMCR
Original Thinking Applied Noella Kissina is currently studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Salford. Photo: Elena Romera @Flickr
ISSUE 19/ 24h MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
NEWS : 05
UMSU General Secretary slams Osborne’s budget at protest
Aidan Gregory News Editor
In a speech to a protest held by the People’s Assembly last Wednesday. Grace Skelton, general secretary of the students’ union, has slammed George Osborne’s 2014/15 budget. Addressing protestors outside the John Rylands library on Deansgate, Skelton said, “I wish that George would come and visit the Students’ Union to meet some of the terrified final years graduating this summer and show them exactly where these jobs are, because all they are experiencing at the moment is rejection after rejection after rejection. And I know that this isn’t just the case for students.” Skelton drew attention to the plight of students from low socio economic backgrounds, arguing that cuts to higher education access schemes “are not economical, they’re ideological. The government simply doesn’t care.” She also voiced her support of the proposed marking boycott at the end of next month. “It’s not just university students that this government are repeatedly attacking, but university staff too. “Campus trade unions have now planned for an assessment boycott starting on April 28th. “As a student rep you might
expect me to stand up here and plead with university staff not to go ahead with this boycott. “But I am proud to say that students from the University of Manchester stand in solidarity with their staff and call on UCEA to get round the table and renegotiate – only they can stop this boycott from happening. The aim of Wednesday’s protest, which began in Piccadilly Gardens, was to “send a clear, loud, message to George Osborne and tell him what we think of his budget and what it means for us!”. Protestor’s slogans included “hands off our NHS”, “Austerity isn’t working”, and “Worst recovery in history.” At one point, a 48-year-old woman from Birmingham also spoke about her suffering as a result of the bedroom tax. She said, “To survive bedroom tax I see it as a war situation. “Bedroom tax is a diet of malnutrition.” Also present and speaking at the demo were representatives of the trade unions UNITE and the National Union of Teachers, the Green Party, Labour councillor Tom Evans, and former General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union Tom Skinner – although Skinner did not make a speech. Skelton added: “Today’s budget was the clearest example yet of the same old Tories believing that
The People’s Assembly was formed last year to fight against the Coalition government’s austerity measures. Photo: OccupyMCR the poor work harder if you make them poorer, and the rich work harder if you make them richer. Ed Miliband said today, ‘it doesn’t matter if the pound is square, round or oval, if you’re £1,600 worse off, you’re £1,600 worse off. Now this is quite a basic way of putting it, but then a
cost of living crisis is quite a basic thing to understand.” She concluded, “The government can talk all they want about economic recovery, but people just aren’t feeling it. Until we see a radical change in direction from this government or the next, we’re not going to
see any improvements in the lives of ordinary people in this country. The People’s Assembly are a national organisation formed last year to fight against austerity measures passed by the coalition government. Their former president was the late Tony
Benn. “In the words of the leader of the People’s assembly for Manchester, the PA does not “support any particular political party. It endorses anyone who rejects austerity.”
Angry Birds publisher backs Manchester students’ ‘hype’ app
Popularity of MOOCs on the rise at UK universities
Dan Harold News Reporter
Charlie Spargo News Reporter
Two students from Manchester have received backing for a new app from the publisher of Angry Birds. Alex Blundell, a computer science student at the University of St Andrews, and James Gordon, have received the backing from the co-founders of Chillingo for their new app, called Delv, which its website claims has been developed ‘by students for students’. The app, which was launched in Manchester last week, is designed to let students know about the best places to be on a night out by gathering
“live data from various sources before and throughout the night to determine the most ‘hyped’ events”. According to Blundell the app also gives students who use the app exclusive deals to many events: “Delv is completely free for students to download and use, and we even offer money-saving deals for events - from discounted entry to free drinks. “Students love anything that’ll save them money! At the same time, we think they’ll love the ability to see where the most popular event is, in real time, as the night progresses”. Speaking to The
Mancunion, Blundell said there was a gap in the market that Delv could fill: “There’s a few apps on the App Store that we’ve noticed are essentially ‘lists’ of venues/events, and require you to ‘check in’. “When using these apps, there was no activity at all, and we feel that’s because students don’t feel they’ll get any benefit out of checking in. Finding out the hype of every event ourselves, whilst giving students some great deals at their favourite venues, is a win-win situation”. After receiving backing Gordon and Blundell set up a limited company with Chris Byatte and Joe Wee. the co-founders
of the games publisher Chillingo. Chillingo, which has published Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, is now a division of Electronic Arts (EA), which purchased it for $20 million in 2010. Blundell told The Mancunion that the app, which is currently only available in Manchester, will soon be expanded to other areas of the country: “Over the next few months, we’ll be developing the Android version of the app, as well as moving into various different cities. We hope to continue this expansion throughout all major UK cities by the end of the year.”
Massive Online Open Courses, or MOOCs, have begun to gain ground at UK universities recently. Online courses on subjects such as “Exploring our Oceans”, “Cooperation in the Contemporary World”, and Manchester Business School’s “Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries” MOOCs offer a low-cost opportunity to study university-level material. They encourage and rely on online communication between the students of the course on dedicated forums and discussion boards. While their presence in UK universities has only just started this year, Ivy League
universities in the USA such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale have been offering popular MOOCs since before 2012. They are also spreading across the world, aiming to help those who do not have access to higher education. On the 10th of March, Cardiff University opened the world’s first Online Course in Community Journalism, and Exeter’s MOOC “Climate Change: Challenges and Solutions” opened in January. While they allow people of all ages to access education from anywhere with an internet connection, at any time, in any language, MOOCs have not avoided criticism and concern. Certain academics, notably TV’s Mary Beard, have raised issues with the lack
of personal interaction, stating that a “division in society” might result. It is also believed that the idealistic nature of education for all is misguided, due to the fact that it requires internet access, money and time potentially not available to people from developing countries. Only around ten per cent of those who start the courses end up completing them, and there is seldom a specific qualification at the end, leading employers to be sceptical. The courses are run by forprofit or non-profit online platforms such as Coursera, which hosts the University of Manchester’s MOOCs, Futurelearn and EdX.
06 : News
ISSUE 19 / 24th FEBRUARY 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
OFT finds university prospectuses sub par The Office of Fair Trading finds no evidence of non-competitive practices at universities, but says they urgently need to improve the quality of information that applicants receive Charlie Spargo News Reporter The Office of Fair Trading has accused universities of failing to provide prospective students with enough information about their desired course, after a sixmonth investigation. It has also warned that consumer protection laws may be being breached by universities hiking fees up in the middle of courses. Chief Executive of the OFT, Vivienne Dews, said “Our call for information has identified a number of issues which must be addressed if our universities are to deliver the best possible edu-
cational experience and the maximum benefit for the country.” The OFT’s report, published last week, highlighted that information such as income prospects, employment, and staff experience, was not sufficiently provided to prospective students. It also recommended that the Competition and Markets Authority, the body that will in April succeed the OFT, launch a full inquiry into universities’ compliance with consumer law. This comes alongside recent warnings that preventing a student from graduating due to library fines or similar debts are in
Prospectuses need more information on employment, income prospects and quality of teaching, according to the OFT. Photo: Balazs H @Flickr
breach of these laws. The report comes after an investigation of how universities compete for applicants, and a proposal of a full examination of non-competitive practices between institutions, many of which charge the upper rate of £9,000 per year. The OFT has “received no
complaints or evidence” of price fixing or collusion, and stated that competition between universities was, overall, working well. It also did not recommend a change to the rules that state prospective students may not apply to both Oxford and Cambridge, or to the limit of five universities
on the UCAS application. It did however, emphasise the need for transparent and accurate information from universities, to “persuade students to attend their course to secure funding.” The OFT also raised concerns about “whether the regulatory system treats all higher educa-
tion institutions in a fair and equitable manner.” Christopher Snowdon, President of Universities UK, said it is “essential to ensure that we do not end up applying wholesale consumer protection rules to higher education in a way that undermines that [student-university] relationship.”
In Partnership with the Students’ Union
NO MONEY TO GET HOME? The Students’ Union has an exclusive partnership with Street Cars which means you can get home, even if you don’t have any money!
Download the booking app or call:
Even if you don’t need the SafeTaxi scheme, you still get 10% student discount off your fare. StreetCars are the Union’s approved supplier
For more information on how to use the Safe Taxi Scheme visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/safetaxi or pick up a business card from the Union helpdesk.
0161 228 7878
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NEWS : 07
Four of the ‘Sussex five’ let off with cautionary letter
Despite the total cost of £32,044 claimed by the University, four of the Sussex five will receive an official University of Sussex warning letter and no further reprimand Marcus Johns Contributor
University of Sussex students occupying the University’s conference centre in a stand against privatisation. Photo: DanielJPHadley @flickr down a maximum £250 penalty by the university’s hearing. The protestors won the backing of human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, who lambasted the hearings process, labelling the lack of student
representation illegal. A petition had also been circulated, obtaining around 10,000 names—including local MPs, human rights lawyers, and free speech advocates amongst the names of students at Sussex.
20 14
Four of the five students who led the 2013 protests against the privatisation of the University of Sussex’s services have been let off with a caution by their university. The protests took place under the name of Occupy Sussex, occupying university buildings to register objection to the university’s outsourcing programme. The students who occupied a University of Sussex’ conference centre were suspended in November for threatening the safety of students, staff, and visitors to the University. The University claims they damaged property, stole from staff and intimidated those who were in
favour of the proposals. In January, the deputy ViceChancellor Michael Davies gave a radio interview condemning the protesters; this lead to doubts about his impartiality as chair of the hearing and its subsequent collapse. However the University of Sussex maintains that it acted properly at all times during the process. The collapse of the process cost the university £18,154, which adds to the university’s claim that the protests costs £13,890 in criminal damage repairs and loss of trading at the conference centre, Bramber House. The costs of the hearing process since its collapse this year remain undisclosed. Despite the large total cost of £32,044 claimed by the university, the students could only have been handed
Have you received inspirational teaching or outstanding support from University staff this year? Why not nominate your lecturer, graduate teaching assistant or support staff for a Manchester Teaching Award?
Guidance and nomination forms available at www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/teachingawards
The ‘Sussex five’, as they have become to be known, refused to take part in the hearing’s process and are continuing to seek legal advice, according to their lawyer Simon Natas. Instead of a resumption of the
process, the students will now receive an official University of Sussex warning letter. The University of Sussex will seek no further reprimand.
08 : Feature
ISSUE 19 / 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
“I’ve had a lot of luck along the way as have most editors” Jonathan Breen talks the first non-white editor of a national UK newspaper, the Independent’s Amol Rajan, about how he got the job Jonathan Breen Editor-in-chief Since the Independent printed it’s first issue in 1986, the editor has been a white man, and the same goes for every other mainstream national newspaper. Last year this changed. Amol Rajan, 29, is a newspaper editor with a difference. He is young, non-white, state-schooled, and downto-earth. I spoke to the editor of the Independent about his new job, how he got there, and what advice he has for students. “I can just about remember being a student and I imagine right now you’re sort of contemplating whether or not you’re going to go to a lecture, but in fact you’re ringing up your dealer getting your latest bag of weed in, watching DVDs of ‘Breaking Bad’, occasionally reading a bit of Heidegger and Hegel – something like that?” Clearly Amol’s memory is not too bad. After his productive days as a student at Cambridge University, Rajan started down a nine-year path to being head of a national newspaper. “How did I get to be a national newspaper editor? There’s a longish story that I won’t bore you with that involves a career in the media and aspects of it for about nine years ,and seven years ago I joined the Independent.” He added, “I’ve had a lot of luck along the way as have most editors. “All the time I think to myself ‘I’ve got my dream job’…there are very, very few people on the planet who have their dream job and I think there
I do pinch myself. I’m sometimes cycling home and I’m like ‘oh my god is this really happening, this is incredible’ is probably even fewer people who have their dream job long before they thought they would have a hope in hell that they would actually get it. “I do pinch myself. I’m sometimes cycling home and I’m like ‘oh my god is this really happening, this is incredible’.” After editing the student newspaper at Cambridge, Varsity, and a short stint as a researcher on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, Rajan found
Amol Rajan found out he was Editor of the Independent while on a stag-do in Spain Photo: The Independent himself on the Comment desk at the Independent, soon as Deputy Comment Editor. “And about three years ago I got given a fantastic and life changing chance when I got hired to work for Evgeny Lebedev, who is the owner of the Independent, and I worked for him as a right-hand man for nearly three years, and off the back of that I was put back on to the Independent as the Comment Editor and then made Editor.” For Rajan, his chance to work for Lebedev – also the owner of the i newspaper and the Evening Standard – was a key to his career success, “When I got the gig working as a media adviser for [Lebedev] that was probably quite a decisive moment in putting me on a nice path.” Rajan was born in Calcutta, India. His family moved to England when he was three and he was raised in Tooting, South London, where he went to a local state school. This series of events may seem unextraordinary – Britain is one of the most multi-cultural countries on earth – but, when they form part of the bio for a British newspaper editor, they become quite remarkable, unique even. Rajan is the first non-white editor of a mainstream national newspaper in Britain. “The last few years I have been through a lot of very surreal situations and there are times when the phrase ‘you’ve got to pinch yourself ’ becomes very very true and you’ve got to say ‘my god this is actually happening’ and just try and enjoy, try and realise how lucky you are and try and make
the most of it. “Because it does strike me as kind of completely absurd that I’ve been given a chance to do my favourite job.” To add to the absurdity, Rajan was told he had the job while on a mate’s stag-do, which he had organised, at a techno music festival in Spain. “It was after a pretty big night and we were in a square in Barcelona, in town, and I got a text saying that the job’s going to be announced on Monday – and I was like, right, okay - I better sober up and get my shit together because this shit just got very very real. “So being in Barcelona last year and being at a techno festival – I mean I hate techno, I absolutely despise it, and I’m a big big music fan I just can’t bare techno or house music – but… being in Barcelona and being able to consider that I got this job whilst there was very surreal.” Under Rajan’s leadership the newspaper has undergone a makeover and, among other things, made a regular columnist of UKIP’s Nigel Farage. “For the past nine months, it’s going about as well as it could be. We redesigned the Independent and it looks great, it looks stylish. Editorially we have also been doing a lot of cool stuff; we’ve had a really successful campaign against elephant poaching.” He added, when asked why he brought Nigel Farage on board as a columnist, “There is an incredibly interesting change happening in UK right wing politics at the moment and I think we have a choice, either ignore it or engage with it and try and
understand it. And we’re engaging with the emerging force of UKIP. “I think it is part of our job to continue to represent a broad range of political opinion at the Independent and we had strong people from the left, but not so much from the right.” Rajan also explained why he believes professional journalists and newspapers are still important. “Because anyone with a PC is a publisher, I think people now come across stuff by chance, and I think a lot of people feel deluged, there is an ocean of data and they feel flooded. The job of a journalist is to curate that content and tell people what they need to know. That is what we do with the i, curate and edit all the news and tell people what they need to know. “And I think it is worth pointing out that there is still a role for the journalist, there still needs to be intelligent people reporting the news, and people want to read beautiful prose, and be entertained.” As a lasting thought, the 29-year-old editor had some words of advice for student journalists that could apply to anyone hoping to enter today’s job market. “Nothing works like hard work, the harder you work, the further you go. Journalism is a fantastic career, and there are still plenty of jobs, don’t let the doom-mongers get you down.” He added, “And make sure you have fun - I mean, I have fun now, but my fun is having breakfast with David Laws.”
ISSUE 19/ 24th March 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Features : 09
Interview: BBC reporter Jon Sopel Haider Saleem speaks to BBC World Service correspondent Jon Sopel on power in the media and the difficulties of reporting in war zones When TedX came to the University of Manchester on the 2nd of March BBC World News correspondent Jon Sopel gave a talk on reporting in war zones. The Mancunion’s Haider Saleem caught up with him after his talk to discuss war photography, the risks of reporting in war zones and the disney effect of war. You mentioned in your talk that ‘war is ugly’. Then how would you describe your job? What is it like reporting if war is ugly? My job can be exciting, scary, tedious it can be everything. You often have long periods of waiting for something to happen and then all of a sudden jaw-dropping adrenaline. It can be upsetting, seeing things that are difficult to absorb, whether it be death or other people’s pain, which I find very difficult when you see people who are really suffering. But you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. They always say the most miserable solider when a war is going on is the one who’s stuck in barracks. If you’re a journalist and there’s a big story, then you want to be where the big story is. “You can’t take good photos if you got a tear in the view finder” I think it was the English war photographer Don McCollum, I couldn’t find definitively the quote. However it is one quote that I have always grown up with in my journalistic career. I think he meant ‘you must never show any emotion, you must stay cold and distant’ As if you’re a ghost? Yeah – like you’re just an observer, you’re not there to feel. It is like you’re in the Roman Colosseum and the lions are about to tear apart the
We have to show that war involves suffering as well and real pain ... I think it is incumbent upon us not to sanitise war
Jon Sopel warns against the Disney effect of war Christians. You don’t feel anything you’re just watching what’s happening, you’re just a spectator. I think that’s true up to a certain point but I think there are times when you have a degree of emotional involvement and commitment because you are watching people suffer. You can’t just say ‘get over it, you just had your legs blown off, your wife and children have just been raped.’ I don’t think you can be cold and impassive to what you see around you. That doesn’t mean you are taking sides, but it means there is a blend of the two, is what you have to do. You said you were worried about the ‘Disney effect of war’ – what do you mean by that? I think you can show war as a theme park, you can show things going bang, rockets being fired and bullets whizzing past and you never show what the effects are of what has happened and I think that is what creates the ‘Disney style’ effect of war. That it all looks kind of harmless - no one gets hurt. For a reporter, ideally, if you want to live, you don’t want to be standing underneath where a shell lands – you’re going to be blown apart. There are realistic constraints about showing - you’re going to be a pretty unlucky correspondent if the bomb lands on top of you, because it means you’re not going to be able to file your report and your dead. However, I think that we have to show that war involves suffering as well and real pain and that’s why I showed a clip in my talk of what
Photo Caption: Wikimedia Commons
the effect of the chemical weapons strike were because it was shocking to see that small child shaking and covered in burns. I think it is incumbent upon us not to sanitise war, that is what I meant. In Syria, North Korea and other places, journalists and reporters are being captured and imprisoned. How does it make you feel that journalists are being kidnapped for doing the same job as you? Does that upset you? Of course it does and it affects other people’s judgments about whether we are willing to go down there. I think at the moment the BBC is thinking that Syria is too dangerous, and believe me we got some pretty brave reporters and cameramen who are prepared to go there, but just the risk of capture – if you’re out in certain areas, the risk is so great and its unclear who is doing the capturing (we had the same problem in Baghdad) that it means it is very, very difficult to report in these places. Do you not feel like people look at you and instantly recognise that ‘yeah, there another westerner here to report what’s happening’? I feel that often people want to show their conflicts. If you give people a camera and a microphone and a chance to explain why and what they are doing, whether that is in Africa or the Middle East, for most of the part people are receptive. There’s no way I can mask myself and pretend that I’m a black African or an Arab. A lot of thought and you
would be amazed about how much thought goes into what we call ‘high risk areas’. The planning, execution, where we are going to stay, the
At the moment the BBC is thinking that Syria is too dangerous ... just the risk of capture – if you’re out in certain areas, the risk is so great and its unclear who is doing the capturing
methods of exit, what contingency plans are in place. We also have kidnap plans, those things are talked about when you go there. You have previously talked about the effects of social media and journalism. Who do you think is becoming more powerful, social media or Murdoch? (Laughs) What a good question. I’m not going to answer, I’m going to be a bit of a politician. I’ll tell you what I think, I think that 20 years ago, Murdoch had huge, massive undeniable power and now I’m going to say to you that it is much more balanced and that social media is immediate and instant, and if you don’t deal with it you’re a fool. Your going to see in the next election social media play a more prominent role than it has done. People who say social media is irrelevant are wrong. Harry Fear, who had also spoke, said ‘when the blood in the middle east spills, it doesn’t really bother us’ – is he true in saying that? I didn’t hear the quote; I’m not going to comment directly when I haven’t heard the context. What I would say the Middle East is one of the most important geo-political issues of our age. The idea that we don’t care what happens n the Middle East strikes me as wrong. The Middle East is one of the stories that people feel is hugely important, a lot of resources are devoted to and we have a very good bureau and reporting in the Middle East.
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Opinion
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Are student neighbourhoods a good thing for communities? Samuel Gilmore discusses whether the increasing ‘studentification’ of the UK’s towns and cities is responsible for anti-social crime in urban areas Photo: Wikimedia Commons
My Political Hero... Tony Benn
Photo: Wikimedia Commons According to an article published in The Independent last week, there has been a subtle, yet significant, change in the demographics of the population in Durham, a change identified as ‘studentification’. There are claims that there are just 400 ‘non-student households’ remaining in Crossgate –the place to be if you’re a student in Durham - and that the area has become ‘noisy and dirty’. This is nothing new, however; the age-old debate of town versus gown has always existed, particularly in university towns such as Durham, and this new study reveals a new facet to the debate at hand. Questions are prompted when reading the statistics: do communities have a certain privilege to exist without newcomers taking over, or should the free market dictate who can live where? Are students a positive influence on neighborhoods, or are they horrendous people that deserve the regrettable stereotype they have? Ultimately, are student neighbourhoods a good thing? Probably the first accusation that is attributed to student communities is crime. No one likes crime, and students, it is claimed, have a particularly nasty habit of causing crime indirectly in areas they reside; they are lazy tenants that don’t care about the indigenous community that they have moved to, and, as such, anti-social behavior, theft, drugs and other petty crimes all become prevalent. This is often painted in the media; think of Fresh Meat – students don’t care about street cleanliness, throw hedonistic house parties and hold the general public in disdain. A rough survey of the statistics challenges this. Accessing crime statistics held by Greater Manchester Police for January 2014, the most recent month available, for different areas in and around the city of Manchester proved an illuminating read. For the purpose of argument, I have taken anti-social behavior as the main indicator of possible
student unruliness (though I do know that students are capable of other crimes, I’ve gone with the standard crime a student would ‘typically’ commit, or are accused of committing by locals). In Manchester City Centre, 1373 crimes were committed, of which, 458 were deemed to be anti-social behavior (roughly a third). In the student areas of Rusholme, Fallowfield and North Withington, of the 717 crimes committed, 195 were anti social (26.7%). For the sake of fairness, I had a look at another area in Greater Manchester randomly that wasn’t a student population or the city centre, Trafford North, and there were 229 anti-
Student digs bridge the g a p b e t we e n teenage n a ive t y a n d independence social charges out of 746 crimes (30.7%). Besides making a truly enthralling read for me, as I’m sure you can imagine, the stats were telling. On balance, fewer crimes were reported in student areas and they less ‘student’ in nature than other areas of Greater Manchester. Fantastic! We’re not to blame! The stats are limited, granted. It was in January, when people would be studying for exams and hence less likely to be on the proverbial lash, and a breakdown of who committed the crime was not available. But it does go to show that students are disproportionately criticized compared to actual occurrences. I’m not saying students don’t commit crime, but I am saying it is a lazy stereotype, like all stereotypes in
truth, to continually portray us as unruly lawbreakers. Furthermore, it could be argued that students don’t actively participate in crime, but are unfortunate recipients of such actions. Anecdotally, I can recall several incidents that have been antisocial and often almost every single one was caused by someone who appeared to be a local and not a student (I know, they’re not mutually exclusive, but fat white middle-aged men with mancunian accents who have 10 too many cans the wrong side of sober can cause just as much damage as a twenty year old). Even recently in this newspaper, there have been reports of stalking and sexual assault reportedly caused by people fitting a description that would not the fit the ‘typical’ student – though of course we are yet to know who the perpetrators actually are. The whole discussion on crime in student neighbourhoods makes for interesting contemplation. It would be interesting to have more data at hand to enable a lengthy discourse about students’ direct influence on crime, businesses and general wellbeing to see both positive and negative affect. In a city on which nearly 40,000 students descend each year and call ‘home’ for at least three years of their lives, it is important to value the community we find ourselves in. Student neighborhoods are an intermediary way of bridging the gap from teenage naivety to finding one’s feet and getting to grips with what living independently is all about. It’s a necessary evil, as it were, a compromise. So, asking if student neighborhoods are ‘good’ (whatever that means) doesn’t altogether seem appropriate. Maybe we can accept that they’re necessary, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved. I think a better Manchester would include a more integrated student community, where both students and locals actively have responsibilities in regard to one another.
I heard Tony Benn speak in person only once, but in just two hours he conveyed to me two crucial messages; one of hope and one of anger against injustice. Never, before or after, have I heard someone speak so eloquently and frankly and with such a rousing and honest spirit. Politics, which had hitherto been a world of deception and injustice to me, a world I wanted no part of, suddenly became a world where hope and real change for the better could be born. The Sun proclaimed him ‘the most dangerous man in Britain’ and understandably so. Benn’s questioning of what it meant to have power, crucially with his famous five questions, unveiled the very questionable nature of our own democracy. We live in a political system where media tycoons, bankers and the elite of society are able to pay to have their voices heard over the rest of us. Are the men, and I say men deliberately, in charge of this country accountable to us, do they exercise their power in our interest or in the interests of the top 1%? These questions are just a taste of the countless posed by Benn and those inspired by him. Tony Benn inspired and gave faith to so many on the left that all hope was not lost, as they witnessed Thatcherism sweep through the nation and New Labour move more and more to the right of politics. Benn’s speech on his departure from Westminster in 2001 sums up his view of the government’s politics now and then; ‘I now want more time to devote to politics and freedom to do so’. While, as many critics of him have been quick to point out, his political career has little concrete evidence of success, we should recognise with awe, the truly inspirational legacy he has left behind, as the multitude of memorable and stirring quotes circling the internet in the aftermath of his death are testament to. Peter Hennessy, a contemporary British historian, said of him ‘what is special about him is his constant curiosity about why things are as they are, why they have to be that way and what he can do about them’. Writing to his grandchildren in the book ‘Letters to my Grandchildren: Thoughts on the Future’, Benn warned the younger generation that ‘the future of the human race is in your hands and you have to make some of the biggest choices ever to be faced by mankind’. The book was the first I read of Benn’s and it inspired me into having the confidence to speak out against the injustices of society. Encouraging me by reiterating that, in a generation where pessimism, cynicism and overwhelming apathy are prevalent; chemical, nuclear and biological weapons are so widespread that ours is the first generation in human history with the power to destroy the human race. How can we be apathetic to hate and injustice, when such an unimaginable scale of destruction, is a potential threat hanging over our choices? This point brings to mind the famous line from Benn ‘if you can find the money to kill people, you can find the money to help people’. It saddens me that Benn did not live to see our nation truly take a stand against the many injustices which engulf our society today. But his legacy should give hope and optimism to a generation. Benn wholeheartedly believed change was possible if enough people’s voices joined together in protest - however bleak the view. I shall end this piece with Tony Benn’s own eloquence; ‘hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself ’.
Jenny Sterne
Opinion
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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GM crops: who controls the grain controls the world Last week saw a renewed call from the government’s Council for Science and Technology (CST) to recognise the important role genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could have in contributing to food security and food sovereignty. This time, the pro-GMO argument carries a touch of the zeitgeist with its implicit anti-EU sentiment, calling for European regulation of GMOs to be relaxed. Is the CST right, and are GMOs a good thing? The more hyperbolic antiGMO arguments tend to focus on an arbitrary notion of what is natural. They tap in to those myths in our collective consciousness that play on our fears of a boundary transgressed, a boundary that marks what is natural and what is not. These stories of Frankenstein’s monster or the Midwich cuckoos fuse an innocent, pure, godgiven nature with an alien world of science and technology to create out-of-control cyborgs or, when applied to GMOs, ‘Frankenfoods’. Images of these monster children of technology abound in film and literature and it’s
easy to suggest, once the link has been drawn between GMOs and Frankenstein’s monster, that today’s s c i e n t i fi c breakthrough is tomorrow’s dystopia where our own creation might one day kill its master in the ultimate Oedipal act. The use of such imagery in the Photo: Wikimedia Commons sensationalist campaigns of the the effect that the introduction late 1990s is continued today by of GMOs has had on the some environmentalist groups livelihoods, independence, and and is the petard on which the rights of farmers in the USA, anti-GMO lobby hoists itself. In Canada, and India particularly. picking up this argument, those In Canada, Monsanto’s who are pro-GMO can easily patented canola plant was accuse those who aren’t of a fear found in farmer Percy of science and an irrational Schmeiser’s field. Monsanto rejection of new technology, sued Schmeiser for patent and in that case they would have infringement as he had a point. acquired, used and saved canola Whilst the idea of fish genes in seeds that were covered by tomatoes scares us because it’s intellectual property rights. He not in ‘the proper order of argued that the crop turned up things’, the scientific facts in his field because of the concerning the safety of GMOs natural processes of crossare continually disputed. What pollination due to the cases of is, however, clearly evidenced, is Monsanto’s canola grown by
neighbouring farms. However, once the patent had been granted on the genes for Monsanto’s canola, it had in effect patented the whole crop and future crops, no matter where the seeds landed or where they ended up growing. Monsanto also own future seeds and the traditional practice of saving seeds for next year’s harvest also constitutes copyright infringement, meaning farmers have to purchase seeds each time they need to sow a crop. Owning the grain in such a way as to own not just a plant itself, but its children and its children’s children, gives
huge scope for Monsanto to monopolise the grain market in the USA, and therefore to control a large amount of the food system, given the pivotal role of grain in producing other foods from beef to Coca Cola. In this context, farmers no longer have seed sovereignty or autonomy, and they become effectively franchisees of the Monsanto brand. Not only this, but farmers are encouraged to inform on colleagues who are saving seeds, undermining the trust and practice of informal knowledge sharing in farming communities across the USA. The proliferation of GMOs in the US is aided by a legislature that has been favourable to the needs of pro-GM companies. However, GMOs can be an important tool in our arsenal against food insecurity if they can be developed as a kind of public, open-source technology
where monopolisation and the concentration of ownership is safeguarded. State institutions are perfect for putting in place and enforcing such safeguards. Far from being a pernicious GMO party pooper, the EU can play a central role in regulating GMOs to ensure fair intellectual property rights, to protect traditional farming practices, and to allow farmers to choose whether they grow GMOs or not. Instead of the US-style policy making which rejects even labelling foods as GMOs, the EU is uniquely placed to create a policy that involves all the different actors, rich, poor, big, and small, to ensure a big player in global agriculture can regulate GMOs fairly and to ensure transparency in this novel market. The scary thing about GMOs isn’t the science fiction of a world overridden by Triffid-like tomatoes, but the very real impact that patenting the essential and fundamental commodity of food can have; who controls the grain controls the world. Bernadette Chapman
Will Hebden Bridge be the solution to London’s economic dominance? Dragon’s Den presenter Evan Davis has proposed in his new BBC 2 documentary Mind The Gap: London Vs The Rest that the answer to challenging London’s apparent dominance over the rest of the UK lies in the creation of a Northern megacity that includes the ‘suburbs’ of Manchester to the west, and Leeds to the east. However, this would obviously require a huge amount of investment and risk taking (not to mention the deep rooted Lancashire and Yorkshire regionalism). Is it a realistic proposition for the future? Is it a problem that London is rapidly growing almost independently from the rest of the UK? Davis believes that London is in a virtuous circle; essentially sucking in all the top talent from the rest of the country because it has the attraction of containing all the top talent. This idea of networks of people clustering together in order to potentially become more productive is known as agglomeration economics. But does this hold true for Manchester University
students? Well, according to Which? University, about two thirds of graduates who studied in the North West stay there after graduation, with the proportion being highest in Manchester. This appears to show that it is not always necessary for graduates to look towards London to further their careers, however 1 in 5 graduates in England do move to London. This statistic is disproportionately high and demonstrates a need to create a second ‘hub’ in the UK in order to rebalance Britain’s lopsided, London-centric economy. This would benefit not just the rest of the country, but an increasingly crowded London as well. Could the answer be a Hebden Bridge mega-city? The idea of Hebden Bridge as the UK’s second city is a metaphor used by resident and historian David Fletcher, who describes the town as part of the unique, green-belt centre of a vast urban area. Fletcher is also associated with the ‘transpennine
Hebden Bridge in 2007. Photo: Wikimedia Commons movement’, which promotes Lancashire and Yorkshire economic integration and infrastructure development, and has formed the private company Transpennine Ltd. In the late 1990s, Transpennine Ltd commissioned research undertaken by Manchester and Leeds Universities into the economy, environment and transport systems of the transpennine corridor, with this being co-funded by the European Commission. The vision of Manchester-Leeds
integration is far from fantasy. However, there is the obvious issue of identity across the North of England when it comes to unity. Aside from the Manchester and Leeds rivalry – or hatred – reflected by football fans, the concept even of Manchester is currently narrow. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News about the programme, Davis thinks residents in areas such as Salford should stop refusing to be called Manchester, due to it limiting the city’s
international reputation. He sees it as “a serious problem” but I think it is a problem that can be overcome – the idea of Salford ‘in’ Manchester can succeed. The same is true for the whole YorkshireLancashire region. Before consensus can be formed there needs to be a form of administrative identity in the M62 corridor – something that does not currently exist. This can project a unity that can boost the urban area’s international reputation. What’s more, historically, the idea of Yorkshire and Lancashire as two separated regions is something of an illusion. Davis argued in his documentary that the problem in Britain was not that London is too big, but that other cities are too small. There’s a loose idea that the size of cities generally follows ‘Zipf ’s law’ – stating that a country’s second city is roughly half the size of its first city in terms of population. According to this, you could argue that the UK doesn’t have a second
city. Greater London is as big as the next 6 urban areas put together – the second highest is Greater Manchester with a population of 2.5m. This shows that the UK is in a fairly exceptional situation. In Germany, for example, there are a number of large, ’important’ cities (namely, Hamburg and Frankfurt) and Berlin certainly doesn’t dominate. Having larger cities can help the UK economy to grow, and this is supported by academic literature concluding that doubling a city’s size increases productivity by between 3-8%. Investment in transport and infrastructure that can bring Manchester and Leeds together would have to be large, and the UK government will be reluctant to invest heavily in the North given the current economic climate (and lack of guaranteed returns), but I think this mega-city idea should be explored further. Big cities are the future, and the UK en bloc cannot succeed with only one. Tom Learmouth
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editors: Phoebe Clarke, Patrick Hinton, Tom Ingham Interview
Opinion
theMUSIC OPINION: Album: Kylie - Kiss Me Once
After receiving the not yet released Kylie album extraordinaire Kiss Me Once from a friend who works in radio, the thrill of listening to something not yet heard by mere civilians was well, thrilling. Not exactly a hardcore fan of Miss Minogue, I sat down ready to be fairly disappointed but not exactly surprised. The first song, ‘Into The Blue’ left me in a cold sweat. This is not music. I’m sorry Kylie I know you’re a national treasure and all after you went on that program with the twisty chairs, but please for the sake of all that is just in the world do not pursue a further career in singing. Willing to give everyone’s favourite 3 foot high songstress another try, I skipped ahead to ‘Les Sex’- which I can only assume is a raunchy ode to the one and only Les Dawson-but after being told repeatedly by Kylie to “work it, push it baby” I just wanted to sit down and have a cup of tea to recover. Not only is the horribly artificial screeching autotune of her wailing vocal cords grating on one’s nervous system, but the lyrics leave you depressed and angry at the state of modern popular culture today. If the only thing that sells records these days is Kylie squeezing her ample derriere into a red leather baby grow and instructing you very forcefully to “sexercise! Feel the burn!” then I despair for future generations. Described as an “R&B reboot” for the 45 year old selfproclaimed goddess, the singer thanks her many fans who “always inspire” her. Funny
that as upon closer inspection, none of the songs in fact were written, produced, or even edited, by Kylie herself. But after all, what more is a pop star than a pretty face to lord about in gold hot pants thrusting her aging genitalia in the faces of anyone who’ll watch. Never one to judge, I sat through the rest of the album, intrigued by “Sexy Love”, the fourth wonder on the album. I forced myself; teeth gritted, to see it through to the end. As a child of the noughties, I have sat through a fair few Liberty X cassette tapes, and I am no stranger to the honeyed tones of Tina, Paul; Rachel, Jo, Hannah, Bradley and Jon, but I think it has been a while since I have endured such dirge. As a young girl I was not adverse to a bit of Australian pop- everyone likes some Kylie at the year 6 disco- but this is something else. Truly, utterly, terribly abysmal. There are no words strong or grotesque enough to describe the jaded horror of this monstrous album. Kylie’s thin, perpetually high-pitched yelps screech out over the top of over-produced, over-edited filth. Without meaning to be rude, I would simply beg of you, Kylie if you’re reading this, please desist. I have given this album 0.5/10 for the simple reason, that Kylie undeniably has the best brows in show business. Cecilia Bicknell
the MUSIC INTERVIEW:
Haim
Tom Ingham talks with L.A sisters Haim about Twitter feuds, girl power and
whether Prince is an alien. “Our guitar-tech showed me (Este) the picture and I was like ‘wow dude, I’ve never done anything to you’ so of course I was going to retaliate. It was all in good spirits, but I totally trumped him; you fuck me once, I fuck you harder.” After kindly allowing me into their “ladylair”, Haim reflect on their last visit to Manchester and subsequent run-in with Welsh lads, and occasional football writers, Los Campesinos! “First of all I didn’t really know what it meant over here, we’re from America bro and this (v’s) means fuck you to us” says Alana - although Danielle now considers the beef “resolved”. Haim are breaking down gender preconceptions in rock music and simultaneously putting to rest the bull-shit philosophy that ‘guitar music is dying’. “I (Este) never thought that I didn’t deserve to be in a band with boys. I definitely felt at the start that guys didn’t take me seriously but then I would start playing and they would shut the fuck up - I was better than most of them anyway. At the time all these amazing females were coming out of Disco like Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, The Weather Girls and The Pointer Sisters and so my mom totally exposed us to this; we always had this sense of ‘girl power’ “We all played drums first, my dad’s a drummer – I think that’s the best foundation for any musician first because you want the rhythm. My mom was a folky guitarist, and so me (Este) and Danielle started learning guitar at the same time; even as a 5 year old Danielle surpassed me, it was really depressing as an 8 year old to see your younger sister playing Santana guitar riffs and me just sitting there going ‘I don’t understand this’.” “My Dad saw that I was depressed about it and I think his reasoning was if bass has less strings it’s obviously less shit to deal with – I was like ‘girls don’t play bass’ to which he showed me Stop Making Sense, that’s
I was like ‘girls don’t play bass’, to which he showed me Stop Making Sense; that’s where I saw Tina
Weymouth and I was like, ‘yeah, girls play bass’.
where I saw Tina Weymouth and I was like, ‘yeah, girls play bass’.” Following a brief encounter in a doctor’s waiting room, and continued association with Fleetwood Mac, perhaps a future collaboration isn’t completely out of the question. “We love Fleetwood Mac but I think it’s setting yourself up for failure. I didn’t think I would be here two years ago so I have no idea what the fucking future holds” says Alana. Comedian, Chris Rock once said that anyone who plays a venue is competing with every other act that’s been before them; a point that becomes even more daunting when taking into account the Manchester Academy’s recent residents. “When I saw Prince I cried” recalls Estee, “I went on my 21st Birthday and queued up at 12. I was the first in the venue and I remember just
standing there all day, my friends were like ‘fuck this, I’m gonna go gamble’ but I stayed, listening to Controversy over and over again on my IPod, hyping myself up for the show. He was larger than life from where I was sitting - I personally don’t think he’s human, his music is other worldly.” Brits and Americans often disagree on taste, and although I dig Prince I can’t say the same for his venture into the world of film, a point which was met by a chorus of disapproval. Alana: “I love that film! That is a huge no no in this family”. Estee: “Rewind. Why is Purple Rain the movie dreadful? Apollonia is amazing in it, you have Morris Day and The Time – maybe it’s a cultural thing but in the states it’s universally regarded as one of the most amazing music moves ever”. Alana: “It is literally the best movie ever, and you’re killing me!” Despite Haim’s pop appeal, there’s no denying the heavy foundations in which they are rooted “I think we kind of hint at it, ‘Oh Well’ is very ‘riff-rock’. We’re a rock band at our core and the live shows builds on that. At the same time we love production value and burying our heads in the studio and trying to figure out stuff. I think of production as a puzzle of pieces, it’s so important to get the record version right; walking into the studio and just playing our live show might not work.” It remains to be seen whether Haim can pull off ‘The difficult second album’ and make a record as fresh and vibrant as Days Are Gone, personally I’m hoping they embrass their penchant for rock and give us an album of heavy hitting riffage,
Tom Ingham Music Editor
Top 5: by Henry Scanlan
TOP 5
SONGS:
Being dumped (In order of recovery)
1. Sinead O’Connor -
2. Cee Lo Green- F**k You
Nothing Compares To You
The resentment has begun – a musical middle finger.
Who better to provide the soundtrack to your weeping than shaven Sinead? An iconic track filled melodrama and self-deprecation.
3. The Stooges - Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell Lyrically as angry as you can get, this song does what it says on the tin. Will make a great soundtrack to the pinning of that voodoo doll.
4. Lily Allen - Smile Acceptance has come and you’re feeling good. Although you’re still tempted to smash their record collection, as exemplified in Allen’s video.
5. Bob Dylan - Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright You’re as calm as folk, Bob couldn’t have said it better.
ISSUE 19/ 24h MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
: @MancunionMusic : / TheMancunionMusicSection
Music
13
Interview
Anthony Fantano - The Needle Drop Thomas Ingham, Music Editor “Idiot, disregard them immediately! Walk away from them so you don’t have to hear their bull-shit.” The self-titled ‘Internet’s busiest music nerd’ Anthony Fantano addresses the rabble who have put forward the notion guitar music is moribund. “I think anybody saying that guitar music is ‘dying’ is an ignorant idiot; what the fuck does somebody who says that actually mean? Nobody would come out and say ‘Rock is dead’ because they would be looked upon as silly, but instead they just use this weird, vaguely technical, kind of ‘covert’ term, ‘the death of guitar music’. “There’s actually quite a few very popular songs and records that came out this past year with guitars in them, like Daft Punk’s latest record, or even the new Avicii single ‘Wake Me Up’ had an acoustic guitar in it, What they’re essentially saying is that they don’t care for guitar music, they prefer more pop, electronic, synthesized stuff or hip-hop, and that’s fine. To say guitar music is ‘dead’ because another kind of music is really popular is stupid.” My own review of Arctic Monkey’s last record AM was pretty scathing; the main beef centred on the complete de-
parture from their highly charged and exciting debut album, a comparison which I felt had to be drawn. “You can’t escape context, no matter how much you try; I can’t stand people who are like ‘it’s unfair to compare past albums to the new albums’ - that’s completely ridiculous because an artist like the Arctic Monkeys would not be where they are popularity wise, success wise or artistically if they didn’t create those past albums. Even context side I would not like AM, it is the musical equivalent to a dry hump for a rock record - it’s no fun.” Neil Young recently launched his new music play Pono, claiming it would be “bigger than vinyl”, a perhaps unexpected comment considering the age and legacy of the veteran performer. “I’m pretty sure streaming services are more popular than vinyl right now, but from a revolutionary standpoint I’m not sure if any streaming service can become bigger than vinyl. What can one service do that another can’t? They’re all lining up to give you free music; I’m struggling to see how you can give music to people for free better than anyone else.” “You could say the same thing about music reviewers possibly; there are a lot
of reviewers out there – what makes my service stands out? Personally, I think the fact I do it on video, and I focus more on the sound of the music, along with a host of other things. Streaming services are all interfaces with buttons, I think the competition they should be having right now is to pay artists better, and the music streaming services that pay artists the best will be the ones that get exclusive access to the albums the artists are allowing them to stream.” “I don’t know what it takes for bands to thrive today, certainly effective dissemination of their music on platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud; you have to be constantly coming out with new material until you have your hit, and then do your album – don’t worry about the album first. If you’re going to make more avant-garde, experimental and abrasive music just expect less, that’s all I can freaking say! There will be breakout artists, like Death Grips, but if you’re making Noise rock don’t expect to be in the same position as Coldplay five years down the road, make Noise rock because you love it.” The Needle Drop, a b/vlog site with more than a quarter of a million sub-
scribers and over 36 million views has turned Anthony into a music guru of sorts, despite this status he remains modest about its success. “The Needle Drop hasn’t taken off. I think there are fans and artists out there who watch it and they love it, which I appreciate, but I don’t feel like TND has become one of the major players in the music world yet. TND is relatively young and I’m not a point where I’m like ‘Expand! Expand! Expand!” It’s only been my full time job for a year and a half so I don’t really have the capacity to make it anyone else’s full time job yet.” Fantano’s reviews manage to encom-
pass the profound and ridiculous all in one, largely thanks to his alter-ego, and occasional journalist, Cal Chuchesta. “He’s the Ren to my Stimpy; ultimately I would love for Cal to be in a made-forTV Christmas movie called Cal Saves Christmas: The Origins of Chuchesta and The Hunt for The Golden Sweater if anyone would like to throw a director, cast and a whole ton of money at me to make this film happen, I will do it and allow it to be sponsored by Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, Ford, Chevrolet, Kia and anyone willing to sponsor this horrible, once in a lifetime film.”
Photo: www.theneedledrop.com
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Review
Fall Out Boy
Metronomy HMV Ritz - 14th March 2014 Metronomy enter the stage for the Manchester leg of their 50+ dates European and North American Tour following the release of their album Love Letters released the previous Monday. Frontman and recent father Joseph Mount sits down at his electric organ to start the show with a controlled and prologuelike performance of ‘Monstrous’. This wasn’t the most impacting opening number to assert their presence from the outset but it cleverly formed a base on which to build their set to a range of peaks interspersed with moving ballads in order to keep their audience lively throughout their 75 minute set. ‘She Wants’ was performed with great panache. Olugbenga Adelekan laid down the bass line fluently and with star quality. Although joining the band relatively recently in Metronomy’s 15 year history, he shared centre stage in terms of presence almost equally with frontman Mount. They especially demonstrated chemistry as a duo during
‘Holiday’. Adelekan’s falsetto backing vocals gave the harmonies an impressive might, notwithstanding that I generally find the vocal register unkind on the ear, including the album version of this particular track. Metronomy’s sound was largely powerful, assured and great to move to. Disappointingly their live rendition of the first single from their new album, ‘Aquarius’ fell a little flat. It was backed by a sequenced drum pattern whilst the rest of the band retreated to backing vocals and keyboards. This could have benefitted hugely from a more elaborate live arrangement despite being a strong song on the record. Other than that instance, the material from the new album was easy to catch onto in the
7/10 live context, despite me not being over familiar with it as it had only been released four days previously. ‘The Upsetter’ was particularly moving, “I’ve gotta beam my message to ya.. straight from the satellite.. cause girl we’re meant to be together” expressively sung by Mount. I often find I can go to gigs, enjoy them yet take a hiatus from listening to the group in question for a few months. Seeing Metronomy, I discovered a new dimension to their music, spurring me to listen to their albums over again to fully appreciate the rich marriage of electronic and indie influences present in their back catalogue. Olly Mitchell
Phones 4 U Arena - 17th March 2014 Fall Out Boy’s return to UK shores after a four year hiatus may not have produced a lather of revelry and nostalgia harking back to the glory days of ’05 – ‘07, however judging by the enormous streams of youthful, excitable faces pouring into the Manchester Arena on a grey St. Patrick’s Monday, the Chicago four-piece have retained their appeal and the demographic that ordained them superstars at their conception. Armed with an audaciously titled new album, Save Rock and Roll, which has topped the charts stateside and produced their highest billing in Britain to date, Fall Out Boy’s manifesto for the evening couldn’t be clearer, to energize an eager army of fans, old and new and more importantly rekindle the punk aesthetic in a uniquely apathetic and apolitical mainstream climate. On the former point the band delivers, in half measures. Angst-fuelled crowd-pleasers, “Sugar We’re Going Down”, and “This Aint A Scene, It’s An Arms Race”, have the audience screaming along to every word,
whilst newer releases such as, “The Phoenix”, deliver a resoundingly catchy, if safe, reworking of their earlier sound to a modern audience. Unfortunately, Fall out Boy’s admirably intimate relationship with its fans, whilst carrying them through an early technical error in the sound smoothly enough, fails to mask the deficit in the band’s musicianship. This is glaringly self-evident in the cringe-inducing execution of “Alone Together”, a song so desperate for mainstream radio attention and fan adoration it suggests lyricist Pete Wentz finds more comfort channeling Bruno Mars than Husker Du. Whilst the group’s stage presence and passion remains
5/10 engaging throughout, I am left wondering how to reconcile the band’s clear poetic and theatrical ambitions with the distance they have to cover, both to live up to the punk ethic they champion and as an accomplished live act. Fall Out Boy can command a large audience of devotees, but on the night sound like a band emulating the best aspects of Green Day, Elton John and Prince, with the musical dexterity of Blink-182. Fall Out Boy’s stop-off in Manchester suggests the band can save face with the converted, but I wouldn’t count on them saving rock and roll any time soon. George Scrafton
14
Music
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Mancunion Recommends
Now: Taking Back SundayHappiness Is Hopeless Records Release Date - 18th March 2014
Book now: 0161 832 1111 For full listings visit:
manchesteracademy.net
7.5/10
MARCH
Taking Back Sunday returns with Happiness Is, the band’s follow-up to 2011’s selftitled album. As well as being their first album released on an indie record label (Hopeless) since 2004’s Where You Want To Be, this album appears to get back the emo pop punk roots that made them famous. While this similarity of sounds will certainly make long time fans happy, the album doesn’t give the impression that Taking Back Sunday has simply resorted to this formulaic approach. In fact, it feels somewhat like a homecoming, as track ‘Stood a Chance’ suggests with the lyric ‘you’re going forward looking back’. While Adam Lazzara clearly hasn’t lost his propensity for angst-ridden lyrics, he almost seems to mock this stereotype in ‘They Don’t Have Any Friends’ when he sings “I keep
my head down and hope for a hit / open the flood gates for all those smug little kids / it’s not their fault / they don’t have any friends / they can’t help themselves / undressing themselves / alone in their room / thinking that no one will ever love them’” The album focuses on Lazzara’s attempt to cope with broken relationships and unfulfillment despite his success (‘I can’t believe how strange it is to be alive right now’). Granted, lyrics such as “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go’” from ‘Beat Up Car’ aren’t exactly the most inventive or original in the book, and lot of the songs don’t seem that dissimilar from one another (one other complaintthere is genuinely no reason to have included instrumental introduction ‘Preface’, which encompasses about thirty seconds of forgettable noise). However, Lazzara’s unmistakable voice and the collusion of instrumentals from all the original members of the band show that the method Taking Back Sunday has is still working, and the reminiscence the listener gets of past songs and albums is reassuring- they’ve still got it.
What is screamo? To many it is a derogatory term used to dismiss music containing the slightest shriek or growl. To others it is a method of catharsis; a way of expressing ones angst through a primal scream over blinding guitars. I’m sure that people in either of these categories wouldn’t hesitate to describe the sound of Circle Takes the Square’s seminal ‘As the Roots Undo’ as screamo. Ultimately though, it’s a rather contentious and limiting term, and like most sub-genre names, does little to increase one’s understanding or enjoyment of the music. Yes, CTTS scream. Yes, they are also like to where their heart on their sleeve a bit. But honestly, what music worth your time doesn’t evoke some sort of emotion. When one takes ‘As the Roots Undo’ out of the context of what influenced it and who it influenced, it stands alone as simply a singular and powerful piece of music. Despite starting with a minute of eerie whistling, the instrumentation throughout the ensuing 45 minutes rarely settles, and can at first be jarring. Fortunately, it becomes apparent on repeat listens that CTTS favours space in their music on tracks such as ‘Interview at the Ruins’ just as much as they aim for a wall of crashing guitars and drums (and the occasional electronics) on ‘Same Shade of Concrete’. The album is full of instrumental passages that move by at a glacial pace, allowing room to breathe and prepare for the chaos to come. Perhaps the albums greatest strength is how it uses these complex musical arrangements as a backdrop for equally perplexing lyrics. Vocalists Drew Speziale and Kathleen Stubelek have a constant interplay that brings to mind the crossgender vocals of Rodan or even the Pixies. The
Jack Savoretti Thursday 27th Loveable Rogues Friday 28th Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank (TGT) Friday 28th The Stranglers Saturday 29th The Lox (D-Block) Saturday 29th
APRIL The Robert Glasper Experiment Wednesday 2nd Emblem3 Thursday 3rd Therapy? Troublegum 20th Anniversary Thursday 3rd Mentallica vs Megadeth UK Saturday 5th Bipolar Sunshine Saturday 5th Deaf Havana Saturday 5th State Of Quo Saturday 5th Riverside Sunday 6th Devildriver Wednesday 9th The Wildhearts Thursday 10th
Ruby Hoffman
Johnette Napolitano (Of Concrete Blonde) Thursday 10th Hue & Cry Thursday 10th
Then: Circle Takes the Square As the Roots Undo Robotic Empire -
Bonafide Wednesday 26th
January, 2004 raw, painful sounding screams are certainly not going to appeal to everybody, but they manage to turn the often cryptic lyrics into something more immediately relatable. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this album, you can now download ‘As the Roots Undo’ (and its 2012 follow up) for free- there are no excuses for not giving it a go! It is not necessarily going to convert people into this sort of music on first listen, but I honestly feel that if you give it a few listens, you’ll find something that moves you, whatever your tastes. Jack Winstanley
UB40 Saturday 12th Penetration Saturday 12th ConnectedTour:JustinLo+TerenceSiufay Sunday 13th Gallon Drunk Tuesday 15th Augustines Wednesday 16th The Summer Set Thursday 17th Berlin Berlin Saturday 19th Kvelertak Monday 21st Brody Dalle Tuesday 22nd The Temperance Movement Wednesday 23rd Uncle Acid &The Deadbeats Thursday 24th
Lit Wednesday 14th CASH – The No.1 Johnny Cash Tribute Saturday 17th Capone-N-Noreaga & Onyx Saturday 17th Fishbone Wednesday 21st Goldfinger/Zebrahead Thursday 22nd Swans Thursday 22nd Ned’s Atomic Dustbin + The Wedding Present + CUD + The Sultans Of Ping + The Frank & Walters + Chameleons Vox
GIGANTIC – Classic Indie All Dayer Bank Holiday Saturday 24th
CULMINATION – Marcel Woods/TV Noise/Harry Shotta Live/Sandy B Live/Paul Taylor/Original Sin/Whelan & Di Scala Sunday 25th The War On Drugs Wednesday 28th The Three Johns Wednesday 28th AWOLNATION Thursday 29th Francis Dunnery Band Friday 30th The Enemy Saturday 31st
JUNE Schoolboy Q Sunday 1st Gary Clark Jr Tuesday 3rd The Polyphonic Spree Saturday 7th Pond Monday 9th Andy Jordan Wednesday 18th Jurassic 5 Thursday 19th Gareth Gates Tuesday 24th
REST OF 2014 Extreme – Pornograffitti Live Tour Friday 4th July Ska Face Saturday 5th July In Hindsight Wednesday 9th July Converge Monday 4th August Anberlin Thursday 7th August AxisOfAwesome Monday22ndSeptember Vance Joy Thursday 25th September
Clutch Thursday 24th
Evile (Album Launch Show) Saturday 27th September
Patent Pending & People On Vacation Friday 25th
Miles & Erica Saturday 11th October
Jace Everett with band Friday 25th
Anti-Nowhere League Thursday 16th October
The Smiths Ltd Saturday 26th
The Orb Saturday 18th October
John Butler Trio Sunday 27th
Katy B Saturday 25th October
Blood Red Shoes Monday 28th
Asking Alexandria Friday 31st October
MAY
Big Country Friday 31st October
De La Soul Friday 2nd Northside Saturday 3rd Neon Trees Monday 5th Janelle Monae Wednesday 7th
Cockney Rejects Thursday 6th November
Martin Stephenson & The Daintees Thursday 8th Jagwar Ma Saturday 10th The Clone Roses Saturday 10th Action Bronson Monday 12th Courtney Love Tuesday 13th Michael Franti & Spearhead Tuesday 13th
Dan Baird & Homemade Sin Friday 21st November New Found Glory Friday 21st November Limehouse Lizzy Saturday 22nd November
Lindsey Stirling Friday 7th November Absolute Bowie Saturday 15th November
Mostly Autumn Friday 5th December UK Foo Fighters Saturday 13th December
Games
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
15
Editor: Alasdair Preston Feature
Voice acting through the ages
Tom Bruce charts the increasing importance of top vocal talent in todays biggest titles
Whether you’re into Strategy, FPS or RPG, voice acting is an essential element of the gaming experience. In 1980, Bezerk’s cyborg narrator blew the world away with its barely decipherable arcade chatter (‘DE-STROI. IT’), and down the decades, as gameplay and graphics have improved, so too has the vocal talent of your favourite computer characters. Take the Elder Scrolls (TES) game series. Spanning almost thirty years, TES is perfect study in the evolution of video game voice acting. Starting in 1994 as 240p hack ‘n’ slash The Arena, the game’s instructions and storyline were presented in Ye Olde English text form – charming, but time consuming. The Arena was rather reminiscent of 8 BIT Point ‘n’ clicker Monkey Island in that it depended mainly on reading to propel the plot, although that game recently got a redux complete with a snazzy audible script to get you in the swashbuckling mood. Moving on a ways to the third in the series, Morrowind , developers Bethesda revolutionised RPGs by hiring professionally trained actors to record hundreds of pages of dialogue written for the in-game characters. For the first time, players could concurrently interact and ‘converse’ with the world around them without any break in gameplay, and the variability was almost endless. Better was yet to come. Released in 2006, TES IV: Oblivion boasted an immeasurably open ended realm home to over a thousand reactionary NPCs. However, with fewer than nine actors covering every Orc, Argonian, and Nord in the land, their (undeniably versatile) vocal chords were stretched a little thin. The real draw came in the world renowned baritones of Terence Stamp (aka Zod), Patrick Stewart (aka Professor X) and Sean Bean (aka Boromir), whose involvement in the production speaks volumes for how popularised the video-game (even the ‘nerdy’ kind ) was becoming. 2011 saw the arrival of Skyrim,
which broke records with its astronomical cast list. Among the 85+ credited performers were Christopher Plummer, Joan Allen, and the rumbling powerhouse that is Max Von Sydow (‘He could have just read the phone book’, recalls TES Sound Editor Mark Lambert). These enigmatic enunciators lent the Tamriellic lore an irresistible credence , and for once the recordings were in Image: GamesPress sync with the NPC’s lips. Skyrim truly pervaded popular culture with its knowing humour; the and GTA V being prime examples. LA Noire’s game is responsible for spreading such lethal key gameplay gimmick, the interrogation, meme epidemic s as ‘Then I took an arrow in hinged upon the detection of minor facial the knee…’, and everyone’s favourite Alduin tics, something only made possible through quote, ‘Zu’u unslaad! Zu’u nis oblaan!’ the synchronicity of actor and computer. Some actors have come to symbolise their Developers Quantic Dream are at the respective gaming institutions. Michael forefront of this particular field. Heavy Rain Ironside’s (Total Recall, Starship Troopers) was a brilliant exploration of the potential gruff diction as super-spy Sam Fisher in the for motion capture in gaming – the shooting Splinter Cell series earned him enormous went on for 172 days! –and they pushed the fandom, all of whom were outraged when envelope even further for last year’s Beyond Ubisoft dropped him for younger talent. Two Souls. The behind-the-scenes looks like a Likewise, cinematic chameleon Gary Oldman stage play inside the Tron grid; gigged out in reckons he’s better known for his recurring leotards, Ellen Page and Willem Defoe (among role as the grizzled Reznov in Call of Duty than others) wore dozens of plastic balls on their any of his screen work, and is happy to drop a faces to capture every idiosyncrasy as they rendition of ‘There, on ze ledge! SHOOT HIM!’ acted out book-length dialogue and loped any time. On the flipside, Lara Croft went from around a soundstage for hours on end. a chunky avatar to a full blown movie star, It’s remarkable to observe how far the but her original digitised form and breathless industry has come from the monosyllabic British accent remained largely preferred to days of Bezerk. The Last of Us - widely the dismal Angelina Jolie efforts. Of course, acclaimed as the game of 2013 for its hard voice acting alone can’t save a franchise - see hitting emotional beats - has already earned Fable 3, whose dazzlingly bright cast (Michael itself a film adaptation (the smart money is on Fassbender, Naomie Harris, Stephen Fry, Josh Brolin to play lead Joel), and with all these Simon Pegg) far outshone the game itself. 100 page scripts and full body mo-caps, how Recently, games have tended to rely much long is it before we see a ‘Best Performance in more on emotion and character development a Video Game’ category at the Oscars? to drive the story, with LA Noir, Heavy Rain
Retro Corner
Alasdair Preston rediscovers a Sonic game that is far from classic Regular readers of the section will already know how I feel about Sonic. He’s like a meth fiend, coming into my life promising the world and usually failing to deliver anything but a short-lived high and a feeling of guilt. Sega’s biggest star has been toying with our emotions for too long and, for me, no game sums that up more than Sonic R, his third attempt at a racing game. The series’ key characters came together in this 1997 Sega Saturn title to have a stab at sprinting around Sonic-themed tracks. My most overpowering memory of the game is finding it near impossible to control. Somehow keeping yourself on the track was something of an art form, with most attempts ending up with Sonic flying helplessly off into a ditch and watching Robotnik et al zoom past. Other characters fared slightly better, being less ridiculously fast and more manageable. The main draw for me, the reason I continued to punish myself with this game, was the promise of many unlockable characters. Sonic R was released in that golden era, where games didn’t come with practically everything available as soon as you power it up. Hidden stages and playable racers were locked away behind difficult objectives that poor little 6-year-old me had no chance of ever completing. Rumours of Super Sonic being obtainable unfortunately remained as rumours to me, the miracle of Google had yet to dawn upon me and unfortunately there were no reputable sources to consult (beyond my big brother, who invariably lied about these things and was not to be trusted). What’s impressive is that, despite it’s obscurity, the legacy of Sonic R has not been overlooked. It featured in a compilation rerelease during the PS2 era, and the impossibly catchy main theme found its way into the soundtrack of the Wii’s Super Smash Bros Brawl. Since then, Sonic has had several attempts at racing games. Sure, these may be “technically better”, and not “completely unplayable”, but they lack the character and staying power of Sonic R. Upon it’s release, Sonic R was pretty universally panned. Time, I fear, has not been kind to the game. But, if you’re into making yourself miserable, you can do a lot worse than fire it up when the wall you enjoy banging your head against finally crumbles. Image: ToTheGame
Alasdair Preston
Preview
Extra Life Blizzard Entertainment • RRP: £44.99 • Available on PC, Mac, PS3, PS4 and 360
Diablo III Tuan Dao finds out if Blizzard can salvage the PC version of this disappointing title
Are you a fan of the legacy of Diablo II? Were you one of those so eager to get their hands on Diablo III right at launch, only to be distraught at the disaster the game was in the next few months? Then you might be like me; I cannot force myself to continue with the game after half a year’s time. Fortunately, Diablo is a franchise too crucial for Blizzard to forfeit. They actually listened to fans’ feedback after release, and since then have published a variety of patches that finally make the game fun and playable. Okay, maybe the word ‘disaster’ before was a little exaggerated. Despite the horrible launch with the always-disconnected server in the first few days, I did somehow enjoy the game, killing hordes and hordes of monsters with cool-looking skills and trying out different interesting builds in a single play-through.
However, once I got to the max level of 60 the problems arose, most notably with the Auction House (AH) system. The original idea of the AH was a legal place for players to trade gear with in-game currency or even with real money. The existence of the AH meant the drop rates in game were strictly reduced, lest the AH be flooded with powerful items. I mean, really terrible drop rate. I spent nearly 300 hours on the game and got one and only one legendary item that turned out to be underpowered (or frankly, crap). Furthermore, no matter how impressive your rare items looked, there’s an absolute chance that you could find a better version on the AH. As a result, my armour then came mostly from the AH, not what I wanted but it was the only way to get decent gear that would actually help you. This defeats the whole purpose of the game:
looting. Players want to have fun with getting a legendary great sword after killing a mini-boss, not with tirelessly browsing sheets after sheets in the AH only to see a bargain scooped up by automatic bots. The game’s console version was an experiment of the game without the AH system, and it turned out be successful. The recent patch and the upcoming expansion Reaper of Souls for PC will completely remove the AH and feature the best elements of the console version, plus some new ones, promising to turn the game into something worth our time again. There’s ‘smart’ drop rate that will adjust item stats that are more relevant to your character’s class. There’s Nephalem Glory, brought from the console version, which is basically yellow globes that buff your character’s damage output and speed. There are new stats for your hero: Toughness, Healing, Splash Damage, Cooldown Reduction, and Resource Cost Reduction. Bosses’ mechanics are retuned. Classes’ skills are overhauled and rebalanced. Difficulty modes are also revamped: gone are Nightmare, Hell and Inferno; now we have Normal, Hard, Expert, Master and Torment that are more dynamic.
The first three are immediately available; Master when you complete the game once; Torment when you reach level 60 and will let you adjust exactly how difficult you want the game to be. Perhaps most important of all is the Adventure Mode that comes with the expansion Reaper of Souls. This is a new system, available from level one, that allows players to travel from Act to Act and complete bounties (basically a locate-and-kill quest) that reward them with massive amounts of gold, experience and most importantly, decent loots. The system has created a new incentive for players: to track down specific bosses to gain a specific legendary item rewarded for completing a set of bounties for each Act. Adventure mode also features Nephalem Rifts, which can be accessed with tokens acquired from bounty completion. They are portals to randomised maps that spawn randomised monsters and
Image: Blizzard
bosses, which sound fun to play. With all these promising elements, there is every chance Adventure Mode will become the main way to play and enjoy Diablo III. The expansion also packs an additional Act 5 with new areas, monsters and a new class: The Champion. If you want your character protected with badass armour while shooting divine judgment from the sky, this class might be a perfect choice for you. In conclusion, this expansion might be the exact refreshment that Diablo 3 needs, and is the final chance for Blizzard to show that they are serious in transforming a mess into a great game again.
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
/TheMancunion: Fashion & Beauty
Editors: Susie Coen, Marie ClareYates, Halee Wells (Beauty) Beauty Top 5
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TOP
Hollywood Beauty Icons
Skye Scott shows us the top Hollywood beauties we envy, and how to get their look... (well at least try to!)
Marilyn Monroe
Predictable but timeless, Marilyn is the ultimate Hollywood icon. Everything from her pearly whites to her luscious red lips emulates glamour that we now can’t help but associate with the Hollywood look. Her infamous beauty look included the red lip, shimmery eyes with a hint of gold and a slick of liquid eyeliner. Don’t forget her infamous beauty spot and wide smile. But the most infamous Hollywood beauty secret of all time was of course, her signature scent, Chanel No 5. Spritz this on and apparently it’s all you need to wear to bed.
Scarlett Johansson
Jennifer Lawrence
She has personality and glamour, what is there that is not to love. She is a regular not only on the red carpet but also on the best-dressed sections of Vogue. Aged just 23 she manages to look mature yet youthful at her red carpet appearances. She is probably one of the least predictable Hollywood icons out there as she seems to be able to rock every look. Her most famous look from her Hollywood fall included nude make up, a chic updo and diamonds (of course). But she has also embraced daring see through and cut out dresses with a bright pink lip and even a pixie hair cut.
Emma Watson
Since her time as Hermione during the days of Harry Potter, Watson has become something of a youthful, Hollywood icon. She proves that Hollywood glamour is not just for the more mature woman; all shapes and ages can embrace the look. She too has embraced the pixie hair cut and some daring designs. But now she has taken on a more mellow look with sleek updos and backless dresses. Whether her hair is tousled or glossy, she looks the epitome of a Hollywood icon. Modernize your Hollywood beauty look like Emma by wearing a matte red lipstick.
Amy Adams
The unlikely underdog who has taken the world by storm without having the perfect hourglass body or glossy blonde locks. The red head has turned heads in fitted, plunging gowns by Victoria Beckham and other top designers. She has tricky colouring for make up and colour but she wears them like a pro. Her hair styled in either a low bun or Jessica Rabbit esque waves emulates Hollywood glamour. Get her look by taking your hair into a thick plait after straightening in order to get soft kinks. Throw your hair over one shoulder for the final step of the modern Hollywood beauty look. Image credits: All getty.com
Feature Feature
Fashion Feature
Feature
How do you take your diamonds? Real or fake?
Suits you sir...
Male fashion guru Charlie Dick discusses how to perfect the classic suave suit! Once upon a time a suit was nothing more than a practical outfit we all had to own. It would make a dismally infrequent appearance for a distant family wedding, another christening or a friend’s unnecessarily themed ‘black-tie’ party at the local village hall. While the girls worried about where to buy their new dress, we worried about if the drycleaning had properly removed the effluvium of vomit from last years Student Ball.
Scarlett Whittell ponders the worth of broken clasps and plastic rocks. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you had a cupboard full of diamonds, ready to be dripped across your outfit like little droplets of joy. I imagine Angelina Jolie has a jewellery cupboard just like that. Actually, she probably has a couple of cupboards. And a few drawers. Damn, that makes me sad.
However, with Hollywood’s struggle for original insults to throw at it’s female red carpet victims, the world’s fashionable eyes are turning to their male companions. This means we men are now getting more options than a simple black tux. Here are my suggestions for something a little riskier:
Unfortunately, for the majority of us, jewels the size of a small child are out of the question. Our thrills come from spending a tenner at Topshop … which is a bit naff really isn’t it. I’m glad fake jewellery exists, don’t get me wrong. But I’m often left feeling unsatisfied by my collection of high street gems. Peering into the windows of Manchester’s finest jewellers, one can pretend for a split second that you’re lucky enough to own some precious jewels. But before you know it, reality is back and you’re left with a week old necklace which has somehow lost half its plastic rocks. Great.
1)
Mix it up. By abandoning the matching suit mentality you can discover a wealth of fun options. For example, a common favourite is a velvet blazer. Although they are available in a multitude of colours, I recommend staying dark with a british racing green, burnt maroon or midnight purple. For a traditional smoking jacket choose a double breasted option with simple buttons; adopting a rope fastening will take you into fancydress territory.
2)
Similarly, maintaining a black jacket can allow for a variation is choice of trouser. Tartan is a good print, but staying dark is still essential. If patterned pants seem daunting, block colour can bring a simple edge. Just avoid joining the red trouser brigade. This is Manchester, not Exeter.
Approximately once every couple of months, most commonly after my latest high street purchase has broken, I declare that I am done once and for all with fake jewellery. I don’t have any other options, but the same hissy fit occurs nonetheless. Usually I march around my bedroom pointing at flimsy necklaces, angrily throwing broken clasps in the bin and grumbling that it’s all just money down the drain. Once or twice I have actually bought a lottery ticket, in a last ditch attempt to acquire the funds for some sturdy jewellery. I didn’t win of course, and two days later I’m back in town, desperately scouring the high street displays like some sort of addict.
Don’t get me wrong, a simple suit is still a strong look, and in most cases a recommendable one. However, the smaller details have seen a recent growth of importance. For example, opt for shorter dimensions in both the sleeves and trouser to bring the staple classic into a modern era. Similarly, two-buttoned suits fit better around the midriff than their three-buttoned predecessor, giving a more defined silhouette. As for the classic and simple tux, one button is already enough and it should also only ever be paired with a crisp, white dress shirt and plain bow-tie. I call it a simple tux because that is exactly how it should be; simple. If you really must add some colour then a silk scarf is acceptable. Hundreds are available from edgy, overpriced vintage stores in the Norther Quarter, but if you can get to a kilo sale you’ll find a life-time supply for less than lunch. As we mature into modern men a strong understanding of formalwear is essential, not just what’s on trend, but what works for you personally. By the time next year’s Student Ball comes around, your options will be countless. Just try to keep it clean this time.
Image: Getty
Feature
Diamonds in the rough
Images: getty.com
Kirsty Marsh reveals how to get Hollywood accessories for under £30
Feature
1.
Olivia Skinner on the best dressed girl the big screen has to offer
The most recent Oscars have, as per, prompted a national media frenzy with everyone going particularly barmy over the fashions. Pouring over the images of our favourite stars, rating and slating as we go, reignites childhood dreams of treading the famous red carpet shimmering in satin and diamonds. For many of us this will remain a dream and the most glamorous event we experience is Tiger Tiger’s Koosdays. But as the graduation ball looms large, I think one is more than deserving of living out this distant fantasy and as student budgets will not allow for diamonds, the high street shall provide!
3. Vintage Vixen
Anna Sopel shows us how to get Hollywood style at our own grad ball
As a wise woman once said “all good things come to an end” (thanks Nelly Furtardo), for some of us it may just be the end of the academic year, for others of us it is the end of our whole uni experience and the end of an era (eek!). But before we drift into a nostalgic daydream about the past few months, or have a mini break down about the future and what to do with our lives, let us think about the last few drops of fun that can be squeezed out of this year. Now, I can’t be of any help with outfit choices for either Pangaea (costume theme dependent) or Parklife (weather dependent), but here are some Hollywood outfit inspired ideas for the various end of year Balls.
If bold is the route you want to take, bright colours can work in some very special cases. Although within an unlikely student budget, Burberry frequently include more daring colours in their collections. However, even this price rage may make you look more Ronald McDonald than Tinie Tempah.
Maybe I’ll try the lottery tactic one more time.
Marilyn Monroe had the right idea; any Hollywood diva worth her salt wouldn’t be without her diamonds. Unless you’re a very lucky lady or can find yourself a sugar daddy, these show-stoppers by Jon Richardson at Debenhams are a perfect substitute at just £15. They are really versatile as they suit all colourings, shades and work with most styles of dress. Team with classic accessories and a sleek up-do for ultimate sophistication. Get ready to shine!
Let’s have a ball!
3)
Before I start descending into one of the above-mentioned tantrums, let’s try to think of some positives. At least the high street has realised that we don’t want green skin lurking underneath our oh-so-sneakily fake jewellery. It is much easier to pretend that the diamond ring is real if you aren’t left with a mouldy coloured imprint. Also, the quality of cheap earrings is on the rise! The days of infected lobes are finally over, which is a relief for everyone. Now we just need to sort out flimsy clasps that break before you’ve used them, rings which lose their rock and anklets which can’t withstand minimal lower leg movement.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!
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2.
Take a leaf out my book
If you are more darling Doris Day than daring diva, then these beautiful pink opal earrings, £16 by Silk Purse, Sow’s Ear (at notonthehighstreet.com), are just the ticket. They’re quietly elegant and the opal’s natural beauty speaks for itself.
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Team with a slinky cocktail dress or frothy fifties frock in a barely there shade. Accessorize with kitten heels, a martinis and a dashing chap.
you liked it then you should’ve put 4.“Ifa ring on it!”
Everyone knows that it is essential for every Hollywood goddess to own some serious finger bling. But what if you are one of the single ladies? Or do you have a boyfriend but he only works at Dominos? Well fear not, for Accessorize has the answer all wrapped up in this bobby-dazzler for a mere £14. Keep the rest of your jewels cool and understated or wear as the perfect partner to the Jon Richardson earrings for true A-List glitz and glamour.
In my clutches
Obviously you’re going to need a little clutch bag and Accessorize comes up trumps once again with this teeny-weeny box clutch, £25. Its stylish art deco detailing is bang on trend but won’t compete with any of your bling and the metallic shade goes with everything so it can be your party partner for seasons to come. Plus its tiny size prevents over-packing; no you don’t need a pack of tissues, first aid kit, 10 tampons and a spare vest no matter what your mother says.
Images: 1) Debenhams.com, 2, 3) Notonthehighstreet.com, 4, 5) Uk.accessorize.com
This Coast Ice Blue Maxi dress is a stunning colour and a perfect choice regardless of your complexion or frame. It has a lace detailing on the sides of the bust which completes this delicate dress perfectly and a fluid, pleated skirt which will provide a nice swish as you walk or dance.
Hollywood’s brightest new style star Now the last red carpet has been rolled up and we take a moment to look back on an awards season filled once again with incredible films, emotional acceptance speeches and, of course, gorgeous gowns, it is clear that there is one leading lady who caught everyone’s attention. Lupita Nyong’o captivated Hollywood with her harrowing performance as enslaved Patsey in her debut film role in Steve McQueen’s critically-acclaimed 12 Years a Slave, and a succession of breath-taking red carpet appearances mean she has also captured the eye of the fashion world.
This is for those who like things a little different but don’t want to look like a Christmas tree or someone’s mad auntie, Notonthehighstreet. com delivers once again with this stunner by Penny Masquerade, £18. How you style it is up to you, but to really show it off I suggest teaming with some delicate pearl earrings and
a vintage up-do for classic glamour. Alternatively for an ethereal, boho look choose a flowing maxi dress and beaded head band.
Images: Asos
The modern day Marilyn Monroe, Scarlett has become known for her voluptuous shape, perfectly shaped lips and beauty spot. She has appeared in campaigns for Dolce and Gabbana perfume and numerous films. She is the only woman to have ever been voted “sexiest woman alive” by esquire magazine and is regularly referred to as the modern day Hollywood sex symbol. Scarlett has embraced both the red lip and nude look. To get her beauty look bronze your shoulders and décolletage in order to prepare for a bardot plunging neckline. Add nude and golden shimmer to the eyes, lips and cheeks.
@MancunionFash
Born in Mexico and raised in Kenya – and a graduate of the Yale School of Drama – Lupita has quickly become renowned for her love of clean-cut lines and bold, bright colours, on everything from glorious gowns and chic suits, to daring dresses and playful playsuits. The Hollywood newcomer has revealed a taste for well-established designers such as Prada and Dior, as well as exciting British up-and-comers including Erdem and Mary Katranzou. Lupita first wowed us with her sensational sweeping red Ralph Lauren number at the Golden Globes (which also confirmed the cape as one of the definite trends for the coming year), and from then on the only way was up. She looked radiant in a turquoise Gucci gown at the Screen Actors Guild awards and stole the show in dazzling green Dior Couture at the BAFTAs in London. Then who can forget that fairytale blue gown she wore to collect her Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting role? Prada custom-made the flowing dress for the actress, who said she chose the colour because it reminded her of Nairobi, and she “wanted to have a little bit of home”. Her princess look was completed with a Fred Leighton headband and jewellery, and for the Vanity Fair after-party, Lupita changed into a bespoke Miu Miu dress – understandable, as she is the new face of the brand. It’s not just the clothes that make to Lupita’s exquisite look – she also manages to stun with flawless make-up every time. With her showstopping dresses she chooses to go bold with bright eye shadow and clashing lipstick, or keeps it simple with muted colours and sweeps of metallic. On top of her undeniable talent, elegance and grace, Lupita earns extra points for her fantastic Instagram account full of behindthe-scenes shots and selfies with everyone from Brad Pitt to Rihanna! This woman really is one to watch.Miu Miu dress – understandable, as she is the new face of the brand. Images: getty.com
For a Grecian goddess meets Hollywood starlet look, this ASOS dress will do the trick. The deep v-neck and thigh split provides the sex factor, whilst the discrete ‘blush’ colour keeps it elegant. This dress could be accessorized with either silver or gold jewellery and a pair of strappy heels. Just make sure to practice your Angelina Jolie pop out leg…
For those of you looking for something to get noticed in, this is the one for you. Bright yellow, plunging neckline, bodycon, strap cross back, this may seem like too much but thank God for the midi length keeping it within the boundaries of elegance. But please resist the urge to pile on the fake tan, or clip in those extra hair extensions otherwise this dress will look more fit for someone from the Valleys, than the Hollywood Hills.
ISSUE 19/ 24th March 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editors: Robbie Davidson, Sophie James and Angus Harrison Top 5
TOP
5
Tarantino characters who should have been played by a different actor
James Moules gives us his Inglorious Casters 5. Denzel Washington as Ordell Robbie (Jackie Brown) Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic as a psychotic arms dealer in this movie, but we know from movies like Training Day that Denzel plays villains rather well – I would love to have seen him take on this role. Though for the record, no one, but no one, could replace Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
4. Tom Hiddleston as Lt Archie Hicox (Inglourious Basterds) Michael Fassbender did a good job playing the ill-fated British officer in Tarantino’s WWII “Western,” but Tom Hiddleston is a far better match for a stereotypical English gentleman. It would also have been great to see Fassbender in the role of Major Hellstrom – the bar scene would have reached new levels of brilliance.
3. Jack Nicholson as Calvin Candie (Django Unchained) In the original screenplay for Django Unchained, the character of Calvin Candie was a much older man than he ended up being in the film. When I read it, all I could imagine was a Deep South version of Nicholson’s villainous turn in The Departed. Now how awesome would that have been? (Sorry Leo).
2. Steve Buscemi as Jimmie (Pulp Fiction) It’s a cliché to point out that Tarantino can’t act (quite frankly it’s a cliché to say it’s a cliché), so I shall not dwell on that point. What I will say is that this kind of whiney, perpetually complaining character is perfect for Buscemi – think about Reservoir Dogs.
1.Matthew McConaughey as Lt Aldo Raine (Inglourious Basterds) Surely I can’t be the only one to have thought of this? As great as Brad Pitt was in the role, just imagine how epic Aldo Raine’s opening speech would be if it were delivered by Mr Southern Charm himself.
Feature
the FEATURE:
Video Nasties
Tom Bruce talks blood, bureaucracy, flesh and classifications: how the BBFC has affected movies from Psycho to Philomena, Cannibal Holocaust to Clockwork Orange In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was mired in a didactical debate that postponed its planned release. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) couldn’t decide what the public should and should not be allowed to see. In fact, they couldn’t even be sure of what they had seen themselves; half the censors claimed there was nudity while the other half disagreed, and no one could come to a consensus on what to do about the stabbings. Psycho was eventually discharged, but the heavily abridged shower scene left Sir Hitchcock in dismay. Classification controversy has been around as long as cinema itself, and reached it’s crux in the mid- 1980s when The Daily Mail alerted the government to a wave of foreign films that were ‘raping our children’s minds’. These so called ‘Video Nasties’ varied in their degree of violence – some were misbelieved to be ‘snuff’ films, in which humans are actually killed – but basically anything with blood and/or nudity ended up banned by the BBFC through the hastily whipped together Video Recordings Act 1984. To give an idea of the extent of this celluloid clampdown, my cousin actually had to buy the fetchingly named Cannibal Holocaust from a ‘video dealer’ in an alleyway. Bans on video nasties have since been lifted, and the enduring popularity of today’s ‘torture-porn’ genre (Hostel, Saw and *shudder* A Serbian Film), as well as recent video nastie remakes (I Spit on Your Grave, The Last House On the Left, and The Green Inferno) suggests that the nation is over the ‘schlock’.
A more recent BBFC befuddlement was the 12/12A debacle. In 2002, myself and a friend were denied
they foresaw propitious times ahead, and they couldn’t have millions of kids refused entry and thus placed
admittance to Sam Raimi’s Spiderman. Later that year, it was bestowed with the brand new 12A rating (the second film ever) and – having ensnared an adult guardian –we got in. While eightyear-olds everywhere web-t for joy, older audiences criticised 12A as an arbitrary classification. For the major studios, it was quite the opposite;
out of reach from the all-powerful merch-machine (Hulk Hands, anyone?) 12A was a compromise that let the likes of Marvel and DC milk the concessions cow for all it was worth, and the BBFC lets them know exactly what they can get away with. F-bombs are a no-no, but gratuitous levels of ‘impressionistic’ violence are just fine. The worst case
recently was The Dark Knight (2008), which received a 12A rating that meant parents could (and did) bring their toddler along to the multiplex to slurp at a long-empty Fruit Shoot while Heath Ledger carved Chelsea smiles into people. BBFC… what a bunch of Jokers. Classification controversy isn’t just limited to the UK, though. Thanks to an effusive st-st-st-ring of ‘f’ words, The King’s Speech was branded R in the US, putting off the tenderly elderly and barring under 17s. Things are worse in India. Last year’s Blue Jasmine was almost tainted by midscene anti-smoking ads from their Ministry of Health until an ashen faced Woody Allen pulled it from cinemas nationwide. Whether you think that BBFC’s gradual softening to cinema’s hard-core elements is progressive or damaging, we at least don’t have to put up with public health intrusions mid-film. The BBFC censors like to say that they reflect the moral standpoint of the public – what this says about our society today is open to interpretation, but we’ve at least come to the conclusion that watching Child’s Play won’t make you a murderer. In this age of Tor, 4Chan and sugary breakfast cereals, you can’t prevent young people from seeing anything anyway. As Stanley Kubrick said before begrudgingly withdrawing A Clockwork Orange due to death threats, ‘people cannot be made to do things which are at odds with their nature’. Tom Bruce
Preview
thePREVIEW:
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Following the release of October’s genuinely moving teaser trailer, the anticipation for what could be a game-changing instalment of this generation’s X-Men films has increased significantly. It would be no disservice to suggest that X-Men has been a frustrating franchise of near misses. But there is a real sense of expectation that we are about to experience the full creative vision of Bryan Singer as it collides with a big budget behemoth, with potentially spectacular result - The success of this film could ultimately decide what sort of future the X-Men has on our big screens. X-Men: First Class reinvigorated the belief of fans and critics the world over. The fresh faces of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Professor Xavier and Magnito respectively gave the franchise a new sense of direction - Alongside young talent like Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men started to feel ‘cool’ again in the same way Christian Bale, and famously Heath Ledger reenergised, Batman as a big screen sensation. The strange paradox for X-Men however was that the other films were not bad. There was no awkward George Clooney in a cut-price latex costume - they just didn’t stand out from the crowd
like other super-hero franchises had started to do by the mid noughties. You won’t hear many argue against casting the likes of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman in a comic-book film! Despite this, the franchise felt tired - it needed a new sense of intent. Enter X-Men: Days of Future Past - where it only seems fitting Wolverine will be sent into the past to
Director: Bryan Singer Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen Released: 22nd May 2014
save the fate of both humans and mutants. Singer has proven his pedigree for harnessing what is most proficient about fantasy films - with his eclectic mix of rich personal narratives and ability to offer a fantasy-driven story firmly grounded in contemporary realities (think social division or Congressional witch-hunts), a Singer film will guarantee emotion and originality - attributes that are almost expected in the wake of the kind of success enjoyed by its peers. Days of Future Past certainly has an ace up its sleeve with its eye catching cast, brought about by the clash of new and old. This particular story arc is almost perfect for the franchise right now. Fans and critics called for more, and by combining the good aspects of the earlier X-Men films (i.e. the leading actors) with the new visual and contextual direction taken in First Class - throw in the new actors as well and it becomes a case of hoping more is better. Recent production news suggests Halle Berry may have had her part cut down to as little as one line in the film - but wild speculation about Storm defences aside, there is rightfully high hopes for this summer’s X-Men extravaganza. Jack Crutcher
Film
/filmmancunion @mancunionfilm
Review
the REVIEW: The Zero Theorem Martin Solibakee found Terry Gilliam’s latest had very little new to say, a disappoitment given the auterur’s reputation What is the meaning of life? The American-born director Terry Gilliam explores this philosophical question in The Zero Theorem, a science fiction film set in a disturbing, dystopian future. Gilliam is arguably most known for being a member of Monty Python, before he started directing the dystopian satire trilogy beginning with Brazil in 1985 and 12 Monkeys ten years later, both of which are considered popular cult classics. In the time between 12 Monkeys and this year’s The Zero Theorem that concludes his trilogy, he made several highly mediocre films that were soon forgotten by most. The list includes The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a film only known today as being the last film the brilliant Heath Ledger ever acted in. In The Zero Theorem we follow Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz), a bald and bizarre computer genius living in isolation in a fire-damaged church. He suffers from an existential crisis and is anxiously waiting for a phone call revealing the meaning of life. His boss who is simply known as Management (Matt Damon) has given him a special project where his task is to solve a mathematical formula called the “Zero Theorem”. Qohen quickly decides to work from home so he can pick up the phone when
it rings. But it never rings. Instead, he is increasingly disturbed by Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry), a femme fatale he surprisingly met at a party and start a very unconventional romance with, and Bob, the rebellious and geeky teenage son of Management. These characters are crucial to the film as they slowly get the reclusive and miserable Qohen to open up about who he is and what he is looking for. There is something both very
19
TV Catch Up
Director: Terry Gilliam Starring: Christoph Waltz, Melanie Thierry and David Thewlis Released: 14th March
effective and endlessly depressing watching a grown man searching for the meaning of life in a dark room in front of a computer, and the chaotic and dystopian world where adverts literally follow him down the street is genuinely scary and well made. And though the film has its moments, only true fans of the director can go through it without feeling frustrated over its many limitations. It is never funny even though I suspect it was meant to be and it lacks the wit and
charm that made Gilliam’s Brazil into a cult film thirty years ago. The actors are not to be blamed when the world has already forgotten about this film in a month or two. The two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz pulls off another great performance and ends up carrying the film along with the seductive and unfortunately underrated Mélanie Thierry. The confusing mess of a plot lacks clarity and a proper punch line while it introduces absolutely nothing groundbreaking. The Zero Theorem raises questions that have been asked hundreds of times before and only tells us what we already know. Technology can be dangerous. Love is powerful. We are heading towards a dark, consumerist future. Such things. The film was outdated even before its release, and Gilliam shows his mediocrity once again. I will not be waiting for a phone call, but I do have a question to the director. What is the point of your film’s existence? Martin Solibakke
tv CATCH UP: Louie stands with his back to the desk. In the oak panelled office of the New York townhouse his appearance is incongruous. Like a giant, tubby, ginger bird. He is visibly perspiring. Behind him cool, as ever, Jack Dall (David Lynch) demands one final time: “Make me laugh on the count of three.” We watch with tortured fascination as Louie’s face performs emotional gymnastics while he gropes for a joke. Any joke. What follows is perhaps simultaneously the most heartbreaking, hilarious, and generally moving 30 seconds of television that exists. For half a minute, Louis CK straps your emotions to a rack and just fucking goes to town. This is the sort of standard for television we have become accustomed to over the past four or so years with Louie. He is a man who appears constantly on the verge of breaking down. Everything in his world is slightly beyond his control and understanding - the people who surround him baffle him, his relationships invariably stall in cringe worthy fashion, and kids diarrhoea in his bathtub. He tackles everything with an ubiquitous air of “I guess this happening now.” Whether it’s something as absurd as watching someone else’s kid shove fistfuls of raw mince into his gob; or as profound as the woman he loves leaving abruptly and forever, you get the sense that none of it is intended to be trivial But, he’s not just a blithering idiot because, equally, Louie is a domain over which its titular character exerts so much control. The surreal encounters all seem part of a bizarre world that exists purely within the confines of Louie’s skull. There is no smoke, there are no mirrors, and there is no deus ex. There is only Louie. Ben Brown Louie returns to FX on 5th May. Visit mancunion.com to read Ben’s full article
Contrary Corner
Cornerhouse Pick of the Week
Under The Skin
Animated gems
Whilst it won’t be for everyone, Film Editor Robbie Davidson recommends you seek out Under The Skin for a truly immersive experience
Suraj Vara says instead of watching The Lion King for the umpteeth time, you should try one of the many lesser-known animated films you’ve likely overlooked
It’s become something of a misnomer to say that a film won’t appeal to everyone. Film by its nature is subjective, and the notion that a piece of art could universally please everyone’s taste is an absurd one. Yet some films will divide opinion more than others. Under The Skin is a film which you can’t not feel strongly about. Scarlett Johansson is an alien, Laura, recently arrived on Earth, who preys on eager men for reasons which are never made explicitly clear. She drives around the streets of Glasgow (talk about throwing yourself in at the deep end) absorbing the new world around her as she gradually discovers human nature. Her encounters with her would-be victims, in the front seat of her white van, feature some of the film’s only dialogue, and are made all the more striking when you consider that none of the men were actors, and weren’t aware they were being secretly filmed, with director Jonathan Glazer hidden in the back of the van. This sort of detail adds further mystery to enigmatic director. Since his debut fourteen years ago with Sexy Beast, Glazer has only made one other film
(the underrated Birth). The scarcity of his cinematic output adds weight to those who have compared him to Stanley Kubrick- a comparison which I wouldn’t disagree with, as Glazer shares the same potent mix of experimentalism and perfectionism. From a shopping mall, to the wild Scottish landscape, Glazer frames each shot with an arresting visual flare. We view the world as our extra-terrestrial protagonist does: every aspect of mundane human life seems shockingly alien. Johansson’s wide-eyed curiosity at her new surrounding disguise her deadly intentions, yet she is still capable of tenderness. In one scene, she picks up a hooded man who reveals himself to be horrifically disfigured. She tells him he has soft hands and encourages him to touch her- a rare display of intimacy which is as foreign to the man as it is to her. The naturalism of these exchanges in her van are jarred with mind-bending sequences in which her victims enter her decrepit house, with the promise of sex, before being engulfed by a black goo which sheds them of their skin. These scenes aren’t gory but are genuinely horrifying, and inject a sense of menace which runs throughout the film. The abstract nature of the skin-farming scenes, coupled with the sparse dialogue will certainly fuel those who argue the film is pretentious and lacks emotion. On the contrary, is a study of the human condition, beautifully shot and superbly handled by Glazer and Johansson. The latter’s presence making this a masterpiece you might actually see. Robbie Davidson
I have expressed this before and I’m sure to express it again, I love animated films. They’re brilliant. But at the risk of sounding like an antimainstream, hipster arse, I have to say that the real gems aren’t the obvious Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin or The Lion King. Granted, these films are popular for a reason, but they can be too “samey” and I have always felt that there are less mainstream animations that are cut of a much better quality cloth; you could say I’m biased because I really enjoy these films, but there’s a reason I I’d choose to watch them over and over, they’re bloody good! Two films I particularly enjoy are Treasure Planet and Atlantis. If any animated film has a much more exciting adventure in it, I would much like to see it! I remember watching both of these films when I was in my early teens, and I have to say, I have seen them both numerous times since. For Treasure Planet, I love the way that Disney has been able to take a classic novel, Treasure Island (go figure), and give it a bit of a futuristic spin, albeit not too much. I think the result is pretty fantastic, and the ending, although a bit corny is still pretty great. Atlantis is definitely something else as well. Taking some of the most popular Atlantian myths and then weaving them into a story, which can be pretty stark for a children’s animation especially during the depiction of a “Great Cataclysm”, just seems to exude brilliance to me. With the voice acting of Michael J. Fox, Leonard Nimoy and even Jim Varney, I can’t help but feel a little sentimental about this film. That’s only two films I hear you say, well there’s more! Lilo and Stitch 1 and 2 are both great productions which I feel get overlooked quite often. They are great little films, with some good jokes, some great action, and I defy you not to fall in love with Stitch’s mischievous antics. Other films like Meet the Robinsons, Monsters vs. Aliens, and a cool little gem I found in the 20th Century Fox cannon from 2000, Titan A.E, deviate from the cheesy romance of your typical Disney films and offer a more intelligent narrative to the audience. Titan A.E is definitely
a film worth watching, it’s more cynical than your typical animation and is a pioneer in the creation of more serious animation. Warner Brothers has adopted the same style in the creation of multitudes of comic book heroes who just couldn’t get the budget for a live action feature film; and FYI the Superman vs. Batman is already in cartoon form! These films and many alike are simply fantastic, and I would certainly choose to re-watch them over Disney’s “cheese” collection; they deserve more of a chance. The frustrating thing is that all of these films are very easily overlooked in lieu of the glossier “Disney Classics”, and so I don’t just want to express my contrary opinion, I IMPLORE you to give these films a chance! Suraj Vara
Question Time UNIVERSITY PLACE THEATRE A FRIDAY 28TH MARCH, 6.30PM Manchester Students’ Union has been asking you about the top things you’re worried about in the community.
Your top 5 issues were 1. Crime: burglaries, muggings, sexual harassment 2. Housing: bad housing conditions, bad landlords, high rent 3. Bin Collection and Litter: lack of bins, lack of recycling facilities 4. Cycling Safety: not enough and unclear cycling lanes, traffic, pot holes 5. Street lighting: unsafe streets, frightened at night
Come and ask Manchester City Council political candidates about your issues and let’s see what they plan to do about it.
www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/bigask
ISSUE 19/21st MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
/TheMancunion: Books
Editors: Esmé Clifford Astbury, Annie Muir
@MancunionBooks
Review
Review
Digging up dirt on Richard III Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time is a decent piece of detective fiction, which asks some profound questions about how we ‘do’ history, says Katie Myerscough
King Richard III by Unknown artist, oil on panel, late 16th century. Photo: National Portrait Gallery
The recent discovery of King Richard III’s amazingly well preserved skeleton in Leicester’s county council car park has generated greater public interest in the much maligned monarch. Was Richard III really the monster
Shakespeare portrayed? Or was he the victim of a Tudor slur campaign, which destroyed his reputation in order to justify Henry Tudor’s seizure of the throne? Contributions to the ‘Great Debate’ grow and grow.
Amongst them is the rather sympathetic portrayal in the BBC’s summer blockbuster The White Queen, based on Philippa Gregory’s bestselling Cousins’ War series. This then seems a good time to revisit an old crime fiction classic: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, which was acknowledged by The Richard III Society as influential in helping to garner sympathy for the monarch. Tey sets up a fairly simple premise: her protagonist Inspector Grant has badly broken his leg and, laid up in hospital, he stumbles upon a contemporary portrait of Richard III. In this picture he does not see the face of a tyrant but rather that of a sensitive, conscientious man. Inspired by this portrayal, Grant delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the king, leading to an investigation using police methods rather than hearsay and historical propaganda. Ultimately Grant and his American researcher/ side-kick try to answer the question of who killed the Princes in the Tower. The set up is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window. Inspector Grant, unable to move out of his room, becomes obsessed with a mystery, which seemingly only he has identified. For Grant, delving into history alleviates the boredom of his recovery.
His increasing obsession leads him to astounding discoveries and ultimately to question the historical process and the way in which ‘facts’ are disseminated in schools and society.
Was Richard III really the monster Shakespeare portrayed? Or was he the victim of a Tudor slur campaign? Elements of this novel are dated: two of the characters meet over a missing string of pearls, others send telegrams, and a matron prowls the hospital wards. Grant’s theatrical friend, Marta, is slightly caricatured, as is Grant’s American researcher Brent Carradine. However, Tey’s zingy one liners make us forgive her this. Overall, this slim novel is highly recommended as a decent piece of detective fiction. But don’t be fooled by its breezy style and romp through historical records: as its heart this book questions historical knowledge as well as how we ‘do’ history and how history is ‘done’ to other people.
Review
Review: Helen Oyeyemi at the Anthony Burgess Foundation Helen Oyeyemi, one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of her generation, charmed the audience at the Anthony Burgess Foundation, says Tamara Stanton Described as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of her generation, Helen Oyeyemi read the first chapter of her new novel Boy, Snow, Bird at the Anthony Burgess Foundation. She charmed the audience with her voice and the voice of her narrator; both distinct but equally intriguing. Boy, Snow, Bird is about its three eponymous women (yes, one is called Boy) and the curious connection between them. This is a retelling of the fairytale ‘Snow White’ - a retelling which questions notions of race and gender. The story begins with the narrator dreamily standing between two mirrors and seeing herself infinitely reflected; “too lonely to be selective about the company she keeps.” She is pursued around the streets of Manhattan by her abusive ‘ratcatcher’ father.
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guests would be 19th century poet Emily Dickinson and Robert Walser, who is often labelled a Swiss Kafka. Oyeyemi revealed that his writing makes her feel lonely, as he seems lonely, which is why she would invite him for dinner.
This is a retelling of the fairytale ‘Snow White’, which questions notions of race and gender
Helen Oyeyemi. Photo: Ellie Foreman-Peck
The novel takes a realist and then gradually magical stance. By the time the character Bird takes over the narration, the novel has introduced talking spiders. Other novels of Oyeyemi’s are also permeated with myth, from Grimms’ fairytales to
Yoruba folklore. After hearing the extract, the audience was given a glimpse into Oyeyemi’s life. They learnt that she promotes the rereading of books, and finds that if a novel hurts her she is more likely to come back to it. Her ideal literary dinner
She currently lives in Prague and told the audience that she enjoyed living there because it is a “city of symbols,” which speak to her. She spoke of once having returned to Prague to find the name ‘Helen’ in mysterious places all over the city.
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SECOND REVIEW
The Pillowman Though unsettling, The Pillowman is one of the best plays I have read, says Alex Webb In an interrogation room, we meet Katurian, Tupolski and Ariel, the main characters of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman. Acted out in one scene, similar to the stage versions of R.C. Sherriff ’s Journey’s End, this 2003 play will have you reconsidering the sides you take while taking you on a sickening emotional rollercoaster. The premise of the play is that there has been a murder that Tupolski and Ariel seem to have wanted the writer Katurian to commit. With much of the narrative based around Katurian’s stories, any reader will be drawn in instantly. McDonagh’s entry into the drama world is by far one of the best plays I have read. The dark, horrifying themes and ideas explored by the characters, who you will soon learn are not to be trusted, will teach you to question everything. As Katurian realises, just because someone tells you something, it does not mean it is true. It is McDonagh’s ability to create a tense atmosphere from the first line that makes this such a brilliant piece
The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh (Faber and Faber, 2003)
of literature. Throwing you straight into the story with nothing to grab onto leaves you just as confused as Katurian, who has been incarcerated for reasons unknown to him, and it is with him that you learn about his controversial and disgusting children’s stories. Unfortunately, these are not stories made for children but tales of sudden unjust endings of infants’ lives in order to tell some sort of moral. The most interesting of these is the title story that features heavily in the plot progression and, even for just a moment, has you reconsidering your understanding of the world. McDonagh’s skill in characterising four people, including Katurian’s brother Michal, so well in the space of 100 pages is only a fraction of the talent shown within the covers. Enter into his world at your peril and find yourself asking questions like ‘what kind of criminal could be worse than a rapist or a murderer?’. It’s a narrative that will have you reading The Pillowman all in one sitting.
Poetry
POETRY corner Stop
I am not this building made of metal, glass and concrete. I am not the 24 hour concierge. I am not the revolving doors or polished wood floors. I am not the silver Street Cars cab waiting outside in the rain. I am not the taxi driver with his metred pearls of wisdom. I am not the train station with its high arched ceiling and escalators, its platforms and incessant announcements. I am not Burger King, The Tie Shop, The Pasty Shop, Go Sushi or Upper Crust. I am not the 16.40 Transpennine Express to Sheffield, with its lilac and blue seats, its plastic tables and emergency exit signs. I am not the hiss of closing doors. I am not the snow-capped peaks or the graffiti on the red brick walls by the tracks. I am not the destination. I am the forty minutes it takes to arrive. I am the choice to stay or go home. H. Isserlis
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editors: Ben Walker, Maddy Hubbard Feature
you ASK we ANSWER
Feature
Good Beer for the Masses
Ben Walker celebrates the ongoing rise of American craft beer
...where can I go to be gluttonous on a budget?
1. ALADDIN
Don’t let the outside fool you, this place is truly a hidden gem. The food a yummy mix of Lebanese and Middle Eastern delicacies such as the humble but glorious match made in heaven that is falafel, hummus and pitta, the succulent posh kebab wrap otherwise known as the Shawarma and a range of beautiful pastries and cold mazza that really do make you want to return again and again. The portions are enough to make you leave with a slight case of food coma and what’s best is that it is BYOB so you can save those precious pounds and buy as many refreshments as you desire. The staff are happy to help and the service is efficient and swift. The interior does not leave much to be desired, I recall fake red brick walls, function room type seating and a very odd Lebanese cat wall painting? I’d recommend the fateh, tabouleh and the shish kebab.
2. KYOTOYA
In my eyes the greatest Withington based source of culinary heaven is Kyotoya. It has some of the freshest, good value and purely delicious Japanese food in the whole Manchester. The range of set menus (starting at just £12 for 6 dishes!) are kind on your wallet, generous and mouthwateringly appetising. Not just a sushi restaurant they also specialise in Katsu curries, stir fries and rice dishes for all oriental lovers tastes. Their gyoza is one of the best I have ever tasted and Japanese food is my favourite cuisine so trust me, if you haven’t been you’re missing out on a seriously unforgettable dining experience! They also do takeaway which is free after 6pm Monday-Saturday so what more could you ask for? The staff are charming, friendly and helpful. I’d recommend (everything!) but if I must; the mixed sashimi, gyoza and beef shichimi!
3. CORNERHOUSE
Believe it or not this upmarket arthouse mecca has an insane and under the radar deal on Mondays and Tuesdays. Their ‘reel deal’ ticket offer means you can watch a great indie film of your choice along with a homemade stonebaked pizza and a glass of house wine, pint of Becks Vier or a soft drink all for £15! Definitely a classy but thrifty alternative to the crazy busy Orange Wednesdays. Beat the queue and book a ticket in advance to make sure you’re not disappointed. You can book in person at Box Office or over the phone between 12:00 - 20:00. I’d recommend the Florentina or Formaggio di Capra for veggies and the Polpette or Barbecue Carne di Maiale for a meat feast.
4. THIS & THAT Another place not to judge on appearance, but with a selection of achingly good curry for under fiver, who could complain? Tucked away down an alley this place is one of the most loved unpretentious eateries in the area for those in the know. A rotating daily menu means you can never get bored and includes dishes such as biryani, channa, korma and lamb karai. Along with their succulent meat and vegetable curries they have daal, naan and chapatis on offer.
5. SOUP KITCHEN
Selling fresh and seasonal produce made from scratch each day this is the Northern Quarter way of serving soups, sandwiches and desserts - but all under a fiver! There soups are delicious and served with hearty bread and their deli style sandwiches are full with gorgeous high quality ingredients. Best of all - it’s a great place to go for an afternoon and end up having a a couple of their premium or craft beers, cask ales and wines. The canteen wooden benches give it a relaxed atmosphere and makes you feel miles away from the basement where they play live music almost every night of the week! I’d recommend any of their daily changing soups or desserts. Emily Lean
Craft beer was once the reserve of the plaid shirt brigade of Common, Port Street Beer House, and the like, but the beer’s proliferation throughout the non-hipster parts of town has been a revelation. Of course, supermarkets have for some time been selling the entry-level American craft beers at around £1.80 a bottle which equates to a good deal compared to the £4 bottles of Brooklyn from behind the bar in the NQ. However you now can go out drinking American craft beer on the cheap; Brooklyn Lager, Goose Island, and Sixpoint at 2 for £5— that’s £2.50 per bottle/can—that’s 37.5% cheaper than current market and thus phenomenal
value. I have always been a supporter of the spread of quality products; I want tasty food, delicious beer, great music, awesome films to become widely known—I support the enrichment of our lifestyles and culture and want to share these wonderful things. If we can go out and have £2.50 imported craft beer, then it’s a win all round, isn’t it? Yes it is, but of course nothing is straight forward. As always, there is a slight caveat, and basically it involves the surroundings in which one sits/stands and drinks and socialises-- this is very much part of the going-out experience— the inflated alcohol prices often reflect the
swish or cool surroundings in which it is sold. It is through this lens then we can understand the reason why such cheap craft beer is available—it is being sold out of 900 branches of the J.D Wetherspoon across the UK. Reconciling the trans-Atlantic amber nectar with a JDW may at first appear a hard task, but the reality is that this is a massive step in the right direction for the beer culture in the UK. The tardis-like experience of JDW that is when you walk into one you can be essentially transported to literally any of the 900 venues in the UK is an issue for another article, but the point here is that these beers are raising the standard of ‘standard’ beer, no longer does one have to suffer the agonising gurn of gulping Ruddles. As much as I love the NQ, prices are often just silly. The overpricing of Goose Island in the NQ is wrong; Goose Island is excellent but it is mass produced by a huge Chicago company and is available from Tesco. That is not exclusive and I’m glad to say that it is now extremely widely available the country over. The mysticism created around such entry level beers is the creation of skilful marketing, there cannot be any doubt the Goose Island is over the moon that Spoons want to sell its beer; I hope JDW encourages prices to drop across the market. Painful as it is, I must further praise Spoons for introducing me to the products of the Sixpoint Brewery, founded in Brooklyn in 2004. They offer three 355ml cans all of which I endorse and are tasty and decent craft beers. There is Sweet Action (5.4% ABV) which seems to cross the boundaries of pale ale and wheat beer—as in the name there is sweetness, but it is no way saccharin. The Crisp (5.2% ABV) is a hoppy lager and the best of the three, and finally the Bengali Tiger (6.4% ABV) is an IPA-style beer and a close second. I will be drinking a lot of these beers of that I am sure, and I hope that Sixpoint doesn’t start appearing elsewhere at £4.50 a can—it is a cheap tasty beer and Spoons to their credit are helping strip away the pretentious, elitist veneer that coats too much of the imported beer market.
Review
SoLiTa Review Tucked away on one of the quieter streets in the Northern Quarter, SoLita is a small yet charming American style diner. The menu has a great variety without being over complicated. Everything has a special twist from the bacon fat popcorn to the pulled pork sundae. I however, skipped the “nibbles and small plates” section of the menu and opted for a plate of their infamously spicy wings. They offer a range from the mildest “smiling” end of their spice scale to their hottest “cry for help” wings, which come with its own health warning! I opted for the slightly hotter than middle-of-the-range “T ‘n’ T” wings. The sauce was a combination of tequila, Tabasco, and a fantastic mix of spices which was delicious. Burgers of course are the main act and again, there was a fabulous variety, each one being completely different. For those who want something a little different they also offer plenty from the “Inca Grill” and a selection of gourmet hot dogs. I tried some of both the Manc-hattan burger, their “Manchester meets Manhattan” option, and their “Once in a Lifetime” burger. The Manc-hattan was cooked to perfection. Slightly pink on the inside with a Mancunian influence of black pudding complementing it well. In comparison however, the Once in a Lifetime burger blew the rest out the water. This and the “Big Manc” burger being the only two that require a stick through them to hold them together. Being about four inches tall it contained pulled pork, buttermilk fried chicken, a beef and bone marrow patty and onion rings. If this still doesn’t sound like it is enough for you however, you could always spend a whopping £16 on their “Big Manc” burger. With two patties alongside a whole variety of other ingredients, I knew defeat was imminent upon any attempt to order and finish it—delicious as the challenge was. Whenever I am given the opportunity I am always one to replace the standard chips with something a little bit different. When offered, we decided to replace them with sweet potato fries and their off-the-menu curly fries with bacon and cheese. Being a personal favourite of mine, the sweet potato fries were definitely the better of the two; the cheese drenched curly fries being a little too much after everything else we had tried. This was not exactly the healthy option having opted out of their “famous” 60-40 mash, 60% mash and 40% butter. Yes, you can really start to feel the calories piling on, but damn is it good.
Sam Herridge checks out this big name in the Northern Quarter to see what all the fuss is about
The service was great. Helpful and friendly waiters, who didn’t pester you too much, had plenty of unbiased recommendations and who seemed as though they were happy to work there. The wine list was adequate, priced as expected for a quirky restaurant in the northern quarter. Being a student myself I of course only ordered a glass of house red, which was fine. There wasn’t a great selection of deserts but not being a particularly sweet-toothed person, this didn’t bother me too much, and trust me, after a once in a lifetime burger, I’m sure most people wouldn’t need one either. Overall, I was very impressed with Solita. Catering for both a romantic or party atmosphere whilst offering a menu that you could honestly never get bored of. It particularly stands out as being one of the first on my list of restaurants that I would go back to.
/TheMancunion: Food & Drink @MaddyLaura
Food & Drink 23
Feature
The Oxford Road Burger Kitchen Victor Croci reviews the finest American cuisine the golden arches has to offer...
Welcome back! Whether you’re part of our faithful food and drink readership or simply an illiterate hung-over mess, flicking through the pages of yet another wonderful edition of the Mancunion – this week, we have something special for you! Our eclectic little wine column has run into some financial difficulties and so I find myself scribbling away at a review of one of the finest restaurants on Oxford Road. This traditional barbecue restaurant has been serving up hamburgers on Oxford Road since 1940 but the story only gets interesting in 1958 when a dubious businessman by the name of Ray Kroc purchased the friendly little burger outlet with an ambitious plan. Anyways, with a few partnerships and supply contracts here and there, Ray Kroc was able to turn the authentic hamburger joint into one of the finest and well known restaurants in the city. McDonalds – Or “Maccie D’s” as the reputable establishment’s clientele refer to it, is quite possibly the most exquisite and delightful little burger joint in Manchester. Neatly tucked away in between the soulless franchises of two monstrous fast-food corporations (Subway and Domino’s Pizza), this authentic mancunion local joint is a breath of fresh air. Indeed the place is always packed with a plethora of customers ranging from doctors, nurses and surgeons working at the NHS hospital next door, to ambitious and driven students wanting a ‘taste’ of the good life and of course tourists who after having seen Manchester’s two landmarks (Old Trafford & the Etihad), want a fine relaxing meal to digest the wondrous display of architecture around them, such as the Contact theatre and Whitworth Gallery. The menu itself stands out – simple yet brilliant,
Recipes
our
McDonalds proudly boasts highly acclaimed reviews for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, French fries, breakfast platter as well as salads, fish meals and the latest addition of wraps. Yet for all the diversity, the genius of McDonalds lies in its burgers. No other establishment, be it fast food or Michelin star level, can compete with such an incredible quantity or quality of the burgers on offer. For those feeling slightly peckish there is the 99p hamburger, while the famished can feast their eyes and gorge on the following: a quarter pounder with cheese, Big Tasty with bacon, BigMac, or double cheese burger. McDonald’s prides itself with the best and therefore the beef is only chosen after a lengthy process by Argentine ranchers, who spend weeks on end picking off the strongest fiercest bulls grazing in the harsh regions of Patagonia. The beef is then brought over to Manchester where a dedicated crew of McDonald’s staff and cuisine personnel prepares the meat with herbs and rare oils in order for it to be tender but firm, moist but meaty, in other words: just perfect. The meat is then ceremoniously expertly inserted in between two toasted buns; a fine slice of Swiss emmental cheese is topped with a crown of salad and Dickensian dollop of sauce. The final outcome is one of the most sublime burgers available. Recently customers have expressed surprise at having to collect their meal themselves from the counter but this is simply a temporary measure, as demand is so high that the kitchen personnel do not have the time to serve tables. Equally, they expressed concern at receiving their Michelin star worthy burger in a cardboard box or paper wrapping;
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Photo:Sam Herridge
• INGREDIENTS • For the fishcakes: 2 tins of tuna, drained 250g of floury potatoes, peeled and cubed 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 5 spring onions, finely chopped 50g cheddar cheese, grated 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 egg, beaten Plain flour, for dusting
For the sauce: 3 Cloves of garlic, roughly chopped 2 – 3 large red chillies, roughly chopped (as hot as you dare) 125ml white wine vinegar 125g white sugar 175ml water ½ tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon corn flour (plus water to mix)
METHOD
this is merely a temporary measure whilst Ikea delivers the online-ordered crockery. However the real secret to McDonald’s award winning burger recipe is not jaw-droppingly obvious despite the above description of the beef ’s preparatory process. The genius of Mr & Mr McDonald was the addition of three slices of pickle to every hamburger. “It was staring at me in the face all along!” exclaimed one ecstatic customer at the half chewed slice of pickle protruding rudely from his Big Tasty with bacon. For children, McDonald’s has provided the perfect answer in the boxed up “Happy Meal” pack. This mini-me version of the adult menu provides parents with a well-earned break as their children munch away through a
Sam Herridge’s tuna fishcakes with sweet chilli sauce and Josephine Harrington’s chocolate brownie cake are indulgent dishes to welcome in the spring
Chocolate Brownies
Tuna Fishcakes •
Photo: Ben Walker
hamburger, carefully salted French fries and a healthy option for dessert such as apple wedges. The best part is when the already beaming children rummage through their “Happy Meal” box to find a really special collector’s item toy – made from China, maybe something from the late Ming! “I love coming here to eat with my children”, smiled a mother of four as one of her cheeky offspring seized the opportunity to grab her last remaining chicken nugget and noisily plunging it in Barbecue sauce before running off to play with his three siblings. Dessert is never missed and even less rarely regretted as the gastronomes carefully prepare each morning a selection of Danish pastries, American chocolate brownies, Girl Guide cookies and the mancunion special apple crumble. This fine traditional establishment, famed throughout the whole of Manchester is certainly worth considering as an alternative to the everyday fast-food junkie outlets which sprout up and down Oxford Road like mushrooms in autumn. By the time you are finished with your burger, French fries or potato wedges (or both), push back your tray and recline on the leather sofas gurgling on a coca-cola drink, McDonalds will have won you over. The experience will leave you spellbound as you roll up your eyes in an ecstasy of culinary pleasure, and dip your last potato wedge into the sour cream sauce, purring softly “Mmmmm I’m lovin’ it.”
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1.
Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes so that they are cooked but not too soft
2.
Mash the potato and let cool for a few minutes then mix in the bowl thoroughly with the other ingredients.
3.
Separate into 6-8 even sized balls (2 per guest depending on number of guests) and dust with flour
4.
Shallow fry on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown
5.
Serve with salad and chilli sauce (recipe below)
6.
Put the garlic, chillies, white wine vinegar, water and salt in a blender and blend until no large chunks remain.
7.
Place the mixture into a saucepan, bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.
8.
Whisk the corn flour into about 30ml of water so that no lumps of flour remain and add this and the sugar to the saucepan, simmer for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
•
METHOD
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Photo: Josephine Harrington
1. Preheat the oven to 170c up a bain-marie (a pan with boiling 2. Set water with a bowl rested over the top) and melt the all of the dark and half of the milk chocolate and the butter together. 3 eggs and caster sugar together 3. Whisk until thick and creamy. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly before folding in the beaten eggs and sugar until well mixed and the colour is consistent. the remainder of the milk chocolate 4. Break and all of the white chocolate into chunks and fold into the chocolate mixture. the plain flour into the cake mix and 5. Sieve fold in (trying to keep some air in the mixture, so fold deep and light). for about 25 minutes. Remember it is 6. Cook not like baking any old cake--the best way
7.
• INGREDIENTS • TIME •
to check when the brownie is done is with a knife, you don’t want it to come out clean, you are looking for the inside to be cooked 100g each of milk, white and dark but still gooey. It will keep cooking once it chocolate (Supermarket basics works fine) comes out of the oven 175 grams of unsalted butter 3 eggs Eat either on its own with a spoon, with 1.5 cups of caster sugar a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a scrumptious dessert, or later on when it has 0.5 cup of plain flour solidified with a cup of coffee.
30 mins Serves 6
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Arts & Culture
ISSUE 12/ 3rd FEBRUARY 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editors: Abbie Roberts, Matilda Roberts Feature
Review
Joana Vasconcelos: Time Machine Raphaé Memon discovers ‘modern poetic inversions infused within the historic collection of the Manchester Art Gallery.’
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ARTISTS whose work wouldn’t look out of place in a science-fiction novel Lyonel Feininger (1871 – 1956) Painter and a leading exponent of Expressionism, he also worked as a caricaturist and comic strip artist.
Image from: http://mshodahl. com/artcarp.html All images Raphaé’s own
Time Machine is an exhibition in Manchester Art Gallery by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, expressing her exquisitely crafted sculptures and on--‐ site installations. Her work subverts and decontextualizes everyday objects and common ambiguities that engage with elements from the past, present and future. She is uncontrolled with her use of colour, which adds comic effect and helps to invert reality and challenge narratives about identity, class and the status of women. Vasconcelos uses symbolism in many of her artworks to present dichotomies between public/private, handmade/ industrial, and male/female. As you enter the ground floor of the Gallery, two sculpted lions in white marble, known as Hwarang, welcome you where dubiously a feminine lace black crochet net has restrained their masculine pride. As you continue into the permanent collection galleries, it becomes exciting to see how Vasconcelos has positioned some unexpected sculptures amongst the major permanent collection galleries. These modern art pieces permeate within and respond to both the historic pieces
Profile
of fine and decorative artwork, and the palazzo style architecture of the galleries. An example of how this has been done quite effectively and comically would be her new artwork Cottonopolis. Inspired by the William de Morgan and Pilkington tiles on display nearby, this piece combines masculinity with feminism and offers a playful, lively and colourful installation of overlapping textile tubes. It frames The Shadow of Death by William Holman. Perhaps because this painting also explores themes of identity, it was chosen by Vasconcelos to incorporate with her artwork. On the second floor, there are two impressive vehicle works that present an assemblage of juxtaposing worlds. As you enter, you are thrown back by uneasy tensions between life and death, depicted within War Games. This piece is made of a black 1960s Morris Oxford, which from the outside is adorned with black toy rifles and strips of LEDs to simulate speed and movement. From the inside, colourful toys convey a world of innocence. In the next room you find Lilicoptere, a vision of contradictions. Is it a helicopter or a bird?
the ARTS PROFILE
Some of you may know her as Lady Gaga’s sort-of-mentor who, in 2013, created the infamous Abramovic Method that involved Gaga wandering around some woods with barely any clothes on. Or you may know her as the woman that inspired Jay-Z’s 6 hour durational performance at MOMA in New York that involved the rapper performing his song ‘Picasso Baby’ on repeat, an apparent homage to Abramovic’s 2010 performance, ‘The Artist Is Present’, also at MOMA. However, to many in the art world, the name Marina Abramovic means a lot more than just her recent, and probably brief, association with celebrity rock stars and rappers. Born to partisan parents in late 40s Serbia, the self-christened ‘grandmother of performance art’, spent most of her life up until her late 20s under the watchful and controlling eye of her mother, a major in the Serbian army. In fact, Abramovic undertook many of her early performances in the early evening in order to get home before her mother’s rigid curfew of 10pm! These performances were the infamous ‘Rhythm’ series – a set of 5 performances that took place over a year long period between 1973-4 that involved Abramovic completing actions and tasks ranging from ingesting various highly potent prescription medicines to giving the audience a table covered with tools and giving them the power to use her as a puppet and do what they want with her (they ended up cutting her, tickling her and eventually, holding a loaded gun to her
As you walk around the installation, you notice how it changes between looking like a pink ostrich to a mechanism clad in Swarovski crystals and gold leaf– a perverse metamorphosis from machine to animal conveyed by kitsch taste and overloaded opulence. Nonetheless, it dazzles in technicality and intricacy. On your way out, make sure you don’t miss Britannia, a new textile work that has been specially commissioned for the building. Suspended organic forms of vibrant colour and texture are juxtaposed between the steel and glass architecture, creating an emotive response as they cascade down the three floors of the glass atrium and frame the main circulation. On the whole, Vasconcelos’ Time Machine is an exciting collection of work exploring modern poetic inversions, set in the context of the historic collection of the Gallery. Not bound by a closed space, the interventions infiltrate physically within the gallery spaces, and whimsically in our thoughts, stimulating our discernment with what is real and what is imaginary.
Marina Abramovic
head). These ideas might sound insane, but at the time, no one had seen anything like this and as Marina continued to test the power of the body and mind, interest in this eccentric Serbian woman began to grow. However, in the mid-70s, her first marriage crumbled and she moved from Serbia to Amsterdam - things began to look up. Abramovic’s move to Amsterdam was a good one on a number of levels – she met her new boyfriend and she also met the artist who she would go on to collaborate with for the next 12 years. These two people were one and the same – a West German performance artist who went under the name of ‘Ulay’. Abramovic and Ulay became joint explorers of both the body (harking back to much of Abramovic’s earlier work) and artistic identity (what it means to be an artist) and were soon describing themselves as part of a ‘two-headed body’ under the collective title of ‘The Other’. The pair went on to perform pieces including ‘Breathing In/Breathing Out’ in which the two artists connected their mouths and inhaled each other’s exhaled breaths for as long as possible before, after 17 minutes, passing out through oxygen starvation - the exchange of breath symbolizing one person’s ability to both absorb and then destroy the life of another and visa versa. The personal and intimate elements of this piece are typical Abramovic who articulated her desire for intimacy and beauty in art in her 1975 piece ‘Art Must Be Beautiful, Artist Must Be Beautiful’ in which she endlessly and
violently brushes her hair while repeating the piece’s title. In 1988, after 12 years of obsessive collaboration and infatuation, both Marina and Ulay decided that enough was enough and that a spiritual journey was required in order to end their relationship. So, in true Abramovic style, she conceived, in a dream of course, that they both walk the Great Wall of China from opposite ends, meet in the middle, say their goodbyes and that be their relationship over! Since this collaboration, Abramovic has consistently performed all over the globe, using her reputation to elevate the status of performance art and silence its critics. In 2005, she performed ‘Seven Easy Pieces’ at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, a showcase of two pieces from her own back catalogue as well as five pieces by other influential performance artists of the past 40 years. However, it was in 2010 that this eccentric and once ostracized Serbian artist really broke through into mainstream art and culture with the performance of ‘The Artist Is Present’, a durational performance that involved Abramovic sitting stationary in New York’s MOMA gallery, sharing moments of silence with members of the public across a table for as long as they liked, everyday day for a total of 736 hours! Some people wept, others laughed and some just looked uncomfortable however, what was shared was a mutual feeling of intimacy and connection that caught the attention
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Bruno Taut (1880 –1938) German architect active during the Weimar period, Taut’s best-known building is the prismatic dome of the Glass Pavilion (1914).
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Wenzel Hablik (1881 –1934) Painter and graphic artist, architect, designer, and craftsman of the early twentieth century, associated with German Expressionism. Image: http://ffffound.com/ image/5b6a0ca8bf9725a96f 99e4ec0dd026b556f33135
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Hugh Ferriss (1889 – 1962) American delineator and architect, Ferriss’ drawings were the influence for Gotham City (the setting for Batman). Image: http://www. graphicine.com/?p=982
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Kay Sage (1898 –1963) American surrealist artist and poet. Image: Flickr, Sharon Morellus
Profile of celebrities including James Franco, Jay-Z, Sharon Stone, Lou Reed and even singer Rufus Wainwright who all attended and participated in the performance (even her old boyfriend/collaborator Ulay turned up - watch the youtube video, its pretty tear-jerking). Maybe you think Abramovic’s collaborations with Gaga and Jay-Z are a genius method of introducing performance art to the public or maybe you think she has basically become a bit of a sell-out or maybe you think that all that time spent inflicting pain upon herself has sent her a bit loopy? Either way, she is indisputably a dedicated, mysterious and innovative artist whose influence stretches across mediums, genres and styles. Marina Abramovic’s work is, although challenging and sometimes painful to watch, always worth a watch and there are plenty of Youtube videos, documentaries and interviews to keep you desperate to find out more about this fascinating woman. Jasper Llewellyn
Theatre
ISSUE 19/ 24th March 2014 WWW. MANCUNION.COM
Editor: Stephanie Scott
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Review
Sam Ebner-Landy reviews the MIFTA performance of The History Boys
A candid shot of the cast. Photo: Sophie Phillips “Art, they get away with murder!” This line, from the first act of Alan Bennett’s 2004 play, seemed to have a particular poignancy during the MIFTA performance, as it was delivered in lecture theatre, to an excited audience sitting amongst the actors themselves. Though the John Casken Lecture Theatre is often more devoid of Bennett’s witty quips than a night at ‘5th Avenue’, director Sarah Uden succeeded in transforming it into a dynamic and wholly interesting performance space. This was not, however, a directorial decision born out of a desire to be different for the sake of being different. The play gained a realistic educational background, as was performed in such an overtly educational space, as well as the added dimension of a university experience. The cast managed to perfectly balance the comedy and the tragedy of Bennett’s text and, given the relevance of the play to the audience’s student majority, this proved to be part of an effective combination of substance and style. There were some practical drawbacks of the lecture theatre turned stage though, most of which became clear after the interval. Audience members arriving late, coffees in hand, had to simultaneously duck and run across the unfolding scene in order to get back to their seats, some looking petrified and confused, others looking delighted at their awkward moment in the spotlight. But this proved an unimportant distraction from an otherwise accomplished piece of theatre. The palpably relevant ‘Oxbridge’ question was given energy and life under Sarah Uden’s direction, and so much of what makes Bennett’s text
What’s on
Review
The History Boys
powerful was displayed in a number of brilliant little scenes, which achieved a rare juxtaposition of fast-paced wit and gently evolving drama. Standout performances from Rowland Stirling and Joseph Aldous added to the interpretation, their respective narratives complimenting each other. Towards the end of the first act, under allegations of paedophilia, old-fashioned schoolteacher Hector (played by Stirling) is suddenly faced with an ending career, a tarnished reputation, and the possibility of death. Stirling’s performance came into its own here, the careful and entirely distracted way in which he helps one of his students with a forthcoming essay allowing the true melancholy of the scene to emerge. Similarly, the small glimpses into the future of Irwin (the new teacher, played by Aldous) give the audience a sense of the impending tragedy that is to alter both of these teachers’ lives, in such a drastic manner. All things considered, this was a terrific performance of one of my favourite plays, and though the location was ambitious, the lecture theatre only added to the power of the text and the relevance of the questions being asked by Bennett. However, the pedant within me questioned a number of bizarre additions to the play, such as the slightly gimmicky film played during the interval, and the ever-onstage secretary who seemed to be doing nothing at all. Nevertheless, I left the Drama Society’s performance feeling the emotions of the piece quite strongly, wishing I were back at my all-boys school, in an endless lesson with an eccentrically intelligent history teacher.
MINUTE REVIEW
The Way You Tell Them This May
this WEEK
I came into this small intimate studio space in the Contact with no expectations or assumptions of what kind of performance I was to see. Although only an hour long, Rachel Mars’ production of The Way You Tell Them was a delight to watch. At first, I had the dreaded gut feeling that this would be yet another attempt at a stand up comedy show. But it wasn’t. Rachel Mars challenges the culture in which we live in, questioning the limitations of comedy and humour. As well as examining the essential purpose of the performer and audience, Mars used a variety of experimentation within performance which blurs the lines of function altogether by encouraging audience members to join in and let go of any residual expectations or judgment. Rachel Mars’ happy-golucky persona, although initially quite grating, eventually won me over, and I felt I had got to know her within the short performance. Mars tells personal anecdotes about her family and Jewish culture in a humble and welcoming manner because, as she puts it, The Way You Tell Them is a show about comedy, not a comedy show. Though it may not seem like it, The Way You Tell Them uses the stage space cleverly, parting three sections for its specific purposes - Mars embodied and takes control of the stage space well. Personally, I enjoy the use of technology in a performance, as long as it is used with purpose and skill. Mars was able to incorporate the use of technology with good humour, despite exploring a serious subject in order to take the show into another level of subject matter. For only one hour, the audience gets more than they expected, as The Way You Tell Them fulfils the statement of its title. Rachel Mars really does explore, educate and make you reconsider the ways of being told – whether it be family anecdotes, jokes, or relatively serious subject matter.
Hurt A Bit This show, directed by Out of Joint artistic director, Max Stafford-Clark, dramatises problems concerning the NHS and puts the service under the stethoscope. A biting and political play, it’ll be well worth the trip to Bolton. Runs from the 25th March to the 5th April at The Bolton Octagon
Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare’s classic love comedy comes to The Royal Exchange. Directed by Maria Aberg, who has directed plays for King John and the RSC to critical acclaim, this classic is not one to be missed, The tale of two parallel love stories will have you giggling in your seat. Runs from the 27th March to the 3rd May at The Royal Exchange
Kindertransport
Rachel Mars in The Way You Tell Them Photo: Pollack Menace
Nadia Cheung
The transport of Jewish children away from Nazi Germany, in the nine months prior to the outbreak of WWII makes for harrowing dramatic material. This play explores the fictional life of a Kindertransport child, and the life these children experienced after being uprooted from the family and home country. Various locations from the 25th to the 29th March at The Opera House
My Favourite Scene
my FAVOURITE SCENE A Streetcar named Desire, arguably American playwright Tennessee William’s most famous play, documents aging Southern Belle, Blanche Dubois’ descent into insanity as she visits her sister, Stella and is cruelly mistreated by Stella’s brutish yet smoldering husband, Stanley. This is the final scene of the play, where Blanche is taken away to an asylum. DOCTOR: Miss DuBois. [She turns her face to him and stares at him with desperate pleading. He smiles; then he speaks to the Matron.] It won’t be necessary. BLANCHE [faintly]: Ask her to let go of me. DOCTOR [to the Matron]: Let go. [The Matron releases her. Blanche extends her hands toward the Doctor. He draws her up gently and supports her with his arm and leads her through the
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This week, Theatre Editor, Josephine Lane tells us about her favourite scene from Tenessee William’s Streetcar Named Desire
portieres.] BLANCHE [holding tight to his arm]: Whoever you are--I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. [The poker players stand back as Blanche and the Doctor cross the kitchen to the front door. She allows him to lead her as if she were blind. As they go out on the porch, Stella cries out her sister’s name from where she is crouched a few steps up on the stairs.] [Blanche walks on without turning, followed by the Doctor and the Matron. They go around the corner of the building.] [Eunice descends to Stella and places the child in her arms. It is wrapped in a pale blue blanket. Stella accepts the child, sobbingly. Eunice continues downstairs and enters the kitchen where the men, except for Stanley, are returning silently to their
places about the table. Stanley has gone out on the porch and stands at the foot of the steps looking at Stella.] STANLEY [a bit uncertainly]: Stella? [She sobs with inhuman abandon. There is something luxurious in her complete surrender to crying now that her sister is gone.] STANLEY [voluptuously, soothingly]: Now, honey. Now, love. Now, now, love. [He kneels beside her and his fingers find the opening of her blouse] Now, now, love Now, love.... [The luxurious sobbing, the sensual murmur fade away under the swelling music of the “blue piano” and the muted trumpet.] STEVE: This game is seven-card stud.
Ballet Central Any dance enthusiasts should get themselves down to The Lowry to catch this years Ballet Central dance show. Featuring ballet, jazz, contemporary and narrative dance, the show promises to showcase the talents of the best upcoming dancers. 2nd April at The Lowry
ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editors: Lauren Arthur, Moya Crockett, Beth Currall Feature
You’ll never walk alone
Recent news has drawn attention to the issue of student safety in Fallowfield and Withington. It’s an issue we cannot dismiss, says one mugging victim Until I got mugged, my Friday night had been entirely uneventful. I’d spent the evening watching The Office at a friend’s house in Withington. As I put my coat on at around 11.30pm, the thought of asking one of the boys to walk me home briefly crossed my mind, but I shrugged it off. It’s only a ten minute walk, and it wasn’t especially late. I’d be fine. As I walked down a well-lit residential street – a nice road, with stained-glass windows in the front doors and shiny family cars parked in the gravel driveways – I noticed a man crossing the road ahead of me. I walked a little taller, kept him in my peripheral vision. I didn’t see the boy crouched in the shadows. He appeared so abruptly that I still don’t know where exactly he was hiding. All I know is that I was walking along, and then suddenly I wasn’t, because a boy in a grey hoodie had grabbed me by the shoulders and was shaking me fiercely. I thought, very clearly, “He’s trying to pull me somewhere.” My legs were frozen with fear. I tried to push him away, but his face – half-covered with a scarf – was terribly close to mine, and I realised, with a sickening feeling in my stomach, that I am not strong. I’m not strong at all. After what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds, he stopped grappling with me and yanked at my bag. As soon as I understood that he wasn’t after me, just my belongings, I went limp. He tore the bag from my shoulder, shoved me into the bushes with a snarl of “You fucking slag” (how rude, I thought, sprawled in the shrubbery), and sprinted off. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of the quiet road, shaking and wailing, “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” in a voice that I didn’t recognise. My experience doesn’t represent the pinnacle of trauma. I wasn’t physically hurt, just bruised, and my bag (£5, Primark) contained nothing but an old pay-as-you-go Samsung and unmarked keys. I called the police as soon as I got home and although the guy was never caught, they were kind and efficient. I was lucky. But the events of that night brought two things home to me. The first was how easily I convinced myself that because I was sober, because it wasn’t “that late,” because it wasn’t “that far,” I was in no danger. One only has to see the recent spate of sexual assaults taking place in Withington before 10pm to recognise how flawed this assumption was. Vulnerability doesn’t depend on the time of night. But despite the fact that we all know Fallowfield has one of the highest crime rates outside Manchester city centre, despite the fact that almost everyone has a story to share about
a friend-of-a-friend’s mugging or assault, a blasé attitude persists: oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Everyone wants to be free to walk around their own neighbourhood, and until something happens to you, assault will always be something that only happens to “other people.” But at a certain point, this kind of positive thinking becomes not just naïve but dangerous. If you have to walk alone at night, stick to well-lit roads and don’t listen to music. Having white iPhone headphones in your ears is essentially like waving a sign saying, “Hello! I’m not concentrating on my surroundings and I’m carrying expensive equipment!” Sensible as these tips are, however, they didn’t help me. If at all possible, solo night-time walking should be avoided. Being mugged also forced me to think about the psychological effects of traumatic events. My experience was relatively minor. I was fine. I made jokes. But something trembled in my torso for quite some time, a clenched, frightened muscle that I hadn’t even known I possessed. I still flinch when someone comes up behind me unexpectedly. There is a scientific reason why being mugged or assaulted affects us so profoundly. When we experience an “emotionally arousing event” such as a mugging, the amygdala – the tiny part of the brain in charge of deep, unconscious emotion and the “fight/flight/freeze” response – produces a protein that helps the nervous system convert immediate memories into permanent ones. In other words, the traumatic event becomes deeply embedded in our subconscious. Trauma can lead to serious mental health problems, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Bad dreams, flashbacks, irregular sleep and eating patterns, and feelings of numbness, loneliness, anger, fear or sadness are common responses to a disturbing event. However, if they persist for over a month, contacting your GP or the university counselling service is strongly recommended. Being a student in Manchester needn’t mean living in fear, but being aware of your surroundings and taking responsibility for your own safety is a fundamental part of growing up. While we can’t stop the perpetrators of assaults and muggings, we can take steps to avoid becoming victims. Keep your valuables hidden, your wits about you, and remember that safety comes in numbers – and that means not walking alone. Moya Crockett
Careers
The Intern Experience Dana Fowles tells us about her internship at recruitment company PageGroup Experience; the magic word uttered at every undergraduate career talk. We students are constantly reminded that our degrees aren’t enough to secure the jobs of our dreams. On the other hand, practice in the real world is CV gold. The question is where can you find something that a) fits in with your studies and b) provides you with those invaluable transferrable skills? For me, it was PageGroup. PageGroup is a worldwide leading specialist recruitment company and I’ve been interning at its Manchester office within the Michael Page Engineering & Manufacturing brand since September 2013. It’s that time of year when Page recruits for its summer and term time internships, along with the graduate programme. So if you’re an enthusiastic, target driven person, get in touch. My team were really welcoming from day one and the atmosphere in the office is great; one of my favourite perks is the drinks trolley that comes around towards the end of the day each Friday! I’m required to work a minimum of eight hours a week, which slots nicely into my third year English Literature timetable. PageGroup pay all of its interns a competitive wage; being rewarded for my time is refreshing when other companies are taking advantage of students by expecting them to work for free. Page is flexible when it comes to taking holiday and time off during exam periods, and on the flip side there are always more hours available if you fancy earning a bit of extra cash. The projects I’ve been given have helped to improve my communication and team working skills, as well as develop my commercial awareness of the industry. I definitely don’t spend all day making tea and coffee. For instance, one of the typical tasks given to me by my manager is to help consultants source new candidates for roles. This involves looking at example CVs and researching the job, the client and whole market in detail. I scan job sites for potential candidates who fit the desired criteria and follow up with phone calls to discuss the opportunities with them. A large part of my job is speaking to people to determine what they want from their career and how Page can help them to achieve this. Knowing that you are helping people in their future career is really rewarding. In addition to their internship opportunities, Page recruit around 80 graduates each year. The programme has helped over 300 graduates develop their careers as business leaders, many of whom are now managers and directors at Page. They are currently looking for their next round of grads - have a look at the Graduate Scrapbook to find out more and apply.
Students’ Union Awards 2014 Nominations are now open for the 2014 Students’ Union Awards. We’ll be awarding all of the awesome work done by our students over the past year, so nominate your favourite group, society, project or student by visiting the Students’ Union website.
Nominations close at midday on 11 April.
www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/unionawards
/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife
Sex & Relationships Finance
Lifestyle
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Education
Is it really possible to have a long- Tutoring in action distance relationship at uni? Matthew Grindulis reports on the charity bringing high-
Living miles away from your boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t easy – but it’s not all bad, says Martha Norman Before I begin, I’m aware that any piece about being in a relationship has the potential to sound smug, but bear with me. I’m twenty years old, in my second year, and I’ve been in a long distance relationship since first year. “Long-distance relationship” has become a bit of a dirty phrase, causing wincing and surprisingly passionate opinions from people I meet. Questions range from “Is it worth it?” to, “So you could technically cheat and they’d never know…?” My boyfriend and I had been going out for a long time before university. He lives in Bristol and we see each other every other weekend, which means both of us travelling between the two cities once a month. This works for us partly because we had a lot invested in the relationship before we came to uni, but also because doing the long-distance thing is simply not as bad as you might imagine. Yes, not being in the same city as your boyfriend or girlfriend can be hard, as can missing nights out or major events in your uni city. But when the event you’re missing is weighed up against the opportunity to see the person you’re with, any night by comparison will seem as appealing as watching Embarrassing Bodies whist eating a bloody steak. One of the main benefits of a long-distance relationship is getting time for your work. Most current university students are paying £9000 a year in fees, and so needless to say, good work is of paramount importance. Having space from your relationship allows you time to concentrate on your work, so that it’s all out of the way by time you see each other at the weekend. In a way it’s a bit like a crash-course in time management. Having made the decision to go to different universities, it would seem a waste not to work hard – so that’s what I try to do (most of the time). In short, this relationship arrangement allows you to be selfish during term time, which makes the £9000 a year – disgusting as it is – feel just a little bit more worth it. Not seeing your boyfriend every week also allow you to focus on friendships as though you’re single. Personally I find this incredibly important as a good network of friends in your university city is as important as any relationship. Bristol is an amazing city and is a university to which I applied and from which I was swiftly rejected. Getting to visit Bristol once a month means that I’ve gotten to know two cities really well and have ended up having friends in both. Finally, I’m hardly the first to discover that escaping from one’s university habitat can be really beneficial. Whether you go
home for the weekend or go to visit a friend, removing yourself from the uni bubble every now and again helps keep you sane. Getting out of Manchester once a month has be a saving grace at times with menacing deadlines and the other stresses that come with being a student. Having a person to support you, albeit in another city, is something which I probably owe about 70 per cent of my sanity to during stressful times, and something which I’m really grateful for. One stress which has not been helped by being in a longdistance relationship, however, is stress of the financial kind. Travel is expensive: always has been and always will be. Early bookings and railcards can be helpful but, unfortunately, this is one part of the story that just doesn’t have a happy ending. Now for the cringe-worthy bit. Seeing the person you love only twice a month isn’t always easy. However, it does keep the relationship _____________ (fill in space with whatever adjective you find the least offensive, from “fresh” to “exciting”). So, while it can be hard, “long-distance” needn’t be a dirty phrase anymore.
quality tutoring to inner-city Manchester schoolchildren
Private tutoring is a booming industry, with thousands of parents anxious to ensure their children succeed and willing to pay upwards of £30 an hour for bright young graduates to come and tutor their offspring. The Sutton Trust estimate that as many as a staggering 42% of 11-16 year olds now have a private tutor at some point during their secondary education. But what about the kids that can’t afford tutoring? That don’t have parents who will push for such a service or could afford it even if they wanted it? The increasing chasm between rich and poor in the British education system is well documented. 96% of children who attend private schools go on to university, compared to only 16% of pupils on free schools meals. Yet, education is a key resource in encouraging social mobility and as further education and training increasingly become requirements for a well-paid job, the pressure on achieving in school grows. Action Tutoring is an educational charity that believes that children of all backgrounds should be given equal opportunity to achieve academically to the best of their ability. Through a growing army of volunteer tutors, Action Tutoring are providing free tuition in English, Maths and Science to hundreds of pupils preparing for GCSEs in inner city schools. Since its beginnings in 2011 working with just two schools, the organization has grown rapidly, and expanded from London to Manchester last year. Following the success of the first launch outside of London, the programme is now underway in schools in Birmigham, Liverpool and Sheffield too. Action Tutoring work in partnership with inner city schools with a high percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals to offer free tuition to pupils who couldn’t otherwise afford it. High quality volunteers tutor one of two pupils for a minimum of an hour a week for 8 weeks. People volunteer for all sorts of reasons – to gain work experience, for their CVs, for the love of teaching and a desire to make the world a more equal place. Volunteering gives more young people the chance to do well in their exams and stand the best chance of going on to further education, employment or training. In Manchester over 150 volunteers are now supporting the charity, many from Manchester University. There are ambitious plans to keep growing the organization, with no shortage of Manchester schools wanting to get involved. Tutoring can make a huge difference to pupils, not just in terms of boosting their subject knowledge, but also in motivating, building confidence and increasing study skills. One pupil described her tutor as “inspirational, caring and motivational. […] Before meeting my tutor, I was nervous and was panicking about the English exams I was going to take. After working with my tutor and spending time with her, my confidence grew and I was excited for my exams. I could not have done it with her.” As the gaps in education only widen, there are no shortage of schools and pupils who will benefit from the support. If you think you could help combat the problems of educational inequality and close the gap in educational attainment, visit actiontutoring.org.uk for more information.
Photo: Les Chatfield (Flickr)
Health & Fitness
Fit for summer
Sunshine means showing some skin. Amy Bowden gives her exercise tips on feeling fit, healthy and confident this spring and summer Epilepsy Action Easter Bunny Hop (5k fun run) Saturday 19th April 2014 at 10am Heaton Park, Manchester (M25 2SW) £10 in advance, £12 on the day
Although we should try to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle throughout the year, there’s something about the bittersweet bikini/ speedo season that prompts most of us to start dieting and exercising more. Yes, as the weather begins to improve, layers of clothing gradually peel away and before you know it, there’s exposed toes and bare legs everywhere! Being body-confident during the summer months isn’t the be-all and end-all, but exercise can help with your self-esteem, boost your energy levels and reduce stress. Cycling adventures can be really worthwhile. Next Saturday morning (if you’re not hungover) why not pack some lunch, grab your bike and maybe a friend and head out for a few hours? There are many great cycle routes in Manchester. Manchester Cycleway is a nice route if you’d like some peace and quiet, taking you to most of the main spots in Manchester. However, if you find it easier, cycling to uni is just as beneficial fitness-wise – although perhaps not as tranquil during rush hour. Good at running or just like doing your bit for charity? There are several Manchester runs coming up, giving you the opportunity to support some fantastic causes as well as shedding some pounds. I have taken part in Europe’s biggest 10K race, the Bupa Great Manchester Run, and raised money for Wish upon a Star. This year the run takes place on Sunday 18th May, giving you enough time to start training so that you are fit and ready for the race and beyond. Setting yourself a goal like this can help you to build your fitness levels and commit to working out more regularly. Runningdiary.co.uk will keep you up to date with running events across the UK, but here are some noteworthy ones coming up in Manchester:
Bupa Great Manchester Run Sunday 18th May 2014 at 10am Manchester (M4) £38 We Love Manchester 10k Sunday 13th July 2014 at 9:30am Etihad Campus, Manchester (M11 3FF) Early bird attached - £14.00 Early bird unattached - £16.00 Whether you’ll be lying on a beach or partying at a festival this summer, we should all prepare our bodies for the sun, alcohol and our wardrobes. So, why not make an early start?
Photo: Lee Nixon (Flickr)
ISSUE 01/ 15th September 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
SPORT
/TheMancunion @Mancunion_Sport
Sports Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Liam Kelly, Will Kelly
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Contact: sport@mancunion.com
Comment: Manchester United need a change in philosophy A break from the ‘Manchester United way’ is necessary to rebuild Will Kelly Sports Editor Manchester United’s disastrous performance last season led to many claiming that this could well be the beginning of a decline for the former giants. Such arguments rested on the case that David Moyes, the manager who was hand chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson as his successor, had inherited a squad in decline. One only has to look at the likes of Manchester City, where one could easily pick a whole new starting XI that would be deemed competitive. They have the ultimate strength of depth while Manchester United had seemed to be too patient with the likes of Ashley Young, Nani, Cleverley and Anderson. However, it is of course too simplistic to address this as the ultimate reason for last seasons’ decline. I would argue that David Moyes was a lot to blame. It was never going to be easy to replace Sir Alex but Moyes had made damaging mistakes. His failure to perform in the transfer market was unacceptable. After the failed pursuit of Cesc Fabregas, Moyes opted to sign Fellaini and later Mata out of desperation. Although both good players, neither were the domineering midfielder that United craved. Meanwhile, Moyes successor at Everton, Roberto Martinez, bought in Lukaku, Barry and Deuolfeu. Moyes’ lack of game plan was also a catalyst for his downfall as lineups would be seen to be baffling in the tactical sense. Take his decision to opt to play Giggs and Fellaini in midfield against Everton at home; Everton would obliterate the midfield in the counter attack as neither had the legs to work back effectively. The Liverpool game also showed the lack of strategy from Moyes. He was too eager to start Mata, Januzaj, Rooney and Robin Van Persie all at once, when perhaps it would have made more sense to devise a plan to stop Liverpool’s impressive midfield. Instead Mata was played out wide, where he had no effect on creating chances, nor the legs to get back to help his fullback . Liverpool’s midfield would exploit these spaces left. Drastic change was needed in the summer and so in stepped the new manager, Louis Van Gaal. His C.V speaks for itself: he has enjoyed Champions League success with a rather young Ajax
Will Van Gaal’s revolution prove fruitful? Photo: @MENNEWSDESK
team and has won league titles with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Most recently, he had just led the Dutch National team to a third place finish at the World Cup in Brazil. He has often been credited of discovering the great players of our generation, with Seedorf, Xavi and Iniesta and Muller being most notable examples. This track record has enabled him to attract the calibre of player Manchester United are looking for David Moyes arguably needed to prove himself as a manager first before he was able to attract players he had wanted. Now Manchester United have ‘splashed the cash’, with the summer acquisitions of Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rojo, Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao on loan for a combined £150 million. In ‘splashing the cash’, Van Gaal has hindered what has been one of the most crucial ethos’ of Manchester United as a football club: its youth development. His contract itself, that being 3 years (compared to 5 years that David Moyes had signed), implies short term success as the aim. It is therefore quite upsetting seeing Danny Welbeck, a local lad from Longsight, leave to join Arsenal. I don’t blame him for wanting to leave either, most Manchester United fans can understand the ability he has but unfortunately, he is not given the chance he deserves to prove himself. With Champions League games lacking this season, Welbeck is at the age that he needs to be playing regularly to be able to improve. This does not mean
that Manchester United won’t continue to produce good young players. Tyler Blackett for instance, has started every game this season. But one can only imagine in such a short term plan to get Manchester United back to winning trophies again, that youth development would have to be put on hold. The expensive signings made are necessary, considering the squad looks depleted compare to Manchester City’s. How Louis Van Gaal has lined the team up to play is certainly not what one would regard to be the ‘Manchester United way’. Manchester United are known for quick counter attacking football, which they have always used wingers to play such daring football where chances were taken to win the game. What we now see with Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation is a specialised, disciplined structure. This had worked incredibly well for Van Gaal at the World Cup and he essentially believes that with this shape, it is easier to defend as the player would defend the space and the opposing player coming into it. However, there must be reservations with the formation. Roberto Mancini in his final season at City had initially insisted on playing 3 at the back, but this had led to notable criticism from his own players. City would crash out of Europe, without winning a game in their group and the formation was dropped. Can Van Gaal really make this work then? Time will only tell. The formation itself has so far seemed to make the Manchester United players nervous
in defence. They appear to knock it around, unsure what to do. Personally, I would think Evans should start as the middleman instead of Jones. Jones of course can play in the other 2 centre back roles, but he hasn’t got quite the confidence to bring the ball out and to feed the midfield. Evans in this department is remarkably comfortable on the ball. In signing Rojo and Blind, perhaps Van Gaal has gone for players that are specialised for this formation. Blind for instance can operate as the wide wing back, or can play as the holding midfielder and may very well help bring the ball out of defence. Many have argued that Manchester United should have signed a ‘world class’ centre back this summer but I see this to be very harsh on Smalling, Evans, Jones and Rafael. Without midfield structure last season, the Manchester United defence had very little help and this was able to exploit such experienced defenders as Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra. It is hard to beat the drum that such players are ‘past it’, considering they had just won the league a year before. According to Squawka, the Manchester United keeper David De Gea made more saves (87) than any of the top 4 teams goalkeepers, which seems to reflect how exposed they were. It is not easy for young players to suddenly stand out and certainly confidence would have been depleted when bad results are consistent. Moreover, at no point in Moyes’ reign did the starting XI remain
the same and such amount of changes does not help to build consistency. Creating chances was also very poor last season, with Squawka recording that Manchester United created the least amount of chances compared to the teams that finished in the top 4 thi season. Manchester United could only carve out 388, which is low compared to the winners Manchester City at 533. In terms of assists, United were also at the lowest with 37, compared to City’s 65. United are famous for wing play but Moyes took it to extremes last year as shown in the 2-2 draw against Fulham where 905 crosses were attempted, more than any other team in the league. This made United look too predictable. Van Gaal has set out to solve this problem by signing Angel Di Maria for a British Transfer fee of £59.7 million. He alone was able to create 90 chances in a season, along with succeeding in 17 assists. Perhaps United will be able to switch to 4-3-3, to accommodate Falcao in attack. There is no need to introduce Falcao as the man has proven to be a goal machine, but it will be interesting to see who will be dropped in the line up to accommodate him. Although it is upsetting to see the sacrifice of youth, United fans are able to see a plan in place, something that was very difficult to see under David Moyes. Yes the defence may look a bit shaky but perhaps we should be patient before we can criticise it, to see if the players can regain their confidence. Van Gaal has arrived and has take the challenge by the scruff of its neck. He has already stated that the squad is “unbalanced” with the amount of number 10s in the squad. This has led to the departure of Kagawa back to Bourissa Dortmund, a player I believe has been wasted by Manchester United. Others have also been shown the door with the notable players of Javier Hernandez, Cleverley and Nani leaving on loan. The great question is, how on earth was Anderson able to survive the cull? Nevertheless, it is exciting times for Manchester United. Not since 2009 have Manchester United seen such an attacking force, with such players as Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov. The question must only be a matter of time before they start competing at the top again
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ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
In BOD we trust
Veteran Irish centre bows out with silverware Andrew Georgeson Sports Editor There’s a photo doing the rounds of internet at the moment of Brian O’Driscoll. He’s sitting in a messy changing room, resting against the space where his kit hung hours earlier. In one hand a phone, presumably reading texts from loved ones, or checking a no-doubt inundated twitter feed, and in the other, a can of Heineken. On his face there is a contemplative look. Is he upset? Probably. Happy? Perhaps. Drunk? Almost certainly getting there. Regretful? Definitely not. The key thing about this photo is in the forefront, because sitting on the medics bench we see the 6-nations trophy, with green banners hanging down low. The photo speaks of the man. A humble genius. His bow out at the Aviva Stadium saw him run out before his team, just as Jason Robinson did in Paris when he earned his 50th cap, and saw a wry smile when he was subbed off after a trademark outrageous pass to seal his place in folklore. I am against putting sporting stars on pedestals, no matter how great they are or were. O’Driscoll’s bow out could have been a piggy-bank for Puma if they printed thousands of BOD green Ireland shirts and flogged them outside of the Aviva Stadium, but they didn’t. They could have had a ‘dare to Zlatan’ hashtag to describe his impossible feats throughout his years. They could have made a #carrymehome like
England have worked to surprising effect this campaign, with Brian Moore summing it up as ‘I guess middle-class people can make noise.’ But this wasn’t
nations campaign. The gimmicks and hashtags would not have spoken properly of the player that he has been. The player who has had
Umaga ended his 2005 Lions tour, we felt aggrieved after Warren Gatlin left him out of the Lions squad for the final test against Australia, and we all fell in
As cool as you like: Brian O’Driscoll celebrates with a beer after Six Nations victory Source: @Rugby_IE
needed. We are aware of his ability, whether it was his hat-trick in Paris all those years ago, or his pass against Italy to allow Sexton to score this 6
every right to feel aggrieved with his bad luck, and has also had every right to boast about his excellence. We felt his anguish after the horror tackle from
love with him a bit more when we saw the photo of him taking the Heineken cup to the girl in hospital, I’ll admit it. I would much rather have
seen him lift in 6 nation’s trophy, even in the gut-wrenching circumstances that he did, rather than one of the current crop of arrogant England players He has the reason to be arrogant, 245 points in 133 caps, captaining 82 of them since 1999 and 8 Lions caps in four tours scoring 5 points shows a man who has been there and seen it all. He holds the World Record for the most international points. Perhaps most impressively in the modern game he has not sold his soul to a French franchise, staying with his club Leinster throughout his whole career. In a post-match interview with the BBC O’Driscoll stated that he was still wearing his shirt hours after the match because he was ‘milking it’ as he knew it was the last time that he would pull on the green shirt. But who can really blame him, most of us would probably still be wearing it now. But I’m sure it won’t be the last time we see him around the Ireland camp. I imagine he’ll be in the stands in their next match, in a Jordan Henderson watching Sunderland in the League Cup Final, rather than an Alex Ferguson kind of way. It isn’t a fairy tale story. He is the son of two doctors, from a middle-class family with a proud rugby tradition, his father and uncle having both played for Ireland. Nor is it a eulogy. It is simply an appreciation of the way he conducted himself throughout his career. He is a role model for young hot headed players, such as Owen Farrell, and will go on to inspire generations.
Paddys’ Power to Six Nations
Callum Millar looks at this year’s thrilling championships Going into the final round, there were three teams in with a shout of winning the RBS Six Nations championship. England, Ireland and France all put in a mighty shift but ultimately the luck of the Irish came through. I could discuss what has been one of the closest and most exciting tournaments in recent years for many more words than I have space for here, so here are my thoughts on the two key areas for the gold and silver medal winning horses… English defence: The focus was always going to be on the attacking capabilities since the brick wall defence masterminded by rugby league legend Andy Farrell has been a given for three seasons now. However, after leaking tries and chasing leads against Australia, New Zealand and, right at the start of the campaign, France, I hoped that the focus on scoring tries wouldn’t come at the expense of preventing conceding them. Assuming we take the two lucky bounces and an injury putting debutant Luther Burrell on the wing that Fickou stole down for the last-gasp win in Paris and put them to one side the remainder of the championship tells a very interesting story: scored twelve, conceded two. The champions Wales were limited to long-range pots from Halfpenny, Scotland were nilled at Murrayfield for the first time by England in 42 years, Italy could only muster an intercept from an England side forced into
playing glorified sevens to boost their points difference and Ireland only scored their try thanks to a deceptive piece of off-the-ball from Paul O’Connell on Joe Launchbury. England’s umbrella blitz has, at times, been found out by
leads both tackles (65) and missed tackles (10) for the tournament) but the usual result is watching a multi-phase attack being pushed back by a wall of white. It’s not glamorous but it wins games, and I am at least as impressed by
coached province Leinster to three Heineken Cup victories in four years. Sides under the enigmatic Joe Schmidt tend to have an intelligent, sharp attacking game, a collective camaraderie and an unshakeable
A jubilant Irish side celebrate their triumph in the Stade de France Source: @TelegraphSport
short chips, cross-field kicks, fast hands or the odd one-on-one missed tackle but their drift and scramble is most often more than enough to deal with the line breaks. It makes for an alarming number of tackles missed statistic at the end of a campaign (captain Robshaw
their improvement in defence as their new flair in attack. New Zealand will give them a far sterner test of this area in the summer. Irish tactics: Irish rugby fans needed no introducing to the new head coach who had
self-belief. My favourite recent example of this was the Leinster win over Northampton in the 2011 HC final- they were beaten, gone, history by half time. Schmidt sprinkled some half-time magic juice and Jonny Sexton inspired the team to an unbelievable come-back
victory. Given the talent available to Irish rugby in the past decade, their return of one Six Nations title has been somewhat criminal and as a fan of the sport I was excited to see what would happen when a shrewd, successful coach was given the reins. Almost defeating New Zealand in but his first series should have rung alarm bells. Then he told his side to throw out the script and kick and maul their way to an emphatic crushing of Wales. When they needed to score points against Italy, he got them to grind them down and then go wide- final score 46-7. His national team had only won in Paris once since 1972. Needing to win there to take the championship he roused his team over the (often much underestimated) psychological barrier to take the title. Occasionally he was guilty of trying too hard to be unpredictable- their maul might have stolen a crucial victory over England in round three but they persisted with the new gameplan. And true, their improvement might not be as much a given as Englands given the raft of retirements around the corner (farewell Brian O’Driscoll, you were always the name I didn’t want on the sheet facing England), but it’ll be exciting to be an Irish fan in the foreseeable future, if only for the kiwi coach and his box of magic tricks. Agree with my choice of the key areas for the six nations? Continue the debated with @Mancunion_Sport.
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ISSUE 19/ 24th MARCH 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM/
@mancunion_sport Women’s futsal storm through to final
Anya Golder reports on a thrilling semi-final victory
After a difficult start to the season, considerable improvement from the Women’s Futsal team saw them in the semi-final of the BUCS Trophy after beating a strong Newcastle side 6-4 the previous week. The opposition, Bristol University, also had a good performance in the quarter finals, seeing off Exeter University to earn their place in the semi-final. Manchester, captained by Golder, started the game with the defenders Luk and Agostinho dictating the pace of play, looking for the right opportunity to play the ball through to Pociunate upfront. However, a counter attack from the Bristol forwards finished with a toe poke to give the visitors the lead after only 3 minutes. Manchester replied quickly, with excellent combination play between Croasdale and Mapp, equalising with a brilliant goal from outside the area by Mapp. The first half continued to see Manchester dominate, not only with possession but with some of the best play of the season and all four players contributing to the attacking gameplay with backheels and aerial balls. This led to many goal-scoring opportunities which Manchester unfortunately did not capitalise on. The second half saw a much more motivated Bristol team but solid defend-
ing from Chea left Manchester keeper Jokhan untroubled. A valiant display by
goalkeeper controlled the situation, getting to all of Manchester’s shots. The
Manchester repeatedly had chances denied by a heroic display from the Bristol
The women’s futsal team pose victorious at the Sugden
Lau on the wing set up opportunities for Croasdale but the towering Bristol
game proceeded with Bristol hardly managing to get a shot on target, whilst
furious protests from the visitors, but the opportunity was blocked leading to a counter attack from Bristol, safely collected by Jokhan. With the game drawn 1-1 at full time, extra time ensued with both teams feeling nervy. Luk went on an excellent run down the left wing, taking it past two players before catching the goalkeeper off her line and slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to put Manchester ahead, leading to a pitch invasion from the home team. Bristol continued to blast shots from long range but with none getting anywhere near the goal. A consistent performance in defence by Hauck made sure Manchester stayed tight at the back until the full time whistle blew. The celebrations began as the Manchester team, in only their second season, had deservedly gained a place in the BUCS Trophy Final with Bristol facing a long journey back down south. Manchester will now travel to the University of Bedfordshire on the 30th of March to take on Nottingham Trent University for the trophy. Squad: Jokhan, Luk, Croasdale, Mapp, Agostinho, Pociunate, Golder (c), Lau, Hauck, Chea
number 1. A controversial free kick to Manchester 3 minutes from time led to
Hockey thwarted by Christie rivals Leeds Josh Cook reports on a difficult day at the Armitage for men’s hockey
Manchester men’s hockey first 11 fell to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Leeds in their first of two Premier North play offs on Wednesday evening at the Armitage. In a match that was to be dominated by debateable umpiring decisions Manchester can rightfully feel hard done by as they played most of the second half with ten men, which would ultimately cost them at the end of the game. The opening 15 minutes proved to be scrappy with both sides attempting to work their way into the match and trying to force an error from the opposition defence. However, both teams looked more than capable at the back and one felt it would take a moment of skill to open the scoring. This was proven to not be the case as on 16 minutes an extremely questionable penalty corner was handed to the away side to the anger of the home contingent, the relevant offence seemingly to have taken place outside of the circle. The visitors did not let the pressure affect their move and following an initial reflex save from the Manchester keeper the rebound was smashed in to the jubilation of the travelling players. The Manchester bench looked for a reaction from the players but the efforts were delayed as ten minutes later Leeds made it 2. A messy attempt guiding the ball to a central teammate handed the ball to an onrushing attacker and with a quick break down
the right-hand side the ball found its way on the by-line at the hands of the Leeds winger. A clever flick over the helpless goalkeeper and the ball was guided in from all of two yards.
shown a yellow card as tempers grew with the officials over soft fouls which stopped any real flow in the game. On 32 minutes Leeds had the ball in the back of the goal once more and
the reality that they not only faced a strong Leeds team, but a harsh pairing of officials overseeing the game. The next goal you felt was critical with both sides still very much in with a chance
Men’s hockey struggle to force their way back into the game at the Armitage
The rest of the first half proved to be much like the opening 15 minutes as the hosts struggled to break down the Leeds defence. Each side had a player
if it wasn’t for a foul being spotted it would’ve been all but over. At the half time whistle a despondent Manchester returned to the bench with
of taking the spoils. Unfortunately, the confidence from the hosts was cut short as it was the visitors who struck a killer blow 10 minutes into the second
half. Once more from a penalty corner, which was again questioned by seemingly every player in purple, Leeds struck home from the edge of the D to all but end any chance of a second half comeback. For one Manchester player this proved too much and the team were forced to finish the game with ten men. The game then turned into an exhibition for both sides as Manchester attempted to salvage a consolation out of the match. 5 minutes before the end, a fast flowing run down the left hand side was finished off with style as the ball was put through the legs of the keeper to make it 3:1. A Brilliant solo goal was recognised by the home supporters with cheers and applause, yet, this would prove to be in vain. The home side pushed throughout the last 5 minutes and through forcing a succession of three penalty corners they had their second of the evening. Struck well into the bottom right corner the goal was to be the final action of the game as the umpire brought an end to proceedings. On a poor afternoon for Manchester the two late goals will serve as positives from an altogether poor performance. The team will be hoping their form can return when they travel to Leeds in two weeks’ time to compete in the second leg of the play-off.
SPORT
24th MARCH 2014/ ISSUE 19 FREE
MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Christie preview
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Futsal in the final
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: @Mancunion_Sport : /TheMancunion
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Defeat for Hockey
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Last kick heartbreak sinks Rugby Union in season finale The University of Manchester 1st 17 The University of Durham 2nd
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Rob Eden Sports Reporter Manchester 1st XV suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Durham 2nd XV last Wednesday at the Armitage, going down 18-17 with the last kick of the game. The opening moments of the game were fairly even. Both sides created chances, but it was perhaps Manchester that should have opened their account first. Throwing in at a lineout on the 10-metre line in Durham territory, Manchester sent crash balls through the midfield edging ever closer to Durham’s try line. However, 5 metres out on the far left of the pitch, Manchester’s fly half Paddy Shaw attempted a chip through Durham’s defensive line but some great coverage from Durham’s scrum half nullified the danger. Durham immediately hit back with their own counter-attack, but couldn’t quite finish when camped out in Manchester’s 22 – no matter how many times their inside-centre was sent on a crash ball. The game was deadlocked, with possession constantly changing hands. The midfield seemed to be riddled with gaps for constant exploitation by both teams, yet the trenches in World War One saw more movement than when either team’s attack reached the 5-metre line. Both team’s try line defences were impeccable in the first quarter of the match. After 20 minutes the game changed in favour of Durham. Opting for the left hand corner from a penalty, Durham had a lineout in dangerous territory. Durham peeled off their maul and were brought down one yard short of the line. Manchester forward Harry ‘Egg’ Booth was then controversially penalised for handling in the ruck and was shown a yellow card. Taking advantage of this extra man,
Durham decided on a scrum. Twice Manchester survived the driving scrum, and in the next phase Durham’s 12 was penalised for holding on. Manchester had survived for now. Another attack came Manchester’s way five minutes later. A three-on-two overlap occurred along the narrow right hand channel. Realising this,
a penalty to bring their tally to eight, whilst Manchester speedster Takuma Uehara scored a try after finally getting the ball in his hands with a bit of space to run into. Manchester entered half time only one point down at eightseven. In the second half Manchester had the wind behind them, which must have
and Manchester in particular had to resort to chips and cross-field kicks to get past. Neither worked. After 64 minutes had elapsed, Manchester’s Will Simmonds ripped the ball in the tackle and must have been surprised to turn and see an open field in front of him. From the right hand touchline on halfway Simmonds
Despite leading, a late penalty denied Manchester victory in their season finale at the Armitage.
Manchester’s scrum-half Dom Serridge went for an interception, unfortunately he was unable to hold on to the ball. The referee awarded a penalty for a deliberate knock-on. Manchester were again defending a lineout on their try line. This time the extra man in the pack proved decisive, as the resultant forwards work, propelled Durham over the line for the first points of the game. The kick was however missed. Durham led five-nil. The final ten minutes of the half saw ten more points scored. Durham added
been a factor in the decision to go for goal from Durham’s 10-metre line. That and kicker Owen Waldin seemed to be in superb form with the boot, having already converted Uehara’s try from a difficult position. Although the wind was behind them it was still blustery, making a direct kick in front of the posts hard. Waldin didn’t seem to think so, making the 40-metre kick with ease to bring Manchester into the lead immediately after half time. The next twenty minutes took the same shape as the first half’s opening quarter. Both defences stayed strong
raced for the line with one Durham defender in pursuit, eventually stepping him for a try. Waldin didn’t miss and Manchester looked to be cruising for a win at 17-8. This was shown by the eleven phased pick and drive display down the left hand touchline in Durham’s half. It was clear that Manchester were trying to slow the game down as they entered the final ten minutes. However, with less than five minutes remaining, Durham were camped out in the Manchester 22. Various scrums and phases kept the clock running
and Durham’s inside centre finally managed to break a tackle and scored right under the posts for an easy kick. With the score at 17-15 and about a minute remaining, Manchester didn’t really have time to be nervous. Durham caught the restart and immediately picked a gap taking the ball to Manchester’s 22. Disaster then struck as Manchester were penalised for an infringement at the breakdown. Durham would be kicking from just outside the 22 and just to the right of the posts for the win. The crowd was silent, as Durham’s kicker only just made the kick. The successful kick was the last play of the game and the season for Manchester. The Manchester players held their heads in their hands as Durham celebrated the 18-17 win. It was a cruel piece of fate in a physical battle that had kept 100 spectators glued to the famous Armitage embankment despite the chilling winds. The loss means Manchester finish below Durham in the table by three points.
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