Platform Magazine - March 2011 by Nottingham Trent Students Union

THE MUSIC EDITION

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Music Covers with a kick Features Jump to it: Skydiving with Trent RAG Health What does your future hold? Travel Wham bam Amsterdam Gaming & Tech Broadway, your way Fashion The 1970s are calling

Nina Smith

A singing sweetheart et -online.n

20 March

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Editor’s Letter www.platform-online.net E D I TO R- I N - CH I E F

MARY ANN PICKFORD mary.pickford@su.ntu.ac.uk D E PU T Y E D I TO R

OLIVER WHITFIELD-MIOČIĆ deputy-editor@platform-online.net NE W S / FE AT U R E S E D I TO R

ALEXANDER PAGE news@platform-online.net M U S I C E D I TO R

JAMIE MIDDLETON music@platform-online.net FI L M E D I TO R

JAMES GORDON film@platform-online.net PH OTO GR A PH Y E D I TO R

STEFAN EBELEWICZ photos@platform-online.net A RTS E D I TO R

MICHAEL WORRALL arts@platform-online.net FA S H I O N E D I TO R

LUCY BUDGE

fashion@platform-online.net T R AV E L E D I TO R

LIZ RIORDAN

travel@platform-online.net G AM I N G & T E CH N O LO GY E D I TOR

AARON LEE

gaming@platform-online.net H E A LT H E D I TO R

LAUREN ROITMAN health@platform-online.net S PO RTS E D I TO R

WILLIAM TAYLOR sports@platform-online.net

ello! Here we have the music edition…

We are celebrating all sorts of different styles and genres of music in this issue. We go from bigging up the local Notts scene by interviewing the talented Nina Smith (featured on our cover and on page 12), to chatting with established American DJ Claude Von Stroke (page 18). In our photos spread (pages 31-33) we’ve got some snaps of the Saturdays and Johnny Foreigner. We also discuss covers and their original roots (page 16) and even bring forth a small introduction to dubstep for those still lagging behind (page 14). Whether you’re a fan or not, check out what our fellow Trent soldiers are saying about the grimy dirty sounds in our Trent Voices feature (page 24). Intertwined with music is nightlife, and wherever clubs are there are sure to be massive speakers booming within. So it’s pretty important to know exactly how much damage is being done to your ears (page 50). So to some, it kinda looks like Notts doesn’t have much to offer by way of homegrown musical talent. But chip away at the bad reputation and you’ll find an amazing support network for underground music and artists. As students we might only be here for a short three years or so but if you’re big into your music, either as a musician or on-looker, it’s worth it to get to know the local scene as it is chock-full of talented people. Take, for example, Liam Bailey, who’s featured on Chase & Status’ track Blind Faith. He’s Notts. As is Dog Is Dead, who’s been getting Radio One airplay. And Detonate, that infamous club event, as well as Elementz Productions, repping the urban side of things. Surprised? Don’t be. If you’re really into your music, get out there, get involved with the Notts scene, and appreciate one of the most underrated cities for underground music EVER. ‘Nuff rants. Much love :)

D E S I GN E R S

SIMONA CIOCOIU ANDY LAWRENCE LEE SKINNER comms@su.ntu.ac.uk

Mary Ann Pickford Editor-in-Chief Platform Magazine

Nottingham Trent Students Union, Byron House, Shakespeare Street Nottingham NG1 4GH 0115 848 6200 0115 848 6201 EMAIL platform@su.ntu.ac.uk TEL FAX

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES

Email the relevant address above left PRESS/PR ENQUIRIES

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Contact BAM Student Marketing on 0845 1300 667 or www.trentstudents.org/student_marketing

Cover photo: Faolan Jones

Platform is an independent publication, and any views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Nottingham Trent Students Union and its Elected Directors and Officers. Companies advertised in Platform are not necessarily endorsed by Nottingham Trent Students Union. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor.

Contents

6-7 Union News

25-30 Fashion

52-55 Film

+2011 NTSU Elections +Fly FM presents Varsity +Charity football match +2 minutes with the Exec...

+Male style icons +Spring style trends +Face primers / Long clothing +Bantum x Pulse hoodys + Trent Street Style

+DVD Reviews

8-11 Features

31-33 Photos

56-59 Gaming

+Democracy in the Middle East +Skydiving with Trent RAG +Column Varsity Series

+Broadway, your way +Interview Crytek UK

12-22 Music

34-40 Travel

60-61 Sports

+Interview Nina Smith +Introducing Dubstep +Covers with a kick +Interview Claude Von Stroke +Album Reviews Andy McKee, Chapel Club, The Quails +Review Firefly

+Dublin +Amsterdam +Aix-en-Provence +Skiing in the Alps +The Algarve

+Photos from Trent Dance’s ‘Synergy’

24 Trent Voices

41-43 Arts

63 Notts Events & NTSU Ents Listings

+Platform’s hot picks +Review End of the Rainbow +Review Legally Blonde: The Musical

44-51 Health +What does your future hold? +Savoury and sweet recipes +Depression +Ear plugs

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

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Go To Uni. Get a Degree Pick a Candidate NTSU Elections nominations now closed

Voting dates: 14-18th March See the candidate manifestos online: trentstudents.org/elections or email elections@su.ntu.ac.uk for more info.

Union News www.trentstudents.org

Online voting opens for the 2011 NTSU Officer elections on Monday 14th March, and closes at 5pm on Friday 18th March. To decide who will run NTSU and represent you over the next academic year, go to trentstudents.org/elections. Not sure who to vote for? On the NTSU election pages you can see information about all the candidates, including their manifesto and video outlining their policies. If you want to question the candidates directly, come to the Q&A in Byron Lecture Theatre, from 6pm on Monday 14th March. You can also watch the Q&A live online at trentstudents.org/elections. Remember, you have until 5pm on Friday 18th March to vote.

FLY FM PRESENTS VARSITY W

ell hello there! We’re Fly FM, your student radio station for NTU. We’re in Platform every month telling you all you need to know about our shows and making sure you don’t miss a thing! It’s March, and that means we’re in the middle of the Varsity period! And at Fly FM, we’re fanatical about everything to do with Varsity! We love it so much we’re making the station your one stop place for everything you could possibly need to know; from ticket sales to scores, you name it, we’re covering it!

This year’s Charity Varsity Series between University of Nottingham and our very own Trent kicked off on the 6th February with American Football at Harvey Hadden Stadium, followed by the much anticipated Ice Hockey on the 21st February. If you’ve still never been to a Varsity game before, be prepared to put on your Trent Army war paint at show your allegiance to the greatest Uni in the world.

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

Excited? You should be! The Varsity series is the biggest sporting event of the year and tickets are sure to sell out fast! Fly FM are going to be at every Varsity event, keeping you up to date with all the scores and goings on, so make sure you tune in over the next few months! Also, keep an eye out for the Fly FM ground squad at matches they’ll be dressed in bright yellow t-shirts and probably holding a microphone- don’t be shy to say hello! Until next month, The Fly FM Team

THE WORLD’S LONGEST CHARITY 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL MATCH

s part of RAG, Pete Cassidy and Dan Yeomans, who both play for NTU Men’s Football Club, will be climbing to Mount Everest Base Camp in aid of ChildReach International. ChildReach is a children’s charity that works with local communities in some of the world’s poorest regions, helping them give their children a brighter future. Both Pete and Dan have a set target of £2,400 and so to fundraise for this challenge of a lifetime they are taking on another challenge of a lifetime. They are going to attempt to set a new Official Guinness World Record for the longest five-a-side football match EVER. A maximum of 16 players will be used and will be playing for 36 HOURS. It will take place at the Lee Westwood Sports Centre, Clifton Campus starting from Thursday 10th March midnight until Saturday 12th March noon. There will be a competition to win a signed Arsenal FC football plus more great prizes so if you would like to come down and show some support feel free. If you would like to know more, how to sponsor or potentially get involved please e-mail pwcassidy@hotmail.co.uk

MINUTES WITH THE EXEC...

Andrew Schulten, VP Sports

Interview by Mary Ann Pickford M: Hey Andy, how would you describe your role as VP Sports? A: As VP Sports I represent all of the sports clubs to the university, make sure I’m the student voice on the senior management team for sports department, organise events such as Varsity - the whole organisation of it from start to finish - organise the sports ball and the sports tour as well. And then also just try to push sports throughout the university. M: Cool. I remember last year during the elections the costs of sports membership here seemed to be quite a hot topic and that students wanted it to be a lot cheaper, have you done anything to bring it down this year? A: This year unfortunately because there’s brand new sports facilities at Clifton there was no way they could reduce the amount. However myself and James Hayter [director of sport and lifestyle at NTU] have been talking all year about better ways in which to get more members and also to make it more worthwhile, such as off-peak/on-peak [fees]. We’re also looking at introducing halls fees, so as a fresher when you sign up for halls fees you can tick a box to say you don’t want it otherwise you’ll automatically have it. And if you have it from the first day you’re more likely to go to the gym then. It would be a bit of a cheaper option as well if it’s in the halls fees. M: Would this be enforced this year or next year? A: I’m not a hundred per cent sure yet as James [Hayter] is still in talks with Steven Jackson who’s his boss… M: So it’s something that’s still in the works? A: It’s in the works, yeah. It’s something that I knew, when I got the role, that it wouldn’t be something that I could pull [together] in one year. The amount of market research I’ve had to do is quite high and it’s always tough in your first year of office to get such big changes done in, not even a year, ‘cause by the time you get settled down there’s only about eight months left. M: To some students sports clubs and societies seem a bit exclusive and only accessible to those who fit a certain image, what would you say to that? A: All our sports clubs are open, there are a few clubs that, if you don’t get into them straight away you can’t really join later on and that’s mainly the competitive clubs. To get into a first team or second team you have to train and some clubs don’t have the option of Saturday teams. But there’re plenty of clubs that are literally ‘just turn up’ and we’ve got our ‘no excuses netball’ which is literally turn up and play, no commitment to training and things like that. I think that opinion is just of people looking from the outside in, not the people who actually try to get involved ‘cause there’s plenty of other opportunities to get involved if you try. M: What would your advice be to those running for Sports VP in the elections this year? A: I’ve actually met with over half of them already and my advice has been the same to all of them: just make sure everything you promise in your manifesto is realistic, make sure they’re achievable and manageable, and make sure during campaign week you don’t just run around shouting ‘vote for me’. Make sure you sit down and talk to people and, it’s not all about the sports clubs there’s only 1,500 sports and fitness members of clubs whereas there’s 27,000 students in the Uni, so there’s loads of other people not involved in sport at the moment so go out there, try and find out why that is and try to involve them in your manifesto. M: Lastly, what’s the best experience you’ve ever had while taking part in sports clubs and societies? A: Probably, at Trent last year winning the Varsity rugby. This year was probably the Varsity ice hockey on Monday. That was absolutely amazing, having an event that you’ve organised be so successful and Trent winning as well. It’s always a good thing. M: Wicked, thank you very much!

www.platform-online.net |

Features Edited by Alexander Page (news@platform-online.net)

Democracy in the Middle East... The Middle East has been taking centre stage in the media spotlight for some time in recent years. In particular and most recently Egypt has seen a lot of disruption in its nation as its people call for a fairer way to get their voices heard. But is the Middle East set for democracy? JONATHAN ISAACS discusses the issues…

fter thirty years of corrupt leadership the Egyptian people are still rejoicing after President Hosni Mubarak handed power to the military. However the question that many around the world are now asking is: what’s next for Egypt? Even though Mubarak has stepped down, the country still appears to be in crisis. Egypt still has many social and economic problems. Poverty within the state is rife with 20% of the country still living below the poverty line. It is one of the few Arab countries not to have the luxury of oil. Even without such a bargaining chip they have managed to keep very strong relations with the West especially the United States. Also the country still has a very tense relationship with Israel, and the departure of Mubarak has led to a fear that Islamic extremism is set to grow within the Jewish state. Although Israel and Egypt are not very close they had made some progress in recent years, also sharing a mutual friend in the US and the UK. Israel’s relationship with Egypt was not close by any means but Israel

was much closer to the Egyptians than they are with Iran and other Arab nations. The United States, Israel and the United Kingdom will all be very keen to see how the situation in the troubled state turns out. However, even with the major problems that still exist within the country, the upcoming elections in September appear to be a beacon of light to the Egyptian people. The military,who currently control the region, have sworn that the elections will be free and fairbut as countries like Zimbabwe have shown promising free and fair elections means nothing. Egypt can be sure that the West will be keeping a close eye on how the situation unfolds over the coming months. President Obama has come out and said that he is seeing “the right signals” from the Egyptian military as they try to establish some sort of order. During the eighteen-day protest President Obama and Mr Cameron were very much on the fence when asked if Hosni Mubarak should step down from power. Mubarak’s decision to hand over power to the military was welcomed by the

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

Are they ready? “The military have sworn that the elections will be free and fair.” West but behind closed doors they will probably feel somewhat concerned by his departure. Although Mubarak was by no means the perfect leader what could potentially come next could spell the end for Egyptian relations with Israel, United States and the UK. The West will be very much concerned by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamic extremist group that will see Mubarak’s departure as an opportunity to snatch power. Should the Brotherhood manage to gain power one major area of concern, apart from political cooperation, will be the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal is a shipping way that allows transportation between Europe and Asia. If the group gains power they would surely not allow the West to continue using the route. This would cause major disruption all over the world as ships would have to navigate all the way around Africa. There is also the issue of Iran, Siria and Jordan, all of who will be keen to see the Muslim Brotherhood rise to power in the region.

Such a result would cause huge problems for Israel who would then once again be surrounded by countries that are strongly against the Jewish state. It is difficult to see the benefits of Mubarak’s departure but one has to think about the Egyptian people and what their lives have been like under the political dictatorship. I hope that the military can bring some sort of stability to a very troubled region, paving the way for free and fair elections. The eyes of the West will be firmly fixed on Egypt come the elections in September, all hoping for a democratic outcome. But if a radical extremists party like the Muslim Brotherhood gain power one must feel that cooperation between the East and the West will take another major step backwards. I find it hard to see how democracy is going to be achieved if on the one hand Egypt has the Muslim brotherhood and on the other hand they have the West with Israel constantly breathing down its neck. It appears to be a no-win situation for the region and one must feel that it will be many years before they are an established democratic country.

www.platform-online.net |

Features

eing a student is about two things: studying to get a degree to better your chances of getting a good job in the big wide world and having fun, making the most of being young and doing things you may not get the chance to do later in life. Trent RAG gives you the opportunity to do just that – RAG stands for Raising and Giving and is Nottingham Trent Student’s Union’s fundraising group which allows its students to get involved in crazy and enjoyable activities while raising money for charity. RAG is a nationwide student’s union organisation, though each university puts their own stamp on what they do. Last year Trent smashed its target of £60,000 and raised a staggering £78,477.82 through sponsored hitchhikes, mountain climbs, skydives and more. This year Laura Buckland, TrentRAG Coordinator, and her committee of volunteers hope that the events will be even bigger and better.

we had expected to last year so we have increased our target to £100,000.

Kids, and finally there is a skydive on 16 April.

“The events such as ‘The RAG Big 5’ always prove to be popular and bring in loads of money for our chosen charities.” The RAG Big 5 are five major events which are hoping to attract a lot of attention – the party bus was a sell-out night on 21 January for Nottingham Trent students where they headed to a top secret location to party the night away.

If jumping out of a plane sounds like your cup of tea, then don’t waste any time and sign up now to secure your place.

Other events include Escape and Evade which was on 25 to 27 February where the challenge is to blag yourselves as far away from Nottingham and back in 72 hours without spending a penny on transport, as well as LOST! on 30 April where challengers will be blindfolded and taken 100 miles away, their challenge is to race their way back to Nottingham without spending any money on transport! The summer will see big climbs – Expedition Everest and Climb Kili for

She said: “We managed to raise a lot more than

Illustration: Jess Phillips

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

Back for a second year running the Trent skydive promises to fill you with a prettymuch-impossible-to-beat adrenaline rush and excitement will stay with you for a very long time. Last night a representative from Choose a Challenge, the organisation who helps Trent to make their events possible, came to the university to talk to potential divers. Rob Smith, Managing Director for Choose a Challenge, said: “Most people see it as a once in a lifetime opportunity so having events like this gives you a good chance to do so. “Some people are put off because of the

cost to do a dive but this way if you can’t afford to pay for it yourself then you can raise all the money.” Not only is this something you don’t do every day, but it is something that you’ll never forget. Rob said: “I’ve done over 70 skydives now and each time I still get the same feeling – it’s amazing and you get such a buzz from it. “Also you’d be surprised at how easy it is to raise the £380 – when you tell people you’ve opted to fall out of a plane at 125mph, it’s a pretty daring thing to do. Keep people posted of your progress on things like Facebook, once you get that first donation let everyone know and keep regular updates, people will soon follow suit and the cash will come flooding in. “The most we’ve ever raised in one year is £72,000 which was raised by 220 students from Warwick University, so there is potential to raise a huge amount.” The skydive will take place on Saturday 16 April but fundraising should start

now – it is completely free to do though participants must raise a minimum of £380 for one of two charities, who will then cover the £200 cost for you to do your dive. You can choose to raise for RAG who will then divide the money equally between Victim Support, Alzheimer’s Society and Orphans of Garner, though the majority of money has to be raised in cash. Alternatively you can fundraise solely for Victim Support – you can raise online by setting up a page on Just Giving, collect cash or do both. Jeffrey Fewkes, Fundraising Officer for Victim Support, said: “We hope you would raise more than £380 but we’re grateful for anything, every single penny you donate goes directly to helping victims of crime. “In this case the money goes to young crime victims – we pay for all their expenses from bus fares and mileage to court fees.” By giving to charities such as victims of crime, you get to feel great about helping others and have enormous amounts of

Uni I Truths:

fun doing it. A coach will pick up all you budding divers from the Student’s Union and take you to Nottingham Airfields where you will receive 30 minutes of training from a fully qualified British Parachute Association instructor before heading to the skies to fall 12,500 feet at roughly 125 mph – no need to panic though, you’ll be securely attached to a very experience skydiver you will make sure you fall in style. Doing a skydive, along with the other Big 5 events, look like a huge amount of fun and the perfect way to spend your free time at university – making new friends or spending time with your best ones all while making incredible memories and supporting organisations that really need your help. Lauren Alexander If you want to get involved with the skydive or any of the other RAG challenges visit

www.uniskydive.com/trent, www.trentstudents.org, or www.victimsupport.org.uk.

The Varsity Series

’m sure I’m not the only one who’s feeling the strain as we head towards the final couple of months of the academic year. For us third years who haven’t already had to hand in our dissertations, the hand-in dates are just around the corner. You can almost smell them.

Tom tells it how it is as a Trent student

But along with spring and summer come new distractions. Varsity is upon us. I’m sure I have all your support when I urge on the men and women that will represent our proud Uni, as we aim to retain the varsity series this year. Who knows… Some of you might even be the competitors, in which case I wish you the very best of luck. I mention the varsity series because for me it sums up university, and as I head towards the last couple of months of my life at Trent, I’m trying to piece together what I’ve learnt over the last three years. Because sitting in lecture halls learning about representations of the sexual revolution in literature will not be what

I take into future life. It won’t help me unless I become a historian who deals in events that supports the integration of homosexuals in our community. Instead, I have learnt life skills like how to live with people you might not always get on with, how to meet new people, cooking, washing, cleaning… All the things my mum had spent years doing for me. But bigger and more important than that I’ve learnt loyalty, support and the ability to handle pressure. They’re all the qualities encapsulated by our sportsmen and women through the next couple of months. These are the things we are all going to need in real life as we begin to go our separate ways and begin our separate careers. So next time you see a group of half naked men passed out on the floor of Ocean, don’t forget that they play a big part in giving Trent the proud sporting name that it has today! Tom Wallin

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Music Edited by Jamie Middleton (music@platform-online.net)

Nina Nina Smith is arguably one of Nottingham’s most talented singers. With a voice as smooth as honey that can almost move a whole crowd to tears, there’s no doubt that her talents will soon be noticed outside of this city. MARY ANN PICKFORD chats with Nina Smith about her musical tastes and life as a singer on the brink of making it big.

Let’s start with the obvious, how’d you get into singing and making music? I used to think it was because of my twin sister. I assumed it was a competitive thing between me and her but when thinking about it recently I just loved melody. I loved the fact I could mimic singing on the radio sometimes to a tee. Who inspires you, musically? Pin pointing one artist is quite difficult for me as I’m more of a song person. It’s melody I crave for - like an addict! If I had to choose it would be Justin Timberlake, but that could be because I fancy him. Students you can throw stones at me in the street for saying that if you feel the need, I am just being honest! For anyone who’s not heard of you, how would you describe your sound? A melodic soulful treat. Where’s your favourite place to gig at in Nottingham?

I enjoy downstairs in Dogma, the roof seems low and feels quite like a basement. When the lights are on the crowd disappear [it’s so dark]. What’s your favourite experience so far as an artist?

Photo: Mike Conwill

It had to be the headline slot for BBC Introducing at the Nottingham Contemporary. I got wined and dined beforehand in my dressing room. The turnout and support was immense. And the worst? As much as I don’t like to admit it, Rock City. We got a nice slot for a charity bash but the organisers cancelled on the drummer last minute. We also had to try and perform without stage monitors and with another artist doing a sound check through our set. I never saw my band again after that... Haha not really. Notts has loads of really good musicians, bands and artists in the scene, who would you say are your favourites? Photo: www.paulcarrollphoto.com

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

Photo: Mike Conwill My absolute favourite at the mo is Royal Gala but I’m also partial to a bit of Ronika, Emily Martin, 25 Past The Skank, Swimming, Harleighblu, Natalie Duncan, Scorzayzee, Karizma, and of course Liam Bailey. You were featured on BBC’s The Beat with Dean Jackson, what was that like? Awesome. Dean’s lovely. He shows a lot of support for my music and for other Nottingham artists as well. He’s a gem. Websites like nottsunsigned. co.uk are always pushing for Notts underground artists to get out there in the mainstream, how do projects like these help you as an unsigned artist? Well I guess the obvious answer is that it promotes your music in the right corners of the city. It’s also good for other musicians to find out about other musicians.

Any albums in the works? And when can we expect to see those? Just finishing up the EP, just starting the album. The EP is due for release early 2011 along with a 12 minute documentary of my highlights for 2010. Seen it for the first time last night and its embarrassing on my part but good for people that like my music, I suppose. Your song ‘I won’t forget you’ is probably one of the most poignant and emotionally touching songs I heard last year, how did that come about? To be honest I was just messing around with the guitar in my room not really doing anything constructive but then I found the chords. So I started writing it through the night. The clip of me on YouTube is uber depressing as that was the day after my father fell ill. A newer version to that song has been recorded

and is ready to be put on the EP. Where do you normally draw inspiration from when you write your songs? From anywhere. Other people’s experience, mainly. Sometimes my own troubles, sometimes my sisters and sometimes strangers. What do you hope to achieve by the end of this year? A complete album finished. 2012’s going to be the real test though! Trent Uni also has lots of talented musicians and singers, what advice would you have for them to break into the music industry? Write good songs. Up your stage game and then network, network, network. If you want to find out more about Nina you can visit her MySpace on myspace.com/ ninasrhythm or add her on Facebook ‘Nina Smith’.

www.platform-online.net |

Music

introducin

n the last few years Dubstep has transformed from what was once relatively contained quiet murmurs from the underground club scene, into a massive mainstream explosion. The huge airplay of Skream’s In for the Kill remix revealed how just a simple bassline and minimal drums can completely alter a song. If you’re new to the genre or looking to expand beyond the standard club hits, a great starting point is Caspa and Rusko’s ‘Fabriclive 37’ - a great setlist with some absolute classics thrown in. If you’re looking for something heavier try the misogynistic stylings of Borgore or the sheer noise of 16bit. Flux Pavilion and Sub Focus seem to sway between Dubstep and DnB, creating some true anthems and upcoming artists like Netsky

bring exciting new takes to the scene. There are also the heavyweights of the genre: Benga, Skream and Nero and the supergroup Magnetic Man to name but a few. With so many different artists doing so much with the scene it really does have something for everyone. So here we are in 2011 and Dubstep can be heard in almost every club. Hell, even Britney’s got on the bandwagon (seriously). So now you’re wondering where to go to get a serious Dubstep experience. Well, did you know that Nottingham is considered the Dubstep and Drum n’ Bass capital of the country? No? Well then friends, let me recommend you some places and events to look out for if you want to be treated to top class ‘stepping tunes…

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

First and foremost there’s Stealth. Situated just around the corner from Rock City and next to Rescue Rooms, the entrance looks pretty unassuming… But you’d be amazed at what goes on in there. With only two medium sized rooms you might think it’s not really suited for massive tunes exploding from the speakers, but you’d be surprised. Stealth is THE Dubstep/DnB club. Hosting DJs and events pretty much every week, there’s always something going down. Top tip – Check out the website for ‘Louder’ events. Usually on a Tuesday these nights host some amazing DJs previous nights have included Borgore, Jakwob, Doctor P, DJ Assault and many more. Entry is usually fairly cheap at around £4 and the drinks deals are pretty

ng dubstep good too. You can have a really good night for a good price and hear some frankly insane tunes too. What’s not to like? Dogma also hosts some great DJs in its downstairs room every now and again, usually on a Thursday. Check out their website for listings of who’s coming down. The atmosphere in the place is always lively and the drinks offers mean you don’t have to break the bank to have a good night of Dubstep and fun times. Market Bar hosts some celebrated Dubstep nights too, check out RubberDub on Facebook and find out when the next event is - I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with your night. Just be prepared to get friendly with the people around you as the club fills up fast.

New night Dilth is making waves at Pandora’s Box (formerly Snug Lounge) and is shaping up to be another solid night for great basslines and beats. Of course, I couldn’t discuss Dubstep without mentioning the Detonate events. Every month Nottingham hosts some of the finest DJs from all genres and with such a variety you can’t really go wrong with one of these nights. Look out for the Detonate Indoor Festival coming soon if you’re up for a massive night of music spread across four different venues. Tickets sell out fast and for good reason. Detonate is regarded as one of

the greatest Dubstep/Electro/DnB nights in the country so don’t miss out. Don’t forget, the nights I’ve mentioned are only a taster of what awaits you if you’re willing to take the plunge. Keep checking venue websites and event pages for more info on where the next big thing is going to be. Remember, stay safe, have fun, love Dubstep. Alex Adams

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Music

very so often, a song comes along that makes you really stop and listen. Then there are those songs that just fly right on by without any effect whatsoever. But what often leaves the deepest impression is a cover song. Whether the original is good or not becomes irrelevant in the reality of just how much better a cover can be. From old classics reworked, to a genre change, covers often put in that little bit extra that you didn’t even notice was missing. Some of the songs in this list aren’t even acknowledged as covers because they blow the originals right out of the water. Yet each one of them does something special. Maybe it’s a tribute, maybe the original was downright awful. But here are our top ten covers, and they’re all worth a listen.

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‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley

‘Feeling Good’ by Muse

‘You Got the Love’ by Florence & Dizzee Rascal

Originally released in 1984 by Leonard Cohen, this song was covered by Jeff Buckley at the Sin-é café in New York, and later released on his one and only studio album, Grace before his untimely death in May 1997. Buckley’s haunting voice and beautiful guitar picking really give this track something that Cohen couldn’t, bringing real emotion to the song.

Nina Simone famously released this song on her 1964 album, I Put A Spell On You, although it was initially written for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd. Muse’s version brings to it only what Muse could electronic voice adaptation, jazzy piano and a little bit of ‘oomph’.

The Source & Candi Staton - maybe you’ve heard of them, but their release of this song in 1986 didn’t get much attention. Of course, Joss Stone’s version was a little more popular, but this song made it big through modernisation in 2009. Take a newly famous vocalist like Florence, add a little rap, and voila! You’ve got yourself a hit cover.

‘Take On Me’ by Reel Big Fish

‘Shining Light’ by Annie Lennox

Let’s face it, there are hundreds of ska bands out there covering old eighties favourites. Yet this A-ha track is pulled out weekly by the Rock City DJ’s, and almost everyone recognises it for its upbeat drums and brassy verses. Not to mention the high pitched vocals the singer fails to pull off, and we never fail to sing along with.

Interestingly, this song is one of a few standout covers we’ve seen in recent years. There seems to be a trend for older, respected artists to rework newer wellloved songs. Annie Lennox came to fame as one half of the duo, Eurythmics in the 80’s, and her powerful voice really does this song justice.

First recorded by Tommy Hunt and released in 1962, then again by Dusty Springfield in ‘64, it wasn’t until Elephant’s critically acclaimed release forty-one years later, that we really got the best out of this song. The White Stripes trademark punchy guitars and simple drumming really work here, although admittedly Kate Moss’ scantily clad pole dancing in the official video may have had something to do with it’s popularity.

‘Get This Party Started’ by Shirley Bassey

‘Superstition’ by Estelle

‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash

Written by 4 Non Blondes front woman Linda Perry, and released by Pink in 2001; Shirley Bassey was the last person on earth anyone ever expected to cover this style of song. Yet she pulls it off with her classically powerful voice, belts out some fantastic notes and makes the song her own - which is all we could ask for, really.

Everyone has heard of Stevie Wonder. We all know he was pretty darn good. Yet this cover pops with something extra, updating a brilliant track with a female vocalist. What more is there to say?

If you’ve ever listened to Nine Inch Nails in your life, then the last thing you might honestly expect is for someone like Johnny Cash to cover their music. Though unforgettable for many reasons, it’s the whole new meaning that Cash gives to Trent Reznor’s lyrics that makes this cover so heart wrenching - looking back at his life, knowing his time is up, it’s almost like Cash sings his own epitaph.

‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself’ by The White Stripes

Jamie Middleton

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Music

MP: Hey how’s it going? What’s the weather like in San Fran right now?

When I saw my friend Justin Martin start to sign records and release vinyl on some local labels here in SF after he had just learned like two months prior I was like, hmmmm... I’ve already been doing this for 15 years I can make some house tunes too!! So I started surprising my friends with new tracks like Deep Throat and Whistler. They played them at all the local parties and we got really good reactions. We still didn’t have many contacts so I released those on Dirtybird which I had just started up. And that was that...

shit from Maetrik and Voodeux to the sublime house-centric albums from Catz n Dogz.

MP: How’d you get into DJing and producing music?

MP: Tell us about one of your labels, Mothership. Some of the proceeds go to charity, right? How’d it start?

MP: Are you looking forward to your Large Bottom tour?

I’ve been doing music for ages since I was 11. The DJing bit came a bit later. It was actually drum n bass that got me into that world. On the producing end, I was making music on a high level I guess but never having the knowledge or contacts to release anything.

I started it as a co-label to Dirtybird because we have a “sound” at Dirtybird but I like a lot of different music. So I started Mothership as more of a European or Detroit technostyle label if you will. We have had a really wide range on Mothership from the banging hard

Freezing but not like actual UK freezing… Just California freezing meaning it’s not even snowing so I can’t really complain. MP: Now I know Claude VonStroke’s not your real name, how’d you come up with it? Just a fun night out, it was a joke name poking fun at DJ names in minimal techno which was massive at the time.

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The label has less of an identity sound wise but I think that is actually one of its strong suits. It’s not held down by any micro genres. Hopefully we can keep it going and donating all the profits to the Detroit Youth Foundation which is a great place for kids to learn production who might not otherwise get a chance to do so.

Yeah absolutely I’ve been on a long break and I’m ready to rock... Six weeks off might not sound so long but it feels like ages when you’re not headed to the airport every weekend. I’m really happy I will be in the UK because the fans are incredible.

Claude Von stroke

Claude Von Stroke. Sounds like a crap pornstar, someone once said. But no, this guy is a legendary house music DJ and producer, hailing all the way from San Francisco. MARY ANN PICKFORD chats with Von Stroke (real name Barclay Crenshaw) to dig the dirt on his new tour, Large Bottom, and what this year has in store for him.

MP: I presume you like big bottoms by the sound of it?! Yeah man, I do. Big luscious bootys are always looking good! MP: You’ve got a new label started, KrushGroov, what can fans of yours expect to see from that? It’s funny because I haven’t even really said anything about this yet but people seem to already know. It’s where I’m hiding all my “other” productions that aren’t house. And when I say hiding, the label is vinyl only and that’s a pretty good way to hide music from people these days. You can’t get no KrushGroov tracks on Beatport that’s for sure.

for Soma’s anniversary and the other for Night Slugs. Then I’ve got a big remix CD coming out like a “best of” all my remix work over the years. But don’t worry there are some new ones on there too. MP: And finally tell us one thing that no one else knows about you… I just lost 40 pounds but no one has even seen me since I did it. I feel a lot better. Everything is easier. My belly was getting quite big from beers and minibars. Catch Claude VonStroke on his Large Bottom tour at Stealth in Nottingham on 4 March. For more info and tickets go to www. stealthattack.co.uk

MP: Apparently 2011’s gonna be pretty busy for you, what else will you get up to? I’m finishing up some cool remixes, one

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MUSIC Album review: Andy McKee – Joyland

ndy McKee’s youtube channel has more than eighty million views, so it’s no surprise his latest offering of guitar mastery feels very much aimed at his fans. To say that McKee is “good” at guitar seems a terrible understatement, his use of tapping and finger-picking style is evident in the intricacy and depth of his songs. Yet for all his impressive technique, there seems to be something lacking in many of the songs on Joyland, and that is structure. It seems too easy to pass this album off as one man just showing off his considerable skill. I couldn’t help but get lost as some of the tracks rolled on without much hint of song progression or structure. I understand that solo instrumental acoustic works will always have elements of self-centeredness to them, but there are points in some of these tracks where I truly feel even McKee has lost his thread a bit. Having said that, the melodies are always very sharp and have a distinct joy to them, as of course the album name suggests. McKee obviously revels in making music. The highlight of this album has to be his cover of Tears for Fears ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ which is executed perfectly, hitting the balance that keeps the song true but still adding a

personal touch to it. The most impressive element of Joyland to me as a fellow guitarist, was that the track listing came with a mention of how the guitar should be tuned for each song, and what kind of guitar is used. Packaged with the album is a DVD that has over seventy minutes of McKee talking about his music, and even some lessons where he explains how to play his songs. As a musician, I couldn’t help but be impressed not just by his skill

Album Review: Chapel Club - Palace

Chapel Club are a band from London, although one might find them reminiscent of a certain band from Manchester in the 1980’s. However, they manage to combine their love for that group with something of their own - and I dare say it’s something that will make them huge this year. Already with backing from Radio One and the NME, Chapel Club have all the tools they need to make it big in the pop and indie scene that is still flourishing. Palace is the Chapel Club’s debut record and although you might not expect it - it’s a polished, clean first attempt. Opener ‘Surfacing’ features a chorus taken from ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ and works well in the band’s favour. The

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but by how enthusiastic and open he is for people to play his songs too. Whilst some songs may seem to lose their thread, overall the album is a pretty good effort. Add to that the information the bonus DVD gives you, and you get a pretty good melodic acoustic album that’s great for relaxing to. Alex Adams

vocals are very reminiscent of Ian Curtis and while purists may write the band off as yet another copycat attempt trying to get big off Joy Division’s success, I believe Chapel Club offer something more. The record gives us ethereal organ drones, pounding drums and soaring guitars. Whilst bands such as White Lies, Joy Division and The Twilight Sad shine through, Chapel Club add something special to the school of musicians they clearly gather influence from. Standout tracks include ‘Blind‘, ‘The Shore’ and ‘O Maybe I‘. We are given songs of lost love, heartbreak and death, which in the contrary may not seem enticing, but Chapel Club do it in a way that drags you in. Overall I believe this record will be one that anyone interested in the bands mentioned earlier should pick up, as it offers a valuable addition to the genre. My advice would be to get behind this band now, because you’ll be hearing a lot of them this year. Ryan Clayton Platform interviewed Chapel Club in its December issue (page 18-19), go to platform-online.net if you’re interested in reading it to find out more about the guys.

Album review: The Quails – Master of Imperfection Heralding from the South West, this quartet has been supporting big acts such as Muse and The Kooks for a few years now. This new offering is their second album and fits into the indierock genre with hints of inspiration from all over the scene. The vocals have a distinct Jamie T quality while most times the guitars feel plucked from The Libertines. Lyrically the album isn’t very challenging - the standard topics of lust and love are rolled out. Yet the vocals have a strength that most Indie bands lack - Dan Strong’s voice gives the usual tedium a well deserved kick. The rhythms are tight and the backup singing compliments Strong well.

The mix of styles is sometimes jarring with a standard indie-pop-boogy such as the single ‘Argentina’ being followed by something far darker and more inspired. There are definite hints of something bigger lurking under the surface here, if the band would let go of the indie labelling and play around with the darker elements we could see great things come of them. With a singer who evidently has the strength and prowess to pull off screams effectively, and Max Armstrong’s guitar riffs showing true flourish and technical skill, it seems that on most tracks they go to waste. Tunes most likely aimed as single releases are hammered out with little passion.

There are two stand-out tracks on the album: ‘Master of Imperfection’ and ‘Fever’ which both divert from the standard Indie styling and possess hints of Classic Rock riffs and Muse-inspired epic finales. Overall, the album feels like a strange mix of styles and sounds of other indie stalwarts, as well as inspirations as diverse as Queen-style harmonised solos and Pink Floyd slowbuilding crescendos.

As it stands the album feels tragically weighed down by the genre. Having said that, I would recommend a listen just to hear the moments when the band achieve something bordering on greatness in a genre that is sadly growing very stale. Alex Adams

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MUSIC

CLUBNIGHT REVIEW

FIREFLY

IVAN SMAGGHE & JESPER DAHLBACK PSYCATRON 22/01/11

irefly and Climax have a bit in common if you think about it. They both operate from a gym hall and have a massive following. What Climax doesn’t have is the collective force of swinging jaws to rival Big Ben’s pendulum. Everyone knows what goes on at Firefly and if you don’t get caught by the bouncers then love is in the air. The music policy is also completely different to Climax - there’s enough techno and house at Firefly to turn you into a robotic builder.

Dahlback never turned up, not that it was any of his fault. His agent, or former agent according to promoters, had booked him to come get Robin Hood on his feet even though Dahlback was on holiday. A quick flight booking and some persuasion got Psycatron in town to get the merry men and women of Nottingham dancing. The Irish duo are becoming increasingly recognised as a force to be reckoned with, as John Digweed says: “These guys are fantastic, definitely a name to look out for.”

A warm up by David Russell was well received by the swaying crowd. The floor at one point felt like a trampoline as it rose and fell with almost perfect synchronisation to the beats. Ivan Smagghe took to the stage and started his set to much fan fare and applause. A few songs in though and it seemed that half the floor had emptied. Sure enough, people in the smoking area were quite content having animated conversations instead of coming up for a dance. Half way through the set the room was almost full again and wristwatches got increasingly checked for when the next set was to begin.

Light rain greeted bedraggled revellers as the night came to a close. The dismal weather was reflecting the mood of the crowd as this was the penultimate Firefly. The last one is on 11 June and whilse the line up has yet to be announced, it is expected to be epic. One of the promoters says online: “We have no plans for any more events following I’m afraid. All good things come to an end.” The scene in Nottingham won’t be as fiery when this fly leaves forever.

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Top Story Nottingham Trent Students Union have launched their new website, www.trentstudents.org The new site is very easy to navigate, making it much simpler to find what you are looking for. As NTSU moves more of its operations online, our website will soon be the first port of call for all Union-related info, so we recommend that you bookmark it and familiarise yourself with it. Upcoming events

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Trent Voices

ubstep is working its way through even the most commercial of clubs from a relatively niche crowd of a few years ago. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so Platform hit the streets to ask: “Is dubstep the shit or does it make you want to take a shit?”

Chloe, 20 - Economics, Finance and Banking Matthew, 21 Criminology

I don’t think it’s the shit. I like it but it’s not the shit.

Jordan, 19 – International Business

Nick, 20 - Politics

It makes me want to take Depends what kind of mood a shit. It’s just not a power I’m in. Sometimes I do enjoy it ballad and I like power but if there’s a lot of it at one ballads. period I don’t really like it.

I love dubstep, Nottingham seems to be getting more into it. Get well involved!

Sophie, 21 - Textile Design

I hate it. It’s not my kind of thing and it’s a bit head wrecking.

Katie, 22 – Textile Design It used to be the shit but now it’s on Radio 1 it’s shit.

Jack, 22 - Property Investment

The shit! I used to run a dubstep night. It was really good but now it’s getting really commercial and it’s ruining what it was.

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Fashion Edited by LUCY BUDGE (fashion@platform-online.net)

Who’s

yourMALE

E L Y ST ICON ?

e constantly read and hear about female style icons breaking the boundaries of fashion (courtesy of Lady Gaga and the infamous meat dress) and allowing their innovation and creativity to flow. But who is it that we look to for inspiration within the world of menswear? Over the recent years, male fashion has started to take itself a lot more seriously. There have been a number of labels to emerge from the world of music. For example there’s Liam Gallagher’s very successful debut collection “Pretty Green”, P Diddy’s “Sean John” clothing range which also includes fragrances and not forgetting the “Rocawear” collection from rapper Jay-Z. So surely this says something about the influence that musicians have on guys’ fashion? There are definite male style icons that can be spotted in the world of music. Indie bands in particular have had major influences from the past few years. Frontmen such as Julian Casablancas, Alex Turner, Carl Barat and Pete Doherty are the leaders when it comes to the ‘indie kid’ look of skinny jeans, converse, leather jackets and messy hair - a

look which has pretty much dominated a generation of young men. But it isn’t just alpha males within the music world who can be looked up to as style icons. There are also those with more obscure tastes who, to some, can be seen as style gods. You may disagree with me, but as strange as it sounds the likes of comedians such as Noel Fielding and Russell Brand are men that aren’t afraid to use fashion as a form of expression. And if you aren’t into the ‘indie kid’ look or have completely different tastes, perhaps you can take inspiration from the more suavely dressed. Men such as TV presenter George Lamb and everyone’s favourite Doctor Matt Smith are rarely photographed without their slim-fit suit trousers and jacket, skinny ties and even bow ties.

George Lamb

Noel Fielding

Whatever your style, there are a huge variety of well-dressed and stylish men to look to if you’re ever stuck for inspiration. Brogan Lipman

Julius Casablancas

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Fashion

l l ROo N

& G N I R SP UMMER S

ok o l a n i ller a b d n 0s a 7 9 1 e ck th o r o t out b a e r ’ We

n the Spring/Summer 2011 catwalk shows there were two standout trends which were simply impossible to ignore: it was the return of 1970s disco glamour along with the soft and ultra-feminine look of the ballerina. The 1970s have returned for this spring and summer, complete with all the trimmings. Flared trousers, soft denims, floppy hats, huge wedges and midi-length skirts which gives a wardrobe that flaunts bright, feminine and bohemian clothes. This look may be slightly daunting at first, as I know the thought of taking off your skinnies and wearing flares instead does not appeal and seems somewhat horrifying to many of us. However, have no fear. Designers such as Stella McCartney and Fendi came to our rescue to show us how a simple 1970s look can be achieved with midi-

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length skirts, coloured smoking jackets, shoulder bags, sandals and bright colours. Come summer they’ll be the key trends in any fashionista’s wardrobe. These pieces can make for a great evening look when on holiday, too. A flowing printed chiffon maxi and a pair of chunky wedges teamed with a floppy hat can be thrown on top of a bikini and voila - ‘beach to bar’ in no time. If the glamour and colour of the 1970s is beckoning you then head onto the high street where the stores will be sure to have their own take on this adaptable trend. It was Erdem, Chloe, and Jonathan Saunders who really fronted the ‘ballerina’ look on the catwalk for this year’s spring/summer look. Key pieces involved pastels, sheers, floaty skirts and flat pumps. This look is perhaps the easier of the two trends to achieve. Glistening skin, wispy hair gently tied back into a

ballerina-esque bun, complete with a lace dress will make you bang on trend. The film The Black Swan has promoted the look of the ballerina with Natalie Portman fronting the trend. She should be the inspiration for every girl who’s aspiring for the ‘ballerina’ look. Erdem models were sent floating down the runway in whites, lace mini dresses, tight tops cinched in at the waist, full-bodied skirts and ballet shoes which reflect the English summer cliché. Whether it’s the glamour and bright prints of the 1970s or the dainty, romantic dancer which takes your fancy for this spring/summer, the great news is both trends will be available on the highstreet and easy to adapt straight from the haute-couture itself. Words: Poppy Taylor Illustrations: Abbie Burch

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Fashion BEAUTY REVIEW

FPaRcIeMER

No-7 Shine Free Make-up Base - £11

eing a student can mean busy days and nights, so it’s important that your make-up can keep up. Face primers are a great way to make foundation last longer. They create a barrier between your skin and foundation, helping it stay on more smoothly. They even out skin tone and absorb excess oil so your make-up stays put and there’s no need to re-apply throughout the day.

The top three face primers that are in the shops today are: No-7 Shine Free Make-up Base - £11 Benefit That Gal Primer - £21.50 Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer - £29.50 These are all available from major Boots stores and large department stores. Natalie Garland

g Lon G

IXN H CGOLINOG T THE E TRA MILE N

ot many brands can successfully create a unisex t-shirt range. But a few have broken through the barriers. Enter Long Clothing. Two young London-based designers, Gareth Emmet and Rhys Dawney, created Long Clothing back in 2008. Their aim was to create super stylish, super length t-shirts with a skinny fit.They started off selling their t-shirts on a market stall and now have a cult following across the UK. It’s now expanding across the world selling in major cities like New York and Tokyo. The company sells unisex t-shirts that are longer than average. Each t-shirt features a bold black and white graphic print which is carefully printed by hand, keeping an androgynous look to the design. Prints range from outlines of triangles to sad faces with droopy heart shaped eyes. The prints are edgy and have

Benefit That Gal Primer - £21.50

a certain dark and mysterious vibe to them, with some reference to religion. Long Clothing hosts its own parties and events across London and has recently collaborated with Disaro Records’(a music label from Houston, LA) resident artist Owleyes to create a new line of printed t-shirts. To celebrate the new collection they had a launch party in London with music from Fostercare, Mater Suspiria Vision and Rough Trade DJs. The printed t-shirts start from £35 and each t-shirt comes in its own branded Long Clothing box, giving it a feeling of a collector’s piece. Their edgy, minimalist t-shirts can be worn by men and women, with skinny jeans or leggings and can be dressed up or down. Alix Hope

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Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer - £29.50

e only ited tim st la For a lim s k c o t while s r e a d e r s rm P l at filol get a special w

BANTUM x PULSE

c o u nt 20%offdtihse price.

HOODY

Pulse, NTU’s official clothing supplier, has teamed up with Nottingham street wear label Bantum Clothing - creators of the popular ‘I Love Notts’ t-shirts and is excited to announce the Last term saw campus shops stocked with release of the both Schools and Halls Hoodies. This term official 2011 will see the completely newly designed NTU hoody explode onto the scene, just in time to purchase for the Varsity Sports Series - just as well, it gets cold in the stands at the outdoor events!

NTU hoody.

The latest design gives students the chance to show Nottingham University in no uncertain terms just who we are, and which university they’d rather be attending. Stand proud and show them who’s who! The Official Bantum x Pulse NTU hoodies are available in Bantum’s signature bright colours whilst including some Pulse classics. Keep your eyes peeled as these designs will be produced in limited runs of each colour to keep it exclusive.

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Fashion Platformâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashion folk have scouted six trendy Trentiens who have their own cool personal style. We love the witty mix of vintage and high street. Photos & Words: Darcy Summerton & Brogan Lipman

Emily, Decorative Arts Coat: ASOS Shoes: Littlewoods Headband: Lace scrap fabric Earrings: Matalan

Rav, Quantity Surveying Jumper & Coat: Wilder clothing Skinny jeans: Topman Converse: Schuh

Emily, Textile Design Outfit: All H&M Shoes: Vans fro Schuh

Jason, Psychology & Sport Science T-shirt: Junk de Luxe Shirt: Superdry Hoodie: American Apparel Chinos: Topman Shoes: Vans from Office

| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine

STREET STYLE

Sarah, Photography Jumper: Cow Bag: Moroccan shop in Windsor Hat: American Apparel Shoes: Thrift store in Canada

Viv, Photography Glasses: Ray Ban Tshirt: Cos Jumper: Topman Shoes: Vans from Office

PHOTOS Edited by STEFAN EBELEWICZ (photos@platform-online.net)

The Saturdays Photos: Sarah Bennett

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PHOTOS

Johnny Foreigner Photos: Shaun Wootton

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Travel Edited by Liz riordan (travel@platform-online.net)

CHECKING OUT DUBLIN

ith flights from East Midlands Airport starting at £12 return and only an hour away Dublin makes for a perfect weekend getaway. Getting to and from both airports is easy enough. A return ticket for two to EMA with the Skylink bus costs £10. A return ticket for the airport bus to Dublin City Centre costs €10 each. It’s called the Airlink 747 (see what they did there? 747 Jumbo Jet/Airport).

TO SEE: Dubliners are a friendly bunch and will be more than happy to give you directions. If you’re out in the morning don’t be surprised if you get unsolicited “Hello’s”. They even greet total strangers, that’s how nice they are. Guinness Storehouse (€15/ €12.50 Students) This dark drink is a symbol to the world that represents everything that is Irish: drinking and a dark sense of humour. What’s a trip to Dublin without visiting the factory where Guinness is made? Whilst the ticket price is a little steep you do get amazing views from the top of the building, the inside is shaped like a Guinness glass, and a free pint at the end. The Spire (Free) You can’t miss the massive 121 metre metal spike that is planted in the middle of the city centre. Dublin Zoo (€15/ €11 Students) Just outside the city centre, inside Phoenix Park, the zoo is good for killing some time. Apart from the usual suspects of penguins and elephants there’s an impressive array of monkeys from baby squirrels, which huddle together for warmth and wrap their tails around each other, to orang-utans and gorillas. There’s also a mini farm. The Wellington Monument (Free) On your way to the zoo you’ll see this

obelisk dedicated to the victories of the Duke of Wellington. Not as big as the spire but still very grand - perfect for sitting on the grass with some sandwiches and a few beers. When you are adequately sloshed you can do the pictures where it looks like your finger is resting on the top of monument. Wax+ Museum (€10/€9 Students) Learn the history of Ireland through wax models. There are a number of famous faces as well including Irish stars like Colin Farrell, U2 and the Irish Prime minister. There’s also a recording studio where you can use the same equipment that Snow Patrol and REM used to record their records. Molly Malone Statue (Free) At the bottom of Grafton Street you’ll find a busty lass cast in bronze. Legend has it she was a cockle and mussel seller by day but by night she let cock-les into her mussel shell. Locals refer to the statue of the prostitute as “The flirt in the skirt” or “The tart with the cart”. St. Patrick’s Cathedral (€5.50/€4.50 Students) He’s the fella who banished all the snakes from Ireland, makes the world wear green on March 17 and this is his cathedral. It’s Anglican so don’t expect any holy water or statues of Mary because they don’t have them. A bit questionable about whether it’s right to charge people to go into a church...

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Trinity College (Free) A visit to the university is a must if only to see the old architecture and buildings. The library houses the Book of Kells, the four gospels of the New Testament. The intricate picture book was made by Celtic monks around 800 AD and there is a charge to go and see it. The college also rents out rooms at an affordable rate to tourists in the summer when the students are on holiday.

GUINNESS STOR EHOUSE

DUBLIN

ZOO

THE WES TIN

DUBLIN

DRAL

ATHE CKS C

TRI ST.PA

TO SLEEP: Whilst it is an expensive city if you book online long enough in advance you can get some pretty good deals. Online advance rates for the Days Inn Hotel were almost half the in house published price. On a Budget – Four Courts Hostel (Rooms from €17) It’s cheap and cheerful and a favourite amongst students. There’s a choice of single or shared rooms and most are en suite. A simple breakfast is included free of charge as well as free international calls and half an hour on the internet every day. The hostel won the top rated hostel in 2009. Mid range – Days Inn Hotel (Rooms from €79) Located on Talbot Street two minutes away from the spike and a stones throw away from the central bus station - Bus Aras (Pronounced Bus Arse - it made us laugh). All rooms are en suite and there’s a choice of smoking or non smoking rooms. Top end – The Westin (Rooms from €179) The crème de la crème of Dublin’s hotels. “Heavenly Bed” is what the leaflet said on the crisp, luxurious, cotton sheets. They aren’t lying... Goldilocks could have saved some time if she’s visited the Westin and she wouldn’t have had to settle for porridge. Blow that student loan or call the bank of mum and dad.

TO SLUR YOUR WORDS: The nightlife in Dublin is second to none and the city knows how to party! The council even places portable toilets on street corners at the weekends in case you’re caught short. A word of warning: the Temple Bar area is a tourist haunt and as with all tourist haunts prices are through the roof. Go in the day and have a look around the niche shops but go by night and the bank of mum and dad will be receiving a reverse charge call. Bia Bar A relaxed and trendy bar on Lower Stephens Street. Try some of the mouthwatering food or just pop in for a drink or two. At the weekend DJ’s play relaxed tunes to get you started and gradually move up to some groovy house and old school classics. Pygmalion Go on a Sunday. It costs €5 to get in but all drinks are half price. In a city where a round of four beers can easily come to €20 it will be the perfect place to end your weekend away. The Irish are well into their Sunday pints and here you’ll be able to get twice the amount of drinks from your battered wallet.

ing DJs/bands will be playing here in the next few months, so much so Platform Mag might have to relocate. Break for the Border Just round the corner from Bia and a world apart in every way possible. Chart hits and test tube shots are the order of the day. It’s a bit like Squares but in Dublin. Everybody’s legless and the atmosphere is happy. The kind of place where you can’t remember exactly what happened but you know you had fun. Sweeney’s A haunt for Bohemian types and very similar to The Bodega Social Club. Cool ambient lighting welcomes you inside whilst the smoking area is kitted out with school desks. It’s a great place to go by day or night. There’s live music every night and an eclectic music policy to boot. With the place being set over three levels it’s possible to move from punk metal to reggae beats over a stair case. Words & Photos: Oliver Whitfield-Miočić

Crawdaddy and Chocolate Bar Imagine Stealth but better. Crawdaddy is like stealth with a similar music policy and décor to match. Chocolate bar is a bar set into a grade listed old train tunnel. Lots of established as well as up-and-com-

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Travel

WHAM BAM AMSTERDAM

he most obvious example of the type of Dutch shenanigans I got up to was when I very drunkenly got a photo taken from behind one of the red doors in the red light district. How I got away with that, I’ll never know, as anyone taking photos of the prostitutes will be made to delete the photo or even have their camera taken from them. When you walk down the red light district for the first time it’s a big shock. There are doors-upon-doors of girls in revealing underwear trying to lure men into paying for sex. Then just a couple of corners away you get to the blue light district which has doors full of transvestites – some so convincing that you can watch tourists stroll through unaware that they’re actually men, even the huge bulge downstairs kind of gives it away. Parents walk by with children in their arms, teenagers amble past without blinking an eyelid and you’ll come to realise that this way of life is accepted here. It took us roughly 16 hours to get from Nottingham to Amsterdam which led everyone to down spirits and get to know each other by some crowd surfing

and games of (awkward) football on the coach. The trip flew by and in no time 70 hungover students and four reps from Escape Travel, the company leading the trip, dragged themselves from their comfy coach seats and into the hotel to get ready for the rest of the day’s antics. A few people split off leaving a big group of us to try out the local tram system. As soon as we got on board and waved about our €20 notes the conductor soon let us off paying as he had no change. This wasn’t the last time we would travel for free over the weekend. Ten minutes later and we reached the city centre which was bustling full of people, hotdog stands and fast-food vending machines – goodness knows how long the food had been there for. Walking around the city is a strange feeling at first because there are sex shops dotted along every street and there are so many bikes that it sometimes

many pizza shops will come into play. Although some of the pizza looks like it’s been sat on the shelf for a few weeks the smell soon makes you forget this and before long you’re paying up and wolfing it down. There are even hotdogs available with pizza toppings. The Sex Museum awaited us next full to the brim of porn, naked mannequins, giant penises, a waxwork Marilyn Monroe and even dinner plates with porn on. As we reached the stairs and the first person walked up, a random plastic body part, which was stuck to the wall, hissed out loudly and made everyone scream - a hilarious place to visit.

feels like they try and run you over on purpose. Every time you think it’s safe to walk you get yelled at by a crazy cyclist and every pavement you think is normal turns out to be a road - one of the most confusing road systems I have ever come across.

That evening we threw on our gladrags and the Escape team provided us with lots of spirits which we took with us on our journey to the sex show. Megaphone in hand, shots and bottled spirits at the ready, we jumped on the tram hoping for the same free treatment as before but instead received: “English tourists, get off here.” So after battling to stay on the tram and chanting our way out the doors we made it to the sex show which included a monkey, a man who couldn’t get it up and a whole array of different acts you would never catch back at home.

So after all these near-death experiences and confusion you’ll soon start to feel hungry and this is where Amsterdam’s

The next morning the hangover continued and off Escape took us on our mission around Amsterdam. We saw

“

Amsterdam is the kind of city where you’ll find yourself doing things you never thought possible, as Liz Riordan soon discovered when she travelled there with a coachful of Trent students…

there are sex shops dotted “along every street

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bikes, a million canals and lots of scary-looking street entertainers before making our way to Coffee Shop Old Church, probably the only one which had any

“

chairs left. There you could buy cannabis milkshakes, cannabis cookies and just about, well, cannabis anything. Menus were provided with the names of different types of cannabis and you could buy pre-rolled joints, all different strengths, ranging from €5 to €20. We spent an hour in there, everyone relishing in the fact that they could smoke cannabis legally, with Bob Marley appropriately coming on in the background. Casually, we strolled over to Cannabis College, an information centre providing facts and the history behind cannabis and also giving a few cheeky tips on the best type to smoke and the best cafés to smoke at. At this point Escape arranged for a guy very much resembling Saul from Pineapple Express to come and

Finally, before heading for our last night out (and shamefully eating a McDonalds after it) we jumped aboard the almighty Beer Bike – which turned out to be 16 frozen people huddled around a wooden table, pedalling for their life, trying to

“

you get to see the whole city while drinking an unlimited amount of beer down pints to stay warm and not to mention pissing off the locals with the 5mph speed max. But at the same time it was a lot of fun, especially when it came to a downhill. After one particular hill a traffic light suddenly turned red and we zoomed straight past it causing cars to screech, people to scream and beer to fly

all over the place. The idea of the Beer Bike is you get to see the whole city while drinking an unlimited amount of beer - perhaps one for the summer. Amsterdam is an amazing, unique experience and one which everyone must try at least once in their life. Escape Travel made sure of this and they also made sure the trip was affordable giving everyone the chance to do things a third cheaper than if you had gone alone. Not to mention how laid back, friendly and fun the reps were but at the same time making sure everyone was safe. A great company and one I can’t wait to travel with again.

“

passionately tell us all about the drug. He even showed us his plants giving tips on how to grow it. He claimed that cannabis could lead to no harm, but he also claimed that he spoke to the plants on a regular basis.

Menus were provided with the names of different types of cannabis

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Travel

AIX-EN-PROVENCE FRANCE N

ever did I think taking my first ever French class a little less than a decade ago that I would end up living in this country for a year. So many authors have written numerous pages about this country, so many films have been made about it and so many people have dreamed about it including me. Yet here I am walking the cobbled streets of Aix en Provence, a little city in the south of France, trying frantically not to sprain my ankle in my newly bought French boots. It’s January and I have to wear sunglasses so as not to develop wrinkles around my eyes, but I’m not objecting. Having moved from Sweden to England for university, I was quite confident about going to France imagining the smooth, laidback bohemian life I have seen and read about over and over again. Much of it has lived up to the expectations. As my friend stated during our first week here, it’s actually true that it’s not frowned upon carrying a baguette around town or having a glass of wine at any hour. However French ways will always be intriguing to me and sometimes even beyond my understanding. Returning from my Christmas holidays it

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was even harder to get into the country. With a flight change in Paris I had a new way to go through security. It’s an experience usually filled with feelings of guilt even though I know for sure I am not carrying any weapons or explosives. However this time is an exception when I realise the bag that the security staff are pointing at for containing suspicious content is mine. Carefully looking through my bag the man pulls out the key to my apartment, asking me quietly, chuckling “do you live in a castle?”. Startled by his question my face gradually shifts into a red colour while I try to explain that no, my four inch key goes to a perfectly normal but ancient apartment building. He nods in response but still hands it over to a colleague to check it for explosives. When I finally think that the embarrassing moment is over, and I can escape his mocking look, he lances loud and proud over his wittiness says “have a nice trip, Princess!”. At least being called a princess makes me feel a bit more at ease stumbling down these winding streets trying to be as effortlessly classy as the Aixois. Anna Tranberg

got up with just a slightly sore leg and a pair of broken sunglasses that didn’t actually belong to her, but to her godfather who had lent them to her. Oops!

fter already having a busy and fun filled Christmas holiday I was about to have even more fun when I went skiing over the New Year. Having been on a few ski holidays before, I was well prepared for the sub zero temperatures I was set to experience. Packing as many jumpers and thermals as I could fit into my suitcase, I set off with my family to France. And when I finally arrived in the French Alps I was so glad that I had crammed so many clothes into my suitcase as it was freezing! Although it didn’t seem a million miles away from the weather we had been getting in England recently. The first thing to do was to collect all our skis and boots which

seemed to weigh a tonne. I’d only been there a little while and already I felt like I had done my workout for the whole week. To describe the first day of skiing as easy would definitely have been an understatement. A thick cloud had suddenly decided to descend on the entire mountain making it difficult for me to see where I was going which can always be a bit scary especially when you’re on a very high mountain with the possibility of skiing off it! Slowly and very carefully I made my way down hoping that I didn’t ski into someone or suddenly find myself skiing in mid-air. That really wouldn’t have been a good start to the holiday. Luckily the next day the sun finally decided to appear and we spent the day racing down the mountains skiing from one village to the next. One quite funny and scary incident involved my sister skiing past me at full speed straight into a very large and wide wooden pole and also managing to take out several people in the process. Luckily she soon

The next day we decided to ski into Switzerland. After all we were right next to the border and I had only ever been there once before for a very brief visit. Although it seemed to take forever to get there it was well worth it when we eventually crossed the border and saw some amazing views. What better way to see new countries than ski there. It was certainly quicker and cheaper than going by car and there was no hassle of handing over your passport either which was another bonus. By the end of the holiday I was shattered, but to see all the breath-taking views and have endless amounts of skiing it was well-worth it. I’d definitely recommend a skiing holiday to anyone who likes a bit of adventure and who doesn’t mind the freezing temperatures. Although when we left the alps it was actually warmer than England – oh, and the apres ski isn‘t too bad either. It’s pretty much a win-win situation. You end up doing loads of exercise, which is especially handy after eating and drinking too much at Christmas, and you get to see some pretty amazing places that you’d never see otherwise. It’s certainly packed with lots of funny and great memories that you’re guaranteed to never forget! Kelly Pike

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Travel

THE ALGARVE IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW O

kay so the average temperature may be around 15-18C at this time of year but it’s the best time if you want to see the beautiful South Portuguese stretch without the surplus of tourists. Portugal is the new Spain and with celebrities like Cliff Richard and Michael Owen owning properties here it certainly has the A-lister approval (although your chances of meeting them on a bar crawl are non-existent). Most of these guys live in private communal suburbs, orbiting around golf courses and tennis courts. With property in these areas starting at over a million and a weekly £50 community charge for security and maintenance, living here isn’t cheap. But the good news is you can move outside of the posh areas, drive 15 minutes away and trade your town house for a bigger and cheaper villa near the sea. The only hard industry in the Algarve is tourism, although this doesn’t dominate Portugal like it does many destinations.

The country remains inherently Portuguese. The Algarve is abundant with free growing orange and figs, and the air is far fresher than our busy Nottingham - the smell of McDonalds gratefully replaced by the scent of orange zest. Our favourite national dish, Piri Piri Chicken, is available fairly often without being stuffed down your throat, although you wouldn’t mind if it was. With beautifully fresh chickens of the spit, expertly chopped and soaked in home made piri piri oil costing only £5.50 each, gorging is essential. Although hold back on the chips, they are priced by weight in this E.U country, costing £6 per kilo. That equates to £3.50 more than here. I suggest making up for this with more chicken… The beaches are among some of the quietest, cleanest beaches I have ever enjoyed walking upon and the locals are keen to keep them that way. There are large stretches of protected salt-water

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marshes towards the city of Faro and even in the busy cities, cranes fly across modest harbours and mating storks nest on the top of almost every high platform they can find. In areas the Portuguese government have even provided high flat posts for them to nest on. Perhaps a more environmentally and animal friendly way of life we should strongly consider ourselves. Flights can cost as little as £50 for a return and for the full Portuguese experience I would recommend renting a villa for a couple of weeks and getting yourself involved in the community. Tarran Huntley

Arts

Edited by Michael Worrall (arts@platform-online.net)

Platform’s

HOT PICKS

nd of the Rainbow is a small production currently running at Trafalgar Studios in London. It’s about the last year or so of Judy Garland’s life. An absolute must see: it’s funny, touching and heart-breaking.

emoirs of a Fruitcake is a hilarious autobiographical insight into the life of Chris Evans between 2000 and 2010. A great read for anyone, particularly those with interests in the media industry.

urface Gallery in Nottingham is an intimate gallery and good for an escape to a peaceful setting that plays host to some great exhibitions. Based on Southwell Road, it’s just behind the Capital FM arena, just a short walk from the city centre.

his exhibition is for anyone with an interest in or love of photography. Running from 22nd January to 27th March, Collier’s work is vibrant and edgy. It’s definitely worth a visit. Michael Worrall

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ARTS

The performance began with some simple notes on the piano. To the normal ears, this would sound like nothing more than a short improvised melody. But to every single person in the auditorium of Trafalgar Studios, this was a short, broken down, teaser introduction to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and the beginning of one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre I have ever seen.

nd of the Rainbow is a sublimely heart-breaking depiction of the latter part of the life of Judy Garland. When Tracie Bennett appeared on stage, it was as if Judy herself had manifested onto the stage of Trafalgar Studios.

At her side, Hilton McRae as Anthony provides a heart-wrenching subplot as he witnesses Judy’s slow demise. Meanwhile, Stephen Hagan portrays a progressively darker Mickey Deans, Garland’s fifth husband.

The play features several of Judy Garland’s best-known songs including The Trolley Song, The Man That Got Away and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Set in 1968, the production with songs tells the story of Garland’s last performances in London before her untimely death. Bennett’s immaculate portrayal contains the perfect mix of comedy and emotion and brings the entire audience to tears during her stunning rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

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The play features a six-piece on-stage band hidden behind the set of the hotel room which is then transformed into a London venue of Garland’s final concerts. Booking until 16th April 2011, End of the Rainbow is a must see for any theatre fan, and particularly those that are Judy Garland fans. Just remember to take tissues: I defy you to sit through the finale without shedding a tear. Tickets are priced from £25 and don’t be afraid of the cheap seats, the intimacy of the venue means there’s not a bad seat in the auditorium. Michael Worrall

Now in its second year in the West End, Legally Blonde the Musical is still thriving and will make you laugh, cry and dance in your seat until you’re pink in the face.

fter recently taking over the role of Elle Woods from Sheridan Smith, Susan McFadden, best known for winning the role of Sandy in Grease on ITV’s Grease is the Word in 2007, has most definitely filled Smith’s shoes and then some. Elle is one of the most demanding female roles on the West End but McFadden pulls it off with flying colours. Accompanied by a stellar cast featuring Hollyoaks’ Carly Stenson as Margot, Alex Gaumond (We Will Rock You) as Emmett and the sensational Siobhan Dillon (Grease, Cabaret, BBC1’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?) as the bitchy baddy with a bob, Vivienne. The show has an amazing vibe that encompasses the whole audience meaning that no one leaves the theatre without a smile on their face. The witty lyrics, well-written script and catchy songs result in a brilliantly fun show. Legally Blonde also stars Denise Van Outen as the trashy hair stylist, Paulette and whilst she is by no means the most talented performer on the stage, is definitely helping to maintain the ticket sales keeping the show alive. Tickets are priced from around £25 with student discounts available on weekdays. Whilst Legally Blonde may not be the most endearing pieces of theatre you’ll ever see, it’s a great way to relax and there’s enough pink to make your eyes burn... What more could you want?! Michael Worrall

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Health Edited by Lauren Roitman (health@platform-online.net)

What

does your

future

hold ?

A big part of uni life is learning all about your strengths and weaknesses and where it fits in with the type of career you want to follow. But if you’re not sure what your life plans are yet, KEIRAN FULLER has some advice that might help you figure it out. Illustration: Jess Phillips

hen you’re thinking on your own, knowing that each passing day brings you closer to the day you’ve got to find yourself a career, it’s not uncommon to ask yourself, ‘where is my life heading’? You might feel like you’re procrastinating. That you don’t feel confident with yourself. You probably can’t imagine where you’ll be come five years time. You might be panicking that as soon as you’ve graduated, you’ll be left with nothing but a vast, seemingly empty, new world that you will meet with a bewildered stare. But it’s time to see the world differently. See it as an endless blank canvas, eagerly awaiting the touch of your paintbrush. Meet it with an air of determination and strength. It’s time to let motivation be the blood that runs through your veins. It’s time to DO something. Great things rarely come to those who sit around waiting to win big in life’s lotteries. Instead, it comes to the types of people who seize every opportunity they possibly can. It’s time to break out of your shell, achieve the possible and create

the life that you dream about. It won’t be hard to find the most desirable career if you’ve got something to show and tell, but what if you haven’t got anything to show and tell just yet? Fate is something that some people believe in and some people don’t. But those people that don’t can learn something from those people that do. Often, the people who say, “It must be fate” are the very people that have great things happening in their lives or the people who feel like they’re on the right path. We’re all on a path so to speak, and as we walk on this path we’re connecting with people. We’re finding our feet and we’re walking in a world full of opportunity. Life only moves forward, so if you’re stood still how can you expect to ever get anywhere in your life? Rather than avoid those opportunities because you’re shy, you’re insecure, or you have no self-belief, use that opportunity as way of moving forward and making something out of your life - ultimately giving yourself something to show and tell. If you’re trapped in a routine, then break it. Go out and have a walk. Do something

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hold

out of the ordinary. Get out of your comfort zone and free yourself from the shackles that encourage you to keep your life how it is. Whilst you’re walking look out for things such as posters, flyers, leaflets, advertisements, windows of opportunities. If you find something and you think to yourself “No way could I do that, it’s not something I could achieve or succeed in”, then you ignore that opportunity and go back to the life where nothing but the ordinary happens where you complain about money, boredom and the lack confidence or self-belief you have. However, what if you had taken that opportunity, succeeded, gained confidence, money, more opportunities and self-fulfilment? It’ll be giving you that feeling that your life is actually going somewhere and you are guiding it. One of the main reasons that people ignore opportunities is the fear of rejection and failure, but these are the negative feelings that instead we should be ignoring. Don’t see failure as a possible outcome that must be avoided at all costs. The feeling of success comes from within and that feeling can come from a number of things, even if it’s as small as something like, “I successfully took part in a great opportunity, I may have failed but now I know what I can do different next time”. Or “It’s made me realise that it isn’t my sort of thing and now I know where I’m going to direct my life”. There are many ways of seeing things, but the main lesson to be learnt is that the only thing stopping us from getting anywhere in life is ourselves and the only way to ever succeed in life is by thinking positive and feeling positive. The world is yours. Now is the time to start pursuing your dreams, finding out who you are and who you’re going to be. Take charge of your life. Blossom into your future.

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Health

Savoury If you want to eat well and impress your flatmates and family then you may think that it will cost a fortune. Here’s an inexpensive recipe LAUREN ROITMAN only tried a few weeks ago but has fallen in love with… carefully) Salt and pepper to season TOP TIP: If you wet the knife before you cut your onions they’re less likely to make you cry!

Spinach and Feta Filo Pie Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 25 – 30 mins Serves: 4 - 5

What you’ll need: A frying pan or wok A cake tin that’s about 20 – 22cm in diameter (relatively cheap in your local supermarket) A brush (to put the butter on the pastry... again, you can pick these up for £2 in your local supermarket)

Ingredients: 2 onions, chopped finely (red makes the dish a bit sweeter) 2 garlic cloves or a teaspoon of crushed garlic 200g feta cheese (which is conveniently a whole packet, no weighing needed!) 500g spinach 2 eggs Butter Filo pasty (you can buy it frozen from the supermarket, let it defrost for three hours and then unwrap it and roll it out

Method 1. Turn the oven on to 200C for a fanassisted oven or 180C/gas mark 6 and leave that to get up to temperature while you prep the filling. Place a large knob of butter in your frying pan and add the onions, cook until they go nice and soft and slightly translucent. Then add the garlic. If you’re using cloves, chop the ends off, peel the outer skin off and chop them in half lengthways then remove the little green stalk in the middle – this is the thing that gives you that horrible garlicky breath! Slice the garlic up super fine and add it to the onions. Cook for a couple more minutes. 2. Once everything’s looking nice and cooked, add the spinach in small batches and cook. It will wilt down to about a quarter of the size that it was so don’t worry! When it’s wilted down, pour the spinach into a bowl, draining any excess liquid as this will make your pie go soggy. Once you’ve cooked all the spinach, put it in the fridge for about five minutes to cool down.

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3. Once your spinach has cooled, crumble in the whole block of feta cheese and mix it up. Taste the mixture before you add in two beaten eggs and add some salt and pepper. 4. That’s your filling done! Now on to the pie. Melt some more butter and use this the butter the base and sides of your cake tin – it’ll stop your pie sticking and it’ll make sure it goes nice and crispy. 5. CAREFULLY take your first sheet of filo pastry and put it in the bottom of the tin. Let the edges hang over as you will fold these over the top at the end to form the lid of your pie. Melt some more butter and brush it gently all over the filo pastry you just put in the tin. Do this for the rest of the sheets of filo pastry, turning the cake tin a little every time you add a new sheet. 6. When you’ve used all your pastry up, tip your filling into the middle and fold all the excess pastry over the top of it. 7. Brush the top with some more melted butter so it will go nice and crispy and place in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes until it is golden. 8. When it’s cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it to sit for five minutes before cutting it up into wedges.

9. Eat and enjoy!

Sweet It’s a classic. Everyone will enjoy it and it’s so easy to make! LAUREN ROITMAN will show you how to make this delicious dessert.

Banoffee Pie Prep Time: 5 mins Cooking/Cooling Time: 1hour and 10 – 12 mins. Serves: Lots of you, it’s very rich so you only need a little bit!

What you’ll need: A sandwich bag (for bashing up your biscuits) A pan A cake tin with a removable base (if you’re cooking it) or a plate if you’re not Microwave safe bowl

Ingredients: For the gingerbread: 300g oaty biscuits (Hobnobs or ginger nuts work well) 60g butter, melted 379g tin of Nestle Carnation Caramel 3 large bananas, sliced up 350ml double cream (or squirty cream if you’re feeling lazy) 1tsp tablespoon of icing sugar 100g of dark chocolate 1tbsp warm water

and keep an eye on it for 10 – 12 mins, then remove it and let it cool down. If you’re doing a cold base, pop it in the fridge until it’s solid.

Method 1. There are two ways you can make a Banoffee pie: you can do one with a baked base or one with a chilled base. They’re both yummy and they both taste the same so it’s up to you! If you’re going to cook the base, heat your oven up to 180C for a fan assisted oven or gas mark 4. 2. Put your biscuits in the sandwich bag, don’t tie it at the top, just hold it closed and make sure there’s no trapped air in there or the bag could burst and there will be crumbs everywhere. Bash up the biscuits with your chosen implement – beer bottle/rolling pin/ketchup bottle/whatever, until they’re completely crushed. 3. Heat up the butter in a saucepan until it’s melted and add in your biscuits. Take it off the heat and mix it all together.

6.When the base is cooled down cover it in the caramel and put back in the fridge to chill for an hour. 7. Once chilled, layer the banana slices over the toffee. 8. Whip the cream and icing sugar together until it makes soft peaks (if you’re using squirty cream just squirt it on) and put it over the bananas. 9. Melt the chocolate for a couple of seconds at a time in the microwave but don’t let it burn it will smell horrible. Then drizzle it over the cream in whatever pattern takes your fancy… And

enjoy!

4. Transfer the mixture to your plate/ cake tin and press it down to make a nice even layer for the base. 5. If you’re cooking it, put it in the oven

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Health

Depression

the invisible illness

t’s estimated that 300 million people in the world today suffer from depression, with 1 in 4 women being affected, compared to 1 in 10 men. They’re scary figures when you think about it personally but what’s even scarier is that men are more likely to commit suicide because they’re less likely to get help. Depression is a serious mental illness that affects people of every age but it’s most common in teenagers and people in their twenties. But couldn’t this be dealt with more by looking at the stressful situations people of this age find themselves in? Exams, course work, university, deadlines... All of these have panicked a student at some point. Okay so a lot of us can cope with the stresses of uni life, but what about the others of us that can’t? Maybe there are added problems at home that create a mountain in your head, but then where do we draw the line between depression, a serious mental illness, and just plain stressed? Stress is even more common but it’s also something that doesn’t necessarily require medication like depression. It’s also something that people are quick to admit to. Depression on the other hand is such a taboo subject - it’s seen as a weakness or even a gateway excuse

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sometimes. Admitting it requires work to tackle it, and in turn requires immense support. Do you think you have depression? Or is it something you tell yourself after a stressful week at uni? The truth is, everyone suffers in different ways and the only way to begin to fight it is to first of all, admit to yourself that you may be mentally ill, and then make an appointment with your GP to look at the next step. One thing I can tell you for sure is that it will not go away by ignoring it, it’ll only get worse. Two Trent students are willing to share their first-hand experiences of depression. The first is a second year who was diagnosed with the illness six years ago but never managed to tackle it. In recent months it appeared that she was diagnosed wrongly and given the wrong medication, as in fact her condition is Bipolar Disorder, a stronger form of depression that requires a much higher level of treatment. Through both years of studying at Trent she struggled to cope with the smallest of deadlines, and because of this her work has suffered. The help available through university wasn’t clear to her, but the personal help with her tutors pushed her through and kept her up to scratch.

She said: “Doctors are too quick to judge depression, it’s an easy thing to diagnose and treat but with me they never bothered to find the reason. When I was 15 I was told by a doctor that I was just a teenager that hated the world.” Thankfully this student is now on the right path and is luckily still able to study and get the grades she wants. The second student is a third year who suffered mainly from anxiety and panic attacks from college. Coming into university she could handle her episodes but at times had to run out of lectures just to cry but luckily her lecturers understood. She said: “I managed to continue my studies, it was very difficult and at times I felt as though I could easily run and hide away. But I didn’t want to be defeated… My friends helped me, they would take me for short walks just to try and help, they understood.” This particular student is tackling things head on with the support around her and is now a single reach away from her degree.

when you need to talk to someone, The Samaritans is a great group that have experience in all areas and are also available 24 hours a day on 0845 7 909 090. If you choose to see your GP, they will have a lot of options available for you, and will help in any way they can. The most important thing that should never be forgotten is that depression is a serious mental illness and getting over it alone is not an option. Support from friends, family and professionals is vital. It’s a tough thing to live with, and it should be spoken about more so that it doesn’t become ostracised further. Mental illness is just as serious and important as any physical illness, it’s just not faced head on as it should. Gemma Allen

If you want help through your university, you can talk with your personal tutor, who can also tell you about the counselling service that Nottingham Trent has to offer students. At times

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Health

EAR PLUGS MORE PROTECTION ON YOUR NIGHT OUT

he student lifestyle can be pretty rough on our bodies: junk food, late nights and (lots of) alcohol. And let’s be honest, the best clubs in Nottingham are usually the loudest and proudest. From experience earplugs may not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning a big night out. Not to get all ‘Daily Mail scare-tactics’ on you but loud noises have been proven to raise blood pressure and heart rate as well as stress levels. Even more worrying, the long term effects can be much worse. Noise induced hearing-loss (NIHL) can come gradually with age or, if you’re out wrecking it in clubs like Stealth every Friday and Saturday, pretty darn quickly. The danger level can be as low as 85dB decibels or to put that in perspective the noise of the Tram passing Boots library. Clubs like Stealth and Ocean chart at approximately 115db. So why may you ask are these madmen (and madwomen) going into deafeningly loud clubs without protection? Kim, a Dutch student explains: “It’s not very acceptable to wear them when no one else is... I mean how many funny looks [do] you think you’ll get if you wear them?” She adds: “In Holland no one wears them unless they are playing onstage in a band - even then not all of them have them.” It’s not as if they even cost a lot of money – music shops sell them for as little as a pound a pair. If you’re willing to push the boat out you can splash out near enough £100 for some serious protection. While there’s no need to go out and learn sign language for that fateful night, there are a few precautions you can take to minimize damage to your ears if earplugs aren’t your thing.

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Take a break every half hour or so – get as far away from the speakers as possible, maybe go to the bar or outside to the smoking area. If you know that it’s a loud club ask the barman if they have a spare pair of ‘plugs (they are required to stock them by their licensing law). Even if you don’t want to use them at least you have them just in case. Try getting behind the speakers if you are on the dance floor – this is the best place to avoid the noise being blasted onto the dance floor. Finally if these two options aren’t helping you with your hearing there are always the discrete earplugs. Companies like Etymotic make flesh coloured earplugs that are almost invisible. They’re useful if you want to keep your moshing credentials in check! I’ve been to some pretty loud gigs in my time (Motorhead anyone?) but usually the effects are not really apparent until you’re in a quiet room or you go to sleep. Even having your iPod too loud can have consequences. We’re bombarded with safety messages in pretty much every walk of life, from what to eat to what not to wear in the snow, but preserving your hearing couldn’t be simpler. Personally I wear my earplugs like a true anorak but only after I got tinnitus in one of my ears which I can tell you is pretty annoying – it’s like a mosquito perching on the cusp on your ear and buzzing all night. Perhaps that’s not the solution, but would anyone like to approach the DJ’s at Stealth and ask them to “turn it down” like some old dear...? Didn’t think so! Tom Dell

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Film

Edited by James Gordon (film@platform-online.net)

DVD REVIEWS With cinema tickets getting more and more expensive, sometimes the best way for students to get their film fix is by grabbing a DVD, and enjoying it in the comfort of their own home. With such a wide range of new releases every single week though, sometimes it can be a daunting choice deciding exactly which films deserve a spot on your DVD shelf, and which you’d do better to just save your money on. With this in mind, JAMES GORDON figured it was time to recommend some of the latest and best films to come to a home format in recent weeks.

DVD Review: Easy A Director: Will Gluck Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Alyson Michalka Released: 28/02/2011 Rating: 15 Not since the eighties, when John Hughes was churning out films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, have teen movies been as fun and intelligent as Easy A. The film sees Olive, a nerdy girl who believes that no one will ever notice her, pretend to sleep with a group of dorky guys in an attempt to raise the social credibility of everyone involved. Before she knows it though, everyone in school starts to label her the school slut and hilarious antics ensue.

keep the film rolling along and the scenes where Olive speaks to the camera are incredibly funny. All in all, Easy A has all the makings of a classic teen movie and it’s a DVD which anyone who has ever suffered through puberty should get hold of as quickly as possible.

This film sees Emma Stone (best known before now for Zombieland) really come into her own, and this is a role which deserves to see her propelled into the spotlight for a long time to come. Amanda Bynes, who has been out of the public eye for a while, returns as a prissy, incredibly Christian popular girl who sees it as her goal in life to stop Olive at all costs. It’s great to see her back as I’d forgotten just how great a comic actress she could be. The film is formatted like an ongoing video blog, with Olive introducing chapters of the film to camera, before the film then segue’s into the real events on camera. This format works nicely to

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DVD Review: RED Director: Robert Schwentke Starring: Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman Released: 14/02/2011 Rating: 12 This past year has seen several films – most notably The Expendables – look back at action heroes of years gone by and put them back into some kind of super team. RED, based on the graphic novel of the same name, takes this idea but turns it comically on its head. RED stands for “Retired, Extremely Dangerous” and that means that what we’re going to see a group of golden oldies, all long since retired from the CIA. The main highlight here is a frankly insane John Malkovich, driven to complete paranoia by his past jobs, and a little trigger happy to boot. Every time he’s on screen he gets a laugh and it’s a very different role from anything you’d usually expect from Malkovich. Following this trend of odd and yet hilarious casting, Dame Helen Mirren as a wet-work asset (“It means I kill people dear”) just seems so out of place, and yet somehow utterly perfect nonetheless. We are literally watching a woman who embodied Queen Elizabeth II, firing machine guns, sniping off bad guys and generally kicking ass.

Where The Expendables took itself far too seriously, it’s fair to say this doesn’t at all, and it’s a lot better for it. These actors all know how completely ludicrous this all is, but the point is they get on with it and it’s for this reason that the film works so well. It’s fair to say that if you’re looking for a serious, well thought-out plotting, or a particularly in-depth character study, you’re not going to find them in RED. But somehow it just doesn’t matter. The film is as fun as it is funny, and as long as you shut your brain off and just enjoy it, the movie is brilliant.

DVD Review: Charlie St Cloud Director: Burr Steers Starring: Zac Efron, Amanda Crew, Kim Basinger Released: 07/02/2011 Rating: 12 Zac Efron – or Zefron as he is lovingly referred to by his teenage fans – is arguably the fastest rising star in Hollywood today. He’s an actor who surely has a tremendous career ahead of him. With Charlie St Cloud, he finally manages to move beyond his High School Musical days and prove that he is a force to be reckoned with. When Charlie St Cloud’s young brother dies in a car accident, only to return to him as a ghost every day at sunset, Charlie throws away a once promising career and dedicates his life to his brother. Skipping out on college and taking up a job as manager of the local graveyard, Charlie’s life sinks deeper and deeper into depression – until an old friend shows him that sometimes love, and living life, can be as important as looking back. This film is a great story about learning to forgive yourself and learning to let go. Through Charlie, we as an audience must go on a journey of discovery ourselves, as we must move beyond our demons as he moves past his. Whether you’re a Zefron fan, or someone who wouldn’t touch his previous work with a ten-foot barge pole, there is something here that anyone can enjoy.

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Film

DVD Review: Buried Director: Rodrigo Cortes Starring: Ryan Reynolds Released: 14/02/2011 Rating: 15 Not one for the faint of heart, the final new release film weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll recommend for you comes to you in the form of a one-man show. Buried alive, with no light other than a torch (which only works intermittently) and a phone with which he tries to contact the outside world, Ryan Reynolds literally runs proceedings for 90 minutes. For anyone who has ever considered themselves to be afraid of enclosed spaces, this one is certainly not for you as Buried makes no bones about the fact that everything you see takes place from inside this coffin underground, and as we watch Reynolds struggle to move, the audience feels equally trapped.

The first few minutes of the film begin in total darkness and we just hear muffled sounds as our lead wakes up and realises he is trapped. This gives the film an almost terrifying level of reality, and even though youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be sat in a nice cosy living room watching, I guarantee you will be gasping for air by the end. Buried is an entirely unique film and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a gamble which really paid off for director Rodrigo Cortez. He chose to tell his story in a way which could have completely backfired, but because he took a chance, what he has actually achieved is something nothing short of masterful.

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Classic DVD Review: Alice in Wonderland Director: Wilfred Jackson Starring: Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Sterling Holloway, Richard Haydn Released: 28/02/2011 Rating: U Sixty years old this year, Disney’s classic animation, Alice in Wonderland is back on DVD this month, and so it’s only fair we celebrate the occasion The film which introduced millions to the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and of course the Queen of Hearts, has delighted children for generations and it looks as good today as it did back in 1951 when it first graced the silver screen. Alice’s story, of the girl who went down the rabbit hole, is a true classic and it’s one of Disney’s most magical tales.

off exclaiming his lateness, and you will feel sorry for the rather put-down-upon King, who never gets a word in edgeways when his Queen is present. The story was so loved of course that Tim Burton set about remaking the film for a live action audience last year, unfortunately failing to capture the joy and wonder of the original. From the songs, to the simply beautiful animation, this version of the story captures perfectly the way in which the mind of a child works, and even though it turns out to all be a dream in the end (or does it?), the story is still just completely adorable. Put simply then, set your watches, and don’t be late, as come February 28th, you have a very important date with your local DVD store.

You will laugh as the White Rabbit runs

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Gaming&Tech Edited by Aaron Lee (gaming@platform-online.net)

, your way AARON LEE investigates why Nottingham’s foremost independent cinema has been revolutionised by its new digital services.

howtimes are the most important factor when it comes to getting prospective cinemagoers out of the house and in front of the big screen. All too often the final decision on whether or not to go see a film - especially on impulse will be decided on when it’s showing and how local the cinema is.

the holiday period as new iPhone users downloaded content for their new devices for the first time. That’s quite a large user base for a city like Nottingham, although we are certain that a percentage of those downloads are from curious folk from outside the region,” said Paul Fillingham, co-director of Cuttlefish.

This is something that Nottingham’s long-running independent cinema has been fighting ever since the rise of digitally changed film distribution for ever.Broadway Cinema opened its doors in August 1989, and is probably recognised most for its iconic showtime brochures, which have a different colour scheme for each month and an attractive, modest design.

Immediate access to showtimes and events listings are only the beginning for this app. As well as a host of interactive features, such as trailers, user reviews and showtime reminders, users can book tickets directly through the app itself. This represents a major change to Broadway’s business, which has seen online ticket sales up 100 percent on 2009-2010.

Though the brand’s reputation and creative network have continued to grow, a dated website was holding them back from communicating with their users and, crucially, turning potential customers into cinemagoers. Their answer was not just to commission a full website redesign but a multifunction iPhone app too, both jointly created by Cuttlefish Multimedia and Victoria Creative.

Something that users won’t be aware of is that this redesign has also streamlined Broadway’s internal content management processes. The task of updating their box office system, website and e-brochure that used to take three people, now only takes one, as all services - as well as the iPhone app - are updated in unison.

The Broadway app launched in November last year and has been a tremendous success for the cinema. It received over 4,500 downloads between November 15, 2010 and January 28, 2011. Feedback on the app has also been very positive with a five starrating on the App Store at the time of writing. “We experienced a download spike over

When asked about what possible improvements the app might see in future, Fillingham said: “Since the launch in November, the ticket purchasing screens have already been optimised for general smartphone use and the Android platform is being evaluated. We have received several requests for ‘one-click’ ticket purchasing. To a certain extent, Broadway are

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to our business - it drives new content, it offers us new opportunities to engage with audiences and it helps to streamline what we do,” addedAndy Batson, Broadway’s audience development manager, who noted during the app’s launch that their print showtimes brochure could eventually be phased out. “Without digital we couldn’t function as a successful independent cinema in the modern age.” From the beginning, Fillingham felt that Broadway needed to have “a worldclass web presence.” And it shows. The Broadway app’s smart interface design and bevy of features make the equivalent Corner House app pale in comparison. And aesthetically and functionally, the website is bounds ahead of the tired previous version. He said both went through a lengthy consultation and testing process with Broadway staff and members before their release. Through their work, the developers have improved Broadway Cinema’s bread and butter ticket sales by getting showtimes in front of more residents.Furthermore, in transitioning it to these digital platforms, they have kept its brand identity intact, ensuring that Broadway’s legacy continues to live on.

constrained by the parameters of their merchant services but there is a general desire on all sides to simplify the online buying process.

a profile, adding films to their page and sharing ratings and reviews with the community.

use “Without digital we couldn’t function “Internet is moving away “There are as a successful independent cinema in from desktop certainly computers to opportunities the modern age.” for ‘soft smartphones and notepads so our solutions are based commercialisation’, perhaps a paidon that premise. The bSocial community for version of the iPhone app offering premium content related to Broadway’s on the Broadway website was also themed events.” born out of a desire to embrace social networks and allow cinemagoers to engage with film and events on whatever Users’ contributions via the app are platform they happened to be using. reflected on the website. This integration has been part of a wider social network This multi-platform approach to digital communication is now at the heart of all which is a core part of Broadway’s new of our work,” said Fillingham. digital face. Known as bSocial, this is a new way for Broadway-goers to personalise their experience by creating “At Broadway we see digital as being vital

Fillingham said: “Broadway’s brand identity extends beyond mere logo and style guidelines. As creative practitioners, Cuttlefish Multimedia and Victoria Creative - joint developers of the integrated web and mobile solution - were aware of the cinema’s strong cultural values, which have become enshrined in its loyal user base over many years. My own experience goes back to the 1970s when I attended what was then the Co-operative Cinema as a schoolboy. And, like many young people who pass through the cinema today, was informed by its rich cultural programme of events. “Take a look at the walls of the cinema and you will see that it is adorned with cinema leaflets, posters and other memorabilia, some lovingly signed by major stars and film producers. Broadway is an inspirational place and it was important to extend these values into the digital domain because that’s what makes Broadway what it is, and why the customer base remains so loyal.” The Broadway Cinema app is available now for free on the App Store.

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Gaming&Tech

he shooter market is a competitive place to be in, and at its heart is online multiplayer. Time and effort is spent building never-ending entertainment spaces, but that alone isn’t enough to stand against the popularity of Call of Duty or Halo, which dominate the online FPS scene.

directly into the multiplayer in an effort to bring something new to the online FPS experience. We spoke to Crytek UK managing director Karl Hilton to hear what Crysis 2’s multiplayer will offer, how he feels about the competition and what his thoughts are on the ‘need’ for downloadable content.

Back from the brink of closure, local Nottingham studio, Crytek UK (formerly Free Radical), are determined not to be ignored by the FPS faithful. Crytek, their owners based in Frankfurt, Germany, have set them to work on the multiplayer portion for Crysis 2, the follow-up to one of the mostly technically impressive PC shooters in recent times.

EA studios Danger Close and DICE worked on different parts of last year’s Medal of Honor reboot. What sort of issues are involved with two studios making two separate parts of a game like this?

Crytek UK has incorporated the game’s premise for futuristic super-soldiers

Karl Hilton: I suppose it will be different for every project. For us, it’s been very smooth because we have a 100Mb link to Frankfurt, so we swap and share our assets very quickly and easily. We

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have good lines of communication with them, video conferencing and stuff. And, actually, although the mechanics are based on the same thing, we design the multiplayer gameplay and their doing the single-player story. So, from that point of view, they pretty much left us to get on with it. They pull builds off regularly and give us some feedback on what they think, but ultimately it’s our call on how we do it. More developers are choosing to include online co-op or elements of story in multiplayer - like Resistance 2, which gave players combat scenarios that were connected to the events of the main story. Are you doing anything along those lines? KH: It’s tough when you’re doing

online play. What we try and do with the multiplayer is fill in some of the surrounding areas. Elements you see in the single-player you get to revisit in the multiplayer and maybe get a different take on it. It’s about filling out the world a bit more so if you played the singleplayer and you then go back and play multiplayer some levels are completely different - here’s another part of the city and here’s what happened to it - that’s an interesting story in itself. Ultimately, multiplayer needs to be about tactical gameplay, so we don’t want to bog people down with any exposition about what’s going on. Publishers have waited to release their title after Call of Duty as

everyone was expecting it to stream roll anything that came out close to it. How do you feel about the competition? KH:Call of Duty’s a big competitor, obviously, they’re at the pinnacle in terms of quality. We think we are too with the CryEngine. So they’re a big competitor, but we’re offering something slightly different because of our setting and our slightly sci-fi nature and the nanosuit super-soldier concept, which is unique gameplay that we bring to multiplayer, which isn’t in things like Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. We hope that will make us stand out above the other games.

possibility that that project could continue? KH: The TimeSplitters IP is with Crytek now, so it is a possible thing in the future. I can’t talk anymore about those things at the moment, but we’ll carry on making first-person multiplayer games. What we do next, we’re discussing at the moment with publishers. We still own a lot of the Free Radical IPs and we could go down that route if we chose to. Because of Call of Duty and other shooters, do think there is an expectation from the audience for you to make maps for Crysis 2? KH: I think it’s down to the quality of

the game. If people are enjoying the game, they’ll want to carry on playing it, and in that case we should be supplying new content for it. So if the game is good enough to justify it. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time. Obviously, we think Crysis 2 multiplayer will be excellent and we’ll want to support it before we go off and do the next one. Aaron Lee Crysis 2 is out March 25, 2011 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. See more on www.platform-online.net.

Before Free Radical went into administration you were working on TimeSplitters 4. Is there any

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Sports Edited by William Taylor (sports@platform-online.net)

Trent Dance’s ‘Synergy’ Photos: George Wallis-Ryder

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NOTTS EVENTS March Gig Listings

1st – Joseph & David – The Malt Cross 2nd – Gypsy Jazz – Fade And The Hard to Find Cafe 3rd – Confetti Studios Battle of the Bands – The Central 4th – Claude Von Stroke + Benji B Stealth 5th – Shake and Bake – Jam Cafe 6th – Dead Rock West – The Maze 7th – Open Mic – The Golden Fleece 8th – Adam Peter Smith - Tantra 9th – Jazz Workshop – The Lion Inn 10th – This Is The Kit – Spanky Van Dykes 11th – Lighthouse Family – Royal Centre

12th – Cult DJ’s - Moog 13th – Lucy Ward – The Maze 14th – Nodzzz – Spany Van Dykes 15th – The Old Nick Trading Company – The Lion 16th – Seven Little Sisters – Rescue Rooms 17th – Sam Sweeney and Hannah James – Nottingham Playhouse 18th – Submotion Orchestra – Bodega Social Club 19th – Mas Y Mas – Cafe.Bar. Contemporary 20th – Goats on Boxes – The Chameleon 21st – Gruff Rhys + Y Niwi - The Glee Club 22nd – Louder Warm Up – The Golden Fleece

23rd – Detroit Social Club – Bodega Social Club 24th – Justin Bieber + Willow Smith – Captial FM Arena 25th – Nigel Lewis and The Zorch Men – The Old Angel Inn 26th – Rise and Shine – The Cookie Club 27th – 10cc – Royal Centre 28th – The Giraffe, The Pelly and Us – Gatecrasher 29th – Valduna – The Hand and Heart 30th – Fenech Soler – Rescue Rooms 31st – The Unthanks – The Glee Club

NTSU Entertainments

Weekly Events

EVERY MONDAY Event: Dirty Mondays Time: 10pm – 3am Cost: £4 on the door (£3 tickets available

from The Pulse on Mondays)

Venue: The Forum - NUS ONLY EVERY TUESDAY Event: Kiss Kiss @ Oceana Time: 9:30pm – 3am Cost: £4 Venue: Oceana - NUS ONLY EVERY WEDNESDAY Event: Campus Time: 9:30pm – 3am Cost: £3.50 adv Venue: Ocean - NUS ONLY EVERY THURSDAY Event: Quids In Time: 8pm Cost: Free Venue: The Pulse, NTSU - NUS ONLY Event: Chic @ Gatecrasher Time: 9:30pm – 3am Cost: £4 Venue: Gatecrasher Discount tickets available from Quids In at The Pulse from 8pm - NUS ONLY

EVERY THURSDAY Event: 2UNED Time: 9:30pm – 3am Cost: £4 b4 midnight / £5 after Venue: Rock City - NUS ONLY Discount tickets Quids In at The Pulse from 8pm

EVERY FRIDAY Event: Double Vision Time: 9:30pm – 2:30am Cost: £4 Venue: The Point, Clifton - NUS + Guests EVERY SATURDAY Event: Climax Time: 9:30pm – 2:30am Cost: £4 b4 midnight / £5 after Venue: NTSU - NUS + Guests

Brack Events for March 03/03/11: Chillout Thursday 04/03/11: The House Party 05/03/11: Quids in! 06/03/11: Chillout Sunday 09/03/11: Pirates! 10/03/11: Chillout Thursday 11/03/11: Live Friday 12/03/11: Quids in! 13/03/11: Chillout Sunday

17/03/11: St Patricks Party 18/03/11: The House Party 19/03/11: Quids in! 20/03/11: Chillout Sunday 22/03/11: The Big Quiz 24/03/11: Chillout Thursday 25/03/11: The House Party - Last Day of Term Special!!!

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