Press Play Issue 2

y s s a e l Pr P music

film

tv

ing m a g

knights and bikes De but title f r o m Foa m Sw o r d, De velo pers on Ratch et a n d C l a n k a n d Lit tleB ig Pl ane t

issue 2 / MAY 2017

counterfeit’s jamie campbell bower wonder woman evarose best of netflix guardians of the galaxy festival guide

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contents

The Press Play magazine and website is produced by students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism course at Southampton Solent University. The views expressed in the magazine and website are the contributors’ own and as such the University and its staff can not be held responsible.

music

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film

tv

gaming

guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 A seventies soundtrack to break your stereo

Introducing: evarose

The rock-pop outfit discusses their debut

preview: prey

Casting you into the unknown of space

exclusive games on consoles Is it frustrating?

preview:

pirates of the caribbean

“Six years later we see a return to form.”

q&a:

gwent: the witcher card game

We speak with game designer Michal Dobrowolski

we need a wonder woman

“By damn she will let you know what she stands for.”

preview:

stranger things: season 2

“Has Eleven survived killing the monster?”

interview:

counterfeit

Jamie Campbell Bower on Together We Are Stronger

preview:

game of thrones: season 7

“The dragons have now grown to the size of jumbo jets.”

3 From the Team Hello and welcome to magazine number two! This issue is packed so full to the brim with content that we’re afraid mentioning all of it just wouldn’t fit – just prepare to be spoilt this time around.

On our cover is the stunning and creative Knights and Bikes, the indie debut from Foam Sword – a new game development studio created by the fantastic Moo Yu, a gameplay programmer on Ratchet & Clank and LittleBigPlanet, and Rex Crowle, creative lead of Tearaway at Media Molecule and an art designer for LittleBigPlanet 1 & 2. We talked with Yu and Crowle about the process of conception and creation for this hand-painted adventure.

Elsewhere, we have a pleasant chat with the eloquent Jamie Campbell Bower of Counterfeit who discusses the release of ‘erratic’ debut record Together We Are Stronger. Currently on their European headline tour, the frontman is taking a break from his acting career to spend some quality time among fans to play some ‘balls-out’ punk rock.

If you’re wondering what to do with all the free time you’ll have come summer, then wonder no further because we’ve got a list of the best shows on Netflix to binge your heart out. If you’re feeling audacious and would rather venture outdoors to be more sociable, then take a look at our festival guide, as we’ll tell you all of the best places to visit for your specific musical fix. We also delve into the soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for some 70s tunes to fill your playlists.

Thanks to everyone who stuck around to help us out with issue two, and thank you for taking the time to read it.

We appreciate all the great feedback we received from our debut print magazine, and we’ve had a wonderful time creating and publishing Press Play this year. All of our hard work has paid off. Enjoy!

team Editor / kaitlyn ulrich Reviews Editor / martha gregory Features Editor / chloe rose eaton Print Design / adrianne goron Web Design / gabbi kimber

Contributors Daniel Barth, Chelsea Batt, Rosie Chalk, Harry Filby, Lauren Ford, Maddy Hardman, Jack Harvey, Daisy Hearn, Hollie Ingram, Alex Lewis, Callum McCormack, Andre Moore, Andrew Shelley, Vicky Swain, Rupert Taylor, Sam Taylor, Jack Webb, Andrew Yates, Emily Young

Contact pressplaymagazineuk@gmail.com www.

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www.pressplaymagazine.co.uk facebook.com/pressplaymusicmag @press_play_mag

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the best of netflix To binge or not to binge?

where are all the women?

The lack of women in festival line-ups is a problem

preview:

alien: covenant

Twenty years since the last Alien film

interview:

knights and bikes

We catch up with game studio Foam Sword

versus:

comic book movies

Are the comic based movies becoming too much?

music festival guide

What and where to attend this year

the development of rpg

How the role-playing games we love evolved

top 10:

greatest music video cameos From Norman Reedus to Rupert Grint

reviews

Featuring Mac Demarco, Iron Fist and more

q&a:

me7ropolis

Up and coming Italian pop-punk

upcoming

New releases to watch out for

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feature

5

guardians A of the galaxy vol. 2:

mixtape to movie screen s the release date creeps closer and closer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, fans may have noticed on director James Gunn’s Twitter that he is recruiting a bunch of musical talents for the sequel. Sadly, these additions don’t seem to be part of Awesome Mix Vol. 2, but equally as good, they will appear as actors for new characters popping up within the film.

the soundtrack

By Daniel Barth

i

n 2014, no one expected Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy to become the phenomenon that it is today.

Ever since iconic characters like Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) graced our screens, fans have been waiting (all but patiently) to see the ragtag group of space vigilantes once again.

You could write a list that goes on and on about what makes Guardians of the Galaxy so great, but the thing that sets the movie apart from any other superhero film is its unique and catchy soundtrack. Awesome Mix Vol. 1 was a super-hit playlist of classic 70s songs ranging from David Bowie to The Jackson 5, that added familiarity and comedy to Star-Lord’s epic adventure through his portable cassette player. The soundtrack topped the download charts following its release and even became a surprise hit on vinyl.

“

the backdrop of the blurred MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is close approaching and looks to be shaping up into another blockbuster hit, but a lot of fans are wondering whether the soundtrack for the sequel, Awesome Mix Vol. 2, will hold up to the original. From the trailers released thus far we have heard more 70s hits including ‘ The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac and Sweet ’s ‘Fox on the Run’, as well as surprise 60s track ‘Come a Little Bit Closer ’ by Jay and the Americans.

Director James Gunn seems to be playing his cards close to his chest, hinting that these tracks may or may not be in the final edit of the film. He has further teased about what other songs we can expect of Vol. 2 in recent interviews, stating that the soundtrack will evolve from the first movie, be “more diverse”, and will include “some really

hopefully marvel will keep this film rooted firmly in its own universe and true to its musical roots

Films since Guardians Vol. 1, such as DC ’s Suicide Squad, have awkwardly tried to recreate the same music magic for their soundtrack, but have ultimately failed in their attempts. Other efforts pale in comparison to Chris Pratt ’s opening sequence in the film where he dances around like a space cowboy to Redbone’s ‘Come and Get Your Love’ that sets the tone for the rest of the franchise. Guardians’ uniqueness and use of music is what makes it stand out amongst the mass of other comic book films and

”

incredibly famous songs and then some songs that people have never heard.”

It seems that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is shaping up to be an absolute beast of a movie.

Hopefully Marvel will keep this film rooted firmly in its own universe and true to its musical roots. Fans have been waiting eagerly for a second Awesome Mix to play on repeat, and by the looks of how the sequel is coming together so far, they won’t be disappointed.

Jimmy Urine: The Mindless Self Indulgence frontman has landed himself the role of a Ravager named Half-Nut. Both Urine and Gunn have confirmed the news, the rock vocalist stating, “ Thank you, James Gunn, for making me a part of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and a part of the Marvel universe. I am a fucking Ravager ”.

Rob Zombie: While Zombie provided the voice for Ravager Navigator in Vol. 1, he has also recorded a second vocal part for Vol. 2. While it ’s not clear what character the heavy metal musician will provide the vocals for just yet, he confirmed the part via Instagram posting, “With James Gunn at Disney recording a voice for Guardians Of The Galaxy 2”, along with a picture of the two of them. Gunn later tweeted: “It isn’t a James Gunn film without Rob Zombie’s voice!”

the definitive guide to watching marvel films chronologically: Captain America: The First Avenger Iron Man Iron Man 2 The Incredible Hulk Thor Marvel’s The Avengers Iron Man 3 Thor: The Dark World Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Avengers: Age of Ultron Ant-Man Captain America: Civil War Doctor Strange Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 Spider-Man: Homecoming

INTRODUCING

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“i think it is important to have more females on stage so you can see them, like we did”

say hello to oxfordshire rock-pop outfit

evaROSE

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

i

t’s finally time for the headline tour of their debut record and Evarose is overwrought with anticipation.

Having recently released Invisible Monsters, the Oxfordshire rock-pop outfit sits backstage before their show and vibrantly discusses record creation, the ins and outs of band life, and what it takes to make it in the industry.

To fund Invisible Monsters Evarose turned to PledgeMusic, a campaigning website that allows bands to connect with their fans directly by selling merchandise and exclusives. They were shocked by the results and how much support they received, not knowing what to expect when starting out the process. One of the unique items that they offered in their ‘shop’ was a song cover – basically allowing the fan to choose a song, of any artist or genre, that band would create

their own rendition of for the buyer.

The covers turned out to be the most popular fundraiser and the quickest items sold. Evarose’s favourite choice from a fan turned out to be Stevie Wonder ’s ‘I Wish’, which they performed with kazoos to handle the brass section. “It was completely their choice [of cover], so we had no idea

“we just wanted to do something kind of completely different” what we were going to get,” comments bassist Connie Raitt. “I’m just glad no one chose any like electro-funkdance music that we’d have to try and make into an acoustic cover,” guitarist Imogen Leslie adds, laughing.

Now that the record has been funded and released, Evarose has been working on the creation of companion music videos to promote album singles. The latest video to come off of Invisible Monsters is ‘ Telephonic’, an impassioned and emotive track that sees the band driving around in a car. The visuals work well with the melody, a chilled atmosphere that is amplified by the darkness, and rain thumping the windows of the vehicle at night. “We’ve done quite a lot of big videos where we’ve spent a lot of money, put in a lot of time and hired millions of things,” Raitt explains.

“We just thought we’ve done that so many times and we were getting a bit bored of it. And we just wanted to do something kind of completely different, a bit unexpected.”

The video is a nice change of pace, yet still embodies the bold and commanding music that Evarose

preview

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always conveys. As an all female band, they put forth a powerful image with a confident attitude that makes the listener attentive to what they have to say.

Female musicians have been in the news a lot lately, speaking out over the latest festival criticism that not enough female musicians are being put in the line-ups, but Evarose has a more understanding outlook than most. Vocalist Dannika Webber comments, “You can’t put people on [the bill] just because they’re female.

It depends on whether they fit or if they’re releasing things at the time that you want them to be releasing.” Leslie adds, “It’s really difficult because I do think that there should be variety, but if it were us, I wouldn’t want to be like, ‘well you need to put us on because you need more females.’ That shouldn’t be the reason that you get on the bill.”

On the other hand, Raitt comments, “I think it is important to have more females on stage so you can see them, like we did. It’s just nice to see, to know that you can do it too. You don’t want it to be a pity slot do you?” Leslie laughs, stating, “I’d take a pity slot from Reading and Leeds. But having said that, I think there are loads of great female musicians so if they’re not finding them, they should be looking for them.”

“i think that music being the main part of what you do is most important” If that’s really the case, and looking for them is the only problem, than they have no need to look any further than this band here. Evarose are clearly on the path to success, and having been there not so long ago, have a lot of advice to give to bands just starting out – above all drummer Robyn Griffith urging, “Dry shampoo!”

Joking aside, Leslie comments, “I think that music being the main part of what you do is most important, because there’s so much stuff that can take away from that while being a band. Especially now with social media, you have to do a lot of stuff to promote yourself and get shows. But, the main thing is that you actually still enjoy playing what you’re playing. Also, remember that everyone messes up. I have to tell myself that quite frequently.”

Looking forward, Evarose is working on some new material that will hopefully lead to a second record. “I think we were hoping to get back in the studio in the next couple of months to record more demos when the tour ’s over,” Raitt explains. “We’ll get some tracks down and hopefully start compiling an album, which would be nice.” For now, their debut is drawing the crowds and lending voice to formidable tracks. One can only hope for more of the same in the future.

Invisible Monsters is available now.

prey

By Gabbi Kimber

A

rkane Studios (widely known for developing the Dishonoured series) will be releasing sci-fi thriller Prey, a game casting you into the unknown of space. Exploring the moon-orbiting space station Talos I as main character Morgan Yu, you will attempt to escape the ship and TranStar Corporation’s plans while avoiding a gory death by hostile aliens.

addition to improving the character ’s equipment, blueprints can also be found to improve each survival tool that will help take down any threat you’re faced with.

Prey is a reimaging of Human Head Studio’s original 2006 game and a spiritual successor to System Shock (1994) incorporating many of the same elements and themes. If you

“prey is a spiritual successor to system shock (1994)” In this first person shooter, you’re able to gain the abilities and powers of the extra-terrestrial gene from the aliens that swarm the space station you’re aboard. These genes create special skills and adaptable powers for you to use within the game. In

enjoyed the Dead Space games and found yourself hiding behind a pillow watching Ridley Scott ’s Alien movies, then Prey is just going to blow you out of your seat.

Prey will be released 5th May.

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opinion

preview

EXCLUSIVE GAMES on

consoles is it frustrating?

By Andre Moore

w

hen a person owns an Xbox One and a decent PC, and not a PS4, games limited to a single console can be irritating. Not being able to play certain games that have been highly rated by critics and audiences, such as The Last of Us, without having to spend around £250 for a single title is disheartening to say the least. Especially with the recent release of Horizon Zero Dawn, the temptation to give in and buy the missing console is painful.

“Xbox One Exclusives” are usually lies (besides the Halo franchise), to say the least. Dead Rising 3 was announced as an Xbox One exclusive during Microsoft ’s E3 2013 press conference, but it was only true for about a year when CAPCOM released a PC port for the game in September 2014.

GTA V was exclusive to consoles for around two years, which was surely frustrating to PC-only users until its release.

Microsoft is beginning to make certain games from franchises non-exclusive, such as Gears of War 4, Quantum Break and Forza Horizon 3. They’re all games you can play on the Xbox One, but can also be played on a PC without having to buy them twice (if you buy them through the Xbox store).

Is exclusivity frustrating? Yeah – but it’s not that bad. There is always the option of buying the console if there is that game that you really need to have, and it’s not like you can’t start buying other games for it that you might enjoy as well. Now that it’s been a few years, there are quite a lot of exclusives and it might be worth it to just bite the bullet and buy the console with the exclusive games you want. If you don’t want to set aside the money, there’s always the option of watching ‘Let’s Play’s on YouTube if you’re more interested in the story than the gameplay.

Should there be a stop to console exclusives?

Not really, no. As much as it can be frustrating to have exclusives, it helps to sell consoles.

Suddenly having a franchise that has been exclusive to one brand for years, and then suddenly having it available for both would frustrate the people that bought the console for that exact purpose. Getting exclusive games is a perk of being a proud console owner, whatever the brand.

Overall, as much as it is frustrating to have console exclusives, they are so few and far between that they’re not a bad thing.

If they were more common it’d be more frustrating to see a greater library of games that you’d have to set down £250+ just to play one of them.

pirates of the caribbean salazar’s revenge

By Vicky Swain

A

midst Hollywood’s attempts to repackage film nostalgia for a contemporary audience with the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Blade Runner 2049 and Power Rangers hitting our screens this year, out of the icy depths returns the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, with a fifth jaunt for the extravagantyet- likeable Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp).

It was assumed that the lacklustre fourth outing, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, would mark the end of this pirate’s dominance on the silver screen, but six years later Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar ’s Revenge appears to be a return to form of the original trilogy. The filmmakers themselves have even cited that they drew inspiration for the story and tone of this film from the first instalment, The Curse of the Black Pearl, which will inevitably bring back the same charm and wit of the franchise that we fell in love with.

The swashbuckling adventure continues in Salazar ’s Revenge,

with Captain Jack facing a crew of deadly ghost sailors led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). With a villainous track record for playing “baddies” including James Bond’s Skyfall, Bardem is excellent casting as Salazar. His unnerving presence and snake-like speech is both creepy and intimidating – which provides a brilliant juxtaposition to Depp’s exuberant portrayal of Captain Jack. It appears that some time off for these pirates, combined with a returning original cast – or at least some of them – such as Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and audience favourite Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), along with some fresh faces like Bardem, is a winning combination.

Despite this new adventure being far darker than its predecessors, one thing we can depend on from this franchise is spectacular CGI sequences, and this film certainly will not disappoint – But will this be enough to bring the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise back to life?

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar ’s Revenge is in cinemas May 26.

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q&a

By Gabbi Kimber

gwent f the witcher card game

rom CD Projekt RED, the game developers who brought us The Witcher series, comes GWENT: The Witcher Card Game. This fun mini-game features in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt itself, but is being brought to life in its own full-blown game due to popular demand.

Game designer Michal Dobrowolski discusses the creation of the upcoming title and what it takes to play your cards right.

What sparked the idea to create the spin-off card game that featured in The Witcher 3?

We are very close to the community and listen very carefully to their opinions about our work, so it isn’t an idea that came out of nowhere – we have The Witcher fans to thank for! When we first released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, GWENT, which at the time we thought was just a cool mini-game people will perhaps like playing within The Witcher 3, became an instant favourite! People got excited by it to the point where they were playing the mini-game more often than they played the main game. Somehow, without us even expecting it, the in-game version of GWENT became an instant success and the community was showering us with emails suggesting we developed GWENT as a standalone game.

Will there be any characters from The Witcher series that will feature in GWENT?

“being brought to life in its own full-blown game”

GWENT is jam-packed with characters from The Witcher series!

Players will immediately recognise both their most loved ones, as well as the lesser-known characters. I think if you played The Witcher, you will really enjoy revisiting all these colourful characters that Geralt had met along his threegame long journey. You’ll see Geralt himself on a couple of cards, each with a different characteristic.

You’ll also find a whole array of mages encountered in The Witcher 3 like Yennefer, Triss, or Philippa, and there are also Geralt’s great old friends, be it his faithful horse Roach, or his mates Zoltan and Dandelion – and obviously Ciri, too.

Also, for those who never played The Witcher, GWENT is a great chance to get acquainted with the characters and various factions and learn a little more about them. It works equally well as an introduction to The Witcher series, as well as a way for seasoned players to spend more time with their favourite characters.

Will there be any DLC (downloadable content) for GWENT, or will everything be included in the game?

GWENT is a free-to-play game. At the same time, we are working on something rather special – single player campaigns, which will accompany GWENT. They will consist of ten hours of unmissable fun, featuring the choice and consequence mechanism The Witcher fans love so much. It will be a story-driven adventure ideal for those who like action and mystery, so exactly what The Witcher series is known for, which also should come as no surprise, because the campaign was created by the same people who brought us the stories from The Witcher 3. Going solo in GWENT will allow players to garner unique cards, meet new characters, decide their fortune with their own decisions, and hear unknown stories from the Witcher universe.

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was announced as the game of the year in 2015. Do you feel there are high expectations to fill with a spin-off game?

We are overwhelmed by all the amazingly positive comments pouring from around the world.

We’ve worked really hard on The Witcher 3 and the global success of the game is a cherry on the cake. The expectations coming from outside the company are simply an extra kick of motivation for us. As an independent studio we have the liberty to make our own decisions and set our own timelines, which is a blessing when you want to create something people will like. We hope that following the success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, GWENT can become another great game and that it will be polished to perfection before it ’s released, giving gamers a lot of joy.

What projects do you have planned after the release of GWENT? Our studios in Warsaw and Kraków are currently work on two games, one being GWENT, and the other Cyberpunk 2077, a huge roleplaying game. At the moment we are keeping our focus on GWENT, as this is the game that takes up most of the team’s time. We want it to be awesome!

GWENT: The Witcher Card Game will be released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The release date has yet to be announced.

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feature

we need a

wonder

woman

By Alex Lewis

i

t is rare for superheroes and contemporary politics to intermix, at least explicitly.

Don’t expect to see Captain America or Batman express which political party they conform to unless the creators want to divide audiences straight down the middle. Some heroes though, their political ideology will be clear as day and you won’t need a lasso of truth to get it out of them. Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman, is one of those characters. By damn she will let you know what she stands for.

and we need her

now

Amongst the tens of female comic book superheroes, she has been a cultural milestone since her creation and debut in 1941. Her legacy extends over 75 years and she still remains popular to this day. The visualisation she upholds, the gold, red and blue outfit, creates a striking image that has rarely been modified.

Yet still, she does not have her own solo feature until now. Black Widow, Catwoman and Scarlet Witch may have dominated the big screen as of late, but it is Wonder Woman’s time to inspire a whole new generation of fans.

Wonder Woman’s first live action solo movie comes to the big screen in June after her debut in 2016’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and years of development hell. It is perhaps fitting that now is her time to truly shine, isolated from DC ’s most renowned male heroes, she can stand and show how glorious and badass she can be. Wonder Woman arrives in a time where the current President of the United States is a controversial figure among the public to say the least. One can dream of how Diana Prince would react to this man and his comments about immigrants, women and minorities – all citizens of our culture that she would fight tooth and nail over to defend.

“By damn she will let you know what she stands for”

preview The June 2nd release date is six months after the inauguration of the current president and it is impossible to say what the political climate will resemble come summer, but Wonder Woman’s presence has never been needed more to inspire women all over the world. Hillary Clinton’s election loss was surely a blow for women everywhere, considering the attitudes towards females that the opposition party holds. Clinton tweeted on November 9th: “ To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.” Her words ring true; Wonder Woman is the physical and visual voice for little girls and women everywhere.

“It is when we need her that she arrives” It is heartening that Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman, is so in awe of this character and passionate about becoming a role model for women of all ages. The character is an icon in itself and Gadot is determined to uphold this for the fans, those old and those discovering the character for the first time. While she is not on the big screen, Melissa Benoist, star of the CW’s Supergirl, was seen participating in the January Women’s March with a sign referencing her character and what she represents. These actresses are just as heroic off screen as they are when in character.

Earlier this year, a piece of street art depicted Wonder Woman in all her glory, delivering a powerful punch to the President of the United States. Years ago, this would have stemmed outrage from the American public. Now it is perhaps the least controversial news concerning the current state of politics. Of the female heroes that pop culture has idolised, seventy-five years after her debut, Wonder Woman still remains relevant in the public eye. This can be attributed to the classic TV show with Lynda Carter which certainly kept her popularity on-going, but it is her character and unique sensibilities which keeps her resonant to the world. It has been a struggle to get her on the cinema screen, but it is when we need her that she arrives.

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stranger things

season 2

By Hollie Ingram

s

tranger Things is a Netflix series that many people have instantly became obsessed with. Set in the 1980s, the first season of this science fiction horror centred on the disappearance of a young boy named Will. His friends Mike, Dustin and Lucas are relentless in trying to find and rescue him. Whilst doing so, they stumble upon a young girl called Eleven, who has escaped a scientific lab where she was victim to endless experiments. As a result of years of torture and lack of communication with the outside world, she has telekinetic powers and is able to manipulate objects and people with her mind.

At the end of the first season we were left with so many questions.

Had Eleven survived killing the monster from parallel dimension The Upside Down? Was anyone ever going to find underrated friend, Barb? Was it all really over? It ’s far from over.

“DOES THIS MEAN THERE IS A NEW MONSTER?” The Netflix series released a teaser trailer for the second season that shows the boys pedalling away from someone or something, while police officer Jim Hopper is encapsulated by some form of storm. Also, the boys are showing off some pretty sweet Ghostbusters costumes – does this mean there is a new monster from The Upside Down?

Eleven is glimpsed in the new teaser where she is shown having experiments practiced on her, but it ’s unclear whether this is a flashback vision rather than a present day clip. Before the video ends we see Will standing lifelessly by the front door of his house looking up into the sky filled with red, where you’re able to make out the silhouette of something inhuman in the sky. It makes the hair on the back of your next stand up, and leaves us with more questions than we came with. Puzzling yet enticing, we cannot wait for the new season to be released.

Stranger Things: Season Two will be released on Halloween.

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INTERVIEW

INTERESTING LINE OR QUOTE FROM THE BEHEMOTH INTERVIEW

let your success be your noise Counterfeit’s Jamie Campbell Bower is fuelled up for the release of the band’s debut album

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By Kaitlyn Ulrich

n

ot many people can say that they’ve had a successful acting career. Not many successful actors can say they’re starting a rock band and building a new occupation from the ground up.

Fortunately, Jamie Campbell Bower is not most people, and can confidently claim truth to both statements. Counterfeit is his latest venture, a leather-clad, punk rock gang where all of his pent-up emotions are laid bare on a guitar for the world to see. With the fresh release of their debut record Together We Are Stronger, the quintet is quickly gaining recognition.

Perhaps better known by his acting roles in the Twilight Saga, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the actor turned rock star had already proven his singing abilities as Anthony Hope in the Tim Burton musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, but has turned to heavier tones with Counterfeit. The publicization of Together We Are Stronger has him excited yet terrified of the retort, stepping out of his comfort zone to give the world raw and honest music; something he has created, as opposed to acting out someone else’s story. Articulate and eloquent when discussing his work, it ’s easy to tell that he has grown up in the spotlight, but his tone is authentic, accentuating just how much he cares for this band.

Gaining the initial notice of fans with a three-track teaser, the Come Get Some EP, Counterfeit began the rise to popularity even before the announcement of their full-length. Beginning as a trio before the addition of drummer Jimmy Craig and Bower ’s brother Sam as another guitarist [to which Bower adds, ‘I honestly don’t think that without him, I could really do this’], the Londoners swiftly began work on Together We Are Stronger. “It ’s bittersweet,” Bower comments, the drop of the LP an emotional occasion. “[The record] was kind of finished in December, so we held on to this baby for some time, and I think that that ’s played havoc with my anxiety. But, it ’s an amazing feeling to finally burst the record as it were and have it out there – as well as a terrifying one.”

The record was produced by Thomas Mitchener (Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Dead!) and is a smother of gritty punk rock, with Bower himself deeming it “erratic”. “It ’s like looking into my mind,” he muses, his voice pensive. “I mean if you’ve ever woken up in the morning filled with thought, breathlessness and sort of confusion – Image that feeling of like, ‘Oh my God, the world’s ending ’ on an album, that ’s kind of how I’d describe it.” Writing it predominantly by himself in his house, the ten tracks are angry and raw, the dark refrains and harsh tones wrapped up in topics exemplifying death, failure, addiction and loss. ‘As Yet Untitled’, Bower ’s personal favourite, is, as he describes, a “balls-out rock ‘n’ roll” song that just drives. “It just goes hard, and that for me is always a joy to play, and is always a joy to listen back to as well.”

As the record was written over a short period of time, there often comes a point where an album becomes written in a line, from start to finish, as if writing a story. The personal experiences Bower turned into songs are all fashioned around the same moments in time, but he’s quick to shoot down the idea that it ’s a concept record. “I think we’d make it a lot more obvious if we were [making a concept album],” he points out, but there is a true flow to the tracks, and a suitable overall theme. “I mean the record is very personal, it all comes from personal experience,” he explains, “so with that I suppose the true line: it ’s strength.” And thus comes the rationalisation of the record’s title Together We Are Stronger, simply fitting for the moments in life that Bower made sense of and placed into musical representation. “Because the record deals with a lot of negativity, or a lot of reflection on bad times, I’m thinking that [from] there comes a strength.”

Though rising steadily as a regular name in their scene, Counterfeit ’s album creation was very much DIY (do it

yourself), down to the cover photo itself that was shot by Bower. “ To think in terms about what this band is about and how we, how much I, care about it – I love the fact that we can do everything. The website’s done by Triston [Marmont], our guitarist, and [the record’s] just very much ours. And nobody else is really looking after it but us, and I love that! It ’s ours! It ’s my baby,” he says, finishing in a juvenile voice as if speaking about his own child.

“We put so much hard work and effort into the making – we did everything on this record. We designed all the inserts ourselves, I’m talking like even down to the minute details of where things are placed, like logos and things. We did all that, so I feel very proud working on it, very proud.”

Currently on their European headline tour for the debut, Counterfeit are running the circuit to new spots and old, also making an appearance at some of the summer festivals in town including Reading & Leeds and Slam Dunk. “I’m stoked,” Bower comments. “It ’s the biggest tour that we’ve done, that any of us have done, ever, so I’m pumped to be able to just go out there. We’re going up to more of Scandinavia, which I’ve actually never even been to personally before. We’re also getting up to play some more venues in the UK, which is really cool. We’re doing Leeds, like not only Leeds [Festival], but we’re playing the town of Leeds as well, and Brighton, and Southampton. It ’s great for us to be able to go out there and play some more shows.”

Imagine that “feeling of like,

‘oh my god, the world’s ending’, on an album ”

After all this time, you wouldn’t think that a seasoned performer who’s shared the spotlight with the likes of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter would still gets nerves when up on stage, but a live musical performance is a much different beast for Bower than a closed studio set. “I tend to spend more time in the crowd then I do on the stage,” he comments, Counterfeit shows now notoriously rowdy due to his all-in participation. “I never really wanted to feel like we were in a zoo, like you were watching an animal,” he laughs. “And also, I get quite fearful of judgement. I can be chill beforehand and then get out on stage and it ’s a rabbit in headlights kind of thing.” That being said, there’s nothing like the rush of a live audience, and he wouldn’t change a thing.

When it comes to tour necessities, Bower is adamant about his requirements, having three essential items to last the journey. “A spare pair of underwear at all times. All times,” he states firstly, a humorous seriousness crossing his tone.

“It doesn’t matter if it ’s just in your kit bag or if you’ve got it in your back pocket, you just need them, just in case. That ’s what happens when you get older, you know? You never know when something bad is going to happen,” he laughs, as obviously being twenty-eight has its downsides. Secondly, he proclaims, “Always, always, always in this band, there always needs to be a phone charger because none of us ever have one…ever. Everyone’s lost one and Sam [Bower] is the worst.

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INTerview

i love doing life stuff... i “don’t get the chance in life to do much normal shit ”

preview He consistently loses phone chargers, always.”

The obvious dig towards his brother typifying the standard sibling teasing, always there no matter who you are or which band you’re in.

“And [lastly]” he comments quickly, unhesitating, “Sriracha,” the Asian hot sauce an unexpected, but amusing, addition. “We take sriracha with us wherever we go. It ’s a great accompaniment to any snack,” he states knowingly, as if a chef describing an exquisitely prepared dish. “You can have it with crisps. You can have it in a sandwich.

It just makes the slices of bread that you buy from a motorway service station. It can really just up the sandwich game.”

Sriracha sandwiches aside, unfortunately it’s not all fun and games for Counterfeit, as tour can be a gruelling process that’s planned right down to the minute. The band doesn’t get a whole lot of down time because touring can be quite an expensive process, and most of the stretch gets spent on the road. “Literally, it’ll be like get to the venue at lunchtime, set up, do the sound check, play the show, and then we’ll be driving through the night,” Bower details. “I mean there’s a couple of stopovers that we’ll be able to hang out in. I think Amsterdam’s one, and I think a couple of places in Germany we’ll be able to hang out in as well.

But yeah, that’s the downside. That’s the only downside. You don’t get to see half the places you go,” he laughs mirthlessly, as the comment really identifies the true beast of fame. “People are like, ‘How was [insert place here]?’ and you’re like, ‘I have no fucking idea’. I’m sure it’s amazing, but I couldn’t see it.”

It ’s unfortunate really, for people may think that celebrity stars have it all, and yet they have the same hopes and wants as everyone else. Though Bower has had so many great experiences in the film industry and with his band, he still thinks about the days when he doesn’t have to be Jamie Campbell Bower, actor, musician and celebrity. He finds pleasure in the simple things. “I had a really nice day recently where I was painting a shed with my girlfriend,” he says laughing, true warmth and delight in his voice. “It was last year sometime and we were just painting this shed, and the dogs were around, and it was just a beautiful, normal day. I don’t get a chance in life to do much, like, normal shit. A lot of time is spent filming and stuff, and so those opportunities that I have to just be doing life stuff is really fucking great. Like I love, love, love, love doing life stuff. So, yeah, that was a good day; it was a sunny day too. It was beautiful.”

Clearly Bower loves the excitement of tour, and playing his music to the world to one of his dreams, but it ’s eye-opening to see the reality behind it all. It takes time, effort, and a whole lot of determination to shape and release a record that you can be truly proud of, and he and Counterfeit have done just that. The exertion on the finished product is clearly evident, and the gigs will surly bring just as much all-in energy. “If you’re thinking about coming [to one of the live shows], come, please,” Bower urges. “We love to see people at the shows, and it ’s like a shared experience, that ’s for sure. I hope people dig the record and if not that ’s cool as well,” he finishes with a smile in his voice.

Together We Are Stronger is available now.

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game of thrones

season 7

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

i

t ’s now common knowledge that the season seven premiere of Game of Thrones was delayed until summer to allow production more time for shooting in the snow. Winter is finally coming to the medieval fantasy show and the Night ’s Watch can’t keep anyone safe from what ’s beyond The Wall.

As the second to last outing before the series conclusion, and shortened at only seven episodes, this season is sure to be packed with action, leaving the slow dialogue-based scenes in the dust.

Last we saw, King Tommen committed suicide, Jon Snow was the confirmed son of Lyanna Stark, and Cersei Lannister used wildfire to blast a bunch of main characters to smithereens. Oh, and Arya Stark avenged the deaths at the Red Wedding by feeding Walder Frey dead-son pie and then slitting his throat. That happened.

It seems that season seven will finally see Daenerys Targaryen leaving Slaver ’s Bay to wage war on Westeros, as photos from the set have shown the khaleesi and Jon Snow finally meeting. It will be interesting to see their dynamic play out and if they will turn out to be friend or foe. Either way, Daenerys will have the upper hand in the fight for the crown as director Matt Shakman has confirmed that her dragons have now grown to the size of 747 jumbo jets, telling the EW: “Drogon is the biggest of the bunch — his flame is 30-feet in diameter!” Popular theory ringing around the Internet is that one of these giant dragons will be taken down by the White Walkers and revived by the Night King, thus creating an ‘ice dragon’ who plays for the side of the undead.

With only two shortened seasons left before the show’s completion and ultimately the demise of every single character (we assume, *sob*), we still have so many questions. Will Cersei pay for her Wildfire actions?

Will Arya ever finish her hit list?

Why has Ed Sheeran been cast in a role? WILL JON SNOW EVER KNOW ANYTHING? All this and more…we can’t wait.

Season seven of Game of Thrones will premiere on July 16th.

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feature

the best of

netflix to binge or not to binge?

We make choosing the next show easier with a round-up of our favourites stranger things

By Daisy Hearn

I

f you’re searching for a series that revels in the subversion of both worlds and genres, look no further than Stranger Things.

Created, written, directed and co-executive produced by the Duffer Brothers, the eight-part series stands as an enthralling fusion of The Goonies and Donnie Darko, with an endearing young cast and a captivatingly mysterious plot line that draws inspiration from the works of both Steven Spielberg and Stephen King, topped with a heavy dousing of 80s culture. It ’s the best original series that Netflix has ever created, and one that many will be binge-watching with a box of Eggos in hand and the lights turned on for years to come – or at least until the second series is released.

rick and morty rupaul’s drag race

By Rupert Taylor

By Maddy Hardman

Possibly one of the most well thought out, deeply layered, yet ridiculously far-fetched comedies ever created, Rick and Morty parodies the relationship of Doc and Marty from Back to the Future, taking a scientist and his grandson through the distant stretches of the universe... and beyond.

These days it ’s getting easier and easier to stumble across fellow Drag Race fans, as increased exposure of the art of drag reaches the masses, and a fresh wave of antiTrump defiance encourages a new audience to discover it.

RuPaul’s tongue-in-cheek take on the classic America’s Next Top Model format combines shameless advertising, blue humour, and a whole lot of “charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent ”. Ridiculous challenges like parody game shows, costume construction and out-of- this-world photoshoots are judged, and each week the bottom two lip-sync it out to stay in the competition.

After eight seasons of pure drag drama – as well as two ‘All Stars’ seasons – Drag Race shows no sign of putting the brakes on. The ninth round of contestants was announced in February, promising to live up to the legacies left by Drag Race royalty like Sharon Needles, Jinkx Monsoon and Bianca Del Rio.

Falling back on the inherent randomness of multiverse theory – the idea that there are infinite universes with infinite possibilities – Dan Harmon’s ludicrous animation of alien life forms presents the leading duo, and their family, with deep-seated philosophical and moral dilemmas.

If that sounds too serious, it shouldn’t. With randomness comes stupidity, and that ’s exactly what Rick and Morty thrives off. Burps, stutters and mispronunciations half way through dialogue give the programme a somewhat improvisational feel – the kind of self-aware comedy that makes Rick and Morty accessible, bonding mindless viewers and analytical critics in unity.

peaky blinders

By Hollie Ingram Peaky Blinders is a series that gives us insight into a tight knit group of gangsters, taking us on a journey through their stomping grounds of Birmingham. The programme is filled to the brim with corruption, romance and the boys’ determination to make it from poor to rich by any means necessary. Set in 1919, the show focuses on Tommy (Cillian Murphy) and his brothers making dodgy deals whilst wearing dapper suits. The intensity grips you throughout, and you end up binge watching the entire series because you need to know what happens. Series one and two is available on Netflix now, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the third to become available. It is rumoured that the fourth series is being filmed this year.

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It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

By Chelsea Batt If you are looking for a shockingly outrageous and dark comedy, and have a slightly twisted sense of humour, then your Netflix search will no longer be the bane of your life – It ’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the show you’ve been waiting for.

The hit show follows the daily adventures of four shockingly self-absorbed “friends” who run an Irish pub, and whose pastimes include manipulating and sabotaging each other for their own personal gain.

If that doesn’t sell it enough, wait until season two when Danny DeVito struts in and makes the show complete, joining the main ensemble in getting themselves into the most uncomfortable, offensive and hilarious situations. Be warned: this is not a comedy that will tug at your heart, but rather make you want to rip it out and throw it at possibly the most insensitive personalities to grace your TV screens. With eleven seasons on Netflix, this binge-worthy show will have you laughing uncontrollably with every episode.

the mighty boosh

planet earth

By Rupert Taylor

By Andrew Shelley

No other cult matches up to the following Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt have generated since starting The Mighty Boosh. With a level of exclusivity even the Illuminati would be perturbed by, the wacky avant-garde comedy amounts to much more than a silly sitcom.

An exploration into the world of The Mighty Boosh reveals a multitude of characters dreamt up in Fielding and Barratt ’s (slightly f***ed up) minds; special mentions go to The Spirit of Jazz, and Rudi van DiSarzio. Not forgetting the protagonists’ adventures, that could turn the likes of Livingstone, Dora, and Mr Benn greener than the Hitcher with envy.

Without taking themselves or the show too seriously, The Boosh offers conversational comedy of the highest order.

A couple of watches and you’ll be craving a zany exchange, ending in a crimp, with everyone you encounter.

daredevil

By Alex Lewis Marvel’s first foray into Netflix started with season one of Daredevil and it showed a brand new side to the Marvel universe, one that was not afraid to hide from the dark and gritty of the seedier side of New York. You’ll forget all about the 2003 Ben Affleck film after watching this, as Charlie Cox takes up the mantle of Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil. Two seasons of the show have now aired, giving the hero the advantage of having his own corner of the universe, introducing iconic characters such as Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and on and off again love interest Elodie Yung ’s Elektra, all of which add chaos and increasing drama to Murdock’s superhero and personal life. While season one is stand alone, season two sets up the crossover event The Defenders which is set to debut later this year.

Ever since the ending of Planet Earth II, a void has been left in your Sunday evenings.

Therefore, there is only one natural path to follow: rewatch the whole of series one that Netflix has so dutifully delivered for your pleasure.

Normally a documentary programme that makes your existence feel so insignificant is not what you look for in comfort tele, but the truly mind-blowing visuals of nature paired with composer George Fenton’s musical delights – granted, Hans Zimmer takes Planet Earth II to another level – provide the perfect back-up to the comforting household tones of narrator Sir David Attenborough.

Impossible to watch for more than five minutes without somebody stating, “how did they even get that shot?” this show, time and time again, continues to put life into perspective whilst gripping its eagle-like talons into you at the same time.

opinion

18

WHERE ARE ALL THE women?

WHY THE LACK OF WOMEN IN FESTIVAL LINE-UPS IS A BIG PROBLEM

By Hollie Ingram

T

his year ’s Reading and Leeds festival has been heavily criticised after their second headline announcement; Kasabian. It was highlighted that, at the time, there was only one female artist on the bill: Against the Current ’s Chrissy Costanza. When promoter Melvin Benn had previously been asked about the lack of female artists within the Reading and Leeds line-up, he argued that “we are not the tastemakers”, and that the festivalgoers simply are not fans of female artists. In previous years the festival as been hugely criticised for their lack of female representation, but now it is fair to say that since all of the headliners have been announced, they have stepped up their game considerably.

“Having talented females onstage would have a profound impact” Since the reveal of headliner Eminem, more female acts were also announced for this year ’s line-up including Charli XCX, Grouplove, Haim, Halsey, Katy B, The Pretty Reckless, and Vonaka. Although there has been improvement since the backlash, there are still considerably fewer females on the bill than males. Event organisers across the board, not just those involved with the Reading and Leeds festival, argue that there aren’t enough female artists in general, and if they do exist, they are not on the same level as the male musicians. This isn’t the case; this is simply a sexist issue, which will continue to persist unless a change is made.

preview It is clear that the lack of female representation has been an issue for a number of years, questioning why the chain is yet to be broken.

It seems that males dominate the music industry, and the festival promoters want to maintain the current climate for the audience.

Why introduce unknown female acts and take a chance on them when they aren’t as popular and mainstream as their male counterparts? It seems that if more female acts were to perform on the bigger stages, and be promoted on a larger platform, than their music would be popular within the music industry and their following would grow to be just as sizeable.

Having talented females onstage would have a profound impact on the audience and the music industry overall. It is likely that if a female festival sees a female performer succeeding and being celebrated, she is going to feel more empowered and encouraged to break into the music industry herself.

“just because it is a carefree event does not mean that lack of female reprentation shouldn’t be a concern” Festivals are a celebration of the music scene and thousands flood to a variety of events each year to escape the troubles of everyday life through exhilarating performances.

However, this doesn’t excuse the theme of booking male bands for the majority of the line-up. Just because it is a carefree event does not mean that lack of female representation shouldn’t be a concern. Music in general can be a coping mechanism for people to help deal with life events that they may have no control over, transporting them into a better mind frame or taking them away completely. As it has such a huge impact on everyone, music events need to be an inclusive environment in which everyone feels a part of.

Photo by Kaitlyn Ulrich

19

ALIEN covenant

By Daniel Barth

T

wenty years since the last Alien film (and 31 years after the last good Alien film), Scott Free Productions is finally releasing a new movie under the famous Alien banner. Alien: Covenant marks the next step for the franchise and sets itself up as a film to bridge the gap between the Alien films and the debatable prequel Prometheus. Hopefully, it looks like fans will finally have the answers to the origins of the dreaded Xenomorph and how it started busting out of people’s chests like a steroid infused jackin-the-box.

main focus, and using the sci-fi aspects as a backdrop.

So far Fox has only released two trailers giving clues as to what to expect from Alien: Covenant. The first shows the crew of the Covenant being subject to all kinds of trauma.

This feels reminiscent of the first Alien film, but with gruesome consequences, this trailer is not for the faint of heart. It shows a return to form for the franchise by building on what made the first few films great, with the psychological horror being the

aren’t staying friends for long and in an Alien film, that ’s a good thing. From the two trailers we have seen, the film is shaping up to be one of the best in the franchise. It feels like the production team have taken a step back, listened to the problems people had with Prometheus, and focused on what made Alien so great.

The second trailer however, adds a new change of pace that we have not yet seen thus far in any Alien film. Although simple, it acts as an introduction to the crew and what they’re aiming to do out in the expanse of space. Although, judging by what happens in the first trailer, they

“It feels like the production team have taken a step back”

Alien: Covenant will be in theatres May 19th.

20

INTerview

don’t stop exploring with

knights and bikes Nessa and Demelza are on a quest and it’s up to you to grab a bike and help them fight undead knights. Befriending a pet goose and flinging Frisbees at demons along the way, venture into the unknown in this fully crowdfunded co-op adventure!

By Jack Harvey and Rupert Taylor

I

nspired by games like Earthbound and films like The Goonies, Knights And Bikes is an upcoming title developed by Foam Sword, a new game development studio. The masterminds behind the project are Rex Crowle, known for being creative lead of Tearaway at Media Molecule and an art designer for LittleBigPlanet 1 & 2, and Moo Yu, who was a gameplay programmer on Ratchet & Clank and LittleBigPlanet. This action adventure can be played co-op or single player and is set on a fictional British island in the late 1980s. You will play as Nessa and Demelza as you explore the hand-painted landscape using your bikes as transport, fighting creatures and helping islanders along the way.

Knights and Bikes was funded successfully through Kickstarter in March 2016. Remarking on the decision to crowdfund the project, Moo Yu comments, “It was much more for the backers than it was about their money.

I wanted to know if this was a game people would even be interested in. I wanted a community who had bought into the same vision as we did to guide me through the development process.”

He continues “Our backer community has been so wonderful with feedback, support, and also helping us get the word out. I’m so glad we decided to take that route.”

Reflecting on the project ’s conception, Yu adds “Rex and I have worked together

on a few projects now, so it was easy to just start bouncing ideas around and seeing where it went.” He goes on to reveal his delight at the game’s progress, saying “I’m kind of amazed that it has actually become a game in production that we’re going to finish, since many game ideas never get a chance to come to fruition.”

The pair’s adept background in actionadventure and platformer game development makes Knights and Bikes even more highly anticipated. “We’ve both been honing our game-making craft for quite a few years,” Rex Crowle comments.

“It’s good with each project to both build upon what you know, along with taking some risks to keep it fresh. I’m trying to use a similar formula to Tearaway of making a visually-striking game that you want to keep exploring, in an adventure that turns out to be a more emotional ride than you might have first expected.”

“when you create something influenced by your own experiences there’s a chance to make something more unusual” - rex crowle Notably, Knights and Bikes’ visuals carry a weight of hand-draw idiosyncrasy, of which Crowle gives a comprehensive insight. “I’m a strong believer in the art and theme of a game to be inseparably linked together. In other words, it ’s not

21

“our debut game is about little girls kicking up hell on a small british island in the 1980s� foam sword

22

INTERVIEW

just a “skin” which could be swapped out for another style and still work,” he comments. “LittleBigPlanet obviously had the arts-and-crafts visual design to encourage playful imaginative creativity. Tearaway had the paper-construction to guide, not only its look, but also to create a different tactile gamefeel. For Knights And Bikes my aim was for the art to represent childhood, the feeling of having too much energy and not knowing what to do with it.”

Going into detail about design particulars, Crowle adds “ The artwork fizzes with that same stop-motion style you get in hand-drawn animation, where all the lines jitter and wobble as they are redrawn each frame. You can almost imagine that our main characters have sat down and created it. Demelza with her crayons, and Nessa joining in with daubs of poster-paint.”

Asserting the widespread cultural influence of the game, Crowle observes “What those three games have in common is that they are taking a fairly simple style to start with, and then piling on a careers-worth of influences and knowledge.” He continues to say “In Knights And Bikes you can see influences from the Cornish fisherman-turned painter, Alfred Wallis (1855-1942), classic Disney artists Eyvind Earle (19162000) and Mary Blair (1911-1978), as well as more modern animated series like Gravity Falls or Laika’s ParaNorman movie.”

INTERESTING LINE OR QUOTE FROM THE BEHEMOTH INTERVIEW

you’re supposed to pull first,” he mirthfully reflects.

“It ’s that sense of adventure we’re going for – that feeling of pushing back at the edges of your known-world, finding treasure, getting into trouble, celebrating victories, upgrading your bike and then looking for fresh challenges.”

Another peculiar, yet thoroughly reasoned aspect of the game is its geographical and historical setting.

“Knights And Bikes is set exactly thirty years ago from now, and that ’s the kind of time-difference where many things that we have now existed in an earlier form,” Crowle explains. “Just as in-turn, many 1980s films were about the 1950s. It means the setting doesn’t feel completely distant or too historic. Mobile phones existed in the 80s (if you didn’t mind dragging it around in its own suitcase!) and video games were made of pixel-art – but back then that was the only art-style that existed.”

“Knights And Bikes can be filled with objects, characters and situations that are completely relevant to players now, but with some little twists, either based on the time period, or the geographical location (an island off the North Cornish coast).”

Not wishing to give too much away, Moo Yu touches on the game features that could seemingly hold more significance than face value may suggest. “ There are many themes that will be woven

“as they face up to the adult world, it’s their integrity, friendship, and wide-eyed wonder that guides the adventure” - foam sword Touching on more specific gameplay aspects, Yu discusses the functionality and action of the interface. “ There are two ideas that we definitely want to capture throughout the gameplay of Knights And Bikes and those are imagination and friendship,” he says. “So we’re always looking for more ways for the girls to work together or showing how they see the world differently to adults.”

The heroes of the game are bike-riding kid knights – a possibly unorthodox decision, but one that Crowle and Yu justify with heartfelt understanding.

“In some of our very early prototypes we had a larger group of kids, more like The Goonies gang, but after some iteration it felt hard to connect with any particular character in the group and the characters themselves kept drifting toward more stereotypical roles (the sports-jock, the geek, etc.),” Crowle remarks. “So we reduced the gang down to our favourite characters, Nessa and Demelza, so we could develop their personalities more.”

“We chose Nessa because she was a little more enigmatic and mysterious, protected with a tough outside that ’s older than her years,” he says. “And Demelza because of her energy and imagination; she might have slightly geeky interests, but she still gets mud on her knees and brambles in her hair.”

“And bikes? Well, bikes represent an increase in independence for any child. Getting your first bike allows you to do things you could never do before: visit friends, explore, race rivals, and probably also result in some of your first proper injuries, as you hurtle downhill trying to remember which brake

throughout the game, with some being more lighthearted and others having a bit more gravity to them. But I don’t want to get too deep into spoiler territory.”

Crowle previously mentioned building on what you already know, which is always a solid basis for any art or form of expression. In this particular instance, he enlightens us on his childhood and how it’s impacted the game’s creation. “I grew up on a farm in Cornwall in the 1980s, so you can definitely see a lot of that in the visuals, the locations you’ll be exploring and maybe in some of the general themes of the game,” he comments. “We’re definitely putting something of ourselves into it. When you create something influenced by your own personal experiences there’s a chance to make something more unusual and yet more believable. So we might have been originally influenced by The Goonies, Earthbound and Secret of Mana, but it’s the personal bits that will hopefully give it a character all of its own.”

Holding us in deep anticipation, Yu rounds up with some teasing final words. “We don’t have any more specific information about a release date, but our backer updates will be the best place to keep track of the game’s progress.”

“I think we’re both trying our hardest to finish Knights And Bikes to the best of our abilities. I definitely haven’t had much thought about what comes after.”

Knights And Bikes will be released soon for Playstation4 and Steam.

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“bikes represent an increase in independence for any child�

- rex crowle

24

opinion

By Callum McCormack

I

mmersing oneself in a fictional world not only gives people immense joy but helps them escape the real world that, for most of us anyway, feels like it needs saving by the Avengers or the Justice League. Through the years, people have delved into the comic book world and prayed that they would see their favourite heroes portrayed on the big screen; now with the technology available, the intricate story telling and the well-crafted universe that the studios have created, we can feel like we have been well and truly thrown into the comic book universe.

Just look at Marvel for example: their cinematic universe has become one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, spanning over a decade and still going strong with the biggest ever superhero event set to take place next year in Infinity War. Marvel has created a universe that not only allowed true comic book nerds to have their dreams fulfilled by seeing their heroes on the big screen, but also allowed their films to break into the mainstream; ten years ago there’s no way the likes of Iron Man, Ant-Man or Thor would be household names.

“

they deliver an array of different movies that span many genres

”

The beauty of the Marvel cinematic universe however is not just the characters within the intricate world, but the different types of genres the films delve into. We have a heist film in the form of Ant-Man, a political thriller in Captain America: The Winter Solider and even space opera-esque filmmaking in the form of the surprise hit Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Dark Knight Trilogy is another perfect example of superbly made superhero films, Christopher Nolan’s movies portraying Batman in a more realistic world compared to the almost franchise ending Joel Schumacher films. The trilogy’s jewel in the crown, The Dark Knight, is cited as one of the best superhero films ever made, with Heath Ledger ’s portrayal of Batman’s arch enemy The Joker earning him a posthumous Oscar, and Nolan’s filmmaking skills providing the dark edge that made the series stand apart from anything else.

In the generation of huge blockbuster hits, comic book films have proved that large budget movies can actually be good.

With the likes of Transformers and the dreaded Star Wars prequels making tons of money but in fact had you running away from the cinema trying to forget the horror you’ve just seen, it ’s refreshing to see massive budgets going into films that don’t have you gouging your eyes out. Big budgets are all well and good, but you need the substance and storytelling behind them, in which comic book films have almost perfected.

However, all of the money and storytelling in the world can’t take away from the key reason comic book films are a good idea: escapism. In a world that seems to be crumbling around our feet with our country’s worse democracy result in decades, and our neighbours across the pond voting for a man that makes Jar Jar Binks look like a democratic genius, comic book movies allow us to fall into a universe where we don’t have to worry about the state of our own world, but can be satisfied watching our favourite heroes save the day once again.

Comic book films allow us to delve into unique universes where a vast array of different characters reside, ranging from a mix of gore and black comedy in Deadpool, to a fight between two of the biggest heroes on earth in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Why wouldn’t comic book films be a good idea when they provide us with an escape from real life? They deliver an array of different movies that span across many different genres, and most of all they’re fun and brilliant. But forget about Suicide Squad, it ’s for the best.

versus

have w

enou

comic

mov no

25

By Daisy Hearn

opinions

we seen

ugh of

c book

vies? yes

C

omic books are big business. Movies are big business.

It ’s no surprise that, when the two merge with painfully jolting plots and characters that have less depth that a puddle, monetary gain rises exponentially as fans flock to see their comic book heroes fully fleshed out and crammed into the tightest Lycra known to man.

It comes as no astonishment that most comic book films are met with harsh criticism, and it doesn’t take much to work out why fans have such mixed reactions upon hearing that their favourite characters are to be led to the big screen and butchered for all to see. Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four was woefully mediocre, and David Ayer ’s Suicide Squad received negative feedback from critics and filmgoers alike, the film itself plagued with reshoot after reshoot, its suffering drawn out as material was continuously cut from its running time.

And who could forget the cinematic blunderbuss that was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Deadpool’s success added fuel to the fire as Marvel and DC began rummaging deeper into their back catalogue of characters in search of the next victim to be pressed into the overused superhero-film mould. Unsurprisingly, there is now an onslaught of comic book adaptations in the works, with flashy cinematic trailers being churned out left right and centre, all hype and no substance as the final products continue to fail fans upon delivery.

Every comic book fan can envision their favourite characters to the nth degree. Fans know just what their voices would sound like; they can recognize their heroes’ signature gestures, traits and phrases, the way their brow would furrow upon a chance meeting with their nemesis. But let ’s not forget that movie adaptations are created for a mass market.

Ultimately, fans will be disappointed as A-list stars are ceaselessly cast in iconic roles - sure, Will Smith might not be exactly what you’re looking for in Deadshot, but he’s Will Smith. Your average cinema-goer is intrigued by the idea of the Fresh Prince becoming the hitman of the year, they want to see sparkling celebrity names and all-star casts, and companies utilise this star power in order to draw viewers in and boost ratings, often leaving fans reeling as unfitting actors are assigned roles that they ultimately fail to do justice in.

Casting crews remain unsuccessful in selecting actors that will not only appeal to a wide audience and bring in viewers, but ones that will also do these characters the justice they deserve.

For every expertly cast Deadpool, there are a hundred Green Lanterns that are struggling to find their feet.

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the final products continue to fail fans upon delivery

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The issue with characters doesn’t stop there. Often introduced in momentary flashbacks or quick-cut montage introductions, the audience has no real emotional attachment to these liveaction portrayals, and these films become void of gravitas as decades of character history is condensed into minute titbits, with important story lines and deeply contextual information subbed in favour of token CGI explosions and fleeting visual effects that seek to add wow factor but ultimately leave audiences wanting more substance.

Ultimately, money talks. It seems that whilst Hollywood remains more interested in franchise building and consumer appeal than profound character development, comic book adaptations will continue to flounder in a cesspool of CGI, and with a handful of superhero movies poised to take the filmic universe by storm – Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Wonder Woman and Justice League – here’s hoping these misguided attempts to translate classic comic series onto the big screen find their footing before another round of iconic characters is needlessly massacred for profit.

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feature

summer 2017

festival guide

Festivals have become a tradition in the UK during the summer season. For some, they’re a rite of passage into adulthood, and for others, they’re the much-needed weekend away to let your hair down. Here, Press Play has put together a guide with plenty of options to fall in love with music all over again.

slam dunk

tech-fest

By Emily Young

By Jack Webb

From what originally started as a one-day festival in Millennium Square, Leeds, Slam Dunk Festival has grown into the notorious three-day cross-country event we all love. Spread over the May bank holiday weekend, both fresh and established pop punk, emo, metal and ska acts grace the indoor and outdoor stages; there’s never a dull moment with such a range of genres accessible.

The electronic wonders, Enter Shikari, are set to headline this year ’s festival in celebration of the ten-year anniversary of their record Take To The Skies.

Classic bands such as Bowling For Soup, Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish will join them, as well as modern rockers such as The Maine, Boston Manor, I Prevail and Beartooth. Kicking things off in Birmingham on Saturday 27th May, this line-up is one you do not want to miss.

Existing in some iteration since 2011, Tech-Fest (also TechMetal Fest) has always been a hollowed ground for those who like their time signatures odd and their riffs syncopated.

Once again occupying the Newark Showground in early July, this year sees the festival stretch its wings more than last year ’s line-up.

27th - 29th may

6th - 10th july

Featuring two UK exclusive showings in the form of The Black Dahlia Murder and The Faceless, as well as genre stalwarts Chelsea Grin, this year ’s headliners are nothing to pass up. With the rest of the bill filling out nicely, including numerous other UK exclusives, essential bands to catch include Aborted, Oceans Ate Alaska and Ghost Iris. French genre shifting two-piece The Algorithm and UK grime/djent crossover band Hacktivist top the must-see list as well.

27 reading and leeds 25th - 27th august

By Hollie Ingram Thinking of attending Reading and Leeds Festival 2017? You best buckle up! This isn’t a festival for the faint hearted.

Be prepared to be standing up and dancing for hours and to be shoved in mosh pits and squished, because everything at this festival is heightened.

Although it was originally centred on rock and indie music, in recent years the festival has welcomed rap, grime and house music, so put seeing Eminem at the top of your list along with other headliners Kasabian and Muse. The atmosphere around mainstage is unlike any other – it is electric. From the moment the arena opens, the momentum builds up and up until the finale of the headliner each night.

The camping, especially in sections Green and Yellow, is absolute carnage and if you want to avoid food fights and late night singsongs, than you may want to camp a little further away from the arena. You won’t want to miss a single act, so set your alarms early to cram in an early drinking sesh of ring of fire!

glastonbury

21st - 25th june

By Callum McCormack The biggest festival in the world returns this summer to its spiritual home of Worthy Farm and this year ’s Glastonbury looks like it could fulfill the old ‘best year yet’ cliché. With the 2017 edition the last before the farm takes a year off in 2018 to give the team a rest, festival organiser Emily Eavis has said they are “cramming two years of music into one”. Every year, Glastonbury brings the biggest and the best artists to the English shores and this year is no different.

Radiohead and Foo Fighters have already been confirmed as headliners and, if the rumours are correct, Ed Sheeran will join them. Other acts looking likely include The xx, The Avalanches and Alt J. Worthy Farm will play host to over 100,000 adoring fans, throwing the magnificent and unique annual party that only Glastonbury is capable of – and it’s sure to be the party of the summer.

demon dayz

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

n

ew this year, virtual rock band Gorillaz have launched their very own one-day music festival called Demon Dayz. Taking over Dreamland amusement park in Margate, Kent on June 10th , the event is promising a diverse line-up running across three stages with Gorillaz featuring in the headline slot. The rest of the bill is yet to be announced, but it’s sure to be an epic night.

“it’s been almost seven years since the group graced a uk stage” It’s been almost seven years since the cartoon group have graced a UK stage, but with some new material reportedly on the way, they have teamed up with Red Bull to throw an awesome live return.

At a recent show in London, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn said, “We’ve got pretty much everyone who’s on the record here. A few people couldn’t make it because they had other stuff that was booked in beforehand. But they’ll be all here when we play Margate. I’m not going to introduce everyone because I’d spend the whole evening doing that.”

Surely then, at Demon Dayz we can expect to see Noel Gallagher, Graham Coxon, Jehnny Beth, De La Soul, Grace Jones, Benjamin Clementine, DRAM, Mavis Staples, Pusha T, Danny Brown, Kelela, Popcaan, and many more.

28 download

boardmasters

By Sam Taylor

By Chelsea Batt

Entering its 15th year, Download Festival features four massive stages presenting some of metal and rock’s biggest names over a threeday weekend in June. It takes place in Paris, Madrid, and its usual UK home of Donnington Park. Download Paris sees Linkin Park, System of a Down, and Green Day as its headliners this year, while Madrid boasts Prophets of Rage instead of Green Day. In the UK, System of a Down headline the Friday, Biffy Clyro the Saturday, and closing the festival on Sunday are the one and only Aerosmith. It ’s not just about the bands when it comes to Download Festival.

The atmosphere is electric, with like-minded people all sharing similar tastes in music, and all coming together for a weekend of debauchery and entertainment. Be sure to check out the Download Village in between sets to get married at the inflatable church, race around the zorbing circuit, or get tattooed

by Download’s resident artists.

Rain or shine, Download Festival is setting itself up to be one of the best festivals 2017 has on offer.

If you are a beach side bunny, would desire to soak in the fresh crisp sea air from the Cornish coast, and prefer a chilled-out energy, then Boardmasters may be your chosen one this summer.

Located in Newquay and taking place from 9-13 th August, it is known as the UK’s biggest surf and music festival. The line up each year has succeeded in covering a variety of genres along with grabbing huge renowned acts, whilst also allowing upcoming artists all around Cornwall their chance to shine. This year they’ve managed to get Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J, Stormzy and The Vaccines, just to name a few! With surf/ skateboarding competitions, Cornish markets and after parties, Boardmasters caters to your every need. Just pray you’re lucky enough to soak in the sun as well and enjoy those incredible views on the hills of Watergate Bay.

9th - 11th june

arctangent

17th - 19th august

By Jack Webb Since the modern explosions of math-rock, post-rock and countless other sub genres, it seems only fitting that there should be a festival that can accommodate such bands. ArcTanGent is that festival. This year ’s event, taking place just outside of Bristol on the 17th-19th August, sees headline sets from the progressive postrock Explosions in the Sky, the caustic and always impressive metalcore outfit Converge (both playing their only UK shows of 2017), as well as progressive metal band TesseracT, who off of the back of last year ’s LP, seem fit to steal the weekend for themselves. Lower down the bill, the bands to look out for are Devil Sold His Soul, Employed to Serve and of course the re-imagined genre kickstarters that are Sikth.

9th - 13th august

2000trees

6th - 8th july

By Rosie Chalk The multi-award- winning 2000trees festival is a three day extravaganza set in the stunning Cotswold Hills.

Last year ’s 2000trees line up featured many pop punk and alternative rock faces such as Twin Atlantic, Neck Deep, Mallory Knox and Lonely the Brave. This year expect a great selection of indie rock and pop. Kicking off the main stage first are raw U.K punk duo, Slaves. If their energetic performance on the main stage at Reading and Leeds festival last year is anything to go by, Slaves will not fail to deliver another incredible performance.

Indie rock-pop band, Nothing But Thieves, is also a headliner alongside Slaves. With screaming guitar solos and powerful, high-pitched vocals they’re sure to sustain a crowd. Finally, former Reuben member, Jamie Lenman and D.I.Y punk group, Muncie Girls are making a second reappearance.

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opinion

the unstoppable rise of

the rpg genre how role-playing games came to dominate our screens

By Jack Harvey

T

he RPG (role-playing game) is one of gaming ’s most popular genres and has been a core style for consoles and PC gaming from the very start of video games. In an RPG, the player(s) assumes the roles of characters and collaboratively creates or participates in stories. The game style has had its hand helping the development of other genres, but what was the origin of the RPG? The original style was inspired from tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, which was the very first commercially available role-playing game in 1974, and similar others. These types of games have what you expect from an RPG: the sense of adventure and exploration, and the fun of creating your character to use in adventures.

The original Dungeons and Dragons was a text-based adventure in which the player could take different paths depending on their choices. It later added basic environments on screen with text running along side to tell the player the scenarios, as well as what was happening within the scene. It is from these types of simple yet creative games that one of gaming ’s most popular genres was created.

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breakthrough, the drives allowing for better audio quality, better graphics and a larger file size. This meant richer stories, bigger game worlds and longer, more thought out quests to go along with them.

The 90s also introduced the Internet, which allowed the RPG genre to become even more open and gave players the chance to game with anyone from around the world, eventually leading to the creation of the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). The unique thing about the MMORPG is that it allowed players to game with thousands of other players, and thus created the first instance of online socializing for gaming, giving players the opportunity to chat to one another, trade, and go on quests together.

RPG has made leaps and bounds since its humble tabletop origins as seen in games such as The Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls, and Fallout series. As technology in gaming and consoles develops, the RPG genre will develop even farther, the games progressively getting bigger and the worlds graphically better. Eventually, the ever-growing trend of VR (virtual reality) technology will allow players to immerse themselves even farther into

RPG has made leaps and bounds since its humble tabletop origins

The genre really started to take off in the 1980s when home gaming was becoming popular. The first console RPGs started in Japan where the games themselves were simple 2D pixelated titles. They had many implementations of character backstory to make players understand the reasoning behind the quest in the simplistic looking games, as the plot and world detail came from the quality of written narrative over the crude graphics.

Once the 1990s rolled around, the RPG started to delve into character development and plot devices, while also having more graphical capabilities to create better looking worlds and character designs.

It wasn’t until the implementation of disk drives in home consoles that the RPG saw its greatest

”

their fantasy worlds, ‘becoming ’ the character to interact and fully experience the story. VR and MMORPG will allow players to properly interact with one another and see each other, metaphorically, face to face within the game.

Overall, the genre is a special means of gaming, allowing the player to participate in things they might not be able to do in real life. Exploring worlds, meeting in-game characters, creating storylines and, in some cases, playing games based on beloved pop culture and comic books, gives gamers the chance to immerse themselves in their favourite worlds and become apart of it. That ’s what makes the RPG genre so special.

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top 10

10

greatest music video cameos

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

1

Millie Bobby Brown in Sigma ft. Birdy’s ‘Find Me’ (2016)

Only twelve at the time, the Stranger Things star appears in electronic duo Sigma’s video elegantly lip syncing among the dancing city lights. She emotes the dramatic club banger perfectly, plus, who wouldn’t want that fluffy fur coat?

2

Ed Helms, Sarah Silverman and Vince Vaughn in Maroon 5’s ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ (2016)

Like a kids show gone bizarrely wrong, comedians Ed Helms, Sarah Silverman and Vince Vaughn join rock band Maroon Five as giant bug characters playing Pokémon Go and having existential bug-life crises.

3

Ian McKellen in George Ezra’s ‘Listen to the Man’ (2014)

Outfitted with a Hawaiian shirt and a pink-ribboned hat to match, unhelpful and unwelcomed Lord of the Rings actor Ian McKellen can’t help but try to outdo singer-songwriter George Ezra with his perfect lip-syncing talents.

4

Shia LaBeouf in Sia’s ‘Elastic Heart’ (2013)

While we’re all so used to actor Shia LaBeouf popping up out of nowhere and screaming “Just Do It!” on our screens, it seems he doesn’t spend all of his time locked away in the depths of the Internet.

Here, he proves to be an accomplished contemporary dancer as well.

5

Tom Hanks in Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘I Really Like You’ (2012)

If you ever wanted to see a middle-aged man singing and dancing like a madman to a teenybopper track, then here it is.

It ’s like the ultimate dad making fun of teenage daughter video.

6

Norman Reedus in Lady Gaga’s ‘Judas’ (2011)

When he’s not hunting down walkers with a crossbow, Norman Reedus can be found resting in a tub and pouring liquid over Lady Gaga’s arse. It ’s a relaxing way to get some ‘me-time’ after watching your friends get their brains bashed in with a baseball bat.

7

Rupert Grint in Ed Sheeran’s ‘Lego House’ (2011)

Putting down his wizard wand for now, Rupert Grint shows off his Lego building skills and overtly obsessive nature by stalking fellow ginger Ed Sheeran in his own video. Deep down we all wish we had a stuffed Ed Sheeran cuddle buddy at home.

8

Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas and Lil Jon in Vampire Weekend’s ‘Giving Up the Gun’ (2010)

In a true test of tennis prowess, shortyshort wearing actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Joe Jonas face off against indie band Vampire Weekend’s champion who is coached by none other than rapper Lil Jon.

9

Bruce Willis in Gorillaz’ ‘Stylo’ (2010)

Die Hard badass Bruce Willis partakes in a high-speed car chase with animated alt-rock band Gorillaz that ends on a cliffhanger, literally.

10

Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim’s ‘Weapon of Choice’ (2000)

These aren’t special effects folks, Christopher Walken can fly. He jazzes it up in DJ Fatboy Slim’s video, dancing around in a way that just seems like such a – normal – Christopher Walken thing to do.

REVIEWS

MAC DEMARCO THIS OLD DOG

31

reviewS

By Lauren Ford Canadian singer/songwriter Mac DeMarco is known for his signature gap-toothed grin, scruffy hair and lone cigarette constantly hanging out of his mouth. Although, he is perhaps most renowned for his disorderly and wild gigs – the most notable incident being onstage in Montreal five years ago, where video footage shows the musician sticking a drumstick up an unfavourable part of his body.

However, these rock and roll antics from the 26-year- old multi-instrumentalist couldn’t be further from his laid-back blues sound.

1

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN SIGMA FT BIRDY FIND ME Only twelve at the time, the Stranger Things star appears in electronic duo Sigma’s video elegantly lip syncing among the dancing city lights. She emotes the dramatic club banger perfectly, plus, who wouldn’t want that fluffy fur coat?

“DEMARCO’S RECENT VENTURE INTO ACCOUSTIC TERRITORY DOESN’T DISAPPOINT” After the release of two full-length albums (2, Salad Days) and two EPs (Rock and Roll Nightclub, Another One), DeMarco’s back again with his third LP release This Old Dog. It ’s been described as his definitive acoustic album, or as he specifies, “I’m Italian, so I guess this is an Italian rock record”. It is subsequently different from the lo-fi, psychedelic ‘slackerrock’ nature of his preceding records.

The album consists of thirteen songs altogether, with two lead singles: album opener ‘My Old Man’, and ‘ This Old Dog ’. Fitting in perfectly with the acoustic theme, ‘Baby You’re Out ’ is a fast-paced, synth-driven track with a touch of acoustic guitar. ‘Still Beating ’ is the stand-out classic Mac DeMarco love song, featuring the softly sung lyrics, “Honey my heart still beats for you/Even though you don’t feel it/Beating,” whilst a happy, melodic pairing of electric and acoustic guitar designed to be swayed to is the chosen instrumental.

Country inspired track ‘A Wolf Who Wears Sheeps Clothes’ is a catchy endeavour featuring memorable electric guitar riffs. ‘One More Love Song ’ is distinctly similar to DeMarco’s previous release Another One, featuring a melancholic instrumental beneath his dulcet tones that exude feelings of heartbreak and unrequited love. The penultimate track ‘Moonlight On The River ’ is the longest on the record at seven minutes. Serene for the most part, DeMarco’s voice warbles smoothly throughout before finishing with a long, heavily distorted guitar solo.

Overall, Mac DeMarco’s recent venture into acoustic territory certainly doesn’t disappoint.

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reviews

LITTLE CUB STILL LIFE

By Hollie Ingram South London trio Little Cub have blessed us with their debut full-length album Still Life, and it is a thing of beauty.

AT THE DRIVE IN IN•TER A•LI•A

By Harry Filby Releasing your first record in seventeen years leads to a lot of expectation, especially when you’re as influential on post-hardcore and rock music as At The Drive In. But In•ter a•li•a isn’t another genre defining step forward like Relationship of Command; instead, it ’s the sound of a band influenced by the genre they helped spearhead in the late 90s. Opening track ‘No

Wolf Like The Present ’ has touches of Alexisonfire, and some of the chorus driven high end guitar lines such as those on ‘ Tilting At The Univendor ’ would feel right at home on a Glassjaw record.

Whether this is At The Drive In intentionally adopting the tropes of more modern posthardcore acts, or a convincing case for their massive contribution to the creation of those band’s sounds, there’s no denying that there are moments scattered throughout In•ter a•li•a that feel eerily similar to later post-hardcore acts.

But the same spark and chaos that At The Drive In were praised for is still there.

In•ter a•li•a has an immense amount of energy, with second single ‘Incurably Innocent ’ bouncing along with their signature choppy guitars and flare fuelled vocals of Cedric Bixler-Zavala, passionately dealing with the weighty topic of sexual abuse, and delivering one of the album highlights. ‘Continuum’ brings another highpoint, as it breaks into a chaotic frenzy around

the three-minute mark. All of the instrumentation is as aggressive and driven to the max as always and the band benefits from the refined and modern production, adding clarity to every broken guitar riff and Bixler-Zavala’s politically charged wails, while still capturing the raw passion and dynamism of their previous albums and notorious live shows.

“At The Drive In deliver a nostalgia fuelled thrill ride” Some songs do fall flat, the repetitive nature of the album leaving some later tracks to suffer from stagnation, particularly ‘Holtzclaw’, and some fans may be disappointed with the only real variety being bought with penultimate track ‘Ghosttape No. 9’. For the most part, At The Drive In deliver a nostalgia fuelled thrill ride that will delight both old fans and new. Welcome back.

“the mixture of indie and electro beats on the track is something that shouldn’t work, but is a blissful harmony” The album’s artwork has serious vintage vibes with antique décor, but this band is a world away from being old. The eleven-track album is hard to stop listening to with each song offering something different and lovable.

The album opens with ‘ Too Much Love’, setting the tone for the whole album with its head-bopping feel. The mixture of indie and electro beats on the track is something that, in theory, shouldn’t work, but in practice it is a blissful harmony.

‘My Nature’ is a track you can really lose yourself in with its dark lyrics and techno elements working so well together, whereas ‘Mulberry’ brings more of a chilled vibe to the record, with its softer electronic pulses. The album ends with ‘ Television’, a track reminiscent of The 1975, a bittersweet ending.

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By Maddy Hardman Two years on from Man, It Feels Like Space Again, Australian band Pond are still hitting all the right notes. The Weather, album number seven, is somewhat of a breather from the band’s blistering, mega-riff squawkedelica, but not without some absolute screamers. Although the overall temperature has been cooled down, what The Weather lacks in bpm, it makes up for with style and substance.

The one thing the listener is bound to gain from this record is a good sense of the band’s influences. From the first song ’30,000 Megatons’, you’re plunged straight into a psychedelic sci-fi epic, the kind your parents used to watch.

This theme is more than prominent, ‘Edge Of The World Pt 1’ and ‘…Pt 2’ almost sound like final numbers from huge

last long as the song gradually changes to a theatrical number with floaty vocal melodies.

BNQT VOLUME 1

By Martha Gregory Nostalgia is in the air as of late with a never-ending line of long-deceased bands reforming, but indie’s newest supergroup, BNQT (pronounced “Banquet ”), are nostalgia done right. Consisting of Midlake’s Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Joey McClellan and Jesse Chandler, as well as Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Travis’ Fran Healy, and Jason Lytle of Granddaddy; the five frontmen make a quintet of vocalists, and a band that would make for any nineties indie fan’s dream-team.

With each vocalist penning and singing two tracks on the record, each member ’s influence is often easily identifiable with ‘100 Million Miles’ feeling like it could be plucked straight from a Travis album. ‘Restart ’ kicks the record into motion with its in-your-face galloping bluesrock, reminiscent of a Kasabian track, however, this doesn’t

Jazz plays a strong element throughout Volume 1 with tracks such as ‘Unlikely Force’ and ‘Mind Of A Man’ being laced with jazz piano and intricate drum beats. However, with the sandwich of unusual clashing keyboard at either end of ‘Mind Of A Man’, the track becomes reminiscent of the famed ‘sausages’ scene from 2001 comedy Freddy Got Fingered – not something to aim for in an otherwise peaceful lullabic song.

“pond are still hitting all the right notes” future stage musicals, Nick Allbrook’s slightly deranged vocals cutting through and acting in place of a 30-strong chorus line. ‘…

Pt 1’ ends with the album’s most gut-wrenching riff, the heavily distorted lead guitar reaching excruciating pitches, accompanied at full pelt by the clash of lo-fi drums, bass and synth below it. The link into ‘A B’ – the song beginning at the same thrilling pace the previous one ended at – is all the more satisfying as is switches quickly into a downtempo piano ballad.

‘Hey Banana’ redeems the previous stumbles on the album as it jumps straight from the sixties with its synthetic organ grooves and deep, melancholy vocal melody. This, accompanied with some well-placed violin and drum riffs, makes for the strongest track on the album.

This era seems to have a particular coherence across the record with many tracks featuring qualities that wouldn’t go amiss on The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, particularly ‘Real Love’ with its trumpet solos and ethereal touch.

The theatrics of each track bode an interesting listen with each featuring multiple layers of instrumentals and vocals, creating an almost symphonic story across the record that is easy to get lost in. With the ability to make flawless brooding rock tracks as well as upbeat, fluffy psychedelicpop, BNQT appear to be the supergroup all indie fans didn’t know they needed.

POND THE WEATHER

The record’s first single ‘Sweep Me Off My Feet ’ sits comfortably at the start of the album, surrounded by songs of a similar ilk. ‘Paint Me Silver ’ and ‘Colder Than Ice’ could have easily taken the mantle of single, making the whole beginning of the album a masterclass in pop songwriting. However, it ’s not until the second half of the album that one can completely leave the stratosphere: into the influential melting pot go Bowie, Pink Floyd, Daft Punk, and MGMT – those making some of the best psychedelic music since its golden age.

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reviews crammed with opulent pomp and spectacle that dazzles both the eyes and ears. Ewan McGregor embodies Lumiere, a talking candelabrum whose flamboyant mannerisms are destined to win the hearts of many an audience member, whilst his cavil companion Cogsworth, a clock with the gruff tones of Ian McKellen, delivers a more vigilant performance.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

By Daisy Hearn

W

hen Disney first announced that they would be bringing Beauty and The Beast back to the big screen in the form of a live-action CGI fantasy, many were quick to fear for their favourite childhood film, leaping to the conclusion that the “tale as old as time” would be ransacked for the sake of profit. The cast list was heaving with star names, with the film itself thrust into the hands of director Bill Condon - better known for his work on the final two installments of The Twilight Saga - and the promise of additional musical numbers sent questions flying left, right and center.

But what fans received is much more than a simple conversion from animation to live action, and by the time the opening song fades out, enchantment has well and truly taken over.

Emma Watson lends new life to Belle, and her father Maurice (Kevin Kline) bears more character than his animated counterpart. The village they inhabit is as quaint as its animated predecessor, however, it’s not until we leave this provincial setting that we see what live-action Disney truly has to offer. The Beast’s castle is vast, it’s inhabitants vibrant. ‘Be Our Guest’ is a psychedelic kaleidoscope of colour, a visual delight

Mrs Potts’ (Emma Thompson) accent draws eerie similarities to Mrs Lovett (her Sweeny Todd character) in places, yet it ’s hard not to be consumed by nostalgia as she lends her honeyed intonations to the classic ‘Beauty and The Beast ’.

Meanwhile, the villainous Gaston (Luke Evans) is herculean and unabashedly egotistical, with coiffed raven hair and an alluring grin to boot, whilst his henchman LeFou (Josh Gad) provides comical pause in moments of distress. The Beast himself (Dan Stevens) appears as more of a high-budget version of An American Werewolf In London than the classical Beast fans will recognise, however it ’s the small details - such as his oddly-buttoned waistcoat - that aid in retaining his wavering sense of humanity. Stevens injects a sense of longing and pathos into Beast ’s new ‘Evermore’, whilst illustrator Glen Keane’s classically animated transformation scene is snubbed in favour of CGI sparkles and grandiose concerto by Disney legend Alan Menken.

“beauty and the beast is a visual phenomenon” With its breathtaking sets and spellbinding characters, Beauty and The Beast is a visual phenomenon that marks a new turning point for Disney, an auspicious triumph that looks set to dazzle fans both new and old for generations to come.

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“A refreshing take on a genre that has grown rather stale”

GET OUT

By Jason Blight Comedian Jordan Peele’s first furore into directing comes as a staunch social thriller that has incited old conversations about racial tensions within America. Get Out features the fantastically casted Daniel Kaluuya as Chris, a man who

“erratic and gasp inducing” is in an interracial relationship with Allison Williams’ character, Rose Armitage. Chris is invited to meet her parents and is very apprehensive of the visit because he is black.

On visiting, there seems to be an uncanny feel to the proceedings and clear racial tensions within the community.

A smart horror where the slight reveals throughout the film lead to a rewarding finale, Get Out is a picture that is full of twists and turns, bringing a refreshing take on a genre that has grown rather stale as of late.

As a horror fan, it is hard to constantly defend a genre that is full of unoriginal plots and one-dimensional characters.

This film counteracts this label and proves that horror can be satirical and thought provoking. Get Out doesn’t just tackle explicit racial discrimination, but other forms of implicit discrimination that is largely forgotten about. It also highlights the ludicrous nature of how society perceives

interracial relationships, the issues explored within the film universal. It is refreshing to encounter a horror that is laden with social messages that creates conversation outside of the cinema. It harks back to early George A. Romero’s social criticisms hidden within the Night of the Living Dead series.

The performances within Get Out are what really make this film terrifying, as it ’s built around the atmosphere. As a viewer, you are aware of something being wrong, but are the true essence of horror within this film. There are some jump scares, which is granted, but it is the uncanny feeling of something not being quite right that constantly

puts you on the edge of your seat. The music and sound is also key in producing terror, Get Out utilising these aural motifs that constantly remind the viewer that something is about to happen. Folk songs are used throughout, only to build upon the tension that

“its direction, performances and atmosphere throughout create an experience that is fantastic”

is created, and Peele’s past is shown with slight comedic moments that are conflicted with horror within seconds, only adding to that eerie feeling.

Get Out is the most refreshing and tense horror that has been released in the past couple of years. Its direction, performances and atmosphere throughout create an experience that is fantastic to watch. Erratic and gasp inducing, the film does exactly what is supposed to do: terrify the audience and create a platform to present issues of racism within the United States of America.

Get Out is fun, uneasy and thought provoking, a rarity for contemporary horror films.

36

reviews

POWER RANGERS

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

W

ith almost every piece of classic media getting a shiny new reboot for the younger generation, the Power Rangers were sure to make their new age appearance at one point or another.

The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted in the 90s, the live action superhero show catapulting into popular culture with a line of action figures not far behind. The basic storyline of each series follows a team of youths trained to morph into their coloured armour wearing alteregos – basically gaining enhanced strength, speed, stamina etc. They also gain the use of Zords – giant dinosaur-looking assault machines – to destroy their enemies. This being said, it ’s a bit of a worry when the film starts out as your generic American teenager flick, with the star quarterback lashing out and the whiny ‘no one understands me’ attitude.

Fortunately, it evolves from the orthodox fairly quickly as the storyline progresses from average car chases to mysterious discoveries.

Though the film was seemingly created to introduce and entice the new generation to the rangers, the target audience is clearly their 90s generation counterpart as well, the storyline including classic references and winks to the original series. Down to the names of the characters and a cameo from the original red and pink ranger, the movie stays incredibly spot on to the original details, clearly only spiffing up the

visuals with some fancy CGI and present day references.

The classic lines and theme tune come across a bit cheesy when introduced, but are clearly necessary for nostalgic reasons, and fortunately not overplayed in the slightest.

While the five main power rangers are diverse and each bring something unique to the film, they are outweighed heavily

by Elizabeth Banks, who continuously steals scenes as the villainous Rita Repulsa. Her character is as grotesque as she is beautiful, ruthless in the hunt for gold to construct her beloved Goldar, a giant winged creature that oozes like molten lava.

Comedian Bill Hader adds comedic relief to Bank’s intense scenes through the supportive robot Alpha 5, and Bryan Cranston lends advice and guidance on defeating Repulsa through Zordon, the preceding red ranger who is now a floating head stuck in the wall of a spaceship.

“the restraint to hold back until the perffect moment creates a bigger impact” It seems odd that the film should get about three quarters of the way through before ever even revealing the classic armour of the team, but this becomes one of the storyline’s biggest accomplishments. The restraint to hold back until the perfect moment creates a bigger impact than trading lack of story development, as jumping straight into the suits for the sake of audience expectation would have been a massive plunder.

Power Rangers is a modern take on the original series, that updates the main story just enough to make it relevant to present day.

37

IRON FIST

By Alex Lewis The latest offering from Marvel and Netflix had high expectations to fill after the critical successes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Unfortunately though, Iron Fist, while entertaining in its own right, does not meet the quality those shows have to offer.

Played by Finn Jones, Danny Rand is the Iron Fist - the son of a billionaire who returns to New York after fifteen years training in a monastery.

Back in the city he grew up in, he attempts to reclaim his company while maintaining duties as his superhero alter ego. It ’s an interesting premise that is squandered by a meandering pace that doesn’t give viewers any incentive to continue watching outside of Marvel’s brand recognition.

“acting ability aside, they struggle to carry the early episodes” There are positive aspects to show; Rand is naïve and unaccustomed to the world of corporate entities and social norms, a quality which Jones makes endearing as opposed to annoying which could easily be done. Colleen Wing, played by Jessica Henwick, is another strong addition to the cast; she is suitably badass and is a hardened foil to the childish Rand. Acting ability aside, they struggle to carry the early episodes, the pace of which is their biggest downfall. The second episode drags, based on a tired premise that needs to be wrapped up in half the time it was given. In the following

episode, the story picks up but it might be too late for some viewers.

consoles, but it’s surprisingly stunning and perfect for gaming on the go.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspects of the series are the fight scenes.

One would expect a series called Iron Fist to have several thrilling and unique action sequences highlighting the martial arts style of fighting. Unfortunately, the fights are lacking outside of a hallway brawl which manages to briefly raise the already lowered bar. Quick cuts are employed to disguise the lack of fight training Jones has (a fault that lies with the sudden production schedule as opposed to him) but the scenes remain confused.

Here’s to hoping the fight choreography gets better as the series progresses.

The Joy-Con controllers themselves are very impressive, sporting a lot of functionality including HD Rumble, an Amiibo reader, a screen capture button and an IR (infrared) motion camera. They’re just as versatile as the console itself with different configuration options. They can even be used independently as separate controllers, essentially meaning you get two controllers at no extra price.

Iron Fist unfortunately also lacks what has been the Netflix shows strongest aspect: the villains. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t rank David Tennant ’s insidious Killgrave as one of Marvel’s strongest villains, defying the problem that plagues their movies. In Iron Fist, the main villain’s motives are underwritten and shrouded in mystery, making it hard to appreciate their goal or their character. It ’s likely these will be explored sooner rather than later, and five episodes in, the story is finally beginning to find its footing and Rand’s introductory series looks to find an uptick in quality.

Let ’s hope his presence in The Defenders has more of a punch to it.

NINTENDO SWITCH

By Andrew Yates

T

he Wii U was an emotional rollercoaster that even the most dedicated Nintendo fans found scary. It certainly had its moments, but overall it left the gaming community with a sour taste in their mouths. However, the Wii U’s passing ushers in a new era for Nintendo and this time it looks like they’ve found their winning formula.

The Nintendo Switch has taken the world by storm with the most successful console launch in Nintendo’s history. Although to be fair, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as the main launch title, Nintendo couldn’t really go wrong.

Nintendo have given us the one thing we all wanted, yet didn’t realise until now: a home console-handheld hybrid. The ability to easily transform your console into a fully portable handheld device is so simple yet so genius, and is by far the Switch’s most impressive trait.

Whilst in handheld mode, the Switch is extremely comfortable thanks to its sleek and lightweight design. Initially its screen looks a bit too small for games designed for home

“nintendo has achieved what they always aspire towards” Unfortunately, as impressive as the Switch is at first glance, it’s not perfect. As per usual for a Nintendo console, it can’t compare with the internal power of the Xbox One and PS4 and only has 32GB of internal memory. There’s also a lack of streaming services like Netflix and Twitch.

Regardless of this, Nintendo have achieved what they always aspire towards: innovative gaming. Being able to take AAA titles anywhere and everywhere is something never seen before.

With third party support already confirmed and many big titles traditionally seen on Xbox and PlayStation on the way, Nintendo are definitely back in the console wars.

INTerview

38 Q&A WITH:

me7ropolis

italian pop-punk rising stars

By Kaitlyn Ulrich

f

ounded in 2012, Italian pop-punk band ME7ROPOLIS are up and coming on the scene with their debut EP Turn Off The Lights.

For fans of Alkaline Trio, Sum 41, and blink-182, they’re gaining popularity with EP single ‘Wrong or Paranoid’.

Bassist Matteo Desantis details the working process, band life, and what it ’s like promoting themselves in different languages for fans in multiple countries.

Is there a cohesive idea that flows throughout the EP or is each song its own entity?

Turn Off The Lights is our first official work. We’ve selected what we thought to be our best songs so far and it contains five tunes in total. We didn’t think of it as a cohesive album, but three out of five songs are pretty well related to one another and our upcoming music videos will show that relationship.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced when creating the EP? The biggest obstacle was trying to create a unique sound, which nowadays is a pretty hard task. We know that we’re still evolving our own style, but we had to focus on getting a definite sound out of the EP. We’re trying to get rid of the

‘classic’ pop-punk sound, and focus on getting a personal style, being particularly careful of the song ’s arrangements and our own individual sounds.

Now that you have promoted and made a music video for ‘Wrong or Paranoid’, what has the response been like?

We’re pretty happy with the promotion of our first single. We didn’t have a huge budget but we gained some new fans anyway. On the other hand, we might consider applying a different strategy to our next single’s video in order to achieve even better results.

“we had to get outside our comfort zone” What/Who are your influences and where does the inspiration for your songs come from?

We have some slightly different musical tastes and overall backgrounds from one another. We should say we used to listen to loads of 90s/early 2000s American pop-punk and punk rock, but we think we might have gotten some influences from grunge, as well as progressive and pop music. Just to name a few [influences, we’d say] Green Day, blink-182, and Sum 41, but also Porcupine Tree and Biffy Clyro. The inspiration of our songs usually comes from our own everyday life experiences, and we like to write most of our songs all four of us together.

Do you write songs in both Italian and English? Is it more difficult to do both?

Yes, we do write both in Italian and English, and we’re concentrating more

on the English versions of the lyrics right now. It ’s tough but we think it can really help us creating a wider fanbase.

You’ve been playing several international gigs - how did that come about?

We’ve had the chance to play in the USA and in the UK, and these gigs we performed abroad have been truly challenging opportunities. We had to get outside our comfort zone, but we’re overall satisfied because we have grown up a lot and we also got a positive feedback – especially in the USA. Describe your band life - How much time do you guys spend together?

We used to spend a lot of time together, both as bandmates and as friends, but now that we all finished high school and started college away from home it ’s a bit harder to find the time that our project needs to move on. We’re all confident that we’ll get a solution soon. We used to be like brothers, and we still are.

What’s next for ME7ROPOLIS? Any new singles, a tour or a record perhaps?

We don’t have a very definite plan for what’s going to come out next. We are writing some new songs for a possible future EP or an album, but setting up a tour after we finish releasing Turn Off The Lights would be awesome. Anyway, two new videos are going to be published, so stay tuned!

Why is making music important to you?

Music is everything to us. It’s the reason we live for, is the best way we can express ourselves and also what we think to be the most beautiful, universal and complete way to make art. We’ve grown up making music together and we hope it could always be.

upcoming

39

Upcoming

ALBUMS, FILMS, GAMES AND TV YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS

baywatch Lifeguard Mitch Buchanan (Dwayne Johnson) and new recruit Matt Brody (Zac Efron) work together to uncover a plot that threatens the bay in this reboot of a classic show.

5/5 gnarwolves Outsiders

12/5 chance the rapper Colouring Book

12/5 seether

Poison The Parish

12/5 post malone August 26th

19/5 linkin park

One More Light

2/6 all time low

Last Young Renegade

2/6 dua lipa Dua Lipa

9/6 alt-j

Relaxer

28/4 guardians of the galaxy vol.2 Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana

12/5 snatched

Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn

19/5 alien: covenant

Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston

26/5 baywatch

Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron

26/5 pirates of the caribbean: salazar’s revenge Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom

2/6 wonder woman

Gal Gadot, Chris Pine

9/6 the mummy

Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella

5/5 prey

PS4, Xbox One, PC

16/5 Injustice 2

PS4, Xbox One, PC

19/5 fire emblem echoes: shadows of valentia

19/5 the unbreakable kimmy schmidt: season 3 Netflix

21/5 twin peaks: season 3 Showtime

30/5 house of cards: season 5

3DS

Netflix

30/5 star trek: bridge crew

17/3 i’m dying up here

2/6 tekken 7

9/6 orange is the new black: season 5

PSVR, Rift, Vive

PS4, Xbox One, PC

6/6 the elder scrolls online: morrowind dlc PS4, Xbox One, PC

30/6 crash bandicoot N. sane trilogy PS4

Showtime

Netflix

23/6 orphan black: season 5 Netflix

16/7 game of thrones: season 7 HBO

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