Cub 518

CUB Issue 518

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Cover Image - George

WELCOME TO

CUB Given the phenomenal feedback to our first issue of the new look Cub, we thought we’d have a go at making this issue even better.

Keep picking up copies and we’ll keep making them. If you want to join the team, email us at editor@cubmagazine.co.uk and we’ll be able to help you get started as soon as possible.

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scontents ContentsC ontentsCo ntentsCon tentsCont entsConte CUB ISSUE 518 03

David Shillinglaw

Cub interviews this brilliant artist

The QM Theatre Company

We investigate this shady group

The Turner Prize

Who was this turner anywat?

09 11 13

Tech Budget Jones

The Dilemas of fashion on a budget

The marinière takes the eurostar

Fashion straight off the train from paris

It takes two

The best collaborations

26 27 30

Features Some are more equal A look at equality

The Real America

Santa Cruz The begining

Reality 2.0

Are people loosing it?

35 37 47

Music

Art 17 19

Technology News

A look at the worlds tech Changes

The Blue Screen of Death Avoid loosing everything

Fashion 21 23 33 39

Richmix

The east’s super cool cinema

Kristin Scott Thomas

Cub chats with the hollywood star

Dying to be famous

How far will you go for fame?

tinketty-tock old chap Down with the monarchy

Columns 41 51

Warp Records

20 years of inovation

The Time of the season

The difference a summer can make

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THE CUB TEAM

Welcome back

Beautiful People

to the Second issue Editors List sam cunningham rebecca ngakane Amy Prior Hannah Olivennes Emma Hyner James Snee Tim Arscott James Ingrey

(editor) (sub Editor) (Arts) (fashion) (features) (Technology) (Music) (Opinions)

Design/layout by luke ngakane Printed with thanks at Calverts A Special thanks to Paperback Printed using vegtable oil based inks on “Cyclus Offset” 100% recycled paper.

Cub is a registered newspaper with the post office and is published by Queen Mary Student Union. The views expressed within this or any publication under the title of Cub do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, section editors, Queen Mary Students’ Union, or Queen Mary. Cub makes sure All work included in each issue is accredited appropriately wherever possible.

The new academic year is finally getting into full swing. In has moved another flurry of first years bringing with them youthful enthusiasm to get out in the world and enjoy themselves, creating a feverish atmosphere on campus. Newly crowned second and third years have returned to spend another nine months dodging lectures and steadily working through their student loans. Staff resent the fact that the summer has disappeared and they now have work to do…

Students will slowly venture from the boundaries of Westfield Way, Library Square and Drapersbar, if they have not done so already, and head to the bright lights of Brick Lane and Shoreditch. They will begin to see past the shoddy exterior of the East and begin to blend in with their peers and surroundings. They will become the University London students of the East, the only ones.

But remember, life carries on outside the bubble of the QM campus and intrigue of East London. Banks continue to capitulate while hideously overpaying themselves, the Labour Government and its cheating members slowly lose grip on the country (who’s going to go against the might of The Sun?), and England have deceived us all by pretending to be good at cricket.

Try not to be like them, don’t be greedy, don’t deceive, and don’t pretend to be something you’re not.

Do well; work hard, play hard.

Good luck.

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Dearest Cub readers Welcome to the arts section in our second issue of the new school year, especially to all of you freshers who I absolutely demand should get involved, especially with the delicious arts section. I want you!

The past few weeks since the last deadline have gushed along almost as quickly as the leak in my kitchen ceiling but have been a lot more exciting! For those of you who don’t already know, we are currently enjoying the London Design Festival which sees a giant chess set installed in Trafalgar Square for a real tournament and a spiral of chairs outside the V&A. Obviously our local East End town is getting involved with such an occasion and Cheshire street stores are hosting an array of special shopping offers to celebrate design.

An exhibition of customised placemats at Ella Doran as well as the Sandra and Crockett United Business of Art exhibition at Shelf. In this issue I also have for you a special feature on Cinema in the City, including an extensive article on Shoreditch’s Richmix, an interview with artist David Shillinglaw, as well as an introduction to the Queen Mary theatre company whose directors

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join me for a chat - and if that really isn’t enough we also have some chilling yet arty Halloween thrills for you to experience.

This month sees an extension of the touring West End musical Dreamboats and Petticoats, available to see until the end of October featuring last year’s X Factor final twelve contestant Scott Bruton (don’t be embarrassed if you can’t remember him, I’m embarrassed that I can), an actor from Emmerdale and an actress from Hollyoaks. Cast members aside, it is a fantastic feel good musical with lots of cheesy fifties music and dancing with tickets available from £10. Furthermore anyone who hasn’t been to the Covent Garden Comedy Club, I suggest you take £12.50 of your student loan, buy a ticket, and go! Use as a bonding session to meet fellow freshers, hilarious selection of comedians in such an original London location. Sticking to a Halloween theme, I went to check out the musical Wicked, which (please excuse the overused pun) was actually WICKED!

ART Calling all designers!!!! Wolf and Badger is a concept design gallery opening in Notting Hill where budding designers and artists can sell their creations and pitches cost £35. This includes allocated space in store, an e-commerce page, guidance & mentoring from industry experts, marketing & PR, as well as all aspects of retailing. Insurance, security and stock management are also included in the simple licence fee. Wolf & Badger is a unique retail gallery, showcasing the best of British design talent across all disciplines, providing an affordable opportunity for designers to sell their products and gain contact with trade buyers. The store is due to open in November 2009 in a prime position at 46 Ledbury Road in Notting Hill. The area is one of London’s most exciting shopping destinations for fashion and design. Nearby retailers include Matches, Joseph, Diane Von Furstenberg and Zadig & Voltaire.

Keeping things local... The Victoria, Grove Road. Every second Sunday of the month The Victoria transforms itself into a jumble sale. But not just your regular jumble sale; displaying the finest selection of cast offs, this is east London after all, this is your trendy, arty, Shoreditch style jumble sale with haircuts available for £10 as well as knitting, craft clubs and Bloody Marys. Being literally down the road, this is a great way to spend a wintry Sunday. Also with their Cinema Sunday every Sunday night where the popcorn is free and the film is classic there is no other way to send off a Sunday evening. Every film throughout October is of the horror genre to celebrate Halloween including Driller Killer, The Exorcist, The Orphanage and An American Werewolf in London.

NEWS

If anyone is interested and would like contact information please contact me at cubarts@live.co.uk In honour of Halloween the British Library are holding a special exhibition entitled, Imagining the Impossible- The Truth about Spirit Photography on the 31st October at 2.30-4, £6. Whether you are a keen photographer, a Halloween lover or someone who just likes to be scared, this exhibition appeals to everyone.

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DAvid Shillinglaw David Shillinglaw is an artist and curator based in north London. He is artist in resident at Nowhere North Gallery where he curates his own space as well as operates out of his own studio. Since gaining a degree in fine art from Central St. Martins he has worked for clients such as Chicken Shed Theatre Company, The British Council and more recently Cutty Sark Whisky. CUB’s Mark Sedgeley went along to Nowhere North to find out more.

‘Get Up An Antenna’ opens at Macondo on Oct 15th, admission free. Opening Hours Shoreditch: Sun-Thurs 9.30am11pm Fri-Sat 9.30am-midnight, Islington Mon-Sun 9am-11.pm.

Nearest tubes: Old Street, Angel. For further details visit www.macondo.co.uk

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Article - Amy Prior illustrations - David Shillinglaw

Tell me about yourself I am a full time artist. I work in London but I do a lot of different things. I do illustration; there’s another element to my work, curating and organising exhibitions that don’t necessarily have my own work in but often do. But the centre of my universe is my practice, what I actually make, and I make art whether I’m selling it or not. I do stuff all the time, it’s my medicine, my meditation if you like. It’s what I do to calm down and to get by.

How does your creative process work?

I often rely on mistakes or by-products to create something. So I’ll be working on a painting but then in the middle of working on it I’ll get an idea because of something that’s happened. I’m creating problems and then trying to solve them but along the way I’ll get distracted by one of the events or things that’s happened which will inspire me. It’s a little bit like taking a journey from A to B and ending up in C. You’re far happier to be in C even though when you started you didn’t even know C existed. B suddenly becomes irrelevant. I work with stuff I find or scraps of wood hammered together. I work with materials in quite a free way, letting them dictate how the work proceeds.

What do you hope to achieve with your art?

The work is very autobiographical, taken from my journals and experiences but some things are really clear, such as with objects. It’s similar to a piece of jazz music. You can dance to it without knowing why it’s been composed in that way. A lot of my work emphasises a layering, which is organic but conscious. I want to show the viewer that it is a painting, not a picture or a view through a window. To say “here’s the layers” or “here’s a bit of newspaper that was underneath it”. I like that layering because it shows the layers of thinking and the layers of problems and problems solved.

Are there any recurring images in your work that you have a special interest in?

I like numbers. Not just their geometric shape but the human element and how people can read them. I like the idea of lucky numbers, how numbers can have significance. It’s all bullshit, numbers are made up. We use them daily for age, money, dates etc. Numbers instantly draw you into a whole series of associations that engage you in the piece. A number

is an objective thing, a label perhaps. It makes you question something and I’m interested in making people question what they look at.

Are there any particular artists that inspire you?

I often get compared to the 80s neo-expressionists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat. They’re definitely heroes of mine because of their attitude towards the economics of art. Making art out of junk or in the street, for example. Picasso as well, I always think he’s looking over my shoulder when I’m painting.

What do you do to escape then?

Escapism is painting. In a way I escape into my paintings or I use other things like movies, music and literature to feed my artwork.

I always listen to music when I’m making art.

What sort of thing do you listen to?

I listen to all sorts, old or new stuff. I like old reggae and dub, one-track recording. It’s authentic because there’s no post-production.

New music can be less stimulating than older more genuine work. I have nights when I just have to listen to T. Rex, which makes me listen to Bowie and then I end up with Lou Reed. All this while I’m doing my art. I often think of music and art as the same thing. One fills my ears and the other my eyes.

And where do books and films fit in to your work?

They are separate, I can’t do those things and make art. Books I read on the train, rarely at home. I’ve just finished What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. I’m a big fan of Bukowski, Kerouac and the beats along with Richard Brautigan. I’m a really big consumer of all things.

Tell us about your new exhibition.

The gallery’s called Macondo, which is named after the town in A Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Get up an Antenna is my second solo show at Macondo and it’s all completely new work. Macondo sells amazing homemade food, coffees and cocktails that are the best in London. It’s very much a gallery as they curate the space. It’s free and you can go in and see the art without eating. Both sites are great places to go and sit and read a book.

For more information about the artist visit davidshillinglaw.co.uk or nowherenorth.co.uk.

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THE QM Theatre Company

You would not be punished for thinking that the Queen Mary theatre company was just an exclusive, untouchable clique of over rated drama students. I did, at least before I met the kings of this clique who gave me reason to think otherwise and to feel slightly embarrassed of my rather harsh presumption.

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I arrived at Roastars to meet them both in a You’ve Got Mail style of meeting; both hopefully holding a copy of Cub, so as to recognise each other. I’m feeling a little self conscious that I‘m flashing Cub as discreetly but still blatantly as possible, with absolutely no response from anyone within the coffee shop. Fifteen minutes pass and frequent head turning and Cub flashing soon identifies Simon and Rob, co- directors of the Queen Mary theatre company.

Suggesting they are an exclusive, untouchable clique of over rated drama students, their faces appear absolutely defeated as this is so not the image they want to portray, well at least Film Studies student Simon doesn’t, as only Rob is actually a Drama student! (However is keen to come across as “superfly” rather than a pretentious tosser).

We are later joined by Tom Machell, the company treasurer (the company is styled in an almost parliamentary government fashion with Henry Bishop as secretary, La Sykes as Promotion manager and Katie Lockett, stage manager. Hopefully with just as many attention grabbing theatricals as our government, the company will be a success). Both Simon and Rob performed in Spring Awakening at the last Edinburgh Fringe Festival and are ardent to dismiss the current image of the theatre company, replacing it as being more inviting and appealing to everyone by being a stage for all involved across all areas of the arts. They see themselves as a “platform” for all performers, writers, comedians, artists, anyone who they can work with. Even other QM societies who need help with screening a film etc, the Theatre are there to offer their resources. They are keen to welcome new people with new ideas and new writing for the new Theatre Company and can’t invite enough people to get involved. “The Theatre Company is about inclusion” insist the boys and with their distressed charm and affable laughter, not only do I think I believe them but I think I want to join too.

The group meets every Tuesday for an ‘improv’ session, called The Flatpack - yes that is a pun on The Rat pack- at 6pm in Rehearsal

Article - Amy Prior

room one in the Arts building which is directly followed with a fortnightly social upstairs at the New Moon from 8pm. These are great ways for people to go along and see what the theatre company is all about and hopefully sign up. Subs of £15 are required to be paid when joining BUT you do get a free T shirt! And all the money is used to directly fund the theatre company especially when it comes to funding plays to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The company takes between 2-4 plays up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to be performed and from semester 2 all new writers are encouraged to pitch their plays to the Theatre Company committee for an opportunity to have their play performed.

Don’t miss out on their Pinter weekend across the 13th, 14th and 15th November where the works of Harold Pinter will be celebrated. The boys feel Queen Mary’s has a connection with Pinter as he opened the Pinter studio and want to honour his works by putting on 3 of his best plays including The Birthday party, The Homecoming and the Dumb Waiter.

They see themselves as a “platform” for all performers, writers, comedians, artists, anyone who they can work with.

Even other QM societies who need help screening a film etc.

Keep track of audition details, meetings, events and opportunities to perform or write by contacting them through their e mail address qmtheatreco@gmail.com or on their facebook page Theatre Company 09/10.

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The Turner Prize

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Roger Hiorn’s Seizure - Open till Jan 2010 More information at www.artangel.org.uk

October marks the return of the Turner Prize, heralded as one of the most exciting of awards on the artistic calendar and as it arrives at its 25th anniversary, you should expect it to be a thrilling affair. It is an occasion duly fought over by the crème de la crème of the contemporary visual art scene of the moment and scrutinised and admired by all in what will undoubtedly be a long season featuring lively exchanges of opinions from the public, critics and artistic greats. The prestigious Turner Prize pays homage to what’s new in the current British art world, and is solely awarded to an artist under 50, born, living or working in Britain and one who has proved to deliver outstanding exhibitions in the 12 months before 6 May 2009.

But who was this Turner guy? Well JMW Turner was a spectacular artist of the 18th and 19th century who was considered not only a controversial figure in his day, but is renowned as one of the greatest masters of British watercolour and oil landscape paintings. But Turner was not only known for his artistic eloquence, genius imagination, and secretive life but also for his fierce personality being described by the Tate’s new show as “the great lion of his day”. He inspired artistic legends from the likes of Matisse to Rothko and was himself embroiled in a professional rivalry between himself and the Romantic painter John Constable. In fact the Tate’s new show, prefiguring the annual award show, is dazzling the artistic audience by exhibiting Turner’s famous Helvoetsluys beside Constable’s The Opening of Waterloo Bridge – the first time since they were originally exhibited beside each other during the highly-charged exhibition at the

Article - Amy Prior

Royal Academy in 1832, some 177 years ago. The infamous exchange of articulate words, the smooth competition between the pair and the climax involving the colour red, was the ingredients for a memorable evening which still finds itself into every conversation within the dimly lit galleries of Britain’s cobbled streets today.

Turner was a spectacular artist of the 18th and 19th century who was considered not only a controversial figure in his day, but is renowned as one of the greatest masters of British watercolour & oil landscape.

But JMW is not only acclaimed for his brilliance, but for his controversial life – or should I say, the part of it that the public was certain of. Turner was a teenage prodigy who shot to fame during his tender..

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teenage years, but his lavish yet bachelor lifestyle was cause enough for George V himself to claim that “Turner is mad…

My grandmother [Queen Victoria] always said so”. One thing is for sure though, that JMW, although mysterious and at times perplexing, was an artistic star.

In fact the founders of the Prize chose to name it after JMW Turner partly because he'd wanted to establish a prize for young artists in his own lifetime, and because, despite everything, he is now seen as one of the greatest British artists of all time. The October show should prove to be an exuberant display showcasing striking work from the four nominees who have themselves been shortlisted because they have in some way or the other, shown some Turner-ish spark in their work.

For this year’s shortlist then, be sure to expect danger and explicitness, with the like of Enrico David, Lucy Skaer, Roger Hions and Richard Wright to feature their latest work this month at the Tate. All the artists will be judged by an independent jury who will be hard at work over the coming months, and the winner will be announced in December. But you can go and have a look for yourself and revisit a moment of history at Tate Britain from October 2009 until 3 January 2010.

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From left - jmw Turner, ENRICO DAVID Previous Turner Winners - 2008 to 2005

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TECH NEWS iPhone turns a certain shade of Orange: Orange has just announced that they will be selling the iPhone ‘later this year’. This means that O2 aren’t the only kids who get to play with Apple’s best selling product. People are already hoping for more competitive pricing as O2 try to lessen the blow. Very few details have been announced so far but this could be a big move in widening the iPhone’s reach in the mobile market.

New console for the back of the lecture: Yes, I’m sure everyone’s seen them, the people playing their PSP at the back of the lecture. Well, Sony are close to the release date for the new PSP Go; a new smaller PSP that doesn’t use cartridges or those silly small disks. Instead users download the games directly from Sony onto the 16Gb of internal storage.

The new design looks really good and it already has a huge back catalogue of games ready. The only problem is that gaming retailers aren’t too happy about Sony’s move away from disks as they no longer get to stock the games and thus lose money.

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USB to be replaced by light: Intel and Apple are in talks over the design of a new port that uses light to transfer data instead of USB. Using light is nothing new as most long-distance communication (if not done through satellites) is carried out using fibre optic technology. The internet connection here at Queen Mary relies on it. The new port will allow users to connect any device to it and (geek bit coming up) will be able to transfer around 10Gb per second, which makes it much faster than USB. Details are few and far between but both companies say it should be in consumer products by 2010.

Biggest HD TV Award: Finally, the award for the largest HD television in the world has been given to the Dallas Cowboys and Mitsubishi by the Guinness World Records. The televisions – standing 90 feet above the Cowboy’s stadium – have over 10,584,064 LED lights in them. The two of them measure just short of 22 meters high and just over 79 meters wide. Try getting one of those into your room in halls!

Nido Get Your Face Out ad QMLU

16/9/09

12:35

Page 1

Enter the coolest student PHOTO contest & WIN the ultimate London student welcome.* Nido – the city’s most stylish student accommodation is looking for a face of the brand 2010. It’s going to be a big year for Nido with the opening of Nido Spitalfields, and you could be a part of it. To become the most recognisable student face in the capital, simply upload the sharpest, coolest, fiercest or funniest self-pic of your face. It’s not about who looks like a model, it’s about who can be a star.

The top 50 entries will be displayed at Nido King’s Cross for all to view, from the 9th October.

So get snapping, then get online to GetYourFaceOut.com to enter and vote for your favourite.

The most popular face could win. Nido... that’s got to be worth a shot.

Competition closes: midnight 1st October 2009. *Terms and conditions apply.

Enter now at

www.GetYourFaceOut.com CUB ISSUE 518 18

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Anyone who has used a computer for an extended period of time has come across an issue with it somewhere along the line. From the dreaded ‘Blue Screen of Death’ (BSOD) to hard drive failures, most people have had the lot. So in this issue of CUB we decided to look at the best options for saving your precious photos of that night you went out during Freshers Week, your music, oh and your dissertation.

thedreaded BlueScreen

ofDeath Mac: There are many ways to back up your data, and often they are reliant on what type of operating system you’re using. Below are my recommendations for Mac & Windows.

PC: There is nothing worse than turning on your PC and being lit with the dull blue hue of the ‘Blue Screen of Death’. Unfortunately the legend still lives on even in the new Windows operating systems, so a good backup plan is a must. A good piece of software to use with Windows is SyncBack. It comes in free and paid-for flavours and does the job of keeping your files safe relatively well. The free version (what most students will go for) offers basic backup and retrieval options as well as simple compression. Because it’s a separate piece of software it doesn’t integrate into the operating system perfectly but if you only need to run it a few times a month it will do.

Article - James Snee

So you’ve bought your lovely new shiny MacBook and your student loan is feeling damaged. Apple’s operating system OS X from Leopard onwards includes a piece of software called Time Machine.

As backup software goes it’s not the most advanced out there but it does keep regular backups of all your data and it’s really easy to restore them back to your machine if anything does go wrong. As with many backup solutions it requires a separate USB or Firewire hard drive and for an internal drive of around 120Gb. Apple recommend an external drive with at least 250Gb of free space. What’s great about Time Machine is that it all runs in the background; you just plug your external hard drive in periodically and it does its own thing. There aren’t that many options when backing-up, which may frustrate some more advanced users, but it does integrate with the operating system really well and is very reliable.

SyncBack : www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/ Drop Box : www.getdropbox.com

Web: As well as backup options built into or running with the operating system there is another solution to the backup problem. As Internet connection speeds have increased over the past few years, more and more people are using websites to backup their data.

The way this works is after you’ve created an account you can upload files and folders directly to a server. You can then log back in and retrieve your files later. One of the best sites offering this service is called Drop Box. Their basic free account offers 2Gb of data with options for 50 and 100Gb at reasonable prices. They offer a program you can download to make syncing files even easier.

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Rich Mix

Bethnal Green Road.

Sprinting in the torrential rain, as British weather so loves to surprise us with in summer time, especially when we are wearing our non waterproof shoes, new cotton skirt and blazer, both absorbent, accompanied by bare legs I was not looking forward to sitting through The September Issue.

Damp and freezing cold whilst my hair slowly kinks to what I can only dream looks like summer time natural waves but in reality looks like the long, matted hair of a spaniel. Arriving and meeting my as always immaculately dressed and umbrella clad friend I struggle to even be bothered to try and compare myself to her or make excuses for my lack of umbrella, I am a poor student therefore clothes come before weather protection!

Having then listened to her complain that she doesn’t know where Richmix is I am losing all hope and concern for the planned evening and just want a hair dryer and slippers however when we arrive I am comforted by the scurrying of other drowned rats courteously sharing the three hand dryers and tips on the best way to dry out one’s shoes with toilet paper.

Being a Wednesday we take advantage of the orange 241 deal and I am therefore feeling in higher spirits realising my ticket cost me £4. Walking through

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LAYOUT - Tom Digby

the bar to where the cinema is, the atmosphere is albeit studenty and a bit scuzzy round the edges but absolutely relaxed and an inviting place situated comfortably between the edge of the city and the edge of Shoreditch, almost like a no man’s land but a lot more inviting without the Shoreditch or city labels or price tags.

Pic’ n mix and popcorn finally spiral me into the cinema excitement until I see I have to walk up 3 flights of stairs to the screen. But I am no fool I have wobbly thighs after far too much summer indulgence which can only be described as mere inhalation of all the food that was to be offered from my parents larders and am ready now to start the hard grind of having to walk everywhere and live off of pasta and pesto, not a diet I recommend.

The stairs are welcomed and almost as if predicting the negativity of the climb there is some amusing wallpaper to keep you entertained on your hike, which I have to say is far more original in its non retro feel with coloured views of the city imposed on the walls. We did of course later realise there is a lift.

Obviously there is more to do here than drink, climb stairs and watch films, it is after all the Richmix and does offer a delightfully rich mix of programmes and events, always worth checking out the website but they currently offer a variety of talks and debates

relating to art, fashion and exhibitions discussing topical issues such as race, gender and heritage.

Their autumn programme sees them involved with screenings for the Jewish film festival and the BFI London Film festival.

This season’s schedule is themed with the topic of identity and immigration which is reflected in their independent film screenings which is designed to reflect east London.

The Richmix is involved with a lot of work with the community reaching out across all art forms including dance, comedy, cabaret, theatre and the spoken word. .There is also currently a walking tour of Brick lane followed by a writing workshop as well as their ‘in conversation’ feature where a discussion is held with people who have changed the way people think, such as Kwame Kwei-Armah, the first, black Briton to have a play staged in the west end, and Barbara Hulanicki, Polish born English bread fashionista.

Feeling famished after all the Richmix has to offer they then replenish you with their menu in the cafe and bar. Please excuse the following cliché but clichés are clichés for a reason; the menu is truly mouth watering.

Offering up a variety of seasonal food with the choice of a non alcoholic service and halal meat to

suit everyone. As a foodie I am very excited by their menu and recommend to all.

On the whole this place is great for whatever you want from your day or evening and being just 7 minutes down the tube line definitely a great spot to stop.

Also in London: SSSHHHHH!!!!! Secret cinema. The location is revealed at the last minute and the film as the credits roll. Get involved. But ssshhhh it’s a secret.

Prince Charles cinema hidden in the back streets of Soho is known for its cheap tickets and retro feel auditoriums.

Our local favourite as familiar with most of you is Genesis. With ticket offers on Mondays and Tuesdays but sadly no orange Wednesdays.

The Roxy Bar and Screen on Borough high street offers film showings from as little as £3. As well as film noir classics and innovative art films, though not as local as we would like, is still worth the distance for something a bit different.

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Kristin Scott Thomas Is there a noticeable difference between working in the British and French film industries?

The way the French make films is the same, but the subject matters are different. For example, in my case, the parts for women of my age are different. In France, women of my age are still considered to be alive and kicking, and they’re allowed to fall in love, have dilemmas. They are interesting to the French public as central figures or main protagonists. British movies are mostly based on youth culture. But the main difference is that the “cinéma d’auteur” created in the Nouvelle Vague of 1960s France has made a very large space for writer-directors, who sometimes produce their own films, so the French films are often more independent of TV channels etc.

You have appeared in a huge variety of films in your career and played some very different parts, from The English Patient to Confessions of a Shopaholic - when you read a script, what makes you decide it is the part for you?

First of all you have to like the director and want to make a film with him, then you have to like the script, then the actors, and then the character.

Never make a film when one of those is a “no”. Although I have made films, of which I’m very proud, knowing the script needed to change but liking the

QUESTIONS - Sam Cunningham & Sam Creighton

director and actors so much that I wanted to be a part of the experiment.

It has been said that your performance in I’ve Loved You So Long was the best of your career; did it feel special or different when you were making it?

I don’t think it’s the best performance in my career.

What was filming Under the Cherry Moon with Prince like? Have you spoken to him since?

It was incredible, because I had no experience. I had just done a play by Marguerite Duras in a festival in the south of France. It was very successful but for a limited audience. I had no idea what I was doing...I knew it didn’t sound very good I but obeyed the instructions. Actually, a lot of film acting is doing what the director says and putting your ego aside. And yes I have spoken to him since; he came to see the Broadway production of The Seagull. He said he was very moved by it.

Your recent role in the Frenchlanguage film Partir is incredibly fiery and sensual - what made you decide to go for this script?

I just wanted to make a film about a middle-aged woman falling in love, and that’s what Partir is about....

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Do your prefer acting roles in theatre or film?

I prefer the theatre because you feel more autonomous and the experience is more intense. But I do love the technicality of working in film.

Who has been the most enjoyable actor/actress to work with?

My favourite would be Daniel Auteuil, who I worked with twice.

You spend most of your life between London and Paris – what attracts you to these major cities?

London is much more interesting for theatre, but there are too many people. Paris is small and beautiful. It’s like a kitchen garden. Paris is definitely home for me.

If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?

I’d like to stay in one place and not rush around. I think we all move around too much. There is not a week that goes by without having to get on a train, car etc. I hate that. I would like to stay put... Looks like I’ve chosen the wrong job as there aren’t that many films shot in my street!

Queen Mary has a very reputable drama department, what advice would you give to those students who wanted to make it in the industry?

Starting as an actor or actress is very discouraging and everyone will try to discourage you. It’s horrible going to auditions, waiting in line for hours and then being told you’re not the right person. I think one of the ways out of that spiral of disappointment and rejection is to do your own stuff.

Find someone who you really channel your intelligence with and create your own projects. Being on time is so important as well. Punctuality and obedience is so important in acting! Oh and don’t read reviews.

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QUICK three What’s on your iPod? Ravel, Elbow, Radiohead, Goldfrapp...

What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently?

Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, Le Prophète by Jacques Audirard - everyone should go and see it when it comes out.

What was the best play to go and see in London?

Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth. I saw it at the Royal Court but it’s been transferred to the West End at the Apollo Theatre

Budget Jones’ Diary So term has started, and I am facing the same dilemma I seem to face every year. A bundle of cash and the high street calling my name. But this year I’ve made a conscious decision to not end up broke and in need of a longer-lasting wardrobe. Plus, recessionista chic is all the rage right?

Due to my recent designer find, I now consider shopping for vintage items as investment buying I told myself that I would always (try to) say no to impulse buying. It’s just like chocolate: good at the time but bad in the long-run.

Primark is that big, tempting calorie-laden creamy chocolate truffle of the shopping world. I sadly have been the victim of many Primark-induced breakdowns, but October is a new start boys and girls! For now temptation is on hold, meaning that instead of spending tons on lots of items, I decided to invest in something that wouldn’t fall apart at the sight of a little rain. So, last week I bought the hottest biker boots for £70!

Pricey at first glance but then I took into account the fact that I had bought four different types of boots at £25ish each over the summer, and not one still remains able to hold it together: you do the maths. And so far, so good with the ‘investment’ boots…

ing ridiculously cheap items from the high street is one of my pet peeves and to make sure I didn’t return to my old ways, I decided to jump into my trusty biker boots and acid wash denim and hit the local vintage shops.

I’ve picked up many a bargain from such places as Blondie and the East End Thrift Store, but my ultimate favourite is Beyond Retro: just last month I managed to score myself a Salvatore Ferragamo royal blue side satchel for £16! I left feeling rather pleased with myself and looked forward to telling everyone how a distant aunt had left me her designer bag collection. Due to my designer find, I now consider shopping for vintage items as investment buying, which gives my bank account a little time to recover itself…

Another bonus is that, unlike charity shops, vintage shops only provide me with the fashionable second hand clothes, meaning I don’t need to trawl through fifty hideous Mark One cast-offs before finding that one-off dimepiece. Sometimes, I toy with the idea of cultivating a new look. Maybe the time has come for me to return to my (mum’s) roots and bring the 60s back. As a student, with a keen eye for clothes but not a lot of dosh, I could spend all my time in retro stores, buying them out of all their paisley prints and miniskirts. The result, I hope, will be that I end up looking more original than that Topshop-clad girl/boy next to me on the tube, result!

Next month I’m super excited about visiting some of the best sale shops in London, where I hope to be picking up a treat or two.

I’ll also be surfing the Internet in a mission to make this damn loan of mine last longer, whilst simultaneously getting some of the Anyway enough of that, being in the heart best items around. Final thought, ‘Do you acof East London, I am fortunately surrounded cept student discount here?’ by the best shops for rare, retro pieces. BuyYours Stylishly,.

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The french marinière takes the Eurostar.

French women have that je ne sais quoi envied by women all over the world. And you can’t get any closer to that je ne sais quoi than by wearing the ultimate French top. In 2009, start your autumn shopping by finding the perfect marinière.

Already seen on the catwalks of Spring/ Summer 09, at D&G for example, the classic white t-shirt with black stripes (or even better: washed-off blue) is a huge hit. But where is it from? The word marinière in French, refers to a sailor’s shirt and can be white with navy stripes, the other way round navy with white stripes, or even white with red stripes.

Every year, come September, most Parisians come back from their holiday on the Northeast coast with a new marinière.

Those of you who’ve seen Coco Before Chanel (and those who haven’t, should) know this already, but fashion icon Coco Chanel first made the marinière fashionable.

Indeed in the 1920s, she headed off to the famous Normandy sea resort Deauville for weekends away and to breathe the sea air.

She brought back her Breton top and wore it tucked into her men’s wide high-wasted trousers. They have never left France’s fash-

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Article - Hannah Olivennes

you can wear it practically

everywhere and with everything

ion scene since. French brands Sandro, Et Vous or Maje have created their 09’ marinières, often with added bling. This year, that Breton look has crossed the Channel and hit our high streets. In London, go to Topshop and you will find one. On the catwalks, Jean Paul Gauthier is a master of the stripped t-shirt but in the Fall/Winter 09 shows, Balmain have seen a huge success with their sparkly and shoulder padded version. Originally worn loosely, you may find 2009 versions more fitted with added detail like the red sail boat on the D&G one.

The best thing about the Breton top is that you can wear it practically everywhere and with everything. When the sun is out, throw it over a denim skirt with a pair of gladiator shoes and you’re sorted. If the rain tries to spoil your day, wear it over a pair of jeans– or under as it looks great tucked into high-waisted ones too – cover it all up with a trench coat and you’ll look très Française!

Add a few gold chains and bangles, dark trousers or skirt, a pair of eye-catching high heels and voilà you’re ready to sail out into the dark streets of London town to find your missing accessory: Jack Sparrow.

Sahar 18 Law. top Topshop, skirt H&M, shoes & bag Primark. Lena 19 International Relations shorts Topshop, top Urban Outfitters, shoes Office, bag Primark. Jade 20 Politics skirt Akira, necklace Topshop, bag Gucci.

Nell Nabarro 19 Politics leotard American Apparel, skirt Topshop. Photos by Hannah Olivennes & Chinazo Ufodiama

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Philli 20 Maths 2nd Year, outside Ground. Sadie 19 English language and linguistics 1st Yr, Main Entrance.

Sana 18 Chemistry & Biochemistry.1st Yr, Signup Tent. Maria 18 English & European Law 1st Yr, The Curve.

Photos by Hannah Olivennes & Chinazo Ufodiama

It takes two The Cub fashion team are constantly on the lookout for the hottest pieces of news in the fashion world, and there’s nothing hotter right now than the copious amount of collaborations going on in both high end design houses and the high street.

Of course collaborations have been happening for a long time, but recently we’ve seen a whirlwind of partnerships meaning there has never been more going on!

Look back to last summer when we saw the launch of Kate Moss’s stunning new collection for Topshop in which she reintroduced some vintage Liberty prints (some might say, a double collaboration), there was Matthew Williamson’s collection for H&M and then came the announcement from Jimmy Choo stating that they were teaming up with H&M to produce a range of affordable shoes for the every day fashionista; a collection that we at Cub are still anxiously waiting for!

Topshop are major players in the collaborative fashion world; since the introduction of Kate Moss’s exclusive Topshop collection we have seen partnerships with Neurotica, Barbara Hulanicki, footwear designers Emma Cook and Peter Jenson and last month British designer Christopher Kane’s long awaited collection both online and in the flagship Oxford Street Store was unveiled.

Here are some of the most exciting collaborations to look out for.

Article - Chinazo Ufodiama

Yasmin Le Bon for Wallis Instant Elegance - When most people think of Wallis we’re thinking great for mum, but maybe not me. Yasmin le Bon, model and wife of Duran Duran front man Simon le Bon’s new collection for Wallis sets to change the high street shop. Bringing that essential elegance and mixing in a bit of her rock n roll roots, she’s created a selection of garments perfect for all ages, shapes and sizes.

Jil Sander for Uniqlo Effortlessly Cool - Uniqlo are acclaimed for their quirky simplicity so who else other than the Queen of Minimalism, German designer Jil Sander could form the perfect collaboration? Her new collection +J brings her celebrated minimalistic tailoring, at prices to make your overdraft smile.

Kanye West for Louis Vuitton One for the boys - For those of you out there who want a touch of class to your sneaker collection, Kanye West LV is the answer. Sadly the big dog’s even bigger ego is reflected in the price. Alternatively check out his exclusive Nike Air Yeezy collection for a more wallet friendly price- and the soles glow in the dark; what more could you possibly want?

Emma Watson for People Tree One to look out for - Whilst being one of Britain’s most prominent young actresses, enrolling at Brown University in the States and becoming the new face of Burberry we’re wondering how on earth Emma Watson has found time to take a bigger step into the fashion circuit and design a collection for the UK’s biggest eco-fashion retailer People Tree, set to launch in early spring next year!

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Our October Cub Captures - photos sent in by Anna Hiscocks, Danielle Johnson, Golden Walter Ogbonna, Anish Modgil, Sarah Gifford

want to show us your Best photos from the month send them to us at photos@cubmagazine.co.uk

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Dying to be famous September has been a bleak month, which has seen some of music and films’ brightest stars fizzle out. Yet for the families and friends of the deceased celebrities there may be a sterling silver lining. While the adage that the good die young may not hold true, if recent figures are anything to go by, the good certainly die rich.

1 Ring Fox News/any other questionable news ‘source’ and spread the word that you’re in a downtown L.A hospital.

For extra authenticity, pay a morally questionable hospital porter to tip the press on your behalf.

2

In 2001 Forbes magazine published the earnings of dead celebrities. Topping the list was Elvis Presley, whose estate earned $35 million. He was followed by Charles Schulz ($20 million), John Lennon ($20 million), Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel ($17 million) and Jimi Hendrix ($10 million).

Update your Wikipedia page to include rumours about your drug problems/terminal disease/ troubled family history, or give the tabloids a call and get your OK! exposé turned into an obituary.

Looking to the media as a sort of royalties Richter scale, it becomes apparent that legends really start raking in the chips only after they’ve cashed them in. In fact, genuine legends (see Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin) have perfected this skill by leading the kind of low-key existence that causes you to assume they’re already dead and gone. In a culture in which no one is satisfied with having a mere fifteen minutes, just how do you cross the line from star to superstar?

Send your best mate out dressed in your best teenage Goth wear, to drum up some public hysteria/grief. Perhaps erect small shrine. Any memorial services must obtain consent of parents of wailing children beforehand.

3

In a culture in which no one is satisfied with having a mere fifteen minutes, just how do you cross the line from star to superstar?

4 Circulate DVDs/CDs of your best ‘hits’ for a small but respectable fee. Say £15.

5

Here at Cub we bring you our brief guide to Sit back and wait for your Swiss bank account to fill up with the proceeds from your ‘estate.’ instant fame:

Article - Alexa Downing Disclaimer - If any advice taken from this column pays off returns are fixed at 40%. All complaints to the Downing Estate.

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“Some are more equal When we think of the word equality, what precisely does it mean to us?

George Orwell once wrote, “Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others”.

Equality, for some, may be nothing but a romantic notion, a utopian ideal, and to others, equality is something that should exist and yet, must be fought for. The word equality has become something of a buzzword of the 21st century: political jargon constantly used and in some cases abused and can be seen in government legislation and in the headlines of news articles.

I guess the ultimate question is…do we actually have equality in the world we live in?

From the slave trades of the 18th century, the relentless work of the Suffragette movement of the early 20th century, people of all races, colours and genders have fought for this idea of equality.

There has been much in the news of late with regards to the governments new Equality Bill, which has been in the process of planning for a number of years now, which aims to protect the rights and protection of people with disabilities, women, ethnic minorities and the elderly to name just a few. In original documents released to the public from 2007, LGBT people were included in this new piece of government legislation.

However, it would seem that not everything in this new Bill is entirely equal. The Equality Bill has been branded as A Framework for Fairness, but in actual fact is anything but fair. Peter Tatchell, a prominent LGBT

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COLUMN - Scott-Austin Shaw LAYOUT - Hannah Ngakane

activist has slammed the government, and in particular Harriet Harman, for not addressing why the Bill denies lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people protection against harassment.

In the original documentation, the government made statements such as, “We are looking at whether the single equality duty should also cover people of different ages, gay, lesbian and bisexual people and people of different religions and beliefs.”

Surely, at least in my own personal opinion, this shouldn’t be a matter of asking the public if this should be the case. This is a matter of human rights: no-one deserves to be discriminated against. In a country that eventually changed the law in 1967 to make homosexuality legal (albeit between two men, both being of the consenting age of 21) and has been seen in recent years to improve and extend the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, then ultimately there should be no need for discussion on this topic?

The issue of Transsexual people is also an issue Tatchell is unhappy with. Originally the government claimed that they wished to grant more protection to Trans people, and to make it illegal to discriminate not only in the workplace, but in all the ways and areas that it is illegal to discriminate against people of ethnic minorities and lesbian, gay and bi-sexual people. However, after ‘much consultation’ it would seem that, alas, the answer to this is a hard-hitting and resounding no.

than others…”

So, we ultimately have a new Equality Bill that offers protection ‘on the grounds of race, gender and disability, but not on the grounds of sexual orientation or transgender identity’.

As President of QM’s LGBT Society, this angers not only myself but my colleagues. Is it the case that we are to receive no help or to be granted any protection, and yet the government spends ridiculous amounts of money on urging us to celebrate our diversity? This issue is on a national level, and yet many LGBT Societies are not fairly represented within their Student Unions. In recent years we have seen liberation rolled out across the country, with university student unions creating job positions of not only LGBT Officers, but Black Students and Women’s Officers too. There are still some Unions which do not have these…how can this be equal? How can they be fairly represented?

Legislation can be written to exclude these rights, and yet, if we work in unison, we can ultimately re-write these legislations and with endurance and dedication, perhaps we can eventually have equality.

If we say nothing, nothing will or can be done. We see apathy rise all around us, and perhaps its time we reevaluate how we think and act. We see people disheartened by political parties and the powers that be.

If we are going to act against these issues, we need to engage with these people, not berate them. If we actually work with the problems then perhaps the problem will be resolved. I’m a firm believer in the ideals of equality and justice, and for some, the fight for freedom and equality has resulted in marches, in sit-ins, petitions and letters. If we lose sight of the aims and objectives and have a much more lax view on those who would oppress these rights, then who are we to complain? Apathy is a terrible thing. Let’s work together and resolve these problems, let’s tell those we elected into power that we want things changed and that we are happy to co-operate – as long as they are happy to keep their end of the bargain. Everyone has a right to protection from harassment, discrimination and abuse and everyone has a right to make their voice heard, so I urge you all to make your voices heard too!

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The Real America Its not true, blondes don’t have more fun. International students do.

Seriously, I have done more fun stuff in my first week of university in Santa Cruz then I did in my first month at Queen Mary. That’s not to say there’s not a load of fun things to do at Queen Mary but just that I did not do them. Last year, I went clubbing in Drapers. I got free stuff from the Freshers Fair. I tried not to spend too much money all at once. I, in short, was lame.

In Santa Cruz, everything is different. People party at the weekend (the strangest thing of all). There were recycling and composting areas even at the Freshers Fair! There are bike racks on the front of buses, so you just attach your bike and then get onto the bus. There are bike racks inside some cafes and smoothie bars.

About 40% of roads downtown are pedestrian right of ways, so I have almost forgotten what it’s like to look before crossing a road. It is way cheaper to buy processed cheese than it is to buy real cheese. And I have confirmed that Americans actually use sugar in their bread recipe and were confused when I said that didn’t happen in England. But, most importantly for me, in Santa Cruz people actively want to do things and see things. On my first day, my flatmates made a list of about 40 things they needed to take me to or show me. Some of those things included going to San Francisco (next week – crossed fingers) and some were just un-missable views on campus because our campus is truly the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

This week alone (bearing in mind, I have only been at Santa Cruz for six and a half days) I ate a $2 breakfast in a pimped out surfer van near the beach (the picture is there, look at it and you know why I was seriously considering Grand Theft Auto to get it!!). I went to a Farmers’ Market and bought the best tomatoes in the world; it sounds like it’s not really worth writing about but, trust me, these tomatoes were so good my flatmate said they took him on a “journey of awesomeness” (actually he said “flavour” but I know what he really meant). I’ve been to a harvest festival, where

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COLUMN - Rebecca Ngakane

we tasted apples, made fresh apple juice and went away secretly sad that there wasn’t more free stuff.

Despite it being on campus, it wasn’t for people trying to scab free food. I went to a pizza-making party, where a guy made even the dough from scratch and it was soooo good. Except no one tossed the pizzas in a dangerous and reckless manner, so that was kind of disappointing...

I’ve done things that don’t involve food too. I watched The Lost Boys outside last night, without a jumper cause it was so warm *mini gloat*. It is an awesome but incredibly tacky old film and if you haven’t watched it, grab a copy and have a night in, ‘cause you will want to rip it apart afterwards! I went rock climbing at the Freshers Fair and found out that it is not my ‘thing’. (I am still holding out on the surfing; that’s gonna be the one, I know it.) A few nights ago I went to a jazz gig in a restaurant and had great dessert, whilst listening to really chilled out music and feeling cool purely because I was there. Last night, at 3am, someone picked up a guitar and we had an acoustic session in our living room – which was the perfect end to our flat party. And I watched the teachers of UCSC strike because of pay cuts and that was odd because I realised suddenly the gaping differences between tiny England and massive America.

I know we think we have it bad in England but California is broke. The whole state’s budget is hanging together by a thread and I have seen three protests in my six days here – though one is an occupation of the graduate student lounge, but no one really goes there so that’s kind of a dud right now. But still, suddenly it hammered home that this whole ‘we might be climbing out of the recession already’ optimism does not mean that everyone’s safe and everything goes back to normal. Things are gonna change drastically and (selfishly) I’m so glad I’m a student right now.

So let’s have a moment of reflection for the bad things that are still going on. No more pic’n’mix at Woolworths, no more free londonpaper and – the unkindest cut of all – no more £1 drinks at the Hayfield.

Santa Cruz ‘The Begining’ photos taken by Rebecca Ngakane

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Tinketty-Tonk Old Chap If you’ve been following the news in recent months then you’ll know that the Windsor family have been up to old tricks again. It follows the release of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s autobiography, commissioned and undoubtedly vetted by ‘our’ current

why is it that noone has kicked up a fuss about the taxpayer’s money that the Royal Family receives? monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The publication of the book exposed a variety of secret activities– letters written by Diana to Princess Margaret – which CUB ISSUE 518 39

Article - James Ingrey

were apparently destroyed in 1993 after Margaret decided that she should burn them as they would be a threat to the monarchy. This seems an all too convenient fate for the so called Secrets of Clarence House, burned by a royal under the cover of darkness, who has since deceased and cannot verify this odd claim. And this is just one example of how the Windsor family appear like a lost mafia firm, full of crazy people making decisions that stink of psychosis, who are shielded from exposure because of a massive security operation, the cost of which is not released into the public domain.

Meanwhile, your future unelected King, the current Prince of Wales, has been interfering with architectural matters not far from his Mummie’s palace because he personally doesn’t like the planning application. He has asserted his undemocratic role to influence those involved, making what was to be an independent decision a personal matter. It is beyond belief that during the onslaught of angry flip-outs aimed

at the dodgy antics of MPs and bankers, the Head of State and her wider sponging family have managed to avoid any scrutiny. There were unanimous cries against the behaviour of bankers and their astronomically high bonuses.

This reaction of disbelief and anger was then mirrored at the activities of MPs who had milked public money dry to illegitimately claim for possessions such as a Garden-Pond-Duck-House to having a second home paid for – something that must have been a far cry from the imagination of those people having their homes repossessed during the height of the recession. Apparently, all of the three main parties have agreed to implement fast-tracked systems that will ‘clean’ up the banking crisis and MPs allowances for good, should they win the next general election. This is lovely gesture by the group of MPs desperate for your vote in 2010 - but there is a fear that every voter, especially further cash strapped students, will be seeing this as an empty gesture given that the Trust in Professions annual survey claims that only

Down With the Monarchy thirteen percent of people trust politi- sor family.” There is a problem from the top down in Britain with a Head of cians to tell the truth.

State who is not elected by the people Are these miniscule reforms proposed and is in fact part of a wider family who by politicians wholesale enough? all use vast sums of taxpayers’ money Surely this is a time when we should realise the need for reform not only in the banking sector and in parliament but also the shaky unwritten constitution which apparently forms the backbone of our society. Given this stench of unfairness in the other leading sectors, why is it that no-one has kicked up a fuss about the taxpayer’s money that the Royal Family receives? Too often the powers that be in the Royal Family have successfully managed to paint those who want reform as crackpot crazy republicans, rubbishing calls for reform from constitutional reform groups such as Republic, who argue quite sanely that the British people must be given the chance to exercise their democratic right to choose their own head of state, which “would not for their own benefit. This hereditary only be fairer and more democratic, monarchy is a part of the big problems such a system would also stop the that our society faces. The Queen waste and extravagance of the Wind- looks set to ask Whitehall for an extra

The Queen looks set to ask Whitehall for an extra £7,000,000 on the next Civil List to balance the monarchy’s books

£7,000,000 on the next Civil List to balance the monarchy’s books, whilst a trip taken by a cousin of the monarch to islands in the South Pacific cost the taxpayer nearly £150,000 - all during the recession.When Labour came to power in 1997 there looked like there was a genuine commitment to reform.

Some changes, such as a fully elected House of Lords, have slowly or nearly been made. It seems as though the government has become even slower in recent years, with actual reform being a long way off as the Ministry of Justice is implementing a Freedom of Information ban on the Royals. The Windsor’s should have nothing to hide but with this ban the chance of a transparent institution is well and truly gone.

With other leading institutions in disarray, there has never been a better time to encourage constitutional reform that is fair for everyone, regardless the family you have been born into.

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Warp Records

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Warp Records is 20 years old. This may not mean a lot to many people, but in the two decades since Steve Beckett, Rob Mitchell and Robert Gordon started the label in Sheffield it has had a hand in shaping electronic music every step of the way. Today, the label stands as an exemplary display of how a label can be as important and inspirational as the acts it works with.

The rumble of Warp’s influence was first felt in the rumbling bass of an act that still remains one of their most popular, LFO. Their low-end heavy brand of techno opened new doors away from the hedonism and whistles of hardcore, bringing instead a meditative, brooding sound. Even today, the dubstep fetishism for sub-bass can find its roots in the LFO releases of

away from the hedonism and whistles of hardcore the early 90s. Having established that techno could bring other moods to the crowd besides being ‘mad fer’ it’, Warp suggested another radical change for the blossoming scene – the removal of the crowd itself.

Ambient techno was already on the rise when Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series started to be released, but it was generally consigned to a ‘chill out room’, a place to go for a break from intense sounds of the main event at a rave. Artificial Intelligence famously came with the tagline ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’, an indication that this new kind of music was for listening to at home, away from the busyness Article - Tim Arscott

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and excitement of clubs or parties. This music required quiet contemplation, suggesting a complexity and intellectual side that some felt was missing from hardcore. It was a more credible, palatable take on the components that made up rave.

Rave music hadn’t come this far just to be turned into another albumcentric movement.

It was about the crowd, the night, the vibe.

This series also introduced the public to some of Warp’s biggest acts: Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre and Plaid amongst others. The abundance of charismatic, auteuristic figures on the label is, I feel, one of the most significant things about what Warp was doing in the early and mid 90s. With the old vanguard of music criticism dismissing electronic music as too machine-y, too soulless, Warp provided an offering of more personal producers. They put faces on the ‘faceless techno bollocks’ so scorned on by those who still favoured live instrumentation. A fair few years before the rise of the superstar DJ, Warp faced up to the rockiest criticism of electronic music on its own terms.

However, in doing this, Warp also gave the rave scene something to react against. Rave music hadn’t come this far just to be turned into another album-centric movement to be enjoyed by the casual listener at home. It was about the crowd, the night, the vibe.

With Warp taking their position, the rest of the scene was able to react against it and move in the new directions it formed, most notably jungle. A new lease of life was injected into the scene, and both sides of the fences would continue to feed off each other

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for ideas and opposition. For example, Squarepusher’s sound relied heavily on his influence from breakbeat hardcore, whilst the presence of purposefully innovative artists encouraged the more functional dance music to keep itself fresh.

Many would argue though, and indeed the emphasis of this article would suggest, that Warp had its heyday in the 90s. That the 10 year anniversary may have meant something, but now the label is just another unwelcome dinosaur of the rave generation, like Paul Oakenfold or £20 pills. Not so. Not only have the big Warp acts of the 90s remained vital and interesting, but even its newer acts have been true to much of their original spirit. Whilst they may have slowed down on the producer side of things (Flying Lotus being one glaring exemption), Warp’s new roster of live acts have been amongst the most interesting of the last decade.

Battles, Gang Gang Dance, Jamie Lidell Grizzly Bear and the ever-ridiculouslynamed !!! (who come with the obligatory mention that it’s pronounced Chk Chk Chk) have all channelled the fire that burned in Warp’s studio devices in the 90s into live music; all coming up with unique and completely different interpretations of what it means to be both electronic and live in an age where computers and machines have taken over so much of the music industry on the recording and consumption side. And hey, if electronic beats and experimentation aren’t your bag, they also have Maximo Park under their wing, proving that they have what it takes to get an act in the mainstream public eye.

So, Warp is 20 years old. It has survived and even thrived by being exactly what a label should be: a platform to display a host of fantastic individual acts, but also a familiar brand that cut its mark by always being able to spot the way the tide was turning, and the way they needed to go.

Warp Records - signed Artists A to c

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Why not write or draw something for the next person who picks up cub?

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I don’t know if it’s the unusually warm weather we’ve been having but I feel as though everyone is just losing their grip slightly. In terms of the wobbly façade of reality, I think things are beginning to crumble. The make-up needs re-applying, the hands steadying and the wig adjusting. So far, this has mostly revealed itself as an attack on what I think people commonly refer to as logic; things being organised and carried out in such a way as would seem ludicrous to deviate from. Recently, however, the deviators have been out in force. Perhaps we can blame it on the recession, I don’t know, I no longer

an attack on what I think people like to commonly refer to as logic care, I just really need everyone to get with the fucking program before I have to make this point in public, with guns.

As this is only a paragraph long I am clearly going to need some examples.

This will not be a problem. I shall begin with a bank called something that rhymes with TwatWest. I am not suggesting they are worse than other banks, merely that I would rather only ever be allowed to use 5p coins for the rest of my life than have anything to do with them ever again. Like all high street banks they want your debt. Until recently they really, really wanted your debt. Now though, because they can’t count and have had to be bailed out to the merry tune of £20 billion, they want your debt a little bit less than before.

In fact they’d quite like to harass you about it, but not in a linear, escalatory way that would make sense, but rather in a more on and off fashion, probably dictated by whether there is paper in the printer that churns out their generic letters of absurd threats and poorly written inaccuracies regarding my wares (or lack of).

It’s bad enough being threatened by a Article - Clark Hogan-Taylor

computer, but it’s even more bewildering when the same computer prints letters offering to double your overdraft.

Isn’t this exactly the sort of behaviour that caused the world to go financial arse over debt-saddled tit in the first place? Lending to people who quite clearly cannot repay you? Well, it is (that was rhetorical), so why are they so bemused by my rage when I telephone them? It doesn’t help that their debt collections centre is in Birmingham. (Put it this way: if I had to travel from Norwich to Wales, I would set off east.) Also, since their overspending lead to a £20 billion bailout, they owe every taxpayer (approx 30m. people) roughly £666, so will I be getting that back? Furthermore, what world are people living in when they threaten to charge you £120 if you don’t start paying them back? What version of reality is this? 0.1 beta? Whose money do they think that is, and how is that supposed to help the repayment process?

What a feckless shower they are.

if I had parked a hearse outside an old people’s home or a loaded tank on an orphanage I might understand This erosion of logic is spreading. A mobile phone company that sound a lot like the word - oh, I have just remembered that, famously, nothing rhymes with Orange. I mean orange.

You know, the people whose brains are surely made from actual fruit. The people who apparently delight in creating a Schrodinger’s Cat for the 21st Century by having a phone both in and out of stock simultaneously. “Well, as I said, we have different stock allocations.” Yes, you did say it, and it meant just as little the first time. Why is it in CUB ISSUE 518 48

stock for new customers and not for those wishing to upgrade, whom you have fleeced for £96 hundred billion over the last twelve months? “Well, as I said - “ Please, no more. Take yourself to the nearest leaky boat and think about what your life was supposed to mean, but not before sending me my f***ing BlackBerry.

I know, it’s time for a drink and a lie down, but there’s more! Who’s this I see scampering over the horizon, foaming at the mouth with peanut butter logic, hurling eight thousand badly written letters in the air, screaming the word “Regulations” and bleeding from the eyes? Why, it’s Tower Hamlets Parking Enforcement Morons. What might they want? Why, it’s £2,700 for parking a car in the wrong space and no, I’m not actually joking. I mean, if I had parked a hearse outside an old people’s home or a loaded tank on an orphanage I might understand, but I parked

In the meantime have a good time, and if you suddenly find you’re enjoying your subject as well, don’t worry, it’s relatively normal. a tiny little Mini in a tiny little space, barely visible to the naked eye. But, foresooth, it was the wrong space, and now I must send them eight caskets of Myrrh, nine jewel-laying purple goats and a gold-plated cast of my buttocks.

It’s ok though, I’ve got the cheat codes for the whole game. You just have to create your own version of reality slightly more insane than everyone else’s. Luckily this couldn’t be easier: simply join the Labour Party.

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the Time of the Season For the past four years, X-Factor winners have dominated the Christmas number one slot. We began with Shane, skimmed past Leon and then ended with Leona and Alex, the latter of whom has taken a suspiciously long time to create any music, only

despite becoming addicted to X-Factor every year I have never bought a single X-Factor related CD now re-emerging as an Americanized artist. Does this X-Factor supremacy not say something about the public’s change in mood during those cold winter months? Yes, we can probably all

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Article - Jocelyn Meek

safely admit we sit curled up sipping hot chocolate and watching X-Factor, denying our friends a night out because we’re ‘too tired’ or simply ‘busy’. But why do we all turn into these emotional zombies and who actually purchase these singles?

Personally, despite avidly becoming addicted to X-Factor every year (apart from Leon’s year; who’s with me?), I have never downloaded or bought a single X-Factor related CD. I can only suggest that it is not the 18-25 year old youth representatives who make the purchases that allow these reality TV winners to become number one. Yet, our memories of music in these winter months are always different to those in the summer. When I become autumnal, my ‘most played’ itunes playlist changes dramatically. I become more serene, more acoustic and less manic.

Is this an indication of what goes on in the charts? Or is it simply that our experiences change and therefore our favorite songs and guilty pleasures also adapt. Does the lack of sunshine make us more acoustic and less ‘pop-y’?

This is certainly the case with me. As an avid lover of what I personally deem ‘good’ music, in the summer months this pride is thrown aside and I become a POP addict. My most played song this summer has been ‘Holiday’ by Dizzee Rascal, which reached number one for four weeks. Admittedly I did go to Ibiza this year and for the first time in my life received VIP treatment, so maybe I just love the self-indulgence of this track. Hearing it performed live at Ibiza Rocks was another plus, however, last winter my most played was ‘Lost’

by Coldplay; an emotionally wired song and the complete opposite to ‘Holiday’ or Akon’s summer masterpiece, ‘Sexy Chick’ , another of my guilty summer listens. The time has come for me to admit, in full detail, the extent of my summer regression.

Here, I lay myself bare and admit to you all, my top five songs from both winter 2008 and summer 2009 so you can see my taste changes dramatically:

Winter 2008 Coldplay – Lost The Verve – Love is Noise Tricky – Hollow Chase and Status – Clash up Mix Doves – Black and White Town

Summer 2009 Dizzee Rascal – Holiday Akon – Sexy Bitch/ Chick Beyonce – Sweet Dreams Speech Debelle – Better Days Mini Viva – Left my heart in Tokyo You will notice I’m sure that all these songs have plagued the charts for the past few months. You will either have loved them or despised them and I am prepared for the onslaught from those who do not share my POP addiction.

However, I am more expectant that the majority of you will admit: “I am a summer POP addict.”

Now there are many possible reasons for this change in music taste. Along with those experiences we associate with the summer period, such as

festivals, holidays and sunshine, our lifestyles also change considerably.

You may argue that in the summer, a student’s life becomes more relaxed.

We have less to do and therefore we indulge in more guilty pleasures such as radio and watching video after video on TMF and The Hits (please don’t tell me I am alone here). When my job finished this summer I began to spend a scarily large amount of my time watching The Hits, whilst taking up the very off hobby of crocheting a tablecloth!

(Don’t judge me anymore than you already have!)

However, I like to think there is more behind this change. The memories songs hold are the most powerful thing that music can give us. The emotions we experience when listening to the music we love is what gives these memories such strong importance. The memory I associate with Beyonce’s summer single ‘Sweet Dreams’ is trying to recreate the dance routine with my boyfriend whilst in the car on the way to the Isle of Wight. Yet I associate Tricky’s ‘Hollow’ with lying in my bed and trying to sleep whilst the weather

outside was cold and dark. Am I alone in this feeling? Or does everyone experience this change in character? Surely my rekindling love for commercial pop can’t be unusual for the summer months? To those who still manage to regain some form of musical reputation and can resist the summer charts I applaud you. Yet as I get older, and now at the ripe old age of 21, my musical taste is morphing into one of a fourteen year old, I can only thank S-Club for pursuing their career before now, otherwise who knows the bullying I may have received. Although, I would still like to reiterate that I do not share a love of the charts in the winter and I will never write a positive word about Alexandra Burke’s destruction of ‘Hallelujah’. Yes, she has a great voice but no, no one can cover Jeff Buckley or Leonard Cohen.

Whatever your taste in music, I ask you all to notice your change in musical taste as the seasons change. Arguably we’re all earth babies and we all change as the world does and adapt as our surroundings do. Perhaps we can all be hippies at heart! Peace and Love.

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Reviews Section Resistance

Muse. Review by Nathaniel Alcaraz-Stapleton

After listening to Black Holes and Revelations, my faith in Matt Bellamy & co, built up over eight years as a Muse fan, was well and truly rocked. The album lacked any sort of soul, and had been overproduced to the point of turning Bellamy’s usually distinctive vocals in to something indistinguishable from a run-of-the-mill boy band’s.

So I awaited the latest offering with bated breath. However, I needn’t have worried. Muse have returned with an album which showcases the sound which they have been striving for since they first hit the scene in 1999.

The Resistance combines the dark paranoid overtones and classical allusions of Absolution with the edgy guitar riffs of Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry, and finishes it off with a dose of the conspiracy theories which made up Black Holes and Revelations. The result? A distinctive and powerful, but, at points, parodical wall of sound through which Bellamy wails vocals that at one moment will move you to the point of wanting to start a revo-

lution yourself, and then the next feel like they were written for a west-end musical. In fact, The Resistance could well be a remake of West Side Story set in a post-apocalyptic Orwellian society. A case in point is the title track in which Bellamy wails ‘Love is our resistance!’ followed by the verse ‘Kill your prayers for love and peace. You’ll wake the thought police.’ But the theatrics do not detract from the cohesion and beauty of the album, at points they even enhance it. For example ‘I Belong to you’ is a track that shouldn’t work –it’s vaudeville mixed with an aria from a French opera – but there is something about it which clicks and overrides any uncertainties about its credibility. The denouement of this rock opera is the Exogenesis Symphony in three parts, which is Bellamy’s magnum opus. A grand orchestral piece, haunted by Bellamy’s voice whispering words of despair in your ear. But the only sense of despair I’m left with is that the album is over and I don’t have time to listen to it again before my next lecture!

Muse have returned with the sound they have been striving for since they first hit the scene in 1999

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The Blame Game Rob Taylor. Review By Yasmin Leung Providing a cathartic ending to a night of student led theatre, Rob Taylor’s play, The Blame Game, is tinged with ridiculousness.

The play is an endearingly finicky, partly surreal comedy following two young flatmates who haphazardly struggle to deal with life’s inevitable hurdles: relationships moving too fast, difficult teenage siblings, unrequited love and the threat of being evicted (because of killing the landlord’s dog). Gradually, it is revealed that each character harbours potential to be blamed for the death of “Growler the Yorkshire Terrier”.

Throughout The Blame Game Taylor plays with the constraints of theatre, often breaking the third wall and self-consciously, but humorously, reminding his audience of its limitations. In one scene, an unsettling re-

moval man dismisses the problem of switching set by using a piece of paper with “kitchen” written on it, transforming a table and chair. In another, the audience were asked to don 3D glasses, a self-confessedly pointless, but nevertheless fun addition to the performance. However, the play doesn’t quite allow its absurdity blossom into the more hysterical, which at times can be disappointing.

It is Jonny Williams, the bumbling Gameboy enthusiast Jasper (with the most chokingly beautiful dancing ever seen on Queen Mary campus) and Emily Beeton, the compellingly vulgar Libby, who deliver the most striking performances. Sometimes the writing can feel a little under-developed but the play is memorably performed and is playful, charming and lively.

The Hospitable QM Theatre. Review By Chinazo Ufodiama Queen Mary Theatre Company presented the final performance of the Hospitable, one of three plays taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, in the Pinter Drama studio. The play, written and directed by promising new writer and QMUL English and Drama student Roslyn Smith takes place in an unknown environment predominantly midway through a cultural genocide flitting seamlessly between the past and present.

Despite the seemingly slow start, the production picks up, gradually drawing the audience into the action and encouraging a feeling of empathy towards the characters - even those performing the geno-

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cide. Ms Smith fantastically pulled away from the simple black and white portrayal of good and evil particularly in the creation of Cas, played by Hannah Jones who perfectly produced an almost cutesy sadistic air to the character. The ensemble as a whole worked almost faultlessly to convey the overriding sense of ominous nostalgia felt both on stage and within the audience.

The production was fuelled with ambiguity right until the end where the subversive love story drew the performance to a close. Shocking, stunning and an innovative performance.

Anything you think we should review?

Just let us know.

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Blonde haired netballer on the 25, on thursday 24th. I was the Asian guy that passed you your dropped oyster card; wondered if I could take another journey with you same time next week?

Do you speak the language of love? I saw you in the Fresher’s tent by the languages society stall on the first day, and can’t get you out of my mind.

Voulez-vous que chez avec moi ce soir? Sporty beefcake in joggers.

Love Met you outside the Globe in the first week, we were drinking vodka & smoking B&H’s. You went in to see your friends & never reappeared.

Still waiting, D.

We shared the lift in Pooley when we were moving in; I can’t remember which floor you are!

Get in touch - 30D!!

I’ve seen you in the library, poring over Lawrence. Could we be ‘Women In Love’?

Yours, smitten kitten in checks.

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Have another chance by emailing us at lost@cubmagazine.co.uk

to the guy who growled at me in drapers during freshers, i should have given into my animalistic side. maybe another time I can be your lioness

The smoker outside the Arts building with the black skinny jeans and the filthy laugh, I borrowed your lighter after my exam and we spoke briefly about how badly it went!

Do you remember? We should definitely continue that conversation at the pub...

Lost Boy in pink shirt; sorry I never text back. Sod the Politics, give me a call.

You started things when you pulled me away from my friends at Drapers. I wasn’t keen to get into anything but I’m having second thoughts. G.

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Mindy & My boyfriend and I have been saving for months for our own place but last night he asked me if I would let him give me a pearl necklace. Obviously Im flattered and if we werent saving every penny for our own house id say yes in an instant, but i feel guilty accepting it at the moment. What should I do?”

Darling I’m not sure he means Tiffanys...

I have a very close knit circle of friends who I have known since first year but recently one of the friends has been acting out and it’s starting to get my goat. She’s been doing this for a while now. Every time she does something horrible, she just starts crying and everyone forgives her, forgets, forgives and moved on. But I just cant move on. How can I convince my friends we all deserve better than the shit she dishes out to us and to wash our hands of her for good?

Every group of friends has one don’t they?

My best friend is with a plonker of a man.

He’s rude, stupid, selfish, lives up his own arse and treats her like shit. He keeps her hanging, breaks his promises, never calls when he says he will but she is just too jaded by love – which he does not deserve – to see what a complete ‘C U Next Tuesday’ he is. I’m worried he’s going to break her heart sooner or later and I just wants to tell her that she can do better. She’s smart, beautiful & she should be having the time of her life, not pandering to that twat. But I don’t want to upset her. How can I make my friend see sense?

All he does is make her cry.

I am also in your situation.

One of my best friends also has a boyfriend who I can’t stand and like your friend’s boyfriend, he treats her like shit too. I understand fully where you’re coming from and your dilemma. You don’t want to hurt your friend’s feelings, but you also don’t want that asshole to be the one to break her heart.

Your friend is lucky to have such a caring friend lookThat annoying little bitchy cow who just wont take a ing out for her and I’m sure she knows that. But just hint and fuck off. But this one of yours seems to posin case she doesn’t, why not have dinner together, sess the returning qualities of a boomerang and thus nothing fancy (Dominoes in your room would do) and your situation is a little harder. have a heart to heart – a proper girly time. Tell her she I don’t know what this girl has done, has she stole can do so much better, she’s worth so much more your money? Has she called you a slag? Has she and that her boyfriend is a complete twat. Then take been a two faced little cow? I don’t know but its clear her down to drapers and get her completely wrecked. that she has done enough to make you feel this way I’m talking 20 orange VKs and sambuca chasers!! and if she’s as bad as you say she is, have faith soonThen get on the dance floor and drop some well er or later people will see her what she really is. Unislutty moves. Pull every guy in there. (But not the versity students are great in that sense. We’re lazy rugby boys. Everyone knows they are riddled.) have as fuck and soon your friends will no longer be arsed a great time, and if she goes home with another guy, with forgiving her again and again and just move on. fantastic. If her boyfriend is there watching, even And hey, if you can’t wait that long, everyone always better. That’ll teach the bastard. Don’t forget to put loves a full out bitch fight in the middle of drapers. an end to her “in a relationship” status the facebook way. Goodbye twattish boyfriend.

I’ll definately be watching. ..

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problems you want solved - email them to help@cubmagazine.co.uk

Malcom Dear Agony Uncle. Having experienced my second Freshers’ week, seeing after I dropped out of my first year at another uni, I am finding this one more lacklustre and so much less fun. My housemates are quiet to say the least and I keep waiting for something fun to happen. This year so far I have been banished to my room in boredom.

ous amongst her ‘gang’ and incurred a hefty £70 dry cleaning bill. I am SO embarrassed!!!

What can I do to ease the situation?

This girl sounds like she needs to lighten up: dry cleaning bills aside, anyone that can rack up seventy pounds in dry cleaning sounds like someone I’d want at my parties! If she doesn’t realise what she’s missing, just evoke sympathy by developing an affliction I hate to state the obvious but have you thought that- (think limp, stutter, twitch) so that she will feel sorry for you the next time she sees you. perhaps it’s just you?

I am a fresh-faced fresher, and I like to think that I am not unattractive, but the start of this year has been less than fruitful in terms of carnal relations. My housemates all seem to be getting on just fine in this department, Practise makes perfect. Take a medium sized banana as every time we go to Drapers my closest and shove it in and out of your mouth until you gag, friend ALWAYS pulls. I’m not a slut, honest, I’d whilst breathing in an increasingly panicked way just like to know what am I doing wrong?! through your nose until you get spots in front of your Seriously? If dredging Drapers for potential liaisons is eyes. He will love you for it. your idea of fun, I would suggest that it is your houseMy sister is getting married next week and I mates that are doing something wrong. Or perhaps need something to wear. Being the younger your skirts just aren’t short enough? and better looking of the two of us, I feel it is only appropriate to find something show stopping to wear in order to look AMAZING. I’m petite, brown haired and look great in black. PLEASE HELP!!!

My boyfriend wants me to give him oral sex.

Being a reasonably modest type I’m too shy to ask him exactly what he wants. What is the best way to please him?

I would have to suggest maybe a bin bag they’re really in this year.

Hi. Having started my courses this year, I have realised that I am in most of the same seminars as a girl who I made a spectacular blunder in front of in class at the end of last year. I can’t say exactly what I did, but suffice it to say it struck me clean of any Christmas card lists, made sure that I am notori-

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