EST. 1936
Redbrick Friday 21st October 2011 | Volume 76 | Issue 1396 | redbrickpaper.co.uk
Rihanna and inBicycle the music Music meet andraunchiness review Bombay Club industry See Comment See Music, p10 &and 11 Features, p.7
Daily Mail blogger brands Guild 'bigoted' UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom 'Student Unions are so behind the curve of opinion... they have no idea how people's minds work' Dominic Jackson Reporter
In a scathing online article The University of Birmingham Guild of Students has been branded 'bigoted' and accused of displaying 'pig-headed foolishness' by a Daily Mail blogger and UKIP MEP. The criticism was levelled after the UK Independence Party’s youth organisation ‘Young Independence’ was not allowed to field a stall at societies fair during freshers’ week. This decision was taken due to the fact that neither UKIP nor Young Independence has a society affiliated with the Guild. The article by Alex Singleton, a political writer who blogs for the Daily Mail, claims that student unions at the University of Birmingham, University College London and the University of Exeter are deliberately obstructing attempts by the organisation to establish a presence on campus due to entrenched political bias. UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom featured heavily in the article, condemning the student unions in question as being 'blinded by dripping politics' and 'wrongheaded and anti-democratic.'
'I had forgotten quite how biggoted student unions could be. But bigoted they seem to be because several of them have refuesed to let UKIP have a stall'- Alex Singleton Fliss Cross VP Activities and Development spoke to Redbrick to explain why Youth Independence could not have a stall at societies fair: 'To form a new society at the Guild, students are required to demonstrate interest and present this to Student Groups Committee. The Committee will then make a decision on whether to formally recognize the society in accordance with Guild bye-laws. All officially recognized Guild societies are able to book stalls at the Guild’s Society Fair in Welcome Week. In September 2011 the Guild did not
This year's Societies Fair, which over 4,000 students attended on Thursday alone have an official UKIP society, nor were there any applications pending.' She added: 'External faith groups and political organizations do not attend the Fresher’s Fair, also held in Welcome Week. This is so that activity of this nature can be promoted to students by students through the relevant student groups and societies at the
society fair.' Student unions at UCL and Exeter also contacted Redbrick to clarify their stance on Young Independence. James Skuse, a sabbatical officer at UCL, told Redbrick their union would have been happy to allow political societies to exhibit at their freshers fare, but that they were also approached by UKIP as a com-
Sven Richardson
mercial organisation rather than a society affiliated with the union, and that their affiliation procedure was explained to UKIP. He concluded by saying: ‘Our view is that if 30 students would like to set up a society, then they are free to do so. UCLU exists to support, serve and empower the students of UCL.’ James Fox at Exeter said that
UKIP had approached their union after all of their commercial stand allocations for freshers’ fair had been filled, and that the organisation also had no student representation on campus. ‘We have no issue with UKIP’ he said, adding that Exeter’s union ‘would fully support any students who wanted to set up a UKIP society.’ Continued on page 5
2
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Redbrick Editorial Editor Glen Moutrie Deputy Editors Victoria Bull James Phillips Online Editor Chris Hutchinson Art Director Beth Richardson Photography Editors Freddie Herzog Millie Guy chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Directors Jeremy Levett Dan Lesser News Editors Anna Hughes James Brilliant Kerrina Gray news@redbrickonline.co.uk Online News Editor Freddie Herzog Features Editors Ali Hendy Amanda Callaghan features@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Features Editor Owen Earwicker
Life&Style Editors Sophie Cowling Lara Edwards lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Food and Life&Style Editor Rosie Sharratt Travel Editors Emily Booth Louise Spratt travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Technology Editors Joshua Lindsey Ruth Bradley technology@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Travel and Tech Editor Frank Mugomba Sport Editors Sam Price Joseph Audley sport@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Sport Editor Joel Lamy Crossword Editor John Rizkallah Senior Editorial Assistant Kate Selvaratnam
Arts Editors Lexie Wilson Alexander Blanchard arts@redbrickonline.co.uk
Editorial Assistants Oscar French Ellie Jarvis Isabel Mason Sarah Musgrove Elisha Owen
Music Editors Will Franklin Tamara Roper music@redbrickonline.co.uk
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Online Arts and Music Editor Mel Hunt Television Editors Charlotte Lytton James Moore tv@redbrickonline.co.uk Film Editors Genevieve Taylor Isidore Sanders film@redbrickonline.co.uk Online TV and Film Editor Matthew Clemens Food Editors James Morrison Jordan Warner food@redbrickonline.co.uk
Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Sophie Rogers Kimberley Fariah Online Junior Art Director Akhil Kothari Proofreaders Anna Lumsden Sian Stanfield Lucy Haffenden Amy Saul Elizabeth Waind Emma Korniewski Community Manager Sophie MurrayMorris
Designed and typeset by Redbrick. Copyright (C) Redbrick 2011 Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication. To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickpaper.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint. com: 08451 300667. Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524
Redbrick
21st October 2011
News feed CRIME
POLITICS
Vincent Tabak goes on trial
Fox claims media is 'vindictive'
QC William Clegg told Bristol Crown Court on behalf of Tabak that he misread the situation with Jo Yeates. Mr Clegg claims that the strangling was a result of Tabak panicking after a failed kiss following being
Former defence secretary Liam Fox has hit out at the media claiming that there is 'personal vindictiveness, even hatred' in his treatment by the media. This comes after Fox announced his resignation earlier this week.
TECHNOLOGY
BIRMINGHAM
Internet is 'changing' brains
Hospital pays £5.5m Turkish troops enter Iraq in damages
According to research, the internet and social networking may be changing people's brains and making parts of it larger. A direct link has been found between the size of parts of the brain and how many Facebook friends people have.
A boy, aged 13, has won £5.5 million in damages after receiving brain injuries due to negligent delays at his birth at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. The hospital's reported ill treatment has caused the boy to suffer from cerebral palsy.
Turkish commandos have crossed into Northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish guerrillas. Supported by bomber and helicopter gunships they aim to
MONEY
HEALTH
CELEBRITY
High fuel bills can lead to illnesses
North-South divide for life expectancy
Clooney 'won't go
Thousands of people die each year from illnesses linked to fuel poverty. Professor John nition of the problem, focusing on how people with low incomes can be driven into poverty by high fuel bills.
A widening gulf has been discovered between those who live in the North and South of the UK. Men can expect to live 14 years longer in London than those from Glasgow. Rich and poor parts of London also had great differences.
George Clooney has said that he has no plans to go into politics. This comes after the re-
Sabbs on the week
Compiled by Patrick McGhee
Ricky Gervais criticised over tweet Comedian Ricky Gervais has been criticised this week for the use of the word 'mong' in his tweets, which is sometimes thought of as an offensive term. Gervais claims that the word has now changed meaning.
MIDDLE EAST
soldiers and wounded at least 18 others.
he plays someone running for President. Clooney admits that past political involvement has made him 'very unpopular'.
Top Ten: Weird and wonderful news stories Rhiannon Doyle-Maw explores the week's weirdest stories
1
Man surfs on shark
An early morning surf saw Doug balancing on the back of a shark after his board was knocked away.
2 Fishy risk for feet
Health risks have been raised on dead skin.
6 Porn star councillor
Czech councillor Vendula Kroupover faces criticism after posting X-rated photos of herself admidst rumours that she is a porn star.
7 Penguin thief
A penguin has been caught on camera stealing stones from his neighbour's nest during a showing of the BBC's Frozen Planet.
3 Scrabble strip search 8 Extreme heartbreak After being dumped by his girlEd Martin was accused of holding the letter 'G' during the World Scrabble Championships. It was demanded he be searched.
4
Wolves football fans have uploaded a video of themselves urinating on the pitch at West Brom after a 2-0 defeat.
friend, Li Wang climbed to the top of a 120,000 volt tower and drank himself to near unconsciousness.
9 Boy, 4, in joyride
A four year old boy from California reportedly wriggled out of his car seat and took control of his Mum's car managing to drive one third of a mile.
5 Poo-powered vehicle 10 Stripper for 100th The toilet bike 'Neo' has been maufactured in Japan in the hope of reducing C02 emissions. It will be able to reach speeds of up to 50mph.
Clare Ormiston, of Birmingham, celebrated her 100th birthday by hiring a male stripper. Ormiston had reportedly 'always wanted to see a stripper.'
Redbrick
redbrickpaper.co.uk
21st October 2011
News shorts compiled by Rhiannon Doyle – Maw
3
James Phillips Deputy Editor
USA
ARTS
UK
Zoo animals loose in Woman killed in Ohio club 'stampede'
Julian Barnes wins Man Booker prize
Dozens of animals have escaped from a private zoo in Ohio. Animals including grizzly bears, cheetahs and tigers have been sighted around Ohio and the police have been given the order to shoot them. Fences at the zoo were left open.
The Sense of an Ending author Julian Barnes has won this year's Man Booker prize. This
A woman has been killed in a stampede at a club in Northampton. 22-year-old Nabila Nanfuka died when people surged towards the exit of the Lava and Ignite nightclub when they were told their buses had arrived. FILM
IMDB sued for revealing age An unnamed actress has sued the Amazon.com. owner of The Internet Movie Database, for one million dollars after they revealed her age. The actress claimed that having her age displayed online will 'lose her acting opportunities'. INTERNET
UK
Porn hackers attack Sesame Street
Dale Farm evictions cause violence
Children's television show Sesame Street has had to remove its YouTube channel after hackers posted adult videos. The videos were removed 20
Travellers have engaged in violence towards police as they try to secure an illegal part of the Dale Farm site. Bricks and debris were thrown at police. Various residents have also been hurt during the takeover.
posted.
after being shortlisted three times previously. Barnes was awarded with £50,000 prize money.
Overheard on campus 'Before I came to Uni I thought Birmingham was in London' 'I've just realised, Fab n Fresh really is fabulous... and fresh!' (After receiving chips wrapped in paper at Adam's Place) 'Ooh it's like unwrapping a present!' 'I didn't know they had fruit in America.' 'The only things I have in my fridge are gin and milk.'
'Titanic's David Cameron's 'Did you know that the owner of McDonald's died 'What, Ronald McDonald's
'I was outwitted by Aldi. An all time low'. 'How do you steam veg'Ah, I have a steamer.' 'Who chooses the match for
Overheard anything funny on campus? Email us at news@ redbrickonline.co.uk
Spotlight on Societies PhilSoc President?
the arts subjects and even maths. 2. We are one of the biggest academic societies within the Guild, with approximately 100 members.
Jamie Taylor How long have you been running for?
3. We have an upcoming lecture on the existence of God, which will be hosted by Prof. Carl Chinn.
For three years now.
Why should we get involved?
What is the society all about?
If you're interested in philosophy, you'll certainly enjoy PhilSoc. We combine academic and intellectual debate with fun social activities, such as pub golf. Furthermore, we strive to appeal to students from a range of academic disciplines, not just philosophy students.
We organise socials and academic lectures, all related to the subject of philosophy. These range from lectures given by guest speakers on philosophical topics, to bar crawls and pub quizzes.
We drink, therefore we are!
1. We have students from a range of disciplines including many of
We have helped to organise an event taking place today (Friday 21st October) in the Great Hall of the Aston Webb building. It is a philosophical debate between two renowned philosophers, one
Christian (Dr. William Lane Craig) and the other an atheist (Professor Peter Millican), who will be debating upon the existence of God. How can we get involved? Students can join PhilSoc for £3, which can be done by coming along to one of our organised socials. You can also join our FaceBook
page by searching 'University of Birmingham Philosophy Society'. Also, each undergraduate year has a PhilSoc social rep, to whom they can raise any issues about what they would like to see within the society. These social reps then provide feedback to myself and the rest of the PhilSoc committee.
In these times when the average student's biggest complaint in a week is the amount of reading they have to do or the amount of money they frittered away on a night out, it is a pleasant surprise when people forget such essentially trivial problems and do When it came to my attention that James Brilliant, my colleague at Redbrick, is set to run the Birmingham half-marathon on behalf of Cancer Research UK it was a great reminder that people can still make the effort to help others. A thirteen mile run across the city is no mean feat and to do it not just for personal achievement but for the aid of others makes it an even greater accomplishment. Having survived cancer myself as a sixteen-year-old, I know exactly how miserable the disease and the required treatments really are, and I wouldn't wish it upon anybody. In those darkest moments, when the thought of an early death is a genuine threat, the knowledge that there are people out there undertaking is truly comforting. Once I had recovered after ten months in and out of hospital, my outlook on life was somewhat different: to enjoy myself as best as I can, but always keeping in mind the happiness and welfare of others. By the time I was eighteen and in a relatively successful band in my hometown of Taunton, I made sure to organise a charity gig and we raised over £500 for Cancer Research UK. The work done by Cancer Research UK, and other charities across the world, cannot be understated. The University of BirmingCancer Research UK Centre status, with research into breast cancer reducing deaths by over 30%. That fact alone is enough to make me proud of being a student here. So if you catch yourself moaning about how much work you have to do, or emptying your last few coins on a pack of cigarettes, look at the bigger picture. Life is precious, don't waste it.
Poll Rhian Lubin asked 100 initiations go too far?
brickonline.co.uk
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See the top of pages 4 & 5 for some student opinions from across the country on whether or not university initiations go too far.
4 News
Redbrick
21st October 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray
Rhian Lubin asked students around the UK: Do University initiations go too far? YES: 'My friend was made to eat a be a part of the new freshers team if he didn't do it. He had food poisoning for the next week.' Laura Broadfoot, 2nd year, Leeds
YES: 'The rugby guys had to run around the Campus butt naked during the middle of the day....they made the mistake of running past a primary school and the uni banned them from playing a whole season' Clare Rixon, 3rd year, Kingston
Terrorism trial for Birmingham alumni Judith Hawkins Reporter
An ex-University of Birmingham student has gone on trial accused of distributing or possessing terrorism-related material. Ahmed Faraz, who has a BA degree and a PGCE teaching qualification from the University of Birmingham, allegedly used his bookshop and online business in Birmingham called Maktabah alAnsar, to distribute extremist books and DVDs. Mr Faraz, aged 32, denies 19 counts of dissemination of terrorist publications and 11 counts of possession of information useful for terrorism priming. During police raids in 2007 and 2010 of properties linked to Mr Faraz's home and business in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, large quantities of material were seized, which expert witnesses described as designed to encourage violence, terrorism and martyrdom. In a report submitted to Kingston Crown Court, terrorism expert Professor Bruce Hoffman
said that, 'The large volume of material seized by police in this case is extraordinary', and included an Al Quaeda training manual and videos of hostage-takings and beheadings. Prosecuter Max Hill told the jury that Mohammed Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the 7th July suicide bombings in London, in which 52 people were killed, owned material distributed by Mr Faraz and his business. Some of the men jailed for life for the foiled 2006 airline bomb plot over the Atlantic, were also found to be in possession of material published by Maktabah alAnsar. Mr Hill stated that Mr Faraz was not accused of being part of a specific terrorist plot, but that 'This case is also about the ways and means by which to solidify radicalisation and provide practical assistance for those who have been radicalised. To encapsulate it in a single phrase, this case is about priming people for terrorism.' The trial continues and is not expected to finish until January.
YES: 'I heard horrible stories about sports initiations… guys were made to drink their own urine in pint glasses.... not cool!' Sophie Hudson, 1st year, Herts
Collaborative centre established by University in Guangzhou Tom Byrne Reporter
The University of Birmingham has recently set up a 'collaborative centre' in Guangzhou, the largest city in Guangdong province, China. The centre will see the University establishing three biomedical research projects and signing agreements on joint working with the city government and local higher education institutions. The academic expansion comes as Birmingham also looks to establish itself in Brazil, where, similarly to China, the government is heavily investing in research projects. Speaking to The Times Higher Education supplement, University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor David Eastwood said that the project would entail a graduate school 'built from those research projects in the first instance'. Professor Eastwood added that 'we are discussing it as a campus, but what we are not doing in this, significantly, is going into volume
David Eastwood at the centre's opening University of Birmingham undergraduate education... We at Birmingham or at its Guangzhou Birmingham are committed to graduate school. making Guangzhou our signature Speaking of research-based engagement in China.' partnerships in Brazil, Professor Another aspiration of the Eastwood said the project was research base in Guangzhou is to 'progressing well' and that key establish an 'international student partnerships with institutions in hub' in China. This hub would be Brazil were being lined up. He in collaboration with local higher added that the projects undertakeducation institutions in en in Brazil over the summer will Guangzhou but would not involve be 'predominantly research Birmingham degrees being offered focused' with the emphasis being locally; rather, it could prepare placed upon research studentstudents to move on to study at ships and fellowships.
US congressmen debate key issues at Birmingham Jo Thomas Reporter
In what proved to be both an enlightening, and at times controversial debate on Tuesday evening, two members of United States Congress visited the University of Birmingham. They joined with academic staff and students from the University to discuss a diverse range of topics, from the war on terror to consuming scones in Devon. As part of the 'Congress to Campus' programme, George Nethercutt and David Skaggs concluded their two day visit to Birmingham with a Question Time style discussion in the Muirhead Tower, where unrehearsed questions were fired at the panel. The two congressmen were joined by Birmingham's political science reader David Dunn and
international relations lecturer Adam Quinn, Both senators responded to the first question concerning the NHS, claiming 'the ideology of the NHS was a fantastic one post-war but is no longer applicable to Britain' and that many Americans were scared they were going to inherit a system similar to the UK's in the face of President Obama's health care proposals. The euro crisis was brushed over, although when David Dunn commented: 'it all began in Wall St', Democrat David Skaggs jumped in with 'you can't pin the Greek problem on the American problem' whilst admitting, 'we feel the crisis directly every day.' Intensifying the debate further still, a female Iranian member of the audience boldly implored the Americans to explain why following 9/11, the United States has
The congressmen with David Dunn and Adam Quinn
Jo Thomas
maintained a tight and strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, regardless of the fact that Bin Laden himself was a Saudi – as were 15 of the 19 hijackers aboard the 4 aircraft seized in the 9/11 attacks. The Republican finally admitted, 'we didn't want to gain Iraqi oil simply for our own game, we also didn't want to see the control of it be transferred to undesirable hands…but we understand there have been mistakes.' The upcoming Presidential elections were discussed, with all four members of the panel coming to a consensus that the next Republican nominee would inevitably be Mitt Romney. He would remain committed to securing the support of countless disillusioned voters populating the 'very big middle ground which is up for grabs in America.' The debate concluded with the question; 'If you could be English for a day, what British characteristic would you emphasize?' The Democrat response from David Stagg was, 'I'd want to spend my entire day at a Devon dairy with lots of clotted cream', whilst the republican George Nethercutt appreciatively thanked his British audience for the Beatles, and cordially closed the two-hour marathon with 'Thank you Britain for being our mother.' For the full report go to, www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
who I think could make a grand contribution to student knowledge about the English system, just as we are trying to help the students in this university understand ours. Rhiannon Doyle-Maw spoke exclusively to George Nethercutt and David Skaggs: How do you feel that student political involvement could be improved in England? David Skaggs: Interestingly, we have both spent a lot of time, after leaving the congress, working on that problem in America. My fairly simple view of it is that the responsibilities of being a citizen are pretty important in a democracy and it isn't something that we are born with. We need to teach it and make space, especially in secondary school, for it to be taught and learnt and understood. Do you think politics should be compulsory within schools? George Nethercutt: I think it should be because we make other subjects in the United States compulsory that are contemporary subjects, but the history and the story of the United States or the story of Great Britain is a valuable and essential learning experience. There are other members of parliament certainly who have served
Do you feel that politicians are influenced by student involvement in protests? David Skaggs: I wish American students were more active and involved and voluble about what is on their minds! I think that's healthy. We probably, as old guys, would wish that it were structured and articulated in a way that we thought we could then do something with but then that's our problem and not theirs. So it's always a little messy but I would rather have the energy behind the mess than people being passive about their society . What three characteristics would you think are essential for a career in politics? George Nethercutt: Integrity, education and a willingness to listen. Most constituents just want to be listened to; the problem with politicians is that they have a tendency to tell people rather than listen. David Skaggs: Listening and speaking and a sense of passion about your constituency. You don't do this without some arrogance and ego and conviction in what you believe in.
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
News 5
YES: 'One girl got so drunk she then stripped naked in front of the whole rowing club. I haven't seen her back since!'
NO: 'My initiation was fantastic. We had a Rubik's cube night and swapped clothes so by the end of the night were dressed head to toe in our squad colour. It was a good idea as it meant that you avoided awkward conversation with new people.'
Redbrick
Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray
YES: 'Luckily I haven't joined any societies that make you do that but the ones that do just seem like idiotic guys having to prove their masculinity by doing stupid things.' Matt Protz, 1st year, UEA
Rhian Lubin, 1st year, Birmingham
Twice as many apply for nursing than any other degree course Reporter
Figures provided by UCAS show which were the most popular courses in 2010, and moreover reveal a gender divide in particular subjects. Looking nationally at the total number of applicants who applied to full-time undergraduate courses offered by universities or colleges, Nursing had the largest number of applicants with 59,212. This was considerably more than Design Studies which was second most popular with 26,348 applicants. However UCAS also provides the application statistics by gender, which reveals that while Nursing was by far the most popular course amongst females, for males the top course was Computer Science. The top ten subjects picked by male and females also reveals a distinct difference in the choice of courses by the two genders. In total last year there were 2,720,498 applications made by 697,351 applicants, of which 487,329 applicants were accepted. The University of Birmingham received 43,383 applications, 5,480 of which were accepted. This works out as almost eight out of every nine students being unsuccessful in their application.
Birmingham unites to discuss riots Reporter
On Saturday hundreds of students and community activists united at the event 'After the Riots: Analysis and Debate' to debate the Birmingham riots which took place in August this year. The event took place at the Birmingham Midland Institute, in Margaret Street, Birmingham. It was designed to discuss what could be learned from the riots and how the community can effectively move on. Speaker Ajmal Hussain, a research associate from Aston University, was pleased with the posi-
The Birmingham Riots
Guild accused of 'pig headed foolishness' Continued from page 1. Dave Glenwright, a third year student and member of Young Independance said, 'What we had here was a misunderstanding as a result of miscommunication. 'UKIP were under the impression that the Big 3 (Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives) would all have a presence at the fair, and that UKIP were being banned for political reasons. 'However, once it was explained to them that it would be Guild-recognised student societies, and not the parties themselves, who would be at the fair, UKIP were more understanding of the situation. We are now looking into whether there is any interest in establishing a Young Independance Society at the Guild, and we hope to be at the fair next September. 'My blog's reporting of Birmingham's Guild of Students is entirely correct. I asked the Guild for their side of the story, and this was reported in detail in the piece. Birmingham allows non-student organisations to book at commercial rates. Young Independence, the national organisation, tried to book on a commercial basis, but was refused. It seemed to Godfrey Bloom of UKIP, who is quoted in my blog, as it did to me, that the Birmingham Students Guild was
Judith Hawkins
Rhiannon Doyle-Maw
Laura Broadfoot, 2nd year, Leeds
tive response, 'There's been quite a diverse crowd,' he said. 'It just goes to show the appetite for wanting to know what was behind the riots, particularly as there hasn't been any appropriate response from the Government.' Ajmal's speech focused on the differences between the political represent, both before the riots and after. Second year law student Tori Graney, commented, 'I don't think that the gap between politics and people on the street have changed. I think it's going to take a lot longer to make that happen; it's a long and arduous process'. Kellie Coyle, a second year English and American Studies student, believes that the gap between the politicians and the communities they represent has been reduced, 'It brought forward a tension of the youth of today and highlighted their discontent with society. I think they used the riots to channel their resentment towards the distance they feel with duced a positive response and politicians need to learn more about their communities.'
being unnecessarily difficult. 'What's more, since I'm aware that some student unions charge as much as £700 for a commercial stall, it was the students of Birmingham who ultimately suffered – first from having less choice of political parties at their fair and, second, from having less money to distribute as grants to affiliated societies.' The Daily Mail declined to further comment on the article.
Godfrey Bloom MEP AFP/GETTY
Joe's Bar and Gatecrasher win 'Best Bar None' awards Rhian Lubin Reporter
Gatecrasher Birmingham and Joe's Bar in the Guild have recently won prestigious 'Best Bar None' awards. Gatecrasher Birmingham, located on Broad Street, won the National award, with Joe's Bar receiving the award for best student venue in Birmingham. Gatecrasher is one of Birmingham's largest nightclubs and is a staple for stu-
were to be an emergency situation. Matthew Wood, student at Birmingham said that Gatecrasher is 'undoubtedly a good night out, cheap value for money on Mondays in particlar. With the four rooms, everyone's taste is accommodated.' In light of Gatecrasher's sheer said 'I've always had a great night out at Gatecrasher, but I always
almost end up losing all of my friends.' Joe's Bar has now won the 'Best Bar None' title for the fourth was the day I moved into halls; my Fab tickets. It was one of the best nights of Freshers.' However, Daniel Kelsey, fourth year, said that Joe's 'is just a bar. I think events like Fab are too busy and generic'.
nights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as other members of the public. Joe's Bar hosts the weekly Fab 'n' Fresh night on a Saturday, as well as regular sports nights and live events. It is also open all day for drinks and food. Owner of Gatecrasher Neil Jennings attended a ceremony in Parliament Westminster earlier this month to accept the commendation. According to reports, Jennings regularly ensured the highest health and safety standards were apparent in the club, including demonstrate how a large scale operation would be necessary if there
Joe's Bar
Oliver Swain
6 redbrickpaper.co.uk
21st October 2011
Redbrick
Comment & Features Editorial Amanda Callaghan Comment and Features
Can a fit body lead to an unfit mind?
A dawn police operation on Dale Farm the day before yesterday concluded a ten year battle between gypsy residents and Essex council. The dispute over planning permission ended last week when against eviction at the high court. After years of legal negotiations, costing the local authorities upwards of eight million pounds the council were declared they were lawfully able to evict residents – they had won. And yet as riot police stormed the site and forcibly evicted screaming residents in the bitterly cold hours of Wednesday morning, those who had ordered the violent removal compassionately declared that they did not feel like winners. Maybe so, but for those travellers and supporters who had clung on to hope that they would be able to overturn the eviction notice and stay in their homes certainly felt like they had lost. Cllr Tony Ball stated that no one took any ‘satisfaction’ from the operation but merely argued it was an undesirable but ultimately necessary operation to remove the law. He pointed to the council offering homes to children and vulnerable members of the Dale Farm evictees as if to highlight the council’s consideration for the new homeless. It is clear the issues here lie much deeper than bricks and mortar and re-housing individual families but the ripping apart of a whole community. A friend of mine recently worked in a children’s hospital where she met a young boy from the travelling community suffering with severe kidney problems - the extent to which he required regular dialysis to keep him alive. This meant him and his parents had to wave goodbye to their travelling community when they moved on and stay close to where their the boy was receiving treatment in hospital. Aside from their chief concern, their gravely ill son, the parents felt despair and a strong sense of grief that they were apart from the close knit familial community they had lived in all their lives. They felt their identities transcended their nuclear family community to encompass the entire gypsy group they moved around and lived with, which is at odds with the status quo. Obviously Dale Farm is a very different scenario – the residents living there were almost ironic in the fact they were travellers who wished to stay in one location rather than travel. However, the family with the sick child demonstrate the importance gypsies place upon staying together as a unit. It is this unit. This travelling community as a whole that will be so tainted by Wednesday’s eviction. To avoid a further Dale Farm perhaps the government need to acknowledge this.
Elin Stone James Kinsey Commentator
of the 'Beautiful Game', Eric Cantona, leaps across a barrier and kung fu kicks a Crystal Palace fan. The dichotomy of a sublimely talented sportsman and a vicious atavistic attack raises a problem for those advocating the virtues of sport. Gone are the days of the gentlemanly chivalry of Sir Bobby Charlton. Sport is now a ferocious free-for-all that threatens society's moral boundaries. Sport is inseparable from our lives, and an accepted institution. Our University promotes its adin its position as a 'top two best sporting university.' Sport is so important that the government has pledged to spend £9.3 billion towards bringing the Olympic Games to Britain. Perhaps this indulgence of its beauty, grace and excitement to great art or in searching for its positive affects. Thus, we applaud Lionel Messi's sumptuous skill, gaze in wonder at Tiger Woods's putting and watch in admiration as athletes like Steve Redgrave overcome huge obstacles to win multiple gold medals. We endorse it as a medium for
youngsters to construct a healthy, wholesome lifestyle. Economists consistently relay the Olympic Yet this assessment of sport Orwell understood the damaging affects of sport on the individuals, such as Cantona, claiming 'Sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up in, hatred, jealousy, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence'. For him sport was, 'war minus the shooting.' As shocking as it may seem, he may have a point. Sport can create a moral vacuum in which over-zealousness stimulates fear of failure and the need to cheat. From petty diving in football to performance enhancing drugs, the desire to win can erode any sense of right and wrong. Athletics is dominated by this cheating culture. In the 1988 Seoul was won by Ben Johnson who was then stripped of his gold medal for drug abuse. The second place runner, Carl Lewis was awarded the title, yet in 2003 he too was stripped of the gold as evidence of drug use came to light. Aside from the desire to win, these athletes took drugs because mistakenly they believed there was little chance of being caught. The drug industry
is consistently one step ahead of regulators and if the regulators are not aware of the drug, they cannot test for it. I was shocked, when told by a retired Olympic Rower that during one event, only one out of over 60 athletes was not taking performance enhancing drugs. If applied to drug taking athletes, it seems Glaucon's summation of man's immorality in 'Plato's Republic' was perfectly on the mark. He commented, 'For all men believe in their hearts that the individual than justice… [n]o one values justice for its own sake everyone looks for opportunities to out-do his fellow citizens.' Contentious it may be, but it is evident that win and in turn a nihilistic attitude towards right and wrong. Psychologically too, individuals are damaged by sport. In war, failure is no substitute for winning. In widening the parameters of success, to achieve aspirations, the fear of failure can mentally destroy individuals. In 2003 the Barcelona and German goal keeper Robert Enke committed suicide. The pressure of training and living in the shadow of better keepers: Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehman, were sighted as reasons for his death. How sad that this desire for
perfection can also destroy. In 2003 the retired former heavy weight champion of the world Frank Bruno was taken from his Essex home under the 'Mental Health Act 1983' and diagnosed with depression. After achieving a life long goal, Bruno's elation was quickly sullied by emptiness as the obsession that has driven his life had been achieved. But it is not just individuals that are damaged by sport, spectators and society are also corrupted. Sport creates enemies in society by dividing people by their binding loyalties. Collective gatherings are purveyors of violence and hatred; at football matches it is very common to hear chants of: 'Kill, Kill, Kill' not too far removed from the murderous Coliseums of the Roman Empire. When such hatred is directed at players it is not hard to understand the motives for Cantona's attack. If sport is so damaging to individuals and society, then should it be so gratuitously promoted? The evidence suggests sport is the medium by which we release and channel our atavistic nature. It involves succumbing to our inner desires and simultaneously ignoring our rational faculties. Granted, it but they are cast over by what it is at its base level. Sport is war.
Redbrick
Comment & Features 7
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
The cruel exploitation behind The X Factor Louise Rubbert Commentator
So, unless you've been in hiding for the past two months you may have realised that The X Factor has once again assaulted our screens with a shiny new panel of judges. Ratings indicate we are more willing than ever to tune in to watch the talented and deluded queue up to be praised or made a laughing stock on national TV. However, it's not quite as clear cut as this. We are led to believe that everyone has a shot at showing their talent (or lack thereof) in front of the judging panel but in effect only a handful of people are put through to this stage of the competition. The ones we see have already gone through preliminary auditions which are not aired and
are deemed the most entertaining. How does this not constitute as bullying and a hideous abuse of power? Hopefuls, sometimes obviously vulnerable individuals, are thrust in the limelight just to be cut down and belittled after being encouraged by the producers that they have star quality. Hence the abundance of dumfounded individuals who refuse to believe they have no talent. Furthermore, X Factor bossover the way in which children are treated on the show. So many tears have been shed on this year's X Factor that I found it exasperating to watch. Kelly Rowland even accused Sophie Habibis of not seeming to 'want this' that much, which is in my opinion an assumption based on the fact that she refused to blubber in front of over 10 million people. With such a high tear count, surely questions must be asked about whether somebody is able to cope with the pressure and potential humiliation? Regardless of their talent. Not only are they thrust on stage like show monkeys but they are criticised and then shunned from a show in which they have placed all their hope in. This is potentially extremely damaging to a person and some have even argued that this kind of behaviour constitutes child abuse as they are being emotionally mistreated by
those who have been entrusted with their care. Children's charities have voiced their worries and a spokesperson from Kidscape has stated that 'We have major concerns over people this young being put under the microscope… I think it would be fairer to everyone to increase the minimum age to 18.'
Robbie Williams also expressed concerns during the judge's houses stage of the competition, where 16 year old Luke Lucas seemed to go to pieces under the pressure. Williams stated 'I do think 16 is a bit young. If it was my son or daughter I don't think I would be pushing them that early.'
What needs to happen before X Factor takes heed of the advice being given by people that know what they're talking about (Robbie joined 'Take That' aged 16)? I hope that sooner rather than later people realise X Factor does a darn good job of exploiting the vulnerable for a purely entertainment purpose and it needs to stop.
Swear on my life: how bad language can be good for you dents deemed the word 'fresher' to be beyond the pale and insulting, it would probably fall out of accept-
Luke Jones Commentator
Picture the scene. You've just stubbed your toe on the vacuum cleaner while rushing to answer the front door. Or you've banged your head on a beam while jumping up in surprise. Or, worse than all of the above, you've risen before dawn in winter for a 9 o' clock leccelled at 8.55. Unless you are an angel, what is always the most satisfying response? I can tell you for most people it isn't 'Fiddlededee.' The nation's favourite wordsmith and lover of all things coarse, Stephen Fry, argued in his documentary last week on BBC Two, Fry's Planet Word, that abusive words can be good for you – provided it's the right sort of swear word and they are not uttered gratuitously in every conversation. The programme saw Fry subject his hand to an icy bath of freezing water for as long as he could bear it, and the experiment proved that when he uttered a verboten word over and over again, he could withstand the cold for over a minute longer than if he repeated something acceptable (in this case, he randomly chose the word 'functional'). Brian Blessed, on the other hand, who says a word that rhymes with 'spank' every other syllable, saw little difference, because his brain was used to it. What's more, in other studies, scientists have shown that when an inner part of the brain which allows us to control what we say, the basal ganglia, is damaged – for example after a stroke – we have less control over how many times we
the university wished to persecute freshers (this is purely hypothetical), a good strategy would be to give the word connotations with something dirty or repulsive to society, thus ascribing it negative association. Bad language should not be something we shy away from or avoid at all costs (although I wouldn't recommend using the f-word when your granny comes round for Sunday lunch). It can help us vent our frustration, pain or anger, perhaps leading to less physical aggression and violence: it can be amusing in the right context, and can change society for the better. Swearing is a natural part of being human, for as humans we never go a whole day without something going wrong, be it stubbing our toe, missing a bus or forgetting an essay or newspaper deadline. Is swearing always unforgivable? Bollocks. curse and blaspheme. Not only does this imply that bad language helps us overcome pain or trauma by making us feel better by doing something naughty, it also demonstrates that it is a primitive part of our thinking, and exists in all cultures and languages. Fry also convincingly argued that swear words can break down social boundaries and add colour and realism to drama and literature – those of us who have watched the BBC Four political satire The Thick
of It will vouch for him here. Like language in general, what is absolutely taboo changes as society changes, and can actually inform our attitudes: in 2011 I can get away with slipping the odd 'tit' and 'piss' past the editor in this article because our views on sex, bodily functions and so on have relaxed; however, if I was so inclined to throw in the racist 'n' word, I would rightly be thrown off the Comment and Features section of Redbrick. -
'Swearing is a really important part of one's life and it would be impossible to imagine going through life without swearing and without enjoying swearing' – Stephen Fry.
8 Comment & Features
Redbrick
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
Do you see what I see? The complexities of perception According to statistics one in twelve of us have some form of colour blindness. But our conception of colour may differ even more than we realise... actual light intensity and colour is not how you see it. In reality it is much brighter and slightly bluer than it looks but
Jake Howden Commentator
Is the sky really blue? Is the grass actually green? The world around us appears to be made up of colours, but in reality the illusion of colour is fabricated by our minds. After centuries of asking 'do you see what I see?' the latest research may provide an answer. Earlier this year, scientists performed experiments on 150 people at the London Science Museum. They wanted to ascertain how their age, sex, social status etc
the colours and intensity seem more constant. If looking at a banana and a yellow square under changing coloured lights the banana's yellow will seem more constant than the square because your mind knows that a banana should be yellow. Something else that affects how we see colour is the language that we speak. Westerners have 11 word categories but the Himba tribe in
world around them. A few examples of things they discovered, are you're bathed in red rather than blue light, women who feel powerful have the greatest sensitivity to changing light conditions and when people see red before an IQ test they almost always perform worse. In separate experiments scientists also discovered that wearing red suppresses the increase of cortisol, a stress inducing hormone released in moments of pressure. A subtle example of the what about blue? It is thought that the perception of blue is a fundamental process to almost all seeing organisms. A new set of cells in the
Do you see two faces or a vase? eye that were recently discovered are sensitive to only blue light and that links directly to the parts of the mind that are involved in sleep and body clock regulation, suggesting that blue has a big impact on our lives. A reason why blue has this effect is that our earliest ancestors
lived in the oceans harnessing light for energy. They had to distinguish between the safe yellows, reds and greens and the harmful blues and violets and so they developed cells that were sensitive to yellow and blue light. These colours seem to be hardwired into us and as red
and green detecting cells developed later, around 40 million years ago in primates, these colours are learnt through life and are much more objective. A trick created by your mind, that you can observe, is when going from indoors to outdoors. The
For example, most greens and blues are described as Borou. So when looking at a ring of 12 greens with one blue they struggle to pick the odd colour out, even though to westerners the task would be easy. This is in keeping with the theory of linguistic relativity in which the language you speak affects thought processes. So, do you see what I see? When looking at something hardwired into our evolutionary history such as an ocean or a tree we probably see the same thing. However, when you look at other things like the colours in someone's eyes when you're in love or the colours you choose when you're sad, you're probably not seeing what I see.
Is it the end for the BNP? Andy Peck Commentator
It was with some trepidation that I sat and watched on 21st July the scent to Earth. The US no longer has a craft to shuttle Astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Further, they are no longer even in the business of sending people into space, only unmanned probes. NASA's ambitious plans for the future; real and detailed plans for a manned moon base by 2024, for example, have been shelved and replaced with a generic focus on manned missions to Mars with no may sound like minor news compared to what is happening back down on earth right now, but I watched with real concern because it surely affects the long-term survival prospects of our species? There is a pressing need for the human species to look beyond our
own planet. The Earth can support six billion humans at the minute but is already feeling the strain. As population growth continues exponentially and, crucially, the people in the developing world aspire to Western lifestyles (a lifestyle that consumes thirty-two times the resources and produces thirty-two times the waste), how much longer can the earth support us without irreparable damage? Jared Diamond lists many examples of societies collapsing due to the unsustainable relationship they had with their environments; from Easter Island to the Mayans, what's one more involving the entire Earth? Societal collapse due to environmental exhaustion is not pretty and wealth only buys the dubious privilege of being the last to die. The alternative is living space and resources on other planets, or draconian birth control and rationing here on Earth. It's not just push factors; pull factors driven by human curiosity should keep us look-
ing to the stars, too. We inhabit the third planet in a backwater solar system, which occupies the parochial edge of a galaxy, in an outof-the-way galaxy system of the universe. We are the universe's equivaDeliverance where the inhabitants duelling; this cannot be good for our species' psyche. Why are we not clamouring to know more and expand for our psychological if not material well-being? Europe and America today are comparable with sixteenth century China in this respect. China, having achieved immense power, wealth and cultural sophistication, cancelled what was a promising exploration programme, led by Admiral Zheng He, that reached as far as Arabia and South Africa and allowed economic problems and military threats combined with a lack lustre political culture to dull innovation and forsake curiosity about life outside China. This in turn isolated China from the Technological Revolution of the West and allowed for it's exploitation by Europeans in the nineteenth century. It's not a complete comparison where we in turn eventually become victims of interplanetary exploitation, but in terms of lost impetus, lack of curiosity and a feeling of malaise, bureaucracy and stagnation, the comparisons are worryingly similar. The universe is probably littered with the graves of single planet civilisations who made the 'economically sensible' decision to cut funding and abandon space exploration and if we continue down this close minded route we have to ask; what will the
Niall Kempson Commentator
I'm sure I would not be wrong in thinking that the recent allegations of fraud against the British National Party have left many of you with gleeful smiles. Like many of you, whilst I was perusing the news I noticed yet another nail has been hammered into the coffin of the British National Party. BBC's Panorama has accused the BNP of misusing European funds and furthermore the ex-BNP treasurer, David Hannam, has corroborated these allegations. Hannam has claimed that he was ordered to fake invoices to the Electoral Commission in order to keep as much European grant money as possible. Furthermore a former party worker, Marion Thomas, has alleged that Clive Jefferson (the new treasurer) instructed her in 2010 to mark several unpaid invoices as paid. The BNP are currently under investigation from the Metropolitan Police and the European Union and are contesting these allegations. Twelve months ago the BNP owed its creditors £570,000 and despite a fall in membership, a divided party leadership and no substantial donations, the party debts have subsequently been reduced to £52,000. Now call me cynical, but I don't think that even the world's best debt management plan could have legally reduced debts exceeding half a million pounds to £52,000 in a year. That said, as a mere commentator on this it's not my part to make any direct accusations on these matters. All I'll say is, if these allegations by David Hannam and Panorama are accurate then there
can be little doubt in anyone's mind as to the future of the BNP. The real question is, how long have they got left as an active political party? The career of Robin Evans perhaps best encapsulates the BNP in 2007. Evans, who was a BNP councilor before he left the party, described them as: 'a party of drug dealers and hooligans'. I would like to err on the side of caution and avoid saying that the current fraud scandal has finished the BNP; the party may decide to return to its National Front roots. Yet over the last five years the BNP has been riddled with scandals, controversies and investigations. A falling party membership and a leader who attempted to defend the Ku Klux Klan in BBC Question Time in front of eight million viewers show there can be little or no realistic political future for the BNP. All groups should attempt to partake in the democratic system; for the simple reason that this allows people to see just how misguided and unethical the core values of certain parties are. Abuse of our system is of course unacceptable and I hope that if these charges are proved to be true, then the BNP will feel the full ferocity of the law.
1.9% Percentage of the electorate who voted for the BNP in 2010
Redbrick
Editors – Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
Comment & Features 9
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
How do you solve a problem like... Blackberry Failure
Scandinavian countries are adopting taxation on high fat foods. Should the UK follow suit to tackle the new obesity epidemic?
that children with a high omega 3 consumption perform better at lowers the risk of multiple mental disorders including depression and dementia. In light of this, how much longer can we justify the expense while McDonalds and its ilk remain untaxed? It is easy, though misguided, to look upon these proposals as an infringement of liberty; ones right to eat and drink as one chooses. This is a spurious argument; the option of a poor diet would still remain an option, as is the case with cigarettes. It is psychologically that to ones health is perceived with -
An overweight boy eats Oscar French Commentator
Despite the inference of 'the war on obesity' and other hackneyed sound bites, one would be forgiven for presuming that salt, sugar and saturated fat are in fact steadfast allies of the UK government. Merely stroll down any supermarket aisle and the evidence becomes apparent; sausages are juice out prices coca cola and pot noodles are cheaper than 'posh' noodles. Low income individuals and families are thus discouraged from a healthy, balanced diet, the severity of which must not be undermined. Disturbing as the notion of
health as a luxury may seem, questionable ethics are far from the sole concern. As it stands, obesity devours a staggering ÂŁ21.5 billion from Britain's economy per annum. By 2050, it is predicted that seventy percent of the national populace will be overweight; crippling the NHS and diminishing the workforce. The country will sink, perhaps literally. As a nation we should look at Denmark as an example to shake us from our stupor. The Danish government recently set a precedent by implementing a tax on foods with over 2.3 percent of saturated fat content. In Europe, it's a fashionable policy; Austria and Switzerland have imposed comparable taxes while Hungary has
targeted all unhealthy ingredients with levies. That David Cameron was quick to respond should come as no surprise. His assertion that a similar scheme may soon be enforced in the UK is a sensible, realistic course of action which could help disparage the junk food diet, ish culture. Imagine the potential of such a surcharge. Obvious thinking into the NHS and therefore alleviating some of the strain it suffers is the answer, but there are alternative, yet equally viable possibilities. Government subsidies for abound; the omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon or walnuts are a
the effects of the latter are at best inconspicuous in the short term. By surcharging unhealthy foods, the risk becomes synchronous with the cost and the consequence becomes perceivable, a consideration often overlooked, and always undervalued. To whatever extent one enjoys high fat, high salt nourishment; the United Kingdom can no longer afford it, this is unquestionable. It is the duty of the state to drive down obesity, to end the endorsement of foods causing heart disease, diabetes and infertility. If implemented with care and precision, then taxation could pave the way forward. Ensuring food industry are not priced out of the market, weakening an already fragile economy may be a concern; however, it is the lesser risk in the long term. Irrespective of the inevitable public outcry, we can no longer feign ignorance; do nothing save watching Jamie Oliver's television campaigns. Failure to act will bankrupt Britain, economically, intellectually and morally.
We must not be quick to dismiss GM foods Eleanor Fewings Commentator
In a generation whose eyes are focused on the future, one would vancement to change the shape of world poverty would be supported obstinately. But genetically modiamongst the general public, not just in the UK but globally, due to fears of possible unknown consequences. To genetically modify a vegetable is essentially to take the of one species and combine them to the genetics of your subject to form a new 'Super food'. Of course this nickname implies that the new vegetable may look, taste, smell or be in any other way noticeably different to the original. What we are changing is not primarily for
directed at farmers who feed many throughout the world, especially famine stricken towns who otherwise could not survive. This all sounds too good to be true! Norman Borlaug, a genetic
scientist in the 1960s, developed a genetically engineered wheat and rice crop that tripled yields across the globe. This was most prominent in India during the mid 60s when intercontinental war threatened the lives of citizens with starvation. Borlaug's plants saved over 1 billion lives as he led the country and many others into food security. However, in the
western world we are still rejecting these wonders of new science. Wonders that could, if the research was supported, repeat this scenario throughout Asia, Africa and South America where the research began. Perhaps we need to feel more directly touched by the effects of geyield, frost resistance or pesticide resistance of any plant will eventually decrease the cost of food in the supermarkets. Stereotypically, as students
we spend our student lives ordering pizza and eating baked beans, however I have seen the queue at the fruit and vegetable market son to wish that my mushrooms lasted a little longer in the fridge before forming their own fungus. I have thrown away so much food; I couldn't help thinking that the money could be feeding my coffee addiction instead of my bin liner. If students are willing to buy three steaks for a pound from Iceland, I can't expect that our standards are too high for GM foods. Some arguments suggest that with GM food we are 'playing God'. They put forward that editing of a species' genome is a step too far for what humanity should be able to achieve. I agree that in the last century science has been taking steps that have caused terrible pain to humanity. However there is a difference between the familiar steps, echoing
Freddie Herzog Online News Editor
Last week, the world for over ten million Blackberry users, ended. According to RIM, the company that owns Blackberry, a core switch failure caused the outage that enraged so many people and caused a massive disruption to key services. Those key services included emails, internet browsing, and Blackberry's instant messaging service, BBM. While I may have lambasted the crash, complaining about it actually glad to not be so connected to absolutely everything in my life. It actually felt good to not be instantly aware if I'd just received some spam mail or that someone had tagged a photo on Facebook. However it does have to be admitted that while I could cope for a day, three was pushing it. While many iPhone and Android users were dancing about with glee that they had one up on humble Blackberry users, replacing the little black and silver device in my pocket is not the answer. No. If the crash happens again I will be going back to that really old fashioned method that everyone seems to have already forgotten: actually talking to people. Is it really such a bad thing to wait till the end of a lecture to tell each other how boring it was? There is also something Blackberry can do about the problem if it ever happens again. 'Harry Potter and the It is accepted everyone who Age ofbyIllusion' coinusescides technology things do withthat the current occasionally go wrongstew and yes it governmental and is incredibly when they media annoying finger-pointing do. But if the company involved over declining communicated what was standards exactly in University going oneducation, constantly to its customand the ers, rather than denunciation the occasional resultant update every day, the customers of 'Mickey Mouse' would be far more likely to forgive modules them. As it stands Blackberry has become a black name in the phone world. Blackberry users are considering changing their handset to ensure they will never have to endure a world without reliable phone internet again. Proof of the strength of consumer power and demand? Perhaps. Or more nefariously, proof that we are becoming increasingly reliant on technology and are left staring speechless blank and open mouthed, when BBM collapses. Perhaps more an indictment of 21st century society.
humanity, and untrodden steps. daunting, they could help retrieve us from the poverty and famine that we are currently allowing so many to reside in.
Michael Drury
10 redbrickpaper.co.uk
21st October 2011
Music
Redbrick
Drake teams up with Nicki Minaj on Saturday Night Live www.pitchfork.com/news
Driving Jukebox
William Franklin Music Editor
Justice – Genesis
Redbrick Meets... Bombay Bicycle Club Tamara Roper Music Editor
Old Testament God would listen to when he wasn't turning curi ous housewives into pillars of salt. This isn't so much music to drive to as it is music to break the sound barrier to. The Chromatics – Tick of the Clock Taken from Ryan Gosling's recent masterpiece of genre confusion, Drive, 'Tick of the Clock' is shad out of Burial's mould. It's insidi ous, it's tense, it's Orbital meets Jack Wall with his hands tied be hind his back and it is only for use at night, when you're moonlight ing as a getaway driver. The Darkness – Growin' On Me This is what you listen to when you want to crash your car. The Dark ness might have been missing for so long that NME have declared them legally dead, but every track on Permission to Land doubled as
I'd forgotten that Bombay Bicycle Club are reasonably young men. When you see them on the TV or on stage, you forget about their actual age and personalities, and focus on the music and the frailty of Jack Steadman's voice. Which is why, when I walked into their dressing room, I was a bit taken really small sofas, eating Percy Pigs. It felt like I'd made a terrible invasion of privacy. I spoke to lead guitarist, Ja mie Maccoll, and drummer, Suren de Saram a couple of hours be fore their gig at the O2 on Friday.
the country. 'It has certainly been the most critically received album,' confesses Suren. As their number six chart rank would suggest. Fame has not made for preg nant egos for B.B.C., as the band is affectionately known. I recall the tiny gig in London where Maccoll arrived late, covered in mud from a school rugby match. He agrees that now the idea of putting sport before a gig is laughable, but to 'tour all of
poking fun at each other as well as at other band members. We spoke
the pair would gladly never revisit. There is an element of constant abashment, looking wryly at each other when recalling the 'moments when it could have gone either way' in terms of success. The band is no longer a four some on stage, with the added vo
est album, A Different Kind of Fix – a record that has seen them play
Rose, there has been a female presence about B.B.C. for the last
8 Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
band confess that it was actually she who found them, 'She was at one of our gigs, I don't even think she knew who we were.' She later sent them her demo. Simply put: 'her voice sounds nice with Jack's'. It is Lucy, apparently, who brings the band together in a little huddle
The band is no longer a foursome on stage, with the added vocals of Lucy Rose
to Cambridge and Suren to Leeds. You could have been a politician, I tell Maccoll, who replies that at the age of 21 he's 'too stupid to go now'. 'Without insulting students, I think you can get as much of it from read ing a book than from doing a de gree in independent thought'. Con troversial, but as they've proved, Later, on stage, the guys look like they're fully in control. The crowd eat from the palm of lead singer Jack Steadman's hands,
before gigs. When asked if she is
his lyrics for him. They look noth ing like the guys who, two hours previously, had joked about having 'lube and Smirnoff Ice on their rid ers'. They're certainly not the same
We speak about universi ty, and whether B.B.C. feel as if they've missed out. In fact, they were both booked up to go – Jamie
meeting them in person puts all assumption of rock stars to bed – their gawky humour and awkward charm takes care of that.
4 Evanescence Evanescence
'belter'. In fact, if you look it up in any English dictionary the entry is just a photo of Justin Hawkin's Andrew Pollard Critic
Redbrick's Turkey of the Week
Josh Holder Critic
It has now been two years since Noel and Liam Gallagher's con in 2009, putting an end to one of the biggest British bands of all time. Now Noel returns with his Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. It is no secret that Noel wrote many of the album's songs whilst still in Oasis, and it's obvious that he's relieved that the tracks can
Evanescence – What You Want
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Closing track 'Stop The Clocks' was originally written by Noel way back in 2001, and after being incubated for the past 10 years, it tracks ever. Noel's voice glides effortlessly as the instrumental components slowly build behind him, culminating in a glorious end reveal where the track breaks loose and a breathtaking guitar arrangement brings the album to its conclusion with a huge burst of energy. The heartfelt acoustic 'If I Had A Gun…' is another track written by Noel whilst with Oasis.
love, made all the more sincere by Noel's touching lyrics – 'If I had the time, I'd stop the world and make you mine, and every day will stay the same with you'. Although the album is mostly an acoustic affair, this is still Noel Gallagher, and some superb riffs appear single 'The Death Of You And Me', a captivating riff is elegantly inter laced throughout the entire track, whilst '(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Recording Machine' prominently features a melodic electric guitar that is combined with a whispering strings piece to close the track. Those expecting a revolution ary new sound from Noel Gal lagher will be left disappointed until his collaboration next year with Amorphous Androgynous. Regardless, by playing to his strengths, Noel has succeeded that, whilst offering few surprises, is brimming with numerous tracks that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of Oasis songs. Sounds like: The Verve
their last studio release. I've grown up a bit since the days of 'Bring Me to Life' and 'Call Me When You're Sober' and it sort of saddens me to say that Amy and her new side kicks have made no such progress. I wanted to approach this album with a fair and open mind and, af ter hearing the opening track and thinking maybe there's life in the old girl yet. Alas, that was before we descended into the drudgery that is forgettable pop songs mas The problem is simple: there's no conviction, there's no musi has nothing to complain about. It's like Evanescence are trying to encapsulate a dark tortured soul while sun bathing. It's reminiscent of being thirteen and complaining while having a loving supporting family and a girlfriend you're too immature to have any complicated feelings about. In a way this is nothing new, but Fallen and parts of The Open Door contained some kind of tal ent to dissolve our cynicism. Evanescence, on the other hand, relies
ing vocals and, while there are mo ments of catchy and admittedly compelling tunes, it isn't enough to distract us from the truly un inspired guitar work and clichéd lyrics. I simply can't feel moved by any more dark angels or broken hearts. In fact, the number of times the word 'I' is used is a testament There's energy and heart here, and the band work hard to sell a genre that is possibly losing relevance in today's music scene, but despite all the string accompaniment and 'I can play piano 'cos I'm a real musi cian' I just ain't buying. Ironically, the band and al bum's title succinctly sum the both of them up: Evanescence, i.e. to dissipate or disappear like vapour. For me this is exactly what this band is doing; fading away slowly while they lose whatever it was that made you forgive them their sins originally. While they still cling on tenaciously with songs like 'What You Want', I can't help but feel it can't be long, nor too soon, before Evanescence dissolve into the ether. Sounds like: Lacuna Coil
Redbrick
Editors – Tamara Roper & William Franklin
Music 11
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Live Reviews
Enter Shikari O2 Academy 14/10/2011
Bombay Bicycle Club O2 Academy 13/10/2011
Jake Pembroke Critic
Ben Norris Critic
Despite their relative infancy, Bombay Bicycle Club are fast maturing into the spearhead of British Indie music. Jack Steadman’s lyrics are insightful and precise; he paints impressionistically while avoiding the broad generic brushstrokes that beset many of his contemporaries. I mention their youth not to hail them as child prodigies but because it informs how they play. Whereas some bands would dress the stage like a NASA space station, come on an hour late and prance around with irritating arrogance, B.B.C. are humble and generous. In a set that lasted the best part of 90 minutes, they played songs from across their 3 albums, as well as from older EPs
Single Reviews Justice
Audio, Video, Disco
or B-sides, and their material is now of such depth and variety to A Different Kind Of Fix and a sureEyes', also from the new album, that really kicked things off. When its jerky, infectious riff gave way to the euphoric and dream-like coda, the place exploded. To mention all the quality songs would be to list everything they played, but other personal highlights included 'Lights Out, Words Gone', which is to be the album’s second single. 'Electric' made way for acoustic in 'Rinse Me Down', the opener from Flaws, showcasing the band’s ability to slip seamlessly from heavy and epic to mellow was a predictable climax, but de-
Music Diary 21st – 27th
servedly, it’s a fantastic record that shouldn’t be disregarded on the grounds of mainstream popularity. Returning to the mellow and man seated himself at the piano, which had been a mere prop until A Different Kind Of Fix, 'Still' made for a powerful dénouement; a moment of stasis before 'What If' closed the show. Steadman is a charming front man, and it’s clear from the insuppressible grin that appeared whenever he looked out across the packed O2 Academy that he loves being up there. Bombay Bicycle Club are a band at the height of their powers. The energy and exuberance of youth will ensure they remain so for years to come.
When I reach the O2 academy, the queue for tonight’s show already stretches around the building and right up the street. Such is the draw of tonight’s headliners Enter Shikari, who have spent the last eight years bending the boundaries of 'heavy' music, bringing in elements of trance, drum and bass, and (more recently) the ubiquitous wobble of dubstep to form their unique take on hardcore. Supporting are hardcore upstarts Your Demise, whose performance is laced with breakdowns and vocals that could strip paint, the crowd responding to every note bodies. The temperature in the venue reaches such a level that steam is rising from the audience when Enter Shikari take to the stage. The Hertfordshire troupe still manage to increase heat levels in the room with their unique performance style, sitting comfortably somewhere between apocalyptic rave and hardcore frenzy, backed by an astonishing light show. Shikari switch from blis-
tering hardcore into dubstep breakdowns, by way of mass singalongs and trance, all of which are presided over by maniacal ringmaster Rou Reynolds with the onstage air of a cockney gent goading the crowd into an old fashioned knees-up. But there is a political seriousness in Enter Shikari’s music that transcends the generic politically-charged hardcore and punk that has come before them, most evident in the backdrop that states 'if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything'. Here is a band that pins their fast in their belief that our generation doesn't just have the potential to change the world, but the duty and responsibility to do so. New material is aired alongside old favourites, and whilst it shows promise, there is a feeling that the band has overused the dubstep sound, the songs feeling slow in comparison to older material. Despite this, Enter Shikari are famed for their electric performances, and they do not disappoint.
Local Corner: Oxjam Brum
Showcasing the Birmingham music scene
Friday 21st
10 Years of Jam Jah Sound Bull's Head, Moseley Xzibit HMV Institute
Saturday 22nd O2 Academy Wretch 32 HMV Institute
Sunday 23rd Josh Carvell Critic
French duo Justice return with second offering from their forthcoming album, Audio, Video, Disco, releasing a single sharing the name of the album. The track begins with a fast, synthesised melody, accompanied by a creeping bass line building throughout the song, which escalating into a ments combine to form a catchy, piano led crescendo. However, this song lacks the memorable, club ready appeal of songs such as 'D.A.N.C.E' and 'Phantom pt II' and where the vocals on their previous album were catchy, Audio, Video, Disco’s are, put simply, abrasive. For die-hard fans of electro-pop, this song will no doubt be pleasing, however it seems to lack the mainstream album, Cross, such a hit. This release demonstrates an unnecessary and somewhat disappointing change of sound, and if the rest of the album is similar, Justice will struggle to retain the acclaim that was heaped upon their debut.
She Keeps Bees Hare & Hounds Cliff Richard LG Arena
Monday 24th The Dykeenies HMV Institute
John Pyke and Passenger Glee Club
Tuesday 25th Yann Tiersen O2 Academy Airship Rainbow
Wednesday 26th
Katy Perry with Oh Land NIA General Fiasco Rainbow
Thursday 27th
Benjamin Francis Leftwich HMV Institute Alice Cooper with New York Dolls NIA
Rebecca Jones Critic
The message of the Oxjam Music Festival is simple - local music, global impact. The event runs under Oxfam, although a sad reality is that a lot of young people just don’t want to know. Oxjam is making a whole new generation of music lovers stop and take notice. The musicfestival runs through October, with hundreds of events being put on up and down the country. The events are organised by volunteers, supporting not only Oxfam’s global charity work but local music scenes. Oxjam Brum took place on October 15th in seven venues across the city centre from Cafe Blend to The Flapper, with the event winding down at Birmingham Ballroom. Whilst this event is a fantastic way to raise money for worthwhile causes across the globe, Oxjam is doing brilliant things for the Birmingham music scene. It is events like this that really give local tal-
ent an opportunity to showcase their work to wider audiences that perhaps wouldn’t usually get the chance to listen to their music. Genres ranging from rock to clas-
Whilst a fantastic way to raise money, Oxjam is doing brilliant things for the Birmingham music scene sical can get involved and this year Oxjam Brum showcased a variety a worthy live acts. Valefest and Pritchattsbury favourites 360 were top of the bill, a band who describe themselves as ‘skafunkapunkreggaerockers.’ A pretty accurate description for the exciting live band who are regulars in the Midland music scene. With comparisons to Brit favourites
Madness, a desire to break out of their usual Midland gig circuit and shows lined up in London, 360 are Some of Birmingham’s best bars can go by unnoticed, but by spreading the event across seven venues, people had a chance to re ally explore what is in their city. As a University student in the city, it could be so easy to go a whole three years ignorant of any local talent. As Freshers, we are ushered up and down Broad Street and forced to believe that the best musical experience the city has to offer is Supersonic Vague on a Friday night, which, let’s face it, is pretty tragic. The Yardbird Jazz Club is a small venue hidden behind Birmingham Museum with a brilliant atmosphere, frequently showcasing live acts from a variety of genres. holds events for free, embracing Indie, Soul, 60’s and much more. So Oxjam is really on to a winner. Experiencing brilliant local talent in some of Birmingham’s coolest venues AND helping to save lives? What’s not to love?
R O L L I C N U O C D L I U G & S N O I T C E L E R E C I F F O D L I U G S N O I T C E L E BYE D I C E D O ANCE T Student Voice
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Redbrick
21st October 2011
Arts
redbrickpaper.co.uk
13
Online Exclusive: Redbrick Arts reviews this year's Man Booker prize winner You Once Said Yes, winner of The Scotsman's Fringe First Award
The inimitable rise of interactive theatre Annie Hodson Critic
Those theatre-goers who, come panto season, hunch miserably in their seats in dread of the Dame's eagle eye, might be horrified to learn that productions incorporating audience participation are fast becoming the latest theatrical trend. More shows are blurring the boundaries between performers and spectators to offer a different experience from the traditional onstage actors/offstage audience divide. Interactive theatre is the term often bandied about; an umbrella concept that can encompass many different strands of performance. There are companies like Punchdrunk, who specialise in site-specific promenade theatre, in which audience members chase the action through abandoned
buildings, stumbling upon actors and scenes as they go. Others stage entire shows for the benefit of very small audiences; since 2010, the Battersea Arts Centre has held an annual 'One-on-One Festival' dedicated to shows that offer an intimate encounter between performer and ticket holder. Similarly, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in recent years has been heaving with pieces that don't allow the audience to simply observe, with groups like Belt Up enjoying rave reviews for shows where audiences play party guests, wear blindfolds, dance, and act as props for the energetic cast. Interactive theatre is undeniably popular. Punchdrunk have gone from a cult appeal company to a mainstream powerhouse whose shows sell out in hours, whilst the winner of the prestigious 2011
Get ready to Shout! Redbrick Arts talks to Birmingham's lesbian and gay cultural festival about their up-and-coming events. Alexander Blanchard Arts Editor
The 3rd of November sees the launch of the third annual SHOUT Festival – Birmingham's festival of queer culture, presenting new, provocative, entertaining and challenging queer film, visual art, music, theatre, literature and community events. Redbrick Arts spoke to SHOUT's producer, David Viney, about the month-long festival. In 2009, SHOUT was set up as a response to a perceived lack of opportunities for gay artists to showcase their work in the West Midlands. 'A group of arts professionals came together and, looking around the country at other events and festivals such as Homotopia in Liverpool, we could see that really there wasn't enough opportunity in Birmingham', David tells me. 'But we could see there was an audience and we were fortunate to receive funding from the Arts Council.' In these austere times, with funding cuts for arts organisations and a decrease in ticket sales across the country, the question of funding is a pertinent one. 'We've been fortunate in our sponsorship in the past, though am I worried
a b o u t funding next year. I wouldn't say worried, perhaps cautious; it's going to be a lot more difficult next year. Funding from the government and the Arts Council has become a lot more competitive now, as more and more organisations are having to turn to them for support.' Nevertheless, this year's SHOUT has an exciting line-up. 'All the events are very interesting and exciting, but personally I'm most excited about David Hoyle, one of England's true avantguardians and part-time art historian who will be performing, with a tour around the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery [19 November 1pm & 3pm]'. 'Our launch weekend is also a particularly exciting time. On the 3rd of November [7 – 8.30pm] we have SHOUT launch night, where anyone can come and join us for free at MAC – featuring performers, dancers, visual arts, comedy and music.' SHOUT runs from the 3rd to the 30th of November and a full listing of events can be seen at http://www.getreadytoshout.org.
Fringe First award was You Once Said Yes; a participatory tour of Edinburgh for one audience member at a time. Some of the attraction seems to lie in the excitement of becoming part of the theatrical experience, the thrill of getting out of the seats and into the onstage action. The intimacy of one-onone shows is also an attraction, with some feeling they have made a real connection with the actors (the audience comments book for You Once Said Yes is full of romantic propositions for the cast). But is there a darker side? Noted theatrical provocateurs Ontroerend Goed, a Belgian troupe of Edinburgh favourites who specialise in intimate shows, caused controversy at the latest Fringe with their show Audience. Each night, a young woman was picked from the audience to be bullied and ridi-
Shout Highlights Thurs 3 November
SHOUT Launch
Enjoy an evening of free entertainment at the MAC for the launch of SHOUT, featuring performers, dancers, visual arts, comedy and music.
Thurs 10 Nov
Fascinating Aida: The Cheap Flights Tour
Three times Olivier Award nominated, a raging success at the Edinburgh Fringe, and over 6 million hits on Youtube, Fascinating Aida are Britain's best comedy cabaret trio.
Sat 19 November
Queering the Portrait with David Hoyle One of England's true avantguardians and part-time art historian, David will tour the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, giving us his personal insight into some of the nation's
culed in the most offensive terms possible; the abuse would only stop when someone else in the audience protested. The outcry was such that the show reportedly began to use a 'plant' towards the end of its run, and the ensuing debate splintered opinion. Some saw the show as cruel and exploitative, and accused the company of taking advantage of the implicit trust between audiences and actors. This fed into a larger attack on interactive theatre as a whole. Many have criticised it as flash and shallow, with smoke and mirrors hiding creative bankruptcy. Others argue that the piece was specifically designed to make an uncomfortable point about audience behaviour and complicity, and that spectators could leave the production any time they wanted (as many did). The debate reached no conclu-
sions but raised many interesting larger ethical questions. Do performers have a moral obligation to protect the audience, even as they involve them? Or do audiences choosing to see interactive shows have to accept the possible risks? Furthermore, would more guidelines to safeguard the audience stifle the essential freshness and innovation of interactive theatre? Perhaps one answer lies with British group Oneohone's interactive piece 101, which Guardian critic Lyn Gardner praised for allowing the audience to signal at any time if they wanted to stop participating by removing their armband. Still, many productions will continue to leave it up to each spectator as to how far they want things to go. As the opening monologue of Audience puts it: 'Remember, you always have a choice.'
Alan Hollinghurst at Ikon SHOUT Festival, in association with Birmingham Book Festival, present an evening with Alan Hollinghurst Alice Grimes Critic
As part of Birmingham's annual Book Festival, admirers of the 2004 Man Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst were offered a chance to see the writer in an intimate interview about his latest novel, The Stranger's Child, last Friday at the Ikon Gallery. In academic circles, Hollinghurst's literary style has been described as reminiscent of Henry James, though personally he has likened his work to that of modernist writer E.M Forster; namely because of his pastoral imagery, which is a continuous thread throughout his writing. It has been eight years since Hollinghurst's last work The Line of Beauty, which earnt him the prestigious Booker Prize. For most readers this latest novel conveys a progression and development in his writing compared with that of his previous successes. It has also achieved critical acclaim with Guardian writer Theo Tait, who maintains that The Stranger's Child will no doubt be one of the best novels published this year.' The story opens in a garden during the summer of 1913, where
the reader is introduced to the characters who will be followed over the five episodes of the novel, which spans nearly a hundred years, concluding in 2008. A character of note, who Hollinghurst discussed extensively during the interview, is Cecil Valance: a Georgian poet with broad sexual tastes. Homosexuality, and his own experiences of this, echo throughout Hollinghurst's work – the interview itself was cross sponsored by the gay festival SHOUT, and it is apparent as a writer that he remains fascinated by gay experience and sexual self-awareness. The setting for the interview meant the audience got a real sense of Hollinghurst's modesty and grounded nature; the floor was opened up for questions and there was opportunity for book-signing at the end. Following critical reviews of the novel, it's already thought to be one of the most exciting publications this year.
14 Arts Othello at The Drum
Annabelle Collins Critic
It was difficult to imagine a more eclectic audience; although this adaptation of Othello was for Black History Month, clearly its appeal is by no means restricted. The sound of a guitar and traditional Caribbean folk songs drifted out of the open doors. Evidently the aim of director Robin Belfield's adaptation was to transport us far away from 17th Century Europe. Unlike the grand opening scene an audience of Othello would expect, we were met with a simple yet effective set comprising of ropes, straw hats and beer bottles. Iago and Othello continued to sing together which created an illusion of tranquility. Instead of Shakespeare's Moor, this Othello was portrayed as a White Bahamian, derogatorily known as a 'Conchy Joe', which infers that racial tension is still present in this modern version. Desdemona soon joined them, completing the cast of three and demonstrating that this production has truly been stripped back to its core. We were to experience
a thoroughly refreshing interpretation of this well-known tragedy. Moses Hardwick's portrayal of Iago stood out from the very beginning; he loomed over the happy couple like a bad spirit and his unnerving monologues to the audience convincingly portrayed him as a true villain. Belfield uses interesting dramatic devices throughout, which undoubtedly contributed to the play's originality, such as the radio transmitter which made up for the absence of other characters, most notably Cassio. However, although this works throughout the play, the final confrontation felt a little empty without the presence of more characters. Furthermore, the frenetic guitar playing gave pace to dialogues in tense scenes and emphasised the inner turmoil experienced by Othello. The themes dealt with in this play are certainly relevant to a modern audience and in this production they were explored in a refreshing and honest way. The actors convincingly expressed raw human emotion and made it very clear that tragedy is universal, even to be experienced in paradise.
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Editors – Alexander Blanchard & Lexie Wilson
Boris Nicoli at mac
Tom Cooper and Pieter Colpaert Critics
It is not every evening that you're hosted by a former elite mind reader from the KGB. So when Boris Nicoli promised our Friday night would be one of magic, mentalism, alcoholics, Russian roulette, an attempt at telekinesis and the only official KGB voodoo doll, we had high expectations of a fascinating evening. It was a feast of comedy, magic tricks and cabaret, made possible by the presenting talents and sharp wit of our host Boris Nicoli, even though the overdramatic description of 'ex KGB mind reader', gave the false impression that we were watching the eastern European version of Derren Brown. Greeted by the 'Russianettes', the eager audience were lead into an intimate crucible-like theatre that suited perfectly the quirky, offbeat nature of the show. Adfter some crowd-warming from the 'Russianettes', we were finally introduced to the affable Russian lothario Boris Nicoli, who took wicked delight in humiliating audience members with embar-
rassing tasks, awkward questions and his acid tongue. He had the audience in hysterics distracting them from the otherwise amateur nature of the tricks and so called 'mind reading'. Boris' originality charmed us, as he played perfectly off the enthusiastic crowd with card tricks, some amusing and unexpectedly accurate predictions that fell under the category of mentalism, and lots of comical audience participation. This included dressing up one unfortunate member as his apprentice spy, complete with false nose and moustache. Particularly riotous was the routine that had one poor man believing that he was being electrocuted every time Boris, with his thick Russian accent, yelled 'three!' The crowd wailed with laugher as he jumped helplessly off his chair. Overall the crowd left more than entertained by this charismatic rogue and his seductive assistants. Don't be mistaken, this is not Derren Brown, nevertheless the positive atmosphere and good humour of the night more than made up for the transparency of the tricks.
Previews
Break My Fall mac 21st October £4.50
Meadow plus Jason Yarde and Andrew McCormack CBSO Centre 22nd October £12
Empty Orchestra East Side Projects Second Gallery 21st-23rd October Free
21st October 2011
Redbrick
Food
15
Did you know?
Contrary to popular belief, the seeds are not the hottest part of a chilli. Rather, the greatest heat is found in the capsaicin oil, which is found in the membranes and near the stems of chilli plants.
Some like it hot
Hannah Rowe and Lucy Niblock give their beginner's guide to Mexican cuisine
Mexican food outlets seem to be everywhere at the moment – there is even a burrito van on campus! With that in mind, we want to ensure that you know your fajita from your burrito. Mexican cooking has many ous settlers in the country. Traditional Mayan Indian ingredients and techniques are still used today, as are those seen in the Aztec Empire of the 1300s. The Spanish invaded Mexico in 1521 and brought with them new ingredients that are now staples of Mexican cooking. On top of this, hints of Portuguese, French, South American and West African cuisines can also be found in Mexican food. We decided that to take this article seriously, some proper research would have to take place, and so we both donned our metaphorical sombreros to try out the
redbrickpaper.co.uk
classic Mexican dish, enchiladas. We were tempted to make it a truly authentic experience and sip a few margaritas along the way, but thought we may end up regretting turning up for afternoon lectures half-cut and ready for a little doze. Well, after trying enchiladas we can safely say that we were hungry to broaden and further our Mexican horizons. Enchiladas are basically fajitas but when but when and onion in our case) they are placed in a greased baking dish. cream and chillies) is poured over, before baking them for twenty minutes, followed by a sprinkle of a handful of cheese and another companied them with a creamy guacamole. Delicious. If we've whet your appetite, here is our brief guide to some other tasty Mexican dishes: BURRITO – Traditionally, a burrito is a tortilla wrap rolled around burrito, also add refried beans, lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream, then grill lightly to make it soft. mince or just leave the beef out! QUESADILLA
with a mixture of cheese and other savoury ingredients, and folded into a half-moon shape. Grill lightly to make the cheese melt, and serve with a light salad. FAJITA – Fajitas are probably the place to start if this is your An easy and satisfying meal, you can make these simply by frying an onion with red and yellow peppers, plus any meat of your choice. Warm some tortilla wraps and serve with salsa and cheese if you fancy. If you're feeling brave, pop a cheeky chilli in there too. A very quick meal and a real crowdpleaser. TACO – Tacos are usually corn tortillas deep-fried until crisp to form a handy u-shape. Heat them up in the oven and then add your own mixture of beef/chicken/seasalad and cheese. Here, we have only touched the tip of the iceberg of Mexican food. There really is something for everyone: you can have it hot, spicy, mild, meaty or even veggie! It's great party food as everyone can get stuck in, not forgetting that a few tequilas can break the ice and really get it started. Arrrriiiba!
Nachos for novices Inspired to try Mexican cooking for yourself? Check out Sophie Crane's recipe for this classic comfort-food...
2 jalapeno peppers for that extra kick
The components of this dish combine to create a meal that is a pure guilty pleasure. The thought of nachos, salsa, chicken and crunchy peppers with a sprinkling of cheese is enough to make any mouth water. The ingredients are simple
1.
portion size, it's just a case of using your own judgement. In fact, if there is any left over, they will be just as good warmed up when you come back in from a night out! Ingredients: 1/2 a big bag of nacho crisps 2 chicken breasts, seasoned and cut into strips 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 green pepper 1/2 red onion 1/2 a pack of cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 pot of salsa dip Cheddar cheese, grated
Method: To start, pour the nachos out evenly into a baking dish
2. Next, fry the chicken, making sure it's cooked before adding the onions and peppers. Take them off the heat before they go too soft, and mix in to the dish of nachos, adding in the cherry tomatoes before mixing in the jar of salsa 3. Once this is done it's just a case
of grating plenty of cheese over the top, adding a few jalapenos into the mix and putting the dish into the oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes
4. Now comes the best part. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream and/or guacamole and tuck in!
16 Food
Redbrick
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – James Morrison & Jordan Warner
Meet the chefs: No. 2, Jabbar In the second part of our series, Online Food and Life&Style Editor Rosie Sharratt catches up with restaurateur Jabbar Khan of Lasan, Birmingham Have you always wanted to work in the food industry? I'm from Bangladesh, and people of Bangladeshi heritage own 90% of the Indian restaurants in the UK. I didn't feel it was right for me but, with family pressure, I took a part time job in my uncles restaurant when I was 16. I hated the industry for the industry. What changed your opinion of the Indian restaurant industry? Lasan was born out of frustration – my uncle was comfortable with the familiar way his restaurant was run, and didn't want to change. But I realised that sometimes the customers were more aware of what 'real' Indian food was than the restaurant owners, because they had
for the best now, but initially it was hard – I'm on a one way street, no-one passes by. We needed publicity, and therefore a big budget. Starting my business at 25, I didn't
When you aren't managing your business, what are you like in the kitchen? I can't cook! Lasan's chef director, Aktar Islam, takes care of the food.
ing would be applying for awards as, should we win, there's a chance for free publicity. Awards are also
people want to eat.
consider your best points, as well used awards as self-training – we became award junkies! I'm most proud of my Young Director of the Year award, as well as our Best Restaurant Award from Gordon customers from as far away as New Zealand and New York.
me, that made no sense. People come to spend their hard-earned -
What would you say is your favourite comfort food? they're all on the list! Another fa– my restaurant makes some of the best Indian food in the world, but my mother still sends me little food packages! Also, when I'm at the restaurant. I'll often be cooked a brunch, then usually lunch and has problems competing with that in her home cooking! Do you have any business or food related advice for students?
– it's not much to ask. Customers at my uncles restaurant would tell me that they liked what I was trysense approach to the restaurant business. You and your business have won a lot of awards. Which award are you most proud of? Lasan's location has worked out
I'm most proud of my Young Director of the Year award, as well as our Best Restaurant Award from Gordon Ramsey
future we will become at the mercy we'll lose the ability to cook a meal from scratch. If you're starting a business, it must be demand led, not dream led. Regardless of your passion for the business, if there's no customer base, it will be a painful journey. In terms of careers, if the high standard you showed in reward is yours.
Food on Campus
Review: A way to break out of the usual student bubble, without putting a huge dent in your bank balance Sarah Coe Writer
If, you are stuck in the student bubble of cheap, yet disappointing food from the same old pubs, Harborne may not be a bad idea. gastro pub, which offers studentfriendly deals and delicious food,
and brownies lining the bar. Although the prices of drinks dent friendly, there is a huge array, both of the soft and alcoholic Daily Menu, numerous brunch and key choices for main courses are the wide range of pizzas and burgers, and hearing legends of the
size was yet again an issue, where
I decided to follow trend.
edgy décor and has a modern
fresh mozzarella and a smothering
atmosphere: partly through its
ordering any pizza with chorizo, there is the serious risk of your pizza becoming a bath of grease.
with some heat, whether it be in
rest, I found enough room to tackchocolate brownie, accompanied with ice cream, was perfection. Oozing chocolate and concealed Oreo chunks, the brownie wouldn't
include scruffy students. Located on the main high street in Harborne, it is easily accessible on the 11C bus and is surprisingly close to
ers and herbs planted in re-used golden syrup tins. Usually to fully appreciate a beer garden the Brit-
chilli and fennel.
zo, pancetta and Italian sausage pizza was utterly delicious. On a thin yet not too crispy base, were
grease was eradicated and the pizfrom one problem: the pizza was too big. Not being a fan of wastage, in particular of such a brilliant pizza, I was slightly disappointed a sig-
-
Plough was relaxed and friendly, timings of the courses were ideal, where enough time was left for you to digest and relax, yet you weren't sat wondering where your food was. Following the lead of the majority of British gastro pubs, prices pear cheap and student friendly. a healthy appetite as for £7 per head wiches, cupcakes, brownies and also offers 2 for 1 deals: pizzas on
along with personal hot water bottles and blankets, which enables the garden to be used throughout the whole of the year. Adding to
simply too much. On the glutton-
the bar are old-fashioned sweets for sale, as well as pretty cupcakes
was perfectly balanced with onion,
coli and ricotta pizza was as deli-
and pies on a Wednesday.
setting, amazing food and deals which didn't make a scary dent in my bank balance.
international student: Malaysian Society Ropafadzo Rusere Writer
Hello! Who are you, where are you from and how long have you been living in the UK? My name is Gina Porras, from Durango, in the north of Mexico. I came to England study a PhD in Chemical Engineering. What are your favourite foods from back home?
powdered chilli and lime – that's is rajas – it's kind of a big pepper called ancho. You slice it then mix it with cream or sweet corn or onions then make tacos and burritos and all kinds of things. Could you describe Mexican cuisine in 5 words? Well, it's a combination. A mix between the Spanish and the ancient Mexican. It's eclectic. Mexican culture?
you spend the most on is food and
portant. For example, if someone goes to your house, the place you go directly into the kitchen and ofpots and pans. What are your thoughts about English food? was telling me British food is not many dishes. But I wanted to learn and try different things, and I like it a lot – I cannot spend a Friday herd's pie! And Sunday roast! I pared. I like all the different cuisines of the world, they do what-
Redbrick
Technology
21st October 2011
redbrickpaper.co.uk
17
For the latest and greatest indie games go to www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/technology
Can RIM recover from last week's global BlackBerry blackout? competitors. Though most who read complaints on Facebook and Twitter would think this was the
Sam Atkins Writer
BlackBerrys across the world began having issues with their online connections last week. With services including BlackBerry
trouble were those business people who rely on receiving emails on their phone. Emails were coming through in groups with no way to see what time the email was actually sent. With people dependent
users of the devices became more and more frustrated as the outage continued throughout the week. While most consumers knew of the
BlackBerry potentially lost the respect of a lot of people. How this will affect the company in the future is hard to predict. Luckily this outage merely lasted
the reasons behind it. Problems began on Monday in territories with BlackBerry providers Research In Motion advising users to expect some slight issues. It wasn't until 9.30pm on Tuesday on their website which stated that the issues 'were caused by a core switch failure within RIM's infrastructure'. The fail-safe for this problem didn't work as it had in testing and so a huge backlog of data piled up. The system was so emails that the problem spread across the rest of the globe – this icas and India by Wednesday.
month-long PlayStation Network
will be at an all time low. For those
The scale of Blackberry's worldwide signal loss. Black areas represent countries affected. Despite a brief moment where of when services would resume but 4S was announced and days later promised that it was their numthe problem persisted throughout ber one priority to get things back beating iMessage app. BlackBerry's on track. Just hours later services BBM has long been the one thing completely resumed with all un- that set it apart from the competiannouncement on the company's sent messages being delivered. tion. For most BlackBerry consumYouTube account. Expressing dismay at the way events had unfold- RIM's couldn't have come at a worse time. Last week the iPhone it hard to defend the brand over
vinced the state of Nevada to pass legislation allowing 'autonomous' before they hit the roads. But steps are being taken to get us closer to this futuristic dream. of CityCars across the globe to supplement public transport links in bustling city hot-spots. People coming out of stations needing to make short journeys to car parks enter their destination and off they go.
Andrew Spencer Writer
ever fully commercial self-driving car has been heating up over the past few years. Hundreds of engineers across the world are industriously working away to bring this once futuristic concept into fruition. Imagine being able to punch in your destination and sit back while you're driven there. calories or even have a drink while driving. The journeys in self-drivbecause of the elimination of human error. Google has said that they believe they could cut the estimated number of road fataliUK's roads. From Stanford University to Oxford University and from that they have created a car that can drive completely by itself. The technology is in place and the accuracy is already extremely high. Google's self-driving test cars had by 2010 with no major incidents
four vehicles driving from Italy to China with near to no human intervention. So if the technology is in place why hasn't a fully autonomous car been announced for release yet?
Google's self – driving test cars had secretly travmiles by October 2010
cars can stack themselves up vertically next to each other to conserve space. MIT are testing in major cities around the world and claim that these vehicles will be available by 2014. They won't be able to take people anywhere they want to go like taxis can but it is a very positive step in the right direction. Car manufacturer Ford has recently made huge announcements regarding their vehicle-to-vehicle this system cars will be able to communicate with each other. If cars were able to essentially 'talk' to each other this could greatly help prevent unfortunate and unexpected collisions. Cars could detect a collision and react to avoid it much faster than a human would be able to react in the same circumstances. To incorporate such a technology into driverless cars would further reduce road deaths and severe accidents. So although driverless cars
Estimates for when driverless cars will be available to the public vary hugely. MIT and Google esti-
progress is being made. They may
think 2018 and Oxford University said recently they believe within
services in the centre of major cities – but in the not too distant
be believed most?
these cars in your garage.
Christmas market is a prime time feel burned by BlackBerry may opt certainly didn't need this extra surely won't be complaining about it any time soon. On Thursday RIM's services came back online and all BlackBerrys are now fully functional.
Five surprising ways Facebook uses your data Mark Cannell Writer
Facebook is one of the largest directories of personal details in the world. With over 800 million users Facebook has amassed a collection of 30 million pieces of personal information. From supplyinformation to handing data over is playing fast and loose with your data. Facebook isn't in the social
#3 It is harder than you think to delete data count and permanently remove ies are retained on the company's servers. It's not clear how long this data stays around for but it can be up to 100 days after you decide to delete your account. What is with applications and quizzes.
advertising business and all this information is used to build up a
shared with any quiz or app you
unsuspecting users.
friends with someone who takes a
#1 Facebook knows your online history
tion.
Facebook has been accused of tracking users' visits to other webout of their account. Through cookies Facebook could track users on any site with a 'like' button. several T-Mobile devices suggest that Facebook is tracking users' mobile browsing activity too.
#2 Facebook knows when you break the law Facebook's own interpretation of privacy laws means that intelligence agencies do not need a warrant to access a suspect's data. The only information a warrant is needed for is inbox messages. Messages can be accessed after 181 days with a warrant but agencies don't even need 'reasonable suspicion' to access user's personal data.
-
#4 Facebook stores your deleted messages Facebook also stores data that you all the messages you've ever writof your chat conversations.
#5 Facebook knows where you are in the real world Facebook records all the locations you have ever checked into. What's at those locations is also tracked. ever logged in on is recorded by Facebook.
18 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
21st October 2011
Film
you will be naked for eternity'.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
The Beginner's Guide to... Leo DiCaprio
Film News
The lovely Natasha Lavender gives a thorough introduction to the titanic Leonardo DiCaprio From bubblegum adverts to making Hollywood history, Leonardo DiCaprio's career has, unlike the ship which propelled him to fame, refused to split in half and sink. Further, with three Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe and nominations for six more, he has proved to be more than just a gorgeous face.
Then was in This Boy's Life (1993). The make based on real events, he was handpicked by none other than Robert De Niro to play his stepson.
who succumbed to heroin abuse on the tough streets of New York.
actor.
received but many critics praised DiCaprio's potential and strong performance.
slated by critics, earning him two Golden Razzies. Leo moved on to star in Gangs of New York (2002), directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It was the start of a beautiful friendship between Scorsese and DiCaprio, who have since collaborated on three more critically
The Rise to Fame After emerging all grown up andgorgeous in Romeo + Juliet (1996), Leo shot to superstardom in Titanic (1997). It remained the years and brought DiCaprio worldwide fame and adoration, as well as an MTV Movie Award and a Golden Globe nomination for best
The Aviator (2004), another biopic which focussed on the life of troubled Howard Hughes. DiCaprio won a Golden Globe for his compelling
and many critics praised Leo's performance. In the same year, DiCaprio also appeared in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which saw him star alongside fellow eye candy Johnny Depp as the title character's disabled brother Arnie. After delivering an incredible and convincing performance, DiCaprio was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Oscar. DiCaprio appeared in another memoir two years later, The Basketball Diaries (1995), about the life of basketball star Jim Carroll
performance in this close character study, and was nominated for an Oscar but lost out to Jamie Foxx.
Now Recently Leo has moved towards playing rougher characters. His The Departed (2006), was another collaboration with Scorsese. It earned DiCaprio a fourth Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor and showed he could portray tougher characters than in his previous work. This was also apparent in Blood Diamond (2006) which earned him a third Oscar nomination. Last year saw Leo return to a more mellow, if somewhat broody, character in summer blockbuster Inception. It is too complicated to explain exactly what his character, to say that DiCaprio was on form in With another biopic, J. Edgar, out in January, and a shiny new version of The Great Gatsby out next year, fans of Leo are crossing car win for the cute little bubblegum boy who became the 'King of the World'.
Patrick Scott Critic
Although still in its early stages, the fifth Die Hard film, featuring Bruce Willis returning to his famous role, has already been given a name. However, 20th Century Fox have clearly decided that 'Die Hard 5' was far too sensible, and the film has now been given the, erm, 'interesting' title, A Good Day to Die Hard. been scheduled for a release date of Valentine's Day 2013 – so if that special someone in your life loves nothing better than watching John McClane throwing people out of buildings, you know how to surprise them.
Five of the Best: Movie Virus Outbreaks As Contagion fever grips movie-goers, Luke Jones dons his hazmat suit to bring us this top 5
Drive
#2
Outbreak
Outbreak was a big hit in the nineties thanks to a plausible what-if concept (a highly contagious virus is unleashed on American soil) streaked through with blockbuster barminess (at one point the virus spontaneously mutates to become airborne). The stellar cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and a monkey that you really wouldn't want to get very close to.
#4
[Rec]
Where 28 Days Later was a drama about the danger of losing your grip on humanity, [Rec] is more concerned with scaring the excrementos out of you. A Spanish horror shot in the style of (with the action seeming to happen in one long take by camcorder), it already has an equally scary sequel, an upcoming prequel and an inferior American remake in the bag.
It sounds like one of those lawsuits that has to be an urban legend, like someone taking legal action after trying to microwave their dog, but unfortunately it's all too real – a woman in Detroit is attempting to sue the makers of Ryan Gosling film Drive, on the basis that the trailer made it out to be a Fast and Furious type film, whereas her claim states that there was 'very little driving in the motion picture'. Whether or not this case will get off the ground is anyone's guess, but for the sake of the human race, let's hope it doesn't.
12 Monkeys
1 #
Terry Gilliam's other time travelling classic (after Time Bandits) sees a Willis going back in time to prevent a virus being unleashed that will wipe out 99% of the world's population. The real star, however, is the thought-provoking script by David Peoples (Blade Runner) that deals with mental health, time paradoxes and the very nature of reality, bought to life by Gilliam's trademark twisted visuals.
28 Days Later
The Happening
Boyle's horror may a little less verité #5 For #3 Danny often be classed as a zom(woe betide the person bie movie but really it's about a virus that turns humans into slobbering masses of rage. Animal rights activists (when will
the virus onto the British population, resulting in a highly visceral both Days of the Dead and The
who sneezes after Contagion) you could do little better than watch Mark Wahlberg pull his Boogie Nights sex face for two hours as he tries to work out what's, well, happening. M Night Shyamalan may have virtually performed career hara kiri with this oddly judged B-movie, but the result is one of the funniest comedies in recent years.
Bond & Bardem More news from the new James Bond film emerged last week – it's been confirmed that Javier Bardem will be playing a villain in the new instalment. Bardem is best known for his stone cold portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, and if his performance in the rumoured to be titled Skyfall is even half as good, we could be seeing a very interesting Bond film indeed.
Redbrick
Film 19
21st October redbrickpaper.co.uk
Reviews
Contagion
The Help
Sarah Coe
relevant to the storyline. Illness, parenting issues, misogyny and
Director: Tate Taylor
tion adequate to make the audience truly concerned.
Octavia Spencer Beth Ditzel
apocalyptic horror than a thriller; a race against time to beat nature at its own game. The average person touches
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Contagion starts with a cough. Beth an airport coughing, en route to
watch as the camera constantly lingers over what each character is burgh intercuts these scenes with
and dies in hospital. From here but is a highly realistic take on
virus spreads and the body count quadruples. Although an ensemble cast is star-studded, the actors rarely come into contact with one another; each has their own story as
husband; the everyman bystander cure, contrasting a human villain onist. Science takes centre stage as
contain the virus. Soderbergh has created nightmare: Contagion
a -
The Help best-selling novel written by Kathaspiring young journalist, Eugenia she works to expose the treatment class society.
where the panic that accompanies
is portrayed through highly emotional moving scenes, and reveals the twisted relationships between
disease. A chilling and convincing -
employers. However, the same cannot be said about the social exclass young white woman, a mea-
near anyone with a cold. !
!
!
!
denied but her character is a little too idealised in this otherwise reladuces humour and pain through which results in a heart-warming story. ous irrelevant subplots would have ism. This subject has been covered
that The Help is both moving and -
attention is given to her potential husband that his actions seem ir-
!
!
!
Two Redbrick
JustiďŹ ed
like when the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released in the late
Jamie Kershaw
of The Lion King made
goers so much recently as the in-
-
-
happened, and now a much wider audience can be exposed to some
down, and so when Disney opted to create these 3D conversions,
this is such a good thing. Firstly, whilst so many 3D The Lion King was visually stunning but also subtle, enhancing the animation to without adding tacky touches like things appearing to come at the audience. Those who argue that the extras are right, but is that any reason to shun having visuals having your cake and eating it too, and with The Lion King 3D million worldwide, clearly
Fact: The 3D re-release
all time. timeless classics, and so surely the chance to see them again on the big screen, looking so mouthwateringly good, should be celebrated not criticised.
week of US release.
UnjustiďŹ ed Aisha Bushby
3D technology is just the next step on the cinematic ladder, however, I am not sure I buy into it just yet.
all. It seems that companies are keen to gain without taking t h e con-
Avatar, the execution could use with some work. In my opinion, as it stands, 3D is overrated and underdeveloped. Now Disney has jumped on the band wagon, remaking some The Lion King, which grossed ÂŁ2.8 million across the UK upon its cinmations makes me slightly sceptical about their motives. However, I can keep my cyniDisney creation, released in 1994, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will am disappointed in Disney. Over Snow White, re-
Is it just me or are Disney is not broken? lion pound giant; are Disney
cinemagoers who have never seen these classics
Somewhere along the line, it to the money.
20 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Life&Style
Redbrick
21st October 2011
Fierce & Finished
Designer to High Street: Miranda Kerr Instead, she was giving a master class in the 'model off duty' look, a combination of simplicity, sleek lines with a touch of glamour and edge. Although the price tag of
Topshop for an extensive and quality selection of cream shirts. The sequinned collars and sleeves add subtle glamour. Leather trousers are state-
the thousands, lucky for us, the
www.stylebistro.com Vicky Gardiner Writer
Miranda Kerr seems to have it all. A-list actor husband, a bouncing bambino and reign as one of the major high fashion supermodels of the moment. This Secret Angel has certainly come a long way. Autumn/Winter 2011 was another busy fashion week season for Miranda. However, when travelling between shows of the likes of top designers such as Stella McCartney and Chanel, she wasn't doing it in the comfort
Tweets of the Week Calvin klein dinner in London. Am opposite yasmin Lebon and Frida pinto and Natalia vod. If that doesn't make you want a face lift ...
@FrankieTheSats Francesca Sandford
Watching camp rock 2 lol. Yes I'm 12 years old
@Lord_Voldemort7 The Dark Lord Happy Birthday Eminem. I hope
all the ones who are just imitating. Polyjuice potion can be a bitch...
Contostavlos
Im being really grotty 2nit & having a kebab! Aaah u only live once
@Lord_Sugar Lord Sugar
Off to meet the press now to launch Young (Junior) Apprentice .Starts 24th October BBC 1 at 9pm. Great inspiration to young people
@Harvey_Nichols Harvey Nichols
ing very inspired
purchased with the approach that quality is of optimum importance. You might, therefore, have to spend a little more money but in return you are making an investment, as they can be kept and worn year after year. However, they should come with a warning label: if you wear these trousers, you will stand out from the crowd. leather trousers can be a great by switching them in for your regular black jeans or leggings.
you to indulge yourself in a bit of designer without having to take out another student loan to cover it. Michael Kors heeled pumps are great for cocktails in Brindley Place. However, the ensemble has the potential to be dressed down for campus also, by adding a simple pair or brogues or pumps. student budget equivalent to Kerr's modern city satchel from Zara. Attention to detail on the high street this season will ensure you keep up with the highfashion elite.
-
@ELLEmagazine ELLE Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' is made by Tiffany & Co.
Esther Newman Writer
Carb: the food group that brings shivers to the spine of any dieter; the antichrist to anyone watching their weight. Or so we thought. Recent research has found that the once rejected food group/food pariah must no longer be dodged. Without turning this article into a lecture, as I am certainly not up on the science of nutrition, recent research has found a substantial link between low carb intake and depression. The basic science of the theory reveals a relationship between a diet low in carbohydrates and lower levels of serotonin in the brain. Doughnuts really do make you happy! Eating starches and sweets in the form of carbohydrates allows your brain to
So as the winter draws in, we leave summer as a distant memory, so too can we forget those
regulate the 'happy' chemical. No wonder then, that it has been reported those with a low carb intake describe abnormally high feelings of anger, irritation and tension, hence the nickname 'the Atkins' attitude'. To be honest, anyone depriving themselves of delicious carbodescribe such an attitude, even without knowing the science behind it? The constant longing for a spongy, doughy sweet snack or a is reason enough for anyone to be irritated. Whether the science has proven a link between lacking carbs and depression, it seems to me that forbidding yourself the delights of cake, bread and pasta is sure to hamper your happiness. Introducing then 'The Carblover's Diet'. Featured on ELLE online this month and as a New York Times bestseller it must be doing something right.
Rosie Collins Writer
Shopnastygal.com: Seriously badass clothing website from the States, I love the leopard print wedges on sale! Handy tip: friends to split the cost of shipping. Kelly Rowland, style queen: Without a doubt overshadowing Tulisa on this series of The X Factor, we love a woman who pushes the fashion boundaries. TOWIE's Gemma: For admitting just how miserable nitely not worth getting depressed about. We love you just the way you are Gemma! Oasis: The new season's fur-trimmed military coats and sequin knits are just to die for. With 20% off for students, treat yourself to a nice investment for winter. Takeaways after a night out: They may be really bad for you, but those cheesy chips are just too hard to resist. Plus, it's likely to ease the hangover the next day – win win! Making lists: The only way to survive the mounting stress of a second year work load.
The'Atkins Attitude'
@TeleFashion Telegraph Fashion
Just went to the Postmodernism exhibit and The House of Annie Lennox at the @V_and_A Both
Unfortunately, leather is one of those materials that if you buy cheap, it will in effect look cheap. One of the best high street versions I have come across is produced by a brand renowned for its skilful crafting of leather: All Saints Although their leather trousers are pretty expensive (£295), if you have got the money to splurge, you won't regret it. For a slightly more budget pair of skinnies (without skimping on quality), try ASOS soft leather trousers, costing £100. In terms of the shoes, there
for a fraction of the price. The reason this monochrome the minimalistic approach to accessorising, keeping it simple with a pair of black shades and hair pulled back into a neat bun. When it comes to the long sleeved shirt, the key is to keep the embellishments to a minimum and let the luxurious fabric of the piece speak for itself. Miss Selridge have a gorgeous c r e a m long line shirt this season, retailing at only £35. A s an alternative for an e v e n i n g look, t r y
Fierce
It lays down carbs as the foundation of its mantra – a mantra women everywhere have been waiting for forever. Now the science behind it is of course very complex, but a diet that allows for an intake of more than leaves and water – you've got me listening! So as the winter draws in and we leave summer as a distant memory, so too can we forget those a cupcake and a day in the library actually will be made better by a big bowl of noodles. Surely we can't deny the facts of science?! So eat that last piece of cake come on, its not that bad for you, you'll be happy you did.
Finished Vicky Gardiner Writer
Blackberry failing: I want to pretend I can live without BBM for 4 days, however, the scratches and bruises on my phone say otherwise. Katie Price giving a talk at University of Oxford Union: I'm looking forward to 2013's new module choices: Fake tanning and the techniques of eye lash extension. Advent calendars in the shops since August: I know we complain about it every year but seriously, who is buying them?! Rumours of Beyonce's fake baby bump: The prospect of our beloved Beyonce lying to us is just too much to bear thinking about. X Factor's Kitty Brucknell: possessed eyes. And last time I checked this was a singing not a shouting competition. Boys who wear head to toe AllSaints: Low cut t-shirts, ultra skinny scarves, assorted chains and £300 oil stained jeans. You know who you are... Facebook Rape: IT'S NOT FUNNY ANY MORE. And breathe...
Redbrick
Editors – Sophie Cowling & Lara Edwards
Frankly Co-crazy X Factor Styling Rosie Sharratt Online Food and Life&Style Editor
They are going to make you famous. To prove it, they'll dress you up as a caricature of yourself, surround you with scantily clad backing dancers and announce your name in a comically booming voice. On the nations favourite talent contest, contestants are poked and prodded, groomed and glossed until their mentors decide they're good enough to stand up to the spotlights. Then it's time to face the music… but how many of the contestants are ready? the season was Miss Amelia Lily – only sixteen, but rocking the crowds in short, tight leather and her blonde-turned-bubblegum show, Amelia must return to her pre-X Factor life, with little more than fading pink locks and slight Miami sunburn. Gary's new favourite toy, Frankie Cocozza, has had no expense spared (except a haircut. ..And a wash) in marketing him to the country's teenage girls, not that he needs any help. As Mr Barlow relives his youth through the tattooed charmer, Frankie knows fame will bring him even more attention from the ladies.
With over 60 conquests under his belt no-one could call him shy, but is he prepared for the scrutiny and criticism that comes alongside showbiz? Upon recently returning to his hometown of Brighton, Frankie was greeted by crowds screaming 'Everybody hates you'. Beneath his trademark toushaken. Finally, the shyest member Janet Devlin. She might have what it takes to succeed vocally, but with all the pressure and paparazzi, what's to stop the Irish drowning in the But it's not all doom, gloom and rehab predictions – this year's new judges are a welcome change. Gary may be a little smug like Simon, but seems sincerely interested in his group of competitors. Seeing dollar signs
light up Mr Cowell's eyes when he spotted a potentially lucrative act and calculating. Kelly Rowland has replaced Cheryl as the women of Britain's dream best friend, and it's easy to imagine Tulisa making a night out one to remember – getting the drinks in, dancing on tables, and perhaps getting a bit cheeky with the bouncers. Louis remains, seemingly bumbling but undeniably successful, to keep light-hearted comedy in the competition. Like many career choices, becoming a pop star requires hard work, commitment and determination. However, not that many jobs include sexing yourself up into a mediasavvy brand, and potentially completely transforming yourself and the way you look. But then how many accountants get to have thousands of fans screaming their name? It's not without its glamour, but the fame game is a dangerous one, and I'm not sure all of the contestants are ready to play.
Campus Street Style Writers
Anonymous Columnist
Vicky, a 3rd year English literature and creative writing student, makes the perfect trans-seasonal style statement. By combining winter essentials, a black vintage cardigan and lace up black boots, with a gorgeous summer playsuit she has tumn weather is changeable. ASOS adds glamour and brings her chic black colour palette together. Her large vintage cardigan allows just enough of her playsuits print to pop through, and the length. Combine this all with Vicky's fresh face and breezy summertime wavy hair, she has a polished 'glammed-up' campus statement.
surisburnbook.tumblr.com
Sarah Musgrove
April Shacklock
Editorial Assistant
Writer
static.igossip.com/photos 'aesthetic' talents (I'm sure if I looked like her, I'd be on my way to a few platinum albums, too). Nevertheless she has made artistic leaps and bounds that have taken her beyond of her 'bootylicious' beginnings and elevated her performance to a whole new level. The music she produces is unique, the voice is unquestionable, and her videos are wells of inspiration. The video to her latest single, 'Countdown', is crafted with unpredictable references to Belgian ballet 'Rosas Danst Rosas', Audrey Hepburn's 'Funny Face', Brigitte Bardot, 'Flashdance', Andy Warhol, Dianna Ross… A brave selection of creative frameworks that push Beyoncé past reams of uninspired, been-theredone-that performers. I have not been able to stop watching
this video. Please. Jump to YouTube, right now. Some may think it's too far to consider Beyoncé iconoclastic. However, a strong and thoughtful singer is better role model matewe watch, subsisting on careers of reality television appearances. will denounce being 'grounded', and believing in strength of character and independence, few will walk the walk so adamantly as Beyoncé does. Admittedly, she was born with an (almost unfair) amount of talent – however, she could not have achieved the test-of-time career that she has without sheer hard graft and principles of steel. B e y o n c é wants to run the world? I'd more than happily see her elected.
The Date Doctor
Sadie Palmer and Esther Newman
Suri's Burn Blog:
Queen Bee: Style Icon Today, I'd like to debate the worthiness of Beyoncé as a class-act female icon of 2011. Is she merely a sexy singer who shakes her sexy thing? Or is she (steady yourselves) the pinnacle of womanhood? My excitement is all in lieu of recent events – namely the spectacular unveiling of her baby bump at the VMAs. After an energetic, hair-whipping performance, the glittering tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned to reveal her well-kept secret. I love a woman with a plan. It was during an interview with Piers Morgan that Beyoncé declared 'I always said I would have a baby at 30.' This was quickly followed up with 'but I also said I was going to retire at 30…I am not retiring, I tell you.' A woman who plans her future and sets her sights starchily on that vision is admirable, to say the least. Here she is, having just turned 30, with a wee Beyoncé-Jay on the way and a career spiralling beyond belief. She has ambition in abundance. Another thing Ms Knowles possesses is discretion. Not once have I read of a Beyoncé and Jay-Z scandal in the papers – and the couple have been together (they married in a private ceremony in 2008 after dating for nearly six years) for a celebrity aeon. The international star does not Tweet, for crying out loud. Whilst this must make her publicity team furious, you cannot help but respect the control she demands over her private life. And all of these reasons are a pittance in comparison with her career path. Yes, she has made her money utilising both vocal and
Life&Style 21
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Beyonce's baby hasn't even been born yet and Suri Cruise has already written in her blog that 'Beyonce's baby is trying to steal my life.' Based on the bitchy scrapbook ri's blog sets out to destroy every other toddler and their parents in Hollywood. Not even her own father, Tom Cruise, has escaped scrutiny, as she posted a video of him dancing and captioned it, 'the most embarrassing thing Tom's done since, like, Tuesday.' blog is written by someone using a pseudonym, but it is undoubtedly one of the funniest blogs to emerge this year. Whether it be cursing Prince William and Kate Middleton's children or questioning the parenting abilities of Nicole Richie, Suri's opinions are feisty and unstoppable. However, the blog isn't all bitchy comments and humiliating pictures of A-list children. We can gain some valuable Suri-style advice. For example we now know to avoid Crocs and graphic-tees at all cost. Suri also explains, 'I can appreciate the occasional use of licensed merchandise, but I think Apple Martin's Hello Kitty bag is rather childish. The whole ensemble is just a little too pedestrian for Everyone knows I only carry my Little Mermaid bag ironically.' So is Suri's heart as black as the diamonds in her $750,000 with green emeralds as Harper Beckham threatens to steal her status as most fashionable tot?
So there is this girl you like, you're not sure where it's going to go but you think she might have potential. You have done the hard work, manned up and managed to secure However, now alarm bells are ringing and you're panicking and thinking, 'where on earth can I take this girl to impress her?' That is where this column comes in; each week I will try to offer a variety of date venues and activities that will have your relationship moving faster than the drinks-to-go man can whip out a lolly. There are some fantastic date venues in and around the Midlands, There are many pubs and dare date to Gunnies really won't cut the mustard in this day and age, even with your nice new yellow card. Head to Raddlebarn road and casually grab a drink at the Country Girl Pub. This rather pleasant establishment feels like a real pub, with a nice decor and slightly more upmarket crowd. The pint prices are towards the upper end but it is the ideal venue for that hit or miss You won't hear any drunken singing, won't get any smashed glass and a trip to the toilets won't leave you feeling like you've just come from the battle of the Somme. They also do an excellent pub quiz but that is for another night, you don't want to intimidate your date too much with your outrageously large array of pub quiz answers just yet. If things are still going swimmingly by this point and they haven't revealed that their ex is a hit up the electric cinema just off New Street station. Now this is no ordinary cinema, it is in fact the oldest working cinema in the whole of the UK and mainstream rom-coms to little ina watch. On the inside it is styled like a cinema from a beautiful bygone age, when people used to visit the pictures in a suit with a top hat. The highlight however is that, as well as normal seats, you can actually rent one of a number of sofas at the back which makes the whole experience remarkably comfortable. There is even a text waiter service which is marvellously novel. You can sit back and enjoy the movoverpriced popcorn, but with a soft cushion and an overpriced glass of wine instead. Hopefully by this point your date has been dazzled by your wit and charm and decided that all they really want is a second date with you. If that is the case then next week we will step it up and aim for the long country walk and picnic idea, if not, and it just seems a bit too much then take them to watch the Lion king in 3D, simply put, it's amazing.
22 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
21st October 2011
Television
Sarah Wheldon reviews Hugh Fearnley – Wittingstall's latest show Read more on www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Anything but angelic: meet the cast of The Fades Charlotte Lytton and Sarah Pullen interview the stars of the hit BBC supernatural thriller
Neil (Johnny Harris) Where have I seen him before?: Johnny was nominated for a BAFTA for his harrowing performance in This is England '86. He has also appeared in the likes of Atonement and Dorian Gray. He says: 'The whole programme is about the balance between fear and faith and which prevails. Neil represents fear – it manifests as aggression or indignation and he always believes he's right: Neil's a warrior. I love being challenged. That particular character, he's so bloody headstrong. He's got this sort of Mr Magoo quality, he's here, he wants to get there... But it's fun to play those guys, if they remind me of myself, I don't know. But I found it fun to play him, particularly running around – you know boys and their toys! With Jack Thorne, there is always scope for a second series, but we'll just have to wait and see.' Creator Jack Thorne says: 'Johnny properly constructs a character, and there's genuinely beautiful detail there, it's the most amazing thing.'
Mac (Daniel Kaluuya) Where have I seen him before?: Posh Kenneth in Skins, and has recently been starring in BBC drama Psychoville.
Paul (Iain de Caestecker)
Anna (Lily Loveless)
Mark (Tom Ellis)
Where have I seen him before?: Rising star Iain has been in the likes of Coronation Street, Lip Service and Taggart.
Where have I seen her before?: Lily is best known for playing the less famous Naomi Campbell in teen drama Skins. She also appeared in supernatural thriller Bedlam on Sky Living.
Where have I seen him before?: Tom is famous for playing love interest Gary in Miranda and being married to ex-Eastender Tamzin Outhwaite.
the sort of guy who would watch The Fades! He's not popular at school but he's happy with that; he doesn't need to wear tight jeans or cool trainers to compromise himself. I do love Mac, though. Acting in stuff like this is the coolest thing in the world. And the action scenes
He says: who Paul was, from the start of the story, and then everything from there is a reaction as the script goes on. He had a lot of the troubles which go along with someone of his age, like with girls, he wasn't very popular in school, things like that. And whereas Mac's quite resigned to that fact, I think Paul yearns for something a bit more. He has that coupled with these crazy visions and nightmares, so that was quite interesting. I really enjoyed taking him on'
being a part of it.'
Creator Jack Thorne says: 'When
Creator Jack Thorne says: 'I'd known Daniel since he was sixteen from working together on Skins. This new role is a brilliant transformation, I think, and I feel very blessed to have him doing what he does. People might say Mac is annoying, but if that is people's real reaction to him, I'm going to stab a ruler through my heart.'
seen quite a few people for that role and we were getting a bit
He says: 'Mac is a really geeky guy who talks too much. He loves Paul and would do anything for him – he reminds me of a loyal dog! He's a proper trooper, he's really
this Scottish lad came in and auditioned, and we all went 'oh, that's who we had in mind all along. That's amazing, that's exactly what we wanted.' He's one of the It becomes infectious.'
She says: 'My character lives in her own little bubble – she thinks she's the queen bee. Towards the end of the series she becomes more rounded and more of a real person. I think she's relatable to people whose most important thing in their life is being popular at school. She also really fears being honest and has no idea how to tell her friends the truth about her. She's one person at school and another underneath it all, which is a common problem. I think young people can really relate to that. I was the biggest loser at school – everyone hated me and my friends! I really like the genre of the supernatural – I think it's a kind of escapism. You've created a world and can do whatever you want with it: it's magical to watch. thing in this that they like. It's so different from Skins, I don't think you can compare the two.'
He says: 'When the opportunity came around for me to be in The Fades I knew I had to do it because it was so different and so out there, and I've been doing a lot of comedies recently. It really reaches into the depths of your emotions which I enjoyed, but it was exhausting. I got to the end of it and was like – I want to do some comedy again now! But the opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone was something you don't get the opportunity to do that much so you have to relish it. The strength of the show is that it doesn't hang on being a horror show – it's believable and it would sell it short to just pin it to one genre. It completely goes against the grain and is so unpredictable. In comedy, it's easy to have a laugh while you're doing it, but with this, sometimes I had to take myself off to a quiet place when we were doing it because it required so much concentration.'
Kyle raises the stakes in new primetime gameshow Cheyenne Bunsie Critic
The newest gameshow to hit screens this month is High Stakes, a game that allows players to win up to £500,000 by using skill, nerve and a variety of clues. High Stakes also signifies the journey of ITV's favourite chav therapist, Jeremy Kyle, into night time, prime time hosting. The show is interesting enough; flashing lights, loud noises, underground bunkers and rules no one quite understands but watches anyway. The only thing missing is a spark. In an already saturated market it's hard to stand out, and equally as hard to tolerate seeing Jeremy Kyle on your screen past midday and without shouting at feckless
teen fathers. Perhaps Kyle can take a leaf out of Phillip Scofield's book. Schofield, silver haired and high pitched, has dominated TV hosting, no matter the day, time or genre. His charisma and charm are a pleasure at any time of day, and this has contributed hugely to his success. From his cheerful exploits with Fern Britton, and later Holly Willoughby on This Morning, to gameshows such as National Lottery Winning Lines, All-Star Mr and Mrs, The Cube and annual addictive cringefest Dancing On Ice; Philip Schofield has become a national treasure and a safe pair of hands guaranteed to keep Britain watching. Eamonn Holmes also greets
Britain in the morning whilst helping them win money every Saturday night on The National Lottery. Bradley Walsh is another TV chameleon; acting in Coronation Street and Law and Order UK as well as hosting tea time gameshow The Chase. The trend here is smiley faced likeability (cheeky chappy in Walsh's case). But this is certainly not Kyle's forte, and it is hard to distinguish him from the hard faced image that shot him to fame in the first place. Kyle is much more personable on High Stakes than his early morning slot, yet has the problem of being typecast as Mr Nasty; if a show was to change and adapt this image, it isn't going to be High Stakes.
Redbrick
Editors – Charlotte Lytton & James Moore
TV News
Phillippe has announced he will be joining the cast of legal drama Damages.
Television 23
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
After the death of Aidan Turner's character last season, Damien Molony has been revealed as his replacement in Being Human.
The Only Way is Essex's Maria Fowler is facing the axe following allegations that she used to work as an escort.
The Price of fame – is Jordan past her sell-by date? Charlotte Goodwin says doing great
Sarah Wheldon says out-of-date
From life as a page-3 model, rising to fame through her jungle antics and documentaries, and then as a multi-millionaire business woman, Katie Price has found herself in the top 10 female entrepreneurs this year. Many have lambasted her attempts to be taken seriously after years of baring all in the red tops, but she has proven that a leopard really can change its spots. True, Katie Price has made money from her looks, but she's expanded on her celebrity status and written nine books, created a beauty line and even attempted singing. 'Katie Price' is now an established brand, and cannot be accused of being a vacuous nobody like so many others who crave fame. She's also not naïve to the fact she only has limited time in the public eye. Why should she not
Rumour has it that desperate Katie Price's new show, Signed by Katie Price, is already facing the axe from Sky Living. After 10 years as the star of trashy television, the glamour model's latest business venture has proven to be a massive disappointment, pulling in only a pathetic 130,000 viewers – not exactly the hit producers had in mind. Katie's offer of a 'golden ticket' to stardom hardly had hopefuls queuing around the block either, with participation
milk her celebrity status for all it's worth? The 33-year-old has worked hard on her brand for over 17 years. She's sold calendars, raised TV viewcolumns – not to mention actually publishing her own magazine! She's now used her success to turn her hand to talent management. Signed by Katie Price follows her search for a model that she can turn into a brand, like herself. This show has proven how big she still is; with over 10,000 people applying. With airspace so valuable, 'Pricey' has proved not only is there still interest in her career from TV executives, but that she is still popular with the masses as well.
Beth Richardson
expected. Participants were clearly confused as to the overall aim of the contest: whilst Katie claimed to want shrewd business skills, the only thing she was interested in was getting them to strip, hardly a
move away from her tired image of a glamour model. With this badly thought out concept, the show is more propaganda for this insufferable woman who still lingers like a bad smell (it's probably her perfume). To be the judge of a talent competition is a joke, Katie's only talent is not knowing when to call it a day. So far we've had books, clothing lines, documentaries and now a magawith her face. It is quite clear that the public have fallen out of love with her since her split from Peter Andre, and pushing her way onto our screens is not helping things. might signal the end for Katie's relentless experimenting and maybe her career. Let's just pray she doesn't take up the singing again.
Reviews: Your guide to the week's shows The Love Bus Claire Kelvin Critic
TV nowadays is saturated with dating shows. Gone are the days of Cilla Black sending couples abroad; now we have bachelorettes and people getting to know each other in the dark. Channel 5's answer is The Love Bus where former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon takes on the role of both cupid and a bus conductor. Singletons travel on the bus around their local area, pick
Have I Got News For You Alex Bentley Critic
Jo Brand kicks off the 42nd series of this panel show which pithily lampoons the week's news. Writers Victoria Coren and Graham Linehan join Merton and Hislop With subtler humour than its panel show counterparts, HIGNFY never fails to deliver.
The Secret Millionaire Russell Webb Critic
The Secret Millionaire is back; the show that puts a heart-warming smile on every viewer's face. The premise is simple and self explanatory from the title: take one undercover millionaire, place them in a deprived area and hey presto, Channel 4 have a hit show. The ninth series sees Adee Phelan, millionaire hairdresser to the stars, visit seriously impov-
up dates and must decide before the next stop whether to keep them on or swap them. Sergio confesses he's 'dated a lot of psychos' – however, the Love Bus is probably not the right place ters a Lady Gaga impressionist and then a girl claiming to be Britain's youngest psychic. Though it's unclear how contacting your date's deceased family is romantic, Sergio seems happy. He settles for a girl who dances to impress – the prize being a swanky dinner courtesy of Channel 5. The short straw paying for this show.
Whether discussing MP's expenses or corruption, the wit comes fast and furious. This is partly due to the chemistry between Hislop and Merton; who bounce off one another like the best of double acts, but also due to the superb choice of guests each week. Whether you're looking for topical humour, or a succinct, hilarious way of keeping up with the news, HIGNFY has got what you're looking for, delivered via a strange quip from Paul Merton or a libellous comment from Ian Hislop.
erished parts of Essex rife with crime. Adee sees local charities that have struggled for funding for years. He then reveals he is not the average Joe that everyone thought and multiplies their funding nine times with a single cheque. The programme demonstrates that those with money aren't simkeep it all stashed away in bank vaults. In fact, most are willing to help their fellow man, especially when it becomes clear to them just how desperate some people's situations really are. The show certainly restores one's faith in humanity.
Reality TV moments Hannah Lloyd-Davies Critic
5. Jedi Jim addressing Lord Sugar as simply 'Sugar' on the last series of The Apprentice. The icy glare that followed this slip up made for a truly hilarious moment. 4. Chico thrashing about in Sharon Osbourne's pool during his performance at the judges houses on the second series of The X Factor. The moment the infamous 'joke act' was born. 3. The public repeatedly voting for John Sergeant on series 6 of Strictly Come Dancing. This showed the British public's love of an underdog. Or the idea of ruining a BBC institution, whichever way you want to look at it. 2. George Galloway pretending to be a cat on Celebrity Big Brother. He will never again be taken seriously as a politician after producing one of the cringiest, most gag-inducing moments in Big Brother history. 1. on Britain's Got Talent. Her extraordinary voice left worldwide audiences astounded and taught us all never to judge a book by its cover. Now we are much more cautious before writing off reality show contestants that look like they've come from crazy town (that's you Kitty Brucknell!).
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Redbrick
21st October 2011
redbrickpaper.co.uk
Sport
Hockey Special Find out how the men and women's
Rowing club prepared for year Redbrick Sport writer James Campbell caught up with members of the University of Birmingham When walking around campus you
The men's senior eight on the way to winning the Reading Regatta this year, something the club will hope to build upon minute drive from campus and in the coming months the boathouse is due for a £75,000 overhaul. Last year the club acquired a new head coach, Richard Poole. Before moving to Birmingham Poole was a coach at the University of Bristol where his greatest achievement, in his opinion ‘was having beginners go on to win national events and compete internationally within 18 months of starting rowing.’ In a separate interview with rowing captain James Manhas brought to the club. ‘Over the last six months the club has made
The Week In Numbers It took just 27 seconds for Robin Van Persie to score on Sunday, the fastest Premier League goal in Arsenal's history. England's charismatic batsman Kevin Pietersen has just scored just two half-centuries in his last 28 ODI's, a worrying dip in form.
50,000
After guiding Cirrus Des Aigles to victory in Ascot's Champion Stakes, Britain's richest race, jockey Christophe Soumillion was con-
£50,000 winnings for using his whip one more time than the new regulations allow.
24
Andy Murray has won 24 out of his last 25 following his victory over David Ferrer in the Shanghai Masters, his third title victory in a row which saw him move up to third in the world rankings, leapfrogging Roger Federer.
of our main priorities is achieving success in next years BUCS (British University & College Sports) championships in May. We should hopefully be looking to win a few medals, building on the successes
from last year.’ For some of the more senior members of the team, this weekend marks the beginning of the Lonergan and Mark Jinks, are all pushing to get into the Great Britain under 23’s squad for the World Championships next year. Italian newcomer to the club Andrea Ferazzo will also be aiming for success in the lightweight singles. Feyear in Birmingham, has been part of the Italian national under 18’s squad and is looking to build upon
The Week In Quotes 'Daniel was born to be a racer and left us doing what he loved to do. He was a true champion and a gentleman on and off the track.'
Tony Wheldon, father of Dan, pays tribute to the British motor-racing star who was tragically killed in the Las Vegas Indy 300.
'We just feel like the destiny of the result was taken out of our hands with the red card. I feel let down, I thought this team be. '
Wales coach Warren Gatland was understandably devastated after
'He’s a horse in a lifetime. I'm enjoying it for the moment- everyone is. I don't think I will ever ride a horse like this again.' Tom Queally gives the highest praise to 'superhorse' Frankel following their Queen Elizabeth II Stakes win on Champions Day.
'I still rise above it and I think that's the key. Every human being has tough times and I just keep my head down.'
his previous successes in Birmingham. Finally, when asking Brown how he managed balancing the early morning starts with university work and being able to maintain a decent social life, he replied, ‘Rowing becomes your social life, it gets you up in the morning and adds structure to your day. You rarely get a lie in but it’s a case of what you put in you will get out.’ With a good structure in place, the rowing club can go from strength to strength this year, and Redbrick Sport wishes them the best of luck over the winter.
The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Which team in 1954 set an unbroken record by scoring 27 goals in a single World Cup? 2) Before this week, which year represents the last time that tennis icon Roger Federer was out of the top three in the world rankings? 3) How many World Darts Championships has Phil Taylor won? 4) Which Kenyan ran the fastest ever London Marathon time in 2011? 5) Before Stuart Broad, who was the last England cricketer to take a hat-trick in a test match?
Lewis Hamilton responded to recent criticism with an impressive
Mutai 5, Ryan
27 2
some big steps. Richard has made some huge changes in the club’s structure, making it a lot more professional. The club has signed up over 300 members and novice training sessions will regularly attract over 80 people.’ Looking forward to the year siastic about the prospects for the
1, Hungary 2, 2003 3, 15 4, Emmanuel Sidebottom
someone wearing a University Of Birmingham sport item of clothing. The sport culture in Birmingham is massive, and sometimes it is easy to forget about the amount of hard work and dedication our athletes put in to get them to where they are. The commitment to sport at the university is epitomised no better than by the members of the rowing club. The University of Birmingham Rowing Club is one of the biggest sports clubs at the University. I talked to Doug Brown, who said: ‘This year we have one of the biggest squads in a number of years, our novice squad alone has around 80 members. A bigger development squad means a better choice of rowers and when they are ready, they will start to become incorporated into senior boats’. Third year Geography student Brown started rowing with the club at the start of his second year and is now a member of the senior squad. ‘We like to gradually ease our novice rowers into a training routine. While the seniors will train maybe once or twice a day, the novices will start out on maybe one or two sessions a week and build from there.’ On paper the training routine for the senior squad looks very daunting. ‘Typically our week will start off with a 6.30am spinning recovery session from the weekend, then there is a different early morning session every weekday. On a Wednesday afternoon, and on the weekends we get in the car and head down to our boat house in Worcester to row on the water.’ The club has two main bases, on the River Severn in Worcester and on the Edgbaston Reservoir. ‘The reservoir is used initially by the development squad to get a feel for the water, they will then move down to Worcester after Christmas.’ The Worcester facilities are about a 45-
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Redbrick Phillips
James
Tom Flathers -
Women's Lacrosse
Birmingham 1sts
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Warwick 1sts
1
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Josh Hunt
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Women's Rugby Union
Birmingham 1sts
45
ShefďŹ eld 1sts
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26 Sport
Redbrick
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Sport Shorts Women's Hockey
Birmingham 1sts
3
Nottingham 1sts
3
was left unmarked at the back post to beat keeper Amy Jones low to her left. The pressure was now on and Birmingham couldn’t return to the becoming more frequent. Nottingham’s second goal came four minutes later, courtesy of a solo effort
Felix Keith Sport Reporter
team were held to a 3-3 draw by dered a 3-0 lead. From a seemingly commanding position, the opposition’s pressure told as the home team conceded three goals in the second half. Before the match coach Phil Gooderham was well aware of the challenge that the opposition
defenders before scoring low at the near post. The opposition were now in the ascendancy, forcing mistakes by pressing high up the pitch. The last goal had an element of fortune about it as a shot from a ing the keeper with no chance. The last ten minutes was a play, epitomised by Birmingham’s mistake on their last penalty corner, where the strike was mishit.
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clear which team was happier with the point gained. At the end of the match Gooderham admitted he The game started at a ferocious pace with both teams show-
been 3-0 up’ and conceded that his David Greenwood
two free hits in their opponents half. Soon this possession was
had no answer to Birmingham’s lead was doubled when a break away down the left hand side was
Men's Hockey
Birmingham 1sts
3
Sheffield Hallam 1sts 2 James Newbon
keeper. Nottingham’s only chances in failed to make them count, with the Birmingham defence standing strong. The home side established their dominance once more through good use of the ball and some dangerous penalty corner
erted and a score line of 2-0. After half time normal ser-
Ironman Winner
Alumna Chrissie Wellington last week won the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championships, this her fourth time winning the title lington had a bad bike crash two weeks before the competition, disrupting her buildup but still managed to retain the crown. The 34year-old completed the gruelling race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run in 8 hours, 55 minutes and 8 seconds, an incredible effort.
First squash match
Back in the Premier League after a of Birmingham Sport team plays
number one Nick Mathew and the match starts at 7pm at the Munrow Sports Centre, tickets are £2.50 for students and refreshsupport the team and watch some world class squash!
Penalty Corner Conversion Rate
Other Results and
a third Birmingham goal coming promptly; Alice Sharp with a skilful run before Becky Slater struck
Birmingham 0/6
turning point came two minutes later, when against the run of play the away team scored. The ball
Nottingham 1/4
This week's results:
Golf 1sts won 4.5-1.5 against UCLAN 1sts
sloppy Birmingham defending, got back into the game through a goal from Mike Shaw, who hammered the ball down the middle from a penalty corner. Birmingham responded to this setback and created two chances of their own. Byas shot wide af-
Sport Reporter
team were made to work hard to 2-0 at half time, Birmingham were pushed close in the second half to take the game 3-2. utes, Birmingham began to dominate proceedings and were rewarded with a penalty corner on 24 minutes. Captain Pete Jackson insertion with the help of control mingham a 1-0 lead. Shortly after Jackson scored again in almost identical fashion. control from Byas’s penalty corner,
right between Penny, Ben Stoney -
Stoney intercepted the ball and kept a cool head to slot home past the keeper and restore the two goal gap between the sides.
Nottingham 1sts
chester 1sts
got to within touching distance, as Shaw found the back of the net from a rebound after the initial shot from a penalty corner had been blocked. Both sides then had chances in for Birmingham and Phil Roper for
possession. If Birmingham had thought the second half would be as com-
penalty corner, but this time cap-
shot wide from a penalty corner.
Men's Rugby Union vs Manchester 1sts
come to nothing, Birmingham were not about to let a third pass up. Capitalising on some poor
in and put Birmingham 2-0 ahead. The hosts comfortably closed out
for a shock. Shortly after the restart
Game of the week:
George Ratcliffe.
1sts Metchley 2pm Trent 1sts Bournbrook 2.30pm
target. Birmingham had the chance Millie Guy
harmlessly wide. Jackson’s effort with a 3-2 win for the hosts. Before the game Birmingham
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fact they’re newly promoted won’t was disappointed with how hard
result’ and his team can go home
sloppy second half and missed
league campaign with a win.
1sts Munrow New Gym 7.30pm Birmingham 2nds Munrow New Gym 4.30pm
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Redbrick
This week in... Five years ago, West Ham United began serious negotiations about a £75 million takeover of the Olympic stadium. The Hammers now have to start this process all over again if they still want to play there after their bid fell through last week. Just weeks after losing to him in straight sets in the US Open, Andy Murray beat Roger Federer in the then went on to beat Gilles Simon ters title.
Couldn't make it up It took Fauja Singh eight hours, ish the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to become the world’s oldest marathon runner at the age of 100. Living in Britain, Singh runs ten miles a day and puts his stamina down to curry and tea. Mario Balotelli has stepped forward and offered to organise Manchester City’s Christmas party. Let’s hope that the Italian uses a board to throw his darts at this time rather than youth team players.
Sport 27
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Heroes...
This week on the Redbrick website... The tennis calendar The Wednesday debate this week discusses the rigours of the tennis calendar, and whether demands placed on the top players are too much. Seth Armstrong-Twigg argues that the demands are too heavy, while Frankie Conway defends the system.
Wayne Rooney The incident on everyone's lips at the moment is Wayne Rooney's red card against Montenegro to rule him out of the Euro 2012 group stage, and Josh Reynolds argues that this should mean he shouldn't be taken on the plane.
Where are they now?
Robin van Persie
David Haye Raphael Sheridan discusses the legacy of boxer David Haye after he called time on a career that contained some notable highs, but will ultimately be remembered for his inability to turn words into action against Wladimir Klitschko.
Classic Goal...
Weekend Wager Wigan to be relegated
A brute of a batsman, Matthew Hayden has been active since retiring. The former Aussie opener has had two cookbooks published in his homeland, has hosted a sixepisode lifestyle TV show and has started his own company which encourages people to choose an outdoor life.
Without a league win since August, and playing Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in that crucial christmas period, things are looking extremely bleak for Wigan. Roberto Martinez won't be able to keep this poor squad up, lay them now at evens with some bookies, your money should be safe.
Youtube search: Rivaldo vs In 2001, Rivaldo scored a hattrick on the last day of the season against Valencia. He saved his best until last as the Brazilian controlled the ball on his chest on the edge of the box and then smashed it into the bottom corner with an incredible bicycle kick. This gave Barcelona a last minute 3-2 win to secure a Champions League place.
A Hero Remembered
Club in Focus... Birmingham University Racing Society
Dan Wheldon died at the young age of 33 on lap 11 of the Indy 500 in Las Vegas last weekend. After concerns were raised about the safety of the track, 15 out of the 34 cars were involved in the crash which lead to the death of the British driver. Have a read of Blayne Pereira's tribute to Wheldon's career on our website.
A new society formed this year, the Racing Society organises trips to the races for students at discounted prices, as well as other events such as tipster competitions and stable tours. The launch trip to Cheltenham last week was a great success, and the society met and had a picture with superstar jockey Tony McCoy (right). Contact: http://www.facebook.com/#!/ groups/birminghamracingsoc/ Twitter: @BURacingSoc
The Redbrick Crossword
Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor
This week's prize is a £5 Waterstones Gift Voucher
Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword into the Redbrick office. Name:
Course:
Year: Email Address:
Phone Number:
Across 1. I wondered (anag.) (9) 8. Molten rock (4) 9. Soft drink, often served with alcohol (6, 3) 10. See 19 13. Negative; drawback (5) 15. River; online retailer (6) 16. Remember (6) 17. Plant which has an intoxicating effect on felines (6) 19/10. Part of a clock; previously used (6, 4) 20. See 21 21/20. British band who wrote The Dark Side of the Moon (4, 5) 24. Advice column author (5, 4) 25. Hiding place (4) 26. To quench one's thirst (9)
Down 2. Wading bird which was wor-
shipped in Ancient Egypt (4) 3. Brink (4) 4. Scientist who first proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection (6) 5. Name of main character in Charlotte's Web (6) 6. Pacific islands which helped inspire the work of 4 down (9) 7. Natural disaster; overwhelming electoral victory (9) 11. 13th century explorer (5, 4) 12. The ____ _____ Company, historic international traders (4, 5) 13. Recurring theme (5) 14. Embroidered; planted seeds (5) 18. Disease; harass (6) 19. Australian city (6) 22. Impartial; carnival (4) 23. Unit of speed (nautical) (4)
A brace in Arsenal’s weekend game against Sunderland gave his team a timely boost. The captain scored a goal after just 29 seconds, hit the post with an audacious chip and won the game with a superb late free-kick.
Tom Lewis
On only his third tournament since turning professional, Tom Lewis won his maiden title at the Portugal Masters. It took Tiger Woods
Frankel reputation with an imperious display at Ascot last weekend to win the Queen Elizabeth II. The horse of legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil kicked clear of the sult never looked in doubt, marking a the unbeaten colt.
and Villains... Alain Rolland
Referee Alain Rolland sent Wales captain Sam Warburton off for what was deemed a dangerous tie against France. The tackle was no more than a sin-bin offence, and playing with a man less for three quarters of the match ultimately proved the plucky Welsh.
Francois Modesto In an attempt to detract attention from himself after faking a dive, the Olympiakos defender pulled his opponents shorts down. AEK Athens' centre-half Cala was on the receiving end of Modesto's unusual diversion tactics, but the defender eventually got sent off later in the game.
12_3_4_5_=6=7 =_=_=_=_=8___ 9________=_=_ =_=_=_=_=0___ a=b=c___d=_=_ e_____=f_____ _=_=_===_=_=_ g____h=i_____ _=_=j____=_=_ k___=_=_=l=m= _=_=n________ o___=_=_=_=_= _=_=p________
28 Sport
Redbrick
21st October 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Sport
Birmingham Rowers Turn to p24 for an exclusive feature on Birmingham's rowing squad.
Birmingham bemused as Stirling steal win Men's Football
Birmingham Teamsheet
Birmingham 1sts
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Stirling 1sts
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Stuart Mackenzie
Reece Lawrence
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Tony Boto
Tommy Ryan
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Sam Youngs
Charlie Conner
Sport Reporter
Sam Bell
in the late afternoon sunshine saw champions Stirling come from behind to beat hosts Birmingham in a closely fought contest at the Museason between the top two sides in the division promised a display of quality attacking football, yet for the most part it was the two sets of defences, especially Birmingham’s, that were on top. Birmingham’s starting line-up was noticeably different from last season’s as a result of new personnel and injuries to key players. The visitors had beaten them in their last meeting and Birmingham were hoping to avenge that defeat, single point behind the Scottish side last season. Speaking before the game, the visiting coach Stevie Burchill said: ‘We couldn’t have asked for a tougher start. They ran us very close last year, and we’re looking at this as our toughest match of the season.’ His opposite number Paul Lewin was upbeat about his team’s chances: ‘I’d be disappointed if we didn’t start right and set the standard for the rest of the season.’ For a large part of the clash he would have been heartened by his side’s robust defending and tireless commitment, until Stirling – having applied much pressure in the second half – made the most of two of their many chances to snatch all three points. Birmingham had gone in front after 37 minutes courtesy of an unstoppable curling shot from the edge of the box by striker Scott Treleaven after good work from captain Mike Wardle. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and for 88 minutes it seemed as if that would be the case, until a goal from substitute Stephen Hoyle and an injury time winner from winger Robert Pearson sank the home side. The game started somewhat slowly, with neither side taking the initiative. Stirling looked to have the majority of the ball in the
Christian Burgess
11 Elliott Suêtt
4 Scott Powell
9 Scott Treleaven
Mike Wardle (c)
Phillips (on for Suett 63’), 14 Farney (on for Wardle 84’). forcing a corner which produced Impressive defender Christian Burgess jumped highest from the delivery but his goalbound header was blocked on the line by a swathe of Stirling players. Two minutes later, the game was given a moment of magic, when Treleaven found himself some space and deliciously bent the ball home right-footed from distance and out of the reach of Stirling stopper Kevin Walker. It lifted the entire team and carried them through to the end of a
commented at full time: ‘That’s football, but you don’t win chamrecover and come back stronger. It was a good team performance.’ Birmingham will hope their future performances will result in wins in their quest for the title.
Both Birmingham and Stirling took
seen forceful attacking play from Stirling. The away side nearly equalised soon after the restart with a bouncing header that bobbled across Birmingham’s goal and struck the outside of a post. Birmingham responded by almost doubling their lead in acrobatic fashion, but Trealeaven’s scissor kick from the edge of the box was well saved by Walker. Chances continued for both sides, the best of which for Birmingham was a powerful left Youngs which left the keeper nervously parrying and juggling the ball. Stirling could have scored a minute later but Emmot Parr-Gallagher met a cross with a side-foot straight at Mackenzie.
arrive, falling to Stirling’s Kieran McCaffrey, who forced a save from Birmingham keeper Stuart Mackenzie low down. Birmingham skipper Wardle showed drive in attack, going on a powerful run soon after which nearly lead to an opening.
efforts by Stirling travel wide and it appeared as if Birmingham would hold on when Mackenzie made a fantastic point blank save from Kyle MacAuley with three minutes left. But it wasn’t too late for the Scots who equalised a minute later as Hoyle’s looping header from close range found its way in. A point apiece seemed a fair result at the time, until the harshest of late twists saw good Stirling
brilliance on the left from Birmingham wide-man Charlie Conner,
er from about eight yards. Lewin
springing forward with pace on the counter-attack. It took nearly half
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INSIDE Turn to page 26 and read Redbrick
Meurig Gallagher