THE WEEKLY EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE
NOVEMBER 2014
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ARE YOU READY FOR THE UR EXPERIENCE?
EDITOR Mark Dwayne editor@streetcredmagazine.com
Editor’s Note
W
SUB EDITOR Gordy Munro PRODUCTION Daniel Riley daniel.riley@streetcredmagazine. com PR & MARKETING Amanda Bowen amanda@streetcredmagazine.com
elcome back to another Street Cred Magazine!
CATCH STREET CRED ON:
Usher has been throwing himself around the stage across If you haven’t already, make sure you America for a few weeks now, and it’s get yourselves down to Swish Cocktail not long before he makes it over here. Bar and Lounge in Dale End, BirmingWe’re so excited for it, and for the UR ham City Centre. album to eventually be released that we thought he deserved the front! Come along and Get Swished! With the crazy snow that has hit the USA, and the possibility of it heading over to us, we’ve been to NEXT to see what we can find to wrap you all up nice and warm to brave the winter. Check out what we found and see if you like what there is!
MDG
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The views expressed in Street Cred magazine are not necessarily the editors opinion so do not try to kill him if you read anything you feel offended by. The magazine is a positive and fun read and is not with the intent to threaten anyone. All images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
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CONTENTS GRIMEY (5-6) - John Legend, Strictly, Blue. Fashion lick (8-11) - Love Miss Daisy
WHITE DEES COLUMN (12)
WHATS ON (18)
COVER STORY (14-15) - Swish Opening
Chantelle’s Spot (21)
Big screen (16)
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GRIMEY NEWS
All Rise As Blue Back On Tour
Say what you will about Blue, but no matter how many times they’ve been knocked down, they always come back stronger.
only strengthened over time. The tabloids have followed their every step from charttopping highs to personal lows.
Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Antony Costa and Duncan James catapulted to fame in 2001 with their Top 5 single ‘All Rise,’ quickly ascending to the top of the charts with three #1 albums, scored highly-respectable collaborations with Elton John and Stevie Wonder, and even represented the UK in 2011 at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Simon has been thrilling viewers on the current season of Strictly Come Dancing, Lee has made a well-publicised appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, Duncan has competed on Dancing On Ice, and Antony has taken tentative steps into the soap opera world, starring in Holby City.
The lads, who are now doting fathers, have grown up before our eyes and their bond has
But in the last year alone, Blue has played over 170 shows and events – and the next 12 months is set to be even bigger.
2015 will see them hitting the screens as they launch their new ITV reality show, following the trials and tribulations of Blue as they attempt to run a bar in Ibiza. Their last album, ‘Roulette,’ saw them collaborate with Grammy-winning producer RedOne, who has crafted global hits for Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. It is set to reignite the band’s signature style of soaring emotional ballads and energetic pop productions. They celebrate the end of a successful 2014, signing with Sony Music. Back in the studio, the loveable foursome will be releasing the much -anticipated albumin March 2015, and are hoping to make waves in the chart. Blue is well and truly back where they belong; Back in the spotlight and ready to embark on their newest musical chapter. ‘All Rise’ for one of Britain’s most talked-about boy bands.
WEDDINGS PARTIES FUNERALS CONFERENCES CHRISTENINGS pbcaribbeancusine@outlook.com 07896 174 219
GRIMEY NEWS
Barbican feature David Sanborn + John Scofield and Jon Cleary Saturday 11 April 2015 Barbican Hall A double bill of fusion, blues and gospel, featuring three heavyweights on the international jazz scene.
born returns to the fiercely grooving electric fusion that defined his blistering live performances through the 80s and 90s.
David Sanborn’s soulful saxophone has been one of the signature sounds in contemporary jazz for some four decades, in a career that’s travelled from James Brown and David Bowie to Jaco Pastorius and Gil Evans, as well as a string of landmark recordings of his own. Following 2013’s sold out Barbican show, San-
The duo of jazz guitar hero John Scofield and vocalist/pianist Jon Cleary – Britborn, but steeped in the deep traditions of New Orleans, takes its cue from Scofield’s Piety Street recording from 2009; a heady mix of blues and gospel flavours inspired by the deep South.
Sinéad O’Connor Monday 13 April 2015 Barbican Hall One of the most iconic Irish artists of her generation, singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor returns to the Barbican with her trademark mix of powerful lyrics and vocals, passionate delivery and vulnerabil-
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ity. With a career spanning over twenty five years, she presents her latest, 10th studio album I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss, which was released last August on Nettwerk Records.
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FASHION LICK
Shaggy faux fur jacket £45
Check Cape £65
Patch faux fur jacket £55
With a bitter chill blowing its way across the sea from america, possibly followed by an impressive amount of snow, make sure that you’re all set for winter with these snuggly
Boucle coat £75
Check coat £70
WHITE DEE’S COLUMN
‘White Dee’s’ Column
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ell, well, well, its been a while since I wrote to you all - but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about you all. So much for a nice quiet relaxing summer holiday with the kids - you will never guess where I ended up?
6 months ago, I would never ever have thought I would be sharing a house with Olympic Gold Medal winner Audley Harrison, never mind having him make me a cup of tea and bringing it to me in bed haha.
ham, keeping it real and not putting up with the many a diva strop some of the housemates were having.
In all reality I personally didn’t What a complete and think I would last utter surreal situation, a week, never dance lessons from mind making it 1 wrong turn on the mo- James Jordan, Strictly to the final, where I came torway and I landed at Come Dancing, and having 5th and was the last the Celebrity Big Brother an argument with the infa- woman standing - totally House, and as I consider mous Gary Busey - Oscar overwhelming situation myself as a non celebrity Nominated Actor, and he- and I would like to thank this was way beyond even res me, Dee from a street the public for all their my belief. in Winson Green, Birming- support and love and best wishes. As amazing as this once in a lifetime opportunity was, the best moment for me had to be walking from that house, and seeing my lovely, amazing dad and knowing how proud he was of me. Then to be reunited with my 2 kids who I can honestly say I will never ever leave again, and then returning to my home - in good old Birmingham. This Monday saw the Conservative Party Conference take over the city of Birmingham for 3 days, and I had the pleasure of being invited to talk from a ‘everyday persons’ perspective on a welfare reform panel.
what I was saying. The government needs to keep it real and be more in touch with the people of the country that do actually matter, considering it is us real people that vote them in. So come on, lets be heard at last and when the time comes, make your vote count. Well to finish off, its so good to be home and back with the amazing people of Brum.
Sitting on a panel made up of MP’s and Council- Until next time - as Ricci lors, the nerves soon went from Geordie shore would away and when I got into say ‘ciao for now’ the flow of talking ‘real talk’ that’s when I realised that Lots of love - Dee x people were actually listening and taking on board
Questions, comments or suggestions for White Dee? Get in touch with her by emailing whitedee@streetcredmagazine.com
Packed with an impressive repertoire of smash hits spanning his 20-year career, the critically-acclaimed showman has been giving his fans a unique experience that only the multi-talented Usher can deliver. His show includes a fresh take on early and recent songs as well as new music from his most recent album. “With The UR Experience, I want to give my fans an everchanging live show full of surp`rises and special guests,” says Usher. “I am really excited to be with my fans and give them an Usher experience like they’ve never seen or heard before.” The UR Experience kicked off in Montreal, Quebec, on Nov. 1 at the Bell Centre and has continued through New York City and Los Angeles, with Chicago, Boston, Vancouver and more still to come, before Usher brings the UR Experience to the UK and Europe .Special guests on the tour include August Alsina and DJ Cassidy.
UR was never meant to be released by this point, much to Ushers fans disappointment. In a recent interview, Usher stated “The record company will be shocked, but I didn’t plan on putting out an album this year because I just didn’t feel like I was ready. This is a very important and significant album for me it’s my eighth album, I don’t know if it’s something about that number.”
“Music, that’s what makes it work. The fact that we have such a love and appreciation for music and melody,” Usher said. “What was most unlikely in theory, was Ed Sheeran, Skrillex and Usher, because how do you make that mixture of people work together? Music. Music gives you a limitless approach, there is nothing that binds you when it’s just about music.”
BIGScreen Also, the decision to confine a large portion of this movie to a tank is a unique and inspired choice. It makes the action more visceral and the stakes much higher, as for every tank that is destroyed, there a five men inside who are destroyed along with it, which serves to make the action set-pieces hair-raising and nail-bitingly intense. Under the glitz and glamour of its big name cast, Fury manages to be one of the most unique World War II movies ever made.
A
pril, 1945. As the Allied forces make their final push through Europe, a battle-hardened army sergeant, Don “War-daddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman Tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, War-daddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany and end the war, once and for all. Writer/Director David Ayer’s filmography is a mixed bag in terms of overall quality. It is a bag consisting of the simple yet entertaining popcorn flick The Fast and the Furious (2001), Oscar-Winning thriller Training Day (2001), the fantastic yet slightly flawed Crime-Drama End of Watch (2012) and the resoundingly dismal Sabotage (2014) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Sabotage is Ayer’s only genuinely bad film, it was enough to cast doubt over his abilities as a filmmaker. However, Ayer has pulled out all the stops here and delivered his best film to date with Fury. It is a war movie that is more about the relationships built by war than the actual war itself. While there is still an abundance of action, it never gets in the way of character and instead serves to accentuate the relationships between these men.
There is no clear separation between right and wrong or good and evil between its characters. This is a film that goes beyond what is expected of a war movie and resists the temptation to portray the American soldiers as pure, clean-cut heroes. They are battle-hardened war veterans who have been both physically and emotionally manipulated and changed by the atrocities they have
Review wORDS by antony brown had to endure every day. For them, war is a lifestyle now. They are so desensitised to the horrific violence that it has become second nature to them and if shooting, stabbing, burning and torturing people is what they need to do to get to where they’re going, they are more than happy to do so. Because of this grim approach to the story, there are points throughout this movie that you will actually dislike the people you are meant to be rooting for; because you witness them do some truly horrible and down-right spiteful things. However, due to the fantastic performances from the lead cast and the comradery they display during battle, you soon find yourself rooting for them once again and laughing along with them as they make fun of one another. Even though they aren’t the heroes we expect in a film like this, we understand why they have become the people they are and we can sympathise with them. Watching Fury is a truly odd and polarizing experience, in the best possible way. It is more than just a movie about World War II; it is a study about how war affects and changes people, which is what makes this movie as engaging and powerful as it is. Fury may not be the best World War II movie ever made, but it is definitely one of the most unique and unapologetically grim depictions of war ever committed to film. With a simple, episodic plot, a cast of fantastic actors, wince-inducing violence and brutally intense action, Fury is an exhilarating yet frighteningly realistic movie about what it’s really like to be on the front line.
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WHATS ON Blitz Kids The Institute, Birmingham 11 December 2014
To complete the best year of their career so far, BLITZ KIDS finish 2014 with a bang and can now be announced as a support band on the December 2014 UK and European Taking back Sunday tour! These are in addition to some European shows with New Found Glory that were announced a couple of weeks ago. From front man Joe: “It’s an honour to be asked to tour alongside a band who basically soundtracked the majority of my teenage years. Taking Back Sunday have been a huge influence on us as musicians and ‘Louder Now’ will always be one of my favourite albums. It’s the perfect end to what has been an incredible year for our band. We also get to hang with our besties Marmozets which is going to be dangerous to say the least. Plus we’ve been writing some new material since our last headline tour so there could be a few surprises in the set!”
Fleetwood Mac Genting Arena, Birmingham 8th June 2015 Cock ‘n’ Bull Gallery Director Rebecca Lidert first experienced Cedar Lewisohn’s new woodblocks in a disused office block in East London. ‘It was almost as if the pieces had been made to fit the enormous space with paper squashed between ceiling and floor and woodblocks spread across the large expanse of panelled carpet. Heroes and villains with sharp teeth and bendy limbs stood larger than life in every colour, as if creatures from another world seeking a victim or warning off unwanted attention. Exiling these characters to CNB Gallery, to live underground in the basement of Mark Hix’s Tramshed was not only an exciting possibility but an opportunity not to be missed.’Rebecca Lidert, Cock ‘n’ Bull Gallery director ‘I see the woodblocks as tools to make images from. But they are in a way images themselves. The woodblocks are a visual alphabet that is constantly expanding. Everything from Mesopotamian gods, Masonic symbols, scenes from places in London pertinent to me. The blocks are cut by hand with a router, and various woodcutting tools. I think I am a compulsive producer… I’m always drawing, writing, making things.
The woodcuts and woodcut prints came out of a desire to slow the process down. I’m also attracted to the analogue nature of them. The very idea that they are not a digital, video, online, type of thing. I work with scale with the woodcuts and prints, because it’s unusual to see these types of objects so large. Woodcuts are typically small things done with fine pieces of wood. I use sheets of ply. The scale gives them a sense of theatre, and the audience is on the stage. The blocks themselves are stained with colour from previous use. It’s hard to place them, they look old, but also not from a specific moment, then also, it’s maybe this clash
of various historic moments which make them contemporary. “Primitive”,”primitivism” are contested words, from a contested art history. It’s another form or Orientalism in some senses. So the woodblocks play with that space. They are about techno, they are about the future but they tap into something ancient to communicate that. It takes time for the information to be transmitted. I think, or hope, they are pop for future generations.’ - Cedar Lewisohn
Word on the street CHANTELLE
I don’t have money on my mind; I do it for the love! I really believe this song was written, produced and sung by me in another life! I know it reads a bit farfetched but I do share the same views and opinions as Sam Smith in that song, yes EVERY WORD. I know that we need money to live and survive but does that mean us as people need to change our general persona and attitude when we suddenly
get an abundance of it rather than work hard for it? I do hope not! I have seen it happen and its errrr yucky! Money is so POWERFUL it can take you from rags to riches, right? NO! The human possessing the cash in his hand or bank account does! Money doesn’t make the human, the human makes the money!
Money is so POWERFUL it can throw our whole mindset off balance! Our WANTS suddenly become NEEDS that can develop into GREED that can develop into ADDICTION that can become HABIT! DMX said it perfectly Y’ALL BIN EATIN LONG ENOUGH... STOP BEING GREEDY!!!
Chantelle’s
Spot
The hilarious weekly column
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