Street Cred Magazine - May 2018

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Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

MAY 2018

CHRIS BROWN

there’s just no stopping him /streetcredmagazine

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ENTERTAINMENT

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THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT

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Editors note Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

MAY 2018

CHRIS BROWN

there’s just no stopping him /streetcredmagazine

www.streetcredmagazine.com

L

ots of awesome stuff to bring you for this month, so bear with me as it’s a great line up of amazing talent in this edition.

One of the biggest things that happened this month was the insanity that is Avengers: Infinity War. Breaking Box Office records all over the place, it is a film of epic proportions.

Overhauling Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ opening-weekend record at the US box office, Avengers: Infinity War

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/markdwaynemedia has earned an estimated total of $258.2m since its release on Friday, almost $11m ahead of The Force Awakens’ total in 2015.

We’ve also got some stunning looks from some of the Queens of the entertainment industry.

From #beychella to Kim and J-Lo, these ladies have class, beauty and sex appeal in abundance.

Chris Brown is our cover this month, and it’s fair to say he’s on top right now with a new tour, despite ongoing beef!

Keep it stylish, keep it sexy, keep it Street Cred!

BEYONCE REIGNS

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eyonce’ continues to reign at the top as she was the first Black R&B female to headline the legendary Coachella Festival.

Fans said that she took over so much that it should be named Beychella.

The performance was a massive

performing new single

'BACK IT UP'

surprise for the fans as she brought out former Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Of course we also had an entry from Jay Z. Watching this performance has us very much excited about The major On The Run tour with her hubby in the UK.

JAY Z AND BEYONCE TOUR DATES Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 06 June 2018 Hampden Park, Glasgow, 09 June 2018 Etihad Stadium, Manchester, 13 June 2018 London Stadium, London, 15-16 June 2018

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ESS IS DOING IT AGAIN!

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ss is a young aspiring Rapper and producer signed to Shutdown Records and has fast become a big name from Birmingham city.

There is a lot in store from this new kid on the block who already has multiple videos and an album in the process.

His popular song right now is ‘Do it Again’ which was just an idea in his college.

The track and video made big waves on the net!

ESS did the infectious ‘Do it again’ challenge on his Instagram and

fans popped up from all over the country rapping and singing their own verses with his hookline. We must say the tune is a certified banger and doing big things.

Check out his full interview on our Street Cred channel and see the buzz he is creating with his own music.

Ess will also perform at Shardfest alongside the likes of Bugzy Malone, Abracadabra, and Lotto Boyzz on Saturday 29th July.

This young guy is ready for the big stage and has bars to kill!

Jennifer Lopez Looking Like This In Her 40’S Is Insane

ENTERTAINMENT

Wedding Season: In White Of Course

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his beautiful wrap front satin fishtail dress with embroidered sheer mesh sleeves, portrait back and button back fastening is available from Little Mistress for just £150!

Its wedding season and why not pair it with these latest Breanna from Dune.

We are loving the height and sheen look of these heels but how do you feel about them?

They’re available from Dune London for £95

If this doesnt show you that keeping fit eating healthy and drinking water is the way forward then we dont know what else to say.

Just look at Jennifer Lopez in her 40’s? She is bagging young men like Drake and dumping them. She is still breaking hearts WOW!

Collecting Birmingham Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery Now Open Free Entry

Discover objects and stories from Birmingham people: working lives, community activism, protest movements and more.

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BIGScreen

review

Avengers:

Infinity War A s the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos.

A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones — artefacts of unimaginable power — and use them to inflict his twisted will on reality itself.

Everything the Avengers have fought for has led to this moment.

The fate of the Universe is in their hands.

Avengers: Infinity War simply should not work. It is juggling countless characters, story-arcs, subplots and locations all at once, jumping from one epic event

to another without pausing for breath.

It is an all-out, relentless assault on the senses and more ambitious than anything that came before it. Yet, somehow, not only does Infinity War succeed — it absolutely soars.

You have never seen ambition like this on film before. It’s huge, with a story stretching from galaxy to galaxy, from rag-tag group of heroes to rag-tag group of heroes, never wasting a line or missing a beat.

The action is spectacular and constant, with the visceral war in Wakanda being a particularly breathtaking sequence, in amongst many other breathtaking sequences.

On top of the action, the trademark Marvel comedy comes

thick and fast and it’s all held together by an absolutely insane ensemble cast, comprised of every major character Marvel Studios have introduced since their Cinematic Universe began way back in 2008.

Directors Anthony and Joe

Russo, between the millionand-one other things they’re contending with in this movie, manage to give each and every character their moment to shine.

Whether it be a whip-smart line of dialogue, an epic action sequence or a hard-hitting emotional moment, all of these characters we have come to know and love over these past ten years are each given the spotlight at various points throughout the movie, resulting in moments that will have audiences descending into joyous delirium.

However, on top of being wickedly funny and endlessly entertaining, Avengers: Infinity War is somehow, simultaneously, the most bleak story Marvel Studios have ever told.

The stakes are very, very real and the consequences are dire and it transitions from side-splitting hilarity to faceclutching despair in a way that isn’t jarring or confusing.

It feels wholly natural and for a film of this scale to be able achieve such a thing is an astonishing accomplishment in itself.

The cast are all fantastic, but what else can be said about them that hasn’t already been said? If you’re a devout Marvel fan who turn out in droves to see each new instalment, you’ll already know that each and every character has been perfectly cast — Robert Downey-Jr IS Tony Stark, Chis Evans IS Steve Rogers, Chris Hemsworth IS Thor Odinson, and so on.

Now, as phenomenal as they all are, Avengers: Infinity War has a not-so-secret weapon; Josh Brolin as Thanos.

With six years of build-up after his introduction at the end of Avengers Assemble, Marvel Studios had set themselves the Herculean task of not only delivering a good villain, which isn’t exactly something they’ve excelled at in the past, but also delivering a villain worthy of half a decade of anticipation.

Well, to put it simply, after Infinity War, Thanos immediately

enters the ranks of some of the best movie villains of all time and is given one of the greatest character introductions in the history of comic book movies.

It is abundantly clear that the filmmakers wanted to make a bold statement where Thanos is concerned and, in the opening fifteen minutes, he makes more of an impact than most villains do throughout an entire two-hour movie.

Thanos is not a mindless being hell-bent on world domination — he is a wickedly intelligent, excruciatingly powerful force of nature who truly believes it is his destiny to bring balance to the universe.

He has a purpose. He is on a mission and nothing will stand in his way. Yet, at the same time, by pulling the rug from under our feet and taking the surprising approach of having the entire story unfold from his point of view, Marvel

Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive are pretty badass and the hulking Cull Obsidian rounds out the group as the generic “muscle”.

Now, no film is without flaw and Avengers: Infinity War is no different. Due to the sheer scale of this production, we spend the entire runtime hopping, skipping and jumping between a dozen different locations, following countless characters on several different missions and, at times, it can be quite overwhelming.

However, this is due to the sheer ambition of this film, so it’s very difficult to nitpick too much.

It is far better to have a film that shoots for the stars and winds up a little rough around the edges because of it than a film that plays it safe and fails to tread any new ground.

Also, with the next Avengers movie being released less than a year from now, Infinity War very much feels like the first chapter in a much larger story and because of this, some of the emotional impact is diluted.

Moments that should feel huge, because they are huge, don’t quite sting as much as they should.

With the Infinity stones at play, anything is possible, and with leaked set-photos from the asyet-untitled Avengers 4 showing some of our Avengers in their old suits during the Battle of New York from Avengers Assemble, it is evident that time-travel will play a significant role in the next instalment, giving them the opportunity to retcon some of the

Studios are able to humanise him in stark and shocking ways.

Thanos and his conquest are very much the driving force of everything that happens in this movie, and by allowing us the opportunity to spend so much time with him, we are given the chance to understand the inner-workings of his mind and the emotional core of where and why his conquest began.

While his endgame seems twisted and evil to our feeble human minds, it doesn’t come from a place of anger or hatred.

Thanos believes that what he is doing is for the betterment of life everywhere and there are moments during his many rousing monologues where you begin to think, “Maybe this big purple CGI bald dude has a point” and that really is a sign of a great villain.

Then, of course, we have Thanos’ “children” known as the Black Order, who are a healthy mix of interesting and generic, with the creepy and endlessly loyal Ebony Maw being the standout among them.

events of Infinity War. However, having said that, Marvel Studios must be commended for doing something nobody ever expected them to do by ending the film with an absolute gut-punch.

You won’t walk out of Infinity War with a huge smile stretched across your face like you do with most Marvel movies. It is a bold move on their part and one that demands to be respected.

Against all odds, Avengers: Infinity War has not only emerged as the single biggest blockbuster ever made, but also one of the best action extravaganzas ever to grace the silver screen.

While it isn’t without its flaws, the ones it does have feel so measly and insignificant and are completely swallowed by the grandeur of everything else happening around them.

Avengers: Infinity War is a cinematic event for the ages — the culmination of a decades-worth of stories. Like it or not, history has been made here.

Marvel Studios are here to stay.

wORDS by antony brown

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‘Time To Be Alive’

Matt Cardle M

att makes a welcomed return to Sony Music with new album ‘Time To Be Alive,’ with lead single ‘Desire,’ an electronic, hookladen delight serving as the perfect introduction to his new sound. with its fusion of gospel, rock and soul.

The lyrics are all personal observations on addiction, redemption, atonement and eventual contentment - a collection that will surprise, and one Matt is incredibly proud of.

All but one of the album’s 14 songs were co-written by Cardle, revealling a portrait of an artist struggling with personal battles, but ultimately winning the war.

Producer Jim Eliot was chosen by Matt to help him translate these intimate songs into an electronic.

It was mixed in Stockholm

by Christopher Elms, best known for his work with Bjork.

Early into the writing process, he spent six months in the lead role of West End hit musical ‘Memphis’ where

he received the ‘Best West End Debut’ award from ‘What’s On Stage’ for his portrayal of Huey Calhoun.

As the resounding winner of The X Factor’s highest rating series ever in 2010, over 19 million viewers tuned in to see Matt triumph with his breath-taking fouroctave vocal range.

His platinum-selling debut, ‘Letters,’ was released in 2011, followed by ‘The Fire’ (2012).

Both albums went top ten while ‘Porcelain’ (2013) debuted at 11 driven by the Melanie C duet ‘Loving You’.

‘Time To Be Alive,’ Matt’s 4th studio album and showcases his new found maturity as a singer, songwriter and musician.

Birmingham Talent Takes Over Eastside As Gallery 37 Returns For Summer 2018

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irmingham’s largest arts engagement programme is back!

Gallery 37 will bring modern, practical, creative activities to hundreds of emerging artists, filmmakers and musicians as Punch recruit for a two-week immersive residency.

The region’s hottest creatives will lead the Gallery 37 programme, and 50 artists outside of education and employment will leave it job-ready and realise their ambition in the UK’s flourishing creative industries.

Gallery 37’s campaign kicks off this May, working with over 50 of Birmingham’s most forwardlooking creatives through a bold programme of pop-up events and live workshops reaching every city constituency.

Ammo Talwar, Punch Records CEO stated “ This is the biggest, most diverse and citywide engagement project Birmingham has to offer and were super excited about developing it for the future years. It’s the only place to be for artists wanting a a truly authentic experience with like minded creatives”

ENTERTAINMENT

Spellbinding Ayanna Thrills Symphony Hall

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s the audience took their seats at the back of the main stage of Symphony Hall, there was a slight confusion about the arrangement.

Instruments and microphones were stationed at the front of the stage, but facing towards the back.

One of the first ‘new, more intimate’ performances scheduled to come to the Symphony Hall, Ayanna WitterJohnson commanded the room as she started her performance with her re-imagining of ‘Feeling Good’,

immediately igniting the spark of interest of everyone present.

This was certainly going to be an interesting evening.

As she performed a repertoire of her own powerful pieces and inspirational covers all given that Ayanna twist, the crowd was invited to ask questions, making it more of an interactive event.

Expecting questions of “How did you come up with the name for your Cello?”, Ayanna was surprised by a number of deep and meaningful questions about opportunities and possibilities taken or not taken, and how to remain true to yourself.

Her inimitable playing style and buttery-smooth vocals lit up the room, especially during striking and powerful performances of her own tracks ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Denied’.

All too soon however, the night was over, and Ayanna met with everyone on the way out to sign CD’s and talk with her fans, a down to earth and humble person belying her on stage persona Ayanna is coming back to Birmingham in the coming months, and it is a name you should definitely be on the lookout for.

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Culture Club Return with Birmingham Tour

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ince their inception in 1981 Culture Club have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, with a stream of classic hits including; ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’, ‘Karma Chameleon’, ‘Church Of The Poison Mind’, ‘Victims’, ‘It’s A Miracle’ and ‘The War Song’ .

The group, fronted by singer/ songwriter Boy George, universally recognised as one of music’s most iconic artists is joined by Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and

Jon Moss who make up the remaining original line up for one of the most exciting tours of the decade!

The Life Tour: starring Boy George & Culture Club will also f e a t u r e 80’s pop sweetheart Belinda Carlisle and new w a v e , s y n t h pop artist

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, the tour will visit 11 cities across the U.K, stopping at Arena Birmingham on 16 November 2018.

‘We put together an amazing show that is going to be filled with hits and fabulous memories, we know it will be hands down this summer’s best night out,” says Boy George.

It’s ‘Heartbrea a Full Moon’ Chris Brown I

t’s all for the love of music, now, for Chris Brown as he prepares to embark on the ‘highly anticipated ‘Heartbreak on a Full Moon’ tour.

Starting in North America across the summer, the artist is due to play 27 gigs across the continent in support of his eighth studio album, which came out back in October.

Set to kick off in Seattle on June 19, he will be taking the likes of 6LACK, H.E.R., and Rich the Kid as support on select dates. The jaunt will wrap up two months later in Las Vegas on August 4.

The 29-year-old burst onto the music scene in 2005 with the release of his self-titled debut album to much critical acclaim.

Citing influences like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Usher, Chris is a star on the R'N'B scene, already with performances alongside such legends as Lionel Ritchie and Smokey Robinson under his belt.

Musically super-talented, with a perfect voice for R 'N' B/Hip Hop - and his tonguein-cheek lyrics adding to his all-round appeal, Brown’s worldwide appeal has seen him at the zenith It's been three years since the at times controversial celebrity embarked on his ‘Between the Sheets Tour’ with Trey Songz and Tyga, so it's just about

time for him to returned to the stage.

Not one to do things by halves, Chris recently highlighted, on social media, an idea that even he admits is a little crazy - taking to Twitter with a pitch for his 26.7 million followers: a world tour with three of the biggest names in the industry: "Just thinking....

A CRAZY WORLD TOUR would Beyoncé, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, CHRIS BROWN. '2 for 2'. And if y'all decide to do it without me... give me 10%," he tweeted.

Given history with Rihanna, some Twitter users raised their eyebrows over his proposal to reunite with his ex on the road.

Others pointed out that Bruno is already signed on for a tour with Cardi B, and as for Queen Bey... well, she's just busy being Queen Bey. As unlikely as that may seem, the multi-award winning Virginia-born star has already collaborated with several artists such as; rapper Bow Wow, singer Jordin Sparks, T-Pain, and Lil Mama.

Away from the mic, though, he’s been making headlines of a different kind; with his beef with fellow-rapper Soulja Boy over the actress and model.

Karrueche Tran "This drama between both of these two is so ridiculous,” said Brown’s ex-girlfriend.

“It makes no sense. There's so much more out there in

life then ‘twitter beefs.’ I just walk around my apartment and seeing my Emmy with my name on it.

“I feel better giving away shoes and feeding the less fortunate.”

For Chris and Soulja it wasn’t that easy, as it went as far as the two of them getting into a boxing ring to sort the matter out.

The star-studded match was going to feature them going toe-to-toe, with boxing legends Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield serving as their trainers, respectively.

Alas, after Soulja Boy shared on Twitter that his boxing match with Chris Brown was ‘off,’ the singer revealed why he chose to bow out from the highly anticipated bout on Instagram.

“I bowed out of this Soulja Boy fight,” it read. “I'mma tell you why, “cause it was a legit thing on a positive scale. All the wrong people got in the way. The middlemen people got in the way.

“The homies, so to speak [...] got in the way because they wanted a piece of the pie. It's immature, first and foremost.

“Second of all, ain't no-one ever gon' hold me up. However everything goes, this how we rocking. He gon' see me.’

It’s ‘Heartbreak on a Full Moon’ for Chris, as sets out to ‘tear down’ the Americas.

'Golden' moment for lifelong Kylie fan

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t HMV's flagship O x f o r d Street store in London on the 5th April, one lifelong Kylie Minogue fan finally met the pint-sized pop princess herself at a special meet and greet.

Having won a competition at HMV to meet the one and only Kylie at a special midnight album launch night, Mandip Taunque joined 300 other fans from across the country to share a 'Golden' moment.

Kylie's new album, 'Golden' is out now, and when it was his turn,

Mandip wasted no time in dancing over to her, saying "Kylie lets do Bhangra!" to which she gave an enthusiastic 'Whoop!' and started dancing.

While she was personalising his record, Mandip told her how he had been a fan for the last 30 years, since he was a kid. "I also mentioned how my Indian parents both absolutely adore her, and she told me to give her love to them."

The meeting was short, but sweet, and with about 280 other people behind him in the queue, Mandip said goodbye and wished her luck with the album.

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“May the Fourth be with you!”

ak on for

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rom amateur programmers, arcade subcultures and industry pioneers, to iconic titles such as ‘Dizzy’, ‘Simon the Sorcerer’ and ‘Tomb Raider’, the UK’s Midlands region has played a pivotal role in the history of computer games.

On Wednesday 9 May, Birmingham City University is bringing together a group of industry experts to celebrate the Midlands’ important contribution to this global industry and pastime, and give members of the public the chance to play some of their favourite games created in the region.

Level Up: A History of Computer Games in the Midlands will take a gathered audience on a lively audio-visual trip across the last four decades, focusing on the iconic characters, developers and

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hancellor of Birmingham C i t y U n i v e r s i t y, Sir Lenny Henry will be taking to the stage of the institution’s new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire next month.

The Dudley-born actor, writer, comedian and charitable campaigner will be narrating Sergei Prokofiev’s classic story ‘Peter and the Wolf’ on Friday 4 May, with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Pops Orchestra playing the various characters in a performance that helps introduce youngsters to the world of classical music.

Alongside ‘Peter and the Wolf’, the Pops Orchestra

Midlands gaming history celebrated

companies that helped create a regional industry that is still growing today.

Featuring on the panel will be Louise O’Connor, Executive Producer at Leicestershire developer Rare. Louise will bring her wealth of knowledge and experience of the industry

from her extensive career at the Twycross-based company – known for creating ‘Banjo-Kazooie’, ‘Donkey-Kong’, ‘Perfect Dark’, ‘Viva Piñata’ and ‘GoldenEye 007’, the later considered one of the greatest computer games ever made.

will transport the audience to “a galaxy far, far away” with music from the original ‘Star Wars’ film trilogy on the day fans of the franchise celebrate Star Wars Day each year.

Elsewhere, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire musicians will conjure images of swinging through the skyscrapers of New York City with Danny Elfman’s ‘Spider-Man’ theme and then take concertgoers in to the domain of cowboys, cowgirls and the American West with ‘Hoe-Down’ by Aaron Copland from the 1942 ballet ‘Rodeo’.

The programme will be further complimented by ‘Overture’ from Leonard Bernstein’s swinging ‘Wonderful Town’.

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Bringing the Sunshine

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ew to the scene is LaTroya “Sunshine” Griffith an up and coming American actress, model and singer from Flint “Vehicle City”Michigan; Born December 28, 1987.

The arts and fashion has always been a passion of mine since the young age of four. I am currently focusing on my music and acting careers.

I have a hot new single out called “Ain’t Suppose To Be” that can now be purchased on iTunes and all digital platforms.

I am currently starring in a new up and coming stage play called “Paw Paw’s House written by award wining playwright Andrew Aikens. This would be my second lead role since 2017.

I am also a brand ambassador model for 2BEU (To Be Unique) clothing line headed by Flints own Tabitha Robinson. Flint is a cultural breeding ground that has been slightly overshadowed by its lead water crisis that began in 2014.

The city’s people have been poisoned by its own governor Rick Snyder who has yet to find a solution. He simply just doesn’t care.

It is now 2018 and the city is STILL without clean drinking water. The state has recently

Best Bar Nun! P

closed it bottled water pods that assisted many people in need; especially in impoverished communities.

Flint continues to fight in the midst of creating. We can’t be stopped and giving up is never an option in my city. Flint is also the home of the great late MC Eric Breed and The Dayton Family. We consider them legends where I am from.

Our music scene is on fire right now! With hot artists such as Curt Green, Velly Beretta, Tiera Santoya, and Jizzle just to name a few. Although we’re facing a water crisis we’re standing strong the like Flint Stones We are! Welcome to Flint Michigan! #FlintMade #FlintStrong #FlintVsEverybody stay tuned!!

eople were up dancing in their seats as Sister Act Live Choir came to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall last month.

Featuring the hit movie played on stage with a live choir ready to blast out every dance-in-the-aisle track, the atmosphere was electric.

The choir expertly performed every track, despite a slight mishap beginning of one of them, and the crowd loved every minute of it, some even attending dressed as Nuns

themselves!

This is the latest in a growing number of films shown with a live choir, or live orchestra, and while Sister Act didn’t have as many hits as say a musical does, it was still a very enjoyable night.

Sister Act Live ended with a rendition of the credits song from Sister Act 2, leaving many wondering if there will be a return.

You can still catch Sister Act Live in Edinburgh at the Usher Hall on the 19th May!

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Pre-17 Driver Training Receives Backing An event aimed at bringing road safety professionals together to help create safer new drivers has found in favour of pre-17 driving tuition at its key note debate.

Taking place at the Young Driver Focus 2018, held on 25th April at the Royal Automobile Club in London, the ‘Big Debate’ saw motoring journalist, author, TV presenter and campaigner Quentin Willson and Professor Frank McKenna, an expert in psychology who has worked with road safety organisations and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), going head to head.

Each delivered presentations on their side of the argument for and against pre-17 driver training, before being questioned by the audience.

A vote at the end showed 65 per cent of the road safety professionals in the room were in favour of pre-17 driving tuition, put forward by Quentin Willson.

Quentin Willson has been campaigning for better novice driver tuition for 20 years, and is a patron of the Young Driver organisation.

He believes that teaching children from as young as 10 creates a safer next generation of drivers.

Young drivers are at much higher risk of having an accident when they pass their test – one in five will crash within six months and almost 450 people are killed every year on our roads in accidents involving young drivers.

Ad-Vantage Aston Martin at the Beijing Auto Show

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eijing is playing host to the world renowned Beijing International A u t o m o t i v e Exhibition, taking place from the 25th April to the 4th May, and one of the luxury sports car manufacturers taking pride of place is the British Aston Martin.

They showcased an exceptional line-up of new models reinforcing the brand’s commitment to the Chinese market.

Making it’s China auto show debut is the new Vantage, underlining its credentials as the most sporting model in Aston Martin’s series production range.

Aston Martin’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Andy Palmer said: “The models on display here in Beijing are a vivid demonstration of Aston Martin’s

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May as Supercars At The Palace roars into action.

This hotly-anticipated event, the warm-up act for the 2nd edition of Blenheim Palace Classic & Super-

Electric Vehicles Leap By 128% A study compared April 2018 to April 2015 and found there are 21,019 more electric vehicles.

Overall the numbers are still small with only 37,483 electric vehicles on the road today.

The figures do not account for vehicles that have been scrapped or exported and include all types of vehicle.

Commenting on the findings, Chris Plumb, electric vehicles expert at cap hpi said: “Drivers are showing growing confidence in the technology as the real-life ranges of vehicles increase and faster charging is available.

“Electric vehicles can also make financial sense with total cost of ownership and tax savings. Increasingly, people are saying they enjoy the driving experience in electric vehicles.

“As clean air zones roll out across the UK, we expect the popularity of these cars to continue to grow.”

unfolding ‘Second Century’ product strategy.

“With the imminent launch of the DBS Superleggera, we are on track to replace each of our existing two-door sportscar models by the end of this year.”

“In 2017, the Chinese market was our fastest growing region.

This impressive performance reflects increasing demand for our new and special vehicles.

“The continued roll-out of our new model pipeline, including the company’s first electric vehicle in 2019, will further improve Aston Martin’s market share in this key market, alongside investments we are making to strengthen brand visibility and sales performance.

“These investments reflect our confidence in the Aston Martin brand and the attractiveness of the Chinese market”.

Supercars At The Palace

he magnificent grounds of Blenheim Palace will be brimming over with 130 classic and contemporary supercars on Sunday 6th

MOTORS

car to be staged on 2nd September, will see globally-renowned marques and boutique manufacturers vying for your attention in four distinct categories.

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Why is J-Hud off the Hollywood Casting List?

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he Voice judge Jennifer Hudson, the lovable girlnext-door with a powerhouse voice, was enjoying a sensational rise to fame a little more than 10 years ago.

However, the American Idol winner’s showing, away from the hit ITV show, has faded, leading some to wonder how such a talented performer has fallen off the radar.

Was it the so-called ‘Oscar Curse’ that derailed her career just as it took off?

Or perhaps it was the ill-fated

selection of roles she chose to follow her award-winning big screen debut.

Somehow, she has simultaneously sparked controversy and complete audience disinterest post‘Dreamgirls’ - not to mention attracting seemingly unending scorn from critics.

Even her music career, which given her obvious talent should have been the path of least resistance, hasn't exactly panned out.

Will J-Hud ever get back onto the A-List? Can she overcome her apparent ‘shadow-ban’?

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Halle

ollywood star Halle Berry’s 2.6 million Instagram followers have taken note as she documented her journey to transforming mind, body and soul through weekly #FitnessFriday updates.

Her personal trainer, Peter Lee Thomas who is responsible for helping her get in the best shape of her life, explained that it takes gut, grit and determination to work for your dream bod day in and day out.

“She works hard – Like really hard,” he explained.

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ollowing the release of ‘A Real Labour Of Love’ their most successful album for 25 years – and their headline show at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey have announced ‘A Real Labour Of Love and 40th Anniversary Tour,’ a UK Arena tour for 2019.

With 2019 marking 40 years since UB40 first performed live, the legendary reggae band will be celebrating with a greatest hits set that features global smashes including ‘Red Red Wine’, ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, ‘Rat In Mi Kitchen’ and ‘Kingston Town.’

Ali, Astro & Mickey will be joined on-stage by their incredible eightpiece reggae band.

You can see the boys at Arena Birmingham on Friday 29 March 2019.

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2018 - Page 33

UB40 and a Real Labour of Love

l Michael McIntyre returns to Birmingham for his Big World Tour

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY

May 03 Fischer-Z 03 Brainstorm 04 DJ Russke Live 05 Novana 06 ‘Full 100’ 2018 Ft. Tarrus Riley 09 Brothers Osborne 12 Roy Orbison & The Traveling Wilburys Experience 12 Narcos 15 Barrence Whitfield & The Savages 16 Rita Ora 17 Machine Head 24 CoCo and the Butterfields 24 Peace 25 The Wedding Present “Tommy” 30th Anniversary Tour 25 The Hunna 26 Enemo J 28 Over Atlantic 31 Broken Social Scene 31 The Shades

Rodney Earle Clarke

F

rom the age of about 14, Rodney Earle Clarke was encouraged by his teachers to focus on his voice with vocal training, through the Royal Academy of Music.

Following 6 years there, learning about singing, languages, music, and a whole range of styles of music, Rodney landed on Opera, Classical and Classical Crossover pieces.

An amazing vocalist, he will be showing his talents as part of a Gershwin Extravaganza, Crazy for Gershwin at

Birmingham’s Syphony Hall on the 4th May 2018.

Expect Broadway glamour and toe-tapping tunes in an all-Gershwin extravaganza, featuring special guest singers, a ballroom duo and two sensational tap dancers.

“It’s such a joy being able to spend an evening performing a cross section of his love for music.”

“The orchestras we are working with are amazing groups of people as well,” beamed the baritone.

This isn’t Rodney’s first visit to Birmingham, having performed Rogers and Hammerstein pieces previously as well as

another tour of these Gershwin pieces.

“The Symphony Hall has probably the best acoustics of any hall in the UK dare I say, and is a clean, inviting, bright and vibrant space!”

If you’re a lover of Gershwin, or indeed Rodney’s work, check him out at the Symphony Hall.

“For anyone wanting to get into the music industry, I’ve got 3 words.

“Ask, Believe, Receive.

If you want it, ask for it, believe in yourself and work and be ready to receive it.”

O2 INSTITUTE

May 02 An Evening With Puddles Pity Party 03 Mexrrissey 04 Bruno Major 05 Ashborn 06 We Are Scientists 07 NF - Perception World Tour 09 Gang Of Youths 12 Jungle 13 Black Coffee 14 The Bluetones 16 Nina Nesbitt 19 Stone Broken 19 Sara Cox presents Just Can’t Get Enough 80s 21 Gaz Coombes 22 Nines 25 DMA’s 26 Georgia Burgess

aNNIE rETURNS TO wOLVES

T

ENTERTAINMENT

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he smash hit production of the musical Annie will embark on a UK tour returning to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 February 2019.

Having recently been on

NEC

May 04-06 Creation’s Supernatural Official Convention 04-06 The Vaper Expo UK 05-06 Makers Central 10-13 Magic Grand Prix Birmingham 2018 11-13 The BodyPower Expo 17-20 This Morning Live 17-20 Birmingham Summer Sale 18-20 The Baby Show 27 The Beat/ Buzzcocks / The Selecter / Stiff Little 28 Slam Dunk Festival Midlands, NEC

ARENA BIRMINGHAM extended season in the West End following a sellot 2015/16 UK and Ireland tour, it will open later this month in Toronto.

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at

Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.

Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.

Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to

spoil Annie’s search…

With its award-winning book and score, this stunning new production includes the unforgettable songs It’s the Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow.

May 01 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds 03 Unibet Premier League Darts 05 Tears for Fears 10-13 Michael McIntyre 19 Diljit Dosanjh 25-27 ESL One Dota 2 Major

GENTING ARENA

May 04 The Vamps 10 Nickelback 12 Rise Up: Super Regional Championships 15 WWE Live 18 The Original Harlem Globetrotters 19 Jeff Dunham 25 Bryan Adams 27 The Beat/ Buzzcocks / The Selecter / Stiff Little Fingers 28 Slam Dunk Festival 2018

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

May 01 Sir Simon Rattle & the London Symphony Orchestra Mahler’s Ninth (SH) 01 Yo Lo Tengo (TH) 02-03 Sibelius’ Second (SH) 02 An Audience with Aston Villa Legends (TH) 03 Eric Bibb (TH) 04 Crazy For Gershwin (SH) 05 Shreya Ghoshal (SH) 06 Amanda Palmer (TH) 08 Christy Moore (SH) 09 Bartoks Piano Concerto (SH) 09 Mary Chapin Carpenter (TH) 10 Elkie Brooks (TH) 10 Don McLean (SH) 14 Nora Fischer (TH) 15 Foreigner (SH) 16 Sara Colman (SH) 17 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (SH) 18 First Ladies Of Swing (SH) 18 Daliso Chaponda (TH) 19-20 Dinosaur World Live (TH) 20 Family Film Favourites (SH) 21 Tommy Emmanuel ‘The Intimate Sound Tour’ (TH) 22 Dan and Phil World Tour 2018 (SH) 23 Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (TH) 24 Prokofiev And Bernstein (SH) 25 Joseph Calleja & the CBSO (SH) 26 Echo and the Bunnymen (SH) 27 RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq The World Tour (SH) 29 A Change is Gonna Come (TH) 31 Fauré’s Requiem (SH)

SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON

May 02 Planet Of Zeus and Lionize 04 BALAAM & THE ANGEL 05 Love/Hate 12 Eternal Fear 17 The Slow Readers Club 18 Rebecca Downes 19 Never Mind The Wedding Here’s...

22 INK. 26 Kirvana

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2018

TEEN FLAIR WITH RHEA DEHANEY

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WITH RHEA DEHANEY

W

elcome to another edition of Teen flair where I give you advice highlight real people and much more!

This month I have been deeply affected by the amount of stabbings, and violence there has been among the UK. London suffered 22 fatal stabbings and shootings in

March, higher than the 21 which took place in New York.

As a young person who grew up in area where gang culture is quite frequent, I kept asking myself how can I become a part of the growth instead of just becoming another statistic.

It’s so important as young people that we are being apart of the change, instead of

adding to the problem.

I held an interview with the inspiring Craig Pinkney who has over 14 years experience as an Outreach worker and much more. How can we be a part of the change?

Please read on to catch this month’s advice, along with a in depth chat with Craig!

My name is Craig Pinkney.

I wear a number of hats but my title that I go by is I am a criminologist, urban new specialist, and a lecturer at UOB (University of Birmingham).

So my work essentially specialises in working with young people and families that are affected by gangs CSU violence.

I also run a number of projects. I run a international project called the EU gangs projects.

It is in 5 countries and I’m in charge from a UK perspective of training professionals about responding to those issues in there different countries.

At the university I teach, criminology, criminal justice, offending management.

In terms of my community work I with families and many young people in the community that need help and support.

Youth centres, community centres, people referral units, religious institutions and anywhere there is young people, I’m there.

That’s awesome! From the many places you’ve visited, from your talks do teenagers tend to confess or have a change of heart?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell.

I think when you do a session they are to determine what a person thinking & feeling, genuinely the response that I

Dear Anonymous, I can completely empathise with your frustrations! Now, before you take this step, make sure you’ve tried all the options.

Such as talking to your college mentors, addressing

Your Questions the head of the college with your concerns, I would definitely get your parents on board.

I understand how stressful this must be, however thankfully there are many local youth centres based in Birmingham and around the UK, that help with these types of problems.

Places such as The Lighthouse centre and the Oaklands centre.

I would advise to make sure you are always telling someone, note down where you

have addressed the college.

As your 17, I assume you have 1 year left in college?

Keep focused, and don’t hang around where people you do not associate with hang out.

And maybe it would be good to see if the college could let you leave early to avoid any drama that could happen after college.

A quote I’ll always remember is “high school isn’t forever” same with college! It’ll be over before you know it, just keep working hard.

- R.Dehaney

Proverbs 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends, to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. NKJV

Discover what your lane is Who are you and what does your day to day work entail?

I’m worried college is not taking my problems further, someone was threatening me with a knuckle duster and I have had other problems with arguments and the college I attend isn’t really doing anything about it, they claim to be a “bullying free” place but my problem hasn’t been solved, no action has been taken.

- Anonymous, 17

get is that people hear me and they like what i’m saying.

However I understand that with every talk and every activity that is done in that particular way, all i’m doing is essentially planting seeds.

Cause I know the reality is when I leave that room is that they have to go back to their reality, but my hope is planting seeds through the work that I do and what I’m saying, it enables them to be able to be more knowledgeable about their experience that they go through.

A young person might go to a school and talk about knife crime now me just giving you awareness my argument is that most young people know the reality of knife crime.

And the consequences is they get caught, they know what’s gonna happen, they do something how long there gonna get in terms of the sentence.

So my strategy is not about telling them don’t do it, rather making them be smart.

So a young person might say well I hear what you’re saying, I’m feeling what you’re saying, however some man are down the road are trying to stab me up for example.

My 1-1 work with that individual will be strategies of how they can keep their lives going, if they don’t feel that they are going to tell somebody else.

The reality is I can’t change the fact that the individual that has a problem with him unless I know those individuals to intervene or mediate.

If they continue to have that problem it’s about ensuring that individual is safe by all means necessary.

So I’ll say things like so what do you do on the weekends?

“I chill at the park” the same park where the individuals that wanna beat you up? They’ll be like yeah.

My response would be so you don’t need to go to that park no more, you’ll have to find to another park.

I try to give more realistic solutions and strategies and

how they can deter themselves away from being in situations that cause themselves trouble.

How as young people can we work together, and not become a product of our environment?

I think young people can work together in many ways. There’s never gonna be one way to work with anything.

Why? Because there’s so many issues. There’s issues around education, community, religion, health, housing, resources, access to jobs, access to opportunities outside of their communities.

So there’s so many different types of issues, there’s not to me one particular solution. So I always say to young people if you have best of interest in the community.

I always use this slogan called find your lane, discover what your lane is.

So, my lane is education my lane is, outreach work so because they’re my lanes, I make sure I make sure I’m the master of my lane.

What do i mean my becoming a master? So that means your gonna have to go through of a form of training, some education to understand of how to become a master in your lane.

Then you’ll start to develop your own ideas, than you’ll

bring people together, other individuals together that probably share your understanding and then you then do things that are realistic.

And for me that is the best way for young people can engage with the issue that they feel, come together, find out what realistic solutions that they want to target and then deal with that from that particular basis, rather than having conversations that don’t really amount to anything.

I think one of the other things, is young people being fearless and courageous and having mentors.

Ensuring that there’s people that you can speak to. That have been in an environment, that understand the environment that’s going to enable to make the best decisions.

Cause even myself, even at the best that I’m trying to be I still have mentors that are older than me, more skilled, more wise and have more experience than me.

I essentially, listen to all the views thoughts and opinions, and I use that with my own knowledge and my experience.

And then shape that into a product that young people families and the wider community can benefit from.

You can contact Craig Pinkney via: https://craigpinkney.com/

KEEP IN TOUCH As we are all aware there is power in social media, I will be using these networking sites, to promote this newspaper page, and #TEAMFLAIR which will not only advertise, but will promote

what to look forward to in the newspaper.

I’m not only hoping to create just another column, but a movement, for young people of all races.

To Advertise on my page, or to send me news, information and more, contact me at rhea.dehaney@thephoenixnewspaper.com