Street Cred Magazine June 2013 by Street Cred Magazine

THE COSMOPOLITAN CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE

JUNE 2013

£1 (where sold)

DAMAGE WELCOME BACK

CHARLIE BROWN Exclusive Interview!

SEXIEST SOAPS

Sexiest Male & Female at the Soap Awards!

FITNESS TIPS With a Celeb Trainer

RIHANNA

River Island Collection

PARTY SUMMER The Best Destinations! Vegas, Greece & More

HANGOVER III The Review Inside

FASHION / TRAVEL / BIG SCREEN / GADGETS / CELEBRITY NEWS/ HEALTH & FITNESS / CARS

Editor’s Letter

EDITOR Mark Dwayne

It has been an exiting year so far for StreetCred magazine and this issue is one I am really happy about as I have my mates, the legendary Damage on the front page. Yes if you know about R&B groups in the UK you know there have been many that are not around anymore, like M&8, Ultimate Kaos, Five Star, Loose Ends etc. These guys have stood the test of time and are still fresh today and made a massive impact with their comeback performance at the R&B Superstars concert in Wembley to 10,000 screaming fans. Damage are back on the scene and have given us an exclusive interview. There are some great features in this issue such as showcasing Rihannas new fashion range at River Island, London’s new buzz Charlie Brown and there are also pictures of our new club night Swish which is doing big things in Birmingham attracting people who have flown over from France and Spain for the experience. I am also happy to publish and make awareness of V’M footwear which is a local custom made shoe company from Birmingham who is making big noise with celebrities in the UK and oversees, There is loads going on in SC your guide to cool. Many magazines just do one thing but we focus on variety. We cover entertainment and lifestyle in its whole entirety and steer far away from what everyone else is publishing. We like to make you aware of the unknown. Just because an artist is not on TV doesn’t mean they are not doing anything. Our magazine likes to focus on people that are independent and we really champion those who do it themselves as we see its the way forward. You can now put your own videos on YouTube and sell your music on iTunes . Artists need to realise its all in their hands and its better than ever now in terms of opportunity. Anyway enough of my editors note take a look at the mag its huge! Mark Dwayne MDG

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EDITOR

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SUB EDITOR Gordy Munro PRODUCTION Tom Cotter tom.cotter@ streetcredmagazine.com PR & FEATURES Evette Fleece FEATURES COORDINATOR Tom Cotter

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ENTERTAINMENT COORDINATOR Liam O’leary

liam.oleary@ streetcredmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Bowen South & City College Hereward College

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www.streetcredmagazine.com twitter.com/@streetcred facebook.com/streetcredmag 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. STREET CRED MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS PAGE GRIMEY (5-17) - See our interview with Charlie Brown as well as the latest celebrity gossip!

COVER STORY (49-53) - We welcome back DAMAGE to the mainstream with an exclusive interview.

ALBUM REVIEWS FASHION & STYLE (55-57) - Daft Punk & Rudi(19-31) - Rihanna’s River Island Collection as well as OH mental, see our opinion inside. BOY ATTIRE! MOTORS (58 - 62) - Favourite cars of BIG SCREEN (32-38) - Man of Steel is our all time! Also comparison of film of the month. Also World Hyandai and Audi TT War Z Preview. MR & MISS SC (64-67) - More fitness tips GIG GUIDE (40 -42) - The latest goings from a Celeb Trainer! on in the big cities this month. SWISH CLUBBIN (69-71) - Check out the best HEALTH AND FITNESS night in Birmingham. Photos (44-45) - Fitness tips from and info inside! an old Gladiator star! ARTIST SPOTLIGHT (46-47) - Rebekkah Buffong is in our spotlight this month.

EATING OUT (72) - The newest place to take your date!

GADGETS (74-77) - The latest Samsung smart camera as well as Xbox’s launch. CAREERS (79-81) - Yahoo takes over Tumblr to be hip! REGGAE OR NOT (82-83) - Fantastic reggae act Katchafire! Read inside. LIVE EVENTS (84-89) - All the must see events coming up. Review of The 1975 in London! TRAVEL (91-98) - Best party destinations in the world. Vegas and Greece are our big features!

Word on the street

Exclusive Interview

CHARLIE BROWN

GRIMEY

Page 16

JUSTIN BIEBER At It Again

TRANSFER RUMOURS The Latest News

Beyonce’s Slap Overexcited Fans!

news - gossip - music - sport - celebrities

GRIMEY Body too bootylicious? It’s a challenge accepted for this fan During a recent concert in Copenhagen Beyonce had her bum slapped by an over excited fan in the audience. It’s obvious to say she wasn’t best impressed with the action and threatened to have the perpetrator removed from the venue. This is clearly unacceptable behaviour for anyone to participate in but the fact that it happened to Beyonce does have this writer chuckling a little bit. All that old talk of being too Bootylicious has apparently been seen as a challenge for some male fans, can you get to touch a bit of it?! I of course do not recommend anyone else trying this but it is still amusing. Her Mrs Carter show hasn’t exactly gone off without a hitch as this becomes one of the many stories about it to come out regardless of it having only been going for a few months. Having already documented her ban on photographers at the gigs to stop unflattering photos being published she also unknowingly sang a personal song to our own Princess Royal Princess Eugenie. There have also been numerous rumours that she and Jay Z are expecting their second child! Could the Mrs Carter show fizzle out before it explodes? It’s possible.

Naughty Naughty Norcross.. Kirk Norcross the Ex Towie star was shamefully exposed on twitter recently. He was caught masturbating online in a Skype call conversation with a female friend who thought it would be highly amusing to take a screen shot of the Kirk in action.. Literally. Personally I don’t see why he’s worried, he’ll become more of a celebrity now. He wants to become a celebrity right?

Word On The Street news - gossip - music - sport - celebrities Forget The Harlem Shake! We’re Bringing Back The Carlton! Will Smith and Jayden Smith both appeared on a recent episode of Graham Norton’s popular chat show and brought a few surprises along to show off to the audience. If you haven’t already seen what went on then definitely head over to YouTube and find it to watch. When Will had previously been on the show he did his Fresh Prince of Bel Air rap which went down incredibly well so this time he wanted to up his game! He started by beat boxing for his son Jaden who did an incredibly irritating rap which just highlights how incredibly irritating his son is. “HELLO….” Cracking rapping there Jaden, have a biscuit. Thankfully then Will took over and brought out his friend and classic DJ Jazzy Jeff who was with Will in his very early career. With a bit of ‘Switch’ to start he went into the world famous Fresh Prince Rap before announcing the arrival of Alfonso Ribeiro. Better known as Carlton Banks from the 90’s series the actor looked to have not aged a day as he leapt into his famous dance to the Tom Jones classic ‘It’s Not Unusual’. It was a fantastic piece of TV entertainment and definitely bought ‘The Carlton’ back into the mainstream. Kids need to forget about the Harlem Shake and Gangnam Style. Stick some Tom Jones on and do the Carlton like its 1995. Zach loses the famous beard. Does this finally signify the end of The Hangover franchise? His beard has become synonymous with Zach Galifianakis just as it has been with his character of Alan. The Alan beard is almost a trademark of the movie franchise and appears on almost all the merchandise associated with it. Therefore it is a sad day to see that Zach has lost the beard and instead is sporting a goatee style facial hair which he debuted at the French leg of the Hangover III premier on the Champs Elysee in Paris. His new look shows off a far more youthful side and you would have to look twice to recognise the famous actor with his new look. This could maybe signal the end of the franchise with the conclusion of the trilogy. Of course beards grow back and it may return but I see it as a turning point in the actor’s career. There is always a concern with actors like Zach playing characters like Alan that you can be typecast, something that has already happened to Zach in the film due date. The new look could be himself setting up for new roles in a new direction, perhaps taking note of Bradley Coopers entry into serious hard hitting films as apposed to the comedies he became famous for.

Word On The Street news - gossip - music - sport - celebrities Bieber done for reckless driving again... Justin Bieber is at it again, surprise surprise! Forever hitting the tabloids the teen star has been finding himself in more trouble. The singer is under police investigation for another reckless driving incident where he allegedly drove his Ferrari at breakneck speeds in his gated community. He’s only 19 and owns a Ferrari, it’s the manufacturers fault for selling him one. Police apparently received two separate calls from different locations in the Calabasas community. One of the callers was the incredibly talented wide receiver in the NFL Keyshawn Johnson who apparently isn’t a Belieber, cue the angry tweets sent to his inbox by the young singers legion of fans. Considering his history of reckless inconsiderate driving in super cars he isn’t gaining a good driving record! He also recently reportedly spat on a neighbour who confronted him, the neighbour then went on to say Bieber threatened to kill him. I think this young star has got too much going on at the moment and needs to be careful of how he is damaging his life. Is he another child star set to go awry? He’s edging dangerously close to going full Lindsey Lohan on us... KANYE WEST RELEASES LATEST ALBUM ARTWORK Kanye West has released the latest artwork for his new album... Lets just say it’s a tad plainer than the previous albums he’s put out. It just doesn’t make sense. It looks like he’s copied a CD and stuck a sticky label on it saying Property of Kanye leave alone. Perhaps this is the rapper having a visual reference to the death of the CD? Or more so, the death of the Album Artwork. With digital sales booming artwork has lost the beauty that it once had in times gone by. Either way I think this is a mistake from Kanye. It doesn’t make me want to listen.

Grimey

PLAYLIST Wretch 32 ft Shakka Blackout This single in particular is different from Wretch 32’s previous work yet it maintains a feel good factor and could be an ultimate summer anthem. Daft Punk Instant Crush Who knew Julian Casablancas was such a versatile vocalist! Falsetto and rapping makes this Punk track a great!

Jessie J ft Dizzee Wild Very different to what we’ve become used to from the UK’s biggest pop star. Could be set to be a song of the summer!

2 Chainz ft Wiz Khalifa We Own It Fantastic single from Fast & Furious 6 which mixes really well with the action within the film. Look out for this one.

The 1975 So Far (It’s Alright) Track from the groups latest EP entitled IV. A great upbeat little electro inspired track with some great lyrics and feel.

CHARLIE BROWN FLOODGATES Very different to ‘On My Way’ but still a track full of emotion. Big things in the future for this boy for sure! BASTILLE Laura Palmer The new single from the band storming the industry at the moment. The best on the album so a sure hit!

Jakwob ft Maiday Fade A great collaboration between the producer and songwriter. Drum and Bass with haunting vocals. Sublime.

Gabrielle Aplin Keep On Walking Track from her stunning debut offering. Fantastic vocals and a great song that will stick with you for a while.

Swim Deep Changes The Weather Birmingham’s very own Swim Deep release their new EP with this stunner as the title track. Soaring piano and vocals.

BRITISH SOAP AWARDS

2013

SEXIEST MALE & FEMALE MICHELLE KEEGAN Michelle Keegan who plays Tina McIntyre in Corrie has won the sexiest female award again! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not very surprising when you think about it...

DANNY MAC Danny Mac won the sexiest male this year for his portrayal of Dodger in Hollyoaks the arrogant ladies man who works his way around all the girls!

Word On The Street

news - gossip - music - sport - celebrities

GRIMEY

sport Its football till wimbledon!

CRYSTAL PALACE SECURE PROMOTION WITH PLAY OFF WIN AGAINST WATFORD Crystal Palace have joined Cardiff and Hull City in promotion to the Premier League next season after an extra time penalty from the mighty Kevin Phillips. Aged a staggering 39 the legendary striker came to the rescue and secured Palace’s place in promotion. Manager Ian Holloway has stated that “The Hard Work Starts Now” and it will definitely be a hard fight for all the promoted teams to stay up with the big boys. It is great to see that at the age of 39 Kevin Phillips doesn’t show any interest in hanging up his boots just yet. Although with his goal scoring record can you really blame him! Well done to all the Crystal Palace lads and good luck in the Premier Season 2013/14!

Word On The Street news - gossip - music - sport - celebrities WAYNE ROONEY Destination? Chelsea? PSG? Man City? Likely hood? Chelsea if anywhere... Can Moyes talk him round. RADAMEL FALCAO

BECKHAM bids fair well to HIS PLAYING CAREER David Beckham has bid a tearful farewell to his life as a professional footballer playing his final ever game with French champions Paris Saint Germain. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered and saluted the exiting midfielder who has become an absolute legend of the game. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an incredible player and the sport will definitely miss everything that Beckham brought to the game. His role model status for younger players and brand Beckham that is so huge worldwide. His record as a player is also something to admire as he has graced the field for some of the finest teams in world football including AC Milan, Real Madrid and of course Manchester United. This is all before he had a successful spell in the US with LA Galaxy and then finally winning a French league medal this year with PSG. As an inspiration, a free kick specialist and player he will be missed for being the incredible man that he is. Also the female population will now weep at the loss of him from the game... Who do they have to sit through a football match for now?

TRANSFER RUMOURS/CONFIRMATIONS

Mourinho Returns To Chelsea... WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED IT?!

Destination? Monaco AKA New Chelsea Likely hood? Done Deal with Monaco. DAVID VILLA Destination? Tottenham - 10mil Likely hood? Possible, but overpriced! Would be good for Spurs though! NEYMAR Destination? Barcelona Likely hood? Done Deal! Will he be a Robinho or a Ronaldinho? CESC FABREGAS Destination? Man Utd.... Likely hood? Moyes is having a laugh thinking heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get Fab! LUKA MODRIC Destination? Chelsea Likely hood? Possible considering lack of play in Madrid!

Amazed by his recent success and looking toward the future we grabbed an exclusive interview with chart sensation Charlie Brown where he reveals what makes him tick, including an unlikely musical love of Sting!

E V I S U L C EX

STREET CRED INTERVIEW

CHARLIE BROWN ‘On My Way’ hit the charts with a bang, are there new things from you in the pipe line?

When did you first discover you had a passion for music?

There is a lot to look out for. I finally got to hear the final mix of my new single that will be available soon. But with On My Way I was surprised at how successful it was and how massive it went. I mean I never would have thought it would have been top 10 in the first week of release but it’s massive.

Really young, listening to the likes of Usher and Black Street. I always had a great feeling about music and listening to some influential people musically helped the passion. If there are two artists out there you would love to make music with who would they be and why?

What’s the message you’re trying to bring through to your audience in ‘On My Way’?

Sia. She’s completely different from other artists. She’s unique in the way she sings, I would love to get her for a I wanted to bring out something positive. Considering feature definitely. Believe it or not my second would probevery song you hear lately is a love song, I want you back ably be Sting. Because I grew up hearing my dad always or I love you baby style of tunes. I wanted to create a posi- playing his music it’s something that I would love to be a tive song and to bring out something different. part of. He’s a great sort of role model for music. That’s not something you would expect to hear you say after hearing your first single No one really specifically. The likes of Stevie Wonder, John ‘On My Way’, to suddenly be saying you’d make music with sting? Who inspires you to write music?

Legend, Sia etc. Everything really inspires me. It’s various different things. What has been your biggest achievement regarding your music career so far?

Having the ability to reach the top 10 with my first solo single was incredible. I mean I’ve written music for other people and it’s reached the charts, but having the achievement of having your own single that you wrote and performed yourself there is an amazing feeling. You recently appeared on the Dappy ‘Bad Intentions’ tour. How was that for you?

Ha! Don’t get me wrong, it’s different but it’s good, his music is unique and he’s like my guilty pleasure. What genre would you say your music is?

Well I know how people find it easier to put themselves in a genre box and only produce that sort of music I wouldn’t say I’m like that, but if I would have to, I would probably say my music is soul pop. If you had any advice for someone trying to break into the music industry what would it be?

I did indeed, it was absolutely wicked. It was the first tour I had ever done and I was truly honoured and grateful If I had any advice it would probably take a couple of hours! when Dappy asked me. It was unreal having to perform on But if I needed to cut it short it probably would be to make a stage to thousands of Dappy fans with them beginning sure you have a thick skin. Don’t let others bring you down, to like my music. It was incredible. you may hear a bad comment once or twice but if you want something so bad don’t let anyone tell you different.

Fashion & Style

FASHION

Fashion & Style

Red Rihanna Backless High Leg Swimsuit: River Island Retail Price: £35.00

Authentic wash Rihanna Slim Jeans: River Island Retail Price £50.00

Black Rihanna Tied Shirt Denim Shorts: River Island Retail Price: £50.00

Black Rihanna Tattoo Pendant Trucker Hat: River Island Retail Price: £25.00

Black Rihanna Cropped T-Shirt Retail Price: £15.00

Rihanna’s River Island Clothes Collection The brand new clothing range by the singer has recently been released so be sure to head over to your nearest store and check out what is available. Sure to be some of the most bought items this summer, don’t miss out! Green Tie Dye Rihanna Tied Shirt Parka Jacket: River Island Retail Price £100.00

Black Floral Rihanna Floral Print Trousers Retail Price £45.00

THE VM CUSTOM MADE SHOE IS CREATING A HUGE BUZZ!!! There are some serious talents out there and this one I was very privileged to meet. Imagine this guy does customized trainers where he can draw anything you want on it. At only 25 years old Vijay Mehmi from Birmingham is creating a national and international buzz about his art on shoes. This guy is a lover of Hip hop music which also gives him inspiration for his designs. We guarantee you have never seen anything like this and the way things are looking we can see the V’M brand taking the world by storm Top Celebrities are going wild about these designs as even Labrinth, Royce Da 5 9, Yelawolf and even Keith Lemon has showcased them on his show and is spreading the word to all his mates. Vijay is an artist first and foremost and he first had a cage fighter showcase them years back and the demand came from there. Although Vijay has the general public making orders for their shoes he is creating a massive demand from celebrities especially hip hop artists in the states. When asked who he would like to endorse his brand he said Travis Parker would be cool. Take a look at the collections ranging from Spiderman, Rihanna, Mohammed Ali to name a few, the art is talent in its finest form ‘I was absolutely blown away when i saw my shoes on TV’, explains a humble Vijay ‘ Having celebrities wearing my trainer is an awesome feeling and i am getting so much work from America’ Vijay’s aim is to get as many people raving about having their shoes being custom made and he loves doing what he does as people ask for the most insane things to be done like me having my face on a trainer ha. The aim is also to have a V’M’s store where people can walk in and get their trainer done. You can order yours online by sending in the image you want on there and filling out the basic details. Check the website www.vmfootwear.com

Fashion & Style

update

womens fashion

STEVE MADDEN

Check out the new range of heels available now!

1) £99.00 2) £75.00 3) £99.00 24

Fashion & Style

WHITE WATCHES

Natalie Chronograph Ceramic Watch: Fossil Retail Price: £209

Adidas Unisex Watch Retail Price: £50.00

DKNY Ladies Leather Watch Retail Price: £66.99

Fashion & Style

update mens fashion

PUMA Suede Classic

ÂŁ54.99

Tired of carting your gear around with minimal style?

Fashion & Style

2) RAY BAN Visor £125 3) Prada Linea Rosa £185 4) Persol glasses £295

Top SHADES Sunglasses for summer

5) Hogan sunglasses £201

NIKE

£19.99

1 Topman Tortoise Shell Retro Sunglasses £40.00 DUFFER

£19.99

HERSCHEL

£150

Want your own custom VM Trainers? Designed especially for you!

Then send your picture to

competitions@streetcredmagazine.com with your name shoe size and age and our team will pick the most creative image and do your trainer. Send now. Competition closes 21st June

COMPETITION!

MOST SUSTAINABLE FASHION RETAILER IN THE NETHERLANDS

H&M is ranked the “Most sustainable fashion retailer in the Netherlands” by the Dutch consumer organisation Rank a Brand and is awarded with its “Fashion chain Award 2013”. Out of 27 fashion retailers in the Netherlands H&M is number one. The award gives H&M the predicate ‘well on the way in sustainability’. “At H&M we are of course very happy about the acknowledgement”, says Helena Helmersson, Head of Sustainability at H&M. “We work hard every day to make our products, our company and our industry more sustainable. While there is more to do, this ranking proves that we are on the right path and makes these efforts transparent and accessible to consumers.” H&M have accomplished more of the listed criteria than any other fashion retailer in the study. And in particular Rank a Brand is satisfied with the publication of H&M’s supplier list which serves to improve transparency in the fashion industry. Additionally it is important for H&M to give an incentive to the suppliers to take ownership over their sustainability and recognize the progress they are making. Other highlights recognized by Rank a Brand are H&M’s efforts to limit the usage of chrome and chemicals as well as CO2 emission and energy use policies. “When it comes to the people and environment where the clothes are made, H&M takes its responsibility as a market leader, and inspires other brands to follow says Niels Oskam, founder of Rank a Brand. “For example, H&M is the first clothing retailer that has published its list of suppliers; this is a big step in transparency. The sustainability policies of H&M are getting more ambitious each year. We’ll keep monitoring H&M and the fashion industry and look forward to see the next steps towards a truly fair and sustainable production chain.”

OH BOY ATTIRE

Oh Boy Attire clothing is a new independent clothing company based within the heart of Cornwall. The company was established by one man, Freddie Jackson-Gali, who is currently on a gap year from Bristol College where he is studying an FDA in Graphic Design. Freddie thought of the idea of creating ‘Oh Boy Attire Clothing’ as he wanted to do something that would contribute towards his design career. After heavily researching the market Freddie soon found himself indulged by the whole “Street Clothing” scene and what went with it. You have a variety of musicians and events promoting themselves within and around independent clothing brands. I feel that he has found a gap in the market with the design ideas he has created and the entire brand has been a great idea to follow with. Having a unique design style to their clothing makes them stand out from other existing clothing brands that are out there at the moment. Oh Boy Attire has the qualities of an excellent clothing brand. Definitely clothing that young adults would want to be seen wearing, especially the beanies they produce. Oh Boy Attire are an independent clothing brand and are beginning to find love around the UK with their individual unique styles that are admired by all shapes and sizes. Freddie Jackson has been set on getting as many collaborations out for his first year as possible as he love’s working with other designers and musicians to create a design for thee fans of both the individuals and OBA’s fans. Oh Boy Attire clothing’s most recent collaboration is with Toke. a great clothing company with a large following. As for previous collaborations they have worked with well known EDM producer Pogman where OBA released a T-shirt for his 2013 tours which went down a treat over in America. Up and coming collaborations are there but unfortunately they’re remaining secrets for now. Freddie doesn’t want to reveal too much about upcoming designs he’s creating as they’re so unique and different.

The idea behind OBA was to combine illustration, block colour and well mannered typography that has taken inspiration from Japanese design & culture. Freddie set out to use high quality clothing and ink for the printing to give OBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs a sleek, clean cut finish. He wanted the brand to be something different than that of just basic type with no real visual pleasure. Freddie set out to create a logo for the brand that would be seen and stand out from the rest, he believes this to be a very important step in starting a brand. The brand started with only 25 T-shirts which was a bit of a gamble. Freddie had faith though as he believed his first T-shirt (the Logo T-shirt) had a strong, likeable design. From there on Freddie designed more T-shirts and a sweatshirt that matched OBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s criteria for the collection, this slowly built his audience and gained OBA a small following.

Model - Anna Middleton - Photography Danny Mulvany & Graham Addicott

BIGSCREEN WORDS by Tom cotter

PREVIEW

MAN OF STEEL - JUNE 14th

The latest Superhero film to be released sees Zack Snyder rebooting the Superman franchise with the help of the man responsible for arguable the finest superhero franchise in recent years, Christopher Nolan. Nolan obviously famous for the Dark Knight Batman trilogy steps into a producing role for this film as the two men set up the origin story of Superman in the upcoming Man Of Steel. With an all star cast this particular Superman film sees the titular character being portrayed by an Englishman, the first time it hasn’t been an American, as Henry Cavill dons the cape alongside Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and Russell Crowe as Jor-El Superman’s father, among other well known actors and actresses. As stated this film plays once again with the origin story of Clark Kent (don’t they all?) and shows how he was adopted as a child by Jonathan and Martha Kent having been transported to earth by his father Jor-El from the dying planet of Krypton, his home world. Raised with the good values of his adoptive parents

Clark becomes a journalist but always struggles to feel like he belongs due to his super human powers and struggles to find his place in life as he travels round to stay hidden. I’m pretty sure everyone knows the story of Superman with their being so many films in the past so I need not go into detail. This film is different though as the world is attacked by his own people and he is forced to become superman to protect the Earth he has grown to love as well as all it’s people. One interesting fact revealed in the trailer of this film is that famous ‘S’ is actually a symbol that means hope back on his homeland of Krypton, and the name Superman is from the misconception of it being an ‘S’. There is your random Man of Steel fact of today!

DVD RELEASE

Two film releases on DVD this month! Two similar films with romance at their roots. One being a British rom-com in the form of ‘I Give It A Year’ and American romance drama ‘Safe Haven’. Now, both of these films haven’t been given particularly scintilating reviews from critics but they do the job that they’re designed to do. Released either side of June they’re a perfect film to get hold of if you want a non challenging film or if you’re planning a romantic night with your loved one. Both films are more geared to the female audience but being a guy I do love my fair share of Rom-Coms etc so there is nothing to say the guys won’t love these just as much!

BIG SCREEN REVISTED

Zack Snyder’s previous films have included Watchmen and Sucker Punch which are two films I personally really enjoyed and thought were very fresh. Also on his directing list was 300 which was also a very unique showing of something shown so often in cinema history. One thing all these films had in heaps was impressive editing and special effects giving almost a cartoon feel. This all leads me to get rather excited about what Man of Steel could have in store. Superman Returns? No one will remember that after this.

10 years ago in June 2003 ‘28 Days Later’ was released. That could well make you feel old but this cult classic was highly received and is definitley a film to watch if zombie films are your thing. This was genre defining so if you were too young first time round, catch up now.

BigScreen

BIGSCREEN

REVIEW

When I first heard news that they were doing the third and final instalment in the Hangover trilogy I groaned and then let out a large sigh… I was a massive fan of the first film as it became one of the best comedy films in recent years but I didn’t feel it needed any sort of sequel. The second in the franchise ruined everything a little bit as I found it repetitive, predictable and rather poor and

The Hangover Part III got concerned that it would taint the first, so you can imagine my disdain at the thought of a third. That said I did go and see the third and for me it was the sequel that the first one deserved. It still wasn’t needed, but it was much more relevant and correct than the second one ever was. Part III doesn’t actually involve a Hangover and instead focuses on the relationship between ‘The Wolfpack’ as they work together to save each other in their lives and in the action that pursues. Due to this it is less predictable and doesn’t stick to the theme that the first one set but instead matures into a new form of Hangover film. For me the continuation of the Mr Chow character is just annoying and he is cringing as usual although to be fair he probably is integral to the film. That being said I’d have left him in the first film! Zach Galifianakis as Alan is actually less annoying in this film and has some rather funny moments in it particularly with the giraffe at the start. For me though the film is only really saved once again by the great performances by Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper as Stu and Phil. They are funny and add an element of real life to proceedings as they seem like guys you could know yourself. Everyone should be sure to hang around the cinema for the post credit scene which is actually one of the funniest in the whole movie. This is the only part which is the same vein as the first two film as they wake up, hung-over and with numerous things very wrong which as always is very funny. I would recommend seeing this film but it still doesn’t reach the bar set by the first. It is a lot better than the second though. I’d forget the second films and skip straight to this, its back in Vegas and a much more fitting sequel and ending to the movie franchise. Let us all just pray that they don’t make a fourth…

BigScreen

PREVIEW This film needs $400million dollars to break even. Let me just write that with the zeros so you appreciate the scale, $400,000,000. Will it do it? I wouldn’t like to say, it could very well be a flop! Yes it’s a zombie film and there are so many of these films now with the entire Zombie franchise blowing up and becoming huge, but try not to let that alter your judgement of this one straight away. Check out the trailer and see how intense this one is and how incredible the zombies move in swarms and take over everything. It’s something to be seen! Based on the novel of the same name Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B beat off Leonardo DiCaprio’s company to the signature to the rights of the book. Therefore it stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane who is a United Nations worker who leaves his family and searches the globe for any information that would help him stop the outbreak that is destroying the entire world. Most the other roles are played by relatively low key actors in low key character roles such as Matthew Fox (Jack from Lost) and James Badge Dale (Chase from 24) which suggests that the budget did not go on the casting, unless Brad is expecting some astronomical payment for acting.

World War Z - JUNE 21st Early on in its development the script was leaked on the internet and was reviewed way back in 2008. It was said to not only be a good adaptation of a difficult book but a ‘genre defining piece of work that could well see us all arguing about whether or not a zombie movie qualifies as Best Picture material.’ Whether 5 years later this is still the case is yet to be seen but if it is, that’s a very bold statement to make and an intention of quite how good this film could be. The budget was blown out the water by a number of issues that plagued the filming with a lot of re-shoots taking place as well as script re-writes. This does put the previous quote in a bit of jeopardy but lets hope this was all for the better. Everything about this film is on the down low. Not much information about. That said though, I’m very intrigued, and I’m very excited to see what becomes of it. Flop or success!

EMMA WATSON!

BigScreen

Looking blooming wonderful in her new film the blink ring! For all you Emma Watson lovers and fantasists and those who take your love for her a little too far be sure to check her out in her next film release The Bling Ring. She plays a bad girl, you’ll like it. As she strives to push Hermione from Harry Potter into her past and get herself recognised as a serious actress she has joined acclaimed director Sofia Coppola’s team in recreating the true story of the Bling Ring for the big screen. For those unaware this is the story of a group of teenagers in California who are absolutely obsessed with the celebrity lifestyle and everything that goes with it leading them to track celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan so that they could rob their homes. They stole millions of dollars worth of money and possessions from the celebrities and each ended up with varying degrees of prison sentences. Out very early July, make sure it’s on your list to see!

Will Smith reunites on the big screen once again with his son Jaden in a film written by Smith himself and directed by ‘The 6th Sense’ and ‘Signs’ director M.Night Shyalaman who in recent years has been a little bit void of success (Do I need to mention The Last Airbender?). The film has a lot of similar themes to recent release ‘Oblivion’ and it is being classed as a direct competitor to the Tom Cruise smash hit. By the end of the summer we should know which was

the more successful out of the two! Set one thousand years after humanity was forced to flee and escape planet Earth and make its new home on Nova Prime the legendary General Cypher Raige (Smith – That could be confusing, I mean Will) has returned from a tour of duty to his estranged family including his 13 year old son Kitai (Jaden). Having lacked a consistent father figure Kitai is troublesome and punished by not being allowed into the ranger corps training programme. To reconnect with his son, Cypher takes him on a mission with him although their craft crash lands after being damaged in an asteroid storm and they end up being the only survivors on an unfamiliar and dangerous Earth where everything has evolved to kill humans! Oh dear. Also Cypher is critically injured meaning Kitai must search for the rescue beacon across hostile terrain and be the soldier he always wanted to be. This has the potential to be a very good film, for me it will depend on how irritating I find Jaden Smith to be in it. Being a big Sci-Fi fan though I am pleased to see more films in the genre arriving.

AFTER EARTH JUNE 7th

Review written by Tom cotter

Having previewed this film a couple of months ago I was very excited about seeing it. I am also very happy to confirm that it didn’t disappoint and was a very fresh and real piece of cinema. If you’re expecting two and a bit hours of Ryan Gosling though you will be disappointed as he isn’t actually in it for a huge amount of time.

The way the film is structured shows Gosling’s character of Luke’s progression from traveller to devoted father but who’s flawed and rebellious character leads him to smash directly into Bradley Coopers character of Avery and ultimately leads to his downfall. Avery then takes up the mantle of the film as we progress deep into his guilt before being transported 15 years into the future and seeing how the lives of their sons have been effected by what happened in the past. One of the key themes in the film is that of fathers and their sons and also how guilt can affect ones future. I also see a theme meaning to show the audience that everything that happens to you in your life no matter how young you are can change who you become. Luke only had good intentions for his son Jason who was robbed of the chance of having his fathers guidance. Due to missing out on this Jason falls into the same downward spiral that his father suffered. Gosling’s character is very similar to the ones he played in Drive and in director Cianfrance’s previous film Blue Valentine. A quiet, troubled and flawed character but who ultimately only wants the best for those closest to him. In this film he works for his son (albeit as a criminal) and even in his final moments pleads that his son never finds out about him wishing him to have a goof life. Yes this could be argued that the role is typical Ryan Gosling but if a man does it well then let that man play the role! I was concerned that Bradley Cooper would not be convincing in such a strong role but he did hold his own as he seeks to rebuild himself as a serious actor. Cianfrance has done a beautiful job with the production and direction of the film really making it look and feel like the time it is set. Each frame has been shot to perfection with viewpoints very real with over the shoulder shots and dashboard shots in the car chase scene. It’s definitely a film to check out just make sure you stick with it, I’m aware 2 hours plus is a long time to watch.

The final film in the cornetto trilogy will be released this July. It sees Simon Pegg and Nick Frost teaming up once again in a similar vein to Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. A trailer for the upcoming film has been released so head online now and check that out, If the first two films in the series were anything to go by then this film is sure to be fantastic!

BIGSCREEN NEWS

Gig

London

uide

THE

CAPITAL FM SUMMERTIME BALL - 9th June Wembley The Capital FM Summertime Ball returns to Wembley this year with an impressive line up headed by this years presenter, all time superstar Justin Timberlake! The line up in fact is probably the best they’ve ever had with a list including... Robbie Williams, Taylor Swift, Wiill.i.am, Olly Murs, Jessie J, The Wanted, The Saturdays, Ellie Goulding and Lawson. BUT THAT ISN’T ALL! More? I hear you scream! Yes, also appearing will be Rizzle Kicks, Disclosure, Union J, Psy, Loveable Rogues, AlunaGeorge, Rudimental, Charlie Brown and Wiley. What an incredible line up to feature all in one day. If you don’t have tickets for the show then make sure you catch it on Capital and if you do have tickets make sure you have a fantastic day and enjoy the incredible musical talent that will be on show! If Pop music is your thing you wont get a better line up than that this year (or ever!).

THE KILLERS - 22nd June Wembley Stadium The incredibly popular group from Las Vegas brings their Battle Born world tour to Wembley for which will be the biggest show they have ever done with an expected 90.000 people in attendance. Definitely not one to miss out on!

What’s on?

ROBBIE WILLIAMS - 29th 30th June - 2nd 5th July - Wembley The UK’s king of Pop Robbie Williams is preparing for a four date sting at the Wembley Arena at the end of June and start of July. With so many smash hits under his belt this show is bound to be overflowing with fan favourites as well as new material.

ALUNAGEORGE - 20th June FRANK OCEAN - 9th & 10th July Electric Brixton 02 Academy Brixton AlunaGeorge have gone from After winning international Male strength to strength since Solo Artist at the Brit awards being featured in the BBC 2013 Frank Ocean is back. His Sound of 2013 poll. Although music is something everyone admires because he’s different, beaten to that by Haim they have gone on to have as much regardless of who you are or what success as their American your favourite genre of music counterparts. Fresh minimalist normally is. Frank mixes R&B and electro pop is the sound. Urban music so perfectly.

TEGAN & SARA - 11th June Troxy London Tegan & Sara have outstanding voices yet a very different tone. Their music puts a summer feel good theme around everything. Their work sounds like popular artists in the charts at the moment. These pair have a bright future and you better remember the name.

THE STRYPES - 21st June 02 Academy Islington The Strypes are becoming a bit of a sensation. They have an average age of 16 years old and they rock. For musicians of an older age it is a bit of a kick in the teeth but they play well. They play very well. Want to see blues rock with energy and style? The Strypes are for you!

Birmingham KINGS OF LEON 9th & 10th July - LG Arena Birmingham Kings of Leon return to the UK for a small summer tour which includes dates in Manchester and London as well as these in Birmingham. The dates are in anticipation of their 6th studio album release which according to Bassist Jared Followill is due to release around September. Expect new tracks

MAROON 5 - 22nd June

to be featured at these shows, which for any Kings of Leon fans will be a very exciting opportunity. It could also well be a greatest hits performance with the band having so many incredible albums to make a set list out of. With a new batch of tickets released for these shows I would act fast if you want to go!

- LG Arena Birmingham

NIGHT ENGINE - 13th June - Hare and Hounds

GOD DAMN - 29th June - Sunflower Lounge

Maroon 5 hit the LG Arena on the 22nd of June with their Overexposed World Tour. The ever evolving band remain a solid success world wide with each new single always reaching or being near to the top of the charts. With their 5th Studio album ready to be recorded there is the possibility of new material emerging in the set as well as classics from the previous albums.

Night Engine have a unique sound about them. They’re incredibly talented and maintain unique qualities about them. Listening to their music gives off an oasis feel. However as they’re unsigned band you could see them perform live at the Hare and Hounds in Birmingham. Curious to see what they sound like? Go on http://www.youtube.com/ nightenginetv

They’re a new upcoming band from the Black-country, doing many performances in loads of small venues they’re performing again at the Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. If you manage to see these guys live please do! They maintain talent and have incredible stage presence and they’re from the heart of Birmingham.

RIHANNA - 17th & 18th June

KENDRICK LAMAR - 8th July

- LG Arena Birmingham

- 02 Academy Birmingham

MK1 - 28th June - 02 Academy Birmingham

Kendrick Lamar is doing his first UK tour Rihanna has a two date stint at the LG arena after releasing mixtapes and albums and this month as part of her Diamonds UK tour. With support from David Guetta the entire show creating a massive fan base over in the States. His single featuring Drake ‘Poetic should be a smash with no doubt countless hits being in both artist set lists. If you’re a fan Justice’ was a massive hit. It’s fascinating to see what he’ll do for the UK and who will be of Rihanna these will be two of few chances supporting him. He maintains different urban to see her in the UK this year and with such good support it would be a shame to miss out. elements but has the same music passions as everyone else. Beyonce’s Tour? Nah, Diamonds all the way.

After their success in X Factor last year their popularity within and around the nation hasn’t stopped. MK1 are officially on tour! When they auditioned for X Factor they were a 3 pieced band yet unfortunately in order to make progress they became a duo and haven’t looked back since.

Gig guide

Manchester BEADY EYE 19th June - The Ritz Manchester Beady Eye, AKA Oasis without Noel Gallagher AKA Oasis without the talent hit their hometown of Manchester this month on Wednesday the 19th. (Liam Gallagher fans please send hate mail to our newsdesk). Regardless of your opinion the band are doing well for themselves and remain hugely popular

LEWIS WATSON - 10th June

around the country. This show is in support of their second album release entitled Be which is out a week or so before this show. The album cover of Be is very interesting and will definitely make it worth a listen. For all Brit Pop revivalists this isn’t to be missed!

FOLKS - 15th June - Soup Kitchen - Manchester

JOSH GROBAN - 16th June

Six peace alternative rock band Folks play the Soup Kitchen in Manchester on the 16th June. The group are gaining a pretty big following in the region and I’m sure this will be a great show to go and see so make sure you don’t miss out. With a raw edge and powerful sound they’re like Queens of the Stone Age with a Brit Pop edge. Sounds good to me.

Grobanites untie! Josh Groban is returning to the UK on a UK tour this month and will be at the 02 Apollo in Manchester. With his stunning deep voice it is sure to be a captivating show and not one to miss out on. His personality and comedy side are definitely worth being there for as well!

THE WHO - 23rd June - Manchester Arena

YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE - 6th July

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS -

- Soup Kitchen - Manchester

1st July - Manchester Academy

Classic rockers The Who return to the Manchester Arena as part of their 2012-13 tour which sees them playing classic album Quadrophenia in its entirety as well as greatest hits. Billed as Quadrophenia and More this is a certain see for all fans, young and old, of one of the greatest popular rock bands in the history of music.

Remember the incredibly irritating one hit wonders Iglu and Hartly? Well two of the members left and made this incredibly good other band, Youngblood Hawke. They’re getting a lot of radio airplay at the moment and their song ‘Keep On Running’ has featured on numerous adverts and movies already.

Classic Alternative Rockers from the United States ‘The Smashing Pumpkins’ will be at the Manchester Academy this month. Billy Corgan and the rest of the group are releasing their latest album at the end of the year so expect to hear some brand new material mixed in with the classics that made them so huge to begin with.

- Sound Control - Manchester Acoustic singer songwriter sensation Lewis Watson has gained legions of fans with his stunningly crafted EP’s “It’s Got Four Sad Songs On It”, “Another Four Sad Songs” and his latest offering “The Wild”. This latest EP has spawned the sublime single “Into The Wild” and I urge everyone to catch this young talent whilst he is still playing the small venues because he is about to take off.

- 02 Apollo Manchester

health & Fitness GLADIATOR STAR CAROLINE PEARCE TALKS CARDIO IN NEW DVD! What made you want to create a Fitness Video? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, ever since I entered the fitness industry 10 years ago, and I was especially inspired to do so after filming ‘Gladiators’. So many people wanted to know how I trained to stay in shape. I’ve been using my tried and tested rotation system for years with fantastic results and I wanted to share it with those who want to get fit and get a great looking body without spending hours in the gym! A fitness video is the perfect way to get fit at home when you have a quick 20-minutes to spare.

What’s the most important thing to gain the ideal summer body? Firstly, ‘consistency’.Working out regularly and eating healthily ‘most’ of the time. Short cuts just don’t work! Take action with exercise and healthy food choices you can stick to long term. Secondly, ‘intensity’. High intensity circuit training workouts in my DVD will get your metabolism fired up and have you burning calories hours after you’ve finished the workout. The design of the circuits makes your body have to work harder in recovery compared to steady state aerobic exercise such as running. Intensity is therefore a more time saving and efficient way to get fit.

What Target Audience are you trying to reach out To? Mostly women as I specifically target the female

Health & Fitness

problem areas - inner thigh, triceps (bingo wings) and obliques (love handles!) using high repetitions and light weights for optimal body definition. But men can most certainly benefit too as the workouts are designed to be challenging and can be performed with light or heavy weights. My circuits are also suited to any age, ability and fitness level as there are 3 workouts, each with increasing degrees of difficulty,so you can work at your own pace and progress as you get fitter. And within each section I suggest modifications for those who need a more simple movement.

How successful would you say this work out is to gaining your ideal body?

What inspired you to create this video?

When is this dvd on sale?

The excitement to share exercises I’ve been using since my time as an International athlete, to help and motivate more people than I can just through one to one training or events. I also wanted to take on a challenge myself to create an awesome workout DVD that I can be proud of and that gets results and helps everyone feel better about themselves.

How intense would you say this fitness video is on a scale of 1-10? There are 3 different programmes in my DVD and each has a increasing level of intensity. Workout 1 = 6; Workout 2 = 8; Workout 3 =10. But I do advise modifications to the exercises within each circuit to make them easier if necessary. This is a DVD for those serious about getting an awesome body so I do push you to give it your all. However, my rotation training system means you alternate body parts from one exercise to the next so some muscles can rest whilst challenging the others. There is a science behind the exercise choices, order and progressions that make it work!

Massively successful! It targets every body part you want trim and toned for summer and burns fat fast. Each workout is only 20-minutes long but you maximise every second of that time. I advise you perform your chosen routine from the DVD at least 3 times per week to see results. What’s even more inspiring is that I filmed each rotation circuit on the beach so you are in beach body mode with every workout!

Out now! - Amazon.co.uk

What body parts are you mostly focusing on in this fitness video? Every body part - no area is left untouched! Though I do hone in on those problematic areas of inner thigh, triceps and obliques (side abdominals) which can be stubborn to shape up if not targetted correctly.

What are you hoping to achieve from this fitness DVD? To inspire women (and men) of any age and ability to get fit, lasting results and have fun doing it, and most importantly to feel great about themselves. I want them to follow me as their mentor and coach and look out for what else I can offer them...there will be more fitness DVDs, plus my book and online and event support very soon!

What style of work out would you say this is? Circuit Training - High intensity with cardio intervals. You’ll perform classic exercises such as squats, triceps dips and ab crunches, plus. some of my more unique moves that engage all your muscles at once. My secret ingredient is the fast cardio blasts between circuits to elevate your heart rate and scorch fat! And all that’s needed is your bodyweight and a set of dumbbells.

REBEKAH bUFFONG

Firstly Rebekah tell me some background information about you as an artist? I started making music professionally in 2009 and I started as a duo with my younger brother. We were called “Star”, we recently just split up but we were together for four years. Musically I’ve been on courses in Birmingham and also did some courses in London on an artist development program. I’m setting up my own independent label at the moment, I’m very much an independent artist. I’m not looking to branch out majorly at the moment in the slightest, I want to do it all myself. Because that’s just who I am. A congratulations is in order after your single ‘Dance Floor’ reached over 200,000 views on YouTube, and is still constantly increasing, How does that feel for you? I’m ecstatic, I was only aiming for something like 5,000 because normally it’s a push to get over 1,000 ha. But I’m not gonna lie to see the views go up like that it was bonkers, I’m ecstatic. What’s been your biggest achievement to date? I opened the final night of the schools proms 2012 last year at the Royal Albert Hall. That was nuts and I was with a live orchestra as well. That for me was amazing and Margherita Taylor (Classical FM) said to me after that we had brought an exciting show. Performing that at that particular Proms was amazing. What person inspires you the most to write your music?

You know what I can’t sit and say a persons name but I can sit here and say God. For me that’s my biggest inspiration and the point I’ve been making in music to give some people some hope. Even to just look at me and be like she’s doing something she loves, and give them a little bit more hope and inspiration and passion to go do something that they love. That for me is an inspiration. Where do you see your career heading within the next 12 months? You know what, who knows, to be honest it’s exciting at this present moment in time. In 12 months time I could be on your TV like majorly. I’m not even joking that could seriously be the case. I can’t say anything at the moment as I don’t want to jinx anything but it’s looking promising. That’s all I’m saying ha. When you said you were hoping to create your own independent label, not many people think that big at all and not many people think like that. In my eyes it’s a smart move for an unsigned artist to do because to actually make it in the music industry you’ve got to trademark yourself but not many people think like that so when did you discover that sort of knowledge? Education again. Education is key for me and I’ve always thought of branding and things like that. I’ve always seen myself as a brand because it is a business, it’s the music business, but at the same time going to places like Access Music Birmingham and going to the Artist Development Program in London it really makes you think about how you’re going to market yourself. It’s about having your own team of people setting yourself up like that so the industry can’t say anything. You’re doing everything you want yourself and you’re already tooled up and already have the skills, it’s just a matter of getting the fans and support and pushing it out. Once you’ve got the support, like what happened with my single Dance Floor the industry can’t tell you anything because the support is there and they have to play it.

Follow REBEKAH on TWITTER @rebekahbuffong

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Cover Story

DAMAGE WELCOME BACK

We caught up with Damage for an in depth interview about their career at the moment Words: Mark Dwayne Photos: Max Marriot Also in attendance: Mista Smoove Malia, Denco, Liam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Leary Jay-S, Debbie Ford

Cover Story

When you think of Damage you recognize them as UK R&B legends that have paved the way for other artists to break through. If it wasn’t for these guys you wouldn’t even know about Craig David, reason being he won the competition to record the B side single of a Damage hit record when he was unsigned. 20 years as the no 1 group is an achievement in itself and no one can say in this genre that they are still around up to today from the 90’s and still have the vibe like these guys. Damage are the freshest cutting edge band that continue to captivate fans and the buzz for them is more strong than ever. From sold out concerts to having hits and tracks featured in movies these guys have definitely raised the bar and you wont get a much better act live on stage, these guys are tight and set the trend from the music to their fashion. Many have come and gone in UK R&B from the likes of Eternal, M&8, Ultimate Kaos, Mark Morrison etc but Damage are still the force to be reckoned with and are truly adored by millions of fans young and old. How can you forget the hits ‘Forever’, ‘Love To Love’, ‘Wonderful Tonight’, ‘Rumours’ and ‘Still Be Loving You’. This is a group that has been an inspiration to many acts from the UK and if there is anyone to show you how to do this game then Damage are the teachers for sure. In 2013 we witnessed an amazing performance at the 10,000 plus R&B superstars concert in Wembley and has to be said they have been the most talked about performance. We catch up with the pioneers in a world exclusive interview held by Streetcred magazine In Birmingham. We speak about the direction Damage are going with their music, thoughts on JLS, the tough music industry and much more. As you can see the boys are in good shape and ready to make a huge comeback in the music world due to the demand from their loyal fans This was the press conference we held for them at the Hampton Hotel before their big sold out show at Gatecrasher. Q: You guys are the pioneers of R&B UK as a group in the 90’s would you say it was hard to get the sound accepted?

Andrez: We had to really rely on our fans to push and tell radio that our fans wanna hear us, We want Damage as much as we want Take That and Boyzone. What we did was no different to what James Brown did in his time where he would push to get black music heard

Jade: At the time we came out we were competing with the American acts like SWV, Jodeci, Blackstreet and at that time people were so into supporting America so we did a collab with Lil Cease from Junior Mafia called ‘Anything’ and that got airplay because there was no mention of us being from the UK and it blew up. Q: You guys have been together for a while, how long?

Jade: We’ve been together for over 20 years. We all knew each other from school and we are definitely a family unit. Q You all split up for a while didn’t you? tell me about that?

Noel: It was important for us to do that and we needed that space at the time we were living in each others pockets and not getting a chance to grow up and find who we was. Jade: Doing Cherry Blackstone was like starting from scratch as we learnt how to play instru-

Cover Story

ments and because we did Damage for so long it was nice to try something new. Q: You’ve done Mobo’s, Smash Hits big Festivals and recently played to over 10,000 people at Wembley performing alongside SWV, Jodeci, Blackstreet and Changing Faces, how was that experience for you?

Jade: You gotta remember we grew up listening and admiring those stars of the 90’s and we all came out at the same time and to be on the show was very rewarding plus the love we got from the crowd was amazing. Ras: Yeah its mad like when we was in rehearsal we were hearing Teddy Riley doing the sound check and

Cover Story

that alone was an awesome experience to be a part of. Q: In the early 90’s a lot of UK acts were being signed like Hinda Hicks, Beverley Knight, Honeys, Shola Ama and Lyndon David Hall, then what happened, it all died. Why do you think?

Andrez: At that time the record labels PR companies heavily invested into this British sound yes. Noel: Problem was they didn’t know how to market the music.

so if you were British doing R&B IT WAS RIGHT they was backing pop music more. Q: You guys have proved that you can do timeless music, hits like Ghetto Romance are still being played in the clubs and can say its the only urban track from this country that still has the buzz. What do you think of what’s out there now and will we hear it in 20 years time like your music?

Andrez: Artists are making the hits but I really don’t know if we will hear it in 20 years time,

Jade: I think its good now we have the social networks so now we can get the music straight to the public without having to rely on the industry.

Q: What do you think of the whole R&B fused with Electro thing?

Andrez: I think when the Brit Awards came the industry changed then its like all of a sudden they wanted the American R&B more like the Lauryn Hills, Destinys Child

Andre: Blame Akon [Laughs] he came with it and people realised that both RnB and electro people like this and then Usher and every other RnB artist did it.

Cover Story Ras: I suppose it opens doors for you doing it, some times you have to do what you don’t want to do to break through. Speaking of struggles, Smash hits didn’t want to put us on their cover because they weren’t sure black would sell but we shared a cover and it sold the most that year. Andre: The industry was strange because we were achieving a lot more than many acts and some shows they wouldn’t let us headline, yeah we always thought one day you’re gonna realise that this is the music I look back and all it was they just didn’t know RnB urban was the big thing people wanted.

believe me and the thing is he said he would only put that song out if Nas was on it so we said we’s take it. [Laughs] Q: What other shows have you done recently?

Noel: Jazz Café was great we had Alesha Dixon and Kele Le Roc and to be fair probably the best show we’ve ever done. Q: So are we going to hear new music?

Andrez: For sure, but we are not rushing anything as we want to come with the right sound right now we are concentrating on live shows and bringing that funk and soul to the audience. JLS got the kids but Damage is needed for the mature crowd.

Jade: But we loved the battle. We had a lot of fun with it all and it never stopped us doing our thing, for us we achieved because it was ground breaking, a full black act coming through. Q: What were your thoughts of JLS when they came on X FACTOR?

Jade: We felt proud and we were like finally there was an urban band that came through on the show which was great to see. Andrez: it worked out great for us because those guys bigged us up and it had our fans asking where are Damage and it kind of helped promote our return and campaigns started on Facebook to bring Damage back, but yeah JLS worked in our favour because they said that they got a lot of ideas from us and we are mates they come to our shows we go to theirs. Jade: And they are genuinely great guys all of them. Q: Trevor Nelson released the Collections Album, are you surprised he didn’t put Ghetto Romance on there considering its the UK R&B club classic?

Andrez: We’re gonna have to speak to Trevor about that one for sure [laughs] but sure he has other collections to be released and we will be on there Q: A lot of people don’t know that your hit ‘Ghetto Romance’ was written by Joe so how did that link come about?

Ras: We were working with Tim and Bob the producer of Thong Song etc in America and he was going through the songs that were available and we heard Ghetto Romance with Joe’s vocal on which was good

DAMAGE ENDORSE SWISH VM FOOTWEAR! Don’t forget to enter our competition in the fashion section with VM Footwear where you can win a picture of your choice on a completely personalised and unique piece of footwear! Here we can see Damage taking a liking to our trainers endorsing the SWISH Street Cred Clubbin trainers. Don’t forget to check out SWISH, the best Birmingham fortnightly Friday night around!

Street Cred Album Reviews

Daft Punk return with what is arguably one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2013. When the French electronic duo set their mind to music they usually don’t disappoint and this release sees them following their trend of creating contemporary masterpieces.

Fans of old Daft records will be pleased to hear the soaring electric guitar solos, dancefloor inspired hits The album is very much an ‘album’. That probably sounds like a strange statement but what I mean by that is it hasn’t been constructed in the manner that all songs are dead cert singles but instead has been constructed as an entire piece of music designed to be listened to from start to finish for 74 minutes. Of course there are tracks on there that are fantastic in their own right but there are also songs that taken away from the album environment would be a bit lost, songs that you probably wouldn’t sit and listen to individually.

DAFT PUNK RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES Out Now Download Now ‘Get Lucky’ ‘Instant Crush’ ‘Fragments Of Time’ ‘Contact’

A lot of people will buy this album purely from hearing the sensational single ‘Get Lucky’ and buying it based on that wouldn’t be a bad move! ‘Get Lucky’ sets the tone of the album, a funky, 70’s and 80’s inspired tone which sees legendary guitarist and producer Nile Roger’s funky licks decorating tracks like ‘Lose Yourself To Dance’. Even Julian Cassablancas of The Strokes fame steps in with some wonderful vocals on ‘Instant Crush’ which is one of my highlights on the album, Fans of old Daft records will be pleased to hear the soaring electric guitar solos, dancefloor inspired hits and ending track ‘Contact’ has elements similar to one of my all time favourite tracks of theirs, ‘Aerodynamic’, from their Discovery days. The praise the duo are receiving for this album is entirely justified in my eyes as they bring a new element and dimension to their sound and continue to progress with modern music. There is talk that their live sets will feature a fully live band so it is probably worth keeping an eye out for tour dates in the near future too. Fantastic work.

Album Reviews

RUDIMENTAL HOME

OUT NOW DOWNLOAD - ‘Feel The Love’, ‘ Waiting All Night’, ‘Not Giving In Rudimental have been tearing up the charts since last year with incredible singles which have all been smash hits. Due to this everyone became very excited by the release of their début album, which un-surprisingly went straight in at number one.

‘I worry that the group are going to become a greatest hits kind of band’ Sadly then, to my disappointment, it was no where near as outstanding as I thought it would have been. Don’t get me wrong I thought it was a good album but I felt that whilst listening to the album certain tracks just didn’t leave the impact I had began to grow used to when it comes to Rudimental. I admire them and their passion in the industry and how

they have broken out with a fresh genre crossing sound but I was very disappointed that I didn’t hear more soon to be number one hits. There were a couple of songs, namely one featuring the little known Emeli Sande, that will surely be one of the new singles and be a hit but the majority were limp examples of the groups talents. You have major tempo changes constantly throughout with party anthems followed by slow ballads still with a funky bass line. I wanted to love the album but I didn’t. It’s good but it’s just not great and I worry that the group are going to become a greatest hits kind of band. The singles that were released before the album made me more excited but I was disappointed. ‘Feel the love’ was outstanding! Everyone enjoyed it and everyone danced to it regardless where you were. Shame I couldn’t say the same thing about the rest of the album.

Album Reviews

WILEY

THE ASCENT I’ve always been a fan of Wiley and I had heard a lot of talk about this album prior to its release. When I finally sat down with it I have to admit that personally it was a lot to take in. Each track felt like a completely different genre... I mean don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it track by track, it was just a surprise having heard previous work from Wiley. There are numerous featured artists on this new album including the likes of Tulisa featuring on the single ‘Hands In The Air’ and American rapping legend French Montana in the track ‘My Heart’. Also UK Grime brothers Skepta and JME also feature which isn’t surprising considering the UK tour that the three artists did together earlier this year. These are just a few of the names to drop out of all those featured on the album and it sometimes feel like it is a collaboration album. It is always Wiley featuring someone else. If you’re a fan of Wiley you will admire the album and the work that has gone into it and the work rate Wiley puts into his career to maintain his standing in the music industry. Personally I found it enjoyable and could listen to each track through without skipping one so it is a decent album although unfortunately not the greatest from Wiley. Tracks such as single ‘Reload’ remain the highlight of the album and that is the only track I can hear as a sure hit.

GABRIELLE APLIN ENGLISH RAIN

English Rain is the début album from young songstress Gabrielle Aplin. Being a fan of hers for a long while I had high hopes for her album and predicted it would follow the similar styles found on her many EP releases from the past year or so. I can happily say I was not disappointed and she has in fact raised her game and made an absolutely beautiful piece of music. Featuring the singles ‘The Power of Love’, ‘Please Don’t Say You Love Me’ and latest single ‘Panic Cord’, the album also features ‘Home’ which fans of Aplin will recognise from her previous similarly titled EP. Overall the song listing is very strong and shows off perfectly what is to me her real talent which is her song writing. Each track has been intricately constructed with care and attention and the gorgeous tones of her voice are backed up with some sublime accompaniment. Some are upbeat whilst some are chilling with lyrics and vocals working in harmony. She knows how to hit emotions! There are a couple of tracks which are weaker than the others which you always find with most albums but the quality of the rest more than make up for it. She’s placed in the folk pop genre but it really is music for everyone. She’s already gaining a pretty impressive following and with age and incredible talent on her side she’s only going to soar higher. Check her out whilst you can, you won’t be disappointed. Top Tracks Evaporate – November – Wake Up With Me.

MOTORS

Motors

Favourite cars of all time

In a tale of the classic car American classics feature highly in many peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collections. One of which that does is the original American classic, the Chevrolet Corvette model from way back in 1953. Most of you will know the modern grandchild of this car being the most famous US Super-Car available today. It was the first sports car produced by the company leading a new line of cars as the pinnacle in their range. People cannot get enough of this car. Back then it was incredibly popular and even now it still remains a firm favourite. The breathtaking style and paintwork is incredible and it appears in many classic movies and films set back in the day. For anyone lucky enough to own this car be very proud! Retro style at its absolute best.

MOTORSport After a 7 year hiatus from the sport HONDA are set to make a return to F1 as engine supplier to McLaren from 2015 onwards. They will replace outgoing supplier Mercedes who are choosing to focus purely on their works team once their current contract with the British team expires. Honda returning to partnership with McLaren revives an old team from the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s which had multiple championship wins with little known drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Will the return signify a return to form for future McLaren drivers?

Motors

Heres the part where we compare a supercar with a cracking

Audi V TT

In recent years Audi have excelled and have began to produce very impressive cars. The TT sports car has always been one of their pinnacle and has always had beautiful styling and looks as it is pushed as a premium car. Going from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds shows this is no slouch and also adds another reason as to why this new model won best coupé of 2013. Out of all the vehicles Audi have in their range it is one of the cheaper options retailing at around £27,000. All those who have driven this model have spoken about the impressive performance and how it is generally outstanding. Like most Audi’s though the performance and style is let down by the rest of the kit, namely the interior which is usually cheap and a bit placky. I’m sure that this model has a bright future ahead though and I look forward to driving it myself.

Without a shadow of a doubt they are both great cars, both serve their own purpose. You wouldn’t buy a TT to chauffeur your kids around in. If you’re after a cheap nice car then you obviously pick the Hyundai but if you can afford to push your budget and want style and beauty go for the 60

small car which isn’t really a comparison at all....

S Hyundai

Motors

i10

Hyundai have always been famous for their cheap value cars that have reliability and performance suitable for the price they charge. They’re workhorses. The i10 isn’t the fastest car in the world by any stretch, with a 0-62mph time of 12.5 seconds, but you have to remember this has been designed as an everyday city car with families in mind. The Hyundai has great features but it’s always going to be a bit cheap. Remember I said Audi’s can be placky, Hyundai’s aren’t going to be much better considering the price and the way they’re built. They’re built efficient;y and on mass in Korea. The styling also doesn’t leave a whole lot to be desired but of course as already stated they are designed with families and older generations of drives in mind. With a price around £8,345 it is very cheap, can’t really complain can you!

Audi. One is a family hatchback whilst the other is a sports coupe. It really comes down to what you can afford. There are differences in price for a reason because they offer two completely different things. I’d choose the TT, but I can’t afford it, off to the Hyundai dealership for me! 61

Motors

Favourite cars of all time 1959 Cadillac Cadillac car models have always been famous for their iconic style and for their long standing in the car manufacturing industry. Yes it is another classic American car from the good old days, 1959 to be exact, but it is still very famous and loved around the world. The famous tail fins are part of the reason this car received so much fame as it became THE classic American car. For all vintage lovers and those fond of retro styling this really is the car for you, but with so few of them remaining they mainly survive in collections so getting hold of one isn’t easy. Even then the asking price for a car so classic would probably be astronomical.

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO

Lamborghini’s have been featured in countless music videos and films and have been owned by many celebrities that have a lot of money. The reason for this is because of the incredible performance of this car. It is an extremely beautiful car to view and it’s easy to see why it is so admired the world over. This Italian Super-Car has very unique styling not to everyone’s taste but this is also what makes it so admirable. The Gallardo in particular is a stunning example of car from 2003. Its speed and control on the road as well as its appearance leave this car being a firm favourite with many individuals.

Miss STREET CRED PRESENTS

JAIME

WINSTONE THE PROMISING YOUNG ACTRESS WITH ACTING HERITAGE WITH THE PROMISING FUTURE! She first made fame on the cult classic British film Kidulthood where she played Becky. In some aspects you could say she played a perfect example of a teenager who does what they want, whenever she wants. Having slight hints of prostitution to drug consuming, her character was seen as everything that a teenage girl should not aspire to be. Although Jaime’s performance was excellent and so believable it was very encouraging in everyone’s eyes and talk started of her future career options. She’s showed a lot of promise with her performance as Becky in Kidulthood and I feel it’s safe to say as an actress she has came a long way where her career is concerned and all I see is nothing but a bright future ahead for her. Picking someone like Jaime for our Mrs Street Cred was a different feeling as we wanted to show we do notice the impressive work she does. Everyone knows her Dad. He is an outstanding actor and loved around the nation as he is always famous for being a hard man whatever role he plays. It’s always hard living up to someone else success with a close sibling let alone your father. If the name wasn’t obvious enough her father is Ray Winstone. Having her Dad feature in so many hit movies such as his latest role in The Sweeney alongside Plan B (Ben Drew). They both play the parts incredibly well and it is great to witness in the film. Jaime adapts herself really creativity when it comes to the roles she portrays, it’s something I haven’t seen for a while when it comes to actors or actresses. She physically becomes that person. The thing that’s so great about Jaime is that a part of you is not expecting her to be so talented as her father is so brilliant at what he does. I think it’s safe to say the Winstone family are so talented it doesn’t matter. She might never be Ray but she’s always going to have the same determination and courage as her father in willing to succeed.

Mr & Miss SC Her Future events: Powder Room and Love, Rosie which is set to release in 2014 where it’s about Rosie and Alex who are best friends. They are suddenly separated when Alex and his family move from Dublin to America. Can their friendship survive years and miles? Will they gamble everything for true love? Two completely new films two completely different roles from the talented and beautiful Jaime. You will get to see amazing Jaime in different roles that you haven’t witnessed before which is incredible to see especially from someone who is a British actress. I think personally the future is bright for this young rising star. She’s found stardom and she’s literally riding the success roller-coaster at the moment. I’m excited to see her in feature roles because she has a unique way to her performances and I’m physically excited for her future. She contains a difference and a passion throughout her performance. I admire her work and can’t wait to see more of her work. I think the reason why the great British public admires her so much is because of who her father is and for what she has gained throughout the media industry. She’s incredible and can literally play any role that she’s given. I feel she’s a rising star and maintains high potential when it comes to achieving success.

MR STREET CRED PRESENTS

JON TREVOR

CELEBRITY PERSONAL TRAINER JON TREVOR TALKS TO US ABOUT HIS CAREER WITH THE STARS! You’re named as the guru celebrity trainer, what celebrities have you previously worked with?

I’m a great believer in, if you have a goal you have to stick to it and if you have a target you have to aim for it. Scott Maslen, James Darcy, Matt Dillon, Jake Wood, Gerard Butler Marti Pellow, Sam Womack, Kara Tointon, Lee Mead, worked with Steps, Chris Tarrant. When the contract finished I was contacted by Marta Pellow, he was great. The Brief from his management was when he was leaving Wet Wet Wet and went into a solo career. He collapsed from exhaustion in a hotel and they recommended me to get him fit. We worked very closely together over a course of months and he taught me about show-buisiness. I decided to offer celebrities an occupational health and fitness service. So I contacted a few agents and basically said I am the go to guy for your celebs, I’m familiar with the challenges that show-buisiness can bring. I don’t go starry eyed when I meet these people I’m there to do a job. When you go behind the scenes you are just one of the team. Nobody takes any notice of Gerard when we’re walking around backstage, it’s only in the public when you get notice. What’s been your biggest achievement?

A fire walk. I went down to meet with Tony Robbins who’s an American motivational speaker and I walked 15 feet across burning coals. That was quite a challenge. I stood on a 20 foot pole as well that was mounted 30 feet in the air. Business achievement would be staying in a fabulous career for this long. Just continuing on and not getting knocked down,

Who would you say puts in more effort movie stars or soap stars?

Hahaaa. I have to say the movie stars. Simply because we have a start and a finish. They have to be... Often I meet with the director and see what we need and then meet the talent and set up a time frame to achieve it. Sometimes it’s like 3 months before the start of a film. You have to get fit for the part by that time. With the soaps it’s an ongoing thing, it’s more lifestyle management, with the film stars it’s a time limit and there’s no choice. What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to gain an ideal summer body?

Well the number one key is discipline. The secret is discipline. I don’t mind if you get up and do an hour every morning or if you get up and do 10 minutes. I NEED you to get up and do it. You need to get up in order to achieve your goals. People say is there a special kind of work out you can do? Well there is a workout that’s worked for me which is intermittent fasting. It’s a controversial workout which has been on TV recently. Where you fast for a period of time, because it’s calories in and calories out. If you take in 3000 calories and let out 2000 calories so 1000 is stored as fat. If you don’t address that you’re never going to achieve your goals. It’s controversial but it works.

Mr & Miss SC

@JonTrevor www.fit4thepart.com BID TV’s FITNESS GURU AND EXPERT

BID TV - UK’s largest auction channel. On Sky, Virgin and Freeview. Does live demonstrations of fitness equipment on live TV for them.

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SC Parties

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Welcome to Birminghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh and exclusive all night classics experience held in the heart of the Arcadian in the City Centre. Swish Clubbin is the established party in the New York style Arca Bar which we are pleased to announce is now a fortnightly Friday event as of June 21st 2013. Come and blend with the most amazing people who travel far and wide for the music we truly adore hosted by national award winning DJ and radio presenter Mark Dwayne MDG who has a reputation for holding unique parties for StreetCred Magazine as well as being interviewer of the worlds top celebrities and as a recording artist featuring on Ministry Of Sound compilation albums. The atmosphere in Swish Clubbin is nothing short of incredible and brings you back to the days where everyone is smiling with joy and rocking the dancefloor. Specialist DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mista Smoove-Malia, Deejay Mystikle Blue, Deejay Mismatch dropping beautiful classic floor fillers and you always leave with gifts courtesy of our high st brand sponsors.

S.W.I.S.H Strictly Wonderful Inspiration Sounds Happening at Arca Bar Arcadian Fortnightly Fridays as of June 21st. If you are not on board then come and get Swished...#You will love it. 69

CLUBBING

Street Cred were down at ARCA BAR in Birminghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arcadian last month for STREET CRED SWISH CLUBBING featuring our very own editor Mark Dwayne on the decks!

EATING OUT

People could say it looks extravagant (and that does come with the price) but if you like the finer things in life I don’t feel it’s that expensive as you’re paying for high quality food, and perfect waiting service. You’ll feel like royalty at this place The look of the place itself is phenomenal and it matches the food. You can read review after review of how good this restaurant is and the positive things spoken about it flood the internet. It makes it extra special then when you find out it’s in the heart of the UK and has some stunning views to be admired whilst you enjoy the fine dining and service.

Whatley manor Restaurant

It’s been top of my places to visit for fine dining for a long time because the food looks absolutely delicious and if it wasn’t bound to be world class and outstanding in it’s class why would the reviews be so incredible. It’s also a perfectly ideal romantic meal destination if you want to impress someone special! Do something different rather than heading towards your local Nandos restaurant. Head to somewhere more sophisticated with a better class of food, somewhere you will definitely recommend to others as an ideal place to eat. The food looks mouth watering and it tastes fantastic too so head over there now, it’s definitely worth the money.

GADGETS

SAMSUNG Gadget NX-300

STREET CRED PREVIEW

A little look at the latest offering from Samsung imaging from our photo expert

Gadgets TECH SPECS

Mirrorless Interchangable Lens Cameras (MILC) or Compact System Cameras (CSC’s) are cropping up all the time at the moment and being produced by every camera manufacturer * 20.3 Megapixels * imaginable. This one is the latest from Samsung and the most powerful in their range of NX Cameras. What Samsung do dif* Superfast 8.6 Frames * ferent to most though is their recent introduction of Wi-Fi being built into cameras. This began with their Galaxy Camera as Per Second they sought to boost social networking by allowing photos to be instantly uploaded to Facebook and other sites on the web * Wifi Connectivity For * whilst on the move (as long as you’re in a WiFi area) . This has Instant Sharing now been brought into the entire range and is a feature that will make it particularly popular with younger snappers and those with a big photographic web presence. * Advanced AutoFocus * With 20.3 Megapixels the camera should have a lot of potential and room to edit and crop within the photos you take. Remember being a compact system camera the quality is no where near full frame 35mm quality but it is a hell of a lot better than your average compact camera and with 20.3 megapixels you are going to get very good quality shots. Sadly quality is the one of the major things I can’t vouch for until I actually get my hands on one of these cameras. My experiences with Mirrorless Interchangeable cameras though has generally been good having played with Nikon 1 cameras as well as the highly praised Sony NEX’s. These Sony CSC’s are top dogs at the moment and should be who Samsung are aiming at with this new 300. With an advanced AutoFocus system being placed into this camera as well as a staggering continuous shooting speed of 8.6 frames per second it makes it perfect for families and those with children. They move about and change so quickly in some scenarios it is impossible to capture the moment perfectly. With nearly 9 shots being taken every second I think it’s safe to say even the most amateurish photographer could get something decent! Samsung are pioneers of pushing technology in everyday objects beyond that of the norm. They make things more than what they are and with the amount they are putting in this camera they are making it so much more, but more importantly, so much more accessible for every day people to use. Fully manual capable cameras are becoming user friendly and almost simple with modern innovations. This NX-300 model has received some rave reviews and with vintage styling, especially in the brown, it is a very desirable item. I am though a stickler for camera brands and I am Nikon through and through albeit recently lured by the style and sublimities available in the Sony range of cameras. Therefore I will wait to get one in my hands before proclaiming quite how well Samsung have done!

Impressive styling and specifications in a quality product

Xbox

Fight Back In console War

The latest Xbox console was announced to the world last month on the 21st May and was the first glimpse at the latest line of console technology. Being the successor to the Xbox 360 this will be the direct competitor to Sony’s yet unseen PlayStation 4 and is a dominant step by the Microsoft console in getting the upper hand on their rivals. Due for release toward the end of 2013 the machine will feature 8GB of unified memory in the form of high performance DDR3 or dynamic high end memory in less technical speak. Other hardware includes a 500GB hard drive for storage and an AMD graphics processor with 12 compute units with a total of 768 cores for an incredible performance power. Similarly to its Japanese rival the Xbox one will support 4K visual resolution as we begin to enter a new era beyond HD video and show its capability for impressive visuals. “Welcome to a new generation of games and entertainment. Where games push the boundaries of realism. And television obeys your every command. Where listening to music while playing a game is a snap. And you can jump from TV to movies to music to a game in an instant. Where your experience is custom tailored to you.” – Microsoft Xbox. This new console is aiming to be state of the art and not just a gaming console but more an entire entertainment device. It is set up as much to be part of your television viewing experience as it is to playing games. Also all switching and decisions are done with the sound of your own voice. Each and every Xbox One will also come with a Kinect as standard to keep the machine up to date with your voice commands and movements. It responds naturally to your personal gestures and brings the personal touch up tenfold and takes entertainment away from the generic.

Gadgets

MOBILE GAMING

An absolutely massive winner at E3 last year was the upcoming action adventure survival horror ‘The Last Of Us’. Due for release on June 14th this won best in show, editors choice and most anticipated game among many others. The premise of the game focuses on two survivors of a fungus like infection which has killed off a large majority of human kind with nature taking over much of the abandoned cities. Martial Law has taken over with survivors penned into quarantined zones which are dominated by the United States Army. Our two survivors are the adult Joel and the young Ellie and shows how Joel tried to help Ellie escape to a resistance group and away from the crippling regime. As a third person game the player controls Joel whilst Ellie is under control of the AI and features gun fighting and melee combat against infected humans as well as the hostile survivors. I must get back to the strategy side of things though as using what the developers call ‘Dynamic Stealth’ the player can use different techniques and strategies to approach a situation different and bring forth a different reaction from enemies. The AI is also supposed to be a lot smarter than in other games with realistic actions in combat situations including calling for help and taking advantage of their surroundings. It seems a very exciting and fresh game which I look forward to being released. I wait with anticipation to see if it lives up to the expectations placed upon it.

The latest game in the Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance or NOVA series was released last month. I’ve played each NOVA game which are often described as being like Halo on your mobile device and in the first two instances this was correct, albeit a graphic shoddy cheaper version. However the new game doesn’t have this same feel to me as the protagonist Kal Wardin spends most of his time alone fighting the enemy. The graphics are still not the most impressive and the controls take some getting used to but once you get into it you will find it can be a very enjoyable game to play on the move. There are similar first person shooters on the various app stores available but if a good game is what you’re after then I would recommend giving NOVA a try. One aspect added to this latest version is the online multi-player which is a fantastic way of playing locally with friends as well as online on a far greater platform. On iPad or iPhone or any android devices I would definitely recommend giving it a go. Kick some alien Volterite ass on your commute to work now!

Careers & Education

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Careers and

Education

YAHOO BUY UP TUMBLR

Blogging site becomes new $1.1b toy of Yahoo. How will it effect the young obsessives?

Yahoo believe buying Tumblr will open them up to a younger generation. That is as long as they don’t impose any rules and too much advertising on their new $1.1billion acquisition. Professor Baptista of Warwick Business school says this is a dying technology and Tumblr’s blogging know how will help it to deliver a multi-platform service that users are increasingly demanding. It is a good move by Yahoo and will help them catch up with Google and Facebook in the social media market. Yahoo is pretty old when people think of search engines or social networking, it has been left behind. Yet this could be a positive spin for Yahoo as they invest in a current and popular social networking

site which people tend to create to promote themselves. It is finally involving the younger generation more than it did before. Yahoo are attempting to target the Google+ type of platform where they can combine their expertise in email technologies with a more dynamic platform for blogging, Having also acquired Flickr in recent years it is possible the different parts could be bridged together similar to the way Google works. This for me puts yahoo back on the map as an internet giant. The Warwick Business School Professor said “But Yahoo has to be careful to keep Tumblr’s integrity as if it starts imposing rules and interfering with the functionality of the platform with advertising they will kill it.” Professor Baptista doesn’t believe Yahoo has paid over the odds for Tumblr, saying the $1.1 billion price tag shows the potential of the site.

Could you...

ADOPT with Birmingham? Birmingham's Black and Mixed Heritage children are waiting longer than other children to find adoptive homes. Find out more by popping in for an informal chat between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th December to the Afro Caribbean Millenium Centre, 339 Dudley Road (New Style Radio Station)

Text ADOPT 31 to 63333 or

% 0121 303 7575 www.birmingham.gov.uk/adoptionandfostering

Careers & Education

MINIMISE THE TAX BURDEN Four Tips..

Making a capital gain is usually good news - but it can also come with a hefty tax bill. So, whether you are selling all, or part, of your business, or some other assets (for example property or shares) it’s important to plan for a capital gain in order to minimise the tax burden. 1. Utilising the annual exemption The annual exemption, which is £10,600 for the 201213 tax year and £10,900 for the 2013-14 tax year, cannot be carried forward if unused and so should be used each year, if appropriate, to crystallise gains on investments. Remember though, that same year gains and losses have to be merged before the annual exemption is applied. 2. Utilising losses It may be beneficial, particularly where there are current year gains taxable at the higher rate of 28%, to crystal-

lise any investments standing at a loss. The set off of losses against same year gains cannot be restricted and so any potential wastage of the annual exemption should be considered. 3. Relieve capital losses against income where possible Capital losses realised in respect of un-quoted shares can, in some cases, be relieved against income. Relief must be claimed within 12 months of 31 January following the end of the relevant year of assessment. 4. Claim capital losses A capital loss must be claimed within four years of the end of the tax year in which it occurred for relief to be given. The loss claimed can subsequently be carried forward indefinitely.

REGGAE OR NOT?

HIGHLIGHTING THE BEST IN THE REGGAE SCENE

Katchafire are a Maori reggae band. Over recent years they have achieved some incredible success with the music they create. Having their singles and albums purchased on a regular basis around the world it’s clear that Katchafire is making a difference in the reggae music industry. Their début album, named ‘Revival’, sold a massive 45,000 copies as well as their single ‘Giddy Up’ becoming the biggest selling single of 2003. Since then Katchafire have only gone from strength to strength as in 2004 when their single ‘Slow Burning’ sold over 20,000 in the first week of general sale. It is incredible to have that sort of impact in the music industry especially when the genre is reggae.

Their live performances are just as electric. They really stand out and make their performances come alive. Katchafire have a unique stage presence that not many bands have in the music industry, you’re instantly engaged and mesmerised the second they walk on the stage. The crowd is always electric and excited realising they are going to be a part of something wonderful. I think that’s the magical thing, how Katchafire are unique and contain aspects of being great role models. You will notice that when you’re able to see them live. This New Zealand reggae band has opened shows for many known faces in the industry including the likes of Damien Marley, Michael Franti and Spearhead. They contain a unique creditability about themselves and can’t help but increase their fan base a little bit more. Katchafire are seven humble guys and I can’t help but

KATCHAFIRE 80

admire their commitment to their music career. They are considered one of the most hard working bands within New Zealand. They are considered to be different in regards to the music they create and have their own spin on the whole reggae industry. Having the same aspects of a reggae sounds yet having a completely unique sound makes them really stand out. Being admired around the world for their creativity and their unique nature makes them different from other bands out there. Their discography includes: In 2003 they realised their début album called Revival, reaching number 5 in the charts. From their first album and their successful singles one after another, their tours and successes have become endless. In 2005 they released another album called ‘Slow Burning’ which entered the charts at number 12. I think what makes Katchafire so great is because they are just normal humble guys that everyone can relate to and embrace. In 2007 their album ‘Say What You’re Thinking’ reached number 5. However they one that

everyone is talking about, the album they released in 2010 that is still making an appearance in the charts this year and which peaked at number 3.

katchafire.co.nz facebook.com /katchafire @Katchafire youtube.com/ Katchafireofficial

Live Events

FESTIVAL GUIDE The all reigning king of the UK music festivals returns this year after its regular one year off to allow the ground to return to a usable state. Headline acts this year on the Pyramid Stage are the Arctic Monkeys, Mumford and Sons as well as legendary rockers The Rolling Stones! Glastonbusy is the one festival which arguably caters for the most musical tastes and genres with there almost always being something for everyone and a reason it is so popular among individuals young and old as well as families. Other top artists on show are The Vaccines, Rita Ora, Chase and Status, Professor Green, Azelia Banks and many more! Catch continuous coverage of the festival on the BBC if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lucky enough to have tickets.

Isle of Wight 2013, the UK festival where you leave the mainland, is the one festival where you can feel like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on holiday as well! I always see this festival as a little niche, tucked away and not thought of as highly as the others but it is in fact a big pull for some big name artists. This year sees The Stone Roses performing with The Killers and Bon Jovi also joining them as headliners. Ellie Goulding and Sub Focus are among the headliners on the other stage whilst big hitters like Bloc Party and fast rising stars Bastille are also spread across the bill. If you want a more unique festival experience then be sure to try out the Isle of Wight be it this year or in future years. Since its rebirth back in 2002 the festival has grown massively, going from just a small number of artists to a full festival line up enough to rival the top ones.

Scotland makes sure it isn’t forgotten each year with what I would consider to be the UK’s number 2 festival after Glastonbury. The on;y downside for those of us from the country below Scotland is it takes quite a while to get there! That being said though flights aren’t too extortionate and it is worth the trip. With Mumford and Sons headlining here as The Killers and Rihanna you can’t really have better artists. With a bill filled with talent from all genres it has really raised its game with a top selection of acts. New acts are also continuing to be added so check out the lineup but expect even more artists added before it starts. This year the festival is celebrating its 20th Year and the special anniversary is sure to lead to some exciting things happening during the festival. I’m going to this one this year and I can’t wait. Got some hard decisions to make though on who to watch and who to miss!

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Having arguably the best two day headlining acts of all this years festivals, V flaunts the talents of the Queen that is Beyonce as well as the greatest band of recent years, Kings Of Leon. Always with an eclectic mix of artist to appeal to the many generations that enjoy V you will find the likes of ‘The Script’, ‘Ellie Goulding’, ‘Olly Murs’, ‘Fun’ and countless others. Just check out the line up online and see for yourself. Being one of the festivals that takes place in multiple locations it is actually the largest festival in the midlands with the Weston Park venue only a 30 minute drive outside of Birmingham City Center as well as having the London location in Chelmsford. Being in the two locations makes it easy for many people across the country to access similar in the way Reading and Leeds festivals have worked for many years. This year the two headlining acts are playing their only UK festivals at V so make sure you get a ticket if you don’t want to miss out on the Kings and the Queen.

The worldwide travelling electronic music festival returns this year to Stratford Upon Avon. With the best electronic line up around and featuring the standout performers in Drum and Bass, Dance, Dub and every other sub genre it’s a very exciting event. Highlight performers includes Annie Mac, Nero, Disclosure, Rudimental, Sub Focus, High Contrast and about a hundred other recognisable producers, DJ’s and performers. Recognisable club nights also feature stages here like Hospitality, Gods Kitchen as well as Radio 1xtra. If this is your scene then make sure you’re down to it because you won’t get better than this.

Live Events WRETCH 32 ANNOUNCES UK TOUR DATES Wretch 32’s new single “Blackout” is his first single from his forthcoming third studio album. The track was produced by emerging talent Knox Bown who hails from Birmingham and created the record In his bedroom studio. In 2011 wretch 32 released his gold certified LP “Black and White” which amassed over million record sales and had 3 top 5 singles. He’s also won ‘MC of the year’ from MTV for two years in a row and was one of the focal artists at the 2012 Olympics. Wretch 32 has evolved his style into a seriously unique sound with chilled melodies, trademark bars and soaring choruses, all of which will be seen during his live show.

R5 ANNOUNCE FIRST UK TOUR Having the unique talent and the unique qualities required from a group there is no surprise why R5 are loved around the world, let alone the UK. If Riker and Ross look familiar yet you can’t work out where you have seen them before it’s because the former is a regular on “Glee” (as a member of the acapella group, The Warblers) while Ross stars in the Disney channel original smash hit series “Austin & Ally”. Each band member are fantastic individual musicians and all write, especially lead guitarist Rocky and bassist Riker who serve as R5’s in house songwriters. Their first ever UK show will be 5th July London Dingwalls

IMAGING DRAGONS ANNOUNCE UK TOUR After their chart topping début album Night Visions release last month and UK tour last month the band have today announced another full UK headline tour in November. This tour will see Imagine Dragons playing their biggest shows to date. Imagine Dragons tickets are on sale now available from www.livenation.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk Imagine Dragons Tour Dates Thursday 14th November – 02 Apollo Manchester Saturday 16th Novemeber - 02 Academy Leeds Friday 22nd November - 02 Academy Birmingham Monday 25th November – 02 Brixton London

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GIG REVIEW Tom Cotter

THE 1975 Heaven London 29th May ‘13 For many people The 1975 are currently known for one song. That is ‘Chocolate’, their single that has been riding in the charts for a good few weeks now and receiving huge amounts of airplay on the Radio, particularly Radio 1. I’ve been a fan of the band since their ‘Sex EP’ release last year and have seen them slowly improve and gain the recognition that they deserve and therefore was very excited for what was in store for me at this gig. I worked my way to the front of the crowd and awaited the performance. Before The 1975 came on we were given the opportunity to hear the incredible DJ Bear//FACE play to the crowd which I was very impressed by! Then for the main event. The group were full of energy from the off as they launched into ‘Heads.Cars.Bending’ before playing new single ‘The City’. Everyone in the audience was jumping around to this as the incredible bass line shook the whole

LEE EVANS IS BACK ‘WIRED AND WONDERFUL’ was huge ‘XL’ was big ‘BIG’ was even bigger…‘ROADRUNNER’ was record breaking… and now the legendary Lee Evans embarks on his most ambitious tour to date. ‘MONSTERS’ is Lee’s amazing new show with four dates at Birmingham’s NIA. In September 2011 Lee’s autobiography The Life Of Lee was released becoming a number one best seller and making the top 30 bestselling books of 2011. In 2011 Lee embarked on a 67 arena date tour and played to a sell-out 600,000 people across 16 arena stages throughout the UK and Ireland. Roadrunner became the fastest and biggest day one selling UK comedy tour of all time.

venue. After this front man Matt Healy lapped up the audience appreciation and explained that they would now play their album which is due out in September. Tracks such as ‘Settle Down’, ‘Girls’ and ‘Robbers’ were particular highlights, which now have most fans eagerly anticipating the album release, before they launched into ‘Chocolate’ which was sang back in full force to the four men clearly enjoying every moment on stage. Clearly very humble, Healy explains to the audience they never expected to get so big quite so quickly and it has really taken them by surprise. It was one of the best live shows I’d ever experienced and definitely the best live band I’d seen for quality and entertainment. Their energy was contagious and the love they get given back by each member of the audience is staggering. They’re about to go supernova.

Live Events PARAMORE ANNOUNCE UK TOUR! Grammy nominated and multi million selling threepiece Paramore has announced that they will be returning to the UK and Ireland to play 6 shows in September 2013. This will follow the band’s appearance at this year’s Radio 1 Big Weekend. Paramore single Still Into You , is out now! This is the follow-up single to Radio 1 A-listed NOW and is taken from their self-titled fourth, Number One album which is out now. The video for Still into You has already had well over 8 million views on Youtube, and the band performed the song on both Graham Norton and Radio 1’s live lounge in April.

HAIM & GTA ANNOUNCED TO SUPPORT RIHANNA Haim, winners of the highly coveted BBC ‘Sound of 2013’ award are set to support Rihanna on her Diamonds world tour, The Multi instrumentalists who sing in 3 part harmony, released their critically acclaimed, three song EP titled Forever, which is also the title track on the record. It can be downloaded for free at Haimtheband.com. Haim will be joining the party at the Manchester dates on 15th and 16th July only. GTA are dedicated to their music, they stay holed up in their bedroom studio building beats that can set off any kind of dance floor. Producers without borders, GTA’s future sound has them sought after by some of the biggest names in the dance music era.

MIKKY EKKO ANNOUNCES UK SHOWS The fast rising US artist Mikky Ekko has announced details of UK shows for the summer. Mikky Ekko first saw limelight being the artist who featured on Rihanna’s smash hit single ‘Stay’ that Mikky co-wrote with Justin Parker and also performed with her at the Grammy awards this year. Mikky Ekko has announced he will play three headline shows in the UK this summer. As well as these he is a headline act at the Wireless Festival this summer. Mikky Ekko will perform at: July 16th 2013 – London XOYO

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS LAS VEGAS GREECE PRAGUE

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LAS VEGAS

Like many other people, Las Vegas has been one of the places I have always wanted to go to! This is partly due to the expectations placed upon it by Hollywood smash hit movies and building audiences excitement as people ruin themselves in Vegas. Being the homeland of the super casino and having outlandish and outrageous entertainment it has always been a dream of mine to experience the thrill. I would love to make myself a part of Vegas history and it would be one of my ultimate dream holidays. As I mentioned, a lot of films have been filmed here including the hugely popular comedy The Hangover (The Hangover III returns to Vegas too, catch it at the cinema!) which

summed up exactly what the outsiders perspective of Vegas is. With famous boxing matches common place in the city, the MGM Grand Garden Arena has held some of the best with Lennox Lewis V Mike Tyson to Floyd Mayweather V Robert Guerrero having fought there. This arena also hosts musicians with the likes of Justin Bieber and Beyonce performing here. Super casinos, incredible hotels, girls, guys, drinks, lights, music, noise. Everything is amazing. Now I hand over to a man who has actually been to explain to you all exactly what being in the city of lights means.

Travel Vegas. As a city it is absolutely incredible. You walk around and look at some of the hotels they have built and just find yourself amazed at the styles they produce. The hotels which are most famous are the themed hotels. Those like New York New York (right) and Paris as well as The Venitian and the world famous Ceasars Palace just to name a few. The hotels are also top quality, usually with a minimum star rating of 4 stars on the main strip which lets face it is the only part of Vegas worth staying in! Of course you can visit all the hotels whilst there as you don’t have to stay at them to enjoy them. I stayed in Trump Tower but visited all the famous hotels for their shows, entertainment, shopping malls and countless casinos. Obviously the night life is one of the stand out factors of Vegas and one of the main reason a lot of people visit. For younger readers don’t forget you have to be 21 to drink in the US so dont go heading out there too early! You’re guaranteed to see multiple hen nights and stag dos on your travels and at the weekend it becomes even busier as lots of Americans decend on the city for a fun weekend! Don’t think that films like the Hangover are accurate though as although you will have a fantastic time and could end up very very drunk and with far less money than when you started due to the casinos, everything is rather expensive so make sure you head there with enough money to fully enjoy yourself and the experience. You wont regret it. The Las Vegas strip is obviously the main attraction in the city but if you find yourself sober during the day and having been to all the hotels why not hire a car and head out? Further on up the strip you reach the old town and the freemont street experience as well as the Stratosphere hotel. If you fancy yourself up for a slightly further drive you can head out of the state as the Hoover Dam isn’t too far away as well as the fantastic desert features of Red Rock Canyon and Bryce Canyon. Even the Grand Canyon isn’t out of the question if you’re really daring! (Although I would recommend a helicopter trip for that!). All in all you will have a fantastic time in Vegas and I can’t recommend it enough. I’m definitely going to go back, probably multiple times and I intend to make each time a bit different and a bit better than the last!

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Prague

Charles Bridge Seeing the bridge it just looks absolutely incredible and you could imagine how magnificent it looks up close. By photographs you can tell how stunning the visual is. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do was just walk along the bridge to be honest. Seeing how incredible the bridge looks like is remarkable. The Czech Republic has always been a destination I’ve wanted to go to because it just looks like you would enjoy yourself the second you get there because it’s that sort of holiday place. The Czech Republic has always been an ideal destination for me anyway but specifically Prague because you can do a large variety of different things and visit different places that are unbelievable and absolutely breathtaking. I’ve always wanted to visit here because the location has always appealed to me with stunning and breathtaking views and amazing architecture. Prague is a dream place for me and I will go there eventually as the Czech’s are all friendly to be around and meet. As it’s a party theme Prague is famous for it’s night life and it’s party fashion which I’ve always stated I would love to visit.

National Theatre For those that are a fan of the theatre will know how theatre’s are designed anyway but the national theatre looks absolutely breathtaking, of course I’m not saying that from experience yet but I’ve seen the interior of the theatre and it looks magnificent. Holding A list performances at this specific theatre is a fair reason why this is incredible and a memorable landmark nevertheless. Regardless what your reason is for wanting a holiday within the Czech Republic, if you want to sight see and visit all the favourite locations that is loved around the world or maybe it’s for a night life reason. What ever your reason for wanting a holiday in Prague I’m sure it will have everything you are after.

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GREECE

Kos & Malia

Kos is a Greek destination that mainly speaks out to young adults in recent times. I say this because it has everything you could ever want to do whilst on holiday as a newly turned 18 year old! Kos though manages to maintain the aspects of decent holiday as well as its partying though, similarly in a sense to Ibiza. You have stunning views, beautiful weather, amazing seas and plenty of drink. Greece in general has become the European country where people go to to have a good time. You can create countless memories that you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever manage in your home town as well as creating memories you will be sure to forget all about, that is until the photos reminding you off it end up on Facebook... Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all been there! For me the reason why I have always wanted a holiday like the ones happening at Kos is because of how much fun you can

have there particularly with a group of friends. I envisage instantly enjoying myself the second I step off the place! So, what can you do there? Just like most destinations it has all the party choices available. Being in a hot foreign country surrounded by water one of the idea places to party is clearly on a boat! Yes, you get to enjoy yourself, party, drink and enjoy the surroundings of the island and locations. It is something I definitely hope to experience some day soon. Kos also has a lot of history which I think more people than you think would be interested in knowing about. There will be those who dont care and just want to hit the deck but why not make it a holiday you fully experience by travelling around a bit in the sunshine on those

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sober moments of the afternoon. You can travel round before hitting the famous night life of the evenings and mornings. Is Kos worth the money spent? Are the parties up to scratch? Obviously having never been myself I can’t comment but from what I have heard they are well worth it and everything is very very very cheap. That’s the main reason why so many young people love it and go back year after year. Another popular and famous destination in Greece is Malia. In many aspects it is very similar to Kos and the same sort of young people go there for the exact same reasons. It has everything you would want for the ultimate first holiday away with your friends. This particular Greek destination is famous for being featured in the fantastic and hilarious comedy movie “The Inbetweeners Movie” when the gang decide to head over there to do all the things that all young British adults would want to be doing. Obviously in the summer these destinations do get more expensive due to the amount of people they know will head out. But that being said they still are incredibly cheap once you get there with alcohol basically free flowing for a few Euros. Definitely worth swapping the dull grey skies for, especially when it comes with white beaches and great sunshine!

ruins. Now, ruins to some will seem incredibly boring but for the historical minded among us they are actually rather impressive! I know this from photographs I have seen and I would definitely like to view them for real. Discovered in 1915 these ruins are of the ancient Malia Palace and excavations are still ongoing although you can walk among them at the moment. Regardless of your reasons for visiting Greece on holiday I am sure you will enjoy yourself and find something suited to your own needs and the needs of those around you. It is the ideal holiday for young adults looking for a great time away and everything is designed for you to have fun. Both places look incredible as a picturesque place to visit with stunning weather and the option to get drunk and have a great time. You can choose to party non stop or slow it down at your own pace and enjoy your holiday for what you want it to be. It’s definitely on my list of places I want to experience. Sun, Sea, Drinks.... and the seedy rest!

So what is there to do in Malia? Very similar to Kos as it happens. Remember everywhere tries to cater to the needs and rival each other. Due to this boat parties and boat trips out to sea are increasingly popular and usually they allow you to visit secret coves and areas of the island not accessible by foot. Some trips let you swim in the clear blue sea but I would think that doing this on any of the party boats wouldn’t be ideal. Don’t drunk swim, it could be catastrophic... As well as these options Malia has some fantastic