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NERVE
JANUARY15
WHO’S ON BOARD? Editor Wil Oxford editor@nervemedia.org.uk
Design Editor Zennen Thomas design@nervemedia.org.uk
Features Editor Kassia-Hope Wordley Molly Mileham-Chappell Astrid Wood features@nervemedia.org.uk
Fashion Editor Scarlett Dixon Sofie Boyland Rebecca Burgess fashion@nervemedia.org.uk
Sport Editor Will Kent Chris Marshall-Bell sport@nervemedia.org.uk
Entertainment Editor Laura Geall Charlie Souter-Phillips ents@nervemedia.org.uk
Got it COVERED P14
Check what we’ve got for you this month...
PROFESSOR GREEN He’s just released his third album and is maturing both musically and personally. Nerve speaks to the man behind Professor Green.
Comment Editor Casey Farr Aliyah Allen comment@nervemedia.org.uk
Chief Sub-Editor Madeleine Supple sub@nervemedia.org.uk
Online Editor Claire Creagh online@nervemedia.org.uk
Advertising Andy Elsey susales@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 961461
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STUDENT HOUSING
Is your university home not up to scratch? Nerve looks at why students homes are so often in bad conditions, and whether the situation is likely to change.
P48
FASHION FILES
We speak to BU student and fashion blogger Jordan Bunker about the world of male fashion blogging, and his tips on how best to style yourself.
Communication Manager Joe Tattersall jtattersall@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 961681
Wanna Join?
For opportunities to get involved, whether it be writing, design, illustration, photography or even a spot of photobombing, email editor@nervemedia.org.uk for details.
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DIGITAL DATING
Is love in the digital age a lost cause? With Valentines Day fast approachning we discuss what the implications of our technological quest for love are.
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SIX NATIONS
It may be the year of the Rugby World Cup but that doesn’t mean that we should forget about the Six Nations. Nerve makes its predictions on who will flourish and flounder.
NERVE | 3
NERVE
JANUARY15
Contributors
Writers Laura Rogers Joe Hopkins Hollie Hargood Laura Hatcher Ben Fisher Olivia Osmond Katrina Quick Tom Beasley Jodie Boyce Hannah Dix Rebecca Miller Daisy Carling-Rose Olivia Cadby Erica Adams Matt Joy Charlie Slawson Design Team Jack Mullen Lauren Eade Hannah Cole Illustrators Grant Cortlett Nathan Hackett Meg James Laurence Thomas
Word From Your Editor
The new year is here and along with it a fresh issue of Nerve Magazine to sink your teeth into! We hope you had a great festive season and ate way too much food - after all, that’s what the holidays are for. This issue we speak to rapper Professor Green about growing up and the progression of his music. With an amazing year of cinema ahead, we give you the lowdown of Film in 2015 as well as the best Upcoming Artists to keep an eye on. A new year brings a whole new batch of trends to watch - so make sure you check out our 2015 Edit. Additionally we speak to fashion blogger Jordan Bunker about the world of male
Keep Up facebook.com/nervemagazine twitter.com/nervemagazine www.nervemedia.org.uk
Important Stuff Here at SUBU, when we print Nerve Magazine, we print on 100% recycled paper using vegetable - based inks by Indigo Press Limited. You’ve got to start somewhere. Nerve Magazine is produced by SUBU (the Students Union @ Bournemouth University). Information correct at time of publication (November 2014). The views expressed are not necessarily those of Nerve Media, SUBU or the Editor. Nerve Magazine is usually printed on 200 gsm silk cover and 115gsm body provided by Indigo Printing Press.
blogging in our Fashion Files interview. Not forgetting comment, with Valentines Day fast approaching we discuss the downfalls of Digital Dating and in sport look ahead to what year has to offer with our 2015 Sporting Calender. Looking for your house next year? We investigate why student housing is often so poor in No Place Like Home, in addition to some great interviews with artists Gorgon City and Lonely the Brave. Not forgetting all your favourite regulars, we have the Top 5 apps every student should have, the lowdown on what we’ve been listening to this month in our Mixtape and this month’s Winners and Losers. Wil Oxford
The Full Line Up
REGULARS
SPORT
06 Mix tape
50 Sporting calender review
08 Heads up
52 AFC Bournemouth
09 Winners/losers
54 Six Nations
30 Through the lens
FASHION
56 Old Fire Station highlights 59 Top 5
ENTERTAINMENT
10 Fashion Debate 13 Fashion Edit 2015 16 Style Focus
14 Professor Green
39 Fashion on Instagram
19 Walking on Cars
42 Honest blogging
23 Film 2015
48 Fashion Files
34 Gorgon City 40 Upcoming artists 45 Lonely the Brave
FEATURES
COMMENT 36 Digital Dating 53 Take from the rich
20 Not the surface 29 Lammily revolution 30 No place like home NERVE | 5
Essential TRACKS we’ve been listening to this MONTH
MARK RONSON FT. BRUNO MARS UPTOWN FUNK The clue is in the name with this track, it’s a funky, lively song that you can’t help dancing to and certainly one that you won’t be able to get out of your head. The tune is repetitive, but undeniably catchy. It made Number One over the festive period, so it definitely played across a lot of dancefloors on New Year’s Eve.
5 SECONDS OF SUMMER WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU
CHARLI XCX FT. RITA ORA DOING IT Having both teamed up with Iggy Azalea for hit records, Charli XCX is now collaborating with Rita Ora to produce a song for her album, Sucker. The catchy tune is a taster of the album to follow, full of 80’s synth-pop style and sure to be trapped inside our heads for hours on end.
This pop boy band have taken this classic song by The Romantics and given it a rockier edge. Not only is it an excellent listen, not straying too far from the style of the original, it also shows off more of the boy’s talents. Covering another artist’s song is always a tricky one, but the boys have done well. It is the lead song for their new live album, LIVESOS.
IMAGINE DRAGONS I BET MY LIFE Imagine Dragons are back with their new single ‘I Bet My Life’. Lead singer Dan Reynolds’ vocals have the same iconic grit like quality in this blend of indie rock and folk. The track acknowledges the strains of relationships, but comes back to a message of cherishing your loved ones alongside a celebratory clap-along beat. You can definitely imagine the band sitting in a pub chanting the song with their pints.
THE PRODIGY NASTY This is the first single to be taken from The Prodigy’s upcoming album The Day is My Enemy which is due for release in March. The track starts off with a quirky, unrecognisable beat before continuing onto the vocals. If you like this style, you’ll love the song, as well as what’s in store on the rest of the album.
BEN HAENOW SOMETHING I NEED
LUVBUG REVIVE (SAY SOMETHING) LuvBug are the latest electro- dance music group to hit the music scene. Their new single ‘Revive’ is nothing short of catchy; no doubt something that you can cut some shapes to. A good mixture of deep house with that electronic feel always seems like a good recipe for a hit track. The added vocals, with the hook of ‘say something, do something’, are also memorable.
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Covering OneRepublic’s ‘Something I Need’, Ben Haenow starts his debut track off timidly before his powerful rock vocals soar on the anthemic chorus. It’s everything a winner’s single needs to be - uplifting, catchy and jam-packed with energy. Ultimately the question on everyone’s mind is this: will his follow up be just as successful? We certainly hope so.
MEGHAN TRAINOR LIPS ARE MOVIN After having one of the biggest hits of 2014, ‘All About that Bass’, Meghan Trainor is back again with her new single ‘Lips are Movin’. It’s a similar style to her previous feel-good track - All About that Bass, fast-paced, energetic and she continually uses the word ‘bass’, so if you enjoyed that you’ll love this!
HEADS UP!
YOUR MONTH IN BOURNEMOUTH
CLUBBING
GIGS
Get Satisfied Route 94, Robert James & Charlie Banks
Zibra
Comedy Nation
60MPC 29 January
Old Fire Station 29 January
Halo
BIC 10 February
30 January Enter - Drumfunk Old Fire Station 31 January
Majestic Live Cameo 4 February
Blonde and friends
Kaiser Chiefs Collabro
BIC 14 February
What Hannah Wants
Circus of Horrors Bournemouth Pavilion 12 February
Christian O’Connell
BIC 18-19 February
Katherine Jenkins
Halo 13 February
Old Fire Station 1 February
Pyramids Plaza 16 February
02 Academy 7 February
Oliver $
Super Bowl Frat Party
Poole Lighthouse 12 February
Enter Shikari
Treatment
EVENTS
Old Fire Station 14 February
Halo 6 February
BIC 21 February
KAISER CHIEFS @BIC 10 February
From radio to stand-up. Christian O’Connell @ Poole Lighthouse, 12 February
X Factor Live Tour Moscow State Circus Poole Lighthouse 20-22 February All the way from the valleys. Katherine Jenkins @ BIC, 21 February
NERVE | 8
THE GREEN PARTY In the lead up to the General Election this summer the Green Party have been somewhat absent from media coverage of the main contenders despite regularly polling higher than the Lib Dems and having a larger membership than UKIP. Yet David Cameron’s refusal to engage in any TV debate if the Green’s are left out might turn the political tables. Well done, David.
CRISTIANO RONALDO The portugese footballer has reached another landmark in his career by winning his third Ballon D’or. We can’t help feel that Ronaldo is consistently a winner given the extortionate amount of money he’d paid to play football anyway, but the question as to whether he deserved the award has already been disputed by former winner Johan Cruyff.
SELFIE STICKS EMOJIS Words? So 2014. It seems that we’ve evolved past the point of using words to communicate after the heart emoji became the most used word of 2014. With emojis becoming more ethnically diverse and ‘flirtmoji’s’ for sexting now becoming a thing, we can’t see them going anywhere anytime soon.
Scroll down your Facebook timeline and there’s a 99.9% probability that you’ll see a photo taken with the latest gadget in self-adoration - the selfie stick. If you don’t already have one, join the craze and invest (they even have them with bluetooth now). For the super vain amongst you, the belfie (bum selfie) stick is also now a thing, so make like Kim K and get snapping.
WINNERS
LOSERS MONTH OF THIS
RITA ORA Rita Ora’s appearance on The One Show didn’t go down too well after becoming the latest target for the nation’s prudes when she revealed too much cleavage on the popular family show. Apparently boobs before the watershed is not ok but why the hate? Boobs are boobs. Maybe the real problem here is our warped attitudes towards naked female bodies.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS Because who can be bothered to spend the whole year denying themselves life’s naughty pleasures? Treat yourself to a cake, a glass of wine - whatever your vice. Because we all know deep down that a little bit of what you fancy does you good.
ZOELLA The blogger came under huge scrutiny last month after it was revealed that her hit book - Girl Online- was in fact written with the help of a ghost writer, leaving quite a lot of people feeling duped. If anything, the press furore around the story only made publicising the book easier, so Zoella might be a loser, but she’ll be the one laughing all the way to the bank.
NERVE | 9
THE GREAT FASHION DEBATE Every month, we tackle a fashion issue
YES
W
hen does a fashion icon become more than an icon? For many girls, the likes of Cara Delevinge and Kendall Jenner are what they aspire to look like; yet when their airbrushed bodies and blemish free faces appear in countless advertisements, for high street and designer brands, and across social media, when does that inspiration turn into pressure? Young girls encounter extreme social pressures. It creates an unrealistic expectation for girls to aspire, which for many will result in the feeling of not being good enough. So, many girls will push themselves to keep up with the fashion trends that their icon endorses, in order to fit in. This sense of belonging which teenage girls seek is unhealthily centred around their appearance. Most girls will admit that when starting University, they were more worried about fitting in than they were about moving away from home or the complexity of the work. So the week before the end of summer you go to town, revamp your wardrobe, making sure that it is now made up entirely of Topshop clothing, copying all this season’s major fashion trends in the hope of fitting in. But we’re no longer at school conforming NERVE | 10
to a particular social group, we’re older and should now be embracing individuality and daring to be dif-
“
we’re obsessed with the idea that in order to be fashionable we must become a clone
“
Q
Do girls feel pressured to follow today’s fashion trends in order to fit in?
ferent with our fashion choices, but instead we are still so obsessed with the idea that in order to be fashionable we must wear what every other teenage girl is sporting. In the fight to maintain a fashionable appearance, everyone just ends up becoming a clone. I mean, how many times have you walked through Uni and spotted more girls wearing the same item of clothing than you have fingers? As students, the cost of keeping up the high standards that girls push to reach should be near on impossible, but in fact many will admit that there is nothing that will make them swap their Clinique make up for a cheaper
brand, or settle for a pair of black buckled boots from Primark that are similar to those in Topshop in order to save money. It is essential in our eyes to keep up with the latest trends which fill the glossy pages of fashion magazines, in the vain hope we will be accepted as fashionable, even if that means living off of pasta for the entire term. It seems ludicrous that we compare ourselves to the flawless photographs of our fashion icons, which are in fact edited. Even though we know this, we still push ourselves to achieve this perfection. It is unhealthy how much pressure we put upon ourselves to maintain these standards and the sad reality that it has led us to, is that the compliments we receive from complete strangers really do boost our confidence and make us feel appreciated. Knowing that the outfit you so carefully put together the night before, and splashed a part of your student loan on, was appreciated by a stranger makes it feel as though it was worth all that effort. But the question that we should all be asking, is why do we put such extreme pressure on ourselves to keep up with the latest trends in order to ‘look good’ and to please those that are complete strangers to us? Words Hollie Hargood Illustration Meg James Design Jack Mullen
FASHION
is easy, but creating a unique look is the ultimate fashion challenge. To most girls, the idea of fitting in to particular social cliques is no longer an issue within higher education. Everyone’s become more open to the idea of being unique and realising that the
“
everyone has become more open to the idea of being unique
“
P
NO
icking an outfit in the morning can sometimes be the biggest decision of the day. With fashion constantly changing, it’s hard for us, the younger generation to keep up with the latest trends in an attempt to fit in. However, more girls are now starting to realize that what’s on the high street, isn’t necessarily the most fashionable and doesn’t guarantee you free entry into the popular group anymore. Going to university, many girls see an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and buy a whole new, adventurous wardrobe. Conforming to the stereotypes throughout secondary school, university is a time for girls to express themselves and be a lot more daring with their outfit choices, rather than wearing the same old Topshop garments everyone’s seen a million times already. We’ve all experienced that awkward encounter when you bump into someone wearing the same thing as you and in fear, never want to wear it again. It’s a complete role reversal, with instead of wanting to fit in, you desperately long for one off items to stand out. It’s no longer a case of wanting to fit in and have that hideous pair of shoes you only bought because every other girl in the year did. Blending into the crowd
pressure once put upon young girls, is slowly fizzling out as we become older. It’s no longer about what you wear, but what your clothes say about you and how they make you feel. Buying the same items as everyone else off the high street is hardly showing off any creative flair. But of course, at some point we’ve all aspired to look like those in the glossy magazines. The media has a huge influence on fashion today and there’s no doubt it puts pressure on young girls to look a certain way. But it is possible to have the best
of both worlds and incorporate your own style into conventional looks. Teaming up a pair of boots off the high street with a £3 skirt you found in the charity shop can still turn heads, without having to conform to the media’s stereotypes. People will be much more interested in the gem you found in the charity shop last week, than the pair of converse just about every other girl is wearing. It’s amazing how as a student, you can find a cheaper alternative, and still achieve the looks in the magazines. With the younger generation feeling as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders, with social groups no longer dominating their wardrobes, everyone’s starting to experiment more and are putting themselves out there. It’s all about finding a balance and being proud of the clothes you wear. Words Laura Hatcher
What do you think? Do girls feel presured to follow trends in order to fit in or have we embraced a culture of standing out?
Tweet us: @NerveMagazine
NERVE | 11
2015 fashion edit
FASHION
The new year brings an abundance of new trends to the forefront, Scarlett Dixon collates just a few of the staples you’ll be sporting come SS15.
Wrap Coats
Knee High Boots
Military Dresses
Muted Pastels
Gingham
Pointed Flats Metallic Brogues
NERVE | 13
“
It’s taken me a long time to grow up
NERVE | 14
”
ENTS From humble beginnings to releasing a third album - Professor Green, aka Stephen Manderson, has come a long way. Ben Fisher caught up with the rapper to chat about his musical maturing and becoming a family man
T
he willingness of Stephen Manderson, better known as Professor Green, to open up and talk about a breadth of subjects is somewhat refreshing. From surviving being jousted in the neck, Kevin McCloud’s Grand Designs, to sauntering along on the Italian Riviera, Manderson is actually just like you and me. Having been on tour to celebrate the release of his third album Growing Up In Public, his collaborations with Lily Allen and Example on his debut album feel an awful long time ago to him. He bursts into laughter when reminded of hit single ‘I Need You Tonight’ and the video that accompanies the hit Number Three single. Green has just turned 30 and he feels the album title is a marker of the rapper finally maturing. "I used to think growing up meant getting letters after your name. I think there’s still a largely juvenile part of me. It’s taken me a long time to grow up." Professor Green is neither a stereotypical rapper nor does he live a typical lifestyle, but he is aware of the mundane day-to-day living that so many of his friends have adopted. Fortunately for Manderson, he was able to escape it. He grew up in Hackney, East London and knows all too well the rigmarole of growing up in London’s infamous East End. "I have been really fortunate to be able to travel across the world and see all these wonderful places. Some people that grew up where I did don’t
leave their ends." Manderson still lives in London, with his wife Millie Mackintosh. He has fond memories of escaping the hustle and bustle for their honeymoon, sounding akin to a blushing travel agent when he talks about it. "I went to Amalfi for my honeymoon and that was an amazing place and that’s somewhere I definitely would love to return to in the future. The people there are so friendly and it’s just a lovely place." You could say that Green has a thing for the seaside. He was hugely anticipating his Bournemouth appearance in December at the 02 Academy. "Bournemouth is lively with all the students. They have always been absolutely fucking mental. It’s a little bit calmer down there, but I love the hustle and bustle of London. I grew up in it and it’s what I know but it’s nice to escape it and get away from it of course." Green loves his home city. Often he will be asked by an onlooker for a photo as he hops out the cab, to which he obliges. He has no problem in doing so, in fact, he asks as to why so many celebrities do. "I’m always polite, I don’t understand people that say no. It’s 20 seconds out of your day and it makes everybody happy. Where’s the humanity? We are not surgeons; we are not saving people’s lives." He asks the fan whether he is to pose or not. Manderson is at total ease, as you would expect from an artist still smiling from the success of the release of his latest record. Such mature discussion perhaps
reflects his album title. Manderson has grown-up, although not if his recent spat and consequent punchup at Durham University is to be counted on as evidence. He cites marriage as a factor for his development from the hard-asnails cover star to the family man he can be seen as today. "I thought I would be going round shagging and banging all the time and being famous," he jokes. "I have had a few long relationships in my life but I have never really had that around me. I haven’t had or seen many examples of that in my life growing up. I have worked extremely hard to get here. The most obvious change I suppose is that it changes your focus. You don’t have to think anymore, of course you have to try in a relationship but it frees it up a lot of space in your head." Away from family and his career Green unwinds by walking his dogs, A Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Doberman. "You would not want to jump over my fence, that’s for sure," he says. After the success of his new album, people wondered where he disappeared to for a while. This is what Manderson leaves us with: "Having had five years off there was some doubt over me, and then I disappeared, got hit by a car and then I have come back and proved everybody wrong." He is certainly back in the game as Professor Green. Design: Zennen Thomas
NERVE | 15
Top: & Other Stories Jeans: Weekday
A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here. A subheading goes here.
Larissa Siems studies Fashion Art Foundation in Bournemouth. In her spare time she attends ballet and contemporary dance classes, in addition to running her own jewellery store, arctite.tictail.com, which features pieces she has designed herself. Words Scarlett Dixon
Design Jack Mullen
Photography Rebecca Elizabeth Tate
Styling Larissa Siems
FASHION
Fur Coat: Zara
Shoes: Zara Dress: ASOS
Bracelet: arctite.tictail.com
Dress and Bra: Weekday Leggings: H&M Bag: American Apparel NERVE | 17
TICKETS ONLY
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THURS 29 JAN. 8PM THE OLD FIRE STATION BUY TICKETS NOW: WWW.OLDFIRESTATION.CO.UK / TALBOT CAMPUS SU SHOP / HALLS TICKET SELLERS. GROUP BOOKINGS (MIN 6): EMAIL COMEDY@OLDFIRESTATION.CO.UK
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ENTS
walking on cars As their tour draws to a close, Charlie Souter-Phillips got up close and personal with Walking on Cars to talk about their journey, real jobs and the method behind their music
W
alking on Cars are a great indie rock band. Made up of lead vocalist Patrick Sheehy, pianist Sorcha Durham and guitarist Paul Flanney. They pride themselves on their versatility for their fans, and as Sorcha puts it, "We are like a roast chicken. There’s a piece there for everybody." She is the only female member of the band, but she doesn’t let this phase her. "I’m one of the lads now. We were all friends before we started the band so we are just a group of friends hanging out and playing music together." Walking on Cars are coming to the end of their tour. "The first six months were hard because we didn’t ever know what to say, but we have picked up a few tricks now". Being a support band can be challenging at times, as Sorcha explains: "It is hard to go out on stage when no one really knows you. We’ve just given it as much energy as possible to try and win people over and have succeeded in most places." Paul explained to me how they prepare for every gig with 30 minutes of ‘psyching’ themselves up by practising their set list as loud as they can.
Now that they are coming to the end of their tour they can look forward to going home and spending some time with their family and friends. Sorcha talks about the time she spends with her girlfriends, "I love going out for dinner. We go out for dinner all the time on the road but it’s different when you are treating
“
We were just writing for the sake of writing
”
yourself." Sorcha’s passion for music is clear in her answer about what she would be doing if she wasn’t in the band. "I would be playing music somewhere for a living". Paul and Patrick’s ideas were a little different. Paul said he would probably be working in a bar and Patrick explained "I would probably be on social welfare because I hate real jobs. I have had experience working in a few supermarkets and delivering toilets and it was a bit soul destroying.
I said to myself I am never ever getting a real job no matter what the circumstances." The band is known for performing all of their own songs, and rarely any covers. So how does the Irish band actually write their songs? "One of us will come up with something. If the others latch onto it we will play with it for a while and keep adding stuff until eventually it clicks. Sometimes it will take us months, other times it will take us hours." Their most recent single was written in two hours, showing how you can never really know how long the song writing process will be! The band find that they get the most inspiration from their home town of Dingle. "We lived in a house and there was no internet and we had a van that would bring us out and get food, but that was it. There was no pressure from anyone to get our music out, we were just writing for the sake of writing. If we were from a city we would be a lot more influenced by what was going on around us, so on that front it’s a good thing to be separated from the music scene." Design: Zennen Thomas NERVE | 19
FEATURES
Not the Surface
NERVE | 20
Words: Olivia Osmond
We’ve all seen the inspirational stories of everyday New Yorkers in Humans of New York – but a couple of BU students decided to start their very own project spotlighting on those a little closer to home.
T
here’s a documentary of epic proportions on Jay-Z’s blog ‘Life + Times Presents: Where I’m From’. It’s one of those documentaries where the introduction alone gives you goosebumps; in fact I challenge you not to feel inspired when it’s over. Yet how may people turn that feeling, that initial hype - that burst of motivation - into reality? TV Production student Jordan Hakkak did. Partnering with multimedia journalism student, Jodie Boyce, he successfully brought to life his street photography concept ‘Not the Surface’. On a normal day how many people do you walk past silently, learning nothing of them and their stories? The majority’s answer is hundreds, maybe even thousands. Photographer Jordan Hakkak decided to do something about this: "I think we should generally take more time to ask other people about themselves as it’s surprising what we can learn". Jodie describes the project as: "A street photography project with personality; a mixture of capturing real lifestyle, with the technical element of portraiture and literal photography". Put simply, on the streets of Bournemouth, Jordan takes encapsulating portraits whilst Jodie documents her conversations with the subject; combining the mediums to create a visual story shared through social media. Sounds awkward? Not at all, as Jodie shares "It’s something different, it’s something strange, it’s a bit odd for a 19 year old to be walking around town centre having conversations with everyone and anyone – and that’s the fun. Actually, when you get into it, it’s surprisingly easy to approach strangers for a conversation". Sounds familiar? A similar concept ‘Humans of New York’ was started by Brandon Stanton as he told the inspirational, and often moving, stories of every day New Yorkers; with his venture later becoming a New York Times Bestseller and inspiring similar projects globally. "The funny thing is I had no idea about
Humans of New York until I showed some friends the first shoot and they mentioned it" says Jordan, and although this is "a bit frustrating" the BU student appreciates that the idea was one anyone could do. How do they react to criticism that the concept is another HONY rehash? Jodie clearly states: "Although the concept is similar, I feel the effect is rather different. With Not The Surface, we want to make people laugh-out-loud as they read our content. We want to brighten peoples days with humor, rather than the Humans Of New York ‘inspirational’ angle," with Jordan adding, "My photography style is very different, I tend to frame up a bit closer than your standard headshot and shoot wide open which separates the
we do, obviously it started off as just friends liking it, but the page grew every time a new shot was put on"next thing we know we’ve got random people in Venezuela following and liking the posts!" Jordan is too keen to add to the comedy element that has naturally developed, saying: "I plan to make a series of short documentaries about interesting people doing odd and interesting things, I have a friend that’s a bit of a circus freak for instance and another that creates world class 3D art, and he’s only 19... So I was thinking of expanding it into a blog of sorts with more content".
“”
we want to make people laugh out loud and brighten their day
subject from the background - it’s all very dramatic". Plus, let’s not forget Not the Surface’s home is firmly in Bournemouth. The comic element of the duo’s project is immediately striking. With one of Jordan’s favourite interviews to date being a bride to be dressed as an inflatable penis: "Instantly we ran and demanded a picture. I asked her name... ‘I’M A BRIDE TO BE AND MY NAME’S BIG DICK’. That was pretty fun.". Yet on their Facebook page there is juxtaposition between these hilariously comic scenes and deeper moments, such as that of the ‘striking and dramatic shot’ of a homeless man called Usef who sensed the pair’s ‘amazing auras’. So, what’s next for ‘Not the Surface’? What is essentially a passion project has started to gain a loyal following, with thanks to social media. "NWe created both a Tumblr and a Facebook page to share what
NERVE | 21
2 TEAMS
2 VENUES
SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY BU BOBCATS PRESENT: HALF-TIM SHOW E K
FRAT PARTY SUPER BOWL PARTY
ATY PER RY & LENNY K R AVITZ
MULTI-SCREEN
GET THERE EARLY TO GET A COMFORTABLE SEAT
DOORS OPEN, 10PM
£3 REDEEMABLE £3 INCLUDING AGAINST YOUR FIRST DRINK
A RED CUP
BIG SCREEN
DRINK BENCHES, FANCY DRESS, HOT DOGS, DJS
NERVE’S FILMS NOT TO MISS IN 2015
ENTS Words: Tom Beasley Design: Joe Tattersall
There was a lot of doomy reporting when the box office figures for summer 2014 became clear. With the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy, last summer was a bad one financially, with few films striking it rich. However, a look ahead to the cinema releases of 2015 suggests that next year is going to be one of the biggest in cinema history. Here are 12 films you should look out for.
WHIPLASH • RELEASE: 16/01/15
Having attracted enormous buzz on the festival circuit, drumming drama Whiplash will race into British cinemas with great momentum. It follows Miles Teller as a young musician who falls under the tutelage of a hard-nosed conductor played by JK Simmons, who comes across as the love child of Glee’s Mr Schue and the drill instructor from Full Metal Jacket. I had the pleasure of catching Whiplash at the London Film Festival and it’s a terrific ride. The script is razor sharp, the performances uniformly excellent and the drama genuinely gripping from the start to the final crescendo.
BLACKHAT • RELEASE: 20/02/15
Somewhat appropriately in the wake of the recent chaos involving Sony, cyber-crime is about to come to the world of film in the shape of Michael Mann’s thriller Blackhat. Chris Hemsworth’s hacker is released from prison in order to join the chase for a notorious and dangerous online criminal. The film looks to be an entertaining entry in Mann’s filmography, with fast-paced thrills set against the backdrop of new technology. And if a techno-thriller doesn’t float your boat, there’s the small matter of Fifty Shades of Grey, out in time for Valentine’s Day... pending North Korean approval of course. NERVE | 23
CHAPPIE • RELEASE: 06/03/15
In the space of only two films, Neill Blomkamp has cemented himself as a huge voice in sci-fi cinema. District 9 and the underrated Elysium are both excellent films and his latest, Chappie, looks set to continue his 100% success rate. The titular robot (Sharlto Copley) is kidnapped by gangsters who wish to use him for nefarious means. Blomkamp’s involvement in the project, along with regular collaborator Copley, is enough to make it something genuinely intriguing. Join that with an engaging sci-fi premise and some reliably excellent effects and Chappie could be a sleeper hit.
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON • RELEASE: 24/04/15
Little needs to be said about Age of Ultron – the latest film in Marvel’s ever-expanding universe of superhero movies. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and the rest are back in their suits, ready to kick some supervillain arse. This time around, the team will square off with rebellious robot Ultron, who is initially created by Tony Stark in an attempt to bring peace to the post-SHIELD world. With the usual meticulous build-up you’d expect from Marvel, the latest outing for the full Avengers roster is yet another step on the road to the goliath 2018 smackdown that is Infinity War. Only the small matter of a certain returning sci-fi franchise could prevent it from being the biggest box office smash hit of the year.
ROSEWATER • RELEASE: 08/05/15
The month of May heralds the much-awaited Pitch Perfect sequel and the return of the Mad Max franchise. However, it will also feature the UK release of darkly comic political thriller Rosewater, which is the film directorial debut of The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. Rosewater tells the true story of a British journalist taking hostage in Iran whilst covering the controversial elections in 2009. He is subject to torture during his imprisonment and it is from this that the film mines some of its darkest comedy.The film is a strange one, with hard politics butting heads with broad comedy. It’s certainly going to get people talking. NERVE | 24
JURASSIC WORLD • RELEASE: 12/06/15
It’s been over a decade since the last Jurassic Park film and now indie director Colin Trevorrow is set to make his mark behind the camera for inevitable reboot Jurassic World. Man of the moment Chris Pratt leads the cast as a member of staff at the now fully-functioning park. Everything soon goes awry when the powers that be create a genetically-modified dinosaur to spice up the attraction. Jurassic World doesn’t look like it is set to become a bona fide classic in the vein of Spielberg’s original film. However, in a year full to the brim with blockbusters, this could be one of the most purely enjoyable.wAnd if that doesn’t entice you, the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions, is out too.
INSIDE OUT • RELEASE: 24/07/15
If ever a film sold itself based on a trailer, it is Inside Out. Pixar’s latest animation is set mostly inside the head of a young girl, showing how she is guided by the anthropomorphised versions of her emotions, voiced by comedy stars including Amy Poehler and Bill Hader. Pixar films are always of a reliably high quality and, with a killer premise backed up by a great cast, Inside Out looks set to join the studio’s lengthy list of hits. In a summer season crowded with franchise material, this fresh, accessible blockbuster could be a great success for cinemagoers looking for something a little bit different.
FANTASTIC FOUR • RELEASE: 06/08/15
The Fantastic Four is another Marvel property for which the movie rights sit with another company – in this case, 20th Century Fox. After a critically-reviled pair of films stunk out the early part of the new millennium, Chronicle director Josh Trank was hired to reinvigorate the superpowered foursome. Miles Teller leads the cast, with Toby Kebbell playing a modern upgrade of classic villain Doctor Doom. Trank is an interesting choice of director and has shown his aptitude for the genre, so this reboot really stands a chance of breathing life into a dead franchise.
THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS • RELEASE: 24/09/15
In amongst the glut of young adult action movies that were released in 2014, The Maze Runner was a surprisingly fun ride. Despite its ludicrous climax and underuse of many impressive cast members, the film was genuinely enjoyable. Its sequel, Scorch Trials, will be released this year and promises to explore the wider universe around the maze. The true test of a YA franchise is whether it can survive once the first instalment has established its concept and the world around it. After a strong start, The Maze Runner must now prove that it can keep itself going. It certainly can’t get any more ridiculous, can it?
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CRIMSON PEAK • RELEASE: 16/10/15
Guillermo del Toro is making a horror film with Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska. That’s surely enough to make anyone excited about Crimson Peak. Del Toro took some time away from the genre to make kaiju actioner Pacific Rim, but this gothic tale of a haunted house sticks the Mexican maestro right in the heart of his spiritual film home – horror. Wasikowska plays an author who discovers that her new husband (Tom Hiddleston) has a mysterious past and must face her demons in a house that seems to come to life. Charlie Hunnam, Jessica Chastain and Burn Gorman also star. Del Toro’s return to horror is enough of a reason to buy a ticket for Crimson Peak. This could be the film that defines the Halloween period.
SPECTRE • RELEASE: 06/11/15
In 2012, Skyfall became the highest grossing James Bond film of all-time and picked up the franchise after the disappointment of Quantum of Solace. Sam Mendes is back in the director’s chair for the newest film and the historically significant title has provoked much discussion amongst fans. Rumours abound that Christoph Waltz, confirmed as a villain, will be playing the latest incarnation of Bond’s arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. SPECTRE simply has to work, given the huge momentum the franchise has as a result of Skyfall. With Waltz in place as a villain and the MI6 cast behind Daniel Craig refreshed at the end of the previous film, SPECTRE is almost certainly going to be one of the better thrillers of 2015.
STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS • RELEASE: 18/12/15 Aside from Marvel’s latest mega-budget spectacle, there’s one other film that could make 2015 the biggest year in cinema history. In the wake of a fan-baiting trailer and a tonne of anticipation, JJ Abrams will close out 2015 with the release of his Star Wars reboot. The film is under a tonne of pressure as the latest instalment is arguably the most significant franchise in movie history. Bitter memories of the prequel trilogy are still fresh in the minds of many, but Abrams’ looks to be returning to many of the things that made the original three so great, including practical effects and minimal discussion of trade disputes. Whether it’s a real hit or a disappointment, it’s going to be great to hear that iconic John Williams theme music in a cinema again.
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FEATURES
THE REVOLUTION The hype around the realistically proportioned and looking Lammily doll has been huge – but how important is it to have toys that reflect the reality of human flaws? Katrina Quick investigates.
Image: Nikolay Lamm
M
ove over Barbie. Your bleach blonde locks and tiny waist are nothing when compared to the new ‘Lammily doll’. This doll has a realistic figure, long, brunette hair, legs and arms that can move at the joints and she even has temporary stretch marks, freckles, acne and even dirt stains. The doll wears minimal make up, and promotes a healthier, fitter lifestyle. ‘Lammily’ comes wearing a blue blouse, denim shorts, and white trainers. Pretty versatile clothing, in comparison to a mini skirt and invisible heels that mean you can’t actually stand. So how did the Lammily doll (finally) come about? On his blog about Lammily dolls (nickolaylamm.com), Nickolay explains his vision. ‘Every one of our bodies is different, so we should not be aspiring to some idealized standard’. The artist and researcher created the doll after suffering with his own body image after he became obsessed with having a six-pack. "After achieving my desired BMI, I looked and felt terrible". As a result of struggling with his own body image, as well as seeing his athletic cousin thinking she was ‘fat’ Nickolay became inspired to create his campaign for the doll ‘Average is beautiful’. ‘I see "average" as inclusive of all of us, not a standard which excludes. I want to show that reality is beautiful, that life is beautiful, and there should be a line of dolls, which reflects this fact’. However, not everyone agrees that having a Barbie that is not an
anorexic mutant is necessary. Chris Morris, who studies computing at Bournemouth University, feels that dolls are children’s toys and are supposed to be used as just that toys. "I had action men and I never thought ‘I need to have a six pack and guns’. Likewise I never heard any girls say ‘I wish I looked like Barbie’. I get that some people are more vulnerable to being influenced, but I don’t think it should be read into that much". On the other hand, Gemma Knights, 20, who studies anthropology at BU, is overjoyed at this new, ‘average’ doll. "I was bullied really badly as a child because I had freckles. If I had one of these (Lammily) dolls, I could’ve put freckles on her and that would’ve meant the world to me". Harry Woodhouse, 20, Fine art student at AUB, can relate to concerns about body image. "I had an eating disorder when I was around 14/15. It affected my life in a really negative way, and it took me a long time to come to terms with what was actually wrong". Harry now eats healthily and exercises regularly, lifting weights and working out to feel good about his body. It seems not only girls struggle with body image, then. "Action men did have an impact on me. There’s ‘man’ in the name, so as a child you see these toys and you think that’s what a man looks like, that’s what you have to look like in order to be a man". Harry feels that a male doll with average measurements of a man rather than an eight pack
may have helped him with his body image. "I think a male Lammily doll would’ve made a difference to me as a child and into adulthood, definitely. If everyone wants a toy that looks a certain way, everyone wants to look like that; to have a six-pack is the ideal. You’re subliminally indoctrinated with a certain image from a young age, that’s unhealthy". Karen Goodman, from Play and Creative arts therapies, who regularly works with children with self esteem and body image issues, emphasizes how much negative stereotyping, such as in Barbie’s and Action men, can impact on a child’s development "Yes, it might just be a child’s toy that a child can play with, but you forget how susceptible children are when they are young- they react to gender stereotyping even if it’s not consciously. Studies have shown that children who were presented with an average size doll ate considerably more over the period of a week than children who were given a thin doll or Lego to play with". Although ‘Lammily’ seems to be a strange name, the creator named the brand after the creators last name and family "since my entire family helped me with the project’. Nickolay goes on to explain: "it purposely doesn’t sound like a common girl’s name. I encourage everyone who preordered Lammily to give their doll her own unique name as there will soon be an option to fill in and print out a passport for each Lammily doll." NERVE | 29
NO PLACE
LIKE HOME
B
uzzfeed articles, dedicated websites and angry social media tangents: it seems to be all too often that the standard student is not happy with his or her temporary home. Perhaps it’s something about the impermanence of the renting student that leaves room for landlords to ignore, dismiss and even mistreat their tenants. But as the united voice of the aggravated student grows stronger, are all these accusations justified? In basic terms a landlord should be able to supply shelter, warmth, water and a bed. Funnily enough, this is just the standard of living required for any domestic animal according to RSPCA guidelines. But if you’re paying on average £350 per month (in Bournemouth) for a bedroom in a student house – surely one can expect more than the very simple basics. In terms of safety, every landlord is expected to modify their properties so that they comply to a number of basic regulations – the
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Terrible student housing is seen as a rite of passage while at university – but that doesn’t make it right. Jodie Boyce investigates whether our university accommodation lives up to its reputation and asks; will things ever change?
majority of which are put in place to protect the safety of the tenants. Things like hard wired fire alarms and privacy blinds are all standard policy. So, we ask, why is it that there seems to be so many issues in the student-landlord sphere? Tales upon tales of over populated houses, mouldy walls and negligent landlords plague the average students’ Facebook. We hear our side all the time, so we were curious to discover what light the landlords and ladies of this seaside town could shed. In the student housing world we don’t often come into contact with landlords and ladies of the non-student realm. So, we’ve tracked down a local landlady who rents out properties to young professionals but also has extensive experience with student landlords. She did not want her name to be revealed, so from here on in, let’s call her Sue*. She explained: "Too often, the standard of décor in student properties and the
standard of facilities are so poor at the outset that any tenant would be hard pushed to respect the environment. Combine the lack of investment on the landlords part with the outrageous rental fees, it’s a recipe for disaster." Sue isn’t the only person who thinks this. For some, it seems that living in student properties is an endless cycle of low quality, and mostly disappointing experiences. One example of a student with experience in this department is Aaron who went through his entire second year at university "without access to heating or hot water". Or Chris, who tells of how "my landlady told us she had taken the house off the market for us, only to find out months later that she had already leased it out to another group for the next year". Or even Tom, whose "housemate’s room had half the floorboards missing for months." These issues are all unimaginable to a tenant who would be living in the house for more than
FEATURES
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Standards of facilities are so poor at the outset that any tenant would be hard pushed to respect the environment
a 9 month contract, so how has this become the norm for students to deal with? Managing Director of StuRents, a student housing online platform, Michael Rainsford, doesn’t see this as the norm though. "A student house has a considerably higher churn-out that non-student houses; landlords and agents must go through the continual process of re-marketing the property every year. Student landlords then tend to budget for higher ongoing maintenance costs with student tenants as a result of greater wear and tear of key fixtures and fittings." However, Managing Director of the housing platform Move’m, Peter Ramsey, argues that: "It goes without saying that there are thousands of honest, hard working landlords who constantly maintain their properties. However, landlords are still avoiding refurbishment and letting agents are more desperate for clients, so I don’t actually believe student housing is improving."
Similarly, yet according to the ‘regular’ landlady, Sue, having had "years of experience dealing with student landlords", she noted that student landlords are constantly "smug in the knowledge that with another year, another happy customer, a young student fresh from home or halls will be happy to be in their ‘own place’". But not all students have such a terrible time. Bournemouth University lettings land lord, John, claims to be one of the good guys. He says how the most important aspect is the "provision of good quality accommodation." Having been a landlord, alongside his wife, for over 30 years now – he explains how "years ago it was seen as a right of passage to a university degree to live in revolting accommodation – you were not a ‘proper’ student unless you have suffered. However nowadays the old perceptions persist, but a raft of issues have resulted in much better accommodation." So it would
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seem that although we as students complain, housing has improved with the higher levels of competition leading to better quality, tighter consumer laws improving rights and expectations, and university intervention and involvement meaning landlords are less likely to disregard these rights. John explained how "there is good and bad accommodation in both sectors of the housing market – so it is not true that student are prejudiced against and only offered inferior property." One of John’s tenants seems to think he definitely makes the effort: "Everything is pretty smooth in the house, if there’s a problem it’s sorted out relatively quickly, and he bought us an extra fridge of his own accord – which was so useful." So evidently, although a lot of students may fall prey to the shabby landlord – if you do your research before hand you may just come out trumps.
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the h g u o r h T
lens
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO editor@nervemedia.org.uk NERVE | 32
East London Treasures Wil Oxford BA Multimedia Journalism
"London is one of those great cities where every street offers new things to explore. I was walking through a pretty rough area of East London when I turned a corner and stumbled on to a street that looked like something out of an LS Lowry painting with this beautiful old car parked up - I couldn’t help but take a snap." NERVE | 33
GORGON CITY Nerve’s Charlie SouterPhillips caught up with Gorgon City to chat about their latest album, Sirens, as well as touring and their plans to launch their own record label
L
ondon based producer Kye will always remember the day his life changed from being just an ordinary run of the mill DJ to a recognised star. "Real was the track that really took us by surprise. We didn’t expect anything from it, but it got lots of daytime play, was on the Radio 1 playlist and it got played on radios in America. In the last year and a half it’s been non-stop which is quite stressful in a way because I haven’t seen my friends or family for so long." Having recently toured America, Kye noticed that there is a difference in the audiences compared to the UK. "Everyone is so enthusiastic and open, it’s weird spending time there then coming to back to England. You see how reserved and held back everyone is. It’s quite refreshing, I like that about America. I can see myself going there for a few months or working on music out there." As if touring the USA wasn’t a big enough achievement, Gorgon City has also broken a record. "DJing on a plane was pretty crazy. It was from London to Atlanta and it was us and Rudimental DJing in the middle of the sky. It got broadcast over the Internet which was the first time that has ever happened." Along with other unique experiences, the duo got to be guest judges on South African Idol. "We got to our studio and we didn’t know this but all the contestants from South African Idol had flown all the way to London to come to our studio and sing to us. We had to sit there through the four finalists and we had to judge them, which was impossible because they were all sick.
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ENTS
“
DJing on a plane was pretty crazy
It was so weird." Gorgon City have recently been on tour to promote their new album, Sirens, which includes some great collaborations. "I like the last track with Maverick Sabre called ‘Hold On’. Hearing him sing blew me away and we wanted to keep the production quite stripped back to have an intimate song so we could let the lyrics breathe." The album has been selling fast since its release, having reached Number 10 in the UK album charts. "I always thought when we were working on the album, imagine seeing it in HMV, and when we walked past it in Oxford Circus and saw a massive rack full of our CDs it was pretty cool." Kye defined Gorgon City as "being somewhere like Ibiza, an island with great weather but it would have bits of darkness to it as well. I quite like having contrasts with uplifting music alongside
some grimy music." Bass is what the boys focus on, "That’s what we are about and that’s what we have loved making since we were growing up." Now living in London, the two can easily mix with others in their field, "It’s cool, where our studio is there are lots of producers near to us, so we meet up with them or go into their studios to listen to what they are working on." The duo seem to be living in a musical community, which has helped them when making their music, as they can feed off other artists’ energy. The down to earth producer even had time to give advice to anyone wanting to start in the music business. "Have patience, I started making music when I was 14 and it took a few years to get anywhere I was happy with. You also need to know that there is no right or wrong way of doing things. I always thought there was a secret
”
that all the good producers had that I hadn’t discovered yet, but it’s not about that, it’s all about experimenting with things." 2014 was a very busy year for the boys, and they are hoping to take on even more this year. "We are really eager to get going with the second album, which I already have ideas for. We also already have half of this year busy with touring." As if the boys aren’t doing enough already, they also want to start up a record label. "We want to get out clubbier tracks, as this album is very song based so we want to go back to releasing club music. We don’t always look for the biggest names we just like working with people who have a different sound. I remember when I first got exposure it was all from DJs taking a risk and playing music from an unheard artist, and giving me a step up so it would be cool to do that for other people."
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COMMENT
Digital dating is the downfall of love We’re a generation looking for the one in all the wrong places in a way that’s stopping us finding happiness
T
o all you women out there (and perhaps a few men), how many of you have actually kept the letters you have been sent by a former lover? Oh yeah that’s right, if you’re under the age of 25, you have grown up in the digital era and you won’t understand having to send a letter to a lover; because technology has ruined the way we date. There was a time when dating used to be so simple. Before the Internet you would meet someone at a bar, you would actually speak to each other, exchange small talk and at the end of the night potentially even numbers. Then along came the Internet, which created the possibility to interact with each other and meet new people at the tap of your finger, with recent online dating websites, apps, Facebook and even Google the way we date has totally changed. The US dating market is even reported to be worth a huge $2.2 billion. Who can remember the good old days? Before technology couples that couldn’t physically see each other would spend endless hours communicating through hushed phone conversations, with plans having to be made in advance and undoubtedly absence making the heart grow fonder. But now
that we’re always connected, the lack of distance is suffocating us and fuelling unwanted emotions. How many of you can admit to feeling jealous, suspicious or angry when a girl or guy you’ve just met and like isn’t texting back? Technological dating may work for some, but for the majority it is leaving us emotionally stunted. First dates are designed to be filled with awkward small talk, endless interview-like questions, all in the aid of getting to know a potential future partner. There used to be so such mystery behind getting to know each other and learning about each other’s likes and dislikes. But this no longer exists. Nowadays we’re able to scroll down their Facebook page, view their history and do a little stalking on Google and get the same amount of information in minutes. What’s so wrong with leaving romance down to chance? If you’re not so sure, look at the hit YouTube video ‘look up’. If we spend so much time obsessing with finding our true online match, what will happen when your possible future partner walks by? You’ll be too busy trying to communicate with the creep on tinder you’ve just matched with. So put down your phone and get yourself out there.
Words: Rebecca Miller Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate
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first dates are designed to be filled with awkward small talk and questions
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Something
to say?
Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk NERVE | 37
Nerve looks at some of the hottest fashion news trending on instagram this month
#Nervefashion
@khloekardashian posted a picture to her Instagram followers recently with her model sister Kendall and everyone’s favourite supermodel Cara – or should we say Kara Delevingne, as Khloe herself wrote in the caption. We wonder what this year will have in store for the supermodel duo – nothing short of big labels of course.
Blogger Lily Melrose started 2015 with a bang, with this adorable Aldo clutch for £35.00. What other items will you be leaving behind that are ‘so 2014?’ By the looks of it, slogan clutch’s are a keeper for this year - we love!
Jeremy Scott has given his Instagram followers a quick viewing of his PreFall 2015 Moschino Collection. We’ve seen McDonald’s, Barbie, SpongeBob and now this. Follow @moschino to view the rest of Scott’s quirky range: from tape measures to sparkles - only by Moschino!
Say goodbye to the Christmas buldge with Primark’s ‘Workout’ fitnesswear. With comfy colourful leggings and monochrome crops, here is a collection that allows students to embrace the January fitness fad in style, but on the cheap. Now you’ve got no excuse to avoid the gym. Keep up to date on their instagram page.
Now that Christmas is over, are you dreaming about the summer holidays? What better way is there to prepare for summer than by gradually creating your 2015 summer wardrobe. Follow @asos_studio to be the first to take a peek at their new collections.
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ENTS
A new year brings with it a fresh batch of new artists for us to listen to. Nerve gives you the lowdown of the six to keep an eye on. NERVE | 40
Becky Hill The first contestant from The Voice UK to reach the top chart position, Becky Hill is most well-known for featuring on Oliver Heldens’ 2014 summer smash ‘Gecko (Overdrive)’, for which she was a co-writer. Last year was her biggest yet – she performed at T in the Park and Parklife, as well as supporting Katy B on her UK tour. In early November, Becky also released her second solo single ‘Losing’, which has accumulated just under half a million views on Youtube. What can we expect from Becky Hill in 2015? Although she only appeared on The Voice in 2012, aged just 18 and is only just out of her teenage years, the young vocalist is already working on her debut album alongside the likes of MNEK.
Tich Tich, otherwise known as Rachel Furner, originally found fame via Youtube, a common platform for many rising stars nowadays. Soon enough, the Northampton native was signed to Mercury Records and had the chance of touring with Justin Bieber, Pixie Lott and Olly Murs. In terms of original music, she made a name for herself with the release of her debut single ‘Dumb’ and followup single ‘Obsession’, both of which managed to reach the UK Charts. Primarily fitting into the pop genre, Tich’s bubblegum sound intertwines with disco elements - if you need an example, think back to Kate Nash’s debut ‘Foundations’. Although she’s released two EPS, the singer hopes to release her debut album in 2015 with the aid of several writers, including Nick Jonas. This album is said to feature more autobiographical elements as well as a variety of different sounds we’ve yet to hear from her.
Years & Years
Nominated for this year’s Critics Choice Award at the Brits, trio Years & Years describe themselves as soulful electronic pop. While the group is still relatively under the radar, it’s easy to see why it won’t be long before they are on our radio stations, TV screens and local music venues. They have already sold out every date of their upcoming UK tour and been tipped as an act to look out for in 2015 by both iTunes and music app Shazam. Years & Years’ EP Take Shelter, which was released in August 2014, peaked at Number 15 on the iTunes Electronic chart - not a bad achievement for a band you may not have heard of until now. After supporting one of the biggest talents out there, Sam Smith, late last year, these three are undoubtedly heading for success.
James Bay 2014 might just have been James Bay’s best year yet. Having been designated the Brit Awards Critic’s Choice, the British singersongwriter is already on the road to success, following in the mighty footsteps of acts such as Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding and Adele. From only just beginning his career in 2013, James has already made waves with his single ‘Hold Back the River’, an acoustic mid-tempo number which peaked inside the UK Top 20. Despite his clean falsetto, his subtle rockier edge separates him from the rest of his musical peers. The rising star will be releasing his debut album Chaos and the Calm in March and having already toured with Hozier as well as support from BBC’s Sound of 2015 and MTV’s Brand New Acts, it looks like we’ve got quite a lot to look forward to.
George Ezra Citing his biggest influences as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, George Ezra’s blues/folk sound rose to prominence with the release of his single ‘Budapest’ in June last year. It has since been certified Platinum in the UK as well as countries throughout Europe and further afield. In the wake of the single’s success, the singer has bagged himself a No. 1 with debut album Wanted On Voyage as well as achieving commercial success with ‘Blame It On Me’, which peaked at No. 6. Having already performed on Glastonbury Festival’s Introducing stage and being awarded fifth place on the coveted BBC’s ‘Sound of 2014’ list, 2015 is certainly set to be a big year for George Ezra. He’s just about to embark on a huge tour, taking in Australia, USA, UK and various European cities, with most dates already being sold out. Did we mention the guy is only 21?
Raury This American graduated high school last year and already puts us to shame, having released a 10-song EP and performing regularly to hundreds of loyal followers. Raury is his name and putting out music is his game. Choosing not to restrict himself to just one genre, the eighteen year old takes inspiration from acts such as Bon Iver, Coldplay and Andre 3000. However, despite where the inspiration evolves from, his aim is to create music that is both current and original. In an interview with Buzzfeed the budding artist claims: "With my music, I want to create a movement. I don’t just want to release an EP or an album or a mixtape. I want to become a phase in peoples’ lives, just like the artists that I grew up on were for me." If you need further detail on the star, give a listen to his tribal sounding track ‘God’s Whisper’ which fully reflects his fresh new style. Words: Joe Hopkins & Hannah Dix Design: Joe Tattersall
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FASHION With many of today’s top bloggers drawing in audiences of over 4 million, this newly popular career path is creating a totally unique slice of the media industry. Companies might pay up to £10,000 for a mention but does the transparency of the blogger then become murkier by the moment?
Is Honest Blogging a Thing of the Past? NERVE | 42
W
henever I’m visiting a restaurant or an attraction, or even when I am purchasing a new beauty product, I look to the internet and particularly blog reviews for recommendations," says Lisa, owner of website Not Quite Enough and avid blog reader. "However with so many PR’s jumping on the blogging bandwagon and offering freebies and monetary incentives, there is an ongoing debate over whether recipients of a complimentary meal, stay or sample can ever be objective." In a world of information hungry, internet savvy and voyeuristically engaged young people, a new breed of media has overtaken traditional forms, with its ability to appease audiences and allow them to follow the action, as it happens. These media producers have shunned a ‘normal’ career path for something far more exciting. They are their own boss. They can do what they love. Hang out with their friends. Film it. Write about it. And, get paid for it. "We are in the era of information and blogs are a cross cultural communication platform and
a modern vehicle for global interaction," says Brianda, project manager of worldwide blogging project The Big Blog Exchange, "bloggers deliver messages and communicate in a way that no company can. They are a far more reliable medium to capture and engage with our target market."
But what starts as a hobby for most and wasn’t predicted to start making a profit, does pose the question – are these internet celebs simply modern advertising machines? Can you really be transparent and make money in an industry that relies on honest interaction with the public? Em Sheldon, 20, an award winning blogger from Leeds supplements her University degree with the earnings from her blog and hopes to turn it into a fully-fledged career path when she graduates. A regular at star studded launches, she arrives at the Motel Rocks Bloggers Festival head to toe in samples she has been sent from PR companies, "there are definitely perks to being a blogger," she says with a dazzling smile, "but I always disclose what has been sent
The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) states that bloggers who are paid to write or talk about certain products or services in a positive light must be up-front with their followers by making it clear that the collaboration is advertising. In the last month, they have pushed for big YouTube stars in particular to state in the title or spoken introduction if something within the video has been gifted – or they have been paid to mention. Bloggers must not falsely present themselves as a consumer if this is not the case and similarly,
blogs are a modern vehicle for global INTERACTION
any commercial relationships must be presented clearly. The exact wording of the disclosure however, is not specified, meaning that what may be a collaboration is cleverly worded into the body of the text. Zoe Sugg, 23, is currently one of the world’s biggest vloggers, with over 4 million subscribers all over the globe and a transparent way of working with brands. She was recently interviewed for a BBC report exploring how much these young stars can earn. "There are companies who would love our help," she explains. "But if I would never actually use that company or even if I just don’t like the product I’m not going to even think about it." "I think the biggest obstacle," says Lisa, "is the lack of clarity from the ASA on the legal obligations of bloggers. They need to recognise that bloggers can hold great sway and influence amongst their followers." It’s a dream for PR’s and marketing companies, but for the thousands of young people who may be being misled for the sake of a collaboration, it seems a little unfair.
“”
to me and I’d never review it any differently to stuff I’ve bought with my own money." And others clearly agree with Em’s clear cut disclosure policy. In an anonymous survey among young female bloggers, 80%
agreed that bloggers should always disclose when they are working alongside a brand, however interestingly only 37% would be put off reading a blog altogether if they didn’t clearly outline what had been sponsored. Many said that listening to a YouTuber or reading a blog was like talking to a friend, which is why this new extension on ‘word of mouth’ advertising is so effective.
Words: Scarlett Dixon Design: Zennen Thomas NERVE | 43
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ENTS
lonely the brave
Nerve’s Laura Geall caught up with Mark Trotter from Lonely the Brave before their show in Bournemouth to get the lowdown on touring with Deaf Havana, and where their musical influences originate
L
onely the Brave’s music is hard to define, with elements of different genres intertwining into each song. The band’s Facebook page describes it as Doom Pop, which they had a little help from their musical peers to come up with. "That was something we were called by the drummer from Bad Rabbits. He said ‘I have real trouble describing your music, I don’t know what kind of genre it fits into’, and he said ‘It’s like a doomy pop music’, so I literally just said at that point ‘I’m having that’." They didn’t intentionally write music that was hard to define, it just happened, but their gratitude for finally having a name for it was clear. Their debut album, The Day’s War, was released in 2014 and went to Number One on the UK Rock Charts. "It’s been a long time in the making for us, so to finally get the album out there has been mind-blowing. We’ve had a really positive reaction from it as well." He was just as excited to share the stage with Deaf Havana in December. "They’re relatively local to us and we’re big fans of that band so to finally get a tour sorted and play shows with them and meet them and stuff is amazing." It was a great way for them to end their successful year.
Bournemouth is one of the stops along the way on their tour, so we were discussing some of the sites it has to offer. It may have been a bit cold for the beach in December, but Mo still seemed up for it. "It will be freezing., but we’re the kind of guys anyway that if there is a beach no matter what we’ll go down there"knowing me I’ll probably jump in any way!" He seems excited for most of the places on their tour
“
It’s been a long time in the making
”
though, as they have never been to a lot of them. "We’re just looking forward to getting out there and visiting towns that we don’t usually visit, with a couple of cool bands in tow! It’s going to be good, we just love playing anywhere to be honest. As long as I’m not at home and I’m on the road playing I’m a happy man!" Currently on their website they have a new version of their song ‘The Blue The Green’, one of Mo’s favourites off the new album, which the fans got involved in. It was an
idea that they created with their record label, where fans could send in their own version of the song, and at the end they amalgamated their favourite ones into a new version. "It’s something I certainly would have wanted to be involved in with bands that I like." There aren’t any bagpipes, which Mo was hoping for, but the track still sounds excellent, something that the fans and the band can be proud of. Mo calls himself a Dinosaur Junior obsessive and has an interesting take on how much musical choice and favourite artists influence their own song writing and style. "I don’t think it’s intentional if we are influenced by others, but I’m sure it happens quite naturally. For example, when you’re learning to play an instrument quite young, like I learnt the guitar and the drums when I was quite young, so I’m sure my influences come from the bands that I was listening to at the time. However, from a song writing point of view I don’t think it’s that obvious. Only from the style and the way you play your instrument. It’s undeniable that that probably comes from your influences." Design: Zennen Thomas NERVE | 45
R E V I E W E D The Theory of Everything In Cinemas 1/1/15 By Olivia Cadby
Credit: Harry Hitch
The Theory of Everything is an endearing portrayal of the relationship between physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife, Jane. Eddie Redmayne perfectly captures the sincerity of the role, portraying the potentially upsetting effects of the motor neurone disease that Hawking has had for most of his life. He is joined by Felicity Jones who stars as Jane Hawking, displaying the truthfulness of the struggles in her relationship with Hawking. Despite it taking three years for director James Marsh to convince Jane to agree to the adaptation of her book, ‘Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen’, he has portrayed their relationship in a charming, admirable way. When diagnosed, Stephen was given two years to survive. Marsh’s film is an accomplished portrayal of defiance of those limitations, with Stephen Hawking having achieved breakthroughs in science and cosmology, and living amazingly longer than predicted. For those striving to achieve something that may seem unattainable, this film is an inspiration to simply carry on.
Menace Beach
Into the Woods
After the success of their EP ‘Lowtalker’ in early 2014, Leeds based Menace Beach released their debut album. The 12 tracks vary in style from grunge to garage punk creating a unique collection about moving away from an unhappy life. The band is named after a 90’s Nintendo video game and this love for that era is heard in their music. The opening song ‘Come On Give Up’, contains a sweet melody in the chorus. The band’s indie side really shines in ‘Where I Come From’ but then ‘Tastes Like Medicine’ steers down their pop side of song writing. The final song on the album, ‘Fortune teller’ seems futuristic, with sonic sound being the main contributor. This album is a melody heavy, riff infused sonic experience. Even without liking the style, you can admire the level of enthusiasm and care that went into making Ratworld.
Chicago director Rob Marshall cannot be faulted for his ambition in putting together this epic adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s fairy tale crossover musical. It takes around half a dozen fairy tales, from Red Riding Hood to Jack and the Beanstalk, and mashes their stories together into an over-arching narrative of witches and wolves. Emily Blunt steals the show as the wife of the baker, played by James Corden, with a sincere performance and a hell of a singing voice. Anna Kendrick also shows off her impressive pipes as a charmingly indecisive Cinderella. With so many stories battling for attention, there are times when Into the Woods feels unfocused. There are also enormous pacing problems, with the story building to a false climaxes. However, there’s enough joy in the songs and oddball pleasures from the script that the film still turns out as decent fun.
Ratworld 19/01/15, By Charlie Souter-Philips
NERVE | 46
In Cinemas 9/1/15 By Tom Beasley
ENTS
Bombay Bicycle Club
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Bombay Bicycle Club granted the BIC a lively performance that the fans were eagerly anticipating. A hauntingly quirky set from support act Sivu was first to capture the attention of the crowd, although the arrival of PEACE was quick to change the ambiance and finalise the audience’s warmup. But the most impressive act was the headliners, Bombay Bicycle club. Jack Steadman’s unique fronting vocals captivated ears from the offset, naturally supported from his fellow bandmates. Album tracks ‘Feel’ and ‘Luna’ brought back that ‘festival feeling’, although it was great to hear classics such as ‘Always Like This’. After what has been a busy five years of album production and worldwide touring, Bombay Bicycle Club gave fans something to remember ahead of their break this year.
Early in 2014, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah proved that Biblical epics can be bizarre, offbeat and surprising. Just under a year later, Ridley Scott does everything he can to make the Bible boring again with inert epic Exodus: Gods and Kings. Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton battle over who can be the least interesting as, respectively, Moses and hammy villain Ramesses II. Ben Kingsley and Aaron Paul also pop up in underwritten and entirely unmemorable roles. Aside from the impressively put together plague sequences, there’s nothing much going on here other than a lot of white men mumbling their lines in dimly lit rooms. By the time the inevitably noisy finale comes along, absolutely nothing has been done to establish character or empathy. Epic? More like an epic failure.
BIC 5/12/14 By Erica Adams
J.Cole
2014 Forest Hills Drive 9/12/14, By Aliyah Allen
J. Cole has graced us with his third studio album 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which possesses so many hits; it’s hard not to have a soft spot for any of the tracks. Even if you’re not a massive fan of rap or hip-hop, you might be persuaded to become one as he mixes it up by singing on some of the songs, which gives it a more diverse and relatable feel. Cole has nicely changed his direction to telling us how he has found happiness and how he is getting used to his newfound fame in the music industry. Frankly it is refreshing to listen to, especially compared to the typical issues that a lot of other rap artists choose to address in most of their work. Stand out songs on the album are ‘No Role Modelz’, ‘Apparently’ and ‘Wet Dreamz’. They all have a different tone and each tell a different story - definitely an interesting album to say the least.
In Cinemas 26/12/14 By Tom Beasley
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death In Cinemas 14/11/14 By Tom Beasley
Starring a post-Potter Daniel Radcliffe, The Woman in Black was a surprise horror hit in 2012. With that success in mind, this sequel was almost inevitable. The story, transports the action to the Second World War, in which a group of evacuated children end up at the spooky, secluded Eel Marsh House. Unlike the first film, Angel of Death immediately throws any form of subtlety or nuance out of the window. The “scary” moments don’t come from unexpected appearances or chilling build-up, they come from sudden explosions of deafening noise. The performances are drab, the characters are paper-thin and I could count the number of genuine scares on one hand. Hopefully this will be a lesson that some horror films work best as a stand-alone adventure. NERVE | 47
FASHION
FILES:
Jordan Bunker
BU student Jordan Bunker runs his own male fashion blog, www.jordanbunker.co.uk. as well as working as the Features Editor at Pause Magazine. Nerve caught up with him to chat about the men’s fashion industry
T
he blogging industry is certainly a rather saturated one with over 170 million of them online as we speak, however while female fashion sites spring up everywhere you look, the male style blogs are flourishing like never before, paving the way for a completely new and hassle free way for men to take inspiration. BU Multi-Media Journalism Student Jordan Bunker set up his blog earlier this year as a means of expressing his interest and passion for the subject.
Did you see a niche in the male fashion blogging industry - there’s not so many around? Yeah that’s true, there isn’t many of us around but the ones that are around are all doing rather well! I see my ‘niche’ as being that I’m at University and writing about things people my age will find interesting. The most established male bloggers are in their mid-20s and having only just turning 20, I feel I’ve got a good head-start.
What was the inspiration or motivation behind setting up your blog? I’ve always been interested in men’s fashion, however before I set up my blog initially I didn’t feel I was in a strong enough position to share my style and offer people advice on theirs. Now, having managed my own clothing brand for several years and as the Features Editor of London based publication PAUSE (which you should all go check out www.pausemag.co.uk), I feel I am a lot more knowledgeable of the industry, and have a lot more to offer to readers. I am far more confident running my blog with the knowledge that I actually know what I’m talking about rather than being ‘just another blogger’.
What opportunities have arisen since starting your blog? What have been your highlights and lowlights? It’s amazing how many different people, brands and PR companies contact you once you have a blog, which of course is very flattering. I often take a look at female blogs to gather inspiration and to see how they are doing and there are a couple I have noticed where you can tell the blog is purely there to accept every sample they are offered. My personal highlights would be being able to do some cool collaborations with other menswear brands. I’ve already been lucky enough to work with Burton Menswear, Boohoo and new highstreet retailer OPEN. It’s great being able to show off to my readers what these brands do and offer.
NERVE | 48
FASHION
Words: Scarlett Dixon What reactions have you had from readers? I really appreciate feedback on my blog, whether it’s good or bad. Quite a few people are complimentary on the layout and look and feel of the blog. When I started planning, I wanted to produce a site that first and foremost looked great and then make sure I had strong content to back it up. If your blog maintains great visuals, then nobody will bother to read your content. Can you describe your blog in 5 words? Fashion, lifestyle, food and travel (yes I’m using and as a word!) What advice would you give to other guys who are looking to update their wardrobes but don’t know where to start? Well it depends on what they’ve already got in their wardrobe. However when shopping I’d recommend considering if what you want to buy will go with things you already have and if you will wear it more than once. Keep to your style and don’t try to just pull from latest trends. If you’re a basics guy like myself, try finding something that offers an alternative fit or material or perhaps go for something you always say ‘that looks good on them, but I’d never be able to pull it off’. If you’re not confident in what you’re wearing it shows so always be comfortable and confident in your choices. Since it’s winter, make sure you’ve got a strong statement coat to keep you warm.
How do you balance being a student and blogging? Probably not as well as I should! I have three things to balance: university, my blog and PAUSE. It’s tough when you’ve got things you want to write about, but you also have university deadlines to work to. When I have a free couple of days, I’ll try and write a few posts in advance and draft them so I’ve got a steady stream of stuff going up on the blog. I noticed more towards the end of last term that you should put your degree first, as blogging should be fun more than anything else and if I’m stressing trying to cram everything in, then it makes it difficult to enjoy. What advice would you give to others setting up a blog? Try and find something that nobody else is doing or if there is a similar blog already out there, consider ‘what does this blog not offer that I could’ and with the things they already do ‘can I do it better myself?’ Where do you see your blog in 5 years time? Is it something you might look to do full time? I’m trying not to look too far ahead, but I do hope it is still going and that I will have built up a strong following of readers. At the moment, I see my blog as being something that runs alongside what I do but if the opportunity arose and I was still enjoying it as much as I do now, then yeah that could be quite cool.
NERVE | 49
SPORTING CALENDAR
2015 REVIEW No football World Cup and no Ryder Cup; so why are we getting so excited about 2015? Will Kent takes a look at what to watch out for in sport in the coming year Words Will Kent
RUGBY
WORLD CUP PREVIEW
BOXING
MAYWEATHER AND MANNY FIGHT NERVE | 50
Design Jack Mullen
20 teams from all over the globe will meet to battle for the eighth edition of the Rugby World Cup. Whilst we still await the outcome of the Six Nations, the Webb Ellis Cup is still the main trophy everyone’s desperate for. England are hosts, making this year’s particular event that little bit more special for us Brits. With the home
nation being one of the favourites to win the competition, New Zealand will have the added motivation of retaining their status as champions and according to most bookies they’ll do just that. Whilst no-one wants to wish away the summer, we’re eager for this competition to hit our shores. Come on England!
Yes, I know, this is getting very boring now. This battle of formal negotiations rather than boxing has been ongoing for years. But, if comments from Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach are anything to go by, the fight is set to happen this year – at last. After Pacquiao battered Chris Algieri – knocking him down four times – there’s a limited number of
fighters left for both Mayweather and Manny to fight. Whilst this fight will never be what he could have been as both fighters are arguably past their peak now, they’ve both ‘declined’ at a similar rate so it’s still set to be a mouth-watering contest. Fight fans could be in for a special treat this year.
SPORT
GOLF
MASTERS – MCILROY GRAND SLAM
FORMULA 1
LEWIS HAMILTON RETAINS CHAMPIONSHIP
FOOTBALL
THE YEAR AS A WHOLE
CRICKET
THE ASHES
TENNIS
WIMBLEDON – MURRAY RESURGENCE
After an exhilarating year of golf in 2014, this year is set to be just as tasty. We witnessed Welshman Jamie Donaldson secure the Ryder Cup for Europe last year and whilst we’ll have to wait until 2016 for the next Ryder Cup, 2015 is just as jam packed. Rory McIlroy took home two of the four 2014 majors, leaving the green jacket the only missing achievement from
his career at just 25 years old. Can he go to Augusta in April, secure a Masters win and put his name up with greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan? Securing the career grand slam at such a young age would be astonishing. If he did it, he’d be one of just four players ever to have achieved such a feat.
There hasn’t even been enough time for us to sit down and relax properly after an intense year of racing. Whilst Mercedes wrapped up the constructors’ championship quite early on in 2014, the battle between their two drivers – Hamilton and Rosberg – stuck until the end of last year’s calendar. It was draining from a spectator’s point of view, let alone
a drivers. Alonso’s gone to McClaren, Vettel’s signed for Ferrari and double points for the last race have been scrapped already. Mercedes may not have such an easy ride this time round as teams finally get to grips with the new car requirements set last year, so buckle up as we’re in for an even faster ride with an extra two races also on the calendar.
We can all rely on the footie to give us something to look forward to and this year’s no different. Kick starting the year with the Ballon d’Or and then African Cup of Nations, we’re in for an entertaining 12 months from start to finish. Whilst we’ve got no World Cup to disappoint us with this time, we’ve
still got our precious Premier League and Champions League to keep us on the edge of our seats. For the local perspective, AFC Bournemouth are looking good for promotion after their impressive start to the season - we may even see them in the Premier League come August. Fingers crossed!
It’s back! After a dismal last outing for England - losing all five test matches from the 2013-14 series down under everyone this side of the hemisphere are out for revenge. This particular Ashes series is set to begin on the 8th July in Cardiff and then finish on the 24th August at The Oval. England, with the home advantage this time round,
will attempt to reclaim the Urn without their highest scoring batsman from last series as Kevin Pietersen is set to watch from the sofa, unless he makes a surprise return. Gone are the days of Flintoff and KP, but the Ashes always makes an exciting watch – there’s something special about beating Australia at any sport!
Britian’s brightest tennis player Andy Murray had an inconsistent and fairly poor 2014. Can he leave it in the past and make 2015 a year to remember? We can hope. After entering Wimbledon as the reigning champion, he was eventually knocked out in the quarterfinals by Grigor Dimitrov – the first time since 2008 he had failed to reach the semis. Murray also dropped out
the top 10 for the first time since 2008 and questions arose as to whether or not he could ever reach the heights that he set himself in 2013 with his Wimbledon win. However, he made some promising signs of a return to form towards the back end of the year putting the foundations in place for a positive 2015.
NERVE | 51
AFC BOURNEMOUTH NERVE
AFC BOURNEMOUTH:
SEASON REVIEW
As we approach the mid-way stage in the season, Nerve takes a look at how AFC Bournemouth have faired so far and what might be yet to come
C
alling AFC Bournemouth this season’s surprise package would be one of the understatements of the year. Eddie Howe’s side were tipped to struggle following a summer transfer window when they lost arguably their star player, Lewis Grabban, among other players. However, with the rest of 2015 ahead the club are in a fine position, sitting pretty in the playoff positions. Don’t tell anyone, but if you listen hard enough, whisperings of the Premiership are starting to be heard around Dean Court. The Premiership is of course a long way off for the Cherries. Not even the most loyal fan would suggest with confidence that the club will certainly be going toe to toe with the giants of English football next season. One thing that can be said with a lot more confidence than the chances of a promotion though is that if you offered any Bournemouth supporter the chance continue into the new year two points from the top of the table, they’d snap your hand off at the chance. The man a lot of Bournemouth supporters are thanking for the clubs electric start to the season is the man who was brought in to replace Lewis Grabban, 22 year old Callum Wilson. Lots of hype surrounded the Coventry born striker and a few eyebrows were raised when Bournemouth made a successful bid of £3 million for his services over the summer break. Following the transfer, a debate surrounding whether Wilson could make the step up into the second tier of English football. Not only did Wilson prove any doubters wrong, he has done so with aplomb throughout the season. Wilson showed his class on his debut in the 4-0 dismantlement of Huddersfield at the John Smith’s stadium on the opening day and has continued his own red hot form throughout the season so far. A return of 11 goals in 17 appearances would complement any striker, and this record earned Bournemouth’s main threat a call up for the England U21 side. All Cherries fans will be hoping that Wilson keeps this form up and stays injury free for the rest of the campaign and for years to come. Bournemouth are however far from a one man team. The goals may come in droves from the boot of Callum Wilson however the talent exists throughout the squad, especially going forward. As of the start of December, the Cherries are the top scorer in the division after hitting the back of the net 37 times, 2 more times than table toppers Derby County. Brett Pitman has got 6, Marc Pugh 5 and Dan Gosling and Yann Kermorgant each have hit the back NERVE | 52
of the net 4 times. The goals throughout the squad have undoubtedly been one of the reasons behind the form of the Dorset outfit, with the squad genuinely believing they’re all capable of getting on the score sheet. This has generated a freedom and positivity within the attacking play that is on display for the Dean Court faithful, something that’s been welcomed with open arms by all with allegiances to the club. The consistency and continuity that features in the Bournemouth squad is something that cannot be understated. Astonishingly, 11 players have made 15+ appearances across all competitions this season, which shows a massive deal of stability among the starting 11. Stability breeds consistency, and a consistency allows the team to understand the style of play that best suits the players on the field. The more game time the starting 11 gets with each other, it goes without saying that fluency in the style of play and understanding of strengths within the squad all develop and increase. Eddie Howe has developed a side who know how to play with each other, and the lack of rotation for the sake of rotation has been one of the best features of the young manager’s style of management. One of the best compliments you can pay a side is when they carry on from where they left off, which is evident in the Cherries style of play when they go from one game to another. Lots has been made of AFC Bournemouth this season and lots of compliments have been made to all areas of the club. For all Cherries fans and indeed neutrals, it is great to see the side making a real go of it in the race for promotion. A young, exciting and hungry squad sitting where they deserve. Long may it continue. Words Matt Joy Design Jack Mullen
COMMENT
Take from the rich, not the poor The system is broken and those at the bottom of the chain are paying the price - it’s time the rich faced the penalty of gambling our finances
S
o we all know that in 2007 some rich bankers did some shady stuff and as a result the global financial system narrowly avoided collapse, culminating in an economic climate more depressing than Katie Price’s waning career. You may expect that as the richest people caused this tragic banking crisis, the richest people should be the first to feel its ramifications. Unfortunately happy endings are too cliché for the human race, and it is of course the poorest people who have received the harshest punishments in these times of financial hardship. In the wake of the recession, and in the midst of the corresponding austerity measures it’s hardly surprising that levels of homelessness are increasing. This year more than a thousand British children spent the festive season without a home, whilst another report showed that levels of homelessness in Wales had reached worrying highs. In our mighty capital 6,437 people slept rough last year, which was an increase of 8% on the figures from two years before. Meanwhile, as levels of homelessness increase, attitudes towards the homeless appear to have become increasingly hostile within the same timeframe. Over the last year the police have demonstrated an increased readiness to use their powers under the 1824 Vagrancy Act to arrest those that are most vulnerable. In Mer-
seyside prosecutions for homelessness have increased by 400%, compared to figures in the comparatively wealthy South where prosecutions have quadrupled. So while the struggle to meet housing costs increases, the compassion for the homeless appears to be dissipating. Cuts to services and funds set up to help those struggling to cover basic living costs mean that those families and individuals on the precipice of homelessness can no longer access the support needed to prevent the inevitable. So what is our government’s answer to the problem created by the greedy bankers? To decrease services for the poorest, increase arrests for the homeless, and thereby create a hopeless circle of poverty that is impossible to escape from. Well may I be the first to say, bravo. I mean what kind of society do we live in when people are being punished for being poor? I know homeless people can be intimidating, and yes some of them are drug addicts (if I had to sleep on the streets I think I might need something to take the edge off), and sure drug addiction and hunger can lead to criminal activity, but at what point does arresting someone in these circumstances produce a positive result? Nobody chooses to be homeless, and against a backdrop of economic hardship the choice has been taken from those pockets of society who are struggling the most.
Words: Casey Farr Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate
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what kind of society do we live in where people are being punished for being poor?
”
Something
to say?
Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk NERVE | 53
SIX NATIONS PREVIEW Now that the autumn internationals are complete, rugby’s focus is now firmly on the upcoming six nations tournament in February. This tournament will be seen as the opportunity to put down a marker with the World Cup taking place the following September.
T
he autumn fixtures provided us with an inkling to how the teams will fare in the tournament. Ireland, last year’s winners, went unbeaten in all three of their autumn internationals, with notable victories against South Africa and Australia. Warren Gatland’s Wales also looked strong as they finished their campaign with a memorable 12-6 victory over South Africa, but there is still much room for improvement as they scraped to a narrow win over Fiji and lost out to both New Zealand and Australia.
ENGLAND PREDICTION: 2nd
Joe Schmidt’s side are right up there as favourites for this year’s crown, especially after recently moving up to third in the world rankings. Their wins this autumn over South Africa and Australia showed just how far Schmidt has brought Ireland since taking over. In Conor Murray they have arguably the best scrum half out of all the Northern Hemisphere sides NERVE | 54
England began their run of fixtures with real optimism and a belief that if they really want to challenge for the World Cup then they needed to beat the Southern Hemisphere teams in the autumn. Stuart Lancaster fielded a rather weakened squad due to injuries and saw them narrowly beaten by New Zealand and South Africa but they then won two games against Samoa and Australia to provide a timely morale boost ahead of the six nations tournament. France had a mixture of results during their fixtures, with wins
coming against Fiji and Australia but then losing to Argentina, so they will be hoping to add more consistency during the six nations. Scotland had a successful autumn campaign with victories over Tonga and Argentina and a narrow 24-16 loss to New Zealand so confidence will be high amongst the camp. Italy finished the last tournament in bottom place and their performances in the autumn internationals didn’t show much of that changing with two losses out of their three matches.
After fielding a weakened side for most of the autumn fixtures, Stuart Lancaster will be hoping his bigguns will be fit for their six nation’s opener versus Wales in Cardiff. Dan Cole, Manu Tuliagi, Tom Croft, Geoff Parling, Tom Youngs, Luther Burrell, Alex Corbisiero and Joe Launchbury are all hoping to be fit for England come February and if they are then Lancaster’s team have a real chance
of winning the tournament. This is not forgetting the impact Sam Burgess could have after the rugby league star made the switch to Union not long ago with Bath. Two out of their first three games are away to both Wales and Ireland and if they can get through these tricky ties then they will surely fancy their chances of a grand slam with home matches against Italy, Scotland and France.
whilst the man stood next to him, Jonny Sexton, is already one of the best fly halves throughout the entire game. It’s these two players who will be key if Ireland is to retain their Six Nations Crown this time round. They face England at home and Wales away in Cardiff, and it could be the latter that will be pivotal for Schmidt’s side if they want a grand slam.
IRELAND PREDICTION: 1st
SPORT
Words Charlie Slawson
WALES PREDICTION: 3rd
Vern Cotter has got Scotland playing with real ambition, but he knows that even though they had a successful autumn round of fixtures, it is at the Six Nations where they must step up another level. They are undoubtedly heading in the right direction under Cotter, but they face a daunting start to the tournament with an away fixture against France and then they
FRANCE PREDICTION: 4th The Italians have finished last place ten times now, and it looks like they will be receiving the wooden spoon again this year. Whilst we have seen the Italian side improve in recent tournaments and cause some upsets, they are still way off the pace of the other nations. The only nation they
Don’t underestimate how vital the 12-6 victory over South Africa could be for Warren Gatland’s side’s chances of winning the Six Nations – it was a huge morale boost beating the springboks after a disappointing start to their autumn fixtures. Wales will fancy their chances of reclaiming their six nations crown from Ireland, and the fact that they face Wales as well. It is all about momentum in this tournament, and if they can pull off one of the most unlikely of victories to beat France in Paris then their confidence will be sky high going into the Wales game. But let’s not forget that the Scot’s have not managed to win in Paris for 15 years – so Scottish fans must keep their expectations realistic. The momentum France had built up with wins over Fiji and Australia was brought to an end after a hugely disappointing defeat to Argentina. This will not however take away from the fact that France is still a huge threat in the Six Nations tournament. Phillipe Saint-Andre has a menacing used to come close to, Scotland, have improved greatly recently, so they may see an even bigger gap appear this year. The main thing for Italy is that they face Ireland, France and Wales on home soil, so they will really need the Rome crowd behind them if they are to shock any of these sides.
Design Jack Mullen
face both England and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium makes it even more possible. Everyone saw England blow their chances of a grand slam in Cardiff two years ago, and if Wales can recreate that atmosphere and type of performance this time round against both England and Ireland then you wouldn’t want to bet against them going all the way.
SCOTLAND PREDICTION: 5th
side at his disposal this year, but they face very tough tests when they have to travel to Ireland and England. It’s always well known that you never know what you are going to get with France, but perhaps they can use that to their advantage this time and cause an upset.
ITALY PREDICTION: 6th
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RefME
What’s the number one bane of student life? Referencing. Hours of our lives are spent meticulously compiling bibliographies and as handy as Neil’s tool box is for online links, RefMe is here to help with our offline needs. Scan the barcode of your textbooks and RefMe will automatically generate your Harvard reference in seconds. Cite books as and when you please, with no hassle or cost…and spend the time you save wisely.
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Alarmy
It’s 8am and after a heavy night you need to get up for your morning lectures, but are you guilty of repeatedly pressing the snooze button until you can’t get anywhere on time? Well not any
As we head into the new term, we want anything that’ll make our time at university easier and more fun. These apps do just that.
APPS EVERY STUDENT MUST HAVE more. Alarmy voted the ‘Worlds Most Annoying App’ by Huffington Post, is both smart and stubborn. You choose how to turn the alarm off whether its by shaking your phone 50 times, or by registering a room; whereby you have to get out of bed and take a picture of a room in your house. Either way the app is tailored to you and the constant alarm is suitably effective until you are up and ready!
3 TED
The TED app brings ‘riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world’. Browse the app’s contents of talks from some of the world’s elite: including business people, education revolutionaries, musicians and medical mavericks. Search through the library by popularity,
FEATURES
Words: Olivia Osmond Illustration: Laurence Thomas
tags, and language or just work your way through an inspirational playlist. If you’re after some mid week motivation this is the app for you!
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GeniusScan+
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Snapchat
GeniusScan is your new pocket scanner, download the app and you have a high quality scanner at your fingertips. Take a picture of any document and the app will correct the perspective, crop the image and enhance the legibility of text leaving you with high quality documents. This free app will save you forking out for a scanner, whist giving you the features you need. With rave reviews you wont be left disappointed: “Camera apps aren’t designed for close up text scanning, but GeniusScan is”- The Guardian. It’s not exactly the latest up to date pick, but there’s no doubting that Snapchat is the ultimate fun time student app. You know how it works by now, send pictures and make stories about your Uni adventures and share with your friends, before they are automatically deleted. With newer features including chat options, keep an eye out for the latest updates. Be warned screenshotting is strictly frowned upon; even so you might want to be careful about the content you send, ahem.
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