SY On The Sly – Swooning June

SY On The Sly – Swooning June Finally - FINALLY! - after all those windy evenings, those cold snowy mornings, and those ludicrously short days that see the sun set before it feels it’s even come up, finally summer as come and it’s made it all feel worth while. Summer is here bringing with it the curious mix of sun, humidity and burnt sausages. Get out there and embrace it all - parks, beaches, pools, sun-roofs, gardens, cafés, rooftops - embrace it all before it’s all taken away from us far too soon again. Need ideas of where to go for summer fun in Bristol? Look no further than SY On The Sly! June sees the sixteenth issue of SY On The Sly, the sister publication of Suit Yourself Magazine – Bristol’s number one independent, quarterly magazine which investigates, uncovers and promotes everything that makes Bristol such a fun, vibrant and altogether amazing place to live!

Read away and don’t forget to check out the latest issue of Suit Yourself Magazine, our listings service and our constantly updated blog, all found at: www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk www.bristollistings.co.uk

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3/ Swooning June 7/ SY Meets‌Shit The Bed 13/ Auntie Harper 44/ Horoscopes by Mystic Ginger A Sly look back at May 16/ The best of Gigs 22/ The best of Art 25/ The best of Stage 35/ The best of Cinema A Sly look forward at June 38/ Recommended Gigs 39/ Recommended Art 40/ Recommended Clubs 41/ Recommended Stage 43/ Recommended Cinema For those of you pretending to work, you can also read the magazine online at www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk www.bristollistings.co.uk

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SY Meets...The Blast (Shit The Bed) As The Blast prepares to celebrate its fourth birthday with their biggest Shit The Bed club night yet, we catch up with The Bandit to see how things are shaping up for the party and to see how he feels about putting crude phrases on chests around the world.

1) Shit The Bed 14 is coming up next month and it’s The Blast’s fourth birthday. Can you tell us a little bit about what’s in store?

Pure epicness! It’s going to be our biggest STB yet. The extra warehouse has given us a lot of freedom to bring in some new acts, Mad Professor Live is going to be insane and we always love a Kenny Ken Jungle set. Also looking forward to see a lot of our regular party people; Redlight has been killing it over the last 3 months!

2) In the past few years, The Blast seems to have become Bristol’s premier party night. What’s setting you apart from the competition?

Maybe that we always try and bring a sense of humour and not take ourselves too seriously. To be honest, we just want to put on proper good ‘raves’ and try not be constrained by genre snobs and people saying things like ‘you can’t book Instramental on the same line-up as Reso…’. We know that people love a bit of diversity.

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3) Last year you made the move from Lakota to Motion for the Shit The Bed nights. How are you settling into your new home and how do the two venues compare?

Both venues are amazing, we just had itchy feet. To be fair we move around a lot anyway as each venue brings a different element to the night. The Blast has been at Level (R.I.P), Timbuk2, Dojo, Native and now Thekla, and we are not even 5 years old yet!!

4) High Contrast is the big name at the next Shit The Bed, although in the last few years, Dubstep seems to have taken Drum and Bass’s crown as the premier bass heavy genre in dance music. Do you think DnB has had its day or does the genre still have a lot more to give?

Drum and Bass is a real passion of ours. From being kids raving at nights like Warning in Cambridge and Movment at Mass back in the day right up until now. A lot of people are saying DnB is falling off but I have never known so much sick DnB on the radio before (Danny Byrd/Subfocus/Blame etc.). DnB is all good and dubstep is killing it as well, it’s a great time for people to be into music and have a party!!

5) I recently spotted a Shit The Bed T-shirt whilst on a trip to Cambodia! How do you feel about spreading the message worldwide?

Spreading the message of Shit the bed? Haha! Um, it’s not a message really, it’s more a state of mind! It’s a weird one because Shit The Bed is whatever you want it to be really. Just getting messy and having fun with your mates.

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6) You’ve had a lot of big names on at both the smaller Blast nights and at Shit The Bed over the years. Is there anyone in particular you look forward to welcoming back?

There’s loads but Diplo is someone in particular that we always enjoy bringing back. The man is a genius and he kills it every time both with his tunes and live he’s just on another level!

7) After Shit The Bed 14, what have The Blast got planned for the rest of the summer?

Over the summer we have some epic parties at Thekla, (no scaling down for us, summer parties are the best!). We’ve got acts like Andy C, Sigma, Jack Beats, Shy Fx, Breakage and of course Arsequake. We will also be repping The Blast at a few of the UK’s finest festivals too so that should be nice and messy!

8) Out of everything that’s happened in The Blast’s four year history, are there any favourite memories?

Rusko at NYE was pretty special (check out the videos on youtube!), Chase and Status was some insane sing along shizzle at Lakota last year. And my personal favourite moment (Bandit) was probably getting to play b2b with Die on the last set of the night at STB13 (he was one of my fav djs as a youth)!!! www.myspace.com/theblast_bristol Sean Griffiths

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Help save our sausages and keep Bristol’s No.1 independent magazine! Just go to www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk and follow the links.

Auntie Harper

SY's Agony Aunt answers your questions?

1. Where's the best place to watch the World Cup footy games in Bristol? pint Head down your local with the chavs, stare longingly into an empty with glass, have a fight during half-time. After the match eat a kebabwon't bloody hands and go home with a stiffy only to find that the Mrs shag because your breath stinks. Easy! to 2. Harper, can you help me settle a dispute? Is it OK for girl's often have boy's names like Jo, Sam, Robyn and Peta? Girls and boys have share similar names. A name like that can come in handy when you small genitals like yours. Tuck it up for Samantha or leave it hanging for Samuel. I know you've always fancied a career as a lady boy, so now is your chance.

3. What is the best way not to get caught having sex in the park?

Be discreet, quick and try to make as little noise as possible. However, I know your girlfriend will find that difficult. With a bark like hers you are guaranteed to be caught by the park warden.

To put your queries to Auntie Harper's sympathetic ear just email: info@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 13

Check out Suit Yourself Magazine, the sister publication of SY On The Sly. Suit Yourself Magazine is a free, quarterly printed magazine that has been going strong for over four years and can be found in every shop, cafe, pub, club, restaurant, hairdresser, gallery and venue all over Bristol!

Suit Yourself Magazine is an independent publication, a voice for all those young at heart, those interested in music, fashion, adventure, the arts, their environment and everything in between. A magazine which investigates, uncovers and promoters everything that makes Bristol such a fun, vibrant, and altogether amazing place to live.

Pick it up on the streets of Bristol or read back issues at: www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

A SLY look back at MAY Reviews of all the best gigs, art, clubs, stage and cinema over the last month in Bristol 15

Bonobo

Saturday 22nd May 2010 @ Academy, Bristol Bonobo, the musical mammals playing tonight at Bristol’s Academy – DJ Simon Green and his band – have quickly been elevated to the status of a somewhat dominant species in the fused genres of trip-hop, chill and electro. Their latest album, Black Sands, may be responsible for this.

At the Academy the crowd is swelling. People pour inside and the venue is absolutely brimming with an effervescing Bonobo crowd. “Bo-no-bo! Bo-no-bo! Bo-no-bo!” they beckon as the 12-piece band fill the stage. Even the bickering couple behind me are swept by the music into a convivial bounce as Kiara kicks off the evening; “I’m not discussing it now…I wanna listen to the Bonobo!”

Of course, the electronic elements are great but it is the band, headed by a triumvir of brass and woodwind players, that somehow exceed the incredible standard of the Black Sands album. The intense acoustic nuances are recaptured flawlessly and there is an eruption of applause as vocalist Andreya Triana takes to the stage for the epic track Stay The Same. Yet, an air of undecided caution looms – do we dare sing along and risk tainting Triana’s organic and formidable voice?

Everyone’s bouncing when, through the cool blue light, a prehistoric mist descends from a smoke machine and the electronic supreme Kong emerges, commanding and powerful. But let’s not forget the underlying tones of the chill genre here…and this is great chill music! But in the aftermath of the gig as my pulse is retreating to a comfortable level, their melodies are in my head and there are triumphant smiles of moneywell-spent worn faces all around. The explanation is clear: Bonobo really are intelligent mammals to whom we can relate! www.bonobomusic.com Olly Newman Olly Newman Photos

by Della Emsworth Photos by Della Emsworth

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LCD Soundsystem Sunday 2nd May 2010 @ Academy, Bristol With Support From: Yacht The first bank holiday weekend in May and lets face it, whoever doesn’t have work on Monday is going out on Sunday night! This explains why the Academy is packed to the rafters for LCD Soundsystem. Rumours have been rife that this may be the final album and tour for LCD so this could be a pretty interesting gig.

The atmosphere was strangely tense with some people already incredibly drunk and raucous from the get go. The tour support was provided by Yacht, an American dance music collective that apparently constantly changes whilst the main song writer (along with some crazy dance moves) remains the same. They seem to whip parts of the crowd into a frenzy with some very 80’s sounding electro pop that would make Yazoo proud.

When LCD Soundsystem take to the stage, there is quite an extreme amount of pushing and shoving for a gig of this kind. I don’t know if it’s due to the booze or the band holiday but the rowdyness seemed to add tonnes more energy to the bass and beats being lashed around. This tour is pre-empting the release of the new album, This Is Happening, and the song Drunk Girls from it seemed to whip everyone into a bit of a frenzy, ironically. This was all just a taster of what was to come. I knew the mosh-pit would gather even more pace once Daft Punk Is Playing At My House was uttered and I was right. The cheers from the front of the room were almost deafening! The set was laced with loops and samples from other artists like Jay-Z and M.I.A. and occasionally it seemed to turn into a bit of a 2 Many DJs show which is never a bad thing in my eyes but sometimes detracts from the new material you’re trying to promote.

LCD Soundsystem have always had a cult following in the realm of dance trailblazers and with such a great response to this gig and the new album, it seems insane to me that this could be the last we see of LCD (in this guise at least). Let’s hope its not. www.lcdsoundsystem.com Stu Freeman

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Jamie Cullum

Saturday 22nd May 2010 @ Colston Hall, Bristol Tonight’s sold out show plays host to one of the UK’s biggest selling jazz artist of all time: Jamie Cullum has returned for his first UK tour since 2006 and it’s clear he is glad to be back. He bounces onto stage waving enthusiastically and looking suave in his smart attire before opening proceedings with I’m All Over It from his latest album, The Pursuit. This really gets the audience warmed up but with today being the hottest day of the year, heat isn’t the issue and Jamie is going to have work hard to keep this audience’s attention. This isn’t a problem at all though as the night really kicks into swing with a full band production of Just One Of Those Things, with phenomenal solos from Rory Simmons on trumpet and Tom Richards on saxophone leaving the audience in awe.

Jamie then as steps away from his piano to welcome his audience and reminds them of his boy-next-door charm. Within minutes everyone is laughing along to his explanations of the first three songs - break ups, loving being single and

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one night stands.

This now thirty-something musician springs around the stage like an energetic teen. His music is infused with energy too and his audience are toe-tapping and head-bopping along, occasionally roaring with applause for his piano solos. His looping of various vocal variations and beat-boxing all at once - his proof that men can multitask – goes down really well too. People also get really jigging in their seats as he plays a cover his did in the Radio 1 Live Lounge in 2004, Pharrell Williams’ Frontin’, tapping on the entirety of the piano for the drum beat.

Cullum then surprises everyone as he jumps down off stage into the audience bringing his band with him for a rendition of Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River. Jamie gets everyone out of their seats and the audience tightly surround him as he raises himself up and performs a unplugged vocal rendition. Breaking the curfew by nearly half an hour, he explains he just can’t help but play on when he’s back home in Bristol.

With his larger-than-life character, it’s no wonder the audience were worshiping him (having completely forgotten about the nearly unbearable heat). Without doubt Cullum is one hell of a talented musician and truly adorable. A live act not to be missed! www.jamiecullum.com Laura Palmer Photos by Laura Palmer

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La Roux

Monday 10th May 2010 @ Academy, Bristol With Support From: Ou Est Le Swimming Pool Last night I saw what has come to be known as La Roux’s Gold Tour as it hit the Bristol Academy. The tour was postponed by six months due to illness so if it wasn’t sold out before, it would certainly be now following the success of their first album.

Tour support was kept the same as the previous ill fated tour and this was in the shape of the electro three piece known as Ou Est Le Swimming Pool (err…good name guys!). I had previously seen this band when Suit Yourself Magazine sent me to cover Beach Break Live festival last summer and almost a year later, we were still looking at a similar set but with no physical release of an album until this July. The band has some very catchy hooks to accompany the sleek electro synths but sadly, a lot of the songs were a little too similar for my liking but the two singers were both very enthused and got the crowd dancing by the end of the set.

With the stage decked out like an art deco cabaret and lighting up as if something was about to occur, it was now clearly time for a bit of La Roux and suddenly a very large audience seemed to descend on the pit in the Academy for a dance. The band sauntered onto the stage all with a monochromatic theme to their outfits. La Roux emerged from behind the set piece in what can only be described as a James Brownstyle cloak. Her vocals were strong and primarily falsetto but teetering very near to being out of tune quite often.

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Three songs in and we are treated to the anthemic In For The Kill which instantly got the crowd into a frenzy; however, this is when I realised how little stage presence La Roux actually has. She spent most of her time on stage singing to stage left or right and barely looking at the audience. This was a little disappointing as I was expecting fashion and pops favourite new electro pixie to be like a force of nature live, when in fact it felt a bit like it was still a sound check and we had all sneaked in unbeknownst to her.

The set was broke up by a rather lovely number called Saviour played on the acoustic guitar which I think should have been part of the encore. The highlight of the set was in fact the encore which was always going to be Bulletproof and it was finally the song that made La Roux come to life and begin to interact with the crowd (bit late love!).

Although I enjoyed this gig as the quality of the music was high, the entertainment factor was pretty low. Let’s hope a summer of festivals toughens up the lady for the next album tour so that she lives up to the hype. And just for the record, her quiff didn’t move all night, not an inch - that was impressive! www.laroux.co.uk Stu Freeman Photos by Laura Palmer

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Otto Zitko and Louise Bourgeois: Me, Myself And I Saturday 24th April until Sunday 4th July 2010 @ Arnolfini, Bristol Anyone can write a good exhibition guide. Where art is concerned it means a lengthy explanation of the meaning, significance and intention of what gallery visitors actually see. The Arnolfini provides a page and a half of such information about Otto Zitko and Louise Bourgeois’ Me, Myself And I show. Sadly, the first floor gallery of Zitko’s work is so disappointing in comparison to the verbal fireworks of its description.

This exhibition is part of the Lingua Franca project, Arnolfini’s attempt to link its often sparse exhibits to verbal meaning and ‘explore intermediary language’. Intermediary language? What on earth does that even mean?

If it means creating the space of non-understanding between expressible meaning and the obscure art that originated it, then they have succeeded.

This kind of art is unresolved; shapes of paint and giant words daubed on walls seem to have little in common with the vague complexities of the exhibition guides.

Zitko, we are informed, reveals ‘the spaces in between the lines’. This odd statement implies that the point of art is to look at nothing. A visitor to the gallery might, on the basis of this reasoning, feel that there was little point coming to visit. They would have a good argument.

Modernism seeks to challenge the boundary between expression and meaning, to reflect the real world with originality in its characteristically unromantic approach to reality. Zitko’s exhibition, however, just feels lazy.

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He displays little imagination in giant blue scribbles of paint on giant white canvasses. The ‘work’ Dear Nora is the peak of this blandness – the two words are the only adornments on one wall of Gallery 1. Why? Good question. The exhibition guide informs us that we are viewing the ‘desire to cover every surface’, so the true mystery remains why Zitko has done just the opposite and left most of the room blank.

In fact, there is little more to say about this. The art is spoilt by its bareness, apparently caused by its desire to remain intensely abstract. The relationship between these splashes of paint and what they mean is so difficult to perceive that the many sentences guiding us around their intended meaning is bewildering rather than helpful. Once again, the Arnolfini proves only that it remains too obscure for most people’s enjoyment. For once it would be refreshing to see something on display that was as complicated as the verbal excess of its description. www.arnolfini.org.uk Katy Austin

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Mayfest 2010 Friday 7th until Saturday 22nd May 2010 @ Various Venues, Bristol So that was this year’s Mayfest, Bristol’s festival of contemporary theatre, back with its biggest and unquestionably best programme yet. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more. Those two weeks went by so fast it all seems like a mad, blurry dream and I wouldn’t believe some of the crazy stuff that happened if it wasn’t for the stacks of theatre stubs that currently litter my desk. Having taken a couple of days off to calm myself right back down to a healthier pace of life however, I now feel ready to share some of the incredibly insane and insanely incredible experiences I’ve have courtesy of this brilliant festival. A lot of these might sound fictional or exaggerated but I can guarantee everything mentioned here took place – mate, you should have been there! …I pierced a girl’s ear (twice), thumb-wrestled, completely destroyed a washing machine with a hammer and saw, watched the world’s first solo synchronised swimming routine and then practiced a bit of my own on the top deck of a cruise liner, followed a commuter across town as he danced in underpasses, hosted a gameshow inside a caravan, gambled on a fist-fight in a ship’s hull, received a very personal letter from a character I had met days before (yes, the character not the actor), controlled the mouse pointer on a giant onstage cardboard computer screen, played at treasure hunts in a supermarket, kissed a yummy actress as part of a show, watched cranes build a four-storey hotel to be used as a performance space on the harbourside, and held a man’s floppy cock onstage. It was a crazy fortnight.

As you can see, Mayfest is not your average theatre festival experience. For everyone who got involved, I’ll meet you on a Kings Street picnic bench to share notes and ales; for everyone who wasn’t, what are you doing with your lives? Contemporary theatre this good is not something to be passed up. It is above and beyond any other medium of performance simply because it can make you laugh harder, touch you more deeply and engage you so much more completely than films, music, sport or television ever could.

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The only real downside to this year’s festival was the fact there was almost too much stuff on. I managed to squeeze in 17 shows in those two weeks and me and many other patrons were moaning about “theatre burnout”, but there were in fact around 39 shows and I missed out on some stuff I would have jumped at if they were on at any other time of the year. The Mayfest programme declared that dates and times were organised this year so it was possible to see every show if you so desired but I would love to meet the uberathletic, wealthy, determined and insanely committed theatre groupie who managed it. It’s just a shame because I really felt everything was worth watching this year. However, it is a festival after all and maybe it’s unrealistic to expect to see everything, but spreading the festival over another week so everything’s not so dense and intense might be something to look at. That and a few more money saving incentives would go down very nicely.

That’s just nitpicking though as Mayfest 2010 was a fantastic festival, a tremendous success that was great fun and managed to create a real buzz around the whole city. The festival truly has become a superb event and is a glowing highlight on Bristol’s culture calendar.

All the individual reviews Suit Yourself Magazine produced during Mayfest can still be found easily on the SY blog but if people are interested a few name-checked standouts from this year, well, here you go:

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Craziest Idea:

Famous Last Words (Greg McLaren) Unexpected Delight:

Where We Live and What We Live For (Kings of England) Had Most Fun At:

Forest Fringe Microfest - Speed Dating Funniest:

The Human Computer (Will Adamsdale) Most Moving:

Everything Must Go (Kristin Fredricksson) Most Interesting:

Electric Hotel (Fuel) Most Memorable:

Internal (Ontroerend Goed) Best Overall Show:

Love & War (The Mark Bruce Company) www.mayfestbristol.co.uk Matt Whittle

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Love And War

Friday 7th and Saturday 8th May 2010 @ Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol Showing as part of Mayfest 2010, Bristol’s festival of contemporary theatre And so Mayfest 2010 begins: a fortnight of local, national and international artists putting on a mouth-watering and scintillating programme of contemporary theatre across Bristol. Over at the Bristol Old Vic there’s the small matter of a launch party – theatre lovers living it up with musicians, DJs and bacon sandwiches – while over at the Tobacco Factory, we’re already into the meat.

First up for Mayfest 2010 is Love And War by the uncompromising dance theatre troupe, The Mark Bruce Company. It’s always a good idea to start a festival with and bang, but there are bangs, and then there are BANGS! Love And War is an intoxicating carnival of emotions that’s bursting with violent passion, rich symbolism and genuine beauty. It’s very dark and very, very good.

Not one word is uttered by our strictly physical performers for the hour-plus show and so interpretation is left open to the individual. For me, Love And War played out the various short and abstract stories of a Coney Island-like circus gang. Tales of uzi-totting bikers, Satan worshiping cheerleaders, nice girls led astray, passion, lust, anger, fear, violence – love and, indeed, war.

Stories were liable to explode into life with vigour and violence but the company were also able to really slow things down to a breathtakingly tender pace whilst still remaining utterly genuine and completely absorbing. A couple of the scenes fell a little flat which meant deriving any meaning from them was difficult but these moments were by far outweighed by the quality of the others.

Love And War is very abstract theatre and is certainly not going to be for everybody but I was blown away by its sheer vigour and punch. First show of Mayfest 2010 and already a “must see”?

Most definitely. www.mayfestbristol.co.uk Matt Whittle Photos by Toby Farrow

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Far Away

Monday 24th May until Wednesday 9th June 2010 @ Bristol Old Vic, Bristol

Bristol Old Vic don’t do things in half measures. Their previous production, Juliet And Her Romeo, featured huge portions of scenery that swung in and out of view as well as getting dramatically elevated high above the stage, and with their current show, Far Away, associate director Simon Godwin obviously doesn’t want to be outdone.

During his production of Caryl Churchill’s chilling and exhilarating Orwellian masterpiece, there are full sets on wheels that slowly loom towards the crowd, there is a huge steel wall that dominates the entire theatre as it falls with an ear-splitting clang and they’ve even got what looks like a fully working lorry onstage, menacingly reversing and offloading prisoners.

Set design on this scale is normally very distracting, the budget being swung around so brutally it drags attention away from the play (often highlighting a lack of faith in the production itself), but the fact is, here with Far Away, the huge props and huge sets really work and are completely justified. The menacing scale of everything effectively gets across each character’s insignificance in the face of everything that is going on around them while also intimidating the audience and making the auditorium feel tantalisingly claustrophobic. This, combined with some superb accompanying sound effects, subtly evocative lighting and impressive acting from the small but standout cast, makes Caryl Churchill’s cryptic epic just as dark, brutal, passionate and terrifying as it needs to be.

What is it all about though? The madness of war perhaps?

Maybe the way in which we turn a blind eye to tragedy? Who knows? The best thing about this play is the way all the production elements combine so slickly and effectively that you are completely absorbed throughout; everything keeps you in the scene which means you can really focus on trying to decipher what this very abstract and dark play is all about. www.bristololdvic.org.uk Matt Whittle

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Paul Merton’s Impro Chums Tuesday 18th May 2010 @ Colston Hall, Bristol

Improvisation comedy is a hit and miss affair. There’s no such thing as a ‘seen one, seen ‘em all’ live impro show because, to state the obvious, each one is created completely off the cuff and therefore unique. On Tuesday 18th May, Paul Merton showed exactly what the point of this is as he delighted, baffled and downright entertained the audience at Bristol’s Colston Hall. He was not alone; fellow comedians Mike McShane, Lee Simpson, Richard Vranch and Suki Webster combined forces to create Merton’s ‘Impro Chums’, a night of entertainment based on audience suggestions.

The audience suggestions on this show’s UK-wide spring tour have, as comedians remind us constantly, been varied and often off the wall. That is, of course, exactly what this shows wants and inspires. The audience are asked to come up with places, types of theatres, words, experiences, all of which become the ‘idea props’ for the night. The show therefore changes every time but the quality of the performers doesn’t. The comedians are all able to draw on years of witticisms, bitterness and probably other people’s jokes to spit them out at a nanosecond’s notice. They turn each others’ words, cultural backgrounds and actions into pieces of drama and create pieces of comedy genius. Not a belly was left un-shaken or laugh swallowed in the throat at the Colston and it’s hard to imagine any audience not being as satisfied with the entertainment on display.

Sceptics of slapstick and improvisation comedy need not worry that cheap gags and sex talk will dominate the topic agenda, there are brains behind the comedy and infinite kinds of fact, country and animal seem to fill the minds of the performers. One wonders how they prepare for this kind of gig but it certainly does the trick.

The night felt shorter than it actually was, not because two hours wasn’t enough time but because the audience didn’t want the show to end. Merton’s pit of wit seemed endless, proving once again that he is a modern great of the UK entertainment industry. Although his appearances on various TV programmes are how most of us know his name, it is just the tip of the iceberg; his talent extends to documentaries as well as live comedy. It’s Merton’s unbelievable skill as a multi-tasking performer that makes him special and he’s very, very special indeed. Go see. www.paulmerton.com Katy Austin

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Iron Man 2

Showing May 2010 @ Showcase Cinema De Lux, Bristol AC/DC’s new album has just hit number one in the UK as the official soundtrack to this comic fantasy sequel; it is more than clear that there is a lot of hype surrounding this film. Yes my friends, Iron Man 2 has landed.

The story revolves around Tony Stark, aka Iron Man (played

by Robert Downey Jr.), as we see his action suit slowly failing to protect his heart, On top of this problem he also has to worry about Whiplash, a new evil enemy who’s seeking revenge after what Stark Industry did to his family. We also experience another threat to Iran Man from Justin Hammer who wants Tony Stark to hand his suit over to the government so that they can use it in the military.

Hammer will do just about anything to get his hands on it and even recruits Whiplash to help. Basically Stark is still very busy.

It is comforting to know that the director of the first Iron Man film is behind the sequel too but not only does Jon Favreau direct it, he stars in it, and that is always a sign of confidence in a project. We‘ve seen many directors fail to produce a worthy sequel but Jon proves that it is possible to create something just as good or even better than its well received predecessor. World famous Robert Downey Jr. too is right on form just as he was in the first film. He portrays the big headed ego of Tony Stark perfectly and Mickey Rourke playing Whiplash is just as good. When he unleashes his powers at the Monaco race track, some of you may find yourself slightly taken back at just how brilliant he is in this role. www.ironmanmovie.marvel.com Andrew Dex

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A SLY look forward at JUNE Prev iews of all th e best gigs , art, clubs, stage and cinema co ming up next mo nth in Br istol

Recommended Gigs For June in Bristol Martha Tilston

Tuesday 8th June 2010 @ Komedia, Bath

Pete Roe

Saturday 12th June 2010 @ Louisiana, Bristol

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Recommended Art for June in Bristol Otto Zitko and Louise Bourgeois: Me Myself and I

Saturday 24th April until Sunday 11th July 2010 @ Arnolfini, Bristol Austrian artist, Otto Zitko’s expansive, abstract drawings, improvised across the walls of cultural institutions around the world, seem to emerge from an unbounded desire to cover every surface; a primal urge to contain the whole of reality within a subjective cocoon of unbroken lines. In response, Louise Bourgeois presents an intensely personal suite of sixty drawings called JE T’AIME, made in 2005, which, by contrast, seem to emphasize the centrality of relationships in what it is to be human. www.arnolfini.org.uk

Bristol Festival of Photography 2010

Thursday 20th May until Wednesday 9th June 2010 @ Photographique, Bristol Over 80 photography exhibitions across Bristol in 3 weeks as well as plenty of exciting activities and events to get involved in, the best being the unmissable Bristol PhotoMarathon on Saturday 29th May – a creative challenge that’s a guaranteed day of fun! www.bfop.org

Upfest 2010: The Urban Paint Festival

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th June 2010 @ View Art Gallery, Tobacco Factory, Bristol Europe’s biggest urban festival is back – two days of live art by over 200 artists and illustrators, some of whom have travelled across continents to be there, sound-tracked by DJs, beat-boxers, hip-hop groups and MCs. The artists will be mixing it up with this year’s MashUP theme, with some very special collaborations due to take place. There will also be badge making, clothing, and art material stalls and a kid’s painting area. www.upfest.co.uk

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Recommended Clubbing for June in Bristol Pressure

Every Thursday @ Thekla, Bristol

Shit The Bed 14

Saturday 5th June 2010 @ Motion, Bristol

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Other Recommended Stage for June in Bristol Far Away

Monday 24th May until Wednesday 9th June 2010 @ Bristol Old Vic, Bristol

Random

Tuesday 8th until Saturday 12th June 2010 @ Bristol Old Vic, Bristol

The Hobbit

Wednesday 16th until Sunday 20th June 2010 @ Hippodrome, Bristol

Bill Bailey

Saturday 19th June 2010 @ Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol

The Wiggles

Saturday 26th June 2010 @ Colston Hall, Bristol

Apples

Monday 28th until Wednesday 30th June 2010 @ Bristol Old Vic, Bristol

Kurt Cobain’s In My Cupboard

Wednesday 9th until Sunday 20th June 2010 @ The Brewery, Bristol

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Recommended Cinema for June in Bristol The Brothers Bloom

Friday 4th until Thursday 17th June 2010 @ Watershed, Bristol Rian Johnson follows up his stand-out debut Brick with this funny fairytale of a film about a pair of sneaky con artists. Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) is the mastermind behind the elaborate schemes he writes, casting his brother Bloom (Adrien Brody) as his main protagonist - but Bloom is tiring of the con game and longs for an “unscripted life”. www.watershed.co.uk

The Bad Lieutenant – Port Of Call: New Orleans

Tuesday 8th until Thursday 10th June 2010 @ The Cube, Bristol Werner Herzog brings us possibly one of the most deliciously loopy films of the year with this darkly comic noir set in the ravages of post-Katrina New Orleans. Nicholas Cage is Terence, a detective trying to bring down a drug lord who slaughtered a family of immigrants while on a personal downward spiral of addiction (cocaine, painkillers, gambling and sex) and madness. www.microplex.cubecinema.com

Greenberg

Friday 11th until 24th June 2010 @ Watershed, Bristol Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is obnoxious, narcissistic and at a crossroads. After time in a New York institution he has returned to Los Angeles to do “nothing at all” apart from house sit for his brother. Florence (Greta Gerwig), on the other hand, is a sweetheart: a young assistant for the Greenbergs, she is drifting through life, lonely and passive. Wildly different but connected by their sadness, the pair embark on a cringingly awkward affair in a comedy of discomforts that is a poignant exploration of loneliness. www.watershed.co.uk

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Gemini: You remember when Bubbles the goldfish died and your mum flushed him down the loo and you watched his golden body swirl down the drain? This month is like that, but your mum is your boss, and Bubbles is all your hopes for a better life.

Cancer: You will take a long trip with a tall dark stranger. A long, long, trip down a dark tunnel. The stranger’s face is hidden by his hood and he carries a candle, the flame glinting off the blade of his scythe. Anyway, have fun! Byeeee!

Leo: Ah, Leo, you old romantic, you have your eye on someone! You have about the same chance of success as England in the World Cup – we all know you will try your best but it’s bloody unlikely.

Virgo: You know how sometimes you wish you could change the past? This month you can! Just be careful not to end up being your own grandparent, or wiping yourself out of existence entirely. And don’t step on any ants.

Libra: With Neptune, planet of evil plans, leaving your chart, it looks like this time they will get the better of you, Libra.

But it doesn’t mean they’ve seen the last of you! Your lucky machine: a kind of birdcage that lowers slowly into a vat of acid.

Scorpio: Don’t worry about it, Scorpio, you don’t need them anyway. You are used to TV in your pants, Frey Bentos pies and the phone that never rings. Stay in though – if you go out they will throw rubbish at you.

Sagittarius: Love is like a cheese this month, Sagittarius. Tempting and melty, but it smells a bit dubious and then there is the incident with the pickles – a good idea, but it ends badly, and is tricky to explain to the doctor.

Capricorn: Your Gran knows best this month Capricorn, she could do Mystic’s job! You really won’t find anyone to settle down with unless you cut your hair, those video games will make your eyes go goggly, and there really isn’t anything nicer than a biscuit.

Aquarius: With Mars, planet of bowel function, ruling your chart, you are going to be ejecting some real little beauties! Fish them out and show people. Make them look – people need to see how splendid these are. You’re an artist, Aquarius.

Pisces: Life is always give and take Pisces, and this month you give and they take. But at least they leave you your grey, stained pants – no one would steal those, though everyone is about to see them. Ooh, you do make Mystic laugh.

Aries: With Pluto, planet of wonky things, ruling your chart this month, nothing is as straight as you usually like it. Your spine and your sexuality especially. And your nose. It’s not supposed to go that way! You will see.

Taurus: Romance is sweaty, with eyes like a fish and too much hair product this month. That’s a fair description of you isn’t it? I can’t describe the other person because it’s just you and your hand again.

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SY On The Sly – JUNE Issue Editor: Matt Whittle / matt@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk CEO: Faye Westrop / faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Design and Illustration: James Penfold & Louisa Christadoulou / penfold@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Front Cover: Ian Bradley All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of Suit Yourself Magazine.

Suit Yourself Magazine and SY On The Sly are independent publications distributed throughout Bristol.

Advertising Enquiries: faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Contributors for Issue: Simon Annand, Katy Austin, Ian Bradley, Andrew Dex, Della Emsworth, Toby Farrow, Anna Freeman, Stu Freeman, Sean Griffiths, James Harper, Olly Newman, Laura Palmer, Matt Whittle