Freshers' Issue (September 2016)

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Freshers’ Issue After a long hot summer of sunbathing and fervent Pokémon hunting, it’s finally that time of year again, when the University comes back to life; welcoming new and returning students to a fresh semester. This is the first print issue of the year, as well as my first issue since taking on the reins as Editor. It’s tremendously exciting, if a little nerve-wracking, to be leading The Edge this year, but I’m really excited to see what we can all achieve in 2016/17.

As always, this first issue is set to be distributed during freshers’ week, among all the bright new students coming to Southampton. To all that are joining us, welcome! You have made a great choice in Southampton and after two years of living and learning here, I can honestly say that the experiences I have enjoyed at the University have been among the best in my life so far.

For those of you only just discovering The Edge, we are the University of Southampton’s leading entertainment magazine. We exist to satisfy all of your entertainment needs; from the latest news and reviews in the worlds of film, television, music and gaming, to exclusive interviews with some of the biggest stars. Inside the pages of our magazine and on our website, we showcase a range of student-penned work, from passionately nerdy features on the likes of Marvel and DC, to controversial opinion pieces on everything from Miley to Kanye. When I first started writing for The Edge, I never would have imagined that I would eventually become the Editor of the entire publication - and there are so many opportunities available for our volunteers (or ‘Edgelings’) too. You can read more about what we can offer on page 3.

In this first issue, our writers have gone superheromad in anticipation of Marvel’s upcoming film, Doctor Strange. As well as focusing in on the film’s main star, Benedict Cumberbatch, on page 21, we also have features on Luke Cage (p. 25) and Suicide Squad (p.19).

In addition to all this super content, we’ve also covered a number of fresh music reviews, including Bastille's latest album, Wild World on page 14.

Last year was one of the best years The Edge has ever had: we won numerous awards, set up a student film festival (which will be returning for a second round in March!) and even got one of our five star reviews emblazoned on the nationwide cover of a DVD. I for one, can’t wait to see what we achieve this year and hope you all enjoy reading and/or writing for The Edge as much as I do! It’s all so exciting!

Anneka Honeyball Editor

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Editor Anneka Honeyball editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Contents editorial

Deputy Editor Ashleigh Millman deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

01 Welcome to the Freshers' Issue 02 Contents 03 Join The Edge

records Editor Xavier Voigt-Hill records@theedgesusu.co.uk

NEWS

Features Editor Rehana Nurmahi features@theedgesusu.co.uk film Editor Hollie Geraghty film@theedgesusu.co.uk C u lt u r e e d i t o r James Barker culture@theedgesusu.co.uk live Editor Carly-May Kavanagh live@theedgesusu.co.uk news Editor Robert Pratley news@theedgesusu.co.uk head of design Liana Dent design@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of relations Navi Alhuwalia relations@theedgesusu.co.uk

04 Newsbox 05 Notes on News: The struggle to avoid spoilers in the digital age 06 Nostalgic News

Features

07 How Marvel Comics are one step ahead of the Marvel Cinematic Universe 09 Closer To The Edge: Our Favourite High School Movies 11 How ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath helped the transition to university 12 When Private Love Lives Influence Music

Records

13 Review: Bastille - Wild World Review: Izzy Bizu - A Moment of Madness 14 Review: Crystal Castles - Amnesty (I) Review: Goldroom - West Of The West 15 Review: Green Day - Bang Bang Review: Craig David and Sigala - Ain't Giving Up Review: Danny L Harle feat. Carly Rae JepsenSuper Natural 17 Where art thou, rock ‘n’ roll?

film

18 Review: Suicide Squad 19 Blu-Ray Review: The Nice Guys Blu-Ray Review: Captain America: Civil War 20 Actor in Focus: Benedict Cumberbatch 21 One to Watch: La La Land 23 Student Friendly Cinemas

culture

24 On Edge: Anticipating Marvel's Luke Cage 25 Review: Cats at The Mayflower Theatre 26 Review: Chasing Stars by Malorie Blackman 27 Tops Tips for Pokemon Hunting 28 Hidden Gem: Bright Lights Big City by Jay McInerney

live

29 Review - Carcer City @ The Joiners 30 Local Venue in Focus: Engine Rooms 31 Throwback Review - Foo Fighters @ Reading 32 Comedian in Focus: Sara Pascoe 33 Listings

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Head of publicity Becca Hellard publicity@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of events Octavia Woodward events@theedgesusu.co.uk online manager Jack Lewin manager@theedgesusu.co.uk

SUICIDE SQUAD

editor in chief Cameron Meldrum vpdci@unionsouthampton.org

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executives Conor Kavanagh (Gaming) Sophie McEvoy (Design)

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bastille

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LUKE CAGE

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THE EDGE COVER IMAGE BY MARTIN MULLER/STOCKLAND MARTEL

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THE NEWSBOX

WHY JOIN The Edge?

Do you have a passion for writing or love the world of entertainment? Fancy nabbing press tickets to a festival or to review your favourite band? Or perhaps you’re interested in interviewing fresh new artists or attending press conferences with some of the world’s greatest actors and filmmakers? Whatever your reasoning, The Edge can offer you all this and more; from CV-worthy experience to once in a lifetime opportunities and the chance to see your words shared in print.

As part of The Edge, you can write about as much or as little as you want and from a whole range of different entertainment topics. We have eight print editions each year, as well as constant online content.

From reviews and features to interviews and comment pieces, there is no end to what you can write for us.

Our six sections, including news, film, culture, records, live and features, ensure that you can delve into whatever interests or vexes you in the entertainment world.

The Edge isn’t just for English students or aspiring journalists either. We welcome students of all backgrounds and degree subjects to come and write for us. Whether you’re a fresher keen to get into a media society or a postgraduate looking for a brief escape from dissertation writing, we’d love to have you on board as one of our ‘Edgelings’. All you need to join us is the desire to write and a passion for any form of entertainment.

The Edge has grown massively in the past five years, winning numerous awards and achieving some truly incredible feats in the endlessly crowded industry that is the media. We have sent our writers to pursue some really amazing opportunities; from press conferences with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Chris Pratt, Tom Hardy and Alicia Vikander to all-access press tickets to festivals like V Festival, Blissfields, Bestival, Isle of Wight and Common People. We have also had the chance to interview stars like Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Bastille, Twentyonepilots, Elizabeth Banks, Years & Years, Bowling for Soup, Anna Kendrick, Louise Brealey, Marvin Humes, Newton Faulkner, Rob Da Bank, Charlie Kaufman, The Proclaimers, Alt-J, Wolf Alice and Fatboy Slim.

Getting involved in The Edge is a great opportunity for you to explore the world of entertainment journalism and gain experience and confidence in your writing.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, we can also guarantee you’ll have a damn good time while you’re at it.

For more information on how to get involved, email editor@theedgesusu.co.uk.

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"Being part of The Edge has been possibly the best thing about uni for me so far. Everyone, from the writers all the way to the editor, is so friendly, kind and supportive, I can guarantee that you'll feel right at home immediately. Your work always feels valued and appreciated and there's a terrific community feel to it and a freedom to what you can write about as well - it's a wonderful place of nurtured creativity and your writing skills will thrive because of it. Honestly if you have any inclination to get involved (however minor it could be) then jump on it and join the team, we'd love to have you!"

- David Mitchell-Baker, Writer. "'Where some societies urge you to run around a cold field or journey to other cities at 3am just to play a 45 minute game, The Edge is great if you are lazy like me.

Seriously - you can do 99% of it in your pyjamas. Your job will be to binge-watch Netflix series, obsess over Spotify playlists, take trips to the cinema and gigs...

What more could you ask for? And it's great to be part of what feels like one big, entertainment obsessed family."

- James Barker, Culture Editor.

TOP TOP FIVE FIVE NEWS NEWS STORIES STORIES 1

Frank Ocean releases his long-awaited album Blonde, following a number of delays.

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Near infinite sci-fi sim No Man’s Sky is released, as Sony’s second biggest launch ever.

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Andy C, Groove Armada and Pendulum set to headline Soundclash Festival.

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The Great British Bake Off returns to the BBC.

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Vin Diesel confirms Guardians of the Galaxy are set to appear in Avengers 3 (Infinity War).

THE THE EDGE’S EDGE’S ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT PICKS PICKS Editor:

I've had opportunities I would never have had if it wasn't for The Edge and there's definitely something special about taking a copy of the magazine home and having your mum parade your work around the dinner table at Christmas."

- Emma Harrison-Beesley, Writer.

The Magnificent Seven, directed by Antoine Fuqua, 23/09/16

Records Editor:

Craig David, Following My Intuition, 30/09/16 (via Insanity Records)

film editor:

Imperium, directed by Daniel Ragussis, 23/09/16

Culture editor:

Luke Cage, Netflix, 30/09/16

"I only wish I'd joined The Edge earlier! I spent my last year at uni going to watch artists I loved perform for free, interviewing people I'm in awe of and feeling like an imposter at a swanky press conference in Soho.

It's pushed me to be more confident in my writing and has left me with articles that I'm really proud of."

- Josie Osborne, Graduate.

THE THE KEATS KEATS OF OF TWEETS TWEETS

@vancityreynolds

This morning, my daughter said "quiche", which means she's smart, hungry and an asshole.

Ryan Reynolds once again scoops the award for best twitter account. Having played the titular role in 2016’s superhero black comedy Deadpool, it appears Reynolds has not finished channelling his inner asshole, tweeting: ‘This morning, my daughter said, “quiche” which means she’s smart, hungry and an asshole.’ Funnily enough, this tweet could probably describe the majority of uni students most of the time.

Got a celeb to nominate for next issue?

Let us know

@theedgesusu

THE THE EDGE EDGE IS IS EAGER EAGER FOR...

FOR...

Sherlock Series 4: Set to be the darkest Sherlock series yet, judging on the recent action packed trailer released by the BBC, Benedict Cumberbatch’s sleuth really will need the help of his faithful friend Watson (Martin Freeman)... but is the real fight trying to stay sane?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Harry Potter spin-off starring Eddie Redmayne promises to look at the quirky side of the hit franchise as Newt Scamander starts cataloguing all the magical creatures in the world - and protecting them from the threat of no-maj (muggles) of course!

Live editor:

Butserfest @ Queen Elizabeth Country Park, 10/09/16

for all the latest entertainment news theedgesusu.co.uk/news theedgesusu.co.uk/news THE EDGE

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notes on news

nostalgic news

spoiler alert! avoiding spoilers in the digital age

Another roundup of things that happened this month in years gone by.

SOPHIE MCEVOY Whether it’s from the latest episode (or season) of Game of Thrones, or a cinematic blockbuster that you’ve yet to see - spoilers have become the common enemy in the 21st century.

From word of mouth to social media sites, spoilers have been around since film and television began.

Whatever you do, whatever plan you conjure up when you set record for the latest Walking Dead episode you’re going to miss, it is impossible to avoid spoilers in this digital age. And that impossibility is something that we need to learn to deal with; without the inevitable outburst of comments on entertainment news posts that even slightly hint at the possibility of a spoiler.

As previously mentioned, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead are two shows that seem to be at the forefront of ‘spoilergate’. Especially in the UK, where fans of both shows have gotten used to the monotonous routine of waiting a day longer than US fans, avidly avoiding social media sites to keep their minds pure from minute-by-minute reactions to said episode, only to do the same the day after. And even from that, I’ve witnessed fans go ballistic over sites such as Entertainment Weekly; especially with the infamous cover that pretty much spoiled a highly anticipated Game of Thrones episode just by its magazine cover (and subsequent image on its website).

I’ve become so desensitized from spoilers over the course of my life. When I was watching The X-Files the first time around, I’d get to a plot point that I didn’t want to see end badly, and I’d look up what was about to happen to prepare myself. It’s different for shows that have been and gone of course, but I’ve seen countless people protest to being exposed to spoilers from The X-Files, even though it had officially been off air since 2001 before the recent revival.

Spoilers are not the end of the world.

That is a fact, whether we like it or not.

They may seem like it; it seems as though it has due to how over-exaggerated they have become as of late.

That’s not to say they don’t matter, but the extremes some people go to avoid them is worrying. To the point where it is almost frightening due to the lengths that not only some people go to to avoid spoilers, but what people are capable of doing to someone who has spoiled something for them. There have sadly been cases where giving someone a spoiler has led to cyber-bullying, or even verbal and physical violence.

At what point does a spoiler for an episode of Game of Thrones become the most important part of your life? Undoubtedly yes, it is a pain. But it shouldn’t lead you to cause pain to someone else as a result.

Of course, it's not the greatest feeling to have a television series, film or book spoiled before you’ve got the chance to experience the twists and turns for yourself.

Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ was released 25 years ago SOPHIE TRENEAR

Nirvana’s iconic, era-defining album Nevermind was released 25 years ago, on 24th September 1991. Also the first of the group’s albums to feature rock veteran Dave Grohl, by January 1992 it had overtaken the King of Pop himself on the charts, nudging Jackson’s Dangerous to the number 2 spot to sit happily at Number One. As well as the grungeinfused ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Nevermind also spawned three other successful singles, ‘Come As You Are’, ‘Lithium’, and ‘In Bloom’.

Nevermind has sold over 24 million copies worldwide and has been certified Diamond by The Recording Industry Association of America. It is celebrated repeatedly as the album that catapulted Nirvana into the mainstream rock stratosphere.

lego star wars ii was released 2 years ago REBECCA JAMES

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy was released ten years ago on 11th September 2006. The game thrust players into the midst of the action of A New Hope,The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, with 50 playable versions of the film’s characters. With dialogue-free cut scenes, this was the first Lego game that introduced the adorable and often wacky humorous takes on the films, which have now become central characteristics of the newer Lego games. With gold bricks, mini kits and power bricks on offer throughout the game, repeated play to collect everything using various characters was a must in a game which is re-playable even today.

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citizen kane was released 75 years ago

DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER

Orson Welles’ magnum opus Citizen Kane was released 75 years ago, on 5th September 1941.The film tells the story of Charles Foster Kane (Welles) who, on his death-bed, mutters a singular word before passing away - “rosebud”.

And thus begins a mass media scramble to determine just what this dying word from the media tycoon means. Citizen Kane is widely regarded to be the greatest film of all time. It placed at number one in the Sight & Sound poll for the best films of all time for five consecutive surveys, and has placed at number one in the AFI’s 100 Years... 100 Movies list in the initial 1998 vote and it’s 2007 update. Citizen Kane is a hugely significant masterpiece of cinema. Many have tried to top it, many have failedand this looks set to continue.

beyonce released ‘b-day’ 10 years ago CARLY - MAY KAVANAGH

Beyoncé released her album B’Day, ten years ago on 31st August 2006. B’Day was released three years after her platinum bestselling debut Dangerously In Love, which featured the hugely popular songs ‘Crazy In Love’ and ‘Me, Myself and I’.

B’Day was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2007, including Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for ‘Ring the Alarm’ and Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for ‘Déjà Vu’ (it won Best Contemporary R&B Album).

In 2008 it received two nominations for Record of the Year for ‘Irreplaceable’ and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for ‘Beautiful Liar’ with Shakira.

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The THEEdge Edge EDGE The IMAGE BY AMC

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how marvel comics are one step ahead of the marvel cinematic universe LAURENCE RUSSELL Recently, it was announced that the brand new Iron Man is called Riri Williams. Tony Stark will soon be shelving his suit and passing on the mantle to a 15 year old black girl. Brian Michael Bendis announced the news in mid-July; describing Riri as a teen prodigy at MIT, who built her own Iron Man suit in her dorm room, reverse engineering Stark technology on a student budget.

Bendis told Time magazine that Williams was inspired by seeing real young women in low income areas, surrounded by “chaos and violence” who worked hard to get into college.

He explained “that was the most modern version of a superhero story I had ever heard.”

Characters like Riri are a product of Marvel’s new “All-New, All-Different” run of comtics, with a special emphasis on diverse characters and issues.

Characters like Jane Foster as “The Mighty Thor”, Sam Wilson as the next Captain America and Kate Bishop as the next Hawkeye are joined by entirely new popular characters like Pakistani-American teen Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel and LatinAmerican Sam Alexander as Nova.

Several of these characters come together to form a new Avengers team, in their own run of comics that has been running since 2015, which Riri is likely to join as Tony steps down.

The most interesting thing about all this is that these characters are popular. Marvel is gaining an edge over DC in both pushing the envelope and selling issues as a result of these vibrant and distinctive characters, try as DC might to keep up.

Of course, news like this inevitably awakens predictable and agonising responses from darker corners of the internet; criticising the very notion of varying characters that were created to cater to demographics in the 50s and 60s. But more interesting is this; what does this mean for the popular Marvel movies? Will the Avengers cast be picked off to be replaced with women and people of colour anytime soon?

Whilst there has been some hope for Marvel’s cinematic side with the news that 90% of the 2018 Black Panther movie will be either African or African American, alongside the hotly anticipated Luke Cage series, the comics are clearly far more interested in introducing diversity. Outside of printed material, the Marvel Cinematic Universe tends to take far less risks. Finn Jones is set to play a white Iron Fist in a new Netflix series, a billionaire Buddhist monk and living example of the concept of appropriation. Similarly, in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie, the hero’s mentor, the Ancient One, a wise elder from the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Karar-Taj will be played

by Tilda Swinton for no good reason whatsoever.

The passion with which Marvel has been pushing diverse new characters has shown no sign of stopping as these stories are coming to resemble the cutting edge of creative content in comic books across the industry at large, and whilst the movies don’t always seem to agree, the comics and their success are making a very persuasive case for themselves.

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FEATURES

FEATURES

Closer to The Edge

our favourite TEEN MOVIES

As we welcome a horde of new students to the University of Southampton, we felt like it was a fitting time to reflect on the films about that pivotal time in our life: the teen-age. The ‘High School Movie’ is a quintessential part of our culture, and does in fact shape the way in which we view every stage of the education system.

Basically, as you start uni, this film genre is essential. In this edition of our ‘Closer To The Edge’ feature, our writers run you through their favourite teen movies.

Clueless (1995)

SOPHIE TRENEAR

There are few films we can really label with the whole ‘timeless’ sticker. Silence of the Lambs, yes; Ghostbusters, definitely; Citizen Kane, without a doubt.

But Clueless… well if I could marry a film, it’d probably be Clueless. And not just because of a super young, super fresh faced, super adorable Paul Rudd. Clueless is timeless because it’s just so relevant all of the time.

Cher’s life may be expensive but it’s not exclusive. And it perfectly captures what it’s like to be young, single and free without sugar coating it. Oh and the soundtrack - it has a banging soundtrack. It’s every girl’s high school experience in, more or less, a nutshell – minus the poking into teachers’ love lives and dating your step-brother. I think that might just be an American thing....

Dead Poets Society (1989) ANNEKA HONEYBALL

As a Film and English student, the plot and sentiments of Dead Poets Society touched my soul in the deepest and most intimate of ways. The film, which follows a group of repressed schoolboys as they are taught the beauty and meaning of poetry by an unorthodox teacher, is both tragic and inspiring all at once. In one of his most subtly poignant roles, the late Robin Williams preaches the wonders of poetry and the reaffirming verve that only language can give. One of the key aphorisms that the film centres on is ‘Carpe Diem.’ This sentiment, which inspires the central characters to take confidence and pursue their passions and lifelong dreams, is one that we should all aspire to live by. University is supposed to be the place where you truly grow into yourself and realise what it is you want to do and be. So in the words of John Keating (“O Captain, my Captain”); “Carpe Diem. Seize the day boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”

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The Breakfast Club (1985) REHANA NURMAHI

Frankly, to put together a list of the best films of this genre and not include this classic would be criminal. The Breakfast Club, though simple in its narrative, has become a classic for good reason. I am yet to find a film that understands teenagers so holistically and completely as this film does. Following five misfits as they spend their Saturday in detention, the film is largely character driven, but I’d challenge you to find yourself unable to relate to at least one of the characters throughout the course of the film. With many of its iconic scenes being improvised, it’s clear that the young actors brought a lot of themselves to the part, and with that a sense of realness and authenticity. Everybody should watch this film; it understands teenage life better than you probably do.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012) DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER

The thing about school/uni is that they can be some of the best times of your life, but also some of the worst. In that respect, no film better encapsulates this period in life than The Perks of Being a Wallflower. When the film is at its highs, you’ll have a ton of fun with it and it’s ridiculously feelgood. However, when it hits its lows, you’ll feel all the sadness and despair that comes with it. But above all, the characters all feel so real. They all have experiences and emotional reactions that you know you would have yourself. Logan Lerman’s character of Charlie is the biggest example of this; I always find myself identifying with his character so much. He’s introverted and shy, but feels exhilarated and alive when with his friends - their acceptance means the world to him. But he isn’t always on top of the world, he falls on hard times and life gets incredibly difficult, and you feel every moment of it. His friends Sam and Patrick are the same; they are lively and vivacious people who are struggling emotionally as well. The film is so fantastically well rounded that nothing can beat its unquestionable realism.

Empire Records (1995) TASH WILLIAMSON

Strictly speaking it's not set in high school; but it is as sure as hell where many kids our age would have wanted to get a part-time job. Empire Records follows a group of teens and twenty-somethings trying to navigate through a single day of perpetual angst, young love and misspent youth. No less poignant is its coming of age message, as it covers the nostalgia summoned by the eclectic bunch of people you share your school days with, many of whom you may never encounter again, moving in very different directions in life but being a family nonetheless. While many of us would mostly identify with Corey, the High School student destined for Harvard, most will have known and may still know an A.J, a Gina, and a Lucas back home. This film is about one single day that captures the not knowing, the fear, the sadness and the excitement of embarking on new adventures in life, but does not forget those you left behind.

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HOW ‘THE BELL JAR’ BY SYLVIA PLATH HELPED THE TRANSITION INTO UNIVERSITY SOPHIE TRENEAR Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar perhaps isn’t everyone’s first choice when it comes to choosing books which help the transition to university life. For starters, it’s loosely based on a period of Plath’s own life which saw her consumed with depression, isolation and alienation, and involved multiple suicide attempts - all pretty gruesome and harrowing to read about for the best part of 250 pages.

Nevertheless, The Bell Jar isn’t a book about being blanketed with depression; it’s a book about the hope that surfaces as a result of it.

The book introduces Esther Greenwood: a plucky, independent young woman from Boston, as she gains a prestigious internship at a prominent magazine in New York before gradually spiralling into a depression after becoming dissatisfied with the lifestyles and expectations of women her age, and being rejected for her dream creative writing course.

There’s no university involved, nor are there many chances to gage Esther’s sense of transitioning from one step to another, yet nonetheless, the book is all about exactly that: transition. No doubt it’s a dark book; you won’t feel elated or even happy with the book’s somewhat ambiguous ending. Turning that last page, however, will fill you with thoughts and realisations you never even knew you could have before you turned the first page.

I first picked up The Bell Jar nearing the end of Year 12. By the time moving to university had come, I had read it six more times. The life of Esther Greenwood so completely

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mirrored my life, and those around me, not in a literal sense- that would be concerning, but more in the sense that the struggles she faces saw her go through so much but she made it through alive. This is where we’re all at now – whether having already faced a few years of uni, or having to face it for the first time.

Netflix original, Master of None, used one of its passages to illustrate the struggles of being forced to grow up and make choices.

About a third of the way into the book, Esther ponders the various pathways that her life could take, comparing each to a different fig on a ‘green fig-tree’. By the end of her musings she comes to this conclusion: “I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this figtree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest” Sound familiar? It’s a coming of age book, undoubtedly; a book of the most euphoric realisations and the darkest epiphanies.

It’s a book about figuring everything out.

A book about growing up and leaving things behind, finding new things to love and to hate, and everything in between.

But most of all, and by far most importantly, it’s a book about being completely okay with struggling and being unable to decide which fig you want, because eventually it’s going to warm up, slow down and you’ll be okay.

FEATURES

Talking So Brave and So Sweet:

When Private Love Lives Influence Public Music CAMILLA CASSIDY

When writing this article, the rumour mill began churning out that Calvin Harris was soon to release a song regarding the breakup between himself and Taylor Swift. Or that he’d already written one.

Or was it about Tom Hiddleston instead?

Though Swift’s camp has claimed otherwise, even the possibility of this reality is vindicating for some. Swift has long been marred by claims that she only writes songs about her ‘long list of ex lovers’, such that it has become a point of self-parody. This is, of course, a massive hyperbole. Furthermore, it propagates the blatant hypocrisy wherein male singers can brag about their sexual conquests while women aren’t afforded the occasional lament of a lost love. Regardless, it is clear that Swift’s love life is public and it affects how we feel about her music. Or, at least, leaves us with a weird ‘behind the scenes’ feeling; but how does knowing the subject of a song affect how we regard it?

Whatever the associations, we know what they’re about; this little mark that you can trot out as a fun bit of trivia. Even when not centred around an incident, public knowledge of artists’ private lives leaves these little bits of affection as common knowledge.

For example, Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’ isn’t just a generic love song; it’s about Gwyneth Paltrow. While the personal motivation surely made the music all the more touching, it can leave you with this wistful pause for a love life that isn’t your own.

But this doesn’t just happen on the part of the listener- case in point: Leonard Cohen’s 1974 track, ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’. In his raw, whisky-rich tones, Cohen croons about a brief love affair in the Chelsea Hotel. The song is a visceral love song, containing beautifully breathless lyrics including “giving me head on the unmade bed, while the limousines wait in the street”. For several years when introducing the song, he told a story which clearly insinuated that he was speaking of Janis Joplin. However, Cohen would come to regret this. In a 1994 interview on BBC Radio, Cohen apologised, and even referred to it as “the sole indiscretion in my professional life.”

Once something is public knowledge, it can’t be taken back. You can never un-learn it, and nor can the artist ever un-tell it. It’s suddenly some kind of other. Details from a creator are forever linked with what they produce, and whom it is about, be that with their consent or not. What was intended for Cohen as a wistful tribute is now and forever an association with someone who never asked to be involved. In the more topical Swift and Harris case, it can’t help but frustrate me that songs can now be released as parts of private tiffs turned public as smear campaigns.

In this era, we’re going to know ever more about the private lives of our stars as they merge more into their public personas.

When knowing these songs’ influences is inescapable, we as consumers may need to decide how much we should invest in them. And, of course, what right we have to know in the first place.

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album reviews “So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?” The first line of ‘Good Grief,’ Wild World's lead single, perhaps does a better job of summarising the album than I as a reviewer ever could. These “little maniacs” do a whole lot of great stuff across just 14 tracks, spanning a heap of genres and themes, but each song is just as listenable as the last.

BASTILLE WILD WORLD JAMES BARKER

crystal castles amnesty (I)

HARLEY JAMES MITFORD

It’s been a long time coming, but Bastille’s perfectionism really shines through when it comes to Wild World. It’s equally as listenable as Bad Blood, their 2013 debut, but is just different enough to show an evolution as a band. A particular strength of the music is its cinematic quality, aided by the use of snippets from the likes of 1985 movie Weird Science – the source of that opening line of the record – to introduce around half of the songs. Each Wild World track tells a different story, projecting relatable emotions straight into the ear – of anxiety, power struggle, and, of course, love.

Its name is curious for two reasons: firstly, the parenthetical (I) suggests a clean slate after the departure of Alice Glass. She and Ethan Kath made three albums together, and perhaps now that the dust from their split has settled – along with new vocalist Edith Frances coming in – it’s time to acknowledge the change of personnel and start afresh. Secondly, the word Amnesty: perhaps a reference to the radical feminist group FEMEN to which the opening track alludes; a fight to assist those wrongly incarcerated for their public nudescapades. Maybe, maybe not.

Wild World does suffer from a rather typical midway lull, with some less spectacular songs such as ‘Glory’ and ‘Two Evils’ being the type of tracks you’ll learn to love after listening over and over again – which I will be doing – situated around the liquid gold personal favourites ‘The Currents’ and ‘Snakes’ and the instantly classic singles ‘Send Them Off!’ and ‘Good Grief.’ Even with these sparse slips, Wild World is a masterclass in how any band should do album number two and a certain contender for album of the year so far.

Out now via Virgin EMI

In Amnesty (I), a pattern develops: rave, chill, repeat – although it soon becomes clear that things are never quite as they seem, with the raves manic and the chills disquieting. It’s as though the party’s over and the pill we took is starting to reveal something scary; warping the night’s reveries into something twisted and strange. The void now gapes before us and all that’s left to do is face it, alone and afraid. It’s a terrifying image indeed that Crystal Castles conjures here with such magnificence and grace that for a brief moment you might just believe that the ground has been swept from beneath your feet, and you’re falling...

Out now via Fiction Records

There’s something remarkably refreshing about a 22-year-old who is as comfortable orchestrally covering Edith Piaf records from 1957 as she is talking to interviewers about enjoying worm-laced tequila. Her sound is a gorgeous homage to that bygone era of soul, with backing tracks built for the roar of a big band with their precise jazzy flickers and sporadic bursts of substantial percussion. Even in the moments that feature utterly indecipherable vocals – whether through dropped syllables on ‘Naïve Soul’ and ‘What Makes You Happy’ or because, like ‘White Tiger,’ the sounds she’s making are nothing more than vague attempts at genuine sentences – the package feels well-rounded and zesty.

By the tenth time that a title wriggles its way into the lyrics immediately before the standard EDM drop like an overeager BASE jumper pushing through a crowd and doing star jumps to wave goodbye as they throw themselves off a cliff, you’d be excused by anyone for laying blame for this at the feet of the critic’s favourite: darned, lazy formula!

That the latter track has been given various single releases since its appearance on 2013’s Coolbeanz EP is no surprise: by far the most explicitly pop-minded record here, its sea of gibberish on a bed of grandiose piano triples challenges you to the impossible task of escaping. Others don’t have the same potency in their hooks but capture more varied influences than the simple Nina Simones and Amy Winehouses that you might expect, layering strings over bluesy riffs and employing choral self-harmony.

In Bizu’s mind, this album is about being a bit scruffy – or, in her words, “a bit of a space chicken” – but little of that applies to the music, with only her wavering upper range providing any hindrance. Regularly caught in the firing bliss of love with odd but calm pleas for support, A Moment Of Madness finds countless ways to feel nostalgic yet delightfully modern without giving in to the oh-so-trendy mopey electronification of the soul.

Out now via Epic Records

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If their self-titled debut was a gruelling Game Boy-glitch gauntlet through which only the most hardened 8-bit ravers would emerge unscathed and (III) was ditching the glitch entirely for a more naturalistic sound, then middle record Crystal Castles (II) can be seen as a happy medium between the two, employing the occasional, well-timed sonic slap-in-the-face to shake us out of our complacent trance. It is the sense of balance achieved on this sophomore effort with which Amnesty (I) shares a spiritual kinship.

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Opening track ‘Silhouette’ manages to do the right thing with it – full of finger clicks, hand claps, a consistent snare, and twangy guitars backed by a pleasantly throbbing bassline, it’s pretty standard fare; it’s also got the playful energy of an adolescent sat in front of GarageBand for the first time. It sounds bad, but the song is fresher and more upbeat for this.

izzy bizu a moment of madness

XAVIER VOIGT-HILL

goldroom west of the west

GEORGE SEABROOK

West Of The West alternates between this overzealous, endearing production, and more restrained, consistently more vanilla arrangements. For the more modern HONNE-esque slap-guitar riffs and the clumsy, subdued seduction of ‘Freeway Lights,’ there’s the plain pleasantries of ‘Back To You,’ too consistent to be particularly colourful and with lyrics delivered without commitment to their (possibly accidental) reflection on unrequited love.

Only ‘Lying To You,’ one of several that leans on 80s synths, feels entirely sincere in its use of these tropes. It builds from a terrific guitar-led bridge to a simple chorus – “I’d be lying if I said / You’re not always in my head / Yeah, I’d be lying to you” – and feels like a hit with the cheesy, limp lines delivered by Goldroom himself. But when this earnest, yet tame and predictable track is the best you’ve got amidst a sea of duller moments, it’s hard to be anything close to excited.

Out now via Downtown Records THE EDGE

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RECORDS

SINGLE REVIEWS Green Day – ‘Bang Bang’ SOPHIE MCEVOY

After 2012’s lacklustre ¡Uno!/¡Dos!/¡Tré! trilogy, Green Day’s return screams their anti-establishment, political, punk-based aesthetic. Rooted firmly within the band’s punk roots, ‘Bang Bang’ punches you in both the face and gut with thunderous bass from Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool’s reverberating drums, Billie Joe Armstrong’s iconic vocals, and their quintessential power-chord-driven, distortionfuelled riffs.

Right off the bat, it’s a Green Day classic: a rough, dirty, and solid mixture of their 90s punk, 00s alternative punk, and slices of their more pop-orientated efforts from earlier this decade. The focus falls especially on the days of American Idiot, loudly echoing sections of the seminal record, especially in which Armstrong sings “I got my photograph, I got my Vietnam.” There’s even a splash of Nirvana’s Nevermind-era grunge within the main riff – somewhat similar to the powerful ‘Territorial Pissings.’

Craig David & Sigala -‘Ain’t Giving Up’

JAMES BARKER

The second coming of Southampton’s R&B-cum-garage icon has seen him collaborate with some pretty spectacular producers – Major Lazer, Blonde, Hardwell, and Kaytranada – on their typical fast, catchy beats to complement his infectious vocals on ace songs. Unfortunately, ‘Ain’t Giving Up’ fails to stack up.

Sigala’s clumsy, piano-heavy style, which feels as though he is juggling too many balls, creates rushed products without any finesse.

His songs wear thin extremely quickly if you’re a fan of more complex, layered pop like, say, the offerings of The Chainsmokers or Bastille.

How many times does David want to sing “ain’t giving up on youuuuuuu” in one two-and-ahalf minute song?

To be fair, I followed the song’s instructions, not giving up until I’d listened to it a dozen times to write this review. Now, unless cooped up in a cheesy student venue, I truly never want to hear it again.

Out now via Insanity Records

Danny L Harle feat. Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Super Natural’ XAVIER VOIGT-HILL A production collective set on a synthetic and garish model for a future in which dance, pop, fun, and distorted latex samples are synonymous, PC Music has found a perfect frontman in Harle: eloquent in interviews without the need for child-like voice pitching; a smiling and familiar face on camera; and providing their signature nectar free from uncomfortably sharp points.

‘Super Natural’ is their best major label release yet, catapulting the uber-contemporary oeuvre back towards late-millennium raves. Driven by claps and 15

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firmly bleating synths rising throughout, this is as much a hyperactive club record as a stimulating, radionudging tune. With Jepsen as his sidekick, the feast is complete.

After the chronically underappreciated E•MO•TION saw her caress the spirit of the 1980s, her ‘Super Natural’ turn is one of great warmth that embraces bold euphoria. With a joyous, carefree demeanour in the manner of ‘I Really Like You’ and ‘Good Time’ parading in a lovestruck glow, one cannot help but bask in the vivid giddiness.

Out now via PC Music/Columbia Records

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WHERE ART THOU, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL? TOBY LEVESON

“That rock ‘n’ roll, eh?” declared Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner in his now infamous BRITs acceptance speech in 2014. “That rock ‘n’ roll, it just won’t go away.” The problem, though, is that it has. Turner’s ramblings were prompted by the band winning Album of the Year for AM, their fifth record, which was later crowned the best album of the decade so far by NME at the end of 2015, despite arguably only being the band’s third best.

This produces an issue: AM is a great album, but if rock ‘n’ roll was as present as Turner made it out to be in his speech, then regardless of the band you wouldn’t expect a third-best album to top such a list.

You may say that since this was NME it’s hardly a surprise that AM topped the list given that the magazine has supported them from the very beginning – and you would certainly be right if this discussion was taking place a year ago – but NME has changed now. You’re just as likely to see Wiz Khalifa or Taylor Swift on the cover as you are Turner and co., and it’s the same story for Xfm, the London and Manchester radio station that once put music before personalities. Today, the recentlyrebranded Radio X is the home of Chris Moyles.

Perhaps we’ve just had a bad 2016. Last year there was “rock ‘n’ roll” to be excited about with the likes of Wolf Alice and Slaves breaking through, both producing excellent debut albums and proving themselves as more than capable live acts too.

There were bands releasing the best records of their careers, like Foals, Everything Everything, and The Maccabees, who recently announced their split. This year just hasn’t been the same – Catfish And The Bottlemen’s album did nothing but stir nostalgia of being 16, Blossoms failed to excite, and let’s not even waste our time talking about Rat Boy. Is a lack of why there’s strong, new explain a lot,

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talent the cause? Is that an apparent lack of guitar bands? It would but it’s just not the case.

If you switch on any BBC Introducing show on a Saturday night, you’ll hear an abundance of talent from your local area. So why isn’t that talent coming through? Again, it is easy to blame the music industry, but ultimately that is where a lot of the blame lies. The pattern of recent years is to find one successful act and simply promote those who are similar, because you know that if artist A is successful, the chances are artists B, C, and D will be too, even if only in the short term. Take the rise of the man and the guitar triggered

by Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard in 2011. Both of their debut albums were hugely successful, and since then we’ve had James Bay, who is different because he wears a hat; Tom Odell, who is different because he plays the piano; and Jack Garratt, who is different because he has a beard and plays lots of instruments. All of those artists create the same radio-friendly, easy listening music, differing only through their little twists.

“Have you heard the new Calvin Harris track?”

“You mean the new David Guetta one?” “Maybe, it sounds a bit like Sigma.” “Aren’t they the guys from Norwich?” “No that’s Sigala. Or maybe Disclosure.”

Of course this is not a new tactic from record labels – far from it, in fact – but in recent times they appear to have eliminated any form of risk, which ultimately leads to the same music being reproduced over and over again until something new breaks out and the cycle starts from the beginning once again.

Yet even that doesn’t explain it all. I am part of the problem, being more than happy to flick on Radio 1 and listen to those artists and sing along to every pop/ dance track that seems to dominate the charts at the moment. In fact, I quite enjoy it. It’s happy, it’s upbeat, and it’s almost lazy. And until I stop enjoying it and make a point of not listening, it’s not going to end.

Alex Turner wasn’t completely wrong.

Rock ‘n’ roll hasn’t gone forever, but for now we just have to wait for its return.

Review:

SuICIDE SQuaD DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER

Director: David ayer Distributor: WARNER BROS. Out: 5th august Initially described as Guardians of the Galaxy with villains, Suicide Squad had an intriguing premise from the get go. Add in writer/ director David Ayer and a cast featuring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto, it always seemed like the movie would be a success.

So is Suicide Squad a success? Yes... but just about.

The film tells the story of the titular squad, a task force assembled by government agent Amanda Waller, to complete a dangerous mission at the bequest of the government. The team is made up of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, Katana, Slipknot, and team leader Colonel Rick Flag.

One of the film’s problems is that the squad members themselves are very hit or miss. However the film does have two stars and their names are Margot Robbie and Will Smith; undoubtedly they are the two best parts of the whole movie. Will Smith, who plays Deadshot, has great comedic moments and he has some excellent action scenes too, but he also nails all of the more dramatic parts as well; his presence only serves to elevate the film’s quality. Robbie as well is fantastic.

Margot’s Quinn is funny, crazy, badass and electric, a perfect mix for such a diverse character.

The tone is also pretty all over the place, jumping from fun and entertaining to serious and dark in an instance. The messy story doesn’t really work or make any real sense either, and there’s no sense of scale to the main threat. It’s hard to care about the main story when we know such a small amount of coherent information about it, and we’re too tied in to the main characters to care for much else. The overly excessive use of flashbacks hurts the story too, it just feels so lazy on the storytelling part.

And then there’s the music... Dear God. The first part of the film just feels like a string of poorly executed music videos, it’s a bad attempt at what made Guardians of the Galaxy so endearing and entertaining. The music is just totally off, a poor attempt to appeal to the millennials in the audience. Overall it fills the scenes too much. Just let the characters and visuals tell the story and leave them be, there’s no need to cram in a variety of crowd pleasing songs.

It’s a movie that lags and stumbles so much but just manages to get over the line. Frustrationis a good way to describe this film. Whilst there is fun to be had and just about enough of the film works, a lot does not. Suicide Squad is good, but it just isn’t great.

But it comes with great annoyance and frustration that Jared Leto’s Joker, a hugely iconic character, serves no purpose to the story and is, even worse, a sub-par performance. From his costume design and the way he’s written, down to his mannerisms and voice and the scenes with Harley Quinn, the Joker is a real misfire here. The performance just misses the mark and the character feels forced. The performance just misses the mark and the character feels forced.

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Blu-Ray Review:

actor in focus:

LISA VEIBER

SOPHIE TRENEAR

captain america: civil war Captain America: Civil War is the best superhero movie of 2016 so far.

Indeed, Marvel Studios delivered the beyond-expectation film audiences were waiting for since the disappointment of Avengers: Age of Ultron and the failure of DC studios to keep up with Marvel’s standards.

It is not only the elaborate plot, the amazing new superheroes or the real complexity behind those wehave already met, nor is it the great jokes, the famous bromance between Rogers and Bucky, or the glimpse of the latest Spider-Man that make it an outstanding and flawless addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the combination of all of the above coming together in the right way to offer endless excitement.

The new Captain America did deserve all the recognition and great press it got at its upon release. Brilliantly directed, it presents not only some good action and stunts but some real intensity and likelihood in the evolution of our wellknown superheroes, strengthened by those talented actors that bring them to life on the screen.

The Blu-ray also brings some pretty amazing extras. These include: a making-of and behind the scenes; some deleted and extended scenes that promise one tiny appearance of everybody's favourite Marvel villain, Loki; the audio commentary of the Russo Brothers and screenwriters, Markus and and McFeely; ‘The Road to Civil’ feature, which explores in depth the evolution of Iron Man and Captain America from their first cinematic appearance; the usual gag reel, and an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Doctor Strange movie.

Blu-Ray Review:

THE NICE GUYS EDDY TESFAY

Let’s face it. The Nice Guys is a bit of a conundrum. Released in the summer season, it came as quite a surprise. It wasn’t a sequel…it wasn’t a prequel…it wasn’t part of any franchise or extended universe and it wasn’t based on a young adult novel. Warner Brothers had released an original property in the summer with a 50 million budget…what? Of course, what many people didn’t put into the equation was that it was being helmed by Shane Black, and had casted Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in a comedy.

Set in 1977, the plot follows a mismatched paring of ‘scattershot’ P.I Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and ‘enforcer’ Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and their investigation into the death of an adult film star. The setting for this is classic, gloriously pulpy, 70’s buddy cop dreamland. Having basically been the king of the genre when it was at its peak (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout), Black is back in his old stomping ground. Penned alongside Anthony Bagarozzi, the film zips along with purpose and ingenious humour.

Of course, this script’s punch wouldn’t be nearly as fully realised without the fantastic casting of Gosling and Crowe, whose chemistry bursts from the seams. Up until now, both have steered away from flexing their comedic muscles, but here, Black gets the best out of them, especially Gosling who is a serious contender for comedic performance of the year. A word should also go out to Angourie Rice’s breakout role as March’s daughter, who shows just as much comic timing and spunk as anyone else.

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Benedict Cumberbatch, a.k.a.

Bendersnatch Cumberbund, known to many as Sherlock Holmes, is one of the best British actors of our time. He’s dabbled in television, theatre and radio, but in recent years he has become one of the biggest A List stars in demand for the razzle dazzle world of film and cinema, starring in over 20 films in the past six years alone. This November will see Cumberbatch's return to the big screen in the highly anticipated 14th instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange, as the film’s eponymous character.

Whilst Cumberbatch made his cinematic debut in the 2003 film To Kill A King, his first major movie role came in 2006 with Amazing Grace’s William Pitt the Younger which garnered him a nomination for the London Film Critics Circle ‘British Breakthrough Acting Award’. After using this newfound momentum to aid supporting roles in Atonement (2007), The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Creation (2009) and The Whistleblower (2010), he appeared opposite acting legends Gary Oldman and John Hurt in Tomas Alfredson’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, where he played the role of Peter Guillam, the right hand man of George Smiley (Oldman).

films such as The Fifth Estate and 12 Years a Slave, both of which garnered critical and audience acclaim.

After subsequently fulfilling roles in Penguins of Madagascar and August: Osage County, the latter for which he sang ‘Can’t Keep It Inside’ for, Cumberbatch played Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

Cumberbatch was met with universal, widespread praise for his performance, with TIME ranking it at number one in its Top 10 Film Performances of 2014, calling it “the actor’s oddest, fullest, most Cumberbatchian character yet,” earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor among others, and solidifying him as one of the best working actors today.

In 2014, Cumberbatch was announced to be a part of Warner Bros. Pictures’ upcoming film adaptation of The Jungle Book as Shere Khan, and also as Doctor Strange, the latter of which is set for release in October this year. Looks like good ol’ Bendersnatch Cumberbund isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Marvel’s got us hooked now.

After landing the role of Sherlock Holmes in the acclaimed BBC programme, Cumberbatch furthered his mainstream attraction with his role as Smaug the Dragon and the Necromancer in The Hobbit film trilogy from 2012 to 2014 where he provided the voice and motion-capture for both characters. 2013 saw Cumberbatch catapulted into the sci-fi realm with J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness where he played Khan, the film’s dark and sociopathic antagonist.

Seemingly an unstoppable force at this point, 2013 also saw him star in major Did you know: • He was listed in TIME’s annual ‘TIME 100’ as one of ‘The Most

Influential People In The World’ in 2014 • His favourite director is Stanley Kubrick, but the reason why would apparently “take 30,000” words to explain • He thinks his name sounds like ‘a fart in a bath’

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IMAGE BY CHRIS McANDREW

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one to watch:

LA LA LAND REHANA NURMAHI

Damien Chazelle’s newest film La La Land is already sure to be a film that deserves to be seen. The film, a musical romantic drama, follows Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), as they find the balance between their dreams and their love affair which becomes harder to maintain.

There are multiple reasons why this film is set to be incredible. First of all, Damien Chazelle proved himself to be one of the most exciting new directors in Hollywood with his feature length debut Whiplash (2014). Whiplash was an absolute triumpha tremendously well cast and well told story which had audiences on the edge of their seat. It also showed that Chazelle knows how to direct and write a film about music, so him directing a musical is pretty perfect.

The music itself is also a reason why this film should excel. It is composed by Justin Herwitz, continuing his and Chazelle’s partnership from the Oscar nominated Whiplash. As well as this, the song’s lyrics are penned by musical theatre favourites and Tony/Emmy award winning duo Pasek and Paul, known for composing shows such as Dear Evan Hanson and Dogfight, as well as the musical television series Smash. One song that has been previewed, ‘City of Stars’, is a beautiful a n d mesmerising ode to dreaming i n Hollywood, with a captivating, hypnotic tune that gets in your head, and thoughtful lyrics sung beautifully. They seem to be matched by elegantly choreographed dance sequences too, so that’s exciting!

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This film also reunites the absolute power pairing of Gosling and Stone, making this the third film in which they have starred opposite each other, following Crazy, Stupid Love and Gangster Squad. The pair have an undeniable chemistry which is hard to resist.

Their individual charm combines together, melting into each other’s performances and bouncing back and forth off each other with ease. If the pair continue as they have in the past, seeing them in this tale of love and loss will be a wonderful, dreamlike performance.

Considering at one point the line up was looking to see Miles Teller and Emma Watson in the lead roles, I am glad that whatever power may be has brought Stone and Gosling back together for us. As well as the leading duo, the film also has some other talents to boast of including J.K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt and John Legend. Basically, the cast is as awesome as the rest of what’s been released of this film.

Although little more is known than what’s been listed here, the footage that has been released really does look splendid and truly magical. It was enough to convince me that this film will become one of those rare gems in musical film history, and I hope that when it comes to its release, it will convince you too.

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student friendly cinemas ANNEKA HONEYBALL One of the most culture-friendly cities in the south, Southampton is full of great places to enjoy cinema, theatre and live music. And if like most undergrads, you find yourself a little strapped for cash, the city also hosts some great student-friendly venues that offer a range of low-cost deals for you to take advantage of. The Southampton film scene is especially rife with excellent student opportunities, with the cinemas below ranking as two of The Edge’s top picks...

Union Films

Based in the heart of Highfield Campus, Union Films is the University of Southampton’s very own cinema, run by students, for students. As well as running a number of epic movie marathons and thematic all-nighters, Union Films also host screenings of all the latest blockbusters - usually just a few weeks after their initial release. The likes of X-Men: Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange and Finding Dory are all set to arrive in the coming months, with tickets costing a mere £3 each (or £4 for 3D flicks). And as if those prices aren’t tantalising enough on their own, the cinema will also be hosting a number of fun screenings throughout the year for you and your house/course mates to enjoy for FREE. If you’re something of a film fanatic, you can even get yourself a Premiere Pass, which will give you access to all the season screenings, as well as a discount on refreshments.

For more information on tickets, screenings and events, visit www.unionfilms.org.

Harbour Lights

Located in Ocean Village, not far from the town centre, another plush and student-friendly cinema awaits your presence. Southampton’s very own Picturehouse branch, Harbour Lights is possibly one of the most picturesque and intriguing entertainment venues in the city. Structured to look like a grand ship anchored on land, Harbour Lights proves to be a nice alternative to other cinema chains with its swanky refreshments and sofa-like seating. The screenings they have on offer are also delightfully diverse, ranging from big blockbusters to more modest, art house releases, as well as a few vintage treats. Harbour Lights is also the only cinema in Southampton where you can take advantage of the free monthly screenings sponsored by E4’s Slackers Club.

Student memberships are affordable and come with a whole host of benefits including discounts and exclusive screenings. If you’re more than a bit movie mad, you can even sign up to become a student representative and help promote the cinema in exchange for two free cinema tickets every week!

For more information on tickets and screenings, visit www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Harbour_Lights

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On Edge: anticipating luke cage REBECCA JAMES The partnership between Netflix Marvel has thus far produced two television shows in Daredevil and Jones, and if the trailers are anything from, Luke Cage is set to continue this

and stellar Jessica to go trend.

Luke Cage focuses on the eponymous hero of Harlem, who is super strong with unbreakable skin, thanks to an experiment gone wrong.

Played by Mike Colter, we have been introduced to Luke Cage in Jessica Jones; but here is the moment where the character takes centre stage.

While the events of Luke Cage are set to take place a short time after Jessica Jones, this show is certainly not going to be a continuation of their romantic story. While it would be fantastic to see a short cameo from Krysten Ritter’s Jessica, this is Luke’s story; getting to know the man behind the unbreakable skin is the name of the game here.

While he was somewhat reluctant to get involved in the superhero game in Jessica Jones, Colter has promised that this is the moment where Cage steps up to become the protector of Harlem.

Embracing Luke’s comic moniker of ‘Power Man’ certainly wouldn’t be in keeping with the tone of the Netflix/Marvel television shows, though it would be fantastic to see Luke Cage grow more comfortable with using his powers to help people.

While in Jessica Jones he shows a clear reluctance to get involved in anyone’s business, in his own show there is a definite need for him to step out of the shadows. This means more action featuring the character - some of which has been teased through a Comic Con 2016 trailer, which features

the hero tearing a car door off and using it as a battering ram to bash through a door. Fight action scenes, which really make the most of the dual aspects of his superpowers, are key - the visuals of a man walking through a hail of bullets with not a scratch on him will certainly have impact.

Mahershala Ali features as Luke Cage’s chief antagonist Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, a nightclub owner who uses the club as a front for illegal activities. The Netflix shows have always been at their best when the hero and villain are face to face (think Matt Murdock’s conversations with Wilson Fisk in Daredevil, or Jessica’s showdowns with Kilgrave), because they show the enemies to be equal to the heroes. Face to face interaction is a must, as well as a substantial amount of time showing us why Stokes is a worthwhile adversary for an unbreakable man - without going over the top with clichéd mob archetypes.

Luke Cage will continue to expand the world of New York City heroism, and I for one can’t wait to see how it differs from the shows that came before it, whilst still fitting together to provide the bedrock for next year’s The Defenders. With only one more origins show to go in Iron Fist, it is easy to see how these figures will fit together to form a team, albeit an uncomfortable one, and the job of this show will be to flesh out the character while still telling his story, rather than merely setting up for the team-up piece.

Luke Cage will be available on Netflix on 30th September, with all 13 episodes available at once.

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Review:

Review:

@ m ay f l o w er th eatr e MEGAN ISAAC The latest run of the time-honoured musical Cats at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre has proven to be as popular as ever, and with merit.

The nationwide UK tour of the iconic show gives the now classic story a fresh and talented cast and intimate staging, to great success and much acclaim.

Cats tells the story of the Jellicle tribe of felines on the night of the Jellicle moon, when the leader of the tribe will select one cat to be reborn to a new Jellicle life. Despite boasting no big name star, as previous Broadway and West End productions have done, the Southampton leg of the show's tour has proven popular with audiences - with almost all tickets being sold.

The cast of the current stage production have proven to be both accomplished singers and skilled actors.

Particular praise should be reserved for Marianne Benedict in the iconic role of Grizabella, a former glamour cat who has now become an outcast amongst the tribe. Benedict’s rendition of ‘Memory’ demonstrated her superb vocal range, and was so emotive that it moved some in the audience to tears.

Another star of the current production is Marcquelle Ward, whose updated role as Rum Tum Tugger sees an urban interpretation of the character delivering a rap in the first half. Though this may not have proved popular with traditionalists or diehard fans of the musical, for the open minded it was very entertaining and lightened the mood of what is, at times, a very dark show.

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chasing the stars by

m alo r ie black m an SARAH CORRIGAN

Shiv Rabheru’s performance as Mistoffelees also proved to be a highlight of the night; not only does Rabheru undoubtedly have the best costume of the entire cast (bedecked almost entirely in diamantes), he is also a highly talented and effervescent dancer.

All of the cast have clearly made efforts to mimic as many feline characteristics as possible, resulting in a show that often makes you forget that the actors are people rather than cats at all.

Though the touring performances of Cats have undoubtedly been adapted to suit smaller and more intimate venues, as an audience member you are not made to feel that this has compromised the production values of the show at all. Both the set and, particularly, the lighting – where set designers had strung fairy lights throughout the theatre – added real depth and ambiance to what was happening on the stage. Credit also has to be given to the orchestra, who consummately delivered the iconic soundtrack throughout.

Overall, there is little that can be detracted from the joys of this latest leg of Cats. The show embraces the limitations of a smaller theatre and makes the show intimate on a positive level – with the cast often descending into the audience, only heightening your enjoyment of the performance. There’s no doubt about it; Cats is an enjoyable night out that will definitely leave you feline good.

Cats was at the Mayflower Theatre from 9th to 20th August.

THE EDGE

Young adult sci-fi novel Chasing the Stars is the second work by Malorie Blackman to draw inspiration from a Shakespeare play. 2001’s Noughts & Crosses and its subsequent sequels alluded heavily to Romeo & Juliet, with a heartbreaking tale of prejudice and forbidden love. Chasing the Stars taps into another of the Bard’s tragedies – this time Othello – and it has rather appropriately been released in 2016, coinciding with Shakespeare 400.

Olivia, better known as ‘Vee’, is a teenage girl travelling through space with her teenage brother Aidan, alone after the death of their parents and the other crew in a mystery virus.

Far away, on a lonely planet, Nathan is living with a community of escaped slaves, in fear of the Mazons, an alien race who claim the planet as their own and aren’t too happy about a bunch of humans intruding on their territory.

At first, Chasing the Stars barely resembles Othello at all. Some of the main characters are gender-flipped – Othello becomes Vee (Olivia), Desdemona becomes Nathan – and of course, there’s the fact that most of the story is set in space. But after Nathan’s people are attacked and Vee rescues them, the love story begins and the similarities start to come through.

Much like Othello, Chasing the Stars is about jealousy and the destruction it can cause, especially when applied to newly formed relationships – no matter how deeply in love the couple is. Vee and Nathan’s romance is a sweet, blissful whirlwind, but when a mystery killer starts bumping off the survivors on the ship and rumours start to fly, it soon becomes apparent just how fragile their relationship really is.

Chasing the Stars uses dual narration, so the reader gets to experience both Vee and Nathan’s thoughts as the plot develops. This emphasises just how damaging a lack of communication can be – seeing their internal thoughts, you realise they could sort things out if they would just talk to each other. Interestingly, the novel decides to look at the issue of classism instead of the racism prevalent in Othello. Nathan is often bothered that Vee might not think him good enough because he is an escaped ‘drone’ – a menial labourer and prisoner with no money or prospects, and this ultimately feeds into the drama.

Away from the Othello parallels, the novel includes some intense alien chase scenes, and while the romance is fast and fluffy, it’s understandable and relatable that the previously isolated Vee and the world-weary Nathan would gravitate towards each other so quickly – and Blackman doesn’t shy away from detailing the damaging consequences.

You don’t have to be familiar with the source material to appreciate Chasing the Stars, and even if you are, there’s still plenty to surprise you. It’s a fresh yet familiar sci-fi take on a Shakespeare play; one that combines a murder mystery, aliens, and futuristic spacecrafts, but still manages to retain all the heart-wrenching drama that made Othello such a powerful tragedy.

Chasing the Stars is written by Malorie Blackman and was published by Penguin Random House in 2016.

THE EDGE

IMAGE BY RUG LTD.

26

CULTURE

TOP TIPS FOR POKEMON HUNTING

HIDDEN GEM:

'

CULTURE

JOSH NICHOLSON

Pokémon Go allows you to step into the shoes of a Pokémon Trainer. However, if you want to become a fully-fledged Pokémon Master, then here are a few tips!

BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY BY

JAY M C IN ER N Y

TASH WILLIAMSON MAKE THE MOST OF POKESTOPS

EVOLVING YOUR POKEMON

PokéStops are the special locations spread across Pokémon Go’s map, marked with a blue pin sticking out of the ground. They are generally placed in interesting real life locations, like notable businesses and monuments.

Pokémon Go requires you to collect candy in order to evolve your Pokémon. The quickest way to collect a certain Pokémon’s candy is to catch as many of that monster as possible, so whilst you may already have a Pidgey, it is still important to catch more of them, ‘cause each time you catch a Pokémon, you are rewarded with three pieces of candy! Transferring the excess Pokémon to the Professor will net you yet another precious candy.

Make sure to find as many PokéStops as possible, because they are the only way to collect free items outside of the level up bonuses. PokéStops only take a few minutes to regenerate so make the most of them when you find one. It is incredibly frustrating to run out of Poké Balls so keep stocked up!

Another benefit of finding PokéStops is Lure Modules. Players can place Lure Modules at a Stop and attract more Pokémon to that area for the next 30 minutes. You can tell which PokéStops currently have Lures active, as blossom will appear around them on the map.

Unlike most Pokémon, Eevee can evolve into multiple different forms. While initially seeming to be frustratingly random, it is possible to choose which Pokémon Eevee will become! By naming Eevee “Rainer”, “Pyro” or “Sparky” will make it evolve into Vaporeon, Flareon, or Jolteon, respectively. This is the easiest way to make sure you can get all three…

SAVING BATTERY Go is becoming notorious for draining phone batteries, as the game is constantly using GPS. However, there are a few things you can do to get around this problem.

Though Pokémon Go’s main attraction is certainly the augmented reality features, using the camera is a huge drain on your phone’s battery. Luckily though, the app allows the camera to be switched off - just flick the AR toggle in the top right during a battle. It may make battles slightly less exciting, but it means your phone won’t die as quickly!

In Go’s setting there is also an option called Battery Saver. If Battery Saver is on and the phone is turned upside down, the screen will dim and show a faint Pokémon Go logo. The game is still open and tracking you, but it isn’t wasting as much battery life. Quite a useful feature for a long day of Pokémon hunting!

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The opening line of the book reads: ‘you are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning.’

So, what kind of guy are you? You’ve read the classics set in those American sprawls of sin, NYC, LA; the uncomfortable and infamous American Psycho, and its lesser-known sibling Less than Zero. These are books by Bret Easton Ellis that reveal the sickness that plagues the human condition, leaving only a sense of queasiness and disenchantment in their wake. You look more lovingly upon Salinger’s composition and decomposition of the American Dream in The Catcher in the Rye, which features some of the human heart that was distinctly lacking in Ellis’ novels.

On an emotional and spiritual level at least, there was no such heart to communicate to the reader.

They are all classics in their own respect, but how did you find yourself here exactly? Reading about a book from the 80s, about a sad and lonely narrator who doesn’t even have a name, a ridiculous and hedonistic best friend that does, wasting his time working in factual verification the unequivocal hell for any budding fiction writer.

Well, there is a certain 80s time warp opening up in modern culture, so in that way, it makes sense.

It’s set in New York City, like so many novels of the same vein, which is a constant fascination for any small town

reader with an idealised image of America in their head. It features an anti-hero that is lost, depressed, and not altogether Prince Charming. The guy has made some mistakes, but like the quote at the beginning of the book, you understand and connect with his tragedy gradually then suddenly, becoming increasingly intimate with this young man’s lament to his own dreams and life in the capital.

McInerney’s choice of narrative seems distant and anonymous at first (you may get annoyed at the second person narration, you may not, but this article is as good a way as any to test the waters), and yet, it has more heart than all of its peers. You are caught, just like its narrator was in the bright lights of the big city, mesmerised by the prose constructed and the text that is in equal parts funny and devastating. The humour you find at the start of the book, and the mythical narration he bestows upon all his colleagues at the magazine firm, morphs into the realisation of the pain he is suffering for his estranged wife and troubled family life.

Though a reluctant factual verifier, ironically facts will never feel real to him; they are whimsical constructs within his world of uncertainty and intangibility.

You understand, as the novella unravels your many questions, that this book is his indulgence and his escape from the sore facts of life he has been omitting.

It’s ephemeral and bittersweet, an easy and indulgent read for any unabashed lover of fiction and postmodernist literature. It makes you examine the romantic outlook and beauty of the city, and the scathing hangover of reality that becomes apparent after it all.

Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney, was released in 1984.

THE EDGE

THE EDGE

IMAGE BY NINTENDO

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LIVE

LIVE

Review:

VENUE IN FOCUS

carcer city @ the joiners, southampton HARLEY JAMES MITFORD The first of the impressive four-band line-up to grace The Joiners’ stage were Zephyr. A metalcore band through and through, they also incorporated elements from the nu-metal end of the spectrum; one such element was their funky riffs, which distantly recalled those of Korn. Credit to them also for maintaining 100% energy in the face of a rather stiff and sober crowd, not yet primed for the sonic onslaught that they so concisely executed.

Next were the ingeniously named Griever. A suitably morbid moniker for their funereal appearance and doom-laden sound, they certainly know how to name a band!

More in line rhythmically with traditional thrash metal than straight metalcore, they bring to mind the mature-era sound of Welsh group Bullet For My Valentine, who engineer a similar fusion of styles.

Their drummer provided some impressive double bass pedal-work, whilst their guitarist brought the intensive screamo of the verses into relief with his delicately intoned melodies, sung beautifully in the chorus sections.

Third on were LOATHE, probably the most nu-metal leaning of all the night’s acts.

The first band to get the crowd properly moshing, their frontman jumped into the fray to stir things up, and did so rather brilliantly. Incorporating spoken word into

his performance, he injected a refreshing new stylistic vein into the evening’s music.

As I returned after a brief interval for the headliners’ slot, there seemed to be a notable excitement rising to the surface of the collective unconscious. Suddenly Carcer City stormed on in full fury and the place erupted.

Performing songs both old and new (from their upcoming album Infinite//Unknown), they proved consistent the mantra of vocalist Patrick Pinion, when he told me in our interview: “we’re trying to be the weirdest metal band possible.” Characterised by mercurially shifting moods; impossibly complex yet infectiously moshable rhythms; and song structures that rarely repeat even choruses let alone verses, they stayed true to his ambitious claim.

Wrapping up at around 10:15pm (I couldn’t quite believe that so much had been packed into such a short space of time), the crowd slowly disbanded. As we all filtered through the merchandise stalls set up by the bar, the bands were there waiting, and began either chatting to fans; having a drink or a smoke; or generally just soaking up the relaxed post-gig haze.

As I said goodbye to Patrick and thanked him for the interview, a feeling of real community sunk in. Here were a group of proper musicians, connected with their fanbase and with each other, sharing a beautiful experience.

THE ENGINE ROOMS SOPHIE MCEVOY My hometown of Southampton is a strange city. It’s not your typical metropolitan area; it feels like a city, yet it lacks a lot of facilities that bigger cities like London have. Sure, we have a shopping mall, a recognizable city centre, at least three cinemas (one boasting an IMAX), a football stadium, a major port and we’re the largest city in Hampshire.

One thing that the city lacks, however, is venues that attract big stadium bands.

Back in the 70s and 80s, the Gaumont (now known as The Mayflower) was where my two uncles frequently saw big bands like Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, AC/DC and The Police. This was due to the venue being part of the Rank Organisation, an entertainment conglomerate that was Britain’s largest and most vertically integrated film company; also owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities like the Gaumont.

As such, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Rush and Kate Bush have also performed there.

Nowadays the Guildhall is your best bet for seeing big names. Just last year Bob Dylan randomly played there which was insane; I would never have thought in a million years I would get to say that Dylan played in my city and I couldn’t go. If you want to see stadium bands, you usually have to travel to London or up north to see them. Sometimes you’re lucky and they come down south, but other than that you’re stuck at having to make long journeys to see your favourite musicians.

That’s where the Engine Rooms comes in. I remember when it was known as the Mo’Club, Southampton’s first and foremost roller disco. Yes, I went to a roller disco or two. And failed miserably. But in 2014, the Mo’Club became the Engine Rooms after a rebrand in December 2014. It’s still used as a roller disco sometimes, but it’s mainly used as a concert venue.

I’ve been lucky enough to see two of my favourite musicians there – Eagles of Death Metal and Bob Mould - and for them to pick Southampton is beyond me. Southampton isn’t a city that is exactly known for a place for American bands to play in, but they did and I thoroughly enjoyed every second – especially since I got front row for both of them. There’s something magical about seeing a band you’ve listened to for so long actually be literally three feet in front of you.

That moment of pure happiness came to an abrupt end a week later, when the Paris terrorist attacks occurred, with the main amount of fatalities occurring at an Eagles of Death Metal show at the Bataclan. I was in that same position a week ago, enjoying my favourite band with likeminded people. Some of those likeminded people were at the Bataclan and passed away, including Nick Alexander. Nick was the merch guy at the show I went to, who helped me pick out a poster and shirt, giving me the ones he thought were the best ones since I couldn’t make my mind up.

Everyone, including the staff of the Engine Rooms, held their breath that night, and have carried it with them ever since.

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THE EDGE

THE EDGE

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LIVE LIVE

LIVE

Throwback Review:

Foo Fighters @ READING, 2012 DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER 2012 was the perfect time for the Foo Fighters to headline Reading Festival again.

Their 2011 album Wasting Light had been a worldwide smash hit, earning them the best reviews of their career and a slew of Grammys in the process. The Foo Fighters’ popularity was at its peak. On top of all that, 2012 also marked 20 years since the now legendary Nirvana headlining performance at the same festival. Was there a more perfect homage than for Nirvana’s drummer to lead his new band on stage in front of 80,000 people for 2 hours of rock n’ roll?

The show started in typical Foo Fighters style; the band ran out on stage, amping up the crowd whilst Dave Grohl screamed into the microphone “This is it... Are you fucking ready?” before launching into a blistering ‘White Limo’. But it was the next song, ‘All My Life’, which sent the crowd into overdrive, with every one of them roaring the lyrics right back at the band, along with 'Breakout’, which Grohl dedicated to all the “40 something year old fans out there”. And the fans loved every minute of it. One sat on their friend’s shoulders wearing an Obey t-shirt with the words “I” and “Dave Grohl” written over it, I think they spoke for all of us.

Around an hour in, the band took it down a few notches as Dave dedicated ‘These Days’ to “a couple of people who couldn’t be here tonight... this one’s for Kris, and this one’s for Kurt”. Following this, the band took it old school with ‘Hey, Johnny Park’, ‘Alone+Easy Target’ and ‘Monkey Wrench’, complete with Grohl’s daughter approaching the side of

3132

the stage for a mid-song high-five from her dad.

If the setlist had started to lag slightly then it was forcefully brought back to life with a rousing rendition of ‘Best of You’, dedicated to the guy who’s recorded all of Dave’s shows since his Nirvana days, Miti, as he retired.

Dave delved into the past again after this to tell a story of how he joined Nirvana and how he learned of the Reading Festival from Danny, former Nirvana and Mudhoney drummer (side note: quote of the festival goes to Dave Grohl - “Where the fuck did Mudhoney play to 35,000 people?”). It was a touching tribute from the frontman, complete with a birthday song from the crowd for Dave’s mum’s birthday, just as they had back in ‘92 for Nirvana.

This all led perfectly into ‘Times Like These’.

The band then took it old school after this with a four song streak of ‘Winnebago’, ‘Wattershed’, ‘For All The Cows’ and ‘Exhausted’ before closing out proceedings with, well... what else would close a show like this? ‘Everlong’ of course. The biggest and best song in the band’s arsenal brought the show to a close and capped off the weekend in an explosive and touching way.

They played a show for the fans, and it was perfect.

Anticipation was high for this performance and the guys delivered in the best way possible.

comedian in focus: sara pascoe SOPHIE TRENEAR Smart, intense and inarguably funny, Sara Pascoe is one of the biggest rising stars of the comedic realm today. Combining sardonic humour with vibrant flavours of idiosyncratic philosophy, Pascoe’s stand-up’s are definitely unique, but, luckily, far from sparse. Currently touring the UK, her shows are becoming more and more ‘in demand’ as she discusses topics such as broom closets, female instincts, and the declining health of male sperm.

Performing stand-up since 2007, Pascoe first saw herself catapulted into the comedic stratosphere with her show Sara Pascoe Vs. Her Ego which she performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010.

The show received very positive reviews and saw the start of Pascoe’s “kooky alter-ego” being unleashed on stage. As she continued to pick up speed with more shows, gigs and tours, she appeared on Live At The Apollo in 2012 - a show which was hosted by fellow comedian Kevin Bridges and gained her even more traction in the mysterious mainstream realm of comedy.

Appearing on various panel shows such as QI (which she won, obviously – with 28 points, no less), Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Have I Got News For You, Pascoe also returned to the Edinburgh Festival in 2014 and began her first ever UK tour, Sara Pascoe Vs. History, which found her nominated for a Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2014 for ‘Best Comedy Show’.

Fast forward two years later, and, having reappeared on Live At The Apollo (a show I was lucky enough to be seated happily in the audience for) alongside Jon Richardson, and appearing as a panellist on two Radio 4 programmes, The Infinite Monkey Cage and The Unbelievable Truth, Pascoe has just travelled to every edge of the UK for her latest tour, Animal, which has been critically acclaimed.

Her first book, Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body was released earlier this year in April.

Leading the forefront of new, exciting comedians trailblazing their way through to the mainstream with new, exciting, quirky comedy, Pascoe remains distinctive for her live, on-stage persona. She is adorably awkward yet unshakably assured, funny without delving into stupidity or cheap laughs, smart with her humour and direction and even smarter at bringing an audience closer with it even with that “kooky alter-ego” of hers.

THE EDGE

TheEDGE Edge THE

IMAGE BY RICHARD JOHNSON/NME

IMAGE BY JAMES GLOSSOP/TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD.

32

Film

20th september Filmraker (Making Waves Festival) @ Wedgewood Rooms

LISTINGS 26th september

13th october

Ratboy @ Wedgewood Rooms

Thousand Yard Stare @ Wedgewood Rooms

27th september

Feeder @ Pyramids Live

25th september Aladdin @ Harbour Lights 4th october

The Hunna @ Wedgewood Rooms 28th september

Simone Felice @ The Railway Inn

King of Pop (Michael Jackson Experience) @

Now! That's What I Call Short Film '16: LSFF

Portsmouth Guildhall

Johnny Foreigner @ Joiners

@ Harbour Lights 5th october

Healer @ Joiners 29th september

Sour Grapes @ Harbour Lights

Overworld @ Talking Heads

15th october Dracula @ Harbour Lights 22nd october Frankenstein @ Harbour Lights

theatre

19th september - 8th october DEDICATION - Shakespeare @ Nuffield 11th - 15th october The Complete Deaths @ Nuffield Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (and Open Rehearsal) @ Mayflower 17th - 22nd october The Shawshank Redemption @ Mayflower Theatre 22nd october Mark Thomas: The Red Shed @ Nuffield

Live

19th September Milburn @ Wedgewood Rooms 20th september The Jive Aces @ Portsmouth Guildhall 22nd september The Pat McManus Band @ Talking Heads

The Amorettes @ Joiners 30th september The Magic Gang @ Joiners 31st september Birdpen @ Joiners Karima Francis @ The Railway Inn 2nd october Jess Thristan @ Wedgewood Rooms 3rd october Jamie T @ Portsmouth Guildhall Jess Thristian @ The Railway Inn Flashfires @ Joiners 4th october Gavin James @ Wedgewood Rooms 5th october Start at Zero @ Wedgewood Rooms Ukulele Orchestra @ O2 Guildhall 6th october The Wedding Present @ The Railway Inn Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra @ Talking Heads 7th october Romeo’s Daughter @ Talking Heads Beach Baby @ Joiners 8th october

Feed the Rhino @ Joiners 23rd September

Nine Below Zero @ Wedgewood Rooms

Empirical @ The Railway Inn

Sigma @ Portsmouth Guildhall

The Sharks @ Talking Heads 24th september Gary Numan @ Portsmouth Guildhall The Arabella Sprot Trio @ The Railway Inn Voodoo Vegas @ Talking Heads 25th september J Fashole-Luke Trio @ The Railway Inn Manière des Bohémians @ The Railway Inn Hands of Grettel @ Talking Heads The Lottery Winners @ Joiners

TWITTER: @THEEDGESUSU

Of Mice and Man @ Pyramids Live The Monochrome Set @ Talking Heads 9th october We Are Scientists @ Wedgewood Rooms Lake Komo @ Talking Heads 10th october All Saints @ O2 Academy Jake Quickenden @ Joiners 11th october Fireball – Fuelling the Fire Tour @ O2 Academy Union J @ The Old Fire Station The Lounge Kittens @ Talking Heads

FACEBOOK:

12th october

THEEDGESUSU

Jamie T @ O2 Academy

WEBSITE:

Plastic Mermaids @ The Old Fire Station

WWW.THEEDGESUSU.CO.UK

The Rutles @ Talking Heads

Yashin @ Talking Heads Sixties Gold @ Mayflower Theatre 14th october The Bog Rolling Stones vs The Silver Beatles @ Wedgewood Rooms Twin Atlantic @ Pyramids Live The Smyths @ O2 Academy Peter and the Test Tube Babies @ Talking Heads The Mahones (WTF Fest) @ Joiners 15th october Transglobal

Underground

@

Wedgewood

Rooms Bedlam @ O2 Academy The Franklys @ The Railway Inn Turnover (WTF Fest) @ Talking Heads Sorority Noise (WTF Fest) @ Joiners 16th october Akala @ Wedgewood Rooms The Xcerts (WTF Fest) @ Joiners 17th october The Beards @ Wedgewood Rooms All Tvvins @ Joiners 18th october Yak @ Wedgewood Rooms 19th october Gun @ Wedgewood Rooms Flight Brigade @ Talking Heads 21st october UB40 @ O2 Academy The Travelling Band @ The Railway Inn The Sex Pissed Dolls @ Talking Heads Birdy @ O2 Guildhall 22nd october The Smyths @ Wedgewood Rooms Shane Filan @ Portsmouth Guildhall Nick Harper @ The Railway Inn Ben Poole @ The Railway Inn Smerins Anti Social Club @ Talking Heads 23rd october Raglans @ Joiners You Me At Six @ O2 Guildhall