Issue Three (November 2016)

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Issue three Welcome to the third issue of The Edge! The countdown to Christmas has begun, deadlines are looming and we’re very almost at the end of another year. It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly half way into our run of print issues for 2016/17, but time really does fly when you’re having fun - and here at The Edge, we’ve been having a blast getting to know our new writers. In October, we held our first writers’ social at Union Films, where we showed five of our favourite episodes of Parks and Recreation. The result was a mix of free popcorn, Chris Traeger-triggered laughs and general Edge-y goodness.

Thanks to everyone who came and watch this space for more great opportunities to hang out with us!

We’re also very pleased to announce (in print) the winner of our Screenplay competition with SUSUtv; Jonny Rogers impressed our panel of judges with his wonderfully meta screenplay, ‘Papercut Quarantine’.

Production on this short film will begin in January and will also be submitted in the Student Film Festival we cosponsor with Wessex Films (find more details on p.24!)

If you hadn’t already noticed from our gorgeously intergalactic front cover, this issue we’re getting excited for Rogue One - the latest chapter in the Star Wars franchise. To celebrate its forthcoming release, we’ve taken a look at the career of the film’s star, Felicity Jones (p. 21) as well as the Sound of Cinema that is John Williams’ iconic score (p. 22). In some fun Star Wars features, our writers have also delved into the wackiest merchandise in the SW universe (p. 26) and the ultimate Han Solo quotes to live by (p. 10).

It’s not all Star Wars though, as this issue also sees our writers get a little reflective on the events of the year. Our Live Editor Carly-May takes a look at her favourite live acts of 2016 on pages 31 & 32, while our first ‘Edge in Conversation’ piece tackles the industry’s recent obsession with expanding fictional worlds. (p.

13). In a commemorative feature on page 8, I also take a moment to remember the stars we’ve lost in what has quickly become known as an ‘annus horribilis’ for the entertainment world.

A new year is on the horizon, and with 2017 comes a host of new challenges and opportunities that we can’t wait to get stuck into. With the amount of amazing opportunities and events we’ve enjoyed so far, if you’ve yet to make a resolution, I’d suggest getting involved with your student entertainment magazine - it’ll be the best decision you make here. Promise!

Anneka Honeyball Editor

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Editor Anneka Honeyball editor@theedgesusu.co.uk Deputy Editor Ashleigh Millman deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk records Editor Xavier Voigt-Hill records@theedgesusu.co.uk 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 Ahluwalia relations@theedgesusu.co.uk 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 editor in chief Cameron Meldrum vpdci@unionsouthampton.org With help from Sophie McEvoy, Conor Kavanagh, Rebecca James and Henna Patel

Contents editorial

01 Welcome to Issue Three 02 Contents

NEWS

03 Newsbox 04 Nostalgic News 05 Notes on News: No Man’s Lie

Features

07 Fallen Stars of 2016 09 Han Solo quotes to live by 10 Is Star Wars just conventional cinema?

11 Wait, isn’t he a songwriter?

12 The Edge in Conversation: expansion of fictional worlds

Records

13 Review: Michael Buble - Nobody But Me Review: Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow 14 Review: The Chainsmokers - Collage EP Review: JONES - New Skin 15 Review: Bruno Mars - ‘24K Magic’ Review: NEIKED feat. Dyo - ‘Sexual’ Review: The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk - ‘Starboy’ 16 Review: You Me At Six - ‘Plus One’ Review: Sundara Karma - ‘Olympia’ Review: Busted - ‘On What You’re On’

film

17 London Film Festival Review: A United Kingdom 18 London Film Festival Review: Free Fire 19 Actor in Focus: Felicity Jones 21 Sound of Cinema: Star Wars 22 One to Watch: Passengers

culture

23 Royal Shakespeare Productions to catch this December 24 The Weirdest Corners of Star Wars’ Expanded Universe 25 Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 26 Battlefield 1 27 Intro To: The Mortal Engines Quartet

live

29 The Best Live Acts of 2016 31 Comedian in Focus: Dave Gorman 32 Review: Sunset Sons at the O2 Academy, Bournemouth 33 Listings

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IMAGE AND COVER IMAGE BY LUCASFILM

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NEWS

THE NEWSBOX TOP TOP FIVE FIVE NEWS NEWS STORIES STORIES

THE THE KEATS KEATS OF OF TWEETS TWEETS

Doctor Strange has topped the UK box office, passing $100,000,000 domestically.

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The final episode of The Great British Bake Off as we know it aired on the BBC, with Candice Brown coming out on top.

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Nintendo have announced their newest console, the Nintendo Switch.

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The first trailers for Logan, Trainspotting 2, Guardians of the Galaxy and Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events have been released.

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Little Mix released ‘Shout Out to My Ex’, which immediately soared to No. 1 in the UK Charts.

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

The Blacklist, Season 4, Sky Living, 04/11/16

Records Editor:

Woman by Justice, Ed Banger, 18/11/16

film editor:

Allied, by Robert Zemeckis, Paramount, 25/11/16

Culture editor:

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Netflix, 25/11/16

Live editor:

Courtesy of Jesse Pinkman

@aaronpaul_8

It’s the fallen sky that breaks when the whisper grows.

The silent breath moves like an ash…

Let us know

THE EDGE IS EAGER FOR...

The Commitments (Jan 31st - Feb 4th): The Commitments, adapted from the book by Roddy Doyle, is about Jimmy Rabitte, a young working class music fan who forms a group of friends and amateur musicians into the best soul band Dublin has ever seen. It’s possibly the best film ever and fantastic on stage too. -Carly-May, Live Editor La La Land, 13th January 2017: I saw it at London Film Festival and it was the highlight of the festival so I can’t wait to see it again for the cinema release, because there hasn’t been a film like it for a long time -Hollie, Film Editor

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

Got a celeb to nominate for next issue?

@theedgesusu

The Front Bottoms @ The 1865, 29/11/16

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himself, Aaron Paul delivers a brilliant, powerful and profound poem on the state of the world at the current moment. Hold on tight everyone, December is going to be a bumpy month!

NEWS

nostalgic news

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

Rihanna Released ‘talk that talk’ five years ago

TILLY MAGWAZA Rihanna released Talk That Talk five years ago on November 18th 2011. With three of her singles entering at the top of the Billboard 100 and the overall album debuting at number one in New Zealand, the UK, Austria, Norway and Switzerland; Rihanna proved, yet again, the enduring power of the ‘Bad Girl’. Between NME calling it a ‘so-so album’, and Rolling Stone praising it as Rihanna’s ‘most assured’ album to date, its clear that in true, rebellious fashion Rihanna divided opinion with her sixth album. Despite its definitive and consistent tone, this album misses the sense of fun from Loud and the more linear, cohesive journey of Rated R. Rihanna’s success is evident, with Talk That Talk achieving triple platinum status. This is largely due to enduring singles like ‘We Found Love’ and ‘You Da One’ which, along with ‘Where Have You Been’ and ‘Cockiness’, carry the album as a whole. But Rihanna’s permanent relevance makes five years feel like five minutes with more than half of Talk That Talk’s track list still in circulation today.

tomb raider was released 20 years ago

ELEANOR JOYCE Regardless of whether you’ve played Tomb Raider or not, you’ve probably heard of the action-adventure video game’s protagonist, Lara Croft. The franchise’s kickass heroine turns 20 years old this month, and since her first outing has been a part of over 12 games and two big-budget films starring Angelina Jolie. Tomb Raider was most notable at the time for its multi-layered levels, putting an emphasis on inventive puzzle solving and an immersive storyline as well as the obligatory shooter format. As well as breaking boundaries in gameplay, Lara Croft gained celebrity status outside of the game after its release, and regularly divides opinion over whether her ingame portrayal as a hard-edged, voluptuous heroine is positive and empowering for women, or derogatory and sexist. The most recent reboot of the Tomb Raider series, imaginatively titled Tomb Raider, was released in January and marks the franchise’s 20th anniversary, while Crystal Dynamics’ next foray into the world of cinema is due for release on 16th March 2018, starring Alicia Vikander as Croft. A trailblazer in more ways than one, Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise will always remain a classic and a pioneer of its genre.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released 15 years ago

REHANA NURMAHI Magical how time flies, isn’t it? It’s been 15 years since the release of the first film in the Harry Potter franchise in 2001.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, was first published in 1997, and producers at Warner Bros. were quick to get the rights acquired so that they could make a film adaptation. The film, directed by Chris Columbus, was the start of one of the highest grossing film series in history, and launched the careers of its child stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Rowling insisted that the cast must be entirely British or Irish, so as to replicate the novels, and the films were shot here in the UK too; mostly at London’s Leavesden Studios - now open to the public as a tourist attraction.

Although the film is essentially 152 minutes of world building, it received favourable reviews, and is the 30th highest grossing film of all time. It was the start of an era, and its success and wonder still permeates society now, with Rowling still releasing new material about the wizarding world.

Monsters, inc. was released 15 years ago

LISA VEIBER Monsters, Inc., considered by many to be one of the best animated movies of all time was released 15 years ago on 2nd November 2001. It is unsurprising that the film was such a success. The plot is brilliant, the story is moving, and the idea of a parallel world full of monsters scaring children at night, touches kids as well as grown-ups. The movie nuances and parodies a lot from everyday life; from our childhood nightmares to the corporation life of employees. The question of ethics is also central to the movie, as we see the different reactions to the child issue in the company including the scary, but unsurprising reaction of Waternoose. Even 15 years later, the movie is still good fun, full of wit and does not have an old-fashioned air that some animated films suffer from. Due to its huge success, Pixar released a sequel, 12 years after the original movie entitled Monsters University, in which we follow Mike, Sulley and Randall as students, and how a life-time friendship was born between the two main characters. Monsters, Inc. definitely remains to be one of the best choices for a good family movie.

THE EDGE IMAGE BY WALT DISNEY PICTURES AND PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS

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notes

why companies should be held accountable REBECCA BARNES

The recent controversy over No Man’s Sky’s inability to live up to many of its customers expectations once again raises the issue of how much freedom manufacturers should have when advertising their product.

While manufacturers should be able to sell their product in creative and engaging ways, they still need to be honest about what their product is. The developers and manufacturers of NMS made promises they could not deliver on, and advertised their game as something which clearly was false.

Customers trust manufacturers to give them the product they advertise, so when the product they are advertising doesn’t even actually exist, the whole system breaks down, and it is the customer that suffers.

The whole synergy is interdependent on consumers trusting producers to deliver the goods. Games like No Man’s Sky are expensive, and to spend around £50 on a product just to find out that it isn’t what you thought it would be is a disappointing, and aggravating experience for the customer.

As a result, any developer who advertises their product in a similar way to how Hello Games advertised this game misleads their customers, and as a result, they should be held accountable.

Gamers were led to believe that NMS would be the answer to their prayers; a game more high tech and open world than any game that came before, made apparent by it’s sheer size.

The game supposedly has 18 quintillion planets to explore, which would take 922,337,203,685,477,580 days. Undeniably this is impressive, and is made even more impressive by the fact that it was developed by only 15 people in less than 1000 days. However, this does not change the fact that the developers promised an experience in No Man’s Sky that they failed to deliver.

Understandably many customers were disappointed by the product, as it turned out to be different from how it was advertised. This led to many complaints being lodged with the ASA, which led to an investigation focussed on the content which was uploaded to the game’s store page on Steam. Many gamers feel that the screenshots and videos which advertised the game were misleading. They suggested higher quality graphics than can be found in the actual game, as well as large scale space combat, more advanced

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animal behaviour and spaceship behaviour. Another complaint is the lack of a multiplayer function, which is considered a staple for most successful modern games.

Unfortunately this is not the first time that customers have been faced with misleading advertising.

Grand Theft Auto V was investigated by the ASA in 2015, after similar complaints were made. The ASA came to the conclusion that adverts suggesting GTA V was discounted by 25% during the Steam summer sale were misleading. This was due to the discount advertised only just bringing the game down to beneath its normal retail price, which did not represent the aforementioned saving.

Similarly, Suicide Squad is another example of false advertising. Many fans were left upset by the lack of Joker scenes in the film after trailers had suggested a far bigger presence for Jared Leto’s character.

It was later revealed that many of the trailers circulating at the time had used content which was eventually cut from the actual film.

Whether it be movie-goers disappointed that their favourite character didn’t get enough screen time, or gamers who felt let down by a company which promised a product they could not provide, many companies are guilty of misleading advertisements. Customers repeatedly find themselves left out of pocket after paying for a product which turned out to be different from how it was advertised.

This needs to change. Manufacturers and developers need to start being honest and advertise the product as how they intend to publish it, rather than an airbrushed ‘false’ version. To do anything else is unfair on the customer, and suggests a lack of confidence in the product they are releasing. No Man’s Sky is a game that promised a lot, and delivered little, letting a lot of people down in the process.

on news

NEWS

THE ADVERTISER’S REBUTTAL THEA HARTMAN

The controversy game No Man’s

of the Sky has

much-anticipated video become quite massive.

As the fans have complained over the numerous discrepancies between the trailers and the actual game, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has launched an investigation, which threatens to charge the Hello Games product under the verdict of false advertising- a charge which would be catastrophic financially for the company.

No Man’s Sky is one out of many products which have been almost compromised by their own advertising campaigns, but one of the considerably fewer such products to actually undergo an investigation.

The investigation is said to be quite difficult to conclude.

This is because the game is procedurally generated. As a result, it provides different experiences and outcomes to every player. The animals or universes the players have been disappointed by might not even be discovered by the investigators of this game; so the decision of the ASA to invest in such an examination is quite interesting.

Let’s look at the whole situation from a more general perspective.

How many times haven’t advertising campaigns misled people before?

From blockbusters such as Suicide Squad, promoting Jared Leto’s Joker as a main character, to the most mundane vacuum cleaner which has been ‘scientifically proven’ to clean the house in three seconds and a half. It is a part of life to be disappointed by something we bought, only for it not to live up to our expectations. It’s all about the effect of advertising, and the way it guides its audience towards the goal of purchasing it.

This guidance has become quite an art over the years.

This ‘art of advertising’ consists in emphasising the most convenient features of the product. Inevitably, this sometimes exaggerates them to the point where they aren’t identical to the truth, or are simply ‘forgetting’ to mention something integral to the object of interest.

The omission of Jon Snow from the advertising campaign of the sixth season of Game of Thrones, for example, obviously to avoid spoiling the cliffhanger of his fate, (and enhance the enigma with only one intriguing poster) is one example of the power advertising has over its viewers.

Giving the target audience a one-sided presentation which renders something as incredible obviously leads to high hopes. In turn, this leads to an insane level of speculation (especially with cases like No Man’s Sky).

The only problem with the so-called ‘hype’ is that it doesn’t really alleviate the impact of the moment when the buyer is given the 360° perspective. In the No Man’s Sky situation, many details looked differently, and the anticipated grand space wasn’t exactly as the fans were breathlessly expecting it to be.

This is what happened to No Man’s Sky. It became a victim of its own advertising. The expectations were too high, the speculation was too intense and consequently, it became impossible for the product to deliver on these expectations. Maybe it’s not a legal matter, maybe it’s only one of those (many) cases in which advertisements juggle with the truth to achieve their aim.

If No Man’s Sky proves anything, it is that the overall outlook really changes everything; advertisements are hoodwinking and so conflicts appear.

Despite this, No Man’s Sky is certainly not the only product to advertise in this manner, and certainly won’t be the last. Even if it’s normal for the players to be put off by the discrepancies, maybe they shouldn’t let themselves be robbed of the experience of the game itself and just enjoy it for what it is.

Although the customer clearly has lost out in this situtation, the best thing for Hello Games, and indeed all companies in the industry is to use it as a learning curve, and also as a warning: the consumer is no longer happy to sit down and take being taken for granted when it comes to substandard products.

THE EDGE IMAGE BY HELLO GAMES

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Remembering the Stars We’ve Lost in 2016 ANNEKA HONEYBALL

Since January, 2016 has gone down as one of the most morbid years in recent history. People die every day, but this year, the entertainment industry has lost an unfathomable number of stars who were loved around the world. Actors, musicians, comedians... The people who work in this industry do so to provide a sense of joy or comfort using their own specific medium. So when we lose these people - who we’ve looked up to and followed during the best and worst of times - it hits hard. As we approach the end of this ‘annus horribilis’, it seems only right to remember those we’ve lost.

The music industry was hit hard from the very beginning of the year, when one of music’s most innovative and creative giants tragically passed. David Bowie died on 10th January, just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar. In the aftermath of his passing, the album took on a new significance and poignancy, as it quickly became clear that Bowie had planned it to be his swan song, before he succumbed to his closely guarded battle with cancer.

Four days later, the film industry also took a hefty blow when Alan Rickman also died as a result of cancer. An actor of great presence and dexterity, Rickman’s loss was similarly tough, as each generation mourned him - from those old enough to love his villainous roles in Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves to those who would always know him as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.

Then, at the end of the month, one of the UK’s most beloved broadcasters also passed. A presenter of great warmth and charisma, Terry Wogan was a patron of TV and radio who is still sorely missed. February saw the loss of more stars, from magician Paul Daniels to Frank Kelly and the great Ronnie Corbett. One of the country’s best loved comedians, best known for being half of The Two Ronnies, this loss was also tough.

In April, the music industry lost another inimitable star when Prince passed away at the age of 57. A distinctly talented musician, Prince’s incredible legacy lives on alongside the professional creeds of other fallen stars like Bowie, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, John Lennon and Elvis. Within this month, another beloved UK comedian was lost too. The terrifically witty writer and comedian Victoria Wood passed away at the age of 62.

Then, in June, a truly unexpected and all the more tragic loss was felt when Anton Yelchin died in a freak car accident at the tender age of 27. A promising up and comer, Yelchin had so much more to give, following his breakout performances in Charlie Bartlett and Star Trek.

Subsequent months followed in the same tragic vein, as we lost the likes of Caroline Aherne (the softspoken comedy great behind Mrs Merton, Gogglebox and The Royle Family), Kenny Baker (the literal driving force behind R2-D2 in the Star Wars franchise), Leonard Cohen, and Gene Wilder (the whimsical actor behind Young Frankenstein, The Producers and Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory).

There will no doubt be more people who we’ve loved onscreen or in film, music and comedy that we will lose in 2017 and beyond, but we can only hope that those losses won’t hit as hard or as frequently as they did this year.

Rest in peace.

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THE EDGE CENTRAL IMAGE BY BRIAN DUFFY

SUSUtv’s

12 Days of Christmas Join us from 14 December for 12 festive videos, including content such as original sketches, factual programmes and a live show!

Watch online on Facebook and YouTube!

Want to get involved?

To find out more about our Christmas content, email original@susu.tv, and to join and see what we have coming up, visit bit.do/JoinSUSUtv for all the details!

Don’t forget: you can catch up on our entire Freshers’ 2016 series now! To relive your flatmates’ drunken antics in all their glory, just head to youtube.com/SUSUtvSouthampton!

SUSUtv are the national award-winning student-run television station at the University of Southampton Students’ Union. We’re always looking for new members, so come and find our studio on Level 1 of B42 and say hi!

FEATURES

Han Solo Quotes to Live By CARLY-MAY KAVANAGH

Let’s get this clear: Han Solo is by far the coolest character ever. He’s handsome, he’s hilarious, he shot first. He also has some fantastic quotes; some gems of advice that it would be a good idea to take on. In celebration of all things Star Wars, here’s some of his quotes that I feel are actually somewhat helpful: 'ESCAPE NOW, HUG LATER' Get yourself out of danger before you get all sentimental.

'AND ''THAT THING'' CAN UNDERSTAND YOU TOO, SO WATCH IT.' Just because you can’t understand what they’re saying doesn’t mean they don’t understand you! Don’t be rude to people.

'THAT'S NOT HOW THE FORCE WORKS!' AND 'KID, I'VE FLOWN FROM ONE SIDE OF THIS GALAXY TO THE OTHER, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF STRANGE STUFF, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN *ANYTHING* TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ONE ALL-POWERFUL FORCE CONTROLLING EVERYTHING.' You can’t just rely on some all powerful ‘force’ to do everything for you, sometimes you’ve got to take responsibility and get on with things yourself.

'WOMEN ALWAYS FIGURE OUT THE TRUTH. ALWAYS.'

Don’t lie to people, especially women, because we’re going to find out and it’ll be 100x worse than if you’d just told the truth in the first place.

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'NOT A BAD BIT OF RESCUING, HUH? YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I AMAZE EVEN MYSELF.' Be proud of your accomplishments!

REY: 'FROM INSIDE THE HANGAR? IS THAT EVEN PO SSIBLE?' HAN: 'I NEVER ASK THAT QUESTION 'TILL AFTER I'VE DONE IT.' Always have faith in what you’re doing, as long as you think it’s the right thing to do, even if nobody else does... unless you really shouldn’t be doing it. Maybe this one should be taken a little more liberally. Have faith in yourself!

'SAME THING I ALWAYS DO. TALK MY WAY OUT OF IT.'

Don’t get yourself into trouble, always have a valid excuse for doing what you’re doing.

'YOU

LIKE ME BECAUSE I'M A SCOUNDREL. THERE AREN'T ENOUGH SCOUNDRELS IN YOUR LIFE.' Han Solo really does have some... questionable advice at times, but the overall message is believe in yourself and your abilities, and stand up for others. And always have a blaster.

THE EDGE IMAGE BY LUCASFILM LTD.

FEATURES

DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER Fact: Star Wars is the most successful film franchise of all time.

Well maybe not a fact but you get my point.

It’s an undeniable and indelible movie behemoth; there’s hardly a person alive who hasn’t seen at least one Star Wars movie.

Going all the way back to 1977 and the release of A New Hope, George Lucas’ masterpiece has long been the bench mark for imagination, wonder and quality in the blockbuster industry.

2015’s enormously anticipated and equally successful franchise revival The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, returned the series to its roots after some deviations in the formula with the prequels, and this December we return once again to a galaxy far, far away with Rogue One, the first spin-off film of the franchise.

But what is it that makes Star Wars so phenomenally popular and successful?

Looking at the characters, themes and story lines, isn’t Star Wars just massively simplistic and generic? Why and how has it attained all this success when a slew of other sci-fi movies have fallen by the way side? At the end of the day, isn’t Star Wars just conventional cinema?

First things first, arguably the strongest part of Star Wars at its peak; the s t o r y. T h e S t a r Wa r s t r i l o g y e x e c u t e s the conventional equilibrium-problemresolution narrative to perfection.

A New Hope: equilibrium, Empire Strikes Back: problem, Return of the Jedi: resolution. Yes, it’s generic, but the way Star Wars deploys this is with confidence, fun, and sprawling imagination. The original trilogy tells a to-the-point narrative which perfectly comes full circle. It may be simplistic, but it has worked a treat for millions of fans.

Several other films have utilised similar formulas, so why has Star Wars been the most successful? In this case, it might just be the characters which give Star Wars the edge.

The franchise is essentially a high fantasy story, and the characters match that. You have the hero, Luke Skywalker, the chosen one who must save the princess and the galaxy; The princess herself, Leia; the lovable rogue, Han Solo; the muscle, Chewbacca; the mentor, Obi-Wan; the worst villain around, Darth Vader; and the comic relief sidekicks, R2-D2 and C3PO. All of these characters are written to near perfection and truly make an already great story even greater.

But doesn’t every movie have a hero, a villain and some sidekicks? Isn’t Star Wars still just generic?! The most important thing to note about why and how Star Wars has been so successful is its originality...

Now, now, before you retaliate, let me explain.

Can you really think of an epic sci-fi/fantasy adventure franchise on the scale of Star Wars from before its release? Star Wars was, is, and shall forever be, unique. A juggernaut of innovation and spectacle, Star Wars is in a class of its own. No one has ever taken a western, added a little fantasy and then stuck it in a galaxy far, far away as George Lucas did in 1977. Star Wars is entertainment at its finest and has thus managed to captivate the hearts of fans the world over.

The story might be pretty standard, and the characters might be regular archetypes, but Star Wars is far from conventional.

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IMAGE BY LUCASFILM LTD.

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WAIT, ISN’T HE A SONGWRITER? SARAH WHITTINGTON

So, someone won the Nobel Prize for Literature last month. Awards, articles and a measure of eternal literary fame now beckon, obviously. Recipient: Bob Dylan. Wait. Isn’t he a songwriter? Or is this for one of those (probably ghost-written anyway) celeb autobiographies? What even is literature?

Why is the sky blue? What has the world come to?

Dylan is certainly, at the very least, an artist to have left a lasting impact through his music. Countless others cite his work as inspiration, supposedly even Eminem. Clearly songs can and do have a profound impact on the time and generation they’re released in, whether they are throwbacks from the ‘00s, or in Dylan’s case, related to the Vietnam War.

There’s the opening argument, of course, that something along the lines of Rihanna’s ‘Work’ isn’t exactly brimming with the hallmarks of classic literature. Isn’t literature something written by Jane Austen; novels brimming with long descriptive passages, overarching moral themes and a human message? If it’s not, and literature is simply at its basic form, words on a page, then where do we draw the line?

A famous (and relevant) quote states that “Art decorates space, music decorates time”. Dylan’s impact, courting controversy or not, is undoubtedly an ‘impact’ worthy of note and recognition.

That’s certainly how the Nobel panel have seen it.

We might want to be that liberal, but is anyone going to read the words “McDonald’s advert chosen for literary prize” and not think it’s a bit of a rubbish joke? The point there is left to argue though is: Dylan?

He’s one of the greats, isn’t he? Hum a few bars of ‘Blowin in the Wind’ or ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ and you’ll probably get some response, even if it’s “oh yeah, heard that on some X Factor audition”.

There are however, two main standpoints that favour Dylan’s admission to the Nobel line up; the first being that everything written is literature, songs included, and the second, that high quality written work is literature and he can be considered on these grounds.

Both are subjective in their own way, although the second will likely have a better consensus on what is literary genius and what is a catchy hook designed for the Top 40. The only disqualifier then, is simply that as a song, Dylan’s work cannot be considered literature under any circumstance. Add a few chords and that’s it all over. That hardly seems fair.

Why do we consider classic literature to be exactly that? Beautiful prose, haunting couplets, plotlines that expand what we thought a genre could be or offer up new characters to be copied at varying success rates; why should all of these features be confined to a book? Aren’t songs just poetry set to music anyway?

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It may not be literature in quite the same way as Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, but if we mark out the boundaries too soon we cut ourselves off from what these greats represented back in their day: progress. Why shouldn’t we recognise beautiful writing with more than just a Grammy? Maybe in twenty years ‘Work’ will be a literary classic of its own. Maybe it won’t.

For now though, Dylan seems a good start.

FEATURES

The Edge IN CONVERSATION: expanded fictional universes

REBECCA JAMES, ANNEKA HONEYBALL AND REHANA NURMAHI This article is the first in a new series which sees a group of writers talk about issues and debates within the entertainment industry. Prompted by the upcoming release of Rogue One, Anneka, Rehana, and Rebecca talked about the expansion of fictional worlds.

Discussion began considering the newest expansion of the Star Wars universe, Rogue One which is scheduled to be released 16th December 2016. The incredibly well known universe is seeing a massive expansion thanks to the Disney purchase of the property from Lucasfilm, began with the release of Episode Seven in 2015, and continued with the upcoming release. Rogue One acts as a true expansion, relating to the events of the two main trilogies, but featuring new characters central to the narrative. The action occurs prior to Star Wars: A New Hope, and centres on the attempts by the rebels to attain the plans for the Death Star, filling in the gap between the original trilogy and the prequels.

The placement of the film is a potential snagging point for the film in terms of narrative, because the knowledge that the rebels are successful potentially removes some of the dramatic tension in the story - it begs the question of whether this removes the uncertainty of success that many films are predicated on. In the place of this uncertainty, some of the appeal of the film may come from the characterisation of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), and how she factors into the wider universe, but nonetheless, potentially this particular story could be a little unnecessary - it largely depends on how the character is embedded in the world. This expansion also gives the opportunity to explore the character of Darth Vader, because the character was badly served by the prequel trilogy audiences didn’t get the satisfaction they wanted from the exploration of the figure in the prequel trilogy.

Rogue One is an opportunity to reignite the character, to make him scary again.

The planned Han Solo origins project then turned conversation to origin stories. Origin stories do not have the best track record, thanks largely because of the travesty which was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, generally accepted as one of the worst of the series.

The X-Men universe is a particular example of how modelled and confused an expasion can be. Seemingly a victim of its own success, the commercial and critical success of X-Men: First Class created the impetus for further installments featuring the new, younger cast.

The world was then confused by X-Men: Days of Future Past, and was complicated further by X-Men: Apocalypse, which left audiences unsure about the place of the original trilogy of films, and wrapped viewers up in considerations of the logistics of the timeline rework. However, concerns about these films expand beyond this, as by and large Apocalypse was slightly disappointing, particularly with the characterisation of the villain. Compared to the cartoons and comics, this character felt impotent in his own right. Similarly, Days of Future Past comes from an idea which seems so good on paper, but which for some failed to come off. Part of the problem stems from how The Last Stand closed so many doors, that this kind of reset was almost needed.

The consensus seemed to be that expansions should be driven by narrative. You can find the audio of this ‘In Conversation,’ which includes consideration of other world expansions, including Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter.

To hear the audio of this ‘In Conversation’, visit our website.

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RECORDS

album reviews Who knew Canada had such a big impact on the music scene? Not only is teen pop sensation Justin Bieber dominating the world with a new bad boy persona, Carly Rae Jepsen’s B-sides are still amongst the best pop of the year and KAYTRANADA is producing album standouts for everyone from Craig David to Chance The Rapper. But none of them can beat the King of Smooth, Mr. Michael Bublé, whose succulent vocals could seduce the Virgin Queen or the most extreme homophobic men of America’s deep south.

Michael BubLÉ

nobody but me JAMES BARKER

It’s safer than ever to say that Bublé knows what he’s doing, and fortunately you need not fear a rut as Nobody But Me is a wonderful mix of new music and golden covers comprising the smoothest love ballads and the most upbeat pop. He even breaks some new ground: for the first time ever in ‘Someday,’ a romantic duet with Meghan Trainor and a mildly unnerving age gap, he sings an original song in which he played no role in writing, instead leaving those duties to Trainor and One Direction’s Harry Styles.

(I’d love to hear that story.) He does, however, have writing credits on the two biggest tracks of the album: the groovy-for-all-generations title track and the heartwarming, uplifting opener ‘I Believe In You.’ Like much of the rest of the album, ‘Today Is Yesterday’s Tomorrow’ is good fun and easy listening, although far from revolutionary, and ‘The Very Thought Of You’ is as smooth as honey on the ears, transporting you back to the most romantic of memories. With rich baritone showcases like his cover of ‘On An Evening In Roma (Sott’er Celo De Roma),’ his wife’s favourite track, Nobody But Me will easily gift romantic restaurants some new serenades for their Spotify playlists and, just in time for Christmas, the path is clear for this winter to once again be Bublé’s own.

Out now via Reprise Records

Since debuting Tourist History in 2010 and going on to play every corner of the planet, Two Door Cinema Club has helped shape a euphoria and niche calling for quirky indie bands. Following the risk-taking Beacon, Gameshow promised a free rein to incorporate diverse interests and influences and the trio does not disappoint, referencing disco, funk, indie rock, and pop.

Throughout, it appers that their sound has matured and found a harmonious tie to their previous work. The introduction to the title track, for example, throws homage to Beacon’s use of melody whilst maintaining the indie rock components that first got them recognised.

Further development is evident by exposing the vocal capabilities of Alex Trimble, who experiments with his range throughout. On ‘Bad Decisions’ and ‘Je Viens De La,’ the more disco-oriented tracks, he manipulates his tone for a softer falsetto, in turn being a more commanding frontman.

The first listen shouldn’t determine your opinion of Gameshow, as some of the more relaxed tracks can go under the radar around dance-provoking songs.

‘Invincible,’ for example, invokees great simplicity with a slight backing track, especially in the introduction, to showcase Trimble’s vocals alone until the beat kicks in to allow the entire band to shine. Perseverance is definitely encouraged, as this is unquestionably an album that will grows on you the more you listen to it.

As alternative and indie music evolves, so too do the demands and standards of listeners. Fortunately with Gameshow, Two Door Cinema Club yet again showcases headline worthiness with what is a good investment whether you sing along to it whilst stuck in traffic or at a concert in a packed crowd of like-minded fans. (Their national tour next spring has already sold out.)

Out now via Parlophone

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two door cinema club

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SARAH POLLEY

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RECORDS

the chainsmokers

collage ep

XAVIER VOIGT-HILL

What ‘#SELFIE’ did by to promote The Chainsmokers across the globe it counteracted by ruthlessly haemorrhaging their credibility. Before, they were two dudes making bad jokes in the SoundCloud descriptions of tender (and thoroughly enjoyable) amplifications of tracks by alt-indie luminaries like Jónsi, Phoenix, and The Killers.

Then, one gimmicky pissabout signed by Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label later, they had a string of club dates and festival appearances, a hilariously dreadful American Idol performance, and millions of new listeners who looked forward to their next move much as they did with DJ Ötzi and the Crazy Frog. Somehow, having resettled themselves with an official mix for Bastille, they began again, building up to 2015’s original EP Bouquet and global chart residency over the twelve months that followed.

Collage follows its lead by regularly sounding deflated when poised to erupt, with ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ proving an exception by leaping from pleading guitar to disconcertingly intoxicated trap with no warning.

‘Closer,’ which features belated authorship notes from The Fray, and ‘All We Know’ pedal additional underwhelm by letting Drew Taggart – the one with the writing credits, closer shave, and ability to give mediocre vocalists everywhere hope that they too can sing on a triple-platinum single – duet with the EP’s cast of similarly pleasant and interchangeable female voices.

Where my frustration with Collage primarily lies is that many components of good music are here: the emotion, channelled (perhaps too liberally) from their indie-pop admiration; the melodies and production, which promise so much before dropping to so little; the personality, now beginning to seep into their music as well as their Twitter feuds. Yet, for every anguished, fire-bating cry from XYLØ’s Paige Duddy at the opening, there’s a glaring moment of sonic or lyrical inconsistency to follow over the course of its scrappy quintet.

Out now via Disruptor/Columbia Records

New Skin is a beautiful introduction to London-based singer-songwriter JONES and her craft, showcasing elegant vocal tones, harmonic choices, and an ability to adapt to different variations of the pop genre. Is there room for improvement? Like anything in life, yes, but this album is certainly one to experience. With a “soul-pop and alternative” sound and an admiration of artists such as Tame Impala and Lykke Li, versatility in the instrumentation and arrangement of the album as a whole help to give the record some uniqueness.

With effective production, opening track ‘Rainbow’ perfectly demonstrates how JONES’ musical influences have merged together in the creative process.

The Rhodes piano adds depth and sits well with the simple vocal melody, and spaced percussion at the close solidifies the track’s laidback and ethereal ambience. ‘Waterloo’ is a definite highlight, carrying the most sincere instrumentation and production that compliments her lyrics well. With the beautiful chord progressions and poetic lyrics. it unquestionably remains pop-minded but still manages to infuse elements of vocal soul, reminding me of the track ‘Dreaming’ by producer BOOTS.

jones

new skin

RICHARD ANDERSON

On tracks like ‘Melt’ and ‘Walk My Way,’ both written with and produced by HONNE, one cannot help but fall into the groove with fresh and distinct melodies and elements of funk respectively. Nonetheless, the standout has to be the title track, which is by far the most experimental one on the record. It beautifully highlights JONES’ tone and range, and it’s a shame that the listener has to wait until the end of the album (and past moments like the generic, cheesy pop presented as ‘Out Of This World’) to experience it.

Out now via 37 Adventures

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RECORDS

BRUNO MARS 24K MAGIC

REHANA NURMAHI Upon hearing that Bruno Mars was releasing new music, I jumped to review it before even listening.

Imagine my disappointment, then, when this single, although groovy, is thoroughly average at best, certainly not golden and lacking all the magic that his music usually possesses. Whether through trying to do something original or just stir the fanbase a bit, ‘24K Magic’ is one to avoid.

NEIKED FEAT. DYO SEXUAL DAVE WILLIAMS

It’s the classic story: him, a Stockholm-based producer; her, a singer-songwriter from London. The result: something that isn’t particularly subtle, but if anything that counts in its favour. Easily the most chart-friendly of NEIKED’s three published songs to date, Warner-signed Dyo clarifies her intentions with complete unambiguity (“Say you feel the way that I feel / I’m feeling sexual / So we should be sexual”) as a variety of layered instruments combine for an instantly memorable chorus and hook.

SINGLE REVIEWS Whatever Mars was trying to achieve, ‘24K Magic’ feels like a lacklustre attempt at recreating ‘Uptown Funk’ without any of the brilliance and pizzazz that Mark Ronson clearly brought to the table. Given Mars’ insane vocal range, it’s such a waste of talent that this is less singing and more of a half-hearted attempt at rapping that ends up being, for the most part, merely randomly-picked words shouted amidst the music. Its lyrics are unimaginative and dull, reeking of gross entitled rich man vibes (“Spend your money like money ain’t shit / Woop woop, we too fresh / Got to blame it on Jesus / Hashtag blessed / They ain’t ready for me”), and truthfully I have only managed to get through the entire mess twice because I get so bored and underwhelmed every time I try.

Out now via Atlantic Records

production of ‘Sexual’ pays off, being stripped back and grandstanding at all the right moments, with Dyo’s impressive vocal range a good match for this production, staying the right side of disembodied. The beat and bassline in particular sound a cut above many of the songs charting around it, giving the impression they were orchestrated by a percussionist and not just rearranged 808 101. ‘Sexual’ isn’t massively dissimilar from a lot of other music around in 2016, but it has a slightly different flavour: a house style that NEIKED looks to be quickly establishing.

Out now via NEIKED Collective/Polydor

In an era of laptop-generated smash hits, the meticulous care NEIKED has taken over the

THE WEEKND FEAT. DAFT PUNK STARBOY SOPHIE MCEVOY

Following The Weeknd’s immensely successful 2015, the R&B sensation has teamed up with house heroes Daft Punk for the title track of its successor. With the French robots involved, it is little surprise that ‘Starboy’ is more electronically focused than last year’s material, diverging from

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the grittier pop sound of Beauty Behind The Madness, feeling marginally more stripped than The Weeknd’s previous discography and bringing his Michael Jackson-esque vocals to the forefront.

‘Starboy’ encompasses The Weeknd’s thoughts on his newfound fame after his breakout from being an underground alternative R&B singer to global superstardom. (He reportedly earned $55 million in 2015.) “Legend of the fall took the year like a bandit / Bought mama a crib and a brand new wagon / Now she hit the grocery shop looking lavish,” he sings, whilst referencing no fewer than five vehicles in under four minutes (“100 on the dash get me close to God / We don’t pray for love, we just pray for cars.”). The lyrics may not be as instantly memorable as those of ‘Can’t Feel My Face,’ but ‘Starboy’ is nonetheless totally a song that you can road trip to.

Out now via Republic Records

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RECORDS

YOU ME AT SIX PLUS ONE LUCY CLOWES

With fifth album Night People around the corner, You Me At Six has hinted towards an altered sound and new direction with the brace of the title track and ‘Plus One.’ Featuring significant explosive instrumental elements which contrast with the mellow nature of the verse accompaniment, particularly at the beginning and during the choruses, the latter’s varied pace and well-defined chorus are necessary features of any good pop-rock song.

SUNDARA KARMA OLYMPIA

DAVID MITCHELL-BAKER Last August, The Guardian described Reading rockers Sundara Karma as “indie Springsteens” – an assertion unquestionable on ‘Olympia,’ taken from 2017 debut album Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect. Oscar Pollock’s vocals are suitably gruff, yet they retain a smooth and powerful tone that would make The Boss proud. The guitar work from Ally Baty is wonderfully mixed and structured, with a near-constant riff singing out, meshing perfectly with the Dom Cordell’s bass work and the simplistic, yet consistently strong drumming from Haydn Evans.

The inclusion of deep bass and strong rhythms helps ‘Plus One’ to differ from the raw sounds that emerged from their Take Off Your Colours and Hold Me Down eras, and even in part to the more recent Sinners Never Sleep, steering strongly towards the vein of bands like Royal Blood and Foo Fighters.

As with their last outing, the chorus itself lacks the killer aspect of older singles like ‘Loverboy’ and ‘Underdog,’ whilst the tone of this new release appears calmer, more tamed, and less full of teen angst.

This isn’t necessarily a negative: on the contrary, it is simply different, but diehard fans must be warned that there is the prospect of a noticeable change ahead.

Out now via BMG

The anthemic nature of ‘Olympia’ builds terrifically to its chorus so you can’t help but feel psyched up listening to the deceptively challenging track, which dealing with the difficulties of confinement and the yearning to be free. It invokes a melancholic feeling for those of us past our teenage years but is sure to be a real in-the-moment anthem for the younger generation. With this big hitting rock’n’roll number for the new era of indie fans, Sundara Karma may be on their way to filling the arena shoes of the powerhouses that satiated their older siblings’ youth, carving out their own identity in the process. Following ‘Olympia,’ I wouldn’t dare question them.

Out now via RCA

BUSTED ON WHAT YOU’RE ON KATIE DUKE

After a 12 year hiatus, the first proper single from Night Driver – Busted’s first release as a reunited trio – can at first be a disappointing indication that they’ve lost the classic pop-punk style that everyone used to adore. Yet, once I managed to accept that it’s no longer 2003, ‘On What You’re On’ began to start growing on me, with a DNCE-ish set of synthy guitars, a lovely bit of saxophone in the bridge, and, like ‘Cake By The O c e a n ,’ hidden lyrical meanings.

The boys have grown beyond singing about the love for their school teacher, instead going on about drugs this time around, and the robotic vocals make ‘On What You’re On’ sound quite similar to recent chart material, but they’re nothing like you’d expect from Busted. The only one of the boys who sounds anything like he used to is Charlie Simpson, as James Bourne and Matt Willis have lost the nasally American sound that they used to adopt in the old days – which may actually be a good thing. Although I hope the album has a few songs with a more traditional Busted sound, the completely new side presented here is a welcome evolution for the band.

Out now via Juno Music THE EDGE

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Review:

A United Kingdom HOLLIE GERAGHTY

A United Kingdom is a hidden gem of a story, one which few have heard of, but many have felt the impact of.

The charming yet powerful love story follows English woman Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) and King of Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana) Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), as they fall for each other despite the forbidden circumstances of their love.

Directed by diversity advocate Amma Asante, the film, shot in Botswana and London, is an incredible tale of love that struggles against all odds, shaking two nations. Right from the offset, we see the spark ignited between Ruth and Seretse, an instinctual love which is willing to power through the racial prejudices which restrict both of them from marrying and being accepted in each other’s native countries.

As a unique story it’s one that is uniquely told; it does not follow the conventions of most films about race, avoiding the N word and other predictable insults. This allows the main plot to be explored in greater depth, rather than attempting to shock the audience with attitudes towards black people in 1940s Britain, which we are well aware of.

David Oyelowo delivers a powerful performance in which he must be a politician, a husband and a father. His love for Ruth is powerful and totally convincing throughout.

The passion with which he delivers dialogue, especially the divisive speeches to his tribe in Bechuanaland, are hugely moving and actually quite overwhelming. In the same way, Rosamund Pike is a perfect

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fit for Ruth, a role in which she plays with grace and pride, yet doesn’t shy away from a fight when necessary.

In the same way that the film does not concede to the stereotypes of films about race, it does not do this with Africa either. What we see is a unique perspective of Africa, not just staged with stereotypical straw huts and dusty villages, but with politics and embassies; it is far from the all-too-common depiction of Africa as alien and primitive. Sadly though, this overall feel of authenticity is lessened by some side performances by the likes of Tom Felton, Jack Davenport and Nicholas Lyndhurst, performances which feel like actors who are trying to act, rather than actors just being the characters.

Although A United Kingdom is filled with many commendable merits, there is something missing in making the film as strong as it should be. The story is undoubtedly powerful, but something about the pacing and overall execution falls short. The conflict seems to be sugar-coated, and although the passion of the cause is evidently important to Ruth and Seretse, there’s a lack of urgency and the drama of the disagreements just isn’t as engrossing as it should be.

Amma Asante has done a fantastic job in creating a unique film that is thoroughly uplifting and very moving, but when it boils down to the overall quality, we’re left relying on the story alone to impress us. When taken scene by scene, instead of being mesmerised as we are by Ruth and Seretse’s love, the political and legal struggle just isn’t as enticing.

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FILM

Review:

FREE FIRE

HOLLIE GERAGHTY

Acclaimed British director of Sightseers, Kill List and High Rise, Ben Wheatley, has returned with his quirky action-comedy, Free Fire, which rounded up the 2016 London Film Festival. Boasting a stellar cast of Cillian Murphy, Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Sam Riley, and Sharlto Copley, to name a few, the 1970s Boston set film is in a similar vein to Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

The key events of the film kick off pretty quickly when an arms deal between two gangs in an abandoned warehouse goes wrong. With a simple premise, the entirety of the film consists of hundreds of gun shots and nearly the same amount of one-liners. The eccentric characters who, together are odd group of misfits, fill most of the scenes with insulting jokes, the best of which come from South Africa born actor Sharlto Copley, who plays a Vernon, a character of the same origins. The witty, appearance conscious wheelerdealer delivers some of the funniest lines of the 90 minute run time.

Despite the presence of Oscar winner Brie Larson, who plays Justine (and is never allowed to forget that she is the only woman present), no performances are particularly stand out, being that their roles don’t really give them a chance to show their performance mettle. However, their roles don’t really require this at all, as from the very beginning it’s clear that Free Fire is nothing more than a bit of fun.

Everyone knows that they’re there for comedic effect and not much more, but everyone performs well in these roles to the extent the film allows them to .

Despite similarities to the classic Tarantino scripts which manage to perfect the balance between humour and realism, Free Fire doesn’t quite manage this to the same effect. Although this is not something which massively lessens the quality of the film- as it can’t be denied that it’s taking its own path which is bound to become a British cult classic- it’s still not quite the same.

In the heart of the action, it’s impossible to not be weirdly mesmerised by the completely unchoreographed sporadic firing of bullets, which e ver yone manages to get involved with. It’s totally gripping at the time, but when things calm down, it’s pretty clear that there’s not much happening here other than the same thing over and over again.

After we see things kick off a few times, it loses its allure and seems a bit aimless.

Nevertheless, despite these shortcoming, Free Fire still manages to be unique in its own way, and stands out as something really quite original. It should be praised for not trying to be something it’s not, but rather accepts the fact that it is a 90 minute shoot out which is a great laugh.

Who knew we could get so much enjoyment from something so simple? The classic gangster shootout really never gets old.

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FILM

Actor in Focus:

Felicity Jones LAURA WOODHOUSE From Ambridge to a Galaxy Far Far Away…

Despite her rapid rise to Hollywood stardom, much of the British public will forever remember Felicity Jones as Emma Grundy on Radio 4’s rural soap The Archers. But as the nights draw in and Christmas tiptoes ever closer the name Felicity Jones is bound to become synonymous with that of her galactic counterpart, Jyn Erso, with the cinematic release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story this December.

Dabbling in radio, theatre, television and film, Jones has been fortunate to enjoy a career that has only ever been on the rise. At 16 she landed the part of teenage tearaway Emma Grundy in The Archers, a role she held for ten years during which time she gained both A-levels and a degree in English from Wadham College Oxford in 2006. In 2007 she made her stage debut in the Royal Court Theatre’s production of That Face and then went on to star in The Chalk Garden at the Donmar Warehouse the following year. Her success in London theatre opened up numerous opportunities for Jones to pursue supporting roles in the BBC’s five-part adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank (2009) and Julie Taymor’s film interpretation of The Tempest (2010) as the beguiling Miranda, daughter of Helen Mirren’s female Prospero.

In 2011 Jones landed her first leading role in the frosty rom-com Chalet Girl in which she played Kim, a skateboard champion who swaps the streets for the slopes. Although many consider this to be her breakout role, critical success did not come until later that year when she was awarded the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury prize for best female newcomer for her role as Anna in Like Crazy- a bittersweet microbudget indie about a transatlantic love affair costarring Jennifer Lawrence and the late Anton Yelchin.

Following Like Crazy Jones’ star status and critical acclaim exploded in 2014 with the release of The Theory of Everything in which she stars alongside Eddie Redmayne as Professor Stephen Hawkings’ wife, Jane,

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earning her nominations for best lead actress at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Academy Awards. These nominations confirmed her long-deserved star status, marking her as one of the most sought after British stars.

Throughout 2015 and 2016 she has starred in numerous projects including Ron Howard’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s Inferno opposite Hollywood legend Tom Hanks. There is no denying that Felicity Jones is a star of meteoric proportions but as the year draws to a close her profile is likely to burst into the stratosphere as she takes on the evil Galactic Empire this December, becoming only the second female actor to lead a Star Wars film in its forty year history, following in the footsteps of The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley.

Also starring alongside Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver in Juan Antonio B a y o n a’s Oscar tipped adaptation of Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls, the force is definitely strong with this one.

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SOUND OF CINEMA:

STAR WARS MILLIE CASSIDY

There is arguably no franchise which has produced more significant, recognisable or lasting musical stylings than Star Wars. Yes, of course the instant impact of the Jaws theme or the magical twinkle of ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ are worthy of note. Sure, the beautiful soaring instrumental that plays over that wide panning shot in Jurassic Park perfectly captures a sense of wonder.

But in terms of setting the cinematic atmosphere as well as providing immediately recognisable touchstones, truly no one has done it better.

Music is integral to the identity of a film. It acts to score scenes and characters, to provide ambiance, and to support plot and character movement when this ambiance changes. It can be a neon sign, hitting you over the head: This scene is relevant! This action is dramatic! Remember when this happened before? It’s happening again! More so, however, music transcends the films it is contained within to represent them on a larger stage. The music of the Star Wars franchise is almost as instantly recognisable as its characters, and is played for laughs in other pop culture just as frequently.

We’ve all felt like humming ‘The Imperial March’ on our way into an exam, right?

John Williams’ name should be familiar to almost all film lovers, and even if it isn’t, his music certainly is.

He’s composed every single piece name dropped here so far, who is among the most beloved and acclaimed industry composers over his six decade career.

Some 50 Academy Award nominations

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place Williams as the second most-nominated individual, right after Walt Disney himself. He’s played a part in the soundtrack to every Star Wars film, TV series, game and trailer to date. Not to mention, in 2005 Williams’ soundtrack to Star Wars: A New Hope was preserved by the United States’ Library of Congress into their National Recording Registry, for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The score to a massive film or franchise – especially one as massively-massive in scope and legacy as Star Wars – plays a part in making it seem so grand and dramatic. But it also plays a part in smaller moments, and intimacies with the viewer. George Lucas felt that Star Wars would portray visually foreign worlds, such that the score should give the audience an emotional familiarity.

He wanted a grand musical sound, peppered with leitmotifs to provide distinction and carry the viewer along- tyiny twinkles, here and there in these operatic pieces, that hint at little bits of space-fairy-tale magic.

Walking out of the cinema after seeing The Force Awakens, my mother said that it felt as if she’d gone nearly 40 years back in time. The film felt like “proper Star Wars”, she said. Like something grand, but also something warm and familiar. Like Williams’ balance of the bold and the bright. Like the classic Star Wars, it pulls the dangerous tones of ‘The Imperial March’ in ominously whenever Vader rears his head, just as that same wistful spirit is present in ‘Rey’s Theme’ as it is in that one old title theme we all know and love.

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FILM

One to Watch:

ANNEKA HONEYBALL In a cinematic climate where reboots, remakes and countless unnecessary sequels are the norm, it’s wonderfully refreshing to hear of a film premise that proves that Hollywood can still be original.

Add two of the most famous actors of their generation into the mix, as well as an Oscarnominated director at the helm of it, and the idea just gets more and more enticing. The upcoming romantic sci-fi thriller, Passengers, is a real ‘one to watch’ in this respect, as it ticks all the boxes you could ever want for an interesting Christmas release.

Written by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange), the film tells the story of two passengers on the Starship Avalon, whose hibernation pods open 90 years before the ship is set to arrive at a colony planet. Stranded on the spaceship and stuck in the hopeless realisation that they probably won’t live to see their destination, the two strike up a relationship and begin to fall in love. However, the couple soon discover that their malfunctioning hibernation pods aren’t the only problem on board the vessel.

Despite it’s intriguing premise, Passengers has been in development hell for almost a decade, bouncing from studio to studio without ever being put into production. Thankfully, back in 2014, Sony Pictures won the rights to the film and managed to score two of the world’s most popular stars in the leading roles.

Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence play the titular passengers, Jim and Aurora, who find comfort in each other as they come to terms with the realities of their dilemma.

Each huge franchise stars in their own right, the coming together of these two immensely charismatic actors is beyond exciting and, if the stars align, the chemistry between them is also sure to be magnetic. Although, as Lawrence revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, their onscreen dalliances proved to be quite a challenge. The actress apparently got very drunk in preparation for a sex scene in the film, citing that it was “bizarre” and “awkward”, as well as “very vulnerable”.

Nevertheless, given Lawrence’s Oscar-winning talents, we’re still certain that her performance will be as real and engaging as her previous roles.

The film also stars Michael Sheen and Laurence Fishburne and is directed by Morten Tydlum - the man behind such films as The Imitation Game and Headhunters. Speaking of the film, Tydlum enthused about its potential: “It’s a very intimate movie while taking place on this epic scale. It’s a story about what’s important to live a full life. What are the things we need as humans? It’s not afraid to entertain but at the same time it asks big questions about what does it mean to really feel happy. Every generation has its love story. I feel like this is it. I had to do it.”

Continuing to add distinctively human flourishes to the sci-fi genre, in a vein similar to The Martian, Passengers looks set to be a real treat. From its engaging premise to its supremely pleasing cast list, this film looks so good on paper and we’re hopeful that on screen, it’ll truly be out of this world.

Passengers arrives in UK cinemas on 21st December.

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Royal Shakespeare Productions to catch this December REBECCA JAMES

2016 saw the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. In celebration, we look at some of the most exciting Royal Shakespeare Company productions coming to London.

Cymbeline Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, rarely performed in the twenty-first century. It focuses on Queen Cymbeline, who rules over a deeply divided Britain. After the death of two of her children, she is left with one heir, Imogen, who marries her lover Posthumus in secret, enraging her mother and leading to his exile. What follows has been billed as a “[mash] up of a variety of different Shakespeare stories (Hamlet, Othello and Romeo and Juliet to name a few)” by the RSC website. Gillian Bevan is playing the titular role, and is the first woman to take on the role for the RSC. It is being directed by Melly Still.

Cymbeline will be performed at the Barbican Theatre until 17th December 2016.

King Lear The story of King Lear is well known - a king who is becoming increasingly aware of his impending mortality attempts to decide which of his daughters to leave his kingdom to. The ensuing fallout leaves Lear desperate and alone, as his daughters feud and battle for their entire inheritance. A tale of the fall of a vain man, and of family manipulations and machinations, this RSC production of King Lear is directed by their Artistic Director, Gregory Doran. It also stars Anthony Sher, who previously played Willy Loman in an RSC production of Death of a Salesman in 2014.

King Lear will be performed at the Barbican Theatre until 23rd December 2016.

Love’s Labour Lost and Much Ado About Nothing These two productions are being performed in repertoire with one another, having already been performed in a 2014 run at the RSC in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Both stage the plays in the early twentieth century. Love’s Labour Lost is set in 1914, and centres on the comedic vow made by the King and his friends to avoid the company of women for three years; while Much Ado About Nothing places the action in Autumn 1918, as soldiers Benedict and Claudio return from the trenches, reuniting with Beatrice and Hero in a post-war party. The modern settings use World War One as a background for each production, adding colour and a sense of sadness to these two high-spirited comedies.

Love’s Labour Lost will run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 12th December 2016 to 18th March 2017, while Much Ado About Nothing will be performed from 9th December 2016 to 18th March 2017.

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PHOTO BY ELLIE KURTTZ @ RSC

CULTURE

The Wackiest Corners of Star Wars' Expanded Universe ELEANOR JOYCE With The Force Awakens getting such a great reception worldwide and Rogue One just around the corner, things are looking pretty rosy for the Star Wars franchise. This new instalment has rendered a lot of the crowded ‘expanded universe’ of books, comics and games virtually obsolete, much to the dismay of fans around the globe. But before we get a little too nostalgic, this article will explore some of the wackiest and worst the expanded universe has produced that, in hindsight, it probably shouldn’t have.

Wackiest Comic - The Star Wars universe has spawned some truly awful comics, but none of them can top Issue #48 of Marvel’s ‘The Third Law’, where Leia and the Rebel finance minister go to a banking planet to get a loan. Darth Vader attempts to halt the Rebels’ efforts to secure this loan, and kills the finance minister (who’s actually a robot), in order to gain the jewels Leia put up as collateral. Riveting stuff.

Wackiest Game - Games in the extended universe are something that the Star Wars franchise has usually done pretty well... but they bombed badly with 2001’s Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing. ‘Bombad’ is apparently the Gungan word for ‘superior, superb or great’ - so Super Bombad Racing literally means ‘Super Superb Racing’. The knock-off Mario Kart for the Star Wars universe, you have to suffer through ‘cute’ versions of all the characters - which basically means they all have massive heads, including Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Wackiest Merchandise - If you’re ever in the market for Chewbacca Crocs, an R2-D2 meat smoker or a Lando Calrissian disguise kit, then somebody has got you covered. By far the weirdest is definitely the Jar-Jar Tongue Sucker. Attempting to replicate the slightly gross moment where Qui-Gon Jinn grabs Jar-Jar’s extra-long tongue in The Phantom Menace, you’re forced to basically French kiss a sweet dispenser. It’s been heavily criticised, including by an American Baptist Church, who claimed Jar-Jar was an instrument of Satan. They’re not far wrong.

Wackiest CD (yes, really...) - The Star Wars Christmas album Christmas in the Stars was released in 1980, with Anthony Daniels reprising his role as C-3PO. In the sequel you never knew you needed to Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk, experience the ‘Intergalactic Droid Choir and Chorale’ serenading you with well-known favourites such as ‘What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)’ and ‘R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas’. The cassette copy is apparently highly collectible...

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IMAGE BY MARVEL

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Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life

Our writers are brimming with excitement for the new Gilmore Girls, which arrives on Netflix on November 25th. While Becca Hellard gives you the lowdown on how to prepare for your day in with the girls, Becca Barnes attempts to pin down an ultimate Lorelai and Rory mother-daughter moment of the series so far...

How to prepare for your Gilmore Girls marathon day Before the Day

BECCA HELLARD

STEP 1 - Get Up to Date. If you’re like me, you will have been watching the show pretty much on a loop since 2007, but if your memory is a little rusty, you can find all seven seasons on Netflix and numerous clips on YouTube.

STEP 2 - Pick a Team. Are you Team Jess, Team Logan or Team Dean? It’s like the Edward-Jacob rivalry… but better!

Personally I’m Team Logan, but the online world appears to be heavily Team Jess!

STEP 3 - Snacks. Snacks are essential; make sure you’re stocked up! We don’t necessarily have the same snacks available to us here in the UK, although Pop Tarts and Twizzlers can be found in the American section of Tesco.

On the Day

STEP 1 - Get Netflix. The four 90 minute episodes are due to drop at 8:01 on Friday November 25th for those on our side of the world.

STEP 2 - Think Like A Gilmore. Give yourself a cheat day and order in as much food as you possibly can. Cooking is absolutely not allowed. We are all deeply saddened that we can’t order food from a ‘Luke’s’ near us, but find your local alternative; burgers are a must.

STEP 3 - Go Crazy with Excitement. I sure as hell will be sat in my pyjamas at 7:59am, actually giddy with the excitement of finally getting an ending for this incredible, emotional show.

The ultimate Lorelai and Rory mother-daughter moment BECCA BARNES

‘Those Are The Strings, Pinocchio’: One of the most heart-warming scenes in the whole show is Rory’s graduation speech, dedicated to Lorelai.

Rory thanks Lorelai for shaping her, claiming that while many people had an influence in her life, it is Lorelai that is her ultimate inspiration.

This of course leads Lorelai, Luke, Sookie and Jackson to all start crying, truly grateful Rory got to that point. If you can watch this episode without tearing up, you are a strong individual indeed!

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IMAGE BY DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE PRODUCTIONS/WARNER BROS. TELEVISION

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Review:

BATTLEFIELD 1 CONOR KAVANAGH After many years of modern and futuristic first person shooters, developers DICE are bringing us back to the past with the new Battlefield 1, set in the Great War of 1914-1918. The single player’s gritty, multinational take on World War 1 gives a realistic representation of the hell that the soldiers must have gone through.

Battlefield 1’s campaign focuses on multiple viewpoints during the war, with its campaign set in five different chapters, taking on the roles of several different soldiers. Whether it’s the African-American ‘Harlem Hell-Fighters’ fighting against the Germans, the Italians’ fight against Austria-Hungary, or Lawrence of Arabia’s fight against the Ottomans - it gives a great perspective on how many countries were involved in the war, and that it wasn’t just about Britain and Germany. What it does particularly well is humanise each side. We rarely think about the thousands of Ottomans who died defending their homeland, and Battlefield 1 hammers home the point that this was a colonial war - there was no clear evil and no real winner.

Multiplayer has always been the highlight of any Battlefield game, and it is no different here. There are the usual four classes all with unique abilities: the Medic can revive people, the Assault can destroy tanks, and the Support can give out ammo or use a mortar. The lack of portable anti-air or anti-tank equipment forces each team to play their roles more effectively to deal with enemy vehicles. The maps also offer some nice variety in gameplay; whether it’s the claustrophobic street warfare in Amien,

or the open ended vehicle battles of Sinai Desert, Battlefield 1 excels in letting you take part in large scale battles in different scenarios.

The main new draw in terms of game modes is operations. This combines Battlefield’s main modes, rush and conquest, into a game of tugof-war usually set across two maps. The back and forth nature of defenders versus attackers helps create the feeling of what the war was like on the borders of France. DICE games always look and sound phenomenal, and Battlefield 1 is no different. The dynamic weather system helps change the feel of every map, from sweeping sand storms, to heavy rain, or dense fog, forcing you to adapt on the fly. The guns’ explosions all sound incredibly lifelike, with the physics and animations of the soldiers being great.

Battlefield 1 takes us back in time, bringing with it a fresher and more simple style of gameplay.

It is less focused on gun attachments and camo, and more on teamwork and skill. The scale of the multiplayer engagements are a great spectacle, and even more fun to participate in, while the single player is a great showcase of what the war was like for various groups involved. It pays great respect to all sides of the conflict, and grimly highlights how many lives were taken in the Great War 100 years on. Battlefield 1 has taken inspiration from the video games of old, but has selected a conflict few have tried to portray - all to create a unique and immensely fun game.

Battlefield 1 is available now for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

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IMAGE BY ELECTRONIC ARTS

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An Intro To:

The

Mortal Engines Quartet JAMES BARKER “It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.” It’s an unconventional opening for a book to say the least. Your ears instantly prick up at not only the insanity of it, but also the intrigue. And no, it’s not a metaphor for the competitive rivalry between the world’s biggest cities - this is London, a great industrial wheeled machine of a city, chasing down its prey with the intention of “eating it”. A “SixtyMinute War”, heavily suggested to have been caused by a nuclear disaster, has destroyed society as we know it, turning desperate scavenging cities into giant traction engines that crawl around the wasteland left behind. It’s a world where the number of tires on your city equates to where you are on the food chain - a ruthless, hungry world.

If you haven’t already gathered, this apocalyptic future is setting for the Mortal Engines Quartet, a series of four acclaimed children’s novels by author Philip Reeve. The series has recently been optioned by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson to be turned into a series of blockbuster films, and I can’t think of a more perfect choice. Like LOTR, or other successful franchises like Harry Potter, Mortal Engines is a children’s tale with vast depths to be explored by its adult readers. City politics, family conflicts, brutal deaths - Mortal Engines has it all.

Our protagonist is Tom Natsworthy, an orphaned apprentice historian living in steampunked London. His life is turned upside down upon meeting two girls; firstly, the attractive Katherine Valentine, daughter of Thaddeus Valentine, a celebrity with shades of grey; and Thaddeus Valentine’s attempted assassin, the hideously 27

disfigured Hester Shaw. When Tom prevents an attempt on Valentine’s life by Hester, he finds himself thrown from a moving London onto the Wasteland with the would-be assassin.

All the characters have incredible depth for a children’s series. Hester, for instance, is possibly the most interesting antiheroine to be found in the genre. Tom is a relatable protagonist, and the world of the Hungry Cities is not one of the happily ever after - not all your characters will make it to the end. The saga is split in two - Books 1 and 2, Mortal Engines and Predator’s Gold follow Tom and Hester, and Books 3 and 4, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain, are set a generation later - an interesting move by Philip Reeve in that you really see characters develop and grow over the course of the series. It’ll be interesting to see how this translates into film, and whether Peter Jackson decides to have the movies set in just the first era. I for one hope not, as the whole story is extremely cyclical and wellthought out. There’s even a set of prequel novels, Fever Crumb, that explain how London became a traction city. The Mortal Engines Quartet is not one to be missed - get ahead and read it now, so you can enjoy Peter Jackson’s movies all the more.

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IMAGE BY DAVID FRANKLAND

LIVE

OUR BEST LIVE Live Editor Carly-May Kavanagh takes us The Front Bottoms:

Anyone who’s ever talked to me or looked at my Spotify knows that I love The Front Bottoms. In fact, my pick of the month for news is their gig on November 29th at The 1865. Their gig on Valentine’s Day in Portsmouth was, as always, incredible. Their set list favoured songs from Back On Top, their latest album, as they went on to play ‘Help’, ‘Cough It Out’ and ‘Laugh Till I Cry’, but they also played a lot from their self-titled and most popular album, with ‘The Beers’ and ‘Flashlight’. Brian kept stopping to tell stories and respond to shouts from the audience – most notably when he wished someone a happy birthday and sang ‘The Plan (Fuck Jobs)’ for him. When they went off before the encore, Tom (bassist) came back on for ‘a reading’, reading chapter one of a Star Wars book, until the crowd started to chant ‘encore’.

They gave an incredible show with a stellar setlist – a combination of personal, self-deprecating lyrics over danceable melodies give them potential to be big, and appeal to an even wider audience. Their sound of folk, punk, pop, indie rock and trumpets make them hard to define – other than one of the best bands I’ve heard.

The Enemy: I would be doing a disservice to live and to my hometown if I failed to mention one of the best

bands of the last decade. The setlist really couldn’t have been better. I knew they’d main their debut, and the chosen songs from other albums were clearly fan favourites - we were told by Tom that they’d play their entire debut album for the first time live. I’ve never been at a gig where everyone sang every word, where there was minimal staring at phone screens. It was just an incredibly emotional night, especially for them. No band wants to stop when they’re at their peak, especially in response to how music and radio have changed. They spoke multiple times between songs about how grateful they were for everyone who listened to their songs, came to gigs, and it was clear how much they meant it. The gig ended with Tom on an acoustic guitar singing ‘Last Goodbye’, which was far more emotional than I was expecting it to be. A few people left but most were chanting ‘Now, this song, is about is about is about you’ (lyrics from ‘This Song’), until Tom came back out and was lifted up into the crowd; the atmosphere felt more like a football match than a gig. Nobody wanted it to end, but it had to – and it ended on a high.

Eliza and the Bear: Eliza And The Bear had their set cut short due to a lost voice, but that didn’t affect the quality of their performance or delivery. They invited people up on to the stage to sing with them which is, in my opinion, one of the coolest things you could experience as a fan. It’s also so much better for the audience than the artist going off stage – James still played, the band sang, and some fans got to sing songs with a band they love, to a sold-out venue. I felt it perfectly celebrated the spirit of Independent Venue Week (having held their gig at The Joiners), a celebration of small music venues in the UK that are considered to be the backbone of live music.

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LIVE

ACTS OF 2016 through six of her favourite acts of the year.

Beans On Toast: Creatively shambolic is really the only suitable description of a Beans On Toast gig. The

self-described ‘drunk folk singer’, for those who haven’t heard of him before, makes refreshingly simple music, on topics such as drugs, love and not getting gigs at Glastonbury. His honest and political lyrics made the gig feel a lot more intimate – Beans doesn’t rely on fancy chords and backing tracks (he actually has a song on backing tracks) to hold the audience’s attention. The evening was beautifully laid back, with some songs ending halfway through because we “get the point of that one”, Beans forgetting the words to new ones, or songs being abandoned because of a particularly interesting story that led on to another song. The confusion of the set was all part of the Beans On Toast charm – nobody was quite sure of which song would come next, or when the gig was ending, even Beans himself. The night ended with a full stage and everyone singing ‘American Pie’ for 20 minutes.

Glass Animals:

Taken by the generosity of my friend Boppy to their Oxford show, their How To Be A Human Being tour kicked off with ‘Life Itself ’ - and I’ve never seen such a jumpy lead singer. ‘Gooey’ and ‘Season Two Episode Three’ continued to be fan favourites. I had barely listened to the band before I went to the gig (having only listened to a few of their songs from their latest album)but they got me hooked and I’ve had them on repeat ever since, and I haven’t been able to stop talking about them on my Surge show ‘Scones and Jams’. An intimate gig compared to their huge US shows, but the O2 in Oxford was a perfect venue to be introduced to such a fantastic bands.

Mark Thomas: He recalls joining the miners on their march to work at the end of their strike through a

Yorkshire village (whose name he can’t remember), and passing a school where children sang the workers’ anthem ‘Solidarity Forever’. It’s poignant and emotive but he doesn’t know if it’s true – he’s retold it so many times that it could all just be fantasy. The show was to find the truth after 30 years, but also about the weight stories hold and how important the truth is. He felt a duty to find out what actually happened, for himself and to make this show.

He’s an extraordinary storyteller, taking you from laughing to crying, and back again in the space of a sentence. He’ll have you holding your breath and on the edge of your seat in silence and then whisk you back into the story, all while creating for us the characters and environments so vividly. He’s one of the most underrated comedians and definitely worth checking out!

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IMAGE BY HARVEST RECORDS

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Comedian in Focus:

Dave Gorman ROBERT PRATLEY

Dave Gorman isn’t your typical modern comedian. He doesn’t shout or swear at you. He doesn’t do impressions. He isn’t a pub landlord, or rely on an odd accent. What he does do, however, is provide knowledge. He is like a great teacher, instructing in a classroom, armed with only his laptop and remote but tasked with educating us in the ways of the world. He does this through his books, his radio performances and most recently, his show, Modern Life is Goodish.

Dave Gorman’s style of performance is an enigma. It shouldn’t be so funny to listen to a man’s ordinary gripes, questions and musings about the world, while he occasionally clicks a button to advance a slide, or get a witty graphic up on screen to emphasise his point. But Dave finds it so easy to perpetually have his audience in stitches at the sheer absurdity, depravity and downright desperation of the modern world: his particular focus of media is the internet, television and literature.

Although his specialist topic is extracting the ridiculous from the sublime, Dave Gorman is incredibly good at paraphrasing, or rather converting a topic so it is much simpler to understand. While out of respect for the integrity and privacy of his show, I won’t elaborate on this further, I will say that once you have listened to Mr Gorman speaking about extractor fans, you will never see them in the same way again. Or a Vienetta for that matter.

Dave Gorman’s signature move comes in the form of the Found Poem, which he would inevitably like to perform for us all. Like some kind of virtual scrapheap sifter, Mr Gorman finds topics that people quite frankly have no need to be interested in, yet manage to get themselves incredibly worked up about and traverses into the murky pit that is the ‘Comments’ section. From there, he procures for himself the greatest, most bizarre gems of literature contrived by the affronted readers (who should never have any interest in the topic in the first place) and shines them together in a lyrical piece accompanied by a beautiful orchestral backing. Although this material comes ready made for him in the form of disgruntled couplets, he still manages to meld them together and stamp his unmistakable voice, and meaning into the verbal masterpiece of unrequited, unnecessary anger and confusion.

Although to some all this preparation and technology may seem grandiose, he is much simpler than this. Dave sees things from a perspective seldom used nowadays- common sense. He is incredibly good at verbalising what we are all thinking, but unable to say. The audience, myself included hang onto every word he says, waiting for the next witty interjector, or nugget of knowledge which may seem common sense to us, but clearly does not to others.

The best testament to the man is the fact he can simply begin to crease up, or giggle slightly during a segment (usually the Found Poem), and the entire audience will burst into total laughter, such is the way he emits humour.

In an era where we so often allow drudgery and misery of all forms to push us down and oppress us, laughter is perhaps more important than ever. As such, I and countless others are forever grateful to Dave Gorman, the master educator who always reminds us that Modern Life is Goodish.

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IMAGE BY DAVE GORMAN

LIVE LIVE

Review:

@ the o2 academy, bournemouth

HOLLIE DABSON

Back in 2014 Sunset Sons first broke on to the scene when they were featured on a BBC introducing playlist. A year later their single ‘She Wants’ was made ‘Track of the Day’, and with the support and backing of popular Radio 1 DJ’s like Zane Lowe, their success and fame began to rocket. Imagine Dragons also picked up on their sound, using the band for their main support on their European arena tour last October. A tour which begun a year ago this month, it’s fair to say they have come a long way over the last two years, now playing to a sold out show in the lead singers’ hometown of Bournemouth.

The show opened with the first support act Cortes who certainly engaged with the audience, evoking an excitement and buzz throughout the crowd. Their new-age indie rock sound was certainly popular and the single ‘Close to Nowhere’ held strong guitar solos and catchy choruses – something Sunset Sons play on too - resembling an early Catfish & the Bottlemen sound, perhaps mixed with something rockier.

Shortly after, the crowd was yet again graced with a great support act, this time Sunset’s main support Jessarae took to the stage for some slightly slower acoustic melodies. With a similar lyric sound to Hozier – especially heard of in their latest single ‘Milk & Honey’ - but hailing from California, Jessarae and his golden locks emulated a vibe of sun, sea and surf. Something it’s clear the boys of Sunset Sons also live for in their free time, Rory even spoke up about a beach clean-up in Bournemouth run by the environmental impact group Surfers Against Sewage.

Despite two great warm acts, the level of uproar and cheers increased as soon as the boys stepped foot on stage.

There is no doubt that the fast paced upbeat sound of Sunset Sons was heavily prized by their crowd of adoring fans. The stage presence of the bands lead singer, Rory, definitely stole the show by coming into the crowd a few times and climbing upon their large amps either side of the stage during the performance. His charismatic approach to the set gave their show a fantastic energy. Popular songs such as ‘Remember’, featured on their debut album Very Rarely Say Die, evoked an atmosphere of unity as the crowd sang along. The boys made almost every song feel like a huge finale, with all the waving and blowing kisses into the crowd. It was clear they were completely appreciative of their fans, and in awe of the support given to them. By their final song ‘On the Road’, the single of their latest album, Rory was once again amongst his fans deep in the crowd after jumping over the barriers.

It’s refreshing to see a band who genuinely love their fans and I can’t help but feel like these boys will go far, especially with such a great support base. After playing many venues stuck in a clear surfing/ skiing vibe such as Boardmasters festival in Cornwall, it would be great to see Sunset Sons break out of this comfortable circle and conquer mainstream media more with their laid back indie sound.

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LISTINGS Film

theatre

Live

28th november - 25th december

28th november - 25th december

28th november - 25th december

29th november Sonita @ Harbour Lights 30th november Mustang @ Union Films 3rd december ParaNorman @ Harbour Lights 4th december Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children @ Union Films The Girl on the Train @ Union Films Night of the Demon @ Harbour Lights 7th december Taxi @ Union Films 10th december The Witches @ Harbour Lights It Follows @ Harbour Lights 11th december Scrooge @ Harbour Lights 12th december Blue Velvet @ Harbour Lights 13th december Under the Shadow @ Harbour Lights 16th december The Lady in the Van @ Union Films 17th december The Muppets Christmas Carol @ Harbour Lights 20th december Dark Water @ Harbour Lights

28th november Experiment @ Nuffield Theatre Ross Noble: Brain Dump @ Mayflower 30th november - 3rd december Beauty & the Beast @ Mayflower 4th december Katherine Jenkins @ Mayflower 5th december Writers in Conversation @ Nuffield Theatre 6th - 10th december Sunny Afternoon @ Mayflower 12th december Dickensian Christmas Crime @ Mayflower 13th - 14th december Panto Crime @ Mayflower 17th December - 8th January Robin Hood @ Mayflower 18th December Seann Walsh: One for the Road @ Nuffield Theatre

4th december Animal Noise @ Joiners 6th december Two Door Cinema Club @ O2 Southampton Sum 41 @ O2 Southampton 7th december Son of Dave @ Joiners Kevin ‘Bloody’ Wilson @ O2 Portsmouth 8th december Frank Carducci @ Talking Heads Tankus the Henge @ Joiners 9th december Smoove & Turrell @ Talking Heads The So So Glos @ Joiners 10th december Area 11 @ Joiners 13th december Youth Club @ Joiners All Time Low @ O2 Southampton Jimmy Carr @ O2 Portsmouth 14th Daniel Lioneye @ Talking Heads Kassassin Street @ Joiners Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls @ O2 Portsmouth 15th The Gillies @ Talking Heads 17th Real Friends @ Engine Rooms 20th The Stranglers @ O2 Southampton 21st The Bar Stool Preachers @ Talking Heads Sam and the Stone Circle @ Joiners 25th Thunder @ O2 Southampton

Live 28th november - 25th december 28th november Farro @ Joiners 29th november Counterparts @ Talking Heads The Front Bottoms @ Joiners 30th november Richie Ramone @ Talking Heads 1st december Galactic Empire @ Talking Heads 2nd december Felix Riebl @ Joiners Levellers @ O2 Portsmouth 3rd december Eddie and the Hot Rods @ Talking Heads MC Lars @ Joiners

For all this content and more, visit our website: www.theedgesusu.co.uk We also hold drop-in sessions at The Bridge on the first Wednesday of every month. For more information, follow us on Social Media: /theedgesusu

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