Editorial
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About Us Been handed this magazine? Found it in a stand? Picked it up in your halls and wondering what it’s all about? The Edge is SUSU’s very own entertainment magazine. Created initally as an insert in 1996, the magazine has grown in stature and readership ever since, with over 70 writers contributing this year. Albums are sent to The Edge on a daily basis to be reviewed. Our feature writers are able to secure interviews with the likes of Feeder, Alt-J, Bombay Bicycle Club and Tinie Tempah. Films are reviewed regularly in the city’s many cinemas and also here at the Union as part of Union Films, while the Culture section reviews a whole variety of topics ranging from theatre to gaming and books to comedy. Finally, The Edge has a great opportunity to attend local and regional gigs including Kaiser Chiefs and Lostprophets to name just a couple. Additionally, our team includes those interested in design, photography and publicity. With content produced both online and a copy on campus available perodically, its easy to see our presence. But don’t just take our word for it; this magazine will showcase some of the great opportunities that are available and the ‘Join Us’ page shows you why you should be involved and how easy it really is.
Editorial
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Join Us Getting involved couldn’t be simpler. Firstly, you can pop down to the Bunfight on the 26th and come and say hi to us in person and we’ll be able to answer any questions you have. Alternatively you can find all the information you need on our site, or send an email to theedge@soton.ac.uk and you’ll get a swift reply. Or you can join our Facebook group by searching for ‘The Edge Writers’ Don’t worry if you’ve never written before and are scared about the levels of commitment; several members of our current editorial team had never written before starting in Southampton and no matter your style or talent as long as you’re interested, our editorial team will help you out along the way. It really is a remarkable opportunity that may never present itself again. Below are a few examples of what current writers have had to say about their time being part of The Edge. “It helps me really think about what I’m listening or watching, and allows me to see things in a way I’d never really thought about before. I’d say writing for The Edge has enriched my understanding of music” - Jamie Barker. “The Edge has enabled me to fulfil loads of exciting oppurtunities over the past year. I have been able to interview some amazing people and have been to many festivals on behalf of The Edge. I have made some fantastic friends and everyone at the magazine is so welcoming. I would highly recommend getting involved, I genuinely enjoy spending most of my spare time writing for the magazine” - Megan Downing
“Writing for The Edge has made the gigs I go to more memorable. I never thought I’d be able to put into words why I like or dislike a band, but I’ve surprised myself and it’s a lot of fun” - Phoebe Cross I started writing for The Edge late into the year, but I was welcomed with open arms, and have loved writing articles for it. Its been great to have the opportunity to write about anything that I’m interested in and there are always people willing to bounce around ideas with you” - Rebecca James
Follow Us /theedgesusu @theedgesusu
Editorial
editor@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
It’s never easy doing an editorial, especially when you’ve never done one before, so we’ll hope that these get better after another six attempts. But welcome to this shiny new edition of The Edge, created by a shiny new team of editors, with a shiny new design. And for those of you new to Southampton, I’m sure everything looks very shiny. For those of you returning, perhaps you’re a slightly more worn down shade of grey. Well let this magazine be a beacon of light and hope. We can try at least. The Edge is Southampton’s entertainment magazine and contains everything you could ever want to know about local and regional entertainment, including films, music, culture and gigs, both online and in the print edition you hold today. In this issue we’ve covered some of the biggest festivals of the summer in the form of Reading and Bestival, which make up the background behind you. There are interviews with Hadouken (who play at the Freshers Ball) and Lucy Rose and an awful lot more. It’s also amazingly simple to get involved and you can find out more information on pages 2-3 about what we can offer you and the great experiences you can have during your time here. Make sure you meet us on the Bunfight on the 26th. For now, sit back and enjoy the articles written by our ever expanding family of writers. The Edge Team.
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Editor: David Martin Deputy Editor: George Doel Records Editor: Howell Davies Features Editor: Andrew Ovenden Film Editor: Barnaby Walter Culture Editor: Cally Beckley Live Editor: Megan Downing Online Editor: Tasha Onwuemezi Online Manager: Mikael Kohlmyr Head of Design: Matt Timmiss Head of Relations: Dan Flynn Head of Publicity: Corinne Gurr Editor In Chief: David Gilani
Featured Contributors Howell Davies, Chris Dibsdall, Adam Edwards, Megan Downing, David Martin, Andrew Ovenden, Josh Lomas, Phoebe Cross, Barnaby Walter, Matt Timmiss, Chris Bloomfield, Rebecca James, David Tully, George Doel, Henry Holloway, Emma Real-Davies.
Contents
editor@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
What’s Inside Issue 8
Records
The xx - Coexist Rewind: Das Rascist The Vaccines - ‘Teenage Icon’
Features Hadouken Interview A Chat With Lucy Rose
Film Lawless The Watch
8 9 10 14 16 18 20
Culture Supernatural: Season 7 Understudies in Theatre
Live Bestival Noel Gallagher
Listings & gig guide
23 24 30 32 34
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Records
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Dog Is Dead - All Our Favourite Stories Bouncy teenage anthems are in abundance on the Nottingham quintet’s long-awaited debut It’s quite difficult to compare Dog Is Dead to any other band. Their sound falls somewhere in the space between pop and indie, but on a scale that hasn’t really been seen before, with the best parts of both genres injected in. Guitar led tracks are brought alive with epic drops and choruses that you can’t help but sing along to thanks to lead singer Robert Milton’s distinctive warbles. If The Strokes, Coldplay and One Direction wrote a song together, I’d imagine it would sound something like this. All Our Favourite Stories isn’t all new material, but what else can you expect from a band who have been gearing up to releasing an album for the last five years? It includes five of the band’s five singles, and five lesser-known tracks which show a different, darker side to the Nottingham five-piece. It’s mind-blowing how huge every track on this album sounds. Not a single song would sound out of place in any arena or stadium across the planet. ‘Glockenspiel Song’ is the perfect feel-good song, opening to a rousing saxophone, before a liberating middle eight where a mass of people chant “We are a mess, we are failures, and we love it!”. Dog Is
Dead’s ability to create impeccably polished melodies is also demonstrated on other valiant tracks like the anthemic ‘Two Devils’ and ‘Do The Right Thing’. ‘Teenage Daughter’ is an album highlight, building from a minimalist introduction to a full blown masterpiece as the chorus comes crashing in with a crescendo of percussion and guitars. In contrast to these feel-good songs is album opener, ‘Get Low’. Experimental instrumentation includes sections of psychedelically sad, distorted guitars and staccato bass riffs, but this comes second to Milton opening up, stating honestly, “I’ve got misery on my mind”. It’s an emotional track but clearly fits in with the theme of the album, which is about growing up. Dog Is Dead are just young guys singing about their life experiences, whether these be good or bad, with ‘Any Movement’ being a perfect example; a melancholy tail of the breakdown of a relationship which is the understated highlight of the record. All Our Favourite Stories gives off an air of teenage innocence which certainly makes for a charming listen. An exceptionally massive sounding debut. By Howell Davies
Records
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The xx - Coexist
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The xx make a triumphant return with their stunning sophomore album
The best description I can think of for The xx, as a band, is gloriously muted. They use sound sparingly, like the musical equivalent of a Shinto garden or minimalist design. If I had to compare them to an artist, it would probably be Piet Mondrian, whose most famous works were just black lines with squares of colour, surrounded by expanses of white. This is how I see their music: minimalistic, full of negative space, concisely executed elements placed for specific impact. With less noise and fuss than most artists create in one song, they can craft an album full of nuance, beauty and soul. As in their debut, Coexist is a showcase for their uniquely frugal, spacious style, with an expanded sonic palette and greater ambition. The songs on Coexist are, almost without exception, striking. The best examples are ‘Missing’, which showcases the new textures and approaches utilised in Coexist, with an almost soaring mid-section, anguished, howling (by xx standards) backing vocals from Oliver Sim and impassioned vocal performances from the two, oh-so-cool pair of vocalists. It’s a gorgeous song and is matched by the subsequent track, ‘Tides’, which is almost danceable. The entire album is essentially, uniformly excellent, and provides enough variation and flourishes to make it compelling. Picking highlights is a challenge when presented with something this cohesive and clearly intended to be consumed as a whole, rather than in small chunks.
‘Angels’, the first song on the album, however, is a poor opener and a poor choice of single. Their style exists forever on the very edge of simply slipping into a malaise of hazy prettiness. Without the dancier elements, the guitars and the recently added steel drums, what you get is an admittedly pretty but utterly inert mess of a song. It starts out beautifully, gorgeously in fact, but goes nowhere fast. Luckily, it’s the first track and quickly fades from the memory once the excellence of the rest of the album becomes apparent. The sultry exchange between Sim and Romy MadeleyCroft remains utterly compelling, with each sounding like the opposite-gendered vocal doppelganger of the other. Their relationship, whatever it might be, creates much of the drama on the album, and so when one singer begins to grate, the other takes over. Ultimately, the variance between the two of them keeps the music alive and gives it room to breathe. Certainly Coexist is more beautiful, more understated and, incredibly, more sexy, but it does lack the sort of pop-smarts that made xx such an accessible delight. There’s nothing with the immediate impact of Islands, or Heart Skipped a Beat, but what it lacks in immediacy, it makes up for in nuance, in subtle beauty and emotional impact. They are growing as a band without sacrificing what it was that made them unique, even if they have lost a little of their groove. By Chris Dibsdall
Records
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Rewind: Das Racist - Relax (2011) The alternative hip hop trio embark on their first studio album, including collaborations with Danny Brown, EL-P and Diplo In the age of hip-hop almost entirely being about thug life and bitches, Das Racist (DR) are a welcome difference. The three piece hip-hop group from New York made up of two MC’s, Himanshu “Heems” Suri, Victor “Kool A.D” Vazquez and hype man Ashok “Dapwell” Kondabolu. Prior to this first studio album being produced, DR released two mixtapes entitled Shut up, Dude and Sit Down, Man which helped them get the opportunity to release this album. DR can sometimes be dismissed as a cheap joke but they seem to tread the line between humour and seriousness brilliantly. Throughout the album, DR cover topics which are very common place in mainstream hip-hop; one such example being ‘Booty in the Air’ having plenty of auto-tune and a Vybz Cartel style verse, yet the song itself stands up and sounds great, without coming off as cheap. What intrigues me with this album is the way DR can go from spinning intricate thought provoking lines “What good is this Cashmere / If they’re still dying in Kashmir” one minute, to rapping about Nestlé Chocolate mix the next, almost contradicting themselves in the space of a couple of minutes.
DR don’t shy away from their roots, incorporating an Indian sound into their music, such as “Punjabi Song” featuring American bhangra musician Bikram Singh. This is really refreshing to hear hip-hop being made in this way; with Heems and Kool A.D.’s rapping over a bhangra instrumental. features some quite high profile collaborations, including Danny Brown, Despot, and Diplo, but one of the most intriguing is that of EL-P, the legendary underground hip-hop producer and rapper, the song itself being a body moving hip-hop song. Some other highlights of this album include the song ‘Power’ featuring Danny Brown and Despot, with a sound comprising a pixie like wail and with Danny Brown providing a brilliant verse, the track rivals Kanye West’s song of the same name. My favourite song on the album being ‘Rainbow in the Dark’ references Harold and Kumar, has a great beat and is generally just a fun track. Even if some songs escape you it’s worth it for the songs that you do “get” as there is some great music on here. A fantastic and totally different album to pretty much anything anyone else has released. By Adam Edwards
Records
Singles Duds of the Month By Howell Davies
Fazer - ‘Killer’
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Haim - ‘Forever’ In contention for the best pop song of the year is ‘Forever’ by three willowy sisters who call themselves Haim. If you were ever searching for something fresh, catchy as hell, enjoyably original and hook-laden, you need look no further. These three comely lasses have crafted something idiosyncratic in its instrumentation, but undeniably accessible, memorable and bouncy. By Chris Dibsdall
The former N Dubz star is the last one of the band to launch a solo career and this debut single doesn’t bode well for the The Vaccines - ‘Teenage Icon’ rest of his career. An unoriginal The Vaccines are back with their second sound-a-like of any Taio Cruz single from the upcoming album Come of album track would be an acAge and for all those people who didn’t curate description of ‘Killer’ but like ‘No Hope’ I would urge you not to then some offensively bland give up yet. Showing a mature progresdubstep breakdowns ruins even sion from their debut album, ‘Teenage that drab image. The only savIcon’ exhibits their ability to create an ing grace of this track is the anthem, demonstated by their recepbass-filled beat but any soul is tion at Reading festival. Easily as synonsucked away by overpowering ymous with The Vaccines as the likes of auto-tune. ‘If You Wanna’ and ‘Post Break-Up Sex’. By Megan Downing
Michel Teló - ‘Ai Se Eu Te Pego’
After racking up over 428 million views on YouTube, going to number 1 around the world and being tipped as the summer anthem... ‘Ai Se Eu Te Pego’ seems to have flopped. The Brazilian song which is sung in Portugese has thankfully vanished from British radio and clubs. In the track, Teló is accompanied by basic guitar chords and a rogue accordion which seemingly is the only attraction to the otherwise flavourless track. This track’s popularity is baffling.
Ellie Goulding - ‘Anything Could Happen’ After the spectacular success of her 2010 debut Lights, and the development of a much publicised relationship with dubstep pioneer Skrillex, Ellie Goulding has seen herself thrown into the media limelight. This sets her up nicely for the release of her follow up album, Halcyon and we're given a taster in the form of 'Anything Could Happen' Although, technically not the first release – dire 'Hanging On' featured Tinie Tempah ruining a song was a promotional single – the progression in her musical style is easy to see. The timid pianos and stripped back approach of Lights has been replaced by keyboards and a driving, darker bass. The catchy pop arrangements remain, served with a liberal dose of Auto-Tune, affecting the vocals in at least a partially beneficial way. It’s clear Goulding’s personal relationship has also become a musical one – she admits that Skrillex has ‘subconsciously’ affected her style – and while the eerie, looped voices are transformed into a warped instrumental of sorts, on the outside it’s hard to see the decision as anything but deliberate. Getting over the transition, ‘Anything Could Happen’ is actually fairly decent and is not too far removed from her previous work. While at times, parts of the track are hard to enjoy and the single has the capacity to alienate, we’ll have to see what happens on the rest of Halcyon. By David Martin
Records
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AlunaGeorge - ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ AlunaGeorge’s post-dubstep dance-lullaby is lead by instrumentalist George Reid’s slick production and intricately crafted, lethargic percussion. Meanwhile, Aluna Francis’ voice is soulful, yet naive and child-like, as she sings “I’ve been treading water for your love / whether I sink or swim / It’s you I’m thinking of”. The distorted echoing vocals frame each section sang by Aluna, and give the track an edgy aspect of foreboding, but overall it doesn’t pull the listener in in the same way that debut single ‘You Know You Like It’ did. By Howell Davies
Rizzle Kicks - ‘Dreamers’ Rizzle Kicks’ debut album Stereo Typical is personally one of my top albums of 2011 and their new single ‘Dreamers’ is definitely a stand out track. The cheeky duo from Brighton seem to be gaining status in leaps and bounds and not only due to chart success but also with their industry pals who include Example and Ed Sheeran. ‘Dreamers’ is a typically styled Rizzle Kicks song, including all of their successful attributes from Jordan’s rapping to Harley’s singing and the relatable lyrics they are known for. However, after 5 other singles from this album, it’s time for another record before Rizzle Kicks release any more singles. By Megan Downing
Future Releases By Howell Davies One Direction - ‘Live While We’re Young’ (September 30th) Following on from the worldwide success of their 2011 debut Up All Night, the X factor alumni are set to release the first track from their new album Take Me Home. It’s already broken records, becoming the fastest selling pre-order ever, so expect this to be number 1 for a while. Leona Lewis ft. Childish Gambino - ‘Trouble’ (October 7th) The second single to be taken from her forthcoming album Glassheart, it’s unremarkable until Childish Gambino’s rap when the track really comes into its own. However, the song doesn’t show much progression from earlier material, seemingly a step back from her hit single ‘Collide’ earlier in the year with Avicii. Marina & The Diamonds - ‘How To Be A Heartbreaker’ (October 14th) Included in the American release of her sophmore record Electra Heart, this track is better than the majority of the music on the UK release of the album. Thankfully it houses a contagious dance beat and Marina’s trademark vocal genius to make this a track worth listening to. Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing (October 14th) After the success of Calvin Harris’ remix of ‘Spectrum’ by Florence & The Machine, this team are clearly a great match. Florence’s ephereal vocals bellow out over this dancefloor filler and make for a certain smash hit thanks to Calvin’s synonymously excellent dance-pop music.
Features
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The Edge: 2011/12 In Brief Andrew Ovenden takes a look back at the last year in entertainment First and foremost, welcome Freshers! And, welcome back all you returning students! 2011-2012 was a busy and interesting year in Southampton with some huge local stories being covered in The Edge. In the first issue of the new academic year, it seems appropriate to have a look back at some of the events that occurred over the last 12 months. The most significant news to echo around the Southampton music scene this year was that of the turbulent times had by beloved local venues. Persistent rumours of the closures of The Talking Heads and The Hobbit earlier this year sparked a huge response from students and locals alike. Within hours of the news being broken, Facebook groups popped up like a call-to-arms for Sotonians everywhere. The Hobbit’s plight even gained national media attention as Stephen Fry and Sir Ian McKellen threw their weight behind the Bevois Valley pub. Having been accused of the rather
serious crime of copyright infringement, The Hobbit was looking at a rather hefty fine which would lead to the possible closure of the venue. Though it’s not out of hot water just yet, it has lived to fight another day thanks to the support campaign and overwhelming media attention; the ‘Save The Hobbit’ campaign is still on-going. The Talking Heads’ woes was much less severe as the site was closed due to financial difficulties but re-opened and revamped under new management, making for a much more friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the previously dingy ‘underground’ venue. Even closer to home, The Union has been undergoing massive renovations. After the hugely successful revamp of the Cube over the Christmas break, work has been carried out on The Bridge Bar and The Stag’s Head over the Summer, with The Bridge looking completely different! Don’t worry though, The Stag’s is still the same old student pub we all know and love,
Features
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just with a fresh lick of paint and new carpets. The Union building itself even appears to be undergoing some cosmetic work. Personally, I’m quite excited about seeing the finished article. In February this year previously nerdy, online jokes called ‘memes’ became a mainstream sensation and Southampton University was no exception. For all Freshers, the Facebook page can be found by searching ‘Southampton Uni memes’. For returners, I apologise if this marks a resurgence of terrible, misused images. Returners will remember the ill-fated Jaguar Skills ‘nights’ at The Cube. Cancelling, rearranging and then cancelling again. Hopefully we’ll have better luck this year as we prepare to pay host to Radio One’s Greg James and Hadouken! for the Freshers Ball. Back to local news: Southampton Guildhall played host to some great touring acts including Friendly Fires, The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Vaccines, Bowling For Soup, MotorHead as well as The Kerrang Tour and various touring comedians. More information and full reviews can be found on
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our website and the gig guide should give you an idea of some of the upcoming events at this prestigious venue. There were some great successes this year from the Universtiy’s own Theatre Group, particular highlights being the Freshers’ play ‘You Can’t Take It With You’. ‘Lear’ and ‘Vindice’ as well as ‘Ruthlessness’ being taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Be sure to keep your eyes open for upcoming shows from Freshers’ Week onwards. So what’s to come in Southampton in the next few months? Well, that depends what your bag is. ‘Blood Brothers’ is currently being performed at The Mayflower Theatre until the 22nd September, after which ‘Stomp’ will premiere on the 25th. There are also a series of free (that’s right FREE!) Freshers gigs being hosted at Bedford Place’s Avondale House. More information on that can be found on our website. Aside from that, keep you’ll eyes open and do a little discovering of your own. There will be plenty on at the Uni over the next nine months and the local music venues are always hosting nights.
Features
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An Interview Ahead of their performance Remember Hadouken!? In early 2008, the band could be found providing kids up and down the country with optimal ‘drinking-down-the-park’ songs and house party anthems. Their music combined the synth driven ‘NuRave’ of bands like the Klaxons with the urban coolness of the grime scene to create a hybrid musical form that many young people were powerless to resist. Lead vocalist James Smith’s mildly acerbic lyrics directly spoke to a captivated teen audience – their tales of boys in skinny-fit jeans and girls with lego haircuts were wildly popular with the Myspace generation. It’s four our years on, and the kids (myself included) that were drinking cider on provincial parkland are now – technically – adults. Many of them have grown up musically and have expanded their horizons beyond listening exclusively to songs that directly reference their misguided choice of attire. Many of them are at university - swapping cans of Strongbow in for double vodka Red Bulls in student pubs. Perhaps Hadouken! have been on a similar journey over the last four years. They have switched record labels – from rock ‘n’ roll imprint Atlantic to the independent dance legends Ministry of Sound. They have also completely transformed their sound, their newest singles fall very much into the category of dubstep… or bass music… or whatever you’d like to call it. Smith’s lyrics seem to speak less to the contemporary youth zeitgeist and more to a generic mainstream - whether this change is for the better will be decided when their as yet untitled new album is released next year. We caught up with vocalist James Smith prior to the band setting out on the Ministry of Sound’s ‘UniTrash’ tour; First things first, I’d like to award you several man points for getting on the soundtrack to FIFA 13. That is kind of a big deal. Oh yeah, we’re getting the biggest lad points down the pub at the moment for that. Our management put it forward to FIFA because we’ve got a deal in America with EA Sports and the song has an almost football chant. So we put forward this track that we haven’t actually released yet called ‘Bliss Out’ which has kind of got this football chorus and they came back to us and said they loved it and they were gonna stick it on. I think they’re going to use in the trailer as well. So we were well happy about that, because it’s a big game. So what kind of a track is ‘Bliss Out’?
It’s a kind of rap, basically, but kind of on a dubstep beat, with guitars...kind of. It’s a massive hybrid of all kinds of genres really. It’s difficult to explain! Classic Hadouken! really. It should be on the new record hopefully, which will be out next year. But people will get a sneak peek when they buy FIFA. You’re playing the iTunes festival with DJ Fresh and Example soon. They are two acts who have been flung from relative obscurity into huge popularity after signing with Ministry of Sound and changing their musical style a bit. Do you think Hadouken! are on the same trajectory at the moment?
Features
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With Hadouken! at The Union for Freshers Ball. I’m not really sure. That’s not up for us to decide. I’d love it to be that way, but it’s going to be up to how good our music is, the quality of the song writing and also if the fans are into it and if there’s people into it beyond our fanbase. I hope that will happen, and I think it’s very possible, but we’ve got to put the graft in and we’ve got to make sure we’ve got songs that are going to connect with people. What sort of stuff can we expect to hear at the shows on your new tour? Mainly it comprises of our former album ‘For the Masses’. We only play one or two songs from the first album because we’ve moved on from that really, we just play the most popular songs from that album. We throw in a few new ones, and also the new singles which are on Youtube.
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We love coming down to Southampton, we always have a good time there. There’s a big uni so everyone’s up for it!
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And on that tour you’ll be playing the Freshers’ Ball here at Southampton. Have you ever played down here before? Yeah! We’ve played the Joiners a few times, and we played one of our first gigs their somewhere near the port. We love coming down to Southampton, we always have a good time there. There’s a big uni so everyone’s up for it! Do you think students comprise quite a significant part of your fanbase? Having perhaps grown up listening to your earlier music. Well we’ve got younger fans and we’ve got much older fans. But if you’ve got a 19 year old student now, they might have got into their music at about 14 and they discovered us then and they’ve grown up with us five years ago, when we started. But then again there are people that would’ve discovered us who are getting into their 30’s and 40’s now and we see plenty of them down at the gigs – everyone’s welcome. You don’t have to get down at the front, you can stand at the back and have a beer and that’s the way we like it. By Josh Lomas
Hadouken will be playing the Freshers’ Ball on Monday 8th October.
Features
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A Chat With Lucy Rose Lucy Rose is a popular girl, when I met up with her at Truck Festival she gave me apologetic glances for being surrounded by keen guys from earlier bands, eager to talk to her. After waiting patiently, wehead into her port-a-cabin ‘dressing room’.
last few years, it’s not been like a massive push. Some people just whiz up and hopefully it’ll just keep building gradually and people will keep sharing it, and next year I’ll be doing the same thing, but just a bit higher up. I want to move on and start creating new things.
It seems you’ve been ridiculously busy lately!
You play the drums don’t you? Did you started out doing that?
Yeah! We played a gig in Latvia yesterday, and a gig in Norway the day before! This morning I woke up in Latvia… And now you’re in Oxford, how are you still going? I dunno, I’ve been sleeping a lot in sitting up positions, getting up at like four in the morning the last three days in a row! Oh man! How did you enjoy your set at Truck festival? I had a really good time. I get slightly paranoid at certain festivals about gauging whether the audience are having a good time or not. Sometimes half an hour can feel a bit short to me - it’s great, the organizers are trying to get a lot of acts on – but I’m used to having a 40 minute set and the 10 minutes can make a difference to getting into it. I had to cut a lot of slow songs. At this point in the interview, Frightened Rabbit stumbled into the port-a-cabin, as it was their allotted time in it (oops!). Grant the drummer recognised me from an earlier interview, cheerfully exclaimed “Y’alright Phoebe”, complimented my penguin outfit (I was dressed up because it was wildlife themed) and we hastened outside to continue where we left off… I saw you at a tiny band stand stage at Bestival a year ago, you’ve done loads since then! Your album’s out soon, has it all gone well? I’m happy with where it is, I’m just excited for it to get out and hopefully people will like it! It’s hard to gauge it because a year’s such a long period of time. It’s been really slow and gradual over the
Yeah, I liked drums because my sister played the drums, and I was of course jealous, so I just taught myself. It’s become quite handy in song writing, knowing drum beats. Then I learnt bass, and all of the instruments, as much as I could learn as possible! On the album, I very much wanted all my friends to play – the band are just my friends! I wanted them to be as much a part of it as I could make them, so they all felt a part of it. Emily and the Woods is singing all over the album! She’s awesome, I saw her at Blissfields last year. I love Emily, she’s one of my good friends, it’s really nice, some good vibes on the album. I like your penguin outfit! Haha, thanks, what would be your animal of choice to dress up as? A bumblebee, they’re really good those outfits. I’d just like to point out that Lucy was devouring a burger (de-onioning it in the process) throughout this interview, whilst answering my questions. Skillful! After the interview, she then offers me the rest of her burger, and considering she’s one of my favourite singers, I of course accept. For more information about Lucy Rose, visit her website. She will be doing shows in Winchester Railway on Monday 19th November and Southampton Joiners on November 14th. Her album, ‘Like I Used To’ is released on 24th September.
By Pheobe Cross
Film
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Lawless
Uneven, unpleasant, unrewarding By Barnaby Walter, Film Editor. John Hillcoat’s Gary Oldman, as mobster Floyd Banner, film The Road wasn’t exactly a bundle of laughs. It is also relegated to cameo status. depicted the end of the world, and the experience The brothers’ nemesis is Special Agent Charlie was like having your face put through a shredder. It Rakes, a clever and cruel man who will go to extreme wasn’t a bad film, though. It showcased Hillcoat’s – and I mean really extreme – lengths to catch the skill at creating an atmosphere so tangible, it people involved in the sale and distribution of affected your mood during and even weeks alcohol. He is played by Guy Pearce, and although after watching the film. Lawless’s atmosphere his performance is an effective, menacing presence is harder to pin down. It’s a rough, gravelly in the film, Nick Cave’s screenplay occasionally atmosphere that gets everywhere. The film is brings him too close to a pantomime villain. covered in it. But Lawless also has a few laughs too, which are both amusing and problematic. In order for us to sympathise with the main characters, both Cave and Hillcoat make them all very likable. The movie is based on Matt Bondurant’s book The They are attractive, cool and playfully cocky. They Wettest County in the World, and it tells the blood- are the good guys. They are also appalling violent. stained tale of the Bondurant brothers; a trio of Yes, violence was part of life in this period and young men making money out of illegal alcohol setting, but the film does, to some extent, glorify in Franklin County, Virginia during the Prohibition. brutality and even make it seem rather humorous. Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) The film also becomes too reliant on incredibly take centre stage, with Howard (Jason Clarke) gory special effects. The brutality almost mumbling and punching people in the background. becomes the picture’s defining feature. Their moonshine stills bring them decent money, but breaking the law during such a violent period This is an interesting film that’s strongly compelling in American history has horrific consequences. at times. It has too much wrong with it to really make it special, and I feel too uneasy about its This is an odd film that never quite gets its tone politics to recommend it very highly. In the future, right. It has some strong performances (with the who knows, maybe it will be regarded as a crime exception of the predictably bland Mia Wasikowska masterpiece. But for now, it’s a bit of a mixed and as Jack’s girlfriend). Tom Hardy is marvellous as not very successful bag of guns, booze and blood. always, as is Jessica Chastain as his love interest. Sadly, Chastain is sidelined throughout the film, Director: John Hillcoat. which begs the question why the distributors Momentum Pictures. Certificate 18. chose to make her the most prominent figure on many of the film’s promotional posters.
Film
film@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
Anna Karenina By Barnaby Walter. After a foray into the world of the action thriller with 2011’s Hanna, director Joe Wright has returned to the costume drama. He made his name with the Award-magnets Pride & Prejudice and Atonement – lush British films that both starred that Marmite of the acting world, Ms Keira Knightley. I am a Keira fan, and an admirer of Joe Wright. He is a director who really does understand how to play with viewers’ emotions without being crass. His version of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, which is written by Tom Stoppard, is a flawed gem; a thing of great beauty that isn’t quite the success it should be. Wright certainly puts his print on the story of the mother who runs off with a young military man, leaving her child and dull husband behind her. He sets the whole picture within a theatre, as if the actors are putting on a production for an invisible audience, merging scenes filmed on a stage with location shots. It’s a bold move, and dazzles and befuddles in equal measure. For every three scenes that work, there is one that feels awkward and forced. The actors don’t seem sure if they are going for a stagey-feel or a brutally realistic affect. In the end, the results are mixed. Even so, there is still a lot to relish. The phrase ‘feast for the senses’ was invented for films like this. Even the weaker scenes are put together with an artistic flourish that has to be admired. Wright and his cinematographer Seamus McGarvey have made a film that looks good enough to eat, hang on your wall and upholster your furniture with. The acting, as I have already indicated, isn’t entirely spoton, but they all have a jolly good go. Keira Knightley is very convincing as Anna, as is Jude Law as her husband. I did have some doubts about Aaron Taylor-Johnson (star of Nowhere Boy and the awful Kick-Ass), but in the end he did impress me with the way he handled the role of Count Vronsky, Anna’s lover. Wright’s theatrical vision may not go down in history as the most definitive adaptation of Anna Karenina, but it is certainly one of the bravest and most interesting. Cinema this adventurous and daring should be respected, even if it never truly manages to touch the heights of genius it so beautifully attempts to reach. Director: Joe Wright. Universal Pictures, Certificate 12A.
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film@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Dredd 3D
By Barnaby Walter. Dredd 3D is an ataptation of the comic book Judge Dredd. This isn’t the first time the character has been seen on screen. Sylvester Stallone brought him to life in 1995. Now, the series has been rebooted (what a dreadful word), and Karl Urban stakes the title role. This is an Indian/British co-production, shot in South Africa, but still feels very American at heart. It’s rough, right-wing, violent, and fantastically entertaining. It’s also similar (though different in tone) to Indonesian thriller The Raid. The film is set in a dystopian world where Justice is dispensed by armed judges. Punishment is immediate. The plot follows Dredd and a trainee Judge (Olivia Thirlby) trying to free themselves after beeing locked inside a towerblock full of drug dealers by a crazy sadist gang leader (a fabulous Lena Headey). A lot of gore follows, but it isn’t gratuitous, and director Pete Travis’s filming style is magnificently watchable. It didn’t need to be in 3D (gimmicky, tiresome, boring), but apart from that, this is a great adult action film. Dir: Pete Travis. Entertainment Film Distributors. 18.
The Watch By Matt Timmiss. The Watch, to sum up: aliens, banter and exploding cows. This comedy sci-fi tries to follow in the wake of films like Shaun of the Dead and Scary Movie but feels more like a Superbad. There’s a bit of a mash of generations in the cast: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade. The film starts out a bit like Hot Fuzz. A group of people get together to investigate a murder in a town where not much happens. The more they snoop about, the more they find until they uncover a secret alien plot (E.T is forever alone in NOT wanting to invade earth). The core of the film isn’t the aliens or even the action, it’s the banter between the four stars. It doesn’t matter whether they’re sitting quietly in a car or battling a big bunch of aliens, when the four are together the comedy is fast paced and very quotable. If you’re stuck for a feel good film this weekend with some witty one-liners from an all star cast then this is for you. But if you want a meaty story with some real action, you’d be better off seeing The Bourne Legacy. Dir: Akiva Schaffer. Twentieth Century Fox. 15.
Film
film@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
On Blu-ray and DVD... Barnaby Walter takes a look at the new releases.
The Raid
Dir. Gareth Evans. Momentum. 18.
Total Recall By Chris Bloomfield. Paul Verhoeven’s original Schwarzenegger-starring Total Recall, released in 1990, has become a cult favourite of sorts. Now comes the inevitable remake which attempts to be more grounded by keeping events on Earth. But is it as crazily entertaining as the original? In short: No. Granted, whilst Total Recall sports some stunning visual effects which perfectly bring to life the crowded Blade Runneresque world and features some genuinely innovative action scenes, these only serve as a frail attempt to distract you from the distinct lack of ideas in the film. It’s the end of the 21st century and, plagued by warfare, the world has gone to hell leaving only a few habitable areas left. Colin Farrell stars in the Schwarzenegger role of Douglas Quaid, a factory worker who visits Rekall, a business that implants fantasy memories in the minds of customers which inadvertently triggers a strange realisation that he’s a spy who has had his own memories erased. Like Quaid’s own confused mind, Total Recall is an insipid mess and offers a feeling of emptiness. It’s very hard to care what happens. You just feel like you aren’t having as much fun as you should be. Watch the original and save yourself from an experience you may prefer to forget Dir: Akiva Schaffer. Twentieth Century Fox. 12A.
A SWAT team enters a Jakarta towerblock and clash with murdering drug dealers. This this is visceral, masterful filmmaking, and one of the best action movies of the century so far. BW.
Avengers Assemble
Dir. Joss Whedon. Disney. 12. It could have been so much better. This assembling of Marvel superheroes is a rather tedious disappointment, with a clunky storry and uninspired action. BW.
Also out... The Hunger Games An outstanding adaptation. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen A warm and funny comedy drama Jaws: Remastered Blu-ray Edition It looks awesome. Buy it. Titanic: Blu-ray Edition Silly, but still a classic. Safe Statham. Guns. Vacuous. Horrid. Homeland: Season 1 One of the best dramas of the year. The Scapegoat Intriguing Daphne du Maurier adaptation. The Cabin in the Woods Good, but not amazing.
More BD & DVD Reviews online!
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film@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Archive Review
Longford (2006)
By Barnaby Walter. Good viewing doesn’t always mean happy viewing, and this is something to bear in mind when watching Longford (2006), an underrated masterpiece directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan. Hooper, of course, went on to win an Oscar for his film The King’s Speech, and Morgan is famous for writing various successes such as The Queen and Frost/Nixon. Longford is about Francis Aungier Pakenham, the 7th Earl of Longford. He was famous for his antipornography campaigns, his opposition to gay rights (he referred to homosexuals as ‘handicapped people’), and for his shocking crusade to free Moors murderer Myra Hindley. It is this latter endeavour that forms the basis of this moving and disturbing biopic. Jim Broadbent, in perhaps the best performance of his career, utterly convinces as the misguided Lord who desperately wants the world to see what he sees in Hindley. His visits to her in prison are excellently filmed, and the conversations are as compelling as they are troubling. It helps a great deal that Broadbent is paired with an actor as extraordinary as Samantha Morton, whose performance mixes together vulnerability with manipulative cunning. Is Myra earnest about her friendship with Frank, or is she playing mind games? This question rings loudly in the air throughout the picture, and Morton uses this to her advantage.
Ian Brady, her partner in love and crime, is chillingly brought to life by Andy Serkis, the man who will be eternally famous for his work in The Lord of the Rings trilogy as Gollum. In this film he only appears briefly but makes a big impression. The moment where he taunts Frank with what Hindley did to her child victims is almost unbearable. I returned to this film, one which I have watched a number of times now, in a week when the terrible murders Hindley committed with Brady were back in the headlines. This was due to the arrest of the mental health advocate of Ian Brady, and the death of Winnie Johnson, the mother of murdervictim Keith Bennett whose body was never found. Although a film cannot ever really recreate the suffering the families of the victims went through, Longford does try to emphasise the controversial nature of the Lord’s campaign and show how upsetting it was for the people involved. Unfortunately those in the UK who wish to watch this film have to either view it via digital download or online streaming, or import (as I did) the Region 1 DVD. Films as remarkable as this don’t come around often. Longford deserves to be seen by as many people as possible. Dir: Tom Hooper. HBO/ITV/Channel 4. No Cert.
Culture
culture@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Supernatural Season 7 The quirky series of comedy and horror returns with a new enemy. Supernatural, the incredibly successful series about two brothers who travel around America hunting supernatural creatures, returned to UK screens earlier this month in its seventh season. The two Winchester brothers fight not only mainstream creatures, such as the werewolf or vampire, but those that emerge from urban legends, such as the ghost of ‘Bloody Mary’. While the show is undoubtedly a success because of its unique perspective on the supernatural – for example vampires must be beheaded, in a rather grisly and inhuman manner, rather than be impaled on wooden stakes. – the relationship between brothers Sam and Dean Winchester and their interactions is what pulls those back for more. Their dialogue is engaging, and their performances are believable – with every time Dean says ‘bitch’ and Sam responds with ‘jerk’ you feel the brotherly bond, which is a credit to lead actors Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. By centring the show around the sibling relationship, the creators and producers of Supernatural instantly made a show about monsters and the things that go bump in the night relatable to more than just the people who take an interest in the supernatural. Supernatural works because it blends comedy and horror. There are creatures and moments that produce a visceral reaction while the effects are dynamic, and the dark nature of the show means that you find it difficult to look away. The comedy moments produce light moments, and make the horror ones more dramatic. Season Seven has a lot to live up to, due to the fantastic long running story lines of past series. Having previously fought both heaven and hell, anything that follows has to be more than your bog standard evil supernatural creature. So far
the new season has started well in this respect. The first few episodes establish the newest enemy, the mysterious Leviathans that have been released from purgatory, and this has the potential to introduce some brilliant storylines, and a fantastic final showdown. The individual self-contained episodes have been interesting and engaging and give more insight into each of the brothers. Standout episodes thus far include ‘Defending Your Life’ which features the Egyptian god Orisis and some dramatic character revelations, and ‘Shut Up, Dr Phil’ which features Buffy alum Charisma Carpenter and James Masters as a dysfunctional couple who happen to be witches.
“
There are creatures and moments that produce a visceral reaction while the effects are dynamic, and the dark nature of the show means that you find it difficult to look away My only complaint about season seven so far? The screen time of Misha Collins’ Castiel, or rather lack thereof. Collins’ socially inept angel is one of the most engaging characters, bouncing off both Sam and Dean to create another layer to the show, and I have been disappointed by the fact that he has been absent. However this season shows promise, and certainly has me hooked. Rebecca James
Supernatural: Season Seven is currently being shown on Sky Living at 9pm on Wednesdays. Seasons 1-6 are distributed by Warner Home Video (rated 15)
Culture
culture@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Why Understudies are David Tully speaks up in defence of the much lambasted, hard-working and often vital role played by the performers. For some theatregoers, the words “At this performance, the role of...� are enough to induce tears, rage, stomping, frothing at the mouth and an instant demand for a refund. Seeing this type of response to understudies, standbys, swings and alternates whips up a fury in me so strong that it makes their behaviour look like the height of etiquette by comparison so I'd like to try to convince you just how crucial they are. I'd like to start off by stating the obvious understudies are highly trained, competent performers. When they are covering a so called 'big name', they may even be more qualified to be playing the part than the principal actor. I find most theatre perfectly enjoyable but I'm notoriously hard to wow and I happily admit to having been blown away by understudies just as often as by principals. An actor's interpretation of a role is a very subjective thing and it is only logical that sometimes the regular actor in a role will not be the one that perfectly captures it for you. For diehard theatre fans, understudies are the equivalent of unsigned bands for music lovers you want to see them and bask in their brilliance before it has become common knowledge. Smaller shows, heavily specialised pieces or shows that simply haven't put enough understudies in place are permanently in danger. As I write this, The National Theatre has just had to cancel two performances of its celebrated play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time due to its lead actor suffering a knee injury. Although terrible, this is a minor inconvenience - if an actor without an understudy were to break their leg, an entire tour could be cancelled, an entire show put on ice. No one has the right to see a particular actor at the theatre. On every show website I have ever been on, there is a declaration that the cast is subject to change and we have to realise that
actors are not super-human. Whilst I totally understand people being disheartened when their favourite isn't on, no-one will regret it more than the actor laid in bed with flu, feeling like crap and worrying about the fact that they've let their fans down. Productions have to take some of the blame here - selling tickets on a name is a nasty (but very lucrative) habit which I would like to see disappear. Ultimately, if you want certainty of seeing a particular performer, you're better off at a concert or book-signing than you are seeing live theatre. If seeing a particular person is of grave importance to you, you can maximise your chances by checking a website like that lists performers' holiday dates
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culture@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
Crucial to the Theatre A Personal Perspective Actress Sabina Carter discusses her experiences of understudy abuse. West End actress Sabrina Carter witnessed understudy abuse firsthand when her colead in Jekyll and Hyde did not perform: “Marti [Pellow] was off and when the announcement was made that the understudy was on, the crowd really loudly booed. It was utterly disgusting and enraged the cast not to mention upset the understudy who then had to lead the show!” In a how can just she
and who will be covering them but there's no magic guarantee. Incidentally, this website is just as good if you've seen a show before and want to see someone other than the principal performing a role - something I do all the time! It never fails to make me smile when shows list performers' holidays on their own websites, a responsible decision which seems to be becoming ever more popular. Sabrina Carter calls understudies 'the unsung heroes of the West End' and personally I couldn't agree more. Even if you are disappointed the next time an actor isn't on, I beg you to keep an open mind and consider yourself lucky that an understudy is waiting in the wings to take over. It's better than a train home with no show and you never know, they might just surprise you.
story which beautifully illustrates just demanding the life of an understudy be, she told me about being given two songs notice the first time that was required to go on in Wicked:
My first Elphaba show was just before ‘One Short Day’! I was told after the Ozdust ballroom scene and over two songs had an army of people re-miking me, painting me green, changing my costume, tights etc. whilst having to retune my voice to sing the mountain that is Wicked! It’s twice as difficult for the understudy as they do not do it all the time so it’s nerves coupled with expectation and
remembering your words. It’s really hard!
Sabrina Carter is the current standby for the roles of Annabella, Pamela and Margaret in The 39 Steps and a former understudy for the role of Elphaba in Wicked.
Culture
culture@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
The Walking Dead - Game
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George Doel watches zombies try to feed on brains, while the game feeds his with intelligent, dynamic gameplay.
The
Walking Dead has become a phenomenon in the past two years, starting with a comic book series, followed by a TV series and now a computer game developed by small-time TellTale Games. But this isn’t your normal video game. Just like the television show, the game is focussed on narrative and characterisation rather than action, powered by the choices the player makes in dialogue with other characters rather than an endless narrative of 'see a zombie, shoot it in the head'. Spread over five independent episodes, you take on the role of Lee Everett, a university professor who before the outbreak was on route to prison for killing a member of congress for sleeping with his wife. During your travels with the young girl Clementine, you must make decisions on what to say when meeting other survivors who will then react accordingly. However, what makes this game so unique is that it remembers what you have said and life-and-death decisions will affect future episodes and
how other characters behave. Often the decisions you must make are forced through time restraints, such as deciding who to save during a zombie attack. These choices that are made by the player are sometimes rewarded and occasionally punished (shunned by other characters and even death). As soon as you make a decision, you find yourself thinking ‘What would of happened if I had saved the other guy?’ or ‘How would it of panned out if I had been honest rather than lied?’ creating endless replayability and each time you get a new game to play. Interaction with the environment is done through a point-andclick system as you solve problems, talking with others and occasionally cave a zombie’s head in with a crowbar. Don’t be fooled by the often slow paced system used in other games; The Walking Dead is an engrossing, and at times, harrowing ordeal as you choose who to keep close to you and who to keep your eye on.
At several points, I became so absorbed by the narrative and the characters that I felt the experience was more like watching a movie where I was the writer. The characterisation is perfect and whether you are deciding who gets what rations or how to take out the next zombie, you are completely emotionally involved for several hours of gameplay. There are a few bugs with the game. The comic-book style in which the game is presented can be laggy during action scenes and this can sometimes take you out of The Walking Dead world but these are minor when compared to its many triumphs. Beautifully written, wonderfully presented and a score that creates the perfect atmosphere, The Walking Dead game is a great success. Fans of the franchise will love the familiar, eerie feel the game evokes whilst those new to video gaming will find it easy to play. I recommend at least the first episode, as I promise you will not be disappointed.
Live
live@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Reading Festival Megan Downing takes you through the highlights of the three day world famous music festival and it’s unforgettable line up. Out of all the festivals this summer, Reading Festival is definitely the one for music lovers. It is all about the music and with the insanely amazing line-up, it definitely pleased the masses. Reading is renowned as the festival the school kids go to post GCSE results, and whether they’re drowning their sorrows or celebrating success, I’m sure that they all had an amazing time nonetheless; whether they remember it or not is a separate matter. Good weather and great music meant for a very enjoyable weekend. Friday’s line up consisted of some amazing acts from the worldly famous The Cure to new and upcoming acts such as Bastille. Scroobius Pip opened my festival as the first act I saw. The “rowdy” crowd meant the atmosphere was amazing! His live Distraction Pieces performance is always worth watching. The Festival Republic stage played host to some awesome music. Alt-J and Bastille blew me away. Joe’s vocals during songs such as ‘Tessellate’ were flawless and the crowd’s reaction made for an amazing show. Bastille were on at 7pm, an awesome slot for such a new band. The tent was packed and they received such an amazing reaction and rightly so; their
set was electric. You Me At Six and Paramore tore up the Main Stage before The Cure’s headline set. Instead of watching the veteran performers, I took a short trip to see the fantastic Foster The People and ended the night with The Maccabees on the NME/Radio1 Stage. The Maccabees played an awesome set which was a fantastic combination of tracks across all three of their studio albums. Saturday kicked off with one of the most famous punk-rock bands the world has ever seen in the form of Green Day. Producing one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen, the mere presence of Billy Joe Armstrong was an overwhelming experience. They played for over an hour and even went over time to the crowd’s pleasure. “The best worst kept secret the UK has ever seen” was definitely worth seeing and all those lucky to have witnessed it will remember it as monumental. Pure Love and Twin Atlantic also performed on the Radio 1/NME stage both of whom performed great sets, enhanced by the Reading crowd. Torn between Dry The River and OFWGKTA, I chose to watch the latter on the Main Stage and what a crazy set it was. Tyler, The Creator Green Day
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live@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
Kaiser Chiefs OFWGKTA
All Time Low
Alt-J
and co. (minus Frank Ocean, to my disappointment) rattled through their offensive catalogue of hip-hop with a more than rowdy crowd. Mosh pits erupted throughout the crowd, especially when ‘Yonkers’ was performed. Enter Shikari were the next act I caught, also on the Main Stage and the energy in the performance exceeded any other band so far this weekend. Their comments on the society we live in are blatant through their lyrics, and frontman Rou Reynolds pioneers these thoughts through his stage performance. They always impress and having not seen them since their Take To The Skies tour back in ‘08, it was great to see them perform newer tracks such as ‘Ghandi Mate, Ghandi’. I stayed on the Main Stage for The Vaccines. There set was a mix of their brilliant debut and their somewhat mediocre recent release, Come of Age. Songs like ‘Teenage Icon’ naturally received a huge crowd reaction and I can see it being a festival anthem for years to come. New track ‘Ghost Town’ also sounded awesome live, giving fans a brief preview prior to its release the following week. Moving to the Dance Tent, I briefly saw ‘212’ by Azealia Banks. Chaos is the only word to describe the atmosphere. Everyone was throwing their limbs around as she shouted ‘Ima ruin you c**t’ back at them. After a short break, I watched Florence and the Machine float around the Main Stage. Her performance was not overly impressive yet despite the pouring rain, she seemed to put in 110% effort. The first act on the Main Stage on Sunday were Pulled Apart By Horses. At the very least, the band managed to drag a crowd out of their tends and despite their hangovers, they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the madness. The Gaslight Anthem were next and they were fantastic. The American punk-rock band lead by Brian Fallon entertained the swarming hoards at the Main Stage. All Time Low also followed on the main stage. Having followed their career, watching the culmination of their work in this set was a very entertaining one. Rather than showcasing
what’s to come on their new album later this year, the band rattled through an improvised ‘greatest hits’, while some technical difficulties resulted in a spontaneous rendition of ‘Dammit’ by Blink 182. Bullet for My Valentine played the main stage followed by The Kaiser Chiefs. Frontman Ricky strutted around the stage flirting with the cameras which made for entertaining viewing. The Black Keys preceded Foo Fighters on the main stage. Following their headline show at Coachella this year they maintained this high level of performance with their Reading set. I watched the beginning of Foo Fighters and then shot off to watch the whole of Two Door Cinema Club’s set, which was impressively enigmatic. It was a delightful mix of their phenomenal debut album and their excellent second album Beacon. A perfect end to an unforgettable weekend.
Foo Fighters
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live@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
Bestival
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Megan Downing explains why the Isle of Wight’s most exciting event was definitely the best one to date.
Bestival 2012 was a momentous occasion to end the festival season. With so many great names on the bill, Rob da Bank and co. definitely delivered a amazing weekend. Everything kicked off on Thursday evening at The Big Top with The 2 Bears and Alabama Shakes getting the crowd in the mood for the headliners. I found The 2 Bears boring and repetitive and felt the crowd were waiting in anticipation for their only hit ‘Bear Hug’. Gary Numan performed and I was very pleasantly surprised by 80s pop sensation with his live show is heavier than I had first anticipated. Next up were electropop sensation Hot Chip. They played a set consisting of hits spanning over their 12 year career including the likes of ‘One Life Stand’ and ‘Over and Over’. First Aid Kit played at midday on the elaborately decorated Main Stage; the Swedish sisters were simply incredible. The tight knit vocal harmonies and general togetherness they brought to the performance was very impressive. Next up was the Replay with Rob da Bank Stage, a brand new stage for this year, to watch the overly hyped teen wonder that is Jake Bugg. With the amount of media interest surrounding him I thought it would be worth checking him out but it was just a kid with a guitar singing country music. Nothing special or unique. I head back over to the Main Stage for Warpaint, a four piece american art rock band. It was very refreshing to see a non-conventional girl band performing on the Main Stage. Back on the Replay with Rob da Bank stage., I caught AltJ performing The small stage had the biggest crowd of the whole weekend; people were literally climbing up the rafters to catch a glimpse of the Mercury Prize favourites. They seemed very overwhelmed by the crowd support as they performed their album An Awesome Wave pretty much in it’s running order, including the haunting intro and interludes. Next on the Main Stage were The xx, a performance that was highly anticipated by many as it was their only UK festival appearance for two years. The
London based trio performed spectacularly. As did The Horrors on The Big Top stage. The dark and moody lighting added to the brilliant atmosphere set by the band. They played tracks such as ‘I Can See Through You’ with Faris’ spine-tingling vocals echoing through the tent. Florence And The Machine headlined the Main Stage dressed as Poison Ivy from Batman, definitely in fitting with Bestival’s Wildlife fancy dress theme. However I can’t say her performance was quite as impressive as her outfit. Saturday’s line up had an allusive special guest on The Big Top stage which turned out to be The Godfather of Grime, Wiley. The small crowd soon increased as the word spread and pretty soon the tent was quite full. The day was good for The Big Top stage with Ben Howard on that afternoon too. Just before him I managed to catch some poetry hosted by Scroobius Pip in the Amphitheatre, deep in the heart of The Ambient Forest. It really demonstrated the diverse range of activities on offer which makes Bestival much more than a music festival. Getting back to The Big Top was such a mission due to the swarming hoards waiting for the Devonian heart throb but it was all definitely worth watching, his set was energy fuelled and impressive. Also on The Big Top was renowned beatbox wonder Beardyman (who also appeared at SUSU’s Fresher’s Ball last year). His live performances are so impressive as every sound created comes from the man himself. Jessie Ware was next on The Big Top - dressed as a cat. Her vocals were flawless; definitely one to watch in the coming year. American hip-hop trio De La Soul were on the Main Stage and were thoroughly entertaining. Next up were one of the best exports of Northern Island, Two Door Cinema Club. Similar to their Reading set it was a delightful mix of Tourist History and Beacon with particular highlights being ‘Wake Up’ and as
Live
live@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
always ending their set with the iconic ‘I Can Talk’. Instead of watching the apparently legendary New Order, I went to see To Kill A King on the Bandstand. Easily the smallest stage at Bestival. The show was intimate and highly entertaining, especially with the cameo appearance from Dan and Kyle from Bastille as they performed ‘Choices’. A perfect end to my Saturday night. My Sunday started at The Big Top for Stooshe. I left after one song. They were dreadfully awful. It also upset me to see all the young fans in the audience clinging onto every lyric despite the rude connotations behind most of them. On the main stage around midday were the bundles of fun, Rizzle Kicks. They bounded onto stage wearing animal onsies; Jordan the Red Panda and Harley the Tiger. They were hilarious as they played songs from their successful debut album Stereo Typical and also sampled some Justin Timberlake and the James Bond Theme Tune into their set. Very entertaining to say the least. Over on the Replay with Rob da Bank stage was the 20 year old singer/songwriter from Hertfordshire Charli XCX. After lots of attention from Radio1 over the past few months, she gained quite a crowd as she humbly performed. Back on The Big Top was Orlando Higginbottom’s brainchild Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. His stage set was just as impressive as his sound, paired with two onstage dancers (also donning the usual dinosaur attire) meant for a very enjoyable show, one that was very hard not to dance along to. I went back to the Replay stage for King Charles to see what all the fuss about him is about. You have to wonder what sort of sound a man that looks like Prince with dreadlocks can come up with, but I can safely say that I was pleasantly surprised. He seemed to have some adoring fans in the audience singing back every word. After a long weekend we finally got to the headliner to end all headliners, the legendary (although I feel that word isn’t worthy) Stevie Wonder. His charisma and charm on stage paired with his flawless musical ability blew me away. He played hit after hit and after hearing ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ I thought ‘why on earth is he playing his best song mid set’ but I had forgotten how many hits the father of Motown really has. I endevoured to watch his whole set but as it got later and later I had to shoot of to The Big Top to catch Friendly Fires whose energy whilst performing cannot be rivalled. You only have to notice the sweat pouring from Ed Macfarlane’s body to notice how much dedication is put into each and every performance. To end the weekend I danced along to the dark wave beats of Grimes right into the early hours.
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Live
live@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
32
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at the BIC (04/09/2012) by Henry Holloway
It was four years ago that Noel Gallagher last entered the Bournemouth International Centre, but back then he had his younger brother swaggering along in tow as part of Oasis as they started touring their last studio album. Yet little under one year later it had all imploded in spectacular fashion and one of the biggest acts in the country had fractured apart giving birth to two new bands that went on to become known as Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. While both brothers have bounced back, mud has been slung from both sides; Liam has eloquently called Noel a “shitbag” and branding his band “High Flying Turds” while Noel labelled Liam’s as a “Stratford’s finest Oasis tribute act”. Noel seems to have best adapated to his solo career, not only commercially but also as his performance at the BIC showed, as of the country’s best live acts. Opening was former rival Graham Coxon of Blur fame who laid out cuts from his own solo project. Joined on stage by a total of five other guitarists, Coxon seemed to be trying to win the trophy for the loudest show along on the South Coast. While
at some points the sound quality seemed to just be noise, it was damn good noise that personified the darker side of Blur and was a fantastic start to the evening. Next up Noel Gallagher strolled out leisurely onto the stage with his High Flying Birds, a twenty four piece choir and brass section to keep him company. Noel opened with a revamped version of Oasis B-side ‘It’s Good to be Free’ before kicking in with album opener ‘Everybody’s On the Run’. Bolstered by the voices behind and in front of him, you could tell this performance was going to be poised, professional and quite frankly epic. Noel led us through the first half of his solo album before moving onto unreleased track ‘Freaky Teeth’ and returned to he glory days with an acostic performance of ‘Supersonic’ which spurred on the audience to belt out every word. The second half of the set finished off his solo material, laced with a mix of spruced up and reshaped Oasis favourites before leading onto the encore which featured featuring an incredible performance of ‘Let the Lord Shine a Light on Me’ and then Noel’s chosen big three, ‘Whatever’, ‘Little By Little’ and of
course ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. With twenty songs crammed into an hour and a half and Noel Gallagher’s trademark banter to break it up, there was never a dull moment. Aside from the people on stage, what really pushed this gig into the upper echelons of my estimation was the people who had paid the slightly exorbitant ticket price to come to see him. Sometimes when you see a band like this that has splintered off from a previously successful act, those who come to see them just stand around being lacklustre and indignant as they find themselves bored by the new material, yearning for the old stuff - this exact same thing happened when I saw Beady Eye last year as people spent more time chanting ‘Liam, Liam’ than they did actually paying attention to the music. This was not the case for Noel as High Flying Birds and Oasis songs alike, people were loving every minute and when a whole room is lost in a performance it’s pretty hard not to lose yourself too I really don’t have a bad word to say, an excellent show all round from a band and a crowd who just radiated pure unquestionable class.
Special
editor@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
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Freshers’ Week: Your Survival Guide Emma Real-Davies gives some sound advice on having a successful and fun week This time last year I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat and, above all, I couldn't stop worrying. I was so terrified about starting at Southampton that I felt physically sick every time the thought crossed my mind, but one year on I'm fine. I didn't sneeze in a lecture or forget all my knickers. My head has gone back to its normal size and, sorry to be predictable but, I love Southampton. I'm not going to go on about how wonderful it is, but I am going to regurgitate some useful tips that I picked up at Southampton that helped me make the most out of my Freshers' week. 1. Don't drink if you don't want to Freshers' week is not necessarily about getting drunk. It's about meeting new people, making friends and sharing interests. If you don't want to drink then you don't have to. On the fourth night of Freshers' week, my liver had certainly had enough, so despite my flatmate's jeering, I stuck to my guns and didn't drink. People won't hate you if you don't get drunk, but they will if you throw up on their bed at 3am. 2. Bring a doorstop If you take anything from this article, PLEASE take this piece of advice: on your first day, the worst thing you could possibly do is arrive at your halls, go into your room, shut the door, and hide. You'll be too scared to leave when it comes to having a wee, and it'll only get harder and harder. Pretending you're employed by MI5, you'll edge out your room, peek suspiciously down the corridor , then suddenly RUUUUUUN! You make a dash for the loo, slam the door and PHEW - breathe - and you're safe! First thing's first, prop your door open, put on Radio 1 and open a bag of Haribo - I guarantee that your new flatmates will be in your room to say 'hey!' in a flash. 3. Have safe sex Let's not be prudish about this - people have sex in Freshers' week. Whether it's a friend, a stranger, or
a flatmate (although I'd advise against this), please MAKE SURE it's safe. There's nothing worse than moving a million miles away from home, taking out a £3000 loan and starting your 3 year degree, to find you're pregnant by the guy with the Jessie J t-shirt, who bought you a shot of Apple Sourz and a Jägerbomb. 4. Get involved Your union (SUSU) is here for a reason and there are hundreds of societies for you to make the most out of. This could possibly be the last chance you'll ever have to try out TV presenting or act on the Nuffield stage. You'll gain fantastic experience, you'll meet like-minded people and you never know - you might find a passion for, er... hiking. 5. Be open-minded On my second day I had to stand in a 3 hour-long doctor's queue, with 300 other students, holding pots of our own wee, waiting to be tested for Chlamydia. And you know what, it was amazing - because EVERYONE WAS EQUAL. So, although the hot boy in the corner was cool, indie and way out of my league, he, like me, was also holding a pot of his own wee (which I think it's fair to say, instantly diminishes one's 'cool' factor). My advice is: there are no boundaries in your first week so talk to everyone! Yes, they might study Physics and spend their evenings playing Warhammer, but they also might love to crochet - JUST LIKE YOU. 6. Make the most of it! You're going to get sick of people saying this so I thought I'd get in there first: you're only a fresher once, so stop worrying and HAVE FUN. Remember for most of you, your degree won't count in your first year. Not at all. Nothing. Nada. So while you're being boring, stuck in the library reading about the enthralling topic that is 'molecular diffusion', get out there and make the most of your one free year. I'm telling you now that YES it is acceptable to go to Jesters 7 nights in a row and turn up to lectures hungover - just don't get into bad habits for when it actually counts.
Listings
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deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk theedgesusu.co.uk - Issue 8 - September 2012
Albums
Cinema
dvd/blu-ray
Culture
Your brief guide to Some of the biggest albums, films and arts events coming out in and around Southampton over the next few weeks 24th September
Mumford and Sons - Babel The Dictator
8th October
25th September
Ellie Goulding - Halcyon All Time Low - Don’t Panic Mika - The Origin Of Love Cosmopolis Snow White and The Huntsman
28th October
9th October
STOMP @ Mayflower Theatre (-29th)
The Campaign (15) Resident Evil: Retribution 3D (15)
30th September
Tim Key @ Nuffield Theatre
1st October
Muse - The 2nd Law Breaking Bad: Season 4 Moonrise Kingdom
2nd October
42nd Street @ Mayflower (-6th)
3rd October
The Perks of Being A Wallflower (12A)
4th October Taken 2 (TBC)
5th October
Al Murray @ Southampton Guildhall Liberal Arts (12A)
American Idiot Musical @Mayflower (-13th)
12th October Hit and Run (15)
14th October
Ava Vidal @ Nuffield Theatre
15th October
Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg Leona Lewis - Glassheart
17th October
Paranormal Activity 4 (TBC) Frankenweenie (PG)
19th October
Madagascar 3 (PG)
22nd October
Lawson - Chapman Square Taylor Swift -Red
Gig Guide
28
Zane Lowe @ V, Bournemouth
The Virginmarys @ The Talking Heads
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs @ Pyramids Centre
13
Saturday
Friday
12
Flux Pavilion @ Pyramids Centre, Portsmouth
6
Ruarri Joseph @ The Joiners
5
Saturday
Friday
29
Amy Winehouse Foundation Event @The Talking Heads
Rufus Stone @ The Brook
Saturday
The Underground Heroes @ The Joiners
Professor Green @ V, Bournemouth
Friday
September and October
24
AIM: Frequency @ The Union Scissor Sisters @ Portsmouth Guildhall
Blood Red Shoes @ The Old Fire Station
14 Nine Black Alps @ The Joiners
Monday
Young Guns @Wedgewood Rooms
DragonForce @ Pyramids Centre
Sunday
Kyla La Grange @ The Joiners
Monday
Ahab @ The Talking Heads
Monday
15
8
1
Sam & The Womp @ The Union
Monday
Dan Le Sac @ The Joiners
Sunday
Tinchy Stryder @ Concorde 2, Brighton
7
30
Malefice @ The Joiners
Sunday
Ultravox @ Portsmouth Guildhall
Aiden Grimshaw 23 @Old Fire Station, Bournemouth
Sunday
Hot Chip @ Southampton Guildhall
Tuesday
9
16
Level 42 @ Bournemouth Pavilion
Tuesday
Benjamin Francis Leftwich @ Old Fire Station
Tuesday 2
25 Pierce The Veil @ The Joiners
Tuesday
Dry The River @ Wedgewood Rooms
Bloc Party @ Southampton Guildhall
17
10
Wednesday
Field Music @ The Cellar
Wednesday
Anberlin @ Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
3
Wednesday
Joe Brooks @ The Cellar
Wednesday 26
27
4
11
18 Lianne La Havas @ Concorde 2, Brighton
Thursday
The Midnight Beast @ Southampton Guildhall
Thursday
Maverick Sabre @ O2 Academy, Bournemouth
Carina Round @ The Joiners
Thursday
Jody Has A Hitlist @ The Joiners
Thursday