The Edge (September 2014)

MASTERS oF SEX

Mid-season review

Your gig guide to

SOUTHAMPTON

bestival

Our review inside

Issue One Welcome to the first print issue of the new year, and my first after taking the reigns as editor. It’s exciting, if a little nerve wracking, to be in charge, and I certainly have some big shoes to fill. As we start to distribute this magazine Freshers’ Week has begun, which signals the return to university and to hard work.

And of course, with Freshers’ Week comes a brand new group of students - to anyone who is just joining us at Southampton, welcome! You have made a great choice in Southampton, as I can honestly say its been some of the best time of my life (I chose to stay for Postgraduate study, after all!)

For those who are just discovering The Edge, we are the University of Southampton Entertainment magazine, and we exist to satisfy all of your entertainment needs.

We cover a range of entertainment topics, and inside our pages, and on our website, you can discover reviews, features, interviews, and news on topics from Game of Thrones to introducing you to a new great artist. Interested in writing? When I started writing for The Edge I never would have imagined that I would become editor - there are so many opportunities for anyone who is interested in entertainment journalism.

You can find out more information about us on page 4.

Last year was one of the best that The Edge has ever had, with our award-winning design rebrand, and now we want to continue our commitment to quality over this next year ahead. We have increased the size of The Edge from 32 pages to a bumper 40 pages - which means more entertainment for you to pour over!

Inside this edition of the magazine you can take a look at our previews of some of the television coming to screens this Autumn - you can check that out on pages 28-29. Want to know about the film festivals that in the surrounding area? You can have a look at our run down of the Eastleigh Film Festival on page 25. We also got the chance to head to several festivals this summer - you can read our reviews of Global Gathering and Bestival in our live section of the magazine.

With a great team working with me, I can’t wait to see what this year holds for the magazine. It is very exciting!

Rebecca James Editor

1 | Editorial

Editor Rebecca James editor@theedgesusu.co.uk Deputy Editor Caitlin Hobbs deputy-editor@theedgesusu.co.uk records Editor Hannah Mylrea records@theedgesusu.co.uk Features Editor Siân Blewitt features@theedgesusu.co.uk film Editor Virginie Robe film@theedgesusu.co.uk C u lt u r e e d i t o r Natalie Fordham culture@theedgesusu.co.uk live Editor Annabelle Asker live@theedgesusu.co.uk news Editor Lewis Taplin news@theedgesusu.co.uk head of design Joe Buckingham design@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of external relations Jenny Simpson relations@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of publicity Henna Patel publicity@theedgesusu.co.uk Head of events Alex Meehan events@theedgesusu.co.uk online manager Emily Mitchell manager@theedgesusu.co.uk editor in chief Megan Downing vpdci@susu.org

The Edge | editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Contents 01 Welcome to Issue One 03 Join Us

culture

records

Album Reviews 04 Ariana Grande - My Everything 05 Royal Blood - Royal Blood 06 Maroon 5 - V 07 Catfish and the Bottlemen - The Balcony 07 Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World Single Reviews 08 Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang 08 MNEK - Wrote A Song About You 08 Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me

NEWS

10 The Edge Is Eager For...

11 Nostalgic News

FEATURES

12 What to watch next?

13 Southampton Entertainment Guide 16 The Ones To Watch 17 The Biggest Acts To Come From Southampton 18 Round-up: Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Video Games 26 Infamous: First Light Television 27 Preview: Homeland Season Four 27 Preview: American Horror Story Freakshow 28 Preview: The Walking Dead Season Five 28 Preview: The Strain 29 Mid-Season Review: The Great British Bake-Off 30 Mid-Season Review: Masters of Sex Writing 31 Classic Review: Lolita

Live

Festivals 32 Review: Global Gathering Festival 33 Things We Loved About Bestival 34 Things We Loved About Latitude Gigs 35 Review: Gerard Way at Wedgewood Rooms 36 Preview: Rae Morris at Joiners 36 Preview: Childhood at Joiners 38 Listings

Film

19 The First Film To Affect Me 20 Eastleigh Film Festival Cinema Reviews 21 Maps To The Stars 22 They Came Together 23 What If 23 Sin City: A Dame To Kill For Blu-ray Reviews 24 Frank 24 Stoker

27-28

29

13

The Edge | editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

32 Editorial | 2

Join us!

D

o you have a passion for writing, or love the entertainment world? Fancy press tickets to a festival, or to review your favourite band?

Or perhaps you want to interview your favourite artist, or attend a press conference with some of the world’s biggest actors? Would you like to see your writing in print?

As part of The Edge you can write as much or as little as you want, and can write about a range of entertainment topics - we have seven print editions a year, and constant online content. From reviews and features, to interviews and comment pieces on older records and films, you can go from exploring an entertainment topic that interests you, like the modern phenomenon of television binge watching, to reviewing the lastest Marvel Studios blockbuster.

We have six sections: Records, Film, Features, Culture, News, and Live, which means that you can write about anything in the entertainment world.

The Edge isn’t just for English students - we welcome people from all kinds of degree background, and you don’t have to be a new fresher starting this year to get involved! All that matters is having a passion for entertainment journalism, or a desire to write.

The Edge has developed over the last three years to

mally and ance to write infor “It gives you a ch t writing. or rep d an s m essay provides a break fro rs about advice from membe The accessibility of me all lco we brilliant. They posting articles is hout ug ro th u yo lp s and he ge degree background era av of yourself as an e!” even if you think lif i un my eat chapter of writer. Its been a gr Writer Kirsty Bradley “The Edge makes it rea lly easy to commit to as much or as little work as you want to put in -I went from writing an album review from tim e to time to being res ponsible for designin g the whole 40-page magaz ine!”

Joe Buckingham - He ad of Design

3 | Editorial

become bigger and better - last year we even won Best Design at the Student Publication Awards. We have also had great opportunities to attend press conferences with the stars for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent. We have had press tickets to V Festival, Blissfields, Bestival, and The Secret Garden Party.

We have also had the chance to interview Samuel L Jackson, Natalie Portman, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bastille, Conor Maynard, amongst many others.

Being involved in The Edge is a great opportunity for you to explore the world of journalism, practise writing and get feedback. In addition to all of these great things, being part of The Edge looks great on your CV, and it is a lot of fun!

GET INVOLVED AT t h e e d g e s u s u . c o . u k / ab o u t

AND BECOME PART OF THE TEAM

“When you’ve written something, and see it up alongside other people’s high quality writing it’s hard not to feel a sense of acomplishment.”

Harrison Abbott - Writer chance to improve “The Edge has given me the and supportive my writing in a friendly years it’s helped two t environment. Over the pas opportunities me n give and me hone my skills, university such as I’d never thought I’d have at Edge.” s reviewing music festival as The or Edit Hannah Mylrea - Records

The Edge | editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Ariana Grande

my everything Ariana is also using this album to try and rid herself of the classic squeaky clean Disney/ Nickelodeon-star reputation she has, with The Weeknd crooning “Can you feel the pressure between your hips?” and her collaboration with ‘Hands on Me’ which is far cheekier than anything she ever sang while she appeared on Victorious. However her attempts to be a ‘grown up pop star’ sound forced and slightly uncomfortable.

Y

ou might recognise Ariana Grande from her stints on popular Nickelodeon shows Victorious and spinoff Sam & Cat; but over the past two years she’s been diligently plugging away at her solo music career. In August 2013 she released her debut album, Yours Truly, which was a critical and commercial success, topping the US album charts. However it failed to follow suit in the UK, meaning the first many of us heard of Miss Grande was her number one single ‘Problem’. Her UK success snowballed, and with a scheduled date playing the O2 Arena and a high profile collaboration on ‘Bang Bang’ with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj, she’s soon to be a household name.

My Everything is Ariana’s sophomore record, and it should mark her entrance as a true pop heavyweight. Lead singles ‘Problem’ and ‘Break Free’ were both produced and co-written by Max Martin (the man behind chart-toppers like ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘California Gurls’ and ‘Since U Been Gone’), so of course they’re both huge pop hits, with sing-a-long choruses and expert production.

However, it’s no surprise that these have been picked as the singles, as almost every other track on the record fails to live up to their standards. As you get further into the album you find yourself increasingly uninterested.

My Everything was Ariana’s chance to make her mark well and truly on the pop scene, and in a sense she’s done that. The charttopping lead singles and abundance of crossover collaboration (A$AP Ferg, Childish Gambino, Big Sean and Iggy Azalea all make appearances) got people’s attention, but after a few listens, they didn’t keep it.

Although it’s not a poor album, it’s just not anything exciting, which is a shame as Ariana Grande is a true talent (just listen to any live performance – the girl can sing!) The singles made it show so much potential, but the album as a whole is unimaginative, cliché and dull. Hopefully Ariana can pull it back for album number three.

Words by Hannah Mylrea

The Edge | records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Records | 4

Royal Blood

r o ya l b l o o d I

n 2012, two guys - one drummer, and one bassist/ vocalist - paired up to create some rock music.

Fast forward two years to August 2014, and these two guys, who call themselves Royal Blood, have been included in BBC’s Sound of 2014 list, are about to release their self-titled debut album and gained a 10,000 strong crowd at Reading Festival. If that’s not the beginning of a major success story, then I don’t know what is. I guess it all comes down to how good this much talked about debut is.

Royal Blood is just shy of 33 minutes long, which could look like quite a risk for a debut record. However, the two lads from Brighton manage to fit everything their music is about into this bite-size package. There is no filler on this record; it is direct and confident. The record is brilliantly noisy, which is an incredible feat for just two musicians. Mike Kerr’s skills on the bass guitar, paired with Ben Thatcher’s insane mastery of the drum kit mean that they’re already set to play to huge crowds and induce multiple mosh pits. The simplicity of this album is what makes it great. There are no frills or trickery despite the unusual sounds that come out of Kerr’s bass guitar - he reassures us that it is simply a series of top-secret pedals and amps that create such tantalising riffs.

5 | Records

The relentless energy of the record keeps the listener on their toes. It is dark and brooding, with moments of calm making just as much noise as the blaring riffs.

When you think Royal Blood are already at facemelting heights, they up the tempo; take the end of lead single ‘Figure It Out’ for example - by doubling the time signature, the song builds momentum up to dizzying levels that are fit to cause circle pits on the Main Stage at Reading Festival in the near future.

If this year’s performance at the festival is anything to go by, it won’t be long at all.

Playing on the Radio One/ NME stage on Saturday 23rd August, they blew the crowd away with the record.

Smashing from one banger to the next, there isn’t a bad egg in their basket; they go from strength to strength, reaching ultimate highs on tracks such as ‘Little Monster’ and ‘Loose Change’.

This debut marks the beginning of a very exciting journey for the two lads from Brighton, and I for one anticipate their future with bated breath.

Words by Megan Downing

The Edge | records@theedgesusu.co.uk

maroon 5 W

ith over ten years’ worth of experience under their belt, Maroon 5’s fifth album V needed to emphasise the band’s strengths.

Now with the return of keyboard player and songwriter Jesse Carmichael, who took a short break during the production of Overexposed, the band needed to prove they were able to make another track like ‘Moves Like Jagger’ which made dominating the charts look easy. V however fails to stray out of Maroon 5’s comfort zone, again with various pop-dance tracks. But praise is due to the band, as their sound has developed and matured, painting a picture of how all of their previous albums have collaborated to create this one.

The first track on the album is lead single ‘Maps’. Echoing the style of Sting and The Police, the song is catchy and similar to Maroon 5’s usual sound, so definitely a strong start for the album. The next track ‘Animals’ takes a similar repetitive theme, however has a heavy drum beat and the extra element of Adam Levine’s powerful iconic falsetto. Levine’s high notes begin to mirror an animal howl towards the end of the song, so it did seem like a rather strange choice for the album.

V

A stand out song on the album was the concluding ‘My Heart Is Open’, a collaboration with Gwen Stefani, and co-written with Sia. With just a simplistic piano accopaniament, the song is heartfelt and powerful with very strong vocals. Although not quite what I was expecting when remembering Stefani’s usual style from things like ‘Hollaback Girl’, it still provided diversity on the album, and a good wind down for its end.

For Maroon 5’s older fans who held hope for more links to Songs About Jane on the return of one of the co-founders, Carmichael, unfortunately this album may disappoint, as Maroon 5’s journey to pop is now fairly set in stone and their pop-rock days behind them.

Although containing several filler tracks, the album contains some very strong pop tracks such as ‘It Was Always You’, ‘Coming Back For You’ and single ‘Maps’. The album also has more variation than the last, such as ballad ‘Unkiss Me’. Overall the final product is more matured and specialised, as Maroon 5 become more comfortable about the exact pop sound they want to create.

Words by Becky Spear

The Edge | records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Records | 6

C at f i s h a n d t h e b o t t l e m e n balcony The Balcony is the highly anticipated debut from visceral indie-rock four piece, Catfish and the Bottlemen. Since they burst on the scene last year they’ve caused quite a stir with their anthemic choruses, raw vocals and passionate lyrics. The success of singles like ‘Rango’ and ‘Kathleen’ led to high expectations for the group’s first album, and it didn’t disappoint.

‘Homesick’ starts the record with a bang, and from there on out the energy doesn’t dip. Although a little hectic at times, the debut blasts through a series of well written and catchy indie-rock tracks. Unlike many records, the singles don’t stand out as being considerably better than the rest of album, meaning their Radio 1 supported singles aren’t just a series of song-writing flukes – the Bottlemen know how to write hits.

They don’t overcomplicate their music, relying on a formula of soaring choruses, raucous guitar riffs and pounding drums, which has resulted in this album full of belters. However Catfish and the Bottlemen prove that they don’t just do loud and fast with the slowed down ‘Hourglass’. The subtle piano lines and elegant harmonies combine with their staple rough guitar tones and the gradual build to another sing-along chorus to show the bands softer side, and acts as a welcome respite midway through the record.

The Balcony shows Catfish and the Bottlemen as a force to be reckoned with, and has put a mark on the music industry which means the won’t be falling into anonymity any time soon.

Words by Hannah Mylrea

d e at h f r o m a b o v e 1 9 7 9 the physical world T

he second album from dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979 has been a long time coming— ten years, to be exact. In the meantime its members, Sebastian Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler have spread themselves across a wide variety of other projects, most notably MSTRKRFT, of which Keeler is one half.

Hiatus finished for the time being, Keeler and Grainger have returned to the studio to get back to their punky noise-pop roots. The resulting album, The Physical World, is 35 minutes of almost unrelenting gritty vocals and even grittier guitars. Opening track ‘Cheap Talk’ is particularly abrasive, something of a baptism of fire for the more unprepared listener.

Perhaps, with noise-pop it’s the intention, but at times albums in this vein can start to feel monotonous and droning a quarter of an hour in. However The Physical World avoids this with a few strategically-placed

7 | Records

more melodic tracks midway through: ‘White is Red’ provides an abrupt change in tempo and mood, and lead single ‘Trainwreck 1979’ which follows has a pleasant piano hook—possibly a welcome relief amongst all the distorted angst.

From time to time the lack of tuneful melody or change in tempo can leave you wondering if you’ve accidentally listened to the same track twice. However the more varied tracks such as ‘Gemini’ and ‘Trainwreck 1979’ keep this to a bare minimum. Certainly, The Physical World is not to be taken lightly; a furiously energetic, blistering ride with barely a moment to breathe.

Words by Joe Buckingham

The Edge | records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Singles Reviews

Bang bang // Jessie j, Ariana Grande and nicki minaj ‘Bang Bang’ is the latest all star collaboration, featuring Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and girl of the moment, Ariana Grande. With ample girl power and impressive vocals, it’s sure to be one of the huge hits of this summer.

Launching straight into the first verse, Jessie J cranks up the sass, belting: “She got a body like an hourglass, but I can give it to you all the time”. Each verse consists of powerhouse vocals that soar over a simple backing of handclaps, with the occasional bass twang. The simplicity of the verse puts the focus entirely on the vocals, and means that when the anthemic chorus kicks in it packs a punch.

Not to be outdone, Ariana blasts through her verse, telling us: “She might’ve let you hold her hand in school, But I’mma show you how to graduate” and Nicki spits her verse ferociously. Each lady provides big, bold vocals and immeasurable confidence in their verse. ‘Bang Bang’ is a partnership between three artists at the top of their game, and it shows.

‘Bang Bang’ will be released September 21st through Lava Records.

Words by Hannah Mylrea

wrote a song about you // mnek 19 year old Uzoechi Emenike, aka MNEK, has spent the past three years writing and producing alongside the likes of Duke Dumont, Rudimental and The Saturdays. It’s no surprise, then, that his second solo single is brimming with confidence.

Every aspect of the RnB infused pop-house anthem is expertly polished. From Emenike’s almost unaccompanied soulful vocals in the introduction, to the undulating prechorus before introducing the beat, it’s clear that the wunderkind has the songwriting nous to charm both the charts and the dancefloor.

Where the track falters is its lack of depth. The song is lyrically simple, which isn’t out of the ordinary for soulful house. Unfortunately, aside from the vocals there is not a lot on offer. ‘Wrote A Song About You’ is a good pop song, but ultimately a little too safe compared to his previous offerings.

‘Wrote A Song About You’ is out now on Virgin EMI. Words by Evan Smithson

Say you Love Me // Jessie Ware ‘Say You Love Me’ is the sensual second single from Jessie Ware’s sophomore album, Tough Love, and it’s clear that Ware has mastered the art of the modern love song. Her breathy vocals wash over a soft soundscape, complete with the modern twist of a bassy synth backbone. As the gentle guitar strums uplifts, and the choir takes the mood to empyrean heights in a breakdown, you can’t help but be glad you made it this far into the track. You can almost imagine it pasted into any romantic/ inspirational moment in a film.

Its downfall is that despite having mastered plucking at our heartstrings, Ware has yet to show us anything else. Devotion showed she has the versatility to bring funk and hip-hop elements into her music, so ‘Say You Love Me’ isn’t a very daring start. If the album is as down tempo as the singles so far, it could get old very fast.

Hopefully, the album will feature tracks that challenge her status quo and recapture the magic of singles like ‘If You’re Never Gonna Move’.

‘Say You Love Me’ will be released on September 28th on PMR. Words by Grace Shutti

The Edge | records@theedgesusu.co.uk

Records | 8

The Edge is eager for...

The upcoming releases that have us a bit hot under the collar.

Happy Valley Season 2 S Happy Valley appeared on our screens earlier this year with an explosive plot coupled with perfect British delivery. Its success in breaking the police drama genre sees it coming back for a new series, courtesy of the BBC. The first series was hardhitting, gripping and emotive with the main character, a Yorkshire sergeant portrayed by Sarah Lancashire, capturing 8 million viewers. With series one’s plot left fairly tied-up, it’s unclear where series two will go, making it all the more exciting.

Words by Kirsty Bradley

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Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper as husband and wife, Serena promises the wondrous chemistry between Lawrence and Cooper that we were introduced to in their Oscar-winning film, Silver Linings Playbook. The new film is based on a couple who run a powerful timber empire in the 1920s, but things begin to crumble when personal dilemmas rear their ugly heads. Having finished filming over two years ago, Serena is a film we are gasping for and will hit UK big screens on 24th October 2014.

Words by Lewis Taplin

M T h e H at e f u l E i g h t

Created by Bruno Heller (Rome, The Mentalist), the story revolves around Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and of the villains from the world of Batman. Gordon is a new recruit in the Gotham police force and he is tasked with discovering who murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne. During the case he meets their son Bruce and he becomes compelled to find the killer.

Throughout the 16-episode first season, Gordon and Wayne will encounter Selina Kyle (Catwoman), Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin), Ivy Pepper (Poison Ivy) and Alfred Pennyworth. Anyone who is a fan all things Batman is sure to enjoy the show when it begins this autumn.

Words by Tom Hopkins.

After receiving a high-profile cancellation, to then being planned to be released as a novel, to then be confirmed for filming, The Hateful Eight has already had an eventful journey and has had exciting news surrounding it for weeks now: the release of a promotional poster; a leaked trailer and cast confirmation which includes the likes of Michael Madsen and Samuel L. Jackson. Thus far, the film seems to consist of many exquisitely Tarantino-esque aspects, making the wait for Django: Unchained’s successor antagonising. The Hateful Eight will begin filming early 2015 with a release date of later in the year. Patience is a virtue, particularly when the film was so close to being ditched.

Words by Lewis Taplin

The Edge | news@theedgesusu.co.uk

News | 9

NOSTALGIC NEWS

We’ve dredged through the archives to make you feel old.

green day’s American idiot released 10 years ago

b’day tops the us charts 8 years ago

Green Day’s American Idiot was released on the 20th September 2004, making the album a decade old this month. It was the band’s first number one UK album, and has since achieved multi-platinum certification in over ten countries. Five singles were released from the album, including the 9-minute epic, ‘Jesus of Suburbia’, and ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, which was named Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards of 2006.

In 2009, a stage musical adaptation of American Idiot premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The oneact musical transferred to Broadway at the St. James Theatre the following year, and closed in 2011 after 422 performances. Four album releases later and American Idiot still remains Green Day’s most commercially successful album to date.

Words by Lizzie Cooper-Smith

On September 23rd in 2006, eight years ago this month, Beyoncé topped the US album charts for a second time with her sophomore album, B’Day. Unlike her debut, Dangerously in Love, it didn’t reach the top spot in the UK, however it’s since been certified platinum both here and in the US. B’Day spawned seven singles, including the UK number ones ‘Déjà Vu’ and ‘Beautiful Liar’.

Released to coincide with Beyoncé’s 25th birthday, the album was a critical success receiving generally positive reviews and a host of awards nominations.

Among these were five Grammy nominations and an Ivor Novello award for Best-Selling British Single.

Eight years on, B’Day has sold over eight million copies worldwide.

Words by Hannah Mylrea

nirvana’s nevermind released 23 years ago

The Shawshank Redemption released 20 years ago

The album reached number one in several countries, including the US and entered the top five in a number of others. Nirvana shot to fame with the album’s lead single, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, which became the band’s most successful track. Nevermind also featured the singles ‘In Bloom’, ‘Lithium’, and ‘Come As You Are’.

After Nevermind, Nirvana released their third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. Whilst the album reached number one in both the US and UK album charts and received acclaim from critics, it didn’t match the success of the iconic Nevermind.

Words by Lizzie Cooper-Smith 11 | News

Frank Darabont’s film hardly set the box office on fire upon its initial release. Making just $28 million, the film (based upon Stephen King’s novella), struggled to recoup its $25 million production budget. Although not met with commercial success, it received critical acclaim and has since been taken into the hearts of many.

Nominated for seven Oscars, the Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman-starring film currently sits at the number one spot in the IMDb top 250 and is arguably one of the best films ever to be made.

Words by Harrison Abbott

The Edge | news@theedgesusu.co.uk

What to watch next?

A new university term begins, as does the desire to find something new to fill the hole in your life left by the last great box set that you watched. The problem is where to begin to look for the next great show? Here at The Edge we thought we would compile a list of the shows to watch after the ‘last big thing’. Words by Rebecca James

If you liked House of Cards, try:

Scandal

If you like House of Cards, then Scandal should be the next show on your list - it ticks all of the political thriller boxes, but yet comes from a different perspective. In the US Scandal has been taking the major awards shows by storm for the last three years, Kerry Washington has been nominated for all the major awards for her portrayal of central character Olivia Pope, and yet the show has gained very little attention here in the UK. Pope leads a group of ‘fixers’, a team of highly trained individuals who fix the problems of those who live in Washington DC. What could have become another frothy drama gets deep as it explores the seedy underbelly of Washington DC, looking at election rigging, political machinations, assassinations, and covert operations.

Other shows to consider:

Boss, Borgen

If you liked The West Wing, try:

Suits

If you trusted Suits’ initial marketing you would be forgiven for thinking that it has nothing in common with political drama, The West Wing. It paints the show as frivolous - a kind

of drama comedy revolving around lawyers. In reality, the show is about power play and manipulation - the lawyers are rarely seen going to any kind of trial as they instead try to use the law, and play the opposition to win. The show focuses on gifted dropout Mike who has an eidetic memory, and Harvey Specter, the lawyer who hires him as his associate, despite his lack of law degree. The interactions between the two characters add some levity to the proceedings, which could be mistaken for comedy, but the fast paced legal action and plot lines make the show perfect for those who like intricate story lines, and complicated power play.

Stephen Amell’s Oliver as he returns to his home city after spending five years stranded on an island, with the mission to clean up corruption in his city. Part of what makes the show compulsive is the dual running storylines - Oliver in the present, and his experiences on the island run alongside one another, creating intrigue on all fronts.

Other shows to consider:

Part of what makes Game of Thrones such a compulsive show is the fantasy setting, mixed in with the political drama, and the extreme violence.

Black Sails, now on Amazon Instant Video, ticks all of these boxes, and is perfect to fill the gap. Set in the midst of the 18th Century pirating world, it has breathtaking visuals, and is imagined as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Featuring drama, manipulation and betrayal in spades, the pirate characters are painted as neither black or white, but as complicated, and boasts acting pedigree in Toby Stephens, Dame Maggie Smith’s son.

White Collar, Psych.

If you liked Supernatural, try:

Arrow

The most obvious show to compare Arrow to is Smallville - it focuses on a DC comics superhero, and the central character Oliver Queen is featured in the latter series of the CW show.

However, Arrow is a far more gritty exploration of the billionaire turned hero, more along the lines of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. If you liked the first five series of Supernatural in particular, with its dingy visuals and tortured heroes, then Arrow is the show for you, focusing on The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Other shows to consider:

Grimm, Gotham.

If you liked Game of Thrones, try:

Black Sails

Other shows to consider:

Spartacus, Vikings Features | 12

SOUTHAMPTON ENT THEATRE + COMEDY The Nuffield

T

he Nuffield Theatre is a top class theatre venue and is conveniently situated right on campus. With both in-house productions and touring theatre companies, The Nuffield theatre gives you great variety.

This year, shows coming to The Nuffield include Othello, a production of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, and The Hudsucker Proxy. One of the Nuffield’s original productions, A Number, is making the move to the Young Vic theatre in London, which speaks of the calibre of the productions that The Nuffield produces.

Recently, the theatre announced that veteran actors Tom Hiddlestone, Celia Imrie, Laura Carmichael and Samantha Bond will be joining the creative team this year, as the theatre, under its new leadership, goes from strength to strength. I would encourage everyone to visit this first class venue at least once in their time at Southampton University.

The Laughter Lounge at

The Bridge

I

f you like comedy then you are in luck - every other Thursday The Bridge, handily located in SUSU’s main building, hosts The Laughter Lounge. You can catch both up and coming talent, and some great well established comedians for a great price, right on your door step. Comedians who have graced the stage in The Bridge include Seann Walsh, and Charlie Baker, and there are some great food and drink deals on the night as well.

The Mayflower Theatre

T

he Mayflower Theatre is closer to the centre of the city (right next to the new Mayflower Halls of Residence) and is a great venue, particularly if you are a fan of musicals. Many touring productions take a stop in Southampton at The Mayflower, which means that you don’t need to take a trip to London to take in a great show.

This year alone, The Mayflower has hosted The Lion King, Evita, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, West Side Story and One Man, Two Guvnors. Wicked comes to the theatre in October and November. The theatre not only hosts musicals, but also ballet, theatre, opera and comedy, which means that there is something for every culture lover.

The Annex

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outhampton has some great theatre venues, The Nuffield on campus being one, but some of the best theatre and comedy comes from the University’s own students. Performing Arts groups perform their productions in The Annex theatre, and they are first class. With the wide range of performing arts groups at the University, you are spoiled for choice as to what to watch. This year Theatre Group are performing Let the Right One In, an original show called The Knight Who Smells of Sunflowers and Romeo and Juliet, all in the first term! If you are a fan of musical theatre then the Showstoppers’ freshers show, Grease, will be for you. If you like comedy then you can see some fantastic sketch and improv shows, courtesy of Comedy Soc - their last three shows have been five star shows!

Even if you don’t recognise the names, the likelihood is you will recognise the faces of the comedians - the team does a great job of booking fantastic comedians for The Laughter Lounge. Definitely worth checking out, The Laughter Lounge is a great chance to have a more chilled out evening, filled with laughter.

13 | Features

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Words by Rebecca James

TERTAINMENT GUIDE MUSIC The Cellar

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he Cellar is located right in the heart of Southampton’s city centre, next to the civic centre.

During the day it is an inviting place to grab a slice of homemade cake and a cup of coffee. By night, The Cellar holds a variety of events, including dub, soul, indie and swing nights. In recent years it also has become synonymous with the electronic music scene.

Also hosting live music from local bands, The Cellar is definitely worth checking out for its versatility.

The Hobbit

The Talking Heads

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he Talking Heads is located on Portswood Road and showcases live music every day of the week.

It is the number one place to catch a new local band, or the occasional touring artist. The Talking Heads is home to Southampton’s oldest open mic night, the Candle Club, which is held every Monday, and is completely free of charge to participate in. It is also host to local promoters who host regular battle of the band competitions for emerging bands.

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erhaps Southampton’s most famous pub, The Hobbit is known for its lively atmosphere, fantastic open mic nights and of course it’s legendary Lord of the Rings themed cocktails. Located on Bevois Valley Road, right in the heart of Southampton’s student nightclubs, The Hobbit is always a stop en-route to Jesters or Sobar. The Hobbit is open late into the night and has easily the biggest beer garden in the city.

Playing host to mainly acoustic acts on Mondays and Thursdays, things get a little louder with live music every Friday and Saturday.

Avondale House

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ocated in Carleton Place, if you’re into pop punk, math rock, post-hardcore or experimental, this is the place for you. With cheap drinks on a Thursday, and various different events throughout the week, Avondale is a great place to start you night before heading to the various nightclubs on Bedford Place or catch a live show.

The Joiners Arms

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ocally known as The Joiners, this is undoubtedly Southampton’s most famous live music venue.

Located in St Marys, it was voted Britain’s best small venue of 2013. With walls that are adorned with posters and bill lists from many a famous face, it has hosted many big names before they’ve hit the big time, including Oasis, The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys and The Verve. This small and intimate venue also plays host to local talent with a variety of acts every week and battle of the band competitions. Occasionally you’ll find gigs at The Joiners held at its sister venue, nightclub Unit, located on St. Mary’s Street Words by Jenny Simpson

Lennons

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ocated at the top of Bevois Valley, on Onslow Road, Lennons is a must for all indie and alternative fans.

Although it looks rather unassuming from the outside, the inside is modern and the atmosphere is electric. It is home to various themed nights including Jukebox Thursdays, indie, soul, and sixties rock and roll on a Friday, and Club Psychedelia on a Saturday.

Lennons also hosts many touring artists, some who love it so much that they’ll make sure the venue is a destination on their tour. These artists are generally of the indie/alternative genre and always are support by up and coming local bands.

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Features | 14

LITTLE-KNOWN GEMS The Brook Orange Rooms

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range Rooms is a nightclub located in the heart of Bedford Place. What most students don’t know is that it also hosts many live acts during the week. Monday Night Blues, Southampton’s most popular and celebrated open mic night, is hosted at the venue. Mixtape Friday’s showcase a variety of hiphop, house, bass and reggae. The club also hosts other dedicated student nights, complete with deals on drinks, so there’s never really a dull night at Orange Rooms.

Platform Tavern

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latform Tavern is a pub/restaurant sat in the old city walls. Lying right near the waterfront, close to the Isle of Wight ferry terminal, it is some way from the other live venues. That being said, it has drawn in some great acts over the years, especially focusing on blues and roots. The bill list is packed every week with various events all for free. And if that wasn’t enough, the food is great.

The Joshua Tree

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he Joshua Tree is a pub/live venue located in the Northam area of Southampton. Though perhaps not an area of the city students tend to find themselves in, a trip to The Joshua Tree can be highly recommended. One of the more tranquil live venues, it offers various music events throughout the month as well as an open mic night every Sunday.

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ocated just up the road from The Talking Heads is The Brook. The Brook hosts regular music events, mainly the south coast’s finest cover bands with the occasional touring artist and local acts. With a different act also every night of the week, The Brook is definitely worth checking out, and offers something a little quirkier than Southampton’s other live venues.

The Bent Brief

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he Bent Brief is a pub located on Lodge Road in Portswood. The pub has been run by the same couple for nine years and has a usual host of regulars. The eclectic range of music reflects the taste of the owners from opera to jazz and there is a different live event every night. With reasonably priced drinks, this venue is perfect for those with a varied taste in music who prefer the intimacy of a smaller local venue.

Mo’Club

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o’Club is Southampton’s very own roller disco.

However when not filled with roller skates it also hosts a brilliant set of live gigs, mainly featuring bands of a more metal/hardcore genre. Bands have come from as far as the USA and Canada to play at the venue and it has even played host to acts such as Skindred. Though it is not a frequent live event venue, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on upcoming acts who may be making an appearance.

Words by Jenny Simpson 15 | Features

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

the ones to watch The Edge predicts the next big thing...

Tom Crouch

Singer-songwriter Tom Crouch has already packed a lot into his music career at age 21. Specialising in guitar, he toured with Garbrielle Aplin at sold out shows worldwide. Crouch has also co-headlined twice with fellow guitarist and singer songwriter Zane Carney (John Mayer’s touring guitarist) in London, played at the main stage at Summer in the City and The London Acoustic Guitar Show.

Crouch’s solo material is filled with brilliance, experienced guitar skills, emotive vocals and inspiring lyrics.

Currently in the process of writing new material for an EP, Crouch’s ambient indie folk songs are very well worth keeping an eye on.

New Desert Blues

New Desert Blues brings Noir American-infused harmonies to the UK and Europe. Their deep vocal harmonies often create a very strong anthem like soundscape with heavy drum beats. New Desert Blues released their four-song EP, Devil’s Rope, back in January and are now set to record their debut album later this year. With compliments from Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, they are reaching even wider audiences through the airwaves. They are playing their last local show of the year, headlining The Cellar, on Friday 17th October as part of The Psychedelia Birthday Weekend.

Seán McGowan

Folk punk musician Seán McGowan started gigging in 2010 with an acoustic guitar and has since played various festivals including Blissfields and Bestival. He has also released two EPs and sold out his first London headline show at Camden Barfly in 2013. In the lead-up to a debut album in 2015, he has released two tracks as double A-side 7” vinyl with Frank Turner on the backing vocals of ‘Come Unstuck’. McGowan’s vocals have a raspy tinge and lyrics with a very rough and honest edge that are able to draw people in once he starts strumming and singing.

FEVER

FEVER is a guitar mix of grunge and Britpop, who newly released their single ‘Shell Shock’ in August. Even though they have only released two tracks, on the aforementioned single and B-side ‘Why?’, they have already created a very strong presence.

FEVER obviously know their way around writing songs, as their lyrics are memorable, while demonstrating their unique sounding multi-layer instruments. Having only formed last summer, and already supported bands such as Childhood and Darlia, FEVER are mostly like to remain strong with their powerful vocals and heavy guitar riffs.

Jack Williams

Jack Williams is a 21 year old acoustic folk singersongwriter. He has a very distinctive mellow voice and also incredible instrumental skills. He has used a violin bow to play the guitar at live shows, and his performances are always mesmerising to watch. Williams has also been featured on Passenger's YouTube channel in his song ‘I'll Be Your Man’ which has reached over four million views since being posted in January 2013, as well as supporting Passenger in October 2013. He is set to release a new EP and tour Germany this October.

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Features | 16

The biggest acts to come from sou t ha m p t on

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raig David was born in Southampton in 1981 and grew up in the Holyrood Estate. He was educated at Bellemoor School (now Upper Shirley High School) and Southampton City College.

David’s first solo single ‘Fill Me In’ made him the youngest male to reach number one in the UK at the time (he was 18 years old). This was followed by four Top 10 singles from his debut album Born to Do It, which eventually sold more than eight million copies worldwide and earned multiplatinum s t a t u s in more than 20 countries.

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ill Champion was born in Southampton in 1978. He was brought up in Highfield, close to the University of Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, was a professor of archaeology until recently.

Champion was educated at Portswood Primary School, Cantell Maths and Computing College and Peter Symonds College in Winchester. He also attended Highfield Church and is a lifelong fan of Southampton F.C. Champion was the last of the four band members to join Coldplay in 1997. He took up the position as drummer with no prior experience. In 1999, lead singer Chris Martin sacked Champion due to issues with the record label, but the band asked him to return soon after. The band’s first album,

In November 2008 he was recognised for his contribution to the music industry and received an honorary degree from Southampton Solent.

To date, Craig David has released five albums including a Greatest Hits compilation. In July 2014, David previewed a teaser track ‘Cold’ on his official sound cloud page, having premiered it on his TS5 radio show the previous week. This was in anticipation of his long awaited sixth studio album, which is yet to be titled or given an official release date.

Craig David has been nominated for twelve BRIT Awards, two Grammys and won three Ivor Novello Awards in 2001.

Parachutes, was dedicated to Champion’s mother who died from cancer in 2000.

He has taken up lead vocals on live versions of songs during the Viva la Vida Tour and the Life in Technicolor II B-side ‘The Goldrush’.

In 2004, along with Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman, he guested on A-ha keyboardist Magne Furuholmen’s first solo album, Past Perfect Future Tense.

Champion has also made a cameo appearance in an episode of HBO series Game of Thrones, ‘The Rains of Castamere’.

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ther well-known acts/musicians to come from Southampton include: X Factor winner Matt Cardle, who was born in Southampton before moving to Essex, Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, who is from Eastleigh, a town just on the outskirts of Southampton, and songwriter and musician Aqualung, and Jona Lewie who wrote the Christmas favourite ‘Stop the Cavalry’.

Words by Jenny Simpson 17 | Features

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Round-up:

ed in b ur gh Fringe festival

beardyman: one album per hour red Comedy/music | darren foreman | mick perrin worldwide

tap

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blue

Theatre | Richard Vincent | The Albion Company

JB: Surrounded by an array of loop stations and vocal effects equipment, beatboxing demi-god Beardyman (a.k.a. Darren Foreman) laughed in the face of record companies everywhere by turning out an album’s worth of radio-quality music completely live, the majority of it created with his mouth alone. If his breathtaking talent wasn’t enough, Foreman’s comic showmanship, paired with comedian Daniel Sloss’ parody Producer character kept the audience laughing in between his musical escapades. An incredible performance.

tiger

CH: “Jet black comedy” RT/BT was neither dark, nor comic. A play written about the lower classes for middleclass amusement trying desperately to be hard-hitting, but characters with no logical train of motivation as well as random outbursts of aggression do not good theatre make. Performances were flat (at best) across the whole cast, and I was genuinely shocked to discover afterwards that they were all recent Mountview grads. Not really a saving grace, but the only thing that kept RT/BT from being totally dull was the borderline hilarity of how twodimensional the characters were. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought it was a parody.

awkward conversations with animals i’ve f*cked jack & i Theatre | Rob Hayes | Ten Dead Men musical | dhk productions CH: “It’s got be a joke, it can’t just be a show about bestiality.” I was very wrong. This one-man piece started out as a series of puns, drawing on the niche crossover of jokes about one-night-stands AND dogs, and quickly descended into a pretty disturbing portrayal of the character’s loss of sanity and eventual suicide. Actor Jack Holden hit the tone perfectly, and some creative staging (think magic marker on giant sheets of paper making up the back of the space) as well as the controversial subject matter made this a real Edinburgh experience - let’s face it, you’d never sell that title anywhere else.

CH: Having seen this company for the second year running now, I’m still not sure what I make of DHK. A group of - for the most part, anyway - legitimately talented actors and singers performing an incredibly shoddy musical, based on the story of a detective trying to track down Jack the Ripper. It’s perfectly pleasurable, but you can’t help wonder what the cast get out of this, when most of them could without a doubt be starring in something a little more highbrow. The show was genuinely laugha-minute... but it was hard to tell whether the audience were laughing with or at the cast.

Field is a Giddy Manchild MenSWEAR Collection: Spunk Andy Comedy | andy field | free festival Theatre | Stuard Crowther | Lights Up entertainment JB: Poorly-written play about a recently-crippled man hiring a male prostitute; the writer attempted to raise debate about the subject… by having two people discuss it on stage. Watching unrealistic characters argue dated questions like “Is disabled people having sex wrong?” and “Is sex work immoral?” felt more like attending a school debating club than watching a piece of theatre. Worse still, Spunk reached its climax (sorry) halfway through, and continued repeating the same argument for the remainder of the play. A complete waste of everybody’s time.

JB: Stand-up stoner Andy Field has performed in SUSU several times while studying at Solent, and his ten minute competition sets have been quirky and amusing.

Unfortunately his unorthodox, funny-because-it’s-weird style didn’t survive the jump to an hour-long set on the top deck of a converted London bus. Field was forced to acknowledge his own unpreparedness as his reactions to walk-outs became gradually less funny and more bitter... towards the end you could see the light dying behind his hipster-spectacled eyes.

Words by Caitlin Hobbs and Joe Buckingham

The Edge | features@theedgesusu.co.uk

Features | 18

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Jurassic Park (1993)

Spider-Man (2002)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Directed by Sam Raimi

atching Jurassic Park for the first time is one of my earliest memories, if not the earliest. Not only did the film influence my chosen career direction, but it did so twice! For about two whole weeks I was fixed on the idea that I was going to be a paleontologist like Dr. Alan Grant, until I realized that I didn’t really have the temperament for science and digging. Then, I understood who it was that really inspired me: Mr. Spielberg! Whatever he did, that is what I wanted to do. I was 100% sure of what I wanted to be when I was older: a director - and this time the idea lasted for more than a couple of weeks.

Words by Harrison Abbott

I

was just seven years-old when Sony Pictures’ first big-budget foray into superhero fandom landed.

Up to this point I had grown up on a staple diet of cheap 90s cartoons, but everything changed when Tobey Maguire swung onto screens as Peter Paker, the science nerd who gained the ability to climb walls and punch bad guys really hard in the face after a radioactive spider bite. As a nerdy kid with big glasses and scrawny arms myself, there was a lot to admire and look up to in Maguire’s Parker. The second I left the cinema, I knew I had to either become Spider-Man (which proved rather difficult) or, at the very least, tell the world how great he is.

Words by Ben Robins

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Directed by Billy Wilder

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espite its release being nearly 70 years ago, Sunset Boulevard holds a dear place in my heart because of it encompassing everything that enthrals me. The film focuses on an aspiring writer that meets a former silent film star, Norma Desmond, who views her place in the cinematic industry as immortal. Its sensational and startling examinations of the complex nature of fame and stars sit alongside the deathly obsession that pumps through its veins: Sunset Boulevard carefully unravels the enigma of the ‘film star’ and the mortality that works directly against its desirable durability. Wilder’s film is a piece of genius, skilfully layered with observations of the art industry’s erratic and ruthless core. It’s provocative and theatrical and just as Norma wanted, I’ll remember her forever.

Words by Lewis Taplin

19 | Film

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Eastleigh Film Festival

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onceptually, the Eastleigh Film Festival took a decisive step: aimed at cinéphiles and other film buffs, the festival revolves around the promise to create a true cinematic experience based on cult films. Watching the Coen Brothers’ Big Lebowski in a bowling alley or Romero’s Dawn of the Dead in an empty shopping mall is possible and you don't even have to go to London for it.

The festival also interestingly offers a free Industry Day on the 25th of September aimed at aspiring filmmakers.

The event starts in the afternoon with workshops on story-boarding (film, games and animation), film and TV directing, animation and film commissioning. It is followed in the evening by a panel discussion and a short film award ceremony. The day will be closed by the UK Premiere of Ego, directed by Lisa James-Larson.

BBC Film critic Danny Leigh helped in the shape of the film festival which will have its inaugural night on the 22nd of September. The first screenings of the festival were actually in the hands of the audience who got to choose between films pre-selected by Danny Leigh himself. The results went up over summer, The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980), Les diaboliques (Henri Georges Clouzot, 1955) and The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986) will be opening the cortege of classic films scheduled from the 22nd to the 27th of September.

Part of the European 'Recreate' project, the Eastleigh Film Festival works in association with eleven cities and urban areas from northern France. In parallel of its main schedule, the film festival will hold a New French Cinema Night on the 25th of September, introduced by the University of Southampton’s film lecturer Lucy Mazdon. Sylvain Chomet’s film The Illusionist (2010) will be screened that evening, its animator Eric Ormond will even be available for a Q&A afterwards.

In the words of Crispian Cook, the week-long Festival organiser, “Eastleigh Film Festival encourages audiences to experience film differently, offering exciting site-specific film screenings around the town in all sorts of unlikely locations.” The film festival counts eleven screenings over five days, five of them are set according to the universe of their feature film; dance performances are organised for Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom and a three-course meal accompanies Stanley Tucci’s Big Night.

Have a cheeky look at their website for more details and to book tickets!

eastleighfilmfestival.com Words by Virginie Robe

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Film | 20

Review:

maps to the stars

Director: David Cronenberg Studio: Entertainment One Out: 26th September

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fter considerable success at the 67th Cannes Festival earlier on this year, David Cronenberg’s latest creation finally lands in the UK and it doesn’t disappoint. Whilst Cosmopolis (2012) and A Dangerous Method (2011) might have felt out of harmony with Cronenberg, the author of Crash (1996), Maps to the Stars reconnects with the director’s previous work.

The synopsis tangles four different stories inherently embedded within the geographical setting of the film, Hollywood. Thirteen yearold Benjie (Evan Bird) is a worldwide film star.

His Father, Sanford Weiss (John Cusack), is a very successful writer and celebrity coach. His client, Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), is an actor whose career and personal life struggle to take off. Agatha (Mia Wasikowska), a nobody who is just out of the psychiatric hospital, manages to get hired by Havana as her assistant.

reviews; Julianne Moore’s performance is purely astonishing. Her character constantly juggles in between hysterical scenes and sequences which are in between comedy and drama.

As an actress, she manages to give depth and coherence to her persona despite Havana’s clear lack of psychological unity. She successfully creates a character whose two distinctive facets finds consistency and continuity whether she is behaving within the Hollywoodian society or behind the scenes.

Words Robe

by

Virginie

The film apparently displays Hollywood’s grandeur by offering a portrayal of different stereotypical characters but once the narrative unfolds, it gets clear that Cronenberg’s exploration of the themes he tackles dramatically steps aside any first expectation.

Debauchery, incest and jealousy soon infiltrate the narration, forcing the film to mutate into something uneasy to swallow, that long edges between genius cinematographic effort and off-putting mess. Maps to the Stars is one of these films that don’t qualify as a chef d’oeuvre within the first ten minutes; it asks for reflection - if not digestion - challenging its audience by offering a disturbing story that struggle to fit under any label genre.

If choosing whether to hate or love Maps to the Stars might turn out problematic, one feature of the film undeniably favours positive 21 | Film

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Review:

Directed by: David Wain Studio: Lionsgate Out: 5th September

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undance-favourite David Wain’s latest slice of spoof-heavy satire stars Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler as Joel and Molly, an unlikely couple that find their budding romance tested to the extremes by meddling ex-lovers, and, oddly enough, the ruthless, cut-throat world of the American candy industry. It’s obvious that the plot is the least of Wain’s worries. This is more a sketch than a film; a ludicrously detailed mockery of all that make rom-coms marketable, from the attractive leads to the overly emotional drama. Every single stage is pulled to pieces and laughed-at over and over again.

If anything, They Came Together is stuffed with too many jokes. Everything is a gag, quite literally, but only some of them actually work.

Every scene is rammed with a numerous amount of one-liners and visual stunts, which give the audience a consistent giggle, no matter how juvenile or worn-out the gag might seem. There are quite frankly so many jokes that the ones that don’t quite hit as hard as they should, don’t really matter.

The downside is of course that nothing is taken seriously. Rudd and Poehler deliver every joke with a noticeable wink making the whole debacle so self-aware that it loses all subtlety. One can’t help but feel that if Wain had been more delicate with his parody, a presentable film might have been made instead of this rather soul-less film that acts purely and solely as a vehicle for its jokes. It’s true some of his observations are clever and well-tuned, but Wain opts for laughter over humanity, meaning he loses out on far-more approachable grounded comedy.

Nevertheless, despite its notable flaws and thus, restricted audience, They Came Together is a consistently funny and quite often hilarious genre send-up, far superior to the likes of Scary Movie and its spin-offs. Flying at a million miles per hour and with a huge, never-ending cast of famous faces, it’s very much a film tailor-made for devoted old-school comedy lovers. Everyone else will no doubt find it all a bit silly and nonsensical.

Words by Ben Robins

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Film | 22

WHAT IF

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Directed by: Michael Dowse Studio: Entertainment One Out: 20th August

ocusing on the theme that saturates contemporary romantic comedies (whether a male and female can just be friends), What If struggles in between a tame clone of what has already been done and a film that desperately tries to stay away from it.

The film uses everything we have laughed at before in comedy, but with little extra spice and, instead, a strict following of an established recipe.

Characters having names such as Wallace and Chantry does not make an innovative story, but is merely a display of a film that desperately tries to stress how unique it is when realistically, it is only a meek sheep.

SIN CITY:

A DAME TO KILL FOR

The film is erratic and attempts to travel to lots of places but lands at none. Unfortunately, What If is forgettable and is likely to become lost in an oblivion of ‘just another one of those romantic comedies’.

Words by Lewis Taplin

Directed by: Michael Dowse Studio: Entertainment One Out: 20th August

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prolonged wait for a sequel has historically proven to be a bad omen.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, with its near 10 year gap since the first outing, is a somewhat worrying prospect. Add to that lukewarm trailers and mixed reviews and Sin City 2 isn’t likely to have people desperately waiting for its release.

It is a welcome surprise then, to say that it isn’t anything close to the disaster it appeared to be shaping up to be. Pitched as a semi-sequel, semi-prequel to its forerunner, A Dame to Kill For jumps around a lot in terms of chronology.

A brief synopsis is thus a tricky thing to provide. In short, the follow-up sees both the return of the majority of the old characters and a few new additions. Like the first film, the plot is made up of various interlinking pulp fiction noir stories with characters interweaving between them.

23 | Film

This is not to say that What If is universally bland; there are some genuinely amusing parts to the film and the lead performances are pleasing. Daniel Radcliffe, portraying the single, lost and cynical Wallace, does relatively well in his role, with Zoe Kazan as Chantry the particular standout. Elsewhere, however, performances are nothing more than flaky.

With so many competing elements you’d expect the film to be a total mess - and to be blunt, it is. The pacing is all over the place, some sub-plots seem to go absolutely nowhere and characters appear for one scene and are never heard from again. Having said that, there is plenty to like. It may feel like a less meaty version of the original, but this is visually breathtaking, extremely violent and deliberately trashy fun.

Words by Harrison Abbott

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Blu-ray review:

FRANK B

Directed by: Lenny Abrahamson Studio: Curzon Film World Out: 15th September

ased on the memoirs of Jon Ronson, Frank offers a biopic of the man and its encounter with Frank (Michael Fassbender), misunderstood artist wearing a papier-mâché head. Wandering along the sea-side, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) comes across SORONPRFBS, a band whose keyboard player is trying to commit suicide. As the man is sent to the hospital, Jon takes on the opportunity to get involved with the musicians. He gets enrolled and flies to Ireland few weeks later to record an album and discovers hiding behind the facade of each member of the group is a wealth of complexities.

mind and reinforces the depiction of his frustrations towards the outside world. The growing friendship between Jon and Frank is what lead the film throughout.

From understanding to misunderstanding, from harmony to tensions, each step of their relationship guides the band towards another step of musical recognition. The matrix between the two actors clearly stands out from the rest of the cast, which, unfortunately, somehow unbalances the dramatic impact of the other roles.

Words by Virginie Robe

Tackling the subject of mental illnesses can prove challenging. Deliberately choosing to depict Frank within his own universe enables a poetic insight of his

Blu-ray review:

stoker E

Directed by: Park Chan-wook Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Out on Steel Pack: 29th September

xploring the Stoker family, this thriller sees the return of Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) after the death of India’s (Mia Wasikowska) father and Evelyn’s (Nicole Kidman) husband; with him comes a dark past and an enigmatic presence, echoing with a tribute to Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943).

Displaying performances characterised with fierce emotional composure and layered with complexity, Stoker reveals itself as a provocative and teasing film that works as a real aesthetic treat. The film deserves to be consumed via Blu-ray and nothing less. Stoker’s colour pallet is irresistibly vibrant and saturated by deep reds and vivid emeralds.

Park Chan-wook’s ability to present juxtapositions as collided unities creates a fresh, idiosyncratic aura.

Family love and lust, violence and sex, childhood and adulthood: an endless amount of binary oppositions wildly connect in this robust exploration of a bemused rite of passage in an effortless way.

By combining both a visually alluring film with a film characterised by mosaic performances, Stoker is something very extraordinary with every part of its filmmaking process, meticulously composed to ensure a dramatic mélange in the most cohesive of ways.

Words by Lewis Taplin

The Edge | film@theedgesusu.co.uk

Film | 24

Review:

Infamous:

first light First Light takes place in the same setting as the main game, Seattle.

However, it is important to note that only half of Seattle is available in this DLC. This is not to say the DLC is short, far from it. The storyline missions take from 3-4 hours to complete which, considered alongside the other optional tasks and collectibles available, is a fairly substantial chunk of DLC, for a relatively good price of £11.99. As in Second Son, Seattle is amazingly detailed and looks very realistic, suitably next-gen. Set two years before the events of the main game, DUP outposts are not present in the open world, but the presence of the DUP does increase significantly over the course of the game.

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s someone who never played an Infamous game before Infamous: Second Son on PS4, but who had heard that the DLC to Infamous 2 was well received, I decided to pick up Infamous: First Light. Second Son was an extremely enjoyable game with great replayability, and after playing through the entirety of the DLC story missions, it’s pleasing that developer Sucker Punch appear to have continued the trend in making exciting and beautiful games.

This DLC features as its main protagonist Fetch Walker, a character seen in the main game.

In many ways, Fetch seemed more interesting and likeable than Second Son’s protagonist Delsin Rowe, and so it is fitting that the story of the character is fleshed out significantly here. We first meet Fetch in a dock, where a gang known as the Akurans kidnap her brother Brent. Most of the game follows Fetch trying to track down and rescue her brother, with a number of other characters introduced along the way. The story is framed by occasional visits to the present, where Fetch held captive by the villain of Second Son, Brooke Augustine. These visits usually entail being introduced to new powers in the context of the battle arenas which are a new addition in this DLC. Unlike with Delsin in Second Son, The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

there is no good or evil karma system at work here. Instead, we follow Fetch as she progresses to become a ruthless killer by the ending of the DLC. Whilst a similar system would have been nice, this would not really have made sense, given the character’s introduction in the main game.

The battle arenas found in the DLC drastically increase the replayability of the game and are extremely fun to play through. These are effectively horde mode arenas where you fight against DUP officers and villains from the main game, with a survival mode, plus a rescue mode where the objective is to rescue hostages whilst killing enemies. Not only do these arenas help you upgrade your skill set, but global leaderboards add another layer of competion. The arenas become progressively more frantic as time goes on and are almost as fun to play as the story missions.

Furthermore, if you happen to also own the main game, Infamous: Second Son, you can play through the arenas with that game’s protagonist Delsin Rowe, enabling you to use his extended set of powers in the arenas.

As a well priced piece of DLC for one of the best games of the year thus far, Infamous: First Light is both fun and replayable. If you own a PS4, DLC for one of the console’s current best games is an opportunity not to miss.

Infamous: First Light is available to buy at retail or as a digital download, and is exclusive to PS4.

Words by Joe Gibson Culture | 25

Preview:

Preview: SEASON FOUR

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ollowing its much talked about and criticallylauded Season 3 finale, Golden-Globe winning American drama series Homeland returns for its fourth outing this Autumn. Although many fans may well be questioning the show’s ability to continue following the death of its lead character in last year’s finale, show-runners Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa seem confident that Homeland’s fourth season will be just as fresh and exciting as its previous efforts, shifting production away from the USA almost completely.

The dramatic change of scenery comes as part of Gordon and Gansa’s big new plans for re-booting the series in the wake of Damien Lewis’ departure, with Season Four finding Claire Danes’ bipolar CIA officer Carrie Mathison now relocated to a far more dangerous intelligence station in the Middle East.

Rupert Friend and Mandy Patinkin rejoin Danes, with House of Cards’ Corey Stoll and Life of Pi star Suraj Sharma also joining the cast in recurring roles.

There’s still no word yet on whether or not Homeland will ever actually return to its homeland, but with many of the well-tied conclusions from Season Three now apparently being un-done, the fourth season looks to be its most outrageous outing yet. Expect just as many relentless chase sequences, twisted interrogation stand-offs and sudden mental outbursts as before, and with a young baby now supposedly somewhere within the mix, things may even get a little sillier. I guess realism isn’t really a concern anymore.

Homeland will be broadcast on Channel 4 this Autumn.

Words by Ben Robbins

A

merican Horror Story continues into its fourth season this year with Freak Show. Set in Florida, the new series will explore one of the last remaining freak shows of the 1950s and its final, desperate attempts to keep the business alive.

Known for creating some of the most iconic US TV characters of the 21st century, the creator of American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy, is unlikely to disappoint in his latest instalment of the anthology series with the confirmed characters of a clown killer, a bearded lady and the world’s smallest woman.

Many familiar faces are set to return for Freak Show, including Sarah Paulson who has a dual role of Siamese twins, Jessica Lange as the manager of one of the last-standing freak shows and Kathy Bates as Ethel Darling, who is a performer in the freak show. Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Angela Basset, Denis O’Hare and Frances Conroy are all back to star in Murphy’s latest, among others from the various of the previous series.

American Horror Story began back in 2011 with Murder House, then continuing in 2012 with Asylum, Murphy’s most psychologically haunting piece of work in the series to date.

The third and most recent series was entitled Coven, the most tame piece to come from the show, leaving lots of questions as to what angle Murphy has taken in his most recent project.

American Horror Story: Freak Show will air in the UK this October on FOX. Words by Lewis Taplin

27 | Culture

The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Preview:

T

Preview:

SEASON FIVE

he Walking Dead Season Four was a bit of a disappointment. However, the new Season Five trailer suggests that the upcoming series will be the best yet. The final scene of season four bought almost all of the major characters back together, which will hopefully allow for a more continuous storyline, unlike last series where the audience had to wait an episode or two before rejoining a plot line. The Walking Dead has always been at its brutal best when the story has focused on one large group and this trend will hopefully continue from now on.

There also looks to be a lot more action in the new series.

I was first attracted to the show by the brutal violence that the show consistently had, and certainly the new trailer indicates that there will be a large amount of blood and guts to satisfy fans like myself. It seems as if Beth is the only main character who is separated from the group and her storyline certainly seems to be billed as a way for the show to explore the psychological aspect of a zombie apocalypse.

Overall, the new trailer suggests that all the classic traits of the show - gore, blood and terror - will be brought back once again. The simplistic, but effective storyline of one group on a mission to save the world will bring back the long-term suspense that gripped the show in its first three seasons. This is what has always been fantastic about The Walking Dead: it will either end heroically or in tragedy, and that is what makes it such an engrossing show.

The Walking Dead returns to Fox on 13th October at 10.00pm.

Words by Joel Foreman

G

uillermo Del Toro’s horror TV series, based upon his own trilogy of novels, will air in the UK on Watch this autumn. Del Toro himself has written and directed the pilot episode which premiered in the US in June this year. The premise concerns the aftermath of a plane arriving at JFK airport with the majority of its passengers dead.

When the bodies of the deceased begin to disappear from the morgue, an investigation is undertaken that leads to an ancient threat of vampirism.

Del Toro has promised that The Strain will feel stylized and heavily designed, with his signature eye for fantastic visuals. As can be expected from the director of Pan’s Labyrinth, a lot of emphasis has been placed upon the creation of the creatures.

Audiences can also anticipate gore, plenty of scares and an intriguing mythology to sink their teeth into (no pun intended).

The Strain has been released to general acclaim in the US, and has been renewed for a second series with production set to begin in November. With someone as imaginative as Del Toro functioning as show-runner this could be something rather special.

The Strain stars Richard Sammel, Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Mia Maestro, Kevin Durand and Sean Astin.

The Strain airs on Watch 17th September at 10.00pm.

Words by Harrison Abbott

The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Culture | 28

Mid-Season Review:

THE GREAT BRITISH T

BAKE-OFF

his year’s series of The Great British Bake Off (the fifth one since the show started in 2010) has been different for a couple of reasons: first, the controversial move to BBC One (having previously been shown on BBC Two), and second, it has been the first series I’ve seen. Losing my Bake Off virginity was everything I’d been promised - innuendos, unashamed ‘British-ness’ and baked goodies galore.

Long-standing fans of the show expressed concerns about the decision to air it on BBC One this year, arguing that with the new prime slot the show would lose its integrity and become over-dramatic: more reality t e l e v i s i o n than a simple baking competition.

Episode Four, which saw the loss of Irish baker Iain Watters following the scandal nationally branded as the #BINCIDENT, will certainly not have dissuaded any of these concerns. Following the tempestuous episode, social media was rife with angry tweets (all hashtagged #GBBO, of course) aimed at rival baker and supposed saboteur Diana Beard, who became a national villain overnight - shortly before it was announced that she too would be leaving the show due to illness.

It’s not to say that these events weren’t entertaining - for myself, and undoubtedly for many other viewers, the kind of drama provided by this episode was hugely enjoyable. The main issue at hand here with this new brand of Bake Off drama is that it is taking away from the original ethos of the show - twelve British hopefuls competing for nothing

29 | Culture

more than a title. Bake Off has never before attempted to pit competitors against each other - it’s not supposed to be cut-throat like The Apprentice, or flashy like The X Factor. This is reality television, sure, but it’s innocent, and it’s aimed at a different (arguably older) kind of audience.

The upside of this change of direction for Bake Off is the appeal to a new audience, hungry for drama.

However, this kind of appetite is something that a show that started out so innocently cannot satisfy. Following the heights of the #BINCIDENT episode, Episode Five (the most recent at the time of writing) felt incredibly flat, as the remaining bakers struggled through the Pies and Tarts round. It could be argued that some contestants were only on the show as personalities rather than bakers (read: Jordan Cox), but the truth is, with them gone, the show isn’t as gripping.

There’s no doubt that Bake Off is here to stay: it’s addictive, comforting watching with a huge appeal - but at the moment it’s not sure which end of that appeal it should be aiming for. We can only hope that the rest of the season sees more consistency - and fingers crossed for no soggy bottoms!

Words by Caitlin Hobbs

The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

masters of sex Mid-Season Review

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ast year, Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, was one of the year’s best new television dramas. Telling the true story (albeit with additional padding) of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the show was emotionally hard-hitting at times and exceedingly well acted by its stellar cast. Masters of Sex is set in the late 1950s/early 1960s, at a time when many cultural taboos were being challenged, including the research into human sexuality being conducted by Masters and Johnson.

and Johnson and their study, it seems to neglect many of the other characters and sub-stories which were threaded through its first season. In fact, one of the best stories from Season One, that of Provost Barton Scully coming to realise he was gay and the implications it had on his marriage, has thus far only featured in the first episode of Season Two. Without giving anything away as to what happens in the episode, it must be said that his storyline was one of the more emotionally affecting in the second season.

Those who have seen the entirety of the first season will know that the show explored the developing relationship between Bill Masters and Virginia Johnson, with the final episode finding Dr Masters on the doorstep of Virginia declaring that she is the one person in life he cannot live without. With such an emotional bombshell ending the first season, it was only apt that the opening episode explored where the relationship would lead. Considering the social status of Dr Masters, he decided not to call their sexual rendezvous an affair, due to him being, in his words, a happily married man. Instead, somewhat farcically, the two decided that they were to begin meeting in a hotel regularly to have sex, under the guise of continuing the sex study.

Much of the supporting cast have also been given less screen time. While we are treated to multiple visits to Dr Master’s hard suffering wife Libby Masters, played by the excellent Caitlin Fitzgerald, who the writers seem hellbent on turning into one of the shows most detestable characters in the first half of the season, we see little of Austin Langham (Teddy Sears) and barely anything of Ethan Haas (Nicholas D’Agosto). One of the first season’s great strengths was that all of the characters were given their own stories to tell. It seems a shame that so far in the second season, so much of the focus is on Masters and Johnson and their story, that the writers have forgotten this is a television drama that needs to sustain a large cast and multiple story lines.

The first half of the season sees the characters continue their affair, with complications being thrown in every so often. While Virginia is seemingly portrayed as a good woman, in contrast to the in-denial Dr Masters, her refusal to develop any sort of moral conscience over having an affair with a married man is somewhat at odds with her character. Nonetheless, Caplan and Sheen have obvious chemistry on screen and the development of the relationship between Masters and Johnson gets stronger as each episode rolls by.

With a huge amount more of the story of Masters and Johnson to be told, the remainder of the second season will only go so far in progressing it. That the show has already been picked up for a third season before the second has even finished airing in America is testament to the popularity of Masters of Sex. With so much more story to be told than in the (at times) dull Mad Men, Masters of Sex is currently one of the best television dramas around.

If there is one criticism to be had about Season Two of Masters of Sex, it is that in exploring the story of Masters

Masters of Sex can currently be seen on More4 every Tuesday at 10pm, or you can catch up on 4oD. Words by Joe Gibson

The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Culture | 30

THE EDGE REVIEWS

THE CLASSICS

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LOLITA VLADIMIR NABOKOV

olita (1959) by Vladimir Nabokov is hailed as a classic among literature, and for good reason. 40-yearold scholar Humbert Humbert lives in the grip of a constant obsession for ‘nymphets’, girls between the ages nine and fourteen that display certain insidious charm. A novel about a man with paedophilic tendencies entering into a sexual arrangement with his step-daughter; I thought there was no way I would ever be able to enjoy such a tale.

Yet the minute I began reading, I was transfixed by Lolita.

The reader enters into an obsession with the text just like Humbert’s with Lolita. The voice Nabokov engineers is one of worldly self deprecation; the knowledgeable addict that still can’t resist the next hit. Creating him through minuscule layers, Nabokov ensures that repulsion is impossible; we grow with Humbert as he bounces between obsession with ‘nymphets’ and admittance to psychiatric hospitals. This is where the vivid colours of Nabokov’s writing truly express his talent.

After a breakdown Humbert moves to Ramsdale to write.

There he lodges in the house of widower Charlotte Haze, whom he marries in order to stay close to her 12-yearold daughter Dolores. Shortly into the fateful marriage Dolores discovers Humbert’s obsession and in fleeing is run over and dies. We blame Humbert; however we soon learn that he is no murderer. The book opens with Humbert in prison preparing to tell his story. But this is not his murder, and so Lolita becomes a journey through the human psychosis.

Humbert collects his little love and sets off on an endless tour. He contemplates molesting Dolly in her sleep but is too timid. Shockingly the next morning Dolly seduces Humbert, revealing that she spent the majority of camp exploring sex. It seems believable: the Dolly portrayed was never innocent. She truly is a ‘nymphet’ and this is 31 | Culture

where our sympathy is lost. Lolita is the true perpetrator.

Slowly the shades of Nabokov’s writing change; our protagonist grows slowly more self-deprecating. The tone becomes dark, the embellishments removed. Dolly, by contrast, becomes Lolita more and more. Growing bored, she disappears, driving Humbert towards a breakdown through a combination of loss, paranoia, pills and alcohol.

After her disappearance Humbert enters a state of depression. This is perhaps where the book slows slightly.

Our protagonist does track down Dolly though now she is 17, married and pregnant. Yet even though she should have outgrown her ‘nymphet’ status he still loves her.

Humbert begs her to leave with him. She refuses: she is no longer his. Though the romance was warped, and even unrequited the reader cannot be anything but saddened at the gloomy outlook of our now old protagonist. Once young and handsome, he charmed his little Lolita - now he simply doesn’t matter. He has been forgotten in favour of the man who stole her from him - A movie star who holds orgies in the countryside. This is ultimately what transforms Humbert into a murderer.

The last chapters of the book transform from sordid romance to thriller. Nabokov’s high intensity writing leaves the reader breathless. Celebration is inevitable when the ‘villain’ finally dies. This is where the reader realises the true power of Lolita: you realise you have sided with a paranoid paedophilic murderer. Nabokov has achieved the impossible.

With a final flourish Humbert asks that his memoir be only published after his and Lolita’s deaths, granting their love immortality in a world that wouldn’t accept it. To call Lolita anything but a romance insults Nabokov’s talent.

Lolita is a truly powerful, deserving classic.

Words by Natalie Fordham

The Edge | culture@theedgesusu.co.uk

Review:

Global Gathering Festival A

s a dance music fan, if you were anywhere other than partying alongside 50,000 other festival goers at Long Marston Airfield for Global Gathering then you surely were missing out. With over 150 acts, this was as close to a complete dance festival as you were going to get. Fantastic acts and glorious sunshine allowed revellers to truly make the most out of a fantastic weekend.

There were several things that made the festival amazing. Firstly, the music: Big names, performing on multiple stages, across different genres of dance music, set the basis for a great festival. The atmosphere and the weather both contributed to a sensational weekend, and Global Gathering was not far away from delivering the perfect music festival.

Our Friday started off watching Will Sparks, an Australian DJ who certainly set us up for a fantastic weekend, before we headed over to the main stage to watch Katy B. Having seen her before, I had high expectations and she didn’t let herself down, with an incredible amount of energy and more familiar songs than expected.

Chase and Status headlined the main stage and set the crowd alight with a combination of big tunes alongside the iconic lasers and large quantities of smoke. They played favourites from No More Idols and More than A Lot, and with a special guest appearance from Tempa T, it was not a show that will be forgotten quickly.

This wasn’t the end of the fun. At previous festivals, timings meant that a choice had to be made between headliners, but at Global Gathering this was not the case. Having just seen Chase and Status, we went to see Sub Focus before heading over to see David Guetta.

Sub Focus was incredible, and there is not much else that can be said about him to be honest. If you ever get the chance to go and see him live, take it. David Guetta, however, was not quite as good. He was very inconsistent, and we were disappointed as in our minds he was going to be one of the highlights of the festival.

He was good, not great.

Saturday didn’t really kick off until three in the afternoon, which is one of the very few criticisms that can be leveled at GG - there was little to do during the day. Jaguar Skills kicked off proceedings for us at the main stage, though with scorching temperatures and no wind whatsoever, a lot of this was spent cowering in the shade. This didn’t detract from Skills, who was as lively as ever with some cracking basslines and an announcement half way through his set, “This is the Police. This is an illegal rave. Please stay where you are”, which certainly caught some of the crowd out.

Continuing on the main stage, the afternoon was filled with Andy C, Madeon and Annie Mac. The crowd for Andy C was massive, though for me he was slightly disappointing. His music was incredible but his MC was irritating, which was a shame. Annie Mac was as charismatic as always, and played for well over an hour, with the crowd chanting for more. Following Annie Mac were Knife Party who struggled to make the same impact, though they were good and played their well-known songs ‘Bonfire’, ‘Centipede’ and ‘Internet Friends’.

The Prodigy were headlining the main stage and I had been looking forward to seeing them all weekend. They were, however, a massive disappointment. They played some classics which were good but their new material did not go down well. It was a strong start to the gig with ‘Omen’ and ‘Voodoo People’ but it went downhill from there. The crowd dwindled, though a major criticism which can be directed at the festival and not necessarily the band is that they were simply not loud enough to have a proper impact.

Global Gathering was a terrific weekend. The music was great, the grounds were set up well, the food was good (though could always be cheaper) and camping worked well. A few changes here and there would just take the festival up a notch. I cannot recommend the festival highly enough, and make sure you pencil it into your diary for next year and get those cheap early bird tickets.

Words by Sam Lawday

The Edge | live@theedgesusu.co.uk

32 | Live

Things we loved about:

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his year’s Bestival, with its Desert Island Disco theme, felt - on the surface - like an eclectic bunch of artists. However, having experienced what Rob da Bank and co. have envisioned for the past 12 months, it definitely felt like there was a coherent disco vibe running as an undercurrent of the entire festival. It even meant that the odd choice of Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the Main Stage, kind of made sense with her ‘nudisco’ vibe (if you could call it that; it was nothing short of a cringey wait for ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’).

Anyway, here are my highlights from the four days at Robin Hill Country Park.

Letha l Bizzle

Special Guest, Main Stage, Fri 3:15pm The special guests at Bestival are usually something to watch out for, and this year was no exception. In the distance I heard a scream of ‘Leave it yeah!’, and knew immediately that one of this year’s guests was the one and only Lethal Bizzle. His high energy set was just what everyone needed to cure their hangovers, playing the likes of ‘Pow 2011’ and his brand new single ‘Rari Work Out’. He not only showed talent and experience in what he does, but also an unrivaled tirelessness that got the crowd ‘pumping’; check out the ‘Rari Work Out’ music video, and you’ll see what I mean. I’m not joking when I say that I now have repetitive strain injuries in both my elbows; thanks Bizz.

S am Smith

Main Stage, Fri 6:30pm Last year at a small festival called Blissfields, I was one of 20 people to see up-and-coming artist Sam Smith perform in the sweltering July heat. From then on we have all witnessed his stratospheric rise to fame and subsequent cracking of America, and I don’t know anyone more deserving than Smith. He performed tracks from his debut album In The Lonely Hour, and Live | 33

songs such as ‘Restart’ showcased how he fitted right into the Disco theme. See Sam Smith while you can, before he becomes untouchable.

La Roux

The Big Top, Fri 11:45pm After the disappointing Outkast set, a welcome change came in the form of the stunningly beautiful La Roux.

Since her new record Trouble In Paradise exceeded all my expectations earlier this year, I have been waiting with bated breath to see the 26-year-old (now solo) artist perform. The Big Top has provided the setting for many of my favourite shows, and La Roux now joins them in the hall of Bestival fame. Having read about her anxiety issues in her recent press interviews for the new record, I did not expect the confidence I saw in her set to exude from such a shy individual. She strutted across the stage showing the crowd at The Big Top that she is back and here to stay. Flawless vocals, an amazing band, and also an advocate for everything I believe in, La Roux was the highlight of my Bestival.

sohn

The Big Top, Sun 4:45pm The Big Top was hosted by BBC Radio 6 Music this year and one of the artists that they have been playing a lot recently is SOHN. He gathered quite the crowd which was understandable considering the calibre of his debut album Tremors. I didn’t know what to expect from him in a live setting as his music is very production-heavy, but he exceeded my, and the rest of the crowd’s, expectations. An incredibly talented man with an amazing voice, and The Big Top proving once again to provide a great ambience for artists such as SOHN. Words by Megan Downing

The Edge | live@theedgesusu.co.uk

The variety

Comedy, music, theatre, film, poetry, literature, dance, cabaret, disco sheds and graffiti art: we really were spoiled for choice in what to see and do, and it was fantastic to be able to dip in to anything you wanted, all whilst feeling more cultured for it. You could go from a physics lecture on space, to doing some knitting in the crafts tent, and after that go and watch up-and-coming acts, as well as more established artists such as Haim and The Black Keys, and all in a single afternoon! It’s the perfect sized site too, so it’s fairly easy to locate your friends if you go and watch different things. The variety of food served was great, although it’s the falafel and hummus every time for us!

The poetry tent

It was fantastic to see so much spoken word, with so many talented lyricists and performers, throughout the course of the festival. They covered themes from all areas of life – from awkward dates to emotive poetry about the miners’ strike 30 years ago. Notable poets we caught included Katie Bonna, Jess Green, Kate Tempest and Scroobius Pip. A poetry rap battle in a DIY wrestling ring on Friday evening was a particular favourite.

Anna Calvi

Having never seen her live, we were thoroughly in awe of the skilful guitar playing and powerful vocals delivered by Anna Calvi in the BBC 6Music tent. She was brilliant! Currently, Anna is working on a new album with Roger Waters, Nick Cave and Tom McRae.

Dinghus Khan

Playing to an absolutely packed Alcove tent, Dingus Khan have garnered a dedicated fan base and it quickly became apparent why. The band came on stage dressed in white boiler suits, except for frontman Ben Brown who opted for a classy old-lady dress. With what appeared to be at least six members, some who just seemed to drink and

dance on stage most of the time, it was a very entertaining set. Stage invasions forced security to react and crowd surfing was encouraged. Crowd favourites included ‘Ambulance’, with accompanying dancing; ‘Made A List’, with accompanying whistling; and ‘Knifey Spoony’, with accompanying circle pits. Dingus Khan clearly know how to have fun, and their sense of humour put this set a step above.

Morning yoga

Apparently yoga is the best hangover cure! With three sessions a day free of charge, anyone could go along to a class and do some relaxing stretching and breathing exercises; a great start to any morning. Very zen. Certainly very fitting for what has been described as a ‘middle class’ festival.

Lily Allen

Poor Lily received a bit of a rough time after the announcement that she’d be taking over Two Door Cinema Club’s headline slot, but she certainly pleased thousands of fans with her energetic performance.

Appearing on stage wearing a Two Door Cinema Club T-shirt, her set included a cover of their hit ‘Something Good Can Work’. She also did a surprise set by the Lake Stage prior to her headline gig. Good on her!

Bombay Bicycle Club

This band were a must-see for most people at Latitude, and for good reason. Long story short, they opened with ‘Overdone’, and closed with ‘Carry Me’ with the majority of their new album, So Long, See You Tomorrow, in between and of course sprinkled with older hits. Bombay are always a very solid and interesting band to see live, with lead singer Jack Steadman managing to imbue his riffs with so much more power than is conveyed on the records.

Overall we had an absolutely fantastic time at Latitude and would certainly return - it’s definitely at present a festival you can go to no matter your age or interests.

Words by Phoebe Cross and Tom Saunderson

The Edge | live@theedgesusu.co.uk

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A

nnouncement on Monday, tickets sold out within a minute on Tuesday, show time on Wednesday. Whoever kept Gerard Way’s first solo show a secret deserves a medal.

I arrived at the venue at roughly 5pm expecting to be at the front of the queue, but having made all the wrong assumptions about Way’s new material not attracting people this early on, there was an dedicated fanbase in the form of a 50 strong queue to prove me wrong.

In the lead up to the release of Hesitant Alien, Way has said he was heavily influenced by the likes of Blur and Oasis. Choosing to play Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth seems to be a trendy thing to do for huge names these days; for example, Damon Albarn choosing to do one of his Everyday Robots shows there, which actually segues nicely into Gerard Way playing the venue, because of his new Brit-Pop influenced record.

The Hormones, Way’s band, took to the stage before Way and with this started the fuzzy guitar feedback I had come to expect after reading about where this new record is headed. Way strutted out onto the stage having donned a black suit and tie. The way he works the stage shows years and years of experience in front of a crowd, yet the newness of the material means that he shows a drive to impress and a vulnerability in front of the small audience.

The flamboyant mannerisms we are used to seeing remained as he flicked his hands back and forth, conducting the crowd. It is endearing to see Way without the veil of an alter-ego.

REVIEW:

GERARD WAY AT

WEDGEWOOD

ROOMS 20/08/2014

Way has produced something of an awe-inspiring solo record.

‘Action Cat’ and ‘No Shows’, the two songs we have already heard, were performed in the live setting with an energy that transcends the recorded versions. On tracks ‘Millions’ and ‘Drugstore Perfume’, Way pranced around the stage banging a tambourine.

He is notoriously one of the world’s greatest frontmen, and in a Bowie-esque manner this has translated perfectly onto his solo performance.

Towards the end of the set, Way admitted that it wouldn’t be a long show as they only have one record, meaning no My Chemical Romance songs would be performed this time. I could almost feel the devastation around me from the fans donning all of their MCR merchandise, I, however, relished this. Having already admitted that My Chemical Romance should have ended after The Black Parade, this show of new material means Way is at ease with himself, a side we haven’t seen in a while.

What Way has done with this solo project is really thought it through. The whole look and feel of the show was electric, and it completely made sense. His band, The Hormones, deserve a special mention as it was clear from the word go that they are on exactly the same page as Way; impeccable musicianship.

Words by Megan Downing

35 | Live

The Edge | live@theedgesusu.co.uk

Previews:

Rae Morris at joiners 11/09/14

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ou may not know her name, but you’ll most certainly have heard Rae Morris’ voice.

Her dulcet tones are those that soared in Bombay Bicycle Club’s recent single, ‘Luna’, as well as on various other tracks on their current album So Long, See You Tomorrow. Over the past six months Morris has been building up quite the fan base, with an appearance on Clean Bandit’s debut album, a collaboration with Fryars on her upcoming single ‘Cold’, and appearances at Somerset House along with a whole host of festivals.

With support from Radio 1 and iTunes, Rae Morris is set to become one of the breakout stars of 2014, and once you’ve heard her voice, it is no surprise why. Her ethereal voice, combined with effortlessly haunting song-writing is a smash hit combination.

Current single ‘Cold’ combines dance beats and echoing instrumental layers, with the vocal lines resonating across the mix.

Having supported the likes of Tom Odell, Lianne La Havas and Noah and The Whale on tour, and with a slot supporting George Ezra in October, Morris is embarking on a headline tour this September, and will play the Joiners on Thursday the 11th of September.

Words by Hannah Mylrea

Childhood at joiners 07/10/14

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s up-and-coming faces on the indie music scene, Childhood are embarking on a UK tour to mark the triumphant release of their debut album ‘Lacuna’ earlier this year. Joined by Kid Wave, the South London four-piece will do a brief trip around the country this October, following a busy festival season. They will be stopping in Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton, Birmingham, Norwich, and our very own Southampton, in no less a venue than The Joiners.

Having previously supported the likes of Palma Violets, Miles Kane, and Johnny Marr, this band have already had a taste of fame. Their debut album received high acclaim from NME, reached Number One position in the record store charts, and was produced by Dan Carey, known for his work with Bloc Party, Django Django, and Franz Ferdinand.

With indie music becoming such a large and diverse market, some acts may begin to find it even harder to break into fame, but with their original and interesting sound Childhood are unlikely to fail in the near future.

Childhood will be heading off on their post-festival, post-debut album tour this October, and will be playing our own local Joiners on Tuesday 7th of October.

Words by Annabelle Asker

The Edge | live@theedgesusu.co.uk

Live | 36

Listings 22nd September »» Singin’ in the Rain @ The Mayflower (until 5th) »» The Saturdays @ BIC Windsor Hall »» Allusondrugs @ Joiners »» Alt-J - This Is All Yours »» SBTRKT - Wonder Where We Land 23rd September »» The Horrors @ o2 Academy Bournemouth »» Marcus Brigstocke @ The Nuffield »» Masked Intruder @ Joiners »» Standard Miles @ The Talking Heads »» Bad Neighbours / The Amazing Spiderman 2 @ Union Films »» Freshers’ Laughter Lounge @ The Bridge »» Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Cheek to Cheek »» Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems »» The Drums - Encyclopaedia »» FIFA 15 (XBOX 360 and PS3) 24th September »» The Magic Numbers @ Wedgewood Rooms »» Wheatus @ The Talking Heads »» Superheaven (Daylight) @ Joiners »» SUSU Diner Launch @ Bar 3 25th September »» Cold Specks @ Wedgewood Rooms »» This Wild Life @ The Talking Heads »» Gianna Lauren @ The Art House

26th September »» These Raining Days @ »» The Railway, Winchester »» Have Some Moore @ The Talking Heads »» Silent Disco @ The Cube »» The Equalizer (15) Sony »» The Good Lie (12A) Entertainment One »» Maps to the Stars (18) Arrow Films 27th September »» Black Futures + Seething Akira @ Joiners »» MAD DOC MCREA @ The Talking Heads »» Silent Disco @ The Cube 28th September »» Snuff @ Joiners »» Anathema @ The Talking Heads »» Union Films Outdoor Screening - Aladdin »» Theatre Group’s Love Song @ TBA (until 1st) 29th September »» Jake Isaac @ Joiners »» Jamie T - Carry On The Grudge »» How to Train Your Dragon 2 @ Union Films (Exclusive to Passholders) 30th September »» Three Men in a Boat @ The Nuffield (until 4th) »» Syd Arthur @ Joiners »» Gerard Way - Hesistant Alien »» Edge of Tomorrow @ Union Films

1st October »» Dragonforce @ Joiners »» Blitz Kids @ The Talking Heads »» Dr Feelgood @ Bournemouth Pavilion Centre »» Grant Nicholas @ Wedgewood Rooms »» RAG Take Me Out @ The Bridge 2nd October »» The Little Unsaid @ The Railway, Winchester »» Dry the River @ Wedgewood Rooms »» The Smokin’ Prophets @ The Talking Heads 3rd October »» Peter Andre Live @ BIC Windsor Hall »» Soul Cellar presents Soul 45 @ Bar 3 »» Dolphin Tale 2 (U) Warner Bros »» Gone Girl (12A) 20th Century Fox 4th October »» STACKRIDGE @ The Talking Heads »» Freshers Ball @ SUSU 5th October »» Black Veil Brides @ Guildhall Southampton »» The Subways @ Wedgewood Rooms »» Chas and Dave @ Bournemouth Pavilion Centre »» Maleficent/Godzilla @ Union Films 6th October »» Writers in Conversation (Phillip Hoare and Alison Fell) @ The Nuffield »» Tom Vek @ Wedgewood Rooms

The Edge | editor@theedgesusu.co.uk

Editorial | 37

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