The Edge (September 2009) by The Edge

The University of Southamptonís Finest Entertainment Pub Issue 1 24th September 2009

EDITORIAL

INSIDE.. Records

Hi there, Welcome to the first issue of this year’s The Edge magazine. Last year was an awesome year for us here at the Edge; I’d like to start with a big thank you to anyone and everyone who contributed last year, and a special thanks to last year’s editorial team.

- Arctic Monkeys - Imogen Heap - Alexisonfire - Friendly Fires + More!

But for those of you who are new to us, let me fill you in. The Edge is Southampton Uni’s entertainment magazine, bringing you all the latest in music, films, games and anything else going. But don’t take our word for it, have a look for yourself.

Live

- The Killers - Sonisphere - Glastonbury + More!

This issue we have record reviews from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, La Roux, and Friendly Fires to name but a few. We also take a look at some of the summer’s hottest film blockbusters, with reviews of Harry Potter, The Proposal and Public Enemies. Our Live section is full to bursting with reviews of the best festivals (at some of which we even managed to have a chat with a few performers!) We really are catering to all tastes – and if you think we haven’t catered to yours, then quite frankly, you have bad taste. The other important thing that you need to know about The Edge, is that all our content comes from students – you guys. And as luck would have it, we’ll be needing some new writers. So if you fancy yourself as an entertainment journalist, or just want an excuse to get your mitts on some CDs, then get in touch! There are several ways to find us; you can either drop us an email (address below), come chat to us at the bunfight, or find us on the internet. (We’re on facebook and twitter.) We also welcome any feedback that you might have for us, good or bad (we can take it). Details of our first meeting will be revealed soon. Until then..

Editors: Thomas Shepherd and Emmeline Curtis Record Editor: Kate Golding Live Editor: Hayley Taulbut Features Editor: Dan Morgan Film Editor: Stephen O’Shea Games Editor: Joe Dart Online Editor: Chris Hooton Editor in Chief: Jamie Ings With: James Ash, Andy Baber, Luke

Borrett, Eldon Cate, Tim Clancy, Liam Gallagher, Jack Harding, Max HughesWilliams, Gareth Lees, Hadley Middleton, Alex Payne, Mike Reda, Alex Rogers, Tom Williams

For enquiries email us: theedge@soton.ac.uk For advertising email: james@susu.org

Film

- Harry Potter - Transformers 2 - Public Enemies + More!

Interviews

- Dizzee Rascal - VV Brown + Others!

La Roux’s Album Reviewed That’s Entertainment.. By Emmeline Curtis Product placement will soon be allowed on British TV shows, in a new move by the government to help independent broadcasters. Apparently this is good news for us viewers - more funding means better content on our screens. Perhaps that explains why, in making room for this quality content, Big Brother has finally been cancelled? If you are worried this is yet another sign of an apocalypse, then Muse’s Matt Bellamy is probably with you. Bellamy is apparently so concerned at the state of the world, what with a financial recession and terrorist threats looming, that he actually believes many of the conspiracy theories he has found on the internet. He was so convinced that the end was coming, he went out and bought an entire stock of baked beans in preparation. It’s no surprise his latest musical offering sounds a bit like the soundtrack to the destruction of the world. There is something even more worrying than the end of the world however: a new album from Aaron Carter. Luckily for all of our ears, he has failed to produce said album. What confuses me is why this has landed him a lawsuit; he is being sued for $500,000 for not recording and releasing more mate-

rial to be inflicted upon the unsuspecting public. If it was me, I would be paying him twice this much to never sing again. Another man who should be paid to shut up is a man you would not normally see gracing the pages of this newspaper, Chris de Burgh. He has labeled a music critic ‘bitter and unfulfilled’ after the critic wrote a bad review of his latest show. Has Chris de Burgh actually had to listen to his own music? He should just be grateful that someone actually attended his show in order to write the review. Quite a few people have been ranting about the announcement of this years Mercury Music Prize winner, Speech Debelle. Her album Speech Therapy beat the likes of La Roux and Florence and the Machine to win the £20,000. Having only sold 3000 copies of her album prior to the awards announcement, no one seemed to know who she was. All that we now know is that she used to be homeless, addicted to drugs, and was suspended from school 11 times. Call me cynical, but I’m getting bored of sob stories being used to sell music. Another awards ceremony attracting attention is this years VMAs. Kanye West stormed the stage and appeared to try and steal the award for Best Female Video

from Taylor Swift, not because he suddenly thought he should have that award too, but by announcing that Beyonce’s video for Single Ladies was more deserving. If I was Beyonce I would be hiding in shame after being used in Kanye’s latest headline grabbing antics, which once again went too far. This first issue seems to all be a rant about music, so for all the film fans out there, here is a little something for you. Harrison Ford has revealed that he is planning to crack the whip on another Indiana Jones film, and George Lucas is actively at work on coming up with a new adventure. Hopefully he won’t meet any aliens in the next installment.

RECORDS

“ mixes feel good dance with pop”

Friendly Fires Mike Reda

Friendly Fires have been enjoying a storm of attention from the music world that has been growing steadily over the past couple of years. Recently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, and with several of their songs receiving extensive airplay, the future is certainly looking bright for the lads. Their highly anticipated self titled debut album mixes feel-good dance with pop and funk. That said, it’s difficult to pigeon-hole them and the album did not strike me as generic at all. It’s an exciting blend that’s well worth a listen. The opening track is ‘Jump In The Pool’, and with its tropical beats and summery feel, the name is definitely well chosen. The idyllic sounding synth complements this sound nicely. Up next ‘In The Hospital’ has a strong 80’s feel. It’s got bags of funk, the guitar stabs are nicely syncopated, and the vocals are full of life. Moving through the album, we get my personal favourite, ‘Paris’, with its electric verses and soaring choruses. This is a brilliant tune, and very catchy; you’ll find yourself humming it all day. I also felt that ‘White Diamonds’ was a strong point of the album, with imaginative drum loops and a sexy shuffle rhythm that’ll get anyone dancing. The dynamic changes in the middle of the track really crank up the tension, leading to a great instrumental climax. Aspects of the song are fairly lacking, but the funky bass line is its one saving grace. It works for its simplicity and is catchy .

Friendly Fires

‘Skeleton Boy’ has a great electro feel, and while not the peak of the album it’s a solid tune that deserves a good listen. Friendly Fires are a tight band and are also amazing performers. Their set in the NME tent at Reading festival was electric with great crowd interaction. Hearing them play ‘Paris’ was one of the many highlights

of my Friday. This album is nothing groundbreaking, but there are some feelgood tunes and some fantastic drum beats. Ed Mac’s vocals are easy on the ear and backed by some nice synth harmonies. So go on; if you’re feeling a bit 80’s and you want to cling to the last remnants of summer, this is the one to stick on!

The Used Artwork I have had to rewrite this review three times because I really can’t make my mind up. My gut feeling on Artwork was that it is distinctly average, with few stand out songs and a general feeling of mediocre. However the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me. Although for me it feels like the band have somewhat reigned themselves in, and there isn’t the rawness of emotion heard previously, this new album does have some great tracks on it which I’m sure the band’s fanbase will lap up. Artwork does not grab your attention straight away in the same way as previous albums have. Songs like Take It Away slap you in the face and demand attention, but this album almost pleads to be liked, and on further listening, you do find yourself

giving in. Singer Bert McCracken has said that the band “ haven’t been this excited about an album since our self titled back in 2002” . He also claims that the songs on the new album are “ 10 times messier and noisier than they’ve ever been” , something which I will disagree with respectfully. There are a few songs such as ‘Kissing You Goodbye’, ‘Watered Down’, and ‘Come Undone’ which don’t really do it for me. The latter seems to be trying a bit too hard to be what The Used produced a few years back. Highlights of the album include ‘Blood On Your Hands’, ‘Born To Quit’, and ‘Meant To Die’. Although these songs fall into the usual style of a roaring chorus delivered to perfection by McCracken, they are exactly what the average The Used fan would be

expecting, catchy and emo. There are some moments of guitar genius as heard in the riffs of ‘Best Of Me’, which came as a bit of a surprise for me seeing as the most of the album is a bit formulaic. This is the first time the band have used Matt Squire (Panic at the Disco, Boys Like Girls) to produce an album and there is a subtle difference between this and previous albums. The Used’s first two albums will continue to be hard to surpass for this band. To be honest I’m fairly disappointed with the album as a whole, expecting a much more explosive affair. Nevertheless this is a solid album with a few gems if you listen hard enough!

4/5 Good: Overall a great album with some catchy tunes

Bad: Aspects of songs are lacking.

more like this? Try out Eurythmics.

Alex Rogers

‘Old Crows’ and it serves as an apt introduction to a record far removed from their earliest outings. George Pettit’s raw screams are gone, replaced with a throaty punk vocal.Dallas Green’s melodies are still here, a man in possession of such a smooth pair of lungs that many a young woman loudly declare their love for him every show. Still very much a sing-along band, there’s plenty of instances of gang-vocals and well timed claps which give their live shows such energy. First single ‘Young Cardinals’ is a prime example, eerily reminiscent of floor-filler-favourite ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World’ from 2006’s Crisis. Crisis took the band down a darker, more mature avenue lyrically, and OC/YC picks up where it left off. ‘Sons Of Privilege’ is a bitter criticism of American arrogance, ‘Accept Crime’ is an anthem for gay rights. All this from a band who just a couple of albums ago wrote a song about go-karting. All in all, it’s a complicated

album. In places it can be just as uplifting and just as energetic as their earlier stuff, and there are some corkers: ‘Young Cardinals’ and ‘Midnight Regulations’ being definite highlights. This isn’t to say that the softer tracks are a weakness. There’s a new level of subtlety to this band which you can easily miss on first impressions, and the more you listen, the more little nuggets of brilliance you unearth. Yes, the quality drops off a little in the middle, and a couple of the tracks seem a little like filler. Yet Old Crows/Young Cardinals is a prime example of what we like to call a ‘grower’: first impressions certainly aren’t everything.

October tour: w/ Anti-Flag, Four Years Strong and Ghost of a Thousand

4/5 Good: a more mature album, muscially and lyrically.

Bad: Some filler in the middle of the album.

RECORDS

“ lost the raw emotion and energy”

Arctic Monkeys Humbug Max Hughes-Williams What happened to the Arctic Monkeys? After listening to their latest album I had to go back and listen to their first album to remind me why I even liked them in the first place. To put it simply the Arctic Monkeys’ first album kicks their latest offering, the aptly named Humbug, clean into orbit. Humbug offers up 10 overall bland and soulless songs, ‘Crying Lightning’ and ‘Potion Approaching’ being the best on offer, yet still failing to carry much hint of emotion. Humbug is not only the Arctic Monkeys’ shortest album yet, it is also their worst. From the dreary and depressing ‘My Propeller’ to the frankly boring ‘The Jeweller’s Hand’, there is little emotion and very little reason to listen again. Though ‘Crying Lightning’ and ‘Potion Approaching’ raise hopes, ‘Secret Door’ and ‘Fire And The Thud’ soon dash them. Every time I’ve tried to listen to Fire And The Thud I just can’t last the full 4 minutes without being distracted by something more interesting, like paint drying. Arctic Monkeys’ headlined the main stage on Saturday at this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals, I missed their set and after hearing this album I’m glad I did. They peaked with their first album and have since seemed to care more about the money making than the music. They have lost the raw emotion and energy that first convinced me to pick up their music and still gets me singing along any time their early stuff is played. How the Arctic Monkeys went from a stunning first album with brilliant songs like ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’ and ‘Dancing Shoes’ to this poor offering is beyond my ability to answer, perhaps as Alex Turner

sings in ‘Fake Tales of San Francisco’, love really is not only blind but deaf and the Arctic Monkeys’ are just too self obsessed like so many mainstream bands. To me it looks like the Arctic Monkeys are just going to become another one of those crappy indie bands for people who have never heard real music and delude themselves into believing they are the best thing ever. Shame really as they showed such promise. Don’t bother

buying buying this album, instead if you haven’t already get a few of their early EP’s. Their first single Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts will show you just what they could have been. I would suggest you check out a band called The Temper Trap rather than wasting any more time on Arctic Monkeys on the basis of this very disappointing album.

All Forgotten

Transitions

All Forgotten have been struggling to find the platform to really rise to the heights that neighbours You Me At Six have managed to attain in recent months. However, with a smaller target audience and a heavier sound, All Forgotten are probably not quite as fashionable as the Weybridge lads.

Kate Golding

With the original band starting four years ago, this EP has been a long time coming and with a now complete lineup of Tom Peacock, Steve Foy, Dan Wheeler, Chris Velissarides and Jonathon Thorne perhaps now the band can really start to make waves. The EP itself does leave something to the

imagination, no one song grabs your attention but there is a feeling that this EP may just do something for this band. Thorne’s voice is not the strongest, particularly in the very opening track ‘A Living Not Worth Of A Life’, he seems to struggle with the higher and longer notes. The EP has some neat

1/5 Good: Few good songs worth listening to.

Bad: No song shows the rawness or edginess that the previous album had.

guitar work, as well some notable drumming although both of these aspects are to be expected for an EP within this genre. The stand out song is ‘Thorne In My Side’ and although in some parts lyrically weak, this song is probably the band’s best advertisement, bolshie and passionate. However the whole EP is missing some sort of extra push to take it to the next level and although it is enjoyable and easily acceptable for a band of this size, the Woking boys will have to bring something extra to the table if they are to push up the hierarchy. It is a solid start and with their upcoming co-headline tour with Southampton lads Not Advised, perhaps there is a bright future for them.

2.5/5

RECORDS

Rise Agaisnt Appeal To Reason Liam Gallagher Appeal To Reason is Rise Agaisnt’s fifth studio album and it seems the band haven’t lost their touch, with it being their highest charting album to date. Unlike their four previous albums, Appeal to Reason comes across as more melodic and easy going. As well as being (as some critics have said) more “ pop-punk” to the usual hardcore that we’re used to. However, it still retains that raw political punk stance that fans will instantly recognise, especially in the voice of Tim Mcllrath. And what a way to prove it with the opening track ‘Collapse (Post Amerika)’. Your stereotypical fast drums, loud guitars and shouty lyrics all brought together, blended into one and shot from a cannon at you! This track, the same track they opened with on the lockup stage at this years Reading Festival is a hard hitting tune about how the core of the American people being rotted away by global warming and “ the bad people” . The third track on the album ‘Re-Education (Through Labor)’ (Yes there are a lot of brackets in the track names on this album, haven’t quite figured that one out myself yet) starts off slow and builds up to a lyrical protest against the harsh conditions faced by those forced to work in sweatshops or forced into labour throughout the world. The track is sung in first person from the point of view of one of these people forced into

opinion that this album is more “ pop-punk” than previous albums. These tracks are fast paced and will stick in your head. The main tracks that come to mind are ‘The Dirt Whispered’, ‘From Heads Unworthy’ and ‘Savior’. In my opinion Savior is the best track on the album and hears the voice of Tim Mcllrath telling the story of a girl who is let down constantly by a boy. Despite all this she wants to save him from his life issues before they go too far and are beyond recovery.The boy then goes on to proclaim his love but can in his own right see that everything isn’t quite going the right way either. The last two tracks veer back on course to the hard hitting punk mainline, that we know to expect form Rise Against with ‘Whereabouts Unknown’ and ‘Historia Calamitatum’. Both of these tracks round off the album well with some strong melodies with some nice technical guitar solos and heavy bass notes. In my opinion a great album from these Chicago lads. It seems they just get better and better, we shall see when they return to the UK in November on their Appeal to Reason tour. work by basically, giving a massive ‘screw you’ to the world leaders. Many of the tracks throughout the album also deal with hard hitting current political issues as seen with ‘Kotov Syndrome’. Similarly, we can also listen to ‘Hero Of War’ a song which was inspired by veterans from the conflict. Totally out of the mood of the

Singles White Lies

White Lies’ brand of alternative rock has been quickly branded by many as “ suicide music.” This is slightly strong but not far off the mark. The lads from Ealing, West London, tend to cover depressing topics and can sound rather foreboding but are excellent in what they do. Their new single, Taxidermy is not on their debut album To Lose My Life. Current fans will be happy as Harry McVeigh’s vocals are as good as the album tracks. The band’s common rise and falls from their choruses to their verses are maintained too. This should allure new fans who have yet to

rest of the album, this acoustic track talks of a young man who signs up to the military with the promise of travel round the world and other benefits. It then goes on to talk of the harsh reality that this man actually does face within the military. However, this album has a distinctively romantic side. This is probably what forms the basis of the

Enter Shikari

Taxidermy

hear the album. The problem with Taxidermy though is that it does not freshen up White Lies at all. There’s nothing unique about it. The track is all too similar to tracks already on To Lose My Life. Imagine seeing a film trailer where they give away too much of the film, and when you see the film itself, you’re happy because you knew what you were paying for, not because you were pleasantly surprised. James Ash

2.5/5

No Sleep Tonight No Sleep Tonight is one of my personal favourites off Enter Shikari’s new album and is the perfect follow up to the first single, Juggernauts. Lead vocals Rou Reynolds said in an interview that the new single is about the mentality of oil companies in their attempt to get high, short term profits, something which reflects the albums more mature attitude and awareness of world affairs. With a roaring chorus and angry vocals it is perfect for live shows, a song which even a novice to Common Dreads would be able to get involved with. It is a good representation of Enter Shikari’s evolved sound and having already been popular amongst the band’s fanbase, the album should do well with old and new fans alike. No Sleep Tonight as a single should be a success in terms of live performances.

4/5 Good: A so lid album with a few surprises

Bad: a move towards ‘pop punk’ for Rise Against

This was evident at the Reading and Leeds festivals recently, where No Sleep Tonight was one of the stand out songs in the bands new set. With plenty of energy and passion being delivered by the band and crowd alike, this song will surely be a keeper in the setlist for the forseeable future! Kate Golding

4/5 more like this? First album: Take To The Skies

RECORDS

“ You always get a sense of individuality from Imogen Heap”

Imogen Heap Ellipse Emma Whiter

This is Heap’s third album after 1998’s I Megaphone and 2005’s Speak for Yourself and she has not lost any of her charm from these previous two. This album was created in her childhood home, which incidentally is the same town that I am from, although I don’t see any of the Romford sights and sounds reflected in her music, which is probably a good thing. The title track is ‘First Train Home’ which has already been a storming success and I believe is the perfect title track, setting the tone for the album. The album as a whole is full of Imogen Heap’s staple bizarre sounds and ways to get her music and lyrics across. And once again she has completely mastered this. You always get the sense of individuality from Heap, in a sea of generic music with artists all blending into one, you can spot a Heap song a mile off. And whilst Heap doesn’t enjoy ridiculously great commercial success, I think that is what makes her songs so special and unspoiled. Yet this doesn’t stop her from providing the scores for numerous films and television shows, most notably Garden State, The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘The OC’ so who knows where we can expect to find some of the songs from Ellipse. Her notorious layering of music and sounds is probably best demonstrated in Earth which is an instantly likeable song. It’s

impossible not to feel all of the emotions that Heap poured into ‘Half Life’ and for me it is one of the best songs on the album, with some very raw lyrics that I’m sure will become an instant favourite. The weakest for me may have to be ‘Bad Body Double’ which seems to lack a real strong vocal tune or message that most of Heap’s songs do and seems to act as some sort of album filler. Yet this does not detract at all from the other songs, in particular ‘Between the Sheets’ which is Heap at her best. If you are new to Imogen Heap and are not too impressed with the album, then I can assure you that with a bit of listening you will soon become a convert and will be itching to hear more. You will all want to catch the first train to wherever her tour takes her and I can only hope that she will pay Southampton a visit.

4/5 Good: An album full of Heap’s staple sound and emotion.

Bad: A few filler tracks to contend with .

more like this? Check out Regina Spektor

Singles All Time Low Weightless is everything you could want in a pop-punk track – nothing more, nothing less. Veering more on the pop side of pop punk this track has more in common with sounds like Metro Station and Cartel than with their previous album. However, despite this new emphasis there is nothing in this song to make it stand out in the genre. A weak opening with electric drums gives a pretty flat start but from there its all sunny blue skies, bouncy guitar riffs and an irresistibly catchy chorus. Weightless is everything you would expect from ATL especially considering the new influences of

Weightless

producers Matt Squire and David Bendeth on this track’s album. It’s no classic by any means and for me more of a guilty pleasure than a good listen, as you’ll almost certainly be feeling like you’ve heard it all before. But it’s an energetic, fun if unoriginal listen that should please fans of the genre. Gareth Lees

3/5

Biffy Clyro That Golden rule is the perfect follow up track to last years top 10 hit ‘Mountains’, and exactly what Biffy needed to maintain their recent momentum into the mainstream. Its ability to marry a classic Biffy sound with a more widely acceptable one is actually what gives this track its edge, its three distinct sections leaving it greater than the sum of its parts. A two-minute, lyric free collision of bass, stunted guitar riffs and orchestral strings really marks this song out above the rest. This was a brave inclusion considering the track is only four minutes long but ultimately

That Golden Rule one that works, its contrast with the slower melodic, and surprisingly catchy chorus, together with the high energy opening section gives it a perfect chop and change tempo. Criticisms are that it could have probably done with another verse and that it didn’t quite reach the heights of ‘Mountains’, but these are small quibbles in a song that offers diversity on an epic scale, it doesn’t disappoint. Gareth Lees

4/5

Southampton University

Students’ Union

www.susu.org

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Bunfight

Ticket Collection

‘Private Rented’ Meet-up

PostgraduateWelcome

Charity RagFest’09

Student Survival Day

Free Films at Union Films

Mature Students Welcome

The Laughter Lounge

Bandwagon Student Night

Freshers’ Welcome Party

Free Films at Union Films

10am–4pm Box Office

10am–3pm Students’ Union

11am–3pm Box Office 11am–2pm Marquee

11am The Bridge

12pm–4pm Marquee

10am–3pm Students’ Union

10am The Uniplex

10am–5pm SU Level 3 6pm Wolverine 9pm Twilight

8pm The Bridge

9pm The Cube

Poster Sale

10pm Oceana

6pm Twilight 9pm Wolverine

Live Gig - Tinchy Stryder 7:30pm The Stag’s Head

Thursday

Environment & Ethics Stalls 10am–3pm Outside SU

Community Volunteering Fayre 10am–3pm Students’ Union

Friday

Poster Sale

Saturday

Freshers Fayre

Sports Tasters

Poster Sale

Boogaloo: Neon Rave

10am–3pm Students’ Union

10am–5pm Marquee

10am–6pm Sports Facilities 10pm The Cube

Kinki

10am–5pm Marquee

10pm The Cube

Live Band Karaoke

9pm The Stag’s Head

Sunday

Monday

Sports Tasters

Jazz Lounge

Quiz & Curry

Freshers’ Ball

10am-6pm Sports Facilities

8pm The Bridge

Union Films (tickets £2)

5pm Star Trek II 8pm Star Trek (2009)

8pm The Bridge 9pm Southampton Guildhall

Don’t forget to get tickets for next week!

FEATURE

BEACH BREAK LIVE

By Tom Shepherd Unpredictable weather, warm cider, portaloos, five pound bacon baguettes, three hours sleep and wet wipes, it could all only mean one thing, the return of the festival season. But fairground rides, skate ramps, artificial beaches, wild life safaris, silent discos and mustache bars? This could only be one festival in particular, Beach Break Live. With the last minute loss of their proposed site in Cornwall, the entire Beach Break festival was moved some 300 miles east to a remote safari park in Ashford, Kent. However, this didn’t deter 10,000 students from flocking to the festival, who, despite severe weather warnings, were rewarded with four days of (almost) continuous sunshine. What followed was a week of high spirited partying, relaxing afternoon siestas and more fun filled events and sights than you could shake a stick at. And then there was the music.. Tuesday saw the musical shenanigans well and truly kick off, an early highlight of the afternoon coming from VV Brown. The soulful songstress’ offbeat stylings being just what’s needed to get the crowd on their feet. She offers the audience a string of jazzy numbers from her debut album, with single ‘Shark In The Water’ proving to be one of the biggest sing-a-longs of the day.

The evening sees a restless crowd gathering in waiting for the arrival of Friendly Fires. This band really know how to work a crowd, their electronic indie vibes whirling up a frenzy, not to mention frontman Ed Mac’s now iconic disco dance moves leading the way for a field full of students to follow suit. A real unashamedly heart warming set.

“Fairground rides, skate ramps, artificial beaches, wild life safaris, silent discos and mustache bars”

Wednesday morning and what better way to shake the hangover than a blast from the ACM Gospel Choir? A sense of the surreal surrounding the main arena as the youthful choir take to the stage in their coordinating attire, but a talented performance none the less. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Dan Black, who’s pop disco sound comes across somewhat half hearted, lulling those who stick around into a mid-afternoon slumber. But the day is far from over yet, not while Hadouken still have a say in the matter. The band haven’t played a live show for

nine months, but it’s as if they haven’t been gone a day. Churning out the new material with a bolshy attitude, while still slipping in a few fan favourites. Closing the mainstage are The Zutons, who have a clinical coldness about them this evening. Never the less the crowd lap it up and inevitably ‘Valerie’ engages the biggest audience reaction, somewhat to the bands dismay. The third day sees one of the biggest surprise highlights of the week, appearing in the form of folk songstress Alessi’s Ark. Her day-dreamy acoustic sound soothes the crowd, prepping them for the final day of music. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool? however, take a different approach; they barrage punters with a wall of heavy pop sounds, some of which seems to get through. The band seem genuinely enthused by the amount of people singing their lyrics back. Dizzee Rascal is handed the honour of closing the mainstage, and undoubtedly pulls in the biggest crowd that that it has seen all week. He rewards his fans with a set which is predominantly made up of his more recent hits, and while it’s clear a few old faithful feel letdown by this, the majority of the audience couldn’t care less. Dizzee ends the festivities, somewhat predictably, with a rendition of recent smash ‘Bonkers’, which many continue to sing long into the night.

THE EDGE asked five artists at Beach Break who their dream festival headliners would be..

VV BROWN: “ Blur”

DAN BLACK: “ Houdini”

HADOUKEN: “ Arctic Monkeys”

OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL?: “ Err.. Paris Hilton Elvis Genesis?”

DIZZEE RASCAL: “ Me”

INTERVIEW

DIZZEE RASCAL The EDGE caught up with Dizzee before his set at Beach Break..

Why don’t you think it went mainstream?

What was it like working with Calvin and Chrome?

The main concern of the MCs and grime artist isn’t to be commercial. They’re making music for pirate radio, raves and their community. It’s not until people go around doing the bigger raves, start being exposed to those kinds of people and journalists start coming around putting them in magazines. That’s when they start realising.

None of the three of us were in the studio at the same time. We did everything through email because Calvin lives in Scotland. The only person i worked with in the studio was Kage who was involved in the writing and everything. Me and Calvin never saw each other once apart from when we made the video and then afterwards. You’ve worked with some great artists including Lily Allen, The Arctic Monkeys, Fat Boy Slim and obviously Calvin Harris and Chrome. Who would you most like to collaborate with on future projects? I would love to do something with Timbaland; he’s always been my favourite. Even from back in the day. He’s part of the reason

“ I’M AN ARTIST. THAT WHOLE GRIME THING IS A JOURNALIST THING” why I made beats in the first place. Or Andre 3000 (Outkast), that would be good and Amy Winehouse, that would be interesting. Can you tell us a bit more about the new album? The new album is called Tongue N Cheek. It’s basically an album you could put on to have a party to. It’s all pretty up tempo, quite happy, it’s got dance elements, hip hop elements, bit of reggae, just all chucked in there. Could you be considered a grime artist? I’m an artist, that whole grime thing is a journalist thing. The music i was making back in the day was really grimey or really edgy but i never personally had no name for it. I was coming up from doing raves and the pirate radio scene. It was grimey but i had the same principal then as I have now, just trying to keep people moving, dancing and thinking. Obviously i’ve had a record deal (although i’m out of it now) I’m on the TV and different people are hearing my music. I do festivals, I do shit all around the world so I’m reaching different audiences and naturally I’m trying to cater for them. In that sense I wouldn’t be a grime artist because I crossed over ages ago. It’s made its mark and you could say I was one of the people that helped do that.

So is that what inspired you to start your label Dirtee Stank Records? Originally it was just putting out records when i was on the pirate scene. My big single ‘I Luv You’ which got put out by XL Records actually came out on Dirtee Stank first. Now the purpose of Dirtee Stank is to put out other artists music, ie. artists from the grime scene or the pirate radio scene. People who might not normally get the opportunity because the labels don’t quite know how to work with them. So you’ve got your own label but are you still signed to XL? No, that was the big thing about ‘Dance Wiv Me’ going number one. I’d completed my three album deal. ‘Dance Wiv Me’ was released on Dirtee Stank. It was the first truly independent Number 1 in England for 14 years. What are the main differences between a label such as Dirtee Stank and XL? There are less people for a start so you are more likely to get concentrated on. The only thing is you have got a lot more on your shoulders because you have got loads of other things to be thinking about but to be fair a lot of the things you have to think about we were doing at XL anyway.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS ‘09 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Reading/ Leeds: With a fanbase growing at ever-gathering speeds, Bombay Bicycle Club appear to be able to do no wrong at the moment. Teasing fans at Reading by setting up their equipment themselves before their set, BBC played one of the best gigs of their lives to a heaving Festival Republic Tent. TOP TRACK: Cancel on Me

KRAFTWERK Bestival One of the world’s most influential acts still performing, Kraftwerk proved themselves still worthy of this accolade at the UK’s last major festival. The German electro-masters played a ‘greatest hits’ set in front of an incredible visual display.

TOP TRACK: Computer Love

DEAD WEATHER Glastonbury: In a secret show on the Park Stage, Jack White’s new heavy blues-rock 4 piece show that he still has the Midas touch, despite looking like a baddie from Lord of the Rings. Alison Mossheart, formerly of The Kills, joined Jack on vocals to provide one of the unsung highlights of this year’s biggest musical event. TOP TRACK: So Far From Your Weapon

INTERVIEW

VV Brown

The Edge caught up with up and com- to say because you’re obviously subjective, ing songstress VV Brown ahead of her set you love what you’ve done, but we’ll see. at Beach Break Festival.. Since the start of the year, youíve been How are you feeling about the set, any tipped for big things. Do you find there’s nerves? a lot of pressure that comes with that or do you just take it in your stride? I donít get nervous anymore. The only time I ever really get nervous.. I think iíll be At first i felt a bit of pressure, but then nervous for mainstage Glastonbury you just forget about it and just focus on the music. Sometimes it gets hurtful when For those that havnít heard you, how you read in forums people say horrible comwould you describe your sound and who ments and really really want you to fail, but i would you say your influences were? guess that comes with the territory. Fifties synthesised madness. Influences are Grace Jones, Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, David Bowie, Nintendo Games, Ruth Brown, Billy Holiday, Pixel 8, Cornelius, Loads. Are these the types of things we can expect to see come through on the new album then?

ì if youíre up and coming, you have to work really hard to grab ëem by the ballsî

Following on from that, any acts for Yeah i think so, i just like fusion. All those artists that i’ve mentioned were very much next year that you reckon we should about fusing things together and trying to be know about? innovative and make something new. But i Yeah, i think I Blame CoCo is amazing, hope people like my album, it’s very difﬁcult

she’s Stings daughter, she’s just signed to Island. A guy called Liam Bailey, who’s on Polydor. My sister, Justine Brown. I think next years gonna be a real organic year, yeah i think people are gonna go reggae, remember that, it’s gonna be a year of swamp reggae or ska. Is it true you declined a place from Oxford to follow a career in music? Yeah

Kind of alongside the music, the ﬁrst episode’s called Travelling like the light, which is the name of the album. But it’s just a project that i’m doing with my friend. I like to do lots of different things because i get bored and i want to be creative. But we’re well excited, this novel, this comic book is sick, honestly. Have you done many festivals before, or is this the ﬁrst festival season for you? Do you prefer festivals to other gigs?

Puff Daddy, P Diddy, wanted to sign We did loads of festivals last year, but you? we were in all of the sh**ty tents, so no one would come in. Actually that’s a lie, we Yeah bought people in. But if i’m honest i prefer doing gigs. Like when there’s 300 people You modeled for vogue? crammed in a disgusting club and then everyone goes mental. I love festivals but itís Yep difﬁcult, unless you’re a massive band, if you’re up and coming, you have to work reItís all true! Youíre writing a graphic ally hard to grab ëem by the balls. Like really novel? hard sometimes. Yeah, City of Abacus Is that alongside the music or a separate thing altogether?

Will we be seeing some ball grabbing today? Yes, lots of ball grabbing. Because i like balls.

LIVE

Edge reporters tackle the country’s biggest outdoor festivals...

Glastonbury Pilton Farm, Somerset By Dan Morgan & Hayley Taulbut 25th-28th June

For people who do not go, by the end of June each year the ‘G’ word must be one of the most painful words in the English language. With blanket coverage on 4 BBC TV and radio channels and sections devoted to Glastonbury Festival in almost every publication in the country, it is impossible to escape words, sounds and images about the goings on at Pilton Farm.

‘Equally inescapable, and surely even more annoying, has to be the constant tearyeyed praise from anyone who was actually there.’

So much so that cynics could, in fact, be quite easily forgiven for happily imagining the talker being slowly lowered headfirst into one of the long-drops rather than listening to what is said. But however graphic and cheerfully humiliating these imaginings are, they will be tinged with jealousy, because the imaginary person gradually disappearing beneath the steaming surface has experienced what is arguably Britain’s greatest cultural event. Glastonbury Festival. The first thing that strikes the first-time Glastonbury-goer is the size of the place. Sprawled across the Somerset valley floor, the festival site is the size of a small town, and brings to mind Carlsberg’s answer to mass-displacement (“ if Carlsberg did refugee camps… ” ). Interestingly, the distance between some areas very rarely becomes an annoyance.

There’s enough on the journey to satisfy the jumpiest of ADD sufferers, and certainly enough to ensure that walking does not become tedious... In fact, the constant, clamouring activity is probably Glastonbury’s greatest strength. There are places where you can just about escape the pulsing activity of the main areas, such as the Stone Circle, which provides a lofty, relaxed setting. But you cannot talk about Britain’s most envied and talked about festival, without talking about the main attraction: the music. Unlike other large UK festivals, Glastonbury is somewhat better value for money. Not only do you get attractions such as the Healing Fields, Trash City, and even its very own circus, Glastonbury’s music begins a whole day earlier - on the Thursday. And opening this years festival were Geordie five-peice Maximo Park, who played on the tiny Queen’s Head stage. Many fans were left disappointed as hundreds of festival goers flocked to the first musical attraction, leaving some stranded outside the tent.

There is activity at every point of each journey.

‘It was at this point, standing outside the tent in the sunshine, that you knew Glastonbury was truly underway.’

With hundreds of acts across twentyfour stages, it really is a weekend of variation - and Friday was no different. East Dance Stage was headlined by David Guetta, whilst Ray Davies played the Acoustic Stage, with Abba tribute Bjorn Again on the Pyramid Stage. But two female pop sensations stood out on the Friday - one for the right reasons, and one for all the wrong. Award winning diva Lily Allen took to the Pyramid stage on Friday, and was utterly amazing. Hits such as ‘Oh My God’ really got the crowd going, though my personal favourite was the crowd participation in the anti-BNP ‘Fuck You’ - there is definately something hilarious, yet disturbing in seeing your mother scream the lyrics. I resolved she had spent far too long at the Brother’s Cider Bus. Another lady who had probably been on the sauce was Ms Gaga. Her costume changes were ridiculous (if you haven’t already heard about the flaming boobs, then I guess you never will), and she spent half of her set not actually on stage.

‘She even proceeded to proclaim that Glastonbury was held in July...’

Thankfully, this was the only real lowlight of the whole day, even weekend. Saturday was a dance music phenomenon, with the East Dance Stage playing

host to Tinchy Strider, Eric Prydz, La Roux, Wiley, and Pete Tong. Elsewhere, The Other Stage hosted an ecclectic mix from Paolo Nutini to Pendulum. But for me, the suprise of Saturday came in a very unlikely, and unusually sober form: Peter Doherty. I wanted to hate his set, and was fully expecting to. But it was impossible. Peter Doherty is clearly a lyrical genius, and knows how music works, with such an intense passion for his work that it was thrilling to watch. He even catered his set to the diverse audience, putting in a cover of Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer’, though he did admit to forgetting the lyrics, stating:

‘I’m f**ked if i know the second verse!’

The King Blues were another personal favourite, who played an intimate set on the Avalon stage. They even played a cover of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Bonkers’ cover which was oddly appropriate for their on-stage antics. But no act on any day could overshadow the brilliance of Sunday. It is imposible to pick a favourite! Veteran rock stars, Status Quo barely breathed between tracks to cram their set as much as possible, and were fantastic. Equally as fantastic was Welsh sensation Tom Jones, whose performance had everyone singing and dancing. But above all others, even above Blur, whose set was eagerly awaited by almost the whole festival, one act made my entire weekend. And that was Madness. I can honestly say I have never seen so many people dancing in my life; their performance was phenomenal. The saxophonist was suspended in mid-air, flying about the stage as if on wings, and the music was unbelievable. At the end of their set, the entire Madness clan came on stage, children and adults alike. One brave young boy even blabbed into the microphone before being scolded by his father, front man Suggs. It was truly a fantastic show - unforgetable! And so, Glastonbury drew to a close. Now that I come to it, I don’t know how to summarise a weekend of epic proportions.

‘I suppose Glastonbury Festival is best described as a series of varyingly surreal snapshots.’

Whether it is watching the volunteers sweep across the arenas in the rare still of the early morning, feeling the crowd surge just before a big chorus, or watching hilariously posh girls in leggings and Ugg boots struggling gamely with the mud, there genuinely is something for even the most hardened critic to enjoy. And, though many are good, no other festival is truly great in the way that Michael Eavis’ Glastonbury Festival manages to be.

4/5 Good: Everything! The music, the hippies, the weather. Fantastic!

Bad: Too many acts to choose from.

Reading Richfield Avenue

LIVE 28th - 30th August

casing their new material Hayley Taulbut that has taken a dub-step turn, The Maccabees graced the Radio 1 stage, and White Lies were awe-inspiring with their performance that was simultaneously uplifting yet somehow chilling. Though standing out amongst the plethora of class acts were Surrey based You Me At Six who played the Radio 1 stage. The music was absolute gold. Not a note was out of tune, and the set was perfect, including hits ‘Finders Keepers’ and ‘You’ve Made your Bed (So Sleep in it)’ that really got the audience jumping. It is no wonder that You me at Six have earned themselves a score of dedicated fans. Another act that had the festival goers talking all weekend were supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. I happened to stumble into the Radio 1 tent just before they came onto the stage, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of the show.

‘Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones. Together, on one stage. What more needs to be said?’

The summer (or lack of) seemed to drag on forever and ever. But hallelujah! the bank holiday weekend came at last, and with it, arguably the best festival of the summer – Reading Festival. What makes Reading the king of all summer music events? The atmosphere? The toilet facilities that knock the socks of all other outdoor events?

‘The infantile behaviour on the Sunday night where everything in sight is either burned or ripped apart (or both)?’

For me, it is all about the music. Other festivals may be famous for fancy dress traditions, or having their very own circus, but in my opinion, no festival can beat Reading and Leeds for the line-up, and this year was a stonker! Friday got the weekend off to an amazing start. Opening the Radio 1 stage was Glasgow five-piece Dananananaykroyd, whose ‘fight pop’ got even the most tired of campers up and dancing. Sadly, Madina Lake, New Found Glory, and Alexisonfire somewhat let the side down on the main stage. There were sound issues all over the place, and all three were just completely below expectations. Thankfully, as the sun poked out from behind a grey cloud, Fall out Boy exploded onto the main stage. It was an utterly outstanding performance from the Illinois based foursome - they were energetic, loud, and completely engaging: they even snuck in a Journey cover that had campers talking all weekend.

Elsewhere, on the Radio 1 stage, Friendly Fires were making an impact on festival goers. After a fantastic tour that stopped at the SU in May, the Mercury Prize nominees from St Alban’s excelled themselves once more on the Radio 1 stage. There was barely a spare patch of grass as scores of fans poured into the muggy tent, and they were not disappointed. It was an intense set, with singles ‘Paris’ and ‘Jump in the Pool’ standing out in a fantastic performance. And so Friday was drawing to a close, but not without its share of drama from the main stage. Headlining were Kings of Leon, who recently claimed chart success following their latest album ‘Only by the Night’. It was a fantastic headline set, playing both old and new tracks that should has satisfied fledgling and veteran fans alike. But, Kings of Leon let themselves down when front man Caleb Followill threw a true a-list style strop. As they exploded through chart-topping ‘Sex on Fire’, the crowd went wild, as can be expected with a song that has overnight success. But what Followill evidently didn’t expect, was the mass exodus that followed.

‘Followill launched an offensive reminiscent of a child’s tantrum, and almost ruined what was essentially a phenomenal headline set.’

Luckily, the remainder of the set was amazing, making me a happy camper. Saturday came, and with it, a hangover from hell, but that did not dampen my spirits. It is impossible to pick a highlight for the day: Enter Shikari were excellent, show-

Still buzzing from the performance, I meandered over to the main arena to see out the rest of the evening. First up were Maximo Park, who were fantastic, and played a fantastic set, playing tracks from all three albums.

‘Next were The Prodigy, which was posibly one of the most intense experiences of my life - I have never been so bruised!’

The crowd went mental when the clasics such as ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Voodoo People’ errupted from the sound system, and I can honestly say, despite the injuries incurred, they were easily one of the best acts of the weekend. Headlining the main stage were the Artic Monkeys, who, despite the widely anticipated release of ‘Humbug’, the Sheffield foursome were somewhat of a letdown. ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’ was about the only highlight in a set that was incredibly dull - you just got the feeling that they didn’t care whether they were there or not, and consequently, neither did you. And so Sunday was here before we knew it! Soon we would have to pile onto the train laden like donkeys, but not before a day of outstanding music. On the Main Stage The View were fantastic, with their hill-billy rock getting the crowd dancing. Bloc Party, now Reading veterans, were also beyond belief, and hearing ‘One More Chance’ was definately a personal highlight.

Also standing out were AFI and Lostprophets, who were the two concluding acts of the festival on the Radio 1 Stage. For both acts the tent was packed, and not without good cause. They really excelled themselves, with Lostprophets using the opportunity to showcase a lot of new material, which sounds very exciting.

‘But for me, the two acts that really stood out on Sunday were Vampire Weekend and Passion Pit.’

Vampire Weekend played the main stage, and like Lostprophets, used the opportunity to show Reading Festival what is in store for the next album. And I don’t think I have ever anticpated a release as much as Vampire Weekend’s new record. There was something very mature about the material that they played, but still managing to keep their reggae inspired feel and the simple rhythms that has made Vampire Weekend such a big hit on the alternative music scene. It was a fantastic set, and was perfect for a Sunday afternoon in the sunshine. On the Radio 1 Stage, Passion Pit also blew me away. Following their debut album ‘Manners’, they have almost rocketed to overnight success, and it is no small wonder when they can captivate a crowd like they did at Reading. The set was outstanding. Their joyous electro-pop seemed to absorb the crowd, as they danced and sung in unison, and it was truly a fantastic experience. So, after a long and overwhelming week-

end, I returned home reluctantly. It was exhausting, but it was well worth it. So much so, that I bought my ticket for 2010 as soon as I was in reach of a computer, because in my mind, no festival rivals Reading for absolute musical genius.

5/5 Good: Easily the best line-up yet sheer brilliance

Bad: The behaviour of some campers: does everything really need to be burned?

LIVE

Sonisphere

1st & 2nd August Knebworth Alex Payne braves a weekend of mud and metal, taking a closer look at the Sonisphere festival, the only travelling festival of its kind. tries such as Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden with Knebworth the last date, but the way the performances are laid out is a genius idea. There were two big stages facing each other, Apollo which was the main stage and Saturn the second. The clever part was making both stages synchronise with each other so that one band performs on one stage while the other stage is being set up for the next act. This meant no bands on the two main stages overlapped allowing for you to see all the bands you want on both stages and enabling you to achieve maximum rocking over the weekend. Kicking off the festival was Alien Ant Farm, who were surprisingly good and were a real crowd pleaser. However, I wasn’t too excited about the next few bands, such as Soil, Taking Back Sunday and The Used.

Sonisphere weekend had finally arrived after a very long July. After claiming I couldn’t afford the £150 ticket, my friend John hounded me for weeks and eventually persuaded me to dip further into my overdraft and splash out on a weekend of rock and metal. But for a festival I’ve never heard of, which was in its maiden year, I didn’t expect an outstanding line-up but I was wrong. The line up was awesome – Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, Airbourne just to name a few. We finally arrived at Knebworth from Kent at about 4pm on Friday. As expected the camp site was jammed. However, we found arriving late meant you were camped nearer to the main arena and like any reasonable festival-goers, once the tent was up, it was time to crack open a beer or two and go for a walk to take in the ‘festival experience’. There was plenty to keep you interested such as the Guitar Hero tent and a Guitar Hero Metallica with a stage, a few rides, a comedy tent and the entertaining issue of the toilets - standard at any festival. However, Sonisphere stands out as something different. Not only is it the Europe’s first ever touring festival, having toured in coun-

‘I found Skindred strangely compelling. Their infusion on reggae and metal was a real treat and they put on an excellent show’

After indulging in some festival food, which always keeps you on your toes, I went back to see Anthrax on the Apollo stage. Bringing back John Bush as the singer maybe the key but they certainly got me moshing. The most disappointing part of the two day festival was not seeing Coheed and Cambria as they were stranded on a ferry somewhere and played later on in the day in the Bohemia tent. And whose idea it was to put some of the best players from Guitar Hero Metallica on stage was utterly crazy. They must have feared for their lives as a barrage of bottles were hurled towards them by disgruntled fans. Thankfully, Airbourne were up next - A band I have been desperate to see and they didn’t disappoint. It’s like watching AC/ DC on speed with singer/guitarist downing almost a bottle of Jack Daniels during the show. He then climbed up the speaker podium, wrapped his legs round it, played an awesome solo, had a quick swing then climbed down. It was one of the best live performances I had ever seen.

‘Linkin Park were the headliners on Saturday and as expected the performance was top-notch.’ The only downside was Chester bringing on his side project half way through which made the show feel a bit cold. Nevertheless, classics such as ‘Breaking the Habit’ and ‘Numb’ went down great. Strangely though, it was the Bohemia tent which I found best on the Saturday, headlined by Thunder and The Wildhearts. For Thunder, it was sadly their last ever performance but they went out with a bang. They were really enjoyable. The Wildhearts were another band I was looking forward to but the technical problems made them late and hampered their performance as Gingers guitar could only just be heard. With this in mind, they still rocked the tent and it was a great performance. This is a band that is due more success than it gets. Finally, over 12 hours of rocking later, Saturday had ended and it was time for Sunday. Buckcherry blew away any tiredness and definitely woke you up with the highlight being ‘Crazy Bitch’. The surprise of the festival has to be Saxon, who after 30 years still rock with the best and put on a great show, definitely a crowd favourite. Feeder were also good but seemed over shadowed by the heavier bands around them but still held their own. Another great live band were Machine Head. I’m not a fan of their music but their live performance was immense.

‘Limp Bizkit were bizarre as ever but were excellent.’

However I found Nine Inch Nails rather subdued. They seemed to bring the atmosphere down and dulled the morale of the crowd. In comparison, Avenged Sevenfold blew them out of the water. I lost my mobile phone during their performance, but it was well worth it! And I gained The Revs Drumstick! After they pulled out of Reading last year I wasn’t going to miss them

again, even if it did mean sacrificing my position for Metallica. M. Shadows voice held up and, with performances of ‘Bat Country’ and ‘Gunslinger’, they were one of my favourite acts. Finally, the last headliners of the weekend, the band everyone came to see and although I had seen them twice before I was still excited. Metallica had it all: fire, gun shots, fireworks. Performances of the ‘Day That Never Comes’, and ‘Cyanide’ alongside ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘Enter Sandman’ showed they had returned back to form. They were great. Being well toured, they certainly know how to handle big crowds and Hetfield got everyone going and singing along. It was a great way to end the weekend and as it was Hetfields birthday, Lars Ulrich had a surprise. He got the whole crowd to sing happy birthday and got him covered in custard pies. So it had finished and over 27 hours of rocking in 2 days certainly takes its toll.

‘The whole weekend exceeded my expectations and compared to download I have to say it’s just that bit better.’

Being smaller Sonisphere feels more intimate and the way its set up means you don’t miss any bands. Even though I may have lost my mobile phone I gained a plectrum from The Wildhearts, signed programme from Alien Ant Farm and a Drumstick from The Rev – well worth it in all accounts.

5/5 Good: Stage synchonisation, a mix of acts, and an intimate atmosphere.

Bad: The usual festival issues: toilets (or lack of), and questionable food.

“ blue neon lights, palm trees and a keyboard” With blue neon lights, palm trees and a keyboard fronted by a giant, glittery ‘K’ The Killers well and truly brought Vegas to the Royal Albert Hall. Just off the back of their third studio album, ‘Day and Age’, the Las Vegas four-piece made their way to the UK for two special back-to-back gigs, to be filmed for a DVD. Opening with ‘Human’, the first single off the new album, they instantly had the audience on their feet, and that is where they stayed with an epic set of old and new songs. The pace was kept up with the breakthrough single from Hot Fuss, ‘Somebody Told Me’ and the stunning ‘For Reasons Unknown’. Brandon Flower’s voice is pitch perfect, and the Royal Albert Hall captured it wonderfully in its echoing dome. The Killer’s then moved on to the fantastic Joy Division cover ‘Shadowplay’ which was incredibly atmospheric in the surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall. Flower’s is the perfect front man, his extravagance displayed in his odd outfits - the owl feathers which surround his most recent wardrobe malfunction a typical example. As he prowled the stage, it was impossible not to be engrossed by his exuberance. The performance of ‘A Dustland Fairytale’, the grandiose fourth single off the new album, exemplified this exuberance whilst reigniting the comparisons with Bruce Springsteen that has followed them throughout their career. The highlight of the performance was the acoustic rendition of ‘Sam’s Town’, with Flowers in his element with the spotlight focusing on him as the beautifully crafted piano epic filled the hall. Flowers and the boys then entered the final, adrenaline-filled stretch returning to the classic indie rock tunes which established

LIVE

The Killers 6th July

The Royal Albert Hall them as chart-toppers, concluding the main set with the irresistibly catchy ‘Mr Brightside’, and the epic ‘All These Things That I Have Done’ which produced a sing-a-long to the infamous lyric, “ I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” . The encore included ‘The River is Wild’, ‘Bones’, and the brilliant ‘Jenny

U2 22nd August

Was a Friend of Mine’. Before the final song Flowers’ urged the audience to bring the house down and there could be no better song to do so than ‘When You Were Young’. The audience went mad for the final song as confetti fell from above, creating the perfect finale to the Vegas styled show.

Hayley Taulbut embarks on a quest to Cardiff to see the biggest Irish Rock band in the world. Thus, four hungry and tired people in desperate need of some elevation entered the Millennium stadium. Unfortunately, support act Glasvegas were not up to the task. What they played was technically sound, the vocals were soaring, and the crowd interaction was fantastic. But only if you could understand what the front man was saying. So in the vast spells of the set that were void of music, I found myself getting bored, because to me, he was speaking absolute gibberish. U2, however, was a completely different story. No amount of thirst, hunger, or stress could impinge my anticipation, and thankfully, I was not let down. The stage itself was impressive – a huge claw-like contraption encircled the stage, with four points going down to each corner. Right in the centre, hanging down like the nucleus of some alien life form, was a circular screen made up of small screens that could change shape with each song. Your vision was, as the name of the tour suggested, 360 degrees. The light show too was astounding. Lasers of every colour imaginable spanned the crowd with every track, and created an experience that was overwhelming. But nothing could compare to the music

Cardiff Millenium Stadium

The journey should have taken 3hours. Five and a half hours and a whole lot of traffic later we arrived in Cardiff to find only more

mayhem – car parks overflowed onto roads, bars resembling sardine tins, and getting something to eat was impossible.

By Andy Baber

4/5 Good: A fantastic show, with wonderful vocals, and a varied set.

Bad: Perhaps just a little too exhuberant...?

itself. Bono’s vocals were remarkable, gliding through the scales with energy and precision that can only be expected from the front man of one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Yet somehow he managed to exceed expectations. Although the vocals were perfect, it was a perfection that could not have been replicated in a studio. It was raw, organic perfection, an outstanding live performance. Likewise, the performance given by ‘The Edge’ was remarkable. At times he became lost amongst the plethora of lights and visuals, quietly supporting and complementing Bono’s vocal talent. But at others, he would pound out a scorching solo, suddenly taking centre stage, showcasing his talents for all of Cardiff. A personal favourite was in the middle of ‘Bloody Sunday’, with the screeching guitar defying you to dance. The setlist was also fantastic. It was a collage of old and new, mixing classic tracks such as ‘Sweetest Thing’ and ‘New Years Day’, with songs from the brand new album, which received a fantastic reaction from the crowd. In all, despite the traffic issues and the empty stomachs, it was a tremendous evening. The kind of evening that will remain in your head for a long time, and rightly so.

4/5 Good: A media extravaganza! Lights, visuals, perfect sound. Spot on!

Bad: Support act just not up to par.

FILM

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince Director: David Yates Starring: Daniel Radcliffe Emma Watson Rupert Grint Alan Rickman Helena Bonham Carter

Release Date: 15 July 2009 Tagline: ‘Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry’ Runtime: 153 mins Rating: 12A

By Hadley Middleton Tired, tedious and tenuous, the Harry Potter franchise is entering its final stages and dragging its expectant audience through its lacklustre closing chapters. Harry and friends are entering their sixth year at Hogwarts and all is not well in the wizard world. The first five minutes of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are confusing and unfulfilling, as Dumbledore drags Harry off on a mission to bring the vain Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) back to Hogwarts. Voldemort’s DeathEaters have destroyed London Bridge and fearful times await the returning students. With the agreement made, Harry rejoins Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare to return to Hogwarts, but some perceived shady dealings involving Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) have in-

formed the group something is amiss, Malfoy has become a Death-Eater. Tom Felton’s portrayal of the tortured Draco is one of the defining highlights of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Radcliffe now appears to have become emotionally devoid, whilst Watson and Grint do their best to carry him through their own visible boredom with an ever-expanding and seemingly never ending film franchise. As Harry learns more about the young Voldemort and is closely admitted into Dumbledore’s confidence and knowledge, the film should become more ominous and exciting, yet the throws of teenage love and angst over-populate the film, dragging the audience into a badly acted episode of an American teen drama. Watson is able to make you feel for Hermione during her growing attraction and eventual rejection by Ron, but the chemistry between Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright as

“ teenage love and angst over populate the film, dragging the audience into a badly acted episode of an American teen drama” Ginny Weasley is so tragically tepid that the audience is left cringing at their embarrassingly awkward kiss. David Yates’ direction does attempt to provide interesting diversion in a slow-moving piece. Dumbledore’s reconstruction of Horace’s destroyed home provides almost a modern Mary Poppins; joyful, magical, dazzling relief. Yet his flair is overshadowed by gaping plot holes that frustrate and confuse.

Having not read the closing chapters of JK Rowling’s franchise, it would be expected that Harry’s knowledge of the Half-Blood Prince is a harrowing, astounding revelation, yet all is over in a brief sentence with the man himself disappearing without explanation. In entering the conclusion of Harry’s journey, the background of the character in

“joyful, magical, dazzling relief” question is surely integral in providing emotional resonance and drama, but all is withheld and omitted from a sloppy, unfulfilling teen- romance driven script. Not to give away an already well-known event, the ending of Harry Potter and the

Half-Blood Prince should be entirely devastating and yet Radcliffe cannot even muster a convincing snivel. As Harry, Ron and Hermione stand upon the Hogwarts towers all should be filled with a sense of menace and despair, but once again the dialogue falls entirely flat, rendering J.K Rowling’s fantasy world to become nothing more than a vacuous, dull and glossy imitation. Poorly acted, poorly scripted and poorly adapted, repairing David Yates’ film will need a lot more than a magic wand.

2/5 Good: Some eye catching cinematography and special effects

Bad: Too much gooey stuff and not enough action!

How The Other Harrys Compare.. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince

FILM

Public Enemies Director: Michael Mann Starring: Johnny Depp Christian Bale Marion Cotillard

Release Date: 1 July 2009 Tagline:’America’s Most Wanted’ Runtime: 140 mins Rating: 15

By Jack Harding You know, it’s pretty hard to watch any Michael Mann film these days without feeling even the slightest of tendencies to measure it against ‘HEAT’- Mann’s consummate, cops-versus-crims epic that stirred, stunned and starred a couple of ‘okay’ actors called Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. So, “ where does this leave Mann’s latest film?” I hear you ask. Well, not only is ‘Public Enemies’ his finest since the quite brilliant ‘Collateral’, but it’s reasonably akin to the above-mentioned movies in a variety of ways, especially ‘HEAT’. ‘Public Enemies’ is a relatively well acted, well shot and scored US based gangster/thriller that’s loaded with breathtaking shoot outs: it looks, feels and above all sounds pretty good. What’s more, Mann’s grafted A-list stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale onto its set-up, employing vintage yet somewhat bare characterisation techniques to show the similar mind sets and emotions of men under fire whether they be cops or robbers. Having said that, though, ‘Public Enemies’ lacks that (for want of a better word) ‘zing’ that made Mann’s finest work just that. To rank his latest film amidst his best would not only be generous, it would be wrong. ‘Public Enemies’ is an overlong, self assured film that has been drained of all depth and complexity to make room for some fast, profit- reaping commercialism and high concept. Spun from Bryan Burrough’s equally titled book, the film tells the true tale of notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), a charismatic, Robin Hood like maverick whose swift and graceful raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s newly founded FBI and its chief agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale). Pitting Depp against Bale, Public Enemies certainly harks back to Mann’s metro’ crime classics ‘HEAT’, ‘The Insider’ and ‘Collateral’, yet, it ultimately fails to tap Bale’s true potential. If there’s any area that the film can be seriously accused of faltering in, then it’s in the sheer depth of Bale’s forgettable supporting character: there isn’t any. Depp is excellent, playing a tortured, bent kind of anti villain who, like De Niro’s character in ‘HEAT’, has a heart, a dream and enough principles to steal the audience’s sympathy. Bale is far less convincing, though- trapped

It’s Depp. It’s Bale. It’s Good. But Where’s The Heat?

“ loaded with breathtaking shoot outs; it looks, feels and above all sounds pretty good” inside a shallow, uninspiring role that begs to be explored. He does the best with what he’s been given, yes, but I’m afraid the usually reliable Bale has been upstaged for the third film on the bounce by an actor who’s just had much more to work with. Ledger had the Joker. Worthington had Marcus Wright. And now Depp has Dillinger. I’m not even sure why Bale even went for this role. He’s a side character at best. I found Marion Cotillard’s character and performance

far more interesting. Anyway, enough Bale bashing. Onto the film stuff. Mann’s hands-on approach to filming combined with Elliot Goldenthal virtuoso score and sound mixing are the film’s underlying strengths. A modern sheen on 1930’s styling is also brought to fruition but Mann and DP Dante Spinotti shoot and frame the locations in such a way that they ultimately fail to boast the same kind of presence the urban spaces did in their previous work. For me, ‘Public Enemies’ does not reflect Mann’s knack for transforming city and landscapes into screen characters. A few overhead shots, tracks or even the odd long shot or two would’ve been nice. Maybe even a tea-stained, saturated lens filter would’ve added a little more authenticity, a little more character. It sure did the job in that Francis

Ford Copolla gangster film. I forget what it’s called. Anyway, I guess I’m nitpicking, but when it comes to Michael Mann, when it comes to one of the most experienced visualists in the business, you expect better. The dark and largely sombre palette employed along with the cold, clear interiors certainly add to a detailed mise-en-scene that works well with a whole host of handheld coverage but Mann’s summer smash stirs in the shadows of his transfixing, urban masterstrokes and emerges a forgettable gangster caper.

3/5 Good: Some good acting from Johnny Depp

Bad: Some bad acting from Christian Bale

FILM

The Proposal

Director: Anne Fletcher Starring: Ryan Reynolds Sandra Bullock

Release Date: 22 July 2009 Tagline:’Here Comes The Bribe’ Runtime: 108 mins Rating: PG

By Eldon Cate

Romantic comedies tend to play on the same tactics that most Hollywood blockbusters use and that is; you already know the plot before you go in, but all you want is a good couple of hours of entertainment. Sadly, however, sometimes films fail even to do that. The Proposal is one of those (and worse). The one star given to this film is for

the scattered humorous moments that Ryan Reynolds mustered up as the young, dashing (but also goofy) assistant to ruthless, emotionless, New York publishing editor, Sandra Bullock. The structure is the same as every romantic comedy: Reynolds and Bullock would never ever (ever) see each other socially, until she has to blackmail him into marrying her to prevent her from being deported back to Canada. Consequently they are forced to go to Alaska to meet his family that weekend, during which time, through a series of supposedly funny incidents, the two begin to fall for one another. Naturally of course, she gets caught for fraud and has to be deported, only for Reynolds to chase after her. And it is worth noting that he not only has to chase after her, his grandma fakes her own death in order to get him into a helicopter and fly him to her. Awful. Maybe I’m the wrong type of person to be judging such a

film but I find it hard to believe anyone can fall for such nonsense. Whilst classic films of the same genre have similar plot lines (without the awful finale), it is the characters and humour that made them successful. After seeing this, I wonder if Hollywood truly has run out of ideas for this type of film. There are a handful of truly bizarre moments including the grandma, some sort of tribal ritual and a gay Hispanic male stripper, both of which are funny but go on for what feels like hours. There seems to be a strange homage to The Devil Wears Prada too. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not but to get right to the point, don’t see this film.

1/5 Good: Ryan Reynolds creates the occasional laugh

Bad: Ridiculous and quite frankly, upsetting plotlines

FILM

Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen Director: Michael Bay Starring: Shia LaBeouf Megan Fox Josh Duhamel Tyrese Gibson

Release Date: 19 June 2009 Tagline:’Revenge Is Coming’ Runtime: 150 mins Rating: 12A

By Stephen O’Shea With the incredible success of ‘Transformers’ a sequel was inevitable but would Michael Bay produce a second film merely for the huge financial gains or would he topple the first film by going even bigger and better? I won’t keep you in suspense, it is an absolute relief to say that Bay has produced an absolute masterpiece of CG and explosions. ‘Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen’, like it’s predecessor, finds the little kid in everyone and shows them exactly what they want to see, giant fighting robots. Before you even have time to take the first sip of your drink you are thrown straight into the action as the human race with the help of the Autobots are tracking down the remaining Deceptacons on earth and eradicating them. We, the audience are thrust straight into a battle taking place in the busy night streets of China. Old favourites such as Optimus Prime and Iron Hide are joined by new Autobots, who are funny for about the first five minutes and then simply become annoying. On the side of the

Deceptacons we are treated to entirely new foes. The whole action packed battle leaves you wondering how they ever plan to cover up this whole incident, but any thought of realism is soon washed away in stunning visuals and eye-popping fight scenes. Bay has clearly been given free reign with this film and seems to have invented some brilliant new robots and ideas. The story line in this outing, sees Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBouf) travelling off to college and leaving his robotic car and his girlfriend (Megan Fox) behind. Absolutely crazy decisions aside this is simply the beginning for LaBeouf as after being shocked by a remaining piece of ‘the Cube’ and it’s knowledge being transmitted into his brain he is forced to flee from the Deceptacons who wish to retrieve the knowledge locked in his mind and use it to, as always, destroy the earth - enter Magatron and new bad guy The Fallen and queue huge iconic battles.

“ Bay Has Created Figures With As Much Depth And Back Story As Their Real Life Counterparts”

Now I know what you’re thinking and yes, this story line is quite tame but let’s face facts - when you’re going to see a Michael ‘Armageddon’ Bay film about giant fighting robots you don’t expect an intense character driven plot line, you expect stuff to blow up and with this film that’s exactly what you get. It is clearly Michael Bay, the child who has been given the key to a toy shop, and his animators, who are the true geniuses behind this film and the ones who really

make it the great cinema experience. Shia Labeouf and Megan Fox both pull off capable performances as they did in the first film, but neither demonstrate their relatively unearthed acting talents and so are not really worthy of further comment. New to the Transformers franchise, Ramon Rodriguez, plays the college roommate of LaBeouf who is inadvertently sucked into the world of military operations and giant alien machines. Rodriguez is unfortunately a slight let down on the film as he is clearly trying to be funny but fails more often than not. Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson both return as the army officers lining up alongside the Autobots to defend the planet. It is clear to see why these two have retained their places as both produce great performances and seem born to play action roles. Finally we come to those who we don’t see, only hear. Peter Cullen, Optimus Prime, and Hugo Weaving, Megatron, both lend their vocal talents and

both once again bring true magic and depth to these age old characters. It’s rare when animated characters overtake the real life people that they share the screen with, but once again Bay has created figures with as much depth and back story as their real life counterparts. Michael Bay has once again proven that you don’t need a realistic storyline or even believable characters to make a great film. This is a brilliant popcorn film and delivers exactly what you expect it to. When you see it - and you should definitely see it, just simply sit back and enjoy yourself as the simply spectacular and brilliant cinematography and out and out destruction emerses you.

4/5

Good: In typical Bay form. features high tech explosions and lots of them

Bad: A few plotholes, but nothing that’ll keep you up at night

GAMES

“ Invited to the Joker’s ‘party’ are a host of Batman’s rogues gallery, familiar villains come bearing new designs along with new gameplay and story elements.”

Batman: Arkham Asylum PS3/Xbox 360

By Luke Borrett As a general rule, game adaptations of popular existing franchises tend to enjoy high sales regardless of quality. Given the success of Batman’s last pop culture outing, The Dark Knight, one could not be blamed for lowered expectations of Arkham Asylum as a lazy cash cow title. Fans will be delighted to hear that this is not the case here. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a labour of love from the ground up. Those who may have fond childhood memories of the Animated Series of the 90’s, the voices of Batman (Kevin Conroy) and the Joker (Mark Hamill) return to their old roles. The sheer amount of dialogue makes it surprising that the incredible quality of the voice acting never dissipates or starts to grate. This is integral in the dark atmosphere the game builds. The Joker gets taken into Arkham Asylum by the Caped Crusader himself as part of his plot, taking over the island housing the mental institute for a night Batman will never forget. The art style is fantastically gothic, recalling the Tim Burton films, or some of the more visually dazzling comics. Gameplay doesn’t disappoint. It is comprised of three major elements; firstly there is the dynamic ‘freeflow combat’. This is perhaps the most predictable, with an emphasis on combat in previous in Batman game adaptations, but once mastered is arguably the most satisfying aspect of Arkham Asylum.

This game does away with complex button inputs, allowing a timing based system of attack and counter-attack to adapt your combat depending on the situation at hand. This is augmented with the addition of special abilities and Bat-tools, but the real challenge is to string a long combo together and flawlessly dispatch your foes. The other two elements to the game authenticate the experience of being Batman. If enemies have guns, when they see you they will kill you.

Being the silent predator, taking out your enemies unseen with stealth is crucial. Between sections littered with enemies, you must take the role of the world’s greatest detective to solve puzzles that progress the story. Invited to the Joker’s ‘party’ are a host of Batman’s rogues gallery, familiar villains come bearing new designs along with new gameplay and story elements. Everything gels into a solid package, delighting batfans and gamers alike.

The main game is only between 10 and 15 hours long, but Riddler sidequests, challenge rooms and playing as the Joker (currently only on PS3) will add much life and longevity to the experience.

5/5 Good: ...You’re Batman

Bad: Leaves you wishing it lasted longer.

The Sims 3 PC

By Tom Williams As few will be unaware, The Sims series of people simulation games has been a massive worldwide phenomenon. The premise is simple: create a Sim, build their house, and then control their every move as they live, love, laugh and... die. The latest instalment in the series brings the most significant improvement yet, the freedom to roam your entire town without the painful barrier of loading screens between each location. This makes it easy to visit your friends’ homes or go out on the town, though it is not possible to see inside any of the shops or places of work. The game comes with one town, but a second is downloadable for free. Basic game play is the same as ever, but with a new twist: whilst you are playing with one household, other Sims in town will go on living their lives without any interven-

tion from you. They will make random choices about how to progress with their lives, and the lack of intelligence in these choices can often be frustrating. There is less focus on storylines among the preinstalled families than in The Sims 2, and chronologically this game is a prequel to its predecessors. Sims now have up to five “traits” which affect their actions, tastes and wishes, and these can be chosen by the player provided that the Sim is well raised; if not, they are chosen by the computer, which is often disastrous. New money-spinning pastimes include fishing, gardening and computer hacking, and eagle-eyed Sims can scout the map for rare artefacts lying on the ground. Adorning your home with furniture has been enhanced with the ability to apply

a vast library of textures to almost every object in the game, making it easier than ever to create a perfectly matching room. Graphics and sound are no significant improvement over The Sims 2, but this is partly due to the need to keep system requirements to a minimum, and EA seem to have succeeded here as the game runs smoothly with most of the graphical settings at their maximum on a mid-range laptop. Overall, this is a very worthwhile addition to the repertoire of any Sims fan, though if you’ve a short attention span or a lack of patience, you may want to look elsewhere as this game requires time and dedication to be enjoyed to its fullest.

4/5 Good: Replay value limited only by your creativity

Bad: Many frustrating bugs tarnish the experience

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Flood Of Red + Lower Than Atlantis @ Hamptons 19.00

Inme @ Talking Heads

Love Like Fire @ Joiners 19.30

WEDNESDAY

Sept/Oct TheGigGuide

MONDAY

Wave Machine @ Joiners 19.30

Tinchy Stryder + Chipmunk @ Students Union 19.00

4 Weeks In Between @ Joiners 19.30

TUESDAY

The Cribs @ Guldhall 19.30

Underground Heroes @ Joiners 19.30

WEDNESDAY

The Kabeedies @ Joiners 19.30

Sound Of Guns @ Joiners 19.30

TUESDAY

Future Of The Left @ Joiners 19.30

Enter Shikari + Devil Wears Prada @ Guildhall 19.00

LiveSoc Takeover ft. Rosie Mckloskey + Ciaran Mcmanus + Andrew Stafford @ The Bent Brief

MONDAY

5 Jeniferever @ Joiners 19.30

MONDAY

12 General Fiasco @ Joiners 19.30 LiveSoc Takeover ft. Light Effect + Yellowgroove + The New Decibels @ Winchester SChool Of Art

THURSDAY

24 Chroma Tones @ Joiners 19.30

THURSDAY

This Is Hell @ Joiners 19.30

THURSDAY Everything Everything @ Hamptons 19.00

Mumford & Sons @ Talking Heads Animal Kingdom @ Joiners 19.30

FRIDAY This City + Xcerts @ Unit 19.30

William Francis (Aiden) @ Joiners 19.30 Paint It Black @ Hamptons 19.00

FRIDAY

Jamie T @ Guildhall 19.00

FRIDAY

Tommy Reilly @ Joiners 19.30

The Moulettes @ Hamptons 19.00

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Salvage The Flesh @ Joiners 19.30

Twin Atlantic @ Joiners 19.30

Joe Brooks @ Talking Heads

Ellie Goulding @ Unit 19.30

4 22

SUNDAY

LiveSoc Takeover ft. Fighting Fiction @ The Hobbit

SATURDAY

Jet Heeled Striker @ Joiners 19.30

SUNDAY

Loz Birdge And The Box Social @ Joiners 19.30

Dan Michaelson (Absentee) @ Joiners 19.30

Morning Parade @ Unit 22.00

SATURDAY

Soft Toy Emergency @ Joiners 19.30

LiveSoc Takeover ft. Press To Meco + Doctor Fonda + Echo Chamber @ Boiler House