The Edge (January 2010)

Issue 5 21st January 2010 The University of Southampton’s Finest Entertainment Publication

EDITORIAL

INSIDE..

Records

Hello lovely readers!

- Twin Atlantic - 30 Seconds To Mars - Stereophonics + More!

Welcome to the very first 2010 edition of The Edge. We have worked long and hard down in the media basement for you, so we hope that you enjoy!

Live

To celebrate the end of the decade we take a look back at what the past year looked like in Film, and do our very own countdown of the Top 5 Albums of 2009. We also take a peek forward into the future to see what new film releases you can look forward to in the next year.

- Passion Pit - Bloc Party + More!

Film

As well as those exciting features we have all the regular film, CD and game reviews that you look forward to. Live takes a trip to see Good Shoes and Jack Penate, while Records reviews the latest releases from Vivarium and Cosmo Jarvis. Film watches Avatar, which seems to be the most anticipated film in a long while, and Features mounts a defence of the unimitable Lady Gaga.

Hopefully you can find something in all of that to suit your tastes, and if not we are very sorry. You are the only people who can do anything about it however, because the quality and variety of these pages depends on your submissions. We are always looking for more people to get involved, so if you are interested in finding out more email us and ask!

You can also get involved through our Surge Radio show, every saturday between 1 and 2pm, by simply listening or even coming on as a guest. If you are in a local band then we are also looking for people to feature in our new local section. If you want some exposure for your music, or know someone who does, then get in touch!

One last thing. Look out for the next issue, you might spot some changes...

Editors: Emmeline Curtis and Thomas Shepherd Record Editor: Kate Golding Live Editor: Hayley Taulbut Features Editor: Dan Morgan Film Editor: Stephen O’Shea Games Editor: Joe Dart Editor in Chief: Jamie Ings With: Richard Yates, Robert McGough,

Jazmin Sherman, Jonathan Seal, Amy Steadman, Bill Sich, Adam Vaughan, Tom Mallett, Rose Lansbury, Gareth Lees, Andrew Baber, Alex Payne, Lauren Smiddy, Josh Treacher, Will Hayes, Mike Havis, Rob Zwetsloot, Will Dalton, James Truman, James Miller, Kavina Upadhyay, Catriona Smith

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

- Sherlock Holmes - The Road + More!

Features

- Record Of The Year - Broadway Calls + More!

Games

- Call Of Duty: MW2

James Cameron’s Avatar Reviewed That’s Entertainment..

By Emmeline Curtis You may remember a report in The Edge not long ago that Will Smith wanted to guest star on Eastenders. It now seems that 50 Cent is following in his footsteps by admitting that he would love to appear on TV show Shameless. Like Smith he was apparently won over by how ‘real’ it was when he was last staying in a London hotel, despite not understanding all of the British humour in the show. I’m not sure how convincing the rapper would be living on a council estate however, since he recently revealed that he has to carry $25,000 on him at all times in case he decides to make an extravagant purchase, and without it he feels like he doesn’t have money. Perhaps the Gallagher family can introduce him to the wonders of having a credit card to buy things with?

Jarvis Cocker has revealed a similarly odd ambition, in that he would like to appear on BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing.

He has been a fan of ballroom dancing since he holidayed in Blackpool as a child, and found it moving going to the ballroom below the tower and watching all of the old couples dance to a man playing on the organ. If his dancing at the Brits is anything to go by, then viewers could be in for an entertaining treat if this becomes a reality.

Someone else who wants to dance is Dame Judi Dench - she has agreed to star in a music video for the Black Eyed Peas.

Dench became friends with singer Fergie while they were both starring in the movie musical Nine, and “got on like a house on fire”. They are both now determined to clear their diaries to make the cameo work. Dench reportedly agreed to the idea because she was jealous of her co-stars Fergie and Penelope Cruz who got to dance in the film. Jealousy is never a good thing children, but in this case may make for an amazing music video.

Pamela Anderson is reportedly planning to launch a pop career. Clothing designer Richie Rich has revealed that they are working on a song together about Pamela’s love of clothing and high fashion called ‘High’. Although she wants to sing, Pamela does not want anything too difficult, so will only sing the word ‘high’ over and over again. Sounds like someone has been taking career advice from Paris Hilton, and I’m sure ‘High’ will be as successful as whatever Paris’ attempt at a song was.

Jennifer Lopez has suggested that she wrongly missed out on an Oscar statuette for her role in El cantante opposite husband Marc Antony. Lopez played the part of salsa dancer Hector Lavoe’s wife in the film that

she believes deserved an Oscar nod, claiming it is the duty of the Academy members to see everything out there that could be great.

Perhaps they suffered through the film Jersey Girl and decided not to bother again.

30 This Is War Seconds To Mars Gareth Lees

30 Seconds to Mars come crashing through legal and artistic adversity to deliver their third studio album symbolically titled This Is War, an album that offers to all who listen an epic, wholly satisfying if strangely safe war, led by the ever egotistical Jared Leto.

This album chalks up as a major victory for the band; it is as least as good if not better than 2005’s Beautiful Lie, confirming their success as no fluke. Its release is the symbolic end of the bands 30 million dollar battle with Virgin records and it can truly mark the point where the band’s members become known for their musical contributions and not a band led by that guy from Requiem For A Dream.

It’s clear from the opening track that what is about to come is exactly what anyone with any previous experience with the band would expect, melodramatic explosions

Tour!

Bournemouth, 24th February

of sound contrasted against ironically soft tones. From the opening crowd screams in first track ‘Escape’ straight into the pounding electronics and synth of ‘Night of the Hunter’, even through to the softer sounds of ‘Alibi’, all those who listen are left under no illusions of what an epically melodramatic album sounds like.

However, no album is perfect and as ever this is no exception. This is War falls victim, as most albums do, to not offering anything new. It wouldn’t be unfair and in fact could even be seen as high praise to label this album as playing it cautiously, a slick repackaging of 2005’s success; but in the end there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a very safe war. The crowd recordings can be cheesy at times while the chanting monks at the end of ‘Equinox’ are simply bizarre, but tracks such as ‘This is War’ and ‘Night of the Hunter’ do expose Leto’s un-

Singles Mumford & Sons Winter Winds ‘Winter Winds’ is the second single by London folk quartet, Mumford & Sons released from their debut album, Sigh No More. The song is not only the perfect song for the cold British winter, but one of the best songs of 2009. It is an epic, uplifting and momentous ballad, and frankly superlatives can do it no justice.

Mumford & Sons are also lyrically brilliant: “As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts, Oh the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms.”

If you are fed up of the repetitive R&B/ Hip-Hop and generic dance tracks which make it to the top of the charts week after week, then this is for you. Mumford & Sons folk-rock is what music is about, with the sweeping strings of the guitars, and powerfully soulful voice, ‘Winter Winds’ is four and

a half minutes of utterly mesmerising music.

Andrew Baber

5/5

RECORDS

polished vocals at their best. The cautious nature of this album doesn’t detract from its quality but does mean it falls short of taking a further step.

Love for this album hinges on how well you cope with emo melodrama, if you develop twitches when hearing lyrics like “I believe in nothing not the end and not the start” then steer clear. Ultimately this is a big album for a band that’s been through a lot over the past couple of years, this angst is a

guiding constant throughout the entire album that is best treated as one long track, falling just short of an hour, than a collections of songs. The lyrics and the scale can seem ridiculous at times but in the end a bit of melodrama never hurt anyone. A solid follow up to a successful album; it’s not quite exciting but certainly satisfying.

4/5

Saving Aimee Fresh Since ‘88 I should have guessed from the title but I didn’t quite expect to be thrown into the 1980’s quite abruptly. This is Saving Aimee’s third release from their debut album We’re The Good Guys, recorded on their own label and produced by Justin Hawkins - that’s quite something for an unknown band.

As expected the eighties signifiers are there: synths, a sing-a-long chorus, soaring duel guitars, big drums, a kind of danciness to it; in all something that wouldn’t sound too out of place in Reflex nightclub. However, it seems more than just an eighties throw

3OH!3

back. They certainly have taken inspiration from the likes of Journey and Europe but have added their own contemporary feel.

But much like Justin Hawkins, I think people will either love them or hate them.

They will fit in with the group of artists who seem to like the eighties, such as Hot Chip, La Roux and Calvin Harris.

Saving Aimee just goes to show that there are some things worth keeping from the eighties apart from the mullets and tight trousers (ok they probably should be forgotten). However, this song is a good effort and something different.

Alex Payne

4/5

Starstrukk feat. Katy Perry

This upbeat electro pop tune is sure to be a floorfiller. The catchy chorus and repeated wolf whistles will be stuck in your head all day.

Katy Perry makes a guest appearance in ‘Starstrukk’ which delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from her - a typical pop hit. Perry is the star in this song, she brings it to life and outshines the 3OH!3

boys. The lyrics are stupid, neither imaginative nor meaningful but to be honest that’s what you expect from this type of song.

This is definitely a lively pop tune which you can easily sing along to and no doubt this single will be a massive hit and have you guiltily singing along in no time.

Lauren Smiddy

2/5

RECORDS Vivarium Tom Mallett Twin Atlantic are an alternative rock band on the up. Hailing from Glasgow, this is their first full release on a label which is also relatively new – Red Bull Records. Don’t let this affiliation fool you though, there’s nothing artificial about their music. You may have heard of Twin Atlantic before; they have supported the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins and Taking Back Sunday and will also be supporting Enter Shikari early on this year.

Vivarium is simply a gorgeous album that many bands of their genre would kill to write.

Six songs on this album are absolutely stunning, whilst the other two are merely very good. The definite highlight has to be the colossal centrepiece of the album, ‘Caribbean War Syndrome’. As a song it is impossible to pin down – veering between solemn piano ballad, huge walls of distortion and reverb and straight out modern alt rock all within six and a half minutes. It’s breathtaking stuff that would be a crime to let pass by. Singles ‘You’re Turning Into John Wayne’ and ‘What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?’ are also definitely worth checking out.

Sam Mctrusty’s thick Glaswegian accent gives the band a real distinctive feel, but it is not just this that separates Twin Atlantic from the rest of the pack. They feature not one but two two multi-instrumentalists; guitarist Barry McKenna is also a classically trained cellist whilst bass guitarist Ross McNae also plays piano on the album. All four of them contribute vocals when playing live, making Twin Atlantic a pretty remarkable bunch of musicians.

It is pretty hard to find fault with Vivarium.

The lack of songs is the only real issue here,

Twin Atlantic eight songs simply isn’t enough! This album has clearly been released with the intention of leaving fans wanting more, and the desired effect has certainly been achieved.

Twin Atlantic should be proud of this record - it is everything modern alternative rock

should be: exciting, epic, interesting and intelligent.

like this?

Check out Minus The Bear

Cosmo Jarvis

5/5 Good: A band to watch - an exciting album.

Bad: Very little to pick out in a pretty impressive record .

Rose Lansbury

Humasyouhitch/Sonofab**** Born in New Jersey and raised in Devon, Cosmo Jarvis was first signed to the indie label Wall of Sound in 2008, leading to recent release of his debut album, Humasyouhitch/ Sonofab**** in November 2009.

The majority of the songs open with a typical Cosmo Jarvis riff, giving off acoustic vibes that leave the listener thinking “not another Jack Johnson sound-alike!” However, as each track progresses, the mood becomes increasingly louder, cruder and hectic. ‘Clean My Room’, for example, opens with a soft, country style guitar riff; surely we are about to hear lyrics of love and happiness. But as soon as the drumbeat kicks in,

the pace changes and we hear the story of a nineteen year old who “don’t know much about anything”. Despite the rough accent and miserable lyrics, the song almost sounds optimistic when Cosmo sings “Some dreams are meant for chasing, some dreams are meant for living…” only to lower the tone immediately afterwards by stating that he is going to “clean [his] room and dump [his] girlfriend”.

‘The Royal F***up’ is another depressing one, saying “You’re just an idea that your parents had one day…” Despite the lyrics sounding like they’ve been churned up from a pit of self-loathing, the melody to this track

is surprisingly beautiful, as is that of ‘Gone, Like You’ – the diamond of the album. This track puts Cosmo’s musical talent on display through its beautiful guitar line and uncharacteristically romantic lyrics.

Despite his depressing style of song writing, something about Cosmo Jarvis is immensely likeable; maybe it’s the way he sings about his misfortunes in such a lighthearted way; maybe it’s how he doesn’t try to put up a rock-star front; or maybe it is because he is just a teenager from Devon who, like the rest of us, thinks that life just isn’t fair.

4/5 Good: Completely likeable and enjoyable with some great tracks.

Bad: Generally depressing lyrics.

“Totally run of the mill- not worth a second spin.”

RECORDS

Stereophonics Keep Calm And Carry On With five number one albums to boast, there are few bands who could take the mantra Keep Calm And Carry On more literally than the Stereophonics. However, with their latest release achieving the lowest chart position they’ve ever faced, could it be time to take off the autopilot?

Setting the record on its aimless course, album opener ‘She’s Alright’ is as spirited as the title suggests; its tedious interplay between the thin, feeble guitar textures and robotic drum track pushing its victims precariously close to skipping it altogether.

Then the vocals start. “She’s alright” moans vocalist Kelly Jones over and over, interrupting the repeated drone only to say, “She’s Ok”. We get the message.

Moving from recollections of a drunken ex onto happy youthful nostalgia (a logical progression), the album’s first single ‘Innocent’ is an inoffensive pop tune, waltzing in one ear and out the other without leaving an impression. Follow up track, ‘Beerbottle’, with its gloomy synthesized march, has a similar effect, melting into oblivion as quietly as it emerged. Thankfully though, ‘Trouble’ carries a little more gusto, casting a punk feel with its blasting raw rock sound.

Still the tiresome vain of the record is not so easily escaped, with ‘Could You Be The

One?’ plunging listeners back into the mundane. Whilst musically comparable to Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’, the simple two-note structure here is not so much anthemic as gratingly repetitive. The lyrics meanwhile only serve to augment this, climaxing in such endless reiteration of “Could you be the one for me?” as to make you answer in the hope he’ll stop.

‘I Got Your Number’ and ‘Uppercut’, which continue the album, are livelier but nonetheless instantly forgettable. Particularly cringeworthy is the lyrical wizardry of the former (“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, | You told me lies right to my face”) and the latter’s complete mismatch of sneering social criticism with happy-go-lucky, jangling guitar. Yet the soaring ‘Live ‘N’ Love’, a slice of classic Stereophonics rock and undoubtedly the highlight of the album, more than compensates for this. Furthermore, the solemn ‘100MPH’ proves the group can roll back the volume without rolling back the impact.

Nonetheless, the sudden burst of creativity isn’t sustained, with ‘Wonder’ being the most generic driving-rock song you’ll ever ignore, and ‘Stuck In A Rut’ relying on Jones’ only slightly-better-than-average vocals to compensate for the thin instrumentation.

End track ‘Show Me How’ then comes as a

disappointing, but not surprising, anti-climax of flat piano and uninspiring mewling, seeing the album off meekly.

Ultimately, Keep Calm And Carry On is in no way the best the Stereophonics have to offer. It’s not a bad album; the musicianship is tight, the vocals as well-performed as

Mando Diao Having never heard of Swedish band Mando Diao before, the fact that Give Me Fire is the fifth studio album from the band did not give me much hope. After listening to Give Me Fire in full, the first bands that come to mind are The Strokes and The Hives, which gives you some idea of what to expect.

The album begins brightly with ‘Blue Lining, White Trenchcoat’, and the completely addictive lead single ‘Dance with Somebody,’ which does make you want to get up and dance with its catchy lyrics: “I’m falling in love with your favourite song, I’m gonna sing it all night long, I’m gonna dance with somebody”. ‘Gloria’ continues the solid opening to the album; with the female backing drawing strong comparisons with Motown, and the vocals reminiscent of Gnarls Barkley for

2/5

Mike Havis

reasons unknown. ‘High Heels’ shows that the band has a more diverse sound than, for example, The Strokes. However, it is not as captivating as the earlier tracks and is subsequently quite forgettable.

You can’t help but feel that the band relies on singer Bjorn Dixgard’s dramatic throaty howl at times, and it certainly provides substantial cover for the poppy little tune ‘Mean Street’. Mando Diao then take things down a bit with ‘Crystal,’ a beautifully written song, showing the band’s capability for variety, whilst steadying the pace set by ‘Give Me Fire’ and ‘Maybe Just Sad’. ‘Come On Come On’ is another song which will resonate with fans of The Hives, with its catchy chorus belted out at full volume, it is probably one of the more memorable songs on the album.

The final three songs from Give Me Fire are

Good: Few and far between.

Bad: A disappointing return.

ever and the gems of brilliance enthralling, it’s just it’s (for the most part) uninspiring, totally run-of-the-mill and not really worth a second spin.

Upcoming Show Portsmouth 25th January

Give Me Fire Andrew Baber all fairly standard alternative rock songs, with very little to choose between them. However, ‘You Got Nothing On Me’ does contain some edgy guitar riffs, and this combined with return of the voice which becomes more and more akin to Chris Cornell, creates possibly one of the highlights of the album along with ‘Dance with Somebody’. Whilst Give Me Fire is a very good album, it is unlikely to be a massive hit in the strong British alternative/indie market. However, if you are a fan of The Strokes or The Hives, and are after something with a bit more diversity then this could be the album for you.

3/5

RECORDS

“A sharp mix of post-punk, blues and rockability.”

The Brute Chorus The Brute Chrous London four-piece The Brute Chorus live in a pokey little flat in Whitechapel, by day they disguise themselves as normal members of society going about their work as barstaff, council workers and sound engineers but when night falls they pull out their guitars, microphone and drum kit and transform into a something very different and something possibly quite special.

The vicar’s son with the ridiculously cool name, James Steel, leads the band and with a nod to his religious background he shouts and sings about mythology and legends, think ‘Jonah and the Whale’, think ‘Hercules’ (actually the name of one track) the band in the meantime chime in with their own sharp mix of post-punk, blues and rockability. It’s something that feels like it’s been honed over the years specifically to energise the crowds and enable the band to have as much fun as possible. The storyteller draws them in with his engaging, sharp and witty lyrics and the band brings the crowd up, gradually pulling even the most reluctant people into the middle of the dance floor-cum-moshpit.

The Brute Chorus’ success as a live band is presumably what inspired them to record their entire first album in one take in front of an audience of 300 of their most devoted fans. The problem is that it just doesn’t work; the recording certainly captures their energy

Josh Treacher

but what works well for them in a live setting does not seem to when etched on plastic.

It’s the strong drum beats, guitar reverb and rapid bass lines that normally are a strength which in this format seem to have squashed James’ tales and have made this record sound claustrophobic and messy.

The problem is that the band just doesn’t know how to create an album, yet. They are obviously a great live band and this is what this approach was meant to convey, but where it should have shown their strengths it has simply made for difficult listening. The band would and I’m sure will benefit from going to the studio and creating a true album, and it’s only by battling through this process and growing and learning from it that the potential seen here on this record will develop into something grander, clearer and above all highly entertaining.

3/5 Good: Promising things from the London four piece.

Bad: A messy, live first album which does not do the band justice.

Pearl Jam

Biffy Clyro

Got Some/Just Breathe

The Captain Since 2007’s Puzzle, Biffy Clyro have gradually been entering into the mainstream, with extensive radio play and a huge increase in fans, many of whom would not have gone anywhere near a hard-rock record before. ‘Mainstream’ may seem like a dirty word to many of the band’s oldest fans, but it is by no means a bad thing in the context of ‘The Captain’.

The third single from the band’s latest album, Only Revolutions, erupts with a huge horn ensemble, which is joined by the rest of the band simultaneously thrusting their way in to the mix.

The song highlights how Biffy Clyro are capable of delivering a hard-rock sound whilst maintaining mainstream appeal. However, it perhaps lacks the huge energy that previous hits had, such as the brilliant ‘That Golden Rule’ and ‘Saturday Superhouse’.

Will Hayes

3/5

Singles

The Answer Comfort Zone The Answer may not be that well known, but they provide a sound which is rare. But those who flock to listen to the latest single will be bitterly disappointed. All that ‘Comfort Zone’ does is provide four minutes of bland music, never going anywhere and sounding like an entirely different band.

There is promise towards the end of the song but this ends too soon and returns to the mind-numbingly dull sound. The Answer have entered the new decade with a very poor song.

Will Hayes 1/5

Pearl Jam have decided to release a double A side single, which comes from their ninth studio album Backspacer, and the two songs couldn’t be more different if they tried.

‘Got Some’ is a hectic, up-tempo offering which darts around with much more of an Indie rock vibe than usual, but builds up to descend into a bustling, heavier song with more distortion In complete contrast, ‘Just Breathe’ has a soft, acoustic setting but with a distinct Pearl Jam sound. The finger picked guitar drifts through the song with a soothing, relaxing vibe and the song continues to build with more instruments each adding their own flavour to what was a skeleton-like beginning.

This is perhaps why they released it as a double A side, and what this double A side does is proves the versatility of Pearl Jam. Although neither of the songs reaches the heady heights of any track from the landmark album that is Ten, they are still good songs and shows Pearl Jam can still deliver.

Alex Payne

4/5

Miley Cyrus Party In The USA This is the sort of song you really want to hate. Unfortunately, it’s actually quite catchy - I’ve had it stuck in my head that’s for sure!

However, it’s also a feel good song with a great chorus that’s sure to have you smiling.

The song is cheesy but her voice is great and the country edge to it makes it more interesting than your average pop song.

Lauren Smiddy 3/5

LIVE

Jack Peñate LIVE takes a trip to our very own Garden Court for a weekend of Passion Pit, Peñate, and pints - Will Dalton gives us the low-down.

By Will Dalton For most people the Halloween weekend was spent staggering to and from house parties caked in fake blood, but for those who opted against imitating zombies and the like, a weekend of fine entertainment was provided by SUSU. The highly esteemed Jack Peñate graced the Garden Court stage on Friday. and without disappointment.

Penate’s set was preceded by Brooklynbased Theophilus London, whose slick flow matched every step of the way by eye-catching dance moves. Despite being unknown, Theophilus was hell-bent on engaging his Southampton audience, and even if the brief dance he shared on stage with a rather embarrassed crowd member did have an air of awkwardness, you couldn’t fault his efforts.

It wasn’t long however until Peñate bounded onto the stage brimming with enthusiasm and vigour. The aptly titled, ‘Everything Is New’ opened the set, reminding the audience of the more innovative and mature direction his album of the same name has taken. The acoustic strumming and ‘mockney’ singing have been abandoned in favour of African drumbeats and wailing vocals - a sound that has earned Peñate countless plaudits since the record’s release in June.

This wasn’t to say that the crowd favourites from debut album Matinee were ignored

though. Despite the lukewarm reviews the album received, the hits ‘Have I Been a Fool’, ‘Second Minute or Hour’ and ‘Torn On The Platform’ still carry a great deal of charm and catchiness. ‘Torn...’, the track that first earned Jack mainstream recognition drew the biggest reaction of the night.

Yet, the crowd were jumping again in raucous shout-a-long to ‘Lets All Die’. Penate’s manic flailing limbs were being mimicked on the dancefloor, and the stage-audience chemistry climaxed memorably with the whole venue chanting the last lines of the song: “Out of the womb, and into the tomb!”

The morose lyrics and joyful atmosphere met in the perfect disharmony Penate intended.

This rowdiness came to a head during ‘Pull My Heart Away’ when Penate was joined on stage by Theophilus London. The rapping added new dimension to the track with Theophilus’ fine additional verse teeing up an emphatic final rendition of the chorus.

The set was brought to a close with summer hits ‘Be The One’ and ‘Tonight’s Today’; the mesmeric tones of the latter reverberating right through to the Stags Head and beyond. The crowd had danced themselves into the ground, an effort that didn’t go unnoticed by Penate, who commented how the audience had been “lipping amazing”.

5/5 Good: Varied set, with Peñate’s enthusiasm second-tonone.

SOUTHAMPTON

very

THE GARDEN COURT SOUTHAMPTON

Passion Pit

By Will Dalton

THE GARDEN COURT

Bad: Not much...

The Garden Court was in for a real treat this weekend - closely following Jack Peñate were US Quintet Passion Pit. Having been a regular fixture on the line-ups of this summer’s festivals, the band have achieved a finely-tuned live act that does their full debut album Manners great credit.

Though the emergence of a mosh-pit seemed quite incongruous when coupled with the feel-good electro hooks and shrill cries of lead singer Michael Angelakos, the band certainly deserved the excitable recognition. Tracks from the less-known EP Chunk of Change were met with a more subdued response from the crowd but Manners highlights ‘Sleepyhead’, ‘Little Secrets’ and ‘The Reeling’ did not disappoint.

The brilliantly stirring ‘Moth’s Wings’ lit up Garden Court to provide the moment of the

night and left one wondering why the far less inspiring ‘To Kingdom Come’ earned more radio airplay on its release. The uplifting, euphoric nature of Passion Pit’s performance left smiles printed on almost every sweaty face leaving the venue, and the Massachusetts five-piece can be very happy with their latest night’s work across the pond from their homeland.

A great-weekend provided by SUSU; reminding us that it’s worth checking the box office for events before heading off on the standard boozy night in Portswood...

4/5 Good: Uplifting, quirky, and very good fun.

Bad: The crowd were a little overthe-top at times.

The Flaming Lips GUILDHALL PORSTMOUTH

By Jazmin Sherman

An explosion of technicolor balloons flooded the auditorium as The Flaming Lips

took the stage in Portsmouth’s Guildhall. As the band assembled for the show front man

LIVE

Wayne Coyne yelled to the crowd “I want you to scream to the top of your abilities!” a command the crowd had no trouble following. Loud applause, encouraging shouts and screaming fans filled the room with energy that couldn’t be contained if you tried.

A video projection of a woman’s silhouette covered the screen and blinded the audience with trippy blue, yellow and orange colours. With what felt like an insane psychedelic jam session going on in front of my eyes, front man Wayne got into his signature human-sized plastic ball and threw himself into the sea of fans in front of him who passed him around the hall in excitement.

The scene was simply euphoric induced by a combination of spacey sound, lyrics and colour.

When Wayne made it back onto the stage, he stripped off the plastic ball and delved into a story about the second song on their set, entitled ‘The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song’.

“Now, we wrote this song back in 2004 when we were angry and annoyed at President Bush, and when we would sing it, we did it out of anger; now that he’s gone we want you to sing even louder, because joy should always be a lot louder than anger”.

With no more than a short breath it kicked

The Specials

off and a new sort of atmosphere had been created. In a very short time, the show had been transformed from just a concert to a celebration of all things good; good music, good people, and good ethos.

The elaborate stage was adorned with large hands on either side, 15 people dressed as furry animals, yellow balloons, and more confetti most stores own. As I watched the show in amazement, there was no doubt left in my mind about why The Flaming Lips had been dubbed one of the ’50 Bands to see before you die’. They created this infectious environment that was truly inimitable and justly distinctive of everything they as a band have worked to create over their career.

The show was fluid and organic, produced by a rare recipe of beautiful and loud songs that flowed into each other making it difficult to know exactly where one began and the other finished. The Flaming Lips achieved an exhilarating concert that oozed raw, authentic sound that captivated everyone in the building. It purely was an overindulgence of joyous sounds and visuals, but as Wayne said during the concert, “It’s always better to have too much than too little”.

4/5 Good: Wacky stage decoration, Coyne’s energy, a feast of lights and sounds!

Bad: Perhaps a little too bizarre?

By James Truman

Margate’s one of those towns that The Specials wrote their best songs about; its heyday is long gone, unemployment is rife and there’s a real drink and drugs problem.

Ordinarily this would be a bad thing, but not when you can identify with a band’s music like the crowd did that night.

I’d arrived early to stake out a good spot in which to skank (a style of dancing to those of you who aren’t ska fans) and the place quickly started to fill up with braces, Doc Martens and a lack of hair. Not long before nine the lights dimmed and the stage was graced with the presence of Pama International, the support band. Oddly for a support act though, the line-up included a member of the main act, Lynval Golding, The Specials’ rhythm guitarist. Their performance was one of the most innovative examples of reggae music I’ve heard, mainly traditional ska and reggae themes being led by a distinctly dub flavour, and it warmed the crowd up a treat.

I’ve never seen a crowd start stomping the floor after the support. Maybe people were just practising, but I doubt it.

Not long afterwards The Specials walked out and dove headlong into a series of classics including ‘Too Much Too Young’, ‘Nite Klub’, ‘Long Shot’ and ‘Gangsters and Guns

of Navarone’. The band clearly loving every minute, as were the crowd. It goes without saying that there was a definite energy in the room; virtually every member of the audience descended into a sweaty, ska-fuelled dancing frenzy. There was no resting on laurels from the band either, no long waxing poetic about the band’s history or the impact the music has had on their lives, they simply went from hit to hit, all with an enthusiasm that was infectious. All that is, except Terry Hall.

Terry, the lead singer, remaining relatively still and expressionless while the rest of the band larked around him. Initially this was intriguing - having not seen the band before I was open to anything. After a while though, rather than getting into the swing of things, Hall’s demeanour became more and more sour, his posture reminded me more of an anaesthetised ape than that of a frontman, and you just got the impression that he didn’t want to be there.

While this was merely an interesting annoyance, what got me was the encore. It begun with the trademark wailing sirens that form ‘Ghost Town’s’ introduction. It’s one of their most iconic tracks, if not the most iconic; it encapsulates the era and context in which

THE WINTER GARDENS MARGATE

and reasons why The Specials achieved everything was excellent. I’d spent a good fame and the adoration of the public. But, for £50 to travel home for the weekend and I’d some reason, they didn’t play it. Instead they sacrificed two days of essay-writing time, but rounded off with ‘Enjoy Yourself’, a decent even without the roast lunch I was treated to enough song, and for any other band a good the next day before boarding the train back finisher, but it just seemed cheesy and hack- to Southampton, I don’t regret a thing. neyed after what had already transpired that evening. The lights went up to reveal an air of stark disappointment in the crowd.

That said, a bad encore can rarely spoil a gig, and it certainly didn’t in this case. Up Good: All the hits Bad: Encore was a bit of a letdown. until that point the music, the atmosphere, you wanted to hear.

4/5

LIVE

Good Shoes

By James Miller

THE JOINERS SOUTHAMPTON

Gomez

By Kavina Upadhyay

Gomez chose our very own Garden Court to play in as part of their U.K. winter tour to promote their 2009 album A New Tide. Now frequent gig-goers will know that to set the tone, bands usually open with one of their bigger, louder, more famous songs. However, the five members strolled casually onstage, and - after finding their bearings - vocalist Tom Gray's voice tremored the opening lines of 'Tijuana Lady' ("Take me down to where you hide / Lay me down, lay me down inside") over a near-silent crowd. And suddenly, even-though they hadn't picked a well-known song, with the laid-back pub atmosphere of The Stag's Head filtering through as people walked in with half-dunk pints, everything fell into place. With the burnt-amber sunset of their album cover as their backdrop, the end result was almost magical.

The band played through a well-constructed set list of songs off A New Tide interspersed mainly with songs off their previous album, How We Operate, and their very first studio album, Bring It On - pleasing both their veteran and their new, self-proclaimed fans. Also, as someone who has frequented Garden Court for live gigs, I wasn't expecting the acoustics to be amazing seeing as the space only seems to work if you are a loud, deafening DJ or a lone, acoustic set,

but somehow they really made it work. This meant that even lesser known songs had the opportunity to be properly showcased and enjoyed by the quiet listeners in the crowd. However, you could tell that Gomez weren't feeling their very best as they were hesitant to make conversation with the audience. Fortunately the audience, made up largely of mid to late 20-year-olds (Gomez have been around for ten years, after all), remained extremely responsive and encouraging throughout. With everyone clapping along furiously to 'Girlshapedlovedrug' and belting out every word to 'Rhythm and Blues Alibi', the band warmed up visually to both the venue and the audience and even indulged in a conversation with the crowd before the encore.

All in all, Gomez are a pretty unique band to see live. Having three vocalists, the band really divides up the set list so each member is given a shared degree of importance. It is especially interesting to see how each vocalist changes the sound of the band - creating a range of genres they could be applicable to, from country to ambient to alternative rock, it's all there. My favourite vocalist is undoubtedly Tom Gray who could be comparable to the vocals of fellow english singer David Gray and lays claim to the majority of the more acoustic songs of Gomez.

I always think that bands that are worth commending are ones that add something

Considering the relatively small size of The Joiners, it was surprisingly full! In a bid to try and regain some publicity and hype ahead of their forthcoming album (scheduled for release in January 2010) Good Shoes have embarkied on a UK tour; of which Southampton was their second date.

The venue was full and the anticipation was relatively high, the audience a mix of big fans and people curious about a band that's remained rather quiet for a year now.

Good Shoes were billed to come on at 10pm. They didn't. Waiting in dimmed lights for 20 minutes the excitement of the crowd dwindled and dissipated, with an air of impatience growing, but thankfully at 10.25 the band made their entrance and burst straight into a performance of one of their latest songs 'Under Control'; the excitement of the crowd was recaptured.

The band were certainly excited and enthused to be performing - indeed front man Rhys Jones could hardly contain himself, missing lines of the song purely so he could jump around stage and into the crowd. At one rather hilarious point he had to be rescued mid-song by their tour manager after diving head first into the front row – the gig was definitely a spectacle to behold. Though it was at times aggravating and off-putting just how much Rhys Jones would bounce

around and stop singing just to jump into the crowd.

The set that the band played was fairly good, with a limited selection of songs to choose from due to their relative ‘new’ status in the public eye, they managed to play the more popular songs from their first album Think Before You Speak, and the crowd even participated with the two new songs that have recently appeared on the band's MySpace page, 'Under Control' and 'The Way My Heart Beats'. Their material isn't particularly diverse in sound, but in theme it has variety, and the set had a good pace and balance to it. Their choice of a finale was brilliant; they played 'Morden', an ode to their home town which truly is a great tune.

Overall the gig was a success, musically the band played well and their presence (aside from the aforementioned Rhys 'bouncy' Jones) was good. The late start and a perhaps forgivably limited selection of songs were the only real downers on the night, but a good night nonetheless. Let's see what their next album brings to the table shall we?

3/5 Good: A highly anticipated tour that didn’t disappoint.

Bad: Song selection, and lack of stage etiquette.

THE GARDEN COURT SOUTHAMPTON

to their character in their gigs and are actually better live than when listened to on their recordings, and these are aspects where Gomez do not fail to deliver. They have such a range of songs so I would suggest that even if you've heard a song off their album and decided you don't like it, give the other ones a listen and chances are you'll find one you like.

4/5 Good: Fantastic and unique performance.

Bad: A bit of a shaky start...

LIVE

Bloc Party White Lies LIVE journey to Plymouth to sample BLOCTOBER - Catriona Smith was there...

It isn’t often, or even ever, that I travel 150 miles to see a band, but it was definitely a decision well made. Pumping out virtually every Bloc Party tune ever recorded on the car journey, we arrived in Plymouth just in time for their Friday night performance.

‘Bloctober’, the title of Bloc Party’s current tour, predominantly showcased tracks off their latest album Intimacy. However the band did, of course, also provide many classic tracks from their earlier albums which were such great hits it would almost be rude not to.

The band appeared on stage to an already excited crowd after hearing the support act; indie rock band Grammatics. Bloc Party’s front man, Kele Okereke was sporting a new image, with a newly shaved head and a body fresh out of the gym.

Throughout their set they played a range of material, offering an up-tempo track to dance to with their latest single ‘One More Chance’. The beginning piano riff swifly gave way to the classic electronic groove from the Bloc Party we know and love. Another memorable track they performed was ‘Blue light’, a song said to be about platonic love from their first album, Silent Alarm . It was refreshing to say the least, as it is rarely played live,

though a firm fan favourite.

The venue was, in some ways, lacking the ‘intimacy’ which a smaller venue may have provided. It is always harder for the crowd to feel as involved with the atmosphere of a larger space. That said, the music was definitely up to Bloc Party’s usual tight performing and they definitely gave the crowd what they wanted to hear - not a shred of energy was spared from neither band nor audience; the hoards of sweaty people emerging from the mosh-pit hours later as the gig drew to a close was a case in point.

The fantastic set ended with ‘Helicopter’, one of Bloc Party’s earlier tracks from their debut album. This was a fresh end to the show as ‘Flux’, the track which marked another change of direction for Bloc Party had been a popular climax to their previous gigs.

Having seen Bloc Party last year at Reading Festival it was exciting to see them perform at their own gig where the atmosphere is very different. They had such energy and originality that I can safely say it was worth the long trip from Southampton to Plymouth via car, train, and foot to see one of the best bands of the moment, and I hope that they continue to experiment with new directions and progress as a band.

GUILDHALL PORTSMOUTH

By Hayley Taulbut

4/5 Good: Refreshing and varied set, with energy and enthusiasm.

THE PAVILLION PLYMOUTH

Bad: Would have been better at a smaller venue.

successes ‘Fairwell to the Fairground’ and ‘Death’, but ‘The Price of Love’, the ballad of a man whose love is held for an unpayable ransom, really stuck out for me. The bass drum pounded throughout the heartbreaking tale, and the lights illuminated the entire Guildhall, all held in complete awe of McVeigh and his unspeakable vigour and exhiliration, through a story that could have been written from first-hand experience.

Yet, depite it’s macabre subject matter, it was still executed at an increased pace that gave the track an increased sense of urgency.

This was more than a live show - it was an experience. Throughout the entirity, I experienced an intense emotional experience, each song getting right to the core of my being with it's beauty and intensity, but without being able to say exactly why. What is certain, I haven't felt like that at a live performance in a very long time, and nor am I likely to. Do not miss White Lies when they next perform!

Having come fresh from a summer crammed with festival appearances and praises sung, White Lies embarked on their Winter UK tour with a reputation to keep.

Commended for their sublime performances that enchant and mystify, yet are somehow uplifting at the same time, the Ealing based threesome came to Porstmouth with a plethora of fans, and a point to prove - that White Lies are here to stay.

It was a fantastic show. Though their music is not the kind to jump around to, the audience were thoroughly engaged by what proved to be an epic performance. All three performers dressed in black on a backing of blinding white light meant that the visuals alone were stunning. And the music - completely and throughly encapsulating. The vocal talents of Harry McVeigh soared over the rippling guitars and driving drum beats, rising through his epic vocal scale with passion and ease. Although melancholy and provoking by nature, White Lies drove through their set at the speed of light, each track having an edge to it only possible from the best of live acts. They increased the Good: A set filled speed of almost all their set, which some- with emotion, and how stayed true to their enchanting nature, musical brilliance! but enhancing the performance by miles.

Personal favourites were of course chart

5/5 Bad: Not a thing!

FEATURES

THE EDGE proudly presents the cream of 2009’s exceptional musical crop as voted for by you, the EDGE reader.

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR: 2009 NUMBER 4: It’s Not Me it’s You

Lily Allen

NUMBER 2: The Resistance

By Robert McGough

What else could you expect from the most over-the-top band in the world right now? A symphony spanning three tracks (‘Exogenesis’) and a French opera (‘I Belong to You’).

Even if this isn’t your thing, I’m convinced the beautiful ‘Resistance’ and epic Queenesque ‘United States of Eurasia’ are well among the band’s best.

Recently confirmed as one of the headline slots at Glastonbury 2010 (the motherfestival’s 40th anniversary), Muse have created a reputation for themselves as one of the world’s best live acts. The Resistance builds on the band’s emphasis on huge live gigs, in a similar fashion to Glastonbury co-players U2.

With an increasingly large and dedicated following, Muse’s latest installment justifies the hype.

Muse

NUMBER 5: Merriweather Post-Pavillion Animal Collective

By Hayley Taulbut

By Richard Yates Animal Collective are precisely the kind of band that NME should be sticking on its front cover – cool, adventurous and talented.

Until they don leather jackets and play bad Libertines rip-offs, however, this is unlikely to happen, but despite no mainstream exposure their profile is rising in Great Britain, and about time.

An anthem for the teenage, pseudopolitical, sexually underappreciated if ever there was one. It’s Not Me, It’s You sums up Allen’s message that finds it way through cheeky lyrics and mockney vocals: to honestly and truly take pride in yourself, and shift the blame onto someone else. Hit single ‘The Fear’ is lyrical genius, whilst 2009 would not have been the same without anti-BNP tune ‘F*** u’ gracing the summer’s festivals. A mature second album from Ms Allen.

NUMBER 1 (Self-Titled) The XX

NUMBER 3: Sigh No More Mumford & Sons

Editor Suggests

Best Album: 2009 Lungs

Florence and The Machine For me, no other album released in 2009 had the depth, power or hit-value as this debut from the queen of indie-rock.

Currently on its 5th (2nd top-ten) single with ‘You’ve Got The Love’, Florence Welch and co.’s album has been in the UK top 40 for 27 consecutive weeks.

Although the whole album is of an exceptional standard, ‘Dog Days Are Over’ is agreed by many to have been the best single of last year.

Having secured her place in the heart of fesitval goers in the Summer of ‘09, Florence looks set to be a leading light in UK music for a long time to come.

By Dan Morgan Unknown until the end of ‘09, Mumford & Sons breakthrough was surely one of the most impressive of the year.

The English four-piece mix folk, country and acoustic with a healthy dose of indie to create a more mainstream sound than the similar Fleet Foxes did in 2008.

Both powerful and engrossing, tracks like ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ and ‘Awake My Soul’ prove that there is far more to this album than the singles alone.

By Dan Morgan Tipped by NME to be one of the biggest acts of 2010, The XX’s album is a very difficult one to sum up, as there are no bands that sound similar to the South London three-piece synth-rock band.

Tenuously comparable to a quiet, unsure and yet more immersive version of The

Killers, this band could actually be defined by the almost complete lack of influence detectable in their debut work.

Singles ‘Crystalised’, ‘Basic Space’ and ‘Islands’ offer a stark contrast between the near-brilliance of this fledgling sound, and the inevitable disappointment when The XX fail to live up to the promise of this album.

FEATURES In Defence Of Lady Gaga

By Jazmin Sherman I’ve heard it all, from crude remarks to outright untrue statements. She doesn’t wear trousers, she’s strange, she’s a bisexual, and some even claim that she’s actually a man. Comment after critical comment, words fly and discussions are sparked when her name is mentioned. She is a publicity storm; every time she steps into the public arena cameras flash and people talk.

Lady Gaga is controversial. She challenges the media; she challenges

fashion and she challenges ‘pop star’ stereotypes whilst being the best one out there.

However, underneath this wild persona there is an artist burning at the heels with talent.

Lady Gaga learned how to play piano by ear at age 4, wrote her first piano ballad at 13 and by 14 she was playing open mic nights in the city where it all began, New York. After attending a private Catholic school in Manhattan, she became one of only 20 students in the world to get early admission to the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Here, her talent was understood far before the public

could have a glimpse. However, her time at NYU was cut short as she decided to launch herself into a music career, a move which although at the time was risky, proved successful.

Her fame is not solely because of her wacky outfits and crazy antics, although those are factors which contribute to her success and have made her notable in a sea of blonde pop tarts. At the end of the day, she is famous because she is a great artist brimming with talent. Her voice is strong and smooth; it packs a force

fTASTER TRACKS: Bad Romance - The Fame Monster Brown Eyes - The Fame

and yields any audience. It is unfortunate however, that this voice is packaged in a pop album, which I feel hides her true vocal talent.

Lady Gaga’s debut album, The Fame, which sold 4 million copies worldwide features the hit singles, ‘Just Dance’, ‘Poker face’, ‘Lovegame’ and ‘Paparazzi’. Her album received both critical and commercial success had over 20 million digital downloads. Although The Fame is a fantastic pop album, and now has three Grammy nominations behind it, ‘Song of the Year’, ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Best Dance Recording of the Year’, I believe it puts her, and particularly her voice, in a box when all it wants to do is jump out. Her talent is best exuded during her live or acoustic performances. For proof look no further than her Live Lounge version of ‘Poker Face’. On Live Lounge’s 4th Volume, her acoustic version of ‘Poker Face’ is stunning, chilling and infectious. With only her piano and voice to rely on, her powerful voice fills the track and is incredibly dramatic. Whether you love her or loathe her, the excellence of this song is undeniable.

“I almost want to trick people into hanging with something that is really cool with a pop song. It’s almost like the spoonful of sugar and I’m the medicine”, says Lady Gaga… and the public continues to swallow it down.

When you get past her crazy fashion, odd look and commercial pop music, you are left with a tremendous artist. So, say what you like, knock her appearance and ridicule her bizarre antics. I will not contest. Her talent however cannot be ignored.

INTERVIEW

“Josh and Matt are the ones that usually leave disgusting things in the other bands rooms.”

BROADWAY CALLS

By Jonathan Seal THE EDGE caught up with the US punk-rockers after their Wedgewood Rooms gig.

For those who haven’t heard of Broadway Calls, how would you describe your sound? And what musical influences have you drawn on?

We’re a pop punk band. For now at least.

Maybe we’ll pull a Brand New with the next record. Ha. Just kidding. We like bands like Green Day, Dead to Me, Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms....etc.

How did the band start up?

Josh and I were in a hardcore band called Countdown To Life, and we basically just wanted to keep touring when CTL couldn’t.

I also wanted to start a three piece pop punk band, because that’s what a majority of my favorite bands are. That’s my favorite kind of music. We were originally going to be more of a Ramones based band, but we let a few more influences bleed in there as well.

Looking forward to your upcoming European Tour with Set Your Goals and Fireworks, how well do you get on with those guys?

It’s funny, because we’ve been friends with all of those guys for a couple years now and we’ve never toured together, so this

should be a really fun couple of weeks.

Who’s the joker of the pack? Will you be expecting them to be pulling any pranks while on the road?!

Josh and Matt are the ones that usually leave disgusting things in the other bands’ rooms, or do other things that fall into the ‘only funny to us’ category. I have no idea what to expect. We’re totally outnumbered by both of the other bands, so we may have to behave.

Favourite album of 2009?

The Menzingers newest EP is my favorite release. I also love the new American Steel and Dave Bazan records.

Now let’s go from the sublime to the ridiculous. Any guilty pleasures that have found their way onto your ipods? Now is the time to name and shame!

I have both Cobra Starship, and Cobra Skulls on my iPod. No guilt though!!!!!

How has the reception been to your new release, Good Views, Bad News?

More importantly, is it a record that you guys are happy with?

Yes we are extremely happy with it!! So many people helped us get this record out, and the songwriting process was kind of grueling, but it was really fun to record and finally release. Actually all the fun is happening now that we get to tour on it.

It’s time to change your Students’ Union.

Nominations open 25th January Find out more: elections.susu.org

Taking you further.

UG2PG Study Opportunities Fair Wednesday 17 February 2010 | 12:00noon – 2:00pm University of Southampton, Garden Court, Highfield Campus Are YOU:

− A current undergraduate? − Or a holder of an undergraduate degree? − Looking to extend your study or expand your career horizons?

Then the University of Southampton has a postgraduate programme to suit you!

The UG2PG event is an excellent opportunity to find out more about the wide range of taught and research postgraduate programmes that are on offer.

For further details including a list of exhibitors, visit: www.southampton.ac.uk/postgraduate/fairs

FILM

By Stephen O’Shea So now that 2009 and the noughties are well and truly behind us it is time to look forward to 2010 and some of the spectacular films that are heading for the cinemas.

First and foremost Oscar and award season is upon us and its time to look at some of the films that are still to come out which could be possible contenders. Undoubtedly first on the list has to be George Clooney’s Up in the Air which will undoubtedly get a few Oscar nods, most likely for Mr. Clooney himself. It looks to be a great film with a fantastic cast and definitely worth a trip to the cinema, even through the snow and ice. Another Oscar regular is Mr. Peter Jackson himself, and the master of middle earth once again has a film clambering for Oscar glory in The Lovely Bones. A story of a girl who is murdered and has to watch from a kind of heaven as her father tries to solve the mystery and the rest of the family struggle to cope with the loss. The story and cast look amazing but the scenery and visual effects look even better. I have no doubt that the trailer is only a tiny amount of what is to come but it is definitely worth a look and so will the film itself when its released on the 29th of January. Also definitely keep a look out for the Clint Eastwood’s Nelson Mandela biopic, Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, due to be released in February along with the unlikely contender Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges.

It also appears to be a year for sequels and remakes in Hollywood, as Disney and Dreamworks go head to head with Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4 respectively. Both films will be in 3D and although it isn’t really for me to say, having seen only a teaser trailer of each, it would appear to me that Donkey and Fiona are making one last stab at the box office with a dying franchise and Woody and Buzz are revitalising a sleeping giant. They should both make for interesting watches, but personally I can’t wait to see the third instalment of the Pixar flag carriers.

2010: The Year Ahead From the cartoon world to the real the battles continue, and now we come to the battle of the sexes with Sex and the City 2 and Iron Man 2 both competing across April and May. The Sarah Jessica Parker franchise would appear to be dwindling but Robert Downey Jr appears to be able to do no wrong and his star would appear to be growing ever brighter carrying not only a huge comic book hero on his back but also an English national treasure in the Arthur Conan Doyle creation.

Later in the year we have the third instalment of the Twilight franchise with Eclipse, so once again it will be time for Robert Pattinson to appear on every screen around the country and again try to smash every box office opening weekend record. The directorial legend Oliver Stone then gets behind the camera once more to bring us the sequel to his Oscar winning film Wall Street. Michael Douglas returns with him to reprise his role as Gordon Gekko, in April, alongside relative newbies, Shia LaBeouf and British rising star Carey Mulligan. Also make sure that you catch both reinventions of classic films, The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden ‘Will’s son’ Smith, and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland with an absolutely incredible cast to numerous and famous to name, lets just say it features some Burton favourites.

Now a roundup of my choices of the year that are definitely not to be missed. We begin with the British connection and the recreation of a British legend in Ridley Alien Scott’s Robin Hood which stars Russell Crowe as the Prince of Thieves and looks simply epic.

Next in the line of must see films with legendary directors and actors coming out this year we have Shutter Island, the Martin Scorcese mystery thriller with Leonardo DiCaprio. But this isn’t the only DiCaprio film that

we are graced with this year, as in the summer Christopher Nolan’s Inception hits our screens. Knowing almost nothing about this film I can still safely say that The Dark Knight director’s latest outing will be one of the best films this year and this reporters must see of the entire year.

Finally a quick round up of some other films which could be worth a trip to the cinema but don’t really fit into any of my nice categories or deserve a paragraph of their own. Youth in Revolt, Michael Cera playing…well Michael Cera and some other guy.

Green Zone, think Bourne in Iraq. Salt, think

Bourne as a woman. Wolfman, definitely don’t think Bourne, think instead Benicio Del Torro as a big hairy monster and an appearance from Wales’ favourite Sir Anthony Hopkins. Edge of Darkness, Mel Gibson is back…with a vengeance. Sam Worthington returns in yet another action role with Clash of the Titans. Finally I love you Phillip Morris, Carrey, Ewan, Gay…could be good.

Anyway, 2010 seems to be opening with a bang that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and doesn’t let go, except for a few Knight and Days. Enjoy.

2009: A Year in Review

By Adam Vaughan What follows requires an active memory, a love of nostalgia, and (most importantly) a strong nerve. The last year of the ‘noughties’ in film featured everything from our favourite wizard, Brad Pitt with a curious case of the wrinklies, an Austrian fashionista, Hanks and the Haydron collider, to a Slumdog, multiple swooning to a certain Vampire, an Andrex ad, and Autobots and Decepticons…again.

Oh, and the end of the world. Its been eclectic. So, if last year passed you by in a blur of revision, exams, late night cramming sessions at the library and hangovers, let this review of the last twelve months in film help clear things up.

JANUARY In the words of a very wise Nun, “we’ll start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start“. January saw the release of the big contenders for the Oscars acting categories. Kate Winslet shone in an otherwise mediocre The Reader, and Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn, and Frank Langella battled it out for best actor as a down ‘n’ out wrestler, a gay rights activist and Richard Nixon respectively. Penn went on to win the gong, but Langella’s towering and growling perform-

ance as the infamous ex-Prez should have.

FEBRUARY Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, a vivacious and pulsing fable of life in the slums of Mumbai, won big at the 2009 Academy Awards. Not all nominees were so successful however. The curious case of a film about Benjamin Button was that it was nominated for so many in the first place.

MARCH The long awaited adaptation of graphic novel Watchmen lurched into cinemas this month. What resulted was a mish-mash of occasionally arresting images with a lack of substance that made it almost inaccessible to those of us unfamiliar with the original source. Mind you, Marley & Me’s dose of yucky puppy sentimentality was no better.

APRIL X-Men Origins: Wolverine kicked off this year’s Summer blockbuster season. But a whole host of bland secondary superhero types (including a bloke who throws a deck of cards at people), and an un-involving origins story meant that the film really was a case of all growl with no bite. Werner Herzog’s look at the strange nature and inhabitants of Antarctica in Encounters at the End of the World was far more entertaining. He assured us that it wasn’t just another documentary about “fluffy penguins”. It wasn’t, it was so much more.

MAY Star Trek and Angels & Demons were the box-office success stories of this month. JJ Abrams successfully re-invigorated the science-fiction franchise, and with the Haydron collider, anti-matter planted under the Vatican, some death-defying parachuting, and Tom Hanks with even sillier hair, Dan Brown proved that ludicrous plotting could rake in the millions. Meanwhile, Michael Haneke’s magnificently tense The White Ribbon seized the Palm d’Or at Cannes.

JUNE Christian Bale’s shouty outburst on the set of Terminator Salvation conveniently mirrored the film, Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was an effects overladen exercise in mind-numbing tedium, but Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, a deeply affecting and often stirring film following a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, was one of the best of the year.

JULY Sacha Baron Cohen returned as Austrian fashionista, Bruno. Yes, it’s basically the same film as Borat (foreigner goes to America, loses his only friend, highlights U.S prejudices in the process), but it’s cruder, ruder, sillier, and Harrison Ford has never been funnier. Everyone went potty for Potter again. Themes got darker, teen angst abounded, yet The Half Blood Prince may just be the funniest Potter yet. But Sam Rockwell’s turn in Moon, a tale of loneliness in space was the standout of the month.

AUGUST Eccentric re-hash artist, Quentin Tarantino returned with Inglourious Basterds, a historically inaccurate romp across Nazioccupied France following a group of Nazi hunters led by Brad Pitt. Despite a marvellously malevolent turn by Christoph Waltz

and some well executed set pieces, it never really amounted to a satisfying whole. That didn’t stop it scalping all the competition at the box-office though.

SEPTEMBER The Peter Jackson produced District 9 demonstrated that there was a market for science-fiction, South African-set allegories of Apartheid. Who knew?

OCTOBER This month saw some very funny zombies in Zombieland, the compulsory Saw sequel, Heath Ledger’s last screen performance in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus and Pixar’s latest rise up, up and away in the box-office charts.

NOVEMBER Michael Stipe once told us that it was the end of the world as we knew it, but that he felt fine. He should have seen the apocalyptically terrible 2012 then, and I bet he would have taken that back. Bella and Edward weren’t feeling so fine either in New Moon as they parted ways, momentarily. And the

FILM

couple in Paranormal Activity weren’t faring much better as they battled a nasty lil’ demon in their home. The massive box-office takings of both should ease their pain.

DECEMBER Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law starred in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, a film that must have sent fans of Conan Doyle’s original books into a state of catatonia. There were also some oversized smurfs in space in James Cameron’s Avatar, but you’ve heard enough about that.

FILM OF THE YEAR: Let the Right One in Often described as a Swedish vampire movie, Tomas Alfredson’s film utterly impresses because it is so much more than just that. It’s a horror movie and a comingof-age fable with wonderfully understated performances from its young leads, beautiful cinematography and an eerie and uplifting score by Johan Soderqvist. Atmospheric and sublime, you have to see this.

I could go on, but I have essays to write…

FILM Avatar Director: James Cameron

only continue to conquer Hollywood. But he didn’t. He disappeared from directing any kind of feature film for thirteen years but now he is back and he’s come with a mission.

With films like Terminator 2 and The Abyss Cameron really strived to push computer generated technology in film forward and with Avatar he has attempted to do this once again. So desperate was Cameron to see his dream achieved it has been speculated that he has funded millions of his own personal wealth into 3D and CG technology. With Avatar Cameron wanted to create an entirely

film has to be seen in 3D to truly appreciate how spectacular its imagery actually is.

The 3D is used lightly and delicately so that it doesn’t overpower the senses but yet appears to give the film an entirely new depth and beauty. Simply mesmerising.

With the stunning visuals it would be hard to forget that Avatar is a film and it does have a story to tell. However this is where the film stumbles. The writing is obvious and often corny with very poor dialogue at points which seems to have been lifted from an old B-movie sci-fi flick. This is upsetting because

the emotion that she displays that truly wins her the audiences’ affections. You truly connect with her and feel everything that she feels. She is what gives the Na’vi their humanity and she is the reason why we care for them when we watch this film.

The writing and acting is not the only flaw with this film. It has a huge anti-capitalist and pro-environmentalist film which you can accept to begin with but which eventually begins to wear very thin indeed. We get it Cameron, don’t destroy the rainforest! However these relatively small flaws should not be

fictional and computer generated world that was inhabited by fascinating creatures and humans alike. He wanted to progress CG beings so much so that they would have every characteristic of the human face and he wanted to do all this in a mind blowing three dimensional film. It is with great relief that I can say that James Cameron has succeeded and that he has pushed the yard stick, against which all future science fiction and technology based films will be compared with, a great many miles forward. The visuals in this film are truly and spectacularly breathtaking. The whole of Pandora from the floating mountains to the fluorescent jungle is amazing, and every creature within it is fascinating and believable. The true brilliance though, is how the human beings are incorporated into this world so seamlessly.

This film truly is the bridge between real life and that created by computers. The Na’vi are also incredible and as real on the screen as the humans opposite them. This was something that had to happen, for if the Na’vi had been mere computer images it would have been impossible for the audience to connect emotionally to them, but as it is we feel what they feel and truly want them to succeed. It would also be my recommendation that this

it distracts from the film and is a constant annoyance. Not only is the dialogue poor but those espousing it are often just as feeble.

Sam Worthington as our lead, Jake Sully, is little more than capable in this role his accent seems to fluctuate between American and Australian and his entire character is extremely hard to connect with or even care about, especially when in human form. Sigourney Weaver, a James Cameron favourite, is poor by her own high standards and is, quite ironically, extremely two dimensional in a 3D film. Some relief to this substandard acting is provided by both Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi who execute their own roles effectively and believably. Rodriguez is brilliant as the army pilot with a conscience and Ribisi is even better as the mining companies’ leading man on Pandora, who although to begin with seems like a corporate fat cat eventually begins to come to terms with the destruction that he is causing. However, in this film there is only one true acting star that shines and it isn’t even a human one. Zoe Star Trek Saldana is phenomenal as Neytiri, one of the Na’vi and Jake Sully’s guide to their ways and to Pandora. You are instantly gripped every time she speaks and fascinated by what she has to say. But it is

misunderstood as detrimentally damaging to the film. The action and emotional scenes are all brilliantly spectacular and incredible with some especially breathtaking aerial battle moments. And every single milisecond of this film is spotless and stunning.

This is a must see film for the great strides made in visual effects alone. If you happen to enjoy the actually rather thrilling story being told on screen as I did and don’t worry about the fact that sometimes the natives arrows pierce the human’s planes and sometimes don’t, you might even feel that the rather large price you paid for your ticket was entirely worth it.

Starring: Sam Worthington Sigourney Weaver Zoe Saldana Giovanni Ribisi Michelle Rodriguez

Release Date: 17th December 2009

Tagline: Enter the world Runtime: 162 mins Rating: 12A

By Stephen O’Shea How do you start a review about the most expensive movie ever made and easily the most talked about and anticipated one of the year? Avatar had, arguably, more press coverage and media attention than any other film in history, but the real question is whether this huge multi-million dollar colossus matched expectations or simply fell flat on its big blue face?

For all those who have, for whatever reason, been oblivious to film for the last six months a brief synopsis is in order. Avatar is a science fiction action film based on the idea that human beings have explored beyond our own solar system and in doing so have discovered a planet known as Polyphemus.

On one of the moons of Polyphemus, Pandora, it has been discovered that there exists an extremely rare raw material that is essential to energy production on earth and so we have begun to mine it. However, Pandora hosts an eco system much like the rainforests of earth and so contain a huge variety of animals, one of which is a humanoid creature known as the Na’vi. Coincidentally the Na’vi also reside upon the richest area of this resource and so instantly poised at logger heads with the humans who have invaded their world. To try and peacefully move these natives out of their habitat the humans have developed a way to transfer human consciousness into a Na’vi body known as an Avatar. Cue the hero of our story, Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-marine who must step into his recently deceased brother’s shoes and take control of an Avatar body. Jake soon finds himself becoming closer with the Na’vi though, and losing sight of his original goals.

And so the battle for Pandora unfolds.

With a review about Avatar there is only one place to begin and that is with its director, a small time humble genius known as James Cameron. It was over a decade ago that Mr Cameron stood on the prestigious stage in LA holding his Oscar and proclaiming that he was the king of the world. Titanic had been the success that no one thought possible and it seemed that Cameron would

4/5 Good: Absolutely stunning visuals.

Bad: An obvious plot and quite poor dialogue.

FILM

Sherlock Holmes

4/5

Director: Guy Ritchie Starring: Robert Downey Jr Jude Law Rachel McAdams Mark Strong Release Date: 26th December 2009

Tagline: Nothing escapes him Runtime: 128 mins Rating: 12A

By Amy Steadman

A rejuvenated Sherlock Holmes returned to the big screen in December 2009, courtesy of director Guy Ritchie. Whilst many ‘hard-core’ fans of the tales of the private detective huffed and puffed at the very idea of the Ritchie-Downey Jnr combination, I on the other hand rushed to the cinema and was delighted at the fresh reinvention of this old and dusty cinematic relic. And in answer to those ‘hard-core-Holmes-fans’: Yes! Your British icon has been subjected to a certain amount of Hollywood magic dust, but the result is a witty, charming and thoroughly entertaining film.

It’s London in the 1890s and a series of ritual murders by Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) and his secret society has caught the attention of private detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner John Watson (Jude Law). In an attempt to foil Blackwood’s plan to take over England, Holmes and Watson run into the traditional

Good: A superb piece of casting witrh Downey Jr.

Bad: Not enough Rachel McAdams.

scuffles they seem inherently predisposed to. Such ‘scuffles’ are subjected to Ritchie’s gritty edge; one slow-motion fight scene in particular is incredibly familiar (replace the banjo with The Stranglers Golden Brown and you’ve basically got Snatch). However, this style works perfectly, and, infused with a rough raucous energy, the film feels more faithful to the Arthur Conan Doyle tales than some of the more cerebral and dry adaptations we have seen previously.

This Ritchie’esque asperity in the film is perfectly balanced by Downey Jr’s charm and wit. This is a superb piece of casting.

Downey Jr injects the character with a modern edge, whilst still pertaining to most of his original qualities. His portrayal of Holmes thus encapsulates a brilliant concoction of edginess, intellectuality and sardonic humour. Law too puts in a fantastic performance; a real punch back to all those tabloids that have slated his abilities. He is enthralling in his own right, but also provides an excellent straight-man and plain speaker to Holmes’s eccentricities. The relationship between the two is marvellous. They fight and bicker like an old-married couple. Downey Jr. and Law provide an electric on-screen chemistry, which has been missing from many recent family blockbusters.

My only criticism lies with the editing down of Rachel McAdams’s character Irene Adler.

McAdams is wonderfully alluring in her portrayal of both Adler’s duplicity and charm.

It is such a shame that we are not shown more of her mysterious previous relationship with Holmes, as it could have provided more of the sexual intrigue that is so brilliant, but

merely hinted at in the film.

Despite this minor flaw, Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes is charming, stylish, witty and really quite… Elementary.

FILM The Road Director: John Hillcoat Starring: Viggo Mortensen Charlize Theron Robert Duvall Guy Pearce Release Date: 8th January 2010 Tagline: In a moment the world changed forever

Runtime: 111 mins Rating: 18

By Bill Sich As we’ve learned from The Day After Tomorrow or 2012, there’s nothing quite like an apocalypse to bring a family together. If you’re estranged from your children, all you need is a worldwide cataclysm to bring you back together again. Sure, most of the world has died a horrible death, but who cares when the cute kids and the dog are safe, right? It all makes for a happy ending eventually!

Thankfully, this sickening formula has been trampled on and left for dead by John

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg Richard Kind Release Date: 20th November 2009 Runtime: 105 mins Rating: 18

By Richard Yates Winning an Oscar for Best Director can do strange things to people. When Michael Cimino won the directorial gong in 1978 for The Deer Hunter, he followed it up with something so extraordinarily awful (Heaven’s Gate) that it bankrupted a major studio and left his reputation in tatters. Mel Gibson reacted to Braveheart’s triumph by going slightly batty and waiting nine years to release 2-hour footage of Jim Caviezel getting flogged up a mountain (The Passion of the Christ).

Joel and Ethan Coen suffered a mini-crisis of their own with their follow-up to the Oscar-laden No Country For Old Men, 2008’s screwball comedy Burn After Reading. Unlike Cimino, it was an unqualified success at the box office, and, unlike Gibson, it didn’t

Hillcoat’s The Road, adapted from Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. In this incredibly bleak and depressing film, we are shown an America that has been virtually wiped out by an unspecified disaster. A layer of thick ash constantly shrouds the sun, the country is in a permanent state of harsh winter, and any wildlife is long gone. Oh, and the few humans that are still alive have resorted to cannibalism, preying on anyone and anything they find. Amongst all this devastation are a man and his son (Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee), desperately trekking across America to reach the coast in the hope of finding a habitable place to live, all the while trying to avoid falling victim to their surroundings.

One of the definitive aspects of McCarthy’s novel was the scope of the disaster and how America has been turned into a scorched, lifeless wasteland. Whilst I had some trepidation about how this would look in the film (mostly from the horribly inaccurate trailer), I can say with confidence that Hillcoat and the visual effects team have

pulled it off. Almost the whole film is set outside and the landscape, ranging from ruined cities to burned woodland and fields, looks terrific and really adds to the desolate, hopeless feel of the film.

Aside from some enthralling cameos from the likes of Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and The Wire’s Michael K. Williams, the entire film is carried tremendously by a perfectlycast Mortensen and Smit-McPhee, whose incredible performance as a boy who manages to maintain his childhood innocence despite his harsh surroundings was enough to make me a believer in the forthcoming US remake of last year’s masterful Swedish film Let The Right One In, which he will star in. The relationship between father and son is the basis of the entire narrative and Mortensen and Smit-McPhee play off each other wonderfully, perfectly capturing the spirit of their counterparts from the excellent novel.

If there are any criticisms to be made, they are minor. The voiceover narration from Mortensen feels a touch unnecessary and sentimental, and often times the visual aes-

A Serious Man make viewers want to throw up. But for a filmmaking duo with such impeccably high standards as the Coens, Burn After Reading was a sure-fire disappointment. Devoid of the glorious dark humour of their previous work, it tried too hard to be funny and was over-reliant on the goofiness and star power of Brad Pitt and George Clooney to carry the throwaway plot. For long time Coen fans it was nothing new, and seemed just an excuse for Joel and Ethan to get together with their showbiz mates and have a post-Oscar knees-up at the audience’s expense.

Thankfully, the Coens’ latest offering, A Serious Man, is a swift return to old form. Filled with an unrecognisable cast and based on the drab 1960s Minneapolis neighbourhood where the Coens grew up, it tells the story of a meek Jewish man named Larry Gopnik (played brilliantly by film novice Michael Stuhlbarg) who suffers “This is what distinguishes the Coens from many of their fellow filmmakers: not everything has to be resolved. Life is complex and frustrating – accept it.”

“There’s nothing funnier than ‘Jewish comedy’ at its most scathing.”

a midlife crisis when his wife (Sari Lennick) demands a divorce out of nowhere. His shock is multiplied when she tells him that their condescending acquaintance, Sy Ableman, is moving in instead, with marriage on the cards. Gopnik is courteously booted out to the Jolly Roger motel with his pathetic brother Arthur in tow, who until now has been sleeping on their sofa.

There’s nothing funnier than ‘Jewish comedy’ at its most scathing – Mel Brooks, Larry David et al – but this film ratchets up the Jew-ometer to bursting point. It’s possibly the most Jewish film ever made, and unless you’re familiar with the orthodox practices of the religion itself (which, sadly, I am not) then some of the best jokes might even pass you by. But first and foremost, the Coens understand how to tell a human story, with all of the darkly funny aspects to the bitterness and ineptitude of a man who just can’t

thetic of the dark, ashy world is taken to an extreme level, sometimes making it difficult to see what is happening onscreen. If you’ve read the book you might be either pleased or dismayed to hear that one of the most iconic and horrifying images in the story (involving a baby) has been omitted. Personally, I wasn’t bothered – the film is bleak enough as it is – but the absence of one of the most powerful aspects of the book might bother some. However, this is just nitpicking – the film is truly a riveting watch. Yes, it’s depressing, but it’s also one of the most human and powerful depictions of the end of the world that I’ve ever seen. And if there’s any justice in this world, one that might just clinch Mortensen his long overdue Oscar.

5/5 Good: Brilliant performances.

Bad: Unnecessary narration.

get his life together. In this sense, Gopnik is Judaism’s answer to Jerry Lundegaard, the hapless car salesman from the Coens’ 1996 masterpiece Fargo, and that’s not where the similarities to their previous films end either.

The Coens have always known how to extract humour from the mundane, and the finest moments of A Serious Man come when Gopnik has to deal with the interminably orthodox elements of the Jewish rabbinate. In a desperate bid for clarity and assurance, he approaches three Rabbis, each more senior and mystifying than the last. Gopnik wants what all of us really want – answers – yet he receives none. This is what distinguishes the Coens from many of their fellow filmmakers: not everything has to be resolved. Life is complex and frustrating – accept it. The whole film is a series of threads that never quite conclude, pulled off in the dry, distinctive style that has made Joel and Ethan Oscar-winning material.

4/5 Good: The cast.

Bad: The Jewish jokes may pass you by.

More like this?

Try Fargo

GAMES Modern Warfare 2 360/PS3/PC

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a game that requires little introduction, but for the sake of your Grandma we’ll give it one. A First Person Shooter sequel to one of the most praised and popular games of recent years, lauded for ‘redefining the genre’ with an engaging story and endlessly replayable multiplayer. The question on a lot of people’s minds, however, was whether it would live up to the original, and whether there was enough new content to justify it.

The gameplay remains largely the same as the previous outing. Aim, shoot, throw grenade, melee, etc, your standard FPS affair. New weapons and gadgets of course, like a heartbeat sensor and bullet proof police riot shield. The ‘snap-to’ auto aim assist is still in place for the single player, but otherwise there isn’t much to make it stand out in that respect.

Any qualms with the somewhat stale control scheme are quickly forgotten when delving into the actual game. On offer is a single player campaign, a co-op mode with various themed missions for two people, and the returning multiplayer mode with new maps, tweaks, and options.

The campaign is an astounding experience, expertly changing the pace of the story and gameplay in such a way that it never gets boring or repetitive. As well as having spectacular set pieces to break up the action, such as a desperate snowmobile chase down a mountain and a frantic sprint across the roof tops of a favela slum, the standard on foot sequences will change tempo when needed. One level will have you sneaking around a snowy forest, slipping past guards and sniping those that might get in the way, only for you to half way

through start assaulting an enemy base before at the end holding your position as wave after wave of bad guys try to stop you.

The story itself is presented as an epic summer action blockbuster, and excels at keeping you on the edge of your seat.

However, it does feel like it’s over a bit too quickly, clocking in at about 5-8 hours depending on your skill level. While keeping it slightly short does mean it won’t outstay its welcome, it sometimes feels like it tries to pack in a little too much in the short space it has. For example, COD4 had two ‘shock and awe’ moments that really got people’s attention. In MW2, however, there is one of these moments every hour of play, which does seem a bit like a running joke by the time the credits roll.

While the main story does not have a co-op option, this is more than made up for with the co-op ‘Spec-ops’ mode. Playable in split screen, or online with a friend, they offer levels and set pieces from the game, but with different objectives or just as a co-op experience. Playing them earns you stars, the higher the difficulty the more stars you get and these are used to unlock 4 ‘tiers’ of challenges, each offering more difficult missions. Getting a friend online with a microphone and co-ordinating sniping small groups of enemies or flanking manoeuvres is a great deal of fun, yelling ‘Tango Down’ and ‘Oscar Mike’ unironically.

Some of the highlights include sneaking around Pripyat in a remake of a mission from the original Modern Warfare, strategically clearing areas of guards before crawling through long grass while on the lookout for snipers. Another has you providing air support in an AC-130 Spectre Gunship, a literal flying tank, for a friend on the ground who needs to push through a very hostile farm complex. It’s a fantastic addition, with some really clever challenges that force you to work as a team, always a treat for those that love co-op gaming.

The real meat of the game is in the multiplayer, however. Whether you catch an hour a week with some friends after you’ve finished the campaign, or play it for three days straight the moment the disc loads, it has something for everyone. The great strength of the original multiplayer is still present, namely the addictive levelling system that unlocks weapons, attachments, and ‘perks’ for the custom class feature, always giving you an incentive for just one more game.

By Rob Zwetsloot Said levelling and unlock system is given a bit of an overhaul, making the experience far more rewarding then COD4 ever was.

Extra experience points are earned for destroying helicopters and UAVs, for getting head shots, for killing someone with a killstreak, and much more. Meeting certain requirements with attachments equipped will unlock special attachments for that weapon, with a similar system employed for levelling up perks to receive an extra bonus from them. Finishing challenges will reward you with extra emblems and callsigns for your Street Fighter IV inspired game card.

The matchmaking system has been looked at, now with a much needed host migration feature making sure that a dodgy connection doesn’t end the match there and then. For the PC crowd though, this has replaced the standard server selection option, effectively ruining clan centric play and the modding community for what was once a PC series of games.

However, it’s generally a much more accomplished experience. It allows people to focus solely on certain weapons for their daily clan matches, while also giving incentive for people to keep playing all the way to level 70 before starting the process all over again with prestige. Even prestige is more than just a different rank insignia, in exchange for all your weapons and attachments it now unlocks extra custom classes, challenges, emblems, and callsigns.

There may be some minor niggles, but it is more or less a complete package. With the epic single player, fantastic co-op mode, and possibly one of the best online multiplayer experiences ever crafted. While it may not be ‘redefining’ the genre as COD4 supposedly did, it’s the natural evolution of the concept and better in every way that counts.

5/5 Good: Arcade style fighting fun.

Bad: Issues with loading and online play.

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TUESDAY

City Torn @ Joiners 19.30

TUESDAY

Guy Page Trio @ Joiners 19.30

Jamie T @ Guildhall

TUESDAY

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Jan/Feb TheGigGuide

MONDAY Super Tonic @ Joiners 19.30

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Kerrang Relentless Tour @ Guildhall 19.30

MONDAY

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Moral Soul @ Talking Heads

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Western Sand @ Joiners 19.30

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10 Still Flyin @ Hamptons 19.30

THURSDAY

21 Hannah Williams and the 1 Takes @ Joiners 19.30 Doyle & The Fourfathers @ Talking Heads

THURSDAY

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Typheous @ Joiners 19.30

THURSDAY Iron Door Club @ Hamptons 19.00

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FRIDAY Lip Service @ Joiners 19.30

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Mo’Live Launch Party. Feat.

Bury Tomorrow + Not Advised @ Mo’Club 19.30 Tuesday Coma @ Talking Heads

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