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The Skinny Student Handbook
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Editor: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Designer: Thom Isom Production Manager: Amy Minto Contributors: Emma Ainley-Walker, Gemma Burke, Simon Jay Catling, Charlotte Davies, Jamie Dunn, Kyla Hall, Laura Maclean, Kate Pasola, Michael Shea, Peter Simpson, John Stansfield, Imogen Stirling, John Thorp, Lauren Velvick Illustrator: Raj Dhunna Maps: © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA (openstreetmap.org) Radge Media Chief Operating Officer: Lara Moloney Commercial Director: Nicola Taylor Editor-in-Chief: Rosamund West Northwest Editor: Lauren Strain Lead Designer: Sigrid Schmeisser Sales & Marketing: Caroline Harleaux, Issy Patience, Nicky Carter, Claire Collins, Becca Strahan General Manager: Kyla Hall Publisher: Sophie Kyle Get in touch: E: hiya@theskinny.co.uk T: 0161 833 3124 P: The Skinny, Second Floor, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester, M4 5JW The Skinny is the Northwest's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business.
E: sales@theskinny.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher.
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Contents 06
Your guide to the year’s top cultural events
08
Welcome to your new home!
13
Psychedelic happenings and DIY festivals: your intro to the Northwest music scene
19
Cinephile? Hipster? Auteur? Find out what kind of film buff you are
23
Coming out at university can be a scary thing to do. Our Deviance editor has some advice
24
Behold, our guide to one of the best clubs scenes in the UK
29
Prepare for life after art school with tips on finding studios, funding and more
32
Which campus character from the literary canon would you be mates with?
34
How do you turn a chicken into a dinner? Our Food editor reveals all
38
When everyone else is having more fun than you, here’s how to conquer FoMO
39
Presenting: our favourite grads from the region’s art schools!
41
Theatre fan? Don’t just bag the cheap seats – get involved in your uni society
43
Want to see the world? Not got loads of dosh? Readers tell us their experiences of working while travelling
47
From gig and club venues to museums, galleries and bicycle cafes, let our city guides be your, ahem, guide to Liverpool and Manchester
66
Our Comedy editor considers the, erm, ins and outs of Tinder. You're welcome
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Heads Up
Compiled by: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Manchester Beer & Cider Festival
You’ve met the eclectic bunch who’ll be sharing your living space dodged the lingering freshers week lothario, and dressed as a witch and a minion in the space of two weeks. The cure to your post-freshers week blues? Laughter! You’ve arrived just in time for Liverpool Comedy Festival (18 Sep-4 Oct). In Manchester, check out Beacons Metro (Albert Hall, 12 Sep) and a very special gig sponsored by The Skinny at The Deaf Institute on 25 Sep, with False Advertising and special guests!
OCTOBER
Bookworms, this is your month to shine, as Manchester Literature Festival (12-25 Oct) celebrates a decade leading the Mancunian literary pack, and Chester Literature Festival (10-25 Oct) offers talks and poetic ramblings. Horror and fantasy fans can experience the best in genre film at Grimmfest (1-4 Oct), while Manchester Science Festival (22 Oct-1 Nov) has – wait for it – an adult-only ball pool!
mates – and, let’s be honest, yourself – at the winter markets of Manchester city centre (opening 14 Nov) and Liverpool ONE, and laugh as your Bambi-like friends attempt to become Torvill and Dean on the Spinningfields ice rink.
JANUARY
The heavy combination of exams and being broke means that January is no one’s favourite month. Drown your lack-of-revision sorrows with a smorgasbord of real ales, craft beer and traditional ciders at Manchester Beer & Cider Festival (20-23 Jan)! Re:play festival (dates tbc) is also cause for distraction, offering a chance to catch up with great fringe theatre you may have missed.
NOVEMBER
A huge river of poppies arrives in Liverpool as Paul Cummins and Tom Piper’s art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red comes to St George’s Hall (14-18 Nov); head down to see this much discussed work. Meanwhile, Homotopia (30 Oct-20 Nov) presents international theatre, music and dance, and Manchester Animation Festival (17-19 Nov) showcases the best in animation film at multi-arts venue HOME.
DECEMBER
It’s time to go cray for Christmas cheer with winter markets galore and mulled wine of every flavour. Forget huddling around the fire in an unwashed reindeer onesie; instead, treat your 6
Chinese New Year, Liverpool
FEBRUARY
The month of love – or time to feed consumerist habits by buying teddy bear-shaped cards, depending on your level of cynicism – brings, more importantly, Chinese New Year (8 Feb). Anticipate a host of colourful celebrations in Chinatown, and release a lantern to celebrate the end of exams (or wish to redirect misplaced Valentine’s affections). Also look out for annual LGBT arts festival Queer Contact (4-13 Feb).
LISTINGS
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Photo: William Starkey
SEPTEMBER
Photo: CAMRA
From festivals of every stripe, to dancing, drinking and ice skating (preferably not at the same time), here’s our guide to the year’s cultural treats. Brighten up that academic calendar!
Sarabi at Africa Oyé 2015
Photo: Gary Mather
JUNE
You’ll be feeling bittersweet, with the end of deadlines also ushering in the end of university for some. Either way, partying is in order! Spice up your life with Africa Oyé, Liverpool’s annual celebration of African culture and music (18-19 Jun), or Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (dates tbc), full of poetry, music and debate. Meanwhile, the ever-popular Parklife festival (4-5 Jun tbc) provides a last weekend to say adios to your uni gang.
JULY
The Northwest’s leading art festival Liverpool Biennial (9 Jul-16 Oct) returns for its ninth outing. Exhibiting artists and work from across the world, its tentacles spread across the entire city and attract audiences from far and wide. Your artsy friends aren’t ignoring you; they’re just lost among the sculpture and installations.
MARCH
Easter arrives a little early, so it’s compulsory that you chow down on as many chocolate bunnies as possible. Before you become indistinguishable from a block of cocoa, Manchester International Film Festival (3-6 Mar) drops this month at AMC Cinemas with a load of indie cinema for all you film buffs out there. Popcorn at the ready.
APRIL
Sounds from the Other City festival 2015
MAY
Summer is within sight and, as such, May heralds the start of music festival season. Bop your head and inhale a refreshing bout of Mersey sea air at Liverpool Sound City (27-29 May) – the lineup always caters to wide musical tastes. Salford’s Sounds from the Other City (1 May), meanwhile, combines new and emerging talent with the famed Sounds atmosphere. 2015-2016
Photo: Alexander Bell
Liverpool Biennial 2014 - Dazzle Ship
AUGUST
Get in touch with your inner Miles Davis at Manchester Jazz Festival (dates tbc), and enjoy some of the Northwest’s finest players as Albert Square is transformed into fest central. Elsewhere, Pride festivals are the main attraction over the bank holiday weekends, with the gay village becoming the busiest spot in town. Then: prepare for the return of the pot noodle and ungarnished pasta life. Sign up to The Skinny’s Zap newsletter – our top ten recommended events in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds in your inbox every Thursday morning: bit.ly/theskinnyzap For more listings and event previews: theskinny.co.uk/events
LISTINGS
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Photo: David Howarth
The renovated warehouses of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle come alive with Threshold festival (1-3 Apr). Presenting music and art that seeks to push the boundaries – and, ahem, cross the threshold – the festival allows you to skip between the bars of Baltic Triangle and also experience the best of cutting edge, DIY culture.
The Wild Northwest You have arrived! In Liverpool! Or Manchester! Or somewhere nearby! But where to begin? Behold, our whistlestop tour of the madcap, multicultural and (sadly) meteorologically miserable Northwest: from tech to food, radicalism to rave Words: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe Illustration: Raj Dhunna
I
nnovation. Music. Sense of humour. Innovation. Music. Sense of… Repeat ad nauseum. Yes, Manchester is the home of The Smiths, vegetarianism, the first free public library and Ernest Rutherford’s atom-splitting; Liverpool is the birthplace of the underground railway tunnel, the first School of Tropical Medicine, The Beatles and one of the earliest public art galleries (The Walker). But it’s the here and now that you want to hear about. After all, now is the time to get an obligatory late night selfie with a traffic cone; to join a society to knit jumpers for Antarctic polar bears; to find foam parties even mildly enjoyable. And whether you get thrills from going to a Tracey Emin exhibition, sweating profusely in a secret rave, trying the latest vegan superfood or mismatching stanzas and puns at a live literature event, the Northwest definitely has something for you. The artistic economy of the Northwest has significantly expanded in recent years, with the Northern Quarter in Manchester and Baltic Triangle in Liverpool being the centre of all things cultural. Inevitably, the sprouting of a myriad of
2015-2016
bars with neon strip lighting and bare brick walls has resulted in a growing proportion of artisan beards and oh-so-cool clientele, who are rapidly becoming a parody of themselves. Still, looking past the hipster clichés, there are plenty of great things going on in these areas. The independent startups, from art spaces to dirty burger joints, are run by people with a passion for doing things differently and satiating niche appetites for something beyond the corporate clasp. At some point, you will definitely find yourself in a millcum-art gallery, a warehouse-cum-burger joint, or a party-cum-canal boat; the Northwest has a fondness for remaking strange spaces in a mingling of past and present. Get yourself involved. Elsewhere, with two of the best Pride parades in the country and Manchester having been given the unofficial title of ‘gay capital of England’ (Brighton, we have declared war), the LGBT scene in the Northwest continues to thrive. The combination of a history of defiance and rebellion – Emmeline Pankhurst and Eleanor Rathbone, we’re looking at you – and a tendency for left-leaning politics means that the LGBT community forms an important part of the fabric of both ▶
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Manchester and Liverpool. Whether you want to take part in the events of LGBT History Month, help those campaigning on LGBT issues or simply fancy a late-night kiki on Canal Street, you’re in the right place. If JavaScript code and a new generation processor are your thing, there’s something to get your USB stick (do people still use these?) stuck in to. Liverpool has experienced the second fastest growth in new digital companies in the UK between 2010 and 2013, and tech hubs like MadLab and Baltic Creative are making the Northwest an important part of the tech boom. These centres usually have free classes and workshops for you to get your tech skills up to scratch. The Northwest’s multicultural makeup has resulted in an explosion of diverse street food and foodie delights from across the globe. Whether you want a particular curry dish, a quick stop Lebanese or a soupy ramen, there is plenty of choice to satiate any cravings. Head down to the Curry Mile (Rusholme, Manchester) and Bold Street (Liverpool) to try something new. The popularity of the burger – adding as many layers as possible and waiting for the Jenga moment seems to be all the rage – can quickly become a little repetitive. It’s time to ditch the grilled buns and realise that variety is the spice of life. Head to Manchester’s Chinatown – spotting a big arch in the distance is a fair clue that you’re close – for a tasty meal when your student loan seems to be dissolving into thin air. Here, an array of Asian dishes come in at student friendly prices. Your overdraft will thank you later. And, foreign language students among us, why not test your language skills while you’re at it? Manchester is reputed to be the most linguistically diverse conurbation in Western Europe, don’t you know. Lastly, a few helpful hints: oranges are your friend. The mix of overcast weather and the 10
“From art spaces to dirty burger joints, the independent startups across Liverpool and Manchester are run by people with a passion for doing things differently” distinct lack of ‘real’ food requires a vitamin C boost to counteract the excesses that come with student living. The great outdoors are also your friend. There are beautiful beaches a 30-minute train ride from Liverpool city centre; when essay deadlines are piling up and exam stress threatens to boil over, some fresh sea air, a picnic and maybe the odd aggressive seagull may be the answer. At the risk of being overly nostalgic about student life, this is truly the only time in your life when your friends, lovers, place of study and favourite entertainment will all be within a small radius of each other. It’s still acceptable to raid the family fridge before the start of each term, all the while proclaiming independence. Some corporate outlets will actually give you a genuine discount for the sake of being a student, and no one will judge you for wearing the same pair of dungarees for three years straight. Enjoy it!
STUDENT HANDBOOK
THE SKINNY
Enjoy the top of the hill. Cocktails – Craft Ales – Food – Live Sport 160 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool www.liverpoolguild.org
A Tale of Two Cities
MC Fox
A
lthough Liverpool and Manchester’s musical landscapes have undeniably been shaped by oft-mentioned names, from The Beatles to Factory Records, the makeup of the region is different now. Thriving pockets of activity are everywhere, but, as a newcomer, how do you know where to get stuck in? Handily enough, we’ve enlisted the help of five people who know the area inside out. Meet: MC Fox, member of the 1Xtra-touted collective Levelz and one of Manchester clubland’s most respected MCs; Emily Lansley, one part of Liverpool’s Bella Union-signed dream-pop group Stealing Sheep; Mark Carlin, co-founder of the ultimate Manchester music community gathering, Sounds from the Other City festival; Jon Wickstead, who, as one half of promoters Now Wave has taken local artists like Everything Everything and Money to four-figure audiences; and Jason Stoll of Mugstar, one of the stalwart psych rock bands of Liverpool. Together, they paint a picture of the scene you’re about to encounter.
in his yard with his bredrins. At that time, the dancehall sound system culture was the thing in Manchester. It was a great time for music, but unfortunately it was also quite a violent time in the city.
MC Fox (MC and member, Levelz)
Who were some of the first people you got involved with as an MC? I met Mega Dread from Megatone Sound System and got involved with that and his pirate radio station, Ital FM. Hip-hop wise, one of the first people to put me on was Sefton Madface, but ▶
The Skinny: When did you first get involved in music in Manchester? MC Fox: When I moved back from Jamaica to Manchester in the 90s my brother was a massive hip-hop fan and used to have mad cyphers 2015-2016
“The collaborative spirit in Manchester isn’t about any one genre, everywhere people are working together and moving things forward” MC Fox
MUSIC
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Photo: Adam Al Sened
Having produced some of the world’s most influential independent artists, Liverpool and Manchester rightly have a reputation for great music. Five figures on the scene tell us Interview: Simon Jay Catling what, in their experience, makes the Northwest so exciting
I also played on Love Energy pirate radio with Semtex and was in a local hip-hop crew called Subliminal Darkness. Those early shows were scary, I’d never grown up with any overt intention to follow a music career. Tell us about your involvement with Levelz. There’s only a few degrees of separation between all of us, we’ve either been brought up together, collaborated together or just know each other from the scene. The collaborative fire sparked by the label Estate Recordings created a buzz around Manchester which a lot of people have been able to capitalise on. It was Rich Reason, who runs Hit & Run, who saw the potential of a collaborative effort; but the collaborative spirit in Manchester isn’t about any one genre, everywhere people are working together and moving things forward.
“There’s a great community spirit in Liverpool which inspires us to collaborate” Emily Lansley What ethos do nights you’re involved with, such as Swing Ting, Hoya:Hoya and Hit & Run, share? All of these nights have a different vibe, but the common denominator is a commitment to good music. They each allow me to express and hone different parts of my skill – as well as keeping the boredom at bay! 14
Who would you recommend to newcomers to the city? The list is long, but a few would be Room 2, Mad Again, EY3 Media, Mouse Outfit and 8 Gold Rings among others. But mooch about the city and try a bit of everything, it will always lead you to more. soundcloud.com/mc-fox-mcr | @theOGMrFox
Emily Lansley (musician, Stealing Sheep) The Skinny: What are your memories of the music scene in Liverpool when you first started out? Emily: My early memories are around The Kif on Parr Street, which was a creative community space and birthed a very alternative, psychedelic, krauty scene and acts like Esa Shields and Zucanican. People like Pop Levi and Misty’s Big Adventure also played here on occasion. It was similar to The Kazimier, which has also provided a great space for exciting, weird endeavours. What were some of the first places to start putting you on and how do you remember those early shows? My early band Bexy Sitch had a month-long residency at Korova; there’d also be grassroots shows at places like MelloMello and Don’t Drop the Dumbells, which was always moving spaces. The Kazimier supported [bandmate] Lucy’s old band Sing for Your Supper so much so that they’ve released some of their music! We played a great lineup at a Fiesta Bombarda event in The Kazimier Garden once joined by about 30 people on stage. A logistical nightmare! Then events like Mellostock and Schismatica would allow different musicians to jam with people they wouldn’t normally play with. It was a very lively time. ▶
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Photo: Stuart Moulding
Emily Lansley performing with Stealing Sheep at Liverpool Sound City 2015
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2015-2016
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Have there been any key shifts that you feel have shaped the Liverpool music community into what it is today? Places like Korova, The Kazimier and The Kif were forward-thinking and would start placing different genres together live, whereas previously here things could feel dominated by ‘laddish’ guitars. The programmers at The Kazimier in particular pushed a more theatrical element to production around live events. They definitely influenced Stealing Sheep and helped us to express some of our ideas that we couldn’t have done otherwise. Do you feel part of a particularly collaborative environment? Liverpool has so much going on all of the time, from events like LightNight, Sound City and Liverpool Music Week to the Biennial, Fiesta Bombarda and more. These things all create spaces to work in and ways for people to be creative. There’s a great community spirit here which inspires us to collaborate with people and creates a real togetherness and inclusiveness.
The Skinny: When did you first get involved in the music scene here? Mark: Way back at the turn of the century. While also flyering for different breaks and trance nights, I used to make music with my brother and we played the circuit at the time, of which only the Night and Day and the Star and Garter still really exist. It was also at the end of the Oasis/Britpop boom so there were still a lot of those kind of bands around.
“Having an openminded audience leaves you free to experiment” Mark Carlin
What excites you about the next 12 months? There’s going to be a lot of change. The Kazimier’s closing, but I’m looking forward to seeing what comes after it! It’ll certainly be the end of an era. Stealing Sheep have loads lined up and we’re also very interested to hear All We Are’s future pop smashes. Keep your eye out for The Wind Factory too…
Tell us about Sounds from the Other City. What could newcomers to the festival expect from it? It’s very different from most other urban festivals in the UK. On the surface it’s a similar format, but each stage is programmed and managed by a different independent promoter, which means that the overall feel is very eclectic. The venues themselves are also really different; a lot were never really intended for live performance. The event has a really inclusive atmosphere – it’s made by everyone who takes part, and having an openminded audience leaves you free to experiment. Which mostly works out!
Mugstar
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Photo: Steve Gullick
Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city? Esa Shields, a.P.A.t.T, James Canty, Outfit, Barberos... but the list is endless!
stealingsheep.co.uk | @stealingsheep
Mark Carlin (co-programmer, Sounds from the Other City and FutureEverything festivals)
How do you feel FutureEverything festival has impacted artists locally over its 20 year history? We’ve put a lot of effort into working with artists over a sustained period – projects with people like local visual artist Emmanuel Biard and Koreless, allowing them to achieve things that they couldn’t individually. We also have a big international network of artists and partners that hopefully gives the local scene a route out into a wider world of ideas and opportunities.
Jason Stoll (musician, Mugstar)
Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city? Islington Mill, Sways Records’ new venture The White House, Soup Kitchen, The King’s Arms, Albert Hall.
What were some of the first places to start putting you on? There were a lot of great, unique venues around at the time, like the Jump Ship Rat, while a great early show was with Melt Banana in The Magnet. I can’t remember too much of it, although I do recall our guitarist Pete’s uncanny balance, being able to play while standing on a chair.
soundsfromtheothercity.com | @sftoc futureeverything.org | @FuturEverything
The Skinny: When did Mugstar get involved in the Liverpool music scene? Jason: In its current form, around 2002. We played some great shows early on as we knew promoters through old bands; we did end up on some terribly mismatched bills too as I don’t think people knew how to define us. We were lucky in that John Peel played us a lot back then, so we had enough of a following to play around the country too.
Jon Wickstead (promoter, Now Wave)
Have there been any key shifts that you feel have shaped the Liverpool music community into what it is today? The Skinny: How did Now Wave begin? When we started out, the whole ‘Cosmic Scouse’ Jon: Myself and [co-founder] Wesley had already thing was going on with bands like The Coral and been running club nights and were gradually proThe Bandits, but then Liverpool has a long history gressing towards hosting live bands. We did early of psychedelia, from Echo and the Bunnymen to shows for Friendly Fires and Crystal Castles and re- Clinic and, of course, The Beatles. I read someally enjoyed the feel of unearthing these new acts. where once about Liverpool having ridiculous When The Deaf Institute opened, we created the sales of Pink Floyd records in the 1970s compared Now Wave club night, featuring two or three live with other cities. All of that has helped to develop bands. One of the first bands we put on was a then the city musically, culturally and ‘cosmically.’ very new The xx, who we still work with to this day. How do you think the success of Liverpool How do you think your audiences and their Psych Fest has impacted the city? expectations have changed over the years? It’s helped in regenerating Liverpool and made I’d say there’s been a shift from people being the city more significant to people outside it. happy with bog standard venues, to wanting a Many of the bands who’ve played the festival more interesting experience for their money. probably haven’t played here before, and may not have done without the festival. It’s helped That’s something we’ve really tried to provide – Savages at the Sways Bunker is a great example. It the city feel vital again after many years of was so intense with the band playing inside a cage Manchester being the place to go regionally for many touring bands. surrounded by the audience. What have been your favourite spaces to use? The show we did with Alt-J and Money in an abandoned office block in the city centre will live long in the memory. Manchester is in a bit of an evolutionary period, some older venues are giving way to newer ones, but we’re looking forward to finding more of these spaces and utilising them!
Who and what would you recommend to newcomers to the city? Personally I’d recommend Ex-Easter Island Head, Mind Mountain, Cavalier Song and Bad Meds. mugstar.com | @Mugstar For more on the local music scene, interviews, playlists and your monthly gig highlights: theskinny.co.uk/music
nowwave.co.uk | @nowwave
2015-2016
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A Guide to Movie Tribes Film fandom comes in many guises. Here are just a few...
Words: Jamie Dunn
Cinema Paradiso
The nerd
Here we have the easiest to spot of the movie tribes; they wear their hearts on their sleeves – or, to be more accurate, they wear the insignia of the movies they love on their t-shirts. They’re also the most powerful. Movie executives cower at their feet, creating film worlds so dense with injokes that they become incomprehensible to anyone who’s not been schooled on comic book lore. But pity the poor critic who points this out. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the comments left at the bottom of a comic book movie review are more brutal than Thor’s hammer. Where you’ll find them: Midnight screenings of the latest Marvel or DC movie; debating on Twitter which member of the Avengers would win in a head to head; in film review comments sections explaining to critics why they don’t understand the latest comic book movie. Leading man: Any guy named Chris (Pine, Hemsworth, Evans, Pratt) Leading woman: N/A Favourite director: Joss Whedon Favourite film: Whatever is next in Marvel’s ‘Phase 3’ assault on our cinema screens
The auteurists
Auteurists are the trainspotters of movie aficionados. They like to make lists and then meticulously check them off. They don’t just want to watch key works by the likes of Fassbinder or Altman, they want to see them all: the student films, the 8mm doodles, the box-office bombs and 2015-2016
the critical disasters. (The auteurist’s favourite word is oeuvre.) Peculiarly, they don’t refer to upcoming movies by their title like any sane person. Instead they quote the name of their übermensch creator – the film’s director. Warning: this can be confusing. “Have you seen the new Anderson?” they might ask. “Do you mean Wes? PT? Oh, God, not PWS?” Where you’ll find them: On letterboxd.com ranking Hitchcock’s career; organising their DVD collection by director; studying the latest Sight & Sound film poll. Leading man: Cary Grant Leading woman: Katharine Hepburn Favourite director: Orson Welles Favourite film: See Sight & Sound Greatest Film Poll
The cinephile
Cinephilia is the dark realm in which movie love spills over into something more ecstatic. It’s closer to a fetish than a pastime. The whirl of a projector or the crackle of a scratchy 35mm print on screen elicits a kind of erotic reverie. Like auteurists, the cinephile eats, breathes and sleeps cinema, but their movie love extends well beyond the auteurist’s canon. Their disposable income is poured into snap eBay purchases of out of print film books, faded first run movie posters and, most importantly of all, cinema stubs. They’re on first name terms with their local cinema’s ushers and spend more time there during university than they will do in lecture halls. ▶
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Where you’ll find them: At the cinema; seeking out rare one-off screenings; searching through online forums looking for torrents of out of print gems. Leading man: All of them Leading woman: All of them Favourite director: All of them Favourite film: All of them
The eclectic
The hipster
For the hipster, movies, like their facial hair and their on-trend boat shoes, are extensions of their personality. They tend to be drawn to filmmakers who, like them, show off via an elaborate aesthetic, be that down to ostentatious camerawork or eye-popping mise-en-scéne. The soundtracks should be retro – electronic pop that sounds like a Eurythmics B-side works well, as do little-heard British new wave tracks. Diegetic music should be played on vinyl or the most recent iPod. Where you’ll find them: Coen Brothers retrospectives; attending fancy dress parties in Wes Anderson movie cosplay; deciding whether to watch Lost in Translation for the eighth time or Garden State for the twelfth. Leading man: Bill Murray Leading woman: Greta Gerwig Favourite director: Richard Linklater Favourite film: Donnie Darko
The cinephile’s taste is catholic, but the eclectic’s is non-sequitur. A screening of, say, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension will spill over into a double bill with Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Ordet without missing a beat. And after that they’ll watch Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Highbrow and lowbrow become mutable. Genres collide. It’s movie watching as schizophrenia. Where you’ll find them: Hard to say – Cineworld on Fridays for the opening of the latest blockbuster and at their local arthouse cinema the following afternoon for a matinee screening of a classic. Leading man: Daniel Day-Lewis and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Cera Leading woman: Tilda Swinton and Meryl Streep and Melissa McCarthy Favourite director: Béla Tarr and Zack Snyder and John Ford The ironists Favourite films: L’Avventura and Die Hard and Mary Poppins For the ironist, movies can’t be enjoyed on their own merit. Their appeal comes from the ironist’s The contrarian superiority over the material. The ironist demonThe contrarian is under some sick illusion that to strates their superiority by openly mocking the be individual is to reject the mainstream. Ignoring text. For some reason, this only applies to older critical consensus is a good thing: going against movies. The ironist would never think of loudly it in all instances feels perverse. The contrarian taking the piss out of Fantastic Four, say, or the latest Zack Snyder film. The anachronistic acting reckons Francis Ford Coppola didn’t really hit his in silent films, the heartbreaking emotionality of stride ’til the late 80s, and is the only movie fan 50s melodramas or dated effects in seminal 70s outside those signed up to the L. Ron Hubbard sci-fi movies, however, are fair game. club to think Battlefield Earth is any cop. Most twisted of all: the contrarian’s favourite part of Where you’ll find them: At any retrospective every trilogy is always number three. screening, manically laughing like Robert De Niro Where you’ll find them: In the kitchens at in Cape Fear, ruining it for the rest of us; deciding house parties explaining to people why Batman on whether to watch The Room for the eighth time and Robin is superior to The Dark Knight; trolling or Troll 2 for the twelfth time. critics with their unorthodox take on Danny Leading man: Nicolas Cage Dyer’s career. Leading woman: Divine Leading man: Adam Sandler Favourite director: M. Night Shyamalan Leading woman: Madonna Favourite film: Plan 9 from Outer Space Favourite director: Brett Ratner Find film reviews, features, events, filmmaker interviews and Favourite film: Showgirls more at theskinny.co.uk/film
“Auteurists are the trainspotters of movie aficionados”
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How to Come Out at University ...because people can be total jeb-ends sometimes. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back Words: Kate Pasola
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oming out, whether you’re doing it during freshers week at a liberal university or as a toupé-wearing Tory, is a tremendously brave and usually terrifying thing to do. While Upworthy would have you believe that coming out is seriously THE most heartwarming, mind-blowing thing you’ll see this week(!), truth is we don’t live in a high production value viral video, and some people are total bastards. Here’s Deviance’s guide to coming out at university, ft. advice from a bunch of glorious grads and students. We’ll start with the total bastards: Sure, the baby boomers have finally got their head around the fact that it’s not OK to bend their wrist at people à la Ricky Gervais to imply potential gay-ness. And yes, the word ‘queer’ has been reclaimed from school bus bullies. But unfortunately, closed-mindedness still lingers like a societal fart. Take reassurance in the fact the world – especially the part you live in – is commando-crawling its way towards some sort of equality. Pretty soon, that perfect-arse who thinks sexuality is fodder for an impromptu standup set will be left outside alone with fewer pals than Anastacia circa 2004. Binning people Some people won’t be able to get their head around your decision. It’s not your job to teach them tolerance, and it’s not your fault if they aren’t able to accept you. Hang out with the people who do accept you. They’re good’uns, them ones. Cracking funnies If the ignorance is coming from a friend or family member you don’t want to lose, encourage a little humour into the situation. Jokes are a pretty helpful device for helping people desensitise themselves to these sorts of things, as long as you’re comfortable with it, of course. Labels Some people find it really handy to whack a label on themselves. It’s a shortcut which helps people to align with certain groups, activities and circles. 2015-2016
That said, it can also be stifling to live up to a label, especially if the one you’ve been using (or the one that’s been stuck on you by well-meaning pals) doesn’t comprehensively reflect the sexy intricacies of your youthful brain. If you don’t fancy the permanency of a label but want to come out to someone, just drop some fact or a handy hint into conversation that indicates your sexual pre-ferences. They’ll get the gist. Eventually.
“Unfortunately, a world of closed-mindedness still lingers like a societal fart” Reinvent yo’self To adopt a very stale aquarial metaphor, moving from a cloying high school or small town to a gorgeous urban metropolis is like being dragged from a tiny fishtank and flung into the ocean. But it’s an ocean where none of the other fish know you and where you’ll meet starfish and seahorses and sea cucumbers. Also, in this metaphor, you can suspend the laws of the land and transform from a clownfish into a crustacean and NO ONE gets to tell you otherwise. Be the crustacean you’ve always wanted to be. ...but don’t worry if you’re not sure who yo’self is yet You may well have done a heap of soul-sear-ching and arrived at a destination of multichromatic sexy-fun-times (congrats!). But also, you might not have got round to that yet. If so, don’t worry that there isn’t a fully formed identity to rush into once you’ve come out. To share the experience of a top notch lady I know, “I remember being like ‘Oh my God, now I’m a lesbian, what am I going to wear?’” Her answer? “Obviously just wear the same thing, dumbass. You don’t have to dress like other lesbians. Though that is fine too. Rock that plaid girl.”
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Creatures of the Night Words: John Thorp
Chibuku
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or the seasoned residents and clubbers across Liverpool and Manchester, freshers week offers all manner of amusement, from clubs tempting loan-loaded students with ironic live PAs from ageing TV stars of yore, to Fresh Prince themed throwback parties. But, weeks later, when the surplus foam has dried up and the last complimentary 7” pizza vouchers have been redeemed, the Northwest maintains its insatiable gravitation towards the dancefloor. As such, here’s The Skinny’s guide to clubbing in 2015. You’re welcome. The Big Stuff To briefly run with the idea that The Warehouse Project is an actual project, then by this stage – a decade into its industry-redefining reign as one of the most influential club nights in the world – somebody really should have signed it off. Students from around the North flock to this mega-rave, now back in its true and comparatively intimate home beneath Manchester’s Piccadilly Station. This year’s lineup is, as usual, a roll call
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of the biggest names in contemporary electronic music, from Seth Troxler to Hudson Mohawke and even the return of New Order. Such is the circuit that many of the names playing already sold out nights will likely grace Liverpool too, with established forces such as Circus and its little brother, Chibuku, yet to release their respective lineups for the season. There’s also HAUS, a large new warehouse space in the Baltic Triangle that promises further hijinks in strobes and smoke. The Indie Stuff With arms outstretched and a weak plastic pint of lager and/or piss in each hand, Manchester and Liverpool’s indie and psychedelia spirit guides continue to attract and embrace the student masses. The Smiths, The Beatles, Oasis, The Stone Roses and even The La’s are still omnipresent on the jukeboxes of bars across the region. But while nostalgia’s heart still beats strong, there are options for those juggling broader musical tastes with an inherent desire to air-guitar on the stickiest of floors. In Liverpool, Liquidation ▶
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Photo: Gary Brown
Dodge the traffic light parties, consult our guide to some of the best nightlife in the UK and tunnel deep into Liverpool and Manchester’s clubs scene
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at Heebie Jeebie’s runs frequent specials that delve into the back catalogues of both classic and contemporary bands such as The Rolling Stones and Arcade Fire, with its regulars as into the B-sides as the hits. In Manchester, Mondays at Soup Kitchen play host to Remake Remodel, where the DJs spin a history of glam, punk and psych, ranging from T-Rex to Tame Impala. A great opportunity to stand in the smoking area and argue with some bloke whether or not the latter overdo it with the synths these days.
“Pioneering spirits in both cities are always keen to push things forward” The Midweek Stuff While dance music seems to have an iron grip on both cities every weekend, leaving regular clubbers with convoluted and usually unsuccessful plans to pace themselves, the weeknights are traditionally, refreshingly less 4/4. Of course, the cities’ large student populace hardly lets the notion of the working week kill the atmosphere, as is continually proven at the likes of Juicy, every Wednesday at Manchester’s Joshua Brooks. The cheap and very cheerful hip-hop celebration packs them in like clockwork, measuring its success with a wave of inevitable ripoffs trying their 26
luck every year. The Juicy empire also holds fort at Liverpool’s Shipping Forecast on Thursdays, each and every week during term time. You’ll also find The Krazyhouse on Wood Street, which mixes very cheap drinks with throwback rock and pop, and, for better or worse, is something of a campus rite of passage (along with the city’s all-conquering Medication student night). The Gay Stuff Manchester’s Canal Street attracts thousands of partygoers to its wealth of bars and clubs each weekend, but when the underused Legends closed in 2012, the city lost one of its most important venues for alternative gay clubbing. Fortunately, one of its main crews, Homoelectric, moved their anything-goes operation to Rusholme’s Antwerp Mansion, where they continue to host the likes of Maurice Fulton and Prosumer on the regular. Cult night Bollox and rising rave Hot Space are also worth looking out for. Liverpool has an equally strong gay scene centred around the Stanley Street area, and while it might not be as adventurous musically, its drinking spots, such as The Lisbon, are just as friendly and lively. And then there’s Garlands, still one of the biggest gay clubs in the country, which always attracts a diverse and energetic crowd letting loose to its trademark funky house. The ‘Out There’ Stuff With electronic music in such a healthy state right now, you might be surprised how quickly some of your favourite ‘underground’ artists get swallowed up by ambitious agents and bookers. Still,
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Photo: Nata Moraru
NHK'Koyxen at Deep Hedonia
The New Stuff Both Liverpool and Manchester are in something of an awkward spot now in terms of venues and, as they say, ‘spaces,’ with many investors and entrepreneurs understandably wanting a cut of the bar take that’s quenching the city’s endless thirst, but few seemingly wanting to bite the bullet when it comes to nailing anything down. The rawness of secret warehouse parties is undeniably appealing, but do you really want to be wandering around at night with your iPhone out, trying to
find a disused cotton mill where the old office bathroom is still littered with hammers and bits of mesh? Hidden, a new 500-capacity venue north of Victoria Station in Manchester, hopes to offer something fresh and consistent when it opens in September. The Underground Stuff Known for its gritty aesthetic, scene-melding parties such as meandyou., Meat Free and Swing Ting, and its friendly but no-nonsense door staff, Soup Kitchen’s 200-capacity cellar has quietly earned a reputation as one of the most vital underground clubs in the country. In the past 12 months the likes of Leon Vynehall, Daniel Avery and Joy Orbison have all swung by. It’s Abandon Silence, meanwhile, who have the house and techno underground on lock in Liverpool, throwing parties at the likes of The Kazimier and its bizarro mini-venue, ‘Rat Alley.’ Four Tet, Motor City Drum Ensemble and Midland are all regulars. For literal underground stuff, keep eyes peeled for delightfully grotty raves in the city’s abandoned Williamson Tunnels. For interviews with DJs and your monthly clubbing highlights: theskinny.co.uk/clubs
Homoelectric
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Photo: Malc Stone & Lauren Jo Kelly
pioneering spirits in both cities are always keen to push things forward. Liverpool’s Deep Hedonia collective skirt the fringes of both outsider art and music, pushing rave boundaries with provocative artists such as Samuel Kerridge and Lee Gamble in tow. Otherwise, promoters Less Effect have in recent years invited the likes of Objekt and Addison Groove to push their hefty RC1 soundsystem to its limits. In Manchester, those out for a truly mind expanding and occasionally challenging evening will undoubtedly find themselves sweating it out at Islington Mill, especially if you make it to one of their Gesamtkunstwerk parties, a disorienting noise rave described as ‘so underground, it’s basically a corpse.’ Not for the faint hearted.
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Emily Tilzey’s studio
Beyond the Art School How to make the most of your city as an art graduate? That is the question
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Words: Lauren Velvick
rt school is often described as a safe environment for experimentation, where you’re coddled and protected from the cruel realities of the ‘real’ art world – but the fact is that not only will engaging with the scene in your city give your own art practice an edge, the prospect of graduating is far less intimidating if you’ve already put down roots. Plus, the realities of the art world needn’t be cruel; on the whole, those a step further on than you are keen to help and enthusiastic about new ideas – so long as you are too. In each of the major cities in the North, as well as many of the smaller towns and cities, you’ll find contemporary art agencies and studio groups that are eager to foster a sense of community and criticality among emerging artists, as well as independent galleries and artist-led spaces that will be glad of a hand with invigilating and installing.
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In Leeds, check out &Model and the gallery and event spaces at Wharf Chambers; in Manchester, look out for the open studios at Rogue or Mirabel, and events at Islington Mill. With the Biennial, Liverpool offers plenty of volunteering opportunities, but keep an eye on The Royal Standard and associated galleries too. Both East Street Arts in Leeds and Castlefield Gallery in Manchester offer memberships, whereby for a fee you get access to mentorship and residency opportunities (and in the case of the latter’s CG Associates scheme, the chance to curate a funded exhibition in the gallery). These kinds of schemes are good for when you’re trying to find your feet right after graduation, and are a decent investment for the dregs of your student loan. The Royal Standard in Liverpool, on the other hand, has a rolling voluntary directorship, ▶
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with the studios, exhibition and residency spaces run by a committee of up to six directors that change biennially. A significant number of these directors have gone on to found art spaces and publications in the city and further afield.
“Art agencies and studio groups are eager to foster a sense of community” As a student it might feel a little premature to be focusing in earnest on professional development, and indeed these opportunities are more suited to graduates, but each of the above organisations also run volunteering schemes. During your degree, a few hours per week spent working alongside the directors, curators and artists that you admire is valuable in helping you to work out what you want (or don’t want!) to devote your time and creativity to in the long run. It is of course always a good idea to sign up to as many local, national and international arts mailing lists as you can handle, but specific 30
Fünf studio
to the North are Axisweb (asixweb.org) and CuratorSpace (curatorspace.com), two online resources that, for a very small or no fee, offer exposure through a profile and first dibs on opportunities. However, as useful as it is to be searchable, the importance of being present can’t be stressed enough. You’ll undoubtedly have been told to go to previews, but you need to talk to people as well – and if noisy, boozy group situations aren’t where you do your highest quality conversing, you can always invite the people you want to speak to out for a coffee and a chat, or even interview them for a local publication, like this one, YAC (Young Artists in Conversation), Corridor8 or The Double Negative. This could all seem to come down to the old adage, “it’s who you know” – but the point is that, with a little creativity, you can get to know the artists, curators, writers and organisers that are making exciting things happen in your city, on your own terms. Pictured: We asked our team of fab illustrators to send us pics of their studios. Here is Emily Tilzey's super cool space, and Fünf studios, a shared creative space in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, currently home to Skinny illustrators Nick Booton, Jonzo and Vicky Ledsom theskinny.co.uk/art
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Photo: Nick Booton
Photo: Emily Tilzey
Emily’s studio
For the curious, the makers, the searchers and the sharers The Study, Manchester’s space for new thinking, opens 11 September thestudymcr.com
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The Campus Novel Are you a Cher Horowitz or a Hermione Granger? We trawl the canon for literary advice on university
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tudent life has always been fruitful territory for writers: from Kingsley Amis’s comedic look at the pretence of academia in Lucky Jim (1954) to Muriel Spark’s disturbing depiction of an Edinburgh schoolteacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961). The campus novel genre, where the action centres on the goings-on of the university institution, became popular in 1950s post-war America and, as with many other cultural products (Pop-Tarts and superhero movies included), quickly crossed the Atlantic. The heady mix of an enclosed space, institutional rules, competing ideas and an inbuilt power relationship between tutor and pupil provides the key elements for a great narrative. With this in mind, we take a look at what bookish folk have to say on university life (note: this ‘advice’ may not serve you well).
On romance Literary wisdom would have it that you’ll inevitably become embroiled in an awkward love triangle. Amid the freshers week bombardment of free shots 32
Words: Holly Rimmer-Tagoe
and awkward silences, you may find yourself romantically entangled with different people – advisedly not two people sharing your living space. Pulitzer Prize-winner and king of the comingof-age novel Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot (2011) depicts a trio of clever Ivy Leaguers juggling questions of semiotics with the writings of Plato. The protagonist, Madeleine, who is an English major “for the purest and dullest of reasons: because she loved to read,” is forced to choose between Mitchell, a dutiful character who adores her and Leonard, an erratic and self-destructive science major. Similarly, Starter for Ten (2003), by David Nicholls, sees naïve, working-class Brian Jackson caught in a tricky situation between love interests – all the while obsessively collecting knowledge for the unnamed institution’s University Challenge team. Eugenides and Nicholls draw upon the romance plots of some of England’s renowned writers – Jane Austen in the case of the former and Thomas Hardy in the latter – in a bid to refresh the narratives for a modern audience. Both books take apart the prescribed nature of the romantic novel and question the concept of love in the age of dating
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apps and social media. In the end, Madeleine shows a good deal of foresight in her use of an Anthony Trollope quote: “There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.”
temporarily live out their dreams of a bohemian, carefree life of excess. They may be a fan of the punk aesthetic, or simply not enjoy early mornings. Anyway, when amorality and excess are needed, who better to look to than Bret Easton Ellis? Ellis’s novel The Rules of Attraction (1987) On your fellow students focuses on a group of licentious and boisterous On that cheery thought, we move on to those people college students in Camden College, New Hampshire. you’ll be living with; yes, possibly the Ralph Lauren- Their outward pretence of exuberance masks violence, depression and self-loathing and the novel clad, Prosecco-popping people in the room next becomes increasingly bleak. Ellis’s depiction of door. The campus novel constantly returns to the idea that the wealthy, academic elite will fascinate Classics students dressed “‘like undertakers” is later echoed in Tartt’s The Secret History. and repel you in equal measure. Donna Tartt’s debut novel, The Secret History (1992) – which is as (*literary slang for heavy drinking and all-night parties) beautifully written and enthralling as you would expect from someone who famously takes up to ten On academia years to finish a novel – follows Richard Papen as Although actual studying is thin on the ground in he becomes a member of an exclusive group of Classics students and is swiftly embroiled in their the campus novel (after all, nothing interesting pagan rituals, clique politics and, ultimately, murder. ever came from describing someone highlighting lecture notes in the library), we do get an insight The five Greek scholars making up the sect into the – frankly dreary – life of the university strive for academic genius, while alienating themselves from the wider student population and having professor. a fondness for all-white clothing. Papen finds the J. M. Coetzee’s Booker Prize-winning novel Disgrace (1999) parallels the personal and the behaviour of the group increasingly bizarre and peculiar, but cannot resist their intoxicating com- political, as University of Cape Town teacher David Lurie is forced to deal with the fallout from his affair bination of wealth and privilege. with a student, while the negative consequences F. Scott Fitzgerald’s semi-autobiographical novel This Side of Paradise (1920) also looks at pres- of South Africa’s apartheid regime become apparent. tige and tracks the unstable relationship between Pnin (1957), by Vladimir Nabokov, comically depicts the mishaps of Russian-born professor Timofey Amory Blaine and the young debutante Rosalind Connage at Princeton University. The book explores Pnin at a college in the US. Nabokov’s novel is best described as a tragicomedy; pain and humiliation the quest for status, prosperity and the eventual are hidden beneath Pnin’s continual bumbling. loss of both. The success of the novel convinced Fitzgerald’s love interest Zelda to marry him and its Zadie Smith’s On Beauty (2005), meanwhile, sees publication is seen as the beginning of their life of two professors, Howard and Monty, compete for professional status amid a wider clash of values, celebrity and revelry in the Roaring Twenties. culture and ideas of race. Elsewhere, the life changes that accompany Every so often a book disappears in a veil of meeting a new group of people and moving to a new city are best illustrated by James Joyce’s depic- anonymity, only to suddenly reappear to renewed tion of a Dublin student’s transformation in A Portrait critical and commercial success. One such book is of the Artist as a Young Man (1916). The protago- Stoner (1965), by John Williams. Initially published nist, Stephen, decides to pursue the life of an artist to a lacklustre reception, Williams’ novel has subwhen he becomes disillusioned with the institutions sequently been dubbed “the greatest American of education, family and religion. Joyce is never an novel you’ve never heard of ” by The New Yorker. easy read, but your dedication will be richly rewar- Williams manages to find poignant intricacy in the ded by this supremely crafted and complex novel. anonymous and undistinguished life of an English professor. The conclusion: professors might appear wary and aloof, but they are just as complicated On partying as you are. The bohemian lifestyle* is a central component Find book reviews, features, events, author interviews and of the campus novel. Invariably, a particular section more at theskinny.co.uk/books of students will use the university experience to 2015-2016
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Things to Make and Chew Food is confusing, so we’ll keep things simple – here’s our guide to the basics of food, from the right way to buy a chicken to how to stop your friends accidentally headbutting restaurant staff Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Raj Dhunna
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o you’re all settled into your new digs, having rearranged the place to make space for that musical instrument you’ll probably give up on within the next few weeks. It’s hungry work, so it’s time for some food. But – and here’s the funny thing – you’ve got to deal with it yourself, rather than shouting the word “sandwich” at any relative within earshot. Fear not, we can help. If you’re going to cook, you’ll need some basic kit. Key words here are “some” and “basic”; not “loads” or “bizarre and multicoloured”. Essentially, your student cooking equipment list runs like this – a big saucepan (for pasta and soups), a little sauce-pan (for stuff that doesn’t need to go in the big saucepan), two frying pans (one big, one small), a couple of ovenproof dishes and chopping boards, a metal sieve (which can double as a steamer with a little rejigging) and little and large knives. That’s the lot; no ‘flavour shakers’ or ‘slap chops’ required. Keep your kit list small, and spend reasonably on the stuff you do buy, and you’ll notice three things. Your equipment will last a while, because you went for the middle option in Ikea rather than trying to load as many cheap pans into one of those blue bags as possible. Your washing-up will never be more than a few pots and boards, so you’ll know straight away who’s taking the piss with the dishes (clue: it’s not you). And here’s the crucial bit – you’ll actually be able to take all your best cooking gear with you without giving yourself a hernia. You’ll probably move house every nine months for the next few years, and will thank us when all your pots and pans fit in one box. So your cupboard is full of bits of sharp metal and plastic; time to get some food! To the shops! Simple rules to follow here – first is to buy things whole. For example, don’t buy bits of chicken, get a whole one and then break it into the bits you need.
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You’ll get some good use out of the knife and board from two paragraphs ago, you’ll save money, and you’ll end up with loads to eat now and plenty to stick in the freezer for later. Next, scout out your local shops and find out when they start reducing stuff to clear. If you live in any kind of vaguely studenty area then mini-supermarkets will be all over the place like a rash, so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to get half-price loaves of bread or family-size trifles for 20p. If you follow these two rules then you might just have some student loan left over to go to some of the lovely indie food shops your city has to offer; the kind of places that not only sell really nice stuff, but actually like to talk about it, and will even give you a bit of advice if you ask nicely.
“ You’ll probably move house every nine months for the next few years, and will thank us when all your pots and pans fit in one box” As for cooking itself, there are a few basic building blocks and skills to familiarise yourself with. Explaining how to turn that chicken from earlier into ‘bits of chicken’ really works better visually than written down, so get on YouTube and check it out. If you’re making a soup or sauce, you’ll need a mirepoix – that’s two parts chopped onion, ▶
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one part each of carrots and celery. Cook that for a while and you’ve got the base for a whole load of recipes. And don’t throw away the browned bits at the bottom of pans and dishes – chuck in some wine or some stock and you’re on the way to making gravy. You aren’t nearly setting the flat on fire, you’re deglazing. Go you! Of course, sometimes you won’t want to cook, and that’s fine. After all, there is a whole world going on outside, so it seems remiss to not at least give it a chance. While the world of catering may not be entirely new to you, student life will probably be the first time you experience the grown-up embarrassment of having to wrangle a group of uncouth friends through a meal. There are a couple of simple things to remember: most restaurants serve the diners from the right, so get everyone talking to the person on their left (thus avoiding any accidental waiter-headbutting); don’t leave your knife and fork or chopsticks crossed (it is variously bad luck and a sign that you’re still eating, even if there’s nothing there); and for the love of God, leave a tip (and try not to be a dick about it). And when you hit the pub, rest assured you’ll be greeted by a
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bewildering array of bitters, stouts, saisons, pales, porters and other drinks with non-sequitur names and branding.
“If you live in any vaguely studenty area, mini-supermarkets will be all over the place like a rash” And you know what you should do? Ask the bar staff what they’d recommend – they spend their days behind the bar, so if anyone’s going to know what’s nice, it would be them. Or just pick the one with the nicest label – you’re students, you may as well experiment while you have the chance. theskinny.co.uk/food
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Living with FoMO Think all your friends are living more fulfilled lives than you? You may be suffering from FoMO Words: Michael Shea
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iving away from home for the first time can be an intimidating prospect. It’s tempting to hide in your room, log in to social media and see what your friends are up to. To make matters worse, your friends keep posting photos that show what a great time they’re having without you. Look at them having all kinds of fun; eating ice creams, playing with pandas, riding a Zeppelin (we didn’t know they still existed). If you’ve ever felt like this, you’re not alone. Welcome to FoMO. The Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) is a state of anxiety created by a compulsive concern that a person might miss an opportunity for social interaction or a novel experience. The idea has attracted attention in the last few years as researchers try to understand what effect social media has on users’ emotional wellbeing.
“ More than simply Facebook envy, FoMO is a state of anxiety” Advertising companies have been quick to get in on the act. A report by marketing firm J. Walter Thompson describes the lucrative potential of FoMO. While advertising has always been based on the notion that people can be motivated by a desire to keep up with their friends, social media has intensified this effect by bombarding users with a stream of constant updates that exaggerate a sense of “relative deprivation” (think holiday spam). But FoMO is about more than just Facebook envy. Some academics now argue that it creates a vicious cycle as heavy internet users feel increasingly lonely because they substitute social media for real, face-to-face contact with others, which further increases their feeling of isolation, and so 38
on. This can have a profound effect on the user’s state of mind. A study by psychologists at the University of Michigan looked at the impact of Facebook use on the ‘subjective well-being’ of young adults. They found that increased Facebook use correlates with a negative shift in reported life satisfaction and mood. Alarmingly, they found this trend not only on a day-by-day basis, but even at various points within a single day. So what’s the best way to deal with FoMO? We could remove the temptation entirely; throw our phones and laptops into the ocean? That seems a bit melodramatic. Social media is part of our lives now, for good or ill, so the only practical solution is to find ways to manage it.
How to deal with FoMO: 1. Recognise that it is based on a lie: the fantastic life you think you might be missing out on doesn’t really exist. Think about it. When was the last time one of your friends uploaded photos of themselves at the dentist, cutting their toenails, etc. Social media is designed to show us the highlights of each other’s lives, like a nostalgic clip show focusing on the best bits while skipping all of the boring episodes. 2. S chedule in some screen-free time each day, ideally involving some face-to-face interaction with folks – you’ll be surprised how quickly you make friends when you don’t have the option to look at a screen. By following these simple steps, anyone can learn to live with FoMO and enjoy the freedom that comes with exploring the offline world. Failing this, just throw all your devices in the ocean and run naked on the beach. For more on all things digital: theskinny.co.uk/tech
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The Skinny Showcase Every month in The Skinny magazine we showcase the work of earlycareer artists – and over the summer we select at least one favourite from the region’s graduating art schools. Here are our picks from 2015
Ant Hamlyn
Originally from Northampton, Ant Hamlyn now lives and works in Liverpool having completed his degree in Fine Art at Liverpool Hope University. His work “explores participation and the performance of viewing through technological encounters with sculptural objects and installations.” Taking influence from 1960s Minimalists, “particularly the way in which they explored how the viewer would navigate and experience the 2015-2016
sculptures within a space,” he likes to think of his work “as a performance by the viewer, where the made object plays a part in that performance.” He is currently developing a large-scale installation, The Boost Project, for a major show at FACT Liverpool in December 2015, and is part of the 2015 neo:artprize final exhibition. anthamlyn.co.uk Pictured work: State of Play
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Victoria Ruane
From Wigan, Victoria Ruane graduated in 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Photography from Manchester School of Art. She is currently working with the themes of family narratives, memories and the exploration of her own heritage, using mainly analogue photography. Her degree show project, Back Window Looking at Dad’s Shed – “Remnants of my grandmother’s past and 40
day-to-day life through her struggles with memory loss; fleeting, intimate and momentary” – is a collection of imagery from family albums, keepsakes and her own documentations. Victoria also handmakes bound artist books. victoria-ruane.format.com Pictured work: Back Window Looking at Dad’s Shed
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Act Up Wondering where to find theatre societies, and which one offers exactly what you’re looking for? Here’s The Skinny’s handy run-down of what you can find and where
Words: Emma Ainley-Walker
LIPA
Y
ou’re just starting University. Chances are you’re ready to get your head stuck in to some societies, to meet like-minded people, and to start acting out a little bit. If drama is what you’re looking for, The Skinny has got you covered. Here’s our handy overview of where you can do it, how to get involved and which society is best for you – whether you want to write, direct, act or get your hands on the tech gear. Theatre Group at Leeds University will be returning to campus after a trip to the Fringe with The Worry Monster and Five Drinks, both original plays penned by students and chosen by the group’s committee to attend the festival. If it’s writing that you’re interested in, directing, or performing on a grand scale – perhaps not in venue size but as part of the largest arts festival in the world – this is a fantastic opportunity. They’ve already announced their first semester’s programme for the coming year, all chosen from proposals made by members of the society, so if there’s a show you’re dying to produce there will always be the opportunity to pitch it. If it’s musical theatre you’re looking for, the Leeds University Music Theatre Society looks 2015-2016
for musical directors, producers and actors to join their society each year. The first shows announced on their 2015 roster are Sondheim’s Assassins and Ghost – the Musical. The Opera Society put on two shows a year, but members do not have to have extensive background in opera to join. They’ll be putting on The Magic Flute in February. Leeds’ Open Theatre is the society that describes itself as “that little bit different,” from devised shows to The Wind in the Willows and Ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata. As well as performance opportunities there are also workshops for picking up new skills and exploring some old ones. Manchester University Drama Society runs New Writing Showcases, which offer great opportunities for student writers to bring their work to the stage. This year they took Façade, a new play penned and directed by Thomas Glover, to the Fringe. The Manchester University Musical Theatre Society is there for those who are musically inclined. Their most recent production was Titanic the Musical (in no way connected to the film). ▶
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They also put on performance showcases and attended the inaugural Inter-University Musical Theatre Festival in York. Fans of musical theatre can only hope that this is a festival that will continue. In the last academic year the society took home three awards from 13 nominations at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) awards, winning Best Programme, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and Best Director of a Musical.
“It’s almost impossible not to get involved with a bit of theatre at university” Manchester Metropolitan University’s Cheshire campus has both Genesis Theatre and the MMUsical Theatre society while the Manchester School of Theatre is developing a new arts and cultural hub at the University. Until then, their performances will take place off-campus at Manchester’s exciting HOME venue. Liverpool University’s Student Theatre society (LUST) is a musical theatre society putting on two shows a year, with Into the Woods coming
up in December. The less saucily named Liverpool University Drama Society (LUDS) may be one of the most prolific, putting on four large-scale productions a semester, as well as workshops and theatre trips. Students are given the opportunity to act, direct, write, produce and work backstage also. The opportunity to showcase work on a large scale comes as well with a yearly production taken to the Edinburgh Fringe: in 2015 it was absurdist comedy A Traffic Jam on Sycamore Street. Liverpool John Moores University Drama Society boasts a Freshers’ Show on 12 September to kick off their year of events, followed by a Christmas show and end of year show, with plenty of opportunity for students new and old to get involved. The University’s recent history with the arts includes partnering with arts and culture festival Homotopia. Among all this, the city is home to LIPA, where drama, musical theatre and performance aren’t as much societies as they are the reason for attending, making Liverpool an incredible cultural city for students interested in both participating in and watching theatre and the arts. With so much going on – and we’re only scratching the surface here – it’s almost impossible not to get involved with a bit of theatre at university. For theatre previews, reviews and interviews with theatremakers: theskinny.co.uk/theatre
LIPA students in rehearsals for Little Shop of Horrors
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Photo: Gemma Burke
Want Job, Will Travel So you want to see the world, but can’t afford a gap year spent backpacking or volunteering? Three readers tell us their tales of travelling abroad while earning their keep
Teaching English
I never took a gap year or a year abroad, and consequently started to feel claustrophobic in Glasgow, the city I’d called home for six years. So I thought about teaching. There’s always demand for people willing to teach English, after all. I applied to an agency for jobs teaching in China and things took off very quickly. I was recommended to a school in Beijing, and within a month of Skype interviews and demo lessons I was offered a contract to teach at a private school for a year. Before deciding whether to head for Beijing, everyone I spoke to explained how lucky I was; how jealous they were. It frustrated me – they weren’t the ones who would have to uproot and live in China for a year. It’s strange how quickly we can accept things after dreading them for so long, but I found that I adapted to life in Beijing very quickly. Obviously, the main problem is the language barrier, but you can get by with a very minimal understanding of Chinese. The next concern? Actually teaching the children. I had absolutely no experience with 2015-2016
them, but figured I’d catch up when I got there, and really – I did. We were given no training at all on how to give a class. But when it went well, it was very enjoyable. Sometimes I had to check myself because my three hour working day had consisted of singing songs, playing games and colouring with kids. That said, one year was enough for me. There were times when I thought I couldn’t make it through to the end of the contract, and times where I felt silly for giving up a good deal so soon, but I knew China wasn’t for me long-term. I thought that living in a different culture would make me a bit less particular and fussy about things, but I was surprised to find that I was more stubborn and confident in my own opinions and preferences than ever before. To quote Confucius: “no matter where you go – there you are.” I went halfway around the world to find out that I’m the same person I’ve always been. [Gemma Burke] For more information on teaching English check out the teaching abroad section on interexchange.org
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Photo: Leo-Setä
Chalet host
There’s something about places like Méribel, where the 18-25s gather to ‘work’ a ski season. They are in the middle of quintessential France while having roughly enough French people living there to fill a Fiat Punto. Mostly you’ll be surrounded by Brits and Aussies who are either on a gap year, adventuring post-study or who started that way and have decided to live winter season in the Alps and summer season in Bali. With the ski area arguably the biggest and one of the best in the world, it’s definitely a top destination if you want to ski/board your winter away. Conditions are always right somewhere, and it’s just as exciting for the novice seasonaire as it is for the veterans. If you want the best deal, head for a job at one of the high-end chalet companies where you’ll get the likes of accommodation, ski passes, insurance, flights and ski hire included, as well as the use of the chalet hot tub and sauna when the guests are out. And sometimes when they’re in, too. Highlights could include having James Morrison (’member him?) stay in your chalet, complete with a gang of his tipping-shy pals. You also might wind up with a food and drink budget for your staff accom’, meaning you’ll earn c£500/ month plus tips – and live off the latter alone. The other end of the scale is to go for the likes of bar work, where things are as laid back as they can be. However, you’ll likely end up with way fewer freebies, accommodation that boasts no windows and bedrooms shared with up to six other staff members, plus evening guests. Top tips: make pals with the bar staff at the Ronnie and eat pizza at the place at the square 44
at the bottom of the Golf Run. Oh, and if hosting, don’t piss off your chalet chef. [Kyla Hall] For info, myjobsearch.com/careers/chalet-host.html
Busking
I am one half of Wonderful Exile – a professional music duo from Glasgow who have been travelling around Europe for the past year, sustaining ourselves entirely through busking. This invites a mixed response from people – non-musicians question street music as a viable profession, and musicians doubt their ability to earn enough on the street, but the fact is, there is potential for busking to be a professional occupation rather than a hobby.
“We visit incredible places solely through the money that busking brings in” Imogen Stirling I graduated in the summer of 2014 and my partner was considering a year out of university. We’d joked about setting off for mainland Europe with the guitar and one day thought – why not? We knew nothing about busking in Europe and were unsure about swapping the stage for the streets. But it would be an adventure, if nothing else.
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In September, we travelled to Amsterdam where our small store of saved money swiftly disappeared – and we had to begin busking. We were successful from the start. We had the natural appeal of being a couple, and a Scottish one at that (Scotland’s a popular country!) We wanted to stand out from other street performers, remain professional musicians, but still appear personable and approachable enough to appeal to passers-by. In order to hold their attention we needed something different. So, we looked at where our strengths lay and fit our songs accordingly. We turned dance-pop into jazz, ballads into rock, and indie into country. We smiled, we engaged with everyone who wanted to speak to us, and we listened to their stories in return. We’re sticking to Europe for now – it’s rooted within the culture to have street music, and therefore is the most profitable option. We thought bigger cities would guarantee an audience but realised that these cities could drown us out. Instead, we looked for smaller places with less of an established music scene. I’d recommend Delft (The Netherlands), Lugano (Switzerland), Bruges (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany). A surprising number of places strictly regulate busking, require that you purchase a license, or even forbid street music altogether. But we’ve found that these rules, and the police who enforce them, are to be respected but not feared. We live a varied lifestyle – alternating between hostels, Couchsurfing and Airbnb for accommodation, shopping at markets for food, experiencing the art and culture of other countries, and visiting incredible places – solely through the money that busking brings in. It’s not a hobby or a way to de-stress from other work – it’s our job. [Imogen Stirling]
Trying to find a way to make a dollar on your travels? Teaching and busking aren’t your only options... Tour Guiding – English as a native language can come in extremely useful. Cities like Rome and Barcelona are full of UK folk showing tourists around, and there are loads of tour companies offering positions travelling from country to country leading excursions. Sound exciting? Well, head to transitionsabroad.com for more information. Club Reppin’ – where clubbing is essentially your job, all day (and night), seven days a week. Think you can handle that? Sure you can. Failing that, you could just be the responsible one who ferries the hungover populace to and from the airport and makes sure that all the party people are having a great time. Find out more at holidayrep.careerintravel.co.uk Party Hosting and Escorting – These options suffer a bit of a bad rep, but did Billie Piper teach you nothing? Thing is, if the strings to your bow happen to be ones of charm and chat, this one is a genuine earner. Just make sure you’re in a country where it’s legal and that you’re supported by a reputable agency who’ll protect you if necessary. Head to the States – Anyone enrolled in a university or accredited post-secondary institutions can apply to work for a short time in the USA with a J-1 visa. From there, there’s no restriction on the type of work available – from internships at blue chip corporations to experiencing the infamous USA service industry. Head to j1visa.state.gov/programs/ summer-work-travel to find out more. theskinny.co.uk/travel
Photo: Gemma Burke
Wonderful Exile haven’t finished our travels just yet. To see where we are and what we’re doing, visit: wonderfulexile.com
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Roll the Dice Planning your gig calendar? DICE offers tickets to the best shows, club nights and festivals with no booking or transaction fees. Here are our top picks
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erbyshire trio Haiku Salut describe their music as “Baroque-Pop-Folktronic-NeoClassical-Something-Or-Other,” which doesn’t quite do justice to the cinematic scope of their Yann Tiersen-esque instrumentals. They play Hallé St Peter’s on 8 Sep, and should leave you spellbound. Coming to Gorilla on 2 Oct, meanwhile, are Minneapolis’s alt-rap mainstays Atmosphere, who’ve been throwing down beats and rhymes since 1989; their appreciation of the architecture of hip-hop makes them a force to be reckoned with. At Manchester Cathedral on 7 Oct are slowcore progenitors Low. Helmed by husbandwife duo Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, the Minnesota band were once renowned for silencing overly talkative crowds by simply turning their amps down. In their current incarnation as beloved indie rock veterans there’s more emphasis on volume, but as new album Ones and Sixes proves, they’re still as spectrally captivating as ever. On record, Speedy Ortiz (Sound Control, 16 Oct) are a delightfully fuzzy concoction of off-kilter alt. pop, recalling the likes of Helium and The Breeders. Live, however, they’re a kaleidoscopic glitterbomb of squalling volume and guitar scree, all anchored by the hypnotic voice of Sadie Depuis. Finally, with Mates of State (Soup Kitchen, 26 Oct), it’s the sense of joy that hits you first – luckily, they’ve also got the hooks to leave a lasting impression. Latest EP You’re Going to Make It shows them at their technicolour best. For the best gigs with no booking fees, download DICE from the App Store or Google Play dice.fm
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Photo: Alex Woodward
Low
Venue Guide
2015-2016
Illustration: Raj Dhunna
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Liverpool Docks and Baltic Triangle 48
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Baltic Triangle, Ropewalks and Hope Street 2015-2016
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Liverpool
Berry & Rye
FOOD & DRINK
use of the freshest ingredients available, so you’ll be served quality flavours every time.
1. Berry & Rye
48 Berry St | @berry_and_rye Hidden away on Berry Street where only those in the know will find it, Berry & Rye is a prohibition era themed bar specialising in whiskey, blues, jazz and gin. Dim lights and candles flickering in old wine bottles give this place an aged feel, as if you’ve stepped into a 1930s Chicago speakeasy.
2. Yardbird
60 Berry St | @YardbirdsRgo It’s about time you forgot everything you thought you knew about American-style fast food; the Deep South-themed Yardbird specialises in fried chicken, doughnuts and milkshakes, following the trend of hip joints that seek to transform ordinary fast food into something a little more dynamic.
3. MOJO
The Stables, Back Berry St @MOJOLiverpool Step inside Mojo and you’ll quickly realise why this New York dive bar style hangout is so well-loved for its unrivalled cocktails and mouthwatering food. Head down in the day to try out the food menu, which serves up classic ‘dirty food’ – we’re talking burgers, wings and nachos, smothered in sauce.
4. Santa Chupitos
41 Slater St | @santachupitos One for the cocktail connoisseur, Santa Chupitos is the go-to place to try a host of adventurous drinks. With an ever-changing list of cocktails it’s worth revisiting to sample something you haven’t tried before – the seasonal menu alters to make 50
5. Brooklyn Mixer
78 Seel St | @BrklynMxr Known for its top ‘eats and beats,’ Brooklyn Mixer can be found in an old Georgian house on Seel Street. You can choose from a wide selection of weird and wonderful beers from all over the world, including classic European lagers, strong stouts and dark ales – no wonder it’s one of the most popular bars in Liverpool.
6. Sound Food and Drink
52 Duke St | @SoundFoodnDrink A popular joint for students and locals alike, Sound Food and Drink hosts regular live music and DJs, as well as a stash of locally brewed beers behind the bar. Head to Sound in the morning for a hearty hangover-curing fry up, or visit during the rest of the day for pizzas, nachos and sharing platters.
7. The Baltic Social
25 Parliament St | @thebalticsocial Well-loved for its laidback vibe and great live music schedule, The Baltic Social has top food and great drinks. Be sure to book ahead if you’re coming along for the punk afternoon tea, which offers a whole new take on afternoon tea, with burgers, hotdogs and pick’n’mix!
8. The Egg Cafe
Top Floor, 16-18 Newington @TheEggCafe A long-time favourite of Liverpool’s bohemian crowd, The Egg Cafe has maintained its reputation for over 30 years for a reason. Dishing up
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fresh vegetarian and vegan food and having a BYOB policy, this is a place where you can have a three course meal with a bottle of wine for less than £12.
9. Maguire’s Pizza Bar
77 Renshaw St | @MaguiresPizza Where pizza meets punk rock! Although Maguire’s Pizza Bar may look a little mismatched with its black and white checkered floor, old furniture and framed picture of David Hasselhoff on the bar, who’s complaining when you can get a slice of delicious stone-cooked pizza and a can of cider for £3.50?
10. Bakchich
54 Bold St | @Bakchich_Boldst The proliferation of Lebanese street food has been a bonus to Bold Street, and Bakchich provides a menu that tops the lot. On top of a great choice of small plates, mains and sweets, it serves up some of Liverpool’s tastiest teas and freshly mixed juices.
11. Leaf
65-67 Bold St | @leafteashop Leaf is a true tea-lover’s haven, with a wide variety of unique tea flavours on offer as well as a kitchen dishing up delicious hand-crafted food. You’ll also find a variety of unique events and sessions on offer, including life drawing, electrified yoga, a knitting club and a book club.
12. Mowgli Street Food
69 Bold St | @Mowglistfood More than a few restaurants are jumping on board the street food trend nowadays, but Mowgli is easily one of the more authentic ones around. This place is a plate-free zone with all dishes served in metal tiffin boxes – just like you’d get with the real thing in India.
13. Bold Street Coffee
89 Bold St | @boldstcoffee This Bold Street institution is a lovely little place to go for lunch, or to catch up over coffee with a friend. Caffeine lovers will enjoy the range of speciality coffees, and the featured filter coffee changes regularly – perfect if you want to discover something new.
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14. Maray
91 Bold St | @MarayLiverpool A casual, friendly dining environment, Maray is super flexible, whether you just fancy a quick snack or a full on meal with friends. As the menu focuses on sharing plates, you’ll find Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired dishes put together from fresh, high quality ingredients.
15. East Avenue Bakehouse
112 Bold St | @EABakehouse It’s their range of freshly baked bread, sold daily at the shop, that really makes East Avenue Bakehouse stand out. They also bake a variety of cakes, macarons and pastries, though these never stay on the shelves for long, so get your hands on ’em quick!
16. The Cow&Co Cafe
15 Cleveland Sq | @CowandCoCafe Cow&Co is known for its artisan coffee, locally supplied food and wide collection of independent arts magazines. The food menu changes seasonally to make the most of the freshest foods available, but all year round you’re likely to find some kind of soup, sandwich or bagel made from locally sourced ingredients.
17. The Quarter
7 Falkner St | @TheQuarterLivpl A short trip away from the University campus, The Quarter is a perfect setting to get to know your new mates over a tasty meal. The menu serves up a contemporary twist on European food – you’ll find plenty of meze staples, sharing boards and pizzas with crispy Italian style bases – all made from locally sourced products.
18. Neon Jamon
12 Smithdown Pl | @neonjamon Centred around exquisite tapas dishes, Neon Jamon – located just outside of town in Smithdown – comes as a serious recommendation from foodies. The food is authentically Spanish: you’ll discover a huge selection of cheeses, charcuterie and so many tapas dishes that you’re bound to find something to suit all tastes.
19. Raggas
27 Lark Ln | @RaggasCafe Any city worth its salt has an outstanding Jamaican food spot, and Liverpool’s answer is Raggas, which has three restaurants – one on
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Smithdown Road, another on Bold Street and this branch on Lark Lane. Raggas’ jerk chicken, curried mutton and ackee and saltfish are all joys if you’re looking for something tastier than a dirty burger.
20. The Caledonia
22 Caledonia St | @thecaledonia A pub with a proper homely, traditional feel, The Caledonia’s beer mat covered walls and cheery atmosphere are a welcome change for anyone tired of their local ’Spoons and other gastropubs. Here you’ll find an impressive selection of real ales and traditional homemade food.
CULTURE 21. Metal at Edge Hill
city centre. With top-notch facilities, it has a jam-packed events schedule throughout the year, including anything and everything from concerts to poetry readings. Return visits are a must because, with so many exhibitions and events, one visit is definitely not enough!
25. FACT
88 Wood St | @FACT_Liverpool The Foundation for Art and Creative Technology is a multi-arts venue, and with a cafe, a bar, three galleries and a four-screen cinema, it truly has something for everyone. It hosts a unique programme of exhibitions, films and art projects, and aims to make arts and technology accessible to everyone in the community.
Edge Hill Railway Station @MetalLiverpool You’ll find Metal in a rather unusual location, between platforms one and two at Edge Hill Station, the world’s oldest passenger railway station. It’s possible to overlook Metal because of its unusual site – but it’s a fitting one, carrying on the station’s history of innovation and aspiration. Metal hosts a number of talks and workshops throughout the year.
26. Unity Theatre
22. Walker Art Gallery
William Brown St | @walkergallery The Walker is home to one of the finest art collections in Europe, including beautiful paintings, sculptures and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day. As the national gallery of the North, it’s also one of the must-visit art galleries in the UK.
Hope St | @liverpoolphil The Philharmonic Hall is one of the city’s most prestigious concert venues and home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, one of the world’s most famous orchestras. The Phil hosts a wide range of contemporary rock, pop, folk, roots, jazz and blues concerts, in addition to festivals and comedy shows.
23. The Capstone Theatre
28. Everyman and Playhouse
17 Shaw St | @capstonetheatre This multi-arts venue aims to bring new and experimental experiences to Liverpool. The Capstone Theatre hosts live music from local, national and international artists, welcoming jazz, folk, classical and international music to the stage. It’s also home to the Liverpool International Jazz Festival, as well as Milapfest, which organises performances of Indian dance and music.
24. The Bluecoat
School Ln | @theBluecoat An art gallery and creative hub, The Bluecoat is also the oldest surviving building in Liverpool 52
1 Hope Pl | @unitytheatre One of Liverpool’s best loved spaces, the Unity is a small-scale theatre hosting touring productions, in-house creations and upcoming standup comedy acts. The award-winning theatre is at the heart of the Liverpool community, supporting new budding dramatic talent and providing a space for radical and experimental productions.
27. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
5-11 Hope St / Williamson Sq @LivEveryPlay Having relaunched in 2014, the Everyman is a stalwart of the Liverpool theatre scene. In partnership with the Playhouse theatre (which can be found on Williamson Square), the Everyman hosts a full programme of groundbreaking productions throughout the year.
29. The Black-E
Great George St | @TheBlackE One of the UK’s oldest community arts projects, The Black-E is located in Great George Street Congregational Church, one of the city’s old 19thcentury buildings. The Black-E plays host to a wide
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SAVVY STUDENTS
WED 7 TH OCT
7-9
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range of activities including art, music, performance and wellbeing (to name a few!).
30. The Slaughterhouse
13-15 Fenwick St | @SHouseLiverpool Home to regular live music and comedy nights, The Slaughterhouse hosts the Laughterhouse Comedy Club in its basement every weekend, its underground location providing the perfect setting for standup comedy. Expect to see some of comedy’s biggest names and promising up-andcoming talent.
31. Open Eye Gallery
19 Mann Island | @OpenEyeGallery An independent, not-for-profit gallery, Open Eye is one of the UK’s leading photography spaces. Strikingly laid out over two floors, it’s the only art gallery of its kind in the Northwest and has a fascinating archive of photographs from the 1930s as well as an extensive collection of contemporary photography.
32. Tate Liverpool
Albert Dock | @tateliverpool The Liverpool branch of the Tate family resides in a converted warehouse on the historic and iconic Albert Dock. The gallery displays works from the Tate Collection, which includes British art from 1500 to the present day, and it also plays host to regular temporary exhibitions and an active events programme.
33. The Royal Standard
Unit 3, Vauxhall Business Centre, 131 Vauxhall Rd | @Royal_Standard A short walk from the city centre, this artist-led gallery provides both a supportive hub for artists and a space to display their work. The Royal Standard has a strong innovative streak; a new team of directors is appointed every two years to keep the organisation’s ideas and energy fresh, so it’s well worth popping in from time to time.
MUSIC & CLUBS 34. 02 Academy
11-13 Hotham St | @O2AcademyLpool One of the major venues for gigs in Liverpool, the O2 Academy sees big and mid-sized touring names take the stage alongside unsigned talent, allowing gig-goers to get up close and personal with emerging acts on their way to the top. 54
35. The Shipping Forecast
15 Slater St | @ship_forecast The Shipping Forecast’s underground gig venue, The Hold, is one of Liverpool’s top spots for catching a DJ or band due to its intimate size and attractive, stripped-back aesthetic, complete with exposed brick walls. The crowd is a genuine mixed bag, due to the varied and eclectic music programming.
36. Arts Club
90 Seel St | @ArtsClubHQ The Arts Club has established itself as one of Liverpool’s most popular gig venues. Foals and Fatboy Slim have taken to the stage here, and the Arts Club plays an important part in Liverpool’s cultural scene by showcasing the finest local and national talent through music, comedy and club nights.
37. Studio 2
33-45 Parr St | @parrststudios The former home of the legendary Parr Street Studios, where the likes of The Smiths recorded, Studio 2 nowadays is the only live music venue in Liverpool dedicated to jazz, swing and blues – and, thanks to its studio past, the fabric of the building lends itself very well to a great musical experience.
38. Camel Club
18-22 Wood St | @camel_club Camel Club is particularly popular with students for its club nights throughout the week (Unibar Mondays, Vibe Thursdays, Trend Fridays). The music is largely R’n’B and hip-hop but the DJs are prone to throw in some classic tunes as well as the latest trap and dancehall hits.
39. Liverpool Guild of Students
160 Mount Pleasant | @LiverpoolGuild Renovated and reopened in autumn 2014, the Liverpool Guild of Students has put Liverpool University back on the national touring map, with its 2,300-capacity Mountford Hall having already hosted the likes of Ryan Adams, Christopher Owens and Jamie T alongside a host of studentfriendly club nights.
40. Bumper
14-18 Hardman St | @TheBumper Head down to Bumper to dance the night away to the latest R'n'B, hip-hop and dance tunes or
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check out new emerging local bands and DJs. Bumper is a very popular student hotspot so you'll find weeknights here to be as buzzing as the weekends.
41. The Magnet
45 Hardman St | @magnetliverpool Hosting some of the best gigs and club nights in Liverpool, with plenty of up-and-coming artists from the local area as well as further afield, The Magnet has always been a melting pot for different musical genres – but you can expect a soundtrack of Northern Soul, disco and funk at its core.
42. Constellations
35-39 Greenland St | @ConstellationsL A warehouse space in the Baltic Triangle, Constellations hosts a wide range of art and live music events, from cool gigs to Morning Gloryville, an early morning rave designed to get you energised and feeling good for the day ahead. Be sure to check out the urban garden when the weather warms up.
43. Camp and Furnace
67 Greenland St | @CampandFurnace This vast venue is one of Liverpool’s most cuttingedge and magical spaces. Located in the Baltic Triangle, which is rapidly becoming a creative hotspot, Camp and Furnace hosts music festivals, art exhibitions, popup events and festivals, live music and club nights.
44. District
61 Jordan St | @picketliverpool District has a packed events schedule full of gigs, club nights and even film screenings, and has the potential to be one of the best clubs and nights out in Liverpool. The type of music here varies – expect house, techno and much more.
45. 24 Kitchen Street
24 Kitchen St | @24KitchenStreet Whatever your music tastes, you’ll find a night that’s right up your, erm, street at 24 Kitchen Street. With a glorious mishmash of house, hiphop, electro and garage, there’s something for everyone. Head down on a bhangra/dancehall/ soca night, or look out for samba dance and drumming nights for something a little different..
2015-2016
SHOPS 46. Probe Records
Unit 1 School Ln | @ProbeRecords Probe’s renaissance since moving to The Bluecoat came about at the same time as the resurgence in popularity of vinyl. Not that Probe really needed it – it’s always been Liverpool’s go-to shop for all things indie, punk, psych and underground.
47. Cass Art
18 School Ln | @CASSART This art supplies shop has got everything you could need, whether you’re a devoted artist, a hardworking art student or just trying out a new hobby. The impossibly neat shelves are stocked with a huge range of paint, brushes and all manner of other equipment at affordable prices – they even offer a student discount.
48. Lost Art
3-5 Slater St | @lostartshop The first port of call for skaters in Liverpool, Lost Art sells boards and everything else that comes with them, including products to keep them in a good condition. They also stock trainers, hats and clothes from the likes of Adidas, Nike and Vans.
49. News from Nowhere
96 Bold St | @newsfromnowhere This co-operative bookshop provides a literary sanctuary for the curious, radical readers of Liverpool. You’ll find books covering everything from feminism, LGBT and anarchism to socialism, sustainable living and so much more. Visitors are invited to make themselves at home with cosy armchairs and even a kettle!
50. 69A Renshaw
75 Renshaw St | @69aliverpool Although Liverpool has a whole host of vintage and charity shops worth perusing, none are more individual than 69A. You’ll find absolutely anything here, whether you mean to look for it or not. From clothes and vinyl to intriguing collectibles and antiques, it’ll help you decorate your house with one-of-a-kind homeware. For more venue guides, tips on where to go and what to do, visit theskinny.co.uk
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Common
FOOD & DRINK 1. MOJO
59 Bridge St | @MOJOMANCHESTER Located off Deansgate, MOJO is tucked away among high street shops – not where you’d expect to find a bar like this. It’s really all about the cocktails here – each one is, in their words, “mixed with a dash of epic,” and you’ll find plenty of classic drinks and more than a few of their own inventions.
2. The King’s Arms
11 Bloom St, Salford | @kingssalford The King’s Arms is more than your standard local. Downstairs is a proper pub, with a beer garden, real ale from local breweries, and food served in the day. But it’s upstairs that makes it stand out: here you’ll find an array of artistic entertainment with regular events including local improv theatre and standup comedy.
3. Deli-Lama
220 Chapel St, Salford @DeliLamaCafeBar Serving up mainly vegetarian and vegan food, Deli-Lama’s menu is heavily Caribbean and Mediterranean inspired. With regular menu staples of wraps, sandwiches and curries, they also serve a number of specials, and plenty of cakes.
4. Popup Bikes
Arch 5, Corporation St | @PopupBikes A cycle cafe and bike maintenance shop, Popup Bikes aims to be ethical and fair to customers 60
– the coffee shop serves locally sourced coffee, as well as cakes and sandwiches for hungry cyclists, and the bike repair shop uses cycle components sourced from Worsley and Prestwich.
5. Pho Cafe
Unit 15, The Corn Exchange @PhoRestaurant A brand spanking new Manchester version of the popular Vietnamese street food eatery, Pho Cafe is spread across three floors of the freshly renovated Corn Exchange complex. The speciality is of course the Vietnamese pho noodle soup, but it’s well worth dropping in for a cocktail or light bite too.
6. The Blue Pig
69 High St | @TheBluePigMcr This bohemian, French-inspired drinking den is probably the only bar in Manchester to have a blue pig hanging from the ceiling. With shelves boasting speciality spirits and independently made liqueurs, The Blue Pig is loved for using both well- and lesser-known ingredients to create unique cocktail flavours.
7. Common
39-41 Edge St | @common_bar A lively bar and restaurant, Common attracts plenty of regulars and sociable locals. Having recently gone through a major design change and expansion, it’s also switched up the menu with more on offer (though the popular burgers and sandwiches remain), and now even serve breakfast until the early afternoon.
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Photo: Seb Matthes
Manchester
8. Home Sweet Home
49-51 Edge St | @HomeSweetHomeNQ This Northern Quarter hotspot is always busy, but don’t let that put you off – that just proves that it’s good, and the restaurant’s mismatched furniture and unusual artwork makes it truly live up to its name. Don’t miss out on a huge slice of cake created by legendary local baker Bake-O-Rama.
9. Matt & Phred’s
64 Tib St | @MattandPhreds Matt and Phred’s is the place to visit if you’re looking for a night of raucous dancing and soul-filled music. The club also doubles up as a restaurant with a wide range of pizzas and sharing plates, and behind the bar is a big wine selection and cocktails to rival any others in the city.
10. Koffee Pot
84-86 Oldham St | @thekoffeepot Known for its liver-rejuvenating, shame-vanishing slap-up breakfasts, Koffee Pot is a proper caff with just the right amount of Northern Quarter cool. It’s a Mancunian institution, and anyone will tell you that it’s a favourite hangout of many big names on the Manchester music scene.
11. Kosmonaut
10 Tariff St | @KosmonautMCR A popular hangout with an artsy feel, Kosmonaut serves good food and just about any kind of cocktail you could possibly dream of. The drinks menu provides a tough choice, listing many uniquely mixed cocktails with unusual names and fresh, fruity ingredients.
12. Kukoos
12A Oxford Rd | @KukoosbyZouk Kukoos is a must-visit for a cheap and authentic street food experience. The Oxford Road joint uses fresh ingredients to make Indian, Moroccan and Lebanese meals, available at the most
wallet-friendly of prices. Kukoos also make freshly made-to-order dosas, as well as smoothies and lassis for those with a sweet tooth.
13. Umami
147-153 Oxford Rd If Japanese food is your thing then this Oxford Road restaurant is for you. The menu lists lots of noodle and rice dishes including ramen and stir fries, as well as curries and salads. Umami is student friendly, offering a student discount, meaning cheap lunch is available between lectures.
14. Big Hands
296 Oxford Rd | @BigHandsBar Sitting in prime position on Oxford Road, Big Hands is close enough to university to drown your sorrows after submitting your final essay a day late, and close enough to the Academies to continue the party once the music’s over. You’re sure to spot some musical types here, either hiding in the back or lounging on a 70s-style sofa.
15. Mughli
30 Wilmslow Rd | @mughli While Mughli may be situated on the ever-busy ‘Curry Mile,’ its food is, er, miles apart from many of the other offerings on this bustling strip of restaurants and shisha cafes. Taking inspiration from the roadside cafes and street food of Lahore, the menu offers a large selection of tried and tested curries, updated with a modern touch.
16. Fallow Cafe
2A Landcross Rd | @fallowcafe A small, ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ bar and live venue in central Fallowfield, Fallow Cafe is a popular student hangout thanks to its fab food and chaotic gigs. The cafe is home to a menu rammed with homemade food that won’t break the bank, breakfast served ’til late, and incredible roast dinners on Sundays.
Fallow Cafe
2015-2016
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17. Fuel
CULTURE
448 Wilmslow Rd | @fuelcafebar You’re likely to have discovered Fuel around the same time you and your friends began discussing socialism/vegetarianism/feminism (delete as appropriate). Fuel offers a reasonably priced menu for lovers of hearty vegan cuisine. Here you’ll drink Belgian beers, smoke rollies in the impossibly small porch of the bar and most likely debate existentialism.
21. Castlefield Gallery
2 Hewitt St | @CastlefieldGall A visual art gallery and artist development agency, Castlefield Gallery hosts a number of exhibitions every year, showcasing work from both local contemporary artists and those from further afield. At the heart of its ethos is a determination to nurture talent, which gives the gallery a vital role in the Northwest art scene.
18. Dulcimer Bar
22. Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
567 Wilbraham Rd | @dulcimerbar Dulcimer boasts a wide range of bottles and ales on tap, but if malt and hops aren’t your thing, you can choose from a cocktail list of classics, and a surprisingly excellent soft drinks list – are there any other bars that serve rhubarb and rosehip cordial?
Market Buildings, Thomas St @CFCCA_UK The Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art’s aim is to promote, showcase and support contemporary Chinese artists through its in-house exhibitions, community outreach work and educational creative workshops. The shop offers a variety of artwork inspired gifts, and the Tea House is worth a visit too.
19. The Horse and Jockey
9 The Green | @HorseJockey Located in a picturesque Tudor building in the centre of Chorlton, The Horse and Jockey is a charming country pub away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. The pub’s seasonal, ever-changing menu boasts a huge range of food and its deli counter stocks a range of locally sourced products.
23. Royal Exchange Theatre
St Ann’s Sq | @rxtheatre The Royal Exchange’s gigantic glass-walled auditorium, suspended in mid-air, is an innovation in theatre design that completely alters the audience’s experience. The programme ranges from comedy to drama, from the most famous plays to brand new stories, and the odd conversation with popular writers, directors and actors.
20. The Art of Tea
47 Barlow Moor Rd | @ArtOfTeaUK This off-the-map gem offers more than just a pretty tea break for Didsbury locals. The food is top notch, with a varied mix of staples and a constantly evolving specials board. The beer and wine selection also delivers, and if it’s a decent brew you’re after, the loose leaf tea selection won’t disappoint.
24. Bridgewater Hall
Lower Mosley St | @BridgewaterHall Housed in a beautifully angular building that juts out into the surrounding area, the Bridgewater Hall has a busy programme of more than 250 performances a year. It’s also home to three resident orchestras – The Hallé, Manchester Camerata, and the BBC Philharmonic, who perform there on a regular basis.
Castlefield Gallery
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Photo: Steve Alandg
25. International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge St @misterenderby Dedicated to encouraging public interest in the life and work of the writer Anthony Burgess, best known for his gnawing dystopia A Clockwork Orange, the Burgess Foundation is a literary performance and exhibition space housing a large
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archive of Burgess’s original manuscripts, space for new writers and spoken word performers, and a reading room.
26. HOME
2 Tony Wilson Pl | @HOME_mcr Founded after the Library Theatre Company and the much beloved Cornerhouse cinema merged, HOME holds two theatre spaces, five cinema screens, a huge gallery space and much more. The centre prides itself on being the place to visit to find engaging and innovative media, pushing creative boundaries in order to bring inventive works to Manchester.
transformed and doubled in size. Its collection of 55,000 items includes paintings by world renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and L.S. Lowry.
27. RNCM
MUSIC & CLUBS
Oxford Rd | @RNCMvoice In addition to being a world-renowned conservatoire, the Royal Northern College of Music also hosts student-led showcases and big-name artists. Manchester Camerata and big bands sit perfectly alongside FKA twigs and Tim Burgess in an incredibly varied programme that suits all tastes and supports brand new musical talent.
28. Manchester Museum
The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd @McrMuseum An easily accessible cultural extravanganza, with live animals to boot! Boasting a large collection of wild amphibians and reptiles, Manchester Museum’s mission is to save some of the world’s most endangered species. There are monthly Urban Naturalists meetings (advice: don’t get this confused with naturist), an opportunity to educate oneself on all manner of biodiversity topics.
29. Contact
Oxford Rd | @ContactMcr This distinctive looking theatre offers a range of genre-defying projects and events, its vision being for all performances to inspire creativity and empower both the performers and the visitors. It’s the perfect place to go for a last minute evening out, as you never know what you’ll end up watching.
30. Whitworth Art Gallery
The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd @WhitworthArt Located on part of the University of Manchester’s grounds in a historical Grade II listed building, the Whitworth Art Gallery was recently 2015-2016
Cornelia Parker at Whitworth Art Gallery
31. Islington Mill
1 James St, Salford | @islingtonmill A former cotton spinning mill converted into a gallery space and venue, Islington Mill is recognised as one of the city’s most exciting creative spaces. The gig venue has been home to shows by Grimes and Everything Everything in past years, and it’s also become the central location for the yearly Sounds from the Other City festival.
32. Albert Hall
27 Peter St | @Alberthallmcr Possibly the most impressive music venue to open in Manchester in recent years, Albert Hall has already welcomed an impressive roster of acts to its stage. Expect anything and everything from drum’n’bass to orchestras – and if music isn’t your thing, it’s worth a trip to gawp at the decorative ceilings and stained-glass windows.
33. South
4A South King St | @South_Club A basement club that guarantees a good night out, South gets a fair few guest DJs in and the odd live performance from local and touring rappers, but it’s the regular nights that are the best loved. Look out for the great lineups promoters Zutekh and Tpot bring to the courtyard.
34. Band on the Wall
25 Swan St | @bandonthewall Beloved by locals, this not-for-profit venue brings the best local and international musical talent to a rather legendary Mancunian stage. Welcoming practically any genre of music, it’s also a popular location for club nights, with
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Islington Mill
events such as Craig Charles’ Funk’n’Soul Club taking place on a monthly basis.
of offers on too, with two for one cocktails every Sunday and cheaper drinks for members every weekday.
35. The Castle
66 Oldham St | @thecastlehotel A pub and live music venue with a richly impressive history and a cult status among the folks of Manchester, The Castle still manages to retain its ‘best kept secret’ vibe, although it is rapidly becoming the place to go to catch the best upcoming and emerging new bands.
36. Frog and Bucket
39. Gorilla
54-58 Whitworth St West | @thisisgorilla Nestled beneath the arches of Oxford Road station, Gorilla is a multitasking venue encompassing a bar, restaurant, live music venue and club. The 550 capacity music room offers a packed programme of gigs, club and comedy nights to suit most tastes. It’ll become a haunt.
102 Oldham St | @frogandbucket A stalwart of the comedy scene, the Frog and Bucket has seen icons from Peter Kay to Caroline Aherne grace its stage. It continues to draw the biggest names in British comedy and provides a platform for local talent, while the weekly Beat the Frog night always proves entertaining (and sometimes cruel).
40. The Ritz
37. Soup Kitchen
41. The Pub/Zoo
31-33 Spear St | @SoupKitchen_Mcr Soup Kitchen has quickly climbed the ranks to cement its place as one of the best bars in the Northern Quarter (and one of the best clubs in the UK!). It’s often been a starting point for bands who have taken off in recent years, with crowds of people squashing into the basement for a glimpse.
38. Joshua Brooks
106 Princess St | @JoshuaBrooksMCR Weeknights at Joshua Brooks are a permanent fixture on Manchester’s clubbing scene, with students flocking to the club on Wednesdays for the Juicy DJs, who specialise in hip-hop, R’n’B and basement bangers. There are always plenty 64
Whitworth St West | @ritzmanchester Offering a healthy mix of live music and club nights, The Ritz is a great place to catch a touring band before they get stadium sized. Alongside the often sell-out gigs it hosts most nights, The Ritz is also home to student favourite club night LightBoxx every Saturday night. 126 Grosvenor St | @PubZoo Combining two venues in one, The Pub/Zoo is both a bar and a venue for club and comedy events. Head around the side to Zoo and you’ll find events most nights, the most popular being XS Malarkey, a multi-award-winning standup comedy night.
42. The Deaf Institute
135 Grosvenor St | @DeafInstitute Bedecked in kitsch wallpaper and pleasingly odd decorations, The Deaf Institute has seen many big names in their early days play the upstairs music hall, and there’s almost always something on, be that frequent and often busy club nights or rising talent on tour.
VENUES
THE SKINNY
43. Manchester Academy
Oxford Rd | @MancAcademy A few paces from the Student Union on Oxford Road, Manchester Academy hosts well known acts, while its smaller sister venues Academies 2, 3 and Club offer upcoming and emerging bands. The complex has seen the likes of Best Coast, Deap Vally and Blossoms play to packed crowds before they got their big breaks.
44. Antwerp Mansion
Rusholme Grove, Wilmslow Rd @AntwerpMansion It regularly plays host to band practices and live gigs, but Antwerp Mansion has become legendary throughout Manchester for its unique setting as a place to visit for raves and parties. It prides itself on being a world away from ‘fancy joints across town,’ and, with dirt cheap prices at the bar, it’s student friendly.
SHOPS
48. Piccadilly Records
45. Afflecks
52 Church St | @affleckspalace An iconic part of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Afflecks is a leading indoor market, with over 60 weird and wonderful shops and stalls selling everything from alternative and vintage clothing to records, retro sweets and handmade jewellery. You’ll find something new and unique with every trip to Afflecks and you almost certainly won’t leave empty handed.
46. Arndale
Manchester Arndale | @manarndale The Arndale is the city’s primary shopping centre and, with over 200 stores, there are shops to suit all needs from high street chains to independent businesses. Throughout the year the centre holds events such as student lock-ins, giveaways, and book signings.
47. Manchester Craft and Design Centre
17 Oak St | @ManchesterCraft Based in an old converted Victorian fish market, the Manchester Craft and Design Centre is home to 18 studios with more than 30 designers, artists and creatives making and selling their own work. You can buy anything from handmade jewellery to bags, ceramics, interior accessories, furniture, paintings and much more. 2015-2016
Manchester Craft and Design Centre
53 Oldham St | @PiccadillyRecs Whether you’re a vinyl aficionado or just a casual music fan, everyone knows a trip to the Northern Quarter isn’t complete without a visit to Piccadilly Records. The store stocks the latest single and album releases on vinyl, CD and occasionally on cassette. It’s really not surprising that it’s been named Best Independent Record Shop by Music Week.
49. Travelling Man
4 Dale St | @TravellingManUK This Northern Quarter shop is a goldmine for comic collectors. Travelling Man sells comic books, fantasy board games, role playing games, figurines and other collectibles. It’s not just a shop, either – the store also holds events including signings by comic book authors and illustrators, cosplay gathering and free comic days.
50. Fred Aldous
37 Lever St | @FredAldous For nearly 130 years, this Manchester institution has been the city’s one stop shop for art and craft supplies. The independent store has a huge selection of paper, painting and design equipment and other materials, and also offers laser cutting and photography services. For more venue guides, tips on where to go and what to do, visit theskinny.co.uk
VENUES
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Tinder Surprise We take a look at the shallow minefield that is internet dating and how Tinder’s potential for no-strings-attached sex might not be such a great thing Words: John Stansfield Illustration: Raj Dhunna
W
henever any new visual technology is invented it is immediately used to further the pornography industry. As soon as the nickelodeons began to litter the promenades of yesteryear there were smut pedlars with their own kinescopes of flappers flashing their gussets. In the great video wars of the late 70s and early 80s, VHS helped see off competition from the vastly superior Betamax format by allowing pornographers to use their inferior product to further the ill-gotten gains of the San Fernando Valley. Where pornography has led the market, dating has not been far behind. Just google “80s video dating” for a lesson in how not to woo the opposite sex – and also a reminder that technology existed before the internet and it was gloriously grainy. With the dawn of the World Wide Web (that’s what that fancy “www.” that you don’t even have to write anymore stands for, gang!) came of course the utilisation of such high speeds of information for the furthering of interactive sex watching, and its cosy bedfellow, interactive sex doing. Internet dating has become a lot more socially acceptable over the years to the point where kids will be asking their future parents which site they met on and ranking them from Craigslist to match.com. When computers turned into the handheld devices we now know as phones, it was of course the homosexual community that recognised the ease with which they could hook up via the use of this technology with 2009’s Grindr. Somehow, though, it took the hetero world some three years to catch up, with Tinder taking its bow in September of 2012. As we’re sure you’re already aware, Tinder offers users the chance to be outwardly shallow
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by swiping right to say you like the look of someone, or left if you think that they are a horrible wolfmonster that should be fired from a cannon directly into the sun. Unsurprisingly, it has also led to the ease with which people might put their junk on or in each other. Tread carefully with this newfound power, however. It’s not just the blows your ego will take when matches burn out quicker than those lit on Mars, but the fact that you are essentially meeting strangers who have one thought in their mind, and it’s definitely not to start a long and loving relationship based on trust. It’s for doing the no pants dance. Which is super cool, but watch out: for with every app home run there are at least 100 cautionary tales. For example, Tinder is a great place to go mugging. You already know they have a nice phone and are nearby, so why not just take a shiv and double your prizes. Alienating human contact by way of messaging people in the same room as you via your mobile telephone is all well and good, but until the thumbprint verification of a user can also check the blood and urine work (surely the sexiest phrase ever associated with Tinder) for venereal diseases then you’re risking your ovaries/testicles just signing up for a good time in the Tindergarten. And though everyone seems to want HPV since Lena Dunham’s character got it on Girls, it is sooooooooo 2014. We’re not certain where all the good men or women are but you’re more likely to find out by talking to the ones nearby than checking if they’re good to go on your phone. You never know, the results may surprise you. Or everyone is awful and the world will be over soon. So don’t worry about it.
COMEDY
THE SKINNY
BOLTON THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER MANCHESTER TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER LIVERPOOL WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER THE TRAFFORD CENTRE TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER *Terms and Conditions apply. Exclusions apply. Valid student ID required. Goody bags are limited and subject to availability.
Model: Isaac Taylor, No Hot Ashes