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You might look back and remember 2016 for many reasons - The Rio Summer Olympics, Brexit, Donald Trump winning the election, or more to the point, that incredible party where you stayed up all night with your best mates and partied hard. Whatever the reason, we all played a part in what was a year to remember, and now look forward to what 2017 might bring. To kick things off, we’ve caught up with some of the biggest names in the music and entertainment industry who are doing great things! Craig David, returns to the UK after living the highlife in Miami, and is back at the top of his game. Chase and Status have gone back to their drum n bass roots and hit us with their 4th album. Electronic Producer/DJ Marc Kinchen aka: MK took 5 minutes to chat to SPG about finishing his new album. The hilarious Jack Whitehall talks to us ahead of his new tour Jack Whitehall: At Large and explains how he almost head-butted Jennifer Aniston! Plus, we caught up with DJ/Producer Wilkinson and Singer Songwriter Frank Hamilton. Lastly, but by no means least, we bring you a world exclusive and introduce you to a new artist you need to keep your eye on! Performing under the name of Wolf, this guy can write amazing lyrics, sing and rap! His first music video was filmed by Kaylum Dennis who’s the official Video Director for Stormzy and Section Boyz, so expect big things! On top of this, we’ve got loads of treats inside this edition for you including part 3 of David Kingsbury’s fitness tips, easy cook meals, winter cocktail ideas, new movie releases, car maintenance tips and energy saving ideas to keep those extra pounds in your pocket! Before we go, we also need to let you know about Tribe – a brand new, national student challenge, where you compete with fellow students to earn points and win prizes. Tribe is free to enter and you can win some high value technology products, cool fashion items, festival tickets, and vouchers! For more info go to: thestudentpocketguide.com Have an amazing term, and don’t forget to follow/subscribe to us on socials for ongoing banter, tips, exclusives, prizes and more!
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Jermzlee
Whilst looking at different ways to procrastinate online, we came across Jeremy Veach’s Instagram account: Jermzlee and wow, his pictures are both striking as well as hilarious! It follows the life of his pug Norm, and whether it’s dressing him up in some funky costume or simply showing the cheeky pugs life, his images will deenitely brighten up your day! Be sure to check out this Instagram account!
Living at university is an experience you will never forget! It’s unlike any other living arrangement you will ever have in your life. Some of your favourite memories will be made in the corridor of your home with people you’ll never forget.
At first, living in a flat/house and sharing a bathroom and kitchen with a bunch of strangers is slightly terrifying. But within a mere couple of weeks, those strangers are your best friends and it’s like you’ve never been apart. Living with each other 24/7 is bound to bring out the best and worst of everyone, but you accept it! Eventually, you feel like somewhat of a team, and you passionately hate any other flat or dorm that isn’t your own... Living in rented student accommodation certainly teaches you independence; you have to do your own washing, buy your own food, cook your own meals... I use the term independent loosely, because you find yourself and your flatmates all depending on each other. That can totally be a positive thing if you’re depending on them to chip in for that week’s 5th delivered takeaway, because you’ve all realised how much effort cooking requires. Being in student rented accommodation means you’re going to be close to wherever you need to be, which means longer lay ins and less effort required to get to your lectures. It’s also great knowing that there are plenty of cool bars nearby which you can stumble home drunk from most nights.
Possibly the only place in your life where you can have a good drinking session with friends without being judged - your flatmates will be right there with you. Plus, the walk to bed if you make it, is just a few seconds away!
No time to cook, but a penchant for good food? We’ve got you covered!
Looks good and tastes even better! Simply dip your chicken breasts in milk, followed by cheddar, and then roll them in bread crumbs. Just bake and serve with a nice salad and hot jacket potato. Easy!
This is a great one if you’re trying to get away from the carbs! Get some large portabella mushrooms, remove the stalk, and then roast them for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in some cooked bacon and grated cheddar before cracking an egg inside each mushroom. Bake for another 10 minutes and serve.
Fry some bacon and an onion in an oiled pan. Add chopped mushroom and peas and cook before adding tinned chopped tomatoes. Stick in some mixed herbs and heat through. Cook some pasta and then add that to the tomato mixture and stir. Grate some cheese on top for extra flavour!
This sounds too good! Bake a sweet potato, cut in half and scoop it’s insides out! Mash the insides with salt and pepper, butter, grated cheddar and tiny bits of cooked bacon. Stuff it back inside the potato skin and then grate some more cheese on top.
Great to share and are super easy! In a large dish, simply layer tortilla chips, salsa, jarred jalapenos, and grated cheese at least three times and then top with extra cheese, guacamole, and sour cream sauce. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes and serve!
Packed full of protein and so easy to make! Grab yourself a large microwave-safe mug and fill 2/3 of the way with 2 large whisked eggs, grated cheese, cooked bacon, diced pepper, and salt and pepper. Stick it in the microwave on full heat for around 1:40 mins, stirring twice during this time.
No need to order, it’s easier than you think! For the base just add flour, water, yeast and salt to a bowl and bring together as a dough. Roll the dough to your desired size and spread tomato puree on top. Add grated cheese and any toppings you like! Then simply bake until golden brown!
Sounds boring, but it doesn’t have to be! Try something new like a Mediterranean style salad (e.g. olives, sundried tomatoes and sausage!) they are super easy and good for you!
From Nike Air Max to Converse, we recall the trendiest trainers from over the years that have made it into our hearts and soles.
When taking a look back over the years, you realise how many fun and interesting styles of trainers we’ve seen - some of which are still fashionable today. So what is it that makes some trainers popular? Is it their shape or colour, or is it their price? What gives trainers longevity? Who knows, but it’s funny how often fashion seems to go full circle, and when older items are classed as vintage, they become massively more expensive! I knew I should’ve held onto those Adidas Sambas...
In the 80s we had Reebok Pump, which certainly made an impact. The tongue of the trainer had a pump which when pressed would fill the trainer with air! Eventually, the fad seemed to fizzle out. Maybe that’s because adding air to your trainers was just a gimmick, and didn’t really add much comfort. Or maybe because they cost around £100, and that was over 30 years ago!
Reebok Classics were a huge hit in the 90s. Reebok managed to keep the Classics alive for a very long time simply by changing the colour of the stripes and sole. The posh kids even had metal tags on theirs (but not me). Ellesse also seemed to be in close competition with a similar style trainer and metal tags. But for me, Reebok always had this in the bag.
Retail giants Nike have obviously always been in the game. Nike Air Max and Nike TNs were huge hits both featuring a kind of basketball style. Nike Air Max trainers are still very fashionable today which just goes to show: if you get a design right, it can stay fashionable for years. Supply and demand!
For so long, you actually had to wear shoes to get into pretty much every nightclub, but when that changed, I feel that the design of the trainer changed too. More varied designs started to become the “next big thing”, and that wasn’t exclusive to just sporty looking trainers. Converse hit the streets with their canvas style plimsoll. At one point, every kid in Shoreditch had a pair. Vans also launched their cool slip-on trainer in many different colours and patterns. (Another style which is still fashionable today).
There are so many options nowadays when it comes to choosing footwear; what with the designs which have maintained their credibility, along with the fresh new ideas. What will the next look be? What will the next big brand be? Apple trainers? Trainers that send emails? Or maybe trainers that update your Facebook status or remind you of your essay deadlines? Only time will tell.
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Life’s Big Decisions I remember it well, the teacher asking me “what do you want to do when you leave school?”
At the age of 16, it’s possibly one of the rst major life decisions you will make. It’s also one of the toughest, because for so many young people, you simply don’t know the answer. Do you go to college? Get a weekend job? Work for a family run business? What industry/course should you be considering? indust These are all huge decisions we are faced with. Some get it right, and some don’t. The important thing though, is to not beat yourself up if you feel you make a wrong decision – at least you made one! With the huge rise in student tuition fees recently, going to uni has become more difficult for a lot of people. be With this in mind, apprenticeships have seen a huge surge in numbers, and for good reason. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of learning, experiencing real-life workplace situations, all whilst earning money! The salary varies depending upon your age, and the course duration can be anything from 12 months.
In Association With:
Obviously, going to university is a great experience. You meet lifelong friends, go to crazy house parties, get to see parts of the UK you might not have otherwise, and hopefully get a few letters at the end of your name when you graduate! Apprenticeships are equally as great, but for different reasons. It goes without saying that money potentially plays a big part, and whilst money isn’t the be all and end all, when you’re talking about saving £9,000 per year in tuition fees, plus the £6,000+ you might earn, that’s not to be sniggered at! On top of this, you get great opportunities to be involved with real life business situations, working alongside professionals, and experiencing the trade rst hand. Here at The Student Pocket Guide, we’re great supporters of He Apprenticeships. There’s lots of talented people out there looking for opportunities and we’re working hard with our three 3aaa Apprentices oppo (Elliot, Chloe and Alysha), to train a young, talented team, and hopefully provide them with a future career path. The course itself is an Advanced 3aaa Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing, which consists of: Level 3 Diploma in Digital Marketing and Level 2 Functional Skills – English, Maths and ICT if applicable. The work involved is varied, and as we’re a small company (less than 15 staff in-house), Elliot, Chloe and Alysha get a great insight into the entire media industry, working in a creative team, gr sitting amongst the Company Directors, and opposite the sales team. Just being in this environment helps to understand it, and hopefully adds to the knowledge and experience gained through our Apprenticeships.
Name: Elliot Norman Age: 19 Why did you decide to undertake a 3aaa Apprenticeship?
I wanted to get involved with a media related Apprenticeship in the hopes of being able to create and edit video content. University didn’t interest me, and I wanted to start a career from a younger age and get some valuable experience after nishing my A levels.
? Best achievement during your 3aaa Apprenticeship ‘Tribe’. It
, called Managing a project to create a new feature for our website rewarding when can be very complex and challenging at times, but equally results. the see to you get
Name: Chloe Gascoigne Age: 19 Why did you decide to undertake a 3aaa Apprenticeship? I wanted to be able to move on from the classroom and into a more professional environment. It was an alternative to university where I knew I would come out the other end with something to be proud of and a whole lot of new knowledge and experience under my belt.
Best achievement during your 3aaa Apprenticeship? Only in the rst few weeks of my Apprenticeship I had the opportunity to interview one of my favourite bands – Black Stone Cherry! That’s equally as cool as getting to write articles I am passionate about and have students all over the UK read and appreciate them.
Name: Alysha Allen Age: 16 Why did you decide to undertake a 3aaa Apprenticeship?
I felt as if becoming an Apprentice would offer me more opportunity and hope for the future in something I love doing! In a short amount of time, this Apprenticeship has taught me so many new skills and I have gained a lot more conndence in myself. The people I work with are amazing and that just tops it off for me.
Best achievement during your 3aaa Apprenticeship? Writing articles about what I’m passionate about for the official website which is reaching up to 40,000 people a month!
THE STARTING POINT OF YOUR FUTURE www.3aaa.co.uk
3aaa Apprenticeships is an outstanding training provider across England, specialising in the delivery of professional services Apprenticeships such as Technology, Digital Marketing, Accountancy, Financial Services and Business Administration. They are a national company oering a personalised, local service in over 40 locations across England. They look to change the lives of young people through their work with local employers recruiting Apprentices and helping these young people to nd a pathway into the career of their dreams. Want to know more? Visit their website: www.3aaa.co.uk or nd an Apprenticeship today: www.apprenticecareer.co.uk.
OVER 40 ACADEMIES, READY TO HELP www.3aaa.co.uk
Ben Farrin founded The Student Pocket Guide in 2005 at the age of 23, and has since gone on to start another 2 businesses: A6 Records and Digital Boss. During his time in business, Ben has been recognised as Shell LiveWire Entrepreneur of the year, and SPG has won multiple awards including the Barclays Take One Small Step competition securing a ÂŁ50,000 prize.
Meet
Interview By Kerri Parker Stand-up comedian, Hollywood actor and genuinely nice guy Jack Whitehall spoke to us about his new tour, appearing in a lm (and nearly head-butting Jennifer Aniston), getting drunk on TV, and throwing a kebab at a member of the public. He’s a nice guy… Honest. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, how are things? Very good. Although, with Donald Trump having just been elected, the world might have ended by the time this goes out. We will probably be watching this from a nuclear bunker! I’m building a nuclear bunker, and then I’m going to John Lewis and buying some really nice furniture and getting some box sets. And then I’ll work out who I’m going to take with me. What are you going to take in there? I’m going to furnish it really nicely - get a PlayStation, Fifa - that’ll do me for four years, and then I’ll come out. Unless he gets assassinated. In January and February you are going on tour – Jack Whitehall: AT LARGE, can you tell us a bit about the show? The show is still being written but it’s the usual, me probably over sharing, and being a little bit ruder than I’d be on TV. Slagging off people that I work with like Jamie Redknapp. And now there will have to be
Trump stuff. It’s so weird, I was saying to myself I’m not going to write any Donald Trump stuff because he won’t get elected, and by the time I do my tour it will be so outdated and no one will want to hear about it - but now he’s the leader of the free world so I will have to talk about it; it would be weird if I didn’t. How do you decide what material to include in your shows? I do lots of try outs, and at the moment I’m doing lots of pubs and clubs and trying new material. Sometimes it works and sometimes you hear silence. It’s good to go and test it first to work out what’s rubbish!
Speaking of which, did you get drunk on your episode of Drunk History? No, I was not drunk on that. I remained professional and didn’t drink. But I have been drunk on TV before. On A League of Their Own, series 5 or 6, I can’t remember which one it was, when Fred (Freddie Flintoff ) was still drinking, and I tried to go drink for drink with him. There’s a whole series where I don’t remember the last round of any of the shows. They had to have an intervention. The producers said, “please can you not get that drunk because you’re very good in the first half, but you get a bit sleepy”. I genuinely don’t remember what we did.
came up to me once on “theSomeone street and said that I looked like a fat Jack Whitehall. ” Do you prefer stand-up or acting? I really love stand-up and I really love being on stage, so whenever I’m away for too long I’m desperate to get back. It’s the purest form of comedy; it’s immediate.
And you recently worked on a new movie with Jennifer Aniston! Yeah! I invited her to the tour. I don’t know if she’s going to turn up, probably not, but that was very weird. I filmed it last year, and I didn’t actually meet her on the film. I met her by chance though, several months later! I was with a friend who was really drunk, and he lost his footing on the stairs as I was saying hello and nearly head-butted her!
You wrote Bad Education; does it in any way link to your experience at school? A little bit. My school was a bit different; it was hockey sticks and quidditch, so not quite the same. The final series of Fresh Meat was released towards the start of 2016. What was it like on set? It was a lot of fun! It was like the last hoorah for it, and we had all become very close. When we finally finished the last scene it was quite emotional. Some tears were shed - but not by me because I’m a bloke. Do you and JP have any similarities? Yep, pretty close I imagine. No. Yes. The voice. But no, I’m very different to JP.
What’s your most embarrassing moment? Ever? There are so many! My show is just talking about embarrassing moments. Someone once complained about me on a plane because I sleep with my eyes open. Not the whole way, but enough for it to be weird. And if he hadn’t have realised I sleep with my eyes open, he would have just thought I was staring at him for 2 hours on a plane, drooling with a semi. It wasn’t great. You went to uni for only a short time, how come you didn’t complete it? Was that question written by my mother, literally? She was devastated! I didn’t complete it because I had started to do stand-up already, at Manchester, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do, and my course was in textiles. Learning about tapestries and things like that. I felt that maybe I didn’t need to know about tapestry, so I knocked it on the head. The most memorable reaction you’ve had from a member of the public spotting you on the street? Someone came up to me once on the street and said that I looked like a fat Jack Whitehall. That was a very humbling moment. A fat version of myself. That was pretty bad. I went into Nandos the other day and a guy went “he looks like Jack Whitehall” and the other guy went “Oh, don’t say that, he probably hears that all of the time”. I just got the Nandos and pretended I wasn’t myself. Who are your comedian influences; who do you really like? I love Micky Flanagan. I did a
he didn’t realise I slepT with my “eyes open, he just thought I was staring at him for 2 hours on a plane, drooling with a semi.
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gig with him the other night. Greg Davies. There are lots of these guys that are going out on tour and they’re all really good. Don’t go to see them! See me! Why am I promoting them? No, they’re not great. Where are you excited the most about visiting on the tour? Wait for it… I am mainly excited about visiting the student cities because I love students. I was a student, and still act like one. Why isn’t Norwich on the list – we’ve got a big university here… I should come to Norwich! Actually, maybe I shouldn’t. When I went out in Norwich last time, it didn’t end well. I threw a kebab at someone and got chased down the street. I was provoked. The kebab had cooled down, and there was no sauce in it either. I’m not a monster. It was only
chicken. I gutted it and then just slapped them with the pita. What else do you get up to in your spare time? Oh come on Jack… Make my life sound interesting [long pause]. I just go round and visit exhibitions on tapestry and textiles. Sounded pretty cool and exciting right? I play football and played with someone from Norwich called Paul McVeigh who I believe you all know. He needs to work on his fitness. Yes, we know him; he’s a popular face in Norwich. So what’s next for Jack Whitehall? The tour - I will be touring for the first 3 months of the year. I will just be living in a hotel, drinking alone for 3 months. Haha, well thank you very much Jack and good luck on the tour. Thank you.
Watch the interview on spgtv Jack’s brand new tour, Jack Whitehall: At Large, is on sale now.
Tickets and info: www.jackwhitehall.com
Words: Jack Shannon
Recently I was on the telly. That’s right - the telly. Episode 5 of Debatable. I won £1,400. Being on the telly isn’t as hard as you’d think...
All TV shows need an audience. Getting tickets is a lot easier than you’d think. The BBC does LOADS of shows each year and they need people to clap, cheer and laugh at terrible jokes. VISIT: www.applausestore.com These tickets are FREE, so you get what you pay for…
The great thing about gameshows is that you have the chance to win fabulous prizes! VISIT: www.starnow.co.uk You’ll need to go for a screen test to make sure you’re not a nutter... TIP: They are looking for characters. Even on a gameshow.
Extra work isn’t just for trainee actors. Crowd scenes need bodies to fill them up - and it’s paid! Some of the hours might be long. VISIT: www.castingcollective.co.uk They seek specific looks, ages and body types. You’ll need to send recent photos to make sure you look the part.
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From our hometown Norwich, Joshua Roberts started DJing from a young age. His first big break came after he was crowned BBC Radio 1 National Young DJ. Since then he has played many venues and festivals across Europe and the Middle East, from Ibiza to Qatar, and from Belgium to Bahrain! Well known for his unique style of mixing, sampling, cutting and scratching in his sets. His full setup incorporates an electronic drum kit and sampler, which when combined with his energy, makes his shows unmissable! Having supported the likes of TiĂŤsto, David Guetta, Oliver Heldens, Fatboy Slim, Mark Knight, Sander Van Doorn, Sub Focus and many more!
For all of you dance music fans out there, let us introduce you to Carl Rag, a classically trained pianist, finger drummer, DJ, vinyl junkie, and Philology student! DJing is about playing other people’s music, and production is about making that music. Somewhere in between is the performing art of finger drumming where snippets of tracks are carefully crafted into a full set. Carl does this with great style, using his amazing skills by uniquely blending, chopping and creating tunes. The result? Eye catching, ear pleasing sets in his skillful style. With a number of live shows in clubs, product demos and showcases for top companies in the DJ/studio equipment industry all over Europe, he became a specialist in the field of finger drumming and took the art of live performances to the next level.
Another artist to emerge from Norwich is Scotty.A. He has quickly risen through the ranks to play regular gigs across the UK, Europe, South America and beyond. After completing multiple tours of Argentina, Scotty has established several residencies here in the UK, gaining a reputation for delivering quality underground house music to packed dance floors. Since he was announced the winner of the Global Underground bedroom producer competition (sponsored by Mixmag) in 2009, Scotty has developed an ever evolving sound driven by an extraordinary passion for electronic music. With regular support from Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Warren amongst many others, his productions reach a global audience. After many well received releases under his belt Scotty is looking forward to 2017 and beyond to establish his name further in the deep house and techno scene.
22 year old Conducta, AKA Collins Nemi, hails from Bristol, and currently resides in West London. Championing a nostalgic sound in a modern age, he has been named as the ‘prince’ of UK Garage, whilst garnering nods of approval from the likes of MJ Cole, Artful Dodger, Joker, and more. Having cut his teeth in the production game at an early age, Nemi went on to remix for names including Shura, PMR’s Alyss, Atlantic Records’ Taya and Columbia’s Cadenza feat. Jorja Smith, marking himself as a favourite in his genre, and even drawing the attention of Soulection’s LAKIM, and OWSLA along the way. Conducta is breaking boundaries like never before; making waves with a sound that was previously thought to be UK-only, and paralleling the grime scene’s movements. Recently supporting What So Not and DJ EZ, we’re sure 2017 will be massive for Conducta, so keep an eye out!
Congratulations on yet another banging tune – I’ve already clocked up a load of views of ‘All Goes Wrong’! Absolutely love it! Can you give me an idea of how long it takes to make a tune like this? Thanks! That one, funnily enough, took a while. There is no set rule for making tunes. Some records can take two days to get the bulk of it down and then it clicks, and you tidy it up and it’s done. But we started ‘All Goes Wrong’ in October, and someone played us a demo of another song by this kid called Tom Grennan, who is really new. We heard this ropey demo and he’s got such a powerful and unique voice, we fell in love with his voice straight away. So, we arranged to meet him in a studio in London and he came down, and he had never really ever stepped foot into a proper recording studio. So we were there trying to get to know him, doing the small talk and we said “Look, let’s just start something from scratch. Let’s sit here and figure a song out”. He said “Ok, well last night I came up with a couple of lyric ideas and a simple chord progression of a guitar” and he sang the first two lines, “Would you take a bullet, would you bite a gun”, and we said “This is a really nice start”, so we laid the idea down, we built on it and kinda got stuck on the chorus. Then we tried to change some of the chords, and then it was 4am and we started to get bored of the song, so we stopped it. We arranged another session a week later and ended up doing about 6 or 7 different sessions on that song. It was a really difficult song to crack because we spent so much time working on it - you kind of lose perspective about what’s good and what’s not. It was funny because there must have been about 50 versions. At the end of it I was sending the label and our management ‘All Goes Wrong version 52?’ and they were saying “What the hell are you lot doing? You lot have gone mad”. But often the best songs are like that.
You manage to make a deep emotional connection with your videos. Do you have much involvement with the video script itself? We get sent lots of ideas and treatment sequels and we pick one which we think will work. This record obviously has a lot of emotion – we got sent a a very simple treatment which basically just said “Tom’s in a coffin, and he’s trying to escape” like in Kill Bill. That was basically it. We thought that was really weird because usually they are more complicated stories with lots of detail. We thought that was ridiculous, you can’t just write that. But because it was so simple it sort of stuck and we had this idea for the first shot of the video, him lying there dead in a really slick suit. We actually wrote half the idea with the Director. We called him up and said “I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve taken a bit of a liberty and re-wrote the video”. And he was great, and he said “Absolutely, that sounds brilliant”. So, on this video we’re more involved than any other from the sort of creation of it. Again, it made us feel a bit nervous, because we thought “If this doesn’t look good it’s going to be our fault”, but it’s been brilliant.
How did you meet Tom Grennan? A friend of ours that works for a publishing company had also found out about this kid. We asked him if he had any new demos, any interesting voices, or any new people, and he said “Yeah, check this song out”. We heard it and thought ‘Oh my God’, the power, the emotion in his voice is raw. He’s not too polished, he’s not too perfect. We come across amazing singers all the time now and you can almost be too good and start to sound like everyone else. Tom had this youthful rawness which is what we listen for in all the features that we do. That kind of fresh sound, something we can work with. And then we just met him! The other thing, you know when you just click with someone. He was cool, he gets it, he’s humble and young and nervous but also quietly confident, and he’s just a really cool kid - very easy to work with, and open minded. I think it’s important when you’re younger to not be too stuck in your ways. We clicked and he’s come round on lots of tours with us since, and he’s going to come round in November with us. It’s a magical thing seeing his career starting to take shape now and we’re very blessed to be a part of that.
I hear you’re working on another album. Can you tell us a bit about it? It’s our 4th album, which is amazing for us. It’s signed to Virgin and it’s part of EMI and Universal. ‘All Goes Wrong’ with Tom Grennan is a record from it that we’re really proud of, and we’re probably going to have a few more singles before the release date in January. In our previous albums we’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of features from really established names to fresh new talent who I hope will go on to become big names in British music. We’ve really gone back to our roots. There’s a lot of heavy Drum ‘n’ Bass on there which has been great fun to do, because obviously that’s where we came from and that’s what we love the most. There are a lot of good club records. We played a lot of them last summer and they were getting an amazing response. So yeah, watch this space. We will have just finished the tour around the UK which is a big thing, finishing in London at Alexander Palace, which I’m sure will be incredible. It’s just constant gigging with us. We’re always DJ-ing, not just with the band and up and down the country, but all over the world. We’re playing in Australia for New Years Eve, then back to London to get this album out! I can’t wait!
Do you have a lot of stuff you’ve worked on which is unreleased? Yeah, we’ve literally got a million little ideas and demos. An old friend of ours used to say “You’ve probably got a million quid sitting there on that old Mac”. Right now we’ve got a folder of 70 tracks that we’re weighing up and figuring out which ones have got the magic. That’s the same with all producers really, where you keep writing ideas. The hard part is finishing them! Everyone’s got a great demo, with a little idea or loop, or a drop, but finishing records is the skill - I think. That’s the difference between people that make music for a hobby, and as a profession.
Will the tour in November help decide the album tracks? I wish we could keep waiting up until the last minute, but I think by then we will have to have handed in the album to enable us to get the pre-orders up and artwork finished. If it were up to us we’d keep going until the last minute, but that’s what I mean about artists never finishing anything. Unless you’ve got a deadline, nothing’s ever finished. So it will be before then, but just from DJing, we test out new demos and it’s a great way to test how it works. You make a tune, you play it out, and if it doesn’t go down that well you think “Alright, maybe change it or scrap it”. That’s been a nice thing. I know a lot of the records from the album have already been going down well because we’ve been playing them out and that’s a good feeling.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the industry so far? It’s so important to know who you are and where you are going because the better you do, the more people you’ll have around you. Then everyone gets their own idea of who they think you are; they will give you advice, suggestions, and pull you this way and that way. Your identity can quickly get lost and confused if you don’t follow your own instinct enough. So have a clear idea of who you are and be confident enough to believe in yourself. As long as you do that, you probably won’t go too wrong. The new song ’All Goes Wrong’ is out now! @chaseandstatus
Maybe you’re not the greatest reader, or you just don’t have the patience to read a book... But either way, why not try some audiobooks? It’s a chance to feel like a kid again as someone else reads to you! Just like a bed time story when you were still in nappies. Here are some audiobooks we think are great!
YOU ARE A BADASS: HOW TO STOP DOUBTING YOUR GREATNESS AND START LIVING AN AWESOME LIFE Published in 2013 and narrated by Jen Sincero, this audiobook is a blunt how-to book with a refreshing sense of humour that helps you to become awesome. A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING This audiobook was published in 2003, is narrated by Stephen Fry and explores some areas of science without all the big scary words none of us know the meaning of. It’s an insightful look into evolution, the Big Bang, and geology at a level we all understand!
THE MIGHTY BOOSH: THE COMPLETE RADIO SERIES If you’re familiar with the popular television show “The Mighty Boosh” you will love the audiobook. It features British comedians Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding working as zookeepers in a failing zoo. “Come with us now on a journey through time and space!”. A MINDFUL GUIDE FOR THE FRAZZLED Published in January 2016, by comedian Ruby Wax this audiobook fights back against the idea that relaxation and rest are “dirty words”. It basically tells you, in an insightful and humorous way, that it is perfectly fine to rest using mindful cognitive therapy.
THE POWER Narrated by Rhonda Byrne and published in 2010, it’s an inspiring and motivational audiobook for self-help and spirituality. “The Power” of the title is the power of love and it’s ability to make you the person you aspire to be; by being positive, you attract positivity!
Gracie Wright was born in London; she is 31, and now lives by the sea in Southwold. She had a bright and cheery childhood, spending most of her time on the beach with her family. At age 11, during Gracie’s years at middle school, she was hit by a car. It erased all of her childhood memories and left her feeling lost and absent from her own body. She had lost her identity. It took around 14 years before her brain started to retain solid memories, “Similar to the movie 50 First Dates”, she says. She is a brain injury survivor, and through all of her suffering has built a deep compassion for children that have lost something in their lives; parents, families, and children who have had brain injuries, and lost their identity. Her heart reaches out to them in the work she does through her books and in schools. After spending 8 years in the Norwich music scene, Gracie hopped over to California to photograph her trip. She later moved there and filmed a documentary, ‘Gracie in America’, which BBC Introducing picked up on, and asked her to hold a seminar opening for Jamal Edwards. The angle of the documentary was to inspire young people to live their dreams, but to also test herself in the crazy world of LA; to see if she had what it takes to make it in the music world. “In all honestly, I was so close. I could taste it and feel my songs being shaped to fit the environment. They were playing my songs on the radio - I was right there. I thought I would feel full, happy, but I didn’t. I mean I was grateful and happy; I felt so honoured and overwhelmed by some of the places I was in and the people I was spending time with, but I felt empty. There is a darkness to the industry that can swallow you up, which we have all witnessed with the likes of Amy Winehouse. Although my experience was nothing like hers, I could feel the sadness and the longing for everyone to be accepted.
Gracie Wright, children’s Author, recently flew over from the UK to the place where her favourite movie was made: ‘Sleepless in Seattle’. She felt honoured to take part as one of the featured Authors of the month at Seattle’s delightful children’s museum, to pre-launch her new book ‘Silly Eric & The Birthday Cake’ - following the success of her first ‘Silly Eric’ book created back in 2014. The books have been designed to affirm children of the unconditional love from their families. It’s done in a fun silly way so that everyone is laughing together yet also understands the importance of love. Her campaign highlights the benefits that come from the sales of each book. Her books support children in Haiti (Silly Eric), India (Silly Eric & The Birthday Cake) and ‘Addenbrooke Hospital in the ICU (Tea with Bea). She recently received a video from the kids in Haiti saying a BIG thank you for the Silly Eric books and how Silly Eric has helped them buy food and clothes. Gracie says, “It was the first time they had ever opened a book; I could barely contain my tears”.
Gracie has also specialised as a children’s communicator for children aged 2-8 around the world. This involves understanding children’s behaviour patterns, identifying signs of insecurity and being able to notice children that are having a hard time at school before it takes over their lives. Gracie has travelled extensively, giving motivational talks at schools on ‘Being the Best you can Be’, affirming children that it doesn’t matter what their abilities are, or what they look like, “they are amazing just the way there are” Gracie says. Last summer she also received an offer to become a Young Ambassador for The Prince’s Trust. The role involves sharing her journey and inspiring other young people to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. She says, “The Prince’s Trust has given no end of support and without them I may have given up on this dream - they caught me just before I fell through the net”. She was also nominated for a Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Award in November 2016.
Gracie sparkles with passion for helping children, and hopes that her campaign will heighten the awareness of orphaned children around the world and the silliness of life. “For every book you buy, a child is given a bed, a pillow, books, or food to eat. When you are reading these books to your children, you are also blessing the life of another child forever”. Gracie would love your support with this campaign, so please visit www.sillyeric.co.uk to order the books and see what’s been going on. Or, visit her personal site www.graciewright.com. She welcomes you to get in touch on her Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/gracielondon
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There are many charities out there that need our help, but not all of them get the recognition they deserve. So, SPG have made a list of charities who we think you should all be aware of!
This charity consists of volunteers living and travelling on a barge for several months a year; simply hosting mass cleanups of rivers, workshops, and tree planting. The dedication of these guys is simply amazing and their work deserves a lot more recognition.
The PBB is a charity based in New York, where puppies are raised and trained by prison inmates to become service dogs to wounded war veterans. The puppies are raised from the age of 8 weeks until roughly 24 months. This is so the inmates learn what it means to contribute to society, and they earn hope and pride from doing so. The dogs bring companionship and security to the veterans. How nice is that?
This is a small charity started by anxiety sufferers who believe people with anxiety and depression shouldn’t suffer alone simply because they can’t afford treatment or are on a long waiting list. It offers free, confidential support such as counselling, prevention and relaxation techniques!
There are plenty of charities with the aim of saving whales, elephants, and gorillas. But what about guinea pigs? Since 2004, The Critter Connection has dedicated it’s time to housing and caring for abandoned guinea pigs! That’s just plain adorable.
They’re basically a charity who raise money for other charities, but with a very clever and effective strategy! Omaze offer amazing prizes, such as the chance to hang out with your favourite celebrity, or a trip to the Maldives. The competitions can be entered by donating as little as £10. The higher your donation, the higher your chances of winning the prize. Very cool!
Founded in 2009, Student Minds focuses on giving students the skills, knowledge, and confidence to talk about their mental health and look out for their friends. The charity hosts student support groups, so students can have access to a friendly and supportive environment in which they can openly discuss their mental health problems.
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At MASTA we provide expert travel health advice that is tailored to you and your journey. As part of a thorough risk assessment we only ever suggest the vaccinations, antimalarials and preventative advice that you really need to help protect you on your travels.
Having a cheap and cheerful car is a great way to get around when you’re a student, but a breakdown or a performance problem with your vehicle can force you to shell out money. Here are some of our best tips for maintaining your car on the cheap.
When windscreen wiper blades have been in use for too long, they no longer wipe the moisture from your front window effectively. This can lead to dirt on the glass, causing it to lose clarity over time, so it’s important to change your wiper blades regularly.
Waiting days before addressing a warning light on your dashboard could indicate something seriously wrong with your vehicle. You should always travel with your car’s manual stored somewhere in the vehicle and learn the meaning of these lights as different models of vehicles sometimes carry different symbols.
Making use of fuel additives could keep your car in much better condition in the long term. These additives are cheap and will help to reduce harmful exhaust emissions, which will not only aid the environment, but also detox your vehicle. Depending on the type of engine that your car has, you will either need to use a petrol or diesel additive.
Tyres are something that inevitably need to be replaced, but many motorists fail to check their tyre treads. The legal minimum depth of the tread on your tyres should be 1.6mm. If your tread is lower than this, you could face a fine of up to £2,500. Most manufacturers actually recommend that you replace your tyres when they have 3mm of tread left, as anything thinner could result in handling issues.
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Welcome back to START, where we showcase a range of student art, from across the UK.
Gemma Gould - Visual Communication Loughborough University
Kirsty Saunders - Illustration University for the Creative Arts
Rhian Owen - Fashion Design University of Southampton
Jan Olive - Illustration Somerset College
Anna Doherty - Illustration Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design
Stewart Warner - Illustration Wolverhampon University
Middlesex University - Illustration Middlesex University
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Words: Jake Levison
Societies – groups created for the students, by the students. Some societies stay on the mainstream side of things, but some surpass the realm of normality, stretching far into the bizarre‌
This one just sounds awesome! Members receive random text messages every few weeks, which simply state a place they need to be at within 20 minutes. Upon arriving, members will find themselves somewhere interesting. At the end of the year, the society also have an annual mystery holiday. You don’t find out until you’re in the airport!
This one shouldn’t surprise you too much; die-hard Harry Potter fans were always going to conjure up a group like this. There are allegedly over 300 registered Quiddich teams worldwide! Let me just clarify quickly – the real Quiddich does NOT involve any flying of any kind (sorry to disappoint).
This is about as random as it gets. The creator describes the society as “exactly what it seems”… It’s a group of people that come together to celebrate hummus in all of it’s glory. They do more than just eat it – they discuss its origins, they debate what goes well with eating it...
WARNING! If you are planning on travelling to Durham, please remain vigilant of the young assassins that roam the streets. Although, you can take comfort in the fact that these assassins only target each other and they don’t actually kill each other – they play group activities where they just pretend to.
This group describe themselves as a bunch of people “who want to help break the negative nerd stereotype, who are willing to fight for good causes”. So, if you were actively laughing or making fun of number 3 on the list then you better lock your doors – the nerdfighters are coming to get ya!
Interview By Ben Farrin
Electronic Producer/DJ Marc Kinchen aka: MK, took 5 minutes to chat to SPG, just after his Australian tour. We talked about his new track My Love 4 U, playing a 4 hour set at his mates wedding and what it was like growing up in Detroit.
Hey MK, how are you? I’m good; I’ve just got back to the US after my Australian tour, so the jetlag is starting to sink in. It’s funny how constant jetlag is something I’ve had to get used to. Here at SPG, we’re loving ‘My Love 4 U’ it’s such a tune! Within 3 seconds you know you’re listening to an MK track! Thank you so much, I can’t wait for all the mixes to come out. You must get such a buzz from your job! Was it more enjoyable making this tune, or playing it live? I’ve always been more of a studio guy, but nothing compares to playing one of your own tracks out and getting a positive reaction from the crowd. This one really went off during last summer’s festivals. I also noticed the car driving away in the beginning of the video. My favourite car and colour! Is it your car? Yes, that is a great car, but it’s not mine - and to be honest, I can’t imagine driving an English car; I have trouble looking the right way when I cross the street in England while I’m walking! Don’t even ask me to drive on the wrong side of the road… The truth is that I have been on the road for so long, that I haven’t even been in my car for almost 11 months now. I don’t want to overdo it, but I am a huge fan! One of my favourite house tunes is Wanklemut & Emma Louise – My Head Is A Jungle (MK Remix), followed closely by MK & Becky Hill – Piece Of Me! If you had
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I think the longest I have played to date was 4 hours, and that was a wedding gift to my mate who owns my PR company.
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to pick any song to get the party started, what would it be? It would really depend on the kind of party. If it’s a house party with friends, that would be different to if I was playing in a club or at a festival. If you have been to any shows, you might notice that I play a lot of my own music and mixes, but I do shake it up every now and then with a gem or jewel from some of my peers. Sometimes, I will start with my remix of Teach Me because it just gets everyone in the mood. Other times, I will start with one of my old tunes. I like to mix it up to be honest; I go with the vibe. You’re headlining Lost and Found in April alongside Annie Mac, Armand Van Helden, Jamie Jones and Andy C to name a few. Will you be able to hang around and watch other sets, or do you have to jet off somewhere? The schedules are being done now, but I am really hoping to see my friends… I haven’t seen Armand in a long time, and it would be great to catch up with him. Annie will have had her baby by then, so it will be great to see her, Seth, Jamie, Eats Everything, Kolsch, Skream and the whole crew... kind of like a reunion. Seriously, when you’re all on tour so much, you really appreciate seeing friends along the way. What’s the longest set you’ve ever played? I think the longest I have played to date was 4 hours, and that was a wedding gift to my mate who runs my PR company. My managers and I have been friends with those guys forever, so it was a super fun thing to do! Please tell us: what’s your most memorable DJ set? There have truly been so many highlights. One of the first times I played my version of Storm Queen in San Antonio (Ibiza), the crowd kneeled and I thought something was wrong. Turned out that it’s a sign of respect... I was speechless. I had never seen anything like that before, and I’ll never forget it. What was your childhood like growing up in Detroit? It was pretty normal, except that I was a bit of a loner. I knew I wanted to play or make music at a pretty early age, so I hung out with the more artsy crowd. It was fairly average until I started my band.
How did Detroit influence you and your music? Detroit was a great place to grow up; there was music everywhere. On one side there was amazing techno, and on the other side was hip hop and rap. And of course the backbone of it all was Motown, with all the greats like Michael Jackson, Aretha and Smokey Robinson. I was lucky enough to meet and become friends with the top guys in techno such as Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. Kevin used to let me use his studio; it was an incredible education. How can you see house music developing in the next 5 years? I think it will continue to evolve as it always does: it will get harder, it will go through some more drum and bass stuff, and it will be touched by hip hop. One thing I do believe is that it won’t be boring. How do you decide which tunes to remix? It’s always the vocals for me - if I love the sound of the vocals, it will inspire me and then I can take it on and transform it into my own language. First record you ever brought? Depeche Mode was definitely the first music I bought. I loved them. I was also into The Cure, Ministry and New Order. What are you most looking forward to in 2017? Sleeping in my own bed, finishing my album, making music, and putting music out on Area 10. We are looking to nurture new talent and work with friends as well. We plan to support it with our Area 10 events. Thanks for your time Marc, we hope to catch up soon! Thank you... Hope to see you soon!
MK will play Lost & Found festival on 13-16th April 2017, for more info and tickets please visit: www.lostandfoundfestival.com
With a string of hits, headline shows and even a billboard in Ibiza under their belt, there’s no doubt that Son Of 8 are the latest act to get people talking. Pushing a classic house sound that has captured the attention of millions, we catch up with the guys to find out where they came from and more importantly – where they’re going… For those not in the know, who are Son Of 8 and what do you do? We’re Paul and Col – two music producers and DJs from Liverpool. We met years ago at Cream events and have been involved in the music industry individually for quite a while, but towards the end of 2015 we decided to put our heads together and see what kind of music we could make as a production duo: Son Of 8 was born. We play straight-up house music, but the best way to get an idea of our sound is probably through our weekly ‘Our House’ radio show which is broadcast on several radio stations around the world, and is also available as a Podcast on iTunes or Mixcloud. We hear that you’ve had an impressive 2016 – best bits? Where to start? 2016 has been a roller coaster from the very start… We definitely ticked off a huge career milestone when we played on the main stage at the We are FSTVL at the start of the summer, but then we also played the full season in Ibiza as weekly residents for Judgment which was fun. As we were in Ibiza every week, we got to meet lots of other great DJs and producers, some of whom we’re now working with.
In terms of releases, we’ve had tracks out on Zulu Records Armada Deep and Spinnin. ‘With Every Heartbeat’, our collab with Phats & Small, recently hit 1 million plays on Spotify which is crazy. Spending a summer playing in Ibiza every week sounds like a dream come true – is it as glamorous as it sounds? Not sure glamorous is the right word to use considering the lack of sleep and endless trips to the airport, but it is a laugh (and obviously a dream come true, as it would be for any DJ). Flying back and forward every week can be difficult as you easily miss a full night’s sleep when you perform, so by the end of summer you are like a zombie. We were lucky enough to be asked by Judge Jules to be residents for his night this summer, so we spent a lot of time with the Judgment team; the whole team was like a family so we had some great team nights out. It’s so easy to find a party in Ibiza, it can be hard work on your liver and kidneys; the sun and the people on the Island are a good cure for that though, and having survived the season we still love Ibiza.
Any behind-the-scenes stories that you can share with us? We loved filming our music video for ‘With Every Heartbeat’ out there – we were out on a yacht all day which was an amazing experience; at one point though, we drove the boat over a load of Spanish fishermen’s fishing lines and got a visit from the Guardia Civil boat which was not so great. A good portion of the video was filmed in Blue Marlin which is a really cool venue / bar, when you’re working in a bar it’s easy to, erm, ‘sample the wares’ shall we say? Never knew you could have a hangover from shooting a music video.. How do the clubs and crowds in Ibiza compare with playing in the UK? Do you play many student nights back home? The clubs in Ibiza are amazing for sheer size, production, lighting and sound systems – you don’t get that many worldclass venues so close to each other anywhere else. And as most people are on holiday in Ibiza and the sun is shining, the crowds are always up for it – it’s definitely a clued-up crowd who are really into their dance music. Having said that, the UK is our home and has one of the best scenes for electronic music in the world – we love playing club shows which are often smaller and more intimate; we did a student union tour this autumn and the student crowds were always well up for a good night, we’ll be doing a lot more in 2017 too. And then of course you can’t forget the UK festival scene which is a totally different experience when you’re performing outdoors – we basically love playing anywhere! What do you think is the secret to the perfect night out? This is what everyone spends their entire lives trying to figure out… Having had a few good nights out ourselves, we can confirm that the secret to a perfect night out is just being with your best mates and having a laugh. If there’s some good music in there too, then that’s a bonus. You’ve just released a collaboration with Phats & Small – what’s the story behind that? We actually met Jason Phats backstage at Glastonbury this year and got talking about music. We had a lot of tracks with no vocalist that we had been working on and they had been working with some very talented singers at their studio in
Brighton so it went from there really. Thanks to the wonders of technology we were able to collab between Ibiza, London and New York, and then a few months later the track started blowing up on FM radio, and then was signed by Spinnin. The response has been incredible and totally unexpected. Is it strange for you as DJs now seeing record success in terms of Spotify plays and Shazams? No not really, everything is online and streamed now – why collect thousands of pounds’ worth of music when you can subscribe for £7 a month and have access to pretty much everything that is out there? There’s something to be said for owning a physical copy of your favourite album, but a lot more people stream rather than buy these days so as an artist you’ve got to embrace it. We love finding new music, so the fact that everything can be streamed instantly gives a lot of people access to a lot of music they would not normally hear. It’s easy to see you playing in Ibiza, releasing these great records and think “I want to do that too” – what advice would you give to anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps? First, know that it doesn’t happen overnight and there’s more hard work and sleepless nights involved than you could ever guess from the pictures you see on DJs’ Instagram pages. Get some second-hand decks and learn the basics of beat-matching and mixing, then get some music production software like Ableton Live or Logic, and enrol in an Electronic Music Production course at a local college; online music production tutorials on YouTube can be quite good too. Then practice, practice, practice – every spare minute you have. If you’re good enough and have the passion, you’ll eventually crack the industry. Good luck, and don’t give up. Looking ahead to the new year, where can we expect to see Son Of 8 in 2017? We’ve been busy in the studio since the Ibiza season finished, so there will be a lot more releases coming next year that’s for sure. We will also be touring again from next March and we’d love to see you at one of our shows – keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for more info.
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We all love a martini or a mojito, but what if we told you we’ve discovered some seasonally appropriate cocktails to keep you sane through the harsh winter months? Look no further because SPG has got you covered with these winter cocktail recipes!
This classic has been revamped for winter with a little seasonal cranberry juice! Stick 1 cup of fresh cranberries, 3/4 cup of water, and 1/3 cup of sugar on the stove and cook for 7-10 minutes. Remember to keep stirring! Mash that with a spoon and pop it on low heat for 5 mins. Scoop out the juice and put in your cocktail shaker. Add ice, gin, and some cranberry syrup to the shaker and get shakin’! Chill, and enjoy!
Break up some candy canes and stick the pieces in a jar. Fill your jar with the vodka and store in a cool, dark place for 3 days don’t forget to shake it now and again. When you’re ready to party, strain through a paper coffee filter or even a clean T-shirt to get rid of the gooey stuff. The next part is easy: enjoy!
For a serving of two, stick 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk in a saucepan and melt (for around 3 minutes). Add another 2 and 1/2 cups of milk, 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, and a tiny bit of pumpkin spice and stir like a madman. Pour your hot chocolate into your mugs and add an ounce (or two) of bourbon.
Had a drinking session and feeling rough? If you’re in need of a hair of the dog, why not give this cocktail idea a go? Simply make your standard cup of coffee just how you like it and add 4 tablespoons of whisky (we recommend Jim Beam). To spice things up, whip up some heavy cream with a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of pumpkin spice until you have stiff peaks, and stick it on top of your coffee; now that is how to start your day!
This one is great because it’s so easy! If you’re a fan of tummy-warming ginger and bourbon, this one is for you! Combine 1 and 1/2 ounces of ginger liqueur, 1 ounce of bourbon, and 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake it until chilled, then strain into a glass.
For all you tea (and bourbon) lovers! Make yourself a cup of earl grey tea without the milk and sugar. Let your tea steep for a good 5 minutes before adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, and a couple of ounces of your favourite bourbon! You can even garnish it with a little slice of lemon!
BY BEN FARRIN
The man responsible for creating feel good garage music in the late 90s is back, nearly a decade later, with his positive vibes winning over a new generation of fans. Having lived the dream life in Miami, Craig David returned to his home in Southampton with one aim: to create new music and enjoy every moment of it! We caught up with him to talk about his fast rise to fame, his Miami pent-house parties, his UK arena tour and Ibiza. Looking back, you released ‘Re-Rewind’ in 1999 followed by ‘7 Days’ and ‘Fill Me In’, and by then your name exploded. I know you used to DJ a lot when you were younger, but were you surprised by the level of fame you reached so quickly, or was this always a part of the plan? I was totally surprised. One minute I was coming up to London doing small PAs in, like, the Coliseum and The End which was the kind of start of the whole garage scene. Then within probably the space of four of five months after ‘Re-Rewind’ dropped, I was filming ‘Seven Days’ and then we were literally playing 3 nights in Wembley Arena. It just went so fast. It was definitely a dream, but I never expected it to unfold the way it did. How did you cope with that level of fame and growth so quickly? At the time I was like 18 years old, so you’re just full of enthusiasm and hungry to show the world what you’re capable of. Also, I did a lot of DJing when growing up in Southampton in the whole club circuit there. So live wise, I felt like I was already ahead of the game - but in terms of how quickly everything was going, you kind of just flow with it. And I’m thankful my mum and dad raised me in a way that made me appreciate what was going on, as opposed to it just being like, “Yeah, obviously this is going to happen”. Your new music is having just as much impact – you must be very proud? Yeah, the most exciting thing for me is that I was able to just write songs in the same way I did in the first album, with no time restraints or pressure to release it at any certain point. Since releasing the album, to see two generations connecting with it is incredible; I’m seeing 17/18 year olds who are just discovering my music and are now just listening to the early R&B stuff; they’re like, “Oh I didn’t know you did R&B”. And then I’ve got people who grew up with my music, feeling they got that ‘born to do it-esque’ but with that 2017 kind of feel again.
Is it fair to say that your return is partially to do with your TS5 parties at your home in Miami? Yeah, I moved out to Miami maybe 6 years ago, and that was definitely where I re-incorporated what I was doing back in Southampton, in the beginning, where I was just making mix CDs and mix tapes and stuff. It’s funny that all I did was bring that back into the mix when I was in Miami in my apartment. I threw a house party and then it was kind of just the missing link, because it made me feel like, live wise, I could just do what I used to back in the day when it was always exciting. So, to be able to do that again is the best feeling! It makes it feel fresh again. Where did the name TS5 come from? I bought an apartment in a hotel. They were apartments that you could put back into the rental programme and be part of the hotel. For some reason they were called the tower suite level, and they had five apartments on that level so it’s Tower Suite 5. When everyone was messaging each other when they were coming to the house party they’d be like, “Yeah I’m coming to TS5 tonight!” So I just ran with it. Can you explain a typical TS5 party? I’d been in the club scene in Miami for a while and it just got a little bit played out, and felt pretentious in terms of the VIP area and the red rope. People getting a little too excited because there was a bottle of vodka on a wooden table, thinking they were a little better than the people outside the red rope, and I just hated that elitism thing. So I decided to throw a little house party at mine. It started off with around 10 mates, just having shots before we went out, and playing a couple of tunes. That evolved into me putting on food and drink, giving shoutouts on the mic and actually made it feel to anyone that came that they were VIP. We were playing all the throwback tunes as well as the new stuff, and people were like “Oh yeah can you play one of your tunes as well?” It’s weird because the stage that TS5 has now got to is through all these really natural things. I would never usually sing my own songs at a house party, but people would keep asking me to sing ‘Seven Days’ and ‘Re-Rewind’. It’s only because of people requesting those songs that they are a part of my live shows - it’s been wicked over the last three years.
Brilliant. Strategically, are you doing anything differently this time round in terms of your music? What’s the plan? The only thing different is that I’m able to enjoy every moment this time round, because the first time it was all so fast. Like I said, I was a teenager, literally just out of Southampton and then travelling the world doing all these arena shows, meeting every person I grew up listening to, getting to meet them in the flesh and being like, “What is going on?” because they’re talking about how they’ve bought your album! This time round, the actual enthusiasm and hunger I have is the same as what I had when I was an 18 year old, but it all feels very new and fresh to me, especially with the TS5 element. My plan is just to enjoy every moment! We did a video shoot for ‘Change My Love’ recently in London and I got so much satisfaction out of doing the shoot. There were people coming up to me and wanting to take pictures, telling me they’ve been listening to my music since 99! I’m thinking, “This is what it’s all about.” It’s about relationships; that’s the only thing I have gained out of all these 16 years. It’s about meeting people, hearing people’s stories and how the music has connected with them. It isn’t about me getting too hyped; that’s meaningless! And I think that’s why it’s so much more fun this time round. You’ve gone full circle, and you’re back making music in the UK with new young talent – does it feel nice being back in England or do you miss Miami? The thing is that everyone is like, “Man you must be missing Miami!” I mean, my home is there and stuff, which is all good, but I know I am so on my music now, that actually the whole going back to Miami thing feels a bit of a chore. Like, why am I going back? I just want to be in the studio recording and going on stage and performing. Two or three years ago it was probably the other way round. But now I’m like, you know what? It’s not going anywhere! Yes the weather is great and all that stuff. I will go out there for a week or two’s holiday at some point - but right now? I feel like every day I wake up is a holiday because I’m performing and singing! Where’s your favourite place in the world? That’s a funny one because everyone has a different vibe about it. Recently when I went over to New York, I had to admit, having grown up listening to Notorious BIG and that whole Hip Hop scene with DJ Premier and all that stuff, to be in Brooklyn doing a TS5 show, and then we literally sold out on another TS5 show in January which, for me, is crazy. But thinking of Brooklyn and what that music meant - the whole bad boy entertainment stuff when I was growing up buying vinyl - that for me is quite exciting because I grew up so heavily on Hip Hop music.
You’ve got a UK arena tour starting in March – which venue are you most excited to be playing? Do you know what? Every single one of them! Back in the day, depending on who asked me or who I was doing an interview with, I would say, “Oh yeah definitely this one”, but if I’m completely honest? To think that we’ve gone out on sale with the arena tour and there are people up and down the country who are buying tickets to come and see me perform, for me, I’m just hyped to perform at every single one of them. I think when you really equate how much a ticket is and what that means for a family who work hard to pay bills, and put a roof over their head, and they go and buy 4 tickets because there’s two kids and mum and dad; that’s a proper event for them! I’m just like, man, that is something I’ve got to be grateful for and not take it for granted and not be like “Yeah, yeah I’m just going to go and do the London show...” Will you mostly be singing music from your new album ‘Following My Intuition’, or will you throw in any of the old classics? It’s going to be a good balance between the older tracks and the new stuff. I know when I’ve gone to shows and I’ve been a big fan of somebody, and they want to play their new stuff but also play the old stuff that really got me into them in the first place - I kind of respect that. So I’m going to make sure there is a good balance of stuff with the live band we have on tour, as well as remix stuff that the TS5 element allows me to throw in, that I’ve always wanted to do for so many years, and now I’ve got the ability to flex with that DJ element so it’s going to be sick! What’s your personal favourite track? It still would be ‘Re-Rewind’, as it’s a very seminal tune of that whole garage movement. When I play that tune now it still goes off exactly the same way it did 16 years ago. Most embarrassing moment? I went to the studio in LA; I was working with a guy and he was playing a guitar. He was giving me some chords that he thought were cool, but I wasn’t too sure about them, so I just did my normal thing when I’m in the studio making sure the song sounded right to me. And then all of a sudden a voice shouts into the room, “Hey Babyface, you need anything?” And there was only me and this other guy in the room! I was under the impression I was just working with an acoustic guitar player! I was thinking, “Bro, the amount of hits you’ve had as Babyface and I’m telling you your chords aren’t right...” So that was slightly embarrassing, but it broke the ice! ‘Follow My Intuition’ is OUT NOW. Visit craigdavid.com for more info.
In the last edition of SPG, we talked about how A6 Records had developed, reasons you might want to start a record label and some important things you need to consider if you’re going to do so. We talked about how Arron Erskine had developed as an artist within such a short amount of time, and the efforts that go into making a success, as well as branding tips, financial advice and the legal contracts you need to get right before getting carried away with the exciting stuff!
Having started a few businesses now, I have a rule I say to myself and my team. This rule is simple – look back at your work/achievements in 6 month blocks. If when you look back, you do not see significant developments, then you are doing something wrong. If when you look back you are happy with what has been achieved, then give your team (if you have one) and yourself a pat on the back! Celebrate your success but not for too long! Because there’s still work to be done and bigger achievements to celebrate in the future!
A6 Records has been an amazing journey already – in less than 10 months Arron Erskine has been featured on BBC Radio 1Xtra as artist of the week. He’s played his music at the iPro Stadium (with a 33,000 capacity), and he’s gaining a large number of fans. We’re working closely with a very talented producer and the work rate is speeding up. In my opinion this is very important. Not only do you want to be making amazing music, but the frequency of great new music needs to be impressive too. Since Arron’s last official release ‘We’ll See’, he’s been writing lots and together with the producer, finished 2 more tracks. The first of the 2 is a self titled song called ‘Wolf’ – yes, this means Arron Erskine is performing under the new name WOLF. The change in name was decided for a few reasons. Not only does it sound
cool, the iconic beast is strong, clever, and the animal name suits the style of music we’re releasing, which is going more down the grime route. Oh, and Arron’s whole head is tattooed as a wolf – it’s a bold name/image. We’re also extremely proud to have worked with undoubtedly the best grime music video producer around today. His name is Kaylum Dennis and if you didn’t already know, he’s the official music video director for Stormzy and Section Boyz. His work includes Stormzy – Scary, which has picked up a roaring 12 million views in 8 months! This is only our 3rd music video release so we cannot ask for more right now. Check out the video and keep your eyes peeled, because we’re building momentum and the 4th track, which is already finished is bigger and better than the first 3! Expect big things.
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Technological advances in recent years have certainly changed things on the dating scene. Online dating has proven itself to be highly successful. On the other hand, we’ve all heard horror stories that send many of us running! Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid are just some of the popular sites being used to find “the one”, but is it all it’s cracked up to be?
Online dating profiles allow us to get a little creepy and read all about a user’s personality; see them in photos, videos, and even discover the name of their beloved pooch. We can now be a little more certain of who we will be meeting and what to expect to reduce that first date anxiety.
Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems. That hunky Italian who you’ve been talking to on Tinder is actually that dodgy bloke who lives three doors down from you. That fit girl from Spain who started asking for money so she could come and visit you is a scammer! Some people have a nasty habit of adopting a fictional persona to lure innocent daters into their trap of pervy questions and possible inappropriate pictures, or even worse steal your money. Keep your wits about you!
The advances in online dating make it far less difficult to meet a potential partner; the wide range of choices is refreshing and makes the whole process a little less terrifying! Online dating has also allowed us to get close and feel connected to someone before we’ve even met them.
It’s nice to know the basic details about your date before you meet them, such as their name, age, and maybe even height. However, sometimes online dating results in us knowing a little too much beforehand; you realise you miss that butterfly feeling because you already know their mother’s maiden name and the street they grew up on. Don’t be too keen to find out everything straight away and refrain from doing a computerised background check... for now. Be sensible and have fun!
YES! Start off nice and simple by asking very basic questions that show you are interested in your date and want to get to know them gradually and sensibly.
WOO! When you have found out their basic information, it’s good to then open with a question like this as it’s light-hearted, and shows you are genuinely interested in getting to know your date. Music is always a great subject to bond over, too!
The perfect question to get the conversation flowing! Also a damn good question to discover what you might both have in common, and it lets you show interest in your date.
YEP. This question benefits you more than it does your date; it’s a great way to discover your date’s attitude whether it’s positive or negative. Also, it is useful to know if any of the day’s events could be affecting their behaviour during the date.
WHOA! Don’t bring up the ex. You don’t want to frighten them away. The ex is an ex for a reason, so leave the past in the past and focus on the fun you are having with your date!
STOP RIGHT THERE. It’s a first date so of course they’re nervous. The last thing you want when you’re nervous is for someone to acknowledge it. Try reassuring them that it is perfectly normal to feel anxious or that you’re feeling nervious too.
AHHH! Don’t say the ‘M’ word. It can send your date running. At this stage it’s all about getting to know your date. Coming on too strong can make your date pretty uncomfortable.
NOPE. If you ask that, your date is going to think you’re interested in one thing and one thing only, my friend. CASH. It is totally acceptable to ask about their career, but don’t get too personal as it can give them the wrong impression.
ANONYMOUS CONFESSION
Send confessions to info@thestudentpocketguide.com
I studied Graphic Design a few years ago, and my uni course was just 2 years, but boy, did I make the most of my time whilst I was there! Luckily, I met a great bunch of friends which I am still mates with today. Between us we would play many pranks and had loads of messy nights. The pranks started off quite tame. Our bedroom doors, in halls of residence used to be directly opposite, so we used to tie each door handle to one another, knock on both doors then run away. It’s surprising how much joy jo a piece of string can provide. We used to do silly things to annoy the security (because all they used to do was hassle us, knocking on our doors at night asking for people to go back to their own rooms). We used to draw funny characeteurs of this one particular security guy, and you’d hear him on the oor above running and grabbing these funny pictures we drew of him. If a fellow mate left their room open, we’d swap their belongings for another room – that one’s pretty harsh, especially if the other person isn’t in your friend group. I could go on and on… But I had this personal friendly vendetta, where my mate Paul always used to prank me and vice versa. I remember he loved his DVDs so I swapped every single one (he had around 300), so when he next wanted to spend his Sunday, hung-over watching his favourite movie, he couldn’t nd it! Then he really got me. I had fairly short hair at the time, but not that short. And he thought thoug it was funny (it was looking back now), to shave a tiny amount of hair off the back of my head with a bic razor. The next day I went to uni and everyone was laughing at me, and I couldn’t work out why, because if I rubbed my hand over the back of my head I couldn’t feel it! Then someone told me, and I had no option but to shave my head to a 0! I looked ridiculous, plus I worked at the supermarket on the tills! That was it, one step too far, so I went to a high street cosmetic shop, and bought boug some laxatives. Now, this is harsh but what’s done is done… I waited for one Friday evening when we had a party, and poured a load of laxative into his barely watered down Vodka. I don’t know how he didn’t realise sooner, because the drink went a dark cloudy colour. Shortly after, all these girls came round, and it wasn’t long after that we were all in the living room listening to tunes and BAM, he literally shat himself. It was so funny. My stomach hurt so bad I laughed so much. Needless to say Paul did not get lucky with the ladies that night.
YouTube pranksters Robin Birrell and Emma Crompton gave us their favourite pranks that they’ve played on each other. They let us know which were the hardest to pull off and which were the most traumatising.
Emma runs a cat rescue charity called Bay Cat Rescue, and in this video Robin tells Emma that he accidentally stood on one of their kittens, Arthur. Harsh - but you can really see how much these cats mean to Emma.
Maybe the cruellest prank I have seen. Emma fakes a robbery and covers herself in blood and lies on the kitchen floor. Cue huge shock for Robin when he returns home.
Robin gets a surprise when Emma presents him with a baby scan, but the prank backfires.
Another super harsh prank! Emma is a vegan, and Robin pretends that he has given her a real sausage instead of their usual vegan substitutes.
Robin puts blue hair dye in Emma’s shampoo. After her shower she is not a happy bunny.
The Cookie Monster’s real name is ‘Sid’ Worms eat themselves if they can’t find food Banging your head against a wall for 1 hour would burn 150 calories On average, right-handed people live 9 years longer than left-handed people you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than by a poisonous spider 10% of the russian government’s income comes from the sale of vodka Ancient egyptians would shave off their eyebrows when their cat died It would take 115 days for a snail to travel a mile The average person falls asleep in 7 seconds A whales penis is called a dork 1 in 8 americans have worked in a mcdonald’s restaurant It is illegal to eat oranges while bathing in california there are more chickens than people on the planet
Hey Wilkinson, what are you up to right now? I’m currently sitting in an airport watching my flight get delayed more and more back to London. But I had a great final live show of the year last night in Austria so all is well and good. As I’m writing this, your latest video Sweet Lies (Live From The Pool) ft. Karen Harding went live just 2 hrs ago! It’s an amazing version/video… Yes! Thank you! I’ve had a lot of people saying how much they love the live/stripped back version. I think it’s something I’m going to try and do with a few of the tracks on the album. It’s nice to strip them back to their raw form, with just the piano and vocal. That’s how I always start my vocal tracks. As well as Karen Harding, you’ve also collaborated with the likes of Wretch 32, Shannon Saunders and Tom Cane to name a few. Of all your collaborations so far, who has been your favourite person to work with? Do you plan to work on more live sessions like this? That’s a tough one to decide. I’ve got great relationships with all of those artists. It’s something that I feel like you have to have when you’re creating music with someone. You have to be able to sit in the studio and be honest with each other in how you see the song going and what melodies/lyrics you like. Since October last year, you’ve been busy touring the world, playing at countries including The Netherlands, Austria, UK, New Zealand and Romania! Of all the live gigs you’ve played in your career so far, which is your favourite or most memorable and why? I feel like apart from the UK, New Zealand is my other favourite place to perform. You get on a flight from London and it takes 27 hours to get there. It’s the furthest place in the world from my home, but I can go there and sell out shows across the country. It’s the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen, and so fresh and clean. I’ve played so many memorable shows over there in the most beautiful venues.
What’s your favourite tune to play live at the moment? I’d say the title track from my album ‘Hypnotic’. It’s a really technically fun song to play with the band. I absolutely love your music and haven’t seen you play live yet, but I see you’re coming to play in our home town Norwich next month! Will you be stopping long, and in general, do you get time to visit the areas where you play, or are you always rushing around? I always try and hit the town when we’re touring with the live band. Usually, we wake up on the show day and go somewhere in the day to have lunch in town. Then after the show we usually head to a local club for an after party with the band and crew, which always gets pretty out of hand! Your favourite city in the world and why? It’s got to be London! I feel like we’ve got such cultural diversity and up until recently so many great clubs. There’s always somewhere great to eat and I love my food! As long as no more clubs get shut down it’ll stay my favourite. You’re signed to DnB legend Andy C’s independent label RAM Records – do you get to work with Andy much, and if so, what’s he like to work with? I only really get to see Andy on the road these days. We’re both very busy doing our own things! With so many great emerging artists it’s really difficult for many to get a big break – what piece of advice would you give anyone who’s looking to get noticed? Just keep working at what you do, concentrate on the quality of what you do rather than getting it noticed by big labels or DJ’s. When the time’s right, people will hear your music and discover you for themselves. How do you see Drum ‘n’ Bass evolving in the next 5 years? Who knows! I don’t try to predict it. I think it’s best if people keep trying new things, nodding to the past styles but also trying new things.
Frank Hamilton – Saturday Night Happy go lucky singer songwriter Frank Hamilton films an acoustic performance, of his song Saturday Night for SPGtv. He’ll have you whistling along and nodding your head in no time. A happy and uplifting catchy song that will put a smile on your face. Well worth a watch.
Jack Whitehall Interview
Stand-up comedian, Hollywood actor and genuinely nice guy Jack Whitehall spoke to us about his new tour, appearing in a film (and nearly head-butting Jennifer Aniston), getting drunk on TV, and throwing a kebab at a member of the public. He’s a nice guy… Honest.
Soham De – Unstill If you like Ben Howard, you will LOVE Soham De! Now, a 19 year old singersongwriter from Kings Lynn, Soham is based in Durham for University and still finding time to write and tour, recently supporting the likes of Gabrielle Aplin, Saint Raymond, Bondax, Isaac Gracie and Kal Lavelle, to name a few.
POV Centre Point Skyscraper Climb Parkour, freerunner, stunt-man Marcus Wilson climbs the 117m tall Centre Point skyscraper in London! If the heights aren’t enough to make your stomach churn, it was wet and slippery too! Big shout out to Marcus, the guy with amazing bravery along with his team, and Westy with the beats!
1MORE Headphones Unbox Review
We get sent loads of cool products and figured you guys might appreciate product reviews! So, we’ve kicked things off with our first unbox review of the 1MORE MK802 bluetooth headphones. Giving you honest feedback as we un-wrap the items. We’re going to be reviewing all things gadgets and beauty!
Joshua Roberts Live 3 Minutes of Fire DJ Joshua Roberts performs an amazing live set, mixing, scratching and chopping an incredible 13 tracks in less than 3 minutes! If that isn’t enough, he’s even added his signature electronic drum kit to the set which he’s got connected to a loop pedal! Absolute DJ madness!
What/who inspired you to become a musician, and where did your passion for music come from? I used to sing along to anything in the back of my folks’ Volvo, but I guess the moment it all changed was when I heard a Blink 182 song that spoke directly to me about my life. Her name was Sarah and I was 15. The lyric was: “Sometimes I sit at home and wonder if she’s sitting at home and thinking of me and wondering if I’m sitting at home and thinking about her, or am I just wasting my time?”
What is a typical week like for you at the moment? The word ‘typical’ doesn’t really exist! Last week I was making live videos and gearing up for the album to be out in stores. This week I’m sat on my couch in a dressing gown at 1pm, answering interview questions. The only real constant is that there’s always something you could or should be doing my brain doesn’t ever really switch off.
What personal attributes are most important to being successful in the music industry? Everyone’s different, but for me self-belief and tenacity have been key. Also maintaining a good work/life balance, which is easier said than done! Forsaking food, sleep, family and friends in pursuit of a music career is so easy to do, but in a world of rollercoaster peaks and troughs those constants are really, really important.
Your #OneSongAWeek project was very successful! What made you do it? Honestly? A mixture of confidence, stubbornness and desperation! I didn’t really think it through much, (I had the idea on January 2nd and the first song came out of Jan 6th), so it wasn’t until about week 30 when I realised it was good!
How would you describe your most recent album? Well I made the thing so I’m the worst person to ask! I guess my favourite description so far is ‘a self-help guide masquerading as an indie-pop record’. I think the songs are lyrical and folky, but the aesthetic is quite different with drum machines, electric guitars and stylophones.
What would you say is your biggest achievement so far? As amazing as #OneSongaWeek, The London Eye EP and whatever else have been, I think the thing I’m most proud of is not throwing in the towel and getting a ‘proper’ job! It’s an inescapable fact that I could be making a lot more money doing something else with my life, and while it’s never about the money, the security it brings is kind of important to one’s sanity...
What do you love most about touring? Not having to think for myself or make too many decisions! Life is super easy when you know what time breakfast finishes, when to be out of the hotel by and what time’s sound check.
What are your plans for the future? To be happy (most of the time, not just some!) and to enjoy this rollercoaster we call life. Also, album 3.
What advice would you give to any aspiring musicians? Be yourself, work hard... and remember that signing a major record deal isn’t the be all and end all. It’s still touted as the thing we’re all reaching for, but given their actual success rate, I find that absurd!
ANNIE MAC PRESENTS LOST & FOUND FESTIVAL Do you want to experience a magical island adventure? Boat parties, pool parties, a huge opening party, castle raves, sunsets, cocktails and magical Malta itself. Whether you’re arriving before the festival or staying for longer, make sure you find time to soak up the sun (daily highs can hit temperatures of 20°C) - and check out the local restaurants and bars. Hidden away in a secret location of the island you can party hard into the early hours of the morning at the night-time festival site! With three open air stages, one intimate club, secret areas and many surprises to be discovered, you can dance the night away! With headliners including Annie Mac, Andy C, Giggs and MK, what can be more perfect than dancing in the sun all day long? For the full line-up and more visit: lostandfoundfestival.com
INNOVATION: DAM SPRING BREAK WEEKENDER The Innovation Dam Spring Break is back in 2017! The hype is at an all time high for the Amsterdam Spring Break Weekender and as you may know, Innovation In The Dam sold out in a record time. Don’t miss the chance to party over two nights in the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant city centre at the Melkweg & Air super clubs! With award winning drum and bass events since 1995, this two night event is not one to be missed. Tickets will sell out fast! For more info and tickets visit: innovationevents.co.uk/springbreak
THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW The photography show returns to the NEC, Birmingham for the fourth year running! Want to experience the latest technology? Need more knowledge on the photography industry? Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or looking to take the next big step in your career, this programme will offer a range of demo sessions and seminars to your ability! Take a break from trying and look around the special feature galleries that will be on display, also with exhibitor activities and photo ops! For tickets and more info visit: photographyshow.com
UK GARAGE FEST Need to get away for the weekend on Easter Bank Holiday with some mates? The UK Garage Fest is returning for the last year at the Coronet, London before it closes! 12 hours of raving, 6 arenas and over 100 artists...6AM to 6PM madness! What other way would you want to spend your Bank Holiday weekend? With artists such as DJ EZ, Artful Dodger, DJ Luck & MC Neat and MJ Cole producing UK Garage and making the charts - this 12 hour indoor festival is a must! Full line-up will be released soon. For tickets and more info visit: ukgaragefest.com
MAGICAL LANTERN FESTIVAL LONDON Want to explore the Silk Road? The Magical Lantern Festival in London is an amazing fusion of art, heritage and culture. This is a stunning outdoor event with beautiful installations of life-sized sculpted lanterns, a festival of light and illumination celebrating the Chinese New Year 2017. With ice bars, fair rides, international food and drink, and an ice skating rink - nothing could be more magical! The event is situated at the Chiswick House and Gardens, and offers an amazing experience. For ticket bookings and more info visit: magicallantern.uk/London
LONDON FASHION WEEK Love fashion and want to see 150+ designer exhibitions? London Fashion Week is the one for you! This event is only held twice a year in February and September, and is one of the “Big Four� fashion weeks along with New York, Milan and Paris! The designers will be showcasing a huge selection of ready-towear, footwear, bags, and accessories. This would be a great opportunity to see some of your favourite fashion designers! For more info visit: londonfashionweek.co.uk
By Lucy Drinkwater
So here are my top tips for staying cosy on the cheap
If you can find a hairy man, befriend him! During a cold winter night, nestle into his beard and/or back hair to stay warm.
Pubs are warmer than your house. The money you spend on beer will be more than the price of heating - but on the plus side, you’re putting money into the local economy and you are in a pub.
At the risk of sounding like your mum, try layers. Lots of thin layers will keep you warmer than just one big fur coat. Why are you wearing a fur coat? Who are you- Lady Gaga? Get over yourself, love!
Potatoes are your friend. They are cheap, filling and basically delicious. Running the oven is expensive, so nuke them in the microwave THEN put them in the oven for 10 mins to crisp up. Lovely. Great for a winter’s dinner.
If you’re cold, try putting on a jumper! This might seem obvious, but give it a go! When you’re feeling chilly - instead of reaching for the radiator - put on a jumper. If you’re still cold in half an hour THEN put on the heating.
Unfortunately, the UK isn’t well known for its amazing weather. In fact, it’s known for its rubbish, slightly inconsistent weather. But when it rains, your day doesn’t have to be poor. So SPG has some suggestions on what you can do!
Maybe your cooking skills have become a little rusty since you’ve been at university, or you simply haven’t had time to experiment since you started working. When those rainy weekends come along, why not fire up the oven and bake that cake you’ve always wanted to try? It makes for a great group activity, too!
You’ve just found out your best mate hasn’t seen Star Wars and you’re appalled. The weather is rubbish, so why not go on a film marathon with plenty of snacks and friends, and enjoy a relaxing day in front of the telly. Just stay away from the prequels.
Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. You’ve been putting off sorting through that mail; you still haven’t done that assignment; you still need to book that doctors appointment. Maybe use the rainy day as an opportunity to sort out those little annoying tasks, which you usually pretend don’t exist.
The rainy weather is getting you down and making you wish you were swinging in a hammock above the Caribbean sand. So why not plan your next holiday? Planning it down to the smallest details and finding some great deals will give you that motivation to finally start saving up for that break you deserve!
Probably not your favourite option, but now is an opportunity to start getting that dream body you’ve always wanted. At least gyms are warm and dry...
FIFTY SHADES DARKER 10TH FEBRUARY
While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her. The sequel to the erotic romantic drama based on E.L. James’ novel, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is set to hit the big screens this February. The film is a direct follow up to the events of the first film, where Ana and Christian have their go at a ‘normal’ relationship - and it is rumoured to be even raunchier than the first!
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 17TH MARCH
An adaptation of the Disney fairy-tale about a monstrous prince and a young woman who fall in love. We’ve only been waiting 16 years! This year brings the live action remake of Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ starring the beautiful Emma Watson as Belle. The cast also includes Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Luke Evans, Dan Stevens, and Emma Thompson! Get ready for the return of one of the biggest Disney princesses of all time, as well as one of our favourite love stories...
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 28TH APRIL
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, GOTG Vol 2 continues the team’s adventures as they unravel Peter Quill’s true parentage. The sequel to 2014’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, starring the wonderful Chris Pratt. It will be the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and if the second instalment of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is even half as brilliant and witty as the first, we’ll be beyond happy.
THE BYE BYE MAN 13TH JANUARY
Three friends stumble upon the horrific origins of the Bye Bye Man, a mysterious figure they discover is the root cause of the evil behind man’s most unspeakable acts. Set to take a step away from your typical horror movie and bring something refreshingly terrifying to our screens this year... Don’t think it, Don’t say it...
DESPICABLE ME 3 30TH JUNE
Gru’s long lost twin (Drew) will emerge and there will be a theme of sibling rivalry. It’s the third instalment of the 3D computeranimated ‘Despicable Me’ film series! Gru and his minions are returning to our screens to tackle a former child star who has gotten too big for his boots and also some sibling rivalry when Gru meets his long lost twin, Dru. Perfect for the whole family!
As a student, forking out cash for energy bills is something you are probably new to and most likely haven’t prepared for. Here are some awesome ways you can save energy and money!
It might seem obvious, but turning down your thermostat by just one degree could save you as much as £60 a year! It’s also cheaper to have your heating running on low continuously rather than turning it on and off. Wear layers and snuggle up in blankets; you’ll be less tempted to stick the heating on in the first place! Cook multiple meals at once to get the most out of heating up your oven! As a student, having your meals ready-made will save you a lot of time in the future! Use a small pan on a small ring when cooking as it saves energy and your meal will heat quicker! Leave your oven door open after cooking and allow the escaping heat to help heat your home. No wasted energy! Most of your washing machine’s energy is spent on heating the water itself – washing your clothes at 30-40 degrees will save you energy and won’t damage your clothes! 25% of the heat in your home rises and gets lost in your loft. If you get loft insulation, you could save up to 20% on your fuel bills – that’s a saving of roughly £130 a year! So if you rent a house, give your landlord or agents a call to see if you’re eligible. Showering uses much less water than having a bath. Also, turning down the pressure of your shower saves even more water and money. Air-dry your laundry instead of putting it inside a tumble dryer; they are incredibly expensive to run! Plus there isn’t anything nicer than fresh, air-dried clothes.
Tips to help you get a great deal on what you buy! Words: Heather Drinkwater
SHOP AROUND
This applies to online and in real life. Don’t just buy from the first shop you walk into. If you’ve got a bit of time, look at other places selling the same thing. The biggest shops don’t always do the best deals- sometimes a smaller place can give you a better price. When online, do an image search of the product to see if there are any other pages that it pops up on. Make sure when you do decide to buy, that you take into account any import taxes and postage fees. Also, make sure it will actually arrive when you need it. No point getting that book you need AFTER you hand in the essay…
VINTAGE > SECOND HAND.
Facebook and eBay will often throw up a few pre-loved versions of what you want to buy. Don’t be afraid of a little wear and tearespecially with things like books, where the words will still be all the same, even if they have been read a few times previously. Charity shops and carboot sales are great places to bag a bargain. But remember, it’s only a deal if you actually need what you’re buying.
STUDENT DISCOUNT.
Ask EVERYWHERE you go. Make sure you have a student card with you to save on awkward pleading. Shops, restaurants and clubs can all do a student deal if you ask nicely. It always helps if there are a few of you together- doing a discount on club entry for six people who will be drinking there all night might be a lot more appealing. Don’t be put off if there isn’t a sign. Just because it’s not advertised, doesn’t mean they won’t do one for you.
JUST ASK.
Haggling and negotiation is hard. That’s why people who can do it get paid the big bucks in the real world. It can be scary to try and ask but don’t worry! You’re not being pushy- you’re being smart! Squeeze every penny and make it work for you.
TOASTER & EGG MAKER Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why not invest in this Tefal Toast and Egg Two Slice Toaster and Egg Maker!? Perfect to give you a quick-to-make, cheap and healthy start to your day! And coming in at just under £30 online at the moment, you could split the cost with your mates and if there’s enough of you, get this under a fiver!
£29.00 - GO-ELECTRICAL.CO.UK
UNDER-DOOR DRAUGHT EXCLUDER Sliding neatly under both sides of your door to keep draughts out and heat in, the design of this smart ribbed draught excluder means you can still open and close your door with it in place. Just remember to keep your door locked when you’re not in so your house mates don’t steal it!
£8.99 - LAKELAND.CO.UK
SNOWBALL THROWER Get yours quick before they run out and if it doesn’t snow save it for next year! Use the Snowball Thrower to scoop, shape and sling snowballs in one swoop! The rubber press creates a snowball shape, which keeps soft to splodge on impact, and the easy grip handle provides control for the perfect aim and eliminates cold hands and soggy gloves!
£3.99 - TESCO.COM
WARMAWEAR™ HEATED INSOLES The saying goes if you keep your head, hands and feet warm, you will stay cosy. So ditch those dark green thermal socks in exchange for these heated insoles which cut to size.
£29.99 - PRIMROSE.CO.UK
FESTIVE CHRISTMAS JUMPER HIP FLASK OK Christmas is over, we get it. But people wear festival wrist bands for months after, so why not keep the Christmas theme going that little bit longer with this Festive Christmas Jumper Hip Flask? Mulled wine still tastes good until around March, right?
£6.99 - IWANTONEOFTHOSE.COM
TRAVEL COFFEE CUP This eco-friendly Vintage Ivy Travel Coffee Cup has a removable rubber sleeve and lid. It’s made from a composite of bamboo, cornstarch and other natural fibres, mixed with naturally antibacterial plant cellulose. Pop it in the dishwasher and re-use it again and again.
£8.85 - DOTCOMGIFTSHOP.COM
LIP BALM MAKING KIT This Kirstie Allsopp Natural Lip Balm Making Kit includes beeswax, cocoa butter, she butter, sweet almond oil and essential oils. You can even add drops of flavouring to personalise and tailor your lip balms. Add a bit of fun to keeping your lips in good health this winter!
£15.00 - HOBBYCRAFT.CO.UK
RECHARGEABLE HOT WATER BOTTLE No kettle needed, no danger when pouring boiling water and no tedious emptying. This pre-filled water bottle simply plugs into the mains for 10-15 minutes to heat up and when unplugged, keeps warm for up to 5 hours!
£17.95 - SCOTTSOFSTOW.CO.UK
MERMAID TAIL BLANKET Ideal if you want to keep cozy this winter! Handcrafted woollen blanket, which like a sleeping bag you get into! Movie nights, sleepovers, camping, car travel and reading time just got much more fun! A great gift for anyone wanting to impress their better halves!
£30.00 - AMAZON.CO.UK
ZACKEES LED TURN SIGNAL BIKE LIGHTS AND CYCLING GLOVES Zackees claim that if you wear these gloves you feel like some kind of badass robocyclist. We want them already! Obviously they have massive safety benefits too… because it’s winter, it’s dark and they… light up! So wear your gloves with pride and feel at ease that vehicles drive safe around you as you signal your way through the universe.
£105.15 - EBAY.CO.UK
David’s nutritional plan utilises 3 key principles that work in a unique combination to provide a cutting edge and incredibly effective method for lean gains, fat loss and overall health.
Carb cycling is a method I have utilised for as long as I can remember. It’s been a useful tool in effective diet planning for decades. The basic principle of carb cycling is that over the course of a week you have days with high, medium and low carbohydrate intake. You coincide higher carbs days with heavier gym sessions and low carb days with either rest days or low intensity training days.
Improved insulin sensitivity. Increased fat burning. Increased muscle gain.
At first this ‘against the grain method’ seems to oppose all that has been recommended and taught in recent times. But having been converted to it by a friend of mine (a very lean friend) I haven’t looked back. The most commonly used is the 16-8 method which follows a 16 hour fast and 8 hour feed period every day of the week.
Improved insulin sensitivity. Improved fat burning. Improved lean muscle gain. Generally more freedom/convenience. Better quality sleep.
Calories are cycled so that higher calorie days coincide with days of more physical activity and lower calories for days of less activity. It’s also a good method to incorporate if you have any body parts that are lagging behind and need to catch up, you go high calorie on that weight session to maximise recovery. Calorie cycling and carb cycling really go hand in hand with my method of planning nutrition, but calories can also be increased using fats, if for example you needed to increase calories whilst on a slightly lower carb diet.
Improved muscle gain. Improved fat loss. Lagging muscles are helped. Think this has to cost big bucks? A lot of people think expensive food plans are the only way to do it, but the truth is that you can achieve your goals whilst eating on a budget. Here’s how…
Avoid the expensive petrol station stops or the cafe meals of less than perfect macro breakdowns. Invest in a cool bag and some Tupperware and maximise your diet by getting your first choice of foods.
Still try to go for quality meat sources but choose chicken thigh over breast for example or opt for turkey instead of chicken. Also buy meat in bulk and batch cook meals.
They are protein packed and buying free range won’t break the bank.
If you know your university or college doesn’t offer fresh vegetables and decent carbs, then pre-prepare them yourself.
Cut costs and reduce waste whilst making sure you keep food costs down. Don’t forget that quality food is very important for your health and is also often more ethically sourced.
Quality of sleep is integral to your results. Aim for 8 hours a night.
Sleeping under the influence isn’t like proper sleep. To get full recovery from your sleep don’t booze (I tried).
This along with foam rolling will help recovery and reduce the risk of injury.
Stress eats your gains. Try and keep stress managed to make sure you keep progressing with your training. For more information or to sign up to David’s training programme visit: www.davidkingsbury.co.uk / @DavidKingsbury 12 weeks of personalised training and nutritional plans are just £149.
Words: Jack Shannon
Moving in with your housemate is a great experience. You’ll be sharing the first few years of independent living together. But something is different. Something feels wrong. Something is not quite right. You have your suspicions. Is your housemate… an antique Welsh Dresser? 1. They are quite large. An antique Welsh Dresser is around 8 feet tall and six feet wide. If your housemate is around this size then alarm bells should be ringing. 2. They have lots of plates in their room. Most students have at least a few plates scattered around the place. An antique Welsh Dresser however is literally designed to hold plates in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Plates on the floor covered in mould: fine. Plates arranged in a visually pleasing fashion: more investigation needed! 3. Is there any mould in the house? This has nothing to do with them being an antique Welsh Dresser, but during winter make sure to open your windows for a few hours each day to ensure you don’t get mildew on the walls. If you do get mildew on the walls, just follow these steps which I promise I didn’t just Google the answers to: How to Clean Mould on Walls in Three Steps 1.Make a solution of chlorine bleach and water – usually 1 part bleach to 3 parts water – or get hold of a household detergent with bleach as an active ingredient. 2.Using a stiff-bristled brush, scrub the blackened area. 3.Rinse thoroughly and dry. 4. Are they made of wood? Oak or pine. Although Ash is not unknown. If this is the case then to be honest it probably isn’t that bad. Put them in the living room and use them as a conversation piece and/or a place to store old batteries.
Editor in Chief: Ben Farrin Content Manager: Chris Reeve Feature Editors: Chloe Gascoigne, Alysha Allen Digital Marketing & Subscriptions: Elliot Norman Graphic Design: Make North Contributors: Allie Crooks, Heather Drinkwater, Jack Shannon, Jake Levison, Kerri Parker, Lucy Drinkwater Sales Director: Brendan McVeigh Regional Sales Managers: Aimee Dipple, Gemma Gould, Greg Newland, Lewis Woollard, Rob Couzins, Steve Tumilty
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