Trisickle Issue 5

W A R D

D A R R E N R e s u r r e c t i n g

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Issue 5

ISSN 2489-9429

9 772489 942003

P S £2.95 01

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e t ho s p h ot o b y S uz a n n e S pa ng be rg

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Illus t ra tor s bernadette butterworth marta pibernat corinne poggio nick sztymiak Tim hanley julius colwyn dickie webb eamon whyte francis quinn daniel acacio emma prentice emmy li iain sommerville martin shepherd Fiona macpherson stephen chadwick Noel Campbell Adam Smith Nelson Santos Rob Miller

Des i gner s simon wells piotr tamulewicz maks andala eamon whyte Ciaran Greene Tim hanley sara loiperdinger

Edmund_Fraser

MA

Sergio_Calvo

Fashion

Editor

Editor

Editor

Lead

arts

Editor

Photo

Laima_Dance

Design

Visual

Rachel_mcbrinn

Editor

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Laura_Tully

Lead

Designer

Marketing

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Scott_Johnston

Web

Editor

Founder

T r i -

Sheryl_Findlay

Michael_Park

Steph_Cosway

Danny_Jackson

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1 0 Tra c k s : “ T h a t ’ s m y d a y j o b , a s many indie label-type people do.

People don’t really realise that most of us are still working a day job.”

Da r r e n Wa r d :

“I find writing the gruesome death scenes in my movies come second nature to me!”

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Lo m o g ra p h y : Experimental Analogue Film Photography

Fashion

10 Eco fashion a human illustration

28 International Face

60 Edinburgh Fashion Show

62 Evolution of Fashion: From Apes to Mini-Skirts and beyond

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S Editorial

Lenn: Drink Fuelled Ramblings From A Critic on a particular Saturday 38 Burke & Hare: Edinburgh’s infamous anti-heroes 41 Call Centre Days: the people reclaim their work place b a ck . 4 4 Po p Ly r i c s : D i g i t a l Re a l m s And The Human Element

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5 a r t s

Electric Man: “First thing I would d o : t a k e o ff, d o a c o u p l e o f l o o p t h e loops and never use a car again. “ 64 Leanne & : united for black hats and green lippy

Editorials are supposed to be exceptionally funny and full of wise words from the head of the gang. I am neither wise nor funny so I will leave you all pondering over this riddle I just made-up (Googled) and a nice picture of an AyeAye as I like Aye-Ayes.

Take away the whole and some still remains.

What is it?

P h o t o g ra p h y fr o m

Regulars

A. Watt

13 five songs to...

Deborah Chapman

26 Trilight _ Heavy Dials

Innis McAllister

35 Bulletin in the Brain

Mark Bryan

36 Tri-fool

Flamingoes are for tits

Suzanne Spangberg 52 Artist Showcase 55 Mike Lebowski – The Conclusion / Pop Noodle vs Bands

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Reviews

Marvel vs Capcom Bottom of the Sea Pope John Bleep District Underground Railroad Absynthe Minded Half Jacks Sweet Relief Carnivores James Curd

COPYRIGHT:

Content of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part without permission of the publisher, Deelaney Ltd under the copyright designs and patent act of 1988. Trisickle Magazine tries to maintain that all information contained is correct.

All views expressed are opinions of the writers, interviewees or illustrators, and not the editorial staff or publishers views.

Deelaney Ltd cannot be held responsible for views shared by third parties.

Wr i t ers leanne Bridgewater Nina Glencross Aspen Tide Owen Williams Mike Lebowski Ross Thomson Chris Pop Noodle Sam Shepherd Catriona Reilly Ross Dunn Heather Fraser

Mark Bryan

Innis McAllister

A . Watt

Deborah Chapman

Rick Danks

Nina Gle n cross

Simon Chong

Suzanne Spangberg

The Rite Never Let me Go

Ph otog rap hers

Rob Miller

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Words & Photos Nina Glencross

Interview with Ed Stack, Founder of Ten Tracks.

I n this digital age where m u sicians suffer at the hands o f greedy major labels on o n e side and illegal file s h aring websites on the o t her, the D I Y scene has a l ways thrived on organic c r eativity. Ten Tracks is one s u ch revolutionary project, b u t what of the man behind t h e magic?

As a musician himself, Ed Stack is a friendly, cheerful chap with a great passion for the live music scene and its sense of community. The sheer effort and dedication that goes into the Ten Tracks website and all its associated events is a testament to his inspirational approach to the project, driven solely by the desire to create a music community in which both musicians and fans are treated with fairness and respect.

I caught up with Ed to have a chat about the project, his inspiration behind it and its progress so far.

So what is Ten Tracks and how does it work?

Ten Tracks is a download portal that sells ten tracks for £1. That’s the basic concept. Each compilation of tracks is by different artists from both the local and national music scene and the idea is that spread helps cross promote different types of music to different little enclaves, in the DIY scene mostly, with some commercial appeal. We also do events and try to showcase as many upcoming bands as we can, as part of what we do.

What was your main motivation/inspiration behind Ten Tracks??????????

As a musician, I basically didn’t feel there was an industry I’d like to be part of at the time because there seemed to be a lot of complexities around being involved with record labels, particularly major labels. The basic premise was that the major labels were taking a lot of money online, giving very little to the musicians. That continues with sites like Spotify which give like 0.01p of the earnings from a stream to the artist. We’re basically just trying to represent a scene that was doing things itself anyway.

So many people record in their bedrooms these days and

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can produce radio worthy recordings just through their own equipment. They deserve to be rewarded for that.

It’s also a way of combating illegal downloading as well. Although I have more respect for the culture of file sharing than I do for the culture of iTunes.

They both have their good points but I think there’s a middle point and that’s why we’ve priced our music the way we have.

How did you first get into music yourself?

The Beatles brought me to music. I was at boarding school as a child and had quite a sheltered life in many ways. My mate who I was playing a bit of guitar with at the time brought in The Beatles I Am The Walrus record and it just blew my mind! There were other tunes on the record like King Crimson 21st Century Schizoid Man and various other crazy ass 60’s records that just opened my mind up to everything that was out there that I didn’t know about before. This was just at the start of the internet itself really.

After that, I grew up going out to live gigs and club nights and being in a band. As the whole MySpace thing took off, I grew up watching it expand alongside the live music scene. I’m a bit of a late starter compared to some people but it’s mostly the live side of things that I’ve stuck with.

What sort of music is it that you play yourself?

My tunes are different. Basically, I used to be in a band that played mainly pop-rock but with different influences. Every song was very different, we were quite eclectic in that sense. But since I’ve started Ten Tracks, I’ve just been even more exposed to live music and all these different enclaves, DJing, live electronic sets, etc. But it’s meant I’ve had less time for my own music so I’ve actually ended up writing loads of little sketches of different things in different genres but haven’t done anything proper for ages. The good thing about Ten Tracks is that musicians see what other people are doing and realise there’s a lot of quality across the board. But that’s also made me think if there’s this much good stuff out there, what is the point in me continuing? Am I falling behind by doing Ten Tracks and not concentrating on my tunes? But when I get a handle on how busy life is with running the website and having a job, hopefully I’ll be able to go back to the music and concentrate on it a bit more.

How do you feel about featuring your own music on Ten Tracks?

One of my bands, Zebra, are actually on Ten Tracks on the Doune The Rabbit Hole festival compilation we put together last year. Vic Galloway had played us on BBC Scotland so I thought that qualified us. Obviously I’m wary of putting my stuff out just for the sake of it but on the other hand, this is a community that includes musicians who I’ve played with and am mates with so I probably would like the idea of working with other musicians from Ten Tracks, not necessarily doing it in a normal way. I like the idea of bands collaborating and I like the idea of being part of that.

What is it you do besides the website?

I work with the NHS, doing statistics. That’s my day job, as many indie label-type people do.

People don’t really realise that most of us are still working a day job.

Being the co-founder, what do you bring to Ten Tracks as Ed Stack?

Well, I basically run the thing so I bring pretty much everything. The other directors bring to me a sense of perspective because I’ve just made myself really busy with all the events and downloads. Besides that, I bring the energy and new ideas, for example The Hidden Door festival, where we put five bands on five stages playing a collaborative composition, with five sound systems surrounding the crowd in the middle. It’s amazing.

So what were your original aims and how pleased are you with the progress of Ten Tracks so far?

The idea of ten tracks for £1 should scream “Paidfor viral music alternative to MySpace”, but it’s a bit more complicated than that in many ways, which I’ve learned over the last two years. The main complications have involved costs. It’s very restrictive, it’s not that easy just to have an idea and then to make it happen immediately. Ten Tracks is taking its own direction, which is good but the initial thought was that it would be very popular, very quickly. Maybe deep down I knew that it had to earn its way into the consciousness of the music community. I think that’s what we’ve done because we’ve really worked hard at it.

Who have you been most excited to have featured on Ten Tracks so far?

Well, right at the start, Bjork was quite a good one. The Hidden Orchestra, before they were Hidden Orchestra, also put tracks up. The Joe Acheson Quartet and Punch & The Apostles are also great. I’m excited about most of the acts we put out because the scenes of Edinburgh and Glasgow are quite unique. I get on with loads of different people with different music styles all round, it’s hard to single them out. But Ten Tracks isn’t about singling them out but bringing them together.

What have been your favourite ways to promote Ten Tracks?

The best way to promote, for me, is a method that is not just an advert on the wall. So that’s why we’ve chosen events as the main reason for promoting because you’re generating income rather than spending it on advertising. In general, obviously it’s a risk but it keeps you focussed and makes you work. If you’ve got an event coming up, you have to do stuff to make it happen and make it a positive experience for everyone.

When it is, you get a real sense of reward and a lot of people going away having had a good night and spreading the word.

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tracks

What other events do you have coming up?

The most exciting thing of all is that we’re putting on A Hawk and a Hacksaw in The Caves this April.

It’s going to be really amazing, I can’t wait. We’re still deciding on the support so your readers might prick their ears up and recommend people for the support. I’ve got some ideas, I’m just not sure if they’re the right act to support.

The next big one after Hawk and a Hacksaw is Kelburn Garden Party in July. We’ve got The Phantom Band lined up for that so it should be pretty exciting.

“I’ve actually got a lot of respect for a huge amount of the industry,

especially the

i n die sector”

So what are your views on the current state of the music industry?

Be as brutally honest as you like.

Well, counter to what I thought even a year ago and especially when I started out, I’ve actually got a lot of respect for a huge amount of the industry, especially the indie sector. But it’s just so difficult.

Everyone is trying to readjust to this huge frenzy of online music and people consuming music without paying for it, taking an angry stance against the majors or just not thinking that the music needs to be funded and nourished and that the music community needs to be able to eat food in order to live and then provide that music. I think self sustaining is the way forward for the industry, musicians should stop thinking about signing a deal that they think is going to solve all their problems and think about how to make it slowly out of their situation on their own, with the help of a live booker, indie labels, Ten Tracks and so on.

ks ten

What long-term effect do you hope the concept of Ten Tracks will have on the music industry?

We’d like Ten Tracks to be one of a suite of different things that each band decides to do. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t spread yourself too thin, you should choose a few sites like Last.fm or whatever, work on them and build your fan base on them - don’t choose too many or too few. Then within that, Ten Tracks will maybe come along one day and say “Hey guys, do you fancy doing a track? We’ll take a cut of selling any tracks that go up on the site but we don’t own any of it.” If that peace of mind is there, people are able to keep a sense of selfrespect, doing things at their own pace and producing better work because of it.

How far would you like to take Ten Tracks??????????????????????

Well at least until I’m full-time. I reckon if I’m not full-time in five years, I would say the experiment has run its course, but we’re not a million miles away from it now.

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The name? as mentioned in the introduction of this article, the Rapa Nui are hardly beacons when it comes down to sustainability? Why did you choose to use this name as a brand focused on such an ethical business model?

We found out about the story of Rapa Nui after Mart learnt about over population and Malthusian collapse in lectures during his renewable energy engineering degree - we felt that is was a great metaphor and microcosm for sustainability on our planet - the Rapa Nui had a limited carrying capacity - i.e. resources and were in a closed eco system - i.e. their island - if they used up their resources they had nowhere to go - and the same is true of the human population as a whole on earth. We felt that this was a great core element to our brand - plus - it’s a cool name.

Apart from being a business. What is important about Rapa Nui for you?

Rapanui is about us being able to inspire and inform, we think that it’s not that people don’t care about where their clothing comes from or how it is made, it’s just that they don’t know.

We think that we can help to inspire wider lifestyle choices in going green by using the unique power of fashion to create trend.

Where did the idea for this business come from?

We had come out of university, and couldn’t find work so we decided - if we can’t find a job - we’ll make one. We came up with the idea after learning about the clothing industry and recognising a need from consumers.

Your sourcing and manufacturing is very important to you.

Why did you choose this route and what factors brought you to deciding to look abroad for your products?

I took a lot of research! We are passionate about sourcing products that have the best net effect on the environment so - if we can’t find organic cotton, wind powered, fair wear audited products in the UKwe’ll look to where we can - the facts are that you can’t grow cotton in the UK. We always ship - never airfreight and take a total approach to our product lifecycle.

How do you think that your packaging and distribution mark you out from the rest of the fashion/ clothing business?

We use recycled and biodegradable packaging - but it’s not a gimmick if plastic was better for sustainability we would use that too - people get tied up with labels and you might end up buying an eco product that is packaged in a chicken feed bag and then another cornstarch bag inside - and that may appear better for the environment but scientifically it usually isn’t - a plastic bag for life that lasts for 80years and is re-used is better than a cornstarch bag that is thrown away after one use - sometimes this gets confused in the ‘greenwash’.

We use royal mail rather than couriers to distribute our products as they deal with a high volume of packages / letters and therefore the carbon per unit is lower Tell me more about the ‘Total Life Cycle’ approach to your business.

We feel that sustainability is about taking a holistic approach - i.e. what is better - a recycled business card or half a business card in the first place. We apply this across our entire business and the packaging example above illustrates this.

You talk about a differing approach to marketing with user generated content. Can you explain what you mean by this and just what ‘User Generated Content’ is?

User generated content (UGC) is what it says on the tin content generated by the user - this is usually through our website - and it might be comments and questions in our eco pages or reviews in our product pages - it basically gives other visitors/ customers a third party review of what we say/ do!

It’s really useful for us and for our customers because it cuts through marketing and helps our customers to be involved with the brand.

Your website states that what you’re really are about is ‘communication’ can you explain this further? (I saw this as an area to talk about the eco-impact labelling) Yes, so basically we decided to package the information about our supply chain in a pyramid design - bear with me! basically at the top we have our eco labels - which allow our

customers to shop quickly with a conscience - then we have our traceability tool (the next level down on the pyramid) - which allows the customer to investigate further into the supply chain for that individual product. We then have our eco pages ( the bottom slice of the pyramid) which is basically an eco encyclopaedia from the science of mixing inks to ethical trade and working conditions. If after this our visitors still need more information they can ask questions - this has helped us to create a live and organic resource that is constantly updating.

You express a desire to change the entire fashion industry. A very big ambition, but can you pour more light on just what you mean by this?

We’d be very keen to get our eco labelling initiative on the high street - that is the aim. Obviously the recent profile of programmes like blood sweat and t shirt have helped and more people are aware of what is going on but - it’s like the food labelling stuff - now if you go into a supermarket and it’s full of red dials - you think twice about buying it - imagine what would happen if that was the same in clothing currently the clothing market is driven by price and that is fine but with information comes informed decisions - and traceability / transparency and eco labelling give the high street, the manufactures and the consumer nowhere to hide.

At the moment ignorance is the answer to questions on ethics in the clothing industry - evidence being when recently high street stores claimed they ‘didn’t know that their clothing was made in sweatshops’ - ignorance wouldn’t be an option if our initiatives were taken up by the rest of the industry - and just like that leaner healthy packaged sandwich, our clothing would be better for us and for the people who make it.

The industry relies heavily on the creation of seasons to drive sales. This is obviously very important for business but there can be a negative effect on the environment, with people buying more than they need, their desires driven by fresh designs and marketing. How do you balance this conundrum?

We only deal in one collection per year and design is considered - we feel that long lasting design should outlive 11

trend, sale culture and 6week turnarounds / fast fashion is unsustainable.

How do you deal with waste and recycling?

We recycle where possible and have a paperless office.

Can you tell me more about the designs and concept behind your clothing?

Each of our products has a story - we felt that they should all be relevant to the brand and collection - so you’ll see the Malthus - cite the Rapa Nui story above, the Ruku - sustainable fishing, The MCS- conservation, The Nimby - renewable energy What made you concentrate on perhaps the most competitive area in fashion to bring your message to public attention?

Hhhmmm! Very good question and we’ve spoken about this a lot recently - someone spoke to us when we just started out and said to us - ‘you’ve got to be very naive or very stupid if you think you can do what you want to do’ - and it’s things like that that just give you more energy to succeed. Martin and I have a pretty simple business model - we do what we want to do - so we want to be the biggest eco clothing company in the UK- and we’re pretty much there, we want to provide our clothing for other big businesses / festivals etc - ad we are and we want to have outstanding customer service and overall we want to continuously improve.

If you had the opportunity to work alongside one of the world’s leading fashion designers who would you like to work with?

Another good one Simon! I think we’d both say Vivienne Westwood - she is very much into sustainability and we admire her style!

Do you think that the domination of the market place by the large supermarkets is helpful to brands such as yours establishing a change in the way we think about what we wear?

I think sometimes it can be confusing for the consumer - the market demands green - so a supermarket / high street clothing company will say ‘ ok so how cheap can we do organic for’ and then not look at all of the aspect i.e. the ethical manufacture, the energy used etc etc. It is difficult - and people are already tired of ‘green’ before sustainability has become mainstream - things have to change and that is why we are suggesting that UGCand sustainable marketing is the answer - just be honest! We’ve got some quite interesting theories about game theory and green marketing but maybe we’ll save that for another day.

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The economic environment has caused many households to re-access the way in which they spend their money and the cheap clothing outlets have grown out of that need. How can the ethical question make an impact when these forces are controlling so much of today’s market place?

It’s an old adage but ‘you get what you pay for’ a t-shirt from a cheap clothing outlet will last 1wash, ours will last years you don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to do an investment appraisal on that - you’re right though - fast fashion is the problem - not just the price of clothing. If clothing stayed the same - you would always choose the more expensive item - it just makes economic sense.

If I waved a magic wand and gave you 5minutes of prime time national TV. What would you use that time for?

I think we’d probably have a bit of fun. Tiswas sounds extreme - i have heard of it! We’re not that young! I think we would probably tell people about what we do, show them the maps and the eco labels and then get the custard pies out - I think I’d pie Noel Edmunds - he is involved with THWART (check it out) and really should have some payback for all of the gungings on Noels House Party - nice 90’s reference there for everyone.

Cosmo To... w i th

aspen tide As the slightly deranged Pythagoras once told us: Music = Maths = The Cosmos Which to any casual observer tells us the ancient Greek philosopher wanted us to drink lots of Cosmopolitans while listening to great music.

Queen Don’t Stop Me Now Another classic from times gone past, I recently saw the We Will Rock You musical, and it reignited my love for Queen!

ill bernadette butterworth

Playlis t Outkast - Miss Jackson With a groove like this it’s hard not to enjoy it, especially with a cosmo in hand!

Jermaine Stewart We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off This songs is an obvious classic, a bit camp - like a cosmo, but still a belter of a song like a cosmo!

5 Songs to Sip a

Probably. When we’re not fiddling about with triangles, that is.

Glasgow band Aspen Tide more than agree and to celebrate their unflinching love for the cocktail of the philosophers they’ve thrown a little playlist together. So sit back, order in a Cosmo and get your groove on...

Van Halen Hot For Teacher And another classic completes our list!

The video is also awesome, bested only by the intense drum beat and typical Eddie Van Halen guitar playing on the track.

Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philidelphia You can’t argue with the quality of this one, from the guitar work, the melodies, and oh the harmonies!

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Words: Shelby Horn

Th e

60 s a n d 70 s s a w m any gr eat things: t h e

f i r s t t h e

m a n

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H i p p i e

t h e

m o o n ,

m o v e m e n t

a n d t h e

d a n c i n g

d a y s

o f

d i s c o .

I t was a tim e of p eac e and f r ee lov e.

I t w a s a l so the br eed ing gr ou nd f or exp loitation f ilm s .

Da rren W ard

Resurrecting the dead: A Day of Violence ill: Iain Sommerville Layout: Scott Johnston

The thought of flower power and excessive, bloody violence sharing the same era may sound ludicrous but both managed to work themselves into the lives of the generation and have kept themselves embedded in their hearts.

Of course, many who lived through the 60s and 70s will remember the Beatles, being in dire need of a haircut, or wearing those groovy flares - but when it comes to films, the bloody Italian crime thrillers known as Giallo or exploitation films are sure to be another trip down memory lane.

The Giallo gore era has been thought to be over. The genre died when we moved into the 21st Century, along with the platform shoes and bell bottoms. Well, that was until Director Darren Ward decided to resurrect this crime riddled, bone crunching, blood spewing genre with his latest work ‘A Day of Violence’.

But did he manage to do so, successfully? Or should the exploitation style action films be left in the era in which they thrived?

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Firstly, who is Darren Ward?

Firstly, who is Darren Ward?

So give us a brief history of your involvement in films.

I first got involved with making short horror/action films at the age of sixteen back in 1989. I suppose over a two year period a group of friends and myself made over 15 shorts (Pyrotechnic Wizard Alastair Vardy, would go on to do Lock Stock, Snatc’, Behind Enemy Lines and a whole slew of other movies. He has also worked on all my shorts and features). In those days we really all chipped in and directed the shorts. My other roles were actor and cameraman.

Then in the early nineties I started my own company Giallo Films, where I directed 3 short films in the horror/action/

thriller genres. There were: Paura il Diavolo (1991), Blue Fear (1993) and Bitter Vengeance (1994). I started writing Sudden Fury in late ‘94 and shooting commenced April ‘95. To start with Sudden Fur’ was to be a continuation of Bitter Vengeance an action film that I had just won a Highly Commended award for from BAVA (British Amateur Video Awards). However, as things got bigger and bigger in the script I made the decision to turn Sudden Fury into a feature film (my first) and set about gathering actors and crew. Most of the actors were sourced from doing local radio interviews and advertising in the Echo.

When you were just a youngster, with dreams and aspirations, did you ever imagine you’d be the producer and director of what could be the bloodiest film of the last decade?

Ha – well 50/50 really. I knew at an early age I was drawn to films and when the video boom hit the UK in the early 80’s, there was no stopping me. I grew up watching films that are now called ‘Video Nasties’. So maybe it was a little mapped out for me, but really on a serious note my intention with A Day of Violence, was to make a gritty as hell crime thriller that was a total throwback to the violent action film of the 70/80’s.

Bloodiest film of the last decade – I love that quote.

Can I use it?

Of course you can!

Whilst at a film festival in London I was extremely lucky enough to bump into David Warbeck (A Fistful of Dynamite, The Beyond etc.) He made many movies in Italy in the horror/action genre and at one point was a reserve James Bond. He was very excited about being part of the film and for me it was a chance to work with a great actor, whose films I had grown up watching and loving. Unfortunately he died shortly after filming was complete from cancer.

The film Sudden Fury has been re-released in the UK on DVD by 4Digital Media. It was released 28th February and can be ordered on Amazon! The film was made for £15,000.

What drew you to this genre (Giallo/exploitation films)?

Watching too many Italian crime thrillers and horror films (Giallo’s) as a teenager. Films by Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Ruggero Deodato and Umberto Lenzi.

So who or what has influenced your work? And most recently, what are the influences behind A Day of Violence?

Many many influences such as: Dario Argento, Sergio Leone, Lucio Fulci, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, John Woo, Sam Peckinpah. A Day Of Violence is heavily influenced by Lucio Fulci’s Contraband and UK films such as The Sweeney and The Long Good Friday. The gritty vibe of these movies is definitely evident in A Day Of Violence.

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point making films without the natural progressing to more money, bigger casts etc. As long as I can do this then I’m happy. My style would never fit a studio film.

What else do you do, aside from the film making - any other hobbies and interests?

I have two young girls so that takes up most of my spare time. Although I love watching movies and collecting vintage Sergio Leone film posters from around the globe.

So take us through a normal day in Darren Ward’s life...

How did you manage to think up such gruesome scenarios, in A Day of Violence?

Chaotic, hectic, and finally when the kids are in bed, relatively calm. Although at the moment I am currently writing so my evenings aren’t without their stresses.

I find writing the gruesome death scenes in my movies come second nature to me!

For a small budget film, there are pretty realistic scenes when it comes to blood baths and nasty wounds – what are your secrets?

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b e s t

f i l m s

o f

a l l

t i m e ?

Once Upon a Time in the West My secret is having a great special effects team. These guys have notched up impressive film credits over the years and with the modest budgets I have, they can work wonders! The budget for A Day of Violence was only 50K. For special effects that look realistic there aren’t any shortcuts, it takes a lot of time and effort to get these right. Having an experienced crew is paramount to that.

A Day of Violence has been described as a “Sexy beast on crystal meth” and “an orgy of brutality”; how would you describe it?

A violent and disturbing crime thriller for the 21st century!

What is the best and worst reaction you’ve got from people who have seen the film?

Worst reaction multiple walk outs at the screening in Edinburgh at FabFest 2010. People were disgusted at the castration scene in particular.

Best reaction is people emailing me and saying how much they loved the film. Reviews from high brow genre websites/magazines that really like the movie. That makes all the hard effort worthwhile.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I am currently writing a sequel to my 1998 cult movie Sudden Fury. The film is titled Beyond Fury and continues following the exploits of hitman ‘Walker’. A very violent and dark crime thriller that caps off my crime trilogy.

Where do you want to be in 10 years - what do you want to have achieved by then?

I want to be still making the films I want to make, although bigger budgets are now on the agenda. There is no

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Goodfellas

What film do you wish you made?

There are so many! Profondo Rosso (Deep Red), Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables (de Palma).....I could go on and on!

So, you’ve directed, produced, written and acted in various titles; take us through the ups and downs of those roles and which was the most enjoyable role for you.

Writing is a good experience (as well as frustrating), it is where it all starts, thinking up the characters and the storyline. Directing is what I love the most, especially as I write my own scripts, it is like seeing your baby develop and take shape in front of your eyes.

Producing from my experience is the most painful. All the phone calls, the chasing of funds etc...

Acting! Well I stopped a long time ago, best to leave that for my cast.

What advice would you give to aspiring film makers?

Never give up! It is a constant uphill struggle when making films independently. I hold down a full

time job as a pc technician and have a family to support. So if I can

do it then why not other people?

You have to take the rough with the smooth.

Just go for it!

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Just go for it!

t!

A Day of Violence Mitchell Parker is a nasty looking debt collector with more brawn than brains.

You’ll get to know him rather well perhaps a little too much - early on in the film. The first scene involves a very naked Mitchell in certain compromising positions with his much loved lady. Watching Mitchell’s hairy body writhe around for what seems like an eternity may not appeal to many viewers, but after watching the entire movie, you’ll soon realise that this was possibly the most pleasant scene throughout. The scene after the opening credits marks the beginning of the end for this lowlife thug.

As he lies naked on a morgue slab, baring his battle wounds, he begins to narrate. The film revolves around the lead up to Mitchell’s death; starting from a routine debt collection which results in a very bloody kitchen, one unlucky junkie, and a happy Mitchell, with £100,000 extra in his pocket. But there are two small problems... the money Mitchell has helped himself to belongs to his new boss - who doesn’t play nice - and the other small problem is that Hopper (the mutilated junkie) managed to film Mitchell’s filthy thieving on his phone. That will teach Mitchell to destroy both arms next time! Mitchell’s first day with his new boss and workmates doesn’t exactly go too well, considering what he has to witness. The combination of a sharp pair of sheers and his friend’s penis doesn’t fair too well with Mitchell, especially knowing that at any moment his dirty secret will be revealed and he’ll be the one dangling helplessly from a rope whilst his ‘Mitchell Junior’ is taken away from him. The rest of the film is bloody violent history – Mitchell’s struggle for survival, and search for redemption.

Mitchell might be a throat slashing, head crushing, gun wielding thug, but throughout the film you’ll find yourself rooting for him – despite already knowing the outcome of this ghastly adventure. Carnage after carnage, you’ll be relieved each time Mitchell manages to escape with nothing more than a few gaping wounds and a swollen, bloodied face. This is what makes this film different to almost any other exploitation film; Darren Ward manages to weave a background of morality into hardman Mitchell’s violence through the search of redemption. Hardcore exploitation gore fans may not appreciate this humanist touch to the genre, but it

does create a soft spot for the main character – something which has previously been non-existent in the violent exploitation film world.

The acting is far from brilliant and the dialogue is often comprised of very clichéd gangster talk – without the slick wit seen in more ‘polished’ gangster mob films; with lines like “There are two things I hate. Bullshit and Tossers!” you’ll find yourself sniggering and struggling to take the characters seriously. This is rather pleasant, however,

as it provides an almost comedic relief between scenes of torture and blood baths. If you’re not used to the quirks of low budget films you probably won’t appreciate the wobbly camera work, but this gives the film the grittiness every exploitation film should strive for and you’ll often feel like an intrigued voyeur, due to the raw documentary style filming.

When it comes to exploitation gore films, the focus is not on the acting, witty dialogue, or how polished the filming is – it’s all about one thing: the violence.

And this film delivers. It can be excruciatingly hard watching some scenes, and you’ll find yourself cringing and shuddering at very regular intervals. One scene in particular has proved to be impossible for some viewers to even sit through: the castration scene. This is by far one of the most painful scenes to watch – in this film and any other film to date. Darren Ward has created a film which will quench any viewers thirst for violence. If you’re suffering from bloodlust this film will provide a fix which will last.

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If you care to look at any fashion magazine or trendy blog, or even observe the social wildlife as you walk down the street, you will notice that lo-fi photography is everywhere you look.

layout: piotr tamulewicz

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The Diana was a camera popular in the sixties which is now back bigger and better with its “plastic heart and analogue soul”. The camera I wore gained much attention and people even stopped me in the street fascinated by my vintage accessory. Now two years later London is full of hot young creatures getting snap happy slinging these cameras as jewellery.

The Diana+ isn’t the only toy camera that everyone wants to own.

From what started out in the late eighties as a bunch of Austrian students marketing an old Russian camera called the L-CA, came a whole new wave of photography.

Soviet Russia’s junk is our gold, now with cameras with four lens’, to rainbow flashes, to kits that you put together yourself like action figures. Everything about these machines is deemed a work of art, from the packaging they come in, to their bright colours and quirky manuals and that’s aside from the photographs they produce. Toy cameras are designed to be somewhat less than perfect. They leak light and the focus is often blurred, but it’s these flaws that make them so unique and such a high seller convincing everyone who holds one in their hands that flaws are beautiful. Those

taking on the “lomo” technique are encouraged to shoot from the hip and turn mistakes into “happy accidents”.

In the true form of getting back to basics, toy cameras allow people to experiment with anything from film types to exposure times without ever really going wrong. In the church of toy cameras spontaneity and lack of technique are praised, distortion expected, and the simplest of tricks can turn a boring postcard shot into something spectacular.

This freedom allows anybody to be an artist and create something beautiful within their camera, rather than just a documentation of events. One could make a picture of their friends look like it was taken on Mars, or have a shot of New York and a shot of one’s hometown sharing a frame. in an age where everything is accessible to us I cannot help 23

but feel that we our losing our right, and might I add ability, to trip up once in a while. In the same way it is impossible to get lost while we have Googlemaps on our iPhones, it is hard to create a photograph with any imperfections in a world of megapixels and fancy lens’. Having the freedom to mess up once in a while and not be able to predict the results is liberating and rare these days. As flawed people, surely we should be represented with flawed imagery that holds grain and most of all soul.

In the wake of MySpace when Photoshop was used to make everyone just that little bit more attractive and eligible for a certain someone’s top 8, Facebook provided us with greater upload capacity and the ability to tag, giving people the freedom to document and showcase every moment of their lives. These days our networking photos show us with the same pose and drunken gaze hundreds of times over and we wonder, with our own personal paparazzi, why our photos re24

semble none of the good times we see in our parents albums.

People are getting bored at looking at a boring digital photo album every time they logged into Facebook. All of those pictures have the same angle, perfect lighting, and no character. When people look back over their parents photo albums they look at the grain and the contrast of the photograph - a beautiful moment in time that evokes a certain something in people that digital photography often fails to. I think the reason analogue photography has made a comeback is that people want to recreate that nostalgia and put the fun back into photography with a little snap happy. In other words - the return of the kodak moment.

However even lo-fi photography has been digitalized making fast memories something like fast food with the click of a phone button you have a Polaroid without the extra weight or effort.

Although it tricks you into thinking you were having the

retro time of your life when you took it - are we trying to have our cake and eat it too? We live in a time where people buy old records and download MP3s simultaneously, we feel something means more if we have a physical copy of it and went to at least some effort to obtain it, yet we are so used to things being instant we are always looking to upgrade digitally. The faux nostalgia is celebrated within a generation that still remembers the non digital age and goes to any length to recreate and honour it before there is no trace of vinyl or love letters.

Some would argue that time is needed to make our memories authentic, in ten years, the pictures we take now will look “of our time” and while that may be true I still ask myself how many times I look over digital holiday photos as opposed to the photos from the disposable camera I took to a festival. It’s the limitations forcing you to choose what you document that makes these memories memora-

ble. Everything that comes with it adds to the experience, the not being able to delete the bad ones, the ones you don’t remember taking. You get them back a week later and they actually mean something to you. Looks aside I think there is something to be said for spontaneity, you have 24 moments of your weekend that are held within a box and you don’t know what they are until you go to your local lab.

Once you have them they are easy to cherish, waiting for things is good, like Christmas.

After all, isn’t that the real reason we take photos? Not for instant checks before you never look at the again, photos are supposed to be cherished forever and chosen carefully for a photo album, not uploaded in bulk. You have to ask yourself, is that what you want your grand kids to see? If they evoke emotion then they are perfect for your memories, if not then they are no good, no matter how many pixels your camera has.

Words & Photos: Lydia Beardmore 25

Words: Owen Williams

Peppi Knot’s sensuous vocals are nothing but sublime throughout – almost ghostly with vulnerability at times, speedspiked with passion at others. She’s supported and stretched by Ben Harris’ tricky baselines and inventive programming, and Dave Moody’s always impressive (and sometimes genius) instrumentation.

Heavy Dials are sitting around a table full of empties – whisky tumblers, coffee mugs, biscuit tins. Their rehearsal space isn’t cramped but cosy, not homely but safe, but most of all it’s their own. Even if it’s rented. I don’t know, I didn’t ask. Laughter fills the air when I ask about a typical night out for the band. “Ha!” Peppi bellows. “We don’t have them! We prefer staying here with a good bottle of something strong”. But the empty tumbler, so full of whisky just moments ago, is rattling my nerves. I know I could refill it. I just don’t want to shake anymore. I blabber another question. “ I n f l u e n c e s ? ” says Dave, taken aback by such a monotonous enquiry. I sense his eyes roll, but they don’t move in this dimension. “We’ve all got different interests in music, all come from different backgrounds”. I sense despair, and I know Dave judges my white knuckles and coursing addictions. He glances at Peppi, who takes the mantle like a ninja in the lead role. “All sorts really. Reggae, dance, old-school, a bit of trip-hop – it’s harder to think of these influences and Heavy Dials, because we’re always trying new things in the studio”. Thanks Peppi. Ben’s next. “Yeah, we’re always trying to find that sound, that beat, that rhythm, that lyric – something that works on its own so we can build around it”.

The rest of the interview is a blur of whisky and biscuits.

The lovely Heavy Dials are polite, well-kempt, hygienic and funny. Nice people, simple as that. I won’t hear a bad word about them. So fuck you.

that lyric

beauty, a spectral paean to smooth and curve and adventurous sounds and ideas; much like a damn good smoke. Grab a double whisky for good measure.

that rhythm

There’s really only one soundtrack for this and similar situations – Box Of Styles, by Brighton’s loveliest electronic/experimental/soul trio Heavy Dials. Its short and sweet – scrap that – it’s perfectly paced

Yeah, we’re always trying to find that sound, that beat,

Unsigned

Heavy Dials – EP review and interview Band: Heavy Dials EP: Box of Styles

It’s cold outside; damn cold. The sheet rain and rasping wind batters your stained windows, so stained that you can’t see the tower blocks or disused train depot anymore. You should probably clean them, but it’s been a hard week. And now the heating won’t work. Goddamn, why won’t anything just fucking work properly – just for tonight, just for right now?

You need a release, some sweet catharsis, an ale, an epic; a saga. But the ADHD won’t let you – oh no, don’t you even try and concentrate for too long, you spluttering antihero.

The heart races. You whip out the skins. The roach, cleverly crafted. The green – that winning weed, that beautiful bounty, St Semilia.

The EP Box Of Styles has been out on Amazon for a little while now (I first heard it on Soundcloud.com) and it surprises me they aren’t better known. The record’s sound itself may strike you as a bit early-decade-wine-bar fare, but that’s because you’re a sycophant with the imagination of a yoghurt.

Heavy Dials have created a soundscape, a multi- layered ode to conceptual rhythm, an honest-to-a-man chill out experience that will have you awestruck by its inventive breadth and stunning simplicity. Go buy it. Don’t be a cock and steal it.

So sit down, spark up, stereo on. And if anyone from Glenmorangie reads this, send Heavy Dials a bottle of something well aged; they deserve it.

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INTERNATIONAL FACE

Artist Profile : Cetrobo

Layout: Maks Andala

Cetrobo the alias of Frédéric Arnould, one of a new breed of photographers harnessing the true power of the Internet, tells Trisickle from Paris about how he went from cooking to cameras and the release of his first film. With exhibitions across Paris and Lille as well as features in some of France’s most prestigious publications he looks set to become a swiftly rising star with almost 1.5 million hits on his online photography collection.

How did you start photography?

When I was a child I wanted to b e a m agicia n or a painter, but my passion for photography was ignited in 2008, slightly by accident, after having graduated from a French cooking school.

The name “cetrobo” comes from the French “c’est trop beau” (translate: It’s too beautiful).

W h at a r e t h e d e fi n i n g characteristics of your work?

I love leaving as much possibility to randomness as possible – I always prepare for the unpredictable! Every job is different – I’m constantly researching new ideas. Comedy scenes occasionally mingled with the bizarre and my pop-art colours sometimes flirt with retro scenes.

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What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently holding an exposition in Paris from was open from the 2nd of February to the 19th of March in the HUG Gallery. I am also preparing a very big expo in a magical place - the Museumotel - that will take place from the 31st of April to the 31st of June 2011. Starting in April, my first movie, Je voudrais être star, will be released for free on the internet in 6 installments.

Who were the main influences of your work?

Many of my photography friends are my main influence. We have been sharing our work and evolving on deviantART for over 2 years. Then the unmissables: Fred Astaire, Banksy, Terry Gilliam, Michel Gondry, Tim Burton, Jacques Tati, Fragonard, Baudelaire and Robin Cunningham.

“...my first movie, Je voudrais être star, will be released for free on the internet in 6 installments.”

Has the internet changed photography?

The internet is, and always has been, a great medium to get one’s work out in the open and to bond with the audience, other photographers and professionals. I use a social website called deviantART that groups together 15 million users worldwide. This website allowed me to learn a lot about pictures, and also allowed me to meet some fantastic people.

Thanks to this my photos have been seen over 1 400 000 times. I find it amazing that we are able to have such interaction and recognition.

From your cinematographic experience, what differences do you experience between still photographyand motionfilm?

Even though both appear connected I don’t view them as at all similar. To immortalize a perfect instant in a photo and to tell a real story are two very different and complex approaches.

“ The internet is, and always has been, a great medium to get one’s work out in the open and to bond with the audience...”

A movie has to be prepared: it is the outcome of teamwork and takes time.

Photography is a more solitary endeavor.

Do you have any anecdotes from the set of I Want to Be a Star to tell us ?

They are many anecdotes and the first day is one in itself: first a caravan we planned to use as a prop fell over on the motorway. Then, later on that same day, I almost cancelled the filming as a vicious gale was threatening to collapse the circus marquee with the entire crew inside...

I’d also like to talk about one of the actors, Arlette Coussaert, who at age 80 is still in Olympic form. She was a dancer in the Lido Cabaret and in the Moulin Rouge in the 1950s, and accepted to dance French-cancan for the purpose of the movie. www.cetrobo.com

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Saturday was a long day. A very long day indeed. I mean, what I mean is, it wasn’t, actually, any longer than any other day. In fact, with the winter creeping ever closer, it was probably a shorter day than many other days before it, including many Saturdays.

Though, with winter creeping ever closer, it was a longer Saturday than the one that is to come and the many others that are to come after that. But that is normal for this time of year.

So, in actual fact, this particular Saturday on this particular day was not particularly lengthy or particularly short.

It was just right.

Like good porridge.

But it was a long day. Saturday was a long day.

How the fuck am I supposed to start this? What are you?

What? Do I have to name you? Do all of that Anne Frank shit? I don’t think so. It’s not me. Not yet at least.

As you may have gathered, I have never kept a diary before.

I don’t even know if this is a diary, to be truthful. Never felt

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ill + Layout Eamon Whyte

the need for one before. It always seemed like such a daft, girly thing to do to me, especially when you are a kid and stuff. Writing down all that nobody understands me crap.

What’s the point?

What do you really have to say at that age? I never really had anything to say about anything. And if I did I never wanted to write it down in some stupid book. What if someone nabs it and sniffs a peek like I did with my sister’s? No thanks.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean anything bad.

Didn’t care what was in it. Just curious, you know. But some people do care and they’re the people you’ve got to watch out for. Cos they’ll destroy you if you let them.

I have been writing intensely for The Days Newspaper for nearly seven years now, chiefly though not exclusively within the arts

sections.

Theatre is my thing. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I first picked up a copy of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot. A young, fresh-faced, if slightly ditsy, drama student with little on his mind but beer and girls.

Good times.

Then Godot came into my life and something changed.

I still

drank and chased girls, only now wearing a proudly owned second-hand duffle coat, a book on Nietzsche tucked tightly under my arm and a roll up cigarette tipping loosely from my lips... I wanted to be taken seriously you see.

I love theatre, you see. Of course I do. I wouldn’t be sitting here writing about every fucking night if I didn’t. It’s great.

There is a closeness and realness that you just can’t get in films and stuff, you know? A theatre is a living thing all of its own and, for a little while, we get to peek at its soul. God, that sounds shit.

But back to today.

Sometimes you just know.

There is something in the air.

You’re not sure what, why or where but something is going to happen and that something will remain with you, whether for

good or bad, beyond the hazy reflections of a horrendous midday hangover. It is, after all, the festival.

Fuckin’ the Fest!

love

No, it’s not because it’s possible to see young actresses strip down to their underwear and dance around lampposts in the rain just to get your attention. And no, it’s not that it is possible to find a place to have a beer at 4:30am (though, I freely admit, that is one of the beautiful benefits of this time of year, especially for people such as myself who have to find creative juices at unnatural times of the day).

It’s just buzzin’!..

But tonight was just fuckin’ weird.

As I sat there at the Blue Gland bar, sipping cheap red wine out of a plastic pint cup and trying desperately to fumble together something that might begin to resemble a reasonably shaped cigarette, I thought to myself: "It’s 7:15pm. I’m fuckin’ early. I have £1.27 in my pocket and Jesus only knows how - I’ve nearly

I could go and get some more money and then return and see what they will give me if I ask for a beer.

Pig shit perhaps?

finished this half pint of wine which I’m not actually sure is real wine.

What am I going to do? I could go and get some more money and then return and see what they will give me if I ask for a beer. Pig shit perhaps?

Can I really be bothered?’

But then it happened.

Then I knew it was going to be a night unlike any other I had experienced previously.

“Hello! You thirsty too? “ I wasn’t actually very thirsty at all at this point.

Just wet my panties terrified.

I knew that I was going to have to spend the next 45 minutes listening to the ramblings of a tall, blonde, heavychested drunk who didn’t even have the common decency to be female.

As it turned out, this individual (whose name, I am ashamed to say, escapes me and I fear shall not return to my memory) was an extremely charming, intelligent and generous human being who shared his wine without a thought of receiving anything in return but stimulating conversation... he had come to the right place.

I salute you kind sir and I hope our paths shall cross again someday. Your mile-long ramble about everything and nothing was one of the highlights of the night and a master-class in not tripping over one’s tongue.

As we walked into the theatre, we discussed our shared love of Italian red wine and his

personal obsession with the Dusseldorf Ripper.

I had never heard of the Dusseldorf Ripper.

Come to think of it, I had never heard of Dusseldorf.

Geography was never my strong point. His take was incredibly refreshing. He set to convince me, not that I needed convincing, to confront the awful truth that this horrific murderer was a human being like any other. Like you and I. Born to love and be loved.

It is all too easy, he continued, to label him or anybody evil and not be at all like us. We are all born the same.

Nobody is born evil and anybody that says that is simply taking an easy route because they are too narrow-minded and cowardly to confront the truth.

He talked some heavy shit, no doubt thanks to having brandy for breakfast.

But I didn’t mind.

I digged this guy. He was smart, you know.

And I was feeling really good.

We were both going to really enjoy this play and once it was over, we were going to get stuck into another bottle of...ehm...’wine’ and discuss it at great length, solving most of the world’s problems by approximately 2am.

And Kafka!

The poster boy for the alienated, tortured artist.

We loved people like him – another thing we found we had in common.

Unsuccessful in life. Celebrated in death. It was going to be a great night.

If I were to say to you here this evening that this was a show that I had been looking forward to seeing for many a week, then I fear I would be guilty of one of the most horrendous, wicked and vicious untruths of recent times.

I’m not going to lie to you. When I walked by our beautiful Kings Theatre, some cold morning not too long ago and saw a poster for Broken Promises: After Auschwitz, I was suddenly struck by a raging bolt of fury. There is something about Gary Day and Lee Harold’s smiley, shiny, sparkly faces that just stirs a deep violence within me.

But I am a critic.

And it is my job to criticise.

We sat there in a packed-out auditorium, damp and grumpy from the traditional festival shower. I suddenly couldn’t help but wish I was propped up at some cosy Old Town bar getting acquainted with a sweet cider and a sweeter

barmaid.

But, as this was clearly not to be, I shuffled off my winter duffle and settled in for what I predicted to be yet another emotionally manipulative, rather dull, exploration (exploitation?) of the holocaust I walked out an hourand-a-half later with a different feeling than when I walked in. Even my newly-found friend looked glum. A feat I thought surely impossible only an hour before. No longer the man. No longer the moment or the feeling.

Something beautiful and fresh had quickly become ugly and old.

Being a sympathiser of the Palestinian cause and a firm critic of the Israeli state (some might say terrorist state); I did find some aspects of the play to be quite biased and simplistic.

And whilst the

teary eyed crowd around me rose with thunderous applause upon the close, I found myself not intoxicated with the joy and optimism that perfumed the night air, but instead possessed with a sleepy, nightmarish rage. Is everybody here brainwashed?

Is nobody in this

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, searching for the men’s room. There was no nd, drenched in a sea of red light, suffering hair and stumbled over to a lonesome blonde d ten minutes now. It was time to go. I pull u Pods and mobile phones, light my finely fash struggling with starting to look the same. l in its bleakness. Rotten, tired and scarred iliar, doesn’t it. When we retire to our IKEA an choose from a million television channels be an enchanting flow. Sometimes I wish I was y misunderstood being. They’re generally th of colour, flavour and texture. They’re not room aware of the horrendous, Nazilike crimes (Yes, I said it!) that have been committed and continue to be committed by the Israeli thugs? Or are they, perhaps, in denial?

The character Riv thoughtlessly blurts out the most ludicrous statements.

“We can live with the Palestinians if they can live with us."

Anybody who reads the news even badly knows that that is simply not true.

A view somewhat distorted when one stares at the other down the barrel of a gun One might make the argument that the play

i s set in 1947 and that such ridiculous statements, one of far too many, were meant sincerely at the time. That is all very well and good, but Broken Promises was not written in 1947 and those views cannot wash with any vague hope of sincerity today.

The holes were simply too large to ignore, leap or step around. But nobody seemed to notice.

Nobody seemed to care. And as the crowd around me roared, I buried my head into my hands in utter despair.

It’s a mad, mad, mad world.

Throughout the 120-minute running time, a peculiar sense of emptiness invaded me.

The longer it went on, the more it meant nothing to me.

We settled into another bottle of wine.

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“Alcohol helps you to forget and women help you to remember. Men are a slave to them both and the line of truth becomes ever more a blur. And so, with an air of rasping inevitability, in creeps that naughty, poisonous whore, Insanity."

I was starting to regret hanging around. My newlyfound friend had slipped into that dark, depressed, ranty place.

There’s something raw, searching and quietly destructive about it.

It is stripped of fantasy and parades the often tragic truth of the human heart.

Those who would not normally dip their toes in such murky, philosophical

pools can end up cleansing themselves in it, unaware of its poisonous quality.

“Shit! That’s it.

There’s your fucking review.”

There is a certain reputation that follows a writer around their life.

That of a heavy drinking, cigarette smoking, fiendish, womanising pirate.

An individual who cannot seem to gather together inspiration unless he (and it is always a he) sleeps with a different person on every day of

the week.

A rather unfair and completely untrue observation....they also like classical music and eat hummus by the bucket load.

I glanced around me, searching for the men’s room. There was none to see.

Just nightmarish characters all around, drenched in a sea of red light, suffering in the sticky heat, as we all were “Never trust a butterfly.

Anything that attractive has got to have an agenda.”

He slipped off his chair and stumbled over to a lonesome blonde who had been hovering at the bar for a good ten minutes now.

It was time to go.

I pull up the lapels of my duffle, light my

finely fashioned prerolled cigarette and disappear into the Edinburgh mist.

Cities are all starting to look the same.

Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC on every corner. And the people consume them whilst plugged into their iPods and mobile phones, feeding the machine but detaching themselves from one another.

The stage is beautiful in its bleakness.

Rotten, tired and scarred by time this is a world struggling with its own existence and a world that reflects the sorry creatures that inhabit it.

It sounds all so familiar, doesn’t it. When we retire to our IKEA catalogue homes every evening to hide from the dangerous terrorist/ disease/drug/ famine infested world outside, we can choose from a million television channels to watch that advertise a million different beers, chocolates and ice creams that we can enjoy and help us not think about the ‘terrible’ world

beyond our windows.

Help us forget and close ourselves off to what’s really going on. Have a Bud! Have a Miller!

Have a large bag of peanut M&Ms and get fat and stupid whilst watching The X Factor create yet another soulless ‘star’ with about as much musical knowhow as a carrot.

Yeah, it’s all fucked up. But most

easier. Well, from the tigers and But there are monsters now.

of us know that already, right? You know that? Still, we do crazy shit anyway. We do what we have to do. To survive, I mean.

And you have to be sane to survive, right? To survive a mad world, within and without.

To survive ourselves.

t h a t adored women and saw them as magical, poetic beings that could give life.

as much musical knowhow as a carrot.

Otherwise you’re fucked.

Totally fucked. You’ve got to find some control with yourself.

Sometimes I wish I was a caveman. It would be so much

apart giant that. worse

The caveman is a very misunderstood being.

They’re generally thought of as being unintelligent, brutish and nasty.

When in actual fact, evidence suggests nothing of the sort.

It was a protector

Women and poetry.

Like wine, they can be an enchanting flow of colour, flavour and texture.

They’re not all to everybody’s taste, frequently accompany heartache and too much of them can leave you regretting that you ever sought its fruits.

Beer, it seems, is a far more suitable option... but I do like wine.

I don’t particularly like poetry.

Aside from a brief dabble into Ben Okri’s Mental Fight

s none to see. Just nightmarish “Never sticky heat, as we all were ing in the“Never trust a nde who had trust a been hovering butterfly. ull up the lapels butterfly. of my duffle, Anything fashioned rolled Anything consume them wh that me. Starbucks, on that And the people feedin attra耈ive red by time this attra耈ive is a its own exist has got to KEA catalogue has got to homes have an agenda.” nels to have an agenda.” watch was a caveman. It would be so much easier. W y thought of as being unintelligent, brutish ot (a spirit lifting offering from a friend), poetry has always tended to leave a lingering bitter taste in my mouth. At school, when we weren’t being forcefed Shakespeare (a questionable t e a c h i n g technique), we were all bombarded with the

l i k e s of Wilfred Owen and Andre Breton.

Fine poets, yes, but to a group of hormonal teenagers whose interest in poetry went along the lines of “tell us how Sylvia Plath did herself in again!” it wasn’t really inspiring stuff. We turned to the likes of Kurt Cobain or Michael Stipe for our rhythm and rhyme.

I stood outside Green Hill Primary School, trying to retain my balance and relight my cigarette at the same time.

A challenging feat, given the state of my condition.

The old building

g l o w e d a faint mustard yellow under the gaze of a towering street light. I had half an idea to climb over the black gate in front of me and have a closer look. Maybe see if there was a way in. But the idea quickly passed by.

What was the point?

It is of great mystery to me that there is anybody at all who can reflect fondly on their time at school.

Personally, I hated it.

I hated sitting i n

c o l d classrooms with thirty young adults who were all being made to dress the same and think the same by teachers who were about as confused about what they were teaching as we were. Poetry they didn’t get any more than we cared.

But the exams were on set topics and so those topics must be taught...

I always thought it would have been nice to have a class of just daydreaming. A class to think for yourself for a while.

Replace, I don’t know, Religious Education?

The most interesting of people, I think, did that regardless.

Albert Camus is one of those writers that I always wanted

to get into, but was never taught about at school. Much like Orwell and Kafka, he was on my ‘mustread’ list after finally escaping the hierarchy of secondary education.

A literary figure that I must pay a particular attention to in order to grow and

improve myself as a person, unlike the sorry sheep who are force-fed The Lord

Of The Flies for an entire year and subsequently became sick and completely discouraged from the pleasure of the written word.

I started with The Plague.

Catchy title.

Not too long.

A perfect way to ease myself into the mind of a genius. To date I have read The Plague and...The Plague.

One-and-a-half

very average hotel room during a brief visit to Rome. I have since forgiven myself convinced that I have upgraded this temporary accommodation from forgettable shack to warm memory by giving the false impression of intent to encourage the reading of fine literature.

Though there are a great many other things to do in Rome other than reading and I recommend that you visit at least twice during your lifetime.

And there it is.

My home. I fumble for my keys as soon as I lock onto it, anticipating a struggle.

times. I carelessly left my copy on a bedside table of a

33

34

Breaking News

B u l l e t i n In the Brain This months Dollop of the latest scoops

Scientists Set to Manufacture Pop Shocking evidence has been uncovered detailing scientists plans to manufacture pop.

Leading scientists in Iceland have been collecting the DNA of famous pop starlets in order to genetically create the ultimate pop

star that they will enter DNA as possible. into the Eurovision song contest.

After collecting the genetic substance of The group, which was pop, the scientists have responsible for purchasing been adding it together Britney Spears’ chewing into one giant gene gum from Ebay in 2004, swimming pool where hire ‘fans’ to attend they will dip their the concerts of famous “chosen baby” who will beauties to collect as much later grow up to become

ultimate the popstar.

It is thought that at the moment they have recovered hair from one of Katy Perry’s wigs, sweat dribbled from the thighs of Beyonce and one of Lady Gaga’s cans of Diet Coke amongst other paraphernalia.

W i ki l e aks : ‘ U S Gover nme nt Co mp l icit In

An outraged Geri Halliwell took to Twitter voicing her outrage at the experiment: “Popstars can't be exploited like this we were born wit the talent to succeed you can't just take our genetic make-

up & apply it to science!”

Although it is understood at this time no belongings of Ms Halliwell have been stolen.

Popsickle

Controversial whistleblowing website Wikileaks has sensationally revealed that US government officials have for many years been involved in secret BLANK. Documents released on the website prove that BLANK lied to voters on issues such as BLANK, BLANK and even BLANK. In a move described as “breathtakingly BLANK” by unnamed BLANK, the BLANK himself appears to have co-opted leaders in BLANK and BLANK to back the ideas around the world.

One voter, who wished to remain anonymous, told Trisickle “BLANK”; however a spokesperson for the US government denied this and also the raft of Wikileaks accusations, including BLANK and BLANK by simply stating “BLANK”.

The implications of these newest leaks are numerous - BLANK officials, previously criticised for lack of BLANK, have been forced into instigating a panEuropean BLANK which they hope will BLANK for many years to come. This in turn has forced the hand of BLANK as political and economic allies to reiterate their stance on BLANK. Continuing their BLANK stance, Wikileaks has stood by its publication of BLANK. The website’s homepage boldly declared: “BLANK has continually BLANK at the expense of BLANK for too many BLANK. We are in a fortunate position to be able to BLANK the truth at BLANK and will continue to do so in spite of BLANK, BLANK and BLANK. Wikileaks stands by the authenticity of BLANK documents and will always be the voice of BLANK in a BLANK world.”

In an exclusive BLANK to Trisickle, BLANK confirmed that BLANK will review BLANK policies in light of BLANK revelations after careful BLANK and further BLANK with BLANK and BLANK, BLANK BLANK BLANK BLANK BLANK, also BLANK with BLANK will BLANK to BLANK, BLANK BLANK BLANK, BLANK BLANK BLANK. Owen Williams

35

Tri-scopes with Mike Lebowski

Contact Michael Park & Adam Clery problems@trisickle.co.uk

Aquarius 21 Jan - 19 Feb It’s time to chill-out! Go on, take it easy.

Don’t look into things too much. Just remember that 50% of analysis is anal.

Virgo 23 Aug - 22 Sep Watch out in August little Virgo’s.

Mars, Planet of rage, has confirmed it’s time to get a bulletproof vest for your birthday. I want to buy a

Leo 23 Jul - 22 Aug You’re a Leo, I’m a Leo and we’re all starting to realise: Every day we go to work, it’s another bullet in that gun.

Lets hold a mass drive-by on those faggy Virgo’s.

36

ills - Marta Pibernat

Gemini 22 May - 20 June Gemini FAQ: Based upon the legend of two brothers, with the same mother and different fathers. One was immortal, the other not.

When the mortal brother died, the immortal asked Zeus to let him share the fate of his brother. They both flew up into the sky and Capricorn formed; Gemini.

22 Dec - 20 Jan Gay eh?

Having a hard time? Knuckle down and you’ll get through it! Just remember that life isn’t all swings and roundabouts.

Cancer Unless you’re a Paedophile.

21 Jun - 22 Jul Take the knife away from your wife’s throat, it’s not worth it. Feel elated with this little factoid: Max Payne 3 comes out in June. Ohhhhhhhh yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh...

I’d suggest getting a pink sock and drawing a face on it.

That’ll keep your girlfriend happy until she realises it’s just you acting like a tit.

Mind you, it’ll probably buy you a couple of weeks.

I came home recently to find my parents letting my baby brother chew on my new (rather expensive shoes).

Do you know anyone who either assassinate families or makes locking shoe cupboards? Perhaps I am over-reacting but I can no longer look at any one them without a fiery rage building inside me.

Sagittarius 23 Nov - 21 Dec You’ve been bored the last few months.

Next time you’re waiting for a youtube video to load; pause it, then hold down the left and up arrow keys on your keyboard and you’ll begin to play a game of Snake!

What’re you? An idiot? You want to get a flamingo for your girlfriend?

As in one of those large, pink birds that stand on one foot in marshland?

I don’t care how obsessed your girlfriend is with them. You know as well as I do that you can’t have one flamingo- you have to have loads. Not only that, they’re not attractive birds. They look like they’ve been put through the wash with a pair of red pants, the weird bastards.

Lover,

Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May No more SAAS coming in?

Having to pay council tax?

Welcome to the real word bitches.

Simon, York.

Shoe Edinburgh

Scorpio 23 Oct - 22 Nov You will find love this month. Ha! Just joking.

You’ve got no chance.

flamingo for my girlfriend as she is obsessed with the fuckers. Where is the best place to get a flamingo?

Or should I try and paint a heron pink?

Aye, well you’re probably better off getting a cupboard that locks rather than assassinating your entire family.

However, as trisickle grows and expands we’ll

Pisces 20 Feb - 20 Mar Pisces- 20th of February till the 20th of March. The worst time of the year to have a birthday, everyone’s skint after Christmas and what’s left was used to buy T in the Park Libra tickets.

23 Sep - 22 Oct Lunhfninfirninienvsjshdiaiufsvcncnwoemw, Unlucky mate.

Everyone knows that Libra’s are dyslexic; the above will probably make sense to you.

Aries 21 Mar - 20 Apr We know what you’ve been thinking and you’re totally correct... ..this Aries sign does look phallic.

consider offering a safe, hasslefree assassination service that will allow you to go back to sniffing the inside of people’s shoes.

As for your rage, may I suggest looking into prescription drugs that will keep your temper to a minimum and also allow you to exist in a world where shoes aren’t the most important thing in your world. Perhaps a world where you don’t write into magazines with the express intention of coming across as a materialistic [SECTION REMOVED AT THE REQUEST OF OUR LAWYERS]

Clery uk forum skims

In the future, I wonder if people will lovingly restore websites in the same way my dad restores VWs.

D o n ’ t y o u t h i n k m y

ills - corinne poggio

Did you know that banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour?

i s

b u n n y c u t t h o h n D e p

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eyes.

I always get people gifts I would want myself.

Therefore, this year, you’re getting a gun.

teeth and some I saw one and a half people. You know, t w o

e a n p

A parent’s only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins the Nobel Peace Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker you’ve failed.

Everyone thinks their opinion matters.

Don’t argue with a nobody. A farmer doesn’t bother telling a pig his breath smells like shit.

T h e r e l a s t

i s

a b s o l u t e l y

n a m e

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n o

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c a s e ,

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Rusty

.

U n l e s s

y o u r

37

Well, there are plenty of statues to the heroes of the age - Adam Smith, David Hume or the bard himself Robert Burns but what about anti-heroes? Strangely enough no one saw fit to commission a statue to the most notorious grave robbers and murderers in Edinburgh’s long and gruesome history. Stevenson was among the first to pen the dark side of Edinburgh and film makers have latterly taken an interest. The launch of the movie Burke and Hare in time for Halloween brought with it mixed reviews and the almost obligatory condemning of historical inaccuracies, unconvincing accents and a ‘thou shalt not’ attitude to the matter of what can be thought of as potentially humorous.

Anyone who, on seeing Braveheart a frightening fifteen years ago, didn’t feel at least a sense of pride and interest in their own country’s past must have a heart somewhat akin to that infamous geological talisman, which for so long sat out of place beneath the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey. I myself found it fantastic that anyone, let alone Hollywood, would delve into Scottish history for inspiration, especially as secondary education in this country seems to avoid it like Rob Roy McGregor would a redcoat. Maybe I still feel that way about Burke and Hare and am willing to overlook some of the more fanciful elements such as the ending, nicely tweaked so that Burke (played by Simon Pegg) confesses all in exchange for a night with the film’s love interest (Isla Fisher), the leading light of an all-female production of Macbeth, funded by the grave robber’s ill gotten gains..

Plot Spoiler

Words: Barry Pinkerton Some city scenes based on Simon Chong’s photographs ills - nick sztymiak

38

It could be said of almost anywhere that local heroes are celebrated and commemorated, whether it be in stone, in mural form, in writing, even film.

Edinburgh is or course no exception, quite the reverse in fact but how many of us know who these effigies, many of whom strike a curious pose, draped as they are in a bizarre mixture of Romano/ Greek and Georgian attire.

Isla’s ‘S cottish’ accent, which like so many others who attempt it, seems to indicate that the country extends no further east than the Harthill services and while no one can doubt the enthusiasm, the execution is at times cringe worthy. There were notably good efforts however, from Bill Bailey, who pops up almost like Frankie Howard giving us the prologue in Up Pompeii and Tom Wilkinson. He played the opportunistic and unscrupulous medical aficionado Dr Knox, who knowingly abuses Burke and Hare’s dire fanatical situation, by continually paying for the corpses which they so conveniently manage to procure, usually by default as opposed to design, all in the cause of self-interest as well as the advancement of medical science.

It is here that the dual side of Edinburgh is laid bare, on a cold slab as it were, the Edinburgh of Deacon Brodie, of Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, old and new town, enlightenment and depravity so aptly conjured in scene switches from the squallier of Burke and Hare’s wyndes and closes, where the

the film overall will not fail to woo more visitors to the city.

The Grass Market, scene of public executions from the earliest of times, is where the film begins and ends and not surprisingly is home to some of the more grizzly named hostelries of the city. The Last Drop may sound like a weary tipplers last attempt on his glass but is in reality as much a reference to the last ever usage of the scaffold. The White Hart Inn is the oldest pub in central Edinburgh and reputedly a hive of spectres, dating from the

On the more contemporary side of the music scene, regular gigs go ahead beneath the arches of Edinburgh’s bridges, cavernous venues such as Whistle Binkie’s on South Bridge, Nichol Edwards on Blackfriars Street and Bannerman’s in the Cowgate. All three are spooky and despite being great places to play, they are a sound engineer’s

by our friends from the States - and there are many themed bars such as Frankenstein’s and The Jekyll and Hyde where stag and hen parties often congregate.

folk section of HMV on Princes Street. The Irish bars regularly put on live music and I’m sure Burke and Hare would have approved, being originally from the Emerald Isle themselves.

Having worked in the tourism sector, I know just how popular the various tours around the city are, both above and beneath the ground, my own personal favourites are City of the Dead - which takes in Greyfriar’s kirk yard (one of the spookiest places in the country) - and Mary King’s close, where life in the 1600s is ingeniously recreated under the Royal Mile by guides in period costume.

Restaurants such as James Thompson’s Witchery by the Castle are much sought-after - especially

reign of James the 5th. Robert Burns is reputed to have stayed there, no doubt songs would have been riotously sung back then and the tradition carries on as in many other pubs around the old town. A live act in the White Hart and elsewhere is Graeme E Pearson who plays solo and with his band The Mutineers high tempo and fun renditions of traditional Scottish songs with more than a sprinkling of audience interaction. Other folk venues around the area include Grayfriars Bobbies bar on Candle maker Row, Sandy Bell’s on Forrest Road and the Royal Oak on Infirmary Street. Small sessions of an extremely high standard take place, so much so that the Royal Oak CD is sold in the

murders happened, to Dr Knox’s luxurious drawing rooms where cloaks and daggers were as prevalent as scalpel and forceps. If a late Georgian Inspector Rebus had appeared as Ronnie Corbett’s sidekick in the Edinburgh militia, no one would have raised an eyebrow. Edinburgh’s many levelled topography is cleverly used to great effect as dead bodies in barrels go rumbling along closes, down flights of stairs and into shop windows while the various bridges and tenements soar up in the background.

The humour is dark but tongue-in-cheek and the film overall will not fail to woo more visitors to the city.

39

nightmare, as I well know having played keys with Edinburgh’s own ska exponents Bombskare some years back.

Maggie Dickson’s bar was named after a woman who was alluded to in Burke and Hare - Maggie lived around 100 years before the film was set but this doesn’t really matter as it fits the theme of the film perfectly. Half-hanged Maggie was a Musselburgh fishwife who had been convicted of

killing her illegitimate offspring and as the coffin was being taken back to the Honest Toun, via Duddingston, the party stopped at the Sheep Heid inn for refreshment and sustenance. History is patchy on the length of time spent at cups, but it was long enough for Maggie to fully assume mortality, which must have been an eye opener to the revellers within, who subsequently fled the scene. Maggie then spent the rest of the day propping up the bar and was able to live out her remaining years unhindered by the law.

The Sheep Heid is the oldest established inn within the city, although Duddingston was then a rural village with its own cottage weaving industry

Duddingston also lays claim to two famous ministers. One was a painter and one was painted, the ‘skating vicar’ aka the Reverend Walker of the Cannongate kirk, a member of the Edinburgh skating society at Duddingston loch, whose image has even put in an appearance at the Winter Wonderland albeit with more trendy up-to-date headgear.

Judging by the famous painting by Henry Raeburn, he was an accomplished skater which indicated that Duddingston loch froze thickly on a regular basis - a fact borne out by the various aged photographs of the Duddingston curling society who met and played here - and while the prophets of metrological Armageddon can’t make up their minds whether this winter is the result of global warming or the first birth pangs of a new ice age it is comforting to remember this. The tower by the loch which the society used for their curling stones was on two levels and the top floor belonged to the other minister, the Reverend Thompson, clergyman and landscape painted extraordinaire who used it as his studio. His talents were well respected by the leading figures of the enlightenment, such as Sir Walter Scott and Alexander Naysmith, who often came to visit. Many regard Thompson’s dramatic pictorial account of Fast or ‘Faux’ castle in Berwickshire as the inspiration for Bram Stocker’s Dracula.

40

Thompson lived around the time of Burke and Hare and another tower - a watchtower within the grounds of the kirkyard - like so many others around the city, stands as a testimony to the nocturnal activities of our two anti-heroes so humorously portrayed in the movie, and in a roundabout way Edinburgh has remembered them in stone but, like Edinburgh itself, there are two sides to the memory.

and Norman kirk. The inn was founded in 1360 and behind the bar is a ram’s head snuff box which was presented by King James 6th, who was friendly with the landlord and has an ancient skittle ally.

Just a few years ago, a young family were having a meal in the bar area. The daughter, who was around nine-years-old, began to have a conversation with an empty chair to the right of the horseshoe style bar. She used the word ‘major’ repeatedly - two octogenarian locals with knowing glances later confirmed that this particular chair was where, long before, a well-respected ex-serviceman spent his evenings.

Layout: Ciaran Greene

41

42

43

ills + layout - Tim hanley www.timhanley.co.uk

44

words: Ross Thomson

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Yet the pressures on musicians and songwriters to keep things simple are obvious. As record sales shrivel

up, the lure to write songs based on generic gestures only intensifies. Anything that can be reconfigured for advertising is an advantage and willing for your art to become as commercial as cola is a must.

Loops and samplings become the machinations of unimaginative producers, encircled and propelled by the clichéd refrains that remind us of common, misguided notions of our generation:

trying to cope, too little time, too much information, short attention spans.

To paint a picture for those reading from the shore, our digital age is currently surfing on some tough economic waves. Consciously or not, through such times, we require certain criteria to be met in our music.

History tells us, from depression era swing jazz to seventies disco, that the masses require

something upbeat, with a simple message to propel them through.

So where are our generations Bee-Gees and Benny Goodmans?

modern pop has to some extent relegated these parts – the artistic elements – to the back stages of producers and industry moguls.

Yet this is far from Tin Pan Alley.

There’s no particular epicentre of it all: relaying rough cut mp3s around the world for tinkering, while their singers merely supply the face and a body to which these pre-fabricated productions are stuck on to. Inevitably, such composure by committee leads to homogenisation and moreover,

it restricts songs to the subjects that are mutually agreed as sellable.

The essence of pop is to be devastatingly concise. To encapsulate a gesture, feeling or idea in a short collection of verses or rap stanzas and to amalgamate them with melodies into music that compliments the notions of the words, in hope that they stick to memory – well, this is the brilliance, hardship and trademark of any good pop songwriter.

45

Love, lust and romance are, as always, the foremost topic.

Yet it seems these concepts apply only to situations ‘in the club’ or where you suddenly transcend to VIP status. Shameless acts as shallow as kids’ swimming pools contribute to the general move away from depth in music and lyric. It’s a jealousy inducing way of life that, for young children and the impressionable, pushes social tendencies towards the aspiration of material things and excessiveness.

The gradual shift from bubblegum pop and before, all the way to the robotic pop of today, illustrates the industry’s evolution towards capitalism in post-modern form. And yes, maybe this stands as the neo-equivalent of dust bowl refugees, left directionless without homes, yet subjected to songs about high-flying society cocktail parties. However, gaining entry to the ‘big-time’ back then appears much more endearing, as it didn’t seem so much like you’ve just won a lobotomy.

Harvests of indiscernible tracks seem to crop up constantly: genetically or digitally modified. As pop turns from its traditions, now more than ever, there is a growing art form of following formulae: a certain guaranteed method for creating something popular. Artistic licence isn’t even questioned and the magic, the soul, the emotion involved in it all is being outsourced to shortcuts and keypads.

What’s in question then, is the human element of music. Take, for example, the professional jazz pianist Fred Hersch. The muscles in his hands and fingers have been sculpted as to be able to effortlessly project his thoughts/ gestures through sound, as an extension of himself. Thus, he sits on stage ready to perform as he has spent countless hours honing and practising his skills on that particular instrument. Having being influenced by other great musicians,

the details and nuances of his performance, like his playing style, are unique to him.

Or think of the metamorphic blues movements of the Led. Through interaction between players the band were able to be unique in their composition. Not just through their own

originalities and ideas but by using moods and feelings.

They can choose to record their parts ten different ways just to get it just as they want it, just as they can choose a flawed recording to go in an album because it encapsulated the right feeling. Either way, the choice is theirs to make. Yet these elements are completely missing in modern pop, with composition by committee becoming colder and further segregated.

With singers being auto-tuned and instruments being digitised, no practise is required and no level of musicianship can

ever improve or distinguish a track.

Even modern lyrics seem to omit reality and ever more so lack this human element. In exchange, our ears are graced with variations of nonsensical sentiments like “tonight’s going to be great if we tell ourselves enough times” or “c’mon idiots, dance your faces off!” Rhythms too are always closely akin and reeking of effortful hypnotism.

This cycle of record, auto-tune, rinse and repeat seems to be the

Our delineated realms of hit-pop is often caught employing some mechanism from music, such as a chord progression or melody. This they remix, repackage, synthesise and condense to finally churn it out in to the chart.

unstoppable formula for which massproducing charttopping pop outfits will employ callously until the sun burns out. So, is the pop industry heading to a stage where it can’t or doesn’t need to celebrate people with natural talent, because it can be engineered?

Well, it seems that artists can endorse fashionable returns to past genres, by doing them very well.

Yet true innovation in the pop field has shifted to a digital platform.

Resultantly, those sparks of inspiration and revelation, those truly great ideas that come to true originators and innovators of art, are being sidelined for more time and cost-effective procedures.

46

Amy Winehouse, for example, completely reinvigorated a cabaret style of old with debut albums, opening the door to a multitude of up-and-coming female singers. Similarly, Paulo Nutini’s scat-singing album revitalised an old genre of music to a new generation.

Recent popular song has shown us it can turn to old genres for new waves of inspiration, but what of the pop music forms of the future?

The trajectory of pop perhaps is not as progressive as we would like it to be.

For pop is not required to turn to the past. Although it always has, to celebrate it traditions, it is not as necessary in diversifying the evolution of music. What

is necessary is for it to continue growing, morphing and contorting itself to new sounds and gestures is for new ideas to transcend into new interests in how sound can affect us.

Or, how silence can be elaborated for our listening pleasure.

Pop music is a reflection of our times and culture.

Most advances are being made on a technological level - where everything can be shared and where possibilities are limitless. This seemingly paradoxical stage in the pop music is troubling, as to some it may appear there is a stand still in progressing and pushing forward to the soundscapes of our era. Modernity appears caught in suspended animation, leading many to advocate that nothing seems new, but instead simply re-formulated.

As we begin to live digitally, so do musical communities. Being illustrated is the polarity between old and new methods, but how do they merge and disparage?

We have a tradition of popular songwriting going through a transition into the digital age. Organic methods are gradually becoming synthetic, to the extent where the actual commodity of music is becoming intangible.

Slipping away are the traditions of culture of going to record shops, enjoying albums in their entirety and appreciating the complete artistic document that a band publishes. Sleeve notes and album leafs, album art work and inserted writings are falling off the radar. The depreciating interest in these affiliated nuances of musical output are being replaced with single downloads and remixes.

Yet there is ample room for optimism within this bleak portrayal of the industry, for our age of technology is continually transitioning and transposing for a new ideal. Take for example the invention of mini-discs. Both in hindsight and during their brief popularity, it was clear that they weren’t ever going to be a satisfactory medium for future generations. Yet, they were completely necessary as a bridging step, facilitating the shift from cds to mp3s. Comparably, pop music in the 21st century seems to be searching for an

optimum, an equilibrium, by which its path winds and takes seemingly pointless turns.

Nonetheless, it still has the advantage of youth, where the experimentation and exploration of its dimensions are working towards a more open-ended future. Sometimes such labours are achieved through the neck of a bottle. The dilution and globalisation of pop has somewhat been caused from fragmentation, through isolation of the individuals that enjoy it. But indeed, pop works as a reflection of what we are becoming, leaving us in logical pursuit of the question of how these changes in pop will affect musicians of the future. As undoubtedly, we have already begun experiencing this momentous upheaval.

On the larger scale of the musically minded spectrum, it stands also a simple bystander to the myriad of music that has evolved from technology. And this has been in evolution

However, these traditional forms will never die and neither will classic musicianship.

since the synthesizers of the seventies, and even before. Not only in new forms, such as dubstep or techno, but across every aspect of music, from classroom interactions to posting independent recordings,

musical horizons have panned out to create a stunning view of potentiality.

In the same breath, support of pop is rudimentary, like the support of the national football team - not because you expect anything from the team, but simply because you hope for things to improve.

Clearly, music now has laid technological foundations where

traditional forms can be integrated with contemporary ones, stretching creative potential and in so making the future of pop very interesting to ponder. For if the industry continues to tweak and turn for new inspiration, with all the gadgets it now has in its arsenal, we can at least, by probability’s sake alone, realistically hope for something completely different.

Ross Thomson

As well as there being plenty of bands that hybrid anachronistic methods with contemporary ones, technology has also facilitated people’s artistry, by making music accessible as well as catering for those who may be unable to contribute to a traditional community of musicians.

So what must we concede and what is there to take away from all of this? Obviously, we take pop as a concession for the huge world of music that the digital age has allowed us to grow in to and consequently it seems we must concede the loss of the human element in music to some degree.

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Simon Chong

Photography

eamon whyte francis quinn daniel acacio emma prentice emmy li iain sommerville martin shepherd Fiona macpherson stephen chadwick Noel Campbell Adam Smith Nelson Santos Rob Miller

Illustrators

48

Words Claudia Menting

Dave Barras: Electric Man Lycra........ ...........

Check Cape....

Check

Super power......

erm‌

almost?

Trying to acquire mysterious insect bites, haunting nuclear power plants, running out in the middle of freak storms and stalking geneticists usually results in a lot of bruising, restraining orders and a pretty shattered soul. Will you give up? Never. The ever-expanding world of superheroes continuously feeds our brains with the conviction that one day we will experience a supernatural alteration, which will turn us into a prodigy capable of extraordinary things.

Whilst you wait for your DNA to change or that snake at the zoo to help you become Reptiloman you can find soothing comfort in director Dave Barras unusual and quirky superhero comedy: Electric Man. Set in a dilapidated comic book shop in Edinburgh, the two main protagonists Jazz and Wolf find themselves in need of some serious cash for fear of being mauled by their landlord’s dog. The wondrous discovery of the very rare first issue of Electric Man in their shop soon appears to be the ultimate solution to all their problems. An escalating series of events transforms the usually quiet comic book shop into a battleground between all interested parties hoping to get their hands on the elusive comic. This Independent comedy drama is sure to stand out from the norm with its unique Scottish setting, bizarre turn of events and unusual story line.

Most superheroes will come across an elderly bearded mentor who will guide them with wise words proclaiming that with great power comes a whole wide world of trouble.

Unfortunately Jazz and Wolf get to find this out the hard way.

But, will the real Electric Man arrive in time to save the day or will they be forced to face their demons alone?

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50

Director Da v e Ba r r a s shares with us his dreams, desires and worldly aspirations… actually, just a bit of insight on Electric Man. How did you come across the idea for this film?

I co-wrote the script but initially it was a sitcom pilot written by my friend Scott Mackay. We then worked it into a feature length screenplay.

What makes E dinburgh the ideal location for this film?

Mostly practical reasons to be honest. Gaffin Austin who owns Dead Head Comics was good enough to offer his shop as our main location so that meant no set building of a comic shop and the rest of the action takes place in a fairly tight perimeter around that. It meant we didn’t have big company moves and we could film in the heart of the Old Town where you can literally put the camera anywhere and capture the amazing backdrop that is the City of Edinburgh.

Ther e’s clearly mor e to dir ecting tha n sit ting on a throne a nd comma nding minions, what ca n you say about your particular dir ecting techniques?

There certainly wasn’t a throne, not even a Director’s chair. I’d be the first to dismiss the auteur theory of filmmaking. You simply can’t do it by yourself. The team we assembled for this shoot were exemplary. It’s as much about getting the right people as anything else, making sure the actors know who their characters are and trusting them to bring their skills into play.

What do you consta n tly try to achieve in r elation to your cast/ cr ew whist making a film?

Keeping everybody happy is paramount. Unhappy cast and/ or crew leads to mistakes and sloppy work and benefits no one.

Having a small crew and working under budget constraints meant everyone adopted a ‘we’re all in this together‘ camaraderie which helps keep spirits up even when we were dealing with problems.

How did you come across the cr ew you have for this film?

I knew many of them prior to the shoot and everyone on the crew was recommended by someone else.

Everyone knew what they were getting into and we had a night out before the shoot so we could all get to know each other. In terms of working with them, each small dept. was pretty self contained.

They all knew what they were doing, which left me pretty much to concentrate on the camera and the actors.

As the hea d honcho, how do you f e el you have influe nce d your cast/cr ew a nd do you f e el the y equally inspir e you?

I have no idea, you’ll have to ask them! They certainly inspired me and the way they dealt with everything, good and bad, was a constant inspiration.

What would you consider ar e the biggest challe nges you have face d working on this film?

Money affects everything, so no money means you have to compromise things constantly. The schedule must be adhered to, because we simply can’t run over. So you have to be willing to make decisions quickly and stick with them and move on, otherwise the film wouldn’t have been finished.

Which sce nes of the film have you ha d the most fun with, or what characters have be e n the most e n tertaining to film? (Without too ma ny spoilers!)

It’s often the scenes you don’t consider to be the standouts that end up being the ones you like most. The quieter scenes where just two of the characters are talking, rather than some of the more action orientated sequences. That said, we had great fun recreating a Comic Con and managed to get some real life comic book writers and artists along.

How would you describe Electric Ma n in comparison to other super heroes, what makes this film unique ?

It’s not a superhero film for one. It’s about the people who love superheroes and how far they’ll take that addiction.

As in Indepe nde n t filmmaker what do you try to achieve through your films?

I think all great movies have sub text. What’s the sub text of Electric Man? Go and see it and decide for yourself.

What would be your top 5 a djectives whe n r ecomme nding the film to a stra nger?

Funny, thrilling, exciting, quirky, different Describe your r elationship with comics a nd the superhero world.

My relationship with comics is probably similar to a lot of males my age. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have and read comics. I was a big reader as a child and I started reading Spiderman at a young age, graduated to 2000AD and then when Frank Miller, Alan Moore and later Neil Gaiman began to write more mature and interesting takes on that world I followed the writers more than following any one particular character.

For the final but ultimate che ese fille d question: which super power would you have a nd what would be the first thing you would do with it?

Flight. First thing I would do: take off, do a couple of loop the loops and never use a car again.

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I am interested in the absurd drama inherent in objects

52 and apparently ‘obvious’ symbols dominate some of your work; how does their meaning change when they are taken out of their ordinary context?

I am attracted to their optimistic and aspirational qualities. I am interested in the absurd drama inherent in objects that are intended purely for display.

work?

Words: Chloe Boulton

Essentially, what the Lombard Method residency offered was two large exhibiting spaces that functioned as a kind of laboratory over the twoweek period, at the end of which, I produced an installation that brought together a number of ideas I had been toying around with. My time in Birmingham was an opportunity for me to realise sketches and motifs in three dimensions. Drawings turned into sculptures; film references turned into the films themselves.

Ella Lucas’s thirdfloor studio unknowingly disrupts the industrial tedium of Hackney Wick outside. The room is enclosed by white walls - punctuated by unexplained sculptures of stars, shapes and images. A kettle hums erratically in the corner while the artist pulls up an old chair.

As she drops buds of Jasmine Tea into two cups, Lucas begins to talk unreservedly about her almost masochistic obsession with carrying wooden materials and her work since graduating from Wimbledon College of Art in 2009:

The residency coincided with Flat-pack Film Festival; this is the reason for the brief stipulating a cinematic element.

It was a broad and liberating brief.

Film seems to influence your work. How did ‘the cinematic’ evolve in the body of work you produced for your residency at The Lombard Method in Birmingham?

These symbols and motifs rely on the fact that they are universal, and everybody knows where they come from. Everybody knows the cliché of a cartoon spherical bomb. In the new context – that of the exhibition space – people simply So how do start to suspect crests and flags them. Nothing is function in your what it seems.

My degree show was a large scale installation that combined text, painting and sculpture.

At that point I was primarily interested in language and the theatrics of looking at art.

Now I’m interested in emphatic objects like flags or crests, and I’m making smallscale collages which work as designs for larger sculptures.

Could you give me a brief introduction to your work, encompassing the period from the final degree show Universal images up to now?

The absurdity of default

An interview with Ella Lucas

Olivia NewtonJohn? Could you expand? What is the concept behind Olivia Newton-John Vs. New Labour?

So how would you describe your relationship to physical materials?

What is your preferred medium?

This piece of work doesn't make any sense anymore, now that New Labour as a political project has finished. I never think about the longevity of a piece of work.

I had the same problem after Michael Jackson died. I had titled a symbol I used regularly in my installations, "Billie-Jean (Is Not My Lover)'.

After he died, it didn't work any longer.

I don’t have any specific medium – one flows into the next. My working processes are quite fluid. But reoccurring materials include wood - more specifically, timber and MDF electrical tape and, more recently, plastic flowers.

Which artists most inspire your ideas?

Mark Wallinger, Lawrence Weiner, Isa Genzken, Trent Harris, Erik van Lieshout, Joseph Kosuth ,Rachel Harrison, Carl Theodor Dreyer, and Olivia NewtonJohn.

It differs from artist to artist, but my text works in a surreal way. It offers the viewer respite from otherwise purely visual material. The floor plans I have used could be a means to deciphering the rest of the work in an installation, but the idiosyncratic titles that I use disrupt this process.

and clichés.

They are readymades, so are no different to the plastic flowers, wood veneer vinyl and other materials that I appropriate.

How does text perform in a visual space?

There are a multitude of roles for artists to play in today’s culture; each of them can work to their individual objectives and create their individual agencies. I don’t think it is possible to define one universal, sovereign purpose of art making.

Text appears a lot in your work, what is its I use preexisting phrases, significance? proverbs, quotes

What is the role of the artist in modern society?

I don’t think it is possible to define one universal, sovereign purpose of art making.

Do you think that we can distinguish fine art from popular culture?

Should we even make such distinctions?

They aren’t separate entities, one influences the other.

Is there a particular human emotion which is portrayed in your work?

I have never tried to communicate a specific emotion in my work - if anything, then perhaps a certain state of mind.

Ella Lucas is an independent, based in London.

Her website is www.ellalucas.com.

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54

C

Mike Lebowski: The Conclusion The Conclusion?

I spoiled it.

All of it.

You did too.

And we should feel ashamed.

I

t’s a bold move for a columnist, drawing a conclusion without telling anyone the i n it i a l p r o b le m.

But here are t he consequences: A d ull, grey a nd u n a p pr e ciat iv e society. An existence where every things accessible at the click of a button, whilst we vegetate in our wanking chariotseating microwavable meals and drinking sugar-water. I used to receive five pounds pocket money. Back then I had to save for things. T-shirts, games, comics, music.

Everything saved for.

Appreciated. Loved.

And now?

I ruined it.

All of it.

You did too.

It was considered an impossible dream. A free-flow of i n for m at io n.

I n f o r m a t i o n connecting an entire planet. Over time, that impossible dream became a stark and frightening reality.

And that free-flow of infor m ation is entirely down to us.

Here’s an easy way of looking at it: When did you last buy a CD? Infact, when did you last hold anything creative in your own hands?

I remem ber buying an albu m by my hero BB King, Jazz e x t r a or d i n a i r e.

Picture it, jiving along to such tunes as T he T h rill Is Gone, Why I Sing The Blues and Ain’t Nobody Home– on an album I actually earned. God I loved that feeling.

Getting my hands on an albu m, knowing that I wouldn’t play each tune more than once a week. Back then I was terrified of killing a great tune. So every time BB King came on, it was

a carefully considered choice. If you read, or liste n or se e something too much, it becomes familiar to you. Familiar is bad. It makes creative endeavours stale and if the world was the same back then as it is now then BB King wouldn’t ever have drawn the same emotions as it once did. Having to save prolonged the usage of everything I owned. I never thought about that with the free flow of information. Having everything I wanted right there on the internet excited me.

All in one place. At the click of a button, everything I desired c ou ld b e g ra s p e d within seconds. I had discovered Bitt o r r e n t s. W h e r e millions swap files with each other, under

the flimsy disclaimer that what they are doing is The Right Thing.

It would once have taken me 6000 years to earn the music collection I have now, one CD or comic every 3 weeks. Then I’d ration when I would listen to the tracks or flick through the pages.

B ut t h e i nte r n et changed things.

I’v e d o w n l o a d e d everything I ever desired to read and listen to.

I s p oile d it for myself.

All the tunes are g reyer a nd m ore lifeless than Michael Jackson’s arse cheek’s.

It’s all gone stale.

My I-pod is nothing more than the world’s largest collection of dead tracks.And so is yours.We are all suffering from what I call Internet-obesity.

I’ve since deleted every track I have ever d ow nload e d through Bit-torrents and I don’t even buy music from I-tunes anymore.

I implore you all to go out and buy something tangible.

Something creative.

Something you actually earned.

Mike Lebowski

e h T Conclusion

Pop Noodle Vs Bands Chapter 1

Y

ea h, yea h, we presu m e you’re using Twitter like every other band out there...nice work. But is your band using the basics of it properly?

If so, it’s pats on the back all round!

And if not, then sadly your dopey bassist who drew the short straw isn’t really getting all this social media stuff.

First off, remember t h a t T w it t e r i s a c o n v e r s at io n a l to ol.

I t ’s a p owerful platfor m to communicate with whoever you feel will be valuable for your band. Whether it be your 23 ½ fans, the village blogger, the girl-who-knows-thekid -who-knows-that-DJ from the retirement home or even that music industry twat you m et via you r Stepmum’s sister anyone that YOU want to have listen to your own unique blend of “Post-F u nkc ore infused Break beat Emo with a dash of Morrisey and a tiny slice of Megadeth” you should be actively com municating with on Twitter. This, u nfor tu nately for some, does not equate to only writing about yourselves every time you post.

W h y ? W e l l, y o u r weekly tweet stating how you’re “About to go into rehearsal and your dru m mer, aka ‘The Bobster’, has brought along a can of Dr Pepper”, as truly interesting as this is...it isn’t exactly a tweet that will encourage any return dialogue is it? Therefore, if you’re not prepared to bother tweeting regularly because you don’t want to miss Jeremy Kyle’s latest turd excuse of a show, then at least try to make the most out of your Tweets when you do and this means it’s not simply about ‘You, You, You’!

You need to actively e n g ag e w it h y ou r followers. Of course, y o u c a n d o t h at super-thrilling Dr Pepper Tweet , but then write a follow up tweet asking if any of your followers actually honestly like Dr Pepper. If someone answers, reply back to them and let them know how rank you think that disgusting stuff really is! If so m e o n e #F Fs y ou (FollowFriday, not For Fuck’s Sake...), show them you appreciate it by saying thanks. Even go as far as to offer them a totally free chocolate Hobnob at your next gig– after all they’re helping to spread your band around and so are worth at least a few Hobnobs, even if they end up being Tesco’s Value rip-offs.

Want to get industry, bloggers or music editors to notice your ground breaking new music?

W e l l, i f

ills and layout maks andala

you h av e so m e o n e in m ind a nd t hey already follow you, follow them back if you don’t already and then just send them a d ir e c t m essag e and personally ask them what they think to your a m azing chartbusting track ‘I Farted In Your Nostrils’ (Tip: use TinyURL to make any links shorter). If they don’t already follow you, you could a lw ay s e m a il or ask them for their thoughts publically on Twitter, but do try to stick to only asking one “gatekeeper” a day, so your 23 ½ actual fans don’t think you were lying when you drunkenly told them you signed to ‘Bono’s new secret la bel’ after that packed-out bus stop show the other week.

Losing your genuine followers and not sure why? Well, don’t make your Twitter feed just about your music or constantly plug that big residency at the lo c a l r et i r e m e nt home every week. If you happen to see a d isa ble d p a n d a c asually scoffing Cheesey Wosits whilst chuckling along to Strictly Come Dancing, then Tweet about it - we’re all human and naturally love Wosits.

And upload a photo of it too, as I’d be keen to see that myself... the panda of course, not Strictly Come Dancing. That’s guff, innit.

Chris Pop Noodle

55

Oh No Oh My – People Problems The exclamations marks might be gone, but with People Problems Oh No Oh My are maturing nicely and discovering that you don’t really need to shout to get attention.

Taken on surface value this appears to be an album packed full of breezy frazzled-folk-rock that harkens back to the Satellite Heart era of Flaming Lips, but dig a little deeper and there’s something a lot more disturbing going on. Dreams always turn into nightmares. Fingers don’t caress for the most part they’re down and around throats. And in the case of the Frank Turneresque ballad So I Took You, lovers might just be murderers. Creepy and a lot of fun.

Sam Shepherd Bleep District – Pigs and Troughs EP Full of amphetamines, gang-banging a Gameboy while dissecting an electronic frog to a continuous snare and hat beat. This is perhaps the best metaphorical way in which to describe this Pigs and Troughs Ep, as well as a genuine suggestion for a faithfully representative music video, if one is ever to be commissioned. Operating under the loose umbrella term of electro, but clearly exploring its parameters, the band show a technical chic and a flare for intricate medleys and samples. Through their eclectic choices of sound, instrumentation and melody lines, which they layer complexly on top of simple rhythm, Bleep District very much showcase a sound fit for beat fanatics and enthusiastic electronikers alike.

Ross Thomson Underground Railroad – Russian Doll

With a third album on the horizon Underground Railroad let fly with an early warning shot in the shape of Russian Doll. Kicking off with a moog seemingly emulating the rhythmic rattling of an out of control locomotive it isn’t long before the song explodes into a morass of motorik drumming, drone inflected guitars, and a vocal line that’s drifting among the stars. Chuck what sounds like a skronking Coltrane sax into the mix and you’ve got an invigorating blast of dark-buteuphoric noise. It closes with what sounds like a violin being sawn in half…now that’s rock n roll.

Sam Shepherd

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Absynthe Minded – Absynthe Minded

Ignoring the fact that at times Absynthe Minded's fourth album strays perilously close to Jamie Callum territory, this is a strangely intriguing and wonderful effort.

Forays into lounge jazz aside, for the most part the tone is set at skewed.

The shuffle of Weekend In Bombay develops into a gypsy wig out by way of The Doors is curiously dark.

Fortress Europe lurches from funereal march to Magic Roundabout inspired dance party as singer Bert Ostyn explores the nature of love and immigration.

Elsewhere there's the catchy pop inflections of Envoi and the brooding rock of Dead On My Feet. It's an eclectic mix that just about pays off.

Sam Shepherd

James Curd –

Input? Output? I Don’t Know Yet

Carnivores - Nights of Infinity One of Glasgow’s only unique and alternative metal bands, Carnivores, are set to release a mini album in April this year. Including three previously released singles, the Sweet Relief – Sweet Relief EP album offers everything you’d want from a pungent, passionate Sweet Relief’s self-titled EP and productive heavy rock band.

Starts off with the rather Tempo changes, driving bass punchy Spanish Robots; the and prominent backing vocals opening track combines jaunty make these six songs impossible vocal harmonies and impressive to turn off. The last track, guitar riffs that build towards “Black Rain/Purple Sabbath , a clamour of instruments at with its doubled up lead guitar the end. Miserable One (Thank and vocals will have you hitThe Sun) really showcases the ting repeat. If you’re not yet band’s ability to hone in on the Britpop sound whilst manag- convinced you can go and see ing to remain innovative. Lyr- for yourself as Carnivores supics are memorable and witty and port Sucioperro on tour next month in cities across Scotcompliment the chunky guitar land. sound. The quartet show their tender side with the track Off Heather Fraser Your Feet. The boisterous vocals are replaced with highpitched harmonies and a distinct lack of distortion being replaced with some mesmerising delay.

Pope Joan – A Drowning

Catriona Reilly

Opening with vocals and an echoing piano the post breakup tome of the Half Jacks’ Wake The Morning perfectly reflects the old drink-to-forget scenario. The aforementioned vocals are bluesy yet subdued and the piano is a melancholy stab in the background.

However, the song is lightened up with the introduction of drums and guitar. The combination gives the song an edge and perfectly complements the vocals which become more strained with emotion as the song goes one. This all leads up to whining guitar solo and eventually another poignant vocal and piano duet which brings the song to a close.

Half Jacks- Wake the Morning

Ross Dunn

What would your next move be as a Dj, if you had already blitzed discos and festivals worldwide, with your music having appeared on some of the biggest television and radio shows as well as Hollywood pictures?

Well, presuming retirement is off the cards, and you continue to be unimpressed with the arguments for nihilism, all you do is keep spinning! Decks, that is. Known best under the name and label Greenskeepers, James Curd’s newest contribution to house music is very much a la mode, as the French might say.

Input? Output? I Don’t Know Yet is the album, and chorus line of the title track Left the Ground which features Ziggy Franklin on the vocals. The album takes care not to step too far out of any boxes that made Curd’s name. The featured collaborators input most of the hooks that keep you intrigued, and some of their vocal narratives are very decent indeed. In what might be cited as a legacy continuing album, Curd has here published tracks that House and Electronica DJs will no doubt have fun re-mixing, so fully expect to hear these tracks tweaked and reworked around the towns.

Ross Thomson

A curious jaunty drum beat starts A Drowning, the new single from Brighton band Pope Joan, a beat which draws you in instantly. Once it’s got your attention the low hum of the synths start, spattered with low piano and high pitched ethereal keys in the background. To perfect this, the passionately unique vocals begin and you can’t stop listening.

Your intrigue does not go unrewarded as the bridge comes together with clashes of electronic sound and vocals which are not far of shouts but retain their beauty. Following this is a joyous shout out chorus which leaves you more than impressed and certainly satisfied.

Catriona Reilly

57

The Rite

Never Let Me Go Review.

Anthony Hopkins has a few surprises up his hallowed sleeves in this film. Don’t expect another Hannibal Lecter; I did, and I was pleasantly surprised. Surprised enough for his performance to sustain my enjoyment, because Håfström’s latest is otherwise a little flat. Eerie, sombre, and intense: it ticks all the genre-boxes, and delivers a fairly spine-tingling jump-fest. But overall it isn’t the satisfying supernatural thriller I was hoping for.

Never Let Me Go depicts the bleak story of three best friends who were raised more or less isolated from the rest of the world along with other “special” children. The reason behind their different upbringing remains a secret until over half an hour into the film.

The truth behind Hailsham is hinted at until then, but nothing is clear until Miss Lucy speaks up and announces the reality of their destiny. This tale of an alternative history set in the mid 20th century, is at times shocking and disheartening. The blunt references to “donors” and “completion” make for an emotional watch. What’s really going on here?

The Rite tells the story, based on supposedly true events, of an American seminary student who ends up taking a course on exorcisms in Rome. There he meets a journalist (Braga) who is investigating said course, and Father Lucas (Hopkins), an experienced exorcist with the task of enlightening him.

O’Donoghue plays the student, the spiritually disillusioned Michael Kovak, with a convincing mix of uncertainty and resolve, as his faith waivers and hardens over the course of the film. But as far as lead characters go, I found him a bit too reticent and bland. It failed to be the inspirationally moving role which you would want from a protagonist. Instead, he gave a largely forgettable performance, and seemed to spend most of the time quietly terrified, until the climax of the film.

I should reiterate that regardless of the lead actor, I still enjoyed parts of this film. Its strength lies in its concepts, its effects, and the way it had been put together. It contains some startling imagery (the unearthly, red-eyed mule being a prime example), and some genuinely goosebump-inducing moments. And of course, the opportunity to artistically and cinematically interpret possession and exorcism was not wasted here: the effects were subtle but powerful, at times even disturbing. And, again, Hopkins is a reassuring treat, offering up a dazzlingly varied performance - truly the star of the film. The exorcism scenes are edge-of-your-seat tense, and the chilling-horror veteran chants through them with Vatican Latin-fuelled ease. They are truly scary. Once a victim is coughing up finger-long iron nails you know you’re in for a diabolical treat.

A dilemma emerges, however, when deciding whether or not the atmosphere of the film is enough to salvage it. My beef is not only with the arguably flat acting (Alice Braga’s Angeline is mostly flimsy and vapid, lacking the muscle one would expect in such a contemporary journalist-type), but also with the somewhat crudely applied ‘religion arguments’. Obviously, such an ‘issue’ couldn’t be avoided when the film literally concerns demonic possession, but I suppose it’s a shame when an increasingly secular modern society demands that atheism be so clumsily addressed. I personally didn’t enjoy watching someone essentially just being confused and indecisive about whether or not he believes in God and the Devil. If it was a compelling account of someone wrestling with their faith, I might have been more entertained. But Kovak ping-pongs awkwardly between refusal and belief in a way that distracts from the otherwise gripping events. The other characters – Hinds’s Father Xavier for example – don’t seem entirely invested in the arguments they preach, citing them simply as a vehicle for the spooky goings-on. It’s not that the belief issue was not tackled at all (taglines for the movie include ‘What do you believe?’ and ‘You can only defeat it when you believe.’), but the way in which it was. It jarred, and ironically tainted my suspension of disbelief.

Overall a mixed bag. So very close to being a classic, joining – if not ousting – The Exorcist as a cult/ occult benchmark, but weakened by droopy acting and diluted pseudotheology. A shame, but watch it for Hopkins.

George Sully

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Supported by great performances allround, it is hard to criticise Never Let Me Go. Keira Knightley is completely credible as the envious (and sometimes unfriendly) Ruth. Andrew Garfield portrays the uncreative, angry boy stuck in the middle surprisingly well. The best performance definitely comes from Carey Mulligan who plays Kathy, the central character of the story. Mulligan creates an incredibly likeable character that the audience will immediately identify with.

She is naively longing for love and the acceptance of her fate is devastating yet applaudable.

The constant flow of music throughout adds even more sadness to this film and makes what is happening truly heart-breaking.

The sombre tone is easily maintained throughout, added to by Carey Mulligan’s perfect portrayal of Kathy.

The film starts from the middle part of the story, giving the audience a reason to find out why Kathy chose to become a carer and why her life is how it is.

However, the dark reason behind these questions is unexpected and shocking, to say the least. The main question you will probably ask yourself while watching this film is “why?” Why do they not rebel against their situation? Why do they accept their fate? However, there are many questions left unanswered.

Despite Never Let Me Go falling into the science-fiction category, I would rather label it as a romantic mystery. Purely because it focuses on a somewhat love triangle and you will be left guessing and creating your own assumptions throughout. The questions you have will not be properly answered and it is because of this that you may find the story hard to believe. On the other hand, it is this ambiguity that makes the film even more compelling. The lack of answers will also allow you, the audience, to draw your own conclusions and fill in any gaps with your own ideas.

Jessy Williams

Vs

Back in the days of scholars only, busses and enforced physical education, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 hadoukened me full-on in the face like a revelation. Being a 90s kid I’d grown up with my brother’s Mega Drive and spent far too many hours after school ripping out hearts on Mortal Kombat or dragon punching people on Street Fighter 2: Special Championship Edition in all their 16-bit glory, but MVC2 offered a lightning fast variation of familiar game play, enhanced further through ostentatious, screen filling “hyper combos” and the ability to choose a three man team from an unprecedented roster of fifty six characters.

Throughout the decade since MVC2 was unleashed onto the world I’ve revisited the game for long periods at least once a year but due to licensing issues surrounding the Marvel characters it seemed like I’d never get to see a new instalment. Thankfully though, last year the stars aligned, the fates high-fived each other and MVC3 was finally announced, but after a decade of expectation, how does the finished product hold up?

I’m not going to beat around the bush here, or tease out my conclusions; put simply MVC3 is fucking awesome, a big, bombastic, filled-with too-many-enumbers little brother to Street Fighter 4. It manages to be accessible to fans and new kids alike, something that its predecessor struggled with. MVC3 manages to do this by not only having a ‘simple mode’ control scheme, but also by simplifying the normal commands into a context specific system. Gone are the high and low kicks and punches, replaced instead with a low, high, medium and special attack button, with the d-pad commands entered along with each button push determining which special move you pull off. It sounds rather confusing in writing, but in practice it’s hugely intuitive.

There may be fewer characters (thirty four with two more coming next month as downloadable content) but in reality Capcom have separated the wheat from the chaff, pruning away game exclusive characters like the preposterous giant cactus, Amingo, as well as jettisoning the re-skinned characters such as War Machine and bone claw Wolverine. A lot of the series’ established characters have also been left on the cutting room floor, with a large proportion of the

Marvel

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Street Fighter cast stepping aside to make way for characters from newer franchises, such as Viewtiful Joe, Dante from Devil May Cry and Resident Evil’s Wesker. As for the Marvel side of things, the team have gotten creative; why have all of the Fantastic Four when the Super Skrull possesses all of their powers combined? And why have Hawkeye and Iron Fist when the villainous Taskmaster has access to their abilities? Throw in a wise cracking, fourth wall breaking Deadpool and Jean Gray with the power to transform into the all powerful Dark Phoenix in her dying moments and the only disappointment with the Marvel roster is the continually poor representation of Spider-Man’s rogue’s gallery.

Most importantly though, the characters are far more balanced third time around , with real care having being taken to insure that no character is so powerful so as to be unbeatable, with most trading heavy

Capcom

damage for low health.

I honestly could wax sweet, lyrical hyperbole about MVC3 all day, but the simple fact is that, whether or not you’ve played either of the games which came before, MVC3 is an incredibly fun, fast and frantic take on the 2D fighting game that you probably think you know and have seen all before, and if you are familiar with the series then MVC3 carries on in its traditions, all the while streamlining and polishing until what is left is a pure distillation of the best the series has always had to offer.

Mark L. Grainger

BOTTOM OF THE SEA (Flash Game)

Bottom of the Sea has one objective - reach the bottom of the sea. It’s a simple premise and it’s one of the reasons this game is so enjoyable. Where other games have you collecting coins, gems and golden rings - this one keeps it simple. Dive dive dive. No complex button combinations, no arduous storyline making a weak attempt to hold your interest and no over the top game mechanics. You move your cursor either side of the character and click at varying points on a meter to determine the force behind your jump, and even this makes the game sound more complex than it actually is.

You are rewarded for the speed at which you descend into the abyss, meaning fast paced diving is of utmost importance. Ay, there’s the rub - there is nothing fast paced of this game at all. It doesn’t require ‘utmost’ anything. In the same way Tetris can be played in an almost hypnotic state, you can devote very little attention to what’s happening on screen and still get the most out of the game. It is as simple as it is undemanding. Leaping effortlessly through a background of exotic fish and sea turtles, you find yourself honing your ability to dive through this virtual aquarium. You are given time to soak in the game in a way that is rarely seen in modern gaming. You start to appreciate the little bubbles from the divers mask and the ominous shark in the distant waters. A shark that, if it were accompanied by a John Williams composition, you may fear.

The music, however, paints a much more serene picture of the ocean. Amongst a backdrop of waves lies a pleasant piece led by soft woodwind, synth pads and artificial koto (reminiscent of late British composer Johnny Douglas, if he had traded his orchestra in for some synths). The soundtrack is so peaceful you would be mistaken for thinking mermaids were playing it in your dreams.

There are no enemies in the game than your own haste. You achieve overall score when you reach the and, if it’s high enough, you’re other an bottom entered

onto a high score board. There’s a competitive element to it, but only as far as you wish to take it.

Now many may comment that this is nothing more than a simple flash game, that graphics are cute but nothing ‘impressive’. But classic games outstretch fads and graphics. Tetris will still be played in twenty years time and a concern of mine is that in twenty years time this game, along with many others of its kind, may be forgotten. It could disappear tomorrow and we’d have no recourse.

I wouldn’t play this every day but occasionally I find myself diving deeper and I’ve been doing so for the past 6 years. This game would revel in its own beauty, if it were not so modest. Bottom of the Sea and a collection of other free games are available on the award winning site www.ferryhalim.com/orsinal

Kyle McKelvie

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Speaking to Fergus Crook, Creative Director of Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show 2011, Jessica Heggie delves a little deeper into his creative vision and the real story of Scottish [d]evolution.

On meeting Fergus, 20, Glaswegian, I could have labelled him the ‘arty’ one within seconds. He has that effortful scruffy look about him. His position as creative director of the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show is certainly well suited. I quizzed him about what his vision for the show was and his aim to create a new meaning of Scottish [d]evolution.

[d]evolution: not something the Scots tend to associate with fashion, yet Fergus enlightened me that it has less to do with uptight, middle-aged men than I first thought. The idea of [d]evolution developed from a desire to take things back to basics. ECFS 2011 is casting its eye back to its student roots and exploring new avenues of student creativity. “The creative direction has followed this desire and has aimed to create more of an arts collective, a creative hub bringing together Scottish talent” say Fergus, trying to convince me that the concept of [d]evolution was definitely nothing to do with politics.

The committee of the Edinburgh Charity Fashion show has worked together to develop this vision of [d]evolution. “It was important to make sure everyone was involved in the creative vision, to make a cohesive show” he says “we wanted to make sure we fully utilised the potential of everyone involved”.

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Photos: Edmund Fraser Layout: ciaran greene

“THE IDEA OF [D]EVOLUTION DEVELOPED FROM A DESIRE TO TAKE THINGS BACK TO BASICS.” The Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show was set up 10 years ago and since then has raised over £250,000, over £100,00 of that in the last two years. One of Europe’s largest, student led fashion shows, ECFS 2011 is one of a kind. In the past designers such as Ara Jo (who has designed for Lady Gaga), Nicole Farhi and Peter Jensen have all donated to the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show displaying some of the most iconic looks in fashion in the capital city of Scotland.

Fergus was the brains behind the creative vision for the campaign surrounding the fashion show. The concept of [d]evolution has led to a development of the concept of ‘The Islands’. The idea “originated from the ideas of the Galapagos Islands, being where the idea of evolution began” remarked Fergus. “I think its quite a cool concept that’s tied together the website and the shoots”. The concept of ‘The Islands’ led to the development of the idea of the bird that was portrayed in the first shoot.

The photos, look incredible. Having had a sneak peak I think that finally I might have been persuaded that ECFS [d]evolution has absolutely nothing to do with politics. The two-night event which took place at Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh on the 18th and 19th March was a stunner. Fergus’ creative vision is impeccable undoubtedly what lead to a spectacular performance.

www.edinburghcharityfashionshow.com

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Locked within the genetic memory of a bird is the knowledge of how to build a nest. Through some inherent drive, an innate skill, a trait that has proved beneficial to the species is retained.

Words and illustration by Julius Colwyn.

Layout: piotr tamulewicz.

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The power aesthetic of the eighties with its terrifying shoulder pads and its epic hair came as a desperate attempt to assuage the guilt left over

The hippies were born from potent psychedelics and a terrible war, bringing us respectively very bright flower patterns and tiedye.

In terms of Fashion, we find ourselves at the moment on a strange and amorphous threshold.

Fashion is a constantly evolving process, but as with all evolution it is born from adverse circumstance; we evolve due to stimuli.

And so we wander about, not quite knowing what to do with ourselves as a species. Having got a handle on the whole ‘survival’ thing, we recycle, we look at what we’ve done and try and find some sort of meaning in it.

erhaps to us, such a memory is obsolete, our actions no longer need to be constrained by pragmatism. By means of our technological advance and the comparative safety of developed civilization, our basic animal needs are, for the most part, met.

P

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With so much inspiration to draw from, trends and styles change by season, drastically swinging between influences from previous generations. We are a generation of more than usual re-

And as a result there is no one particular ‘look’ to our clothes, no specified height of hem, no statement lapel, no stylistic continuity. Our contemporary cultural vision is a melting pot.

We don’t seem to have the same communal compulsion that the previous generations did, no unifying theme. The current generation’s major legacy is the internet, the absolute power of communication. The outcome of the information age is that ideas travel so fast, and you are exposed to so many new ones, so regularly, that nothing has staying power.

by the gratuitous free love indulged in by the hippies.

Each generation had its drive.

It may be that this lack of cohesion is in itself is the defining feature of our times, and that hindsight will reveal what we are really about. Perhaps our drive will present itself in a coming crisis or social revelation.

We put eras together in modern fashion with the same consideration as putting colours or fabrics together.

The consideration of taste is arguably becoming more aesthetically than socially determined.

interpretation. All creative vision can be seen as reinterpretation; all fashions depend on other fashions. But our perspective is unique in that we reference everything at the same time.

If so, then survival of the fittest takes on an entirely new meaning.

Maybe, stylistically at least, we are becoming more self- determinate.

Perhaps we will have a movement of our own based on climate change, the Afghan war, or the economic recession, but major events seem dislocated from our clothing now.

No one started wearing robes when the ozone layer started gaping at us.

Illustration: Same-old-Caviar Words: Leanne Bridgewater

Layout: sara_loiperdinger

Man wears white shirt.

Black hat.

Green lippy.

Or,

His head: gone away with the fairy.

Was not the time,

by

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dawn

were that the leprechaun? h is

lip s

lay

on

h is

face

like

a

l a w n?

St r ol l s t o t h e b reakf ast t ab le .

Or should we say the free chair by the window.

He’s eating some porridge.

The green lipstick smudges.

He’s like the Scot’s Popeye.

He imagines tha t S c o ttis h m a n o n the a d v e r t w i t h h i s o a t s.

But eye eye,

what have we here... sugar in this porridge.

But, I didn’t put sugar in here?

How?

Wa s i t a sw eet feel i ng I h a d , i n a p h i lo s o p h i ca l fe elin g – m ay b e I t asted m y sen se of feel?

Oo,

I feel like I am holding a spoon.

I hope I don’t go tasting that now?

Oo

I mean,

if it were wooden

, like the chair I’m on,

it could be ok. But, stainless steel:

yuck.

So,

looking out the box of glass that’s rather flat, in which they call window, we see the world. We see birds whistling, we see neighbour’s driving away.

It’s the time when the goblins go dig the trenches.

Get the bodies out the trenches.

Time for my body to get out this trench.

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E a t s u p q u i c k l y .

Ooop ooo-p plop, porridge! Ah shucks. What’s this?

Oat shirt.mush all over my

Lo o ks like b ab ies sick.

If I had a baby though, it would be gone by now.

my s el f.

Not gone with the fairies, but, gone with the wind of death. Seriously,

But,

I c a n h a rdl y l ook af te r

if I did damage a life, and kill it, then I wouldn’t be here too.

The baby would be gone with the angels and I’d be in the cells.

Or, I’d become a runner,

‘keep it shut’

y’ k n ow, h id e t h e b od y in t h e g a rde n u n d e r t h e g ra s s ,

and if people ask, I’ll say

“The kids

with his

ma m m a

now.”

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But t h ere’s th e qu esti o n y o u se e .

W here i s sh e? I s s h e d e a d o r a l i v e ?

We lived together once - she was nice.

We were happy. Even had a baby.

But... you see that’s different now.

It all changed. I sort of scared her off.

Sort of finished her off.

Maybe I finished it all off.

I cri ed li ke a b ab y afte r i t al l.

B u t ,

it’s a secret you have to keep to yourself.

Iholding sometimes feel like I am something back.

I taste a gap between my teeth, b e t w e e n m y l e g s ,

between my two parts of the heart one side: the left. And the other: right.

I taste dirt.

Sometimes you can dig yourself a hole by saying things and doing things... my problem was I didn’t dig myself a hole,

but instead, others.

We look out window still.

I see the grass.

I feel the grass.

I feel the inside information.

The body of senses… t h e s e n s e s i n o u r b o d i e s .

And, the bodies in the grass…

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