See Inside Interview with Claire Hennessy Escape to Lisbon A Guide to Upcoming Gigs A review of Thor: Ragnarok
Volume XXIV, Issue 3 1st November 2017
OTWO CONTRIBUTORS ISSUE 3 XXIV DEPUTY EDITOR Ruth Murphy ART & DESIGN EDITOR Joanne Olivia OTWO CO-EDITORS Claudia Dalby Orla Keaveney
CONTENTS
CHIEF OF ILLUSTRATIONS Meadhbh Sheridan
Arts & Literature 5-8
CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY Phoebe Ireland
Games 9
ARTS & LITERATURE EDITOR Dylan O’Neill
Film & TV 10-13
GAMES EDITOR Katie Lalwani
Interview Claire Hennessy 14-16
FILM & TV EDITOR Alexander Glover MUSIC EDITOR Cian Montague
Music 17-20
FOOD EDITOR Aurora Andrus
Food 21
FASHION EDITOR Shane Cullen
Fashion 22-25
ONLINE OTWO EDITOR Conor O’Boyle CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Burke Vaughan Priya Garg Jack Knowles Conor Capplis Aaron Collier Adesewa Awobadejo Sambhavi Sudhakar Jack McPartland Emma Kiely Malika Venkatramani Maeve Costello Aidan Crilly Matthew Derwin Dylan Delaney Aoife Mawn Rory Clarke Brianna Walsh Clara Brannigan Roisin McNamara VISUAL CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS Priya Garg Danielle Crowley
Travel 26 Aperture 28
LETTER FORM EDITORS
EDITOR Aoife Hardesty
Hi everyone! Welcome to the third issue of OTwo magazine! Since our print date is right after Halloween, we decided to show off our costumes – can you guess what they are? Claudia is dressed as a literal University Observer, while Orla is channelling the iconic Damien from Mean Girls. Just to clarify, we came up with these ideas weeks ago, it’s not a commentary on recent events... On a less politically-charged topic than Halloween costumes, we’ve got a load of great content in store for you this issue. For our centrefold interview, Claudia chatted to author Claire Hennessy about creativity, young adult novels, and making loads of things! In Film & TV, you can read a review of the hotly-anticipated Thor sequel, or find out whether it’s worth parting with your hard-earned cash to experience films in 70mm. Our Music section has a guide to the best Dublin gigs this month, plus an insight into up-and-coming student rap duo Tebi Rex. Meanwhile, our Arts and Lit editor Dylan meets with UCD alumni-founded theatre troupe BUMP&GRIND to talk life after college. We also look at modern inversion rituals and the history of dance! Over in the Fashion section you can have a gander at representation in the industry and check out some gorge campus looks. We also bring you a review of Ranelagh’s Ugly Duckling restaurant, along with a look back on games that shook up the industry. As always, we’re happy to take on more contributors, so sign up to our mailing list (universityobserver. ie/jointheteam) if you haven’t already, and come along to one of our meetings for Issue 4! Now that midterms are over, there’s no reason not to try out something new and get a bit of writing experience at a time when student journalism in UCD is more high-profile than ever. If you’re feeling self-conscious about your writing ability, don’t worry! According to a cringey meme posted by the #Fight4Katie Facebook page, we’re easy on facts and research. To end things on a brighter note, we hope you really enjoy this issue! Thanks as always,
Orla and Claudia
Soapbox: No Ma’am
Mystic Mittens Aries Watch what you say around the college newspapers. Impeachment is in the air. Taurus They say you should never meet your heroes. Especially when they say no to getting a photo with you on the street. That will happen to you. Gemini You’re hot, funny, and charming. No punchline on that, it’s just completely true. Cancer Are you sure you got that essay in on time? Are you sure? Leo 1997 called. It wants its fashion taste back. You can keep the music though, Usher is timeless. Virgo You should probably stay inside this month, because of the placement of the moon or whatever. Trust the mystic mittens. Libra You should extensively research types of butterflies in Southern France. Scorpio Next Thursday you’re going to think it’s a great idea to order that thing from the menu you never get, but I’m afraid it’ll be the worst meal of your life. Sagittarius You’ll have a Tuesday as bad as Taylor Swift’s current career trajectory. Capricorn I’m sorry, the old Capricorn can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh! Causes it’s week seven and they’re swamped. Aquarius Predictions for this month are a bit murky. Are you in a pond? Typical Acquarius. Get out of there. Pisces You’ll try to eat a nice doughnut, but it will fall to pisces in your hands. Goodnight.
The flared nostrils, the tapping nails, the short blonde bob and the Michael Kors handbag. If that sentence filled your tiny heart with dread, then you’ve definitely worked in customer service. The symptoms include a weariness with the world around you, a fear of any woman with perfectly manicured nails and a thin-lipped smile, and an intense hatred of any woman named Karen, Carol, or Gail. God even typing those names fills me with an uncontrollable need to nod and smile politely, my eye twitching as I repeat the most common lie in all of Customer Service history, “I’m really sorry you’re not happy with your service, but there’s nothing I can do.” To clarify for any possible Karens, Carols, or Gails reading this, the lie was not that I could not help you, that part was true, believe me, if there was something I could do to make you leave me alone sooner, I’d be doing it. €9.25 an hour is not worth standing here listening to you. I cannot help when you inform me of how ‘shocking’ and ‘disgraceful’ my customer service skills are because I won’t allow you to return the item you bought from our store three and a half months ago, which you don’t have a receipt for, and which you’ve clearly broken. The lie is that I’m sorry, because I stopped being sorry the second you rolled your eyes to high heaven, put that screeching whine in your voice and informed me that I ‘could help you if I really wanted to, I’m just being difficult on purpose.’ The phrase ‘entitled millennial’ always makes me laugh, because I’ve never met anyone my age who acted ‘entitled’ when I’m serving them. I’ve worked in bars and restaurants too, and when a group of twenty-somethings come in to sit down I always feel a little calmer, because I know they’ve all worked this same underpaid, overstressed job and are not going to shout at me if the kitchen gives me the wrong sauce for their burger. Most of the time they won’t even let me swap it for the correct one, as they know it’ll mess up my whole order schedule. Carol would never let that slide. She sees everything. It’s like she has a sixth sense for the exact moment when a new table has just been seated and there’s three orders up for collection, and so chooses that exact moment to snap her fingers at me. Oh Carol. Words: Sarah Burke Vaughan Illustration: Meadhbh Sheridan
OTwo //
Advice from Andrew J. Geeks How do we Impeach you?
A critical element of any democratic society is the provision of a peaceful mechanism to recognise and enact the vox populi. Here, in UCD Senior Management, we make no pretence as to democracy or equity. We recognise that unchained animality can be mastered only by discipline and brutalizing. Our tutors are instructed to sap, through willful incompetence, from you what little enthusiasm you hold for your degrees. Stayed up five nights in a row to work on your essay? Worthy of a ‘C-’. Got the answers to the online mid-term test from one of our Ad Astra Sleeper Cells? Open your wallet and resit that module next year, comrade. Would you like to file a complaint? Step into my office, Room 101, and we can see what really distresses you. Resistance and Hope will be crushed, and remember this, darling readers, if I go, I’m taking you all down with me. Can you tell us how to write for the University Observer? Fake News is often used as a synonym for propaganda; senseless exaggerations of sourceless untruths used to further a particular, often political, agenda. However, when it comes to the nuclear-powered rumour-mill that is the University Observer, the term takes on a rather different meaning. The paper doesn’t exist. The news doesn’t exist. That’s why it’s fake. Like letters to Santa, nobody ever reads ‘articles’ sent to the UO. Contributors who email their editors with a pitch or draft for an article are met with an automatic reply which reads: “Your article is bad and you should feel bad.” Meanwhile, the Students’ Union is being bled like a stuck pig, funding a shell organisation which invests in a complex array of offshore equities and financial instruments. It funnels dividends up through an interminable corporate structure to avoid tax and shifts its profits to its Luxembourg-based HQ, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. You’ve uncovered the conspiracy. Time to report it. March on down to the SU President’s office and burst open the door. The desk is empty. There is no Katie Ascough. There is no SU President. The rabbit hole runs deep. You think you’ve read a newspaper, but we’ve just put something in the water. When you approach those Godless, hedonistic ‘editors,’ and ask them whether the scandal on everybody’s lips is true, they look at you with fear in their eyes, and simply nod.
What’s Hot,What’s Not NOT Hot
RTÉ With the loss of the nation’s beloved Dobbo, there was speculation over who would take his place on the traditionally male-female ratio 6:01 News team. However, the country was pleasantly surprised to see that RTÉ is shaking up their format with two female anchors, Caitriona Perry and Keelin Shanley. It’s a well-deserved promotion for two accomplished journalists, and the least Perry deserves after an exhausting stint as the Washington correspondent for the past few years. Democracy These past few weeks, democracy has been the buzzword on campus. The height of the impeachment referendum saw both sides claiming that they were the most democratic, and now we’re facing the by-elections, it’s going to be thrown about some more. On the bright side, it’s a great time to be in student media! On an unrelated note, there are some openings for section editors. Reading Week Some of you won’t be seeing this until after the 7th, because you’re lucky enough to have had a reading week. Sadly, others on courses like engineering don’t have the luxury. Yes, we know engineering students don’t have readings to do, but it’s the principle! At least you’ll be allowed return to UCD after this week, unlike a certain individual...
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The Snowman If you were hoping to avoid temperature puns, this part might leave you a little cold. Michael Fassbender’s broody Scandinavian thriller has gotten a frosty reception at the box office, competing with The Room for the most unintentionally hilarious film in history. He’s going to need some ice for those savage burns in the reviews (okay I’ll stop now). Men Only joking, please don’t start #notallmen-ing at me. But come on, even you “nice guys” have to admit that there are some proper creeps among you. As if the sheer number of Harvey Weinstein allegations wasn’t shocking enough, the #MeToo hashtag has finally opened a dialogue about just how common sexual harassment is. Sadly, some douchebags seem to have interpreted this movement as an opportunity to make it all about them – if I see one more “as a father of daughters” post... Jim Carrey Memes If you missed the scandal in the midst of impeachment mania, on Wednesday Katie Ascough’s campaign team decided to target the University Observer with a particularly cringey meme, featuring clips from Jim Carrey movies. Joke’s on them though, because this attack on campus media was what pushed the last neutral sabbat, Eoghan Mac Domhnaill, to post a status in support of the “Yes” campaign. If you want to see what we’re talking about, the Fight4Katie Facebook team still hasn’t had the sense to delete their post – though for our sake, angry reacts only please.
OTwo // Arts & Literature
Things that go Bump: BUMP&GRIND Theatre Interview
Dylan O’Neill chats with the UCD alumni about their experiences with Edinburgh Fringe Festival and their plans for the future.
“We’re all just trying to get our heads together” explains Rosa Bowden, after normal life resumed for the BUMP&GRIND co-founder when she returned from Edinburgh after their run at the Fringe Festival. With members being in different countries and working 9-to-5 jobs, it was a challenge to get everyone together, but thankfully, we managed to steal a couple of BUMP&GRIND members away from their busy schedules to have a sit down and chat. Rosa is one third of the original BUMP&GRIND Theatre company, along with fellow UCD graduates Rosa Torr and Cathal Sheerin. The trio, whose backgrounds in theatre range from studying Drama in college, to acting and directing with UCD Dramsoc, as well as with theatre companies in London and Dublin. Their flagship play, Bump, followed the story of 22-year-old Lily, who upon discovering her pregnancy, makes the hard decision to have an abortion. “We just wanted to give a more human account of the issue” explained Bowden. Given the current climate in Ireland surrounding the Repeal the 8th movement Bowden said, “we wanted to show a situation where abortion was free, safe, and legal, and what the implications were on that character. It’s not something she necessarily takes lightly.” Having first performed Bump in UCD as part of the 90th Session of DramSoc, they received the news that
their application had been successful and would be performing in Assembly Festival, a curated venue famous for programming the best up-and-coming new writing each year which gave them great support as a new company. Torr described the excitement of hearing the news about 30 minutes before her third performance of Bump in the Dramsoc Theatre on campus, “I had to reign in the celebration until afterwards or I might have just spontaneously combusted on stage.”
I had to reign in the celebration until afterwards or I might have just spontaneously combusted on stage. The Fringe was a huge step up from university theatre. From the moment they received the good news, the process only began for the company who then had to fund their journey. “We had an Indiegogo campaign…you just have to beg, borrow and steal just to get
there, and also just have your wits about you when you’re flying, and knowing which venues are the right venues,” recounts Bowden. Kelley Gissane, the producer of Bump during their Fringe run, described the behind the scenes technicalities of getting to the Fringe Festival, “The process started for us by looking at which venues we thought would be physically suitable for Bump and would attract the right audience for Bump.” After the offer was accepted and the registration and deposit fees were paid, the BUMP&GRIND Theatre set sail for Edinburgh. Getting to the Fringe Festival was only part of the challenge, once over there, the difference between the university and the festival became apparent. As a director, Bowden describes that, “the most overwhelming thing about performing at Edinburgh compared to anywhere else…there is a constant pressure to self-promote…because there are 3000 other shows on besides your own.” Torr explains that even though she has had experience with the festival before, having acted previously with the 4th Monkey Theatre, “nothing can compare to the absolute buzz of being at Edinburgh Fringe “The whole city is alive with theatre and you are immersed in it, as opposed to finishing the show and having to go to a lecture on moral law or something in UCD”. With any fledgling theatre company,
a festival such as this one was as much a learning opportunity as it was an opportunity to promote the company’s brand. “It was our first time there as a company so there were definitely some things we would smooth over next time” recounts Torr. “I would have gone on a few more runs, done some yoga, and eaten my greens because it was physically and mentally exhausting.” Bowden agrees “myself, Cathal [Sheerin], Kelley [Gissane], Ailis [Toal] and Shane[Gill] were going in blind.” Last September, having finished on a 5-star review from Broadway Baby, the BUMP&GRIND company posted to their Facebook page, “With Ed Fringe done and dusted, now we are on to the next one.” When asked about what this post means for the future of the company, Torr coyly responded, “let’s just say you might not have seen the last of our girl Lily”. Bowden added that they were interested in “exploring more marginalized, less talked about ideas,” suggesting themes of gender and queer representation within theatre. The BUMP&GRIND theatre are trying to give their own voices to these political and current topics. Both Bowden and Torr agreed that they’ll still be making theatre in years to come, with hopes of continuing on the Fringe circuit for the next few years.
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OTwo // Arts & Literature
Whatever Ever Happened to J. K. Rowling? After the initial success of great literary authors, Priya Garg analyses why subsequent novels fail to live up to their predecessors.
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was a 20th century phenomenon. Following this success, Rowling’s life changed dramatically. She won numerous awards for Harry Potter including the Hugo Award for best Novel. Her works published after the Harry Potter series, however, were not as successful. These works included The Casual Vacancy, The Cuckoo’s Calling, and Career of Evil. Although The Casual Vacancy won awards such as The Best Fiction Award and the Goodreads Choice Award 2012, it doesn’t come near to the number of awards Harry Potter earned. What could be the reasons for such a difference in success among texts written by the same author?
A landmark publication of gothic, romantic and science fiction, Frankenstein was well received by critics such as M. A. Goldberg and Harold Bloom
The Casual Vacancy was J. K. Rowling’s first publication since the Harry Potter series and her first novel for adult readership. Politics, class, and social issues such as rape, prostitution, and drug use are the thematic concerns of the novel. Although it sold one million copies within the first three weeks in the US and the UK, it could never beat the millions of sales of Harry Potter. The Los Angeles Times stated that The Casual Vacancy failed to conjure Harry Potter’s magic. Readers did not come away with the feeling that they knew the back stories of the Vacancy characters
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The next work of Lee, Go Set a Watchman, failed to receive such critical acclaim.
American novelist Harper Lee falls in the same category. She is widely known for To Kill a Mockingbird. Renowned for its humor and warmth, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and became a classic of modern American literature, addressing issues such as class, race, gender, courage, and compassion. It has sold more than 30 million copies. The Chicago Tribune praised Lee’s “rich use of language.” The next work of Lee was published 55 years later, Go Set a Watchman, failed to receive such critical acclaim. Entertainment Weekly criticized the novel for being “replete with incongruities, bad dialogue, and underdeveloped characters.” A problem widely publicised with Go Set a Watchman is that it was marketed as a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, when in reality Watchman was written as the first draft of Mockingbird. Many authors may not be able to recreate the imagination and ingenuity of their first books. As a result, authors like J. K. Rowling, Mary Shelley, and Harper Lee saw a decline in their literary careers providing a cautionary tale for novelists around the world, that sometimes you strike literary gold just once.
Illustrartion Credit: Priya Garg
Although it sold one million copies within the first three weeks in the US and the UK, it could never beat the millions of sales of Harry Potter.
in intimate detail, the way they did with the characters in the Potter universe. Another reason for the failure of The Casual Vacancy in comparison with Harry Potter is the scope of Rowling’s readerships interests. Most of her original readership were captivated by a new, wholly invented world that they could lose themselves in, a place of magic and fantasy. The world of The Casual Vacancy, however, is far too real-life and close to the very lives that her readers wish to escape. Mary Shelley was a writer best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. A landmark publication of gothic, romantic, and science fiction, Frankenstein was well received by critics such as M. A. Goldberg and Harold Bloom for its “aesthetic and moral” characteristics and for being “a very bold fiction” by The Belle Assemblee. On the other hand, The Last Man, a post-apocalyptic science-fiction novel, received the worst reviews of Mary Shelley’s novels. The book was labelled “sickening and carped” for its “stupid cruelties.” Shelley’s imagination was called “diseased.”
Rain By Jack Knowles The drip, drop, drape In a lingering daze. Skies of grey haze Hovering. Pools. Splash, Clash As heavy as Mash. Droplets dash, leaving A colourless rash
Picture Credit: Priya Garg
In literature, careers do not have a smooth uniform graph. Some authors rise before spiraling downward in their literary careers. J. K. Rowling, J. D. Salinger, Charlotte Brontë, Mary Shelley, Harper Lee, Joseph Heller, and Khaled Hosseini, to name a few, are authors whose literary careers saw a fall after their debut works reached the zenith. Not all their works were a huge success in terms of either critical acclaim, fan following, or sales.
OTwo // Arts & Literature
The Appeal of Inversion Rituals
Photo Credit: Xusenru via Pixabay; Deb Stego via Flickr
Conor Capplis and Aaron Collier investigate the rising popularity of modern inversion rituals within festivals around the world.
_____ Traditionally, Christmas and Easter are two pivotal festivals within the Irish calendar. They represent times of great celebration for Christians, and from an early age, Irish children are taught about these traditions. Recently, in more urban areas in Ireland, where there is a growing diversity within the population, we see a diversity in the culture, with new traditions being established and new ways of celebrating heritage being carried out.
present in all cultures and societies, and most of them serve as an avenue for the release of stress. These types of festivals serve as a way to link us with our past and our cultures, but the traditions have been changed to be a part of modern society. When we think of inversion festivals our minds drift to exotic cultural events like the Indian Holi festival, or the Brazilian carnivals, but our societies create their own modern forms of festive expression in events like Coachella and the Glastonbury festival. A revolutionary study by Daisy Fancourt and Aaron Williamon has shown that the overall stress hormones of festival-goers decrease after attend-
While festivals give us the opportunity to break away from our mundane lives, they can also help us learn more about ourselves and provide us with life-long skills and memories. As we celebrate the festival of Halloween, with all the ‘trick-or-treating’ and clubbing, we sometimes forget to take a look at the multitude of interesting festivals and traditions around the world, that allow people to go nuts and break the social norms of our society in a healthy way. From the extravagant displays of colour and joy in the Pride festivals around the world, to the sheer luminescence within Mardi Gras, and the vibrancy of Brazil’s carnivals; what makes people partake in these crazy festivals? Festivals and celebrations are
ing a concert/festival, which means that these inversion rituals are good for the body and good for the mind. While festivals give us the opportunity to break away from our mundane lives, they can also help us learn more about ourselves and provide us with lifelong skills and memories. Take a look at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada Desert, for example. The popular event is governed by ten main constructive principles, “radical” inclusion, self-reliance, and self-expression, as well as community cooperation, civic responsibility,
nngifting, decommodification, participation, immediacy, and leaving no trace. Looking closer to home, St. Patrick’s Day is near and dear to our hearts. It allows us to connect to our cultural roots, while also taking a break from our dayto-day lives. On New Year’s Eve, past inhibitions are let go and people look optimistically towards the future. In a continually globalising era, it is more important than ever that we preserve these forms of expression through inversion festivals as it promotes the preservation of culture and community and allows people to experience various ways of expression within different societies. For those who celebrate it, Halloween in the modern day is a method for social cohesion and community spirit. It allows neighbours to get to know each other and form closer connections with those around them. Through these less-stressful interactions, people feel happier in their surroundings and are more inclined to feel settled within their community. Moderate levels of stress through the legal braking of social norms within inversion festivals can also serve as a good thing for people, as it pushes them out of their comfort zone and allows people to trivialise their fears through the means of Halloween. If we look at the Mardi Gras festival, it prioritises freedom of expression, diversity, equality and positivity of those who participate. One can view artful floats promoting diversity of the local population, accompanied by free-spirited people enjoying themselves without any fear of being criticised for who they are. Through these types of displays, Mardi Gras allows people who typically feel marginalised within their communities, to express themselves in a free and unhindered manor, inspiring others to follow suit. Pride festivals and parades have also given an opportunity for those
who are often marginalised in society to express themselves in an open and free manor. In Dublin thousands of people from all walks of life turned out for the LGBT+ Pride Parade this year, and showed support for their friends and families. Across the globe,
One can view artful floats promoting diversity of the local population, accompanied by free-spirited people enjoying themselves without any fear of being criticised for who they are.
the shedding of inhibitions and the exhibition of differences are celebrated and should be continually supported by all free-spirited people alike. It allows us to form integral relationships with those around us, and in an increasingly Internet-fuelled age, many people construct a façade to avoid showing their true selves. Through these types of inversion festivals, the mask is broken for one and all.
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Murder in the Heart : A True-Life Psychological Thriller Adesewa Awobadejo reviews a thriller that has stood the test of time. Thrillers are created to be a difficult experience, and non-fiction thrillers especially are a challenge to digest. The realisation that the various shock factors and the heightened suspense are caused by real life events is mind-boggling. Murder in the Heart is a harrowing tale of domestic violence. Written in 1993, the book is based on events starting from the 1950s to 1988 in Lancashire, England. As old as the book may be, it is an authentic thriller which I still find gripping. The investigator who narrates the book is engaging, but the perspective is relatable to the reader, meaning you can dive right in. While suffering from an epileptic fit, Tommy Thompson is shot by each of his daughters, June and Hilda. During their trial the hidden mental, physical, and sexual abuse begins to manifest. The book explores the extremely disordered and sadistic man, Tommy Thompson, while revealing the dark and shocking abuse he put his wife and daughters through all their lives, which ultimately led them to kill him.
Murder in the Heart touches on many interesting themes, with domestic violence being the most prominent. At times the reader can become enraged with judgement against Mrs Thompson for not attempting to protect not only herself, but also her young daughters from such grotesque abuse. However, you begin to sympathise with Mrs Thompson after discovering her first and only attempt to escape failed. The story succeeds in raising important questions on domestic abuse by investigating both perspectives: the victims and the perpetrators. The fact that the story is based on a true-life story made it easier to connect with the characters and almost envision real-life people; making it all the more harrowing. The author’s use of precise and descriptive language coupled with the reader’s imagination allowed us to envision everything in perfect clarity, which in some scenes, was highly unsettling. Throughout the book I found myself having to take breaks to simply close the book and take a deep breath; that’s how much suspense it featured!
The fact that the story is based on a true-life story made it easier for me to connect with the characters and almost envision real-life people. Personally, I’m not a fan of thrillers and I find non-fiction difficult to read. However, I wanted to challenge myself. I’m glad I chose Murder in the Heart. The story is extremely interesting and, for me, broke all my pre-existing mental barriers. If you’re someone who’s interested in thrillers, crime, or just books in general, I would definitely recommend it.
How ‘Bout a Dance? Samhbavi Sudhakar details the origins and evolution of dance into the art form we know today.
Illustration Credit: Priya Garg
Tomb paintings of ancient Egypt depict the employment of musical instruments and dancers to present mythological and cosmic events.
Dance as we know it today is one of the most celebrated of the performing arts. It has gained immense prominence in popular culture with the aesthetic value it adds to cinema and the widespread popularity of dance shows. However, its origin as a form of art is deeply rooted in ancient traditions. Early dance form played an important part in societal interactions. It served as a tool of facilitating effective conversation. Dance was often used as a medium of expression in the oral tradition of relaying folktales. Additionally, dance was instrumental in celebratory practices such as crop harvests and weddings, and other religious ceremonies. Tomb paintings
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of ancient Egypt depict the employment of musical instruments and dancers to present mythological and cosmic events. Similarly, in ancient Greece, jubilant celebrations in honour of the God of wine, Dionysus, involved dancing and drinking. The cultural dimension of dance is constant across various ancient civilizations. The tradition of dance in ancient Greece was instrumental in the birth of Greek theatre in the 6th century BC. The Indian treatise on dance and drama, the Natyasastra, suggests that dance was the quintessence of theatrical performance. A number of periodic changes influenced the emergence of dance as a performing art. This is particularly true
in the European context, whereby the Renaissance had a significant impact on the emergence of ballet amongst the upper classes. Soon, the Baroque style became widely prevalent in the English and French courts. Following the French Revolution, there was a cultural shift which enabled a diverse range of dance forms to gain momentum. A rebellion against classical forms of dance in the Modernist period gave rise to theatrical dance performances in the West. Throughout the 20th century, various socio-political upheavals served as the backdrops for the advent of a multitude of dance forms. To quote an example, the 1960s Rock n’ Roll style was
in opposition to the American government engaging in warfare. The creation of MTV and novel technology towards the end of the 20th century gave dance the platform to expand multidimensionally in the form of albums, theatrical shows, and cinematic performances. Hence, it is a highly consumer-driven, digital space that has allowed dance to hold the stance it has in popular media in contemporary times.
OTwo // Games
Game Changers: Games That Shook Up the Industry Katie Lalwani highlights just some of the games whose innovations changed the industry as we know it.
Picture Credit: Bango Games via Flickr
The aim was to make your way through a number of obstacle-filled test chambers. The bare, stripped-down level design, of blank white walls and basic graphical elements, proved successful. Paired with its clever humour, Portal is a game that remains timeless.
More often than not, games are predictable; offering the same old story and clichés with nothing new. Amongst these however are a handful of games which were so innovative, they shook up the industry entirely. These are the games that broke away from the masses, offering a unique twist on a classic, or changing it up all together. Behold some honourable mentions to the games which truly made their mark and stood out from all the rest. When Bioshock was introduced, it immediately captured the gaming world’s attention for all the right reasons. An early adopter of the moral choice, the game offered players the choice to murder and harvest children in exchange for power-ups, or to save the child. The
player would then end the game with the ‘good ending’ or the ‘bad ending’ based on their choices. Bioshock also expanded on the gaming narrative. It was one of the first games to introduce collectable audio recordings, offering background information and adding further context to the main story. However, it’s the game’s major plot twist that is renowned as one of the greatest moments in gaming history. Portal was a game that changed the first-person shooter completely, forgoing the genre’s usual combat and violence in favour of a stripped-down puzzle platformer. Using a ‘portal gun,’ players solve physics based puzzles, creating portals which allowed them to teleport.
An early adopter of the moral choice, the game offered players the choice to murder and harvest children in exchange for power-ups, or to save the child.
While probably not the first game to spring to mind when one thinks of innovation, Grand Theft Auto III has plenty reason to make this list. Comparing it with games today, it’s clunky graphics
and repetitive levels aren’t noteworthy. However, the game introduced the idea of an open world, a sandbox which players had the freedom to traverse and do as they pleased. Since then, open world games have become a genre in their own right. Recent releases continue to push the boundaries including, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This is a game that brought a whole new meaning to ‘open world.’ The game diverted from the traditional linear narrative and instead offered a truly open experience which players could undertake in whatever order they pleased. If they wanted to, players could take on the final boss at the very start with three lives and a tree branch. In an ever-growing number of games which guided players through every step of the way, Breath of the Wild emerged to break with this tired old trend. Many games offer a magic ‘vision’ device, famously seen in Assassin’s Creed and the latest Tomb Raider reboots which highlight any interactive area. Zelda offers players no such tool, allowing them to stumble upon hidden secrets and areas themselves. In a world full of similar games, it is the outliers, the games which break all the rules, that are ever-important, pushing the industry to grow and develop while delivering players the unexpected.
Review: Cuphead Review Author: Katie Lalwani Developer: Studio MDHR Publisher: Studio MDHR Platforms: XBOX One, PC (Reviewed) Release Date: September 29th 2017
It may be strange to think of how a game centred around adorable, animated cup characters could be compared to the likes of Dark Souls. Cuphead however is not as innocent and child-friendly as it first appears. An animated run-and-gun style game, Cuphead sees you tasked with collecting souls from the residents of Inkwell Isle after losing a bet to the Devil. In order to gain these soul contracts, you must defeat a series of bosses. These battles, which are the main feature of the game, involve being pit against a variety of strange, highly imaginative enemies. With formidable foes including a crying onion, two boxing frogs, and a giant blue
blob, each beautifully-animated boss offers their own unique set of quirks and challenges. The battles themselves vary between plane battles, platformers, or straight up shoot ‘em ups, keeping players on their toes. With Cuphead, there’s no easing you in. The game is brutally difficult from the get-go with the first levels already presenting a significant challenge. This only gets harder as the game progresses. At times the entire screen appears to be covered in obstacles making it feel
The beautifully crafted single cell animation layered on detailed watercolour backgrounds truly catches the eye.
almost impossible to avoid the onslaught of feathers, homing carrots, and fireballs coming your way. Adding to the difficulty is the limited health. There is no way to regain lives during a match, making every hit count. In order to succeed, near
perfection is needed. Ultimately, Cuphead is a game that forces you to make mistakes. Dying over and over again is the only way to see everything each boss will throw at you and learn how to best deal with it. Even then, the order in which obstacles appear is randomised making no two battles the same. While it may sound offputting, it is this uncompromising difficulty which is the game’s true appeal. The only hint of your progress appears after you’ve died where you see how far off you were from the end. Knowing you were just inches from defeating the boss, you’re spurred on to play again. The reward, the triumphant ‘Knockout’ is so satisfying that all of the stress and frustration before this moment becomes worth it. Along with the seamless gameplay, it’s the game’s stunning appearance which makes it stand out. The beautifully crafted single cell animation layered on detailed watercolour backgrounds truly catches the eye. The art style is reminiscent of an old Disney cartoon. With so many elements, it’s easy to get distracted during a battle. The animation is complemented with an upbeat big band, jazz soundtrack which will have you humming along. All of this seamlessly knits together to deliver a satisfying nostalgia kick. Oozing with charm, the challenge of Cuphead is by far one of the most surprising stand out games of the year.
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OTwo // Film & TV
MOVIE REVIEWS
Thor: Ragnarok Jake McPartland Director: Taika Waititi Writers: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo
Picture Credit: Wikimedia
Release Date: 24th October
In his first foray into massive blockbusters, New Zealand indie film director Taika Waititi delivers a comedically brilliant addition to the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. Waititi has garnered a cult following over the years with his smaller films such as the hilarious vampire mockumentary What We Do in The Shadows and his heart-filled 2016 release Hunt for The Wilder People. These two films show that he can hit comedy beats with ease, but how does the director fair with the high action expected in a Thor film? Any sort of misgivings about this transition can be put to rest. The action sequences in Thor: Ragnarok are nothing short of gripping. The special effects are spectacular (as is to be expected from Marvel) with the slight exception of the fighting pit scenes which can look like they are shot on a sound stage. Thankfully, though, this is easy to look past as the planet it’s set on, Sakaar, and its neon-punk vibes are so enveloping and engaging. The acting is great too. Jeff Goldblum’s turn as the immature and flamboyant Grand Master generates many laughs and his co-antagonist Hela (Cate Blanchett) manages to toe the line between chilling and humorous perfectly. Hemsworth and Hiddleston, returning to the roles of Thor and Loki, put in wonderful performances, as does Tessa
Thompson as Valkyrie. Waititi himself even jumps in front of the camera to play the hilarious rock monster/meek revolutionary Korg. All of these characters feel fully-fleshed out in the ample 130-minute runtime. We do love a good Easter Egg in comic book movies. With this in mind, be on the lookout for some great cameo appearances from other Marvel characters, big-name actors and ones who have worked with Waititi in the past. On the downside, the movie’s unpredictable and surprising approach seems to have been traded for a more formulaic Marvel movie in the third act. That being said, it doesn’t feel like too much of a re-tread and there are enough surprises in there to keep your attention. In A Nutshell: Where Thor: Ragnarok ranks among other Marvel movies is hard to say but it definitely gives Guardians of the Galaxy a run for its money in the cosmic comedy side of the Universe.
Review: Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami Review Author: Jack Knowles Word Count: 452Author: Jack Knowles Director: Sophie Fiennes Starring: Grace Jones, Jean-Paul Goude, Sly & Robbie
Picture Credit: Scannain
Release Date: 25th October
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Continuing a recent trend of films that focus on big music stars comes Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami directed by Sophie Fiennes. This documentary focuses on the life and music of a cultural, music, and fashion icon, the androgynous Grace Jones. Unlike recent music-film releases such as Amy or Whitney: Can I Be Me, this film combines live performances with reflections on Jones’ life and was made alongside the star. It celebrates her life and her success in a world that wasn’t set up for her to succeed. The documentary follows Jones on a trip back to her childhood home in Jamaica. Here we are told nostalgic stories by family and locals. The film is set around the time the singer was producing her 2008 album Hurricane. Throughout the documentary, the film cuts between stage performances from her Hurricane tour and Jones in Jamaica. This gives us the Jones persona on stage and the real Jones who each feeds into the other. Often the cutscenes reflect and contribute to one another perfectly. One significant example is when we have an insight into Grace’s parents’ family history and then in the next scene, we see Grace performing a personal song about the topic. The film revolves around events that occurred in 2008. The nine years it took to release the film reflect the difficulty
Fiennes had in securing financial backing for the project. However, this hasn’t hindered the film in any sense and it may even lend to it as the pacing is excellent and there is an even balance of show performances and Grace off stage. There is a visual appeal that stands out for the duration of the film. The quality of the tour performances is beautiful. What makes this so visually appealing is Jones herself. Her flamboyant costume style and her large array of eye-catching hats combined with the stage layout makes for a visual spectacle. Sophie Fiennes does a great job of giving us an intimate view into Jones’ world. Fiennes accomplishes this in many ways, one being the choice of music. Going into the film, I expected to hear classic Jones hits during the tour performances. Instead, we get performances of more personal songs that are truer to the singer as an individual rather than an icon. The documentary sets out to enter the world of Grace Jones and it succeeds in depicting the real human behind the persona. This documentary is well-made, especially considering the lack of belief that producers showed in it. It’s a must for any music-film fans and a special treat for fans of the global music icon. In a nutshell: An excellent exploration into the person behind the artist that is Grace Jones.
OTwo // Film & TV
Innovation in Horror: Coming at you from every direction
With horror films coming at us at a higher rate than ever, Emma Kiely takes us through the genre’s greatest innovations over the decades.
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960’s Psycho wasn’t just revolutionary in the horror genre, but for film in general. Fast-forward to 1975 when a 28-year-old director reformed the horror picture by accident. The production of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is known to be one of the most strenuous in film production history. The main reason being that the shark robot named ‘Bruce’ would barely function. Spielberg had no other choice but to barely show the shark. The director managed to absolutely terrorise the audience and not show the actual monster until an hour into the film. We began to realise that the less you see, the more scared you’ll be. The late 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of the slasher film. With John Carpenter’s Halloween and other classics such as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Horror film-makers began to realise that society was growing more modernised and so wanted to appeal to a younger demographic. Horror films began to show more sex and debaucheries and more importantly, they started to put females at the centre of the story. There’s no denying that women in horror flicks can be overly sexualised with many films featuring a big-breasted ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype who seems to never wear a bra. However, the horror genre was one of the first to depict a heroine who could outsmart all of the men of the story. We saw the birth of the ‘final girl’ and women finally got to be the hero of the story instead of just another well-groomed tough guy type. In the 1990s we saw two versions of horror reform, found-footage horror and
parody horror. The Blair Witch Project brings the audience into the hand-held camera of a group of college kids on the hunt for the ‘Blair Witch’ in the woods of Maryland. To take an old campfire ghost story and turn it into a documentary-style picture was revolutionary. It was followed by the hugely popular Paranormal Activity franchise and others such as Rec and Cloverfield.
Wes Craven’s 1996 Scream took the horror genre by surprise when he mocked it. Showcasing the evident ‘rules’ of the horror film, such as the virgin and homosexuals always being spared and how saying the words ‘I’ll be right back’ is basically stepping into your coffin. Craven was essentially laughing at the audience by ridiculing the horror film as they were watching one. He was tapping on the fourth wall but not actually breaking it. Now that we’re in the 21st century, horror films have been keeping up to date with the ever-changing society and
prime demographics. The 2014 picture Unfriended incorporates the monumental influence of social media on youth. The film is shown entirely through the screen of the MacBook of Blair, showing her and her friends as they are haunted online by the spirit of a classmate who killed herself after a drunken video of her was posted online.
Unfriended received mixed reviews but it is perhaps the most innovative horror film of the century to date. To terrorise the audience merely through Facebook messages, chilling internet mishaps and a six-way skype call is a cinematic achievement. It’s ‘new’ in every sense of the word and has a powerful subliminal message, the internet is just as scary as the horror category on Netflix and indeed real life itself. With the political upheaval that’s taking its toll on the world these days, it was only a matter of time before horror films would incorporate elements of
racism, sexism, and politics. The 2017 picture Get Out follows a black man thrown into the delusional and chilling world of white privilege. The film terrifies the audience in a less obvious and more unsettling way than the aforementioned pictures. Its thought-provoking storyline addresses the problems with racism that society is too afraid to discuss whilst making the audience bite its nails and laugh out loud almost simultaneously.
The late 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of the slasher film, with John Carpenter’s Halloween and other classics such as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The horror genre is always looked over when it comes to quality. Horror films rarely win Oscars or receive exceptional ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. However, they reflect the ever-changing and developing world. An innovative horror film grabs you by the throat and opens your eyes to the terrifying elements of life and reminds us that monsters are real, they just look more like Trump than Dracula.
Photo credit: Wikimedia
What makes a Horror film great? What makes it different? These questions have been asked since the birth of the horror film, but they haven’t become easier to answer. That’s because there are several ways in which a horror film can be different, new, and innovative. There are thousands of horrendous, cheap, and lazy horror films out there, but that’s what makes the truly exceptional ones the really stand out. Let’s take a look at a true classic. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960’s Psycho wasn’t just revolutionary in the horror genre, but for film in general. This saw the birth of the psychological horror film. It showed the audience that there could be a killer in your neighbour, your husband, or even yourself.
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OTwo // Film & TV
DisneyLife reaches Ireland!
Picture Credit: Themeparkadventure
Mallika Venkatramani discusses the launch of DisneyLife and recommends some classic Disney movies.
Greetings, Disney fans! As you might have heard, we received exciting news on October 11th, DisneyLife, Disney’s streaming service, has landed on Irish shores. Ireland is the second nation after the UK to receive this service. DisneyLife is Disney’s own service that allows you to not only stream over 400 Disney movies, but also watch live TV from Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior, sing along to Disney tracks, read books of the Disney tales, and so on. You can begin a seven-day free trial after which the cost is €6.99 per month. It can be downloaded from Google Play, the App Store, or the Amazon App store, or subscribed to from your laptop.
Before the launch of DisneyLife in the UK in 2015, Netflix was the main site from which people streamed Disney movies.
Before the launch of DisneyLife in the UK in 2015, Netflix was the main site from which people streamed Disney movies. As the UK market displayed
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strong interest in Disney productions, Disney decided to test DisneyLife there. It quickly became a success. While Disney films are still available on Netflix, Disney has recently announced that it will withdraw its films from there and rely on its own streaming service. Given the movie and video streaming nature of both, many often compare DisneyLife with Netflix. However, unlike the latter, DisneyLife allows customers to stream books and Disney soundtracks, which allows the Disney fan-base to enjoy a closer interaction with Disney movies. The service aims to attract families, and even allows family members to create Disney-character profiles upon subscription. The Walt Disney Company was founded by two brothers in 1923, with the Mickey Mouse cartoon series being their breakthrough. Subsequent years saw a growing audience and the premiere of the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937. It flourished in the following decades, producing endearing classics like Alice in Wonderland (1951), Robin Hood (1973) and The Lion King (1994). Disney movies and shows remain an integral part of the childhoods of today’s youth. Disney was the first company in the film and entertainment industry to achieve such success and fame such that it opened theme parks, but it certainly faces competition from various other entertainment companies today. Disney’s theme parks have become hugely popular and successful worldwide, does launching DisneyLife give
Disney the same edge over other entertainment companies? DisneyLife was a well thought out move on Disney’s part, as it allowed it to establish its own distinct platform for movie streaming, hence drawing increased attention and viewership, to its own productions. By providing its members with more than just movies and TV shows, DisneyLife aims to increase audience engagement, using features such as books helps meet this aim.
DisneyLife allows customers to stream books and Disney soundtracks, which allows the Disney fan-base to enjoy a closer interaction with Disney movies.
The service was well received in the UK, and has retained a good number of UK viewers. The next step in making DisneyLife global has been the expansion to Ireland. This availability means that Irish viewers can choose from a large collection of movies to stream. If anyone is unsure which film to watch, The Lion King, or Pocahontas are always
sure to entertain and inspire. The Lion King is a family favourite. Simba, a young cub of Mufasa, the king of a pride of lions, grows up to confront and oust his scheming uncle Scar. An important take-home message from this story is that our world is not a Utopia; one should have the courage to stand up for his or her own rights and must remember that good will ultimately triumph over evil. Pocahontas is a gem among the Disney Princess movies. We see how a young Native American woman, Pocahontas, the daughter of the tribe’s chief, meets and falls in love with John Smith, a young Englishman. This message is very relevant to the current day and age where we still see violence every day based on people’s differences, on a large and small scale.
The Lion King, or Pocahontas are always sure to entertain and inspire.
If you have not previously heard of or accessed DisneyLife, now is a great time to explore it. A feast of Disney awaits all, so hurry up, get some ice cream and a huge bowl of popcorn, and start streaming your favourite Disney movies.
OTwo // Film & TV
The history & Revival of 70mm Film Jack Knowles investigates cinema in 70mm film and its recent renaissance.
It was pure cinema Some of the greatest and most beloved films have been shot on 70mm. 2001: a Space Odyssey, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Sound of Music to name just a few. The 70mm adds an epic element to these films and makes them into a visual feast. With 70mm film, filmmakers can go bigger, utilizing the extra room in the frame. Without it, we wouldn’t have some of the most stunning long, drawn out, landscape shots from Lawrence of Arabia. 70mm also gives viewers incredibly crisp, highly detailed images that have brighter colours. This is why the ocean scene in The Master is so crisp and detailed and wouldn’t be the same if shot on anything else. Combining these two major advantages of the wider frame and more detailed imagery gives a rare cinematic spectacle. So, what exactly is 70mm film? It’s a film format used to shoot video or photography. Film, or celluloid film, is that rolled up cylinder of pictures you see in an old camera that’s usually referred to as a roll. It captures the image by being exposed to light. Before the digital age, all movies were shot on film cameras. The standard size of the film stock would be 35mm, representative of its width, so 70mm is double this. When filmmakers use this bigger size, the film is shot on 65mm with 5mm for magnetic strips of sound and then the size is blown up to 70mm for projection. The aspect ratio is also different with 70mm. The aspect ratio of an image is the relationship between width and height. Commonly expressed in two or three numbers. The TV standard is 16.9. The standard for cinema is 2.35:1 whereas 70mm is 2.20:1 which gives it a widescreen look. In 1928 Fox developed a 70mm format called Grandeur. Film theatres refused to install the necessary projectors as they were still equipping their theatres for sound. Fox had dropped Grandeur by the 1930s. Next, there was Cinerama in 1952. This was a system that employed three 35mm projectors simultaneously to project a film. This was projected onto a larger deep cut, curved screen. Producer Mike Todd saw faults with this, especially the need for three projectors. Todd teamed up with American
Optical Company and asked for a single projector. The first film that utilized the 70mm was Oklahoma!, and it was a hit. Later came Panavision with their Super Panavision 70 and Ultra Panavision 70 cameras. However, due to the high cost and expensive projecting system needed for 70mm, it never truly caught on and it declined in the 1970s. However, in recent years there has been a sort of revival of 70mm film. Films like the Master, the Hateful Eight by Quentin Tarantino and more recently Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and Dunkirk. These directors swear by 70mm and believe it is the best way to capture film. These directors have actually been in touch with each other to support the effort in keeping this format alive and how best to use it. Selected scenes in Star Wars: the Force Awakens were also shot in 70mm. The fact that 70mm Disney films and Dunkirk are such huge critical and box office successes may pave the way for more films of this format. Unfortunately, we’re only likely to see this in bigger productions as working with 70mm is more expensive. As well as costing more to use 70mm, the film stock itself is costly to transport and maintain. However, we have seen an increase in movies that weren’t shot on 70mm but are blown up to be shown in the format on the big screen.
These Directors swear by 70mm and feel its the best way to capture film. Sadly, Ireland only has one operational 70mm projector. Its home is at the IFI in Temple Bar. It recently screened Dunkirk in 70mm and many said it was the best cinematic experience of the year. It was also a massive success for the cinema. While 70mm may never come back fully it seems likely it will stay around for awhile. True film connoisseurs appreciate the mastery of 70mm films and all film-lovers enjoy the superior experience. It’s cinema in its truest form and an experience not to be missed.
Picture Credit: via Flickr, Wikimedia
I first encountered 70mm in the IFI (Irish Film Institute) for a special screening of Paul Thomas Anderson’s classic the Master. When I bought tickets for the film I noticed they said “In 70mm” on them but I thought nothing of it. Then I saw the film. I was amazed. Not just by the film (you should definitely watch it), but by how beautiful it looked. This was due to many elements, but what the key ingredient for me was that it had been shot on 70mm film. Most memorable for me is a shot of the sea in the film and how it looked stunning. The shot had a highly detailed deep blue with the almost noisy static look that gives off vibrations and makes the film seems alive. It was pure cinema.
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OTwo // Interview
An interview with Claire Hennessy
Claudia Dalby sat down with author Claire Hennessy, before her event with LitSoc, to talk writing, political issues, and creativity.
Take any creative person, and they will probably have more than a few creative projects going on at any one time, and probably too many to be able to manage their time accordingly. However, they are probably putting all they have into each and every project. Claire Hennessy fits this description perfectly. She admits to falling behind when it comes to time management, but her creative output is immense. You would almost think she was restless, if it were not for the quality of each aspect of her (many) jobs and her dedication to them. “Sign of not having a life isn’t it,” she laughs.
Hennessy’s books are often very topical, and in recent years have dealt with issues such as eating disorders, abortion, sexuality, gender and difficult relationships. For Hennessy, life has always been this way. When she was 14, she published her first book. This clearly, is no mean feat, not only being focused enough to dedicate yourself to something at that age, but also to be successful at it. She went on to continuously publish books throughout her teens and twenties. Now, in her thirties, she is involved in multiple creative endeavours, from editing for publishing giant Penguin, to co-running her own literary publication Banshee, to facilitating creative writing workshops, where she shares her knowledge from a 20-year career in writing.
I don’t see fiction as being an effective vehicle for change, in fact, it is a terrible way of getting a coherent political message out there. The first book she published, Dear Diary, was inspired by some of the stories she’d been writing since she was eight or nine; however, it was her first novel. “Well, unless you want to count the long awful stories that are sitting gathering dust in my parents’ house somewhere.” She laughs, but then reminisces on a time of writing before being published. “There is a freedom that comes with it, where you’re not worried about what anyone thinks of it, because you have no audience!” Once readers come into the picture, it’s easy to worry, “but the second you start worrying about what people say about your books you just freeze up.” Her tactic for combatting this is to keep the audience completely out of her mind’s eye. “I realised after a few goes that it was never going to be successful unless I forgot about it. You just have to put your head down and write.” Nevertheless, for the genre she writes, Young Adult (YA) fiction, it can be challenging to keep the vultures flying ahead out of your sights. Many concerned parents who are dedicated to constantly berating the books that their vulnerable children are reading manage to get popular YA authors like Rainbow Rowell, John Green, and David Leviathan banned because of the ‘dangerous’ content of their stories. These authors are showing teenage life as it truly is, and not attempting to hide the complexities and difficulties involved in being a teenager (or anyone) in modern society. Many parents and teachers view it as premature exposure to topics that may be inappropriate for young people, or that they may not understand fully. Hennessy, however, sees over-controlling content to be disrespectful towards young people. “This kind of attention comes from the left and right sides of the political spectrum, too. Parents who don’t want their children exposed to sex, drugs and alcohol (god forbid) but also, those who don’t want them to be exposed to triggering or difficult topics like suicide, mental health or abuse. These adults however, in all their concern, aren’t respectful of teenage issues.” This is not to say young adult novels are not highly impactful, or that authors have no responsibility
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towards their audience. As an author it is important to remember that you are not in logo parentus. Teenagers are, to state the obvious, people too. They can critically engage with work, and they can handle heavy and difficult topics. “It’s important not to censor your work, and not to say that you can’t make it clear that topics may upset people.” She talks of a distinction that isn’t often made. “There is no way of controlling the way your audience might react to something. You can indicate what might be upsetting, but you can’t control what someone might be triggered by, as it could be anything.” Nevertheless, it becomes clearer every day that under the current political climate, it is more important than ever to hear stories that are not often told. Hennessy’s books are often very topical, and in recent years have dealt with issues such as eating disorders, abortion, sexuality, gender, and difficult relationships. Hennessy’s most recent novel, Like Other Girls, sees a girl facing the harrowing experience of an unwanted pregnancy under the eighth amendment. She is joined by other Irish authors, such as Louise O’Neill, in being unafraid to discuss serious issues affecting women and framing the novel in this way. Hennessy talks about where she thought literature fit into political discourse, “I don’t see fiction as being an effective vehicle for change, in fact, it is a terrible way of getting a coherent political message out there. Fiction is slow, and if you can sum up the contents of a book in one line its probably not a very nuanced book.”
It can be really interesting, as a writer, to see the difference between those who get published to those who really, really don’t. One thing books can do to enact change is produce a personal story. “We saw this during the marriage referendum. People heard personal stories from people who were actually affected by the law, and it changed their political views.” Perhaps when people read Hennessy’s book, from the perspective of a young girl having to suffer under a restrictive law that turned her life upside down, they may be inclined to empathise. However, when it comes to enacting real political change, “there are much more effective ways to do it. Canvass, talk to people, change their minds.” Like Other Girls also looks at sexuality and gender, the protagonist is learning to understand her bisexuality, and one of her best friends comes out as transgender during the novel. Hennessy likes writing first person narratives, where you can show multiple perspectives; where the reader can see everyone’s context and where they are coming from. Friendships and relationships can be complex, especially during the coming of age years. Someone reading out of context might see the interactions as problematic, but it is really just teens dealing with things how teens do. Hennessy trusts her readers to understand the emotions and perspectives of a character. “People are messy and relationships are even messier. Lauren and her friends don’t always say the right things to each other. No character has the answer. They’re talking about issues like real people do.”
The literary journal Banshee, which she works on with two other editors and writers, Laura Cassidy and Eimear Ryan, is her most rewarding venture. Not only does Hennessy write about young people, but she also spends a great deal of time facilitating creative writing workshops, where she is able to encourage young (and older) budding writers to put time and effort into their creative work. She runs evening classes, and also goes around to schools to run one-off workshops. This can often be difficult. When in school, it isn’t necessarily cool to have a solitary hobby that sounds a lot like schoolwork, and it can be hard to show some students the magic that writing can offer. No one knows this more than Hennessy, who avoided telling her friends about her book until days before it was published. Now, she gets to show kids that it is cool to write: “look at me, I’m ‘hip’ and ‘down’ with the kids, right?,” she laughs. Other endeavours of hers include working in Penguin, which, has shown her the wider world of
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writing. “It can be really interesting, as a writer, to see the difference between those who get published to those who really, really don’t.” Of course, she has to read heaps of manuscripts, and say no to the majority. “At the start it was heartbreaking to have to reject people but at the end of it, you just have to have a hard heart. Sometimes we get emails off people saying they want to be a writer, but they’ve barely written anything. I mean, you wouldn’t pick up a guitar and ask a band to hire you, and teach you guitar!” Especially in such a competitive industry as publishing, where it is extremely rare for people to live exclusively off the money made from their books, “you just have to select the best material and run with that.” Hennessy can sympathise with those who are struggling to make it in the industry. A lot of the time, your confidence can be affected by your creative output. “To be honest, insecurity rarely goes away. You are only ever as good as your last book, sometimes and of course, there are always people ready to tell you that you’re crap.” However, she attempts to make the creative world a bit less of an intimidating place. The literary journal Banshee, which she works on with two other editors and writers, Laura Cassidy and Eimear Ryan, is her most rewarding venture. It is an opportunity to see small writers who have never been published
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There is no way of controlling the way your audience might react to something. You can indicate what might be upsetting, but you can’t control what someone might be triggered by, as it could be anything.
progress and to help them out with their career. The publication started because of a discussion the three women had about the problems they noticed in the publishing industry. “Writers are always the last to get paid, which was a huge issue for us. Most publications rely on writers for their content, so why are they paying the printers more than the writers themselves?” The excuse of ‘exposure’ is a well-known cop out for not paying writers. “If you can’t afford your writers you should question why you have a publication at all.” Exposure, after all, does not pay rent. They say they are for “readers first and writers second. First and foremost, we want to show cool new work that we want to show the world, we want readers to enjoy.” Like Other Girls is Claire Hennessy’s latest novel, out now. You can find her spending far too much time drinking tea and tweeting at @hennessybooks.
OTwo // Music
Mind, Body and Soulé Soulé chats to Shane Cullen about her Choice Music Prize nomination, touring, and choosing the right EP. A lot can happen in a year, especially when it comes to the music world. This has certainly been the case for Dublinbased R&B/electro artist, Soulé. Having celebrated one year since the release of her debut single in late August, Soulé reflects on the past 12 months: “It’s been cool, quite a journey, and to say a year… that’s a big, big deal for me!” She gushes, “The support I have received from the Irish music industry, Irish bloggers, and Irish radio shows has been amazing.” With over one million streams of her single ‘Troublemaker’ on Spotify alone, Soulé is talking and we’re listening.
This is my first London show, I’m excited for it Not many artists can say that their first ever studio recording managed to be nominated for an Irish Song of the Year Award. Her debut single ‘Love No More,’ a heartfelt ballad with electro-dance production, saw Soulé accomplish this feat, and she made the
2016 RTÉ Choice Music Prize shortlist, alongside a line-up of well-established artists. “I was shocked!,” Soulé recalls, “[some of the other] artists that were nominated were Niall Horan, James Vincent McMorrow, Hare Squead, and Saint Sister. They’re amazing and so talented and to be amongst them was an honour.” Being a nominee alongside acts signed to music label giants such as Sony and Universal was far from intimidating for Soulé; instead it was welcomed as a confidence boost to continue making music. The conversation turns to the process behind that debut track. On paper, ‘Love No More’ comes across as an emotional ballad, with lyrics such as “You’re living happy while I cry myself to sleep” in the chorus. Listening to the track is a surprise as it presents a perfectly executed combination of drum and bass and electro beats, that transports the listener back to Marina and the Diamonds’ ‘Lonely Hearts Club,’ from the Electra Heart era. Soulé reveals that ‘Love No More’ was written on her keyboard at home and that she hadn’t originally intended
it to be an electro fusion dance track: “When I went to record it in the studio, my producer was like ‘let’s try something really dope, have the lyrics super emotional and sad but the track could be something to dance to’ and that’s how it came about.” ‘Love No More’ was a bold debut, but one year on, it has stood the test of time. To go from support act to headliner in one year is an achievement in itself. Soulé bagged one of her first ever gigs in September last year when she played support for R&B/hip-hop trio Hare Squead at the Button Factory. “I remember the lads reaching out to me about opening and I was like ‘whoa, this is so dope!’ Hare Squead are such talented guys and the fact that they wanted me to open for them!” she shares. She’s hopeful for her career to follow in the successful trio’s footsteps. This month Soulé embarks on her own “mini tour,” titled the Cloud 23 Tour, where she headlines the Button Factory along with dates in Cork, Drogheda, and London. Opportunity beckons: “This is my first London show, I’m excited for it. It’s gonna be my first time playing there,” Soulé says happily. The Cloud 23 Tour follows the success of playing at Electric Picnic, where she performed on all three days. Today artists are under great pressure as they face a constant demand for new music, prompted by streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms. Despite this, Soulé is content with taking things slowly before jumping into EP or album territory. She is happy just to release singles for now: “I feel like releasing an EP, an album, or a mixtape
is a project. I need some time away to write the right songs and pick the right songs to go into the EP, and make it a good package for those who support my music”.
I need some time away to write the right songs and pick the right songs…
On 20 October, the video was released for her latest single ‘What Do You Know,’ which is a sequel to ‘Troublemaker.’ She discusses the meaning behind the new track: “It’s a message of ‘what do you know about me? I don’t need you, I’m enjoying my life, partying with my friends and having a good time.’” The aim for the ‘What Do You Know’ video was to promote female confidence, reminiscent of Soulé’s musical influences, the Spice Girls, TLC and Janet Jackson. These musicians are her inspirations: “I definitely aspire to be like the artists that I grew up listening to.” With the likes of Soulé, Hare Squead, and Rusangano Family gaining recognition, Irish hip-hop and R&B has never looked so promising. Soulé headlines the Button Factory on 15 November.
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OTwo // Music
Gig Guide
Modern Classics: Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
BY JAKE MCPARTLAND
COM TRUISE 4 NOVEMBER – BUTTON FACTORY
Photo Credit: Joe Lencioni via Wikimedia
If you’re a fan of expansive electronic music and silly stage names then you’ll love Com Truise’s set at Button Factory this week. Real name Seth Haley, he has been on the circuit for the best part of a decade now, and has been steadily releasing electro banger after banger over that time. With doors open at 11pm, this is guaranteed to be a great late night synthwave experience. Tickets from €15. PADDY HANNA 18 NOVEMBER – BELLOBAR Dublin-based songwriter Paddy Hanna is playing the second show of his nationwide tour in this Portobello music venue. Hanna utilises an effective mix between rock and poppy, joyful music. Coupled with a unique and versatile voice, this makes him a real pleasure to listen to. He has made a name for himself on SoundCloud, with tracks such as ‘Austria’ and ‘Underprotected.’ He is certainly on the up and up, and in the future, you will be able to boast to your friends about seeing him live before he was famous. With that in mind, €13 for the ticket is a steal to indulge your inner hipster. MORGAN JAMES 19 NOVEMBER – THE SUGAR CLUB Jazzy soul songstress Morgan James is bringing her Reckless Abandon Tour to Dublin this month, and will take the stage at the Sugar Club. James’ name has been made on Broadway with starring roles in The Addams Family and in Motown: The Musical under her belt. She is also well known for her popular covers on YouTube. Her band’s chilled atmosphere and her magnificently trained voice are especially notable. You can get yourself a ticket for €25. PUMAROSA 24 NOVEMBER – WORKMANS CLUB If you recognise their name it’s probably because it has been on numerous ‘Bands to Watch’ lists over the past few years, and with good reason too. These Londoners deliver a satisfyingly enveloping electro-rock sound that harkens back to bands like Joy Division and the Jesus and Mary Chain, while still remaining new and exciting. The tour comes after the release of Pumarosa’s first full-length studio album The Witch. If you haven’t done so yet, you should definitely treat yourself to a listen of this record. Even better, these tickets are great value at €16.
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Carrie & Lowell, the seventh studio album of Sufjan Stevens, takes us on a unique, intimate, and personal journey of significant life experience. Grief is a catalogued experience on this album which is a fluctuating recount of tragedy and sentimental loss. ‘Death With Dignity’ recounts the sharp yet simple moment of the strike of grief. The closing track ‘Blue Bucket of Gold’ laments loss sombrely. It was critically heralded upon its release in March 2015 and has remained strong since. However, that alone is not why it deserves the title of Modern Classic.
This sentimental record could be considered a “concept” album, in the story it tells of Stevens’ life growing up with his mother and step-father.
This sentimental record could be considered a “concept” album, in the story it tells of Stevens’ life growing up with his mother and step-father. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be further removed from the bombastic, indulgent albums of the 70s that the term usually applies to. The sparseness of instrumentation brings focus to the lyrical content of the album, one of its undoubted strengths. Stevens manages to present the tragedy of his own personal upbringing in a way that is accessible to anyone. The sad and stark emotional songs like ‘Fourth of July’ and ‘Drawn to the Blood’ are utterly raw and palpable. The musical polymath who writes each song and often performs almost every instrument on his records, is surely deserving of hall of fame recognition. No song could be singled out as weak. This is an album that grips the heart of the listener. The emotional exposure is addictive; one cannot help but return to it again and again. It is honest and direct, its lack of pretence elevating the stories held within each song. The song writing is performed with a calm, light vocal touch. The emotional weight is evident in the lyrics themselves: “There’s only a shadow of me, in a manner of speaking I’m dead”, and “f**k me I’m falling apart.” Only Stevens could make this dead-end despondence sound beautiful.
Classic’ is, of course a subjective term, but when looking at other albums that have been released since the start of this decade, Carrie & Lowell rises well above most. ‘Classic’ is, of course a subjective term, but when looking at other albums that have been released since the start of this decade, Carrie & Lowell rises well above most. That an album can outlive any initial hype puts it on track to classic status. In time we will surely see this album sit alongside other works that have been considered classic for years, and deservedly so.
OTwo // Music
Radar: Tebi Rex Maynooth’s finest Tebi Rex chat to Cian Montague. doing music full-time: Dafe is studying, and Matt sells software. Do they see themselves taking the plunge in the future? “I think if music made itself a viable career choice, there’s no way I could be on my death bed, look back and say I didn’t give my passion a try,” Matt says. Dafe, who finishes up in college next summer, is emphatic: “Matt doesn’t get a say, Harry doesn’t get a say, everyone’s doing this full-time come September!” Harry gets to the heart of the matter: “If the money’s there we’ll do it!” In the meantime, what can we
When I call Tebi Rex on a Saturday evening, they are relaxing in their hotel before a show in Galway. They’re in good form, busy enjoying the perks of the performing life: “We actually got a rider!” Dafe laughs, “we’re people who get riders now.” What goodies did they get? Skittles and rum, they tell me. Clearly, these guys are rockstars.
Part of Tebi Rex’s appeal is their stylishly shot and often funny music videos. Tebi Rex are a two-piece alternative rap outfit based in Maynooth, consisting of Matt O’Baoill (23) and Dafe Orugbo (20), who performs as Max Zanga. For live performances they are joined by DJ R3D (Harry Onuke).
expect from Tebi Rex? “New shows, new EP, all that kind of stuff,” says Matt. “Probably around February,” explains Dafe. “We also have our own first ever headline show. That will also be end of February, early March.” It’s only later that, as an afterthought, I message Matt about the meaning of their band name. “We wish we could tell you, but we haven’t told anyone. We’ve tried to leave subtle clues… and whoever figures it out gets… a prize or something.” Better get guessing, then.
Pinning down their sound is not easy. As Dafe describes it: “We can be quite poppy one minute, bit of a club banger, bit of a cheeky bop. And then it’s ‘oh, this is a heavy song about heavy stuff.’” As they point out, they have written a lot of songs about girls, but themes in their work also include the negative effects of partying, toxic masculinity, and suicide. Nevertheless, they are keen to keep it light: “We’re also really nice and clever and funny,” Matt quips. Part of Tebi Rex’s appeal is their stylishly shot and often funny music videos. The clip for ‘She Hated Love Songs II,’ for example, drags romantic clichés and memorably features Matt showing a ‘Bag of Cans?’ sign to Taylor Swift through the window. Dafe, a self-described “film buff ” who is currently working on a Master’s in Creative Media, is in charge here. “Every song I’ve ever written, I’ve had a video in mind for that song,” he says, “I feel like, the videos are integral to the music. I don’t mind it being serious or jokey, but I feel like the music video needs to add something to the song.” At the moment, neither of them are
Gone Soft
Aidan Crilly explores an exciting Dublin label. Despite gaining some traction over recent years, for the most part Irish hiphop remains a relatively underground genre. Soft Boy Records is one of the leading Dublin-based independent labels providing a platform to elevate local hip-hop artists, as well as hosting its own events and radio shows. The label was founded in 2015 by Kean Kavanagh and Kevin Smith (Kojaque). The two first met while working in the Gaeltacht in Galway, and their mutual love for hip-hop, soul, and jazz resulted in a strong friendship and musical partnership. Since then Soft Boy has grown in size and reputation, now hosting a sonically eclectic roster of acts including Gaptoof, Henry Earnest, Matt Finnegan, Peter Brien, Five to Two, as well as the two founders. Kojaque has emerged as Soft Boy’s most prominent artist. One of the label’s early successes came in 2015 with
the striking music video for ‘Midnight Flower,’ which features Kojaque rapping the song with his head submerged in a tank of water. Kojaque claims that this was inspired by watching a tadpole drown in air, while being held over a mug of water, “I wanted to know what that would feel like to be a tadpole sized human held over a mug of air,” he told District Magazine. ‘Midnight Flower’ quickly went viral, and was featured on websites like Vice and joe.ie. Kojaque’s festival performances, particularly at Electric Picnic, have gathered him, and Soft Boy, further recognition. In 2016, he was described by the Irish Times as “pure fire,” and the same paper awarded him four stars for this year’s set. In September, the Rubberbandits announced that “talented bastard Kojaque” would be supporting them for their Vicar Street show. The influential Nialler9 has shown
plenty of support for Soft Boy, having featured Kojaque’s ‘Wificode,’ producer Henry Earnest’s ‘Good Day,’ and the label’s compilation tape, Soft World, on his website. Recent releases from the label include ‘Latinvader’ from jazz outfit Five to Two, and ‘Can I Lie With U’ from Belfast producer Peter Brien. The first release from his Tandem EP will be dropping in December. Soft Boy works tirelessly to promote home-grown hip hop, collaborating with District Magazine and the RnB Club to host events. Recently these have included ‘Soft Sundaes’ in the Bernard Shaw, and a sold-out night at Yamamori Tengu on 20th October. With Irish hip-hop becoming increasingly popular, there is certainly a lot of room for this independent record label to grow. With more events and more music coming, the Soft Boys are a crowd to which we should pay close attention.
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ALBUM REVIEWS Photo Credit: Henry Laurish; Moses, Rene Passet
OTwo // Music
King Krule
St. Vincent
Jessie Ware
Reviewed by Matthew Derwin Arriving two years after the Londoner’s last release, The OOZ is a sprawling, sludgy trip into King Krule’s psyche. Mixing the electronic sentiments of his second album A New Place 2 Drown with the guitar-focused rock of his debut 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, the result is a project that is difficult to place into any one genre. ‘The Locomotive’ feels bleak and oppressive, as Marshall’s self-pitying moans,“I wish I was people,” are melded with a grim, crescendo-ing riff. The raw energy of ‘Vidual’ is a direct contrast, with its jumpy, surf rock-inspired guitar line. Marshall’s heavy post-punk and alternative influences come to the forefront on this record. They can be heard on tracks like ‘Dum Surfer’ and ‘Emergency Blimp.’ Both are deliciously grungy, and provide a counter to the calmer tracks that precede them. Interludes add to the surreal atmosphere cultivated by the album. ‘Bermondsey Bosom’ is split into two pieces titled ‘(Left)’ and ‘(Right),’ comprising the same eerie spoken word evocation of filth, bloodsuckers, and parasites, delivered in Spanish and English respectively. Despite the daunting 19-song tracklist, nothing in The OOZ feels like filler. If anything, with its seamless transitions and consistent themes, it plays like a singular, hour-long piece. The grimy urban imagery, combined with glimpses into Marshall’s troubled mind, creates an album that feels both impersonal and intimate at the same time.
Reviewed by Dylan Delaney Alt-queen St. Vincent returns with her first album since her Grammy-winning self-titled release in 2014. An album of scratchy synths, pop hooks, roaring guitar, and mellow self-examination, MASSEDUCTION brings the wry humour Annie Clark is known for, but tempers it with some deeply personal songs. Clark’s ability to combine complex themes and infectious pop rhythms is on full display here. The track ‘Pills’ is an examination of our medicated society and Clark’s own struggles with mental health. It is wrapped in a comfortable nursery rhyme aesthetic, preventing it from becoming overbearing. Tales of losing friends to addiction, suicidal thoughts, and lost love, on tracks such as ‘Young Lover’ and ‘New York,’ give the album its emotional punch. This is mixed in with narcissistic LA mothers and ironically sexualised Christian imagery in the turbulent yet upbeat tracks, ‘Los Ageless’ and ‘Masseduction.’ This provides some respite from the album’s darkest moments. Where the combination of furious pop synths, blustery guitar, and detached lyricism forms a cohesive whole, MASSEDUCTION is at its best. However, in moments where the detachment and layers of removal give way to raw personal emotion, the album shines in an entirely different manner. An example here is closer ‘Smoking Section,’ a heartfelt track about contemplating suicide. Tellingly, the song and album, finish on a cautiously positive note here. “What could be better than love, than love, than love?,” Clark sings, before finally: “It’s not the end.”
Reviewed by Aoife Mawn Jessie Ware’s hauntingly beautiful voice takes centre stage for her third studio album. Glasshouse is a broad mesh of emotions and life experiences, yet the sound of each song blends seamlessly into the next. This creates an album that is easily listened to, but also captivating enough to grip the listener until its very end. Ware has garnered some criticism in the past for taking the safe route instead of risks that could pay off spectacularly, and for failing to utilise her soulful voice to its full potential. With this latest effort, Ware silences those critics. She has kept her signature style, but this album is a step up. It is more mature, both in sound and subject matter. Ware’s daughter was born in 2016, and she is mentioned, along with Ware’s husband, on the album’s final song, ‘Sam,’ named after the latter. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, this track describes Ware’s feelings of both delight and anxiety about finally settling down and starting a family. This contrasts with other songs such as ‘Slow Me Down,’ which documents a relationship full of failings, but in which she allows herself to get swept up anyway. It would be easy to call Glasshouse a transition between Ware’s youth and her life as a mother. However, it’s more of seamless marriage, respecting and intertwining both aspects of her life. This balance yields excellent results.
MASSEDUCTION
The OOZ
In a Nutshell: The OOZ is something truly unique, matching, if not surpassing, the standard of King Krule’s previous work.
In a nutshell: Fiercely individual, stylish and catchy, MASSEDUCTION examines complex themes without ever losing itself within them.
What are you listening to? Medical Society Eoin Downes (Academic Officer) - Erode by Tender Talia Bin Yussif (Treasurer) - I Fall Apart by Post Malone Sarah Egan (Res Year Rep)- Halo by Beyoncé Ben Scott (GEM2 Rep) - One Less Lonely Girl by Justin Bieber Sorcha Lynch (PRO) - Pulaski at Night by Andrew Bird
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Glasshouse
In a nutshell: Glasshouse’s grace, heartfelt lyrics and style define this offering as Ware’s best yet.
OTwo // Food
Restaurant Revie: The Ugly Duckling The Ugly Duckling; Rory Clarke discovers it’s not so ugly after all.
These sandwiches are guaranteed to fill any customer’s stomach. These sandwiches are guaranteed
to fill any customer’s stomach, the food is gloriously indulgent. The Pittsburgh sandwich is a steaming, barbeque-sauce laden shrine to pulled pork. Plonked elegantly on crispy garlic bread, with lettuce, herb-roasted tomatoes, shoestring chips and colourful coleslaw. Make sure to request the steak knife, if not given. It will save your arm much sawing and your clothes many flying spots of sauce. This sandwich is not for the faint of heart and will require some serious skills to eat. Rest assured the taste will be well
worth the pain in your jaw that may linger after eating. The pulled pork is moist and almost melts in your mouth. Truly it was a mind-blowing experience. The rest of the menu is equally attractive. The ‘Brisket’ is served with the finest beef, topped with strands of candyfloss-esque fried onions and smothered in gravy. In the past its spectacular presentation has caught the eyes of many patrons and has surely been a factor in the popularity of the sandwich. The ‘Po-Boy,’ a deep-fried prawn sandwich is a staple amongst regulars, however it was not my favourite. Vegetarian options are scarce with only one veggie main which consists of deepfried pickles and cheese. It is, perhaps understandably, not very popular. Arrive around 7.30pm to get the best ambiance and atmosphere. The bar won’t be too crowded and you should be able to secure a nice booth before the pub dwellers arrive. Operating out of a pub also offers a selection of traditional and craft beers to pair with your monstrous sandwich. The Ugly Duckling is a pleasure to visit time and time again. The menu is great and will give you many opportunities to taste all the delicious sandwiches that The Ugly Duckling has to offer. Although your waistband may not thank you for regular visits, your taste buds certainly will.
Photo Credit: RoryClarke
Dublin’s foodie scene has bore witness to a growth in the number of over-thetop sandwich shops, where full meals are served between slices of bread. Derek Marsden and Darragh Nugent have become masters in this growing area. Marsden and Nugent have reopened their sandwich business The Ugly Duckling in The Hill pub in Ranelagh. The business is most known for serving mammoth sized and truly delicious sandwiches.
Coffee Culture: Wake Up Dublin and Smell the Coffee Aurora Andrus interviews Alan Andrews of Coffee Culture.
Use discount code UCDBARISTA to get 20% off any course or gift voucher. Valid until end May 2018
Alan Andrews started his coffee business, Coffee Culture, back in May of 2009. Coffee Culture is a coffee company that sells their coffee to cafés and provides training for those companies in their barista school to ensure quality and standard across the board. Andrews had previously owned multiple cafés with his then wife, which prompted his initial interest in the coffee business. “I just really loved the café industry,” he says, “it was all daytime hours. I could spend time with my kids.” After separating from his wife in 2009, Andrews had to surrender his interest in the cafés and find a new adventure. By this point, Andrews had grown a passion for coffee and wanted to start a new business. “I decided here is what I like, I love coffee shops, I love coffee and I love education and learning and I’m gonna create a career around that.” After training in Washington at Counter Culture Coffee to learn about the coffee industry, he started his business. “That’s where coffee culture as a business came from. I need to do something in coffee, I wanna buy coffee and sell coffee, I wanted to learn. I went to Counter Culture in Washington to learn and I thought, ‘why don’t we have anything like this in Dublin?’” said Andrews. Since opening in 2009, Andrews has increased the business
exponentially. Over the years he has secured contracts with coffee farms in Guatemala, Honduras, and Indonesia. This year he added Ethiopia, which is in a co-op with the Irish department of foreign affairs and he says it’s “a great thing to be involved with.” He has gone to each location to ensure quality and holistic approaches and says that he is on a first name basis with his suppliers which creates a solid relationship between him and them. Their barista school has received praise for its outstanding quality. While it is more expensive than other schools, such as Dublin Barista School, it offers a more in-depth learning program and smaller classes to ensure the students get the time and training needed. “Our solutions and training approaches are always industry-led to deliver training to make better baristas,” he says. The business works hard to create a program that is top quality.“We work on delivering brand standard, not teaching one person to be good, we work on a consistency across a spectrum of baristas.” The company is continuing to grow with the new addition of a roasting facility that is in the process of being purchased. For those that are interested in barista training, Coffee Culture is the place to go.
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OTwo // Fashion
Season It Up
Wrap up warm this Autumn with these vintage and contemporary pieces.
Clothing kindly sponsored by Om Diva boutique, 27 Drury St, Dublin 2 Photographer: Alex Fagan Stylist: Shane Cullen Models: Kate Lally (left) and Jennie Carr (right)
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OTwo // Fashion
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OTwo // Fashion
Levis 50: A Wearable Wardrobe Wonder As Levi celebrates its 50th birthday of the Trucker jacket, Brianna Walsh analyses the secret to its longevity.
The jacket celebrates half a century this year and the wardrobe favourite is looking better than ever.
The Levi’s Type III Trucker jacket was designed by Jack Lucier as a companion to the “505-zipper fly” jean in the 1960s. The original 1880s denim coat was reworked into a now famous, lasting design.
Photo Credit: Archzine
We all know it and we all love it, want it, need it. It’s the first thing you would spot in your Mother’s old polaroids from the 80s and search fruitlessly for in her wardrobe so you can flaunt to get the authentic vintage version. Despite the emergence and exit of on-trend Winter coats every year, there’s one staple that is guaranteed to be spotted on runways season after season, and that is the Levi’s Trucker. The jacket celebrates half a century this year and the wardrobe favourite is looking better than ever. What makes this piece transcend the barriers of time and remain just as iconic today as it did back in 1967?
Pleats and copper rivets were replaced with the modern double V seams that symmetrically align the otherwise boxy shape. To this day, the brand’s historian Tracey Panek cites this development as one of the major factors in ensuring the Trucker’s longevity. The resulting design was flattering on almost everybody, with Panek reasoning that the jacket is so popular due to how slimming it is. To quote Bert Lance, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Levi took this stance when developing the Trucker and despite some
minor changes, the basic design of the Type III jacket has remained constant since its inception. The jacket you buy today is essentially the same as that purchased in 1967, with some little developments to make the piece more versatile and wearable. The launch of the jacket in several styles for example, from corduroy to leather to the sell-out Sherpa-lined Trucker, just means the item consistently offers something for everyone. While it looks great on the masses, there’s something more to the Trucker,
something harder to pin down that makes it such a classic. Dubbed by some as simply “an innate coolness,” the American “rebel without a cause” vibes have been notably attached to the jacket’s aesthetic. Levi say that it has been famous style maker’s eagerness to embrace the affordable piece that has given it its own star power over the decades. Dress it up or dress it down, this jacket is here to stay. Happy 50th birthday to the Trucker. Age really is just a number when it comes to the classics.
La La Land of Vuitton Clara Brannigan discusses how Louis Vuitton and Emma Stone is this year’s biggest fashion collaboration. cold-shoulder silk gown that featured two thigh-high slits with a pair of silver strappy sandals. Just hours after her debut on the red carpet, Louis Vuitton were delighted to announce that she would become ambassador of the house. Creative director of the luxury brand Nicolas Ghesquière, confirmed the announcement on Instagram after the premiere. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) had been pursuing Stone for over a year now, and after some reluc-
Emma Stone has signed a $10 million deal that makes her the face of the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton. She is known as an actor who has both prestige and a girl-next-door relatability, and has previously worked with brands like Revlon and Calvin Klein. The star has reached a new peak in her career,
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winning her first Oscar for her role in ‘La La Land,’ a musical romantic comedy directed by Damien Chazelle. Stone looked ethereal at the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ premiere, wearing a dress from Louis Vuitton’s new spring 2018 ‘ready to wear’ collection. The actor shone in the architectural embellished
Excitement is building over the clothes Stone will showcase on the red carpet over the next two years.
tance she agreed to be the face of the brand for the next two years. This will be Stone’s first major position as ambassador in a high-end brand like Louis Vuitton. The deal will
see her wearing Louis Vuitton at all major events and she will feature in various commercials for the company. Excitement is building over the clothes Stone will showcase on the red carpet over the next two years. She has already been spotted wearing some chic outfits in her press tour for ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ wearing a Blazer dress, from the 2018 collection, customized with her initials on the sleeves. Stone is already proving that she is a worthy ambassador for the brand with her glamourous and sophisticated style. Stone has spoken with candour about her body image issues and the scrutiny she endures within the media. Through accepting this position, she exhibits a newfound confidence and expresses her fierce side. Stone is a role model for women, and encourages them ‘’to stop shaming themselves’’ as she told Seventeen magazine. It’s empowering to see her partnering with a luxury brand like Louis Vuitton. Her quirky personality combined with her unique fashion sense makes her the perfect woman to be the face of the brand and all eyes are on her as she embarks on this new journey in her ever-successful career.
OTwo // Fashion
Cool for the Cover From Rae to Rau, Adam Lawler celebrates a new wave of representation in the beauty industry.
The spectrum of inclusion has broadened exponentially to draw everyone from plussized models to sufferers of chronic conditions into the fold.
Enter new CoverGirl Issa Rae. Rae puts a cap on a great year for CoverGirl in securing ample underrepresented talent, a year in which they’ve added Nura Afia, the first CoverGirl to wear a hijab, and James Charles, the first male CoverGirl. The creator and star of HBO’s Insecure is a relatable trailblazer, and fully aware of what her role means, since well before she told Rolling Stone that her show is “not for white people.” She recalled her days as an “awkward black girl” in the Instagram post accompanying her announcement, and has since told Buzzfeed about her foundation faux-pas that reminded her why she wanted to be there to “help other people find what works for them.” The spectrum of inclusion has broadened exponentially to draw everyone from plus-sized models to sufferers of chronic conditions into the fold. Model Winnie Harlow has gone from being bullied for her vitiligo to becoming the first Canadian ever cast on America’s Next Top Model and making prominent cameos in Beyoncé’s Lemonade. Jokiva Rivers is a model and activist who doesn’t shy away from showing the harrowing effects of lupus. This development in the industry is vital, especially for the women who are
consistently othered. Andreja Pejic is the first transgender model to sign with Ford Models, marking the latest development in an incredible resurgence since being dropped by her agency in 2013. Ines Rau was announced as Playboy’s first ever trans playmate; in promoting these radiant talents, making trans people feel safe and visible is just another bonus. Although there is an element of industry bandwagon-jumping, this can
be a good thing. “Fake it ‘til you make it” could be a key concept in companies aping their more progressive peers until they become more progressive by osmosis. There are still huge strides to be taken in order to achieve full inclusivity, and it will be a while yet, but the fact that more and more people can see themselves in the many different faces sashaying down the runway is heartening though well overdue. Photo Credit: Banzai Studio Barcelona via Flickr
The fashion and beauty industry is wild. From fat-shaming, squad-culture, appropriation, and the phrase ‘Size Zero,’ to Gigi Hadid’s genderfluid claim because she wears Zayn’s trousers sometimes. It deserves its reputation as a mess of exclusion masked as exclusivity. However, this is 2017. We are allowed to expect at least some level of progression, not to mention that we need, and deserve, a ray of light.
Campus Chic Name Vidya Venkatesh Course Philosophy MA Favourite part of the outfit “My boots!”
Name Conor Carroll Course English with Drama, 3rd Year Favourite part of the outfit “The coat”
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OTwo // Travel
Lisbon: The Perfect Student Escape
Photo Credits: Roisin McNamara Top Left, Bottom Left, right; Wikimedia: Top Middle
Stepping into a postcard, Roisin McNamara explores the architecturally beautiful, city of Lisbon with its delicious delights.
There’s nothing quite like eschewing your responsibilities and disappearing on a plane in the middle of the semester. My escape from Hurricane Ophelia and deadlines into the surprisingly sunny Lisbon exceeded my expectations and showed the city to be ideal for students. Lisbon is one of those cities that feels like you’re living in a postcard, the ones that you can wander around endlessly, meaning to do all the big tourist things but getting hopelessly sidetracked. Every few metres or so you come across a square with a beautiful fountain, bordered with hundred-yearold cafés and painted buildings and you simply have to stop and examine each and every one. The city’s unique style of architec-
The Monastery is a fantastic feat of architecture that you simply cannot leave Lisbon without seeing.
ture results in beautiful tiled buildings, giving a mosaic effect to cathedrals, antique tailors, cafés, sweet shops, etc. The fact that I saw a total of two Starbucks during the entire week shows that Lisbon is clearly a city that has maintained its history, and whose culture has withstood
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mainstream commercialisation. The century-old wooden trams and the more modern buses will help you navigate Lisbon’s hilly terrain, but in truth this is a city that you want to explore on foot to get the most rewarding experience. When you do get around to the tourist attractions, you’ll find no shortage of rich historical and cultural landmarks and museums to visit. The highlights include the Jerónimos Monastery, Sao Jorge Castle, and Chiado Museum. The Monastery is a fantastic feat of architecture that you simply cannot leave Lisbon without seeing. Once populated by monks, then used as an orphanage, it is now the site of internment for Vasco de Gama and a number of influential poets and historical figures. It boasts Portugal’s first Renaissance woodcarvings, intricate naturalist stone carvings, gargoyles, and spectacular gold painted shrines. Sao Jorge Castle is the perfect destination for the sunniest days of your holiday, standing high above central Lisbon with a gorgeous view. With kiosks serving wine, sandwiches, and ice cream there is no more idyllic place to relax in the sun. The castle dates from the Moorish period, having survived crusades and earthquakes, and strengthened by the successive Kings of Portugal. Touring it is a warp-speed history lesson, and a beautiful one at that. Chiado museum is a modern art gallery located in central Lisbon. From sculptures to portraits to installations it has incredible engaging collections that immerse you in contemporary Portuguese culture. Best of all, the
attractions mentioned, and most others, usually have half price entry for students with a valid student card. When it comes to dining, Lisbon is a foodie’s paradise. It’s home to a huge selection of reasonably-priced seafood restaurants, food markets, vegan and vegetarian options along with cafés specialising in breakfast food, ice-cream, and of course the infamous Pasteis de Nata, which can only be described as baked and flakey custard heaven. As difficult as it is to narrow down, my top picks for food in Lisbon would have to be the Time-Out Food Market, Moules and Beer, Manteigaria, and Nanarellas. Time Out is a glorious modern food hall, with a high ceiling and low-hanging bulbs. It’s lined with high-quality restaurants serving everything from octopus salad, to gourmet sausage, to square Sicilian pizza slices. Time Out is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, with options for everyone and a wonderful atmosphere. Alternatively, Moules and Beer are a series of restaurants serving only mussel dishes, unassuming, affordable, and frequented by locals. Although it’s a bit niche, it’s definitely worth the visit. For dessert or just to satisfy sweet-tooth cravings, the best options are Manteigaria, which exclusively sells Pasteis de Nata for a euro each, made in new batches in the same room as the cash register every hour or so. Another strong option is Nanarellas, an award-winning ice-cream parlour serving their premium ice cream with a dollop of cream, to be enjoyed in the nearby park after braving the inevitable daily queue.
Best of all, the attractions mentioned, and most others, usually have half price entry for students with a valid student card. When it comes to accommodation in Lisbon there are a number of really great hostel options, but I’d recommend looking into the city’s guesthouses. A guesthouse differs from hotel and hostels in that there are very limited services provided by the hosts, and they’re usually small with only a few rooms to rent out. Guesthouses will offer you access to a kitchen to store your own food if you want to save money and expect you to mostly look after yourself. Although they are usually geared towards couples, they’re ideal and more affordable in general if you’re travelling in a small group with traditional hostels being sufficient for larger groups. Lisbon is an exciting and beautiful city, perfect for a cheap and action-packed holiday, or a week of lazily exploring the nooks and crannies of another city and absorbing its culture.
OTwo // Fatal Fourway
Fatal Fourway Sacriest Halloween Story
Claudia Dalby
The kitchen was spotless. This made him smile. You had finally learned. He was a creature of habit however, and searched for something to tidy up, to put away, to let you know. Finding a spoon by the kettle, he washed it up and placed it in the drawer. Just helping. Always helping. He made his way out into the hallway, touching each of your childhood pictures as he passed. Smiling at each trophy. He skipped over the first step, the one that creaked. He had had his reservations when you moved back to your parents’ house, but after a few visits he had become accustomed to the place, and now knew how not to wake you. Reaching your childhood bedroom he slipped of his shoes, and leaving them at the door walked in. This was the best part of the night. A self assigned protector he waited until you moved. 20 minutes passed before your body became aware of his presence and you stirred. This was longer than last time. An improvement. He took his leave, grabbing his shoes, skipping the stair, saying goodbye to the photographs, and scanning the kitchen one last time. He walked over and took back out the clean spoon, and placed it in the middle of the table. Not a warning. Just a gentle reminder.
Brían Donnelly
Orla Keaveney
Ciarán Busby
Being from leafy South Dublin, and having obviously never experienced what life is like outside in the Real World™, I can safely say I have never been scared. Sure, I’ve been known to receive vaccines while lying down in fear of fainting, and, yes, my heart-rate does increase exponentially when my 22-year-old self shows my ID to the shop assistant in the off-licence, but these are symptoms of suburbian pressure rather than an indication of how easily frightened I am. The most terrifying experience I’ve ever had was when I realised that the Western adherence to the Gregorian calendar is yet another capitalist ploy to subdue the working class. Time is an interminable beast, with no reset or pause, and its artificial division is merely an anaesthetic to combat dissatisfaction. Tomorrow, a bright new dawn, a chance to start again. The new year, a new me. Time is portrayed as a never-ending conveyor belt of fresh starts and the constant provision of another opportunity at self-fulfillment rather than the meaningless and soul-crushing expanse that it truly is. This epiphany severed my connection to reality but I’d also be freaked out if I saw a ghost.
Here’s one of my favourite spooky stories from when I was a kid, I hope you haven’t heard it before! A girl was staying home alone on a stormy night, with only her dog for company. Sometime after night had fallen, the electricity cut in the creaky old mansion, so her bedroom was plunged in darkness. Throughout the night, the girl was woken by roars of thunder, and in the flashes of lightning, she thought she saw a pair of eyes staring at her. But when she stretched out her arm, her dog licked her hand, and she was reassured that she was safe. The next morning, the girl noticed that her bedroom door was open, and her dog was nowhere to be found. In the hallway, she spotted a pool of blood oozing towards her. Running to the door, she screamed at the sight of her dog’s disembowelled corpse, hanging from the chandelier. On the mirror behind him, a single sentence had been scrawled in his blood. “Humans can lick too.”
After most of my usual lock up checks around the two-story cocktail bar, I started to count the till. “Great, less than €100 takings,” I thought as the anxiety of loneliness crept in. Porcelain beady eyes of demonic angel statues glared at me. Witches nails, or raindrops, tapped on the blinded bay window. Then a soft, but prominent click echoed. Hairs rose on my neck. Another click, beyond the door to the basement. A deep chill shook my spine. Click. I had to leave, though couldn’t make a quick escape, the door was locked. My rational brain kicked in. It’s the ice machine, Ciarán, leave the takings in the safe, turn off the lights and leave. CLICK. This time louder. CLICK. And faster, it sounded more like a switch. CLICK. I opened the door, quickly turning to the- CLICK. “Hello?!” No answer. “Hello?!” CLICK. Fuck the cash and lights. Sprinting towards the entrance and fumbling for keys, I opened the door and slammed it behind me, hastily re-locking it. Turns out; the bar wasn’t always a bar. Before its current use, it was a bakery. As the story goes, the baker’s wife, had hung herself within. The premise was blessed, and to respect this, an Ace of Clubs was glued to the ceiling, where her rope was tied.
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APERTURE Parks
Phoebe Ireland, Moss and Leaves
Mark Coyle
Aoife Hardesty
Ruth Murphy
Joanne Olivia, Trossachs National Park
Dylan O’Neill, Hyde Park