otwovolxviiissue2

o-two 5TH OCT 2010 ISSUE 2 VOL. XVII

The University Observer’s Arts & Culture Supplement

Tinie Tempah O-TWO CHATS TO THE RAPPER ABOUT HIS NEW ALBUM, FINDING FAME AND FRUIT SALAD

E D I S N I +

GREEN R O S S E F O R >P ON V > CIVILIZATI T 2 EE > WALL STR A > GHAN

Contents

14 HEADLINER 03 REGULARS

Freshers’ Ball headliner Tinie Tempah talks inappropriate sex songs and chocolate biscuits with Killian Woods.

SOAPBOX Who knows what coeliac disease is? Emer Sugrue does!

HOT AND NASTY Fadora is our new page 4 girl. It’s like sex on toast, except on a page.

SHOW PATROL You meant to buy tickets for that gig weeks ago, now it’s over. Read the listing and cry some more.

ATTEMPTS Committed carnivore Killian Woods tackles vegetarianism.

REVIEWS We sent our film critics and Jon to screenings of Mr. Nice, I’m Still Here and Wall Street 2.

TOP TEN Embarrasing sex scenes. Why is The Lion King there?!

FEATURE Jon Hozier-Byrne explores the morality behind documentary filmmaking.

06 HEAD TO HEAD

Emer Surgue has no life and thus had time to review Civilization V.

Mature vs immature: Old students against young. Will the cheeky win over the committed?

07 ICON Who is Oliver Stone? An o-two icon, writes Adam Kearney

8 TRAVEL Alex Court goes off the beaten track to explore Ghana.

9 WEBWATCH Even o-two is relevant to the rules of the internet, especially rule 34. No really, we’re not joking.

10 HOROSCOPES From the statistics going around, Mystic Mittens was pretty accurate last time. Check her out again.

11 FASHION

o-two fashion tells us how to beam out confidence through a properly plucked set of eyebrows.

16 FILM

20 GAMES Killian Woods looks at a classic in the making; The Room Tribute game.

21 MUSIC

INTERVIEWS o-two chatted up with top music sensations Digitalism, Professor Green, James Vincent McMorrow and Rodrigo Sanchez of Rodrigo y Gabriela.

SHUFFLE Looking for music to wake up to? Check out Catherine Maguire’s playlist.

WRITE LIKE APES Until now, o-two have never had an artist interview himself for the paper…

26 FOOD AND DRINK Lauren McKeown recommends the upcoming theatrical Dracula in our reviews section

28 BACK PAGE Please Talk to o-two, it’s a sign of strength, not weakness.

Letter from the Eds O hai readers, O-two have been caught up with destroying our social lives this issue. Killian’s been sitting in the office brutally searching for all the spoons in The Room Tribute and we’ve barely seen Emer due to her being buried under her duvet playing Civilization V. Read reviews of both on page 20.

Onto more pressing matters, we are now into our second issue of the year, and we here at o-two towers are happy to say the first issue went event free. We had constant calls complaining about the wrong type of inverted commas used on page 8 and nonsensical people claiming that our “rag mag” lacked sex appeal.

Thankfully we have taken your suggestions on board and have pulled out all the stops to sex up the paper. O-two would like to welcome on board controversial sexpert Fadora McSexypants to our team and extend a warm welcome to readers to email her your problems.

Continuing the trend, o-two makes an excellent issue two with our cracking line up of interviews and content in general. If you’re a first year and went to the Freshers’ Ball to see the headline act, or you’re not in first year and just went to shift some younglings, you’ll know all about Tinie Tempah. The English rapper talks of his album, influences and biscuits with Killian Woods for our headline interview.

Enjoy, Emer & Killian

5 October 2010

RANT

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HOT NOT

&

SOAPBOX

WHAT’S WHAT’S

Think vegetarians have it bad? Being coeliac is a lot worse, writes Emer Sugrue

Feeling culturally unaware? Don’t worry, Alison Lee is here to compensate for your lack of cool

food. Glutten-free pasta is perfectly serviceable, albeit with a tendency to disintegrate into its component parts. You can even buy a pizza base that’s not any worse than Domino's, even if you top it with halloumi cheese and rat faeces.

Coeliac bread is a problem. If you have coeliac friends, don’t bother buying it for them, it’s completely inedible. It has the taste and consistency of Madeira cake found at the back of your Granny’s cupboard, left over from a mad aunt’s wedding in 1965.

Some desperate coeliacs claim putting bread in the microwave ‘freshens’ it, but really all you are left with is warm, chewy, disgusting bread. Sandwiches are therefore out of my reach and it’s amazing how immobile food becomes when you don’t have bread to cart it around in. My lunch options are now salad or hunger.

The worst thing about being coeliac is nobody knows what you are talking about. Every rejected cookie leads to a 20 minute conversation about the nature of the disease and God help you if you try to eat in a restaurant. Do you think a chef knows when he has used flour? Ask one, I dare you. I’ll wait here with my rice cakes.

What’s Hot

No biscuits for me thanks.

No, I’m not on a diet, but thanks for assuming. I’m coeliac. It means I can’t eat any bread, pasta, pizza, or 400 million other things for fear of developing an iffy tummy. I’m allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat and some other grains. Think back over what you have eaten today.

I don’t know you or your tastes, but I can tell you it all had wheat in it.

Wheat is in EVERYTHING. People are horrified when I say I can’t eat bread, but that’s the least of it. Bread is big and solid, you can’t miss it. It’s so inherently bready that it’s incredibly easy to avoid. The real problem is the secret wheat; flour is put where flour has no business being.

For example, I can’t have soup, as many soups are thickened with wheat flour. I can’t have soy sauce or sausages or malt vinegar or gravy. I can’t have cornflakes. I really think food companies are just messing with me sometimes. Since when is barley a sweetener? My granny used to put barley into stews. Rice and corn flour work just as well as a thickener and nobody is allergic to them (prove me wrong immune system).

I can get substitutes for a lot of wheat-based

Upcoming Winter Clothes Gigs

Dublin went through a bit of a musical cold spell for a few months.

But the frost is melting and the temperature is being racked up a few degrees with gigs by legends like Gorillaz, Underworld and Interpol (to name but a few) to look forward to this winter.

Although Cosmopolitan tries to tell us otherwise, we were never meant to bare all in the summer sunshine. But finally, the weather is forcing us pale, freckly Irish to break out the winter woollies. Hurray, it’s time to swap sundresses and shorts for lovely warm jumpers and tights.

The return of Glee

TV3 plays host to the ultra-camp, kitsch musical hit that is Glee, which has returned to our screens. Great, another excuse not to study. Ok, most of you will have downloaded and watched the new series already, but puritans who like to do things the oldfashioned way are in for a treat.

New editions The Pushy bathroom of The attendants Famous Five X Factor

What’s Not

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I may be drunk, but I can still work a tap, thanks. Yes, I can also dry my own hands, and NO, I don’t want a spray of some dodgy-looking Kylie Minogue flavoured perfume, or a lollipop, or some chewing gum. How about I give you €2 to leave me alone?!

Julian, Anne, Dick, George and Timmy have been dragged into the 21st century with the release of the revamped Famous Five series.

Old-fashioned words have been replaced with their modern equivalents and the stories have been made less sexist, but it just won’t be the same without Aunt Fanny’s marvellous fruitcake.

The world has suffered from the chronic disease that is The X Factor for a grand total of seven years now. And this broadcasting plague shows no signs of giving up and going away.

Tune in Saturdays at 7.30pm to see more gormless, talentless wannabe “popstars” being humiliated and insulted for our viewing pleasure.

LISTINGS

o-two Dear Fadora, I just don’t know what to do. My boyfriend has become addicted to sniffing Pritt-Stick. He used to be so attentive, but now all he does is sit at home all day long, up to his balls in PVA, watching VHS copies of Art Attack. What should I do?

Sticky in Cellbridge

In the first of a series of columns, acclaimed feminist, sexpert and slap-bass player Fadora McSexypants answers your queries on love, lust and life.

Show Patrol 5th of October

Cathy Davey – The Academy Dublin – 20:00 – €28

6th of October

Paul Heaton – The Academy Dublin – 19:00 – €24 Donovan – Olympia Theatre – 20:00 – €29

7th of October

Steve Hughes – The Laughter Lounge – 20:30 – €28 Octopussy – The Academy – €4

8th of October:

Al Murray – Vicar Street – 20:00 – €28 Wallis Bird – The Academy – 20:00 – €19.45 General Fiasco – The Academy 2 – 19:30 – €13.50

9th of October:

Noze – The Twisted Pepper – 23:00 – €13.95 Crystal Castles – The Academy – 19:00 – €23 Attack! Attack! – Academy 2 – 17:00 – €12.50

10th of October:

Glenn Hughes – The Village – 19:00 – €22.50 Rich Hall – Olympia Theatre – €24 Kate Nash – The Academy

–19:00 – €22.65

11th of October:

The Black Angels – Crawdaddy – 20:00 – €14 The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Grand Canal Theatre – 18.30 – from €20.00

Good evening Sticky. The first thing to remember is that you’re not alone.

There are literally fives of men out there that are adhesive fetishists, or “pasters” to use the parlance de jour.

The important thing to remember is that your boyfriend probably loves you more than he does his sweet sticky pastime. Try to share in his fun with him. Allow him to introduce you to his equally valid but undoubtedly sick, sick world.

Try introducing arts and crafts into your lovemaking. During foreplay, why not suggest some suggestive papiermâché to get things heated up. By

5 October 2010

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the time you’re applying your second bobbly-eye or that third layer of glitter, he’ll be about ready to burst, just like that piñata you just smothered in poster paint.

If this fails, why not crack open an old copy of Cartoon Fun with Don Conroy, and get ready to draw some sweet owls.

I’ve tried this many-a-time late into a sweaty eve, and no matter how hard your man is to please, by the time you’re putting your finishing touches on that fourth Hootie, he will be begging for a finishing touch as well.

It’s time to get adventurous Sticky.

You know how your mother always told you not to be wasting your time with weirdos or good-time-fancy-men? Well I know your mother, and she’s a dick. If you love this man, it’s time to glue-up your glutes and show him a soggy good time.

Love and Tickles, Fadora McSexypants, MD Next issue, Fadora tackles the age-old question – What is the sexiest headgear to wear to bed? I’ ll give you a hint – It’s Prussian military helmets.

Send your relationship and sexual queries to mcsexypants@ universityobserver.ie

Gig of the Fortnight: Crystal Castles October 9th - The Academy – €23 If experimental electronica is your thing, then this is the gig to be at this fortnight. The Canadian duo’s debut album was listed as one of NME’s "Top 50 Greatest Albums of the Decade" and with the recent release of their second album, they have continued to expand their cult popularity. Loved by some and misunderstood by many, you are guaranteed a show that is chaotic, exciting and perhaps even a tad frightening.

12th of October:

Cathy Davey – The Academy – 20:00 – €28 MF Doom – The Button Factory – 19.30 – €33.60

13th of October:

Killing Joke – The Button Factory – 19:30 – €22:50 John Bishop – Vicar Street – 20:30 – €28 Endgame by Samuel Beckett – Gate Theatre –19.30 – €27.00

14th of October:

Battle of the Axe Thursdays – Ha'penny Bridge Inn – 21:30 – €8 The Cast of Cheers – Academy 2 –19:30 – €13.50 Octopussy – The Academy-from €4

15th of October:

Republic of Loose – The Academy – 20:00 – €22.50 Ross O’Carroll Kelly – Olympia Theatre – €25

16th of October:

Joshua Radin – The Academy – 19.00 – €19.50 Propaganda – The Academy – 22:00/23:00 – €8/€10 Ross O’Carroll Kelly – Olympia Theatre – from €25 Architects – Academy 2 – €16

17th of October:

Tricky – The Academy – 19:30 – €30 Ross O’Carroll Kelly – Olympia

Theatre – from €25

18th of October:

Train – Vicar Street – 20.30 – €23.00

19th of October:

Ross O’Carroll Kelly – Olympia Theatre – from €25 Romeo & Juliet- Gaiety Theatre – €24.00 – €40.00 Hot Mikado – Draiocht – 20:00 – from €15.00 – €20.00

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5 October 2010

ATTEMPTS

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o-two Attempts

Vegetarianism Meat connoisseur Killian Woods takes on vegetarianism for a three-day period and after some suffering, discovers a sense of enlightenment

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ou would think vegetarianism would be a simple enough task. With the broad range of vegetarian ready-made meals available in most supermarkets, it should have been a case of turning the oven to 200 degrees and throwing in a vegetarian pizza for dinner.

Like any other o-two attempts article, a challenge is set out for someone to overcome. In this case, I was challenged to prevent meat from touching my lips for a three-day period starting Friday through to Sunday.

I suppose that it must be hard to comprehend why this is a difficult task. It is mainly because the thought of a vegetarian meal makes me feel ill. I have never felt full after eating a vegetarian meal before. My stomach always craves that juicy piece of pepperoni on a pizza, sizzling sausage for breakfast or chicken tender for lunch.

Shortly before day one, I stocked up on meat, as I felt I owed my stomach a treat before, in essence, starving it of “normal” food. I ingested a copious amount of Kentucky Fried Chicken and finished off eight sausages left in an already opened packet.

Breakfast on day one went by with little or no change to my regular diet. Four Weetabix and a glass of orange juice got my day off to its normal start, albeit in a rush since I had woken up fifteen minutes late. Before rushing out the door, I did manage to throw an apple and banana in my bag, which proved a perfect combo to distract my rumbling belly from meat of any kind.

The apple and banana lasted me well until my late lunch at 4pm. By that time, anything for lunch was good, so the lack of meat in my meal didn’t really figure in my mind. Chips and garlic mayonnaise was just two parts of my normal lunch, and helped break me into my first proper vegetarian meal. It was nice to have something so familiar to me to ease the process.

Still there was a bit of doubt in my mind whether garlic mayonnaise was wholly vegetarian. After quickly surveying Twitter for an answer to my question, I was assured only die-hard vegans refuse to eat garlic mayonnaise, and I was safe to resume eating my lunch.

Day one proved to be the most challenging and eventful day of my ordeal. As my day went on and I foolishly managed to skip dinner before a few drinks in a late night bar, I walked out starving and with a severe case of the munchies.

After a few steps out the door of the pub, I found myself in a kebab takeaway and peering at a menu with only one option available to me. After experiencing it once, I have no intention of ever eating a vegetarian kebab again in my life. As most of the kebab spilled out onto my plate, I was left eating bread with what I can only think was garlic mayonnaise on it. If I were to sum up day one in a word, it would be “suffering”. This suffering carried over into the next day when my body, deprived of meat, struggled to battle a raging hangover that is normally quashed with a healthy tray, or two, of taco fries before bed.

Due to the hangover, I was reluctant to sample any food, let alone vegetarian food. Luckily a trip home for a pampering from my mum meant that I could sample some tasty vegetarian-friendly food. I was forced to stock up on a starter, main course and dessert that fitted the parameters of the challenge, so a trip to the supermarket was essential.

It was very surprising how difficult it proved to piece together a nice meal. For a person with very little knowledge about vegetarian meals, I struggled to find an easily cooked ready-made meal for dinner, but did eventually find some Quorn sausages hidden in the freezer and a nice tub of tomato soup for a starter.

The Quorn sausages were very easy to cook and with a side of potatoes and some nut loaf prepared by my mum, the main course went well. My biggest surprise was how similar the sausages tasted to the real thing; making it easy to fool my stomach into thinking it was getting meat. Dessert consisting of apple sponge and cream topped off my freshly improved view on vegetarian meals.

The challenge started off daunting and became even more so after day one. But after sampling a proper vegetarian meal, the task seemed easy. I have grown quite an appetite for Quorn sausages and will probably buy them again. As for a vegetarian kebab at 2.30am, I may take a pass.

HEAD TO HEAD

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5 October 2010

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AGE AIN’T NOTHING But A Number?

Head to head this week go grumpy old bag Róisín Kehoe and ungrateful young pup Killian Woods, as the latter has an axe to grind with mature students.

Róisín: The thing that does my head in about you so-called regular students: your weird diseases. It’s a known fact that 98 per cent of UCD students are riddled with STDs. All the student health budget goes on penicillin. And the percentage on mature students? Nothing. Zero per cent. I thought chlamydia was a nice house plant until I came to this college.

Killian:

That’s nonsense. You can hardly blame young students for STDs. All we can do is inherit the array of diseases that your generation invented. And anyway, like all the diseases you pass on, we inherit all your bad habits as well. The main thing I hate about mature students is the way they strut around with a sense of self-importance saying: “Oh look at me, I pay reg fees, study and get good grades.”

Róisín: Well, at least mature students are putting something into the economy of the college. The profit the SU shop must make from our consumption of those nice ring-bound folders and polly pockets and dividers must be enormous. You lot wouldn’t know a polly pocket from your arse pocket. And at least mature students get results that say something other than POSITIVE.

Killian:

Is Polly Pocket not just a little toy doll that girls, and some curious boys, play with? Also, don’t you dare harp on about mature students funding the college, that SU bar that is packed full of young students funding the college with every pint that is poured. But that point about you assuming that we wouldn’t know about polly pockets proves my high and mighty point about you mature types.

Róisín: You see? It’s that sort of attitude that has you all staggering around the campus pregnant – lack of organisation. Stuffing your lecture notes up the sleeve of your hoodie (when you actually turn up) is the unacceptable face of disorganisation.

It can cost LIVES, or grades. And speaking of pregnancy, how many mature students do you see up the duff looking for the day after tablet or whatever it’s called?

Killian:

Yet again another harsh criticism of young students. You can hardly group us all in together. Like, I’ve never had the morning after pill (that’s its official name by the way). However, I can group together all mature students into the same

bracket. You all sit up the front in those lectures, always asking questions, or in most cases making pointless statements and making us “normal” students look bad.

Even talking to the lecturers and flirting with them to get good grades. It makes me sick.

Róisín: Hah! You think it’s that easy to sit up the front, talking and flirting

with lecturers? Typical of your feckless lack of commitment to your education.

I’d like to point out that the vast majority of non-mature undergraduate students in this college parade around in skimpy clothing, no matter what season it is. I’m not the one who should be accused of inappropriate behaviour when the typical undergraduate walks around in a too-small Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt. I despair of the future of our country.

Killian:

What you call “the future of our country” happily show up to the majority of their lectures and claim all those easy marks for just turning up. Most also trudge through tough college life carrying the burden of “the clap” and all the other problems you claim we have. Back to this rite of passage feeling you all have – you all should be made to do the Leaving Certificate again to earn your place in college. That is a pressure cooker of stress and grants us our little slacking off time in college. How many points would you scramble together? Yeah exactly, under 200. You could be a happy mature student then, residing in a PLC course.

Róisín: Points? PLC? Here we go again, with your general lack of awareness and sense of entitlement. There was no Leaving Cert, much less points, when we were leaving school. From that day to this, the mature students have worked their fingers to the bone, paying taxes and PRSI, and helping make this country what it is.

Surely THEY, rather than some wet-behind-the-ears 18-year-old, are more qualified for third-level education? More than the darlings who sulk over how crap the car they got for their 18th birthday was and then proceed to miss class and clog up the roads looking for parking after the long drive from Merville or Roebuck with legs that are exclusively used for the display of Uggs in UCD. PLC my arse!

Killian:

right. End of.

Get with the times Grandma. It’s 2010 and young people are always

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5 October 2010

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o-two icon

Oliver Stone

ICON

Oliver Stone is the master of cinematic excess.

Never before has a filmmaker wanted more, writes Adam Kearney

W

ar has be underestimated always irrespective of the been a overt ways in which popular he communicates his subject among American messages. He is a director filmmakers and creating a who consistently gets the timeless war movie seems best from the actors who to be a rite of passage for work for him. those in the film industry.

Tom Cruise gives one of Apocalypse Now, The Deer his finest performances in Hunter and Full Metal Jacket Born on the Fourth of July, are the career highlights of as does Michael Douglas their respective directors in Wall Street. Al Pacino’s and are all based upon rousing speech from Any the war. However, it is Given Sunday could get you impossible to talk about excited about washing the the genre of war films and floor. He’s also a skilled not mention the work of writer, having written Oliver Stone. most of the films he’s What sets Stone apart directed, in addition to the from other directors is his screenplays for Midnight real experiences fighting Express and Scarface, the in the war. Stone grew latter being partly based on up in New York City his own cocaine addiction. and twice dropped out Stone also undoubtedly Stone studied at Yale where his classmates included future president George W Bush. of Yale University. He knows how to create then joined the army after memorable imagery; who methods of getting his messages across were leaving college and requested combat duty could forget Willem Dafoe’s messianic death not exactly subtle and his style of direction in Vietnam. For his efforts in the war, Stone pose from Platoon? His fast cutting style has has been compared to “shouting at the was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. been referred to as ADD directing and he audience”. Moreover, Stone’s characters do He then attended New York University’s went all out with this style for Natural Born seem to be constructed purely to forward the film school where he studied under Martin Killers, a film dealing with the media reaction moral of the story.

Scorsese. to a pair of psychotic mass murderers. The In Platoon, Sgt. Elias (played by Willem In 1986, Stone released his breakout visual style of the film matched the mindset Dafoe) was saintly; he had no flaws and directorial feature Platoon. It was heavily of its main characters in being completely represented everything that was good in the influenced by Stone’s experiences in the war insane. Stone also experimented with many military. In contrast, Tom Beranger’s Sgt. and is regarded as one of the finest films of different kinds of shooting and editing, Barnes was overwhelmingly evil; he killed the genre. Platoon won four Oscars and firmly which added to the madness of the film. anyone who got in his way. Wall Street had established Stone as director with a bright Natural Born Killers is not an easy film to a similar set up, with Michael Douglas’s future. The film dealt with controversial watch. The visual style gives the sensation big time businessman obsessed with money elements of the war such as the US army’s that you’re on a bad trip and it’s not helped and power, while Martin Sheen’s blue collar murder of innocent civilians and the by the seriously dark and disturbing subject working man knew that familial love was the widespread drug use in Vietnam. matter. It was a massively controversial film most important aspect of life.

Platoon was the first of three films which and was even banned in Ireland. However, it However, Stone’s work should not Stone would make on the topic of war. It was now stands as further evidence that Stone’s perhaps surprising to see someone who had directorial balls are composed entirely of served his country with distinction make steel. films in such strong opposition to the war.

In addition to filming a Hugo Chavez But as the world would find out, Stone documentary earlier this year, Stone has is fearless and films that are critical of recently made the soon-to-be-released Wall societal wrongs would become a staple of Street: Money Never Sleeps. It follows on from his career. His trio of films based on former the 1987 film Wall Street and will be the first US presidents, Nixon, W, and in particular sequel Stone has ever made. Wall Street dealt JFK, perfectly illustrate his intensely direct with corporate greed, so it will be interesting approach to storytelling. to see the theme revisited in our current He would go on to condemn racism and financial climate, with fans no doubt looking corruption in American football with Any forward to Stone’s inevitably hard-hitting Given Sunday, media irresponsibility in style.

Natural Born Killers and corporate greed Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is released in Wall Street. However, the controversial in Irish cinemas on October 8th and is reviewed political viewpoints which featured in Stone’s on pg. 17. films often incited the critics’ ire. Stone’s

“Stone also undoubtedly knows how to create memorable imagery; who could forget Willem Dafoe’s messianic death pose from Platoon”

TRAVEL

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5 October 2010

Extravaghana

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It may not be within everyone’s budget, but Ghana is a must visit at some time in the future, writes Alex Court.

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racious Ghanaian gentlemen are more likely to mutter “you are welcome” than “hello” to a lost-looking lout, as they smoothly stroll by. You need not respond, nor need you worry that he is chatting you up so as to rip you off in his African mask shop. He has imparted what he wants you to know – you are welcome in Ghana.

A month in this sticky, sweaty and often sleepy country will expose you to great variety and a great group of genuinely frank people. If you entertain even as much as a casual curiosity about Africa, get to Ghana.

Accra, the capital, is a lot to swallow. Mechanical music is drilled into your head non-stop. It’s not even something a constant Crawdaddy crawler could enjoy.

The headache is compounded by the habitual honking horns of taxis, cars and tro-tros (minibuses). There are few must-see sights in this sprawling city, so only budget a couple of nights.

Makola market is a commercial centre and a demonstration of co-ordinated chaos that’s worth experiencing with an eye on your pockets and bag.

There is the vast Independence Square, alongside other massive monuments to Kwame Nkruma – the political powerhouse who achieved independence for what was the “Gold Coast” and became known as Ghana in 1957. It is overwhelmingly tiring getting around Accra, yet underwhelming when you arrive at what you sought to see.

Quit Accra and plunge into Africa. Kokrobite is just 25km west of Accra, but feels like a different planet. Lazy beach resorts encompass affordable accommodation and offer opportunities to drink.

Famously friendly is Big Millie’s Backyard, which has

“Quit Accra and plunge into Africa.

Kokrobite is just 25km west of Accra, but feels like a different planet” huts for hire and a wild weekly reggae night. You’ll be hassled by Rastamen touting tourist trinkets, but they can be ignored if you’re not interested.

Further west are the neighbouring coastal towns of Cape Coast and Elmina. Both have dated military forts containing worthwhile exhibitions on the African slave trade. It’s impossible to skip over the suffering endured in the spots where you stand, and students get good discounts.

Annoyingly, neither town offers much to raise the

Ghana has a population of almost 24 million. spirits after the hard-hitting history lectures. One solid solution to this is to stay at Stumble Inn – a new beach-side place outside Elmina that they call a ‘travellers rest’. With cheap rates, smiley staff and fantastic French toast, you’ll spend longer than you planned to.

Another intelligent idea is to crack into Kakum National Park. The canopy walk on 40m high platforms costs 15 cedi (€7.80) for students.

Breathtaking scenery and sound effects courtesy of the frogs. National Geographic cameramen are nowhere to be seen, but this is West Africa. You can boldly budget 4/5 days to enjoy both towns.

A heaven of relaxation is the Green Turtle lodge near Akweeba. In preparation, breeze through Busua town and sit on the sand for a day. Hire a surfboard, and a local legion to teach you how to use it. Think to yourself that you’ve found paradise and then proceed to paradise proper.

The ‘road’ from Busua to Green Turtle is rocky, but the hour drive is inexpensive if you bother bargaining.

Owned by an English couple, Green Turtle is beautifully set on a stringy, sandy beach in the middle of nowhere. There’s no phone signal, but sea, surf and sun are great alternatives.

A wonderful way to spend a day is to walk along the beach and into the tiny village to hire a boat and crew from the weathered fishermen. Bidding starts at 500 cedis (€260) for five hours, but you need not spend over 110 cedis. An hour and a half sailing over the swell will bring you to Cape Three Points – Ghana’s most southerly tip. A beautiful, secluded spot, topped off by an iconic, historic lighthouse. It is liberating to feel that home is a billion miles away.

As well as coastal craic, head inland to the Volta Region. With a monkey sanctuary, the Volta River,

and the chance to check out the Togolese boarder, this state is well worth wandering through.

Three hours drive from Accra is the hamlet of Hohoe. The Grand Hotel should be “The ah, sure it’s Grand enough Hotel,” with its crumbling walls and sulky staff, but at €4 a night, it really is just grand.

Grab a motorbike taxi to Wli Falls, trek through jungle and swim in the waterfall pool, as you’re shrouded by thundering torrents of white water.

Ghana is steady, and as splendid as it is safe. Keep your wits about you of course, but do not make the moronic mistake of lumping all African countries together as famine-stricken war zones. Ghana is neither Guinea nor Zimbabwe and shouldn’t be missed because it happens to sit on the same continent as such less than luxurious lands.

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5 October 2010

WEB

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TV or YouTube?

As a result of the online revolution, traditional media are becoming less relevant by the day, writes Luke Duggan.

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ewspapers, magazines and books have been around for hundreds of years, and have a loyal readership that are accustomed to their tactile nature. Nowadays, they compete with websites, blogs, and the emerging new media. Income from newspaper advertisements is steadily dropping, but online advertising is rapidly increasing, posing a commercial threat to print media.

E-media has become hugely popular because content can be updated almost instantly and easily disseminated internationally to the millions of computer-literate people worldwide. Devices like the Sony Reader and the iPad may one day replace books, and millions of titles are already flying off their online shelves. CD and DVD sales are falling too, with the advent of both legal and illegal downloadable content.

YouTube has become the new universal television, particularly for the younger generation. The video sharing website and its contemporaries have definite advantages over old media. With vast technological advances making video equipment available to almost everyone, an endless supply of talent is available online and the distribution is universal.

However, television is still way ahead of its online contemporaries. When you start an online show you

Hardy Bucks made the transition from YouTube to RTE. have zero viewers, but when you debut a television show, it goes on an existing network with an established audience. Additionally, television has an advertisement infrastructure, but online, it is difficult to get a twelve second ad in a video without viewers getting annoyed. The money is still in television, but online media can also be a way into the mainstream industry. A perfect example of the effect which online shows can have is Hardy Bucks. Its stars have enjoyed nationwide renown of late, and were recently honoured by the Law Society in UCD. They started

with online videos and now have an upcoming series on RTÉ. Online media is surely the future; the internet distributes consumer control, encourages communication and promotes syndication, resulting in a thoroughly social consumption. Traditional media is still centralised, with institutional control of editing, publishing and broadcasting, resulting in largely individual consumption. In the future, they will be astonished to hear that you couldn’t just start up your own magazine, or that there were only a certain number of television channels available.

2010: A Porn Odyssey The rules of the internet are many, vague and debatable, but when it comes to porn, they are unequivocally unsettling, writes Emer Sugrue

I

t has to be said, all internet debates quickly devolve into accusations of Nazism and sexual inadequacy, and their rules have never really been clarified.

There are a few that should be on there: don’t go on Facebook when you have an essay due, Wikipedia is not a homework generator and clear your internet history before letting your mum check her emails.

Breaking these at your awkward Christmas lunch will inevitably induce peril.

One rule however is agreed: Rule 34; the backbone (and other interesting bones) of the internet community. Rule 34 states that “if it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions.” Everyone knows the internet is for porn, but many don’t realise the true extent of the weird crap out there. There is porn of absolutely everything. Everything that exists or can be possible has a porn version. Every film, every TV show, and every item of furniture: there is porn of it.

When they say no exceptions, they really mean it.

No suitable pictures were available for this piece for obvious reasons.

If you dared, with moderate safe search turned off, you will find porn of anything. You could treat it as a game; “what childhood memory will I ruin today?” I myself have unfortunately stumbled upon Thomas the Tank Engine porn [I’m suspicious of how you did this Emer… - ed].

It was manga, entirely in Japanese, and Thomas and his friends were doing some appalling things. They were all still trains, so it wasn’t terribly clear what the appalling things were, but they looked very happy about it. Pokémon porn is depressingly commonplace,

and most doesn’t even revolve around multiple Nurse Joys. Sonic the Hedgehog... Well, I don’t even want to go into it. Let’s just say that running isn’t the only thing he does super fast.

Following a link is like Russian roulette, but it’s hard to resist sometimes. I’ll be trawling through forums avoiding study when I notice an innocent message and link with a curious NSFW tag next to it. “What?

Surely there’s no way that could... *click* Oh God, unsee, UNSEE!” Never has humanity had such unlimited access to pictures of nudey ladies. Yet thousands, if not millions, of people spend their time drawing pictures of Iron Man having a passionate gay affair with a lamp-post. Of course this exists. Have you learned nothing?!

Maybe the ultimate rule of the internet should be that if it’s marked ‘Not Safe For Work,’ you should just take their word for it.

HOROSCOPES

o-two

5 October 2010

10

Mystic Mittens

The Arts Block cat looks into her crystal ball to tell you what this fortnight holds.

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

(March 21 – April 20) The word ‘conventicles’ will have a special and intimate meaning for you this fortnight.

(July 24 – August 23) If you are feeling unloved this fortnight, try taking a bath or going away. Further. Fur... yeah, that’s fine.

(November 23 – December 22) Your aggressive nature is strong today, so be careful. Someone’s going to notice those hobo corpses eventually.

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

TAURUS (April 21 – May 21) Take shortcuts. In work, love, desktops; if you are taking even one second longer to do something then you are a failure.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21) Go for it and be confident in yourself, you can... Oh. Is that what you’re wearing?

CANCER

(August 24 – September 23) This will be a time of love for you. Someone you haven’t met yet cares for you deeply and is watching you. Forever watching.

(December 23 – January 23) Forget your work this fortnight and have some fun. Oh, you were already doing that. Good life plan.

LIBRA (September 24 – October 23) Just put that away, seriously; no one is interested.

(January 21 – February 19) The work is starting to pile up now, so maybe you should be in the library. No, it’s near the Arts block. That’s the bar, other side.

Never mind, you’re alright.

SCORPIO

PISCES

AQUARIUS

(February 19 – March 20) You may find that someone or something is thinking or working opposite to the way you are.

What sort of things you ask?

Could be anything really, even the

(October 24 – November 22) Feeling stressed? Good, ‘cause you’re in college now!

(June 22 – July 23) I know what you’re thinking.

You disgust me.

stationary hates you.

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5 October 2010

FASHION

o-two

Investing in Style Fashion-editor-turned-financialadviser Kieran Murphy explains to us why it's okay to spend that little bit more on certain items.

P

eople these days have it easy. High street stores offer the latest trends within days of them appearing on the catwalk and every conceivable item of clothing is available to us for €10 or less.

However, quality seems to have taken a back seat in an effort to supply us all with ‘fast fashion’.

There was a reason why our mothers brought us into local family shoe shops and bought us those black clunky shoes for school. She knew what torture we would put our shoes through in the playground and so, invested in the ugliest yet sturdy shoes available to them. Some of us still have our first pair of school shoes kicking around in the back of our closets.

With a student budget, it can be tempting to walk into Dunnes and pick up a cheap pair of Converse for €5. You’ll at least be delighted with yourself for not shelling out the €50 for real ones; that is until you feel the glue melting onto your feet in the rain while running for the Number 10 bus.

This is when investment buying comes in; spending money on items of clothing that are timeless and most importantly, good quality, is definitely recommended. o-two is not suggesting that anyone goes out and buys a Chanel bag for college, but just spending that little bit extra on clothes so that they won’t fall apart during their first wear is advisable.

Places like Topshop, TK Maxx and boutiques, along with charity shops, offer some high quality pieces that

Chanel bags – beautiful but unnecessary. can last in anyone’s capsule wardrobe for years. By spending that little bit more on quality, one can save the hassle and annoyance of our clothes falling apart prematurely. TK Maxx sometimes stocks well-known designer brands at low prices, but furious amounts of digging and searching is needed to come out feeling triumphant, with the same logic applying to charity

shops. With the amount of them around Ireland, there’s surely at least one philanthropic designer-label addict living here.

While investing in the markets may have taken a crash in recent years, you can be certain that what clothes you spend money on know will certainly last you in years to come.

Eyebrow Know How Ever felt the urge to shape and pluck, or wax and tweeze? Michael Madigan talks to the experts for the top tips.

W

e’ve all heard the cliché, “the eyes are the windows of the soul,” but what about eyebrows? They are the window treatments that, if not maintained, can become untidy and just plain nasty. To make sure that your soul windows have pretty curtains, o-two spoke to Claudine Morrin from Elysian Brows on Dawson Street, for the best tips on keeping your eyebrows maintained.

Morrin recommendeds that the best way to keep your brow perfect is to keep on top of it, saying that you should get your brows seen to every month by a specialist.

“You have to maintain it every two to four weeks by coming in and getting your top-up.”

For those whose budgets don’t allow for splurging on treatments, Morrin has some tips for the hard-up student. “If somebody wants to maintain the brow from home themselves, we would only recommend

ever to use tweezers.

“We would always say that in order to maintain the brow sharp enough to give you that lovely, clean look, maybe try – for a student who couldn’t afford to come in on a once a month basis, it could be every three months – just to re-sculpt it and get that lovely shape going and they can just tweeze in-between.”

A word of warning, however, for those who think the best way for brow-maintanence is the dreaded hot wax. Elysian Brows frown upon its use, as Morrin explains: “We’re not for waxing at all for any area on the face because we spend so much money on eye products and then to put hot wax on our eyelid, which is paper thin, and pull it off. That’s gonna damage the skin over time, so the waxing is definitely a no-no for us”.

One of the treatments that Elysian Brows specialise in is threading. Threading is an ancient Persian

method of hair removal. This involves a long cotton thread being twisted over the hair and removed from the follicle. It is considered the most natural of all treatments, as only a cotton thread is used to remove the hair. “There’s no chemicals used on the brow,” Morrin explains. “Also, with the thread, we remove the hair root so close to the skin that the hair only grows back the way it would have been before.”

The best thing to do between treatments is to keep an eye on the hairs and to ensure they’re maintained properly. Thankfully, the days of overplucking your eyebrows are long forgotten. This season eyebrows should be thicker, but still groomed. An eyebrow pencil is a godsend if you accidentally overpluck.

It is easy to maintain stylish eyebrows, even on a student budget. The only investment needed is a good tweezers.

Elysian Brows, 21 Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

FASHION

o-two

12

Party Perfect 5 October 2010

Róisín Sweeney shows us how that the high street can equal high fashion for a night out

I

Maria Wears

Black Maxi - €28 Bat Wing Dress - €50 Black Studded Clutch - €40 Jumpsuit - €37 Shoes – Model's Own

f you’re looking for an amazing outfit, whether it is for a christening or a night out in Coppers, the high street may not be the first place you would look. It is mainly known for basics and clothes more suited for young teens, but if you take a good look, there are some beautiful pieces to be found.

This season, A|Wear has brought us back to the swinging ’60s. They’re going against what the runway trends and have given us something quite different from what’s happening in many of the other high street shops. The only major example of the ’60s style influence in the autumn/ winter collections was at Miu Miu, where Miuccia Prada showed us subtly provocative mini-dresses, with straight lines and high collars.

A|Wear have picked up on a trend of high necklines, as seen in the blue batwing dress and the white lace number. This is a tricky one to pull off as it’s not flattering to girls with any kind of cleavage, and can look boring if a piece is too simple. However, the drama of the batwing dress and the lace of the black and white mini dress make amends for such a high neckline.

By finding key pieces to go with these dresses, you’ll be party ready in no time. The key is to dress up these pieces to make them your own. Don’t be afraid to be daring with accessories or shoes for a really striking look. Key pieces include the black leather jacket, which features a striking waterfall lapel that is made of the butteriest leather and the softest suede, and could be worn both day and night with every outfit.

The key thing about A|Wear is that its aim is to appeal to the masses, meaning that there is truly something for everyone among their rails. It is completely easy to pull a look together from the dramatic pieces and complementary additions that A|Wear offers. After visiting, you’ll be ready to hit the dancefloor with a vengeance. Coppers won’t know what’s hit it!

For a full range, visit www.awear.ie

13

5 October 2010

FASHION

o-two

Don’t be afraid to be daring with accessories or shoes for a really striking look

”

Stylist: Kieran Murphy Models: Cormac Altman, Imelda Hehir and Jacqueline Ryan Photographers: Emer Igbokwe and Kieran Murphy

“

Eimear Wears

White Lace Dress - €40 Black Clutch - €18 Gold Necklace - €20 Rings - €10, €8 Black Dress - €55 Leather Jacket - €120 Grey Jacket €55 Leopard Print Trousers - €30 Shoes – Model's Own

Models: Eimear Smyth and Maria Madden Stylist: Róisín Sweeney Photographer: Emer Igbokwe

o-two

FEATURE

5 October 2010

14

Frisky Biscuits In town for the UCD Freshers’ Ball, Tinie Tempah took time out of his day to talk to Killian Woods about his upcoming album and the rollercoaster year he’s had.

CHRIST-LIKE A I

nundated with constant interviews before his UCD Freshers’ ball appearance, Tinie Tempah was left multitasking during his interview with o-two. In-between fielding questions, the hit English rap artist of 2010 occasionally took time to grab a bite his healthy fruit salad lunch.

With his busy and self-proclaimed wild lifestyle, the rapper must have a few tricks up his sleeve to keep going from day to day in what has been a crazy year so far. After being on the go for most of the summer, Tinie Tempah has found himself performing and collaborating with some of the best acts in the business.

Before the start of the summer, he was headhunted

by P.Diddy as the British artist to collaborate with the American legend for his upcoming project. In addition, at the Glastonbury festival in late July, Tinie

was performed with Snoop Dogg on the main stage and perform his own sensational single ‘Pass Out’.

Although all that is behind him now, Tinie is a man looking to the future. More specifically, to his new album, Disc-Overy, which has just been released. The London-born rapper emphasised that he is not nervous about the event. “I’m more excited than anything.

To be honest, I couldn’t have expected for a better start to the campaign and I think everyone has been supportive. The reaction has been incredible.”

With the excellent response to the singles from the album, Tinie can’t really be blamed for being preoccupied with its release. He spoke very proudly about the variety of music contained on the album: “The album is what I would call avant-garde, something very representative of our culture and our generation.”

The “diversity” Tinie speaks of on Disc-Overy could be put down to the numerous different artists that collaborate with Tinie. Kelly Rowland, Ellie Goulding and Swedish House Mafia are some of the biggest names to team up with Tinie on his first album, while Labrinth also features throughout the album in both producing and performing capacities.

These people are some of the first names that pop into Tinie’s mind when quizzed about who had the greatest influence in making the release of his album a reality. However, it is Labrinth that draws much of his attention. “Working with him was one of the first sessions I did in terms of trying to contribute to this album and I really like the way we had a lot of similarities.”

He continued, “We said to each other: ‘fuck the rules; let’s just make music we want to make. Who

15

5 October 2010

o-two

APES cares if it’s five minutes long or it’s got drum and bass at the end?’ As long as it sounds good. It doesn’t have to sound like Lady Gaga or whatever is in the charts.

And I really respect him for agreeing with me on that.

So I’d really thank him”.

After listing off the producers and featuring artists on the album who were integral in creating each track, Tinie rounded off his courteous praise with a mention of his manager: “I would thank my manager for being as passionate about the music as I am,” Tinie said gratifyingly. “You know sometimes when you have an artists who seems like he’s doing well you can leave him to his own devices, however, my manager was very hands-on and said he ‘really liked that tune’ or didn’t like that tune.” o-two asked Tinie about the release date of his album and its unconventional proximity to the start

FEATURE of his tour: “I just felt like October was more of a right time for it. I’m doing something that is pretty unconventional, which is doing a tour immediately as an album comes out.”

Not failing to elaborate on any question, Tinie continued to defend his atypical move: “Some people wait a couple of months to get the sold out gigs and I’m very fortunate that the tour has almost sold out with no album. I kind of just wanted the opportunity to showcase my album immediately after people had bought it.”

Ever since his arrival on the scene this year, Tinie Tempah has suffered from a culture that requires artists to be instantly placed in a specific genre. Like a lot of black rappers of London origin, his music has been categorised as grime. This is a tag that Tinie doesn’t entirely embrace or necessarily agree is an actual genre of music: “To be honest, when people define my music as grime, I don’t agree.”

Tinie expanded on this thought and raised some interesting concepts on the genre: “I’d say grime is probably the style in which I approach the lyrics and music. It’s a phrase that is overused to describe things people aren’t really sure about.”

He continued: “I sort of learnt that mentality and learnt how to MC for ages and not stop, or approach music a certain way with a London-centric mentality, which is what I’d class as grime. However, my music and the style of my music, I don’t think it’s grime.”

Regardless of whether Tinie agrees his music falls under the grime genre, he still is amongst an evergrowing group of artists that are all competing against each other. Tinie appears to be hovering at the top of this food chain and doesn’t necessarily know or contemplate much about what makes his music stand out.

“Ultimately that’s up to the public to decide. All I can do is concentrate on my music and being the best artist I can be. I just try and be as cutting edge as possible and try to push myself in terms of how my music sounds and where it can actually go.” He carried on: “I never like to play it safe, that’s too boring, especially if you’re a young and fresh artist.

Those are my principles that I always try and uphold.”

Something Tinie is very definite about is what influenced his choice to carve a path for himself into music: “So Solid Crew made me get into music. ‘21 Seconds’ changed my life. Up until that I would have listened to people like Eminem and their music was amazing, but I could never relate to it.”

Tinie is clearly passionate about making sure that his fans can easily relate to his music, and this echoes in his influences: “So Solid Crew are from South London. People who I knew apparently knew them, or friends of their friends of their brothers and sisters knew them. So it was real close to home, so I saw them get really successful and thought: ‘if they can do it, why can’t I?’” Everything about his year seems to have been about the music. There has always been a constant stress on either producing Disc-Overy or performing. However, o-two asked him what had taken his breath away during the year outside the music scene. “Going back to my secondary school and seeing the fact that they opened up the studio in my name was just wicked.

That’s sort of to do with music, but aside from that, it’s sort of nice to know that you’ve done your school proud.”

When answering, it was clear how gracious Tinie was for the gesture and how close he held it to his heart: “Maybe I’ve not done what they wanted you to do conventionally, like go to university, but you know you’ve definitely made a name for yourself and they’re

very proud of that.”

Tinie’s self-proclaimed “wild lifestyle” has him going from day to day with his career enveloping his life. He admits that it is a scary thought to look too far ahead into the future and try and find a consecutive series of days to have a break. “I never really consciously think about it. If I did, I’d go crazy and if you looked at your whole year and saw that you don’t have a day off, you’d probably just snap.”

Explaining how he manages his lifestyle, Tinie tells o-two: “I just try and pace myself and take every day as it comes. It’s not every day that your dreams sort of come true, so when they do, you’ve just got to run with it and just enjoy it as much as you can.”

Tinie is clearly passionate about his album, and continued to speak of it. When challenged about the next level he is striving for, Tinie brought attention back to Disc-Overy: “The next level for me is to become that album artist; obviously I haven’t released my first album yet, so there’s no telling what is going to happen.”

He continued: “I do a single and everyone likes it and I would love to get to that stage as an artist where I transcend both genres, so people don’t just think of me as ‘an urban rapper from the underground who does grime’. And obviously, albums where singles do well, but every time I put out an album, I’ll be safe to know that it goes platinum and that I have such a strong an loyal fan base that it will go platinum immediately.”

Judging by the frenzy that followed the release of his previous singles, we can only expect the release of Disc-Overy to be accompanied with Tinie Tempah’s name featuring prominently in charts worldwide, as his album races towards platinum status.

Tinie Tempah’s album Disc-Overy is out now

“It’s not every day that your dreams sort of come true, so when they do you’ve just got to run with it and just enjoy it as much as you can”

o-two

FILM

5 October 2010

16

Plight of the Phoenix Title: I'm Still Here Directed by: Casey Affleck Starring: Joaquin Phoenix In Cinemas: Out now

Business As Usual Title: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Director: Oliver Stone Starring: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf Release Date: 8th October Using laser powered nuclear fusion to get energy from seawater? You could be forgiven for thinking you had wandered into a sci-fi movie by mistake, but no, this is one of the more bizarre subplots in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. The film is the sequel to Oliver Stone's 1987 hit Wall Street and sees Michael Douglas reviving his Oscar-winning role as ruthless trader Gordon Gekko. Taking on the culture of greed that led to the recent banking crisis, the movie certainly resonates, but ultimately gets lost in its own preaching.

Gekko, released from prison following the crimes he committed in Wall Street and apparently a changed man, is busy denouncing the evils of the modern financial system. Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf) is an ambitious young trader who is in a relationship with Gekko's estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan).

When Jake’s bank is sabotaged by rival trader Bretton James (Josh Brolin), his mentor commits suicide. Jake then seeks Gekko's help to get revenge on James and in exchange agrees to reunite Gekko with Winnie.

Meanwhile, the markets are about to crash.

This is a film angry at greedy and incompetent Wall Street bankers and at the general public for buying into the doomed property bubble. This anger is undeniably justified and easy to identify with, so it could have been the makings of a very powerful film. But its treatment is far too heavy-handed to be effective, becoming in the end a pretty boring sermon.

The film’s other major flaw is that it is far, far too long. The plot loses all momentum about half way through and goes wandering off on unnecessary tangents, like the aforementioned lasers. What drama the Wall Street crash and Jake’s dealings with Gekko have gets lost somewhere in the muddle.

However, the Jake-Gekko plotline is one of the movie’s highlights. Michael Douglas' Gekko is excellent. The smooth-talking manipulator is now a forgotten has-been and Douglas walks the line between vulnerability and menace perfectly. LaBeouf, on the other hand, is never quite believable as a “Wall Street man”.

Despite its length, the movie is quite watchable. Fans of Wall Street should enjoy it, as should anyone who feels like getting angry about the current financial meltdown.

In a Nutshell: A decent but rambling sequel to Wall Street.

Alison Sneyd

Are we laughing at Joaquin Phoenix or is Joaquin Phoenix laughing at us? I’m Still Here documents the spectacular descent of twice Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) from stardom to public ridicule in the bizarre pursuit of a hip-hop career.

This train wreck is filmed by brother-in-law Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone) and charts an overweight Phoenix’s retirement from film, a series of painfully cringe-worthy rap gigs and television appearances and the general unravelling of his mental state, all with sunglasses apparently glued to his face.

He orders prostitutes from the internet, smokes weed and snorts cocaine off breasts all in the name of the “hip-hop bohemian rhapsody thing” he’s going for. After isolating the people closest to him with egotistical rants and paranoia-fuelled personal attacks on them, this results in his PA deeming it appropriate to defecate on him as revenge.

It is unfortunate for this film and its audience that director Affleck could not keep up the mystery to whether I’m Still Here is genuine or an elaborate hoax for more than a week after its release in the US. The director decided to come clean despite the year-long effort made by himself and Phoenix in creating this public charade.

Although this is a hoax, there is very obviously an underlying truth in the film. In his opening monologue Phoenix talks about being trapped in “a prison of characterisation” and perhaps this film is an exaggeration of Phoenix’s true character and his desires to escape.

The film also shines a negative light on the unknowing media and public, who only ridicule Phoenix during his breakdown. They are particularly ruthless after his infamous appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2009. The unravelling of Phoenix culminates in a fight with a member of the public who heckles the supposedly broken star at his final gig.

Despite Affleck’s protestations, an enduring question mark will hang over both the film itself and Phoenix’s mental state. Even though this may be a elaborate charade, there are certainly elements of truth in Phoenix’s outstanding performance as himself.

In a Nutshell: Turn off your (big juicy) brains and try not to think too much.

Dermot O’Rourke

17

5 October 2010

FILM

o-two

All Things Nice

Top Ten Most Embarrassing Sex Scenes in Film

Adam Kearney counts down the moments you really shouldn’t watch with your parents.

10. Watchmen There’s something strange about watching Malin Akerman sleep with both an omnipotent blue superman and a chubby Batman rip-off in the same film.

9. The Matrix: Reloaded The sex scene towards the beginning of this film is so embarrassing it will make you forget why you ever liked the original Matrix, or found Carrie-Ann Moss attractive.

Title: Mr Nice Director: Bernard Rose Starring: Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis, Chloe Sevigny Release Date: 8th October There is something very charming about Welsh drug smugglers who play both MI6 and the Provisional IRA against each other. It shouldn’t be, in the way Tony Soprano shouldn’t be likable or Helen Mirren shouldn’t be attractive, they just are charming, despite all our better judgement. And Howard Marks, the self-proclaimed ‘Mr Nice’, certainly is charming.

Mr Nice stars the brilliantly cast Rhys Ifans as a Welsh schoolboy, turned Oxford graduate, turned international marijuana dealer, turned stand-up comedian.

His exploits take him from the Welsh valleys to the deserts of Afghanistan, from IRA safe houses in Belfast to the employ of MI6, all the while retaining the wit and likeability that made Mr. Nice a household name in 1970s Britain.

The film is an unusual move for director Bernard Rose, who specialises in Tolstoy adaptations, not crime dramas. However, Rose does an incredible job with a limited budget, and perhaps because of that

limited budget, is able to make bold cinematographic chances.

The entire film is shot to subtly emulate the poor film quality of 1970s newsreels, giving it a grainy, period feel.

The film shifts from black and white to colour when Marks first indulges in drug abuse, mirroring the overall pro-legalisation message of the film – ‘how can something be wrong when it expands your consciousness?’

From an Irish perspective, one might raise an eyebrow at the depiction of IRA captain Jim McCann (David Thewlis), supposedly a dangerous revolutionary, who is treated more like a wacky comic relief character. Whether the film’s treatment of McCann has a basis in reality or is more the result of ugly racial stereotyping remains to be seen, but it is a depiction that no doubt has the capacity to cause upset.

Mr Nice is a solid 121 minutes of cinema. You won’t be bored, and Marks’ indisputable charm is more then enough to keep you invested. If nothing else, it’s refreshing to see a crime movie that doesn’t resort to wild bouts of Guy Ritchie-esque violence.

In a Nutshell: Fans of Marks’ books and comedy will adore it, everyone else will be kept engaged and entertained throughout.

Jon Hozier-Byrne

8. The Wrestler Mickey Rourke meets a girl in a bar and next thing we know they’re “fucking like firemen” in the bathroom.

7. Team America: World Police There’s something disturbingly hilarious about watching two puppets in such a graphic sex scene.

6. Requiem for a Dream Aronofsky’s unforgattably disturbing finale is almost too ridiculous to take seriously. Poor Jennifer Connelly.

5. The Shining As Shelley Duvall is running around the hotel, she stumbles across two ghosts (one dressed as a giant dog) mid-fellatio.

4. Top Gun Tom Cruise. Kelly McGillis. Take My Breath Away. A whole lot of facelicking by the fridge. Brilliant.

3. Evil Dead 2 It should be hard for one scene to stand out in a film so entirely insane, but the scene in which Ellen Sandweiss is raped by a tree can never be unseen.

2. The Lion King Who can forget that moment when Simba and Nala wrestle under the stars, and presumably also Simba’s dad. All fairly innocent until you see the look in Nala’s eyes, and it becomes fairly evident that she’s feeling more then just the love tonight.

1. American Pie Really no other scene could claim the top spot. Jason Biggs getting caught by his father while having fun with a pie will forever be the most embarrassing moment committed to film.

FILM

The Ethics of Documentary Since You’ve Been Gone –

A Summer Retrospective

Joaquin Phoenix has recently admitted that his disheveled appearance on David Letterman was part of an elaborate act.

Following the release of I’m Still Here, Jon Hozier-Byrne takes a look at the ethics behind documentary filmmaking.

V

ery rarely do people actively question what they perceive projected against a wall. Film is, primarily, entertainment, and a large part of that entertainment is afforded by the acceptability of switching your mind to ‘silent’ and escaping.

The main conceit of the cinema is that we begin to accept the false narrative we’re shown as truth. It doesn’t matter how outlandish the plot, how bizarre the characters, or that we consciously know that, say, Paul Rudd isn’t really an immature guy railing against the pressures of adulthood. We know it’s Paul Rudd pretending to be immature, in fact, that’s why we bought the tickets. Everyone likes Paul Rudd.

The point is, even while we’re watching something that we are consciously aware is a complete fallacy,

we willingly allow some part of ourselves to accept what happens onscreen as real. If we didn’t, there would be no emotional connection to the characters, no poignancy to any loss, and no joy in any victory.

There is an underlying contract between audience and filmmaker that for the brief 90 minutes, we will believe, really believe, what you tell us.

The ending of ET wouldn’t have made anyone cry if we didn’t willingly allow ourselves to be tricked into believing it was real. “Oh no, the puppet is trying to return to his fictional planet on a large glowing special effect” doesn’t have the same ring to it, and yet that’s what we rationally know is the reality of what we perceive.

So even with films that we accept to be works of artifice, that we are consciously aware had a screenwriter and a director and a whole cast of paid actors, we still, at some level, accept it as reality. This is a dangerous amount of power in the hands of the filmmaker, who is given the opportunity to create what will be unquestioningly recognised as truth.

Almost every single person of our generation, when asked what they think of say, Johnny Cash, will base their opinions firmly on Walk the Line, and accept that as the truth of the man and his life. Most people,

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if asked to visualise Ray Charles, would probably visualise Jamie Foxx. Now apply that amount of power to documentary – a genre where the film is universally accepted by the viewing public, rightly or wrongly, as absolute truth.

The release of Casey Affleck’s brilliant I’m Still Here raises a definite moral question about the ethics of documentary. It depicts Joaquin Phoenix’s descent from A-list star to a mentally broken husk of his former self, indulging in wild bouts of drug abuse, paranoia, and gangster rap.

Barely a week after the film’s release, it has been revealed by Affleck as an elaborate Andy Kaufmanesque hoax, an examination of throwaway celebrity culture from the inside looking out.

However, the film legally marketed itself as a documentary, both for entry into festivals and for consideration of award nominations. Moreover, David Letterman and his damning interview with Phoenix is included in the film, but was not paid for, because the film claimed its status as documentary. In reality, it was a grand performance piece, the equivalent of much of Sacha Baron Cohen’s films – a scripted work where only one actor knows he’s playing a part.

Phoenix and Affleck are a long way from being the first to abuse the trust between the audience and the documentary filmmaker. Capturing the Friedmans (2003) documented the conviction of Arnold and his son Jessie Friedman of multiple counts of paedophilia, while exposing the possibility of a miscarriage of justice. The marketing hook of the film was “Who do you believe?” referencing the ambiguity surrounding the men’s guilt, or indeed, innocence. The film itself is not just a reflection on the men’s ordeal, but also on the interpretive nature of truth itself – how different people interpret events in completely different ways, like a real-life Rashomon.

The ultimate tragedy of the piece is how its reflections on the nature of representations of truth are completely circumvented by what they neglected to include in the film. The Capturing the Friedmans DVD extras contain footage that almost certainly would have acquitted the men – but it was excluded from the final cut, so as to make the main character’s guilt more of a possibility, and give the film its dramatic marketing hook.

The interpretive nature of representations of truth in documentary allows two men, one of whom is almost certainly innocent, to be condemned forever with the stigma of being a paedophile, all because of the ambiguity of ethics in documentary.

This moral ambiguity pervades the history of documentary, from Nanook of the North to Affleck’s new, admittedly brilliant opus. Ultimately, the audience must actively consider all film as artifice, even when it’s being presented under the guise of documented fact. Or you could go watch a Paul Rudd movie.

“Phoenix and Affleck are a long way from being the first to abuse the trust between the audience and the documentary filmmaker”

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TELEVISION

o-two

Give Me The Gossip A

ny self-respecting Gossip Girl fan can remember that stunning moment in season three when the seemingly invincible Chuck Bass was shot down, as a heartbroken Blair set off to forget her troubles in Paris with Serena. As the last series came to its conclusion, Nate was busy making his way through Chuck’s little black book of New York’s finest women, while a heavily pregnant Georgina dropped the mother of all bombshells on Dan. So what now for the Gossip Girl crew?

The season kicks off to a great start with episode one, ‘Belles Du Jour’. Think double dates with hilarious consequences and the pitter patter of tiny feet. Blair’s Parisian antics provide some serious comedy value, while the viewer awaits the inevitable reappearance of Chuck Bass. Any Chuck-lovers out there can relax because he does indeed make an appearance.

However, much to the other characters’ surprise, he enters the scene with a new lady in tow – Eva (Clémence Poésy).

Chuck and Eva arrive in Paris, where Blair and Serena are still living it up. Will the former lovers reignite their passion in the city of love? Sadly it seems not. Gorgeous French actress Clémence Poésy, who found fame as Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter film series, has been signed up for multiple episodes this season, so expect everything from steaming hot love scenes to a clash of the beauties between Blair and Eva. As well as tensions between well known faces, there are lots of new characters to excite any Gossip Girl fan. As well as the aforementioned Eva, season four introduces us to Juliet Sharp (Katie Cassidy). This

In anticipation of the upcoming season of Gossip Girl, Rachel O’Neill looks at the show’s assortment of new storylines and characters

Expect more relationship drama from Blair and Chuck in season four. highly enigmatic character will have fans intrigued from the get-go. It has been confirmed that Juliet Sharp is not Gossip Girl, which begs the question who exactly she is? More to the point, if she’s not Gossip Girl herself, then why the extreme infatuation with the Upper East Side’s elite?

The general themes running through season four invariably involve a love conflict, as Dan grapples with his feelings for Serena and Vanessa, while Nate contemplates his own relationship with Serena. Next up, we have the shocking re-invention of Chuck Bass

as humble Henry.

As always, the fashion of Gossip Girl merits as much comment as the upcoming storylines. The stylists on set have surpassed themselves and if episode one is anything to go by, be prepared to suffer from greeneyed-monster syndrome throughout. Serena and Blair shine in their distinctive styles that combine every designer imaginable. Gossip Girl fans are in for a treat.

Season four promises not to disappoint.

Tune in to ITV2, Wednesdays at 9pm to catch the latest episodes.

Teenage Kicks As a new term begins, Imelda Hehir looks at what’s in store for series three of The Inbetweeners

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t last, we can take the sour lemon of summer television from our mouths and turn to The Inbetweeners for our weekly session of cringeinducing catharsis. With 2.2 million people tuning into the season premiere alone, it’s safe to say that this small-budget comedy has quickly become a student favourite.

What does the new school term have in store for our four lovable-loser protagonists? Well Jay battles the dreaded driving test, while Simon attempts a career in modelling in a bid to win over long-time crush and girl-next-door Carli. Shockingly, an Inbetweeners social plan fails, but he does inadvertently meet his first proper girlfriend.

Neil celebrates his coming of age, and Will continues to increase his reputation from where we left him in series two, as “the lion, the witch and the specky kid who shat himself ”. One is unwillingly forced to question the longevity of Jay’s character – has the lad banter been overdone to the point of mere repetition,

or will we see the character develop into a more mature and dramatic role?

The opening episode was only standard, and left a sinking feeling that the show’s novelty and unique charm might run its course by episode six. However, this theory was immediately disproven with episode two, which may have been one of the best episodes yet.

In what proved to be one of the finest anti-drug promotions since that classic Saved by the Bell

“Whilst the question hangs over the possibility of a series four, the wheels of production are already spinning for the feature film”

The Inbetweeners has been praised for its realistic depictions of teenage life. sketch, McKenzie sums it up: “If ever there was an advertisement that drugs weren’t cool, Jay was it.” Mix more of The Inbetweeners classic awkward moments, stir in the traditional soundtrack of current NME darlings, and let sit for teenage perfection.

Whilst the question hangs over the possibility of a series four, the wheels of production are already spinning for the feature film, which will see Will, Simon, Jay and Neil embark on a post-exam lad’s holiday. Although eyebrows will always raise at the possibility of a tv show-turned-feature, the series is already proving to have beaten the dreaded “curse of three,” and anything is possible for summer 2011.

Catch The Inbetweeners on E4 Mondays at 10pm.

GAME

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Civilization V Despite being quite similar to its predecessors, Civilisation V is an excellent addition to the series, writes Emer Sugrue.

Y

ou may have noticed the distinct lack of nerd around the place the last week: the library is empty, grammar mistakes have gone unnoticed and Wikipedia disputes are down 40 percent. Don’t worry folks, come out of your bunker and put that rifle away, the zombie revolution hasn’t hit quite yet.

Civilization 5 hit the virtual and actual shelves on September 24th and anyone with bloodlust and a €50 note has been glued to their computer ever since.

If you’ve never played before and have no idea what I’m talking about, Civilization is a series of turnbased strategy games. You start in 4000BC with a settler and you have the span of human history to build an empire and take over the world. Global domination can be achieved through violence or through culture and diplomacy and usually, both are used.

Although since the original in 1991, the gameplay has remained largely similar, but things are adjusted and refined with each release. In the five years since the less than impressive Civilization IV’s release, game technology has moved on a bit, so o-two was very curious to see what was in store.

The thing that struck me most was how difficult it was. Gameplay is much slower than before. In Civ IV, you’d zip along to nukes and rockets in an afternoon – two hours into Civ V and I was still using Hoplites. Resources are no longer unlimited;

O hai Room game!

Far from tearing him apart, The Room Tribute game was just another extension of the laughter Killian Woods enjoyed from watching the film

A

s if The Room film wasn’t enough to keep you laughing at the genius that is Tommy Wiseau, an RPG game based on the events of the film has been created to give even more hours of enjoyment.

The Civilisation series has been a considerable hit with gamers since the first version was released in the early 90s if you find ‘6 Iron’ it means you can only build six things that use iron. The new scarcity of resources makes empire building even more crucial and the always tricky ‘Diplomacy Victory’ even more elusive.

Another important element of Civilization V is the introduction of city-states.

These are tiny one city countries don’t compete for empire. To be honest, I found them a little pointless.

It’s very expensive to maintain an alliance with them and trading is almost non-existent. They join their allies in war, but during campaigns, I didn’t see a single troop coming from them. If you decide to hell For those who haven’t seen it, The Room is universally acknowledged as the worst film to ever be made. It tells the story of hapless bank worker Johnny, played by writer/director/producer Tommy Wiseau.

His life is destroyed as his fiancée Lisa cheats on him with his best friend Mark.

Found on the popular internet gaming website Newgrounds, The Room Tribute is exactly what fans of the film need to fill in all those plot holes and experience life in the shoes of Tommy Wiseau. All the characters that feature in the movie can be found playing their respective parts from Johnny’s painful foster son Denny to the ever ranting and raving Claudette.

Naturally the best bit about the game is reliving the agonisingly poor dialogue. However, the constant need to collect spoons throughout the game and the Pokémon-style battle scenes with drug dealer Chris R do make it a bit more hands-on.

The game doesn’t miss a beat when allowing you to play out the final days of Johnny’s life and even offers some bonus content. You get to famously throw the football in the alleyway, tediously visit the bank everyday for work only to be told your ideas will be used in two weeks and even buy the infamous tape that allows Johnny to record the telephone conversations his precious Lisa has with his best friend.

In this review it would be shameful and rude not to mention the attention to detail. At a first glance, you are drawn to see the crappy pixels of Johnny’s

with it all and attack, the other civilizations treat you like an utter bastard.

But if the amount of work I got done this weekend is any gauge, then this is a great game.

It’s like the sexy love child of Civ III and IV – the brilliant strategy of III with the swish streamlined beauty of IV. Best of all, you don’t have to listen to Leonard Nimoy giving you the history of your latest discovery every five seconds (I know what pottery is, Spock!). It’s fun, addictive and an excellent way to work out your lust for power without any unsightly genocides.

Tommy Wiseau proves eye-catching in The Room Tribute face and a simplistic looking cartoon San Francisco.

However, in certain spouts of creative imagination, the game designers really outdo themselves.

The portrayal of Lisa as she sleeps every morning with her breasts bursting out over the duvet truly depicts the classless aspect of her demeanour.

Similarly, Johnny smiling and dancing naked in the shower shows how he is just a pawn in this vicious ordeal.

The main message to take from this article is firstly, if you haven’t watched The Room, gather a group of friends and watch it as soon as you can.

Secondly, if you do play the game, explore every square inch of the city and experience all it has to offer. Importantly don’t forget to collect the spoons.

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MUSIC

o-two

The Digital Revolution Speaking about their early days and upcoming album, Adam Kearney talked to German DJ Jens Moelle from Digitalism

J

ens “Jence” Moelle and Ismail “Isi” Tüfekçi are the two German DJs that make up the double act Digitalism. They met while working in a record store in Hamburg and, unsatisfied with the music scene, they decided to change it.

The band acquired success quite swiftly after forming. Their debut and breakthrough 2004 single, ‘Idealistic,’ proved a hit. The song ingeniously incorporated elements of trance with a flair for pop. This was followed by a further series of successful singles and in 2007, an album, Idealism. Mixed reviews of this record led to accusations that the duo were merely a singles act, however Jence is looking to allay these criticisms with the imminent release of additional material.

The duo rented a World War II bunker, gathered up some old computers and started to make their own dance music. Since the band are now signed to Kitsuné Music and can afford a proper studio, o-two wondered if they were still recording out of their bunker. “Yeah, that’s where you’re calling me now actually,” laughs Jence, in surprisingly jolly tones for someone ensconced in a bunker. “It’s got a bit better now we’ve refurbished it, put in some new carpet and fake plants. You don’t see anything from the outside world which can be an advantage. It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night.”

While some may consider a war bunker archaic, the duo have completely upgraded all of their equipment. Jence explained: “At the beginning we didn’t really have any money. We had a really old PC with lots of different parts from other computers. We were chasing lots of old synthesisers, probably older than we are.” He continued: “We really had to be creative and inventive when it came to using multiple tracks and everything, because it [the computer] was just too weak. We had to find out how to work around problems a lot.”

These days, the duo have moved firmly into the twenty-first century, with a Macbook Pro being an integral part of their live act. However, their technological efficiency does not

mean they are reluctant to relate more traditional forms of communication to their sound.

Jence has described Digitalism’s music before as simple characters in a complex novel. Confused? So was o-two. “It’s not easy to put into words,” he explains rather pun-tastically. “If you think of the first album as a book, then the different chapters would be the different songs. Those chapters take place in different parts of the world or imaginary places. The songs had different characters with different messages that we wanted to express through the songs.”

After being challenged about whether Jence himself had been inspired by any of the characters, he answered: “Not really, I used to read a lot when I was young, but I stopped when I was a teenager. I got more interested in recording dance charts from the radio onto tape.”

Jence explained the early interests of the band: “When we first started listening to dance music, it was the early nineties and we were way too young to get into clubs. We had this local radio station in Hamburg which doesn’t exist anymore. This guy, who also had a show on German MTV because he knew everything about any band, ran this weekly dance chart that was always worth listening to.”

Jence says of his early inspiration: “It

“If you think of the first album as a book, then the different chapters would be the different songs”

Jence believes there are novelistic connotations in his sound. was all very exciting and one day it just clicked. Dance music has a different approach to things than pop music or the usual stuff on the radio, because it has a different formula behind it.

That’s when you get excited about stuff running in loops and everything.”

While many dance acts give the impression that they’re in it for the lifestyle, there is air of authenticity about Digitalism. Having essentially grown up on dance music, Jence seems more reminiscent of a DJ Shadow-style music nerd, rather than the lairier likes of Paul Oakenfold, among others.

While on the subject of the band’s early days, o-two asked if they ever go back to the record shop where they first met: “It’s moved a bit further away now, but yeah it’s still there and it’s still a mess.”

They started out making music because they were unsatisfied with what was coming out at the time. Are the

duo any happier with modern music? “I don’t know. There’s much more output, but less output on vinyl. Everyone can produce now on their laptops and there’s so much stuff out there that needs a proper filter. Then you might find some hidden gems.”

‘Gem’ is a word Jence has used when talking about his own songs and his hesitancy to allow people to remix them in the past. Digitalism have done many remixes of other tracks, so it was a bit strange that they were so protective of their own: “We didn’t feel like it would be necessary in the beginning,” he says of his policy on other artists remixing Digitalism songs. “Of course you grow up a bit and you learn to accept that there are so many talented people out there who could just have a go at your stuff. We had to grow into that and now we accept it."

Digitalism will play The Academy on the 29th of October.

MUSIC

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CD Reviews Artist: Belle & Sebastian Album: Belle & Sebastian Write About Love

Artist: Naive New Beaters Album: Wallace

Belle & Sebastian Write About Love, the Scottish act’s umpteenth release, will not be regarded as one of the more memorable additions to their canon.

Like their previous work, The Life Pursuit, it bears the distinctive Motown-indebted production of Tony Hoffer. However, unlike that record, it lacks songs as effervescent as ‘Funny Little Frog’ or ‘Another Sunny Day’. The notoriously bittersweet-sounding band have lent heavily on the melancholic aspects of their music on this occasion, suddenly neglecting the palpably chirpier tone of recent years, as was evident on classic songs such as ‘I’m a Cuckoo’.

Standouts including opener ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ and ‘I Can See Your Future’ hint at experimentalism, as they bear traces of shoegaze. Meanwhile, ‘Come On Sister’ revisits the band’s fascination with electronica first apparent on Tigermilk highlight ‘Electronic Renaissance’. However, having waited four years since their last release, hardcore fans will be disappointed that the band’s sparkling lyrical wit and proclivity for pop genius seems somewhat nullified.

In a nutshell: A long way off If You’re Feeling Sinister.

- Paul Fennessy

Naive New Beaters are best know for their song "Live Good" which was used in a mobile phone ad.

Their debut album Wallace fulfils all the clichés that their trademark song hinted at; driving electronic drums, catchy hook lines, humming synths and discount guitar riffs from the nearby indie club.

On top of that, imagine a Parisian rapping with a fake American accent to Ratatat style beats – you get the picture?

For the nerds among you, Wallace might be water under the bridge. It has been around in France for more than a year, but will be re-released by Kitchenware on September 24th. In addition, the album’s brevity exacerbates the minimal impact of the largely lacklustre songs.

In a nutshell: Mediocre electro-indie for the student disco around the corner with few memorable moments - Lorenz Beyer

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Artist: Dinosaur Pile-Up Album: Growing Pains

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Following great success with the singles ‘Birds and Planes’ and ‘Mona Lisa’, the three lads from Leeds have produced their debut album themselves, having initially refused production offers from Foo Fighters’ Gil Norton.

The indie rock band deliver powerful guitar and drum lines and punchy riffs, accompanied by diverse vocals, mixed with subtle shades of electro influences. It sits somewhere between Kings of Leon and Queens of the Stone Age, with a hint of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs thrown in for good measure.

Despite the odd disappointing track on the album, tunes like ‘Hey You’, ‘My Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘All Around the World’ really showcase the musician's talents and are a welcome exhibition of the groups’ ability to diversify their sound.

In a nutshell: Simple but effective rock 'n’ roll, with an exciting potential for improvement.

- Ciara Doyle

Artist: Carl Barât Album: Carl Barât

Artist: Sacred Animals Album: Welcome Home

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After a mediocre opening to the some time Libertine’s debut solo album, it’s not until some way through track four, ‘Carve My Name’, that proceedings make a semi-courageous attempt to venture beyond the molehill of mediocrity. Moments of variation make it a creative effort worthy of some respect, but it must settle as the album’s peak.

The lead single ‘Run With The Boys’ is weak. Barât imbues a bit too much of the Morrissey spirit and marks the beginning of an arduous retreat and return to lyrical platitudes and pedestrian instrumentation.

This is a record that demonstrates unremarkable delivery, very little emotional range or incisiveness and one that many should find difficult to connect with.

In a nutshell: Though it offers the odd great moment, it stands largely as an acutely insipid release.

- Jonny Baxter

To say that Darragh Nolan wears his influences on his sleeve would be a vast understatement. Threads of Bon Iver and Thom Yorke characterise this record as much as Nolan himself. At times you’d be forgiven for thinking Welcome Home was a collection of Radiohead demos.

This is not to say that it is a derivative or bad record, but Nolan hardly stamps this collection with a personality of his own.

The four tracks that make up Welcome Home feel incomplete, but are certainly enjoyable to listen to once past its lack of originality.

‘Chosen Seed’ finds Nolan transcending the record’s limiting, lo-fi aesthetic and restricted palette of guitar and drum machine, but the title track, and its hypnotic xylophone riff, is simply a joy to listen to. This EP provides sturdy bedrock for the Wexford man to build upon.

In a nutshell: DIY Radiohead at their sweetest and most vulnerable.

- George Morahan

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MUSIC

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Write Like Apes

For their second column, Fight Like Apes' Pockets interviews himself with a range of hard-hitting questions What are you gonna call your first child? And will you disappointed if it’s not good looking?

Very disappointed. I have looked into the process of ‘putting it back’ should I be disappointed enough with its appearance. I saw a child just the other day who was the spitting image of Phil Mitchell. Back it would go. Devastating. I will call my first born Streptomycin.

What’s my obsession with gammy hands and or bones related to a hand?

Well you have got kind of small, stubby hands.

Some might call this a bad thing. I would see the positive side of it. You are at all times further away from danger because your fingers aren’t as long as most peoples. Maybe this has led to an interest in those less fortunate then you?!

What happens if you cross Nigel Mansell with an octopus? And more importantly, why don’t people talk about Nigel Mansell anymore?

Well I haven’t noticed a lull in Nigel Mansell based conversation. This could be largely due to the fact that a day has not gone by in the last three years where you haven’t manage to fit him in, in the most tenuous ways to almost every conversation.

If you crossed him with an octopus the octopus would be in some real big trouble.

Did you know that Thora Birch's (American Beauty, Ghostworld) Ma was in the porno Deep throat?

Did YOU know that her Da was also in it?!

(Here, how do you wipe search history?? ‘Thora Birch + deep throat’ is not something I want permanently on my computer history.)

Are you afraid of people with low arched feet?

Afraid is the wrong word. Wary would be the one I’d go for. Can you imagine your entire foot being almost entirely in contact with the surface you are walking on?? Not to mention the financial responsibility of those insoles you have to buy.

You’d be driven mad.

If you put cheese in a kebab is it still a kebab?

How necessary is the salad?

I don’t see why the inclusion of cheese would negate the qualification of a kebab whatsoever. And personally, I feel the salad is absolutely essential.

Well just the lettuce. I couldn’t do without the crunch.

If you could be a horse, who would you kick in the head?

Florence Squelch.

If you were called something unfortunate like Bolloxmonkey would you sue your parents or simply change your name?

Both.

What’s the story with the fact that skeletor from He-Man actually had a friend called fuckface and why were we allowed to watch it as children?

Wasn’t there a King Randy in that as well?! SheRa was so hot.

Did you know that Mathew Perry is missing part of one his middle fingers?

I did know that. It was due to an unfortunate door-shutting accident in nursery school. That’s so sad.

Does Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) actually have a gammy hand?

I have been part of many a debate around this particular topic. In an effort to prove he does not, I have watched a few fight scenes from Buffy involving Mr. Giles in slow motion to see if I could spot any problems. There were none. If anyone reading this finds evidence to the contrary please let us know. Seriously.

What’s your favourite joke?

Two fish in a tank. One says to the other ‘have you ever driven one of these before?’ Lol.

Do you think it’s fair that there is now an organisation that can veto a child’s name if they deem it inappropriate?

Yes, I do.

If I call my son Doctor as his Christian name do I still have to send him to school or can he skip all that malarkey and just start pulling in the notes?

Hmm. That’s an interesting one. I think either way you’ll be giving him an advantage in life from the word go.

To Catch a Predetor or Cheaters?

I don’t understand the question. You spelled ‘predator’ wrong.

Warrior out.

SONGS TO WAKE UP TO As university students, we know that there are far better things to do in bed than wake up, but Catherine Maguire is here to tell you which music will get you moving on a Monday morning STEELERS WHEEL – ‘STUCK IN THE MIDDLE’ This song has possibly the smoothest timbre to it.

Meandering along with swaying guitar work and a velvety voice, it is the gentle nudge that you need to crawl (somewhat reluctantly) from under your duvet.

KATRINA AND THE WAVES – ‘WALKING ON SUNSHINE’

Ok so it’s cheesy and predictable, but who cares? Does it bring a smile to your face? Check. Does it make you bound out the door to that early morning lecture?

Check. All in all, here at o-two we love its Prozacfuelled bounciness!

WHAM! – ‘WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO’

Scoff all you want, you can’t deny its power to get you up. ‘You put the boom-boom into my heart...’

MUSE – ‘UNDISCLOSED DESIRES’

Sultry, sexy and smooth. Encourages you to get some nookie before you get up.

AIM – ’COLD WATER MUSIC’

Upon first listening to it, it may seem to be piercing on the ears, but it is actually a really gentle way to ease you into the morning.

QUEEN – ‘DON’T STOP ME NOW’ What more can we say? It’s a kick-ass piano-fuelled tune; just don’t thump your tutor with a snooker cue à la Shaun of the Dead.

LENNY KRAVITZ – ‘ARE YOU GONNA GO MY WAY’ It is the rocking opening that really gives this song the necessary thrust! Too bad we’re not actually going his way...

EDVARD GRIEG (PEER GYNT SUITE NO. 1, OP. 46.) – ‘MORGENSTEMNING (MORNING MOOD)’ How can anyone leave this masterpiece out? It is an absolute classic, stirring strings and a flute so sweet you will get a tooth ache.

ROGUE TRADERS – ‘VOODOO CHILD’ No matter how tired you are or how many WKDs you had last night, I defy you not to bounce around your bedroom like a lunatic when this comes on.

LADY GAGA – ’BAD ROMANCE’ It’s more the opening that is suitable for waking someone up. Just put on ‘oh ooo oh ooo ooohhh oooo ooohhhh ohhhh... caught in a... ’ turn it up to full volume and watch sleeping beauty jump sky high!

MUSIC

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Greenpiece The self-proclaimed Professor Green talks fate, freestyling and cynicism with George Morahan.

Green was initially signed to Mike Skinner’s ill-fated record label, The Beats.

F

ortune hasn’t always smiled on Professor Green.

Before tasting success this year, the former Stephen Paul Manderson suffered his share of personal and professional disappointment. The successive deaths of his father and grandmother threw him back into drug addiction and the failure of former label The Beats led to a draining legal battle with its parent label Warner.

“I’m not having the best of luck,” he states. “My battery has run out. I’m back in East London, that’s what happens.”

It seems that fate is against both Green and o-two, and fate also has a temperamental phone battery and London public transport on her side. The omens are not good, but Green remains in good spirits and answers with the characteristic honesty that runs through his debut album. With his mix of lyrical bluntness and diverse production, Green flits between blues, dubstep and orchestral standards, and even finds room for some massive pop hooks. This effort has been rewarded with both commercial success and warm critical praise.

“Putting the album out there was an extremely scary thing to do. Getting the reaction I have, with the reviews and the appreciation has been wicked.”

As a young rapper from Hackney, naturally, Green is lumped in with the grime movement and the MCs who have made the leap to the top of the charts, such as Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah, but Green is keen to point out that his roots lie away from those of his peers.

“I’ve always flirted with the grime scene, but I came up battling in the UK hip hop scene. I’ve always preferred the grime scene, but it wasn’t where my roots are.” Either way, the songs Green creates are far more reflective and personal than the grime-pop that dominates British airwaves. His songs double as

therapy sessions, as he rhymes about bereavement, his stabbing and the drudgery of life at home. “It’s definitely therapeutic, as I tend to keep stuff in my head. I’ve got 26 years under my belt now and there’s a hell of a lot more for me to talk about.”

Despite a successful album, a couple of chart hits and a collection of famous collaborators (including Lily Allen and The Streets), things haven’t much changed for Green. He’s doing this interview on Shoreditch High Street, a mere 25 metres from where he was stabbed and doesn’t live far from the council estate he grew up in. Despite the scars, actual and metaphorical, life in Hackney has given him; Green has nothing but kind words for his neighbourhood.

“I love Hackney. You can’t spend that long somewhere, all those years growing up, that’s something that can’t be changed. No matter how far away I am, it’s always got a place in my heart.”

“I used to be a bit of a naughty fucker,” he proudly declares; Green spent very little time at school from the age of thirteen onwards. Life was scattered, but Green found an anchor when he took up rapping, a relative latecomer at the age of 18.

“I was just at a friend’s house and everyone was freestyling. I got caught on the spot, I rapped some

“Putting the album out there was an extremely scary thing to do. Getting the reaction I have, with the reviews and the appreciation has been wicked”

lyrics for a joke and everyone’s like: ’What? You can rap!’ He may have stumbled into music, but he made a respected name for himself battling on pirate radio.

“Those were some stressful times, let me tell you.”

The tragic sequence of events that plagued his young adult life only contributed to his natural cynicism and his early forays into the music industry proved wasteful and expensive.

Signed to The Beats (former label of Mike Skinner of The Streets fame), things were looking up, until the label folded at Christmas of 2007. Green spent the next year in a torrid legal battle for his master tapes and found Skinner to be an influential, if somewhat grating presence.

“I wasn’t trying to be Mike Skinner, and I wasn’t ignorant to the point of not listening, but I knew what I wanted to do. He found it impossible to look at my music as an A & R man instead of as an artist.”

He says of his former boss. “I wasn’t willing to become him, it took him a long time to let go of control and for me to be happy with the middle ground. Just as we did that, the music was getting really good, but then his label went under.”

Now at EMI, Green is relishing stability and its catalytic effect on his creativity; however he remains somewhat guarded about his future.

In reference to his album title, Alive Till I’m Dead, Green states that he was “quite a pessimistic person and I still am. I have become more optimistic; I’m making it a more positive sentiment. I like living, not just being alive.”

He finishes excitedly; he cannot wait to bring his sound to Europe and hopefully Stateside too: “The album is starting to travel and I want to travel with it.”

Professor Green’s debut album Alive Till I’m Dead is out now.

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5 October 2010

MUSIC

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Y-sy Listening

Rodrigo Sanchez chats to Aoife Valentine about busking beginnings, making it and playing for the Obamas

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odrigo y Gabriela are not your run-of-themill folk guitarist duo. Immersed in Mexico’s metal era throughout their youth, the Latin influences and the heavy metal edge in their music are apparent a mile away.

Having embraced those metal connections in the past, are they fading now? “No, it’s growing actually,” says Rodrigo Sanchez. “You go to our shows and you see a lot of metal heads. It was great to have the recognition from the kings, from Metallica themselves, to be in touch with them and having the opportunity to jam with Robert [Trujillo] pretty often.” He continued: “It’s great because that opened the door for a lot of metal-heads to understand that we come from there. It’s clear for the people that we love metal.”

Jamming with Metallica is not the peak of their stardom, however. This summer they played a state dinner for the Obamas. Entertaining the President is quite a leap from hanging with the princes of antiestablishment. “It was great, it was very strange. When we got to meet him, the first thing he said was ‘I have your music on my iPod’. It was pretty cool.”

Playing the White House is a far cry from busking on Grafton Street, but Rodrigo insists they were his favourite experiences in Ireland. “They were amazing moments in our lives and it’s something that won’t happen again, even if we wanted it to. We met a lot of people and we learned a lot, as musicians and as human beings. It was an amazing experience.”

Perhaps at this point it would be easy to relax content in their success thus far, but he rejects this

notion entirely. “We have achieved financial freedom or whatever you want to call it, but from saying that to saying ‘I made it’ is a big gap. When I get enlightened, then I probably would say I’d made it.”

And have they been attempting to reach this enlightenment? Certainly their latest album contrasts with previous work considerably. “Production-wise it’s different. The recording and the approach is different.

It has a concept in a way, and it’s worked out because through that concept, paying tribute to musicians, we have met a lot of them and we’ve had the chance to jam with a lot of them. We have learned a lot from them. They are pretty much our heroes.”

A unique duo, open-hearted, willing to learn and experiment, nothing looks set to stop them. With a hectic tour schedule in America and Europe to keep them busy, Rodrigo y Gabriella are definitely not sitting back basking in their own glory. “We’re excited to do this tour that’s about to start. It’s quite big and we’re very happy right now.”

Catch Rodrigo y Gabriela when they play the Grand Canal Theatre, November 12th and 13th.

“When we got to meet him, the first thing he said was ‘I have your music on my iPod’. It was pretty cool”

Rodrigo y Gabriela gained a cult following in Ireland long before achieving international recognition.

Good Morrow America Irish musician James Vincent McMorrow takes a break from preparing for his upcoming US tour to talk to Grace Murphy.

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hose of you who have been wondering what’s missing from your lives can put your minds at rest. It’s Early In The Morning, the debut album from James Vincent McMorrow. Reminiscent of Bon Iver and The Antlers, this beautiful arrangement sold out three weeks after its February release.

McMorrow recorded the album by himself in a house on the coast with one microphone and no idea of what was to come.

“I kinda thought if I sold maybe a thousand copies, optimistically, and it sold out in the first two or three weeks, so I can’t complain. It’s exceeded every expectation I’ve had in Ireland.”

Following his magical Sunday afternoon set at Electric Picnic, James is travelling to the US next week to embark on an acoustic tour with Bell X1.

“I go out next Tuesday, we’re all going out together,

so it’s a blessing to be able to go out on my first run in America with people that I know, people that I respect.

“Bell X1 are one of those bands that were pretty pervasive in my college days. I remember being in UCD and they would play in the college and everyone’s seen them become this big entity. Paul [Noonan] has been nothing but lovely to me and incredibly supportive.”

This US tour coincides with the North American and Canadian release of Early In The Morning, which practically signed itself a US record deal. “Someone had passed the record along to someone who works for Universal. He went back home with it and was playing it in his office and people were walking by his office started asking who it was, so he burned them off a copy”.

He continues: “It ended up in the hands of the guys who run Vagrant Records in the US and they made their interest known. As soon as they did, it was an inevitable thing that I’d sign with them, because they’re such a great label.”

And how does McMorrow think his music will be received in the States? “It’s impossible to tell, it’s been received so well over here. The hope would be that it would continue in that same vein. You don’t want to count your chickens. I’m putting out an EP first as kind of a ground work for the record and it’s been well received there from what I’ve been told in the last week.”

James Vincent McMorrow plays The Button Factory on November 5th. His limited edition 7” vinyl Red Dust will be on sale at the show.

FOOD & DRINK

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5 October 2010

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Restaurant Review: There are few delicacies more delicious than noodles at Wagamama, writes Alison Sneyd

T

here is something undeniably cool about an underground noodle bar. Wagamama, secreted beneath St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, is part of an international chain of Japanese style eateries. I visited on a busy Friday evening. The queue for a seat was long, running up a set of stairs leading to the restaurant floor. Below was a bright and bustling room with simple décor; it was lined with long, shared wooden tables where couples, groups of friends and families rubbed elbows.

The queue moved quickly and within ten minutes we were shown to our packed table. Our friendly and laid-back waitress explained that there are no starters at Wagamama, just main courses and side dishes.

Food is brought out as it is cooked. Not surprisingly, our drinks arrived first. I chose one of Wagamama’s freshly made juices, with apple, orange and passion fruit. It was sweet and refreshing and worth its €4 price tag. My companion went for the green tea; students take note – it's free.

Next to arrive was our side dish of yasai gyoza. These fried dumplings consisted of a thin layer of crispy pastry surrounding a diced vegetable filling. They were delicious dunked in their sweet soy dipping sauce.

While we were enjoying the dumplings, my main course arrived, followed by my friend’s chilli chicken ramen a few minutes after. I had the moyashi soba, a giant – and I do mean giant – bowl of noodle soup.

The dish was made of a vegetable broth with chunks of

Shaking it Up Cocktails are not just for Carrie and co., writes Catherine Maguire, they are a fun and cheap alternative for the recession conscious student.

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ecession might as well be another word for prohibition for all the going out we do these days. So in an effort to make staying at home drinking just a little more classy, o-two is playing Tom Cruise and fixing you three of the most sophisticated yet purse friendly cocktails around. Easy to make and with easily available ingredients, you now have no excuse to drink Dutch Gold.

SCREWDRIVERS 2 - 3 ice cubes 1½ measures of Vodka Orange Juice This is the possibly the easiest cocktail to make in the whole universe. Put the ice in glass, pour in the vodka and dilute with as much or as little orange juice as tickles your fancy. Consider it one of your 5 a day.

stir fried tofu, courgette and snow peas floating on a bed of noodles.

I slurped it up using a wooden ladle for the broth and chopsticks to pick out the vegetables and noodles. It was a bit messy, but lots of fun.

It was perfect comfort food; healthy, full of flavour and filling without being stodgy. My only complaint is that the volume of the soup was bigger than my stomach capacity.

Wagamama is not wallet-friendly enough to be a regular student haunt – our meals cost €11.95 and €13.45 respectively, with €7 for the side dish. Dessert will set you back another €5 and it is up to €4 for a drink. As a treat however, you won’t find a better atmosphere or a more satisfying meal.

Wagamama, South King Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 478 2152 VODKA AND WATERMELON CRUSH 1 watermelon, chilled.

300 ml of orange juice 1 lime 3 measures of Vodka Sugar Crushed ice This one is a little bit more exotic, but well worth the trip to Lidl for the watermelon. Cut the melon into quarters, remove the seeds and slice the skin off.

It is best to drink this in relative sobriety; drunkenly

Wagamama: a treat for noodle lovers.

“Our friendly and laidback waitress explained that there are no starters at Wagamama, just main courses and side dishes” waving a knife pretending to be Gordon Ramsey won’t end well.

Chop the flesh and put it into a blender, followed by orange juice, vodka and juice from the lime. Add as much sugar as you want and blend for about 3 minutes.

Put the ice into a bag and senselessly smash the snot out of it against any hard surface of your choice.

It’s the perfect opportunity to vent your frustration about your annoying roommate. However, if you are a pacifist, just crush the ice in the blender instead. With the ice smashed to smithereens, you can sit back, mix the cocktail and enjoy.

PEACH BLOW 8 cracked ice-cubes Juice of half a lemon 4 strawberries crushed or very finely chopped 1½ teaspoons double cream 2 measures gin Soda water Oddly, there are no actual peaches in this drink.

Place four of the ice cubes into a cocktail shaker (or whatever you have masquerading as one). Mix in the lemon juice, strawberries, sugar, double cream and gin and give it a good shake about. Filter into the glass and pour the slightest amount of soda water on top.

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5 October 2010

REVIEW

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CLASSICS FROM THE LIBRARY Bored and poor? Steven Balbirnie and Emer Sugrue pick the best books and films on offer in the James Joyce Library.

The Deportees

by Roddy Doyle

The Deportees by Roddy Doyle is one of the most amusing and arguably most socially relevant books to be recently published in Ireland.

In this collection of short stories, as previously with his The Barrytown Trilogy, by illustrating the minutiae of North Dublin life, Doyle uses his characteristic humour to vividly evoke the diversity of modern Ireland. Too few Irish writers seem to have acknowledged that Ireland has become a multi-cultural society, but Doyle approaches the topic with gusto.

The topics covered in these eight stories vary widely from an African boy’s first day at school to a Polish

nanny’s ghost story. However, a common thread runs throughout. Doyle explains the link in his foreword as, “someone born in Ireland meets someone who has come to live here”.

One highlight is “57% Irish”, a story in which the Irish government introduces a ridiculous citizenship test based on responses to Riverdance, Joe Duffy and Robbie Keane. What stands out the most in The Deportees however, is the title story, in which Doyle crafts a brilliantly entertaining sequel to his breakthrough novel The Commitments.

All in all, The Deportees is thoroughly enjoyable and definitely worth reading and will entertain while challenging your perceptions of modern Irish society.

Steven Balbirnie

Amélie

Perfect for a cosy night in, the 2001 French film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, or Amélie as it is more

Theatre

Title: Dracula Directed by: Michael Scott Starring: Lukas Hassel as Dracula, Leigh Arnold as Mina, Liam McMahon as Harker, David Heap as Van Helsing, Declan McGuaran as Renfield, Melissa Nolan as Lucy, Patrick O’ Donnell as Dr Seward, Shawn Sturnick as Lord Arthur.

Lukas Hassel and Leigh Arnold star in a new adaptation of Dracula at the Tivoli.

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n an age where the vampire is recognised as a sparkly, hormonal, borderline-stalker pretty boy, it’s refreshing to see our old favourite depraved antagonist making a comeback.

In this adaption of Bram Stoker’s famous tale, we see an unabashed interpretation of Dracula.

Through use of insightful soliloquies and a team of vibrant characters, the epistolary novel comprised of documents and letters was expertly translated to the stage. The titular character commanded our attention from the very outset. Dracula’s adept use of perverse

gestures, such as sniffing his hands and fondling Harker’s clothing, created an intensely ominous atmosphere. Although his behaviour was reminiscent of a drunken sleaze in Tripod, Hassel excelled in evoking an alluring sense of dominance and power over the stage.

Arnold as Mina Murray was captivating. I was mesmerised by the strength of her natural performance and seductive voice. The unwitting chemistry between Mina and Dracula as he sank his teeth into her, was heart-stoppingly palpable.

commonly known, will delight and surprise you.

The film follows 23-year-old Amélie who, upon finding a lost treasure of a former young occupant of her tiny Paris flat, decides to devote herself to making the people in her world happy. On her imaginative mission, she tries to persuade her grieving father to live his dream of seeing the world, spark a romance in the café where she works and gets revenge on a bullying greengrocer. She becomes infatuated with a mysterious man who collects photographs and while holding his photo album hostage, attempts to approach him.

It is a wonderfully whimsical journey through Paris and the vivid imagination of Amélie. It is ludicrously heart-warming and funny and a perfect introduction to world cinema for anyone who may be wary of committing to two hours of subtitles. The characters are so lively and charming that after ten minutes, you won’t even realise you are reading anything. The colours and atmosphere of the film are intoxicating and the accordion-fuelled soundtrack of Yann Tiersen will play in your head for weeks. As soon as it ends, you will want to watch it again and relive the fabulous world of Miss Amélie Poulain.

Emer Sugrue McGuaran as Renfield added comic relief to a play saturated in despair, with a singsong amidst Dracula’s bloodbath and a bout of unexpected nudity. His performance definitely stood out.

The set thoroughly appealed to the senses; a chilling atmosphere was created by real trees, an omnipresent fog and a temperature so cold I had to wear my coat throughout the performance.

Vivid velvety costumes added a splash of colour, making the stage itself a work of art. Freedom of movement in the fabric ensured the audience remained fixated upon the characters. Watching Dracula’s cape undulate over his trembling victims was almost beautiful.

The stage lighting was also superb. The dark set instantly imbued the audience with a foreboding and gothic mood. Juxtaposed with shadow, piercingly blinding lights were intermittently employed to shock. This was a set which really connected with the audience.

The sound effects left a lot to be desired, however.

Background music was stilted and often overrode dialogue. Scenes were punctuated with a cacophony of random wolf-howls which was just cringeworthy.

Dracula is a play which exudes charisma, searing passion and the type of seductive masochism everyone loves to hate. As the fallen prototype for teenage crazes of late, this is where Dracula reclaims his throne.

True, the villain massacres and tortures innocent people, but whether we like it or not, the audience is made to feel for him whilst also having the bejaysus scared out of them.

In a Nutshell: Really a show to sink your teeth into.

Dracula is running in the Tivoli Theatre until November 6th.

BACK PAGE

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5 October 2010

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Please Talk!

When was the last time you checked Bebo, and why?

The German Flag: “All the cool flags use Facebook these days”

Eoin Cunningham of The Filthy Geeks gets up close and personal with their audience.

Campus Band Interview

The Filthy Geeks

Eoin O'Regan, 2nd History and English “A few months ago, stalking this bird I fancied”

The post-punks with a literary streak, The Filthy Geeks, answer our Campus Band Questionnaire

Where did you get the inspiration for your name?

It’s a different and non-aspirational name. I like it, because it’s a change from the cool type of name a band would usually pick.

How does the band line up?

We’re a five-piece. Aengus Boyle and Matt Deasy are on lead guitars, Eoin Kelly is our drummer, Tom Campbell is our token Australian on synth and Eoin Cunningham is our bassist/vocalist. We come from colleges across Dublin which can be an advantage and a disadvantage.

What are your main influences?

Well we all bring different influences to the band.

Post punk is reflected in the lyrics, which stem from writers like Ballard and Nietzsche and tend to be dark and introspective, despite the upbeat sound. We’re also influenced by garage rock by way of our drummer.

We’re hard to pigeonhole.

What acts would headline your dream festival?

Well every member would give a different answer.

Responses range from Interpol to music from the eighties like Echo and The Bunnymen and Thin Lizzy as well as Led Zeppelin.

Where’s your favourite place to drink in Dublin?

You can’t beat Doyles or Le Cirque. We don’t have a lot of money, so that often dictates things.

What’s the best thing about college?

It’s a place where you can think and form your own views. It’s an amazing opportunity, there’s so much there at your disposal and so many people to inspire you.

David Curtis 2nd Liberal Arts “I was seeing if that Russian stripper story was too good to be true”

And the worst thing?

I think a lot of students in Ireland can become unmotivated. They’re thrown straight in and I think that’s hard. They might find after a while that they’ve jumped into the wrong thing for them. I try to capture some of that in our songs.

How are you different to other campus bands?

Our live show is pretty mental. It got us to the final of the King Kong Battle of the Bands in The Village, which 150 bands entered. We were also in the final of the UCD Battle of the Bands. Our guitarist in particular tends to put on a hell of a show. It’s something people can really look forward to if they come and see us.

In conversation with Michael Phoenix The Filthy Geeks play UCD Student Bar in November and Shebeen Chic on 14th October.

Richard O’Loughlin, 1st Arts “A few months ago, to see if it still existed” Peadar Keegan 1st Arts “Around two years ago, checking up on a girl from the Gaeltacht” - Matthew Jones