Volume XVIII - Otwo Issue Nine by The University Observer

14th February 2012 Issue IX Volume XVIII

OTWO

The Arts & Culture Supplement of the University Observer

Aidan Gillen OTWO talks to star of Game of ate Thrones, The Wire and Love/H

Also inside >>

Craig Finn | Ja mes

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contents Page 3 – Regulars

Aoife Valentine reveals the things that offend the core of her being and the things she finds passable in What’s Hot and What’s Not, while hippy dog owners are at the end of a tongue lashing from Caitriona O’Malley in Soapbox.

Letter from the Editors

Page 4 – Spiritual & Gender-related Advice Mittens is in the mood for luurrrve this Valentine’s Day – let that image fester – while Dixon tells the men of UCD to follow their hearts penises.

Page 5 – Fashion

Fashion this week sees the return of Campus Style Watch, but with a twist, as UCD’s Erasmus students scope out their local trendsetters. Also this issue, Aoife Valentine examines the legacy of the late Alexander McQueen and Niamh Hynes laments the decline of the supermodel. So sads.

Page 9 – Food

Food Editor Elaine Lavery gets to making some Valentine’s aphrodisiacs, while Sam Gaffney talks to the Druid Chef, Ruairí Ó’Moracháin.

Page 10 – Travel

Sally Hayden explores New Zealand in the wake of last year’s devastating earthquake, and Daryl Bolger takes a humbling trip to Krakow, Poland. Meanwhile, Ben Storey discovers a Hidden Gem in Amsterdam that has nothing to do with drugs or hookers, so there’s that.

Page 12 – Games & Technology

Reviews this week concern Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and Steven Balbirnie takes a look into the crazy world of professional gaming.

Page 14 – Cover Feature

Dublin’s very own Aidan Gillen talks to George Morahan about his work on The Wire and Game of Thrones, his thoughts on Irish TV and his Christmas detour in Dingle.

Page 16 – Film & TV

With Oscar season upon us, Dermot O’Rourke takes a look at this year’s Irish hopefuls and the agreeable trend of success for this nation’s short films, whilst Tadgh Dolan gets the scoop on this year’s Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. Chloé Duane ranks cinema’s best serial killers in Top 10 and we have reviews of Rampart, Martha Marcy May Marlene and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, plus the Foursome searches for the best easy-going, friendly sitcom.

Page 20 – Music

There are album reviews, Mixtapes and Duffington Posts galore, while interviews with the Maccabees, Craig Finn and Grouplove make up the rest of Issue Nine’s music section.

Page 27 – Otwo Attempts...

Emily Longworth thinks she’s ready for stardom in this week’s attempts, but UCD’s Musical Society may not agree. WARNING: Legwarmers aplenty.

Page 28 – Backpage Bants

A few lucky souls get to relive their worst frapes in Voxpops, while Ordinary Level tackles comedian David Reilly. 2

Issue 9 – Stuck between Stations, from Baltimore to King’s Landing Hey readers,

Gracing this issue’s cover we have the magnificent Aidan Gillen, whom George interviewed recently. Gillen has quietly gone about compiling an impressive résumé over the course of his career, but it seems he is continually drawn to HBO. Having established himself on an international basis with his layered performance as Carcetti in The Wire, he has been reunited with the American cable giant on Game of Thrones, which returns to HBO and Sky Atlantic in early April. The show was a tentative success coming out of the gate, but became a fully-fledged cult hit by the end of its first season, and anticipation is ramping up before its second season premiere. It was surprising to see Gillen pop up in the role of Littlefinger, and speaking the Queen’s English no less, but he quickly found his niche as the master schemer of the court and facing off with his major rival for the King’s ear, Varys, played by the “fantastic actor” that is Conleth Hill, as described by Gillen. “They’re each other’s equal, and of course, they’ll never be straight with each other,” he goes on to say. Viewers can look forward to more of the same this season, but Littlefinger will also explore some new rivalries as he ventures beyond

King’s Landing. It’ll be a treat to watch, no doubt. Also this issue, we take stock of the Irish film industry as the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and this year’s Academy Awards saunter into view. Dermot O’Rourke delves into the puzzling and pleasing success of the Irish short film at the Oscars, talking to Eimear O’Kane, producer of 2012 nominee Pentecost, while Tadgh Dolan spoke to JDIFF organiser Gràinne Humphreys as the festival enters its tenth year in triumphant style, boasting guests such as Mark Wahlberg, Glenn Close and Michael Corleone himself, Al Pacino. Despite being a minnow of world cinema, prospects for Irish film are on an upward trend, and this nation is clearly producing art that the cultural community can be proud of – in feature-length and short films, live action and animation. It seems we are focusing quite a bit on the landscape of Irish film and television this issue, but there are also interviews with Grouplove, the Maccabees, and the ever-surprising Craig Finn in music, plus all the regulars you know and love. So enjoy, and we’ll surely see you in a fortnight.

AC Slaters, Aoife and George

woof the fuck What’s hot and what’s not

What’s Hot

soapbox

The Other Olsen

Pretty much no one knew there was a third Olsen a few months ago, but after a few stunning photo-shoots, her leading role in Martha Marcy May Marlene and an announcement of a role starring opposite Tom “You’ll always be Draco Malfoy to me” Felton, Elizabeth Olsen is making quite the name for herself, not least because, unlike her sisters, she doesn’t fully embrace the heroinchic-gone-homeless look. Yay, pretty lady!

Naked II Palette

Oh, Urban Decay. You actively describe the latest addition to your large range of eye-shadow palettes as being packed with “twelve taupe and greige neutrals,” and it’s still probably the most coveted palette in existence right now. Hailed as being universally flattering and likely to become a product you’d rather not live without, much like the original Naked palette, the chances of finding one without selling your soul are quickly becoming slim. .

CFDA Health Guidelines for Models

Ahead of Fashion Week, the Council of Fashion Designers in America have announced new health initiative guidelines to ensure that models younger than sixteen are removed and those showing signs of an eating disorder must be cleared by a medical professional before they are allowed on the runway. With top modeling agencies pledging to abide by these guidelines, it marks a large step in the right direction in the modeling world.

What’s Not Lana Del Rey ‘Retiring’

Lana Del Rey has barely released her debut album, Born to Die, and she’s already decided she’s had enough and that there is nothing more left in the world to inspire her, after basing the record around a break-up. She says, “I don’t think I’ll write another record. What would it say? Everything I wanted to say, I’ve said already.” Love, you’re twenty-five, and you’ve still got a babysitting job. Stick to the music.

Karl Lagerfeld’s apology

So, Karl Lagerfeld thought it would be okay to say Adele is fat and when everyone freaked out at him over it, he claimed it was taken out of context. He has issued the feeblest excuse for an apology and claimed that Adele is his “favourite.” So it’s grand? Please, put it into context, take it out of context, it means the same.

Skanky Underwear

With Valentine’s Day here, there has been a sudden influx of red satin and an indecent amount of rhinestones and multi-coloured jewels in the windows of every shop in the entire world. Stop it now, people of the world. You’re making me feel bad for humanity as a whole. Put more clothes on your mannequins, and make them less shiny.

by Aoife Valentine

OTWO

Dog owners who don’t use leads are a danger to pedestrians everywhere, writes Caitríona O’Malley

here were two camps and two dogs. One mutt was on a lead, displaying glowing good behaviour; the other, bristling with aggression, itching for a scrap, free from the confines of a lead. Fiery glances were exchanged. A middleaged woman owned the wild canine galloping towards the other. She bellowed insulting words when an attempt was made to ward off the predator. Where did such an incident, akin to a scene from Apocalypse Now, occur, you may ask? No, not on the battlefield in ‘Nam, but on an innocent family stroll. Just another case of Attack of the Stupid Dog Owner. This writer has had enough of being accosted by feral dogs, giddy with the rush of freedom. She has witnessed a slightly older dog being flattened by an excitable young upstart. The sight of leadless labradors transformed from cuddly golden whirls to Cujo is frankly terrifying. Owners, you have leads for a reason. It is enraging when a careless dog owner dangles a leash from their hand whilst their mutt bounds towards you, gnashing through a wave of spittle and slobber. If some people have the sense to buckle their pet, everyone can - no exceptions. Your dog might be adorable to you, but is an annoyance for other walkers. The sheer apathy of some pet owners is incredible. They might make a feeble attempt to call their beast as he ploughs towards you, barking maniacally. Or they might utter those heinous words: ‘Don’t worry, sure she’s harmless!’ Those words! They never fail to instil feelings of deepest contempt. A crucial point: the addition of a lead greatly enhances harmlessness, so use one. Trying to fend off a slavering dog that seems bound for your throat is not fun. For the dog-mad folk out there; if a fellow walker shoots you a look that would make Sonny Corleone whimper, take the hint. Clip that four-legged fiend up! Extendable leads are almost as bad as no leads. What good is having Bruce the bulldog on a lead if he still has enough leeway to munch a hapless pedestrian’s leg? The dog thinks he’s free; the owner can’t control him, hence: utter carnage. They are a ridiculous invention and should be outlawed. People who use such pointless leashes can only have a vendetta against those around them. Also, as they are not the strongest, an extendable lead can quickly become no lead, leading to the possibility of bloodshed for both human and canine alike. Too often, this writer has watched the ferocious fallout when dogs go leadless. Children can fall off bikes; terriers can be flung to the ground; labradors can lunge. It is ugly, but it can be avoided. Heed the lead! 3

OTWO

Mystic Mittens’ feline fortunes Taurus

May 14th – June 21st Thank god that Bebo’s servers are working again, how else could you share the luv? Seriously, works like a charm.

Virgo

September 17th – October 30th That teddy bear isn’t obnoxious or large enough, so take it back. It should be 1.5 times the size of its recipient, like statues of communist dictators.

Sagittarius

December 18th - January 20th The boombox trick won’t work; Say Anything... came out twenty-six years ago. Plus, your ex’s father died in that tragic boombox factory accident when they were still relevant.

Gemini

June 22nd – July 20th I wouldn’t bother shaving your legs; no one’s going to see them.

The claws are out this Valentine’s Day when Mittens returns from the beauty salon with some sage romantic advice

Aries

April 19th - May 13th Just tell her how you really feel, with no inhibitions. Of course she’s ready for full exposure to the id of a desperate man.

Dixie, As any polyorchid will know, the Six Nations is upon us. This is a time when every man feels wholly insignificant as his girlfriend sits on the couch next to him, cooing at every other man in tight shorts displaying their brawn and skill. It is an annual trough in my self-esteem. I usually deal with it by hating on young men outside the chipper or bathing in Old Spice and then wanking into a sock. But this year, I want to turn over a new leaf. So how do I either; a) NOT watch the rugby while retaining the respect of my pack of manly wolves, or b) lock ma’ bitch in a box and not lose my liberty? Or have you other suggestions…? Yours, Bruiser Bidnit Listen here “Bruiser”, After a certain point, I just get tired. Not sleepy tired, as any man who uses the word ‘sleepy’ as an adjective needs a good old-fashioned symbolic repossession of his genitals. And I don’t believe in symbolism, Bruiser, so I’m talking about a full blown ding dong detachment, a chip off the ol’ dale, if you will. I get tired of men all drooling over some disapproving dame, or getting in a funk about the size of their junk, or junk funk as I call it. Most of all, I am tired of some piece of ankle playing the Kansas City Shuffle with my 4

Cancer

July 21st – August 10th The trick to a self-made card is the paper. Get some of that sweet, thick, coloured card to show that special someone you mean business. No, A4 printer paper will not cut it, but sticking dried pasta to your card is most definitely a nice touch.

Libra

January 21st – February 16th You will get struck by Cupid’s arrow and require experimental heart surgery. Fingers crossed, eh?

Scorpio

Aquarius

November 24th – November 29th Baths for two are always romantic; just don’t become obsessed with perfecting your bubble beard. That goes for you too, gentlemen.

Leo

August 11th – September 16th

Gonna get some tonight, *wink*. And by ‘some’, I do mean crabs, but also sex. Go you!

Capricorn

October 31st – November 23rd A few tins and a Jason Statham flick, you sure know how to charm them, lad.

February 17th – March 11th Write her a haiku. Bitches no longer love sonnets.

Pisces

Ophiuchus

November 30th – December 17th

You’re going to die alone.

March 12th – April 18th What do you say me, you and that fine lookin’ scratching pole take this party elsewhere?

Leave your questions for the dashing detective on the Dixon Coltrane Facebook page boys’ self-esteem, and then watching them get depressed about it. Look at me, using words like ‘depression’. Apparently I’m not the only one who can make up nonsense words. These are your options as you see it; not watch sports, so as to procure the blind admiration of the woman at the top of your woman’s legs, or lock her in a box so she can’t enjoy her serving of covetous man-cake. Naturally, you like sports because of the penis that is attached to you – don’t argue with science – so logically, you would assume I would suggest that your lady friend bring snacks, because she’s got a first class ticket to the cardboard express. You would think that, but for an incredibly one-joke detective character like myself, I’m more suprising than a surprise birthday, held three months before your birthday, in Pearl Harbour. If your long-legged lady and her long lady legs are making you feel inferior to men with bigger arms than you, you could go to the gym, and get your hands on some iron and pump like a deviant Frenchman – but that is hard work, and work is for horses and communists. No, my advice Bruiser; make like a tree, and tell her to get out of your house.

Dixon Coltrane Real Men Smoke on Airplanes Your partner should make you feel good about yourself, make you feel like you’re wearing a crisp, pressed suit, even on the days when she forgot to press your suit. If your partner isn’t giving you the goods, respect-wise (and this goes for dames and their fellas too, although don’t say I told you), you should drop ’em like they are significantly above room tempature. Drop ’em like a fingered fifty in a foiled flambago. Drop ’em like the shopping of a man who is lugging home his shop-

ping, but also doesn’t have any arms. In short, leave her. Let her look at other men’s legs in her own time – this is your time to look at men’s legs, and damned if you’ll be shamed out of your man-leg staring time. And finally, I’d thank you not to call me polyorchid. I don’t take kindly to men commenting on the quantity of my under-carriage ballast bags, but suffice to say, any less than the four and you’re just not trying hard enough. That’s the rub, Dixon Coltrane

‘I am not Superman; I am a supermodel’

Fashion OTWO

The golden age of supermodels is over, but it was great while it lasted, writes Niamh Hynes

here the term ‘supermodel’ cantly, for the first time they out-earned the male emerged from is anyone’s guess. participants in their industry, making themselves Fans of America’s Next Top the most powerful players. Model are no doubt aware that According to fashion author Charlotte Seelformer model Janice Dicken- ing, the models of this time helped to hide the son vociferously claims she coined the phrase fact that fashion was in crisis, keeping its glamduring her career in the late 1970s. During the our alive. They were supported in this by the edi1960s and 1970s, it became a regularly used term tors of international fashion magazines, designers in many popular American publications to de- and photographers such as Steven Meisel and scribe girls such as Twiggy, Cheryl Tiegs and Peter Lindburgh. Gianni Versace paid the biggest Jean Shrimpton. However, utter the word and models bonuses to walk exclusively for him durmore than likely the first images that come to ing Milan fashion week, meaning their fees for a mind are the girls of the eighties and early nine- thirty-minute show had reached $20,000. He sent ties - when the term became a prominent part ‘The Trinity’ – Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlingof popular culture and representative of a group ton and Linda Evangelista – and Cindy Crawford of long-legged beauties that were household out onto his catwalk singing along to George names. Naomi, Christy, Linda, Cindy, and Clau- Michael’s ‘Freedom’, the 1990 music video for dia dominated the runways of Paris, New York which featured all four models. It was symbolic of and Milan, acting as powerful marketing tools a moment in time when supermodels had become for the designers and brands they represented the ultimate celebrities, and every part of their and were admired the world over by women lifestyle was coveted. who wished to emulate the glamour and excess However, the tide began to turn against the of their lifestyle. supermodels, who in some ways were victims So just what was it about these girls that of their own success – their personas became so made them so alluring and has seen their pro- large that designers felt they were distracting files endure to this day? Looking at their physi- from the clothes. In 1992, a new model, Kate cal attributes, they couldn’t be more different Moss, walked for Marc Jacobs’ grunge collecto what we have come to expect a modern day tion. At the time, her skinny frame and angular model to look like. Each one was fit and toned, look did not receive the most positive of reachealthy looking - with big hair, and big smiles. tions. A year later, Kate fronted the Calvin Klein What resulted were big contracts, with Christy campaign, and as the fashion world embraced Turlington being paid $800,000 for twelve days the ‘heroin chic’ look, the ‘anti-supermodel’ of work with Maybelline, Cindy Crawford land- was born. Actresses began replacing models on ing contracts with Revlon and Pepsi, and Linda the cover of magazines, a trend perpetuated by Evangelista proclaiming in one infamous Vogue the newly appointed editor of US Vogue, Anna interview, “Christy and I wouldn’t get out of bed Wintour. The profiles of fashion designers such for less than $10,000!” They flew Concorde, vis- as Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano and Marc ited several different countries in a week, dated Jacobs began, some would argue rightfully, to famous actors and musicians and, most signifi- outshadow those employed to be mannequins.

The golden age of the supermodel was well and truly over. However, for a brief moment it appeared as if the dawn of a new supermodel age could be on the horizon. When the tanned, toned Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bündchen began making waves in the fashion business, it seemed to mark the fact that the industry had turned against the pale, ultra-skinny, drug-addicted look of the late nineties. If the original supermodels’ beauty was unattainable, it was still desirable. In this respect it seemed as though the fashion world lost touch with ordinary women, many of whom were alienated by the unhealthy ideal portrayed in fashion magazines, where ‘commercial’ had become a dirty word. Gisele secured her supermodel status when she signed a contract with lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret, and has since gone on to earn more than all the aforementioned models combined – it has recently been reported that she is on course to become the world’s first billionaire supermodel. The biggest change in the modelling industry in the years following the supermodel age is the distinction between those modelling high fashion, the turnover rate of which has accelerated at such a pace that many of its models are anything but household names, and those who feature in huge commercial campaigns for companies such as Victoria’s Secret, who invest heavily in making their models celebrities. Only those who successfully bridge the gap, satisfying both markets, can become the next supermodels – something which no longer happens on the scale of their golden age, and which is why the popularity of the original supermodels endures today, ensuring that Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford still feature on magazine covers and front fashion campaigns. 5

OTWO Fashion

Continental Chic

We all know what styles are favoured by the students around Belfied this season, but what about those studying further afield? Otwo Fashion travels around the world to meet some of our fashion-savvy peers

Julia Ferm, Biology student in Stockholm University Cat Boyd, Law student at Glasgow University on Erasmus at Stockholm University Outfit: Schuh, Topshop, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Vintage Guru (Glasgow) and an Egyptian market (bag). How would you describe your style? I love colour, so I try to brighten up any outfit. I would say that my style is a mixture of what is currently trendy in shops and old vintage clothing/items bought at markets. How do you choose the clothes you wear each day? I normally just throw on stuff that is close to hand and change items if I decide it doesn’t suit! 6

Outfit: Dress - Weekday-WTWTFSS, Sweater - One Teaspoon, Coat - Beyond Retro, Scarf - American Apparel, Shoes - Vagabond, Hoodie Whyred Who’s your favourite designer? I have to say Ivana Helsinki, because my favourite dress is by her. How do you choose the clothes you wear each day? I decide what to wear the night before because I have a hard time waking up in the morning and always oversleep ... I try to wear all my clothes, so I pick out what I didn’t wear for a while. Interviews conducted by Rachel Heavey Photography by Rachel Heavey

Fashion OTWO

Aoife Davis, BESS student in Trinity College Dublin on Erasmus in Prague Outfit: Parka - Zara, blouse - Primark, blazer - River Island, jeggings - Vero Moda, boots - H&M, bag - vintage store in Krakow How do you choose the clothes you wear each day? I like to mix it up a bit; I try not the wear the same things all the time. I don`t really believe in having any specific particular style; I usually just dress to suit my mood. Have you any style secrets you would like to share? No, secrets are secrets.

Nicolas Bouchon, Economics student in Pantheon on Erasmus in Paris-Sorbonne Outfit: Blazer - vintage shop (re-tailored, buttons replaced), shirt and jeans - Topman, shoes - Zara How do you choose the clothes you wear each day? In the cold of winter, pragmatism and warmth are vital. I typically wear layers; it creates a use for old clothes otherwise unused. Have you any style secrets you would like to share? I think dressing well is very important; the formality I choose to adopt in my look gives me great confidence. The black pocket square is in fact the inside of the pocket turned out.

Benjamin Ferbus, Medicine student at the University of Milan on Erasmus in Prague Outfit: Duffle coat – Topman, V-necked jumper and shirt – Zara, scarf - street vendor, brogues - Office, jeans - H&M. How do you choose the clothes you wear each day? I always wear a nice jumper and generally a shirt or polo shirt. I feel lazy in anything else. I always work better when I am neatly dressed. I try to keep up with the latest trends – I think women like well-dressed men. Have you any style secrets you would like to share? Just to be clever with one’s clothes. These shoes lost a heel so I had both soles replaced.

Interviews conducted by Thomas Joyce Photography by Marcel Kuzma

OTWO Fashion

As fashion designers’ works are exhibited in galleries worldwide with resounding success, Aoife Valentine considers whether fashion can really be considered art

Alexander McQueen’s ‘Savage Beauty’ exhibition

An artistic trend

t any one time in the world today, there are multiple galleries and museums around the world hosting large fashion exhibitions and displays. Be this as it may, there is still a clearly competitive love/ hate relationship between both the art and fashion worlds, with neither quite willing to accept the links between the two. The connections seem obvious when viewing these exhibitions, which often display the most intricate, creative and least wearable designer clothes in existence. This was never more obvious than at last year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s ‘Savage Beauty’ exhibition, which celebrated the late Alexander McQueen’s almost twenty-year career as a fashion designer. The exhibition attracted impressive numbers, achieving the accolades of the The Spine Corset from Institute’s biggest opening day, Alexander McQueen’s ‘Savage and coming within the top ten Beauty’ exhibition most visited exhibitions at the Museum. These numbers are a mere testament to Lee McQueen’s visionary genius, which was truly understood and translated in his work. His unparalleled designs marked a significant shift, not only in design practices, but also in how fashion itself was perceived as a form of installation, performance and art. His seemingly intuitive eye for design produced probably the most innovative creative visions in contemporary fashion. His work was, in theory, wearable art, which addressed questions on topics from politics and religion to sexuality and class issues. His designs were a vehicle to express his ideas, complex and concepts, and he designed with the intent of challenging as many boundaries as 8

he possibly could. While McQueen’s clothes always had an air of magic and decadence about them, it was constantly accompanied by an overhanging, somewhat sinister vibe. His collections were more often than not difficult to watch while coming down the runway, as they intended to channel the cultural apprehensions or uncertainties at play in his own mind, often resulting in a range of clothes and accessories that were thematically quite dark, frequently to the point of exhibiting perceived misogyny. Yves Saint Laurent once said that he had “always given the highest importance of all to respect for this craft, which is not exactly an art, but which needs an artist to exist.” It would be incredibly difficult to argue that McQueen was anything less than an artist, as the notoriety associated with his creative vision cannot be underexaggerated. However, of the one hundred outfits and seventy accessories on display at the Met, there were pieces which could only be described as works of art, including a gown made of rows of razor-thin clam shells, an aluminium corset (with an incredibly realistic spine and an accompanying tail protruding out from the back) as well as a dress made out of glass medical slides with a full skirt of black ostrich feathers. In his VOSS S/S 2001 collection, he featured a coat and a dress both appliquéd with roundels in the shape of chrysanthemums, and in his 1996 ‘Highland Rape’ collection, many tartan numbers were sent down the runway on semi-naked, blood-spattered models covered in heather and bracken. His work was not designed to be thrown in

any old wardrobe, or indeed, ever worn off the runway. It is difficult to see them as anything other than wearable pieces of art, created by an imaginative artist aiming to be nothing short of transcendent. Christian Dior is well known for taking much of his inspiration from art and at the ‘Inspiration Dior’ exhibition in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, over 120 of Dior’s greatest couture designs were juxtaposed with sixty of Pushkin’s greatest works, openly highlighting the central relationship between fashion and art. It was intended to show the artistic base behind Dior’s work, underscore the brand’s vast history and most pertinently, according to the exhibition’s curator, to make visitors understand that Christian Dior was indeed an artist. A director for fashion was hired for the opening of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in the Lincoln Centre, New York last year, allowing fashion to be included with opera, theatre, dance, music and film in its constant line-up of featured arts. This was an extremely significant indicator of an intellectual trend that has been appearing in various forms for several decades now. It marks a shift in fashion towards shedding its cultural stigma, as it becomes increasingly recognised as being a significant cultural activity. Fashion specifies no vehicle in particular, and in that, it recognises cultural significance as a medium. Perhaps in the past, it has been fashion’s perceived fickleness that has made it somewhat suspect, seen possibly as a means to entice the gullible or put down the hoi polloi, but it is steadily losing this image and being reframed as a performance art instead of a visual medium. At its most masterful, fashion truly is an art.

Food OTWO

Cooking on the Edge With the world set to look to Ireland for a slice of culture on St Patrick’s Day, Sam Gaffney talks to TG4’s Ruairí Ó’Moracháin about the lost indigenous art form, cookery

reland has long been one of the most distinctive of worldwide cultures; our music, literature and even our dancing are celebrated across the globe, but a national culinary tradition has been neglected in favour of a diet of ready meals and imported dishes. The Druid Chef, Ruairí Ó’Moracháin has long been on a personal crusade to establish the ‘Celtic Cuisine’ that had been eradicated by the Great Famine and never replaced. “We gave more money per head than anyone else during Live Aid in 1985; there’s an underlying thinking that we suffered famine and that we never really dealt with it; we swept it under the rug. It’s a black cloud in our history and in order to get over it and strengthen our food

NOM NOM NOM

with Elaine Lavery

philosophy, we have to embrace what we have today.” Ó’Moracháin has watched as various aspects of Irish culture have come to prominence, shaping the international perception of Ireland. “Ireland is very strong in its culture,” he happily admits. “If you look at Riverdance, you can see that we always had hidden talents in our dancing, but we never produced it as a performance, and when that opportunity came along, in 1994 I think it was, it clicked straight away. I think the same applies to food. If someone comes on a tour to Ireland, they are looking for the food, the welcome, the culture.” Through two series of TG4’s Celtic True Food and with over thirty years of kitchen experience, Ó’Moracháin has created an indigenous recipe book, not only through indigenous ingredients, but through national history as well. “I try to reference my recipes back in time and history and also with locations. So we talk about folklore and stories; I would research the area and come up

Valentine’s food Ingredients

It’s February 14th, and that means it’s time to impress. Elaine Lavery shows you how

t’s Valentines Day, and you have forgotten to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant for yourself and your other half. Or maybe you don’t believe in all that Valentine’s Day smush? If there’s a girl in your life, she might act like she’s not into it, but she probably is. Last year a friend of mine got a text from her relatively new boyfriend that simply read: ‘Happy Gayday’. People have varied feelings about Valentine’s Day, but this is definitely not the way to acknowledge it. Maybe you are forever desperately single and

with a recipe, so that I underpin it with knowledge of the story and use the unique ingredients of the location ... That’s where the whole magic of cookery comes from for me.” As rooted in culinary nationalism as Ó’Moracháin’s pursuit is, he percieves a need to spread this thinking in Irish households, but there are practical concerns in its implementation. “The market is out there, but we have to look how we’re teaching Irish cuisine in the schools, how it is marketed, how it is looked upon. Also, any good chefs that have travelled, come back with all these great ideas, but we need to turn that around, so that foreign chefs take something from their time here.” Maybe now more than ever, it is time to go back to basics. “People are buying local produce and there is more interest in cookery in the home. People are shopping smarter and care about what produce they’re buying. We went wild with the Celtic Tiger ... And now we’re after learning a lesson.”

looking for a date. Most people are so flattered to be asked out on a date that they will not say no – so go for it today! It might be a pity date, but it’s a start. If you fall under any of the above categories, I have a simple way to get you through the mind-wrecker of occasions that is Valentine’s Day. The French Classic, Sole Meunière. It’s simple and affordable (substitute sole for a similar flat white fish if you are really broke), and if you get it right, it might just be a very happy Valentine’s Day.

4. Carefully turn over the fillets and 2 tbsp plain flour fry for a further 2-3 minutes on Salt & freshly ground black pepper the other side, until golden brown 2 sole fillets, skin removed and cooked through. (preferably Dover sole) 5. Transfer each fillet to two warm 50g butter serving plates. 1 tbsp chopped parsley 6. Add the remaining butter to the pan Juice of 1 lemon the fish was cooked in and increase the heat to high. When the butter is 1. Sift the flour onto a plate and foaming, add the parsley and lemon season to taste. Pat the fish fillets juice and stir for 10-15 seconds. dry with kitchen paper and 7. Serve the lemon butter dredge them in the flour, until sauce spooned over the sole lightly coated on both sides. immediately. Boiled potatoes 2. Spread half of the butter over the and a selection of steamed fresh top of each coated fillet. vegetables, such as carrots or 3. Heat a large frying pan over a French beans are a perfect medium heat and place the sole accompaniment. fillets, buttered sides down, into the pan. Gently fry for 2-3 P.S. This is also perfect for a minutes or until golden brown. Valentine’s Day for one. 9

OTWO travel

Hidden Gem

Waterlooplein Market, Waterlooplein Square, Amsterdam

The Lion, the Sheep & the Kiwi

Home to hobbits and survivor of some of the world’s most recent natural disasters, Sally Hayden explores New Zealand’s South Island

Forget the Red Light District and coffee houses for an afternoon and delve into this quirky market for something to show of your trip to the Dutch capital, writes Ben Storey

hile they are staples of Amsterdam’s culture, and surely attractive prospects for many, the Red Light District and the legality of cannabis often overshadow Amsterdam’s numerous other attractions. It is, in fact, a beautiful city, a buzzing cacophony of canals, cyclists and arcane architecture. The Waterlooplein market, nestled in the heart of the city, close to the Amstel River, really epitomises this other side to Amsterdam, which is welcoming, vibrant and eclectic. Despite being located in the centre of the city, this market remains a relatively unknown attraction to many tourists, and with three hundred stalls, there is something for everyone here – be that antiques, clothing (new or second-hand), shoes, books, fabrics or souvenirs. Whatever you are looking for, Waterlooplein is the spot. Another attractive aspect of the market is its rich history. It originated as a traditional Jewish Flea market in 1893 and continued to be the most thriving of its kind until the Second World War. Since then, it has remained one of the city’s most exciting trading centres. It is impossible not to gain a sense of this history as one strolls through the market’s narrow walkways, all the while listening to the sound of good, old-fashioned haggling. Not only is it perfect for the alternative shopper, but it is a great way to spend an afternoon – soaking up the fresh vibrancy of the city out in the open air. The market is conveniently situated, with numerous museums and places of interest nearby, such as the Rembrandt Museum, the Museum of Jewish History and the Gassan Diamond Factory. This market truly is a gem and is well worth a visit if you find yourself in Amsterdam. Reflecting the personality of Amsterdam itself, it is a brilliant mix of the old and the new, complimented by a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. 10

ristotle claimed that everything we see is an imperfect replica of a better version in a more perfect world. This is how Ireland compares to New Zealand. In our antipodean equivalent, every colour and contrast is enhanced. Visualise higher mountains, bluer skies, and countless waterfalls – though existing in a landscape that’s strangely reminiscent of home. Cinematically, this country has worked as a canvas for Narnia, Middle Earth and Mordor. And business keeps booming, with Tintin, Avatar and Yogi Bear all recently calling it home thanks to the ‘Peter Jackson Effect’. Far from being indie and claiming you had heard of this pair of islands before they were famous, embrace your inner hobbit. There’s nothing like cruising over New Zealand’s mountain roads with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack blaring. The population’s identity is hard to place. Unlike their Aussie counterparts, New Zealand has, for the most part, accepted its indigenous, and the Maori culture is revered, respected and used to inspire fear in less worthy sporting opponents (Haka, anyone?). However, the historic British influence has not vanished completely. The South Island still boasts towns named Cromwell and Middlemarch, and discovering that locals had stayed up until 3am to watch William and Kate’s nuptials was certainly no surprise. Yet your trip may start with a reminder of the fragility of nature. Christchurch is a broken city in the middle of paradise. A series of earthquakes have obliterated its heart, leaving only a shell of suburbs and memories. The city centre has been destroyed, and the locals pause while answering requests for directions to recall what still exists and what doesn’t. Surrounding rubble makes lingering houses appear prominent and guilty. But the unshakeable Kiwi sense of humour lives on, and the little that the population say straightfaced to the unsuspecting tourist should be unquestionably believed. The South Island is easily navigated. A functioning car and a group of people who you can put up with for long periods of time are the dream. Leave a week to see everything, or an

eternity to take it all in. Franz Joseph should be your next destination. There is nothing cooler than trekking on a twelvekilometre-long glacier. Above you, on either side, is rainforest, shot down the middle with a broad frozen cascade. Spikes and waterproofs are provided. As you ascend, your able guide will hack steps for the less capable walkers, and possibly a table and chairs for lunch. After the steady silence of ice, prepare for a shock. Queenstown is where adrenaline junkies come to get their fix, and hearts in this town beat faster than anywhere else in the world. Whoosh through the air upside-down on the world’s largest swing. Go skydiving and bungee jumping all in one day, and spend the night celebrating your survival. And if fear has you reverting to your childhood, get the gondola up to Bob’s Peak and go luging. Dunedin hosts a beautiful university, and more importantly, Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. San Francisco forgotten, this logic-defying climb will have you crawling up and rolling back down. Rangitata, close by, is where the backpacker’s rite of passage, the ever revered ‘white-water rafting’, is waiting for you. The Rangitata hostel is also in the running for the record number of tourists that can be fitted in one room. Each bunk bed is three levels high. Milford Sound is a highly publicised but unforgettable cruising spot, and Mount Iron in Wanaka is another hike worth sweating for. Meanwhile, Puzzling World is a shrine to the bizarre and offers both a maze and a monetary prize to any psychic who can locate a hidden item, a challenge which six “professionals” have failed so far. Supernatural activities aside, the allure of New Zealand’s base qualities is undeniable. The effect of your surroundings will alter even the most hardened urbanites, and soon you’ll find yourselves irresistibly drawn to previously unappreciated amusements like hiking, scenic cycling and bird watching. Aristotle also said that personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference - so ignore this article and seize any chance to see for yourself.

travel OTWO

The Krakow Awakes A trip to this quaint old town is unbeatable for students on a budget, writes Daryl Bolger

rakow is a tourist’s dream; with its virtually unrivalled old town (Vilnius comes close), excellent and affordable nightlife and an abundance of high quality hostels, it is perfect for students on a budget. Not many sites were included in UNESCO’s very first list of world heritage sites, and even fewer cities were included, yet Krakow’s entire Old City made the cut. Once there, it is not hard to see why it was bestowed with such a prestigious honour. The main market square, Europe’s largest medieval square, dates back to the thirteenth century and has to be seen to be believed. Bustling with locals and tourists alike, it houses traditional markets next door to chic designer outlets, with the odd elderly, wrinkled woman selling bread from a cart, thrown in for good measure. Otwo was based at the superb Flamingo Hostel just off the square. With rates from €3 a night on promotion, staff that bake cakes for the guests just for the sake of it and a free pub crawl every night, there’s no better hostel in Krakow. Not only this but they will also organise any tours you may wish to partake in, including one that includes AK-47 shooting, if that’s your thing. The landmark most people will go to Krakow to see is Auschwitz. The most infamous of Nazi concentration camps is a short bus journey outside of the city. Visit in the depths of winter and the bitter cold will only add to a harrowing experience that will leave an indent on your conscience for some time. The site is well-run, and the guides are keen to see that the atrocity is

remembered. The exhibits are disturbing to say the least, but this is something everyone should see in their lifetime, even if it is just to ensure that we never allow it to happen again. The Wieliczka Salt Mine is often visited straight after Auschwitz, perhaps to take people’s minds off the grimness of the experience. Home to, amongst other novelties, a cathedral made entirely of salt; it is a tourist attraction like none other. Guests will be brought on a tour of the mines (make sure not to queue in a group, as there is a separate entrance for this), which were operational until 2007. The tour can drag at times, but many of the sights are exceptional – a carving of Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ in a salt wall being one of the highlights. Do not just take our word for it; famous Poles Copernicus, Pope John Paul II and Chopin have all paid the mine a visit.

It’s an interactive experience too – you can lick the walls and floors if you so wish. Most hostels will organise a free pub crawl for you, and this being Poland, free vodka is in abundance. Clubs typically open very late with students’ favourite ‘Kitsch’ catering to revellers until a ridiculous 11am. Situated on the top floor of a dirty-looking old building, the stock advice given to new patrons is to “go straight to the top and don’t look at anyone.” “Just like being in Skins” is one way to describe a night in the club; it is split into a few rooms with one dedicated to filthy electro, where climbing on both the stage and speakers is explicitly encouraged. The bathrooms are vile and the clientele are a mixed bag, yet Kitsch is a very special place and no trip to Krakow would be complete without a visit; you’ll understand why once you have been there. With the country hosting the party that will be Euro 2012, there will not a better time to visit Krakow than this summer; the city, and indeed the country, are buzzing with anticipation. With Krakow not hosting any matches, May is the perfect time to plan a trip to the Polish metropolis, as the city gets excited about their country’s upcoming matches. 11

OTWO Games

REVIEWS Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Old Star Wars: The Republic

Finally, we draw to the end of the post-Christmas drought of game releases, in which no publisher dares release a game for fear of it being lost in a sea of second-hand first-person shooters and sandbox crime thrillers. Soon, we will all be able to release a collective sigh as brand new shiny discs wing their way to our consoles, fresh with the promise of sweeping epic storylines, thrilling adventures and anatomically absurd female character models. Until then, we have Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Sega has taken a slightly different tack with this title when compared to the games’ similiar, if slightly less titularly complex predecessors. Rather than a series of loosely connected minigames, M&SATL2012OG (ahem) offers the new ‘London Party’ mode, which proffers a game more reminesent of a free-form version of the Mario Party series than the current crossover franchise. Players run around a cartoonish map of London, collecting power ups, and most often making a mad dash for a ‘hidden’ character who is only partially obscured from view. These free roaming sections are broken up by minigames that

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been eagerly anticipated in the MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) world since its announcement three years ago. The game is set more than 3,500 years before the rise of Darth Vader, as the player carves their own path in the galaxy-dividing battle between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire. The player is greeted by a breathtaking cinematic, the visuals and sounds of which are really something to behold. While watching, the player is swallowed back into the world of Star Wars, which is particularly captivating for those who have not encountered the series in recent years. The character creation scene is an important one in any RPG. After deciding between the Empire and the Republic, the player can choose from one of eight class types, ranging from Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior to Bounty Hunter and Smuggler. The replay value of the game is increased as multiple characters can be created and each class type has a different story. The gameplay in SW:TOR is similar to most MMORPGs of the past decade. Click on a target and select one of several attacks. The only difference is that in this game there is no auto-attack feature. As simple as the combat system is, it is still incredibly satisfying to slash

Title: Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Publishers: Sega/Nintendo Developers: Sega Platforms: Wii, Nintendo 3DS Release Date: Out Now 12

tend to break from the Olympian theme of the series. The introduction of this new mode introduces a breathe of fresh air into a format that was already stale when the first of these titles was released. Apart from this new party mode format, not much has changed from previous titles, with the game ultimately boiling down to a Warioware-esque series of calls for button-mashing, rhythm tests and wild Wiimote flailing. New additions to the minigame roster such as football and badminton borrow heavily from Mario Smash Football and Mario Tennis respectively, but in neither case is the complexity or strategy of the originals captured. It is bright and colourful enough for even the most unexcitable of children and would surely keep them entertained on hours on end, but the pace is a touch too slow for most adult gamers. The single player, in particular, is a remarkably dull (and somewhat demoralising) experience. Get a group of friends around for local four-player, preferably ones who might fondly recall the better days of Super Smash Bros and Mario Party on the Gamecube, and you will certainly pass a bleary-eyed evening, and forget all about the gritty shooters of the pre-holiday season in a haze of bright colours and discus-tossing hedgehogs. by Jon Hozier-Byrne

Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic Publishers: Electronic Arts, LucasArts Developers: BioWare Platforms: Microsoft Windows Release Date: Out Now

away at a droid with a lightsaber or pick off a flesh raider with a blaster. NPCs (non-playable characters) are dotted across the world and give quests to the player through many impressive dialogue sequences. Quests are interesting and varied, and lead the player through dozens of different environments while taking on numerous and varying enemies. The plot in SW:TOR is among the best in the genre. Producers BioWare, known for the Mass Effect series, again succeed in leading the player through gripping stories and forcing them to make important decisions along the way. The visuals featured aren’t groundbreaking, but they are solid for this genre. They manage to succeed in immersing the player into the world of Star Wars while still being playable on any half-decent system. The soundtrack is one of the most engaging of the game’s features. It stays true to the style of the original movie soundtracks and really helps to bring the player closer to the environment. SW:TOR succeeds in providing gamers with a new take on the MMORPG genre. Stunning cinematic sequences, superb voice acting, great story lines and varied quests instantly redeems the initial hiccups encountered during the registration process. This is all complimented by a solid combat system, and an extremely functional multiplayer system. Not only does the game do the Star Wars franchise justice, it also establishes itself as one of the top MMORPGs of recent years. by Alan Fitzpatrick

Games OTWO

Playing it like a Pro Is video gaming a hobby, or can it be considered a sport? Steven Balbirnie delves into the sphere of professional gaming in search of an answer

Arseniy Trynozhenko playing for ‘Na’Vi’ at The International

A Shambler in Quake

Hulk in Marvel vs Capcom 3

A Knight from Dota 2

ompetitive gaming is growing all the time, and so too are the demands by its proponents for it to be taken more seriously. Given how huge the phenomenon has become, it’s not difficult to see why. Only last year, the record for largest prize fund at a games tournament was shattered during Gamescom in Cologne. Valve hosted ‘The International’, a Dota 2 tournament where sixteen teams from across the world competed for a grand prize of $1 million, which was ultimately won by team ‘Na’Vi’ from Ukraine. ‘The International’ is not entirely unprecedented either, as it is the most recent addition to an already significant body of highly competitive and lucrative international tournaments and championships. Some of the most notable of these are the Electronic Sports World Cup, Major League Gaming, the Evolution Championship Series and the World Cyber Games. The Electronic Sports World Cup was founded in France in 2003 and now has a presence in over fifty countries worldwide. It stages a tournament every year and even has separate competitive categories for men and women for the game Counter-Strike, which had a prize of $33,000 for the top team in 2011. Major League Gaming is an even larger organisation.

Founded in 2002, Major land has been represented. first gained fame at the 1997 League Gaming now hosts Ireland is currently ranked ‘Red Annihilation’ tourna750,000 online matches each at sixty-second out of the ment, where he emerged as month and live pro circuit eighty-three World Cyber Quake champion with a prize tournaments throughout the Games nations. of $5,000 and a Ferrari. Fong United States. These tournaThe existence of so many went on to use the money he ments are streamed online to different competing organi- received from prizes and enroughly eight million view- sations has led to the foun- dorsements over the course ers in 170 countries. As an ex- dation of the International of his gaming career to beample of prizes awarded, the E-Sports Federation, which come an electronic entretop StarCraft 2 player at their aims to unite and standard- preneur. Fong founded the Winter Arena event this year ise the various gaming gov- Raptr social network and will receive $10,000. erning bodies throughout the X-Fire instant messagTournaments such as the the world. Based in Seoul, ing service alongside other Evolution Championship Se- South Korea, it has gained successful business ventures. ries also cater to fans of spe- thirty-three member na- Wendel has also established cific genres. In the case of the tions in the last four years. an impressive career for aforementioned league, these The IESF has enjoyed some himself, becoming the first are fighting games, where success in garnering wider full time e-sportsman, acthundreds of competitors recognition for competitive ing as a global spokesperson from across the world con- gaming; China has a Depart- and gaming ambassador for verge annually to compete in ment of E-Sports, and E- the Championship GamTekken, Street Fighter, Mortal Sports organisations in Az- ing Series, as well as amassKombat and Marvel vs Capcom. erbaijan, Greece and Israel ing over $500,000 in career Such is Evo’s popularity that enjoy government support. prize money and launching its top tier contestants, such In the UK, the government his own line of branded gamas Justin Wong and Daigo and police back the Project er products. Victor De Leon ‘The Beast’ Umehara, have Gamerz organisation as a III is remarkable as he holds attained a celebrity status way to engage with disen- the Guinness World Record within the competitive gam- franchised youths through for being the youngest proing world. One of the best video games. fessional gamer. De Leon aspects of Evo however, is It is also not only the gov- was born in 1998 and has that it is designed as a social erning bodies that take pro- been a professional gamer as well as a competitive event; fessional gaming seriously, since he was six-years-old. A regional seeding means that the self-styled cyber ath- documentary film based on contestants are encouraged letes of E-Sports treat their his life was premiered at the to play against people they profession with the utmost HBO Latino Film Festival. wouldn’t normally come into gravitas and can stand to So, can gaming be concontact with. profit immensely from their sidered a sport? Perhaps it One of the goals of the successes. The most accom- hasn’t developed that far yet, World Cyber Games is to plished and famous profes- but with such committed foster international harmony sional gamers include Den- athletes, enthusiastic spectaand overcome language and nis ‘Thresh’ Fong, Johnathan tors, increasing sponsorship cultural barriers through the ‘Fatal1ty’ Wendel and Victor and organised governing medium of video games. The ‘Lil Poison’ De Leon III. bodies it may only be a matWorld Cyber Games are also Dubbed the ‘Michael Jordan ter of time before profesone of the few international of video games’ by the Wall sional gamers receive the tournaments at which Ire- Street Journal, Dennis Fong recognition they seek. 13

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“I did warn you not to trust me...”

tanding outside the Powerscourt Centre on a mild Saturday morning, Aidan Gillen cuts an anonymous figure. Coffee in hand, wearWith the return of Game of ing a black hoodie and a clean pair of Thrones fast-approaching, IFTA grey Converse, you would be inclined to think he was teenager rather than a celebrated actor, but the forty-threewinning star Aidan Gillen talks year-old’s famously boyish looks are hidden behind tiredness and a wary to George Morahan about glower; the flecks of grey in his hair also give him away. Everything about Gillen seems an the show’s second season, attempt at deflecting from his relative celebrity; he describes himself as presenting Other Voices “vaguely recognisable” and proves to be extremely uncomfortable with the public’s attention, especially for an actor. After spending the past fifteen and the current state of Irish years in central roles, at home and television abroad, on shows such as Queer as Folk, The Wire, Love/Hate and Game of Thrones, one would expect him to feel at home in the spotlight, and despite his awkwardness, he is never less than thoughtful and articulate. Considering his suspicion of publicity, his latest role as host of RTÉ’s Other Voices is a rather fitting one. “I thought from my side of things that TVs out the windows of rooms and it’d be free and easy non-limelight painted goats running through the “Of course, I run a chain type work; I could just be myself, corridors of Benners Hotel.” of brothels in the series, watch people I admire play good muThat kind of intimacy is rarely sic and throw the odd comment in seen between the performer and the so there’s always going to here and there. When you get left in fan – certainly not in the past, but perbe something going on, charge of the shop, you just have to haps more so today with the ubiquiget on like you know what you’re do- tous rise of social networking. Howbut hopefully, it won’t be ing, don’t you? That’s how you learn, ever, Gillen’s work on The Wire, in too distracting. We have I think.” which he played ambitious politician By all accounts, Dingle in early Tommy Carcetti for three seasons, indragons now, anyway” December, during the Other Voices spires irrepressible passions amongst festival, is a magical place to be, and many he crosses in daily life. that feeling certainly hasn’t bypassed “It was really noticeable how many former Baltimore Sun journalist Dav- off. We should be thankful for that.” Gillen’s willingness to indulge Gillen. “I do love Dingle at that time people in Ireland had been watching id Simon’s grim take on the modern of year when they’ve got the bare it, mostly on illegal downloads, just cop drama was rabidly consumed by a the fandom is surprising, and pleasbulbs strung up along the streets, and before TG4 started showing it and the small, devout following, but its legend antly so, but it becomes clear durit’s cold; it’s just about ok to start call- box set vogue, ’cause they’d come up continues to grow, over four years af- ing the conversation that he is just ing it Christmas officially too. Then and talk to you about it. It’s the kind ter its final episode aired and in spite as big a fan as any of those drunken revellers who accost him in Dubit’s nice when you see the first few of show that people like to talk about of its complex and esoteric nature. “Its reputation was always growing, lin’s pubs. “My favourite character scuzzy rock ‘n’ rollers walking down and discuss, ’cause there’s plenty to the street. talk about. And if you’re in a pub or still is, incredibly. I think Season Four was probably the kid, Michael, but “I’d say being involved has been a on the street in Dublin and someone brought in a lot of new viewers. The I liked Prez a lot too, particularly highlight of my recent life ... It was walks along that’s been in the show plights of the teenage kids featured when he’s a teacher. My favourite a real privilege to be able to watch you’re going to talk to them, why not? there – Dukie, Michael, Namond and scene was when Dukie got money these acts from the balcony of St. So I was always keenly aware of the Randy – were impossible for view- off him in Season Five. He says it’s James’, the tiny church where the amount of people watching it and ex- ers not to take to their hearts. That’s for college; Prez gives it to him and where it really kicked off, despite the says ‘Well, if it is, I’ll probably see show’s recorded, and it’s very low key actly what they thought of it.” as far as these things go, so there’s a Often revered as the Great Ameri- fact that it was brilliant from episode you again, and if it isn’t, I guess I bit of hanging out and everyone’s ac- can Novel for the twenty-first century, one ... Sometimes people don’t like won’t.’ Heartbreaking.” The Drumcondra native’s enthucessible. There were nice chats and The Wire is still very much a cult af- the mirror to be held up as steadily for cups of tea, but also late nights with fair. Over six years and five seasons, so long, but that wouldn’t put them siasm for his work doesn’t end there; 14

Photographer: Ciara Andrews

it extends to his latest HBO production, Game of Thrones. Having read all five brick-sized novels in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series, upon which the show is based, Gillen is an authority on the quasi-medieval kingdom of Westeros and its many compelling inhabitants, and so far, the television adaptation has lived up to his expectations. “I like the wide scope of the show, that there are so many strands in play – I like that it’s tough, sad and funny. And that it’s all rooted in real human experience with something like magic now starting to filter in. It’s been earned and so can be believed.” Gillen plays the Machiavellian Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, a far more cerebral, tricky and possibly facetious character than he is used to playing, but he is quick to contest the character’s villainous credentials. “I’m actually trying to get out of playing villains now – maybe signing up for six seasons as Littlefinger goes against that, but I don’t see him as a villain, more a brilliant strategist and survivor in a cut-throat world.” Details of Game of Thrones’ second series are sparing for those who haven’t read the books, although Gillen doesn’t mind giving

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manteau of sex and exposition credObviously, Ireland does not have ited to TIME television critic James the money to invest in an expansive Poniewozik. In its common usgae television industry, and the consistthrougout the show’s first season, ent standard of Irish programming ‘sexposition’ helped make large infor- has hardly set the world alight, but the mation dumps seem less tedious to warm reception that has greeted Love/ the uninitiated viewer, and without Hate is certainly promising. However, lessening the show in Gillen’s eyes. Gillen doesn’t believe that Irish televi“There was always a lot of talk and a sion needs saving. “The Riordans was lot of sex in the books, so I guess they very sophisticated and groundbreakdovetailed that way, and it’s a conven- ing TV by anywhere’s standards, and tion that works in TV drama,” he says. that was produced here in the seven“Of course, I run a chain of brothels in ties,” he states. “I don’t think you need the series, so there’s always going to loads of money to make sophisticated be something going on, but hopefully, TV either ... There’s no need for TV to it won’t be too distracting. We have be crap.” With that said, he is not shy dragons now, anyway.” about proclaiming how important he Despite his hectic schedule, film- feels Love/Hate is in reflecting coning in far flung locations such as Du- temporary Ireland. brovnik in Croatia, the Vatnajökull “For a city the size of Dublin or a glacier in Iceland and, ahem, Belfast country the size of Ireland, there’s for Game of Thrones, Gillen has also a ferocious scene going down as far found time to star in two series of as drugs, gangs, guns and murder go. RTÉ’s gangland drama Love/Hate as All related directly to widespread gang boss John Boy Power. consumer demand for said drugs. Considering the esteem in which Faltering economy equals things Gillen is held, and the opportunities getting leaner and nastier in that he has in better-acclaimed television business ... Not to doubt the origiindustries abroad, why would he nality of the thinking behind this sechoose to star in an Irish TV show? ries, Stuart’s dramatising something “Well, why not? I am Irish, it was that’s on our front pages every day. well written and bang on as far as We are depressingly familiar with topicality goes. There probably was this world.” some risk there as we just didn’t have Photoshoot over, Gillen looks a brilliant tradition of TV drama, but relieved and certainly a lot more at risk is good. The thinking being that ease as conversation turns to TCD it’d be good to be part of something student and Game of Thrones cast that pushed the boat out. It took ‘til mate Jack Gleeson (“Have you seen the second series to properly find the cartoon GoT on YouTube? He’s its groove, but we all knew that and good in it – he’s got a big bling chain worked towards achieving it. [Love/ around his neck with DICKHEAD Hate creator] Stuart Carolan is an written on it.”). Polite farewells are incredibly talented writer and it’s exchanged before Gillen shuffles quite a world he’s drawn up there – down the steps and out of sight, just not a bit of it farfetched.” how he likes it.

away a few spoilers. “There’s some strong new characters (there always are with George R.R. Martin, and they’ll just keep coming) – Robert’s [Baratheon, former King of Westeros] brother Stannis being a very obvious one to note. We see Littlefinger branch out and go on some travels too, and it’s nice to get out of the house.” With Tyrion Lannister (played to hilarious effect by the Emmy Awardwinning Peter Dinklage) inserted as the chief advisor to the repugnant King Joffrey, many are anxious to see Gillen and Dinklage go tête-à-tête in a battle of the schemers, however, the message Gillen preaches “I’m actually trying to get is one of out of playing villains now patience in the – maybe signing up for six v i e w e r. seasons as Littlefinger goes “I have s o m e against that, but I don’t dealings see him as a villain, more with Tyrion – he’s a brilliant strategist and really survivor in a cut-throat world” dominating the scene in King’s Landing now ... There’s always a lot going on and there’s no rush to pair everyone up with everyone. Having worked on The Wire, I know the merits of playing the long game. It’s more interesting, not patronising.” Show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have a difficult task in adapting the beloved fantasy series, and having to condense each book into a mere ten hours of television only complicates matters further. Cutting through the sheer density of Gillen as Tommy Martin’s texts has been made easier with the use of ‘sexposition’ – a port- Carcetti in The Wire

OTWO film

REVIEWS

cause he had accidentally dented his car. It follows from here that he is set up as a kind of scapegoat, taking a large dose of public backlash to remove some of the heat from the Rampart investigation. Rampart is nothing if not interesting. A worn-out cop is nothing new in cinema, but this movie provides a straight and insightful look into a mind that is corrupt beyond recourse. The film is claustrophobic throughout, told entirely from Dave’s point of view. The lack of dramatic irony of any sort and his mounting paranoia helps crank up the tension like a vice, lending the film an air of great unease. It is almost as though a bomb

Title: Rampart Director: Oren Moverman Starring: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi Release Date: Out Now

ampart opens with Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) smoking a cigarette while driving his police car. If ever there was an opening scene that said it all, this has to be it. He spends almost the entire film with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. Dave is a detective attached to the corrupt Rampart division of the LAPD, which is under a large-scale investigation. An old school tough man, he is caught on camera beating a man almost to death simply be-

Rampart has been placed onscreen that could go off at any given moment. Dave’s callous behaviour is very wearing however, and were it not for the emotional power brought to the film in scenes involving his daughters, his complete lack of feeling would have lessened the film’s impact. Harrelson is well suited to the role; he is all swagger, smouldering stares and devil-may-care attitude, but the standout performances are those of his two daughters Helen (Brie Larson) and Margaret (Sammy Boyarsky), who manage to carry the film even though they appear only intermittently. On the same point,

with such stars as Steve Buscemi, Ben Foster, and Sigourney Weaver also in the credits, a large amount of the characters in this film are drastically underused. Buscemi’s minor role in particular, appearing only twice in the entire film, is an unfortunate side effect of this protagonist-centric method of storytelling. In a Nutshell: Does well to document the fall of a proud man, but suffers from not using the talent available to fully express the emotional fallout. by Michael O’Sullivan

Title: Martha Marcy May Marlene Director: Sean Durkin Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Brady Corbet, Sarah Paulson Release Date: Out Now

artha Marcy May Marlene is a brilliantly executed film by first-time feature director Sean Durkin. Following the efforts of a young woman to adjust to ordinary life after escaping a cult, it is told through flashbacks that continually increase in intensity, and expertly visualises her mind slowly unraveling as a result of trauma and manipulation. Starring as the titular character, Martha, is Elizabeth Olsen, better known to most as a result of her famous siblings rather than her considerable acting prowess. Often when an actor attempts to break out of a shadow created by former child stardom (or in this case, the shadow of being a sibling to former child stars), there is a temptation to choose deliberately controversial roles portraying gratuitous sex and drug abuse, which leads to heavy handed, cringe-worthy indie efforts such as those of Mysterious Skin or Havoc. Luckily, this has not been the case for Olsen, and with her quiet and tragic performance, she manages to hold up this delicately handled film. Other notable performances come from Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes, who play her sister Lucy and cult leader Patrick respectively. Hawkes, in particular, creates a deeply sinister character, whose presence

on screen is instantly unsettling. If there is one major criticism to be made of this film, it is that it is never made very clear why Martha joined the cult in the first place. Although it is hinted that there is an absence of any real family in her life, she never really comes off as vulnerable enough to discover such a cult or to even come to embrace it. The ending is also a little anticlimactic and unworthy of the suspense the film has masterfully created. That being said, the film remains beautifully shot and is brilliantly paced, with remark-

Martha Marcy May Marlene

able performances from the entire cast. Martha Marcy May Marlene runs the opposing worlds of ordinary and cult life side by side in a way that sometimes makes them hard to tell apart, creating a mental portrait of a tormented young woman who is trapped between two opposing systems. In a Nutshell: A quiet, eerie film which teases itself out slowly with a strong cast and a title you won’t be able to say ten times quickly. by David Moloney

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Serial Killer

Movies

Lonely on Valentine’s Day? Nothing will cheer you up more than Chloé Duane’s run-down of the top ten serial killers in film 10. Hannibal Lector - Silence of the Lambs (1991) When people mention serial killers in movies, Hannibal Lector has to be one of the first to mind, if only for that menacing Welsh voice. I used to love fava beans.

Extremely LOUD & Incredibly

Title: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Director: Stephen Daldry Starring: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow Release Date: February 17th

t is extremely difficult for films frail structure with which the film that attempt to capture the attempts to capture the emotional emotional state of a society in state of the American Everyman the time following a tragic event – aka Mr/Mrs Black - following to approach the topic with a 9/11 and, as a result, fails to be deftness that evokes the powerful evocative. The film’s approach to emotions warranted, without being capturing New Yorkers’ grievances, too manipulative. Unfortunately, frustrations, and attempts to make Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close edges sense of post-9/11 New York through towards the latter, but even then, this implausible narrative is in no way lacks the necessary gravitas and is subtle and often heavy-handed. further unaided by a contrived plot. Furthermore, the central Set a year after the 9/11 attacks and character loosely ties the narrative with flashbacks to the “worst day”, as together. Oskar is supposed to it is described throughout, the film be endearing and honest as he attempts to be a snapshot of New guides the audience through the York after 9/11, with the tale of Oskar journey of emotion and although Schell (newcomer Thomas Horn) as he it is hinted that he may (or may struggles to overcome the death of his not) have Asperger’s syndrome, he father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), merely comes across as being crude, who was killed while in the World arrogant and, well, even a little creepy. Trade Centre during the attacks. This is a subject most certainly The plot contrivances come worth exploring and although thick and fast when Oskar finds an Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close envelope with “Black” written on has a few touching - if not a little it and a key inside with which, he simplistic - moments, the film does not believes, he will find the matching have the required emotional catharsis lock that will provide the answers to tackle a tragedy of this magnitude. to explain his father’s death. In his attempt to find the lock he scurries In a Nutshell: A very contrived around - largely unsupervised - version of The Curious Incident visiting everybody with the surname of the Dog in the Night-Time that Black in the New York area. fails in its attempt to capture the The primary fault with the psychological state of New York in film is that the somewhat absurd the wake of 9/11. contrivance serves as an extremely by Dermot O’Rourke

9. Je Yeong-woo - The Chaser (2008) This is a Korean movie focused on a police detective who becomes a pimp. After some of his girls go missing, he goes on a hunt to find them. Serial killers and pimp-cops, need I say more? 8. John Doe - Se7en (1995) Kevin Spacey is a late-comer into the movie, but is worth the wait. A great villain, and a terrible abuser of the postal service. 7. Leatherface - Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) He’s a man called Leatherface. He’s got a chainsaw. And oh look, a group of teenagers have become stranded in the wilderness, right by a family of grave-robbing cannibals. Classic stuff, just don’t watch the remakes. 6. The Zodiac Killer - Zodiac (2007) These days the Zodiac movies have been redone so many times, it’s hard to separate the spine tingling from the falling asleep. However, David Fincher got behind this movie to make it one of the best serial killer movies in recent years. Add an amazing cast, including Robert Downey Jr., and you’ve got a killer. Literally. 5. Max Parry - The Last Horror Movie (2004) No one is as ruthless and intelligent as Parry (Kevin Howarth). This movie comes alive on the screen to create something real; too real for comfort. 4. Jack the Ripper - From Hell (2001) Yes, there is a certain part of us that only watches this for Johnny Depp, but a cocktail of Johnny Depp and Jack the Ripper; who could ever want more? 3. John Kramer - Saw (2004) Do not argue that Kramer is not a serial killer. You think fifty people just wanted to brutally kill themselves? Plot twists, blood and gore... perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

2. Ted Bundy- The Riverman (2004) You get two for the price of one in this movie. A twisted serial killer talking about a copycat twisted serial killer. This film gives an insight into the mind of Bundy, who helped catch the Green River killer in the 1980s. 1. Peter and Paul - Funny Games (1997) This is the only movie on this list that will give even the most hardened goreaphile nightmares. As Peter and Paul play games with a hapless, trapped family, you slowly become aware that the titular ‘funny games’ are actually being played with you. Peter and Paul take the number one spot as the only serial killers whose primary targets are the audience themselves. 17

OTWO film

Oscar Pride

Sick of the Oscars before they have even started? Dermot O’Rourke sits down with the producer of the Oscar-nominated Pentecost, Eimear O’Kane, and finds that all is not lost at film’s most overhyped accolades

Clockwise from left: The Secret of Kells, Ciarán Hinds of The Shore and Scott Graham of Pentecost

t’s that time of year again, when the most coveted of self-congratulatory back slaps from Hollywood are upon us once more. This year’s Oscars promises to have more small golden men, gushing actresses in expensive dresses, and dubious decisions that we’ve all grown to care a little less about each year. It would be a little too easy to moan in yet another Oscar-bashing article entitled ‘Oscar the Grouch’. It would also be too easy to write the article about how the Academy never seem to award the movies or filmmakers that actually deserve recognition and to seethe about how they have made serious errors of omission in every category this year. It would be especially too easy to write the article about how the Academy is largely ignorant of films with dialogue that is not in ‘American’ or how they inexplicably left Senna out of the ‘Best Documentary’ category. This is not one such an article because, in fact, the Oscars often have quite a good effect on the film industry. Yes, there are serious errors when it comes to actually awarding deserving films but, in general, the notion that they are quite so coveted by film studios means that the studios try to produce films worthy of this perceived accolade. With films aimed at the Oscars, the studios take a few risks and make films that demand a little more from their audience. Not only does winning an Oscar allow them to stick the golden sticker on the DVD to sell a few more units, it also helps writers, directors and actors draw in bigger audiences for future films. The Oscars give Hollywood a good reason to produce films that, in a time of box office

fodder and safe-bet 3D comic book adaptations, huge learning curve trying to make a feature would otherwise not be made at all. Would the film for €100,000,” a very small budget for a full challenging The Tree of Life have been picked length feature. up by 20th Century Fox without pitching it as More than any other benefit, the Oscars also potential Oscar material? Or the black and white provides a huge networking opportunity for silent film The Artist? Irish filmmakers, allowing them to establish The benefit of the Oscars is nowhere more future Irish projects with possibilities of coapparent than in the film industry in Ireland. productions and funding from abroad; both of The success of the Irish film industry abroad which have become increasingly important for can be partly attributed to the recognition of our small, largely homegrown, industry. “There Irish films, in particular short films, at the are a lot of opportunities for producers ... to get Oscars. In the past ten years, eight Irish short co-productions off the ground and that seems films have been nominated at the Oscars, and to be the way forward, certainly for a lot of Irish this year the Northern Irish film The Shore, producers, that’s how they’re going about it and producer Eimear O’Kane’s Pentecost make because it is difficult to raise all the money in up two of the five nominations for Live Action this country.” Short Film. There is a question that still remains, Pentecost is a comedy about a football fanatic however: why have Irish short films been so altar boy who receives a three-month ban from prolific at the Oscars in recent years? With football after knocking over a priest during mass, relatively small resources, when compared to the and was funded through the Irish Film Board USA or the UK, the funding bodies in Ireland, Signatures short film scheme. Oscar recognition in particular the Irish Film Board, have opted for Pentecost this year, and numerous Irish films to back films that serve as cultural products of in previous years, has allowed the quality of the Ireland, and in doing so, have create a national Irish national cinema (and by extension the Irish film canon that has excited the members of the film industry), which would have gone largely Academy. unnoticed by the mainstream, to be exposed However, as O’Kane points out, there is no not only to national audiences, but also to “magic formula” for producing Oscar-worthy international markets. films, and certainly not at the consistent rate For people involved in the making of these Ireland has being doing in recent years. She short films, nomination at the Oscars also concludes that Ireland’s current status at the provides an excellent platform to make the Oscars is “reminding people of Irish peoples’ transition to feature films with budgets to rival skills for storytelling and that we do have stories US films. “It is not an easy task to get a feature to tell.” And the Oscars, for one, are most film off the ground,” O’Kane explains. “It is a definitely listening.

Television OTWO

Fatal Fourway The best sitcom about friends that isn’t Friends This issue, the foursome debate the best show about mates hanging out and doing nothing except being funny

How I Met Your Mother George Morahan Of all the shows that emerged postFriends, How I Met Your Mother initially seemed the most hackneyed and predictable. You had Marshall and Lily as the show’s solid couple (Monica and Chandler), Robin (Rachel) as the hot girl at the centre of a will-they-won’t-they drama with Ted, an insufferable, whiny tool that you couldn’t believe could be a palatable lead in a comedy (Ross), and then you had the awesome one, Barney (Joey/Phoebe). However, things quickly changed as HIMYM became more quotable, funny and even complex – more closely resembling Seinfeld than Friends. These people had jobs to go to; vague, wellpaying jobs, but they’d much rather spend their time in a bar, trying their hand at amateur sociology and coming up with apparently true-to-life concepts, such as the Crazy-Hot Scale, the Platinum Rule, and so on and so forth. As with most shows, HIMYM has gotten worse with age, but people still watch it out of loyalty to a show that, in its first four seasons, was one of TV’s funniest and most adored programmes. You looked forward to spending time with these people, to what Barney would say next, to how Ted would present you with more reasons to cave in his skull, and to just hanging out with them, and isn’t that what a sitcom is all about?

New Girl

Parks and Recreation

The Big Bang Theory

Aoife Valentine

Dermot O’Rourke

Jon Hozier-Byrne

You may know every single line of every single episode, but it’s time that you forget Friends and move on with your life. If you happen to be Comedy Central, then I’m talking to you especially. Seriously, there are other shows, and if you’re looking for one centred around a group of friends hanging out in one place, as if they don’t have jobs or lives outside that place, the pool to choose from isn’t exactly a small one. The size of said pool is really irrelevant however, when only one show stars Zooey Deschanel. Let’s face it; there isn’t a person in the world that is not totally in love with her and her demented, quirky ways. She is the very definition of manic pixie dream girl, and it’s adorable. She has baby farm animals on her cheques and has touched glitter in the last twenty-four hours, what more do you want? Sure you could argue that Jess is a mere caricature of Zooey Deschanel herself, but the show is hilarious, and who doesn’t want some awesome female-led comedy? Well, hipsters, according to the Internet, but that’s just because Jess is the twee-est of all hipsters, and they’re just jelz that they will never quite live up to her levels of cutesy nonsense. Stop being jelz.

The habit of watching the back catalogue of Friends on TV needs to stop. It is a comfort programme. When there is nothing on TV, a repeat of Friends is undoubtedly on. We all know the older episodes were pretty terrible and don’t really hold up, so you don’t need to watch them for the fiftieth time to confirm that. It’s time to do something useful with our lives. It’s time to stop watching the repeat of “The One Where... stuff happens and Chandler makes a sarcastic comment about it,” and switch over to a newer, and arguably better, sitcom about friends. It’s time to watch Parks and Recreation. Not only is Parks and Recreation one of the funniest sitcoms currently on TV, with great characters and the close bond of friendship required for any good sitcom, it also has one thing that allows it to lord over all the other alternative Friends sitcoms (and Friends itself for that matter): Ron Swanson. Despite his job in local government, Ron is a staunch Libertarian and has a fierce loathing of the general public. He has taken a picture of every steak he has ever eaten from his favourite steakhouse and once wrote a handbook for the Scouts containing only one guideline: Be a man. You need to stop watching Friends and switch to Parks and Recreation, not because I told you to, but because Ron Swanson demands it.

Oh, The Big Bang Theory. What a show. It’s one of the most watched shows airing today. It has been widely regarded by many critics as ‘on television’. It is also features geeky men, so you know that you’re smart, because you’re watching it, like how watching Frasier made you feel fancy. Sure, you’ve heard of Iron Man, the niche underground nerd that you are. Get away, that sort of hipness is catching! The Big Bang Theory is the love child of creator Chuck Lorre and the day he found out that the Internet is a thing. Comic book movies have been making box office tills ring, and now we have a syndicated television show where we can have a hearty laugh at a high-functioning autistic. The show follows a group of comic book-loving physicists (and one belittled engineer) as they navigate through everyday social interactions with the grace of a group of comic book-loving physicists. The results, as you might expect, are pure comedic gold. Will Leonard get the girl? Will Sheldon learn to understand human emotion? Will Raj ever gain the ability to talk to girls while sober? One thing is for certain: everybody cares. Also, the theme tune is pretty great. Vote The Big Bang Theory!

Go on the University Observer Facebook page and have your say; what is the best best sitcom about friends that isn’t Friends?

OTWO film

his year the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary, hitting the capital from 16th to the 26th of February. With the awards season already buzzing due to the recent BAFTAs and the upcoming Academy Awards, film is definitely on the tip of everybody’s tongue. Despite its relative youth, the Jameson festival has managed to draw in large audiences and attract a large number of A-listers, including Sean Penn, Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron, over the past decade. This year proves to be no different, with awardwinning actors such as Glenn Close presenting her Oscar-nominated role in Albert Nobs, and Mark Wahlberg making an appearance having starred in action thriller Contraband. Festival Director Gràinne Humphreys is acutely aware of how the festival has grown in tandem with the Irish film industry as a whole. “One of our key roles is to platform those films and their release in Ireland. I’d see [the festival] as growing parallel to the Irish film industry. The success of films like The Guard and the range of different documentaries, shorts, and feature films being presented in the festival mirror what is happening in the sector as well.” This year’s festival hosts a variety of events, including Q&A sessions and master classes with leading directors, producers and

Celebrating the big screen screen writers. JDIFF 2012 will see many sensational guests, such as Kenneth Lonergan (scriptwriter on Gangs of New York) and The Wire scriptwriter Agnieszka Holland appearing with her Oscarnominated In Darkness. Also confirmed to attend is Oscar-winning screen legend Al Pacino, who will be hitting the festival to showcase his new film Wilde Salome, co-starring The Help’s Jessica Chastain. The movie highlights Pacino’s fascination with one of Ireland’s greatest literary exports, the incomparable Oscar Wilde. When asked about having a film giant gracing the Jameson

As the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival enters its tenth year, Tadgh Dolan speaks to Festival Director Gràinne Humphreys about what is in store for Ireland’s celluloid lovers

stage, Humphreys asserted that “it’s a huge honour … I keep getting completely calm then remembering: it’s Al Pacino! “We’re putting on a couple of Al Pacino films that I’m not sure people are actually as familiar with … I think people are more familiar with The Godfather, so we decided to try and maybe push it in a different direction, so The Panic in Needle Park and the first film he directed, Looking for Richard, will be screened.” After Stellan Skarsgård (pictured) was honoured at the festival’s official press launch, Pacino will be this year’s second recipient of the coveted Volta Award. He will be presented with the statuette ahead of the screening for Wilde Salome, and with past winners including George Morrison and Daniel Day Lewis, the two are certainly in illustrious company. Over the past nine years, the festival has shown over 1,137 films, a staggering accomplishment. Many students have joined a total of 1,568 volunteers since the festival began in 2003. Humphreys herself volunteered at Dublin film festivals while completing a Film Studies degree at UCD as it became “part and parcel” of her student life. It would seem that there has also been a concerted effort in getting Irish film talent on to the world stage. Humphreys says “I think it’s still very simple; if you make a good film it will actually succeed … Irish film has possibly, through hard work and a lot of persistence, managed to make the right number of films and established the right type of connections.” In 2008, the festival began the Irish Talent Spotlight in order to profile exceptional talent working in all areas of the Irish film industry. This year will focus on directors Pat Collins (Silence) and Ian Fitzgibbon (Death

of a Superhero) and composer Brian Byrne (Albert Nobbs). One standout feature of the festival is how it manages to remain true to its audiences. When asked whether the festival is ready to share a stage with the likes of Cannes or Venice, Humphreys’ response was immediate, “No. Cannes is a film festival that is based in the Rivera and has 40,000 participants. At any one time you can see about thirty-five films and it has a market … It has a very high-profiled celebration of the art form, but underneath it is effectively a shop-window for cinema … Whereas [with] Dublin, I’m quite proud of the fact that it’s about audiences. It’s about that relationship between film makers and audiences.” With this being Humphrey’s fifth year co-ordinating the festival, it is easy to wonder how she has tried to put her stamp on Ireland’s foremost film festival. “Well, to be honest, each year [I choose] films that I would actually like to sit down and watch again. You know that they’ve actually made an impact on me. I’m very conscious that with the IFI, and with the Lighthouse being reopened, that you’re trying to make sure that what the festival does is in addition to their programming during the year.” Otwo did try to get a hint as to what this year’s mystery screening may be, however we can only confirm that there will be “one on each Sunday” and that, much to our own disappointment, it will not be Home Alone. The Jameson International Film Festival takes place from February 16th to 26th, with tickets and further information available at www.jdiff.com.

Free love

“I

t’s a crazy story, a wild story but a true story,” begins Andrew Wessen, one of the five musicians that collectively make up Grouplove. After getting to grips with Otwo’s Irish twang, Wessen launches into the group’s ‘boy meets girl’ story with a twist. Leading lady Hannah Hooper met Christian Zucconi, lead guitarist, at a gig one A communal approach is certainly evident in evening in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Just their music, with the role of lead vocalist passed days later, she was offered an art residency at an around from track to track. Wessen sees this as the artists’ commune in Crete and invited Zucconi most exciting thing about Grouplove, contrasting to join her. This commune, run by Wessen’s them to bands that “play a long set with the same brother, would become the breeding ground for singer on his seventeenth song in a row.” VariaGrouplove‘s future success. tion, as well as providing interest, also reflects the “Well, I didn’t know anyone except for Ryan band’s dynamics and self-professed genre of “excit[Rabin], the drummer, before,” says Wesssen ing, contained chaos indie-rock.” of his fellow band members. “But for whatever “We were all individual artists - even Ryan, our reason, we just kind of gravitated towards each drummer, is an amazing producer and songwriter. other and made our own little crew among the It’s kind of exciting, because we’ve all come from other artists there.” The final member of this projects in which we’ve had to quarterback and crew was Sean Gadd, a London-born guitarist take the lead,” says Wessen. “All of us are the lead who would quickly become friends with Hooper singers or main songwriters in our various projand Zucconi upon his arrival in Crete. ects ... It’s not like one guy trying to take the lead Quick to regale tales of driving scooters through on the whole thing and having all that pressure. mountains and all-day jam sessions on the beach, It really was a case of what is the best song we can Wessen explains that the group had no idea of what work on right now?” Even so, Wessen does jokingwas just around the corner. “We didn’t really work on ly admit that Hooper, a long-time “secret shower too many songs that ended up being Grouplove songs. singer,” has really hit her stride since Greece. We just hung out a lot and became really close.” When a group lists “life” as their inspiration, it So close, in fact, that a year later they arranged is always interesting to explore how they make a reunion in LA, where they recorded their first the transition to working with a professional label. EP “just as friends” in Rabin’s studio. Also called However, Wessen is full of praise for Atlantic, who Grouplove, this first EP was received positively by he feels have supported Grouplove in everything the online community and led to their first six they’ve done, “artistically or otherwise.” gigs rapidly selling out. “I remember being over “It was literally just us,” he says, explaining that the moon about it. Then to be on Kimmel and Let- Rabin produced the entire first album, Never terman and touring in Australia was just complete- Trust a Happy Song, while Hooper created the artly mind-blowing.” Nonetheless, Wessen feels work. “There was absolutely no outside influence. none of that could have happened without their We didn’t even play the tracks to our label until time in Crete. “That set up things for the future.” they were pretty much in the bag.”

Music OTWO

Grouplove’s Andrew Wessen gives Matt Gregg the lowdown on life in a commune, scoring an Apple ad and his band’s secret shower singer This is not to say he doesn’t appreciate the importance of outsider money in helping Grouplove today. “I didn’t understand this before the band started ... but you’re actually losing money on all your tours. Stuff like getting TV shows or movies or commercials are important.” For example, the track ‘Colours’ has featured in various video games while ‘Tongue Tied’ has shot to prominence thanks to Apple’s latest advert. Of the entire group, Wessen was the most sceptical of this venture. “I hate commercials ... and everyone knows it’s not cool,” he says, before explaining why he decided to make an exception just this once. “Steve Jobs has just died. We all use Macs and every one of us uses Mac products. [I didn’t want to do it, but the others said] ‘dude, it’s like the coolest company in the world saying you’re cool – what’s your problem?’ So when they put it that way, I guess it is kind of cool.” Nevertheless, Wessen hopes this commercial will be a once-off and is keen to emphasise that the group “wanted to be at the helm of things.” This includes concentrating on touring, which they have been doing almost constantly for the last year. So much so, in fact, that Wessen sold his apartment earlier this summer because he was never at home. It would be easy to sympathise with his hectic schedule, but Wessen laughs it off. “The longest break I had was two weeks, but my god, it’s amazing to be doing this. This is special and I could never have dreamt it up.” Grouplove play the Academy on February 22nd. Tickets priced at €16.50. Never Trust a Happy Song is out now.

OTWO Music

C’est Finn

oftly spoken and disconcertingly polite, Craig Finn, a forty-year-old vegan Christian, is the surprising lungs behind a renowned post-punk outfit. He looks like a man who works in an IT department, who categorises his vinyl collections by their thematic relevance and leaves the house only when the DFS winter sale is on. Yet Finn is living proof as to why no one should ever make a judgement based purely on their optical senses – catapulting his band, the Hold Steady, into famedom through his lyrically dense storytelling and his manic onstage dancing. The release of his debut solo album marks a turning point in Finn’s career, taking a break from the loud recording room of the full band and embarking on a project that seemed to have been a necessity to him. After the lukewarm reception afforded to the Hold Steady’s last record, Heaven is Whenever, a change was required, and for Finn, it was his solo enterprise, entitled Clear Heart, Full Eyes. With four well-received albums under his belt, Finn is a man who knows what he is doing in terms of music releases. Yet his debut solo album has shifted away from all that has gone before, making this album, 22

As he sets off on his solo career, the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn chats to Emily Mullen about Lenten songwriting, growing up with your characters, and his friend Jesus

given his religious associations, a leap of faith. This transition from rock and roll star to singersongwriter was achieved with remarkable fluidity. Previous album sales and media interest affirmed Finn’s desire to produce the record, although he misses the reassurance of his band. “You don’t have the guys around and the camaraderie of, like, ‘Hey, this is going great!’” This record is “a little more personal and intimate,” yet for a solo album, it holds quite a distance from its composer. It is sung with immediacy but still carries through the Hold Steady’s use of fictional characters. A first person perspective is lacking, and this creates a gaping hole in an otherwise impeccable album. Recurring characters, locales and themes serve as subterfuge for Finn. “I set out to make a record that has not just my voice, but has characters in the songs.” The origin of Clear Heart stems from an unconventional mix of processes and rituals. “I had this thing where I tried to write a song a day for a while,” Finn explains. “It was sort of a challenge for me, every year I quit drinking for Lent, and it sort of coincided with this period. I wrote fifty songs, most of them weren’t that good, but by keeping up

with that process I was able to get to places I wouldn’t have been able to get to otherwise. Of course, some of them were terrible, but others you can look back on them and say ‘well, what was good about this one and what was bad about it,’ and try to make it better.” Over the course of the Hold Steady’s records, Finn has sung the lines of teenage debauchery and twenty-something tedium through a scattering of details that make up the lives of average, unremarkable people yearning for the chance to be anything but that. As Finn has aged, so too has his alternative universe. To him, the new record’s characters are “a little bit more adult and maybe a little older, and dealing with more adult frustrations.” These frustrations seem to become more fixed as Finn and his characters become older. “You get to the stage where as an adult you can be smart enough to know what your problems are, but still unable to change them.” Finn has always been very open concerning his faith and his convictions, describing a fellowship with Christ during his song ‘My Friend Jesus’. “I was raised Catholic, and I’m Catholic to the extent that I go to church sometimes. I think about Jesus Christ and the church

and my faith a lot, especially when it comes to topics like forgiveness and redemption, which I think are beautiful topics no matter what you believe, but also thinking about sacrifice and struggle.” He speaks of his associations with Jesus on a more symbolic level than a spiritual one. “It’s easy to look to Christ on the cross and think about how all of us have to carry a cross, but in our own lives we all have sacrifices and struggles and things that we have to do that might not seem like the most fun thing, but we kind of persevere. That’s interesting to me and that’s something that makes me think about my own faith a lot.” Now Finn has reached middle age, he has mellowed; both he and his music have become less concerned with the other holy trinity of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Above all else, his latest album marks a philosophical awakening, as he recognises what is truly important in his life. As he puts it, “at forty years old you start to realise that these things can really affect you and do affect us.” Craig Finn will be supporting The Felice Brothers at the Academy on March 5th. Tickets priced at €20. Clear Heart, Full Eyes is out now.

Music OTWO

The Maccabees guitarist Felix White chats to Greg Talbot about developments in the studio, the joys of travel and his own sartorial regrets

he Maccabees have started the year on a high after their much-awaited third album, Given to the Wild, was well received and reviewed. The south London group formed back in 2003 and have become one of the most successful acts to survive the dark days of landfill indie. In conversation with Otwo, guitarist and vocalist Felix White recalls how much the band has grown and developed from their initial beginnings, when they had nothing more than a “pipe dream of sorts,” to the current day, where the band is in the midst of their European tour. Despite possessing great talent, Felix speaks with an air of humility and modesty when remembering the band’s younger years. “We always did work, and we are honest and very openly a bit naïve to things, but that’s what bands starting out are, and I wouldn’t change any of that to be honest, because that’s how we got to this point.” Released in early January, Given to the Wild is different in numerous ways from the band’s previous albums, Colour It In and Wall of Arms. “We knew from the very start before we worked with anyone that we wanted it to be a different record.” The process that the members engaged in was new territory, but this did not stop the Maccabees from producing an evidently outstanding album. “It’s totally different in the way it was constructed, because everything else that the Maccabees had done up to that point was started in the rehearsal room and working it out together and playing it live, and very often what you heard was how we worked it out in that room, plus brass or whatever, that was done in production at the last moment. This one is kind of worked out the total opposite way. We started things just with little loops and stuff on computers, sending it back and forth to each other. It was done away from the rehearsal room, so that is a totally different way for the Maccabees to make music.” The album offers songs that are heavier emotionally in comparison to their previous endeavours, however, this new feel to their music did not occur by mistake. “We just realised that, maybe, some songs had been quite restrained, which is great, but we wanted to do something which had a bit more momentum.” White states on a few occasions how they strived to make a “different” record, and how they wanted it to “hold much more of an atmosphere to it than anything [they] worked on before, for it not to sound like a band that has two guitars, drums and a bass.” He elaborates that they “wanted it to have more mystique than that and for it just to have different eccentricities and things going on within in it.”

Into the Wild Given to the Wild had a team of three producers, but did this mean that The Maccabees suffered from creative constraints? “I think we were allowed to make the record sound how we wanted it to. Like, literally for the first time, we had that much hands-on, and that much ownership of it.” Aside from these factors, the group’s core methodology remained the same. “It’s more about when you write something, it kind of happens accidentally and the trick is to realise when something is good and capture it and go with it.” As talk turns to the band’s European tour, White explains what he will enjoy the most over the coming months. “I look forward to waking up in a different European city every morning and enjoying my job being in a band, that’s pretty cool.” Again, in the same vein as the record, the tour is going to offer something different from previous appearances. “Well, we’ve got three records to play from now,” White explains, so they’re different shows to what Maccabees shows would’ve been before.” Deep in

contemplation, the guitarist and vocalist highlights where he believes the band have made their biggest mistakes in the past. “I think more than anything the first few Maccabee gigs had a few too many fashion faux-pas to be honest,” happy to single out his wish that he would have relished the chance to advise his younger self to not wear a certain “green, yellow and black Jamaican peaked hat.” The band plan on touring for most of the year, appearing at as many festivals as they can along the way, as well as returning to Ireland in early March. All the hard work that they are committing themselves to notwithstanding, White maintains that the Maccabees have a lot to give in the future. “I’d just like to keep making a lot more music, and I think we’ve done well up to this point, and the best thing about it is that there is still much more in us.” The Maccabees play the Academy on March 3rd. Tickets priced at €25. Given to the Wild is out now.

OTWO Music

album REVIEWS Tennis Young & Old

Band of Skulls Sweet Sour

Shearwater Animal Joy

B-

B+

B-

After Cape Dory last year, ‘indie’ husband and wife doubles team Tennis return with a saccharine second serve, produced by The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney. While those embittered by Cupid’s forensic ballistics this feast of St. Valentine will have to continue waiting for the morbid break-up album, the couple have largely ditched the lyrical solipsism of the debut in favour of wider appeal, and have increased the aggression a fraction in songs like ‘It All Feels the Same’. Patrick Riley’s pretty, melodic guitar playing complements Alaina Moore’s sprightly keyboards and overdubbed harmonies – to greatest effect on the excellent ‘Origins’ and ‘Dreaming’. The drumming frequently acknowledges (the now ubiquitous presences of) 1960s’ thundering girl groups. What irks slightly is that although the pieces are aggressively enjoyable, so much of this passes in a charming, wistful haze, leaving scant lasting impression.

Fans of Band of Skulls’ debut, Baby Together since 1998, Shearwater The Decemberists’ first live album We Darling Doll Face Honey, won’t be originally formulated as an outlet for All Raise Our Voices to the Air is a disappointed by the sounds of its successor. material that did not suit their members’ strong record that showcases the plethora The English three-piece have continued other band, the celebrated Okkervil of genres the band has explored over with their distinctive fusion of falsetto River. But now, with their latest album their career, as well as the group’s lasting vocals and high distortion on their secAnimal Joy, the band may yet eclipse appeal as a live act. The record draws ond album, but this time, they have the successes of their associate act. heavily from their latest studio album, harnessed the energy of their sound to Animal Joy meditates on man’s rela- The King Is Dead, but the live forum produce a sharper, more polished record. tionship with nature. The opening track, guarantees an eclectic mix of their work, Title track and forthcoming single ‘Animal Life’, one of the best on the record, from stories of truancy and fast-paced ‘Sweet Sour’ is an undoubted highlight, shifts away from what is considered country rock to personal ballads and with an anthemic chorus of love/hate to be contemporary indie rock. It has a Homeric epics. sentiments and stadium-sized percussion. rustic, traditional feel that swoops with One highlight of seeing the DecemberPopular with alt-rock revellers, ‘Devil grace and gentle instrumentalism. The ists live is their quirky performance style, Takes Care of His Own’ marries a macaother tracks vary from soft melodies to and We All Raise Our Voices probre tone with stop-start rhythm. Their more pulsing, infectious beats. Jonathan vides a loving frame for their idiosyncraslow-paced tunes have come far from those Meiburg’s voice is reminiscent of Matt sies, not excluding frontman Colin Meloy of the debut, exhibiting a mastery of twin Berninger’s of the National; a deep conducting the audience in their support guitars and layered harmonies. Closing baritone that extends to a soft falsetto of two songs and a yodelling performance track ‘Close to Nowhere’ is their masterwhisper. ‘Breaking the Yearlings’ and by drummer John Moen. The achievepiece, with simultaneous dulcet tones and ‘Immaculate’ lean more to the rock side ment here is not in simply managing to husky vocals. The album’s only downfall of the album, with strong beats, noted document a live show, but in distilling can be the occasional repetition on some progression and a more sinister, distorted the memorable experience of seeing the tracks, but it is otherwise outstanding. sound. Decemberists in person.

In a Nutshell: Summery, altogether enjoyable music that may tarnish after prolonged listening. by Stephen Connolly

In a Nutshell: Like the successful band-child of the White Stripes and the xx; worth a listen. by Emily Longworth

Of Montreal Paralytic Stalks A-

The Decemberists We All Raise Our Voices to the Air A-

In a Nutshell: A varied, experimental album that is unafraid to break boundaries. by Shauna Daly

In a Nutshell: An honest live experience, excellently captured.

Of Montreal’s enjoyably bizarre eleventh album fuses psychopathic electro with more accessible synthpop, and sees Kevin Barnes taking his falsetto to unprecedented, provocative places. Paralytic Stalks is the ultimate hybrid; a rough pop framework pieced together with bricks from an eclectic wall of sound and layer upon layer of distortion. This album is sung from a personal perspective, in contrast to the act’s former releases. It was written and produced by Barnes, and through composing, he explores the depths of his psychological anguish – songs such as ‘We Will Commit Wolf Murder’

and ‘Spiteful Intervention’ harness this emotional fallout. It glides blissfully from one mental breakdown to the next, giving the record a raw and emotive clarity. Barnes and his compatriots have successfully contrasted melancholic lyrics with sing-song choruses, poppy upbeats and hooks. Prepare to be lambasted with themes of doom, a troubled psyche, and jingle-worthy melodies.

by Allan McKee

In a Nutshell: Experimentation at its very best and overproduced self. by Emily Mullen

Music OTWO

mixtape Songs to gloat about knowing

Tired of patronising eye-rolling from your allknowing hipster friends? Cormac Duffy offers the definitive list of songs to exert your coolness The Sugarhill Gang – ‘Rapper’s Delight’ Myth tells that the few who learn the lyrics to all fifteen minutes of this pioneering rap odyssey will reach a higher plane of consciousness where they are graced with the realisation that they have seriously wasted their time. Lizzy Grant – ‘Kill Kill’ Now that the whole world and their mum have hopped on the Lana Del Rey bandwagon, it’s time to show off just how long you’ve known her. Tell your friends you were the one to persuade her to change her name and get those strange collagen lips, and reap their praise/scorn. Naftule Brandwein – ‘Nifty’s Freilach’ This jaunty number is the perfect way to prove to your philistine friends who think Beirut qualifies as world music that you’re much more culturally astute than them. Best played on your wax cylinder of Now That’s What I Call Klezmer! 1925. Manuel Gottsching – ‘E2-E4’ An hour-long German proto-techno opus that inspired a workout track by LCD Soundsystem, this hits all the buttons for looking like an elder statesman of pretension. Be sure to mention how you consider it light listening. Unknown Artist – ‘Au Clair de la Lune’ Next time you get locked in a vintageoff with a fellow hipster, be sure to express your love for this recording of an anonymous singer captured by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. Considering it’s the first recorded sound, you’ll instantly win. Just don’t admit that it sounds like a muppet gargling. Julian Koster – ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ It’s a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel playing traditional Christmas songs on a saw. No more need be said.

Fast Food Rockers – ‘Fast Food Song’ Sure, everyone knows this as a grating novelty tune, but have they heard you rhapsodise on how it’s actually a radical, critical spectacle on how the phallocentric patriarchy uses the fetishisation of mass-produced food to enslave the proletariat? Thought not. Botanist – ‘Sanguinaria’ “This is so deep; it’s a black metal concept album about plants played mainly on the dulcimer.” There is no way you can say this sentence to that lucky hipster girl you’ve just brought home to see your record collection and not be in knee-deep in clunge moments later. Jake Holmes – ‘Dazed and Confused’ There is no greater pleasure than letting your moronic rocker buddies in on the secret that Jimmy Page only wrote so many good riffs by stealing them all. Holmes not only wrote this, but also never slept with fourteen-year-old groupies or performed with Leona Lewis. Holmes: 1, Page: 0. Karlheinz Stockhausen – ‘Gesang der Junglinge’ Arguably the first electronica track, this is perfect for overwrought comparisons to the simpler electronic music your peers enjoy. Try “Stockhausen is pretty much the David Guetta of modernist serialism” or “This is like Skrillex, if you replace the drop with a children’s choir.” Vashti Bunyan – ‘Winter is Blue’ A mysterious British psychedelic folk singer whose career technically doubles up as an Animal Collective side project. This is the musical equivalent of a second hand flannel shirt made from organic hemp, vinyl, and your own sense of self-satisfaction.

The duffington post Warning: this column may contain aesthetic, think piece nonsense, as Cormac Duffy argues that pop needs to get ugly Those of us who love a proverbial dance about architecture talk a lot about beauty in sound’s most popular subgenre, in that overwhelming, transcendent “I’m crying and running in the rain while listening to ‘Holocene’” way (don’t act like you haven’t done that). What we tend to ignore, however, is ugliness in music. By this I mean music the average listener finds unpleasant and repellent; sounds that are dissonant, loud, crass or just plain noisy. Music that if it were a face would have the lips of Lana Del Rey, the nose of Michael Jackson and the teeth of Shane McGowan. Yet it is all around us, not just on the laptops of Ministry fans. With Cloud Nothings’ latest record paying tribute to the shambolic, aggressive rock of post-hardcore America as a deserved ‘Up yours!’ to the era of pretty, vapid Instagram indie, and Nicki Minaj’s demented, almost atonal ‘Stupid Hoe’ sending fans of her usual pop precision running, ugliness is at play. It matters too. If we want to maintain that collective belief/superstition that pop music is art, it needs to be more than the ritualistic, shift-preceding dance-floor fodder of the charts, or the sonic potpourri vomited out by every sensitive singer-songwriter and stoned teenager with a synth. It needs to challenge us to warrant the effort of a critical listen. Ugliness not only guarantees that we are pushing ourselves to actively listen rather than passively absorb, but is often the obvious symptom of fresh ideas. The first time society encounters any boundary-pushing music, whether it’s Schoenberg, Slayer or even the wild noise that some heard in early rock and roll, odds are it’ll feel a surprise lobotomy. That these sounds soon become accepted shows how ugliness pushes out our tastes and thus broadens the range of expression we can have as performers or interpreters. Even in baser terms, we use music as a lens through which we view the world. You don’t need to be an ivory tower academic to appreciate the use of visual art or cinema for shattering aesthetic norms and tackling the darker side of life. I struggle to believe that music as thematically dark and aesthetically harsh as the likes of Black Swan could be as popular. Music is set aside by the average consumer for simpler things; heartache, celebration and having moves like Jagger. Too many people instinctively flee from music that is superficially tough, unpleasant or difficult, rather than persevere to see its real meaning. Music has no duty to amuse us. It can, and should, be as brutal and unpalatable as it needs to be to satisfy its artistic aspirations. If we think that aspiration is important, the onus is on us to put in the effort before we cast it aside. 25

OTWO

Show Patrol 15 February

Nick Lowe – Vicar Street – 8:30pm – €39.05

16 February

Cathy Davey – Whelan’s – 8:00pm – €22 Je T’aime! – The Wright Venue – 8:00pm – €22.65 Nicole Scherzinger – The Olympia Theatre – 8:00pm – €36.50 - €40.50 Senakah – The Workman’s Club – 8:00pm – €10 Lisa Hannibal – Vicar Street – 8:30pm – €25

17 February

Chris Liebing – The Academy – 10:00pm – €21.40 The 2 Bears and Benoit & Sergio – The Button Factory – 11:00pm – €15 Young Guns – The Academy 2 – 5:00pm – €12.50 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The O2 – 6:30pm – €39.05 - €44.05 Not Saying Boo! – The Twisted Pepper – 10.00pm – €12.00 - €15.00 The Manhattan Syndrome – Whelan’s – 8.00pm – €5.00

18 February

Fox Avenue + Jody Has a Hitlist – The Academy – 12:00am – €14.50 We Have Band – The Academy 2 – 7:30pm – €13 David McSavage – Vicar Street – 8:30pm – €25 Errors – The Grand Social – 8:00pm – €15.00

19 February

Rodrigo Y Gabriela – Olympia Theatre – 7:30pm – €39.05 - €44.05 Kurt Vile & the Violators – Whelan’s – 8:00pm – €18.50

21 February

John Oates – Whelan’s – 8:00pm – €22.50

22 February

Grouplove – The Academy – 7:00pm – €16.50 Ghostpoet – Whelan’s – 8:00pm – €17.00

25 February

Keywest – The Academy – 7:00pm – €15 Delorentos – The Button Factory – 19:30 – €15 Camille O’ Sullivan – Olympia Theatre – 8:00pm – €29

26 February

Band of Skulls – The Academy – 7:30pm – €16.50

27 February

Rammstein – The O2 – 6:30pm – €59.80 - €70.70 Tyler Ward – The Academy 2 – 6:30pm – €18.50 by Sara Holbrook

Gig of the Fortnight

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds The O2 – 6:30pm – €39.05 - €44.05 This gig promises to please both new and old fans of Noel Gallagher, with songs from his new album as well as the classic hits from his Oasis days sure to be featured. Many people doubted if Gallagher could make it without his brother Liam, but his solo output – under the moniker Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, inspired by the Jefferson Airplane’s song ‘High Flying Birds’ – has been warmly received and has comfortably confirmed the elder Gallagher a veritable statesman of British guitar music. While Gallagher promised a radical change in style with this new band, Oasis can still very much be heard on some of the tracks, which is sure to please as many as it repels. He does, however, know how to put on a good show.

OTwo Attempts...

Becoming a Star!

OTWO

Tired of being just another pleb on campus, Emily Longworth set her sights on stardom at the UCD Musical Society auditions

or as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be ridiculously popular. It’s not unreasonable; in our heart of hearts I think we all want a disproportionately high amount of acclaim. Or perhaps it’s just me. Regardless, having not yet achieved unconditional adoration from everyone else in the world, I’ve been re-evaluating my methods. One truth that became clear to me in my years of secondary school education was that the annual school musical would always be responsible for the production of an idol. Amidst a community of plebs, commoners and unfortunate-looking people there would be one amazing person who outshines them, and thus, a star is born. Years later, these people will feature on quality programming such as The Voice of Ireland. Naturally, I envy them. So when I was given the chance to audition for the Musical Society’s production of Hercules - the musical adaption of the popular Disney film - I couldn’t turn it down. It was like the premise of the teen drama Glee had come into my life, and I was going to be the good-looking one (but without the pregnancy). There was no greater incentive to audition for the lead role in the musical than knowing the reward would be instant stardom. Realising my vocation, I signed up for the auditions, minutes before they began. The first part of the star-searching process was the singing and acting audition. It had not occurred to me before I attended that I should need to practice or even prepare anything at all. By nature of becoming an

Photographer: David Nowak

overnight star, the trivial issue of my actual talent would cease to have any relevance. This is one of the many life lessons that The X Factor has taught me. Prior to the audition, and in the spirit of Disney films, my game plan was to give them the ol’ razzle-dazzle. It couldn’t go wrong. After introducing myself to the panel of three friendly judges, I was asked which role I would be auditioning for. Failing to consider that this may be asked of me, and not knowing any character names, I had only a few seconds to make a half-baked guess about which role I was going for. I settled on Megusa. They assured me that there was no such character in Hercules named this. Perhaps I meant either Megorrah or Medusa, they suggested. I went for the former; she sounded less evil. Once the judges worked out that I had little to no knowledge of the musical in question, they kindly allowed me a few seconds to read over my lines silently. I was told that speaking with an American accent was preferable, but no particular regional dialect was specified. I decided to fall back on the old reliable: New Jersey. It worked out well for me. Undoubtedly satisfied, the judges moved swiftly on to the singing part of the audition. Having never willingly partaken in formal singing in my whole life, this was undeniably the most difficult hurdle to clear on my path to fame. While my competition were rehearsing ‘AStar is Born’ and ‘Go the Distance’ in the stairwells of the Newman building days in advance, I had been at home on Facebook. So, at the moment of the audition, I was left to choose between the only two songs I was certain I knew any of the actual the words to: Aretha Franklin’s ‘I Say a Little Prayer’, and Neil Young’s ‘Tell Me Why’. Despite my enduring partiality to the latter, it was substantially less suitable for the occasion. By process of elimination, I settled for Aretha Franklin. My over-confidence quickly disintegrated when I found myself unable to recall the melody of both the verse and the

chorus to my chosen song, but having already committed to it, I decided to follow through. I sang the bridge, and only the bridge, for all of four seconds. Needless to say, it was a glorious recovery. I took a bow and promptly left. Day two of try-outs was the dance audition. Truly, this is where I was in my element. I donned my finest pair of legwarmers and a leotard that would make Geri Halliwell proud. I arrived at the group dance audition with my own routine prepared, just in case I needed one. Unfortunately, the judges were not convinced by my twenty minutes of jazz hands. Obligingly, I agreed to learn the dance that was being instructed to the group. Contrary to my expectations, it was complicated, very fast and ridiculously difficult. When I looked around at my fellow hopefuls, I noticed that they seemed to have some sort of passion or zeal for what they were doing. It was at this point that I began to think the ability to endure the dance audition would take more than a fabulous ensemble. I took my legwarmers and left. A few days later, I was notified that I did not get the part of Megorrah, Megusa or even Medusa. Although I was not surprised, I did cry myself to sleep for many nights afterwards, for a small part of me had died. Maybe some day I’ll pursue the dream again, through any medium other than musical theatre. And some day, I’ll go the distance, and become a star. 27

OTWO What was the

worst frape

you ever received?

Ordinary Level

“Someone added every Aine in Ireland and set up a dating site for us”

Aine Fitzpatrick, 3rd year Genetics

“I got emails and newsletters about how to become a better transvestite”

Philip Lawson, 3rd year Commerce

“‘I have really bad diarrhoea and scouring because of my high fibre diet’”

Nicole Brady, 4th year Biomedical Health & Life Science

“I got tagged in a post with an ex-girlfriend (who I shouldn’t have been hanging around with) which subsequently ended a relationship” Joshua Skyring, 3rd year Veterinary Nursing

“‘I have a foot problem, that has pus oozing at all times. This pus is actually magical fluid that will save the world and feed all of Africa’” Carol Quigley, 2nd year Arts

Voxpops: Emily Mullen Photographer: David Nowak