Volume XX – Otwo – Issue 2

HARD WORKING CLASS HEROES

THE UNIVERSITY OBSERVER CULTURE MAGAZINE

BRAVEST WARRIORS INTERVIEW

MPAA & THE POWER OF THE CENSOR

THE GRUNGE SHOOT

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RECIPIENT OF THE JAMES JOYCE AWARD

ROBERT SHEEHAN

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

C’MERE YOU! Introductory lectures are over, you have to move on, and reassess your life. Before you do that, however, look what’s miraculously appeared in your musky paws! Thats right, it’s issue two of Otwo. (Cue fanfare) This issue is jam-packed with interviews, with Rebekah “Alliteration” Rennick leading the way with six whole band interviews! Five of which come from the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival, which gets seven thumbs up from Otwo.

Laura “End” Bell takes us through the F****** complicated world of American Film censorship, whilst Niall “Juggs” Gosker has the chats with Proteus developer, Ed Key. Inevitably GTA V is reviewed, and somewhat less inevitably, Rayman Legends is also reviewed.

Robert Sheehan has flirted his

WHAT’S HOT & WHAT’S NOT WHAT’S HOT

WHAT’S NOT HOT

FORUM BAR 2.0

YOUR UNDYING J1 SENTIMENTS

Another year, another shiny new facility awaiting ruin by masses of inebriated Diceys-bound students. After depriving the entire student body of a boozin’ centre for one year, UCD have tactfully made the decision to install as many new televisions as possible into the place that’ll be hit hardest by the storm of pent-up student alcoholism. As the fella says, it’s not a good night unless someone smashes the value of their student centre levy.

Because just one “America, you’ve been amazing!!1!” Facebook status is simply not enough anymore. Kill any remaining doubts that you are capable of original thought and remind us again that your life changed for the better when you made the decision to relocate your binge drinking from a field somewhere at home to a disreputable Irish bar somewhere in Chicago. And you don’t need to formally announce your gratitude anyway; the NSA already knows what you did. All of it

HARD WORKING CLASS HEROES FESTIVAL

way to the front page and centre after sharing his profound beliefs on Irish theatre and his time on Love/ Hate and Misfits. While in fashion, Emily “Sk8r Boi” Mullen gets all grungy with tartan going all over the shop. The end of Oktoberfest also coincides with Travel exploring Munich this issue.

With your favourite regulars, @ tila, Orla Gartland and Foil Arms and Hog also featuring in this issue, you’re spoiled for choice, what with all the lovely content full of bountiful goodness we’re showering you with.

So what are you waiting for? Get avoiding those Medicinal Chemistry slides *sobs*.

Nearly in its teenage years, Dublin’s best mid-autumn, non-site-specific, small-scale music festival has returned. This year’s offerings have quadrupled in size, with much more free daytime gigs and Artist’s Panel events scattered around the city. Running from Thursday 3rd – Saturday 5th, Keep an ear out for Daithí, Hozier and Tieranniesaur, all of whom have received this week’s “Fuck yeah!” of approval.

THE END OF DISORIENTATION MONTH

The annual parade of pretending that Belfield’s 320 acres of Soviet-inspired infrastructure can somehow be made a more welcoming place is over again. At least the sea of blue t-shirts breaks up the nauseating façade of grey, which we owe to the 60s; the decade in which architectural aesthetics were dictated by hallucinogens. Orientation is an ambitious title anyway, when most footpaths are under construction and the schools of Law and Architecture aren’t pictured on the campus map.

SMOKING BAN ON CAMPUS

There is solid evidence that John Henry Newman himself would be against this. In Bishop Paul Cullen’s 1854 letter to the Vatican’s office Propaganda fide, wherein he criticized J.H. Newman’s Being-ASound-Lad by letting students smoke it was stated, “The young men are allowed to go out at all hours, to smoke, etc.” Don’t let anyone discourage you from shmokes; cigarettes may give you cancer but John Henry Newman gives you university. Check and mate..

ARTHUR’S DAY HANGOVER

The only thing more painful than the wiped-memory and depleted-neuron-count damage that Arthur’s Day incurs is the waking capitalist guilt that you’ve just inadvertently given Guinness Corporation their annual dose of free social media PR work. And then the online hype pushed you into going out too, because you’re a flake. And so is your mother.

KULTUR BHOYS!!!!!!!

FTW, JACK & STEVEN

MYSTIC MITTENS ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

Only in hindsight have you discovered that PsychSoc doesn’t stand for Psychic Society, but you don’t need Mittens to tell you how foolish you are; you already read everyone’s thoughts.

One of your flatmates is secretly a cannibal. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s not the one who keeps smelling your hair.

We all know what you’re thinking of doing and frankly, it’s only legal in Sweden.

TAURUS The moon asked me to pass on a message saying, “I sent the wasps.”

Naming a child after where they were conceived is never a classy idea. Your daughter will not appreciate the name Roebuck.

GEMINI

LIBRA

Beware the swans. They mostly come at night. Mostly.

We get it, it’s your birthday. You can remind us all you want, but you’ll still get no presents.

VIRGO

CANCER Have you ever seen the film Misery? No? Well then this will all be new to you …

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DEATH IS THE ONLY TRUTH!

CAPRICORN Follow your heart this week. If it and your body go in separate directions things will only end messily for you.

AQUARIUS It’s time to tell your partner that you’ve been taking your relationship advice from a cat. Don’t worry, they’ll be totally cool with it.

SCORPIO

PISCES

You will uncover the horrible secret concealed beneath the construction site at the back of the student centre.

Yes. Lizard people.

You are the human equivalent of Magikarp. You’re a weak specimen, but will find respite in the polluted, E. coli riddled waters of the UCD lake.

INDEX 2

12

CENTRE

3

14

MUSIC

REGULARS

——————————————— Mystic Mittens reveals your grim future, Emily Longworth wants you to just shut up about your J1 and go to Hard Working Class Heroes, while your favourite Otwo editors have a letter for you, their favourite reader.

4 5 6 8

REGULARS

——————————————— Donal gripes about the social misunderstandings of door to person interaction and proves chivalry isn’t dead in Soapbox. Also on Page 3 is this very description, how very Nolan of us.

SOAPBOX—THE ETIQUETTE OF DOORS ——————————————— In our main feature, IFTA and BAFTA Nominee Robert Sheehan sits down to talk about his career, his many influences and sharing an Austrian castle with Nicolas Cage.

——————————————— Rebekah Rennick gets the skinny on the Hard Working Class Heroes festival, and talks to five of the best movers and shakers playing, as American folk duo HoneyHoney also stop by. Gartlandia returns, with Orla telling you the exact sounds that should be in your earholes. Albums from Kings of Leon to Jessie J are also reviewed.

COLUMNS

——————————————— Foil Arms and Hog teach us all about the dangers of being a Food Bastard, whilst @tila the Hun is back from conquering the Rhine to answer more of your presumably tear-jerking social problems.

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TRAVEL & DRINK

——————————————— With another year’s Oktoberfest wrapping up, Ellie Gehlert gives you the guidance you need to explore Munich, the home of the ultimate beerfest. Continuing on the subject of beer, Steven Balbirnie tells you why making beer out of banana bread is a much better idea than it sounds.

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FASHION

——————————————— Grunge is definitely back with a bang and the fashion section is celebrating the return of this subculture and its distinctive style, while Street Style allows you to admire the trendiest students Belfield has to offer.

CULTURE

——————————————— This issue sees Laura Woulfe giving you the lowdown on the ‘Pearse House: Village in the City’ exhibition at the National Photographic Archive.

GAMES

——————————————— Grand Theft Auto V and Rayman Legends get a thorough going over, and Niall Gosker talks to Ed Key about indie hit Proteus and challenging gaming conventions.

FILM & TV

——————————————— The To Do List, Austenland and The Crash Reel are all put under the microscope, while Laura Bell tells us about the infamous Hays Code. In TV, Bravest Warriors creator Breehn Burns and Breaking the Set host Abby Martin stop by to talk about their shows and artistic careers.

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HOLDING THE DOOR OPEN AS A COMMON COURTESY IS DEAD, WRITES DÓNAL Ó CATHÁIN

FATAL FOURWAY

——————————————— In this installment of Fatal Fourway, our intrepid heroes grapple with the walking spoiler himself, Sean Bean, as they argue over the definitive death scene of his acting career.

WHILE BUZZING around campus, one unwittingly engages in this uncertain phenomenon countless times par jour. There’s no choice in the matter, it cannot be evaded. It’s the oh-so controversial topic of holding doors open.

Every time you enter or leave any location surrounded by four walls, this process must be engaged with. It is most pronounced at the choke points of massive buildings where there is a constant stream of go-getters blasting through these arches.

To them, doors are a hindrance that succeeds in slowing them down. As such you are unlikely to experience the good grace from these high-flyers to slow down their day, even by a matter of seconds, to help make yours better.

Humans are fundamentally egocentric individuals. It serves us best to look after our own individual needs and pass through doors as quickly as possible, striding confidently at a lightning-quick pace.

It takes a more environmentally-aware, caring, humanitarian person to think to themselves, “Hey, I’ve just passed through this door, other people will be passing through this door, why don’t I speculatively keep this door open for a few extra milliseconds and see if some lucky individual will succeed in getting through as well without being smacked in the face by glass and wood.”

Encountering this lovely niceness is fairly hit and miss in the Newman building. One would think Arts students would be more compassionate than most, studying of the HUMANities and all. That aside, they will more than likely have to get used to moving in lines in close proximity to others later in life anyway.

Perhaps people are unsure how to react to this situation exactly, so are actually trying to be nice in not unloading this social burden on to the recipients of door-holding, who have no choice in the matter. However, what happens when passing through two sets of doors, one after the other, as is common around campus?

Does one give thanks both times? Does doing so render the second acknowledgment somewhat banal and less meaningful than its predecessor? Does one omit the first thanks? Utilising the latter option means one runs the risk of making the door-holder-opener form the impression of them as a self-important pretentious so and so, who expects to have doors held open for them.

It’s hard to know how exactly to handle this matter, but here’s a rule we could all try: everybody must hold the door open for the next person who passes through without exception. This creates some hilarity when someone who is several metres from the door realises your kindness and thus elicts the urgent half-jog towards the door as a result.

The moral of this story is that you should always hold doors open. Jim Morrison did once and he ended up writing a bucketload of songs about holding the door open for people. No, really, you know ‘Hello, I Love You’? It’s actually about doors. Listen closer.

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FOIL, ARMS & HOG— FOOD BASTARDS In their brand spanking (but let’s hope not too violently spanking) new column, Irish sketch comedy trio Foil, Arms & Hog present “The Problem with Foreigners”

THERE ARE many types of bigotry such as race, religion, sexual orientation and of course Roy Keane. But there are none quite so infuriating as food bigots.

A bigot is someone who is intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, and there is no bigotry more widespread than that of food. It is a sad fact of this world that if you say you hate a particular food that someone loves, they will never believe you, and in turn try to force their own belief structure upon you. These are Food Bastards, and they are everywhere.

For example, I don’t like fish. I have many reasons for not liking fish, most of all I don’t like the taste. If that isn’t enough (and it should be), I also feel that it shouldn’t be possible for something edible to smell so horrendously.

Hog once fried mackerel in an apartment we were sharing and I swear to God, if there had been a nuclear blast that evening, the only things that would have survived would have been cockroaches and the smell of that fucking mackerel.

In the end, to get rid of the stench, we had to hire those lads who cleaned the Maze prison in the early 80’s.

But it doesn’t matter what reasoning I use, because if you like fish you have instantly disregarded everything I’ve just said. In fact, you are now gearing up to name every possible fish you can think of, and say, “have you tried it?” and adding “it’s really not that fishy”. You’re a bastard.

Here’s a question for you: if your friend asked for their steak to be ‘well-done’, would you think less of them? The answer is, of course, YES. If you answered, “No, I like my steak well done’’ then you are a philistine, who has ruined a magnificent piece of meat. You might as well set tyre rubber alight and shove it into your uneducated pie-hole, you bottom feeding troglodyte.

What I’ve just written makes me a food bastard, I realise, even though I’m educated enough to know that if someone says they don’t like something I should take them at their word.

But deep down, I honestly believe that if I can just get you to sink your chompers into a rare filet, lightly sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary, that you’ll stop being such a spanner and order it the way it’s meant to be cooked.

If I can’t cure myself of this bigotry, I know there is no chance of curing you. All I can hope is that this article will serve to simply highlight the issue and that maybe, in the future, we can take steps together towards tolerance.

I’ve been told it’s always good to end an article with a quote, so

here’s a quote of somebody quoting somebody else: “Derek says it’s always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can’t top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you’d like.

‘We are not enemies, but friends.

We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.’”

In case you were wondering, that quote was from Abraham Lincoln, via the movie American History X. Obviously Lincoln wasn’t talking about food. He was, in fact, talking about a bigotry far more deplorable. Obviously. We just wanted a memorable closing sentence.

Check out our videos on YouTube, and/or join us on Facebook and Twitter @foilarmsandhog.

We also have a fancy website with UPCOMING GIGS and things at foilarmsandhog.ie

@TILLA_DA_HUN U OK

Hai Hun, I’m in a hoop over this lad I used to be HUN? riding. I was completely over him when we ended it ‘cause we both wanted different things... and also he was a shcaldy dirtbird. But since he’s started getting with one of my best motts, I feel like I should be winning him back.

Was that chicken goujon roll he stole from Spar for me a sign that he wanted somethin’ more, or an extension of his shcaldiness? And should I start on my friend next time I’m locked??

Lillet xx

Been dealing with da huns problems since 445AD… Ur resident agony aunt & Hunnic Emperor lol! Don’t mess wit my girlos or I’ll wreck u like I wrecked da city of Aquileia . xoxo. Tweet me!

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Howiye love, I actually know exactly what ye mean. Same thing happened me in 433 I was scoring one of the troops one summer, we were mad up for it until I started getting stuck into one of the Burgundian rides instead. I was happy though cos the new fella looked like Gaz from Geordie Shore.

Then Aëtius started using the Hunnic troops as mercenaries against the Goths (ugh don’t even start me on the goths, they’ve ruined disco pants for everybody).

When the lads buzzed over to the West Roman Empire for war and stuff I suddenly got mad jealous, even though I was getting the D from Burgundy Gaz. Once he got back from mercenary bantz, I didn’t care again. Your lad sounds like a sweetheart for stealin’ that roll but he’s not worth decking your friend over. Unless she’s just a bitch anyway. ‘tila xoxo

C’mere to me Hun, I love alcohol, because I’m not an absolute spa. I always used to say if I had to marry anyone, it’d be buckfast. But recently every time I’ve gone out with the girlos I end up getting blackout hammered with either my own or someone else’s expelled bodily fluids all over my floral-print docs.

I wouldn’t even mind cos it kind of blends in to look like part of the pattern, but then after Arthur’s Day I woke up in a bin in Lithuania.

Is there a way for me to drink myself out of the problem? And if so, should I get spirits or cans??

Chandrika xoxo Hiya hun, Getting trollied and waking up in bins is one of my main pursuits in life, right after suppressing nomadic peoples and getting my hair dip-dyed. But when drink starts compromising your shoes you know it’s time to stop. I used to live by the seanfhocail ‘Few naggins be grand’ until I drank myself into a coma and died from a nosebleed on my wedding night. Didn’t even get the ride first like.

Admitting ye need help is the hardest part. I fell into a masso binge after we failed to invade the Sassanid Empire, and I found the best thing for getting off the drink was yokes. Next time yer goin’ out, just keep a bag of pills handy and limit yourself to alcopops.

You’ll wake up in a lot less bins, Stay glam hun! ‘tila xoxo

MUNICH—THE DOS & DON’TS Take a stroll through Bavaria’s most famous city with Ellie Gehlert, as she explains what you should and shouldn’t do during your visit

BEER OF THE

FORTNIGHT GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN French mongrel of Camembert cheese, are the way to go for vegetarians.

ENGLISCHER GARTEN

DON’T

take the subway to get around town. You won’t see any of Munich’s beautiful city centre, only boring dark subway tunnels. Rent a bike rickshaw at Marienplatz instead or walk around town. You will learn more about the place you visit and might even meet people to party with later on while asking for directions.

DO

relax at Munich’s biggest park, the Englischer Garten. The canal that runs through it offers the chance to see surfers trying to master the famous standing wave. Along with an Augustiner beer, it also contributes to your general wellbeing by providing welcome refreshment for your tired tourist feet. It’s called Eisbach, or ice stream, for a reason.

DON’T

DON’T

buy a ticket for the Alpine Museum. Instead, invest in a ticket for the regional train which takes you to the actual mountains in little more time than it would take you to figure out the museum’s audio guide.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, famous for its ski championships, is only 90 minutes away.

DO

spend an evening in a beer garden. You will find yourself in a balmy place sheltered from the hubbub by majestic chestnut trees. The traditional venues, like the Hirschgarten, still allow their guests to bring their own food; a result of the beer gardens initially only serving as barrel repositories with brewers selling their fresh draught beer to the thirsty public, but not having the licence to sell food.

go shopping at Maximilianstraße. It is always crammed with innocent tourists hoping to find local products, but things are in fact overpriced and the shops don’t have anything that you can’t find on Amazon or your local shopping centre.

DO

DON’T

wear a carnevalesque imitation of a traditional Bavarian outfit. Bavarians are as skilled in smelling fake leather as they are in differentiating between the liquids of Bavaria’s 600 odd breweries. And non-native girls in Dirndl dresses too short for their own good will realize their mistake when being kissed without so much as having been talked to before. Whether you tie the apron of your dress left, right or in the middle does make a difference indeed.

DO

try the local food. It’s delicious, besides the many consonants in the names.

The white sausages, Bavaria’s signature dish, are incredibly tasty with pretzels and sweet mustard. Kässpatzn, the German version of mac & cheese, and Obatzda, the beer-infused

DON’T

under any circumstances, attempt to go to the Oktoberfest during weekends. It’s overcrowded, the beer mugs (steins) aren’t as full, you won’t find a place to sit and the roller coaster rides are shorter. For the best experience, go Monday, go early, have plenty for breakfast.

It’s still a modern day brassmusic sociological insight on the relation of beer consumption and human abyss. So go, drink and participate, for sociology’s sake.

DO

take a stroll through Glockenbachviertel.

Not only the LGBT tip for its vast choice of gay clubs, vibrant bars and artsy galleries alongside the occasional fetish and sex shop, but also crucial for caffeine addicts with its numerous cafés. It is a miraculous place that caters for almost any kind of inclination.

by STEVEN BALBIRNIE

FAMOUS for their Bombardier Copper Ale, Wells brewery in Bedford, England has not only set the standard for quintessentially English ales, but has also been unafraid to branch into more experimental territory and their awardwinning Banana Bread Beer exemplifies this.

An amber ale brewed with fairtrade bananas, it has an initial malty flavour that gives way to sweeter banana tones bordering on a banoffee taste. If there were ever a drink that could be labelled as a dessert beer, then this would be it. This smooth ale has a good hops balance and an ABV of 5.2%.

Best served at room temperature rather than chilled for the optimum flavour. Available in 500ml bottles at most good off-licences, Banana Bread Beer offers the perfect compromise for lovers of both English ales and Belgian fruit beers.

visit a museum. The old Pinakothek contains works of the Old Masters like Rembrandt, Da Vinci and Velazquez and provides the perfect way to pass the time on a rainy afternoon. The paintings are massive and you will need to take more than just one step back to acknowledge their full magnificence; so wear your glasses, look sophisticated and admire away.

www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk OKTOBERFEST

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GRAND THEFT AUTO V RAYMAN LEGENDS

GRAND THEFT AUTO V (GTA V), the latest instalment in Rockstar’s free-roaming crime saga, opens with a violent prologue that teaches the player how to murder policemen. The introduction is short lived, as the game cuts to the present day where Michael, one of three protagonists in GTA V, is engaged in a philosophical talk with his psychiatrist.

Michael denies his therapist’s claim that his son is a good kid, pointing out that all he does is “sit around and play that f***ing game”. This weak attempt by Rockstar to engage in a satirical, meta-debate as to the value of video games highlights the only major flaw of GTA V. The game is unsure as to whether it wants to be a vehicle for simulated mass destruction or a forum for enlightened debate. The characters often follow up their actions with monologues on life philosophy, only to go on to commit reckless murder once more. GTA V’s greatest fault then, is that paradoxically, it’s a crime simulator with a conscience.

The most enjoyable aspect of the series has always been, and continues to be, the instances in which the player gets to cause destruction and generally wreak havoc.

Thankfully, Rockstar has provided plenty of opportunities for mayhem, and an incredibly immersive environment to enjoy them in.

GTA V presents a much brighter environment than GTA IV, which was too dark and

gritty for some. Los Santos is much more playful than Liberty City, and feels more authentic as well.

Rockstar has really paid attention to every aspect of the game’s location. The countryside areas that felt dead in previous instalments have been brought to life with the inclusion of wild animals and livestock.

The city feels more animated thanks to an abundance of side missions, which are more dynamic and can spring on the player at any time.

The Grand Theft Auto franchise has never had a world as immersive and interactive as the one realised in GTA V. The game presents the same basic formula that’s been in use since GTA III. Despite this, it’s surprisingly re-playable.

The inclusion of three protagonists is likely what keeps the game so fresh. Each character has a distinct personality and special ability, providing much needed variety to the recycled premise. It’s a lot of fun to switch between characters, for example, watching as Trevor, the hillbilly psychopath, involuntarily spasm as the player enters his body.

GTA V is not revolutionary by any means.

It is however still greatly entertaining, hilariously satirical, visually arresting, and rewarding. Despite the occasional fault, it’s without doubt the best game of the year.

THE REBIRTH of a franchise is a difficult task to pull off. As a once-off, it can be refreshing, but to any continuation further than that can easily lead to it becoming distressingly stale once more. Change too much, you risk alienating the fans. Too little, you risk monotony.

The Rayman franchise has proved venerable, adapting to the third world platform, falling to commercialism, only to finally bring it back to the franchise’s bubble gum pop side scrolling adventure.

In Rayman Origins, the franchise remerged as a side scrolling platformer that proved a multi-player delight. In Rayman Legends, Ubisoft have continued the smileenducing mayhem, promoting a counter culture to that of the graphic, macho, firstperson shooter, multiplayer trend.

Cutting the madcap to a quarter may seem trivial, yet single-player secures its place as a necessary play, even if it’s just to take a breather and witness UbiArts blend its wild themes with the UbiArt Framework engine. The engine brings the art back to the artist, its effects unquestionably delightful. Witnessing this thing in motion, firing on all cylinders, is simply an aesthetic treat.

Rather than fill players’ minds with special guest appearances, bazillions of weapons to collect, and a storyline so diverse that Kerouac would smile from his sweat stained typewriter, Rayman pulls everything right back.

JACK WALSH

ROSS MCKEEVER

PUBLISHER ROCKSTAR GAMES PLATFORMS XBOX 360, PS3 DEVELOPER ROCKSTAR NORTH RELEASE DATE OUT NOW

PUBLISHER UBISOFT DEVELOPER UBISOFT PLATFORMS XBOX 360, PS3, MONTPELLIER WII U, MICROSOFT WINDOWS RELEASE DATE OUT NOW

HIROSHI YAMAUCHI

THIS ISSUE’S GAME SECTION IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF HIROSHI YAMAUCHI, FORMER PRESIDENT OF NINTENDO (1927-2013)

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Depicting a delightfully minimalist story, Rayman awakens in the Glade of Dreams to find the land’s ten princesses have been kidnapped. It’s a riff on the many tropes of the genre, and Rayman continues to snigger at his counterparts, and more importantly, himself.

The enduring strangeness of Rayman is in the confidence of its visuals. The game is spread across five worlds that add a very Rayman touch to genre staples such as the Water Region, with Legends notably diversifying its blend of second and third dimensions. It’s not tacky, with the timing and pace of the worlds following a logical end.

This logic continues in its expectations for the player, and their experience. Beginning with simply punching and gliding, Rayman ultimately storms multitudes of castles, whilst the surrounding chaos of the set piece cleverly blares out a disturbingly rich cover of Black Betty.

Boss battles mix the game’s underrated physics engine, all the while providing a chuckleworthy tough, but fair challenge. Balancing an entire building while battling a dragon is an experience of leverage, that blends not only dimensions, but a reminder of everything the stage had taught the player about the subtle ways of crossing a not so subtle environment.

At its core, Rayman Legends is a colourful wall of sights and sounds, a meta-platformer with a lovely lum tinted heart.

GENERATED NATURE Ed Key, one half of the team behind Proteus, talks to Niall Gosker about the audio-visual delight that boldly defies gaming convention

STANDARDS FORM QUICKLY. An expected way of doing things that has worked well in the past develops over time and so, continues to be used. Video games are no different in this sense. Genres exist to easily categorise and understand games at a glance, but too often it feels as though these arbitrary tags actually dictate the course of development.

This makes it even more striking when games emerge that, by their very nature, resist classification.

Proteus, from Ed Key and David Kanaga, released earlier this year, is one such example. It has no direct objectives and to a large extent, lacks traditional video game structure, making it a genuinely refreshing experience.

Proteus’ primary theme revolves around exploration. There are no real gameplay mechanics to speak of. Instead, the player inhabits a beautiful lo-fi rendering of nature and it’s up to them to engage with the environment on an experiential level.

“A fascination with that feeling of aimlessly wandering through nature, absorbing it all”, is what Key credits as the primary motivator behind the desire to create the game.

“I grew up with hills and lakes and holidays to places with stone circles so I think eventually I wanted to express this in a game. There are a few games that have nice exploration aspects like Kyntt, Ultima 7, Minecraft and others and they all informed the design a little”, he adds.

While the pixelated, minimalism of its visual design is the most immediate aspect of its presentation, audio plays just as important a role in the strength of Proteus’ ability to immerse. Key explains, “Structurally, the music of Brian Eno was a big inspiration for me. David [Kanaga]’s musical work takes in a lot of stuff from Stravinsky, Ravel and abstract artists like Kandinsky.”

Kanaga was responsible for music composition, but the two worked together very closely to ensure it would be implemented in a meaningful way. “It is composed and arranged in real time according to the player’s actions. David and I had a process where we bounced ideas and partlyworking versions back and forth for each bit of audio interaction, adding layers that respond to different factors, that sort of thing.

“It’s actually simpler than it appears when you look at the rules for it. I think the main thing is how it directly responds to you, whilst also having a life of its own due to the processes running in the world.”

Proteus’ challenging of convention has garnered the critical adoration of many, but has also proven to be its biggest criticism by others; the latter group arguing that it lacks too many of the expected touchstones.

Ultimately, it comes down to the definition of a video game as it is perceived now.

Key says, “It seems like the popular definition that Proteus clashes with is really way too narrow and just based on what’s currently popular on Steam. If you really try to nail down the definition of what games must have, then lots of things that are already considered part of the continuum get left out, like Sim City or tabletop D&D, etc.”

Not having to think about the normal aspects of game design afforded both Key and Kanaga the opportunity to focus their attention elsewhere. “It was a challenge to keep it engaging, but I think rejecting those kind of imposed goals, signposts and extrinsic rewards gives it a unique feeling.

“Being adrift at first, and then pulled along by various little attractions, then making surprising discoveries; that’s how we hope it works anyway, and it seems to be so

I THINK THE MAIN THING IS HOW IT DIRECTLY RESPONDS TO YOU, WHILST ALSO HAVING A LIFE OF ITS OWN DUE TO THE PROCESSES RUNNING IN THE WORLD

for a lot of people. It’s a nice change to a lot of modern games where you have a list of quests or targets or whatever. Some people recoil at this lack of direction, so it’s a risky design, but it seems to have worked out okay overall.”

Selling something that doesn’t fit into easily marketable terms is another issue Key faced with the game. Thankfully though, the current downloadable climate accommodates such niches. “Steam sales are great when you have some extra visibility on the storefront, but are a bit disappointing if not.

“They still generate 20 or more times the sales you get outside of a Steam sale though. In general, Steam sells about ten times as many copies as selling direct, in my experience. Humble Bundle is also totally mind-blowing.”

He continued, “Some people asked, ‘Do you mind if I only paid the minimum?’, but even though a lot of people are getting the game for cheap, the overall numbers meant

that it was a big chunk of revenue, probably equivalent to the first few months of sales combined.”

It’s comforting that despite the uneasiness that still hangs over games like Proteus, there are ways for them to viable propositions for developers. As for the future, Key is already at work on what he refers to currently as “Game 2”. He hopes “to do something else on the theme of wandering in the outdoors, keeping some of the same spirit of Proteus, but blending it with procedural story-telling as in games like FTL and King of Dragon Pass.”

Having quit his day job to focus completely on his own projects, Key wants to be able to continue producing interesting experiments.

If the reaction is as strong as it was to Proteus, he should be able to do just that and in the process, make another important contribution to the evolving nature of the medium.

To experience Proteus for yourself, go to www.visitproteus.com

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[TITLE WITHHELD] With questions of cinema’s effects on the audience becoming more prevalent, Laura Bell examines the long tirade of history surrounding American film censorship

CENSORSHIP in the film industry is as old as the medium itself. The Supreme Court had already decided in 1915 that motion pictures would not receive protection under the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. By 1922, Hollywood’s bad reputation had become a problem for the studios, and so Presbyterian elder William Hays was recruited to change it.

In 1927, the infamous list of ‘Don’ts’ and ‘Be Carefuls’, under the moniker of the Hays Code, was released. The ‘Don’ts’ portion of the list was the most pointed, and included “profanity, [such as] the words God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, unless they be used reverently”, nudity, drugs, any inference of sex perversion, sexual relationships between black people and white people, the representation of white slavery, and scenes of childbirth.

The ‘Be Carefuls’ centred on more trivial matters. The American flag, sympathy for criminals, men and women in bed together, surgical operations and so on. At first, filmmakers felt comfortable ignoring the WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA Hays Code; this period is known as WOOLF? (1966) the Pre-Code Era and is considered a golden-age in film as directors made violent gangster flicks and wrote morally ambiguous characters.

Eventually, the code’s sphere of influence broadened. Local offices all over the U.S. worked and censored independently, but filmmakers obviously couldn’t make a different cut of each movie for every city in America.

This led to massive uncertainty about what kind of market a film could reach, and so the Production Code Administration was formed.

All films released after July 1st, FOUR TIMES AS 1934 had to be approved by the MANY FILMS board before their release.

It wasn’t until the early 1960s that RECEIVED THE studios began to feel the pressure of NC-17 RATING the burgeoning television industry on ticket sales. As Hollywood began FOR SEX THAN to lose considerable sums of money, THEY DID FOR filmmakers and the studios behind them began to push the envelope in VIOLENCE. ONE order to make a splash.

PROFOUND The turning of the tide is quite clearly marked by the 1966 release EXAMPLE IS THAT of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, BROKEBACK wherein Richard Burton suggests his party play a game of “hump the MOUNTAIN AND hostess.” When another character THE SAW SERIES objects, Burton cheekily responds, CAN BOTH “Oh, you want to wait until later and get her off into the bushes?”

BOAST AN R These two pretty tame lines of RATING dialogue were the breaking point for censorship in the western world, and so instead of cutting out anything the censors didn’t like, the rating “suggested for mature audiences” was

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introduced. Two years later in 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) was formed.

The MPAA was sold to audiences as censorship, but in reality was formed as a ruse to prevent government intervention and leave power in the hands of Hollywood’s biggest executives. Nowadays, the MPAA treats censorship as a four-letter word. Emphasising its use of “regular” people, it seeks to create the illusion that the public are making a choice in what movies they view and how they view them.

That the association was created in order to head off the government interfering in Hollywood business is now a point of contention between its advocates and dissidents. A government system, it is argued, would theoretically have to be regulated in a proper and transparent way; the board members would face accountability; and every decision undertaken would have to undergo due process.

The MPAA of course, gives the public the exact opposite. The association is financed primarily by the six major U.S. movie studios: Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios, and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

It also receives funding from the multinational conglomerates behind various media corporations. In simple terms, the MPAA is in bed with

95% of the American film industry and 90% of mass media outlets.

The membership of the Motion Picture Association’s board is anonymous. While the board is supposed to be comprised of parents of children under 18, whom the ratings decided upon actually affect, investigations into their identities have revealed that hardly any of the members have children under 20, if they have children at all.

The Association insists that its procedures are standardised and treated as such. These procedures are still not public knowledge, so nobody knows what exactly they are. In the words of the late Roger Ebert, “If something is not allowed, it’s because it’s against the invisible rules.”

Independent filmmakers are hit hardest by MPAA regulations.

Without studio backing, the ratings return arbitrary and unexplained.

Movies rated NC-17 (an Irish 18) are excluded from advertisement by the mainstream media; trailers won’t air on TV or radio and print ads won’t run in newspapers. The MPAA effectively has the power to decide who sinks or swims in Hollywood, and beyond.

In theory, cuts aren’t always necessary for ratings satisfaction.

There’s an appeals process overseen by a special committee. Indeed, it looks outwardly even-handed, but the board is actually comprised of top-level studio execs, including the CEO of Fox Searchlight.

Undoubtedly this is a group of people with a vested interest in keeping competing indie films out of movie theatres. Bizarrely, the requirement that rounds out this high-ranking committee is for two priests, one Catholic and one Episcopalian.

The importance to the Christian faith to the powers that be at the MPAA is underscored by their stance on adult content. The Association is incredibly liberal when it comes to scenes of extreme violence, and incredibly conservative when it comes to sex and anything to do with it.

Four times as many films received the NC-17 rating for sex than they did for violence. One profound example is that Brokeback Mountain and the Saw series can both boast an R rating.

It has been scientifically proven that children exposed to violence at a young age are more likely to have problems relating to aggression as adults. These studies show no similarly negative effects upon children exposed to non-violent sexual imagery, and is of no apparent concern to the MPAA. Ultimately, they are buying into political values and playing out a culture war between adults instead of examining the psychology of the demographic they seek to protect. As Newsweek critic David Ansen has asserted, “Even though the MPAA is supposed to protect children, it’s turning us all into children.”

HOW TO BREAK THE SET Artist and host of the political news show “Breaking the Set” on RT America, Abby Martin talks to Jack Walsh about Nestlé robots, her motives behind the show and denouncing Obama

ABBY MARTIN emerges as the face of refreshing honesty among the American News talk show circuit.

Snarky, smart and wonderfully sweary, Martin is a renaissance woman in a Washington setting, portraying dissent and lies through television, and her own artwork.

Her most prized work as an artist defines her as an activist. “It was my first purely political art show and I laid out a lot of controversial imagery that galvanised a lot of buzz and inspiration for me to focus more on political artwork.

“One of the pieces mocked Obama’s logo by having it spill into a deep pool of blood, symbolising

the death of false hope his campaign generated and also the blood on the hands of his administration for perpetuating the worst policies from the Bush administration.”

Now in its second season, Breaking the Set is Martin’s mouthpiece and a logical follow on from her work in setting up Media Roots, a citizen journalism project. Her motivation is simple as she describes her “passion of wanting to learn and understanding everything about the world around [herself].”

Describing the concept of the show, Martin said, “There are so many rules and preconceived ideals set in society by the political and

media establishment. With Breaking the Set, I try to undermine the left/ right paradigm that so often keeps the public divided and offer deeper analysis about current events.”

It has to be stated, Martin doesn’t do all of the talking. “It also is a space for activists, artists and radical thinking intellectuals to come together and spread their ideas of how we can elicit change.”

Renowned for her on air presence, Martin has featured many guests on her show, but highlights a specific guest as her standout favourite. “The greatest interview was with an android Nestlé spokesperson who instead of coming on

the show for a debate, sent me a video debunking my report which criticised the company for its privatisation of water.”

Martin’s motives behind the show are simple, as are her ultimate goals at RT as she stresses her desire to see a more informed public. “[I’d like to see] people becoming more

informed citizens about what is happening in the world. Once people know what’s happening, we have a better chance at fighting it.”

These motivations resonate with her inner activist and with such lofty ambitions laid out, you can be sure that Martin’s crusade of information won’t be stopping any time soon.

the future, on Mars. With hormone jokes. My favourite thing about it is how I’ve developed a desire to escape into that world. It’s a fantasy I really want to live in, and write more of.”

With the first season proving to be massively popular, a second is on the way and Burns outlines his vision for it. “I want to create a place people want to live in. A rich, romanticised fantasy version of teenage life that somehow fits into five minutes.

“I just try to pack them as full of ideas as I can. [The] second season will take us inside the strange door that appeared, and there will be more episodes about Plum, Danny and Beth. And a Catbug episode.”

Burns was also keen to highlight that “YouTube funded Bravest War-

riors season one and two. They came along asking Frederator for content, and we gave them this. It’s probably somewhat unique for this level of production to be internet exclusive.”

The writer has also made considerable progress within the animation industry. “I started writing and directing independent animated shorts and entering them in festivals.

A friend and I created a series of films called Dr. Tran that toured around, and did well on YouTube.

We made DVDs and sold them through mail order. Those films got me other work.”

Emphasising his love for animation as a creative medium, Burns explains, “Control is why I like it.

You can make it feel and look and

sound exactly the way you want it.

Nothing like I used to be, out there under a freeway overpass with a video camera and my high school buddies, killing ourselves over something that’s going to suck.”

A video posted by the CartoonHangover YouTube channel is indicative of the hype surrounding the release of Bravest Warriors season two, as the video itself has already garnered in excess of 400,000 views and thousands of comments begging for the show to return.

With no definite return date in sight, Otwo can only recommend that you keep your eyes peeled.

AN ANIMATED AFFAIR Breehn Burns, the director and writer of hit YouTube series Bravest Warriors, talks to Steven Balbirnie about the joys of animation and how he got started in the industry

I STARTED WRITING AND DIRECTING INDEPENDENT ANIMATED SHORTS AND ENTERING THEM IN FESTIVALS. A FRIEND AND I CREATED A SERIES OF FILMS CALLED DR. TRAN THAT TOURED AROUND, AND DID WELL ON YOUTUBE

BRAVEST WARRIORS was originally created by Adventure Time’s Pendleton Ward in 2009 as an animated short for the Nicktoons Network.

It wasn’t until November 2012, however, that it first appeared as a fully developed web series, helmed by Breehn Burns on Frederator’s Cartoon Hangover YouTube Channel.

Bravest Warriors is set in the year 3085 and follows the adventures of four teenagers, Chris, Beth, Wallow and Danny as they travel the universe solving problems. When asked to explain the show to the uninitiated, Burns explains, “You have to watch it to get it, I think.

“It skews a bit older, maybe 13 and up, than most kids’ shows. It’s about what it’s like to be 16-years-old, in

You can watch Bravest Warriors at youtube.com/user/BravestWarriors

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AUSTENLAND

THE CRASH REEL

DIRECTOR JERUSHA HESS STARRING KERI RUSSELL, JENNIFER COOLIDGE, JJ FEILD RELEASE DATE OUT NOW ADAPTED FROM Shannon Hale’s novel of the same name and produced by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, Austenland is the story of a woman who has spent so long dreaming of living in a fictional world that she forgets to live in the real one.

Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is a middle-aged American who finds herself at 30-something still obsessed with the gentle world of Jane Austen she discovered as a child.

Unlucky in love, she blows her life’s savings on a trip to the fictional Austenland, a manor in England where characters from Austen’s novels are brought to life through actors, where she hopes to meet her very own Mr. Darcy.

Austenland proves to be a difficult place to navigate for Ms. Hayes, as she’s unsure as to what is real and what is not. This leads to an inevitable romantic confusion when she is approached by two suitors, a tough stable boy (Bret McKenzie) and a delicate aristocrat (JJ Feild).

There are a number of positives to the movie; above all, the setting and the costume design are impeccable. While watching, one truly does feel like they are stepping into a classic Austen novel.

Fantastic performances by James Callis as the over the top gentleman, Colonel Andrews, and JJ Feild as the dreamy Henry Nobely also add to the quintessentially romantic atmosphere. Also, certain scenes do inspire genuine laughter, if one embraces the outrageousness of the entire film.

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That being said, the colourful romcom aspect of the film fails to carry the plot.

While it’s okay for the plot to be unrealistic, as per the setting, there’s no excuse for the sheer amount of clichés that are at work here. The love triangle that inevitably forms towards the end of the film has been done a million times before and is overly predictable.

Unfortunately, composer Ilan Eshkeri’s score is standard at best. Often, a film’s score can make a movie, but nothing special is on offer here. But this is not the biggest issue, as the female leads are woefully poor.

Keri Russell seems unfit for the role she plays. Despite most recently sharpening her comedic skills with a starring role in sitcom 2 Broke Girls, Jennifer Coolidge’s performance is thoroughly sub-par.

As far as romantic comedies go, Austenland is well below average. Riddled with forced wit and clichéd scenes, the film provides a rare chuckle here and there, but not much more than that.

Good performances from James Callis and JJ Feild make the movie’s 90 minute run time bearable, but for the most part Austenland is entirely missable.

IN A NUTSHELL A standard issue romantic comedy that’s not nearly as charming as it thinks it is.

AUSE BRAIKE

DIRECTOR LUCY WALKER STARRING KEVIN PEARCE, SHAUN WHITE, SARAH BURKE RELEASE DATE 4TH OCTOBER THE CRASH REEL, directed by Lucy Walker, is a documentary produced by HBO that focuses on the intense rivalry between two gifted sportsmen and how it pushes them to their limits.

Here, the sport is snowboarding. It is a perilous pursuit, as athletes spin around above half-pipes rising as high as twenty-two feet, performing various tricks. The documentary stars Kevin Pearce, a grinning, likeable man, alongside his competitor, the solitary Shaun White.

The pair first met at a competition as children and became friends. That friendship, however, suffered when they began to compete against one another.

Pearce often came out on top, and this soured relations between the two men.

The Crash Reel opens with Pearce in the middle of his busy preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It is evident that he has a tight support network of family and friends around him, and is a happy, well-adjusted man. It is a pleasure to watch his interviews.

We then watch on as he pirouettes through the air in snowboarding havens such as Aspen and Salt Lake City. It’s hard not to wince as he careens down steep slopes at breakneck speeds.

His life soon changes drastically, however, when he falls face first into the snow and is rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Thankfully, Pearce eventually awakens from his coma, but

must learn to walk and talk again, and live with impaired vision.

Most people might want to hide from the world and never leave their homes after such a horrific ordeal, but Pearce is determined to get on his board again, much to his family’s despair. His neurologist strongly advises him against snowboarding, but he hits the slopes once more regardless; not competitively, but rather to scratch the itch he’s had since the accident.

It’s a wonderful resolution to see Pearce receive a trophy from the association for people affected by traumatic brain injuries. However, not everyone is as lucky as Pearce.

In 2012, twenty-nine-year-old skier Sarah Burke was injured on the same half-pipe as Pearce and later died. Shaun White later dedicated his participation in a competition to the woman. It’s devastating, but as the quote says, “The brave do not live long, but the cautious never really live at all.”

The words are fitting for this documentary about defying the odds and soaring through the sky in a blaze of glory, whatever the cost.

IN A NUTSHELL An intriguing and at times very moving documentary about the dangerous, thrilling sport of snowboarding, and one man’s fight to rebuild his life.

CAITRÍONA O’MALLEY

THE TO-DO LIST

TOP 10—

TOP TEN FILMS TO NEVER WATCH SOBER

DIRECTOR MAGGIE CAREY STARRING AUBREY PLAZA, JOHNNY SIMMONS, BILL HADER RELEASE DATE 4TH OF OCTOBER HORROR FILMS are curiously enjoyable. We know that watching a mysterious psychopath butcher a herd of skittish teenagers would be horrifying in real life, but on screen its seems to provide an irresistible and sadistic pleasure.

We love to squirm as the horror unfolds in front of us. Unfortunately, The To-Do List is not a horror movie. It’s a comedy.

This is unfortunate, because The To-Do List works better when it’s making us squirm. The film follows awkward over-achiever Brandy Clarke (Aubrey Plaza) and her attempts to gain sexual experience in preparation for university.

To prepare herself, Brandy decides to create a list of sexual acts to perform in advance of her freshman year, with the ultimate goal of having sex with heartthrob Rusty Waters (Scott Porter). Clarke’s list is disturbingly comprehensive, including every type of “job” you could possibly imagine.

Once Clarke has written up her list and the premise has been set, the movie descends into an explicit pandemonium of sex. This is the point at which The To-Do List excels.

Clarke’s sexual pursuits gradually become more and more unsettling, provoking disgust and delight in equal measure. Plaza brings deadpan delivery to her role, causing further discomfort to the viewer as she performs carnal acts while showing about as much emotion as a wooden doorknob.

She comes across as cool, calculated and sometimes confused during the more sexual scenes, accurately portraying the curious teenager. The film’s more intimate moments

are embarrassing and disgusting, but that’s what makes them so thoroughly enjoyable.

Regrettably, the film is not funny enough to provide entertainment outside of these scenes. Clarke’s sexual exploits serve as the films only comedic set pieces, while the rest of the film relies on flat one-liners.

Clarke and her friends fail to furnish any original or memorable lines, instead resorting to crude and off-colour conversations that reek of desperation. The male cast fare better, but the script doesn’t give them the ammunition to leave a lasting impression. Comedic veterans Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad) and Andy Samberg (Hot Rod) go to waste.

Bill Hader is given a substantial role as a pool lifeguard named Willy, but the best line he can muster pathetically refers to an “Itty Bitty Titty Brigade”.

The To Do-List commits a mortal sin through its sheer mediocrity. You can’t laugh with it and you can’t laugh at it. As a comedy, The To-Do List is forgettable.

Its real strength comes from its shocking depiction of sex. The adult scenes are shameless and truthful, faithfully capturing awkward adolescent relations.

These sequences will make you pleasantly uncomfortable, so bring a group of friends and collectively reel in disgust.

IN A NUTSHELL A desperately crass comedy that favours sexual shock tactics over clever antics, with mixed success.

THE ROOM

BLACK DYNAMITE

The cinematic masterpiece that marries naggings with spoons; there is no greater pleasure than a wasted night in with Tommy Wiseau’s brainchild that got held back in junior infants. The Room is the greatest retelling of a love triangle ever to be denied an Oscar, but only because the judges weren’t on the buckfast that night.

Admittedly, this film can be thoroughly enjoyed while sober, but watch it while annihilated and you won’t actually assimilate any part of the plot. This allows you at least seven more intoxicated viewings before it starts making sense.

Then spell it backwards, and drop the ‘s’.

SUPER HIGH ME Like Supersize Me, but instead of Morgan Spurlock it’s an over-confident, underfunny would be comedian, and instead of fast food it’s a big fat bag of weed. Doug Benson, our protagonist with grass-tinted glasses, inadvertently proves that the joke is not funny unless you’re blazed. You’ll need a fifty bag for this.

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW It could be argued by die-hard fans that Rocky Horror is too much of a cult classic to be hammered for. This advice from the same die-hard fans who celebrate the film by dressing up and getting hammered.

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

ANY POWER RANGERS FILM

Exactly what it says on the tin, which is why you’ll be wanting a fat pile of tins to get through it. Drink every time John Cusack’s career sinks past the point of rock bottom, and three shots for the line.

“It must be some kind of… hot tub time machine…”

Or was that just a few episodes together?

They definitely reused that spray painted sleeping bag from the last villain’s cape for this one’s face. The shaky camera is bearable when you’re too hammered to notice a difference from reality.

BIRDEMIC: SHOCK AND TERROR

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS

As the undisputed worst independent romantic horror thriller ever, Birdemic and its .gif-animated flock of killers are neither shocking nor terrifying. Drink every time there’s a fully-clothed sex scene.

It may have artistic merit for portraying the experience of drugs to the sober masses, but wouldn’t it be so much better if you kept up to their pace? Yes. Yes it would.

SURF NAZIS MUST DIE Despite how promising it sounds, seeing a group of neo-Nazi surf punks in a postapocalyptic future getting hunted down

by Leroy’s Mama is not the 83 minutes of badassery that it promises. Unless you’re taking the 70cl challenge; then it’s a stellar piece of film.

TITANIC There’s a hull lot of criticism in the world over Titanic, but if you’re watching it ship-faced it won’t be so bád. We’re not meS.S.ing, get decked and then and you’ll sea what we mean. Tins ahoy!

EMILY LONGWORTH

MAGGIE CAREY

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“IT’S JUST MINDLESS VANDALISM!” Prior to being awarded an honorary fellowship of the L&H, Robert Sheehan sits down with Jack Walsh to talk about Irish theatre, Nicolas Cage stories and his most tragic role

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“THEY ARE basically my personal security. Joy is the most lethal one; she has nun-chucks stashed in her handbag.” So says Robert Sheehan, waving at his family who are assembled on the outskirts of the media scrum. The Portlaoise native’s reasoning is sound, facing a mass of cameras and eager faces, all with their own expectations of the actor.

“I basically rounded up as much [of a] posse as humanly possible because the closest people in our lives are the ones we feel the most secure around. My life at the moment is very nomadic… It’s vital for a travelling salesman to have a base, be it a person or people.”

His acting career was born in the casting room of Song for a Raggy Boy. He says that, although barely remembers the performance, the emotions he felt still ring through. “I was a little fella, 13 or 14-years-old at the time growing up in Portlaoise, so wasn’t really akin to the idea of performance, didn’t really know what it was. Went into the audition with the director and two other actors and then, as sometimes is the case with an audition, what happened was altogether other.”

The 25-year-old continued, “Some kind of spark in the ether happened.

I did an amazingly emotional thing for a 14-year-old lad, I took myself entirely by surprise. Afterwards, I felt a deep feeling of shame because I had embarrassed myself so blatantly in front of these strangers.

Of course, that was what they were after.”

Sheehan made his name as “Nathan” in the comedy drama Misfits, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and accepted the award for Best Drama Series for Misfits as a whole. Playing an immortal, snide loudmouth, Sheehan revelled in the many relationships allowed to breathe whilst filming.

“Sometimes something happens organically between two actors. When they come together in character, it can become really really funny.

“A dynamic can be struck up.

That was a unique dynamic, and it was my favourite one too. That and the character that Lauren played; Kelly. The dynamic we had was very interesting, it felt very new. It’s always good to have a love hate thing going on with characters, and make it work.”

How does today’s Sheehan

I BASICALLY ROUNDED UP AS MUCH POSSE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE CLOSEST PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES ARE THE ONES WE FEEL THE MOST SECURE AROUND

remember his younger self? “I will always look back on [Misfits] and say fucking hell that was a really surreal time. Regardless of the success of the show, I was mad back then. That was the pinnacle of madness, so it represents a very lovely time in my life.”

Sheehan then takes a step back to reflect on how powerful he feels the character is. “Nathan had that shield of armour; his thing is his feeling of invincibility, playing beside his immortality. He was utterly tragic at the same time,” Sheehan laughs.

“Maybe that’s a running theme, I bring an air of tragedy to every part that I play.”

He certainly brought that sense of tragedy to his next big role: the portrayal of Darren in Love/Hate, a trusted character, who by the third season begins his descent into madness. Sheehan believes that Darren’s sympathetic side adds to histragic nature, saying, “First of all you see Stuart Carolan’s plan for the character as this kind of noble character who falls utterly from grace, and falls further and deeper than any of his cohorts.

“In the third series, you see he’s doomed from the beginning. As the show goes on you can see him becoming irreparably fucked… because of everything that happened. There was kind of no coming back for him.”

Having depicted mental illness on screen, Sheehan believes the media often portrays mental health “with varying degrees of accuracy”. He shared his individual experiences with the subject matter, decreeing it as just that, individual. “Sometimes we see characters portrayed with some levels of mental illness.

Successes in Ireland and Britain “I saw something with a character have allowed Sheehan to open himwith post-traumatic stress disorder self to American audiences in his (PTSD) and with that I have no idea on-going portrayal of “Simon Lewis” how to gauge the realness of the in the Mortal Instruments series. The performance. I know nobody sufferactor is excited to make his return, ing from PTSD. Yet it seemed utterly and he has one scene in particular unbelievable to me. Accused was all that he is looking forward to. about toeing the line between is this “In the next book there’s a resuractually happening to this character rection scene which is pretty amazor not.” ing. The words and way it is written Speaking about future projects, is very dark and pretty graphic. My Sheehan said that he considers his character in the Mortal Instruments stage career a priority and is curious comes flying out of the earth and why some actors to never express a proceeds to overdose on blood. It desire to experience the medium. sounds like such a crazy horror “It’s very important… I’m sure you movie type scene.” can go through your career without This marks Sheehan’s return to doing theatre, but at the same, it the genre having previously worked ultimately makes you a better actor. on Season of the Witch, with the “The nature of making producinfamous Nicolas Cage. Sheehan tions is that it’s very stop-start and recalls one particularly peculiar it’s more like a hundred yard dash memory from working with the Oscar as opposed to theatre, which is winner, explaining, “We were once like running a marathon. You’re up sat in a very cold castle in Austria. there for two hours a night giving it We were huddled around a heater absolute socks and that was a quote and he leans in and he says, ‘What I borrowed from Tom Von Lawlor do you know of the mysticism of [Nidge from Love/Hate] by the way.” leprechauns?’

Speaking of Lawlor, Sheehan is “He really is like talking to a forward in his praise of his former child; he’s very fascinated and wide co-star. “He’s an actor with an abileyed. I said ‘I don’t know, pots of ity to elevate all other actors around gold at the end of the rainbow and him and the faith that they put in stuff’. He says, ‘It’s just I think him for Love/Hate was great because my assistant Michael might be a we started with this character that leprechaun.’” started off in a somewhat supporting Sheehan’s locations have often led place and inherits the empire in a to progressions in his portrayals, very shrewd way. most notably in filming Accused in “That character to me was just a “two up, two down semidetached fascinating to watch and every time house” in the middle of winter.

I did scenes with Tom it completely “Each episode was like a standalone upped my game. He makes you piece, with a character who has been look better by proxy. He’s very very accused of something and it shows inspiring. He’s a guy who can leave the lead up to the crime and the his job at the door and go home and twists and turns of the story. have a wife and kids and be normal “I played a guy who was suffering Tom and then go to work and be from paranoia and delusion. As an terrifying Nidge.” audience member, you’re never quite sure if it’s his own delusions or it was a subtle war going on between him and his new step mother. The character thinks his step mother is getting rid of the kids so she can have the father.

It translated into a very strange and claustrophobic piece of work.”

Considering the recent rise in Irish directorial quality, Sheehan shared his personal hopes for potential directors, and most importantly, their material. “I have been very much bowled over by the work of Enda Walsh recently, who is an Irish playwright. I saw Cillian Murphy do a performance of Mister Man, which is a one man show that Enda wrote.

“I saw it twice in the National Theatre in London. It was pure heaven. Just an incredible performance. So, I would do anything with him, for him.” Realising his strange choice of words, Sheehan promptly added a the caveat, “Within reason.”

Having recognised the work of many others in the creation of his range and approach, he paused, and began to quietly assess his evolved state of understanding a role. “My approach to something is always instinctual. It’s always the script. If I get very excited about something then I start throwing ideas around.

“Ideas ranging from physicality to emotions and then trying to rein it back and hold it in some way. If anyone was to see me with a script that was exciting then they would think I was a mental case. Gibbering to myself in a dimly lit room.”

With three separate projects lined up for 2014, Robert Sheehan is definitely keeping himself busy and with a return to Love/Hate comprehensively ruled out by the show’s lead writer Stuart Carolan, the actor is almost forced to move onto bigger and better things.

WE WERE ONCE SAT IN A VERY COLD CASTLE IN AUSTRIA. WE WERE HUDDLED AROUND A HEATER AND [NICHOLAS CAGE] LEANS IN AND HE SAYS, ‘WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THE MYSTICISM OF LEPRECHAUNS?

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THIS COMING THURSDAY sees the start of the once infantile music gathering, Hard Working Class Heroes (HWCH), tumbling through our favourite venues for another serving of both old and new Irish talent.

What began as a low-key event in 2003 has grown into an annual necessity for those of us hungry for fresh, local talent. The platform for many bands causing waves in the oceanic music world today including Villagers, Jape and The Strypes, and introducing newbies to a wider audience, HWCH has become a means of assessing the new Irish music nation.

In anticipation for the gluttonous instrumental feast before us we’ve gathered together some of the bands playing for a quick chinwag on influences, name choices and university degrees.

HARD WORKING CLASS HEROES CHECK OUT HWCH WEBSITE FOR ADDITION INFORMATION ON THE WEEKEND’S SCHEDULE: WWW.HWCH.NET

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Cloaked in mystery and anonymity, I Have A Tribe is certainly at the top of many people’s lists for HWCH. Their obscure, riddle-like online bio will have you scratching at your head and banging at your keyboard to uncover more about this one-man show.

However, giving meaning to the band’s name puts this demeanour into perspective. “I like the idea of a live show, performing under this name,” says the band’s only member.

“It pulls away from having a boundary between performer and audience.

Some of us are playing music and some of us are listening, but we’re all in the tribe together.

A past Music and English student, who unashamedly claims Harry Potter as his favourite book, I Have A Tribe has an eclectic mix of influences fuelling this dream-like act. It certainly is an aural delight and his appreciation to those who’ve inspired him is tangible.

“It’s a strange feeling to feel grateful to people you’ve never met, and maybe won’t ever meet, for the musical direction they might have pushed you towards, whether you knew it or not. Funny, because you never get to say thanks.”

I Have A Tribe’s music is more of a stream of conscious thought, a story that reels you in and holds you tight. “Concerning the lyrics,” says its creator, “I need them to stand up on their own as pieces of writing, without any music.

When I go to a show, or listen to a record, I’m after something that moves me, whether that’s physically, or otherwise. I want a sound, basically, that has some sort of impact.”

I HAVE A TRIBE’S HWCH MUST-SEES: LIZA FLUME, HOZIER AND LET’S SET SAIL

SO COW Galway based trio So Cow have been on the steady incline for a while now.

With a name coming from “an erroneous answer given during a South Korean elementary school spelling test” the trio have an infectious way with sound, linking melodies together that have you shimming against your will in no time.

Lead vocalist, Brian Kelly cheekily describes the band’s sound as “being the sound of now. I’ve been reading the music press for years now and I know that's pretty much the way to go with such descriptions.

We're an amalgamation of all previous Mercury Music prize winners, only a little more 'now'.”

This subtle charm and charisma echoes through their ever growing repertoire, with the members plucking musical influences from the

I HAVE A TRIBE

king of crowd-enchanting anthems himself: Freddie Mercury. “I think I speak for the entire band here when I say that Queen's Greatest Hits I & II shapes every single musical decision we’ve made. It's not a popular opinion, but I don't think it's a coincidence that there's a member of each band called Brian.”

The band’s writing processes today are fuelled by very simple catalysts, but Kelly concedes that “the second [making music stops being fun], I'll just answer that we're a very political band or something like that.”

SO COW’S HWCH MUST-SEES: SEPTEMBER GIRLS, DOTT AND BOUTS

“But maybe the best thing is just to wander wherever, you never know what you’re gonna fall in love with, really. That’s my shout, anyway.”

CAVE GHOSTS This Dublin four-piece are the injection of 1960s bright, woozy vibes we all need. A name bred from their experiences in a rehearsal space “with flickering lights, gross smells, weird noises and mysteriously disappearing slices of pizza,” their beginnings certainly don’t mirror the sun-drenched melodies the quartet have been creating since.

Describing their sound as retro pop, their influences range quite rightly between The Beach Boys, Ronettes and Link Wray. “Although there were particular bands that we were all into and informed the sound we were looking for on paper, when we actually started playing a totally different sound materialised” the band explain.

Cave Ghosts entwine dreamy female vocals, soothing harmonies and soft timbre that gently sway you from side to side. Light sun rays beat through each of their tracks, with the likes of Best Coast coming to mind,

DOTT Another Galway-based, harmonyinfused band playing this weekend are the four-piece, Dott. With the additional T just fitting right for their band title, this layering is seen time and time again in their songs.

Throughout the past few months, Dott have become the band to watch in the Irish music landscape; their sound representing shiny, harmonydriven guitar pop, for fans of Giant Drag, The Breeders and Best Coast.

They are pure, unfiltered talent serving us a platter of both soft-edged grunge and melting indie vibes that have you salivating for more after a single bite of their early tracks.

Band member Anna muses about her humble music beginnings, telling Otwo that she “moved to Galway when [she] was 18-years-old and started working in the Róisín Dubh where I was exposed to loads of deadly music.

“It was an amazing time discovering all of these bands I had never heard of before and falling in love

with them. I had a couple friends who were incredible for making mixtapes for me and I can’t even imagine what I’d be listening to today if it wasn’t for them. I was quite the musical sponge, and I now have a really varied taste in music thanks to that.”

Since then, the band have gone from strength to strength, with melody being the backbone of their tunes, enclosed further with accompanying guitar and lyrics. With a Late, Late Show appearance under their belt, a plethora of appearances in venues across Ireland and a trip to New York penciled in for the New Year, catch this band while you can before every Tom, Dick and Harry know of their brilliance.

least of all for the cat related references branching from their artwork to custom social media bios.

With band member Jen completing her final year in Multimedia, everything the band release is directly their own production. “Juggling jobs, college and the band has been a huge challenge for us, but Jen’s multimedia skills have been a major bonus as she does all our artwork and random cat-related concepts like Cat Medicine on Tumblr, which gets great feedback from our followers.”

From psychedelic twists and turns to feline imagery, this band is certainly one to catch if you want to revisit your hazy, somewhat sunsoaked, summer gone by.

CAVE GHOSTS’S HWCH MUST-SEES: WINDINGS, GROOM AND I <3 THE MONSTER HERO

DOTT’S HWCH MUST-SEES: ELASTIC SLEEP, PRINCESS AND LIE INS

BOUTS Fresh from sharing the stage with Bobby Womack & Emelie Sandé on Arthur’s Day, not to mention Lauren Laverne singing their praise for sharp-edged tune ‘We Tried’, Bouts are on the cusp of major success.

Describing their sound as “portent, brash, intense, colourful guitar-grunge with unashamedly indie tendencies,” it sounds as though band member Niall Jackson is reading from a musical thesaurus; yet he’s dead on.

Conceived by the minds of former Computer Science and Advertising students, the band, although bold and brash melodically, wanted “to capture the essence of something

immediate, short, sharp” with their name.

Considering each band member branched from previous line-ups including Green Lights and Modern Skins whose “presence lurks online to this day,” Jackson assures that together as Bouts, they’re simply “informed, but not overcome by [their] influences.”

Explaining the thought behind their writing process, Jackson reinforces their preference for simplicity over complexity. “A hook, an unpredictable progression. That conviction that what we’re doing makes us feel good, because what’s the point otherwise?”

Similarly, much of their writing journey involves “taking the familiar and twisting it slightly.” A testament to their ear-catching tunes.

With the likes of Weezer and Pavement sounds blending amongst their tumbling riffs, Bouts are an infectious mix of easy listening and

light-hearted grunge.

Catching them in the comfortable setting of the Workmans Club’s resident stage, with dimmed lights and the ambiance created by flowing pints and carefree jubilance circling the room, will definitely make their appearance a memorable one.

BOUTS’ HWCH MUST-SEES: THE LATE DAVID TURPIN, COME ON LIVE LONG AND HALVES

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THE LAND OF HONEY AND HONEY From Nickelodeon viewers to ten thousand strong audience shows, Rebekah Rennick chats to LA based duo HoneyHoney about wholesome beginnings and humble motivation

UNTIL WE LAUNCH OUR ELECTRO ROBOPOP CAREER INFUSED WITH ANIMAL NOISES AND HEAVY BREATHING, WE WILL STAY TRUE TO THE GOOD OL’ FASHIONED PERSONALISED STORY TELLING THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH

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SINCE Mumford & Sons shuffled into popularity circa 2009, all waist coats, bearded faces and an aura stinking of rich mahogany, folk rock has nestled itself quite comfortably in the casual listeners’ music taste. In an era of genre mutations, American duo HoneyHoney are a dense blend of bluesy folk, supported by budding banjo accompaniment and woozy vocals that cocoon you in a warm blanket of wholesome country twang.

The collaboration between vocalist Suzanne Santo and guitarist Ben Jaffe has seen HoneyHoney release three albums since 2008. A musical partnership that was moulded following what was an informal introduction through a mutual friend, the pair soon discovered their musical inclinations folded together seamlessly. However, their first experiences as artists were a far cry from the position they now hold in the music world.

“My first experience was singing ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid. I was in fifth grade. I wore a fin and owned that shit. That was the real launching pad for my career,” Santo jokes. While Jaffe reveals, “I made all the kids I invited to my bar mitzvah listen to my band play. It was important in learning that just because you want to play doesn’t

mean people want to listen.”

With Jaffe composing music for Nickelodeon cartoons and Santo catching supporting roles in shows such as Law & Order, their past endeavours make the duo an interesting pair.

Their light-hearted response is testament to what they’ve been creating these past few years. With an imprint of vintage Buffalo Springfield and a hum of Rickie Lee Jones echoing through their repertoire, HoneyHoney are simply a hybrid of diverse sounds and melodies. “The music that we make has always been pretty personalised. That’s kind of the only way to do it as for as HoneyHoney goes,” they assure Otwo.

“As far as characterising our work, we simply want to make well-written, badass tunes that we’re proud of and that are fun to play. Until we launch our electro robo-pop career infused with animal noises and heavy breathing, we will stay true to the good ol’ fashioned personalised story telling that we love so much.”

On the surface, it may be easy to dismiss HoneyHoney as another humdrum, even predictable, boy-girl folk pair. Their charming, fiddle soaked melodies are perfect for those lost, lazy days that characterise youthful, sun-drenched summers.

Yet, they possess a confidence that

focuses your attention on the finer details of their musicianship.

“Our creative process is almost a daily routine of practicing, writing if we’re working on a record or writing for other people, building our video content online with solid live performances and HoneyHoney arts and craft hour, which consists of sketching animals and building little villages out of tooth picks and tongue depressors.”

Similarly, in terms of their lyricism, witty hooks and underlying smirks are felt in many tracks. “The lyrics come from the banging of the head against the desk or bed until something comes out that’s halfway decent.

Every once in awhile something flows out seamlessly, but it’s generally just the act of trying that does it.”

Their honesty is what makes this west-coast duo so frustratingly likeable, as they proclaim themselves, “We’re trying to be good humans, and write songs that don’t bullshit around.

As far as being an artist, it’s an ideal to shoot for. Trying to create beautiful things and be honest about it.”

There’s no Kanye-style ego bubbling within this pair that could overflow at any given moment, and coupled with the magnetism between the two on stage, it’s difficult not to get caught up in their string infused world.

“Our latest album that we just recorded and are currently in the process of mixing, has brought up some real feel good thunderbolts to be honest with you. It’s really cool to have our previous albums that we’re very proud of and to continue to evolve and move forward.”

They coyly confess, “As far as performing live, we had a truly humbling moment in front of 10,000 people a few years back in Chicago when the power went out in the middle of a tune. The crowd proceeded to join in with handclaps to the improvised tune of ‘Old Joe Clark’. It was awesome and terrifying.”

Riding on the cusp of something quite special, HoneyHoney deserve all the success they are reaching out for in the headline pathway created

by Marcus Mumford & Co. Cotton shirts and unshaven faces aside, however, this pair hold the purest form of personal motivation.

“We want to inhabit the positive potential of ourselves as deeply as we can. When people live that way, reality becomes easier and easier to accept. And goddamn if we’re not trying as best we can.”Aiming to be the best they can is exactly what this band should be striving for. As Otwo always says; aim for perfection and fall somewhere short of above average.

ALBUM REVIEWS

KINGS OF LEON

JACK JOHNSON From Here to Now to You

Mechanical Bull

A decade since the Followill brothers first appeared with Nashville essence and chiselled jaws, their journey thus far has been an interesting one. From the beginning, Kings Of Leon were the scruffy ruffians whom your mother disapproved of.

The dirty jeans and dirtier riffs on their debut album, Youth & Young Manhood, saw them explode onto the scene in the then pop-indulged 2003. Greasy hooks, Caleb’s strident vocals and appropriate cow bell usage from start to finish had fans in the palm of their Tennessean hands.

Since then, ‘Sex On Fire’ has been corrupted by X Factor wannabes, and the Levis have been replaced with tailored trousers.

After a three year absence, ‘Mechanical Bull’ sees the quartet attempting to recapture their once magnetic energy but falling frustratingly short.

Debut single ‘Supersoaker’ makes you sit up straight.

Scooping you up immediately so that you can almost hear Caleb’s smirk through his vocals.

However, follow up track ‘Rock City’ lets you slip back into an awkward slump. Cheap “Woo” cries and assisted handclaps is something a cover band of dads would bang out.

Some gems are nestled in this 11 track collection, including a typical all-round Followill song called ‘Temple.’ While ‘Don’t Matter’ marks a stomping return of the Caleb-wail belter.

‘Comeback Story’ is a trudging, uninspiring number while ‘Tonight’ is an indulgent and wailing track that you find yourself relieved is finished once the final chord rings.

Keeping with his apt title as the ‘King of Mellow’, Jack Johnson has yet again succeeded in crafting an album nestled in the niches of the serene folk genre.

Johnson’s infectiously laidback approach to both life and music is refreshing, though lacking in variation.

From ‘Here to Now to You’, though a departure from his brief flirtation with exploring the darker side of life, fits neatly into Johnson’s jovial back-catalogue.

With its acoustically driven, almost frustratingly minimalistic melodies, this sixth release from the Hawaiian native does nothing to showcase anything new from this artist that is at risk of going stale.

Unperturbed by the evolving music scene around him, Johnson has produced a simple, embodiment of pure contentment with life. The essence of a lullaby permeates ‘Never Fade’, while ‘Radiate’ keeps the optimism afloat with a buoyant rhythm.

Lyrically, the album is steeped in self-reflection and honesty; an obvious result of the writing process occurring on Johnson’s front porch. At times, he verges on becoming overly twee and clichéd, but he is undoubtedly skilled at evoking an eerie sense of nostalgia powerful enough to elicit a moment of déjà vu.

Due to his apparent disinterest in working outside of his established wheelhouse, it’s difficult to distinguish between tracks as the album progresses.

Viewed through the eyes of an optimist such as Johnson, however, this could be a conscious attempt to seamlessly sew each track into a patchwork depicting the wonderment of daily life in a delightful and succinct manner.

JESSIE J Alive

DRAKE

Nothing Was The Same There’s no denying Jessie J’s vocal talent. Following the pop star’s debut album in 2011, hit after catchy hit has skyrocketed her to the top of the charts.

However, the potential cultivated by this songstress in the two years since releasing singles like ‘Domino’ and ‘Price Tag’ falls flat on her second album Alive.

Opening with ‘It’s My Party’ a carefree, pre-drinks tune mimicking other top 40 songs lacking lyrical substance, it swiftly moves into the powerful ballad ‘Thunder,’ which falls short of making an impact.

From the funky 80s number ‘Daydreamin’,’ to the bassbumping ‘Excuse My Rude (feat.

Becky G),’ the album lacks a cohesive focus as it searches for a hit that will stick.

The only respite comes from the single ‘Wild’, featuring Big Sean and Dizzee Rascal, which begs the question of whether the album would have faired better with more frequent familiar collaborations. The follow up track ‘Gold’ begins as a feel good anthem, but after a three-minute build up, the climax is never fully realised.

Lacking the emotion and conviction of fellow melodic queens, Adele and Ellie Goulding, her songs simply seem like a cheesy attempt to hook listeners. From the Kanyeechoing auto tune on ‘Square One,’ to the Katy Perry-esque confidence booster ‘Sexy Lady’, Alive winds up being a faint and forgettable imitation of existing millennial pop.

Drake, perhaps most famous for popularising the ubiquitous and never annoying phrase ‘YOLO’, seeks to continue his contributions to music and popular culture with his latest release.

In album opener ‘Tuscan Leather’, Drake enthusiastically refreshes us on his accomplishments in the business thus far and the trappings this has necessarily brought. The portentous synth intro of ‘The Language’ leads in to our rap virtuoso’s boastings about his relative success in the lucrative entertainment industry and his prowess with the opposite sex.

‘Started From the Bottom’ espouses the value of hard work and trying to make it on one’s own, as well as taking the time to mention Drake’s current financial clout as a result of having done so.

The album consists exclusively of tinkling piano or synths accompanied by drum-machine generated beats. Cynics might allege that the backing music’s uniformity throughout the album suggests it came preinstalled in software on his laptop; presumably a high-end MacBook given his comfortable financial situation.

Lyrically, Drake has an apparent fondness for two particular phrases, ‘yeah’ and the ‘n-word’. Lesser musicians might have felt pressure to limit constant repetition of these words to certain tracks. Admirably, Drake has not made such an artistic compromise.

Is this album Drake’s Sergeant Pepper? Well, yes and no.

IN A NUTSHELL Unremarkable. You soon find yourself scrambling back to early albums to truly reignite your love for these Nashville bucks

IN A NUTSHELL Aurally pleasing, but far from revolutionising the modern folk scene

IN A NUTSHELL Alive fails to capture Jessie J’s talents, and falls into the trap of a true sophomore slump

IN A NUTSHELL “I have lots of money and often sleep with beautiful women and you probably don’t” (accompanied by generic drum beat and synthesiser).

There, I just saved you 63 minutes.

MARCUS DALTON

EVA GRIFFIN

ALEX VICKERY

HUGH DROMEY

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GARTLANDIA—NEW MUSIC MIXTAPE— SONGS TO TWERK TO WORTH LISTENING TO

INVESTIGATING THE INFECTIOUS EPIDEMIC OF SHAKING YOUR BOTTOM, ORLA MCEVOY LISTS THE SONGS YOU SHOULD WORK THAT TWERK TO

Looking for some new bands to bolster your iPod? Well, Otwo’s resident music star, Orla Gartland, has some nifty suggestions

DONK—SOULJA BOY If you don’t know how to twerk, or wish to perfect the useful skill of grotesque gyration, listen to this song. It’s basically a tutorial about how to use your “donk”, explained by urban dictionary as “a very round, attractive booty”, derived from the word “badonkadonk.” Lovely.

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT—SNOOP DOGG Now a somewhat feasible pick up line, Snoop Dog/Lion/MiscellaneousQuadrupedal-Animal sure knows how to talk to the ladies. You only need to hear the intro to this song before feeling that infectious urge to twerk. This song gets you shaking that booty no matter how begrudging you may feel about it; dropping it like it’s hot or whatever that means.

RIGHT NOW is an immensely exciting time to be into music. Although I’ve spent the summer making some of my own, I’ve been to a stupid number of live gigs and discovered so many ground-breaking artists along the way. There is such a vast expansion of new talent out there, and once you really dive in, it’s pretty difficult to escape. Here are three new faves of mine that you may or may not have heard already.

(TWERKING) NINE TO FIVE— DOLLY PARTON Tumbling out of bed and pouring herself a cup of ambition might do it for Dolly, but in today’s society, simulating Billy Ray Cyrus’ shockhungry daughter seems to be all you need. With work piling up and tensions rising, a little lower back/bum gyrating is essential. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes because twerking nine to five could be a little painful.

HAIM

I SEE YOU BABY—GROOVE ARMADA

The three Haim sisters are an LA trio born in the wrong era. Their old school brand of soft-rock is bouncy, guitar-driven and beautifully rough around the edges. As a massive Fleetwood Mac fan it was impossible for me not to latch on.

It’s so refreshing to watch and listen to music with so much personality in it. A quick YouTube spree of their interviews or stalk of their Twitter pages will inform that these are the funniest, weirdest, most likable girls making music right now.

My admiration for Haim stems not only from their writing, their live sets and their style, but their spirit. They really don’t care what anyone thinks of them; they just walk out on stage and have the time of their lives, and I love that.

Their debut album is released this week… PINCH ME. If I was to recommend one track of theirs, it would have to be ‘The Wire’. Life goal: to become the fourth Haim sister.

Think of this particular song as the hipster of twerk anthems; teaching us how to shake that derrier before it was mainstream. Call it ludicrous, outrageous, ridiculous or even a monstrosity, but you can’t deny that, with a few bevvies aside, everybody twerks. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, so stand up and be counted because honestly, we see you baby, shaking that ass.

THE 1975 If you’ve heard of this band already, it’s no doubt as a result of their hit ‘Chocolate’; an absolute TUNE. If not, the 1975 are four Manchesterbased lads releasing alternative pop/rock tunes with a tasty blend of ambient, atmospheric sounds & shimmery, retro electric guitar.

Upon listening to the debut album, one hears a melting pot of influ-

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ences; White Lies, Arctic Monkeys, The Sex Pistols, The Wombats, and some elements of classic Britpop with a modern twist.

The band owe much of their success to lead singer Matt Healy.

Healy is a character; a bad boy poet sporting leather jackets and a questionable haircut that walks a border between attractive and plain ridiculous. His lyrics are sharp and cheeky; metaphorical and literal in all the right places, like “I know you’re looking for salvation in the secular age, but girl I’m not your savior.”

A tune of theirs I’m particularly fond of is ‘Girls’; one of their more lighthearted tracks. Their new self-titled album sounds like the soundtrack to that crazy summer you spent road tripping with some old friends down the west coast of America in one of those Volkswagon hippie vans. Oh, wait. That never happened.

LORDE I don’t bang this around loosely or often, but this girl is going to be huge. She’s a New Zealand teen who I consider to be quite possibly the coolest person in the world.

Her voice is haunting, with unmissable echoes of Lana Del Rey. There are few instruments. It’s amazing for tracks so minimal to play alongside the often stacked-up, heavily layered tracks of modern radio.

I’m about to make a sweeping statement, but hear me out. I think many of us in 2013 are quite aware of what music is considered cool. We might think too deeply if a friend asked us what we’ve been listening to lately.

Taylor Swift may be most popular in our iTunes library, but in certain company we’re not a genuine fan.

We consider her more of a guilty pleasure, really. I think this aspect of our culture has given a huge boost to cool contemporary artists like Two Door Cinema Club, Bastille and undoubtedly Lorde herself.

Although a big portion of these new fans may stem from people trying to impress their friends, the success won’t be fleeting. In the case of these musicians, it is the originality, the lovingly crafted songs and their thought-provoking lyrics, that will keep us all there in the long term.

Best, Orla

STUPID HOE—NICKI MINAJ If you’ve seen the video for this song, I think you’ll agree with O two that this is a no-brainer entry into the mixtape. Now, we all don’t possess Queen Barbie’s spectacular butt implants, but we can still give it a go. It may not be of the same calibre and you may end up looking like the stupid hoe this song refers to, but if you are really looking to capture this song’s essence, oscillating frantically to Nicki Minaj is the way to go.

MY HEART WILL GO ON— CELINE DION Dancing like an idiot to slow songs, it has to be done. And what song could be more fitting? There’s something slightly satisfying about twerking over the sound of Celine Dion belting out a ballad. You’ll definitely look like an idiot, but the bottom line is, who cares? Love it or hate it, my twerk will go on.

WE CAN’T STOP—MILEY CYRUS How could we talk about twerking without mentioning the mutation, once sugar & spice all things nice, queen of twerking herself: Miley Cyrus. Now, this song might not be your typical hip-spasming tune, but if Miley’s VMA performance is anything to go by, it sure can make a girl move. So, to my home girls with the big butts, it’s our party and we’ll be twerking, but maybe not in those PVC hot pants.

STREET STYLE KATHY MALLOY Studying: German & Philosophy Wearing: Skirt – Debenhams, Scarf – Dad Found On The Side Of The Road Shoes – Clarks, Shirt – Oxfam Waistcoat – German Vintage Store Hat – H&M Germany Key piece for this season: Houndstooth/Tartan Cape

AISLING KERINS Studying: Law & History Wearing: Boots – Carl Scarpa Denim Shorts – American Apparel Shirt – Ella Boutique, Sunglasses – H&M Key piece for this season: Oversized winter coat

JAMIE MANN Studying Sociology & Economics Wearing: Shirt – Vintage shop, Shoes – Nike, trousers – Penneys, Knitted Jumper – River Island, bag – bought at a reggae festival in California.

Style Inspiration: London street style.

Biggest bargain: An oversized shirt from Fresh Temple Bar for €15.

Most expensive purchase: Barber jacket €200.

CLARA MCSTAY Studying: Commerce & French Wearing: Shoes – Gecca Argentina, Jeans – Topshop Belt – Whistles, Shirt – Kooples Jacket/Waistcoat – Zara, Satchel – Cambridge Satchel Key piece for this season: Tartan Trousers

IAN MCNALLY Studying: Commerce & Italian Wearing: Shoes – Nike, Jeans – Pullen Bear T-Shirt – Zara, Jumper – H&M, Bag – From A Gym In Milan Ring – Bought For 5 Euro On The Side Of The Road Stall Key piece for this season: Nice Winter Coat

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GRUNGE-Y JUMPING

Denim Jeans—Harlequin—€39 Cream Crop Top— Forever21—€12.50 Shirt—Vintage Section Urban Outfitters—€33 Denim Jacket—Saint Vincent De Paul—€10 Boots—Shu 4 U—€34.50 Necklace—Topshop—€25 Rings—H&M—€4.50 Sunglasses—Topshop—€20 Bag—Vintage Shop—€15 Jeans— Women’s Section Penneys—€12 Jumper—€20 Belt—Topman—€25 Boots—Penneys—€20 Brown Leather Jacket—Irish Cancer Society—€15

PHOTOS: JOANNA O’MALLEY STYLIST: CHRISTIN MCWEENEY WRITER: LUCY COFFEY

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DENIM, leather, suede, cotton; when it comes to grunge, there is no fabric that won’t work when tossed together.

Autumn tartan motifs play against the crisp, cool feel of summer denim, while leopard print coats swing from hangers across the nation in post1960’s glamour.

As autumn approaches, the prime time of year for the all grunge-goers, we delve into the season’s must have pieces. Think rainy day coats and warm woolly hats mixed with a dollop of pure, unhindered rock star chic and you may begin to see the ‘gimme’ in grunge.

The collection centres around a Dionysian mix of James Dean and 1950’s old style rough-and-tumble primary pieces. The leather jacket (so deliciously sported by Glen) and a contrasting mix of suave, sheer shirts and fitted shorts that serve to

make any outfit elegant.

One of the beautiful facts of grunge is that many pieces are androgynous. Feel like sporting a harder, more robust look today my budding femme fatale? Toss on your boyfriend’s, or your brother’s leather jacket. Oversized jackets serve to embody one major aspect of grunge: hard-core delicacy.

Shrug out of your ‘oh-somainstream’ wardrobe by adding an animal print jacket to your repertoire and a denim shirt to your list of must-haves for the oncoming months.

Not only will you be knee deep in envy, you’ll play host to a toasty warm micro-climate while everyone else shivers from the cold winds of their fashion faux-pas.

Accessories-wise, it’s best kept simple. Pair chunky necklaces with some badass rings and one of the

fashion must-haves of this season; the ankle boots. They add height and versatility to your wardrobe.

The black leather ankle boots (modelled by the lovely Christine) can be worn with any and every outfit and, depending on whether you want to be effortlessly cool or singularly smokin’, can be the metaphorical topper on your cake of dapperness.

These pieces allow everyone to swing as they want towards make-up.

If you’d prefer to keep it natural or highlight one particular feature, lips, eyes, eyebrows, etc., then go all out.

Deep purples, riotous reds and in some cases blood oranges have played across the lips of many grunge fashion shows this season and a strong, dark eyebrow has been iconized by artists such as Frances Bean Cobain and models like Ashley Smith.

#WINNING #BINNING

Jeans—Womens Penneys—€12 Boots—Penneys—€20 Beanie—Urban Outfitters (Carhartt)—€20 Barber Jacket—Harlequin—€49 Black T-Shirt—Penneys—€2.50 Tartan Shirt—Vintage Section Urban Outfitters—€18

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OR

WANT TO LOOK TOTALLY SWAG IN TIME FOR OCTOBER? LET RESIDENT FASHIONISTA EMILY MULLEN TELL YOU WHATS #WINNING & WHATS WORTH #BINNING

#WINNING

#BINNING PENNEYS SHOES

Penneys’ inability to make shoes that aren’t water-soluble, literally have to #bin them how awks.

COAT ENVY

Struggling with emotions of jealously and hate, and not asking that bitch where she got her fur-trimmed coat on principle. She stank of Topshop though, gonna look there xoxo

TARTAN DREAMS

Fashionistas have been crying from the rooftops about tartan this season. Find Paddington Bear and steal his scarf, breathe new life into those tartan shoelaces circa your emo phase or spend your pay-cheque in American Apparel.

Do whatever it takes, coz tartan is happening, so deal with it.

Tights—Penneys—€2 Leather Jacket— Shutterbug Vintage Store— €59 Cycling Shorts—American Apparel—€25 Shirt—Irish Cancer Society—€6 Cross Earrings—Penneys—€2 Boots— Shu 4 U—€34.50

LAYERS

Praise Jebus, for cardigans, coatigans and long tees.

Top-notch work.

BASKETBALL TEES

You look ridiculous Hon, unless you have a perspiration problem or are actually playing basketball, that t-shirt is #void.

JUMPERS

Winter is coming, get the cows in already, and get that jumper on.

LADY-LIKE LENGTHS

Keep it classy Hons, over the knee silhouettes keep them guessing on whether you’re wearing spanks or not #cheeky

PONY SKIN

Who made this a legitimate material? What’s worse is it’s #trending in the fashion world, the poor ponies are quaking in their pony boots #youdonteatmymeatbutyouwearmeasaskirt #kantkope

NIKE AIR MAX HAIM

Attempting to look like fourth Haim sister, is a full time job.

Attempted by many, accomplished by none.

It was good being able to sashay from the gym to Workmans with relative ease while it lasted #inhipsterswetrust

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CULTURE WOULFE

PEARSE HOUSE— VILLAGE IN THE CITY With the beginning of the academic year causing many countryside natives to return to life in the big city, Laura Woulfe takes the time to look at one of the unique aspects of city life in Jeannette Lowe’s ‘Pearse House: Village in the City exhibition

IT MAY HAVE been the ambience of Culture Night, or maybe even the brief return of summer, but I was surprised to find the Pearse House: Village in the City exhibition, by award-winning photographer Jeannette Lowe, considerably less demanding than expected.

Despite preparing myself for the gruelling task of psychoanalysing each work, I found that I quickly discarded my preconceived notions of the starkness of inner city living and simply enjoyed Lowe’s uplifting representation of Dublin flat life.

While, indeed, there were a few images that expressed a prison-like atmosphere or represented one of the grittier flats with holes in the roof and concrete kitchen floors, the main emphasis of the exhibition seemed to dwell on themes of regrowth and renewal. Considering the Pearse House Flats, the largest municipal housing structure in the Irish state, have seen four generations of inhabitants, this

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isn’t surprising.

The tree that formed the backdrop to many of the photographs, especially in those from over half a century ago which were taken by the inhabitants themselves, has been replicated and placed in the centre of the ground floor exhibition space.

This, combined with images of inhabitants sowing seeds in the grass outside the building, illuminates the theme of regrowth beautifully.

However, even more attention is dedicated to images of brightly coloured clothing, most likely children’s, drying in the wind. Despite simply showing an ordinary, everyday scene, these images represent life and regeneration extremely effectively.

Family and friendship are also heavily emphasised. One photo in particular shows three generations of one family from the elderly grandmother to one-year-old twins. What’s even more interesting is how the

flats represent the different generations with the colourful playground contrasting with the interior of one old lady’s flat, which resembles a traditional farmhouse full of antique trinkets.

One of the most effective devices employed by Lowe, however, is the recreation of one of the Pearse House stairwells. When looking at the graffiti adorned walls in a photograph, I initially thought it made the walls look dishevelled and unkempt. Yet, by recreating these walls to allow the viewer read the notes of idle children and teenagers, Lowe shows how amusing and enlightening these notes can be.

In particular, the presence of maths sums on the murky green painted walls enliven the stairwell by whispering of the presence of bright children.

Pearse House: Village in the City doesn’t demand your unwavering attention, rather, Lowe’s exhibition compliments the city life it represents and, while providing food for thought, it is the perfect drop-in exhibition as it is located in the heart of Temple Bar. National Photographic Archive – ‘Pearse House: Village in the City’, free admission, closes on the 6th of October

FATAL FOURWAY

BEST SEAN BEAN DEATH SCENE IN A TELEVISUAL OR CINEMATIC SETTING After Laura’s bloody and decisive victory last issue, the Fourway wax lyrical over Sean Bean’s greatest death scene

Eddard Stark—

Alec Trevelyan—

Boromir—

Tadgh McCabe—

JACK WALSH

STEVEN BALBIRNIE

LAURA BELL

EMILY LONGWORTH

GAME OF THRONES “YOU THINK my life is some precious thing to me.”

It was never meant to work out like that. Sean Bean had attracted the most media attention with his casting of Eddard Stark in the first season of Game of Thrones, with a variety of images displaying him sitting atop the throne.

Stark, the strong Warden of the North was supposed to win the throne, fight the Lannisters and fight the White Walkers. He’d give Jon Snow a big hug and tell him all about his mammy. That’s what’s meant to happen, anyway.

Audiences look at how a hero is going to not get killed, rather than question if he’s actually in danger.

When Stark was beheaded, everyone watching thought it would all end in a guts and glory rescue from Robb.

In the end, Joffrey executed Ned against Northern beliefs: “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.”

Ned never wanted power, he never tried to steal the ring, he never would have set up the Janus Crime Syndicate. The power of Ned’s death was not derived from happiness, it was unmitigated sadness over a man forced to play a game he never wanted to play, and lose.

GOLDENEYE

HAVING PREVIOUSLY come a respectable second in the Fatal Fourway poll for issue one, it is only fitting that I champion the death of the second best 00 agent in the James Bond franchise. This is of course Goldeneye’s 006, Alec Trevelyan.

I’m also offering you something that none of my rivals can match; two Sean Bean death scenes in a single film.

You can’t say that I’m not generous.

In the opening five minutes of the film, Sean Bean is captured by a Soviet general, shot in the head and left in an exploding chemical weapons facility while Pierce Brosnan escapes aboard a hijacked plane.

It’s later revealed however that rather than dying Trevelyan actually faked his death, went rogue, and now only Bond can stop him launching a stolen Russian satellite weapon against London.

The film culminates in a tense fight between Bond and Trevelyan atop a satellite antenna platform in Cuba with Trevelyan falling over the edge. Bond catches him and the pair utter the most pithy dialogue exchange in the entire franchise; “For England James?” “No, for me.”

Trevelyan is then dropped hundreds of metres, miraculously surviving the fall only to be crushed by the flaming debris of the exploding satellite dish.

No other Sean Bean death has ever been so epic.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS FOR A MAN who asserts that “you never really get used to dying”, Sean Bean sure is good at it, and there’s no better showcase for this unusual talent than 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring.

Boromir’s tear-jerking, bromantic, combat-heavy demise in one of the final scenes of the film is unparalleled; least of all by the 24 or so other times he’s kicked the bucket on screen.

A death so valiant it brings on more flashbacks than you’d find in an episode of Cold Case, Boromir manages to inspire Viggo Mortensen to become Elessar, King of Men; redeeming him after an ill-advised Psycho remake in 1998, and paving the way for Legolas to claim his rightful place as Aragorn’s new-old BFF. You haven’t seen death until you’ve seen Medieval Sean Bean (an actual genre of Sean Bean) shot through the chest three times by a man in full body prosthetics to a full orchestral soundtrack.

You might think you have, but you just haven’t. Riddled with arrows, yet fighting bravely on, Bean as Boromir succeeds in protecting not only Merry and Pippin, but ultimately the comic relief for the final two installments of the franchise. If that isn’t heroic, I don’t know what is.

THE FIELD

WHILE at once dancing on the grave of the original plot from Irish playwright John B Keane’s The Field and simultaneously paying homage to The Lion King, death by cow is undisputedly the most majestic of all Sean Bean deaths.

The glamour of falling satellites and orc armies has nothing on the misdirected wrath of suicidal bovine that see Sean Bean right down to the ground. While watching the highly-removed film adaptation of The Field for Junior Cert “study”, this scene warranted a standing ovation.

Even Ms Smith distinctly wet her pants, you all saw. If a stampede of various farm animals hurdling off a cliff in Sean Bean’s dumbfounded wake wasn’t good enough (and it is), the subsequent poorly-edited footage of his washed-ashore body, which hasn’t decided if it’s a corpse or not, raises the Sean Bean death stakes even higher.

Notice that the facial expression has been grafted from this scene onto all latter films deaths using CGI technology, and Microsoft paint.

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The Back Page “IT’S ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE 16 YEARS-OLD, IN THE FUTURE, ON MARS”

“WE SIMPLY WANT TO MAKE WELL WRITTEN BAD ASS TUNES THAT WE’RE PROUD OF AND THAT ARE FUN TO PLAY”

BREEHN BURNS EXPLAINS THE CONCEPT BEHIND BRAVEST WARRIORS

250%

HONEYHONEY SIMPLIFYING THEIR AMBITIONS

“JOY IS THE MOST LETHAL ONE; SHE HAS NUN-CHUCKS STASHED IN HER HANDBAG”

THE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF POST-GRADUATE CLASS REP NOMINATIONS THIS YEAR, FROM 4 TO 14

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WEEK:

THE WISE BIRD JAMES BRADY

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ROBERT SHEEHAN TALKS ABOUT HIS FAMILY

Here is an image of a bird definitely being thoughtful and wise. Her certainty about the facts of life are steadfast. Her beliefs are sure-footed and founded in long periods of introspection and challenging herself and those around her on their world views.

She is a wise bird.

To submit photos to the University Observer photograph of the week contest email design @ universityobserver.ie