Scene Issue 234

scene

Gatsby: A Roaring Success?

IN THIS ISSUE MUSIC

Film

The Current evolution Does the new adaptation and development of Acid of The Great Gatsby live house up to its hype?

Spotlight Interview with English neo-soul four piece The Heavy

Feature: Empathetic video gaming

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS There’s been a changing of the guard here at Scene, and we are extremely glad to be serving as your Scene editors for the next three editions. There have been some interesting storms a brewin’ across the arts world since our last edition. As you can probably see from our front page, the release of Baz Luhrmann’s much anticipated film The Great Gatsby is no doubt the biggest.

Although not as Gatsby-dominated as we initially thought, rest assured if you’re looking for your fix of Leonardo Di Caprio’s face, you don’t have to look any further than this edition of Scene.

THIS_ISSUE MUSIC

VIEWS: Gatsby, YO1 Festival, Primal Scream (p4) FEATURE: The Evolution Of House (p5)

FILM

FEATURE: Small Dreams to Big Screens (p6) TOP 5: Movie Soundtracks (p6)

We’re testing out some new layout and content changes this edition, including in fact the page that you are reading now.

Be sure to check out our brand spanking new double page feature, written masterfully of course, by your Scene editors.

FEATURE

Empathetic Video Gaming (p8-9)

TV

Scene Cryptic Crossword

FEATURE: Fangtastic Femme Fatales (p11) PREVIEWS: The White Queen, Arrested Development (p11)

BOOKS

REVIEWS: So You Think You’re a Hipster? (p12) FEATURE: The Anti-Gatsby Antidote (p13) Tom Davies gives you his take on the latest arts news

TECH

FEATURE: 3D Printing Revolution (p14) REVIEWS: Budget Mobiles (p14)

STAGE

FEATURE: Legends in the Limelight (p15) SNEAK PREVIEW: Sean Lock, The Trench (p15)

SPOTLIGHT

THE HEAVY: Chat to Tom Armston-Clarke (p16) Across 2) Ryan Green’s game breathes fire 5) Last edition’s spotlight is spirit of Lord Byron 6) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great protagonist 8) New Gatsby’s other surname

9) Campus event has large letter 12) Fantasy musical chairs still rock in third season

Down 1) Angry Vin Diesel still rushing in 6th installment 3) Elizabeth Woodville drama is one to look forward to 4) York Edinburgh Fringe hopefuls are chaotic deities

7) Scottish band known for animalistic shouting release new album 10) Daft Punk pull in Willow at

4am

11) New Dan Brown book in flames

SCENE TEAM Scene Editors Tom Davies Karl Tomusk

Music Editors

Film Editors

TV Editors

Books Editors

Tech Editor

Stage Editors

Milo Boyd Martin Waugh

Katie Molloy Katherine Hibberd

Sarah Cattle Angus Quinn

Morenike Adebayo Oona Venermo

Mike Dunnett-Stone

Rosie Litterick Kathy Burke

Deputy Film

Deputy TV

Deputy Books

Deputy Tech

Deputy Stage

Deputy Music Louisa Hann Phillip Watson

Max Sugarman

Zena Zarjis

Bertie Baker-Smith Bethan Forrest

Jack Bradshaw

Rory McGregor Sam Thorpe-Spinks

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

Crystal Fighters INTERVIEW

OPINION

BY ZOE BILES

S

ummer is just around the corner, and there is no band out there that does summer quite like Crystal Fighters. Their infectious energy and upbeat and fiery songs caused a wave of attention last year, on the back of their hugely successful debut album Star of Love.

I chatted with percussionist and guitarist Glibert Vierich about the band’s exciting future and insane past few years.

Within minutes I feel as though I have known Vierich all my life. “Yeah man, so sorry: in the middle of a sound check so things are kind of crazy. How’s it going, how is life?” Although this is not a new feeling for me, having seen the band live, I know personally the intimate relationship Crystal Fighters share with their fans. “It has been such an awesome experience, getting to play live across the country, meeting the fans who have been with us from the beginning and playing to the people who have just discovered us. The weird thing is, playing live is just as fun for us as it is for the fans, we share the excitement and the craziness.”

Having played over 100 shows in 15 countries in the past two years, it is easy to see how excited gigging makes them. I ask Vierich what likes most about playing live, and his response confirms that performing is something he genuinely enjoys.

“Everything. It is such an all-encompassing, overwhelming experience. From the weeks on end sitting on a tour bus, to the fans, to the music, to the travel... It truly is the whole package. Touring is something which has the power to make you fall in love with music every single day.”

The live shows have become a staple part of what makes Crystal Fighters unique.

Their earlier shows would revolve around an operatic style, with bizarre props and eccentric routines designed to put across

the wild, Spanish roots within their music. I ask how their music and live shows have developed in the past few years, the band having started out in 2008.

“We have definitely become more cohesive and smooth within our writing.

Whereas Star of Love was more about the songs individually, our new album definitely has a more holistic sound to it. The songs merge and tell a story as an album, and we are really proud of this.”

There is evidently a lot of hype about their upcoming album Cave Rave which shall be released on the 27th May, with critics such as NME and Rolling Stone already hoping for big things.

“I think the main difference between the two albums is the fact that the first was an experiment, bringing together many different genres and styles to create this very eclectic sound. Now we are in a position where we know what makes us tick in terms of influences, and we have spent time making these influences as smooth as possible within our songs.”

This summer promises to be huge for Crystal Fighters, whose festival season last year saw them rise among the ranks of most watched and most enjoyed. As well as playing Reading and Leeds this year, the band are touring all over Europe, including Holland and Belgium, spending time with their increasing worldwide fan base.

“The most incredible part of this job is that you get to share music with people from all around the world. It is the most humbling

Musical Comebacks

BY OONA VERERMO

D and inspiring thing. It simply makes us the band we are and constantly drives us to become better and better.”

The music of Crystal Fighters is, in a word, infectious. Their debut single ‘I Love London’ caused waves of excitement across the country that are still rippling, their distinctive electro fusion becoming a regular play on radio stations around the UK. But this band is not your average indie/ pop/rock mix. They are the band who are pushing carnage, inhibition and full frontal passion back into the mainstream, but in an easy, fun, upbeat way.

Vierich concluded: “If I had to describe our music in three words? Globo. Wonk.

Funk.”

And there you have it. The band of the summer, and the band of the future. Crystal Fighters are here to stay, and here to thrive over the coming years. They are most certainly a name to take note of.

“If I had to describe our music in three words? Globo. Wonk. Funk.”

DUTCH UNCLES

GHOSTPOET

MILLI VANILLI

DUCHESS 7/6/13

LEEDS BRUDENELL 29/5/13

FIBBERS 19/6/13

aft Punk have recently returned to our iPods with the release of their single ‘Get Lucky’ following a six-year break from the music industry. The single went straight to number one in the UK. A definite success story following in a long line of musical comebacks, but for every success there’s always a flop.

Justin Timberlake is another artist recently re-bursting onto the music scene with major success.

Following his release of FutureSex/ LoveSounds in 2007, Timberlake took a six-year break to focus on his acting career. January 2013 saw him return with new album The 20/20 Experience, which has since enjoyed phenomenal success, selling 968,000 copies in its first week, the highest of his career.

MC Hammer is a classic, albeit cheesy artist with hits such as ‘2 Legit 2 Quit’. He received multi-platinum certifications for his works and achieved iconic status. This was in the early ‘90s but MC Hammer’s following albums, including Inside Out and Full Blast were generally considered to be failures.

Personally I struggle to associate him with anything other than ‘U Can’t Touch This’ and low crotch trousers. Guess that proves a point.

AC/DC had enjoyed massive success before the death of lead singer Ronald “Bon” Scott in 1980. Having produced records such as ‘Highway to Hell’, the band was faced with high expectations after recruiting Brian Johnson as a replacement. Back to Black was released just a few months after Scott’s death. It turned out to be their most popular record and is the second-best selling album worldwide.

Guns N’ Roses kick-started their career with Appetite for Destruction in 1987 which remains their most successful album to date. Following several hits, the band took a break and then came a whole new line up behind Axl Rose which spawned Chinese Democracy. Essentially, Rose’s self-indulgent 10 year epic journey spiralling straight down the drain.

The hype of a $13 million production price tag did not meet expectations, as the hype overwhelmed the final result.

Then there’s Vanilla Ice. From ‘Ice Ice Baby’ to a collaboration with Jedward. Just why.?

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

Music EDITORS’ CHOICE

BY JOSHUA TREACY

I

9/10

t’s not often that we review a movie soundtrack, but this anachronistic accompaniment to Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film is an exception. As music is so important to Fitzgerald and Luhrmann, and with Jay (Z, not Gatsby) as executive producer, this is an ‘event-album’ rather than simply a soundtrack.

As far as original tracks on the album

LIVE: YO1 FESTIVAL

BY MILO BOYD

S

5/5/13

trolling over to the southeast corner of York underneath a grey sky and in the midst of a blustery wind, YO1 festival promised good things.

Only in its second year, its first hosting The Young Knives and Craig Child’s brand of funk, YO1 has expanded. With ethnic street food, a vintage fair, and 4 stages, the £17.50 student ticket price tag seemed far more justified than this time last year; especially once Rudimental and Channel One Soundsystem are brought into consideration.

The day, at least in some senses, lived up to my expectations. DJ Yoda brought the somewhat disparate early afternoon crowds together with a handful of the day’s funkier basslines and a well received appreciation of some disco cornerstones. Following this standout set, one only slightly undermined by the unannounced use of A-Skillz and Featurecast in their full, AlunaGeorge and Panda Cubs warmed up their respective stages. It was at this point of day that the realities of organizing a festival became apparent. Lines for the toilets, food stalls and two bars stretched past the point of worth bothering and the somewhat sparse nature of the setup the became intensified by a

go, it opens with Jay-Z’s impressive and brooding ‘$100 Bills’. Also notable are the stunning ‘Young and Beautiful’ by Lana Del Rey and ‘Over the Love’ by Florence and the Machine. There are a couple of jazz/‘EDM’ mash-ups, ranging from Will.I.Am’s surprisingly charming ‘Bang Bang’ to Fergie’s ‘A Little Party Never Killed Nobody’, which is annoying beyond belief.

We are also treated to a number of new and imaginative covers. Emeli Sande’s version of ‘Crazy in Love’, recorded with the Bryan Ferry Orchestra is a pleasantly clunky mix of brassy jazz and R&B. Undoubtedly, the most controversial and polarising track is ‘Back to Black’, covered by Beyonce featuring Andre 3000. Wonderfully

“The 1920s was the jazz age; this is the hip-hop age.”

BAZ LUHRMANN dark and sexy, Andre 3000’s vocals carry a sense of agony that works perfectly with Beyonce’s flawless voice.

The album communicates the lavish enthusiasm and energy of the story whilst also working as gloriously eccentric standalone album. deceptively cold York sky. Whether due to my increasingly depleted supply of alcohol or lack of a suitable fleece, for a drawn out couple of hours even the stuttering step of Irie Vibes and a locally sourced honeycomb ice-cream couldn’t lift my spirits.

My temperament aside, the day has to be considered a success. Swathes of familiar York faces revelled in the jaw clenching sounds of the Circulation tent and Jackmaster and the day was concluded overwhelmingly with Rudimental’s unique fusion of drum, bass and trumpets.

REVIEWS PRIMAL SCREAM More Light

BY PHILIP WATSON

I

GHOSTPOET Some Say I So I Say Light

7/10

BY LOUISA HANN

T

6/10

n the last five years a lot has changed in Britain. Shambolic governmental change has transformed the idealistic Big Society into Breadline Britain and as the economy lies in tatters, rioting and discontent abound. The mood is one of tension as we seem to edge ever further towards chaos, and it is this feeling which drives Primal Scream’s newest album More Light. Lead single ‘2013’ is nine minutes of vitriolic pandemonium, with wailing saxophones battling against strident guitar riffs and Gillespie’s fevered vocals giving an effect that is at once overwhelming as it is intoxicating. The sense is that of chaos, which is what the lyrics reflect- the chaos of a shattered Britain embroiled in battle with itself.

‘Culturecide’ is as venomous and dour as the name suggests, and the lyrics to practically every song on the album come across as one very large middle finger pointed in the direction of Mrs Thatcher’s grave.

While each track adds something to the barely-suppressed rage inherent in the album, some can sound banal and their protestations hollow. However, this album still boasts many stirring and memorable offerings, in particular ‘Invisible City’ and ‘It’s Alright, It’s OK’, songs which are movingly summative of the volatile atmosphere that hangs over Britain today.

here is something inimitably and deliciously urban about Ghostpoet’s work, and his latest album Some Say I So I Say Light is no different, with its lyrics about city life and urban squalor, and laid-back beats.

Compared to previous work, however, it is more subdued and this is not necessarily a good thing.

In some ways, the sounds and rhythms employed are more complex, more experimental, but the record never really reaches the heights Ghostpoet managed to achieve with songs such as ‘Liiines’, a heart-felt and simple euphoric track that shows off the best he can do.

This is not to say the album is without its merits. ‘Dial Tones’ is certainly singleworthy material, a laid-back track which Ghostpoet drawls his way through effortlessly. The penultimate song on the album, ‘12 Deaf ’ rounds it off on a high note, providing a slightly more upbeat tone to an otherwise somewhat cerebral and at times challenging record.

Overall, the album is unlikely to disappoint, with enough of his lyrical mastery and endearing drawl to sufficiently live up to his previous album. Whether he will continue to achieve this consistent quality however, remains to be seen.

formance. All the quirks are out in force, of course: idly twiddling knobs on amps, confiscating the mic from keyboardist (and wife) Elana, frequently leaving the stage for long stretches and, bizarrely returning to duet with a random guy from the audience.

It makes for a compelling performance, but what’s most surprising is the consistent smile on his face, sharing a laugh or two with the crowd and on more than one occasion standing back to bask as they chant his words back at him. Coupled with a tight and powerful back line, what we have here is a

treat of a show.

Although he never actually mentions the new album, new single ‘Sir William Wray’ is given an airing along with a pick’n’mix of Fall perennials.

But the real treat is saved for the climax, returning to the stage for two encores with a surprising rendition of classic ‘Mr Pharmacist’ before a teeth shaking finale of the storming ‘Blindness’ brings the place down.

Stirring stuff.

It’s hard to imagine anyone left the gig not smiling, least of all Mr Smith.

LIVE: THE FALL

BY THOMAS SHUTT 9/5/13

M

y dialogue is fucked” he drones, “I can’t string a sentencrrrr.....”.

Welcome to the wonderful and frightening world of Mark E Smith. Doing the rounds promoting latest album Re-Mit at Fibbers, York, notorious post-punk outfit The Fall are pretty difficult to judge by normal standards: If any other band did what they do there’d be hell to paybut then again, nobody does. Nobody can.

A notoriously volatile and grumpy performer, Smith delivers a typically ramshackle but surprisingly good spirited per-

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

THE EVOLUTION OF

FEATURE

House

BY MARTIN WAUGH

I

t began at around 6pm in Basel, Switzerland. Chemist Albert Hofmann described being interrupted at work by “unusual sensations”. Accompanied by his lab assistant, Hofmann left for home.

“At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination. In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed, I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with a intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours.”

The next day Hofmann looked for explanations, concluding that the substance he was synthesising was more potent than he thought and that it must have been absorbed through his fingers. The substance, deriving from the colourless, odourless salt from ergotamine – itself a derivative of a fungus found naturally on rye seeds – was being produced to experiment in new ways to reduce blood pressure.

What Hofmann did next is history. Ingesting 0.25mg, he rides his bike home.

“Was I dying?” Hofmann later questioned, no, he wasn’t. The chemist had just taken the first acid trip. He had synthesised lysergic acid diethylamide; LSD; acid.

17:00, Beginning dizziness, feeling of anxiety, visual distortions, symptoms of paralysis, desire to laugh. Home by bicycle.

18:00 - circa 20:00, Most severe crisis.

Forty years later in New York, the ‘80s are alive with the sound of disco. Predominantly black at first, the four on the floor beat of disco is soon enjoyed by people across the country. However something special happened when it reached Chicago.

Some argue that there was already a move away from disco (as it became tainted by imitators), others that advances in electronic production techniques sparked a change. Either way the simple, reverberating beat of disco evolved into something new: house.

The name is thought to have been taken from Chicago’s foremost house club, The Warehouse. With the addition of drum machines, off-beat hi-hat cymbals and synthesised basslines, the new genre shared many characteristics with disco, but it was more electronic and minimalistic; the repetitive rhythm of house became more important than the song itself.

The Chicago house scene exploded. The

ever-increasing use of synthesisers made for a more electronic, ‘squelchy’ sounding sub-genre: acid house. In 1987 Shoom, a new club situated in a former South London Fitness Centre opened its doors to a unsuspecting, audience.

“We thought there was a fire,” laughs DJ Terry Farley. “Lashings and lashings of smoke coming out. It was obviously dry ice or strawberry-flavoured smoke or whatever they did down there. But at the time, I just thought, “Oh my God, what the fuck is going on?’”

Shoom went on to change the way we experience music. Socially desperate times provoked rebellion and hatred towards the state, Shoom looked to provide a happy relief from ‘real’ life. Ever wondered where that grinning yellow face comes from? It’s here, “The Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Shoom Club”.

Shoom DJ Danny Rampling describes the feeling of the club. “It wasn’t a dark, moody club, it was a celebration of life.

Britain at the time was pretty bleak, the economic landscape was dire, it was very divided, Shoom was about a happy state of hedonism.”

Perhaps worth noting, those happy smiling faces, adopted as acid house’s unofficial logo, rather closely resembled pills…

Diligent attention to state policy was not top of the agenda for most 20-somethings during the late ‘80s, despite the divisive state of politics at the time. Instead free flowing drugs – acid and ecstasy – fuelled a house party that is arguably still going.

How can we blame the youth of yesterday for rebellion when the fast track to police attention was listening to a series of repetitive records with the intention of dancing? That’s right, Maggie was not a fan of dancing. With acid house banned from radio, television and retail outlets, the press seized a chance to ridicule the hedonistic ways of rave, suggesting that acid house parties practiced in occultism and unprotected sex – a scare tactic, just as HIV was becoming known to the Western world.

Photographer Gavin Watson recalls that the state was kept out of mind until it was unavoidable. “Politics became superfluous

Photo:s Gavin Watson

during rave. All of the bullshit that Thatcher was coming out with started to fall on deaf ears, because we were so wrapped up in the culture that we just didn’t have time to care about politics.”

But keeping it out of mind was not so easy. “Because a few people had the power to assemble thousands of young people with a phonecall, the government thought there was a political angle to it,” says DJ Andrew Weatherall. “There wasn’t.”

The lack of availability of legal club venues made it worse for the ravers; setting up in abandoned warehouses, they were literally waiting for the police to come and shut them down.

“Rave was more about unity,” explained Watson. “Because it was kind of this big, inclusive faceless mass and, unlike other scenes, there weren’t really any faces for society to grab on to and scapegoat, which was frustrating for the government and media at the time.

“I also feel like the social pressures that got people seeking a release from rave did a lot of good things. It helped to make the racial divide less of a divide and to break down the sexual taboos of gay and straight.

It brought everyone together.”

“I LIKE MUSIC THAT ATTEMPTS TO CREATE A KIND OF MOOD RATHER THAN SINGERS WHO ESSENTIALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR OWN PROBLEMS”

Although you’d be hard-pressed to find a house night in York with songs resembling the spiralling rhythms of Donna Summer et al, there is a definite trace from modern house back to its disco routes. Undoubtedly, the current evolution of house is trailing off, with people making the move back to disco, but it’s less the derivation in type of house, it’s more the sentiment behind the music that will last.

Joe Goddard puts it rather nicely, “I really don’t want to sound too cheesy but I believe that house can be a kind of secular spiritual experience when it’s done right. I like music that attempts to create that kind of mood rather than singers who essentially complain about their own problems.”

And 70 years and one month after Hofmann’s discovery, the idea of an experience of escapism if still appealing, though perhaps through music rather than drugs.

“It was a really transformational time,” says Farley. “People were telling me, ‘I’ve just made a record’ and you’d go ‘but you’re a postman. What do you mean you’ve made a record?’”

“The legacy of Shoom would be the fact that there was eventually a club in Swindon playing house music for kids who’ve never heard of Shoom, dressing like Shoomers.”

And that club in Swindon is free to play what it wants to pretty much anyone. Twenty years on, in an era of the iTunes playlist, it seems ridiculous to think we wouldn’t be allowed to play house or rock or any once conflicting genres of music in the same place. Shoom, and the rise of house, broke down those barriers once and for all.

“When politicians act like they’re morally outraged and ask questions in parliament, they get kudos by being seen to be ‘upholders of morals’. But the people that are breaking the morals, the youth cult, they also get kudos, because young people like to shock. Shock sells records and sells tickets to acid house parties,” explains Weatherall. “Youth culture is very symbiotic; the man and youth cult are two sides of the same coin, really.”

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

FIL Gangs of New York

Titanic

Django Unchained

Inception

The Great Gatsby

The Aviator Blood Diamond

Leonardo Dicaprio’s career-o-graph

2002

2006

2004

2012

2010

SMALL DREAMS TO BIG SCREENS At the new release of Star Trek: Into Darkness, Katie Molloy looks at other hit T.V. shows that have made it to the big screen.

ACTION

KIDS’ TV SHOWS Remember when kids’ TV was good? Some of these shows made it to the big screen, some with more success then others. You had the pleasure of multiple Muppet movies; with the most recent revival of the 1976 show starring Jason Segel, and receiving an Academy Award for the song ‘Man or Muppet’. 2001 gave your favourite ‘playtime pals’ a full-length feature in Recess: School’s

Top 5

Out, but this classic did not match the success of The Simpsons Movie. Of course, Disney was at the forefront of this industry, having adapted many of their characters to films.

Nickelodeon also gave some of their shows a fullfeature length opportunity, including multiple Fairly Odd Parents movies, Hey Arnold!: The Movie, and a big screen adaptation of The Wild Thornberrys.

Everyone loves those action moves. It is surprising how many action films are spin-offs from their TV equivalent. Mission: Impossible with its Tom Cruise edge-of-seat action and superbly-based plot twists, is based on the 1966 programme of the same name, with bigger collars and tighter trousers. Other action-packed features include The A-Team, with the 2010 remake starring

GUILTY PLEASURES

Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, while retaining that iconic theme tune.

Crime drama also works exceptionally well, with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx starring in the new Miami Vice. Continuing the tenuous theme of fast cars, Transformers has managed to drag out three movies from the show, starting with success but quickly passing its Optimus Prime.

Then there are those movies that we hate to love, but the TV shows were so good that we give them a chance.

The obvious choice here is Sex and the City, with two movies detailing the lives of our favourite four girls years after their smash hit show. It still has the glitz and glamour, but the characters are more mature.

For something not quite so girly, but just plain funny, you have the epic Bean.

Showcasing the socially awkward Rowan Atkinson getting himself into all sorts of bother, this is a great film if you need a quick lift from revision blues. Similarly hilarious are the movies spun from Ali G. Although clearly a different humour, they are truly excellent, displaying the side-splitting days of Sacha Baron Cohen, before his more serious acting ability was revealed.

Film Soundtracks With all the hype surrounding The Great Gatsby soundtrack, Katherine Hibberd examines other favourites

Pulp Fiction (1994)

E.T. (1982)

The Graduate (1964)

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Quentin Tarantino knows how to take peculiar and often unknown tracks, and mix them with classics to create something magical. Kool and the Gang, Dusty Springfield, and Al Green are accompanied by surf music, and snippets of Quentin Tarintino dialogue. These hand picked, tailored soundtracks perfectly recreate the violent, humorous style of the film.

Every time you hear the music, you are taken back to the image of E.T. in the basket of that flying bicycle. In fact, any soundtrack composed by the legend that is John Williams is sure to be a hit success. Examples of his immense talent include incredible soundtracks such as the majestic Harry Potter, the epic Star Wars, and the whip-cracking Indiana Jones.

Solely relying on the talents of Simon and Garfunkel, director Mike Nichols made a clever decision in waiting for the folk duo to finish their tour and compose the soundtrack. It also represents all the other single artist soundtracks that work so well.

‘Badly Drawn Boy’ in About A Boy (2002), ‘The Swell Season’ in Once (2007), and ‘Prince’ in Purple Rain (1984).

This is essentially a great indie mix tape, which manages to fuse the old and the new in a refreshing way. The songs cleverly adapt to the mood of Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character Tom. We are reminded how great The Smiths are during his dejected lovesick period, and then presented with some then-unknown favourites such as The Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’.

Howard Shore’s soundtrack is instantly recognisable and vividly toys with the emotions of the audience. As soon as you hear the tracks you are taken back to the movie. Everything is summed up in Frodo and Sam’s theme, ‘A Hobbit’s Understanding,’ which gets you every time, and it’s an excellent motivational soundtrack for the tough times in the library.

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT

REVIEWS

The Great Gatsby W

hen bringing a beloved book to the big screen a director faces three main pitfalls. Poor acting can tarnish treasured characters; Anne Hathaway in One Day for example boasting the most horrific attempt at a British accent to date. The plot can go awry, either by missing out chunks of the story, or the lesser-known mistake of being too faithful; the slow paced Da Vinci Code fell prey to this. Undoubtedly however the worst misstep of all is to lose the meaning of the story. While director Luhrmann’s latest adaption of The Great Gatsby looks and sounds great, Fitzerald’s message is lost in a haze of dazzling, and meaningless imagery.

The story begins with Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) reliving the events of his summer spent in West Egg to his physiatrist. The films narrative device is based on his written account, of how his depression and alcoholism, stemmed from a summer liv-

ing next door to the notorious Mr Gatsby.

Leonardo Dicaprio’s entrance is certainly ‘great’. Centre stage, he is lit up by a backdrop of fireworks, poised in a perfectly cut tuxedo, champagne in hand, with a handsome daredevil smile. For the first half an hour the use of explosive colour, costume, feathers, glitter and hip hop is very exciting. This feeling wears off however with the constant movement of the camera and hysterical energy resulting in an on-going headache. I think I speak for most when I say that Leo’s acting abilities are rarely disappointing and this is no exception. Although Luhrmann seems unsure about what the story is actually getting at, Dicaprio does the best with what he is given and captures the childlike desperation of Gatsby’s complex character.

The film only succeeds in moments w h e r e L u h r m a n n

steps back. Scenes between Gatsby and long lost love Daisy (Carey Mulligan) are both believable and endearing, and their awkward first encounter surrounded by macaroons is a refreshing dose of humour. The balance of romance and the unconventional that Luhrmann achieved in Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, would have been valuable in depicting Gatsby’s plight to win Daisy back.

What becomes evident is that Luhrmann hasn’t quite decided what story he wants to tell. Is it the story of one man’s plight to fit into the upper class society? A love story?

A story of power and politics? He gives all of them a go; leaving the audience confused as to what they were just watching. Without reading the book afterwards there is no way to decipher it.

Luhrmann has produced a film that Gatsby ironically would have made himself. Instead of Fitzgerald’s stance on the selfish hollow natured 1920’s upper class we are just given the shell. Focusing the audience’s attention on the overindulgent parties, the costume, the fireworks, the film applauds the Jay Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle. The film is 90% style and 10% substance, it embodies Gatsby’s character and none of Fitzgerald’s moral reasoning.

Katherine Hibberd

Star Trek Into Darkness

21 & Over

A Hijacking

B

2

I

y equal measures visually compelling , thrilling and very funny, Star Trek Into Darkness is also possessed with an air of the faintly clunky that, barring a classy opening, undermines a lot of the jeopardy.

These minor flaws arise from a script from Robert Orci that, although light and full of humour, has a whiff of predictability that removes a lot of the danger from proceedings. It’s difficult to engage when it never really seems the characters are truly in peril. That being said, when it boils down to it, those end up being relatively minor quibbles and there is far more to enjoy here than not.

The cast are all on great form and share an easy chemistry. Particular kudos to Chris Pine as Kirk who has more to do this time round and continues to make the role his own; and also to Zachary Quinto as a surprisingly comic, Sheldon Cooper-esque Spock.

Top marks, predictably, must go to Benedict Cumberbatch as the mysterious villain John Harrison who steals the show with a couple of great monologues. It’s a shame that he didn’t have more to do.

Elsewhere, Michael Giacchino continues to impress with a rousing score that undercuts the action perfectly, and the superlative visual effects from ILM gives the action a real dynamism and realism.

The producers bring a fresh spin on the beloved sci-fi franchise. However there is much here for the old school Trekkies, with plenty of fun references to the classic films, especially a tricky third act which reignites flames from a much earlier tale to enjoyable and surprising effect. Spot the Tribble.

All in all then, although the characters never really seem vulnerable, it’s nearly impossible not to be won over by the sheer razzle dazzle of it all.

Abrams snappy visual style, the fantastic special effects, endearing performances and the impressive action keep the film near the top of the blockbuster pile. Nice job.

Thomas Shutt

1 and Over is obviously an attempt by the writer/directors (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore) to repeat the success they had with the popular gross-out comedy franchise, The Hangover. Unfortunately it massively misses the mark.

Slightly estranged friends from high school, Miller and Casey, plan to surprise the third member of their old gang, Jeff Chong on the day of his 21st birthday, with a debauched night-out. Unfortunately he has an important med-school interview the next morning. Regardless, everyone gets dangerously drunk and they do a series of horrible things in a spectacularly unfunny way.

Simply put, this is The Hangover with students in it, but lacking the spark of the original.

A telling moment is when then heroes of our film have to make their way to the top floor of a party due to some forced narrative point. Thus, the bizarre conceit of a ’party-tower’ is introduced, in which to move up each floor, you have to win a drinking game; beer pong, downing contests, etc.

It is just clichés of student nightlife, unimaginatively strung together.

I felt myself anticipating each gag minutes before it was delivered as all the jokes are in the trailer. Seriously, just go onto Youtube now to see all the best parts; you’ll be saving 90 minutes of your life, and won’t be paying to see it and therefore encouraging the film studio to make a sequel, which would be a tragedy.

As it is sold as an irreverent and rowdy boys comedy, the overt sexism and undercurrent of homophobia in this film did not much surprise me. What really caught me off guard was the blatant racism that permeates the entire dialogue.

Every single character is racially profiled by the protagonists and then proceeds to perform to their blown-up stereotype.

As The Inbetweeners Movie proved, a good ‘lads-get-drunk’ gross-out comedy is entirely possible. Yet, 21 and Over fails. I cringed throughout the film, not because the humour was so daring, but because I could not believe someone thought it was a good idea to make this film.

Joshua Treacey

f one was to take anything away from ‘A Hijacking’ it’s that we have a lot to learn from the Danes when it comes to making thrillers, in fact, not just cheese with holes in. Tobias Lindholm writer of The Hunt and BBC 4’s popular Swedish drama Borgen, has a knack for producing original, taut, yet nail biting material. Utilising his talents for a cinematic debut, Lindholm directs a hostage thriller that refreshingly avoids Hollywood stereotypes and cliches, without compromising any of its nerve-racking tension.

Previously starring as a spin doctor in Borgen, Pilou Asbæk plays Mikkel Hartmann the cook on a cargo ship sailing in the Indian Ocean.

A deft move by Lindholm is made by not showing the audience the initial attack of the boat; the Somalian pirates are on board before we have time to react. With the demand of $15 million for the release of the seven hostages, a chess game of negotiation ensues between the CEO of the shipping company played by Søren Malling, and the Somalian translator Omar (Abdihakin Asgar).

With the continual switch of settings between the glossy offices of Copenhagen, and the grimy conditions of the captives, Lindholm begins to subtly highlight the clashes between culture and class. He cleverly shoots the film in a documentary type fashion, and drags out the hostage’s captivity for four painful months. This results in scenes that somehow seem more dismal and poignant than in other thrillers. In one instance Asbæk is made to slaughter a goat to feed the pirates. The sheer unfamiliarity and brute violence of this act, combined with his ever-present fear, causes him to breakdown.

There are no over the top clichéd blockbuster narratives, heroics or explosions, in fact it is so accurate in fact that corporations have been shown the film to learn how to react in a similar real life situation. The success of the film is through the taut build up of scenes that are so unaffected to the point where, you yourself begin to feel you’ve also been held captive. A total masterpiece.

Katherine Hibberd

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From terminal cancer in video games to immersive theatre, TOM D

F

or a man with a noted tendency towards bold proclamations, US President Barack Obama’s latest statement’s regarding the problem of an “empathy deficit” in modern America is perhaps his most brazen. A subjective claim no doubt, and more likely than not a simple piece of partisan rhetoric attempting to characterise the divide between left and right as a titanic battle between the forces of good and evil, but it strangely hits home. In one cleverly chosen buzz phrase Obama encapsulates an unspoken fear amongst human beings today: that we really are becoming progressively more horrid as a species, whether that is a perceived decline in people helping old ladies with their shopping or the increasing levels of death and destruction human beings can now inflict upon one another, it may be said to be a natural reaction of all people at any time in history, but it is certainly a notion that sticks.

A tad ironically, you don’t have to go far with this Empathy Deficit strand of logic before you end up deep in some very conservative territory. The blame for a lot of the issues facing our modern society almost inevitably end up at the door of the rapid improvements in technology over the past twenty or thirty years. Modern gadgetry has been collared for everything from desensitising us to violence, making our men fat, lazy and childlike whilst at the same time also turn-

ing our women into vacuous, selfobsessives with anorexia.

However, of all media platforms, none have got quite so much flak as video gaming. Although film, music, and television haven’t been without their share of controversy, it is video games that have by far borne the brunt of the ire of the “think of the children” school of campaign groups and activists.

Indeed it is has almost now become a conventionally held view of the “it stands to reason” or “my old man always said” amongst anyone over the age of, say, forty that video games are the major catalyst of our society’s irrevocable slide towards cyber punk, bloodthirsty technoanarchy à la Bladerunner.

forefront of a new movement of empathetic video games which seek to give the player an understanding of issues like depression, suicide, and as previously mentioned, cancer. In this video gaming has carried on a proud tradition from fiction and art of what it feels like to exist in the margins, and with video games as arguably our most interactive and immersive medium, the results could in theory be the most realistic and accurate attempt at giving people an insight into these worlds.

Not exactly light gaming then, but to think of these projects as conventional “games” as such wouldn’t be entirely fair to the intentions of the developers. Projects like That Dragon, Cancer and Depres-

Can you really know what it’s like to inhabit the shoes of a depressive, or a father of a child with cancer?

So what will Jack Thompson, prominent American anti-gaming activist and the rest of the anti-video games mob make of the work being done by video game developers Ryan Green and Josh Larson and their project, That Dragon, Cancer?

The game depicts the emotional and harrowing journey of a father dealing with his son’s terminal cancer, based on Green’s experiences with his four year old son Joel.

That Dragon, Cancer is at the

sion Quest are not meant to be fun or enjoyable experiences, and they certainly don’t pull their punches by lightening the mood for the player. These “games” are perhaps best described by their fast growing moniker of “other people simulators.” They aim to represent for you as accurately as they can what it’s like to be another person, whose plight from an outside perspective would otherwise be virtually impossible to totally understand. It’s commonly heard that to empathise with others you have to imagine what it would be like to “walk a mile in their shoes”. But can you really know it’s like to inhabit the shoes of a depressive, or a father of a child with cancer? Do we, who have never experienced such a thing, have the capacity to visualize the gravity of their plight? Games like these may be our best shot.

Although That Dragon, Cancer has yet to be released to the public, in research for this article I spent several hours playing Depression Quest, a free online game in the vein of a “choose your own adventure” book. Before you begin, the game offers you the option of paying a voluntary sum to play it, but the game doesn’t force this upon you, holding true to its position as both an educational game and a charitable project.

The game does well to highlight the seeming impossibility of escape from the cycle of depression. For every situation it poses you it taunts you with the clear “right” answer putting a thick red line through it, showing you that in your depres-

sive state you are incapable of doing the rational thing, with each choice you are given seeming equally risky and destructive. The game is hard, but it is possible to succeed and change the player character’s life for the better, showing that no matter how dark depression may be, there is always hope.

Depression Quest is a beautifully written, immersive game which really does its best to transport you into the mind of a depressive; the feelings of disconnection, despair and dysfunction are portrayed vividly and powerfully throughout the game’s various scenarios. It’s also incredibly clever, adapting to your previous actions and taking you on a real feeling of a journey with the player. For example at one point the game posed me the choice of adopting a kitten from a co-worker. This posed me with a conundrum. On the one hand, I reasoned adopting the kitten would help the character, with the game hinting it might make him a little less lonely around the apartment, but also suggesting that the kitten might prove a lot of responsibility to take care of, could my character cope with accidentally killing his kitten, Lenny Small style.

Ultimately I opted to keep the kitten, which in a charming passage then promptly went to sleep at the end of the player character’s bed. But what was perhaps most clever was that it was then written

into the rest of the game, frequently referenced in later situations, and managing to raise a wry smile from me every time it was mentioned, which is massively to the game’s credit.

As for That Dragon, Cancer although the game has not released any sort of playable content to the public, a demo has been released to major figures within the industry and content shown at the Games Developers Conference this year.

Hardcore Games Developer Brian Ramage was reportedly moved to tears after five minutes playing the demo, which is set in a hospital intensive care unit as the father tries to comfort his child, who is in considerable pain.

One of the constant t is the game’s hopefu ceaseless optimis The demo had elicited such a powerful reaction from those who have played it that the Internet is now seemingly awash with hardened game critics singing its praises and telling of the emotion they felt playing it.

One of the constant themes they mention is the game’s hopeful message, and the ceaseless optimism of its creators. Despite the persistently grim nature of the demo the con-

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DAVIES and KARL TOMUSK investigate the rise of empathetic art the fear of being whisked away into a room of blood-covered men in the middle of an orgy, and the sense of pity from an actor personally grieving on an audience member’s shoulder, the performance brings out an entire spectrum of feelings.

Other reviewers complained about feeling anxious over missing a vital clue or a part of the plot. But isn’t that point? Aren’t we, as humans, often anxious about missed opportunities and regrets? Isn’t that exactly what the people in the story would be feeling?

HitRecord, announced plans for a crowd sourced television project.

The programme, tentatively scheduled for production in August, is a variety series that showcases the work of everyone who contributes.

And everyone can contribute. On the HitRecord homepage (www. hitrecord.org) you’re greeted by the all too familiar friendly face of what seemed like every big budget movie of 2012 with the bold invitation, “Wanna work with us?” Anyone can submit their ideas, whether it’s a short film, a song, a poem,

Good art is supposed to not just be something you enjoy at the time, but should stick with you and in some way enrich you as a person

A screenshot from That Dragon, Cancer sistent theme that runs throughout is that despite all of his many trials Joel Green is still alive. At first glance, this may seem difficult to appreciate as a truly uplifting message, but as several commentators have acknowledged, on reflection it becomes apparent what the developers mean. When confronted by something so unbelievably dark as terminal cancer, the real victory is not “winning”, because you can’t; winning is not losing, winning is that he is still alive, and that gives you hope, hope that he keeps on carrying on.

In doing this one simple thing, Ryan Green and the rest of the That Dragon, Cancer development team have created an incredibly pro-

themes they mention ul message, and the sm of its creators. found new format, a game which you cannot win, but which has within it more hope than any one of its Triple-A mainstream competitors.

Of course, the story doesn’t stop at video games. Empathy and audience participation are becoming increasingly prevalent in other media, from theatre to television.

More than ever, artists are using the public to create projects that are

meant to be experienced, to be felt.

UK theatre company Punchdrunk are leading the way in what they call “a game changing form of immersive theatre.” Their shows combine classic narratives with enormous sets and audience participation to create a performance that both tells a story and forces the viewer to, as their description aptly puts it, immerse themselves in their surroundings.

The most recent production, Sleep No More, is a perfect example of what they do. The play is something of an amalgamation of Shakespeare and Hitchcock, putting a disquieting psychological spin on the classic tragedy of Macbeth. It’s currently performed in a warehouse in New York that has been remodeled as a hotel, and everyone from the actors to the participants are given free reign over the set.

Sleep No More is a three-hour performance during which the audience, their identities hidden behind masks, can do what they want.

They are allowed to follow actors around, search the house for whatever subplot, clue, or orgy might be lying behind whichever door, or they might even get pulled into the story by a character looking for help.

Reading through people’s experiences of the show, it was clear that while everyone, understandably, had different reactions, they were all very emotional. Between

Plays like the ones Punchdrunk put on are prime examples of the power of firsthand experiences.

Although they are by no means a substitute for conventional storytelling or filmmaking, they—like That Dragon, Cancer—open up new possibilities for both going through and witnessing events that we would otherwise only be aware of on a superficial level. They also let us experience fundamental human emotions much more strongly than any passive night at the opera.

Recently, actor Joseph GordonLevitt, on a break from starring in every possible Hollywood blockbuster, has applied this inclusive approach to the actual creation of art.

In March, his production company,

anything. Contributors are also allowed, encouraged even, to take other people’s work and put their own finishing touches on them.

At its heart, it’s a massive artistic playground.

The TV show hopes to bring out the best in everyone and create collaborative projects that reflect the ideas and feelings of anyone who wants to be heard.

The outcome could be spectacular: music written by a 15 year-old kid in the Yukon and a 67 year-old grandmother somewhere in the Persian Gulf could potentially be broadcast to the world. People who would otherwise never interact could have the opportunity to work and learn from each other; all the

while having their artwork see the light of day. Gordon-Levitt could help people from all walks of life come together on a creative level and produce something that reflects the many facets of humanity.

At least that’s the hope and the goal here. We’ll have to wait and see how it pans out, but the intention itself raises an important point.

There are people out there who are actively working to create an artistic medium that isn’t controlled by the same bureaucrats that cancelled Firefly but by the efforts of those who want to participate in a global project. The end goal is a better understanding of how we as a species, as a society, and as a world think and feel.

Good art is supposed to not just be something you enjoy at the time, but should stick with you and in some way enrich you as a person; it should change the way you think, make you re-evaluate yourself, and change your life for the better. Games like Depression Quest and That Dragon, Cancer certainly seem to do that.

Their task is to give the player a new perspective, new understanding. Meanwhile, immersive and inclusive projects such as Sleep No More and HitRecord give us the opportunity to interact with people and situations that we otherwise would never experience. In all this, we are given the opportunity to develop both our understanding of our own feelings, and our empathy for others. If, as Carl Sagan suggests, “understanding is joyous”, by that token, so must be the rise in empathetic art.

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TELEVISION THUNDERBIRDS ARE A NO-GO? F

Everyone’s childhood favourite is back. ANGUS QUINN investigates...

ive, four, three, two, one – a countdown that to many heralded the beginning of a 50-minute whirlwind adventure with the Tracey family, known to the world as International Rescue. With their incredible machines, the Thunderbirds raced across the world to rescue people from disasters, as well as the most inept terrorist in history, The Hood. The programme covered various exotic locales, and was without question the most exciting show of its day, blending science fiction with espionage for an electrifying combination. Thunderbirds was a huge success in the 1960s, and has become iconic, entertaining children ever since.

For such a clear success, it is surprising that only now in 2013 has a television revival been announced. Though Gerry Anderson created other shows, notably Stingray and Captain Scarlet, Thunderbirds was unquestionably the most success-

ful, spawning two feature films and becoming a national institution. Thunderbirds’ infamous revival as a film in 2004 was critically mauled and the only positive was the theme song provided by Busted, which may perhaps explain why a television revival has been so long in coming.

The new show, provisionally titled Thunderbirds Are Go! will combine live-action model sets and CGI, not entirely dissimilar to the 2005 revival of Captain Scarlet, which although initially well received, failed to capitalize upon the warm critical response and achieve longevity.

The problem with reviving something like Thunderbirds is that there is no way to escape comparisons to the original, which may prove unfair. Although the original is undoubtedly entertaining television,

there were flaws, perhaps most glaringly that the characters could not actually walk on screen convincingly. The plot too was formulaic, the setting might change and the nature of the disaster varied, but at some point there would be an almighty explosion and innocent people would be placed in danger.

That is not to say that the original is not a fantastic piece of children’s television, even today, but because Thunderbirds remains such an iconic programme, the revival will be naturally disadvantaged in comparison. Many will take issue with the omission of puppetry, for many the central charm of the programme, but in fact, in 2013 the use of CGI can only be to a benefit to Thunderbirds Are Go! The original puppets were charming, but in the 21st

Century, realism is needed. If you compare the revived series of Doctor Who with the original series, special effects have improved the series massively.

The revived series of Captain Scarlet, although a commercial failure, was a slick and high value reproduction of the original, adopting enough of its back story to be familiar, while striking out on a new path with introduction of new characters and greater development of that programme’s terrifying archenemy, the Mysterons.

Unfortunately Thunderbirds is better known than Captain Scarlet ever was, and its fans will likely not respond well to the changes being made to it.

Thunderbirds Are Go! has a huge task to pull off in appeasing fans, whilst making the format relevant for the 21st Century viewer, but unfortunately this might be the first mission that International Rescue cannot complete.

KILLING IN THE NAME OF

S

SWEET! HBO’s Fantasy hit continues to impress the nation with sex, swords, and fights for the throne.

Alan is still searching for his apprentice, and we’re dying to see which yuppie will grab the title.

Doctor Who remains a timeless (ha) classic, and the Doctor and Clara are a pleasing pairing.

TOM DAVIES dissects TV’s new ‘sympathetic’ serial killers...

erial killers are, all things considered, perhaps not the most popular group in our society. It is considered that the brutal murder of your fellow man is not a particularly acceptable hobby when compared to, say, ten pin bowling.

TV has reflected this generally held view until very recently. Serial killers were universally portrayed as, well, bad.

Unredeemable, psychotic, inhuman individuals with whom not a shred of sympathy is given nor a tear shed over. Then something rather strange happened.

First of all we had Showtime’s Dexter, a show which portrayed what is maybe the world’s first sympathetic serial killer, a Miami blood splatter expert (because sometimes psychopaths’ career choices are just painfully obvious) trained by his adoptive father to channel his sociopathic tendencies into the butchery of fellow murderers. Although Dexter is clearly portrayed through his internal monologues as a cold, dead, psychotically murderous wack-a-loon who feels completely alien in human society, viewers are encouraged

to empathise with him. Indeed it all comes to a rather strange realization when you discover you have been actively rooting for Dexter the whole time, gleefully encouraging him as he dismembers the body of a recently deceased drug lord with a circular saw, and worrying for him when he looks close to capture.

This really comes to its head with the character of Sgt. James Doakes. An essentially hard working and committed, if a little overly serious, police detective who works with Dexter and suspects something may be up with the quiet, aloof fellow with an unhealthy obsession with pools of human blood.

The problem? The show seems to constantly encourage you to think Doakes is a massive arsehole. Why? Because he’s consistently mean to Dexter, who he assumes, CORRECT-

LY, to be completely bat-shit. So what does Doakes get in the end for all his trouble? He gets incinerated and framed for Dexter’s murders.

Next came Hannibal, featuring everyone’s favourite Lithuanian Cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Now Lecter’s certain sort of appeal started as early as the film The Silence of the Lambs, where Anthony Hopkins’ particular suave charm did something to endear the viewer ever so slightly to the character in a dark sort of way.

Hannibal is now portrayed by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, joined by Will Graham as his psychiatrist and advisor as they proceed together with Morpheus from The Matrix to solve murders. Aside from his enormously gauche Windsor tie knots, Mikkelsen’s Hannibal is cool as you like: s u ave,

sophisticated and generally a pretty helpful associate of Graham, who in this rendition is portrayed as an unstable, borderline autistic crack pot, who lives with an army of stray dogs.

For this reason and because he, like Dexter, nominally works for the good guys, it is often easy to forget that he recreationally eats other people’s lungs in a hollandaise sauce.

There is ultimately an interesting moral question for whether it is healthy for television shows to wilfully encourage their viewers to be positively disposed towards famous TV sociopaths. But frankly, I’m not sure whether I particularly care; both of these are fantastic shows, bringing new depth to a character type which was previously a one dimensional bogeyman. After all, isn’t the most interesting thing about psychopaths that, ultimately, under all the disorder, they are still members of our species, maintaining a day to day façade of relative normality.

They are often not cartoonish monsters, but innocuously walk among us.

Sleep tight York.

Made in Chelsea is getting drier with every episode, and the new characters are yawn inducing.

Who knew melodrama could become so boring? We didn’t until we watched Revenge recently...

Sweat the Small Stuff is potentially the most pointless panel show out there. Stick to radio, Grimmy.

SOUR...

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TWEET US: @YORKVISIONTV

FANGTASTIC FEMME FATALES

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and TRUE BLOOD’s leading ladies go head to head...

1. (To a vampire): “I would say drop dead but...”

2. Being a doppleganger is pretty underwhelming, simply attracting supernatural nasties into her life and putting her in danger.

3. Elena may be loyal, but her friendship is hazardous: her best friend did get turned into a vampire because she was close to her.

4. Pretending to be an emotionally insecure original vampire’s friend only to stake them in the back.

5. Everyone being in love with her. She can’t be the only eligible bachelorette in Mystic Falls. (WIN)

Elena Gilbert, The Vampire Diaries’ Petrova doppleganger-in-distress.

1. Best quote?

2. Best supernatural power?

3. Best heroine to know?

4. Best heroine moment?

5. most frustrating heroine trait?

1. (On ability to use a gun): “I ain’t that blonde!” (WIN) 2. The ability to summon energy waves from your hands is useful, especially when you have many supernatural enemies. (WIN) 3. Sookie too is loyal but she also actually has time for her friends’ problems, and isn’t afraid to tell it straight. (WIN) 4. Battering a couple of blood-draining crazy hillbillies with some silver chains. (WIN) 5. Getting with a crazy vampire when she wanted to get out of the supernatural world.

Sookie Stackhouse easily wins 4-1. Since the pilot of True Blood Sookie has been leagues ahead of Elena. Sookie’s strong-willed and has held her own against Vampires and Werewolves without any super-strength, something Elena has fallen short on.

Sookie Stackhouse, True Blood’s seductive southern telepath.

VISION’S TV PREVIEWS

KARL TOMUSK and ANGUS QUINN preview some new TV to look forward to...

THE WHITE QUEEN

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

HART OF DIXIE

Period dramas are dominating the schedules at the moment, and while we might all be getting a bit tired of harking back to days past, BBC One has what looks to be a true quality production in the adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen. Set against the backdrop of the War of the Roses, The White Queen is set to follow the lives of the leading women of the Houses of York and Lancaster.

Spearheaded by Rebecca Ferguson as Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen will deal with some of the most infamous moments in the War of the Roses, including confronting the fate of the Princes of the Tower. Taking successful elements from The Tudors including an enticing ensemble cast, and the well-honed skills of BBC Period Drama production, The White Queen will undoubtedly be one of the must-watch shows of the summer.

Six years, countless fan protests and a slew of Internet petitions later, the Bluths are back for their long awaited fourth season. Despite receiving universal praise from viewers, critics, and even the Emmys, Arrested Development was cancelled after only three seasons due to low ratings. Those who did watch it, though, were nothing short of amazed by how different and funny it was. It truly was one of the few sitcoms anyone dared to call unique, successfully making us laugh at characters we neither sympathised with nor actually really liked. Season four reintroduces us to the Bluths, led by Michael (Jason Bateman), his father George (Jeffrey Tambor), and his mother Lucille (Jessica Walter), as they do everything in their power to squeeze money out of each other and prove that they are still the funniest TV family in recent memory.

Hart of Dixie stars Rachel Bilson as Doctor Zoe Hart, a New Yorker whose dreams of being a heart surgeon fell apart, leading her to accept a job offer as GP in a small southern doctor’s practice. The show balances its medical and romantic elements with ease, switching seamlessly between Zoe dealing with a pregnant teenager, and her tumultuous love-life, torn between bad boy bartender Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel) and a golden boy lawyer George Tucker (Scott Porter). Completing the picture is the deliciously bitchy Lemon Breeland, played masterfully by Jaime King. The contrast between King’s practical, traditional southern belle, and Bilson’s designer shoe sporting modern woman make for an entertaining double act. Hart of Dixie is perfect summer viewing – light, carefree and comedic. What more could you want?

BBC One, Series 1, this summer

Netflix, Season 4, 26th May

Really, Season 2, 3 June, 8pm

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BOOKS WHAT’S ON MY Kindle...

TOM DAVIES PAPER VIEW

A.A Gill This is the very best of his Sunday Times TV reviews. Gill’s phrasing and analogies have got me a lot of confused looks on the train, when I suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.

REVIEW: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

O

ne of the things I cannot stand is mandatory reading, which is why I was originally apathetic towards The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

It was all part of my English teacher’s ‘brilliant idea’ to start a lunchtime book club which was compulsory for all A Level English students. The Book Thief was the first book we were given to read.

The story is set in Nazi Germany and tells the tale of young Liesel, an inquisitive but initially illiterate girl who, after being sent to live with Hans Hubermann and his wife Rosa, slowly discovers the joys of reading. In a society where Hitler’s totalitarianism eventually leads to book burnings, she goes to great lengths to obtain the knowledge she seeks.

Now, The Book Thief is not just some story about a young g i r l ’ s desire to read, Zusak’s narrative is underpinned with commentary on humanity. He achieves this by presenting the narrative though the eyes of

Death. Yes, Death himself.

Death is brought to life in an era where he thrived. His wit and empathy create a poignant character, who muses about our greatest qualities and deepest flaws as humans. As we traverse time and Liesel’s world changes, her family faces increasing danger from the society they live in.

Relationships flourish and grow; but Death’s omnipresent voice reminds you that he is never far away. Despite being personally dubious of fiction set during history, I found this novel captivating from start to end.

This book kept me on the verge of insomnia with each turn of the page taking you one step closer to triumph or heartache. Indeed, there were more tears than I’d care

to admit to. Granted, the first chapter feels slow, but persevere because the challenging subject matter is definitely worth the stolen hours of sleep.

Grace Jamieson

REVIEW: So You Think You’re a Hipster? by Kara Simsek JINGO

Terry Pratchett I’m an avid Discworld fan, and this one is probably my favourite. I’ve read it about ten times but it just never seems to get old.

A great story, it is also devilishly satirical at the same time.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS

Hunter S. Thompson This shouldn’t really need any explanation.

The late Thompson was a genius, poet, and hero. I’d never go far without his magnum opus close at hand. A fantastic read!

T

he word ‘hipster’, as it is meant today, describes a subculture of the young and urban middle-class, ranging from their late teens to early twenties. This class of people enjoy the non-mainstream, the indie, the subversive way of life.

The term ‘hipster’ today has become a blanket word for many different groups, though it is thought to have originated as an expression in the 1940s jazz age as a derivative from being ‘hip’.

Depending on which circles you mix in, being a hipster may be seen as something to be proud of or as a derogatory jibe.

The stereotypical characteristics of being a hipster was famously detailed in the extremely catchy The Dickhead

Song by Youtube user kinginamoy86, the lyrics of which detail the frequent usage of

Instagram, warehouse raves and being an unemployed graphic designer.

There are so many explanations of specific types of hipster in So You Think You’re A Hipster? that it is surprising to see that there are very little overlapping features. The descriptions are clear-cut, the case studies varying from diary-like entries in first-person to a David Attenborough-style commentary observing a hipster in its natural habitat from afar.

Punctuated between hipster narratives, Simsek writes about other controversial aspects of life as a hipster, for example the raging debate between beard versus moustache, work-safe tattoos and pets as accessories.

My reactions to So You

Think You’re A Hipster? ranged from being somewhat amused at recognising portrayed characteristics of my friends (rockabilly, cupcake baker, Goth Lolita) to being somewhat surprised to find out that, under Simsek’s definition, I am also a hipster.

By having artsy interests and actively not listening to the awful music climbing the Top 40 charts, I am apparently living the hipster way of life.

I should be offended but it has been said on many occasions.

With 50 individual classifications of ‘hipster’ with full colour illustrations by Paul Parker in Simsek’s whistle-stop tour through this moustached subculture, you might not be so shocked to find out that you’re a hipster too.

Morenike Adebayo

Library Seats @LibrarySeats

I have some terrible news...Large teas are no longer available in the cafe.

BOOKS’ TWEETS OF THE WEEK @yorkvisionbooks

PicturelessPinterest @PicturelessPins

Add wallpaper to a bookcase and BOOM! new bookcase.

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MUSIC FILM FEATURE TV BOOKS TECH STAGE SPOTLIGHT Got something to say?

TWEET US: @YORKVISIONBOOKS EMAIL US: books@yorkvision.co.uk

The Anti-Gatsby Antidote Author, journalist, and broadcaster, Sebastian Faulks has had a prolific writing career. Here Vision takes a look at some of his highlights!

1993: Birdsong Set in France during World War I, Birdsong was a critical and commercial success, showing up on ‘Best of ’ lists to this day.

2005: Human Traces Faulks’ foray into 19th century an Austrian asylum is an ambitious look at human psychology and history.

2009: A Week in December

Set in 2007, this is a poignant depiction of modern London life told through the eyes of a myriad of characters.

2013: Jeeves and the Wedding Bells Following his successful revival of Ian Fleming’s James Bond, Faulks is set to write a follow-up to PG Wodehouse’s classics.

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he long-awaited Baz Luhrmann film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel has brought a resurgence of all things Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s novel is undoubtedly a literary classic, with the Modern Library naming it the second best English language novel of the 20th Century, behind only Ulysses.

Arguably more accessible than Joyce’s masterpiece, it is no wonder that The Great Gatsby remains an integral part of popular literary culture.

Although The Great Gatsby is often considered to be Fitzgerald’s magnum opus, Jesse Kornbluth recently coined the ‘anti-Gatsby’ in an attempt to defy the “media storm” surrounding the film release. Kornbluth argues that the anti-Gatsby takes its form in another of Fitzgerald’s novels, The Last Tycoon. Fitzgerald’s last novel was unfinished and published posthumously in 1941 after extensive editing by literary critic and Fitzgerald’s close friend Edmund Wilson.

Kornbluth argues that although The Last Tycoon is “almost equal” to Gatsby, its triumph comes in the form of the main protagonist, Monroe Stahr, who stands as the anti-Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a romantic; Stahr, based on Irving

Thalberg, head of production at Metro-GoldwynMayer during the 1920s and 1930s, is a realist. Whilst Gatsby is the personification of Hollywood, from his life to his death in all its melodrama and extravagance, Stahr is the anti-glamour of Hollywood, the working genius consumed by his dedication to work.

The Last Tycoon, it seems, is Gatsby grown up.

The issues Stahr is faced with parallel those of Gatsby but override them in severity. Both protagonists lose women but Stahr’s is his wife who dies. Similarly, both meet new women but whilst Gatsby becomes obsessed, Stahr recognises the importance of persevering with other challenges in his life.

Kornbluth’s argument of The Last Tycoon as the anti-Gatsby does work. However, where he goes as far to say that Stahr is “a more satisfying creation than Jay Gatsby”, I feel satisfaction is a difficult concept. A better way to approach the Gatsby hype is to accept that it is a fantastic novel but also to recognise Fitzgerald’s other equally great works.

Oona Venermo

light-hearted relief WITH THE STRESS OF EXAMS MOUNTING, VISION PICKS YOU FIVE LIGHT-HEARTED READS.....

The Old Man and the Sea

Breakfast of Champions

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Complete Prose

Anger Management for Beginners

This is a beautifully written book by the great Ernest Hemingway about an old Cuban fisherman and his battle with a great Marlin. Yet it is about much more than an old man and the sea, and provides a gripping read. A book every man should read to teach us how to be a man, this will undoubtedly help to relieve all the stresses of the busy exam period.

Sarcastic, sidesplittingly hilarious, and overly honest, Kurt Vonnegut pulls no punches in his thoughtful exploration of America. Breakfast of Champions will have you laughing through your procrastination, reminding you that no matter how cynical you might be, there will always be someone even more so. A great reminder when you’re stuck in the library

Told in the style of a series of vignettes, Me Talk Pretty One Day is the fascinating, sometimes unbelievable, story of the drug-addled artistic youth of David Sedaris. Each episode is short enough to fill a reasonable break from revision and so far removed from your everyday life as to provide a wonderful escape. A must read for stressed out artistic types.

Woody Allen’s short stories and plays are perfect for a quick study break that may or may not stretch out for a few hours.

When you want a bit of classic self-deprecation, but can’t justify watching Manhattan or Annie Hall, because watching films would be admitting procrastinatory defeat, Allen’s writing will tide you over and wipe all your worries away.

Here infamous food critic and author Giles Coren takes us on a whimsical journey of every little thing that sends rage through his body. From sex to vegetarians to everything in between, no stone is left unturned.

Be warned fans of the Harry Potter series, his wrath knows no bounds as he decimates JK Rowling. You’ll be managing your anger in no time.

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Technology

Top tech tweet of the week:

12 May Joaquin Muro @joaquinmuro YouTube launches pilot program for subscription-based paid channels.

Budget Blowers: Smartphones on a Shoestring T

here are many reasons to want a budget smartphone. Maybe you want a back-up phone, because you don’t trust yourself with a top of the range blower when you’re skanking hard in the club.

Perhaps you lost your previous phone and need something to tie you over until your next upgrade. Or maybe you’re just so edgy that you eschew mainstream technology, but don’t want to sacrifice uploading foggy pictures of your food to Instagram.

Whatever your motivation, panic not, the Vision Tech crew is here to point you in the right direction.

There are a number of manufacturers trying to corner the lower end of the smartphone market. Although the majority of them are cheap pieces of hardware running old versions of android, there are a few proverbial diamonds in the rough. Here are the top three.

3 In third place is the best of the lowend, big-brand androids. Whilst HTC are hell-bent on stealing the top spot of the market with their gorgeous new HTC One, they’re also in with a good shout at the bottom end.

With a two digit price tag, this is undoubtedly The HTC Desire X is a sizeable piece of that has the specs of a mid-range the champion kit phone. Packing a 1GB dual-core processor, it’s perfect for letting you check your e-mails whilst blasting some tunes through the Beats-enhanced audio output. The camera is not bad either. You don’t get HD video, but the five megapixel camera is plenty enough for producing a collage of various selfies.

A final plus is the wonderful HTC Sense user interface. It’s the same interpretation of the android OS that runs at the top of the company’s range, and it runs smoothly on the four-inch screen, despite the diminished firepower. The only hitch is that it’s in the upper echelons of our price range, coming in at around £170.

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What is 3D Printing?

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very now and then, something truly game-changing becomes widely available, causing an industry to take a huge leap forward. For the manufacturing industry, this new-fangled wizardry comes in the form of 3D printing.

Think of the traditional methods of production: carving, lathing, sculpting and so on. They’re all subtractive processes. You start with a load of material and you take stuff off it until you arrive at what you want. Doesn’t that seem fundamentally wasteful? Yes? Glad you agree.

The inventors of 3D printing agree too. They wanted to design something that could create an additive process of manufacturing, something that added

material as it built, and only added what was needed. The solution was to produce a machine that laid successive layers of material in the shapes required.

So, what can you actually make with this technology? Well, the most common application is in prototype construction: everything from models of the Eiffel Tower to working wrenches. But that is just the start of what this technology could do. In recent days, there have been some

You’ll probably even be able to 3D print your own 3D printer!

2 If you’re looking for something even cheaper, take a look at the upcoming Asian phone manufacturer, Huawei.

Their entry level mobile is set to be very competitive thanks to its incredible price tag and none too shabby features.

strong opinions voiced over the production of a working, 3D printed-gun by a defense corporation in Texas.

The weapon is made almost entirely of plastic and, given that a top quality 3D printer only costs around £5k, the worry was that anyone could start manufacturing the guns without proper regulation. Despite all the hype generated by the US government taking the plans offline (but only after they’d been downloaded 100,000 times!) the ‘gun’ was never a serious threat to anyone’s safety as it had none of the refined features that make a gun dangerous.

Despite the risks, it’s far more useful to focus on the potential benefits of this new technology, which could be massive,

The Ascend G300 runs the same version of Android as many of the top phones, and with sleek looks and a metallic chassis to match, you’ll struggle to tell that it’s not one of them. Much like HTC’s offering, the four-inch screen is decent, and the five megapixel camera will do the job, however the G300 will set you back £70 less as you can pick one up for £100. Handy.

1 Despite putting in a great piece of hardware at an even better price, the Ascend still doesn’t take the top spot.

This accolade easily goes to Nokia’s latest low-end Lumia. Running the classy Windows Phone 8 operating system, the 520 brings the quirkiness of the rest of the Lumia range to the lowend market.

With interchangeable covers of various colours and even shapes, you can make this bad boy look as controversial as you want.And that’s not the only thing that makes it stand out from the rest of the ‘landfill androids’. The snapper really is very impressive for a phone in this price range. It’s got the same five megapixel specs as the other two options, but thanks to Nokia’s determination to develop quality cameras, the images are of a much better quality.

Finally, you get the funky live tiles of Windows Phone 8, and the people centred approach that androids really lack. With a two digit price tag, this is undoubtedly the champion of the budget blowers.

Mike Dunnett-Stone

rather than the negligible downsides.

Soon the range of materials available for production will stretch well beyond plastic, and you’ll be able to do such useful things, such as 3D printing your own 3D printer! And then what? The possibilities are practically endless. Imagine the day when, rather than going to a shop, you can just manufacture the product yourself, in your own home. Nice.

Mike Dunnett-Stone

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Stage give you some surprising theatrical profiles of a selection of the most famous stars in the cinematic and television industries, all of whom owe their fame and success to the stage.

DAME JUDI DENCH

LEGENDS IN THE limelight By Kathy Burke

Whether you know her as M in the latest James Bond films, or as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it can certainly be agreed that Dench is one of the most influential British actresses o f all time. She has earned this status with a career spanning over four decades, a career a young Dench accidentally fell into. Her journey started on the stage here in York, as a young actress in York Mystery Plays playing the Virgin Mary in 1957. After this Dench had contracts with a number of prestigious theatre companies, including Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Almost fifty years since her debut on stage, Dench has returned with her latest show Peter and Alice, currently on in London.

HUGH JACKMAN

By Rose Maxwell It will perhaps come as no surprise to fans of Les Misérables that Hugh Jackman’s early career was firmly rooted in musical theatre. For those who know him better as Van Helsing and Wolverine, the image of a chapwearing, all singing, all dancing Jackman belting out ‘Oh What A Beautiful Morning’ may be a little harder to imagine. With Jackman’s early roles in the theatres of Melbourne, he later received wide critical acclaim and soon became a fixture on the big screen. He has returned to Broadway several times since then, most notably in the highly acclaimed2003 production of The Boy From Oz, for which he won a Tony Award.

DAVID TENNANT

By Sarah Cattle Although undoubtedly best known as TV’s tenth Doctor Who, it appears David Tennant is a jack of many dramatic trades. After studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Tennant’s stage debut was in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Tennant made his marked transition over to TV in Takin’ Over the Asylum in 1994, and continued to star in televised series of Casanova and Blackpool throughout the following decades. He became an established stage actor at the RSC, starting off with his role in As You Like It, moving on to star as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. Despite his successes in television and film, Tennant describes the stage as his “default way of being.”

JUDE LAW

By Zena Jarijs Jude Law, best known for his role as Sherlock Holmes, began his acting career on stage in 1987’s The Ragged Child, an Edinburgh Fringe awarded play. His first big break on stage came when he played Foxtrot Darling in Philip Ridley’s The Fastest Clock in the Universe. He went on to star in Les Parents Terribles, claiming an Ian Charleson Award for Outstanding Newcomer. The play was transferred to Broadway in 1995, where Law starred opposite actors like Cynthia Nixon and Kathleen Turner.

Law was then cast in Wilde, a biopic based on the life of Oscar Wilde, and has since become a household name.

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE REVIEW: By Emily Mangles

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s I sat in the Barn waiting for the play to start, it was clear audience participation would be involved. Indeed, the whole play was directed and written by a member of the audience: Citizen George, a grocer, and his wife. They cast their apprentice, Rafe, who was played with stupendous American enthusiasm

by Diederik van Wersch, as the main character (the eponymous Knight of The Burning Pestle) and changed the plot of the play to suit their whims. It quickly became clear that The Knights of the Burning Pestle was written in the ‘play within a play’ style.

The cast of the ‘play’ coped well with this style, and weaker characters were carried by the play within a play format. Jaspar (Matt Roberts) ploughed on bravely as the sincere romantic hero, battling with some rather silly rhyming couplets, but never once lacking conviction in a rather two dimensional role. The parodying romantic scenes could perhaps have done with more melodrama, but were saved from being too dull by the Citizen’s wife, who grimaced, gasped, and menacingly ate liquorice throughout.

Daisy E.R. Hale was the highlight of the play in this part; her character could have been annoying, but Hale carried it with a lightness of touch that made it delightful.

Overall, the direction was good, making the most of a limiting script.

However, some of the innuendos were laboured, which stopped them being anything more than mildly amusing.

Felicity Stephenson’s costumes were excellent, the set consisted of one large curtain, allowing for stunts to varied success, whilst the sword fight was exhilarating as sparks flew, but could have lasted longer.

Laura Griffin was excellent as the chorus. She played her various roles with conviction and humour in a refusal to be overshadowed. Joe D’Angelo also deserves mention as Humphrey; who lisped, whimpered, and camped up his role superbly.

Overall, this was a very funny play.

In the last scene the cast sing: “Is it not but mirth that keeps our bodies from the earth”, and during the exam period this is truer than ever. The Knights of the Burning Pestle was more than a welcome distraction.

TOP 5 MUST SEE AT THE WEST END Les Miserables: You’ve seen the film, now watch the play and read the book!

A truly fantastic theatrical experience.

The Lion King: You’re never too old to be transported to the planes of Africa in this vibrant musical- a must see!

Spamalot: Whether an avid Monty Python fan, or just someone looking for a laugh, this is sure not to disappoint.

The Book of Mormon: Not one for the easily offended! The creators of South Park bring us their latest innovation.

The Bodyguard: The film, starring Whitney Houston, has made a beautifully seamless transition to the stage.

SNEAK PREVIEW

With exams looming, Stage take a look at what is going on in the theatrical life of York to give you a well deserved break.

SEAN LOCK Sean Lock is coming to York Barbican with his hilarious new stand up show The Purple Van Man. The show promises gags, opinions, deft observations and some silly voices; and Lock claims that ‘spouting inspired jibber jabber as he crosses the country in his purple van... will make you laugh like a drunken horse.’ Well you’ll have to go and watch the show to find out.

May 28. Tickets £21

THE TRENCH Les Enfants Miserable present their new play The Trench at York Theatre Royal.

The play is inspired by the true story of a miner who became entombed in a tunnel during World War One. As the horror threatens to engulf him, he finds that not everything in the darkness is what it seems as he starts to discover a new, strange world beneath the mud and death.

June 6. Student Tickets £8

More Plays To catch the best plays around in York it’s always worth keeping an eye on www. yorktheatreroyal.co.uk and also www. yorkbarbican.co.uk. Whether it’s comedy, horror or dance you’re interested in, you’re sure to find something you’ll like!

GOD OF CARNAGE Goes to Edinburgh Fringe DramaSoc’s production of God of Carnage, originally directed by Rory McGregor and produced by Louis Lunts, will be going up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

The show in Edinburgh will be following the big success the production had in the Barn last term and at the National Student Drama Festival over Easter. The company are currently fund-raising so look out this term for events such as a post-dissertation BBQ, themed nights out and cake sales! They will also be setting up a kickstarter where, if you donate, you’ll have the chance to come up and see the show for free and even have somewhere to stay.

For more information or to donate to the company, visit their website at www.godofcarnage.co.uk

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he Heavy are a four piece band that emerged from my hometown of Bath. Six years later, they have released three albums, have collaborated with 50 Cent and have toured all over Europe and the Americas. Lead singer Kelvin Swaby took time out before he embarks on a hectic European tour to tell Vision what The Heavy is all about.

Kelvin grew up in a very musical household, and so it is not surprising that he has always loved music and that he is now so successful with his band. “I always enjoyed singing along to anything that was being played in our massively eclectic household. Rock’n’Roll in one room, soul in another, Gregory Isaacs on a Jamaican sound system and Motörhead would all be commonplace on any given day in our house.” This must have played an influence into The Heavy’s style; a very unique and eclectic mix of neo-soul, blues, indie rock and funk.

This summer the band will be performing sixteen gigs across America, from New York to Chicago to San Francisco. Kelvin believes their huge following in America is due to their sound: “It lends itself to a lot of amazing rhythm and blues from the 50s, 60s and 70s which has long been diluted or forgotten.” With their crunchy guitar solos, funky horns and Kelvin’s grungy voice it is easy to see the resemblance with past classics. “The US audience is reconnecting with the similarities I guess. We keep it dirty and it would appear that’s a good thing.”

They may have a substantial following

the hea vy Tom Armston-Clarke chat to

in America, but they are also popular in England and France. From Bath to Birmingham, from London to Newcastle, The Heavy are in demand. In addition to their gigs, this summer they will be performing at what is often known as the mother of all festivals, Glastonbury.

Kelvin explains what this means to him: “Glastonbury will be sick this year as any other year. When we’ve been asked before, we’ve always been away. The show is kick-ass right now and the festival is just down the road.” For those going, get down there early to ensure you see them; with numerous sold out gigs this year already, their popularity is growing. “We are truly looking forward to the gig, as we’re in such great company.”

“We keep it dirty and it would appear that’s a good thing.”

Their recognition is not just from those of the funk family but further afield.

Joker, a British born Dubstep and Grime DJ recently remixed their well known track ‘How You Like Me Now?’ and although many fans may not be happy with the end result, Kelvin takes a different approach on remixes. “Remixes are necessary, especially from a record company’s point of view to put your music into as many different groups as possible. I have no problem with it, as long as it’s a great

representation of the song for that genre.”

‘How You Like Me Now?’ itself is built around a sample from Dyke & the Blazers’ rare groove classic ‘Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man Be a Man’. If any of you have watched television recently you may recognize the track from the latest Strongbow Advert.

In addition to this advert the four piece have featured a lot as background music on American television shows including Entourage, Community and White Collar.

However, they have not been restricted to the small screen and even made it into soundtracks in films such as The Fighter and Limitless. You’ve probably heard them and bobbed your head along without even knowing who they are.

A lot of artists dislike giving up their music to be used for soundtracks, but Kelvin shows a refreshing humility when discussing his thoughts on the topic. “The industry has changed so much and with a wealth of great bands out there, I always feel blessed that people are interested in using what we do,” he said. “It helps massively with the development of the band.”

When I asked him who he thinks is “hot” right now, he replied: “There are so many ‘hot picks’ that are thrown at you by the week but I love Jack White for his crazy, eclectic and eccentric mind.

“The Black Keys are up with him too, as I’ve listened to them from the beginning and it’s great to see their incredible success after so many years of serious, hard graft.” With the music industry and social media as it is currently, there is an

unusual climate for new musicians, as a wealth of opportunities to be discovered can encourage success, but with so many talented artists out there, the competition makes it far more difficult to make it in the music world. I appreciated Kelvin’s empathy towards other musicians who have thrived in this difficult environment.

It can be hard to stand out from the plethora of other musicians and bands cropping up on a daily basis. Kelvin disagrees: “Good music is good music and will be recognized as such. Having social media in the mix is a good way of discovering up and coming talent, so I think in the times we live in, it’s a necessity. Auto tune however, can fuck off...” (Sorry Alaska in winter).

With three albums and countless gigs around the world, when I asked him what his career highlight was, his answer was a surprise: “Meeting [American born singer-songwriter, composer and actor] Tom Waits at one of our shows”. It’s easy to see why he admires Waits. Both have distinct and memorable voices, Tom’s having once been described as “soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car,” Perhaps one day someone will honour Kelvin’s with a similarly expressive description. Kelvin explains how he is working on a solo project at the same time as The Heavy; nobody is sure where he finds the time though. “Its called MEAN. Details to follow.” This time he is keeping his cards very close to his chest, but I for one am intrigued as to what this is going to sound like, and I anticipate great things.

It is always interesting to find out how bands met and came about. The Rolling Stones formed when Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, old school friends who had lost contact, met again at Dartford Railway Station. Both Kelvin and Dan Taylor (Guitar) worked at The Gap together and a beautiful friendship was formed: “We became the best of friends, loved everything that we slung at each other.” With a mutual passion for music it didn’t take much to get them started, “A beaten up acoustic and a Yamaha SU10” to be precise.

Before Kelvin leaves and gets ready to continue on his European Tour he explains to me the hardships of constantly travelling the world. “Being away from home is fun for a while, but obviously it’s easier to deal with day to day issues face to face. Relationships last and remain strong when there’s an understanding of why each of you do what you do.” It is evident that Kelvin is grateful for every gig he plays at, and his passion is not just for music, but also for living his life to the fullest.

Kelvin, along with Dan Taylor on guitar, Spencer Page on Bass and Chris Ellul on drums have definitely made an impact on the music scene both here in the UK and across the pond. They are definitely one to watch if you’re lucky enough to get the chance this summer.