SCENE Nov 08 Issue 192
P I H C HOT
D N BO
SPOTLIGHT
A
S E MMUSIC
robots in
disguise
NOW WITH new GAMEs section
FILM TV GAMES BOOKS CULTURE LISTINGS
SPOTLIGHT
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Hollie Price "interviews":
HOT CHIP
"WE’VE ALWAYS CALLED OURSELVES A POP BAND FROM DAY ONE." he point of Skittles is to eat the bad ones first and work your way up to those tasty reds. Everyone knows the reds are best; even T purples get pipped to the post. But does Guillemots’ follow-up, ‘Red’,
tOne twenty-one year old, not half-bad looking, 5’10” music editor seeks five middle-aged/awkward teenager-looking lads guilty of spreading tOne twenty-one year old, not half-bad looking, 5’10” music editor seeks five middle-aged/awkward teenager-looking lads guilty of spreading the trend ‘geek chic’, preferably in the electropop band, Hot Chip, but whatever really. Not fussy: bit of a laugh’d be nice, some good natured tetris/disco-related chat would be lovely, interview required.
But no. After their acclaimed albums, ‘Coming on Strong’, ‘The Warning’ and ‘Made in the Dark’, have all been greeted with both dance moves and knitwear your Nan would be proud of (so a fair bit of success really), Hot Chip do not have time for interviews or…me. They’re on a train to Aberdeen and too tired from touring to talk to hip young girls from York. It’s 7.03 on a Sunday night and their manager has told me they’re “very excited” to talk to me three times now...hmmm. It’s 7.04. I have been stood up by a select group of bespectacled, short, lanky or overweight (select depending on band member please) electro dancefloor nerds. Aaah well, there are worse things...It’s 7.19 and in a bit of denial now. Since when have a bunch of self-confessed, Prince-loving geeks been allowed to do this to a girl? At a guess, probably when they form a band which defines the musical standards of our generation with its understated geek-tragedy-type-funk. Oh alright then...
"WE’VE ALWAYS CALLED OURSELVES A POP BAND FROM DAY ONE."
If you ask me, that duet they did with Wiley has gone to their heads...Hot Chip have turned to a life of grime and there’s no denying it. One rendition of ‘Wearing my Rolex’ and they think they’re gangsta. Honestly. Just when you think they’re nice homegrown boy-next-door types. Alexis Taylor recently said to NME: “Grime artists just churn out music, not caring whether people are ready for it” and that’s how the band are rolling these
days. Hot Chip are turning cool. True, I don’t see them moving away from the old geek image any time soon - Felix still consumes enough Vitamin C tablets for…well, a lot of people...(gangsta indeed Felix). While Alexis recently released his solo album ‘Rubbed Out’, the band is also set to start recording their eagerly awaited fourth album. Times are looking good. Their two new songs ‘Alley Cats’ and ‘Thieves in the Night’ have been thoroughly tested out on a number of crowds and consumer results so far have been positive. But the tears are still streaming down my face thinking of the lost interviews, lost lingering moments with Joe Goddard’s glittery synth-genius eyes or in Alexis Taylor’s emotionally binding yet masculine embrace...nah, not really. Dearie me. But Hot Chip is a band who can get away with pretty much anything these days. As well as meddling with a modern-day classic about giving girls your expensive designer watches in clubs (that’s Wiley), their latest stint in Leeds saw them cover Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares to You’ as part of the encore. The lads manage to make a nineties ballad their very own, yet still retain that good old-fashioned notion of romance and simultaneously make you dance like your Nan probably never imagined possible… saying that, its probably the worst song I could listen to (for research purposes) at such a moment of outright rejection as this. Ok ok, an article about an interview that never took place is pretty Post-Modern, I’d say. A love affair that was doomed from the start. But, Hot Chip, I still love you….you don’t write, you don’t text and you never ring me anymore but I would hold you up again if you asked me. This is the power of geek-music over the new age girl… Hot Chip are keeping ‘em keen up and down the country playing their synthy, soul-filled songs. Playing those tunes in their cords and neon t-shirts and leaving the ladies in their tracks is all in a day’s work for a band that is set to steal away this girl’s heart with their forthcoming album. Hold on, girls, just hold on.he trend ‘geek chic’, preferably in the electropop band, Hot Chip, but whatever really. Not fussy: bit of a laugh’d be nice, some good natured tetris/ disco-related chat would be lovely, interview required. ut no. After their acclaimed albums, ‘Coming on Strong’, ‘The B Warning’ and ‘Made in the Dark’, have all been greeted with both dance moves and knitwear your Nan would be proud of (so a fair bit of success really), Hot Chip do not have time for interviews
SPOTLIGHT
MUSIC
thou shalt not worship false idols
W
hat is exactly is meant by the moniker of ‘rock star’? In years gone by that title used to truly stand for something: decadence, self-indulgence and grotesque excess. Now our ‘stars’ are vegetarian, philanthropic and, worst of all, can actually play their instruments; where did it all go wrong? In the past musicians were idolised for reckless behaviour, the ‘red snapper incident’ cemented Led Zeppelin’s status as rock gods while The Beatles’ open use of drugs during the Maharishi days was considered spiritual as opposed to degenerative. Rock stars were applauded for living as close to the edge as possible; the nation fell in love their bohemian, devil-maycare attitudes. They lived fast, died young and left behind a beautiful corpse, however of late this trend seems to be at an end with the musicians of our generation being less inclined to burn out than fade away. After all it’s been over fourteen years since the last admission to the 27 club (entry is gained posthumously by rock stars who die aged only 27). The 27 club is comprised of five of the influential musicians in the last century: Jones, Joplin, Hendrix, Morrison and Cobain. They all died at the peak of their fame and all in archetypal ‘rock and roll’ circumstances; overdose, suicide and ‘death by misadventure’.
Photo by Jan Weber
The 27 club all showed commitment to their rock star status, they talked the talk but more importantly they actually walked the walk! It would be irresponsible to advocate or glamorise their paths but then again being a rock star means that one can be irresponsible. Nowadays we vilify our most hedonistic stars, Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse as cases in point. The tabloids shove them from scandal to scandal, demonising them in the eyes of the public. Where once society accepted and protected the ‘tortured artist’ now they are shunned and branded as ‘wasters’. Contrast this with society’s treatment of Syd Barrett, the founding member of Pink Floyd; he left the band as an acid-casualty long before their prog rock heyday but instead of receiving police and media harassment he was left alone to mend and heal. Fast-forward to 2008 and with the media circus surrounding the addictions of Doherty and Winehouse it seems no wonder that this new generation of ‘rock stars’ are turning to the straight and narrow. But can they really be termed as ‘rock stars’? They no longer walk the line of controversy, they no longer occupy that strange no-mans land between genius and pariah. What now passes for rock and roll behaviour is actually more akin to that of a diva (and I’m looking at Sting and Bono as I write this). Acts of selfish excess no longer involve drugs, animals or groupies but instead have become mundane and ridiculous (instances include Bono flying a hat half way around the world via chartered jet in order to wear it onstage). Where once musicians isolated themselves from the world now they cannot help but get involved in everything from the environment to politics; rocks stars have slowly evolved from being morally bankrupt to becoming our moral compass! Not sure how to vote? Look to Bono. Not sure what to think of the war? Ask Geldof. Paul Theroux called them ‘mythomaniacs’, desperate to prove their worth in the world. But how can they prove a worth they don’t have? A rock star’s worth lies in their worthlessness; we may not need them but we want them. They should give our world colour, sensation and immediacy; we don’t expect them to provide a solution to Africa (we have another far more shady and decadent set of people to do thatotherwise known as politicians). In short, the world has lost its ‘rock stars’. When in 1977 The Stranglers sang ‘Whatever happened to the heroes’ they were bemoaning the lack of revolutionary figures in politics, now we can rehash that sentiment in a different context: where are the musicians that truly shake the world, that bluster through a life of extremes and leave in their wake parallel trails of creativity and destruction? Unfortunately they have gone, driven out by the mainstream and all we have left are the self-serving, squeaky clean ‘performers’. The cult of the ‘rock star’ is dead.
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there is nowt so queer as folk... S
o you think you’re king of the kids. You know all the little bands to be known; you know MGMT, Vampire Weekend..good work, you know the old-school favourites…Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip…you know a bit of the nu rave (it’s the next big thing according to NME innit?) but do you know folk? I had this friend at school; his name was Steve and all his green cardigans were hand-knitted, he grew vegetables and made dinosaur noises in classrooms and played the clarinet in an excited way and talked to his cat in his free-time. But the thing is he knew all the bands that no-one else knew, or probably wanted to. There was me in my flowery shirts listening to Interpol, thinking I knew it all… when what did I know about the delightfully dismal and yet crazy chirpy world of folk? For this was what Steve was: Folk. Don’t flinch. It’s not about beards and banjos and corn anymore, well ummm really.. apart from Fleet Foxes and Devendra Bernhart’s various levels of beardiness and..well never mind. It’s about pretty music to give a you a break from the normal and get you outta that indie box you’ve been stuck in with The Metros...now it’s time for a bit of Joanna Newsom, The Decemberists or Neutral Milk Hotel. AND remember people, things have changed since those heady sixthform days of mine…there’s a whole new folk scene out there and you better be inspired to take a break and dance about like Steve to good oldfashioned… ahem I meant new-age.. folk. It’s not that it’s better than your average Wombats templates, but it makes a change not to care about whether the leadsinger is wearing winklepickers or converse ‘cos the plinky plonky happy melodies are more important. Alright now don’t get your freak on (or... ummm... something), here is your step-by-step guide to folk, in all its glorious cross-
stitch and marmalade-type glory. STEP ONE If you don’t think you can take the pressure, listen to ‘Oh Mandy’ by The Spinto Band before you listen to any folksyness. Ok, so it’s not all that folky but it’ll make you happy enough to
"IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT BEARDS, BANJOS AND CORN ANYMORE..." dance around and then to reconsider anything: the size of your beard, the stitching on your dress, the latest folk sensations and most crucially the important role they are about to play in your life... STEP TWO Watching Juno isn’t enough to think you’ve got your daily dose of twee. Yeah that Moldy Peaches song is good and nice but think more originally please. ‘I’ll kiss you on the brain in the shadow of the train’doesn’t cut the mustard in this cut-throat pixie world of folk anymore: find some little songs you like, like Mercury Music Prize nominee, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset’s ‘Felton Lonnen’ and its chilling violin, or Slow Club’s ‘Apples and Pairs’ for some singalong times with your best friend or just mellow xylophone beauties like The Just Joans’ ‘Pictures of You’. STEP THREE It’s all about the homemade. But you don’t have to making reserves all day long people. The Middle Ones sound like they’ve chucked their voices into each other and stitched ‘em into each other a bit with some tambourine to make ‘Good as New’. For other homemade sounds: Tilly and the Wall have their very own tapdancer to make poppier sounding tunes...ummm what more could you need. STEP FOUR Chuck on a plaid shirt and dance around to a bit of Fleet Foxes. Yeah your stepdad or your uncle or let’s face it, your mum probably already like them, but there’s not harm in that. Think old things: suitcases and trumpets and then add Fleet Foxes, Winston Echo, Emmy the Great into the mix.
the vision stereo...
BY JOSEPH MCDERMOTT
STEP FIVE If Devendra Bernhart’s beard or Joanna Newsom’s startling strangled tones turn out to be too much for your indie-loving Radio One brain, the Laura Marling Set’s going to be a good start these days. Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons, Planet Earth...anything to do with Marling
is generally alright. And her songs are nice n’all.
STEP SIX Don’t worry. Sleeping States, have proved that folk can turn to a beautiful type of punk sometimes too.. who’d have thought..folk has everything y’know. STEP SEVEN You might have to have your heart broken a little bit before you enjoy the melancholic tones of Bon Iver or Mumford & Sons. For a band who’ve worked with Marling on a few occasions, you can’t tell any kind of smugness or glee from their songs; listen to ‘White Blank Page’ for a bit of self-pitying swaying about and being sad or else Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’. So maybe sad songs won’t be your cup of tea but you can be comforted with the thought that these ‘Folkies’ have been sad and written songs about it for when you are too. STEP EIGHT: Don’t brush your hair for a day and eat strawberries and learn the banjo. Nah not really. Folk’s pretty chic in this day and age, I’ve heard.
BY HOLLIE PRICE
SPOTLIGHT
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RAZORLIGHT
Joseph McDermott
slipway fires- OUT NOW Razorlight have never hidden their greedy ambition to be stadium-sized MOR rockers with lorry loads of dosh. Understandable really; with the face of a horse and a personality Hitler would find egotistical, J.Bo needs something to help him pull more Hollywood hotties. So why does ‘Slipway Fires’ sound like a B-sides collection from their last album? By surrendering their punkier roots, Razorlight’s second attempt was pure pop bliss and 2006’s greatest guilty pleasure. But for anyone hoping their third might be the bands raison d’etre, stuffed full of golden touches in the morning, the underwhelming and half-hearted tunes are cruel disappointments that leaves the listener yearning to be ‘somewhere else’. Yet, I’ve begun to notice the album has had heavy rotation on my Ipod. Hmm…why is this? Could this naff pile of shite be growing on me? I’m singing along, tapping my feet and somehow thinking these nonsensical lyrics could be genius. Ok, scrap the last bit, “You are a night flower, You bloom as I fade” will never evoke more than a wretch, but melody wise, a few could sneak into a Razorlight greatest hits. ‘60 Thompson’ is Paul Simon gold, ‘Hostage of Love’ is jingly-jangly acoustic happiness, and ‘Monster Boots’ is a foot-stomper ready-made for Wembley. Sir Johnny Borrell has baffled me. Half of Slipway Fires is glossy, forgettable, ‘Feeling’-like filler. The other half, however, is actually pretty good and gives hope for the next one. Though to be honest, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, the middle class masses will love it and soon Johnny will be even closer to achieving his dream of being God. I’d prefer him to be Jesus, at least then we could crucify him.
JAMES NORTON
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LISTINGS
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
'I Made My Mistakes For You' OUT NOW When it comes to turning out pitchperfect indie rock, Alex Turner needs lessons from no man. The record rests heavily on the poignancy and gravitas of the vocals, though seeing as it has been written by one of the best lyricists of our generation this is only to be expected. Turner’s superb voice is beautifully framed by the smooth, orchestral backing. ‘My Mistakes Were Made For You’ is subtle and slow-moving, intelligent and lingering.
EMMY THE GREAT
'We Almost Had A Baby' OUT NOW Anti-folk musician Emmy the Great is delightfully off-beat. ‘We Almost Had A Baby’ trades brilliantly on quaint instrumentation, savage lyrics and twee vocals. Despite the positives this is by no means a perfect record; the twee often becomes trite and the song seems to lose energy at around the halfway point. Nevertheless Emmy The Great broadcasts with a beguiling sound that deftly hides the lyrical subversion; this song is deep, though it may take time to truly uncover all its levels.
GIRLS ALOUD 'The Promise' OUT NOW
THE SATURDAYS
OASIS
chasing lights
dig out your soul
OUT NOW
OUT NOW
O
asis’ latest album makes a success of exploring new musical territory in a way that previous attempts have failed. Whilst the sound is not that of the stand-out anthems of their first two albums, it represents greater songwriting maturity and diversity from a band whose more recent attempts have just sounded like tired attempts to live off former glory. The band themselves have described the sound as more ‘groovy’ than previous albums. This will no doubt make for the album being another disappointment for those still wanting the band to attempt to eclipse The Beatles in every waking moment with a mass of hooks and immediately catchy, singalong lyrics. However, anyone who’s willing to look beyond this will find some really great lines and experimentation - the line “someone tell me I’m dreaming, the freaks are rising up through the floor” in the opening track is just a taster for the rest of the album. Much has been made of a more inclusive attitude within the band with regards to songwriting, and thankfully there is at last some proof that it is not only Noel who can write powerful songs. In ‘Dig Out Your Soul’, the band show that they are again able to create music worth hearing, just this time round it’s a combination of upbeat rock and more subtle melodic tracks which should even appeal to Oasis skeptics. Now they just have to address the issue of Liam’s singing...
KATE MISSENDEN
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R
espectable pop music seems to be rearing its head everywhere these days, with Alphabeat and Sam Sparro creeping onto indie dancefloors as well as occupying the top 10, while Girls Aloud can be found slinking through the pages of NME.So why on earth did this ugly disco mongrel of a record feel the need to exist?
All sultry pouts and skin-tight neon, The Saturdays are clearly a band aimed at making twelve year old girls want to act like strippers. Having two of their members progress from S Club Juniors only adds to the disturbing sexual undertones of an album with linear notes which read like your little sister’s Bebo page. The album itself comes across as one long Mariah Carey track with the hooks and choruses removed, each song blurring into the next to make a featureless pulp of a record. The over-produced and under-written tracks grate even on first listen and seem to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Sub-Girls Aloud lead single ‘If This Is Love’ is one particular offender; all the girl band clichés are in place, undermined superbly by lazy and downright terrible song-writing. The photoshopped cover might get your dad whistling and slapping his knee, and just like that thought, this album is definitely best avoided.
JOE MILAM
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Amongst the tabloid gossip of rifts between the girls and speculation of forthcoming splits, the newest offering from seminal pop-vixens Girls Aloud will be very closely analysed for signs of these supposed cracks. As it is ‘The Promise’ shows no indications of any supposed turbulence but instead is the polished, mainstream pop gem we’ve come to expect. Girls Aloud know exactly who their market is; flawless harmonies and tight beats means that the youth of today never stood a chance.
THE AUTOMATIC
'Steve McQueen' OUT NOW The big punk riffs and stomp-along choruses are back with a vengeance. Despite the removal of the infamous screeching backing vocals, The Automatic still retain a dark edge around their alternative pop-punk sound. The music, once described by The Horrors as akin to ‘flogging a dead horse’, is as standard and derivative as ever although for all it lacks in originality the record is fast-paced and catchy; it has bite. The reputation of The Automatic doesn’t inspire feelings of innovation and ‘Steve McQueen’ is unlikely to change that.
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Black Devil Disco Club
THE NEXT BIG THINGS...
They began life over thirty years ago but their music is still light years ahead of its time.
AND ONE YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED... Madlib Olympus Mons
Ground-breaking experimental rap.
Wild, avant-garde indie rock. Olympus Mons will drag you kicking and screaming into their chaotic sound.
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and rapper: Madlib has many feathers to his bow. An underground cult sensation.
SNOW PATROL
TOM JONES
a HUNDRED MILLION SUNS
24 hours
OUT NOW
OUT NOW
S
now Patrol’s latest release, 'A Hundred Millions Suns', confirms them as a semidecent band destined to keep releasing promising yet ultimately unremarkable albums. This latest offering is in no way a poor effort, yet it lacks the spark that would make it stand out above anything else being released at the moment. Opener ‘If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It’ is perhaps the worst song on the album, yet occasionally during what follows Snow Patrol show us what they are capable of. ‘Crack The Shutters’ and ‘Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands’, with soothing verses and soaring choruses, are what Snow Patrol do best, but too much of the rest is generic filler, satisfactory for an avid fan but not good enough for anyone just getting into the band or looking for some kind of improvement or progression. Part of the problem is that there are no standout tracks. In the past, the likes of ‘Set The Fire To The Third Bar’ and ’Chocolate’ have rescued what would otherwise have been solid but repetitive albums. 'A Hundred Million Suns' contains nothing like this. First single ‘Take Back The City’ is easy on the ear but drones on in an unremarkable fashion, as does the album itself until it peters out after about track seven. 'A Hundred Million Suns' contains enough for any loyal Snow Patrol disciple to enjoy, yet falls flat compared to the band’s two previous single-heavy offerings. Undoubtedly good, but ultimately nothing to get over-excited about.
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TOM JACKSON
Y
ou might think that sixty-eight is a bit old for reinventing yourself, but the tangerine tinted rubbery god of cheese, Tom Jones, says you’re an idiot. That’s right kids, he’s started dressing all in black, and any closet crooner fans can breathe a sigh of relief, because I’m reliably informed by his PR team that he’s cool now. Good to know. So his latest offering, ‘24 Hours’, is a bit of a departure: it’s produced by Future Cut, and it’s definitely a darker shade of soul than you might expect. But his main stab at credibility is that he’s actually tried to write some of his songs himself now, and that’s just fine, but it’s painfully obvious that the better songs in this (admittedly perfectly acceptable) album are the covers (Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Hitter’, Tommy Jones Shondells’ ‘I’m Alive’). And you might ask yourself, who is this all for? Well, us: the hip and fickle youth of today. Thirty-something national paper reviewers are falling over themselves to say how cool they now think Tom Jones is in a painful effort to anticipate our reaction; it’s an embarrassment. It feels like Jones is worried his fans are about to die and he’s desperately trying to market himself at the still breathing. There’s nothing wrong with the album per se, but he’s lost the conviction and force of his earlier belters, without really pulling off anything darker or more intimate. Face it: his days of ‘Sex Bomb’ are over. And as for a cool Tom Jones? I’m not buying it.
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LAURA MCFARLANE
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foals - gonzo on tour york fibbers 17-10-08
I
t has been an eventful year for Foals; having graduated from their cult status and house party antics in their native Oxford, they can now be found occupying radio 1 playlists and selling out London’s Brixton Academy. It could be said Yannis and co have always seemed a little uncomfortable with their meteoric rise, so perhaps playing the intimate surroundings of York Fibbers is the perfect remedy, and certainly a very special event for the 250 followers lucky enough to secure tickets. First on the bill tonight is Esser. The elegantly coiffured young tyke has become a much-touted prospect for breakthrough success with the mockney banter of Jack Penate and the perk-pop credentials of Kate Nash. Like these obvious comparisons Esser seems rather stuck in the sound of Summer 2007 and receives a fairly lukewarm reception, clearly acknowledged by his somewhat surly and petulant stage demeanour. Foals, on the other hand, receive rapturous applause on a deafening scale as they clamber onto the tiny stage to open with the intricate noise-rock collision of ‘XXXXX’, accentuated in volume by the echo
ELBOW LEEDS ACADEMY 18-10-08
vampire weekend sheffield academy
O
n the back of unexpectedly winning the coveted Mercury Prize, Elbow had reason to be in high spirits as their follow-up tour arrived, and indeed, Guy Garvey and co. took to the stage more boisterously than usual. Not to mistake their pride for arrogance, of course; the banter was as witty and down to earth as ever, and the only trum-
from the low ceilings creating a sound perhaps on a par with the world ending. Safety barriers bend and buckle to breaking point and by the opening refrain of ‘Cassius’ the audience begins to resemble a riot in skinny jeans. Their set is admirably tight and the band seem clearly in tune with each other, contorting their math-rock creations into epic rock beasts, even progressing beyond their reputation of a band focused on musicianship over entertainment to engage in banter between songs and leap into the outstretched arms of the front row. The highlight of the set falls in the encore of ‘Two Steps Twice’, ending in a riotous cacophony of pagan drums and wailing feedback, as audience members invade the stage for any scraps of a performance from a band unlikely to perform on such a small scale anytime in the foreseeable future.
JOE MILAM
pet-blowing came in the form of the brass explosions during set opener 'Starlings'. In wonderful contrast to Garvey’s personable chatter with the audience, the songs played live transport the listener to another place entirely. The emotional lyrics of 'The Bones of You' pack a punch to the chest, whilst the luscious string chords closing 'The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver' are suspended just long enough to create a stunning emotional tension, taking complete hold before gently resolving. In a flawless set, the unexpected highlight came when the band, perhaps buoyed by their success to try something new, congregated in a far corner of the stage to share some whisky and play a stripped down, shortened version of understated album track 'Weather To Fly'. As it finished, Guy Garvey turned to the audience and asked, in his perfect falsetto, ‘are we having the time of our lives?’. As his questioning met with euphoria from everyone present, a full version of the song unfolded. Without doubt, right now the five members of Elbow are a bunch of guys enjoying the spotlight after years waiting in the wings, and are truly, deservedly, having the time of their lives.
PETE BURGESS
22-10-08
Y
ou know a gig’s been good when you leave the venue in a dizzying haze that has little or nothing to do with alcohol, totally drenched in sweat and feeling the need to listen to the band’s music fairly incessantly for the next four days. The recently-opened Sheffield Academy played host to such an occasion when New York’s Vampire Weekend rolled into the Steel City two weeks ago. From just looking at them, this bunch of Ivy Leaguers are hardly the type you would expect to establish themselves as one of the hottest bands on the planet right now. But Vampire Weekend have stumbled onto a sound that is new and exciting, and this is demonstrated to the maximum in their live show. Kicking things off with morerelaxed numbers like ‘Mansard Roof ’ and ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’, they then proceed to showcase a selection of new material, the quality of which would suggest that they are by no means a flash in the proverbial pan. It isn’t long, however, before the livelier favourites off their debut album are rolled out, to the delight of the by-now exuberant crowd. ‘M79’, a personal favourite, proves only a warm-up for the brilliant ‘A-Punk’, during which even lead singer Ezra Koenig appears to get slightly over-excited. The band are drowned out by the crowd during ‘One (Blake’s Got A New Face)’ and draw things to a close with 'Walcott', providing the crowd with one final chance to go mental to the sound of a band who look set to be with us for years to come.
TOM JACKSON
bromheads jacket york fibbers 18-10-08
B
romheads Jacket’s crowd was definitely reminiscing that of the old punks; old Yorkshire men clutching pints and heckling the band. And Fibbers was playing right along: sticky floor, darkness and old school lighting. The band didn’t seem to mind; there was banter flying round throughout, and Tim (lead singer) was loving every minute of it, wiping his Joey Ramone-esque hair out his eyes. In fact the hair was particularly provoking – “What’s up with the hair cut mate?” – but these guys were clearly behind the times, as Tim pointed out – “Where have you been? It’s been like this for ages”. Though apparently from ages ago, the old stuff went down far better than any of their new album material. The highlights were definitely the oldies: ‘Poppy Bird’, ‘Hazy in Yateley’ and finishing off with ‘What ifs + Maybes’ that came accompanied with some serious crowd moshing. The sweatiness was carried on til the end with an excellent cover of ‘These Boots are Made for Walking’ to finish. The old-school atmosphere was definitely set out by the oldies in the crowd, but then their new material was not quite standing up to it. Maybe with a younger crowd it would have been different, but as it was we head-banged through to the old favourites, and it wasn’t bad, pints and all.
SOPHIE HILL
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♥ ROBOTS IN DISGUISE VISION
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JOSEPH MCDERMOTT TELLS YOU WHY: There is so much more to them than the Mighty Boosh cameos. We all know about their connection to superstar comedy duo The Mighty Boosh. ‘That question seems compulsory now, every journalist asks it and boy, is it getting old’ snaps guitarist Dee Plume. This frustration is entirely understandable; Robots in Disguise have been on the scene far longer than The Mighty Boosh, they have a sound all their own and fan basis whose dedication to them is akin to that of a cult. Bassist Sue Denim takes a more grateful view: ‘Our time in the Boosh was fun and it exposed us to a fan base we might not have otherwise reached. But at the end of the day we don’t want to be remembered for walk on part in someone else’s life.’ And given the calibre of their new album I’m sure that won’t be the case. They are the archetypal electro kids. One thing you can definitely say about these girls is that they are certainly on trend. Whether it be haircuts on Carnaby Street or vintage shops in Camden Denim and Plume know exactly what is in and out on the electro scene. ‘We just wear what we think looks good, the brighter and shinier the better.’ Let’s just say that for their turn as Ultra and Neon of the band Kraftwerk Orange (in a certain unnamed comedy programme) they supplied their own costumes. The live shows are an absolute spectacle. The fans dress as everything from superhero to tin-foil robots, the music is far more ferocious than the record; in short a Robots in Disguise gig is something to be marvelled at. The energy on stage seems absolutely unstoppable and once the show has come to an end its no surprise that the girls can barely keep still as we try to chat in the slowly empting venue. ‘There is nothing like a live show, we really let loose and just go crazy. It takes ages for us to come down again’. The sex made them stupid. At the mention of the band’s latest hit ‘The sex made me stupid’ the girl’s faces
twist into silly smiles: ‘Yeah, it’s a good song isn’t it. Catchy and erm…errrr… catchy!’ During the interview I considered asking about the specifics of the single’s lyrics but then I got all embarrassed; judging by the grins on Dee’s and Sue’s faces I’m pretty certain they cottoned on to my discomfort. I made sure that we quickly moved onto the next topic… They hang out with Germans. This one may look odd but actually it’s actually fairly self-explanatory: ‘We love touring because we get to hang out with our German drummer. She’s wicked’. At Vision we love our featured artists to be a bit multi-cultural. They’ve punched through the music industry’s glass ceiling. ‘We’ve definitely not been given any help in this industry, I wouldn’t say that being a female duo has held us back but at the same time it really hasn’t done us any favours.’ It isn’t easy being a woman in any career but Robots in Disguise reckon that the world of music is especially cut-throat. ‘We can’t be marketed very easily; the record companies don’t think that there is a demographic out there for us. The record companies don’t know what they’re talking about’. And after having seen the eclectic bunch of fans who attended their recent show I’d be inclined to agree with the girls. They are totally ignorant about their reference to hit TV show ‘The Transformers’. Actually we love them in spite of this. Neither of the girls knew the theme tune despite my repeated attempts to remind them of it: ‘Maybe its something we should know, it’s never really come up before. Perhaps a cover version would be a good idea.’ It seems impossible that this reference could have passed them by, especially since the release of a live action version of ‘Transformers’ a year or so ago: ‘We’ve not seen it yet. I suppose I should probably get the DVD. I can’t be bothered really’.
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Extra! Extra! Read All about her! Annie Duffield talks to 3rd year Writing and Performance student Helen Kingston about her experiences on and off camera in Director Jane Campion’s new film 'Bright Star'
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ane Campion’s tale of the legendary poet John Keats’ secret love affair with girl next door Fanny Brawne is due to hit our screens in Spring 2009. Starring Ben Whishaw as Keats, fresh from the recent re-make of 'Brideshead Revisited', and Abby Cornish, Queen Elizabeth’s alluring right hand lady in 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age', this timeless love story is bound to be a success. I caught up with York Uni student Helen Kingston to find out how she got involved in this production and what it’s like to gain experience in the film industry both behind the scenes and on camera.
their trailers.’
During shooting, Helen was the only stand-in used, so she got a chance to quiz both actors and the crew to discover the inner workings of the film set. Being a standin meant Helen spent most of her time with the lighting directors, the focus-pool man and the director of photography (with whom she enjoyed a bit of a Love Actually-esque romance… but that’s a story for another By now we’ve all become acquainted day). with the world of Ricky Gervais’s ‘Extras’, and Helen’s initial experi- Mingling with the ence as an extra in student favourite stars often threw up TV comedy ‘Peep Show’ was all too some once-in-a-lifesimilar: ‘Being an extra is actually so time moments; ‘I much like Gervais’s show! You get all often found myself in the same stereotypes, especially the slightly surreal situstruggling actors.’ ations, for instance one morning I was Helen got involved as an extra by lying down with signing up on the ‘Universal Extras’ Jane Campion sat website. On this site, which casting at the end of my bed, agents use on a regular basis, you can having a conversation about poetry. create a photo profile listing specific I had studied a bit of Keats last year details that help match you up to jobs. and we discussed his poem ‘Ode to a The only downside is they take a 15% Nightingale’, and the joy of getting a cut of your wages for a shoot, which beautifully written letter. actually isn’t too bad seeing as pay is roughly £80 per 'On another day, I was day and Helen speaking to Thomas said she would [Sangster who portrayed have done the Liam Neeson’s son in whole shoot ‘’Love Actually’’] who for free just plays Keats’ brother. I for the experiasked him if he was going ence! traveling after doing his After her stint A-levels, and he said he as an extra, was a bit... He was going Helen moved to LA. I asked what he behind the was planning to do out scenes to work there, and it turns out as a stand-in he’s meeting with Steven on 'Bright Star' Spielberg about the new for actress Tintin films!' If only all Abby Cornish. of us had that luxury: a ‘A stand-in is quick year out in a starused when the studded movie before lights and camheading back to the relaera are being tive mundanity of York's set up for a stale club scene. shot, often while the actor Helen’s main area of is in hair and interest is script writmake-up or ing and development, when they are but she explained how trying to limit important it is to see all the amount of sides of film making and production time they have to be on set when they before you make up your mind. For have a big part. I got to see that the some, being a stand-in becomes a full day-to-day life of a film star on set is time job and can be quite lucrative, far from glamorous; they arrive early especially for those with aspirations for hair and make up and spend so of acting. much of their time waiting around in
LISTINGS
World Cinema Interested in watching more than just average run of the mill Hollywood blockbusters? Why not give World Cinema Society a try, where a whole variety of films from all over the world, are shown every Friday from weeks 2-9 at 7:30pm in Vanbrugh College, V/045? Membership is only £5 and entitles you to watch a minimum of 24 films a year making the price very much worth it. Also, every other Sunday a free film is offered in collaboration with the French society in the same location at 7:30pm. The films showing in the next few weeks are: Week 6 - Woman of the Dunes Week 7 - Ratcatcher
It also means you are constantly able to make contacts and learn the subtleties of on-screen acting. For Helen, though, being a stand-in was an excellent foot in the door and fitted in well with student life. She explained that the days are long but there is a lot of waiting around, perfect for reading that course text you never quite finished (and I hear the free buffet spread at lunch time is to die for). These are just some of the tales that Helen had to tell, as she leaves us with these encouraging words, ‘The film industry is such an exciting area, and getting involved is easy as long as you are willing to go in at a low level, as an extra or stand-in, as a runner or any kind of work experience that is available to you…I just hope I get credited!’ We all hope so too Helen, so watch out Hollywood, York’s sending you a star!
Week 8 - Taste of Cherry Hope to see you there!
Out Now See overleaf for: Quantum of Solace -
✰✰✰✰✰ Ghost Town -
✰✰✰✰✰ Also out: Burn After Reading -
✰✰✰✰✰ High School Musical 3 -
✰✰✰✰✰ Eagle Eye -
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Reality Bites for Bond
Can new James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, turn it up to double-0-eleven?
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t used to be said that James Bond is the guy every man wants to be and every woman wants to be with. In his latest film however, it’s hard to say if either is still true. The Bond presented in ‘Quantum of Solace’, a direct sequel (a franchise first) to the brilliant ‘Casino Royale’, is still struggling to cope with the death of ex-lover Vesper Lynd and thus is much colder, angrier and more psychotic than we have ever seen him before.
strangely underwhelming. This first scene is followed by the discordant wailing of Jack White and Alicia Key’s teeth-grindingly awful ‘Another Way to Die’, which has to be the worst Bond theme ever, as it
even manages to make Madonna’s robotic bleating for ‘Die Another Day’ seem preferable. That said, it was nice to see the return of the naked female silhouette after its conspicuous absence in ‘Royale’. There are a few other nice touches such as Bond using Universal Exports as his cover company once again, and a chilling ‘Goldfinger’ reference, but the classic Bond tropes are few and far between and there is little to distinguish the film from any other mediocre action film. It seems almost embarrassed to be part of the franchise: none of the villains have any bizarre physical abnormalities (no disfiguring scars, no metal teeth and no third nipples as far as we know), Q and Moneypenny are still conspicuously absent, the James Bond theme isn’t used until the final credits and he doesn’t even get to say ‘The name’s Bond, James Bond’. Instead, the escapism of the originals is replaced by a bland and rather silly attempt at realism. This is particularly evident in the character of Bond, who has almost no meaningful dialogue with which to deal with his grief, and thus his sudden change in attitude at the end of the film (no doubt
The plot - as it is - concerns Bond going off on a revenge mission by taking on the ‘Spectre-esque’ Quantum - the secret evil organisation that Vesper worked for - and corrupt environmentalist, Dominic Greene (Matthieu Amalric). The film picks up where ‘Royale’ left off: with Bond driving away with the mysterious Mr White (Jesper Christenson) in the boot of his Aston Martin whilst being chased by armed villains. This whole underwhelming sequence is sub-par action fare, and the choppy visual tone of the film doesn’t help matters. Gone is the sweeping elegance of the first film only to be replaced by dodgy jump cuts, extreme close-ups and Bournestyle shaky cam which make the majority of the action scenes both confusing and
necessary for future plot progression) therefore seems to come out of nowhere. The film however is not all bad: Craig is excellent again and grapples with the often mediocre script fantastically well. The same could be said for Gemma Arterton who plays secondary Bond girl Agent Fields with vigour and - with less than a fifth of her screen time - manages to completely overshadow Olga Kurylenko’s revenge-driven ally, Camille. There are also a couple of fairly decent action scenes towards the end of the film, although only the final destruction of a desert hotel is particularly inventive. Other than the theme song, there really isn’t anything to hate in ‘Quantum of Solace’. It’s simply that the film as a whole is an underwhelming and often dull experience, and that just isn’t what you expect from a James Bond film.
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Experiment with...
Ghost Town
Director- David Koepp
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ince his rise to prominence following the huge successes of ‘The Office’ and ‘Extras’, Ricky Gervais has seemed somewhat reluctant to make the transition from the small to the large screen. So far his film appearances have been kept to a minimum; cameos for friends or short parts which allow him to work with actors he admires. ‘Ghost Town’, however, breaks this pattern and we are given an opportunity to see, for the very first time, if the comedian can really handle a starring role in a feature film. The good news is that, unlike his Extras creation, Andy Millman, Gervais has by no means sold his soul. Due to the success of the aforementioned tv shows and his stand-up comedy tours, Gervais could wait comfortably for a script which he deemed funny enough and which suited his particular brand of comedy.
The film he finally chose is a fairly simple foray: Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), an unsympathetic dentist who has very little time for the living, accidentally dies during a routine operation, and upon his return to consciousness discovers that not only can he can see ghosts but that all of these ghosts want something from him. This could have become a one gag film, but writer/ director David Koepp’s fast-paced plotting means the film never lingers too long on a single joke, and Gervais’ character is quick enough on the uptake so as not to frustrate the audience. The film strikes a good balance between romance and comedy, meaning that the more touching scenes, such as Gervais’ character helping a mother to resolve her ‘unfinished business’, are just as well acted as Gervais’ hilarious cringe-worthy attempts at making conversation with Téa Leoni. Despite the film’s focus on Pincus, however, the rest of the cast do not get overshadowed. Both Greg Kinnear, as the sleazy ghost who enlists Pincus to help him, and Téa Leoni as the object of Pincus’ affections, give comedic and heartfelt performances which mean the film is consistently entertaining.
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or those of you who cannot even bear to watch High School Musical 3 ironically, (and no, saying that you know all of the song lyrics and dance moves out of irony is not an excuse ), here’s another high school movie with a bit of a difference. The plot is simple, yet deliciously deviant from the standard teen movie clichés– instead of trying to get into the “in crowd”, Veronica (Winona Ryder) , who is already one of the popular girls in her school, meets a rebel, and under his teachings they begin to tear up the social politics of the pupils in an increasingly unorthodox (and sociopathic) manner. From the opening sequence, where we see the three airhead Heathers (the film’s term for the popular clique at school since...well they’re all called Heather) trample on flowers and then proceed to play croquet at the head of the completelyburied-up-to-the-neck Veronica, it becomes immediately clear that this is not your average high school movie. In fact, it’s fair to say that this is probably one of the darkest teen movies ever, a sort of Mean Girls with murder, or Breakfast Club with butchery. Do not fear, however, for the film never strays onto the grotesque side of the garrotting wire and is peppered with wonderfully witty and very dry quips, (“Grow up Heather, bulimia’s so ‘87”), that turns this average B- movie into a fantastically satirical comedy. Granted, the acting and direction is not exactly world class, but the casting is inspired - especially Christian Slater as the gorgeous but ever so slightly twisted rebel JD - with full marks going to whoever decided to call the rebel figure Jason Dean. All in all, the film is full of the kind of pure entertainment that only the 80s could offer, yet with the biting satirical edge that makes this the perfect way to *ahem* ‘break free’ from all things musical and Disney.
Overall this film is a great example of what can be done with a rom-com, an often mishandled genre. It really is a must see for fans of Gervais, and thanks to a witty script and strong performances all round, anyone will come away feeling entertained.
Tom McDermott
Charles Rivington
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Laura Cress
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rather crossy with wossy!
TURN ON...
Does Jonathan Ross actually deserve to go back to the Beeb? After all Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is a bit shit isn't it?... says SCOTT BRYAN
Bah! Oh here we go, another article that’s doing a bit of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand bashing. I know, you are wanting to gouge your eyes out at any given moment, so let me just say that I won’t be dwelling on the matter for long (for more dwelling on the Brand and Ross issue, see page 16 in the main section).
...TURN OFF
First things first, we all know that the whole bloody issue was entirely blown out of proportion. I can probably guess that by now there are roughly 100,564,566 complaints from Daily Mail readers who are disgusted, disgraced, in fact any negative word that begins with the word ‘D’ over the matter, and that nearly everyone from Radio 2 will have resigned by now... Gordon Brown is signing a UN emergency action treaty as we speak, threatening Brand and Ross on attempting to get access to, or build, any radio transmitting equipment as we speak: you get the picture. As a result Russell Brand has quit the BBC for good, and Jonathan Ross has been suspended without pay until January of next year, which means that Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and his Saturday morning show on Radio 2 have been suspended, and Radio 2’s reputation tarnished. So here comes the gallant question and the point of this bloody article. Does anyone actually like, or miss Friday Night with Jonathan Ross at all? The show, now in its 183rd series, is one of the most boring pieces of repetitive, smarmy shit I can ever face on a Friday. It involves the same old set, the same old gags, the same riveting anecdotes, and worst of all, the same diabolical set of guests. Tune in on any Friday night (well not any more, but you get the idea) and you will find the following: 10.40pm - After the opening titles of a lava lamp going mental, the show starts with Ross trying to go through a set of doors that won't open properly, and then receives an overthe-top dramatic entrance response from the audience (screaming, dying on their seats etc). This is then followed by Ross revealing a dull anecdote about a Japanese toy he has found on Firebox, before saying in a voice of a bad seaside entertainer, 'Shall we bring on our first guest?' A rather pathetic, groany 'Yeaaaasssssss ssssssssssss....' comes from the people in the audience. A coma is just about as entertaining at this point.
C) A British personality who is desperate as they can be to be on the programme because of the amount of people who watch the programme, mainly because they have a friggin' good agent.
We at TellyVision Towers have decided to make the drastic and horrifying step of abandoning Neighbours news forever (unless Harold comes back, we love him and his chortling mannerisms) and instead opt for Hollyoaks news instead. You can vent your anger by sending horrible emails to editor@yorkvision.co.uk. Please be my guest. Please, really.
D) Wicky Gervais He will then talk about his week, mention more Japanese toys and his £12 million contract, before bringing on his first guest. Fourpoofs-and-a-joke-that-became-unfunny-a-long-time-a-go burst into a George Michael song while celebrity from Category A prances on stage and sits down on the sofa. The viewer will start to feel excited... what a guest... what a presence on this programme! However this opportunity is wasted as Ross tries to steal the limelight from whatever they say. His obscure style of interviewing will mean that the person does not really get the concept of the show, thus he / she will sit uncomfortable during Ross’ jokes and mannerisms. He / she will uncomfortably laugh whenever Ross makes a remark, sitting on the sofa like they have severe constipation and will end up giving the look to the camera making it read as ‘Plug my perfume/book/film/album/new comedy show and fuck off.' Alternatively Ross will ask a very perverted question just seeming to be controversial and have a larrrfffff: having a wank over Margaret Thatcher anybody? Oh lovely.
THE SHOW, NOW IN ITS 183RD SERIES, IS ONE OF THE MOST BORING PIECES OF REPETITIVE, SMARMY SHIT I CAN EVER FACE ON A FRIDAY.
The guests in the 'Green Room' will consist of the following: A) THE most popular US celebrity at the moment that the producers have managed to land on the show. They are HOT. They are either wearing something scantily cladding (revealing a little bit of leggy), or they are hot in comedy, acting, political movements or sexualreawakening. B) A comedian who is very hyped up at the moment but turns out to not be very funny at all. This is normally weekly, yet again with an 'I am funnier than you' back-and-forth slanging match between Ross and the interviewee. Instead of wanting to wet myself with laughter, I feel that I have the urge to keel over.
After guest one has left, Ross anecdotes about more bloody toys and Japan, and then a four-poofs-and-this-really-wasn't-funny-the-first-time scream into song as person from Category B runs into the camera. Haha it's the comedian! A comedian in a show with a presenter who apparently is a comedian! Oh let the ego battle commence. You don't find anything remarkable about the guest's personality because it is substantially hidden behind their comedy appearance... hence jokes about vomit, wanking, cats, japanese toys and anything else that's fun are mentioned. Ross will also probably mention the missus, with a shot back to the green room showing Category A celebrity still not understanding what the hell is going on and Category C dying, DYING to come on to camera. Don't worry, your time will come. By now it's quarter-past eleven, and you're about to pass out on the sofa because you are either drunk or severely bored, and then, lo and behold, person from Category C finally falls into shot. This person will try to flirt with Jonathan in a blatant attempt to gain attention and go up in the estimation of the British public, but instead of being seen as a funnier, more desirable figure whom makes human life more worth living, they will instead simply look like a knob. i.e. Tara Para Tompkinson, Ricky Wilson, Wicky Gervais... See the mental lava lamp with jazzy organ at the start of the programme and you get to see a nice compiled list. The matter is, Jonathan Ross' show is devoid of any originality and any comedy. BBC bosses believe that if Ross turns up (with a bad beard during the winter months), comedy and ratings will just ride their way through. And why the show has to be on for 49 weeks of the year is still beyond me. Now that he's gone however, Fridays seem to get remarkably better. I've never enjoyed more amazing last-minute replacement television: Speed (the film), with a keg of White Strike. Fucking hell... Friday nights are sorted. Let January never ever arrive.
Luckily for us, the producers decided to kill off the only boring member of the McQueen family last week, leaving us with plenty of disgraceful behaviour over the next fortnight. With plenty of untimely sex, at least two catfights and some particularly appalling acting, there is little chance of disappointment. Louise, still ridiculously unaware of Warren’s affair, asks Mandy to be her maid of honour and throws her a party. Mandy then proceeds to take a heart to heart with unlikely-stud Tony a few steps too far, accidentally sleeping with him. Cindy continues to get on the wrong side of pretty much everyone, finally discovering that Mandy is Warren’s secret woman. Despite being possibly the most annoying character ever, she makes for a priceless moment when she literally bites Louise. Meanwhile, Newt and Lauren, worryingly the most conventional current Hollyoaks couple, decide to ruin this by having sex in the school common-room, which should make for a highly pleasurable and not at all messed up viewing experience. The village also welcomes some new characters, including a new family, a nightmare student and another, possibly even more disgraceful, McQueen. And as if all that isn’t enough,we also have a new season of Late Night Hollyoaks to look forward to, opening with some lesbian action between Sarah and Zoe, lovely. SOPHIE GRENCIS
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STUDENT PRIORITIES : 1. SEX 2.%DRUGS 3.%ROCK’N’ROLL 4....
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hat terrible affliction to your social schedule and degree is returning on November 14th. I couldn’t resist trying the demo (released on www.footballmanager. net) to check out all the new features for myself and offer some thoughts on them. The biggest change is of course the 3d view, which looks the quality level of Fifa 96 at best, but we’re all going to enjoy replicating beautiful football with more than following dots. The press conferences are a lot less annoying than the putting words-in-your-mouth style of interviews found before, yet I’m still concerned about how tiresome they’ll grow to be once you’ve done them a thousand times. The transfer system is slightly less ridiculous; no longer will you find Arsenal spending an outrageous amount of money on single players to reflect Wenger’s stringent policy (for better or worse), or where Chelsea buy their twentyseventh attacking midfielder just to have them play four games a season. Other than that, it looks and feels the same, with a couple of extra options in youth signings and transfer clauses, but the added realism is a good enough take for me. The dur-
ing-match Asst. Manager feedback is an excellent inclusion and will help new players tremendously in assessing tactics and performances. With regards to the tactical side of things, a very significant alteration for this version is that arrows in the tactical screen are now limited to backwards and forwards. For some reason Sports Interactive seem to believe that it is a more realistic impression of football management to have people move out wide or cut inside by combining several of the player instructions, which is a ridiculous and unnecessary complication. Can you imagine a coach trying to instruct a winger to cut inside by talking about what percentage of ‘creative freedom’ he has and that he should ‘cross rarely’ where drawing a simple line would suffice? Apart from that, generally most features I’ve found are cute and fun but just about enough to warrant buying the new edition. One important thing to note is that there will be a release day patch to iron out some bugs featured in the game. On a final note, It’s probably best you don’t buy the game, for your own sake, but can you really resist? Jerome Josy
... 70. degree
Dont Play With Yourself! N
spore M
o one wants to be lonely, so here is York Vision’s definitive list of games to play with your mates:
ade by the creator of the SIMS, SPORE is possibly the most hyped-up game of the year. There are some pretty obvious similarities, both games having the same simple futuristic 3D animations, and both making you feel like God on a power trip. But this is where the similarities end, SIMS fans be warned. You are now in control of evolution. Life for you starts out as a single spore in a tidepool; you must fight your way through life, evolving and reproducing until you can walk on land and create a future for your species in space. Travel through six evolutionary phases by making friends and killing your enemies, whilst moulding your creatures for their survival. After a while this does become a little tedious and at times seems almost too easy, possibly because I played it on ‘easy’, but still, it is a shadow of what it could have been. Despite this, I did admittedly become quite addicted, and found it extremely hard to let my peculiar ugly-featured aliens go. It is definitely worth your gaming time, but do not expect the epic adventure we were led to believe SPORE would be.
1- Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 The easiest way to raise your blood pressure and fall out with your housemates. For some reason Pro Evo (as it is affectionately known) can turn even the most mild-mannered chap into a raging, testosterone-driven hooligan. This is a strong compliment. 2- Halo 2 No shooter game can even come close to the replicating the breathless tension of Halo. The nervousness of knowing that your friends could be lurking around any corner provides an unbeatable rush. 3- Crash Team Racing The most chaotic racing game ever devised. Fiendishly designed with a multitude of lethal weapons, C.T.R. offers all manner of anarchic thrills and spills. And before any controversy starts, C.T.R. wipes the floor with Mario Kart! 4- WWF Smackdown v RAW The best way to siphon off excess testosterone. This is the closest you’ll be able to come to laying the smackdown on your mate and still remaining friends.
Hannah Belcher
As some of you may have noticed, this is a new section to VISION and as such we are on the lookout for writers! Please e-mail vision@yusu.org if you are interested!
5- Wii Sports The best way to feel like you earned your night’s sleep. This is one of the only times at uni when brawn well and truly beats brains. Joseph McDermott
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Jennifer Keogh
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second hand And so the answer lies with books. borrowed, Not quite bought, not quite eone else’s som h wit d ase they may be cre se stained notes scrawled inside but the h your little gems will see you throug -hand bookcourse. We did have a second ving us shop on campus; it closed, lea t really sn’ doe ich wh ells with a Blackw t budget. I understand the ter m studen le late for realise this may come a litt in antholoeep e-d kne y Freshers, alread ng it is gies, but if I’ve learnt one thi h it a new wit ngs bri m ter that every new one of these reading list so next time try first…
Havens The Minster Gate Bookshop 8 Minster Gate www.minstergatebooks.co.uk
Prides itself on its unusual collections
The Barbican Bookshop 24 Fossgate www.barbicanbookshop.co.uk
Borders 5 Davygate www.borders.co.uk
Self named "browser's paradise"
Everything in the ‘Cheap Classics’ selection £1.99
for Bi blioph il
es:
www.books.co.uk
The moneysupermarket. com of the book world. Compares different prices from a number of sites.
SPOTLIGHT
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about quantity not quality
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LISTINGS
NaNoWriMo
MIRIAM HUNT explains how this November, it's all
BOOKS
A Month of writing dangerously
T
his year marks the tenth birthday of NaNoWriMo, the online writing challenge that invites people to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. In 2007, over 100,000 people took this challenge and signed up to 30 gruelling days of manic typing, with about 15,000 making it past the finish line. Taking a self confessed kamikaze approach to writing the NaNo team - led by the ever encouraging Chris Baty - champion a type of writing that just writes and worries about what was written come December.
The first NaNos were written in July of 1999, where a group of 21 San Francisco based friends took it upon themselves to write a full novel within the month. At the end of 31 gruelling days, the now-novelists were surprised to find they had enjoyed their month of hell. Twenty-one new novels existed in the world and the NaNoWriMo challenge was born. Year 2 saw the project shifted to November - to “make the most of the miserable weather” - and the advent of a website, initially intended for the original participants to invite a few friends. An unexpected 140 people signed up, from as far afield as Canada. But it was the year after this, in 2001, that the website really exploded - when the hundred odd participants swelled to five thousand. A decade after its inception, the challenge is thriving with writers from around the globe signing up to write their novel - to finally commit the story in their head to Word document, to test their creativity or just to prove they can do it. The online communities are a big part of the allure for many - forums stretch from regional groups to desperate writer’s block help threads, and create an environment that is at once competitive and supportive. The “plot help” forums have saved many a sanity in the dead of night in late November; those initiating ten minutes word wars have in turn destroyed many a fragile mind. NaNo is, perhaps, a bit Marmite-like: either the idea of bringing this sort of task upon yourself is masochistic madness, or the challenge is something to be risen to. For the writers of NaNoWriMo 2008, a combined word count of 172 million by the fifth day of November represents a determination to write a novel, and to write it very quickly.
The Pirate's Daughter
Winkie
Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Chase Clifford
Headline Review �7.99
Hodder Paperback 7.99
‘
The Pirate’s Daughter’: a misleading title, for there are in fact no pirates; rather, the story begins with a highly misguided love affair. Our protagonists are fourteen year old Ida Joseph and the infamous, womanising forty year old movie star Errol Flynn, who arrives in Jamaica unexpectedly, and true to character, when he is shipwrecked in Port Antonio. The story charts the trials of Ida as she becomes pregnant with Flynn’s child, and is promptly abandoned by him, heartbroken and destitute. Left with many difficult decisions to make about the livelihood of her family, her daughter May and hilarious, aged father, Ida leaves alone for America in search of a fortuneinstead finding a rich Baron for a husband. During her mother’s absence, May Flynn is left without supervision and grows into an unruly and opinionated teenager, whom the reader cannot help but be endeared to. This leads to emotional attempts on Ida’s return to form the non-existent mother-daughter bond between them, before May gets into real trouble. The setting of the novel in Jamaica is truly refreshing, and the vividness of the descriptions transports the reader to the relaxed and exotic informality of this tropical island, the perfect tonic for miserable British weather. The subtle political background of Castro’s seizure of power in Cuba, and Jamaica’s bid for independence from Britain, is also an imaginative and very realistic depiction of the tensions and fear that the Jamaicans’ would have faced at the time. The use of Jamaican dialect is quirky, but can become a little irritating when you have to re-read the sentences a couple of times to understand what is being said. My only other criticism would be the fact that it is probably a little too long, and the spaces between dramatic events tend to drag a little. Overall, though, Victoria Lovegreen an original and well written book, definitely worth a read!
I
n his debut novel, Clifford Chase sets out to satirise the hypocrisy of the US war on terror with this, the story of a teddy bear.
The eponymous Winkie is a well-worn teddy bear who has been passed from generation to generation, subjected to affection and abuse in equal measure, and watching each child grow up and out of him. One day, by a happy if unexplained miracle, he realises he can move, and leaves the confines of the family house and heads for the woods. The early book concerns his growing self awareness, learning how to think, live and love. Then, however, Winkie is wrongly arrested on charges of terrorism, and plunged into a world where he can trust no one and the truth only amounts to the way it is presented. Winkie’s strength lies in the ideas in it. The plot, though bizarre, twists and turns expertly and draws you into caring about the fate of the long suffering bear. The cast of supporting characters are excellent caricatures of figures in the media and the law courts, and through their often ridiculous choices Chase parodies the hysteria of the “War on Terror” deftly. However, this ridiculousness is possibly the book’s greatest weakness. Sometimes the plot seems just too bizarre to follow, with no real explanation ever given to Winkie’s sudden consciousness that sets the whole book in motion, and a rather sudden and convenient twist saving the day. The outlandish characters, too, can seem too cruel or stupid to believe in. Reading Winkie, I had the thought at the back of my mind that it was clearly a very clever book. This was not always a blessing, and sometimes took away from the story, which at its heart was an account of someone figuring out what it meant to be themMiriam Hunt selves, and the be human, even if they were a bear.
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the cult-shire guide Yorkshire culture: the best bits. Town
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CAMPUS
Will Booth Emma burbidge cecily cole
Zoe Stones
I
Banksy strikes again...
Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!
I confess I am a party whore, and only 30 minutes' train journey away is Leeds; a party centre. I've been several times, but I mainly discovered its true genius when I missed the 3 am coach back from a Goodricke trip and was forced, and I mean literally forced, to stay with some friends in Leeds for the next 4 days. So, for those of you who crave excitement, here are some top tips about one of the clubbing centrals of the UK.
It is £6.45 for a return to Leeds (with a Young Person's Railcard) and this is well worth the money, as they still allow you to return on the 2.45 am train with this ticket. Mondays are pretty much dominated by the infamous Gatecrasher. With by Jenny McLarney music ranging from decent chart to funky house and electro it definitely beats York St John’s Gallery night ten fold. Pre-drinking can be incredibly cheap in Leeds; on Mondays in Sports Café and The Library it's only £1 for pints and cocktails. Tiger Tiger Tuesdays are supposed to be ‘the messy night’, and you certainly leave with any white garments a greyish brown, along with a fully UV painted face. However, I felt it was nothing on the messy scale compared with our beloved Ziggy's’ dress-up mess-up. It’s advisable that this night should start with a cheeky few in either Varsity or Bourbon, where you can purchase double vodka Redbull for a mere £1.80. Wednesdays are wallet friendly in Yates’s, where £1 pints can be found before hitting the dance floor. Oceana is generally the favourite student choice, but I find it a bit too large and lacking a certain amount of character. The Faversham is not only smaller with a better atmosphere, but the option of live music makes an interesting change from the typical mainstream club. Finally Thursdays is either Tequila night at Mezz, which offers some decent drum and bass, or Full Moon Party at Mission. Both beat Gallery handsdown and should definitely be investigated. So, if you don’t fancy Tru, Ziggys or Gallery, I really would recommend a trip to Leeds. Not only is it cheaper than it sounds, it is a guaranteed good night and well worth the extra effort.
Hands up who's on pills?
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William and Octavia: Something to see/hear Drama Soc's first production of the term lives up to expectations
T
he first of this term’s Drama Barn lineup, William and Octavia – two distinct plays - had a great deal to live up to. Having been awarded the Edinburgh International Festival Award this summer, it was inevitable that one would carry high expectations of student-led ‘Belt Up (Nothing to See/Hear)’ and their outwardly innovative, interactive plays. Following advice to bring a picnic, I settled down with my punnet of strawberries, enchanted by the barn’s transformation. The drama barn could be considered ideal for the nature of Belt Up’s work – a small enough space to enable audience integration, but large enough to use the space for a high level of movement among the audiSo realistic and vivid was ‘Octavia’ that it had ence. What usually suffices as more than one member of the audience in tears a small black box theatre had been fashioned into a fairytale realm, comprising, amid the haze, a wooden swing hung from the beams, and we, the spectators, on the hay-scattered turf. The first of the two productions, Octavia, lived up to prior expectations, and demonstrated why Belt Up have generated such recognition. Along with a carefully considered, powerful soundtrack, the orphaned princess’ long and eventful journey, spanning days and nights, was effectively portrayed by resourceful use of lighting, adding to the authenticity of the play. Fantastical and tragically powerful from beginning to end, so realistic and vivid was ‘Octavia’ that it had more than one member of the audience in tears. The only let down were the several slipped-up lines, which marred an otherwise impressive performance.
The second, ‘William’, brought a lighter element to the evening, both enchanting and amusing in equal proportions, with an existentialist edge. A contrast of everyday occurrences (stereotypical partying teenager, a tiresome ride on an underground tube) with the truly absurd (see enchanted library and friends being discovered in books) made for a comical, if not surreal, performance. The overall consensus appeared a mixture of enchantment, and disappointment that the plays had to end. The combination of set, lighting and soundtrack all made for two captivating productions, and the mostly high quality of acting was the final attribute tipping the plays into an almost believable experience. Thanks, Belt Up, for distracting us from the real world (at least for a couple of hours), and apologies to the actor who had the misfortune to step in my camembert. Although, you did advise us to bring a picnic…
LISTINGS
WHAT NOT TO MISS... The Happy Ever After Society bring you their version of this classic musical. This Thursday, Friday and Saturday (13-15th), 7.30, Central Hall. Tickets available from Your: Shop, get 'em quick!
The bizarrely named Lady Boys of Bangkok is a show with a twist - the sixteen sexy showgirls are, in fact, not really girls. 24th November, York's Grand Opera House. For more information visit their website www.grandoperahouseyork.org.
by Stephanie Frater
College Culture Stephanie Frater takes you on a broomstick tour of the University of Spork This issue: Gildricke College If you have taken a few minutes to jaunt around Spork Island in your initial weeks here, you will already have discovered the festival of ‘delights’ towards the northern province of our magical world. Those of you yet to leave your en-suite bubble on the other side of campus are quite unaware of the unique experience that awaits.
Drama Society's latest offering, Bedroom Farce by prolific playwright Alan Ayckbourn graces the Drama Barn stage this weekend. This intimate comedy examines the relationships of four couples, and the subtle blend of the comic and tragic in this play is really not to be missed.
Gildricke is one of the earlier colleges, built directly by the swamp in order to prevent moorhen invasions from the West. Teemed with permanently intoxicated witches and wizards, quite often bringing up the contents of last night’s cauldron, this is not a place for the faint hearted. Yet, those with a little imagination and the spiritual enlightenment to make anything of this dystopian quarter can expect to find a range of cultural features and quirks that give the college a character unmatched by all others. Perhaps the most defining aspect of Gildricke culture is its social solidarity, envied across campus. Having added each other on Facebook within seconds of meeting each other, Gildrickers have between them a network comparable to Charlotte’s Web. Only significantly less innocent. This web is often used as a method of stalking other witches and wizards, with a view to assessing the ease at which one might wave one’s wand beneath another’s robes. Whilst this is understood to be a common phenomenon among the colleges, it is an area in which Gildrickers excel, and is a cultural quirk so far unmatched across Spork campus. Similarly noteable a cultural attribute within Gildricke is its strength in potion mixing. Requiring a great deal of creativity and skill, Gildrickers often develop an ability to mix various brews in one evening, with relatively little after-effect. Visitors to the college will likely be offered a potent concoction of sorts, often involving MossCutter’s finest tonic, Fizzchino. Be sure to pick up a few recipes on your travels to the college – you will no doubt discover at least one preparation to suit your tastebuds. Such creativity in potion making has so far remained unmatched on campus. Finally, those of you seeking unusual architecture will be fascinated by Gildricke’s narrow corridors, trapdoors and cupboard-like witches’ dens. A labyrinth of excitement, many of you will find yourself wandering the Gildricke corridors for hours, days, or even weeks. Overall, Gildricke provides a fascinating cultural adventure unmatched across campus. Whilst, for safety reasons, it is recommended you stay no longer than a few days, Gildricke has been, and is likely to stay, a cultural quirk of Spork University for eons to come.
It's time for the annual Music Department's Practical Project, and this year we are to be treated with a performance of JS Bach's St John's Passion, which is rarely staged. 19th-21st November, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, tickets availabe from the Music Department Box Office.
SPOTLIGHT
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FILM
TV
GAMES
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CULTURE
LISTINGS
X-Tra Curricula H
ow does the old song go? If you must insist on sashaying down slippery roads after dark then you will slip in wet leaves and humiliate yourself down to the ill-heeled shoes you dance in? Aside from anything else, the point is it’s 2008 and no one else is listening to Hall & Oates. But yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year; the jolly months when the bah humbug really kicks in, daylight be damned. But ho, ho, ho, hermits,
music
there’s a new sheriff in town and you’re not getting away with that excuse. It’s time to shake off the seasonal defective disorder and join the fray (I don't think the band’s looking for members but they’ve had about thirteen of their alotted fifteen minutes anyway). Fine, I'll level with you dear thrill-seeker, here’s a list of things going on around town and further afield. It’s no rattling jamboree of inappropriate prank calls, but it keeps me off the streets. SS
Warehouse Project until 01/01/09 Store Street Manchester £15-30
Damnation Festival 22/11/08 All Leeds Union £29 4:30PM-3AM
According to the artist currently known as Prince, parties weren’t meant to last. Never been to Manchester your majesty? This series lasts for three months and expects 60,000 guests. With many nights sold out, you’d better (two)step on it to bag your place at this diverse music event. Let’s hope it doesn’t all go Pete Tong. Although it will, to some extent, as he’ll be going. Maybe I shouldn’t. www.thewarehouseproject.com
My goodness X-tra Curricular has been waiting a long time to see the “true face of metal”; so many imposters, so little hair. Carcass, Sigh, The Berzerker (my winner) and Taint come to show you what they’re made of - do you think you can guess? More bands to be announced plus an aftershow party for you all you legal-aged eagles. Test your metal. www.luuonline.com/whatson
Please Don't Stop the Music
Kanye West 17/11/08 MEN Arena £32.50 www.men-arena.com N-Dubz 14/11/08 The Asylum Hull £6 How have these little tykes slipped under Listings’ radar for so long with gems such as “Feva Las Vegas”? Well indeed, they better not waste my time, seeing as it’s a school night. Ouch. www.hullstudent.com/events
MGMT 11/11/08 Manc Academy 1 Lykke Li 27/11/08 Manc Academy 3 Estelle 28/11/08 Manc Academy 3 Pigeon Detectives 03/12/08 Manc Academy 1 £17.50 www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/services/gigs.shtml
P/X/001 7:30PM £3
WEEK 5 Monday
more
Climate Change March 08/12/08 £15/£20 non-student The coach leaves for London at 7.00am from Parkinson Steps, Leeds University, and returns in the evening. Disguise yourself as a Leodensian or a Loiner (smug pause for applause) and fight for your right to party. Or perhaps rather fight for your progeny’s right to party. To be honest you probably don’t have to be from Leeds Uni, just make sure you flash your NUS or it’s a £5 dearer cause. But hey, what’s money? There are bigger fish to fry...or maybe protect in the grand green scheme of things. www.campaigncc.org
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures Broadcast live from BBC Radio 2. Gosh I’m joking, we don’t go History repeats on Chris Waitt in for that brand of humour. Chris Waitt revisits so you don’t have to. Leeds International Film Festival until 16/11/08 various passes from £25-£120 The title pretty much says it all, probably unlike many of the featured films. It’s the largest film festival in England outside London, showing over 200 films from all over the world in venues all over the city. Nemo and Neverland were both found here, while Ashton Kutcher spread his butterfly wings. Look out for the Night of the Dead horror fest after the Opening Gala. This year’s gala film is Rumba, blending physical comedy and a rainbow of colours. You’ll be reeling. www.leedsfilm.com
theatre Grease 13, 14 & 15/11/08 Central Hall 7:30PM In the beginning there was the word, and the word was Grease. There’s something about a group of cliquey girls taking an introverted ingénue under their wing and turning her into an over-permed coquette; ah the theatre. Hopelessly devoted to cheese, and the happily ever after (society). Tickets £6/9 non student available from Vanbrugh Stalls and YOUR:Shop
I Want That Hair until 22/11/08 York Theatre Royal 7:45PM Thur & Sat matinees 2:00PM/2:30PM £5 www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/ Oliver! until 22/11/08 Leeds Grand Theatre 7:15PM Sat matinee 2:15PM £8-26 www.leedsgrandtheatre.com/
Mongol Genghis Khan cuts his teeth.
Friday
Hors de Prix Another petit dejeuner with Tiffany.
WEEK 6 Monday
Somers Town Shane Meadows of This is England tackles immigration.
Thursday Mamma Mia Pierce Brosnan’s solos are roughly as musical as a currant bun. Unmissable. All the clues were there
Friday
Kung Fu Panda Jack Black judo chops the mustard.
Sunday
City of God The best thing out of Brazil since the nuts. Which it is.
WEEK 7
the home front
Death of a Salesman until 29/11/08 York Theatre Royal 7:30PM Wed, Thur & Sat matinees 2:00PM/2:30PM £5
Thursday
Stranded Central Hall Lawns from 12:00PM 14/11/08 (Friday Week 5) Reality bites. It is unclear which ten will be imprisoned under the glare of central hall, forced to listen to a muffled production of Grease at least twice. X-tra Curricular and friends have their own ideas about who they’d like to keep at bay for a weekend; but it is you, the bloodsucking Orwellian viewer, who plays judge, jury and executioner by text and online. YSTV and URY capture the magic.
Monday
Man on Wire The wire’s between the World Trade Centers by the way. And he's on it. It's a man on a ridiculously high wire.
Thursday
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas A touching friendship unfolds across a concentration camp fence.
Friday
Hancock If only someone would cobble together Superman and Nick Cotton. Well holy Will Smith, they have.
Scene is:
Scene Editor: Andrew Nichols Music Editor: Joe McDermott & Hollie Price Music Deputy: Kate Miseada & Sarah Stretton Film Editor: Laura Cress & Charles Rivington Film Deputy: Annie Duffield & Tom McDermott TV Editor: Scott Bryan Deputy TV: Sophie Walkes & Sophie G Games Editor: Jerome Josy
Books Editor: Jenny Keogh Books Deputy: Miriam Hunt & Victoria Lovegreen Culture Editor: Zoe Stones Deputy Culture: Jenny McClarney & Stephanie Hood Listings Editor: Sophie Sabin