issue 143 - april 2014 - Cardiff Student Media

Quench
ISSUE 143 - APRIL 2014
PLUS:
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TO MADRID
WE TALK TO
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THE
Q
UESTION
I’m writing this month’s editor’s note on April Fools’ Day.
Rather than make any jokes, however, I’d like to remark on
the fact that I’ve spent the entire day surrounded by people
who’ve just repeatedly made cynical references to the fact
that it’s April Fools’ Day. In fact, I’ve encountered more
commentary about the event itself than I have practical
jokes, the very things the day is supposed to be about.
I suppose making reference to an event in a supposedly
self-aware manner is the “done thing,” but if the way you
choose to spend celebrating notable events is to spend all
day talking about how dumb the rituals surrounding them
are, then you’ve lost all right to celebrate your birthday
ever again.
EVERYBODY
WANTS TO KILL A
GIANT
In this issue, we’ve pulled out all the stops and secured interviews with Bombay
Bicycle Club, Skindred and George Ezra. Travel feature Madrid as a holiday
destination as well as a collection of wacky hotels, including a Vietnamese theme
park-cum-hotel with “cubby hole rooms” and “twisted mazes.” Food and Drink
ask what it means to be a foodie and review the best sandwiches in Cardiff, while
Culture celebrate the Cardiff Children’s Literature festival, and ask if we - as uni
students and adults-in-training - are too old to read books for kids.
LGBT+ tackle the contentious issue of different attitudes towards the community
worldwide, and features provide insight into what it’s like to suffer from facial
paralysis in a powerful personal essay. Fashion (pictured above) feature some of
the best beauty blogs from around the web as well as providing their usual dose
of fashion news and beauty tips.
Film and TV ask whether or not film adaptation of The Last of Us is anything to
get excited about, and review recent releases including Wes Anderson’s newest
opus, The Grand Budapest Hotel. Video Games round things off with a feature on
Welsh representations in video games, as well as shedding light on some of the
excellent webseries’ produced by the gaming community at large.
CONTENTS
5 FEATURES
13 LGBT+
15 HELEN
16 FASHION & BEAUTY
24 TRAVEL
28
32
40
46
54
FOOD & DRINK
CULTURE
VIDEO GAMES
FILM & TV
MUSIC
Cover photography by Aleksandr Jason Kostadinoski
www.aleksandarjason.com / insta @aleksandarjason
Everything is arbitrary to somebody, so have we reached
the point where we should just admit to being post-fun and
get over it? Is that what postmodernity is? You can’t tell other
people you’re pregnant without people getting on your
back about it. I remember seeing people leaving weird,
passive aggressive comments on an ultrasound image on
Facebook a little while ago that criticized the mother-to-be
for talking about it in the first place, as if it’s more normal
to update people about tongue-in-cheek photographs of
weird stuff you receive through the mail than it is to update
them on the growth of an entirely new human being.
And sure - maybe an ultrasound isn’t the right time for
an Instagram filter. But when did it become unusual to care
about things and just take them for what they were? The
fact that people seem more comfortable in tweed jackets
and hipster glasses than they are comfortable with people
posting photos of their baby on the internet seems like a
social landscape from a weird, alternative reality; it’s
like everybody’s become so unhappy with their lives that
bitterness is the dominant emotional paradigm. I mean, I
can understand wanting to show people photos of your
unborn child (it’s like a benign take on Alien), but tweed?
Tweed is ridiculous.
Every birthday I see on Facebook has devolved into a
competition in which people try and figure out the ‘zaniest’
way to wish somebody a happy birthday without using
those two words, as if they’re playing celebratory charades.
And Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas - they’re all the
same. Even major album releases and award ceremonies
are greeted with the sort of contempt people normally
reserve for ex-offenders.
I think everybody wants to be the smartest man in the
room; everybody wants to kill a giant, and explain away
decades away of tradition with an astute one liner. Deep
down, we all give a shit about birthdays and every other
event that breaks up the monotony of being alive - we’ve
just become so uncomfortable showing that we care about
anything at all. That’s a real shame; I mean, everybody
wants to see the world become a better place - but if you
can’t even show people photographs of your baby without
being criticised by keyboard warriors, then what’s left to
speak about?
MOCD
Quench
IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
Michael O’Connell-Davidson
Editor
@mikeocd
Sophie Lodge
Deputy editor
@sophiel2013
FEATURES
@quenchfeatures · features@quenchmag.co.uk
Andy Love
Features editor
@andyluvv
Chloe May
Features editor
@chloejayne_
Hattie Miskin
Features editor
LGBT+ & COLUMNIST
@quenchlgbt · lgbt@quenchmag.co.uk
Suryatapa Mukherjee
LGBT+ editor
@sugaryDEMON
Helen Griffiths
Columnist
@_HelenGriffiths
FASHION & BEAUTY
@quenchfashion ·
Jess Rayner
Fashion editor
@jessie_rayyy
Jacqueline Kilikita
Fashion editor
@J_Kilikita
Jordan Brewer
Fashion editor
@JordanAffairs
quenchstreetstyle · fashion@quenchmag.co.uk
VIDEO GAMES
@quenchgames · videogames@quenchmag.co.uk
Rhian Carruthers
Video games editor
@RoutineEnvelope
Matt Grimster
Video games editor
@MattGrimster
FILM & TELEVISION
@quenchfilm · film@quenchmag.co.uk
Charlie Andrews
Film and television editor, online editor
@CharlieRAndrews
Jade Attwood
Film and television editor
@Attwoodjade
Imran Bukhari
Film and television editor
@ImmyBukhari
Jenny Morgan
Film and television editor
@jennymorgan25
@quenchfood ·
@quenchmusic · music@quenchmag.co.uk
Tom Connick
Music editor
@ginandconnick
Jimmy Dunne
Music editor
@GrimmyBumm
Hannah Embleton-Smith
Music editor
@HEmbleton
ONLINE
Charlie Mock
Online editor
@Charlie_Mock
SPECIAL THANKS
FOOD & DRINK
quenchfood · food@quenchmag.co.uk
Dylan Elidyr Jenkins
Food editor
Emilia Ignaciuk
Food editor
TRAVEL
@quenchtravel · travel@quenchmag.co.uk
Emma Giles
Travel editor
@EmmaGiles94
Kathryn Lewis
Travel editor
@KathrynLewis92
4
Amy Pay
Culture editor
@YayAmyPay
Sum Sze Tam
Culture editor
@sumtzenbumtzen
MUSIC
Emrhys Pickup
LGBT+ editor
Q
CULTURE
@quenchculture · culture@quenchmag.co.uk
As ever, we’d like to thank gair rhydd Sport, Politics and Opinion. For
their help on deadline night, we’d also like to thank Sum Sze Tam,
Charlie Andrews, Jordan Brewer, Charlie Mock, Tom Connick, Emrhys
Pickup, Imran Bukhari, Emilia Ignaciuk, and Rhian Carruthers. Thanks
extended to all contributors, as well as Tom Eden and Elaine Morgan for
their organisational support. Oh, and for what it’s worth, Jess McFarlane
continues to be one of the best people working at the Students’ Union,
so tweet @cardiffstudents and say hi from us.
WRITE FOR US
Want to broaden your portfolio? We meet every Monday at 5:30 in
CF10, and the gair rhydd team meet just before at 5. Occasionally
we’re in a different place, so check Facebook and Twitter for any last
minute rescheduling. Alternatively, email pitches and ideas to any of the
above or editor@quenchmag.co.uk and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Note that we will not be holding meetings during the Easter Recess.
LIFESTYLE
FEATURES
THE
NORTH-SOUTH
DIVIDE
Gravy guzzling Northerner? Or stick-your-pinky-out Southerner? Alex Chapman discusses the ongoing feud
between students either side of Watford Gap
University life is never guaranteed to come
without its fair amount of trials and tribulations,
from the often crippling amount of coursework
and revision to the realisation that, after living
like kings for the best part of a fortnight after
your loan going in, you’re probably going to be
living like destitute hermits for the remainder of
the term, tragically rationing a bottle of Vladimir
between 6 people pre-Lash. But what’s ever more
apparent, yet often accepted as the norm, is the massive
regional divide between the North and South of the
UK among students, leading to predominately friendly
banter, but sometimes descending into sinister rivalry and
pretentious stereotyping.
Traditionally, the North is regarded as the working-class
society, the industrial side of England containing pieeating, gravy-loving, Thatcher-hating folk. Historically, the
north once sustained England’s core industries such as steel
production and coal mining, yet despite this was never
as wealthy as the south. Stemming back to the 1960’s
depression, there was a focus on attempting to stitch back
together the seams of ‘Broken Britain,’ and in the words
of Harold MacMillan, ‘prevent two nations developing
geographically, a poor north and a rich, overcrowded
south.’ Whereas the South-East, namely London and its
surrounding boroughs, possessing the title of capital of
England and the biggest media hub in the UK, has the
largest share of wealthiest households. On average,
southern properties cost £100,000 more than a similarly
sized home in the North. Expensive homes equal affluent
families, leading to the first domicile of student banter - the
concept of ‘Little-Rich-Kids’.
Made in Chelsea, following the lives of the gloriously
elite 20-somethings of the sophisticated London borough,
depicts to its audiences across the UK that a party isn’t
a party without a bank-busting budget and a swarm of
tastefully-clad socialites. No argument can be resolved
without throwing a drink in someone’s face and everyone
has slept with everybody’s ex. But perhaps what audiences
love the most about the tongue-in-cheek series is a peek at
how the other half live. With at least four cast members
being heirs to multi-million pound companies, the incredible
lifestyle that the Chelsea lot lead brings out the green-eyed
monster in all of us. However it has been argued that
Made in Chelsea is not a true representation of people
from Chelsea, and the same has been said to other series
such as The Only Way is Essex, the cancelled Desperate
Scousewives and championing the North, Geordie Shore.
Geordie Shore, perhaps the polar opposite of Made
in Chelsea, follows the wild antics of Newcastle’s finest;
Charlotte Crosby, Gaz Beadle and their ever changing costars. In stark contrast to the debutant lives of their Chelsea
counterparts, Geordie Shore shows the crude and crazy
lifestyles of the all-drinking, eternally-partying Northerners,
with similar love problems to that of Made in Chelsea, but
handled in a very different way. Frequent punch-ups are the
result of male cast members stepping on each other’s toes,
sexual endeavours are common and captured on camera
with full-frontal nudity. Boobs are big, hair is bigger and
tans are nothing less than carrot-coloured. Although the
outlandish appearances of the female cast are of regular
scrutiny, the dialect that could be alien to anyone outside
of Newcastle is more often than not incredibly amusing
and the dim-witted remarks Charlotte occasionally throws
out, (‘He’s unreadable. He’s like the Spanish Bible.’), bring
limitless amounts of comedy to our screens. However scenes
of bed-wetting, projectile vomiting and confessions of STI’s
often make viewers wince with disgust, and lead to the
general consensus that all Geordies are the epitome of the
six/seven members relayed to us via the show. Many a time
have Geordies been bombarded with chants of ‘DOWN
IT, DOWN IT,’ because, naturally, the Geordies have livers
of steel and a resilient stomach lining, and no challenge is
big enough.
Studies show that Northerners are the heaviest drinkers,
with 46% of men drinking above recommended safe levels
in contrast to London’s 31%. In this study, every single
region in the North (Merseyside, North East & West and
Yorkshire) outdid those in the South in terms of bingedrinking, with those cheeky East-Midlanders rolling up 5th
out of the 10 regions surveyed. With the addition of a
cheaper cost of living in the North, they’re often seen as
alcohol-consuming animals, and many a time in halls have I
witnessed the competitive side of a Southerner emerge in the
face of Northern competition: “SEE IF YOU CAN DOWN
THIS PINT FASTER THAN THE NORTHERN LASS!” Used
5
Q
to £1 Jägerbombs and 50p shots, a Northerner affronted
with the idea of shelling out near enough a fiver on a
pint will probably have something to say about it, whilst
Southerners who venture up north are usually dumbfounded
at the cheap prices that are screaming out at them from
every club, pub and poster.
However, it is impossible to make a sweeping statement
and say that those from the North drink more than those
from the South. Two of my southern flatmates have had some
extremely amusing and downright unbelievable adventures
on their nights out, resulting in my driving halfway across
Cardiff to the house of a less than amused taxi driver, who
was particularly reluctant in handing over the passport of
one and the iPhone of another and said he would instead
like to, ‘burn one and throw away the other,’ (the items
left in his taxi, not my flatmates, although I wouldn’t have
put it past him.) One of the same pair of my flatmates has
been brought home after wandering the streets of Cathays
by three cheerful policemen after attempting to purchase
a delicacy from Mama’s Kebabs with his student card,
and another of my halls’ associates from Cambridge has
bashed himself on the head with a saucepan, eaten a bag
of sugar and stuck his head in an oven in the midst of a
drunken stupor. But is it really all a competition of who can
outdrink whom? Most of the time, yes.
Another question to consider is, is it rare for the opposite
sides of the country to venture into unknown territory? I have
found that seemingly so few Northerners broke away and
flew the nest as the majority of their friends from home went
to nearby universities, such as Leeds and Sheffield. This lack
of Northerners at southern universities leads to the terms like
‘token northerner’ being coined, and bad interpretations
and impressions of Liverpudlian accents that always end up
sounding Scottish. Equally, Southerners daring to travel up
North to study are normally flabbergasted by the amount of
Aldi’s, Lidl’s, Iceland’s and Gregg’s bakers, something I can
relate to myself having introduced a Londoner to an Iceland
(“Is this pizza mislabelled or is this REALLY A POUND?!”)
They also suffer for their accents - Northerners probably
think their posh, drawn-out imitations of the Southern accent
are completely dead on, but screaming, “It’s GRASS not
GRAHHHHSS,” doesn’t really hit the nail on the head.
But hang about, let’s not forget the city we study in and
Q
6
Studies show that
Northerners are the
heaviest drinkers,
with 46% of men
drinking above
recommended safe
levels in contrast to
London’s 31%
Another of my
halls’ associates
from Cambridge
has bashed himself
on the head with a
saucepan, eaten a
bag of sugar and
stuck his head in an
oven in the midst of
a drunken stupor
its home-grown young people. Not allowing anyone to get
away with their fair share of banter, the Welsh no doubt
have a high alcohol tolerance (being the third out of 39
countries across Europe and North America for the heaviest
teenage drinkers), a musical accent and a controversial
status as ‘sheep-shaggers’ (I can happily report I haven’t
met a legitimate one yet). From living all their lives in South
Wales to suddenly being ambushed by the English, the Irish
and the Scottish, many a time has a Welsh student put their
head in their hands and valiantly protested at the idea that
all Welsh people under the age of 25 are similar in any
way to the cast of The Valleys. Lucky visitors to Glam on
certain nights out have witnessed the dry-humping, the fiveway kissing and the bitch fights that the cast members have
to offer us, but having realised with relief that only the most
outrageous of 20-somethings were selected in the process
of making the most shocking reality TV show so far, I can
conclude that the Welsh are some of the cheeriest, funniest
and most passionate people I’ve ever met.
So to consider again the idea that amongst the student
body a divide has gradually formed, through the cultural
and industrial rivalries in the 20th century, we can regard
it as the creation of a sub-culture of university banter that is
apparent all over the UK. Northerners are viciously proud to
be just so, Southerners are equally aware that even if they
could, they would choose to be nothing else, whilst poor
Birmingham in the middle is ping-ponged between the two,
as identifying oneself as a Midlander to anyone outside
the Midlands will not suffice; “They’re a SOUTHERNER!”
“No, they’re a NORTHERNER!” But despite it all, uni would
just not be the same without the presence of the humble
regional joke, the cheeky dig in the ribs and the occasional
N vs. S football match. While it’s considered to be ‘grim up
North’ and ‘posh down South,’ the differences in regions
often leads students leaving university with a huge insight
into what life is like in different cities, a broader scope
of fresh personalities and the drive to visit some of these
mystical lands up and down the country. And, at the end of
the day, you will find out that no matter where you are, a
Southerner will enjoy a mountain of a kebab or a portion of
chips smothered in all kinds of greasy nastiness at the end
of the night just as much as any Northerner.
LIFESTYLE
Features
My FROZEN FACE
Amelia Jones relives her frightening experience of facial
paralysis, and reminds us that a smile goes a long way
I welcomed in the New Year excited to
graduate and enthusiastic to enter the
real world, but I faced an overwhelming
sense of anxiety as looming deadlines
and the mammoth task of my third
year dissertation weighed heavily on
my mind. The events that followed were eye
watering in the most physical sense. As I entered
the Accident and Emergency room on a rainy
January morning, stumbling over my words as
I frantically tried to articulate my address to the
receptionist, I burst into a flood of tears, and was
enveloped by a sense of extreme desperation. I
had woken up that morning with half of my face
frozen in a motionless stare. No movement or
sensation, my smile an awkward and painful
tear across the right side of my face. My left eye
was lifeless as tears streamed down my cheek
on a concoction of twenty one pills a day, an
attempt to reduce inflammation and relieve the
excruciating pain that had consumed what once
was my neck.
I came to realise just how important a person’s
face is. It is the source of identity and emotion.
It is the site of happiness, sadness, love and
hate. The face has the power to convey things
that words cannot. In many ways the worst part
about Facial Paralysis is not the pain or the
paralysis itself, but the fact that it removes your
identity and sense of self literally overnight.
I receded into the confinement of my room
for the next week because the walls could not
judge or stare. The university stress which had
caused my paralysis seemed nothing compared
to the feelings of extreme self consciousness that
awaited me in public places. On one occasion
I had woken up that morning with half my face frozen
in a motionless stare. My left eye was lifeless as tears
streamed down my cheek
and the bitter winter air slowly dried the surface
of my eye. Facial Paralysis, otherwise known
as Bells Palsy, affects around 1 in 5000 people
in the UK according to Facial Palsy UK, the
only existing charity for facial paralysis. There
is currently no cure for the condition and due
to a lack of awareness and interest, research
into treatment is very limited. In most cases it is
believed that facial movement will return to a
completely normal function, however recovery
time can range from anywhere between 3
weeks to 9 months, depending on how severely
damaged the facial nerve is. Fortunately mine
lasted only around 5 weeks, although that’s not
to say recovery was easy.
Facial paralysis is not an issue that I ever
thought I would be faced with. Not as a twenty
year old, third year student, at the beginning
of my career and the most important moment
of my degree. The doctor believed that the
paralysis was caused by a combination of
university-induced stress and a virus that had
inflamed the facial nerves in my neck. As she
reassured me that my face would eventually
return to its normal function, but there was no
way of telling how or when, I stared hopelessly
at my emotionless reflection. The next few days
passed and my reflection greeted me daily with
the same empty stare. I worked relentlessly at
my university assignment which was due in
a mere five days time, and powered through
whilst shopping with my mother in Cardiff, a
teenage girl glared at me on an escalator as
she thought that I was winking at her boyfriend,
due to my inability to blink. In another situation
whilst at a local pub, a young man began to
make small talk at the bar with me - he made
a swift and awkward exit when I laughed and
revealed my paralysed face in all its wonky
glory.
It was these things that hurt me the most. I was
not one to really care what people generally
thought of me. I have always been confident in
myself, my style and my beliefs, and yet as soon
as people began judging me on something that
was physically out of my control, I felt branded
in a negative and nasty way. It left me quite
disheartened that society could judge someone
literally at ‘face value’.
If facial paralysis has taught me anything it is
that despite the fact many people say that it is
what’s on the inside that counts, the outside is
still important. As students we all let stress take
over our lives occasionally and wonder how
we will ever make it through the mountain of
work that faces us. But we should never take
for granted the little things in life, especially
something as simple and beautiful as a smile,
which can brighten even the most melancholy
person’s day. The small things in life sometimes
can have the most value.
7
Q
PICTURE
THIS!
The Oscars’ selfie had Twitter going
wild, and Kieran Davey investigates
the popularity of this new photo craze
that is dominating social media
It was the photo that ‘broke Twitter’. The
Oscars, the most star-studded of events,
had provided the most star-studded of
photos which within minutes became a
viral internet sensation. Inspired by show host
Ellen DeGeneres, Twitter’s most retweeted imageor ‘selfie’ - was born as Hollywood greats such as
Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep joined
DeGeneres to create their own piece of history,
photographed by a beaming Bradley Cooper.
We are now living in the age of the selfie. For
those of you still scratching your heads in confusion,
selfies are a type of self-portrait typically taken using
a camera phone, with either with the camera held at
arms-length, or taken directly into a mirror. A survey
last year found that Brits took 35 million selfies every
month, and the term itself was even named by the
Oxford Dictionary as their ‘Word of the Year’ for
2013.
Unsurprisingly, the rise of the selfie culture is closely
linked to the social media revolution. Whether it’s
sharing your best photos on Facebook, linking them
on Twitter, or editing for Instagram, selfies have
become a key part of communicating with friends
and family during our daily lives. Of course these
photo opportunities aren’t just for the teenage media
addict either. The Oscars photo was retweeted 1.7
million times in the hour after it was shared, shattering
the previous record, Barack Obama’s victory photo
from his 2012 presidential election victory.
Step into the world of celebrity selfies and there’s
a vast array of reality television stars, actors and
even politicians jumping on the bandwagon. Last
December, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins snapped
himself while performing repairs on the International
Space Station, and even Pope Francis surprised
worshippers by posing with tourists at the Vatican last
Q
8
year. Some celebrity selfies are more controversial
though. Prime Minister David Cameron was widely
condemned recently for photographing himself on
the phone to Barack Obama for talks on the political
Step into the world of celebrity
selfies and there’s a vast array
of reality television stars, actors
and even politicians jumping
on the bandwagon
situation in Ukraine, tweeting his followers to show
his ‘direct line to the White House’.
Not even the Oscars photo escaped the criticism
that taking selfies can bring. Cynics pointed out that
DeGeneres’ Samsung phone was used for the photo,
the same mobile network rumored to have paid a
reported $20 million (£12m) to sponsor the event.
Similarly, DeGeneres was also heard talking before
the show about how to the break the retweet record
- ruining the apparent spontaneity that selfies are
supposed to create. Nevertheless it was a cracking
selfie - it’s hardly your average photo when its
participants share 8 Oscars between them, with a
combined gross earnings of £7.35 billion.
So what is the great lure of selfie-taking? Whether
it’s your typical awards ceremony, or you’re simply
out for a casual night out, selfies have allowed their
takers to record where they are, and what they’re
doing. Group selfies have become especially
popular, if only for the exciting challenge of how
many people can be fitted into one camera frame.
Critics have argued they are simply epitomizing a
society obsessed with their mobile phones and new
technology, and also reflect just how vain young
people in particular have become. Forget filling
your camera with endless streams of film, new
mobile technologies have allowed us to take near
unlimited snaps and trawl through them in search
of that ‘perfect’ image of yourself. Concerned that
you’re squinting too much for that selfie? Pressing
the delete button it is. Not quite capturing your best
side? Luckily Facebook and Twitter will never have
to know.
Of course these are problems that the likes of
Pitt and Lawrence will rarely face. While many
will resent the world’s biggest film awards being
overshadowed by a simple photograph, there is
little question that selfies have become a significant
part of popular culture today. It remains to be seen
whether selfies are here to stay, or like the Harlem
Shake and ‘Neknominate’, will soon become just
another fad consigned to history.
LIFESTYLE
FEATURES
SURVIVAL OF THE #FITTEST
As fitness booms throughout social media, Emma Giles questions the development of a new competitive
lifestyle, its benefits and possible repercussions
The season of New Year’s resolutions and the surge of self-motivational Facebook
statuses has (thankfully) well and truly gone, and whilst this is a welcome change
to those who realise that they have already broken their resolutions, one thing
seems to be gaining momentum and that is the idea of fitness. With the growth
of fitness apps, blogs and those cringe-worthy inspirational quotes, fitness has
become somewhat in fashion. Social media has been thriving on coined terms
such as ‘strong is the new skinny’ and gyms have been continuously packed
out, indicating the growing prominence of fitness within the student sphere.
Obviously people have been engaging in fitness activities for years, but it is the
social media consumption of this that has catapulted it into the realm of ‘trendy’.
While this is undeniably a positive sight when considering the levels of obesity
in the UK, it is important to consider the possible consequences that can arise
from ‘trends’.
Body confidence is a concept that many
young women and men struggle to deal with,
with many young adults are unsatisfied with
their bodies. When considering the possible
impacts of such a growing trend, the trouble
lies in the fact that many people have a different
idea of what makes them confident and this is
often heavily affected by the images we are
surrounded by in our everyday lives. In terms
of what can possibly be deemed a fitness
trend, we are faced with countless images of
toned and muscly men and women. Not to
mention the obligatory post of an individual’s
brand new gym trainers. Whilst scrolling through Instagram, sprawled out in bed
with last night’s family-size packet of Malteasers still lurking, I find it hard not to
feel like a slob and am tempted to partake in a slightly more active afternoon.
Despite initially feeling envious at their motivation, I start to feel motivated myself
and not just so I can upload a picture of my new trainers, but so I can feel
better about myself and ultimately healthier. I think that’s what needs stressing, is
that although a trend can insinuate a transitory ‘hype’ and a trivial movement,
the idea that people want to participate in fitness in order to feel better about
themselves in terms of their health is primarily a beneficial thing.
However there is a danger that again lies in the idealisation of a certain body
type and while some may be motivated to go out and participate in the growing
fitness trend, others may view it as another unattainable image thrust upon them,
ultimately denting their own body confidence. The idea of fitness being ‘trendy’
also alludes to the idea that many people may adopt a fitness regime in order
to live up to the image it emits. Whilst this means people may reap the benefits
of a healthy lifestyle, it undermines the fundamental fact that fitness should be a
part of everyone’s life even in the smallest of doses. Just because it is deemed
trendy doesn’t mean that people should not participate and equally, just because
it appears a ‘trend’ doesn’t mean it is something that shouldn’t already be part
of an individual’s lifestyle. The growing trend seems to infer that in order to be
a healthy being you need to go to the gym tri-weekly, own a pair of Nike frees
and eat copious amounts of sweet potato. Whilst this is a valid and healthy way
for people to live their lives, fitness should be celebrated in its entirety to include
even small movements towards a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy and active is in
itself a cause for promotion, as previous body images portrayed in the media
(such as size zero) have had dangerous implications in terms of the messages
emitted surrounding unhealthy dieting.
The image emerging amidst the fitness ‘trend’
often appears extreme, creating an idealised
body type which in some cases can appear
unattainable for individuals. What I mean is, not
everyone has the disposable income to spend on
a gym pass or the money to buy any food other
than Tesco value beans. This in turn could easily
dent individual’s confidence in their body and
their fitness abilities. Amidst the pile of unwashed
dishes in my kitchen lies a stack of protein
shakers and tubs of protein, and upon asking my
housemate how much a tub costs I was shocked
to hear the price. It is of course an individual’s choice on how they spend their
money but as the size of the tubs appear to be growing monthly, I can’t help but
think competition, in terms of body size and shape, has something to do with it.
While it can be healthy to have a bit of competition in order to push your own
goals, it is easy to see how this sort of behaviour can be dangerous in terms of
comparisons between people and ultimately body confidence.
For women especially, body comparison plays a big part in the way we view
our own bodies. Women find themselves comparing their figures to friends,
random people on the street and to that girl who seems to never leave the gym.
Whilst the fitness trend can be seen to motivate people to change their bodies
into what they really want, it can also procure unhealthy competition, creating
the space for women and men to compare their bodies to others. If people
choose to embark on a fitness journey, it should most definitely be of their own
Just because it is deemed trendy
doesn’t mean that people should
not participate and equally, just
because it appears a ‘trend’
doesn’t mean it is something that
shouldn’t already be part of an
individual’s lifestyle
9
Q
accord and for their own benefits. People should never feel as if they have to
change their body in order to compete with others or live up to an ideal image.
Fitness, at the end of the day, can be enjoyable and have benefits, but the idea
that it is a trend should not impact on why people endeavour to engage in such
activity. It should always be for your own satisfaction, whether that be mentally
or physically. What seems worrying is the idea that the trend aligns fitness with
confidence, and whilst this is certainly true in some cases, people should be able
to feel confident in their bodies whether they are gym-bunnies or not. Confidence
should be a universal emotion whereby people should feel confident for who
they are naturally, not who they can be with a pricey gym membership and
stacks of protein.
While fitness has been seen to benefit
individuals in terms of their confidence and
their healthiness, the creation of an idealised
body type can have damaging repercussions
in terms of individual confidence
Although recognising the implications of this ‘trending’ fitness, it is hard to
avoid the positives in terms of personal development. After speaking to people
about their engagement with fitness, many said that engaging in fitness has
made them feel better about themselves in terms of their confidence and their
overall health. After starting a fitness journey, my housemate participated in
the Cardiff half marathon and now takes part in other running events. For her,
fitness is a hobby. She enjoys the gym and now feels more confident about
her body and her strength. Without sounding too soppy and like an American
cheerleader, I find it quite inspirational and often find myself thinking, ‘You go
girl!’ With the government and healthy experts continuously banging on about
how the nation is overweight and stuck in a rut of obesity, surely the growing
promotion of fitness, as a lifestyle, should be supported?
The idea of fitness insinuates the celebration of food and you only have to scroll
down Instagram to be faced with countless photos of smoothies, quinoa (still don’t
know how to say it) and the beloved sweet potato, and although I do find myself
saying, ‘Do we really need to see another picture?!’, my moaning won’t stop
people posting and arguably it shouldn’t. Food and the topic of diet has become
somewhat of a taboo topic in the media. With the word ‘diet’ connoting strict
and sometimes dangerous attitudes towards food, the growing willingness to
share photos of food is bringing the topic back into our attention, but this time for
the purpose of highlighting how people concerned with fitness are all about the
eating - just eating the right sorts of food that our body demands in order to stay
healthy. The promotion of healthy eating seems synonymous with the growth of
fitness and further pursues the idea that a movement towards fitness is a lifestyle
shift, not merely a trend. Despite this, I can’t deny the existence of the somewhat
‘trendy’ desire to add countless hashtags to any fitness-related photo just to
confirm that you are in fact sticking to your healthy lifestyle. While this may in
some way comfort the individuals posting the photos, it also emphasises the way
in which social media enables concepts such as fitness to thrive and therefore
appear as a trend. The need to post photos of fitness related things undermines
the fact that fitness should be a considered way of life for individuals, as opposed
to a trend that is adhered to in order to accumulate ‘likes’ on Facebook. For
many people, the increased documentation of personal progression has allowed
people to describe how fitness has helped them to become confident enough
with their bodies to want to share their journey. The motivation, determination
and dedication are things to be admired, and in some cases have the power to
inspire others to change their bodies in the way they want to as well. But that is
the main point: the idea that people should engage in a fitness lifestyle because
they want to, not because it is what seems trendy at the time.
While fitness has been seen to benefit individuals in terms of their confidence
and their healthiness, the creation of an idealised body type can have damaging
repercussions in terms of individual confidence. As we can see people will react
to growing trends differently, either feeling motivated by others’ fitness journeys,
feeling pressurised to fit into the new trend or simply not really caring. When
considering all of these possible interpretations, the main point to take away
is that people should be able to feel confident in their bodies whatever their
lifestyle. If people feel as if fitness has enabled them to feel confident then that
should be celebrated, but they should do it to make themselves happy, not to put
extra pressure on themselves, all in the name of a ‘trend’.
Q 10
The need to post
photos of fitness
related things
undermines the fact
that fitness should
be a considered way
of life for individuals
as opposed to a trend
that is adhered to in
order to accumulate
‘likes’ on Facebook
Calling all writers, editors,
designers, photographers and
aspiring media professionals:
WANT TO DECIDE
WHAT GOES HERE?
Quench is recruiting a
new editorial team for the
academic year 2014-2015
If you’ll be enrolled at Cardiff University during the next academic year and
want to get involved with the magazine, we’re hiring a brand new team for
the new year - no previous experience is required, but you can look forward
to learning a lot as a member of Cardiff Student Media. Student media is a
highly rewarding experience where you can serve your peers and broaden
your portfolio at the same time, so if you’re passionate about any of our
sections or want to build on the work we do, then we’d love to hear from you.
INTERESTED?
Email editor@quenchmag.co.uk
Send us a sample of your work, what sections you’d be interested in working
with (or suggest another!), and whether you’re more interested in design or
editorial work. Please also send us a short covering letter explaining why you’re
interested in the role and what you’d set out to achieve as a part of the editorial
team. Good luck! The closing date for applications is 5PM May 5
LIFESTYLE
LGBT+
THE WORLDS COLLIDE
For LGBT+ History Month (Issue 141) we had Lubna Anani write an article detailing the state of LGBT+ rights
‘Around the World‘. JoAn, a Quench reader, objected to the notion that LGBT+ rights is something to be aspired
to. Here is his perspective. In the next page you will find Lubna’s response
I am a Roman Catholic and it should come as no
surprise that I have a different point of view from
your paper on the characterization you give to the
“LGBT movement”. First, allow me to say that I am
no expert in matters of psychology nor sexuality. All
I know was obtained through education, Faith and
reason.
In your article you mention the persecution in
Africa, Cameroon in particular which is where
I am from, that those who identify themselves as
homosexuals experience. This kind of language
is very reminiscent of a not-so-distant past when
imperialistic nations such as the UK, France and
others used to tell us what was best for us. Today, the
continent is torn apart with countless conflicts waged
to protect the interests of MNCs most of the time (I
will challenge you to have an entire month where
you protest against the atrocities of war whether on
the African continent or elsewhere).
There is no point during the history of Africa, at
least that I can recall, at which the West ever adopted
any of our traditions or customs; at least it has never
been admitted. For example, in Cameroon it is legal
to have several wives, but not in the West; however,
we have never attempted to convince you that this
would be best for you. Yet, under some sort of moral
authority, many in the West take upon themselves to
teach Africans what is moral and what is not.
I urge you not to fall into the trap I see all too often,
where you label me or my Catholic Faith as a bigot.
I must admit, however, that it was not long ago that
I used to despise those who are different from me,
and I am not simply referring to sexuality. I have
learned that we, as human beings, all have dignity
that must be respected. God in his awesomeness,
when He created us, gave us all freedom. Freedom
though is a risk because it implies a choice: to do
right or not to do right. Regardless of the choice we
make, our dignity remains unchanged. But when we
make wrong choices it is up to us to be humble and
recognise where we have erred.
I will challenge you
to have an entire
month where you
protest against the
atrocities of war
The sexual revolution that has brought about this
movement, one must remember, came after the
Second World War at a time when everything was
being questioned, especially all authorities; the
world was turned upside down and all the roles
were redefined as a result. The importance of self
surfaced, and numerous studies were conducted in
different fields to promote the importance of the “I”
in society. A society must constantly question itself;
however, it does not always mean that everything
changes. One thing that has not changed is our
human body and its anatomy; our needs have not
changed fundamentally since the beginnings of time,
we are simply rediscovering our potential.
We are superior to animals because they lack
reason and react purely on instinct. We also have
instincts, but at times our instincts are wrong so
reason tells us not to act on those instincts. I could
be attracted to my sister or cousin and might want to
engage with her sexually when left alone in the dark
in a room. Reason recognizes the attraction, but it
also tells me that I should not act upon it because it
is not moral.
I acknowledge the dignity that God, our Creator,
intended to all – including our brothers and sisters
who brand themselves as homosexual. But I reject
the idea that the only way they could be dignified
is by having a sexual relationship with people of
the same sex because that is not what God had
in mind when He fashioned them in their mother’s
womb. His goal was not to have them defined by
their sexuality, but to live in a way that recognises
that we are all loved by God, even with our sins, as
long as everything we do is to give Him glory and
not direct the limelight to the self.
I once demonised those who are different from
me; however, I remained open to the Truth. I
also questioned the things around me, trying to
understand, seeking real answers. I can say today
that I am still on that path and I believe I am on
the right path. I hope you too remain open to the
Truth because, to echo Blessed John Paul II and Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI, just because the majority
proclaims something to be true does not make it
Truth.
“Truth can never be confined to time and culture;
in history it is known, but it also reaches beyond
history…If something is true, then it must be true for
all people and at all times” (Pope John Paul II).
13
Q
An open letter
Below is Lubna Anani’s reply to JoAn in the form of an open letter
I’d like to start by thanking JoAn for taking the time to read and respond to
my article; it is gratifying to know the work I put into my writing can foster
constructive debate and discussion.
Growing up in Jordan, in the heart of the Middle East, I witnessed a great deal
of anti-Western sentiment, accentuated by the 2003 Iraq War. My grandparents
grew up in diaspora; it was created by Britain, which signed over their land - a
British mandate at the time - forcing them to move away. We still deal with the
damage that colonialism caused in the region in the first half of the twentieth
century today.
The first time I came across the word “gay,” I was thirteen years old. I’d
been listening to Nirvana and at some point, Kurt Cobain sang, “What else
should I say? Everyone is gay.” Still, I knew what the term
meant years prior to my teenage grunge phase. I knew that
same-sex attraction existed, but I did not have a word to
describe it. Similarly, a friend relates how among her group
of friends in India, having crushes on girls was seen as
ordinary. There were no cultural taboos associated with their
feelings, because the word used to describe it did not exist in
their vocabulary at that age. The issue of homosexuality was
conveniently tucked away from our education at home and
at school. Oscar Wilde was controversial, Shakespeare’s
homoeroticism reinterpreted in a visage of platonic love. And while it’s true
that I gathered my knowledge about LGBT+ rights issues from the breadth of
material written by scholars and academics in the West, I’ve found allusions of
homosexual love in ancient Arabic poetry and art. Even in Islamic societies,
Sufi poets wrote odes to male lovers. All that changed in the 19th century, when
British attitudes towards the “immorality” of sexuality - and homosexuality in
particular - were imported to the Middle East.
Undoubtedly, the conquered adopt the customs of the conqueror. In this context,
colonialism imported two imperative things to Africa: Christianity, and sodomy
law. France, despite decriminalising homosexuality in its mainland in 1791,
imposed the sodomy law in Cameroon as a means of social control. The British
applied similar laws. But, prior to colonialism, customs regarding sexuality in
Africa were lax. In their Studies of African Homosexualities, anthropologists
Stephen Murray and Will Roscoe document the existence of same-sex patterns
in fifty societies across the African continent in pre-colonial times. In fact, the
Human Rights Watch states that more than half of the sodomy laws that exist
in countries today are relics of Victorian morality and British colonial rule.
Ironically, the intolerance of homosexuality that is widespread in Africa today
is, in part, the fruit of colonial dominion.
I use reason to conclude that homosexuality is acceptable. As humans, we
privilege reason as a way of reaching certainty in knowledge. Science is an
area of knowledge that is based on rational, empirical evidence. If science
informs us that there is a biological basis for homosexuality,
then reason must adhere to that conclusion, until science
indicates otherwise.
Reason is, indeed, as you imply, one way to navigate
morality. My moral standards - arrived at after careful
consideration of scientific research and reading of the
history of the LGBT+ movement - tell me homosexuality is
fine. Amusingly, one absolute thing about morality is that it’s
relative. For example, one might argue that homosexuality
is immoral and those engaging in it should be punished. But
to what extent can a society that harms an individual for not meeting a certain
behavioural standard be considered in itself a moral society? Consider Alan
Turing, the great code breaker and computer scientist, instrumental in Britain’s
victory in the Second World War, and a suicide victim to anti-homosexuality
laws that robbed the world of a great mind and its great ideas.
If there is one impression I hope to leave you with, it is the universality
of homosexuality. Studies of history have shown that it is not restricted to
geographical or cultural boundaries. If anything, its persevering consistency
throughout time and among different cultures suggests homosexuality’s inherent
presence in the human condition. As long as it is a human issue, it is a universal
one as well.
The issue of
homosexuality
was conveniently
tucked away
Q 14
LIFESTYLE
COLUMNIST
C O L U M N
R O A D
with Helen Griffiths
The Rest is Still Unwritten
Firstly, please excuse the Natasha Beddingfield lyric. I was planning
on writing about the fast approaching void of “after uni”, when Unwritten
started playing on my iTunes… and that was that. Settled.
A couple of issues ago, in my “balancing act” column, I briefly discussed
the daunting prospect of searching and applying for post-uni jobs. Well,
the end is looming ever nearer. I have only a couple of weeks of lectures
left EVER, and my thoughts are flying ahead to the unclear future, trying
desperately to imagine where I’ll be in a few months’ time. I mean that
both geographically and more figuratively; will I be able to stay in Cardiff?
(I really want to). Will I have a job? What on Earth will I be doing?!
After being in education for, um, all of our lives, the prospect of leaving
it and being an actual-real-life-adult-person is pretty damn scary. But
it’s also pretty exciting, right? I mean, imagine a life without grades and
exams… sounds magical!
the BBC Production Talent Pool/Production Trainee Scheme. This may
be a long shot, but it’s still worth a trying! There are many, many,
many more applications where that came from, but I’ll keep ploughing
through! I am a bit sad, though, that I’ll probably never have a job
interview that involves dressing up as a witch again - that is, unless
they remake Harry Potter in 20 years and I decide to audition. Seems
unlikely as I got a D in GCSE drama...
As I was saying earlier, though, it is all really quite exciting. For the
first time in my life, I won’t be tied to an educational course. I can do
whatever I want! Well, within reason. I mean, I need to find some way
of earning money before I can have too much fun. But theoretically,
if you’ve been more thrifty than me throughout your time at uni and
managed to come out the other side with any kind of significant
savings, you could go off travelling for… well, as long as you fancy
really! Even if you haven’t got a stash of savings, you could always do
the whole work and travel thing. Everyone seems to say that if you want
to travel, now is the time – which does scare me a bit, I’m not going
to lie. I have visions of getting to 80 and realising I always wanted
to travel to Morocco, or Malaysia, or… I don’t know… Madagascar,
and then resenting twenty-something-Helen for not making the most of
being young and “free”. Then again, you can always take a week or
two, or even a month, to go on holiday during working life. Oh god,
that reminds me, I’ve had my last ever long summer holiday… that’s
depressing. Moving on.
I have only a couple of weeks of
lectures left EVER, and my thoughts
are flying ahead to the unclear future
Speaking of magical ... As I write this, I’ve just finished a week spent
dressed as a witch, taking part in what I can only describe as the strangest
job interview ever. I am, of course, talking about campaign week - when
those aspiring to be your Students’ Union’s elected officers for next year
don all sorts of weird attire and run around campus with boxes of edible
goods, trying to procure your vote. Okay, there is a bit more substance to
the event than that. The whole point is to present your policies and ideas to
the student population so that they can then vote for whoever they believe
to be the strongest candidate. Admittedly, though, this quite often gets lost
amongst the costumes and gimmicks, which seems to be a fact of student
politics across the UK.
I may have been unsuccessful at the end of it all, but I can honestly say
I don’t regret running. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, met so
many lovely people, and genuinely felt like I learned a lot – despite the
exhaustion and emotional turmoil (I’m not exaggerating here). It definitely
takes guts to do something like this, and I’m sure all the candidates will go
on to do great things, whether they were successful with their campaign
or not. And, of course, I’ve got to take this opportunity to say a huge
congratulations to everyone who was elected – I’m sure you’re all going to
have an incredible year!
So anyway, that’s one option for next year struck off the list. However,
I’m now focussing on looking forward to other things - within 48 hours
of having received the elections results, I was writing my application for
Whether or not I manage to find a job soon after uni, I’m holding
on to the fact that, either way, I’ll have more freetime than I do now.
Okay, so I currently only have 8 hours of uni a week, but I spend
pretty much all of my free time doing student media stuff. Which,
don’t get me wrong, I LOVE - I think the thing that saddens me most
about leaving uni is actually the fact that I’ll no longer be a part of
Cardiff Student Media - but I am kind of looking forward to getting my
evenings back. A tiny bit. Maybe. Who am I kidding, I want to cling
onto CSM forever. But still, it would be nice to have the time to read a
book for pleasure for a change, or sit and watch a film without getting
the oh-my-gosh-I-should-be-doing-something-productive guilt.
On the flipside, though, there’s the terrifying prospect of
unemployment... the only thing worse than having no free time is
having too much! Let’s face it, none of us want to be queueing at the
job centre weeks after graduation. Or years later, for that matter. I
think the main issue I’d have with that (apart from the stigma attached
to it) is the idea of somebody else suggesting jobs to go for. I don’t
know about you, but I want to pick a career on my own terms.
Who knows what the future holds? Maybe I’ll try to start my own
company, or move somewhere exotic. Maybe no one will want
to employ me and I’ll move back in with the parents. The rest, as
everyone’s favourite Beddingfield once said, is still unwritten.
15
Q
Fast Fashion
TREND WATCH: GRUNGE
Remember when you would tie
your checkered shirt around your
waist and feel like the baddest
motha? Well say hello to that
feeling because grunge is back
and big for spring.
This is an excellent trend for
nippy spring as it’s all about the
layers. Grab your jersey dresses,
flannel shirts, a favourite band
tee and chuck it all on with a
pair of Doctor Martins or any
other pair of chunky shoes. That’s
really all there is to it. Another
great way to wear this trend is
DENIM. Slip into some battered
boyfriend jeans or a pair of
full-length dungarees and hell,
a denim jacket too. Lads, were
you thinking jeans and a t-shirt -
maybe a shirt? Congrats, you are
fash.
If you’re shopping for grunge,
high street shops like Topshop
offer some really good ‘skate’
looking pieces in their Spring
collections. However, if you’ve
got the time it’s much more fun
to go shopping for vintage and
thrift. The second hand and
charity shops are where you’ll
get the more authentic and
naturally ‘worn‘ items. Also more
often than not you’ll find them at
a lower price.
Take advantage of this trend,
it’s not often you’ll be praised for
wearing something comfortable.
Jordan Brewer
STREETWEAR NAMED DESIRE
Spring has sprung and daylight is
only going to get longer from here on
in, people. It’s time to shake off any
remaining winter drowsiness and get
active again. Or you could just embrace
some sport-inspired style so everyone
THINKS you are hitting the gym, going
for a run, or have just completed some
insanely grueling heptathlon (all whilst
looking fresh to death).
If you’re in need in of sport deluxe
footwear, you’ve have never had so
many options. If you’re after a classic
tennis whites vibe, look no further than
Q 16
a white pair of the unchanged Superga
2750. Impossibly hard to keep clean
on a night out, but definitely perfect for
both men and women as a lightweight
and timeless plimsoll that won’t die on
you like those Primark ones did. Team
this with a crisp pair of white socks and
shorts and you’re 50% on your way to
looking like a tennis legend.
Ladies, if you feel like you need to
remind everyone you were born in the
90s or just fancy blinding everyone
with colour, then Puma’s recent
collaboration with Solange Knowles is
the answer you’re looking for. Puma x
Solange Girls of Blaze Disc Rainbow
Sneakers are so aggressively jammed
with colour, there’s no way your shoe
game can be ignored. Only to be worn
by the confident.
Summer will soon be here too (everyone
pray) and you don’t want to be left out
when everyone looks rad as hell when
they hit the beach. Surfers, swimmers,
divers and any other beach bums should
definitely check out Neon wetsuits.
Hand-made on the Cornish coastline,
these colourful and customizable suits
are the ultimate neoprene dream for
both men and women. Each suit style
is custom made to fit and can be colour
customized – be minimalist and subtle,
or pretend you belong in 1980’s
California and embrace the colour.
Women’s suits range from between
£55-£100 and men’s from £55-140,
so they won’t break the bank in order
to look fresh in the water.
So get running, swimming, cycling or
whatever gets your heart pumping, just
don’t forget to look cool doing it.
Bryn Evans
LIFESTYLE
FASHION & BEAUTY
VINTAGE ACCESSORY SPY
Photography: Charlie Mock Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair Cardiff 23/03/14
LONDON FASHION WEEK
If you read the last issue you’ll have seen our coverage of
London fashion week. But we loved it so much we thought
we’d pop a cheeky collection review here for you as well.
You lucky devils.
Julien Macdonald’s Autumn/ Winter and Spring/Summer
2014 collections have multiple standout pieces. Unlike
many other collections, which stick to simple black and
white pieces, Julien injected nudes, gold, silver, green,
blue and red tones to make a distinctive image. He also
incorporates longer hem lines with most dresses knee length
or full length, with the sleeve length also following suit. The
clothes are clearly not designed solely for the tiny waisted
models they are presented by, but look actually wearable but
the rest of us. They exude class in their interesting designs,
with beautiful intricacy reflected by metallic detail, as well
as very elegant and wearable shapes and cuts. The stylish
dressesaccentuate both a curvy figure as well as a boyish
one with the use of clever illusionary patterns and cut-a-way
mesh that creates the perfect hourglass figure.
Kirsty Fardell
17
Q
The Bloggers Issue
As fashion is becoming increasingly more digital Olivia Thomas
caught up with two Cardiff-based bloggers to get an exclusive insight
into the blogger community
Georgia Hathaway, 24, is a Postgraduate
student studying a Diploma in Magazine
Journalism at Cardiff University. Fashion
Oyster started as a place for Georgia to share
her fashion musings, which developed into
showing how you don’t have to constantly
spend ridiculous amounts of money to look
stylish. The name Fashion Oyster encapsulates
that fashion is your oyster and clothes are the
‘pearl’ inside.
Can you tell us about your blog and why you started blogging?
As the name suggests, Fashion Oyster (www.fashionoysteruk.com) is a fashion
blog. I set it up in 2012 because my ambition is to be a fashion journalist and I
wanted a place to showcase my writing skills and abilities. I’m also obsessed with
clothes so having a blog helped me channel that obsession! Within six months
of setting it up, I was invited to several press days and events in London and had
been shortlisted for a Company magazine Style Blogger Award. It felt nice that
my work was being recognised!
What do you find is the biggest challenge when it
comes to blogging?
Standing out. There’s just so many other bloggers out there doing exactly the same
as you. You’ve constantly got to find other ways to stand out of the crowd, whether
it be your photography, blog layout or writing.
There are a lot of fashion blogs out there, what do you think sets
your blog apart from others?
I’d like to think mine is quite realistic. My tone of writing has a personal element
to it. I don’t try to sound like anything I’m not, but at the same time, I don’t get
too personal. While many bloggers treat their blog like a diary and express their
feelings on it, I prefer to maintain an air of professionalism and keep my private
life out of it.
Where do you get inspiration for your blog posts?
Magazines and the internet are good sources of inspiration, but to be honest,
it’s everyday life that inspires me the most: when you see people on their way to
work, or doing a food shop. There’s no primping or posing involved like there
would be before going somewhere special - you just see the looks that people put
together when they’re doing normal things.
Who is your favourite fashion designer?
That’s a tough one - there are so many talented designers out there. I like Helmut
Lang for his edgy but elegant pieces. The pieces epitomise minimalism and fuse
leather with silk, draping hems and signature prints.
Q 18
Fashion Oyster
What are your hopes for your blog in the future?
I’m looking forward to focusing on it more when I’ve finished my
postgraduate journalism course - the constant deadlines haven’t allowed
much time to blog. I also hope that my blog continues to grow as a brand
and more amazing opportunities come my way.
Do you have any advice to anyone starting a blog?
Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find your way of doing things, and
make mistakes, because that’s the only way you’ll learn.
There has been a huge increase in the popularity of digital media,
what do you think the appeal of digital media and blogging is?
Blogging and digital media go hand in hand - social media platforms like
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are perfect for promoting your posts and
encouraging other bloggers to interact with you. Twitter is also a great way
to build relationships with industry professionals, follow your favourite brands
and get to know PR companies too.
Who is your favourite blogger and why?
I really like Bip Ling (www.bipling.com) because she has such a unique way of
writing and she doesn’t conform to typical blog standards - her photos are all
different sizes and she uses so many different colour fonts and emoticons. Her
blog isn’t like anyone else’s. And Leandra Medine from www.manrepeller.com
Blogging is so popular because it
allows people to have their own part
of the Internet where they can show
off a bit of their talent and creativity
Lifestyle
fashion & beauty
Mia Holt, 22, is a freelance
journalist and current Cardiff
Magazine trainee splitting her
time between her home in the
Welsh Valleys and London. Her
self-titled blog was short-listed
as “Best Fashion Blog” in the
2013 Company Magazine Style
Blogger Awards.
Just do everything you can to get
yourself noticed, don’t just fall in line
with the rest of them
Can you tell us about your blog and why you started blogging?
I started blogging in 2011 when I was doing my undergrad. I’d managed
to secure work experience at LOOK magazine in the summer and I knew I
needed a place where I could show off some of my writing skills so I started my
blog called Fashion By Mimi, which eventually became miaholt.co.uk. My blog
used to be primarily just a fashion blog where I’d post interviews with models
and designers, and articles on the latest trends or industry news, but as I’ve
grown as a writer, my interests have as well, so now I write about other things
that I’m drawn to, like travel.
What do you find is the biggest challenge when it comes to blogging?
I’d probably say fitting in the time. I’ve been a blogger through university and
while working as a journalist in a newsroom so I’ve experienced both sides of it.
It’s tough. Sometimes you get home from a day full of writing and you just want to
chill but then you remember you haven’t blogged for a week. Finding the balance
is hard.
Where do you get inspiration for your blog posts?
I write a lot of lists and keep notebooks with me at all times so that if anything pops
into my mind, I can quickly jot it down before I forget. I read a lot of magazines
and make notes of things that particular inspire me or piss me off – something
I have an opinion on. And also anything that I’m particularly going through at
the time so my recent post was tips for aspiring young journalists. For my fashion
posts, it tends to be industry news or trends.
What are your top tips for new bloggers?
There has been a huge increase in the popularity of digital media,
what do you think the appeal of digital media and blogging is?
Know who you’re writing for and really work to establish yourself in that
community. Join groups, follow important people on Twitter and get involved
with the conversations and events going on in your area. Just do everything you
can to get yourself noticed and don’t be afraid to email people for interviews
or quotes for articles – I never thought Victoria White would say yes but she
did! You also need to find your uniqueness because the blogging industry is
incredibly saturated right now. Don’t just fall in line with the rest of them. A
few years ago vlogging wasn’t even a thing and now everyone is doing it, so
what’s the next step for bloggers? Find it and be the first.
Digital media is accessible and blogging is a part of it. I read blogs and digital
magazines like The Debrief on my way to uni in the morning because I have the
technology to do so. It’s also incredibly interactive and invites the reader to have
an input, whether that’s through commenting on articles or posts, sending in their
own images or chatting through social media. It gives a certain amount of power
to the reader and they obviously enjoy feeling a part of something and having a
say in the content. Being able to put your own work on the net without having to
get commissioned by a magazine is incredible and being able to have a place
where you can showcase all of your ideas and work is hugely appealing.
Who is your favourite blogger and why?
What are your hopes for your blog in the future?
I love Susie Lau (Style Bubble) because she’s a classic fashion blogger. She
writes long, interesting pieces, which really draw you in, and her pictures are
always amazing. I like that she has a journalistic background and that she’s
interested in the industry because it really comes across in her work. She also
always features really interesting people!
I’m going to be moving to London in June so I’m hoping that’s going to open me
up to more opportunities. I get invited to a lot of events there but always have to
turn them down, as I can never take the time off uni, so it’s going to be lovely to
actually go! I’ve recently re-launched my blog as well so I’m hoping to re-establish
myself within the industry a little bit. I can only hope that it continues to open as
many doors for me in the next few years as it has done for the past three.
There are a lot of fashion blogs out there, what do you think
sets your blog apart?
Oh, that’s difficult! I like to think it’s because I’m not just an outfit blogger. I love
writing and that’s my profession so I take the time to research articles and find
sources to interview. I put a lot of time in my articles and I hope that comes
across in my blog posts. I also try and offer the reader something more so that’s
why I do my best to get some interviews with fashion industry experts on my
blog too. I’ve featured interviews with designers like Emesha London, models
like Charlotte DeCarle and editors like Victoria White (Company). I try to add
another dimension.
What is your favourite trend this year?
Ooh, well you never really catch me without something black on so I obviously
adore that monochrome featured on the catwalks this season! My father
was a mod so I always blame him for my love of black and white. I also
loved the spring coats and I’m addicted to wearing my bright blue oversized
coat! Perfect for this weather, plus it adds an effortless pop of colour to my
otherwise dark wardrobe.
19
Q
littlebirdblog.com
best blogs:
editor’s Picks
izuminagai.blogspot.co.uk
Izumi Nagai is a young fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger. She is half
Japanese, half Filipino with her blog and personal style reflecting the quirkiness
of typical Japanese street style. Although there is a strong urban vibe to a lot
of Izumi’s outfits, the variety of each outfit is what makes this blog a real treat
to read. Not only are the outfits interesting, but Izumi is also a whiz when it
comes to make up. She reviews products from boutique-style brands as well the
high street. Aside from fashion and beauty Izumi’s blog has a section where
she documents her travels. Full of fab pictures, advice and style, if you have an
interest in Japanese fashion I highly suggest you check her out.
Jordan brewer
Q 20
Little Bird Blog, written by PR guru Jen, encapsulates a designer, high street and
vintage feel that inspires readers to mix it up a little when it comes to their style.
Renowned for her love of clashing prints and insect accessories, Jen scours
the globe for fashion inspiration, displaying her trend filled travels through a
gorgeous scrapbook of pictures for aspiring fashionistas and curious readers
alike. Little Bird Blog doesn’t shy away from the cosmetics side of things, as
Jen is the first to showcase her brand new beauty buys and even posts video
blogs on how to rock the trend. Beautifully versed and designed well, Little Bird
is definitely set to become your go to blog for all things style related. Here at
Quench, we’re definitely taking a leaf out of Jen’s blog to help inspire our own!
Jacqueline Kilikita
Bloggers inspire and entertain,
here are our faves. Tweet us
yours @quenchfashion
Lifestyle
fashion & beauty
Blog on, boys
The male fashion blogger is on the rise. As an increasing number of men
are turning to blogs to have their say, the bloggers community is becoming
more versatile. Jess Rayner looks into the change that’s shaking up the
digital fashion world.
Blogging continues to grow online and
beyond by providing budding journalists
and fashionistas alike with a sphere for
creative outlet. The fashion world might
have strong foundations surrounding
women, but in recent years there has been a
cry for men’s fashion to be brought into the
limelight. The growing popularity of male
fashion can be seen in the increase in men’s
catwalk collections, with emerging trends
filtering down onto the high street. The
fashion magazine market has seen growing
popularity in men’s fashion magazines such
as GQ and Esquire, reflecting the rising
number of male shoppers. As men continue
to express a desire to wear the latest
trends, a growing number of men’s catwalk
collections have begun to surface across
Fashion Week every year.
The rise of the male fashionista has lead
to an in flux of male bloggers, who are
bringing men’s fashion into the forefront in
a bid to make the fashion industry all the
more accessible to men. The male fashion
industry is extremely lucrative despite not
getting the same amount of coverage as
women’s fashion, leading to a desire to
show that men can be just as stylish as
women.
There are some great men’s blogs emerging
that not only provide style tips for men but
also attempt to bring men’s fashion onto the
radar. There are some of the most popular
male bloggers, bringing menswear to the
forefront.
The brains behind Laststyleofdefence.com
is the extremely dapper Dan Hasby-Oliver,
who appreciates the gap in the market
for a blog centered on the stylish man. A
blog featuring posts about the latest men’s
collections and launches, a great way for
men to keep in touch with the male fashion
world. www.laststyleofdefense.com
We love a beard here at Quench Fashion,
so fell in love with Garcon Jon’s street style
blog - that features a whole host of bearded
men. It is a great source for some fashion
inspiration; with the collection of strong
images mixing sharp tailoring with street
wear. www.garconjon.com
Dapper Lou is a blog featuring a beautifully
put together collection of images from
around the world, containing a mix of men’s
street style, culture and art. A menswear
blog producing quality content with a
creative edge. www.dapperlou.com
Tips & Tricks
Blogging is a great way to explore your interests in a creative
way. Jordan Brewer gives her best advice to get you started
Make sure the title reflects the content
There’s nothing worse than reading a blog title and being left in the dark
about what you’re about to read. Clarity is important.
Keep your target audience in mind
It’s always eaisier to write when you’re pitching to an audience. Know
your audience and the content will flow with ease.
Be passionate about your subject
There’s no point in writing about something you have no interest in. Your
readers will feel your apathy. Pick a subject that really sparks your interest.
Make sure you proof-read your posts
Clearing out the silly mistakes turns good writing into great writing.
Interact with the blogger community
Chat with your fellow bloggers. Exchanging ideas can only benefit your
writing.
Experiment with photography
The writing is important but interesting photos can breathe new life into a
blog and capture readers’ interest.
21
Q
Top Fragrances
For Spring 2014
Kirsty Fardell
Ghost
Sweetheart
EDT
£19.50 for 50ml, Boots
This floral fragrance is a perfect
day to night fragrance and
without being too overpowering.
It is just strong enough to create
a distinctive scent. It has notes of
lemon and pineapple which add
a slightly sweet tone, but its main
ingredients are white flowers that
determine it as perfectly feminine.
Rihanna
Nude
£22.50 for 50ml,
EDP
Boots
The oriental scent of this
fragrance is for those who
prefer something subtle. With
tones of orange blossom,
velvet jasmine and pear
alongside a sandalwood base,
it’s a great scent for the day
time that is unique enough
without being too obvious.
Q 22
Marc Jacobs Lola EDP
£29.99 for 50ml, Boots
Marc Jacobs perfumes all have
the prettiest bottles with flower
shaped lids, and the contents
do not disappoint either. It has
a pretty floral fragrance to
match, with rose and fuchsia
underlined with a hint of
sweetness from pear and red
grapefruit. It’s definitely the
perfect evening fragrance and
will brighten up any shelf too.
Ralph
Lauren
The
Big
Pony Collection 2 Pink EDT
£24.99 for 50ml in Boots
One of four, this choice is the
‘sensual’ fragrance. It is a playful perfume with a very sweet
smell due to its floral fruity ingredients, including cranberry
and tonka bean. The compact
bottles are also ideal to carry
around in your bag for topping
up your scent throughout the day.
The New
Eye-deal
rOKSANdA iLINCIC s/s14
anna sui s/s14
Lifestyle
fashion & beauty
Anna Sui S/S14
Get trending this spring
The statement lip has taken a back
seat this season with catwalks for
SS14 ablaze with the newest
and most elaborate, yet totally
wearable eye make-up trends.
So, perfect your peepers with our
pick of the best designer looks.
The single feline flick just won’t
cut it anymore – it’s all about
being bold and pairing two
lines together for that coveted
statement look. Carefully apply
liquid liner to the bottom lash
line, drawing upwards to meet
the winged flick you’ve drawn
on the upper eyelid, et voila.
Inject some sparkle into your
make-up routine with a dusting
of gold shimmer, making sure
you blend into the corner of
the eye for a catwalk model
worthy
look,
courtesy
of
cosmetics queen and Chanel
make-up artist, Pat McGrath.
Awash with aqua, recent trends
have stolen inspiration from the
ocean this season. Jazz up your
beach babe look with a covering
of turquoise eye pigment that
not only brightens the eye and
induces make-up envy, but also
pays homage to one of the most
celebrated catwalk looks from
high end designer, Anna Sui.
Last but not least, celebs like Lily
Allen were seen rocking the white
eyeliner trend at high profile
events such as The Baftas and
The BRITs earlier this year and it’s
definitely a way to draw attention
to the eye. Subtly apply to the
waterline for eyes that look more
awake, or be brave and apply a
slick of white pencil to the eyelid.
Jacqueline Kilikita
23
Q
Many people read travel
literature to inform their
own travel aspirations but
Vanessa Able’s ‘Never
Mind the Bullocks’ is a
great example of why you
can, and should, read
travel literature purely for
its entertainment purposes.
Krishna Hemaraj
reviews Vanessa Able’s
story of her 10,000km
journey around India in the
world’s cheapest car
BOOK REVIEW
NEVER MIND THE BULLOCKS
Never Mind the Bullocks is not just a narrative
of Vanessa Able’s three-month drive around
the Indian subcontinent, but a detailed,
humorous and informative account of her
self-transformation. Journeying in the world’s
cheapest car, Vanessa embarks on a 10,000km drive
around India, engaging with a whole new manner of
people and a whole new manner of road-etiquette.
Never Mind the Bullocks is the story of a high-octane
adventure filled with action, culture and love whilst
also taking you on a whistle-stop tour of the Indian
landscape.
Vanessa journeys through a variety of different
environments, exploring the calm and peaceful Nilgiris,
the more urban, smog-filled
Bangalore and the luscious fields
of Orissa. She takes a daunting
journey through the expansive
mountain passes, reaching the
British India capital Shimla and
experiencing the medieval lure
of Varanasi. Whilst in Varanasi,
she encounters an odd situation
that she initially interprets as
lawless traffic of people, yet
soon learns that it is in fact a
planned dance that purely involves people joining in
and dancing in a carefree manner, proving just one of
the many eccentric encounters Vanessa comes across.
Vanessa endeavours to give us a brief yet informative
insight into the social and economic climate of India,
highlighting the significant ridge between the lower
and upper classes and the unequal distribution of
income. In presenting India in this light, Vanessa
highlights more pressing topical issues surrounding its
cultural climate, giving us a more inclusive perception
of it as opposed to a purely aesthetic portrayal of
the landscape. Vanessa adds humour, exploring the
cultural differences surrounding the traffic methods
in the cities compared to more rural towns. In doing
so, she highlights the chaotic, lively and somewhat
concerning methods of transportation, with lanes
appearing non-existent and people seeming to be in
contest about how many sheep they can fit in a truck.
She comes across a red-headed American, called Thor,
who as well as being possibly one of the worst drivers
she’s ever met, happens to blossom into the object
of Vanessa’s affections. As well as dodging monkey
attacks and evading an elephant mugging, Vanessa’s
biggest lesson comes in terms of her understanding of
the seemingly anarchic road networks of India.
With the help of spiritual gurus, Vanessa seems to
find sanity within the insane and
chaotic environment of India.
Following the guidance and
courage of Swami Vivekananda,
she manages to find peace and
love in the face of a chronic case
of Delhi-belly and illustrates to
the reader the true meaning of
the quote “it is the journey that
counts, and not the destination”.
In her final message, she
indicates that the true kings of
the dusty tarmacs are the bullocks and that we should
take a leaf out of their book and make like bullock
and ultimately, enjoy the ride. This book is the perfect
inspiration for anyone looking for an adventure in
terms of the physical exploration of a country as well
as the possibility of embarking upon a journey of selfdiscovery. She integrates a dreamy love-story with
her journey of personal development and in doing
so, portrays an admirable journey, which entices
readers into the general concept of travel. Vanessa is
relatable and knowledgeable, which ultimately proves
a successful recipe for an enjoyable and exciting read.
To eat, drink and be
merry is a God-given
right in Spain and
nowhere is this more
apparent than in Madrid
Q 24
I
LIFESTYLE
TRAVEL
MADRID
This month, our travel journal ventures into the warmer climates of Spain as Chris Stone
tells us why Madrid is the prime city location for art, food and sun and why you should not
overlook it as one of Europe’s most visit-worthy cities
When planning a city break on the European
continent, most people immediately reach for
either the Paris or Rome guidebook without a
moment’s thought. Just a little to the left on the
map, however, is a city famed for its blue skies,
remarkable architecture, the friendliest of people
and far, far cheaper food and drink of equal
calibre to that found in the French and Italian
capitals: Madrid.
Located in the heart of Spain atop the country’s
Meseta Central (Central Plateau) the city is all
too often overlooked by potential visitors, not
recognising the prime destination that it is. This
might seem odd in a country which can boast
the second highest number of tourists per annum,
but the statistics show, unsurprisingly, that the
vast majority year after year head straight for
the beach and skip the interior altogether. That’s
their loss though, because there’s nowhere better
to discover all the best of Spanish life in one
place than the capital.
The city is easy to navigate for first-time
visitors, boasting an exemplary public transport
system including a Metro network that is clean,
efficient and really cheap. Of course if you’d
prefer to walk, one can take in the eclectic mix
of elaborate Neo-Classical facades, Art Deco
buildings and modern designer skyscrapers
which populate the city, or enjoy a stroll round
the boating lake in Buen Retiro park, the largest
of Madrid’s inner-city green areas. Spend your
time admiring the majesty of the Royal Palace
or wandering round the extensive collections
housed in the world-famous ‘Golden Triangle’
of art museums. Following this, why not stop for
a cup of chocolate and churros in one of the
city’s many churrerías, or peruse the El Rastro
flea market for hidden treasures. You could also
spend days admiring the views from the Templo
de Debod, a 2,000 year old Egyptian temple
shipped brick by brick to Madrid, famously the
To eat, drink and be
merry is a God-given
right in Spain and
nowhere is this more
apparent than in Madrid
best place in the entire city to watch the sunset.
However, it doesn’t take long to realise that
Madrid, at present, is displaying symptoms of
the economic crisis currently plaguing Spain;
frequent demonstrations, too many sintechos
(homeless) on the streets. The Spanish are a
passionate people, and one can visibly see their
hearts breaking over what is happening to their
country, but this passion goes hand in hand with
fortitude, as on any given night in any given
bar one will find dozens of freshly unemployed
people, young and old casually knocking back
tapas and cañas of beer, sharing in a joke with
a crowd of friends as if all the world were theirs.
To eat, drink and be merry is a God-given right in
Spain, and nowhere is this more apparent than
in Madrid, where there is one bar to every ten
people. From district to district, the city absolutely
comes alive at night, and whether it be the
eccentric variety of Malasaña, the rustic charm
of the Plaza Mayor and La Latina or the hustle
and bustle of the city centre, (stand in the middle
of Calle Huertas at 4am on a Saturday morning
with your eyes closed and it may as well be the
middle of the day) there is always somewhere
new to go.
That last statement I think perfectly encapsulates
why I love Madrid. I could go on about the worldclass street entertainers or the mind-bending
open-air Chinese massage available in the Plaza
de Oriente, but anybody who experiences the joy
of visiting Madrid for themselves will doubtlessly
come away with their own unique narrative of
the city, its endless hospitality and ability to
constantly surprise.
25
Q
LOONY LODGING
Where you rest your head at the end
of a long day of travelling is becoming
ever more significant in students’ holiday
plans. There are now an extensive range
of beds on offer to customers with any
style or taste, ranging from the slick to
the damn right ludicrous. Travel writers
Josie Copson, Tegan Morris &
Alex Edden introduce us to a range
of the most intriguing hotels on offer.
IceHotel, Sweden
The IceHotel is located in the small town of Jukkasjärvi in Sweden, where almost as many dogs as people
occupy the area. The concept of the hotel is hinted at in the name, as it is constructed entirely from ice:
the guests will even find themselves crawling into an ice bed at the end of the day. The idea was the first
of its kind in 1990 and still attracts tourists in their thousands from all around the world who desire to see
and experience this unique hotel and enjoy a stay that’s described as magical. The hotel construction is no
easy feat, as unlike other hotels it melts, gets re-designed by artists and then built again, so from year to
year guests will get a slightly different experience, making this wacky hotel even more amazing. If you’re
looking for a similar experience to get you warmed (or chilled) up for trip to the Ice Hotel in the future then
the Ice bar in London can give you the mini cold adventure you crave.
Josie Copson
Crazy House, Vietnam
Given the current student obsession with travelling in SouthEast Asia, this weird Vietnamese theme park-cum-hotel seems
a relevant contribution to this article. Literally known as the
‘Crazy House’, formally named the Hang Nga Villa after the
architect, the building is Gaudi-esque in design and fairytalelike in atmosphere, with cubbyhole rooms and twisted mazes
throughout the space. It is certainly unique with different themed
rooms - from the kangaroo room, to the spider web themed
honeymoon suite. Yet, the weirdest part of the hotel seems to be
the fact that it is primarily a tourist attraction where visitors can
wander around, only leaving guests in peace at night. At around
£15 a night it seems surprisingly cheap for such a distinctive and
memorable experience; so if your travels take you to Da Lat and
you’re an architecture fan, this hotel may be the place to stay.
Tegan Morris
Q 26
LIFESTYLE
TRAVEL
The Tree Hotel, Sweden
The Tree Hotel is a five building hotel made up of independent
structures built high into a Swedish forest line. Founder Kent
Lindvall and his co-founding wife, recruited top Swedish
architects to design the unique tree rooms which include a
structure shaped to look like a a giant bird’s nest, a UFO,
and the most striking ‘mirrorcube’ that camouflages itself by
reflecting its surroundings, making it nearly invisible in the
forest. The immersive experience allows visitors to leave their
cars at the guesthouse and walk along the forest path to their
allocated tree rooms by foot. Currently, the hotel is made up
of only five rooms but the Lindvalls hope to expand this to 25
rooms which will also be hidden in the forest. In addition to
the five tree rooms there is also a tree sauna for up to twelve
people, situated among the pines.
Alex Edden
Magic Mountain Hotel, Chili
The Magic Mountain hotel, located in the Huilo Huilo Reserve in Southern Chile has been designed
to blend into its lush rainforest surroundings. The hotel is built to look like a natural mountain, with
boulder-like contours and plants growing over the exterior. However, this ‘mountain’ is dotted with
windows all along its tiers and is equipped with a waterfall, which when turned on cascades from
the pinnacle of the roof down over the windows.The location is perhaps the most impressive part
of this hotel: Huilo Huilo includes one of the largest privately owned natural reserves in Chile along
with lakes, a volcano with year-round snowboarding and skiing, and the river Fuy which is famous
for its white water rafting and kayaking. The name originates from the owners’ favourite book. The
story describes a mountain that has magical powers and grants wishes – The Magic Mountain.
Alex Edden
The Dog Bark Inn, USA
The Dog Bark Park Inn is essentially famous because of its wacky
appearance: the bed and breakfast is in the shape of a giant
beagle, or the world’s biggest beagle to be more exact. So
large, it has become a famous feature of the state, nicknamed
‘Sweet Willy’ by locals, the big pup came into existence
because of the chainsaw artists that run the bed and breakfast.
Voted The Times’ Top 20 most fun and exciting places to stay,
it hosts features such as a cute loft room in the head of the
beagle, and a second floor deck that boasts amazing country
views. It is pure kitsch, and epitomizes the American stereotype
of bizarre roadside motels with eccentric owners we know from
Hollywood movies. If you’re ever on a road trip of the American
Northwest, it’s definitely a must-see.
Tegan Morris
27
Q
C an ’ t s top
th e fi l l in g
Strapped
for
lunch
options?
Everything between two slices
of bread is fair game for Food &
Drink writer Anne Porter, as she
shares her Cardiff-wide sandwich
expertise
Pret-a-Manger
Bridge Street Arcade, St Davids (City Centre)
Pret a Manger (the British chain using the
French for ‘ready to eat’) has been my go-to for
a top sandwich for years now. I know where
I stand with Pret; the chain that produces my
favourite sandwiches on the British high street.
Each branch has its own kitchen, ensuring
that sandwiches are served fresh daily. From
classics such as BLT, to Smoked Salmon simply
served with butter, to the wackier ‘Steak and
Chips’ bloomer, Pret has it all. My favourite
has to be their Mature Cheddar and Pickle –
packed with rich cheddar, tomato and fresh
salad. Simple.
Crusty baguettes and wholegrain bread form
the large part of their sandwich selection, but
their hot wraps and toasties are also worth
a mention. Halloumi regularly features in
these and I’ve also been recommended their
mozzarella, tomato and pesto toastie. Fresh
coffees and a selection of desserts (which has
the potential to be far greater) accompany
their sandwiches, alongside a selection of
juices and smoothies.
Their sandwiches are not cheap but are
perfect for a treat. Aside from price, the only
other drawback is their love for mayonnaise.
High street chains often use it to both bulk out
sandwiches and to ensure that the filling holds
together - I wish this was a less widespread
practice.
Making their sandwiches fresh throughout the
day without the use of use-by dates means that
the chain has the potential to create masses
of waste. But, the chain ensures that this does
not happen by donating unsold sandwiches to
charities at the end of the working day.
Baguettes and Bagels
158 Miskin Street (Cathays)
Tucked away in a corner by Senghennydd
Road, just next to the Hodge Hall of residence,
their green shop sign outside is the only way
to spot this tiny sandwich shop. The formula
is simple: 1) Choose a baguette or bagel 2)
Choose your filling 3) Add salad (or not) 4)
Eat.
Q 28
I chose the chicken and stuffing baguette.
The bread was fresh, the stuffing flavoursome,
the chicken chunky and the addition of salad
was worthwhile – I was not disappointed. But I
found myself wanting more of their hefty slices
of tomato and lettuce and the filling managed
to escape from the baguette mid-way – not an
elegant eat. Nevertheless, a great variety of
choice makes this sandwich bar an attractive
one. It’s one of the first I’ve seen offering smoked
cheese on their menu, which isn’t a rarity in
itself, but is often overlooked in most sandwich
chains. Puddings on offer were somewhat
standard, usual culprits such as millionaire’s
shortbread, rocky road and brownies, but did
look appetising all the same.
This tiny sandwich bar received rave reviews
from friends, hailing their chicken tikka
baguette and pulled pork special currently on
offer. My baguette was £2.70, good value for
a quality baguette. This sandwich shop pushes
no boundaries but does justice to what it serves.
The New York Deli
20 High Street Arcade (City Centre)
Based in one of the many arcades of Cardiff
city centre, this American eatery is well worth
a visit. I had heard rumours of its legendary
portion sizes... and was not disappointed. My
turkey and cranberry sandwich was almost
overwhelming, only managing to eat half of it
on my first attempt. Layer upon layer of sliced
turkey accompanied by a thick cranberry
sauce escaped from wholemeal bread, with
salad falling out at the same pace. Such an
enormous sandwich had to have its downsides:
too big to fit in my mouth, so a challenge to eat
and the fresh salad and cranberry sauce made
the bread soggy.
This being my first visit I was given all of the
salad on offer (although I refused gherkins) and
chose right to accept the brownie suggested to
me, although other cakes and tray bakes were
on offer. The sandwich bar is famous for their
‘Hoagies’ (long soft rolls with copious amounts
of filling). Varieties often contain a form of meat
alongside sauce and salad. Sandwiches and
bagels are also on offer, as are the curiously
named ‘Grinders’ (long rolls with hot fillings
and sauce). There are vegetarian options, but
the American deli undeniably focuses on meat.
That said, this place was a pleasure to dine
LIFESTYLE
food & Drink
in. A bargain for the quantity and quality my
sandwich cost me £3.20. A brownie and a can
of Rubicon took my purchase up to £5.18 (this
place does a student discount too, even better).
If you feel like you haven’t eaten properly for
days, pay New York Deli a visit - they’ll sort
you out.
Dough
20 Salisbury Road (Cathays)
SE A SO NA L RE C IPE :
rhubarb hot cross buns
Happy Easter! (But a very unhappy Easter to anyone eating shop-bought buns!) I’ve adapted Paul Hollywood’s hot cross bun recipe, giving them a rhubarb twist to keep them in season. No-one wants a
sour bun, which rhubarb has a tendency to create, so I’ve incorporated it into a sweet and subtle jam to
both glaze and serve the buns with. I’d recommend you set a whole day aside to make these - they’re
extremely simple and well worth the wait, but require a lot of patience.
For the buns:
500g strong white bread flour
10g salt
75g caster sugar
10g (1 sachet) instant yeast
40g soft butter
2 medium beaten eggs
Seconds up the road from Senghennydd
Court and Senghennydd Hall, this sandwich
bar is a hit with everybody. It manages to avoid
feeling ‘studenty’ – even in the student utopia
that is Salisbury Road. Dough offers a variety
of hot and cold baguettes and sandwiches
alongside jacket potatoes and a wide selection
of paninis – and not just the usual suspects. I
chose a white baguette with the BBQ chicken
(highly recommended from a friend) after being
faced with a plethora of choices. The crustiest
baguette I have eaten in a while was filled with
fresh salad (the standard cucumber, lettuce and
tomato) and slices of chicken. The BBQ chicken
was too sweet for my liking – apparently they
have recently changed the recipe – but you can
decide what you think for yourself. Fillings such
as prawn mayo, coronation chicken and brie
and grape are also available. Unfortunately,
vegetarians have far less choice than meat
eaters.
A selection of inexpensive tray bakes, crisps
and cookies were also available - 75p for a
caramel slice left me in no doubt. That said,
it was a touch smaller than I would have
liked. Cookies are arguably their best value
product at 45p. A friend recommended me
the banoffee muffin and I was tempted by
the chocolate, with neither being particularly
expensive. The standard cans and drinks are
also available, alongside Segafredo coffees.
Not only is this place cheap, but it also offers a
student discount – 10% off.
In short, it’s worth stopping by the place you
might pass everyday. Good quality sandwiches
are available all over Cardiff, and they’re an
excellent choice for a quick and filling lunch
that should satisfy even the most discerning
foodie.
120ml full flat milk
120ml cool water
100g sultanas
100g raisins
Zest of one orange
2tsp ground cinnamon
For the crosses:
75g plain flour
75ml water
For the jam:
300g rhubarb
300g white jam sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Put the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar to one side
of the bowl and yeast to the other. Add the butter, eggs, milk and half
the water. Mix together with your fingers. Add the rest of the water if
needed - you may just need an extra drop or two. Mix until you form
a rough dough - don’t panic if it appears sticky at this stage, but add
flour if it seems too runny.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 mins until it starts to
form a smooth ball.
After 10 mins, lightly oil your large bowl and pop the dough back in.
Cover with a tea towel and set aside to prove for at least an hour or
until it has doubled in size.
Whilst waiting you can make your jam: finely chop the rhubarb and
place in a pan on a low heat with the sugar and vanilla essence until
the sugar has melted. Once the rhubarb has softened turn up the heat
and boil for 10 mins. Take off the heat and set aside to cool and
solidify (don’t be tempted to taste, it’s extremely hot!)
Take your dough and place it on a
freshly floured surface; cover with
the raisins, sultanas, orange zest and
cinnamon. Knead the dough until all the
fruit has combined. Cover it up in the
bowl again and set aside for another
hour. In the meantime line a tray with
baking parchment.
The dough should have doubled in
size and appear full of air. Push the
dough down with your fist to get rid
of the air. Get rid of any remaining
air pockets by folding the dough in
on itself a few times - this is called
‘knocking back’. Roll the dough into
a thick sausage shape and divide into
12 rough balls, by cutting the sausage
up with a knife. Place the buns almost
touching on the tray and leave the tray
in a plastic bin bag for another hour, or
until the buns have noticeably increased
to a hot cross bun size.
Preheat your oven to 200°C. For the
crosses, mix the flour and water into a
paste and pour into a piping bag with
a fine nozzle. Pipe the crosses onto
the buns and cook for 20 mins or until
golden brown. When cooked, reheat
2 generous tablespoons of your jam
in a pan, adding a splash of water and
stirring as you heat. Glaze with a brush
onto the buns and enjoy with your jam,
some clotted cream and a cup of tea.
Britta Zeltmann
29
Q
It’s a hard burden to bear, but
someone’s got to do it. Food
& Drink editor Dylan Jenkins
sheds some light on what it
means to be a true foodie
confessions
of a
food
snob
Q 30
I think it’s safe to say that I’m a fully blown,
self-confessed, food snob. A dining enthusiast.
A flavour raver? I don’t save the best ‘til last,
I just tuck in to soothe that craving that’s
always oozing from me; a need to find new
tastes, styles and experiences in food. Forget
sustenance, I need flavour. I suppose the term
to use these days would be ‘foodie’, having
become a bit of a buzzword in recent times. It’s
a term that’s thrown about a lot these days and
truthfully I’m not a massive fan but, nevertheless,
it fits the bill and represents a lifestyle that I’m
proud to be a part of. To be fair, I suppose you
could argue that we’re all foodies to an extent.
With Instagramming, food blogs and cooking
shows around every digital corner and almost
every cuisine imaginable available in our
cities, #foodporn has become a reality that’s
accessible to anyone and everyone. But for
me it’s more than the simple matter of enjoying
food – because enjoying it is one thing whilst
revelling in it is another.
Food got me genuinely
excited. Eating out was
like Christmas Eve and
the waiter was my Santa
When eating becomes an experience,
rather than an act: that’s when a foodie is
born. Taste, texture, smell and presentation
as well as sourcing and skill all come into
consideration and eating becomes more of
an obsession than a necessity (talk about first
world problems). My earliest memory that I
could attribute towards my being a ‘foodie’ is
when I must have been around 9, enjoying a
stay with my Mam in a B&B in Swansea during
the National Eisteddfod. I remember eating
in there one night, the owner/chef taking us
through the menu, her infectious enthusiasm a
cause for hungry excitement. I got truly excited
about food that night, more excited than before
and from that point onwards I’d always boast
my favourite dish as ‘prawn in puff pastry, with
salad NOT chips’ and I’m sure that’s when the
snobbery inside me was born. From that point
onwards I knew I had a relationship with food
that was verging on obsession. I had fondues
for my birthday party, refused to try things on
menus I’d had before, I started cooking for
myself. Food got me genuinely excited. Eating
out was like Christmas Eve and the waiter was
my Santa.
Of course we all have our history with food,
we all have our memories: tasting real Italian
ice cream for the first time, summer BBQ’s or
even that first ‘posh restaurant’ experience,
where biting into something foreign forges a
new world of exciting flavours you didn’t even
know existed. It’s an inner experience that’s
ideal to share with others and it’s deeply rooted
in our memories. Sentiments of Grandmother’s
cooking are comforting and nostalgic, sparked
by sights, sounds and smells going to show the
importance of food today, not as a means of
nourishment or survival, but as building blocks
of cherished memories and experiences.
It’s not just about looking back though. My
two main pet hates are loud chewer’s and
fussy eaters (don’t get me started on loud
fussy eaters - we don’t get along). Call me
the Katie Hopkins of food, but I can’t stand
the stubbornness and reluctance that some
people have when it comes to food they’ve
never tried...it infuriates me. We should all
dedicate ourselves to trying new flavours, new
experiences, because like books or films there
are hundreds, even thousands, of flavours and
ingredients left to taste.
It’s all about the experience and it’s one
that can be combined with an array of others.
Music, film, drink are all vital ingredients to
combine with food, ranging from a cup of tea,
slice of toast and Radio 2 to some popcorn
and coke at the cinema. It’s a great addition to
nearly any activity, combining to create smells,
sounds and unforgettable experiences. I’ve
had some of my best times in restaurants or
with a burger in one hand, or even a simple
packed lunch.
Of all the senses, taste is one where we can
strive to ensure perpetual satisfaction, where
it’s possible to safeguard some sort of flavour
fulfilment, where it’s completely up to us what
we buy and eat and put in our mouths. Then
why not always opt for the best, or at least
risk trying something new and exotic? Having
an entire day of exciting food is like having
a sunny day after a rainy spell, it puts smiles
on faces, makes for productive days and sleep
filled nights. Imagine having an entire week of
satisfaction, or a month or year, what about
your whole life? I think that’s the aim of a so
called ‘foodie’, a dining enthusiast, a food
snob. It’s a decision that anyone can make that
says, forget sustenance, I’m opting for flavour.
It’s a decision to experience food and not just
taste it.
LIFESTYLE
FOOD & DRINK
Tempted to venture to the other
side of the river Taff but not sure
where to start? Let Lubna Anani
start you off with a foodie tour
of Riverside’s thriving Chinese
community
CARDIFF’S
CHINATOWN
Tudor Street is a multi-ethnic stronghold
overlooking the River Taff in the inner-city of
Riverside. On any given day, you will see a
multitude of Indian, Bangladeshi, Sikh, and
Chinese-Britons going about their business.
The street art sprawled on several of the road’s
white-washed walls reflects this melting pot
of cultures; my favourite is a skilfully-drawn
meditating Buddha warning passers-by not to
cause a mess on the street. The word ‘ZEN’ is
scrawled above in both English and Chinese.
The Millennium Stadium, completed in 2004,
looms over the River Taff, to the east of
Riverside, creating a picturesque scene against
the terraced houses.
There are roughly ten Chinese businesses
lining Tudor Street: a herbal medicine centre, a
travel agency, a hairdresser, a nail salon, two
Chinese takeaways, two supermarkets, and a
Cantonese restaurant. Besides that, there are
several Indian takeaways and a striking Sikh
centre, its large flagpole painted bright orange.
With so many Asian businesses on Tudor
Street alone, this area can be considered
Cardiff’s unofficial Chinatown. Mr. Wong,
a friendly, humorous man working in one of
the two Chinese supermarkets on the street,
remarks that although the Chinese community
in the area is not necessarily tight-knit, events
such as Chinese New Year are celebrated as a
community, together. He argues that an official
Chinatown in the area would be a good idea.
The ‘Eastern Chinese Supermarket’, its name
displayed in bright, red letters, had only been
open for a year when Mr. Wong arrived to
Cardiff in 1979, or as he would say, “before
you were born” Just down the road from the
Millennium Stadium, it stocks a wide variety
of oriental goods, from noodles to frozen
dumplings to morsels of Japanese snacks,
like Meiji Hello Panda biscuits and chocolatecoated Pocky sticks. Its range of fresh produce
is also exceptional.
Adjacent to the Eastern Chinese Supermarket
sits ‘China Supermarket’, considerably larger
than its neighbour, albeit stocking similar
produce. The owners are a shy, quiet couple,
and will let you take your time roaming the long
aisles; they are stocked with Chinese goods,
not all of which are translated into English. If
you’re not literate in Mandarin, try your luck
with any snack that looks appealing; I’ve
found the seaweed-flavoured rice crackers to
be fantastic and the prawn crisps are a delight.
Wash them down with some of the natural Aloe
Vera-flavoured drink, or Chinese iced-tea.
A small halal shop sells organic vegetables
and freshly-cut meat further down the road. The
owner, a middle-aged Indian man, who prefers
to be anonymous, claims, “This street used to
be a Chinatown, once.” However, the lack of
business in the area caused many shops to
close down. “Many shops just disappeared.”,
he says.
But the best reason to explore Tudor Street
is Riverside Cantonese, which having opened
in 1977 is the oldest established Cantonese
restaurant in South Wales. A large fish tank sits
on the side of the entrance, illuminated with
a calming blue. Inside, a short staircase leads
you to a dimmed, spot-lit, spacious room. Its
walls are a deep red, decorated beautifully
with patterns of purple orchids, Hong Kong’s
national flower.
The restaurant has two menus, one of which
lists a range of dim sum. The dim sum is served
daily, but not after five. If you go for something
off that menu, which you should, I recommend
ordering the prawn dumplings (har gau) and
the prawn rice rolls, listed as cheung fun (har
cheung). The prawn dumplings are steamed
and come in four small pieces shaped like
jellyfish (although with no stingy tentacles). The
prawn is wrapped in sticky, translucent dough,
looks a light shade of orange, and tastes
scrumptiously sweet, with a light crunch. If you
like your food with a little spice, ask for hot
chilli oil on the side for dipping.
Unlike the dry prawn dumplings, the prawn
cheung fun comes drenched in sweet soy sauce.
The rice roll wrapping creates a soft, fleshy
exterior that neatly conceals the sweet prawn
at its core. I’ve had this dish several times, and
it never disappoints. Of course, beef, pork,
and chicken options are also available. But as
a pescetarian, I recommend the prawn.
For dessert, a variety of sweet dim sum is
offered. I recommend the vanilla paste steamed
buns. Biting into one is the culinary equivalent
of covering yourself in a thick, warm blanket
after a hard day’s work. The sweetness of the
vanilla paste is bound to indulge even the most
untameable sweet tooth.
Riverside Cantonese is possibly the best of
Chinese cuisine that Tudor Street has to offer.
If it indeed does become Cardiff’s official
Chinatown, perhaps more restaurants will
want to invest in the area. Before I left the shop,
I asked Mr. Wong if he thought that creating
a Chinatown would segregate the Chinese
community from the rest of the Welsh. “No, I
think this generation is assimilated” He pointed
at my companion. “You have a coloured
friend,” he said, and smiled.
Prawn dumplings
A selection of snacks
Prawn rolls
31
Q
COMEDY IS NOT
Sam Lloyd, student and amateur comedian, gives an insight into the industry and its rising popularity
The origin of comedy, or stand-up comedy at least, lies in relief; it is the
brief moment in which we forget our worries and troubles outside of
the room and cloak ourselves with endorphins. Comedy has changed
a lot over the years, especially in terms of what is and isn’t acceptable
to laugh at, and who we are laughing at. As comedy has diversified,
our acceptance of it as comfort and as reassurance into our lives has
grown.
Whilst it used to be restricted to working men’s clubs, we now witness
comedy being stretched over all possible platforms. We may find it on
the radio, on our TV screens, in our pubs, our clubs, our arts centres,
and pretty much anywhere else. You can find live comedy on boats, in
basements, and even outside. Why? It’s because we need it more than
ever.
From my experiences as a performer and a fan of stand-up comedy,
I can identify three functions of comedy, both relative to the wider
state of things. Firstly, as a performer, the ability to use comedy as a
professional means of acquiring financial stability, instead of having to
subscribe to a job that will grind us down and make us wish we could
do anything else, is the promise every performer makes themselves.
As it has become so widely consumed and popular, comedy as an art
form offers a range of people (perhaps more diverse than the range of
performers in other arts) a means to the end that, essentially, we are all
chasing: an occupation that we enjoy.
Whether you’re working or middle-class, male or female, local or
foreign, comedy has become the artistic “American Dream” that
performers chase. This has resulted in heightened competitiveness, with
comedy competitions popping up around the country, all with different
Q 32
criteria. From the Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up Award, to Chortle’s Student
Comedy Award, to Funny Women’s competition, there seems to be a
chance for every demographic of comic to get a title for their Edinburgh
Festival posters. Obviously, if you’re a Welsh woman who’s currently at
University, it’s open season.
Whilst the competitions I’ve entered as a comic have provided a hugely
important opportunity to receive feedback from established critics and
members of the comedy circuit, there is the risk presented by comedy’s
innate objectivity: no comedian is universally and unassailably funnier
than another. What results is a heightened dependence on the judge’s
verdict at these competitions: often, to not proceed through a competition
on the basis of judgement from one individual is devastating. I’ve seen
it shatter morale, and felt it shatter mine. It might not seem like much to
not be commended in a wide competition, but it seems to undermine a
lot of hard work, and makes it incredibly difficult to find the motivation
to continue; the promise of gaining success in the art is necessarily
withered by competitions. The increased importance placed on comedy
by performers themselves has made it less of a hobby, and more of a
pursuit.
I believe this heightened importance of comedy from the performer’s
point of view is due to the state of the economy and how getting a job
isn’t simple anymore. The poor financial situation the Western world is
currently in is also why, I think, comedy is so important to the audiences.
Comedy serves the additional two functions of allowing audiences of
working civilians to enjoy themselves for a few hours, to unwind, and
to momentarily forget their everyday struggles. Laughter might not be
the best medicine as far as the NHS is concerned, but it certainly works
A JOKE
to relieve the working day-in-day-out lives that we all end up with:
regardless of how much or how little enjoyment we end up getting from
our careers, comedy will always be there to laugh at the state of things,
and ultimately, ourselves.
That brings me to the last, and probably the most important purpose
of modern comedy: to send a message. Whilst we’re laughing and
applauding them, there are some comedians who have emerged in
recent years that can make us think about and question the way things
are. Bill Hicks and George Carlin are pioneering names to throw
about, but what has really taken off recently is raising awareness of
the issues that are more social than political. Comedians are speaking
out for women’s rights, defending immigrants, and challenging working
inequalities more than ever before. Cardiff University’s own Socialist
Students Society recently put on a comedy event to raise awareness
of the trivialising of rape in our current culture. Comedy is no longer a
joke; it is a powerful tool, a human tool and the newest way to make a
point. I’m so excited to witness and be part of it.
There are plenty of opportunities to see comedians
in Cardiff this month, including all of the
comedians pictured in this feature.
COMEDY IN CARDIFF
(clockwise from top)
BEN MORRIS
Wedneday 9th April at St. David’s Hall
ALAN DAVIES
Thursday 1st May at St. David’s Hall
JETHRO
Wednesday 16th April at St. David’s Hall
FRANK SKINNER
Friday 11th and Saturday 12th April at St.
David’s Hall
RICH HALL
Sunday 27th April at The Glee Club
SARAH MILLICAN
Sunday 20th April at St. David’s Hall
33
Q
MAUDIE’S ROOMS
There’s the curious, whimsical, and slightly
spooky Maudie’s Rooms, a story about Arlo
Butterworth, a man who’s run from his own
wedding and was then summoned to the
magical old Boarding House where he grew
up. Louise Osborn, writer and director, talks
to Quench about the show.
The old Seaside Boarding House seems to be
as much of a main character as Arlo is. How
have you transformed an old customs house
into an old enchanting building? How did you
get the customs house in the first place?
Maudie’s Rooms was originally conceived as
a piece to be performed inside a theatre. We
were going to build ‘a house’ with different
rooms, with the façade extending into the
foyer. However when I’d finished my first
draft I asked a friend, Christine Marfleet, to
read it and give her feedback. Chris is the
Senior Theatre Design lecturer at the Royal
Welsh College of Music and Drama and is in
charge of the students’ ‘Found Space Project’
where her students create a design inspired
by a disused building or site.
When Chris read the play she told me
Q 34
What are four words/phrases that describe
the tone of the production?
Mysterious, Enchanting, ‘like disappearing
down the rabbit hole’… Funny and Moving.
Maudie’s Rooms is aimed at the family
audience, but how do you juggle the task
of keeping both the young and the old
entertained?
The job of engaging both young and old
is my main task. Children do not live in a
separate world to adults…. They are affected
by the same emotions, delights and fears...
I think working on different layers is the key
– engaging emotionally through both humour
and pathos… There are themes in Maudie’s
Rooms that will have powerful resonance for
adults and these themes will hopefully spark
questions in a younger audience. Maudie’s
Rooms explores loss and failure – it confronts
the childish (and adult) fears about ‘not
measuring up’ and challenges this idea. It’s
about ‘difference’ and loneliness – about
racial intolerance and standing up for what
you believe in.
The task that I set myself with Maudie’s
Rooms was to make a promenade piece of
‘site specific’ work that still had a strong,
narrative drive, which would engage the
audience at an emotional level. There is
quite a lot of work of this nature for adult
audiences – I wanted something of a similar
nature that would also appeal strongly to
younger people. During the development I
was pleased that children as young as six
were captivated, as well as teenagers and
adults!
Does producing site-specific theatre cost
more than straight theatre? Do you think
the different production process affects the
theatre form’s chances of becoming more
popular?
Because audience capacity is limited, this
affects box office yield, so it is more expensive
‘per head’ in purely monetary terms. But I
lament the fact that everything in life now
has to be measured by this same ‘fiscal’
yardstick! As if something that’s not highly
‘profitable’ is not of intrinsic value…. The
play itself challenges this idea. The aesthetic
and emotional involvement of Maudie’s
Rooms is very intense and, hopefully, deeply
memorable for an audience – in a way that
cannot be achieved in a more conventional
form of end-on theatre.
Maudie’s Rooms is selling tickets at the
Sherman Cymru and is performed from April
11-26 down at Cardiff Bay. Don’t miss it!
Photo: Ben Tyreman
As a town with plenty of history and
a great range of people, site-specific
theatre has found a happy hunting
ground in Cardiff. Culture editor Sum
Sze Tam interviews the artistic directors
of two different shows in town this
month and talks about the essence of the
stories they want to tell, and the magical
properties of site-specific theatre itself
about the Old Customs and Immigration
house in Bute Street – saying it would be
the ideal place. She thought that it would
be a ‘long shot’ but we arranged to meet
the owner. Immediately I knew that the site
would be perfect, and would add a whole
other dimension to the piece. Steeped in
atmosphere, this old house has been the
landing place for many ‘itinerant’ peoples...
Semi-derelict, it nevertheless has a strange
beauty to it – and, since the play is concerned
with people who are ‘misplaced’, it felt
serendipitous that these two things came
together.
In terms of ‘transforming’ – for several
years, as part of this project, I have been
hoarding and collecting weird and wonderful
items. The characters in Maudie’s Rooms all
worked at theatre at the ‘end of the pier’ –
and so a whole atmosphere and world could
be created, with this as an idea. Working
with designers, Jenny Lee and Angharad
Matthews, we were able to transform the
empty spaces into magical environments –
both these designers met the challenge of
creating the installations with relish – bringing
the outside world inside.
Photo: Nick Allsop
S I T E
SPECIFIC
THEATRE
ENTERTAINMENT
CULTURE
This play is unique in its focus on the people
of Barry. How do you think Barry is perceived
by most people?
I get the impression that Barry is perceived as
being run down and a bit rough although I
think Gavin & Stacey helped to shift that view.
One of the aims of Day To Go is to emphasise
the many treasures of Barry.
What do you hope to communicate to the
audience?
How important a sense of place can be. How
places live on in our personal and collective
memories and our association with them can
be very powerful and also that a lot of fun
can be had on a bus journey!
What are four words/phrases that describe
the tone of the production?
Tongue in cheek, Tear in eye and Beauty on
the Horizon.
Background Photo: Wyn Mason
Day To Go is set on a bus in its entirety.
How did you come up with the idea of that
staging? Was creating a piece of theatre on a
mobile stage vastly different from creating it
on a stationary one?
I came up with the idea whilst journeying
on a local bus through Barry, and yes, there
are different considerations when making
theatre for an audience that is on the move
as opposed to one that is sat within a theatre
auditorium. There are lots of distractions for
one thing: the noise of the bus and of course
just everyday life passing by, but this is also
what makes it a creative challenge. One of the
things I find most interesting is that although
the audience are sat in this shared space,
travelling together, they will inevitably see
different things; whilst this can also happen
within a conventional theatre, it is much more
heightened in this show.
Despite this, site-specific theatre hasn’t really
taken off into the mainstream - why do you
think this is? For practical reasons? Are there
features of this type of theatre that deter
people?
I think it’s a form of theatre that is becoming
more widely used and experienced. Having
said that there are features of this kind of
work that may deter people: the fact that the
boundaries between the performers and the
spectators are less clearly defined and that
often site-specific work does not involve a
play text with a conventional linear narrative.
Yet this is also what attracts some people to
site-specific work. It’s probably more the case
that people are deterred from theatre, and
especially more experimental types of theatre,
because they don’t have much experience
of it. It takes theatre makers, funders and
politicians to change that.
Photo: Wyn Mason
Then there’s Day To Go, a show about the
people of Barry and the histories and transient
nature of an area that’s off the beaten track.
Audiences are driven around Barry itself on
bus, and meet an interesting cast of characters
inspired by real life. Artistic director Bridget
Keehan discusses the very mobile, and yet
stationary, nature of the show.
strong feelings about particular places. I felt
that these stories would be much better served
by telling them in or near to the places which
were being referenced, particularly because
so many of these places are now transformed
into something else. The audience are
being invited to imagine or, in some cases,
remember what used to be, and this layering
of what is there now with what was there in
the past creates interesting tensions, as well
as a lot of visual fun as we play with images
evoked from the past. One of the strengths
of site-specific theatre is that it values place
and our relationship to it, and it can uncover
and present stories in unexpected ways. One
of the things that I find most wonderful about
making work in this way is that the rehearsal
process and the performances are informed
by whoever happens to be walking by at that
moment!
Day To Go is produced by Papertrail, and
made its bus journey around Barry on the 5th
and 11th of April.
Photo: Wyn Mason
DAY TO GO
In what way is site-specific theatre better
than straight theatre for the story/ies in Day
To Go? What makes this theatre form unique
in general?
I think site-specific theatre is the best artistic
choice for this show, because the stories that
people shared with us communicated such
35
Q
ginsberg
in wales
“Valleys breathe ­
- heaven and earth, moving
together”. The poet Allen Ginsberg sits before me,
his projection covering a wall the size of a double­
-decker bus. Like the wind through the valleys, his
voice softly echoes through the near-­empty gallery.
The poem that he is reading, “Wales Visitation”, was
written on location in the Black Mountains during
the fifth hour of a marathon LSD session. Ginsberg
insists to his interviewer that one need not use
hallucinogens to appreciate his romanticised view
of nature, merely that, for him, using LSD “clarified”
the landscape before him. His observations of
natural forms ­- a mountain, a blade of grass, even
his own beard -­ flit excitedly between the poignant
and the ridiculous, the strikingly observant and the
shockingly surreal.
The poem is only three pages long, but Ginsberg
clearly loses the attention of both his interviewer
and his studio audience several times during his
recitation. My eyes, however, are fixed firmly on the
screen. Upon the third or fourth viewing, I became
accustomed to his use of unconventional imagery
and jarring rhyming structure, characteristic of the
‘Beat Literature’ genre in which Ginsberg was a
prominent figure. If it can be said that all art deserves
a second viewing, then it should also be said that
Q 36
Inspired by an Allen Ginsberg poem written in the
60s, a gallery of Romantic art currently resides in the
Cardiff Museum. We asked Dan Tucker to wander
around the exhibition, much in the way Ginsberg
himself sauntered through the Welsh countryside
every poem deserves to be read a dozen times.
With each viewing, I become increasingly aware
of Ginsberg’s nuances, his unique phraseology, and
his gift for turning the mundane into the spectacular.
However, I also become increasingly aware of how
odd it looks that I’ve been watching looping footage
for a solid twenty minutes.
Turning the corner, I find Graham Sutherland’s
roughly contemporaneous oil on canvas, “U-shaped
Romanticism is about
trying to watch the sun
setting as if it were for the
very first time
Farm with Blue Sky”. Like the poetry of Ginsberg, I
am at times struck by how detached his observations
appear to be from the subject matter, and, at others,
by how intuitive and insightful they feel. His “Study
of thorns” proves far more accessible, as we are
presented with the very thorns that inspired the
painting. One sees how the influence of surrealism
and romanticism in Sutherland’s work accentuates
and complements the natural forms of his “found
objects collection”, once again striking that exciting
balance between fantasy and reality. But it is Richard
Long’s “Blaenau Ffestiniog Circle”, an arrangement
of Llechwedd quarry slate, which dominates the
room. Like some sort of postmodern Stonehenge,
it squats in the centre of the gallery as an almost
oxymoronic mish­
-mash of sharp, random shapes
and smooth, ordered forms.
For me, Romanticism culminates in these
explorations of the boundary between order and
chaos, the juxtaposition of the real and the surreal,
and the superimposing of the supernatural upon
the mundane. No myth embodies and distills these
notions better than the classic folk tale of Trystan and
Essyllt. Drawing heavily on the literary convention
of ‘Magical Realism’, it is the classic tale of two star­
-crossed lovers who are brought together by powers
beyond their comprehension. Frequently cited as a
key influence upon Romeo and Juliet, the tale forms a
cornerstone of the Celtic folkloric anthology, and has
served to inspire centuries of Welsh Romanticism in
art and literature. David Jones’ 1959 oil on canvas
captures the spellbinding moment in which our two
protagonists, sailing across the Irish Sea, drink the
magical love potion that instigates their tragic, self-­
destructive affair. Jones’ colour choices perfectly
entertainment
culture
Images (from left to right, up to down): Photo of
Allen Ginsberg, Cycle of Nature by Ceri Richards,
Hill of Hurdles by Claire Woods, The Bard by
Thomas Jones, and Capel-y-Ffin by David Jones
embody some of the key notions of Romanticism -­ the
chaste, naturalistic depiction of the sea and the sky
clashes strikingly with the glowing, radiant image of
the two lovers.
Of course, this painting marks a stark departure
from “Capel-­
y-­
ffin”, his significantly earlier mixed­
-media piece that focuses on the titular hamlet on
English­
-Welsh border. The enduring influence
of Cézanne is obvious in this piece, with Jones
deliberately disrupting the viewer’s natural sense
of depth perception and utilising a surreal colour
scheme, the ultimate effect of which is to convey a
sense of the ethereal and the magical. This piece
came at a time when Jones was keen to revitalise
enthusiasm for Arthurian Legend, with a desire to
re­-establish the link between the landscapes that he
was painting and the iconic stories set therein. This
link between the Welsh nation’s geography and its
culture is reiterated in John Piper’s “Capel Curig”, a
stunning painting that focuses on the traditional role
of the chapel in rural villages.
Similarly, Thomas Jones “The Bard” is an attempt
to encapsulate the elusive and nebulous notion of
‘the Welsh Bard’ by linking landscape to myth. Also
found in Thomas Gray’s 1757 poem of the same
title, the concept occupies a unique position within
Welsh culture as an interdisciplinary product of
artistic, poetic and folkloric works. But Romanticism
in art is not merely constrained to discussions of oil
on canvas and literary classics. Bedwyn Williams’
“The Burn”, a shell­-encrusted metal barbeque, distills
Romanticism perfectly. It presents you with a boring,
everyday object, and then drapes it in bright
colours and striking patterns, imbuing the viewer
with feelings of childlike wonder.
It’s this sense of juvenile awe that defines a Romantic
perspective in the arts -­ a sense of innocence, wonder
and creativity that transfigures simple, natural forms
into works of supernatural beauty. Romanticism is
about trying to watch the sun setting as if it were for
the very first time - which is conveyed beautifully in
Anthony Shapand’s “A Setting”. Whilst viewing this
piece, a child gleefully screamed “he’s drinking a
cup of tea!”. The same child sprinted to the adjacent
room, and upon discovering Andrea Büttner’s “Moss
Garden”, exclaimed in the same ecstatic tone that it
was, indeed “moss, and real water!”.
Upon leaving the exhibition, I realised that I
couldn’t help but envy this child’s passion. So much
of our lives is dedicated to the mundane that we tend
to ignore the poetic. In the run up to exams, taking
enough time out for yourself is vital, and seeing this
exhibit may well be the perfect way to do just that.
Wales Visitation: Poetry, Romanticism & Myth in Art
is showing in the National Museum Wales from 22
February - 7 September. Wander on down to see it!
37
Q
TOO OLD TO READ?
With Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest taking place this month, it seems
timely to ask this question: when are you too old to read children’s
books? Elouise Hobbs looks at what the festival has to
offer older readers while evaluating the place of
children’s literature in the adult world
Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest is back after its
successful debut last year. You can have a tea
party with Mandy Sutcliffe, author of Belle and
Bo, join festival favourite Kjartan Poskitt as he
tells stories from his extremely successful series
Agatha Parrot or you can meet Sarah Garland,
author and illustrator of over 40 children’s
books.
You may not think that this event is for you
because children’s books are meant for children.
However, there are some events for budding
writers. On Wednesday 9th April, Joseph Evans
talks about how he overcame adversity and
rejection in a long struggle to get published.
Having now sold over 50,000 copies of his
series The Seckry Sequence, he is on hand to
give inspirational advice about believing in
your work and the determination it takes to get
a book published.
On Thursday 10th April you can participate
in ‘Can You Write A Children’s Book?’. Here,
Barry Cunningham, OBE (who famously spotted
and signed a new writer called J.K. Rowling
when he was at Bloomsbury) and bestselling
author Caroline Lawrence give advice and
answer your questions on writing for children
and getting published. If you are interested in
writing Welsh Young Adult Fiction, author Ceri
Elen gives advice on how to get your foot in the
door. For an evening event that is a bit more
cosy and relaxed, Lucy Christopher and Kat Ellis
chat about their novels The Killing Woods and
the mysterious Blackfin Sky over hot drinks in
Waterstones.
One event guaranteed to get you thinking
about the nature of children’s literature and its
impact on your everyday life is Professor David
Rudd’s lively debate ‘Not in Front of the Grown
Ups?’. It explores the contradiction at the heart
Q 38
of all children’s literature; children’s books
are simply for children but are controlled (i.e.
written and published) by adults. He questions
how the genre is seen by everyday society and
asks difficult questions about whether we should
be taking this literature more seriously.
Authors obviously respect the authority of
children’s books when switching to writing them
after writing adult books. Ian Fleming, who wrote
the James Bond series, also wrote the famous
children’s novel Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The
wonderful J.R.R. Tolkien wrote both The Hobbit
and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy; the stories
were written on the same strand, though one
The storm surrounding Fifty
Shades of Grey is nothing
compared to the outcry
caused by the children’s
classics To Kill a Mockingbird
and The Catcher in the Rye
was written for his own children whilst the other
captured the imagination of adults everywhere,
selling over 150 million copies. All these books
have been turned into films aimed at an adult
audience, demonstrating the slippage between
audience ages.
Furthermore, children’s books cause massive
controversy. The storm which surrounded the
release of Fifty Shades of Grey is nothing
compared to the outcry caused by the release
of children’s classics To Kill a Mockingbird and
The Catcher in the Rye (which remained banned
in some schools until 1997). These children’s
books confront issues that most adult fiction
happily shies away from, such as institutionalised
ENTERTAINMENT
CULTURE
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
TUESDAY 8 APRIL
racism, class and gender roles. There are lots of
benefits of reading a children’s book when you
are older as you have a greater understanding
of the text and the complexities of the metaphors
as you can see what they really mean. George
Orwell’s Animal Farm is a parody of the Russian
Revolution and the consequences of a communist
society, all played out by talking animals. This
idea is so complex and executed perfectly; to
simply disregard this book as a children’s novel
would be a disservice.
It is not only the children’s books that
have caused controversy that should be
acknowledged. Illustrated books are a great
example of how children are educated about
the world but also how we as adults (through
the author) impart our social expectations and
ideologies onto children. It is true that pictures
can say a million words, but it is the hidden
meaning within the pictures that can often be
overlooked. The words can say very different
things to the image, but when you read the book
you are more likely to get the meaning from the
picture. The illustrations in books add a lot to
what is being said, but with the notions of what
constitutes an ‘adult’ book, the sense of seeing
beyond the pictures is often lost.
Next time you come across a children’s book
in the library or your little cousin asks you to
read them a bedtime story, don’t sigh in disdain.
As children’s books are definitely not just for
children, you may actually learn something.
Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest is taking place
across Cardiff this April. For more information,
tickets and the full brochure of events
visit http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.
asp?nav=2%2C2869%2C6584
Reading For Pleasure: Creating Lifelong
Readers (7pm City Hall, Room D)
Jo Bowers explores the pleasures of
reading in early childhood and emphasises
the importance of early engagement
WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL
Not in Front of the Grown Ups?
Children's Literature in an Adult World
(7.30pm Hadyn Ellis Building)
Join a literature expert as he debates the
relevance of childrenʼs literature today
THURSDAY 10 APRIL
Can You Write A Children's Book? Barry
Cunningham & Caroline Lawrence
(7pm City Hall, Room D)
Find out insider tips for getting into the
industry, delivered by a best-selling author
and the man who spotted J. K. Rowling
Lucy Christopher and Kat Ellis
(7pm Waterstones Coffee Shop)
Two female authors discuss their experiences
of getting their debut works published
SATURDAY 12 APRIL
Bad Boys:
Dennis The Menace
Vs Horrid Henry
(2pm National
Museum Wales)
Two authors, including Horrid Henry creator
Francesca Simon, debate over who is the
naughtier boy in childrenʼs fiction
Kjartan Poskitt - Murderous Maths
(4pm National Museum Wales)
Poskitt shows us how maths can be weird and
amazing, with a special emphasis on non-nasty,
numerical tricks to impress
SUNDAY 13 APRIL
WAR HORSE: ONLY
REMEMBERED
4.30pm WMC
Michael Morpurgo, War Horse
author, reads his moving story
alongside live musicians
39
Q
THE BEST IN
VIDEOGAME WEBSERIES
The idea of watching two people play
videogames and not being especially mature
about it does not sound like a particularly
interesting thing to do, but somehow Game
Grumps pull it off. Hosted by Arin Hanson
(better known as Egoraptor, creator of the
‘Awesome’ series and ‘Sequelitis’), and Danny
Sexbang (half of the comedy band Ninja Sex
Party), the show sees the duo play through
a mixture of their favourite games and those
sent in by viewers. What makes this series
stand out amongst all the other ‘Lets Plays’
on YouTube is the brilliant chemistry between
the two; they can somehow manage two
episodes a day and yet their conversations
never become boring.
Whether it be sharing anecdotes, mocking
the terrible game that they are playing,
or having a philosophical debate, Game
Grumps never fail to offer a laugh-a-minute
show. The only thing potential viewers should
be wary of is that the Grumps rarely put
much focus into the game they are playing,
which can lead to frustrating moments where
they get stuck on a very easy part of a game
(especially Wind Waker HD and Pokémon
FireRed). The channel also features sistershows Steam Train, which focuses on PC
games, and Table Flip, which involves other
well-known faces from YouTube joining the
Grumps for table-top role-playing games.
RANDOM ENCOUNTER
It is said that if you were to place an infinite
number of monkeys with an infinite number of
typewriters in a room, they would eventually
produce the entire works of Shakespeare. This
is around 30,000 people all trying to play the
same Pokémon game at the same time, and
they have actually managed to complete Red
and Crystal, and have now started Emerald.
You would assume that this just leads to a
chaotic mess, but eventually they do actually
manage to power through the game. This
does not mean that there aren’t any hilarious
mishaps, however, with the likes of using a
Master Ball to catch a Goldeen adding to the
fun of watching the stream. All you need is a
free Twitch account so that you can post in
Q 40
If you are less of a fan of watching a
series of daily 10-minute episodes and
more of weekly 1-hour live streams, then
look no further than Gamespot’s Random
Encounter. Hosted by loveable Irishman
Danny O’Dwyer, the show sees him take
suggestions via Twitter (@dannyodwyer)
to play a completely random game each
week. Sometimes, this will result in him
playing beloved classics such as the
original Splinter Cell, Half-Life 2 or Grand
Theft Auto, but most of the time it results in
O’Dwyer playing either painfully terrible or
obscure games.
the comments bar, and anything you comment
that corresponds to a button on a Game
Boy will then be pressed in-game around 20
seconds later.
Half of the joy in this actually comes from
looking at the sub-Reddit dedicated to the
stream. It is here that nicknames for each
of the Pokémon, such as the insanely overpowered Pidgeot ‘Bird Jesus’. An online
cult towards the Helix Fossil has even
developed, formed out of the hilarious sight
of the player trying to use it constantly in
Pokémon Red, and since going to Cinnabar
Island and turning it into the Onamyte ‘Lord
Helix’, a series of impressive fan art has
appeared.
GAME GRUMPS
This show has led to the discovery of of
so-bad-they’re-good games like Hatoful
Boyfriend (A Pigeondating Simulator), Euro
Truck Simulator 2 and CSI: Hard Evidence,
which is where it excels. O’Dwyer is brilliant
at mocking these, turning boring footage
of someone playing a broken and badly
designed game into a side-splitting hour of
sheer hilarity. If you watch the show on Twitch
TV as it is broadcast live, you can also post
comments in the chat bar at the side, which
O’Dwyer often replies to, or even sometimes
join a game with him if he is playing online
multiplayer.
TWITCH PLAYS POKEMON
ENTERTAINMENT
VIDEO GAMES
What is the next best thing after playing
video games? Watching other people play them,
of course! Matt Grimster picks his favourite online series
Not all good webseries are big budget or
well-known, and Finding the Plot is one
of these which everyone should give a
try. Hosted by the quintessential member
of the aristocracy, Sebastian WhittingtonSmythe, he delves into the plots of well
known videogames or movies, and
uncovers hidden themes and allegories
within them. Of course, none of this is
meant to be taken seriously, given that the
show reduces The Legend of Zelda: A Link
to the Past to being an elaborate piece of
Nazi propaganda, or an episode of the
Donkey Kong Country cartoon carrying
pro-drugs messages disguised as antidrugs messages. Nevertheless, coverage of
games such as Earthbound has opened up
some interesting debates, and encourages
to perhaps re-think the plots of games we
have played to see if there is something
more behind their face value.
Recently, Finding the Plot has branched
out into other shows, such as a Let’s Play
called Playing Simulator. This is also worth
watching given the hilarious, off-topic
discussions that take place (but seriously,
do Americans play conkers?), and you can
always check out Sebastian’s Facebook to
check out the latest on what he has been
playing and what he has planned next for
Finding the Plot. Also, there is a recurring
character called Barry Skoda, who a few
of you might recognise...
ZERO PUNCTUATION
Whilst it is fun to watch long-established
webseries, new talent should not be ignored in
the face of this. One such example of this is the
19-year-old Brit James ‘Caddicarus’ Caddick,
who is currently one of Youtube’s fastest rising
stars. Given his younger age, he tends to focus on
popular PlayStation games from the late 1990s/
early 2000s. Caddicarus successfully reignites
the nostalgia in us all, giving a series of fun
and interesting videos on his fandom of classic
series such as Crash Bandicoot, Oddworld,
Tekken and Metal Gear Solid. Not to mention
occasional reviews of much more recent games,
and notoriously terrible ones such as Coronation
Street: The Mystery of the Missing Hotpot Recipe
Most people who review videogames will tend
to focus on a balanced view, summarising with
their own opinion. Not with Australia-based
Brit Yahtzee Croshaw, whose Zero Punctuation
series is a no-holds barred blast at everything
he hates about a game, whether or not it is
actually good. As the title suggests, he barely
even pauses for breath as he maliciously takes
apart a game piece-by-piece. It is impossible
to deny Yahtzee’s talent in describing how he
hates something; it may be incredibly offensive
and puerile, but that does not stop it from being
side-splittingly funny. The famous “PC Gaming
Master Race” phrase comes from this webseries,
as well as “OH PISSING BLIMEY, THERE’S JAM
COMING OUT OF THE WALLS!!” used to
(yes, that is a REAL game), which maintains a
variety in the output of videos.
All of this is accompanied by his madcap,
Monty Python-esque humour, which rarely fails
to miss the mark, making his Sunday evening
uploads the perfect end to a tiring week. When
he does need to be serious, however, he expertly
puts his point across and explains his reasoning
in a clear way, making his videos as informative
as they are entertaining. It is also worth checking
out his second channel, Caddy’s Conundrums,
and Facebook/Twitter, where he regularly posts
updates on games he has been playing and
replies to questions from fans.
FINDING THE PLOT
describe Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
His 5-minute rants are accompanied by
equally hilarious flash animations, which ensure
that in the brief moments when you are not
laughing at what he is saying, you are laughing
at whatever image he is using to describe it.
By all means, it is unlikely that you will agree
with him on everything, but that does not stop
Zero Punctuation from being one of the most
entertaining webseries of all time. Existing fans
of this series are also encouraged to check
his Extra Punctuation column, his ‘Let’s Drown
Out’ videos on Youtube, as well as his range of
freeware games, which can be accessed from
his blog.
CADDICARUS
41
Q
ANNIGONOL
YDY UN IAITH
You’ve seen us in films and heard us on the radio, now Rhys Thomas Elliott
explores the growing presence of the Welsh in the Video Game industry
Wales and gaming are topics that I rarely get to talk about
together. The topic has also remained bewilderingly elusive
in the popular gaming media. These are both things I feel
need to change – and fast. If you were to tell an American
that you’re Welsh the typical reaction would be one of
unknowingness, despite a respectable knowledge about the
Irish, Scottish and English. This underrepresentation has been
historically abundant in the gaming industry, where even
the tiniest mention of Wales was about as rare as a new
Nintendo IP. There have, however, been some significant
surprises as of late. Is Wales finally starting to get embraced
by the gaming industry?
The first significant inclusion of Welsh-inspired characters
in games can be linked to the abandonment of the RPG
as an exclusively Japanese-developed genre. Western and
European RPG series like Fable and The Witcher (which are
based in fictional quasi-Medieval locations) draw heavily
from Celtic history and culture. Both games have a plethora
of NPC’s voiced by Welsh voice actors, authenticating the
Celtic vibe. It’s not just NPC’s though. Merrill —one of the
major companion characters in Dragon Age 2— is voiced
by Eve Miles, a Welsh actress of Torchwood, and Frankie.
The Japanese-developed action RPG Dark Souls also had
a couple of Welsh voice actors for some of the merchants,
implying that perhaps our friends in the East are taking note
of the successes garnered by Western RPG developers.
I really couldn’t fathom
hearing the Welsh accent
from such a central
character again any time
soon. Boy was I wrong!
Rockstar have a tendency to include Wales in their games
as a comedic device, particularly in the fictional radio
stations in the Grand Theft Auto series. Vice City’s VCPR
station features a caller that hilariously claims that Wales
is the reason Vice City is so crime-ridden and degenerate.
There’s also a hilarious reference on the Chakra Attack
station in Grand Theft Auto V, where the host recalls a hazy
‘spiritual’ trip to where he assumed was Tibet, but what he
actually explains in his ‘confusion’ is a trip to Wales; rugby
is mentioned, along with cheese on toast, male voice choirs
and the fact that everybody was called Jones/Davies. All
these things are staples of Wales; it’s an absolutely hilarious
snippet of dialogue that embodies the bombastically satirical
nature of GTA. These radio references were undoubtedly
comprised by Lazlow Jones, a Welsh-American writer that
was involved in writing, producing and voicing many of
Q 42
the radio stations across the GTA series. There was even a
brief Welsh cameo in Rockstar San Diego’s Western epic
Red Dead Redemption, whereby the aptly named character
“Welsh” comically murmurs “Who do you think you are,
boyo?”, before being shot dead by the game’s protagonist.
It was refreshing to hear the Welsh accent relayed in such
popular games, even if it’s brief on the most part.
A few years ago then, it was apparent that Wales had
subtly embedded itself in the industry. Yet, I was losing
faith that Wales and the Welsh would ever be significantly
represented in the industry. Spanning from this, my ears were
totally unprepared for what they were exposed to early last
year when I played the critically-acclaimed Japanese RPG
Ni No Kuni, a PS3 game developed by Level-5 Studios in
conjunction with much-admired storytellers Studio Ghibli. This
spectacular RPG is about as Japanese as a Japanese RPG
gets, tropes and all. What immediately struck me though was
the English (language) voice acting of the main character’s
mentor – Mr Drippy. Mr Drippy was voiced in a heavy
Swansea accent, complete with all the little colloquialisms:
boyo, mun, youer; it’s great! Mr Drippy’s persona was one
of the crowning moments of the game for most too. Must be
that whimsical Welsh charm, eh?
After Ni No Kuni, I really couldn’t fathom hearing the
Welsh accent from such a central character in a game any
time soon. Boy I was wrong! Assassin’s Creed IV: Black
Flag’s development was shaped by some of the failings
of the overly-ambitious Assassin’s Creed III. One of these
failings was the lack of player attachment to the game’s
main character, Connor. In Black Flag it was a conscious
effort of the developers to introduce a likeable character. This
character came in the form of Edward Kenway, a privateer
turned pirate in the West Indies, born and bred in Swansea.
Edward doesn’t just have a Welsh accent though, he is
Welsh. He overtly flaunts his Welsh pride, often getting riled
at other characters he encounters in the Caribbean who
mistake him for an Englishman. It’s bloody great; millions
of people around the globe have heard and embraced the
character of Edward Kenway, which can only spell good
news for the future of Welsh representation in gaming.
All in all, things are looking up for the representation of
Wales in the video game industry. All things Welsh are surely
but steadily becoming more and more integrated into the
industry, and in novel and diverse ways to boot. It’s looking
like this trend won’t buck any time soon, with gamers of
all nations highly resonating with these Welsh and Walesinspired characters. Now EA, if you could kindly take Cardiff
City F.C and Swansea City A.F.C out of the ‘England’ section
on Fifa 14, that’d be great. An extended version of
Rhys’ article is on our website.
SOUTH PARK:
THE STICK OF
TRUTH
ENTERTAINMENT
VIDEO GAMES
AVAILABLE ON: XBOX ONE,
XBOX 360, PS4, PS3, PC
DEVELOPER: OBSIDIAN
OUT NOW
4/5
Avid fan of the gross offensive comedy series, Charlie Andrews sees what happens when you’re the new
kid in Southpark and it’s RPG season
Whether South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, with developer Obsidian,
could pull off the same sharp comedy, shock value and down right obscenities for
a 14-hour game instead of a 22-minute episode was never a sure thing. But there
I was, shrunk down to Underpants Gnome-size, slicing through mounds of bodily
fluids in turn-based JRPG combat and climbing through countless sexual objects as I
went, laughing hysterically the whole way. I’m floored at how consistently funny it is,
and at how well the outrageous comedy melds with the relatively simple gameplay
to create not just an amazing South Park game, but an intelligent and witty satire of
roleplaying mechanics.
As for the story, it’s a clever premise that allows The Stick of Truth to take place in
a recognisable and painstakingly recreated South Park setting, but also brings in all
the usual fantasy roleplaying tropes through the power of children’s imagination. It’s
a trick used many times in the show, and it works great for the game, too. An epic
LARPing session has your custom-created new kid in town joining either Cartman’s
Humans or Kyle’s Elves, all dressed in amusingly bad makeshift cosplay outfits. True
to the show, things escalate wildly and hilariously, leading to conspiracies involving
the government, aliens, and Taco Bell.
I managed to resist the curious lure of playing as the Jew class over the archetypal
Fighter, Thief, and Mage options after watching so many gameplay videos, but the
differences between the classes turned out to be disappointingly slight. Sure, each
has their own special abilities, but there are effectively no class-specific weapons or
items, and there’s nothing to stop a Mage from choosing melee-enhancing gear and
carving up foes with a blade just as well as a Fighter. All classes eventually learn
special farting magic (a crude parody of Skyrim’s Dragon Shouts), though both the
thumbstick motions and especially the tutorial sessions for your powers of flatulence
tend to be cumbersome. Achievement or Trophy hunting aside, this lack of class
differentiation or significant choices in the story are big reasons why I don’t feel
much incentive to replay the campaign.
The other offence, unfortunate is that some extremely useful things are poorly
explained, if they’re even mentioned at all. Tricks like being able to switch your
Buddy, a selection of show regulars, at any time by pressing down on the D-pad
to access the Party menu, or taking the first swing at overworld enemies so that
you get the first turn when the battle starts, and what your Buddies can do and are
specifically good at are all up to us to discover accidentally.
I’m floored by how
consistently funny it is
But that’s about the extent of the damage. While it may seem trivial to make a
role-playing game resemble the crude, construction-paper cutout style of the show,
it’s executed so well here that the two mediums are almost indistinguishable. You’ll
never see a HUD when walking around town, for instance, unless you tap the Y/
Triangle button. Only a very rare stuck animation on an overworld enemy and the
occasional frame rate stutter when a new area loaded in for the first time reminded
me that this was a game and not the show. And that was the extent of the technical
problems I encountered.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the game but there are some truly WTF moments
that can’t be ignored for my review. Whether it was battling an underpants-stealing
Gnome against the backdrop of a swinging breast, having to physically dodge
a pair of swinging testicles, or being awarded an achievement for watching my
character’s parents have sex for 60 seconds, The Stick of Truth never failed to make
me burst out in hysterics whilst wondering how far they were being allowed to
push the humour. This brings me on to one other niggle about this game, the EU’s
censorship. I couldn’t help but vent my rage and frustration at the regulatory board’s
decision to cut out so many scenes from the game. For instance, when I found
myself abducted by the aliens; there must have been at least half a dozen scenes cut
from this mission which feels very disjointed and as a result not as enjoyable as the
remainder of the game.
The roughly 14 hours of absurdity and satire feels just right, from beginning
to end. That being said, despite featuring over 100 characters and countless
references, I wanted more. Towelie only ever shows up in a loading screen. The
always-hilarious Christmas Critters have a criminally short cameo that is literally off
the beaten path. Any time you load up your save file, the instantly recognizable
back-from-commercial-break guitar riff plays, further blurring the distinction between
game and show.
You are almost literally – gloriously – playing a 14-hour episode of South Park. It’s
a light but good quality role-playing game in its own right. It is, in a way, Season
18 all by itself. It is funny, shocking, boundary-pushing, and pretty much everything I
could ask for from a South Park game - even if it’s mostly a one-and-done experience.
43
Q
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VERONICA
MARSʼ
JOURNEY TO
THE SILVER
SCREEN
Not letting the seminal detective show to be left forgotten Andy Love takes
a look at how the show has made a comeback with the help of its fans
There’s a school reunion going on and you
just got invited. You might have not really
liked her, but that was the staple behind
the success of Veronica Mars – the teenage
detective that kept company to most people
post the high school.
We meet Veronica (Kristen Bell) during her first
year in Neptune High California, popular and
happy. She was also dating the most handsome guy
in school, Duncan, and best friends with his sister the rather wild Lily Kane (Amanda Seyfried). It all
goes downhill when Lily Kane is presumed dead and
no one can find the killer. Veronica’s father, the then
Sheriff Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) is voted out
his job for accusing Lily Kane’s father as the killer.
Keith opens his own private detective agency. A now
We engage with
Veronica through life’s
turmoil
frail and disheartened Veronica becomes his witty
secretary whilst still navigating through school life.
Veronica is quite curious and has however learned
a lot from her dad – often helping her school peers
for money and favours. The show has often a “Noir”
element to it which makes the experience even more
enjoyable. Media referencing other styles should
always be a winner.
In a big part, the show’s success was due to the
main character’s relatable underdog hero persona.
The show ran for three seasons, running from 2004
to 2007, but when it ended it upset many fans. There
is also an attachment to Veronica and the characters
Q 46
as we, the audience get to see them growing through
high school. The show tackled issues like murder,
rape, racism, teen pregnancy and drug trafficking
in many intelligent ways. It is not a world without
violence however (hey, teenagers and hormones!),
but when it happens it tends to be rather awkward as
people throw punches at each other like something
you’d see on discovery channel. There is also great
displays of violence, and I would challenge anyone
who watches through the end of season one to say
they didn’t get their stomach turned by the end of it.
It’s brilliant. For most of the show however, conflict
resolutions are smart but peaceful. Quoting Veronica
here: “Despite popular opinion, you really can’t beat
the truth out of someone”.
Miss Mars is a savvy girl – one that is as such
not often something you see in shows besides Buffy
the Vampire Slayer (probably why Joss Wheddon
loves Veronica Mars). The show also counts with
Veronica’s friend Mac (Tina Majorino) – a brilliant
savvy hacker and Wallace (Percy Daggs III)
supporting Veronica with most cases. Throughout the
show we see Veronica use technology in unthinkable
ways (ever tried to put a spy camera in an iPod?)
and due to her brilliant thinking, she tends to solve
crimes before the police. There is also your teenage
drama keeping things interesting as we engage
with Veronica through life’s turmoils, her romances
and break ups which gives the character (and her
friends) a lot of emotional growth.
So why are we talking about a show that ended in
2007? Because just last year, Kristen Bell and other
actors who worked on Veronica Mars started inviting
everyone for a high school reunion – ‘Veronica
Mars’. Kristen Bell, now executive producer and
show creator Rob Thomas were turned down
finances by Warner Bros, so turned to Kickstarter
and YouTube to make the film happen. Kickstarter
has been brilliant for independent films and games
and the actors, along with Rob Thomas, managed
to raise 5.7 million dollars instead of the initial 2
million. Kickstarter’s CEO Yancey Strickler called the
project one of the greatest fan stories of all time.
As such, if you are planning on watching the
film you might feel disappointed if you have never
watched or heard of the series. Much emphasis was
given to the people backing up the project (that
means us fans and not you film goers) and I can
confidently say that the film brings that nostalgia of
seeing old friends. We see what happens to Veronica
and her crew, even some secondary characters
return. This is the power of Kickstarter at play – it
A big part of the show’s
success was due to the
main character’s
relatable,underdog hero
personal
is not a film about big explosions, special effects or
car chases. It’s about checking up on a character
that you haven’t seen in ages. There is nothing more
fitting to this opening than the Veronica Mars’ theme
by Dandy Warhols – “A long time ago we used to be
friends but I haven’t thought of you lately at all.” But
hey, what happened to Veronica I hear you say! She
introduces herself in the beginning of the film after
giving a very quick rundown of the series:
ENTERTAINMENT
FILM & TV
“I’ve grown up though, that was the old me,
angry me, vengeful me. New me? People say I’m a
Marshmallow!”
And she has, Veronica is now a lawyer and ready
to kick-start her big career at a law firm (owned
by none other than Jamie Lee Curtis) but trouble is
brewing in her old town of Neptune and that puts
Veronica’s priorities in jeopardy. It just so happens
that someone was murdered in Neptune – and
remember when I said the police there was quite
dire? The new Sheriff (Jerry O’Connell) doesn’t seem
much better. Veronica’s old time friend Logan (Jason
Dohring) needs help, Veronica ends up giving in and
going back to Neptune as we see her reconnecting
with her old self whilst trying to keep her eyes on her
Overall, the film serves
as a lovely little trip
down memory lane
and it has won the
hearts and invoked
fond memories for
future. We also get to see old characters return and
what they have been doing; Wallace is now working
in a school, Mac is working in a tech company and
Gia Goodman (Krysten Ritter) – one of my favourites
– who is now a socialite. The film also brings a
nice reunion where it’s used as a great excuse to
connect with minor characters again. Overall, it’s a
trip down memory lane and it has won the hearts
and memories of many people, currently sporting a
nice 7.6 on IMDB and 76% on rotten tomatoes. The
film also did great in the limited box office – for a
film that appeared at a limited 300 screens, being
available on demand and online the film raised 2
million dollars. Putting it into the top 10 and second
highest-per-screen average for the weekend. Rob
Thomas also seems interested in a sequel, but on his
last e-mail to backers he reports it’s too soon to know
anything for sure.
And for those who think the film was too fan
focused, Rob Thomas wrote this:
“Among critics, the most common complaint is that
the movie is “too fan focused,” and you know what?
I’m okay with that. We’ve been away a long time.
There was some catching up to do, and like many
of you, there was a lot that I wanted to see in this
movie. Next time, maybe we’ll make a movie that’s
100% accessible to audiences who have never seen
Veronica Mars.”
So my advice? Now that you read it and you
know it, go take a trip to Neptune High and engage
with one of the most intelligent shows ever made.
Television needs more series like Veronica Mars with
fresh engagements and ideas in its approaches,
and in its sit down approach to watch film! You’re
probably waiting for the new season of Game of
Thrones anyway, right?
47
Q
THE
LAST
OF US
TRANSLATING A
CINEMATIC STORY
TO THE CINEMA
There have been many
attempts at adapting a video
game onto the big screen.
Will The Last of Us learn from
past mistakes?
Q 48
If you’re a fan of huge game-changing games
(excuse the pun) then you might have heard
the news about the critically acclaimed
The Last of Us scoring a movie deal. For
those of you who are unfamiliar with this
game however, The Last of Us is an actionadventure, horror survival video game set
in a 2033 post-apocalyptic United States,
with a fight against zombie-like creatures
infected by a mutation. And if that wasn’t
enough, the player has to also fight off hostile
humans (bandits and cannibals) in malicious
environments. The game focuses on the critical
depiction of the human condition, dealing
with themes of sacrifice, loyalty, fate, and
hope. Now for some of you, you’re probably
not even interested after reading the opening.
I mean, post-apocalyptic setting. Zombies.
United States. It’s all been done before!
So what makes this game so special and
different? Let me put it into perspective:
imagine The Walking Dead but with a
more compelling and compact storyline
and likable characters, twice as scary and
five times more incredible. The Last of Us
has received praise for many aspects of
the game, including the writing, game-play,
sounds, level designs, the artistic value of it
as well as the characters and voice actors.
So the fact that this game is being made into
a film is a big deal; it has a lot to live up to. With
the details of the film still scarce, all we know
is that the game’s creative director and writer
Neil Druckmann, will write the script and it will
be a direct adaptation of the game. As well as
this, Sam Raimi (Spiderman Trilogy and Evil
Dead) has been attached to help produce the
film. Moreover, the lead-up to actual casting
announcements means that there is plenty of
time for fans to speculate and fantasise on the
best picks for Joel and Ellie. However, due
to the reliance that the game has on strong,
believable characters, casting would have
to be perfect in order to satisfy fans of the
game and to actually make a compelling film.
That being said, who would be the most
suitable for the roles? Let’s start with Joel; a
brutal and gruff survivor in his late 40’s to early
50’s with a compassionate side that’s buried
down deep. An actor has to be capable of
these traits and portray them successfully on
the screen as well as hold some resemblance
to Joel. For fans of the TV shows Spartacus or
Arrow then you might want to consider the
New Zealander Manu Bennett. Aside from
his physical presence on screen, and likeness
to the character, his characteristics and skills
that he’s gained from these roles are reflective
of that of Joel’s brutal survivalist instinct,
making for an easy fit for him into the role.
Or how about Dylan McDermott? Most
notable for his roles on American Horror
Story, it shows that he could quite easily slip
into this post-apocalyptic, forsaken world with
his work in the horror genre. At the age of
52 and still looking physically fit, he also fits
into the age bracket nicely; not to mention
having a similar facial structure to that of Joel.
However, it depends on how they want
to approach it; if they want star power to
help promote the film to a wider audience,
it goes without saying to consider Gerard
Butler. Aside from being physically built to
suit a physique similar to that of Joel’s, in
films such as 300 or Olympus Has Fallen
he has shown the capability for hands-on
ENTERTAINMENT
FILM & TV
The Last of Us
has received
praise for many
aspects of the
game, including
the writing,
game-play,
sounds, level
designs, the
artistic value of
it as well as the
characters and
voice actors
action, something that is a necessity for this
film. Give him time to grow a bushy beard
and you’ve got yourself a celebrated Joel.
So what about Ellie? A fourteen-yearold orphan that grew up in the postapocalyptic world. Ellie is tough, with a hint
of a childish adolescence, she emotively
connects with Joel throughout the course
of the game. Being the most important
character in the game (no spoilers!) it makes
her casting imperative to be the right one.
And if age wasn’t an issue, then there would
be no one more suitable than Ellen Page. First
off, there’s the aesthetics. Ellie has a very similar
facial structure to Ellen, looking (probably) just
as Ellen would have in primary school and
the fact that she has even complained the
producers of the game “stole her likeness.”
Then there are the multiple parallels in terms
of character traits between Ellie and Ellen’s
roles in films such as Juno and Super. Quips
and dialogue are transcendently ripe with
sarcasm and the excitement of danger. Page’s
role in Super provides exactly the same
curiosity in regards to being a superhero as
Ellie’s does in regards to the world she never
knew. There really are too many parallels to
mention. But the thought of a twenty-sevenyear-old playing the part of a fourteen-yearold girl is just ridiculous and highly unlikely.
But an actress of the right age and the
right fit for Ellie would be Kick Ass star Chloe
Grace Moretz. At seventeen, Moretz has
shown that she has a unique talent when
portraying a character faced with mystery as
well as being able to adapt in states of crises.
She can also show hints of defiance that
could easily be carried over to The Last of Us.
No matter what you think of the news on
a video-game adaptation or the few possible
choices for the leads made above, The Last
of Us is such a cinematic game already, that
remaking it as a film almost seems redundant
(there are actually playthroughs of the game
edited down into movie versions on YouTube,
if you have four hours to spare). That being
said, video games are a hit-and-miss when
it comes to turning them into movies. Let’s
hope that The Last of Us turns out to be
better than Prince of Persia and truer to the
source material more so than Resident Evil.
Alex Miarli
There are the
multiple parallels
in terms of
character traits
between Ellie
and Ellen’s roles
in films such as
Juno and Super
49
Q
Spinning out of control?
No one really likes change. And that’s why
everyone loves television spinoff shows,
right? It encapsulates what made that original
television programme you’ve come to know and
love while carrying on the legacy of the show
into a new setting and postponing the TV show’s
equivalent of a judgement day; cancellation.
But when does that really happen successfully?
Since 2000, the creators of truly great shows along
the likes of How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy or
even Supernatural have had the trouble of letting
them run their course. Consequently, they helped
to create and overstretch a plethora of episodic
mayhem that differs from what made the original
seasons (or episodes) stand out in the first place.
Their answer: to make spinoff shows. In some
cases however, spinoff shows can prove to be
beneficial to a brand and expand a particular
universe in a strong way without taking anything
away from the original. Take Torchwood for
example; the spinoff from the world famous Doctor
Who series that took John Barrowman and co on
a four series adventure which proved to be a hit
among critics and fans alike. In its short history,
Torchwood covered fragments of a huge universe
already established by Doctor Who in a much
more mature light with compelling storylines (as
it was aimed at an older audience), helping to
distinguish itself from its parent programme yet
remaining within the same universe.
It’s understandable why NBC
wanted to continue ‘Friends’ in
some shape or form
And what about Ashes to Ashes? This was
another series that came from the depths of the
BBC’s creative department and, was arguably
more successful than its parent programme Life on
Q 50
Mars as it spanned two seasons more. The police
procedural sci-fi drama television series set in the
1980’s proves just how successful a spinoff can
be and – like Torchwood – are easily accessible to
a viewer who might not have watched the parent
programmes.
AMC is giving the green-light to
spinoffs of ‘Breaking Bad’ with
‘Better Call Saul’ and an untitled
‘The Walking Dead’ spinoff
respectively
Yet in my opinion, these are just a few of the
gems in the spinoff game that have worked well
and were justifiable. There’s always a sense of
trepidation for a fan when the creators try to take a
programme that doesn’t really need a spinoff and
then almost jeopardise the entire franchise they’ve
built. Without going into too much detail, one of
the most unnecessary and misguided spinoffs of
the last decade would be Joey, the spinoff from
the much loved Friends. It’s understandable why
NBC wanted to continue Friends in some shape
or form, but Joey’s lovable, womanizing and dimwitted ways only worked on Friends because he
was able to play off the rest of the gang. Take
them away and you’re left with a show that was
cancelled halfway into its second season with its
last eight episodes never being aired.
While spinoffs continue to be a touchy subject
within the world of television, there are just some
shows that should just stay as a standalone brand.
However, some networks in today’s market just see
another potential revenue stream. They know that
fans of the original shows would still tune in as well
as potentially drawing in new viewers.
One network that seems to be taking this approach
is AMC; by giving the green-light to spinoffs of
When an original story ends, it
can leave fans wanting more.
Alex Miarli decides if they are
worth it
Breaking Bad with Better Call Saul and an untitled
The Walking Dead spinoff respectively. The reason
that The Walking Dead is such an engaging show
is because it tells a psychologically compelling
story that is unique in the current TV landscape.
Trying to duplicate that formula will just dilute the
brand’s impact . It’s overkill - minor pun intended.
And while everyone loves Bob Odenkirk’s sleazy
lawyer in Breaking Bad, it’s hard to get excited
for this prequel series. Saul worked best as a
much - needed comic relief in the shows tensest
moments and, without knowing exactly what the
show will offer yet, it’s hard to imagine shifting
him into the protagonist role. But most of all, I fear
that this show will become an ugly footnote forever
attached to an otherwise great series.
Yes, some shows can habit an acceptable
spinoff if executed correctly and fight this concept
of change and going away, but 99% of the time
they are unnecessary, poorly created and lack the
soul of what made their parent show so likeable
and successful.
And let’s not forget the planned spinoff for the
sitcom How I Met Your Mother with How I Met
Your Dad. Now in its ninth and final season, the
show has gone downhill and is being painstakingly
dragged out until its ultimate finale this week. This
was also a show that no one was really asking for
a direct spinoff of in the first place. The planned
spinoff is set to centre on a new group of friends
with a female character searching for her future
husband. Personally, this is lazy and insulting
to HIMYM’s once imaginative concept. Not to
mention, unlike HIMYM’s cliché-subverting lead in
Ted (Josh Radnor), a girl looking for love is as romcom trite as they come.
In the words of Barney Stinson… Wait for it?
No thanks.
ENTERTAINMENT
Film & TV
Reproducing the same story
is a popular thing in the film
industry, but what does this
mean for the audience? Chris
Stone gives his opinion
Take a glance at the current cinema listings
and you’ll undoubtedly experience a
creeping sense of déjà vu. It all seems
awfully familiar doesn’t it? A Godzilla
remake just around the corner; a Ghostbusters
sequel being slated for the future. If you were to
wake from a ten year long coma today and stroll
immediately down to your local cinema you’d
be forgiven for blithely assuming that not a day
had passed since you first pitched “wacky tie
and blunt head trauma Fridays” at the office. The
inconvenient truth however is that in the land of
the Hollywood executive, the franchise with the
biggest cache of brand-recognition is king, and
a lot of the time original concepts are to movie
studios what a blowtorch juggling contest is to a
party in an explosives factory: not worth the risk.
A Godzilla remake just around
the corner; a Ghostbusters
sequel being slated for the
future
It’s no secret that Hollywood in recent years has
made a bad habit of digging about in its old bag
of tricks, with box offices worldwide seeing a slew
of half-baked revivals cross their billboards on a
weekly basis. 80s movies in particular seem to be
the du jour thing right now, with titles such as Total
Recall, Footloose, The Karate Kid and Robocop, all
having had the Frankenstein treatment in the last
five years alone. The first lesson at movie marketing
school is that nothing draws a crowd and slashes
advertising costs like nostalgia. You’ll have to
forgive me if I don’t immediately throw on shoulder
pads and a pair of parachute pants, because it
doesn’t take a genius to realise that simply tarting
up a cult hit from yesteryear is just another flashy
gimmick, made in an effort to thwart creeping
Recycling the green
competition from online streaming services.
But the money-hungry machinations of intellectual
property owners don’t end there. The recent
Amazing Spider-Man reboot attracted particular
cynicism for being created purely so Sony could
maintain the rights to the eponymous web-slinger.
The result was yet another origin story when they
might as well have cut to the chase and picked up
where Sam Raimi left off in 2007. The same goes
for Man of Steel and, I fear, next year’s Fantastic
Four fare. Spider bite/alien orphan/forgetting to
pack sun cream on a Virgin Galactic holiday, we
already know how the first act is going to play out
and it never changes!
Recent innovations in film technology have also
been given by studios as justification for a reboot,
as in just a few short years the scale and spectacle
of a trip to the flicks has increased tenfold. If
Desmond Davis, director of the 1981 Clash of the
Titans film had pitched an action sequence half as
extravagant as those strewn throughout its 2010
remake, he’d have been asked which brand of
craft glue he’d been sniffing, whereas nowadays
to our jaded space-age eyes such action is par for
the course w- IN 3D!! Accordingly, as this has gone
on, modern blockbusters have also developed
an alarming fetish for nonchalantly demolishing
entire cities during the final climactic battle scene,
ostensibly as part of a collective middle finger
to the civil engineering profession. Gone are the
days of a straightforward romp round a rickety
old sound stage littered with conveniently placed
cardboard boxes, now if your movie doesn’t end
in casual genocide audiences lose interest. It’s
for this reason that established characters with a
crowd-pleasing proclivity for bombastic action are
far more likely to be dusted off and given a new
coat of paint than, say, the subject of a political
biopic (though I for one would gladly pay to see a
remake of The Iron Lady in which Maggie Thatcher
straps on a jet pack, rockets across the Atlantic
and roundhouse kicks Leopoldo Galtieri into an
exploding oil tanker. Directed by Michael Bay.) It
must be said however, that while there are many
directors who will happily pull a George Lucas and
put blue screen visuals and overblown set pieces
over substance, audiences can still put their faith
in the likes of Christopher Nolan and JJ Abrams;
filmmakers who have proven themselves capable
of effectively balancing the two. When it comes
to remakes, this can mean the difference between
heresy and homage; a fine line which Nolan’s
Dark Knight trilogy and Abrams’ Star Trek walk
with aplomb.
The recent Amazing SpiderMan reboot attracted particular
cynicism for being created
purely so Sony could maintain
the rights to the eponymous
web-slinger
The Man of Steel’s cinematic outings account
for but a drop in the ocean compared to over 70
years of spandex-clad adventures in print form, so
who are we to throw up our arms every time the
next big screen iteration of a beloved franchise is
conspicuously announced? Love them or loathe
them, Hollywood isn’t about to stop churning out the
same big money franchises time after time; although
there are promising signs that the Tinseltown execs
have at least begun to find some lesser-known,
more left field content to pilfer for themselves. At
the end of the day, all stories supposedly boil down
to seven basic plots; perhaps all we can hope for is
a fresh perspective on our favourite few.
51
Q
CINEMA REVIEWS
MORE ONLINE:
DIRECTOR:
Wes Anderson
SCREENPLAY:
Wes Anderson
STARRING:
Ralph Fiennes
BUDGET:
$20m (estd)
REVIEWER:
Imran Bukhari
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
4/5
NON-STOP
1/5
Within the first few minutes of watching a Wes Anderson film, the viewer is fully
aware that they are watching a Wes Anderson film. From the quirky and zany
mannerisms to the highly specific camera angles, this is arguably the most Wes
Anderson film yet. The Grand Budapest Hotel follows the fantastical escapades
of Gustave H., a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel, joined on
his adventures by his loyal lobby boy who eventually becomes his most trusted
friend. The energetic and intriguing plot involves stolen paintings, murder and
prison breaks. But this is not your standard caper, as the movie is undercut with
a deeper, darker message set against the back-drop of a world on the brink
of a war. This can be a common complaint made about Anderson’s films; that
they are just a little too smart for their own good and lack a true emotional core
that as a result can alienate audiences. However, this film is most definitely not
guilty of suffering from this criticism. Just like the meticulously crafted cakes at
the centre of the story that are used to conceal tools; The Grand Budapest Hotel
is beautiful and elaborately decorated on the outside, but is also much more on
After Liam Neeson’s huge success in Taken back in 2008 he is back as
another gruff hero-cum-father figure who takes justice into his own hands
once again. You’d think the police would have him on speed dial after
this many incidents!
Non-stop follows the story of Bill Marks; an alcoholic, a father, and an
air marshal. On a flight to London his plane is anonymously hijacked by
a fellow passenger. Unless Bill transfers $150 million to the hijacker, a
passenger will die every twenty minutes.
To me, the clichéd plot was a little too much. I know my housemates
enjoyed it, and while I am guilty of loving a good rom-com, I wasn’t a
fan. It’s true you couldn’t tell who the hijacker was (because honestly
there was no way of knowing – it was too absurd for that), but the
premise of the movie in its entirety was enough to turn me off. It was one
of those movies where something completely unpredictable happens and
then the bad guy goes ‘Ahahaha! It was all part of my master plan!’ Like
shit it was.
Neeson himself does a good job as another reluctant but bad-ass hero,
Q 52
the inside,. as the film’s true purpose is the examination of the brutal effects that
conflict has on people.
The main reason this film works so well is the central performance of Ralph
Fiennes as Gustave H. Anderson’s films are renowned for their ensemble casts
(pretty much the whole of Hollywood makes an appearance in this one), but not
since Rushmore has a lead role taken such precedence. He is funny, charming
and utterly captivating to watch. Fiennes’ comedic chops are shown in full blemish
for the first time since In Bruges, demonstrating his unwavering versatility as an
actor. Had the film not been released so early in the 2014 calendar, Fiennes
could have easily been in contention for many accolades, but will instead sadly
be forgotten come awards season. The technique of telling stories within stories
is perfectly used by Anderson; the clever changes to the aspect ratio of the
screen with each new time period, bring an added romanticism and nostalgia
for the films of old. It is often said that ‘they don’t make them like they used to’.
Well it’s safe to say they don’t make them like Wes Anderson.
but is that surprising? Marks is a mirror image of Taken’s Bryan Mills. You
could just imagine him texting the hijacker saying ‘If you let my plane go
now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you’
et cetera et cetera. They should have just made it a Taken spin-off.
There were a few good comic moments but the action scenes, were
pretty hard to follow; everything just became a blur of objects flying at
the camera. When the culmination of the plot finally took place I actually
laughed in exasperation. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone
planning to see it (as I’m sure this glowing review will have you running
down to your local theatre) but it is fantastical in its ridiculousness.
I think the problem I had with this movie was that nothing was subtle.
What should have been subtle snippets to mislead the audience became
five second shots of someone’s eye narrowing in a menacing manner. If
you like action films, this will be right up your street. If you enjoyed Taken
and Unknown, you’re probably going to enjoy Non-Stop. Or just watch
Snakes on a Plane. Same premise.
SOPHIE LODGE
ENTERTAINMENT
FILM & TV
DIRECTOR:
Anthony Russo
Joe Russo
SCREENPLAY:
Christopher Markus
Stephen McFeely
STARRING:
Chris Evans
Scarlett Johansson
BUDGET:
$170m
REVIEWER:
Charlie Andrews
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is perhaps Marvel Studios’ most intricately
crafted film yet. The set-up is straightforward enough; Cap and Black Widow
are working for Nick Fury when S.H.I.E.L.D. comes under attack. Unsure of
whom, if anyone, to trust, they must uncover a hidden threat before it destroys
them all.
Perhaps more to the point, the film is one of, if not the strongest individual
instalments to date. It is one part spy thriller, one part character journey, one
part visceral action movie and one part straight-up superhero adventure film.
The Winter Soldier moves at a pulse-pounding pace and you never get the sense
that even one minute of screen time was wasted. Car chases, hard-core handto-hand combat, aerial dogfights and gritty gun battles are interwoven with a
multi-layered script that combines elements of at least three genres. Character
isn’t sacrificed for the sake of plot, though.
The Winter Soldier is a well-balanced film that serves up comedy, drama and
action. The big and small moments are equally thick with tension and there is
some powerful development in this film. In fact, Chris Evans’ Captain America
in some ways becomes the most relatable of the Marvel heroes in this film,
which is of course a bit odd given his origin. The Winter Soldier explores the
cost of being Cap; a man out of time, who in many ways belongs to no one and
LONG WAY DOWN
A movie about four people who want to commit suicide doesn’t sound like
the cheeriest film to watch, but A Long Way Down somehow manages to
be funny as well as moving. Added to the fact that it’s an adaptation from
Nick Hornby, who also brought cinemas the stories of About A Boy and An
Education, you know you are onto a winning script. The opening is simple;
four people all try to kill themselves by jumping off the same tall building
on New Year’s Eve. Although this makes for an awkward first meeting, they
still decide to make a pact not to try to kill themselves again until the next
big suicidal holiday, Valentine’s Day. The cast features Pierce Brosnan, Toni
Colette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots, whose characters are all likeable
even if it is slightly hard to empathise with Brosnan’s disgraced breakfast
TV host. Each character is given their own narrative and section of the film
so that by the end, viewers can fully understand how they came to be on
5/5
nothing, in a wrenching manner. We’re truly exposed to his vulnerability in this
film, but he’s also ten times the ass-kicker.
In general, the characters are given rich ground to play in, with the exception
of a few who’ve been introduced in this film. Anthony Mackie gives a strong
showing as Falcon, his purpose is primarily to serve as Cap’s sidekick. Rogers’
true partner in the film is Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow. She and Cap have a
great repartee that never fails to bring a laugh but also hints at a deep, emotional
connection growing in the background. She is a powerhouse unto herself as well.
One very notable new addition is Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce. The
actor brings a gravitas that helps to sell the film as the 70’s spy-thriller that it is.
He brings the weight of his entire cinematic legacy with him, which also helps
us to immediately buy into his character’s power and authority. Finally, to the
Winter Soldier himself. Stan is both heart breaking and legitimately chilling. He is
relentless, feels unstoppable and is fundamentally the Terminator of the superhero
world. It will be interesting to see where Marvel Studios takes this character
and how true they stay to the source material. With a mix of effective character
moments, viscerally thrilling action, humour, intrigue and surprising heart; Captain
America: The Winter Soldier is one of Marvel Studios’ strongest entries to date.
This one is the game changer.
3/5
top of a tall building.
Imogen Poots, as manic depressive Jess, gives the best performance as
she strikes a balance between mouthy and miserable. Aaron Paul is in one
of his first film roles since Breaking Bad although his discreet character
does sometimes seem a little lost in the mix. What lets the film down is the
actually storyline. The foursome are somehow discovered by the media
and to escape the circus that follows, they go on a break to Tenerife, cue
Mamma Mia like sunshine and dancing scenes. It seems rather unlikely that
four supposedly depressed people would suddenly choose to go on a sunny
holiday, doesn’t it? Overall, the film is enjoyable even if you could guess
that no one was actually going to jump. In a film about suicide, there has
to be some comedy and, all in all, it strikes a good balance.
JENNY MORGAN
53
Q
PRETTY HURTS
From provocative to provoked: India Thomas examines sexism
in the music industry and the resistance of the female artist
What with Miley Cyrus’ raunchy music
videos and Lady Gaga’s recent ‘human spitroast’ stunt at SXSW, the issue of sexism
in music has become something of a hot
topic of late. It’s a debate that everyone from
Charlotte Church to Sinead O’Connor has weighed
in on, seemingly in the wake of Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking
Ball’, and Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’. Thicke’s
misogynistic ‘rape’ lyrics are understandably a
cause for concern, but when Miley Cyrus essentially
gave him a lap dance live at the VMAs, many
began to question the way that female artists are
presented in the media. While recent songs such as
Lily Allen’s ‘Hard Out Here’ have drawn attention
to the problem of objectification rife within the pop
world, sexism and outright misogyny are issues
that permeate even the ‘alternative’ scene. It’s a
universal problem.
It is worth asking whether female artists have
a degree of responsibility for the way they are
portrayed in the media. Miley Cyrus has been
criticized by Sinead O’Connor for allowing herself
to be ‘pimped’ by businessmen in the industry, yet
the ‘We Can’t Stop’ singer stresses in interviews that
her new (often naked) look was entirely her decision.
If Cyrus has control over her image, shouldn’t she
be taking responsibility for the way her videos and
performances seem less ‘empowered’ and more
pornographic? Perhaps it is no coincidence that
Rihanna’s own hypersexual makeover coincided
with the launch of her seminal album, 'Loud'. The
fact that a provocative image helped the singer gain
unprecedented mainstream success cannot be a fact
that has evaded record companies’ notice. Where
female pop stars are concerned, there must be a lot
of pressure from their labels who are fully aware
that there are millions to be made from an artist with
a ‘perfect’, sexual charged image.
In genres like punk, rock and indie, sound is
supposedly valued over style. Yet despite less pressure
Q 54
to writhe around naked in their music videos, female
musicians still frequently encounter sexism from the
press and management alike. Despite many all-male
pop-punk acts taking inspiration from the hugely
influential Blink-182, similar sounding bands such as
Neck Deep and The Story So Far are never dismissed
as imitators. Yet, the term "female-fronted" seems
to have been coined to order to group bands like
Tonight Alive and Paramore into one homogenous
category. It is as if their vocalist’s gender is their
only distinguishing characteristic. The record label
FueledByRamen once sported pop-punk behemoths
Paramore and the alt-rock act VersaEmerge, but
THE TERM
‘FEMALE-FRONTED’
GROUPS BANDS
INTO ONE
HOMOGENEOUS
CATEGORY
with the latter perpetually being forced to live in
the shadow of Hayley Williams and co, they parted
ways with their record company last year. It is as if
labels find it impossible to promote multiple bands
with female singers, despite marketing being one of
the companies’ main roles.
One record label reportedly didn’t sign rock act
Anavae as they already had the ‘female-fronted’
Marmozets on their books. Unlike the many similar
sounding ‘male’ bands on their roster, these two
acts could not be further apart in sound. Anavae’s
vocalist Becca Need-Menear has also expressed
mild annoyance at the endless reviews comparing
the band to Paramore. It’s a sentiment felt by her
bandmate Jamie Finch who confessed that “People
take one look at Becca and expect us to be a
squeaky clean pop group. That’s not what we’re
about at all.” Contrary to the belief that all female
rock bands sound the same, many acts admit that
they are forced to work harder at being unique in
order to fight the prejudice from the press.
Another troubling thought is that even outside of
the male-dominated world of music press, female
musicians are still treated with mild incredulity. In
a recent issue of Company Magazine, the talented
sister trio Haim were described in their cover
feature as a ‘girl band - who actually play their
own instruments’. It’s a statement symptomatic of
the era we live in where women are expected to
be the ‘face’ of a band, and nothing more. London
Grammar vocalist Hannah Reid has spoken out
about industry insiders wrongly assuming that she
has nothing to do with the band’s creative process,
and guitarist Dan Rothman has noted that “If it was
three blokes we’d just be considered a band and
the singer would just be the singer. Hannah does
get separated in a different way because she is a
woman, which is weird.”
Someone actively fighting this subtle kind of sexism
is CHVRCHES singer, Lauren Mayberry. Refusing
to promote the band without her bandmates, she’s
admitted that “[we] make a pretty decent job of
our band without conforming to the ‘push the girl
to the front’ blueprint often relied upon by labels
and management in a tragic attempt to sell records
which has little to do with the music itself.” However,
CHVRCHES’ adamant control over how they are
presented does nothing to assuage the sexist abuse
that Mayberry still receives online. In an article
for The Guardian she wrote, “Last week I posted
a screengrab of one of the many inappropriate
messages sent to the band's social networks every
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
day. After making the post, I sat back and watched
with an increasingly open mouth as more and
more people commented on the statement. At the
time of writing, Facebook stats tell me that the post
had reached 581,376 people, over five times the
number of people who subscribe to the page itself,
with almost 1,000 comments underneath the image.
Comments range from the disgusted and supportive
to the offensively vile. My current favourites from the
latter category include: ‘This isn't rape culture. You'll
know rape culture when I'm raping you, bitch’.”
Comments like these are breathtakingly uncalled
for, yet the band’s determination to communicate
directly with fans meant that they were responsible
for their own social media pages and were receiving
these insults first-hand until making the decision
to deactivate them. It’s a tricky balance between
remaining autonomous and having to fight a deluge
of harmful messages. Sky Ferreira also recently
complained about the phenomenon of unsolicited
online abuse. "I'm exhausted of people telling me
how I should look or be if I want to be a "pop star"
and how they think it's okay to say vile & sexually
abusive shit to me on a daily basis over the internet.’
Frighteningly, it seems that misogyny is integrated
into our online culture. Having looked into examples
of sexist comments targeted at male musicians
online, it doesn’t really seem to go beyond thirteen
year olds boasting what explicit things they’d do
to One Direction. Fantasising about boy bands is
probably a lot less damaging than the threatening
tone present in many comments directed at female
artists or singers. The apparent lack of examples
directed at men seems to stem from the way males
in the music industry are seen as musicians and not
images for our perusal. Men get judged on talent,
whereas women tend to be assessed on how pretty
or sexy they are. Charlotte Church spoke in the
2013 John Peel lecture about the pressures of being
marketed as a sex object by her management.
“When I was 19 or 20, I found myself being
pressured into wearing more and more revealing
outfits. I felt deeply uncomfortable about the whole
thing, but was often reminded by record label
executives just whose money was being spent.”
In an age where less and less money is being
made by the industry, it is unsurprising that
musicians are encouraged to appeal to the masses.
The music being made available is being dictated
by ‘what sells’ and Church added that ‘the culture
of demeaning women in pop music [has] become
routine.” The practice of stars such as Rihanna and
Miley baring all has become commonplace, but
few stop to consider that there are people making
YOUNG WOMEN
IN POP ARE
RESISTING BEING
SEXUALISED TO
SELL RECORDS
money behind the scenes. Record companies and
management can cash in on the royalties from the
artists’ controversial ‘soft porn’ music videos and
the practice of literally selling your body through
YouTube seems like an integral step in becoming a
‘star’. Considering that, it’s no wonder that people
don’t seem to know how to react to a female who is
just in it for the music.
Fortunately, there appears to be new wave of
artists taking control of their own image. Singer
Chlöe Howl said, “If you're in the public eye you're
always going to be a role model.” Her music videos
portray her as the stylish, down-to-earth teenager
she is, not a writhing, twerking try-hard. Lorde and
Nina Nesbitt are just two more examples of young
females in pop who are refusing to be sexualised in
order to sell records. Apart from an upright refusal
to add to the existing sexism in the industry, some
artists are actually drawing attention to it, through
their music. Beyoncé’s new track ‘Pretty Hurts’
includes the line "perfection is the disease of a
nation", and addresses the sacrifices people make
in order to maintain the ‘perfect image’ that so much
importance is placed on. Lady Gaga’s ‘Do What U
Want’ draws attention to this relinquishing of control,
as did her aforementioned SXSW performance. By
demonstrating live onstage that pop stars are often
treated like a piece of meat, Gaga reinforced the
idea that objectifying women isn’t right.
In the future, it would be good to see women in
the industry being treated as men’s equals. Perhaps
this equates to journalists paying more attention to
the way that they describe female musicians, or
industry insiders taking the moral high road and not
exploiting pop-stars for every last penny. However,
wishing and writing will do little to change sexism
in music, when it seems to be something ingrained
in our wider culture. To eradicate the snubs that
front-women in rock receive, or the pressure to
have a body like Barbie, we will require a societal
shift in perspective. Sex and music are always
going to coexist, but it is up to us to decide what
is and what isn’t acceptable. Beyoncé’s sex appeal
seems secondary to her songs, and equality might
mean highlighting the difference between the
benign imagery she projects, and the kind of semipornographic offerings that seem to prostitute a
star’s body for money. Admittedly, the distinction
between creativity and controversy for cash’s sake
in the music industry is a hazy one. However, if the
outraged reaction to Robin Thicke’s 'Blurred Lines'
is anything to go by, pretty soon we may actually
acquire some boundaries, and that is a hopeful
thought.
55
Q
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: THE MOON CLUB
You might find Moon Club by accident. It’s on
Womanby Street. The height of its big brother Clwb
Ifor Bach normally shrouds it in shadows, but tonight
it’s alive with lights and music. Dub, house and reggae
keep the booze pumping and the people dancing.
There’s a small bar upstairs, with leather sofas and
a dance floor. They serve beer in cans, which makes
for happy, spill-free partying. DJs play upbeat, heavy
mixes in the room next door. The walls are coloured
with captivating graffiti, giving Moon Club a rustic,
personal feel. Co-owner Sam Holland said ‘There were
some big age gaps between us when we started… we
wanted to create somewhere we could go all together
and enjoy ourselves’. Groove however you like;
nobody’s watching, because nobody cares. Dancing
in Cardiff can at times be quite undignified. Here, you
can move like a chimp on acid and Hakuna Matata.
Moon Club is also a great live music venue. In
January, they hosted the ‘Free for All’ festival. Over 150
bands played there, and entry was free every night.
For a small venue, the sound is impeccable. Akala
played there before Christmas, and his performance
was exceptional. Glasnost Fest returns this year (a
weekend of live music over Glastonbury weekend), as
well as Cardiff’s BIG GIG competition, which featured
up-and-coming blues rockers Howl in 2013.
A Moon Club stamp gets you into The Full Moon,
the big bar downstairs. Holland says ‘we’re purveyors
of fine music and hard liquor’, a thought mirrored
in their slogan. Drinks are reasonably priced, and
if the music doesn’t get you moving, the Jäger
Train most definitely will. At £4.50, the house
special ‘Jar of Green Shit’ is a bargain
(although I still have no idea what’s in it).
It’s a really diverse venue. There are
plenty of cubbyholes and hideaways, if
you just fancy a quiet drink and catchup. An upright piano sits against the
back wall, if boogying to a DJ isn’t
really your thang. Saturday nights
are a particular highlight; ‘Five
Dollar Shake’ is free entry and
showcases classic motown, soul
and hip-hop tunes until daybreak.
People come to the Moon for its
music, its character, its authenticity.
You’ll go there and hear an
original DJ set, or a new band.
Jason Derulo will never drown out
your conversation. Take your friends
and check out live acoustic acts on a
Thursday night, try something different. If
you’re looking for dirt-cheap drinks, sticky
floors, sweaty people and manufactured pop,
Moon Club is definitely NOT the place for you.
Tom Reeder
OF
OF MICE
MICE &
& MEN
MEN
AHEAD OF THEIR SELLOUT GREAT HALL SHOW, ALEC EVANS
CHATS TO AARON PAULEY ABOUT ‘RESTORING FORCE’
New album ‘Restoring Force’ was released
in January. You worked with producer
David Bendeth, [responsible for albums
such as Paramore’s ‘Riot!’]. How much of an
influence was he towards some of the more
mainstream rock choruses on the album?
That’s something that we wanted and he helped us
facilitate that by teaching us what it means to actually
write a chorus. There’s not a lot of times where bands
like us get to work with someone like him. We want
to have giant choruses and we want to have songs
that build and we want to have quality song-writing.
I wouldn’t say that he influenced necessarily that
sound, because that was just something that we
wanted going in, but he definitely helped us facilitate
he was definitely a great teacher and a great coach
in getting the best out of us.
What track on the new album do you think
best sums up Of Mice & Men in 2014?
That’s really hard, when we wrote the album, we
went in and kinda just wrote songs. But right now
‘Would You Still Be There’, it’s been on radio and it’s
been getting a lot of airplay and it’s been doing a lot
of big things for our band so maybe I’ll say that one.
Q 56
You’re playing a sold-out show at Cardiff
Student Union’s Great Hall on 23rd April
2014. What are your hopes for your first
show in Wales?
That’ll be a good one! Hopes for the show, I mean
we love touring in the UK and we’ve got a brand
new record, it’s going to be our first UK headlining
run since having the record out, so we’re going
to be great having songs that we’ve never played
before in the States or anywhere else. It’ll be good
to reconnect with our fans out there. We’re super
excited to come back, we’ve always had a great
time. Music is still very much alive and well out in the
UK, and rock music’s making a comeback in the US,
but it never really went away over there.
Why should Quench readers unfamiliar with
your band be paying attention in 2014?
Honestly, it’s really up to them, but ‘Restoring Force’
is a very honest, very non-contrived rock album, and
so if they’re into rock music, anything from the late90’s on, there’s something they can find... there’s
something in it for everybody. We’ve got a lot of big
plans coming up, for 2015 too, so if you’re into rock
music, you gotta come check us out!
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
W A R P A I N T
.
Jimmy Dunne takes aim at the ethereal experimental pop quartet taking 2014 by force .
When you release your second album four years
after the first, the reception is kind of frenzied. I
turned up at Bristol’s O2 Academy for 3pm, ahead
of Warpaint’s sold out show that evening, and found
fans already wandering around outside the venue,
unsure how to get tickets. Beyond their fanbase, the
band have been courting pent up press attention too;
leading me through the O2, past the massive image
of Warpaint’s album cover that serves as stage
backdrop, their tour manager explains that each
member of the band is scattered around the building
and tourbus giving different interviews at any given
moment. Welcome to the age of PR.
Backstage, up spiral stairs and into an impossibly
small room housing two sofas and a kettle, I find
Theresa Wayman, guitarist and vocalist for the
band. She elaborates on the huge artwork they’ll be
playing in front of tonight, designed by renowned
videographer (and director of their music video for
lead single ‘Love Is To Die’) Chris Cunningham for
their self-titled follow up LP. “Well, he’s got a really
strong vision, and he’s pretty uncompromising – but
in the best way; I like that about him. I love our album
cover so much, I think it’s such a striking image and it
fits the idea as well, that us four come together and
kind of blend, meld into one thing, and that’s where
our music is.”
She returns to the idea of Warpaint’s coming
together when I ask about their fondness of the name
– as well as their band, ‘Warpaint’ also refers to a
track from their debut ‘The Fool’ and now of course,
their second album. “It’s the best name! I don’t know
why other bands do it, but we [self-titled] because it
seemed like the simplest way to go in a sense, and
also the best way to explain where we’re at. I feel
like we’ve found Warpaint’s true form in a sense; this
is the first album we’ve written with Stella from start
to finish, and I think since [debut album] ‘The Fool’
we’ve really become a band, we’ve really… grown
into ourselves.”
Certainly Stella Mozgawa has completed the LA
quartet, and reviewing the record I was struck by
how much the newbie was running away with the
show. Her drumming on tracks like ‘Hi’ and first
single ‘Biggy’ introduces, nearing halfway into
the album, a bizarrely welcome trip-hop vibe. In
Bristol, home of Massive Attack and Tricky, Theresa
confirmed the influence. “Yeah, I think I heard that
and felt that right away with those songs, and then
started to realise again that trip-hop has had a huge
influence in my life. When I was growing up I was
really influenced by that music, so was Emily [Kokal,
frontwoman], and I think all of us have to some
extent been influenced by it. So yeah, it makes sense
that there are elements of that in [the new album].”
Which isn’t to say that Warpaint have abandoned
their trademark heavily-washed sound captured on
‘The Fool’. The second album, and their live shows
have retained the grungy production, at once
modern and oddly nostalgic. I venture that Warpaint
complement vinyl more than most bands, because
of the ‘fuzz’ in their music: “Right, like a haze. I
agree.” Wayman affirms “Vinyl adds that warmth,
and I think we have that inherent in our music too:
the reverb, a little bit of that grunge, and just a little
bit of distortion in there. I feel our album is like an
impressionist painting. There are no hard lines,
you know? It’s all images but they’re not stark, and
they’re not poking out, and it’s pretty soft.”
In light of this detailed metaphor, I feel pretty stupid
saying ‘fuzz’. So we move swiftly on to the summer
festival circuit. In the days prior to our interview,
festivals had just started to leak their line-ups, with
Warpaint set to appear at London’s Field Day and
Manchester’s Parklife. How does performing at
one of these open-air dates differ from a show like
tonight? “When you’re playing a festival you usually
have to play a shorter set; that can be really fun
too because you’re just playing all the bangers and
getting straight to the point. And then sometimes
that’s stressful, and you don’t feel like you’re really
giving people a taste of what you’re fully about. So
our show tonight’s gonna be long-winded...” she
laughs, before adding “and awesome.”
We wrap up there, but Wayman doubtless had
another interview to do mere moments after mine.
Days after their O2 gig, the band were touring
Europe, and at the time of writing are travelling
through the heart of America, before returning for the
UK festival circuit. It’ll be longwinded. But awesome.
57
Q
SKINDRED
Benji Webbe - frontman of the ragga-punk innovators - speaks to
Alec Evans about ‘The Newport Helicopter’
Your last shows were part of the Soundwave
Australian touring festival. How do
Australian crowds compare to the UK,
particularly Wales?
Yeah, that was good fun, that was real good fun. We
played on a great stage with bands like Clutch and
Chino from Deftones’ new project (Crosses). Crowds
were great, we were very jetlagged, it’s a long way
to go. Very good.
Support this evening comes from The
Blackout, Hacktivist, Feed The Rhino and
Continents. What do you like about these
bands that made you choose to take them
out with you?
I only know The Blackout and Feed the Rhino. I like
the singer from Feed the Rhino, he’s cool, he’s from
London, he’s very ‘London’ as well, sounds like he’s
from a gangster film.
that to people, make them feel like that, how that
band made me feel in Australia, that’s our job done.
old to new, people are going to be more accepting
to it.
Your live show has recently been using a hip
hop remix of John Williams’ Imperial March
from Star Wars as the intro tape. What’s the
story behind that?
We’ve been doing it for years! Since I heard it in
2002 in Florida, it’s amazing. It just makes me hyped,
I feel like I’m Mike Tyson in his early days, gonna
knock a motherfucker out.
One of your plans for this summer is playing
UK rock festival Download in June. The last
time you played the main stage of Download
was when the Newport Helicopter [crowd
members remove one item of clothing and
swing it in the air] was first invented. How
do you plan to top that this year?
I don’t plan on topping it, I just do what I do, bro.
There’s no “ah, what are we going to do to this?”
People love that stupid helicopter thing [picks up a
Newport Helicop-tour flyer].
WE COULD PLAY WITH
ANYONE - WE COULD
PLAY WITH BEYONCÉ
Tonight’s lineup is very rock & metalorientated. With so many more aspects to
your sound, could you see yourself playing
shows with non-rock acts in future?
Of course! We could play with anyone - we could
play with Beyoncé. We’d just do, like, mash ups with
her. And Rihanna as well.
The new album [‘Kill The Power’] draws
from so many different influences...
We just love music, you know?! By any means
necessary, I want the crowd to rock. I will use anything
necessary, except for German techno.
Skindred have a very good live reputation.
Who are some of your favourite live acts?
I saw a band the other day called Mutemath, and
I thought they were fantastic. The drummer was
incredible and just blew me away, I said “that’s why
I love rock and roll”. If we, as a band, Skindred, do
Do you think music fans today are more
accepting to your brand of musical fusion
than they would have been back in the
80’s/90’s?
Of course, it’s a different world than it used to be. With
music being at the click of a space bar, anything from
Q 58
Why should Quench readers unfamiliar with
your band be paying attention to Skindred
in 2014?
Because we’re doing what we want to do, and we’re
not following no genres, we’re making our own way
through this fucking jungle. If you want to survive, be
the hunter, not the hunted.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to
the readers of Quench?
I’d like to say, we’ve all stolen music over the years, a
lot of us have stolen a lot of music. When bands come
to your town and you know you’ve stolen their music,
please go, buy tickets, buy merchandise, support the
bands, because punk rock bands and reggae bands,
it ain’t like in the old days, we don’t make money
from record sales any more, we make money from
merchandise, and if you want us to live and survive,
you’ve got to support that.
FIVE MINUTES WITH
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
GEORGE EZRA
Eleanor Wilson chats to upcoming singer-songwriter George Ezra
about what 2014 holds
You’re currently in the middle of your first
UK headline tour. How has it been going so
far and how have your audiences been?
It’s been brilliant! It’s really interesting because a lot
of the people coming to the gigs have just heard
the first EP, so they’ve heard a handful of songs and
I’m doing a forty minute set. It’s lovely how patient
people are being and that they’re getting involved so
early, and they’re interested in what I’m doing.
You came fifth in the BBC
Sound Of 2014, how helpful
was that recognition for
gaining new listeners and
fans?
It was amazing. Alongside all
of the tours that I’d been doing
for 18 months, when BBC sound
came along it did the world of
good. I think coming fifth was
brilliant because I didn’t feel like there was any
pressure put on me. It’s put my name into a lot of
people’s heads, so it’s meant that I can do this tour
and have people want to come and see me!
In terms of your songwriting process, are
you always writing, even when on tour?
I am writing, but I’m not writing songs. I’m writing
what I’m seeing and what I’m hearing, so like a
journal. Then I’ll come back to that and make some
songs out of it.
On this tour it was just you and a guitar.
Will you be progressing to play with a
band at some point in the future?
Yeah, definitely. I’ve actually
got a band, so we’ve just got to
practice now. I think it’d be nice
to get that rolling in the summer
time. But it’s nice to know that
I can perform on my own if
I need to, and there are some
opportunities where I’d prefer to
play on my own, so it’s good to
have that experience.
I AM WRITING,
BUT I’M NOT
WRITING SONGS
Am I right in thinking that your debut album
is now finished?
Well it’s all recorded, but I’ve recorded nineteen
songs. So now it’s a case of picking which ones go
on the albumm which is hard. We’ve worked so hard
on all of them, so I feel bad about the ones that won’t
make the cut.
Do you think those which don’t make it will
still be heard at some point?
Yeah, definitely. I think with the way that music is
consumed nowadays, they will all see the light of
day. Whether that’s B sides or an extended album,
but I kind of want to release them all together.
What inspired the songs on your album?
A lot of the inspiration came from when I went
Interrailing around Europe. It’s lovely because you
can look back over them and they’ve all been written
at times, but on that one trip.
So did you meet some interesting people
out in Europe?
[Laughs] Yeah, I met some brilliant people! But also,
it was a bit of a test to see if I could actually live with
myself, if that makes sense? It was just me for such a
long time, but I did alright!
Your latest single is ‘Cassy ‘O’, and the
video was released this week. Is making
music videos something that you enjoy
doing?
Yeah I do. For me it’s still a new thing, so I get very
excited when I know that I’m going to be filming a
new video. The ‘Cassy O’ video was the first time
where other people were also involved, so it was
nice to get the chance to go and take a break!
[Laughs] But I’m happy with how the video turned
out, I think it’s the right balance of fun.
There are lots of people listening to your
music at the moment, but what music are
you listening to while on tour?
Because I’m on tour, I’m listening to a lot of music
that I listened to when I was younger. It’s more
comfort music, so I’m not really listening to a lot of
new music at the moment. But I had a nice change
earlier today and put some Johnny Cash on!
You played at Glastonbury last year on the
BBC Introducing stage. Will you be playing
at more festivals this summer?
Yeah, I’ll be playing at quite a few festivals this
summer. Some of them are definitely confirmed, and
there are others which are penciled at the moment.
And it looks like we’ll be finishing the album around
festival time too, so that’s perfect.
Finally, what is your musical guilty
pleasure?
I’m a big fan of ‘Timber’… we like to start the day
with a bit of Pitbull!
59
Q
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB
With a highly successful UK tour, a number one
album and postitions on some of the biggest festival
lineups under their belts, Bombay Bicycle Club have
arguably reached the highest peak in their career
thus far. It seems everything has finally fallen into
place for the band, yet they remain remarkably
humble.
“I just live a very traditional English lifestyle; Radio
Four, keeping warm, get the fire on, cup of tea” says
frontman Jack Steadman of his current priorities in
life. Far from the rock star lifestyle you’d expect of
a seminal part of one of the most successful British
bands of the moment, man of the moment (steaming
cup of a strong PG Tips in hand), Jack exudes a
sense of relaxed modesty.
Finishing 2013 with the release of ‘Carry Me’ the first single from new album ‘So Long, See You
Tomorrow’ - it set a high benchmark for material to
follow in 2014. With ‘Carry Me’ being reminiscent
of their earlier thrashing style of ‘I Had The Blues But
I Shook Them Loose’ with an electronic twist, their
next release, ‘Luna’, hinted toward the capricious
style of the album. It teased the ears of those in wait
for ‘So Long...’, leaving us all questioning what the
album had in store. February 3rd came and much to
the band’s credit, the album delivered on all levels,
defiantly pushing Bombay into the limelight. “We
were definitely confident about the record, but when
we heard it was number one we couldn’t believe it”.
The success of the record has markedly correlated
with their stylistic progression away from their folk
roots of their first EPs, presenting fans and critics alike
with a brand new sound to delight at. Much of this
Q 60
development manifested from Steadman’s worldly
adventures during the two year gap between this
and their previous record ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’.
“In terms of song writing, I just needed to go away
and first take some time off and not think about it,
and get that hunger again to start writing. I didn’t
want to do it all in London and I wanted to go and
I JUST
NEEDED TO
TAKE SOME
TIME OFF
be excited by new places”, says Steadman of the
writing process. That hunger and excitement certainly
seems to be illustrated in the developed and eclectic
sound of the record as a whole, taking listeners on
a journey of intricately interweaving distinct global
music instrumental elements. The final ten tracks
chosen for album balance between the band’s fresh
influences and diverse sound. “There was about 15
songs to choose from, and we chose 10. That was a
real luxury to have, because we were really, really
hard on ourselves”. Being uncharacteristically hard
on themselves is reflected in the overall quality of
the whole composition, with Steadman admitting,
“Some of the songs that didn’t make it on the album
probably would’ve made it onto the last album.
Because ‘Carry Me’ was one of the first songs that
was written that was the benchmark and it’s really
important to have that early on to set that goal to
match.”
Never ones to rely on just their music as a form of
artistic expression, the band also wanted to evolve
the representation of their new sound into visual
perception. Throughout their career, Bombay have
always accompanied their music with unusual album
covers and alternative videos; it was a wonder what
the band could do next to step up their game. “Ed the
bassist, he’s the most talented in terms of the visual
side of things, he loves painting. He’s always done
our artwork, and because the artwork for this album
was based on animation and loops we thought it
was natural that we should incorporate that into the
live shows.” Taking the band all around the country,
the tour finished in Manchester, a departure from
their usual natural closing of tours in their hometown,
London. The scheduling, however, was a conscious
choice; “We always end tours in London, and this
one we did it right in the middle so there was no
pressure. There wasn’t everything leading up to
that moment and it was just like another gig.” In
compliment to their album, the tour took a move
away from the band’s usual simplistic approach to
playing live. “We’ve got an extensive light show
and projections behind us. We’ve never put so much
into a show like this, outside of the music.” The UK
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
JADE
JADE ATWOOD
ATWOOD HAS
HAS A
A NATTER
NATTER
AND
AND A
A CUPPA
CUPPA WITH
WITH FRONTMAN
FRONTMAN JACK
JACK STEADMAN
STEADMAN
tour married both the visual and musical elements
to conceive a beautifully produced performance
“baby”, which Steadman admitted the band wants
to present in the best way possible; “We take our
gigs so seriously and I really like that. We’re not that
young band that are just incredibly excited about
getting fucked up all the time on tour”. This maturity,
however, is seldom seen in a lack of motivation on
stage. Instead of feeding off young naivety and
substance-induced excitement, it seems they take
their dues from the crowd and atmosphere of the
gig, which isn’t always the easiest of tasks. “We’re
always feeding off the crowd and I can’t pretend to
be having a good time… I’m still learning how to
combat that”. This candid honesty of performance is
something that the band has admirably maintained,
despite their recent success. But with a busy summer
ahead of festivals - including T in the Park and
Latitude - the biggest challenges are yet to come.
Never ignorant of the relaxed festival atmosphere,
they know it’s always a challenge to get the right
crowd. “At festivals you do just get people who
want to come casually check you out.” However one
such gig which most certainly will combat this usual
challenge posed by festival crowds, is their NME
stage headline spot at this year’s Reading and Leeds.
“I’m still really excited [about Reading], it’s always
been a really special festival for us and it’s the first
one I ever went to when I was a kid”. Attending
the festival for years and performing over the August
Bank Holiday on six separate occasions, the band
progressively moved up the stages at the respective
festivals, finally achieving mainstage status in 2012.
But with that as their highest stage placement you’ve
got to question why they’ve regressed back to the
smaller stage of NME. “This year we really wanted
to be in a tent, because I feel like we’re a band
that likes intimacy. Especially with the light show,
we didn’t want to be second or third, when there’d
still be a bit of daylight, because the projections
WE’RE
A BAND
THAT LIKES
INTIMACY
wouldn’t work. I always prefer seeing bands in tents
at festivals”. Again showing the amount of care and
pride in their new creations, their headline set will
most certainly be one that cannot be missed.
So where does a band with this much success go
from here? In terms of future material, the band and
fans alike are left in an ambiguous state. “We haven’t
really talked about another album yet, and it terrifies
me to think about it to be honest. Just because it was
such an emotional ordeal to write this album, produce
it and spend so much time with it on my own in my
studio.” With an album most certainly off the cards
in the immediate future, it begs to ponder whether
their positive commercial reception will affect any
new material? For many bands it’s tempting to rest
on the winning formula which proves to impress
fans and the masses. “I think, with us, success is the
reason you try and do something different, because
trying to repeat yourself is always very difficult, for
me anyway.” In terms of repetitiveness however,
all of their material harks back to their indie/folk
roots; the foundational steadfast sounds which first
established the band as one not to ignore. Steadman
commented on their future material; “I want to
release an EP called ‘Warm Up Songs’- just all the
stuff we do before we go on stage. We’re always
sitting in the dressing room, and I have an acoustic
guitar, and everyone’s just singing to warm up their
voice but it’s quite a beautiful thing.” A possible EP
is on the cards then, combining both the new and
well loved elements of the bands sound, rather than
a fully developed album.
But for now Bombay Bicycle Club don’t need to
think about anything but their immediate worldwide
escapades and soaking up the glory of their graft.
“I’m just enjoying the touring now and not having
to think about song writing, so we’re just hoping
we can be on the road as much as possible and
travel as much as we can”. Finally gaining the
recognition they deserve, creating an outstanding
record and being one of the most sought after bands
of venues and festivals alike, Jack deserves to ride
their success, ending each night with slippers on and
Radio 4 streaming in the background.
61
Q
LIVE REVIEWS
MORE ONLINE:
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB • GREAT HALL • MAR 16
Spring is finally descending, the sun is beginning to shine; that
means one thing, it’s time for everyone to realise how much they
love Bombay Bicycle Club again. Fitting, then, that they should
pop down to the Great Hall to showcase their impressive new
album, ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’. The theme of the show the band’s progress - is made immediately clear; ‘we’ve been
travelling and stuff, and we’ve got a banging brass section
now.’
Some things will never change, though. Frontman Jack
Steadman continues to dominate the show with his distinctive
vocals. The overall sound of the band has noticeably changed
though; the cultural influences of their year travelling are
clearly audible, aided by a plethora of diverse instruments
and a stunning visual display. The audience are transported
systematically around the globe by Bombay’s unique and
evolved sound. Even fan-favourite ‘Always Like This’ is given a
fantastic new brassy spin.
Unfortunately Bombay Bicycle Club’s audience hasn’t really
found its place, and the crowd is dominated by people who
don’t seem to really know how to go to a show, but had heard
of Bombay Bicycle Club, so came along for ‘the banter’. This
results in an unenjoyable crowd, epitomised by their misreading
of Steadman’s announcement of “a quiet one” - in the form of the
emotive ‘Home By Now’ - as a cue to talk amongst themselves
about how many pints they’ve each sunk.
This aside, the show both looks and sounds fantastic,
featuring mostly tracks from their new album. Bombay
Bicycle Club prove that despite their popular back catalogue,
they have nowhere to go but up and aren’t willing to rest
on their laurels. With new hits like ‘Luna’, ‘Feel’ and the
perfect new closer ‘Carry Me’, nobody seemed to mind that
the hits they most likely turned up to hear were left by the
wayside to make way for a promising and delightful display
of new material in an unfortgettable show. Henry Boon
FRANZ FERDINAND • BRISTOL O2 • MAR 18
About ten minutes into Franz Ferdinand’s gargantuan 90 minute
set, I am struck by how bizarre a situation I have found myself
in: watching Alex Kapranos and co. rocking out to a full O2
Academy in 2014. Minus ten years and perhaps this would
seem normal, but a feeling of sheer nostalgic pleasure proves
impossible to resist.
Support band Eagulls seem less at home, but that’s not to say
that they didn’t cause an excellent racket. Besides, the band look
fairly content with confusing the percentage of the crowd who
may or may not be Radio 1 devotees. Piercing the silence with an
immediate blast of post-punk leaning jagged angst, Eagulls may
not be to this audience’s taste but are certainly a band to watch.
Franz Ferdinand’s return to the scene in the shape of ‘Right
Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action’ was, in itself, a surprise. The
new record translates particularly well to the stage, ‘Stand On
The Horizon’ providing a funky detour whilst ‘Love Illumination’
seems to be destined to sit along side ‘Take Me Out’ as a Franz
classic.
Within their lengthy set the band manage to compile a verified
greatest hits, making it abundantly clear how deserving they are
of such an indulgence. Embracing their growing manipulation
of synthesisers, selected cuts from ‘Tonight’ sound fresh, whilst
fan favourite ‘Auf Ausch’ seems more disco than it did way back
when.
‘Way Back When’ is a time that Franz Ferdinand show no
fear of. Unlike many of the buzz bands of the time, they have
survived and carved out a place for themselves in the noughties
and whatever this decade will be called. The crowd itself is full of
parents clearly elated to be chaperoning their collective teenagers
to such a gig, and rightly so. Franz Ferdinand prove that they are
still relevant, still exciting, happy to embrace nostalgia yet always
looking to the future. Oli Richards
CHVRCHES • SOLUS • MAR 13
It’s hard to know what to expect from a band like CHVRCHES.
When the band consists of two guys behind keyboards and a
singer, one might not expect much of a performance from the live
show. In some ways this is true, but, at the same time, they are
somehow completely mesmerising. This probably has a lot to do
with the combination of the stunning visual show and the dirty,
powerful sound that is CHVRCHES. The delicate yet dominating
vocals of lead singer Lauren Mayberry come washing over the
crowd in waves, completely enthralling all concerned into an
almost trance like state of perpetual swaying, the psychedelic
LEDs filling every inch of the already partially stripped-out Solus.
The tiny Mayberry certainly has a set of pipes on her, and all
credit to her, doesn’t miss a note.
Running through pretty much the entirety of their 2013 debut
‘The Bones Of What You Believe’, CHVRCHES are clearly a
band intent on progressing, with Mayberry point blank refusing
Q 62
to dwell on the past by announcing before the encore that they
wouldn’t be playing any of the covers that launched them to
fame, but only the album that they worked so hard on. There
is not a complaint in room about this as every single album
track transfers beautifully to the live show, highlights including
singles, ‘The Mother We Share’ and ‘Lies’, and the gritty,
dancey ‘Lungs’.
The whole show is a completely bizarre experience, at times
feeling like some sort of crazy synth infused karaoke night, or a
Kraftwerk show as a result of the bands set up; evenly spaced,
rooted to their places, moving for the occasional bass jam or
fist pump. You would think this would be dull after a while but it
completely isn’t; somehow, CHVRCHES make this mad dynamic
their own and know exactly what they are doing, a mood that
transfers to the crowd perfectly, dispelling any doubts about how
the band would come across live in an instant. Henry Boon
RECORD REVIEWS
ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC
4/5
SKY FERRIERA • NIGHT TIME, MY TIME
After four unreleased albums, it has been an arduous
journey for the 21-year-old Sky Ferriera in creating
'Night Time, My Time', and the result is a raw and
rocky affair. The cover artwork features a topless
Ferreira standing in a shower - a deviation from the
squeaky clean pop star her label wanted - and this sets
the tone for the rest of the album.
Sky worked with a variety of producers on the record,
including frequent collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid. The
outcome is an album heavily influenced by 80s pop
and 90s grunge. Lead single 'You’re Not The One'
infuses Ferreira’s soaring and dark vocals with the
essence of Madonna circa 'True Blue'. Some difficult
issues are dealt with, with Sky singing on opening
track 'Boys', “You put my faith back in boys”. The lyrics
have particular resonance when we keep in mind the
JOHNNY FOREIGNER
•
YOU CAN DO BETTER
With Johnny Foreigner having admitted taking
inspiration from the favourites of their formative
years, it’s to no surprise that opener ‘Shipping’ oozes
Blink-182. From the phased drum fills to the call-andresponse choruses, it’s clear that the band have been
pacing the path of nostalgia with this release. Despite
this, the trademark intrusions of Kelly Southern’s
distorted vocals are as present as ever, ensuring that,
above all, this is a Johnny Foreigner record.
The cyclic, ethereal guitar melodies of ‘Riff Glitchard’
take the album away from the shouty, youthful sounds
of its forerunning tracks. Instead it leads the record
towards a Mogwai-esque plethora of sounds that act
as a welcome break amongst the madness.
‘Wifi Beach’ interrupts the sweeter indie-pop chimes
with a striking dose of guitar feedback and aggression
RADSTEWART
• WICCANS & BEATLEMANCERS
Radstewart’s debut EP proper, ‘Wiccans
& Beatlemancers’ is as confident and
catchy an indie pop record as you’ll
hear this year. The Cardiff boys have
garnered great deal of interest, and
‘Wiccans’ serves to continue their rise.
The EP starts with a riff very similar to
The Pixies' classic ‘Where Is My Mind?’
This may be an easy comparison to
draw, but it is certainly not a criticism.
The band’s lyrics immediately add a
unique character to the band. Witty
lines such as "They’ll never fix the
roads because they know that students
don’t pay tax", are rife - even The Taf
gets a name-check.
sexual abuse she suffered as a young teen, which Sky
has spoken openly about.
Love and resentment are common themes, especially
on stand out 'Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)'.
It’s an intense song with a shattering bass line, yet it
maintains a balance between power-pop and despair.
Fans may be disappointed that favourite 'Everything
Is Embarrassing' is omitted, but it just isn’t a track that
suits this adrenaline-fuelled record.
Sky Ferreira hasn’t been without her fair share of
controversy. With a recent drug scandal, it’s small
wonder why she has been chosen as the opening act
for Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz tour. But Ferreira doesn’t need
such publicity stunts or tabloid headlines. Her music
stands for itself, and 'Night Time, My Time' is one of
the most exciting albums of this year. Gina Bevan
Each track is dripping with linguistic
wit and all the more charming for
it. Airing just on the right side of
pretension, Radstewart make their
university education clear.
A lot of the band’s charm is found
in the interplay between the two sets
of guitars, softer moments are smooth
and provide the perfect backing for
scathing one liners. Assuming you are
reading this from your university digs in
Cardiff, we are in the perfect position
to absorb every slice of wit, every
twinkling guitar line and every “City
Road… flat above the brothel” on offer
here. Oli Richards
4/5
3/5
that scream live show sing-along. If you’re looking for
a track that will nestle itself cozily in between your ears
for a week, then this is the one.
‘Devastator’ knocks in at an intimidating 10:33.
‘You Can Do Better’s’ conclusion is, although lengthy,
a prime example of the consistency of sound that the
band has achieved. With its three minutes of silence
and typically downbeat lyrics, a horn section for
good measure and a catchy pop-punk riff to open,
‘Devastator’ is the work of a band who truly know what
sort of music they want to make.
With a few tracks going amiss over course of the
record, it becomes easy to throw ‘samey’ into the mix
of adjectives ‘You Can Do Better’ provokes. But, when
push comes to shove, it’s exactly what the band set out
to create - a Johnny Foreigner record. Charlie Mock
PLAYLOUNGE
• PILOT
‘pilot’ is the debut album from London
based duo playlounge. Opening track
‘i am a lion’ shows you instantly what
this band are about. Noise. Lots and
lots of noise. The album starts with
a boisterous 'HELLO WE'RE HERE',
coupled with a rhythmic sound that
keeps you listening.
A few of the tracks merge together,
but playlounge are showing us what
their sound is and could be; they haven’t
fully spread their wings yet. Lead track
’zero’ is steady and strong, with catchy
vocals and pace. ‘gutterball’, the last
track, brings the album to a solid close,
showcasing the risks and variation they
take within their sound.
It sometimes appears that the lyrics
are getting lost, but that’s what makes
playlounge so endearing. As soon
as you think they have faded away
Saam’s voice, jagged and raw, pierces
the surface and wakes up emotions that
would normally remain asleep - this is
pop punk at it’s most energetic and fun.
If you like Joanna Gruesome
and Birdskulls, ‘pilot’ could be the
soundtrack to your summer. This is not
a prosecco on a summer evening; it’s
that pounding Brother’s hangover as
you wake up sweating at Glastonbury.
Amy Endacott
4/5
61
63
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BEER
BEER