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Day: 24 February 2012

Live: King Creosote & Jon Hopkins @ Central Methodist Hall

Written by Jonathon Lewis on . Posted in Music.

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
Central Methodist Hall
6th February
5 stars

Central Methodist Hall was the venue for the evening’s performance, joining the growing ranks of churches in Manchester hosting acoustic artists. Thus, in this religious setting, and with beer firmly off the menu, it was with trepidation that I entered the dimly lit hall to take my place for Withered Hand, the evening’s support act. Despite a nervy set that featured apologetic mumblings and lacked in variety, Dan Wilson’s frail and brittle voice lent itself to his quirky lyrical content, showcasing a rawness and keen insight which may yet win him over the fans he craves.

Waiting for the next act with nothing but a Capri Sun to distract me, I was still feeling slightly wary of how things would pan out. I’d been under whelmed by the headliners’ offerings on Spotify and was apprehensive at best. This was further compounded by my disappointment of being unable to acquire tickets for The Black Keys gig the very same night, who, according to my mate Phil, were “fucking immense”.
This all changed however the moment King Creosote & Jon Hopkins stepped onto the stage. As the last few delicate piano notes of opener ‘Bats In The Attic’ had died down into complete silence, I was, along with everybody else in the room, utterly in awe. Rapturous applause followed each song and I found myself falling for the stunning beauty of Creosote’s Celtic brogue as it intertwined itself around simple guitar melodies and the ambient musings of Hopkins, whose solo piano piece mid way through raised goose bumps.

I could say more, but to break down this gig blow-by-blow would be an injustice to what was created. It was an atmosphere that far out-weighed the sum of its parts and one that can only be experienced in person. Forget Spotify, it’s rubbish.

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Bats in the Attic (live)

Opinion: Why I hate Scuba

Written by Edward Usher on . Posted in Music.

So Scuba’s a dick. Not content with being one of the biggest and most respected DJs in his genre, having a residency at the best club in the world, founding a hugely successful and influential record label, and being paid substantial amounts every night to travel around the world playing records to people, he also feels the need to try and expand his repertoire by challenging Zomby at being the biggest arse in electronic music.

The source of my discontent is the highly inflammatory remarks posted by Scuba aka SCB aka Paul Rose aka Massive Chief on Twitter prior to, during, and after his set at Sound Control earlier this month. Apparently he was unaware that there might be students at the student club in a student area of the city with the biggest student population in the country. Apparently he was also unaware that some of these students might not hold comprehensive knowledge of the depths of club music from the last thirty years and would be unable to instantly recognise an old-school dance hit released before the majority of them were born.

Heaven forbid someone from the crowd might get drunk at an end-of-exams celebration, and momentarily forget the release date of a recent dance-floor wrecker, innocently inquiring where Mr Scuba sourced said track. It is also beyond comprehension that a foolish student might not keep detailed notes on the extensive performing commitments of every ex-patriot bass-line merchant on the scene, and wonder whether the DJ whose set he was so very much enjoying had ever been to the Berghain.

Mr Rose’s highly anticipated third album is called Personality. This has to be ironic, as he clearly has none. If slagging off the people who enjoy what you do gets you to the top, then if anyone likes this article, fuck you.

Ones to watch: The Hubbards

Written by Jon Taylor on . Posted in Music.

Set to make waves in the world of indie this year are young Hull four-piece The Hubbards. With an intriguing blend of intricate guitars and rousing vocal harmonies, the future looks set to be bright for the unassuming quartet. Friends since their school days, the band are part of a thriving underground music scene from the Yorkshire city and rehearse at the home of the fellow Hull-heroes, The Paddingtons. With lyrics that reflect a maturity far beyond their years, The Hubbards have already built themselves a loyal fanbase and gained reputation as a fine live act, having supported bands such as The Crookes, Little Comets and Foals.

After years of being championed by the likes of BBC Humberside who claim that the main stage at Leeds Festival is “not beyond their grasp”, 2012 has already seen The Hubbards get their biggest break yet, with current single- the infectious ‘Back to the Circus’- receiving airtime on Fearne Cotton’s Radio 1 show, followed by an interview with Fearne herself broadcast to millions of listeners.

The Hubbards have the advantage of having their members scattered across universities all across the country, meaning that UK tour dates nationwide are a frequent occurrence. A performance at Manchester’s own Night and Day café takes place on February 28th and with frontman Reuben Driver’s vocals being compared to the likes of Brian Molko of Placebo, as well as a new single on the way this Easter, this is certainly a gig you won’t want to miss out on.

You won’t catch The Hubbards in venues like this for much longer.

For a FREE download of The Hubbard’s latest single ‘Back to the Circus’ as heard on Radio 1, head to their bandcamp, and keep an eye on the brand new website for details of future gigs and singles.

Fetish beauty

Written by Isabelle Dann on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

S&M, latex, corsetry, masquerade masks, the red lipstick of burlesque: a selection of images conjured when considering the concept of fetish beauty. However, the appeal of the aesthetics of fetishism is by no means reserved for a select minority congregating in a clandestine fetishist club. Traces of the visual spill over into all areas of popular culture, from the modern resurgence of masked balls (partly thanks to Gossip Girl) to Dita Von Teese to Lady Gaga to the runways at fashion week.

In the case of the latter, Alexander McQueen has always incorporated a strong fetish quality to its spectacle, and this year was no exception for SS12 – only the third collection produced by Sarah Burton since the designer’s death. Burton is renowned for maintaining the designer’s original drama and darkness yet adding a positive feminine touch; there’s a novel softness to the constraint, which makes it appear not just consensual but desired. The motif of the gimp mask that pervaded the SS12 collection typified this conflation, with the dominating nature of the gimp masks rendered softly feminine through their construction from cream, coffee and lavender lace; others were constructed half from harsh shards of black jet to contrast the other half of polished ivory shell in all its organic lightness.

The stylised formal nature of the fetish aesthetic ensures its state as fantasy rather than reality; constriction and humiliation are permissible when they’re just a lavishly ornate game. Jess Cartner-Morley writes in The Guardian: “McQueen loved to explore femininity and fashion in all its messy, contradictory glory”. An ample summary of the appeal of the image of fetishism, then: messy, contradictory, feminine.

Review: “Semele”, an opera by MUMS

Written by Ceri Wills on . Posted in Music, Societies.

By George Wilson

 

MUMS Chamber Music Festival 2012:

“Semele”, An Opera in 3 Acts, by Georg Friedrich Händel.

Director: Tim Langston

Conductor: Jamie Philips

 

Score 4/5

 

If the combination of the words ‘Baroque,’ ‘Opera’, and ‘Handel’ fills your mind with images of a po-faced, obese, be-wigged 18th Century man in tights, pompously bellowing over the frantic scurrying of violins and the tinkle of a harpsichord, then the Music Society’s (MUMS) first opera production, a performance of Handel’s Semele on Friday 3rd February, would certainly have made you re-evaluate your preconceptions. Yes, there was an aria based almost exclusively on the words ‘Hymen, Haste!’ but that is what makes this sort of music such a fantastic experience: It is at times wondrously dated, whilst simultaneously being capable of profoundly moving it’s audience.

 

Semele is, for us mere mortals at least, extremely old indeed (269 years, to be exact) and we are a very long way away from the peculiar world of powdered wigs and nonsensical etiquette that was 18th Century London. Yet, over two and a half centuries later, it still leaves an audience spellbound.

 

To put it bluntly: There’s a reason people still perform it.

 

Set in the world of Roman mythology, Semele recounts the story of the mortal ‘Semele’, who, in love with the immortal god of thunder Jupiter, is tricked by Jupiter’s jealous wife, Juno (who, as is the way with these things, also happens to be his sister) and (Spoiler alert) ends up somewhat dead, engulfed in flames.

 

The MUMS production was a sparkling semi-staged Semele of innuendo, playfulness and humour. Most striking of all was the age of the people involved: everyone, the cast, orchestra, production team – the lot – were under the age of 23.

 

Charlie Trepess sang the eponymous lead role superbly, negotiating her way around the unbelievably florid solo arias with great control. Tom Kelly, as Jupiter, sang beautifully throughout, with his use of ornamentation at cadences being the most controlled of the night. Harriet Eaves’ Juno was strong and the tone and power of her voice was particularly impressive, with her singing in the duet with Somnus “Obey my will” being a highlight.

 

The real star of the show, however, was the orchestra: compact and sharp, with a fantastic continuo section, it was brilliant throughout. Jamie Philips conducted from the harpsichord with aplomb and employed sensible tempos for most of the opera.

 

Make no mistake; performing this music well is very, very hard. The fact that Tim Langston’s production managed to do so well is a testament to the University’s music dept and, more importantly, proof that music like this has survived for a reason.

STAR/Amnesty Sleepout

Written by Ceri Wills on . Posted in Societies.

On Friday 24th February, students and citizens of Manchester will sleep on the cold stone steps of the Students’ Union. We will be sleeping there not for enjoyment of the North West winter, but to make public the destitution of asylum seekers in the UK, experienced by thousands.

Annually, the vast majority of applications for refugee status are rejected. Yet for a variety of reasons many do not, or cannot, leave the UK, and thus become destitute. The plight of these hidden people is what Student Action for Refugees (STAR) and Amnesty International wish to expose. They live in abject poverty, relying on others to subsist. Many are not eligible for the small, vouchers-only allowance for destitute asylum seekers. Since 2004, they have been denied free healthcare at NHS hospitals unless it is in an emergency or for treatment they were already receiving. This exclusion includes diabetics, pregnant women, and cancer patients.

In a report on asylum applications in 2004, the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee noted that ‘where the removal of a failed asylum seeker is delayed through no fault of their own, it is morally unacceptable for them to be rendered destitute.’ Clearly this is failing. Many of those interviewed for a report by Amnesty International suffer from mental health problems, exacerbated by their insecure position, and fear of detention and return. Many interviewees feared some of the women they knew had desperately turned to prostitution to survive. They live on the margins of society, having slipped through the cracks of the British legal system.
This street sleep out is being held by STAR and the Amnesty International Society. Both societies regularly hold events to raise awareness of and to agitate against human rights abuses, although STAR focuses particularly on the rights of refugees. Everyone is welcome to come and join our sleep out! Although, even if you don’t feel like hunkering down on the steps for the night, we will have food, music, speakers, circus fun and creativity to get involved with from 7.30pm.

Pieboy Clothing go viral for Valentines

Written by Ceri Wills on . Posted in Societies.


It was that special time of year again for the romantics within, with poetry, flowers and chocolates in full flow! Best of all, Pieboy Clothing with the help of Manchester Entrepreneurs and other friends were up to their mischievous habits once again.

Along with their trusted ally in Cupid, PieBoy were on a mission to “Spread the love” across Manchester, serenading beautiful girls, guys and couples with Cupid’s newly-prized guitar after ditching the rather traditional bow and arrow.

This piece of comical genius tied with heart felt loveliness made for an engrossing watch. The movie documents a day in the life of cupid while he gets to work on his most important day of the year, Valentines day. The movie is guaranteed to provide plenty laugh out load moments similar to their last video “Manchesters Gorgeous Girl” which now stands at over 18,000 views!

Check out the latest Cupid PieBoy instalment here!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGaTXqtEqVg&context=C363a26aADOEgsToPDskLzebP-DMeW6MOtT8QrhfuA

I’m sure Manchester looks forward to walking down Piccadilly Gardens or past the Student’s Union and being caught up in the next exertion. Keep your eyes peeled on their Facebook page here, for all their latest mischievous activities across Manchester.

Student Kickabout

Written by Ceri Wills on . Posted in Societies.

We are pleased to announce that we will be starting a new football session at the Armitage Centre, Fallowfield every Sunday afternoon.
We offer an hour long football session for players of all abilities, and provide a fun and competitive game of football every week.  The key objective of Student Kickabout is to provide a hassle free opportunity to play a game of football every week, without worrying about committing yourself to playing every week or trying to get enough players to actually have a game of football!

We welcome student players of abilities, and play 5,6,7,8 a side games according to how many players turn up.  All students will be placed into teams upon arrival, so simply turn up on your own or with friends or housemates.

The games will take place on the Astroturf facilities at the Armitage Site, which is located on Moseley Road, Fallowfield.

Next games are scheduled to take place on the following dates;

Sunday 26th Feb – 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Sunday 4th March – 3pm – 4pm

All sessions last one hour and costs only £3.50 per person.

Please see www.studentkickabout.co.uk or email me ([email protected].uk) for more details.

We look forward to seeing you there!