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Month: November 2012

The Coronas/The Nankeens

28th November 2012

Ruby Lounge

The Nankeens 

4/10

Their name, at least, is intriguing. An internet search points to two kinds of Australian bird and a yellowed cotton used for a peculiar nineteenth-century trouser style. On the small Ruby Lounge stage, fenced with instruments, The Nankeens don’t look particularly avian – nor do they much resemble yellow trousers. In fact, as they launch into ‘Over’, the opening chords whining with feedback, they present pretty much like the stock start-up Indie band.

Wearing variously nondescript t-shirts and hoodies, it seems this Salford-based group is going to depend on its sound to stand out. It’s unfortunate, then, that with closed eyes the smudged stacatto vocals of ‘Who Stole New Year’s Eve’ so closely mimic Luke Pritchard, lead singer of The Kooks. The tickled symbol and two-note bass pulse that open ‘Reaper’ are promisingly different, but the lyrics begin and The Nankeens’ front man, Adam Darby, has merely morphed again. This time, he’s channelling Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, whose Southern American nasal twist is lent an unconvinced Manchester burr. It’s never a good sign when every song a new band plays makes you think not about how they sound, but who they sound like – Darby stays possessed for much of the rest of the set. In the final song, ‘Here We Go’, his voice is stretched by a key change so that he’s singing at the frayed end of his range.

The Nankeens depart unceremoniously from the stage and do not stick around to meet their fans. As for their name, it turns out that Nankeen cotton used to be manufactured in the Eccles mill they rehearse in, so the association is geographical as much as anything. It seems that this is a band that needs to find out who they really are, before we can. 4/10

The Coronas 

2/10

The Coronas’ front man Danny O’Reilly walks onstage and a good part of the audience gets pretty bothered about the crotch. It’s not just those sky-blue Irish eyes, his dark hair and cheekbones that could chop chocolate – his smile says he knows what underwear you’re wearing, and he fucking loves it.

Setting off at a lick, their first song ‘What You Think You Know’ from the newest album Closer To You, flaunts a growling bass, pulsing drums and sexily bitter lyrics. The next, ‘Dreaming Again Part II (Wait For You)’ is titled like a line in bad poetry and could not be more different. It is the ultimate aphrodisiac – for those to whom sex is a satin heart held by a teddy.

That this seems to be true of most of the audience, who begin to sway, seduced, must be encouraging for a Dublin-based band trying to transition over here. Like the shiny-suited crooners that serenade European café tables, a fake rose plugged between their teeth, O’Reilly sings as if he’s sobbing.

He shifts to the keyboard for ‘Blind Will Lead The Blind’: the melody sounds like bubbles through water and is complimented by a clean drum line. Yet both O’Reilly and lead guitarist Dave McPhilips seem to have polished their teeth with Vaseline, they gurn so determinedly between phrases. The set swoons on, their sound outmoded, with too many words stuffed gaudily into the melodies. A four song encore showcases the most soppy line of the night: ‘if I had a rainbow / I’d put the end of it at our toes’, from ‘Addicted to Progress’. This, their last gig on the tour, ends with audience karaoke to ‘Hey Day’, as O’Reilly passes the mic along: what could be sexier than that?

 

 

Mastermind success for blind University of Manchester student

A PhD student at the University of Manchester is through to the semi-finals of Mastermind after an impressive performance on the show last Friday.

Answering questions on her specialist subject, John Peel’s Festive Fifty, Rachael Neiman secured her place in the semi-finals with 33 points overall.

Rachael, who studies English and American Studies, was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of two and was partially sighted throughout her childhood, before becoming totally blind in her teenage years.

Her impressive performance, which featured no passes at all, also earned Rachael the ‘round of the week’ award on the Mastermind website.

The infamous Mastermind chair is often said to intimidate contestants, but Rachael says that it actually had the opposite effect. “There’s nothing you can do once you’re in the chair,” she said. “Once you’re there you have to get on with it.”

Peel’s Festive Fifty was an often-eclectic list of the best songs of the year, as voted for by listeners. Although you would never guess from her impressive showing in the chair, it wasn’t Rachael’s first choice of topic.

“I actually chose the subject on the spur of the moment,” explained Rachael. “I was a big John Peel fan, so I thought it would be interesting to go back and research the earlier shows I hadn’t heard before.”

Rachael was first bitten by the quizzing bug after appearing on University Challenge as part of the University of Manchester team in 2009. “I hadn’t done many quizzes before then,” Rachael said, “but I got a bit addicted from then on!”

Not content to simply listen to music – or remember lists and lists of facts about it – Rachael is also heavily involved in the industry. She runs her own record label, Cherryade Records, and has a slot on Dandelion Radio, a station dedicated solely to continuing Peel’s legacy.

Well and truly addicted to quizzing, Rachael plans to appear on Only Connect, Brain of Britain and Pointless in the future. “I might try and get my thesis polished up, too,” she said.

The airdate of the semi-finals has not been announced yet, but Rachael tells us to expect to see her on our screens again “around February or March.” Just as Peel chose an eclectic range of music, Rachael is choosing an eclectic range of topics – her next chosen subject will be the work of Victorian lesbian novelist Sarah Waters.

 

Champions League exit displays City’s identity problems

Wednesday the 21st of November proved to be a busy day for Manchester City.

In the afternoon, representatives from the club visited the University of Manchester sporting the Premier League trophy to promote the “Learning Through Football” programme, an initiative that will include the contribution of student volunteers in educational projects for young children across Greater Manchester. After dark a much greater challenge lay ahead: nine-time European Cup winners Real Madrid.

The two events show both how far Manchester City has come as a football club but also the strange dichotomy of a community football club with global ambitions. One of the most celebrated and laudable achievements of City’s ascension is the community work it does and the belief that it is Manchester’s true local club. Yet at the same time the project of Sheikh Al Mansour is an international and expansive one.

The defeat to Real Madrid marked the premature end of City’s Champions League campaign for the second successive season. There are of course many reasons why City have failed to qualify on both occasions: the draws have been particularly unfavourable given that City have been grouped with European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and dangerous attacking opponents Napoli and Borussia Dortmund; a general improvement in European football and decline of English sides at an inopportune moment could also be recognized, on the basis that last season Manchester United also failed to qualify.

But perhaps the real problem is that balancing the club’s local and international identity is proving tricky. Especially among City fans, the idea of the Champions League does not appear to have taken off. Just 40,000 tickets were sold for the critical Ajax game earlier this month compared to over 47,000 for the Aston Villa game two weeks later. The Etihad Stadium has sounded quieter for mid-week games than for League games, which on the surface is strange when such exciting opponents as Real Madrid are in town.

The explanation could be that Manchester City is a club still under development and building a reputation at home; the appetite for Champions League success thus seems to be less strong. For Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, Champions League nights are extra special because of the history each club can associate to European football. The Champions League is the Holy Grail for sides that have won multiple Premier Leagues and FA Cups and so the fans respond. Manchester City has not yet asserted that domestic dominance.

Local rivalry also plays a part; for a long time City have been the neighbours living in the shadow of Manchester United, but now they have the chance to get one over the enemy every season in the Premier League. That, and the fact that winning the Champions League is a much less realistic objective, may contribute to the sentiment that winning the Premier League is more important.

However, while the transition into becoming a European force is understandably tough, City must look to protect that community link in the process. In time, the ambitions of the City faithful will catch up with those of the club itself and the Champions League will become the priority. At that point projects such as “Learning Through Football” will be even more valuable in grounding Manchester City in Manchester.

Bizarre Sport special: five of the weirdest injuries

Whilst injuries are an unfortunate consequence of participation in sport, sometimes you hear of stories that really push the limits of your imagination.  As commonplace as injuries are, sometimes there are stories that are so bizarre, so strange that they merit plenty of attention. Below is a list of five of the strangest injuries to have made the news:

1) Every team has one. The player that always over celebrates. The player that really likes to make a fool of himself. However Bill Gramatica of the Miami Dolphins took public humiliation to a new level during one game. After successfully slotting a kick and deciding to celebrate like he had just won the Super Bowl, Gramatica leapt high in the air and promptly tore his anterior cruciate ligament on landing. Safe to say Bill wasn’t celebrating again anytime soon.

2) It also not a great idea to celebrate prematurely, advice golfer Bobby Cruickshank would have done well to remember during the 1934 U.S. Open. Cruickshank fluffed his shot on the 11th hole, sending it into a creek, yet remarkably the ball bounced off a rock and landed perfectly on the green.  With Booby leading by eight shots and clearly thinking it must be his tournament he allowed himself a small celebration. What happened next is a crash course in how not to protect a lead.  Cruickshank joyously tossed his club in the air but to his display on the way down it hit him in the head and knocked him unconscious. After coming to, Bobby managed to finish the tournament but bogeyed several of the remaining holes and could only tie for third.

3) Not one for the faint hearted, Rugby League player Paul Wood suffered an injury that evoked great sympathy from men all across the world. Early in the second half of the Grand Final, Wood was on the receiving end of a stray knee which resulted in Paul rupturing one of his testicles. Remarkably Wood managed to carry on playing for twenty minutes, keeping up the hard man stigma attached to Rugby League. After the game Paul had to have his testicle removed.  For most, losing half your manhood and the Super League Grand Final in one day would leave you feeling very down but Wood was even able to joke after the operation, posting on twitter: “Just coming out the hospital to go home… Seriously feel like I’ve left something?” That’s a real man.

4) Step forward David Seaman who proved that harm can happen off the pitch as well as on it. The former England goalkeeper, who played over four hundred times for Arsenal, remained largely injury-free in his stellar career but suffered a rather embarrassing moment when at home. Whilst relaxing at home, Seaman managed to pull a muscle in his back just by reaching for the television remote which side lined him for a number of weeks.  Strangely, whilst playing for Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Letizi suffered the same injury whilst reaching for a Scrabble piece he dropped.  Reports suggest the Scrabble game was called off soon after.

5) While kids all over the country are taught of the benefits of effective communication on a football pitch, aspiring footballers should do well to avoid the example of Alex Stepney. The former Manchester United goalkeeper managed to break his jaw after yelling so loudly. Speechless.

Retro Corner: Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings

Age of Empires was already an established real-time strategy game in 1999 when the second instalment in the long running series was released. Age of Kings was positively received by critics and is now recognised as a major breakthrough for the strategy genre.

In Age of Kings the player takes control of one of thirteen civilisations, including the Mongols, the Franks and the Vikings! Custom mode offers the gamer a choice of which age to start in, allowing beginners to start playing during an advanced age, while letting more experienced gamers start in the dark ages; the earlier the age the harder the challenge. Along with an impressive choice of civilisations the game offers a clear visual improvement on other real-time strategy games released at the time. Every civilisation has its own unique look and distinct units, allowing gamers to distinguish between their own team and the enemy through more than just what colour armour people are wearing.

A few detailed features were added to the game for the first time. Gamers could forge alliances and trade deals with other teams (up to 4 teams could compete on one map) and pool resources before attacking a stronger enemy with a more powerful combined force (any strategists’ idea of heaven). The game also takes on a maritime flavour, with island maps requiring the player to construct navies and engage in sea battles as well as land invasions.

Age of Kings provides an enjoyable campaign, facilitating a gentle progression in difficulty so players have time to hone their strategic skills. Online play is also on offer allowing friends to play online and create game-based communities. Age of kings is innovative, looks great and most importantly of all loads of fun – a must play and if you haven’t you’re only 13 years late!

 

Hitman: Absolution – Review

Very often developers will try to “reboot” a series by changing the core mechanics to breathe new life into what had become stale and stagnant. The best example is what Capcom did with Resident Evil 4. However, change can alienate old fans whilst bringing new ones into the fold. Fallout 3 was a massive departure from the old formula, but one that brought the game into the modern market. So, does Hitman Absolution meet the expectations of old fans whilst feeling fresh?

The question on any long-time Hitman fan’s lips will be “Is it as good as blood money?” Well, no. Whilst Absolution makes an attempt to be a game-changer, it sadly fails on a number of counts.

The first act, and the first two levels, starts off promisingly, with good stealth sections mixed in with excellent choices on how and when to kill the targets. Admittedly, the first “mark” dies in a cut scene, but getting to them is the journey, and the cut scene is necessary to frame the game’s plot. After that, you’re thrown into a crowded square with a specific target and options. So far, so promising. While you can’t pick your weapons and you are forced to improvise resources, it turned the game into a question of learning the level and made me look for more creative ways to kill the mark. With five difficulty modes to choose from, the hardest of which being eye-wateringly difficult, everything seemed promising.

Then it all went wrong. The first act featured forced stealth sections, with hiding from the police being incredibly frustrating. I won’t get into why – you are an assassin, let’s be fair. Regardless, whilst one can disguise themselves as a member of the police department, somehow the city’s plod all know each other, and as such, the disguise becomes almost useless as they’ll spot you pretty quickly. For those without much patience for this, just play it on easy and speed through. It’s not great.

The stealth is by no means perfect, using the “press button to stick to the wall” mechanic. Hiding in a crowd is sometimes poorly implemented, it broadly works, allowing you to use the environment to distract NPCs or disguises changing what is accepted behaviour.

But it gets better. The game opens up and you have become more creative, going to various places and forced to really try to work out how to cause some of the more creative deaths. The challenges add a huge amount of depth to this, and with only vague hints to go on, one must work out what the game wants. The nun level is nothing like the infamous trailer and is one of my favourite levels, combining stealth with careful takedowns. It’s closer to the first Assassin’s Creed. But that’s okay. It works and there’s a huge amount of rewarding replay value.

For those who want it, Contracts Mode looks to be the most interesting addition. Other players set marks, you pick the weapons (or they do) and you have to work out how to kill everyone silently, being graded on whether you were spotted, if the body was found, etc. It’s heaps of fun, and once the community produces more, it’ll be one of the most interesting multiplayer concepts in a long time.

I played this on PC with on max settings. Graphically it’s gorgeous, with great textures and animations. There was some slowdown, and apparently it’s not perfectly optimised, but patching is in process. The 360 version works fine and still manages to look impressive.

The game is not perfect, but it provides the rare single player, value for money experience. The plot is very Hitman, yet it not overly contrived, taking you and Agent 47 to some pretty… interesting places.

‘It’ll look good on your CV’

How many of you have heard this phrase whilst being at university? So pervasive in university culture has it become that it has now ousted my number one pet hate: groups of girls who think that talking to each other whilst eating freakishly loud lettuce in the purple area of John Rylands can be considered “a really hard day at the library”.

In the final year of my degree it has been drilled into my psyche in leaflets for charities, career talks and even through my lecturers who have put aside some time to tell us about how we should be concerned about that pivotal section of our CVs: extracurricular. “If you haven’t started working with those school kids down the road yet”, said my lecturer recently, “now’s the time to start thinking.”

It is this attitude towards our extracurricular activities that worries me. At this point I must make clear that in no way am I dismissing the fantastic work that so many students at this university do. There is enthusiasm in abundance within many great university societies, teams and charities. However, through my degree I have met more and more people who will do anything to get that extra bullet point on their CV.

The rise of ‘voluntourism’ – where affluent westerners pay thousands of pounds to take part in a community project – is particularly concerning. One begins to wonder whether modern volunteering, in essence an act of selflessness, is done not for those who need it, but instead for the volunteer. And these charity companies don’t attempt to hide it: “A great improvement to your CV” read one flyer distributed around the University of Manchester, offering trips in excess of £2,500 to tropical countries.

But who can blame them? In the society that we live in, we are all competing against one another to get those coveted job positions. If we weren’t, why would we have chosen to go to university? University is after all talked up as a necessary prerequisite to a good career. We are told that employers like to see multi-tasking, a good balance of work and social life, and an exponential rise (with no breaks!) in personal development, towards the CV of the perfect applicant. Who knows, perhaps in ten years time, employers will look much further back than our higher education:

“So Mr. Smith, I see on your CV that between September 1990 and June 1991, there is a gap in your acquisition of key skill sets and no signs of volunteering?”
“Um, but I was only 1 at the time you see.”
“Thank you Mr Smith; we’ll um…keep in touch.”

I still cling on to the belief that I will find my dream job by befriending the director of BBC Worldwide in a smoky downtown bar. But as graduation day creeps closer – as well as the drunk in the bar who isn’t the director of BBC Worldwide – I begin to worry about that dreaded leap from higher education. A friend of mine recently floated the idea to me that I should get some business cards printed in order to network within the world of radio. Worryingly, the first thing that came to my mind was that scene in American Psycho where Patrick Bateman views his co-workers’ superior business cards and attempts to hide his psychotic envy. I never like projecting myself, the brand ‘Thomas Glasser’, however I understand that in order to sift through the thousands of applications that employers must receive, an individual must stand out from the rest. But I hate writing down that I’m a team player. I’m not. I work better alone.

What worries me is that a generation is being urged by our peers to do constructive extracurricular activities: because if we don’t, we won’t get good jobs. These are activities that we may not even want to do, and activities that many less privileged people will never even have the chance to do. Are we therefore increasingly approaching life thinking that a minute spent enjoying ourselves is a minute wasted? There is, naturally, a solution: lie detectors in job interviews.

“So Mr Smith, we’ve wired you up. Answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ please. Did you genuinely want to travel to Malawi and help build a school, and not to go on safari?”

“OK! OK! I admit it! It was only for my CV! I can’t stand children! There! Are you happy?!”

A nice idea, but hardly a practical one. And, after all, I have to ask myself why I’m writing this piece in the first place. Am I writing it for you or for me? I’ll leave that one for you to work out.

Review: The Sleeping Beauty

In her text ‘From the Beast to the Blonde,’ Marina Warner discusses the idea that romance, and the fairy tales which owe a significant debt to the romantic tradition, offer us the tantalizing possibility remaking ‘the world in the image of desire.’ That is a sophisticated premise and would I suggest that fairy-tales do two things – they tap into a childlike wish for magic, a belief in impossibility and a certainty in the sense that reality can always be ‘remade’, but they also often access more adult themes of desire, threat and sadness. The importance of keeping a childlike innocence and joy in the story, while not letting the characters become two-dimensional or childishly simplistic, is the balancing act in play here.

This is achieved beautifully in the English National Ballet’s production of ‘The Sleeping Beauty,’ currently touring and playing at the Manchester Opera House. I went last night and was prepared to be amazed by the technical skill of the dancers, to be made jealous by the sumptuous costumes that made you wish you owned a tutu, and to wish I had the ENB Orchestra to follow me around to play at appropriate moments in life. However, I was not prepared for the honest storytelling which grounded and supported that extraordinary spectacle, and achieved what I thought was an impressive feat – make a show which is at first glance people pirouetting around in archaic costumes reveal itself to be real, relevant and believable. Whilst we are, as an audience, initially drawn in by the technical skill of the ballet, I think had it not been for that emotional depth, even the most beautiful pointe work could have left the audience feeling cold. In that sense, the movement provided a route to understanding emotion, and it was that emotion which was the main event, rather than the technical brilliance of the ballerinas flying across the stage.

That is not to say that the dancing itself was underwhelming, just that without that emotive underpinning the story would have felt hollow. That sense of honest emotion was echoed in the sympathetic and detailed costume and set design, which was a development and in some cases a reworking of the original design of the show. The artistic team seemed to share a sense that they didn’t want to make anything too obvious or easy for the audience – details of the choreography meant that at moments we did feel a sympathy for Carabosse, the wicked fairy who casts the spindle spell over the Princess Aurora. Similarly, as Carabosse discovered the Lilac Fairy about to lead the Prince to wake Aurora with a kiss, the lights played across his costume and made some parts of it appear a deeper purple colour, subtly seeming to echo the Lilac Fairy’s own costume. That was just one example of the way in which the production seemed unwilling to draw too obvious a line between ‘good’ and ‘evil,’ between the childish innocence and more adult subtleties of the story.

Whilst we do as an audience rejoice with the happy ending, part of that joy comes, I think, from those subtleties within the performance which mean we never quite forget the threat of Carabosse, but neither do we forget her loneliness and jealousy either, meaning the ballet plays in a quite a sophisticated way with our emotions. These sadder undertones keep the production from becoming to saccharine or indulgent, and ground it in a reality that reminds us, however hard we might try to, we can never wholly ‘remake the world in the image of desire’.

Creative Writing Society

A couple of weeks ago The Societies Show on Fuse FM caught up with Jonny Heath to find out about the Manchester Creative Writing Society. Aside from the interview, we were treated to examples of members’ writings and a song or two from Jonny himself. There is much to be excited about from this little group. The society welcomes students, whether already an avid scribbler or just curious about what’s going on, to come along to meetings to share, listen and enjoy each other’s work.

All information as to when the meetings take place are detailed on the Manchester Creative Writing Facebook group, where the description encourages attendance from people who are interested in “any kind of writing, be it prose, poetry, plays, stream of consciousness or erotica.” A collaboration with other creative events as well as a potential eventual publication are all in the pipeline for the group.

The essence of the group is informal and fun, and it’s a great society for anyone who has wanted to give writing a go but has not had the opportunity to do so. Judgements are left at the door so if you fancy getting involved, don’t hesitate to drop Chair Jonny Heath. Here are a couple of tasters from the group so far:
Define a ‘kiss’ by Joe Goodman

How many moments plucked?
pucked, touched, fucked.
Find the strength to define,
when lips align, a kiss.
Father son, does that disgust you?
Wife husband, does it hurt you?
This moment we use,
choose to abuse,
clutch in our dreams
and use as a means
to sacred time? A seal of love?
No stolen, polluted, an oil caked dove.
Give me a reason
I’ll stab the whore,
then kiss her cold hand
and waltz out the door.
Onto another’s love in disguise,
into the legs of stripping eyes,
to pound romance with a volley of lies
and a dove falls to earth as the ‘kiss’ dies.

Untitled by Phoebe Georgia Allan

I can go from blissed to pissed quicker than a spinning disk.
My mind flies high in the in the skies of unity,
Representing everything it should be;
freedom, sympathy and tranquillity.
Pure, A-zure.
I have days when I’m even happy to be sad,
A negative thought or sentiment I choose to dismiss,
Laugh it gone and blow it a kiss.
A great and beautiful sense of release- power, belief
and then my soma levels rapidly increase,
as I dance with the gods, our spirits purified , our bodies energised, and we whisper;
‘Now what may foeman’s malice do to harm us? What, O Immortal, mortal man’s deception’
Lib-er-at-ion
My body is tinkling
My flesh, bones soul and mind intertwined
Care free, happy as can be,
Then.
I change it up a key,
Shunning all that I preached,
Let out, lock out, and let go of every pebble of peace in my mind’s beach.
Like I’ve given birth to a beast.
Now, nothing makes sense hence
I behave like a slave to the witches’ trade
Casting spells of bad smells and I’m thinking
‘STOP!’
No more potions for these feeble motions,
A conversation with my own desperation,
‘please, take me back to the paradise of my creation,
where celebratory elation is a necessary condition of human composition.’

 

Top professions dominated by private school leavers

Attending Eton and Oxbridge remains the path to success in the UK, according to a report by the Sutton Trust.

The Trust found that 31 percent of those in top professions in the UK studied at Oxbridge, whilst 44 percent were privately educated.

Ten leading independent schools account for 12 percent of the total, with Eton College alone responsible for 4 percent. Only 21 percent went to a state school, and 27 percent to a grammar school.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust, said that the figures show “how dominant leading universities and schools remain across the professions in Britain,” and that it is “important that access to our leading schools and universities is on the basis of ability alone.”

The report says that “independent schools make up 7 per cent of the school population, yet constitute over half the leading news journalists, medics, chief executives, and 70 per cent of barristers and judges”.

22 per cent of those researched had no higher education, whilst 20 per cent attended a leading university other than Oxbridge, including the University of Manchester.

Julian Skyrme, Head of Widening Participation at the University of Manchester, hailed this as “an important report.”

He said: “The nation’s ‘leading people’ in this report are dominated by people who went to top universities like Manchester and schools in the independent sector.

“Among the leading institutions in the report, we are proud that Manchester takes in the highest number of learners from state schools, lower socio-economic groups and low participation neighbourhoods.”

Around 22 per cent of students at the University of Manchester are thought to be privately educated, although the university also accepts the highest number of students from ‘low participation areas’ of the Russell Group.

The report’s findings were based on 7,637 people who had been educated in the UK, and whose birthdays were noted by national newspapers during 2011.

Last week another report suggested that poor advice and lack of confidence were preventing high achieving state-school pupils from aiming for the best universities.

Sir Peter said that the survey demonstrates “how far we still need to go to improve social mobility in this country.”

Live: Crystal Castles

28th November 2012

6/10

Crystal Castles are an enormously difficult outfit to make sense of. They present themselves as embodiments of their own take on the punk aesthetic, but play the 2500 capacity Academy 1 tonight as part of a tour of similarly-sized venues that is seeing them perform, not for the first time, to a mixture of posers  and Topshop-attired indie kids who look about as likely to incite genuine anarchy as the Women’s Institute. They project an apparent disdain for publicity that, given their frequent appearances in the NME, is surely disingenuous. And the three records they’ve released to date, all solid efforts that occasionally sparkle with brilliance, have often proved little more than an afterthought in the public consciousness when compared to their typically-frenetic live shows.

The Crystal Castles live experience is considerably less raw these days, at least in terms of Alice Glass’ crowd interaction; she certainly gets involved tonight, but she seems more interested in crowd surfing and sharing the mic than starting a fight with literally anyone who’s interested. Way back in the heady days of 2008, Glass’ appetite for pseudo-violent confrontations with the crowd and, often, the security often spilled over into the crowd and made their shows at least notorious enough for the NME to view them as the band to preserve the publication’s punk credentials – you might remember that they spent most of the rest of 2008 forcing Glasvegas and  Mystery Jets onto anyone who’d listen. To their credit, though, Glass and perma-hooded beat-provider Ethan Kath have acknowledged the decline in intensity and attempted to offset it with by making the evening into less of a concert and more a fearsome, multi-sensory assault probably best avoided by those of a nervous disposition.

The decibel level has been cracked up considerably, every beat now designed to batter the eardrums, but for the most part it’s an improvement, especially in terms of Glass’ vocals; in the past, they were too often too quiet, drowned in Kath’s sea of synth, or too heavily distorted, but tonight the shrieks are crisp throughout the likes of ‘Alice Practice’ and ‘Baptism’, and her more sedate, melodic delivery on ‘Celestica’ cuts through equally strongly. The light show is totally blistering, with strobes of such severity that any sound man brave enough to tour with the band is obviously willing to part with his corneas.

The problem, though, is that when the evening’s calmer, more pensive moments arrive, they serve only to lend the set a disjointed feel. We already know that Crystal Castles are capable of quieter, reflective moments, but the likes of ‘Sad Eyes’ and ‘Empathy’, whilst not perhaps as out of place as they might have been a few years ago, still don’t sit comfortably alongside the barrage of noise that the rest of the set represents. We’re watching a band in transition – not the riot-inciters they once were, but, onstage at least, not yet the versatile unit that their records present, either.

Review: Fraser Chapman at the Cornerhouse

Even from across the street, through the rain, and between the buses, it’s quite easy to see the first series of work by the Cornerhouse’s newest ‘Projects’ exhibitionist – Fraser Chapman.

On the ground floor, a collection of five globe-like paintings demand attention with their large size and varicoloured composition. At first glance, it’s difficult to know what it is we’re looking at – my first guesses ranged from microscopic views of germs to worrisomely active weather maps.

The Manchester-based artist’s paintings are actually, as described by Cornerhouse, “accurate depictions of the geological makeup of the lunar surface.” Far-out man! From the near side to the far side, each area of the moon is illustrated in a paint-by-the-numbers fashion. Whether the paintings have a meaning or purpose that extends beyond exploring the aesthetic potential of geologic maps is for Chapman to know and for us to decide. Either way, they’re worth seeing as a beyond-earth warmup before heading upstairs where David Shrigley’s exhibit will turn your world upside down.

On the first floor, in the back area of the Cornerhouse café, can be found Chapman’s second series. You’ll have to make your way through bustling tables of chatty, cultured types drinking their wine, scribbling in their notebooks, and excitedly discussing their newest ideas, but that’s part of the fun.

In this second series, Chapman channels his inner-Marcel Duchamp by imaginatively repurposing a set of found, mass-produced canvases. In the first two paintings, Still Life #1 and Still Life #2, the figures are reduced to silhouettes while the setting remains untouched — allowing us to reinterpret scenes originally depicted by masterful painters such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The majority of the remaining pieces are covered almost entirely in white emulsion — leaving only one or two subjects untouched. By placing a dense fog around the remaining figures, they become the focal point of our understanding of the scene. We are left to imagine the setting and, perhaps, realise our frustration with concealed information.

Fraser Chapman has more than a just a cool name – he has the honour of displaying his work at the Cornerhouse and you should go check it out.

The race for Christmas Number One

As the tinsel begins to come out and the first doors on advent calendars across the country are opened – not forgetting that list of forgotten family friends who you still write a card to, despite not seeing them for years – it can only mean one thing; Christmas is well and truly on its way. And with the festive season comes the annual race to see who can take the coveted Christmas Number 1 spot in the singles charts. But is it still the serious contest that it once was, or do we really care who tops the charts this Yuletide?

Plenty has changed in terms of the race for the number one spot, as compared to the past. Firstly, if you turn the clocks back thirty years or so, the build up, the waiting and the anticipation for which song would make it to the top put this announcement on a par with the Queen’s speech, in terms of importance on Christmas Day. Artists rallied hard on limited resources to promote their song and push it to number one purely for the prestige and honour of being the nation’s favourite song, not solely for the money and publicity it would provide them, as is the case with many artists in this day and age.

However, 2012 proves significant in the context of the battle to chart success at Christmas, marking the end of a decade which has seen a reality television revolution, led by the grinch himself, Mr. Simon Cowell. Since 2002, six out of the last ten Christmas number ones have been held by the winner of Cowell’s competitions (seven if you count Little Mix’s attempt in 2011 until they were replaced, later on Christmas Day, by The Military Wives). It was a period of musical ennui that continued unbroken until 2009 saw the successful Facebook campaign that placed the decidedly-unfestive Rage Against the Machine top of the heap. Yet even before the days of The X Factor and Pop Idol, there was an ongoing change in trend as to what the Great British public went out and bought during the eighties and nineties. We seemed to wave goodbye to any future possibility of a festive number one, and in the process we glorified the highly dubious likes of  Mr Blobby, Bob The Builder and Brian Harvey’s four piece East 17.

Early rumours have suggested that The X Factor are set to bow out of the traditional battle for the Christmas number one, after what has been a disappointing series for Cowell and co. The Hillsborough justice campaign’s charity effort and Girls Aloud’s comeback track are both contenders, but the odds-on favourite this year hints at a long-sought return to tradition – the twenty-fifth anniversary re-release of The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’. If the evergreen Irish rockers can pull it off, it’d make for a refreshing move away from charity songs and reality show releases, and back towards a bit of festive convention – it can only be a good thing.

 

Book Club special: Best books of 2012

When Book Club asked friends, readers, contributors for their favourite book of the year, we opened the floor not just to books released in 2012 but any book you might have read this year – not because there was a shortage of great books released this year (not that at all), but because with the millions of wonderful books written every year other than 2012 why would you ever confine your reading list to only the latest releases? So take a look at our admittedly subjective and far from comprehensive (aren’t all book lists?) Best of 2012, and get compiling your 2013 must-reads:

Joelle Jefferis, 20, social anthropology, Game of Thrones (1996), or A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin
Epic in length and epic in nature. The TV adaption can never match this brilliant fantasy series, George RR Martin has probably created a more complete world than the one I am meant to be inhabiting in the daytime, and, even better, his world has got dragons.

Agnes Chambre, 20, philosophy: The City’s Son by Tom Pollock, (2012)
A debut fantasy novel that came out earlier this year to some impressive acclaim. I’m not an avid fantasy reader (obviously excepting Harry Potter) but the story’s familiar London setting, captured perfectly by the author, draws you in and grounds fantastical riffs on the grind of city living.

Will Westerman, 20, philosophy: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, (1952)
The subtlety and delicacy with which Steinbeck sculpts new depths for his characters, both in strengths and often fatal weaknesses, is something that makes you marvel in wonder at a man so honed in his craft. A staggering feat of grandiose imagination allegorical and yet so utterly pertinent to the everyday lives we live as people; a book which should be deemed essential reading for anyone who seeks an understanding of what it is to be human.

Phoebe Chambre, 23, music student and Books editor: a two-way tie between Hot Pink by Adam Levin (2012) and The Pale King by David Foster Wallace (2011)
This was a really tough decision (and I also want to name-check Your Voice in My Head by Emma Forrest (2011) and No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July (2007) both of which you should read), but I have to include The Pale King, the incomplete posthumously published novel by David Foster Wallace which I got around to reading this year, as it’s the last work we have from the author after his tragic, unexpected death in 2008 – the last piece in an incomplete puzzle. Whilst it is by no means my favourite DFW book it is still heads and heads and shoulders and shoulders above most (any) other thing that you might read. And Hot Pink actually came out this year, the first thing I had read by Adam Levin; a beautiful book that I read almost whole.

Phillipa Moran, 19, social anthropology, The Other Hand by Chris Cleave, (2008)
Something in the blurb drew me to this book – that it didn’t fulfil its usual function of describing the novel intrigued me. It just said “Once you’ve read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds”. So I can’t go into great detail, but I can tell you that it is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking stories I’ve read in a while. It will definitely make you think differently about certain things…

You Say: What’s wrong with a fantasy?

With the new wave of feminism trickling in to almost every article and TV program I’ve seen recently, I noticed that men seem to be getting a lot of stick about the effect that porn has on them. It’s often claimed that it encourages them to treat women in degrading manners and to have false expectations about what ‘real’ women are like in bed. I’m not here to argue whether this is true or not (although the amount of ‘happy couples’ around seems to suggest that it must be a slight exaggeration). Instead, I want to point out that, as a result of watching too many romantic films, girls can have deluded expectations of men in just the same way.

Take the classic romance in ‘The Notebook’; the guy waits for her for seven years, writes to her every day for a year with no reply and still manages to profess his undying love whilst she is considering marrying someone else. What guy would ever do that? Films like this encourage us to think it’s legitimate to complain about the fact that your boyfriend isn’t perfect. They give us false expectations of men as fully co-operative, eternally understanding and unerringly devoted specimens. But they’re just not (sorry guys) and I think that most of us know this perfectly well. So when writers claim that men’s expectations of women are born out of porn, I think they really underestimate men. Can’t we give them a little more credit? I’m sure they can tell the difference between a porn star and their girlfriend (and if they can’t they probably won’t have a girlfriend for much longer) just as we can tell the difference between Edward Cullen and a real man.

So while you’re wondering why he doesn’t say ‘I love you’ with as much ardor as Jack does to Rose while the Titanic is plunging into the abyss, he might be wondering why you don’t think putting your legs behind your head is a comfortable position. But most probably we’ll both know that these are fantasies and what’s wrong with a fantasy? I say we should indulge our fantasies. So girls, let’s go and watch the new James Bond film and complain about the fact that no boys we know look, speak, act and most probably make love quite as well as Daniel Craig. And boys, while we’re out you can all go and watch some good healthy porn.

TOP 10 Films of 2012

From innocent young love to superhero destruction. From hitmen of the future to operatives of the past. From post-war America, through the troubled-eyes of veterans to the wide-eyes of restless youth. Hollywood gave us a year of refreshing contrast, and though it’s not over yet, myself and The Mancunion Film Section contributors have painstakingly devised for you the definitive, indisputable list of the best films of the 2012.*

10. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

It does pain me to include this but I suppose if you are an unfortunate enough soul to be captivated by the Twilight saga, this final conclusion (thank the lord), I am sure proved a fitting and emotionally satisfying climax. My co-Film Editor Sophie James does assure me that it is an engrossing tale of love, light and redemption…drenched in a thick cheesy sentiment that will leave your arteries begging for mercy.

9. On The Road

A rather diversely received film, many argued that Kerouac’s streams of consciousness, by nature, could not be put to film. While this may well be true I feel Walter Salles delivers an authentic and faithful production of this iconic novel of the 20th century. All the more enriched by a great ensemble cast, most especially in Viggo Mortensen’s Old Bull Lee and Garrett Hedlund who commendably grasped the enigmatic legend of Dean Moriarty.

8. Avengers

Joss Whedon achieved the seemingly impossible with Avengers. He not only managed to meld a bunch of blockbuster characters into a coherent film but actually made it a damn good one at that. Spectacular action was expected, and achieved, but the real star of the show was Whedon’s zippy dialogue. This is what made Avengers not only the best action film of the year but also one of the funniest.  Dylan Wiggan

7. Amour

Far more than a token ‘foreign’ film to add colour to this Hollywood-heavy list (though it certainly serves such purpose) Amour is a engrossing tale of the twilight years of a elderly Parisian couple. Poignant and an unflinching in the face of its rather tender subject matter, Director Michael Haneke creates an engrossing story out of the bleak end which awaits us all.

6. Argo

Argo is Affleck’s third film as a director, and definitely his finest. It follows the so-ridiculous-you- can-barely-believe-it true story of how the CIA created a fake Sci-Fi film, Argo, in order to get escapees past Iranian border control. Yet this film is no ordinary hostage story. Argo takes a slower pace than your typical Hollywood heist, helping to build it to a conclusion of almost unbearable tension, whilst being interjected with moments of comic brilliance in the form of Alan Arkin and John Goodman. The result, a highly engrossing political thriller. Rebecca Williams

5.The Master

Sometimes baffling but always compelling, Paul Thomas Anderson’s follow up to There Will Be Blood is not the contentious Scientology critique that was predicted. Instead, it is so much more – a woozy, disorientating and brilliant exploration of post-war America and the nature of faith. Joaquin Phoenix puts in a magnetic performance as a WWII vet whose frenetic life often resembles a fever dream, and who finds a possible kindred spirit in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s titular Master. A film you itch to re-watch from the moment the end credits roll. Alex Larkinson

4. Searching for Sugarman

Documentary filmmaking at its best, Director Malik Bendjelloul delves into the shrouded history of folk artist Rodriguez who fell tragically short of the American Dream, but whose music found an unexpected home in apartheid South Africa. Beautiful and compelling with a wonderful twist, Sugarman is a delightful reminder that a big budget is by no means necessary to create a highly entertaining and engrossing film.

3. The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan’s follow up to The Dark Knight may not have eclipsed its predecessor but it was confirmation of Nolan’s brilliance in reinventing Batman into a more dark and sophisticated series of films. Heath Ledger’s presence is sorely missed but that does not take away from the adrenaline filled spectacle Nolan gives his audience. A fitting conclusion to the indisputable king of the Batman sagas. Joshua Brown

2. Skyfall

Skyfall went far, far beyond most expectations. We were treated to a plethora of memorable performances, most notably of all by Dame Judi Dench, who provided us with a handkerchief-soaking au revoir and re-instated our belief that Bond has the power to move. Daniel Craig has won us over, and stood out alongside his on-screen nemesis Javier Bardem in some enthralling action sequences and chilling verbal exchanges. Roll on the next installment!  Alex Morrison

1. Moonrise Kingdom

Quirky. Whimsical. Offbeat. All words which could describe the latest offering from Wes Anderson. Yet it would be a disservice to a film which has more heart that quirk, more wit than whimsy, and is offbeat in a way that makes this tale of young love and adventure thoroughly refreshing. The supporting cast, including Bruce Willis, Ed Norton and Tilda Swinton, are all great, but it is the two child leads who really impress, and who make Moonrise Kingdom quite possibly the funniest and most entertaining film of the year.  Alex Larkinson

*list based largely on hearsay, conjecture and deeply biased views

Top 5 books you wouldn’t want to be seen reading on the Magic Bus

Books are for everyone and the vast variety of genres reflects the diversity of humankind. At the Books section we understand it takes all shapes, sizes and fonts to make a library, but the person sitting next to you on the bus may not be so forgiving. Here are a few books that may be better enjoyed in the comfort of your own home, if you want to avoid strange looks and backseat judgement:

1. 50 Shades of Grey – E. L. James (2011)
The controversy factor of this book has been more than well-documented; its popularity was the best advertisement Kindles ever had. Amazon should pay royalties. Everyone knows why you’re reading this, and it’s not for the quality of the writing. Whipping out 50 Shades may seem like the perfect antidote to a hard day of lectures but, even if you can take the vicarious blushing, remember it’s not that dissimilar from the guy next to you pulling out Nuts.

2. Once More with Feeling – Victoria Coren and Charlie Skelton (2002)
Less well known than 50 Shades, it is not the title that triggers associations with this book, but the cover. It is an account of the authors’ attempt to create their own porn film, and its cover displays a bold cartoon of a naked couple ‘frolicking’. Needless to say, Once More will garner more than a few raised eyebrows on the bus. It is a brave student who reads this book in public. Go on, we dare you.

3. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – John Gray (1992)
You’re having relationship troubles then? Reading self-help books like this ‘90s classic in public is the literary equivalent of changing your Facebook relationship status to “it’s complicated”.

4. Fantasy novels
By which I mean a Terry Pratchett cover stands out a mile. As a devout fantasist it hurts me to put this on the list but however much the media likes to tell us ‘geek chic’ is in, the endorsement does not extend to the reading material beyond the fake glasses. Be proud of the nerd status a Pratchett brands you with, or cower in the face of superficial stigmatism and read it on your Kindle.

5. Celebrity ‘auto’-biographies
Need we say more? These are basically just Heat or OK annuals. They may be styled and spray-tanned to look like books, but literature it is not.

Comic artists assemble

It began in March 2010 when some students posted a thread in the Manchester University Japanimation Society (MUJS) forum about finding like-minded people interested in the creation of comic art. What began as an enthusiastic group of just three was almost fated to die instantly, as several organisational problems came together to lead to the group’s shutdown within only a year.

However in September 2011, a young architecture student named Archontia Manolakelli came to the university; she says, “I was always interested in comic arts, and when I found out about this society, I was very disappointed that they weren’t active anymore.” There was life in the old dog yet, it turns out.

“Just before Christmas I received a message that the group was about to reopen and was looked for a secretary, so I applied right away”, she says. Since the thread was still in the Japanimation Society, a lot of the new members brought their anime and manga backgrounds on board, which had a huge impact. Now it’s 2012, and Archontia is President of the collective, which now has over 100 members.

So what’s it all about? Besides the basics – drawing lessons on characters, objects, expressions, and perspective, the focus is also on the wider aspects of comic creation. The actual lesson plan includes storyboarding, writing, using computers and tablets and a basic introduction to formats, panels and pacing. The collective is also present on several conventions and exhibitions, like this year’s London Expo.

There also stands the social aspect, as Archontia points out: “We want to release the creativity of our members by showing them ways to express themselves. We encourage everyone to interact with each other and share their knowledge.”

“Everyone is welcome, regardless of age or technique”, says Jevgenija “Jay” Maramzina, who is the only original member still part of the group today. “Besides our regular lessons we occasionally let members teach about certain subjects. We try to keep things flexible as we believe everyone can learn from anyone here”, agrees Nicholas Wilshaw, age 20, chemistry and management student, who is, besides Jay, one of the collective’s Vice Presidents.

The society restarted on these innovative concepts, which came to fruition with the Art Anthology Vol 1., an anthology published this summer made up of the artworks and comics from several members. Jay remembers, “We already had the idea back in 2011, but bringing together the material and finding a publisher took time.” And it’s for a good cause as all the gains from the book will go to charity. . In the end we were able to self-publish with the website lulu.com, it was perfect for the Collective because we weren’t interested in a profit or going through an agency. Archontia makes it clear: “The whole point of the book was to bring together the skill and passion of everyone involved. Profit is not what this is about.”

So what are the plans for the future, besides more books, of course? Archontia is ever-optimistic, “my aim for the group is to exchange knowledge and showing that the expression of imagination still has its place in the modern world. I also encourage the members to bind in long term friendships and cooperations, especially as some of us consider professional careers in the comic industry.”
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Check out the Manchester University Comic Collective’s Art Anthology Vol.1, which is available on http://www.lulu.com/gb/en/shop/jevgenija-maramzina-and-archontia-manolakelli-and-vincent-jung-and-shophia-syddall/manchester-university-comic-collective-art-anthology-vol1/paperback/product-20453313.html for only £4.00. Support your university’s talent!
MUCC on facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/108726279145245
MUCC on deviantart: http://mucomiccollective.deviantart.com

Review: ‘David’

Tucked away in the basement, the Cornerhouse’s intimate third screen hosted the last of five films celebrating the Manchester contingent of the Jewish Film Festival. To a full cinema (of, in fact, only about 30!), Joel Fendelmen’s David, the story of a young Muslim boy in Brooklyn mistaken for a Jew, highlighted the struggle to come to terms with your own culture and identity when growing up surrounded by religion.

Main character Daud, played by newcomer Muatasem Mishal, befriends a group of Jewish boys after being inclined to return a Torah left behind in a park. The development of these friendships form the main body of this film, and considering this to be Mishal’s first feature role, the delivery and authenticity of the relationships created are generally good, especially with the aid of Binyomin Shtaynberger, who plays the leader of the pack, Yoav.

For many, through its gaze into young friendships, this film will undoubtedly be perceived as very sweet, although personally I felt it verged towards being a bit saccharine at times. Though with most of the film dependent on the dialogue between children who, for many, have never appeared in front of a camera before, avoiding this was of course incredibly difficult.

There were indeed some awkward deliveries, but with that also some laugh out loud moments too. Likewise, there were times when Fendelman was truly able to bridge the cultural divide between Brooklyn’s Jewish and Muslim communities, aided by his ability to illustrate the many similarities between the two.

The interactions between Daud and his father, an Imam and thus a pillar of the community, also provides an affecting portrayal of father-son relationships, especially against the backdrop of its religious context. The shift in his approach towards his son, and also in many ways his daughter, form some of the best parts of this film, and actor Maz Jobrani fulfils his role gracefully and tastefully.

That this film has accumulated a number of awards, including the Audience Award at the 2011 Brooklyn Film Festival, speaks a lot about this fairly rookie cast, not least Jobrani. Noam Weinberg’s role as the Yeshiva teacher also comes across authentically and offers a wonderful insight into Jewish culture, traditions and history. The audience is introduced into this fascinating culture along with Daud.

This film no doubt has its strengths, yet this wasn’t enough to ignore its weaknesses. Some of the characters were certainly underdeveloped, especially that of Daud’s sister, played by Dina Shihabi. Perhaps though, in a film reliant on a young and inexperienced cast, there is scope to look beyond this.

Put together, the film was pretty engaging throughout. I won’t be rushing to see it again though, and I am unsure as to whether I wholeheartedly endorse the critical praise or the awards it has received.

I wasn’t brave enough to air these views in the post-film discussion – in fact we made our excuses and snuck out as soon as the film finished. It definitely had its moments but in all, for me, it lacked the “tug on your heartstrings” sentiment that it definitely sought to construct.

Mamma Mia! Here we go again…

Tis the season to be jolly and what better way than to have a good sing song? There may well be loads of good films out this Christmas, but Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables, is sure to be the film highlight of the year.

Whether you’re proud to admit it or not, we all have a favourite musical and it’s the film industry that we have to thank (or blame) for that. Countless actors have been unable to resist the charms of the musical, stepping up to the microphone to showcase their inner Judie Garlands. From Pierce Brosnan to Alan Rickman, Renee Zellweger to Nicole Kidman – they’ve all had a go. Even Marlon Brando proved himself to be a singing sensation, banishing none other than Frank Sinatra from the limelight in Guys and Dolls (was there anything that man couldn’t do?!)

All joking aside, this is a prestigious genre. Many musicals have gone on to receive not only great commercial but critical success. Robert Wise’s epic The Sound of Music tackled subjects as varied as nuns misbehaving to the rise of the Nazis and did so with great gusto.  Winning five Oscars and being nominated for four more, it also went on to knock Gone With the Wind off the top spot, becoming the highest grossing film to that date. Similar success stories have included Bob Fosse’s Cabaret. Winning eight Oscars, including best actress for the one and only Liza Minelli, this was not a film to be messed with, tackling equally challenging subjects with similar musical ingenuity. Then came Mamma Mia!. Whilst being the most talked about and laughed about (poor Colin!) film in a long time; the film’s celebration of Greece, abs and disco flares, shot Mamma Mia! to super stardom, becoming the most commercially successful film in the UK since Titanic.

Yes, Tom Hooper has a lot to live up to, but that doesn’t mean his latest film won’t maintain the musical’s prestigious reputation within the film industry. First off, his choice of musical isn’t bad. Les Misérables has so far been left untouched by directors and filmmakers, perhaps because it happens to be the longest-running musical of all time (no pressure then, Hooper!) Not sure you’re familiar with it? Two words: Susan Boyle.

But if there’s anyone who’s going to give it a good go it’s Tom Hooper. Being quite the Oscar winner himself, with his last film The King’s Speech winning four Academy Awards back in 2010, the only way has to be up. Teaming up once again with casting director Nina Gold, Hooper has produced a great cast with incredible voices. A-listers such as Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway are acting and singing alongside the likes of Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen to bring the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s beautiful and seminal novel to cinematic life.

Not wishing to stop there, Hooper has secured this film’s place in cinematic history as being the first musical to have purely live singing performances on the soundtrack. There’ll be no miming or auto tuning in this one – what you see will be what they heard 100 takes later during filming, live on set. This will not only reveal the true singing talents of the cast, but showcase Hooper’s incredible vision as a director. Start spreading the news! There’s a place for Les Misérables somewhere and it’s at next year’s Academy Awards…or perhaps that’s just a dream I dreamed.