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Day: 21 February 2013

The counter-march won’t work – we need to beat the EDL with social media

Written by Arun Mehta on . Posted in News.

On the 2nd of March of this year, Unite Against Fascism will be marching against the English Defence League in a counter demonstration.

To the deep-seated leftist, it’s probably understandable why they consider marching a tool to fight racism. Most marches of decades past have provided a voice to minorities and demonstrated unity among the populace. It also provides a sense of nostalgia to walk in the footsteps of their anti-fascist predecessors.

But given the dramatic fall in EDL numbers and the imprisonment of Stephen Lennon (aka “Tommy Robinson”); what is exactly going to be achieved by once again marching to an anti-racism tunes everybody knows the words to? “Off our streets, nazi scum!” “Smash the BNP!” etc, etc…

Today, the English Defense League or what is left of it, is no more than a gang of drunken, racist ex-football hooligans. The organisation has massively suffered in recent time either through political differences between far-right factions, resignations, and even the arrest and imprisonment of senior members for various criminal offenses. This diminished flock of jaded ignorance are just interested in looking to cause general outrage in the streets rather than stressing their anti-Islamic views.

When it comes to how we deal with fascists and racists in our society, the UAF and I do cross swords on how we should deal with them. They prefer the inactive/reactive approach, while I prefer the constantly informative approach.

I see the UAF regularly handing out flyers to students outside both MMU and Manchester University campuses. This to me translates to preaching to the already converted and is around an 80% waste of resources. Even the most politically abstract student knows that racism and division within society is bad. I still agree with the idea of having stalls at Fresher Weeks. Every society needs to work those dates in order to get new members through the doors, but I believe other leaflet campaigning activities by these enthusiastic anti-fascists would be best saved for areas actually affected by far-right activity. Areas where the British Nation Party, the National Front and others pose a serious threat should be the primary focus of anti-fascist campaigning. I don’t see the Manchester SU with its history of left-wing and hard-left administrations dramatically falling to the far-right any time soon.

In the deep-rooted digital age of 2013 and in the victory era of the social network revolution, the next theatre of anti-fascist activity should be conducted on a virtual battlefield. In my opinion, the best way of fighting off the far-right is not through the sounds of marching feet and loud chanting, but through the wide spread of news, information and most importantly, the facts.

The Hope and Hate Campaign appear in my view to be taking the right direction. Along with providing its own reporting through news and blogs, the site links together the pattern of activities of the BNP, the EDL and various other groups across the country by tracking local newspapers. The social media presence primarily on Facebook and Twitter is also something to note. It sometimes provides running commentary on dramatic events overlooked by the mainstream media. Also, I don’t know many Facebook pages that say goodnight to me my showing me a music video. A pretty cool concept if you ask me.

At one point, some North Manchester communities were nearly in the grip of the BNP through constant scaremongering about immigration falsehoods, introducing anti-multicultural sentiments and using other over-inflated right-wing talking points. The dreaded Ace of Diamonds pub acting as the beacon of division on Oldham Road and even hosted BNP Leader Nick Griffin on most occasions.

Thankfully, that area was lucky. Through a combination of compassionate community groups, radio stations and the famous Nick Griffin PR disaster on BBC Question Time, the BNP were forced onto the back foot. Electoral support for the party dramatically declined and the party constantly struggles to find candidates and money to stand in council wards.

“But what about the British Freedom Party” you may ask? Doesn’t this new party pose a threat? After an investigation through a phone call with the Electoral Commission in London, I was surprised to discover that the EDL’s political wing is no longer a registered political party. This makes EDL members standing in elections impossible unless they stand as independents or other far-right parties; causing more instability for the EDL to function.

It’s self-defeating in a sense to keep constantly feeding into the EDL’s gang mentality with this proposed counter march, which in reality is being led on by the Socialist Worker’s Party. The best thing the students of Manchester could do when the EDL rolls into town, is by getting on with our lives in our proudly multicultural society, and not be intimidated by this minuscule and moronic bunch.

Column: Manchester, so much to answer for

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

It’s difficult not to see The Courteeners, currently riding high on the success of their third record, Anna, as the embodiment of the slow malaise that has taken hold of my city’s music scene over the past couple of decades. You’re probably all familiar with the unspeakable likes of 5th Avenue and 42s by now, and I’ve always thought The Courteeners would make a good house band for those establishments, where they’d surely be held in high esteem by a consumer base largely unwilling to entertain the prospect of music made by anybody from further south than Knutsford any more recently than 1996 and who were probably surprised to find out that The Stone Roses had ever actually split up.

Back in the St. Jude days, Liam Fray, in his own head, was some kind of divinely-crafted cross between Liam Gallagher and Morrissey, combining a sneeringly arrogant attitude with lyrics far less intelligent than he thought they were. On follow-up Falcon, he suddenly decided he was the spiritual successor to Guy Garvey, as reflected in some horrendous songwriting decisions – ‘The Opener’ is a take on Elbow’s ‘Station Approach’, with all the subtlety and nuance of Nuts magazine – apparently failing to realise that veering from idolising two of the most egotistical men in human history to modelling yourself on somebody as unassuming and likeable as Garvey isn’t likely to come across as the most genuine of personal progressions.

That The Courteeners are one of the more commercially viable outfits to emerge from the city in recent times represents a sorry state of affairs. The ‘glory days’, if ever they were such, are unquestionably over; Liam Gallagher has become a hilarious caricature of himself, whilst Noel looks set to fart out records rivalled only, in the lack of invention and excitement stakes, by his football team, until one of the most depressingly lucrative reunions in history finally takes place when they both fancy a few quid more. Morrissey continues to carry out spectacular character assassinations against himself, with his pathetically childish animal rights opinions only overshadowed by his disturbing attitude towards race and immigration. Peter Hook’s so-cynical-it-hurts cash-in empire peaked when he turned the old Factory offices into a nightclub with about as much character as a motorway service station, where you can barely hear the alleged music over the sound of Ian Curtis spinning in his grave at Hook’s decision to tour both Joy Division records with a new band. The Stone Roses’ reunion was a triumph, so long as you like your vocals about as melodic as a pneumatic drill. Probably the most impressive feat pulled off by one of the old guard is the mere fact that Bez is, somehow, still alive.

Fray mocks the city’s student populace on ‘Fallowfield Hillbilly’, but the grand tradition of the ‘Manchester band’ seems consigned to history. It’s like a part of the city died with Tony Wilson; his legacy looks less likely to be genuinely built upon with each passing day, instead hijacked for self-celebratory, faux-nostalgic purposes by LADs and football hooligans in shit nightclubs. So much to answer for.

Manchester music students make games

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Games.

University of Manchester music students have been involved in video game design as part of their degree. The twenty-credit module entitled “Special Option in Composition” allows students to choose between either film music and game audio. I spoke to third year students Emily Mitchell and Jamie Ross about the course and the games they were making.

The aim of the module is for students to learn about making interactive music, and exploring sounds in new and exciting ways.

They showed a project produced by their course leader where you controlled balls of light with the accelerometer in an Android phone, when the balls make contact with spirals different sounds are produced. The sounds made differed depending on the speed the ball was travelling at. While not your traditional goal oriented game, it did show the potential for creating interesting art through interactive sound. I was reminded of the DS game Electroplankton, which encouraged gamers to play with sound using their stylus.

One student planned to make a maze game where you explored the maze without the assistance of visual cues and instead relied only on sound. Emily was producing a game where you had to collect bubbles. Different bubbles made different sounds as you approached them and depending on the sound collecting a bubble could increase or decrease your score. Jamie was creating a game similar to the board game mastermind, where players had to match patterns of sounds in different circles on a map.

I asked them whether a taste of game design would lead them to pursuing a career in game audio, for Jamie it didn’t look likely although he said it was a welcome break from trawling through articles for his dissertation. Emily, on the other hand, told me that she’d certainly consider working in game soundtracks.

Food for Dydd Dewi Sant

Written by Emily Clark on . Posted in Food & Drink.

The glorious land of Wales: where we have branded leek and lamb, cockles and cawl, rarebit and bara brith the gems of our nation and our gift to the world. A land of baked cheese, creamy leeks and lamb stew is one that I am proud to call home. Here are a few of my favourite Welsh recipes: bara brith, lamb cawl, welsh cakes and rarebit. Tidy.

Bara brith by Mary Hamilton from The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best

Ingredients

450g/1lb dried mixed fruit

250g/9oz brown sugar

300ml/½ pint warm black tea

2 tsp mixed spice

450g/1lb self-raising flour

1 free-range egg, beaten

Method

In a large bowl soak the fruit and sugar in strained tea and leave overnight. Next day preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Mix the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture and beat well. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake the oven and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 

Lamb cawl adapted from cookie2112 on BBC Good Food

Serves 6

Ingredients

900g lamb meat

3-4 chopped carrots

2 sliced onions

1 peeled and chopped swede

3 leeks chopped into chunks (keeping the greener end as this adds colour and flavour)

Small bundle of thyme

1 bay leaf

900g potatoes cut into big chunks

1 tbsp chopped parsley

10 black peppercorns

You can also use any fresh root vegetables that are in season.

Method

Trim the meat of fat, cut into big chunks put in a deep pan with plenty of water, bring to the boil slowly and skim (throughout the cooking process you need to ensure there is enough liquid to cover the ingredients). Add the carrot, onions and swede. Bring back to the boil, add half tsp salt and the peppercorns, then the thyme and bay leaf bundled with string, and simmer gently for 2 hours. Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add the leeks and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes. Serve with garnish of parsley, warm, crusty, wholesome bread and Caerphilly cheese. The cawl will be fine to eat for 24hrs but is best eaten within 18hrs. If eating the next day you might need to add some water with lamb stock added to thin.

 

Welsh cakes from Delia Online

Ingredients

8oz/225g self-raising flour

4oz/110g butter or margarine

3oz/75g mixed fruit or sultanas

3oz/75g caster sugar

1 small egg

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Method

To cook these you really need the traditional heavy, flat, iron pan (sometimes called a griddle or girdle). However, a good solid heavy frying pan, with a flat base, will do.

First, sift the dry ingredients together, then rub in the butter or margarine as you would if you were making pastry. Then, when the mixture becomes crumbly, add the fruit and mix it in thoroughly. Then beat the egg lightly and add it to the mixture. Mix to a dough and, if the mixture seems a little too dry, add just a spot of milk. Now transfer the dough on to a lightly floured working surface and roll it out to about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick.

Then, using a 2½-inch (6.5 cm) plain cutter, cut the dough into rounds, re-rolling the trimmings until all the dough is used. Next, lightly grease the thick heavy pan, using a piece of kitchen paper smeared with lard. Now heat the pan over a medium heat and cook the Welsh cakes for about 3 minutes each side. If they look as if they’re browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit because it’s important to cook them through – but they should be fairly brown and crisp on the outside. Serve them warm, with lots of butter and home-made jam or perhaps some Welsh honey.

 

Rarebit recipe by The Cheese Society on BBC Good Food 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

125ml milk

1 tbsp flour

400g grated farmhouse cheddar , or 2 x 200g quantities of cheddar and parmesan

175g fresh white breadcrumbs

1 heaped tsp English mustard powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (go for Lea & Perrin’s)

120ml ale, cider or Guinness (the last will give a stronger flavour)

1 egg, plus 1 yolk

6-8 slices, toasted crusty bread

Method

Heat the milk in a pan, whisk in the flour and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated cheese. Stir briefly until melted, then add the breadcrumbs, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and your choice of alcohol. Cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to leave the side of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly

Put the mixture in a food processor and, with the motor running, add the eggs. Keep it running for about a minute, then season with ground black pepper. Spread onto the toast and grill until browned and golden.

Top tips: the Northern Quarter

Written by Ben Walker on . Posted in Food & Drink, Freshers' Guide.

It seems that every other week some place new opens in the Northern Quarter, not just ensuring this inner city Manchester district continues to keep ahead of its Northern counterparts, but also creeping towards parity with some of the hip areas of London.

First up, stimulate the senses at North Tea Power with the finest coffee in Manchester – though saying that, it’s the finest coffee I’ve ever had. Their espresso fulfils all the criteria for near perfect coffee: body, aroma and flavour. The delicate crema, sharp acidy of high-altitude Arabica beans, a full, almost syrupy body and heady fine and fruity aroma combine to make this the ideal place to start this tour.

Perked up, head down Tib Street to the stylishly vintage Sugar Junction. Here, you will be nearly overwhelmed by the doily decoration and tables resplendent with beautiful china tea sets. This is the place for elevenses. A pot of tea and a slice of cake is just simple, traditional and absolutely spot on. Having taken the title off Teacup as the central Manchester’s premier tea and cake joint, Sugar Junction is a must-visit venue.

The morning by now will be old and the sun is nearly past the yard arm. We shall have a nose in the newest addition to the NQ, Beermoth, an outlet of the most exclusive and different beer. What is most impressive is that the collection here is completely different to those of Carringtons or Microbar and thus is a great addition to the Manchester area.

Port Street Beer House dominates the beer scene of the North of England. I know Leeds fans will champion North Bar, but I feel PSBH shades it. A lot of bars in Manchester have a bottle selection out of this world, but it is the on-tap beer here that is truly outstanding. It is kept beautifully and is simply delicious. Of the dozen-plus taps there have been in recent months such choices as Seville orange beer, an Odell and Thornbridge collaboration, chocolate milk stouts, Magic Rock – basically something from here, there and everywhere. I cannot praise this place enough.

Having built up a sufficiently ravenous appetite, head to Soup Kitchen. This is inexpensive, wholesomely satisfying food. I always opt for that most classic of combinations, soup and sandwich; last time I had cheddar, onion and ale soup with a cheese and chutney sandwich. A splendid lunch to sate one’s hunger but the homemade pies and traybakes are worth a try too.

By now, fed and watered, maybe just a half of bitter or a comforting latte? The serene atmosphere of 57 Thomas Street should do the trick here. This is a beer house for the Manchester Marble Brewery, offering cask and bottle versions of their tipples (their storage makes the same beer differ tremendously). They also have a superb pub snack system, where you choose a selection of charcuterie and cheese to nibble at instead of the old dry roast. You can lounge over a beer and a game of chess or dominos to wile away the late afternoon, which is simply lovely.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of places to go in the NQ, but I have endeavoured to assemble an itinerary that will allow you to sample the best in sweet and savoury food, tea, coffee and beer – all of which can be done without breaking the bank.  Take the jump from Fallowfield and the university and reach out and embrace the NQ. You will be repaid with delectable rewards.

Top 5: Drag in Film

Written by Susie Coen on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975
Nobody does cross-dressing like Tim Curry as Frank N Furter, the ‘sweet transvestite from transsexual, Transylvania’. He brings us the most egotistical, narcissistic drag queen and seduces not only Brad and Janet, but also the audience.

listal.com

2. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994.
Bringing some colour to the desert, these drag queens (and a transsexual woman) combine feathers, sequins and boas along with platforms, fluorescent bellbottoms and wigs that resemble Marge Simpson’s hair to create some of the most fabulously tacky costumes.

Wikimedia Commons

3. Some Like it Hot, 1959.
Cross-dressing for a slightly different purpose, Toni Curtis and Jack Lemmon give us the effortlessly frumpy Josephine and Daphne. With their matching cloche hats, strings of pearls and high neck pastel dresses, this comedy duo gave birth to cross-dressing in film.

ifc.com

4. Kinky Boots, 2005.
The gorgeous Chiwetel Ejiofor becomes the impeccably dressed Lola: with sleek dark hair by day and platinum blonde hair by night. Humorous and oozing sexiness, Lola shows us how to be seductive by transforming the old-fashioned shoe factory into a producer of knee-high red PVC boots for transvestites.

tumblr.com

5. To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, 1995.
Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze in drag, and they’re hot! With white feather hats and crisp dresses for Swayze compared to more a vibrant and street style of dresses with matching snap-backs for Snipes, these two create a variety pack of drag that undeniably delivers.

The Albert Square Chop House

Written by Jessica Hardiman on . Posted in Food & Drink.

The Albert Square Chop House is the newest addition to the Victorian Chop House Company, which already boasts two restaurants in Manchester and another in Leeds. From word of mouth, it is clear to see that the existing Sam’s Chop Houses and Tom’s Chop House are fairly well-received amongst those in the know.

Needless to say, I was very excited to be visiting the youngest member of the family. It claims to provide ‘classic British cooking with a modern twist’ – as a bit of a non-term, I was eager to explore and perhaps challenge this idea. Surely the nature of a chop house builds its own concept?

It is housed in the Memorial Hall, a beautiful Victorian building that exudes regal splendour before you’ve even entered the establishment. Its interior then hugs you with dark wood, which not only bolsters the aura of tradition and hearty Victorian-era fare, but it is also somehow in no way oppressive or smothering.

Sitting in the booths of the restaurant, you can see up to the bar above. Its upstairs floor doesn’t quite reach the large windows of the building’s fascia and thus creates some sort of semi-mezzanine to the restaurant. This, I loved, as you could hear the comforting, distant hum of conversation upstairs. However, some of the music drifting down from the bar left a bit to be desired, alternating bizarrely between the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Script and Rihanna.

For starters, we ordered the scallops with pork belly and watercress purée, and the steak tartare. The scallops were perfectly cooked, their softness dutifully allowing my knife to slide through them effortlessly. The pork belly sat alongside in neat little cubes, the crackling of which was crisp but thin so that it could be eaten without jarring your teeth together, but had enough delicate crunch to satisfy. The steak tartare also sung such succulence, with a beautiful pickled tang flecked throughout and a generous portion size. My fellow diner had never eaten raw steak before, and I felt happy that this was her first experience.

Our mains were the lemon sole with orange and chicory salad and the roast loin of venison. The lemon sole was delicious, and the simplicity of the dish let the flavour of the fish speak for itself. The salad that came alongside the lemon sole did not overpower, instead adding a delicious citrus layer and a pleasant crunch. The loin of venison was served with a humble mound of mashed potato, spiced red cabbage and a venison faggot. Once again, the meat’s flavours were central to the dish, and the life that had been taken for the purpose of our bellies was to some degree honoured.

This is perhaps the charm of places like this: allowing the tastes of the meat or fish to shine through, without trying to mask them with trivial and elaborate accompaniments. We live in quite a carb-centric country – it may not reach the levels of Italy, but there is still some sort of odd fixation that isn’t always necessary. That said, vegetarian dishes also don’t appear to be a mere afterthought; the Homity pie sat high amongst my potential choices, as did the curd and beetroot salad starter.

The raspberry soufflé for dessert did not disappoint, rounding the meal off deliciously. We also ordered the whimsically named ‘chocolate soup’, due in part to our cynicism for it. Oddly enough, the supposed ‘soup’ had been baked, so that the consistency was not fluid like one would presume, but had the very slightest wobble to resemble more of a mousse. It came with rubbles of golden honeycomb and a scoop of milk sorbet. As to be expected, it was on the whole quite tasty, but it was by no means imaginative. It was nothing like the theatrical image we had been thinking of, with a lack of Wonka-styled novelty that might warrant its presence on the menu. Perhaps opt for the more traditional desserts that are on offer, with a buttermilk posset and ginger parkin just a sample of what I expect to bear more substance.

Overall, I really enjoyed the food, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Having napkins snapped for you feels a bit unnecessary in such a place – as though some of the wrong elements of fine dining have been embraced – but generally, service was excellent.

However, the one thing that struck me most was just how quiet the establishment was. The bar upstairs was fairly busy when we first arrived, but after ascending from the restaurant below with a satisfied post-dinner plumpness, we were met with an eerie silence. The buzz of its older brothers, Sam and Tom, doesn’t appear to have spread to the baby of the bunch.

After dinner, I decided to trawl the depths of the internet to suss out The Albert Square Chop House’s online presence. I found a neglected Facebook page and limited material on the internet. The company website for the Chop Houses also appeared to be guilty of favouritism amongst its offspring, proudly displaying Sam’s Chop House – both its Manchester and Leeds locations – and Tom’s Chop House, but failing to remind us that there was another.

The Albert Square Chop House deserves a lot more by means of advertisement, as both building and food proved to be pretty much what I’d want from a restaurant. It has the finesse of more refined dining, but the approachability and comfort of somewhere much more relaxed. Portions are generous but not oversized, instead relying on the rich flavours of hearty meat and vegetables. For me, this is a great combination, and I just hope that others choose to seek it out for themselves – because it doesn’t appear to be enjoying much self-promotion.

Big Name On Campus: Nick Pringle, Gen Sec

Written by Oliver Taylor on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Tell us a bit about yourself? I’m the Gen Sec of the students union. This time last year I ran a high profile election campaign which is probably where my BNOC status come s from.

Do you think being Gen Sec makes you a BNOC? I don’t think being Gen Sec makes you a BNOC in itself.

Do you get recognised? I certainly get recognised when I say my name. Recently I went on a tour of the Stopford building where I was taken to a biology class. I went up to this table of students and I was like”oh hi, sorry to bother you”. This girl turned round and went “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god your Nick Pringle, oh my god I voted for you, oh my god my housemate fancies you so much, oh my god” and I was like “well this is a bit weird”.

Is your name useful when getting your name out during elections? I think so. Being able to have a pun associated with my name is really helpful.

Have you ever had any bad nicknames? I’ve had names like ‘cheese and chive’ and’ salt and vinegar’, but at university I’ve used my name to my advantage.

Have you ever been recognised on a night out? I don’t really remember many of my nights out! I know I’ve had people flirt with me on nights out.

Based on being General Secretary? Definitely, I’ve had “ooooohhh Mr Secretary” which is just the opposite of what would ever endear me to somebody.

Has anyone ever bought you a drink because of that? No I don’t think so. But if anyone is reading this and wants to buy me a drink that would be fine! It’s a gin and tonic.

Have you had mixed responses to your lecture shout-out? I quite enjoy giving lecture shout outs, but people do get sick of them.

Any bad moments when giving a lecture shout-out? I did a lecture shout out in my main opponent’s lecture without realising. About 30 seconds in someone started booing and people started chanting his name. I thought “oh my god this is a disaster.”

I’ve been told by many that you’re regarded as the ‘hunky one’ in the exec team. How would you respond to this? People asked during my election campaign if I was the well dressed one. So I guess if you want to remember me as the well dressed one from the election campaign, that’s fine.

Not the hunky one? If I had time to go to the gym…. I’ve never been described as hunky before.

Would you say that anyone was more of a BNOC than you? Probably, I know a lot about SU stuff so I know our women’s officer is quite a BNITSU [Big Name in the Students Union].

Would you say a big name in liberation? Tabz is absolutely a BNIL.

Would you say that Paz from kebab king is more or less of a BNOC than you? I don’t know who Paz from kebab king is, so therefore he’s not a bigger BNOC than me.

Would you say magic bus lady is a BNOC? She’s certainly well known.

Mancunion BNOC rating: 7/10 (Although this was much discussed in The Mancunion office with suggested ratings ranging from 4/10 to 10/10!) Many thanks to Nick Pringle and The Manchester Students’ Union.