Day: 28 February 2013
Live: The Good Natured
27th February 2013
Night & Day Café
It’s often the case with emerging talent that they find themselves performing at the more rustic venues before making the transition to the neon and concrete arenas. Tonight was such an occasion for The Good Natured as they delivered a humble set at Manchester’s Night and Day Café.
Amidst the mish-mash of heavy wooden bar furniture, walls peeling of its red paint, The Good Natured unceremoniously took to a stage loosely draped in fairy-lights. The trio, fronted by Sarah McIntosh, stood awkwardly on stage, Sarah herself dressed scantily in a leopard print blouse and dazzling rouge spandex hot-pants, whereas her much more subdued accomplices sported asymmetric fringes and looked decidedly 1980s revival in their suits.
Despite the ‘dark electronic pop’ band’s modest entrance, it wasn’t long until the assembled crowd were mesmerised by the vigour of Sarah’s stage presence, one that brimmed with the exuberance that all good front men and women seem to possess. Normally such low-key performances from the band’s bassist and drummer would be observed critically, but in this instance it was understandable, as Sarah stole the stage for her own.
From the outset, the audience was captivated by Sarah’s spritely gyration and eccentric demeanour as she took to lying spread-eagle on the floor whilst maintaining unbroken singing. But even that could no longer be contained to the stage, as in an act of unity she climbed down and submersed herself among the admiring fans. On her return to the stage for ‘Lovers’, she playfully wrapped herself up in the cord of her mic. For the following track, ‘Your Body Is a Machine’, she showed us a glimpse of her multi-instrumental flair as she took control of the drums. As the set drew to a close, the responsibility for appeasing the crowd’s appetite was left to the fan favourite ‘Skeleton’, closing out a confident, understated performance.
The Voices of Sport
THE WRITER/BROADCASTER: DOMINIC MCGUINNESS
Dominic McGuinness has worked for the BBC, Sky and ITN as a writer and broadcaster, and has independently produced documentaries for ITV. He is currently North West correspondent for TalkSPORT radio.
McGuinness’ biggest tips for prospective sport journalists are to show enthusiasm and be useful. “Get as much experience as you can,” he says, “there is luck involved with the timing. But if you show you are willing and contact producers and reporters then you can show that you have that bit extra.”
McGuinness cites his own route into sport journalism as evidence of the enthusiasm needed. “I managed to meet the then sport editor of BBC Manchester. He offered me a game to cover – Stalybridge. I was just helping out in my part time, but through that I learned a little bit more about it and made contacts within the station.”
Once you get the contact, that isn’t the end of the story. “They don’t want people just coming in and hanging around,” McGuinness is keen to stress. “Then they just end up babysitting, and you are a drain on their time. Show you can help. Once you get into places be yourself be friendly and try to learn, not be a spare part.”
As a freelance broadcaster, McGuinness is constantly aware of the competitive world of journalism.”It is an excellent job and I’ve been very lucky,” he says, “but I’ve always wanted to do new things and mix it up a bit. That creates pressure: you’re constantly mindful that you have to fill your diary.”
‘Fill your diary’ is an understatement for McGuinness, who balances his writing and broadcasting with community work and education. When asked for his career highlight, he struggles to single out one achievement; he is clearly proud of everything he does.
“If I had to choose, it would be my Hatton book [‘Ricky Hatton – the Real Hitman’, published in 2006] I had to work to get a publisher involved, to get Hatton involved. I was pleased to get it off the ground and see it come to fruition- to see it there in black and white is fantastic, as I’d worked on it from start to finish.”
One of McGuinness’ current ventures is ‘The Sport Business’, a Community Interest Company based in Manchester that he co-founded. As McGuinness puts it, their purpose is to “get people involved in sports at a grassroots level, playing or watching, and do some good for the community.”
One aspect of this that is particularly relevant is the Broadcasting Masterclasses, provided by the company, where attendees can learn more such tips from McGuinness and other top sport journalists-and many of these classes offer a student discount. Find out more at www.thesportbusiness.co.uk
THE PUNDIT: GUILLEM BALAGUE
Guillem Balague is a Spanish football expert, probably best known for his appearances on Sky’s show Revista de La Liga, in which he provides consistent, accurate analysis. He is also a regular columnist for Spanish paper AS, and appears as a guest writer for a host of other sporting outlets, including the European football magazine Champions.
Balague has an intimate knowledge of Spanish football, and much of his journalistic approach comes from sources close to the heart of some of the biggest clubs and names in Spain. In January this year, for example, he correctly denied that Guardiola was resisting the overtures of Ambramovich, and would not be heading to Chelsea.
In early November, Balague came to Manchester as part of his book launch, Another Way of Winning, which was a biography on Guardiola. We caught up with him to try and prise some secrets of the trade.
“Trust,” he says, “is key.” Balague’s style is heavily reliant on sources in good positions. Keeping them sweet is essential, in his eyes, to good journalism. His success, and respect as a journalist, has stemmed from building up a strong and loyal base of sources; as he says, he’s “been knocking on doors for years”. They know that they can trust him not to reveal who they are, and that he will feed the information out to the wider world at the correct time.
Cross-checking sources to validate information is also crucial to Balague. “You normally check at least two sources”, he says, “as long as you as you have as much information and checked it with enough sources… then you report it.”
Balague also stresses the importance of adding an element of character to the stories that he builds. “You should not just give the results, you should be talking about the characters behind it”, he says. “Give it three dimensions!” This element of Balague’s style is most prominent in his biography of Guardiola, in which he was given unprecedented access to the Barcelona coach. The result is a captivating character study of the Catalan.
THE COMMENTATOR: ROB PALMER
Rob Palmer is Sky’s main commentator for their coverage of Spanish Football. He began his career with Granada Television and ITV before making the switch in 1996.
Palmer was present at Balague’s book launch in Manchester, and we took the opportunity to find out how he managed to make it as a commentator.
Interestingly, despite playing football professionally as a goalkeeper, Palmer’s first steps in the world of sport media came in Rugby League, where he then moved onto football. This is the path that he feels is most successful. “I would say, to anyone, to not try and go straight into football.”
Of course, there are reasons for this. Everyone wants to talk about football; even more so today than when Palmer first started doing it in the early 1990s. Now, there are countless blogs and websites out there, all competing against each other and often working for little or no pay. “It’s an oversaturated market”, Palmer says. “Try and find a niche sport, to begin with, and then make the step.”
Within the football world, Palmer’s emphasis is again on ‘niche’. When he and Guillem first started to cover La Liga for Sky, it was very much an ad-hoc affair with little professionalism and little interest. However, they had found a niche area at the time, and once it began to take off with the Galatico era in the early2000’s, their careers followed.
Palmer’s advice: keep a keen eye on the Bundesliga.
Interview: The Joy Formidable
“We’ve definitely followed a non-traditional path.” Ritzy Bryan is recalling The Joy Formidable’s early days. “Although, honestly, I’ve got no idea what a traditional path is these days.” She’s speaking to The Mancunion from Antwerp, in the thick of a European tour that’s taken in headline dates as well as support slots to Bloc Party; tonight’s the latter. “We really had to look to ourselves back then. We were touring to fund recording, then putting EPs out as and when we had the songs; I’m glad we did it in such an honest way. It certainly helped us build a fanbase.”
The Welsh trio’s sophomore release, Wolf’s Law, landed last month and represents a fast turnaround by their own standards, arriving two years after debut The Big Roar, which itself was twice as long in the gestation. Ritzy’s cautious when I ask her how she feels it’s been received; “I don’t think we need validation from other people – it’d go against the ethic of the band. We’d never release something we weren’t proud of. The important thing is the reaction from the fans, which has been fantastic. It’s been a lot of fun getting our heads round playing it live, too.”
Since their inception in 2007, the band seem to have been on tour pretty much permanently, which leaves you wondering how they managed to write and record Wolf’s Law with so much of their time swallowed up by their extensive live schedule. “We did a lot of work on the road,” explains Ritzy. “We never really stop writing. We did an awful lot of demoing in hotel rooms, just experimenting with different ideas we were coming up with. When we finally had some time off, we wanted a contrast to that for the recording – that was what drove the decision to set up the studio in Portland, Maine.”
Sure enough, the trio travelled across the pond to decamp to the wilderness. “We just really needed the solitude, the isolation, to be able to take all these different concepts and diverse little experiments and make them into something focused enough to come together as a cohesive record.”
The Joy Formidable certainly don’t have a track record of shying away from being musically ambitious; The Big Roar was characterised by huge guitars and epic soundscapes. Things have become even more grandiose on Wolf’s Law, with the introduction of a string section; was it deliberate, I ask, to try and forge a sonic departure on the new album?
“Not at all. I certainly don’t believe you should ever to try to force anything when you’re writing; you’ve got to experiment, and try and dabble in a bit of everything that appeals to you. You should be pursuing whatever’s exciting you musically. A lot of bands seem to have a pretty rigid structure that they stick to when making records, but that’d never work for us; you’ve got to be adventurous, you can’t be scared of things going wrong. There’s a lot to be said for trial and error.”
The band’s lack of conventional structure extends to the collaboration between Ritzy and bassist Rhydian Dafydd, who between them comprise the songwriting core of the outfit. “Some songs are more me and others are more him, but we never overthink things; we’re both happy writing together and alone. By the time we finish a lot of our songs, it’s difficult to pin down where my influence ends and Rhydian’s begins, which makes for a very vibrant process, I think.”
Thematically, there’s been a lot of talk about the influence of nature on Wolf’s Law, which, on reflection, Ritzy attributes to the environment the band grew up in. “There’s definitely a lot of metaphor and imagery on the lyrical side of the record that’s inspired by nature,” she says. “I think that comes from myself and Rhydian growing up in North Wales; the surroundings there were very evocative. Nature really informs the imagination.”
Not that the album’s themes only extend to that one concept: “I think we address technology on there as well, and the balancing act of wanting to advance but being careful not to become too disconnected from the real world. There’s a real breadth of themes on the record, which I think is a symptom of the way it was written; when you’re travelling, you’re constantly having your mind stimulated by so many different things. I do think our own personalities anchor the songs on the album, though; there’s personal stuff on there too, about what inspires us and what frustrates us.”
Recognition in rock music doesn’t really come much bigger than the seal of approval from one of the genre’s genuine legends, as The Joy Formidable discovered when Dave Grohl pronounced ‘Whirring’ to be the ‘song of the year’ on Twitter. It marked the beginning of a relationship which saw the band open for Foo Fighters on a slew of U.S. dates, including shows at Madison Square Garden. “It was just an incredible experience all round. They were so good to us. I’d like to think we’d treat up and coming bands that way once we’re a bit more established.”
Taking into account this current jaunt with Bloc Party and the support slots with Muse late last year, there’s clearly a trend developing – perhaps these huge bands know that The Joy Formidable’s epic guitar sound makes them ideal touring partners? “Maybe,” Ritzy ponders. “I do think it’s very flattering to be appreciated by such a diverse range of bands; it proves that we’re multi-dimensional, that we’re not easy to pigeonhole, which is great. It’s a fantastic challenge to have, but, to be honest, nothing beats playing to your own fans, and knowing you’re in front of a crowd that have invested in you, that want you to have a career.”
There’s an obvious divide between the band’s identity in the studio and onstage – check out their party piece, a ten-minute extended version of ‘Whirring’, for proof – and it’s something they’re clearly comfortable with. “You know, I fucking hate going to gigs and hearing a record played exactly as the studio version sounds. We definitely embrace the difference between the two; we never worried about how we were going to make the new songs work live when we were recording. We want to let them breathe.”
Characteristically, exhaustive touring is set to dominate 2013 for The Joy Formidable, but they’ve already got one eye on the next record. “There’s quite a bit of stuff left over from the Maine sessions, actually,” says Ritzy. “And we’ve got an EP in Welsh that we’ve been meaning to get finished for ages now. We’ll keep writing on the road, definitely. We certainly aren’t planning on slowing down any time soon.”
The Joy Formidable play The Ritz on February 28. Wolf’s Law is out now on Atlantic Records
How To dress for uni: A boys guide
What we wear to university can say a lot about us. We all knew this in first year; we decided our outfits well in advance, allowed enough time to shower in the mornings and occasionally even ironed our clothes. I remember rigorously calculating the exact date I should shave which would result in the perfect amount of stubble on my first day. And when that first day came, I strutted into uni wearing my latest Topman purchase, leaving a trail of Lynx Africa behind me. Thank god those days have gone. However, it recently dawned on me that we should perhaps learn something from our naive, fresher selves; we may have upgraded our deodorant since then, but our effort to look presentable for uni has completely vanished. Either every boy at uni has found a girlfriend (or boyfriend) and therefore feels no need to try and impress anyone, or we’ve all just become incredibly lazy. This realisation has encouraged me to reach out to my fellow poorly-dressed students and offer my five pieces of advice:
1) Sportswear is for sport. Why do we feel the uncontrollable need to constantly wear tracksuit bottoms and hoodies? The only time this outfit is acceptable is if you genuinely are about to, or just have, taken part in physical activity (note: fighting for a seat on the Magic Bus does not constitute physical activity).
2) Putting a hat on is not a replacement for washing your hair. Yes, we all love the hipster woollen hat that barely fits our heads, but it is unacceptable to wear one throughout lectures, and especially seminars. A quick morning shower will alleviate the routine embarrassment which follows taking off your hat.
3) Shoes complete an outfit. Now New Balance trainers have teamed up with Jack Wills they will inevitably become uncool. Therefore, every other boy in Manchester will be looking for new footwear. Vans are too common and your gym shoes are not an option (see number 1). How about actual shoes? Not trainers, but real leather shoes. Cow have a fantastic selection of vintage leather brogues and slippers. If that’s not your scene then try suede desert boots. You will instantly look smarter and your feet will most likely stay drier.
4) Wear a watch. Although unlikely to improve your timekeeping, it will apply some sophistication to your outfit. Rotary is a good place to start, although Cassio will suffice if, like me, you’ve already spent your student loan on unnecessary holidays. Avoid a Rolex; you will get mugged.
5) Get a decent uni bag. You may think an ASDA bag-for-life portrays anti-consumerism and a detachment from the material world, but it actually portrays a poor supermarket choice with a touch of homelessness. Most people opt for a reliable rucksack, usually of the Herschel family. They are smart, stylish and practical, without making you look like your dad. If you want to pretend you’re studying Art instead of Engineering, Pop Boutique in the Northern Quarter usually have a fun range of vintage briefcases and satchels.
We are soon to be upstanding, well educated men of Britain. Perhaps it’s time we started to dress like them. I’m not suggesting we copy that one guy who dons a suit for lectures (usually an ill-fitting Matalan special), but perhaps re-adopt our first year efforts. After all, we are at uni to achieve a degree. Let’s start by achieving a decent wardrobe.
Red Carpet 101
When making one’s way down the red carpet, etiquette is absolutely everything. I could not tell you who won the Academy Award for Best Actress last year, but I can tell you who was wearing what and if it worked or not; we all know this is where the true winners and losers are decided. From the dress and hair to the choice of pose, nothing is overlooked. One wants to pay heed to current trends in the fashion world whilst also maintaining a look that will survive the years and not be looked back on in anguish. Victoria Beckham is the ultimate repeat offender of this.
Photo: jenniferfabulous.blogspot.com
There are some obvious don’ts concerning outfit choice (dramatic as it may sound, wearing the same dress as another attendee can ruin your night, as well as your reputation). Furthermore, a bad dress will be remembered, this Uma Thurman picture still makes me shudder almost a decade on. Depending on the magnitude of an awards ceremony, the rules may vary but there are some pertinent guidelines for red carpet success: the old rule of cleavage or legs on show, not both, is one that translates for most ceremony-goers; unless you are Beyoncé. Obviously. In fact this year the Grammy awards imposed a dress code on its guests, stating amongst many other guidelines that ‘Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts’ would cause problems – who knew under boobs were such a no-no? Through the years many rules have been crafted so as to keep up the stellar reputation of the awards season. Starlets have had to learn from their predecessors’ triumphs and fails. Putting weights in one’s gown is an age-old favourite; not everyone looks as glamorous as Marilyn with their skirts blowing in the wind. Thus there is never any excuse for repeating someone else’s past mistakes. But while etiquette may be everything, it is important to remember the likes of Rihanna or Jennifer Lopez, who continue to show us that rules are made to be broken.
Here come the boys
Robert Pattinson
While I’m aware the elusive R-Patz is the receiver of much hate, I’m not one to go along with it. Ignoring the Twilight franchise, which he hates, he’s been in some pretty decent films. However, he’s often seen with some particularly trampy pieces (not including Kristen Stewart) but did brush up exceptionally well for the premiere of Breaking Dawn Part II, as shown wearing this green Gucci suit. Whoever said red and green should never be seen was clearly wrong.
Paired with a pale shirt, dark tie and trimmed stubble he almost looks like a sexy leprechaun, albeit much taller, with brown hair and minus the accent. It’s well fitting too, which is vital with such a bold choice of suit, but then again, he is a leading man. I feel like this is a faultless choice for a premiere; however I’m glad it’s just that and not the Oscars, which should be less “snazzy”.
Photo: esquire.com
Alec Baldwin
By no means am I saying Alec Baldwin isn’t a fashionable man, but I wouldn’t go so far as to label him a style icon. If anyone knows his character from 30 Rock then you’ll know he’s no stranger to suits. At the Cannes Film Festival though he whipped out this saucy number, and I’m not talking about his date.
This midnight blue tux stands out but not in an obvious way. It still exuberates class and is tailored perfectly. With his satin bow tie and A-list smile Alec Baldwin should be welcomed on any red carpet. The lapels are a beautiful touch as well, breaking the suit up without being tacky. This is a great example of a twist on a classic, as the suit is very close to the black classic but gives him a very subtle and sartorial edge.
Photo: esquire.com
Edward Norton
Classically untouched: sometimes the simple look is the best choice in men’s fashion, especially on the red carpet. The paparazzi may just be holding cameras, but a bad shot can be as harmful as if they were armed with guns. Edward Norton however, looks dashing in this dark grey suit, with a skinny tie to complement his slim physique.
I think for any man who faces a red carpet and wants a traditional style without too much glam, this is a great example. Well groomed too, this look has it all. Although it is a given that a man’s options are significantly less than woman’s, you’d think it would be hard to go wrong.
The most important point in this piece though is the tailoring. With something as humble as this suit, if the fit was wrong then it would all go wrong. An ill-fitting jacket can be as glaringly obvious as a wandering bra strap and there’s simply no point wearing a £3000 suit if it’s going to fit like a bin bag.
Brad Pitt and ‘the leg’. Photo: styleproofed.com
Brad Pitt
If you can look away from Angelina Jolie’s leg for a moment and focus on its date, you can see Chanel’s main man looking much more dapper than in the recent advertising campaign. There is nothing to question about the clothes Brad is wearing here. It’s an archetypal black tuxedo, but it’s a timeless look nevertheless. With a crisp white shirt and simple satin bow tie paired with some smart and well-polished shoes, Brad Pitt is showing that he doesn’t need to try. The Oscars aren’t an event to mess about with. I’m sure Helen Mirren’s pink do will be gone in time for this year’s as well. Take another look at Angelina’s leg if you’d like. Brad’s style here even makes up for his scruffier grooming appearance. And despite his pretty casual pose, the suit still gives him class. I’d be tempted to throw one of these on Joaquin Phoenix and see if it would work the same magic – like painting walls some off-white colour to make a room “minimalist”.
RAG Week
Seven days. Seven different events. Hundreds of people. The chance to raise thousands of pounds. RAG Week 2013 is fast approaching and is set to be bigger and better than ever! Starting on Monday 11th February and running till Sunday 18th February, this week raises crazy amounts for the RAG Community Fund, which is divided in May between various Northwest based charities.
Kicking off the week is a comedy night held at Squirrels Bar on Monday at 7pm, headlined by Colin Manford and showcasing some of the finest student stand-up the University has to offer. Tuesday night is your time to get your corset and fishnets on (gender irrespective) for the long-established screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, shown at Fab Cafe on Portland Street from 7pm. Need a date in time for Valentine’s Day? Head down to Joseph Whitworth on Wednesday 13th from 8pm to be matched up with the girl or guy of your dreams in our massively successful Speed Dating. If nobody there takes your fancy, never fear as Take Me Out is taking place on Thursday 14thin Academy 2 – with contestants from the ITV show making an appearance! We’re still looking for contestants, so if you’re interested, email [email protected]. Take Me Out 2012 was hugely popular so get your tickets early from the Student Activities office. If you fancy doing something a little different on Friday night, Dare Night is for you – head down to Font, Fallowfield, at 8pm and take part in some ridiculous and hilarious dares across the city. Saturday night sees student bands competing for your vote in Battle of the Bands, and finally the week culminates in a fully interactive pub quiz at Owens Park bar, from 7pm.
If this wasn’t enough, keep your eyes peeled around campus during the day times. Ever fancied trying Water Zorbing? Well here’s your chance – head to University Place on Tuesday. Think Quidditch is just for wizards? Think again and come to our very own tournament on Wednesday 13th. Get your fix of summer by coming to the carnival on Thursday, also held outside University Place, for sumo wrestling, gladiator jousting and much more.
RAG week is organised by students, for students, and really does have something for everybody to get involved in. Come let your hair down, have a laugh, knowing that you’re helping to raise thousands of pounds for deserving causes.